3

Daichi had far well known that father was not going to greet him with open arms... After all he had snuck off, abandoning his responsibilities for a majority of the day. However, this response was a surprise. Especially his word choice.

"Daichi," his father's response comes in the form of a sigh, "that cove is technically not part of the kingdom. Leave it alone. Everything will work out in the end."

"Everything will work out in the end?" Daichi responds, his voice gradually growing louder. He can't help but feel angry, even though his father must have a better reason than the one he stated for not wanting to get involved in the fight at the cove. "The pirates are trying to kill my friends!"

"Friends?" His father responds, with a loud laugh. "You haven't even known them for a day! How can you possibly call them friends? How can you even care for them?"

Daichi can feel himself explode in both a metaphorical and physical sense. "How can you not care for them? They are living creatures that have emotions... That can feel sadness, happiness and pain. If even the fiercest of ogres can feel sympathy towards other living creatures, why can't you?" Despite knowing that he is taking it way too far, he adds, "I bet this is why mom left you."

Silence fills the corridor... Making an already tense situation even more tense. As Daichi waits for a response from his father, he can feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Danger is near. Danger is right in front of him.

"Boy...." his father snarls. As he speaks, foam drips from his mouth. At the sight of foam, Daichi can't help but shudder. Foam means only one thing- His father is possessed and has been possessed for a long time. So long that even the strongest of witches may not be able to bring him back. "You should have kept your pretty mouth shut!" His possessed father lunges for him, but misses. He seems to be panicking. It's as though Daichi's words have thrown him off. As if the mention of Daichi's mother has thrown him off.

"You loved her too, didn't you?" Daichi asks, all the while walking slowly backwards... Walking towards one of the swords displayed on the wall. "You loved her, whoever you are... Do you know where she is? You must not know... After all, if you did you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be here possessing my father, hoping that my mother returns... That she returns looking for my father and me."

Once again, to his surprise, his possessed father has a strange reaction... A reaction that involves him falling to his knees and crying. "I just want her to love me... I don't know why she won't. What does your father have that I don't?" Sensing that the ghost or whatever is possessing his father wants a chance to talk, Daichi stops walking. However, he takes down one of the display swords and holds it in his right hand. Even though he can't kill whatever is possessing his father while it is still in his body, he can knock him out. They are in a human body, after all. "I've tried so hard to get her to love me... I've possessed so many people. She doesn't like it when I posses people because 'their body doesn't belong to me'. Since I'm a ghost it is natural for me to want to possess a body... But she didn't understand that. Well, she kind of did... She said if the person was dead it would be okay to posses them. With that in mind I... I did some things," the creature possessing his father gazes at Daichi with a dull look in their eyes, "I killed people for their bodies. One day, while trying to kill a woman I accidentally wounded her child... Since then, she has refused to speak to me."

Even though he feels a bit bad for the ghost, he mostly feels angry... And disgusted. "You should leave. If she hasn't loved you in the past I doubt she will start now... Especially if you let innocent creatures such as those in the cove die..."

Sensing where Daichi is going, the ghost says, "Do you think if I save those creatures in the cove that she will return... That she will love me?"

"No," Daichi's response is short and to the point "but it's a start."

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After the ghost promises to have some of the kingdom's ships head to the cove, Daichi hurries there himself. He is careful to watch his footing this time. After all, if he falls, Nika will be too preoccupied to save him.

Nika.

Daichi can't help but worry about how the mysterious dragon is doing. They have been fighting for a long time. Fighting on their own for a long time. He hopes that Nika hasn't been injured by now. That Nika hasn't... No. Daichi will NOT let his mind go there.

"You son of a witch!" Oikawa shouts, from the blue waters of the cove. "What took you so long? Tetsu managed to convince a sea serpent to help us but she can't keep it up much longer... She's already almost gotten hit by cannonballs ten times. Sea serpents have thin blood, one good hit could kill her."

"More help is on the way, don't worry," Daichi responds, with what he hopes to be a reassuring smile. "Is there anything I can do to help while we wait?"

Oikawa emits a sad laugh. "Unless that sword of yours is magical, I doubt it. Well... Maybe you could calm Kuroo down. He swam a bit closer to the ship so he could keep an eye on Nika... The idiot now has me worried about him and Nika! Seriously, I don't know what I would do if even one of them..." Oikawa can't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"They won't die," Daichi shouts, trying to cheer Tooru up, "I won't let them!" Oh how that is easier said than done...