Reborn: The Awakening

Eighteen

Sa dalawang araw na ibinigay sa amin ni Cohen upang maghanda para sa misyon, wala kaming ibang ginawa upang magsanay sa Suicidal Square. Isa itong sobrang lawak na sports field sa extension ng Magi Academia na pinalilibutan ng kagubatan. Dito raw madalas magsanay ang mga estudyante. Ginamit ang term na suicidal dahil kamatay-matay raw ang training na ginagawa rito.

Since maimpluwensiya ang taong kasama ko, he pulled some strings so no one could enter the square aside from the two of us. Ayaw niya raw kasi ng abala. And trust me, istriktong partner itong si Cohen.

“Lierre, focus!” pagalit na sabi niya sa akin nang makitang hindi ako gumagalaw.

I shrugged. “I’m tired.”

“But—”

Sumalampak ako sa damuhan at tumingala sa kalangitan. Magdidilim na ngunit nandito pa rin kami. Halos hindi na kami kumain dahil sa pagsasanay na ’to.

“We’ve been doing this all day,” reklamo ko. Although I usually train like this with Master Acius, much worse actually, I just don’t understand why we have to do this. “Why are you so obsessed in training—in succeeding such task with perfection? As what I see, Cohen, you’re capable enough to do the mission alone.”

Natigilan siya. “We never know. Unexpected things always happen out there.”

“But this is too much. You’re overworking yourself,” I pointed out. “Is there any reason why?”

Nakita ko ang pagbabago ng ekspresyon niya sa mukha na tila ba lumambot at lumungkot. Sumalampak din siya sa damuhan hindi kalayuan sa akin.

“I’m sorry, Lierre.” Yumuko siya at sinimulang paglaruan ang mga d**o sa harapan niya. “I just don’t want to lose a teammate on a mission . . . again.”

Nangunot ang noo ko. Again?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I’m saying that we shouldn’t let our guards down thinking that we are skilled enough to overcome anything.” Inangat niya ang ulo niya at nangiti sa akin. “That’s what I think.”

Tumango na lamang ako sa kanya at nanatiling tahimik. Matapos ang ilang minutong pahinga, nagsimula na ulit magsanay si Cohen gamit ang mga punyal at dummies na sinet up namin sa gubat. Noong una ay nakisali pa ako sa kanya, ngunit tinamad na rin ako kalaunan.

Nagsimula na ring magsanay si Cohen gamit ang kanyang spiritual weapon. Hindi ko namalayan ang pag-awang ng bibig ko nang makita ang armas na hawak niya. It was a sword covered with glowing embers that could ignite your soul into ashes. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, ito ang tinatawag na Sword of Occult Embers. Ito ang pinaka-makapangyarihan na spiritual weapon sa buong Mount Blaze dahil ginamit mismo ito ng kanilang diyos na si Kegan. The sword could expand or shrink its own physical size based on its fitting on the user’s hands. Sa kaso ni Cohen, malaki at mukhang mabigat ito ngunit kayang-kaya niya itong iwasiwas na para lamang itong isang magaan na dahon.

“Care to join me?” wika niya nang makitang nakatulala ako sa ginagawa niya.

“And how could I possibly win against that spiritual weapon?” sarkastiko kong sabi at tumayo mula sa pagkakaupo sa damuhan.

It was probably almost midnight, but the morning sun consistently shone above us. It was because the whole square was under simulation as per Cohen’s request. Aantukin lamang daw kasi kami kapag nakita namin na madilim na. So he was really planning to starve and tire himself out until we leave for our mission. Akala ko ba ayaw niyang may mamatay sa misyon? Pero bakit parang dito palang e nagpapakamatay na siya?

Lumapit ako sa isang mesa sa bungad ng square. Mayroong iba’t ibang armas doon na pupwede naming gamitin. Kumuha ako ng isang mahaba at mabigat na espada roon. Halos mangawit ang braso ko nang makalapit ako muli kay Cohen.

“You sure you’re not going to wield your spiritual weapon?” nakataas ang kilay na tanong niya nang makita ang hawak ko. Napangiti siya nang tiningna ko lamang siya at hindi sinagot. “Now I’m curious.” I was a little shock when he suddenly moved and wielded his sword, but my reflexes never disappoint me. Nagawa kong salagin ang atake niya gamit ang espadang hawak ko. Malakas ang atake ni Cohen kung kaya’t napaatras ako nang magtama ang mga talim ng aming mga armas.

Cohen also jumped back without letting his guards down. “You’re better than I expected.”

“And you’re not better than me.” Nagawa ko pang ngumisi nang sabihin iyon kahit ramdam ko na ang pagkangawit ng braso ko. The sword was too heavy for me to handle.

“I’d like you to show me your true strength, Lierre,” he challenged me and gave me a friendly smile before charging at me. I couldn’t risk another blow from his spiritual weapon. Hindi kakayanin ng hawak kong espada, so I focused on dodging his attacks.

“I’d also like to see how you’d make me do that,” I said in between my heavy breaths. I admit that Cohen was fast . . . but not fast enough.

Nang muli niyang ihampas sa direksyon ko ang hawak na espada na nagbabanta sa akin na sunugin ako, lakas-loob kong sinalag muli ang atake gamit ang armas na hawak ko. My sword got literally no chance to the sacred weapon of his that it almost broke from the impact. Doon ko napansin na ibinubuhos ni Cohen ang lahat ng lakas niya sa spiritual weapon niya, kung kaya’t halos mabali na ang hawak kong espada.

Upon noticing that, I rotated my right foot on the ground and I forcefully kicked it towards Cohen’s leg. But I was surprised when he caught my foot without lifting his sword on his other hand.

“Got you,” he muttered.

“Not yet.” I courageously struck my other foot on his blazing sword with full force, but it wasn’t enough to make the spiritual weapon to topple over.

He withdrew his attack and jumped backwards. I could sense an immense amount of energy building inside his body. His face also darkened a bit, as if he was about to get serious this time. I shrugged. This time, it was my turn to charge first. I pierced my weapon on the grass before I walked straight to Cohen. I was smiling at him which made him confused that he lower his guard.

Nagulat siya nang bigla akong tumakbo at umatake gamit ang aking mga paa. Sa gulat niya ay pinansalag niya ang kanyang spiritual weapon sa aking atake. Mabilis ang naging galaw ni Cohen, but I took that as an opening for my next attack. Inipon ko ang enerhiya sa paa ko at inikot ang buong katawan ko sa ere. Sinipa ko ang isang paa ko sa talim ng kanyang spiritual weapon at mabilis na tumalon papunta sa ibabaw ng talim nito. Napatingala siya sa akin at napanganga nang makita ako na nasa ibabaw ng spiritual weapon niya.

“Hello, Cohen,” pang-asar na bati ko sa kanya at mabilis na sinipa siya sa mukha. Napaatras siya dahil doon. Nagawa ko ring tumalon palayo sa kanya bago pa siya makaatake pabalik. Ramdam ko na rin ang kaunting pagkasunog ng mga suot kong sapatos. Mabuti na lamang ay pinrotektahan ng inipon kong enerhiya sa paa ang balat ko mula sa init.

Pinagmasdan ko si Cohen. Lalong nag-seryoso ang mukha niya na tila napipikon habang pinupunasan ang kaunting dugo sa gilid ng labi niya.

“Are you done?” tanong ko rito at pang-asar na nginitian. Binuksan ko ang kanang palad ko upang maglabas ng enerhiya roon. Ngayon na lamang ako ulit nakipaglaban nang totoo mula nang tumapak ako rito sa Magi Island.

“Yeah,” rinig kong tugon niya at biglang ibinaon ang talim ng spiritual weapon niya sa damuhan. Isang linya ng apoy ang mabilis na kumalat papunta sa akin. Madali ko lamang naiwasan ang pag-atake sa akin ng apoy, ngunit nagulat ako nang biglang tumaas ito at mas lalo akong pinalibutan. Halos hindi ko na makita si Cohen at ang paligid. Ramdam ko rin ang matinding init sa balat ko.

“Are we going to play hide and seek?” sarkastiko kong sabi, ngunit hindi ito nagsalita. Mula sa palad ko ay nag-produce ako ng maliit na bola ng tubig. I closed my fist for a while to form something with the water and when I finally opened it, two chirping birds made of water flew up the sky. “Are you sure you’re going to be like this?” iritable kong sabi sa kanya nang wala akong maramdaman na galaw mula sa kanya.

Since I could feel the magae and energy inside magians, I could also detect their positions and actions. Ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko. Naramdaman ko ang enerhiya na bumabalot  kay Cohen sa kanang parte ng square. Nasa tapat lamang ito ng apoy at hindi gumagalaw, ngunit alam kong hawak niya ang kanyang spiritual weapon.

“Okay,” I thought. “I’m made of water so you can’t even hurt me with this fire.” I scattered my energy around my body and walked out the tall, blazing fire. While at it, I also produced water on my palm again and formed it into a dagger. Dire-diretso akong naglakad papalapit kay Cohen and stabbed my water dagger on his chest, it literally went through his body as if it was willingly absorbed.

With a whole new level of surprise written all over his face, he withdrew all his fire as his knee fell on the ground. I let out a slight whistle as I run towards the sword that I pierced through the ground earlier. Pagbalik ko, nasa balikat na ni Cohen ang dalawang ibon na ginawa ko gamit ang tubig. Those two cute, little birds were holding him down. You don’t know how strong these creatures were.

Itinapat ko ang espada na hawak ko sa leeg niya at nginitian siya. “I did well, didn’t I?”

Napataas ang isang kilay ko nang makita siyang ngumisi. “Wanna hear a story?”

Natigilan ako. “About?”

“Naalala mo noong araw na kinalaban mo ang MBO sa Arena? You definitely blacked out, right?” kwento niya.

“So?”

“Lumabas ako sandali noon dahil pinatawag ako sa Office of the Committee. When I went back to the Arena, you know what I witnessed?”

Nangunot ang noo ko. “Why would I care?”

“Time stopped at the Arena.”

“What?” naibulalas ko.

Ngumiti siya. “I saw Primo broke the barrier surrounding the stage, then he held you in his arms—while your blood, moving on its own, burning his body.”

Nabitawan ko ang espadang hawak ko at napatitig sa mga mat ani Cohen, tila hinahanap doon ang katotohanan.

“Are you kidding me?” bulyaw ko sa kanya.

“He’s the one who took you to the clinic, Lierre. He knew about the danger that your cursed blood may bring, so he chose to take you away from those many eyes in the Magi Arena,” he whispered just enough to bring chaos into my head. In a split second, I felt an untolerable heat on my neck. Nanggagaling iyon sa spiritual weapon ni Cohen na nakatutok sa leeg ko. Isang maling galaw ko lang ay maaaring malapnos ang balat ko. “I did well, didn’t I?” nakangiti niyang sabi sa akin.

I rolled my eyes. “You dirty jerk! That’s cheating!” reklamo ko.

Ibinaba niya ang kanyang spiritual weapon sa d**o at tuluyan na itong nawala. “It’s called strategy,” natatawa pa niyang sabi. “Pero lahat ng sinabi ko ay totoo.”

Inismiran ko lamang siya at muli nang sumalampak sa damuhan. Akmang hihiga na ako nang marinig namin ang pagpalakpak ng isang babaeng papalapit sa akin.

“Good job, guys. I think you really are ready for your mission,” aniya nang tuluyang makalapit. A big, satisfied smile plastered on her small face. It was Ms. Thomnus.