A Vow Forged in Grief

"Sometimes even the best words are not enough; in the depths of despair, a single spark of determination can ignite a relentless fire."

It was a beautiful evening, the sky was painted a pretty orange by the light from the sun setting in the horizon.

A boy was pacing around nervously in the middle of a park, on a pathway which was lined by beautiful flowers on both sides.

Next to him was a vending machine, as well as a bench.

The boy, Johan, kept checking his watch, as if he was waiting for something...for someone.

A figure caught his eye, a person coming towards him. The person was only a shadow, illuminated by the setting sun behind them.

It was a magnificent picture, it was as if a divine being was standing on earth.

Johan froze as he looked at the majestic view, the figure slowly walked, passing him and going to the vending machine, a clink of coins echoing in the air.

(Some time ago...)

(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)

I walked back to my car, the driver was standing outside. Seeing me, he quickly walked and opened the car door.

I sat inside, and the driver closed the door to my side.

He was quite an old man, he had been serving under my parents for many years.

He had a well-styled mustache, which was completely white due to his old age.

One could immediately spot wrinkles on his face. But, his mind was still young. He was fun to talk to, sometimes we even cracked jokes together on long trips.

Suddenly I remembered something.

Taking out my phone from my pocket, I messaged Johan to meet me at a certain vending machine in the Academy.

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The driver dropped me near the dorms, bowing respectfully before driving away gracefully.

I walked leisurely, in no hurry to reach where Johan was.

As I neared the vending machine, I saw Johan pacing around impatiently.

As soon as he saw me, he stopped walking and stood motionless.

I walked past him. Going towards the vending machine, I pulled out two coins from my pocket.

A cling echoed in the air as I put the coins in. I extended my hand to the buttons, pressing them one by one.

The beeping of the machine was heard as I chose what to drink, which was two cans of coffee.

A low hum resonated from the machine, followed by a THUMP as the cans fell into the slot for picking them up.

I picked up both cans from the slot, one in each hand.

I threw a can to him, which he caught, and sat on a bench next to the machine, motioning him to sit next to me.

I opened the can, the heavenly aroma of coffee entering my nose.

Johan sat next to me, keeping the can on his side.

"So..." I said, my voice carrying curiosity as I took a sip. "What did you want to talk about?"

Johan's fists clenched, his head dropped, as if he had something weighing down on his mind.

I patiently waited for him to start, taking sips from the can occasionally.

"Sukuna..." He began, his voice a light whisper which sounded as if he was hurt. "Do you really feel nothing for Anny?"

I leaned forward, looking at the flowers kept in a pot in front of the bench.

"It's not like I don't care..." I said, my voice indifferent. "But it's not like I truly care."

"I see," he replied, murmuring as he looked away.

"I loved Anny, Sukuna," he said, tears welling up. "Her last words were 'I love you.' I finally got my response..."

Tears started to fall down his cheeks.

He wanted a person to open up to. Everyone sees the battle-hardened Johan, but I knew the real one.

Maybe that is why he feels comfortable to talk to me, even though it might not be intentional.

Ryogaku and Alexia are already broken by Anny's death, he would not want to dump his feelings on them.

I patted his back, losing the one you love in such a tragic manner is not good for one's heart.

He took a few seconds to calm down.

"Sukuna... I don't know what to do," he continued, his voice slowly going back to normal, but it felt...empty. "It's as if a void has opened up in my heart."

I deeply thought of what to say, as my next words might dictate the life of this person, who might become a threat if handled wrong.

"What is your goal in life, Johan?" I asked, my voice lowering, as I turned to him.

He turned towards me, our eyes locking with each other. He was frozen, remembering everything that has happened.

I could see the emptiness in his eyes filling up, the determination he had returning.

His brows furrowed and teeth grit. He clenched his fist so hard that he almost broke the bench he was gripping.

"I'll kill them all," he said, his voice eerily dark, which filled me with unease. "I'll kill all the demons"

He paused, his expressions getting even more intense as he turned towards the floor.

"Every last one of them."

I stood up.

"I've already told you Johan..." I said, my voice nonchalant. "Whatever happens to you, to those around you...No matter what you lose, no matter who you lose, never lose the will to fight on."

I threw the empty can to a dustbin kept to the side.

"I told you that before we entered the dungeon, didn't I? Right here, in this very spot," I said, my voice growing lower with each word as I turned my head towards him.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, I bent down, my mouth so close to his ear that he could feel my breath.

"Then keep moving forward," I whispered, my voice mirroring the darkness of his own.

It was like a conversation between devils.

"Even if you die... even after you die..."

My grip tightened around his shoulder. I could feel him shaking, as if my words were having a deep impact on him.

"Until all your enemies... are destroyed."

I pushed away, leaving him to contemplate on his own.

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A voice echoed in the peaceful evening.

The sun had set, the night was nearing. The sky was getting dark, but the boy stayed on the bench.

"Until my enemies are destroyed..." A deep voice spoke again, breaking the peaceful atmosphere.

Johan got up, looking at the sky.

But, he suddenly heard a THUMP sound behind him. Turning around, he saw the can of coffee Sukuna gave him had been knocked to the ground when he got up.

He picked up the can, it was still warm.

Johan stood there, the warm cup of coffee in his hand, while his mind was in turmoil. Sukuna's words were playing in his mind like a chorus.

"Until all my enemies are destroyed," he whispered, looking up at the sky.

The sky was now a deep blue, stars twinkling faintly. He took in a deep breath, the cold air reaching his lungs.

The memory of Anny's last moments flashed before him—her gentle smile, her voice whispering those final words, "I love you."

It was a moment he cherished but also a memory that haunted him, it reminded him of his mother, how she died in pain.

Now, Anny had died in the same way.

He clenched his fist, his grip on the can tightening as a dent started to form on it.

"I'll kill them all," he had declared, and now with Sukuna's words guiding him, he knew that he had to see it through.

His grip became tighter, coffee started coming out from miniature holes that formed when Johan deformed the can.

He would train harder, become stronger, and he would find a way to avenge Anny, and his mother.

No matter what it took, no matter the cost, he would not stop until he had eradicated every demon in this world.

"Even if I die... even after I die," he whispered, his resolve strengthening with every word.

Johan's grip tightened even more. Tiny cracks forming along the surface of the can he held.

Suddenly, with a sharp pop, the can burst, spraying coffee in all directions. Warm liquid splattered onto his shirt and face, but he didn't even flinch.

"Until... all my enemies are destroyed."

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(POV: Aiden Arceid)

NEWS

England's Administration has been taken over by the Hunter Association, which makes it a part of the Hunters' Union and the 58th country to come under the rule of the Hunter Association.

The Head of the Hunter Association says that this has been done due to a lack of ruling party in the country, which had lead to street violence and almost started a civil war.

Moreover, th–

*Click*

A man in a t-shirt turned off the television that was broadcasting the latest news, this was the Head of the Hunter Association, Aiden Arceid.

He turned to face a pale man with black hair, who was wearing a suit.

They were both sitting in a dark room, which was completely empty, except for two chairs and a table.

The man turned to face Aiden, who had an emotionless face, and was not looking into his eyes, but at the cup of tea that is placed on the table.

He picked up the cup of tea and took a sip, pausing for half a second after that.

"You did your job splendidly," Aiden said, his serious voice betrayed by his t-shirt that said "KYS" in all caps

"Thank you for your praise," the man with the suit, Zekuth, said in a respectful tone and a little bow of his head.

"I also assume that your plans are going smoothly?" Zekuth asked, his expression not changing.

"The answer to that question might not be yes," Aiden answered, a little smile forming on his face. "Ryomen Sukuna, an anomaly, just like me."

Zekuth's eyes widened, this might be one of the first times that Aiden had acknowledged someone.

"Due to him, my plans were interrupted..." Aiden paused before continuing. "...Our secondary objective backfired, Eva is now his pawn"

Zekuth was disappointed, he had done a lot of work to get Eva as a good tool, but ultimately, the plan failed.

"Our best bet might be to kill her along with Sukuna, just to ensure that everything goes our way," Zekuth said, voicing his opinions.

"Indeed... well, that aside, our work will finally be finished soon, at most 4 months," Aiden said, getting up from his chair.

"You best be ready, everyone..."

Aiden said to no one while walking through the door into a dimly lit hallway, which opened to a beautiful scenery of mountains filled with vegetation and flowers, you could also see the main city of the Hunter Union in the distance.

"After all..." Aiden continued, spreading his hands, taking in the warmth of the sun as he looked down upon everyone in the city.

"...the world is going to be a battlefield"

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(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)

After the attack of demons, the information on the existence of demons has been publicized, which led to quite a big uproar, but it is suppressed right now, as people try to cope up with the reality.

The Hunter Association hired many famous actors, models and so on, to try to calm the people down by using their influence.

The Head himself delivered a speech, which outlined why they kept this information hidden for a while.

As for me, I already knew most of this.

Due to my father, I know much more about demons than the normal person.

But it does not mean that I know everything, I know only as much as humanity does, which is not too much, sadly.

You might be asking now, 'Why doesn't he know about demons, he played the game, right?'

Well, you are right, I did play the game, and I did know about demons, but...

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[What do you wish for?]

"Remove the limit on my physical abilities."

"And also, remove my upper limit."

[What do you offer in return?] 

"I offer..."

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"...all my memories of this world as a game"

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ooo big reveal.

I gave hints of this ever since the dungeon arc ended, some of you might have figured it out already.

Also, what do you think will be Johan's significance in the future?

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Exams are eating me alive, I have 2 subjects per day, for a whole week, I'm dying (╥_╥)

Comment ur thoughts and gimme POWER STONES :3