In the house of Asuras in the small bedroom, therein lay two little bodies; One Spirit Beast and one human."Huaaaaaah ~" Ryuu let out a small yawn as he opened his eyes glaring at the world.
"Where am I?" his look swept through the surrounding area.
"Ryuu, you awake?" Tenko probed.
"Um." he nodded.
Just as he nodded in acknowledgment, Ryuu realized that he is presently in his room.
He concluded that his parents brought them in after which they fell asleep, he asked in questioning voice:
"How are you feeling?"
"I"m fine, just a little weak because of our spirit fusion."
"Argh! Me too hng~." he groaned painfully noticing strong weakness washing over his body and every cell aching with stabbing pain.
Ryuu woke up completely and began visually examining changes in his body.
He noticed that neither of two marks that appeared previously on the back of his hand were there which made him relax several points.
"Is there something different about you now or is it just me?" Ryuu asked Tenko in confusion.
"Actually, that"s my line but it seems like it applies to us both." Tenko said as a faint smile appeared on her white furry face.
As Ryuu paid attention to her, his heart was screaming "So cuuuuuuuuute!~".
"Hehe, thanks!" Tenko said.
"What?" Ryuu thought in confusion "I didn"t say anything".
"Heeeh, so you didn"t figure it out yet eh? Hahahaha so cute."
"What ?!" Ryuu screamed in his mind.
"Is it not strange that you aren"t speaking yet I understand you?" she said flinging her tail around cheerfully.
"AH!" Ryuu exclaimed because realization hit him hard like a thunder.
"Is this how telepathy feels?" he thought.
"Yup!" she nodded. "How"s the feeling?".
"Wow, this is ... unique." he thought.
"Haha, glad you like it." Tenko smiled.
"So, what does our fusion form?" she thought.
"Enn, It"s a special type of primordial dragon. Even with my strong martial spirit, I can"t rip s.p.a.ce across the planes relying solely on my strength as we did." Ryuu said.
"Eeh, so it"s a sublimation isn"t it?" Tenko inquired curiously coming nearer.
"Yeah, it seems like that." Ryuu said as he lowered his head and said in a sulking manner "... but we didn"t even last five seconds and fainted afterward.".
Seeing his sulking appearance Tenko"s heart tightened as she tried to comfort her lover "Don"t be disappointed you have only recently awakened your spirit so don"t expect anything spectacular yet. I"m already near my first limit so it didn"t have that big of an impact on my part, but you are surely very exhausted now." she said putting her head on Ryuu"s shoulder and gently rubbing it on his cheek.
"Umu-" he nodded "I really am ... ugh ... can"t even lift a finger." he tried standing up but to no avail.
"Let me." Tenko said.
"What are you gonna do?" Ryuu inquired curiously.
Bright ten colored light shone and the beautiful little girl a head taller than Ryuu stepped out of it.
"!" Ryuu"s eyes widened in shock. "Shouldn"t it be ... after a thousand?" his shaky voice blurted out as his breathing sped up when he saw his lover in human form.
"It"s only for a short time so hold on tight, they are waiting for us." Tenko said as she picked up Ryuu and put him on her back.
Ryuu leaned his head on her shoulder and hugged her as if never wanting to let go as they stepped out from the room.
He wanted for this moment to never stop, but it was obviously impossible unless...
"I can"t wait..." he thought to himself.
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Outside of the house, three people sat around a wooden table having a conversation.
At this moment they noticed two pet.i.te beautiful forms coming down the stairs.
"Here we are." Tenko said looking at the three people in front.
"h.e.l.lo sweetie, isn"t he heavy? Come put him down here." Haruhi said with a smile tapping her finger lightly on a bench next to her as if implying where to put Ryuu.
"Thanks, but I"m okay with this" Tenko said transferring Ryuu on the bench where her mother sat leaning his head on her lap.
"Oooh, would you look at that." Haruhi said directing a glance to Aito and then returning her gaze in her son"s direction.
"You must certainly like it you little ..." she said pausing for a moment before continuing "Using a girl"s lap as a pillow isn"t it nice?" as wide grin manifested on her beautiful face.
"Don"t they resemble us a few years ago." she muttered aloud making Aito"s brow twitch.
"That little devil, look at his happy face hahahaha. Ryuu you seem like you are enjoying it." Aito said not expecting his son would actually be so carefree ...
"Umu, it"s really nice and comfy hehe." little Ryuu reciprocated.
"..." ..... Aito"s thoughts ceased in an instant ..... "Huh? What are you saying it"s rude." Haruhi scolded her son pulling Aito back to reality.
"Don"t worry mother-in-law, I don"t mind." Tenko said "Actually it makes me happy hehe." she added letting out a light smile.
.
.
.
.
.
Haruhi and Aito looked at each other blankly in dismay not saying a word.
More like, they couldn"t think of what to say in response.
In front of them were two kids not much older than two years who behaved like a pair of lovebirds.
"Haha certainly, but you two are too small yet so you must wait until you grow up before you can get married." Haruhi said trying to change the topic.
"But we already did in a certain sense." Ryuu said.
"... what?" Aito said visibly in distress.
"Well, long story short we are already lovers." Ryuu continued.
"Ah, dumb kid what are you saying being that rude, you are too small for that." Haruhi said raising her voice as a rich smile appeared while scolding her mischievous son.
"Actually, no." Ryuu confronted her making her pause.
"... No?" Haruhi and Aito said at the same time.
"I"m actually older than both of you hehe." Ryuu said scratching his cheek as if being ashamed.
"What nonsense are you saying, did you hit your head somewhere?" Haruhi said. "He must have picked that up from you!" she glared daggers at Aito near her but got surprised by seeing Aito with a hand on his chin deeply immersed in thought.
"So that"s it." he said realizing what Ryuu meant.
"Yeah." Ryuu responded confirming Aito"s speculation.
"How old were you in your past life?" Aito asked.
"Past life?" Haruhi suddenly understood what they were talking about "Are you saying you reincarnated?"
"Yeah, I was twenty-five when I came to this world so that would be twenty-seven now." Ryuu said.
"No wonder you are so smart for your age, so you actually kept your memories after reincarnation!" she exclaimed gasping for breath. It was a great shock having learned Ryuu"s secret.
"Sorry I didn"t tell you sooner, it"s not that I didn"t want to but I couldn"t. I mean who would believe two-year-old kid saying that he reincarnated." Ryuu said.
"It"s not important so long as you are happy but there is one important thing we need to talk about." Haruhi said looking at Ryuu and Tenko.
"What do you mean?" Ryuu asked while pondering why his mother dropped the previous topic so lightly.
"Your feelings ... are they both sided? And what do you mean you were already married in a certain sense? How could you not call your mother and father?" she barraged her son with questions like a rapping rain.
"Hngh! Slow down mom, let me introduce them first." Ryuu said as he painfully struggled to get up and lean on Tenko"s shoulder wrapping his little arm around her pet.i.te figure.
"This is my lover Tenko." he said rubbing his head on Tenko"s cheek "And this is my mother-in-law Akashiro, overlord of the Sacred Spirit Forest." he added glancing towards beautiful girl sitting near the two.
"It"s pleasure to meet the renowned family of Asuras." Akashiro said as she stood up and bowed slightly.
"Likewise, Your Excellency." Aito said as he and his wife stood up and returned the deep bow.
"No need for formalities we are all one family now, hahaha." Ryuu said laughing proudly.
"You little devil, don"t even try brushing it off, you still have to answer my question!" Haruhi said glaring daggers at Ryuu.
Her behavior had complete turnaround now that she knew Ryuu"s little secret.
"Eehh~ umm, it is not that I didn"t want to it just turned out as it did." he said feigning innocence.
"What do you mean it just turned out, it"s not like you disappeared from this world." Haruhi said not expecting that those lines were partly true.
Ryuu didn"t answer but lowered his head trying to hide the fact that they already completed ritual in another plane and that his appearance from spatial rift was them actually pa.s.sing through planes as their transformation tore through s.p.a.ce and time.
"???" Haruhi saw her son lowering his head like a little kid which he is who did something bad with index fingers connected in front of him as she stared in amazement overflowing with indescribable emotions.
"AAagghh, this is the worst weapon of little kids." Haruhi thought to herself.
"So that"s why you didn"t come back that long huh?" Aito jumped in breaking the awkward silence that lingered between them.
"Well yeah, something along those lines." little guy said lifting his head up.
"*ahem* So, it"s our turn now eh?" Aito said glancing at his wife.
"What?" Ryuu asked in confusion not catching up on his remark.
"I mean it"s our turn to welcome our new family member isn"t it?" he chuckled.
As soon as Tenko and Ryuu heard that, their faces flared up with a strongly visible blush as they hid their faces from surrounding stares.
"Hahaha, honey look, they got fl.u.s.tered!" Aito said jokingly to his wife.
"Those two little rascals. I thought one devil was enough, now here came the second one hahaha." she said making their blushing faces ease up and they lifted up their heads slowly.
"Look at them, they are in perfect sync!" she said poking her husband with an elbow.
" ... *Cough*! ... " slightly louder cough resounded from a girl sitting near two kids.
"Pardon me, but there is something I wish to discuss with you two." Akashiro said shifting her vision to Aito"s direction.
"Oh, go ahead"
"You saw what happened when he awoke his spirit, right?" she inquired.
"..." Aito and Haruhi remained silent for a moment.
"I wanted to ask whether it"d be okay with you to let Ryuu train in the center of Sacred Spirit Forest under my guidance for a while?" she probed paying attention to their expressions.
"Wha... " Haruhi"s brow twitched as she almost bolted out from her seat wanting to reject that thought immediately but Aito blocked her with his hand "Don"t rush let her say everything."
Haruhi glared at him, obviously not content with her husband"s response.
"Please continue" Aito invited with his hand.
"Well then, let me explain." Akashiro said.
"My daughter is, as you already know, a spirit beast." She said glancing to her daughter cuddling with Ryuu.
"Therefore she is not genuine human, but ..." she stopped her thoughts for a while before continuing "... but she can be one in four years." as she said that she took a peek at Aito"s wife observing her reaction.
To her surprise, Haruhi remained silent this time without interrupting.
"So you want to say that Ryuu and Tenko will be under your training for the next four years?" Aito asked.
"Yes, that is my intention so how about it?" Akashiro asked placing her hands on the table as she leaned forward and put her chin on top of her hands.
"Mind explaining what you have in mind - what method will you use for training them and what areas will you train them in?" Aito asked calmly.
"As you already know what intensity his body is made of, I thought that when guiding him to mainly focusing on remaining aspects." she said.
"What aspects?" Haruhi cut in.
"For example Knowledge, Mental Strength, Endurance, a.n.a.lysis, Combat tactics, Cooperation and most importantly Spirit Cultivation." Akashiro said.
"Oh, you seem to have high self-confidence in your skills." Aito said.
"Yes." Akashiro answered.
"But how can we confirm whether or not we should leave his future to you?" Aito asked.
"Dad, who"s being rude now? Don"t I have a saying in this too?" Ryuu"s little voice resounded.
"You be quiet now!" Haruhi released spiritual pressure towards Ryuu making him unable to move an inch.
Of course, this is only when Ryuu is not in his dragon form otherwise, even his father couldn"t possibly suppress him.
Akashiro glanced to Haruhi who released pressure outwards and her heart burned with hatred "Who dares bully my son-in-law will not be forgiven." she thought to herself.
"Esteemed Asura Aito, could we make a bet?" she asked.
"Oh? I"m interested. Say, what kind of bet?" Aito inquired with a straight face.
"I heard your excellency is undefeatable in mental strength contest so mind if I ask you for a challenge? If I win you will let Ryuu go with us if not, my daughter will stay with your family until she breaks through in four years." Akashiro said.
"I"m in." Aito said not leaving time for his wife to make her entrance.
"Hey, wait~" as Haruhi wanted to oppose his decision, Aito placed his finger on her lips saying: "It"s okay.".
She knew that he was the strongest in that aspect but she didn"t want to take a risk making her child leave from her side.
Haruhi decided to trust her husband as he stood up inviting a beautiful girl in his opposite "Let"s move away a bit as to not influence them."
"Dad, can I observe?" Ryuu who was no longer under suppression asked eagerly wanting to watch a contest between the two.
Even though Ryuu didn"t know who his parents really were, he couldn"t forget about his mother-in-law asking whether he knew their backgrounds or not and that made him want to know more about them so he decided to watch a face-off of two strong existences like his father and mother-in-law.
"... Fine." His father said making Ryuu seethe with excitement even more.
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"How will we determine the victor?" Akashiro asked.
"How about face-off of raw mental strength, it seems like the most efficient and direct way as I harbor no ill intentions. I only want to confirm your remarks from before." Aito said.
"Fine by me, let"s begin then." Akashiro responded.
Aito took a specific stance where both arms were behind the back, his spine straight like a spear pointing to the sky and in his blood red eyes, golden sparkles began drifting to the center as if they were attracted by strong invisible force condensing in one point of into the golden colored vertical pupil.
Faintly visible golden red halo surged out in madness from his forehead rushing towards his opponent as one unreal stream of light.
The unreal stream radiated a vicious but gentle aura that seemed as if could pierce the heavens and he stood there unmovable like a mountain.
At the same time on the other side, Akashiro released her power in a similar manner as blood red stream slightly brighter than Aito"s danced in the air.
Yes, it"s dancing, unlike her opponent"s, dominating above all life forms as if it was one ent.i.ty with the world.
"First cla.s.s mental power!" Aito blurted out seeing blood red stream dancing through the surroundings like primordial dragon soaring through the sky.
This had a big impact on his decision silently approving of previous decision to leave Ryuu in Akashiro"s hands.
"!" Haruhi was shocked when she heard her husband"s remark.
"Impossible, n.o.body has ever reached that realm except for you" she roared.
As she said that suddenly sky twisted as two-meter wide rift appeared attracting the attention of all people present.
"ASURAS, TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DIE!!!" Loud roaring resounded from rift"s direction as several forms giving off strong radiance flew out from it.
Instant change sent a chill down Haruhi"s and Aito"s spine as they recognized those floating forms filling their hearts with killing intent.
"Quickly, take Ryuu and leave. Tell him that father and mother will always love him but they have some past enmities so they will have to leave for some time. When he becomes strong enough to tell him that he can find us at Planet of Origin in Ancient Dragon sect and I hope you will take good care of my son." Aito said as he slid his finger through the s.p.a.ce forming two-meter-high spatial fissure while transmitting his thoughts to Akashiro.
"Rest a.s.sured, as long as I"m alive he will be fine." Akashiro boldly claimed, taking Ryuu and Tenko and pierced through the fissure which closed immediately leaving behind only wild s.p.a.ce elements rampaging through the air.
Haruhi and Aito stood near each other malevolently staring at the ten forms in the sky full of rage.
"Let"s do it dear, for our son we have to hold on!" Haruhi said.
"En." He nodded "Let"s remind them once again who is the first one under the heavens." hugging Haruhi tightly from behind as extremely bright golden blue light burst from them and deafening dragon roar resounded through the valley.