Return of the Fallen Volume 10 Chapter 26
With a single thought from Detra, this tiny world moved around both her and Kazuki, and a fraction of a second later, they were inside a room located somewhere in the great tree. A small table with only a single chair was in the center of this wooden room. On top of the table was a simple tea set. That single furnishing made up the entirety of this space. This gave the room a feeling of coziness.
With a wave of her hand, a new chair appeared and she offered Kazuki a seat.
“Is there a need for me to sit down? You said you had something for me, let’s not beat around the bush.”
“Straight forward as always, very well.”
Once again Detra waved her hand. This time instead of a chair a corpse along with a black compass appeared and landed with a thud and a clank on the floor.
The corpse was missing a head, but even with that, or rather, without that, Kazuki still recognized both the body and the compass right away.
“Fera’s corpse, this is what you wanted to give me?”
Seeing her body, a feeling of disgust swept over him.
“I couldn’t just leave it lying around. Even though Fera is no more, her body contains some divine energy, that doesn’t just disappear. Even after death, I’ve heard divine energy can remain for millions of years or even longer. I don’t know what that could do to the world but I’m sure nothing good. Besides, if I just left it there, Zephris would surely have collected it and we know what comes of his experiments. This body falling into his hands would lead to a disaster at best and a calamity at worse.”
Kazuki’s stomach twisted up in knots just looking at Fera’s body. True enough, even without sensing it, an overflowing power was spilling out from it. At the rate, it was going, Kazuki predicted it would probably take a million years or more to exhaust its supply.
(I didn’t recognize this power when we were fighting but after coming back from the Higher Realm and personally experiencing this so-called divine power, it does feel similar. What remains in this body is nowhere near what I felt from Orberus or Daisius. Is it because Fera is no more or because she was a Demigod and they were actual Gods?)
“What is it you expect me to do with this thing?”
Detra herself didn’t know.
“If it remains in the open world, it could attract unwanted individuals into our Realm. What you do with it I don’t know but it cannot remain here. I’ve only held onto it because, like I said I didn’t wish for Zephris to have it. Since this involves the Realm itself, should you not take responsibility and do something with this body?”
“What does that even mean? It involves the Realm so I should take care of it, and what do you mean it could attract unwanted individuals?”
“Kazuki, you asked me not to beat around the bush, so I’ll just say it. You have already surpassed me and everyone else in this Lower Realm. If not you, then who? As for the uninvited guests, think about it. Fera’s body is still the body of a Demigod and even contains small amounts of divine energy. I do not know how one ascends to the level of a Demigod but there is no doubt Fera’s body contains some secrets. Her body, after death, is a treasure trove for those who seek out knowledge and power. You may be the strongest being in this Lower Realm but aren’t there nearly an infinite amount of Lower Realms. To those experts, her body may just be the most valuable object in all of these Lower Realms and those interested would surely come if they get even a single whiff of it. Her body invites challenge and those challengers could be stronger than you or me. They may not be Demigods since they would already know the secret to entering that stage, but if they are at the seventh stage as you are, and if they are not alone. How many…how many can you face before you succumb? Before the fabric of this Lower Realm succumbs and is ripped to pieces?”
Kazuki hadn’t thought of this. He asked Orberus to no longer interfere and to leave him alone but that does nothing when it comes to other Lower Realms. Kazuki himself didn’t know how to become a Demigod. Even with the expansive knowledge that he acquired from both Zephris and Glacious, neither had any clue as to how to become a Demigod.
(Zephris and Glacious are two of the most knowledgeable experts to have ever graced this world. Yet with all of their knowledge combined in my head and all of their experience, there is no place to even start. There are always those who wish for more power. If they find out the corpse of a Demigod is in this Realm, why wouldn’t they come. Even if it’s just out of curiosity, were they to know of this place, know of its location, what wouldn’t they do to get even a small sample of this body?)
“How would outsiders even know a Demigod died in this Realm in the first place? If we keep silent if this doesn’t get out…then maybe.”
Detra shook her head.
“It may already be too late.”
“How can that be? The only ones who know are all in this world…
Kazuki suddenly thought about that elvish expert who had vanished earlier. When he confronted the remaining powerhouses hidden away in Gordonia, he made them all submit to him but afterward, one had completely disappeared from his senses entirely.
Detra didn’t know what Kazuki was thinking about but she needed to tell him everything here and now as it was urgent so she interrupted his thoughts.
“Kazuki, when you and Fera fought, there were ripple effects that spread across this Lower Realm. The power you both displayed ripped small portions of the fabric of this Lower Realm. Thankfully there were not many so I was able to repair them quickly but for a brief time, while those tears existed, anyone who was powerful enough could have easily taken a peek inside of this Realm. I don’t know if anyone did observe us during that time but that possibility does exist. We were exposed to the other Lower Realms and because of that, it may be too late.”
Kazuki’s eyes went wide.
He immediately thought about Nunully, Asuna, and the others. He had to protect them at all costs. If another person came into this Realm and challenged him, their fight could destroy this entire Realm and everyone who wasn’t strong enough would be taken with it.
“If they simply want her body, couldn’t we just destroy it or even just hand it over to whoever comes?”
Detra shook her head.
“It’s not that simple, it never is. Even if you destroy it or hand it over, what will you do when others come after the first ones? Will they believe you destroyed such a priceless treasure or simply handed it over? No, that’s impossible. They will come and then others after them and more after them. They won’t trust your words and will try and destroy you and anyone you ever cared about. In their anger, they would destroy everything, and even if you are strong enough to stop them, this Realm would most likely not survive.”
“What…What can be done? Surely we can do something.”
Detra finally sat down and poured herself a cup of tea before sipping it. She would have fixed one for Kazuki but he was clearly in no mood. Gently setting the cup down with a light clank, she spoke carefully.
“I understand how you feel about your grandfather but
Detra’s words froze there as Kazuki’s anger rose and his aura started to make her entire world tremble.
“Stop! Forget my words just now.”
Kazuki circulated his ki to calm his mind. He retracted his aura and settled his rising spirit.
“Orberus and I have already come to an agreement. I have cut him off completely and so too has he. After he sends my uncle down, he will remove all of his monitoring tools, and he will no longer even know where this Realm is nor how to find it.”
“I thought something like that might be the case. Thankfully, there are three other options that I currently know of.”
“Three, we actually have that many? Please tell me. If it’s to protect everyone, I will even crush the stars to cosmic dust.”
“That won’t be necessary. The first one, though is the most difficult, and I say it’s an option, but I don’t think it’s something that can come to fruition, but I’ll say it anyway to cover the basis. The first option, you figure out the impossible, and find a way to become a Demigod. Once you enter that stage, those beneath that level will never face you, as it will be instant death. Those that are already Demigods would also have no interest in our Realm or Fera’s body.”
Kazuki looked at Detra with pure confusion. Fera had only been able to become a Demigod because she had a literal god helping her the entire way through and that in itself took decades to achieve. Kazuki who had no such grand support and no idea how to get to that level, found this first option to be just as Detra said, impossible.
Detra saw the confused, blank stare and nodded.
“Yep, I figured you’d have that look, but I still needed to get that option out of the way. Now don’t cry Kazuki, as the next two options are definitely viable.”
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