I hoped at least someone had a good laugh when I began spasming at the sight of 'my' older sister. The memories that came to me then were unnatural, I knew them to be my own, but they felt out of place, more a glimpse into someone else than the person I considered myself.
The knowledge of a dysfunctional family, an absent father addicted to alcohol and gambling and a mother and sister I had never really even known, was unceremoniously shoved into my head. It was a small wonder then that 'I' came up as something of a loner that pushed away any attempts at friendship from his peers.
Instead of growing sentimental, or feeling guilty, I only offered a silent apology to the 'me' from before. The 'me' that begrudgingly swelled with hope at the not-too-familiar sight of the black-haired young woman worriedly pulling at the hem of her woollen sweater. Clearly, she wanted to say something, but couldn't seem to decide if she should.
They really were estranged, huh?
Unexpectedly, I was fine with this. My intentions for this 'life' were to build a new life, my way, past attachments were best left in the past.
"...What do you want?"
The words came out harsher than intended.
"I-" She held a hand over her heart, and her words died in her throat. She stayed silent for a while, then, "Mother said she wanted nothing to do with you but I... They told me you nearly died."
I searched for a name, and couldn't help but chuckle at what came forth. Her name was Tsumiki. Tsumiki Zen'in, or whatever other name my unknown mother took.
She flinched at the sound that left my throat.
"And, I couldn't just-," Her words faltered. There was undisguised pity in her glassy eyes. "She told me not to come."
I narrowed my eyes, "You should've listened."
Family like this was nothing but trouble, and emotional baggage I neither needed nor wanted. Being harsh was fine, as long as it got her to stay away. From her name alone, she ran the risk of being caught in some plot to hurt me at some point. I had every intention of being cautious as usual, but not to the point where I would refuse to even leave home.
My 'sister' trembled. "It's not fair to you. It's not fair that she left. How is it your fault that dad tried to go back when you were born? If anything, it's my fault for being born a girl."
...
I couldn't help but purse my lips.
Zen'in, huh?
"They abandoned him, but didn't we do the same thing to you?"
Grief made people do the strangest things. I'd seen it before, though the consequences never quite affected me so directly then. No, I didn't really blame anyone, well, not that I really bore the consequences as I was now.
"For one," I raised the hand not in a cast, "I really think we should all be blaming the clan."
"Mother leaving dad, I don't blame her for that. He hurt her. But you did nothing, she said she was leaving what he wanted more than anything else with him. That isn't-"
"Again, it's fine, really."
This was beginning to grow tiresome. I did not want to have to deal with this at all. Her words and pity meant nothing to me at all. No, instead, I wanted another nap. Hopefully, by the time I woke up, my injuries would be good enough for me to leave.
"I can't leave you again, not when you're like this."
I must have made the strangest face then, as my sister flinched.
"I'm old enough to make my own decisions now. We both are. Mother is wrong."
Was this lady having a girl power kind of epiphany in front of me right now? All signs pointed there. She was about to turn a new leaf in life.
How quaint.
Groaning, I laid down on my bed and turned my head the other way, pulling the sheets over myself.
"Hey don't just turn around when I'm talking about something this important. I don't think it's safe."
"Whatever. Have your stupid arc somewhere else. I'm a patient. Stop bothering me." I pushed her away again. "Leave, old hag."
"Old ha-... I'm not that-"
She finally got the clue and quieted down. Though, when I peeked out of the covers to see if she was gone, the weirdo was smiling. It was the sort of affectionate smile people gave their grumpy dogs.
-
Despite my attempts at every turn to make that infernal creature sent to ruin my hopes at a fresh re-do fantasy hate me, Tsumiki stuck around. She was there when I went to sleep, and there when I woke up, at times sleeping with her head by my feet. She tried to feed me, and listened to the doctors in my place.
The blasted woman even got all buddy-buddy with the nurses and janitors.
Other than that, I kept an eye out for anything not natural, Curses and the like. Something no one else could see. My search had proved fruitless thus far.
"Why won't you leave me alone?" I grumbled, no longer able to hide my true thoughts on her behaviour.
She just giggled softly, "Because I'm your Onee-chan."
Did she think I was a child?
Why was she being so unreasonable?
It was better to just leave-
"I won't behave like I couldn't have contacted you sooner, before something like this happened, but I've made up my mind." She closed her eyes, pushing my wheelchair along the empty white corridor. Some old man was shouting at a nurse in the room we passed. "I don't care what mother says."
Ugh.
Was family really this unreasonable?
No, she had to have an ulterior motive. There was no way someone would stick around after how harsh I was being unless they wanted something.
I stared at the lukewarm sunlight filtering through closed windows.
Wait, the police officer didn't believe the claims about Mahoraga, but there certainly had to be some kind of surveillance system set-up by a supernatural society that hid itself from the public. Then, she could be one of-
"Tell me about the Ten Shadows."
My wheelchair came to a sudden halt.
I knew I had her.
Actually, why was I even in a wheelchair to begin with? The doctor wanted my movement to be minimal, but my legs were wholly untouched by the little mishap. Yes, if need be, I could easily jump out and kick her in the face. She didn't look that strong anyway.
"Did Dad fill your head with his fantasies too?"
She lightly chopped me in the head, catching me wholly off-guard.
"Look, Enji, I think no one really believes any of that deep down."
"Any of what?"
She tilted her head confusedly, "The whole fairytale about how our family used to have some incredible ability that was given to our ancestor by the Gods. Dad said they suddenly couldn't use it anymore after the Heian Era. You know what the Heian era is famous for, right?"
I did not. Though, hearing that the ability was suddenly 'lost' after the Heian era did feel like something orchestrated by that flippant ancestor of mine solely because he thought it'd be 'cool'. That felt like a bit of a reach, since I wasn't particularly familiar with him.
Still, that meant they had nothing special about them anymore, and still managed to do something as utterly idiotic as kicking out one of their own for birthing a girl. On the one hand, it was tough to believe. On the other, I expected nothing less from the 'Zen'in' Clan.
"Fairytales. The Oni, Abe-no-Seimei, they're all fairytales, Enji. Our family only gets to cling to them because they're that well-off."
The 'fairytale' dwelling within me begged to differ, but I kept that to myself. Even now, I found it hard to discredit that she was some kind of saboteur sent by some ruling authority.
She stopped my wheelchair by an elevator and pushed a button.
"I guess they're just very very stupid then." I shrugged.
"Harsh."
"But you won't say no."
Tsumiki just smiled, closing her eyes. There were a few other people inside the elevator, so I chose to quiet down, promising myself to press her for more later. She had given me enough to work with that I was pre-occupied for the entire ride.
The elevator music helped me order my thoughts, oddly enough.
The Zen'in Clan existed, I was one of them. Only, they had already lost the ability my ancestor had attained after some sort of service to the Gods. Then, that meant the shimmering figure from my most-recent was possibly a deity. Which one, I knew not. The 'gift' he received was most certainly what he kept referring to as the 'pathogen' in the meagre time we truly talked.
So, the Ten Shadows was a technique passed by blood, that was lost to the Zen'in... Hmm... had he intended for it to turn out that way? That made some sense. The entire situation felt a bit too tailored to resemble Jujutsu Kaisen as best as possible. The lack of curses in a place as depressing as a hospital though, made it evident that it was not, in fact, JJK.
Even now, I could feel the power. I could use it. The shadows cast by the people in the elevator beckoned to me. It took all the strength I had to rein in my burning curiosity and wonder, and not just employ the technique right there and then.
The Divine Dogs needed no trial. I only had to make the gesture to call them forth. I wouldn't. Those gangsters had seen Mahoraga. The same probably held true for the other Shikigami as well.
To distract myself from the excitement the possibilities brought me, I eyed the red marks underneath my forearm.
All felt second nature, except for them. They were not a part of the technique, I could feel it in my very bones. They were not a part of my body at all.
But, there was an even more pressing matter.
Was I... really just lucky enough to wake up as someone who felt like the product of some ancient plot?
A ding, and the elevator doors slid away. Tsumiki began pushing me once more.
Right now, I needed more information. Going out guns blazing doing whatever I wanted was a very easy way to get killed. Unfortunately, the only source I had presently was this woman who was supposed to be my 'sister', and attempting to smother me with that relation.
Pursing my lips, I stared at her face.
"Hm? What is it, Enji?"
She seemed to be a bit of an airhead.
"Nothing."
-
Hope you enjoyed.
A bit slow, I know, but I'm still enjoying writing all this out. If Chad Henry was here, he'd already be fighting a God or smth. Sadly, we're stuck with this fraud potential man for now. PLEASE COMMENT, I NEED THISSSSSSS
As usual, you can find a couple chaps ahead at patre0n.com/Bleap