Dedicated to: Irish (Thank you so much for attending our TOS meet and greet event! )

Chapter 43: Iron Grasp

If this was just waiting for the winner between Elena and her opponent as the sand continued to flow from the holes in the wall that would bury us alive— then it wouldn't be challenging.

I couldn't even imagine someone as clever as Danna who's been known for taking risky adventures not just with Father but with King Raheem would just idly watch, sitting on the sands as Father theatrically showed everyone his impossible defeat.

The owner of the House of Pleasure and the prince he was talking about who caused havoc years ago was my father. I wouldn't blame that owner if my existence in this district reminded him of my father— after all an apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

My initial plan was not to draw attention and hide behind this disguise, but my route toward that Holy Land must have been fated this way.

Isa pa, hindi ko rin inaasahan na magiging madali lang ang mangyayari. Might as well enjoy this audience and formally introduce myself— now not just in front of the aristocrats but in front of all the status around this empire.

"Did you already send her the message?" I asked Luna, slightly looking over my shoulder.

She nodded.

"I don't think it's necessary," naiiling na sabi ni Delilah.

"Don't underestimate Elena, she might look like an airheaded woman who knows nothing but fancy dresses, desserts, and love, but this group is full of surprises," kibit balikat na sabi ni Catalina.

Ngumisi ako sa sagot niyang iyon. King Tobias— the wise king of Parsua Deltora wouldn't select untalented women and threw them in a mission that would easily kill them.

Kasalukuyan na kaming magkakatalikuran nina Delilah, Luna, Remi at Catalina habang pinalilibutan kami ng mga halimaw na nagmula rin sa naglalakihang butas sa nagtataasang pader.

Delilah with her knives and arms extended, ready for an attack, Luna with her glowing beads of necklace in front of her, Remi with her bags filled with bags of explosives, and Catalina with the sides of her eyes glowing like scales—showing her forest fairy blood.

Sa halip na kabahan sa patuloy na pagdami ng mga halimaw na ngayon ay umiikot sa paligid namin at anumang oras ay maaaring umatake, kakaibang tuwa ang siyang nararamdaman ko.

Because I knew that despite the threat to our lives these women beside me could fight. My eyes roamed on each creature now sidestepping around us, growling with their mouths open and drooling. Their predatory eyes were focused on us— on their prey. Rare, that despite the raging hunger in their eyes I felt as though they were calculating our movements thinking like a better predator.

I clicked my tongue.

This is a challenge.

Sand hounds, huh?

This was my first time seeing sand hounds rather than in sketches in ancient books. Unlike embargoes with the appearance of a spider-like monster filled with thick black fur, huge teeth, numerous legs, and red eyes, sand hounds were like a thin version of a gigantic monkey. In the naked eye, the traces of bones and skin were evident, and the color of its skin was pale white to peach. Its huge head— not even suited for its skinny body has thick gray fur with two huge horns from its lower mouth. And there were old bandages wrapped on their arms as if these creatures had just escaped their tomb from being mummified.

Alam kong may gusto pang sabihin sa akin si Kreios ngunit isinarado ko na ang koneksyon sa aming isipan at mas binigyan ko na ng pansin ang mga kalaban namin. My plan was to be buried alive in the sand— not to die in the mouth of these monsters. As long as the game was still ongoing, I have to keep myself alive.

"Alright," I said.

In every fight scene, my brothers were always my back up or it would be always one of them who would end the final blow. In other words, most of my attacks were just an addition, some kind of additional damage.

In terms of combat, the fight would always end once Zen, Lily, or Caleb would have their attack.

"Your Majesty, we can take—"

"No. Let me take all these monsters. Just the first wave. Don't worry," when I looked back, I smiled sweetly at them.

Natigilan silang apat sa sinabi ko. Sinalubong ko ang mga mata Luna. "But I need your little help. Can you push them with your power in front of me? Don't worry, you'll just have to do it once, I'll hold them there after you push them."

Pansin ko ang pag-aalangan nila ngunit walang nagawa si Luna at tumango sa akin.

I glanced at Elena at that high-stone platform. Wala na ang atensyon niya sa amin kundi naroon na ang kanyang mga mata sa kanyang nilalaro. Of course, she had to make this game quite realistic. These creatures around us were aware of this board game as this has been part of their tradition. She had to convince everyone who was watching us that she fought back yet she failed.

Habang patuloy na umaagos ang buhangin ay hindi na nakatiis ang isa sa mga halimaw at sumugod na ito kay Delilah, ngunit sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ni Luna ay agad niya itong naitulak sa unahan ko.

"Now, Luna!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

With the force of her power, Luna was pushed into the air with her glowing hand. I saw how her body swirled in the wind until her feet landed in the sand right in front of me— one of her legs was forward with her bent knees, hands extended with the sudden glowing wind tousling her hair and commoner's dress, pushing all the sand hounds back near the hole— in front of me.

"Step back, girls," I commanded.

Delilah, Remi, and Catalina stepped back.

"Hold them for a while, Luna."

Luna nodded.

The sand hounds tried to struggle and attack but Luna's invisible barrier prevented them from another movement.

Walking slowly, taking strides towards Luna, raising one of my arms, and placing it in front of me, I allowed the audience to witness how I ran my tongue slowly in the middle of the inner side of my elbow towards my wrist. And before I could even reach Luna, the nail on my forefinger grew sharp, piercing my own skin— the part where my tongue ran down, dripping my own blood.

With the amount of blood from my arm— with a single slash through the air with the perfect force, my red blood imprinted the sand of a single straight line, creating a visible division between us and the sand hounds.

"I'll take it from here, Luna. Go."

Tumango si Luna kaya nang sandaling ibaba niya ang dalawa niyang kamay, biglang nawala ang kapangyarihan niya sa una.

Two of the sand hounds aggressively jumped towards us. The crowd roared with excitement anticipating the first kill of the monsters.

I grinned, licking the single sharp nail with my own blood.

In a split second, I wasn't standing there waiting for an attack. And before the sand hounds could even step foot inside the red line— my blood— two sand hounds dropped dead with their headless body.

Ang sigawan ay napalitan ng nakabibinging katahimikan sa biglang pagbabago ng pangyayari na hindi man lang nasundan ng kanilang mga mata. They were all caught in confusion, questions, and doubts— looking for the supposed victim of the first attack. Naroon pa ang lahat sa pagtataka ngunit ang napakaraming halimaw ngayon ay ilang beses umatras mula sa pulang linyang gawa ng aking dugo.

"She's there!" turo ng isang lalaki sa himpapawid.

I didn't fly. I just jumped.

Landing on one of the dead sand hounds, followed by two heads falling on the ground. Both arms were drenched with the dripping blood of the monsters. I blew air in front of my face, pushing aside the silly locks of my hair that covered my eyes for view.

"Stubborn hair," I whispered.

Tearing a part of cloth from my chest, ignoring the fact that I could expose my skin more, I casually used it to tie up my hair— still with my bloodied hand. Smiling in satisfaction, I placed one of my arms across my stomach, leaning my elbow on it, and playfully running my fingers on my jaw while slightly tilting my head.

"Now let's count more heads, shall we?" I asked with a smile.

Mas nakabibinging katahimikan ang bumalot sa kabuuan ng lugar na iyon na maging ang lahat ng nilalang na nakadungaw sa amin ay napaatras tulad ng mga halimaw na ngayon ay tila higit na nagkaisip.

"Tell me if you're already getting annoyed with me, Harper. J-Just remind me, my love, alright?"

Sumulyap ako sa kinatatayuan nina Kreios at Livius, kung si Kreios ay tila pinagpawisan, si Livius ay hindi na kapantay ni Kreios dahil tila nakailang hakbang din iyon paatras.

"Who is that woman?"

"How did she kill the monsters?!"

"May nakakita ba?"

"May tumulong ba sa kanya sa labas?"

"She had her blooded arms!"

"Look at the monsters cowering in front of her!"

Hindi ko na sila pinansin at magkasunod kong sinipa ang dalawang patay na katawan ng mga halimaw.

"Now come at me again."

Mas humakbang ako papalapit sa pulang linya— ang harang sa pagitan ko at ng mga halimaw.

I thought this would continue to be more boring after I threatened them once, but the monsters recovered and were now approaching slowly. I planned not to use my voice for now— my physical strength and my agility would do.

Para saan pa ang ilang taong pagsasanay ko kasama si Lily— ang pinakamabilis na bampira sa Nemetio Spiran kung hindi ko magagamit ang natutunan ko sa kanya. Lily told me that even if we were given vampire speed, it was always better to be faster— faster than the naked eye.

Kaya bago pa man may makahakbang na halimaw sa linya ay mabilis na akong tumatakbo roon, at gamit ang mga kamay na may mahahabang kuko ay agad kong dinadakma ang kanilang leeg at marahas na inihihiwalay sa kanilang katawan.

It was either my arms would pierce their necks or snatch it like a phyton on its prey. My vampire grasp had power that could even snatch and bend a metal. Because who else in Parsua Sartorias had a symbolic tree that could grow metal and iron? Who had a brother who had infinite strength?

Even if I hadn't taken the role of a frontline in every battle, there were nights that I had to ask a favor from each of my siblings— asking about their fighting style and their little secrets.

"Can you see this? My tree produces metal, Harper. My tree contributes the biggest strength of our kingdom, from weaponry, infrastructures, and even in economy." Caleb said proudly.

I smiled at him. "Can it break, brother?"

He laughed. "No one can break my metal, Harper."

"You sure?"

"Of course, if you're powerful enough like me, you can break it."

"Teach me."

"Hmm... it will take time for you."

"It's fine, brother. What if I'm caught in a battle and I need to pierce the armor of my enemy?"

Caleb took a portion of the huge crawling roots of his enormous tree, and after he lit it with fire and turned it into metal, he handed it to me. "Then start now, sister. You have to practice breaking this metal just using your hand."

I grinned, remembering how I practiced for months. It was metal— and the necks of these monsters were flesh. There's no way my hands wouldn't pierce it like a piece of cake.

Walong katawan ng mga halimaw ang sunod-sunod na bumagsak sa lupa na wala nang ulo. Ngunit sa pagkakataong iyon ay hindi na sa mga buhangin bumagsak ang kanilang mga ulo— sa halip walong ulo ang siyang umulan sa iba't ibang parte ng kumupulan ng mga nilalang na nanunuod sa amin sa mga oras na ito.

Kung kanina'y halos magtulakan silang lahat upang masaksihan ang aking kamatayan— ngayo'y nagkakatulakan na ang karamihan upang makatakbo papalayo sa inaakala nilang bulwagan tatapos sa aking buhay.

Wiping my cheeks with my bloodied arm— making my face more like a mess and my whole body drenched in blood, I looked around— trying to communicate with the crowd like a mad woman.

"Eh? Aren't we just getting started? We're not even at the peak of the fight."