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Return of the Fallen Volume 1 Chapter 63

Author: Blue_Rat

ch63

Itsu watched Kazuki’s memories absolutely mesmerized by what he saw. He saw Kazuki and his brother Kai join this new family and watched as they grew. Kazuki was introduced to a mountain of books in the family library. There, he sunk himself within and absorbed knowledge like a sponge. His brother Kai was more interested in swords and the art of combat while his new sister Fera was constantly playing mean spirited pranks on him.

The Mind Frey seemed to be having trouble playing Kazuki’s memory, as though something was interfering with it, causing the images to skip ahead in some parts, leaving out whole sections.

As Kazuki grew, it was apparent how beloved he was by his mom, dad, and brother but what was even more apparent to Itsu was how different the environment Kazuki grew up in. The wealth and privilege Kazuki enjoyed were equal to that of a prince. He had masterful teachers that taught him the ways of magic and a vast amount of resources from his new parents. He was looked after and cared for like a king. Everything seemed perfect in his life which confused Itsu greatly.

(This boy, just where in the hell is he from. That magic is from my world yet the scenery and terrain in his memories, I don’t recognize a single place. That wealth, too. His parents could buy several countries with that kind of fortune yet I don’t recognize their faces.)

Just as Itsu thought about faces, the Mind Frey skipped ahead again and Kazuki was now a young man. Looking into a mirror on a desk, Itsu was shocked by what he saw. All of the memories were shown from Kazuki’s point of view, yet the face that appeared in the mirror’s reflection showed a completely different face from the person Itsu had chained in front of him at present.

Itsu watched on and again the memories skipped ahead. Kazuki was sitting at a desk and a teacher was going over some information on a large map. Itsu recognized it as the Gordonia world map and even recognized the Feya continent but the teachers next words truly shocked him. The teacher pointed at a large continent and said.

“Kazuki, do you know why our continent is sealed.”

Kazuki was about to answer but the images skipped once more. Itsu shot up from his seat and was about to approach but remained at a safe distance.

“So you are from that place. No wonder… No wonder you are so sneaky and untrustworthy but for you to actually be from the Dark continent. Just how in the 7 layers of hell did you manage to not only travel to Earth but actually be summoned back to our world?”

Kazuki slowly lifted his head and glared coldly into Itsu’s eyes sending a shiver down his spine. Itsu couldn’t help but take a slight step backward in fear. Something in the image above took his attention away and he continued to watch Kazuki’s memories.

Kai was laying in Kazuki’s arms covered in blood.

The image skipped forward again.

Kazuki was now 16 or 17 and he was chained to a large table. His sister Fera stood over him with a dagger and began to carve an inscription into his chest. Kazuki screamed and cursed his sister in pain but there was nothing he could do. Something began to rise up out of Kazuki’s body and his sister Fera captured it. There was chanting of some kind filling the room before Fera consumed whatever she had taken from Kazuki.

The images skipped again.

Kazuki groggily opened his eyes to an older woman standing above him. The old woman yelled harshly at him.

“What the hell are you doing passed out on my mountain boy. To get so piss drunk that you collapse in my own backyard, do you need me to kick your ass.”

Kazuki’s eyes filled with tears and although he was already considered a man, he cried like a small child. The old woman rubbed her head and dragged Kazuki back to her home where she fed him.

The images skipped ahead again.

Kazuki walked into a classroom where the ring of summoning was being activated. Asuna and Sam were unconscious and Kazuki approached a young man on the verge of passing out as well. Itsu saw the face of the person passing out and reflexively yelled out.

“Ryuta!”

Kazuki knocked Ryuta out of the summoning circle and took his place. Removing a small container from his pocket, he poured the liquid inside onto his face and Itsu watched in horror as his flesh melted away. The summoning circle was delayed for only a half a second if that before in a flash of light it disappeared.

The Mind Frey seemed incapable of continuing and fell from Kazuki’s neck. It shriveled and dried up into nothing more than a husk and died.

“What, there was more and most of it was skipped. What the hell did you do?”

Kazuki smiled at Itsu and shook his head.

“You must have gotten a defective one.”

Itsu picked up his staff and pointed it at Kazuki.

“You may look like a human on the outside but you’re actually quite monstrous. I don’t know what you did but your own sister banished you to Earth because of it. Those from the Dark continent saw fit to get rid of you but still, you came back to this world. Not only that but you used underhanded means to do it. Not only did you interfere with the summoning circle but to even melt your own face off with acid, and yet I still don’t know what your true goals are. For you to be willing to go that far though, makes you completely dangerous. You may or may not be an enemy to Treia but the fact that you come from the Dark continent alone leaves me no choice. That place is still unknown to us and because of that, that makes you an unknown. An unknown threat, an unknown factor, either way, you have to be put down. I feel no guilt for this, you should have stayed on Earth.”

Kazuki smiled inwardly and asked.

“So this is the choice you are making? Are you sure you don’t wish to consult with Garn or your king? Don’t you think I may have some information or something else valuable to give them?”

Itsu shook his head.

“If the Mind Frey can’t get the full truth out of you then anything you say could be a lie and we’d have no way of telling. Whether you have value or not doesn’t matter, for you are far too dangerous. You snuck back into this world under false pretenses with a false identity. The fact that even the closest friends of the real Ryuta can’t tell the difference between you and their real friend that they’ve known for years tells me that you’re quite masterful. Even seeing your muddled memories, I still haven’t a clue what your real personality is like. You are terrifyingly skilled at being anyone’s reflection and that is something that many would fall victim to. Even when we became suspicious of you, all the way up until I caught you. Had the items in your possession been legal, I would have had to have let you go. And only because things in the kingdom are dire was I even able to use a Mind Frey upon you. Otherwise, I would be in chains for even suggesting using a Mind Frey on a hero. In the end, something so uncertain, especially in these dark times, simply can not be allowed to exist. Goodbye…Kazuki.”

Itsu gathered power into his staff and pointed it at Kazuki’s head. With a thought, he willed his power forth.

(Lightning blade.)

A blade of lightning shot forth and penetrated Kazuki’s head, killing him instantly…

Or that’s what should have happened. Instead, there was complete silence. Nothing.

Itsu tilted his head in confusion and stared at his staff. Once more he willed his power forth.

(Lightning blade.)

…

Again nothing.

“What.”

Itsu closed his eyes for a moment and felt his power entering his staff and heading for the mana crystal embedded at the tip but for some strange reason just as his power was going to connect with the mana crystal it just stopped or rather it seemed as though it was blocked somehow.

(What is this.)

Itsu laid his staff down and pointed aimed one of his many rings at Kazuki.

(Lightning blade.)

…

Nothing.

Itsu tried again and again yet every time, he received the exact same result.

(There can’t be something wrong with all of my tools it makes no sense.)

Itsu pulled another staff from his storage ring and pointed it at Kazuki. Shutting his eyes he fully concentrated on his power, its flow and the staff within his hands. His energy slowly moved from within his center out through his arms, extending into his hands and traveling into his staff, right when it came upon the crystal though, it again stopped.

Kazuki angrily roared at Itsu.

“What’s wrong? Hurry up already and kill me you old piece of shit. I get it, my time has come but to make me wait like this, the tension will kill me before your magic does.”

Itsu’s anger erupted.

“Shut up!”

He retrieved a new staff from his storage ring and tried again. Just as he did that Kazuki was concentrating as well.

Kazuki’s ki stretched from his body all the way to Itsu’s magic tools. Covering the mana crystal with a layer of ki, Kazuki blocked the energy from connecting with the mana crystal, thereby interrupting the spell. Because Itsu could not feel Kazuki’s ki, he had absolutely no idea what was happening. Kazuki had found this out a while ago but for some reason, the people in this world can not feel or detect his ki energy. This made it the perfect weapon to use in this situation.

Kazuki again yelled and insulted Itsu.

“Hey you old limp dick fucker, what the hell are you waiting for. I’ve already accepted my fate. What are you trying to do, kill me with patience, you ugly worm? Just get this shit over with already or what, are you trying to find the best spell to kill me with. You piece of skiz juice. If you were a real man you’d pick up that elf girl’s dagger and kill me with guts but I guess that’s too much for a short little imp like you, huh?”

Itsu lost his patience and threw down his staff. Instead of grabbing the dagger on the table though, he pulled out a sword from his storage ring.

“Fine, you want it so bad, fucking die.”

Itsu thrust the sword right at Kazuki’s chest.

(Finally, you slow fuck.)

Kazuki twisted his body as best a person bound by chains could but still he took a slash to his chest. This was completely unexpected for Itsu but the surprise didn’t stop there. The cuff around Kazuki’s right wrist expanded and his hand slipped out and grabbed Itsu’s wrist. Itsu’s eyes went wide in fear and he quickly tried to pull away.

There was no way Kazuki would let go of this opportunity. With Kazuki’s movements, the inscriptions upon the chains all lit up at once and his body was electrocuted repeatedly but this pain would not stop him. With Itsu pulling away, Kazuki twisted his grip and spun Itsu’s body and wrapped his entire arm around Itsu’s neck. Now Kazuki had Itsu in a hold and his hand was free.

Itsu was full of fear but he still managed to react to this. Pulling his sword up he was just able to put his blade between him and Kazuki’s arm and the sharp edge of the blade immediately began to dig into Kazuki’s flesh. Fresh blood poured down Itsu’s clothes and onto the floor making the ground slick with blood.

Itsu roared at Kazuki.

“Release me or you will lose this arm here and now.”

Kazuki smiled.

“No, it’s too late for that shit. Right now it’s time for us to figure out which of us will die and which of us will leave here.”

The electricity continued to eat away at Kazuki’s body but he was still able to endure. Itsu saw this and calmed down a bit.

“You fool, this electricity does nothing to me but to you, it must be hell. Not only that but with my blade right here you can’t snap my neck and even if you try you’ll only sever your own arm well before that. You’re also bleeding out. No matter what you do, you are right it is too late. All I have to do is wait and you’ll soon die. You’ve only taken my ability away from killing you but in its place you’re killing yourself. How long do I have to wait for, 5, 6 minutes, hmph it’s over for you, I win.”

“Hahahahahaha, 5 or 6 minutes you say.”

Kazuki’s free hand began to make ancient hand signs and magic began to gather around him.

“What are you doing? With those strange movements, you’re simply killing yourself quicker.”

Kazuki smirked at Itsu.

“You didn’t get to see this memory from me did you but not to worry, you’ll have the opportunity to experience it first hand.”

Kazuki’s hand symbols sped up faster and faster almost looking illusory, until finally a blue flame the size of a golf ball formed above his hand.

As soon as the blue flame materialized, Itsu appeared panicked. He could already feel the heat from the flame as the flesh upon his face began to sting and his eyes hurt from the sight of it.

“What sort of flame is that?”

Itsu couldn’t even begin to comprehend how Kazuki had been able to use magic with these inscription chains binding him and right now he didn’t even bother trying. All he could think about was how painful the flame was at this distance. This caused his body to shake and tremble in fear thinking about what would happen if that flame actually came into contact with him. He started to struggle more fiercely while screaming.

“Let me go, let me go or I’ll kill you. I said release me!”

Kazuki laughed some more.

“Hahaha, let’s see who will die first, me from the shock and loss of blood or you from my flame. What was it you said, 5 or 6 minutes, I bet we can reduce that number by half, shall we give it a try?”