It was an eventful day for him.
Toshi got to catch up with his mother, brother and her familiar. Yig was rather decent and oddly enough, Toshi didn't mind that he was taking on his appearance. Knowing why he was, not to mention, he knows his mother will be kept safe. He waited for his mother and brother to excuse themselves for a moment, when he was alone with Yig, he turned and asked. "Have you had any troubles?"
Yig snorted a laugh. "Do I look like I do?"
"I just mean…"
"The Kamos stopped coming by the moment their elite squad was taken out… I do admit, sorcerers have an odd taste to me. The Kamos though… taste like tainted blood."
"You could compare notes with Sukuna…"
"Nah, besides, that guy just probably blindly ate… no… he had his own cook didn't he? I heard about them too. But then again, he would have to be a pussy to have his victims cooked!"
Toshi smirked a little, he didn't know why but he did.
"Thank you again for looking after my family…"
"Think nothing of it, besides, I owe Lady Tiamat. I was stuck in the stomach of a sorcerer who never used me… how do you think that feels? Being nothing more than a gut filler?"
"That… I don't know how to respond to…"
"Anyways, that's besides the point. I know Lady Tiamat has a plan for you too just like she had one for your brothers. But as to why? I am uncertain. But let me just offer one piece of advice on that… if Lady Tiamat asks anything of you… do it."
"She did mention something, a favor… in exchange for allowing my mother to have you as a familiar…"
"Good deal." Yig said. "Trust me on that one, Lady Tiamat rarely interferes with the lives of those in her realm. But when she does… it is a serious compliment… for out of billions in this world, she has focused on you."
Toshi… never saw it like that before. Which means Yuuji must be someone remarkable to her, Suiryu too for that matter.
But, that doesn't explain Sukuna.
He had heard through the others that she wanted Sukuna to be bounded to Yuuji and Suiryu, even greater still that he is now tied to Yua in life and death in a sense. That, or if anything happens to her family, he pays the price for it as well.
What could she possibly be planning with him? Toshi doesn't consider himself to be anything special, let alone powerful. He's still coming to terms with his transformation, but has a better understanding of himself. He then stared off.
For a moment he wondered where this was all going to go, what will happen next. Life as a sorcerer was complicated enough, but with everything else added. Divine users and creatures, curses, Sukuna and dragons on top of it all. There appears to be no end to the twists and turns before him.
"I do hope that there is something out there for me worth living for. Sometimes I have wondered if I merely exist… just to exist."
Yig peered over at him. "Curses have a purpose… humans have a purpose, sorcerers are aware of theirs. But not everyone understands where he or she are meant to be. Not even me. I was a curse basilisk… well… yeah. I guess I was. Anyways, I thought I only existed to be such a thing, and now look at me." He said proudly. "I've been granted and turned into a divine creature, capable of so much more. I have my purpose for the time being now, and I like it." He said and smiled. "It may not be easy for you to know or understand what yours is just yet. But I know it will be rather clear soon. Lady Tiamat wouldn't waste her time on you otherwise or helped you the way she did."
He nodded to that. The same way Lady Tiamat has been tending to Yuuji and Suiryu, but to go as far as she did for them… there has to be more to this.
"Toshi?"
He jumped, his mother peered down at him with concern. "Are you okay?"
He smiled warmly. "Yes, mother, just fine." He said honestly. "But I do believe I need to head back now… I had a wonderful day with you and little brother. You too Yig."
"For a moment, I thought you forgot about me…" he said in a sarcastic, and yet disappointed tone.
"We will do this again soon, I promise. Until then… please continue to be safe and happy." Toshi said as he embraced her tightly.
She returned the hug, such warmth he has missed all those years…
When she released him, her hand gently cupped the side of his face. "You be safe too,"
"I will, I got enough brothers now apparently… Not to mention we have been followed all day today…" he pointed to the lamp post. On it, she paused to see an odd looking red bird. "Ani ue Tanso is oddly protective of me." He whispered.
His mother smiled to it and nodded. She mouthed 'thank you' to the bird before it took off in flight.
"I'll be leaving first mother, take care and we shall do this again soon." He playfully ruffled his younger brother's hair before taking his leave.
It was a great visit and it went off without an incident.
#
Tanso smiled.
Toshi was on his way home now from seeing his mother, he wanted to be sure little brother was safe and everyone would be looked after. It was strange though. As he observed Toshi, he found sorcerers lingering but kept a great distance from them. He used the rats under his command to hear what was said.
Much to his surprise, the sorcerers knew better than to approach.
"It's him alright… but how…"
"Yeah, I heard he was killed too, the poison in the Kamo clan that can take down a blood manipulation user with ease… I know he was stabbed and yet… I sense something off about him too…"
"What about that guy sitting next to them? The one that looks like Noritoshi… what the hell is he? He's not human, but I sense no curse energy coming off of him…"
"So, what now?"
"Tch, nothing. Besides, I heard about that Noritoshi knock off guy there… I heard he took out the elites of the Kamo clan…"
The other sorcerer froze. "What? I know most of their elders died after they confronted Noritoshi but the elite fell to that guy pretending to BE him?"
"That's… not the disturbing part of it all either." The sorcerer explained that they knew the elite were dead when the weapons were sent to the elders. There were pools of blood and yet, no one found any bodies. "Even using curse energy tracking… they found the energy in a single place and then… gone. You know how it is. Energy lingers even after death. It spreads a little from the original point, but this… it was an abrupt end, like hitting a wall!"
But then, he heard something interesting.
"It's a good thing they called off the attacks on Noritoshi. At this point I don't know how we can get him without casualties… Still, the next target it no better."
'Target?' Tanso thought as he continued to listen.
"Best we leave now, I know some are zealous enough to try and take Noritoshi down, it's their funerals… then again, it's ours too if we fail."
Before, Tanso was snickering as to how scared they were to face off against Toshi and the familiar his mother has. But that smile faded the moment he heard there is another target. It doesn't sound like they are after the family, but a particular individual.
If only he had more information…
It was rather interesting too to hear how these sorcerers work as well. Hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike. But it's not like them either.
Even when animals hunt, they stay out of sight and out of mind to catch their prey. Sorcerers are not difficult to find when one knows how to sense curse energy. Tanso is at the point that even if a sorcerer conceals their auras. He can still smell it on them with ease. As strange as it would be to explain to his brothers. Tanso is able to gain abilities from his familiars, depending on who and where they came from. Those turned from the maggots, he can gain insight and some of their abilities to add to his own. His senses are sharper than ever, but he can also feel waves of energy. Almost like an electrical current, that's one of the many ways he can detects troubles or sorcerers.
Still, these ones stalking little brother don't bother him much. And yet there is something more to this than what is being shown.
He doesn't like the notion that little brother has to keep peering over his shoulder… Tanso also knows it's not right for him to consistently hover protectively over Toshi either. He has kept a respectable distance so he can have his freedom… perhaps he will have to speak with his younger sibling when he gets back.