Kazuki stood still, his eyes fixed on Vareon with a gaze that carried both resolve and weariness. The silence between them was heavy, like the moment before a storm. As if the heavens themselves were echoing the tension, dark clouds began to gather, and soon raindrops splashed against the ground.
Kazuki slowly lifted his hand, palm open, allowing the droplets to strike against his skin. The cool water ran down his fingers, almost as if nature itself was reminding him of the burden he carried. His lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile before he finally spoke, his voice steady yet burdened with unshakable weight.
"As you've come to realize," he began, each word deliberate, "I am the child of the prophecy… the chosen path of Fate itself. The very fact that I was born into this world, after dying in another, was not a coincidence—it was a design. A design far superior to what mortals or even kings could imagine."
His words resonated with the steady rhythm of the falling rain. Vareon's eyes narrowed, studying him carefully, trying to decipher whether Kazuki's claim was arrogance or truth.
Kazuki's tone hardened as he continued, "The prophecy itself speaks only fragments, yet those fragments carry infinite weight. It states that I am meant to protect… not just my world, but every world, every realm, the vast threads of existence across the universe. For soon… evil forces beyond comprehension will strike. They won't spare mortals, gods, or realms—they will devour all."
The sound of thunder rumbled faintly above, as though punctuating his words. Kazuki's gaze drifted skyward, his wet hair plastered against his forehead, his hand still open as if catching proof of the truth in every drop.
"But understand this," he said, lowering his voice, his eyes meeting Vareon's with sharp intensity. "The prophecy tells little of me. What is written is but a shadow of what truly exists. There are truths about me that cannot yet be revealed… paths I must walk that no one else can follow. And there are things I will do—things far beyond simply protecting. That much… is all I can say."
For a brief moment, silence returned, save for the endless pattering of rain. Kazuki's words hung in the air like a blade suspended above both their heads.
Finally, Vareon exhaled sharply, his expression sharpening into irritation. He clenched his fists, unwilling to be swayed by grand words or divine proclamations. "Enough of this prophecy talk," he growled. His voice cut through the rain like steel. "Get to the point. What do you want from me?"
Kazuki lowered his hand and let the rain fall freely upon him, his sigh almost drowned out by the storm. His eyes, however, burned with determination.
The time for avoidance was over.