Return of the Fallen Volume 3 Chapter 41
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch41
Kazuki chased after Mei and the centipede, Sam and the others weren’t too far behind.
As soon as Asuna entered the cave, she felt pressure upon her. The first time she entered the cave, this sense of pressure didn’t exist but now that her insights into the element of Space had drastically improved, she now realized just how small she was. No matter which way she looked, her vision was filled with both Space element and Time element.
She didn’t wish to worry about that for now and attempted to teleport ahead to catch up with Kazuki but as soon as she willed her power forth, she felt the pressure upon her increase severalfold and her teleportation was disrupted.
(Not good, I can’t teleport in here. It’s like all of the Space magic is being held onto by the Time magic or something.)
Kazuki had filled his body with ki and seemed to be gaining on this fake Zetsu but just when it looked like he was going to catch up to him, A dense, thick fog began to fill the cave.
(Damn, not this shit again.)
The greyish purple fog quickly filled up the cavern and the imposter Zetsu and Mei disappeared from Kazuki’s sight.
“MEI!!”
Kazuki screamed out but there was no response. Kazuki kicked off the ground and charged deeper within the cave. He ran and ran with all of his might but no matter how much he pushed himself or how long he ran, he could see no signs of Mei.
The thick fog surrounding him, like a wave receding back into the ocean, the fog was slightly pulled back.
“Don’t give up, hit it again!”
Kazuki heard a familiar voice in the distance.
(Asuna!)
Kazuki followed the voice and found his way into a large chamber that stretched hundreds of feet high.
The first thing that he saw didn’t make any sense.
Asuna, Sam, and Kimi were fighting desperately with the imposter Zetsu, while a short bit away, Mei laid unconscious on the ground.
(This…This is?)
Kazuki didn’t understand how Asuna and the others had gotten in front of him but none of that mattered right now. Drawing his sword, he raced in.
Fake Zetsu didn’t see him coming and Kazuki landed a strike on its back. Fake Zetsu was pushed into the ground from the blow and squinted his eyes fiercely. Flexing its back, a chattering sound rang out as his segmented armor built up tension and like a rubber band being snapped, fake Zetsu flexed his armored segments in the opposite direction.
*Bang*
Kazuki put his sword up in front of his chest just in time but still, he was sent flying high from the impact. Not only that, the new steel sword he had just gotten was bent inwards and was now ruined.
With an opponent in the air, Kazuki became basically defenseless and fake Zetsu knew this. Ignoring everyone else, fake Zetsu leaped onto the cavern wall. Digging its many legs into the wall, it rapidly scaled its way towards Kazuki.
“Kimi can you put your barrier on him?”
Kimi shook her head at Asuna.
“No, he’s way too high up, my barrier won’t reach there.”
Asuna’s mind reeled as many scenarios played out in her head within seconds. Like a lightbulb going off, something came together.
“Sam throw me on the opposite wall as high as you can.”
Sam looked confused but before he could sit on the thought, Asuna screamed in his face.
“DO IT NOW!!”
Almost like a reflex, Sam gripped Asuna and threw her with all of his strength. Asuna soared upward like a bird in the sky. Her height caught up with fake Zetsu in no time. Calculating the distance Asuna found the right point and taking one of her steel daggers she stabbed it deep into the cavern wall. Hanging onto the dagger with both hands she lined her feet up with the wall and watched.
Fake Zetsu was still ignoring everyone else and hadn’t noticed Asuna’s odd movements. Just when Kazuki was falling into place, fake Zetsu stretched himself outward by about 50, preparing to deliver a deadly blow. It was at this moment that Asuna kicked off the cavern wall and dove toward the opposite wall.
Fake Zetsu opened its mouth, ready to sever Kazuki in half when Asuna tackled Kazuki from behind. She didn’t know how much strength to use with her jump so she ended up using it all, which in turn led to the two of them crashing heavily into the rock wall. Asuna wasn’t discouraged though, using her other dagger, she stabbed it into the wall and stopped there descent.
“Asuna where did you learn that?”
Asuna smiled brightly at Kazuki.
“Just came up with it, what do you think?”
Kazuki was at a loss for words and merely blinked at her with a blank expression.
Asuna plucked the dagger from the wall and they fell another 50 feet or so before she stabbed it back into the rock face. Repeating this, Asuna and Kazuki made it down safely.
Fake Zetsu was having none of it though. Unhinging its legs from the cave, fake Zetsu landed heavily in front of them, causing the ground beneath it to crack.
*Bang*
Fake Zetsu stretched its body upwards until its head was almost 60 feet off the ground. Its eyes began to shine with a multitude of colors, almost like a rainbow.
Kazuki and Asuna recognized what this was and simultaneously yelled out.
“Cover your eyes!”
“Don’t look!”
There warning was too late. Dozens of lights shot out from fake Zetsu’s eyes and Sam wasn’t quick enough. Sam fell over like a tree and crashed into the dirt. Everyone rushed to Sam’s side to protect him but this was the opportunity fake Zetsu was waiting for. Swinging his tail he first aimed for Kimi since she seemed to be the weakest.
*Bang*
Normally he would have been right but Kimi had her own ways. As soon as the tail came upon her, the barrier from her staff activated and blocked her from harm. Still, with the strength behind that attack, Kimi was sent flying. She was unharmed due to her barrier protecting her but now that she was all by herself, she felt as though she were stranded on an island in the middle of an ocean.
Fake Zetsu swung his tail again, this time aiming for Asuna. Since she had to keep her eyes closed there was no way for her to defend against this attack but thankfully she had Kazuki at her side. Kazuki could both hear his opponent’s movements as well as to detect where they were at with his sense of smell. Wrapping an arm around Asuna, Kazuki leaped backward and avoided fake Zetsu’s attack.
Fake Zetsu did this a number of times but none of its attacks could land.
Fake Zetsu squinted its large eyes contemplating something. Grabbing a large rock with its legs, it chucked it at the two in front of it. Before the rock could land, Kazuki and Asuna leapt out of the way once more.
Fake Zetsu lowered its body close to the ground and slowly approached. As soon as it got within about 20 feet though, Kazuki and Asuna would leap away again.
Fake Zetsu grew curious. Reaching up above, he hammered away at the cavern walls bringing down dozens upon dozens of rocks and boulders over top of them.
Again, Kazuki and Asuna moved about agilely and dodged whatever came there way.
Fake Zetsu saw that this was going nowhere. Looking over at the fallen Mei, Zetsu started to approach her.
“Shit he’s going after Mei. Asuna you should retreat from the cave and take Sam and Kimi with you. I’ll distract him and then you can grab Mei as well.”
“Right, just give a heads up if he’s gonna use that soul attack again.”
Kazuki and Asuna at this moment realized that fake Zetsu couldn’t maintain that soul attack and could only use it in bursts. So, as long as they had time, they could shut there eyes. Only now did they notice that they didn’t need to constantly keep their eyes shut. They were overcautious but for good reason.
Kazuki’s ring glowed and a small shield appeared on his forearm. He jumped in front of Mei and bashed his shield into Zetsu’s head. This truly was a different Zetsu because Kazuki’s blow sent Zetsu crashing into the rock wall.
This though was enough time for Asuna to grab everyone and rush them towards the exit.
“Ryuta hang on. As soon as I get them to safety I’m coming back for you.”
Just as Asuna said that the chamber they were in, filled with greyish purple fog and the sight before Asuna shifted. She, along with Sam, Kimi and Mei were all now behind Kazuki.
(What?)
Zetsu swung down toward Asuna, intending to kill her and everyone else all at once. Asuna literally had her hands full and she couldn’t abandon any of them.
*Bam*
Kazuki managed to step in between them and blocked fake Zetsu’s attack. The blow was great though and brought Kazuki down to his knees. The armored segments from the centipede in front of them tightened with tension before flexing outward and snapping like a rubberband.
*Bang*
Kazuki wasn’t expecting this at all and was caught off guard. He was sent flying into the cave wall, where he crashed violently. He fell to the ground limply and something fell out of his shirt.
Asuna was going to scream but before she could, fake Zetsu’s eyes lit up once more and he shot his light forth. Asuna and Kimi were hit at the exact same time and the last thoughts Asuna had before she lost consciousness were.
(No, please, not again.)
With everyone else out, only Kazuki was still conscious. Fake Zetsu slowly crawled its way over, ready to finish its last opponent.
Kazuki tried to get up but he felt no strength in his body.
(Damn, how could I have let my guard down. Can’t move. Can’t fight.)
Fake Zetsu smiled creepily at Kazuki before stretching itself upward by nearly 60 feet.
(I can’t die here, not now, not in such a way. Move stupid body, fucking move.)
Fake Zetsu slammed his head down like a meteorite, intending to crush Kazuki in one blow.
Kazuki shut his eyes and cursed at his inability.
(Damn, this is it…)
Kazuki waited for the moment of his death…but… it did not come. What should have been over in less than a second, stretched to two then three then ten. Kazuki slowly opened his eyes in confusion. His eyes were met with Fake Zetsu’s or rather that was how close fake Zetsu was. Fake Zetsu was staring bewitchingly at something. Kazuki followed fake Zetsu’s eyes and found that they were locked onto the object that had fallen out of his shirt.
(My compass, why is he staring at my compass?)
Fake Zetsu inched closer and sniffed Kazuki’s compass. Inhaling deeply, fake Zetsu’s eyes went wide and he quickly flinched with obvious fear. Then that fear turned into anger. Picking Kazuki up, fake Zetsu pinned him against a wall before yelling at him.
“Boy, which clan are you from?”
Kazuki couldn’t understand what was happening and fake Zetsu grew impatient and yelled once more.
“Did you not hear me, tell me boy, from which god clan do you hail from?”
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