Return of the Fallen Volume 13 Chapter 1
In the depths of space, the sight of battle was left with numerous scars as Chaotic tears were spread across the area. In this place where millions upon millions of Gods fought and lost their lives, an ocean of mangled corpses floated silently. Blood had frozen over and chunks of viscera and bones were scattered in every direction.
Broken Vajra ships littered this place. Storage rings that were damaged beyond repair every now and again would fail completely and spill out all of the contents inside.
This was where Belux had declared he would burn the Universe down and recreate it anew. As time passed, Dredinkar, Brella, and the last remaining Gods left this death field in order to carry out their own plans. Nala and Fleck could no longer sense Kazuki. A few moments after Kazuki disappeared into the Void, it was as if he had died. Their Souls no longer held a slave mark as it vanished without a trace.
They could only assume he was no more. Their grief was short but heartfelt. They could not sit idly by when their futures and the future of everyone and everything was at stake. They joined Dredinkar and left this hell behind them.
In this place where there was nothing but death and silence, something began to move. In the center of the battlefield, space started to tremble before a single bloodied hand broke through and ripped space. Grabbing the edges of space, this hand tore away and widened the tear until someone escaped Chaotic space and reentered normal space.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
With a mighty roar and a maddening look, Gardius looked like a demon. His body was torn to shreds. He was missing both legs and one arm and he had a large hole in the middle of his chest. All of his skin had been melted away and most of his bones were fully exposed. These bones were dyed in dark blood.
“Finally, I have returned. My soul is nearly broken and my powers are weak but I escaped that hell hole.”
Gardius could once again feel the magic in his surroundings. With a deep inhale, energy began to flood into his body and he began to regenerate.
“Such humiliation will not go unanswered. Once I recover, I will unleash my wrath and crush their souls until nothing remains. Even if it takes me eons, I will eventually destroy those who stomped on my pride and used me. One day, my enemies will kneel before me and beg for mercy and I will crush them while laughing at their disfigured corpse’s.”
Just as Gardius was about to leave, a cold voice rang out.
“Now that’s interesting. I wonder though, how will you accomplish this goal without a body.”
Suddenly a pair of yellow eyes appeared out of nowhere in this darkness. Skin with shadow-like flames and a devilish smile.
Gardius became alert and he instantly tried to flee. He knew he could not fight, not in this weakened state.
He gathered as much energy as he could and attempted to run away but before he could the shadow was already upon him.
His speed was greater than Gardius’s and his strength against the current Gardius was levels above. He had the struggling Gardius in his hands and looked him dead in the eyes.
“Now now, did I say you were allowed to leave.”
“BASTARD! RELEASE ME NOW OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!”
*Bwahahahaha!*
“Gardius you fail to understand your future. You see you don’t know me or what I do. In truth, your future is…well, that’s just it, you don’t have one.”
Shadow then dove directly into Gardiu’s mouth, eyes ears, and nose. He infiltrated Gardiu’s body and soul in an instant. Gardius who was still struggling, tried to grab hold of Shaodw and rip him away but he was too weak now. After half a moment, his hands fell limply at his side and his struggling ceased.
Shadow entered Gardius’s soul world and his dark powers spread all throughout. In the corner of this soul world, something tiny, an insignificant speck of something went unnoticed by shadow as he continued to take over. Like a tidal wave of darkness, his power covered everything, wrapping it in a veil of darkness. His mind-soul energy took everything that was Gardius’s and made it his own.
Just like that…it was all over.
Gardius began to move once more but he was no longer Gardius. The shadow had taken full control. Opening and closing his hand, the shadow felt a strange giddiness and chills ran down his spine.
He quickly began absorbing power at a terrifying rate and this new body of his recovered rapidly.
(The power to control multiple elements and fuse them together like this, A body tougher than nearly every other in this Universe. Combined with my new-found knowledge in regards to Belux’s energy and my camouflage is perfect. I waited here specifically for Belux to return. Taking his body would have allowed me to use all of his artificial Origin energy. As it stands I can only use it to hide myself but it’s not so bad. No, rather this may just be even better.)
Shadow punched out faster than light and space exploded. Shadow had never felt so powerful in all of its existence.
Once again a devilish grin formed on his lips before his appearance began to change.
(No need to have the entire Universe hunting me or rather Gardius’s face. Hehe, soon this Universe shall be mine. For now though, I’ll do what I do best.)
Shadow slowly blended into the surrounding darkness.
(Hide in the shadows.)
These words echoed in his mind before he vanished entirely.
Shadow had gained a new body. The body of a Supreme God. Although Gardius no longer had his Artifact, that did not change the fact that his body was one of the toughest in existence with a strength to match. Add on the fact that shadow could now use the fused elements to the same degree Gardius could and an inescapable reckoning lay ahead.
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Kazuki felt a ringing in his ears and his head throbbed. It felt like his entire body was breaking apart. More than that though, for some reason he felt…hot, extremely hot as if his entire body was on fire.
His eyes snapped open and he tried to sit up but he found it incredibly difficult. There was a strange power in the air, it was the heaviest feeling he had ever felt and he could not for the life of him locate the source.
Turning his head, he strained his neck slightly as he tried to get a look at this new environment.
Burning, fire. Flames colored in white changed to red and then blue. With it, the surrounding temperature climbed and fell rapidly until ice formed. Half a second later the flames changed color once more and the ice itself began to not melt but burn. A foul smell filled the air as several unidentifiable gases ruptured from beneath the ash-covered land.
Kazuki could still not feel much Chaotic energy but now it was even less so. It was obvious he was no longer in Chaotic space but someplace new.
Kazuki tried to gather some energy but to his shock, there was only a single type.
(Fire.)
Kazuki had no choice but to use fire energy. This place wherever it was, it was beyond abundant with pure fire energy. He swiftly filled his core and he gathered his strength. Slowly but surely, he began to sit up. His muscles strained under the heavy pressure of this place. Eventually, while exerting himself to the fullest, he stood with a wobbly stance.
He felt as if he would collapse at a moment’s notice if he lost focus for even a split second.
As soon as he stood up, he found himself standing on the ledge of a small mountain and finally, he got a good look at his surroundings.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
As far as he could see, this world was a world of flame and ash. Fires burned for the few thousand miles he could see into the distance. Not because his eyes were being restricted under the heavy pressure of this place. Rather, the flames were too obstructing. A weird haze effect spread across this world due to the flames and some just burned so hot and bright that he could not see beyond them.
Kazuki could see across multiple Lower Realms, so for a flame to burn so bright and hot that it obscured his vision was unbelievable. Even if it were deemed impossible before, the fact was it was happening, this was reality.
Forest of flames, lakes, and seas of liquid magma and a ground covered in layers upon layers of black and gray ash.
“Where in the 7 Realms of hell am I?”
The moment he asked the question he was suddenly reminded of Arc and Codex and was about to call out to them but the very moment he thought about them, that same searing pain filled his mind, body, and soul.
*Aghhh!*
The splitting pain caused him to lose focus and the strength he had in his legs failed him. With it, he slipped and fell off the cliff down toward the blazing ground below.
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