Return of the Fallen Volume 8 Chapter 27
In and out. One deep breath after another brought a dangerous power to the surface. Shaila tried to poke a seemingly unconscious Kazuki, but Tozu grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t dear. That power is too familiar. It reminds me of Zetrazz’s Aura Breath. If you try and interfere with Kazuki, something may go very, very wrong.”
Shaila disagreed.
“Don’t you think this is weird? After we absorbed all of those Magic Beast cores, Kazuki was already out of it. He’s been unmoved for over a week now, with not so much as a peep. For a long while, he even stopped breathing. If I couldn’t sense his heart beating, it wouldn’t have been unnatural to assume he died. Not only that, but after he started breathing again, both the element of darkness and his aura spilled out in heavy bouts. Like waves crashing against a beach and retreating. It’s abnormal.”
Shaila was incredibly curious and, at the same time, worried about Kazuki, so she tried to wake him up, but Tozu had a different worry and stopped her. He was familiar with Zetrazz’s Aura breath, and what Kazuki was releasing felt nearly identical. The only difference Tozu could read on the surface was the power.
Zetrazz’s Aura breath was unfathomably deep, like a vast ocean. Something no one could tell the depths of unless they explored it in its entirety. Kazuki’s, on the other hand, was like a wide lake. One could see it with the naked eye, but at the same time, this was only the surface of it.
Tozu had absorbed a few Beast cores a mere few days ago, and he felt that he was closing the gap between himself and Kazuki. Before, his magic was above Kazuki’s by a great deal, and his strength seemed to be about half of Kazuki’s as well. However, that all changed just a few days ago. Kazuki seemed to have fallen into an unwakening trance. During this, everyone could feel his power steadily rising like crazy.
None knew what he was doing to make his strength erupt, but after he started releasing Aura breath, the answer fell out of the sky. The gap between them now had widened like crazy. Tozu didn’t know how far apart they were, but his beast-like instincts were sharper than a blade, and he knew that Kazuki was evolving into something he had never seen before.
“Honey, why do you think he won’t wake up?”
Tozu thought for a moment.
“His breath is sometimes stable and other times chaotic. From this, I would assume that whatever he’s doing to grow stronger, he doesn’t have a full mastery of it. Though at the rate he’s going, it wouldn’t surprise me if he has this power under control in another week or so.”
*CLANK BANG BANG CLANK*
The sound of hammering echoed out in the background.
“Not only Kazuki but that other human Sid, he has yet to stop as well. Humans are supposed to be weak, yet these two have shown us the complete opposite. This world seems to be changing rapidly.”
Shaila hung on Tozu’s arm and smiled.
“I know, isn’t it all so fascinating? Humans do so many things we don’t understand, yet it never ceases to grab my interest. When this is all over, honey, I think I want to settle down in a human city. I want to watch these people and interact with them. I want to explore their cities and try all their food. I want to live amongst them. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“Fun. What about our island? Who would look after our servants? Who would take care of our home?”
Shaila wondered before asking.
“What about your brother? Sasai has almost no attachments. He has you and me. As long as we visit him, he won’t be too lonely. Let Sasai have the island and have him take care of those things. You and I should spend our days having fun. We have almost never had time to be just a sweet couple. There’s always something hanging around or getting in the way. We deserve to have our own happiness. One that belongs only to you and me, don’t we?”
Tozu couldn’t argue with that. He loved Sasai dearly, but he loved Shaila even more. He knew it hadn’t been fair for his wife. She was supportive, though, and although she complained sometimes, she was always there for both him and Sasai. Tozu started to think about his future as well as Shaila’s and Sasai’s.
“Do you think he would actually accept it?”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Since he already absorbed the Beast cores, he’s had nothing to do for a bit. Since there’s been no sign of the enemy, there’s no reason to fear they’ll come around, so there’s no point in hiding. If our enemies knew where we were, they would have come by now. Because of this, he’s been going into the city every single day. I asked him what he was up to, and believe it or not, my little brother’s face went bright red. Do I have to tell you more?”
Shaila couldn’t believe it and almost shouted.
“A woman!”
Shaila shook her head repeatedly.
“That can’t be. That’s an impossibility. Sasai has a never-ending fear of women. You must be thinking wrong, dear husband.”
Tozu chuckled seeing his wife’s overreaction.
“I thought so too at first. There’s no way my little brother could have any interest. He’s even fainted before when a woman touched his arm by accident. How could he even start to have such feelings, but by the gods, I saw it with my own eyes.”
As the sound of metal being hammered out echoed through the shop, Tozu, and Shaila shared a bit of couple gossip as they chit-chatted over Sasai’s new interest. As they were engaged in this, the door to the shop opened, and Sasai the main culprit, came strolling in. He was unaware of what the two were talking about, but when he entered the shop, he caught the two staring at him and whispering something.
“What, what is it?”
Tozu pointed at a small wooden charm hanging from Sasai’s waist, and Shaila’s eyes brightened. The charm was a small bunny carved from simple wood. Sasai had received this from a woman he had met on the way to entering the city. He had accidentally overturned a wagon, and the lady had been inside of it. After helping the lady out, the woman saw his odd behavior and fear of women to be cute and ended up giving him the wooden charm.
Shaila smiled and asked.
“So, what’s her name?”
Sasai shook his head.
“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Shaila pointed at the wooden chair hanging at his waist.
“The woman who gave you the bunny charm. Stop playing and confess everything; otherwise, this big sis will have to make you confess.”
Shaila cracked her knuckles teasingly, and Sasai felt a chill run down his spine. He looked like a defeated puppy as he shot his brother a saddened look.
“Brother, make the devil woman stop, please.”
Tozu started to chuckle upon hearing this, but in the end, he shook his head.
“I’m curious as well, little brother. Just who is this saintly woman who actually managed to put your fear to rest and steal your heart?”
Sasai’s face started to turn red.
“MY HEART!…hasn’t been stolen.”
Sasai’s voice had changed from a shout to a near whisper when he said this which gave everything away. Tozu and Shaila shared a surprised look with one another before they encircled Sasai and surrounded him on both sides.
“So suspicious. Now I have to hear every detail Sasai.”
Shaila’s teasing was never-ending and Tozu played along just as she and added.
“Little brother, my dear is correct. There’s no point in running, you will tell us everything without exception. Now speak! Who is she, how did it happen? Did you make the first move? What am I saying there’s no way it was you. It had to be her right? Well, spill it little brother!”
Just as the two were teasing Sasai, all of a sudden all three felt something in the distance.
A familiar voice called out behind them.
“Enemies.”
They didn’t know when Kazuki had opened his eyes, nor did they know when he moved, but he was already standing behind them with a cold look.
Inhaling deeply and exhaling…dark energy and aura were mixing in the air around him. Tozu and the rest felt this energy to be overbearing and subconsciously took a few steps back.
Kazuki ignored that and waved his hand. A large chunk of Orichalcum appeared, and with another wave of his hand, he shaped it in an instant. The large chunk was divided into three uneven pieces and formed into three suits of armor. Everyone got a suit and understood what he wanted. They all practically dove into the suits.
“These will give you all great defense. It will be fine during the opening of the fight, but once you need to transform into your true forms, they will be useless. For an opening move, though, they should give us the advantage.”
Kazuki said no more, and the four disappeared as they shot forward and took to the skies. In seconds, they were several hundred miles away from the city.
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