A LIBERATOR'S JOURNEY TO DIFFERENT WORLDS

VS. Sosuke Koji

After killing and freezing dozens of people inside of the basement, Sosuke finally calmed down. Though he killed many, most were thankful to escape the misery of their Saigon Disease. A quick and painless death was better than living another day in their condition. A quick observation could tell that Sosuke only killed the ones who could not last another day.“Alright Filth! Let this be a lesson to you all. You are no longer apart of society the moment you were infected”.

The people inside the basement lowered their heads ashamed in response. Dehumanising the sick villagers is something Sosuke love doing. The boy Daniel who wanted to see his mother one last time before his death began coughing up blood. His internal organs are rapidly deteriorating and there is nothing anyone could do to save him.

Coughs! Coughs!

“Poor child”

“He is so young”.

Sosuke gave them a reminder “Children are no exception to the rule. Look at the little mutt!! He is dying as we speak. This will reach all of you soon. If you want to die from now let me know”.

An old man ran towards the boy in attempt to heal him. He placed both his glowing hands on the boy’s stomach. The old geezer knows healing magic but it was futile. No magic can cure this deadly illness. Especially at the stage where it’s at with Daniel. “Hey stop that, you’re wasting mana”.

The geezer continues to try and save the boy. “Don’t give up Daniel, please!” the man pleaded.

“The boy is going to die. Stop making a fool of yourself and accept the reality!”.

“No! I reject that reality. I am tired of us being treated like this. Daniel! Stay alive!”.

Sosuke slapped the old man, bending his neck in the process. “Reject my reality? You dare to fight against the rules of my oppressors. I’ll kill you geezer!”. The old man stood up then proceeded to heal himself and Daniel’s organs. Everything he healed, they begin to deteriorate immediately. The situation was hopeless to say the least. “The old man is right! I am tired of being confined here! We hate it!”.

“Give us back our rights!”. More people gradually spoke their minds knowing their’s a chance Sosuke might kill them. This was the first in a long while so it made Sosuke uncomfortable.

“What rights? You fellas are extra talkative today. Is it because of the fool I froze with one attack. Look at what happened to him. He’s de—". He immediately shuts his mouth after looking around for my frozen corpse. Just a while ago, he froze me to the bone and left me behind him. Of course he expected me to be there even now. “Where did he go?” Sosuke asks confused.

The old man who was busy healing Daniel, I walked up to him and said “You tried your best elder. No point in depleting your mana”.

“But—“.

“No buts, he is dead” I said pointing at his face. The boy has been dead for a minute now. Cold and lifeless eyes, I closed them and that’s that. In the end he never got to see his mother.

“You Bastard! I froze you, how are you still alive!!”.

Sosuke is so unnecessarily loud, I wish I could answer him. Even I am a little confused to how I am still here. I remembered accepting an offer from a Fighting Spirit, maybe she revived me somehow. Anyways I don’t feel any stronger than I was before so if Sosuke and I fought. I will die again probably.

…

That’s not true, I have attained a new ability thanks to Tigress. The Infinity, she never explained it but I know exactly what it does. A magic that would be impossible to Master was granted to me just like that. Who would have known?

“Answer me!!”. Sosuke charged at me with an intent to kill in one blow.

I managed to dodge his predictable swing and took multiple steps back. One touch from that shield will be the death of me. I don’t have any means of fighting him long range and close combat is not my forte. “Hey You! Catch!”.

One of the villagers called out to me while I was dodging Sosuke’s swings. A teenage boy just conjured up a bow and arrow out of thin air. The weapon looks useless when you take a look at Sosuke’s golden armor and shield. Surely the boy must have known that before creating that weapon. He threw me the bow and arrow, leaping into the air I caught them

“Scoundrel!!”

The instant I landed, the ground became ice. Losing my balance I fell on my face. “That shield, where did you get it?” I asked him. “Hehehe, one of the 48 sacred weapons only given to Imperial Knights. Gama Shield freezes everything it makes contact with except for the user”. While explaining his shield it gave me time to stand up and position myself for fire. The boy only conjured one arrow but for me, that was enough. Thanks to my new power Infinity, one arrow feels like a hundred.

“Infinity Arrows!!”

Infusing the one arrow I had with mana, it starts to multiply once in mid-air. One arrow became six within a blink of an eye. “Six? Why is the number so low?” I wondered to myself. The name of my new power is Infinity so why aren’t there infinite number of arrows?

“Hahahahahhaahaha, Infinity Arrows!! You shouted that with so much confidence just now. That has got to be embarrassing” Tigress spoke in my head. “Hey! What the hell girly!? Why did only six Arrows appear?”.

“Infinity means it can’t be measured you fool. Your mana is very low, too low as a matter of fact. Infinity only produces the amount of objects depending on your mana. If I use Infinity, millions of Arrows would cover the sky because I have lots of mana. In short Infinity is just a skill that makes you create perfect copies, it multiplies anything you are touching or recently touched. Low mana gives low results”.

“So this ability is a waste on me then”.

“It appears so, don’t feel bad. I’ll help you through this fight of yours” Tigress reassured me. After telling me that, my body suddenly became lighter. The six arrows did nothing to Sosuke’s armor as expected but a black spot was left where all the arrows attacked him. Black spots on his chest, stomach, shoulders and sides.

“Here’s More!!” The boy shouted as he threw two more arrows. Using magic to create objects out of nothing must be taxing, the boy looks to be out of breath. Using magic just made his condition worse.

“Your Arrows are pathetic even when they have mana covering them. I don’t even need to dodge!” Sosuke bragged while tapping his armor confidently. Once again I shot one arrow at the Knight, it multiplied into six arrows. That was not the end however, the arrows sailing at Sosuke’s accelerates its speed. The arrows moved faster than the eye could follow. With the help of Tigress, the strength, speed and mana of the arrows increased tenfold.

SWOOOOOSSHHH!!

The black spots that were on Sosuke’s armor all got penetrate. The golden armor failed to deflect the arrows as they did previously. For the first time, Sosuke Koji Imperial Knight Ranked No.8 has bled. Blood dripped from the six spots that’s were pierced.

“YEEEAAAHH!”

“GO GET HIM!!”

“KILL THE MONSTER!”.

Hearing the villagers cheers was all I need to confront the heinous face Sosuke is showing. Next time he will most likely dodge and he’ll fight more cautious from now on. Running headfirst at me with his shield leading the way. “Do not dodge Cj!” Tigress told me. There was no time to listen explanations so I did as told. The closer he got, I aimed my last arrow his way.

SWOOOOOOSSHH!!

Sosuke dodged the arrow then slammed his shield on the ground. The area which we stood quickly froze. Dodging his charge may result in him messing with my balance. Falling on my face now will definitely result permanent injury. Sosuke punched with his right in which I blocked, the then slapped me out of his shield with his left. Closing the distance between us by sliding on the ice, Sosuke starts his assault.

My body starts to freeze, first my right hand, then across my chest. If this continues I am going to be fully frozen again. “Sorry Imperial Knight, my life has too many regrets to die again”.

“Regrets eh, I have a ton of that too. Just look at all the people I’ve killed here. Everyone dies with regret.” Sosuke stated.

“You chose to kill these people because you’re a monster. Don’t lump yourself with me”.

“Shut up and freeze. Killing them is a kindness. It’s better than waiting to die. There’s no cure you fool! These people only have suffer to look forward to. I am trying to relieve their pain”.

“Then your way of doing it sucks”. The freezing stopped midway. My feet and right arm could still move despite the cold. The revelation startled Sosuke for a minute. “Tigress, give me everything you have”.

“Aye!”. Tigress has the power to boost my physical attributes, she maxed my attack in order for me injure Sosuke. Sosuke protected his face with the ice shield knowing that’s where I’ll strike.

SHATTER!!!

My fist broke his shield into many tiny pieces. “What!? How can that be!?”. The shield froze my hand before shattering but I kept swinging. After receiving a physical boost from Tigress I gave Sosuke a right hook to the jaw. His head spins three times killing him in the process. The golden armor and ice shield withered away along with his life. I intended on ending the fight with one punch but this exceed my expectations. I never thought I could have the strength to kill with one blow. “See that! Fighting Spirits are not that great on their own but when we’re supporting others. That’s when we are truly a force to be reckon with”. Tigress brags about her immense power while I listened to the cheers of the villagers.

The old man who tried to heal Daniel earlier defrausted  my body. Everyone bowed their heads and begged me to help them out. “I have a wife, I want to see her again!”.

“Children at home must miss me by now”.

“Yeah, I’ll let you all visit your loved ones. Count on it”. After putting a smile on everyone’s face I touched Sosuke’s metal armor. Using Infinity I created five armors identical to the one Sosuke wore. My mana quickly ran out after only five. “We’ll help you. Use our mana” one villager suggests.

Many of the villagers agreed as they placed their hands on my back. “With these metal armors, you should be alright. The disease won’t be carried to another this way”. I sense mana covering these armors, something about them must be special if they can resist the virus.

It took hours but the payoff was worth it. Hundreds of armors were recreated thanks to everyone’s hardwork. All of our mana depleted so we rested for a while before leaving the basement. Can’t wait to go home and tell Fei this crazy story. Attaining a Fighting Spirit known as Tigress, killing an Imperial Knight and helping the sick villagers see their loved ones again. One villager decided to bring up an interesting topic about the Imperial Knights.

“Getting to leave is good and all but Saigon Capital will eventually learn of Sosuke’s death. When they do, a next Imperial Knight will come here”.

“Really now, that isn’t good. What does Imperial Knight even do besides bully the weak” I asked out of curiosity.

“They are Law Enforcers. They are extremely power individuals who are equal to a thousand soldiers. Saigon’s Royal Family assigns Imperial Knights to travel the world and force them to live under their rules”.

“Hmm, let’s not worry about them for now. In a long time none of you has seen the time of day. I encourage all of you to go take a bath after leaving here”. The stench down here is only getting worse because of the added corpses.

….

When we left the underground basement, I led everyone to the village. Each wearing their own suit of armor. “Everyone! Look here!!”.

Grabbing the attention of the villagers present, I showed them the people who were confined underground. “Fear not, everyone here has on a suit of armor. It will protect you from Saigon. Feel free to welcome them”. There will be a few who are scared to go near the sick villagers, that cannot be helped. At least this way the sick are not treated like trash.

“Thank you Cj, we owe you so much”.

“My wife, where is she? I don’t have much time left!”.

“Sosuke Koji is dead, we should hang out while we have the chance”. In the middle of my praises the healthy citizens glared at me. Eyes filled with pure hate, their faces had nothing positive to say about the situation. What I thought was going to be a good moment suddenly feels out of reach.

“Eewww, get those filth out of here before we get infected too”.

I recognized the man who said that. He wore a orange cap on his head, blonde hair that reaches his waist and a sky blue eye. An eyepatch covered his left eye. He was the same man who badmouthed the kid Daniel when he was being chased by the Imperial Knight. His words served as a trigger for many others to speak their minds.

“Leave this village”.

“You’re no longer welcomed here. Get lost”.

“Wouldn’t it be better to die in a gutter where no-one can see you”.

What a heartless thing for these people to say. Everyone here lives in Javahono, both sick and the healthy. I looked over at my companions in armor, their faces did not strike me as surprised. The old man who healed my injuries went on his knees and begged the villagers to accept them. “Saigon has truly rifted us apart. Are you OK with that? Picture yourselves in our shoes, we have an incurable disease which will kill us in a few weeks at most. Our faiths are sealed and here you all are rejecting us as we weren’t friends before this all started”. The villagers did not give a rat’s ass about the geezer’s words. They were serious about getting the sick villagers to leave. Men, women and even children threw rocks at us for being in their presence. “Go! Go! Go Away!!”.

… “Hey! Shut up”.

“Go! We don’t need anymore Saigon Carriers!”.

Turns out Sosuke was not the only one who discriminates against these people. Everyone in Javahono seems to share the view of hating those infected by Saigon. This must be a bandwagon effect of some kind, question is who started it? After getting kicked out of the village, everyone stared at me. “What now Cj? They don’t want us”.

“I’m sorry everyone. The villagers appears to be a bunch of fools. When they get infected, they are going to remember the day when rocks were thrown at you. Most of you lost hope, I encourage you all to find some”.

“But how, there isn’t a way to cure Saigon”.

“Actually there is, The dungeon near Javahono is the key to saving the world. Believe me when I say that there is indeed hope for you all to survive. I’m planning on conquering that dungeon with a friend”. Some called me a liar while others shed tears of joy. Their were few who died of shock from hearing my claim. “What makes you so sure?” the old man asks.

“A wise person told me. Someone who has never been wrong before” I answered him.

A bit satisfied with my answer he said “That Dungeon has not been explored for decades. Only Imperial Knights are capable of surviving a dungeon, be careful”.

“I will”. Time to take my leave, there is one last stop I need to make before heading back home. After guiding the sick villagers to an abandoned cave, the old man casted a spell around it. The cave cannot be seen unless you are inside of it. Perfectly concealed by everything. “I’ll be back fellas! Try to stay alive until I get back”.

“OK!!”.

ROOOOOAAAARRR!! When I finally reunited with Ragnah, he gave me an earful. He waited patiently for my return only to see that I didn’t bring any food for him. The Dragon briefly considered having me for his dinner out of spite. “Calm down Ragnah. When we get to Saigon, I’ll get you a ton of food. Promise”.

ROOOOOAAARR!!

“Great, now let’s go”.

Throughout the night sky, Ragnah and I flew above the clouds. It will take us at least five to six hours to arrive at Saigon Capital. The place where the disease originated and the ruler of Imperial Knights. What do I hope to accomplish by going there? I want to know their plans for the future. Are they making any progress in solving the world’s problems or not. How different are the people of Saigon living compared to small villages like Javahono? Does the Royal Family require a punch to the face or are they fine people? My curiosity cannot be overlooked. Something about Saigon feels like a dictatorship. As if they are trying to rule the world by force. “This Thunder Dragon, how did you become acquaintance with him?” Tigress asked out of the blue. “He’s my master’s friend which in turn makes him my friend”.

Meanwhile in Saigon Capital, news arrived about Sosuke’s death. Word travels fast, he was killed today and Saigon Capital already knows the shocking news. In response to this unpleasant surprise, the Royal Family gathered to discuss their next move.

“Who is capable of killing Sosuke? His durability is beyond anyone’s understanding”.

“There is one person but she is an old hag now. Maybe she still has the power of her prime self”.

“You talking about Former Imperial Knight Ranked No.2 Trish. The Super Human. Right now she lives in a forest very close to Javahono. She could very well be responsible for Sosuke’s death”.

“Killing an Imperial Knight cannot go unpunished. Call in Aoi Quin!!”. A young female Knight was summoned to the meeting of Royalty. She was none other than Aoi Quin, Imperial Knight Ranked No.1. “Yes my lords”.

“Aoi, we need you to confirm something. Your Master might have killed our companion Sosuke. We want you to find out if this is true or not. If she proves to be a threat, then kill her”.

“I understand. Consider her dead then”.