Raja Kint was standing with nearly sixty people around. Watching Icurio break the lock for the gate.
“Snap!”
The lock tumbled down onto the floor and the gate opened. Icurio looked behind him and motioned for everyone to follow. The first part of the plan was to go undetected for as long as possible.
Raja Kint was behind Icurio and Aspro as they climbed the stairs. Despite the swelled-up excitement contained in everyone’s chest. They were dead silent at this moment. Having lived so long down below their minds were honed to a higher state on average amongst those of the same stage.
Soon they reached the top and used the cover of the shadows to reach the room full of weapons. Icurio whispered to his group, “This is where the stealth might end. It will be a mad dash but as long as we stay together the seven of us should have no issue escaping alive. They all nodded and Icurio walked up to the wheel to open the gate.
Raja Kint’s group moved to the side next to Icurio. Some of the other groups got closer to the gate wanting to be the first to run. Other groups stayed back a little opting for a different strategy.
Icurio grabbed the wheel and turned it. The gate screeched at first then silently raised up. None of the groups dared to move too quickly for fear of being singled out.
The wheel stopped turning and Icurio let it go. The wheel was locked in place. When the groups saw this they moved out and slid along the shadows. They were silent but quick under the moon.
Raja Kint looked up at the moon and could see his mother’s face. He knew that tonight no matter what happened he would escape alive.
A voice echoed out, “The noise probably wasn’t even anything serious.”
Icurio leaped up and the footsteps from before were missing. Icurio hopped back down and waved his hand. Motioning for everyone to speed up. Once they got to the side of the coliseum closest to exiting the town. Everyone began scaling the walls quickly.
Raja Kint scaled the walls along with his group. Currently, his group was fourth from the front.
They got closer and closer to the drop-off of the side of the Coliseum. Raja Kint watched as people hit the wall lightly to slow their drop and roll when they hit the ground. When his group stepped up he did the same motions.
Once all the groups dropped down Icurio spoke. “Let’s stay as discreet as possible. If we can leave in silence it would be for the best.”
“Huh.” Raja Kint’s neck snapped in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. His eyes saw two guards walking side by side. One of the guards yelled, “ESCAPEES, SOUND THE ALARM!”
Icurio yelled, “RUN, THIS IS OUR CHANCE!”
Leaving a cloud of dust everyone moved extremely quickly. Ahead they saw fires being lit and moving in their direction. Raja Kint along with everyone else understood that this was the time to fight.
The group of sixty was like a stampeding horde in the night. Raja Kint yelled, “FOR FREEDOM!”
“FOR FREEDOM!” yelled the entire group behind his call. Raja Kint felt the spike of energy he got. He knew the way people viewed Icurio when he first met him. Was the way these same people now viewed him. He had showcased his strength, gained respect and now led these people toward freedom.
A few battles broke out ahead. But these battles were trifling as Raja Kint was happy to see the groups were helping their members! This is what the leaders were most concerned about.
To his right Odigo was attacked by a sixth inner ki. Odigo sneered as he killed the person in two moves. When Odigo crossed eyes with Raja Kint they both smiled.
Soon enough they saw the opening to the outside world beyond this hellish town and its coliseum. Raja Kint caught site of the tradesman who had sold him out. Out here playing with his home world ki stone. Raja Kint burst forth with killing intent and snarled. “I need to pay somebody back for sending me down there and taking what belongs to me.”
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The entire group rallied behind him and ran toward the tradesman.
The tradesman assumed since he was out of the way nobody would cause him trouble. Then he noticed a group of seven people coming toward all. All of them are in the late inner ki beside one. Suddenly he saw who was leading them and yelped in surprise, “THE KID?”
He was doubly surprised that Raja Kint had reached the seventh inner ki like him. The tradesman quickly grabbed his things.
When Raja Kint saw the tradesman grabbing his things he concentrated his ki into his legs and burst forth with speed unparalleled in the inner ki realm!
The tradesman felt a life-and-death crisis had arrived. He looked behind him to see Raja Kint was only a few steps away.
Suddenly a voice roared through the town, “You slaves think you can run away?”
The expressions of those in Raja Kint’s group changed. A voice traveling across a distance wasn’t something an inner ki realm could do. This meant only one thing. An outer ki realm opponent has appeared.
Raja Kint was already before the tradesmen. He transitioned his ki evenly through his body. Completely suppressing the tradesman and killing him in just one move. Shocking everyone watching this scene.
Raja Kint pulled out his pouch and pulled everything the tradesman had inside it. The entire action of breaking off to kill the tradesman and taking his goods wasn’t even ten seconds.
Raja Kint turned around and his entire group ran to leave. Even though the person present was an outer ki realm he would never catch up. Even if he did Raja Kint was confident that the group would be fine.
Raja Kint said, “Let’s stay together a little longer in case the outer ki realm chases one of us down.” The group agreed and they headed east with Raja Kint. Screams sounded out behind them from others who couldn’t escape. Raja Kint traded gazes with those from other groups. All of their gazes showed reverence toward him.
Raja Kint wondered if he had done something his mother called. “Creating good karma.”
His group ran nonstop straight east until the sun reached the highest point in the sky. They all collapsed and looked at each other. Then they began laughing loudly.
Mavros said, “I can finally look for my wife. If she’s even still my wife.”
“If she isn’t yours then come to the Kint Sect and make yourself known. We can live out the rest of our years like Icurio and Aspro,” said Parsinos.
Aspro said, “We can rest here before heading off. They might put up bounties but we can leave the area.”
“Let them put up bounties. I’ll come to tear them all down in no time by beating on that outer ki realm.”
The group laughed at Raja Kint’s statement. Odigo said, “Even if you forget I’ll come to tear them down for us.”
Mavros said, “By the time you tear them down I’ll be a corpse.”
Odayakana’s face was streaked with tears as she said, “It’s been too long, I wonder how my kids have grown.”
Aspro said, “You’d best clean yourself before going to your family. We still have the stench from being down there on us.”
Icurio says, “There’s a stream nearby and we can hit up a town on Raja’s dime now that he’s struck it rich off that tradesman.”
“We’d best find ourselves some new clothes first I’d imagine.” Said Raja Kint as he took out tons of ki stones for everyone. Everyone grabbed some ki stones and thanked Raja Kint. Parsinos stood up and said, “Raja I’m heading off now. You wanna come with me or will you hang around longer?”
Raja Kint sighed as he stood up. He gave everyone a hug and wished them well.
Odayakana says, “If you happen to chance upon a tribe called the Shizen tribe it’s mine. Anyone can say hello if you’re out that way. I’ll send you blessings every day Raja for your journey.”
Mavros said, “You’ve saved me, kid. Even though I’m not strong enough to help you. I’ll sing praises for you in my heart for life.”
Odigo says, “I look forward to meeting you again when we’ve reached higher realms.”
“Us old men will keep you in our tales for the young ones. A heroic boy named Raja Kint who braved trials and tribulations. Leading his people to their dream of freedom successfully,” said Aspro.
Icurio looked at Raja Kint with a smile, “Go on and walk among the stars boy. Maybe I’ll get to meet you in another reincarnation. I hope you will take good care of me.”
“Of course, I’ll take good care of you. And help you reach higher heights as well.” Raja Kint walked next to Prasinos and the two marched forward.