Rising Pilot!

Chapter 43: A Tragic Realization...

After that small skirmish, everyone left Gai Amatsu alone in the warehouse where he contemplated his life...

He was clearly beaten by Hiden Aruto otherwise known as Ark One, but for what? For controlling his son, for manipulating his family.

Soon he found himself in his office with Aruto's words echoing in his mind.

"But this has gone too far...you've gone too far..."

"Using your family like tools, something that any person shouldn't do, but most importantly, using my youngest son, Yusuke, like a puppet, is something I won't forgive you for..."

The words echoed in his mind as he reflected upon what had happened to him...

But what the words that echoed essentially brought him back to his memories, his past, his upbringing...

Remembering his father who demanded and pressured him, essentially abusing him, disregarding and shoving away his mom who had always been compassionate and kind to the younger version of himself.

"I will do whatever it takes to reach my goals! Family? Friends? They're all just excuses for the bottom feeders who didn't make it to the top of the food chain!"

Those words made him remember that and made him realize that he was essentially doing the same thing as his father, doing the same or if not, worse than the man who he had despised all his life.

His father had pressured him too much during his childhood, even to the point of verbally abusing him and his mom, all in the name of success and perfection.

"What is an heir if he is not adequate, much less prepared to take the legacy of his family!?"

Gai remembered his father's words that had essentially been brainwashed into thinking, into having the mindset, the same mindset of his father, the man he despised all his childhood, the man whom he hated but couldn't fight against...

The fact that his mother died of an illness didn't help, leaving Gai all alone, with his abusive father, causing Gai to seek friendship in a robotic dog that his mother had gotten him before her passing, whom he named "Thouser", his relatives wouldn't be able to take him in, letting him live in the custody of his father.

His father has never changed and he won't change, keeping on verbally abuse his only son, seeking, demanding success, building him up, and breaking him down...

"...Friends...Family...they are just stepping stones to our own success."

Normally that would trigger a mental breakdown in everybody, but fortunately, Gai had Thouser to keep him company in his mother's stead, showing that even if she died, she would still live on through his memories. 

But despite the household conditions Gai tried and kept on being optimistic, to keep living on for his mother, but that it all soon changed, with Gai scoring a 99 on his recent test, to which his father responded aggressively..!

"You're useless!"

"Worthless!"

Gai's father berated him and yelled at him, giving insult after insult, causing the poor prodigy to tear up, but what triggered the boy's change into the man we know today, was when his father demanded that he abandon his one and only companion, Thouser...

"You're stupid machine of a dog is nothing but a hindrance! I have so graciously provided you everything! Yet you only give me such mediocre results?!"