A/N: 26.2K words
***
Blessed with the grace of gold and the Sacred Treasures of Fate, the Yakushi Nyorai stared down five demons made to be the bane of nature itself. Their mere breath excreted an air which slaughtered all life. Wielding two esteemed weapons, they would drive them back:
Ame-no-Sakahoko, the Inverted Spear of Heaven; the spear which forged the world, and by extension, the archipelago of Japan.
Daiitoku, the Heavenly Thunderbolt Scripture; a mighty Vajra which tore through all ignorance and evil.
Through unrivalled and peerless usage of such celestial weapons, the Buddha of Healing tore apart the lands with each swing of his armaments, laying a slaughter which would eviscerate two—along with forcing three to lay their foot back.
Under assistance of the Divine General wrought amongst the Noble Eightfold Path and the way of Dharma, the hushmakers created by the Demons of the North had been driven off their path of annihilation.
Such was the tale of yore. One that they shall ingrain deep into their mind.
***
Talulah was slightly fearful of the black haired man, if she had to be completely honest. From the broken remnants of the battle that had unfolded, she very clearly saw the corpses of two Emperor's Blades. The way his eyes held no life, the way he stood upon a bloodied and corrupted battlefield...
...Along with that towering white beast that seemed to glare holes into everybody, despite possessing no eyes. It was... 'a terrifying notion,' the Draco shuddered, not due to the snow's temperature—but by seeing Fushiguro Megumi again. She knew of his capabilities, hell, he had even fought her to a complete stand still.
Yet despite all of that, the ashen haired woman had found out that she knew nothing about him. Forget about everything he had done before back in the far outskirts of that Ursus village, killing two Emperor's Blade while making three retreat was... was unheard of! Aside from Patriot, of course.
So when she sat by the campfire, Talulah had attempted to look as composed as possible in front of him. Instead of the stoic man she knew from before, she saw a lifeless corpse that looked like it was staring back at her, to the point where it was gazing deep into her soul—discerning even its shape.
'...What do those eyes of yours hide?' She had to question in her mind, feeling a slight bead of sweat developing from the back of her neck. 'Most importantly of all, will you follow what Mr. Patriot says?' Talulah glanced at the behemoth right next to her.
The Wendigo was one of the only other people she knew that could take down an Emperor's Blade. Hell, she was sure he could take down two at once, a feat that was near impossible to accomplish. For comparison, it was like attempting to withstand the might of three Apostolic Knights pointing their rotary guns at you.
She glanced at Laurentina next, the mysterious Aegir that was Megumi's travel companion. Now, the Draco didn't know much about her either, but the fact that she was far more sociable than Fushiguro Megumi spoke to the margins of how their characters differed. In fact, Talulah was sure she even interacts well with other people, especially with Sasha and Eno.
Overall, a stark contrast to each other. That was the conclusion she had drawn ages ago. In terms of combat capabilities, the Aegir was extremely potent, as she had aided Patriot in fending off an Emperor's Blade. From when she came back to the settlement, Talulah could already tell she suffered practically no damage.
'She can fight on even ground with Patriot against those Facerending Liches,' Talulah had to wonder what higher purpose they had for visiting Ursus. She had already heard they decided to visit it on a whim, but would they continue to stay after facing down those hazard breathing monsters? No way, there must have been more to it.
Whispering from surrounding Reunion members could be heard. They were most likely discussing the black haired man sitting in front of the three most respected people in Reunion. Although Laurentina was still quite an enigmatic figure despite her approachability, the fact was that she was still a stranger to an extent.
'How could he... he walked into the field against five Emperor's Blades and walked out alive, along with slaughtering two of them.' The more she reiterated the fact in her mind, the more Talulah was starting to find it absurd. Tell anybody else this, and they would be pointing fingers and roaring with laughter.
She could already imagine an old man holding a wooden cup of alcohol or ale, slamming the object on a rundown bar table. Having frequented those places during her visits to villages, the Draco was very much accustomed to seeing such sights. Like frequenting a beach, there would always be a norm or stereotype that rears its head... but she wouldn't know—for she had never visited a beach.
There was not a single utterance from Fushiguro Megumi when the request had been spoken to him. His gaze lazily lingered on the crackling campfire which spat out embers at every second. Like miniature fireworks at the front, that was seemingly the most interesting sight for the Sorcerer.
Nobody knew what to say at that current moment, all waiting in anticipation for what the black haired man would do. Aside from a few who never witnessed the scene of a ravaged environment, they all knew the feats accomplished back then. Along with what had assisted in performing such a feat—a bastion of sheer power.
A power that reeked of an unknown empyreal force, brought down from wherever cosmic skies laid above Terra. Or perhaps that was merely the best comparison they could make with how the 'Divine General' was.
FrostNova was still confused, feeling as if she was being left out on important information. Her father Patriot had told her everything would be explained in due time, when she visited the campfire where Fushiguro Megumi was at. Needless to say, she was relieved to see that the man who had saved her entire squadron along with herself looked to be fine and healthy.
But the way he looked, as if he was empty, along with all of the stares he had been receiving was... uncanny. The Cautus already knew he was a stranger in the eyes of Reunion, almost an outcast that didn't fit in with them. But the majority knew that he was somebody who did not discriminate against the Infected, and had actually shown some modicum of support to them.
He even had an Infected companion.
She didn't know how her father felt at the moment. He was definitely in deep concentration, though, as if thinking something through, over and over again. The Cautus knew this aspect about him, because he had done it so much in front of Talulah, especially when it came to making battle plans.
'What was that dragon, anyways?' FrostNova also recalled that a dragon had come to assist the Yeti Squadron along with herself. Talulah had also encountered it when it had left the premise where the Yeti Squadron was, and from what she understood—the dragon possessed a healing ability. 'Did it come from Mr. Fushiguro? That would only make sense...' She gave a more scrutinizing gaze toward the despondent man '...we've never seen his abilities in full.'
Talulah had told her of his ability over flames and lightning, along with apparently being able to control shadows. A wide assortment of Arts abilities, yes, but to also be able to summon monsters? That kind of excessive utility was unheard for even some of the best Casters. Usually, many would opt for what they specialized in to make the whole process of learning Arts much easier.
Or so in some cases such as herself, they could only control one element with their Arts, unable to reach out to other elements. FrostNova didn't know how it specifically worked, but all Arts were unique to the user, with only a few cases of Arts users possessing the same type of element or ability as others.
'From what we discussed earlier, he killed two Emperor's Blades.' Honestly, that was the hardest part to believe. She wasn't there to witness it, but just one of them was enough to put her squad and herself in jeopardy. The Facerending Liches which were part of the Royal Guards of Ursus, capable of wiping out entire squads single-handedly... taken out by a single person?
'That... couldn't have been possible.'
Silence reigned from where the campfire was. What would usually be the area of inspiration for a certain Dragon Lady to preach her ideals to the rag-tag members of the Reunion Movement was no longer present. Instead, it was just a place of expectant wait, focused on a singular black haired man to either deny or accept the request given to him.
Fushiguro Megumi didn't feel anything ignite from inside his body when hearing those words. Not one of excitement to show off Mahoraga, nor an ignition of adrenaline to deny calling upon the Shikigami. He had already expected such a request, and for questions to be thrown at him about the Divine General—especially with its name flooding everybody's mind like a dam breaking down.
There were many dangers with revealing his ability back in Lungmen, but he had no choice but to do so in front of the L.G.D. higher-ups for complicated reasons. Even then, it was just showing off his summons without going into detail about their abilities. In regards to Mahoraga, the Shikigami was far too much of a trump card for him to reveal anything about it. Even to Laurentina, as much as it left a pang in his chest to admit that.
'I don't even know these people well.'
...Or maybe he was looking at this with too much of a negative lens.
'Let's think of the benefits instead.'
There was still the benefit of making his Cursed Technique stronger by revealing its function. The same thing also applied when revealing vague information of a Cursed Technique. A loophole in the system, such as how Binding Vows could have countless loopholes depending on how they were created.
Just like Binding Vows, 'revealing one's hand' to boost a Cursed Technique's effectiveness also requires creativity in order for loopholes to be created. They were no different, so all the Sorcerer had to do was think of a way to reveal how the Ten Shadows and Mahoraga worked without spilling too much.
'Far easier in practice, now that I think about it,' Megumi thought in his mind. The Ten Shadows could summon Shikigamis and control shadows. Revealing the fact that the technique can summon animals was already contributing to 'revealing one's hand,' and adding on any explanations for his Shikigami's abilities would further prove to make it more potent.
Summoning and control over shadows were also vague descriptors for the Ten Shadows, not revealing too much of its actual utility. It didn't go into vital information such as the user being able to channel their abilities into himself with Cursed Technique Reversal, or their origin—Cursed Energy.
Cursed Energy opened an even wider path of what could be applied in combat, not just Cursed Techniques. Cursed Energy Reinforcement and Reverse Cursed Technique were all extensions of that endlessly applicable Cursed Energy, making Megumi realize just how much information he could keep vague while revealing his abilities.
Gojo Satoru would be proud, wouldn't he? These sorts of creative ways developed in order to strengthen somebody's fighting capabilities always had the white haired man lifting up his blindfold. If his sensei were still here, Megumi would have loved to see that little behavioral pattern of his again.
Laurentina tapped her cheek while her chin rested on her palm. Even amongst the silence, she hummed a small tune to herself, the sound cleaving a knife through the wind. She felt the small glances toward her aside from Fushiguro Megumi, something the Aegir had already expected from him.
How did she describe him again?
'Ah, yes, a box of secrets,' Laurentina recalled. A deep and unending box of mysteries, one as dark as the abyss of his soul. People who knew him on a surface level may consider such a thing to be too far of a reach to make a comparison to—an abyss—but the Abyssal Hunter found it to be a snug fitting dress.
The holy yet unholy figure that stood behind him still flashed itself over again in her mind. It was under his command, the lustrous and gleaming Divine General which stood under the incandescent moonlight.
'Mahoraga,' Laurentina continued humming to herself, trying the name in her head. She had already done it far before, whether it be in whispers or repeatedly in her mind before, but the Abyssal Hunter just couldn't get its taste out of her mouth. 'Mahoraga, Mahoraga... a mighty and powerful name, one that speaks of a primordial clause...'
She didn't know what a 'Jujutsu Sorcerer' was, but the shark lady was sure it had to do something with his abilities, along with Mahoraga. There was a time, not too long ago, where her little Princess had slipped with his words, especially after standing on such a slippery slope. That was when the small facet of information had slipped through.
'Sorcery, fitting for his enigmatic abilities.' She knew that word meant that something was related to 'magic' or 'witchcraft.' However, growing up in a technology filled world, Laurentina found herself scoffing at such a description. Everything had a scientific explanation to it, just as she had been told time and time again.
'Genetics... he mentioned it before.' The topic that had garnered the most interest out of her. 'What a wonder it would be to explore your body,' Laurentina mused. The information he usually gave was discreet and vague, but this one had been so direct that the Aegir wondered if he was even attempting to hide it. 'By making an educated guess, all of it comes from genetics, doesn't it?'
Her red gaze stayed focused on his unmoving figure. The black-hearted man—in the sorrowful sense—who possessed what was essentially a superweapon under his sleeves. Said superweapon was capable enough to kill two of some of this lands' greatest elite soldiers, 'they were quite the feisty opponents, I would say.'
Gauging their skill level from when she had fought them with her enhanced weaponry, Laurentina could give them that much. The foreign energy used to power them was horrifically unnatural, and it made her skin crawl when thinking back to it. Still, it simply served to make her wish to clobber them.
'How does genetics make you capable of summoning a... Eight-Handled... hm,' Laurentina shifted her thoughts for a moment. She knew what its title was, despite how long it was, but it also spoke of its legacy. That was what titles were meant for, after all, 'Eight-Handled, just like that beautiful wheel above its head—unfitting for such a grotesque monstrosity.'
The Abyssal Hunter continued to recount each word which was seemingly dashed across Mahoraga's potential history, 'Sword Divergent Sila... I do not have a clue of what a 'Sila' is, but Sword Divergent... Could be something in relation to diverging paths, just as I have recalled from that wheel,' Laurentina continued her analysis in silence—waiting for Megumi to make his move. 'Seems plausible enough. The 'sword' is the most obvious of them.'
That blade crudely attached to Mahoraga's arm was what had caught her attention first and foremost. Although it may look dingy from a distance, the Aegir could see the damascus patterns of folded steel on the blade, and the dangerous energy emitting from it. Contrasting it with Fushiguro Megumi, the 'accursed' nature was prevalent in their features of similarity. That was about it for the 'sword' portion of its title, and so what remained was...
'Divine General, oh how unsubtle that is,' Laurentina almost felt herself giggling. The title, 'Divine General,' gave away what the occupation of Mahoraga was—a war general which served a king, ruler, or sovereign. 'Now who may be its Sovereign other than our cute little Princess here?' Her gaze discreetly turned to the black haired man once more, but then turned back.
'Divine, hm? Divine indeed,' Laurentina also found that to be one of the other, most unsubtle aspects of its title, 'the feeling it had given off—even when that summon hadn't been relinquished from its prison—is definitely of divinity.' Might, it spoke only of might within its tale, from what she experienced of Mahoraga's divinity.
It even had wing appendages where its eyes should be. Something that a Liberi should possess, like those ones densely populated in Iberia. However, where it was positioned was completely unnatural compared to the aforementioned race, making Laurentina remove it from the category of Liberi.
Overall, she had concluded what the disposition of the Divine General was. 'Divine, a general to Princess, a weapon of war, and oh so high and mighty,' Laurentina hummed to herself. 'All of those creatures he summons have a motif of an animal, such as those adorable wolves of his, spanning all the way to the birds.'
Mahoraga wasn't something that could even be called an animal. Maybe it possessed some serpentine features with that protruding tail behind its head, but she didn't remember snakes having the distinguishable trait of wings. Nor did she remember them with a towering humanoid body.
'Oh? Did you lie to me? Of course you did, you've been feeding me so much to me for quite some time now, Princess.' Laurentina amusedly pointed out in her mind. However, she held no grudge against it, because she practically did the same, now didn't she? 'Now, if only you could put as much effort into your lies as you do into your food.'
Even then, he didn't hold up well when making up lies, so maybe that wasn't a good comparison to make.
The sound of flickering flames eased Megumi's soul. It produced a warmth that he was familiar with, one that brought his memories back to Itadori Yuji. However many times he bathed under the warm glow of the sun, the black haired man knew that it was unrivaled compared to his best friend.
'It's comforting, I know you're still here with me,' Megumi thought with his eyes closed, placing a hand over his mouth. For some reason, that seemed to have elicited a response from the people nearby and watching from the distance—the Sorcerer didn't know why. At the moment though, it didn't matter, 'I've made my decision.'
Taking a dampening breath, the cold air flushed into his lungs. The organs expanded just as his conviction was, the choice becoming clearer to the Sorcerer. Revealing his Shikigami was a difficult choice for him, but what difference did it make? From what he knew at the moment, the Reunion Movement was not that large.
Having a bunch of people who weren't a part of the Ursus Empire or major political agenda made it much more of an easier decision. That meant ulterior motives were somewhat off the table, if he wasn't being too ignorant in regards to Reunion's good will.
Soon enough, the air was released from his lungs, Megumi's eyes opening as he released the hand from where it was. His mouth cracked open, before the words finally unburdened themselves, "If I may ask, why do you wish to assess my summon?"
A weight was released from everybody's shoulders. The creaking metal which held them down to their position had vanished, letting the ones by the campfire shift slightly in relief and the tension to make its departure.
Many were starting to believe the summon was a touchy matter which the black haired man didn't wish to speak about. Maybe that wasn't the case, with how casual he looked in the eyes of many, his mental turmoil completely buried by his stoic mask.
Only a select few could see through it.
Patriot nodded his head patiently, "you slew two Emperor's Blades, are you aware of the implications of such a feat?" The Wendigo didn't know the full capabilities of the man in front of him. In regards to combat, he could say that Fushiguro Megumi possessed enough skill to do that—but the methods used to induce such an effect were unknown.
Aside from the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General known as Mahoraga, a title that looked as if it had originated from Yanese or Higashinese culture. He assumed it to have spread somewhere in Yan first, before making its way to Higashi, as the latter already had its 'Shinto' culture.
On the other hand, Megumi felt like he needed to make a correction. He had barely killed two Emperor's Blades, and would have been slaughtered if they had charged him the moment he had immobilized the second one. Relying on Mahoraga to defend him while his reserves were depleted and his muscles were burning itself into sludge wasn't a good idea—especially against those monsters.
Now if he weren't there to become a burden for his Shikigami, then the Sorcerer was confident Mahoraga would have taken them all down. A full process of adaptation along with about ten more rotations sprinkled on top was what assured such a thing.
"They're the Ursus Royal Guards, right?" Megumi asked him a question. However, he would find that the stares he received from asking the question wasn't something that he liked, ones filled with something that was on the line of 'is this guy serious?'
"Indeed, they are," Patriot, however, didn't mind his absurd question much. "The best of the best, for their standards. To other countries, they are merely relegated as myth and tale, only spoken in fantasies marked with grim embroidery," he continued on. "They are the Dominions of Ursus, plaguing the land with each step. To topple two of Ursus' Dominions... I'm sure you are now well aware of the implications."
"...Yes, it'll cause a lot of troubles," Megumi rubbed his chin with narrowed eyes, and a crease forming on his forehead. "The three who retreated have already declared me an enemy of all of Ursus, so I guess that was a given." Honestly, that was a slight shocker to him, being labelled as an enemy of an entire country—as casually as somebody sticking a white sticker on a food product.
Or maybe he hadn't truly registered what the larger implications were, as Patriot was hinting at.
A certain white haired Cautus stared at the Sorcerer blankly. His neutral expression and unimpeded lukewarm response to the fact that he had killed two Emperor's Blade continued to baffle her. How can somebody not know who they were? Especially since the black haired man came from Higashi, a country which was well-known for fighting back Ursus.
Or maybe she was making too many generalities in regards to him, 'still... to kill two Emperor's Blades.' That 'summon' he also spoke of must be the 'Divine General' that Talulah and Patriot were talking about. Could that dragon also have been one of his summons? Strange, 'what do you mean you've become an enemy of all of Ursus? Is that not a raise for concern?'
FrostNova turned to Talulah, the dragon lady who seemed to share the same sentiment as her with the look she was giving Megumi.
Patriot spoke once more, "Indeed, it is a 'given' with what you have 'accomplished' today. Tell me, when those Emperor's Blades fell and their Dominion shattered, was there anything you had noticed?" He decided to ask the question that was nagging at even him of all people, that related to a specific feature of the Emperor's Blades.
Megumi glanced to his side to Laurentina, the Aegir was immersed in the conversation based on his brief observations. Turning back to Patriot, the black haired man paused to recall what he remembered when he had been fighting them.
During that time, the Sorcerer was in a high from hitting four consecutive Black Flashes. Therefore, he couldn't recall much aside from the euphoric feeling of having every hit and tactic flow subconsciously through his mind, along with being executed perfectly. 'Was there anything strange, or out of the blue...?' Megumi continued scraping his brain for answers, the creasing of his brows making it evident.
Was it the time when he had struck through their barriers with Daiitoku's lightning? Or was it when they were about to die—oh, that must have been it. The memories started coming back to him, the lone space which held it finally revealing itself by having light shed upon it. 'When the Royal Guards were about to die...'
Megumi found his answer "...they were going to self-destruct, weren't they?" He turned upwards to Patriot, relaying his recent revelations. "There was a strange spike and surge of energy, a foreign one. It was like that black mist they looked to be breathing out, but far more—how should I say this—aggressive?"
"Indeed."
"Alright..." Megumi nodded slowly. He felt like he was being lectured once more, back in the days of Jujutsu High and Jujutsu College. However, the Wendigo in front of him was far more imposing and methodical than his previous teacher—or, that was the view he was getting from this aged man. 'There's some kind of wisdom to him, I can't quite put my finger on it.'
"What would have happened, if the Blades had self-destructed..." Patriot continued on in solemnity "...would be a land left to be ravaged by nothing but chaos, a near incurable mass of unknown terrors. By all means, your action of severing the Royal Guards' mortal ties to this world was a faulty one."
"...My apologies," Megumi uncomfortably tugged at the tight black turtleneck under the white gi. It was an extra piece of clothing which Ryomen Sukuna would wear with this attire, "I wouldn't have struck them down if I knew of something like that." So, if Mahoraga hadn't adapted to them by a copious amount, his actions would have only caused further damage? 'How disastrous.'
"No such occurrence happened," Patriot cut in with a curt tone. "The dreaded aftermath hadn't come," admittedly, even the Wendigo was at a loss how such a thing hadn't happened. The world fashing static, glitches, and bent space was what he was accustomed to when a Royal Guard had found themselves fallen.
There was only one thing which he could point to that had presented the strange phenomenon of two Royal Guards laying dead—with no taint upon the land. It was right before his eyes, the general which stood at the same height as him, baring its aggressive posture for the entire world to see.
Megumi thinned his lips, feeling the glances of FrostNova and Talulah. He didn't know if they were at the same loss as him in regards to what Patriot spoke of the Royal Guards, but the black haired man could tell that it must be something serious. From the way he had described it...
"I can merely point fingers and theorize of such an unnatural occurrence," how ironic to call it an 'unnatural' occurrence, with how the explosion hadn't gone off—leaving the land as 'natural' as a battlefield could be. "But I have denoted it to be the doing of your 'Divine General,' am I to assume my postulation is accurate?"
"...You're completely right," Megumi hadn't denied it or confirmed it at the moment, but he might as well.
Everybody's gaze shifted to his Dharmachakra, as if they hadn't already. Curiosity, fear, and confusion were the three most prominent ones. However, considering how humans were, Megumi could tell that it was far more varied than just that. If these people possessed Cursed Energy, it would have been a far easier assumption to make on how every single person felt.
"Pardon me," Talulah raised a hand while staring at Megumi, "that wheel above your head isn't just an Arts Unit, is that correct?" The Draco watched the person she was staring at slightly shift his expression. 'It's an artifact, there isn't any logical reasoning for any standard Arts Unit of all things to be able to summon a... a Divine General...'
He had summons, a gigantic monster which could help him fend off and kill two Emperor's Blade. That wasn't even including the mysterious dragon that he summoned, which she assumed to be able to act on their own. If... if he had been there when Alina...
She felt slightly bitter.
Megumi tapped his finger on his thigh, before answering the question, "you could say it's an artifact. But not even I know much of its origins, so it's all blank for me too." He then turned to Patriot, leaving behind a very confused Talulah, "you've deduced the happenings completely spot on, Mr. Patriot."
"So, do you understand my reasoning for assessing your 'Divine General'?" The Wendigo tilted his head. The red gleam from under his eyes was tame, something that not much people could be able to tell. That evidently rang truer when they were aware of his sub-race of Sarkaz, many discriminatory stereotypes of their aggressive nature being the most prominent reason why.
However, with how the history of the Teekaz were marred with nothing but bloodshed, hatred, and slaughter; Patriot understood it to an extent. The sins of the ancestors, the sins of all who were involved—they all piled together in a cesspool which none could escape from.
This black haired man, though, who looked to be in his young ages didn't mind it much. Even if the stoic expression upon his face was merely a mask crafted to defend himself, the unfearful aspect of him was still genuine. Despite the elegy of despair leaking out from his soulless eyes, Patriot could see somebody who burnt as a bright star.
No... a star wasn't accurate, he was a dying star, and when a star dies...
"I have something to ask you myself, then, Mr. Patriot—if you don't mind that is." Megumi massaged the back of his neck while straightening his posture. "It might be personal towards you, but I'm really curious."
"Hm?" Patriot gruffly hummed, "you've saved my daughter's life once before. Ask away, young man." Perhaps it was the culture of the Higashinese people, but the black haired man seemed to possess a teaching that bled into his habits, which was one of 'respect.' He wouldn't call himself the most knowledgeable about them, but the Wendigo knew enough.
"...I heard why Talulah fights for the Infected," he took a glance at the Draco, who slightly blinked at his words, "along with FrostNova," he then turned to the Cautus girl. She merely tilted her head, a confused look present, "but I want to know why you do it. My apologies if it's pushing matters—"
"There's no need to apologize," Patriot's voice alone was able to make the Sorcerer stop what he was saying, "I hear your question, and I have no hesitation to heed them." Not a single gesture was needed to convey his response, compared to the motionary movements of Megumi's hands.
"...I'm listening." Megumi respectfully nodded.
"You will find my reason, the same as any other." Patriot looked upwards, perhaps reminiscent of some time, "do you believe, the Infected to be treated righteously?" The Wendigo turned his gaze back to Fushiguro Megumi, seeing the same black abyss within his eyes, the three headed skeleton with six arms.
It was mighty and powerful, something that he could see stirring deep within the black haired man's eyes. A potential left unravelled and untouched. If he had to compare, it would be like a well wrapped present with boundless layers of strings wrapping around the object. Only a few have been let loose.
"I don't believe them to be treated righteously, no," Megumi shook his head, answering the Wendigo's question. "Although I don't know if it's just the standard for this place, or a cultural norm..." god forbid it was a cultural norm, but Megumi already knew the answer to that "...but there's no way I can see that as 'righteous' in any twisted sense of the word." His tone became bitter.
"Then that clause should be enough reasoning," Patriot replied solemnly. "It is the same line of rationality all other Infected follow. Their treatment is by no means righteous, it is one that will sow the seeds of pain and despair. Unquestionably, that is why most have joined the Reunion Movement—in spite of Ursus' glaring eyes."
FrostNova glanced at the two, pondering over what had made her father so talkative. At this point, she felt slightly guilty for Talulah, with how hard it was for the Draco to strike up a conversation with the colossal man.
'Where else will this lead...?' The white haired Cautus felt her fingers. For some unspeakable reason, they didn't feel as frigid as she remembered. Still cold, yes, but not to the degree that she was familiar with; a notion that felt... foreign, even alien, to an extent.
Megumi knew enough basic deductive reasoning that the Wendigo was implying what he said was also the reason why he fought for the Infected. Even if the Sorcerer knew there was more nuance and a deeper reason beneath that mask, he had already heard enough.
"That's admirable," Megumi replied to him, "you were right before, that sort of thing doesn't fit me." He could never go around preaching that he wished to save the lives of others. He could never go around preaching that he wished to liberate the oppressed. He could never go around being the hero that Itadori Yuji was.
If he had to compare, this entire Reunion Movement was a machine. Everybody is cogs within, ready to rust away for the cause that the machine would be able to move on to future generations, and for its profound creation and purpose to spread elsewhere. Whether they succeeded or not didn't matter, it was their purpose to end the tyranny the Infected so unrightfully went through.
How long would it last? How long would it stay until everybody had oxidized and become immobile? Bit by bit, piece by piece, everything about this movement in Fushiguro Megumi's eyes—seemed impossible. To face an entire country which held unspeakable horrors that could tear apart even the most hopeful of ideas...
...Somebody as pragmatic as him couldn't ever see it standing up to them. But maybe it was just as Talulah said, there were many Infected all across Ursus and the world. If they could somehow unite them under one cause to emancipate themselves from the clutches of cruelty, then they could reach the everdistant dream in which this movement was made for.
'I can't see that happening,' Megumi dryly thought to himself. With how cruel the world could be, fantasies weren't something that the black haired man believed in. Even then, he still believed in the fantasy that he could somehow, someway return back to the home of all his longing, of all his desire. 'How amusing, I indulge in my own fantasies, but shoot down other's. I'm a hypocrite.' He had always been selfish, deep down.
Saving whoever he wished, believing in his own justice. There was nothing that was righteous about him either, and the Sorcerer had already long since accepted that fact. So then why? Why was it when he thought of how Itadori Yuji would view this, that he had second thoughts? They were all questions which flooded him, tearing open at his chest and guts.
'A Jujutsu Sorcerer.'
That was all he was worth, and he had made his decision.
"I'll show you Mahoraga, then," within a flash of a moment, all worries had left Fushiguro Megumi. There was no need to sink further into his thoughts, there were many other times which he could fall into those waters. "I believe that should make everything equal, in terms of what we've exchanged."
'Uncontested strength, and the security that it brings...'
He stood up and dusted the pale snow which had accumulated on his black haori and white martial arts gi. The soft and cold ground beneath him creased at the weight of his steps. Small frosted flakes were making themselves known, some falling to the crust of Terra or melting when in close proximity to the campfire.
'...There's liberation in being the Strongest...'
Some unlucky drops completely fizzled out of the reality that was known as existence when far too close to the scorching hot flames. It was something such cold and brittle creatures couldn't handle, their mere creation being the contrast and antithesis to such a blazing fire. Such was the fickle existence of a snowflake to an undying forge.
'...No matter how much I want to deny it, this is the right choice...'
"I need room," Megumi placed his left hand over his right shoulder, raising his right arm back in a stretching movement. "Calling it requires space around the environment I am in, I don't want anything to be knocked over after all," he was doing this because Laurentina was... far too close to him.
'...So nothing can ever touch me...'
Seeing how visceral the Aegir's reaction was to the Shikigami, the Sorcerer didn't want the Abyssal Hunter to immediately lash out at Mahoraga. With the slight autonomy it possessed, Megumi was sure it would also counterattack. Ryomen Sukuna had stripped Mahoraga of all its free will, to become a glorified supercomputer.
'...So I don't need to touch anything else, there's no need for me to...'
Megumi finished his stretches, a superficial warmth feeling his body with what he had declared in his mind. However, with how he decided to handle the Shikigami, he was able to see the merits of Mahoraga having some say over what it deemed it needed to adapt to. After all, what was the relationship between a Sovereign and his General?
'...Gojo was right, I need to be more selfish. I haven't been truly following it, not back then, and not now...'
Talulah stood up alongside FrostNova and Patriot, watching as the Aegir beside Megumi also rose up with a small stretch. For some reason, a heat seemed to build up around the air, despite the snowfall being persistent in its unceasingly increasing fall. It wasn't from the campfire either, as it was starting to dim.
'...Take the initiative more, demand more...'
Laurentina chirped to the black haired man, "I take it there will be a large puddle forming beneath our soles, which is why you need us to step aside?" There was something the woman could tell that was wrong in Fushiguro Megumi's eyes,
'...Do as you please...'
FrostNova shuffled against the snow, keeping close to her father. When she heard the words 'Divine General,' she envisioned the bright and hopeful angels she had read in fantasy books. Although they were worn out and battered from years of non-use, and have been lent to Eno along with Sasha; the beautiful imagery hadn't ever left her. So, she watched on in bated breaths.
'...Be as you imagine yourself...'
Patriot mulled over the words of the black haired man in front of him, the ones he had spoken before. He had agreed to the Wendigo's words, but... as he watched his unflinching form, there seemed to be something wrong with the man's constitution. His demeanor had shifted from a half-turned lightbulb to one that had been let loose, falling to the ground and—
'...Let loose, all alone.'
—Completely shattering.
"With This Sacred Treasure..."
There was no warmth.
There was no bright light.
There was no spectacle.
There was no grandeur.
There was only silence, bleeding into the crevice of reality and pausing all life. A vow to heed the will of the Sovereign had been put in place, silencing the mouths of any dissenters who would dare speak their piece in their great presence.
"I Summon...!"
There was a dullness to his tone, his eyes holding no passion for what he was doing. His fists were clenched, veins protruding as warm blood flooded his arms and hands. The heat emanating from his body was the only warmth within the desolate chasm formed.
The howling of beasts lined up was heard, a deep respect and reverence to the noble apparatus soon to form. Their tune continued to resound to the silent spectators, fluttering to the eardrums of everybody around in an exalting song. It reached higher and higher, the melody reaching up to the celestial planes themselves—
—Then they disappeared instantaneously, their bodies vanishing within a precipitate.
An apparition of a humanoid figure, restrained like a primordial power not meant to be unleashed appeared behind Fushiguro Megumi. Its arms were crossed over its chest, a resting yet holy position for its mummified form, its figure and height proving the absence of any humanity in it. Instead of humanity, it was something greater.
"Eight Handled..."
Strings were attached to its covered figure, leaving a glistening light despite being wrought from the abyss itself. It was a repudiation of what it should have stood for, yet at the same time, was it so fitting for what it truly was.
"...Sword Divergent SIla..."
Embodying Nirvana, embodying divinity, embodying a path walked on by only enlightened beings who have truly let go of their worldly desires. Yet then again, so did it possess a deep ladened wrath from its long lost origin, one which had conquered Death itself.
"...Divine General..."
Flakes flew off its concealed body, the cracking sounds of a cicada breaking outside of its cocoon leaking out—before a maw tore open. Like the crackling sound of electricity voltage across metal, all flakes had completely fallen off.
"...Mahoraga."
The God of Shikigami in all its brilliant glory!
Making its entrance with a resounding thump to the ground and breaking off its chest-crossed posture with its arm, Mahoraga had planted its feet upon the land. The snow parted ways with its stomp, before the Shikigami stood up with a straight posture, the moonlight illuminating off of its skin.
Turning its head, it met the gaze of Patriot once more, the red gleaming eyes of his reflecting off of its glossy skin. Mahoraga's mouth twitched, forming into a grin as it stepped forward, its Sovereign moving off to the side as it came to where the campfire was.
Uncaring of the flames, the Divine General's foot stomped on it, completely putting out the flames which illuminated the environment. Now standing face to face with a general of a different kind, Mahoraga's eyeless face was seemingly gauging the being before it.
Patriot met it with the same silence it was giving it. Compared to the perpetual gaping maw of the Shikigami, the Wendigo's mask made it hard to tell what his expression was. For anybody knew, the person below it was stone-faced, holding a cold temperament which could freeze over anybody—far more severely than even FrostNova herself could.
There was a common consensus amongst all the Reunion members of who he was.
An Aegis of the Infected, that was what he was, his dark cloak slightly flowing along with the whims of the passing wind. The power armor constructed across Patriot's body was old and had withstood the test of time, however, he himself had taken far more than it had ever.
Talulah inhaled a stagnant breath through her nose, her body straightening back from the sudden approach of Mahoraga. What she had witnessed before further cemented the fact that Fushiguro Megumi also used chants to channel his cursed Arts, just like FrostNova. Yet, despite being cursed, as he described it, why...? Why did the summon feel so divine?
The dragon lady was sure she would have been prepared to see it for the second time, but she didn't expect to see a rite of descension, heralded by the tune of multiple barely recognizable beasts. If she had to compare, it was like the painting back in Kashchey's mansion, depicting surreal images and scenarios.
'...Who are you?' Talulah thought in her mind, eyes flickering toward Megumi and the two generals having a staredown. 'You're cursed, who could have cursed you? What does being cursed have to do with... this?' She was at a loss of words.
Summoning Arts weren't common, but they were known and recorded over the period of time Terra had existed. Ever since the concept of history was developed, many legends, tales, and mythology had been recorded over passages known as scrolls and books. Talulah could tell this 'Mahoraga' before her was one of them, given flesh.
It still didn't answer the question on how Fushiguro Megumi possessed it, the only well-educated guess she could give in her stupor being related to that golden wheel he had before.
FrostNova's breath hitched, 'this killed two Emperor's Blades?' she asked herself. Taking an opportunity within the silence and her stunned shock to reassess what was standing in front of her father. It was now the Cautus could fully say to herself that her doubtful assumption from earlier had been proven wrong.
It stood as tall as Patriot, the wings protruding off from its face making it seem like an angel from Heaven. If anything, it was like a twisted creature brought out from a fairy tale book, made to look far more vicious than what an image could depict. That didn't even account for a speck of the power emitting from it.
Earlier, it felt as if some unknown force had held a clutch on her body, refusing to let it move even an inch. No matter how much FrostNova resisted, it stayed persistent in forcing her to watch the uncanny scene before it—the birth of some unknown creature profoundly entering the confines of the tundra.
If the method of channeling her arts via a chant was considered a 'song,' then FrostNova was sure Megumi's could be considered a 'demand.'
Laurentina instinctively reached for her buzzsaw, but was quickly reminded that she had left it within Megumi's shadow inventory. It didn't help that she made into a sitting duck when the monster was summoned, the agonizing experience from earlier making the Aegir feel as if she were stuck atop an operating table.
Instead of the blaring lights from a sterile lab's ceiling, it was the dominating tranquility of the abyss. Yet despite the two's clashing natures the more she compared and contrasted them, the fact still remained that it felt resolutely horrendous.
While staring at the Divine General, Laurentina had remembered something. When she saw the two corpses strewn on two sides of the battlefield Fushiguro Megumi had stood at, the summoner had been littered with injuries. However, the summon itself—Mahoraga—looked to be completely fine. In fact, its skin was in pristine condition, no cuts or bruises ever making itself evident.
Regeneration, or near impenetrable skin, those two had to be an ability that it possessed. Despite it being a 'controlled' summon underneath Megumi's control, Laurentina couldn't help but attempt to find any countermeasures or weaknesses against it, like a hunter stalking its prey. Nothing made itself apparent.
'Oh, I wouldn't have expected its second appearance to be like this,' Laurentina narrowed her eyes toward Megumi, the black haired man standing to the side casually. There was the same despondency in his eyes whenever she felt something was off with him. This time though, it was like he had undergone some sort of revelation.
He certainly put up a good show with its summoning, or was that always how the beast was called upon? Laurentina assumed it was the latter, a fitting 'ritual' for something such as whatever Mahoraga was.
The other Reunion members off to the side recovered from their stupor, their eyes laying claim to the Shikigami. No, it was more accurate to say that the Shikigami itself was laying claim to their gazes.
It was a deafening silence, one that some spectators couldn't stand. Thankfully for them, a certain somebody had also shared the same sentiment, even if he hadn't outwardly shown it.
"Mahoraga," Megumi casually called out to the Shikigami, finding the stand-off to be unbearable. Just as he had spoken those words, Mahoraga heard his calls and immediately flashed to his side, its body having not moved at all. It looked as if it had teleported, not even leaving a sonic boom in its path.
Mahoraga still held a straight and forward posture, its gaze still fixated on Patriot. A general had to assess its enemies, to know everything about them. Being something which had walked upon the path of enlightenment, the Shikigami need not understand itself, for it had been done so eons ago.
The plain command toward the Divine General had sent a wave of realization for the more ignorant ones amongst the Reunion members. It was then they realized that the summon wasn't a sentient being which followed its own wills at it pleased, but it followed the whims of another person entirely.
A Sovereign commanding his General, that was what Fushiguro Megumi was.
"This is Mahoraga, I'm sure you've all already heard its name from its passive ability," Megumi walked closer to it, reaching his left hand out and tapping its muscled stomach with the back of his hand.
Everybody stared at the scene with slight confusion—along with intense worry. The way the black haired man had walked up to it in an easygoing way and tapped the monster's chest made everybody believe the 'Divine General' would retaliate against such a disrespectful gesture. Yet much to their shock, the summon hadn't reacted at all.
Laurentina felt a twitch at the corner of her lips, threatening to make her smile widen even more. She had doubts whether the white-clad Mahoraga was truly under the command of her Princess, but the sequence she had seen before her very eyes cemented the reality that the Aegir had been skeptical about.
Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga, was truly Fushiguro Megumi's Puppet of Decimation.
Even if the Abyssal Hunter couldn't see how it was possible, the two stood as subject and king at this very moment, with the Jujutsu Sorcerer embodying the latter. The mere fact that his skin and flesh still stuck to his bones after such an abrasive action was proof enough.
"There's nothing to be surprised about," Megumi attempted to defuse the situation, motioning to Mahoraga after re-lifting his arm, "Mahoraga is my summon. It won't act out of any commands I give it." After taming the Shikigami, there was no fear the Sorcerer felt of it anymore. Just as how he was intimidated out of his mind against Tiger Funeral, but found it to not be much after taming it.
"Hm," Patriot's body slightly shifted, continuing to stare down the Divine General before it. He hadn't much of a clue how it came into being, only that it was connected to the Sorcerer in front of him, and the Dharmachakra was now transferred to the Divine General. "It's more accurate to say... that wheel above your head belongs to this one, instead."
Megumi tilted his head, feeling more relieved now that Patriot was talking. Although the stares he received from the other silent Reunion members—who looked to be agitated and on edge—still didn't feel good. "By definition, it belongs to me," he confidently stated.
A small yet powerful sound left Mahoraga's mouth, as if it were letting out an alien sound that agreed to its Sovereign's words. Maybe it wasn't a good call for the Shikigami to do such a thing, as it only served to make the people close to it, aside from Patriot, feel even more nervous.
"A confident statement, young man," Patriot said in a way that was difficult to tell the tone of, "yet as I gaze upon this 'Divine General' of yours, I believe such a statement is warranted." The Wendigo had experienced many creatures in his life. This one, off of appearance alone, was up there with some of them.
Indeed, there was intelligence within the beastial form of the humanoid summon. Although the 'ritual' of summoning it wasn't anything like Sarkaz Witchcraft wasn't anything the Wendigo had experienced before, which left a few lingering questions in his head. Perhaps all it boiled down to was that Mahoraga was a deity called upon the golden artifact. A simple and easy to digest explanation.
Especially since the chant he had utilized included some 'Sacred Treasure.'
But alas, the world was much more complex. How the young man in front of him gained such an antique relic, Patriot did not know. The world of Terra was always full of surprises, and centuries of being alive in it had already left a deep impression on the Wendigo.
"...If you want more details," Megumi placed hand over his mouth, letting the gazes that had fallen on him and Mahoraga dissipate from his anxieties. His black haori shifted, and then his mouth opened once more, "Mahoraga—and by extension my Arts—come from my clan's inherited genetics." At that moment, a small influx of power was felt throughout his prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain which controlled his Cursed Technique.
What a euphoric feeling, even if he had adapted to it very briefly.
Now that seemed to elicit more of a reaction that wasn't just pure silence. Movement was heard and felt across, people whispering each other from the crowd. Megumi watched as Talulah fiddled with the handle of her longsword, briefly glancing around.
On the side of the Draco, she was contemplating what she had just heard. If the fact was true, then did that mean there was an entire clan capable of summoning a Mahoraga? A creature capable of defeating Ursus' Royal Guards and walking out looking like it hadn't suffered any damage? 'In fact, it hadn't even suffered any damage at all.'
Talulah turned to Fushiguro Megumi once more. She once more reevaluated him for the umpteenth time, trying to get a grasp of his character. It is said that eyes are the windows to the soul, but all she could see from those twin orbs of his was nothing but indifference and despair. Strangely enough, despite the sense of justice that he had shown a few times, they were still only brief.
Patriot had called the black haired man unfit to be a savior or liberator, something that the Draco wanted to refute. But at this very moment, and synthesizing it with what she had seen from Fushiguro Megumi before, Talulah had to swallow a difficult pill. He definitely was not fit for Reunion's ideals.
She often found herself at many en passes with the former Ursus General, but this time, she had to agree with him wholeheartedly for once. There was not even a faint spark ladened in the eyes of Megumi, only an endless chasm.
'Still...' Talulah wrapped her fingers around the pommel of her weapon "...if we have somebody like him by our side, our victories won't be pyrrhic ones, and we can prevent situations such as... such as...' such as Alina from ever happening again. She gulped, closing her eyes to calm her heart. Once two rounds of deep breaths were completed, the dragon lady opened her eyes again.
She laid her sights on Mahoraga. The deific luster coming off of the summon had always felt like a contradiction to its monstrous build. However, what would it be like to stand behind such a majestic being? A being which echoed its name wherever it stepped, holding a might which could shatter Ursus' corrupted lands with its bare hands.
If Kashchey was still alive, the damned bastard would be desperate to get his hands on such genetics, wouldn't he? After all, the black haired man in front of her just so casually revealed such a thing.
"Excuse me, Mr. Fushiguro," Talulah decided to cut into the conversation, feeling all the gazes turn to her. However, the Leader of Reunion was already used to such a thing, having been one of the sources of inspiration for the members. "Let me reiterate, you said your abilities come from your clan's inherited genetics, correct?"
It matched how Dracos naturally had a better talent controlling flames than any other race, along with the 'special' nature of their control over flames. So based on what she knew of the Aegir race and their relation to water, the shadow puddles formed over Megumi's feet must be a medium to summon those creatures.
The fact that they came in the form of black liquid—no matter how unnatural it looked—cemented the fact to Talulah that his Arts must have come from a Higashinese clan composed of Aegir people. Further connecting the dots, his results of his Arts becoming cursed must have made it the way it was, perhaps even further empowering them!
If that was the case, then she wished to learn more—
"They're all wiped out, dead." There was no sorrowful soil in his voice, or even much of a regard to what he had just said. The Sorcerer had just stated it as it was, without a care in the world, "you won't be able to meet them. Ever."
"...Huh?" Talulah paused for a moment, just as the majority had done when hearing the words of Megumi. "Pardon? They're all gone?" The Draco felt something in her body fall flat. Like a toaster un-amicably falling from an upright position.
"It's just as I said, they've been pulverized, and no remnants of them exist anymore, aside from me." Megumi didn't feel passionate when talking about the Zen'in Clan, "there's not much to talk about them. I doubt you'd find them to be the greatest of people either."
Laurentina ignored Mahoraga for a second, to let the new facet of information enter her mind. 'Oh my, how interesting.' Now, if only he could be as impartial to giving information to her—as he was to people who he has known for less time. 'How curious though, not the greatest of people? There was certainly venom in his speech.'
"They have fallen by their own folly, I presume?" Patriot spoke up once more, making an assumption. Having spent his time in Kazdel and seeing the suffering inflicted by his brethren Sarkaz, hearing such words from Fushiguro Megumi had reminded him of that same song and dance.
"Exactly so," Megumi sighed, he was going to repeat about the same thing he had told Ch'en, "misogynistic, elitist, and too stuck behind in their traditions to progress forward. If they don't see any value in you, might as well not exist in their eyes. Blood related or not." Staring up at Mahoraga, the Sorcerer continued, "it took only one person in their own clan to wipe them out, indiscriminately."
Everybody paused at his words. It wasn't only because of his description of what his clan was like, but what felt like was being implied with his last words, along with his gaze turning to the menacing Divine General by his side.
Stares turned far more intense when looking at Fushigruo Megumi, as if he had said something wrong. Indeed, the black haired man had said something that was completely, and utterly wrong without the right context.
"Of course, it wasn't me."
A washing relief overcame everybody at those words. However, many people still held doubts at the believability of his words. With the way the Sorcerer had worded it, and the implicit stare to his Shikigami had already sparked disbelief to his claim of being uninvolved.
Talulah could feel something well up in her chest. Staring at his passionless eyes and posture, the woman almost felt some sort of kinship, having believed him to be the one to have actually slaughtered his own clan. It couldn't have been that much different for when she had laid waste to Kashchey, now could it?
Laurentina in particular stared at him with a disbelieving gaze. If that was the case, then why did he specifically say he was the only remnant of the clan? 'If somebody had slaughtered every single clan member as you say, Princess, then why is it that you are the only one alive?' She narrowed her eyes at that thought.
Without even needing to put much thought into it, there were already heavy implications that he was the one who could have done something like that. The dots didn't need effort to be connected, because Fushiguro Megumi had already mistakenly formed them himself!
"Is that so?" Patriot believed his words, feeling no deceit from him when he said he wasn't the one involved. However, his statement of being the last remnant of his clan was... skeptical to say the least. But the Wendigo didn't need to hear any more, "a clan destined to fall to their own folly, I have seen enough." He didn't hold much interest in the Sorcerer's clan or information pertaining to them, as compared to somebody like Talulah.
Megumi watched as Patriot gave Mahoraga one last glance, his eyes looking to have bore a hole in it. From the looks of it, the grin on Mahoraga's face only widened, its head lowering as if it were taunting the Wendigo. That part made the Sorcerer imperceptibly tense his hand, wondering if the sentient provocation was uncalled for.
'Is provocation the right word? It's almost as if they're looking at each other with... respect?'
Immediately, the wheel floating atop Mahoraga's head turned back, and its body turned limp with a wave of Megumi's right hand. Soon enough, a black puddle formed beneath the Divine General's feet, letting it fall into it and dissipate from reality.
The pressure was released, everybody's instincts calming down at the instance of the Shikigami disappearing. Relief was present in the air, small sights and pats being heard from around him, something that made Megumi thin his lips. Calling upon Mahoraga might prove to be a hard factor in the future, but when the situation demanded it—he wouldn't hesitate.
Patriot spoke no words, before promptly turning around and heading off to elsewhere. There was content within him, having already achieved the goal for arriving at the area, to see the Divine General once more.
Still, to many other people, countless questions were still left unanswered.
***
"Mr. Fushiguro," Talulah placed a hand on the black haired man's shoulders, having already made up her decision. "May I have a minute of your time?" She honestly wasn't expecting much, not with the temperament he possessed.
His summon had left a deep impression on her, as if his already vast arsenal hadn't.
"Shoot," Megumi responded back to her, placing his hands in his pockets. Her heated figure stuck out of the snowy environment, especially with how much darker her clothes were compared to pure whiteness.
The Draco closed her eyes, before saying her piece, "I've already come to the conclusion that you have no plans of joining Reunion—"
"I do not." Megumi interrupted her.
—Talulah winced while having her eyes closed. She had already anticipated such an answer, but to have it so bluntly put in her face like that, "but... but I hope we can get off on a good footing." The ashen haired woman said what she wanted to, crossing her arms in the process.
"That'd be good," Megumi nodded to her, "although I don't see myself being a part of a movement like you, I hope you succeed in whatever you do." The Sorcerer reached his hand out to the woman, presenting it in a way that asked for a handshake.
Talulah blinked owlishly at the hand, before recovering her bearings. Clearing her throat while placing a balled fist close to it, the Draco moved her hand forward to receive it, "that's lovely to hear, thank you." She shook his hand firmly, feeling slightly better about the whole ordeal. Even if she couldn't gain members such as Fushiguro Megumi or Laurentina—because the latter was attached to the former—just having them depart on a positive note was enough.
Maybe they would cross paths again.
"If you're ever in a difficult situation against people such as those Emperor's Blades, I'll probably step in to help again," Megumi sincerely said. "But with Patriot at your side, I don't think my support would be needed."
"Oh, haha," Talulah let go of the handshake along with the other man, before delicately scratching her cheek, "we wouldn't mind, after all, there's no such thing as not having enough support. Wouldn't you say so?"
Her smile looked to be bright in Megumi's eyes, despite the undertones of sorrow beneath her close eyelids, "you're right, I would say so." The Sorcerer turned to where his place of residency was, watching a cross-armed Laurentina waiting for him, "well, I'll be off. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Talulah watched him turn and walk away, giving him a small wave. After hearing his steps leave her ears after he entered his cabin with the white haired Aegir, the woman leaned on a nearby pole to steady her body.
Having to face two Emperor's Blades, having her secret revealed of being Duke Kashchey's daughter, and finding out—barely any—of the mysteries surrounding Fushiguro Megumi and the implications that it brought...
...Frankly, it was all so tiring.