Return of the Fallen Volume 2 Chapter 46
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch46
Kazuki could see that Abah was confused by his statement and so he pointed at the many Mangssi corpses behind him and explained.
“Your brother, Chief Atoh is dead. He wished for your people to be safe and prosper. A fine dream but he was mistaken in his approach. Instead of finding compromise he was stubborn beyond belief and because of that, he died in this prison of a forest he loves so much. With him gone you could say that his wish died with him. After all, with him dead, there’s no way Mei and Tsura could stay here. The other villagers would most likely hate them and shun them. The two would remain outcast and the hope for your people would, well you get the picture.”
“What is the point of saying things we both already know. My brother is gone and the others will definitely not put up with Mei now, so why state the obvious?”
Kazuki leaned closer and flicked the old woman in the head, causing her to wince in pain and yelp.
*Ahh!*
“What was that for!?”
“Do you really not get it? Things don’t have to be that way. Are you not the wise old sister of the former chief? If you convince them, they could look past it and Mei and Tsura could rejoin you all. Hell, you can even make up something like me and my friends killed Chief Atoh and wanted to take Mei for ourselves and in a valiant effort, Atoh died trying to protect Mei because she was still a Mangshi. After that, Mei, seeing that her connection to her Mangshi brethren was more important than the outside, stood up and defeated us all and decided to stay with her Mangshi people until a new leader could be found. Do you not see how simple things could be?”
Abah despised Kazuki’s words and found them to be nothing more than bullshit. She could only question Kazuki’s motive.
“You would do all that for Mei, even go so far as to take the blame, why?”
“Do I need a reason to help?”
Abah was stunned by this response.
“Of course you do, nothing in this world is free, everybody knows that. What are your true intentions? Why so much interest in Mei?”
Kazuki thought for a moment.
“Maybe you’re right. In this world, a toll must be paid. My reasons for helping Mei…I want her to owe me. When she grows stronger and becomes a Sky Beast, the people that can threaten her, there will be very few.”
Abah sneered at Kazuki.
“So the truth comes out. You’re just another greedy human. You’ll only help her because she’ll be of some use later on down the line. You people are all the same and you disgust me.”
“Oh, tell me Saint Abah, do you not wish for the exact same thing?”
“What the hell are you talking about? We never wanted to use Mei, we only wanted for her to do what was right and lead our people forward. What we want and what you want, the difference is like night and day.”
Kazuki couldn’t believe what he was hearing and almost laughed.
“Are you serious? I want her power to help me and you want her power for what exactly? Do you really not see how our objectives are similar? You want her to protect you and your people, is that not using her for her strength?”
Abah felt a sting of pain in her heart but her tongue became tied. She had no response or rather she couldn’t respond. Her eyes shifted downward in embarrassment and shame.
“Don’t feel bad, old bat, this is the way of the world. Pull and push, as they say.”
Abah looked into Kazuki’s eyes, her hatred was as clear as day.
“Don’t feel bad…DON’T FEEL BAD! You kill my brother and my people and you plan to take my people’s future away and you tell me not to feel bad! What gives you the right!? How dare you spout that shit at me. Way of the world, my ass. You’re just a brat barely off of his mother’s milk and you dare lecture me.”
The atmosphere became quiet for a moment.
“What gives me the right, you want to know? In this exchange, I am the winner and guess who makes the rules thereafter. What I say goes or nothing fucking moves. As for lecturing you, just who’s fault is it in the first place that it’s had come down to this, huh? Had your brother been even a little bit reasonable he would still be alive. As a matter of fact, had you and your people not been such cowards and locked away your own power, you would have established a spot of your own among the top powers of the Feya continent. Instead, you all hide away in a forest and prevent yourselves from transforming and growing your strength. You and your brother could have been Sky Beasts yourselves if not for your own suppression. In the end, you all only have yourselves to blame for what’s happened. Just to make things clear right here and now, I’m offering the same thing I offered your brother. Take Mei and Tsura in, guide her and help her to properly grow and ten years later she leaves. You might find this disagreeable but so what. If you really cannot find a new leader within ten years that is your own fault. If you can do this and look past what’s transpired, I and my friends will leave here and now, if not…”
Kazuki didn’t finish what he was going to say but his intentions were clearly understood. Accept my proposal and we leave, don’t accept and die. Abah knew he was serious and she knew what was at stake, yet the hatred she felt for Kazuki ran deep. Kazuki had arrived and showed her and her people hope, only to snatch it all away only a day or so later in what she felt was blatant betrayal. Abah gripped a hand full of dirt beneath her. Not because she planned to throw it in Kazuki’s face and make an escape but instead because it was the only thing she could do to not jump up and strangle Kazuki. A moment later and her grip loosened and she released a heavy sigh.
*Haaaa*
“I…I accept.”
The two locked eyes and stared at one another for a brief moment.
Kazuki slowly stood up and nodded.
“I understand.”
Kazuki reached forward in a flash and grabbed Abah around the neck.
“What, what are you doing?”
Kazuki exerted strength into his hand and squeezed.
*Crack*
Abah’s eyes went wide in shock before her head fell limply to the side, she was dead. Kazuki unkindly tossed her old corpse to the ground as though it were nothing and walked away in disappointment.
(You dumb old fuck, at least hide your hatred and try to fake honesty.)
Kazuki could see unmasked hatred for him in her eyes. After she answered him so casually, there was little doubt in his mind that once he and his friends left she would do something vile to Mei and Tsura and with her ability to masterfully craft inscriptions, she could find some way to control and enslave Mei, similarly to how she suppressed everyone’s strength.
Kazuki though couldn’t be completely sure so he resorted to using his superior senses as well as his ki energy. With it, he inspected her pupils, her heart rate, and a few other factors. This all told him that she was, in fact, lying to his face. Even after he gave her a chance and would allow her to live, her hatred for him was more than her love to protect her people, and for that, she remained an enemy and Kazuki could not allow her to live. With a squeeze from him, he broke her neck like a twig and tossed her like trash on the wayside.
Asuna came running over and saw Abah’s corpse. At first, she was taken aback but knew that it was probably for the best.
“What is it?”
Remembering why she had come she shook her head clear and explained in a panic.
“Ryuta, there’s something wrong with Mei and Tsura. They are acting like the other Magnshi were before you killed them. Sam is still holding that Magnitium fragment in his hand and it’s hurting them but none of us can get near him because the gravity around him is too strong. Also he’s like before, he’s not responding to our calls either. At this rate, Mei and Tsura won’t last, what do we do?”
“I’ll handle Sam, you grab that stone tablet and follow me.”
Asuna looked where Kazuki was pointing and saw a small black stone tablet emitting dark, black energy that was constantly spilling out, trying to push Kimi’s light away. Asuna picked it up and stared at it with curiosity before following after Kazuki.
Kazuki approached Shin who was standing a dozen or so feet away from Sam.
“Ryuta, we can’t get near him and he won’t listen to a word we’re saying, it’s like we don’t exist to him.”
Kazuki nodded to Shin before taking a few steps forward toward Sam. Shin almost felt his heart leap from his chest and called out.
“Stop! if you go any further his gravity will start to break you and none of us will be able to rescue you!”
Kazuki ignored Shin’s warning and stepped forward. As soon as he was within 5 feet of Sam, the gravity around him increased several fold. Kazuki’s steps staggered for a moment and Asuna and the others grew concerned.
(Hmm, this is pretty tough, it’s no wonder they can’t get close.)
Kazuki stopped for a second and circulated his ki throughout his entire body. His organs, muscles, blood, bones, every cell of his being was filled with ki energy and his strength increased a few times over. His body no longer paused and he took another step forward then another and another until he was face to face with Sam. Sam’s eyes were as clear as day, yet there seemed to not be a single thought in his mind.
Kazuki was about to take the Magnitium rock when a bit of curiosity got the better of him. Extending his ki into the rock fragment he tried inspecting it. As soon as his energy touched the rock, he felt an intense hatred bearing down on him following unbelievable pain. This caused Kazuki to almost fall over for a moment but just before he lost his balance he circulated his energy faster and pushed back this invading force.
(This feeling…is this Sam’s hatred and pain that he’s felt. Is this why the Magnitium had such a weird extra effect on the Mangshi? It was coming from him.)
Kazuki regained his bearing and snatched the small Magnitium fragment from Sam’s hand and Sam collapsed to the ground. He was out cold. Kazuki stared at him in bewilderment.
(Did his emotions actually fuel that effect on the Mangshi? Is that even possible?)
Asuna and Shin ran over.
“Sam! Sam!”
Asuna held Sam in her arms and inspected his body. He was covered from head to toe in wounds and there was still blood flowing from his mangled arm.
Asuna screamed towards the forest.
“Nunully! Sam needs you!”
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