NOVEL NEXT 226. Meld
"N-Ngh...! Agh! My head feels like it's about to split open!"
Holding back his screams as to not alert his companions, Rei had remained in his meditative state for the last hour
His goal...to expedite the merging of chakras within his very body. The pain-inducing visions of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki and the original "Rei Sano" he experienced in "Rengoku no Kyōkoku1Purgatory's Canyon", along with everything else he'd learned and experienced so far, led the Genin carrying the soul an engineer to one, single acknowledgement...
Now that his body had completed its cellular transformation into a full alien-human hybrid, the two chakras in his body had finally begun to merge into one...
{I can feel the pull...it feels so comfortable, yet painful at the same time! What is this...this contradiction? Like something else is trying to interfere with me...} (Rei)
However, he knew his very being was still unstable...and an unknown. Tired of his body's unpredictability, he sought to set things straight once and for all, which meant using the ability that consistently put his body through a repetitive cycle of change...Kisshōten2Auspicious Heavens
{That feeling again...this is it!} "Rgh!"
ZUZUZUZU!
Struggling for some time, his efforts were finally rewarded as the familiar, yet odd sensation of being dragged into the strange world of white had enveloped him. Things remained dark for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the mysterious mental space...
But things we're not the same...
"H-Huh? What the-? Wait a sec, I can-?!"
Catching him completely off guard, Raymond was shocked upon discovering he'd regained the ability to speak in this world, something he could never do before. And just as he started to wrap his mind around the new change...
"Oh my God... What the hell is going on?! What are those?!"
...What was formerly an empty space with nothing but a black gem, had now hosted countless lights in the distance, many of them taking a rotating elliptical shape, irregular in nature...like small galaxies
"They're all...what caused this to happen? Me? I can't even call them to my location"
Raymond, who typically controlled everything in this white world, found that he couldn't call these strange lights to him. No interference could me made, as if his white world was detached from all the others
Rei tried reaching out to them, but the abrupt sensation of an unknown force had pulled him back, throwing him away
"Ooof! W-Who-?!"
"Please don't go near those, especially after all the trouble we--I've gone through to hide you from them"
"W-Why are you here--no, I guess I shouldn't be THAT surprised, considering our unique relationship. Just wanna check, this isn't another hallucination right?"
"Nope. But whether or not you can refer to any of this is as real...it all depends on perspective"
Things continued grow more and more uncanny, for once again, the original owner of the body, "Rei Sano" had stood before Raymond. Like a mirror of him, not at the age of three when his body was taken over, but the same age as the now reborn Raymond of twelve years
"Is that right...shows what I know" (Raymond)
"Gotta say, you're not acting as shocked as I expected you'd be" (Rei)
"Considering everything I've been through and know, should I be?" Raymond retorted before turning his attention towards the strange phenomenon in this strange world
"Pfff! Hahaha! Fair point! Then again, you always were so quick when it came to things like this" (Rei)
"Yeah...but never to the things that matter most" (Raymond)
"Well that's funny" (Rei)
ZWIP!
"What is-GUOH?!" (Raymond)
"It's funny because I was just about to say the same thing...body snatcher" (Rei)
Raymond soon regretted taking his eyes off of Rei, who suddenly grabbed the former by the throat! Hoisting him up before slamming him down, Raymond was swiftly kicked several feet away, with such a level of force... he even struggled to breathe!
"Cough! Cough! Urgh!" (Raymond)
"Yup! That's how it feels for anyone who gets punched by you. Makes you think eh?!" (Rei)
"T-Tch! And here I thought we could have a meaningful conversation. Can't believe I almost thought you accepted losing your body... I really am getting more naïve" (Raymond)
"Who would be cool with that? Along with the body snatching, I've also had to watch you fumble about, doing damage to MY world." (Rei)
"It's not like it was me who forced your soul out...agh!" (Raymond)
"True. But you're the one I can punch right now" (Rei)
"You little shit...!" (Raymond)
"Calling me that...it's kind of redundant, wouldn't you say?" (Rei)
Rei's face couldn't be any more colder if he tried, staring right into Raymond's eyes as the latter struggled to get back on his feet
{Can't believe I took THAT much damage in such a short exchange, how is he so strong?!} (Raymond)
"Truth be told, I wasn't expecting our meeting to come this quickly, despite my initial efforts. You've continued to surpass expectations Raymond, it truly is fortuitous..." (Rei)
"The hell are you saying?!" (Raymond)
"Now...show me all of this wasn't for nothing!" (Rei)
BOOM!
Cracks in the white space emerged as Rei and Raymond blasted off the floor with inhumanly swift movements too fast for the naked eye! Following the sudden dashing, the pair exchanged blow after blow!
Neither managed to gain the upper hand on the other. Kicks, punches, blades, even Nintaijutsu3Ninja Body Techniques...they were perfectly matched
What frustrated Raymond the most was that the boy before him... didn't even appear to be trying
TAK!
"So annoying...!" Opting for a new approach, Raymond gained some distance before moving on to pure Ninjutsu instead {Katon: Endan4Fire Style: Flame Bullet!} (Raymond)
"Oh please, and here I thought you were smart!" {Suiton: Suidan5Water Style: Water Bullet!} (Rei)
BOOSH!
As the opposing techniques met, Raymond moved out of the way, knowing he was already at an elemental disadvantage with this clash of Ninjutsu
"Cheh!" (Raymond)
"My appearance and fighting matched yours, did you really think we couldn't use the same Jutsu?" (Rei)
"It had crossed my mind but-" (Raymond)
"You wanted to confirm before making any moves. I get it, you're not like Naruto Uzumaki, rushing in blind like a moron doesn't suit you. However-" (Rei)
{He knows about Naruto...then it's safe to assume he knows everything I've said and done since my arrival in this world. Maybe even beyond that...just like-!} (Raymond)
"Too much hesitation always leads to disaster! Despite everything that's happened to you over the years, fear dictates all of your actions! Dumbass!" {Suiton: Bakusui Shōha6Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!} (Rei)
SPLOOSH!
"This much water in an area with none?!" (Raymond)
An ever-increasing amount of water droplets formed the air, forming into a massive wave reaching several feet in the air, with Rei standing on top!
"Have you forgotten?! This body is, albeit slightly different... Ōtsutsuki now! Think, Dumbass! Those guys don't train! Compared to humans, chakra manipulation is as natural as breathing to them! Rather than being surprised, you should be doing the same! Come on, Raymond...BE BETTER!" Rei screamed with boundless frustration, impatience, and anger
{Only one way out of this!} "Hmph! What is with you?!" (Raymond)
Knowing the boy was trying to cut off his routes of escape from either side, he focused all the chakra in his body towards his legs, jumping over the attack.
"Great, with that out of the way, I'm gonna have to try something else" (Raymond)
"No way I'm just gonna sit here and let that happen..." (Rei)
"Uh?!" (Raymond)
BAM!
Raymond evasion was short lived, however, for Rei met him in the air. With an elegant turn of his body, Rei delivered a swift roundhouse kick to Raymond's torso, putting him back in the attack's path
"AGH!!" (Raymond)
"Tsk! You're pissing me off...! How am I supposed to-?!" (Rei)
The massive tsunami-like water Ninjutsu struck the confused engineer with violent force, blasting him even further away. Once he was no longer under the crippling force of the attack...
ZWIP!
"!" (Raymond)
...Rei closed the distance in an instant, standing right of in front of the now downed Raymond, with a look of disappointment on his face
"Please... I need you to be better!" (Rei)
"..." (Raymond)
"Considering your options, why did you attack with Katon? You should've stuck with Suiton! After all, your latest recursion in that canyon has-!" (Rei)
"I'm aware. I just wanted to confirm my suspicions" (Raymond)
"Oh? Your suspicions being...? (Rei)
"That all manner of Ninjutsu could still be used...in this reality you've made for me" (Raymond)
"...!" (Rei)
CRACK!
The white dimension continued to break apart...
"Well...did I pass?" (Raymond)
"Heh...Hehehe! YES! That's the kind of intelligence I want to see! When did you figure it out?" With his answer, Rei's demeanor had made a complete 180°, with joy blooming on his face
"The moment the world cracked from the start of the fight. I was in a similar position with Kyō... when he was under MY Genjutsu7Illusionary Techniques" (Raymond)
"Oh yeah...that did happen. It gets so trippy in this place, you tend to forget about the important stuff" (Rei)
"Not to mention, your frustration whenever I wasn't performing up to par. You were so obvious, you might as well have the word, teacher, plastered on your face" (Raymond)
"Hahahahaha!" (Rei)
CRACK! CRACK!!
"Now, don't you think it's time to end this farce?" (Raymond)
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. You have been patient" (Rei)
"Considering your situation, I'd say, not as much as you" (Raymond)
"Haha...damn straight" (Rei)
SHATTER!
Like a mirror breaking, the surroundings continued breaking into pieces until the entire area reverted to its original state
{Those..."galaxies" are still here, but everything has returned to normal. Crazy to think one can use illusions in a place like this. I can't speak with my mouth anymore...}
[That's right, things are back to normal, or what passes as normal in this place]
{That voice...as I suspected. Rei... You really did have some ties to it...}
[Yes...but not the kind you're likely thinking about]
Raymond stood up, his body devoid of all injuries and battle. Rei was the same, but now his body had become ethereal, with no mass. His form slightly distorted as if he were...a ghost
[Are you ready? Because I'm low on time]
{You said the same to me when I first came here, but fine. All I care about now are answers. Right now, I don't care whether you go by "Rei" or "Notitia"... I want a real explanation this time}
[...]
{Tell me... Why am I here?}