**for those who celebrate it, happy easter. for those who don't, happy sunday where i release two more chapterssss cuz i'm bored. i hope u like em!**

It had been a little over a day since I first woke up, and according to everyone but Satoru, that was plenty of time for me to recover.

So now, I was sitting around a small conference table waiting for this meeting to start. They wanted a report on what happened with Geto and to start planning our next steps.

The room was filled with pretty much everyone that was there when I found out about my clan. I sat on the far side of the table, Satoru situated closely next to me. I definitely wasn't feeling up to this quite yet, and it was showing.

"Y/n, glad you're better," Mei said as she sat across from me.

"I'm not better."

"Well, we're glad you're alive," Yaga added.

I adjusted my hoodie and mask before slouching down into my seat further. Honestly, I had a raging headache and just wanted to be curled up into a ball. Not here where I was about to undergo some intense interrogation.

"Ieiri, can you update us on her condition?" he asked.

"She has a concussion and suffered from head trauma. It's why she was in a coma for a few days. I'm not entirely sure how since she didn't have any blunt force to her head. My best guess is it's linked to the technique she encountered."

"What kind of head trauma?"

"Internal bleeding."

"Hemorrhage?"

"Mm," she nodded as she lit a cigarette. "But I addressed that first. Now it's the concussion and leftover side effects of going through that type of trauma."

Gakuganji spoke up, "Do we know what type of technique?"

Everyone was silent as they stared at me, Ieiri just shaking her head softly.

"I see. Well, let's just start at the beginning then. Y/n? Care to tell us about your encounter?"

"Um, well..." I sighed as I trailed off. My head was still a foggy mess. It was still so hard to concentrate, and knowing they didn't really care that I wasn't ready for this made part of me want to break down.

"He, uh, paid for my tea, then sat with me. We introduced ourselves. He said my parents would be proud that I embraced my clan, and he tried to recruit me."

"And then what?" Yaga asked.

Gakuganji ignored his question, "Embraced your clan?"

I stared blankly at the table, avoiding the eyes of everyone around me, "I introduced myself to him as Sato. That was before I knew who he was."

I noticed Satoru shift uncomfortably in his chair, as most of the others shot glares in my direction.

"So you're going by Sato now?" Gakuganji hissed.

I shrugged, "It is my name, isn't it? Y/n Sato has a nice ring to it."

"After everything you learned!?" he yelled at me, and the loud sound sent a sharp pain through my head.

I winced, "Please, don't yell. It hurts."

Satoru reached over and placed his hand on my leg. I quickly grabbed it and intertwined our fingers, holding onto him tightly. I didn't want to lose his warmth.

Gakuganji sighed, "Fine. Just go on."

"He told me his goal was to finish carrying out the Sato clan's mission of ridding the world of non-sorcerers. That's when I took off out of the cafe. I didn't want things to get out of control with so many innocent people around."

I took a deep breath as the memories played out in my mind. I never wanted to relive this moment, and yet, I couldn't get it to stop replaying.

"He told me to join him. He told me to help him avenge my clan and my family. He said he would stop targeting Satoru if I joined him. But when I didn't agree, he used his technique."

Satoru smirked proudly, "Targeting me? I admire their boldness."

I bit down on the inside of my mouth and closed my eyes, trying desperately not to let my tears escape. I know he's strong. I know he thinks he's invincible, but this is serious. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost him.

"What happened with his technique?" Gakuganji asked me.

We had been talking for not even 5 minutes and I was already losing my composure. I took another deep breath before wiping my tears with the sleeve of my sweater, feeling ashamed by the weakness I had been showing so much of lately.

"Take your time," Satoru whispered as he rubbed his thumb against my hand.

I nodded, "I was in my childhood home. I don't know if it was a real memory or what, but I watched..."

I trailed off as I thought of my father's lifeless body, My mom's bravery even in the face of death. Satoru's empty eyes as he ended her life. His blood-covered body in my arms.

It's like Geto created my own personal hell.

"You watched what?" Gakuganji asked with a slight tinge of annoyance in his voice. I hate him so much...

"I watched as Satoru killed my mother."

"W-what?" he whispered out. "You saw that?"

I looked over at him and nodded, "She was holding my father in her arms and asked you to make it quick. Geto was there too. He told you it was just business."

I watched Satoru intensely, trying to get a read on him. He was always hiding his true feelings from me. I wish he would just let me in...

"But Satoru, you told him it was never just business. You said it was always personal. I saw it all. Killing them, it hurt you."

"It was just a mission," Gakuganji interjected. "An order he was given like any other."

"You ordered students to kill humans, not exorcise curses," I snapped at him. "How could you?!"

"It's part of the job."

"That is not what we do!!" I fought back. We weren't supposed to be murders. We were supposed to be protectors.

"Is that everything that happened?" Yaga asked.

"No," I answered in a shaky voice. "I don't know why, but Geto showed me Satoru."

I looked over to the person I loved more than anyone in this whole world, sobbing quietly, "Y-you died in my arms, Satoru. I held you as you bled out..."

"Oh, Y/n," he whispered as he pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Nanami sighed, "Why would he do all of this? What does he want from her?"

"Other than her alliance, it's hard to say," Yaga answered.

"I know why," I pulled away from Satoru and looked back at Gakuganji.

"My parents. They weren't murderers, were they? They just had the name Sato..."

"Why do you say that?" Yaga asked.

I shook my head, "Because after his technique, I could finally remember what they were like, who they were. They weren't curse-users, were they Ganji?"

He stared into my eyes as he spoke, "It doesn't matter. They were Sato's. They had to be eliminated. That's what the council decided."

My sadness quickly turned to rage. My parents hadn't done anything wrong. They didn't deserve to die.

We could've lived peacefully. Satoru could've been spared from that moment of pain. Things should've been different.

I jumped to my feet, using my darkness technique to wrap around Gakuganji's neck, and slammed him into the wall.

"Y/n!" Nanami yelled, everyone else quickly standing, ready to react to whatever I did next.

I walked over to Ganji who was still pinned up in the air, smashing him into the wall once again, "Give me one reason I shouldn't end you right here. I could take you out so easily before ending the rest of the council too."

"Careful, Y/n," Mei warned. "You sure you want to do this with all of us around?"

Satoru was right. Nothing would change as long as the higher ups were still in charge...

I felt my mouth water as my darkness gripped tighter around his body, a powerful warmth surging through me.

I could kill him so easily. It would be like snapping a twig. He was completely helpless as I held him here, and we all know he deserves it.

My breathing began to pick up as my mind raced... What was stopping me? This is what I was born to do right? Kill?.. And at least this was doing it for a good cause.

But once I started, would I be able to stop?

"Y/n," Utahime called out. "Y/n, remember who you are. It's not worth it."

I took a moment to let her words sink in. She was right... Vengeance wasn't worth the risk.

I dropped Gakuganji to the ground, watching over him as he gasped for air.

I turned around to see everyone's panicked expressions as they peered back at me. Except for Satoru who remained seated, his legs crossed as he watched me with an intense, stern stare.

"Geto is the one directing and controlling the special grade cursed spirits," I said as I walked towards the exit. "I'm not sure what they're after, but we need to figure out how to stop them."

I wasn't worried too much about what I had just done. Like I said before, if they were looking to kill me too, they had missed their chance.

At this point, I was too strong to be taken down by anyone other than Satoru. Plus, they needed me as an ally if we were going to finish off Geto and the special grades.

And as we worked on doing that, I would make sure to work on restoring the Sato clan. This time as defenders, not murderers.

"Let me know how I can help, but for now I need to rest."

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