Chapter 34: Catastrophe (2)

With the earrings off, Tak stood motionless for a while. It wasn't until the wind rustled the petals a
second time that he placed the earrings in his pocket. Shess, standing only a few steps away,
suddenly felt a change in the surrounding atmosphere and eyed Tak nervously. Until that moment,
the four red horns sprouting from under his short, curly hair had not been visible.
"I can't."
What?
"I can't hold back my anger in this state. I have a strong desire to slaughter him on sight."
Taking a slow, deep breath, Tak tried to calm his mind and breathing as he untied and loosened his
scarf. Along came another gust of wind, causing the end of the scarf to obscure Shess's view.
Moments later the scarf settled back down. Before Shess stood a man taller than his eye level.

The Finite Chapter 34: Catastrophe (2)

Nastikas can change their apparent age without any intermediate steps, and the new form appears
just as natural as the original; however, Tak's adult form was so drastically different from that of his
teenage appearance that it gave off a sense of incongruity whenever he made the change.

As Shess watched Tak transform into his adult physique, he suddenly wondered if Ian was aware of
this particular form.

Taksaka-nim, have you ever shown yourself like this to her before?
"No."
.
He now stood at over two meters tall, with a massive build along with a threatening demeanor.
There was no doubt a slender woman such as Ian would be intimidated by him.

Well... I apologize for having to tell you this, Taksaka-nim, but if at all possible, you should
return to your earlier boyish appearance. She'll be terrified and might go into a panic when she sees
you.
.
I'm just making a suggestion. It's your decision to make, Taksaka-nim...
"It's difficult for me to control my temper in my younger state. On top of that, without the earrings,
I cannot guarantee Utpala's survival."
So this way is fine? Will it allow you to resolve this peacefully through discussion with Utpalanim?
"I don't know."
.
"It all depends on how Utpala behaves. I'm not inclined to kill him unless he poses a threat to Ian."
I see.
Shess sighed, with relief or possibly something else, and smiled at Taksaka.
I honestly hope you find a peaceful resolution.
.
Silently, Tak glanced at Shess, and with a turn of his head he leapt into the air, leaving behind the
field of flowers. Black smoke surged behind his back and instantly formed into wings which
covered the entire sky. His figure now resembled that of a huge dragon, and he disappeared beyond
the clouds.

Shess was unable to open his eyes until the gust of wind generated by the single beat of Tak's wings
subsided, so he squinted as he looked up to the sky. Before long, it was full of dark clouds, with no
trace of Tak remaining. Shess took a brief glance around and saw, save for the few remaining
flowers around him, that everything had turned into drifting ashes.

I guess that even in these circumstances, he still did this much for me.
Shess nodded in the direction of Tak's departure into the sky, silently thanking him for this little bit
of consideration. The Destruction Dragon Taksaka is the type whose true self is the epitome of
disaster, enough to bring almost instant destruction to everything around him. His appearance as a
dragon on the ground was only for a brief moment, but in that instant he caused the beautiful field
of flowers to vanish. But that was not all; upon hearing a rumbling sound, Shess looked up and
watched the distant mountains seemingly crumble like sand castles.
If this had been the sura realm, that single wing beat wouldn't have had this much of an effect...
And Taksaka-nim definitely won't be able to build a good image among the weak humans this
way.
In short time, a rain of gray ash began to fall from the dark clouds. Shess no longer stood in this
place, having already abandoned it in order to seek refuge from the rain somewhere else.

.
Ian sat for quite some time, clasping her bowed head, when she abruptly jumped up from her spot
and swept her disheveled hair behind her ears. Although she was still shaking in fear, she seemed at
least to have overcome the worst of her initial shock.
"Tak has no reason to bring me here only to abandon me, and he doesn't seem to be the type to play
games... Does this mean that it isn't Tak, but the actions of a different, hostile sura? For someone to
pick a fight like this with the nastika Tak, it must be another nastika... right?
Talking to herself helped Ian assess her situation, and she came to realize how serious it actually
was. Her expression became one of terror, and she gulped hard. The nastika who brought her here
was probably somewhere near, watching her right now. Since he was keeping her alive instead of
outright killing her, he must be using her to lure Tak, or using her as a hostage in order to do him
harm.
She never expected to face such a difficult situation caused by another nastika before she had the
chance to seek her revenge. She had heard that some of the sura clans were hostile towards each
other. At the moment, although she was still unaware of which clan Tak belonged to, she found

herself caught up in the middle of this mess.

If Tak is defeated here, she would no longer be able to carry out her revenge. But without Tak, she
would have no chance of leaving this place. She felt conflicted, both wishing for Tak to come and
rescue her, yet not wanting him to get hurt.
"...Will he come?"
She had no way of knowing how valuable she was to Tak. Even though he liked her, they had only
recently met. Considering the fact that nastikas were beings who were generally uninterested in
humans, it was possible that he wouldn't bother to take the risk of coming for her.
"If he comes..."
If he comes, perhaps I should make an effort to understand his feelings. Even though his
appearance without his earrings scares me, the love he showed while wearing them was real...
Ian.
...!
Surprised at hearing someone calling her name, Ian quickly turned around. It wasn't Tak's voice,
and she grew pale with fear.
"Hmm... How old is she? 28? 29? From a human's perspective, she would look around 14 or 15."
About twenty steps away from her stood a young man she had never seen before.
It was hard to see clearly, so all she could make out was a slender, shirtless figure.
"She is still too young..."
.
"Pretty."
.
The word "pretty" never felt so frightening. Even though the face of the mysterious figure was still
obscured, she was certain his expression wouldn't be cheerful. As she felt his penetrating gaze, Ian
looked down in fear.

"Lift your head."

...!!
Ian's head shot straight up in surprise at the voice directly in front of her. The man was now much
closer, and he stared at her as he narrowed his eyes. His messy hair was black with hues of red, and
from underneath protruded a pair of curved, blue-gray horns.
Who are you? Why did you bring me here? What are you going to do to Tak? These questions
bubbled up within Ian, but she couldn't utter any of them. He is a nastikaa being which is said to
overpower gods and look upon humans as insects. Tak, with his earrings, was an exception. A single
misspoken word could cost her her head.
"I thought he had no interest in women."
.
"I wasn't aware of this aspect of his personality."
.
"How does it feel to be loved by Taksaka?"
.
As Ian listened silently, her eyes opened wide in surprise and shock.
Taksaka...? Did he just call him Taksaka?

To be continued.