Chapter 13

'Onii-chan, can't you walk a little faster?' Yoh told his brother.

'Nope.' Hao replied flatly.

'But you're too slow.' Yoh pouted.

'That's because you're too fast.' Hao retorted.

'You're so cold onii-chan…'

'You're so annoying Otouto…' Hao gave him his brusque reply. Yoh gave him a wounded look.

They kept debating with each other as the both of them walked along the road. The others who were following them from behind watched them in amusement. The Asakura members had their conversation.

'That guy really had changed hasn't he?' Yohmei told them. They knew exactly who he was referring to…

'Agree.' Kino replied in her usual manner.

'Children can be really good at heart, if there were given a chance. Ne?' Keiko said.

'I guess you can call Hao that…' Mikihisa replied unsure whether he should think of Hao as a child.

Meanwhile, Matamune was smiling happily whilst staring at his two masters. He thought of what Hao had thought to him that day just before he left Yoh.

['Matamune…you have better take good care of him when I'm not around or else…'] his smile broadened at that thought. The master that he had met 1000 years ago has finally returned as his true self after so many years courtesy of Yoh.

'Isn't this great Matamune? Yoh-dono and Hao-dono are getting along so well…' Amidamaru told the cat spirit.

'Yes…' he paused for a moment.

'You know Amidamaru-san… Hao-sama can be very cold in the outside, but he was very warm in the inside…' Matamune said.

Amidamaru smiled before continuing.

'Yes, and I think Yoh-dono must have noticed that or he wouldn't have wanted to talk to him…'

'It's not just Yoh that noticed it…' a sudden voice interrupted. The shifted their gaze towards a Chinese shaman.

'The others are beginning to notice it as well...and I am as well…' Ren told Matamune.

'I see…I'm happy to hear that.' Matamune replied. They turned and stared at the debating twins.

'Onii-chan, why did you leave me that day?' Yoh suddenly questioned his brother.

Hao stopped walking. He stood there rooted on the spot.

'W-W-What are you talking about? He pretended not to know.

'Onii-chan, you know very well what I'm talking about.' He retorted.

Silence follows as the question is left hanging in the air.

'You're not answering my questions Onii-chan.'

Everyone focused their attention on the two boys. Now that they think of it, they also don't understand why Hao did such a thing. Matamune look at his master with a half pleading and half wary look. Hao read his mind and gave him a murderous glare.

['If you say anything, I'll send you to the depths of hell. Got it?'] Hao thought to his spirit who was now staring at him nervously.

'Matamune, you know something don't you?' Yoh asked the cat spirit.

Hao blinked. Was he that obvious?

'No. He knew nothing about it and he had nothing to do with it.' Hao told his younger brother.

'Nope, I don't think so...I have a hunch that he KNEW something really important.' Ren countered.

'He did not.' Hao told them even though he knew that it was fultile.

'Oh yes he did.' Anna interrupted the boys. They gazed at Matamune.

'Matamune, tell me what did you know?' Anna gave him a 'you-better-tell-me-or-else-you-will-regret-it' glare.

'W-W-W-Why Anna-sama, I don't know anything…' he told the itako. Her glare was piercing but at the same time, he couldn't disobey his master. Yoh then shifted his gaze towards his brother.

'Onii-chan, you're still not answering my questions…' he told Hao.

'I did it because I feel like doing it.' Hao answered simply.

Yoh and the others stared at Hao incredulously.

'That's it?' Yoh asked his brother.

'Pfft. Of course. Why should I lie? Besides, I'm the f***ing Asakura Hao and I can do anything as long as I feel like doing it.'

There was a long and uncomfortable silence until Horohoro suddenly yelled at the pyro shaman.

'HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SUFFERINGS YOU HAVE CAUSED YOH!' Horohoro yelled at the fire shaman.

Hao blinked for the second time. He had caused Yoh to suffer?

'What do you mean Boroboro?'

'EVER SINCE YOU'RE GONE HE REFUSED TO TALK TO ANYONE! AND I'M NOT BOROBORO, I'M HOROHORO!' Horohoro yelled. He was furious.

'Apart from that, he's been skipping his training!' Ren said while Anna glared at Yoh.

'And he hadn't been eating properly for the past few days…' Mikihisa wasn't happy as well.

'And he'd non-stop staring into space…' Yohmei added.

'And the worst part, he was always depressed…'

There was another silence…

Yoh could have sworn he saw his brother's guilty expression before he lowered his head.

Hao pursed his lips and his bangs were covering his eyes. Pangs of guilt sank in as he contemplated what they had just said. He always thought that without him in his younger brother's life, his life would be much better. He thought that it was best for him to leave and stay away from him. He thought he would lead a much more happy life without him but it was totally the other way round. He had caused him to suffer instead. He was a failure as a brother.

Matamune couldn't take it anymore. Even though he couldn't see his master's face clearly, he could imagine how guilty he was. In addition, it won't cause him much if he were to be sent to the depths of hell. It's not as if it was the first time he sent him there anyway. He remembered that he once sent him to the depths of hell for a week after he had summoned him because he had kept on asking him to go and meet Yoh. Ever since that incident, he hardly ever talked about anything related to Yoh until a few days ago...

'It wasn't entirely Hao-sama's fault. He only wanted you to life a better life that's all, Yoh-sama…' Matamune told the younger boy.

Everyone turn to the cat spirit. They were dumbstruck by his words. His sudden input that provided the truth of Hao's action caused the others to then turn their attention towards the long haired shaman. They had a lot of questions in their mind. Meanwhile, the very person in the center of the dispute stared incredulously at his spirit who had once again spilled the beans. He was surprised yet furious at the same time...