Return of the Fallen Volume 8 Chapter 102
Blinding light overtook their vision and the world around them seemed to warp.
The very next moment, the blinding light faded and their vision returned. When they noticed it, their surroundings returned to normal. On all four sides, it was warm desert sand beneath their feet. South, east and west, it was desert as far the eye could see but toward the north, in the distance, a large purplish black cloud covered the sky.
It was the Miasma. It was now several hundred miles away from them or rather they had teleported hundreds of miles away. As soon as Asuna recognized this and saw Kazuki nowhere in her sight, she knew what Kauzki’s last words were for. At this moment, it felt as if her heart broke all over again as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“KAZUKIIIII!”
She screamed as loud as she possibly could and for so long that she tore her vocal cords apart. She coughed and gasped for breath before getting ready to teleport back into the dark mist but Danny quickly stopped her.
“MOVE AWAY FROM ME!”
Her voice already sounding more like a wheezed shout but it still contained power. This though did nothing to intimidate Danny and he blocked her path.
Asuna tried to move around him but Danny simply blocked her path every time she tried to get around him.
“Asuna stop.”
“You dare say that! You actually dare say that to me! I was wondering what you two were saying, that odd conversation before everything went down You knew someone had to stay behind didn’t you!?”
Danny didn’t deny it and gave a nod. Asuna’s eyes almost bulged from her head.
“I knew and so did Kazuki. In the end, it was his decision.”
“BULLSHIT!!”
*Cough cough hack cough*
Asuna strained her throat even more but instead of stopping she continued in anger.
“This was not something he should have decided by himself. He put everything on himself and didn’t say anything to any of us and now he’s…he’s gone again. This time…This time
Tears fell down Asuna’s face as she realized what this all meant. Falling into the Abyssal Trench was something no one should have been able to survive but Kazuki had managed to by thinking ahead and figuring things out. This time though, there was nothing to figure out. No masterful plan, no creative loophole he could think his way out of. He was surrounded on every side by the Miasma and he had barely any power left.
Nothing can survive in the Miasma for long. Just the thought of the suffering Kazuki would once again have to endure, Asuna keeled over and vomited as she cried and choked.
(WHY! WHY AGAIN? GOD WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME, WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO KAZUKI!?… Hasn’t he suffered enough. Hasn’t he lost enough?)
Asuna felt like all of this was her fault. She was the one who used space magic, she was the one who could teleport people. If only she wasn’t so weak she thought. If only she had more time.
These thoughts of self-blame ate away at her, causing her stomach to twist in self-hate and sadness. She had never wished to die before but right now that was the only thing she wished for. That was the only thing she truly wanted. If she could die and join Kazuki on the other side, maybe he could forgive her in the afterlife. At least after she was dead, she could finally be with him forever. The two would no longer have to suffer in the afterlife and they could love one another in peace.
This agonizing thought haunted her and it began to take deep root within her. So much so that she completely lost it and rushed forward toward the Miasma like a madwoman desperate beyond desperate. Danny once more blocked her path but Asuna no longer cared. She ran headfirst into Danny’s side, trying to crush her skull on his metallic body so she could end it all here and now.
Danny was perplexed by this and grabbed Asuna to prevent her from self-harm but this just made her more desperate. Her left arm was firmly in Danny’s grasp but her right arm was still free. Her eyes glowed with purple light and one of her crimson red daggers appeared in her free hand. Without hesitation she tried to pierce her own chest and end it all there and then.
*Gshk*
*Splat*
Blood fell and dripped on the hot sand below dying the grains red with blood. Sam at the last second had appeared in front of her and took the dagger directly into his hand. It didn’t pierce too deeply due to his tough body but it was still enough to draw blood. The moment Asuna’s dagger drew blood, Sam raised a hand up high before laying one across Asuna’s face.
*SLAP*
“WAKE UP AND STOP THIS FUCKING SHIT!”
A fresh line of blood spilled from Asuna’s mouth and ran down her chin. Her eyes wavering, after receiving this slap, she was completely stunned. Sam was her best friend in the entire world. He had never laid a hand on her and cherished her like a sister. For him to strike her, it was way out of character for him but at this very moment, it was necessary.
Asuna collapsed to her knees. She looked up at Sam with a blank lifeless expression and said something that stabbed deeply within his soul.
“Sam…please…Kill me.”
Sam’s hands began to tremble. He slowly embraced Asuna and a single tear rolled down his face.
“You can’t say that to me…you just can’t Asuna.”
Even though he hugged Asuna, Asuna didn’t hug him back, instead, she was limp in his arms like a puppet with its strings cut. Kimi was now awake and she had heard all of this. With Kazuki sacrificing himself for everyone, Kimi knew how Asuna must be feeling.
“Asuna…I’m sorry.”
Asuna said notihing in response to Kimi.
Danny looked into the distance and observed the Miasma. He found its activity odd, to say the least.
(Why has it not moved on yet? If it really is being controlled by Fera then after it kills Kazuki it should follow her commands. From here its most logical move would be to either head toward the front line and back of the fused Azirian giants or it would presumably move back north towards Glacious and that fight. If not those two options then wouldn’t it head towards us to finish me off? Those three plays make the most sense but it’s just sitting there not moving at all, why? The only reasons for it to remain unmoving…could it be…Is Kazuki actually still alive somehow?)
This realization shocked Danny. He didn’t know this for sure but it was the only thing that made sense. The only reason for the Miasma to stay in place was for it to fulfill its mission which was to kill Kazuki and Danny. Since Danny was no longer inside and was still alive yet the Miasma didn’t move, Danny concluded Kazuki must still be alive somehow.
(If he is in fact alive, to survive he must have taken control of my cage of lightning. With me gone, a small amount of aura could theoretically take control and maintain it for a few more minutes. Kazuki must have taken control the moment we were teleported away. This means Kazuki only has a few more minutes left until…Damn it. If I knew this was going to be his choice I might have slapped him. Sacrificing himself instead of Kimi or Sam, this was not the choice I wished for him to make. Even though I wish to remain in this world, this world would have a higher chance of enduring if Kazuki was still in it. He should have left me behind.)
Danny looked at Asuna and the others. He knew Kazuki was still alive but there was no way he could tell any of them this. If they knew he was still alive but would soon be engulfed by the Miasma, this would only make things worse in his mind so he decided to remain silent on it.
Danny stretched out his aura and felt the magic in his surroundings. He was hoping for a small chance. If there was enough energy, Asuna could absorb what she needed and make a round trip in and out of the Miasma. That idea quickly fell apart when he felt very little around them. The Miasma had taken and absorbed nearly all of it and left negligible amounts behind. The amount of energy around them was so little that it was almost comparable to what was inside Danny’s lightning cage.
Not only that, the second problem was Kazuki’s location. In order for Asuna to teleport to Kazuki she would need his exact location or at the very least be able to see him but with him somewhere in the Miasma, that was completely impossible. She would most likely teleport someplace random inside the Miasma and be killed in moments from its power. Once again Danny made the decision to not inform them of this outside possibility.
Danny looked at the Miasma and felt deep regret but he knew there was still shit that must be done. Without another word, he scooped Asuna up.
“It’s time to leave.”
Asuna and the others were stunned.
“How can you be so heartless Danny. Asuna just lost Kazuki a moment ago and you’re dragging her off somewhere.”
Danny’s expression didn’t change as he was blunt with Kimi.
“I’ll say this right here and now. Kazuki believed in you all. For some reason, he stayed behind when he could have simply left one of you back there. If he did it, I know it must have been for a reason. The only reason I can think of right now is the front line. Ou friends are in immediate danger and there’s no time to waste mourning. I don’t care if your sad and I don’t care if this makes you pissed and angry, we have things that we need to do. That’s why I’m ignoring anything else any of you have to say and I’ll drag every single one of you to the front. You feel bad, you want to cry go ahead and do it but when we reach the battlefield all of you will fight and you’ll fight with everything you have. Even if you die fighting you’re still not allowed to quit. You’d better fucking haunt our enemies or something. When everything is said and done and the dust settles, only then can we afford to mourn.”
No one knew what to say nor how to react to that. Danny looked at Asuna and asked her.
“Do you think Kazuki wants you to kill yourself? Do you think his life was a complete joke and his sacrifices were worth nothing? I saw that man suffer beyond compare. I witnessed him drag his broken body through the worst shit imaginable time and time again and he did it all so he could get back to you and Nunully. You breaking down right here, it’s spitting in his face. He even brought you, Sam, and Kimi to the 5th stage. Do you think that was done so you could throw it all away!?”
Danny shook his head.
“Don’t give up Asuna, because if you do, Kazuki will never forgive you.”
Whether this was true or not Danny was unsure but right now he didn’t need to be truthful, he simply needed Asuna to pull it together, and with these words, a small fire was reignited within Asuna.
Asuna squeezed her fist until her nails dug into her palms and she started to bleed.
(Kazuki.)
Danny waited no longer and without hesitation, he ran forward with Asuna. His body turning into blurred images as he rushed toward the front lines as fast as possible. Sam and Kimi shared a look before they too rushed ahead.
(Kazuki, goodbye.)
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