[View of Zack]
Once the drop was closed, I looked around to ensure everyone was at a safe distance from me. Everyone was now starting to get off the ground, but some of the people still looked shaken.
This wasn't Nushi's fault, but this might limit the number of people who want to join us. If this was the power of a middle-class E-Ranked Demon, I wouldn't want to know what power the higher ranks could exude.
Making people want to say on the island was kind of the aim. Still, what happened was not my aim, but we didn't really need to be taking more.
I activated my Fire Pact and rose into the air, closing my eyes. I could feel Nushi's presence southwest of me, the direction of home.
[Nushi is back in the Keep in her own room.]
Hearing Harold's voice spooked me, and my eyes snapped open. I had so many things on my mind that I had forgotten that he had access to a map of most of the island.
'Thank you. The people seem to be okay, and as rough as it was, it will keep most of this part of the island here. We already have the Gogs, and I feel we might have to deal with the Shaugin again.'
I aimed myself at home and started off, but I didn't move overly fast. I think Nushi needed to have some time to herself before I showed up.
[That is true, but I don't think this will deter some. Most of these low level probably have painful memories of being on the mainland. The power that Nushi displayed works in both ways. For some, it will be a painful reminder of a terror-filled time. For others, seeing Nushi will give them hope as one born of the lowest rank increases with power so significantly.]
I hadn't really considered that that was something that was a possibility. I still wasn't sure exactly what had caused this dramatic change, but something dramatic must have happened.
This made me curious if this was just Nushi or if the others had somehow also broken past old limits.
[The team seems to have increased, but you will have to look at their status window another time. I am sure that you will notice the difference between some of the girls. It seems that they have all been very busy on the last day.]
I had also been training, but if the others were any stronger than Nushi, I would be the one holding the group back.
[None have improved anywhere near that of Nushi's increase. The others are growing gradually, some more than others. They all seem to be doing training in some form or another.]
I was nearing the broken-down Keep that was no longer lit. The now somehow taller apartment building Jilly built was towering over the old stone structure that never got fixed.
I slowed down and entered the Keep through a hole in the East walls, on the second floor, just north of Nushi's room. The door was there, but part of the roof was missing from the Keep and the turret that had been her room.
I released the Fire Pact and took a deep breath before walking to the door. I still wasn't entirely sure what I would say to her, but the best I could do was be supportive.
This wasn't her fault, but that didn't make the event any less traumatic. After having to go through the same treatment from Nixi, the thought of becoming what you always feared was not appealing.
I didn't bother knocking and just opened the door to find a completely empty room. Nushi was sitting on the ground, stroking Howl's blue fur, and she looked up at me when I opened the door.
"Zack, I am sorry I left, but everything was so overwhelming! I could hear everyone's pain, and all I could think of was my grandmother. Nixi had tormented my father with the exact same thing!" Nushi said in an angry voice that surprised me, but it wasn't furious.
Nushi's horns were also back up and erect. There were tiny sparks of blue energy-sucking into them.
That was new, among other things, but not important right now. I closed the door behind me out of habit and turned back to Nushi.
"Don't worry about it," I said as I walked over and turned my back to the wall, sliding down beside Nushi before continuing.
I reached a handover and scratched behind Howl's ear, feeling the softness of his fur. It made sense why Nushi had refused to put him down; it was pretty relaxing.
"This strength is new, and I just had to go through something similar, if you remember. What you did may have hurt some minorly and scared others, but it served a purpose in the end," I explained to Nushi as I slipped my hand over hers, turning to look into her blue eyes.
"How can I forcing an entire town of people to their knees serve a purpose?" Nushi asked, giving me a strained look.
I smiled and then explained what Harold and I had talked about on my way over. Nushi wasn't convinced at first, but after a bit more explanation, I was able to drive the point home.
"We really don't need a bunch of extras to come with us. At the same time, I don't really want to leave anyone behind that wants to return. We will just have to work on reining in your new power, which I am curious to know how you came about it?" I asked, giving Nushi a raised eyebrow look.
I had been itching to ask this question, and I know Harold was also interested in the answer. Whatever happened must have been pretty dramatic to produce S Class results like I witnessed with Nushi.
"I was trying to help Tiga, and I looked into her memory and watched her spying on her father. The memory was of him talking to himself, and he was arguing over if he should kill his daughter or not," Nushi explained, becoming serious, and sitting up.
The start of her explanation immediately set me on edge, and I also sat up. This was not what I had expected to hear.
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