Return of the Fallen Vol1 Ch8
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch8
Kazuki had just shut his golden compass and started thinking about his next move.
(I need to gather some ingredients if I’m to reforge my mage core. Once that’s done I’ll have to seal this compass just in case that bitch has sent any dogs after me. I don’t doubt she already knows I’ve arrived, tch. Maybe being summoned a continent away from her is actually considered an ounce of luck.)
Kazuki closed his eyes and sat in a meditative position. Inhaling slowly he held his breath for nearly a minute before he released a long exhale.
Continuing this breathing technique, Kazuki could feel his entire body relaxing as though it were melting like butter. With every breath he took, his mind cleared and his sense of being started to fade away like dust in the wind. Kazuki’s body relaxed further and the pores on his skin opened and a small bit of energy began to gather in his surroundings.
This energy could not be seen but like the wind, it could clearly be felt on the skin. As Kazuki repeated his breathing technique, soon this tiny bit of energy started to sink into his body and head for a particular place within him.
Concentrating fully on a spot slightly below his solar plexus, Kazuki could feel the small amount of energy swirling at his center trying to become one with him but something was obstructing it.
(Damn, this has to work. The two worlds are clearly connected yet the ki energy in this world won’t enter my Dantian but why?)
Thinking of long ago, Kazuki’s mind flashed with memories of when he had first started training in the mountains.
“Maya, I don’t understand. No matter how hard I try this just won’t work.”
*Thwack*
Kazuki was punched hard in the face, causing him to fall directly on his ass. Gripping his face in pain, he could only cry out in agony.
“Maya, why?”
Looking up at his Master, he could see how annoyed she was. Waving her fist to and fro she complained.
“Idiot, moron. How many times do I have to tell you? Outside of these walls, I have given you the privilege to call me Maya or even aunty but when we’re in the dojo you must call me Master.”
*Haaaaa*
“How the hell did you ever trick me into becoming your master anyway? You are by far the absolute worst student I’ve ever had in all of my 67 years of training.”
Kazuki lowered his head in self-loathing and an awkward silence filled the dojo. Seeing her one and only student feeling so low, Maya once more released a long sigh.
*Haaaaaa*
“Kazuki, what went wrong this time? I know you have the breathing technique down and I can clearly feel ki energy gathering and entering your body so what’s the problem?”
Kazuki shook his head.
“Maya, I mean, Master, I don’t exactly know. Every time the ki enters me I can feel it on the verge of entering my Dantian but just as it’s on the precipice…It’s like it’s stuck or blocked. It just won’t work.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. How can your body just not accept ki energy? Ki energy is the universal energy, it is the energy of life and death. It flows through every living being no matter what without exception. As a matter of fact, everyone on earth, whether they practice the art of ki manipulation or not has a very small almost unnoticeable amount of ki within them. With my technique, whether it be a goat or a human, they should be able to gather ki within their Dantian, therefore you must be doing something wrong.”
Once again Kazuki lowered his head crestfallen.
“Master, It’s no use. I’m telling you ki energy and I were just not compatible.”
Maya began to grow furious.
“Idiot! if I say it works, then it works. Are you calling me a liar?”
Kazuki quickly began to back away while waving his hands in front of his face.
“No no no, absolutely not. Master is never wrong never ever ever. It’s all in my mind haha I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with me or your technique, I’m just stupid. Yea that’s it, your pupil is just an idiot so Master please don’t get angry with me.”
Maya chuckled at her student’s foolish behavior but the more she thought about her pupil’s words, the more it baffled her.
(My technique isn’t wrong, it can’t be. I’ve trained hundreds of students and none haven’t been able to learn. Could it be Kazuki then? Is he really an idiot? No. He’s learned everything else with ease. Up to this point, I thought he was a genius. Hand to hand combat, weapon mastery, and even his concepts and theories about ki itself have shined a light on a few of my very own misgivings, so then why can’t he do this.)
As Maya continued to think her brows and face scrunched up further and further, causing her to look more and more pissed off. Kazuki seeing this only backed away faster.
“Master, why so angry? Please don’t do anything rash.”
Kazuki’s voice snapped Maya out of her thoughts and she became even more amused by her pupil’s actions. That’s when it hit her. Tilting her head quizzically, she stared at Kazuki’s body curiously.
Taking a step forward, Maya’s body blurred leaving only an afterimage behind. Not even a second later, she suddenly reappeared right behind Kazuki and with one quick motion, she grabbed the top half of his Gi and ripped it away, exposing Kazuki’s muscular back to her.
Kazuki was frightened by his master’s sudden act of madness and wanted to scream but his Master’s voice quickly paralyzed him in fear.
“Boy, don’t you dare move.”
Kazuki gulped hard in terror and refused to even flinch, lest his master sends him flying to an early grave.
Maya then gently placed a hand onto Kazuki’s back, causing a chill to run down his spine but Maya didn’t mind that in the least. Shutting her eyes she extended some of her ki into her hand and then into Kazuki, headed directly to his Dantian. It was as though there were eyes attached to this energy of hers, for she could see and feel every cell within Kazuki’s body.
Once her energy was in, it only took her seconds to locate the problem but once she found it, even she was left dumbfounded.
“Kazuki, what the hell is this?”
Left with confusion, Kazuki asked back.
“What, what’s wrong?”
Maya kept silent for a moment making sure she wasn’t going crazy. She continued to feel and look on until she positively confirmed what was in front of her.
“Boy, there is a small strange energy lying dormant within your Dantian. I…I’ve never felt anything like this in all my years of living, wait actually I may have come across this once before but where? This, this is the cause, I’ve no doubt. Every time I push my energy forward, trying to drive it into your Dantian, this strange power blocks me.”
A sudden thought popped into Kazuki’s head.
(How can that be, wasn’t my mage core…)
Before he could continue with his line of thinking, His Master made an odd twisting motion on his back, causing an agonizing feeling to overtake him. It felt like his insides were cramping and every muscle from his head to his toe was going to be ripped apart.
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Kazuki’s body began to tremble and shake but just when he felt like his body was going to explode, his master ripped her hand away from his back and with it, a small amount of visible red energy lay still upon her hand.
The pain within his body vanished as though it was never even real to begin with. Kazuki struggled to sit up as a wave of physical exhaustion overtook him. Looking at his Master, she was quietly studying the red energy. Kazuki finally realizing what it was, he couldn’t help but scream out in a panic.
“Master be careful, that energy is dangerous. Quickly, you must throw it away.”
Maya didn’t know why her student was so unnerved but at this point, she had already come to trust him completely. With quick reflexes, Maya used her inhuman strength and tossed the energy out a window, several miles away and into the mountains. It disappeared from view but not even a few seconds later.
*KA-BOOOOOOM!*
An ear-piercing explosion ripped through the sky and dozens upon dozens of trees were instantly uprooted and scorched far off into the distance.
Maya stood there stunned for a moment before she grabbed Kazuki by the shoulders, lifting him up, she began shaking him like a rag doll.
“Kazuki, what the fuck was that?”
Seeing that he couldn’t answer while being shook, Maya finally put the now dizzied Kazuki down and waited for a moment, whilst trying to calm her nerves. After his head stopped spinning, Kazuki bitterly smiled.
“That was the element of fire, the remnants of my magical energy. Master, do you remember when I told you I was not from this world?”
Maya contemplated for a moment trying to recall such a conversation and the memory came racing back to her. She wasn’t trying to shout but she was so stunned that for a moment she couldn’t control the volume of her voice as she roared.
“WHAT!? YOU WERE SERIOUS ABOUT THAT!”
Once Kazuki walked her through his past once more, Maya sat down deep in thought. However, this didn’t last long as she felt a swirl of energy almost naturally gathering around Kazuki at an incredible rate.
“Kazuki, I can feel the ki energy around you, it’s gathering like it has a will of its own. With that remnant whatever gone, nothing else should impede you. Quick try my technique again.”
Kazuki admired how fast his Master could switch focus and although he wanted to tell his Master more, once he concentrated on the ki around him, he too became shocked by the amount.
(This, this is many folds more energy than usual.)
Kazuki sat in a meditative state and slammed his eyes shut. Repeating his master’s breathing technique, Kazuki’s mind became clear and his body relaxed completely, allowing all of his pores to open. The energy in the atmosphere, without being guided, rushed into Kazuki’s body in an instant.
Now with no more blockage from his remnant energy, the ki didn’t stop for even a second as it made a mad dash for his Dantian. As the energy entered his Dantian, Kazuki felt a wave of pleasure and a sense of euphoria.
In his mind, it was as though the planets had all aligned and his limits had been fully unlocked. As this flood of power flowed within him, Kazuki felt a strength like no other fill his body with unlimited potential.
After a moment the storm of energy within calmed and Kazuki opened his eyes. Gripping his hand into a fist repeatedly, the air exploded as it was ripped asunder. Maya and Kazuki made eye contact and the two broke out into wild laughter.
(I finally did it.)
After going through his memories, Kazuki opened his eyes.
(Now I recall. When I came to this world, I had gathered a bit of magic in me so I could use my talismans. After that, I used magic again to reshape my face and then a few times more to augment my voice. There is a small portion of magical energy left within me. If I want to gather ki, I will first have to expunge that magic from my body. If I do that I will then be able to use all of my ki but the sacrifice is magic. I’ll be able to use it but only if I continue to use my hands and draw ancient symbols in the air, the risk is people discovering that I can’t use magic any other way, at least not until I reforge my Mage Core.)
We these thoughts swirling around his head Kazuki was weighing the pro’s and con’s but before he could come to a decision, once more there was a knock at the door. With this new interruption, a bit of annoyance flashed across his face.
(Who the hell is it now?)
“Who is it?”
“It’s Shinichi aka Shin, we met earlier in the infirmary. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten.”
Kazuki remembered Shin, he had told a joke in the infirmary causing everyone to erupt in laughter. The guy seemed pretty laid back but Kazuki couldn’t understand why he was now knocking at his door.
Opening it up, Kazuki eyed Shin up and down curiously.
“Not forgotten, just merely confused as to why you’re at my door.”
Although he didn’t mean to be, Kazuki came off cold but Shin didn’t let that bother him. Smiling brightly, he joked.
“Dude, it’s time to eat dinner, can it be you’re on a diet? Hmm, you are looking a bit on the flabby side.”
Shin then proceeded to try and poke Kazuki in his side but his hand was slapped away.
“Was that a joke? I thought you were supposed to be the funny one.”
Shin rubbed his hand in pain while wincing.
“Hahaha, who said I was joking?”
Kazuki was considering whether to punch Shin right here and now but before he could, Shin had already turned and began walking away.
“Ryuta, are you coming to eat or not? If you don’t hurry up, I guess that means I get your share.”
Kazuki rolled his eyes before following after Shin. It was true, after arriving in the summoning chamber and then being carted off to the infirmary, Kazuki hadn’t eaten for over a day and a half and his stomach had become empty long ago.
(Guess I’ll have a meal first and then figure things out from there.)
Escorted by a few guards, the two were led to a large dining hall.
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