Jujutsu Kaisen: The Sorceress of Control

50 PS

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Gojo stood in front of Makima's residence door. It had been almost two years since he started visiting her occasionally, and now he was there again. He had knocked a few minutes ago but received no immediate response. Finally, the door slowly opened, revealing Rika, who looked at him with a mildly concerned expression.

"Gojo-san... she says she doesn't want to see you," Rika said softly.

Gojo sighed, already anticipating that response. However, he noticed something seemed off about Rika. Her demeanor looked downcast, as if something was troubling her.

"Are you okay, Rika-chan?" he asked sincerely, tilting his head slightly.

Rika flinched, waving her hands. "Eh? Yes, I'm fine! It's just that since she returned from that mission, she's been acting strange."

Gojo nodded slowly. He didn't need her to explain further; he knew exactly what she meant. The words he had spoken to Makima during the mission had undoubtedly left a deeper mark than he anticipated.

"Tell her she can accompany Megumi tomorrow for his visit to Tsumiki-chan," he said casually, handing Rika a small wooden box. "Oh, and give her this. I know they loved it last time."

Rika took the box, a bit confused, and watched as Gojo walked away. Peeking inside, she found an assortment of finely arranged chocolates. Carefully closing the box, she went back inside.

Stopping in front of Makima's room door, she knocked softly before speaking. "I'm coming in," she announced calmly.

Upon entering, she saw Makima sitting at her desk, staring intently at a completely blank sheet of paper. She had been like that for hours, motionless and silent.

"Gojo-san said that tomorrow Fushiguro-san is going to visit someone named Tsumiki... and you can join him," Rika informed, setting the box of chocolates beside the desk.

Makima neither looked up nor reacted. She just kept staring at the paper as if trying to write something that eluded her.

"He also left this box of chocolates," Rika added, gesturing toward the box she had just placed.

Suddenly, Makima rose from her seat. Her eyes locked onto Rika, but her voice was restrained. "...I apologize."

Rika stepped back, startled. "There's no need to say that. You owe me nothing," she replied, trying to sound calm, though her voice cracked at the end.

Makima slowly shook her head, her eyes fixed on Rika's. "Yes, I do. I lost... I lost control with you," she confessed, her tone devoid of emotion, but her words carried the weight of a dark memory. "I almost... killed you."

The color drained from Rika's face as her hands clenched into fists. She remembered that night—the cold on her neck, the emptiness in Makima's eyes as her hands tightened around her throat. For a moment, Makima's gaze seemed eerily similar to how it had been with Kaori.

"Makima-sama, I..." Rika swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. "It's not something you need to apologize for. It was my fault for approaching when I shouldn't have," she said, though she knew her words were a futile attempt to downplay what had happened.

Makima averted her gaze. "No. It was mine. And there's no excuse for it," she stated coldly. She turned toward the box of chocolates, picked it up, and handed it to Rika. "Throw it in the trash," she ordered, cutting off any attempt to continue the conversation.

Rika accepted the box, her fingers trembling slightly as she held it. "Makima-sama... do you hate me?" she asked quietly, almost in a whisper, but Makima did not respond.

"Also, prepare everything for me to leave tomorrow," Makima said finally, returning to her desk.

"You're going?" Rika asked in a small voice, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Makima nodded. "I must go... unfortunately," she replied as she refocused on her notes, as though the matter was closed.

Rika lingered for a few more seconds, clutching the box to her chest, before silently leaving, her thoughts heavy and her heart torn between fear and loyalty.

It was early morning, and Makima waited at the entrance of the main building, her usual calmness present as she observed every detail around her. Her posture was upright, but something in her expression discouraged casual conversation.

"Finally, I see you," she heard a familiar voice. She slowly turned, meeting Gojo and Megumi, who had just arrived. Her eyes barely landed on the man before focusing on the boy. "Is he coming?" she asked, ignoring Gojo entirely.

Megumi, confused by the question, nodded without much conviction. "Yes, he's coming," he replied.

"Then I'm leaving," Makima announced as she stepped forward, ready to depart immediately.

"Wait, wait," Gojo interjected, stepping in front of her to stop her. "You need to go. I can't let you go so far without accompanying you."

She looked at him coldly, her voice sharp. "So what? If I find a way to wake her, will you tell Tengen?" she fired back, her question cutting like a knife. "Or will it be more useful to see what I can do the day they decide to make you my executioner?"

Gojo fell silent, processing her words, which, though venomous, were not entirely baseless.

"I would never do that," he finally responded, more serious than usual.

Makima let out a short, bitter laugh. "Words are fleeting," she replied, her gaze sharpening. "Swear to me that you'll only act as an escort and won't interfere with my business."

Gojo scratched his head as if searching for a way out. "Tsumiki-chan is my business too," he tried to argue.

Makima's eyes narrowed, and the intensity of her cursed energy seemed to surround him like a silent warning. "Swear it, or I'll turn around and go back home," she declared firmly.

Gojo sighed, feeling the pressure in the air. He knew Makima had her technique active, though he couldn't blame her. After all, the tension between them was mainly his fault. "Alright, I swear. I won't interfere," he finally agreed, with the resigned tone of someone who knew he had no other choice.

At that moment, the shift in Makima's cursed energy was perceptible to his Six Eyes. Gojo sighed inwardly. He had made a deal with her. He supposed their relationship would always revolve around such rules: boundaries imposed and reinforced by her technique.

Megumi, who had remained silent the entire time, pressed his lips together. He wanted to say that he also had the right to decide, but something about the atmosphere made him hold his tongue. He knew that if he said something out of place, Makima might leave without a second thought.

"Alright, let's go," Gojo said finally, resigned but determined.

Makima didn't respond. She simply began walking toward them.

Gojo touched both their heads and, in an instant, they disappeared from the place. When they reappeared, they were inside a building, a closed and completely unfamiliar location to Makima. The moment she set foot inside, she felt something strange in the atmosphere.

"There are too many suppressor seals here," she remarked, frowning slightly as she looked around.

Gojo nodded. "It's to better protect those inside," he responded in a neutral tone.

Makima looked directly at him, searching for more clues. "You won't tell me the exact location of this place?"

Gojo held her gaze, remaining calm. "I can't," he replied firmly.

Makima only gave him one last cold look before turning her attention to Megumi. "Is she here?" she asked.

Megumi nodded, without saying a word.

"I suppose he stays outside," Makima added without addressing the Six Eyes sorcerer further.

Gojo sighed, knowing he had no place in that conversation. "I'll be at the cafeteria. If anything, Megumi knows where to find me," he said in a tired tone before turning around and walking away.

Makima watched him leave for a moment before turning to Megumi. "Alright, let's go in," she instructed calmly, following him as they crossed the door.

The interior of the room was sober and clinical, like a typical hospital room. A bed stood at the center, surrounded by several devices emitting faint and constant sounds. But what captured Makima's attention was something else: as soon as she glimpsed Tsumiki, the sheer number of cursed energy signatures enveloping the girl left her impressed.

"Well... I didn't expect this," she said, stopping for a moment to analyze the situation.

Megumi, hearing her words, lowered his head, visibly affected. "So you can't do anything?" he murmured, his voice filled with resignation.

Makima slightly turned her head toward him, her lips forming a small smile that contrasted with her demeanor throughout the day. "I never said that," she replied confidently, hinting that she had a plan.