Eternal Pasts Collide

Akuma: “Don’t worry. She’s just asleep. She should wake up soon. Took you all long enough.”

Kazuki walked over to her, using a Healing Chaplet on her and a Poison Chaplet.”

Akuma: “What the hell are you doing?!”

Kazuki: “It’s okay. What people don’t know is you can actually reverse the effects of the Poison Chaplet, making it more essential than the Healing Chaplet. It works instantly. And…There we go.”

Agatha awoke immediately, hugging Akari and her master. “Whoops! Haha. I guess I gave you some extra mana to work with too on accident,” Kazuki said to her. “Agatha, who else was with you all here?”

Agatha: “It was just us three master. Nobody else. We defeated Nightmare. The man with the long white hair.”

“I see. Good work little one,” he said, patting her on the head. “Akari, Akuma…Thank you as well. Then we are just missing a few more. Let me teleport us all to where they are–”

Agatha: “Master? What’s wrong?”

Kazuki: “Ah ha. Nothing, nothing. It seems they have already defeated the other person and are no longer there. Let me go check in on them real quick. Everyone stay here.”

Kento screamed out loud to let him come, but Kazuki had already darted off…

In the other domain, Kazuki walked through the darkness that surrounded the area, gathering the unconscious bodies of Yahiko, Sayo, and Natsuki’s dead body. However, Kazuki realized that Yahiko and Sayo were on the brink of death. He teleported so quickly, bringing the bodies to a safe place and coming back as if he didn’t even leave.

He walked forward to a black cube that sat in the middle, opening it like it was a door to a room where Ryoko was battered in his own blood and a kid sat down twirling his hair.

Kazuki’s mana clashed with the kid’s without even attacking. It wasn’t them that controlled their mana right now, but an instinct from within that collided them together.

Kazuki: “Hey, long time no see…First Ruler of the Dark Mold, King.”

King: “Kazuki Alcion. It has been quite some time. What is it now? 2000 years?”

Kazuki: “Hmm, well let’s see. Agatha believed that we first met that one time when she was a kid, but that had to have been 600 years ago? No, 800? Ah, I lost track to be honest. Your guess is probably correct. 2000 years huh? Wow, I’m old.”

King: “I see we are both still cursed. Your strength continues to grow over the years as does mine. After all, that was the deal we made as children, was it not?”

Kazuki: “Hahaha! Yes, I do remember. The Sacred Tree got us pretty good that day though. Cursed for eternity to keep coming back. Agatha does not need to remember what happened that day. I’ll just keep protecting her. Anyways, what’s going on here?”

King: “Don’t make me remind you, Kazuki. Shut your mouth before I make you. This man trampled upon me, so I’m killing him slowly. Kazuki, don’t act like we’re friends. I’ve long since hated you. The Sacred Tree made you choose and you pushed me to the depths. My mind has changed. We both know I’m going to kill you. Don’t act all innocent now.”

Kazuki: “Ah, that is how the story goes, right? The Sacred Tree did say that the one who sacrificed the friend would perish in a duel one day, correct? I wonder…Can we change that fate?”

King: “I’ve been trapped for far too long, Kazuki. Do not think you will change my mind. My power is greater than yours. Blame this man for unlocking the last key to the door. I’ll destroy all 9 Worlds and once that’s done, then I’ll kill the Sacred Tree and end this once and for all.”

Kazuki: “I see. I will just take this boy then and be on my way for now. I need to free his soul.”

Kazuki tried to take Ryoko in a flash, but he missed. King looked at him eerily as Ryoko’s body moved faster than Kazuki could get to him.

King: “I told you, Kazuki. My power is greater than yours. Now, you can leave.”

Kazuki’s body jolted out of the space back to the outside where it was still dark, and then the domain collapsed on itself and Kazuki got jolted back once more as he used a Yellow Egress Chaplet to get back to his group…

Kento: “Hey! You’re back! Who is left to fight?!”

Arata: “What did you see? Where are the others?”

Kazuki: “I’m sorry to say. Sir Natsuki has perished in their fight. I have taken Miss Sayo and Mr. Yahiko to a safe place to heal. Rejoice, for they have beaten the enemy. As for Sir. Astro…That is a different story.

Kento: “Dammit! They beat him?!”

Kouki: N-Natsuki…lost?”

Arata: “Kazuki, is this true? A Great Swordsman has fallen?”

Kazuki: “Yes, I’m sorry. We need to leave. I will destroy the Dark Mold for good as I should have done in the past. Let us regroup. Agatha, please take them to the Coolian Mountains.”

Agatha used a Blockade Chaplet and Yellow Egress Chaplet to take them all there as Kazuki looked upon the Dark Mold, able to see the kids with their families, and the buildings that were built up like a city.

Kazuki: “I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it back then, but I must do it now to save the ones I love. I’m not perfect, but people are relying on my strength. In fact, I’m weak. I’m so weak that I have to do this and kill you all. Please forgive me. You will not feel a thing.”

He took his sword as it rattled in place, glowing gold, and shaking like crazy.

Kazuki: 7th Stage, Black Hole: Eternal Collapse.”

The entirety of the Dark Mold began to crack. It wasn’t like Welpen’s ability from before that folded in and recreated the scene. This time, Kazuki watched as kids, parents, and animals looked to the sky, not knowing what was going on. Then, in exactly 1 second, the whole place cracked, opening the outside world of grass fields, however for the people inside the Dark Mold, it felt like eternity and that Hell was falling down on them.

Kazuki looked in the distance, ashamed of himself, but moved on, teleporting to the Coolian Mountains…

Naoki: “HA! You must have it! You must have the Lost Chaplet! Your strength is insane! Waiting behind these rocks this entire time was worth it! I can’t believe what I just witnessed! I will find i–”

He turned around to see the same skeleton figure from before, although this is the first time he had seen him, he knew who he was from his adventure with Wally and Souta.

The boney finger shushed him and his eyes rolled back, going underground, completely entranced and unable to finish his goal.