Jabari, a spirited young boy clad in a vibrant red shirt, laughed joyfully as he pursued his best friend, Chidinma, across the sun-drenched paths of their lively village. The air was filled with the cheerful sounds of children playing and birds chirping in the trees.
"Chidinma! I'm going to catch you!" Jabari exclaimed in their native tongue, his voice bubbling with excitement.
"You wish!" Chidinma shouted back, her laughter ringing like music as she darted away, her dress flowing with her swift movements.
As the children dashed by, a man named Abioye paused with a warm smile, pushing a sturdy wooden cart overflowing with colorful, fresh vegetables. The cart creaked gently as he maneuvered it along the road. Beside him, his small daughter Hidaya beamed with delight, waving a brightly painted toy in the air while gripping the edge of Abioye's shirt, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Pay attention, Hidaya. One must be careful when walking on the road," Abioye reminded gently, his voice filled with a mix of affection and concern.
"Okay, papa," Hidaya replied, though her focus remained on her toy, swirling it around enthusiastically as if it were part of her joyous dance.
Abioye resumed his journey through the village with a tender sigh and a small, helpless smile. He exchanged greetings with fellow neighbors, his warm demeanor igniting smiles in return as he offered them fresh produce, the vibrant colors of the vegetables glowing in the afternoon sun.
All was well and peaceful in the village, where the sun cast a warm glow over the thatched roofs and children's laughter filled the air.
However, that serenity was shattered abruptly when the sky began to crackle with the jarring echoes of distant gunfire.
A wave of panic swept over the villagers, their joyful atmosphere replaced by confusion and dread. Dust swirled up from the earth as old military trucks, rusted and weather-beaten, plowed through the lush green fields and between quaint homes.
As the vehicles screeched to a halt, armed militiamen emerged, clad in tattered uniforms with stern faces, their rifles gleaming menacingly in the afternoon light. Shouting orders, they demanded that the villagers gather their food and water quickly, urgency lacing their voices like a serpent—sinister and commanding.
Amidst the chaos, some men in the group bellowed for the children to be rounded up, attempting to herd them toward the waiting trucks. The parents, filled with a fierce instinct to protect their little ones, sprang into action. Fear surged through their veins as they realized the grave threat posed to their families. They fought back with desperation, throwing themselves in front of their children and attempting to shield them from the approaching danger.
But faced with the relentless fury of the armed assailants, many were struck violently or shot down before their protests could gain any strength.
In that horrifying moment, the idyllic village turned into a battleground, where the cries of frightened children and the anguished wails of parents echoed, mingling with the harsh sounds of violence.
The once-peaceful streets, filled with the essence of community, became a grim landscape of distress and turmoil, forever altered by the brutality that had intruded upon their lives.
The armed men were just a fragment of a much larger military force, all operating under the fierce command of one of the territory's most formidable warlords, Reth Igwe. Clad in weathered armor and bearing an array of weapons, they moved with a disciplined precision that spoke to their extensive training and loyalty.
Reth Igwe, known for his ruthless strategies and unyielding ambition, had built an army that commanded both fear and respect across the land, making him a pivotal figure in the region's struggle for power. A notorious figure who was also known for abducting children to serve as soldiers and sex slaves.
Amid the chaos that engulfed their village, young Jabari and Chidinma sprinted toward the heart of their home, where a weathered stone platform, composed of variously hued rocks, stood like a sentinel. At the center of this platform, a small statue resembling an atom gleamed, its intricate design capturing the fleeting light.
With urgency coursing through them, Jabari and Chidinma heaved the statue from its perch, sending it crashing to the ground, where it shattered into countless shards.
"Will he come?" Chidinma asked, her voice trembling with fear as she watched several soldiers march forward, dragging away his friends amidst the distant echoes of gunfire.
"He will! He promised us that he would!" Jabari replied, his voice unwavering, filled with a fierce hope that contrasted with the turmoil around them.
In that decisive moment, three soldiers emerged from the shadows, their boots thudding against the stone as they swiftly closed in on the two young children, capturing them before they could flee.
The assault on the village was a merciless spectacle of brutality and chaos. Laughter echoed through the air as soldiers stormed in, uprooting families from their homes and tearing away the fabric of their lives.
Children, innocent and terrified, were wrenched from their parents' grasp while the villagers' meager resources were plundered. Those brave enough to stand in defense of their loved ones lay lifeless on the bloodied earth, their bodies bearing witness to the horrors unleashed by Igwe's men.
Brushed aside and battered, Abioye crumpled to the ground, his heart racing as he desperately tried to save his daughter from being snatched away. "Please! Stop this! Don't take my daughter! She's all I have left!" he cried out, his voice thick with desperation, but his pleas were met only with a brutal kick that sent him crashing face-first into the dirt.
"Papa! Papa!" Hidaya's screams pierced through the mayhem as she was hoisted towards a large truck overflowing with frightened young girls, all of them mere shadows of hope amid the impending darkness. "Help me, Papa!" she cried out, her voice trembling, filled with fear and longing.
With sheer bullheadedness, Abioye struggled to rise, but a boot crushed down on his back, forcing him down once more. The soldier delivering the blows seemed to revel in the torment he inflicted, deriving a twisted pleasure from Abioye's suffering as he lay helpless before his daughter. Yet, even amidst the chaos, the group's commander hissed at him to stop, a flicker of authority cutting through the nightmare.
"Quit wasting time and kill him already. We don't have all day," the commander said.
The soldier nodded and raised his AK-47 up to Abioye's head as he leaned on his knees. "Make peace with your god," the soldier said.
The anguished screams and the cacophony of gunfire pierced the air, but in that chaos, Abioye's heart raced at the sound of his daughter crying out for him to save her.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shattered the sky as a sonic boom reverberated through the village. In a breathtaking surge of crimson and white flames, a figure descended, crashing into the heart of the village enveloped in flames.
As the dust settled from Atomic's monumental landing, he stood tall, his radiant Kaio-Ken form ablaze with judgment.
Initially frozen in awe of his formidable presence, the soldiers quickly regained their composure and opened fire.
The sharp cracks of gunfire echoed across the clearing, each shot reverberating off the trees as spent shell casings clattered to the ground, glinting in the fading light. Yet, impossibly, not a single bullet found its mark. Suspended in mid-air, every one of those lethal projectiles hovered an inch from Atomic's form, caught in the grip of his extraordinary Infinity technique.
In a display of raw power, Atomic drew his arms down to his sides, then thrust them outward in a seamless motion. A palpable wave of energy surged forth, sweeping through the village like a turbulent tide. In an instant, the soldiers' rifles and weapons disintegrated into swirling motes of dust, while the wheels of their trucks dissolved into shimmering mist.
The sight was so awe-inspiring that the soldiers were frozen in place, paralyzed by fear and disbelief. It was only when Atomic surged forward, a blur of energy, that the spell was broken. He delivered a powerful punch that sent the soldier flying over Abioye, skidding helplessly along the ground and kicking up dirt in a chaotic spray.
With fluid precision, Atomic extended thick tendrils of energy, encircling each soldier in his vicinity. As he raised his hands high, the men were effortlessly lifted from their feet and brought crashing down to the earth in a thundering conclusion.
Realizing the futility of their situation, the remaining soldiers turned to flee, panic driving their movements. But before they could escape, they found themselves ensnared, their bodies encased in an unyielding shell of ice. They stood, shivering in place, overwhelmed by the freezing grip that left them trapped and helpless.
With the threat now neutralized, Atomic looked around at the devastation and death. His face twisted in pain and regret from behind his visor as he realized he arrived too late to save everyone. With a heavy heart, he moved to Abioye and helped the man to his feet.
"Thank you, Atomic. Thank you!" Abioye said before running towards his daughter to hug her tightly.
Cries of anguish and despair echoed through the village, mingling with the rustle of leaves as Atomic watched the frantic villagers dash towards their loved ones or sink to their knees in mourning for those lost.
Landing behind him were six of his Atomic robots, their humanoid designs mirroring his own in a striking red and white color scheme. Their polished exteriors gleamed in the fading light, while white capes billowed behind them like banners of hope. The red helmets shone brightly in the dusk. They carefully cradled two healing pods between them, which glimmered with an ethereal golden light. Gently, they placed the pods on the dirt, ready to aid those in critical condition.
Without a moment's hesitation, Atomic and his robotic servants surged forward. He tended to each injured villager with practiced precision, his hands moving deftly to clean wounds and administer aid. For those in critical condition, he swiftly transported them to the magically powered healing pods.
As he worked tirelessly, the grateful murmurs of the villagers surrounded him like a warm cloak. Whether they were the wounded or those mourning their losses, each person turned to him with expressions of profound gratitude, their voices trembling as they offered thanks as if he were a deity descended from the heavens.
Yet, their grateful words tasted bitter to Atomic, like ash in his mouth.
Each expression of thanks served as a haunting reminder of his failure.
He had arrived too late, and innocents had paid the ultimate price because he couldn't protect them in time.
If I wasn't on that date… if I was more focused. These people would still be alive right now. Atomic thought with a grimace.His hands shook at his sides as he gently carried the dead away from the village. No, I can't know that... I just have to do what I can now.
As he laid them out, one after the other beside their crying families, Atomic felt his chest grow cold with anger.
He soared toward the large cluster of captured soldiers, who had been relocated far from the village, now ensnared in a prison of solid steel that confined their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed. Gags were crudely stuffed into their mouths, rendering them mute witnesses to the grim scene unfolding before them as Atomic glided toward them like a vengeful guardian angel, his presence both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
Fixing his gaze on one soldier, distinguished by the elegant insignia adorning his uniform—a sharp contrast to the tattered attire of the others—Atomic approached with purpose.
With a swift motion, he dismantled the steel bindings that held the man captive, lifting him effortlessly into the air. The soldier's eyes widened with a mix of fear and astonishment, his body dangling in the air.
With a clench of his hand, Atomic squeezed the commander until his bones twisted and shook. The popping and cracking sounds of his bones could be heard among the soldiers, filling them with terror.
Atomic would never have committed such a cruel act, but with the lifeless bodies of the innocent lying behind him, he was well out of patience.
"I'm only going to say this once… where is your base of operations?" Atomic growled in Swahili, his voice low and enraged.
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AN: I've noticed a decline in activity and readership for my story, so I need to ask: Are you all still interested in me continuing it? I've really enjoyed writing this story, and I have completed up to chapter 86. However, I won't continue if there isn't a healthy demand for it. Anyways, let me know what you all think of today's chapter and what you'd be interested in seeing in the future!