CHAPTER 72 #8
For a fourteen-year-old, Captain Russel is a remarkably brave child. I am glad that I chose him as our captain. He is indeed a Quentin...
Muli siyang napatingin sa abandonadong cathedral.
If another child were to see something this terrifying, they would have already run away in fear. But Captain Russel... he doesn't even look afraid...
Alam ko ring hindi niya nais isama ang iba pang miyembro ng Crimson Vanguard because he wants to protect them. I also sense presences lurking inside... no, not just ordinary presences. Strong presences.
Hindi rin magandang lahat kami ay pumasok dito. There will be no backup if something goes wrong. If all of us enter this place at once, then no one will be left outside to respond if we encounter something stronger than we expected...
Napahigpit ang hawak niya sa kaniyang sandata.
Captain Russel must have already thought of that...
Ilang sandali pa ay nakarinig sila ng isang malakas na sigaw mula sa isang babae sa loob ng abandonadong cathedral. Agad na nagkatinginan sina Keisha at Russel bago sabay na tumango.
Ipinikit ni Russel ang kaniyang mga mata. His hair slowly turned white, a visible sign that he was drawing upon the power of his animal spirit.
Hinigpitan niya ang pagkakahawak sa kaniyang espada at walang pag-aalinlangang mabilis na tumakbo patungo sa cathedral. Mabilis ding sumunod si Keisha, keeping close behind him as they rushed toward the source of the scream.
"Air, heed my breath. Reveal the hidden... Aero Blade."
Russel whispered the incantation as he slowly swirled his sword through the air. Biglang umikot ang hangin sa paligid ng kaniyang espada, gathering into a sharp current that moved with every motion of his blade.
Iwinasiwas ni Russel ang kaniyang espada sa iba't ibang direksiyon, each movement precise and deliberate, as though he were clashing with invisible presences surrounding them. Every swing of his blade was followed by a sharp burst of wind, striking at something that Keisha could not see.
Napatingin si Keisha sa paligid, unable to understand what Russel was fighting against. Ngunit agad siyang napatigil sa kaniyang nasaksihan.
Biglang lumabas ang mga katawan na kanina lang ay hindi nila nakikita. Bumagsak na ang kanilang mga katawan sa sahig. Pugot na ang mga ulo ng mga ito dahil sa mabilis na atake ni Russel.
?There were nine creatures lying lifeless on the cold ground, their severed heads rolling away as thick, black blood oozed from their necks.
?But that wasn't why Keisha suddenly froze in complete horror. It was because of the terrifying looks of the creatures.
"What the...?" napaatras si Keisha habang nakatingin sa mga nilalang na ngayon ay tila abo na lamang.
"They are not mages! t-they are m-monsters... eating humans!"
Tahimik na tinitigan ni Russel ang mga abo ng mga nilalang, his expression remaining calm as he carefully observed what was left behind.
"In other words... they are most likely... demons."
Mabilis na napatingin sa kaniya si Keisha. Huminga siya nang malalim upang pakalmahin ang sarili habang muling pinagmamasdan ang mga abo ng mga nilalang.
"Demons? why would demons be here? paano? hindi basta-basta makakatawid ang mga demonyo rito. The gods and goddesses can sense those who attempt to enter this world with malicious intentions. So how did they manage to get here without being detected?"
Russel remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the ashes.
"That's what I want to find out. It's rare for demons to lurk here in Arcadeya without being noticed. My sister's demon..." bahagya siyang huminto. "I know hers is a good one..."
Bahagya niyang itinaas ang kaniyang espada habang sinusuri ang paligid.
"But these creatures are different. They were hunting humans..."
Demons... I am aware of them. I am not surprised that they require human flesh and blood to survive.
But this is no longer just a case of missing people.
Malakas ang kutob kong marami na silang nabiktima, at maaaring dito rin dinadala ang mga nawawala.
I need to know what's inside this cathedral and who's behind all of this.
If these creatures have found a way to enter Arcadeya and remain hidden from the gods and goddesses, then this could be a threat not only to Vermeleyon... but to the entire world.
I have to find out the truth before this threat grows any further...
Tila natigilan si Russel sa kaniyang sariling realizasyon.
I have heard it from Mikhael... demons do indeed crave human flesh. Not other beings like mermaids, elves, diwatas, or shapeshifters... they want us. The mages. The humans of Vermeleyon.
Bahagyang nanlaki ang kaniyang mga mata habang unti-unting nabuo ang koneksiyon sa kaniyang isipan.
Kaya pala. Kaya pala sa Vermeleyon lamang ang tanging may mga nawawala...
Napalunok si Keisha nang makita niyang naglalakad na papasok si Russel sa abandonadong cathedral. Mabilis siyang sumunod sa kaniyang captain, kasama ang animal spirit.
Nang tuluyan silang makapasok, biglang sumara ang napakalaking double doors sa kanilang likuran. The sound echoed throughout the cathedral, leaving only a faint amount of light coming through the windows.
Bahagyang napatingin si Russel sa mga bintana. It looked like someone had intentionally covered them with thick grass and vines, blocking most of the sunlight from entering the building.
Russel tightened his grip on his sword while Fenris lowered his body, carefully sensing every presence around them.
"Captain!" napasigaw si Keisha nang biglang may humila sa kaniyang paa mula sa sahig.
Isang tila itim na lagusan ang bumukas sa sahig, swallowing the space beneath Keisha as several gray hands reached out from within and dragged her downward.
"Keisha!" sigaw ni Russel nang tuluyan siyang mawala sa kaniyang paningin.
Mabilis na sumugod si Russel, but the opening suddenly began to close.
"Keisha! damn it!"
"Master! this is the territory of demons! It most likely hasn't been discovered by anyone before. Because of my ability and my strong sense of smell, I was able to locate this place! this forest... mukhang naliligaw na rin ang iba nating kasama.
This abandoned cathedral is moving from one location to another! kung sino man ang maghahanap ng lokasyon na ito ay inililigaw lamang ng mga demonyong naririto!"
Napatingin si Russel sa kaniyang animal spirit.
"If that's the case..." mahinang sambit niya habang unti-unting binubuo ang kaniyang hinala. "They most likely allowed us to locate this place."
Bahagya siyang napatingin sa direksiyong hinila si Keisha.
"Because of Keisha... women are the ones disappearing the most... these demons specifically wanted women."
Mabilis na napalingon si Russel sa kabilang bahagi ng cathedral nang bigla niyang maramdaman ang ilang presensya na unti-unting lumalapit sa kanila.
It was the demons.
Isa-isa silang lumitaw mula sa dilim, their silhouettes barely visible beneath the faint light filtering through the covered windows. Some had three eyes, each one glowing faintly from within the darkness, while others had unnaturally long limbs that made their movements look almost insect-like.
May ilan namang halos walang mukha, only a dark, empty surface where their features should have been. Others had twisted horns protruding from their heads, while some crawled slowly across the walls and ceiling as though gravity meant nothing to them.
Muling napahigpit ang hawak ni Russel sa kaniyang espada.
There are too many of them...
"Master... they seem to be lower demons. May mas malalakas pang presensyang nagtatago sa paligid..." ani Fenris, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead.
Biglang sumugod ang mga demonyo sa dalawa.
Mabilis na umiwas si Russel sa unang atake at agad na iwinasiwas ang kaniyang espada. His Aero Blade cut through the air with incredible speed, striking the creatures before they could surround them.
Isa-isa silang bumagsak sa sahig, unable to withstand the force of Russel's attacks.
Then, a low laugh echoed somewhere in the darkness. Napalingon agad si Russel sa pinanggalingan nito, his entire body suddenly becoming still.
What he saw completely stunned him.
Sa malayong bahagi ng cathedral, a tall figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
The demon was smiling widely, a twisted grin that stretched unnaturally across its cheeks.
Matutulis at tila naglalaway ang kaniyang mga ngipin, habang ang kaniyang ilong ay mukha nang bungo.
Mahahaba ang sungay at tenga nito. Itim at mahaba ang buhok.
Ang kaniyang mga mata ay halos hindi na makita dahil patuloy itong umiiyak ng dumanak na dugo na kumalat hanggang sa kaniyang paanan.
?Napaatras si Russel nang umabot sa kaniyang mga paa ang dugo ng demonyo.
?The demon was so unnaturally tall that it made Russel feel genuinely threatened for the first time, its towering presence suffocating the very air around them.
"H-Help! P-parang awa niyo na! T-tulungan mo ako!" sigaw ng babae habang nakatingin kay Russel.
Russel gritted his teeth as the demon's smile slowly widened.
"Hmm... how amusing..." mahinang sambit ng demonyo habang nakatingin lamang sa babae.
"Nanghihingi ka ng tulong sa isang... batang tao? After everything I've done for you, you still believe that someone else needs to save you? Hindi ba dapat ay magpasalamat ka sa akin? I am the one who took you away from the cruel world outside. I am the one who brought you here,
where no one can hurt you anymore. You should be grateful that I chose you..."
Tila nanindig ang balahibo ni Russel nang marinig ang boses ng demonyo.
It was so deep and unnatural that he couldn't tell whether the voice belonged to a man or a woman.
Hindi lamang malalim ang boses nito, there was something strangely distorted about it, as though several voices were speaking through the same throat.
The voice alone was enough to make the entire cathedral feel colder.
Mas lalo napangiti ang demonyo habang patuloy na nakatingin sa babae.