Return of the Fallen Volume 7 Chapter 47
Kazuki went quiet and gave Tozu a strange look. As if to say are you serious?
Seeing that Kazuki didn’t initiate an attack, Tozu took it as a sign that Kazuki would at least hear him out for now.
“For us to continue fighting…it makes no sense. I have no animosity toward you and neither do you with me or my younger brother. The fight was instigated by that bear beast. After things went south from there. I merely wanted you dead. Not because I see you as an enemy, but rather to settle things quickly so that my brother and I can claim Motozu’s territory and other rewards. However, the more you and we battled, the more I saw you as an equal. Now that the other Ancient beast is no more, the reward has only grown for my brother and me. To continue fighting someone who I bear no ill will toward also puts me at risk when there’s no reason for it. The fact that you’re listening now means you somewhat agree with me I take it.”
Kazuki was more than a little bit surprised and did not see things turning this way. The rhino ape called Tozu stood within striking distance of Kazuki yet there was no sign of blood lust or rage coming from the Ancient beast. Completely different from Motozu whose words seethed with hidden danger.
All Kazuki had wanted to do since the beginning was have a civilized conversation with Motozu and trade for some of its scales but that turned disastrous. Now the other side was willing to talk with him. Kazuki wasn’t one to let someone go once they tried to kill him but Tozu came off reasonably.
“You wish to stop fighting now, and then what, we just walk away from one another and call it quits. Is anything so simple?”
Tozu nodded along.
“True I do make it sound simple but at the same time why can’t it be so. Right now are we not talking calmly. The next step or the one after that could just as easily be us separating and going our own paths don’t you think?”
Kazuki smirked.
“If it was as easy as you say, we would have both turned and left already.”
Tozu didn’t know exactly what to say to that. Sasai the great snake felt differently though.
“Big brother, thisss human hasss no intention of trusssting usss, why continue thisss pointlesssss conversssation?”
Tozu disagreed.
“Little brother I think you’re wrong. Besides even if you are correct that just leads to a prolonged fight where none of us walk away without injury or even die in the process. I’d like to avoid that if possible so do me a favor and do not speak again until things have settled.”
Sasai wanted to argue but Tozu released some of his aura and pressed down atop the great snake’s large body.
Sasai who had been floating high in the sky came crashing down and Tozu glared at him.
“I said shut your mouth!”
Sasai froze on the ground and dared not say another word.
Once more Tozu spoke calmly to Kazuki.
“My little brother is rash at times but he is not your enemy. If we can come to an agreement, he will follow me and do as I say.”
Kazuki felt his boiling blood start to cool and he was no longer excited to fight.
“And what is it you want to say. Your friends just tried to kill me and so too did you and your brother. You want me to just let that all go? Tell me, would you do the same?”
Tozu was quiet for a moment before sighing.
*Haa*
“If it were me, I wouldn’t stop until my enemy was dead and his bones were ash beneath my feet. I would cut down any and all who carried my enemy’s blood through their veins no matter young or old and any who would dare call them a friend. Those that knew of this person’s existence would either be on my side or they would be dead. I wouldn’t stop until all of the roots were uprooted and all of the fruits could no longer bear fruit.”
Kazuki grew weary hearing this and he gripped the blade in his hand tighter. Kazuki could feel his muscles tense up but then Tozu added on.
“That’s what I would do to my enemy but as I said earlier, you and I hold no such relationship. As for the other ancient beasts who attacked you, I am not friends with any of them. To me, they are or were more like acquaintances, nothing more than that. Still, it is true that there were two sides in this engagement and my side started things first. I will concede that much so to solve this problem, I hope that you hold greed and ask if we can settle this through a gift?”
Kazuki’s tight grip on his blade loosened.
(This Ancient beast is not simple at all. He thinks with logic and isn’t emotion-based. The way he handles himself as well as his brother, it seems he’s speaking the truth and holds no ill intent.)
Just as Kazuki was thinking this, he felt a huge aura surge over towards him. Tozu had sent a wall of crushing aura directly at Kazuki.
Kazuki was taken aback but his body still moved with lightning-like speed. He controlled his own aura and released an aura shot forward and at the same time flashed forward. The two auras collided with one another and Kazuki’s drilled straight through Tozu’s turning the rhino apes attack into hundreds of tiny threads. At the same time, Kazuki’s aura shot landed directly on Tozu and shook him to the core.
Kazuki stabbed forward, intending to pierce Tozu’s head in a single thrust but Tozu wasn’t slow. Just as Kazuki’s blade came at Tozu’s large head, Tozu put his arm up in defense.
*Schink*
Kazuki’s blade was wedged deep into Tozu’s arm and was stopped when it met bone. Kazuki was surprised that Tozu’s bone was just as tough as his god metal but only slightly. Just like before, he quickly splintered the god metal and tried to make it circulate through Tozu’s blood but Tozu fought back and forced it back with fire. All of the splinters that entered Tozu’s arm shot out of his arm the moment they tried to travel through his body.
While this was happening, the Tozu’s aura that had been scattered, changed direction and came flying back like a boomerang. It came racing at Kazuki’s back. Kazuki hadn’t expected this at all and was caught off guard. Just as Tozu’s aura was about to hit Kazuki’s back though, all of this aura curved around Kazuki’s back and drilled into his compass.
Kazuki felt the dark energy run rampant as it fought against Tozu’s aura. As soon as this happened, Tozu jumped backward and knelt down. He retrieved all of his aura in an instant and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“SENIOR! PLEASE FORGIVE THIS FOOLISH ONE! I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW!”
Kazuki saw this opportunity and was about to launch an attack when the dark energy in his compass jumped out and blocked him.
Zetrazz’s deep dark voice called out.
“You dared attack me and yet now you cower.”
Tozu and Sasai were both frozen in terror. The two could clearly feel the abundant pressure and power coming from this small amount of dark energy. It was like being swallowed up by an infinite abyss. A black void that carried with it an endless doom.
Tozu shouted slammed his head three times on the ground, cracking the ice as he went while apologizing profusely.
“FORGIVE ME! FORGIVE ME GREAT LORD! I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO WHISPERED IN MY HEAD. I SIMPLY THOUGHT YOU WERE A CURSED ITEM TRYING TO INSITE ME TO BREAK PEACE WITH THE HUMAN. I JUST WANTED TO GET THE VOICE OUT OF MY EAR.”
When Kazuki heard that, he knew right away what it meant. Zetrazz had once again whispered notes of madness and persuasion into another Ancient beast to try and goad them into attacking Kazuki.
Kazuki realized in an instant that Tozu wasn’t attacking him but rather trying to destroy the dark energy within his compass. Tozu though did not know that what he was trying to destroy was in actuality a fragment of a titan.
Kazuki glared at Zetrazz like a rabid mad dog.
“Again! you really did it again!”
Zetrazz chuckled, his voice no longer in their heads but in the open air itself.
“Hehaha. Did you think I wouldn’t. Who would have thought this Beast was so strong-willed.”
The dark energy then ignored Kazuki’s glare and turned back to Tozu.
“You are called Tozu. I have already observed everything here including you. I wanted to make you fight Kazuki but your mind is much sharper than I anticipated. I’ve been told several times that I assert my authority over those weaker than me. Because of that, Your transgression of attacking this fragment of mine, I will overlook just this once. Since you didn’t fall for my words and attack Kazuki, It’s clear you two are done fighting. My entertainment is ruined. Next time allow yourself to get lost in the madness, it will be a lot more fun than all this peaceful crap.”
With that said, Zetrazz laughed at Kazuki once more before diving back into the golden compass and settling down once more.
Tozu had cold sweat pouring from his head. He had only felt so close to death a few times in his entire life yet this one, with just a few words from Zetrazz, had felt the closest.
Tozu could see why Kazuki was so on edge now and how he couldn’t just trust some random Ancient beasts words.
“It seems you have your own worries.”
Kazuki sighed inwardly before putting his blade away. Now that he knew that Tozu wasn’t trying to attack him, he took Tozu’s earlier offer seriously.
“As you can see I have a lot to deal with. So this gift of yours, I hope you’ll make it worth it.”
With this said, the three came to an understanding of sorts.
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