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Return of the Fallen Volume 5 Chapter 78

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Author: Blue_Rat

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ch78

Kazuki’s mind went blank and the room filled with darkness.

…

…

…

“Little dummy, hurry and wake up, it’s time to eat breakfast.”

Kazuki’s eyes slowly fluttered open at his brother’s call.

“Kai?”

Before him was his older brother Kai. Kai smiled at him.

“What is it?”

Kazuki’s first thought was he had somehow entered his soul world but that wasn’t right. He remembered something about a test but as soon as that thought entered his mind, it grew hazy and he couldn’t recall.

*Whack*

Kai flicked Kazuki on the forehead with just enough force to hurt before he turned and walked off.

“Stop staring off into space and come eat. If you don’t hurry sister’s going to complain. You know how she gets when you don’t eat with her.”

Kazuki was confused for a moment.

“Sister, Fera?”

“Yeah, you know she’s your favorite and she clings to you. Hurry up before you make her cry.”

Kai said nothing more and headed to the dining room. Kazuki on the other hand sat there with a blank expression.

(Fera dotes on me? Wait of course she does, why wouldn’t she. She’s my older sister who loves me.)

*Gruuu*

A rumble came from Kazuki’s stomach and he felt hunger in the pit f his stomach.

A smell of baked bread and the frying of meat entered his room which drew his nose forward followed by the rest of his body.

Kazuki couldn’t help but stare at the walls in the hallway. A few family portraits hung left and right, showing a perfect happy family. It seemed to fit the house well but at the same time, something felt strange about his home.

Walking into the dining room, the first thing that was noticeable was how big the table was. Kazuki only stood a head taller than it. Only now did he notice how short his limbs were.

(I’m shorter.)

Climbing up a chair, Kazuki grabbed a spoon and looked at his upside-down reflection. Although his reflection was a little warped due to the shape of the spoon, he could still make out and recognize a very young face. It was his face, but he was clearly much younger.

A stinging sensation filled the back of his mind as conflicting thoughts began to arise.

(Why am I a child. Wait I should be a child, shouldn’t I? This is strange, I’m strange, this place…)

“Kazuki, stop playing with the silverware my boy. If you don’t hurry and eat, then I’ll gobble everything up and leave you none, hahaha.”

At the end of the table, a man who seemed to be in his early 30s chuckled and teased Kazuki, while slathering a piece of bread in butter.

The silverware in Kazuki’s hand fell to the floor and Kazuki couldn’t help but jump to his feet and shout.

“FATHER!”

Everyone at the table stared at Kazuki as though he was weird. The next moment, the man at the end of the table burst out with laughter.

*BWahahaha!*

“Yes, son! what’s got you so excited today. Did you miss me that much!?

“Uh…Um, no, I…um.”

He didn’t know why he had done that. His father had only been gone on a business trip for a few days, yet he had such a strong reaction. Again he felt a stinging pain in the back of his head. Right after that, a hand stretched out beside him and pulled him back into his seat.

“Little brother, why are you acting so jumpy today. Sit down next to me and big sis will help spread the butter for you.”

Kazuki recognized that voice right away. He had thought about the owner of said voice and for a moment, he felt revolt and absolute hatred. As soon as he turned his head however and looked at the owner of said voice, a sense of guilt and shame overwhelmed him.

“Fera!”

A kind face with gentle eyes stared back at him.

“Hmm, since when do you call me by my name little brother. It’s big sis got it, big sis. Say it or I won’t butter your toast for you.”

Hearing this soft voice and seeing the kind expression displayed before him, Kazuki felt a mix of emotions and he couldn’t understand why. Fear, anger, love, hatred, sadness. At the same time the stinging in the back of his mind grew stronger and stronger and now felt like a needle pricking him. It was difficult to understand what was going on and the pain was causing him to twitch.

“Fera, stop teasing Kazuki already. Look you’ve upset him. Hurry and apologize.”

Another sweet, almost angelic voice drifted over. Kazuki turned his head and saw a lady with a beautiful appearance. As soon as he saw her, the pain in his head grew and grew and throbbed and throbbed. It felt like a headache and then like someone was slamming a hammer into his mind. Kazuki’s stomach twisted into a million knots and he once more stood up.

His fist trembling with absolute rage. He remembered, rather how could he forget. How could he forget the betrayal, how could he forget the anguish, the heartache, the loss? He remembered it all. At this moment, everything within Kazuki boiled over and he grabbed a knife and jumped onto the table before rushing straight at the woman while screaming.

“MOTHER!!”

He only got a single step before something grabbed his leg and he could go no further. Looking back it was his sister Fera, except now the kind expression she wore was now long gone, and what replaced it was a warped and twisted face. This was the same face Kazuki usually saw when he imagined his sister and mother. This ugly monstrous version of a vile smile, fake and greedy, devilish, and foul.

His sister Fera smiled and a roll of razor-sharp teeth lined her mouth.

“Little brother, what are you doing, running with knives is dangerous, hehehe.”

Kazuki saw this and didn’t hesitate. His other leg raised high into the air and he dropped it down directly on top of Fera’s head, delivering an ax kick. Due to the force, Fera’s mouth slammed shut and the unnaturally sharp teeth within shattered instantly. Her hand fell away from his leg and Kazuki turned and ran forward toward his mother again.

This time his brother and father climbed atop the table and stood in his way. At first, Kazuki, paused his movements but that stinging, splitting pain in the back of his head became worse and he forced himself to move.

(This isn’t real.)

“Fake, every fucking one of you is fake.”

“Little dummy how can you say that. It’s me your brot…”

Kazuki picked up a platter and slammed it across his fake brother’s face and then using the same platter he threw it at his father blocking his father’s vision for a moment. Before his father could make a move, Kazuki was already in front of him. His father towered over him since he was in a child’s body. Kazuki stomped as hard as he could on his fake father’s foot, inflicting some damage. His father swiped at him but Kazuki ducked underneath his swing and then delivered an elbow into the side of his fake father’s knee, causing him to kneel, bringing him down to Kazuki’s level.

Kazuki then stepped off of his father’s thigh and jumped up delivering a knee directly to this imposter’s chin, sending the man tumbling off the table.

The man started to slowly stand back up and so Kazuki took the knife in his hand and accurately threw it into the man’s forehead. The man moved no more.

Kazuki turned to face his mother, who also had a twisted expression. One that now resembled a monster instead of angelic beauty.

“Kazuki, my son, why are you doing this. We love you…I love you.”

Kazuki felt his entire body shake.

“Those are the worst possible words you could have said to me.”

Kazuki then ran forward atop the table once again but after only a few steps, the woman in front of him laughed and the table began to turn into quicksand.

“Kazuki, mamma loves you so much. So do mamma a favor and HOLD STILL!”

His mother laughed like a wild hyena and Kazuki couldn’t pull himself free from the pulling sand. Thinking quickly, he grabbed another nearby knife and his mother quickly put up her defense, expecting him to throw it at her. Instead, he chucked it with all of his strength above him.

*Chink*

A chain snapped and a large chandelier crashed into the table directly in front of him. Kazuki grabbed hold of the chandelier and pulled himself out of the sand and onto the top of the now sinking light fixture. He tried to create a fireball but it didn’t work but that didn’t mean things were hopeless.

Kazuki grabbed a drink from the nearby table and a lit candle from the chandelier.

Kazuki’s fake mother saw what was coming.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Kazuki said nothing and filled his mouth with the alcohol before holding the candle out in front of him and spiting everything forward.

*FSHHHHH!*

A stream of flames flew out and covered his fake mother and began burning her to death. At the same time though, the woman continued to laugh.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. This is a nice start Kazuki.”

After that, his fake mother fell over a continued to burn for a bit more until she was dead.

The table then stopped pulling things under and once more became a normal table and the room went quiet.

The stinging pain in Kazuki’s head was reduced greatly at this moment but it didn’t fully disappear. Instead, Kazuki’s surroundings once more turned black and everything faded away.

(Was this the first test? How many are there and how could I forget that none of this was real. It still felt real though and what is this pain I’m fee…)

Kazuki’s mind went blank once more.

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