Kenos and Doza travel alongside the river for as long as they can avoiding the main trail. Doza steering the wagon while Kenos laid in the back staring at the star-filled sky.
"Hey, Kenos", called Doza. "Do you still dream?"
Kenos takes a moment to think. "I mean yeah who doesn't every now and then."
Doza chuckles, " Nah man do you ever think of what tomorrow could be."
Kenoses' eyes widen as he keeps looking up to the stars. "I guess I never really thought about that, if I do anything in this life It'll be avenging the clan."
Doza smiles as they continue down the path, "Understand that if we are to avenge Clan Umbrage we both need to be way stronger."
Kenos looks to Doza guiding the horse, "You're the strongest person I know."
"I'm the only person you know", Doza replied. The two laugh. "Jokes aside, the world is a huge place, not to mention the people of the void realm. There are many people stronger than me I bet", said Doza.
"Even stronger than you Doze", said Kenos in an excited manner.
"Don't let stuff like that faze you Ken", replied Doza. "Your opponent bleeds the same way you bleed, eats the same way you have to eat, and can feel fear the same way you do as well. If you keep those points in mind you have no reason to waiver in the face of anyone."
"Those sound like father's words", Kenos smirked remembering a distant memory of him hunting with his father.
"He drilled his beliefs into me while we trained", answered Doza, "made sure I wouldn't forget." "And I never can", he thought. "You remember those words as well Ken."
"Yeah okay", Kenos responds looking to the sky. "Hey Doze after we avenge the clan, I want to fight all types of strong people."
Doza laughs, "so you do dream still. Oh really how's a shrimp-like you supposed to do something like that."
"Shut up, I'll make it happen somehow", Kenos retorts. "Plus what good are you if you can't even help with that." The two laugh and continue along the trail until daybreak.
"Ken, you awake yet, '' asked Doza, yawning in his seat.
"Just about", Kenos responds with both eyes closed.
"Take over the reins while I get some rest."
Kenos begrudgingly gets up, "I got it", he groans switching seats with Doza.
"Just keep following this trail until you see a bridge, once we get there get off the trail and follow the river downstream. There could be a couple of villages nearby, mask up, and don't bring any attention to us." Doza carefully places his mask on his face, not fully putting it on allowing him to breathe better under it while he sleeps, and Kenos continues down the trail. "It's getting cold", thought Kenos, as he began to see his breath. "Can't wait till we set up camp later, I hope we catch something huge to eat for dinner too, I can only survive on vegetables and fried rice for so long. Huh what's that", Kenos wondered seeing two figures in the distance. As he got closer he realized it was a mother and her child.
"Ahh, excuse me young traveler", the mother calls out. "Would you be kind enough to bring us to the next town? I didn't expect it to get cold so soon", she explained, "And traveling here was already extremely difficult for me and my daughter."
"Sorry lady", Kenos responded. "I'm not going into town."
"Wait, could you at least give us a ride for as long as you walk the path?"
Kenos pauses for a minute staring at the duo, seeing himself and Doza as the two he thinks to himself, "Doza shouldn't be mad. How could I leave a mother and her daughter to walk in the cold? Fine, just be sure not to wake my friend back there."
The mother and daughter enter the wagon and the newly formed group continues down the path. They sat there saying very little to each other for a while. Kenos turns around and sees the mother fixing a braid in her child's hair. Kenos begins reminiscing when his mother would do the same to him. The mother looks up and notices, Kenos quickly turns around blushing under his mask.
The mother chuckles, "may I ask you a question, young man."
"Go for it", Kenos replied. "What is yours and the other one's name."
Kenos look down the trail and stays silent.
"Hmph, okay how about both of your parents", the mother asks "He looks a little young to be your father."
Kenos continues looking down the trail answering in a sorrow-filled voice. "Our parents died protecting us years ago."
The mother and her child are stunned hearing those words. "I'm sorry to hear that", replied the mother. Could I ask where it is you two are traveling to then?
*cough cough*
Everyone turns their head to see that Doza had awoken piercing kenos soul with his eyes
"KEN", Doza Barked. Kenos could feel the intensity hidden under Doza's mask.
"Ahaha'', he laughed nervously. "Did you have a good nap?"
Doza bites his lip, holding back his anger "Let's give Noir a little break."
"What the hell did I tell you before I slumped over", whispered Doza walking in the other direction with Kenos.
"Don't cause any trouble", Kenos mumble. "But I don't see how this is trouble. Plus I only said we'd take them for as long as we were on the path."
Doza looks back at the mother and daughter. "Hmmm, I guess I shouldn't scold you too hard for this. At least you know how to pick up a decent woman", joked Doza stroking his chin hairs slapping Kenos back repeatedly.
"Perv", Kenos replied sternly crossing his arms.
The duo walks back to the wagon and sees the two of them on the wagon waiting. Doza notices the mother fumble an object in her hands in a controlled yet panicked manner but doesn't think much of it. Taking the reins he announces the group departure and they start moving once again.
"I think I see it", shouted Kenos.
Doza stops the wagon before the bridge "I'm sorry ladies but this is as far as we can take you."
"O it's no bother you've helped more than enough", replied the mother in a charming manner.
Kenos and Doza continue on their wagon getting off the trail leading to the bridge and travel along the river instead. "Something feels off", thought Doza shaking the reigns allowing Noir to run full speed.
"Are you going this fast for a reason", yelled Kenos bouncing in the back of the wagon.
"I can sense someone closing in on us", said Doza. "Cant you feel that malicious Zen in the air" A Massive bubble appears in front of them, bouncing them back and causing the horse to buck.
"Did you really think you would escape" the duo hear from a new voice,
"Fuck", said Doza, "Bandits." Doza quickly calms their horse down.
"Give up all of your possessions, said the Bandit, appearing at the top of the huge bubble. A thinly built man with some sort of runic marking under his left eye.
"As if I'd let that happen", Doza retorts.
"It's your funeral", the bandit laughs, motioning for his lackeys to move in. Two familiar faces among them.
"That mom and her daughter", gasped Kenos. "You- you played us", he yells.
"Calm down", said Doza as he placed his hand on his dagger's hilt, a sinister smile hidden under his mask. "Follow my lead and if it gets too crazy you know what to do."
Kenos looks to Doza as he hastily jumps off the wagon stabbing the first bandit in the chest.
"yeah yeah" replied Kenos channeling his Zen. "They bleed like I bleed."
Kenos hears one of the bandits rushing in. Without hesitation, he jumps into the air performing his rolling heel kick. Knocking the man into the dirt with such a force he bounces on the ground blooding leaking out his mouth. Kenos looks up to see Doza taking out to more men instantly. "Ken, you can handle that mother and her daughter on your own right", he yelled, staring coldly at the bandit's leader.
"I got it", Kenos responds.
"Good, don't move too far from me", said Doza running in the direction of the lead bandit.
Kenos turns to the mother and her daughter, slowly walking up to them in anger. "How could you", he shouts, "you took us for fools".
The mother stands there guarding her daughter behind her. "Please find mercy in your heart," she begged as Kenos walked closer and closer.
"You lead me to a death trap and expect mercy". Kenos laughs, "now in what world does that make any sense." "Please we were just hungry", she pleaded.
Kenos readied his fist, holding it back so he could channel all his Zen into it. "Still you choose to take from others so that they could suffer in your place instead."
"But we had no other choice, we were practically forced", the mother begged.
A monstrous aura encases Kenos as the air begins to stir around him, Kenos takes a deep breath closing his eyes and letting the punch go. Tears fall from the mother's face as she brings both arms up to shield her daughter. "Mother!!!'', Kenos catches a glimpse of the daughter cowering behind her mother in fear. Her face pale from the shock of the situation. Kenos stops his fist right before making contact. The mother bandit could feel the force of it rushing past her knocking her back on to her daughter. "Go" Kenos grumbles. "Before I change my mind, and if I catch you in something like this again... I'll end you." The child quickly helps her mother and runs. "Thank you", she yells, "I won't forget this kindness.
Doza looks in disgust at the Bandit leader. "You tried the wrong one", he yells charging in with his dagger.
The bandit draws a hollow blade, clashing his sword against Doza's. "You could've avoided this", the bandit explains, "but it's nothing to take another life." The bandit leader backs off from the conflict of blades and sheaths his hollow sword. Quickly unsheathing it, he swipes his sword across him forming a sizable bubble. "Burst bubble", he motions his palm forward and the bubble shoots at Doza at an incredible speed. Doza quickly takes in the situation and throws his dagger in the bandit's position nearly grazing his cheek. "Lighting flicker", shouted Doza as he catches the blade on the other side. Holding the dagger reversed grip pointing the blade towards his opponent's throat. Without a thought the bandit leader reversals his way out, spitting up a bubble and letting it pop sending the dagger flying.
"That's a peculiar void release", said Doza slightly agitated. Doza takes a moment to collect himself, "there's a crater where the bubble tried making contact with me. Safe to say I shouldn't get hit by that. Let's wrap this up quickly", thought Doza scooping up his dagger and channeling his Zen. Iasunari, he shouted, conjuring a piercing lighting around his blade. Doza rushes in with a combination of swipes and stabs throwing in a couple of kicks as well. The two clash swords once again with great intensity. Pushing in with his shoulder, Doza breaks through a piece of the sword his opponent wielded, knocking it in the air. "Static discharge", he yells touching the bandit leader on the chest with his off-hand.
"Ahhhhh", the bandit screamed backing off.
Doza begins to laugh in an almost sadistic manner, "Your pathetic."
The bandit leader grabs the sheath on his waist in a panicked manner dumping out the liquid substance that was inside of it. "This guy, he's off his rocker. His power no not even this bloodlust he's emanating it's unbelievable. I'll have to pull out my greatest technique", the bandit leader began building Zen until the runic marking under his eye glowed faintly. "Baburu no sekai," he yelled as the forest filled with bubbles, each one under his control.
"This is what it's all about", yelled Doza laughing hysterically gripping his blade even tighter.
"You're a worthy opponent indeed," said the bandit leader. I haven't been forced to use this move in a while. The bandit sends a number of bubbles after Doza.
Doza switches to the defensive losing more and more ground trying to find an opening. "I can't move in on him", thought Doza, Barely getting a minute to catch his breath. "I won't lose to some lame bandit, how would I support him if I die here?" Doza stops avoiding and runs straight towards the bubbles surrounding the bandit. His body overflowing with excitement due to the situation he found himself in. "Flowing Lighting" 3rd step, he yelled. Morphing into lighting itself, each stream splitting apart bouncing from bubble to bubble until finally coming together in the air crashing down on the bandit leader. The smoke clears, And Doza stands on top, his foot on the bandit leader's neck. "Power if I only had power", the bandit squealed on the floor reaching for Doza, the glowing mark on his face fading away. Without breaking eye contact Doza crushes his opponent's windpipe.
Doza takes off his mask and exhales. "I didn't expect he'd give me such a fight." Doza looks around and walks to Kenos waiting for him on the wagon.
Kenos stares at the blood-drenched Doza. "You're not getting on like that", Kenos laughed.
"Like what", joked Doza walking up to Kenos trying to grab him. Suddenly Doza takes notice of his injuries almost falling over.
Kenos catches him preventing the fall. "You don't always have to be the strong one for me Doza", said Kenos. "Everynow and then you can fall back, I got you."
Doza smiles, "thanks little Ken", he whispers before passing out.
"Honestly what would you do without me Doza", Kenos laughed. "I should bandage him up before we start moving", thought Kenos. "Damn never did find time to hunt dinner, he sighed. Vegetable fried rice it is", said Kenos in a depressed manner securing Doza in the wagon to make sure he wouldn't fall. "I can eat after I put some distance between us and here. Kenos then takes the reins and continues down the stream."