Chapter 6

At the domain.

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"Father… are you stuck?"

It was a sight that was certain. Ryoto was looking forward to taking a nap when he got back from the festival. Megumi was sucking the energy out of him for some reason, and yet, he couldn't overlook the sight of his father stuck up in a tree.

"Not… one… word!" he ordered.

Rook already took his picture. "Okay, I'm on it!" and effortlessly, he jumped into the tree and climbed his way up. "Oh good, you came with your own rope!"

"SHUT UP!"

Ryoto snickered as Rook was quickly up and then down the tree again with his father in tow. When his feet hit the ground he saw Yuuji's children waiting along with Suiryu's kids. "YEAH! THE BALLOON IS BACK!" Nao cheered.

"Keep me away from those brats!" father muttered to Rook.

They came in fast, yet before they could seize the rope, Rook held off. "Whoa, hold it, I need Oji back!" he said.

"He's OUR balloon!" they protested.

Rook nodded to this as he reached for his shoulder back, he sifted through before taking out a massive tiger, gorilla, snake and husky plush toy.

Their eyes widened to this, for each toy was nearly as tall as Ryoto's father. Rook placed them before the four. "Trade you," he said. "Your 'balloon' for these four toys, no take backs!" he decreed.

They huddled up, whispering between each other before a nod came from the masses. "Agreed on the condition that he plays with us the next time!" ordered Wasuke.

"On the condition he is ASKED first, and knowing Oji, allow me to state he has to play with you a total of five times before he can refuse a playdate, understood?"

"FIVE?!"

"Take it or leave it Oji, this is my mother's side coming out right now" Rook warned.

"Tsk…"

Ryoto snickered, his father is at the mercy of four children. Rook however was a good negotiator. Along with the toys, he even volunteered to help out if he can help. After all, Towa was curious and used her featherwand on him.

"Heavy" he saw her whisper.

Rook flinched a little but paused as he peered to her. "Did you try to make me heavy?" he asked.

She froze, realizing he wasn't on the ground like everyone else. In fact, even his father as silent to this. "Can you move?" Nao asked rather bluntly.

Rook walked perfectly fine, he admitted there was a lot of resistance to him, but, he appeared inspired. But perhaps he should turn around and see the small craters he is leaving in the ground with every step…

"How about you guys cast that on me!" he said with excitement. "Especially when I am training…"

There was an agreement in place, as such, they returned Ryoto's father to a level base and proper gravity. When they were gone, he kept staring at Rook. "What the hell boy," he demanded. "How can YOU be immune to that? There are rules in place here!"

Ryoto did see the signs earlier, Lady Tiamat put them up as a warning since she wanted the kids to get proper practice, yet most people here have been converted. If a dragon wants to play, that allows them to do so. They react to curse energy the way they are suppose to, and yet… it didn't affect Rook?

Well… it did, sort of and yet not really work at all.

Rook himself shrugged off the notion, at the same time, he is aware that the rule didn't affect some of his family since Suguru is very sensitive right now. So perhaps that is the reason?

"I'll excuse myself them, I better return Megumi." Ryoto announced. Marcy of course went with him, but he was still curious.

"My sensei earlier… did he really scare you?" he asked of her.

She froze a little, but nodded. "He is something different than what he appears to be. It's wrong in my eyes and yet… It isn't wrong. I can sense the former sorcerer from that body, his power and personality. He is nothing like the pervious owner of that body. At the same time… the power that person had… is tripled."

Ryoto paused to this. "Kashimo sensei?" he asked.

"The former sorcerer, the one who owned that body… was arrogant in his ways. He was strong, claiming he could go toe to toe with your father. Believing he was worthy… he barely lasted. In fact, this is the second time he returned to life, and again, he lost to your aunt rather easily. But your father taught her well as to how to counter him. The Kashimo we see now… is beyond what that sorcerer could ever do."

"How?" he asked. "Normally, when a sorcerer has refined their technique…"

"Refining is one thing, that is depending on your method over and over again. When you PUSH that power to its limit and find trails that extend it… that's when one can truly call themselves a sorcerer."

"Sensei Kashimo has done that, hasn't he?" Ryoto asked.

She nodded to this. "But… how he did it… is what scares me." She explained.

Perhaps she is more fearful to the one who has taken over Kashimo, for they had the insight to do such a thing. Still, sensei has been good to him, very understanding as well… he has made leaning about this rather fun. His father doesn't quite understand that concept.

"It's strange to hear that, Sensei and I had fun the while ago, he was teaching me how to use my power for fun. So it would be easier to control… granted, that was a massive fruit salad he had me make…"

She paused but giggled. "Fruit salad?" she asked.

"Indeed, apparently, you can use curse energy on fruit and vegetables to cut, it's meat that you can't use it on since it was a living and breathing creature that can emit curse energy" he explained.

She nodded to it. It made sense to her.

By the time they arrived at Toji Fushiguro's place, he answered the door and yet appeared a little… worn out. "You just rolled out of bed now?!" Ryoto demanded.

He sneered at him, took Megumi back without a word and closed the door.

Ryoto paused to this oddly, however Marcy was snickering and kept pushing him away from the house. "Trust me, you don't want to be near there" she insisted.

He paused. "OOOHHH!" he realized what she was referring to and why Toji was a mess.

He's too young to be exposed to such things…