Chapter Text
Ever since he was a child, Geto Suguru can see ghosts.
Often would mistake a spectre to a living being. His mother could catch him talking to air every once in a while when he was actually talking to his grandmother. He didn't quite understood why his mother would look at him with such fear and terror and disgust. He didn't understand why he knows such emotions on her face to identify it at a young age.
He... well, he would say that mother never hit him or anything but neither does she care about him either.
Her words are always full of poison and Suguru feels like that's how it has always been. At a young age, Suguru has already perfected household chores as if he had done them time and time before.
He meets and talks to lonely spirits that walk among the living. He has a nagging feeling of danger that comes with this. Something familiar happening. He ignored it.
That is until the monster came and ate the soul of a young girl that plays with him by the mountains.
That is when Geto Suguru found out about the existence of what is called 'Curses'.
Suguru has half the mind to call it something else and yet 'Hollows' doesn't seem like the right desciption either.
....
Quite like Satoru awakened as a newly born god in that failed mission with Tengen's vessel, Suguru changed as well.
He has had head traumas before its part of the occupartional hazard. This one though, as the butt of the gun of that assassin guy hit him and got him bouncing on hard cement, left him with a little something... more.
Enlightenment.
He was half convinced that he hallucinated all those additional smattering memories.
Suguru has always wanted to test Suigetsu on the famed Six Eyes and see how they'd fare. See just how absolute is Absolute Hypnosis.
It wasn't all that new to Suguru, conducting experiments on people he knows. Like before, he started with something small. The color of the tulips by the dorm rooms that they pass by everyday to go to class. And then slowly escalates it.
Satoru twitched. And started scratching at the back of his neck. A nervous tick he hasn't seen in a while. Pride is thy name of Gojo Satoru.
Interesting reaction. Even with Six Eyes, he was not able to identify correctly where the change was.
Shoko didn't even bink twice at the change.
....
"My domain... changed." He whispered.
The vast unending sky without any clouds in sight. Beneath his feet, the 'ground' reflected the sky in ripples like standing on water. It looked... peaceful. It felt like what Suguru imagined death is like.
Then he met... it.
At first, he suspected it for being a curse that trapped him there but it looked too... human. It had brown hair and glasses and was wearing a black kimono. The only thing that made his hackles rise was those red markings on his- its face. Blood red. Like it was carved into its face.
"I am you." It said in echoing voices. "Can't you feel it?"
Suguru denied it. He denies any power this possible curse has over him. He fought it but not once did he succeed. In that domain, its image rippled.
"Do not even think of calling for your... companions. This is something you must face by yourself." The spirit's voice echoed and its face shuffled through many images. Each one felt like a stab through the chest even if he could only regconize a handful of them.
Until it stops to form his face.
Geto Suguru's face.
Overlapped voice echoed through the vast space thaat is their mindscape,
"Will you confront yourself?"
Well, there's no other acceptable answer to that, is there?
"Yes."
The smile on his face on the spirit stretched wider than humanly possible in what seemed to be a parody or a grin.
"Good."
And before he knew it, he was plunged into the cold waters of his domain, his panicked shouts turned into watery gargles.
He regrets this already.
...
Suguru is acting strange.
So is Satoru, but that's a different can of worms.
Ever since that failed mission, both of Shoko's idiots are acting strange. Satoru was a no brainer with his so called 'rebirth' but it took embarassingly long for her to realize how much it changed Suguru too. He was always stronger than he looks. Bounces right back from a mission. Being civillian born without any clan support, he was used to the fucked up bias against him. At least, that's what he said. She really should've check in on him more. But after that failed mission, it seemed like the old coots in high seats wants to punish them by working them to death.
She's seeing Suguru less and less. And even being invited/taunted by Satoru isn't working with him anymore. Always has an excuse.
Shoko doesn't want to admit it but she is worried.
So is Satoru but he's not important right now.
She caught him every once in a while talking to himself— almost arguing with himself. His eyes grow blanker and smiles faker, as diligently reported by Satoru.
It came to a point where they found Suguru in a mysterious coma. No one knew exactly when it started. Only that one of the first years tried to check on him one day and he wouldn't wake up. He was rushed to the clinic but to no avail. No luck in waking their friend up.
Sensei had to put his foot down when a crazed Satoru wouldn't leave his sickbed.
"I don't know what happened. Nothing is wrong with his vitals. Nothing wrong with his cursed energy either. From a medical standpoint, he's just... sleeping."
"People don't usually sleep for 2 weeks, Shoko!" Satoru threw his hands in the air in frustration.
"You learned how to heal, right? You can check for yourself." She snaps as she lights a cigarette, ignoring her assmate's grimance. She's frustrated too, you know.
"I just don't understand." He says for the nth time. "Was there something weird with his last mission?"
She shrugged as she exhaled a puff of smoke, "Nothing much of note. Nothing unusual."
"Does he always get so many missions back to back? Is it because of... that mission?"
She looked at the white haired boy like he's an idiot. "Of course, he does. We aren't at your level but civillian born usually aren't exactly treated... like you, your highness."
The idiot just stared at her but she ignored just it.
"Tch."
...
Suguru woke up in the middle of the night in cold sweat no less than 3 weeks after he was dragged in that pool.
He sat up too quickly and tried to cough out water that wasn't in his lungs. He scrambled to look for his glasses. He can't see shit without his glasses. Fuck. What did Shinji do now?—
He gasped.
And choked.
He feels like he ran 20 marathons.
He looks around frantically and sees that he's in a clinic? 4th Division? Where? No. He's not him anymore. He's Geto Suguru.
'Yet you are one soul.'
But I'm not him.
'Yes, he was much more at ease with his reincarnation.'
Because he practically 'lived' for hundreds of years after his second death!
He gripped his head and tugged on his hair— pitch black, instead of earthy brown. How did he even die anyways? Do shinigamis even die—?
Flashes of memories invade his mind. Of shady labs and screams of pain and death. Screaming for mercy. For god. His hands red, red, red—
'Yes, it would be wise not to think about that. Even your previous incarnation was burdened by memories of his own death. Both of them. No need to ponder about it now.' The voice echoed. 'As you've said, he's not you anymore. It is a new life. Live as you wish but don't you DARE neglect me once again.'
How could he ever?
'Remember my name, brat.' The vengeful spirit hissed.
He huffed a laugh that turned into ragged coughs.
Just you and me once more, Kyoka Suigetsu.
He leaned back down and blacked out.
....
Higher ups never change from one life to another.
With the tugging of Suigetsu within him, Suguru wonders...
Looking in quiet despair at the two children at the so called mercy of this damned cult, Suguru really wonders if it is really worth keeping his hands clean of blood this time around.
Those damned smiles are grating on his soul...
Seeing those children here, there is simply no other choice, is there?
Surely, Shinji wouldn't mind...
In a slow but sure motion, Suguru managed to summon Suigetsu. Light fractals coming together to form a familiar katana. Under the scared and suspicious eyes of two young girls, he turned to face the 'crowd' and unsheates it.
"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
....
Suguru is missing.
Damn it. Damn those old as dust elders.
Taking up Satoru's time with their incessant yapping. Because of them, he couldn't Suguru. He wasn't even there when his best friend finally woke up! Not only that but as soon as he was able, those damned mummified fuckers sent him immediately on a mission!
Satoru hasn't seen Suguru in months! Months!
His friend always seemed so strong. Keeping up with him so easily.
Now one mission right after this weird coma and suddenly he disappeared from the face of the earth!
....
Clack. Clack. Clack
The child looked up with stinging sobbing eyes to an angel or perhaps a ghost.
Wearing a full kimono and clacking geta that he has only seen in historical dramas, long hair hanging freely on his shoulders, and a sweet understanding smile. Kota can't help but sob more. Here at his cold home holding onto his mother's cooling mangled body. His hands itch at the dried blood all over his arms. No one believed him when Kota told people that there was a monster stalking their home. No one believed when he said it kept trying to steal his mom away. Not even his mother believed the monster he kept warning her about. She only believed when the monster finally sneaked in their house that Kota kept closed at all times and carved into her stomach and crawled in.
Kota couldn't move. He couldn't scream.
He was frozen to his feet, watching as the monster played with his mother's body like a doll.
He couldn't stop watching.
He can't close his eyes.
He didn't have to.
A rough hand softly covered his eyes and muttered something before Kota could hear a strong slash and wet splashes. He could feel someone cover him from the splashes.
The hand left his face and the monster was gone. Kota knew it was dead as the body was slowly disentigrating in air like hissing black smoke.
All that's left was his mother's body.
The ghost kneeled down next to him and set down his sword. He slowly spread out his arms in offering and down Kota went and sobbed his heart out once more.
Finally, someone believed him.
Finally, someone saved him.
After the ghost helped him bury his mother by the big tree she loved so much, Kota finally asked,
"Who are you, ghost-san?"
The ghost hummed and smiled.
"Close, but I am not a ghost. And my name? Ah, you may call me Soumu-san." The ghost reached out his hand.
"Would you like to come with me?"
....
"Gojo, don't do anything stupid."
"Who? Me? Never. Although, it seems like there's a new god in town. This should be interesting..."