Chapter 45: Burnt Grass.
There were shuffling footsteps as they walked closer to the kitchen. Luke peaked his head around the door frame and stared creepily. "Dad, You look like a demon stop it. You will scare her away." Haru said in response to his dad's weirdness.
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just looking forward to meeting your first girlfriend." Luke said back with a smile on his face. Krista grabbed him by the ear. "Your son has spoken, respect his wishes." Luke looked back in defeat. "But I'm his dad why do I have to listen to him?"
"Because I said so. Now behave." She said whilst releasing him. "Fine, Fine..." He said completely defeated. Suyin and Haru both entered the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, and Jake. This is Suyin."
"She is so beautiful! You're not holding her against her will are you!?" Krista shouted at Haru. Suyin laughed. "Definitely not. In fact, I think I'm holding him against his will." Krista and Suyin both giggled.
"I think we will be friends. Come over here. Haru forgot to introduce you to his sister. He's such a bad big brother isn't he?" Krista picked up Saki and showed her off to Suyin.
"Oh, Haru never told me he had a sister." She looked back at Haru with slight distrust. "Yeah, That might be my fault. It was a surprise to him too. We didn't tell him until today. We did plan to. But nothing ever goes to plan does it?" Krista and Suyin began to talk to each other as they both fawned over the baby.
"So how did you manage to do that then?" Jake put his arm around Haru and pulled him out into the corridor. "How did I do what?"
"You know. Manage to get such a beautiful girlfriend?" Jake laughed and poked Haru in the chest. "Ouch. I shouldn't have done that" He said whilst shaking his hand in pain.
"Well, It just kind of happened. I'm not sure myself we just became good friends and It came naturally." Haru told him as Luke began to sneak up behind to get in on the conversation.
"So have you done the deed yet?" Jake laughed. Haru stood there for a moment. Deed? "Oh, You mean sex!? Um, No not yet." Haru said quietly. His face was slightly red.
"What is this I hear about my son having sex?" Luke jumped out and began to violently hub Haru's head. "It's nothing! I haven't done anything so stop getting your hopes up, old man." Haru said as his voice wobbled from the force of his dad's hand shaking his head.
"Old man? Who's an old man? I'm just as young as I have always been!" Luke said energetically.
"Stop being all giddy over there. You will hurt yourself again." Krista yelled as she heard Luke dancing around. "I'm fine! I told you it was nothing."
Haru and Jake both began to laugh. "So you got injured. Sounds like something that happens when you're old. Act your age already. You are old enough to be a grandfather." Haru said with a smile.
"I swear If you weren't my son..." Luke stopped himself. "Haha. So you would beat someone else's son? That's a bit mean don't you think?" Haru looked to Jake and they both laughed as Luke became angrier and angrier.
"You know you've changed a lot," Jake said to Haru as Luke returned to the kitchen to cool down.
"I have?" Haru was genuinely confused. "Yeah, I don't know. Before you were kind of serious. You never joked around or laughed. It was like you weren't used to talking to people your own age. I like this you better. You look happier too." Jake got his thoughts out.
"I guess this is what happens when you go to a normal school for three years. There isn't a hierarchy based on your strength. So you can be lazier. You also don't have to fight your classmates so there is less conflict. It's relaxing." Haru thought back to the memories he had made at school. He wasn't ever going to make more of them. And would probably never see most of the friends he had made ever again.
"So what are you planning to do next?" Jake asked him bringing him out of his world of thoughts. "Next? I was thinking of going to university. I heard it's fun and you can come and go as you please. You aren't actually forced to attend classes. What about you?"
"Well, After we have our graduation ceremony next month I will be an officer in the army. I have already signed everything so that will be me for the next four years. I'm kind of dreading it. I will have to sit behind mountains of paperwork. I would much rather get deployed somewhere and use my strength to help out."
"Your strength? How strong is your magic now? Last time I saw you you could barely hit a target." Haru laughed.
"Oh, You haven't seen anything. I bet I could have taken you on if you could still use magic by now." Jake said proudly.
"You could take me on? Want to test that theory?" Haru laughed and guided jake outside into the yard. "What? Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."
"Hurt me? You couldn't hurt me if you tried." Haru said as he stepped outside.
Jake laughed nervously doubting the power of Haru's cultivation. He didn't want to injure a friend he hasn't seen for three years.
Haru stopped and then looked at jake. "Okay, Give it your best shot." Jake hesitated for a moment and then sent a small fire spell toward Haru. [Stunning Flame] It wouldn't harm anyone it would just knock them out at most.
Haru stood still and took it. The flame hit his chest and bounced off onto the floor. "Really? that's all you've got? A stunning flame? Come on. Trust me a little bit. I said hit me with everything you have."
Jake was still a bit nervous but decided to trust his friend. "Okay. I really will give this everything. You can't blame me if you get hurt." He said a little frustrated. Why was he being forced to hurt his friend?
He began with a small flame in his hand. It began to grow as he injected more mana into it. The flame suddenly rose to the size of the house. The flames were bright enough that there were no longer any shadows.
"Wow! You have gotten stronger!" Haru shouted as the sound of the fire roared out like a lion. The doors suddenly opened. "Jake what are you doing!? Why are you attacking him!? You know Haru can't use magic anymore!"
The fire grew even more doubling in size. "It wasn't my idea!" Jake shouted back. "Beleive in him." Suyin jumped in front of Krista stopping her from running over.
"Beleive? But he only started cultivating three years ago. I heard it takes at least ten years to be able to fight against a mage. But Jake is a high tier mage. How can I believe in him!?" Krista screamed.
"I'm warning you Haru. This is your last chance. Just say that I'm more powerful than you ever were and I will stop!" Jake shouted as the fire grew once more.
"Haha, You actually might be stronger than I was. But you are still far behind my power now. Hurry up and attack or I will fall asleep at this point."
Jake released his attack in frustration. Not really thinking about the consequences. He let Haru get under his skin and just launched a deadly fire attack toward him. He realised what he had just done but it was too late. The fire had already reached were Haru was previously stood.
"No! Haru!" Jake ran toward the fire trying to absorb the mana from his own attack. When suddenly it vanished. "Nice. That had quite a bit of force to it. But I should have warned you from the start. Fire does not affect me. It was like throwing a ball of cotton at me." Haru mocked him and then laughed.
"But you have surprised me. I didn't think you would get this powerful. I'm guessing you found out what happens when you exhaust your mana? Haru asked but there was no response. Jake was frozen.
"Why... Why are you such an idiot!? You should have told me you are this strong. I wouldn't have even attacked you if I knew you were just trying to annoy me!" Jake shouted angrily.
And then suddenly calmed down. " Wait you know about the Mana thing too?!" His mood changed too suddenly it was almost comical. "Of course I know about it. Why do you think I had so much power?" Haru laughed.
"I thought your parents had trained you from birth or something. I didn't bother asking because I assumed they were harsh on you and it would bring up bad memories!"
What are they shouting about?" Suyin asked. "I don't even want to know. But thank you. I should have more belief in my son. You have shown me that. I'm grateful. I want you to tell me all about what you and Haru have been up to. Is that okay?" Krista said as she walked back inside.
"Oh, I want to hear it too!" Luke said as he ran in after them leaving Haru and Jake outside.
"I hope one of you is going to clean up that crater you made on my grass!" Zen yelled and shook his head in disappointment.