THE LEGEND OF KIWAKAAZI

Before Zibaru entered Nomposuro; Waa-gunde slowly opened his eyes feeling sore all over. He was lying down. Standing over him was Agai, who asked, “What happened to you?” Waa-gunde tried getting up but was too weak. He touched his head and felt pain. His head was literally pounding. He answered Agai’s question saying, “After you two left, I felt movement in the bushes behind me. I did not want to kill the boy or the rabbits so I did not draw my pistols. But someone attacked me. He was fast and very strong. He punched me in the face and then in the gut and face again.” Waa-gunde sat. He looked at Agai sternly and said, “you must leave me here. You must go and find him.” Agai was hesitant. Waa-gunde became even more serious and shouted, “Go!” forcing Agai to leave him.

Minutes after leaving Waa-gunde, Agai felt he was being followed. He drew an arrow from his back, planted it in his bow string, pulled it and turned sharply. There was no one there. He turned quickly to his left and then to his right. He turned to look back.

Aran and Zibaru in Nomposuro: Aran caught and stopped Zibaru’s sword with his left hand. He held it so tightly that his palm bled. Aran then swung his sword. Zibaru disappeared. Aran was panting and bleeding from his left palm and chest. This foe is turning out to be formidable. Aran frowned and shortly afterwards transformed from human to beast. Facing Zibaru, he roared loudly.

Agai released his arrow after turning but the boy they hunted shifted his body to avoid being hit. Agai released another arrow but the boy was quicker. He was able to avoid the second arrow too. One step… two steps and he was close to Agai. Agai swung his bow but the boy ducked and attacked Agai’s abdomen. He quickly followed it with an attack on Agai’s face and after a couple more punches; Agai was on his back — out cold.

Zibaru felt something heavy punch him from behind after Aran disappeared forcing him to fly forwards. It was too quick for him to notice. Aran appeared in front of Zibaru while he was still air-borne and punched him the chest. Zibaru flew backwards, collided with a tree and lost consciousness. Aran appeared before the weakened Zibaru. He made a fist with his left hand, lifted it high and lowered it quickly to crush Zibaru once and for all.

In Asrafofie, the Asrafos were training when they heard the approaching sound of a helicopter. It landed on top of a roof. A young man rushed into an office and knelt before a man. This man was sitting relaxed in his throne-like seat behind an exquisite desk holding a paper that hid his face. He calmly asked, “What is it, Kolo?” Kolo answered, “He is here.” “Who is here?” asked the man in the throne-like seat. “Elder Demba,” answered Kolo. The man in the throne-like seat dropped the paper on his desk. He frowned and wondered, ‘What does he want now?’

Agai opened his eyes slowly. He felt his face being slapped. He moaned and saw Silonbe’s face when he finally opened his eyes. Silonbe asked, “What happened?” Agai shouted, “Behind you!” Silonbe quickly drew his sword and swung it. He turned to face the mysterious person who had brought down both Waa-gunde and Agai.

“Hello Okyerefo,” said Elder Demba when he entered the office. “You are welcome, my brother. Should I offer you some water or the usual?” offered Okyerefo. “I am sorry but I came here on serious council business,” replied Okyerefo.

Okyerefo was the leader of Asrafodom (league of warriors) but he also answered to a higher power; the Nomposuro Council. One of the members of this council, elder Demba, was leading a campaign to shut down the Asrafodom program. To him, Nomposuro was a supernatural problem and can only be dealt with using supernatural knowledge. His presence in Asrafofie only suggests that he has succeeded in convincing the council to shut down the Asrafodom program.

Silonbe noticed that this powerful assailant was just a teenager; about fifteen or sixteen years of age. But perhaps a long time of fighting and enduring hardships had changed him. He was tall, about six feet at that age. He had cut marks all over his exposed body. He wore a very short pair of shorts that concealed his manhood. His skin was rough; his hair was unkempt and he reeked; the smell of a man who has not bathed for many days. He showed Silonbe his teeth; his multicolored and large teeth, growled and jumped to attack him.

“What does the council want?” demanded Okyerefo. Elder Demba turned his back to Okyerefo and answered, “It is about the boy. The council wants you to send him.” “He is not ready,” answered Okyerefo. Elder Demba turned to face Okyerefo. He took a few steps towards Okyerefo and asked, “Why are you so reluctant on sending this boy? I have seen him fight. He stands a real chance.” “He is strong physically but not ready emotionally and mentally. He will not survive the forest,” answered Okyerefo. Elder Demba said, “We need neither his mental nor emotional abilities in the forest…” “I can’t do what you ask,” insisted Okyerefo. Elder Demba turned and motioned towards the door. Okyerefo grabbed the knob and turned it. He stopped and said, “You know, the eyes of the council are opened. They are considering shutting down the Asrafodom program. Just send the boy and maybe you may save your precious Asrafodom program.” He opened the door and exited.

Silonbe and the boy had commenced fighting. The boy was tall, well-built and surprisingly very quick. Silonbe swung his sword from right to left and then from left to right and finally with the pointed edge towards his opponents chest. The first two were easily avoided by the boy. The boy shifted his body to his right. Silonbe passed and ducked quickly to avoid a left punch swung at him by this boy. They interchanged positions and the boy’s back faced Agai.

Agai realized it was a great opportunity to help. He looked around and spotted his bow and a few arrows not far from him. He crawled and picked up his bow and an arrow. He planted his arrow in the string, aimed for the boy’s right leg and let the arrow fly.

The arrow struck and penetrated the boy’s leg forcing him to his knees. Silonbe jumped from where he stood. His sword was raised high above his head and when he landed, lowered it with great speed and power to crush the boy’s head. He had probably forgotten Okyerefo’s command.

Back to Nomposuro: Arangosango had made a fist with his left hand and was lowering it with great speed to crush Zibaru. Zibaru was unconscious but just before the punch made contact, Zibaru opened his eyes disappeared and appeared right behind Aran. He swung the kafunde. Aran too vanished but lost a few of his hairs. He appeared some distance in front of Zibaru. Both warriors were panting. Suddenly, they both disappeared.

The monstrous boy lifted both arms and caught the sword of Zibaru in between his palms. He then broke Silonbe’s sword into two with shear brute strength. Silonbe took a few steps backwards. The boy withdrew the arrow in his leg, got up and run towards Agai. Agai was terrified. He feared the worse but instead, the boy jumped and disappeared behind the bushes. Silonbe ran after him.

Silonbe found himself in some open space but he did not know the direction the boy took. He stood in one place, turning round and round. He sensed a presence. It was above his head. He looked up only to see the boy falling. He fell on Silonbe and knocked him out. The so called monstrous boy was tired and was losing consciousness. Agai dipped all his arrows in a sedative and the boy was now feeling it. He knelt down and then suddenly got up to face a new opponent.

After elder Demba left, Zibaru entered Okyerefo’s office. He said, “I want to go.” Okyerefo shook his head. When he stopped, he said, “You are not ready.” “I know but I still want to go. I have lost three of my mentors and best friends; Waa-gunde, Agai and Silonbe, to that forest. I must avenge their deaths.” Okyerefo said, “Vengeance is not always the answer. I also know your mind is made. You can go if that is what you want.” He walked past Zibaru and exited his own office.

The monstrous boy’s new opponent was Okyerefo himself. He felt his explosive-level Asrafos may not be enough and followed them. The boy growled at Okyerefo and attacked him. He made a fist with his right hand and tried to punch Okyerefo’s face but the great teacher caught the fist with his left. The boy followed it with a left fist. Once again, Okyerefo caught it with his right hand. The boy tried to free himself but Okyerefo’s hold on him was too strong. His powerful arms were slowly being weakened. He was reduced to his knees before he collapsed.

He woke up on a nice bed. He had been cleaned and he looked different. Okyerefo was sitting on a chair in a corner waiting for him to wake up. He walked towards the boy and asked, “What is your name?” “Zibaru (‘the child of the devil’),” answered the boy. Okyerefo smiled and said, “Welcome to your new home, Zibaru.” A home — he does not even know what a home is. His home for a long time was the forest. He had no friends and no family. The monster and child of the devil cried after hearing he now has a home. Zibaru did not understand why but he felt at home at once. Later, the three he defeated, Waa-gunde, Agai and Silonbe, became his mentors and big brothers.

They helped train him, shaped him, and made him the best he could be. Okyerefo also gave him a few lessons. In Asrafofie, many expected Zibaru to succeed Okyerefo and take on the title of toxic-level Asrafo. When Zibaru was a harmful-level Asrafo, his mentors were sent to Nomposuro, one after the other, and one after the other they died. By this time, a brilliant scientist had found a way to monitor the progress of the Asrafos in Nomposuro. He created a chip that is inserted inside the body of Asrafos. This chip monitors the heartbeat of the Asrafo as a red blinking dot on a monitor. If the dot disappears, it means the Asrafo’s heartbeat had stopped and was probably dead.

They were his family and he wanted to avenge their deaths. That was what drove Zibaru to Nomposuro. He entered through the La-Nompogbeto (fire pathway to Nomposuro) performed by a priest whom also lived amongst the warriors in Asrafofie.

The Asrafos (warriors) were the best in the world. However, they died minutes after entering Nomposuro. It baffled the Asrafos and Okyerefo held meetings with his warriors and supporting staff to discuss this. During one of these meetings, the scientist among the Asrafos postulated that, the beings in Nomposuro were probably immortal like their name suggested — Kranju. Their weapons might be having no effect on them. “We need a weapon that can kill immortals if there is one,” suggested the scientist. The priest among them answered, “There is one; the sikan nifanum (five-edged sword) and it is hidden inside Nomposuro.” It was decided that if the program is not shut down, future Asrafos must not carry any weapons into the forest. They should avoid the kranju (immortal guardians) and engage them only after they have found the sikan nifanum (five-edged sword) known to the kranju as kafunde (demon mummifier).

Zibaru successfully found this weapon. He first defeated Kaki and later all her brothers. Now, he was fighting the supposedly powerful Arangosango Shinko. Now, can he avenge the death of his brothers?

Inside Nomposuro: Zibaru and Arangosango both appeared. It looked like they were both giving each other a hug but no. Both warriors realized that the opponent was only vulnerable when he attacked. They both attacked. Zibaru’s left hand was on Aran’s back and his right hand had driven the kafunde through Aran’s chest. Aran’s right was also on Zibaru’s back and his left hand had been planted in Zibaru’s chest.

Zibaru withdrew the kafunde and Aran also withdrew his sharp claws. Both men fell flat on their backs. Aran started to undergo kafushii (Stone mummification) transformation while Zibaru changed from rahasi (guardian of hell) to human. After changing, he remained unconscious.

So, after remembering the first person Aran felt he truly lost to, he answered Kiwakaazi’s question. He answered in the affirmative.

Kiwakaazi shouted back at Aran, “Then you can be defeated and I am going to defeat you! I do not care if you are stronger, more powerful or more experienced! You will fall, Aran!”