Return of the Fallen Volume 13 Chapter 36
(Was it really all for them to get to me?)
After the mountain-sized shrieker made its appearance, it looked directly at Kazuki as if peering into the depths of his soul, and with a booming voice, it said but one word.
“ARTIFACT!”
Kazuki was both shocked and terrified.
The size of the shrieker before him was a giant in every sense of the word. More than that, though, Monsuta had said these things were mere mindless creatures, yet the giant before them clearly spoke.
It spoke not just any random word but a specific word that held true meaning to Kazuki. It was clear right away that this thing was a being that sought power. It held absolute control over the smaller shriekers and wanted one thing and one thing only.
An Artifact.
Kazuki was instantly reminded of Arc and Codex, and that same head-splitting pain and soul-shattering anguish clawed away at him. He fell to his knees and gripped his head as he resisted the torture.
(WHAT IS THIS PAIN!?)
When this happened, the giant shrieker’s yellow eyes glowed brighter, and once more its booming voice repeated the same familiar word as if it were demanding it.
“ARTIFACT!”
“Kazuki what do we do? There’s no way we can escape that monster.”
Kazuki huffed and caught his breath. He saw that the thousands of shriekers on the shore had stopped moving as if they were awaiting the giant’s orders.
(If they listen to this giant fucker and this giant is intelligent enough to speak, there may just be a way out of this.)
Kazuki did not deny it and instead flashed the ancient hand signs rapidly and filled his lungs with the power of wind before shouting back.
“You wish to obtain my Artifact. If I give it to you, will you leave us alone and go in peace?”
The shriekers on opposite shores began to howl in anger. It was as if Kazuki had offended their giant leader by speaking in their master’s presence.
In light of this transgression, several shriekers jumped into the air and tried to land upon the platform Monsuta and Kazuki were on.
Monsuta was scared of the giant’s presence but still, he prepared to fight the smaller ones. However before they could even land, another booming howl erupted from the giant’s mouth.
The first howl had caused soul damage to Kauzki and caused him to bleed all over his head. Monsuta as well was not spared from the first introductions but he only suffered a few wounds.
This time though it didn’t affect either of the two in any shape or form. Instead, the many shriekers that leapt toward them, all at the same time, their heads exploded and they fell out of the sky. Each one was dead long before they even sank into the black sticky river below.
The other shriekers got the memo and froze on the spot. Not one dared to move without the giant’s words.
The giant’s eyes narrowed before he spoke directly to Kazuki.
“Curious is it not? You are not of the Gerian race nor of the Sharptooth tribe yet you can speak the common tongue. Not only that, my voice should have destroyed your soul after one encounter yet here you stand. That appearance, now that I look closer you must be a rare human to survive my call.”
Kazuki was surprised. This giant shrieker knew he was a human. At the same time, this gave him more confidence that this giant creature could be reasoned with. It knew what he was and stopped its attack as well as the other shriekers from attacking. Kazuki nodded along.
“Yes, I am human. May I ask…Why are you attacking us? We have no enmity between us. Yes, blood was spilled but your subordinates attacked us first. Surely we can come to an agreement, can we not?”
Dark clouds began to swirl and gather in the distance like an ominous tale of the beginning of a nightmare.
The giant shrieker exuded an almighty pressure. One that was palpable as if it was a billion Lower Realms pushing down on Kazuki and Monsuta’s shoulders.
*HAHAHA*
“A human actually entered a Realm of Hell. Moving about so clumsily with a sharptooth by your side whilst carrying that powerful item inside your body. Enimty or not, you draw the gazes of all powers onto you with all this flagrant behavior. Live, die, these words have no meaning amongst the damned. I don’t care why you are here nor how you came to be. Hand over the artifact inside of you and I may magnanimously give you a painless death. That or I can simply devour your soul here and now.”
There were a million ways to dissect the giant shrieker’s words. Hell Realm, sharptooth, Artifact this and that. Above all as the absolute threat. It was death one way or the other. One meant pain, and the other meant an eternal ending. Kazuki had no power to defeat such a being. If he fought it would mean the destruction of his soul. To flee was even more of an impossibility…At last, that was his initial thought.
Kazuki eyed the acidic river from the corner of his eye.
(If it’s that way, there may still be some hope yet.)
Kazuki gave Monsuta a look before telling him the plan. The moment he relayed his idea, the two didn’t hesitate. Monsuta scooped Kazuki up with his aura and jumped to the platform made of armor.
The giant shrieker found this useless.
“So you chose the painful way.”
Lifting its giant webbed hand, Kazuki knew for sure that if the sun were up, this hand would block out much of the sun’s blue light.
Just as this giant hand came down, Monsuta’s eyes began to glow and the armor came up with a splash as it wrapped around Kazuki’s body and Monsuta’s head and upper chest. In one move, the armor sliced through Monsuta’s torso like a huge unstoppable blade before it finished wrapping around the teo and sealed them inside.
The moment this happened the sphere of armor they were now inside began to sink into the acidic yellow river.
Monsuta’s lower half had been completely cut off and fell off to the side and into the river. It was eaten away and melted into nothing in a matter of seconds. Monsuta used his fire to cauterize his own wound. if he didn’t, his body would naturally start to regenerate and he would regrow his lower half thereby defeating the purpose of this sphere of protection in the first place.
Monsuta was upset and regretted not taking more of his special rock when they fled from the cave. it would have prevented much of the pain he was experiencing.
(Hang in there Monsuta. Pain is temporary, we will escape from here and find shelter. When the sun comes up, we can put all of this behind us.)
Monsuta smiled but there was only pain in his expression.
Kazuki felt all of this was his fault. The giant shrieker wanted either Arc or Codex inside of him. All he could do is try and get away for now. Anything else was just a waste of time. He quickly put things like self-blame to the back of his head. All he needed to do now was wait until they reached the bottom of the river. Once there, he would use the sphere they were in like a hamster ball and roll across the bottom of the river.
It was a stupid idea but he knew it was one that had the best shot at working. So long as it worked, he did not care how stupid it sounded. Pride was useless when it came to living or dying.
As he patiently waited to reach the bottom, he heard the giant’s voice cut through the acidic river.
“Pointless. You think the river will allow you to escape from this almighty one.”
The giant’s hand without hesitation went directly into the acidic river and grabbed hold of the sphere. Pulling it up and out of the river in an instant, it gave the sphere a slight squeeze. The sound of metal grinding against itself spread through the sphere before it was easily cracked open. There were still drops of acidic liquid on the outside of the sphere and when it was broken open, a few of these drops fell directly inside and landed upon Kazuki and Monsuta.
A few drops landed upon Monsuta’s face and began melting away at his face. He roared in pain as large holes opened up on his face, revealing parts of his skull as well as his teeth. Kazuki also got a drop directly on his shoulder. The instant it touched him, his entire arm fell off. The acid ate his arm instantly and also began eating him from his shoulder and across his chest. Kazuki quickly used his other hand like a knife and cut out more of his chest before the rest of the acid could get to him.
The giant shrieker watched this as if it were an entertaining show.
“I told you to just give it to me. Humans never learn. They think becoming a God means they are invincible. Foolish creatures until the very end. Now, give me your soul, tiny human.”
The shrieker opened its mouth, and its yellow glowing eyes began to release a terrifying power.
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