again, tenkyuuu for waiting 🥺🥺

-chapter eighty-

FINN

Maki's news immediately put me on alert. Hindi na ako nakapagpaalam pa sa kanila at mabilis na umalis ng building.

It wasn't long before Maki joined me. His air magic helped him move quicker, shifting between buildings with ease.

Hindi mahirap makita kung nasaang flag sila nakapuwesto. June and Marcella really brought everyone with them. Mula sa pinagtaguan muna naming pader ni Maki ay higit sa tatlumpung tao ang nakikita ko. Each of them are equipped with their own weapons and fiery determination.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari pero alam no'ng Junabels na namatay si Amnesia. Kaya ayon at nagmarites kay Marcella na tatanga-tanga at sinugod nga tayo." pagrereport ni Maki.

Sumagi sa isip ko ang nakitang pag-uusap ni June at Sapphire kanina, pero sandali ko muna itong ipinagtabi. It's filled with a lot of maybes and I don't want to jump on any assumptions. Ayokong mapagbintangan ang taong wala naman palang kasalanan.

I know the pain it inflicts. Ayokong mangyari din 'yon sa iba.

"Why are they not coming closer though? Bakit nakatayo lang sila diyan?"

Sabay kaming napalingon ni Maki sa likod ng marinig ang boses ni Kairo. We exchanged glances, asking each other how and when Kairo followed us. Kumunot naman ang noo ng isa dahil sa naging reaksiyon namin.

"Ba't parang gulat kayo? 'Course I followed you. Alam kong may problema." he said in a sure voice.

"Ang obvious na ang sanay mo nang magstalk ano- hehe, joke lang." agad na bawi ni Maki nang samaan siya ni Kairo ng tingin.

"So ano na nga 'yon?" tanong ni Kairo sa'kin sabay tango sa paglilibot nina Marcella sa flag namin. "Ba't 'di sila makalapit?"

I was about to answer when Maki beat me to it, "Ay, 'di mo alam 'yon?" he asked in a judging tone. "Ba't 'yong isang kasama mo nalaman agad? Akala ko pa naman Kairo, super smart ka."

Kairo's heated glare at Maki can almost kill someone.

"Anyways, may magic defense kasi 'yang mga 'yan. It has my air magic and Finn's shadow cage. Actually isa o tatlong tao lang naman maapektuhan nito but the magic power it has is high so kaya siguro cautious sila." Maki then smirked. "Baka umiyak pa si June 'pag nasugatan."

Since Maki has friended me and remembered all the things June did, he takes every opportunity to bash her. Isa na ata siya sa malalaking haters nito.

It's very weird. And, siguro coincidental na rin. Na everytime I'm pushed into a high cliff, with problems squeezing me from every side, someone would always bless me with new companions. The person up there would never fail to give me a comforting space. And I guess that's one of the reason I'm still here today, huh.

For the people who care and supports me. They're almost my lifeline.

"That or she's baiting you. Alam niya sigurong kapag narinig ni Finn ang balitang ito, you wouldn't think twice in coming here." Kairo suggested.

Napaisip ako sa sinabi niya. Pwede nga naman iyon. They must have step up a trap or maybe we're already inside one-

I hurriedly pulled Maki away from the wall, where a semi-visible thread hung. Hindi talaga ito mapapansin at first glance, but it has a certain sharpness that makes it quite noticeable. The thread suddenly broke and a wide axe fell down to where Maki was standing earlier.

"Hmph. Matalas naman pala ang pakiramdam mo o chamba lang na alam mong may naset-up na trap?"

Dumako ang tingin namin sa bagong nagsalita. She's familiar. Parang siya 'yong komontra sa pagsama ni Wes sa'kin noon. I don't know her name though. Hindi ko pa narinig na sinabi ng iba.

I wonder why. She's too talkative for a person without name.

"Sino po kayo?" tanong ni Maki kahit na kilala naman siguro niya.

Naiirita siyang tiningnan ng babae. "Bakit, hindi mo ba alam?!"

Naging kasalanan namin ang hindi pag-alam sa pangalan niya.

"Hindi ko kasi gusto ma-knows." maarteng sagot ng katabi ko.

The girl's annoyed look shifted to Kairo, as if asking him too, but he just shrugged. Nang dumako sa'kin ang tingin niya ay umiling ako.

"Yabang!" asik niya.

I tilted my head, brows furrowed in curiosity. "... Sorry?"

"Hindi ko hinihingi sorry mo!"

"..." I blinked innocently at her. "Thanks?"

"Aba't tangina mo-!"

"What's happening here?"

Marcella entered the scene, with June tailing behind. Her eyes hardened when she saw me. Naningkit naman ang mata ni June sa likod, sabay ng pagtaas niya sa'kin ng kilay. Akala ko'y may sasabihin ulit siya sa'kin pero bumaling siya sa babaeng pumalit sa papel ni Amnesia.

"We didn't order you to chitchat with them! Sabi ko ambush and take them to us. You're just giving them time to escape!"

Ibinaba ng babae ang ulo na parang nanghihingi ng pasensya. For the fiery girl a while ago, she easily submits to June. Sinulyapan niya si Marcella at mukhang humihingi ng tulong.

But Marcella did not pay her any attention. With her eyes set straight at us, she snapped her fingers and we were surrounded by a group of thirty players. Nakatuon sa'min ang mga weapon nila sa iba't-ibang direksiyon. There was no way of escape and we were at a disadvantage. Not just in numbers, but also because the room is filled with traps.

Baka isang galaw lang namin, mapupugutan na kami ng ulo.

"There's no need for fighting here, Finn. Peace-loving players naman kami eh." nakangising wika ni June. "Just give the territory back to us."

Umiling ako. "Can't."

"Why?"

Bakit kaya tinatanong niya pa, eh amin naman 'tong teritoryo. It's not our fault their guards failed to protect the place.

"Ours."

June flicked her finger up and every weapon in the room inched closer to us.  Maki glanced at me, probably waiting for the decision we're going to make.

"Yours, huh? Pero anong gagawin niyo kung ganito na karami ang nakapalibot sa inyo? Would you still choose stubbornness over survival?"

"Finn." bulong ni Maki. "Sumama na muna tayo. I've already contacted our other alliance members. Baka dadating din sila dito mamaya."

Tumango ako. The place and manpower is truly putting us at a disadvantage, so it's better to submit to them for now, then retaliate later.

June chuckled. "Well, kahit ano naman ang piliin niyo, you have no choice. Dead or alive, you're gonna come with us-"

"Sasama kami."

June froze at my answer. Parang hindi siya makapaniwala na um-oo ako sa mga kondisyon niya. Kahit na siya naman palagi ang may say sa usapan naming dalawa.

"Oh, you heard it right? Sasama nga kami, 'di ba, Kai?" Maki continued, glancing at Kairo for confirmation.

Ngunit wala na doon ang lalaki.

"Pft. He left kanina pa nang dumating kami dito." she gave me an annoying smirk. "That must suck, Finley. You thought you're okay but turns out that he won't even give you a helping hand! Hah! Kunin niyo na nga sila!"

June's statement did not affect me at all. Hindi ko alam ang plano ni Kairo ngunit nagtitiwala ako sa pinakita niya kanina. He's not that good of an actor to perfectly faking that kind of vulnerability. Isa pa, alam niya rin kung ano ang totoo, and he might even have more leads than me.

I don't know what he's thinking but I choose to trust him now.

The guards dragged us out to the open area. Tinulak nila kami paluhod sa harap ng flag namin. The blue and white cloth that has our carved insignia danced as the wind blew. Nagsiliparan ang mga alikabok na galing sa maduming gusali at kalsada. Natuon ang tuhod ko sa isang matalas na debris kaya nagkaroon ito ng maliit na sugat. Beside me, Maki looked disgusted dahil nakaluhod siya sa maduming kalsada.

Sampung tao ang nakapalibot sa'min. Behind us, Marcella and June were talking in hushed voices, their eyes occasionally moving towards us. Maki seemed to notice the delay in their interrogation because he chose that time to tell me,

"Baka maya-maya dumating na sila-"

"Dumating sino?"

Napatalon si Maki nang marinig ang boses ni June sa likod. She eased back, raising an eyebrow at us. Mukha siyang maldita na teacher.

"Oh, are you perhaps pertaining to your alliance? Akala niyo ba pupunta sila dito?" mapakla siyang tumawa. "Sorry, pero mukhang busy sila doon sa West. Sabi nila, hayaan na lang daw muna dito since they can't hold a candle to us naman."

What... But this is one of our large territories. Malaki nga ang sakop namin sa West ngunit mayroon ding ibang alyansa na planong atakehin 'yon since we're not as popularly strong as Reaper's Oath and Blood Vanguard. Wal din kami ng murder history na mayro'n ang Death's Crow ni June.

So why would they sacrifice this land? And who decided on that?

"Anong pinagsasabi mo, bruha?! Siyempre, hindi hahayaan ni Theo na mangyari 'to. Kahit na palatulog 'yon, he's active in these kind of events." sigaw ni Maki.

June shrugged, smiling playfully. "Well, hindi ko alam. Siguro tulog siya nang tanungin ko sila tungkol do'n. All I know is that Sapphire, the one supervising your alliance right now, won't allow any LoneWolves member to come here."

Sapphire...? Iyon ba 'yong pinag-usapan nila doon ni June kanina? Pero bakit naman?

The whole alliance knows we're stationed here because the atmosphere is awkward 'pag magkasama kaming lahat. Dahil kaming dalawa naman ni Maki ang outcast, pinili na lang naming sumipak at maghanap ng teritoryo sa South.

Ngunit kagaya ng pagsunod namin sa kondisyon at paghanap ng teritoryo dito, shouldn't they also abide with the rules and offer help to us?

"Kaya wala na kayong magagawa. All you have to do is break that defense shield you made or you'll die here-"

Natigilan si June sa pagsasalita nang lumipad sa gilid ng pisngi niya ang kunai ko. A small cut happened in her cheek, with little blood flowing out. Kaagad na itinaas ng ibang miyembro ang mga weapons nila dahil nakatayo na ako. The cracked stone in my fist broke down after I squeezed it.

"H-Hoy! Anong ginagawa mo? Ba't ka tumayo?!" parang natatakot na sigaw no'ng matapang na babae kanina.

"Maki..." mahinang sambit ko.

"Yes, Ma'am!" sagot niya at biglang tumayo 'saka nag-salute sa'kin.

Binilang ko kung ilan talaga ang malapit sa'min, gano'n na rin ang nakapuwesto sa likod ko't sa ibang parte. Activating my 'eyes' benefit, I was able to see the players hiding in the alleyways. With the shadows that I've set earlier, I can make an advantageous attacks to those who are further away and may possess sniping or throwing weapons.

I'm confident in my own strength and magic, but I'm not certain about defeating all of them. Malakas man ay mapapagod din ako't masusugatan. Marcella and June are already a lot to handle, and now I still have to fyight several master players too. Mga pro gamers na sila sa labas kaya alam na rin nila ang pasikot-sikot. Marcella's alliance only consists of players who are good or expert at gaming. Kung hindi man, they have no remorse in killing as June's alliance members.

Still, we have to defend our ground.

It's part of the game rules.

"What are you planning to do, Sparrow?" may pagkakalmadong tanong ni Marcella.

I gave her an innocent tilt, "What's the rule when someone's invading your territory?"

Hindi lang kayo ang laging nagtatanong 'no.

"You protect it, bestie." nakangising sagot ni Maki. "You defend it until you're dead. And right now, we're freaking alive!"

At his last sentence, Maki threw one of his axe in between Marcella and June. Kaagad na tumalon sa bawat gilid ang dalawa para iwasan ito. The annoying girl earlier lunged at us with her lance aimed straight at me. But before it could hit, Maki's double axe came in between to stop it.

Mula sa magkaibang direksiyon ay sumugod ang mga malalapit na players. I summoned a circle of kunai surrounding me and flicked them towards them. Ang mga hindi natamaan ay agad kong inatake ng sipa at suntok sa iba't-ibang parte ng katawan nila.

Five arrows went straight towards us from behind, targeting Maki's unprotected back. Pagkatapos kong tuhurin sa tiyan ang isang player, sa puntong napasuka siya ng dugo, ay mabilis akonh tumakbo papunta sa likod ni Maki. I slashed my kunai in the direction of the arrows and flung them away from us.

We had our silent agreement. I'll protect the back while Maki will guard the front.

And whenever we're in a tight spot, we always keeps each other's safety in mind.

Maki had kicked the annoying girl away from him, but received four incoming attacks in return. Dahil sa mala-late niyang madepensahan ang sarili ay pinili na lang niyang yumuko. The knives and daggers were then headed towards me, but I was ready.

I pulled the other's guy arm and stole his knife, while also twisting the other one's arm. Ginamit ko ang nakayukong likod ni Maki para suportahan ang pagtalon at pagsipa ko sa mukha ng dalawa pang lalaki. Upon landing, I pulled two of my kunais and stabbed them in their thighs.

Isang paparating na lalaki sa likod ang hindi ko napansin, but Maki was quick to react. An air wave sliced against the man's feet and he tripped down, receiving Maki's knee in his face. Basag at duguan ang mukha niya pagkatapos.

The annoying girl that Maki pushed earlier attacked me with her lance. Punong-puno ng galit ang mga mata niyang nakatutok sa'kin, na para bang napakalaki ng kasalanang ginawa ko sa kaniya. Panay lang din ang pagdepensa ko sa sarili mula sa mga atake niya.

I took a single step back everytime she tries to stab me with her lance. Patuloy iyong nangyari hanggang maramdaman ko ang kakaibang sakit sa may tiyan.

There was this nauseating feeling in my head, then I looked down. Doon ko nakita ang dulo ng ice-pick ni June sa tiyan ko.

"You thought you can fight us all, huh?" came her whisper in my ear.

Nanlaki ang mata ko nang unti-unting gumapang ang lupa sa paa ko. It slowly enveloped it and squeezed, almost crushing my bones and making me gasp out in pain.

"Nasobrahan ka na sa pagka-confident mo, Finn. Hindi ba't lagi kong sabi sa'yo na-"

June wasn't able to finish her sentence when I gave her a headbutt. Malakas siyang napa-aray sa sakit kaya naman kinuha ko ang oportunidad na 'yon para sikuhin siya sa tiyan. Her grip on the ice-pick loosened and I noticed the annoying girl lunging forward again with her lance. Kaya yumuko ako't humigit ng dalawang dagger para isira sa ginawang cage ni June sa paa ko, habang dumaan ang lance sa taas ng likod ko, almost stabbing June if the girl did not stop.

For a few seconds, the three of us seemed to freeze in place.

Until I broke free of June's chains and attacked the annoying girl with my head. Nabitawan niya ang lance dahil na rin sa gulat, kaya napa-atras si June na nanlalaki ang mata. The horror of being stabbed so closely must have terrified here.

The next person to enter my view was Marcella, with a couple of players behind her.

Ang mga kalaban naming players ay unti-unti ring tumayo, kahit na malubha ang mga sugat nila. I felt Maki's back bumping into mine at naririnig ko rin ang mabigat niyang paghinga.

June and the annoying girl shakily stood beside Marcella, who was in her usual stoic state. With eyes slightly dazed, face covered in dirt and small wounds, aching feet and stabbed stomach, I stood as best as I can before them.

Pinunasan ko ang dugo sa labi. With a small smirk, I declared, "Bring it on. We're still alive."

-chapter end-