Return of the Fallen Volume 13 Chapter 40
“I told you, tiny human. Everything you do is pointless to this one.”
For several miles, the entire area was completely surrounded by the rising green mist. The giant ring of green was moving inward toward the center of this landscape, where the two rivers aligned. Kazuki was forced to retreat toward said rivers before he was dissolved by the ever-shrinking ring of green mist.
(Damn! He knew my speed outpaced his own. The only way to deal with an opponent like me is to trap them from all sides.)
Kazuki and Monsuta looked for a way out but saw none. Not just them but all the other shriekers started to panic. They were not safe from the giant’s green mist and were susceptible to it just as much as Kazuki was.
Immediately, the army of shriekers began running around as if they were chickens with their heads cut off. Shrieking and howling in despair as they ran into one another and stumbled over one another. They no longer targeted Kauzki or Monsuta and instead fled for their lives. Of course, for them, there was only one place to go.
Without hesitation, many of them dove into the vents and fled back to the underground, where they spawned from.
The ones too slow met with disastrous results as they were melted down by the giant’s green ring of mist. As they cried out in agony, all they could do was fall down and die. Nothing was left behind. No primordial fragment, no fire energy of any kind, nobody, and certainly no soul. The air as well released a small hissing sound from all around as if a light rain was falling. The air could not withstand the mist and was depleted and destroyed.
The ground beneath their feet gave way and left a large hole several hundred feet down and it continued to grow. The air up above was deadly and so too were the depths below.
Kazuki had considered fleeing into the open vents where the green flames burned bright but seeing the mist infiltrate even those tunnels, he knew it was futile. Even if there was no poisonous mist down in the narrow tunnels. There would be no way to use his agility and speed to his advantage. Being crowded, confined, and surrounded in every direction, there would be no way to flee nor fight.
(The rivers are the only option.)
Kazuki took Monsuta with his aura and raced away from the spreading mist and back to the platform on the black river. Along the way, he grabbed what remained of Monsuta’s armor. Much of it had been crushed by the giant shrieker but there was enough that it may still have use.
The storm overhead grew even more above them causing Kauzki to have an ominous feeling. He was already in grave danger yet the storm only added fuel to the fire so to speak.
(I don’t know if this giant bastard is bound by the same rules as the other shriekers but if those storm clouds remain even after the blue sun rises, the darkness might allow the giant to prolong its stay above the surface.)
Kazuki had more bullshit to think about but tossed these new thoughts aside for now. He needed to figure a way out of this danger zone before he began to give a crap about other things.
After landing on the platform, a few shriekers also fled and arrived on the platform. Kazuki thought he may have to fight them as well as the giant but to his surprise these smaller ones were docile.
(These things may have little thought and be nearly mindless monsters but self-preservation remains strong even in them.)
The green mist drew closer and closer and the giant raised its fist before slamming them down together with the intention to destroy all.
Kazuki’s options were lacking at best. In the end, he chose to leap into the air. He ascended a few thousand feet up with Monsuta and the remaining chunk of armor. He instantly felt the poisoned air on his skin and in his lungs melt away at his body. Kazuki’s eyes filled with blood and stung as if thousands of needles had pricked him unendingly.
Thankfully the green mist that had entered the air was basically watered down as a good portion of the power within worked its way through the air first. If he had been hit directly he would have been melted already. He also had is insane regeneration. Without both of these factors, he would already no longer be among the living.
Monsuta on the other hand was not doing so well. Yes, his flesh was tough but he was already greatly weakened and was missing his entire lower half. Even this watered-down version of the green mist was inflicting terrible damage to him. Mouthfuls of blood came pouring out of his mouth and ears as he coughed violently.
*BANG!*
The giant’s fist landed upon the floating platform on the black river. The platform was shattered sending debris flying in all directions. The shriekers on top of the platform instantly exploded from the impact sending a spray of blood greenish-yellow blood and tiny chunks of meat scattering all over.
Kazuki was at a loss until he saw something out of the corner of his eye. With a thought his aura wrapped around this small object and he held it tightly in hand.
At the same time, he used his aura to pull a large chunk that was already flying up into the air toward him. As soon as he got close enough he used this rising chunk of debris as a miniature platform. His legs filled with aura strengthening and his free hand flashed with the ancient hand symbols.
A soft dull glow of green and silver wrapped around his body. His body lightened to the extent that a breeze could carry him. Not only that he gathered the power of wind with his ancient hand signs which sent him flying even higher.
(Hang on Monsuta we’ll be out of this poison soon.)
Monsuta was no longer responding and his consciousness was drifting off. He had taken far too much punishment and was suffering inside and out.
(HANG ON!)
Kazuki soon rose higher than even the giant Shrieker. His thoughts were if he could simply get higher than the monster, he could get out of reach and fly away. At least if he couldn’t escape, he could go high enough to escape the mist altogether and help Monsuta heal.
The giant looked up at the two and opened its mouth once more.
“You think the skies are a safe haven. Think again.”
As soon as Kazuki saw the giant’s mouth open, he quickly drew several inscriptions on the object he grabbed.
(Monsuta fill this with your power and when I say unleash everything you have in one go!)
…
Monsuta did not respond at all. His eyes had already rolled up and into his head and he was completely unconscious.
The giant shrieker gathered its power into its mouth once more. Kazuki had used the ancient hand signs and was currently floating high in the sky. With the suppression in this realm, he could only gather so much power, which meant he could only draw so much energy from said signs. While in the air, his movements were beyond slow. Moving a few hundred feet here and there took significantly longer.
Without an actual platform or something else he could step on, it meant his speed was now only a fraction of what it would be on the ground.
(I can’t dodge that! MONSUTA WAKE UP!)
Kazuki tried to send his aura into Monsuta to wake him up but Monsuta’s aura was far beyond his own and so he could not penetrate Monsuta’s natural defenses and wake him.
(DAMN DAMN DAMN! MONSUTA LISTEN TO MY VOICE AND AWAKEN! I NEED YOU RIGHT NOW!)
His calls fell on deaf ears and went unanswered. At the same time, the giant had gathered a large beam of brightly glowing green power in his mouth.
Kazuki suddenly felt as if everything were in slow motion. He used the ancient and symbols but instead of just his hands, he drew them with his aura. His aura split from one to two to millions of invisible hands and arms in an instant as he called as much power as possible. The amount of gravity and wind he drew was multiplied several fold. He did not know why he didn’t think of it before but it was better late than ever as he gathered all the gravity and wind in his surroundings.
The giant shrieker fired this beam of green death directly at Kauzki and Monsuta.
Kazuki could see his eminent death playing out before him but he still refused to give up.
Inside his core, he drew out every ounce of fire energy instantaneously.
A fraction of a second later, the beam of death had stretched several hundred feet up and had closed the distance to Kazuki by half. Another fraction of time passed and all of the fire energy erupted from Kazuki’s back. Whether it be the back of his head, neck, the back itself, his damn ass, and the back of his legs and feet. Everything behind him was alit with a large blindingly white flame.
This power of pure fire caused Kazuki and Monsuta to move forward at an astounding speed. Fuck his speed on the ground, with the power of wind, gravity, and fire sending him flying forward, it was as if he had become a bolt of lightning for an instant of time.
This however was too late.
The green beam of death was upon him, No matter what speed he moved at, he could not escape.
*CRACK KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
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