The Thousand Mask Warrior

Capings

Mataram Kingdom in 1639 AD is a time when the country is climbing to the peak of glory. Art, religion, the welfare of the people and the advancement of thought are being encouraged.

Not in shipping and ports, but agriculture Mataram jaya. The port countries are already within the grasp of Mataram. The ports provided benefits to Mataram through taxes, tributes and trade proceeds supplied to the royal center located in the interior of Java island.

But the main legacy of Sultan Agung lies in the massive changes in the field of state regulation that he did in his territory. He created a well-planned and well-meaning rule. He created areas by appointing people as dukes who served as heads of the Duchy, especially the areas in the western part of Java, where Mataram faced Walanda in Betawi. A regency like Karawang, for example, was created when Sultan Agung appointed prince Kertabumi as his first duke in 1636 AD.

This was done as part of his statehood and resistance to Betawi rule.

On the other hand, the spirit to subjugate other countries and spread power throughout the archipelago makes Mataram a strong state as well as terrible for many kingdoms.

The areas in the Western part of Sultan Agung's power were filled with Mataram soldiers and vassal states.

Therefore, the prevalence of this country also affects its residents, especially the warriors, champions and even robbers or people who like to exchange knowledge. They often riot only to prove their prowess as part of the Mataram kingdom, although the area can be said only as a vassal state.

For example, in a port city called Semarang. Since 6 AD, Semarang has been a coastal area that was then known as Pragota and was in the power of the ancient Mataram kingdom.

This area in the past was already a port with a cluster of small islands. It can be said that today many areas in Semarang used to be the sea where the islands fused into land within hundreds of years.

The port of Semarang is also a very historic place when Admiral Cheng Ho's ship leaning in 1435 AD. It is clear that Semarang was then understood as a coastal area, which later became a village inaugurated by its founder, Kyai Ageng Pandan Arang Pertama and its leadership was continued by the son, who was the leader, Pandan Arang Dua which is also better known as Sunan Pandanaran Bayat.

The progress of Semarang under Sunan Bayat attracted the attention of Sultan Hadiwijaya from the Sultanate of Pajang so that it was then made a district level. After that, in 1547, Semarang became part of the Mataram Kingdom as the fall of the Sultanate of Pajang to the Mataram Sultanate.

The port of Semarang located on Simongan hill is not as good and as profitable as the port of Tuban, Jepara or Gresik for example for Mataram. Sludge deposits occur constantly in the river stream so it is not easy to send goods to other areas through shipping.

However, still, the hustle and bustle of human activities in the area around the port of Semarang is crowded.

The warriors and champions often gather in the old shop scattered in several places. As a magician, of course, these heroes often show off their power in style, threatening both traders and immigrants or travelers, fighting with fellow warriors, and drunk and troublemaking.

They are different from robbers and pirates, but their arrogance produces things that are not much different from criminals. They forage by renting out their services to keep the goods to be delivered to other areas of the port via river or land. Sometimes they also received payment from receiving jobs keeping shipping goods on ships on the voyage from the pirate pirates of the Malay Minangkabau, Bugis or Mangkasar.

But, when there is no work, they tend to look for problems. After all, the main thing for them is that they can be known as the warriors who are ready to fight anyone, especially those who come from the Western part of Java. Who knows by behaving like this, the warriors can attract the attention of the Sultanate of Mataram to be used as regional officials or retainers at least.

***

The shop was destroyed in many places. Not only that, the waiter and the seller were heavily injured. Two small fishmonger shops also fell apart with the sellers who almost died due to a sudden fight.

If the quarrel between soldiers or warriors that occur in the field, or the plinth that does not involve ordinary people, the figure will not bother. But with the victims here and there, these drunken warriors should be given a proper lesson. Moreover, they have not shown the possibility of stopping. There will be other potential victims.

The figure is an adult male. He was wearing black pants that hung along the calf. Wulung cloth wrapped around his waist as his bare chest decorated with scars in various places. The color of his skin is slightly lighter than the average Javanese man, glistening by the reflection of the sun in his sweat.

There was no appearance of his face because he was wearing a peasant caping covering his head while in the mouth part was also covered by a piece of black cloth tear.

He clenched his hands together and prepared to slide.

A single repulsion thrust this mouth-covering figure into the fighting field. He spun in space once and buried his heel at the nape of one of the four warriors who were gnawing at the other.

BRUK!

No doubt, the kick that developed itself from the style of Thunder Kick from the South immediately made the attacked one fall unconscious. It didn't seem to be dead, but it definitely had a severe wound.

"Bang*sat! Who's the mun*yuk who dares to support us this?" said one of the four swordsman's colleagues with overflowing anger, seeing that he himself was in a fight and also half drunk.

"I am the Swordsman of the Thousand Mask" said the figure who turned out to be true Jayaseta.

"Stop making trouble. Go to the beach, so that when you die, your bodies will soon be carried away by sea water.

"Squeaky. I have often heard the greatness of your name. Whether you're right about the swordsman or just some crazy person who claims to be me is not a problem. I, Jaka Pasirluhur known as Sang Kudi Langit, the warrior from the land of Banyumas, will not let you insult my ability to defeat these lowly champions," this time the swordsman who was gangred who spoke while lifting up high a special sharp-shaped weapon that was like a mixture of machetes, sickles and axes named kudi.

"With me being bloodthirsty today, you who claim to be the great warrior and you all go together. Jaka Pasirluhur will take your lives straight to hell!"

The three warriors who moaned the Kudi Langit looked at each other. They decided to retreat, helping their colleagues who fainted hit by the swordsman's kick that came suddenly. They also deliberately wanted to see how Sang Kudi Langit faced with people who claimed to be the famous Thousand Mask Swordsman throughout the island of Java and to assess the ability of both parties.

However, this fight will be amazingly interesting, considering their friend fell in one blow, even though he was basically supported. They put back their machete and keris into its sheath and stood about three spears away.