Chapter Sixteen

Gray had his eyes closed as he sat cross legged on the grass.

This was nice. The pleasant sensation of a sun on his skin, the pleasant breeze on his bare chest and the way his long hair ruffled with its passing was very soothing.

He really needed it.

His Toki was pulsing, even though it wasn't visible, he could feel it shifting. His mana was being drained one second and refilled the other. The important part was that the barrier he kept around his body constantly was getting denser.

He had no idea how long he was sitting there but he started this morning and so far, there were no disturbances. The quiet had remained for a while, with Gray enjoying every second of it because he knew that soon enough, it would be disturbed.

And it was, a few minutes later. What seemed like a small shockwave passed over him as a new presence made itself clear. It was familiar, but more distinct than before. Slowly, his eyes opened and he saw the visage of his little brother. He couldn't see it, but it was felt as clear as day.

Rudeus manifested his Touki.

Jeez finally.

Smirking slightly, Gray jumped up with slight help of Air magic. His Thousand Demon Dagger flew into his hand from where it was laying at his side and he burst into motion.

Not unsheathing the dagger, he swung down on his younger brother, aiming at his head. It wasn't his full speed, it wasn't even his full strength, yet he could see as Rudy looked up from his hands, his eyes widen, and felt his newly created Touki pulse as he jumped back.

He did his job. He still remembered when he first activated his Touki, those first few moments were the most sensitive it ever was and he missed the chance to get a feel for it since his parents burst through the door.

He would not let his brother do the same.

"Good job Rudy. I'm proud of you."

Straightening, he smiled at the little brat that had grown on him like a damn fungus, he was taking on the traits of their father. Being a pervert and all. Hell, he saw Roxy's panties in his room.

"Why did you do that?"

He frowned. And he honestly found that cute, he had their mother's pout, he would know.

"Aw, you know that Toki is like magic, right?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before his eyes widened. Gray couldn't help the smirk that crept up on his face. This kid was going places, alright.

"So you manifested your Touki."

A bland voice came from behind him and he turned around, his face going blank in the process. There stood Ghislaine in all her glory, her sword at her side as she stared with a mildly interested gaze at his brother.

She was staying in their house, along with her charge since there was no way that he would let another woman remain in the same building with his father for a prolonged period of time. He didn't want to find out if that dumbass would play hide the sausage again.

"Do you need something, Ghislaine?"

He questioned as he brought his body around to face her fully. His Touki matching the rhythm of her own. He still didn't trust her if it wasn't obvious. His father and mother said that they were together in a party, but to the best of his knowledge, they parted on bad terms and they hadn't seen each other in a few years.

He didn't know what changed and he wasn't going to risk it. In the far corner of his mind, he questioned when he became so paranoid but quickly dismissed it. Now was not the time.

"Hmm, No. Just watching."

Her eyes strayed down to his sword, something that hadn't left the sheath since their arrival. The gaze shifted soon enough when he made no move to continue the conversation. Turning around he gestured his brother to come closer, his senses widening, getting a feel of everyone in the small area of both houses.

His father seemed to be awake, along with Lilia who was in the kitchen, probably preparing some food. Paul seemed to be getting dressed while the two sisters were waking up, indicated by the wiggling of Norn and shifting of Asia.

Well, his father could handle them for a moment.

The girl two years younger than him, Ghislaine's charge, who he had dubbed the "Rabid dog", was still sleeping, and would hopefully be for the most of the early morning. Seriously, he was holding back on stabbing the girl each time she raised her voice against his mother or Lilia.

Ghislaine seemed to be aware of this, since she was more on guard each time it happened.

"Say, you hold that, but can you wield it?"

The question was something that he was expecting eventually, but the answer he prepared was thrown into the metaphorical fire and burned mercilessly when an overexcited Rudeus was thrown into the mix.

"Yeah! It's so cool! It's all cracked and the little pieces can float! Even dad can't take it out from the sheath!"

God damn it Rudy! For all the smarts you seem to have, you can't seem to hold in vital information when it counts.

Ghislaine raised her only visible eyebrow in interest, eyeing the sheathed blade in his hand.

"Say, would you mind a spar?"

Her question came casually as her hand landed on the curved blade by her side, as if she wasn't expecting much from a twelve year old child. His own eyes narrowed in challenge, his Touki responding to his emotions as it flared, becoming visible for only a moment as his grip on the thousand demon dagger tightened.

Eight, Bitchin. They were doing it.