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Rating:
Mature
Archive Warning:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category:
F/M
Fandoms:
鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)無職転生 ～異世界行ったら本気だす～ - 理不尽な孫の手 | Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu - Rifujin na Magonotemusho
Relationship:
Will be revealed later - Relationship
Characters:
Rudeus GreyratZenith GreyratPaul GreyratLilia GreyratTsugikuni YoriichiRoxy MigurdiaAsher Greyrat
Additional Tags:
CrossoverBattleSwordsMagicSwords & SorceryComplicated RelationshipsTwinsSiblingsBreathing Styles (Kimetsu no Yaiba)ReincarnationIsekai
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2024-06-06Updated:2026-07-10Words:74,115Chapters:22/?Comments:212Kudos:414Bookmarks:105Hits:22,100
The Son of The Sun And His Jobless Brother: Reincarnation's
Keylime888
Chapter 9: Chapter 7. A Day For Training
Summary:
A nice day for a Spar? Right?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Son of The Sun And His Jobless Brother: Reincarnations
A mushoku Tensei/Demon slayer.
Chapter 7.
"This day was as beautiful as any other day. The sun was just warm and bright enough to be able to take it in without the worry of getting sunburned. So perfect indeed that my father decided it was a good day to practice swordsmanship with us." Asher thought, while in a mist of practice with his father during training, of a constant barrage of sword slashes coming his way.
"My brother can't right now hold a sword in the slightest, so he was focused on conditional training. But with my concentrated breathing, I can handle the rough training of my father." Then another sword slash came, as Asher thought. Aiming directly at Asher's stomach and strong enough to instantly cause massive damage.
"But… I don't think my father doesn't know the meaning of holding back or precise teaching, unlike Master Roxy."
"Pay attention!" Paul yelled out with a smile as he was ready to swing into Asher's stomach, forgetting to hold back.
"Sorry father." Asher, then immediately jumped into the air, avoiding Paul's attack just barely.
"What!" Paul yelled out, seeing his son suddenly jump several feet into the air out of the blue.
With the movement, Asher came to think. "I could use Fire wheel right now, as I am above and behind father… No. I shouldn't. I'll just land behind him." Asher concluded before, stopping his form of movement mid-air and landing behind Paul. Deciding on not causing unnecessary harm to his father.
"Whoa… Wow, Ash. When could you do that?" Paul asked out, amazed by his boy's movement.
"Um… I just moved to dodge your sword slash. And I proceeded to jump over you." Asher explained exactly what he did.
"I know that. But how?" Paul made sure this time to go for a more direct question.
"Instincts… and just looking at the same, your blood and muscles contract," Asher said, lying at the first part.
"Deep down, it's instincts and experience from my own time fighting demons and training with the other demon-slayers. But I can't use my previous muscle memory anymore. For my body is now different, it'll probably take me years to earn that back. But also that I'm still a child, and no matter how much I push my body with concentrating breathing. In the end, I'm a child." Asher thought, before paying more attention to Paul.
"And Father. He is incredibly talented with the sword. But I get that something is being halted in his progress. Perhaps he stopped trying or something else? Either way, he is beyond strong. Just that one day, he cut through a boulder with little ease. I don't know how. He didn't even use any breathing techniques or an extremely sharp sword, opting to use a wooden one instead. and by just looking at it, he just used a basic sword slash with proper footwork." Asher thought but still found it confusing.
"But still. How did he do it? It should be impossible at any conceivable level. Maybe this country's men are just stronger. Or perhaps there is something else I'm missing. I don't know. But I'll make sure to ask Father again to demonstrate what he is doing. Perhaps he can explain better than last time." Asher thought of his father, before changing his view to Rudeus. He was working out on his lonesome, unable to have the strength to swing a sword.
"And my brother. At first, he couldn't swing a sword. So my father gave him some training so he could do so in the future. However, the training was less than Ideal for a child." Asher squeezed his lips in, recoiled from remembering the beginning.
"What Father suggested could be considered torture for any child to participate in for optimal growth. Including lifting objects even beyond me and running until your lungs collapse. They were nothing but awful to put it. So I had no other choice but to end it short. After seeing the pain caused inside my brother's muscles when I saw it in the transparent world." Asher then continued on to see Rudeus's new training.
"So I just gave anything that involves stretching out the muscles with acrobatic work. Then any muscle training is next, with pushups, squats, and something else to hit the muscle groups. And if anything is pushed beyond what could damage my brother's body, I stop it short just in case."
"Well, either way, my brother seemed pretty grateful for my advice and training. So much so that he started to call me coach. I appreciate the name, but I don't know if I want to be called that; I'd rather be called brother instead. That's what we are, aren't we? And something else just feels off. What something else…" Asher quickly sensed something was coming his way.
"Don't ever get distracted in a fight!" Pauled yelled out to Asher mockingly, swinging down hard at thinking Asher, with an unnecessary amount of power for just practice sparring.
Asher quickly sidestepped the attack, a confused look leaving Asher. With the sword Paul had used, he only hit the ground, missing Asher completely. "Father… that was not okay." Asher nearly scolds Paul.
"Heh." Paul didn't even listen before trying to deliver a devastating low kick, which came in deadly and fast.
"Fine," Asher said before an abnormal amount of concentration came out in waves of aura, before Asher jumped up in the air again, dodging Paul's rough low kick. Before promptly landing on top of Paul's head, Asher's shoes buried themselves in Paul's face, leaving a print mark on Paul's face.
"Ow…" Paul jokingly said, finding this more amusing than anything else. After that, Asher jumped up Paul's face and landed on the ground gracefully.
"Father, if we may end our session for today, I have the same request for something you did." Asher asked before seeing Paul face-to-face. "And I apologize for the mark on you; I didn't mean to do that." Asher apologized, ready to cast healing magic right there and then.
"No, it's okay. Great awareness though, and footwork. You're doing great, son." Paul nodded proudly at his son's growth on the sword. "And what is it? Oh let me guess. You want to see the boulder thing, don't you?" Paul twirled his fingers, almost teasing Asher with his wise guess, which he knew was right.
"Yes," Asher replied curtly. With a disappointed face filling Paul,
"Well… Alright, I can show you, I guess." Paul sniffled, not finding that moment any fun. Now taking his wooden sword and approaching a boulder. "Here I go…" Paul was about to begin before someone else came to watch.
"Can I watch?" Rudeus said, coming into the moment with Asher and Paul. "And how was your sparring? I was able to see some of it while working out, and now I just want to know more." Rudeus's face turns eager for the answers.
"Oh, hello there, Rudy." Paul casually greeted Rudeus with a smile.
"How was your training, Brother?" Asher asked out, checking his progress with the transparent world while talking.
"All good. And feeling even better. I think I can maybe start swinging a sword one day." Rudeus then proceeded to flex his muscles for the blank eyes of Asher and the amusement of Paul.
"I'm glad you feel that way, Brother. If you have any problems with your growth, please console me." Asher offered.
"Yeah. Thanks, Coach." Rudeus gratefully smiled back, wanting to give Asher the appreciation he deserved.
"I don't know how he can train me so well. But the results are amazing. I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger every day. It's great. People would pay big money for such coaching back in my world. And what is amazing is that he always adjusts my training every day depending on how my body looks on the inside. I don't know if that's creepy or not. But I can't argue with the results." Rudeus would reminisce about his results, nodding to himself.
"Hey! What about my training with you? Don't I get my praise here?" Paul jokingly said, like a spoiled child seeking out attention, but deep down, there was some truth in how he felt about the way his children spoke to themselves. "Then let me show you how I cut this boulder again. That'll amaze you. Ash really likes it, I think? For How many times did he ask to see?" Paul said, compromising himself back to the original subject.
"Are you just trying to boast with your adult strength, Father? Then actually teaching, well…? Mmmm." Rudeus smiled mockily.
"Dammit, I am a good instructor. It's just that Ash just learned too quickly. Either way, how about you, Rudy? Get any stronger?" Paul, noticing the conversation turning sour for himself, changed the subject.
"Ha…" Rudeus sighed. "Okay, really okay." Rudeus gently nodded with a smile, showing he knew that deep down what Paul was feeling, and letting him bathe in his incompetence.
"Okay… I'm going to go cut the boulder now." And Paul lost, deciding to get the boulder cutting out of the way first.
"Thank you, Father." Asher gratefully bowed, unaware of Paul's dejection."And thank you for the lessons in swordsmanship, Father. I am coming to understand each style steadily, thanks to you."
"*Sniffle…* Thanks, Ash." With those words given by Asher, Paul's mood and ego revives. "But something else, Asher, why do you want to see me slash the boulder again? I mean, your footwork and fundamentals are spectacular for your age, and I don't expect you to slash a boulder yet. So why see me do it?" Paul explained, deep down, not wanting to tell Asher that he only cut the boulder just to show off.
"I am aware, Father," Asher said, to the shock and surprise of Paul.
"Wait, you do!?!" Paul backed away. "Well... Um, you see…" Paul scratched his head, trying to figure a way out and play dumb as quickly as possible.
"Yes. I know I am doing everything right with the footwork and technique. So I don't know what I'm doing wrong by not being able to cut the boulder with a wooden sword." Asher added many extra details, including his disappointment in himself for his failure at the sword.
"Whew… Thank god." Paul took a sigh of relief.
Rudeus only stared at Paul, completely unamused. "Aha… Yup. You got out of that one, Father."
"...." Paul didn't respond. Only moving closer and closer back to the nearly destroyed boulder already. "Alright, boulder cutting time, number: five. Now pay attention." Paul spoke as he stood next to the boulder, which was now only a fraction of its original size. Which originally stood higher than Paul and is now only the size of Roxy.
"Yes," Asher said with intense focus. His eyes are now fixated on every move Paul will make. He was now even utilizing the transparent world to its maximum capability, just for this moment.
" I will focus on every muscle, every movement, and every one of his moves with the transparent world. There was to be something I was missing when I looked the other time. This time, I won't miss it." With that thought, Asher goes beyond the concertation of the transparent world. Not even blinking as he stares at Paul.
"Whoa… Creepy." Rudeus comments as he looks at Asher's intense staring.
"Okay… It's a step and then a nice… WHOOSH!" Paul yelled out before his sword sliced through the boulder like a piece of butter. And now with the boulder even smaller than Roxy; perhaps now the size of Rudeus and Asher forever. "How was that!" Paul bragged with a wide smile.
"Ha…" Asher sighed. Something about his face was filled with disappointment.
"Ash? What's wrong?" Paul said it with concern for his son.
"I still don't get it?" Asher then pointed at the sliced-up boulder.
Before Asher could sulk in his non-understanding, a hand was put on his back."It's okay, brother; we just need to grow up a little more. Then we can probably do something like that." Rudeus patted Asher on the back in hopes of cheering up his brother.
Asher just only took one breath of air before speaking. "Thank you, brother. There's probably some truth in your words. But I just don't know why a wooden sword can cut through a boulder like that." Asher brought up a valid reason.
"I mean…" Rudeus stopped with Asher's words.
" Wow… That is actually a good question. Just how did Paul cut a boulder with a wooden sword?" Rudeus thought, now second-guessing the legitimacy of the Boulder cutting move Paul displayed.
"This is what I'm saying. A step and a whoosh." Paul commented on Asher's inquiry.
"Father… That's a terrible explanation." Rudeus made a blunt statement.
"Mmm…" Paul almost frowned but was able to keep a straight face by the skin of his teeth. "Alright… Okay… Well, how about it, Ash, You can try slicing up the boulder, or what's left of it anyway." Paul then handed over the wooden sword to Asher.
"I'm not sure If I can cut with a wooden sword, Father," Asher explained as he grabbed the sword.
"Don't worry about it. Just swing away. And follow the moves I made." Paul brushed off Asher's concern.
"You're terrible instructions?" Rudeus raised a brow at Paul's words, smudging Paul's credibility.
Paul only smiled awkwardly, as he chose to yet again ignore Rudeus's words. "Well, c'mon. A nice strong swing, Ash."
"Okay, Ignoring me, Father? Fair game." Rudeus again commented. Nodding to Paul's action. Paul perked up just a tiny bit but was still able to focus back on Asher's own training.
" I don't know If Brother and Father are playing a game with this discussion or if they have a love-hate relationship. But now, I need to focus." Asher thought as he stepped next to the boulder, both of his hands on the handle of the wooden sword.
"Ffff…" Asher took a breath, raising the sword above his head as he got into a stance to strike the boulder.
"Such concentration," Paul commented as a fellow swordsman and not as a father overlooking his son.
" Hinokami-Kagura, Dance." Then Asher delivers one extremely powerful downward vertical slash at the boulder.
*CRASH*
With one motion of a wooden sword, a loud, breaking, crashing noise echoed throughout the entire village as a pile of debris and smoke filled the air.
"Ash!" Paul screamed out in worry as he charged into the center of the event. Leaving a bewildered Rudeus alone.
As Pauled walked towards the center of the near-like explosion, he saw his son, Asher, standing near the same boulder. The boulder wasn't sliced apart like predicted, but it now had a massive, visible indent where Asher had struck it.
"I'm sorry, Father. But it looks like I wasn't able to do it." Asher bowed apologetically. Disappointment filled his face as he held the now completely broken wooden sword. It had shattered during the strike, unable to handle the power used against the stone boulder.
"*Cough* *Cough*" Paul coughed as he swatted away dust in the air. "By Saint Milis, I don't think you should be saying that. You practically and nearly destroyed the boulder, Ash. And not only that, you destroyed the sword. So I think you did great." Paul gave his praise as a proud sword instructor. Patting Asher on the back.
"Still… I couldn't cut it." Asher said, trying to stay humble, and staying true to his original goal.
" It's just… No matter how good your technique is with the sword, you can't compensate a wooden sword for an iron one. No matter how much you try, it won't change the reality of you holding a wooden one. So how did Father slice through a boulder as if he were holding an iron sword?" Asher asked himself. "Asking Father won't result in an answer. So who? Who can explain this unnatural phenomenon?"
"Ahaha. There is nothing to worry about, Ash. You'll get there… soon." Paul said, on the surface, encouraging his son, but deep down.
" I can't believe Ash can do that! With that power, he can probably destroy the house by just accidentally swinging his arms too hard. But at least I have something over him. And that's cutting a boulder. And… Being somewhat better at the three styles of swordsmanship. But at the rate he's going. He's going to surpass me. But hey. At least Rudy is normal at the sword."
" But there is something else that is weird. Sometimes Ash uses moves I swear I've never seen or heard of. I don't even know if I can just chalk it up to just being North God style. It almost feels like its own style in its entirety."
" Well, as a father and his instructor, I can't help but feel inferior now. But I am still proud. I just can't believe I thought Ash was weak. But now, when I see him fight, It's like I'm fighting a plant with monstrous strength. On the surface, he seems weak and brittle, but the second he gets serious, a blade is near your neck. Terrifying." Paul thought before patting Asher on the head.
"Yeah. I'll say that was pretty cool, myself. But also scary. Just how did you swing a sword that hard?" Rudeus asked the question, forgetting the answer.
" Oh, wait. I forgot. He said that he breathed to get stronger, and he didn't understand how exactly it worked. But maybe he does now." Rudeus thought, hoping for an in-depth explanation of Asher's strength. " Maybe I'll be able to use it. But then. Maybe the training he gave me was for me to get as strong as him, from his x-ray vision and talent." Rudeus nodded, acknowledging Asher with his assumed realization. "Deep down, Ash is a great coach."
"Form, footwork, angle of the swing, and the complete concentration on my breathing to achieve massive strength," Asher stated blankly and casually. Deciding on not going in-depth into everything, "But perhaps I'll explain more if you wish, brother."
"Aye, aye, coach." Rudeus gave a salute, much to the confusion of Asher.
"I… Okay, I'll take that then as a yes." Asher allowed it, coming to terms with now being called "Coach." Just a little.
"Well, let's get back home. I think that was more than enough training." Paul gestured as he started walking towards home.
"Yeah. I'm starving after that workout." Rudeus stretched as he walked towards the home.
" I wish these moments could last a little longer. But Zenith, Lilia, and Master Roxy are waiting." Asher thought before following behind Rudeus and Paul.
With the three male family members entering the house, the first person to greet them is Lilia. Giving them a wet towel before bowing and heading back to Zenith's side.
"Hello there, Ash and Rudy. What was that noise? Did Rudeus use magic to cause that explosion?" Roxy said, directing her question to Paul.
"Oh, that? Yeah… Ash did that." Paul said it with hesitation.
"Ash used magic—" Roxy tried to say before she was interrupted.
"No, Master Roxy. Ash swung his sword so hard that it caused an explosion." Rudeus said, praising his brother's accomplishment.
"Really!?!" Roxy said it with massive, wide eyes. "And so young, amazing Ash." Then Roxy, planted one hand on Asher's head, giving him a head pat. Enjoying her little guilty pleasure of patting Asher.
" It's really relaxing just to do this. I don't even know How to describe how nice it is to do this with Ash." Roxy thought, melting her arm away into Asher's head.
Asher just allowed it to happen, "I don't know why she does it. But it's not bothering me. And I feel like questioning her might not be wise…"
"Well, isn't my Ash so amazing?" Zenith picked Asher up, to Roxy's disappointment.
"Yeah, he's so amazing that he beat Father during the spare," Rudeus commented, mostly just trying to make fun of Paul.
"Hey! I was going easy on him." Paul said, convincing himself to be humble.
"So you going easy on Ash means you sneaking up behind him while he was talking?" Rudeus said with a cocky smile, knowing full well he had won.
"Hey! I gave him a warning and a lesson in one go. You shouldn't talk during a fight." Paul reasoned with an excuse.
"But wasn't it supposed to be just a spare, Father? You could've hurt me if you hit me that hard." Asher said it almost like he had experience. "You need to be able to hold back at the very least." Asher scolded Paul, accidentally gaining the fury of Zenith.
"Honey! Did you seriously almost try to hurt Ash in your sparring!" Zenith yelled out, ready to scold her husband.
"What! No, no, no." Paul quickly went into damage control. In the end, he gets smacked by Zenith." Ow!"
"Honestly, Honey. You need to think more when you train our boys." Zenith said, now with her anger subsiding with the smack she delivered to Paul, now only apprehending her husband.
"Sorry…" Paul's head went low, admitting defeat.
"Ha…" Rudeus smirked with victory.
"Are we mocking, Father? I don't think that's okay." Asher said, catching the attention of everyone.
"Oh, Ash… I knew you had a soft spot for me." Paul cried, embracing his son.
"It's only right to not pick on the already defeated," says Asher, with his own principles.
"Pftt… HAHAHAha!" Rudeus completely bursts out in laughter. He could not contain what Asher had just said to his own father.
Paul only froze, his soul getting completely crushed in the moment. With all of the others barely able to contain their laughter, even Lilia at the back could not help but smirk.
With all of them coming to an agreement, "Yeah, you had that coming, Paul."
Only leaving Asher completely confused, unaware of what he had just done accidentally to his now destroyed father's psyche. With one sentence, he had crushed a man's pride, only leaving a husk of a man.
"Well, thank you for the food," Asher said, deciding to just enjoy the feast prepared by Lilia and Zeniths. Letting the day pass by, until nighttime.
The two brothers, Asher and Rudeus, mostly used their time and practice, making figures out of stone magic with their time in their shared room. Until Roxy came knocking on their door.
I remember a comment from a person who said that he wanted to know how Asher looked and said that he'd maybe draw him. So I'm like bet, Let me do that real quick. Rather than describing Asher's appearance, I just drew him.
With the power of one mechanical pencil and some Crayola color pencils, boom! Asher. And my idea was just to combine Asher and young Yoriichi in a chimera-like fusion.
I came to realize I don't know How to draw anime characters, so my first sketch was, Ehhhhh....
Then I watched a quick tutorial. And got the relative gist. The hair is rough, and the slayer mark looks like just some blood splatter.
The eyes were drawn red, then I realized that they were supposed to be green, because of genetics. So the eyes look darker than necessary. And just imagine that the hair is blonde.
Also, he looks older than I wanted, and maybe the jaw needs to be sharper. Or squishier to look younger
Asher
Notes:
More of a nice moment of 3 Greyrats during their time training. And one big question for Asher.
Poor Paul. ;(.
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tip: "uchiha sasuke/uzumaki naruto" angst kudos>10
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Mature
Archive Warning:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category:
F/M
Fandoms:
鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)無職転生 ～異世界行ったら本気だす～ - 理不尽な孫の手 | Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu - Rifujin na Magonotemusho
Relationship:
Will be revealed later - Relationship
Characters:
Rudeus GreyratZenith GreyratPaul GreyratLilia GreyratTsugikuni YoriichiRoxy MigurdiaAsher Greyrat
Additional Tags:
CrossoverBattleSwordsMagicSwords & SorceryComplicated RelationshipsTwinsSiblingsBreathing Styles (Kimetsu no Yaiba)ReincarnationIsekai
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2024-06-06Updated:2026-07-10Words:74,115Chapters:22/?Comments:212Kudos:414Bookmarks:105Hits:22,100
The Son of The Sun And His Jobless Brother: Reincarnation's
Keylime888
Chapter 10: Chapter 8. A world of Culture.
Summary:
Brother bonding.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Son of The Sun And His Jobless Brother: Reincarnations
A mushoku Tensei/Demon slayer.
Chapter 8.
Just before Roxy came knocking through the door of the brother's room, Asher and Rudeus were experimenting on their figure collection, with Asher speaking first.
"Brother, I have come to realize something." Asher got the attention of Rudeus, with his focus shifting from his figures to Asher.
"Yeah, what is it? You have a question about the figures?" Rudeus assumed.
"No. not that. I feel my mana capacity has run dry already. What about you?" Asher said it in a way to find something out.
"Um… Honestly, I feel completely fine." Rudeus checked internally for himself: "I can probably go on to make 10 more figures." Rudeus proclaimed truthfully.
"I see… I don't think I can ever make one anymore if I do. I think I will pass out." Asher said, getting Rudeus's attention.
"Seriously?" Rudeus paid extra attention to Asher. His face was getting closer to his brother. "Wait? But then that wouldn't make any sense. We spent the same amount of time using our mana reserves equally. Even if I started a little earlier, we should still have relatively the same mana." Rudeus expressed his own theory regarding how mana capacity works.
"Yes, I know, brother. Still, compared to you, the number of spells you can cast will leave me completely depleted, or worse, unconscious." Asher explained.
"So… Ah, Then we probably need to brainstorm it some more?" Rudeus guessed. Finding Asher's words to be something to be studied more.
"Hm…" Asher turned just a little sour, catching Rudeus.
"What's wrong?" Rudeus said worriedly.
"Nothing. Just thinking. Maybe that book we read about someone's mana capacity being set on birth has some truth to it." Not wanting his brother to worry for him, Asher tried to reassure Rudeus with his words.
"But we know it was a load of bogus," Rudeus stated the previously formulated conclusion when he first started magic.
"I am aware. But it seems more like there may be one truth in the words of the book." Asher brought an interesting proposition.
"Please continue." Catching Rudeus's attention fully now.
"What if we take what the book said about the capacity of someone's mana being preordained as only half of the truth." Asher stopped, waiting for Rudeus to give his response, wanting his brother to engage.
"So…" Rudeus put a finger on his lips to think, and then a lightbulb came alive. "Are you implying that someone's maximum mana capacity is set from birth, with the exhaustion of the depleting mana being the only way to reach it—having a limit?" Rudeus theorized.
"That's one way to say it. But yes, I do think so. But I think everything just has a certain potential limit in someone's magic reserves. So, brother, you simply have a higher aptitude for magical reserves. You should feel proud." Asher smiled warmly as a sign of congratulations to his brother. With no trace of jealousy found inside of Asher.
"Um, why are you so happy for me? Shouldn't you be more upset to have less potential than me?" Rudeus didn't want to make it come off as condescending to Asher, but more realist questioning.
"Why does he look so content with his words? It's like he's just so happy to know I'm good at something. That IM… Better than him? That makes no sense. I would feel jealous immediately if I were worse at magic than him. And honestly, I am jealous of him. He is just so much better at swordplay than me, and that is frustrating. But now that I know I have a better potential in magic than him... It kind of makes me happy in a way. So why be happy for me? Dammit. Is he just that much of a good person?" Rudeus's sense of ego slowly begins to fade away with Asher's severe kindness.
"Why wouldn't I be happy for you, brother? You're amazing. Just spending time with you brings me joy." True; every single word spoken was true to Asher's heart. There was no way for Rudeus could mistake anything else as a lie.
"Ha…" Rudeus sighed, a saddened forming in himself. "Sorry. You're amazing, brother. And I'm sorry for even thinking anything else." Then Rudeus bowed, confusing Asher.
"Wha… Brother, you don't need to apologize for anything." Asher quickly came to Rudeus's side, wanting to comfort his brother quickly."I admire you, brother. I know you'll do amazing things in the future. You're smart, hardworking, and every bit more talented than me."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better. I'm not all that."
"But it's true. You were able to figure out how to read at such an early age and then proceed to spend your time studying magic. You're nothing less than an amazing brother," Asher says nonchalantly, as if it were natural for him. With Asher staying beside Rudeus, comforting him as he embraced him from behind, almost like a mother would for her child,
" *Sniff* Thanks… But you should take some credit yourself for how cool you are." Rudues parted from Asher's embrace, then expressed his own admiration for Asher.
"I'll try to take that to heart." Asher gratefully accepts the words, with a joyous smile. "But what I find truly admirable, brother, is this figure-making activity you made for us. I'm really having fun making them with you." Asher expressed real fondness for the activity.
"This admittedly stroked Rudeus's ego, turning his saddened eyes into a look of excitement as he felt a new connection with his brother through his particular hobby.
"Really!?!" Rudeus's eyes glowed with bright eyes of comradery as his fist clenched with anticipation. I can't believe you find making figures as amazing as I do." Clenching his fists, Rudeus could barely hold on to his inter otaku as he shook with excitement. "SO! What makes it so interesting for you?" Rudeus really wanted an answer.
Seeing this display of enthusiasm from his brother, Asher answers honestly. "It's truly sophisticated to say. I find the time and passion poured into them to be truly admirable. It makes it feel like I'm pouring my soul into an object and creating a beautiful piece of art with my own sense of self. Like it's my one-of-a-kind creation."
"I know, right?" Rudeus's eyes were bright with passion, but he quickly calmed down. "Well, I wouldn't put it like that, but you do get it nonetheless." Rudeus nodded in agreement as a connection formed between his passion and his brother's newfound passion.
"I'm glad you feel that way, brother. I just wish I was as good as you at making figures." Asher said as he held out his brother's stone figures.
It was just an unrefined prototype and still needs to be a fully visualized version of a person or thing. And still, the way Asher held it made it seem more than it really was.
"Huh?" Rudeus was incredibly confused as his face contorted. "How? Yours are so much better than mine; the anatomy and proportions are just so much better than mine; it's like you're a young Da Vinci. Well, I guess having the x-ray vision help…" Rudues whispers to himself. His confidence went out with his words, like water to a fire.
"Da Vinci?" Asher said, as he questioned the voice of that name.
"Ah… Just some cool artists I heard in a book." Rudeus nervously said, only his voice wanting to quickly change the subject with a cool tone."Anyhow, the statement still stands. Your figures are still thousands of times better than mine. Frankly, I'm jealous."
"Hm, well. I can simply replicate the anatomy of a person perfectly with just my eyes. And yet, it will have no real soul, and I can't be creative at all." Asher laid his head low, yet a visual love for one of Rudeus's figures could be seen in his eyes as he held it.
"Huh?" Rudeus couldn't understand Asher's words, yet he still stayed silent, first listening before speaking again.
"You're just amazing, Brother. Your figures have so much care and passion inside them. I can just immediately tell that it's yours by the creativity you give every single one of them." Asher smiled gently as he looked back at Rudeus.
"Yeah. No wonder you can tell the difference. Mine are awful. I don't know If I will ever get to your level of craftsmanship." Rudeus quickly downplayed himself, frowning as he took one of his figures.
"Please don't say that. The line and structuring of the figures can be easily learned by hard work, Brother. It's just a matter of time and patience. What you truly have is that creative and artistic drive in every figure that I do not." Asher quickly elaborated to get Rudeus's motivation back.
"I don't quite get it. But I think I can somewhat understand the idea. Hard work can fix the structure of my statues. But my own style will shine through more. Is that right?" Rudeus guessed. "I am not really a philosopher. So…"
"It's okay. I get it. You don't need to complicate it," Asher reassured Rudeus.
"But… Should I continue?" Rudeus asked. Uncertain, his confidence faltered with the words.
"I cannot answer, so all I can say is do what feels right for you." Asher nearly gave out a robotic answer.
"I see…" Rudeus laid his head down. Finding his brother's words to be hopeless, he loses confidence in himself. He himself nearly gave up again in pursuit of a passion.
"But as a brother and someone who loves your figure, do please continue. I'd love to see what you'll create in the future. I want to see the true, visualized version of what you can imagine and the passion of the figures. So I can say I'm more of a fan for your work than my own, Brother." Rudeus gave out his second answer, bringing Rudeus back from his depression slump.
"I fan… Huh." Rudeus nods. His face was shining bright at the moment, "I kind of feel proud now again." Rudeus huffs boastfully.
"You weren't?" Never understanding why Rudeus could ever have doubts about his abilities, Asher asks.
"Well… I did. But now that I have a fan who admires my work, why should I? And you should feel proud, too. Because I'm your fan now." Rudeus answered. Smiling as he points at Asher, awaiting an answer
"I'll take it with pride." Asher smiled gratefully.
"Just having my own brother as someone who admires my work is more than enough to fill my heart with joy." Asher thought that his brother's admiration was more than enough to spark a fire of joy, filling his heart fully, for it only took his brother to give Asher the world. He is now only grasping his heart with a smile. "I just hope it doesn't jump out of my chest."
"You know. It's hard to guess what Asher is feeling sometimes. But I can, with confidence, say he feels happy. Maybe some more praise his way might break his icy heart." Rudeus could only guess right. But he was 99 percent confident in his answer.
"There there, brother." Rudeus then performed the widest smile he could muster as he looked at Asher and patted his back. "Let's both try to improve as he travels this world of art and culture." Rudeus firmly stated the future as he looked up, almost as if he were triumphantly looking at the sun
"Hm?" Asher didn't quite understand Rudeu's passionate statement but still nodded along captivatingly.
"But you know. I didn't expect to realize how much of a cultural guy you are, Brother. I guess I can say you are a true man of culture and art." Rudeus nodded to his own statement, finding the words he used to be perfect.
"Um… Thank you." Asher only took the word with honor. "I don't know what else to say. I could of said something else there. But. Your words mean a lot to me, brother. I'll take them all to heart."
"Well. I don't think you should take everything I say to heart." Rudeus nervously rubbed the back of his head as he tried to laugh it off.
" Someone like me really shouldn't be looked up to too much. But hey. I guess I'm doing something right if my younger brother is so amazed by me. So go me." Rudeus congratulated himself in his mind. "Maybe I am a good older brother. Even though I'm like a couple of minutes older than him,"
"No, brother. I will." Asher quickly grabbed Rudeus's hand, holding it tightly.
"Well… If you say so." Rudeus could only muster a musing smile, as his hand was almost getting crushed by Asher's pressure. "Can you let go? My hand might break." Rudeus respectfully asked.
"Sorry." Asher quickly let go as he bowed quickly in solace, "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry, brother."
"No, it's alright. But one more second of that, and my hands were going to be gone." Rudeus laughed as if it were a funny joke.
The gesture did little to alleviate Asher's worry. "Mm…" Asher only looked on, his face still worried.
"You can cast healing on me if you would like?" Rudeus offered, knowing the only way to make his brother feel better was by letting him heal his slightly hurt arm.
Asher gratefully attempted as he silently healed Rudeu's hands to full health. "There, brother. All better. And I'm sorry for hurting you." Yet again, Asher apologized.
" Man… I have to change the conversation quickly before brother begins apologizing profusely again." Rudeus quickly thought, knowing full well how old it could get. "He always does this when he accidentally hurts someone, even Paul. Like c'mon. I would love to beat the crap of Paul any day and just smile. But Asher. He'll probably bow his head on the ground if he ever does something like that."
"You know. You really are just like a ray of goodness. Maybe you'll grow up as a great hero or something like that." Rudeus spoke, wanting to praise him so he could steer the conversation somewhere else.
"I wouldn't say that… I haven't accomplished anything to be called a hero." Something about the way Asher phrased his words sounded so sad. Just like he knew he wouldn't be one.
"Hm…" Rudeus perked up his lips as he looked at Asher solemnly. "You don't know that. But I think it's more of my imagination than anything else. But I definitely hope you do accomplish great things, brother. And that's coming from your older brother." Rudeus smiled with pride as he tried to perk up Asher with a pat on the back.
Asher just nodded as he smiled, but then dropped it as he remembered. "Still, if I have something that I need to accomplish, brother, it would be to get back to Japan and find Muzan and my brother. But leaving all of you to selfishly pursue the fate of my previous life. I don't know. Just what does the divine want me to do then…?" Asher paused, unsure of how to think or where to begin in formulating an idea of what he truly wanted. Then Asher only sighed longingly as he looked back at Rudeus.
"Anyway, brother. I'm thankful you see so much in me to say that." Asher mustarded, deciding to just answer his brother before dwelling deep into his thoughts.
"No problem." Rudeus jokingly spoke as he pulled out a tongue and gave a thump up towards Asher.
"Ha…" Asher would only smile as he patted Rudeus on the head."I appreciate the gesture, brother."
"That's just what any good older brother should do." Rudeus was humble yet confident as he spoke. "Yet, I think I'm supposed to do the head pats." Rudeus then would sniffle, feeling like he was the younger one in the situation.
Just for this moment, Asher felt at peace, melting away in his older brother's tiny, roundabout emotions and playful musings. Just then, a loud knock came.
*Knock*
"Oh… that must be Miss Roxy," Asher said as he got up quickly, snapping Asher out of his previous blissful daze.
"OH!" Rudeus even more excitedly spoke, as he awaited Roxy's arrival.
*Clank*
As the door crackled open, there stood a huffing Roxy, her knees weak, sweat rivering across her head like a stream of raindrops. As she held a load of books, far too heavy for her frame.
"Master Roxy. Let me help." Asher quickly grabbed the load of books that Roxy held, bearing the load on himself now.
"Thank you, Ash. And wow, still strong as ever." Roxy spoke as if it were natural for Asher to hold a stack of heavy books. "Just put them in the room; we'll be studying in your room." Roxy said as he took in a big, much-needed breath of air.
"I appreciate it, Master Roxy." Asher only politely bowed.
"Yay!" Only Rudeus showed real, evident excitement as he flew his arms in the air.
"Hello there, Rudy. It's time for your nighttime lectures. Guess what I'm teaching today?" Roxy twirled her finger as he awaited the guess from Rudeus.
"More magic!" Rudeus excitedly proclaimed.
"Nope. That's what we do outdoors. What we really are going to do is study the geography of the world. And everything else that is important." Roxy proclaimed the right answer as she smiled, excited to teach something new to the boys.
"Oh… Okay." Rudeus was less excited than he was a second ago, yet he was still oddly ready for the lesson either way. Like he was looking forward to something else in the lesson.
"The geography of the world… That's. I can find out what the world really looks like. Does the outside world really have the information of the whole world at its disposal? This… It's exactly what I was looking for. Perhaps I can find Japan and know more about what I can do to get there." Asher eagerly sat himself up as he paid extra attention to Roxy's lesson.
"I have to. I need to find out everything about the world. Just then I can plan out what to do."
And so Asher waited patiently as Roxy began the lesson. But as it went by,
Asher's world and logic collapsed.
Notes:
After taking like a 2-day break to relax work out and focus on other things, I got sad with life. Damn, that's sad. P.S.: don't let the voices win.
Also, it is kind of hard to get back to writing when you take a break because you kind of need to catch up with yourself again and how you were thinking when writing before. It's like getting in the flow of things and then taking yourself out by force, only to find it hard to get back into it. But it also let me think about where to take the story now.
Anyhows' enjoy.
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