The Kingdom Between Us

Chapter II: Duel

Serene breeze blew, carrying a soothing silence beneath an old narra tree.

Its emerald leaves were covered with blooming flowers, as though they were stars drifted from the heaven to rest in the heart of country side.

Nestled beneath the tree were three slaves covered in dirt. Seven year old kid named Malik sat beside his nine year old brother, Bagsik, and ten year old Liway. The three were children of Hideo's two pairs of slaves, who had died several years earlier.

They sat quietly before Hideo.

Hideo's eyes were closed as he reminisced. Seven years had past since the events unfolded, but for him, everything happened just yesterday.

Liway lay upon the green meadow, her hair was wild and tangled, like threads woven by the wind. She spoke softly and carried herself with quiete modesty.

Not far from her was a cheerful boy brimming with excitement. His eyes widened with wonder, and his soft, round body frame jiggled with excitement everytime Hideo paused his story. It was Malik.

Unable to contain his anticipation and and curiosity, Malik quietly crawled toward Hideo and looked up into his Lord's face. He was so thrilled that he could no longer wait for Hideo to continue.

"What happened next, my lord?" Malik asked.

Hideo opened his eyes, and found Malik's face only an inch away on his own. A smile spread across his face at the boys antics.

"Did you get killed?"

A small stone bounced harmlessly off Malik's back after he asked a nonsense question.

"Who did that?" Malik asked angrily, and gazed on the two children resting behind him.

Liway couldn't hurt anyone, which meant it was his older brother who had thrown the stone.

Bagsik had thick eyebrows and eyes resembled to a red hot seel. Dirt stained every inch of his body, while the sour smell clinging to him made it difficult to stand too close.

"You brainless fool, Malik. If my Lord Hideo had died in that battle, he wouldn't be here telling us the story," Bagsik explained in an angry tone of voice.

Malik realized his mistake, but a fiery anger burst in his chest because of what Bagsik had done. He rushed forward, his eyes blazing and fist closed.

"I'm not talking to you poisonous man!"

Bagsik quickly stood and faced Malik. Their foreheads collided. Bare in teeth and both were ready to fight.

"How dare you call your brother like that?" Bagsik asked. "Show respect to your older brother."

Bagsik may be taller and older, but Malik wasn't afraid of him. He knew that Liway and Hideo were both there for him.

"You started it! Why did you hit me?"

"Just because you are an i***t!" Bagsik shouted.

"You are talking to Malik The Great, so don't shout at me again!" he boasted.

Hideo let out a deep breath. He spoked up and stopped the worst thing that would happen.

"I have to go if you are no longer interested in hearing the rest of my story?" Hideo said.

Malik ang Bagsik separated at their own accord. They quickly moved back and sat down.

"Of course I want to hear!" They answered with a smile.

The smile on their faces faded when they realized they had given the same answer. Hate spoke within their eyes, hiding the warmth that remained inside their heart.

Hideo continued his story.

After the deal, I took back my stance. Datu Maya drew his kampilan, ready to face me in battle. His eyes were sharp, but beneath those fierce gaze I saw something unexpected. It was not hatred alone. It was fear.

Meanwhile, Sidlak moved sideways with incredible speed. He was trying to get into his best position-my blind spot. I didn't let my guard down and matched the speed of his movement. One single mistake means death.

My world spun as I followed Sidlak's movement while keeping my guard against Datu Maya.

"Just I expected," I murmured.

"What are you murmuring, Hideo?" Datu Maya laughed. "Are you praying to your God now?"

Their movement grew faster and faster that even their shadow became impossible to follow.

"Prepare to die, Hideo!" Sidlak shouted.

I located Sidlak by following the direction of his voice, but before I could strike him, I heard Datu Maya's breath behind me. My eyes widened, as I caught sight of his kampilan slicing through the air with a deadly force.

I parried his kampilan with mine, pulled his head, kicked him away and sent him flying toward Sidlak. They crashed into each other and the impact was enough to knock them both to the ground.

Thundering voices of anticipation echoed.

"Finish them, Hideo!" Tagpas roared.

Smile drawn into my lips as I saw Sidlak and Datu Maya lying on the ground.

"Hurry and get up!" I taunted. "It's too early for you to die."

Their eyes revealed the fear that had consumed them as they quickyl got to their feet and returned to their fighting stances.

Hiraya folks stood speechless and stunned as they released tons of air through their mouth the moment their high ranking chief got back after falling.

"I just tripped!" He lied, gripping his kampilan even as his hands trembled.

His words made my soul laughed.

"So it's true that the high ranking chief of Hiraya... is a liar!" I said with a mocking grin.

Sidlak's fury blaze. Without thinking, he attacked with a brutal force.

"You are bad mouthing my lord!" He cried.

"You're so weak," I murmured.

Sidlak's attack was just easy to deflect. It was a powerful blow but a foolish decision.

"Take this!" He roared.

My jaw clenched as I gripped my kampilan and swung it. A defeaning clash echoed!

Steel against steel. A sharp c***k echoed as half of my kampilan flew into the air.

"You're finished! You will be a forgotten legend soon, Hideo!" Datu Maya laughed. "Let's finish him, Sidlak! He's one step closer to death!"

I quickly moved backwards and scanned my body. No blood. No wound. Not even scratch.

My men dropped to their knees, overwhelmed by depair.

"I don't wanna be a slave of Hiraya," Tagpas cried.

The people of Hiraya rejoiced, celebrating their victory.

"Death for, Hideo!" Sidlak said as he raised his kampilan.

The people of Hiraya answered in chorus, "Death!"

I could hear the heavy footsteps of Sidlak and Datu Maya as they rushed toward me.

I asked myself, "Do they really think they have won?"

"I still have half of my kampilan!" I roared.

The two unleashed deadly dance of stabbing and slashing attacks. I successfully evaded Sidlak's blade and fix my sharp gaze at Datu Maya. He moved slow but precisely as he tried to cut through my flesh.

Our weapons clashed, followed by the sound of breaking steel, leaving me stunned. The blade of my weapon had been cut in half for the second time.

Datu Maya's defeaning laughthers echoed across the battlefield. Even he seemed stunned by the unexpected outcome of our blades colliding.

"Did you see that!" Ha laughed. "Have you all witnessed the power of the high-ranking chief of Hiraya?"

His people boundless rejoiced, the complete opposite of my men who were all utterly hopeless while watching me evading every swing of Sidlak's kampilan.

"The eyes of yours shows no sign of fear, but I know your heart is horribly pounding!" Sidlak said.

"Finish him, Sidlak," Datu Maya ordered, watching from behind. He was smiling, knowing a victorious event for Hiraya was about to unfold.

I cast aside my kampilan as it was no longer a weapon—it was now a burden. My hand moved my back and drew a dagger from its sheat.

"Not yet," I said.

"A tiny weapon for survival," Sidlak taunted. "You're just delaying your death."

"No," I insisted. "I am just preparing your death."

Sidlak unleashed a finishing blow, aiming for my neck. I lowered my body neneath the bade as it tore through the air above me.

The strike missed. And in that brief opening I turned and kicked.

I badly missed, but my foot sent dust flying and wandering grains of it drifted into his eyes, irritated it. By that very moment, Sidlak saw nothing but darkness.

"Ahhh! Ahhh!"

Sidlak screamed and swung his kampilan wildly, attacking the space where he believed I was standing. Every strike became nothing more thab desperation.

He did not even realized tha I had already moved behind him.

"What are you doing Sidlak?" Datu Maya asked, his voice was filled with panic. "Hideo is standing behind you."

Wind carried his voice and reached Sidlak, but before the brave warrior of Hiraya had turn around, my dagger pierced the side of his neck. I twisted it before carelessly pulling it out. A river of blood flowed from his mouth before his knees surrendered to ground.

"What happened?" Datu Maya asked, bewildered. "I thought we're winning."

His tears fell the moment Sidlak's body fell to the ground. The hope of Hiraya had died after Sidlak's final breath.

I turned my back on Sidlak's corpse and face Datu Maya, "It is now you and I, this time!"

Paraiso rejoiced. Their voices echoed across the battlefield, roaring like thunder.

"Victory is now within our grasp!" Tagpas shouted.

Datu Maya fell to his knees before his kampilan slipped from his grasp. He stared at the space between us, unable to move.

"So, the high ranking chief of Hiraya has bowed before the greatest warrior of Mayi," I said.

The Datu's jaw trembled.

"Yes," he said nodding. "I accept defeat."

Datu Maya's tears continued to fall. The duel between us had already been decided before it even began.

Despair and shame overwhelmed him, but there was one thing that clouded my mind—I saw him smile.

Amid the melancholic scene, a strange joy appeared on his face.

"You may end my life," he declared. "But the spirits of Hiraya will hunt you someday."