The Thousand Mask Warrior

Footpath

Jayaseta parted ways with his entourage. The separation went quickly because it was what Jayaseta wanted even though he had to split a second time with his uncle, his only living family.

To be honest, he did not want them to get into trouble that would welcome him. Indeed, the problem had been smelled by Jayaseta since he entered the gate of Banten even though he was silent in front of his uncle Badra and the others.

Two men followed him and his new entourage. Initially Jayaseta thought that the presence of eight people entering the city gate was already quite prominent and aroused some curious people. So he initially understood that many eyes were paying attention. But Banten is a big city, different types of people from different areas come there. Therefore Jayaseta was suspicious at last with certain figures who were watching them.

One man bare-chested, decorated with bracelets on both arms, trousers conical down, a cloth of jarith around his waist. Behind the jarit that Jayaseta had seen two branches tucked in the waist. A branch is a short trident weapon that has many ways of using it.

Although the shape is simple, branches can be used to stab enemies as well as keris or knives. It can also be inserted through the wearer's fingers and used like nails coming out of a fist. Branches are also best used to fend off swords because their branched shape makes them capable of locking such sharp weapons. If the branch is used by people who have high skills and silat science, then the weapon can be very deadly.

The other was a woman who was probably forty years old. His face showed his age, almost like other women his age. The difference is the look on his face.

Jayaseta knows very well those who have silat skills and who do not. With firm facial lines, the woman must be the one trained in combat. The difference with the previous stalker, Jayaseta did not see him carrying any weapons.

***

Jayaseta had already gone away from the city gate of Banten towards Betawi on foot. It passes through a path that is not too crowded, but also not too quiet. This road is not reinforced with stone, but a dirt path with sand on it. Half of the tea was passing by. But there are certainly times of quiet streets. It was then that Jayaseta knew the people who were stalking him were intending to intercept him here.

From the city of Banten, Jayaseta already thought that he would face the bullies again. Maybe not just two people, and maybe they're fully armed. To guard against the possibility of Jayaseta having prepared himself with a rattan three fingers wide and twice as long as his arm. He asked for rattan trash at a wood and rattan craft shop he met on any street.

Sure enough, in front of him now stood three men. One of them was the man who had followed Jayaseta the day before. The clothes are the same, the difference is that the two branches are now not shyly tucked in the waist outside the jarit. The other two people had already seen his short-sighted appearance.

One man was wearing a leather vest, two blades crossed on his back. The other one held a toya. Jayaseta's eyes probed quickly to assess their abilities. Toya was the one who attracted his attention, because the toya even though it was normal size was made of shiny steel. Many traces of fights in the body of the toya was due to the collision of various weapons.

With her trained ears Jayaseta also felt the presence of two other people behind her. He turned around and saw the stalker woman who was now dressed in battle like a soldier. A long shotgun with a knife tied to the tip or muzzle of his rifle he held tightly in his right hand. At his waist Jayaseta saw tucked in a keris and a gun, a firearm with a shorter barrel.

Next to the woman stood another man. He is Chinese. Jayaseta can see from the characteristics of his body and his clothes stand out, especially Jayaseta himself has Chinese blood. Her clothes were pure white and delicate, made of silk and looked a bit luxurious.

This person had long hair curled at the top of his head, almost similar to Jayaseta. But the hair on the top of his head was tied with a twisting red string.

Jayaseta observed that the Chinese man had a weapon that was no less unique, pieces of iron as large as the index finger that were connected to the chain bracelets. It had an iron handle, similar to the handle of a sword but longer. The weapon has a sharp tip like a spear at the end of the piece of iron that is intertwined. The pieces of iron were wrapped around his waist.

Later Jayaseta came to know this weapon as a chain whip, a Chinese weapon that is said to have originated from the Shaolin temple. Even as Jayaseta remembers, he was also taught to know and learn how to use it.

***

“Pendekar Mask Seribu. This looks like it looks like it. They say you are young. Wonder also I made him first get this news,” the man who holds a steel toya said.

“Parta, let me try out this child's abilities first. It was from yesterday that Sarti and I followed him. Already bubbling my blood wanted to try the famous silatnya,” now the person who brought the branch who spoke to the steel toya. His voice was crisp but full of hatred. He then spat on the ground and retracted the two branches tucked away on his waist.

“You must leave a little for me Damar, he he he,” now the answer is the double sword while chuckling.

“Be quiet, Kangsa!” hardik the swordsman branch weapon that turns out to be named Damar to Kangsa, the double sword.

Jayaseta still has a lot of questions on her mind. Who're they? Why would they want to attack him? And how did they know that he was the Thousand Mask Swordsman? But all these questions he must save first because the person called Damar is ready to finish him.

Jayaseta felt the samba mask she had hung around her waist, behind her jarit. But he did not wear it, instead preparing his wand.

“You really insulted me boy. Don't you think you're a better weapon than that rattan stick? You think I'm the bad boy you've punished with a cane, huh?” said Damar while remaining in the attacking horses.

Jayaseta remained silent. He felt that there was no need for any words. Free! He will serve this Damar first.

Damar jumped forward and directly thrust his branch towards Jayaseta's head. Jayaseta dodges while blasting his bread into Damar's attacking arm.

Although not a dangerous shot, the rattan punch made Damar angry because it was more humiliated because his attack was pushed aside while his hand was hit in such a way. Not so much pain, but his heart was wounded.

The branch in Damar's hand went round and round and pitched towards Jayaseta. Damar was so good at using this weapon. Sometimes he made a branch as a claw and punched it towards Jayaseta, sometimes he used it as a knife and a good fender for Jayaseta rattan bridges. Until here Jayaseta is still superior. Every three strikes, Jayaseta retaliated with one strike. Some went into Damar's arms and shoulders. This made Damar even more upset. There is the impression of playing around and punishing the attacker, like a parent who hits his child for being naughty.

Finding Jayaseta treating her, Damar roared like a jungle cat. His attacks sharpen, but Jayaseta seems to be able to read all his moves. By making strange movements, Jayaseta can avoid being difficult to guess by the enemy. Finally Jayaseta gets an absolute golden opportunity to stop Damar's attack. Two stabbing branches Damar left and right successfully avoided Jayaseta by looking down and swaying a little then he thrust his rotat to a weak point under the left armpit Damar.

The stab was ordinary, but because it was right at the weak point and was coated in deep power, Damar felt a paralysis in his left hand. Although this paralytic point only works temporarily, inevitably this condition is used well by Jayaseta. Before Damar's right arm, which was still able to move, pierced his branch into Jayaseta, Jayaseta had succeeded in cutting Damar's head twice, waist, thighs, shins, and both, and lastly cut the chest five times.

This absolute attack made Damar fall to his knees, both branches were released, and he collapsed to the ground while rubbing the parts of his body that felt spicy. He even rolled on the ground to remove the pain in many parts of his body.

Four people who were basically ‘flagging’ Jayaseta were shocked. Damar the branch swordsman was defeated in a strange manner. He did not faint or unconscious let alone die. He also did not get an incision or puncture wound, even he did not bleed at all. Silly, Damar still rolled on the ground rubbing his body and head to relieve the pain of spicy and pain in his skin and flesh.

Seeing this the double-sword swan spontaneously leaped forward and whipped out both of his swords. Both of his swords he swiveled and directly scattered towards Jayaseta, “Stop playing around, I'll finish you motherfucker! Hiyaaaaa!”

Jayaseta saw an instant of attack before he rolled on the ground and scavenged his bread to repel the attack of the Kangsa.

Both Kangsa swords are no less unique than other weapons. Both of his swords were wide, more like flesh-cut blades than two sword blades. In addition, both are jet black and look very sturdy and heavy. Therefore, Kangsa, the holder of this weapon, has a sturdy body as well. This is because both arms must be strong to lift and flick the two wide swords, while the body must also be able to compensate for the flickering of both arms.

Swords and rattan clashed. The sword at the right of the Kangsa pierced, while on the left it read out and slashed. Flexible rattan is not like a stiff wood so even if it directly collides with a sharp weapon it will not be immediately beaten. Jayaseta also understands how to use various weapons so that any object in his hands can be a dangerous weapon as well.

The two swords continued to hunt like a whirlwind. Jayaseta dodged nimbly while fending off attack after attack of the Kangsa double sword. The No Stroke always makes the enemies of Jayaseta furious because it is very difficult for them to land an attack even just touching his skin though. Jayaseta's flickering rattan hampered every move of the Kangsa sword.

Jayaseta decided to switch attacking. He twisted his body so that his sabetage was more powerful. Sabetan rattan slapped and flicked the two swords of Kangsa so that the two swords crashed to the side. His body was open so that one kick Jayaseta managed to hit the chest of the Kangsa. The victim flinched back and left a distance between Kangsa and Jayaseta.

This is the opportunity Jayaseta wants. He bounces into the air, his wand splits the air and hits the head of the goose. Not stopping there, when he arrived on the ground, Jayaseta cut a cross twice into the body of the Kangsa that is really open now. The goose fell down and lay on the ground. Both blades of his sword slipped out of his hand. Just like Damar, Kangsa did not faint. Now he was holding his head and chest, enduring the pain.

DAR!

***** round slid into Jayaseta's chest from Sarti's long-barreled gun.

***

Jayaseta already understood that after defeating Kangsa, the other members would not stay silent. They will attack immediately, just as the Kangsa attacked when Damar was defeated.

Of all the warriors, of course the most noticed is Sarti. Swordsman who wore a kind of simple kebaya both ends are tied to each other in the abdomen and wrapped this knee-length cloth together with one leg. Both of his hands held the rifle steadily. The tip of the gun was puffing smoke.

Jayaseta was lying on the ground.**** did not manage to penetrate his chest as it was shielded by the blade of the wide sword of Kangsa.

When he dropped Kangsa, Jayaseta understood that anyone would try to attack him. But what if Sarti did it? Of course he needs a protector if he does not have time to avoid his shot.

Sure enough, Jayaseta took off her wand and grabbed one of the Kangsa swords on the ground that had slipped out of Kangsa's hand. As fast as lightning he stuck the sword of the swan on the chest knowing that it was most likely that his chest was the main target if these people were willing to kill him.

The sound of*****banging, creating a small basin on the blade of the Kangsa sword. But Jayaseta was still lying down, giving a little pause.

When Sarti stood up, that was when Jayaseta got up quickly and threw the sword of Kangsa at Sarti.

Sarti who was just in a state of wanting to stand up then was shocked half-dead and repelled the thing thrown at him with his long shotgun.

THE TRACK!

The sword of the Kangsa was indeed sturdy. Sarti's long shotgun was bent at the iron barrel. The part made of wood is broken. The rifle can no longer be used.