Patience

Gabi pov

As soon as Higanbana said that they were surrounded by an enormous forest that barely had any light shown. The atmosphere felt so spooky to the point when Gabi was too scared to even move his feet. Then there were ominous dark clouds gathering in the sky. Shortly after, a thunderbolt was striking the sky rapidly. Everything was already terrifying for the young sorcerer but matters became worse in seconds. Gabimaru smelt a bad odor that made him want to gag up the smell. When Gabi had the spirit to survey the area he noticed humans hanging off the tree branches like butterfly cocoons. However, that wasn't the only thing that frightened Gabi, he saw a man who was trapped in a huge spider web that was big like a school that can fit almost 2,000 students at least and most of his skin was decaying to the point where you can see his eyes starting to ooze out of his eye socket. But in the opposite direction, he saw the half-skinned man and he realized that a half-sliced body was only 10 feet away from him. He became aware of how the brain was mushy and the body was surrounded by a huge pool of blood. The intestines were sliding out of the body like massive jumbo worms. Higanbana found Gabi's gaze quite disquieting. She knows the boy will be scared shitless but to be strong he must confront his fears and for that to happen he must come face to face with them and that's how he will handle his fears and will be stronger as time passes by. Higanbana was showing the boy tough love but that tough love will also break his fragile walls and bring out the raging monsters that are trapped in his soul.

"This place where you will face dangerous obstacles. You won't go back to the real world until you complete the basics ." Higanbana broke the silence between them.

(What does she mean by that? I don't want to be stuck in this hell hole.)

"I don't want to stay here. What will happen to my body in the real world?" Gabi got out of his horror-struck mindset and began to question her actions.

" Stupid this is your real body. Whatever happens here will affect your body in the world of the living and vice-versa. Also, you are not leaving anytime soon so take that idea out of your head." she informed him.

" Then how long will I stay in this hell?" Gabimaru let his curiosity take over him.

Higanbana walked away from him and sat on her throne made with human skeletons with vines wrapped around the throne that had Higanbana flowers on it. She placed her arms on the arms resting place and laid her head back to relax. She closed her eyes, giving the boy none of her attention. Gabi was starting to get livid cause he had believed that she was playing mind games with him.

" I'm asking you a question, Higanbana." he raised his voice.

She opened one of her eyes and looked at the irritated boy, " Oh, you are not talking to me with that menacing tone of yours." she replied.

" Yes, I am because you think this is some sick game but it's not. How long will I stay here." he didn't back down.

" Hmmm, I will let this slide but what do you address me as?" she quizzes the fuming boy.

"This is no time for.." Gabi was cut off.

" Don't make me continue to show you a lesson. Call me master you brat," she demanded the boy.

Gabi calmed down because he knew what she could do to him and he was not in the position to take another beat down by her so he got on his knees to show his forgiveness, " I'm sorry for getting out of control my master but how long will.." Higanbana once again cut off the boy "That will be all on you. If you want to leave you will have to execute and absorb the 4 special grade curses." she smiled at him" This can take days, weeks, months, or even years so it's all up to you and your ambitions of how bad you want to leave this glorious place."

(Glorious place? It is full of dead people here I seriously question her choice of word. )

" How am I supposed to even kill special grade curses when I don't know if I'm even able to kill a semi-grade 2 curse." argued back with her.

"I'm not that unfair I will have you fight grade 4 curses and you will fight your way to the top but your main objective is to kill the 4 special grade curses to leave this place so good luck." Higanbana went back to her relaxation position and dozed off leaving Gabimaru to be preyed on.

(This female is testing my patience.)

When Gabi was occupied with the world of the dead his body in the world of the living was finished with his confidential operation. Kenji was done with taking hold of Gabi's curse energy; he placed the other half in the ancient onimaru sword that has been passed down in many generations in the Saito clan.

Kenji pov

(I trust Gabi with this prized possession of mine. Makima has no interest in wielding a sword and since I don't have any other successors Gabi will be my only hope.)

While Kenji was in deep thought, Aiko slapped him across his head. "Why is Gabi still asleep? You said he will wake up as soon as you are finished with this procedure." her tone was harsh and very demanding for some answers.

" OY GRACIOUS HELL. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO VIOLENT FOR AN OLD HAG?" Kenji raised his voice at the wrathful Aiko.

This causes Kenji to get punched in the stomach with an iron fist of Aiko. Kenji falls to his knees wrapping his arms around his stomach and screaming in agony.

" WHY?! BECAUSE HE'S NOT WAKING UP AND IT'S BEEN 10 MINS!" Aiko carried on and gripped his hair" What is going on?" She whispers violently at him.

Kenji was baffled at her questions because he knew that something was not quite right." Let go Aiko and I will see what's happening," he begged the lady.

When Kenji got close to the still-like vegetable body he examined all the virtual organs and checked the pulse to see if anything felt wrong. When that wasn't the case he came up with the conclusion that he was unconscious.

(How is this possible? Why is he unconscious? I don't know what's scarier hearing Aiko's response when I mention this to her or the results of why is he unconscious?)

" What's wrong Kenji? It seems like you're in quiet ecstasy." Aiko spoke out.

" Ummm, it seems like he's unconscious for some reason," Kenji replied.

" And why is that? What's the cause? How can we wake him up? Did you do something?" Aiko began questioning Kenji like he was a major suspect in an investigation.

" I don't know why he's not waking up but forcing him to wake up will be a no-go. " Kenji tried to answer most of her questions the best he could, " It's better that we just should play the waiting game with this. "

" How long ?" Aiko asks him one final question because she can see the stress on his face.

Kenji looked at her with a worrisome eye. " It could be days, weeks, or even years," he answered quietly but she still heard him.

There was nothing much more that the two adults could do. It was all on Gabimaru to hold up his end of the deal to get back to the nerve-racking adults.