[Helena]

All of their attentions are on me.

"Leave your first condition on us." I said in a serious tone. Honestly, I can't say that I'm one hundred percent confident, but I trust that kid of mine.

That's right, he's the first person that came into my mind. He's perfect for this job.

"There you have it," Once again, Joker's expression changed in a snap. She talked innocently and sweet. "Principal Helena will do,"

"Your stupid fucking job, useless dogs of the academy." Her tone changed for the nth time.

"Shut it, crazy brat." Inis na sambit ni Yadiel. "Just tell us your 2nd condition."

With that being said, Joker heaved a sigh before raising her 2 fingers. "Well, in this condition... it's more like, for me."

Naningkit ang mga mata ni Bora. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

Joker took something out of her lab coat pocket. A freaking candy.

"You've heard of the Big Shots, yah?" Aniya habang binubuksan ang candy. "Well, two of them are alreay dead, two became crazy fucker- oh wait, Zabeth is already a crazy bitch. Anyways, and one of them is in critical condition."

Natapos siyang magbukas ng candy at umangat ang tingin niya bago ito isubo.

"In short, the Big Shots are in a complete mess right now. Well, it doesn't really matter because as long as Andina's alive, the association can manage."

"Just go straight to the point." Pagrereklamo ni Rox habang nakaupo ngayon, nakataas na ang isang paa sa lamesa at tamad na tamad na nakasandal sa upuan.

Inikot-ikot ni Joker ang candy sa bibig niya, sa puntong naririnig namin ang pagtama nito sa ngipin niya.

"Well... they're not actually the problem." She just stared at nowhere. "If the academy has dogs that works behind the scenes... of course, the association has one too."

Pare-pareho kaming napaayos ng upo sa sinabi niya. Now, this is new.

"They're called... Dieners."

Elias' forehead furrowed. "Dieners? As in, like ung nasa purenarya?"

Joker snapped her fingers. "Bingo."

"The fuck?! Nakatoka ako sa pagmasid sa UA! Hindi ko alam 'yon!" Mabilis na reaksyon ni Rox.

"Of course you won't, cause you're fucking stupid!" Elias answered as if he said something obvious.

"The fuck did you say?"

"Stating facts."

"Well, hindi ko kayo masisisi kung wala kayong impormasyon sa kanila." Muling sambit ni Joker. "Of course you can't... because they're not here."

Naningkit ang mga mata ko. "What do you mean by that?"

"There are six Dieners, who has names connected to cards."

"As in a card?" Pagtataka ni Lor.

Joker smirked. "Yes, cards."

"Clover, the claws."

"Dias, the wings."

"Heart, the senses."

"Spade, the shield."

"The leader, Alas, the body."

"And of course, the brain... Joker, me."

Joker slowly showed a creepy grin.

"Andina gathered us to directly follow her orders only, her main servants to be exact."

"We are all over the world. Europe, Antarctica, America, Africa, and Australia. And me of course, here." I heard her candy cracked. "But since the God is already here... I'm sure... I'm 100% sure..."

"That they're on their way right now to come back."

The way that Joker said it is enough itself to know how troublesome these Dieters is.

"So... you want us to prevent them for coming?" Tanong ni Yadiel.

Joker suddenly chuckled. "Oh, don't get me wrong. Ang dahilan kaya ko binaggit sila sa inyo ay hindi dahil sa gusto kong malaman niyo ang tungkol sa kanila, bagkus ay para balaan kayo."

"Well, I may not be good at physical combat. But I'm still the smartest gifted in the world, I'm the brain. And the others, they live up to their names..."

"Specially our leader, the body, Alas." She glanced at Bora. "I think he can par with you old man."

I fixed my posture, slightly squinted my eyes. Joker is not that type of person to overestimate someone, of course, she's smart. It only means that... that Alas guy she's talking about, can really par with the strongest man in his generation, Bora.

Well, that's more than troublesome.

"You're overestimating your comrade too much." Seryosong sagot ni Elias.

Joker smirked. "Just stating facts." Pagbanggit niya sa paboritong salita ni Elias. "And ex-comrade." Pagtatama niya.

"How can we make sure tho?" Balik ng kausap niya.

Walang ganang tinaas ni Joker ang magkabilang sleeve ng lab coat niya. "Because everyone of us, has a symbol of being a Diener."

"Andina's curse." Malamig na sambit niya.

She showed us her arms. "That's the symbol of our loyalty, or the reason why we're loyal to her to be exact. We were servants of Andina's gift, and she's our God. Used to be... until someone broke my chains." Marahan niyang hinawakan ang mga kamay niya.

"Then what do you want us to do? Greet them welcome?" Nakasimangot na pag-iiba ni Rox.

Napabuntong-hininga si Joker bago binaba ang sleeves niya. "Well, except for me, since I'm always with Andina, all of them has their troop."

"Just like the deck in the cards, each Dieners has 11 members in their troops, while Alas only has 4."

"And each of them, can be compared to an S Class Master. While the Dieners themselves can be par with someone from the Generation of Prodigies." Joker intentionally glanced at the two members of the Generation of Prodigies, Yadiel and Rox. Parehong tumalim ang tingin ng dalawa.

"But I'm not saying that they're strong as you, but they have the chance to fight you one on one, and win."

"So your condition... is that we should beat the Kings and Queens?" Her attitude changed in a snap, the way Rox talks and looks like now is like a fox who found a prey.

Joker chuckled, shaking her head. "Nope." She showed a grin. "Not you."

Mabilis na napatayo si Rox at napahampas sa lamesa. "Huh?! Ano ba ang pinagsasabi mo?!-"

"It's my condition, remember?" Casual na sagot ni Joker. "I acknowledge you, gifteds from the Generation of Prodigies. Not just you, the Crowns, the Sins, S class guild, the Grim reapers, even the academy's dogs— the officials."

"I know how strong you are, and why you're different from an ordinary student from the academy."

"Then!-"

"That's why, it shouldn't be you brats."

Alam ko  ang pinupunto ni Joker, at naiintindihan ko 'yon. But it's still a big risk. I don't know if she's a risk taker, or she just doesn't care if anyone will die.

"My 2nd condition, is that someone, not from the Generation of Prodigies, not from the Crowns, not from the Sins nor Grim Reapers, neither from the S class guild and the officials... defeat or kill a King and Queen from one of the troops of the Dieners."

Parang nag-echo ang boses ni Joker sa silid, pag-echo na may kasamang kung ano na nagpabigat sa mga pakiramdam namin.

Lor fixed his glasses, took something out of his pocket. "Anyone, right?" Pagtatama niya. Mabilis siyang kumilos, as expected to a secretary.

"Nabanggit mo ang isa sa kanila ay nasa America, hindi ba? May kilala ako." He said while dialing his phone.

Mabilis niyang nakuha ang atensyon at tingin ni Rox na agad na nagbago ang ekspresyon. "Yes! She's there! Together with her group!" Masigla niyang sambit.

She got my attention. I know who's she's talking about, her face popped in my head. A master in the Solar Academy, a known heiress of Ares, the God of war. She's in the same generation as Xilah, but since the Venus took all the spotlight, she didn't got some of what she deserved.

Roxana Portugal, Rox' older cousin, more like a sister.

"She's more than enough." Xilah plastered a smile, full of trust. Alam kong sa aming lahat, higit na mas kilala niya si Roxana-

"The Portugal?" Pagputol ni Joker sa kasiyahan. Kusang nawala ang ngiti ni Xilah at nagbago ang ekspresyon namin sa sinabi niya.

Walang kaemo-emosyon kaming tinignan ni Joker gamit ang walang buhay niyang mga mata.

"The woman with a control ability, has a red curly hair with yellow highlights." She described Roxana. Walang nakasagot sa amin.

"She's dead." She looked at us, dead in the eye. "Her head is at Andina's head collection."

Nabitawan ni Lor ang hawak-hawak niyang phone. Walang naka-react kaagad sa amin, maski ako ay natigilan. Casual itong sinabi ni Joker at walang preno ang bibig niya.

"Too bad for her, si Alas ang nasa America. Walang kaduda-duda, na lahat ng estudyante o siguro lahat ng gifted na nandoon ay nakasabit na ang ulo sa pader ni Andina."

Walang ganang umupo si Joker habang wala pa ring nakaka-react sa amin. Tumagal din ng ilang segundo, bago ako nakaramdam ng init.

"Stop fucking with me." Garagal ang boses ng nagsalita.

Mabilis akong napaayos ng upo nang makita si Rox. Her eyes changed, nagsisimulang mag-apoy ang buong katawan niya at lumulutang ang buhok niya. Her teeth are changing into fangs and I can see her whiskers showing. A takeover gift.

The vixen is turning into a... nine tailed fox.

"Hey, calm her down!" Mabilis na reaksyon ni Elias.

"I told you, wag niyong minamaliit ang mga Dieners. Marami pang mga gifted sa UA na hindi niyo inaasahan kung gaano kalakas, wag kayong magpakampante." Walang ganang kumento ni Joker.

"Rox! Stop!" Napatayo na rin sa upuan niya si Luceta.

One of her tails is showing... two... three...

"There's. NO. WAY. THAT. ROXANA. IS. DEAD." Humahaba na rin ang mga kuko niya sa kamay. 

Nanatiling nakaupo at walang reaksyon sina Bora at Yadiel. Habang nakikita ko ang pagpipigil ni Xilah sa pagsabog.

"Then, when's the last time you saw her? Talk to her? Or maybe just... heard something from her?" Joker teasingly answered.

"Don't fucking provoke her more!" Giit ni Elias.

Joker looks like she's enjoying it. A freaking psychopath. I glanced at Law. He immediately understood what I'm trying to say. His eyes changed, and cancelled Rox' gift.

"What the-"

Rinig ko ang pasimpleng pag-simid ni Joker nang matigil ang kasiyahan niya.

"I know that it's too sudden, but there's nothing we can do about it." Seryosong sambit ko. "This is going to be a war... even though it's hard, it's our duty as the officials to be the source of strength of the students. Hindi pwedeng tayo ang unang masisira."

Hindi nakasagot sa sinabi ko si Rox at natulala lang siya, unti-unting namuo ang mga luha sa mga mata niya. She started crying.

"Pfttt, kids." Joker tried to stop herself from laughing. "They're really-"

"Among the Dieners." Biglaang sambit ng kanina pa nagpipigil ng paglabas ng emosyon.

Lahat kami ay napunta ang tingin kay Xilah. "Who's the least strongest?" She asked.

Joker got interested with her question. "Hmmm, not really the least strongest." Pag-iisip niya. "But after me, when it comes to physical strength, Heart is one of the weakest."

"Heart it is, saan siya manggagaling?"

"Hmm, since she's coming from Africa, I guess the West- hey, you just have to defeat her King and Queen-"

"Nah." Pagputol ni Xilah. Umangat ang tingin niya dahilan para makita ko ang sumisiklab niyang mga mata. Now, I'm looking at the Venus. "I know some students who can do the task."

It looks like I already know who's she's talking about.

She showed a grin, as if she's not a teacher but a killer. "Fuck the cards, we'll bring Heart's head instead."

"Pero ako ang gagawa!-"

"That's enough." Malalim ang boses na huminto sa sasabihin ni Rox. Magkahawak ang dalawang kamay ni Bora nang pinatong niya 'to sa lamesa.

"With that, your conditions are solved. Right, Joker?" May tono ang pananalita niya. Even though he's hiding it, I guess the old man can't handle one of his granddaughter's death.

Napawahak sa baba si Joker, nag-iisip.

"Hmm. Actually, I have a third condition."

Tila napuno na si Luceta at padabog na tumayo. "Tama na! Namumuro ka na!-"

Ang nakataas na palad at ang pagtikhim ni Bora ang nagpatahimik sa kaniya. Malamig ang ekspresyon niya nang tignan ang katabi ko.

"And what is that?"

There was a sudden silence, before answering his answer. Joker flashed a grin, and said her 3rd condition in a serious tone.

"My third condition."

"If I tried to betray you in anyway..."

"Don't hesitate to kill me."

CHAPTER 9
Condition 2: Kill the King and Queen