Return of the Fallen Volume 10 Chapter 129
Memories flashed backward as Trilia searched over trillions upon trillions of memories, experiences, and senses. There were many incidents throughout Kazuki’s life that were incredibly damaging but a few key instances stuck out like a sore thumb.
(Hmm, someone’s been living on the edge huh. Just look at all these depressing times. Most would have succumbed to despair long ago but this resilience, this endurance. Most of it was fueled by your hatred it seems but later on, that hatred started getting replaced with those two huh.)
Kazuki’s memories flashed and the image of both Nunully and Asuna appeared in his mind and soul. Trilia swiped at these images and they passed by like clouds in the sky. Very quickly they were replaced by the most damaging and dangerous times in his life.
After a short while, Trilia came to a conclusion.
(It seems the beginning of the second fracture started here.)
The memories showed a frozen landscape. Kazuki had just separated from his group and it was only him, Mei, and Tsura. The sound of wind tearing erupted from behind these fleeing three and they were attacked.
Kazuki fought with the fat meatball called Abura. After nearly dying, Kazuki finally overcame and killed him. It was right around then that he reforged his Mage core. Trilia watched this show with fascination.
(I didn’t even know this was a possibility. Being able to reforge your Mage core after it was stolen. Alas, this is where the second fracture in your soul began. Since you formed a new core, a piece of your soul broke away to fuse with your new Mage core. In doing a second fracture appeared in your soul. Too bad. If you had your original Mage core and it had never been stolen, you would not have had to remake a new one. If that were the case, two of the three fractures to your soul would never have formed.)
(Now that you know the cause of the second fracture, you can teach me how to repair it now right.)
Trilia didn’t answer and instead sifted through more of Kazuki’s memories.
(Hmm, it looks like the third fracture happened over the course of multiple incidents. All of them center around the edge of life and death.)
More memories began to flash and play out. One showed his fight with Muteki, another with Abura, one showed the moment Garn held him captive and was ready to kill him before Etora and Glacious appeared and rescued him. It showed his fight with Reya, Fera nearly blowing him up with her lightning, him falling into the Abyssal trench, and so on. Time and again he nearly died but just barely managed to find a way out of the worse of the worse.
(Wow, you fell in there when you were not even at the 4th stage and you survived. Weird monsters clicking and clacking while trying to eat you and then that odd goat-headed monster stalking you through the darkness.)
Kazuki remembered that horror show vividly. He felt eyes constantly watching him in the dark trench but for a long while he could never make out what it was. Later on, the beast toyed with him and eventually ate him.
(Escaping from that monster’s stomach I nearly lost myself. My mind was unfocused and I was starving, I was going mad from hunger and paranoia. I was so close to insanity at that time.)
Again and again, Kazuki faced death. He learned how to manifest his own aura by being crushed beneath Zetrazz’s aura breath. Later on, he learned even more about aura from the previous ape king Groud.
Seeing Kazuki’s memories, Trilia easily understood how the third fracture of Kazuki’s soul came to be.
(From the looks of it, due to you already having two cracks already, a third one was allowed to form as you dealt with life and death repeatedly. The biggest factor I have to say is this Vazul creature thing. As it took over your body it also tried to devour your soul. If not for this brother of yours as well as Zetrazz, you would not be here and now I can say that for sure. )
Kazuki recalled the Vazul. A dark entity. A previous follower and devotee of the gluttonous God Ourodyess. The first iteration of the dark void Kazuki had formed inside of his soul world was more than just a great source of devouring power. It was actually a gate that connected directly to a Vazul and Kazuki had unknowingly let it in and almost was completely taken over and eaten by it.
Thankfully it was destroyed but the cost was too great. Kai had sacrificed too much of himself and faded away to nothingness. This was devastating as Kazuki had essentially lost his older brother all over again.
Later on, Kazuki recreated the devouring power, this time from his own will and power and it no longer had any connection to the gluttonous God or his dark minions. It was this spinning void inside his soul world that allowed him to catch up in power rather quickly. Again though, the cost was extremely high.
Trilia continued and mentioned even more harmful details she discovered.
(A fracture to one’s soul is not a rare occurrence, especially for weaker beings. You though had one that invited a second and then your second fracture naturally invited a third. First from your Mage core being stolen, then from you reforging a new one, and then from the man times you faced life and death. Most people can live peacefully with a single soul fracture and it affects them in a very minor way or not at all. You though had one that led to another and a third that formed from your dangerous environment and circumstances. You noticed your soul problem due to your powers no longer growing. In fact, you would have suffered greatly if my husband and I now did not come along. The third fracture would have continued to snowball until you formed a fourth soul fracture or the third grew. This would have resulted in regression of your power and soul and possibly could have led to the destruction of your soul outright.)
(It could have gotten that bad?)
Trilia noded.
(Yes, at the most you could have gone another hundred years without notice if you had not been constantly trying to improve your strength. Because you sought out power time and again, you quickly found out there was something wrong and then my dearest husband got your attention. You’re fortunate in many ways.)
Kazuki did not feel fortunate, at least not when it came to all of the horrors he suffered through. Being stalked through the endless darkness and then eaten by a monster and almost being dissolved by its stomach acid, that had left a permanent mark in his mind, one he would never forget. Even when he fought other beings that were clearly stronger than them, he felt little fear when facing them. He knew if he just outthought these opponents, if his plans came through, if he resisted as long as he could, he could find a way to win. Inside the belly of a beast, Kazuki had lost his hope.
If not for his brother and Danny helping him access the devouring ability through Abrua’s memories, Kazuki would have died for sure and he knew it.
(Now that I have identified, the problems, I can teach you this druid ability.)
Kazuki was still unsure of why he couldn’t just share Trilia’s memories and experiences when it came to this soul ability. She had said it was an ever-evolving ability, one that you could not simply learn but that in itself came across as vague. Kazuki felt if you knew a subject or power and it was teachable, why couldn’t one simply look through another’s soul and pick these skills and techniques up.
(Still not convinced huh?)
Trilia spoke to Kazuki with a smirk. Even without bringing his thoughts forward, Trilia was so good that she could basically guess with extreme accuracy what he was thinking.
(Am I that obvious?)
Trilia nodded.
(When it comes to trust or rather not trusting in something or someone, you are indeed very obvious. You think I am hiding something from you, maybe a secret, something that I don’t want you to know or see about me or my technique. Well hate to break it to you young one but I’m pretty straightforward, at least when it comes to this, hehe. You will know very soon though so stop with the doubt, and gather your confidence in me, actually on second thought don’t. I’m looking forward to seeing the dumb expression on your face once you realize why this ability can’t simply be shared through one’s soul. Shall I give you a small hint, that might make this a little more interesting.)
Kazuki wanted to deny her just because she was annoying but before he could voice his thoughts, she simply said one word.
(Snowflake.)
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