Chapter 18

strongest
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“Kass and Ramon, your parents, were also Spirit Masters.”
 
I thought I’d get surprised when I heard that but after I became an apprentice of Master, at the corner of my mind, I already knew that there was a possibility that they were, indeed, former Spirit Masters.
 
And I was right.
 
When Sir Arsen, the Divine General, confirmed it, I had finally rest my doubts. Also, I saw some familiar statues along the hallway a while ago and Adrielle said that those statues were tributes to the previous Spirit Masters and their guardians. Nang makita ko ang dalawang statues na halos kamukha nina Flare at Aron ay lalo lang tumaas ang hinala ko.
 
“Seems like you already knew,” Sir Arsen said.

“Y-yes, Sir. M-may hinala na ako bago pa man din ako makarating dito,” sabi ko sa kanya at nakita kong tumingin sina Lexi, Yano, Ryleigh at maging ang Spirit Masters sa akin kaya hindi na ako nakagalaw sa pwesto ko.
 
“Hoooh, so you’re the daughter of that duo,” rinig kong sabi ni Henric at napaiwas ako ng tingin dahil pakiramdam ko ay pinag-aaralan niya ako.
 
“No wonder. She’s got a phoenix as her main guardian just like his father,” sabi naman ni Adrielle kaya naalala ko bigla si Papa.
 
I was around six or seven when I first saw Flare, a phoenix with red and orange flames as her feathers, and my father’s main guardian. Sa kanya pa dati si Jerry at siya lang ang lagi niyang pinapalabas sa spirit dimension para may kalaro ako sa bahay. Pero one time, nagising ako sa kalagitnaan ng gabi at nakita kong wala sa tabi ko sina Mama at Papa kaya natakot ako. I was about to cry but I heard a noise outside our house. I took a peek and saw my a flaming bird carrying my father on its back.
 
I stood in awe and fear as I stared at them and I was surprised when my mother hugged me from behind.
 
“Natakot ka ba, Reika?” sabay ngiti niya at bigla akong naiyak. Tumango ako sa kanya at niyakap niya ako. “Matulog na ulit tayo.”
 
Pagkatapos no’n ay bumalik na kami sa kwarto at hindi ko na maalala ang mga sumunod na nangyari.
 
“I-I have a question,” tanong ko kay Sir Arsen matapos kong maalala ang mga magulang ko. “W-why did they die? I want to know what happened to them during the Havoc.”

“Reika,” bulong ni Lexi pero hindi ako nagpatinag kahit na nararamdaman kong tutulo na ang luha ko anumang oras.
 
Lumaki akong mag-isa dahil sa nangyaring Havoc at hindi ko man lang alam ang totoong nangyari. Binalita na lang sa akin na kasama sila sa mga namatay. Ni wala man lang sinabing dahilan o kahit ano. Sa isang iglap, nawalan ako ng mga magulang.
 
The Spirit Masters looked at each other but they remained silent.
 
“If you really want to know then I’ll gladly tell you,” Sir Arsen said. “That is if you are really ready to take it all in.”
 
Halos manlambot ang tuhod ko dahil sa talim ng bawat salitang binibitiwan niya at idagdag pa ang tingin niyang parang tumatagos sa katawan ko.
 
Huminga ako nang malalim para pakalmahin ang sarili ko pero nagulat ako nang bigla na lang may malakas na pagsabog akong narinig at naramdaman ko ang paglindol. Nakita ko ang pagtago ng naturaes, floras, domusaes, at aquainas pero mas nag-alala ako nang makita ko ang pagtakbo ng silvanias dahil lalong lumakas ang paglindol dito sa loob ng kwarto. The four of us were thrown out of balance as the silvanias ran around the room in panic.
 
“W-what the heck is that?!” sigaw ni Lexi habang nakahawak sa trunk ng puno.

“Galing sa labas?” tanong ni Yano.

“Exorcists?” tanong naman ni Ryleigh habang sinusubukang tumayo pero dahil sa lakas ng pagyanig ay natumba siya papunta sa amin.
 
“Divine General, they are making their moves,” Gavin declared and I got curious on how all of them were standing still despite the intense shaking.
 
Lark suddenly walked toward the huge door. “Laxo,” he said and it opened. “I’ll take care of them.”
 
Lumabas siya sa kwarto at agad na sumarado ang pinto. The remaining Spirit Masters went to the silvanias and eased their agitations using some incantations and the quakes became weaker.
 
“That guy is really reckless,” Astrid grumbled as she tore a page from her book. “Fenestra aperio!” she chanted and suddenly, writings appeared on the paper. She threw it on the wall and a photographic recording, sort of like a hologram, appeared and it projected what was happening outside.
 
Nakatayo doon si Lark at nakita ko ang ilang pamilyar na mukha kaya nagkatinginan kaming apat. Lark was surrounded by Bridgette and Amos, the Exorcists that attacked us before.
 
“That guy is getting stronger, huh? Pisses me off,” Tito Leon smirked as he watched Lark on the screen.

“He became the strongest among us in physical strength when you left,” Astrid said and Tito Leon just laughed.  
 
Does that mean he's the strongest of them all? Just the thought of him overpowering these monstrous Spirit Masters was too much for my mind. Kailanman ay hindi ko pa nakikitang seryoso si Tito Leon, maliban na lang noong time na muntik nang tangayin si Lexi ng Exorcists, kaya hindi ko maisip na siya ang pinakamalakas sa kanila.  
 
“Lark the Claw,” sabi ni Amos at tumalon siya mula sa balikat ni King, his gorilla guardian. “Hindi ko akalaing mapapalabas namin ang isang katulad mo.”

“Be careful, Amos. He’s stronger than Shadow,” dagdag ni Bridgette na nakasakay sa likuran ni Vultos, her vulture guardian.
 
Nagulat naman ako nang may marinig akong malakas na tunog at pagtingin ko sa direksyon ng Spirit Masters ay nasira ang portion ng lamesa kung nasaan si Master. Napaatras ako nang makita ko ang pagngiti niya.  
 
“Stronger than me, she says?”
 
Doon ko na-realize na siya ang tinutukoy nilang Shadow. If I remembered correctly, they called Lark, Claw. What’s with those codenames?
 
“Well, that’s true,” Gavin retorted and Master glared at him. “When it comes to physical strength, I mean.”

“But skill-wise, I’m better than him!”

“C’mon Ariah. Act like a fine lady for once,” sabi naman ni Adrielle at feeling ko ay sasabog na si Master anytime.

“Insignificant,” Lark taunted in a low and deep voice.

“What did you say?!” sigaw ni Bridgette sa kanya.

“I thought Odin would come but two insignificant Exorcists came. Disappointing.”
 
He gently touched his eyepatch and called his guardian.
 
“Tyson.”
 
Spirit particles materialized in front of him and a huge bison appeared. Lark jumped on its back and the bison ran toward Amos with an unbelievable speed.
 
“Felix, Verscheiden sie viel hyva mich han,” he chanted and another guardian took its physical form but I didn’t see it since the spirit particles surrounded his right arm and suddenly transformed into a gauntlet, a claw-like weapon. He jumped off his bison halfway and swung his gauntlet mid-air. His slash reached Vultos’ wings and it screeched loudly while flailing in the air. At the same time, his bison tackled King and it disintegrated into spirit particles, just like what happened to Vultos.
 
Gulat ang expressions nina Amos at Bridgette dahil sa nangyari. Maging ako ay napanganga na lang dahil sa lakas ni Lark. In a matter of seconds, he took out their guardians.
 
“I won’t kill you since I want you to deliver the Divine General’s message,” seryoso niyang sabi sa kanila at nag-disintegrate na rin ang physical form ng bison niya at ang gauntlet sa kamay niya.
​“Tell this to Ignus: He will never get what he wants.”
 
He turned around and calmly walked toward Hydra, as Amos and Bridgette retreated in embarrassment.  
 
So this . . . this was the level of a Spirit Master.

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