born to die | 니키

❥﹒第 24 章

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟮

It had been a tranquil day at Jujutsu High, the bustling campus filled with students going about their business. Riki, now a mature and experienced teacher at the institution, observed his young sorcerers as they disappeared into the dense trees, likely headed to the training grounds. Beside him stood Jay, who had ascended to the position of principal, overseeing the school's operations.

As Riki scanned the horizon, an unusual sensation prickled at the back of his mind—an incoming curse. He instinctively turned his gaze skyward, his sharp eyes locking onto a shadow descending toward his students. He furrowed his brow, a sense of foreboding settling over him. "Principal, please gather all the sorcerers on campus," he said with urgency. "There's someone special coming."

Yang Haru had been on the run for a decade, leaving a trail of devastation in her wake as she committed heinous crimes against non-sorcerers. She had severed all possible contact with Riki, determined to disappear from his life completely, even after the heartfelt hug they had shared when he had let her go.

Now, she stood at the heart of the Jujutsu High campus, her attire as dark as her intentions, her hair neatly tied in her signature half-up, half-down bun. A wistful smile played on her lips as she surveyed the familiar surroundings. "Wow, this place never changes, does it?" she mused aloud.

A curse in the form of a bird suddenly landed beside her, its beak opening to reveal two teenage girls crawling out. They looked around, their gazes eventually settling on the enigmatic woman before them. The air grew tense with anticipation as the past and the present converged in a fateful encounter.

"Mom, is this really Tokyo? It looks like sticks," one of the girls remarked with childlike innocence, her gaze scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. Her sister shook her head slightly, chiding her for the impolite comment, even though they both silently agreed.

Shuhua, the more outspoken of the two, pouted at her sister's reprimand but wisely kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, they continued to observe Haru with wide-eyed curiosity, waiting for some explanation to unravel before them. The woman, in turn, locked her gaze on a specific student within the crowd.

In the blink of an eye, Haru was at the boy's side, her hand lightly gripping his as she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you, Byeon Euijoo. I'm Yang Haru."

Euijoo blinked in bewildered surprise, his initial nervousness dissipating as he hesitantly returned her smile. "Oh... Nice to meet you..."

Haru continued, her tone taking on a more serious note. "You possess a truly wonderful power, I see." She chuckled lightly. "I believe that great power ought to be used toward great ends. Have you ever questioned the current state of the world? This world where jujutsu sorcerers act in secret to protect the order of commonplace society."

She released his hand, and he watched her attentively, still trying to grasp the meaning behind her words. Haru leaned in closer, draping her arm around the young boy's shoulders in a conspiratorial manner. "You see, there's this established paradox saying the strong must accommodate the weak." She pouted dramatically. "It's so deplorable!"

Euijoo remained puzzled. "Uhm...?"

Haru pressed on, her voice filled with fervor. "The apex of all creation has halted its own path of evolution! It's nonsense!" She sighed, her arm still around him. "It's high time mankind reconsidered its strategy for survival. Which is why we'd like you to help us."

Euijoo's curiosity got the best of him, and he asked, "Help with what?"

"We're going to kill all non-sorcerers and create a world with only jujutsu sorcerers!"

Suddenly, a deep voice cut through her passionate speech. "Could you stop preaching your crazy beliefs to my students?"

Haru's expression wavered for a moment, but she swiftly regained her composure. She turned around to face the source of the voice, meeting eyes with the blonde man she hadn't seen in a decade. Ignoring the emotions that still stirred within her, she forced a warm smile. "Nishimura! Long time no see!"

All the sorcerers in the vicinity gathered behind Riki, their expressions hardened as they glared at the mysterious curse user. Riki stared back at Haru, his heart pounding in his chest, reminding himself that the Haru before him was not the same person he had known. She had changed. She was not the Haru of his memories.

"First of all, get away from those kids, Yang," Riki demanded sternly.

A sly, menacing smile played at the corners of Haru's lips as she responded, "I had heard this year's first-years were all outstanding students. Now I understand." Her brown eyes locked onto his icy blue ones. "It was all your doing."

She released Euijoo, allowing the boy to hurry back to his friends, who were already deep in discussion. Riki approached Haru, and the two former friends stood locked in a tense silence, their eyes engaged in a wordless conversation fraught with unspoken emotions.

"What do you want, Haru?" Riki's voice was laced with tension, his gaze never wavering from her.

Silence hung heavily in the air, an unspoken tension between them. Without betraying any emotions, Haru calmly responded with a faint smile, 

"To declare war."