Angelos Odyssey: Volume Six: Angelos Odyssey, #6

By J. B. M. Patrick

The journey of Tavon Meiziki continues with a fight that will determine his fate going forward in a world that has come to utterly despise him. Upon escaping from the Citadel, his homeland, Tavon managed to anger monarchs and members of parliamentary bodies across the globe, marking himself as a target for the thousands of people who want to kill him. After joining the Angelos Association as a Death Officer who's quickly assigned his first target, Tavon must pass through the Dreaming City, Zannica, on his way to his target's location in the country of Saizakune. In the Dreaming City, labour is a thing of the past; art and human innovation prevail, and an unregulated drug market threatens to turn a city of dreams into a city of nightmares. A group of radicals known as the "Prophets" has risen, and the Prophets are interested in playing a deadly game with the city's population. With a number of tools at their disposal, the Prophets, alongside a photographer who specializes in depicting gore and human exploitation, plan to throw the country into chaos by using their powers to make otherwise ordinary people insane. While facing trial for his murders in the Citadel, Tavon must undergo a "project" that will examine his personal psychology and will determine whether or not he is to be executed at the hands of the Grandmaster of Zannica.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. B. M. Patrick
• Release date: Jul 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781735337937

Book preview

PART ONE

Two Farewells

-

1

Artemis Spilsbury

-

Artemis

-

I’m with my pupil, Avodeus, in one of the hotel rooms that was previously reserved for another guest aboard the great zekomata. Alas, all that’s left of this guest is a head parted from its body by a swathe of dried red staining the blue sheets of a bed to my right. The head, turned to the side, gazes my way with its eyes wide and its mouth open in terror.

As Avodeus and I sit in wooden chairs facing the metal door which marks the entrance to the room, the tall abomination that calls itself Sygdom, tilting his head to the side, stares at me with cold eyes and says, You’re as disgusting as they come, aren’t you?

A shirtless man with a mohawk and a body fully covered in tattoos enters the room with blood still dripping from his axe. Boss, he says, let me take on the ‘Knight Killer.’ This one’s from Noboros. I don’t think they’d be too happy with us if we forced him to fight and he got himself hurt out there.

Sygdom turns to him slowly and replies, Noboros is nothing without their old leader. Zunaga was the king of all syndicates; his stepping down meant that Noboros became fallible. If they dare to make a move on the Maeja, he frowns while holding up a finger surrounded in tau the color of sludge, I’ll plague every last one of them. If they wish to fight us, Vishok, then I’d welcome the challenge.

Sygdom nods toward the lobby outside and says, Leave us. I’ve waited a long time to meet this one. And tell the ‘Knight Killer’ to prepare himself.

Yes sir, Vishok bows his head and turns to exit the room.

Sygdom looks back at us and addresses Avodeus first, The Angelos Association appears to have dealt you a bad hand, child. This one’s merely an old hack. He’s got nothing to live for and no reason to improve. Sygdom snorts, and, at the same time, his head twitches as he turns to me with a grin and says, You’re one of the oldest members and yet you’ve shown the least amount of power. Your apprentice is hiding a lot of his potential—I can tell—and it looks like it’ll take someone stronger than you to bring it out of him. As Sygdom leans in, his smile deepens, "I used to idolize people like you, you know? Noboros, the deadliest gang of criminals known to man. The infamy surrounding your little group was once enough to make someone like me submit.

But now… now times have changed, Artemis Spilsbury. Even the hardest criminals can be broken down, and you’re far from the ‘hardest,’ aren’t you?

He’s killed over sixty people, Avodeus says while keeping his eyes fixed to the floor.

I’m sure he has, Sygdom responds in a tone of amusement, "but how many targets has he taken down exactly?"

Two, I tell him.

That’s all?

They weren’t easy assignments.

"Of course not. I know all about the assignments the Angelos Association hands down to people like you. Every target’s a suicide mission, but what I want to know is how someone so pitiful, someone so frail, someone like you, could manage just one?"

I don’t respond.

What? You’re not going to vouch for yourself? Do you really require a child to speak up for you, Artemis, or will you answer me like a man? Don’t think that being nothing but bones will save you from being stricken with an untimely illness, he says with a smirk while once again holding up his finger.

I look down and carefully deliberate over my responses before replying, I survived this long for a reason. There’s something I’ve yet to show you, and I think you’ll be excited to see it. The wait will be well worth it.

Hmph. Sygdom stares down at me as if I were but an insect. "Let me make it clear to you that you’re nothing but pitiful trash to me, Artemis. You and the Knight Killer are irredeemable. My message to him will be quite different, but know that no matter how well you perform in the upcoming match that you’re just here for our entertainment. If you survive and Noboros presents us with a ransom I deem to be appropriate, then you might go free. All in all, he says with a wink, it depends on how much me and the boys have had to drink."

Sygdom turns his back, opens the door, and, before leaving the room, says, You’ve got five minutes to get ready. Make sure you say your goodbyes.

-

I wasn’t a very good politician, I admit to my pupil and decide to tell him the truth as the rest of our time together begins to run out.

"I ran a small section belonging to the Guveni Prefect in the Sadu Kingdom. I inherited it from my father, and, instead of doing things his way, I fired all of his old ministers because I thought that I could do things differently under a new administration. I let the people elect new ones, and then…

Then, there was a famine. The Prefects to the South, who’d supplied most of our food during droughts, were engaged in a war with the Pashakhan Emirate, who’d managed to place an embargo along our trade routes. We sent our soldiers to help with the conflict, and none of them returned. The famine got worse as the blizzards began to hit, and soon there was no use for bureaucrats. Our administration fell apart, and so I became desperate.

What did you do to make those people so angry? he asks me.

"I stationed whatever armed units we had left around my manor and set to work trying to ‘erase hunger’ in the only way that I thought possible. I had two children to look after and a wife who anticipated the worst. When our rations kept getting lower, and the central government refused to send us any aid, I decided to begin my experiments. I decided to erase the problem of hunger by creating humans who could go without, through creating Awakened humans who wouldn’t need to consume food regularly.

"I was an experimenter, not a real scientist. There were real scientists available, but it took threats of violence to bring a small number of them to heel. The rest were executed. When some of the more belligerent members of my administration chose to retaliate, they were also executed. When the people started rising up…"

I stare down at the steel blue flooring.

I had them killed, too. My administration shrank, and the experiments continued. The things we did to people were horrible, Avodeus, and I don’t expect to be forgiven for my actions in this lifetime. When I embarked on this journey, I knew that there was no going back, and so I continued. I continued up until my people rebelled. It started off as a rumor, something simple and scandalous. That rumor built up until the truth was unavoidable. I was experimenting on my own subjects, and they knew it.

I can feel an old ache that bristles at a feverish pitch, rising up to my skull and radiating out with a pain I’d like to forget. I feel my chest sink; my heart drops into my stomach.

When they found out, it wasn’t long before they started gathering outside my family’s home, before the guards were swayed to leave us to the wolves. I knew that the vengeance they sought would extend to the people I cared about.

I sigh and stare toward the entrance to the room. There’s not much time left.

"I knew that, if they got to me, they’d get to my family as well. I knew that my family would pay for my transgressions, and I… I couldn’t allow them to suffer. I killed them.

"I killed them, and—and I’ve never been able to move past the thought of them in my mind. I injected them with what I thought might be the antidote to human weakness, with what I thought might Awaken them, and they passed away. And then, my people came for me.

"They turned me into an experiment. They cut off my limbs, then they reattached them. They used the serums I’d developed on me. They tortured me, day in and day out, asking where the rest of their rations were, asking how they were supposed to feed their families, asking why I’d killed my own family. I was disgraced, and I, Duke Spilsbury of the Guveni Prefecture, was pilloried by his own people."

If I was one of your experiments, would you kill me?

No. No, I wouldn’t.

Why did they let you go? he asks me.

It wasn’t their choice.

What do you mean?

Hmm. I take a deep breath. "I mean that the unexpected happened. There was another party who’d heard about what I was doing.

"When they’d finished torturing me, my people tied me to a wooden pillar. They lit a fire at my feet, condemned me for my crimes, and gathered so that they could watch me as I burned alive. That was supposed to be the end. I sent up a prayer and closed my eyes.

"The crowd started to get quiet. When I opened my eyes, the flames around me started to disperse. I felt a cold breeze trailing in the wake of an aura the color of snow. Wind like frigid ice blew through the city, and those who had before cursed my name turned to look behind themselves as they began to shiver. It was noon, but, with how cloudy it was, you could hardly tell. The heat of the summer and the barrenness of the surrounding fields had led to a drought alongside a famine we couldn’t hope to fight, and so this sudden bout of cold weather felt more than out of place. The aura around us condensed into a pale blue fog; the people who’d betrayed me looked me over one more time before something else caught their attention.

"Outside of the crowd, I saw two silhouettes approaching. One small and one massive. The first to speak to them was a women in a white robe with skin the color of ice and eyes like blue inkblots set above a confident smile. ‘My name is Queen Orzusela, and my friend and I have decided that you’ll let this one go.’

‘What if we don’t,’ one of the rioters yelled, "‘who’s going to stop us?’

"The smile didn’t leave her face. Queen Orzusela’s body dissipated and faded into the aura surrounding her, and all I could hear was her cackling with laughter as a much greater shadow began to approach. A shirtless man who stood as tall as a giant shook the earth with each step that he took toward the crowd; long, braided black hair draped across a body as wide as three men. As he grew closer, I noticed a pair of shades covering his eyes and what looked like a permanent scowl adorning face muscles well beyond ordinary proportions.

"My people stared at him in awe, and he said, ‘My name is Kerim Zunaga. Move or you’ll be obliterated.’

"He was met with silence. And so, the great Zunaga, the ‘God of Noboros,’ staggered his stance, drew his right fist behind him, and aimed with the palm of his left hand. Zunaga stepped and punched: the wind carried his punch and erupted into a blast; it cleaved through the bodies of the insurrectionists, bursting them open with sprays of bright blood, and smashed into the wooden body of the pillar below me, splintering it as the bottom half was blasted into oblivion. While still tied to the upper half of the pole, I was forced to fall with it as it struck the ground. The remaining civilians unleashed a barrage of gunfire upon Zunaga, whose body simply deflected each bullet with ease. The gunmen remained still long enough for the aura from before to wrap around them and form a barrier of pale blue tau from which they couldn’t escape. With shrill screams, they shook and fought to break free, but each shooter was trapped within a hardening shell of ice that thickened until not another sound was heard. Queen Orzusela reappeared to admire her handiwork, and she looked them over with delight. ‘Perhaps these flowers of mine will grow into something wonderful. There’s so much potential trapped behind those shells. What do you think, Zunaga? Don’t they make beautiful sculptures?’

"‘They’re irrelevant,’ Zunaga replied while striding toward me. As he passed by one of the frozen statues, he smashed its head with a punch before moving to stand over me. Zunaga studied me for several seconds, then he turned his back and said as he walked away, ‘Not strong enough.’

Another one of his followers appeared at my side. A thin, dark-haired man with round glasses and who wore a black thermal. He looked into my eyes and smiled, then he said, ‘My mentor’s taken quite an interest in your work, Duke Spilsbury. He doesn’t seem to be very impressed with you, specifically, but he sympathizes with your cause. I do as well.’

Was that Inen? Avodeus asks.

I nod. Yes. Zunaga rejected me, but Inen saw potential. Noboros needed more people back then, and Inen was interested in my research. He said, ‘Our leader’s heard all about you. He wasn’t going to come at first, but then I explained what it would mean if your little experiments actually paid off. You wanted to Awaken people, didn’t you? That’s why they turned on you, right? You went too far. Everyone knows about what you’ve been doing in that lab, Artemis.’

Inen chuckled and continued, ‘We could’ve abandoned you to your fate, but I decided to push the issue with our lord. Once I told him that Awakening enough people early might lead to more powerful humans emerging from this pitiful country, it piqued his interest enough to help you. Now you owe us, Artemis. From this day forward, you’ll have the opportunity to become the sixteenth member of Noboros. There’s just one condition that you have to meet, and then you’re free to join us.’

‘What’s that?’ I asked him.

‘Survive your own research. Live through the same experiments you put your own people through. If you Awaken, you get to be number sixteen.’

-

I survived. Do you judge me?

I don’t know, Avodeus says to me without looking my way. I think I did something bad, too, so I don’t think I can.

You made a deal with a being you don’t understand to save your own life, and it changed you. I committed a crime against my people, and I was rescued when I shouldn’t have been. You were just a child, but I was a man who knew full well what he was doing.

Are you sorry?

I sigh, and, like him, I avert my gaze to stare at the ground in front of me.

Yes. That’s why I converted. At first, the guilt wasn’t as hard to deal with. I managed to ignore what I was doing by focusing on my family, by paying attention to my own needs and justifying my actions by lying to myself and saying that I was making ‘progress.’

I lower my head to hold it in my hands as I rub my temples. "I’m a disgrace. In joining Noboros, I committed myself to becoming completely amoral. My family was gone, along with my subjects. No god saved me, and I’m only alive today because a band of criminals believed me to be capable even in my darkest moment.

And so, there eventually came a day when I couldn’t take it anymore.

There’s a knock at the door, and someone who sounds like Vishok shouts, It’s time! Get out here!

Just a moment, is my response.

He bangs on the door, screaming, Hurry up!

I stand to my feet and take a deep breath before I continue.

As you get older, Avodeus, you’ll find that we can only ignore our bad decisions for so long. People like Inen and Zunaga embraced their darker natures and refused to look back. As for me, I chose to serve a higher power in hopes of finding redemption. I serve Jao because this way of life has promised me some means of finding atonement; for me, there is more meaning in atonement than there is in survival itself.

I turn to my pupil and say to him, "I would offer to pray with you, but I believe that everyone must find their own way to deal with their mistakes, god or no god. I’ve decided to leave you with one last piece of advice instead…

"Avodeus, our lives are representations of how we’ve come to cope with the conditions that made us. These conditions are often out of our control. When I’d gained all the power that I could ever desire, I chose a path which bound me to death upon understanding that I’d failed. If all our lives are spent reconciling what we want with what we deserve, then we should expend all of our efforts on carving out destinies which we deem to be fitting for who we are as people. As for me, my destiny is to fight another degenerate like myself. Even if I win, I don’t expect to survive, and so I’ve one last option that I’ve set aside so that I may fulfill my destiny to the best of my ability.

I have one last prayer, but it’s not for you. It’s for me.

2

Tavon Meiziki

-

Tavon

-

Raiko and I are sitting down in metallic, foldable chairs in a room with two bodies. Each body’s got a bullet hole running through its head; I see dried blood splattered across the floor and the wall to my right.

What do you think’s going to happen to us? the kid asks me.

I point to the bodies on the floor. Raiko looks at me with a frown. I sigh and tell him, The Maeja do not sound like people worth messing with. Considering their numbers and that they know how to use zol, we’d be better off doing what they say.

So you can’t just kick their asses like usual?

No, I admit. "Not when I don’t know who possesses what ability exactly. Sygdom’s power is different from those of normal zol users, and not knowing about the potential of your enemies can be dangerous. Let’s play it safe, and, if that doesn’t work, I’ll go back to the usual routine."

Kicking ass?

Yeah. But I don’t think that will work this time.

Someone opens the door to the room we’re in and strides toward us while flashing a bright smile. A man with dreads and wearing a suit with no undershirt nods at me and asks, Are you Tavon, the ‘Knight Killer?’

Yeah. That’s what they’re calling me now.

I’m Titus, he points his semiautomatic pistol at me and fires.

The bullet strikes my chest, snaps against my skin, and a burst of red aura erupts around it. The bullet falls to the ground.

You’re as strong as they say. Titus loses his smile and nods to himself. Then, he points the gun at Raiko. What about him? he asks.

I stand in front of Raiko to block the shot.

He’s just a kid, I tell him. There’s no use in picking off someone who hasn’t unlocked their potential. It’d be a waste.

Titus lowers his weapon and drops it into his holster while taking out a cigarette from his right breast pocket. He leans against the open door while lighting it and says, "If he’s got potential, that’s another crew member we could use. It doesn’t matter that much to me, but it’d be nice if you were both bulletproof."

He’s still in training.

I see, Titus says after taking a drag and then gestures toward the lobby outside. There’s someone out here who’s been asking to see you before the fight starts. Sygdom was going to come in, and then we realized who this cat was.

A short, old man with a long goatee makes eye contact with me immediately as he walks in and doesn’t break it as he comes to stand a few feet away. Instead, his face grows paler as his eyebrows crease inward, and he says, in a shaky voice, Do you know what you did?

Grandmaster Jia, I address him with a bow, it’s nice to see you again. I didn’t know that you were still on the ship.

His expression doesn’t change. Grandmaster Jia stares at me for a moment longer, then he continues, You are a fool, you know that? An utter fool.

Why am I a fool? What did I do?

He breathes in and out with rapid breaths. He says, "There’s someone who wants to talk to you, and he’s chosen me as his vessel. Look into my eyes, you rotten bastard, and talk to him. I’ve nothing more to say to you, but he does!"

I do as he says and look into his two black pupils, which draw me in and take hold of my reality. My vision darkens as I feel time stop around me.

The Grandmaster nods with an angry grin. Oh yes, he says, you know who it is, don’t you? Go on now, go talk to him before he gets impatient. Look deeper.

As Titus and Raiko remain frozen, I continue staring into two pools of black until I begin to feel my body shake. Static shoots out from my joints, goosebumps ripple across my skin, and I feel myself start to move forward. My mind leaves behind my body and leaps toward two black holes that join into one. I soar, and my spirit flies toward a lake of darkness that envelops me. I pass beyond the veil, and then…

-

I can feel myself drifting down through a grey sky. Up ahead, I see the top half of a black sun on the horizon. Below me are ink-colored streams running along blades of white grass, and my feet touch down on an open canal of dark water which runs as high as my ankles. The wind’s calm, and not a sound can be heard across an expanse of still white; the sun emits a halo that stretches out in claw-like whisps of black.

Across darkened earth adorned with blades of ivory, I can see what looks like several stone fountains with varying tiers; some have only one circular enclosure around their much larger basins while others have up to six or seven stacked upward around several more basins. Alongside each fountain is a tree made up of red and white bark, and each tree also varies in accordance with how many tiers are attached to each fountain. Those with seven tiers are accompanied by tall, broad trunks set below leaves of glowing white, while those with only one tier are placed beside small saplings that barely reach above the ground. Clouds race overhead, and the air feels too heavy to breathe.

There you are, I hear the voice of a younger man speak across the expanse, it’s been too long.

I look beyond rows of grey fountains, each streaming black liquid that spills across the ground, and I see a masked man approaching me. That mask is familiar: two arched points at the top and one sharp point at the bottom. Two horned creases for eyes set against a background of glimmering white. Around the mask is a mane of thick, silver hair. His body’s incredibly muscular and covered in the black fur of a beast, exposing only a bare grey chest above well-defined abdominal muscles. As he continues to approach, I can just spot the spiked outline of a black aura surrounding him.

Did you forget who I am? We met when we were just kids, remember? he bellows with the voice of a giant in the prime of his youth.

A lot happened when I was a kid. Refresh my memory.

He stops a short distance away from me and looks me over.

You’ve grown a lot, Tavon. When we first met, you were running from Cephamatu, and I don’t think he’s forgotten you, either. Take a look around you right now, he gestures at the entire field of fountain-tethered trees, what do you see?

I don’t know. Dirty fountains? What is this place?

He takes a few more steps toward me, then he says, I am the one who rescued your soul from bondage and offered you a deal. This realm is the manifestation of that deal, and this is all thanks to you. Do you know what these things are? he points to one of the red and white trees.

No.

They’re all the people you killed, Tavon. Did you think I wasn’t keeping track? Once again, you know who I am. My name is Amegdion, the Lion of the Black Sun, and, as you can see, he glances behind him, that sun is beginning to rise over a field of all the corpses you’ve left behind. Do you know how many of them there are?

I don’t respond as I think over what he’s said.

Over a hundred people. Your number was a lot lower before you left the Citadel. But, when all hell broke loose, you added to your count in a way that I had to take notice of. Look at them all, he says. This is your handiwork.

Amegdion walks over to a fountain with just a slender tower that streams water into a small basin. Next to it is a small sapling without leaves.

Check out this one, he chuckles. I want you to see this.

He reaches out with one clawed hand and draws forth a line of black liquid toward his right index finger. As he keeps his hand extended, this line builds into a current which circles in on itself as it expands and grows into the shape of a large inkblot. This inkblot stretches itself thin, forming hands and feet and shrinking in places to carve out the body of what looks like a teenager.

Look, he says, it’s the first person you’ve ever killed.

The liquid turns the color of human skin, creates the definition behind familiar facial features, and I see the face of Dfari looking back at me. Dfari looks around nervously before making eye contact, and, when he does, he sneers as he shakes with an uncontrollable rage.

It’s you! he screams. This is all your fault!

Dfari points to Amegdion and says, He kills me every day because of you. He summons me over and over again for his own entertainment—this is all YOUR fault!

The gun Dfari had on him before he died materializes in his hand, and he aims it at me immediately.

"This time, I’ll kill y—"

Amegdion wraps one large paw around Dfari’s gun and yanks him close with enough power to pull his arm from its socket. Just as Dfari starts to scream as black blood spurts from his torn shoulder muscle, Amegdion thrusts his other clawed hand through Dfari’s chest and withdraws it just as more blood gushes from his torso. Dfari cries out and then dissolves into a pool of ink-colored liquid before being reabsorbed into the small tree behind him.

He is, by far, one of the weakest you’ve sent me. When I appeared to you in the form of Anubis, that dog your keeper was so fond of, we’d already forged a bond that was made even more clear when I saved you from being devoured by Cephamatu. When we made our pact, Dfari’s soul was given over to me, and there’s another that you sent recently who’s shown some potential that I’m interested in seeing be developed further. I think you already know who it is.

I look down and sigh. Kenji’s brother.

That’s right, he replies joyfully. Maeda Senzang doesn’t forgive you, and, if you disappoint me, I’ll be sure to send him and a few others after you to make sure you’ve kept our promise.

I don’t like this. It’s unbelievable to think that he would still remember me after all this time.

What’s wrong? Are you ashamed?

Yeah. I am, I admit.

Hah! Amegdion crosses his arms and says, Well, I’m not. Look at all the souls you’ve given me. They’re perfect for training! They’ve made me a lot stronger, and I have you to thank for it. When we first met in person, the two of us were just teenagers. Now look at me! Amegdion gestures to the size of his body with open palms. You’ve made me more powerful than ever, and all because you wouldn’t give up. You’ve inspired me!

I’m not proud of this.

I can’t look at him. I can’t look at his home, either.

Why not?

This is a graveyard. You’re living in a graveyard.

And I can bring them back whenever I want. This is my world, my rules. I have all the company I need. You’ve sent me gang members, warriors, heroes, and terrible human beings who still remember who you are.

Can you bring back Maeda? I ask.

Amegdion pauses and crosses his arms again while tapping the sole of his foot against the ground.

"I’m afraid we’re not that close. It’s been years since I’ve seen you, and here you are already asking me for special favors."

I didn’t mean to kill him.

But you did, and it may not be reversible. We can talk about bringing him back later. As for now, you’re on your way to your first contract, right?

Yeah. Why?

You got me really excited when the bodies started rolling in. You were on a respectable streak, and then you went to Isamael’s Ring. Of all places, I expected more from you there. But, instead of sending me more souls to keep me company, all I got was Maeda Senzang, the weaker of the two Senzang brothers.

Amegdion steps closer to me and says, You’ve disappointed me, Tavon. There is another like you out there who you’ve already met. Samazoshi. Do you know how high his body count is?

I don’t want to know. That guy’s a monster.

Do you think you’re any different? Zoshi’s killed hundreds, but he has no interest in working for me. There are others, like you, who work for me, but none of them have come close to your number. If you’re going to defeat Samazoshi, you’ll need to aim higher.

No. I shake my head. My goal’s not to kill people.

Oh really? Then what is it?

I look at him and say, I just want to be the strongest fighter on Earth. I’d rather not kill anyone if I don’t have to. I don’t think that murder makes you more of a man.

A black aura shoots out of Amegdion’s body; he takes another step toward me and raises his voice to a growl, "I don’t care about what you think, moron. I rescued you because I saw potential that needed to be unlocked! Amegdion clenches his fists and continues with a cold stare, You’re going to keep killing, Tavon. That’s what you did, and that’s what your old man did before you."

We’re not the same person.

Don’t push your luck. His aura suddenly burns brighter. Do you know what I am?

No. Not exactly.

"I am a god, Tavon, and I can remove your head faster than you can blink. There’s something I want you to do for me, and, if you don’t do it, there will be consequences."

You want me to kill more people.

Exactly. If you don’t, he gestures toward the field behind him, you’ll be receiving regular visits from all of your old friends. If you make me wait, your buddy Isaac’s going to pop up when you least expect him. I can send Naizo, Stolor, and any of the others you’ve left behind, and, if that’s not enough to motivate you, I have plenty of disciples eager to take your spot at the top. You’ve made your mark and established your legacy in this place, and now you must own it. That’s the only way you’ll catch up to Samazoshi. If you can catch up to him, then you’ll be prepared for the real challenge.

What’s that?

You’ll find out. Just do as I say and don’t disappoint me. When you reach Zannica, I’ll be expecting you to send me some new souls. If you do this, then we can talk about bringing back Maeda. If you let me down, he finishes by drawing an invisible line across his throat with one claw.

Hmph. I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not going to be the same person that I used to be.

Then don’t, he says. If you’re not going to give me a repeat performance of what happened in the Citadel, then send me more powerful warriors. Challenge yourself, Tavon, and that’s how you’ll become the ‘strongest on Earth.’ Can you do that?

Yeah. I nod. I think I can.

Good! he exclaims while reaching out to try to bump fists with me, Then it’s a deal. Feed me a strong warrior, and we’ll discuss your future as my disciple.

Fine, I say as I return the gesture, but I want to do this my way.

Both Amegdion and the realm around us starts to blur as he nods his head and replies, Very well.

Amegdion’s world dissolves before my eyes; I feel static throughout my body and a sharp pain in my head. I close my eyes, and, when I open them again, Grandmaster Jia is standing before me once more.

-

Grandmaster Jia stares at me with cold, dead eyes.

You are a fool, Tavon. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us. You made a pact with a god who has the mind of a demon, and I hope you die before your reach your first target.

Jia begins to walk past Titus, but, before he exits through the door, he turns his head slightly and says, This world doesn’t need another Zunaga. Kindly throw yourself off the ship.

Sygdom and Hadrian confront him outside in the lobby, and, while the door remains open, I hear Sygdom address the old man. Grandmaster, he says while bowing respectfully.

Sygdom, Jia replies with a curt nod. The ‘Lord of Decay.’ Do you plan on kidnapping me as well?

No, Sygdom responds with a wry smile. I’m surprised that you didn’t stop us before we even boarded the ship.

"Ah. While that is something that I could’ve done, it would’ve very likely resulted in the deaths many people, myself included. Once this exhibition match has concluded, I only ask that you refrain from killing anyone else. If you don’t rein in your men, there’s nothing stopping the Association from designating you as a person of interest, i.e., a ‘target.’"

Understood. Sygdom bows again. And a good day to you.

Grandmaster Jia doesn’t respond and walks away while grumbling to himself. Sygdom and Hadrian enter the room, and Sygdom eyes me up and down without any clear expression.

So, you’re the ‘Knight Killer,’ or, ‘Knight Murderer?’ Which one would you prefer?

Neither, I tell him. All I did was fight to escape because I wasn’t given a choice.

That sounds like blame-shifting, he responds curtly. Okay then, if neither works for you then you’ll just be a nobody. Do you know why we chose you for this fight, Mr. Nobody?

I shake my head. Not really. For fun?

Sygdom guffaws and says, "That’s one way of putting it. ‘Fun’ and also because my men need to see something foul put out of its misery. In fact, I think the whole world would like to see it. You see, Nobody, no matter where you go you’ll always be known as the man who killed dozens of heroes just to save his own skin. Whether you like it or not, everyone will know you as the ‘Knight Killer.’ You’ll be hated, harassed, and followed until someone finally manages to kill you. Right now, you are the lowest of the low, and so there isn’t really anything you can do, is there? Your fate has been decided for you: fight or die and then fight and die."

He’s not ‘foul,’ Raiko speaks up on my behalf.

When Sygdom looks at him, I step in front of the kid instinctively.

Raik’s not involved in this, I explain. He just prefers to be honest.

Sygdom smiles while raising his nose up at me. "You’ll slaughter over a hundred men and yet protect one kid who claims you’re not so bad. Were you really left with no choice?"

Yeah, I reply. I was almost scapegoated for something someone else did, and they surrounded me. I wanted to live.

For you to have made it so far, you must be very strong. Hmm…

Sygdom nods to himself and lowers his eyes to the ground as he thinks. Hadrian, he says while glancing behind him, come stand over here.

With a nervous frown, Hadrian moves to stand at Sygdom’s side.

You know what we are, don’t you? he asks me.

The Maeja.

That’s correct, and do you know what it is that we do?

I’ve only caught rumors about you here and th—

We’re slavers. We buy, kidnap, and sell. We sell humans, nonhumans, and demons. We started off as a gang the size of Noboros and grew to become an empire. Sometimes people like to refer to us as ‘sky pirates,’ and that’s fine with me.

Sygdom puts one hand on Hadrian’s shoulder, causing Hadrian to flinch in response. The Lord of Decay continues, This man here claims that he’s stronger than you,—his smile gets wider—but I think he might be lying. The two of you were friends, right?

Yeah, I admit without looking at Hadrian, we were. Not anymore, I guess.

Because he sold you out, is what I can gather. Tsk. Tsk. He frowns. "Betrayal is never easy. I’m sure it’s not something he’s proud of, but he’s got his eyes set on a prestigious position within our organization.

Tell you what, he says and pats Hadrian’s shoulder again, if, during your fight with Artemis, you show us all how strong you really are, then we just might switch the two of you out.

As Hadrian turns pale, Sygdom grins while continuing as he takes his hand off Hadrian’s shoulder, There is nowhere else for you to go, Mr. Nobody. You’d be much safer if you served me, and so I’ll give you one chance to save both you and your little follower there. Give us a good show, and you won’t be a ‘Nobody’ anymore, all right?

I’ll think about it.

Think about it, he says and bows before he nudges Hadrian and says, c’mon, you. We’re going to see if you were telling the truth.

As Sygdom leaves, Titus follows behind him and, while closing the door, explains, We gave Artemis time to say goodbye to his pupil, so the boss thought it was only fair to give you the same opportunity. Make it quick, then we’ll come and get you when the stage is all set.

Got it. I nod to him as he leaves.

After Titus shuts the door, I sit down next to Raiko. The kid looks at me with concern, and his voice shakes when he asks, You really took out all those people, didn’t you?

We’ve been over this.

Yeah, and you said it wasn’t up to you, that you didn’t have no choice. How’s that make you feel now? Is everyone really gonna hate you?

Most likely, I sigh. "Word travels fast. If we make it out of this, I’ll always be a target. Being a Death Officer makes things that much worse, because it means I’ll be going after some really important people. They won’t hate you, though."

How do you know that?

Because I’ll make sure of it. No one’s going to harass the people close to me.

Hadrian’s a wimp for not backing you up, yo.

I chuckle, He’s probably just doing it because he knows we can’t beat them. The ‘Lord of Decay’ doesn’t sound like an opponent either of us can handle right now, so he’s looking out for himself. I’d suggest you do the same if our situation becomes desperate.

Nah, he says. I’m not going to turn my back on my friends like he did.

I smile.

That’s a good way of looking at it. I won’t, either, and I’m not going to team up with a bunch of slavers just to make it through another day.

Knowing there’s not much time left, I offer what advice I can to my student and tell him, I think that, even if someone has made a lot of mistakes, that doesn’t mean that they have to give up on being a good person. Just because you fucked up doesn’t mean that you have to define yourself that way. If I’m going to keep fighting, I have to keep fighting with my own goals in mind and know that everything won’t be perfect. If the road ahead of us seems impossible, we have to find a way to make it possible through our own efforts.

That’s why you’re Tavon, he says and smiles along with me, you keep going no matter what.

I do, and there’s no reason to stop.

I stand up and look toward the door with the understanding that, today, my life could end. But that’s no different than any other day.

I’ve already given you enough speeches about striving to be better, Raik, and so I’m not sure what else to say that I can’t teach you on the battlefield. Just know that you’re a good student. You’ve got a lot of potential that needs to be brought out, and, if I lose here, then I won’t be able to do it. That’s why I’m going to fight for you; I’m going to fight for you, Kagiso, Baraka, and Aaliyah—and that bird on your shoulder, too.

The yellow chick perched atop Raiko’s back chirps back at me.

"The world might hate me, but I have to believe that I can change that. If I can get past this and make it to my target, I’ll be on my way to becoming the strongest man alive. Let’s go. I’m going to give it my best shot.

3

Condemnation

-

Tavon

-

The Sun hovers brightly above an outside deck rimmed with white steel. Upon exiting the main lobby of the zekomata, metal flooring stretches ahead to stop at two adjacent stairs that lead down into a broad wooden platform. From the opposite side of the squared patch of wooden floorboards, the metal flooring begins again and ends in a rounded point directed toward the clouds surrounding us. Below that point, a faint outline of the Eriden Desert is visible, glaring radiantly against the light of day. By tomorrow, we’ll have exited the desert to fly above the middle of the Mountains, which we’re expected to reach after sunset. Although the Maeja have taken control of the ship, it seems like they have no interest in changing the course of our journey just yet. Dark vessels float nearby, forming a fleet centered around the zekomata and bringing into focus the stage awaiting me and Artemis.

A crowd of onlookers gathers around the edges of the higher floor and speaks in hushed tones; light synthwave music plays from one of several loudspeakers placed throughout the deck; Maeja gang members stand close to food stands scattered across both ends, threatening cooks, bartenders, and bakers alike with guns as they set up round tables designated only for themselves; wealthy merchants and investors begin placing bets under coercion from men in wifebeaters and bloody leather jackets. Some more jovial Maeja members get too tipsy and begin handing out free drinks to random spectators; if they refuse, they’re met with either hard stares or knives directed at their throats. We’re here to have a good time, I hear one of the gang members shout while pressing a mug of dark liquid into the hands of a chubby man in a black suit, so don’t take our kindness for granted. If you don’t treat it like a party, we might just toss you off the ship. Now tell me who you think’s gonna win, eh? Tell me and then put your money where your mouth is.

As Raiko and I begin to walk toward the middle of the platform overlooking the stage below, we’re accosted by a group of drunk slavers decorated by a disjointed fashion sense: red leather jackets too short for their upper bodies, torn pink tank tops, a green kilt stained with red, and grey suits without undershirts or dress pants, exposing leopard-patterned underwear instead.

The one with no pants steps out from his group and asks with a dirty grin, Are you Tavon, the Knight Killer?

Yeah, I nod. What’s up?

He glances back at the others with a smile, then he turns to me and says while staring in awe, Me and the boys have been talking about you. Noboros is scary and all, but they’re just thieves. When we look at you, we see one hell of a monster—

You’re awesome, the guy with the green kilt says while raising his head and taking a swig of beer.

Heh. Yeah, his partner up front agrees. We had to come take a look at the one guy who killed a hundred trained men. That’s fucking incredible—why aren’t you on our side?

I don’t know, I tell them. Ask your boss. I’ve already got an assignment lined up for the moment anyway.

I’m not training to be a damn slaver, Raiko speaks up while glaring back at them.

I put my hand on his shoulder and reassure him, It’s okay. We won’t be joining them any time soon.

Woah there, the man in front of them puts his hands on his knees and starts to lean down, aren’t you a little young to be hanging out with him? What is he to you?

Hey,—I take two fingers and gesture his eyes away from the kid so that they’re directed back to mine as he stands up straight again—don’t worry about him. He’s a future fighter in the making.

What’s your problem with ‘slavers,’ another of them asks with a frown. How’s that any worse than running around killing people?

We serve different causes, I tell him. One of us fights for a living and the other treats people like property.

They couldn’t fight, he replies curtly, that’s why they became property. They’re not like you.

I’m not looking to own anyone.

That’s not all we do, you know, says the man without pants.

I can see that. You’re holding an entire ship hostage for a party. That’s not really my thing, either.

Hmph. Well, he grunts while extending his hand toward me, it’s good to finally meet you, ‘Knight Killer.’

I don’t accept his handshake, and he frowns.

I’m sorry, I say to him, I don’t want to catch anything before the fight.

His frown deepens into a scowl. We’re trying to be nice to you. Do you know who you’re fighting?

Yeah. The bone guy.

That ‘bone guy’s’ been alive a long time. He’s probably got a higher kill count than you do.

I think it’s about time for him to retire.

He looks back toward his friends and snickers. Then, he pulls out a jagged knife and continues scowling.

All it takes is one little slip-up and you’re done. We don’t care how tough you are. This isn’t gonna be a fair fight, and there’s people here who can make sure of that if you rub us the wrong way. Now, are you sure you don’t wanna straighten up and shake my hand like a man or are you gonna bleed out like an animal on the stage?

I think I’ll be all right.

He hesitates as his eyes flicker from me to Raiko.

Suit yourself, he nods his head, averts his gaze, and turns his back to us. Come on, boys, he won’t last much longer.

As they walk away from us, Raiko addresses me, Ay, T, he says, you weren’t seriously considering what they said, were you?

Hmm. Nah. I don’t think I could support them in good conscience.

Good. Raiko gives me a serious look.

After acknowledging that we’re on the same page, we can only take a few more steps before we’re greeted with a familiar face.

Tavon! Hey!

Kagiso runs up to us while two strangers follow him from behind. When he’s close enough to stand in front of me, the onlookers stop in place and wait for him to finish speaking before moving any closer.

With a bottle of ginjo-shu sake in hand, Kagiso speaks to us as his face flushes red, Everybody onboard’s talking about you! You’ve got some crazy fans, man.

We know, Raiko says quietly, we just met some.

I’m kinda jealous!

Don’t be, Kagiso, I tell him. They’re fanboying over a murderer. They don’t see me as the ‘good guy,’ in case you haven’t figured it out.

Famous is famous, he says.

Yeah. Up until you got people asking you if you want to be a slaver, Raiko responds quickly.

Haha—wait, what? Kagiso’s already beginning to get drunk and passes over Raiko’s comment completely as he continues, You inspire me, dude! One day, I want everyone to know the name of Jupiter Kang! I thought that a member of Noboros being onboard would get the most attention, but everyone’s really harping on what you did at the Citadel. Tavon, d-did you really pull it off? Fighting through all those men, like they say you did?

I had help. Without it, I wouldn’t have made it out alive.

Damn, dude! Well, I’m glad we’re on the same side then. You’re so famous that the Maeja’s letting me wander around and do what I want. They said that they’ll let me go if you win!

Really? That’s all it takes?

Yep, he nods with a big grin. Just kick that guy’s ass and I’m free! Kagiso jumps, and, as he does, sake spills out onto the deck. There are even some beautiful women here who want to see you. I tried talking to them at first—heh—but then I got too nervous and brought up your name. Once I did, the tall babe with brown hair became real serious about wanting to meet you. You’ve got to get her number, but, once you do… he whispers with his hand cupped around his mouth as he leans in and says, give it to me.

Can’t you just get it yourself?

Kagiso’s face turns redder. Uh, no. She’s really hot; I can’t even look at her directly. You give it a try. I’m going to go pretend I don’t know you so the Maeja will leave me alone.

All right. Go ahead. I’ll meet them.

Thanks, buddy, he pats me on the shoulder before running away.

As the two strangers approach us, I hear Raiko mutter under his breath, Wow.

What’s wrong? I ask him.

He shrugs off my question and avoids looking at me. Nothing.

When the one on the left gets a little closer, I start to feel what he’s feeling.

A woman who must be around six feet tall strides confidently in our direction. She’s rocking a dark blue kimono that opens on both sides of her waist to expose two large, muscular thighs that shine against the bright light beaming down overhead. Her broad thighs are complemented by even broader shoulders set above large arms that surround a slender upper body. Her auburn hair is tied back into a long ponytail, and her chest bounces with each step; at her side, she carries a long staff with a cross-shaped spear at its end, and bright brown eyes stare into mine as her footsteps quicken. She stops a few feet away from us and waits briefly for her partner to catch up.

A woman with dirty blond hair woven into fine braids, beaded with silver rings, moves to stand by her side while also staring at me with dark green eyes. Although a lot shorter, she’s also well-built; an olive-colored, sleeveless jacket shows off two muscular arms that are almost as big as her broad thighs, both partially hidden beneath ripped jeans. Strapped to her back are three bats: one large, one small and spiked with nails, and one slender and longer than the others. She beams at me with an intense smile before she asks, Do you know who I am?

No. Should I?

"I’ll give you a hint: we used to work for the same monster. Then, we went our separate ways, grew up, and you became a monster."

The other woman shakes and reddens all over before she can’t take it anymore. She twirls her spear behind her with one hand and brings it down to smack into the other as she points it at my head.

Tavon Meiziki! she shouts, My name is Death Officer: Rank Two, Kiyoko Orashi. You killed my cousin, Champion Wanva of the Pyrite Brigade, and I will make you pay for what you’ve done! If you don’t die in your fight with Artemis Spilsbury, you will be my next target. Hmph!

Kiyoko turns abruptly and rests her yari spear across her left shoulder as she begins to walk away from us. Come on, Thoko, she says, let’s not waste our time on the dead.

I’ll be with you in one second, her companion barely looks her way before continuing to smile at me with what appears to be subtle contempt.

‘Thoko,’ huh? I think I remember that name. I don’t associate myself with the Meiziki Clan anymore.

So just ‘Tavon,’ then? Tavon, the Knight Killer? Is that what you wanted?

Why’s she looking at you like that, T? Raiko interrupts.

It’s just like she said: we used to serve the same monster. I nod while looking at her and ask, Is your full name Thokozani? You served under the Third Seneschal, right?

That’s right. ‘Mr. Sensitive.’ Best teacher I ever had. The Father threw away my hopes and dreams, so I had to find another way.

So did I, but I didn’t become a monster.

Thoko takes a step closer without breaking her gaze and says, Do you know how many people you killed? Her smile flashes to an angry scowl, and she shouts, "I really liked the Bomber Goddess, Tavon! I looked up to Champion Isa, and you fucking killed her before I ever got a chance to meet her! When I heard your name in the news, I just knew you had to be finished. They introduced all these heroes to take you down, and then you went and punched a bunch of good people to death because you’re nothing but a stupid fucking thug!"

She slaps me, then she continues, "I became a Death Officer because I wanted to fight people like you, people who use their power to punish the weak—and now you’re ruining the reputations of Death Officers everywhere by pretending to be associated with us."

All I can say is, Congratulations. What rank are you?

One! she shouts even louder. Congratulations? Boy, do you think I give a fuck about your opinion? Thokozani frowns and looks solemn as she says, "You’re a murderer. Death Officers are supposed to hunt threats to humanity, not go around bashin’ peoples’ brains in. Don’t you get it? You’re going to die, Tavon Meiziki!"

Just ‘Tavon.’

I don’t give a fuck, she replies while shaking her head curtly. "Everyone knows who you are. That’s not how this is supposed to work. People aren’t supposed to know your name or what you’ve done, so now I’m making you my target, and I hope Grandmaster Kei marks you for death!"

Thoko rapidly draws the largest bat she has, swings it at my head, and—

I stop it in the air with one hand.

Heh, she snorts before pulling it back.

Thoko prepares to swing again with a scowl. She strikes, I flinch, and she stops midway. She starts to chuckle, drops her weapon, and walks away as she says, You’re not worth a proper fight. Just wait until your back’s turned. I’ll get you.

As Thokozani and Kiyoko move toward the stairs on our left, I catch Raiko staring at Kiyoko’s ass.

Damn, he says. How’d you manage to piss off two beautiful women that fast? They don’t even know you and they already want you dead.

I let out a deep sigh and say to him, I got caught up in something bad and didn’t have much of a choice. People come and go. If Artemis doesn’t kill me, then they might; if they don’t, it’ll be someone else. I smile at him and continue, Until then, I have to make sure you’re ready to take my place when the time comes. When that day comes, you won’t have to worry about being marked or people calling you anything like ‘Knight Murderer.’

They’re just jealous. I saw how you stopped that bat, T. She was shook.

She’ll come around.

No. She won’t, he says without skipping a beat. Let’s go.

As the two of us head toward the same set of stairs, we’re met with yet another stranger. This one’s scarier than the rest.

Stop right there, bellows a deep voice to my left.

I see him and sense an overpowering aura that sends a jolt up my spine. A head colored pitch black with small splotches of grey turns my way; in between narrow slits that reach up to two ears that are shaped like small craters, deep purple irises bore into my soul as a stone-faced stranger examines me without saying a word.

I hear Raiko curse as he steps back in shock; my nerves keep me locked in place.

Uh, can I help you? I ask.

He stares at me for a few more seconds, and then he slaps me across the face faster than I can react. I stare at him dumbfounded as my cheek grows hot to the touch.

My name is Eigog, the nineteenth member of Noboros. Our leader requested that you join us after the passing of one of our own, and you rejected him. Why?

I brace myself as I fall into stance, anticipating that he’ll strike at any moment. Eigog’s body bursts aglow with a black light that spills out from his pores while spots of bright violet radiate all around him.

Stop. I’ve no time for petty disputes. Tell the little one to stand down.

Behind me, Raiko goes pale as he clenches both fists and remains fixated on the light that flares out across Eigog’s body.

It’s all right, man, I say to him while scratching my head. If he wanted to give us a hard time, we’d already be feeling it.

I look back toward Eigog, who stays concentrated on me.

I just wasn’t ready to commit. I don’t think I’d be cut out for it.

Eigog frowns, then he says, "Someone was kind enough to offer you a privileged position. You’ve killed hundreds of other humans but can’t find the time to ‘commit?’ Who are you to