Chapter 42: Execute or be Executed

  The clashing echoed. Vibrations created ripples to correlate with the force. The figure wasn’t playing around, it was surely trying to kill me at that point. But, I didn’t let that happen, and I was forced to deal with it with the weapon created in my right hand. The sword’s motivation had led me to have the notation to use it right away. With the motivation striven, I would usually bring out my full inner force into experimenting. I performed a turning kick, aiming at its abdomen. The figure grasped it with ease, and it swung the sword down to my face. The posture was kept, then I did another turning kick to its face, whilst the right leg was grasped. The turning motion dodged the devious swing. Along with the motion, my left leg swung at the left side of the figure’s face. My body was totally in the air at that time. The figure used its right hand to block the kick, then it pushed me out with will.

  —

  ??vion: “You’re given the title of lone wolf.”

  The boy: “…”

  —

  The figure dashed with the sword readied for an attack. I took an initiative to run toward it at that time. The sword’s clashing reverbated, deafening me temporarily.

  —

  ??vion: “Osparious is planning something to his domain. If I keep spectating. Everything would be worse if we don’t do anything.”

  —

  Multiple thrusts were operated by the figure. The relentless strikes aimed at any organs were surely death blows. Taking multiple stepbacks, but those grinded my energy quicker. I performed a kick straight up to flick its sword. The figure lost its possession and was unarmed. But, it was a wasteful action. The figure already got itself the same sword in use again. It took a notion to run behind my back. Its speed was at sonic, it outlashed my eyes. The figure tucked my shoulder and thrust at my back. However, I already teleported away with my body oscillated to its front. I gave a diagonal slash toward it. The figure easily tilted and evaded the slash, then it turned with the slash in motion.

  Ching!

  An echoing clash once again deafening me again.

  —

  ??vion: “Osparious will make a huge change by using the privilege from the pledging system. The trade will eventually devastate us with his bullshitting experiment.”

  —

  Don’t know, don’t think of it. Why would I? Corruption? Turning people into a hellcat system? The fuck do you mean? Is that what you meant? My intrusive thoughts, the conscious side of my brain kept thinking of imaginary scenarios that probably happened or not happened. Osparious may have reasons to justify his delinquent or…the change that may improve his own seeds, which are humans. However, how would his seeds ameliorate the current seeds? I didn’t know, I didn’t even want to know. I didn’t want to do such things, and I thought I was going to have my peaceful life after being brought into this domain, goddess’s realm to bear new concepts and methodologies. However, I gradually remembered those lost fragments of my original memories somehow. It all started while I was fighting with the figure, that I didn’t know whether that reservation chipped in my mind was working when I encountered this specific moment.

  Or, I was thinking that each hit brought me a fragment of memories. After one parry, the clashing sound echoed. It flashed an image I’ve never seen before, probably these were my lost memories, caused by the pledging system. The time felt slow owing to my mind processing that image to beckon. My mind was nearly overdue to the relentless increment of memories. They flooded inside nonstop.

  “I guess I’ll go with the dodges.”

  Devious attacks kept aiming at my existence. Whether it was going to kill me in one blow was unknown. Clearly, the figure had an upper hand in its aggression, knowing that it may trigger something by just going the way it was doing in the first place. And I had to keep guarding and attacking at the same time. I was trying my best to not parry and keep on dodging. It did leave some openings to take, but those were blocked with its reflexes. The cards were played, but unfortunately had been read by the opponent. The figure could read my mind, that was the unfairness I can’t do anything about it.

  The figure: “…”

  The match kept on until one gave up or didn’t have any strength left to confer. However, I cannot keep on dodging forever to avoid the lost memories flooding into my mind once again.

  The figure: “I don’t want this, but forgive me, your highness.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  It used the speed that totally outmatched mine. It was like a teleportation, but the figure already appeared with the attack in motion. With hunches, the figure swung down with tremendous force, a quick strike that was pretty similar to its speed looking like a teleportation.

  CHINGG!

  Of course, I had to parry that devious attack. The clashing sound echoed at higher frequency and hertz. It was reverberating for 4 seconds. Ripples were visible that it continuously spread because of the force and wavelengths of the clash. Then, I got in a state of half-awaked.

  ***

  Oblivion: “The reservation we chipped inside him is working as expected.”

  The figure: “Hope my highness would be able to retrieve his memories and regain his old self.”

  Oblivion: “The personality he had before was no different from the new one by the way. He surely will regain his memories. Other than that, it’s not such a big deal.”

  The figure: “Sure, I wonder if he will recognize me after he regains his memories about the companion who always goes with him.”

  Oblivion: “...”

  The power, the dexterity, the chronic memories and the savage he once had previously will surely come back. The duty he had to commit with his seriousness was the proof, the vision that the figure and Oblivion had witnessed. After regaining his memories, he would be able to understand why Osparious was the threat that Oblivion must stop. Osparious would get those species from other domains to foster them. He would teach them and grant them some of his powers that helped his experiment bloom. However, all had been foreseen by Oblivion. The power inside Katze was his inheritance from the noble blood Oblivion had passed down to him. His holy figure was the evidence for the individual who may keep the balance and embody the royal-like he had envisioned, kind and generous. And, Katze was Oblivion’s creation. It’s representing the complexity of one of the five domain holders, Oblivion.

  –

  Osparious’s conspiracy was about trying to create a systematic mechanic for every being in his domain. The systematic mechanic would cause the seeds, which are his creations, to suffer under specific circumstances. The invisible factors that would lead to the corruption of the individual, simply by doing it wrong. The factor that causes the individual to obey and have to be under controlled by the subjugation of it. That means the individual not only has to always suppress themselves, but always has to deal with numerous similar interferences from the individual’s surroundings, such as interactions and the way things go.

  With these upcoming challenges, the individuals have to deal with the bias that is proposed on them. They can only try to go along with it. The world is already unfair, the bigger fish eats the smaller fishes. There’s always a stronger one. However, in the end, the most intelligent would always be the winner. Why did these appear? That was an unfair hierarchy from Osparious. If his power is almighty, why didn’t he make all his seeds to be equal? The variety would make the species less monotone, but that was just an excuse. The gods simply just want everyone to suffer. They didn’t want any beings to have a good life.

  But…am I in the wrong? What if I was the one who was trying to be against the brilliance of Osparious? No. People are suffering by that systematic mechanic, albeit for no good reason. Some people had already determined their fate. Some people were born with curses that shouldn’t be there. Some people are more unfortunate than others. Eventually, the individuals may overcome it if they strive hard enough. However, the mindset given to the individual was also the factor, which consequently devastated them brutally. What if some were given the mindset that already determined that cannot be amended? What if the coincidence wasn’t coincidence, but a thing to bring calamity upon the individual?

  The factor also determines the outcome whether they were following correctly, but why? Why didn’t they eliminate the people they considered bad already and only let the good live? The good would be the one who always suffers the most. Why didn’t they let the good to be the ones who decide? Why didn’t they appear and be the one to detect the sabotage ones? If they have almighty power, why didn’t Osparious think of this?

  The figure: “Your highness, I would like to inform you that Osparious has started to implant his experiment on his seeds.”

  Accounting the picturesque nature, the resources and wonderful varieties in his vision. But, the unforgivable still remains. The environment could affect the individual’s growth and development. But it was said earlier that why didn’t the gods use their almighty to invent such a more easier life for the individuals or…let the good ones that are smart to be the contestants?

  Excuses, only excuses. If they truly, genuinely want their seeds to live a comfortable life. Why would they let them live in those conditions in the first place? If individuals could choose their life, they wouldn’t choose the ruckus one. However, those options weren’t there in the first place. The gods lacked that sufficiency, or that could be said that was left out purposely.

  Unforgivable, despicable and repugnant

  The figure: “Osparious has started his experiment, your highness.”

  “...”

  Oblivion: “The time has come, my son. I’ll open the portal for thee.”

  The dexterity and the familiar scent with fighting had come back. Engulfed with the thermal heat that recovered the lost reminiscence that was once mine. I remembered the commission, the desire that I want to fulfill for my original father, Oblivion. If the pledging system started to flood Osparious’s planets inside their domain, then the exquisite beauty of my domain would become ashes in a second. That my domain would be affected by the unwanted factors from Osparious’s domain. The experiment that he implanted would be outrageous, which would contaminate my father’s customization. That’s right, this is the resuscitation to avoid the worst outcome. If the gods have the responsibility for their creations, then Osparious had already forfeited that.

  This mechanical scene had been set in my mind before the pledging system. This was reserved for when the situation had come to this. Oblivion foreseen this and risked it all for entrusting the circumstance would happen.

  Oblivion: “I entrust this task for thee. Thou trust my intuition, you’ll be unharmed.”

  “I always believe thee, father. I’ll do it.”

  The seven deadly sins are incarnated through every civilizations in Osparious’s domain. If Osparious knew about that, he would already do something to twist that incarnation. However, the seven deadly sins remain untouched as it was still justified by the doings of individuals. To remove those analogies, it would need almighty power to rearrange. Still, it has remained unchanged, and the cycle continues.

  Finally, Oblivion stood up from the throne. His green hair sprawled down covering his eyes. He wore a long light green Dopo cloth with an amber band wrapping his waist. He wore long trousers that covered his ankles, white socks were visible. His feet were put in a black shoes. Then, he said,

  Oblivion: “The portal has opened. Thou shall lose your memories henceforth, the trade off for the pledging system had been set. Thou shall be the pilgrimage and lone wolf for the titles. I had set everything up, and thou shall fulfill that to bring and balance back the commencement of time and space.”

  The left eye shows the creation. The right eye shows the beginning. This mingles to mark the beginning of everything.

  —

  ***