CHAPTER 68 #4
Anastacio remained in his usual serious expression, his eyes fixed on the two giants. The rest of the Six Azure Blades also remained composed, showing no fear despite the enormous mana presence standing before them.
Samantala, si Raja at Lucy Pearl ay parehong napangisi. Para bang pareho nilang alam kung ano ang susunod na mangyayari.
Lalo namang sumeryoso ang dalawang higante.
They could feel it. The overwhelming mana radiating from the woman standing before them was not something they could simply ignore.
The two giants suddenly swung their spears, forcing Rassia and the Six Azure Blades to step back.
Rassia quickly summoned her scythe and drove its blade into the sand to keep herself from losing her balance. Meanwhile, Lucy Pearl and Anastacio suddenly vanished, only to reappear beside Rassia moments later.
"Mga lapastangan!" sigaw ng isang higante. "Ano ang intensyon ninyo?! Hindi namin kayo pahihintulutang makapasok! kung gusto ninyong makapasok sa Mysarea, kailangan ninyo munang harapin kami!"
"Wala pang nakakatalo sa amin!" dagdag ng isa. "Kaya humanda kayo!"
Sabay na naglabas ng magic circles ang dalawang higante. Agad kumalat ang makapangyarihang mana sa paligid nila, dahilan upang umihip nang malakas ang hangin at magsiliparan ang buhangin sa paligid.
Itinaas ng isang higante ang kaniyang hintuturo at itinuro si Rassia.
"Ikaw, babae! ang tapang-tapang mo! babae ka lang naman! wala kang-"
Ngunit bago pa man matapos ng higante ang kaniyang sasabihin, mabilis na humakbang si Rassia.
Her movement was so fast that even the two giants failed to follow her. A second later, the giant's head had already been severed from his body, and his massive body collapsed onto the sand.
Mabilis na kumalat ang dugo sa buhanginan, habang nanatiling nakabukas ang mga mata ng higante.
Nanlaki naman ang mata ng natitirang higante. Ilang segundo siyang tila natigilan bago tuluyang namula sa galit nang makita ang pugot na ulo ng kaniyang kapatid.
"You killed my brother!"
Marahang tumingin si Rassia sa kaniyang scythe, saka sa higanteng kaharap niya.
"Oops. My hand slipped."
Saglit siyang humakbang palapit.
"After all... I'm just a woman."
Mabilis na nagpakawala ng isang napakalakas na magic blast ang galit na higante.
Ngunit bago pa man tuluyang tumama ang mahika kay Rassia, bigla na lamang itong naglaho nang hinawi niya iyon gamit ang kaniyang sycthe.
The magic simply disappeared.
"W-What happened?!" gulat na tanong ng higante.
Marahang ngumisi si Rassia habang nakatingin sa kaniya.
"Only a fool would use magic against me."
Hindi pa man nakabawi ang higante, biglang naglaho si Anastacio mula sa kaniyang kinatatayuan.
The giant barely had time to react.
Isang napakalakas na sipa ang tumama sa kaniya at itinapon siya nang buong lakas patungo sa napakalaking pader ng Mysarea.
The impact shook the ground.
Umalingawngaw ang dagundong sa buong paligid habang tumama ang higante sa bato. Nagkaroon ng malalaking bitak sa pader, at ilang tipak ng bato ang bumagsak sa buhangin.
Maging ang anim sa likod ni Rassia ay tila nagulat sa bilis ni Anastacio. Halos hindi nila namalayan kung kailan ito gumalaw. Isang segundo lamang ang lumipas, at ang napakalaking higante ay tumama na sa pader.
Sa tindi ng impact, hindi na ito gumalaw. The force of Anastacio's kick had been enough to kill him instantly.
Napanganga si Raja habang nakatingin sa eksenang nasa harapan niya.
That was a Sovereign Spirit's strength...
Hindi niya maiwasang mapaisip kung gaano kalakas ang tunay na kapangyarihan ni Anastacio.
Napatingin si Lazlo kay Anastacio.
"Did he even use his full strength?"
Umiling si Raja. "I don't think so."
Samantala, tahimik na bumalik sa tabi ni Rassia si Anastacio, suot pa rin ang kaniyang karaniwang seryosong ekspresyon.
Binitawan ni Rassia ang kaniyang scythe at dahan-dahan nang naglakad patungo sa naglalakihang double doors.
Bahagyang itinaas ni Rassia ang kaniyang kamay.
A red magic circle suddenly appeared above her palm. Her eyes began to glow with a deep burgundy light as her eternal flame mana slowly awakened within her.
The enormous double doors began to tremble. Her eternal flame simply spread through the air, surrounding the massive gates with an overwhelming pressure.
Mabilis na bumukas ang dalawang pinto, as if they had been forced open by an invisible force. The sheer pressure of her eternal flame made the entire gate tremble.
Rassia didn't even flinch. She had opened the enormous gates as if they were nothing.
Lucy Pearl simply smirked behind her sunglasses.
Wala pang sinuman ang nagtangkang magbukas sa naglalakihang batong pinto na iyon. For years, those enormous stone gates had remained closed, standing as one of the strongest defenses of Mysarea.
Pagpasok nila sa loob agad nagtakbuhan ang mga mamamayan nang makita sila.
Some of them hurried into the narrow streets, while others immediately hid behind the old houses as if they were terrified of anyone coming from outside.
Wala ring bantay na mga kawal sa paligid, something that made the entire city feel strangely quiet despite the number of people living there.
Tila natigilan si Rassia sa kaniyang nasaksihan.
Halos lahat ng mamamayan doon ay mayroong kadena sa kanilang mga leeg, at ang ilan ay halos hindi na makatingin nang diretso sa kanila.
Ang mga kawal naman na dapat sana ay nagbabantay sa lungsod ay mayroon ding mga kadena sa kanilang mga bibig, preventing them from speaking freely or even calling out to the people around them.
The sight alone was enough to make Rassia's expression slowly change.
Mas lalong bumigat ang kaniyang pakiramdam nang mapansin niya ang kalagayan ng mga mamamayan.
Ang mga katawan nila ay payat at halos buto na lamang ang natitira, habang ang kanilang mga damit ay maluwag na nakasabit sa kanilang katawan.
Some looked exhausted, while others could barely stand properly.
There were children clinging to their parents, elderly people sitting quietly near the walls, and families who immediately looked away the moment Rassia's eyes met theirs.
Tahimik lamang na pinagmasdan ni Rassia ang buong paligid.
She had expected Mysarea to be poor because of the desert and its harsh environment, but she never expected to see people living like prisoners inside their own city.
Wala siyang nakitang malayang mamamayan, walang masayang tindahan, at walang sinumang tila may lakas ng loob na magsalita. Everything felt controlled.
Bahagyang kumuyom ang kaniyang kamao.
"My lady..." mahinang sambit ni Lazlo habang nakatingin sa mga taong nagtatakbuhan. "This isn't normal... sobrang layo nito sa ekspektasyon ko..."
Bahagyang napatingin si Raja sa isang kawal na nakatayo sa gilid ng daan.
"The soldiers are chained too."
Napakunot ang noo ni Anastacio habang tahimik na sinusuri ang paligid.
"They aren't guarding the city," malamig niyang sambit. "They're being controlled."
Tila natigilan silang lahat habang naglalakad nang mapansin nila ang isang madilim na eskinita.
May ilang bangkay na nakahandusay doon, iniwan sa gilid na para bang wala silang halaga.
May mga langaw na nagliliparan sa paligid, habang ang ilan sa mga katawan ay natatakpan lamang ng maruruming tela.
Habang ang iba ay litaw na litaw ang mga laman.
Walang sinumang lumalapit upang kunin sila o bigyan man lamang ng maayos na libing.
Tahimik na napahinto si Rassia. She stared at the scene in front of her, unable to hide the change in her expression.
Alam kong naghihirap ang lungsod na ito, ngunit hindi ko inaasahan na ganito pala kalala.
"They just fucking left them there..." mahina niyang sambit.
Napatingin si Stain sa paligid bago bahagyang napailing.
"Your ladyship, it seems like this has been happening for a long time."
"No one is even coming to help them." ani Alaric.
Rassia gritted her teeth upon seeing the dead bodies na nilalangaw na at iniwan lamang sa isang sulok ng eskinita.
Kitang-kita na rin sa ilan ang mga buto, habang ang ibang katawan ay halos hindi na makilala.
She stared at them in silence, her jaw tightening as the anger inside her slowly began to rise.
She had seen death before, but seeing people simply thrown away as if they were nothing made something inside her burn.
Why?
Why are they allowing this to happen? Why are these people being treated like they are nothing?
Her eyes slowly moved across the street, seeing the thin bodies of the people who were still alive, the chains around their necks, and the fear in their eyes.
It was becoming harder for her to believe that this was simply a poor city struggling because of the desert.
There was something much worse happening here.
How can they let their own people live like this?
Rassia clenched her fists tighter.
What kind of ruler allows their people to die in the streets and leaves them there like garbage?
Her eternal flame quietly stirred within her, reacting to the rage building inside her chest. She took a slow breath and forced herself to remain calm.
But deep inside, one thought continued to repeat in her mind.
I will punish whoever the fuck is ruling this place.
Rassia looked at the knights standing along the streets, silently staring at her as if they wanted to ask for help. Their eyes followed her every movement, filled with desperation, but none of them dared to approach.
Their mouths were bound with chains, leaving them unable to speak.
"No wonder the knights didn't attack us when we entered," ani Lucy Pearl habang patuloy na nakatingin sa mga kawal na tahimik lamang na nakatayo sa paligid. "Para bang gusto nilang humingi ng tulong sa kahit sinong makapasok dito..."
Mabilis na lumingon si Anastacio kay Rassia nang mapansin niyang unti-unting tumitindi ang kaniyang galit. Tahimik siyang lumapit at marahang hinagod ang kaniyang likod, trying to calm her down before her emotions completely took over.
"Master, calm yourself. We will find out what happened here," mahinahon niyang sambit.