Ikatlong Persona

"I am the true Fire! She is not! Please believe me!" She said, begging them.

"Take a look at your cloaks. One of your gems are missing, right?" Napabalikwas ng tayo ang mga ito't sinuri ang suot nilang balabal, at nang mawari nilang totoo ang sinasabu nito ay nanlaki ang kanilang mga mata sa gulat.

"How dare you accuse me! You are the one who did it!" Pabalang nitong sagot pabalik.

She just won't stop blabbering nonsensical things. Fire got enough of it so she carefully explain how she managed to get their gems easily. From her hugging Lune, to fake fall just to grab Kendrick's cloak, to trick Kylla there's a spider on her cloak, and so on. 

They realized she actually made sense. So that was the reason why she's being weird, why she seemed to be a different person at that moment.

Devina on the other hand was left speechless. She never thought she knew. Hindi niya alam kung paano niya nalaman ang pinanggagawa nito nang sobrang detalyado na para bang naroon siya sa bawat pagkakataon na tinangka niyang kunin ang mga hiyas nito.

"What? Now you are passing the blame on me?" Devina countered, not admitting anything when it's obvious.

Flare rolled her eyes heavenwards with this witch's confidence and talent of denying. Well, she's not good in lying and acting as well, they are just way too stupid not to notice anything. In another way around, Fire also discovered that they trusted her very much to be suspicious of her.

"I will toast you to death," she warned her through gritted teeth.

"Let's see if you can still deny it." There was finality in her voice as if she was willing to fight Devina to her death.

"Twenty years barrier!" Napaatras ang mga ito nang biglang sumigaw si Devina.

"Show off." Fire bumbled on her breath.

Humalakhak si Devina. Kasabay no'n ay ang pagbabago ng kaniyang kasuotan at anyo. She's now wearing a black cloak with black gems surrounding every corner of it. Kapansin-pansin naman ang kuwintas na suot niyang may iba't-ibang kulay na nagliliwanag. It must be the Elementalist's gems. 

Devina smiled wickedly thinking this woman in front of her got no chance against her. Nasa kaniya ang pinakamalakas na kapangyarihan ng mga Elementalist.

"I don't know you, but I'm sure you won't stand a chance against me," pagmamayabang nito.

"Really?" bagot na sagot ni Fire. Kinalikot nito ang flute na hawak sabay paikot-ikot nitong gami ang kaniyang mga daliri.

"Awe, there so gullible. It happens I got to clone a person they trusted the most," pangungutya pa nito. 

Jas and Josh smirk. She got it wrong. She cloned the wrong person. Sa dami-dami ng taong gagamitin niya upang lokohin ang mga ito'y ang ate pa nila na mismong sila'y hindi alam kung ano ang hangganan ng lakas nito. All they know is that she is powerful enough to turn them into a wizard rather than a a being who devours blood.

Devina attacked her. Naglabas ito ng dalawang dambuhalang ipo-ipo na gawa sa tubig. She was using Sena's element from the gem that she took from her. Anyone who got a gem from their cloaks would have the capability to copy them like their own with the same intensity and mastery.

"Not so fast." Fire created a whirl of fire, matching the whirlpool she made. Devina laughed her heart out.

"Are you dumb? Since when did fire won over water? Tanga ka ba?" Fire hissed. She's not liking this bitch's foul mouth. Kung sinong bobo at tanga dito siya 'yon. 

"Just this day, Devina Clorosis. Mind you, that is not an ordinary fire." Ikinumpas nito ang kaniyang mga kamay at gumawa ng upuan gamit ang apoy bago umupo rito. She's sitting there gracefully like a powerful queen on her throne.

"The hell!" Daing ni Devina nang tumalsik ito papalayo. When her whirlpool and Fire's flaming whirl of fire collided, it created a massive impact and smokes.

To get things even more exciting, Fire created blades at the corners of the fire whirl she made. Nagmukha itong turumpo na may nagtutulisang spikes sa gilid. The spikes were made out of blazing rocks from volcanoes. 

Sa muling pag-ikot nito'y nagtalsikan ito sa gawi ni Devina. She tried dodging them, but every seconds that passed, the direction and the speed of the blades got even more faster and unpredictable. Hindi na niya naiiwasan ang mga ito't nagkakasugat na siya sa pisngi, braso at hita nito sa mga daplis na natatamo niya mula rito.

Xai on the other hand was so angry at himself. He cannot believe he was fooled! He didn't even notice he lost his gem. He wanted to break every bone of that black sorceress but he can't do a thing knowing his element was restricted. 

This is bullshit! 

He tried to release his element, attempting to create a fireball but none came out. Napamura na lang siya sa isip niya't napahilamos ng buhok habang pilit na pinapakalma ang sarili sa galit na nararamdaman niya. 

When he gaze at Fire, she was just chilling like a villain on her throne playing with her flute like everything was just a game for her. While Devina that despicable witch was trying her best to dodge her attacks. She was not serious about this. 

Fire look at their direction and smirk. Napalunok naman si Xai dahil dito. She looks beautiful and attractive on her smirk but it somehow making him nervous. The way she smirk was like she was planning something not nice. They had an eye contact and he heard Fire's voice inside his head. 

"I'm not taking back your gems. It's your fault why you lost it. Go get it your own." Nanlaki naman ang mata nito. Mukhang hindi lang siya ang nakarinig no'n kun'di pati rin ang ibang mga kasama nito. 

She's unbelievable!

"How can we do that? Our powers are limited!" Hindi mapakaling wika ni Sena sabay titig nang masama kay Devina.

"You may have your powers limited but you still got your Ancient Animals to help you."  Napatango naman ang mga ito. She's right about that, but still, it's impossible! 

Ancient Animals feed on their own magic. Now that Devina limited their powers, it's way to impossible to even summon them out.

"Can't you just take it back?" Nagsusumamong pakiusap ni Kendrick. Bahagya namang napataas ang kilay ng dalaga dahil sa sinabi nito.

"Why can't you do it? You are the Elementalist. Where are all your confidence and courage goes? Only when you got your legends?" Mapang-asar nitong palatak.

Out of the blue, Devina summoned something, and when Xai saw what it was, he went fuming mad. 

How dare her! 

"Calixto!" He called out his dragon's name. Instead of responding to him, his dragon growled at him as if he was an enemy.

"C-calixto..." His dragon started to emit dark fire. He's no longer a Red Fire Dragon now, but a Dark Dragon.

Devina started laughing like a lunatic. Nagtagis naman ang bagang ni Xai. If only he had his power he'd like to turn this woman into ashes.

"Kill your master!" Devina commanded. 

Nanatiling nakatayo si Xai. He was convincing himself that he will not attack him, but he was wrong. Binugahan siya nito ng itim na apoy kaya wala siyang ibang ginawa kun'di ang gumulong upang maiwasan ito. 

Xai look at the only woman who can save them and his dragon. She was fighting Devina head on. He cursed on his mind and rolled over when Calixto breathed him with a blow of dark fire.

He wished she can help them. They wished she can forgive them for being a fool.

Fire on the other hand was very irritable looking at the woman in front of her. How dare she copy her face just to succeed in her plan and get their gems, which she unexpectedly succeed. Hindi naman niya kasi lubos isipin na napakadali palang maloko ng mga Elementalist. Then flashbacks come into her mind.

What really happened was, when Magenta was aiming her meteor, she felt something. It was a dark aura somewhere that's why she alerted her senses and hear someone talking from afar.

They are conversing about a girl who recently transferred in the academy. She was said to be very aloof to other students and no one really knows about her and her background, aside from that she is close to the Elementalist. 

And because Fire had sharp senses physically and mentally, she immediately concluded they were referring to her. It can't be Cera, she's not the aloof type. She let out an imagery after that and she saw how that bitch's face turned into her. 

That's why as soon as the meteor was about to land on her, she planned to disappear to let that woman replace her. They thought she was really good as dead and turned to ashes. She even witnessed how Cera lost her shit and almost killed Magenta. That's why she went on her dreams when she passed out. All she did was give her a message to make thing even more thrilling.

" Always remember

I'm not me

She's not she

She act the way she was

But that has been the act

Don't be a fool

And caught the foe

Before she takes your inner soul

Let's see what you can do

If she takes what's in you." 

She left the dream. What didn't occur to her was that they are dimwitted. She badly want to cut her tongue for telling lies about her parents who dies in a triggered war years ago. That's far from the truth. And Fire will never cry in front of a guy like she did. 

Unfortunately, he believed it. 

Fire shrugged her shoulders and just brought herself back to reality. Devina's looking at her with a proud bitching face. Kanina niya pa ito pinaglalruan at nawawalan na siya ng gana rito. Tumayo siya mula sa tronong gawa niya't napagdesisyunan na tapusin na ito dahil hindi na siya natutuwa sa mukha nito. 

Let's get this done with. 

To be continued...