The colossus took one more step. His fist, a muscular mass, tore through the air as it lunged at Kael.
Kael, the young man formerly Tiffoun, tried to fling himself sideways, a reflex born of terror rather than strategy. The brute force of the attack grazed his shoulder and sent him tumbling into the dust. His body screamed: Strength: 0. Speed: 0. Agility: 0. His intelligence, despite his will, could not compensate for the absolute void in his physical stats.
The colossus sneered, his voice guttural. He was not a subtle player. He raised his foot, ready to crush Kael's head as he had done with the wretched repentant man.
"Is this it, Kael?" An inner voice, that of his former Tiffoun consciousness, echoed within him. "Once again, you fall short. Once again, injustice will claim you. You'll die without ever having made these trash pay."
Tears welled in his eyes, not from fear of pain, but from powerless rage. To die here meant annihilation, eternal nothingness. He hadn't even had time to begin his quest. This was the final, total defeat.
He closed his eyes, accepting it. It's over.
The Intervention
The blow that should have killed him never came.
Instead, a sharp, metallic sound rang out. It was the sound of one weapon striking another surface at insane speed.
Kael felt a wave of hot, sticky blood splash onto him. He opened his eyes.
The colossus, frozen in its destructive lunge, was now severed in two. Its head, cleanly sliced at the neck, bounced off the arid ground and rolled to Kael's feet, its bloodshot eyes staring up at the tormented sky of the Final Judgement. The bluish particles of the colossus were already beginning to rise, a dark cloud of unclaimed FPs drifting away.
Standing above the lifeless body was a man. He wore simple, dark leather attire, yet exuded an aura of absolute skill and calm. Barely a wisp of vapor escaped the black blade he held.
Kael, in shock, his face smeared with the colossus's blood, managed to articulate:
"Who... who are you?"
The man wiped his blade on the colossus's ripped clothing before sheathing it with a dry clack. He turned to Kael, and his gaze, cold and piercing, assessed him from head to toe.
"Looks like you're new here, kid." His voice was rough, devoid of superfluous emotion. "You survived the transition. That's something."
He gestured with his thumb toward the decapitated head.
"His name was Bartha. He was looking for easy FPs." He pointed to himself. "I'm Conrad."
Kael struggled to get up, his heart pounding in his chest. He had just witnessed an astounding display of power, the kind his 0 FPs forbade him even to dream of.
"I... my name is Kael. Thank you. You saved me."
Conrad watched him half-collapse and snickered, not maliciously, but with total detachment.
"You're mostly lucky. If you want to survive in this world, Kael, you'll have to be much more determined than that. A vow of justice is worthless if you can't enforce it."
Conrad straightened and walked off toward the horizon without a word. The flash of light from his intervention had vanished, replaced by the heavy silence of the plain.
The Search for a Guide
Kael started to crawl, then awkwardly ran after him.
"Wait! Wait, Conrad! Please!"
Conrad didn't slow down.
"I saved your life, kid. That's where it ends. I prefer to travel solo."
"I beg you!" Fear and despair were etched on Kael's face. He was a lost child in hell. "If you leave me here, I won't survive ten minutes! I have no strength! I have... I have 0 FP! Have pity!"
The word "pity" seemed to make Conrad hesitate. He finally stopped and turned around. The expression on his face was one of deep weariness.
"Pity? That's a luxury this world doesn't offer, Kael." He sighed. "Fine. I can't drag around dead weight that can't even defend itself. But we're not teaming up."
He pointed towards a cluster of gray buildings on the distant horizon.
"I'll take you to a city. A real one. It's a non-aggression zone, a place where you can be safe long enough to understand the rules. We part ways there. That's the most I can do."
Kael nodded with wild gratitude, fear giving way to fragile hope. He was covered in the colossus's crimson substance, but he was alive.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Conrad!"
Conrad gave no reply, simply resuming his march. Kael, his heart still heavy with the injustice of his own weakness, forced himself to follow.
They set off, the silence of the veteran fighter and the hurried steps of the Condemned echoing on the cracked earth of the Final Judgement.