Echoes Knight

During a storm, I wandered into town looking for a bar. Passing a caravan full of prisoners, I approached the entrance. Inside, I overheard two men talking bartender and a customer. The customer asked, “Any good news lately?”

“None at all,” the bartender replied, shaking his head. “Ever since that bastard Shaka became king, everything’s gone to hell.”

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when a group of henchmen stormed in, dragging a young girl with them. “Someone, please help me!” she cried, but the other patrons turned away. Her grandfather rushed in, begging for her release, only to be shoved to the ground.

The henchmen forced her face onto a table, laughing as they commanded her to lick up a spilled drink. Just then, an arrow whizzed through the air, striking one of the men in the head. Hooded, I stood at the entrance, reloading my bow. “Who goes there?” the leader shouted.

I answered with another arrow, then another, taking down two more men. The last thug grabbed the girl, using her as a shield. “You’ll pay for this!” he threatened.

Ignoring him, I demanded, “Where’s your master?”

When he refused to comply, I threw a knife, hitting his shoulder. “Tell him vengeance is coming,” I said, letting him flee.

Later, a man delivers news to Chemical, the master, that vengeance is coming for him. The minister immediately orders his bodyguards to scour the town for the threat. From a high window, Chemical watches over the town, a smile curling on his lips as he chuckles, “He has finally come.”

Elsewhere, I spend the night alone in the forest, resting against a tree just outside the town. The symbol on my hand begins to bleed, and I hear an evil laugh echoing in my head, “We see you. Your body and soul belong to us. You can’t escape.” A demonic spirit reaches out and touches me. Gripped by anger, I spot a figure dressed in black and whisper, “Shaka,” grabbing my sword and yelling, “SHAKA!” But the figure dissipates into swirling spirits, revealing it was just an illusion. As the town erupts in flames, I head towards it.

Chemical laughs amidst the surrounding death when suddenly several arrows rain down from the flames, killing some of his men. Chemical commands his remaining men to confront me, but I dispatch them with the few arrows left and switch to my sword. After dealing with his men, only Chemical and I remain. He transforms into a towering Minotaur, easily throwing me back with a flick of his tail. Laughing, Chemical boasts, “No one can kill me. I was gifted by them.”

He attacks me relentlessly, crushing my hand underfoot. Just as victory seems his, I activate my mechanical arm, armed with a cannon. Inflicting wounds, I reach for my sword and swing with furious resolve, cleaving him in two. As Chemical lies dying, I mock him, “Who gave those gifts to you? You can’t even kill a mortal.” I continue to torture him, piercing him in multiple places with my sword. “You’re a disappointment to those who are gifted you. You should feel pain and understand the suffering we humans endure. I am the messenger who will deliver you to understanding.”

Leaving Chemical to his fate as the fire consumes him, he seeks to annihilate the town and retrieve the Ring Coin where it lay.

“In a world where every question echoes about oneself and the surrounding orbit, you need a great grasp of the complex world we inhabit.

One identity to seek, yet no easy path. Why am I here? What do I truly want? Who am I? These answers zigzag, elusive, demanding discovery on my terms.

I stumble, I fall, yet I stand resolute, time after time. I push against the boundaries of the unseen world, seeking... What?”

In a flashback, a battering ram smashes through the gates of a fortified stronghold, allowing a horde of soldiers to pour in. A noble Christian man leads them, shouting, “Off with the General’s head!” A solitary knight wielding a unique battle axe, which instills fear in even the bravest of soldiers, halted the invaders. This knight is known as Hib, the Thirty-Man, infamous as the Hib Slaughterer. Finally, young Kairos steps forward to face Hib, who towers over him, at least twice his size. The other soldiers are skeptical, questioning if Kairos has ever seen battle before. Hib laughs mockingly, dismissing Kairos as unworthy of his attention, calling him a mere child.

Kairos rushes forward with instinctive determination, immediately putting Hib on the defensive. Despite the odds, Kairos continues to swing his sword relentlessly, eventually cracking Hib’s battle axe and penetrating his guard, slicing through the man’s side beneath his armor. Hib’s axe shatters uselessly against Kairos’s helmet, which is knocked askew by the force of the blow. With a final furious strike, Kairos overwhelms Hib, who pleads for mercy.

Above them, Shaka and three other men observe the unfolding battle. They discuss the brief skirmish, acknowledging Kairos’s prowess as a formidable warrior. However, they conclude that even though Kairos is strong; he is no match for their leader, Shaka, who remains silent but gives the order to abandon the fort.

Outside the fort, the Christian man hands Kairos his reward, saying, “Here’s your payment. Impressive work today, even if Hib’s death was a fluke.” He then offers Kairos a proposition to work for him regularly, even promoting him to a high-ranking warrior, a position coveted by mercenaries.

Kairos ignores the man, calmly counting his gold coins. “Our contract expired, didn’t it? I have no further business with you,” he asserts coldly.

Undeterred, the Christian man tries again, reaching out to grab Kairos’ arm. Kairos swiftly turns, pushing the man away with a hardened expression. “Don’t touch me! Don’t ever touch me again,” he warns, his voice low and threatening. “Or I’ll send you somewhere you’ll regret.”

Kairos leaves with his payment, walking down a desolate road. In the distance, a man atop a hill spots Kairos and alerts the rest of his group. More men gather, recognizing Kairos as the one who defeated the great Hib. Initially, they consider letting him pass, as their job is done, and he’s no longer their enemy.

John steps forward, reminding the group of the substantial reward they received for killing Hib. He looks to Shaka for guidance, asking what they should do next. Shaka responds indifferently, “Do as you please.”

As the men start to run off, a laugh echoes through the air, causing the group to stop in their tracks. John turns toward the sound and identifies the girl standing there as Chloe. She looks at them with a curious smile and asks,

She chuckles and says, Hmph; You don’t think you’ll beat Him do you?

“Of course, I will,” he retorts. “That’s what you say. Today, I was going to beat that fat bastard until he showed up. Do you realize how high his bounty was? If I had killed him, I would have had all the fame and all the women.”

She coldly responds, “Then you’ll die.”

John feels skeptical about her warning and ignores it, walking off to face Kairos. On the road, Kairos stops and looks around the surrounding hilltops. Satisfied that nothing is amiss, he relaxes. Suddenly, men on horseback emerge. John orders a soldier to kill Kairos.

Kairos sees the incoming attack and parries it, then slices through the soldier’s midsection, killing him instantly. Another soldier, wielding a chain-like weapon, attacks next. He swings it, managing to cut Kairos’s cheek before Kairos swiftly cuts off his right arm.

The horsemen stop in fear. “Holy crap. This guy is strong. Damn.”

Adam angrily shouts, “John, you fool, fight or get out of there! Jeez, he’s going to get himself killed.”

Chloe sits back, saying, “I told them this would happen.” Shaka, still resting, mutters that Chloe needs to help them out. She angrily responds, “That’s John’s fault,” but eventually heads down to Assist.

The horsemen argue over who will attack first, but their bickering is cut short when Chloe shoots an arrow into the ground, signaling her arrival. She orders them to stand back and rushes toward Kairos on horseback. The two exchange several blows, their swords clashing fiercely. The sight of Chloe holding her own against Kairos surprises the men, who didn’t expect to see him pushed into a corner.

Chloe is equally astonished by Kairos’ raw skill and the power behind each of his strikes. As the duel reaches a critical moment, Kairos prepares to deliver the finishing blow. Suddenly, a spear appears between them, and Shaka joins the fray.

“Be careful,” Chloe warns. “he’s stronger than he looks.”

Shaka asks Kairos to put down his sword, but Kairos refuses. Shaka draws his own sword, a thin blade, and manages to block Kairos’s heavy strikes with one-handed precision. With a single, swift strike, Shaka brings Kairos down.

Kairos, stunned, says, “He’s too fast. Who are you?”

Everyone cheers, impressed that Shaka defeated Kairos with a single stroke. Kairos tries to stand and attack again, but collapses, catching a glare at Shaka before passing out from his injury.

Hours later, Kairos finally wakes, finding himself wrapped in bandages. He walks outside his tent, noticing that everyone around seems to be young. Shaka approaches him, holding Kairos’s sword.

“Ah, so you’re awake. A great weapon, though a bit too much for me anyway,” Shaka says, handing back Kairos’s gear and weapons.

“Who are you?” Kairos asks.

Shaka suggests they take a walk. As they move through the camp, members stand around, watching their leader. Shaka asks if Kairos has heard of the “Dragon Flame.” Kairos admits he’s heard rumors about the cult but never expected them to be so young.

Chloe follows them, listening to their conversation from a distance. They reach the top of a hill, and Kairos demands answers from Shaka. “Who are you, and why didn’t you kill me?”

Chloe quickly hides behind a tree.

Shaka responds simply, “I want you to join my quest. I need you.” He adds that he was impressed with Kairos’s skill and strength during the fight with the Great Hib. Shaka then begins to tell a story.

“There once were a Skull Man and a Woman, symbolizing the embodiment of reality and escapism. Reality is about the truth in our world, what exists and what does not. Escapism is where we enter other worlds, worlds that distract us from reality. I saw that in your eyes-you want to escape, to find true meaning in answers we don’t yet know. I find you fascinating. I want you to join me on a journey through heaven and earth.”

Kairos becomes angry, unsure why Shaka is telling him all of this.

“Well then, what if I say no?” Kairos asks, his voice laced with irritation.

“You don’t want to?” Shaka asks, confused.

Kairos flat out refuses, his anger boiling over. “Don’t talk to me like you know me, damn fool. You know nothing about me!”

“You’re right, I know nothing about you,” Shaka replies calmly. “But I feel there’s a connection between us.”

Kairos becomes even angrier, frustrated that Shaka treats him like a friend. He doubts Shaka will forget that he killed two of his comrades. Shaka then asks, “What do you want to do, then?”

“It’s simple,” Kairos says, drawing his sword. “I’ll put a hole in your chest.”

Shaka nods, saying, “I rather enjoy things a little differently than this-with force.”

Chloe suddenly comes out of hiding, yelling, “Shaka!”

Shaka tells her not to come closer, insisting that he will get what he wants on his own.

Kairos says, “I’ve had enough of this. You make me sick!” He then rushes forward, swords clashing as the fight begins.