Return of the Fallen Volume 6 Chapter 25
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch25
Kazuki had only caught short glimpses of it before but now that he could see in this vast ocean of blackness, he looked upon the totality of his stalker.
Arms and legs thicker than a large hill and with a frame that stretched more than 300 feet into the air, this thing before him was truly huge. It had the head of a goat with pitch-black eyes that appeared dead lifeless but Kazuki knew it was anything but. Three horns on its head that pointed outward with a deformed dog’s snout for a nose and dangerously sharp teeth that were as long as the spikes jutting out of the cliff wall were. Its entire body was covered in thick dark fur and it even had a snake-shaped tail and draconic like wings extruding from its back.
This type of creature, its appearance wasn’t too strange, especially from all the other things Kazuki has come across through the lands but what was so off-putting about it the beast was its eyes. These eyes were empty and yet filled with something Kazuki couldn’t quite describe. Maybe like a cat staring at a mouse or a child at a new toy. Either way, none of it was good.
Kazuki had felt these eyes upon him multiple times but for some reason the thing never attacked him. Kazuki found that the monster tracked his smell and would cover himself in Azirian blood but he knew the monster had watched him do this with curiosity or something else.
Even right now, Kazuki was caught off guard and had been distracted gathering the silver rocks when the creature came swooping down and landed before he got a chance to cover himself with blood. Still, the creature seemed to be looking at him. Now that Kazuki could see, he was even more sure that the creature’s soulless eyes were upon him, yet it didn’t pounce and merely watched him.
Kazuki didn’t understand what the thing wanted but he wouldn’t just wait around to figure it out. Pulling back some of his aura, the Aziiran blood began to spread rapidly within him. After barely a secondKauzki suppressed the rapidly developing blood and stopped it. Using his ki he pushed it out through his pores, covering himself head to toe in the putrid-smelling blood.
The monster inhaled deeply through its misshapen snout and took in the air around him.
*Sniff sniff*
It took a large whiff of the surrounding area before tilting its head slightly. Its pitch-black eyes not once leaving Kazuki.
(What’s going on? Usually, it’d take one sniff of me covered in this blood and fly away right after. Why is it not leaving?)
Instead of leaving, it seemed to grow even more curious and took a single yet small step forward. Its large body, with a single step it covered 50 feet quite easily and was now only a few feet in front of Kazuki.
It then squatted down until it was at eye level with Kazuki.
Kazuki felt his heart rate start to quicken and he circulated his ki inside to suppress it. With the smell of death lingering on his body from the Azirian blood as well as his heartbeat slowing to a crawl and his breath being held, it should be more than enough to convince the monster and yet, it only seemed to stare at him even harder.
(Why!?)
It was only now that Kazuki could see something reflecting in the beast’s eyes.
Standing so closely in front of it, Kazuki could see the silver glow of his own eyes reflecting off of the creatures like a mirror.
(My eyes, their glowing like the porcupines’. Is…Is that why it’s not leaving?)
Only now did Kazuki realize his eyes were shining like the porcupines and he felt incredibly stupid.
(Shit, why did I not think about that. If my eyes are glowing silver like the porcupines then isn’t that like me just being a beacon for all the nearby monsters. Fuck!)
Kazuki wanted to slam his eyes shut right then and there but it was already far too late, the monster didn’t care about the smell and could see Kazuki right in front of itself. The monster opened its largemouth and it resembled the opening of a cave in front of Kazuki.
(Damn it!)
Kazuki didn’t hesitate and leaped backward with everything he had. Landing on a nearby boulder almost 50 feet away, he was just in time to see the monster’s mouth slam shut on the ground where he was previously at.
*Bam*
The ground shook as the creature ate a large chunk of the ground in a single bite. Barely a moment went by when it had noticed that what it had just eaten was not what it had intended. Its eyes both rotated separately from each other like a lizard’s would until it located Kazuki. The creature smiled with a large grin before pouncing toward Kazuki with a single step.
*Bang*
Once more its mouth opened and closed this time on the boulder and with a gulp, it swallowed the huge rock whole.
Kazuki again had leaped away. This time he hoped away even further until he was a few hundred feet away. Taking in his surroundings he wondered where he could go. Out in the open like this and that thing could catch up to him.
(With such a large body you’d think this bastard would be slower but it covered the space between us nearly as fast as I leaped away. With only a moment’s delay and I’d have already been swallowed whole by that freak of nature. I have to find an escape route and someplace to hide otherwise… Shit!)
Kazuki jumped back once more and the goat-headed beast gave chase with a delighted look.
*Bang Bam Bam Bang!*
Every place Kazuki stood, not even a second later and the ground would explode or shatter when the beast landed or hit the ground. Crater after crater was soon left behind in their chase. Kazuki found it difficult because the ground constantly shook and trembled from the creature’s force.
It wouldn’t be so bad if his physical body wasn’t being suppressed due to the pure dark energy everywhere but ifs and buts don’t mean shit down here.
Kazuki led the creature around before he saw some trees in the distance.
(The carnivorous trees! I can lead this thing in there. With my agility and small frame, I can avoid those trees but this goat beast will be forced to take everything.)
Kazuki changed direction with the goat-headed beast right behind him. As soon as Kazuki stepped foot in the carnivorous forest, he snatched up a handful of rocks while he ran and shot gunned them in every direction.
*Tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak*
The rocks scattered all around and hit dozens of trees all at once. The very next second, two things took place. The monster stepped into the forest and at the same time, all of the trees, like mines buried in the dirt, all of them went off at once.
*WHIP CRACK SMASH!*
Tree after tree came flying down and crashing against the goat beast. Each one of these attacks could easily rip Kazuki in half but to his shock, the goat beast’s speed didn’t slow in the least. As dozens and dozens of these carnivorous trees slapped and whipped the goat beast, the goat beast merely shrugged and was not impacted in the least.
Kazuki changed direction and head directly for the beast.
The beast saw this and became intrigued. Stretching out both of its hands it tried to grab Kazuki and scoop him up. Kazuki took this moment to add ki to his lower body and jump. He jumped directly over the beast’s hands and landed upon its wrist before kicking off from there and jumping past it. Grabbing a tree that was already whipping away, Kazuki was pulled away and with perfect timing, he let go from the tree and was flung away like a sling.
Kazuki flew through the air and landed directly outside of the forest. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he kicked away and raced for the river. He thought about the crocodiles in the water and knew it was dangerous but it was a hell of a lot better than facing this monster.
The beast saw this and became upset.
*ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR*
It bellowed out an ungodly roar before expanding its wings and flapping them once.
*FWHOOOOSSSHHHHHHHH!*
All of the surrounding trees were forced down and broke apart from just the sheer force of wind this monster’s wings produced. The very next moment, it as well landed outside of the forest and gave chase. However, with a flap of its wings, its body accelerated several times faster than before and it was gaining on Kazuki.
Kazuki on the other hand didn’t dare to even look back. He could tell just from the sound alone.
(The rivers not even a hundred feet away! I’ll make it!)
Kazuki pumped his body full of ki and supplied his broken ruler with ample amounts of aura. Kicking off the ground he simultaneously expanded his ruler and pushed it off the ground with him and sped up even more. The very next instant he shrunk it and reduced its weight. Kazuki used this force to leap into the air and dove directly into the river.
The monster stopped at the river’s edge and the two made eye contact. Kazuki couldn’t help but smile at this moment as relief began to wash over him.
(Hmph, you almost had me you stupid fuck.)
The monster saw this smile and felt Kazuki’s mock. It raised its arm into the air and brought a chop down towards the river.
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