Zazarah stood, inviting Imuru to do his best with his next strike.
Imuru hesitated. But Zazarah's stance was open, his hand still extended, and there was no malice in those strange, X-marked eyes. So Imuru took him up on the offer.
He struck from the air, spinning into a power kick aimed directly at Zazarah's head.
Even with all this force, something unexpected happened.
Imuru's foot went right through Zazarah's head.
No impact. No resistance. Just... nothing. Like kicking through smoke. Like striking at a ghost.
Imuru stuck his landing, and looked back at the demon. For results. "...?" Imuru stared up at Zazarah, confusion plain on his face. The results he seeked were not there. The crimson demon hadn't been injured.
He had now become a Soul lifeform; and what rendered on display was Zazarah's Astral Mould.
A, Soul Physiology dictates the strength of the abstract aspect of all beings. The first layer of this being that of a Soul lifeform: requiring only the survival of one's soul to survive.
While the Soul dictates the level, Spirit Physiology dictates the elemental or moral nature of the entity. Think of Spirit as the "Character Class" and Soul as the "Level." Such as Zazarah, being a demon, makes him a Dark Spirit.
"Surprised?" Zazarah glared down at Imuru, a smug grin curling across his lips. "You can't hurt me... with brute physicality. If only your body was finished adjusting... that might've worked."
He tilted his head, his eyes gleaming.
"Tick tock..." Zazarah's voice dropped, low and menacing. Behind him, his aura surged, projecting his growing malice like a physical illusion, a phantom of his own form that loomed over Imuru. "Your time is running out."
⟨Imuru can't beat this guy... he needs...⟩ Collon's gaze drifted down to his sword, its blade gleaming faintly. ⟨That's right. He needs… He can use mine… Arghh!⟩ A jolt of excruciating pain tore through him as he gripped his wound, his body seizing, his back hitting the ground hard. Blood soaked through his fingers, warm and relentless.
Huln knelt down beside him, his eyes scanning the injury. "Great Collon..." His voice was attentive and caring.
Collon chuckled, a wet, pained sound. "Ye—Yeah. Not how I expected we'd meet again." He tried to express a few words of sarcasm, considering their history. "Forget about me... get that weapon to..."
His words stopped.
His entire body seized up, muscles locking, jaw clenching, eyes flying wide. The rest of the sentence died in his throat.
Huln spoke the words with the flat, clinical certainty of a veteran who had seen too many wounds to be surprised by them. He reached out, his bony fingers hovering just above the wound. "I can minimize the effects. You will not die today, Collon."
An aura golden and bright, began to overflow. It settled over Collon's body like a shroud woven from sunlight.
His wound steamed like the after of water on fire, and Collon's tense body relaxed gradually. He looked, at that moment, less like a Lord of death and more like the hero he had once been.
Imuru flashed a glance over his shoulder, just for a moment, just long enough to register Collon's collapsed form, Huln kneeling beside him.
"Ahem!"
Zazarah's sharp call snapped Imuru's attention back to the demon before him.
"No, no, no." Zazarah wagged a finger at Imuru, like a parent chiding a child who should know better. "This is a battle. You can't have your attention in two places at once..." His grin widened. "Unless... you want to die, of course." His voice dropped to a silky, almost affectionate murmur. "To which I am gladly willing to grant you!"
Zazarah pushed forward, his hand thrusting out like a spear, fingers locked, edge sharp, aimed at Imuru's chest. Imuru twisted his body at the last possible instant, avoiding the lethal point of the strike. But not entirely. A sharp sting bloomed across his shoulder, a shallow cut, already beading with blood.
Zazarah didn't pause.
He lifted his katana high above, then swung it down. A current of flames erupted from the weapon, roaring toward Imuru.
Imuru went to counter attack, a stroke of electricity coming from his hand.
But not given the chance, Zazarah was quick to move, clearing the distance as his katana swung, a blur of steel, aimed with surgical precision at the gap between Imuru's neck and shoulder, intent on separating his head from his shoulders.
Imuru ducked, the blade taking off only a few strands of hair.
And at that moment, Zazarah was wide open. He had overcommitted.
"Belzora!" Was the one word Imuru needed to say. Just as Zazarah's own flames came from behind.
Being as quick as he was, Zazarah evaded Belzora in a single, fluid leap backward, the flames of Belzora licking at his chest but not claiming him. ⟨Just what...? Was that? He possesses a skill that can har—⟩
His thought process was cut short. Imuru came bursting from the flames, his fist coated in Belzora, fire breathing his knuckles like a second skin.
The force of fist collided against Zazarah's jaw.
The punch landed square in Zazarah's face. A solid feel.
Imuru directed the force straight down, his arm driving, his body twisting, and Zazarah was knocked out of the air, slammed into the ground with a force that cracked the earth beneath him.
The hit was effective, enough to prove Imuru's theory that he was able to interact with Zazarah. But not enough to keep him down for long.
"So... he had something like this up his sleeve, eh?" Zazarah touched his jaw, flinching as his fingers made contact with the swelling there.
He pushed himself back to his feet.
"Those flames... Are even better than mine."
"You can stop this at any time! Just tell me who you're working for!" Imuru put forth an ultimatum, a door left open if only Zazarah would walk through it.
"Heh!" Zazarah's eyes flashed brightly. "And what makes you believe I'm working for someone? A guess? A gut feeling?"
"Be scorched and trapped in eternal damnation!"
[[
[[-Trap Dance Flame-]]
From the mouths across his body, Zazarah unleashes an intense scorching stream of plasma at Imuru. The plasma bent, and circled Imuru like predatory snakes, seeking any signs of weakness before they struck.
Imuru's reflexes were instantaneous. Countering the trap before it could close in, Imuru channeled his skill unleashing [[
In range this not only targeted the skill but also Zazarah; he felt it and hurried forward, forcing Imuru to drop the attack and clash in close quarters combat.
Zazarah thrust his blade forward with lethal precision, driving his weapon like a spear. Imuru proved himself to be an elusive target, slipping right past the piercing tip and dancing through the relentless barrage of follow-up assaults that Zazarah unleashed.
When Zazarah overextended on a wide, heavy swing, Imuru spotted his opening. Seizing the initiative, Imuru lunged forward to bury a fist into the demon's torso—only for Zazarah to blur entirely around his guard.
The demon counter-slashed Imuru violently across the waist. Before Imuru could even recoil, Zazarah swung a deadly horizontal follow-up straight for his neck. Anticipating the trajectory, Imuru ducked beneath the whistling blade just in time, narrowly saving his own head once again.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Imuru's face as he scrambled back to create distance. ⟨I can't find an opening…⟩ he thought grimly. ⟨It's like he knows my movements even before I do.⟩
Zazarah cackled under his breath, his gaze locking onto his opponent. ⟨How impressive,⟩ the demon mused inwardly. ⟨Even with my eyes active for those few seconds, predicting his exact movements, I still can't land a decisive hit… fine, then…⟩
A sinister grin edged Zazarah's lips, as he launched himself at Imuru, and grabbed ahold of him tightly in a firm embrace. This move was a surprise to Imuru, but he wasn't given the chance to process it.
The air died first, ripped of its electrons as his temperature transcended normal fire to reach a catastrophic one million degrees Celsius. A blinding flash of invisible X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation erupted from his form, immediately accompanied by a continuous, deafening crack of thunder as the atmosphere violently tore apart.
He anchored the highly energetic thermonuclear plasma tightly to his skin, creating a glowing, exploding field of pure plasma that warped the space around him. The dirt and rock directly beneath his feet bypassed the melting phase entirely; the ground instantly fused into boiling glass and vaporized into gas, creating a deep, hollow crater in a fraction of a second.
Air expanded outward at supersonic speeds in an instant atmospheric flash, casting a lethal, deafening shockwave that shattered distant structures for miles before the massive vacuum effect violently pulled the surrounding winds back toward his epicenter. Even with all of this he stood unbothered at the center of the devastation, his skin holding back a tide of absolute destruction, ready to unleash it in sweeping radius waves.
This was it, a Gift/Ipsum—Zazarah's [Thermal Eclipse]. Blessed he was, as he possessed not something ordinary nor average, but something devastating he could use indefinitely.
He had now become a danger beyond belief. But, he still felt the beating heart of Imuru; the boy was alive and well, and Zazarah felt a strange burning sensation. So he released, creating distance between vibrant flames that engulfed Imuru's body.
"Niice~..." Zazarah said, his voice a deep rust, and a grin crossing his to unnatural lengths.
His eyes flashed past Imuru to the dome of his flames behind him. "Careful…" Zazarah pointed Mockingly. His voice no longer sounded human, but demonic; it was as if he was struggling to breathe. "I can see it… wavering. A little more force and your friends go bye-bye. Ta-ta."
"Keh—Aha Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaa!"
[[
[[
[-Ganation; Celestial Lake Aura-]
A shimmering silver aura covered Imuru, entirely invisible to the naked eye. Upon activation, the barrier fortified his physical body and defenses to absolute limits, granting immense resistance against fire, lightning, water, wind, and the absorption of his Perivállon. Elemental immunity was a welcome boon, but what he truly needed in this exact moment was the raw, unyielding structural reinforcement to his defense and body. He needed the aura to hold his flesh together against the sheer, crushing force of what he just needed to endure.
Imuru huffed and puffed, the heat nor the force of the attack itself didn't kill him, but the shock itself nearly did. ⟨Just what the hell was that?! Even Belzora couldn't help me back there, I needed to combine them both.⟩
He flashed a look down at his right arm… there was nothing there, blown to bits by being at the epicenter of Zazarah's activation.
Imuru's eyes went wide and he covered his mouth with his other hand, turning his gaze away, nearly throwing up in his mouth. ⟨No, no… it's fine, it's fine. E-Easy fix… It's an easy fix.⟩ His eyes against his will drifted back down to the wound, glancing at it if only briefly. Imuru dropped down to his knees, his heart pounding. He knew what to do, but his body wouldn't allow him to, his instincts were screaming at him to do something, to fix himself, but his mind was clouding, vision fading.
"Imuru!"
A voice… not of his allies but of his enemy. This centered him, and allowed him to keep himself conscious.
"Stand. What are you doing? You're a demon did you forget. We are not fragile like the others. A missing limb, so what?! What weakness is this?" Zazarah asked in disgust. "Pain, hunger, it is the natural cross of our being, at least pure demons. You can keep your humanity if you want, but do not toss away what you are in nature. This is the path you chose. Pain and agony, relish in it… combine it with your need to protect, and face me."
Imuru remained on his knees for a while longer, his hand lowering from his mouth to his chest. He closed his eyes, as his heartbeat slowed and he rose back to his feet. Imuru looked at Zazarah with a smile, and a defeated expression.
"Do not pity yourself," Zazarah threw himself into his fighting stance, "now heal yourself, and let us continue."
His words hurt, but it was the words Imuru needed. He wiped his face, and with [[
"I won't disappoint!" Imuru expressed, his voice charged with renewed determination. He wasted no time, instantly retaliating with his [[
Despite the intense, oppressive heat radiating through the environment, the magically dense water blade defied physics and refused to vaporize immediately. The incoming strike forced Zazarah to swat it away with a heavy blow. Upon impact, the compressed blade burst violently, triggering a localized flash flood that clashed with the superheated atmosphere, instantly burying the entire battlefield beneath a blinding shroud of scalding steam.
Blinded by the steam, Zazarah showed no fear, his eyes tracking the Perivállon signature circling him in blinding speed, moving erratically to prevent any predictable movements. ⟨Ooh. Clever. But I just need to wait.⟩
At the last second, Zazarah's eyes activated, and he turned to the approaching Perivállon; having the idea to counter and see through all of Imuru's moves. And Imuru came, firing a fist coated in Belzora forward, to which Zazarah weaved with nonchalant ease.
⟨Predictable. Or I should say…⟩ Zazarah raised his Katana, ⟨pridicted.⟩
His blade swung down…
BOOM!
The violent instant shattered the sound barrier with the ear-splitting roar of tearing air. The sheer kinetic shockwave blew Zazarah away alongside the clearing steam, sending him smashing into the earth repeatedly like a skipped stone before he violently flipped himself back up to his feet.
"…Argh!..." Zazarah staggered, struggling to regain his balance and composure as his legs threatened to give out. ⟨What? What happened?⟩ He reached up to touch his face, or rather, what was left of it. The right side of his head was completely crushed in, leaving his skull horribly caved in and nearly half of his face missing. ⟨That sudden power. Did he grow?!⟩
⟨It worked!⟩ Imuru released a deep, refreshing breath, thoroughly satisfied with the impact of his counter-strike. ⟨Celestial Lake Empowerment; an increase of my power by tenfold. I won't be able to use it again, my Perivállon is running dry… but I still have one last trick left up my sleeve.⟩ Imuru narrowed his eyes, tightening his stance. "Zazarah… I'm taking you home with me. You have information I need. I'm not sure why you helped me… If—"
"Don't be mistaken!" Zazarah growled, his flesh violently stitching itself back together. Within less than a minute, his shattered skull and caved-in face completely reconstructed themselves. "I simply showed you respect as a fellow demon. If you weren't, I would have happily taken your head."
The thermonuclear plasma heat clinging to Zazarah's body suddenly began to pulse rhythmically, a dangerous glow expanding outward. Imuru instantly clocked the surge; the demon was about to unleash a massive, wide-radius wave of his Gift. Recognizing the impending catastrophe, Imuru took prompt action.
"Be—" Zazarah's words choked violently in his throat. A sudden, cold steel bit right through the center of his neck. Looking down in absolute disbelief, he realized it was his own katana piercing through his flesh. The weapon possessed the rare properties required to affect him, bypassing his defenses even in his current hyper-heated plasma state; it was necessary in the past, after all, if he didn't want to get rid of that precious mortal form of his. ⟨?... More tricks!⟩
He didn't know what to make of this… Imuru's skill [[-Celestial Lake Domination-]] [-Celestial Lake Coated-] had covered his object in an invisible aura; strengthening it as a default but also allows Imuru to manipulate it telekinetically. He was given the opportunity to process any of it; Imuru hurried over his body coated in Belzora and assaulted Zazarah with a flurry of punches and kicks. As Imuru was getting exhausted after using up his Perivállon he prioritized keeping his power over his speed becoming sluggish; one slip up now, a moment of seizing his assault and he would die.
Zazarah felt it in his soul that he was losing power; the effects of Belzora started to weigh on him heavily and his Gift deactivated against his will, leaving him extremely vulnerable. Zazarah dropped down to one knee, Imuru hesitated and Zazarah struck his fist into Imuru's chest, sending him tumbling back, his speed still refined despite the fall of his strength.
Deep down he already knew how this would end, so he made a final decision.
Zazarah suddenly shouted out to the sky, not in the common tongue. The words were ancient and unknown to most… the language of the demon race.
Imuru felt a cold unease creep down his spine, sweat beading on his cheek. He tensed, ready to move; ready to go stop whatever was coming.
He was forced to stop. It was as if something had drawn a blade against his brain, a sharp pressure. The system came awake to reward Imuru.
[Minimal Energy Restored]
[...Exposure Accepted…]
[Skill Acquired: Universal Language Filter]
The voice came quickly then faded. Imuru clutched his head, the pressure behind his eyes receding. The foreign words that had been spoken by Zazarah, could now be understood.
"...I Relinquish My Life And In Return Bestow My Power Onto My Lord!"
"WAIT!!!"
Imuru's words came short and understanding too slowly, as Zazarah took his weapon from his neck and performed the ritual as he drove it into his own body.
His body then exploded in a burst of flames, circulating into a sphere, then shrunk down to a hand size, before it took off into the air.
Imuru stared, left stunned by the sight. The events occurred simply far too fast for him to properly comprehend what exactly just took place. As the presence of Zazarah faded, Imuru's tense body loosened.
He didn't stand for long, and hurried back over to assist the injured Collon. Imuru released the Belzora dome.
"Sorry for taking so long, I think I can help." Imuru attended to Collon's side in frantic motion, as Huln gave him way.
Observing closely, Imuru hovered his hand over Collon's body. Activating his skill [[
In one moment Collon was laying flat on his back barely able to keep himself from slipping out of consciousness, and the next second he was after being healed by Imuru he was already up almost like nothing had happened.
"A miracle!" Huln's fiery eyes blazed, his jaws parting, left in surprise he had never felt in years. "What…" He turned to Imuru for his answer. "Could that be holy magic?" He assumed from his observation of the skill.
"Uh… Erm!" Imuru scratched the back of his head. "Hmm. No, I don't think so," Imuru replied with a tentative smile on his face. "Can a demon even use holy magic?" He inquired, a genuine sense of curiosity in his voice and eyes.
"From sight, I assumed. It's unconventional, but I've heard of such possibilities before," Huln replied. "Young Collon, how do you feel?"
Collon checked his wound to see nothing was there, but a hole the blade had made through his clothes. "I'm feeling really good, in fact better than I've felt in years." Collon looked to Imuru, as he pushed himself to his feet. "Heh, ha ha. You never seem to disappoint. Are you sure you didn't add something else in there? That was just simple healing, huh?"
⟨That patched him up pretty good. That's relieving.⟩ Imuru rose to his feet, happy to see everything turned out well in the end.
"Putting the worries for me aside," Collon said, his voice hardened by necessity, "we have a bigger issue at hand."
"Not quite. I don't think you'll be seeing Zazarah again" Imuru crossed his arms across his chest, letting the words settle. "Unfortunately, he took his own life before I could extract any useful information out of him."
⟨Damn it.⟩ Collon shaked his head subtly, the words stinging him. "I didn't get much out of him either," Collon mumbled, his words edging to one of a defeatist. "Sorry for leaving you out there to face him alone Imuru. Some Great I am…"
"Don't worry about me… I'm doing well." Imuru put forth a facade, an easing smile and composed demeanor.
Collon nodded in response, perhaps too woozy to realize the difference. ""We can all come to an agreement that neither of us think he's working alone."
"Highly likely," Huln chimed in. "Zazarah came to me with an expectation. He came to my mountain with flattery and poisoned promises. He expected me to defeat Imuru. For a reward, he claimed. I gave him no answer."
Imuru heard this and felt a cold ironic sweat trace a slow path down his cheek. His lips pressed thin... If Huln wasn't who he was, this could've ended worse than he thought.
⟨Seems like someone really hates me.⟩ The thought was dry, almost flippant.
"Is that so? And collectively, we just ruined their plans. We need to gather the other Great Forces…" Collon looked from Huln to Imuru and back again, feeling a bit proud of what they've accomplished today. It was far from much, but one of the enemy operatives was down. "And we have our final here."
"I must apologize." Huln's voice came slowly. "I am no longer a Great Force, but a subordinate of Imuru," Huln shared.
"Huh!" Collon eyes went wide despite the exhaustion etched into his face. His mouth opened, then closed, but no words came. He remained composed, but found himself utterly blindsided. "A subordinate," "A subordinate," He repeated, as if saying it aloud might make it make sense. His gaze shifted to Imuru, and he let it rest. "How did you work that out, Imuru?"
"Lu—" Imuru halted himself from saying that word, reminding himself that Huln was here. He cleared his throat and tried to give a serious answer, "Not as easy to explain as I'd like. Right now we have something more important to discuss, I'll fill you in later."
"Oh?" Collon looked at him perplexed by his shift in demeanor.
Being as perceptive as he is, Huln called out this behaviour. "There's no need for such affectation."
"Ack!..." Imuru choked on his embarrassment. ⟨Okay, fair enough.⟩ "We don't have much, but we'll have to use what we have now. We know our enemies are demons, and that they're more or less after me. Even so, we need to warn the others of this, and have them bolster their defences."
"Sounds good. You haven't grown in form, but very much so in your mentality," Collon complimented, Imuru felt heat creep up the back of his neck, a faint blush coloring his cheeks despite the gravity of the moment. "My own home is the weakest in raw power among the Great Forces." Collon began to break down the defences and capabilities of each settlement.
"From my perspective, Imuru, your town is the most powerful; with the Ennom Forcent able to match a Great Force, speaking for itself." This seemed to spark an interest in Huln, but he waited for Collon to finish speaking.
"The Lizardmen I doubt there's much for them to worry about; they have the advantage of living so deep underground it would be a waste and inconvenience to attack them. Any invading force would bleed itself dry before reaching their true chambers. The Cat Daughter should be covered, even with Kemono being a bit of a thorn in her side, he'd be more than willing to lend a hand in the defense of the town. I'm unfamiliar with the Kitsune Highest, so I can't particularly comment on her…"
"A Great Wolf? The Great Lord had such a being on his side?" Huln asked, Imuru seemed to have a never ending stream of surprises.
"That's right, that Great Wolf… an Ennom. I don't know how he does, but Imuru does," Collon said. "Right now, Imuru has the strongest town in Sacred Forest, not by manpower; we outpace him there by a significant degree." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "But numbers are not the measure that matters here. "What does having the bigger army mean, when they're all cannon fodder. And with you Huln the gap just got even larger."
Collon scratched his chin. "What do you call that? Quality over quantity… and in this world that means more than anything."
Imuru sprouted his wings, the natural trait of his demon heritage, shoving the air aside as they claimed occupation of its space. "Thanks for the sweet words, but we better set pace." Imuru stepped closer to Collon, his arms open wide, inviting him in.
"Hmph?" Collon blinked. Perplexed momentarily; he smiled, before opening his arms, "Want a hug? Such a softie."
"Uhh… no," Imuru gave an awkward reply; he didn't think for a moment this was the time to be a goof. "I'm carrying you… unless you want to walk back."
"Well…rode," Collon corrected Imuru.
"A Gray Persudo, if I were to guess?—" Just as Imuru went to speak another word, something landed in a rough collision with the ground behind them.
" " "!?" " "
Their attention briskly shifted to the impact location of the sound, to see a massive dragon, or what was left after years of decay; an undead creature of only bones.
⟨So he does control the dead.⟩ A simple thought past threw Imuru's mind, as it satisfied one of his curiosities.
Collon rested his hands on his hips, smiling gleefully. "Riding back in style I see? That's one way to make an entrance…let's hope you don't go scaring off Imuru's people."
⟨The real question is…⟩ "How can that thing even fly?" Imuru asked aloud if not half jokingly.
"Shall we find out?" Huln gestured to the dragon. He walked toward the dragon, the Beast responsively lowering its head in acknowledgement.
"Okay, sweet," Imuru pointed at the undead dragon, "you get to ride with him. Lucky you. At least now I don't have to carry you."
A finger reached Collon's lips, as he looked at Imuru in severe disappointment. "Erm… are you sure? It might be bad for my back."
Imuru could sense the childish pattern
from a mile away, and Collon's tone; that particular lilt of mischief poorly disguised as concern, did not help. "Whatever fatigue you got from age over the years, I'm certain I healed that. Besides, wouldn't carrying you hurt your back more?" He spread his arms to showcase his petite frame. "I'm not a big guy afterall."
Imuru shook his head and pressed his palm against his face. "Why are we even having this conversation?"
"Ugh…" Imuru turned on his heel, and stormed off over to the dragon.
"Uh. Where are you going?" Collon sequeled.
"Dragon. We're all riding the dragon," Imuru said in frustration. "So immature. If only Yosho could see you now."
Collon came running behind soon enough, his hands held close to his chest; if he wasn't grown he might've mistaken for a child running after their parents.
Seated on the dragon, Collon settled in close to Imuru, his chest touching Imuru's back, close enough to feel the other's steady breathing. At the front, Huln stood atop the beast's head, scanning the horizon, waiting.
Once settled and ready to take off, Huln commanded the creature. The dragon rose to its feet, slowly, every bone creaked and In one go, the dragon took off, leaving the ground and swamp behind.
Collon squeezed Imuru from behind at the initial stages, his hold loosening once the dragon steadied in the air.
There was no comfort to be had, for Imuru at least, because he had to address the elephant in the room. "Why are you so close to me?" Imuru picked at Collon's uncomfortably close proximity, his voice flat. And of course, the response came, a look of practiced confusion, an excuse already forming on Collon's lips.
"... Wah! Do you want me to fall off?" Collon complained, whining like an unruly child. (If Yosho could see him now)
"Fall off. You're a Great Force…" Imuru countered, "or is that weapon holding you down? And you better not complain about your back again."
"Huh!"
Imuru felt Collon's arms tighten around his waist, holding him like his life depended…. (It if wasn't before it was about to)
"Why the heck are your arms doing around me like that?! Get. Them. Off!!!"
"B-But Imuru I'll fall…" Collon quivered, his voice small and pitiful.
"And, I'll fly," Imuru struck back.
"Oh? That's not nice." Collon's voice was light, almost teasing. "When did you become so unkind?"
"Unkind?" Imuru looked back at Collon over his shoulder, his expression shifting into something deliberately menacing. "Silly mortal... I've always been like this."
A beat of silence fell between them.
Then—
"Mha Aha Ha Ha Ha!"
"Aha Ha Ha Ha Ha!"
Imuru and Collon burst out laughing, the tension of the moment shattering like glass.
"I haven't seen you act this weird since the first time we met," Imuru said, his voice sheepish, the edges of his smile warm. "I suppose we were all busy."
"Was I that bad back then?" Collon pondered aloud, genuinely curious.
"Worse."
"Ooh. Hey, Huln aren't worried about falling off?" Imuru asked. Huln stood at the dragon's head, unshakable despite the turbulence, his posture as steady as if he were standing on solid ground.
"Quite simple, that is the way of Perivállon," Huln replied simply.
"... Uh-huh." Imuru blinked.
"What he's trying to say is that he used it like glue. There are also other applicable uses, such as scaling a wall, running on water. Some masters of it can even walk on air," Collon explained. "All without the need for a skill. Complex, but the extensive uses are worth it."
"Wow…" Imuru was left a bit fascinated by this information. "Why aren't you doing that?" He switched up getting right back on Collon's case.
"I could ask you the same thing?" Collon retorted.
"Eh. Excuse me. I ain't the one sacred of height, besides I just learnt this information, what excuse do you have?" Imuru replied.
"Okay, firstly, I think being scared of heights and falling should be separated as two different things. And I'm a human, our relationship with Perivállon is complicated."
"What about your all so competent secretary?" Collon remarked.
"I'm telling Yosho," Imuru said casually
"Wait, wait, wait~." Collon backpedaled quickly, his voice pitching higher. "That came out wrong."
Seeing that they were done having their fun, Huln spoke. His voice was calm, measured, but there was something beneath it, an undercurrent of reflection. "Collon... Your performance back there." This was a casual statement, Huln didn't clarify.
Collon pondered what this was all about, his brows drawing together. "Huh…" Collon seemed to have relaxed. "What can I say, I'm getting old. The effects of time."
"Effects of time…" Huln repeated this a sense of longing lingering in his tone. "... I do comprehend and I align with your perspective. Though, back then I was reaching my prime before I became this."
Sensing this gloominess ready to drown out the vibe, Imuru continued on the conversation. "The effects of time. How old are you?"
"Who? Me?" Collon butted in. "Nearly five thousand years old. I hope now you can understand why I have constant back issues."
"Waah~!... Five thousand!" Imuru said in disbelief.
"Joking," Collon corrected after it marinated a bit. "I'm human, not some immortal Imuru. So easily tricked."
Imuru wasn't amused in the slightest, a blank expression crossing his face. "Hmph. Joking. Okay, that's on me. Ages just surprise me. But…" He looked over his shoulders slowly. "I should still throw you off this dragon."
"Umm." With the look Imuru gave him, Collon took that threat seriously. "Fair. No more jokes."
"Also, heads up," Imuru addressed Huln. "My people back home are… very opinionated. Lively, and troublesome, so please don't take offense to anything they say. If there's a problem let me know."
"That would simply do just to who you truly are," Huln spoke these words as confirmation, that he's glad his people are like that. "The leader can present himself as he wishes to the world; but his people and those around him are what truly represents him. From the dark side and light…I look forward to meeting them, Imuru."
Imuru's face lit up like fire, Huln's words sparking a deep profound sense of warmth inside him he could not explain. "Thank you…" His eyes lowered. "I try… I try…"
Sitting in the pitch black darkness of a chamber, the only illumination being that of an enormous crimson door behind him, irradiate a pulse of energy.
["Well, well… what a surprise," MikMik said, in a very calm manner. "... Magic transfer."]
The chamber is flooded by a crimson light by an orb. Kinkaru reached out his hand, and the orb came down dimming as he dropped into his hand.
["What are we using that for? Should we give it to the boss? That's what Zazarah wanted in the end," MikMik pointed out."]
["Hmph. What Zazarah wanted…" Kinkaru rose to his feet. "It matters little now. What does is that we bring havoc upon the Sacred Forest."]
["Huh? Abandon the gate?" MikMik asked, curious to what his answer will be"]
["For the time being." Kinkaru looked over his shoulder at the gate. "We have Zazarah's power now."]