Chapter 14
CLASH
Rimuru jumped as the swords collided. He swore he saw sparks come off the blades and the air in the room became whipped from the impact of the swords. He was in aw of it all. "Whoa…" he whispered as he coiled around Bushidrill and watched on as Iaian and Okama sparred with each other. Their feet movement was flawless, their skills amazing as they moved fast and struck hard.
The swords fascinated him too. The long, metal blade that can be used to slice an opponent down, he wondered how long it took them to work on their skills. When the spar session ended, he couldn't stop himself from clapping aloud.
It got a small smile out of Iaian.
"You enjoyed that, did you?"
"Ya huh!" Rimuru stated, he uncoiled from Bushidrill and approached Iaian with great fascination in his eyes. "How long have you been training?"
Iaian laughed. "Years, our master Atomic Samurai is superior with the sword than we are. I don't know if we will ever reach his level."
"But you're already good at it!"
"There is still much to learn when walking the path of the sword. Just as there are different types, there are different techniques and methods to learn." Iaian explained. "We have a long way to go still."
Suddenly, Iaian flinched, his left arm came out just as a blade came down! It lopped right off, making Rimuru jump and hide behind Bushidrill! "MASTER!" protested Okama.
Atomic stood there with his sword drawn. "Damn it Iaian, you just got your arm back! What the hell!" he demanded.
As Rimuru peered out, he watched in amazement as Iaian severed arm turned to goo and then jumped onto the stub only to reattached and form his arm without effort, it even stunned Atomic. "Master, we are tending to this little one today, he is the younger brother of Alley Brawler. Master, this is Rimuru."
He came out a little more, nervously he looked up to Atomic and bowed meekly towards him. However Atomic sneered. "Looks like a bastard child of Amai Mask!"
He trembled to his words. He knew?
"Master!" protested Okama as she reached down and picked Rimuru off the ground. She held him, allowing him to feel comfortable. "He is but a child!"
"I call it as I see it." He muttered. "Why are you doing this?"
"Alley asked us to, we are to socialize her siblings, and he is one of six."
Atomic snorted. "Either Melee has found a new man in her life or Garou doesn't care she's cheating on him …"
"Master, they were from the side branch of the house of evolution…" Bushidrill explained. "A clone was made of Melee. However your eyes are not wrong, it appears they have gotten Amai Mask's genetics as well to create him and his siblings…"
"Either way, get rid of him, we got training to do…"
"Damn right you do!"
Rimuru peered around and saw Hunter lingering in the doorway. "Don't think I forgot about our bet old man."
"I am not that old!" Atomic protested.
"Whatever gramps, you have not attended to any of my lessons despite losing your bet to me. We had an agreement!"
Atomic blew it off. "It's not like you would have kept to your end of it had you lost!"
Hunter however had a glare on him, one that even scared Rimuru!
"I saw what you just did… jumping in head first with your sword drawn and ready to strike, had it not been for Iaian taking that blow… You would have lost your arm to me." He warned. He began to walk into the room, yet he gave off this very heavy dominating feeling. Rimuru shuttered as did the three swordsmen. Atomic was holding it together until he stood face to face with him. "Don't… you… DARE do that again… before my brother… before my family… or before me… understood Kamikaze?"
"It's Atomic to you, boy…"
Hunter smirked. "Make me call you that."
A snort came from the master swordsman. "You are your father's child."
"That should be inspiration for you to take me seriously, right? Now. You apologize to Iaian, and you apologize to my brother for your actions… I want to see you humble"
Atomic sneered, he was more than willing to apologize to Iaian but it felt hallow in a sense. Yet as he turned to Rimuru, he glared at him. "I don't apologize to monsters." He said.
Suddenly, his legs buckled. Atomic was on his knees, and then his forehead pressed the ground! "Hunter, it's not necessary…" Iaian protested. Hunter used his esper abilities to prostate Atomic samurai in a bowing position.
"No, it is. Mr. High and mighty here thinks because he's got better skills he can get away with this. If that's the case, I'm calling the shots here… I want to hear a SINCERE apology out of you Kamikaze… Go on, start with Iaian and then you say your sorry to Rimuru."
He was silent. No apology came out pass his lips. Instead he said. "You can't make me!" in protest.
"Fine, stay there until you do. For now, Iaian, Okama, Bushidrill, we will move on with your lessons."
Rimuru coiled up and watched as his brother Hunter began to teach. He became fascinated with martial arts but realized he would need legs to do it. At the same time his attention shifted as Atomic tried to get himself off the floor rather than remain in this bowing position. So much so, he started to sweat!
"Why don't you say sorry and be done with it? It's not painful for you is it?" Rimuru asked.
He saw Atomic's eyes glare at him. "Mind your own business kid!"
He shrugged. "Dad always said we should apologize if we hurt someone. If we didn't he said guilt hurts a lot more over time. You did something wrong, and you won't say sorry? It's stupid to me, it won't kill you"
"I said mind your own business!"
Rimuru sighed aloud. "Dad was right about you too. Too stubborn for your own good…"
He forced a laugh. Atomic snickered. "Your dad? Let me tell you something kid, Garou ain't your father!"
Rimuru glared down at him, such a cold look came over the little boy's face as he stared Atomic in the eyes. "I know," he said without fear. "You were right about what you said earlier too…" The kid had a glare worthy of his blood born father. "Amai Mask… is my dad… but Garou raised my siblings and I, to us, he is our father, no one will change our minds otherwise."
Atomic froze as Rimuru lay down on the ground until he was eye to eye. "Now, if I were him… what would Amai Mask do to you in this situation? No doubt mock you, insult you as he has always done. If you had wronged him in some way, I am sure he would take advantage of this." He spoke so calm and eerie. But it only grew worst. "If I were a monster… I would have clawed your eyes out by now. Strangled you to death, and eaten you before your head hit the ground…" he leaned in a little closer and whispered. "Am I still a monster to you?"
"Rimuru!" Hunter called.
He sat up. "Yes big brother?" he asked in a perky, innocent tone.
"You don't have to try and convince him to apologize to you. He's not the kind to learn quickly. Are you going to watch us train? You can learn some good moves here!"
Rimuru nodded as he left Atomic where he was and watched on as Hunter trained the three swordsmen.
#
He pouted.
Titan wasn't the least but happy despite being with the Fubuki group. He wanted to go to his mom and be with her. "When can I got back to my mom?" he asked aloud.
He was too big to carry, so for the time being he was coiled around Mountain Ape and draped over his shoulder, depressed that he couldn't be with his mom. "She's busy right now, she is training, but what can we do to make this fun for you?" Lilly asked.
He shrugged. "I just want my mom…" he muttered.
"Ah, momma's boy. Never thought Garou would have one of those kinds of kids" snickered Eyelashes.
"So what, I was this attached to Snek when I was younger…"
The three turned and saw Goliath lingering in the hall, he smiled to them but turned his focus to Titan. "You are one pouty boy."
"I want to go back to momma!" he protested.
"And momma is training right now with Luna, you don't want to get between them when that happens, trust me." Goliath insisted. "Let's go to City J. After what happened recently with the monster attacks, I want to be sure that was the last one to go through."
"Yes sir!" the Fubuki group announced.
"Mind if I tag along?"
The group turned around and were pleasantly surprised.
"Miss Blizzard!" Lilly said with a gasp.
"Of course, let's see how far you have come along. I'll leave these four to you then," Goliath announced.
"Huh… what's he talking about?" whispered Eyelashes.
They made their way out of the Association. When they reached a clearing, Goliath began to esper lift himself from the ground, the four suddenly glowed green and were lifted as well. "Wait… Miss Blizzard?" asked Mountain Ape.
She smiled proudly as she was able to lift them with ease. "After carrying that serpent Amai Mask around, this is easy!"
"Told you, esper weight lifting pays off!" Goliath laughed. "Let's go to City J!"
#
They met up with Stinger who confronted the monsters along with Max the day before. He explained that they were just like the sea folk but wondered why of all times they would be coming ashore once more. "We took out the Sea King, and apparently he had a son that came ashore too but was defeated…"
"Yeah, I think dad mentioned something about eating that one…" Goliath muttered.
"Bleh, sea food…" muttered Titan. "They don't taste good and are slimy!"
Goliath smirked. "That they are, but if they are cooked properly, they can be tasty, little bro." He then paused. "Perhaps I should go to the beach and do a quick check of the water, maybe see if there are any other monsters lingering about. Miss Fubuki would you and your crew stay ashore and keep an eye out for anything that may come from the depths if I go in?"
"Of course!" she insisted.
"I wanna go with Goli!" Titan protested.
Goliath smirked as he placed his hand on his little brother's head. "Sorry, you got to stay with Lilly and the others. Your big brother here has gills. I can breath under water. You can't sadly. I got to go alone."
Titan puffed his cheeks as he made a big pouting face at him. "That's adorable!" said Lilly.
They ventured down to the beach, some people were there walking their dogs and just hanging out. The water was far too cold for people to go swimming in, Goliath however could handle the chill. "I'll be back in a few minutes!" he called. Turning to the water, he let out a deep breath of air and took the plunge. He has been training himself on using his gills. He figured out when he exhaled air and then got into the water, the gills would activate on their own registering he was indeed in the depths. To breathe normally again, he would do the same thing under water to get his lungs working. He swam about but noticed nothing out of the ordinary, it was time to go deeper…
#
Titan watched his brother vanish into the water, his pouting face refused to disappear as he merely rested on Mountain Ape's shoulders. "Oh come on, he won't be long, where's that smile?" Lilly asked in a baby tone.
He turned away bitterly.
Fubuki giggled to it all. "I know Alley said he was made from a clone of her mother, but I think the other half came from Amai Mask…" she said.
The pout vanished from his face. "You knew?"
"Wait what!?" demanded Eyelashes. "It's true!?"
Titan fell silent to it all, Fubuki however smiled. "We won't tell anyone it's okay. But you should know you need to give your mother some time alone too, she has to get stronger to take care of you and your siblings."
Titan sighed. "But momma is safe, I always feel safe around her. She took care of me when I was sick too…"
"I know she did sweetheart, but you need to let her train on her strengths…" Fubuki stopped as a massive burst of water came out from the sea. It was miles away however very noticeable. "I think your big brother found something…"
"Oh hey there!"
Titan paused as a rather strange man approached Lilly and smiled oddly. "What's a lovely lady like you doing down here at the beach?"
"Hero work." Lilly snapped back. "You can move along now…"
"Don't be like that, you're a fine looking girl! I see Fubuki with you but I ain't risking running into her sister… You on the other hand…"
"She has a boyfriend." Eyelashes said defiantly.
The man was undeterred. "Boyfriend? I could take him, let's me meet him and see how strong he really is. You want a strong man in your life right little girl?"
"You're being what my dad would call an asshole." Stated Titan.
The four snickered. "He is Garou's kid…" muttered Fubuki.
The man however ignored him. "Come on little girl, be with a real man!" he stated. "Bring about this boyfriend of yours and let's compare…"
Eyelashes however peered around him. "Well, he's coming this way…"
The man turned but saw nothing but water. "This some sort of a joke?" but then, the water began to swell. A small surge followed as Goliath began to emurge from the depths. Dangling out his mouth was a monstrous tentacle that he was quickly able to slurp back and consume. He muffled a burp before re-joining the others.
"It's all clear… who the hell are you?"
The man froze as he stared up at Goliath. "Apparently, he thinks he can take you, Goliath. He hasn't left me alone but insisted on challenging you." Lilly explained.
The man went pale. "Really? Huh… you're lucky she didn't kick your ass first… okay then, how do you want to do it?"
"On second thought, she's not my type…"
"So… she's not worth fighting for in your mind?" Goliath demanded, sounding offended by his tone.
He was too scared to say anything else, he ran for the hills shortly after, Eyelashes however lost it. "That never gets old for me!" he snickered.
"So… what did you eat down there?" Fubuki asked with great curiosity.
"Calamari" Goliath stated rather proudly before giving off a large burp. "Needs seasoning though…"