Tyrant's Favorite | Sukuna Ryomen x Reader

040. Blood Arrows

The two arrows met in the thick mist, suspended on the edge of a single breath. Your tensed arm trembled under the weight of the bow, not from fear, but from time. You had never held it tense for so long, but for the first time you felt that the arduous training with Wasuke hadn't been in vain. Each beat in your neck marked the rhythm of the growing pressure, a dull drumbeat that seemed to resonate in the enemy archer's chest as well. You stared into the chocolate brown eyes of your opponent, who, firm in his stance, also showed no signs of surrender. The silence between you was as thick as the fog that enclosed you.

The man studied you from head to toe, as if trying to unravel an internal dilemma that weighed more heavily on him than the bloody arrow aimed at your head. He wanted to kill you. You knew it after defying his direct orders. But you were also human... and that confused him. The honor of their lineage was forged on an oath: to protect humans from curses, even if those humans turned traitor.

"If it helps." You were the first to break the silence. "I'm on your side. I'll just give my message, answer any questions you have about Sukuna's kingdom and New Sukuna..."

"New Sukuna?" The man had never heard that name before.

"The Jogo kingdom no longer exists. Sukuna conquered their lands, and now they are his," you answered.

His lips parted, stunned. What he had just heard stopped him in his tracks. None of the Kamo had the slightest idea. This wasn't just bad... it was a one of the worst news he ever heard. Sukuna hadn't just invaded their lands, hadn't just reduced them to prey, separating them from their people and forcing them into the shadow of fear; Now he had also extended his dominion to the nearest region, a border they believed to be more secure than the previous one.

And you knew it. If you were truly willing to answer all his questions, you would become the first bridge to another kingdom in years. The possibility struck him harder than any arrow.

He slowly lowered his hands, the still-glowing point crumbling beneath his palms. You followed suit, dropping the bow with a sigh that trembled on your lips. Your arms, tense for too long, went sloppy like boiled noodles. The air between you didn't lighten entirely, but at least, for a moment, it was no longer tinged with death.

"Fine. I'll let you pass, but just deliver your message, answer the king's questions, and then you'll leave. Understood?"

"Yes, that's all I need." You nodded, relieved that he agreed.

From his loose sleeve, the man pulled a piece of cloth. "I'll cover your eyes. I'm not going to risk you telling Sukuna details of our home."

"How do I know you won't kill me?" you asked skeptically.

"I think you'll have to trust me like I'm trusting you."

Convinced by his logic, impossible to refute at that moment, you agreed to be blindfolded. The rough fabric covered your vision, and with it, the world blacked out.

The man placed his hands on your shoulders with measured firmness, neither harsh nor kind, and began to guide you along the path that led to the Kamo castle. Every step was a leap into the abyss, and uncertainty ate at you from within like a starving animal. You walked among shadows, not only because of the blindfold, but because of everything you didn't know: where you were going, what they would do to you, if you would make it out alive. There was always a small chance for any outcome.

The journey unfolded in tense, almost ceremonial silence. Only occasionally broken by a brief command or a curt warning: "Rock," "On your left," "Watch out for the root." He didn't say more than necessary, and you didn't dare ask. Between his hands and your improvised blindness, you allowed yourself to be carried into the unknown, like an offering walking of its own free will.