Blood Brothers Part 1

(Nishimoto POV)

"So cool." 

I looked out the window and looked at the passing surroundings. Turning towards Sensei I smiled. 

"Sensei where are we going? Are we going to a campsite or better yet an amusement park?" 

"just wait Nishimoto."

"Okay, sensei." 

Turning to my right and looking at Masaki I saw him, stare out the window concentrated on something. 

"Masaki, where do you think were going for our first Occult club field trip."

"Probably somewhere haunted." 

Masaki responded calmly while looking out the window. A shiver entered my spine.

"That's terrifying, I hope not. how about you Oe?"

"Probably somewhere nice."

Oe looked like she was thinking before facing me with a smile and answering. 

"I hope so." 

I looked out the window before trying to wait again. 

-A few hours later.-

Getting out of the car I began stretching. Looking at the trees surrounding us, it looked beautiful. 

"Where are we Sensei."

"Our destination."

Sensei got out the car before taking a bag out of the car. Opening the bag, he took a long wood sword out of it before handing it to Masaki. 

"Sensei what is that for." 

I said looking confused, Sensei turned to all three of us before walking over to Oe.

"Don't use your technique yet. Wait until your alone in the woods." 

Walking away from us, he sat on a rock. Looking at all three of us as we stared confused.

"Oe, you go south, Masaki you north and Nishimoto you go west. Run until you hear a loud bang."

Looking at Sensei confused I looked to my side and saw that Masaki was gone. 

'When did he leave.'

Looking for Oe I noticed her start running too.

'This must be a training exercise.'

Turning around, I took off running west. After a bit a loud crash sounded through the area.

"That must be sensei, so what do I do now."

Sensei hadn't given us a goal, so what was the objective. Walking around while thinking I started picking up my pace, eventually breaking into a sprint. 

'It obvious, take the other two out.'

Running west, I ran along the trees keeping my eyes peeled just in case. 

[While Nishimoto ran west, he hadn't noticed a presence lurking in the trees. Looking for his first opponent, out of nowhere a quick slash was heard.]

"I missed."

Sliding below the cut, I turned around seeing Masaki standing there his sword at hand. Putting my guard up I looked at him smiling.

"Seems you found me first." 

Looking at me he simply nodded his head.

'He's weirdly calm.'

After a few weeks Masaki started acting differently, almost like the shell of himself. 

"Sensei didn't tell us a goal, but I feel like we both reached an agreement what he wants us to do."

Masaki didn't say anything only looking at his wooden sword and swinging it again. 

"Surprised I dodged it? I'm pretty fast according to Sensei. But that's beside the point, let's start the fight. The Cold King vs the Devilish Handsome Hero." 

I looked at Masaki smiling, Oe was strong but there was something about Masaki that made fighting him so interesting. Like a natural pull of opposing forces meant to collide. But to my surprise Masaki didn't rise his sword, instead he held it still inspecting it. 

"Nishimoto how long have we've known each other?"

I turned my head confused before gaining a confused face.

"I think it's been a few years." 

[Both boys stared at each other, one confused with the question and the other who just looked forward at his old friend. Masaki remembered it like it was yesterday. One of the worst days of his life.]

-10 years ago.-

"Masaki you okay."

[In a park two boys sat together, one with his head down and the other trying to cheer him up.]

"Masaki, who knows he probably just go lost somewhere." 

I looked at Masaki, trying to cheer him up. 

"Yesterday my granddad came by, he said that they can't find him. He told my mom that he most likely just left, or something happened to him. There are no signs of anything happening to him. They can't track him; his phone was found it sat down at a store. The person there said they saw him leave it, after that they couldn't find him. They even said he didn't look concerned or scared." 

I looked at the sadden Masaki before standing up in front of him. Pointing at my face I smiled a brightly as I could.

"Your dad might be gone but I know he'll be back. But while he's gone, I'll be here."

Looking at the ground I grabbed a sharp rock before stabbing it into my hand. Extending it towards Masaki, he looked at me confused before I grabbed his hand stabbing it too. He jumped a bit before looking at me confused.

"We've known each other for a long time, we're basically brothers. But now we're blood brothers.

I extended my hand again, seeing the confused face of Masaki. 

"What does that even mean?"

He said looking at me with a small smile. My face became embarrassed before I felt my hand being grabbed. 

"Blood brothers"

We both stared at each other, enveloped in the moment. Both smiling brightly. 

"Blood brothers." 

[An innocent promise made between friends, which was quickly broken. That was the last time Masaki saw Nishimoto for a long time.]

-8 years later.-

"How are you liking the town Nishimoto."

Walking with a friend, Nishimoto walked with him through the small town.

"It's changed a bit since I've been gone."

"Oh yeah you said you used to live here before moving."

With my hands in my pockets, I looked around at the nostalgic place.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago."

Still walking, we passed by an alley way. Taking a double take I saw a blonde hair person beating on another boy with two others laid on the ground scared. 

'What's going on here.'

I began walking back towards the alley way before I felt a tug at my shirt. 

"Don't go down there. Let's just leave it alone." 

Looking at my friend as he pulled my shirt, I shook him off before walking into the alleyway.

"I'M SORRY."

The blonde hair boy held the other person by his collar lifting him off the ground. The boy looked at him shouting apologies. 

"Hey bastard right here."

My fist pounded into his face causing him to drop the boy and whip his head back. Turning around the blonde boy looked at me surprised. Like he had saw a ghost. 

"Nishim-"

"Do you find it fun to bully others?"

I walked up the boy, he still looked at me with his mouth wide. Looking at the terrified boys I motioned for them to get up.

"You guys leave I'll deal with this guy."

The boys got up and scattered while the boy still looked at me. 

"Since you want to fight so bad how about we go at it."

Staring eye to eye with the boy, his face scrunched. Gaining an expression of contemplation before looking down at his hand. Gripping it, he turned around without saying anything. 

"Yeah, run away coward."

He stops in his tracks to my words before continuing to walk. Mumbling something under his breath. 

I turn around facing my friend.

"See people like that are just big scaredy cats when faced with someone who can defend themselves."

He looked at me wide mouth before coming close excitedly.

"I can't believe it you stopped the demon king Masaki."

"M-masaki."

Turning back to where the boy left to, I began thinking.

'It can't be.'

Lifting my hand up I looked at it, seeing a scar on my palm from a cut. 

[The two boy's lives had been intertwined, almost of the plan of someone from above. Now both boys stood in front of each other, trained and honed to fight. Both were now going to settle a problem that could've long been solved.]

 "You left, without a single word."

"Mas-"

"Shut up, you left me alone without no one. While you had a family even siblings and friends all I had was you and my mother. But both of you changed, leaving me behind."

Seeing the anger on Masaki's face I felt my chest cramp. 

"Masaki, I wanted to apologize. I promise I wanted to."

"Your promises are useless to me. I saw you around town sometimes spending time with your family. Talking to friends and forgetting about me. Every time I saw you, I wished I was there too. I wished I was your friend, your brother again. Or you would at least not look at me like some villain. But then I had a revelation. That want to be included turned to wanting to be you. I wanted the life you had, the two parents and siblings. I wanted that."

A large amount of energy started forming around him. An energy that felt oppressive like a tsunami.

'His cursed energy. It's huge." 

"It was unfair you had friends, family and everything I wanted. The strength born from being alone that I had prided myself in, you even had that."

Masaki's voice raised, ringing throughout the forest. He pointed his sword at me looking at me with an expression of distain.

"Masa-" 

"LET ME FINISH."

I bit my lip looking at Masaki.

"When Sensei told me that he was going to train you while I had to first go on a stupid quest. I was angered half of me thought it was because you were going to leave me behind in strength. Making the only thing I had pointless. But there was another half of me that I didn't even now that was there screamed even louder. A childish but strong feeling born from envy and lose. Sensei is the only one that treats me like a human being, and I felt like you were going to take that away from me. Just like you did my strength."

I tried to walk closer seeing the hurt expression on his face. Before he swung his sword forward causing me to jump back. 

"I said let me finish. Unless you don't mind missing a limb."

Masaki held his sword, ready for me to move.

"One time my mother had come by his house because she know I was there. I couldn't even face her; I stayed in my room until Sensei came to my room. He looked at me once without saying a word he walked away. I could her distinct talking behind the door before eventually she left. I don't know what he said but she never came back. That day I gained a new perspective on sensei. This fact lingered at the back of my head for some time but just then, I noticed the way he looked at all three of us."

The energy started forming around him in a calm manner. I looked at him as the energy looked like it was growing smaller.

'Is it shrinking? No, it's not shrinking.'

In that moment I figured out what he was doing. His cursed energy was not leaking out like it was earlier now having a more refined look to it. It hadn't got smaller it had simply stopped flowing freely. I looked at him while he continued to speak. 

"He looked at us with this kind gaze and wouldn't take his eyes off us. I can tell from his face he sees us as his own children. At the moment I trained even harder than I could, to make him proud. He probably thought it was to get revenge on you, but I long had given that up. As he saw us as his children, I started growing attached and seeing you guys as family. I couldn't hurt you for the things you did even if I wanted to. I had long given up on that, my new goal isn't to beat you not for revenge but to become stronger."

Getting into a stance, Masaki looked forward taking a deep breath the anger on his face disappearing.

"Masaki I'm sorry."

I got in my stance ready to fight.

"Apologize with your fist and don't hold anything back."

We stood there looking at each other, a loud call came from a bird. With that signal I ran towards Masaki. 

Swinging his sword, I quickly dodged before trying to grab his wrist to take his weapon away. Suddenly my mouth opened wide a bit of spit falling out, before I was flung back. I hit a tree, but with my curse energy I was able to not take any big damage. 

'What did he do.'

Holding my stomach, I looked at him before noticing his form.

'He kicked me?'

"On your feet Nishimoto." 

I got on my feet before looking back at an expressionless faced Masaki. He stood there before motioning for me to come.

'I guess I'll have to use that.'

Taking a deep breath and I began using my technique. 

[Cursed technique: Copycat]

A clone appeared to my side, both of us looked at Masaki before we ran at him. Going right the clone went left both of us going to opposite sides. 

Both of us threw attacks at Masaki, trying to overpower him. I threw a punch at his face before he blocked it, the clone grabbed his blocking arm and trying to pull it. 

Masaki using his own force against him, flipped off the clone landing behind him before hitting the clone hard with the sword causing it to disappear. Using this moment to my advantage, I ran forward throwing a hard punch at Masaki. Using my cursed energy Masaki flew back even though he blocked it. 

As he flew backwards, I ran toward him once again using my technique. Four clones appeared around me.

"I hope you're ready for this one."

Looking at Masaki his eyes flashed before he took a deep breath. He pointed his sword at the ground before letting it touch the grassy floor. Feeling a slow vibration below my feet I continued forward. 

'His technique, my best option is hope that my clones and I can outperform him.'

[Cursed technique: Vibration - Form 2 - Dead Calm.]

When we got to him the first clone to approach was quickly cut down, before the rest followed. His sword hit the ground again before slashing back at the nearest thing. The clones taking the attacks tried to fight back, but their attacks were quickly deflected and countered without a second of thought.

'How was is he reacting to all of them. How is he this fast is it he's technique?"

Looking at him react to all of them, I noticed he's eyes were closed. His face looked like this was effortless like doing the attack took more focus than deflecting all of the clones.

'He's using his technique, that isn't all he's reacting with only his senses. I bet if I break his focus, he won't be able to.'

I ran in with the clones. Grabbing the back of one, using him as a shield before he disappeared. jumping on the back of another one. I leaped in the air, focusing my cursed energy into my leg preparing to do a flash kick to his head. 

Quickly opening his eyes, Masaki quicky slashed around him destroying the clones before looking up at me in the sky. 

Taking his sword to his side, he took a deep breath before swinging at me.

[Both forces meet each other in the apex of their fight, causing a clash of both warriors fighting with 100% of their capabilities. In that moment a sound of lightning screeched threw the area, it's origin? The two's clash. The two were forced back from the impact. Both confused with the lightning that was black that formed from their clash. But both looked at each other refocusing on their fight, for some reason both felt like they were operating way past their best.]

'What was that.'

Looking at Masaki, my whole body felt like it was wide open. Both of us looked at each other before smiling.

"You ready to continue?"

Masaki said to me before entering his battle stance again. Reentering my stance, I looked at him still smiling. 

"Of course."