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Return of the Fallen Volume 2 Chapter 32

Author: Blue_Rat

ch32

Right after Kazuki climbed onto the ledge, Asuna immediately followed. Standing across from one another, Tsura’s eyes shone.

“I was right in asking for your help. Not only the big one made it up here but you and the girl came up as well. The rocks around here are particularly sharp, because of that we have no predators up here and it also gives a natural lookout spot. Though I guess you actually need someone to be a lookout in order to make use of the view from up here.”

As soon as Kazuki appeared, Kimi and Danny felt a sense of relief and assurance, as though everything would be fine now. Even little Mei smiled when she saw Kazuki and Asuna.

“Big bro big sis, you came to play?”

Tsura gently admonished her.

“Mei, let mommy speak with big brother ok. These matters are very important.”

Mei began to pout but she did as she was told and stayed out of it.

“Sorry about that, my daughter doesn’t quite understand the weight of the situation. I hope you don’t mind.”

Kazuki smiled.

“Why would I mind a cute child. Mei, if things go well, we can play right after I’m done talking with your mom, ok.”

Mei’s smile returned and she nodded repeatedly.

Tsura though became cautious.

“If things go well?”

“Right, if things go well. You see, I’m still undecided on whether or not my promise to you or my promise to chief Atoh, which one will I fulfill.”

“Is there any question? You made a promise to me first, so of course, our arrangement should still stand.”

Kazuki rubbed his chin as he listened to Tsura, nodding along with her.

“Normally this would be true but then the chief told me all about you and even more so he told me about Mei. Not only that, you still have my friends. Holding hostages sure does take away trust.”

Tsura’s fist trembled at her side.

“I…I had no choice in the matter. Once Danny pushed me into a corner, Mei snapped. If I didn’t take them as hostages then, Mei might have killed them at that point.”

“Maybe that’s so but you also lied to us multiple times. You told me the villagers forced your husband out but the chief told me the truth about everything. It turns out he stole your people’s treasure. Not only that you said this led to his death but in actuality, your daughter’s power forced him to transform, which led to him running into us, where I then killed him. So in actuality, it was his greed and your daughter’s powers that led to his demise. All for what purpose? To leave this forest? Tell me, what happens after you leave this place. Does Mei suddenly learn to control her power, does she no longer kill? If she leaves this place, who will protect the two of you and who will protect them from you?”

As every question resounded inside Tsura’s ear, she was becoming visibly more and more upset.

“So what should we do huh? Live out the rest of our lives in this cage of a forest. My daughter deserves freedom. She shouldn’t have to be bound by the chains of who or what she is. She should not have to be cuffed by the village’s rules or our ancestor’s past. How dare you say that my husband’s sacrifice was mere greed. He only took the power source away to hide it. He knew that the longer it was gone, the more its power would run dry. He gave the chief a choice. Hand over the map and he would return the power source without delay or don’t and after the power source ran out, my daughter would turn them into dolls that she controlled. Still, that old bastard would not let us go. Even with the power source gone he still tried to capture Mei. He only wishes to use my daughter to bring back the prestige of the Mangshi. Do not be so naive to believe that he only wants to protect the village. That man is not a saint, he and his sister only wish to control us all.”

There were two sides to every coin. One was chief Atoh’s while the other was Tsura’s. Chief Atoh had admitted that he wanted to raise Mei up, teaching her and guiding her to become the next leader of their people. Tsura, on the other hand, wished to take her daughter out of this place and give her child true freedom. Mei is only a child yet so much has happened around her. So much revolves around her. Should she be free? Should she remain and become the next leader of the Mangshi or should she just be killed? Who knew the right answer?

“Mei, I want you to answer some questions for me honestly, do you think you can do that?”

Kazuki’s question raised the level of tension in the air by a degree but Mei knew nothing about that. Instead, she tilted her head to one side and stared questioningly at her mother.

“Mommy.”

Tsura wondered what Kazuki wanted to ask her but found no reason he couldn’t ask.

“It’s ok sweetie, just be honest and answer big bro. I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Ok. Big bro’s questions I’ll answer them.”

Kazuki thought for a moment before he spoke calmly.

“I was told you killed a few people, is this true?”

Mei’s expression shifted from this single question and her body trembled slightly. Kazuki could see a look of panic in her eye, she was scared.

Tsura reassured her from the side.

“Mei, honey, it’s ok. I’m sure big bro won’t be upset with you or think badly of you. Just tell him the truth, mommy’s right here.”

Mei nodded slowly. She could barely look Kazuki in the eye as she spoke.

“They were attacking and I don’t know what happened. They were so big standing in front of me but then I was the big one. They attacked me with fire and other things and I was really scared but then I noticed that nothing hurt anymore. None of their attacks hurt. I stood above them all and with a swing of my wing, they were thrown into buildings or other things and they stopped moving.”

(So that’s how she killed those veteran adventurers. One swing huh?)

“Ok, I get it. Now when you transform, do you still feel yourself in control.”

Mei’s head tilted from side to side as she poked her chin in thought.

“Control, what do you mean?”

( She doesn’t understand. Guess I need to rephrase that so a kid can get it.)

“Hmm, let’s see. Can you lift your arm for me right now?”

Mei didn’t get what was going on but she lifted her hand away from Danny’s neck as asked. Tsura got a little nervous seeing Danny being let go but she calmed herself knowing Mei was still within arm’s length of grabbing him if need be.

“Good, now let’s say you were in your Mangshi form. If I were to tell you to lift your wing, and you wanted to lift your wing, would you do it?”

(Wait does she even understand human language while in that form?)

Kazuki didn’t need to think too deeply about that because Mei already nodded along.

“Yes. Oh, I think I get it now. When I turn others into Mangshi, they have to do what I say. I control them but they can’t control themselves.”

“Something like that, yes. So going along those lines, when you are in your Mangshi form, who controls you.”

Mei smiled brightly and pointed her thumb at herself.

“Mei controls Mei, no one else.”

“Ok, now do you know what mercy is?”

Mei again nodded.

“And if someone asked for mercy would you give it?”

Before Mei could answer, Tsura cut in.

“What is this? Why are you asking her about mercy and things like control? What does any of this have to do with your promise?”

“Tsura, I’m trying to grasp if your daughter has any moral fiber. She may be young but she has already killed people. It may have been in self-defense but killing at such a young age can easily warp a person. Not only that, your daughter has enormous strength and it will only increase as she grows. Power is the number one corruptor in the world. If she’s to be allowed out, I need to know without a doubt she won’t go mad with such power and bring a wake of destruction. It’s my call if she’s to leave this forest, so in a way, it makes me responsible.”

Tsura couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“How can you make such a call? How can you judge my daughter and see if she fits some weird criteria you have on good and evil? She’s only a kid, how can she tell you anything about morality?”

“Kids can be pretty honest and by this age, they should know some basic things about good and bad. As for how I can make such a call, well, I am the only one with the map.”

Kazuki pulled a small folded up piece of parchment out of his pocket.

“Tsura, if you really want me to take you and her out of here…If you really want me to take such a risk and go against chief Atoh, then I have to have zero doubt in my mind, that Mei won’t be a ticking time bomb. Do you understand?”

Tsura grit her teeth but still reluctantly nodded.

(My daughter is good, she won’t fail some stupid test.)

Kazuki switched his question up.

“Mei, when you killed those adventurers, tell me, how did you feel afterward?”

Mei again began to think.

“Hmm, what did I feel? I didn’t feel anything, I don’t think.”