And Chapter 36.
Took me long enough.
There's more or less no reviews and barely any views on this fic anymore so I don't even know if writing these Author Notes is a waste of time or not, but meh. I've been doing it for this many Chapters already, I'll continue doing it.
It's a boring Chapter, that's about how I would personally summarize it.
The first half is only once scene where Fuzen tackles one problem, the rest is vague information kind of hinting at something which is going to happen. And that's about it.
At this point I think I can say Kenshi has become kind of (?) 'mushy' so it certainly lost the point it started with, probably also why it's a dying fic.
Then again a story needs development so I stand by my choices.
With the recent events happening in Europe at the moment I'll make no promises on how soon the next Chapter will be out, but I can say things will become more serious soon and I will once again focus on the swordsman part of the fic.
Anyway, that's about it for this AN, see you down below.
Kay bye.
XXX
"...Nothing, Amid?" The black-haired Cat Girl asked as she stood by the side of the best Doctor in Orario, the petite girl having just used her healing Spell on the wounded Elf before them.
She examined whatever her otherwise high-ranking Spell, Dia Fratel, managed to subdue Alicia's wounds. A couple of moments later she shook her head. "It has no effect. It's not unlike that affliction Ais suffered from some months ago." The Doctor stated as a frown took shape on her brows.
This was the second time her knowledge and Magic alike proved useless against this specific affliction and both times it centred around members of the Loki Familia. How such an affliction could exist without her knowledge managed to slightly anger the silver-haired Doctor ever so slightly.
However, her biggest concern was the Elf panting in pain before her.
Going by her examination, her state did not look good at all. It would be a wonder if she survived to see two more days.
"Then it's all up to him, if even you cannot figure this out." Anakitty muttered as she moved closer to her comrade and grab her hand in hers.
Amid immediately knew who the Cat Girl was referring to.
Fuzen Katsumi.
Amid remember the day she returned to work after her cold had died out and she learned from her colleagues that the boy had been treated by her Familia just one day prior.
'He probably broke some bones again.' Amid naively thought to herself.
'Actually, he was this close to dying.' Her colleague stated out of the blue as if she had read her mind somehow.
As she heard of the extend of the boy's wounds Amid found herself speechless. Sure, the boy in question did not look the part but he was despite his low Level as strong as a first-class Adventurer.
She knew this to be true, if his actions in Altena and her belief that he more or less defeated Amphisbaena on his own were not enough proof.
Having heard of this Amid tried to visit the boy at his house in the East District yet her approach was met with vases and other objects thrown at the door as she tried to talk to him and gain permission to enter.
Indeed, behaviour she did not expect from someone as composed as him.
So then, what could possibly defeat a swordsman of his calibre?
A Were-Jaguar, apparently.
The same individual who inflicted this incurable wound to Alicia.
'From what I heard, the wounds he gained at the hands of the Were-Jaguar man were leagues above Alicia's. In that case, he should actually be…'
As if on cue the door to the room opened and before the Doctor could fully turn to see who had entered, Fuzen was already standing besides her side while his eyes scanned the Elf experiencing a cold sweat.
Thankfully Amid had already gotten used by this point to the boy and his love of startling people and was only half-startled by his appearance.
"...Please leave the room, Teasanare-sama. This is a Familia-related matter starting now."
"But-"
"We will probably still need you and your expertise when I am done. I believe Autumn-sama can lead you to one of our guest rooms? I doubt our Captain would have issues paying for your time, however long that might take." He raised his eyes just enough to look at Anakitty for a single moment, the second-class Adventurer nodding in response and then guiding the renowned Doctor out of the room.
"Hey, Alicia." The Amazon which arrived at the same time as Fuzen spoke on a soft voice, reaching out for the Elf's hand. "I told you, didn't I? That I'd bring him."
Fuzen frowned at her words, yet no anger was visible on his face. "...I would appreciate it if you didn't put so much trust in me. I never stated I can cure her."
"But, you did it for Ais."
"Well, that was…" Fuzen lifted Alicia's shirt further up and gazed upon her wound before proceeding to gently place a palm on it. As soon as his skin touched hers he could feel that man's presence within her, his Ki having taken deep roots in her system. This was not good at all. "...That was different than this. Haaa...Tiona, go get the Captain and Riveria."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Without further inquiries the Amazon nodded and rushed out of the room, leaving Fuzen alone with the Elf. He closed his eyes and focused on his Ki sense alone. There was a large swelling of malicious Ki inside of her abdomen. If he had to guess, when the Were-Jaguar kicked her he not only coated his leg in Ki but also projected that external Ki of his into her organs as he sent the Elf flying.
A technique meant to kill if Fuzen ever saw one. Targeting the internal organs and the person's Ki coating said organs, attacking it and forcing the body, it's rhythm to be more precise, to go out of control.
Thanks to the Falna on her back she was still alive, but…
'It doesn't have much longer until expiration. It is dying. '
He sighed and moved over to the table and grabbed the kitchen knife there. It seemed as if someone had been cutting off pieces of apples and feeding them to the Elf.
'Autumn-sama? Or someone else? No, it doesn't matter.'
He got on top of the Elf next and using the knife he cut her shit vertically, exposing her bare skin. Reaching for his pocket he took out a metal box which contained the needles he had already used one too many on people besides himself.
'This woman's lungs are not working as they should be. Is blood filling her lungs? If so, I sure as hell can't sense it. But I do feel that while her lungs have been saved from the brunt of the attack, they have been compromised as well. Right now making sure she is capable of stable breathing is crucial. That should buy some time.'
With the utmost care Fuzen pushed a needle into her chest, slowly inserting it until he knew to have reached the bronchi on each side. 'I sure as hell hope Elven anatomy is the same as that of Humans.'
Once the first two needles were inserted he moved his hand away and allowed himself to exhale. Loki Familia was killing him with their expectations after all. The unconscious Elf began to breath with less of a ragged sound but he sensed it wasn't yet to an acceptable level.
'...Hmm. Should I take some pressure off the trachea as well? If I mess up it could be bad for this person. Haaa…'
With few options left however and the need to extend the Elf's time as long as possible the boy grabbed another needles and slowly brought it down upon the skin, wondering silently if Alicia would be mad at him for poking her with needles.
Then his hand froze in place.
'...No. Not Forestlight-sama. Just an Elf. Just a random Elf I do not know.' He tried to convince himself but his hand did not move any further. Instead, it began to shake. Fuzen tried to keep his eyes focused on her wound alone, trying to push himself to go on with his task but he could not stop his eyes from looking up and at the Elf's face.
Dead, milky-white eyes stared back at him.
Of course he was still sane enough to differentiate between reality and the illusions his mind projected outwards, but in truth said illusion was not that far off from reality, either.
She would die if he could not figure this out, after all, and this realization made his eye twitch in response.
'...And that's why I don't want to be responsible for anyone but myself. Stupid Elf and stupid Familia. You guys ask for too much. I'm just a swordsman, damn it, and even then I'm just a failure. Haa...I wanna go to sleep.'
But of course he knew that was not an option so willing his hand to stop shaking he continued his work and pushed the needle further in.
Alicia's breathing improved and he sighed in relief.
'Ok. Ok...That should have bought us some time. Next, that bastard's Ki…'
Placing both of his hands on her abdomen Fuzen moved them around and got an idea of how the Ki was spread out. It was not unlike a bomb having exploded and the aftershock spreading to the organs and muscle tissue.
Fuzen nodded and then tried to call forth on any knowledge he had which might help in this situation, either from his own experience or from what he had read in the journals of the Lightning Sword Style.
Unfortunately, he could think of nothing which would apply or prove useful to Alicia's situation.
'...Great. So I don't even have something to base my actions off like back then with the ritual I performed on Ais. Should I just go ahead and tell everyone I have no solution for this problem? Even if I were to try something out the chances of success are non-existent and I would only cause her pain. The sensible thing right now...would be to put her out of her misery.'
He gave a small nod to his own thought, staring at the Elf's sweat-covered face. She was in pain, and even if he managed to somehow remove that bastard's Ki from her system her own puny amount of Ki would probably never be able to fully allow her body to work normally again.
Things like organ failure or chronic illnesses were a very palpable reality and that for the rest of her life. As an Elf, that would probably be whole decades or maybe even a whole century. He wasn't sure, but he knew it would be for a long time.
'Yeah. Killing you now would be a mercy…'
Somewhere in between his thoughts Fuzen had grabbed the kitchen knife he left on the side of the bed and felt his fingers tightening around it's handle. Despite it's low quality he knew more of more than a couple of weak spots which could prove fatal. Even a Level 4 would not live if he were to thrust the blade in her neck or heart, after all.
"If you are going for a crossbow, then correct posture is paramount!"
The memory popped up in his mind unexpectedly.
It was from a couple of months ago when he went to Alicia and asked her on archery tips, regarding how to best use a crossbow. Naturally, the question had not been for himself. He cared little for ranged weapons. But back then he was still in a contract with the Pallum girl and he had procured weapons for her.
It was only logical that he would help her in using said weapons as well and thus he went and sought out the best archer he knew, which was Alicia herself.
He had barely asked his question and the woman immediately agreed to help him, for some reason appearing quite happy. She of course grabbed him and went out to the Dungeon immediately after.
"Teaching with live targets is the best form of teaching, after all."
He had agreed to her statement and proceeded to make mental notes of all the tips she shared with him, so that he could teach the Pallum girl in return.
"Wait...How did you get a bullseye on your first try?"
"I mean...At the risk of sounding arrogant it's not harder than swordsmanship, Forestlight-sama."
"...You just hit a charging Hellhound in the mouth. Moving enemies, canines of all things, are hard to hit for beginners, Fuzen."
"...I'm sorry?"
He also remembered that the Elf laughed at his reply, but the reason for her doing so remained a mystery to him to this day.
'...I've gone soft.' The realization made it's way into his thoughts as he relieved the memory over the span of a couple of moments. 'Where is that despicable asshole who walked on the corpses of his fellow Initiates on his quest for power? Would I have won my fight with that bastard had I kept true to my old self, I wonder?'
He could not say.
But he knew one thing for sure.
A smile looked best on the woman's face, not this pained expression she was making at the moment.
"...I'll save you. I don't know how, but I'll do it." He uttered the words as he placed his hands on her abdomen and focused. "So teach me some more archery when you're back on your feet."
XXX
The High-Elf's face twisted into confusion as the question reached her ears. "Wait, what?"
"Kidneys." The boy repeated. "Do Elves have two of them? Or is what I'm sensing something different?"
"Well...yes, we do. Elven and Human anatomy is not that different, thus why the birth of Half-Elves is possible between the two."
"Understood. So can Elves live with only one functioning kidney?"
The question worried Riveria greatly. She had come to the room Alicia was resting in alongside Finn after Tiona informed them of Fuzen calling the both of them. Once they opened the door Riveria was met with a sense of deja-vu as she noticed her fellow Elf laying on the bed with her upper body completely exposed and the boy sitting on top of her, not unlike what happened back then with Ais.
"Why...are you asking?"
"I believe I can save Alicia's life, but we will need to sacrifice an organ to do so. It is my belief that a kidney would worsen the quality of her life the least. Of course, we could also go with a lung but that is a little…you know?"
"Is there no other option available?" The blonde Pallum besides her asked as he took a step forward.
"You're asking for the impossible, Captain." The boy replied with a sigh. "This is the most I can do in this situation. She has at best a day more to live. This way we can at least save her life."
"Fuzen, are you sure?" Finn inquired and Riveria wondered why he seemed so adamant on his line of questioning.
In a rare instance of acting unlike himself Fuzen chuckled as a faint smile cracked on his lips. "You guys are killing me over here. I'm a swordsman. I kill people. Saving them is beyond my area of expertise. I'm sure I popped a couple of blood veins in my brain just coming up with this idea alone."
"I'm going to have you pop a couple more then, Fuzen." Finn stated as he moved closer to the bed, his eyes locking with those of Fuzen. "Going by how you came up with an idea against it, I take it you understand what is happening to Alicia right now?"
Fuzen hesitated but eventually nodded. "...At the very least, I understand it more than you or Teasanare-sama."
"Can you explain to us what is wrong with her, and how it is different from back then with Ais? I understand that the core problem is the same as both Ais and Alicia do not heal by Potions and Magic, yet you managed to help Ais without sacrificing any part of her in the process. Why is it necessary this time around?"
The boy looked at the wounded Elf, then at the Captain and at the Elf again. Riveria realized that Finn was pushing him too harshly, the boy himself appearing less collected than usual. She took a step forward but Finn turned to look at her, shaking his head.
Riveria had known Finn for many years but she could not always figure out what he was thinking. This time was no different.
"...This right here." Fuzen finally spoke after a long moment of silence, placing his hand gently on the wounded area. "Think of it as a curse, of sorts. There is...malicious energy located here in the area of impact, which is attacking Forestlight-sama."
"And how is it different from the affliction Ais experienced?"
"That was…" Fuzen closed his eyes and his mind raced to come up with an explanation that would also keep the secrets of Ki just that: a secret. "That was more like poison. It came from within Wallenstein-sama herself. She attacked herself, if that helps. In this case, however, there is a third party involved. Thus why it is not so much comparable to poison as it is to a curse."
"How did you help Ais, then?"
"I...changed the nature of the poison and made it compatible with Wallenstein-sama. I made it so that her body no longer saw the poison as a threat it must fight." He replied without mentioning the fact that he also absorbed some of Ais's Ki into himself back then.
"Why is it necessary to sacrifice an organ in Alicia's case?"
Fuzen sighed, the questions taking their toll on him. "Right now, it's like...water and oil mixed inside of Forestlight-sama. The oil is the curse, the cause of her pain and why normal healing does not work on her. However, I can guide this curse, the oil, to a single spot. I can localize and minimize the affected area, in other words. Then we can have Teasanare-sama perform surgery and remove the organ I will guide the curse towards. I was also thinking we could guide it to an arm or a leg, but that is too risky. Moving the curse around her body that far away from the affected area might leave traces of it behind and affect other parts of her body, like the lungs if I were to try and direct it to her arms, or her privates if I were to try and move it to her legs. That is why I think a kidney would be the best option to choose as a sacrifice."
His explanation came to an end and Finn nodded slowly. He took the information he had just been given and opened his mouth. "Why is complete removal of the curse not possible?"
"That is impossible, even for me. At most I could decrease the intensity of the quasi-curse, but I'd need a couple of weeks to do that and this woman barely has one more day to live."
Riveria did not fail to notice the strange term he used. "This woman?"
"...I meant Forestlight-sama."
"Are you sure of that, Fuzen?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Why?"
"...Are we going to help Alicia or are you going to keep asking questions"?" The boy asked with a noticeable twitch of his eye.
Finn in response crossed his arms and stared back at the boy. "We are going to help her once you stop taking the easiest way out of this."
The hostility emanating from the boy could be felt by both Riveria and Tiona, all of them having survived countless life or death situations which attuned them to the hostility of others. "...You prick...What is that supposed to mean?"
"You are not the only one observing others, Fuzen. And I know you can do better than this. So stop taking the first and easiest way that becomes clear, and think."
The boy in turn gritted his teeth and threw the Pallum a mean look before examining the Elf before him once more.
XXX
'You can do better, he says. Well, right back at you! God damn it. What do you know of manipulation of Ki and the various frequencies they can exist at? Haaa...This Familia is killing me…'
Shaking his head once Fuzen regained his focus and concentrated.
What Finn was expecting of him was nothing less of impossible. Ki adapted to their host and thus each person and living being had a different...vibration to them. This began as soon as the baby left it's mother and stopped adjusting itself to her own vibration, each person in turn gaining certain traits and tells which matched their Ki and vice versa.
The reason why some blinked more and some blinked less.
The reason why some had a silent, shallow breathing pattern and some had a loud, quick pattern.
Each person was different and the same applied to their innate Ki. This was also the reason why that bastard's Ki affected Alicia, or any other person attacked by him, in such a state.
He left a part of himself, his Ki, inside of them and thus disturbed their natural state.
Granted his own control of Ki was immaculate, the only branch of his repertoire which managed to surpass even his Mistress's, but how much did that help in this situation?
To completely cure Alicia he would need to remove every single trait of that bastard's Ki from her body. He could indeed 'guide' it to a certain degree by using his own Ki and changing it's property, it's vibration, to closely resemble that of the Were-Jaguar.
But even he could not perfectly copy it.
Complete removal was impossible, unless the person in question, the Were-Jaguar, were to be here and willingly remove his Ki from her body.
Fuzen guessed he would not go along with it even if they asked nicely.
A loud sigh escaped his lips and he turned to look at the Captain. "I cannot-…" His words died in his mouth as he looked past the blonde and he noticed the Amazon girl staring at him from behind Riveria and Finn.
What was that look in her eyes?
Expectation?
Hope?
Trust?
'...Trust? In me? Talk about naive…'
Fuzen shook his head and wracked his brain to try and come up with a solution which did not involve Alicia needing to lose some parts of her.
But how could he do that without the Were-Jaguar? As the 'owner' of the Ki attacking the Elf only he could remove it-
"Ah…" The boy gasped and the attention of the other three occupants was drawn to him. Finn did not know exactly what he found out but a smile made it's way on his lips nonetheless.
'My swords. I coated them in my own Ki but that bastard managed to break them with his bare hands. However, there are still traces of his Ki on them, from the moment of the impact. Can I use those faint traces as a medium? Wait, am I really thinking this? I have no idea what I'm even thinking anymore. I only ever focused on the combat-related uses of Ki. Can I do something like this, which is merely theoretical…?'
"...Tiona." He called out and the Amazon rushed to the bed side with a silly smile.
"What is it?! How can I help?"
"Run back to my mansion. Go to my room. Grab my swords, the ones which were broken in my fight with that bastard, and come back here. Quick."
No further words were needed and Tiona already rushed out of the room leaving only a wind trail behind her. "You two. Out." He bluntly told the two Executives, Riveria nodding and already making for the door.
"Did you figure it out?" The Captain asked.
Fuzen's eye twitched in response. "I would appreciate if you stopped putting so much faith in me."
"But you figured 'something' out, did you not?" The Pallum smiled and then left the room, closing the door behind him.
"...Haaa...Screw my fricking life…"
'...Even if I can use the traces left on my blades as a medium to guide that bastard's Ki, I doubt it would work on all of it. I need to siphon some of the Ki out. But how? I haven't trained in days and my own pool is full. Should I use Eightfold Path to use up some of my Ki?...No, that Technique would leave me tired and I need my brain to be fresh for the thingy I'm going to try with the swords...Wait, thingy? God, I'm a mess if I started using informal words like that...Haaa...Yeah. Screw my life...I blame it on this Familia. Stupid idiots.'
He inhaled, then exhaled, then repeated the process a couple more times. When he felt ready he gave himself a nod.
'Ok, so. I need to decrease the amount of that bastard's Ki. But my own Ki pool is full. Using Techniques would worse my performance. Minimally, of course, but I probably don't want to take risks when holding another person's life in my hands...Haaa…' Looking to his side he noticed the kitchen knife still on the bed side and it dawned on him immediately, how he could use up some of the Were-Jaguar's energy.
Fuzen grabbed the knife and held it in his open palm. Then he touched Alicia's belly, reaching out with his Ki and coating the Were-Jaguar's in it. Next he absorbed it into himself and directed through his body into his other palm.
Not before long the knife began to levitate above his palm.
'I'll absorb and use the bastard's Ki which is concentrated the most at the area of impact to hold this knife suspended in the air, allowing it to quickly pass through my own body and thus minimize my own exposure to it. Of course, I'll still suffer some side-effects but this is probably the best course of action.'
It was hard, of course.
Fuzen himself had dabbled little in this usage of Ki known in the Far East as 'Seiryoku', the ability to use Ki externally to influence objects, the ability which was known in the West under the name of Telekinesis.
At most he could force a pebble on the ground to shoot up to his palm or keep a coin suspended in mid-air for a short amount of time. This usage of Ki helped him little in achieving his goal and so he had worked little to improve it, thus staying at a level where he could only even use it thanks to having awakened his Ki in years prior.
But, hard as it was, he managed it.
He managed to keep it suspended using mostly the bastard's traces of Ki and only a very small amount of his own. It had taken all of his focus to maintain that flow and thus he failed to notice Tiona barging into the room with his swords in hand until she was halfway between the door and him.
"Oh wow. That's a neat trick!" She exclaimed as she noticed the floating knife. "I got your swords!"
"Thanks. I'm also more or less done. All that's left are the traces of the Ki which spread out from the main area of impact where he kicked her. Haaa…"
"Ki?" The Amazon asked but was otherwise ignored by the sighing boy.
Letting the knife fall back on the bed Fuzen reached a hand out and grabbed his broken chisa katana. Pulling it out he threw the handle and the little blade still attached to it before grabbing the broken tip still within the scabbard.
It was still about the length of a dagger thankfully, as he would require at least that much blade for his next idea.
"Ok...Ok. I'm going to stab her now."
"Wait what?"
"I said I'm going to stab her. So be quiet, I need to concentrate."
Inhaling and exhaling, Fuzen grabbed the broken sword tip in his hands, cutting himself in the process but caring little about it and slowly impaled the tip into Elf's abdomen. Then he continued to push it until it was roughly halfway through, avoiding any of her vitals in the process.
'The bastard's trace is concentrated at the broken end, where he used the palm-strike to shatter Utegiri. I'll imitate his Ki to the best of my abilities at the tip, draw the remaining traces inside of Alicia to the sword then create another point of concentrated Ki in the middle of the blade. I'll direct it all to the broken end, then circulate the Ki I gather there between the middle and the broken end. That should strengthen the siphoning effect over time, as the smaller amount of Ki inside of her will be drawn to the larger amount located in the blade...Jesus. What the hell am I even doing here…?'
With yet another sigh, Fuzen began the procedure.
He truly believed he would no doubt mess up something along the way but sensing the Ki signature of the Amazon close to him mysteriously put his mind at ease.
XXX
"What was that all about?" The High Elf asked as she walked down the hallway together with the blonde Pallum, having just left their swordsman alone with the wounded Alicia. Indeed, Finn's actions had come off as slightly too harsh to Riveria and now that they were at a reasonable distance from the room, she could no longer keep herself from asking.
The Pallum chuckled, because of course he did, turning to lock eyes with her. "Just a bit of a lesson I believe he was in need of, Riveria."
"...At a time like that? When one of our members is at risk?"
"It's exactly because of that." Finn replied with a more solemn tone to his voice. "He's not responsible enough, Riveria. That is what I was trying to tell him."
The High-Elf pondered on the words for a good couple of moments. Irresponsible...was not exactly a word she would associate with the boy, after all. Finn seemed to pick on her line of thought and quickly raised a hand. "Ah, I don't mean it like that. He is indeed responsible, when the matter at hand involves no one else but himself and his Sword Style."
Riveria slowly began to understand what the Pallum was getting at, events of the past popping up in her mind. "I see…"
"Mhm. This time was no different. Of course, he did offer to help. He's not heartless after all. But he saw an option before his eyes and decided upon it without so much as considering there might be a better option to be found. Is that not being irresponsible?"
She found it slightly wrong to do so, but Riveria agreed with a nod. Had Finn not pushed Fuzen further her fellow Elf would be missing a kidney right about now. But he did push the boy and he seemed to have found another way to help Alicia.
Hopefully a better way.
"This is not just me lashing out at him on a whim, Riveria." The Pallum stated with a faint sigh. "After all, this is the second time one of our Familia members has suffered under that affliction. An affliction which the best Doctor in Orario cannot seem to handle, might I remind you. If our not-so-friendly neighbourhood swordsman insists on keeping the secret of this strange power which also connects him to the Were-Jaguar man, then at the very least I expect him to handle such situations with everything he has."
Riveria did think that was a bit too extreme, to burden solely the boy with something of this magnitude but she found herself agreeing with the blonde Pallum. Both Ais and Alicia had been saved thanks to his intervention and as such, they did not have the luxury to put up with his moods.
"...Huh." The High-Elf exclaimed as she realized what she had just thought, her old-time companion throwing her a confused look. "Just now, I did not question the fact our swordsman will save Alicia without fail."
Finn chuckled in response. "It's not that weird, is it? He is brilliant after all. Whatever it is he came up with, I also don't doubt it will work. He will see to it."
"Oh? A compliment from Orario's top strategist?"
A smirk formed on Finn's lips, the man not hiding his inner thoughts. "Of course. His mind is the real deal, more so given his age. He's not there yet but in another five or ten years, he could become much more. Right now he can instil 'Trust', but he can't instil 'Hope' just yet."
"Maybe he doesn't want to, Finn?"
"Well...I'm not yet too sure of that." The Braver replied as he remember the expeditions they had been undertaking recently and the boy's involvement in them. His actions did feel like they reflected Riveria's words but he himself felt as if there was more to it. "Only time will tell, however."
"Anyway, at least we can rest assured knowing Alicia's in good hands."
"Mhm. Still, I wonder…" Finn brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it ever so slightly. "What sort of power can a person manipulate which can manifest as an incurable curse?"
"There's only one person who can answer that question, no?"
"Think he'll reveal the truth if we ask him nicely?"
They both walked a couple more steps in silence as the image of the blank-faced boy appeared in their minds, his brows forming a frown as a single sentence escaped his lips: 'This conversation is over.'
Then they laughed.
After a couple of seconds their laughter died down as they realized this meant Fuzen himself could probably use this power to also 'curse' someone just as Alicia had been, with no hopes of conventional recovery.
The two then exchanged a worried look.
XXX
"Haaaaa…Done." The long awaited word was finally uttered and the boy got up from his sitting position atop the wounded Elf, bringing his legs to the side of the bed then allowing himself to slide down on it until his butt touched the floor, Fuzen then leaning on the edge of the bed. "Finally done…"
Of course, his words had not been so much addressed at others as they had been at himself. After all the Amazon had left in a rush as soon as he threw the broken blade piece aside and she noticed the swelling on the Elf's abdomen subsiding.
Four hours.
That's how long it took for him to absorb all the traces of the Were-Jaguar bastard's Ki into the broken blade. To say it had been a difficult task would be the understatement of the year.
Even for someone as disciplined as him holding absolute concentration for that many hours was straining. His head hurt and felt as if it would explode any second and the dried blood that leaked from his nose stuck to his skin and felt uncomfortable.
But, he had done it.
He saved his friend-...his acquaintance, and that without sacrificing any of her organs in the process, as well.
That had to mean something.
"I've brought her!" The now cheerful Amazon exclaimed as she burst into the room, Amid and Anakitty following closely behind her.
"Good. Teasanare-sama, use your Magic. It should work now." Fuzen voiced as he threw a thumb over his shoulder at the slumbering Elf.
The Doctor nodded and moved closer, starting the rather long Chant of her Spell before the magic circle appeared on the Floor. When the light produced by her Magic slowly died out she inspected Alicia and let out a long sigh. "It worked. Her wounds have been healed."
"Thank the Heavens…" Anakitty muttered as well as her shoulders slouched, the tension in them dying out at the sound of Amid's words. "Fuzen. Thank you."
"I didn't-…" True to himself he felt little desire to take credit for matters not involving the sword but the words died in his mouth. He looked over at the Amazon with a dumb smile on her face then looked to the side as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...Someone told me recently that I'm apparently 'amazing', so I guess...This much is mandatory, right?"
"You bet it is!" Tiona replied with a thumbs-up and he stared at her for a long second before extending his hand to her. "Hm? What is it?"
"...Help me up you goof. I'm spent over here." The request surprised both the Amazon as well as the other two occupants of the room. He was, after all, someone who left a strong impression of 'I can manage on my own' on them. Tiona didn't complain about the change however and with a smirk she grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
"You were within the range of my Magic, so your stamina should have been restored as well…" The silver-haired Doctor voiced from his side but Fuzen simply looked away.
Talking to her was proving to be very difficult, given recent events between them.
"...It's complicated, and also related to why your Magic did not work on Forestlight-sama in the first place. Don't blame yourself."
"...I see."
"Mhm…" He nodded and turned around. "I'll leave Forestlight-sama in your capable hands. I shall inform the Captain of her recovery in the meantime." Then he looked over to Tiona. "A word, if I may?"
She nodded and accompanied him outside the room, the two slowly walking up towards the office of the Captain on the upper floors of the Twilight Manor. Silence reigned for a long while, Tiona noticing the boy's lips parting to speak ever so slightly but no words coming out.
Then he frowned, his expression one severe enough that it could kill. He stopped in place and faced the Amazon. "The...things you said."
"Hm?"
"Back then. At my mansion." His eyes darted to the side, unable to figure out how to proceed.
Should he make eye contact?
Or not?
Should he bow?
Or make do with a bob of the head, something less than a bow but more than a nod?
What about posture?
Should he be intimidating or open?
He didn't know, and it was uncomfortable.
'I wasn't instructed in anything similar to this…'
"What about them?" The girl asked and he understood he spent one second too many contemplating on how to proceed.
"...To hell with it." He finally muttered under his breath and raised his eyes to meet the Amazon's. "I was...lost. As you probably already knew. And I know...I am not likeable, as a person. And still, you...reached out to me. Even when I did not want it, you still...proceeded to try. Even if it was only with the goal of getting help for Forestlight-sama, you still...indirectly helped me. You...helped me stand when I could not on my own. So...well…"
The next words that he was about to say got caught in his throat.
They were words that he almost never spoke, for they went against everything that he was raised for.
'You need to be strong.'
'Succeed where we have failed.'
'It all rests on your shoulders now.'
'm sorry.'
Sorry…
Yes, to be sorry would be far more familiar to him. Sorry for failing, sorry for losing, sorry for not being good enough, sorry that among many others, it was exactly him that made it through.
Had this required him to be apologetic for his failings the words would have no doubt flown out of his mouth without hesitation.
But right now, he felt it.
Not the need to do what was required, but the need to do what he wanted to do.
"...Thank you." With all restraints put to the side, the words actually came out easier than he expected. "For trying-...No, for helping me, thank you."
Tiona's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the boy she had known for almost two years now to say those words. "Uhhh...I don't feel like I've done that much...But don't sweat it! That's what comrades do, right?!"
"...Heh...I guess so…"
"Glad to see you back up, Fuu!"
His eye twitched in response to the nickname Tiona used, Fuzen raising a palm as if to say 'Let me stop you right there' with his usual, blank face. "Let's not go overboard."
"Nah, I like it so I'll keep it, Fuu!"
"...Haaa...Do whatever you want." Strangely however, he felt no need to fight on this anymore. Giving some ground to the girl did not seem like an action that would have too many repercussions, after all.
"So, what'cha gonna do next? Take some time to think?"
"Oh, no. I already figured everything out thanks to you, thus why I was thanking you just now."
"Geez, talk about fast…" The two began to move once again, walking side by side. "So, what did you figure out?" Tiona inquired
In truth her help did not only allow him to figure out what to do next, but also to figure out who he really was.
He was scared.
He would not deny that any longer.
The simple thought of having to face that man again made his skin crawl. His amount of Ki, his determination and his fighting prowess, they were all leagues above those of the Disciple Fuzen Katsumi. It left a bad aftertaste in his mouth to accept it, but that was the truth.
Hi chances of winning, even now after having figured some of the man's strengths out, were minimal at best.
His conviction faltered at this revelation. As someone who had never lost before in his life, Fuzen had been unable to come to terms with the loss. To terms with the reality that was his path.
So fear took over.
Fear that it was impossible, after all.
That he had simply lied to himself, convincing himself that grasping the Heavens was possible, that he could do it.
The man had been a wall which shattered any such assumptions.
How many more like him would Fuzen encounter as he continued to move forward?
That question and it's lack of answer pushed him into the ground where he wanted to seek shelter.
But Tiona helped him realize something about himself, something which allowed him to stand up despite how frightened he was.
He had lost, but his effort was still there.
The accumulation of strength he had painstakingly obtained over the years of suffering and encountering hardship after hardship. He was not strong. Not even remotely as strong as he needed to be to achieve his goal.
But the strength that he possessed at the moment, he had gained it through effort and effort alone.
The strength that he now possessed, it was his and his alone. It was not fake. It was not stolen. It was not a lie.
He had earned it with his own hands, every single ounce of it.
And so, a question popped inside his mind after listening to the words of the Amazon.
'Why the hell should my effort lose to anyone else's? Why should my effort lose to that of the Were-Jaguar bastard?'
He was scared, yes.
But more so than that, he was pissed.
"...Nothing much. I just realized I'm probably the world's greatest sore-loser."
"What…? Buhahaha!" The girl could not contain her laughter, even more so after noticing the serious face Fuzen has stated that fact with. "That's kind of lame, isn't it?!"
"...Heh. Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is…"
Lame as it might be, this self-discovery allowed him to move forward despite the fear he felt in his heart.
Mysterious and strange as the feeling was to him, he knew what he wanted to do next.
He wanted to beat the Were-Jaguar into the ground and be the one to remain standing.
And he wanted to do it not as the Lightning Sword Style Successor.
Not as the Disciple Fuzen Katsumi.
Not as the Adventurer Kenshi of the Loki Familia.
He wanted to do it as Fuzen.
Just Fuzen.
'After I report to the Captain on Forestlight-sama's recovery I should get things started. If I want to beat that asswipe, then first on the line of priority would be...'
XXX
"Huh…?" The one-eyed woman exclaimed as she looked up from her benchwork, red eye meeting hazel ones. "What was that?"
"A discount." Fuzen Katsumi replied while the nonchalant expression on his face remained unchanged. "I'm in need of it. Valis does not grow on trees, you know?"
"Well, of course I know that." The Master Blacksmith replied, feeling as if her intelligence had just been questioned. "But we are running a business over here, you know? We can't just hand out discounts as we want. And more important…" Tsubaki crossed her arms and examined the boy in front of her, one of the few people she had met over the years who understood what a sword symbolized and what's its meaning was. "Didn't you give up?"
As someone who had been present on the day Shakti of the Ganesha Familia questioned him on the recent killings at the Dian Cecht pharmacy, Tsubaki was well aware just how much damage Fuzen had suffered at the hands of the killer.
"I almost did. Almost."
"Ehhh? So, what changed?"
"I just realized I want to win. That is all."
"Simple." She smirked as she juggled one hammer up and down with her right hand. "I like that. But, discounts are out of the question. It's not like you are going to ask for third-rate swords after all."
"Indeed. I am not strong, but I am not weak either. I need blades capable enough to withstand my power. Second-class weapons, at the very least."
"See, I was right. Then-"
"My discount."
"...Look, I already told you-"
Fuzen raised a palm to stop Tsubaki. "I never said I ask of it for free."
Her brow immediately shot up as she knew the boy not to be a liar. "You got any rare goods?" Tsubaki asked as she guessed Fuzen would offer her some rare Drop Items from the Deep Floors he might have gained while on his Familia expedition.
"No. Instead, I can show you how my School's Relic, the Raiju no Yoki, became what it is today."
In a rare instance of giving in to her desires, Tsubaki gasped.
The Raiju no Yoki was the name of a sword any blacksmith worthy of his title knew about. It was the masterpiece of the best blacksmith from the Far East to ever live, Masamune. Even Hephaestus herself was aware of the sword's existence and asked Tsubaki about details after the Cyclops met Kenshi.
A blade of incredible beauty and forged in such a manner it was both the sharpest and the most durable blade at the same time, without making use of the Durandal attribute. Interestingly enough however history failed to mention whom exactly Masamune forged the blade for, any name that might have been mentioned lost to the centuries since the blacksmith's time.
Tsubaki's surprise was thus justified when almost two years ago a boy half her size at the time visited her shop in possession of that very same sword, kept in a pristine condition and handled with the utmost of care.
'I heard you are the best blacksmith in this city so I came to check whatever you are worthy to perform maintenance on this sword.' He stated upon their first meeting, almost as if provoking the Cyclops and her skills.
She proved her abilities however and ever since the two had been acquainted, Fuzen coming regularly to have the Cyclops have a look at Raiju no Yoki. However, never before had he offered to reveal secrets on the blade, until now that is.
"...Wait." Tsubaki voiced as she managed to shake herself out of her excitement. "Are you telling me you know of how Masamune forged that blade? And you're going to show me? I find that hard to believe."
"Of course I don't know how Masmune-sama forged it." Fuzen replied with a tilt of his head. "I'm eleven years old. I don't possess that kind of knowledge. But, I said I'll show you how it became what it is today, not the forging process itself."
Tsubaki remained silent for a couple of seconds, pondering on his words. Then a smirk appeared on her lips. "Alright. Let's do this."
XXX
'The materials we decided on using for my new swords should be ready in a couple of days. That is good. I feel too light at the moment, I don't like it.' Fuzen thought to himself as he walked down the north-western main street, his lack of swords making him feel incomplete.
He had talked in great detail with the Cyclops about the swords she would forge for him next, and with his help and that of his knowledge on matters few people were even aware of, he had no doubt those swords would be of a great quality.
However, there was one problem.
'I'm out of money. I've been away from reality for merely six days and already I feel the difference that lack of activity on my part made for my finances. Those swords, even with the discount, are not going to be cheap. I also need to check in with the Genyutai and see if they are in need of funds for their own equipment. Haaa…'
"Living is expensive…"
He would need to go Dungeon diving soon, and then check in with his art gallery as well. His art director Cellica did come by to visit roughly three days ago, but he had lashed out at her as he did with everyone else.
The woman simply uttered the words 'Ok, then' before leaving.
Fuzen was frightened at the crazy woman's response and what it meant but decided not to think on it for long.
Money aside however, there was one more matter he needed to take care of before setting out to search for the Were-Jaguar again.
'I almost died. This is the second time, counting what happened back then in Altena as well. Was it my fear that kept me from stating this out loud, or something else? Whatever the case the fact I almost expired twice already cannot be denied any longer. I am not responsible enough.'
He had made up his mind to confront the Were-Jaguar as just Fuzen, but that did not change the fact that Fuzen was also the Successor of the Lightning Sword Style. Maybe he simply tried to deny the fact by not thinking about it but as the last and only Disciple of his School, his death meant one certain thing for the Lightning Sword Style: Game Over.
He needed to tackle this problem before setting out towards what most certainly was his death.
'In truth I would first need to send a letter back home, ask for permission, clarify on my request and why I believe it is necessary, wait for the reply and only then proceed with my plan. But...it would take whole weeks for the process to be completed, and time is of the essence. I will take matters into my own hands and deal with the repercussions later. They would not be that bad anyway, right…?' The image of his former God appeared in his mind, the Deity looking at him with steely, judging eyes. '...Yeah, I guess having to cut off an arm is the least I should prepare for. Haaa...Screw my fricking life…'
Whatever the end result might be he had made up his mind. To be honest he doubted his plan would bear any fruit anyway but at the very least he should try it out, if only to ease his mind should the worst-case scenario happen once he would set out to search for the man and their second fight would take place.
After all, he still had enough money left for this last-ditch effort.
With that in mind Fuzen stopped in front of the large building, gave himself a nod and stepped inside.
Once there he got in line and waited, thankfully not very long as he seemed to have picked a time when fewer Adventurers were present than usual. After the person in front of him was finished he stepped before the counter, the red-headed Werewolf on the other end squinting her eyes in a way that told Fuzen she was not pleased to see him.
He gave it little thought however and proceeded with his plan.
"I require help in putting up a Quest."
XXX
Dunno why but every time I get into explaining Ki I find myself writing at least 3k words on it. I cannot control it at this point.
Might just be my inner self trying to explain the reason why my boi is strong, and why this power is not something just anyone can unlock.
And yeah, Riveria and Finn's worries are legit.
Fuzen can indeed 'curse' someone with Ki just like how Alicia got done in by the Were-Jaguar.
Remember the time my boi was riding on the carriage towards Altena with the weasel? Back then he also 'poisoned' the Treasurer by sending Ki into him over the span of those three days, thus why the man fell ill once they arrived at the capital.
That was a mild and non-lethal version of what Alicia experienced in this Chapter, done externally that is.
With that said, if any of you had troubles understanding what was going on in the upper half of the Chapter leave a review (who am I kidding, right?) or message me, I'll do my best to try and explain the whole thing again, since this kind of knowledge is going to be crucial for you to understand events that will happen in the future.
Anyway, that's about it.
See you around.
Kay bye.
PS: Some thoughts on my try at character development for Fuzen in this Chapter would be appreciated.