Chapter 10: Into the Altar Forest
Section 25: The Long Walk
Ryuho and Kazuma set off to the forest with nothing but silence between them. It was a long walk, and to make things worse the Altar Forest was huge, and so they had no idea where they were expected to end up.
As they got closer to the center of the forest, the air around them began to feel thicker. Though the sun was high in the sky, the aura of the forest made it seem as if it was always twilight.
Few were brave enough to enter the mysterious woods, so as a result there was no path for the two alters to walk upon.
"He's mysterious alright," thought Kazuma, "where the heck is he?"
The atmosphere around them felt heavier the further they went, but, despite this, the mysterious altar was no where to be seen.
"We might as well just wait here," Ryuho said, breaking the silence. "If he is as powerful as they say then he should be able to find us." With that said, Ryuho sat down on a nearby fallen tree.
Hardly any time had passed when the two young men saw a familiar glow that was shining through the trees. The mysterious altar approached them, and behind him was Tsume.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Kazuma, "if you knew that you were going to be here too, then why the hell didn't you just take us here instead of making us waste our time wandering around?"
"I had some things to address too," Tsume responded nonchalantly. "You seemed to have found your way alright without my aid."
Kazuma scoffed at this and turned to see Ryuho's reaction.
Ryuho, however, seemed to have hardly noticed Kazuma and Tsume's little conversation. His eyes were staring straight ahead at the great altar for whom they had come in search of.
The Mysteious Altar let out a loud screeching sound. Ryuho turned to Tsume, perplexed, "how are we supposed to know what he wants of us if we can't understand him?"
"That is why he asked me to come along, I can understand him just fine," Tsume said with a smile.
Section 26: The Fate of the World
Tsume and the two altars walked away from the dark forest. Neither Ryuho nor Kazuma knew what think, they couldn't believe what they had heard.
The very idea that what had happened to the Kanagawa Prefecture to make it into the Lost Ground could begin happening all over the world was almost unbelievable.
"Why did he choose to tell us about all of this?" Ryuho asked Tsume.
"The World is evolving," the elder man answered, "and you two have done the best to evolve with it."
"But that wasn't our choice," Ryuho pointed out.
"No my boy, that was fate."
"And we are supposed to…"
"Help with the transition."
"And how do we do that?"
"That is up to the two of you, I'm sure you'll figure something out."
Section 27: The Girls Back Home
"Kanami, it's time for us to make dinner!" Mimori called out the window of the old rundown hospital.
"I'll be right in!" the young girl called back, setting down her shovel and removing her gloves. She had been trying to start up a small garden in the yard as a surprise for when Kazuma finally came back to her. She then turned and walked into the building to get washed up.
"I bought some chicken in the market this morning, so we can cook it up with the vegetables that you brought home from the farm," Mimori said, with a smile on her face.
She had left Azuka's home and moved in with Kanami soon after Kazuma and Ryuho vanished into the sky. She couldn't stand the idea of the eight-year-old girl being alone, and though Kanami didn't need anyone to watch over her she enjoyed the company of the young woman.
Once Kanami was finished washing her hands she turned to look at Mimori. The young woman was looking out the window up at the sky, as she so often did, while holding her pendant in her right hand.
"You're thinking about Ryuho again," the young girl commented.
"Yes, I am. I'm just worried. I know that he's alright, wherever he is, but what could he possibly be doing up there?"
"Something is going to happen… something big."
Mimori looked over at Kanami, her eyes were wide with shock at what she had just said, "What do you mane something big? Ryuho… Kazuma… are they going to be alright?"
"They're going to help everyone with the transition."
"With what transition?"
"I don't know yet, I just know that it's something big."
Mimori couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was what Kanami was saying true? Or was it just the result of being away from Kazuma for so long?
Just then there came an urgent knock on the door which Mimori quickly walked over to answer.
"Azuka! What's wrong? Please, come in." Mimori directed the young man into the space that was used as the living room.
"I don't think that the mainland is going to be concerning itself with the Lost Ground anymore." he said, while he was trying to catch his breath after running there with the news.
"What? That's wonderful! How do you know? Why did they change their mind?" Mimori asked, excited at the idea that the may not end up being a war of the altars versus the Main Land.
Azuka was shaking his head, "because we are no longer the only Lost Ground."