CHAPTER FOURTEEN
🌿 "Sugo of the Diwata of Ifugao"
The chapter continues with Erik caught in a difficult situation due to his sudden descent onto the battlefield, right in the middle of a heated fight.
He doesn't know what to do and feels terrified by the hostile stares of the two combatants, whose anger seems to have shifted toward him.
He abruptly stood up, bowed to them, and apologized for his sudden appearance and for disturbing their fight. But as he was bowing, he suddenly realized that he shouldn't be apologizing to the two of them and that he should carry out the mission that brought him there.
"Who are you, you clown?" Slasher said.
"A Sugo of the Diwatas, then. So you called in another rat to fight me," he added.
Because of his presence and appearance, the General immediately suspected his identity as one of the rebels fighting the Spaniards.
"Huh? W-wa-wait, mister," Erik stammered nervously.
Upon hearing Erik's denial of being an enemy of the Spaniards, Tayog immediately became suspicious of his purpose in that place.
"In that case, you're an ally of the Spaniards," Tayog shouted.
He immediately denied this to Tayog as well, panicking while explaining that he wasn't there for the Spaniards and had no connection to them.
"Then what are you doing here? This is no place for a woman like you," Tayog said.
Erik suddenly fell silent at hearing Tayog call him a woman. He had no idea what Tayog meant, but he couldn't help but be confused by that absurdity in a serious situation.
He scratched his head at that moment and, after a while, was suddenly perplexed by the changes he was feeling in his body, such as touching the long hair on his head that was being carried by the wind.
He touched his head with both hands, where he saw the different color of his hair.
At that moment, he began to panic at the apparent change in his form without his knowledge.
He looked around frantically, searching for a mirror to confirm his suspicion about his transformation.
He ran hurriedly to the parking lot and straight to a parked car.
There, he peered into the window glass and observed himself.
"The Diwata... no, it's me. B-b-but... Impossible!"
He just screamed and staggered backward, shocked by the appearance he saw in the reflection.
He realized that he had also acquired the Diwata's form after accepting her power.
"This can't be! I'm a woman!!!" he cried out, slowly kneeling down, seemingly heartbroken by what had happened.
As Erik wailed in front of the car window, the two combatants didn't know how to react.
"Hey, crazy woman, if you're not this one's ally and not sent by the government, can you please get out of here? You're interrupting us," Slasher shouted.
"That's right, because I won't be responsible for what happens to you if you get involved in me finishing this one," Tayog said.
Their conversation heated up again, and they continued to release a whirlwind-like presence. At that moment, the two walked toward each other to attack, but Erik wouldn't allow it.
Erik knew it wouldn't end well if their fight continued, and he needed to persuade them to stop the meaningless revolt.
Erik suddenly stood up from kneeling and rushed to block them, preventing them from fighting each other. He frantically pleaded with them to stop the battle.
"Can't you see that you're destroying this place with your fighting?" he said bravely.
"What are you talking about? Who are you, and what is your real purpose here?" Tayog asked.
"It's me, Alfredo. It's Erik, the vegetable vendor you were with earlier. It's a long story, but I'm a Sugo of the Diwata, just like you."
He had no choice but to introduce himself to Alfredo to calm him down, hoping that he would listen to anything he said if he recognized him.
"Erik? You're a woman, Erik?" he asked in confusion.
"Huh? N-no, I'm a man but in a woman's form," he explained.
"So you're a transgender person?" "Huh? I don't know... I just suddenly became a woman," Erik replied, as he couldn't understand the foreign word.
"You're a man who changed into a woman," Tayog said.
Erik was silent for a moment at Tayog's comment and pondered it.
He didn't understand it, so to make Tayog understand everything, he hurriedly explained what happened.
He quickly narrated the change in his body due to accepting the Diwata's power. Even though his explanation was incomplete, Tayog was able to piece things together quickly and grasp Erik's situation as the Sugo of Ifugao.
"That's good news then. Help me finish the Spaniards and finally free the town," Tayog said.
Erik knew what his friend wanted when he urged him again to join him.
As before, he couldn't speak against him or refuse him, out of respect for the good he had done for him, but because of the promises he made to his Diwata, he had reservations about remaining silent and following his friend's wishes.
Erik suddenly stopped talking and stepped backward, away from Tayog. His sad face showed distress over his friend's talk of killing people.
He shook his head to show his disagreement, along with asking for his friend's forgiveness.
"I'm sorry, Alfredo, but I'm not here to help you, because I'm here to stop what you're doing," he said sadly, looking at Tayog.
Tayog was surprised, seemingly confused about what Erik intended to do with the power he possessed.
Alfredo thought Erik was an ally and agreed with Siklaon's cause as a Filipino, but what was coming out of his mouth now contradicted his wishes.
He asked him again why he changed his mind and immediately accused the young man of siding with the Spaniards.
Erik didn't want his friend to misunderstand his refusal, so he immediately denied the accusation that he was siding with the Spanish enemies of Siklaon. He explained that his only reason for stopping his friend was because of his twisted methods and the wrong way he was carrying out the revolt in the town by slaughtering the Spaniards.
"What did you say?"
Tayog couldn't help but get angry at what he was hearing from Erik and insisted that his conviction was right—that the abusive Spaniards who enslaved the Filipinos needed to die.
"The citizens of this town have endured the abuse of the Spaniards for many years. How many Filipinos have been drowned in debt because of the taxes they take?"
"How many children have been orphaned and are hungry slaves beneath their houses, young people subjected to shame because of their degradation of their humanity, women exploited, and how many lives have been ruined because of the people you want to protect now?" he said angrily.
Tayog couldn't contain his shouting to explain to his friend that the Spaniards who died in the town didn't deserve pity. He didn't consider it a crime, but a judgment.
"But what you're doing is inhuman. Can't you see yourself?" Erik shouted at him.
"You're right, maybe what I'm doing to them now is inhuman, but what I'm doing now is just payment for their sins. A judgment and a fair retribution," he shouted back.
Erik stepped backward due to the terrifying reaction on Tayog's face, who seemed to be losing his mind.
It was clear to him that his friend had a point in what he was saying, and perhaps he should just side with him as a fellow Filipino who sympathized with his countrymen who have suffered, are suffering, and will continue to suffer.
Nevertheless, he couldn't accept that he would achieve justice by taking hundreds of lives in a cruel way, so he spoke bravely in front of his friend.
"You can't say that, Alfredo. You have no right to take their lives and demand payment as punishment," he said.
Tayog knew that Erik couldn't see the right in his fight because of his innocent and timid nature.
The suffering he had endured was far greater than the young man's, so he understood that Erik couldn't comprehend what he was fighting for.
"Stop it!! Rights? Is it because I'm just a mere Filipino? Who will decide who has the right to punish the guilty and take a life?"
"The law?"
"The law made by the Spaniards??" he added.
He angrily spoke of the unequal view of the law for Filipinos and how the human rights they should be receiving are just an illusion that Filipinos will never attain as long as the Spaniards rule the country.
Erik just shook his head, unable to say or utter any words.
Erik knew that his mind was closed off because of the anger he felt, and he no longer wanted to talk.
All he talked about was eliminating the Spaniards and getting revenge.
"So get out of the way, because if you interfere with Siklaon's goal, I will treat you as an enemy and crush you with them," he said angrily while releasing an intense aura.
The wind carried Erik's hair as Tayog released an incredibly powerful aura, which was now moving closer to him.
As Tayog walked forward, Erik suddenly bowed his head, a sign that he disagreed with what his friend had said.
"I understand you, and I don't want to fight you, for the sake of our friendship and the entire Siklaon," Erik said, his head bowed, regretful for his friend's lost sanity.
"But I know I need to stop you and save you, Tayog," he added.
A red fan with a white handkerchief hanging from the end appeared. As it fell, Erik immediately caught it and took an attacking stance toward Tayog.
Unlike Erik's terrified and gentle face earlier, it was now filled with courage and determination.
"You will regret turning your back on me," Tayog said and began to rush forward.
Tayog attacked him and threw a punch. Erik managed to block his fist.
Erik knew he had protection as a Sugo, but he felt the strength of that punch and was slightly forced backward.
Tayog was huge, and his weight made his movements slow compared to Erik, who was slender and light in his new body.
He managed to get close to Tayog and punched his wooden stomach with full force. However, the bones in his hand seemed to crush from punching his wooden body, and he winced in pain.
"Ah! Ow! Damn it! Your body is so hard!" he said, backing away.
He blew on his hand and complained to his opponent. Erik's body wasn't that strong, even though he had acquired the Diwata's power.
Not all Sugos have the same strength and ability to enhance their physical capabilities.
"Fool! You won't be able to hurt me if you only use physical strength!!"
Tayog's arm lengthened like a vine to sweep Erik away in retaliation.
The young man couldn't evade it and was hit by the attack. The force of the punch sent him flying like a lightweight object and crashing into a car beside the building.
"If you're serious about stopping me, then use your ability to attack me," he said.
Erik rose again and tried to follow what Tayog said about the extraordinary ability that Sugos possess.
He tried to concentrate and raised his arms to shoot a fireball or any other energy, but nothing came out of his hands that could be used for combat.
"Why do I not feel anything in this body? What is the Diwata's power?" he questioned.
While he was thinking and wondering why his body wasn't releasing energy, Tayog's fists met him again and hit him.
He was slammed into the car again, and together they were sent flying onto the road, rolling on the street.
Erik was surprised to feel an intense throbbing pain in his head and was writhing in pain.
He wondered why the Diwata's protection that he possessed was no longer guarding him.
"This is not good. I feel so much pain in my arms. This is not what the Diwata said," he whispered.
He remembered what his Diwata had whispered about the extra energy that would guard his body from the injuries he might sustain during times of danger.
The Diwata had said that to calm him down because he was falling from a high place.
He struggled to move and get up, but Tayog's lengthened arm suddenly grabbed his leg and slammed him into the cars in the parking lot again.
He attacked his friend without hesitation to teach him a lesson, and after throwing him, he ordered him to just leave the area.
"You really are a novice, Erik. It's better if you leave now if you want to stay alive."
He threatened to kill his friend if he stood up again and interfered with the ongoing fight.
A moment later, Slasher interrupted their conversation and told Erik to stop playing with other people.
"Hey! Hey! Can you two please stop playing around?"
The General said he didn't like his game being delayed.
Slasher challenged them to continue and finish their fight so he could rest, seemingly still belittling Tayog.
"You don't need to wait any longer, because I will personally take the trouble to give you the rest you want—Forever!!" he shouted while releasing an incredibly powerful aura.
"Go on, indio. Show me what a rat like you can do!" he replied while also unleashing a blazing aura.
The two rushed at each other without hesitation and fought hand-to-hand in the middle of the road.
Their exchange of attacks intensified, almost destroying their surroundings.
While their battle was ongoing, Erik was currently pinned inside the crumpled part of the car he had been slammed into.
He couldn't move because of the thick steel of the car.
"I don't know why I can't use any energy in this body."
"Ouch! I think my backbone is broken," he muttered in pain.
As Erik struggled to free himself from the crumpled car, the car suddenly rattled. He noticed the arrival of a person outside, whose presence blocked the sunlight.
A woman peered inside, her face expressionless, as she asked about his condition.
This woman was the mysterious woman he had been with at the Siklaon camp. Erik was surprised by her sudden, ghost-like reappearance.
She was holding a stick from a tree that had come from the forest they had left.
"Y-yo-you! T-that's right, it's you!" he exclaimed loudly.
She gently slapped the stick she was holding on Erik's head to make him stop talking.
"What are you doing? I thought you were going to stop him? Why are you just lying there?" the woman questioned.
~ Erik's PoV ~
Here she is again, the mysterious woman who always appears out of nowhere like a ghost, and now she's asking me a question, seemingly surprised by what I'm doing.
But why am I here, and now pinned inside a crumpled car? Isn't it to stop Alfredo? She's asking me as if I'm not doing what I came here to do, but the truth is, I tried to stop the fight.
That's right, I tried to stop him, but it looks like he is truly determined with his plan and conviction to punish the Spaniards. So what else can I do?
What else can I do to save him?
I can't convince him or give him a reason to listen because, truthfully, he has a reason to do what he's doing.
He has a reason to be evil and continue the wrong he's doing, and I can't change that anymore.
In the middle of my talking, this woman suddenly sat on the car and looked up at the sky, as if she was just resting.
You could see that she was calm and seemed indifferent to the ongoing battle around her, as if our situation didn't matter to her.
"You know, sometimes the opinion of the one being saved doesn't matter, especially if they're not asking for help to be saved by others," she said.
"Your friend is ready to die and disappear from the world along with the sins he is about to commit. He is determined to become a devil for a single purpose."
"To take revenge."
I bowed my head while trying to understand what she was saying to me, and I knew I was only looking for an excuse to stop fighting. Nevertheless, something was bothering me, and a voice was whispering in my mind that I should do something about this.
I understood what she wanted to say and realized that I didn't need to listen to Alfredo's twisted beliefs.
I was there to stop him from becoming a devil and to save him from committing an even greater sin for the sake of the people.
"But how will I do that? I tried to stop him, but I'm no match for him."
"I don't understand, but I can't feel any power in this body," Erik said.
At that moment, she looked at me and asked what the Diwata had told me about fighting them.
She reminded me that no matter what I did, I wouldn't win against them in a fight alone because the Diwata's power wasn't suitable for fighting enemies.
"Your power cannot be used for fighting for your own purpose. You will die easily in battle if you don't ask people for help."
"Wait, what do you mean? If that's true, why did you make me get the Diwata's power to save Alfredo?"
She made an excuse that she wasn't the one who wanted to save Alfredo, but me, and she had only helped me achieve it with my Diwata.
"I responded when you asked for a chance to save people. Now you have a chance, and you can do something to save a life. It's up to you if you'll continue or not," the woman reasoned.
"But I can't be his..." I argued, but she suddenly cut me off by hitting my head with the stick she was holding.
"You might have failed the first time. There's a possibility it could happen again the second time, and you might not succeed the third time."
"Failure is just part of the situation, which means you tried to achieve something."
"Even if you fail in that thing, the fact that you wanted to achieve it won't be erased."
She spoke without stopping and didn't hesitate to interrupt me. Even though we were discussing a serious matter, her face showed boredom, and she was yawning in front of me, seemingly listless as she hit the stick she was holding on the car.
"What I mean is, failure is not a reason to change your mind about the things you want and decided to achieve. Is that right,"
"Young Sugo?"
I was enlightened and slowly understood what she wanted to tell me. Maybe my resolve is weak now to try again because of my failure.
I can't fight them, and I have no chance of winning when it comes to combat, but I know I still want to save them, and that hasn't changed until now.
That's right, I can't stop just because of my failure. I need to save him, and I still have a chance to do it because it's not too late.
Now, all I need is help to do it, so I decided to ask the woman in front of me for help.
"Please help me. I want to try again for the second time."
"I will do everything to save them," I said bravely to her.
The place was silent for a moment as she didn't respond to what I said, as if she hadn't heard it, and just kept looking at me while sitting in front of me.
Then, she slowly smiled at me. That's right, her frowning face was gone, and she was smiling while facing me, but it wasn't an enchanting smile of a delighted woman, but a smile that seemed to be planning something sinister.
I didn't know if I should be happy with what I was seeing because I felt like I was asking the wrong person for help at that moment.
"No problem. I will help you," she said with an evil smile.
I didn't know what my reaction should be and just grimaced in front of her.
I had no choice but to ask her for help and trust everything she said because, from the very beginning, she was the only one I could rely on. That's right, I need to trust her, even though I have a bad feeling about what she's planning.
She hit my head with the stick she was holding again and stood up from where she was sitting.
"Are you ready, young Sugo?"
~ End of Chapter ~