Kichu fought valiantly, pushing through the pain that coursed through his battered body. Injuries marred his skin, and blood oozed from various wounds.
"Where are you?" he called out, his voice strained. "Come straight," replied mysterious voice.
With great effort, Kichu made his way into a hall. His eyes fell upon a sword glimmering atop a podium in the center of the room.
"Is that a sword? How can a sword talk?" he exclaimed, astonished.
"I am unlike any other, just like you. Now, let us forge a new history together," the sword responded. Slowly, Kichu approached and grasped the weapon.
Meanwhile, above the ground, Roco was fiercely battling two gods. The invisible one lay crumpled on the ground, unable to defend himself.
"Where is Kichu?" Roco shouted, beating again at the invisible figure. Suddenly, a collapsed building exploded in a crumbled way. Roco and the teleporter turned in shock to see Kichu standing there, sword in hand, his wounds mysteriously healed.
"How is he still alive?" the teleporter gasped, watching Kichu with wide eyes. In the blink of an eye, Kichu lunged, attempting to slice the teleporter's neck. The teleporter swiftly teleported away, conjuring stones, trees, and building parts to hurl at Kichu. But with a swift motion, Kichu cut through everything in his path and advanced toward him.
"You're going to die, you bastard," the teleporter snarled, gesturing menacingly with his hands.
"It seems you won't need those hands anymore," Kichu replied coldly, severing the teleporter's hand with a swift stroke. The teleporter stared in horror at his stump, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Kichu then turned his attention to Roco, slowly walking towards him.
"Why not just kill us?" the teleporter shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.
"Not yet. We'll drag you before the villagers and expose the truth about the gods! Then we'll finish you off, don't worry," Kichu declared.
"Oh? Are you trying to play the hero? Which Earth are you from, kid?" the teleporter sneered.
"The fucked-up one," Kichu replied defiantly.
"The fucked-up one? Ha! That explains everything," the teleporter laughed mockingly.
"Don't even pretend to be human. I'm ashamed to share the same race as you," Kichu retorted. Roco quickly bound their hands and led them to the village.
The villagers gathered in the town square, confusion etched on their faces as Kichu and Roco threw their captives to the ground.
"Look who it is—your beloved god!" Kichu shouted at the villagers. They exchanged confused glances.
"Oh right, Anna, translate for them," Kichu instructed, and Anna began to relay his words.
"So, these are the gods you gave your wives and daughters to. Do you know what happened to them? They were brutally raped and left screaming in agony, while these monsters laughed. Aren't you ashamed? I'm more concerned about the men—how can you call yourselves men if you can't even protect your wives? How can you call yourselves fathers if you can't save your daughters? Oh! I forgot—gods said it was fine!" Kichu laughed bitterly. The villagers stood in stunned silence, shame washing over them.
"I understand the value of culture; I'm from a place where we take pride in our heritage. The price you paid for your culture and faith was the lives of innocent women. Faith isn't something to be flaunted. And there will be No more victims of gods!" Kichu turned to the teleporter, placing the sword against his neck.
"Haha! I knew it! You Earthlings are delusional, pretending to be heroes. Who do you think you are? Superman?" the teleporter mocked.
"In a world with Superman, I would choose to be The Batman," Kichu replied, coldly slicing off the teleporter's head. The invisible man gazed in horror at the severed head rolling on the ground, letting out a piercing scream. The villagers watched in shock as Kichu turned to them.
"What do you want to do with this bastard?" he asked. Fury ignited in the villagers' eyes as they glared at the invisible man.
"Spare me, please!" he pleaded desperately.
"What do you want? Money?" he shouted, throwing coins from his pockets at the villagers. Instantly, they rushed towards him, filled with rage. Kichu stepped back and approached the chief.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't save the girl," Kichu said, bowing his head in shame. The chief approached him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay... No worry. The girl...safe," the chief said with a reassuring smile. Anna appeared with the girl, and Kichu collapsed to the ground in relief.
"Thank God—" Kichu stammered, tears brimming in his eyes.
"But how?" Roco asked Anna, bewildered.
"Our chief has a unique ability called Exceptional Cloning—a class two sin. He can clone living and non-living objects for a limited time. He had already cloned her yesterday but confused her with the clone. This morning, he realized one was missing and rushed to inform you. Luckily, they took the clone, while the original was in the storeroom, munching on apples," Anna explained with a laugh.
"Ah, that's good," Kichu said, relieved. The chief shouted something, and the villagers gathered around Kichu. The chief looked at Anna, who smiled and began to speak in their language. They all turned their gazes to Kichu and Roco.
"We, the children of Gadha, acknowledge your bravery and the risks you took to save our village from disaster. In the name of the destroyer Gadha, we express our gratitude to you, Kichu and Roco," Anna translated, as the chief and villagers knelt before them.
"What are you all doing? Stand up," Roco urged.
Kichu exchanged a smile with Roco as they approached the crumpled form of the invisible man.
"Eww... justice served," Kichu chuckled.
"So, what do you do with their bodies?" Kichu inquired, glancing at the chief.
"We burn them, of course, and add their story to our history," Anna replied.
"History? What do you mean?" Kichu asked, intrigued.
"Is it okay to show them?" Anna asked the chief. He nodded and led them into the forest.
"Come," he beckoned, and Kichu and Roco followed. They arrived at a clearing where a cave stood. As they entered, the stunning structure captivated them. However, the deeper they went, the darker it became.
"Um, I can't see properly. Does anyone have a torch?" Kichu asked. Anna smiled, signaling him to wait. Suddenly, the chief halted, striking something before him. Instantly, the cave illuminated, blinding Kichu and Roco momentarily. As their eyes adjusted, they found themselves in a grand temple, appearing to be over a thousand years old, with breathtaking architecture. Kichu's jaw dropped at the sight.
"What is this place?" Roco asked, inching closer to the intricately adorned walls.
"Hey, come here," Anna called them to another wall. They approached, gazing at the vibrant paintings.
"This is the history of Gadha. Everything that has happened from the beginning is depicted here," Anna explained. Kichu noticed two men shaking hands, one wielding a sword that resembled the one he had taken from the podium.
"Who are they?" Kichu pointed at the men, curiosity evident in his voice.
"The one on the left is a former chief—Chief Forcy's grandfather," Anna replied.
"Oh... Who's the one on the right? His sword looks just like this one," Kichu said, drawing his sword from its sheath.
Forcy and Anna exchanged alarmed glances, eyes widening.
"Kichu... Is that... Where did you get it?" Anna asked, panic rising in her voice.
"What's the matter? You seem shocked."
"Yeah, that's... That's the sword of the man in the painting. He gave it to the chief's grandfather," Anna explained.
"So, is this a treasure? If it is, I can return it," Kichu offered.
"No... You can't. This sword is sacred. From what I've heard, it chooses its wielder. It has been missing for many years," Anna warned.
"You don't understand. It empowers you. I feel invincible with this," Kichu declared, gripping the sword tighter.
"No. It's drain you energy," Anna cautioned, her eyes wide with fear.
"Why? I love this sword. It feels powerful," Kichu insisted.
"It's taking your energy. If you use it too much, you will die," Anna reiterated.
"I don't know... It called to me. It chose me, so I'm keeping it," Kichu replied, determination in his voice.
"No, you can't. Even the chief's grandfather couldn't control it. He possessed the strongest soul energy on this planet. He was a force to be reckoned with," Anna urged.
"Soul energy, huh? I think I have plenty," Kichu remarked, glancing at the sword.
"Are you sure you want to keep it?" Anna asked, concern etched on her face.
"Yes, I'm certain. I want to be powerful too," Kichu affirmed, looking at Roco.
"Heh, are you jealous?" Roco teased.
"Jealous? Not at all," Kichu replied, turning away.
"This man must have been incredibly powerful. I mean, he wielded this sword," Roco mused.
"Yes, he was a rival to our chief. But something happened, and he vanished without a trace," Anna explained.
"Why are you showing us this?" Roco inquired.
"You are destined to become part of our history," Anna stated.
"History? No way," Kichu exclaimed, shocked.
"I know you will refuse. But it's our chief's decision," Anna insisted.
"My father's prophecy was correct. You are... Saviors. We will remember you until our dying breath," Anna translated Forcy's declaration with a smile.
"Umm, Chief... Thanks for your kind words. But we don't—" Kichu started, but Roco tapped his shoulder, silencing him.
"Are we done? I'm sweating here," Roco complained to Anna.
"Oh, sorry! We can head back," Anna said, and they retraced their steps to the village.
"So, it's time," Kichu said to Anna.
"Yes, please visit us anytime," Anna replied with a warm smile. The chief and villagers gathered to bid farewell.
Forcy approached with a large bag brimming with food, saying something in their language.
"Umm, Anna, what did he say?" Kichu inquired.
"He said you two can marry any girl you want and stay here," Anna explained with a smile.
"Marry? No way! I'm not ready for that," Kichu replied, feeling embarrassed.
"That's very generous, but we need to leave," Roco said, turning away.
"Yeah, thanks for everything," Kichu added, making his way to the spaceship.
Suddenly, the girl ran toward Kichu, calling out, "Ooooiiii...."
"No, no... You should stay here," Kichu told her gently. But she hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I can't stay here. You must go," he reassured her.
"No bye-bye," she sobbed, clinging to him.
"Listen, I will return, and when I do, I will bring you many gifts, okay? So stay strong and healthy," Kichu patted her head, his heart aching as she finally released him, though she still looked sad.
Kichu stood up and walked toward the spaceship, waving goodbye to the villagers. As he entered the ship and powered it up, they watched him depart the planet.
"Texa? Hey..." Kichu called.
"Rururu... Yes, Kichu. Welcome back," she greeted him cheerfully.
"Yeah, give me the next location," he requested.
"Of course. The next destination is planet Dark-93, a realm belonging to the Immortal's Empire—the Eternal Empire," Texa informed him.
- To Be Continued...