Fuego's Point of View

A long silence prevailed when Miss Fatima revealed that her cousin is the mastermind of everything that happened today. It took us a couple of minutes to recover from the news. As far as I can remember, her cousin, Carlo, was favored by the god Hephaestus for his love for invention.

Pero ang sabi ni Miss Fatima, ang pangunahing dahilan ng kaguluhan sa siyudad ay ang paglaganap ng superiority complex among the city people.

I was about to ask her when her nod greeted me. Tila ba'y kaagad niyang nakuha ang gusto kong itanong.

"Namatay ang nakababata niyang kapatid." Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya. "Dahil sa rason na 'yan. Carlo wanted to avenge her sister by killing all the people who was only favored because of their love for inventions. He believes that everyone are the same."

Napabuntonghininga ako nang malalim sa sunod na sinabi ni Miss Fatima.

Hatred drives people to the edge that they might regret at the end. Carlo was right to be mad because of the love he felt for his sister. Anger is undeniably part of the experience of grief.

But in Carlo's case, gusto niyang maghiganti. Not only with the person who murdered his sister, but to those people who wronged her and everyone who had the same situation as her.

Nkri and Blaze would agree with me that revenge only provides a short-lived satisfaction.

Hindi nito napupunan ang mga naranasan natin. In fact, mas lalo lang nito pahabain ang pagtitiis sa sakit na nararamdaman.

I was about to say something when a deafening roar of a gigantic monster echoed all throughout the borders of the city.

Napatigil ang lahat sa ginagawa. My eyes gradually grew wider at the sight of the monster. Katulad sa mga kasama ko, umawang din ang bibig ko.

Out of the corner of my eyes, Dion's lips were trembling. And Seilo's face was filled with fear. Erin was looking at the monster with determination. The two, on the other hand, remained straight-faced. Tila ba'y hindi na ito bago sa kanila.

The nine-headed monster once again roared, causing my attention to drift back to him.

"Hydra . . ." ang aking banggit.

In an instant, nagtumbahan kaagad ang mga gusali sa biglaang pagtama ng buntot ng halimaw. The vicinity was then enveloped with the people's cries. Erin never hesitated to flapped her wings, and Seilo disappeared leaving a whoosh sound. Sumunod kaagad sina Yumi at Aresa sa dalawa.

The Lernaean Hydra was born to Typhon and Echidna.

While not the most powerful of its siblings, the Hydra was a fearsome and vicious monster with nine heads at birth.

As far as I can remember―I could be wrong since I am not an offspring of Athena who had a photographic memory―the monster terrorized the Kingdom of Lerna, chasing all of the inhabitants away with the toxic acid and fumes that it spewed at them and killing livestock.

"Fuego, I believe you can handle that monster?" Napalingon ako kay Miss Fatima.

I nodded as a response. Tumingin ako kay Dion. With a single nod at him, he immediately understood what I am implying.

The moment Miss Fatima left, he followed.

Dion fitted for that job. And if I asked the two, I am pretty certain that they won't listen to me.

Me, on the other hand, never think twice to face my palm unto the ground. And manipulated fire with a single attempt. When I burst the flame, it slowly lifted my body into the air.

On my way to where the monster is, nakita ko sina Miss Fatima and Carlo fighting with their fists.

Dion was fighting a Fotian who sided with Miss Fatima's cousin.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Carlo step back when Miss Fatima slash him on his left arm with her flaming sword.

"Shit."

Malutong na mura ang lumabas sa aking bibig nang mapansin ang paparating na maliit na water ball. From the looks of it, mukhang nakakalason ito.

While I was in the air, from afar, I saw Erin shower the monster with her explosive arrows. Yumi manipulated an arrows made out of sunlight. And release them simultaneously.

Seilo, on the other hand, slashed the monster's lower part of his body unceasingly with the speed he inherited from his father, Hermes.

Napailing-iling ako nang makita si Aresa.

She attacks the hydra head on without the trace of fear on her face. She tightens the grip of her sword and shield. Sinalubong naman siya ng isa sa mga ulo ng halimaw. Before the monster could shoot her with a toxic acid, she jumped causing the monster's head to roll upon the ground.

When Aresa landed, a victorious and proud smile never hesitated to be plastered upon her lips.

But that only lasts for a couple of seconds.

My eyes grew wider when I realized.

That's right.

If one of its heads is severed, it immediately stops bleeding and swells like a balloon. Napatingin ako. And it's confirmed. The hydra grows two heads in the place of the lost one by splitting the severed neck in two and turning them into new heads.

"What the fuck?!" Umalingawngaw ang malakas na mura ni Aresa.

Pagkarating ko sa kinaroroonan niya ay tila hindi niya napansin ang presensya ko. Mas nakapokus ang buong atensyon niya kung bakit hindi niya napatay ang halimaw.

Habang ako naman ay napatingin kay Seilo nang marinig ko ang malakas niyang sigaw. Just like that, he decapitated one of the monster's head. He was about to rejoice when two more snake-heads grow from its place.

Seilo's face became more determined.

So did Aresa.

I gritted my teeth. This is bad if they continues to decapitated the heads of the monster. Dahil mas lalo lang itong dumadami. And the more it multiplied, the more the situation gets complicated.

"Guys!" ang pagtawag ko sa kanila. But the timing wasn't good, because the moment I am trying to get their attention, explosion echoed. "Guys!" ang pag-ulit ko.

This time, I finally have their attention.

"Do not decapitate the heads without my signal, understood?" Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Erin nodded. Sumunod naman si Yumi. Except Aresa who was still suspicious of what I said, but a moment or two, she nodded.

"Understood!" I heard Seilo's voice.

With how fast he is, I am having a hard time seeing him.

"You guys can trust me," I frugally said. Tumingin ako kay Aresa na abalang-abala nakikipaglaban sa halimaw. "Try your best to keep the monster busy without decapitating the heads! Magsi-signal ako sa inyo once kung pwede na!" muli kong sigaw para marinig nila ang gusto kong iparating.

The moment I saw them nodded, I drifted my attention to Aresa.

My face quickly grimaced when I saw how annoyed she was. I am pretty sure she dislikes controlling herself. And the thought of keeping her foe busy rather than striking it with all of her strength.

Tumakbo ako papalapit sa kinaroonan ni Aresa.

"Aresa!" I called her. But she never responded, but I know she listens. I immediately face both of my palms unto the ground and burst myself into the air. When I finally found an opening—"Now!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Napansin ko kaagad ang ngiti sa labi ni Aresa.

Hinawakan niya nang mabuti ang kaniyang espada at muling tumalon ng pagkataas. With one strike of her strength, the monster's head fell to the ground. Me, on the other hand, never thinks twice to focus my strength on my legs so I could manipulate fire under my feet to remain levitating.

Nang magawa ko ito ay gumawa ako ng isang maliit na fireball. Out of the corner of my eyes, marahang kumunot ang noo ni Aresa. Tila nagtataka sa nakikita niya. I smiled with that response.

Before two more heads could grow, lumapit ako sa severed neck ng halimaw. Inilagay ko roon ang maliit na bolang apoy. At mabilis din akong umalis.

When the fire touches the skin, it explodes. Causing the monster to growl in excruciating pain.

Sinunod ko lang ang ginawa ni Hercules noong nakaharap niya ang hydra.

Thanks to Nkri, I still remember it. The hydra's lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which was considered an entrance to the Underworld.

The hydra is deeply intertwined with the legendary exploits of Hercules. King Eurystheus tasked the Greek god with twelve laborers; each meant to test his strength, resolved, and cunning to the limits.

Ang paghaharap nila ng Lernaean Hydra ay pangalawa sa mga nakakatakot na task niya. Presenting a challenge unlike any Hercules had faced before.

Hercules set out for the swampy lake of Lerna where the beast lived. Known as an entrance to the Underworld and guarded by the Hydra, the lake was a place of darkness and mystery.

Nahirapan si Hercules laban sa halimaw dahil sa regenerative ability nito. Katulad na lamang na inilathala sa libro, ang hininga at ang dugo ng halimaw ay isang nakakamamatay na lason. That's what I felt earlier when the monster shoot me with a tiny water ball.

"Be careful with the monster's breath and blood!" I warned the others.

My words relayed immediately when I noticed they become careful without losing their determination.

Just like what Iolus did to help Hercules, I cauterized the neck stumps to prevent the regrowth of the monster's head using the fire. And what the others did is like Hercules slashing off the heads.

Aresa slashed off three more heads, and I did the same thing like the first one.

Just as Yumi manipulated sunlight rays, a signal that she's going to slashed off one of the heads, I immediately prepared myself.

She looked at me straight in the eye as if challenging me. I scoff in disbelief. I was not surprised when she managed to decapitate another four heads in a single attack. Napasinghap ako sa paghanga.

Dali-dali akong nag-manipula ng apoy. And burn the skin or flesh from the severed neck.

The next thing that happened, a whoosh sound echoed in my ears. Nakuha ko kaagad ang ibig nitong iparating. Seilo is nearby. Mukhang ako pa ang tatanggap ng signal mula sa kanila. Panandalian akong napatawa.

Pero kaagad na sumeryoso ang mukha dahil alam kong hindi pa tapos.

Nataranta akong nagmanipula ulit ng apoy nang biglang bumagsak ang dalawa pang ulo ng halimaw. So fast I couldn't follow his every move.

Nahagilap lamang ng mata ko si Seilo nang tumigil ito sa pagtakbo. Sumilay kaagad ang ngiti sa kaniyang labi.

But that smile faded so quickly when he was hit by the monster's tail.

Naglakihan ang mga mata ko nang mapansing pati si Erin nadamay. Tumilapon silang dalawa sa mga sira-sirang gusali. I am pretty sure the impact was bad.

Nag-aalala kaagad ako sa dalawa. And within seconds, Seilo came back with Erin on his back. Compared to him, tila mas napuruhan siya. Napangiwi ako nang mapansing may nakabaong nabaling kahoy sa tagiliran niya.

Puno rin ng pasa ang katawan niya.

"Seilo, kaya mo pa bang kumilos?" ang tanong ko.

Napapansin kong duguan din ang ulo niya at mga sugat sa katawan. Pagod na tumango siya. Dahilan para mapabuntonghininga ako.

"Go tend your wounds," I ordered him. Tiningnan ko si Erin na kapansin-pansing nagtitimpi sa sakit. "Bring Erin with you," pahabol ko pa.

He once again nodded.

"No," she insisted. "Wala pa akong na contribute . . ."

"You did contribute! Why would you say that?!" Tumaas ang boses ni Aresa. While Yumi was busy keeping the monster controlled, she managed to agree with her by a single nod. "Seilo, go! Before time runs out!"

Tumingin si Aresa sa halimaw.

"We can handle this fucking monster!"

There are three remaining heads. And at the center is the immortal one. It can't be killed.

"Aresa, can you dig a hole?" I asked her. She looked at me with a questioning look. "That head at the center is the immortal one among the nine heads, it can't be killed."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"The fuck?!" ang pagmumura niya at muling tumingin sa ulong nasa gitna.

Tumingin din ako. "We have to bury that head under a massive rock. And with your immense strength, please find one."

She clicked her tongue one more before she obeyed my order. And now, it is just up to us to finally finish this monster.

As usual, with Yumi's single attack using her sunlight rays, she effortlessly slashed off the two heads. Habang ako naman ay ginawa ko rin ang trabaho ko. Muli na namang umalingawngaw ang malakas na pagsigaw ng halimaw.

I summoned my flaming sword and attacked the remaining head. Just a few inches away, I lost half of my strength.

"Shit!" I mumbled. "I've been relying much on my magical abilities which leave me no surprise that it drains my energy."

Napapikit ako ng mata, naghihintay sa impact ng katawan.

"Idiot."

Aresa's voice met my ears. Napadilat ako ng mata. Napadaing ako nang inis niya akong binitawan. And to my surprise, tapos na siya sa inutos ko sa kaniya.

Damn, how strong can this woman be?

"Yumi, need help?"

Yumi scoffed in disbelief.

That single response, palatandaang kaya niyang pugutan ang natitirang ulo ng halimaw. She summoned her bow, and manipulated a various arrow made out of sunlight. Once she release all those, muling napasigaw ang halimaw sa sakit. Those arrows will serve as distraction.

Thereafter, she summoned a sword that obviously made out of rays of sunlight. Tumakbo siya paikot sa halimaw.

The moment she gathered enough strength on her legs, she jumped as high as the monster's. And slashed the head off with a single attack.

Kasabay niyang bumagsak ang ulo ng halimaw. She never waited to let me speak and grabbed the head. Just as we planned, we buried the last remaining head under a massive rock.

The body of the nine-headed serpent didn't take long to dissolve into the air.