Chap 23: side conversation
At the Zenin clan household, Oga and Naobita is discusing in a meeting room.
"How long will you let this keep going, Naobita." Speaking in a serious tone, Oga look at the clan head with a resolved expression.
On the other side of the table, Naobita is simply taking a long swig of beer. Not bother by the subject Oga brought up at all.
"Listen, as much i hate to say this. The girl stay, no matter how much you detest her Tojiko is a 'Zenin'."
A half truth that was apply loosely to her, despite being in the same clan and sharing the same blood. The Zenin as a whole knew but won't admited to it, and both Oga and Naobita treated her as such. A fail product, the black sheep of the Zenin. Both of them despise her, Naobita to an lesser extend between the two.
"How can you spouts such nonsense! Do you even hearr yourself. Imagine what the other clans say about this, even some of the smaller clan might have come up with their scheme."
"Then, what do you propose we do, kill her ?"
*Gulp*
Oga swallow hard, the word in her mouth is stuck, as much Oga want to say. She knew Naobita was right, Tojiko is strong, too strong for even the likes of the Hei and everybody in the Zenin clan to take her in a fight.
"Look, i know why you came to talk about this. You're hoping for me to do something about the 'incident' yesterday. Right ?" With a smirk, she tease her clan elder.
*Bang*
Slaming her hand against the table, cracking it under her strength. "Shut it." She muttered.
Several days ago, Oga met Tojiko as they were passing eachother. She must have said something that cause Tojiko to be angry. No one heard what was said, the only sound came after was the sound of someone getting beat up.
A portion of the clan ground was demolish as the aftermath from their 'fight'. Oga got her spine break in half, along with a broken wrist, several fracture ribs, busted knee and both shoulder dislocated.
"What did you even said that day ?" Taking another sip, Naobita asked again.
"I don't remember, why does it mattered ?" Rubbing her backside, Oga struggle to even recall that day. "Forget it then, how's your husband ?" Oga try to change the subject to something else.
"Things are going slow, but if i squeeze too much out of him, he'll die. Ah, yeah how's your new husband ? Managed to get a kid yet ?"
"Don't get me started. The man couldn't last an hour. I might just get another one."
"Hey now, it's not easy finding a man with good curse energy in the first place. You must be really pressed on getting a child that much huh ?"
"You and i won't be around forever, birthing a strong heir the sooner the better. It's for the clan."
A bold lie, they both knew that if their child is strong enough with a good curse technique then she will be able to contest for the place as the next head of the clan.
"Well, when my child be born i'm naming my kid Naoyoa. Got a name for your's yet ?"
"Maki."
"A girl name huh ? What if they're a boy ?"
"I will kill it myself, i won't acept my next kin leading the family bloodline to be a boy."
----------------
'Fascinating, so this is how it works.' Takumi stare gleefully at the pages, with the newly gained amount of knowledge it should help him to advance in no time.
Every book he read have a diffirent way of different ways of presenting curse energy which does make understanding it being convoluted.
Pages after pages, slowly he began to get a better grasp on curse energy, how to ultilize it, what is the most effective way to use it.
And he would've read into it more if not for the librarian calling for him. "Hey kid."
"Don't you have anywhere to go ? It's almost 6 in the morning."
"Wait, it's morning already ?!" Taking his eyes off from a thick book lay half open. Takumi take a look on at the time, six past ten. 'Crap.' He inwardly throught.
Astonished, he quickly rose up from the desk. Takumi was too absorbed in reading he can't belived he actually forget the time flying pass.
"Uhm...should i return the books ?" Takumi hesitantly speak.
"Don't worry kid, just leave them as it is. If you're worry someone could take it then don't. No one ever goes to this dusty place anyways." She wave her hand dismissing in the air, her sharp brown eyes already went back down to doing whatever that got her attention.
"Well thank you, by the way. I really appreciate you helping me out with this." He said, showing his genuine appreciation for the lady help.
If not, there was no way he would be able to find anything in this massive place. Or able to find a book that have something coherence to read, as any other book he picked by himself have shown him all nonsense that doesn't help him much.
Takumi take his leaves through the tower again and back onto the street. The rising sun already in the sky, signaling the mark of a new day.
Taking a deep breath, he removed the mask. Rising from the shadow behind him, Takune and Takichi figure apeared without the need to use hand sign.
Now he should go home to open his store but Takumi figure he'll go and do some exorcism before going back home. Call it, taking learned knowledge into practical use.
Two of him will head to a nearby curse infected area while one would go back to handle the shop. One 45 minutes walk later, he found the hunting ground for him. He and Takichi end up at a rumored haunted building, judging from the curse energy coming from there it shouldn't be more than a grade 2 at most.
Just perfect for him to test it out.
Takumi entered alone with his two clone as back up in case something go south. The inside is wide empty lobby, with nothing inhabited this place. Takumi didn't waste anytime to find the curse.
Instead he stand there, closed his eyes and take a deep breath. Green curse energy rose up like an torche in the dark. Takumi focus through the words he read in hids mind, 'the way a soccerer use his curse energy. Focus....focus....focus, be comfortable in it, like breathing.'
The curse energy turn more wildly as they engulf Takumi whole body, it was all too vague to learn a specific way to control curse energy as every book he search through spoke about the it in a diffirent way. So he just have to narrow it down for his own understanding and do what suited him.
As he was doing this, his curse energy has unknowingly reached the curse spirit that take resident here. In the darkness of the building, two pair of claws stretch out.
Draging with it the body of the curse spirit, a lanky and withered body of a dead woman, the head covered in wet long black hair which twist and turn to look at Takumi direction.