Return of the Fallen Volume 8 Chapter 101
Only Kazuki and Danny knew about the choice he had to make. The amount of power between he and Asuna, there would not be enough to teleport all five of them out of here. One would then say that the obvious choice, the obvious sacrifice would be Danny. After all, he had already died and although he was technically alive, he was more spirit than flesh and blood.
At the same time though, to bring one back to the world of the living only to sacrifice them when things get tough, was a cruelness in itself. For Kazuki, Asuna was off-limits before anything else. That then brought him to Sam and Kimi. Of the two, one he barely got along with. To leave Kimi behind though, Sam would never allow such a thing and would most likely give up his own spot for her and fight for it.
If things took a turn, Sam would simply refuse and would purposely stay behind with Kimi. Losing two instead of one was out of the question. Kazuki hated that he needed to decide this and felt some bitterness towards Danny who placed the decision in his hands.
He couldn’t hate Danny though, he understood why he did this. The amount of power, most of it would come from Kazuki converting his aura into the element of space. Danny went logically with it. Kazuki was the one contributing the most and of everyone here, Danny knew Kazuki could make the fairest decision in his mind. He understood that Kazuki wouldn’t just take into consideration of the now but would also be looking forward. Whatever Kazuki decided, it would affect things going forward.
(DAMN! Had this plan come about sooner, I wouldn’t have used so much of my aura on this damn lightning!)
Kazuki had used most of the energy of his aura to make the lightning. If he simply had more time, his aura would regain his energy over time but the situation currently had the cage of lightning shrinking around them at a noticeable rate.
Kazuki’s mind raced.
(There has to be something…anything I can do so no one has to be sacrificed.)
“Danny what if I remove your core and put it inside my storage ring or maybe even your entire body along with it. Placing your body inside of my ring, the burden will be reduced greatly, we could
“No.”
Before Kazuki could finish what he was saying Danny shot it down.
“Neither you nor I understand the totality of the consequences. Once I go into your ring, who knows what that would do to me. The moment I enter inside, my soul could be entirely erased and destroyed. Living things can not go inside of storage rings, otherwise, they die. I don’t understand why this is but my situation is not too far off from a real living being. If I go in, I may cease to exist.”
“Don’t you think that it’s worth a shot. There’s no guarantee that you will disappear.”
Danny shook his head.
“There’s no guarantee that I won’t. If this is your decision, I’d rather stay put and wait for this protective cage to run out of power.”
By the flow of this conversation, Asuna and Sam began to realize that something was off.
“Kazuki, why does it sound like there’s another problem?”
*Tzzzt*
The cage shrunk a few inches more and a small tear formed for a split second. Danny quickly manipulated his lightning and sealed the hole.
“Kazuki forget trying to figure things out! We’ve run out of time! Hurry up and enter Asuna’s soul world and take in the element of space from her memories!”
*Tzzt*
The cage shrunk even further. Now it was only about a dozen or so feet in each direction.
Even if there was something else he could think of, the first thing was first he needed Asuna’s element of space.
Kazuki shut his eyes and his aura stretched out and entered Asuna’s soul world instantly. Asuna’s mind was forcefully dragged into her own soul world and when she opened her eyes, Kazuki was already waiting for her.
(Kazuki what did Danny mean a moment ago?)
Kazuki ignored her and grabbed her hand. Placing it against her soul tree, his aura forcefully activated her soul world.
(Asuna think back to the very first time you used your magic and every time after that. We need to do this as fast as possible.)
Asuna was worried but she knew what needed to be done right now. Any questions she had, she would simply save them for after everything was over and done with and everyone was safe.
Her eyes began to glow as many memories flashed through her as if they were happening right at this moment. She recalled the very first time Garn showed her how to use her abilities and how thrilled she was. She remembered the first time she teleported a weapon and killed an enemy. Her mind flashed forward to the night she fought with Zetsu, the human-faced centipede.
She remembered how she was struck by his soul attack and her mind was trapped inside of itself. Time seemed to go on for years and years until he lost track of it. Eventually, she no longer felt anything as she began to master her art. Only when she was brought out of her own mind did she start to recall who she was and only then did she once more begin to feel.
As Kazuki looked upon these memories, he too felt such despair, he felt the hopelessness as if it were happening to him. He also learned about the element of space as if it were as natural as breathing. He didn’t realize Asuna had been through so much. Yes, he knew she was in peerless situations but only now did he understand how deeply it affected her and how hard she kept up a brave appearance around others. Her quick jump to anger was a way to hide her own weaknesses as well as her own fears.
Kazuki came to understand how fragile she was and yet at the same time just how strong she could be. How far she would go for others and how she would put everything on the line for those she cared for.
Seeing all of this, some rang in his own mind.
(Just how far am I willing to go?)
—————————————————————————-
Kazuki withdrew his aura from Asuna and opened his eyes. Asuna’s memories and experiences were still fresh in his soul and mind. Inhaling deeply, he could sense the faint traces of space element around him. Had they not been trapped at the moment, he knew for sure, this measly amount would expand past the very sky itself.
(So this is what space feels like. Folding and pulling, shrinking and expanding constantly. It’s never stagnant. Even though it appears empty, it’s filled with chaotic energy. This feeling is completely different than fire, completely different from gordonia. It’s different from every other element. So different, yet familiar. So vast and it never stops expanding and shrinking. How strange and how extraordinary.)
“Kazuki.”
Danny called out to Kazuki pulling him from his thoughts.
Kazuki looked around at everyone. The feeling of hopelessness that Asuna felt when she was trapped, and then the feeling of numbness and then nothingness. Kazuki wondered if that was what death felt like. A complete absence from anything at all. Suddenly his decision came to him and he felt a great weight lift from his shoulders.
(As long as Glacious lives and makes it out of whatever predicament he’s in, Asuna and the others will be protected. He and Fera are already enemies that cannot stand on the same ground without bearing their fangs and claws at one another. They can not live under the same sun. Even if I do nothing from here, Glacious and Fera will face each other. If it’s him…He can win. No, he will win. The tow will collide and Glacious will rip her throat from her body. My revenge, it will happen either way. If only he could take my mother’s life as well. That will be my only regret.)
Kazuki began to send out his aura inside the cage of lightning. As he did, Asuna’s memories flashed within his head and he began to manipulate his aura. Shrinking, expanding, crushing, unfolding, bending.
A moment later, Asuna could feel the element of space spreading out all around her as it filled the gaps inside the cage. More and more and more. Kazuki was pushing out every bit of aura he could muster and turning it into the element of space. As he did this Asuna who was near him, her eyes began to glow with purple light.
“Kazuki I can feel it. A little more and I can teleport all of us out of here.”
Kazuki shook his head.
“Asuna, I love you… and Nunully…Tell her I love her as well.”
As soon as he said that, before Asuna or anyone else could register what was happening, Kazuki used the last bit of his aura. He pried back into Asuna’s soul world and manipulated her core. The moment he did this, the element of space warped.
Asuna’s eyes brightened without her control and the very next moment…They were gone.
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