Chapter 149: Things That Don't Exist

  "WAHHHHH!!!!"

  A scream so loud and raw it seemed to tear the very fabric of the sky apart echoed over the Zarateph wasteland.

  It was Raito's.

  He was flailing wildly, his limbs pinwheeling through the air as the ground rushed up to meet him. Flying? Falling? He didn't know the difference right now. One moment, he had been trapped inside the claustrophobic, purple-veined belly of a mountain-sized turtle. The next, he had been violently expelled, launched into the stratosphere by a massive, biological gust of wind.

  Or a sneeze. He would much rather call it a 'burst of wind' to save whatever shred of pride he had left.

  "Stop screaming!"

  Tanvir’s voice boomed right next to him. The older man was falling at the exact same terrifying velocity, but his arms were crossed over his broad chest, his expression as calm and unbothered as a granite statue.

  "We are getting launched through the sky! How could I not scream?!" Raito shouted back, his cheeks flapping in the gale-force wind.

  "True," Tanvir conceded flatly, his coat whipping violently around his legs. "However, you can probably channel that energy somewhere else. Like finding a landing spot. Otherwise, we might splat."

  "Me... I might be alright," Tanvir added, looking down at the rapidly approaching earth. "You, I doubt it."

  "What?!" Raito’s eyes bugged out, pure shock cutting through his panic. "That is not reassuring at all! You are a Lord, right?! Can't you do something?!"

  "I'm the Quake Lord," Tanvir yelled over the wind, gesturing downward. "Earth. Ground. I make rocks and tectonic movements. Not ways to fly, nor soft pillows to land on. Ask the other, more flyable Lords for that."

  "You are useless!" Raito bluntly screamed, his hands grabbing fistfuls of his own hair.

  "Watch your mouth, kid. You are stuck with me," Tanvir shot back, completely unfazed.

  Raito frantically scanned the surrounding area below them. The scorched wasteland of the former forest stretched out in all directions. He was looking for any bush, any surviving haybales from a lost caravan, or just like Tanvir said, soft pillows. At this velocity, he might as well pray for a miracle.

  And then, Raito felt it.

  The terrifying forward momentum slowly dying. The rushing wind seemed to pause for a microsecond of perfect, terrifying stillness. They had reached the apex of their parabolic flight.

  "Oh no," Raito breathed, his stomach dropping into his shoes. "We are going to fall."

  "Can't you fly, kid?" Tanvir asked, tilting his head slightly as gravity reclaimed them and the descent began.

  "I'm a human! A normal human!" Raito shrieked, his voice pitching an octave higher. "How can I fly?!"

  "You have the fire element, right?" Tanvir sighed, sounding like a disappointed tutor. "More flames equals thrust. Do you know nothing about how to use your elemental powers?"

  Raito blinked, the wind tearing tears from his eyes. "That... is actually not a bad idea."

  "Idiot. Who is your master? How could you not realize this basic application?" Tanvir chided, shaking his head.

  "My master is Grandpa Sun-Yoon!" Raito yelled back defensively. "But only for my sword skills! As for Core and elemental skills... no one, to be honest!"

  "Don't care right now! Quick, we are starting to fall!" Tanvir warned, uncrossing his arms.

  "You were the one who asked!" Raito sighed in exasperation.

  He scrambled, his fingers fumbling in the rush of air before finally closing around the hilt of his sword. With a sharp metallic ring, he drew Koenka from its scabbard.

  He focused. He didn't reach for the cold abyss this time, but for the familiar, burning warmth of his own fire. He channeled his raw elemental power directly into the crimson steel.

  FWOOSH.

  A massive burst of brilliant red-orange flames shot out from the blade, roaring like a jet engine. The sudden, intense thrust jerked Raito's arm upward, threatening to dislocate his shoulder.

  "Grab on!" Raito yelled, extending his free hand.

  Tanvir grabbed Raito's forearm with a grip like a vice. The sheer force of the continuous fiery explosion fought against gravity, drastically slowing their descent. They plummeted through the sky, a meteor of fire falling in reverse, until finally—

  Thud.

  Their boots hit the ash-covered earth of the wasteland. The impact was heavy, jarring their knees, but it was survivable.

  Raito instantly cut the feed to his sword, the flames dying with a hiss. He collapsed onto his back in the grey dirt, chest heaving, staring up at the hazy sky.

  "Safe..." Raito exhaled, a long, ragged breath of pure relief.

  "Unbelievable," Tanvir sighed, dusting off his pristine coat. He barely looked winded.

  He didn't waste a second. He immediately gestured for Raito to get up. "C'mon. Walk."

  "Where?" Raito groaned, slowly pushing himself up using Koenka as a cane. His arms felt like lead.

  "Thankfully, that turtle shot us directly onto the path to Kah-Kamun," Tanvir said, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the faint silhouette of the city walls stood against the heat haze. "I think it knows where we need to go. So let's go. We have very little time left. It's time to regroup."

  "Oh, right. The giant walking bomb." Raito nodded, the reality of the situation snapping him back to attention. He sheathed Koenka and started jogging, following close behind Tanvir’s wide strides through the ashes of the ruined forest.

  Kah-Kamun City

  The jewel of Zarateph was in full panic mode.

  The normally vibrant streets, usually filled with the scent of roasted meats and murmurs of travelers, were now a chaotic cacophony of terror. People were screaming all over the place. Thousands of refugees from the outer settlements had poured in, their faces caked in dust and fear. Citizens were frantically leaving their homes, gathering whatever belongings they could carry in crude bundles. Wagons and caravans choked the wide avenues, their beasts of burden braying loudly, thrashing against their reins as they sensed the unnatural tremors in the earth.

  At the city gates, the Royal Guards were struggling. They formed lines, spears crossed, pushing back against the crushing tide of humanity desperately trying to flee a threat they couldn't even fully comprehend.

  Deep within the heart of the city, the heavy stone doors of the palace throne room swung open with a violent bang.

  "We are back!" Zhu Lihua's voice shot through the expansive room, cutting through the tense murmurs of the gathered nobility.

  She marched in, her boots clicking sharply against the polished marble floor. Strapped to her back was the limp, skeletal form of Harrison. Yukari followed closely beside her, looking utterly exhausted, the silver light in her eyes entirely faded.

  "How is the condition?" Zhu asked immediately, her general's instincts taking over.

  "That is what we wanted to ask you," Queen Aleena retorted, her voice tight with stress.

  The Queen, adorned in her regal but practical desert silks, was seated at a large, circular map table in the center of the room alongside King Ahmed and the top ministers, frantically discussing the evacuation efforts.

  "I thought you two went to stop the beast," Queen Aleena said, her brow furrowed as she looked at the soot-covered women.

  "We tried, your majesty," Zhu said, walking up to the council table and letting out a heavy sigh. "But that thing was too big. An absolute force of nature. We saw vulnerable villages directly in its path, so we had to prioritize evacuation."

  "Hmmm?" Bob, the usually jovial caravan leader who had been given a seat at the side of the meeting, perked up. He stood up from his chair, his colorful robes swishing. He looked behind the two women. "Where is Raito and Tanvir? Are they not with you two?"

  "We had to split up," Yukari answered, her voice slightly hoarse. She crossed her arms, shivering despite the residual heat in the air. "Me and... Mother, like she said, were helping with the evacuation and escorting the refugees to safety. But they stayed. They went inside the beast to stop it."

  "Then we had better pray they succeed," Queen Aleena said, clasping her hands tightly together.

  But then, her sharp eyes noticed the extra weight Zhu was carrying. "I'm sorry, Madam Lihua... Zhu. Who is that? That looks like a person."

  "Right!" Zhu suddenly remembered, shifting her shoulders. "I need a medic! Now!"

  She carefully unstrapped Harrison and laid him gently onto the cool marble floor. The man looked terrible—gaunt, pale, and completely unresponsive, his breathing shallow and rattling.

  King Ahmed, who had been analyzing a map, suddenly shot up from his seat, knocking his chair backward with a loud clatter. His eyes widened in absolute disbelief.

  "Is that... Harrison Aster?!" the King gasped, walking around the table to get a closer look. "The famous adventurer? I thought he was dead or missing! How is he here? The last reported sighting of him was decades ago!"

  "That is what we are also trying to figure out, your majesty," Zhu explained, kneeling beside Harrison to check his pulse. "We are completely unsure of how he is alive, or what happened to him. Just that we believe he has a deep connection to the beast."

  In the middle of this tense revelation, the throne room doors burst open again.

  A young royal scout sprinted into the room, his face flushed, dripping with sweat. He slid to a halt before the council and dropped to one knee, panting heavily.

  "Report, your majesty!" he gasped out, his eyes wide with adrenaline. "We believe... the beast's movement has halted! It stopped!"

  For a second, there was dead silence. Then, the room erupted.

  Everyone in the council breathed a collective, massive sigh of relief. Ministers began cheering, clapping each other on the back.

  "We are saved!" one noble cried out, raising his hands to the ceiling.

  "We can stop the evacuation!" another suggested eagerly.

  "It is a miracle!"

  "Calm down, people! Calm down!" Queen Aleena commanded, raising her hand and using her authority to cut through the premature celebration. "Let's not celebrate prematurely until we know for sure."

  Off to the side, Samira—who had been quietly watching the proceedings—approached Yukari. She placed a gentle hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

  "What's wrong?" Samira asked softly.

  Yukari's expression wasn't one of relief. It was a mask of deep, unsettling distraught. Her eyes were fixed on the unconscious form of Harrison on the floor.

  "You don't seem glad that the beast stopped," Samira noted gently.

  "No, it's... it's my father," Yukari whispered, her voice trembling. She gripped her own arms tightly. "If the report is true, and the beast stopped... then why? Why is my father still laying there unconscious? If they beat whatever was controlling it... shouldn't he wake up?"

  "Maybe it's some kind of a delay?" Samira offered, trying to be optimistic. "We are dealing with something impossible after all."

  "I hope so," Yukari let out a heavy sigh, offering a weak, unconvincing smile.

  "Is this confirmed?" Queen Aleena asked the kneeling scout, her voice sharp.

  "Yes, your majesty," the scout nodded vigorously. "There are dozens of us with telescopes stationed on the northern gate walls. The beast has not moved its legs, nor have there been any rumblings in a while. It is completely stationary."

  Queen Aleena exhaled, the tension visibly leaving her shoulders. "Alright. Then maybe we can..."

  "Not yet, your majesty."

  Another booming voice interrupted her, echoing through the grand hall.

  It was Tanvir. He was leaning heavily against the ornate doorframe, incredibly sweaty and gasping for air like a dying fish. Behind him was Raito, who looked even worse, clutching his knees and fighting for oxygen.

  "Why..." Raito wheezed, glaring up at the Quake Lord. "Why are you the one gasping? I was the one... huff... running!"

  On the way to the city, Tanvir had quickly realized his sturdy, tubby legs couldn't match the desperate sprinting speed required. So, completely abandoning his dignity as a Lord, he had forced Raito to give him a piggyback ride, making the boy sprint the rest of the way to the throne room carrying three hundred pounds of solid muscle.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Raito staggered, leaning against the cool wall before sliding down to sit on the floor, his lungs burning.

  "What do you mean, old friend?" King Ahmed asked, stepping forward, his relief vanishing at the sight of Tanvir's grim expression.

  Tanvir straightened up, wiping the sweat from his bald head. "The situation has gone critical. We failed."

  "But the beast... it stopped?" Queen Aleena asked, simply not understanding how Tanvir could claim failure when the immediate threat of being trampled was gone.

  "It did," Tanvir said, his voice dropping into a deadly serious register that chilled the room. "But now... it is a ticking time bomb. The elemental and void energy within that beast has gone completely haywire. And soon, it will explode. Taking all of Zarateph with it."

  Tanvir stated the truth with the blunt force of a falling rock.

  The council gasped. The joy of a moment ago shattered into a thousand pieces. Absolute, unadulterated panic ensued.

  Taking Zarateph with it. That meant there was no safe place. There was no evacuation far enough that they would be safe from the blast radius of a walking mountain packed with volatile Void energy. If one of the Lords said that.. then it was that serious, it was absolute truth. The nobles began to mutter frantically, eyes wide with the realization that they were going to die. Ironically, a few of the more desperate ones began praying to Silas under their breath.

  "Is it true?" Queen Aleena asked, stepping around the table. "Or are you trying to scare us to keep us moving?"

  Everyone could see her regal, commanding hands were shaking.

  "I wish I was the type to joke around, your majesty. But you know me," Tanvir said grimly.

  The Queen gulped. "How long... do we have?" The words felt incredibly heavy in her mouth.

  "Hours. Maybe sooner," Tanvir said, his jaw set.

  "Can... can we evacuate everyone?" the Queen asked again, grasping at straws.

  "No," Tanvir said bluntly, crushing the hope instantly. "Everyone would have to be in the middle of the ocean at this exact time if you want them to be safe from the shockwave alone. We have no means to transport millions of people in this short amount of time. Even I, as a Lord, simply don't have that kind of power."

  He shook his head, the weight of the impending doom resting heavily on his broad shoulders.

  "Then... what can we do?" Bob was the one who asked this time, his usually cheerful face pale and drawn.

  "We can buy time. Find a way," Tanvir said. He turned his gaze across the room, locking eyes with Yukari.

  "Young lady. With your ice power, you might be able to slow down the countdown by freezing the the turtle’s heart." Tanvir pointed his thumb back at the huffing boy on the floor. "That kid will tell you more on the way there."

  "Give... me... a minute," Raito panted, holding up a single finger from the floor.

  He took three massive breaths, slapped his own cheeks to wake his exhausted muscles up, and forced himself to stand. He walked over to where Harrison was laying, grabbed the unconscious, skeletal man, and hoisted him up over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

  "Let's go," Raito gestured to Yukari with a nod of his head.

  "What... where...?" Yukari stammered, utterly confused by the sudden flurry of action. "Why with Father?"

  "No time to explain!" Raito grabbed Yukari firmly by the wrist, pulling her toward the exit. "Just come with me back to Tur'uga!"

  Before anyone could object, Raito dragged the confused ice-user and her unconscious father out of the throne room, leaving the adults behind.

  Tanvir watched them go, then turned back to the terrified council. He walked up to the grand map table and slammed his heavy hand down onto the wood, the sound cracking like a gunshot.

  "Now... us," Tanvir growled, looking at the King, the Queen, Zhu, and Bob. "The adults must combine our efforts to figure things out. We can't always force the kids to grant a miracle for us."

  The Palace Courtyard

  Out in the glaring sunlight of the palace courtyard, Raito was moving like a man possessed. His boots slammed against the sun-baked cobblestones, his grip on Yukari's wrist iron-tight as he hauled her along at a frantic pace. Over his other shoulder, Harrison bounced limply, a macabre sack of bones wrapped in faded leather.

  "Hey..." Yukari gasped, stumbling slightly to keep up.

  Raito didn't respond. His eyes were fixed fiercely on the horizon.

  "Hey!" Yukari tried again, digging her heels in slightly. The residual heat of the city was suffocating, and the panic of the fleeing citizens around them was deafening.

  Still, Raito pushed forward, resolute and silent, his jaw clenched so tight it looked ready to snap.

  Irritation flared hot in Yukari's chest, momentarily burning away her exhaustion. She wrenched her arm forward, freeing her wrist, and brought her open palm down hard in a sharp chop against the back of Raito's head.

  Smack!

  "Hey!" she shouted, her voice ringing clear over the courtyard noise.

  "Ow!" Raito stumbled forward, nearly dropping Harrison. He stopped, spinning around and aggressively rubbing the back of his head. "What is that for?!"

  "For not explaining to me what is going on!" she shot back, crossing her arms defensively. "You just dragged me out of a royal council meeting!"

  "Hello? Giant living bomb?!" Raito yelled, gesturing wildly with his free hand toward the horizon. Even from the courtyard walls, the massive, hazy silhouette of Tur'uga could be seen blotting out the sky. "We need to be quick!"

  "That, I know," Yukari said, her voice dropping. She looked at the unconscious man slung over Raito's shoulder, her eyes full of complicated grief. "But why are we bringing my father? He is half dead. No... to be honest, I don't even know if I can call him living at this point."

  She looked away, unable to bear the sight of his hollow cheeks and sunken eyes in the harsh daylight. "I already brought him all the way from that beast. Now you want to bring him back there? For what?"

  "Because Tur'uga," Raito said, shifting Harrison's weight to balance him better.

  "Who is Tur'uga?" Yukari asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

  "The turtle! The beast! The giant walking mountain of doom!" Raito explained, the words tumbling out in a frantic, desperate rush. "Tur'uga knows something about your father. And it wants me to bring him back there... for something. And you, too. It wants to tell a story. So, I said no and I said that It said it needs to tell the story to you directly."

  Raito took a deep breath, the panic clear in his wide, abyss-touched eyes. "And, of course, we need your ice power to freeze its heart so it doesn't blow us all up. Honestly, there is way too much going on right now, and we need to leave... like, an hour ago, I think."

  Yukari stood frozen in the stifling courtyard heat. The pieces were shifting, forming a picture she wasn't sure she was ready to see.

  "So... my father did have a connection with that thing," Yukari said softly. A heavy note of disappointment, laced with a weary resignation, colored her tone. The legendary adventurer, brought low by a monster he was somehow tied to.

  She took a deep breath, the air around her suddenly dropping a few degrees as she summoned the very last dregs of her willpower.

  "Fine," Yukari snapped, her silver eyes hardening with renewed resolve. "You babbling here is not helping my anxiety, so let's go."

  Without waiting for him, she gathered her elemental energy, a crisp breeze swirling around her feet, and took off, darting toward the city gates in a blur of motion.

  Raito blinked, adjusting Harrison on his shoulder one last time.

  "There we go," Raito muttered to himself, a small, relieved smile breaking through his panic, before he sprinted after her.

  Back in the hushed tension of the throne room, Tanvir's eyes lingered on the heavy wooden doors that Raito and Yukari had just disappeared through. The room was buzzing with the anxious whispers of the council, but Tanvir’s attention had snagged on something else.

  He looked over at Zhu Lihua.

  "You are uncharacteristically quiet," Tanvir noted, his gruff voice lowering so only she could hear.

  Zhu stood rigid, her arms crossed, staring at the empty space where Harrison had been laying just moments ago. She didn't blink.

  "Truth be told," Zhu started, her voice unusually tight, "I wanted to say something. My body was ready to stop the boy from reaching Harrison, from taking him back to that nightmare."

  She uncrossed her arms, looking down at her own hands as if they had betrayed her. "But something stopped me. A feeling... as if I knew this should happen. And if I didn't let them go, the absolute worst would come to pass."

  Tanvir raised a thick eyebrow, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening. "So... you felt it too."

  Zhu nodded slowly. She looked up, her usually calculating eyes swirling with doubt. "What was that feeling, Tanvir? Is it Silas's influence taking over me? Or was it just me... blindly believing in them?"

  She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a stressed exhale. "I think I am going crazy. These past few months have revealed way too much. It's breaking my sense of reason."

  "Either way," Tanvir said, his voice a steady, grounding rumble in the midst of her turmoil. "What happens next should tell us what we need to do. Fate, magic, or just dumb luck... we have to trust it."

  Zhu nodded again, drawing a deep breath to compose herself. The mask of the disciplined general slid back into place.

  "Now, if you are not doing anything, help me," Tanvir said, stepping back toward the grand map table. "We adults have work to do. And I might just have a plan."

  Zhu narrowed her eyes, the faintest ghost of a smirk touching her lips. "Alright. Lead the way shorty."

  The journey back was a grueling test of endurance.

  Raito and Yukari were running, trudging through the Zarateph wasteland with a desperate, lung-burning sprint. The scenery around them shifted drastically. They left the panic-stricken stone streets of Kah-Kamun, passing through the ash-choked remnants of the forest area.

  As they drew closer to the colossal shadow of Tur'uga, the ambient temperature spiked violently. What remained of the region's outer plantations started to wither before their eyes, the green leaves curling into black crisps, smoking under the oppressive, unnatural heat wave radiating from the beast.

  "Is it just me, or is it way hotter than before?!" Yukari complained between ragged breaths. She pushed her hands forward, readying her frost aura. A sphere of cold, swirling mist wrapped around them, violently hissing as it clashed with the superheated air.

  "No, definitely not you! Definitely hotter!" Raito shouted back over the roar of the wind. "And not just that—the wasteland is expanding! We need to run faster!"

  He adjusted his grip, violently fastening Harrison higher onto his back to keep the unconscious man from slipping, and kicked his sprint into an agonizing overdrive.

  A few minutes later, their boots ground to a halt.

  They had finally arrived directly under Tur'uga.

  Even in a life-or-death situation, the Living Mountain's massive stature was a sight to behold. It blotted out the sun entirely, a terrifying ceiling of jagged stone and organic armor looming miles above their heads.

  But it wasn't just big; it was a furnace. The ground beneath Tur'uga was blazing hot. Raito and Yukari watched in horror as the solid rocks beneath their feet began turning a glowing, sluggish red, slowly melting into magma as Tur'uga's internal body heat continued to rise uncontrollably.

  "Hey! Tur'uga! Can you hear me?!" Raito shouted, cupping his free hand around his mouth. He projected his voice and his thoughts upward into the suffocating heat. "We are here! Can you let us in?!"

  He waited. The only sound was the bubbling of melting rock and the heavy, ragged breathing of his companions.

  No telepathic whisper echoed in his mind. Not even a twitch from the colossal legs holding the beast up.

  "It's bad," Raito muttered, his heart hammering against his ribs.

  "What do we do?" Yukari asked, wiping a steady stream of sweat from her brow despite her ice aura.

  Raito looked up at the underbelly of the beast, measuring distances and angles in his mind. Then, he looked at Yukari.

  "Pardon me," Raito said bluntly.

  Before Yukari could react, Raito stepped forward and scooped her up perfectly in a princess carry. He grunted, his muscles straining under the awkward, immense load. He was now juggling both Harrison strapped to his back, and Yukari securely in his arms.

  "Kya!" Yukari shrieked, her face turning crimson from a mix of shock and the heat. Her arms flailed for a second before wrapping around his neck. "What are you doing?!"

  "Can you hold on to your father?!" Raito demanded, his face a mask of absolute concentration.

  "I'm not sure what your plan is, but...!" Yukari nodded frantically. She reached back with her free hand, grabbing a fistful of Harrison's leather jacket so the unconscious man wouldn't slip sideways during whatever insane stunt Raito was about to pull.

  With Yukari securing Harrison, Raito managed to free his left hand while his right arm remained hooked firmly under Yukari's knees.

  With a flick of his wrist, he juggled Koenka free from its scabbard, the crimson blade catching the ambient glow of the melting rocks.

  "It's going to get bumpy," Raito warned, his abyssal eyes locking onto a massive, dark cavern high above them on the beast's underside. "And please, hope this works."

  "What?! Kyaaa!" Yukari shrieked again.

  Raito channeled his elemental fire directly into the blade.

  FWOOSH!

  With the exact same deafening burst of flames from earlier, Raito launched himself straight up from the ground like a rocket. The sheer thrust compressed their spines, the acceleration violently tearing them away from the bubbling magma below.

  Mid-air, Raito twisted his wrist, angling Koenka to direct their flight path straight toward a pair of massive, dark tunnels expelling thick plumes of smoke.

  "Don't tell me we are going to—!" Yukari realized, her eyes widening in absolute horror as the cavernous holes rushed up to meet them.

  But it was too late.

  "Yep! Just like how I exited last time!" Raito yelled over the roar of his sword's thrust. He flashed her a wild, adrenaline-fueled grin. "Don't worry! It is cleaner than it looks!"

  With a final, explosive burst of speed, Raito propelled the three of them straight into the beast's colossal nostrils, plunging them back into the dark, vibrating heart of the Living Mountain.

  The inside of Tur'uga was significantly darker now, and exponentially hotter than it had been an hour ago.

  Yukari had to instantly double the output of her frost aura, creating a thick, localized blizzard around herself and Harrison. If she hadn't, their clothes would have combusted the moment they passed the threshold. The air was thick, suffocating, and reeked of burning ozone and hyper-accelerated biology.

  Raito, however, still mysteriously remained fine. He could feel the oppressive heat pressing against his skin, but it wasn't burning him. It was as if the void energy inside him was treating the ambient temperature as nothing more than a warm summer breeze.

  "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Raito said, a gleeful, adrenaline-fueled smile plastered on his face as he navigated the dark, ascending tunnels using the fiery thrust of his sword. "Flying is way more fun than it looks!"

  While Raito was enjoying his newfound mobility, Yukari looked utterly irritated. She reached up with her free hand and wiped a thick, viscous substance off her cheek.

  "Ugh... I think I got some giant turtle snot on me," she groaned, grimacing at her glove.

  "Fear not! It doesn't stick!" Raito assured her cheerfully over the roar of his flames. "We can clean it with water later, thankfully”

  "How do you even... you know what, I don't want to know," Yukari sighed, rolling her eyes. "Just keep flying. Just know you are definitely on cleaning duty next time!"

  "But I'm always on cleaning duty!" Raito complained, his janitor instincts acting up.

  Yukari blissfully ignored Raito's statement, humming a low, tuneless melody to focus her mind on her ice barrier. Raito let out an exaggerated sigh, banking sharply around a bend in the massive, organic tunnel.

  Shortly after, the tunnel widened, and they arrived back in the central heart chamber.

  The devastation was immediate and terrifying. The crystalline walls of the cavern were spider-webbed with massive, glowing cracks. Unstable energy of red, orange, and violent purple bled through the fissures like toxic light. In the center of the room, Tur'uga's heart was a terrifying sight. It wasn't just thumping; it was vibrating, the frantic beats blurring together into a sickening, continuous hum.

  CRASH.

  Raito didn't so much land as he did plow into the uneven crystal floor. He tumbled, dropping Yukari and Harrison unceremoniously before skidding to a halt next to the vibrating heart.

  But there was no time to complain about the landing.

  Yukari quickly picked herself up, brushing the dirt and soot from her clothes. The heat here was almost unbearable, pushing against her frost aura with physical weight.

  "What do you need me to do again?" she asked, her voice tight with strain.

  "Food... preserve... ice!" Raito gasped, still sprawled on the ground, pointing a shaking finger at the massive, runaway organ.

  "Right." Yukari exhaled a sharp breath, closing her eyes and centering her focus.

  Her ring lit up, flaring with a brilliant, blinding silver light. She stepped toward the vibrating mass of flesh and thrust her palms forward. A massive, continuous burst of absolute zero frost erupted from her hands, washing over the surface of the heart.

  "It's too hot!" Yukari gritted her teeth, the silver light reflecting off the sweat on her brow. "I can't completely freeze it! The ambient void energy is fighting back!"

  "Just... definitely slow it down!" Raito encouraged, pulling himself up to his knees.

  The frost began to coat the outer layer of the organ. Slowly, agonizingly, the terrifying vibration began to settle. The blur of motion resolved back into distinct, albeit still dangerously fast, heartbeats. Thump... thump... thump...

  "Good enough!" Raito said. He looked around the chamber, waiting for the telepathic connection. "Hey! Tur'uga! Feel anything different?!" he shouted into the air.

  Silence held for a brief, tense moment.

  Then, behind them, Harrison’s eyelids fluttered.

  His sunken eyes snapped wide open. But they were not the eyes of the legendary adventurer. The irises glowed with a deep, ancient, and sorrowful purple light.

  "Yes, brother," Harrison's mouth moved, but the voice that came out was the deep, resonant, and ancient tone of the Living Mountain.

  "Gah!" Raito jumped back, completely startled by the sudden animation of the skeletal man.

  "Do not worry. I am talking to you two through Harrison's body right now," Tur'uga explained calmly, the corpse's head turning slowly to look at them. "I am connected to him. It is easier this way."

  "Talk!" Yukari glared, stepping forward. The frost aura flared aggressively around her, her grief warring with her fear. "Is my father..."

  Her words caught in her throat, suddenly too heavy to speak.

  "Yes," Tur'uga said softly, the purple eyes filled with profound regret. "He is dead. Very much so. A long time ago."

  Yukari closed her eyes. The confirmation hit her like a physical blow, knocking the breath from her lungs.

  "I knew it," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I always knew. I knew he was dead. But then... how was he... no, why..."

  Tears finally broke free, rolling down her soot-stained cheeks. The moment the drops fell from her chin, they sizzled and evaporated into steam upon hitting the superheated floor.

  "I know you have lots of questions," Tur'uga said, raising Harrison's frail hand in a gesture of peace. "But... first of all, I want to apologize. I was the one who turned Harrison into this." The beast gestured to the broken vessel it was currently puppeteering.

  "Undead?" Raito asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

  "Not quite," Tur'uga answered, shaking Harrison's head slowly.

  "Just tell me... everything," Yukari demanded, opening her eyes. The silver light within them burned bright through her tears. "As for your apology, I will wait. Your story is what I want right now."

  Harrison's body nodded slowly, the purple glow in his eyes dimming slightly as the beast gathered its thoughts.

  "Right... so let me start from the very beginning," Tur'uga began, the ancient voice echoing not in their minds, but directly from the lips of the fallen hero. "About how I am an existence that should not exist. And why... you are my brother."