The Spirit Martial

Spirit 77

Hindi na namin tinuloy ang panonood ng tuloyan ang laro kasi bukas pa naman kami. Isa pa gusto pa rin naming magpahinga. At least we'll consider this day as our last rest day kasi kahit nabigyan na kami ng mahabang panahon na magpahinga, kulang pa talaga sa totoo lang. Ang daming nangyari na dapat pang isingk in ng tuloyan. Isa pa, I think I really need to meditate kasi ang dami na ring nangyayari sa katawan ko na hindi ko alam. Minsan maiisip ko nalang na kaaway ko ang sarili ko. There are some thoughts na masasabi ko na galing iyon sa nakalaban namin sa Gambier Island but its really unlikely. Gin and Tempest- I clearly remembered what they said about it, they mentioned something inside me was still sleeping. Dahil ba ito sa madalas kong pagcucultivate dati kaya bigla nalang nag upgrade ang spirit ko? That's possible though. I've read it in books. Too much cultivation changes the spirit's magic, resistance, and strength. Hindi lang iyan, its weaknesses will lessen too.

"We'll go home,kayo?" Gin asked at napatigil kaming apat nagtinginan.

"I think we'll stay here for a while?" Kali said at naptingin sa aming tatlo at tumango kami. Hindi rin kasi namin gustong umuwi pa pero hindi rin namin gustong magtambay sa arena. Isa pa, naikot ko na ang tingin ko sa buong audience, wala rin si mama kaya nawalan na rin ako ng gana.

"Okay then, walang manggugulo, okay?" Gin asked and we nodded.

"Roger that," we all said in chorus at sabay na silang umalis lahat palayo habang kami ay nanatiling nakatayo sa hallways. Napatingin kaming tatlo kay Kali para siya na ang magdesisyon kung saan kami pupunta.

Naglakad palayo sa Kali kaya sumunod lang kami. Alam kong siya mismo hindi alam kung saan pupunta pero hindi kami nagsalita at sinundan lang siya. Naglakad kami hanggang sa nakarating kami sa garden. Wala talagang tao. I remember na dito namin unang nakasama sina Nieve when we had our first training. Dito ko rin nalaman na may soft side si Kali pagdating kay Kailani and it took me a long time to realize why he was not in favor with mena kasamasi Kailani. Ah- this feels nostalgic.

May mga mesa at upoan na nakahanda doon at umupo kami sa mga upoan na nakapaligid sa isang maliit na mesa. Sumandal ako at napatingin sa itaas at pumikit para langhapin ang hangin. I took a deep breath at umayos ako ng upo.

"By the way," biglang sabi ni Kailani at napatinign ako sa kanya. "How'd you met the Lion Zodiac Holder?' he asked.

"A coincidence. Paareho kaming pumunta sa bathroom actually, iyon lang. Hindi nga ako nakagamit dahil sa kaba eh kasi bigla nalang siyang dumating. He's younger than us but he's leading a team who's older than him- what a pressure." sagot ko.

"And you just named him casually. You are really something else." Kali said with a grin.

"Is it illegal?" I asked.

"Not totally," Nieve answered habang hinahawakan ang mga bulaklak na nakalagay sa vase na nasa sentro ng mesa. "It's just rare. Grand Orders doesn't have names the moment they are born. They're born with marks already so usually people call them by their spirit zodiacs pero may iba rin namang may pangalan but they don't easily accept names because they will be wearing it for a long time." Nieve explained with a sad smile. "Zodiacs are reborn every 100 years so they have to live for a very long time. Usually, people call them not as Grand Orders but as bringer of curses. Even though its just 100 years, para na rin iyang immortality- long life is really a curse," he added.

"Kahit papatayin sila, hindi talaga?" I asked. "Like you know, stabbing them," I added at umiling silang tatlo.

"Until their mark is there, their regenerative abilities stays," Kailani answered at napanganga ako. A curse- it's really a curse.

"So what's wrong with naming them?" I asked.

"Kung papayag sila sa binigay mong pangalan, it means they acknowledged you as a good spirit caster. They are only allowed to have names when they are 12 in which they can decide for themselves kung anong pangalan nila or kung may magbibigay man sa kanila." Kali explained.

"I told him I named him Zeus but wala siyang sinabi na tinanggap niya, wala rin siyang sinabi na ayaw niya kasi nagmamadali ako." sagot ko. "Paano ko malalaman na tinaggap niya?" I asked.

"It will automatically appear in their wrists if they have names." Nieve explained. "Actually, wala pa ring may alam kung bakit ganyan ang tradition eh, nakasanayan lang." he added.

Well, I'd love to see the word Zeus on his wrist.

After that small talk, we stayed there for a couple of hours at hindi namin namalayan na nakatulog na pala kaming apat. Lahat ng ulo namin nakasandal sa mesa at ako lang ata ang nagising. I did some stretching kasi baka mapaano ako, maylaban pa bukas. I was about to stand up at parang nagulat ako nang makita ulit ang lalaking ayaw talaga ni Kali- the white-haired guy. He was standing behind Nieve who was sleeping right in front of me. Napatayo ako sa gulat at napaupo sa sahig. Gago, kakagising ko lang tapos puti pa talaga ang una kong makikita?! Seryoso?

"Oops," he said with a slight smile and covered his mouth. "Did I scare you?" he asked with a teasing tone at napatayou ako habang hawak ang likoran ko dahil sa sakit.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I asked casually and he suddenly raised his index finger like he was telling me to be quiet at napatingin ako sa paligid. Oo nga pala, tulog pa sila. "Ano bang kailangan mo? Also, get away from Nieve," sabi ko and he raised both of his hands.

"I know, chill." he said with a grin. "I just wanna tell you na team namin ang magiging kaharap niyo bukas." he added. "It was kind of disrespectful na hindi man lang kayo nanood. It seems like you're team is underestimating everyone?" he asked and tilted his head.

"Look, I don't know anything about it. Sumusunod lang kami. Isa pa, this is our first time, wala kaming alam." rason ko.

"Watching was kind of advantage you know, malalaman niyo kung anong klaseng tao ang makakharap niyo but sinayang niyo," he said and I frowned.

"We'll figure it out on our own. We've faced more than this. Pagod na kami," sabi ko at naglakad ako palayo. Napatigil ako nang bigla siyang dumating sa harap ko. Teleportation? Now, that's bad news.

"We're not done talking yet, Mr. Spirit Martial's son," he added with a grin.

"Cygnus," I said with an annoyance tone. "My name is Cygnus," I added and he nodded.

"Right," he replied. "Cygnus," he added. "What do you think about the current King right now?" he asked and that caught me off-guard. This guy, where is this guy coming from? By any chance, is he from the kingdom who wants to rule the Central Agartha?

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"It does. I mean he abandoned your part-" hindi ko na siya pinatapos at hinawakan ko ang mukha niya. Araw-araw. ARAW-ARAW ko na lang ito naririnig and I'm sick of it. Hindi ba sila napapagod sa kakasabi niyan? Ako yung napapagod para sa kanila eh. "If you'll hurt me now, you'll get disqualified, you know that well," he warned at hinawakan ang kamay ko na nakahawak sa mukha niya.

"If you'll continue that sentence, your head will explode," I said coldly and I gripped harder. "You know me well, you've seen how I act on that girl student, didn't you?" I asked at hindi siya sumagot. I splited my fingers wider and our eyes met. His red glazing eyes is reflecting to my poisonous purple vision are looking and vice versa.

I heard footsteps na hindi malayo pero papunta rito at bumitaw na ako. Napahawak siya sa mukha niya but he was not afraid at all. nstead, he was actually amused.

"HA! You're really something else, as expected from the previous Spirit Martial's son," he said at pinahiran ang dugo na lumabas mula sa labi niya. Spirit Martial's son- I kind of got used to it but the more I'm hearing it, the more I get pissed. Para kasing iyon na talaga ako- I'm the Spirit Martial's son that's why I'm powerful pero hindi nila alam ang efforts na binibigay ko para maging ganito. I've witnessed unimaginable scenarios. I've killed multiple demons. I've killed innocent humans like us and yet they keep addressing me as the Spirit Martial's son. In this game, I will prove to them that I am more than his son- I have my own capabilities.

I don't wanna be known as the Spirit Martial's son.

I wanna be known as Cygnus, the partner of the strongest freshman in Oak Hills, the first prince- Kailani.

"You should really know when you should say something like that," sabi ko na kalmado pero sa totoo lang pikon na pikon na ako.

"What? Sinabi ko lang naman ang totoo. You're the so-"

I was about to grab him again pero napatigil ako kasi biglang dumating ang Grand Order led by Ze- I mean, led by Zodiac Leo. Tinitigan niya ako ng may kasamang duda kasi alam na niya ata kung anong gagawin ko.

"We were playing," sabi ko at hinablot ko ang buhok ng impaktong ito at nagulat siya. "Peace na kami," sabi ako at niyakap ko siya para maniwala siya.

"I see," he responded calmly at naglakad ulit. He raised his hand and I nodded. "See you around," he said.

Sasagot na sana ako pero napatigil ako.

it was there.

ZEUS- IT WAS THERE!