Chapter 16
The next day…
As Yuuji continued to sleep, Suiryu began to look over the brothers to see what they were able to do. "Today will be a bit of trial and error to say the least, you are going to see what you are capable of, for that. I have brought in some… help to say the least." he explained.
He had left early that morning and went back to the suicide forest. With the fingers he has collected he has started to harvest the curses from there for his own training purposes. He has given each brother a finger bearer and they have to defeat it. "We are going to do this one by one to see what you are capable of. So with that being said. Sho, how about you set the pace."
The eldest brother stepped forward; Suiryu released one of the finger bearers, yet instead of setting its sights on Sho, it turned them to Junpei! 'Oh yeah, they target the weaker ones first…' Suiryu thought.
Yet as it aimed its attack to Junpei, Sho's curse ability was showing. His stomach opened up in four sections, making it a massive mouth! The edges were covered in razor sharp, hooked teeth! From there, a tongue lashed out, grabbed the finger bearer and dragged it into his stomach. He closed up around the curse and stood there, waiting. "Is that it?" Suiryu asked.
"Just a moment…" Sho said as he appeared to be processing it. He gave a nod before he rejected the finger it consumed, but then, Suiryu noticed his veins on his stomach thicken. "It was strong, I'd give it that, but let's see…" he looked to the ground, with one hand he unleashed a powerful energy blast, making a five foot trench over twenty feet long.
"Holding back are we?" Suiryu asked.
"Too close to home," he replied but grinned. "I absorb what I eat, but I think it lasts depending on the strength and abilities of who I consume." He explained.
"Seems about right, thanks. Next!" he shouted.
The second eldest stood, he was bald but had curse marks over his mouth and across his throat. He was tall and very strong looking; he appeared just bigger than Eso but was covered oddly in pelts. "Huh, what's your name?" Suiryu asked.
No words came out of him, but he saw his chest ooze with blood as words came upon it. "Tanso?" he asked.
He nodded.
"Tanso doesn't speak, but he can tell us what he wants to say with his ability, words are etched into his skin but they are very detailed in thought." Explained Choso.
"So I see, what's your ability then?"
Tanso paused, the wording vanished until a new one appeared on his stomach. In large symbols, it was Japanese for Snake appeared.
As the blood began to ooze, Suiryu saw it take form, more blood gushed out of him, but took solid form. When it hit the ground, a crimson snake began to move about. "Ah, you create familiars with your blood. Do you create weapons as well?" Suiryu asked.
His head shook no.
"I see, so your abilities depend on blood and energy. The bigger the animal, the more it takes out of you… we will be careful with this." He stated, but paused at the snake. "Can you recall the blood back to you? If this gets damage, will it reform?"
Once more, his head shook no.
"I see, well then, good to know ahead of time…"
Tanso then waved his hands fanatically to get Suiryu's attention. "Oh? You got another trick?" he asked.
He watched on as Tanso's skin opened up, and a small handful of red maggots crawled into his palm. Suiryu looked to them oddly. "Huh, these things are capable of doing something? We'll test that out later, okay? Next!"
It was a good two hours in processing the brother's abilities. The third eldest went by the name of Sanso. He too manipulates blood but he could create weapons and armor from it. The greater the material, the stronger the weapon. They tested this with another finger bearer, making it bleed. Sanso was able to use its blood and forged a strong sword from it! But that too had a limit. He could create three at the most with the blood of others. His own blood he could make more and higher grade weapons, but at a cost of his own essence and curse energy. "Still, very useful. Next!" Suiryu called.
The last three brothers; Noranso, Kotsuso, Shouoso appeared to stand up all at once. "Are you three link together?" he asked curiously.
Noranso was slightly bigger and stronger looking than Kotsuso and Shouoso. Kotsuso appeared to be slightly shorter of the three yet there was an odd aura about him. Shouoso, peered away and was acting rather shy. They appeared almost like triplets, same long, black hair, piercing black eyes, with slender yet strong bodies, but their curse marks were different. Kotsuso's were over his arms in a crisscross pattern. Noranso highlighted his muscle definition on his arms and legs. Shouoso was a solid black like going up his arms and behind his back. "Okay then, let's see…" Suiryu brought out another finger bearer. Once more, it took aim for Junpei of course, but the brothers acted quickly.
Noranso made the curse freeze in its steps, and then the flesh began to peel away as he made a tearing motion with his hands. "Skinning, good to see he is proficient at that…" Then came in Kotsuso, after the curse was skinned, the muscle on it began to unwind from the bone and pull away. It screeched aloud in pain until Shouoso made a sharp motion with his hands. The bones turned against the curse and fell apart.
"I don't think this quite highlights your abilities…" Suiryu said offhandedly.
Shouoso however glared at him as he picked up one of the bones. Within his hands, he turned it into weapon! "I can turn them against others even when within the body, like this…" he snapped his fingers towards a contained finger bearer Suiryu kept off to the side. It became impaled by it's own skeleton!
"That is impressive… I take it you have to make eye contact for that to work?"
He nodded.
"I can manipulate the flesh and bind them to opponents. I can make them unable to move due to the weight, suffocate them and even crush them under pressure." Noranso explained.
Kotsuso nodded to his brothers. "I will use the muscle fibers I obtain and make a whip, rope or other means of tools and weapons…" he said offhandedly.
Suiryu nodded. "All good skills that we can improve upon. Lastly…" his sights turned to Junpei. He was a little startled since he was the last one to go. "Wait, what about Eso and Choso?" he asked.
"I know what they can do, you… I think we will wait until the special training is over."
"Now just a moment brother!" protested Sho. "I have heard what you want to do with Junpei, I'm against it!"
The others nodded in agreement. "If you torment him with transfiguration, are you not just making his fear worst?" asked Shouoso.
Suiryu sighed aloud. "Tough love is needed here, for to my knowledge, the one who did this to Junpei, is still alive."
He watched as Junpei froze in fear to the news, he turned to Suiryu with a startled look on his face and shook his head in disbelief. The brothers sneered at the news. "We will protect him!" said Noranso.
Suiryu shook his head. "This is beyond you," he said aloud. "As well, take into consideration how there are other curses out there who can do this as well. You protect him from one such being, but how many times can you save him when there are more out there? No, this is not just for his benefit but yours as well. Or else you will spend every waking moment, looking over him, fearing for him. What happens if the day comes and you are not there?" he demanded.
"That will never happen," vowed Choso.
"No? Eso? What say you? Having experience death before…"
Eso suddenly was looking to the ground, but was silent to it all. "Eso…" whispered Kotsuso.
He sneered at the notion, but then sighed. "I don't agree with it any more than you do. But I do admit… I wasn't strong enough to save Kechizu…" his voice trailed off.
Suiryu began to walk about all the while he explained his reasoning. "Why live with the notion you could do nothing, when right now. I am offering an opportunity to ensure he will be able to take care of himself. For that matter, Junpei!" he said sharply.
He jumped to his name. "Yes?" he said nervously.
Suiryu however had a sinister grin as he leaned down. "How good would it make you feel to return the favor to that curse that killed you and took your mother away?" he asked.
He froze to the question. "Wait, you mean…"
"If you allow me to teach you…"
He couldn't move, but he was stunned silent by the suggestion. Then he nodded his head. "Okay… okay!" he said with determination. "I'll do it! Brothers, please don't interfere!" he pleaded.
Sho was uncertain, but he sighed aloud. "I've never been able to say no to the youngest…"