Return of the Fallen Volume 8 Chapter 3

Asuna had known Etora for a while now but when he said she was wrong, she felt like he was invalidating everything she was. Her cold tone returned.

“I’ve been through too much for you to spout such bullshit at me. I’m wrong for feeling the way I do. For not falling over in a complete mess and turning into a puddle. For continuing to fight and carry on. How dare you. After everything, we’ve seen and been through. Just tell me, what part is wrong?”

Etora shook his head.

“Little red you misunderstand. That’s not what I meant. I was talking about Kazuki. I don’t believe he’s dead.”

Asuna froze on the spot.

“What do you mean by that? Why would you say that?”

Etora scratched his chin.

“It’s a gut feeling. Somewhere, deep down, I just don’t think he’s dead. If you’re asking why, well there are a few things.”

Asuna grabbed Etora by his arm and her tone changed from cold to commanding.

“Explain!”

Etora looked down at where Asuna had grabbed him and chuckled inwardly. If he wanted he could throw her to the other side of the mountain but he could see she was feeling some type of way and decided to let it pass.

“I don’t want to get your hopes up or anything but I’ve seen Kazuki’s capabilities plenty of times. Brother was clever, to say the least. He always was planning things and when he had no time to plan, he was always improvising instead. Kazuki is a survivor through and through. Even if he couldn’t move properly when he fell into the Abyssal trench, it was obvious, the fire in his eyes, the gears turning in his head. That was not the look of someone who had given up. Not only that but Kazuki received many memories from big brother. Glacious gave Kazuki several magical blood orbs to absorb so he has both his own knowledge as well as many secrets from big bro. In the trench, one’s magic is interfered with but as we both know, Kazuki doesn’t need magic to survive. Have you already forgotten that before he was forced into the trench he had survived so many different life and death situations, all without having a Mage core? All of these things combined, I believe Kazuki is still alive but the number one reason should be obvious.”

Asuna scrunched her brows together.

“What should be obvious?”

Etora held up a single finger.

“The strongest being in that trench is none other than the immortal Titan known as Zetrazz. Do you remember that ominous voice booming from within the trench when we wanted to rescue Kazuki?”

How could Asuna forget. The moment after Kazuki fell into the Abyssal trench and his sister Fera left, they wanted to save Kazuki. However before they could, dark energy poured out of the trench and swelled before a deep voice erupted from down below.

“That bastard Zetrazz. Just because he has a grudge against teacher Glacious, he wouldn’t let anyone go in, nor would he bring Kazuki out. All of this for cruel spite.”

Etora nodded.

“That Titan, he has a long history with big bro. Glacious doesn’t care too much about him but Zetrazz seems to hate my big bro and sees him as someone he absolutely must defeat at any and all cost. At the same time, the two have an understanding and won’t cross into each other’s territories. Out of all these years of them being neighbors, big bro has never entered Zetrazz’s territory but he has come close twice before. Once, when he was desperate he wished to retrieve some kind of plant or something from there. I think big bro said it was something that could heal him. Big bro offered Zetrazz everything he had to get that plant but Zetrazz still refused. This led to just a single exchange between the two and although the two held back, this caused the entire continent to shake. The second time was to save Kazuki but we all know how that turned out.”

Asuna remembered the threats the two offered up to one another. If Glacious or anyone else dared to take even a single step into Zetrazz’s territory then Zetrazz would declare all-out war with Glacious. Glacious knew the consequences of going at it with Zetrazz. Not only was Glacious still weakened at that time but if the two really did go all out, they could potentially destroy the entire Feya continent.

“At that time big bro was weighing his options and tittered on the edge of risking everything to save Kazuki but in the end, he chose not to dive into the trench, do you know why?”

Asuna truly didn’t know but knowing that there was something Glacious could have done, put her in a foul mood.

“Why…If he knew he could save him then why didn’t he?”

“I never said it was a guarantee that big bro could save Kazuki. After all, big bro was still injured. If he were to truly go into that trench, and because of the trench’s effect he would not be able to use magic properly. In that state, he would most likely lose and not only lose, but he would also most likely die and Kazuki would have been back at square one. No, instead big bro decided not to go because he believes in Kazuki. Just like I believe in him. The number one reason again though, comes back to Zetrazz.”

Etora could see that Asuna was still lost so he stopped beating around the bush and just said it outright.

“The biggest threat in that trench is no doubt Zetrazz, big bros most hated rival. Yet Zetrazz, even though knowing first hand that Kazuki is important to Glacious, at that time he didn’t make a single threat to kill Kazuki. He said no one could come in and save him but never said Kazuki was his prisoner and couldn’t leave. If big bros biggest enemy and largest threat in the trench wouldn’t kill Kazuki and knowing how good Kazuki is at surviving, it gave both me and big bro hope. If there is a chance that Kazuki can survive then I and big bro both agree, he definitely will take hold of that small chance and dominate. He won’t let it slip from his grasp and he’ll fight tooth and nail to live. Even if he has to crawl over corpses, even if his body is battered and torn to shreds, even if he’s fighting every single minute of every single day, Kazuki will survive and one day, I believe he will drag his ass up from that dark hole and return to us, just you wait.”

A small glimmer of hope was reflected in Asuna’s eyes as she took all of this in.

(Could it really happen…?)

Was something like that possible. Could one survive such a fall and then live in a doomed land of pitch-black. To be in a place all alone for god knows how long. The idea at first comforted her but she soon realized that for one to live in such a place would be a contest of endurance and suffering.

She thought about how she would do in such an environment and the thought of such loneliness and despair chilled her to the bone. She knew she wouldn’t last and even if she had food and water and shelter, being alone in such a place would drive her to madness. Her chest started to ache just thinking about it. She knew she couldn’t last in an environment like that and any that and if Kazuki did then every day he would be suffering in hell. This only made her sadness deepen.

She started to breathe with shallow breaths and sweat profusely at just the thought.

Etora could see that his words were having the opposite effect and he quickly found he had no clue what to do.

*BOOOOM!*

It was at this moment that a loud explosion rang out far up in the skies above. As soon as this explosion rang out an alarm echoed all throughout the castle as well as the fortified base.

Etora glanced at Asuna who was about to crumble just a second ago. Now, however, her expression had completely switched. The fear and dread were gone, and it was instead replaced with a numb expression. The shallow breaths returned to a deep calm and with a single exhale her entire demeanor changed.

She looked at Etora and with a cold tone, she said.

“We’re about to move again, lets go.”

Asuna’s ring glowed slightly and she vanished from her spot and teleported into a large room inside the castle. King Brian was already going over something when Asuna appeared in the room with him. Barely a moment later and everyone else who should be there was.

King brian gave them a nod before a holographic image hovered above the center table. It was a live video of King Garn. The moment his image appeared he spoke in a rush.

“Glacious and the Miasma are on the move again, the battlefield will be moving its path and with it so are we. King Brian, it’s time to move the base, activate the mountain!”

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