Return of the Fallen Volume 6 Chapter 30
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch30
Kazuki’s arm was bitten off and he was tossed down the monster’s gullet. He tumbled about uncontrollably as he was flicked to the back of the creature’s throat by its tongue. The gross slime and saliva were of no concern at this moment. The loss of his arm, the pain of having muscle shredded, and nerves cut were like fire shooting inside. It is something no one should be made to suffer.
Kazuki fought through the pain and suppressed as much of it as he could with his ki. He swiftly sealed the wound with his ki and prevented more blood from spurting out. With the wound bleeding no more, Kazuki turned his sights on the quickly approaching fall.
(If I’m swallowed there’s no way I’ll be able to escape!)
Kazuki looked all over for his broken ruler but it was nowhere to be found. Kazuki knew then and there it had already fallen deep into the monster’s stomach. Kazuki gathered as much ki as he could and put it into both his left hand as well as his jaw and teeth. As he was tumbling backward, Kazuki grabbed a handful of the creature’s tongue as well as bit into the creature’s tongue, locking his jaws onto it like a desperate dog.
Even with this bite, however, he could not pierce the creature’s flesh and his mouth fell open. At the same time, the creature felt a small pinch on its tongue and became annoyed. Flicking it upwards, the goat-headed beast pressed its tongue hard onto the roof of its mouth and in doing so slammed Kazuki against it. Kazuki again felt something within break as several bones crunched and snapped, piercing through his skin.
Kazuki had broken bones far too many times to count and so although this was painful when it came to life or death, he endured and held his grip firm on the monster’s tongue.
“I WILL NOT DIE HERE! I WILL NOT FALL!”
The creature had no clue of such declarations nor would it care even if it did. Scrapping its tongue against the roof of its mouth, Kazuki felt his body being ground apart. His skin ripped open all over and began to peel and blood seeped out of his body. He gripped the tongue so hard that each nail on his fingers split and broke off. His bones breaking his muscles tearing, Kazuki coughed out several mouthfuls of blood but his eyes never wavered for even a split second. His grip held firm even with this and he refused to be swallowed.
Under such crushing weight though, he could feel his mind grow heavy and his vision dizzy.
“I WILL NOT LET GO! I REFUSE TO FALL! NOW RELEASE ME!!!”
Just as he said that the creature’s mouth opened. Kazuki found hope for a split second before the flow of air changed and in one breath the monster inhaled deeply. Kazuki felt his body lift up off of the tongue but he still would not let go.
*Slip slip*
The blood from his broken nails coated his hand entirely and his firm grip began to loosen.
*FWHOOOSH*
The inhale did not stop but instead increased in force.
With his weakened state combined with his broken body and bloodied grip, Kazuki felt his hand loosen ever so slightly, and with it, his entire hold fell apart and he flew backward at high speed.
*FWHOOSH*
Just as he was about to hit the throat, he saw the uvula hanging down inside the creature’s throat and reached out to grab it. He was so close to it but the speed at which he was flying backward was too fast. The tips of his fingers just barely touched it but it wasn’t enough. Kazuki’s eyes widened as he missed it and slammed into the back of the creature’s throat.
*Bam*
The impact was heavy and stole the air from his lungs. Kazuki felt his head become even dizzier
At this moment he also realized he was no longer flying backward but was now falling. Kazuki’s consciousness began to fade as his strength finally gave out.
(I can’t die here…I…c..a..n..t.)
The monster shut his mouth and Kazuki disappeared down its throat.
—————————————————————————-
Time slipped on.
—————————————————————————-
“Looks like you really stepped in shit this time little dummy.”
“Kai, is that really something you should be saying right now? Your brother is in a terrible situation and it appears to be…dire. Show some compassion.”
Kazuki heard two familiar voices and his eyes slowly opened.
In front of him both, his older brother Kai and Danny were arguing with one another.
Kazuki sat there for a moment in bewildered silence. Looking around, he was definitely in his own soul world which meant he was not yet dead. The first word from his mouth was a stunned…
“How?”
Kai crossed his arms annoyed.
“How indeed. I don’t know if you are ungodly lucky or ungodly unlucky. This situation even has me questioning your fate. To not die, even after being swallowed by that ugly fucking monster, is this meant to be a joke or what. The gods, they are no doubt being entertained by your life.”
Kazuki was confused by his brother but Danny with a heavy sigh waved a hand in the air and the clouds began to take shape and play out what had recently just happened.
*Haa*
“It’s weird. As you can see you fell all the way down to this goat’s stomach but if by a miracle well just watch.”
The clouds flew by up above in his soul world and it played out what Kai and Danny witnessed. Kazuki entered the creature’s large stomach which in itself was nearly 70 feet high. As he fell towards the acid in the stomach a large boulder floated by and Kazuki slammed face-first into it. The boulder actually caught him and prevented him from entering the acid and dying. Not only that, but his black broken ruler had also coincidently landed on the same boulder and was right next to him.
Kazuki had no clue what to feel at the moment.
(No wonder why brother couldn’t say whether I have ungodly luck or vice versa. How can this be?)
“Why is there a boulder in this thing’s stomach in the first place. For me to actually land on it and not die?”
Danny waved his hand once more and another memory played out.
“That boulder isn’t that random. It’s there because of your earlier fight with this goat beast.)
In the clouds above, a quick memory showed the opening to the goat-headed monster and Kazuki’s cat and mouse game. Kazuki was standing on a large boulder a small distance away from the monster. The goat-headed monster then leaped at Kazuki with its mouth open and snapped its mouth shut eating the boulder in its entirety. Kazuki had just barely managed to create some distance and escape being eaten at that moment.
Kazuki now understood what had happened.
“That boulder didn’t melt in the acid in the monster’s stomach. Is the rock that tough?”
“Little dummy that’s obvious. You’ve traversed this place for several months now and found a few rocks yourself that have unique properties. Do you really find it that strange that there’s one that won’t melt from some acid? None of that shit matters though, the real question is how in the 7 realms of hell do you solve this one? Even I’m stumped.”
Kazuki leaned against his soul tree and sighed.
“How indeed. You can all see my situation. I can’t pierce that thing’s flesh even if I pour all of my energy into my broken ruler. At its sharpest, it will only leave a small cut behind. That’s not all, even if I could cut my way out of this creepy fucker, then what? I can’t match this thing in strength nor in speed. Even though it appears to be stupid, its senses are sharper than sharp. It can smell me and see me in the outside world. I can’t fight it, I can’t outrun it and I can’t even hide from it. No matter what I do…I…I’m screwed.”
Everything was starting to hit Kazuki all at once as he found his situation hopeless. Kai nodded along for a moment as though he agreed before he punched Kazuki hard on the top of his head.
*Thud*
“Little dummy, are you serious right now! I know I said you’ve stepped in some real shit here but that doesn’t mean you can just give up. Everything you’ve been through, everything you’ve had to suffer, we’ve had to suffer. No, this isn’t the end. So what if that ugly goat bastard swallowed you whole or rather almost whole. This gives you the advantage. That thing now thinks your dead. How sorely mistaken that bitch is. It’s gonna have the absolute worst fucking indigestion in its entire life because I’ll be damned if you go down without a fight.”
Kazuki felt some a small gleam of hope return.
“Brother, what’s your plan?”
As soon as Kazuki said that Kai’s expression went blank.
“Eh, who said I have a plan? I’m just talking in general.”
Kazuki’s hope, like a balloon, was deflated in an instant.
Danny though was rubbing his chin in thought before something came to mind.
“Actually Kai, your words, there may be something to them. Kazuki, why don’t we give this beast a major case of indigestion.”
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