Despite being expelled from the Shi Mountains, the Korosu clan settled on the outskirts.
Their expulsion resulted in a mass suicide. Additionally, famine and sickness ravaged the people. Going from a prosperous clan that stood beside the Shi family to one of indigency didn't sit well with the family members.
The Korosu people were restless. Constant fights and arguments broke out regarding the family's status and their leader's decision to slaughter the dragons.
However, before the dragons' slaughter, the people of the Korosu clan agreed. They all chose to partake in exterminating the dragons, their justification being that their leader, Warui, had never led them in the wrong direction.
At the time, one person opposed the family's decision, Kazuo, Tensai's father.
Like his son Tensai, Kazuo was a genius in his own right. As such, he was appointed family advisor.
He disagreed with Warui's plan to eliminate the dragons, asserting that attempting to eradicate the dragons, successful or not, would result in the family's downfall.
He voiced his belief openly, but his opinions were ridiculed and dismissed by his peers.
Despite the Korosu clan shunning him and his son, Kazuo labored throughout the day, setting up podiums across the village to publicize his views.
His attempts, however, seemed futile. He felt he was too late as Warui's sinful ambitions had already engraved themselves within his fellow clan members.
After a long day of failing to sway his clan, Kazuo would return to his family's modest home to work on a revolutionary invention.
Following the passing of his wife, who was the mother of his child, Kazuo immersed himself in studying the afterlife. Of his many discoveries, the most material were those regarding the spirit.
Kazuo learned that natural prana was the building block that formed the spirit. He discovered that it was composed of two components: internal natural prana, existing within organisms, and external natural prana, existing outside.
With this information, he hypothesized that he could recall his wife's spirit from the afterlife by merging external natural prana with the lingering internal prana within a corpse.
One day, after returning home, with the help of his son Tensai who was a child in body but an adult in intellect, Kazuo was finally prepared to assess his findings by testing his hypothesis on a dead mouse.
He and his son worked on the first floor of their home in their living room turned workshop.
While Kazuo worked earnestly, setting the mouse up on the workbench, his son was not so eager.
Kazuo halted his work and turned to his son.
"What is it, Tensai?" he asked.
Tensai stayed quiet, but his father pressed further.
"Father," Tensai said reluctantly, "well, It's just...
"Why do you strive to convince the rest of the clan? You and I both know they won't change. They are too loyal to Warui."
"Well," Kazuo scratched his head, "It's nothing much, but I know this isn't the answer you expected.
"I do it simply because we are one. We are one clan on a path leading to calamity. If we all proceed with Warui's plan, we'll be divided and likely exiled from the mountains."
Kazuo patted Tensai's head, "The only way to prevent that is by rebuking Warui's plan, and I'll stop at nothing to convince the others to avert from his plan."
"Now," Kazuo turned to the mouse on his workbench, "let's test this out."
He hovered his hands over the rodent while simultaneously assimilating external prana to his palms.
"The trick is precise prana control," Kazuo explained.
"You must carefully soak in external prana like a sponge. Concentrate on absorbing and amassing prana. The slightest distraction or misstep will lead to dispersal.
"I'm telling you this because you seem to have a knack for prana manipulation. If I die or fail to perfect it, perhaps one day, you'll be the one to bring your mother and me back by mastering this technique."
Kazuo continued gathering prana into his palms as sweat ran down his body, "Once you've gathered enough external prana, you must gently channel it into the corpse. Think of it as a stream. High streamflow will cause erosion and flooding, while low streamflow will diminish water quality.
"Once you've channeled sufficient prana into the corpse, the prana does the rest by fusing with the lingering internal prana.
"And just like that...
The mouse jolted awake, its nose sniffing rapidly.
"You've called upon a spirit from the afterlife."
The mouse rolled over to stand, but its body shut off just as quick as it turned on.
"Unfortunately," Kazuo continued, "as I said earlier, I haven't mastered the technique. I can only manage to call upon a spirit for a few seconds."
"How long do you think it'll take to perfect it?" Tensai asked.
Kazuo responded, "Well, I'm only getting better with each attempt. Why don't you fetch me some water from the basement? I'll recharge and try it again."
Kazuo patted Tensai's head and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, kid. I'll have your mother back soon."
Tensai nodded and turned to head to the basement.
On his way, he couldn't help but reminisce about his father's answer.
"So, you waste your strive to help them because they are family," Tensai scoffed, "Only an idiot would waste their time aiding those who don't want help."
Tensai grabbed a water bottle from the basement and headed back up the stairs.
"Father," he said as he pushed through the cellar door, "I got your water."
His father turned to him from the workshop, "Thank you-"
The air suddenly filled with the pungent smell of burning wood.
Kazuo rushed to the nearest window and pressed his face against the glass.
What he saw horrified him.
The Korosu clan surrounded the house. Each held lit torches, and they took turns tossing them at Kazuo's wooden home.
"Shit!" Kazuo's stomach twisted with fear, "They're planning on making us victims of arson!"
"Tensai!" Kazuo shouted, "Get the hell out of here! I'm staying back to grab your mother's corpse!"
"I'll help you," Tensai stuffed the water bottle in his pocket and ran for the stairs that led to the room that harbored his mother's body.
Kazuo gripped Tensai's arm, stopping him from going up the stairs.
"Go!" Kazuo hollered.
Trusting that he would secure his mother's body, Tensai followed Kazuo's orders and made a beeline for the backdoor.
Just before he turned the knob, a loud crash sounded behind him.
Tensai immediately turned toward the stairs, where he saw his father squashed facedown under a pile of burning timber.
He rushed to aid his father, who suddenly raised his head.
"I said go!" Kazuo roared.
Tensai was reluctant, but the wood below him caught fire, leaving him no choice.
He bolted in the opposite direction toward the backdoor.
However, he was too late. Because the door was already ablaze, Tensai redirected his sprint to a wall free of fire.
"Doragonken: Dragon Fang!"
He folded his fingers into a paw and struck the wooden wall, creating a hole large enough to fit his body.
Now outside the house, Tensai realized his clan members had encircled him.
"There's his son!" one of them shouted, "Kazuo's ideals are probably engraved deep into the kid's mind. We're better off killing him!"
The barbaric shouts that followed indicated the clan's consensus.
They all charged at Tensai, some with torches, others with fists.
Tensai felt lightning crackle through his veins as time slowed down.
Despite his tender age, like the rest of his clan, Tensai was a masterful doragonken practitioner.
His body jolted away, and he steered around his fellow clan members like mere obstacles. None of them managed to land a hit as Tensai's miniature body allowed him to evade them effortlessly.
They chased after him.
He ran, never looking back at the inferno that engulfed the place he once called home.