CHAPTER FIFTEEN
⚖️ "A Fair Exchange"
The chapter continues amidst the fierce clash between Tayog and General Slasher, where the surroundings are nearly filled with towers of swords.
Tayog's fists manage to cut and crush the sword towers, clearing his immediate area.
Due to the overflowing energy, the attacks delivered by his arms have become stronger and more potent.
Nevertheless, Slasher manages to attack from a distance, maintaining a good distance of over 20 meters from Tayog. The General knows he has a significant advantage in long-range attacks.
Tayog notices that his opponent seems to do nothing but block him with sword towers and launch giant shurikens.
He realizes that Slasher is completely controlling the battle at the moment by stalling for time. His massive body is slow, so he cannot keep up with the General's movements as he retreats, and he is continually hit by the shurikens Slasher releases.
He understands how intelligent Slasher is in combat, as his strategy of fighting him without getting close is proving successful.
Tayog realizes he needs to defeat Slasher as soon as possible because of the limited number of power cores remaining nearby, which he uses as a source of energy to rebuild his body from the damage he sustains.
"He's smart. He knows what to do and anticipates my movements. I won't defeat him if I can't get close," Tayog thought.
The wooden daggers continue to fly and embed themselves in Tayog's body, allowing him to gain new energy to maintain his monster form.
He attacks Slasher directly again, disregarding the sword blades piercing his body, even though he is on the verge of being severely wounded.
The General is surprised by his action of catching the sword blades and charging straight toward his direction.
Slasher leaps right in front of him to meet his attack and seize the opportunity to get close as well.
Because Tayog's movements are slow due to his large and hardened body, he cannot keep up with the General's actions, allowing Slasher to stab his forehead with a sword he is holding.
"Die, indio!!" he shouts as he stabs Tayog's forehead.
Tayog's powerful roar of pain from the stab echoes throughout the area.
Despite feeling the pain from the enemy's attack, he doesn't waste the opportunity to seize Slasher.
The General is shocked when Tayog grabs him with his massive hands and remains alive despite being stabbed in the head. The General had expected Tayog to be incapacitated, but his calculation failed, and he is now in danger of being crushed by his opponent.
Tayog doesn't let go of the General and begins to crush him in his gigantic hands.
Since the General expected Tayog to die after his attack, he had no other means prepared to escape the counterattack.
As he struggles to break free, he can see the daggers continuously flying and piercing Tayog's back.
"I see now. He's using the life energy of his comrades to stay alive. Annoying! I didn't anticipate this," Slasher thought.
He can clearly see Tayog's blazing eyes, and, for the first time, he feels fear of death.
"He's desperate. He accepted my attack just to capture me," Slasher thought.
Tayog raises his arms and slams Slasher onto the ground with all his might.
The floor is nearly pulverized, and Slasher is buried beneath the chunks of rock, accompanied by a powerful ground tremor that reverberates through the entire place.
Slasher feels the pain despite his energy-protected body and is barely able to move where he lies.
Tayog winds up again and punches Slasher with everything he has while he's down. Slasher can no longer avoid it and accepts Tayog's barrage of punches.
Slasher tries to move to get up, but he receives another blow from Tayog.
"Die nowwww!!"
Because his opponent gives him no chance to stand, he attempts to gather energy, which is now creeping up his arm, but before he can unleash it, he receives another devastating blow from Tayog's two hands.
This time, he can no longer gather energy and simply accepts every attack.
Tayog punches him repeatedly until his armor is crushed. Tayog's intense rage is evident in every attack, wanting nothing more than to kill the General.
With every attack, more dagger energy cores strike him, allowing him to gain new strength and prolong his life.
"Die! Die!! Die!!!!" he repeatedly shouts while punching Slasher.
Slasher cannot retaliate and is completely buried in a crater more than 3 meters wide and two inches deep, caused by the relentless blows of Tayog's colossal body.
After that final attack, Tayog leaps incredibly high into the air to gain momentum. He plans to slam down onto Slasher's prone body to end the fight.
"This is for my family and Siklaon!!!" he shouts as he descends from the air.
But as he falls back toward the ground, a loud shout suddenly echoes.
A scream that sounds like panic, and simultaneously, a car shoots toward Tayog's direction.
The vehicle is flying, carrying Erik with it. Tayog notices it's going to hit him and attempts to block it with his fist, but he suddenly stops himself from punching when he sees Erik inside, pinned to the car's frame.
He is screaming while still trapped in the car.
"Erik?"
Due to his hesitation, the car hits him, and they are both thrown away before he can land on Slasher's location.
They shoot forward and skid along the ground until they finally stop sliding on the street.
The surroundings fall silent for a moment, and none of the three move, lying on the street as if lifeless.
Because of this, the people inside the building slowly calm down, seeing the silence.
They don't know what happened to the three or if they are still alive after everything, so they consider peeking outside the building where they were hiding.
At that moment, Erik suddenly sits up, clutching his head and shouting a complaint against the mysterious woman for throwing the car he was trapped in.
"Unbelievable, that woman is going to be the one who kills me."
He dusts himself off and tries to compose himself to fulfill his purpose.
He wonders about the events as he looks around, where he sees Tayog lying motionless.
He assumes the fight is over because the two are down, and now he questions himself about what to do at that moment, as he has no idea if he has successfully completed his mission.
He dusts his clothes again and spins around, admiring the design of the Diwata's attire he is wearing. At that moment, he doesn't notice the giant Tayog standing behind him with a furious look.
The young man is calmly stretching where he stands to alleviate his body's pain, assuming the problem is over. But he suddenly stops what he's doing when he feels a powerful presence from behind him.
He knows the heavy presence came from Tayog and realizes that it is not a good thing for his situation.
When he turns around, Tayog's fist greets him, and he is hit by another punch that sends him flying inside the municipal hall building, where the people are.
The people rush into the rooms of the building where they were hiding earlier when they see Tayog attacking again.
They panic again, like rats scurrying into the rooms just to avoid danger.
Erik skids on the floor of the entrance, where many Spaniards are hiding. Those inside also don't know if the woman lying on the floor is an enemy or an ally, so they are afraid to approach her.
Erik slowly stands up, still enduring the pain in his body from the punch. At that moment, he sees the terrified people inside looking at him.
Some of the more than one hundred people there are lying dead, caught in the crossfire.
Because of what's happening, they no longer know who is an enemy and who is an ally around them.
Even the police are afraid of the General, as they noticed he didn't seem to care if they were hit by the sword blades he was unleashing in the fight.
"Don't be afraid. I will save you," he said.
The people don't know if they should trust what the Sugo in front of them said, since he is Filipino and they are Spaniards whom the rebels want to eliminate in the ongoing revolt.
"Wait, are you a soldier of the Spanish government?" one civilian asked.
"No. I am a Filipino hero," he said with a smile.
"A hero?"
"Then why should we believe you will save us? You indios are the cause of this chaos! You have black souls, and you are demons!" one of them shouted angrily.
"That's right! You are servants of the devil!! May God punish you," shouted another Spaniard.
Erik immediately panicked at their shouting and quickly tried to calm the people inside the building.
He noticed their short tempers, especially a police officer in front of him. This was the same police officer who had harmed him in town when he couldn't give him money.
"You're all the same. After we give you food and shelter using our money, you have the audacity to revolt against the government and commit heinous crimes like this."
"Ungrateful people! You refuse to follow the law just because of your arrogance and greed, so you chose to become rebels and blame your poverty on the government."
The people inside continued to complain and question the help Erik was offering them.
"We will never ask for help from a plague-like indio!"
At that moment, Erik suddenly grabbed him by the collar and lifted him.
Perhaps it was due to a surge of emotion after hearing the insults directed at the people of Siklaon.
Those present were surprised by his aggressive action and panicked.
His eyes were burning with anger at the insult that was uttered, but he prioritized patience for the sake of his mission.
"Let go of me, hey! You disrespectful indio!"
"Don't call us indio!!" he shouted.
The police officer felt fear and was terrified by Erik's sharp gaze, like a tiger ready to claw him. The police officer immediately fell silent out of fear and said nothing more.
Erik knew that getting angry at the Spaniards would not help his situation, so he tried to calm himself down.
Erik suddenly let go of the police officer, who fell to the floor.
At that moment, he remained bowed, saying:
"I don't understand you. You manage to belittle and degrade the humanity of others just because they are different from your race."
"You blame the Filipinos for what is happening now, but you don't manage to ask yourselves why they are doing this."
"Are your minds so narrow!!" he suddenly shouted, silencing the Spaniards.
He pointed to Tayog as he approached their location and spoke about Siklaon's cause and its desire to free their town from Spaniards like them.
He individually mentioned the abuses and the lack of justice in the law for Filipinos like him, which his friend had told him about, that were happening in the town.
He wanted to enlighten them and make them regret their unjust treatment of the Filipinos in the town.
"You Spaniards are to blame for why Filipinos desire to become rebels and fight the government. I don't understand, what's the problem if we're Filipinos?"
"So what if you're Spaniards?"
"Tell me! What's the difference between us when we live in the same country as its citizens?"
"So what if our country lost the war in the past?"
"So what if our skin is a little darker than yours?"
"So what if we use different languages?"
"What's the problem if we're poor?"
"To me, that's no reason for you to step on our humanity and treat us as mere slaves!"
"We are also human beings just like you—who struggle, who get hurt, who fear, and who breathe."
"What is our sin that we should be treated as slaves in our own country?"
His voice echoed throughout the building, full of anguish, while no one could look him directly in the eye.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourselves? That man wants you to experience everything you made them experience, from the shame of people who could do nothing to uplift their dignity to depriving you of the right to live in this world."
"You are now afraid to experience all of that."
"But that man, all the Filipinos in this town, endure and experience that every day."
"To live without dignity and honor as a Filipino, living in fear of being singled out by the Spaniards. Have you ever wondered how hard it is to live miserably and pitifully in your own country?"
"So tell me now who is to blame for all of this!!" he shouted angrily.
The place fell silent at that moment. The people there had no response because they knew in their hearts that most of them had overstepped with their poor treatment of the Filipinos. This system had been in place for decades, and the custom of enslaving Filipinos had been passed down through generations, so each of them bore responsibility for what was happening.
They realized that their past actions were now resulting in a tragedy, and now time was collecting its due.
While Erik was explaining to the Spaniards at that moment, Tayog stepped onto the veranda and entered the building where they were located.
"Don't waste your time on that trash. Those people will not listen to people like us because they think they are superior to us. They don't treat us as human beings, but as objects," Tayog said.
Tayog slowly walked closer to Erik while releasing an intense, whirlwind-like aura that swept things away.
"You better just leave and abandon this place while you still have a chance, because there's no point in talking to people who are about to die," he added.
Erik faced him and once again countered what Tayog was saying.
"Maybe they are to blame for what is happening now, but I don't favor that they have to die for what you call a fair exchange," he said seriously.
"Are you saying you will truly sacrifice your life for the Spaniards?"
"It is a hero's duty to protect the people," Erik replied.
"Have you forgotten that you are a Filipino and that those people oppress and abuse your countrymen?" Tayog said angrily.
"Whether they are Filipino or Spanish, that is no longer important. They are in my country and are part of my responsibility," Erik retorted.
Hearing this, Tayog became even angrier at the young man for still opposing his cause.
"Stop it!! What you are doing is abandoning your own race. You say you are a hero of the country, but you cannot deliver justice for your deceased countrymen."
Erik bowed his head, slightly saddened by what was happening. Even if Tayog stopped the fight, the fact that many suffered and were lost due to the lack of justice in the country wouldn't change.
"I know and I am sorry for what happened to them, but your revenge will not bring back their lives. They won't come back to life even if you eliminate all the Spaniards in this town," Erik replied.
"What do you want to happen? If I don't do this, the rotten system of the government will remain in our town, and the abuse of those people toward my countrymen will continue," Tayog asked the young man.
"That will not happen!!" Erik shouted.
He shouted at him to silence him.
At that moment, the entire place fell silent.
He stood up with courage and faced the Spaniards inside the building, turning his back on Alfredo.
He then spoke about everything he wanted to happen and his plan for the future.
"That will not happen if we rebuild the Philippines—a new country with equal regard for every citizen, whether Filipino or Spanish. We don't need to fight them if we all benefit from a peaceful country."
"No one wants to live miserably, and if we make the Spaniards understand that, we can rebuild the country for the Filipinos."
"A peaceful place with no conflict or killing, no abuse or enslavement—a new Philippines where every citizen is united."
He faced Tayog again and raised his hands, as if offering him to join his cause.
"Right now, I don't know how to do it, but I need the help of every one of us. Please, Alfredo, forget everything and forgive for the sake of the Filipinos."
"For Siklaon."
"Join us in rebuilding the new Philippines," he added, extending his hands.
He said these things bravely and resolutely, with a determination to unite every citizen of the country, as if he could truly do it in the present time.
The place was silent at that moment, and Tayog gave no response to what his friend said other than to sigh and close his eyes.
He knew that Erik's only desire was to help the Filipinos rise up, which was also his cause, so there was no reason for him to refuse his offer.
"You know, I don't regret taking you to Siklaon. You are a good person and a true friend, which is why I liked you."
"In the short time we've known each other, I considered you my younger brother, even though we are not related by blood. I wished for that to continue until now," he said, sighing and falling silent again.
"I didn't realize you would become a headache for me. I'm sorry for my decisions."
"Erik, I apologize for what I have done already."
"Alfredo."
Erik smiled when he heard him apologize, thinking he had changed his mind.
He assumed that his pleas and the promises he laid out about the country they would rebuild had reached Alfredo's heart.
He was overjoyed to feel that he had succeeded in changing Tayog's mind about revenge and that he would unite with him.
"Erik."
But he suddenly froze when Tayog's fist met his face.
"Huh?"
In the speed of the event, he couldn't dodge and was hit squarely. The force of the punch left his outline imprinted on the wall of a room.
The people there began to panic again at Tayog's action, whom they thought was his ally.
Due to his inherent energy, Erik managed to survive the punch and immediately freed himself from the wall, but he suddenly knelt on the floor because his knees were weak.
The young man still couldn't speak, shocked by Tayog's attack, and realized that Tayog had not truly accepted his pleas.
"Alfredo?" he whispered.
"But I think that's nonsense!! It's a disgrace to live with the people who caused the death of my comrades. The unity you speak of is an illusion, and the only possible exchange for their sins is their lives," he said angrily.
Tayog's eyes were blazing with anger, and his entire body was shrouded in a black aura. Erik felt a chill again from the negative presence Tayog was emitting as he continued to speak about eliminating the Spaniards.
"Whether it's just or not is no longer important. There is no room for forgiveness for those who have severely sinned. They took lives from us, so lives will be the repayment."
"I have sacrificed too much for this moment. The victory Siklaon desires is within my grasp, and if the only way for me to fully achieve it is to turn my back on a friend, I shouldn't think twice."
"I will kill you, my little friend," he said.
Tayog once again made Erik feel the extremely heavy presence he possessed.
A black presence now enveloped his entire body.
Erik couldn't believe what was happening between him and his friend, who seemed determined to kill him at that moment.
He suddenly felt terror at the threat to his life.
Erik slammed his hand on the floor, furious with himself because of his disappointment.
He couldn't believe that for the second time, he had failed again to stop the ongoing battle.
"Why did everything have to come to this? Why?"
"I failed again."
~ End of Chapter ~