Return of the Fallen Volume 7 Chapter 54
Flying over the clouds the three ripped through the skies and left trails of blazing light in their wake. In less time than it takes to make a cup of tea, the three arrived over a wide expanse of open ocean. Just as before the temperature of these waters was close to sub-zero and in many spots it was even colder.
A large island sat below them. At its center, there was a large volcano with bubbling magma boiling deep within.
Three streaks of light stopped and hovered above this island made of jagged rock and black obsidian.
“We’re here. This is my home.”
Tozu landed near the center of the island where a palace made of raven black obsidian stood tall.
Even though the air was cold above the island, once Kazuki landed a hot dry heat swept over him. Of course, this wave of heat was nothing to him but he could see that a normal person would die within minutes were they exposed to this environment. It wasn’t just the heat from the volcano. There was also a constant breeze filled with ash circulating around the entire island. The air itself was literal poison.
To Kazuki, Sasai, and Tozu though this air was as good as any other.
Walking into the palace there were many guards. Dozens of these guards were Sky beast. Kazuki’s aura had once again grown and he could now stretch it outward for several miles. Within this scope, he could sense thousands of Gordonia beasts, and beyond them were the 10’s of thousands of Limit beasts. As Kazuki followed Tozu deeper into his palace, he could feel strange looks on his back.
Every now and again he even spotted several humans moving about through the palace.
“You have human slaves?”
Tozu nodded as he explained.
“Servants, not slaves. Humans have many a variety of uses. They are very skilled when it comes to crafting and they can be far more loyal than beasts. Does it offend you that they serve me?”
Kazuki shook his head.
“Not particularly. How can they survive in this environment though?”
Tozu’s eyes lit up momentarily and several inscriptions lit up along the floor.
Kazuki took a single glance at them and understood.
“This creates a barrier that filters out the poison from the air.”
Kazuki inhaled deeply and really found the air inside the palace to be much cleaner.
“Yes, although bad air doesn’t affect the strong I have many below me that need to breathe. It’s much more convenient to have my things inscribed and imbued with the ancient language than constantly find replacements to work under me. Another perk of having humans is they are fast learners. It can take a regular beast decades or more to learn how to use magic but you humans can tap into magic with a bit of learning and just a few years of absorbing magical energy.”
Kazuki understood this.
“We humans don’t have a mage core from birth but as we grow some of us naturally grow a mage core within. Before 13 years of age, we can either use magic or we can’t. We’d have developed our mage cores or we won’t. After that, it’s all about talent and what and how we learn.”
Coming to the throne room a large beast lay in front of the door protecting it. This beast was a large black panther. The moment Kazuki approached, a tremendous amount of aura poured out of the black panther and slammed down atop Kazuki. Kazuki though was unaffected completely. Kazuki smirked and was fired an aura shot directly at the panther’s head. Just before it made contact though, Tozu roared.
“ENOUGH!”
His aura intercepted both parties and like a big fan, both Kazuki’s aura and the black panthers were pushed back and slammed into the sides of the palace walls. The panther’s aura completely dissipated as it was squashed by Tozu’s while Kazuki’s aura tore a large hole through the palace wall and continued upward exploding the ceiling up above and rocking the entire palace.
Every hair on the panther’s body stood up in fear as it realized the difference in power.
“You’ve grown even bolder since I’ve been gone. Only a few days and you actually dared attack a guest in my presence. It seems you require another lesson.”
Tozu’s words were cold as ice as he spoke to this panther. The panther on the other hand was shaking.
“Dearest brother in law it was a mistake. I…I did not know this human was a guest of yours. Forgive me!”
A large fireball formed above Tozu’s right hand.
“How many chances should you receive from me. I should melt every inch of flesh from your body.”
Kazuki was intrigued by this weird conversation. While Sasai on the other hand wore an ugly expression as he looked at the black panther. There was clear disgust and rage in his eyes and dark energy was already gathering in his third eye but he didn’t make a move.
Just as Tozu really seemed as if he would turn this black panther into ash, the large doors behind the panther swung open.
“Dear, could you kindly put that away and stop threatening my little brother.”
A tall beautiful woman wrapped in golden silk with bronze skin walked over and stood in front of the black panther. This woman was absolutely gorgeous but Kazuki wasn’t fooled in the least. He could sense her true power. She was actually an Ancient beast of some kind. Just like other Ancient beasts, she was capable of changing her size and taking human form at will.
Her eyes drifted over toward Kazuki for but a brief moment. She took all of him in and she wore a curious expression before turning her attention to Tozu.
“Husband, why are you so angry as soon as you come back?”
The woman clung to Tozu’s arm and grabbed the fireball with her own hand. Kazuki could feel the energy in the fire being snuffed out with even more fire energy. As soon as the fire was out, Tozu shook his head.
“You already know even without asking. Your brother has caused more trouble once again. He attacked an important guest. This time for sure, even you won’t stop me. I’ll take your brother’s hide for this.”
The woman glared at the black panther and the panther in return looked down in shame and fear. After, she turned her attention back to Tozu.
“Dear husband. You know how my brother is. He makes mistakes, he’s clumsy. That’s why even after thousands of years he’s still stuck at the Sky beast stage. Your anger is wasted on him is it not?”
“Shaila, your words, why do you always protect him even though he causes nothing but trouble?”
This beauty called Shaila teasingly tapped her chin with her finger.
“Hmm, I wonder, why do I keep protecting him.”
The black panther quivered in fright.
“Sister, please don’t abandon me.”
Shaila smiled playfully.
“Should I?”
The panther laid flat at both her and Tozu’s feet and apologized over and over.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry, please forgive me of my sins. I saw a human and thought the worst. I really didn’t know he was a guest. Brother in law, big sis, please!”
Tozu wasn’t buying it but Shaila turned to him and whispered something into his ear.
“Husband, can’t you two stop fighting already. All it brings is destruction and annoyance. Can you really not overlook my little brother one more time?”
Tozu shut his eyes for a moment before sighing.
*Haa*
Opening his eyes, his expression was still one filled with anger but it was now much softer.
“Boy, get out of my sight. I better not see you for at least a month. otherwise, my anger will resurface and even your sister won’t be able to shield your ass. Now go!”
As these words fell, the black panther turned into a blur of black haze and ran away as fast as possible. Even as he fled from the palace, Sasai didn’t take his eyes off of him for even a single moment.
Kazuki could feel the anger and tension.
(Sasai must hate that fool but because that panther is the brother of Tozu’s wife, he’s not allowed to kill him. That would infuriate me as well.)
“Do you always have to deal with that panther?”
Before Tozu answered Shaila responded first.
“That panther is my brother so before you insult him remember you are a guest in my home and insulting him would be insulting me and my husband.”
An awkward silence swept through before Sasai started to laugh.
“Heheha. Sister, you are quite bold but if this man here can’t insult your brother then who in this wide world can?”
Shaila didn’t quite understand what Sasai meant but she could see that there was something special about Kazuki. The way Sasai said that and the way Tozu broke up the fight earlier between her brother and this human as well as the human’s attack that broke through the palace.
(This human can’t be ordinary. If my husband treats him with such respect and even Sasai as well, there must be something to this human. From his aura alone, I can tell that he has great strength but I can sense his Mage core, it clearly shows he’s at the 5th stage so he’s not that strong yet my husband has personally invited him and escorted him into our home.)
The gears turned quickly in Shaila’s head.
“Maybe I was a bit too harsh a moment ago. I care for my brother a great deal is all. Let’s start fresh. I am called Shaila, the panther queen and you are?”
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