Return of the Fallen Volume 3 Chapter 56
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch56
*BOOOOOM!*
The sound of a mountain collapsing would be the closest description one could frame of the situation. Boulder-sized chunks of fleshy ice shot out in every direction and crashed into nearby trees like meteors. The mountain nearby as well was not left sparred. As these boulder-sized chunks of frozen flesh tore into the side of the mountain, a large crack formed and several rocks nearly as big as a house broke off and came cascading down the mountain, sliding into the ground below, carving up trenches as they came to a stop.
Along with the storm of ice exploding outward, a mass of snow whipped up like a hurricane and warped the air. A dense mist filled the sky blocking the vision of all.
The villagers off in the distance fell to their knees in prayer as they watched part of the sacred mountain they worshipped, crumble in many places. Once their vision was blocked they could only guess as to the aftermath.
“Oh, gods in heaven please forgive us.”
“Don’t curse us oh mighty lords, it was the demon who brought harm to your holy ground.”
“The mountain will be fine right, right?”
Many similar prayers rang out all around. With such a fall, the villagers hoped that it was all over. Contrary to their belief…
The frozen mist collected together and fell from on high as fresh snow. The snow danced about in the air at the mercy of the wind before finally, it dissipated and the sky cleared.
Two large bodies lied curled up near the mouth of the cave. One though was clearly much smaller than the other. Asuna held Nunully in a princess carry. Nunully’s eyes winced but she felt no pain, slowly opening her eyes, she only now realized she was in Asuna’s arms. She slowly opened her mouth to thank Asuna, when Asuna’s grip loosened and Nunully feel directly on her ass.
Nunully this time winced for real and rubbed her butt. She was about to yell a curse at Asuna but Asuna collapsed in front of her. Asuna fell face down and began to breathe heavily and spasm about in the snow. Sweat streamed down her face as she tried to catch her breath.
“Uhhhh.”
Nunully saw that something was wrong and crawled over and grabbed her, inspecting Asuna’s body.
(Mana sickness. She used up everything just to save me.)
Nunully swallowed her bitterness down.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t know if Asuna could even hear her right now but she still felt she needed to say that. Nunully took her outer shirt off and wrapped it around Asuna to try and keep her warm. She wasn’t as strong as the others and only had average strength but she knew Asuna wouldn’t last in this cold with Mana sickness and knew she needed to be moved someplace warm and fast. Just as she was about to try and move her, Kazuki walked by. Nunully felt relief and called out.
“Ryuta…”
The rest of her words stuck in her throat. There was a dangerous look in Kazuki’s eye. Not only that, when she called out to him, it was as though he didn’t even hear her. Nunully saw the damage to Kazuki’s hand. A few bones jutted out from the skin and blood poured from the wound, dying the ground underneath him crimson. Behind him, he dragged his sword behind him through the snow.
Before she could say anything more, A rumble was heard in the distance. Out from a large crater, in front of the cave, a large body like an undying engine began to move once more. Zetsu slowly uncurled his body. From his bottom half, at least a third of he was missing. While getting back to his feet, large chunks of flesh and pools of blood fell out from his lower opening. Like an exploded sack, the contents of his being continually poured out, yet he still moved.
Several hundred of his feet were nowhere to be seen, yet with the remaining hundreds, they stabbed themselves into the ground and moved him forward. Even his Mandibles were no exception. Forcing them into the snow and dirt, angled his head and pulled himself. Edging his body closer and closer inch by inch toward the cave.
A heavy breath leaked from Kazuki and he slowly raised the sword at his side.
*Haaaaaa*
Kazuki leaned his body forward and began to fall forward. His ki shooting into his lower half. His face was only a foot from the ground before his right leg came forward and stomped the ground.
*Fwooom*
Kazuki’s figure disappeared and Nunully was left wondering what had just happened. One moment he was by her side and the next he vanished.
Kazuki crushed the ground beneath his feet. Each step propelled him dozens of feet at a breakneck speed. His body seemed to glide over the ground as it passed underneath him in a blur.
Kazuki came from behind Zetsu wielding his sword. A roar escaped past his lips.
“ZETSU! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!”
Zetsu’s body froze for a split second before in a panic he began to dig his feet into the ground harder, picking up speed. The voice from behind sounding like a ferocious predator about to pounce upon him and devour him in one gulp.
Before Zetsu could make it out of the crater and enter the cave, Kazuki did indeed pounce upon him. With his small shield still attached to his wrist, Kazuki slammed into Zetsu’s side like a battering ram.
*Bam!*
Kazuki’s hand was already broken but with his tremendous force, he felt the rest of his arm break in a few places and his shoulder dislocating. The pain was great but Kazuki’s strength overwhelmed a weakened and unbalanced Zetsu, knocking him onto his back.
Kazuki took advantage of this before Zetsu could roll back over. Kazuki jumped up and sliced away dozens of legs while in the air. Just as his feet touched the ground, he kicked forward and jumped up again. His blade accelerating faster and faster, slicing through the wind as though it wasn’t there. With his momentum building, Kazuki began dismembering Zetsu before he could react properly.
Zetsu tried to catch Kazuki with his legs but Kazuki simply slashed them away and hacked them to pieces. Zetsu tried to roll over back on his stomach but Kazuki was there to steal his balance by once again shield bashing him before he could properly rollover. Kazuki’s body creaked as exposed bones rubbed against his flesh and the cold air stabbed needles of misery into his nerves, still he would not stop.
The pain pushed to the back of his mind, Kazuki sped up even further. He landed on Zetsu’s stomach and ran up his body, slicing his legs off as he passed them. His act became more and more brutal. Faster, faster, faster, his ki pumping through his body to his utmost limit. Kazuki blade as well picked up speed and ripped through the air, causing the air to scream as his blade spread the wind apart and he hacked away limb after limb.
With Zetsu putting up little to no resistance, Kazuki no longer felt worried about a counter-attack and his movements became even more savage. Not even two minutes later, Kazuki had cut off every single leg of Zetsu. Kazuki walked slowly up his stomach and stood before Zetsu’s frightened face.
“You underestimated us far too much and now you…”
Before Kazuki could finish, Zetsu’s face warped from fear to fury and he tried to pinch Kazuki between his large mandibles and tear him in half. Kazuki had learned from Zetsu’s earlier attack when he was knocked far away into a tree to never for an instant lower his guard around him. As soon as the mandibles clamped at his waist, Kazuki leaped backward and avoided them. Before they reopened again, Kazuki took his shield and swung it down at a dangerous angle.
*Crack*
Zetsu’s left mandible cracked and chipped. Zetsu tried to lean away but Kazuki just chased his mandible like a tiger chasing its prey. Kazuki dashed forward and slammed his shield into the left mandible again and again and again chipping it away and causing the crack running through it to grow bigger and bigger until finally.
*Crunch Thud*
Zetsu’s left mandible broke off and fell onto the snow like a branch made of stone.
Zetsu tried to roar out, trying to intimidate Kazuki one last time but just as he opened his mouth, Kazuki removed his shield and tossed it into Zetsu’s large mouth. The shield got stuck between Zetsu’s teeth and before Zetsu could dislodge it, Kazuki torqued his body and spun in the air delivering a powerful knee into his own shield. His steel shield delivered the impact to rows and rows of Zetsu’s razor-sharp teeth, shattering them into splinters of bone, that fell into his throat.
The roar that wished to intimidate Kazuki turned into a gurgle as Zetsu’s own teeth, stabbed and lacerated the inside of his throat. Purple blood was coughed up and rained down nearby. Zetsu tried to catch a breath but even that, Kazuki would not allow lightly.
Kazuki stood over Zetsu’s face where his eyes were damaged seemingly beyond repair. Kazuki raised his foot up and brought his heel down like a speeding bullet, delivering an ax kick to his wounded eyes.
*Uhhhhhp*
Zetsu inhaled a cold breath from the pain which in turn became a hot one filled with blood as he choked and coughed on his own foul purple blood. Kazuki would not let up in the least. Standing next to the other badly injured eye, Kazuki stabbed his blade deep into his eye and turned his wrist left and right as though he were a mixer, scrambling whatever was left within.
Finally, Zetsu swallowed down his own teeth and screamed.
“NO MORE, PLEASE! NO MORE!”
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