Chapter 47: Bakuzan's New Skills

After a busy day of classes, Sakolomé and Sally took the same path home.

Sally: "Sakolomé, last time you didn't come to my place for training. I was really disappointed, you know?"

Sakolomé slightly lowered his head, aware of his mistake.

Sakolomé: "I'm really sorry, Sally. How can I make it up to you?"

Sally smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Sally: "That's better! But this time, don't disappoint me. There's a party at my place this weekend, I'd like you to come. How about it?"

Surprised by the invitation, Sakolomé replied:

Sakolomé: "Is it your birthday?"

She shook her head.

Sally: "No, it's an event organized by my father with other rich families from Gu-HoiT City!"

Sakolomé suddenly felt uneasy.

Sakolomé: "Other rich families? Does someone like me really have the right to be there? Even my uncle Baham's wealth can't compare to those people from Gu-HoiT City!"

Sally looked at him with some concern.

Sally: "Sakolomé, don't underestimate yourself. Beyond wealth, we're all human. Plus, I'm a Liuly; I have the right to invite whoever I want. Even an animal could be present at this event without any problem!"

Sakolomé felt almost insulted by her comparison and gave her a hurt look.

She noticed his expression and tried to clarify.

Sally: "No... When I say animal, I don't mean your social status is the same as a dog! Don't think that. It was just an example!"

At that moment, a black car approached, honking softly.

Beep beep...

Sakolomé and Sally turned to see an elegant car stop near them. Sally seemed to recognize it immediately.

Sally: "It's the butler. I have to go." She turned to Sakolomé insistently. "Promise me you'll come this weekend. I've already shown you where I live here in Monor City. If you can't find it, tell the guard at the tower... Or better yet, I'll come pick you up myself!"

She walked away and got into the car with the butler. Before the vehicle started, she waved at Sakolomé with a smile.

Sakolomé: "Sally is really nice to me!"

He continued walking.

Suddenly, he stopped and clenched his fist before bringing it back to his chest.

Sakolomé: "I'll be there! The party is tomorrow. Trust me, Sally!"

He resumed his walk.

Taking his time, night fell slowly; it was now 8 PM, and a full moon lit the surroundings with silver light.

As he walked, Sakolomé thought about his new friendship with Sally.

Sakolomé: "Hmm... I have a new friend, that's cool. Life is really full of surprises... When I think that..."

Boom!

An explosion sounded nearby.

A thick black smoke rose in the darkness as panicked screams echoed through the streets. Passersby fled in all directions, terrified by what had happened.

A massive hand covered in scales emerged from the smoke and gripped a nearby building; it was so large it could hold the building like a toy between its sharp claws.

In the thick darkness and smoke, a reptilian head slowly appeared. Two imposing horns adorned its skull, and its terrifying eyes with vertical pupils scanned the surroundings with murderous intensity.

Each step of the creature made the ground tremble and cracked the surrounding roads. The inhabitants screamed in terror as they tried to escape this living nightmare.

But amidst the chaos, a human figure leaped into the air with incredible speed toward the colossal monster.

It was Sakolomé.

A mischievous smile lit up his face as he charged straight at the beast.

Sakolomé: "Perfect!!!"

With a powerful and precise blow, he struck the creature right in the chest with phenomenal force. A massive shockwave shook the entire city as the monster was thrown beyond the city limits with a single blow.

Still floating in the air after his devastating attack, Sakolomé calmly observed the consequences of his strike.

Sakolomé: "No matter where it falls... I doubt it will get back up after that." He slightly furrowed his brow in thought. "Though... I didn't even hit that hard... Yet..."

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts:

"Yeah, go ahead! Try to make us believe you took down that mutant all by yourself when I also participated!"

Surprised, Sakolomé turned his head to see Bakuzan floating nearby.

Sakolomé: "Bakuzan?! What are you doing here?"

The two brothers were now in free fall toward the ground, discussing as if nothing unusual was happening.

Bakuzan: "Originally, I was heading home like you. Then I saw this monster and took it down... like you!"

They landed softly on the ground despite the dizzying height of their fall. Neither seemed affected by what would have been fatal for any ordinary human.

With a soothing smile on his face, Sakolomé said:

Sakolomé: "So we head home together!"

Bakuzan replied with the same smile:

Bakuzan: "It's the least we can do!"

But something suddenly caught Bakuzan's attention; his gaze froze on a disturbing scene a few meters away.

Bakuzan: "Sakolomé! Come see this!"

Intrigued by the urgency in his voice, Sakolomé rushed to his side.

Sakolomé: "What is it?"

Bakuzan pointed to something on the ground with his finger. When Sakolomé looked down to see, his eyes widened in horror.

There, before them, lay the lifeless body of Leyla—a girl from his class—bathing in her own blood. She had clearly been killed by the mutant they had just faced.

His heart heavy, Sakolomé murmured:

Sakolomé: "Damn... Leyla... What was she doing out at this time? And in this area infested with mutants... This is really starting to get on my nerves! It's already the second time a mutant has killed a classmate!"

Bakuzan shrugged nonchalantly before responding:

Bakuzan: "In your class? It shouldn't be a problem for you that she's dead, considering how they treat you like a descendant of an assassin."

Furious at this insensitive remark, Sakolomé violently shook his head:

Sakolomé: "That's not funny, your joke! No matter what they do to me... I can't stand seeing someone die, especially when I knew that person well!"

Without responding immediately, Bakuzan removed his bag and handed it to Sakolomé:

Bakuzan: "Hold this for a moment."

Confused but obedient, Sakolomé took the bag while Bakuzan crouched beside Leyla's lifeless body. He gently placed his hand on her head before examining the blood around her with attention.

Intrigued by these strange actions, Sakolomé asked:

Sakolomé: "Bakuzan, what are you doing?"

Rising slowly while observing his fingers stained with fresh blood, Bakuzan replied calmly:

"I'm confirming that it was indeed the mutant that killed her." Then he added nonchalantly: "But her physical state is all that was affected."

Sakolomé's perplexed look betrayed his complete misunderstanding:

"What do you mean?"

With an enigmatic smile on his lips, Bakuzan declared:

"In short... I can bring your friend back to life if it can spare you unnecessary trouble."

A mocking look crossed Sakolomé's face as he replied:

"Seriously? Since when is it possible to bring someone back to life? And since when have you been able to do that?"

Bakuzan raised his hand, and a purple aura began to orbit around it.

"My poor little brother," he said with an amused smile. "Every day I learn things that surpass our understanding."

He brought his hand closer to his chest before adding:

"I had a revelation about a level of existence; some things are possible while others are not. Although I can bring someone back to life, it's limited to my level of existence. Thanks to my current state, I can use my mana to repair damage or order a lower state to repair it. It's a bit complex to explain, but I'll keep it short for your friend."

Sakolomé's serious look betrayed his growing concern.

"Do you really know what you're doing? You're not just joking..."

Bakuzan extended his hand toward Leyla and declared firmly:

"Resurrection!!!"

Leyla's lifeless body was enveloped in a mass of purple aura that seemed to devour her body before being absorbed by it.

The blood around her and all her wounds gradually disappeared.

Then Leyla began to move slightly as if she was waking from a deep dream; she had regained her breath and was alive again.

Sakolomé's eyes were wide with incredulity as he watched this incredible scene; he struggled to believe such a thing was possible. It was like a miracle!

"Let's go, Sakolomé," Bakuzan said, casting an anxious glance around them.

With a complicit smile on his lips:

"You're right... Let's go, big brother!"

As they walked away into the growing darkness of the evening, their silhouettes gradually merged into the surrounding shadows.

Leyla woke up with a start and looked around her in confusion.

She carefully touched herself to check that she was indeed alive before murmuring in shock:

"I'm not dead?"

Looking behind her, she saw silhouettes disappearing into the darkness.

Leyla then began to think intensely:

"While I was asleep... I heard voices... It wasn't just anyone's voice..."

Her thoughtful gaze fell on the starry sky illuminated by a resplendent full moon.

"...Sakolomé Killer man..." she murmured into the silence of the night.