The Spirit Martial

Spirit 76

The games have started at hindi ko alam kung anong school ang nagkakalabanan ngayon. Kanina pa ako silip ng silip sa mga audience na nagsisigawan kung nandito ba ang mama ko pero wala talaga akong makita. Lahat ng teams may station na kung saan kami lang ang nakaupo at makikita naman ang labanan. Yung station namin at tabi ng station ng Grand Order kasi defending champion ang team namin kay mas malayo ako sa mga tao.

I felt a slight sting from my neck and it felt like it was lightning kaya napatigin ako sa gilid. The Grand Order were looking at us at ngayon ko lang narealize na isa sa kanila ang wala and then I remembered that Tempest's spirit was a scorpion. He's weilding the spirit of Scorpio. Napatingin ako kay Tempest na nakatingin lang sa labanan. Woah, ang grabe siguro ng pressure na nadadama niya ngayon. It would damge his title pag natalo siya dito. Napatingin ulit ako sa Grand Order and this time I'm sure na nakatingin sa akin and Team Captain nila, paano ko nalaman na siya? I'm talking about Leo here. The King of Zodiac Constellations. I think that sting that I felt earlier came from him. He is also surprisingly young, I'm guessing that he's a year older than us. His orange hair is unique kaya nag sta-stand out talaga siya kahit saan siya magpunta. Not only that his hair is unique, he has this hair accessories too that looked like stars na kumikinang kapag natatamaan ng araw. Dahan-dahan akong umiwas ng tingin dahil mukhang hindi ata maganda na tumititig sa mga katulad nila.

I sighed at tumayo ako. I have to get out of here for a while, this is stressing me.

"Cygnus," Gin called at napatingin ako sa kanya.

"May I go to the bathroom for a while? I'm feeling sick," sagot ko.

"Samahan na kita," Kailani offered at umiling ako.

"It's fine, malapit lang naman," sagot ko at naglakad ako palayo kaagad kasi alam kong pipilitin ako ni Kailani kayamas mabuti ng mauna na, ang importante alam niya.

I walked for 2 minutes at tumigil ako sa labas ng comfort room at nakahinga ako ng maluwag. The arena was giving me some odd pressure to the point na parang nasusuka na ako. Siguro dahil ito sa dami ng amoy na magic molecules. Napahawak ako sa ilong ko and I raised my head habang nakasandal sa ding-ding. Fresh air at last.

"Commoner," a deep voice said at napatingin ako sa gilid. Napabitaw ako sa ilong ko nang makita ko ang Team Captain ng Grand Order. He was wearing a royal suit like ours but his suit's color was yellow and to be honest, bagay iyon sa kanya. "You're Prince Kailani's partner, right?" he asked at agad akong tumango. At hindi ako commmoner, shuta ka.

"Call me Cygnus, commoner is not my name," I replied at hindi na ako sumandal para harapin siya. He smirked at oo, ang gandang lalaki nito pero mas maganda si Kailani. I bowed down at him kasi narealize ko na nag bow sila Kailani kanina, alam kong late reaction ito pero mas okay na kesa sa wala, hindi ba? I raised my head afterwards and I smiled at him as if I'm not wondering why he is here. "May kailangan po kayo?' I asked politely.

"I wanna ask something," he said. "We're about the same age I guess but I'm younger and I graduated young. I was eager to get the attention of both Prince Kali and Kailani because having them to may group of friends at that time will increase my popularity. Syempre hindi na ako ganyan mag isip ngayon," he added and I raised on of my brow.

"So, um?" I said kasi hindi ko alam kung anong dapat kong sabihin.

"I just wanna ask how did you made friends with them?" he asked.

"U-Um, iyan lang po ba?" tanong ko. He seemed like a serious person so I wasn't really expecting his question.

"Sa ngayon, oo," sagot niya.

"W-Well, I lived in Gambier Island, I just saw Kailani there. He was standing on the top of the bridge at akala ko tatalon siya at pinigilan ko siya but it turned out that he was just enjoying the fresh air," sagot ko but those were half lies. Kailani was really about to jump. "We became partners because our spirit and his spirit was compatible. We decided that we should study here and then I met Kali. At first he wasn't really friendly to me. I thought the reason was because I'm his borther's partner at ayaw niya kay Kailani but it was the other way around. He was not friendly because he didn't trust me to be with his brother. He cares for Kailani a lot pero hindi niya pinapakita and I saw that side of him and eventually, we became friends," I added and he nodded so I nodded back. The awkwardness is killing me.

"That's it? Just like that?" he asked and my jaw dropped. What? Is he expecting something? "You didn't beg?" he asked and my eyes widened habang nakanganga pa rin ako.

"There is no way I'll beg for friendship, sinong gagawa ng gan-" I stopped when I saw his reaction. He was serious. He wasn't joking. This kid- this kid, the Captain of Grand Order, is asking a nonsense question seriously. His strong scent changed into sadness for a while but his previous aura eventually got back after a couple of seconds. "You did?" I asked at bigla siyang napalunok.

"No," sagot niya and I frowned. Yes he did. Hindi na niya kailanagang itago. "But I paid," he added at muntik na akong matumba sa sinabi niya. He paid for friendships?! "I am not allowed to have close friends. As a Captain of Grand Order, I must remain heartless kasi mahihirapan ako sa mission ko pag hindi," he added and I clenched my fist. That's such a sad rule but it's wise. I remembered how we killed those humans inside the eggs back then and I believe it was one of the factor why my personality is changing.

"So, sino ang kasama mo palagi?" tanong ko.

"Kung sino ang pwede sa Grand Order. Sinusunod lang rin naman nila lahat ng sinasabi ko kaya hindi naman ako nag-iisa," he replied. No, he's wrong. That's hella lonely. Magkaiba iyon eh- yung kasama mo kasi sinabihan mo o yung kasama mo dahil gusto niyong dalawa.

"How about your partner?' I asked.

"I don't have one. Grand Orders can function alone, we can even go to school even if we have no partners," he added at napahawak ako sa uloko. His life is a perfect definition of loneliness. "Anyway, iyon lang," he said at bigla nalang siyang naglakad palayo. I bet he wanted to have friends that bad.

"No, wait," sabi ko at tumigil siya at lumingon siya sa akin.

"That rule of yours? Who told you to do that?" I asked.

"Myself," he answered coldly. "At a young age, I killed thousands of people to protect this country. I've seen fearsome scenarios that was unimaginable. If I have friends, madadamay ko lang sila so I preferred to be myself. I asked you that question because I was curious." he added.

Aalis na sana siya at hinawakan ko ang kamay niya kaya napatigil ulit siya. Lumingon siya sa akin at napatingin sa kamay na hawak siya. Bumitaw agad ako at napatingin ulit siya sa akin.

"We've killed a lot of innocent people too. We burned them alive with smiled on their faces because it was the only choice we have." I said. "Having friends isn't bad. Although madadamay sila, friends nga di ba? It's like a multiple bodies with one soul," I explained and he remained calm. I saw how he clenched his fist at tinago niya ito.

"I appreciate that," he said. "Cygnus, right?" he asked and I nodded. He smirked at me which surprised the hell out of me. "What a coincidence, it means swan," he added and his smirked turned into a smile. "It's the previous Spirit Martial's name," he added and my eyes widened. Swan- it's my father's name. Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko dahil ngayon ko lang narinig ang pangalan niya and it's surprisingly comforting. Swan. Swan. Swan.

Swan.

"You look surprised and happy at the same time, why?" he asked at umiling ako.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. It's just my first time to hear that name," I replied.

"Cygnus," Kailani called at napatingin ako sa kanya. He was looking at me coldly at lumipat sa kausap ko. Oh, I wonder what his name is. "We're leaving, bukas pa laban natin," he added and I nodded. He signalled me again at nauna siyang umalis.

"I'm sorry about that," I apologized and he nodded. "What's your name?" I asked.

"I don't give anyone my name." he replied at umiwas siya ng tingin.

"Just your parents?" I asked at umiling siya.

If that's the case, it means ...

"You don't have a name?" I asked and his eyes widened.

"Cygnus!" Kali called at nagulat siya nang makita kung sinong kausap ko. "I'm sorry for interrupting, you may go on," Kali added at umalis siya. Tumingin ulit ako sa kanya and he was uncomfortable already.

"You may go," he said.

"Zeus," He was about to walk but I said a specific name napatigil siya at napatingin sa akin. "That name suits you," I added with a smile and he really looked surprised. I knew that lightning sting came from him and he is also strong. This name suits him and his character.

"Z-Zeus," he mumbled at yumuko siya.

"Yes," sabi ko. "I have to go," I said and bowed down tsaka ako tumakbo palayo. When I reached thedoor, I stopped for a while at lumingon ako pabalik sa kanya and gave him a wave. "See you around, Zeus," I added and I don't know but somehow, he looked happy kahit hindi siya nakangiti.

Sinalubong ako ni Kali and he looked confused.

"Zeus? That was the Captain of the Grand Order. He doesn't have any name," he said.

"Zeus, that's the name I gave him," sagot ko at napatingin silang lahat sa akin kabilang na sina Gin and they looked really surprised.

"He acknowledged that??" Kailani asked with a surprise look.

"I-I-I don't know," sagot ko. "Hindi ko na hinintay yung sagot niya kasi tnawag niyo ako, why?" I asked.

"I can't believe you gave him a name," Kali said with a smile at bigla niyang niyugyug ang shoulders ko. Gin and the others started smiling at wala talaga akong clue kung anong nangyayari.

"That's awesome!!"

BUT WHY THOUGH?!