Chapter 6
The days would pass and the training got more difficult. At the same time, Junpei felt himself changing. Normally he would cringe or even beg for this all to stop, yet, there was a new drive in him and it was getting stronger each and every day. Suiryu kept a close eye on him, since each time he turned his hand, there was an odd look on his face. "Do you feel any different?" he asked one day as he transfigured both arms.
Through gritted teeth, Junpei managed to say. "Stronger… a lot stronger!" he would then scream out in pain and determination until his arms turned back. Before it took hours. Now it takes twenty minutes.
When his arms returned to normal. Junpei collapsed to the ground as he rested for a moment to it all. Yet as he peered over to Suiryu, he was staring at him oddly. Almost confused in a sense.
That or perhaps it was curiosity, Suiryu leaned down as he continued his odd stare. "Interesting… very interesting…" he stared at Junpei with all four eyes, sometimes he felt he was peering into his very soul as he looked him over. "Hmm, strange thing is I can't quite make out what your technique will be… your energy keeps changing."
He paused for a moment as he caught his breath. "Changing?" he asked as he was able to calm himself down. "Last time, I was able to summon a jellyfish or something…"
"Shikigami" Suiryu corrected. "That you were also able to spread a poison… you still have that ability, since it also coincides with the brother's rot technique as well…"
"Yeah, about the brothers…" Junpei said offhandedly.
Suiryu however kept tight lipped about it. "Not my place," he said.
"Then how is Yuuji related to them?"
He sighed aloud. "Well, that much I can tell you. The sorcerer responsible for creating the brothers… is the same one who created Yuuji in a sense. He was a body swapper, took over bodies throughout time. He was a member of the Kamo clan when the brothers were created… he took over Yuuji's mother's body to give birth to him."
Junpei froze. "Jesus Christ…" he whispered.
"There is more to the story, but at the moment it's best you not hear it from me, again, not my place to be telling you this sort of thing."
He nodded in understanding, at the same time, he found himself looking at his hands. "So… my energy has changed?"
"It keeps changing," Suiryu stated. "Every time I transfigure your arms, something clicks in you or alters. It's small, but noticeable to me."
"Is it going to help or hinder me?"
"That, I don't know," he confessed. "I haven't quite seen anything like it, nor has Sukuna… I got that asshole's memories too along with Yuuji's."
He was rather taken aback, but that may also explain how well he knew his past life and situation. "Well, we have finished for today, you turned back both arms, well done."
Junpei however wasn't satisfied yet. "Do my legs," he said.
"Huh?"
"Transfigure my legs please!"
Suiryu was still stunned to the request, yet didn't refuse. He grabbed Junpei's ankles suddenly, not giving him time to prepare himself as they shriveled down to little scaly stubs! Junpei screamed aloud, the first time a limb is altered, it's always painful. Yet the more times he endures, the less it hurts.
#
Time and time again, he would torment himself, begging to be transfigured by Suiryu in order to get stronger. He felt it too. Each and every time his body alters, his strength grows. His focus, he always thinks about everything Mahito took from him and Yuuji. Now, it appears the brothers themselves also know of him and his tricks. He used them along with other curses to get the brothers to fight their battles and gain leverage later on. Eso and apparently Kechizu died from such an incident, in fact, they did so at the hands of Itadori and one of his classmates.
Still, with that matter aside, Junpei became determined to grow stronger.
Yet when the day is done and training is over, the brothers liked to be together, talk about their day and then eat. Junpei had gotten them into movies recently, when he hooked up the TV and DVD player, he got the brothers to sit and watch a comedy with him. Much to his surprise, they loved it! "This is a great way to bond too…" Junpei said offhandedly.
The moment those words left his lips, the brothers insisted that after their hard work and training, they would get together and watch movies. They would take turns picking out various things to watch and tonight, it was Tanso's turn. He went over various DVDs, but appeared uncertain to them all. "It's a little difficult isn't it to decide?" Junpei asked of him.
Tanso nodded his head as the words became etched on his back. 'I never knew there were so many choices…' but then the word faded and the marks healed over.
"Well, what would you like to see? How about a documentary?"
'What are those?'
"They are movies but they focus on real events, people, places and animals."
Tanso suddenly appeared interested. 'Animals?'
Junpei smiled as he went to the box of movies, he sifted through them until he came upon a few. Tanso peered them over but found one about tigers that was interesting. "Bros, tiger documentary?" Junpei asked aloud.
They smiled and nodded. "It is Tanso turn," said Noranso. "Let's see about these tigers."
#
In a turn of events, as the documentary went on, Junpei found Tanso's hand off to the side of the couch, he was contorting it or something, until the movie ended. When it did, there was a massive blood red tiger resting at the side of the couch! He was patting it throughout the whole movie!
"Tanso, really!?" protested Choso. "Must you make them in the house?"
The tiger glared at Choso.
"I think it's awesome," said Junpei. "It looks amazing, Tanso. You got every detail right."
The tiger suddenly appeared proud of itself as it sat there rather proudly of itself. It even got up and approached Junpei, giving off a resonating purr and a gentle nuzzle. "Hey, you're a strong fella aren't you?" Junpei snickered as he rubbed the tiger.
'He likes you,' he saw written on Tanso's chest. 'My familiars are rather particular as to who they like'
"Really?" the room asked.
He nodded, pointing to Choso, Tanso explained they are not fussed on him. Why? Because he doesn't let them in the house!
"Blood familiars are fine for the moment, they will go outside on their own, but the ones that look demonic need to stay outside!" Choso protested. "We have to have standards, we don't live in a barn."
'They don't eat or soil the carpet!' Tanso protested.
"NO!" came sternly out of Choso. "The last time we allowed them indoors, I woke up to is something unfamiliar in my bed… that happened the other day, those squirrels you found… ALL of them were under my bed and there were foxes in my blankets!"
"They must like you to sleep there," Junpei snickered.
The other brothers laughed, but Choso wasn't having it. "No animals in the house," he said defiantly.
The tiger appeared dejected. It gave off a low whimper, almost asking Choso to allow it to stay for the night, but he was rather firm on the demand.
"Could… I perhaps have the tiger in my room for the night? Just one night? I never had a pet," Junpei asked innocently enough.
Choso sneered at the notion, but sighed in defeat. "ONE night, little brother, that is all."
He smiled and turned to the tiger, which was already racing to his room!
