Return of the Fallen Volume 12 Chapter 13
After entering his Soul world, Kazuki realized he was thoroughly frustrated. In the outside world, only a few days seemed to pass but inside his Soul world, Kazuki’s manipulation of time had led to millions of years passing inside. He felt he had gone through every single option and came upon failure after failure.
These failures stacked upon themselves and his frustration grew to the point that he became resentful. not only toward himself but toward Arc, Codex, and Sword as well. They held knowledge that he did not. Something that may just be the key to his freedom from Chaotic space. Their absolute refusal to share such knowledge left him reeling in anger.
His life was on the line. The longer they waited, the closer his destruction came upon the horizon. No one could predict the exact time Arc’s powers could hold out and how long its barrier would hold. The moment Arc was out of Origin energy though, the time of death for Kazuki would be exactly a fraction of a second after failure.
For the other Artifacts though if they were lucky, with their incredibly tough and durable bodies, they could survive in this place for trillions upon trillions of years.
Unfair barely scratched the surface.
(DAMN! Is there truly nothing that I can do?)
This frustration and resentment, Kazuki knew it held no weight. They had already explained that the information was too much and it would destroy him. He could only be so angry. In the end, he understood where they were coming from and his true hatred was of his own self. He hated that he was too weak to handle such knowledge. He was enraged that he had tried for millions of years to reach Divine enlightenment and had yet to even touch the edge of it.
Kazuki sat in silence. He began to circulate time magic around him out of sheer habit now. As the grey threads of energy swirled around him, he meditated. His ki circulated automatically, his rage cooled, and his anger was released and faded away.
(Looking inward is getting me nowhere. I’ve also looked outward but maybe I have missed something.)
Kazuki knew his own soul inside and out but he had not explored Chaotic space. It was far too dangerous to physically go out. If he were a God, maybe he could survive for a while in such a destructive place but with his current form, he could barely last a second before he was scattered into oblivion.
(This place is too mysterious. Going out is still too dangerous but I have more than one way to take a look.)
Kazuki’s aura rose significantly before he outstretched it past Arc’s Innerspace and into Chaotic space. Just like before, the moment his aura touched Chaotic space, it was torn asunder. There was an immediate backlash and Kazuki felt an agonizing pain in his soul.
At the same time, with his soul-reading ability, his soul was quickly repaired. With a thought, he absorbed some of the chaotic energy from outside to replace the consumption of energy used to repair his soul.
(As long as there is energy in this place I can repair my soul infinitely. The pain from the backlash is the only real burden but pain…I can endure.)
Kazuki began to test things out as Codex, Sword and Arc watched on in curiosity. Codex wanted to ask what pointless thing he was up to now but Arc squashed that immediately.
(Let him do what he wishes. He needs to release his frustration, otherwise, he might just go insane at this rate. You saw how well that worked out for you and Sword last time when you ruined Kori’s mind.)
They had indeed destroyed much of Kori and it only became a detriment to their goal. Codex decided to listen to Arc and remained silent as they watched on.
Kazuki used what the ape King taught him so long ago and strengthened his aura. He also folded it millions of times over. Its durability and toughness increased beyond the limit of what he could once do but he didn’t stop there. Before he was forced into this place he could fold his aura well over two million times. Now it was closer to a few billion times.
Kazuki had not tested it but he was sure he could handle several attacks from a true God. Right now though his mind was far away from such trivialities.
His aura was strengthened billions of times over. With a thought, he outstretched it. To his surprise, even this failed but…it had lasted for several seconds compared to a fraction of a second. This was progress. Poor progress but progress nonetheless.
(Interesting. What if I try this?)
Kazuki used his aura as if it were a sword.
(3rd Form. Severing Tempest!)
Kazuki’s aura cut outward with a powerful slash. A small path, a mere foot long and only a few inches wide was cleared in front of this slash. Kazuki, Arc, Codex, and Sword were all shocked. This small path resembled normal space and for a split second, there was a strange calm from this tiny insignificant area.
Kazuki was honestly stumped for a moment and did not know what to do. In this small time frame, chaotic space intruded upon this calm space and spread its dangerous energy thoroughly throughout it. Corrupting it once again.
Kazuki though was not disappointed.
As a long silence followed, suddenly Arc erupted.
(Kazuki, incredible…this…your brother’s sword form was this deep!)
Kazuki felt a smile stretch across his face unintentionally. He felt a sense of pride. Not for himself but for his older brother.
(Kai…even now…thank you.)
For the first time in a long while, Kazuki felt all of his anger and frustration evaporate completely. A fire began to burn in his eyes as his determination was reignited.
Codex and Sword were left dumbfounded and began throwing question after question out. Well, Codex was speaking and asking questions while Sword was moving awkwardly as if it was dancing. Its communication skills were still lacking. Kazuki did not feel like answering any questions and Codex could see that so it stopped pestering him but it did not stop watching. It, along with Sword moved closer so they could observe Kazuki in every detail.
Kazuki did not care and once more he tested his powers. This time using a move he and Danny had come up with together, he formed several bolts of lightning within Arc’s inner space. Contained within this lightning was his aura along with his brother’s sword forms. These sword forms were the backbone of everything. They were the power that could sever energy.
With a thought, he sent these powerful bolts of lightning striking out.
Several bolts of lightning came snaking out of Arc’s body and into CHaotic space. Once more a path cleared in front. Except this time, it was so much more. Lightning moved extremely quickly, especially when it was being powered by Kazuki. With the sword forms and his aura embedded inside the lightning, a path several miles long spread out before them.
Chaotic space had changed for a moment and in this path all was calm. Kazuki did not stop there. As these bolts of lightning ran out he quickly materialized more and shot it forth following the first strikes. It continued on the clear path and as chaotic space was treading on his path, his lightning cleared it out and expanded a few miles further.
It was as if Chaotic space was an ocean of overgrown weeds. Kazuki could sever this energy and clear a path but the path would quickly be overgrown with more Chaotic space. If he did not continuously cut and sever, the path would be no more.
After a while, Kazuki had cleared a path for a few hundred thousand miles and found no end in sight.
Finally, he stopped and began to think once again. Many ideas flashed in his head.
(The path I clear out…I cannot see the end or rather where I’m going. I’m simply blind. Even if a path is clear so what, we still cannot move in this place without Chaotic space exploding…)
It was then that something came to mind.
(Arc, I need to borrow your senses once more.)
Arc was waiting for this.
(So does this mean to say you finally have an idea?)
Kazuki’s smile grew.
(You could say that. Let me ask you a question. In this place of destruction, what exists besides energy?)
Arc went quiet as it thought for a moment.
(I don’t know the answer to this riddle. Are you asking if there are other beings besides us here or…?)
(No, it’s not a riddle. I’m being completely upfront but if you don’t know, heh, that’s understandable. What about Codex, you seem to have infinite wisdom, what’s your guess.)
Arc and Codex both disliked this teasing but Codex still tried to answer.
(If you are asking me seriously, then my answer would be the rifts or tears that the explosions cause from time to time.)
Kazuki chuckled.
(Close but those come about from explosions and aren’t always present. Come now, is this the best you two can come up with? Sword what about you?)
Sword slashed and spun a few times and Kazuki snapped his finger.
(Sword is exactly right!)
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