Let Me Take Care Of You

CHAPTER 8: Sliver of Light vs. Solar Eclipse

This chapter will be one of the last ones before school starts for me. The next chapters are more "serious talk," thus it will be a more weekly update (Sunday/Monday, perhaps?). Hard smack-talk is really difficult to write, especially coming from an adult when all I want to do is shake them and scream "You are loved and can love!"

[Image Above: "Falling into the darkness" by Pagatcha on DeviantArt]

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Over the next few weeks, Daisuke visited the orphanage every day at noon, bringing food and attempting to make small talk with them or bringing them to different attractions. The orphanage itself was improving more and more too. Air conditioning was brought in, and the refrigerator's lock – Why?!? – was removed and restocked daily. Shelves started to align the rooms with toys and books, and the mattresses were replaced from painful skin-scraping potato-bag-like blocks to cloud-like cushions.

Their first meeting with the Shiba siblings went...decent?

Taiju, at first glance of them, excitedly shouted: "Which one of you is the strongest in a fight? Wanna go?"

Both Yuzuha and Hakkai understandably hid behind Daisuke, who wanted to groan.

Izana – Daisuke had pulled up his file to attach a name to the kid (along with the others) – stepped forward. The two boys stood at an impasse.

Daisuke detected that Taiju was a bit surprised, un-noticed to the others, but was glad that therapy had somewhat put a filter on his mouth as he didn't start cussing the seemingly weak-looking male. Daisuke also noted that Taiju's senses weren't that developed – he couldn't tell that Izana's aura hinted at his formidability. Either way, he doubted that he could get either boy to back down now.

"Do you both consent with this match?"

Two nods.

"Fine, first to draw blood or surrender wins. Everybody else, step back." Those were probably the safest restrictions that Daisuke could impose.

Please don't have this ending up as a hospital visit.

Taiju struck first, and Izana responded with a dodge and a hefty, powered circle-kick.

*whistle* That was a badass kick; he got good balance.

Taiju shrugged off the kick before clamping onto Izana's leg and flipping him over, smashing him into the earth – yet Izana managed to land on his feet – before resuming his punches.

Taiju's punches are getting sharper too, and he's examining his opponent...

Izana eloquently dodged each punch while launching into a barrage of hard kicks, angled in multiple directions.

I knew it. Izana seems to have exceptional senses; he can predict Taiju's every move. Although it's still developing, it could soon become a superhuman ability – just like Taiju's strength.

In the end, Izana managed to draw first blood when he got a good kick into Taiju's cheek, making him spit out a bit of blood.

Daisuke quickly stretched two hands out and walked to the center of the fight, "First Blood Drawn! Duel's over! Izana is the winner. Good fight, both of you. I'm very impressed."

Time to bring out the trusty first aid kit now.

*****

"Fuck, I could have gone on," Taiju grumbled as he walked with Daisuke and the others.

"Language. I'm sure you could have Taiju, but I believe you noticed that none of your punches were actually making contact, right? It would have become a one-sided battle eventually."