Isamu stared into his reflection in the powered-off screen of the TV. He looked fine, maybe a bit tired but he was fine. He felt fine too. He did. Yeah…
He sighed as he tried to push any less-than-ideal thoughts from his mind. And when he failed, he just buried them in the deepest corner of his mind and "forgot" about them instead. He didn't have time for such thoughts. He slowly passed a hand over his face, trying to shake off some of the exhaustion, ignoring the bags under his eyes.
He didn't exactly succeed. Instead, he just brought the thoughts back up. He saw… it… on the inside of his eyelids. The stitches. He opened his eyes again, not all that surprised by the vision, he saw it a lot after all, and he was getting used to it. Frightening as that sounds.
Upon opening his eyes, he saw his reflection once more. Isamu's body moved on instinct and no small amount of anger and fear. Before he knew it, the scarred man on the TV had a throwing knife in his throat, the screen cracking like a spider's web with the man at the epicenter.
Isamu looked annoyed, running a hand through his hair before standing and pulling the knife from the black screen only a few feet from the couch he sat on. He was underneath jujutsu high at the moment, in an empty basement with only the couch and TV. It was kinda depressing that Isamu went here when he wanted to be alone.
Storing the knife back into its hidden place somewhere on his person, Isamu turned at the sound of footsteps descending the basement stairs. Isamu's face of annoyance fell away for a moment before coming back in full force. The only difference being the cause of the annoyance.
"I checked all your usual spots. I guess you didn't want me to find you." Maki said as she entered Isamu's line of sight. Isamu's annoyance slipped for a second without him realizing at the sight of Maki.
'That's kinda the point of alone time.' Isamu signed back, his signals quick and more than a little annoyed. Maki looked back at him with a have smile, finding his annoyance amusing more than anything. Until she noticed something.
Isamu wasn't meeting her eyes. He wasn't even looking at her face. Instead, his eyes were burning a hole in her uniform shoes and the ground right before them. Her semi-smile dropped at his behavior. It was just another action on the long list of his oddities lately. Ever since Shibuya.
Maki had gotten a briefing of the night from Nanami mostly. She heard of what Isamu had done. How he'd saved many lives. But knowing him, he no doubt only saw the faces of those he couldn't save instead of the smiling visages of those he did.
"Isamu," Maki said sweetly, softly, knowing showing her annoyances, however slight they may be, would cause more harm than good. "You can talk to me. Tell me what happened."
For Maki knew something had happened. Not just his perceived blame for the deaths on October 31st. Something beyond that. Something Nanami described as important but "not my secret to share."
Isamu looked down and to the side at her words, shyly ducking his head the slightest bit. Maki began to walk toward him, slowly and without any sudden movements. She knew that if she pushed too hard, she could risk him shutting her out completely.
Isamu's eyes flicked around as she drew nearer, finding it harder to avoid seeing her face as she approached. His heart rate picked up and his breathing quickened.
"Isamu, please, look at me," Maki whispered. The worry in her voice was evident. That just made him feel worse, made his guilt increase. Isamu gulped down some spit before his eyes turned upwards to look at his girlfriend.
Her face was unmarked by scars with the only difference between this Maki and the Maki of a few days ago being her shorter hair. Of course, that was excluding the things Isamu knew were fake. Dripping from her eyes were twin rivers of bloody tears. Her lips were stretched into that damned smile. The one that made it clear the one wearing it was smarter than you. Knew things you didn't. And across her forehead, Isamu saw stitches.
Isamu glinted slightly at the sight before shifting his vision away. Maki's gentle smile dropped, turning into a pouty, worried expression. Deciding not to push the issue any further, she just reached up and wrapped her arms around Isamu's neck.
Maki guided him to the couch, forcing him to sit facing her. Maki tightened her hold once sat, turning her gentle hold into a hug. Isamu's face was buried in the nape of her neck as she wordlessly held him. Maki only clutched him tighter when he wrapped his own arms around her midriff, hugging her back.
She squeezed him tightly, slowly dragging him down to the couch with her. Isamu hesitated for a long moment as he was forced to sit. After a long moment, his hands raised as well and wrapped themselves around Maki's back and waist.
They sat like that for a long time, just hugging each other, feeling each other's warmth. After a while, Isamu began to cry. Everything came crashing down at once. The guilt for the lives he may have taken, his shame for fighting so recklessly and abandoning Megumi in the middle of a war zone. But not just his faults.
His worry over Maki. Over Megumi and Yuji as well. Over Toge. His shock and the pain of the man's identity as his mother. Even the death of the Inumaki clan, something he hadn't quite gotten over. Everything was caving in on him.
He was tired, his head hurt, and nothing made sense. Everything was burning and everyone was being hurt. People he couldn't do anything to help. Hell, why help them when you can drop a meteor on them?
Maki just ran her hand through his hair on the back of his head as she held him tight, his head bared in the crook of her neck. She forced herself to hold back her own tears. She needed to be strong for Isamu. Isamu had all this responsibility, had the world resting on his shoulders it felt like, and he was starting to stagger under the weight. She needed to be a pillar he could use to lighten the weight.
"Shhh, I know… you're tired… rest… you deserve it…. just close your eyes… breathe in… and out… sleep… sleep for as long as you need… I'll be here for you for however long that is…" Maki said softly into his ear. She rubbed soothing circles into his back as her other hand ran through his hair and massaged his scalp.
Isamu just squeezed her tighter as he leaned forward. They both lay down on the couch, Isamu's back to the back cushions. Maki continued to speak to him softly, slowly soothing him into sleep. Even after his eyes were closed and his tears stopped, she continued to whisper sweet nothings to him, warding away any bad dreams.
And for the first time since the incident, Isamu's got some proper rest, in the hands of the only person who could give it after that night.
——
"How bothersome." The creature formerly known as Akane Inumaki muttered with a frown. He stood crossed armed on the top of a large office building in Sendai colony. His monk robes clean and unruffled as always.
"Hhuumm?" The man standing behind him questioned with a hum. This man wore similar robes as the monk, except his were less grand if you could even call the monk robes grand in the first place. They were little more than rags but even with this going against him, the man still maintained an aura of charisma and confidence about him.
"It is nothing. Just a little pet project of mine." Geto's body said before he uncrossed his arms and turned away from the rooftop edge. Turning towards the reincarnation he'd asked to meet.
"I have a task for you." The man said, getting to the meat of their small meeting.
"I don't take orders from you, Kenjaku." The newly reincarnated sorcerer said, his warm small still plastered on his face, his tone still as welcoming and kind as it was a moment ago. Kenjaku didn't even blink at the use of his original name before responding while matching the man's smile.
"I know. But what I ask is in your best interest. The best interest of the group you represent. I simply ask that you do what you do best."
"And why would I? I see no reason to dedicate the resources when we have nothing to fear anymore, the sky-eyed sorcerer gone and all." The reincarnation with the sun-colored hair and the bright blue eyes said.
"Ahh, that is where you are mistaken. You do have something to fear. Isamu Inumaki. If left unchecked, he could very well spell the end for you and your brethren." Kenjaku responded with a knowing smile.
"Inumaki? I cannot see any one of that clan proving difficult. Unless he was also born with the six eyes, I doubt his ability to take us on alone."
"Alone? Why yes, alone he is no issue. But if he has allies around him… that is another story. His ability to uplift and strengthen his allies is unmatched. He may even surpass you in that aspect." Kenjaku said, the lie rolling off his tongue with ease only achievable with one thousand years of experience.
"So. You want me to distract his allies?" The man responded, believing the lie somewhat.
"Yes. Divide and conquer. Isolate him from his allies. Force him to fight your fellow generals. And once he is smashed under your collective fists, you may do whatever you wish. True free of fear in an era unlike any other." Kenjaku said again, pushing the issue further, knowing he was in the home stretch. After a long moment of thought, the 5th Void General responded.
"Fine. I will raise the army. These newly formed sorcerers could use a little order in their lives."