Chapter 16
✨ "Absolute Faith"
The chapter continues with events taking a turn for the worse due to Tayog's refusal of his friend's request to cooperate, leading to the continuation of their fight inside the municipal building itself.
Amidst the battle, Erik continues to dodge Tayog's every punch, seemingly with no intention of attacking him.
Since Erik's speed remains unchanged, even though he is nursing injuries, it is easy for him to evade his opponent's slow movements.
During this time, he is still trying to convince and plead with him while dodging and trying to calm down his friend's rampage.
"Please, Alfredo, it's not too late. Just trust me."
"STOP IT!!" he shouts.
Erik refuses to give up on convincing his friend, even though his friend is determined to kill him. He has no choice but to keep trying, as, unlike Tayog, he has no intention of killing his enraged friend.
Tayog's elongated arm hits Erik again, sending him sliding against the wall of one of the rooms.
He falls to the floor, and feeling Tayog's attack approaching once more, he hurriedly gets up to avoid the giant fist coming toward him.
Although he successfully evades it, he still stumbles to the floor due to the weakness in his knees from the previous attacks he sustained.
"Go on, Erik. Do what you say about rebuilding the new country and achieving the peaceful town you desire for everyone, if that is truly what you believe is best for the country."
"But before you get that, you have to kill me first. You have to stop me from wiping them all out!" Tayog declares.
Erik rises again from kneeling, panting from exhaustion.
The energy he possesses is small compared to Tayog, who is continually drawing power cores from the members of Siklaon. Erik's energy is slowly being depleted due to its constant use in protecting his body.
"YOU ARE WRONG! I am not here to kill you! I wanted to obtain the Diwata's power and come here to stop you and save you from your sins," the young man shouts.
"SAVE ME? Tsk. Before you save me, try to save yourself from me first," he shouts, attacking Erik once more.
At that moment, Erik raises the fans he is holding and opens them. He has no idea how they might help, but he hopes something might happen to aid his situation.
As a Sugo, he knows he should possess extraordinary abilities like the others, so he is hopeful of using it right then.
He closes his eyes and focuses on his own energy, commanding it to help him. "Please, help me!" he shouts.
But, as before, no energy or power that could be used for combat comes out of him.
Because of this, he is hit by another punch and slides across the floor. The power given to him by Ada Sid-Alwa, which he thought would help, continues to fail him. Before he can get up again, Tayog jumps from where he stands and mercilessly stomps on him where he lies.
"AHHHH!!!" Erik screams.
He sinks further into the shattered rocks on the floor due to the impact of Tayog's massive foot slamming down.
He is completely immobilized as Tayog continues to stomp on him, weighing nearly a hundred kilos, crushing him until he gives up.
"A hero is willing to die for their beliefs, so you must die now, little hero!!" he shouts while crushing Erik.
Erik's bones make cracking sounds as they break, accompanied by his screams from the pain he is feeling.
"Please, Alfredo, your methods of achieving justice are wrong. You are no longer being rational," Erik says, enduring the stomping on his body.
Tayog becomes even angrier at what he hears, so instead of releasing him, he presses harder into the ground until his giant foot completely crushes him.
"Who is to say what is the right or wrong way to collect payment for sins? It is not a sin to seek and achieve justice; it is a right," he shouts.
Erik knows he can say nothing more to change his friend's mind, and he doesn't know what else he can do for Alfredo.
Erik is losing faith in himself as a savior and in his friend ever changing his mind.
He is slowly weakening, and his body is giving way until he completely closes his eyes.
"I can't take this anymore. I can't save him... Maybe I can't save anyone... No one at all," Erik thinks.
He completely loses hope in his situation and just closes his eyes where he lies.
"I'm tired. My body can't handle it anymore. I can't feel my hands anymore because they're so weak. In the end, everything I'm doing is meaningless since no one believes in me. That's right. Maybe I should just give up and let everything happen," he adds.
His hands release their grip on Tayog's foot, which he had been trying to stop, and they suddenly go limp, falling completely to the ground.
However, even though he has let go, Tayog still doesn't stop stomping on him until he runs out of breath.
"I DON'T WANT THIS ANYMORE," the young man whispers in his mind.
Images of the people close to him flash through Erik's mind as he says his goodbyes to them and apologizes for giving up on life.
At that moment, Erik completely loses consciousness and finds himself in a dark place where he is floating.
It is unclear to him whether it is a dream or a place where the dead go, because all he knows is that he has died at that moment.
In the middle of his unconsciousness and his surrender to continue fighting, a voice suddenly shouts.
"Get up!!! You can't give up!!" a little girl shouts.
The voices repeatedly echo in Erik's ears while his eyes are closed.
The voice reaches the dark place in what seems to be his dream, where he is now floating, his eyes lifeless.
He doesn't know whose voice it is or where it is coming from, but he knows that it is asking him for help.
A person who needs his help as their hero.
This shout comes from a little child, one of those inside the municipal building.
She is bravely standing with the mysterious woman Erik was with at the camp, who is now sitting next to the little girl, seemingly whispering something to the child.
"You can't give up! You said you would save us, so you can't just surrender!!" she shouts.
Although Erik continues to hear this and wants to answer her plea, it seems impossible as he can barely move his body or even open his eyes in his current state.
Since Tayog cannot see the mysterious woman, he is confused as to how the seemingly six-year-old child can stand in front of them without being afraid.
"Hey, kid! Do you think someone will still save you? Even God won't save you from your destined death," he threatens the child.
"You're wrong!! He won't abandon us. He will save us!!" she shouts at Tayog.
Tayog is completely irritated by the child and raises his right arm to punch her to silence her from shouting at him.
Tayog is no longer able to think clearly due to the events, so he no longer cares who gets caught in the crossfire of his actions, even an innocent child.
"Die!!!"
At that moment, Erik suddenly cries out, stopping Tayog from executing his plan.
"Stop that, TAYOOGG!!!" Erik suddenly shouts.
Tayog is surprised as Erik's hands cling to his giant foot once more and slowly start to lift it.
He cannot believe that Erik has any strength left to fight, having been motionless just moments ago.
Erik has no energy left in his body, and his presence is too weak to continue, which is why Tayog is so shocked and continues to wonder about his friend's actions.
Erik continues to successfully lift Tayog's foot using only his physical strength.
"Impossible, how is this possible?"
"He has no energy, so how is he stopping me? It's impossible that he's lifting my foot with just his physical strength," he thinks.
In Erik's vision, he is surrounded by a blue aura. The energy is giving him the strength to lift Tayog's giant foot. Even he is wondering where it is coming from, but he knows he has no time to think.
"What is happening to my body? It's so hot, almost waking up my muscles and blood. I feel like something strange is giving me strength. That's right, I don't know what it is, but..."
"Because of this, I can save them," Erik whispers in his mind.
"YaaahhHH!!!" Erik shouts.
"Please save usss!!" the little girl shouts.
Simultaneously with her shouting, Erik slowly rises from where he lies. Due to the increasing blue aura around him, which is now entering his body, he gains additional strength.
He manages to brace his legs until he gains enough force to push his opponent's giant foot away.
"What kind of creature are you? Why won't you just surrender and die?" Tayog shouts.
Tayog refuses to give in and forcefully pushes Erik harder into the ground.
"That won't happen... I promised... my Diwata that I wouldn't die here," Erik stammers with difficulty.
"As long as there are people who need my help, I can't die. I will be their light."
Erik remains firm, fighting the force and weight of the stomping, but the energy enveloping Tayog prevails, especially when the blades fly again and pierce his body to draw more energy.
"You are foolish, Erik! Why won't you accept that this country won't change with sweet words and good intentions? What this country needs is destruction and the elimination of the devils who live here."
"And to make it clear to you that I'm serious, I'll start with that kid."
Tayog looks at the little girl standing in front of them, who is now terrified.
Erik knows Tayog has sinister intentions against the child, and as much as he wants to move and preempt Tayog's action, he cannot move.
The little girl is shocked, taking steps backward, but because of her faith in Erik as her Hero, she stops retreating and shouts bravely.
"No, I'm not afraid of you. I believe my Hero will save me!"
"I have faith in the Hero of Ifugao!!" she shouts with her eyes closed, the sound echoing throughout the building.
Hearing this from a Spanish little girl further enrages Tayog, especially since she is asking for help from a Filipino whom they scorn.
"Tsk, disgusting! After you trample on our humanity, you ask for the help of a Filipino and call him your Hero. I might as well finish you off, you little devil!" Tayog shouts.
Tayog doesn't hesitate and raises his arm to punch the child using his lengthening arm.
But before his arm can extend, a presence suddenly stops Tayog's movement.
The blue energy around Erik's foot, where he is, suddenly flares up like fire.
"What is this presence?"
The child prays with her eyes closed and shouts again, "Please save us, Ifugao!!!"
"Don't worry, because I will save you!!!" he shouts, successfully pushing his opponent away.
Tayog is flung back despite his weight of nearly 300 kilos and slides out of the building.
Everyone is shocked by the sudden reversal of the situation at that moment, and even Erik himself is surprised by the blue energy surrounding his body.
He follows the thin smoke-like trail of energy around him, a line connecting him to its source.
He sees that the little girl who was asking for his help is the source of the blue energy entering his body.
He has no idea what is happening or why this little girl possesses a blue aura when she looks like a normal child.
At that moment, he notices the mysterious woman beside the child, looking at him with a smile.
He thinks she helped him again, but he immediately realizes that she is as composed as before, with no trace of fear on her face, seemingly unconcerned about their surroundings, even though everyone is in danger.
She is sucking on a lollipop she took from the child and calmly asks Erik:
"Wait, what's happening?"
"That is the 'Mighty Faith,' the power of the Diwata, Ada Sid-Alwa," the woman says.
"The power of the Diwata of Ifugao is not used to fight for one's self-interest, but to protect," she adds.
"The Diwata's special trait is to gain strength and energy from the people who believe in her. That's why you gained extra strength from this child."
"As long as people trust you and recognize you as their savior, they will give you the positive energy of faith, and as long as you protect them, you will be able to absorb that energy," she adds.
He looks at his hands and feels relief as the broken bones in his body heal. He is shocked that his injuries have healed so quickly.
A moment later, the energy from the child suddenly cuts off, and the supply of blue energy to Erik stops.
Because of this, she explains to him that there is a limit to how he can draw energy, and it can only be done for one minute. That positive energy came from the child's faith in him, which was just enough for him to throw Tayog.
"I'll be direct with you, kid. As long as he can draw energy from the daggers, you won't win against him in a fight."
She advises him again that if he succeeds in convincing the people there to regard him as their hero, he might gain enough faith energy to successfully defeat Tayog in battle.
Hearing this gives him courage and new hope to fight again, but he immediately doubts his success because, before that can happen, he needs to figure out how to meet the condition of the Mighty Faith, considering the people inside the building are Spaniards who clearly dislike Filipinos like him.
"You're still lucky, young Sugo. Do your best, because this might be your last chance to save your friend."
Tayog rises again from where he lies, his body once more releasing an aura. Erik notices that only a few daggers are left to strike him to draw energy, so he knows he needs to hurry and finish the fight to carry out the revolt.
"I don't know how you did that, but maybe you truly are special, my little friend. It's just a pity that you have to die," Tayog says.
Erik bravely steps closer to him and raises his hands as if blocking Tayog. He reiterates his resolve to be a hero for everyone and to protect the people inside the building.
Tayog is unfazed by his words and continues to step closer to Erik, challenging him to prove if he can do anything to save the people despite his weakness.
Erik suddenly turns to face the people, turning his back on Tayog as he approaches.
"You people who are here now, I ask you, are you ready to die?"
"I want to know if there is still meaning in my fighting to defend and protect you from him!!" he shouts at them.
The place is silent, and those present have no answer due to their lack of trust in Erik, who, no matter how they look at it, is no match for the monster that is Tayog.
"If you still want to live and survive, then trust me. Let me save you as your hero."
"So I ask you now. Will you have faith in me?"
The people don't know how to react to what they are hearing from Erik. They know he is Filipino, but based on what they heard, he is not an enemy of Spain, and his only desire is to protect them.
In the middle of the people's silence, Tayog suddenly interrupts to belittle him.
"What you're doing is useless, because even if they trust you, it won't change their fate. They will still die."
Erik faces him with his head bowed, standing firm that he won't allow Tayog's words to happen to them.
"Tell me, why are you helping those demons?"
"You don't need to do this for them, and if you're looking for other people to help, there are many in other places. Hundreds, thousands. No, millions of people you can save if you leave this city and let me do what I'm doing," Tayog says.
Erik remains silent while his hair continues to be swept by the wind due to Tayog's intense aura release.
"That's because of you," Erik says, his head bowed, full of sadness.
"Are you still insisting that you are doing this because you want to save me? Hahaha. Saving a person who wants to kill you? Isn't that ridiculous?" Tayog says.
Hearing this, Erik shouts angrily. "Ridiculous or not, I am determined to do this," he says bravely.
He raises his head, his eyes blazing. He is full of courage and determination to stand by what he wants to do until the end.
Tayog stops walking when he sees Erik's determination in his beliefs, which makes him even more annoyed at his friend.
He knows Erik is serious about saving him, but he cannot accept his wishes because they contradict what he is doing, and he is desperate for his plan to succeed.
Tayog doesn't expect Erik to understand him, so he can only think of his friend's death as the way to end this.
"Can you please stop that!!" he shouts.
"I don't need a savior!!!" He lunges forward, winding up for a punch.
At that moment, while Tayog is attacking, Erik raises the fan he is holding.
As he raises it again, it slowly glows and transforms into a sword.
It is a red sword with a blue barrel attached directly to it. It has the design of a sun with three glowing stars on its side.
"Yahhh!!!"
At that moment, Erik is enveloped in a blue aura, which slowly enters his body.
This energy comes from behind him, and if the lines of its source are followed, people with their eyes closed, praying for his success, can be seen.
These people are whispering for the young man's victory, trusting that their hero will save them from the monster Tayog.
His energy overflows as he takes an attacking stance.
Lines like tattoos appear on Erik's body, further heating his body.
Feeling the overflowing strength, he winds up, holding the red sword with its glowing blade.
The energy around him is like wind, sweeping his white hair and lifting the patadyong he is wearing.
"I can feel their strength. Overflowing energy from the people who have faith in me. This feels so light, as if I can do anything," he thinks.
He opens his eyes and smiles at the positive feeling. "I won't let you down in your faith in me. I will save you no matter what!!"
At that moment, he jumps and meets Tayog's attack.
He slams the sword he is holding with full force into the fist coming toward him.
"Faith Slash!!!"
A devastating energy is released by the sword, destroying everything in its path. Everything is enveloped in light, and a force suddenly flings them back from the collision.
The impact is so strong that the people present are thrown by the explosion.
It creates an explosion like a powerful grenade that destroys the area.
Even Erik is surprised by what he has done, remaining amazed while still holding the sword.
At that moment, he observes the parts of the sword he is holding again, from the gun shape to the blades that are part of it.
"So powerful. This thing is unbelievable," he marvels.
The smoke created by the explosion slowly clears, revealing the destruction of the surroundings. Fortunately, the rooms behind him are mostly undamaged, and the people hiding inside the building are unharmed.
He has no idea what happened to his friend after the attack.
As he looks around, he suddenly realizes that his friend might be severely injured by the destructive light released by the sword.
He immediately panics that Tayog might be seriously hurt and hurriedly looks for him outside the building. He follows the trench created by his attack, which runs from inside the building to the outside, with a depth of four feet.
As he steps outside, he can see small fragments of Tayog's gigantic body, which have been torn into pieces like firewood.
A few meters away from them, he sees a kneeling man on top of the pile of wood fragments.
Amidst that, he sees Tayog, panting heavily, clutching his shoulder with his left hand.
Erik stops walking and just gulps, shocked by the pitiful sight of his friend after his attack.
He is covered in blood from his wounds, and his right arm is missing, having been dissolved by his attack.
Erik can hardly believe that his friend sustained such extensive damage from his attack.
He is stunned, realizing that he almost killed the person he was supposed to save.
"Alfredo? This can't be."
~ End of Chapter ~