ETERNAL GAMBLE (SukunaXreader)

CHAPTER 5

He looked at the (s/c) hand extended in front of his face, raising his eyes from his own hands to meet the eerie (e/c) gaze of the woman.

The catalyst for it all.

"Let's seal the deal now, shall we?~" she purred, her smile tantalizing.

{<<<|>>>}

The silence that enveloped the room was intermittently broken by the distant chirps of birds and the persistent buzz of cicadas, soothing the torrent of thoughts that threatened to unsteady Sukuna’s resolve. His body swayed, losing balance as he stood.

He took a deep breath as he stared at the dummy in front of him, managing only a weak hit before his stomach churned violently. He bit his lip and gazed out the open doors of the training room, his eyes sweeping over the village and settling on the setting sun. Beautiful hues of red, orange, and pink painted the sky, clouds dancing amidst them. It was a stunning yet scorching clear evening.

He shut the doors to the outside world, his expression unreadable.

{<<<|>>>}

He wandered down the halls of the main building, his expression blank, his eyes unfocused, his mind seemingly adrift from the here and now. The only thing that snapped him out of his reverie was the heavy sound of rapid footsteps pounding against the wooden floors approaching him.

Turning toward the noise, he was met with two sweat-drenched men, their hair plastered to their foreheads, hands on their knees, gasping for air before speaking breathlessly, their eyes wide with desperation meeting Sukuna's alarmed gaze.

"The MAJIN! It’s attacked! The village is on fire!"

Sukuna’s eyes widened as a cold sweat coated his body instantly, his heart rate soaring.

'Fuck.'

{<<<|>>>}

He raced through the village, the wailing of children ringing in his ears as some Jujutsu sorcerers evacuated the unscathed buildings, others hot on his heels. Sukuna shouted over his shoulder to a younger sorcerer whose eyes were wide with fear.

"OI! HAVE ALL THE VILLAGERS BEEN EVACUATED?!"

The man trembled slightly as Sukuna skidded to a halt, kicking up dust around his feet, the others following suit as he stared at the large burning house in front of him with horrified eyes. Why did this house look just like—

"THERE'S STILL PEOPLE IN THERE, SUKUNA SIR!"

He shook his head quickly; now wasn't the time to ponder. He narrowed his eyes and motioned forward.

"HALF OF YOU, GET WATER TO PUT OUT THIS FIRE! THE REST, COME WITH ME TO GET THE REMAINING VILLAGERS OUT! MOVE IT!"

At his booming command, everyone sprung into action as he charged toward the burning house with those who remained, eyes darting around, searching for an optimal entrance before growling and kicking in a weak wooden panel, coughing as a wave of ash from inside instantly filled his lungs.

"WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS FAST OR WE'RE GONERS!"

He could easily dodge the actual flames with his control over fire, but the ash was another story altogether.

The team hustled behind him, covering their mouths with their uniforms as Sukuna forced some flames aside to clear their vision.

His eyes caught a glimpse of a shimmering red puddle at the corner of the hallway.

"THERE!"

Their footsteps echoed loudly as they dashed down the hallway, Sukuna leading the way, pushing flames aside before they entered a room where the red puddle led.