Tyrant's Favorite | Sukuna Ryomen x Reader

012. Perfect

Your gaze fixed on the target. The curse holding it was walking from side to side in a straight line as it mocked your poor aim. Practicing with the curses still wreck your nerves as not being used to seeing them as equals. They were supernatural beings that killed humans for hunger or simple fun, the main enemy in your universe. They were grotesque, mean and rude to all servants, constantly threatening that they would have been eaten already if it wasn't for King Sukuna. He is the one who decides when and how much the curses under his charge eat. Living in the castle of the great man-eating tyrant was like a rabbit living in a cage with hundreds of tigers.

Your arms tensed as you drew the bowstring taut. The feather at the end of the arrow tickled your fingers, tempting them to let go. It was your first time practicing with moving targets. You took a deep breath before your fingers let go of the string. The arrow swam like a salmon against the current until it stuck against the top of the target's perimeter. You lowered the bow with an exasperated sigh.

"It was a good shot," Kenjaku, who was supervising today's training, cheered you on as he applauded your attempt.

"I don't need it to be good, I need it to be perfect," you took another arrow out of the quiver.

You loaded the weapon and looked for the easiest target to hit from your position, noticing the curse approaching the center of your field of vision. You reviewed the advice Sukuna had given you in your previous lessons. As you remembered his soft purr against your ear, his beefy body next to yours, his breath against your cheek and his hands covering yours. He always caused you to lose your concentration, sabotaging your attempts to focus by projecting memories of their times together into your mind. You were beginning to miss him as your teacher.

It had been a couple of weeks since Sukuna told you that Yorozu would be his new sorcerer's apprentice. You faked surprise even though you had overheard their conversation and you were dying of worry inside. Your head was filled with all the possible scenarios where everything could go wrong. Being the older sister, your priority was to protect Yorozu at any cost. You had to make sure she ate well, slept in a comfortable place and that Sukuna didn't kill her at the slightest provocation. Luckily, you could watch your little sister practice her new skills from the library window while you studied. You had to be careful, though. If Kenjaku caught you distracted, he would hit you over the head with whatever he had in his hand to get your attention back.

You found Yorozu's powers fascinating. From what little you had picked up of her cursed technique, she could recreate any object she knew. Sukuna began her training by showing her the various weapons in his possession for her to recreate with the help of her cursed energy. They then went on to observe various insects and birds to test if she could recreate animal materials. She could. You almost fainted the first time you saw her grow a pair of firefly wings between her shoulder blades. She was getting more powerful every day and it scared you.

Even though Yorozu was emasculating and foolish, Sukuna could not afford to waste her abilities. A sorceress with a technique so powerful that she was willing to serve him was good, too good to be true. During her lessons, he had dedicated himself to analyzing her movements and every word she uttered to decipher what she wanted from him. He knew that human interactions are based on transactions. Communication, buying and selling, democracy, almost everything they have built is based on I give you something so that you give me something in return. Yorozu could appear to be happy serving him, but he knew perfectly well that it was a facade to get something.

You hated the idea of Sukuna being close to your sister. It bothered you to see them so close when the king was correcting her posture when it came to wielding a sword or inspecting her new creations. The thought of him taking advantage of her or hurting her in any way drove you crazy. You didn't want her to go through what you went through in your early days at the castle. Psychological, physical and verbal humiliation from a tyrant was something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy, much less your little sister. Luckily, it didn't seem to be like that... for now. If Sukuna even thought of laying a finger on her, you'd make him pay.