Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Convictions
It had been 3 months since meeting Koto for Xiao, and he can honestly say those days were the best and worst of his time.
After just a day, he realized that although Koto could speak, he could not write, nor did he have any common sense. The latter had explained many things such as why he was so accepting of just getting a random guy as a father.
It was enjoyable, to say the least, of seeing Koto innocence and purity, his ignorance to the dark world around him was a beacon of light and positivity to Xiao whom did not have such good past.
He'd be the first to admit, he was prideful of his life's work, his theory had no holes in which anyone can find and it had been accepted it as the best theory of spirits yet no one was willing to practice it. No one was willing to become proof of its work, see there it lay, a paper, a book, and only theory.
The publication had been long enough to the point where he could tell people were making fun of him, he knew since there was no proof must have already thought of it was a baloney theory made into existence by a trash spirit master, one who couldn't pass the grandmaster rank in a decade. It pained his pride each time he thought about this, yet his disciple always brought him out of such thoughts.
When teaching his students, he could only treat him like an adult, his talent was too great, one passing his generation by thousands of years. His thought process was something not even he could fully comprehend, sometimes it was his disciple teaching him instead.
Koto seemed to have a natural understanding of the world of spirits, he is, just after a month of teaching, capable of taking care of himself after creating the yu pavilion, one selling many of koto's original medicines. It was successful enough to have created a few more jobs for the citizens of sunset city. Having a direct quota of ingredients and product made the handling of the business easy, although expansion did not seem close at all. It was more of a local commodity one which did not have many competition.
Lately, after telling koto of how nobility of the world worked, he seemed motivated to become some sort of emperor, " a king of kings!" he would say proudly to xiao, although it all sounded like a child's imagination to him, he still provided books of kingdoms when asked.
Sadly, Koto wasn't really accepted by the kids his age, he was weird to them. It didn't help with their parents that he in particular was the one in charge of him, this didn't affect Koto much though, who replaced them with kind adults who was honestly in love with the cute, intelligent kid next door.
Pondering over this, Xiao couldn't help be let out a chuckle and mumble " although you couldn't make friends with the boys, the females sure do love you, don't they koto?"
The boys found koto weird yet the girls, even in their young age, already formed little cute crushes for his disciple, looking at him, he knew that more of such problems would come to his disciple, ones even more greater as these girls grew older.. "hahaha" he couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the future prospect of his student.
Among the boys, there were two in particular, orphans whom koto has surprisingly been able to get close to. Xiao knew that the orphan boys admired Koto, listening to Koto's every word and even believing them such as Koto one day becoming the " King of kings" their fanatics could be described as that of a believer to a god.
Apparently, upon meeting each other through some means, they became close friends, ones akin to brothers right away. Sometimes Koto would even sneak him into their house for food, or bring him food. Koto and the larger orphan were very protective of the little one with pink salmon hair, sometimes they could be seen glaring at those whom were pointing fingers at the kids strange hair.
Xiao assumed they were as close as they were because of a fight. One day day Koto had came, bruises on his body, and black eye, obviously Xiao was furious! 'How dare anyone bully my student!'
At that time, Xiao forgot all about reprimanding Koto for getting into a fight, he was fully planning on finding out the culprit, and if they were not kids themselves, directly report them to spirit halls. With his badge he was 100% whoever was the criminal would feel the wrath of justice!
Luckily for the culprits, Koto had stopped him saying something that told him, his student had lost abit of his innocence this day " Teacher!" Koto had yelled with his fist tightly balled, eyes glaring into the world " I have learned to fight! And I shall master it!" tears dropping from his eyes, he slowly rubbed them with his fist still balled. Xiao, seeing the misery he was in could only let go of his anger to console 'his' child, embracing him, slowly patting his back saying "there there" shovenly
Koto cried to his chest hard, " I won't allow it! I don't want it!" he said with conviction no child should have " To see my friends hurt, I won't ever let it happen again!" Koto said with streaming red eyes, seemingly glaring into future offenders. " Teach me how to master the way of fighting!" koto, pushing himself off his master said, still crying tears of self pity. He won't ever allow it to happen again.
Towards the two kids who gave him such convictions, he didn't know how to feel for they had given something Koto hadn't have, friendship. Yet they also were part of the reason Koto trained, slowly breaking of his childhood too early, for the sake of his friends safety. He could only accept what has occurred and help Koto with his journey who was fully intended to surpass anything and everything.
"Shiihhhhhh…" Xiao released his train of thought with a long sign, to focus back on helping Koto with a theory, although he was now training, Koto was still working on the improvement of understanding of spirit beast. " Ways a spirit master can obtain a ring higher than the limit" Xiao read the title out loud to get back into what was being studied. Eyes sharpened on the paper, ready to break the boundary of impossibility once again.
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Koto was in his room with his two looking at him in praise as he explains to them the different methods and stances of martial art. He had long since passed this worlds understanding of them, improving whatever was written in the book by himself.
" when can we start cultivation?" the tallest of the boys asked, his voice ; strong and coonfident, clearly intent on growing stronger as fast as possible. Like Koto, he didn't want to ever lose to another again. Losing to him, was letting his enemies pass him and endanger his brothers. He couldn't allow, no.. he wouldn't! such a thing happening, was no longer a possibility in his mind ' even if i have to create a sea of blood, even if i have to die! i wont allow myself to not fall, I will remain victorious' with such a dark thought for one so young, one can only guess what this child has gone through in his short life.
Koto smiled and shook his head " not yet" he couldnt be tease his friend a little " aren't you too impatient?" i already told you, I need to create a miracle bath for you two, so that you guys can have the benifit of someone who has started cultivating as baby!" he said with pride, smilling at his more little friend, knowing that he needed a little push to speak his mind, because of his inherent shyness.
The salmonic pink haired noticing the glace couldnt help but to rub his head and laugh a little to gain some confidence. " yeah thats right! you're so impatient big brother!" he finished with a laughter, clearly not confident enough to continue speaking after poking fun of his friend.
"AHAHHHAHA" the large kid laughed sheepishly " whatever.." he said smugly, apprently proud of his impatiences " I can't wait till you become king Koto!" koto smiled, while the little one expression became serious, " you'll do it wont you?" he asked, already certain of the answer.
The little one nodded, almost as to repeat the question himself. These two kids fully believed in what is now koto's childish dream, to become king so that he'd be able to on a throne just like the ones he saw in the book.
To them it didn't matter that they were just kids with no real clue on how powerful they will become, or how far they will reach in life, they just firmly believed in their heart, their friend in front of them, their eldest brother, can do and become anything, even if that "thing" is a God.
Koto was already imagining himself, sitting on that grand throne of his as he looked into both brothers eyes, " of course I will!"
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