158 Water Nightmare Chimeras (2/2)
Ed retracted his blue scales, easily returning to the looks of an ordinary human. Curious to the full effects of his new body, he transformed his thumb back into a crocodilian claw. He slashed hard at his arm, creating a large gash in his wrist. Despite the wound being fairly deep, his blood didn't rush out. Instead, a blue gelatin-like blood slowly dripped down. 'I see.' He nodded. 'It's like putting thicker oil in a leaky machine. It'll leak much slower as a result.' Only a few drops of his blood managed to fall before the wound closed completely on its own.
'I wonder if I can survive having my head blown off as long as my mana-core survives?' He rubbed his chin as he glanced at the only surviving monkey. It seemed Haru had made progress while he had been busy, as the monkey was now happily riding on his shoulder. However, Haru still hadn't managed to revert his transformation. He and Hina would make quite the sight together with their odd skin colors.
Ed walked towards Haru, prepared to crush the monkey's skull to test whether they could survive such an injury. However, when he got close, Haru looked up at him with sparkling eyes. ”I named him Scrub!” He excitedly proclaimed.
”Scrub...” Ed stopped in his tracks, regaining his wits.
”Right, what do you think?” Haru smiled.
'He's still just a kid.' Ed closed his eyes and sighed to himself. 'Forget it. Maybe it's better if I don't know my limits. Lord knows what kind of suicidal fighting style I'll adopt if I learn I can survive with my head blasted to pieces. ”Why Scrub?” He asked as he opened his eyes.
”Why?” Haru rubbed his head while blushing. ”He's kind of small, so I thought it made sense... Also, he rubs his hands together a lot.”
Ed glanced at the monkey again, and it was indeed rubbing its hands together. It almost looked like a greedy business man plotting against others. Overall, Ed's impression of it had just shot up several points. ”It's time to return.” He said.
”Like this?” Haru grimaced as he glanced at his skin.
”Hey, at least you'll match your girlfriend better now.” Ed teased as he created light from his mana batteries to light up the darkness. Silver flames shot from his feet as he rushed forward.
”She's not my girlfriend!” Haru protested as he hurriedly followed behind, Scrub still riding on his shoulder. He easily managed to keep up with Ed, who purposefully remained close to the ground for him to follow. ”Hey!” He shouted as he ran next to him. ”Are you really one to talk when you're going to war with your girlfriend's sect?”
Ed nearly fell from the skies as he stumbled from shock. ”I don't have a girlfriend in the sect.” He glared at Haru.
”Sure, sure.” Haru grinned. ”Just like I don't have one.”
”Childish.” Ed snorted. 'This brat is getting a bit ahead of himself.' He deactivated his mana batteries and released his silver flames, returning the world to darkness. Blue ice appeared on the ground as he landed, pushing him forward rapidly like a surfer riding the wave. ”Have fun finding your way back!” He yelled as he left Haru behind in the dark wasteland.
”How am I the one being childish?!” Haru yelled in shock as he struggled to keep up. He was fast enough, but his eyesight didn't quite match up with Ed's. He slammed into trees several times, quickly falling behind. ”Sensei!” He shouted repeatedly in a panicked voice.
...
The next day. Ed was leisurely resting in bed in his room at Tai's mansion.He didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky, indicating it was well past noon. He yawned and stretched as he left his comfy bed. 'I really need to start sleeping more.' He thought as he scratched his stomach. He activated his powers, quickly cleaning himself. Then he changed into his black robe and left the room. As he walked down the stairs, the front door of the mansion swung open.
”Sensei!” Haru pouted as he entered the mansion. His body was covered in dirt and twigs. Scrub was playfully yanking at his hair, treating it like a game. The young boy looked like he was ready to break into tears.
”Haru!” Ed grinned. ”You shouldn't stay out so late. Sensei was so worried!” He struggled to contain his laughter.
Haru frowned but remained silent. He slowly trudged up the stairs, walking past Ed to head towards his room. Bang! His door slammed shut behind him.
The nearby butler that had opened the door had an awkward expression on his face as he watched. ”The boy is still young...” He said, trying to comfort Ed. ”I'm sure he'll understand your intent as he gets older.”
Ed chuckled. ”My intent? And what exactly would that be?” He asked.
”Naturally to build character.” The butler confidently answered. ”For a young esper to travel the wilderness alone. It may seem dangerous, but such a thing is relatively safe in this area for cultivators. The boy may have been scared, but he'll come out stronger for this in the end.” He rose his chest a bit. ”I still remember when Young Master Tai- I mean Sect Leader Long, was young. His father put him through all sorts of trials and tribulations to help build his character.”
”Is that so.” Ed laughed, knowing that deep down he was just being petty for the boy daring to tease him back. As the teacher, he felt completely justified in harassing his student, but his student definitely shouldn't be harassing him. He cheerfully walked past the butler, entering the dining room.
The butler followed him into the dining room. ”What can I get for you?” He respectfully asked.
”A big meal.” Ed answered. ”Bacon. Eggs. Pancakes. Steak. Rice.” He listed off over a dozen different items, some of which typically eaten at breakfast and others at dinner, despite it currently being lunch time.
”Right away.” The butler replied while entering the kitchen to pass the order to the cook.
A brief moment of waiting later, the door to the dining room opened again, and Tai entered inside. ”Ed!” He smiled. ”I'm glad you're here. I wanted to discuss a plan with you for the upcoming war. We only have a couple days left.”