CHAPTER THIRTEEN
" Tulong ng Kalikasan "
Sa pagpapatuloy, Habang nakikipaglaban si Tayog kay Slasher sa gitna ng hardin ng mga toreng talim ng Espada .
Nagagawang makipagsabayan kahit papaano ni Tayog sa isang mano manong laban pero kahit anong gawin nito ay maraming pagkakataon na tinatamaan at napapa atras parin sya sa bawat sipa at suntok nito dahil sa lakas ng mga pag atake ng kanyang kalaban.
Makikita sa banggaan ng kanilang mga atake na mas nakaka lamang sa lakas at bilis ang heneral.
Hindi ugali ni Slasher na makipaglaban gamit ang mga kamao at binti pero dahil kampante sya na walang magagawa ang kalaban nya sa mga oras na iyon ay nakikipaglaro ito dito .
Dahil sa enerhiya nilang tinataglay ay napapanatili nila ang lakas nila bilang Sugo pero dahil nga sa unti unting pagkaubos ng enerhiya ni Tayog ay humihina na ang kanyang bawat pag atake at nakakaramdam na ng pagod .
Patuloy na humahanap si Tayog ng pagkakataon para magawang matamaan ang mailap na si Slasher kahit isang beses pero nasasalag lang nito ang bawat sipa nya na tila hindi natitinag sa bawat atake nya .
Nasalag nito ang huling sipa ni Tayog at nahawakan ang mga paa, dito ay ibinalibag sya sa isang kotse na nakaparada na yumupi sa harapan nito.
Alam nya na hindi na sapat ang enerhiya nya sa katawan at maaaring maubusan ano mang oras kaya umaatake na lang sya ng umaatake hanggat kaya nya pang kumilos .
~ Tayog PoV
Hindi maaari ito kahit anong gawin kong pag atake ay bale wala sa kanya . Ganun ba kalakas ang taong ito o baka dahil nanghihina na rin ako ?
Muli akong umatake sa kanya pero sa muling pag kakataon ay nasalag nya ang suntok ko gamit ang mga palad nya. Hindi ko na magawa pang umatake ng malakas dahil sa pagkaubos ng enerhiya ko at alam kong napansin yun ng kalaban ko na ngayon ay nawawalan na ng interes sa pakikipaglaban saakin .
" Nakakawalang gana ka kalaro, mabuti pa tapusin ko na ito " Sambit ni Slasher.
Bigla nyang hinawakan ang mga braso ko ay ibinalibag na parang laruan. Dito ay gumulong gulong ako sa kalye at tumama sa isang tore ng espada dahilan para mapatigil ang pagtalsik ko .
Nakakaramdam na ako ng pagkahilo at nag hahabol na ng hininga dahil sa sobrang pagod. Kung tutuusin inubos na ng pag gamit ko sa higanteng halimaw ang enerhiya ko at lakas na lang ng loob ang nagpapatayo saakin para lumaban sa halimaw na ito.
Pero kahit na anong pagod ko at kawalan ng pag asa sa laban ay muli akong tumatayo at nagpupumilit kumilos upang ipagpatuloy ang laban dahil wala akong pwedeng pag pilian pang ibang bagay na gagawin kundi mamatay para sa aming adhikain .
~ End of PoV .
Naglabas ng Espada sa kamay si Slasher at muling umatake.
Dahil sa mga natamong pinsala ay nakakaramdam na ng pagkahilo si Tayog at mahahalata sa mga pag hingal nito na pagod na pagod at nanghihina na ang katawan nya.
Wala syang maisip na paraan para masira ang malakas na depensa ng heneral na kinakayang salagin ang bawat atake nya kaya wala syang pagpipilian kundi magpatuloy sa pag iwas at pag salag sa mga wasiwas ng espada ni Slasher .
Patuloy ang pag atake ni General Slasher hawak ang dalawang espada sa mga kamay na patuloy naman na nasasalag ni Tayog ng mga Pananga na nakadikit sa mga braso nito.
Ang kalasag nyang ito ay gawa sa matibay na kahoy pero gayumpaman ay nagkakaroon ito ng pinsala sa patuloy na pagsalag .
" Hahahaha, Anong problema indyo? Wala ka bang ibang gagawin kundi sumalag sa mga atake ko? " Pang aasar nito .
Nagliwanag ang mga paa ni Slasher at biglang sumipa padabog sa lupa at muling nag angatan ang mga nagkumpol kumpolang mga espada patama kay Tayog .
Alam ni Tayog na hindi nya kayang sabayan ang mga bagay na yun kaya wala syang ibang magagawa kundi ilagan ito .
Sa kasamaang palad ay nababasa na ni Slasher ang mga ginagawa ng kalaban nya at hinihintay na lang ang kanyang pag iwas .
Kagaya ng inaasahan nya ay tumalon si Tayog para iwasan ito kaya naman hindi na sya nag aksaya ng pagkakataon na muling umatake dito. Nagawang makita ni Tayog ang susunod na pag atake ni Slasher pero hindi nya kayang muling umiwas sa pagkakataon na iyon.
" bwisit, Tatamaan nya ako . " Sa isip nya.
Wala syang magawa kundi ibalot ng sarili ng Kahoy na pananga. Para itong mga banging na unti unting humahaba at nagdikitdikit para lumaki ang pananga sa braso nya .
Pero bago pa ito makumpleto at mabuo bilang makapal na shield ay tumagos na ang espada ni Slasher sa pananga . Ganunpaman dahil sa tigas ng bagay na iyon ay nagawa nya maiwasan na masaksak ng derekta ng heneral . Napahinto ang espada bago pa ito tumama sa dibdib ni Tayog .
" Mabilis kang kumilos bata " Sambit ni slasher .
" Subalit hindi mo ako kayang pigilan " Dagdag nito .
Biglang lumabas mula sa dulo ng espada ang daan daang talim ng espada at tumama kay Tayog . Isang Lejanti strike ang pinakawalan nito mula sa dulo ng espadang nakalusot sa pananga at tumusok sa katawan ni Tayog.
Nagkaroon ito ng malakas na impact na syang dahilan upang Bumulusok si Tayog at tumama sa isang truck na nakaparada sa gilid , Wala syang nagawa para pigilan ito at ngayon ay naiipit sa gitna ng mga espada at sa truck .
Matibay ang balat ng mga Sugo na tila may mga bakal na baluti dahil sa enerhiya na nangangalaga sa kanila kaya hindi tumagos sa katawan ni Tayog ang mga espada na kanina pa tumatama sa kanya pero dahil sa pang hihina ng enerhiya na taglay nito ay unting unti nya nang nararamdaman ang mga sakit sa bawat pagsalpok at mga atake ng kalaban nya .
Naramdaman nya ang pagsugat ng ilang espada sa dibdib nya na palatandaan na humihina na ang enerhiya na inilaan para sa proteksyon.
Nakaipit din sya sa bakal na katawan ng truck kaya naman nahihirapan syang alisin ang mga nakatarak sa katawan nya
.
" Ang isa sa abilidad ko ay maglabas ng mga talim ng espada sa paligid at bagay na mahawakan o madikitan ng katawan ko. Sa sitwasyon mo ngayon ay kayang kaya na kitang tapusin mula sa kinatatayuan ko " Sambit ni Slasher Hawak parin ang espada na nagdudugtong sa lejante strike na nakatarak sa dibdib ni Tayog .
" Hindi pa ito tapos " Hingal na hingal na sambit ni Tayog .
Pinagtawanan lang sya ng heneral at minamaliit ang katapangan nito .
" May sasabihin ako sayong isang bagay kung bakit hindi mo kayang manalo sa tulad ko , Yun ay dahil wala kang kaalaman sa tamang pakikipaglaban " Sambit nito.
Nagliwanag ang kumpol ng espadang iyon at muling humaba at nagpabaon kay Tayog hanggang tuluyan syang tumagos sa truck na kinaiipitan.
Kahit na may kakapalan ang katawan ng truck ay nagawa nitong mabutas.
Tumalsik at gumulong na lang sya sa kalye dahil narin sa pwersa .
Makikita na rin ang nagkalat na ang dugo nya sa daan dulot ng mga sugat dahil sa pag tusok ng mga espada sa katawan nya.
Ngunit kahit na hinang hina at puno ng pinsala sa katawan ay pinilit nya parin ikilos ang mga braso upang bumangon . Hindi na sya nakakakilos ng maayos at parang wala na tamang pag iisip na ginugusto na lang tumayo.
Umagos ang dugo mula sa kanyang ulo at dumadaan sa kanyang pisngi .
" Ang isa sa problema sa mga gaya mo na maliit lang ang enerhiyang taglay sa katawan ay madali na kayong mapinsalaan sa ilang minutong labanan , nakakabagot kayong kalaban . "
Alam ni Tayog na hindi ganun kadami ang enerhiya nya dahil kulang sya sa pag sasanay . Kaya naman galit na galit nyang hinampas ang kamay sa lupa dahil sa pagkadismaya sa sariling kakayahan dahil alam nya na hindi nya kayang makipagsabayan dito sa isang laban .
" Ano nang gagawin mo ngayon ,Indyo ? " Pag mamayabang ni Slasher .
" Ayokong gawin ang huling paraan na meron ako ngunit sa puntong ito ." Bulong nya sa sarili.
Bumuntong hininga lang si Tayog at pumikit . Dito ay mahinahon syang tumayo kahit na nanginginig na ang kanyang katawan at nagpapakalma ng sarili para sa binabalak na pag atake.
Walang ideya si Slasher kung bakit nananahimik lang itong nakatayo at kung anong iniisip ng kanyang kalaban pero hindi na sa kanya mahalaga iyon dahil para sa kanya ay naglalaro na lang sya at wala nang magagawa ang kalaban nya para manalo pa laban sa kanya .
" Hindi mo ako magagawang matalo kung tatayo ka lang dyan . " Sambit nito .
Sa mga sandaling iyon ay biglang ngumiti si Tayog at tumawa ng malakas. Hindi malaman ni Slasher ang dahilan ng pagtawa nito pero nakakaramdam sya ng pagkainsulto sa ngisi nito sa kanya na tila ba naiisahan sya .
Iniisip na lang nya na tuluyan na itong nasiraan ng bait dahil sa pagkabigo sa pag aaklas at pagkadismaya sa sariling kakayahan .
" Kaawa awang nilalang, Mabuti pa tapusin na natin ito "
Inangat ng heneral ang dalawang kamay nya , Dito ay muling nagliwanag ang armor nya na napupuno ng enerhiya na ngayon ay gumagapang papunta sa mga braso hanggang umabot sa mga kamay.
Parehong gumawa ito ng higanteng Shuriken na gawa sa kumpol ng Espada .
Hawak nya sa magkabilang kamay ang dalawang Lejanti Shuriken na may taas na 15 feet bawat isa .
Ang mga ito rin ang pinang hiwa nya kanina sa mga braso ng higanteng halimaw na puno. Dahil sa umiikot ito kaya nitong hiwain ang kahit anong madaanan nya .
" Magpaalam ka na Indyo !! " sigaw nito.
Boung pwersa nyang ibinato ang Isang Shuriken na hawak nya na halos humiwa sa bawat madaanan nito . Wala itong prenong dumederetso pasulong at patama ngayon sa kinalalagyan ni Tayog .
Dumilat bigla si Tayog at galit na galit na sinuntok ang lapag . Sa pagkakataon na iyon ay biglang gumalaw ang higanteng Kamay at pinigilan ang shuriken mula sa gilid.
Ang kamay na ito ay ang brasong natangal sa higanteng halimaw na si Siklaon na ngayon ay isa ng normal na puno .
Nagulat ang heneral sa nangyari at nagtataka kung paano nya nagawang makuntrol ito gayung paubos na ang enerhiya nito sa katawan .
" Aba may natitira ka pa palang enerhiya , pero kahit anong gawin mo hindi ka na magtatagal pa " Sambit nito
Hingal na hingal si Tayog at hawak hawak ang dibdib na patuloy na nagdurugo dahil sa mga sugat . Sa mga oras na iyon ay tuluyan ng nauubos ang enerhiya nya sa katawan . Naglaho ang awra na bumabalot sa kanya at proteksyon ng kapangyarihan sa katawan ni Tayog .
Nakaramdam sya ng panghihina at biglang bumagsak sa kinatatayuan nya .
Lalong nagdurugo ang kanyang mga sugat na kanina pinipigilan magdugo ng kanyang enerhiya sa katawan. Mababakas sa mukha nito ang sakit at kirot na nararamdaman dulot ng mga pinsala at tila naghihingalo .
" Kaawa awang nilalang tignan mo ang sarili mo ngayon? Isang bigong tao, talunan na mandirigma at ngayon ay naghihingalo sa lupa. "
" Hahaha yan ang napapala ng mga basurang Indyo na lumalaban sa Dakilang Espanya " Sigaw nito .
Lalong nakaramdam ng galit sa sarili si Tayog sa mga narinig aa heneral at unti unting naalala ang mga magulang nya sa Siklaon.
Dahil doon ay kahit na pagod na pagod ay pinipilit nya parin kumilos at makaupo man lang sa kinalalagyan nya .
Patuloy na pinagtatawanan ni Slasher ang kaawa awang kalagayan ni Tayog at sa pagpupumilit nitong magpatuloy sa laban .
Inilarawan nya ito sa isang dagang gustong mangagat ng isang leon .
Nagawang maka upo nito kahit na nanginginig ang mga braso at tuhod.
" Mukhang wala na akong magagawa kundi gawin ang huli kong baraha " Sambit ni Tayog habang nang hihina .
Biglang tumawa si Slasher sa mga narinig nito sa kalaban dahil tila nagbabanta ito na may ilalabas pang paraan para manalo laban sa kanya, Wala na itong maramdamang awra sa katawan ni Tayog at nangangatog na ang mga tuhod para magawa pang makatayo .
" Alam mo ayokong gawin ito pero hindi ko kayang tangapin na matalo sa laban na ito " Sambit ni Tayog .
Biglang may lumipad na patalim na kahoy mula sa malayo at nasalo ito ni Tayog mula sa kina uupuan. Ang mga patalim na ito ay mula sa mga kasamahan nya sa Siklaon na pinahiram nya bago ang pag aaklas .
Walang ideya si Slasher sa binabalak ni Tayog sa pag kuha ng mga ito. Nagulat na lang sya ng naglaho ito na tila nadudurog na kahoy papunta sa isang usok na tinatangay naman ng hangin habang sumasanib sa katawan ni Tayog .
Patuloy na lumilipad ang mga ito at nagiging enerhiya na sumasanib sa katawan ni Tayog. Dito ay unting unti nararamdaman ni Slasher ang pagtaas ng presensya ni Tayog .
" Anong ginagawa mo? "
" Ipapaliwanag ko sayo , Ang mga ito ay bahagi ng kapangyarihan ko na ipinahiram ko sa mga kasama ko upang makasanib sila sa kalikasan . Ito ay naging power core na kumuha sa mga enerhiya ng mga taong nasa loob at ipasa ito sa mga halimaw na puno , ibigsabihin. "
" Tsk, Kung ganun kinukuha mo ang mga naipong enerhiya ng mga tao sa sandatang yan para maging dagdag na enerhiya sa katawan mo . " Sambit ni Slasher .
Ang paraan na ito ay kasama sa mga plano ni Tayog pero hindi nya ito kayang gawin agad ng hindi kinakailangan ng kanyang katawan .
" Isa sa kakayahan ko ay kumuha ng enerhiya mula sa kalikasan na magagawa ko lang sa oras na maubusan ang katawan ko ng enerhiya kaya salamat sayo dahil nagawa kong paganahin ito ng ubusin ko ang enerhiya ko sa pagpapagalaw sa halimaw na braso. "
Umaapaw muli ang enerhiya nya sa katawan dahil sa mga power core . Unti unting nanunumbalik ang lakas ng katawan nya na kanina lang ay pagod na pagod at nangangatog .
Dahil din enerhiya na ito nanumbalik ang proteksyon ng katawan nya at napatigil ang pagdurugo ng sugat pansamantala .
Tumayo sya sa kinatatayuan at muling humakbang pasulong . Nanlilisik ang mga mata nya at tila handa na muling lumaban sa heneral at makipagsabayan .
" Hahahaha , napakahusay, nakakabilib ang kakayahan mo para sa isang indyo . " Sambit ni Slasher
" Wag mo akong tawagin sa katawagan na yan o ang kahit na sino sa mga kasama ko dahil hindi kami mga indyo na alipin ng mga kastila . "
Itinaas nya ang kamay nya at biglang gumalaw ang mga parte ng higanteng braso ng halimaw .
Makikita dito ang nakabalot na berdeng enerhiya na nagmula kay Tayog. Dito ay nagbago ang hugis nito na tila clay na sumanib sa kanyang katawan at humuhubog sa ibang anyo .
" Dahil kami ay mga pilipino " Sigaw nito .
Napakunot na lang ng noo at napangisi sa galit si Slasher ng makita ang unti unting pagbabagong anyo ulit ni Tayog papunta sa isang halimaw na puno .
Nararamdaman nya rito ang nag uumapaw na enerhiya dahil sa pag kuha nito sa mga energy core na nasa mga punyal na kahoy.
Pumapalibot dito ang mala buhawing awra na nagpapatalsik sa ilang bagay palayo kay Tayog.
Nagbago ang Anyo ni Tayog papunta sa nakakatakot na higanteng tao. Tila nagkaroon ng baluti ang katawan nya na gawa sa puno.
Ang 10 feet na halimaw na anyong iyon ni Tayog ay ang final form nito at pinaka matibay nyang sandata ngunit ito ay nangangailangan ng napakaraming enerhiya kaya limitado lang sa isang minuto ang oras na pwede nya itong magamit.
Binabalak ni Tayog na gawing power source ang mga punyal na mula sa mga kasama nya na nakakalat sa paligid nila para mapanatili ang kanyang final form ng matagal na oras at gamitin ang lahat ng ito para matalo ang heneral .
Alam nya sa sarili na ang enerhiyang ginagamit nya ngayon ay mga enerhiya ng buhay ng mga kasama nyang isinakripisyo para sa pag aaklas .
Batid nya na katumbas ng buhay ng bawat kasamahan nya ang enerhiyang sinusubukan nyang gamitin ngayon para lang makapag patuloy.
" Mga kasama, isinusumpa ko na gagawin ko ang lahat upang mapatay ang diablong heneral na pumatay sa inyo, ipaghihiganti ko kayo at ang boung Siklaon !! "
Tumakbo ang halimaw na ito at bumulusok palusob kay Slasher upang umatake. Alam ng heneral na hindi pangkaraniwan ang enerhiya na tinataglay nito at kailangan nyang gumawa ng paraan para pigilan ito.
Bakas sa mukha ng heneral ang pagkaseryuso nito dahil maging sya ay kinukutuban ng masama sa ipinapakita ni tayog ng kakaibang bagay.
Dito ay muling nagliwanag ang armor nya dahil sa enerhiya at gumapang papunta sa kaliwang kamay.
Agad syang bumwelo at boung pwersang inihagis ang isa pang higanteng Shuriken na hawak .
Kagaya ng nauna ay bumulusok ito at hinihiwa ang bawat madaanan hanggang sa pasalpok sa umaatakeng halimaw .
Dito ay nagawang masalag ni Tayog ng kanang kamay ang shuriken at sinubukang mapigilan pero masyado itong malakas at dahil nga umiikot ito ay nagawa nitong mahiwa ang kahoy na braso ni Tayog .
Pero kahit na nahiwa ang kanyang braso ay nagpatuloy ito sa paglusob sa heneral na tila hindi naramdaman ang pinsalang natanggap .
Hindi ito inaasahan ni Slasher at napahawak sa lapag para muling umatake at pigilan ang paglapit ni Tayog .
" Lejanti Strike "
Nag angatan ang mga kumpol kumpol na espada para atakehin si Tayog ng derekta pero napahinto agad ito sa pag lusob para umiwas sa mga espada .
Sa pagkakataon na iyon nagawa nya makaiwas sa atake ng heneral at biglang humaba ang kaliwang braso na parang baging para makaatake mula sa malayo.
Dahil sa nakaharang ang mga tore ng espada ay hindi napansin ni Slasher ang biglaang pagsulpot ng kamao ni Tayog sa gilid ng mga ito .
Tumama ang suntok nito sa heneral at sa sobrang lakas nito ay napatalsik ito hanggang sa sumalpok ito sa loob ng gusali ng munisipyo.
Dahil sa biglaang pag atake ay nagawa nyang maisahan ang heneral at matamaan ito ng todo. Agad naman na bumalik ang braso nya sa dating haba nito na parang baging na bumabalik sa puno.
" Anong problema heneral? Tumayo ka at ipagpatuloy ang laban. " Tanong nito .
Biglang may mga tumamang punyal na kahoy sa katawan ni Tayog at Unting unti ito naglalaho at nagbigay ng enerhiya sa katawan nito.
Dito ay hinigop ng katawan nya ang enerhiya na mula sa mga punyal at unti unting bumalik sa braso nito . Ilang sandali lang ay biglang tumutubo ang naputol nyang mga braso na parang halaman .
Nagiging power source nya ang mga punyal na puno ng enerhiya na nagmula sa life energy upang mapagaling ang bagong anyo nito sa bawat pinsalang matatamo.
" Sinabi ko na sayo , Hindi pa tapos ang laban na ito "
Sambit nya habang tila nilalasap at pinagmamalaki ang nag uumapaw na enerhiya na tinataglay at makikitang lumalabas sa katawan nya .
Sa sandaling yun ay naglalakad palabas ng gusali si Slasher at galit na galit na nakatitig kay Tayog.
Hindi nya matanggap na nakatikim sya ng isang malakas na atake mula sa isang kalaban sa full power form nya . Nanlilisik ang mga mata nito habang napapalibutan ng dilaw na awra na tila nagliliyab na apoy.
Hindi nya kinatakutan ang bagong kakayahan ni Tayog na magpagaling ng pinsala na tila imortal at walang ibang nais kundi ang mabilis na tapusin ang buhay nito.
" Hindi na ko magpipigil simula ngayon , Kailangan ko ng tapusin ang pakikipaglaro sa dagang gaya mo " Sambit nito habang naglalakad palabas ng gusali .
" Sinabi ko na , Hindi ako makakapayag na matalo sa labang ito , Ngayong araw na ito ay kukunin ko ang buhay mo Slasher !! " Matapang na sambit ni Tayog .
Parehong naglalabas sila ng mataas na antas na presensya na tila mga nagbabangaang buhawi at naghahanda ng umatake upang tapusin hangang kamatayan ang laban .
Sa gitna ng mainit na tagpong iyon at nakakatindig balahibong eksena ay biglang may isang boses ang biglang umeko sa paligid. Isang matining na sigaw ng isang babae na tila humihingi ng tulong .
Ang boses na iyon ay nag mumula sa itaas nila at sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay may biglang bumagsak mula sa langit at sumadsad sa lupa.
Dito ay dumeretso iyon sa harapan ng dalawa at pumagitna sa pagitan nila Tayog at Slasher .
Nakadapa ang babaeng ito sa lapag mismo at walang pag galaw na tila bangkay .
Hindi makapag react ang dalawa sa biglaang pagsingit ng isang babae sa harapan nila at tahimik na hinihintay ang susunod na mangyayari.
Ang bumagsak na babaeng iyon ay si Erik na sa hindi maipaliwanag na bagay ay nasa katawan ng diwata ng Ifugao.
Umupo ito bigla at tila nagulat sa nalamang nabuhay sya at humihinga sa kabila ng pagbagsak nya sa lupa.
Sa tagpong iyon ay hindi parin nya namamalayan na nasa anyo sya bilang magandang babae .
" Buhay ako , hindi ako makapaniwalang buhay ako ,tama nga, Buhay ako !!! " Sigaw nito habang itinataas ang mga kamay na tila natutuwa.
Sa sandaling tila pagkamangha at pagsasaya ni Erik sa pananatiling buhay ay napansin nya ang magulong paligid dulot ng bakbakan at napalingon sa kanyang gilid nya kung saan nakita nya si Tayog na nababalutan ng berdeng enerhiya ang nakakatakot na anyo nito bilang halimaw at sa kabila namang parte ay ang galit na galit na heneral na nanlilisik ang mga mata sa kanya .
Maging ang dalawa ay hindi alam ang gagawin at magiging reaksyon sa mga oras na iyon dahil nga sa hindi nila kilala ang taong bumagsak sa harap nila ay wala silang ideya kung isa ba itong kalaban o kakampi .
Hindi inaasahan ng binatang si Erik na sa mismong battlefield sya babagsak na kung saan kasalukuyang naghaharap ang dalawa. Napalunok na lang sya sa kaba at nagsimulang matakot sa kanyang sitwasyon dahil alam nya na maaari nyang ikapahamak ito .
" Patay ako . " Sambit nito habang nakangiti .
" Hehehe, kmusta kayo? "
~End of Chapter .
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
🌿 "Nature's Aid"
The conflict continues, as Tayog battles Slasher in the center of the garden of blade towers.
Tayog manages to hold his own in a hand-to-hand fight, but despite his efforts, he is constantly hit and forced to retreat by Slasher's powerful kicks and punches.
The clash of their attacks shows that the General has the advantage in both speed and strength.
Slasher is not accustomed to fighting with his fists and legs, but he is toying with his opponent, confident that Tayog is helpless at this point.
Their inherent energy allows them to maintain their strength as Sugos, but as Tayog's energy is gradually depleted, his attacks are weakening, and he is starting to feel fatigued.
Tayog desperately seeks an opportunity to land a single hit on the elusive Slasher, but his kicks are only parried, and the General remains unshaken by every attack.
Slasher parried Tayog's final kick and grabbed his leg, then threw him into a parked car, crushing its front end.
Tayog knows his body's energy is insufficient and could run out at any moment, so he continues to attack as long as he can still move.
~ Tayog's PoV ~
This cannot be. Whatever I do, my attacks are useless against him. Is this man that strong, or is it just me weakening?
I attacked him again, but once more, he parried my punch with his palms. I can no longer attack with force due to my depleted energy, and I know my opponent, who is now losing interest in fighting me, has noticed this.
"You're boring to play with. I might as well end this now," Slasher said.
He suddenly grabbed my arms and tossed me away like a toy. I tumbled down the street and hit a sword tower, which finally stopped my trajectory.
I feel dizzy and am gasping for breath from exhaustion. In truth, using the gigantic monster consumed all my energy, and it's only willpower that keeps me standing to fight this demon.
But no matter how tired or hopeless I feel, I stand up again and struggle to move to continue the fight, because I have no other choice but to die for our cause.
~ End of PoV ~
Slasher drew a sword and attacked again.
Due to the damage sustained, Tayog is dizzy, and his gasping breaths show that he is utterly exhausted and his body is weakening.
He cannot think of a way to break the General's powerful defense, which parries every attack, so he has no choice but to continue to evade and block Slasher's sword strikes.
General Slasher continues his attack, holding two swords, which Tayog continues to block with the shields attached to his forearms.
His shields are made of sturdy wood, but they are being damaged by the continuous parrying.
"Hahahaha, what's wrong, indio? Do you have nothing else to do but block my attacks?" he taunted.
Slasher's feet glowed, and he suddenly kicked the ground, causing the clustered swords to rise again, aimed at Tayog.
Tayog knew he couldn't keep up with that, so he had no choice but to evade it.
Unfortunately, Slasher had already predicted his movements and was simply waiting for him to dodge.
As expected, Tayog jumped to avoid it, so Slasher wasted no time in attacking again. Tayog managed to see Slasher's next attack, but he couldn't evade it this time.
"Damn it, he's going to hit me," he thought.
He had no choice but to wrap himself in the wooden shields. They were like vines that gradually lengthened and clustered together to enlarge the shield on his arm.
But before it could be fully completed and form a thick shield, Slasher's sword pierced through the shield. However, due to the toughness of the material, he managed to avoid being directly stabbed by the General. The sword stopped just before hitting Tayog's chest.
"You move fast, boy," Slasher commented.
"But you can't stop me," he added.
Hundreds of sword blades suddenly erupted from the tip of the sword and hit Tayog. A Lejanti Strike was released from the tip of the sword that had passed through the shield, piercing Tayog's body.
It generated a strong impact that sent Tayog crashing into a truck parked on the side. He couldn't stop it and was now pinned between the swords and the truck.
The skin of Sugos is tough, as if covered in steel armor due to the energy that protects them, so the swords that hit him earlier did not pierce Tayog's body, but due to his weakening energy, he was gradually feeling the pain from every impact and attack from his opponent.
He felt some swords cut his chest, a sign that the protective energy was weakening.
He was also pinned against the steel body of the truck, making it difficult for him to remove the swords embedded in his body.
"One of my abilities is to release sword blades from objects that my body touches. In your current situation, I can easily finish you off from where I stand," Slasher said, still holding the sword connected to the Lejanti Strike embedded in Tayog's chest.
"This isn't over yet," Tayog gasped out.
The General simply laughed at him, belittling his courage.
"I'll tell you one thing about why you can't win against someone like me: it's because you have no knowledge of proper fighting," he said.
The cluster of swords glowed, lengthened again, and pushed Tayog further until he completely penetrated the truck he was pinned against.
Despite the truck's thickness, he managed to pierce through it.
He was thrown and tumbled down the street due to the force.
His blood could now be seen scattered on the road from the wounds caused by the swords piercing his body.
But even though he was extremely weak and heavily wounded, he still forced his arms to move to get up. He could no longer move properly and seemed to be acting without proper thought, simply wanting to stand up.
Blood flowed from his head, running down his cheek.
"One problem with people like you who have little energy in your body is that you're easily wounded in a few minutes of fighting. You're boring to fight."
Tayog knew he didn't have much energy because he lacked training. He slammed his hand on the ground in a rage, frustrated with his own inability, because he knew he couldn't match his opponent in a fight.
"What are you going to do now, indio?" Slasher boasted.
"I didn't want to resort to my last option, but at this point..." he muttered to himself.
Tayog simply sighed and closed his eyes. He calmly stood up, even though his body was trembling, and composed himself for the planned attack.
Slasher had no idea why he was just standing still or what his opponent was thinking, but it didn't matter to him anymore because he felt he was just playing, and his opponent could no longer do anything to win against him.
"You won't be able to defeat me if you just stand there," he said.
At that moment, Tayog suddenly smiled and laughed loudly. Slasher didn't know the reason for his laughter, but he felt insulted by his smirk, as if he was being tricked.
He simply assumed that Tayog had finally gone mad from the failure of the revolt and disappointment in his own ability.
"A pathetic creature. It's best if we end this now."
The General raised both hands. His armor glowed again, filled with energy that was now creeping toward his arms until it reached his hands.
He created two gigantic shurikens made of clustered swords.
He held two Lejanti Shurikens, each 15 feet tall, in his hands.
These were the same ones he used to slice off the arms of the gigantic tree monster earlier. Since they spin, they can slice through anything in their path.
"Say goodbye, indio!!" he shouted.
He threw one Shuriken with full force, which sliced through everything in its path. It flew straight ahead, aimed directly at Tayog.
Tayog suddenly opened his eyes and furiously punched the ground. At that moment, the gigantic arm suddenly moved and blocked the shuriken from the side.
This arm was the severed limb of the gigantic monster Siklaon, which was now a normal tree.
The General was surprised by what happened and wondered how he was able to control it, given that his energy was almost gone.
"Well, you still have some energy left, but whatever you do, you won't last much longer," he said.
Tayog was gasping for breath and clutching his chest, which was still bleeding from the wounds. At that moment, his body's energy was completely depleted. The aura that enveloped him and protected him vanished from Tayog's body.
He felt weak and suddenly collapsed where he stood.
His wounds bled even more, which his body's energy had previously suppressed. The pain and agony from the injuries were evident on his face, and he seemed to be dying.
"A pitiful creature, look at yourself now. A failed man, a defeated warrior, and now dying on the ground."
"Hahaha, that's what those trash Indios who fight the Great Spain deserve," he shouted.
Tayog felt even more self-hatred from what the General said and slowly recalled his parents in Siklaon.
Because of this, even though he was extremely exhausted, he still forced himself to move and at least sit up where he was.
Slasher continued to mock Tayog's pitiful state and his insistence on continuing the fight.
He likened him to a rat trying to bite a lion.
He managed to sit up, even though his arms and knees were trembling.
"It looks like I have no choice but to use my last card," Tayog said, weakened.
Slasher suddenly laughed at what he heard from his opponent because he sounded like he was threatening to pull out another way to win against him. Slasher no longer sensed any aura in Tayog's body, and his knees were knocking, making it impossible for him to stand.
"You know, I don't want to do this, but I can't accept losing this fight," Tayog said.
Suddenly, wooden blades flew from afar, and Tayog caught them from where he sat. These blades were from his comrades in Siklaon, which he had lent them before the revolt.
Slasher had no idea what Tayog was planning with these. He was only surprised when they dissolved like crushed wood into smoke carried by the wind, merging with Tayog's body.
They continued to fly and become energy that merged with Tayog's body. Slasher gradually felt Tayog's presence increasing.
"What are you doing?"
"I'll explain to you. These are parts of my power that I lent to my comrades so they could merge with nature. They became power cores that drew energy from the people inside and transferred it to the tree monsters, meaning..."
"Tsk, so you're taking the accumulated energy of those people in those weapons to add energy to your body," Slasher said.
This method was part of Tayog's plan, but he couldn't execute it immediately without his body needing it.
"One of my abilities is to draw energy from nature, which I can only do when my body's energy is depleted. So, thank you, because I was able to activate it by exhausting my energy while moving the monster arm."
His body was once again overflowing with energy from the power cores. His body's strength, which had been extremely tired and trembling moments ago, was slowly returning.
This energy also restored his body's protection and temporarily stopped the bleeding from his wounds.
He stood up and stepped forward again. His eyes were blazing, and he seemed ready to fight the General and match him once more.
"Hahahaha, excellent! Your ability is impressive for an indio," Slasher said.
"Don't call me or any of my comrades that word, because we are not indios, slaves of the Spaniards."
He raised his hand, and the parts of the gigantic monster arm suddenly moved.
A green energy from Tayog enveloped it. Its shape changed, like clay merging with his body and morphing into a different form.
"Because we are Filipinos!" he shouted.
Slasher's brow furrowed, and he smirked in anger when he saw Tayog gradually changing form again into a tree monster.
He felt the surging energy from it due to drawing energy from the power cores in the wooden daggers.
A whirlwind-like aura surrounded it, pushing objects away from Tayog.
Tayog's form changed into a terrifying giant man. His body seemed to be armored with wood.
This 10-foot monster form of Tayog was his final form and his strongest weapon, but it required a huge amount of energy, so the time he could use it was limited to only one minute.
Tayog planned to use the daggers from his comrades scattered around them as a power source to maintain his final form for a long time and use all of it to defeat the General.
He knew that the energy he was using now was the life energy of his comrades who had sacrificed themselves for the revolt.
He was aware that the life of each comrade was equivalent to the energy he was trying to use now just to keep going.
"Comrades, I swear I will do everything to kill the devil General who murdered you! I will avenge you and the entire Siklaon!!"
The monster ran and rushed toward Slasher to attack. The General knew that the energy it possessed was extraordinary, and he needed to find a way to stop it.
Seriousness was etched on the General's face because even he had a bad feeling about the unusual thing Tayog was displaying.
His armor glowed with energy again and crept toward his left hand.
He braced himself and threw the other gigantic Shuriken he held with full force.
Like the first, it shot forward, slicing everything in its path until it crashed into the attacking monster.
Tayog managed to block the shuriken with his right hand and tried to stop it, but it was too powerful, and since it was spinning, it managed to slice Tayog's wooden arm.
But even though his arm was cut, he continued to charge toward the General, seemingly unaffected by the damage sustained.
Slasher didn't expect this and slammed his hand on the ground to attack again and stop Tayog's approach.
"Lejanti Strike!"
Clustered swords rose to attack Tayog directly, but he immediately stopped his charge to evade the swords.
This time, he managed to avoid the General's attack, and his left arm suddenly lengthened like a vine to attack from a distance.
Because the sword towers were blocking the view, Slasher did not notice Tayog's fist suddenly appearing from the side.
The punch hit the General, and its immense force sent him flying until he slammed into the municipal hall building.
Due to the sudden attack, he managed to trick the General and hit him hard. His arm immediately returned to its original length, like a vine recoiling into a tree.
"What's the matter, General? Stand up and continue the fight," he asked.
Suddenly, wooden daggers hit Tayog's body, gradually disappearing and giving energy to his body.
His body absorbed the energy from the daggers, and it slowly returned to his arm. In a moment, his severed arm suddenly grew back like a plant.
The daggers, full of energy from life force, were becoming his power source to heal his new form from every damage he sustained.
"I told you, this fight is not over yet."
He said this while seemingly savoring and boasting about the surging energy that enveloped him and was visible leaving his body.
At that moment, Slasher walked out of the building, staring furiously at Tayog.
He could not accept receiving a strong attack from an opponent in his full power form. His eyes were blazing, surrounded by a yellow aura that seemed like burning fire.
He did not fear Tayog's new ability to heal damage, making him seem immortal, and he only wished to quickly end his life.
"I will stop holding back now. I need to finish playing with a rat like you," he said, walking out of the building.
"I told you, I won't allow myself to lose this fight. Today, I will take your life, Slasher!!" Tayog said bravely.
Both were emitting a high level of presence, like clashing tornadoes, preparing to attack and fight until death.
In the middle of that intense scene and hair-raising moment, a voice suddenly echoed in the surroundings. A sharp scream from a woman, seemingly asking for help.
That voice came from above them, and unexpectedly, something suddenly fell from the sky and crashed into the ground.
It landed right in front of the two, settling between Tayog and Slasher.
The woman was lying face down on the ground, motionless, like a corpse.
The two could not react to the sudden interruption by a woman in front of them and quietly waited for what would happen next.
The woman who fell was Erik, who, inexplicably, was in the body of the Diwata of Ifugao.
He suddenly sat up, seemingly surprised to find himself alive and breathing despite his fall.
At that moment, he still didn't realize he was in the form of a beautiful woman.
"I'm alive. I can't believe I'm alive. That's right, I'm alive!!!" he shouted, raising his hands, seemingly delighted.
In that moment of apparent astonishment and joy at being alive, Erik noticed the chaotic surroundings from the battle and looked to his side, where he saw Tayog, whose terrifying monster form was enveloped in green energy, and on the other side, the enraged General, whose eyes were blazing at him.
Even the two combatants didn't know what to do or how to react at that moment because they didn't know the person who had fallen in front of them and had no idea if she was an enemy or an ally.
The young man, Erik, hadn't expected to fall directly onto the battlefield where the two were currently facing off. He just gulped nervously and began to fear his situation because he knew it could endanger him.
"I'm dead," he said with a nervous smile.
"Hehehe, how are you both?"
~ End of Chapter ~