『SKYLER』

TheGSP!

With my eyes and soul twinkling, I faced my friends with the earnest grin I could offer as I proudly tapped in the eargasmic name imprinted in a sticker attached to my chest. Yet, these bozos are looking at me with disgust.

Mga walang taste.

“Tangina. Saan naman lupalop niya nakuha ang pangalan na ‘yon?” Dinig kong bulong ni Riley kay Light.

Kibit-balikat na tumugon si Light, “I actually don’t know… and I felt like that name is a curse from the Underworld.”

Pinanliitan ko sila ng mga mata dahilan upang pagtawanan ako nina Phoenix at Aizen. At kahit gustong-gusto silang saktan, hindi ko magawa dahil pare-parehas kaming nasa likuran ng Colosseum at hindi p’wedeng magkagulo habang wala pa sa mismong arena.

At dahil sa Intelectix ni Light, nagkaroon kami nang tahimik at matiwasay na pagtawid sa lugar na ito na walang kahit anong monster na umaatake.

“Mga bobo…” bulong ko.

I am camouflaged as Polyphemus, and just like me, he is a child of Poseidon. At kahit walang kahit anong katunayan na kaya niyang gamitin ang blessing ni Poseidon, babaguhin ko ang mga nakasulat sa mga libro dahil sa palabas na ipapakita ko mamaya.

At dahil masyadong kakaiba, maangas ang blessing ni Light, hindi lamang ako ang nag-ibang anyo sa grupo. Lahat kami ay nagawang magbago at makihalubilo sa ibang monsters.

Ginala ko ang aking paningin hanggang sa tumigil iyon kay Riley, na ngayo’y isang Sentient Tree. Sa aming limang lalahok sa laban, siya ang may maayos na cover dahil kaya niyang ma-i-manifest ang blessing niya walang kahit anong issue.

The only problem is… Riley is jealous of Phoenix’s disguise, who’s hiding behind an appearance of a red gnome.

“Tch. That was supposed to be mine…” I heard Riley whisper, making Light grimace.

I wryly smiled and drifted my attention to Aizen, who was now in the form of a phantom dressed as a woman. Even though it was really awkward for Aizen to hide his identity with an Eidolons, but Light thought it would be a better fit for his blessing.

Ang kaso lang…

“Hindi ba napapagod si Aizen kakatakbo?” Tanong ni Phoenix.

“Bagay naman sa kanya,” sagot ni Light dahilan upang lalo akong mapangiwi.

Kanina pa tumatakbo si Aizen dahil natitipuhan siya ng ibang mga monsters at dahil iyon sa ideya nina Celine at Light. Nang silipin ko ang mga gwardya, nakatayo lamang sila sa gilid nang napakalaking gate patungo sa Colosseum at walang pakielam sa munting palabas nina Aizen. 

“Should we help him?” I asked.

“No. He deserves it.” I grimaced to Light. He may disguise himself as a Eudaemon, a kind spirit, but his evilness inside of him wouldn’t just disappear. Especially after what he did to the girls.

I roamed my sight, looking at the crowd outside the backstage. The girls are brooding in our direction, specifically to Light. Aizelle became a harpy as if Light was really letting her feel his anxiousness towards her, while Sue became a Sphinx. Celine was a Chimere by choice, and Sabrina disguised as fury.

On the other hand, Sapphire declined Light’s offer, especially that she could transform back to her soul form. And Xian hid the use of an invisibility cloak given by Tita Savannah.

The thunderous voice of every monster cheering, booing, and chanting to the crowd echoed as the announcer finally put the battle of might into action.

“Let’s get ready to rumble! Our first challenger is known as a guardian of every forest in the Divine Continent. A ferocious-looking monster— Senti the Sentient Tree! Is he the one fated to defeat Goliath the Golem, who’ve been undefeated for ten years?”

“It’s me…” Bulong ni Riley kasabay nito ang dahan-dahan na pagkubra ng isang ngiti sa kanyang labi at dahil sa istura niya ngayon, hindi nababagay na ngumiti siya sa oras na ito. Mukha siyang si kamatayan na susundo sa amin.

At sa pagtapak nilang dalawa ni Goliath sa gitna ng Colosseum, ang malakas na ugong ng isang gong ang umalulong sa buong Colosseum. Binaba ni Riley ang kanyang kamay at hinayaan itong kumapit sa lupa hanggang sa humaba nang humaba ang ugat nito.

Nang makita ni Goliath na siya ang unang naghanda para sa kanyang atake, sumugod ito kay Riley at dahil isa siyang bato ay naging mabagal at mabigat ang kanyang pagsugod dito dahilan upang magkaroon ng sapat na oras si Riley para sa kanyang atake. Isinampal ni Riley ang kanyang kamay rito dahilan upang tumalsik si Goliath palabas ng Colosseum.

Saglit na nabalot ang buong paligid tila inaalam kung tunay ba ang nangyari hanggang sa muli silang umingay.

“Senti! Senti! Senti!”

Riley boastfully mocked the other challengers as he walked back in our direction. The other monsters glared at him, but they were not allowed to harm any monsters outside the vision of the audience, or else they will be killed. The announcer took time to finally get back to his senses, the other matches proceeded, but when I felt my time had come, my heart couldn’t stop beating out of excitement.

“And now a fierce battle has come to entertain all of us. Let’s welcome—Axe the Skeleton Pirate and TheGSP the Polyphemus!”

Nang makarating kami sa gitna, mabilis niya akong sinugod gamit ang kanyang espada. Dahil isang skeleton lamang siya na may sumbrero na pang pirata, mabilis at mahirap masundan ang kanyang mga galaw lalo na dahil sa aking anyo ngayon.

At kahit alam kong isang man-eating ang disguise ko ngayon, hindi ko babalakin na kainin ang isang ‘to. Wala kasi siyang taste.

“Should I finish this?” I asked myself.

The Skeleton Pirate once again charged towards my direction, but before he could even finally get near me, I gathered a large amount of water around him, making Axe dumbfounded. As soon as he reacted, the water chained him, squeezing him until his bones showered in the Colosseum.

“TheGSP! TheGSP! TheGSP!”

Nang bumalik ako, nakabusangot ako sa kanila dahil hindi ko man lamang na-enjoy ang once in a lifetime experience na ito tapos pinagtatawanan pa ako ng mga tangang sina Phoenix at Aizen. Samantalang si Light ay naghahanda na dahil siya ang susunod at si Riley naman ay patuloy na niyayabangan ang mga kalaban sa paligid.

Nawala ang atensyon ko kay Light na nasa gitna na ng Colosseum dahil naramdaman kong may kumukulbit sa aking likuran na sa tingin ko’y alinman kayna Sapphira at Xian iyon. Bago pa ako makaimik, bigla na lamang akong hinila sa loob ng cloak ng bobong si Xian.

“What the fu—”

“Shh!” The fuck is wrong with Xian’s brain? I grimaced at him while experiencing a nightmare with our faces an inch away from each other. “Calm down. May masama akong kutob sa kalaban ni Light.”

“Dapat kay Light mo sinasabi ‘yan. Ako pa talaga—”

“Tanga. Mukha bang may blessing ako para makalaban? At isa pa, naka-disguise rin ang mga kalaban ni Light at kamukha ni Medusa pero ibang kulay.”

“Mga?”

Asar niya akong tiningnan, “Paulit-ulit tayo? Wala ka bang tiwala sa ‘kin?”

“Gusto mo bang sagutin ko talaga ‘yan?”

Naiilang na kinagat ni Xian ang pang ibabang labi niya’t mahinang tumawa, “On a second thought, don’t bother. Pero hindi ba kayo delikado… pag natalo si Light d’yan, mawawala ang mga disguise niyo? Pero kayo lang naman ang delikado kasi pinaalis ko na sina Celine sa puwesto nila.”

Nang itulak niya ako palabas sa cloak, sinabi ko agad iyon kayna Phoenix at Aizen dahil walang kuwenta ngayon si Riley. Hindi pa rin kasi siya tapos sa pagyayabang niya.

Isang hydra ang kalaban ni Light ngayon, kung tama ang nakikita ni Xian ay bagay na bagay ang disguise na ito para sa mga kalaban ni Light—Stheno and Euryale, ang dalawang kapatid ni Medusa. Hindi sila katulad ni Medusa na mukhang tao dahil kalahati lamang iyon sa kanila samantalang ang ibaba nila ay buntot na tulad sa ahas.

“Light is actually sweating right now.” I heard Riley say, who’s finally done with his mockery.

The hydras’ heads are like whips right now, and if I’m not mistaken, they are the tails of the Gorgon Sisters. Light is currently a bit hesitant with his movements, as if he is being cautious with his actions.

And with the use of his blessing, his voice suddenly rang inside of our head, “Go, hide, morons.”

In his signal, Riley immediately grabbed us and hid us by making a huge tree, looking alike with his current appearance. That’s why the monster around us didn’t waste their time on us.

“He’s serious. But it took the rest of us to fight Medusa herself. How the hell is he going to defeat if there are two?” Phoenix asked.

Aizen brooded at me, “Bakit kayo lang ang nakalaban? Paano naman kami? Tapos ang lakas pa ng labanan ni Light! Ang unfair!”

Light frowned before copying Aizelle’s secret art in order to make an omnidirectional attack. With his sudden boost of power, the disguise of the Gorgon Sisters vanished into thin air, making the crowd chants be more aggressive towards them, but it didn’t make them lose their attention to Light.

“Cheaters! Cheaters! Cheaters!”

“Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!”

I squinted in their direction; they are hissing to Light as if they are talking to him. It only means that they knew what happened to Medusa and what we did to her.

“We should help him—” And before Phoenix could run towards Light’s direction, something stopped him.

Aizelle slowly removed the cloak covering her with her disguise no longer intact with her skin. I looked beside her and saw Xian with his cheeks looking like a tomato.

“He can handle this,” Aizelle said. Magkatampuhan kayo ‘di ba? Bakit may landian na palihim?

Ngumisi si Phoenix at may binulong kay Aizelle na nagpangiwi rito samantalang ako ay bumusangot kay Xian na pulang-pula pa rin hanggang ngayon. “Isusumbong kita kay Light,” bulong ko rito.

“Watch him.” Aizelle smiled.

Our covers are slowly vanishing, along with a tremendous magic building around the Colosseum. Light remained standing as the Gorgon Sisters started to charge at him once again, yet they immediately stood back when a lot of holographic screens appeared of Light.

“Watch him blind us with his second secret art…” Aizelle whispered.

With her words, I locked my eyes to Light as a humongous snowy-white magic circle slowly devoured the Colosseum, terrifying the audience watching nearby as the pastel blue horizon leisurely vanished into a black marble sky.

For the past three years, none of us have relaxed. All of us trained like hell, just to prevent that misery from happening again. And with the help of my mother, she trained Light with all the knowledge she had from being the first child of Athena.

Astraeus, ruler of the stars,
Bestowed me the light, the power of heavens.
Seven Sisters of the Dusk;
Maia grant me thy strength,
Alcyone, thy queen who wards off evil,
Guide the path of the good.
Asterope vanquish the nightfall with your light,
Celaeno grant me thy shine,
Taygete, give me thy everlasting power.
Electra bind me with warmth,
Merope wonderer of the lost;
Guide the path of the lost.
Daughters of Atlas,
O, Seven Sisters of the heavens,
Shine!

The humongous magic circle beneath his feet slowly rises, covering him until it reaches the dark blanket horizon. The magic circle turned into a speckle of dust, forming the symbol of the seven sisters under Artemis’ care. The seven majestic rays of light cast down to the Gorgon Sisters, narrowing their path in order for them to escape his attack.

And as the crowd once again grew loud, Light’s disguise vanished, making their cheer become out of their hunger.

A delicious demigod was currently standing in front of them.

Shit!

“Takbo, mga tanga!” Sigaw ni Light, bago pa man kami makapag-react ay naglaho na agad siya sa aming panginin kasabay ang pagkawala ng puno ni Riley.

Ang mga niyayabangan ni Riley kanina ay gutom na gutom kaming tiningnan. “Tangina ka kasi, Riley,” bulong ni Xian.

“Si Aizelle—” At ang gagong iyon ay wala na pala sa aming harapan. Ang galing naman, iniwan pa ang bobong si Xian.

“Let me help you.” Sapphire’s voice sounded soothing for a moment, and in just a blink of an eye, we were standing in front of the next passage towards the sanctuary.

We glared towards Light’s direction, who’s now laughing because of our reaction while Xian is crying beside him while punching his arm. “Kingina kayo! Wala akong blessing na panlaban tapos iiwan lang ako ni Aizelle ro’n! Isa pa itong si Riley!”

“Guys…” Sue called. “We have company. What should we do?”

“Fucking run!”

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