Kojo sat cross-legged in his prison cell, his arms folded, and the darkness surrounding him like a shroud. The air was thick with the scent of mold and decay, and the silence was oppressive. While he could sense the arcana of the other prisoners, he couldn't see them. Not that he wanted to or even cared about their existence.
The city of Eldrida was nestled around the majestic mountain where the revered Light Temple stood tall. Nearby, another mountain was chosen as the site for the prison, its peak shrouded in mist and its slopes rugged and unforgiving.
The prison was like an obelisk, built upside down into the ground, extending several kilometers beneath the surface. It was seamlessly integrated into the mountain's terrain, making it nearly invisible to the untrained eye. This strategic location allowed for easy containment, with the prison close enough to the populace to facilitate swift response times in case of an emergency, yet far enough away to make escape attempts daunting.
It had a regular influx of guards who patrolled both the inner sanctum and the outer premises.
The mountain's isolation and harsh environment would serve as a natural deterrent to potential escapees, who would have to navigate treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather conditions to reach the city or other nearby settlements. The proximity to Eldrida would also enable the authorities to maintain a watchful eye on the prison, ensuring that any potential threats were swiftly identified and neutralized. As the prison's dark, imposing structure descended deep into the mountain's bowels, it seemed to embody the very essence of confinement and control, a testament to the ruling church's commitment to maintaining order and discipline in the land. And it wasn't the only one. There was one in the... Well, let's say cardinal points of the continent. Aside from the one at Eldrida, which was at the center of the continent, there was one at the North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, and the Northwestern part of the continent. This was all to ensure "peace."
Still though, it begged the question: why would a religion as... "pure" as the Church Of Undying Light require such prison facilities if they were devoted to a seemingly pure Deity and strived to do no evil and live according to Her Commandments?
The prison itself, though stretching deep underground, was divided into three levels, with the guards and knights taking up the first floor, the most dangerous human criminals kept on the second floor, and the lower floor reserved for... well, inhuman beings.
It was coincidentally where Kojo had been thrown.
"(This is extreme)," Sysia said.
"(Yes, you did beat up some officials, but that shouldn't warrant you being in the lower level of whatever this place is supposed to be.)"
"True. A normal cell would be enough, so why bring me all the way down here?"
"(According to my data, it's the humanoid prisoners that are kept in the upper levels)," Sysia continued. "(Those in the cells on the first level will be there temporarily while there's an investigation being done into their case, while the notoriously dangerous ones are kept on the second level for periods that vary depending on their sentences. But you're in the lowest level, with the inhuman beings.)"
Kojo leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. Even with his enhanced vision and him being able to see in the dark, there wasn't much to look at.
"(My hypothesis is that there's someone within the ruling class who has some knowledge about you and wants to intimidate you)," Sysia deduced.
"A member of the Criminal Underworld Sharone mentioned."
"(Most likely.)"
"Hmmm, interesting."
"(Why, are you scared?)"
Kojo smirked.
"Do I look intimidated?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement.
"(No)," Sysia replied.
"Whomever is trying to play the marionette master is doing a lousy job. Maybe I'll get to meet them and then beat answers out of their face. Man or woman, I don't discriminate."
Kojo's expression turned serious.
"Sysia, what's going on? Why were they unwilling to let that boy go? Why did they even lynch him in the first place? Isn't this country supposed to be the epitome of harmony and virtue?"
"(Sadly, I can't answer.)"
There was silence.
"Hm, Abomination," Kojo scoffed.
"(You remember what Yukio said)," Sysia reminded him.
"(Things are not as they seem.)"
"I remember," he grunted.
"(But you really surprised me. Standing up for the underdog,)" Sysia said teasingly.
Kojo shook his head.
"Don't get it twisted, I'm no saint," he said.
"I haven't forgotten my goals, the first being my survival in this bizarre world, with my secondary goal being to slack off. Being some hero isn't part of the deal."
"(Hmmmmmm. But you know, Kojo)," Sysia said, "(I didn't really think you'd beat them up.)"
Kojo chuckled.
"You remember my status from our old world, right?"
"(What kind of question is that?)" There was a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"You know my status back in our old world," he said.
"Sure, technology had advanced, but so did human greed and malice. The rich get richer, and the powerful look down on people of a lower class. I'm a perfect example of an injustice born of a rigged system."
"(The experiment. But it wasn't that bad.)"
Kojo's expression turned cold.
"It was twisted," he said.
"My particles torn apart and dispersed into hyperspace. I'd be dead if not for you."
"(Yeah, that's right, you're nothing without me,)" she gloated.
"(You should learn to show respect and praise my greatness.)"
Kojo rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah," he said.
"Look, the bottom line is that even though they offered me money should the machine succeed, what about if it failed? What would they have done then? Would they not have discarded my body or whatever was left of it and covered it up?"
There was silence, and then Kojo said the word "spectre."
"(Pardon?)"
"(It's nothing.)"
More silence.
"(I understand now. You're still ticked off because you don't like people preying on the weak.)"
"Yeah, no shit."
Just then, the door to his cell opened, and Yukio stood at the entrance, thick silver handcuffs with runes on them in her hands.
"Come," she said, her voice cold.
He was about to say something but noticed the legion of knights behind her and held his tongue, obediently raising his hands for Yukio to put the cuffs around his wrists. She didn't make eye contact with him as she did.
As they walked, Kojo noticed the gazes of the knights, feeling each one's malicious intent as they glared at him with unkind eyes, their faces twisted with hostility.
"At this point, they're just doing too much," Kojo thought.
"(Even having the Archsaint come to see you? Whoever is trying to intimidate you must really want to leave an impression.)"
Kojo smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"What's so funny?" one of the knights, a burly man with a sharp jawline and a double chin, asked, his voice gruff.
Kojo's gaze turned to the knight, his eyes locking onto the man's face. "Your face..." he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Looks like a bad piece of art. I didn't know they still drew people like that."
The knight's face turned red with anger.
"Oh, so you're a tomato, huh? Still doesn't help your case."
The knight stopped walking, and he reached for his baton, but Kojo froze him in place with a glare.
"What?" Kojo asked coldly.
Yukio intervened, her voice firm. "We were told not to harm or engage the prisoner in any way. A bit of personal advice, it would be in your interest not to test him."
The knight protested, "But ma'am...", but Yukio cut him off coldly.
"Engaging me would be going against orders." The knight pursed his lips, reluctantly falling back, glaring at Kojo, who playfully stuck his tongue out at him as they stepped out into the cold night.....day?