Chapter 5: Invisible Chains and Evolution

In a secluded village where there are no rulers, no laws, no hierarchy and no system. Those who are strong enough, get what they want: Food to feed themselves or their families if they even have one. Water to quench their thirst or to clean themselves. Wealth, to support their lifestyle…and finally, to choose who they are going to spend their life with.

"Now let's see how long you can hold out."

Hearing this statement of his, Kiyoto is now more vigilant than he ever is. He never felt this intimidated before, not that he remembers if he faced such opponents before he lost his memories. It also came to him that he wandered quite a distance from him and the other members of the [Swords].

"Aren't you gonna come? A couple more hits like that and I will be sure to be taken out." The man declared while massaging the parts he recently got hit.

Kiyoto's pretty sure he was just being baited now. He's not going to risk himself for a couple of more free hits since this time, it looks like the man in front of him is going to retract. In addition to that, he determines that the mask he is wearing is not the same as the others. As long as he doesn't know how his mask works, he cannot be reckless.

"Heh that's right, be more on guard now. Trust your instincts and you might as well come out victorious. What a way for me to remember where I grew up." The man clenched his fist. "It might not be obvious, but I'm a warrior. And the way I see it, you seem to be one too. So it should be customary to know each other's names, yeah? You can call me Juzo. But I'm only allowing you to call me that, not the others." He made a wider grin as if threatening him.

Seeing no reason to refuse, Kiyoto also introduced himself. "I'm Kiyoto…and I do not accept the way your organization acts."

"Haha, of course you don't. I don't expect the [Swords] to understand us anyway in the first place. Y'see I have no expectations of anybody unless they show me their worth themselves." Juzo sauntered towards Kiyoto, who in response, gave everything he got in observing his next moves.

"My turn."

In a brisk manner, Juzo launches himself towards Kiyoto as if imitating his move earlier when he punched him in the face, but this time he aims for his guts. Kiyoto on the other hand tried to jump over him to counter, but strangely, he couldn't seem to move. It's as if he is being restrained at the moment. "What the-" This results for him to take Juzo's punch which caused him to get blown away, as he landed on the ground with an impact. "Guh" *cough* Kiyoto lets out a series of coughs afterwards.

"Aaaah, fragile thing. Looks like you have been living in luxury, boy." He didn't use his name. It only shows that Juzo is somewhat disappointed with the result.

Kiyoto thought to himself: 'It must be the power of his mask. It seems like it has a restraining effect when I get close to it. But what the hell, that's imbalanced.' Kiyoto immediately regained his footing and took another fighting stance. Since he now has an idea how Juzo's mask works, he thought he could somehow improvise a battle plan to take him down.

Seeing his opponent back on his feet in just a short time and seemingly ready to go at it again makes Juzo regain some of his excitement. "Ah I knew you could take it Kiyoto! I was just being sarcastic back then y'see." The engraved chain in his face begins to move once again.

'I have to concentrate more.' Kiyoto thought to himself as he braced for Juzo's next assault.

"What's wrong, don't be too tense. It will make your muscles too stiff that you might not be able to move again." Juzo mockingly gave him some pointers. He then proceeds to march towards Kiyoto again.

Before the gap closes between them, Kiyoto managed to get out of Juzo's field of view by feinting a leap to his right. Juzo halted his advance by applying a decent amount of pressure from his feet to the ground. His gaze tried to follow Kiyoto but he seemed to be able to evade his sight.

'He's getting quicker' Juzo thought. His fighter instincts began to tingle as he senses an attack incoming. Juzo shielded his most vulnerable part, which is the back of his neck with his hands and managed to block Kiyoto who was aiming for it.

Juzo grabbed the hand he just caught and proceeded to hurl him into the ground. But before he could even do so, Kiyoto landed a kick to the back of his head. "Ack!" Which also resulted for Juzo's grip to loosen up.

Kiyoto takes this opportunity to free himself from his grip. As Juzo was about to turn around, Kiyoto clenched his fist and managed to land a consecutive series of punches.

It did not take long for Juzo to reciprocate, as Kiyoto noticed that he cannot move once again.

"Bhahahaha! That's it Kiyoto! I love a challenge!" It can be seen that traces of blood are dripping from Juzo's nose but he doesn't care at all. He returned the series of punches towards Kiyoto in kind "Guakh!"

But after the third punch Kiyoto managed to block his next hit by shielding himself with both of his hands. Before Kiyoto can even leap away he feels restrained once again as if there is something invisible slithering around his body.

He felt a great force hitting his chest. It was a powerful punch from Juzo which resulted in Kiyoto being blown away with quite a distance.

Going a few seconds back, with Juzo's first hit, Kiyoto noticed that the feeling of being restrained was canceled out. That is why he is able to block the following hit.

Facing the ground, Kiyoto shakingly tries to get up using both his hands and feet. His body is aching all over after taking those hits from Juzo, meanwhile his opponent seems to be adapting to the pain effectively.

Juzo licks the blood dripping down from his nose. "Y'know the difference between us, Kiyoto? I face countless challenges everyday while you lot are just here pretending to be cops!"

Juzo begins his trudge once again while Kiyoto is still in the middle of recuperating from the hits he took. Not seeing much of a choice, Kiyoto coughed up his pain and pushed himself to get up.

Though this does not stop Juzo, in fact, he changed his trudge into a sprint. He reached out his hands aiming to grab Kiyoto.

In response to this, Kiyoto managed to leap away without getting restrained. But then Juzo caught up to him as Kiyoto was once again restrained.

"Urgh…this feeling. Invisible chains!?"

"Indeed."

Juzo grabbed Kiyoto by the mask. By every second passed, he keeps on putting more force to it like he is going to crush his head.

"Aaaargh!"

"No sense keeping secrets right now wouldn't it? My mask, Nikushimi no Rensa, allows me to restrain my opponents by applying an invisible chain to a given distance from my field of view. But how can you even destroy something that you can't see!? Hahaha!"

-Back in Akafuyu's office-

"Here's your coffee, My Mistress."

"Thanks as always, Klauss. You always make the best coffee."

"I am much delighted to receive your compliment, My Mistress"

Akafuyu took a sip of Klauss's coffee and puts the teacup on top of her desk. "Oh by the way Klauss, you haven't really graded Kiyoto's mask yet. What's your take?"

"Hmm. My Mistress, what do you think is constant in this world?"

"Huh?" Akafuyu wondered where did the question suddenly came from.

"It's change. Evolution. It could be surmised that it is one of the most powerful weapon in the world due to its unlimited potential for growth. That mask, it currently has the ability to change…but to an unknown level. I would like to witness its evolution. If I were to be asked for the mask's grade. I might just give it the rank of —"

Akafuyu's eyes widened in shock after hearing Klauss's answer.

"-a Herald"

Going back to the battle between Juzo and Kiyoto, by the looks of it, it will be over soon.

"Aaaaagh!"

Juzo continues to tighten the grip of his hands against Kiyoto's head while he's being restrained by the invisible chains.

"I had fun, this is the first time I've put effort like this against a Sword member, but alas, work is work."

As Juzo was about to give a final blow, Kiyoto's hands glow, revealing a dark armored glove as it fades. "Huh? Still got a trick up your sleeve?"

As if he feels like he knows what to do, Kiyoto clenched both of his hands. A shattering of metal can be heard. From an observer's point of view, it would be just an imagination. But for Juzo who is the only one who can see the chains…what he saw was unexpected.

The invisible chains that he thought are indestructible, have been demolished by Kiyoto by shattering a part of the chain with both of his hands. Even though his grin is still unwavering, he was stunned.

Freed from the shackle, Kiyoto pulled back his fist and charged it towards the stunned Juzo. Too late to retract due to being distracted, Juzo took a heavy punch from Kiyoto causing him to kneel down in pain. Blood spilled out from his mouth upon impact.

"Kiyoto!" A worried voice from afar can be heard. It was Mylene who had brought along some backup.

He can't see himself winning with these odds, so Juzo fled in a hurry before taking a final glance to Kiyoto. He smirked and finally made his escape, his trail of blood can be seen.

"Follow him. It's that man who took down almost all of our members in this area!"

Before anyone could see it, the glove disappeared. Kiyoto fell down to his knees, gasping for air. Before he even noticed it, Mylene hugged his head whilst crying.

"I know you came here to fight…but you are not supposed to fight alone!"

"I…I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry we were late as well, we got held up fighting some of their members along the way…" Mylene proceeds to support Kiyoto, assisted by another Sword member.

"You're amazing, newbie! You fended off that big guy who wields a Unique mask, and it looks like you're winning back then!" A member commented.

"Come on out of the way! He needs treatment fast!" Mylene hurriedly brought Kiyoto to a nearby makeshift shelter.

On the Central branch of the [Swords], a more intense battle is currently on the way…

A man wearing a Unique mask leads the charge. He is donning a robe with the [Scythes] insignia and is wielding a sword. Their march was stopped by an Elder who was in the way.

The Elder gives off an aura of authority and greatness. Even his attire can already tell anyone that he is a high ranking officer. Finally, they saw the insignia of the Swords in his uniform.

"Ah, an officer! How kind of you to come personally. Aren't the lot of you busy with your paperworks?"

The Elder's sharp eye pierces the man which results for him to take a step back. The Elder finally opened his mouth.

"What a disappointment" He commented with his eyes filled with nothing.

"Seems like you want some excitement old man? Let us give it to ya!"

It was then reported that 50 [Scythes] members along with 1 officer from the Central branch has been taken into custody for further questioning