Return of the Fallen Volume 8 Chapter 72
Kazuki felt his anger for Dreunz and the Vazul boil. Although Dreunz had already been taken out, and was long dead, Kazuki still couldn’t get over his hatred. Kazuki told Etora about his fight with Dreunz and how he was pushed to the edge and beyond. He was desperate and faced certain death until he gave in to the calling voice which he later found out was the Vazul.
After the Vazul started to take control, everything flipped on Dreunz but Kazuki nearly lost himself completely and almost had his very soul devoured by the dark creature within the gate.
Etora began to understand. Kai had sacrificed himself to try and protect his little brother but it wasn’t enough. Only with the help of Zetrazz stepping in and sealing the Vazul inside the gate did Kazuki regain control of himself. This though cost him his brother.
Etora returned his senses and retracted his aura from Kazuki’s soul world.
“To think you suffered and lost so much. Your brother…he was a hero and no doubt he loved you with everything he had. Sorry for doubting you.”
Kazuki took those words hard and he couldn’t help biting the side of his lip, causing it to bleed slightly.
“Kai… My brother…your right, he is a hero.”
The conversation they just had was one within his soul world, so no one else heard what was said. Everyone could tell though that whatever was said was important between the two.
Kazuki then pointed off to the side and continued.
“As for Danny…”
Etora looked confused as a large metallic golem walked over. Opening his mouth, Danny spoke with an artificial and mechanical voice.
“Etora. This would be our first time meeting in the flesh so to speak.”
Etora had never met Danny seeing as how Danny had died long before they had all met up in Glaicous’s tiny world. Etora merely learned of Danny through Glacious’s and Kazuki’s conversations. Seeing this large golem in front of him, Etora was once more confused but he wasn’t that dull and put it together in seconds. The puzzle pieces came together for him but this only left him searching for words.
“Your Danny! How…Is that even possible? But your body is…What?”
The three chest plates guarding his magic core opened with a slight rotation revealing the power source within. Tapping it a few times Danny summarized.
“This is a beast core. Kazuki’s skills reach places hard to describe but what matters is that he was able to take my soul and fuse it to this altered beast core. In doing so, I can operate this metal frame with aura and can even use magic. I can’t feel things in the traditional sense but using my aura I can still feel the world in a certain sense and in a way I have been given new life so to speak.”
Asuna’s legs were still wobbly but she managed to make it to Danny and almost fell over once more. Danny reached out and caught her in his large hand which was bigger than her waist. She held his hand for a moment and felt the cool smooth metal on the tip of her fingers.
“Danny, is it really you?”
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked into the silver glow that was his, as if she were searching for something. Danny nodded.
“It’s been a while Asuna, you’ve grown much stronger than I thought you would.”
Asuna grumbled something, not knowing if what Danny said was a compliment or an insult but the moment he said it, she realized it really was him. That’s exactly something Danny would say.
A soft smile formed on her lips.
“I’m so glad.”
Danny didn’t know exactly how to react to this. So he simply returned her words.
“Me too.”
At this time Sasai showed up. He appeared in his true snake form and took up most of the sky. His fangs dripped with dark energy and he was ready to attack but as soon as he arrived he realized the atmosphere was weird.
Tozu waved him over and he transforme dback into human form, his cheek still bruised from Etora’s blow.
“Brother what’s going on? I was trying to talk to the wolf king and he leveled me out of nowhere, yet no one is fighting. Was I simply a punching bag?”
Tozu himself didn’t understand everything either and directed a question towards Kazuki.
“Kazuki. My little brother’s concern is mine as well. Are things settled?”
Etora glared at the Ancient beasts.
“Kazuki, I’ve been meaning to ask, who are these beasts and why do they act so friendly toward you?”
Kazuki quickly gave a brief explanation.
“And so, I have allied myself with them and they with me. In return, I promised to help them fight the Ancient beasts of the east as well as the ones to the south. Also…they know I have relationships with both you and Glacious and they would be needing your power. I know It’s wrong to have used your name and Glacious’s like this without permission but I was despe
*Whack*
Etora slapped Kazuki hard on the back and laughed.
*Hahaha*
“You had your own circumstances. Besides I told you long ago to treat me without formalities, did I not? My strength is your strength and yours is mine. That’s what friends are for. The east and south, those bastards have always wished to get rid of both me and Glacious but they never got a proper chance. After my brother was injured, he basically stayed put in his tiyn world and I was near death’s door and was basically considered nonimportant. After all, it would lower those prideful bastards to seek me out and kill me while I was being held in a human prison and nearly dead. These things don’t change the fact that the east and south want us dead. Because of that, it’s only natural to kill them in return right, hehehe.”
Kazuki felt relief. He really had been desperate and when he mentioned his connection to Glacious and Etora, he was basically throwing out anything he could to see the next day. Hearing that Etora wasn’t mad and instead would happily help kill Kazuki’s enemies was definitely a weight off one’s shoulders.
Etora smiled more.
“Sorry about attacking you earlier. You know my nose though, It’s not one to tell false tales. After checking your soul world out myself though it’s a good thing I sniffed out that foul energy leaking from that gate, otherwise who knows when that Vazul bastard would have broken loose.”
This statement brought Kazuki to a question he had long thought about after the Vazul broke free and nearly devoured his soul. It was a question that made him wary of Etora at first but now it just made him curious as he detected no threat from him.
“Etora. Speaking of the Vazul I’ve had something swirling around in my head for quite a while.”
“Oh, something about the foul beings. Ask away, knowing more about your enemies is always a good thing. Oh before that though, don’t you think you owe my niece and Asuna something.”
Kazuki swallowed hard before he looked at Nunully and Asuna. He had noticed both of them staring at him the moment they appeared and he had yet to say anything. He wasn’t purposefully ignoring them, rather it was difficult to admit but he was nervous. The moment they appeared, he was nearly distracted with his fight against Etora.
He looked at the two of them and his heart started to beat incredibly fast. Etora smiled as he could hear it clear as day. Etora grabbed Danny and walked toward Shaila and the others before announcing.
“Let’s leave the young lovers alone. This is, after all, a faithful reunion.”
Sasai didn’t move an inch and glared at Etora, Etora on the other hand as if he only now remembered slapped Sasai on the back before apologizing.
“Sorry about the face. I simply didn’t know if you were an enemy or not.”
“That’s what you do when you haven’t even confirmed which side I’m on. What if I was weaker than that?”
Etora shrugged his shoulders.
“If you were any weaker, you would have died. Now are you going to step inside and leave my friends and niece alone or do I have to drag you by the tail?”
Sasai gulped hard but then Etora started laughing causing the tension to drain away.
Tozu ended up grabbing both Sasai and Shaila by the arms and dragging them inside the palace. He had to drag Shaila away because she was curious about this so-called lovers reunion and she badly wanted to watch the show but Tozu knew when to fold and knew there was no winning against Etora.
Just like that, the three were left alone in a field of open sand.
Kazuki was secretly thankful to Etora. He was already having a difficult time trying to find the right words but having an audience only compounded the difficulty. He opened his mouth to say something but unfortunately, nothing profound came out.
The moment he did this though, Nunully jumped into his chest and hugged him with all her strength. A river of tears flooded his shirt and she cried with everything she had inside her. Just as she did this, Asuna as well hugged Kazuki from behind and she too fell apart.
The thousands of muddled thoughts he had, the emotions he had bottled for more than a year. Facing life and death countless times, all of it faded away. He was filled with a familiar warmth and his beating heart calmed in their loving embrace. Because of this, Kazuki finally relaxed and he managed two simple words.
“I’m back.”
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