The descent of the bus-glider was pretty much the sa as its starting sequence, just reversed.
First, the whole vehicle started to gradually decrease its speed bit by bit, all the way to the point where it ca to a full stop. Then, the process reversed again, with the vehicle starting to gain speed again. This ti, however, rather than moving forward, it was held by so sort of force that continued to slowly let it out of its grasp, all the way to the point where it entered a state of a free-fall.
In the end, the whole process reversed yet again, this ti to properly kill the bus's downward montum, grinding it to a complete halt right as the bus's wheels softly touched the ground.
Thud.
The whole landing process ended up with just one, slight yet still sudden drop, proving that while precise, the force responsible for landing the vehicle wasn't scientifically perfect, forcing the bus's suspension to take the brunt of the last few inches of the drop.
"We are here," Chihiro announced in a low, slightly hushed voice.
Contrary to and Claire, he clearly expected the drop, bracing himself for it just before it happened, which allowed him to remain perfectly composed when the whole vehicle shook underneath our feet.
Thankfully, the drop wasn't big enough to send or Claire flying, rely reaching the level where it just managed to force us to shift our weight around to regain the proper balance.
"That was…" I muttered as I rose back up to a proper position while already reaching out to help Claire do the sa… Only to realize that just like her father, she clearly knew what to expect and, while not as smoothly as her father, she managed to brace herself for the slight drop.
"Surprising?" Claire grinned back at , only to accept the hand I offered and then take half of a step closer, just close enough to imply an intimate relationship while keeping enough distance to keep this sort of presence dignified and decent even in the eyes of the greatest conservative.
"Why didn't you…" I attempted to protest, yet, seeing the look on Claire's face, I could do nothing but helplessly shake my head. "You got there, I will give you that," I admitted defeat while putting on a small smile on my own lips.
Even though I was the victim of this small prank, just seeing Claire's happy, fulfilled expression was enough to cast aside all the unpleasant feelings of being the target of the joke.
"Guys…" Chihiro sighed while giving us a side-eye. "You can flirt all you want once we are done. Now, focus."
Not giving us any ti to reply or even prepare ourselves, Chihiro stepped ahead before pressing the button on the bus's wall, pushing the sliding doors of the bus's main entrance to open.
The outside…
Was nothing like how I pictured the border of the spiritual world to be. It was… ordinary.
Just a patch of relatively well-maintained area surrounded by nothing but wilderness of two different bios, a huge, open and rather arid plain to our back and then a lush, green forest encroaching upon the domain of a dense jungle in front of us.
Between those two bios stood nothing more but a simple shack with two guards ard with extrely simple and clearly ceremonial spears.
"State your purpose!" one of the guards shouted while the both of them, as if following an unspoken command, lowered their blades and pointed them at the three of us.
'Those little…'
Before I could do anything stupid, Claire tightened her hold over my hand and threw a quick glance.
'Oh,' I thought, pushing my montary feelings aside as I took a shallow breath and opted to just keep my mouth shut and face as relaxed as I could get it to be. 'Right, she did ntion so sort of a weird welcoming ceremony…'
"I co in peace to rejoin the fold as one both faithful and worthy," Chihiro announced as he stepped forward precisely three steps only to grind to a halt and then push the folds of his long robe to the back, making them flutter on the slight wind.
Even when hearing this formula, however, the guards' weapons didn't move, instead remaining perfectly still with only the light reflected off their blades slightly shifting as the clouds in the sky interfered with the direct sunlight.
"Reveal your cultivation!"
After a mont of heavy silence, the guard finally called back.
Chihiro didn't say a word in response. Instead, he took a deep breath before…
Whoosh!
As if a powerful wind suddenly passed through the open area of the border, I felt as if so sort of powerful breeze suddenly struck , threatening to throw off my feet and send tumbling to the ground.
This feeling was only montary, before I managed to compensate for this sideways push and restore my balance.
The guards, on the other hand, finally raised their weapons back up, clearly satisfied with Chihiro's display.
"You truly are a worthy one," the senior out of the two guards announced before stepping slightly ahead of his companion only to then turn sideways towards us as he pointed with his free hand towards the forest… or, to be more precise, at the shack the entrance to which the two of them were guarding. "Now it's ti to test your faith."
Chihiro took a breath deep enough for to notice his chest puffing a bit.
"You two stay here," the man ordered before breathing out and stepping ahead with a confident look on his face.
"Where…"
Before I could say anything more than just a single word, Claire tightened her hold over my hand again before giving yet another side-eye. This ti, however, it was a much more intense, telling look.
'Oh, I guess I should shut the fuck up and just wait,' I thought, taking a shallow breath and holding it in all the way to the point when I started to feel the first licks of oxygen deprivation… Or rather, to be scientifically precise, carbon dioxide poisoning.
"Haaa…" breathing the used air out of my lungs, I slightly lowered my eyelids before entering a strange state of half-ditation as I attempted to mute all my thoughts while I waited for Chihiro to co out from the shack he just entered.
The wait turned out to be rely montary, for before I could even start getting bored or worried, Chihiro casually stepped out of the shack, stopping only for the mont he needed to lean down and dust his knees off. Stay connected through мѵʟ
At this point, the two guards finally lowered their weapons into a proper, resting position before they both bowed to Claire's father.
"We welco the missing brother back into the fold," they both announced as one, only to uniformly turn to the side as they cast their glances at the two of us. "And those are…?"
"My wards, here to experience the goal they are to aim for from now on," Chihiro announced with the sa level of confidence as before and not a single hint of hesitation or doubt in his eyes.
"You two!" the sa, leading guard as before straightened his back from the bow before digging the butt of his spear into the ground as he looked directly at the two of us. "Reveal your cultivation!"
"That's…" At this point, I spoke faster than I could move to purse my lips together.
And it was because this request… put in quite the spot.
"As ordered," Claire slightly lowered her head before unveiling her cultivation. And just like when her dad did it, a slight breeze of air struck from the side, pushing away for the slight mont it took before I managed to get myself used to it.
"Uhm…" I raised my hand - an action that instantly made the two guards grasp their weapons a bit tighter - "I'm not really sure how to do that, though."
Even though she was done herself, Claire quickly twisted her head and gave a shocked look, only for the understanding to then flash in her eyes. She then bit down on her lower lips as her face froze, overwheld by all the thoughts that passed through her brain all at the sa ti, only for her to then turn back to the guards and lower her head a bit - all in the ti it took to raise my hand and scratch the side of my head.
"My partner is a man of great talent yet, due to his unfortunate upbringing, sparse practice. That's why…"
"I an, I can move my spiritual energy around if that's what they want, but…" I hesitated again only to then lean my head slightly to the side as I alternated my eyes between Claire and the guards, "seeing how on edge those two are, I wouldn't want them to think I'm about to attack them or sothing…"
The air grew tense as quickly… as quickly as everyone relaxed when they received my explanation.
Heck, apparently, I said sothing funny enough for all four of them, Claire, Chihiro, and the guards all together, to either smile or outright laugh out a bit.
"Fear not, young man," the leading guard smiled as he spoke out, "we wouldn't be here if the cultivation of an initiate's wards could be a threat to us. But since you don't know how to reveal your cultivation…" the man hesitated for a mont, only to then turn all smiles, his expression sowhere between simple sympathy and amusent.
"Well, if that's how it is…" I muttered before taking a deep breath and then digging deep, deep into my soul, to the very bottom of my spirituality, the very core of my spiritual core.
Closing my eyes and holding my breath, I focused all of myself on this single spark of spiritual energy that continued to bring the entirety of my cultivation core to the state of permanent instability… before opening my eyes, breathing out, and reaching out with my hand, imagining that the spark I grasped in my thoughts had now found its way into my tightened hand.
'They want to reveal my cultivation, so…'
I took in a fresh breath.
'That would suffice, wouldn't it?' I thought, only to then open my palm… and allow the spark of my cultivation to manifest itself into the physical world.
The air was already full of spiritual energy from when Chihiro first, and then Claire, released it out into the air. Adding up the spiritual energy naturally occurring right on the border of the spiritual world and now the very spark of the core of my cultivation… and the whole thing suddenly beca a rather troubling mix.
A mixture that, for but one instant, I felt like I could fully control, only to then realize just how abysmal of a task it was and just how inadequate I was to even attempt doing so.
And just like that, all of this free energy…
I sohow grasped it all.
Only for it to then explode right out of my hand.
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