Chapter 10

It would be late in the afternoon.

Ryoto has since woken from his nap along with Megumi. And just as lady Tiamat says. Megumi merely eats, sleeps and poops. Nothing too complicated on that, yet it was strange when he fed him.

The bottle he possessed as at perfect temperature, more than likely Lady Tiamat's doing, and when it came time to feed him. Megumi's tail looped through Ryoto's fingers on his left arm. He was feeding him with his right and saw Megumi's tail coil in between his fingers. Megumi ate rather happily when he was all settled in, Marcy watched with sparkling eyes as Ryoto fed him and got him changed after.

"You're good at this!" Marcy said in an impressed tone.

Ryoto smirked. "I don't know how I am…"

"Either way, look how content he is… his ears wiggled when he was taking the bottle, it's so cute!"

He's not going to lie. It was rather adorable. To Ryoto, Megumi looked more like a kitten than a dragon!

Stranger still, despite doing absolutely nothing all day today, Marcy stayed at his side.

"So… you're really okay with me being like this?" he asked of her.

She peered at him oddly. "Why, is something wrong?" she questioned. "You take up after your father. Four of my brothers do that, they even have his extra eyes! So, what's wrong with you looking like yours?"

He sighed and explained that his father told him that morning about his… circumstances. Believing he ate his own twin brother in the womb because he was starving or something like that. He bluntly asked his father if Ryoto himself had done the same thing.

His mother laughed off the notion. "Oh hon, that wouldn't have happened." She explained. "In this day and age, there is more than enough food to keep you content."

His father chimed in. "You were a single, I can vouch for that. At the same time, I would have known, she would have eaten over twice as much as she did with you had that been true." Father stated bluntly. "And it is as your mother says. There is plenty of food. She could have told me she was so hungry she could eat a horse… I would personally prepare her that horse to eat. Although I don't recommend the meat, it's a tough chew."

He shuttered at the thought though.

"Either way, I… am not all that comfortable with how I look. Also… slowly learning what my father had done… Everyone here… he has affected at one point or another."

Marcy nodded to that. "Yes, he has." She said. "Grandma told us too, at the same time she said something interesting. Since grandma can see into other aspects of the world. You know… parallels!" She said. "And out of all the realities grandmother has looked into… this is one of the better outcomes when it came to your father falling into madness… actually… I think this was the best outcome…"

He paused to this and peered at Marcy oddly. "Sorry, one of the best outcomes?"

She nodded. "Despite the terrible things that he did in madness. Look at what has happened when he is sane." She explained. "Your auntie is a dragon now, nearly the whole domain here has been turned into a dragon thanks to grandma. Also, everyone here is stronger. Rook for example!"

It's true, Rook has touted time and time again, he wouldn't be where he is if it wasn't for Ryoto's father. At the same time, he has yet to see Rook today.

"I'll… try to keep an open mind about it." He said gently.

"Umph…" came out of Megumi.

"Someone is falling asleep again…" Marcy giggled.

"I don't think I can bring myself to take another nap…"

"It's okay, we just got home," Ryoto jumped as lady Tiamat stood before him. Toji was beside her and yet… he was bulking up!

"Whoa…" he whispered.

Toji filled out rather well and grew almost three inches taller since this morning. He had two sharp horns sticking out of his forehead and he still didn't appear all there. "Toji ate well, so did Hoshi, they had a nice growth spurt, but I think Toji is nearly ready to find his form. We will go again next week, for now, he is going to focus on Megumi." Lady Tiamat explained.

Ryoto nodded as he eased himself up, Toji came in and gently scooped Megumi from his arms and then… tucked him into the pouch on his stomach! "That's still weird…" Ryoto muttered.

"That's nothing, talk to Suiryu and Yuuji, they use to absorb their wives into their bodies!" Lady Tiamat said… how could she say such things with a big smile on her face?

Either way, Ryoto was now done with his babysitting chores. "We look forward to your help next week again" Lady Tiamat announced. She took back the baby bag and left with Toji.

"Oooo you're looking after Megumi every Wednesday? I'll help!" she decreed.

"All we did was nap!"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, and knowing how safe and well fed Megumi will be, he will be growing in no time, so, you may need help later on, right?" she asked in a hinting tone.

She got him there, so, he agreed to let Marcy help.

"BOY!"

Ryoto jumped again, this time it was his father calling out. "Yes, father?"

"Time for your first lesson, with me." He said nothing more and walked away. Ryoto sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if having a dad like Gojo would have been better… then again with the way my cousins have warned me…"

"Take the hint," said Marcy. "I'll catch up with you later" she gave him a strong hug and went on her way. Ryoto followed his father and found him merely… observing.

Ryoto peered over and saw there was a sparring match going on. The curse wombs in fact were having a session. "I didn't think they fought this hard against one another…"

His father snorted a laugh. "They are for the winner get to have the next brood among the brothers. Now, you are going to figure out what I am trying to teach you by watching them. So, until you figure it out… continue to watch. You have until their fight is over."

He froze to this. Ryoto peered up at his father, with a look of 'are you serious?!' Only to get a rather disturbing smile directed back at him.

He was serious.

So, he watched.

Junpei, Eso, Noranso, Sanso and Shouoso were going toe to toe, they summoned this blood like substance from their sides. Ryoto noticed they have an adaptation for the release of this secretion to use in battle. Sanso could turn this substance into a weapon, Junpei's fizzed and ate away at the others, indicating acid or perhaps poison. Eso's did the same thing, but his had a rather bad smell that followed the use of his ability. Noranso used his on his body like armor, making scales and other various shapes to deflect blows and strengthening his strikes, Shouoso used his ability similar to that of Noranso but was making whips and other matter.

Still, they fought so hard and with such vigor!

Before long, there was a winner.

Pinning his brothers to the ground, Sanso stood strong!

"I'm… next!" he said breathlessly to his siblings. No one argued, he won fair and square.

And yet as he watched, Ryoto began to see something odd, as if curse energy were within those strikes, how they would be used and summoned with technique.

"Figured it out?" his father asked of him.

Ryoto considered his answer. There was a reason for this, no doubt. "You had me watch this for a reason, not that there was something for me to really obtain but for something for me to understand…" Ryoto slowly got to his feet, he turned to his father who suddenly, came at him!

Punches and strikes were aimed towards Ryoto, but instantly he realized what his father was doing! Before long, he was matching him, anticipating his strikes and what he was going to do. This was all merely hand to hand, but the movements he was using was no coincidence!

Before long, Ryoto slipped, his foot was misplaced and he was rendered to the ground. Yet his father didn't follow through with the contest. "What did you learn?" he asked.

"We… mimicked their battle… Eso and Sanso fought like that," Ryoto said. "But… that was just watching them!"

"Exactly" father stated. "You are very much like me, your mind is like mine. For you see everything, you have four eyes for a reason and that is to take in every bit of information that is given to you. You see the method, technique, flaw and exploitation. And this doesn't just work for physical alterations… but that lesson is for tomorrow."

Ryoto paused to this. "You mean to say… if I see something once, I should be able to replicate it?"

"Within limits"

"But I can do that?"

"I can, why wouldn't you be able to?"

Sometimes father can be so blunt and cold all at once…