『BALANCE BREAKER』A Tensura X Spellslinger Crossover

Chapter 7: One step forward, a million steps back.

I arrived at my front door after minutes of walking and thinking.

Rimuru's weird split personality thing kept pushing against the boundaries of my mind, refusing to retreat to the recesses of my subconscious.

To distract myself, I had gone over the Ranged barrier formula, dissecting and reassembling it to the best of my ability.

I also noticed that my ability to observe magicules seemed to get better each time I used it, a sense of an impending climax filled me as I found I didn't have to focus much like I did in the beginning.

Other things also seemed to be laid bare to me, I could now catch glimpses of a person's general physical condition and even the strength of their connection to the Oasis.

I wonder if something will happen if I keep increasing my proficiency….

I walked into the house, finding the door was unlocked for some reason.

It was basically nighttime, leaving the door unlocked didn't sound like a decision made in sound mind, not like anyone would dare approach the house of a Lord magus..

The house felt deserted, much more than it usually did. I wasn't confronted with my dad's firm gaze, my mother's warm smile or Shalla's standard look of superiority.

Even Abydos was nowhere to be seen.

I don't like this.

I headed towards the one place my father might be, his office.

“No!” A voice boomed from the other side of the wooden door.

“Ke'heops! This is our daughter!” My mother seemed to be in distress, the hand I had reached out to knock froze.

“Even then, we can't afford to let word get out.” My father argued, I couldn't make sense of what was happening.

“You'd choose your ambitions over your own child?” My mother replied, her tone was unusually low, unlike anything I'd ever heard.

“Our son is already labeled as an outcast, not to mention his ‘condition’, we can't afford to show more weakness. Shalla's disappearance will be kept secret, that's final.”

Condition? Disappearance?

I could somehow feel the general intent behind every word, most likely an extension of my heightened perception. It was clear as day that he wasn't referring to my lack of magic.

What happened to Shalla? I almost burst through the door as I digested my father's words.

“We'll need all the help we can get to locate her, my scrying spells are coming up short. Ke'heops! This is a problem to be solved with manpower, not magic!” The room vibrated as my mother's magical force collided with my father's.

Scrying didn't work? Who could block my mother, one of the most powerful sand magic specialists alive?

“Before we continue, why don't we address the eavesdropper?” I could feel some energy being directed at me, normally I would be shaking in trepidation but I found it to be less threatening than I remembered.

I twisted the door handle and stepped in, my eyes were met with my mother looking worse for wear and my father's narrowed eyes.

“Kellen, you finally decided to show up.” Somehow it sounded like he was accusing me of something.

“What exactly happened to Shalla?” My own voice sounded more pathetic than I remembered.

“Oh now you're concerned? Because you were occupied with that impudent outsider, you've been blind to your family's troubles.”