The leader raises his hand and it starts shining bright, I can't move or look away and slowly I start feeling cold...my energy is leaving me...I may not admit it but I always wanted a more exciting life...a story worth telling but guess I won't get that after all...Well...maybe it's for the better...

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Suddenly they all looked around surprised as one of them shouted "Above!".

As soon as he did, all of them moved away from me as a man slammed right into the ground where they stood with his fists. I was too weak to even speak but I knew who it was.

"Oroshi?? How did he find us here??" One of them said.

"Did you really think that you could hide your presence with such a low level stealth spell? Who are you and what do you want?" Oroshi said as he looked to the thugs.

"That doesn't concern you, old fart, hand the Keeper over or you'll die." The man said.

"Keeper...no way.." Oroshi mumbles to himself, then looks to them again. "You got the wrong person, my grandson is no Keeper, I am. And even if he was, I wouldn't give him over to some cowards that had to sneak up on him during night to even stand a chance." Oroshi smirked.

"Tsk...you're going to die old man, die!" The leader formed an even larger energy fist around his arm as he started to run towards Oroshi.

Oroshi got into a stance as his bones started cracking. The man slammed the energy hand right into Oroshi.

"Was it worth it old man...what?! You grabbed it with your bare hand??" The thug said.

"Hahaha! You're fighting the great Oroshi, Saviour of the Hatagano clan, King of Rats!" Do you really think a punch will stop me?" Oroshi smiled.

"You're full of yourself!" The thug said as he tried to pull his energy arm away, with no success.

"W-what..Let me go! Help me you idiots." He continued as his 3 comrades started running towards Oroshi as well.

"Way too slow..." Oroshi said as the hand that was holding the energy fist started growing hair..The hair got larger and larger until it started penetrating the energy fist itself.

Even before his allies reached him, cracks formed on the energy fist and it blew up into thousands of pieces that then turned into pure energy.

"No wa---" The thug couldn't believe his eyes but was interrupted by Oroshi who grabbed his actual hand now. Oroshi pulled him closer and punched him right into his gut, sending him flying right into one of his mates.

The other 2 stopped and looked back at their 2 injured comrades. Surprisingly their leader managed to stay conscious and stand up after the punch. He raised his hand and tried forming his energy fist again which was blinking now like a broken light bulb.

"What...what did you do to me?!" He said.

"Your energy should be disrupted for a while, now the rest of you.." Oroshi smirked as he got into a stance.

"...R-retreat!" Even though most of his face was covered there was pure fear in his eyes. As soon as he said that, they started running into the forest.

"You won't get away!" Oroshi said "Greater Summoning Spell!" He raised his hand as a magic circle appeared in front of him and hundreds of rats of all shapes and sizes came out, running into the forest.

Oroshi was about to go as well but turned to his grandson.

"Bastards...I knew this day would come...they are back...I have to get him to safety.." Oroshi picked Kazuki up, carrying him out of the forest.

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"Where...am I...?"

"This place...It's so cold...am I dead..?"

"No Kazu...you're not dead..."

"That voice...where are you..?"

"I cannot tell you that...your life almost found an end but you will live."

"...You're different now...this place lost it's warmth...why don't you show yourself?!"

"I can't...I depend on you Kazuki and I grow weak...I was selfish...Too selfish for just a voice in your head...I will always love you but I have to go. Farewell Kazuki Hatagano.."

"What...don't leave me...you can't! I thought you said you'll always be here for me..Why? Why do you do this!?"

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"He's alive, but his hearbeat and energy flow are very weak...He just needs some rest and it'll be fine..." Baba said as she put her hand on Kazuki's forehead, it started glowing slightly for a few seconds before it stopped.

"My Kazu...who did this to you..?" She said.

Oroshi was standing in the room behind her, he noticed that a rat ran to him and up his shoulder, it almost seemed like it was whispering something to him.

"They escaped...How..? My animals know this area better than anyone, yet they left without a trace...This is more serious than I thought, I'll have to leave the rats to guard the area, maybe summon even some larger ones...This can't be ignored." Oroshi said.

"What are you going to do dear..?" Baba turned to him.

"I can't do much right now, I'll summon the council to an emergency meeting tomorrow, maybe now they'll be willing to involve the capital.." Oroshi says.

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What is this place...it's so blurry...am I dreaming..? I must be...

"Congratulations Miss Hatagano! It's a healthy boy!" The man in white said.

"My...my K-kazuki.." The woman held a baby..show me her face damn it!

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"What do you mean his energy flow is almost nonexistent?! The future of the Hatagano clan, my oldest grandson can't cast spells?!"

"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing we can do.."

Why are their faces hidden...what is this world??

"Grampa..? What is that person talking about..?" A young child said.

"Don't worry about it my brave warrior..." His grandfather kneeled down in front of him "Let's go home.."

"Carry me on your back!" The kid shouts.

The old man smiled "..Of course."

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"Dan seems to be making progress, he's already capable of performing rank 2 spells at the age of 6..." a female voice says.

"...Kazuki is still struggling though...I don't think it's a matter of time Oroshi...he just can't" She continued.

"Don't say that! He's...maybe struggling now but he'll be the greatest warrior this world has ever seen..!" The man next to her answered.

"Ow!...Babaaaaaa!!!!" A child's voice shouts.

"Oh dear..Kazuki, are you alright?!" The woman runs to him, helping him.

"I...I hurt my leg.." The child sobbed.

"Don't worry...Baba is here...there there it's alright.." She casted a small heal spell over the spot.

"Now want me to get you some cookies?"

"Mhm!" the child nods.

The man sighed "You're spoiling him too much Kaya, he's supposed to be a warrior! Look at Dan! He's on his best way to become a great warrior!"

"Shush! Don't listen to him Kazuki...Let's go inside.." The woman said as she turned Kazuki away, leading him into the house.

"Baba...I wanna be a warrior too!" The child says.

"Don't worry Kazu..you will be one..in fact, you already are." Baba answered.

"R-really..?"

"Yes sweetie, you're very strong and brave..now let's get you those cookies." The woman said

"Mhm!" The child nods.

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Up to that point, I never had any real powers, I could barely cast a spell and people with sensing abilities would just see me as a normal human. I was a disgrace to the Hataganos.

Even though my grandfather loved me as a grandson, he could never accept my failure and never gave up on teaching me. I never gave up either, I wanted to make him proud, I kept reading books, trying out all ways to finaly chain and focus my energy into a proper spell but...I never could...Well, that was until...

"Grandfather!" I ran up to him "I've found a book about some weird magic tarot cards, how they work and how to make them!"

"Eh? Tarot cards?" He took the book. "Ah, I see you found a book about the major arcana spells. An old and forgotten way of casting spells."

"Yes! I've read it! Why did you never mention this! These cards are the perfect way for me to actually do something!" I say

"You see my dear grandson, the major arcana aren't too practical, They are cards, take quite some time to be made and prepared and aren't usually worth the trouble. Some ancient mages used them as a last resort or a surprise attack but I don't know if you can fight with them only.."

"Did you...did you also give up on me grandfather..? Our family, father and Baba, they all just kept talking but never truly believed in me and now even you..."

"No Kazuki!...I..." The old man looked to me "...You're right, I started doubting you...I'm horrible..."

"I'll prove it to you too! I'm not a disgrace or a failure, look!"

I pulled out a card and held it towards a small empty field

"Fire ball!" I said as a fireball came out of the card, flying across the field and eventually hitting the ground.

Oroshi couldn't believe his eyes.

"K-Kazuki! Where did you find that?!" Oroshi shouts.

"There were those plain cards in the box where I found the book and you taught this spell to Dan just last week and I thought I could try it myself.."

"You developed that yourself?!" Oroshi said. "That spell isn't part of the major arcana, he really did create it himself...but how, and where did he find that book..? Maybe he gave it to him..." Oroshi thought.

"Grandpa..?"

"Ah--- I'm sorry I ever doubted you Kazuki...guess there are ways to use the tarot cards in better ways than our ancestors did...Come, there are a few more books on the Major Arcana in the library." Oroshi smiled as we went to the family library together.

At the age of 10 I started studying the Major Arcana, using the original spells I found but also creating my own.

Of course even the cards had their limits, I couldn't seal everything I wanted and the stronger the spell was, the more time I needed to seal and then release them which was a big problem.

Still it was great, my grandfather was finally proud of me.

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"Burning spear!" I threw a few cards at some wooden targets which then blew up.

"You're doing great great my little warrior! Your attacks are getting faster." Oroshi smiled.

"But can you...think fast?!" He said as he sent a small energy blast towards me, It didn't take it a whole second to reach me but I managed to pull out a card and punch the blast with it, nullifying it.

Oroshi smiled at me. "That's my grandson."

We continued training but soon after that..

"G-grampa!" Dan ran up to us on the training grounds, he was sobbing and his eyes were filled with tears.

"What is it Dan?" Oroshi said as we turned to him.

"Daddy is acting weird, he's . . ."

We ran...I never saw Oroshi run so fast.

The house was so far away...

It was cold...his room was even colder....

But there he was.

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I woke up.

I was in my room...A dream? It doesn't matter. I stand up and immediately start feeling dizzy...how much did I sleep..? What day is it even...I don't remember anything...

"Oh! Kazuki!" Baba entered the room "You finally woke up!" She hugged me.

"Now please go back to bed, you've been out gor a few days...I'll go make you some soup okay?"

"No...the soup has to wait...I gotta talk to him.." I say.

"What are you saying..?" Baba says.

"Don't worry..." I leave my room and walk down the hallway.

"K-kazuki, you gotta rest!" She shouts after.

I enter a room in the house...a room I rarely enter...

There wasn't a single light source in the room except some light that managed to enter through the shutters.

"Oh...It's you Kazuki..I see you're feeling better." A male voice said.

"..I gotta talk to you..." I said

"You owe me some answers...father.."

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