Chapter 22

It was barely the lunch hour.

Choso was in the kitchen working on lunch for himself. The children and wives had gone to the realm of Ether to hunt. Apparently the children wanted to work on their hunting skills. Syrax opted to go with them since she never got the proper training in as a young dragon as to how.

Thus, the brothers stayed behind to prepare meals for their return and for the rest of the week. Yet, before Choso could even get started, he felt strange.

At first, it was a tightness in his chest, but, he remembered that he got this sensation when a brother was in danger.

"ROLLCALL!" he shouted.

The brothers gathered, but instantly he noticed Toshi was amiss. "Toshi, where's Toshi?!" he demanded.

"Out with his kids… Choso, is something wrong?" Junpei asked.

He nodded. "Where did they go? Does anyone know where Toshi took his children!?" he began to feel desperate, time was of the essence to him.

"He was taking the kids to a park, he didn't say which, but they left early this morning for breakfast as a change" Sho explained.

"We need to go out, now! Toshi is in danger!"

The brothers paused to this, but nodded. "We need to split up, I think he was staying in Tokyo wasn't he?" asked Noranso.

"I thought he was going to Kyoto, old stomping grounds of his?" asked Sanso.

"Split up!" Choso ordered.

The brother rushed out of the domain, yet, before any of them could leave. Choso froze once more. The brothers in fact, paused as well.

"Attacks… there's attacks all over the place…" Whispered Eso.

Choso was growling. How fortunate right now he is taking a break from brooding!

"Junpei, Tanso, Eso. I want you three to split up and go where you need to be. The rest of you with me, we find Toshi!" he ordered.

They agreed and went their separate ways.

#

The connection has weakened.

Choso is aware of this, so are the brothers. They don't feel the same closeness they once had with Toshi as before. But that's trivial right now. Choso still has some sensation that allows him to know and feel when his brothers are in danger. And that feeling is only growing the more they search.

Before long, they reached Kyoto. That was when Choso felt a shock to his body.

Clenching his chest, he dropped to his knees.

"Brother!" called Kotsuso. "Choso! What's wrong?!"

He trembled and peered to his siblings. "Toshi's heart stopped."

The brothers froze to this. "Toshi's heart…" whispered Shouoso.

"Keep looking!" Sho ordered. "We are not giving up yet!"

Choso agreed.

The brothers regained their mindset and began to search. Yet, as they did. Choso felt flashes of memories in his mind. A breakfast spot… in fact… that was just below them on the street. "We're close!" he decreed. "Brother had his breakfast there, I got an image just now…"

Then another, a wavy one of a park, just up ahead of them about a block away. "That's the park!"

They went to the ground as Choso began to take in the scenery. This was definitely the park they were at, he could sense his brother here and that of the children…

Wait…

As the brothers continued to move on, Choso took a moment. He paused and closed his eyes.

"Choso, now isn't…" warned Sanso.

"Shhh" Sho scolded. "Let him,"

Choso was so focused on Toshi, but he should have focused on his niece and nephews. That connection is stronger! Before long, he saw something, an old factory? No… brewery…

"There's an abandoned brewery near by, isn't there?" he asked.

"The old Sake factory on the other side of town?" asked Noranso.

"Yes! That's the place!"

"Let's go!"

They used daemon gates, others ran, some flew, but Choso was the first to arrive just merely by running, he's rather formidable when there is someone he cares about in harms way!

They arrived at the sake factory, without hesitation the brothers barged in ready to take the place down! Yet, when they arrived… they froze.

"Toshi!?" Choso called.

He was out cold on the ground, those who attempted to harm him… have been killed by the looks of it. Choso focused on his brother first, when he was moved, they heard a gentle moan coming from under him. He used his body as a shield, protecting his children.

"Are the children okay?" asked Kotsuso.

He checked and nodded. All three were breathing, but… He checked Toshi. He had a weak pulse!

"Brothers! Toshi! Toshi is still alive!" he called.

"We better get him out of here, now" Sanso decreed.

The brothers nodded, yet, Sho kept peering about oddly. In fact, he went to one of the fallen bodies of these men in black leather and realized something. "These humans were killed instantly." He said. "There's a single puncture wound on them… I don't think Toshi is capable of this clean of a shot."

"Let's not worry about this now, let's get them home."

Choso carried Toshi, the brothers gathered the children as they returned to the domain.

Yet, when they got back. Choso paused… like him. Others were just coming back. Students covered in cuts and blood had returned before them, and yet, there was something somber going on.

"Nanami" he called.

Kento Nanami turned to Choso but paused the moment he saw Toshi and the children. "To the hospital with them, take them to the third floor right away"

"Third floor? Are there that many injured?" Sho asked.

Kento shook his head. "The first floor… they are doing everything they can…"

"Kento…" Sho said sternly. "Spit it out!"

He sighed. "Yua Tooru was attacked by an unknown poison. Junpei has managed to take out whatever he could and administered an antidote, however…"

"Is Yua going to be okay?" Choso asked.

"She might… but we don't know about the child she carries."