Return of the Fallen Volume 12 Chapter 9
(Clues?)
Both Codex and Arc were both surprised and curious. Kazuki did not leave them hanging and told them his thoughts.
(This place, I don’t know if it’s eating all magical energy or destroying it but one thing we all have witnessed is that this place’s effect on Origin energy is…different. As the explosions ring out and sent a massive force of all the chaotic energies at us, Arc, you were able to defend us with your Origin energy. With a barrier, you have deflected some of the force and others you’ve managed to endure while being knocked around and beaten up.)
(Who said I was being beaten up? That is your imagination Kazuki.)
There was a sense of pride in those words or maybe bruised ego but Kazuki ignored it and continued.
(Fine. The point is, every energy I use disappears after a fraction of a second of being exposed to this place’s Chaotic nature. Your Origin energy though, allows us all to endure.)
(Sure but what is the point of getting tossed about Kazuki? Arc can’t take that punishment for eternity. Eventually, Arc’s Origin energy will run dry and there will be nothing left to defend us.)
(Codex, who said I was being tossed about. I simply moved in a tactical way so as to avoid you all from coming to harm. Do not besmirch me.)
Arc was again feeling tender. Codex and Kazuki shared a look. Codex continued on.
(Arc, can we drop the falsehoods and be clear? This situation…we are all stuck here together, putting up fronts does nothing but give you a bad look.)
(YOU!)
Kazuki again came between the two and stopped them. Cutting the tension swiftly with something that came across as ridiculous.
(Before you two argue any further, I was going to propose we get knocked around some more.)
This time the two looked upon Kazuki as if he had gone mad.
(Kazuki, I have known you for a good while now and I’ll admit you are a clever human but this…This is stupid to the nth degree.)
Arc knew Kazuki would not just speak out of his ass but he had no clue where Kazuki could possibly be going with this. Codex as well did not understand where this was leading.
(Kazuki, I’ll have to agree with Arc on this one. How does Arc being smacked around by Chaotic space help us escape? As I said there is only so much Arc can take. If Arc uses its power sparingly, we may all be able to last for a few million years. After that, we will be exposed to outside forces. That won’t necessarily end us but you will once again be ripped to shreds and without Arc’s power to bring your soul together, at that time, you truly will be obliterated.)
(I understand this concern but I am not a fool. At least not a big one. I have an idea. I don’t know if it will work but…under these circumstances, it is worth a try, no?)
Codex did not agree at all.
(No, it is not worth it in my opinion. As I said, when Arc runs out of power and we are exposed, it is you who will suffer the most. With you gone, that leaves me and Sword with no help and no hope. Yes, maybe, eventually we fall out of this place but then what. We have already given Arc our remaining power. Back in the three Higher Realms, we will be useless, and finding our Master will almost certainly be an impossibility. It is you we need the most. You have to survive no matter what. Therefore this idea of Arc being knocked about is utterly and entirely useless. The best option in the end, still, is to wait it out.)
There were too many flaws to count in Codex’s statement. Namely the waiting game. Besides the obvious of them waiting on the off chance they fall out of Chaotic space and return back to the three Realms, this left them at the hands of random chance. If Arc’s power could not last, Kazuki would be exposed to the outside forces anyway and his soul would be obliterated. Even though he could absorb the outside energies and grow from them, the chaos outside was simply too much. There was no way he could take all of it at once and survive. The waiting game was one that would most likely lead to his destruction anyway. That though was besides the point. In the end, he could not wait too long for the sole purpose of Mei and little Kosaru.
(Sorry Codex but I am not asking for permission from you or anyone else. I cannot wait around for something that may or may never happen. I have people that I must return to. They are exposed without me. I must protect them.)
If Arc had brows right now they would be raised.
(Kazuki…You mentioned the brats before your revenge…Now that’s interesting. I don’t think the piece that you’ve absorbed from me has caused this change so what did?)
Kazuki shook his head.
(I have not forgotten my true goals but…Mei and Kosaru, they are important to me. I will not let them come to harm. The time of my revenge, it shall come but only after I make sure Mei and Kosaru are safe and sound and not before.)
Arc felt a small yet fierce pulse of energy from Kazuki for a split second before it vanished into thin air. For a moment Arc questioned if it really felt anything.
(Kazuki what was that?)
Kazuki stared at Arc in confusion.
(What was what. I said I will protect them, what do you mean?)
(No not that, that energy just now, I felt it, what was it?)
Kazuki did not know what Arc was talking about. Not just him but Sword moved around as if to say what is Arc talking about and Codex as well seemed to not have sensed anything at all.
(Am I losing it? Are my senses being affected in this place?)
(Arc in my opinion you’ve always been odd. Don’t tell me you’re really going off the deep end now.)
Arc was frustrated with Codex’s comments here and there. No one has bothered Arc this much since Kazuki and now with Codex, the annoyance had doubled.
(Shut it you empty book. I know what I felt!)
Kazuki again had to move between the two.
(Alright, you two are bickering way too much. We’ve only been here for a few hours and you act like it’s been years. Can you both just finish hearing me out so we can discuss an actual way to make progress instead of the petty squabbling?)
Arc suddenly went quiet which surprised Kazuki. It seemed far too easy but Kazuki had no intention to lay about with these thoughts. He needed to leave this mind field as fast as possible.
With the two Artifacts quiet, Kazuki finally explained his idea.
(Good, now that that is over, how about we try something? Arc can take those waves and explosions to a certain extent. With that amount of force, it can knock him around and move him to a degree. This is what I propose. Arc gets hit by one of those explosions and using that huge forceful blast, we get thrown through a tear in space.)
The idea was simple, way too simple for Codex’s liking.
(Is that all? I’m relieved I did not get my hopes up, otherwise, I would be surely disappointed at this terrible idea.)
Kazuki crossed his arms with a lazed expression.
(Are you done?)
Codex was annoyed at how nonchalant Kazuki was acting.
(As a matter of act I’m not. You act as if you have it all figured out but you did not even mention the basics. For example, just how in the 7 Realms of Hell do you intend to move in a specific direction when the explosions are randomized? That is only the beginning. How do we then find a tear that isn’t there and doesn’t even exist yet? Let’s say Arc can direct us in a certain direction and let’s say we do head directly toward a tear that somehow magically appears exactly where we need it to. How do we even make it to this tear before it closes on us or what do we do if another explosion ripples out and knocks us right off our course? I’m assuming this stunt will cost a fair amount of Origin energy. If we are knocked away during this whole process, then what, we are out of energy and left to the horrors of this place and we are back to square one. Actually, we are less than square one as we will have no more energy. Tell me Kazuki, how do you actually think we can do this without losing everything to this little endeavor of yours.)
Kazuki smiled before saying only three words.
(I don’t know.)
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