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Return of the Fallen Volume 6 Chapter 33

Author: Blue_Rat

ch33

After molding his ruler to form around his entire body, he found it to be more comfortable than it looks. Almost like a glove, it fits so well. Giving a punch with his only arm, his left fist tore the wind apart with whistling noises. After a couple of kicks and stretches, he found it moved quite well with him.

(If only I thought about wearing my ruler like a suit before. All the times I encountered those bastard clacker bugs. Wearing it like this my body is even more of a weapon than before.)

With a simple image in his head, Kazuki opened his hand, and sharp claws formed at the tips of his fingers. Grabbing at the rock below his feet, he casually scratched at it and carved a fist-sized chunk out of it in one movement.

(No resistance at all. It’s practically like going through air.)

Kazuki dug the small hole he made and made it bigger and bigger until the hole itself was the size of a large barrel. After that, he stretched out his left arm over it. With a thought, the black armor peeled away from him and revealed his flesh. The aura suppressing the Azirian blood in his mind at this moment he pulled it back and allowed the blood to run wild.

As this happened, he forced it out of the pores from his arm and began to fill the large hole in the rock platform.

Seconds became minutes and several minutes later the entire hole was filled with purplish-black blood. Kazuki dipped a finger in the blood and stood over the edge of the platform. With a small flick, the blood dropped down into the yellowish stomach acid below.

*TSHHHSSSSSHSSHSH*

An immediate effect.

The acid bubbled and popped aggressively and spread outward for about a foot. A moment or so later, the stomach acid calmed slightly. There were still boiling pops here and there but it wasn’t nearly as bad as a moment ago. Kazuki saw this but he wasn’t quite sure if the amount of blood he had prepared would be enough. Sitting down, he closed his eyes and focused his mind until he entered his soul world. There, he discussed it with Danny and got his opinion.

Danny observed the little experiment from earlier and he as well didn’t believe the amount prepared would be enough. Danny did some quick calculations. He took the size of the stomach and did his best to guestimate the depth and amount of liquid within the creature’s stomach. All he had to go off was what he saw so he himself knew his calculations were nowhere near perfect but in his opinion, another two barrels worth of Azirian blood should give them the effect they desire.

Kazuki trusted Danny’s brain and opened his eyes back in the real world and prepared two more barrels worth of Azirian blood. He found it kind of difficult, seeing as how the rock platform he stood on was not very big. Now that there were three-barrel sized holes in total, Kazuki barely had space to move around. Only if he bent his body awkwardly could he lie down.

Blood prepared, suit on, Kazuki was almost ready. The final preparation was his eyes. He needed to see where he was in order to make it to either the nasal cavity or the path to the lungs. However, he couldn’t just have his eyes uncovered while the rest of his body was. To overcome this he would once again rely on his aura and ki to sense his environment for him. The problem though was his current state. He was tired, beyond compare. He was thirsty, hungry, his energy solely derived from ki and aura at the moment so his senses were not as sharp and clear as before.

Shutting his eyes and stretching out his ki and aura, the images that were usually so clear were now slightly hazy or foggy. Every image he received back to his mind came with a tinge of a blur to it. He could still make things out but it required more energy and focus than before. He knew he was running out of time and he had to move quickly.

Shaking his head, he also slapped himself a few times to help remove the cobwebs.

(It’s now or never. If I don’t succeed at this moment, I won’t have enough energy to try again.)

Kazuki kneeled down at the edge of the platform. Forming sharp claws at the end of his hand, he carved a path connecting all three holes. Then he reached over the edge of the platform and grabbed a handful of rock and riped it away. He knew precisely where to aim for, so as soon as he opened a hole at the side of the rock platform, Azirian blood began to spill out like someone had pulled the drain on a bathtub.

*Gush gush gush*

Purplish black blood spilled out like a mini waterfall and splashed down into the stomach acid. The moment the blood and the acid made contact, the reaction was instant.

*TSHHHSHHSHSHSSHSHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSH*

The acid seemed to go crazy and bubble upward. Some of it even splashed up toward Kazuki and he cautiously took a step back. Right when this happened, the entire stomach began to contract and all at once the acid erupted upward.

Kazuki immediately formed the black armor over his face and finished covering himself and before he could get his barrings with his ki or aura, he felt his body fly upward from the platform uncontrollably. The acid pushed him upward and he tumbled and flailed like a puppet with cut strings. To feel your entire body get knocked about without one’s control was already a terrifying feeling but to add on top of that, not being able to see in the situation whilst also not being able to breathe. Was this not the definition of traumatic?

Kazuki didn’t let that fear in though, he couldn’t. If he did, he would lose himself and die. No, he calmed himself with his ki and his own will power. He knew he couldn’t fight against the force pushing him upward so he didn’t. He no longer resisted and relaxed his all. He let go of everything and went with the chaotic flow of acid. As soon as he relinquished control, he found that the flipping and twisting wasn’t as strong. He still tumbled but now it was a lot less. Once he felt that, his mind relaxed even more.

Stretching out his ki and aura, Kazuki felt his surroundings. He was already at the bottom of the throat and flying upward fairly quickly. Using his senses he could see and feel everything. Every grotesque nook, and cranny, every, misshapen bump coated in thick saliva, and every contraction of the throat muscles as the goat-headed monster began to hurl.

The sensational feedback and imagery Kazuki got from his senses would have caused the hairs all over his body to stand if they were not pressed down by the black armor. Kazuki shook the queazy feeling from his mind and concentrated. Though his senses were dull and hazy at the moment, he could still make out a large hole up ahead. It was opening and closing rapidly.

(THE PATH TO THE LUNGS!)

The speed at which Kazuki was flying upward was incredibly fast. He would soon pass it and so he readied himself. Shaping the armor, Kazuki made tiny sharp hooks to form all over his entire body. He pumped more and more aura into his armor and the tiny hooks sharpened to a fine point. At the same time, he formed razor-sharp claws over his left hand. As soon as he did this, the hole was already in front of him.

Kazuki sent a lightning-quick punch forward and submerged his entire fist inside the hole before the hole slammed shut.

(YES!)

Kazuki knew this would happen. As the vomit came up the beast would be breathing normally so the hole leading to its lungs would constantly be opening and closing. As soon as the vomit came near, the body would naturally react and close the airway so as to prevent vomit from entering. Kazuki took this opportunity and got his hand caught inside.

(NOW TO OPEN THIS BITCH UP!)

Kazuki changed the shape around his fist and made something similar to a car jack. As he pumped his aura into the armor, the jack would slowly lift the flesh up, opening the airway. As soon as it opened, Kazuki would dive in.

Kazuki supplied it more and more aura but it wasn’t budging.

(Damn it open!)

Kazuki made changed the shape of the armor once more and made long sharp spikes that extended from his knees. Using all of his strength, he sent knee after knee attack at this small opening. If his spikes didn’t hurt the creature and force the airway open then at least maybe he could wedge one of the spikes into the hole next to his fist so he could get some leverage and pry the opening open.

Kazuki supplied aura and tried to make his armor lift the opening, he drove his knees into it with all his might, hammering away repeatedly but none of it was working, the passage was shut far too tightly.

Just as Kazuki was about to send another knee in, the muscles in the throat contracted and Kazuki was unlodged against his will and continued upward with the rest of the acid.

Kazuki couldn’t believe his first attempt was over already. It had only been a few seconds and the first opportunity was already gone just like that.

(No, I can’t think like that. The nasal passage is still an option. I WILL NOT FAIL!)