Chapter 2: The Legend of the Wandering Priest

While Christian is asleep, the scene shifts back to the dark alley where the fierce fight took place. The aftermath of the massive explosion still lingers, leaving behind a trail of destruction. A group of military soldiers, donning uniforms similar to Neo and the Sergeant, arrives at the scene. Leading them is Captain Ryon, the commander of the district responsible for Neo and the Sergeant.The soldiers begin scouring the area and quickly locate both the unconscious Sergeant, bearing burnt marks, and the heavily injured Neo buried beneath the rubble fortunately for him he was able to defend himself just in time by detaching the grenades off his belt. Captain Ryon orders the medical unit to tend to their injuries. As Neo regains consciousness, he catches Captain Ryon's attention."Sir."Captain Ryon approaches Neo, intrigued. "Lieutenant, you took quite a beating here. What happened?"Neo proceeds to recount the entire story of Christian and the mysterious stranger who aided him. Captivated by the account, Captain Ryon asks, "You mentioned this man had light purple hair, wore a cross around his neck, and carried a massive cross-shaped coffin?"Neo nods in confirmation. "Yes, sir."Captain Ryon grips the hilt of his sheathed sword. "How interesting. I wonder what the Wandering Priest is doing here?"Curious about the Wandering Priest, Neo inquires further. Captain Ryon then proceeds to reveal the legend surrounding this enigmatic figure."The Wandering Priest is a man shrouded in mystery. Even during my time as a lieutenant, his name resonated throughout the military. He was once a member of the military but defected, earning himself a spot on the Top 10 Most Wanted as a high-ranking criminal. Many attempted to apprehend him, but few stood a chance against his mastery of the sword."Neo recalls his fight with Harrison and suddenly comprehends how his opponent possessed such extraordinary agility.Captain Ryon continues his tale, "However, the priest had a significant flaw—he refused to kill those who pursued him. He was too compassionate. Traveling the land, he aided anyone in need, earning the adoration of the people. Eventually, due to his contribution to the community and his renunciation of killing, the King decided to remove the Wandering Priest from the most wanted list on the condition that he never took another life."Neo is astonished by the story. "Wow, I've never heard of a circumstance like that."Captain Ryon agrees, "Indeed, there is still much mystery surrounding the Wandering Priest. But that is the legend as I remember it. Nonetheless, it seems the Wandering Priest is here..." Cpt. Ryon then smiles and grips the hilt of his sword, "I can't wait to meet him." The narrative shifts back to Christian and Harrison. A few hours have passed while Christian was asleep. Harrison decided to go and scout the area by going back to where he and Lt. Neo fought. He notices the increased number of military personnel all around the scene. He realized the city is no longer safe, and decides to get Christian out. However, when he returns to the apartment, he discovers his bed empty."Dammit, kid. Where did you go?" Harrison says as he looks concerned.The scene transitions to Christian, who has ventured out on his own. Determined not to burden Mr. Harrison, he heads towards the edge of the city and plans to traverse the forest incognito. As he nears the city's outskirts, a shuriken hurtles towards him. Reacting swiftly, Christian dodges and the shuriken hits a tree. Christian where it came from and finds himself facing Lt. Neo and an unfamiliar man."DAMMIT..."This man is Cpt. Ryon a presence that completely terrifies Christian as he approaches him and smirks, "So, you must be the boy who gave my men trouble." He then gets right into Christian's face within striking distance for Christian to attack, "But you're just a boy. How fascinating." Captain Ryon chuckles, impressed by Christian's unwillingness to attack, "I see you have some common sense. Not bad, kid." Cpt. Ryon then puts his hand on Christian's shoulder and gets right next to his ear, "Now, tell me, where is the man who was with you?"Lt. Neo is surprised by the question, and Christian remains silent, uncertain why Captain Ryon is asking about Harrison.Captain Ryon sighs and continues, "You refuse to speak..." Suddenly, Cpt. Ryon appears on the other side of Christian without him noticing, "Well I'll force you to talk..." He then punches him in the gut.Christian doubles over, gasping for air and coughing. Captain Ryon whispers into his ear, "I'll ask again, where is the man who was with you?"After coughing up blood, Christian musters a few words, "Fuck you!" He spits blood on Captain Ryon's face.Irritated with blood on his face he wipes it off with his hands. He then punches him to the ground and with an unhinged smile starts launching a relentless assault, pummeling Christian to the ground. After a few minutes, Lt. Neo intervenes, pleading, "That's enough, sir. You're going to kill him."Captain Ryon scoffs and fixes up his uniform, "Whatever. Tie him up, put the handcuffs on him, and Throw him in the vehicle."Moments later they begin making their way toward the military vehicles with an unconscious Christian. Cpt. Ryon thinks to himself he is disappointed that he never got the fight he wanted. Just as Lt. Neo is about to put Christian in the truck someone lands out of nowhere on top of the vehicles. "Am I late for the party?" It's none other than Harrison himself!Both Captain Ryon and Lt. Neo are taken aback by Harrison's arrival. However, Captain Ryon's surprise quickly transforms into a smile. He had longed to fight Harrison, the Wandering Priest, and now he stands before him. Captain Ryon extends his arms as if inviting Harrison's embrace, his smile growing wider.Harrison opens the coffin he had been carrying all along, intensifying Captain Ryon's anticipation. But to Captain Ryon's bewilderment, Harrison retrieves a wooden sword.Momentarily confused, Captain Ryon asks, "Is that what you're going to use to fight me?" At that very moment, Harrison with lightning-like speed appears in front of Lt. Neo. Harrison positions the wooden sword as if he were about to stab Lt. Neo, while his free hand hovers over the tip. Whispering, he says, "Crater Thrust." With a swift motion, Harrison thrusts the wooden sword, hitting Lt. Neo in the stomach with its wooden tip. The impact sends him flying, breaking trees and rendering him unconscious. He catches Christian in mid-air as Lt. Neo drops him, gazing down at the unconscious boy in his arms.However, there's no time for relief as Captain Ryon appears behind Harrison and draws his sword in a quick motion, attempting to cut Harrison down. Harrison, caught off guard, manages to react in the last second, raising his own weapon to block the attack. The clash of swords reverberates through the air, causing sparks to fly.Surprised by Harrison's quick reflexes, Captain Ryon swiftly repositions himself, appearing behind Harrison once more, ready to strike at his blindspot. However, Harrison's instincts kick in, and just in time, he raises his sword to block the attack again, narrowly averting the deadly blow.Captain Ryon, now appearing a little further away from Harrison, begins to speak. "I'm impressed, Wandering Priest. It seems you're as skilled as I expected you to be." He starts laughing, thoroughly enjoying himself.Harrison realizes that he is in a tough spot and begins to ponder his next move. "This guy is strong, easily stronger than his rank indicates. He's also a swordsman and seems to favor Iaijutsu, the sword technique that focuses on quick-draw techniques. Overall, I wouldn't say he's skilled enough to pose me any problems, but I have no idea how he keeps getting to my blind spots. It doesn't seem like it's just speed. No, it feels like something else entirely."As Harrison contemplates setting Christian down to prepare for the fight, he notices that he is no longer holding the boy. He looks up and sees Captain Ryon putting Christian in the back of a vehicle.Harrison is shocked once again. "How the hell?"Captain Ryon laughs once more, relishing in the situation. "I bet you're wondering what is going on. I bet you're shivering in your boots from my power." He laughs even louder. "Well, I'm not telling you."Again, Captain Ryon appears behind Harrison, launching another attack. Harrison, determined to protect Christian and figure out Captain Ryon's methods, braces himself and meets the attack head-on, blocking the strike with precision and strength.The clash of their swords echoes through the forest, their intense battle unfolding amidst the trees. Harrison's eyes narrow as he analyzes Captain Ryon's movements, searching for any weaknesses or patterns. Despite his opponent's relentless assaults, Harrison remains composed, his years of training and experience guiding his every move.With each clash, Harrison's swordsmanship evolves, adapting to Captain Ryon's unpredictable attacks. He begins to anticipate the Captain's moves, blocking and parrying with increasing efficiency. The gap between them gradually narrows as Harrison gains a better understanding of Captain Ryon's style.The battle reaches a fever pitch, their swords blurring in a flurry of strikes and counters. Each clash sends shockwaves through the air, leaving scars on the surrounding trees. Harrison's determination intensifies, fueled by the urgency to rescue Christian and put an end to Captain Ryon's relentless pursuit.Amidst the chaos of their clash, Harrison's mind races, searching for the key to unlocking Captain Ryon's secret technique. He focuses his attention on the Captain's footwork, trying to decipher the source of his incredible speed and ability to appear behind him but still can't get a clear image of his ability that keeps allowing him to get into his blind spots so effortlessly.As the battle rages on, the mysterious connection between the Wandering Priest and the enigmatic Captain Ryon begins to unravel, with both warriors pushing their limits to gain the upper hand.