"You mortals really have a death wish, don't you?"

Evil stared at her straight in the eyes.

Ang buong akala ba ng mortal na 'to hindi niya mapapansin ang tracking device na "pasimple" nilang nilagay sa kanyang phone? Nakakatawa. If these idiots are determined to catch a Neverwood, they should do better than that. At this point, he didn't know whether he should be insulted or not that this human girl thinks she can outsmart him.

"Are you gonna get me down from here or what?!"

Sigaw ni kung-anuman-ang-pangalan niya. Wala siyang interes alamin ang pangalan ng babaeng ito. If someone or something isn't relevant or doesn't benefit him (and his goal) directly, Evil forgets its existence completely.

'What's the use of being associated with objects or mortals if they tend to die away quickly?'

"HEY! I'm talking to you, Neverwood."

"Ingay."

"Emo."

"Say that again and I'll kill you."

"Kill me and I'll haunt you."

She glared at him with such intensity. Sinubukan pa nitong kumawala sa patibong na nilikha niya, pero sa huli nagmukha lang isang kiti-kiting nakasalambitin sa ere ang babae.

'It's almost midnight, how does she have this much energy?' Napapailing na lang si Evil. May meeting pa sila mamaya sa sementeryo. Wala siyang oras para i-entertain ang mortal na ito.

"I'll show you mercy if you answer one question, Blondie: why are you following me?"

Napasimangot ang dalaga, halatang hindi nagustuhan ang tinawag ni Evil sa kanya. Just like the first time they've met, she didn't seem to be intimidated by him. Nakakadismaya mang isiping naaalala niya ang babaeng ito, but Evil couldn't deny the fact that she left an impression with how she approached him and with her (laughable) proposal. It's not everyday that he encounters a mere mortal who knows about the Elite Killing Tournament, much less a mortal who has delusions of forming an alliance with him.

"Don't play with me," Blondie spat back. "You know very well why I'm doing this. Sadly, you're just a spoiled brat who refuses to accept help from others!"

Yep, she's delusional. A hundred percent. Paano ba nakatakas ng Eastwood Asylum ang isang 'to?

"Okay."

With that one word, Blondie's eyes lit up with hope that it almost blinded him.

Hope? Disgusting.

"Okay? D-Does that mean that you'll finally form an alliance with the Rebellion?! Teka, kunin ko lang ang memorandum of agreement sa bulsa ko at---!"

"Okay means you're wasting enough of my time," Evil plainly said and shifted into a crow.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ng dalaga nang masilayan nang aktwal ang transformation ni Evil, pero hindi na ito nakapagkumento dahil agad na lumipad ang uwak diretso sa kanya. She was still dangling, her body in an awkward position where her legs were hoisted in the air. Thankfully, she wore her favorite pair of black leggings tonight. Maya-maya pa, napasigaw siya sa gulat nang dumaplis sa kanya ang uwak.

Evil landed on the tree branch opposite from where he was earlier.

In a blink of an eye, he transformed back into a man. Evil adjusted the collar of the black turtle neck he wore and ripped open the piece of envelope with his teeth.

"H-Hey! What are you..."

"Hmm? A memorandum of agreement. How pitiful," Evil commented after scanning through its content. Maya-maya pa, walang emosyon nitong pinunit ang papel at hinayaang mahulog sa lupa ang mga piraso nito. "Wasted paper."

The woman watched in utter shock and silence as the shredded pieces of paper reached the forest floor, ten feet below them.

Evil stood up and pocketed his hands that sported black fingerless gloves.

The condescending look in his eyes was enough to make any mortal question their life choices.

"This is the last time I'm letting you off the hook."

It would be too easy to dispose this girl anyway. Sa oras na impluwensiyahan ni Evil ang isang 'to, he could mercilessly watch her slit her own throat with just one command. Tapos. Walang kahirap-hirap. Hindi madudumihan ang kanyang mga kamay ng dugo ng isang mortal. And oh, how Evil hated getting his hands dirty when he can just command others to do the work for him. Unlike his brothers, Evil doesn't fancy the brutal and bloody dramatics. His killing style is swift and precise and unimaginable.

"Why don't you kill me instead? Akala ko ba forte ninyo 'yon?" Blondie challenged.

This girl has some guts to talk back to him like this, he'd give her that.

"Killing a sinner only adds years to our immortality. I don't need an unnecessary extension... Not when I'm working on finding a cure to our curse," he replied before he could even filter out the information. Pero tuwing naaalala ni Evil ang mga naisakripisyo nila para lang sa misyong ito, hindi niya maiwasang mainis. They were so close yet so far from catching that bastard---the Devil who put a curse on the Neverwoods, the "Boss" of the Elite Killing Tournament.

'When I get my hands on that man, I'll fucking break every bone in his body. My principles be damned.'

Unconsciously, he was already balling his hands into fists. Evil wasn't one to lose his chill. No, not this time.

"Don't meddle with the chaos you aren't prepared for, human. Unless you're suicidal."

Walang-ganang tinalukuran ni Evil ang dalaga at akmang magta-transform na bilang uwak nang marinig niya ang pagsipol sa kanyang likuran. Evil whipped his head to her direction, eyes narrowed when he saw Blondie out of the net. Nakabalik na sa lupa ang dalaga, pieces of rope scattered across the ground beneath her feet while she held a pocket knife in her other hand.

"That's why you need help."

"What?"

Blondie smiled cheekily, brighter than how the moon lit the forest through the gaps in its trees.

"Wala kang rason para tanggihan ang tulong ng grupo namin. We're disgusted by the likes of murderers like you, as much as you're disgusted by humans like us... But setting our differences aside, hindi ba't mas magiging beneficial sa'tin ang alliance na ito?"

"Brave of you to think I'd benefit from mere mortals. Let me reiterate this: I don't need your help. My brothers and I can handle this---"

"You just boss your brothers around and you haven't made much progress in the last few months. Pride won't get you anywhere, you spoiled brat."

Natameme si Evil sa sinagot nito. And the fact that Blondie was saying all that with a genuine smile on her face as if she was just reciting the alphabet is just... what the actual fuck? 'Sino ba 'tong mortal na ito?' He was even more frustrated now (and maybe a little curious).

Well, two can play at that game.

"At ano naman ang magiging 'benepisyo' ng Rebellion sa pakikipagtulungan sa'min?"

The girl dusted her leggings and adjusted her corset. She sighed as if the answer was already obvious. "We rid Eastwood of evil---"

Evil raised an eyebrow.

Blondie rolled her eyes. "Evil as in 'evil'... Pero bonus na lang siguro na mawawala ka rin sa Eastwood, so evil means you too. Anyway, that's basically the Rebellion's goal since the reestablishment of the Elite Killing Tournament last year."

"How nobel."

"Hindi kasi lahat katulad niyo na masamang damo."

Bakit nga ulit nagsasayang pa ng laway si Evil sa babaeng ito? He should've transformed and flew away a couple of minutes ago! Yet here he is, negotiating with a human that would probably either betray him or demand too much of him. Pare-pareho lang ang mga tao. Hindi sila nagbabago. At walang pinagkaiba ang babaeng nakatitig sa kanya ngayon.

"Look, Blondie... It's gonna take more than that to convince me," Evil nonchalantly said. "Now unless you'll prove to be more beneficial to me, it's pointless. Pack your useless hope and go home."

Pero hindi ito umalis.

To Evil's surprise, she stood her ground and pulled out a couple of photographs. She threw them on the ground, just enough so that Evil can make out what the images are.

They were images of a certain mortal his brother, Everick, was fond of...

"Her name's Kleopatra, right? Base sa imbestigasyon namin, she's still 'dead'. You brother can't revive her even with his ability."

"And how does this fit into the equation?"

Blondie smiled again, this time with a hint of sadness. "I know what's its like to mourn for someone who isn't quite dead... Hindi ko alam kung anong relasyon mo sa mga kapatid mo, pero alam kong apektado ka rin sa nangyari noong nakaraan. Seeing a brother you've been with for centuries mourn the death of the maiden he loves everyday concerns you too. You may not be a human, but you still care for your brothers."

"I don't give a shit about those two idiots. Kasalanan nila ang mga nangyari sa kanila."

Evil avoided eye contact.

The blonde woman turned serious.

"What if I told you that the Rebellion has the technology to revive her?"

---

"Time stood still and life mourned,
with every beat of their broken heart;
Time stood still and death recalled,
that anyone can be granted a fresh start."

---Evillois Neverwood