Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 16.2: Chaotic Eggs

"What happened!" Shadow shouted as he jumped off his horse. He lunged toward Drixlia, aiming to catch the falling daeben. However, he ultimately fell behind Kira who appeared by Drixlia's side like she had been expecting the fall. Kashi dropped onto her back, unconscious, but ragged breathing revealed the internal struggle he was suffering.

"Thanks," Shadow said in appreciation as Kira lowered her frame, allowing him to pull Kashi off her back. Shadow carefully propped the daeben against a boulder. He examined the daeben, brows drawn together in worry when he could not find any external cause. Helpless, he turned to Kira, "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

Kira placed a paw on Kashi's chest and sent Shadow a troubled gaze. She opened her mouth, but no words would come out. All she could do was whine helplessly as she constantly pawed at the daeben's chest. Never in her life had she hated her inability to speak as much as this moment.

"Does it have something to do with those eggs?" Larsial asked. Her question was innocent enough, but both Kira and Shadow turned to glare at her with unbridled hostility. In their panic, they had forgotten an enemy was within their midst. Larsial inadvertently reminded them of her presence, causing them to immediately adopt a defensive stance. Who knew if Larsial would take this opportunity to attack the defenseless Kashi?

"Don't worry. I have no plans of attacking," Larsial declared with raised hands. "I gave my word I would follow him for six months, and I intend to fulfill that promise." She knew her words would not assuage their suspicion, so she didn't bother with convincing them any further. Instead, she pointed at Kashi. "You keep pressing his chest. Is the problem over there?"

Kira's eyes involuntarily brightened, but she still kept her guard up.

"I may have an idea as to what's wrong with him." Larsial's keen eyes caught the change in the direwolf's expression. She slowly made her way over to Kashi's side under Kira and Shadow's strict watch, keeping her hands high in the air. "I heard him say something about being a Dimensional Artist before he took those eggs. Unless everything he said was hogwash, I imagine he has a personal dimension of his own. Something must've gone wrong when he put the eggs in there."

Kira raised her head and howled as if to express her agreement. She pawed at Kashi's chest, whimpering as she nudged him.

Larsial slowly reached over and placed a hand on Kashi's chest. Her expression twisted somewhat as she felt the impossibly rapid heartbeat. Any other hume with such a heartbeat should already be dead. How the hell was he still alive? She glanced at Kira and asked, "Is it here? The dimension?"

Kira red eyes lit up as she nodded.

"This is serious," Larsial stated, her expression bleak. "I don't know what is happening, but he can't last long like this." As if on cue, Kashi suddenly spasmed violently, coughing up a large chunk of blood in the process. "Hold him down!" Larsial ordered, but moments passed without any help. "What the hell are you do—" Larsial started to shout, but immediately stopped when she looked up.

Kira and Shadow were frozen in place, staring at the convulsing daeben, shock, and fear apparent in trembling eyes. Kashi had always been an insurmountable figure to these two. No matter what happened, he always pulled through with a confident, sometimes slightly cocky grin. Even when completely overpowered by the Adjudicators, Kashi still managed to seize the momentum. The duo - no not just these two - probably the entire Hopeful Maggots guild had never considered a possible future without Kashi. His back was just that huge.

But now, to see that invulnerable leader completely helpless like this, to the extent he was violently coughing blood. There was no word to describe the terror that seized Kira and Shadow.