The Black Dragon

Rude Awakening

Zato sits on his bed with a rather annoyed look on his face. To his right is Asia changing his bandages wrapped around his arm. As the bandages slowly peel off his skin Zato sighs, he's been bedridden for almost two weeks now, and not being able to really move or keep his body in peak condition has been rubbing him the wrong way. His father has been staying at his house for those two weeks and if he wasn't the one making sure Zato was recover and not secretly training then it was either Felix or one if not all the members of the ORC.

"Why didn't you or my old man just use that Twilight Healing shit to fix my arm?" Zato questions as Asia moves her head to meet his eyes.

"Ryoji told me to let your injuries heal naturally. He said if we used magic your body wouldn't grow any stronger and if you ever do what caused the injury again you might lose your arm entirely." Asia explains as Zato doesn't say anything and just looks down at his arm. It does feel tougher than before but with all the bed rest he's reflexes have dulled and his attacks aren't gonna have the same force behind them as usual.

Rolling his eyes as the last of his bandages are removed and his arm feels the cold air of his room, Zato stretches before attempting to get off his bed. He then feels a small surge of pain travel through his arm. Not enough to get a real reaction out of him, but enough for him to turn his head to see what happened. Looking toward his newly healed arm Zato sees his father pinching it.

"No, no, no, no, all the no?" Ryoji says as he looks at his son. "I know you and you're not gonna go and destroy your body right after it just healed," Ryoji explains as Zato just pulls his arm out of his dad's grip

"I just wanna move around and get some fresh air. You've kept me in that bed for two weeks." Zato says as his father shrugs his shoulders.

"You might have a point," Ryoji says while scratching his chin. "Ok, you can walk around the house and get some fresh air from the backyard, but no training for today, you can start that backup tomorrow," Ryoji says as Zato walks past his dad and toward the door of his room.

"Oh, Zato before you go, I won't be here tonight." Asia quickly says as Zato stops and looks over his shoulder at Asia.

"You don't have to tell me that. You're your own person and not just someone attached to me." Zato tells the young bishop as he leaves the room. As Asia and Ryoji stand in the room Ryoji rubs the back of his neck.

"Where did I go wrong with that kid's social skills. I don't know what I'm gonna do about that." Ryoji says as he turns to Asia. "So where are you off to?" Ryoji asks

"Rias is taking me and the others to the underworld to report the Kokabiel to her brother," Asia explains as Ryoji nods his head. A moment of silence goes by before Asia says something else. "Have you told him?" Asia asks as Ryoji looks away from her.

"Let his arm heal first. Then I'll worry about telling him." Ryoji replies.

"Are you sure that's the right thing to do?" Asia asks as Ryoji nods.

"Let me worry about that. You go and make that report to the strawberry girl's brother." Ryoji says as he ruffles Asia's hair. The ex-nun nods before leaving the room. Once she's gone Ryoji sighs and walks toward Zato's bedroom window and looking out it, he can see his son in the backyard. Zato is just standing there soaking in the sun, seeing this Ryoji smiles slightly before pulling out his phone and texting a close friend of his.

Outside Zato can feel the sun on his skin, he sits down his legs crossed. Taking a deep breath Zato lets it all out and closes his eyes. As Zato is suddenly in a realm of darkness. Nothing but black surrounding him in all directions as far as the eye can see.

"Oh, now this is different." Says an all too familiar voice as Zato opens his eyes and turns his head to see the Black Dragon towering over him. "If I'm not mistaken this marks the first time you've come to visit me on your own accord." The Black Dragon, Shamir says as she looks down at the delinquent as he stands up and turns to face her.