"... I was… what?"
Tanjo stood bewildered, his mouth gaped as his eyes were strained to a wide opening. He was granted this 'power' from the gods above? Has this lady gone mad?
With a gentle smile, Ms. Tassei waved her hand, altering the space around the two and dispelling the sight of the bloody battlefield. The last thing Tanjo could get a look at was the form of what was supposedly Reiwa Takuetsu, and then for it to return to the black abyss.
"An Aura Amalgamation is no simple condition, but a gift, Tanjo." Ms. Tassei claimed joyfully, her eyes sparkling with merriment. "I had shown you Reiwa to show what exactly the Aura Amalgamation could accomplish. He had been fortunate enough as to acquire such power, but sadly used it to tarnish the lands as we know it."
Tanjo gulped as he reeled himself in, bringing his mind back from its stupor. "I.. don't believe you. It isn't possible to wield all four of the Aura Senses—my instructor said so himself."
Ms. Tassei sighed, her eyes closing as she stood in silent contemplation. The boy was being reasonable. However, it still slightly vexed the lady. Abducting a teenager and showing him crazy images is one thing—but being a liar is something Ms. Tassei refuses to be!
"Then we'll have to do this the hard way. You're lucky to have met me instead of anyone else, Tanjo." Ms. Tassei declared abruptly, opening her eyes to stare at the boy sternly.
A bead of sweat emerged on the boy's head. "W-what?"
A swift hand from Ms. Tassei found itself slamming against Tanjo's chest—"Oof!"—directly over his heart, similar to when she had first knocked the boy out. The action had obviously forced the boy backward, making Tanjo lose his balance instantly.
Then, as if a bomb suddenly detonated from within his entire body, Tanjo felt overwhelmed with senses, his whole body burning and tingling as he flew through the air.
As Tanjo was falling to the ground, the black abyss around him began to crack, falling apart like a collapsing cave. Light seeped through the crevices, the daylight revealing itself slowly.
The jet-black-haired boy had then landed on the ground. But it didn't feel as solid and cold as it had before. It was now soft and warm. Tanjo could feel soft pricks at his skin, prompting him to sit up and glance at the ground.
'I'm back!'
The green grass of his home had returned, the sun's rays beaming down on Tanjo from the bright blue sky, filled with white and puffy clouds that soared over the nation.
The stinging and burning within Tanjo began to simmer, dissipating after a few short moments. For a moment, the boy thought that his body was going to explode from the inside.
Directing his head upward, Tanjo noticed Ms. Tassei standing in the same position, her face filled with anticipation.
Through the eyes of Ms. Tassei, she could spot the clarity of Tanjo's Aura Senses. It felt even more astonishing than the first time she had spotted the boy in the Kodaina forest. Each color, blue, red, yellow, and purple, no longer felt clumped together—the short bursts that had previously occurred were no more.
Tanjo slowly stood back up, finding his balance once more. "What did you do?" The jet-black-haired boy had finally asked, lifting his head to cast a curious gaze at Ms. Tassei.
"Helped you. That illusion that I had cast on you shattered in an instant, that alone proves what you're capable of—whether you choose to acknowledge it or not." Ms. Tassei answered rather cryptically.
Tanjo grit his teeth. "Be more specific! What did you do to me!?"
"When I said that, 'You're lucky to have met me instead of anyone else,' I wasn't lying. I obtained the ability to manipulate the Aura Senses that reside within a person. Where I had you mere moments ago was, in fact, what your mind would look like, but in truth—we were standing here, outside, the entire time." Ms. Tassei proclaimed, her smile widening.
Tanjo's anger had flooded out of his body in an instant after hearing those words. "H-how is that possible?"
Ms. Tassei laughed, covering her smile with a cupped hand. "I'm afraid that I can't answer that. You'd have to ask a very old man, who is already long gone."
"Is there anyone else with these powers?" Tanjo asked hastily, taking a step forward.
Suddenly, Ms. Tassei put her hand up, halting Tanjo from continuing. The boy had flinched from the action. He wasn't entirely in the wrong to think that she'd potentially strike him in the chest again. It's already happened two times in a day.
"If you have any questions, you'll just have to pay me more visits, Tanjo!" Ms. Tassei chuckled softly, retracting her hand into her white cloak.
However, the lady didn't expect an immediate answer.
"All right!"
XXX
"So, what's it like to be dead?"
Returning to the village of Furusato, we can observe Gimu and a very much alive Kiyo standing next to one another, conversing outside on one of the castle's large stone walls.
Ever since the revival of Kiyo, everything had seemingly been reverted back to normal. The Furusato Unit was back to leaving for occasional missions, Regashi and Imawashiki went back to being behind closed doors, and their plan had only been ensured.
All with the curse Kekkan no Sosei.
Kiyo huffed. "Not what I'd thought it'd be like."
Gimu groaned in irritation. Kiyo had only been on edge. He was completely different compared to how he acted sixteen years ago. Just talking to Kiyo made Gimu want to do nothing more than raze villages like they had used to out of anger.
The bandaged sword-wielder had never been accustomed to having partners, before and after being in the Furusato Unit. It was a miracle that Gimu had grown to trust Kiyo, even if it was just slightly. Being tasked with yet another partner, Heiki Shototsu, especially after he had lost his first, felt odd.
Despite hating Kiyo's old, annoying ways—never listening, impatient, and stuck-up—Gimu had always found a resemblance of himself within Kiyo. Gimu had always been cocky, rarely listened unless the topic pertained to fighting, and was mildly impatient. But most of all, he had pride. Pride in himself, and pride in his weapon.
It's a difficult task to find trust in a world of killing, even years after any major wars.
"Care to elaborate, idiot?" Gimu frowned at Kiyo, watching as his previous partner simply brushed off his existence.
Without turning to face Gimu, Kiyo said, "It's not something that I'm too keen on discussing."
Of course, Gimu thought indignantly. The bandaged sword-wielder merely stood up from leaning against a stump, proceeding to walk away. Kiyo steered his eyes to watch as Gimu walked away, watching as his black and red Furusato cloak swayed in the breeze.
Kiyo's eyes eventually landed on the sword on Gimu's back, the leathery sheath that contained his Souta blade that he was so proud of, just like how Kiyo favored his scythe.
Kiyo could safely assume that Gimu and he was of similar strength, despite the fact that they had never battled.
Kiyo turned his eyes away from Gimu, hearing as his old partner's footsteps faded to silence. Kiyo then took a step forward, peering over the edge of the castle wall and gazing at the ground. More specifically…
… The area in which he died.
The entrance to the castle. While he did manage to kill the Queen, Kiyo had simultaneously fallen to the white-haired man with lightning and a knife. Such a strange opponent, managing to defeat both Gimu and him all those years ago.
Kiyo sighed.
'Watch out, Gimu… For you might not make it out alive after what's to come.'
XXX
Hey! I hope you enjoyed today's chapter! We have now learned what the Aura Amalgamation is! Is there more? What does Kiyo mean that Gimu might not make it out alive? Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_