Hindi ko inalis ang paningin kila Rupert, Theodore at sa kausap nitong kamukha ng hari ng Northend.

Damn it! Can I trust Trey's words? Totoo kaya ang mga salitang binitawan nito ngayon sa akin?

King Louis IV. Is that really you, Your Majesty? Or this time, our enemy already captured you?

"If he's not the King of Northend, where's the real one?" Natatarantang tanong ko dito. This can't be happening!

"Inside his own dimension," sambit nito na siyang ikinatigil ko. "They locked him up, that's for sure. I can feel it. He's somewhere inside a dimension." Dagdag nito at tumingin sa paligid. Ginaya ko ang ginagawa nito at pinakiramdaman na rin ang dimension na kinalalagyan namin ngyon. "We need to find him before it's too late, Captain Mary. Having someone who look exactly like the King is trouble, big time. They have an advantage winning this war, Captain."

Win this war? They can try! I won't allow that to happen. Habang nasa nandito ako sa mundong ito, they can't rule this world. I will protect this world like Captain Mary always do.

"Trey... paano ka nakakasigurong hindi ang hari ang nasa harapan ni Rupert ngayon?" I calmly asked him.

"I've met the King a couple times now. I know him, Rhianna. And by looking at that man, that's not him." Aniya at hinarap ako. "Now tell me, Captain, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Kunot-noo kong tanong dito.

"Well, we need a plan here. And you can't stay longer inside a dimension. You don't have the ability to stay any longer here. Mapapahamak ka." Aniya at binalingan muli sila Rupert. "Can you hold them for me?"

"What? Ano bang..."

"I'll find the King inside another dimension and you'll entertain them for me. Kapag malaman nilang may pumasok at nagtangkang sirain ang dimensyong ginagawa nila, they will harm the King, that's for sure." Turan nito at niluwagan ang pagkakahawak sa kamay. "Five minutes. Give me five minutes then I'll be back and fight alongside with you."

Umiling ako dito at humugot ng isang malalim na hininga.

"Just do your thing and save the King, Trey. I can handle the three of them," seryosong sambit ko sa kanya at ako na mismo ang bumitaw sa pagkakahawak nito sa kamay niya.

"Be careful," pahabol na sambit nito sa akin at nawala na sa harapan ko. Ikinuyom ko ang mga kamao at hinanda ang sarili sa maaaring mangyari. I closed my eyes and after a few seconds, I open it and attack my enemies.

Sabay kong ikinumpas ang mga kamay ko at lumabas roon ang pula at asul na apoy. Ngayon ay wala na ako sa dimensyong kinalalagyan kanina at nakikita na ako ng mga kalaban ko. Mabilis silang kumilos at iniwasan ang naging pag-atake mula sa akin.

"Captain Mary!" Kita ko ang gulat sa mukha ng impostor na hari. "You're here!" Aniya at humakbang ng isang beses na siyang mabilis kong pinigilan.

"Don't move," sambit ko at itinaas ang isang kamay. "One step closer then you'll lose your precious head." Babala ko dito at naging visible sa mga mata namin ang light strings na ginawa ko kanina kasabay nong dalawang apoy na ipinang-atake ko sa kanila.

One wrong move, their bodies will be torn apart.

"You surprised us, Captain Mary," sambit ni Rupert na siyang ikinataas ng isang kilay ko. "Calm down and dispel the strings. It's dangerous. You will harm the King himself."

"So you think that I'll buy this trick of yours, huh, Rupert? The King? This man is the King of Northend? Really? He doesn't even look like him."

"Captain Mary, this is me..."

"He doesn't even sound like him," sambit kong muli na siyang ikinatigil nila.

"Captain..."

"If you're the King, you can easily escaped from my strings, you know. You can travel dimensions, remember, Your Majesty?" I smirked and started manipulating my light strings magic.

Agad na nagsikilos ang tatlo at nagsimulang putulin ang mga ito. Muli ko silang inatake ngunit sa pagkakataong ito, isang apoy lang ang ginamit ko. I can't exhaust myself now. We're just starting the fight. And I want to use my everything against Rupert. Only him. But first, I need to get rid of this two. Theodore and the impostor King.

"Stop, Captain Mary!" Sigaw nang nagpapanggap na hari at mabilis na tinakbo ang distansiya naming dalawa. Agad kong hinawakan ang espada kong nakakabit sa bewang ko at sinangga ang atake nito sa akin. "You better stop or else, you'll wreck this place."

"Mas maauna kayong masira bago ang lugar na ito," sambit ko at buong lakas na sinuntok ito sa sikmura niya. I heard him cursed at me and took a step backward. "Show me your true self."

"I am the King of Northend," mariing sambit nito.

"So, if you're the King, then I am what? The creator of this world?" I mocked him and immediately dodged Theodore's attack on my right. Ikinumpas ko ang kamay ko at pinatamaan ito ng light blades. Binalingan ko ito at tiningnan nang masama. "You better stop and stay where you are, Theodore. Tanner is with us. He's safe, so you better stop this. Stop being a puppet."

Muli kong kinumpas ang kamay ko noong kumilos ang impostor na hari sa harapan ko. Namataan ko itong natigilan din sa pagkilos kaya naman ay pinagtaasan ko ito ng kilay. Nasa leeg na nito ngayon ang light string ko. One wrong move, he's done.

"Just a piece of an advise, ibalik mo na ang sarili mo sa totoong mukhang mayroon ka bago ako mismo ang magpalit ng mukhang iyan. I don't know, maybe we can try a face of a dog? Or a horse, your call."

"Damn you!" Sigaw nito at noong akmang aatake muli ito, mabilis siyang tinawag ni Rupert.

"Reuben, stop!" Sigaw ni Rupert. "Move away from her." Utos pa nito.

Reuben? So, that's his name?

"Don't fvcking stop me, Rupert! I'm gonna kill this woman!" Sigaw ni Reuben sa harapan ko.

"You can't kill her so better step away from her," muling utos ni Rupert dito. "She's too powerful for you, so stop it now. We can't afford to lose you. You'll be the next King of this realm, remember?"

The next King? Nagpapatawa ba sila? Talagang gagawin nila ang lahat para makuha lang ang nais nila!

"Damn it," bulalas ni Reuben at mabilis na lumayo sa akin. "Once we're done here, I'm still gonna kill you, Captain Mary."

"You can always try, Reuben," sambit ko at nginisihan itong muli.

"Captain Mary, stop this already. Stop protecting this realm and be with me again." Ani Rupert at nagsimulang maglakad papalapit sa akin. Pinagmasdan ko lang ito nang mabuti at noong tumama sa balikat nito ang light strings na ginawa ko kanina ay unti-unting nadidispel ito.

Yeah, right. Alam kong mangyayari ang bagay na ito. Light and dark will always collide. And the one who has the greater power will survive. And in our case, Rupert dark magic overpower my light magic. I will never underestimate this man's power! We once collided before and until now, it's creeping me out!

"We will rule this world, Captain Mary. And with Reuben, we can end the royal family. Without a trace, we'll end them." Dagdag nito at sa isang kurap ko lamang ay nasa harapan ko na ito. Hindi ako kumilos at hinayaan lamang itong hawakan ako sa bewang at inilapit ang katawan ko sa kanya. "This is where you belong, Mary. This is what we dreamed of."

"This is not a dream, Rupert. This is reality. And tell you what, Reuben can't help you about the royal family. He's a useless impostor so might as well kill him before it's too late. You can't have Northend. Never will."

"We have the real King of Northend, Captain Mary." Matamang sambit nito sa akin. I remain calm and stared at him blanking. "We have King Louis IV at hawak namin ang buhay nito. It's checkmate now, my dear. The victory is ours."

"You sure about that, Rupert?" Tanong ko at nagtaas ng isang kilay dito. Ngumisi ako at dahan-dahang inilapit ang bibig sa tenga nito. "Hindi pa nagsisimula ang totoong laban, Rupert. Don't conclude things without checking what's the real situation." Dagdag ko pa at mabilis na itinarak sa puso nito ang kamay ko. Hinawakan ko ang katawan nito at pinirmi sa kinatatayuan niya. Hindi ko hinayaang makalayo ito sa akin. I can touch his own heart and I can even feel its beat.

"Now, this is checkmate... my dear." Mahinang sambit ko sa kanya at ngumiti.

"Rupert!"

"Master Rupert!"

"You b-bitch!" Nahihirapang sambit nito sa akin at mahigpit na hinawakan ako sa balikat. "Let me g-go."

"As you wish," mabilis na sambit ko dito at hindi na nagdalawang-isip pa na hilain palabas ng katawan ni Rupert ang puso nito.

"Master Rupert!"

"Move or you're going to be dead... just like him." Napangisi ako noong marinig ang boses ni Trey. Napabaling ako sa gawi nito at napatango na lamang noong makita si King Louis IV sa likuran nito. He's safe. Kasama na nila ngayon ang Tyrants na siyang mabilis na lumapit kay Theodore at Reuben.

"You're late," sambit ko at binitawan na ang katawan ni Rupert. Bumagsak ito sa sahig, kasabay ng puso nitong hinugot ko mula sa katawan nito.

"I'm sorry," anito at binalingan ang hari. "I never expected that to be a deep and dark dimension."

Napailing na lamang ako dito at nagsimula nang maglakad palapit sa hari.

"Your Majesty," sambit ko dito at bahagyang yumukod. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Thank you for your hard work, Captain Mary. And you, too, Tyrants. Thank you."

"The Queen and the Prince are safe, Your Majesty. Atlas is with them," ani Zahra na siyang ikinabaling ko dito. "He never left. He told us he got orders, too."

"He's just stubborn." Komento ko na siyang nagpangisi sa kanila. "I should know. He never listens to me. Like never."

Mayamaya lang ay nagsidatingan ang mga Northend Knights at dinampot na sina Theodore at Reuben. Tahimik ko silang pinagmasdan at noong may dalawang Knight ang lumapit sa katawan ni Rupert, naalarma ako.

Napaawang ang labi ko noong may namataan akong itim na usok roon at noong hinawakan ng isang Knight ang katawan nito ay mabilis itong tumilapon.

"Tyrants! Escort the King and leave this room!" Sigaw ko at mabilis na tinakbo ang distansiya papunta sa katawan ni Rupert. Ngunit bago pa ako tuluyang makalapit dito, muling tumilapon ang isa pang Knight. I draw my sword and swing it towards Rupert's body.

"Rhianna Dione, don't!" Rinig kong sigaw ni Trey ngunit huli na ang lahat. Hindi ko na napigilan pa ang sarili ko.

It was too late for me, too.

The moment my sword landed on Rupert's body, I felt a strong impact that flew my body across the room. I cursed mentally when I feel the cold ground and when I heard a loud explosion, everything went blank.

Well, I guess this is also a checkmate.