Return of the Fallen Volume 12 Chapter 142
Belux, the Black gate Artifact left no choice for Arc. No real path. Option one, Arc resist and uses the last bit of Origin energy it has to fight for a little while. At the end of that, Belux proclaimed it would only delay him and he would still take control of Arc while also ripping Kazuki apart to extract the part of him that is Artifact. Option two was a long drawn-out torture session under Belux’s kind care. With his power, he could torture Kazuki just enough to keep him alive.
He would drive Kazuki to madness through pain and anguish and he could do it indefinitely. All to get Arc to buckle under the pressure and give in. Arc was left with the most difficult decision of its entire life. Both led him to his demise as he would fuse with Belux and no longer exist. Both were the endpoint for everything that Arc was and ever possibly could be.
One option though made it so that Kauzki would have less harm come to him. Removing the piece of him that was Artifact, if that was even possible. This path if carried out would most likely cause him to no longer be him. His mind, soul, and body would not be what it once was and his powers would eventually disappear entirely. This was only the least bit of his worries. If he managed to survive after that he would have no life to lead. On the other hand, if the worst-case scenario played out, that would mean he would simply no longer exist. Kazuki and everything that made him him would be no more.
(Kazuki…If both paths lead to your destruction, at least I should choose the one that will cause you the least amount of pain and agony…I will choose the first option so you aren’t tortured. I…I did not think this is where it would all end. Had I known, I would have sent you away from all this madness I swear. I know I can’t even dare to ask for forgiveness but…No, all I can say is sorry.)
Kazuki was silent as he listened to Arc’s intention to give up and surrender here. Arc understood this and didn’t hold anything against Kazuki.
((I know your angry, no furious with me. To think my desire to become whole would take us down a road of no return. What a fool I was…am. No matter what you think of me, no matter if you hate me to the core and despise my very being, I want you to know that you are my friend. If you are intact in the next life, I’m serious and truly mean it when I say I hope your next life is one of peace and love. After everything I’ve witnessed, I know that you have a good heart. Even when there were bad times, even when it seemed as if you were going down the wrong path, I see who you truly are. The way you treat those you care about…You are a good man Kazuki.)
Arc went quiet for a moment. It did not dare ask Kazuki to speak to it or acknowledge it. It only wanted to leave with Kazuki knowing its honest unguarded thoughts.
Arc flew off of Kazuki’s finger and returned to its Gosechu box form before asking.
“At the very least will you try and preserve as much of Kazuki as you can? If you can promise to at least try…I will not resist.”
Belux smiled before opening his hand.
“I promise. I will do everything in my power to preserve as much of Kazuki as possible. Now, come here.”
Belux curled a finger with a cold tone. The tried expression he wore indicated he was ready to finally put an end to it all and began again.
Arc felt bitterness within its depths. It had searched for so so long, it had lost so so much. Through all of this, it wished to have its power back. Not to rule over all, nor to flex its power and destroy. No, secretly, deep down, it simply wished to have its memories back. Though it did not get all of them back, Arc got plenty to understand what type of cruel monster it truly was.
Arc’s imagination ran wild before it knew the truth. Ideals and hopes to find out who it really was and why it had ended up where it had. One does not tend to assume they were vile but there had to be some reason Arc ended up where it had. For the route cause to be its own horrid actions. Its influence and games caused a single person to finally snap and with it, the dominos began to fall.
Arc floated directly into Belux’s hand and was just about to lower its defenses when Kazuki called out to it.
(Man, that was so sappy. Giving up without a fight, surrendering without trying every possibility, that is not the Arc I know. The Arc I know gets what it wants and never gives in. Through all the dangers in all the worlds, across the stars, and across the Realms whether Lower or Higher, Arc you are not one to stop. Not here, not now, and not after all the shit we’ve been through. Now are you going to give up or are you going to fight with everything on the line.)
Arc sighed inwardly. It was not surprised by Kazuki’s response but it simply saw no other option.
(Kazuki, there is nothing left that we can do. If either of us fights, it will just be more pain for you. If this is my last and final act, I do not wish for it to be prolonging a fasl sense of hope and making your final moments filled with pain. I…I am accepting my fate. Let us end this travesty once and for all. I am no noble being but a monster. I am not worth fighting for and we both know it.)
Kazuki got pissed.
(YOU’RE WRONG!!!)
Kazuki’s power began to rise causing Belux and the others to take notice of him.
(Kazuki what are you doing!? Don’t fight him!)
Belux felt Kazuki’s power gathering. This was slightly surprising but nothing difficult he couldn’t handle.
“Hmm, after everything you now know about the past, are you really still trying to do something here? Are you really trying to save him? Not even your sefl but him. Maybe you aren’t as clever as the memories entail.”
Belux lifted a foot before stomping hard on the ground. His Artificial dark energy swept over Kazuki like a large wave. Kazuki could take some of this power and be fine but this amount was simply too much. He felt bits of his soul become corrupted by this energy and were torn away piece by piece.
Even his flesh could not handle this much of Belux’s energy as Belux concentrated it and amplified it. This much energy could easily kill a normal God. For Kazuki’s body that has gone through its recent evolution, it’s reforging under this very same energy, chunks of flesh were ripped away.
The pain of course was excruciating but Kazuki smiled like a maniac.
“YES, THIS PAIN HURTS BUT IF IT’S ONLY THIS MUCH I CAN TAKE IT FOREVER!”
Arc had no clue what Kazuki was doing, nor did Belux but Kauzki knew for a fact Belux could not kill him, could not end his existence while the Artifact piece was still required. Not only that, Kazuki could handle this pain. He had spent 2 million years trapped in his Soul world while this very same dark energy constantly bombarded his every fiber and every cell.
“Kazuki what are you doing? Don’t try against him, here his powers are nearly limitless. You can not win!”
Belux sighed.
“This is a pointless act. I know just how painful this is. The fact that you can use your power under these conditions is impressive, yes but you are just wasting my time and testing my patience with this, nothing more. Arc is right, fighting me, resisting…This monster…Arc is not worth all of this.”
Kazuki began gathering his power again. Because he understood this fake dark energy to a certain extent, with a little concentration he could use his power. Belux did not like this one bit. It was like watching someone drag themself up a mountain of blades for the sake of rescuing a demonic God King. To put yourself through hell in order to save the most repulsive force in all the universe, to Belux this act was both infuriating and sickening. Any calm he had before, it was all gone and erased after witnessing this.
His dark energy concentrated further and crashed into Kazuki with brutal forces. Large chunks of flesh fell away from Kauzki as if he was melting. His bones broke over and over and his organs were crushed and rotted.
Kazuki’s smile only grew.
“Why are you still smiling!?”
*Heh*
“Simple. I’m smiling because of how wrong you truly are. Arc is no monster…Arc is my friend!”
As Kazuki shouted, the shadow reached outward and snatched something from the air.
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