Weirdos III: The Untouchable...

Author's Note [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Hey.

Welcome to the third installment of the Weirdo Series! Yey.

Once again, thank you sa mga sumuporta sa first 2 books at mas malaking THANK YOU
sa mga taong kumapit sa kwento kahit na sloppy at walang gatol ang way of writing
ko. Lel.

Anyway, if the 2nd installment introduced us to the bigger world of weirdos, the
3rd installment will bring us to the behind-the-scenes of their seemingly perfect
and beautiful world. Ibig sabihin ay magagawi tayo sa darker side of things ng
weirdo society. Unti-unti na ring magiging seryoso ang mga events sa paligid nina
Ike at RB at ng buong Emerald.

But of course, mananatili pa rin ang magic ng Emerald lalo pa ngayon na sila ang
magho-host ng isang malaking event which is the Collegiate Magical Mayhem
Tournament. This book is probably going to be the craziest book sa buong Weirdo
Series. Sana nga lang eh mabigyan ko ng hustisya ang plot na nasa isip ko.

Alam ko rin na maraming naghanap ng BS sa Weirdos II kaya pagbibigyan ko na kayo

ngayon dito sa Weirdos III. MAGBUNYI MGA TIMAWA!!! At mas lalong magbubunyi si RB.
Lel.

This is the penultimate installment of the series kaya alam kong marami na ang
naghihinala na may mga mamamatay sa book na 'to. And yes, magbabawas-bawas na po
ako ng characters dahil malapit na ang ending. Haha.

Anyway, 'yun lang. Please comment your thoughts sa bawat update and always support
Ike and RB! Welcome to Weirdos III: The Untouchable Lady.

Emerald, fight!

TheAshtone

        Prologue [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Eh... This is lame. I'm so bored, Jaeron. Can we please go out now? It's
been a few days already since we faced the agents. I think I'm gonna die of boredom
if I stay here any longer," Iris whined before burying her face on the table.

"Are you an idiot? We're still hot in the eyes of the agents. We can't just go out
whenever we want to. And besides, we have everything we need here and we can just
ask some of our connections outside to bring us whatever you want," Jaeron replied
from his desk.
Iris frowned at the knife she's currently playing with. "It would be better if I
actually encounter the agents right now. Especially that fox guy. I don't like him
because he took Ike away. I wanna ruin his cute little foxy face and cut his little
foxy body with this knife."

Jaeron just took a deep breath as he scanned a stack of photographs he's holding.
Some of the villains sat silently on their chairs while some snoozed on the sofa.
At the far corner of the room is a television where a news report is currently
being displayed.

"We totally failed in our last mission, some of our men got caught, and now we
can't even go out of our hideout. Well, at least they weren't able to catch any
important person from our inner group. But aside from that, did we even gain
anything at all in our recent failure?" Hizrot asked from his chair.

Jaeron frowned at him. "What are you even talking about? We may have not achieved
our ultimate goal but there's still a silver lining in our failure. You see, we
have planted doubt in the people inside the Department of Magic, NMLEA, and
Emerald. People will think that these seemingly invincible institutions also have
weaknesses that can be exploited by the villains. And besides, the very people
working inside these institutions will start doubting each other. We initiated the
cracks in their foundations and we just simply have to watch as those cracks slowly
spread and weaken those great institutions."

He smirked before transferring his eyes to the television where the same news is
still being reported.

"Removing Lauchengco from his post was a big mistake for the Department of Magic.
It will only allow our men to infiltrate deeper into their system. As for the NMLEA
and Emerald, I know that it's going to be difficult to take them down. But I am
confident that once the Department of Magic falls to our hands, those two will
follow shortly," Jaeron said.

"How exactly? For as long as Esmerelda's the headmistress of Emerald, taking over
the school is basically impossible," Corven asked from the sofa.

"Well, Devon did a great work spying inside Emerald. He was able to gather some...
interesting and useful information from inside the school while he's still there,"
he replied.

"Like what?" Warner, the Overloader Weirdo, asked.

"My little brother's really awesome, after all," Iris said.

"It seems that Emerald is going to host a huge event this year. I'm also waiting
for the confirmation of our connections inside the Department of Magic. As I said
before, we can't defeat Emerald in a head-on clash. We have to work our way slowly
and surely from their backdoor just like what we did last time," Jaeron explained.
"We can't send another spy in the school. I'm pretty sure they're going to tighten
their security tenfold. They won't fall for the same trick twice," Vandrick replied
flatly.

"I know. What do you think will happen if more villains suddenly sprouted all over
the city right after what happened in Emerald and NMLEA? I think it's time for the
villains to make their presence felt once more..."

At that moment, someone suddenly knocked at the metallic door at the far end of the
room. Jaeron flicked his fingers and the door clicked lightly before swinging open,
revealing a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses despite the darkness of the room and
the empty hallway behind him.

"Come in, Leroy..."

The man stepped inside the room without a second glance behind him. The door
creaked slowly before shutting close with a dull thud.

"I hope you have good news for me, old friend?" Jaeron asked without looking at the
guy.

"They are ready, Jaeron. My connections all over the country have already informed
the street villains of their mission. Don't worry, we didn't give them any vital
information from our plan. They're just going to make the agents lives a bit more
interesting and challenging in the next few months," Leroy replied.

A small smirk curved across Jaeron's face. "Excellent work, Leroy. I know I could
rely on you. Help yourself to some beer."

Leroy sat comfortably on a stool before stretching his legs. "Ah, I'm fine with
water. I just came here to inform you about the good news. Anyway, it seems that
you are in a good mood today, Jaeron?"

"Of course I am in a good mood today, Leroy," Jaeron replied with a smile.
"Everything is going smoothly according to the plan... In fact, we're already
thinking about what to do for the following months."

Jaeron stood up from his chair before pasting the pictures he's holding on a board
behind him.

"All these years, we villains have flailed around aimlessly like a snake without a
head. And I must say, I have struggled to keep the Legion of Death together. Some
of my friends turned their backs on me and I thought of giving up sometimes. During
those times when I can see nothing but darkness ahead of me, that's when my urge to
win becomes stronger. I know that Serafina is still alive, that she's just waiting
for the right time to strike. Whenever I gaze into the darkness that every night
brings, I know that Serafina is hiding somewhere in that darkness... watching,
waiting. And I, as her servant, must fulfill the promise that I gave her many years
ago," Jaeron said.

His gaze went back to the pictures pinned on the board behind him. His eyes
suddenly gleamed as he scanned and gently touched the pictures. The photographs are
all taken in the same place and they contain the very same subject. But those
pictures mean everything to Jaeron, everything.

"Esmerelda is a clever, clever woman. But as I always say, no matter how bright the
sun shines, it eventually has to go down and give way to the darkness," he said.

Jaeron glanced at everyone in the room before smiling. It will still probably take
them a long time to fulfill their plans but he can already smell the sweet scent of
victory right now.

"Everything is going to change, even for Emerald itself."

        Chapter 1: Sinister Signs [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The society, as we know it, is slowly changing.

Dark rain clouds completely covered the late afternoon sky. Occasional rumbles of
thunder can also be heard from the thick layers of cloud above. Despite the signs
of approaching rain, the air is still warm and dry, the only indicator of the harsh
summer that everyone is currently experiencing. In fact, this is the first time
that rain clouds have appeared in the sky after weeks of relentless summer heat.

The occasional thunder and the current noise of the cars outside added to the
cacophony on the streets. Commuters, especially those who haven't brought any
shield from the incoming rain, walked hurriedly in hopes of not getting caught in
the looming downpour. It's rush hour and everyone is busy minding their own
businesses.

I took a deep breath as I gazed out of the grocery store's huge glass walls. It's a
good thing that I brought an umbrella when I left the house earlier. It seems that
it's going to rain soon.

"Thank you, sir! Come again!" the lady cashier said to me before handing over the
bag of groceries that I bought. I gave her an awkward smile before walking out of
the store.

I looked up to the sky the moment I stepped outside. The clouds above have become
even darker and thicker. Even the rumbles of thunder have become more frequent. I
immediately wore the hood of my shirt and opened my umbrella before walking once
more.

I haven't even walked for too far when a very strong rain suddenly poured from the
sky accompanied by powerful winds. The splatter of the raindrops on the streets and
the howling of the wind added to the rush hour noise. I held my umbrella tightly
and walked slowly to avoid getting soaked in the deluge.

I passed by an appliance store where huge televisions are displayed on their

window. The televisions are all showing the same news report. I abruptly stopped
walking before watching the news.

"...the Emerald School of Magic, Department of Magic, and National Magical Law
Enforcement Agency have conducted a press conference about the recent events that
happened inside these institutions. Headmistress Esmerelda Evanesca led the joint
press conference held inside the school yesterday to answer some issues regarding
the security of the students inside the top magical school in the country and the
security of the people after the recent attack of the villains in the agency. Here
is the clip of their official statement..."

Professor Evanesca suddenly appeared on the screen. They appear to be inside one of
Emerald Building's halls. Behind the headmistress stood Franc Lena, Professor
Elena, and an old man whom I presumed as the Deputy Headmaster of the School of
Commons. The OIC of the Department of Magic was also there.

"The villains have indeed infiltrated our school. In fact, they have almost
succeeded in their plans of removing me from my post, tainting the name of our
school, and capturing two of our best students. I'm afraid to say that even I was
fooled by the cunning and clever spy that they have sent to our school. Not to
mention that they were also able to break into the NMLEA Main Training Center which
everyone knows as one of the most heavily guarded places in the NMLEA compound.
Truly, the villains are a force to be reckoned with and their very presence inside
these institutions is enough to raise alarm in our citizens and especially in the
heart of the parents."

The headmistress suddenly glared at the camera. The intensity of her gaze was so
strong that I even had to look away from her.

"But I say this to all the villains out there, no matter how hard you try to
destroy us, we will always remain strong. No matter how hard you try to make us
crumble from the inside, we will always rise from the rubble stronger than ever
before. No matter what tactics you use to hoodwink us, we will always uncover and
squash your futile attempts to overthrow us. We are strong. We are united. We will
not fall."

I felt all the hair in my body standing on their end upon hearing Professor
Evanesca's words. Despite the darkness around me, despite the howling winds blowing
all over the place, despite the cold rain pouring from the sky, I felt a strange
feeling of warmth inside me by just seeing the headmistress standing mightily in
front of the press. Some of the people outside who were also watching the news
exclaimed in delight.

"Ha! I told you they were no match for Esmerelda! Look at Lauchengco. He tried to
meddle with the school and where he is now? He's fired from his job and is under
investigation now. And Esmerelda is still the headmistress of the school! I never
doubted the credibility of Esmerelda and look, I was right about her all along!" a
man behind me said.

"Well, they certainly did a good decision by having Esmerelda read their official
statement. She's the former number one agent and the villains truly fear her.
People will certainly feel secure just by seeing her together with the NMLEA and
the Department of Magic," the other guy said.

I took a deep breath before walking once more. The intensity of the rain and the
winds have not toned down any lower. Our village is only about a fifteen-minute
walk from the city center that's why I don't take any ride whenever I go outside.
But today's unexpected change in weather is certainly not good for walking.

Things have been really chaotic in the past few months for Emerald and for the
entire weirdo society as well. Apart from the attack of the villains on the NMLEA
Main Training Center, a few incidents involving the villains have been reported
weeks after the attack. And just a week ago, an agent station in a secluded town
outside the city was ambushed by a group of villains. A few agents died and some
were severely injured. The perpetrators haven't been caught yet.

It seems that the villains, instead of regressing and going into hiding after the
recent failure of the Legion of Death, have become even more active and bolder with
their actions. Crimson has been messaging me a lot over the past month and he's
been complaining about working overtime and extended patrolling hours. Even the
agents know that the villains are getting a lot more active than usual.

For the past couple of months, the NMLEA has been headed by an OIC appointed by the
communis president. There isn't still a new secretary for the Department of Magic
up until this day. But based from the news reports that I've watched, it seems that
the new secretary will be named within this week.

I arrived in our village a litte past six in the evening, soaking wet and shivering
a bit from cold. I'm currently alone in our house because my parents and siblings
are in our house in the farm. It's summer that's why there are a lot of things to
do there.

I was about to open the gate of our house when I noticed something unusual. The
gate was locked but the front door is slightly ajar. And as far as I remember, I
locked all the doors when I left the house earlier. I scanned the entire house
warily before opening the gate slowly. I checked first the red pearl bracelet given
to me by Professor Evanesca before walking into the house.

I flicked my hand upwards and all the switches in our house clicked, activating all
the lights. I carefully checked every nook and cranny of the house for an intruder
but I didn't seen any signs of break-in or any lost things from the house.

"Oh well, silly me. I must've left the door open," I said to myself before heading
straight to my room to change clothes. The rain outside hasn't stopped yet and it's
not showing any signs that it's going to stop soon.
I was in the middle of changing clothes when I heard a rustle directly behind me. I
quickly turned around but a person suddenly jumped on me, making me fall backwards
to the floor.

"HUBBY!!!"

I immediately pushed RB off of me. "Wait a sec! I'm still changing! Can't you see
I'm only wearing my underwear?!" I snarled at him.

RB smirked. "And that is the reason why I jumped on you. I'm in heat today, hubby!
Satisfy wifey!" he said before running a hand from my chest down to my crotch.

I stared at him flatly before pointing an open hand to him. RB was suddenly lifted
from the floor before being glued to the wall. I quickly wore a shirt and shorts
before clicking my fingers, making RB fall to the floor.

"For f*ck's sake, you almost scared me to death! And what are you doing here,
anyway? I thought you were still in that stupid training camp?" I said while
massaging my chest.

"We don't have training sessions on Sundays. And besides, it's our first monthsary
today! I already told you last evening that I'm gonna go here to celebrate our
monthsary together. Wait, why is Ike so surprised? Did Ike invite somebody else?!
Is hubby cheating on me already?! How could you?!" RB said dramatically.

"Shut the hell up. I expected your arrival today but I didn't expect that you're
going to jump on me, dammit!" I fired back, throwing a pillow at him

RB stood up before sitting beside me and hugging my arm. "I'm sorry if I scared my
crybaby hubby. Happy 1st month, hubby! I love you!" he screamed.

"Jeez, you don't have to shout," I said, pushing him away from me.

"I got you a gift! It's a pair of sports shoes. They will make you feel really
comfy especially during our strenuous activities in Combat Ed. They're also
fireproof, waterproof, and shockproof so they'll be completely safe even if you use
your Fire or Lightning Weirdness," RB said before giving me a box.

"These are really expensive. You don't have to spend that much just for a gift," I
said, shaking the box a bit.

"Well, ever since I turned 18, I've been given permission by the law to use the
money that my parents had left me. And duh, I only want my hubby to get the best,"
he replied.
"Fine. Here's my gift," I said, throwing a paper bag at him.

"Ooh, a jacket! Hubby wants me to feel his hug whenever I want to," RB said before
wearing the jacket.

"Shut up. And I got you another gift. Hindi kasi ako kagaya ng iba diyan na isa
lang ang regalo," pasaring ko naman.

RB smirked. "Who told hubby that I only have one gift for him? I brought another
gift with me-"

"Yeah, great. Alam ko na kung saan 'yan papunta. Let's go to the kitchen and help
me with our dinner. Hindi kita papakainin kung hindi ka tutulong. And behave
tonight or else you'll sleep in the doghouse," I said before walking out the door.

"Ike can act all cool but I know you've been wanting to do it with me. Just admit
it, hubby. I know it's building up," RB said maliciously as he followed me down the
stairs.

"I can live without sex, wifey," I fired at him. "Hindi ako kagaya ng iba diyan na
makakita lang ng malaking crotch eh basa na agad. Hurry up and help me in the
kitchen if you want to eat tonight, idiot."

"Fine," RB said lifelessly.

I turned the TV on before heading straight to the kitchen. Inayos ko na muna sa ref
'yung mga pinamili ko kanina sa grocery store. Sumunod naman sa 'kin si RB na wala
sa buhay na naglalakad.

"Ano'ng gusto mong lutuin ko?" tanong ko habang nakasilip sa bintana. "Ang lakas pa
rin ng ulan sa labas. Gusto mo ba ng may sabaw?"

I looked back at RB and caught him staring at me with a dreamy look on his face.
"Ah... I am such a lucky bitch..." he said.

Binato ko naman siya ng sandok na hawak ko. "Hoy, umayos ka nga. Meron ditong
repolyo, gabi, tsaka mais. Gusto mo ng nilagang baboy? Maulan naman sa labas kaya
masarap 'to ngayon."

"I'm fine with that. What should I do, then?" RB asked.

"Magsaing ka na lang muna. Ako na maglilinis nitong karne," sabi ko naman.

RB gave me a salute. "Roger, hubby!"

Habang abala kami sa kani-kanya naming gawain ay nangumusta naman ako sa kanya.

"So, kumusta naman so far ang training camp ninyo? Ano ba'ng hitsura ng Sierra
Magical Institute?" tanong ko.

"Ugh, it's so damn tiring. We're already on our final week though. There are some
pretty crazy guys from other schools as well. People really have a lot of
expectations especially with us because we're from Emerald. But Jared and I were
able to handle all the attention and pressure. I was able to create a few moves and
I'm looking forward to use them starting this June. I also have a really sick move
that will blow Ike's mind," RB said.

"Yeah. Looking forward to it," I replied flatly.

"Regarding the Sierra Magical Institute, it's actually located on the very top of a
high mountain that's why the weather's always cool and it's really foggy. Emerald's
grounds are way more beautiful and larger compared to them but they also have
state-of-the-art facilities and really towering buildings. It's a pretty good place
to train because you really have to fight for air due to the high altitude of the
place. I wouldn't mind studying there, though," RB added.

Napatitig na lang ako kay RB habang abala siya sa paghuhugas ng bigas. Tadtad kasi
ng pasa at maliliit na mga sugat ang mga braso at mga binti niya. May benda pa
'yung isa niyang paa at iika-ika din siya kung maglakad. Saka ko lang din napansin
ang ilang Band-Aid na nasa mukha niya.

"Sigurado ka ba na ayos lang ang training camp ninyo? Mas mukha kang nabugbog kesa
nag-train. May painkiller diyan sa medicine box. Uminom ka na lang mamaya," sabi
ko.

RB gave me a carefree smile. "Is hubby worried that my porcelain skin might get
ruined? Don't worry! I'm totally fine! Jared and I have been receiving quite a lot
of injuries but we won't die. Jared looks worse than me, though. He has no choice
but to be the target of our attacks because of his weirdness. But the training camp
has helped us a lot in finding new ways of using our weirdnesses. I'm thankful that
I've been invited, really."

"Okay. Pero kung gusto mong magpahinga eh magpahinga ka na lang muna. At kung hindi
mo kaya, 'wag mo nang pilitin. Kaya ko naman ditong magtrabaho nang mag-isa," sabi
ko.

"I'll just drop dead here if I already want to rest. For the meantime, let me help
my hubby. I don't want him doing all the work especially today," RB replied.

"Fine," I said before turning my attention to the TV where a flash report is

currently being showed.
"The new secretary of the Department of Magic has been named. Earlier this
afternoon, Lisa Monasterio, the spokesperson of the Department of Magic, announced
the appointment of Clavius Remora as the department's new secretary after the
removal of Zamius Lauchengco from the post almost a couple of months ago. Remora
was once a high-ranking official of the NMLEA Tactical Operations Group before
working as an undersecretary in the Department of Magic. The newly-appointed
secretary will be holding a press conference tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the morning
in the Department of Magic to answer the queries of the people regarding the
nation's security from the villains. Stay tuned with us for more updates. Good
evening."

A long silence followed the news report as RB and I just stared blankly at the
television.

"You're feeling it, aren't you? RB asked quietly.

I took a deep breath. "Well, the villains are certainly becoming a lot more active
lately. I really can't deny that they seem to be getting restless. Hindi pa doon
nakatulong 'yung mga reports ng pag-atake nila sa kung saan-saang parte ng bansa.
The ambush that happened in an agent station was probably the worst," I replied as
I turned the stove on.

"Security has been really tight in the training camp, too. All the people going in
and out of the school are being rigorously checked and there's also a curfew every
11 pm. The school's pretty far from the city and there's nothing to enjoy there
except for the view so I don't really mind the curfew," RB replied.

"Crimson's also been complaining a lot about their overtime work in the NMLEA.
Sinabi rin niya sa 'kin na nabalitaan niya kay Sir Franc na mukhang inusisa talaga
kung sino ang pipiliin na bagong secretary kaya inabot nang matagal bago may na-
appoint. And quite honestly, kailangan na nilang magtalaga ng bagong secretary
dahil sa mga nangyayari ngayon. The weirdo society needs to see that someone is
leading the Department of Magic especially during this time," I said.

RB sat on a stool in front of the counter after plugging in the rice cooker. He
then picked an apple from a nearby tray before taking a bite from it.

"Things are changing. I can feel it. Oh well, for as long as we have the
headmistress with us then the villains will never be able to reign once more.
Jaeron's too scared to even face Professor Evanesca," RB said.

Hindi na lang ako umimik pa habang abala ako sa niluluto ko. Pero bigla na lang
akong niyakap ni RB mula sa likod sabay subsob ng mukha niya sa likod ko.

"And for as long as I have Ike, I don't really care about what the villains are
planning to do. Love will keep us alive, hubby," he said in a muffled voice.

I just took a deep breath as I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up."

●●●

Oo alam kong wala pa rito. Nasa kasunod na chapter na po. Pasensya sa abala.

TheAshtone

        Chapter 2: Pushy Ike [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Magbunyi mga timawa. The long wait is over. ߘ

TheAshtone

Ѣ‫●●׏‬

The rain hasn't stopped yet when we finished our dinner. RB just slumped on his
chair and massaged his belly before letting out a small burp.

"I'm so full... Hubby's excellent cooking skills will surely make me fat in no
time. I feel so fuzzy and warm with all the love that hubby's been giving me
tonight. The dessert was also superb," he said.

I just rolled my eyes before clicking my fingers. The dinnerwares flew neatly from
the table to the sink. "You're feeling warm from all the fat that you ate tonight.
Ako na ang bahalang maghugas at magligpit nito. Maghilamos ka na at magpalit ng
damit. Meron din ditong pang-benda diyan sa mga injury mo kaya palitan mo na 'yan.
Manood ka na lang ng palabas sa TV o mag-internet kung bored ka."

"I can help-"

"Ipahinga mo na 'yan na braso mong tadtad na ng mga pasa. Kaya ko na 'to. Tsaka
konti lang naman 'tong mga hugasin dito," putol ko naman agad sa kanya.

Konti lang naman talaga 'yung mga hugasin kaya madali lang naman akong natapos.
Naghilamos na rin muna ako bago ako bumalik sa sala. Naabutan ko doon si RB na
nanonood ng palabas sa TV. Mukhang tapos na rin siyang maghilamos dahil nagpalit na
rin siya ng damit niya.

"Wait, are you wearing my sweatshirt?" I asked, frowning a bit as I sat on the
sofa.

"It's really comfy and big so I wore it instead of my shirt. And besides, it's
really cold due to the rain. Do you want me to take it off?" RB asked with a
malicious grin.

"Please keep it. Forever," I replied right away.

"Ah... Ike's so nice. I now have my first ever boyfriend shirt!" RB said, wiggling
a bit inside my sweatshirt.

"Whatever. Babalik ka lang din naman bukas sa training ninyo 'di ba?" tanong ko.

"Yeah. Professor Elena will fetch me here tomorrow morning. Our training will end
on the thirtieth and I'll probably return to Emerald after that. Susunduin ka rin
naman ni Professor Evanesca sa susunod na linggo 'di ba?" tanong naman ni RB.

"Yep. My training with her is going to start next week. Actually, nagtrain din ako
habang bakasyon. I can now use ice and Plant Magic. Nagpatulong ako kina Jack tsaka
Thalia. Inaaral ko na rin kung paano gumamit ng combination offense," sagot ko.

"That's nice," RB replied. "It looks like you're gearing yourself up for the
Magical Mayhem this school year. Actually, may naririnig din akong balita tungkol
sa malaking event na gaganapin sa Emerald ngayong taon. You know, the one that
Professor Evanesca mentioned last time. Usap-usapan din 'yun doon sa training camp
namin."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Emerald will apparently host the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament this year.
It's a competition designed after the Magical Mayhem where the top magical schools
in the country compete in a series of games filled with all kinds of challenge and
difficulty imaginable," RB added.

"The CMMT? But they only hold it every four years-"

"At kelan ang huling tournament?" tanong naman ni RB.

I paused. "Oh, right. I was in my 11th grade in senior high when they held the last
tournament. And if I'm not mistaken, I think I remember Crimson and Kuya Yven as
two of the representatives of Emerald that time," I said.

"And Emerald is the reigning champion of the CMMT. Well, it seems that they're
going to announce it in June so we just have to wait until the school year starts.
As far as I can remember, only third-years are chosen to compete in the game," RB
said.

"Third-years, huh?" I replied, frowning a bit. "I wonder how they're going to
choose the representatives for the tournament..."
"You better start training like mad if you want to qualify as a representative for
Emerald. CMMT is a major event and even the international media covers it.
International agents and visitors from other foreign schools also watch the event.
Emerald doesn't want to embarrass itself in such a huge event that's why I'm pretty
sure that the school's going to select representatives only from the best of the
best. Oh well, all I'm hearing for now are rumors and I'm not entirely sure if the
event will be held in Emerald so we better not stress ourselves thinking about it,"
RB explained.

"Yeah, right. By the way, I almost forgot my second gift for you," I said before
reaching out to a drawer nearby. Inabot ko naman kay RB 'yung maliit na box.

"What's this?" he asked while shaking it.

"Buksan mo kaya?" singhal ko naman sa kanya.

RB just threw me a suspicious look before unwrapping my present. It was only our
picture inside a personalized frame. The picture was taken when we visited an
amusement park last October.

"I created the frame for that picture. I just thought na masyado nang cliché kung
usual na mga regalo lang ang ibibigay ko sa 'yo para sa monthsary natin. Tsaka
gusto rin kasi kitang regaluhan ng isang bagay na pinagpaguran ko at espesyal sa
'yo kaya 'yan ang ginawa ko. Sana magustuhan mo 'yan. I know it's not much but I
put all my effort in creating it. Uh... Happy 1st month, by the way," I said
sheepishly as I looked away.

"Of course I love this!" RB said before hugging me around the neck. "I now feel bad
that I didn't get you another gift..."

"It's fine. The shoes are more than enough already. I'm just happy that you're here
and we were able to celebrate our first month together," I replied. "I'm going to
sleep already. Patayin mo na lang 'yan na TV kung matutulog ka na. Bukas naman ata
lahat ng ibang kwarto rito sa bahay kaya mamili ka na lang kung saan ka matutulog.
Goodnight," I added before standing up.

RB turned off the television before pushing me suddenly to a wall. "Actually, I

still have another gift for you, hubby..." he said before licking his lips. He
leaned his body against me and ran a hand across my chest before taking off his
sweatshirt.

"Seriously, why do-"

"Do you want me to glue you to the wall? If you don't want to do the work then let
me do it instead. And besides, I know what I have to do. I'm an expert in this
field, after all," RB replied as he pressed a finger across my lips to silence me.
I just frowned at him as he took off my shirt. RB's hand slowly caressed my chest
down to my abdomen before resting over my crotch. He then kissed me gently on my
lips while rubbing his hand against my bulge.

I ran my eyes on RB's bandaged ankle and other injuries on his body. "Tadtad ka na
nga ng injury pero ang lakas pa rin talaga ng loob mo. If you really want to do it
then fine, pagbibigyan na kita sa gusto mo. But I won't allow you to do all the
work. Maybe I'm a novice in this field but I still have my natural instincts..."

RB smirked. "Akala ko pa naman hindi na darating ang araw na papayag ka sa gusto

ko. Well, I trust and love you, hubby. Make me happy, then," he said before
wrapping his arms around my neck and kissing deeply me once more.

My hands caressed his back before gliding down to his body. I gently pushed his
shorts down as my hands slowly clasped over his butt. RB's hands, on the other
hand, were already busy unbuttoning my shorts. Our remaining clothes fell with a
soft thud on the floor.

RB glanced down to my crotch before smiling at me. "I have felt your bulge a lot of
times before but it definitely has its own unwavering shock value. I am certainly a
lucky bitch because of your huge asset, hubby."

"Remember when I almost did it with you a few months ago? Your reaction back then
was pretty amusing. And I think I wanna see that reaction again..." I whispered
before licking his ear.

"You wish," RB whispered back. "But dang it, I find it really hot whenever you take
the lead. Why can't you be always seductive like that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Hindi kasi ako kagaya mo na kahit anong oras eh kaya at handang
makipag-sex. Unlike you, I don't have an unlimited and never-ending sex drive, you
pervert."

RB suddenly lifted his face from my chest before staring at me hungrily. He grabbed
my hand before guiding it to rest over his tummy. "I've waited for too long for
this. I want it, Ike. I want you inside me right now," he said in a low and
quivering voice.

RB has always been naughty and playful when it comes to seducing me to have sex
with him. But now, seeing him standing in front of me looking unusually serious
about doing it and sounding almost authoritative made me realize that he's no
longer playing with me.

I just frowned at RB before lifting him off the floor and carrying him to my room.
He swung his arm over my shoulder and kissed me deeply as I walked up the stairs. I
kicked the door close upon entering my room before lowering RB on my bed. He
suddenly wrapped his legs around my waist and pulled me closer to him as if he
doesn't want to let go of me.
"Wait a sec. Give me some time to breathe," I said as I pulled away from our kiss.

"I don't want to take any chances. I just want to make sure that you won't back
down in the last minute," RB replied.

I stared at him flatly. "We're both naked already and we're kissing like there's no
tomorrow. Do you seriously think that I'm going to back down now?"

RB narrowed his eyes. "There's only one way to find out," he said before clicking
his fingers. His bag lying on the floor in the far corner of the room suddenly
quivered and a bottle zoomed to his open hand.

I took a deep breath before grabbing the bottle from him. "Fine. If you say so," I
said before applying lube to my manhood and to his butt. I then poised myself over
RB and he instantly wrapped his legs around my waist once more.

He kissed me gently on my lips and I answered back before pulling away abruptly. RB
suddenly rested his forehead against mine before looking at me directly in the
eyes. His cheeks blushed furiously as he pushed my waist down with his legs.

I slowly entered RB without tearing our eyes off of each other. He arched his body
and I let out a low groan when I was finally able to push all the way to the hilt.
I lowered my face to his neck before kissing him down to his shoulder.

"Move already. Stop teasing me," RB said impatiently.

"I just thought that you might need to adjust first," I replied with a faint smirk
on my face.

"If I said it's fine then it's fine. Don't leave me hanging or I'll freaking rape
you," he said.

"Jeez, calm down. Here I go, then," I said before gently thrusting my hips against
him. RB suddenly twitched before letting out a low moan. I kneaded his chest with
my hand and held his injured leg carefully with the other. I started thrusting
faster when RB has finally loosened up and adjusted nicely.

I lifted my face from his neck before staring at his blushing face. RB suddenly
opened his eyes and I smiled widely at him. "I didn't know that you can make an
expression like that."

"You're acting all high and mighty because you're just on top of me," he retorted.

I suddenly pushed deeply into him and RB inhaled sharply. "Well, it seems that
you're enjoying it. Is hubby making his wifey happy?" I whispered in a low,
seductive voice.

"Shut up," RB replied before covering his face with his hand.

"You're not always like this. What happened to you? Why did you become so shy all
of a sudden?" I said as I laughed a bit.

"And why did you become so pushy all of a sudden?!" RB retorted before slamming his
hand against my face.

"Well, I made a promise that I'll make you happy. And let me make you happy
tonight, RB. Let me fulfill my obligation to you," I said before pulling out of RB
and making him lie on the bed on his stomach. I positioned myself on top of him
before entering him once more from behind.

"W-Wait..." RB said in a trembling voice as he looked back to me. "Not like this...
This is too... Slow down a bit..."

I kissed RB's nape before caressing his back. "But your body says otherwise," I
said, pushing my hips against his butt. RB just buried his face on the pillow to
muffle his noise as I moved rhythmically with body. Despite the cold and raging
rain outside, our bodies glistened with sweat from the heat coming from the two of
us.

I raised RB's body and positioned him on all fours before bending over him to lick
his ear. My hand went to his manhood before rubbing it gently in rhythm to my
movements against him. RB's body trembled a bit in response to my actions.

"Hey, where's your stamina now? We're just getting started. And also, you're
incredibly oozing wet," I said.

"You keep hitting me right on my sensitive spots and you expect my body to hold?
Even d*cks go limp after being pleasured too much! And of course I'll be wet after
all those things that you did to me!" RB snarled back.

"Well, please keep yourself together because I want you to thoroughly enjoy this
night," I said before raising his body and pinning him against the wall. My hands
wrapped around his body as I started thrusting against him from behind. RB looked
back to me and I kissed him on his lips; his hands slowly caressing my face.

"Hey, Ike..." RB whispered.

"Yes?" I whispered back.

"I don't want you doing all the work," he replied.

"You still have injuries, idiot."

"But I also want to make you happy."

"And you're already doing it," I said, pushing my hips gently against him.

But RB suddenly pushed me down to the bed before making me lean against the
headboard. He lowered himself before sliding down slowly on my manhood. I held his
butt with both of my hands and guided him as he moved his hips up and down against
my thrusts.

"Be careful. Your feet are still hurt," I said before kissing his neck.

"I've been doing this for many years, hubby. Of course I know what I'm doing," he
replied as he pushed his hand against my chest as if to feel every single beat of
my heart.

Sweat trickled down my body and pressure has been steadily building up in my groin
but none of us wanted to pull away from each other. Even RB's breathing has also
become ragged as he moved against me. Both of us are feeling the increasing
intensity of the atmosphere between us.

I held RB's back to support him before laying him down on the bed once more.

"I'm getting close," I whispered before thrusting faster and deeper into him. I
wrapped a hand around his manhood before rubbing it gently. RB just held on to my
arms tightly as the pleasure we're both feeling intensified further.

Our lips met and we kissed like there's no tomorrow as I pushed my manhood up to
the hilt. My hot and gushing liquid came pouring into him as RB also reached his
climax. I fell over his body and buried my face on his neck as my entire body
trembled with the intense pleasure that overwhelmed me. Even RB's hands which were
holding me tightly earlier fell limp and weak on the bed.

I raised my face before kissing RB once more. I was about to pull out of him when
he suddenly wrapped his legs around my waist. He also stroked his wet abdomen using
my hand.

"I want to do it again... I want more, Ike..." he said before looking at me

directly in the eyes. The hunger that I saw on his face earlier is now back. I
can't help but also feel aroused as I ran my eyes over his naked body.

I just smiled at RB before thrusting my manhood deep into him once more. "Well,
hubby will always be ready to make his wifey happy..."
●●●

"Good morning!" bungad sa 'kin ni RB sa kusina kinaumagahan. Ako kasi 'yung unang
nagising kaya ako na ang naghanda ng agahan namin.

"What do you want from me?" I snarled at him as I busied myself on the stove.

"Jeez, why are you in such a bad mood today?" RB asked before facing a mirror.

"Alam mo ba kung anong oras tayo tumigil kagabi? Alas tres mo naisipan na patulugin
ako. Tapos aasahan mo ngayon na maganda ang mood ko?" tanong ko naman.

"Hubby's a weakling in bed, after all. He's only pushy on the early rounds of our
lovemaking," RB replied.

"For your info, halos ubusin mo na lahat ng body fluids ko kagabi. Kahit sino naman
manglalata kung ilang oras na makipag-sex. Gaya ng sabi ko kagabi, hindi ako kagaya
mo na unlimited ang drive makipag-sex. Dapat ngayon ikaw 'yung hindi nakakapaglakad
at latang-latang pero ba't parang ako pa ang mas pagod sa 'ting dalawa?" sabad ko
naman.

"That is the huge difference between an expert and a noob. And hubby can only
increase his stamina in bed with more practice. I offer free lessons," RB said with
a malicious grin.

"No, thanks," I said flatly. "I don't think I'm going to have another boner for at
least a couple of months."

RB pinched his cheeks while still in front of the mirror. "But dang it, I think
I've found the Fountain of Youth. I definitely look younger as compared to
yesterday. I also feel a lot better. Ah, I knew it. Ike's ginormous d*ck is the key
to immortality. I should keep it to myself forever."

"Shut up. Maupo ka na lang diyan at matatapos na 'tong agahan natin. Matutulog din
muna ako pagkatapos mong umalis. Kelan ka ba rito susunduin ni Professor Elena?"
tanong ko.

"She'll arrive before eight," RB replied.

"Good. I wanna sleep so badly," I said, stifling a yawn.

"So hubby's back to his usual self again. Dang it. I wanted to see the pushy hubby
that I saw last evening. I should definitely have sex with him everyday to see his
pushy and seductive side," RB said.
"You wish," I said before placing a platter of waffles on the table. "Breakfast.
Here's a bottle of maple syrup. If you don't like adding syrup to your waffles then
there are still bacon, eggs, and sausages. There's also fresh milk in the carton if
you want some."

"I want my hubby's milk... and his hotdog... and his eggs," RB said.

I slapped his head with my plate. "You're in front of the food, dammit."

"You're so sour today," RB retorted as he wolfed down his food. "You were so sweet
last evening... especially your milk."

I flicked my fingers and a bread knife hovered above my hand as I stared flatly at
RB. He immediately gave me a peace sign before turning his attention to his food.

"Mukhang magkikita ulit tayo nito sa Emerald. Mag-iingat ka sa training camp ninyo.
Parati mo naman akong tinatawagan kapag nandoon ka. Just please don't call me kapag
hatinggabi o madaling-araw. Respetuhin mo naman ang biological clock ko," sabi ko.

"Yep. I also want you to behave while I'm away. You have to take responsibility for
what you did to me last evening. Don't you ever dare to bring home someone whom I
don't know or else..." RB said.

"Mas matino ako at alam mo 'yun. And for the nth time, you don't have ovaries so
please refrain from daydreaming too much," I replied flatly.

Ako na ang nagligpit at naghugas ng mga pinagkainan namin matapos naming makapag-
agahan. Habang abala ako sa lababo ay bigla namang yumakap sa 'kin si RB sabay
subsob ng mukha niya sa likod ko.

"What?" I said.

"I had fun last night," RB replied in a muffled voice.

"I know. It's obvious. You don't have to tell me. Maligo ka na at iwan mo 'yan
ditong sweatshirt ko. Malapit na mag-alas otso," sagot ko.

"Ike."

I sighed. "What?"

"I love you."

"Thanks."
RB shook me violently. "Eh... That's not the proper answer!"

"Sa uulitin?"

"Seriously?"

I smirked. "I am greatly honored and humbled with such a touching offering of your
love-"

"Shut up! That's not what I want to hear!" RB whined as he punched the side of my
body.

I smiled widely before turning around and holding the sides of RB's face. He looked
up to me expectantly and frowned. I lowered my face before kissing him gently on
his forehead.

"I love you," I said before pinching his cheeks and shaking his face gently.

RB just smiled as a reply before hugging me and burying his face on my chest. I
also hugged him back before kissing the top of his head.

"Let's shower together, hubby."

"Shut the hell up."

        Chapter 3: The President and the Palace [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            A man in his late fifties is currently sitting in front of his desk inside
a spacious and comfortable room. The rays of the late afternoon sun shining through
the huge windows gave the room a gloomy and heavy atmosphere. On his desk are
scattered folders bearing the reports about the incidents that happened to the
weirdo society in the past few months.

The man looked really old in comparison to his age. He has a clean bald spot at the
top of his head and deep wrinkles filled his kind and tired face. He looked just
like an ordinary old man reading the daily newspaper as he leaned wearily against
his chair. This man, however, is no ordinary man. He is the president of the entire
country.

He can still perfectly remember the very first day when he stepped into this office
years ago. It was a glorious day for him and his supporters. He was the favorite to
win the presidency. And it became even more apparent with his landslide win in the
election. Being an upright and honest politician, he had high hopes and huge dreams
for his country. And one of his goals is to further strengthen the friendly and
mutual relationship that the weirdo and non-weirdo societies have.
There is a law prohibiting a weirdo from running for the post of presidency or
vice-presidency. The law was created to ensure that the communis population won't
feel threatened or left out in governing the country. Thankfully, the weirdo
society did not oppose the law mainly due to the fact that they already have so
much going on in their hands and no one really wanted to carry the problems of the
entire nation. The weirdo society has their own problems and they do not want to
shoulder the problems of the communis society as well.

The president, however, thinks that the law will soon be abolished. According to
the latest report of the statistics office, more than half of the country's
population is already comprised of weirdos. And according to the researches of the
experts in Weirdo Genetics, it will only take about two to three generations before
the remaining communis population totally becomes a part of the weirdo society.

It's not actually a bad news according to the magical scientists. Weirdos, aside
from the fact that they can control magic, have been proven to live longer and a
lot more resistant and resilient to various diseases. In fact, a few common and
severe diseases have ceased to exist because of the enhanced resistance of the
people. It is already a fact that acquiring magical abilities is the next stage of
evolution.

The communis president does not have any problem with those things. What concerns
him are the bigger, more serious crimes that the weirdos have brought to the
society. And that exactly is the reason why he is stressing himself out in reading
the reports involving the villains. And he, as the president, must address these
issues because they can and will certainly affect the national security.

Ordinary criminals only have guns or knives as their weapons and they pose very
little to no threat to the national security. Villains, however, can control magic.
And they can certainly topple the entire government in a blink of an eye. The very
same thing has happened to many countries in the past. History books have been
splattered with the bloody and chaotic events following the arrival of the weirdos
in the world. Those times were considered as the darkest era in human history.
Millions of people died, many countries collapsed. And if not due to the combined
help of weirdos and communis, the evil that almost took over the world wouldn't
have been stopped. And the president certainly doesn't want that to happen to his
country.

That is why he organized a meeting with his newly-appointed secretary of the

Department of Magic and the head of the National Magical Law Enforcement Agency. He
even personally wrote to the reinstated headmistress of the Emerald School of Magic
to invite her to the said closed-door meeting. Fortunately, the headmistress'
response was positive and she will also be coming together with the others.

Someone knocked on the the door of the president's office, pulling him back to the
present. The president arranged the folders in front of him before sitting upright
on his chair.

"Come in," he said.

His special assistant, a lady in his late thirties named Veronica Estrella, entered
the room.

"The guests will arrive in a few minutes, Mr. President. They also said that they
will be arriving via a portal to avoid being spotted by the media," his assistant
said.

"Thank you, Veronica. I-check mo na rin sa baba kung kumusta na 'yung mga niluluto
nilang pagkain. Bumalik ka rin dito agad pagkatapos," the president said.

His assistant nodded before walking out of the room. The president took a deep
breath as he gazed out of the windows of his office. The sun is sinking slowly over
the horizon, bathing his desk with a faint golden light. He stood up and lightly
walked around his office to stretch his cramping legs.

The door to his office opened once more at an exact four in the afternoon. Ms.
Estrella walked into the office looking a bit tensed and nervous. "They're outside
the door, sir."

"Let them in," the president said right away.

Ms. Estrella peeked outside and nodded politely before swinging the door open.
Outside his office stood Franc Lena, Clavius Remora, and Esmerelda Evanesca. The
president bowed deeply as the three walked into his office.

"Good afternoon, Mr. President," Secretary Remora said before extending a hand to
him. Franc Lena also did the same. Professor Evanesca bowed politely and was about
to introduce herself but the president immediately cut her off.

"No need to introduce yourself, headmistress. Thank you very much for gracing us
with your presence today. The honor is mine," the president said before offering a
hand to her.

"And thank you very much for inviting me to this meeting, Mr. President. I must
admit, I was extremely shocked when I received your humble letter. We do not always
receive letters from such important people," Professor Evanesca said.

The president smiled at her. "By the way, I would like to apologize for the
problems that one of my departments have brought to you. I tried to talk to Zamius
regarding the matter but he was extremely-"

"There's no need to apologize, Mr. President," Professor Evanesca said. "Let's just
forget about the mistakes that we did in the past. What's important is that we are
now united once more. After all, we're all just working for the betterment of the
people of this country."
"Indeed," the president replied. "I think we should start our meeting right away.
Ms. Estrella will bring us to the meeting hall. Just please follow me."

Ms. Estrella brought them to the main meeting hall of the palace. It's a wide and
spacious room with a long and oversized table at the center lined with intricately-
designed chairs. Paintings hung on the walls and glimmering chandeliers also hung
from the ceiling. The president and the three visitors sat on their chairs near the
head of the table. The presidential assistant distributed folders to the four
before setting up the projector behind the president.

"We're good to go, sir," Ms. Estrella said after a few moments before sitting in
front of the laptop.

"Thank you, Veronica," the president said before facing the three. "Well, I know
that you are all busy that's why I won't dawdle anymore. I have gathered all of you
here to discuss with me the increasing villain activity in this country."

A line graph showing the increased villain activity that happened in the past few
months suddenly appeared on the white screen behind the president.

"The NMLEA has recorded a noticeable increase in the crime rate involving the
villains in the past few months. There was a 61% increase as compared to the crime
rate in the same time period last year.  And according to some of our intelligence
reports, the attacks that have been directed to the agent stations in the various
parts of the country are all connected," Franc Lena said.

"It looks like the villains have become a lot more active since the attack of the
Legion of Death in the NMLEA Main Training Center," Secretary Remora added.

The president nodded before looking at Professor Evanesca. "What can you say about
the situation, headmistress?"

Professor Evanesca sipped coffee from her cup before frowning at the papers inside
her folder. "I can only draw one conclusion from the recent incidents that happened
to the agent stations and the entire country as well. The villains, specifically
the Legion of Death, are trying to use the attack on the NMLEA as a catapult for
their comeback. I believe that they are also behind the recent incidents that
happened all over the country. They want to instill fear in the people. They want
us to start doubting each other. In that way, they can easily infiltrate us and
destroy us from the inside. My connections have told me that Equerza's group has
already infiltrated the Department of Magic and even NMLEA itself. They also tried
to infiltrate my school but they failed miserably. I can confidently say that no
one in Emerald is connected in any way to any member of the Legion of Death. And I
will make sure that no villains will step inside my school ever again."

"Regarding that matter, we are planning on shuffling the highest officials in the
NMLEA and Department of Magic. We will make sure that only the most honest and
trustworthy people will be appointed to the most vital positions inside our
institutions. We will also implement strict security measures and observe extreme
vigilance to make sure that no unwanted persons will infiltrate us. We will also
try to identify and unmask the possible traitors among our ranks," Secretary Remora
added.

"Thank you very much for your initiative to cleanse your institutions. You have my
trust and support in that goal of yours and I know that you'll all be successful in
fixing the problems inside your institutions. However, we also have to address the
problems that the villains are posing to the entire country. We all know what will
happen if the villains gain enough force once more," the president said.

Franc Lena clicked his fingers and blue folders suddenly appeared in front of
everyone in the table.

"These folders contain our plans on how to address the increasing villain activity
in the country. As of now, the IVRG agents are working extra hours in patrolling
the cities and populated areas. The agents of the Tactical Operations Group are
trying to locate the whereabouts of the Legion of Death and other villain groups in
the country. If things get worse, we will coordinate with the police to ensure the
safety of the citizens. We are also planning to coordinate with the Armed Forces in
capturing the villain groups that are hiding in the provinces and secluded areas,"
Franc Lena said.

"Good. I'm also going to hold a meeting with the Defense secretary and the chief of
the Armed Forces and the police. I will mention your intentions to them," the
president said. "How about you, headmistress? Your joint statement with the NMLEA
and the Department of Magic really helped in raising the morale of the agents.
Don't you have any plans of being an agent once more?"

Professor Evanesca just gave him a nostalgic smile before shaking her head gently.
"I'm already too old for that thing, Mr. President. I'm afraid to say that I've
become accustomed to my comfortable chair inside my office. When I started working
as an agent, I vowed to myself that I will clean this country free of villains. But
ever since I accepted a part-time teaching post as a Combat Education teacher in
Emerald many years ago, I saw that I can still fulfill my promise to this country.
And that is by educating the young weirdos, guiding and molding them to become
upright citizens of the country, and making sure that no evil will bend their minds
or corrupt their hearts."

"But I have to say, you will be a great help to the NMLEA if you join them once
more. And let's accept it, you are the gold standard of the agents. Your very
presence instills fear to the hearts of the villains and gives hope to our people.
I can confidently say that ever since your debut as an agent, crime rate has
dropped drastically. You ended Serafina almost a couple of decades ago and since
then, no other major uprising against the government by the villains has happened,"
Secretary Remora said.

"You may have aged a bit but your intellect and magical prowess never faded even
for a tiny bit, professor. You ended the war twenty years ago and you have the
power to stop the stirring forces of evil once more," Franc Lena added.

Professor Evanesca sighed deeply. "I did not end the war alone, gentlemen. The war
ended because of the collective efforts of the people who believed that the forces
of evil will never triumph over the good. I did not end Serafina alone. My dearest
friends, Carlo Talla and Stella Talla also helped me in defeating her. And they
unfortunately sacrificed their lives to defeat Serafina," she said.

The headmistress clapped her hands together. "And besides, I am confident that our
young agents of today are more than capable of kicking the villains right in their
faces. But if you need any assistance just like what happened in the NMLEA Main
Training Center, just call me and I will arrive in a jiffy."

"By the way, Secretary Adra has also told me about the huge event that Emerald is
going to host this year. How are the preparations in your school, Esmerelda?"
Secretary Remora said.

"Ah, yes. We are almost at the end of our preparations, Clavius. We've been working
closely with the Department of Magical Education for the past few months in
preparation for the event. We have also enlisted the help of the NMLEA for the
security of our spectators and participants," Professor Evanesca replied.

The president leaned on the table, his face skeptical as he looked at the three.
"I've been informed about the event that Emerald is going to host. But don't you
think it is unwise for the school to host the event especially after the recent
attack on the school? The villains might see it as an opportunity to strike once
more."

"This is actually a great opportunity for us to show how united we are, Mr.
President," Franc Lena said. "The people will see that the NMLEA, Department of
Magic, and all participating schools are working together. This event will show
everyone that we are not fazed by the recent attacks of the villains. And besides,
we are going to implement strict security measures to ensure the safety of everyone
attending this event."

The meeting lasted for more than an hour. It's already dark outside by the time
that the meeting has ended.

"By the way, I am going to assign a team of agents to patrol this palace for your
added security, Mr. President. We don't know if the villains are plotting something
against you that's why it would be better if I assign guards who can protect you in
both physical and magical attacks," Franc Lena said as they stepped out of the
meeting hall.

"Thank you very much, Franc. And I'm not going to hold you any longer. I know you
have a lot of things to do and I am grateful that you gave me some of your precious
time today," the president said.

"It's a pleasure working with you, Mr. President," Professor Evanesca said. "My
sister will just fetch us in a short while. Franc and I are still going to talk
about the security around Emerald in the coming school year."

Two portals suddenly appeared right behind the three. One portal leads to the
headmistress' office in Emerald and the other leads to the secretary's office in
the Department of Magic. They were about to step into their respective portals when
the president called them once more.

"And another thing..."

The three looked back.

"Please take care, everyone. You three are vital parts of our national security and
we can't afford to lose any of you. I can only pray for your good health so please
be careful in your respective endeavors," the president said before bowing politely
at the three.

"We will, Mr. President," Professor Evanesca replied with a small smile on her
face. "We will."

They stepped into their respective portals which quivered for a bit before slowly
closing in on themselves with a loud crack, leaving the president alone in the
silent hallway outside the meeting hall. The president took a deep, weary breath as
if to momentarily rest before heading back to his office once more.

        Chapter 4: Monsters and Menace [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            RB's POV

It's still early in the morning when I woke up on the second to the final day of
the training camp. I geared myself up for my daily early morning jog around the
school. I was about to leave our room when Jared also woke up from his sleep.

"Are you gonna go for a jog? I'll go with you. Sobrang aga mo talagang nagigising,"
Jared said drowsily from his bed.

"Get changed. I'll wait for you outside," I said before heading out of the room.

We're finally almost at the end of our training camp. The past month has been
really stressful, tiring, and filled with injuries. It's a good thing that our
injuries have been healed right after we came back here yesterday. The nurses in
the infirmary here are really strict. They insisted on allowing our injuries to
heal naturally for a few days first before healing them totally. Well, what's
important is that we're both good to go and ready for action once more.

Jared went out of the room after a few minutes. Agad naman kaming lumabas ng
building kung saan tumutuloy ang mga participants ng training camp. It's still a
bit dark outside and a thick layer of fog is covering the entire school grounds.

"You seem to be a lot livelier and more refreshed ever since you came back from
Ike's house," Jared said as we jogged in a street under the cover of trees.
"Well, Ike and I had a really good time together celebrating our first month last
Sunday," I said smugly. "It's been a really fun weekend for both of us."

Jared gave me a meaningful look. "I see... Hindi na ako mag-u-usisa pa kung gaano
ka nag-enjoy nung weekend. I'm just glad that you two are getting stronger
especially after the terrible things that happened to you in the past few months."

I just smiled widely as a reply. Jared raised an eyebrow and just stared at me
suspiciously.

"Pwede mo namang sabihin sa 'kin ang mga kinikimkim mo. Kilala kita at alam ko rin
naman kung gaano kalalim ang samahan ninyo ni Ike. Come on, handa ako sa kung ano
man ang maririnig ko," sabi niya.

I let out a low squeal before grabbing Jared by his shoulders and shaking him
violently. Muntik pang malaglag 'yung salamin niya dahil sa pagkakayugyog ko sa
kanya.

"Jeez, calm down," Jared said while fixing his eyeglasses.

"We already did it! I mean, we seriously did it! I even pinch myself sometimes to
make sure that I'm not dreaming. I've waited for, like, almost over a year para
lang masundan 'yung nangyari sa 'ming dalawa. I can't wait to tell Crimson about
this! It was so freakin' good," I said before staring dreamily into the empty
space.

"Sabi na nga ba. Iba kasi 'yung aura mo pagdating mo rito kahapon. Well, I'm happy
for both of you. Mukhang mahal ka naman ni Ike at obvious naman na patay na patay
ka sa kanya. Just stay strong at alam ko naman na magtatagal kayong dalawa," Jared
said.

We headed straight to the school's cafeteria after an hour of jogging around the
school. Libre rin ang mga pagkain sa cafeteria nila rito. Three times a day at may
kasama pang meryenda ang libreng pagkain. They also use only the freshest
ingredients in their food due to the presence of a lot of farms here up north.

Jared and I are already in the middle of our breakfast when the other participants
in the training camp have started arriving in the cafeteria. Lahat ng nasa Top 5
magical schools sa buong bansa ay may kani-kanyang representatives dito. At kaming
mga nag-aaral sa mga eskwelahan na 'yun ang madalas na tampulan ng atensyon ng
ibang mga participants dito.

"RB! Jared!" tawag bigla sa 'kin ng isang naging kaibigan namin dito sa training
camp. It was Phoebe together with her classmate, Zephyr. Mga taga-Philippine Weirdo
University sila. At sa dinami-dami ng mga participants dito eh sila lang ang
nakipagkaibigan sa 'min, or rather, naglakas-loob na lumapit sa 'min.
"Good morning. Dito na kayo maupo," sabi ko naman sabay usog nang konti.

"As usual, ang aga mo na namang nagising. Your biological clock's accurate as
hell," Phoebe said.

"Nasanay lang," sagot ko naman.

"So we're finally on the second to the final day of our training camp. Makakahinga
na rin ako nang maluwag dahil matatapos na ang pahirap sa 'tin. The past month has
been really rough for us," Zephyr said.

"But at least we've improved in one way or another," Jared added without tearing
his attention away from his food.

"Speaking of improvement, RB is probably the most improved among all of us here.

You're a monster in combat even during our first day here," Phoebe said.

"There are also those three. They're also scary when they get serious in battle,"
Zephyr added before pointing a finger to three students eating their breakfast not
far from our table. I instantly recognized them as the representatives of Sierra
Magical Institute.

"That Koshi is probably the monster of that group. I mean, he's an elemental tri-
hybrid. At ang malala, 'yung malalakas na elements pa ang kaya niyang kontrolin.
Not to mention that the NMLEA is keeping a close eye on him ever since this
training camp started. Talk about being blessed too much," Phoebe added, pertaining
to the red-haired guy.

"My guy is way better than him, though" I said flatly without even looking at the
guy.

"Why didn't he get invited?" Zephyr asked curiously.

"Dunno. Our professors didn't tell us the reason why he didn't get an invitation.
But he's a really good and dazzling guy who'll make your mouth fall open when you
watch him in combat," I replied.

"For the record, he's RB's boyfriend. Baka kasi nagtataka kayo kung bakit masyadong
perpekto ang tinutukoy niyang tao," dagdag naman ni Jared.

"I see. But you're also better than that Koshi in one way or another," Zephyr
added. "You can control all gemstones effortlessly and you're unstoppable whenever
you get serious in combat. And the NMLEA's definitely eyeing you also."

"I cannot just produce gemstones endlessly, for your info. There's also a limit to
my power. Amethyst is the gemstone that I can use the longest without draining my
stamina or causing injury that's why it's my base gem. It's also the very first gem
that I produced when I was a kid. You can actually see it in my hair. But the rarer
and stronger the gems that I produce, the harder it becomes for me to control them.
Diamond and sapphire are among the toughest gems and they drain my strength easily.
And if I reach my limit, bam, I can kiss my flesh and bones goodbye," I said
matter-of-factly.

Phoebe and Zephyr both shuddered. "Jeez, that's scary."

"That's why I'm always careful whenever I use my weirdness. It's a double-edged
sword, really. But now, I can already control diamonds and other tougher gemstones
with greater confidence. I rarely reach my limit even during a serious battle," I
replied.

We headed back to the dormitory to prepare for our training which starts everyday
at 8 o'clock in the morning. The training camp also uses Emerald's Scavengers as
our enemies. In fact, we individually faced Scavengers on the very first day of our
training camp. And for the past few weeks, our training sessions have been filled
with individual training, group battles, two vs. two and one on one battles. Local
and international agents also oversee our training. We also have lectures that
teach us about combat and proper use of magic.

"You're gonna have individual battles this morning so you'll just face the
Scavengers. I think they want to assess how much you've improved over the past
month," Professor Sivera said as we changed into our training gear. "And you'll
just continue your individual training this afternoon so you have a pretty light
training today. Head to the open grounds near the admin building. Doon ang
assignment ninyo ngayon."

"Aren't you coming with us, sir?" Jared asked.

"Susunod ako sa inyo. May pupuntahan lang akong ibang grupo ng mga trainee. I have
a friend who's going to oversee the training there. Mukhang kararating lang niya
dito sa bansa kahapon. International agent kasi 'yun at halos huli kaming nagkita
nung graduation namin sa Emerald," sagot naman ni Professor Sivera.

"Sige po. See you later, sir. Mauuna na po kami," paalam ni Jared bago kami lumabas
ng kwarto namin.

Just like what Professor Sivera told us, our training location for this morning is
near the admin building which is also known as the Red Building. It's a sleek and
ultra-modern building painted with red. If Emerald's campus is overflowing with
green, Sierra's campus, on the other hand, is filled with all shades of red.

There are only very few open grounds inside the Sierra Magical Institute owing to
the fact that the school is situated on top of a mountain and the ground is mostly
inclined. Konti lang pero nagtataasan naman ang mga gusali dito dahil na rin sa
kakulangan ng malawak na espasyo.
Nandoon din pala sa ground assignment namin ngayon sina Phoebe at Zephyr. Pansin ko
rin na mga representatives lang mula sa Top 5 magical schools ang nandoon sa lugar.

"What's happening? Bakit tayo lang ang nandito?" tanong naman agad ni Jared doon sa
dalawa.

"Dunno. Mukhang mga taga-Top 5 lang ang nandito," sagot naman ni Zephyr.

"Good morning! Is everyone here?" Sir Julian Ojeros, the OIC and overall head of
the training camp, suddenly boomed from behind us. He's a pretty muscular guy in
his early 30s with a gentle and humble attitude, far from his intimidating and
scary aura. He's really friendly and a good joker, too. Sir Ojeros is the number 2
agent, right behind Sir Franc and he's also teaching part-time here at Sierra.

"You are probably wondering why there are only 13 representatives here. You have
probably noticed too that all of you came from the best magical schools in the
country. Well, to be honest, you are all the best students from all the
representatives here that's why we separated you from the main bulk this morning. I
have gathered you here for a special training session and for a special
announcement," Sir Ojeros said.

"But before the announcement, I want you to work your butts off first! Today, you
are going to face the Scavengers in an individual battle! All of you will face a
set of Scavengers Professional Agent Version, Level 1!" he added, speaking grandly
with his deep and cool voice.

"What the-?!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Are you serious?!"

"Why the long faces?" Sir Ojeros said. "They're just at Level 1, you brats. The
very fact that we allowed you to face Scavengers in Professional Agent Version
means that we trust and believe in your exceptional abilities as the next
generation of valiant agents! Sit on the grass and waste no time! We're going to
start right now!" he added as a clipboard suddenly appeared on his hand.

"Now... Who shall go first?" Sir Ojeros said while frowning at his clipboard. "Ah,
yes... I don't want to sound biased but Professor Evanesca's students have always
been my favorite in every training camp. I extremely enjoy their marvelous
abilities and exceptional athleticism. Professor Evanesca is the best thing that
happened to Emerald since Elijah. Too bad she didn't accept Sierra's offer of a
headship post back then. Oh well, come here, Talla! You are easily the most
outstanding student here and you are my favorite this year! Go show those idiotic
Scavengers who's the boss!"

I nodded politely before standing up and walking towards the center of the open
grounds. My friends cheered me on while the other representatives just stared at me
like hawks watching their prey closely. I stopped abruptly before turning around
upon reaching a safe distance from the other students. Sir Ojeros flicked his
fingers and conjured a barrier around me.
"Ready when you are, Talla! And remember, no golems! You have to defeat them on
your own! They can also collaborate and work as a group unlike the usual Scavengers
so be really careful about that, too! Just shout for help and I'll stop the
Scavengers right away!" Sir Ojeros shouted from afar.

I smirked for a bit as puffs of smoke suddenly emitted from the ground. "Time to
show off, RB."

Two dozens of Scavengers materialized high above me as the smoke cleared up. I
closed my eyes and calmed myself before opening them once more. I stared at the
Scavengers descending from the sky as they sent a rain of spells towards me. Some
of the elemental Scavengers also started controlling the elements, creating rock
and ice spikes and sending strong winds against me.

"Freeze," I whispered.

Half of the Scavengers and all the spells and attacks directed to me suddenly froze
in midair. I punched the ground with my fist and crystals rose from the ground
before revolving around me, creating a helix of crystals. A few crystal spikes
broke off from the helix and shot straight towards the frozen Scavengers which
exploded upon impact.

The remaining Scavengers have already landed on the ground and are now running
towards me. A Scavenger with blades for arms suddenly attacked me, slashing its
blades to my direction as I wove and ducked around it. I grasped its head when I
spotted an opening and instantly reduced him to dust.

Two attackers from behind.

I jumped into the air and somersaulted as a couple of Scavengers came crashing to
the exact same spot where I was standing earlier. I flicked my fingers and crystals
crept up to their bodies, freezing them on spot. My legs also turned to diamond as
I plummeted back to the ground. I used the momentum of my fall to twist in midair
before kicking the immobilized Scavengers, shattering their heads and making them
explode.

A jet of fire suddenly shot towards me from my right side and a volley of ice
spikes flew towards me from my left side. I conjured a diamond barrier on my either
side to block their attacks but the ground directly below me suddenly opened up,
forcing me to jump into the air. A rain of metal blades also greeted me the moment
I flew up and I immediately transformed my entire body to diamond to avoid being
sliced to death by the plummeting blades. Diamond wings also sprouted from my back
as I flew high into the air.

I made a huge sweeping gesture with my arms and diamond spikes sprouted all over
the ground below. I took a deep breath and momentarily closed my eyes once more.

"Fall."
The remaining airborne Scavengers plummeted straight to the ground and exploded
upon being skewered on the diamond spikes. Thousands of crystal spikes made out of
all kinds of gemstones also appeared behind me and hovered in midair as if
suspended by invisible strings. I clicked my fingers and they all shot straight to
the ground, annihilating the remaining Scavengers.

My body turned back to normal as I flew back to the ground. I bowed deeply upon
landing. My friends as well as Sir Ojeros clapped enthusiastically.

"That was divine, Talla!" Sir Ojeros exclaimed. "You only took almost a couple of
minutes to annihilate them when some of the agents can't even defeat the same level
of Scavengers in the same time period! Oh my, Franc and I should definitely feel
threatened with your presence! The NMLEA's gonna be so happy in the coming years!
Emerald really is a school for monsters!"

Sir Ojeros consulted his clipboard as he went on with his post-battle analysis.
"You have definitely improved as compared to your performance on the first day.
Your reaction time and quick decision-making skills are on point. No excessive
movements, no wasted movements. You're also calm and collected and doesn't seem to
look fazed despite the overwhelming force of the Scavengers. Give me a break, kid!
Do you even have any weakness at all?! Go and sit there and enjoy a well-deserved
rest!"

Jared and Zephyr punched my back as I sat down on the grass.

"Your moves are right on the money!" Zephyr said. "You treated those Scavengers
like they're only at version 1!"

"Yeah... You definitely had a good weekend with Ike," Jared concluded.

The other participants have also started facing the Scavengers one after the other.
Some of them including Jared and especially those from Sierra were also able to
destroy an entire set. Some were unsuccessful and had to be rescued by Sir Ojeros
midway through their battle. Zephyr and Phoebe were only able to destroy half a set
and surrendered without finishing.

"RB makes it look so easy," Phoebe whined as she collapsed on the grass, panting
and coughing for air.

The entire individual battle took a few hours to finish. It's already a few minutes
past eleven when everyone has finally battled the Scavengers. Most of the
participants lay panting on the grass. All in all, today's training session is one
of the hardest so far.

"Good work!" Sir Ojeros said as he clapped loudly. "Not everyone succeeded in
defeating the Scavengers but everyone definitely showed some improvement! I'm
impressed! You can now eat your lunch and you're all free this afternoon! Use your
free time to relax or train. We'll just focus on the other participants here.
Tomorrow will be our last day and you're gonna have two on two battles!"

"Nice..." Jared said.

"But before I let you go, I have to make an important announcement," Sir Ojeros
added, raising a finger. "I gathered all of you here today not only because you are
the best participants in this training camp. I gathered you all because this isn't
going to be the last time that you're gonna see each other..."

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Please don't tell me that this camp has been extended
for another month."

"The Top 5 magical schools — Emerald, Veron, Sierra, NAA, and PWU — hold a special
event every four years. It's an event that aims to strengthen the relationship
between these schools and it also serves as a stage for their students to show
their skills and abilities in using their weirdnesses and magic. I have been given
permission by the Department of Magical Education to spoil the good news to you
that's why I am going to tell it to you right now..."

Sir Ojeros scanned the students in front of him before smiling widely.

"As the official representatives of your respective schools for the National Weirdo
Youth Training Camp, all of you automatically qualify as part of the official team
of your school for the incoming Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament that is going
to be hosted this year by Emerald."

"I knew it," I said flatly. Some of the participants also muttered to each other
excitedly.

"And also, there is a rule saying that the recent winner of your schools'
respective sports competition also automatically becomes a part of the official
team for the CMMT," Sir Ojeros added.

Jared elbowed me suddenly. "So that means..."

A subtle smirk ran across my face. "Ike's gonna be so happy when he hears about
this."

"However," Sir Ojeros suddenly said, cutting the excited murmurs of the students,
"you are not allowed to spill the news to any other person. Leave the official
announcement to your respective schools. You will be disqualified from the
competition if we receive any news of leakage regarding the event. Do you
understand?"

"Yes, sir," everyone chorused.

"Off you go, brats! Enjoy your afternoon! Get out of my sight!" Sir Ojeros said
before marching away.

"Man, I'm excited and scared at the same time! I mean, pinapanood ko lang ang CMMT
dati tapos ngayon eh kasali na talaga ako! I can't believe it!" Zephyr said as we
walked towards the nearest cafeteria.

"Sino ba sa palagay mo ang makakasama sa inyo sa Emerald? Kayo ang defending

champions 'di ba? Tsaka paniguradong hindi lang kayo ang mga halimaw sa batch
ninyo," sabi naman sa 'kin ni Phoebe.

"Well, kasama na si Ike. Jack will probably qualify too pero baka hindi rin siya
makasama dahil may Ice Weirdness din si Ike. Faye will definitely qualify because
she's easily the best Healer in Emerald," I said.

"Franc Lena's youngest sister?" Zephyr asked.

"Yep," Jared replied. "Naka-iskor siya ng isa sa lider ng Legion of Death nung
nakaharap namin sila nung March. She's a pretty gutsy girl."

"Let's just eat our lunch first, okay? Saka na natin 'yan problemahin. Tsaka libre
tayo ngayong hapon! Gala naman tayo! We should probably go to the city center!"
Phoebe said.

"Actually, I think I'll go with you. I also have to buy souvenirs and other stuff
for my friends and Ike," I said.

"Sasama na rin ako. Magpapaalam lang muna kami kay Professor Sivera. Medyo malayo
pa naman ang siyudad dito sa school," sabi naman ni Jared.

Papasok na kami sa cafeteria nung bigla na lang na may pumutol sa dadaanan namin,
sanhi para bumangga ako doon sa humarang sa 'min. Napaatras naman ako nang ilang
hakbang sabay himas sa ilong ko.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you," one of them said before looking back to me. I
instantly recognized the redhead Koshi of Sierra. His two other friends are with
him, too.

"It's fine," I said, faking a smile. "It's totally my fault for bumping into you
when you suddenly blocked my way and didn't even excuse yourself. Totally
understandable."

Koshi smirked. "Thanks. Nice job earlier, by the way. You certainly have a knack of
attracting... attention. As expected from an Emerald student..."
"Well, I am quite stunningly beautiful that's why most of the attention goes to me.
It's in the genes, bruh. I can give you some if you like," I replied, pinching my
cheeks.

Phoebe and Zephyr just stood awkwardly behind us as the tension and awkwardness of
the atmosphere around us skyrocketed.

"For your info, you haven't seen us give our 100% yet. I mean, it's utterly
pointless to give your all in a training camp. This isn't the real situation. The
CMMT is definitely a stage where everyone has no choice but to get serious in
combat," Koshi said.

"And what do you mean by that?" Jared asked.

Koshi stared at us. "I only wanted to say that I'm looking forward to battling with
you in the CMMT. Expect us to... crush the precious and sparkly gems of your
school..." he said meaningfully before walking away.

"Hey, redhead..."

Koshi looked back to me, his eyebrows raised. I raised a hand and made a beckoning
gesture with my fingers as if inviting him to come to me. My lips also curved into
a tiny, subtle smirk as I stared at him.

"...bring it."

        Chapter 5: The Woodland Mansion [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV

"I'm gonna take out the trash! The garbage truck will be arriving soon," I said as
I stepped out of the kitchen while carrying a couple of garbage bags.

"Salamat, anak," sabi naman ni Mama na abala sa harapan ng stove.

Dumating ang mga magulang at mga kapatid ko dito sa bahay nung araw na umalis din
si RB nung nakaraang linggo. At ngayon nga ay madaling-araw pa lang ay gising na
kami ni Mama dahil kailangan naming maghanda para sa kani-kanya naming lakad
ngayon. Susunduin ako ngayon ni Professor Evanesca at babalik naman ang mga
magulang at mga kapatid ko sa farm.

It's still dark outside as I stepped out of the gate towards a nearby garbage bin.
The sun hasn't even gone up yet and things are still pretty quiet and still all
around us. I immediately went back to the house because of the chilly air outside.

"Hindi mo man lang sinabi sa 'min na bumisita pala rito si RB. Mas maaga sana
kaming nakabalik dito para naman naipagluto ko 'yung kaibigan mo," sabi ni Mama
pagkabalik ko sa kusina.

"Eh halos dumaan nga lang naman si RB dito, Ma. Gabi na siya dumating tsaka umalis
din naman siya kinaumagahan. Tsaka nagluto naman po ako ng matinong hapunan para sa
'min," sabi ko habang naghihikab at nakasubsob ang mukha sa mesa.

"Ano man lang ba ang nagawa ninyo? Halos ilang oras lang palang naglagi rito si
RB," tanong ni Mama.

Natigilan na lang ako. "Marami po, Ma. Maraming-marami."

Huminga ako nang malalim bago ako nag-angat ng mukha at tumitig kay Mama. "Ma...
May sasabihin ako sa 'yo..."

"Ano naman?"

"Ano kasi eh... Mula nung first-year ako eh inuuwi-uwi ko na rito si RB tuwing
bakasyon. Tsaka sa Emerald eh parati po kaming magkasama tsaka close po kami sa
isa't-isa. Tapos... Magmula nga po nung nasa second year na ako eh... nililigawan
ko na po si RB. Tsaka nung March po bago kami umuwi eh sinagot na niya po ako.
Actually, pumunta po siya rito nung nakaraang linggo para mag-celebrate ng unang
buwan namin. Gusto ko lang po sanang ipaalam sa inyo ni Papa 'yun," paliwanag ko
naman.

Ngumiti na lang si Mama habang nagluluto ng agahan. "Sinabi mo pa talaga. Basang-

basa ka na ng tatay mo, hijo. Tsaka 'yung mga titig mo kay RB, naku, ganun na ganun
ang titig ng tatay mo sa 'kin noon. Nagtaka nga kami ng tatay mo nung hindi pa rin
pala kayo nung nagbakasyon dito si RB nung nakaraang Pasko."

I just scratched my head sheepishly. "At least confirmed na po ngayon."

"Ikaw ah, umayos kang bata ka. 'Wag na 'wag mong papaiyakin si RB o kami ng tatay
mo ang magpapaiyak sa 'yo. Basta unahin niyo parati ang pag-aaral ninyo. Ako na
bahalang magsabi sa tatay mo ng balita. Pagbakasyunin mo ulit si RB dito sa Pasko,"
sabi naman ni Mama.

Natigilan naman ako bago ako napalingon sa sala ng bahay namin. A loud crack
suddenly broke the silence of the surroundings. I stood up from my chair before
heading out of the kitchen and squinting my eyes to the direction of the gate of
our house.

Across the street, right under the flickering light of a lamppost, stood Professor
Evanesca in her usual sweeping emerald-green robes. Agad naman akong lumapit sa
gate para pagbuksan siya.

"Tuloy po kayo," tawag ko sa kanya.

"A pleasant morning to you, dear boy. It's good to see you again," Professor
Evanesca said after crossing the street and stepping into our house. Sumunod naman
agad ako sa kanya.

"How's your summer vacation so far?" she asked as I opened the door to our living
room.

"Okay lang naman po. I actually trained the entire month. I can already control ice
and use Plant Magic as well. Upo po muna kayo," sabi ko.

"Impressive," Professor Evanesca said before taking a seat. "Really impressive.

Mukhang hindi na ako mahihirapan sa training mo ngayong Mayo. Anyway, I have come
here to fetch you, Ike. We'll be leaving right away because we have an important
matter to attend to."

"Ngayon na po?"

"Ngayon na mismo."

My mother peeked curiously from the kitchen. She suddenly twitched upon seeing the
headmistress sitting on the sofa in our living room.

"Magandang umaga po, Misis Lara. Pasensya na po at maaga akong nanggambala sa

inyo," bati ni Professor Evanesca kay Mama.

"Wala po 'yun," sabi naman agad ni Mama. "Tuloy na po kayo rito sa kusina. May
niluluto po akong pansit para sa agahan."

"Hindi na po ako rito magtatagal. Pasensya na po at kailangan ko na pong dalhin

itong si Ike sa Emerald. May pupuntahan po kasi kami at kailangan naming maging
maaga. Ayos lang po ba?" tanong ni Professor Evanesca.

"Ganito po kaaga?" tanong ni Mama.

"Opo. Pasensya na po talaga kung kailangan kong kunin si Ike sa ganitong oras,"
sagot ni Professor Evanesca.

"Sige po. Ayos lang naman po 'yun. Mag-iingat po kayo," sagot ni Mama bago siya
bumaling sa 'kin. "Bilis. Nag-impake ka na kagabi 'di ba? Kunin mo  na sa kwarto mo
sa taas."

"Uh, my luggages are ready upstairs, professor. I'll just go and get it, then," I
said before heading to the stairs.
"No need, Ike," the headmistress said before clicking her fingers. There was a soft
thud upstairs and my luggages flew quietly down to the sala. Professor Evanesca
waved her hand and the luggages vanished from sight.

"Ipaalam mo na lang ako kina Papa at doon sa kambal, Ma," sabi ko sabay yakap kay
Mama. "See you in Christmas. I love you po. Sorry po talaga kung kailangan kong
umalis ngayon."

"Mag-iingat ka doon. At pwede bang umiwas ka naman sa gulo kahit ngayong taon
lang?" sabi naman ni Mama.

"Susubukan ko po," sagot ko naman.

Lumabas na kami ni Professor Evanesca ng bahay at hinatid naman kami ni Mama

hanggang sa may kalsada. Mula sa kalayuan ay unti-unti nang lumiliwanag ang
kalangitan dahil sa papasikat na araw. Nagsisimula na ring umingay ang buong
paligid.

"Mauuna na po kami," paalam ni Professor Evanesca kay Mama. "Ako na po ang bahala
sa anak ninyo."

My mother nodded. "Salamat po. Mag-iingat din po kayo."

The headmistress nodded back at her before offering her arm to me. "Take my arm,
Ike."

My vision suddenly twisted and turned the moment I touched Professor Evanesca's
arm. The familiar feeling of being squeezed from all directions overwhelmed my
entire body as my lungs contracted painfully. Everything around me momentarily
blackened out and we suddenly appeared right inside the headmistress' office in
Emerald. RB and Professor Elena were already waiting for us there.

"Oh, hello there. I'm RB. Nice to meet you," RB said upon seeing me.

"Shut up."

RB hugged me tightly. "I missed you so much."

"Yeah, great," I replied flatly.

"Elena facilitated our teleportation. And we'll be leaving right away," Professor
Evanesca said before unhooking a black cloak from a wall and wearing it over her
shoulders.
"Where are we going, by the way?" RB asked curiously.

"You'll just know when we get there," Professor Evanesca replied mysteriously. She
clicked her fingers and a jacket suddenly appeared in front of me. "You'll be
needing your jackets. It's cold up there."

"Are we going to the North Pole? Mt. Everest, perhaps?" RB asked expectantly as he
wore his jacket.

"No, Rubio. We are not going to the North Pole or the Mt. Everest," the
headmistress replied before turning to her sister. "Elena, we have to go. We'll
probably be back before dark. I'll just give you my signal once we're ready to go
home."

Professor Elena nodded before opening a portal that leads to a windy and grassy
field. The place behind the portal looked really secluded and uninhabited.
Professor Evanesca nodded at us and we all stepped into the portal which
automatically closed with a loud crack when all three of us have passed through it.

"Jeez, it's really cold here. And... wow, what is that?" RB said as he turned
around.

It appears that the three of us are currently standing at the very edge of a cliff
overlooking a vast, grassy plain. At the opposite end of the grassland stood
towering mountains clothed with thick forests. Thick fog also covered the base of
the mountains. It was also unnaturally cold where we are standing due to the strong
wind that is blowing hard against us. The headmistress' cloak billowed against the
wind as she stared at the mountains looming ahead of us.

"You are looking at the Terreña Mountain Range, the largest mountain range in the
country. On the other side of that mountain range lies the quiet and peaceful town
of Terresena, the town where I was born. In fact, our ancestral house is still
standing somewhere in the middle of those thick forests," Professor Evanesca
declared.

"Nice. Are we going there today?" RB asked excitedly.

"We are going to visit our ancestral house for a short while but we are not going
to the main town of Terresena. Today, I am going to bring you to the community
where I grew up as kid, to the people whom I grew up with. We are going to visit
the main village of the Purgers," the headmistress replied.

"The Purgers?!" I exclaimed in shock. "But... I've read that... Are they the same
Purgers as the-"

"Yes, Ike. They are the exact same Purgers that you have read in modern history
books," Professor Evanesca said as she nodded.
"But... Does that mean..."

"I am a daughter of a Purger. In fact, I am the great-granddaughter of the first

ever Chief Purger. And if I did not brave the noisy streets of the capital city to
study and oppose my apparent destiny, I would've been sitting on my throne now as
the chief of one of the most ferocious and dangerous rebel groups in the country,"
Professor Evanesca explained.

My mouth fell open as I was temporarily rendered speechless by this mind-blowing

revelation. I know that Professor Evanesca has never told me anything about her
past but I certainly didn't expect her to be related to the feared and dreaded
Purgers.

"Wow... So you were like some sort of a great Amazonian lady warrior who braved the
streets of populated cities... So cool! Wonderwoman, anyone?" RB said.

"Apparently, you haven't read or heard about the Purgers yet," I said to RB. "But
professor, I've read that they killed a lot of agents and raided many agent
stations all over the country. They've been laying low for the past decade but
they're still dangerous. And besides, they helped Serafina in the Weirdo War almost
a couple of decades ago. Do you think it's safe for us to go right into their
lair?"

"The same story always has two sides. They only wrote in the history books that the
Purgers are nothing but barbaric and uncivilized killers. But the entire situation
was never explained in any book, dear boy. I am requesting you to trust me, trust
us, and listen to our side of the story," Professor Evanesca said before facing me.

"Things are changing, Ike. And things are changing fast. From this point forth, I
want to enlighten you about how everything that you see around you ended up to what
and where they are now. The rise and demise of Serafina, the beginning and end of
the recent Weirdo War, and my rise as the number one agent all began in that
mountain almost half a century ago. Everything you thought you know about the
weirdo society is about to change..."

A ray of light suddenly hit Professor Evanesca as she stared at the majestic
mountain standing ahead of us. The three of us just stood in silence as the wind
blew against us, billowing our clothes and ruffling our hair. It seems that the
place that we're visiting today isn't just an ordinary place. It has witnessed some
of the greatest events in the history of weirdokind.

"Take my arm, you two," she ordered.

RB and I held her arm and we teleported once more. The usual squeezing feeling
overwhelmed our entire body momentarily as my vision darkened. We reappeared in
front of a huge wooden mansion standing in a clearing in the middle of the forest.
It's still considerably dark here due to the presence of towering trees in the
area.
The mansion is made entirely out of wood. It has been painted white and black and
looked really out of place in the middle of the forest. Huge windows lined the
upper floor of the mansion and a veranda lined the exterior of the lower floor.
Despite looking desolate and unoccupied, the house is spotless and appeared to be
in perfect shape and condition. This house looked a lot bigger and grander as
compared to the headmistress' mansion back in the city.

"Welcome to the House of Evanesca, more commonly known as the Woodland Mansion,"
Professor Evanesca said, bowing a bit before twirling her hand to the direction of
the house. "This is also where I stayed when I was hiding from the Department of
Magic. Only the Purgers and my two other siblings know about this place."

"Nice," RB said as he looked around.

"We are not going in there today, though. We're going to hike all the way up to
this mountain to reach our destination. It's not that far so don't worry. If we're
fast then we'll arrive there within three hours," Professor Evanesca said.

"Three hours?!" RB exclaimed. "Couldn't we just fly or teleport directly to their

place?"

"I can. But you can't. This is your first time here in this mountain so you have no
choice but to hike all the way to their camp. I don't want to leave you two alone
that's why I'm going to walk with you. This is your way of paying respect to this
mountain and to the people whom we're going to visit today. And besides, I already
spared you from the difficult part of the journey. It will probably take us the
entire day if we hiked from the very foot of the mountain up to their village,"
Professor Evanesca said.

RB let out a long sigh. "Fine."

"Quit your whining," I said to him. "And besides, it's still pretty early in the
morning. This is a good way of strengthening our stamina."

"That's the spirit," the headmistress agreed.

"Just carry me if I collapse, Ike. I'm delicate," RB said.

"In your dreams," I fired at him. "You have all the energy in the world so don't
you ever slack in our hike. I'm gonna kick you if you slow us down."

"That's harsh!" RB snapped at me.

"Let's go, boys. Stop dawdling," Professor Evanesca said before wearing the hood of
her cloak. She took the path directly behind us and headed up to the mountain and
into the thick and dark forest standing at the very edge of the clearing.
"Don't make too much noise. Inform me right away if you notice anything unusual,"
the headmistress said as we walked carefully. Crickets are still singing loudly and
the sun hasn't penetrated the forest floor yet due to the thick and towering
canopies of the trees above us. It's also ridiculously cold here.

Despite the gloomy atmosphere of the forest and the unsettling feeling of being
watched from afar, I can't help but notice the eerie beauty of the forest around
us. I can heard the sound of crashing water from a nearby waterfall and birds have
started singing in response to the arrival of a new day. The forest seems to be
slowly waking up from its silent and peaceful torpor.

"I grew up here when I was a kid," Professor Evanesca said as we crossed a raging
river filled with huge boulders. The trees alongside the river have thinned a bit,
allowing the morning sun to brighten up the place. The river looked pristine as it
cascaded loudly down the mountain. "We used to play here a lot with my friends and
other siblings. There's a majestic waterfall up there, actually."

The headmistress jumped from boulder to boulder with very little effort. It seems
that gravity does not affect her as she jumped and fell slowly. I floated in the
air to cross the river and RB just used crystals to connect the boulders. The
forest swallowed us once more upon crossing the river.

"Buhay pa po ba ang mga magulang ninyo?" tanong ko naman.

"No. They died a long time ago. Our youngest brother was only a few months old when
they both died," Professor Evanesca said.

"What happened to them? Did they get killed or something?" I asked.

"They were killed by agents," Professor Evanesca replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, professor," I said right away.

"It's fine. It's not like I'm holding a grudge or whatever. They died together and
I'm pretty sure that they don't want to die in any way other than that. I think
they died a few days before my graduation in Emerald. My father was the Chief
Purger back then so my parents cannot attend my graduation due to the fact that
they're wanted and they're dead already," she explained.

RB and I just glanced at each other. Judging from his expression, it seems that
this is also the first time that RB has heard about this.

"My father was strongly against the idea of me studying in the capital city. I
finished high school in a nearby town and I was supposed to succeed the throne the
moment I turn 18. But the night before my coronation as the new Chief Purger, I ran
away from our house. Elena saw me, of course. She was only eight by that time but
she insisted on coming with me. She said that she doesn't want me to be alone
that's why she decided to go with me. I had to decide quickly that's why I was left
with no choice but to run away with my sister," Professor Evanesca added.

"With a friend's help from the town center of Terresena, I was able to go to the
capital city. I never received a letter or communicated in any way to my parents
for almost a couple of years since my departure from our house. Luckily, the late
Headmaster Sebastian Adonydos, the previous headmaster of Emerald, helped me in my
studies. Studying was tough, though. Our professors back then were pure sadists.
Not to mention that I still have a younger sister to look after. I can still
clearly remember when I had to accompany Elena to the Emerald Middle School and
then run for a few kilometers just to get to my first period in the School of
Magic," Professor Evanesca said with a nostalgic smile.

"I never thought that my parents would still want to see me after I ran away from
the house. But right before I entered my final year in Emerald, I received a letter
from my mother saying that they want me to go home to see me. Elena and I went home
in Christmas that year. Surprisingly, my father did not kill me. Instead, he hugged
me tightly for a long, long time. I think my mother helped him to accept the
situation. I eventually became the first Emerald graduate of the Purgers," the
headmistress added.

This new information about Professor Evanesca certainly surprised me. Who would
even expect that a person like her also experienced hardships and sufferings? I've
always thought that the headmistress' life had always been as luxurious and
peaceful as her mansion in the village back in the city.

"Oh well, enough talk! Go and start moving those legs if you want to reach our
destination!" she said before pointing dramatically at the trail ahead of us.

We climbed higher up the mountain as the sun climbed higher up the sky. The forest
has finally brightened up after being enveloped in eerie darkness for hours. After
what it seemed to be ages of nonstop uphill trekking, the ground has finally
started to level. RB and I fell on our knees and gasped for air.

"I think... I'm gonna... die... I want you... to know... that I love you... so
much... Ike," RB said while gasping desperately for air. He's already on all fours
and I just slumped on the ground trying to catch my breath.

"Shut the hell up," I fired at him.

Professor Evanesca looked around her. "Ah... yes. We're here. We can teleport now
right in front of their camp. Get your butts off the ground and hold tight to me,"
she said before offering her arms to us.

RB and I remained sitting on the ground and just crawled towards the headmistress
before grabbing her arm. Everything around us twisted and turned and we reappeared
abruptly within just a split second.
"Woah..." RB said as he stared in awe at the structure standing in front of us. He
stood up and looked around wildly as if he can't believe his eyes.

Standing before us was a village walled with low and closely-growing trees. The
trees have grown so close to each other that they have already formed a circular
wall around the village. What made the place even more jaw-dropping are the
treehouses built on the towering trees connected by wooden bridges and stairs. Some
of the people on the treehouses looked at us curiously. Professor Evanesca,
however, is currently being bowed upon by the elders or being happily greeted by
the children.

Professor Evanesca turned around and smiled before opening her arms grandly.

"Welcome to my home, to my family in the woods. Welcome to the village of the

Purgers."

        Chapter 6: The Purgers' Tale [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The wooden gates opened with a loud creak, revealing a surprisingly wide
road leading to a huge wooden house at the far end of the village. Two men walked
out of the village and approached Professor Evanesca before bowing at her. The
headmistress nodded at the two men before gesturing to us.

"These two fine lads are among our best students. That one with the purple and gray
hair is Rubio, my godson. He's the son of Carlo and Stella Talla. That one with the
green hair is Ike Lunaria, the Prime Elemental," the headmistress said before
turning to us. "And these two are the Eliseo brothers, this one is Mario and the
other one is Marcus, the current Chief Purger. They are my cousins."

The two brothers approached us and shook our hands. They even bowed deeply when
they introduced themselves to me.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Prime Elemental. We are honored," Marcus said,
shaking my hand with both of his hands.

"Y-You don't have to bow," I said, smiling despite my embarrassment. "Tawagin niyo
na lang po akong Ike. 'Wag na pong Prime Elemental. 'Di po ako sanay."

"He's a really modest kid," Professor Evanesca said. "And really shy, too. Forgive
him."

The two men guided us into the village. And just as I expected, the interior of the
wooden village was a lot larger than it looked from the outside. The houses looked
really spacious and comfortable and there are even streets inside and a park right
at the town's center. My eyes were drawn upwards into the tangled web of wooden
bridges and stairs that connects the houses nestled on the trees high above the
ground.
"Forgive our humble village, Ike. Alam kong malayong-malayo ito sa nakagisnan mong
bahay sa siyudad," sabi sa 'kin ni Marcus.

"No, this is actually... wonderful. It's the first time that I've seen this kind of
place. It's like this place has been pulled out from a children's fantasy book," I
replied.

People stared at us curiously from the windows of the houses and from the bridges
and stairs above us. Judging from the people's bemused and curious stares, they
don't always receive guests from the city. I also noticed a lot of teenagers who
are about the same age as me.

"Pinaglakad mo pa talaga itong mga bata, Esmerelda. Ilang ulit ba naming sasabihin
sa 'yo na hindi mo kailangang pahirapan ang sarili mo sa tuwing pupunta ka rito?"
dinig ko namang sabi ni Mario kay Professor Evanesca.

"It's my own way of repenting for the years that I was not here with you. I left
this mountain so easily but I vowed to myself that I will never take the easy way
everytime that I return here. And please, I may have gone old but I can still walk
swiftly without the aid of magic," the headmistress replied.

Isang bata ang biglang dumungaw mula sa bintana ng bahay na dinaanan namin.
Pagkakita niya sa 'min ay bigla na lang siyang napasigaw.

"Ah! 'Yung dalawang lalaki sa TV!" sigaw nung bata na mga nasa siyam na taong
gulang pa lang.

"That's Ello. He wants to become an agent someday and he loves watching Emerald's
Magical Mayhem. Mula pa nung nakaraang taon ay kilala na kayo niyan. Gusto rin
niyang mag-aral sa Emerald. He's a Plant Magic Weirdo," Marcus explained.

I waved at the young boy before grinning awkwardly. He also waved back at me.

Lumapit naman ang ilang mga bata kay Professor Evanesca sabay mano sa kanya.
Mukhang siya ang ninang ng bayan dito dahil tuwang-tuwa ang mga bata habang
pinagkakaguluhan siya.

"Oh, Janus, kumusta na 'yung alaga mong agila? Buhay pa ba? Ikaw naman Anna, nasaan
na 'yung kuya mo? 'Di ba sabi ko sa 'yo paluin mo 'yung kuya mo kapag tatamad-
tamad? At siyempre, si Janice! Aba, aba... Tumangkad ka ata ah! Sabi ko naman sa
'yo na tatangkad pa eh! Masyado ka kasing mainipin! Pakurot nga sa pisngi si
ninang!" sabi ni Professor Evanesca sa mga batang nakapalibot sa kanya.

"Parang birthday ng lahat ng bata rito sa 'min kapag umuuwi 'yan dito si Esmerelda.
Malapit sa kanya ang mga bata rito kaya tuwang-tuwa sila sa tuwing sasabihin namin
sa kanila na uuwi siya," sabi sa 'kin ni Marcus habang nakangiting nakatitig sa mga
bata.
"May regalo sa inyo mamaya si ninang! Pero mag-uusap muna kami ng mga tiyuhin niyo,
ha? Magpapakain din ako sa inyo mamaya. Sige na, pasakitin niyo na ulit ang ulo ng
mga nanay at tatay ninyo. Ang unang makauwi may premyo mula kay ninang!" sabi ni
Professor Evanesca at nagkani-kanya namang pulasan ang mga batang nakapalibot sa
kanya.

"She's like Mrs. Santa," RB whispered to me.

"Shut up," I fired at him.

The two brothers guided us to the largest house in the village which looked like
the town hall. It was the same house that I saw earlier when the gates had opened.
The two guards opened the door and we stepped inside a surprisingly spacious hall
made entirely out of wood. Torches hanging from the walls and a huge wooden
chandelier holding candles illuminated the entire place.

At the center of the hall stood a table filled with fruits, bread, fish, and all
sorts of cured or smoked meat. It looked just like a banquet that mountain dwellers
would hold for their guests. Everything is fresh or either preserved in the most
natural and simple way.

"I know you're tired from your journey up here that's why we prepared a humble
feast for your arrival," Marcus said, gesturing to the table. Professor Evanesca
nodded at us and we all sat around the huge table. Some of the servants nearby us
poured water into what looked like wooden tumblers.

"Tuck in," Marcus said from the head of the table.

Professor Evanesca grabbed a leg from a nearby roasted chicken and started eating
right away. RB, upon seeing that the headmistress had gone all out, also took a few
slices of smoked ham and started eating. I just stared blankly at the food and
glanced every now and then at the two brothers who have also started eating.

"Is there a problem?" Marcus asked, glancing at my empty plate. "Are you on a
strict diet? Or would you like to eat something else, perhaps?"

"Uh, no... It's not like that..." I said awkwardly, scratching my cheeks. "It's
just that..."

Marcus and Mario both raised an eyebrow.

"He still doesn't trust you," Professor Evanesca interjected. "Ike just found out
this morning that I have a direct connection to the Purgers. He has read a lot
about our history and he might still be a bit uncomfortable with your presence."

Marcus, to my surprise, smiled lightly before taking a deep breath. "That's

understandable. And besides, the history books did not say anything positive about
the Purgers. They only wrote that we are nothing but uneducated killers. I can
understand where you are coming from, Ike."

"And just like what I said earlier," Professor Evanesca added, "I want you to learn
more about our history because in a matter of few weeks, you'll be working closely
with the Chief Purger Marcus and the head of the tribe's security force, Mario."

"What do you mean?" I asked, completely bewildered.

"We have agreed to train you personally, Ike. I know you haven't given us your
trust yet. We are going to enlighten you about our past and we will tell you
nothing but the truth. I can only hope that after hearing our story, you'll also
understand our situation," Mario replied before turning to his brother.

Marcus leaned against his chair before staring out of a nearby window where the
midmorning sun is currently shining through. He too a deep breath and frowned a
bit, seemingly lost in thought.

"Where to begin..." he whispered.

"From the very beginning," Professor Evanesca prompted.

"Ah, yes... Back to the town of Terresena. I presume that Esmerelda had already
given you a brief overview about our place?"

I nodded. RB, who's currently busying himself on a platter of sausages and bread,
looked up attentively and waited for the narration to start.

"It all started long ago," Marcus began. "This incident happened almost four
generations ago, back to the time of our great-grandparents in the farming town of
Terresena. Back then, Ambrius Evanesca, the great-grandfather of Esmerelda, was the
town chief of Terresena. The people there lived a quiet, peaceful life—away from
the hustle and bustle of the emerging cities. Life then was simple and
uncomplicated, yet the people were happy and contented. There were no criminals or
villains back then because everyone knows one another and everyone was friends with
one another. But when the agents came, that was when everything started to spiral
down for Terresena."

RB stared curiously at Marcus, leaving a chicken leg clamped on his mouth. I raised
an eyebrow and threw Marcus an unconvinced look.

"The population of the town started growing bigger and so the farmlands also grew
bigger to accommodate the primary need of the people which is food. Terresena has
been blessed with a fair climate and fertile lands that's why our harvests were
always abundant. That was when bandits started raiding our houses for our produce
and money. Unfortunately, the bandits have weirdnesses, and most of the town's
population back then was composed of communis. That's why when the raids have
become even more frequent, Ambrius asked for help from an agent station in the
nearby town of Gerona. The agent station in that town requested the NMLEA
Provincial Office to build an agent station in our community to help us with our
bandit problem. Being a bona fide town with an increasing population, the request
was granted and agents have been assigned to our town. The bandit attacks
diminished in a matter of few weeks... or so we thought..." Marcus said darkly.

"A close friend of Ambrius, Rohan Rivetrion, uncovered a conspiracy between the
bandits and the agents," Mario continued. "It turned out that the bandits were
working with the agents in the town of Gerona. And the newly-assigned agents in
Terresena were also involved in their devious plan. The Evanescas and Rivetrions
were among the very first few clans in Terresena who have acquired weirdnesses
during that time. Being good-natured and naturally helpful to those in need, they
helped in patrolling the town every night. Rohan was able to catch a bandit and he
surrendered him to the agents. But to his surprise, he saw the exact same bandit
exiting the agent station in Gerona after a few weeks."

"Rohan started spying the agent station in Gerona and he eventually discovered
their secret. Their secret was simple: the agents have conspired with the bandits
so that they'll also receive a portion of the loot that the bandits get in their
raids. Ambrius and Rohan also checked the criminal records in the NMLEA Provincial
Office and found out that the bandits were never jailed even once. Agent stations
don't have detention facilities that's why they always send villains to their
provincial or regional offices where they are jailed in detention centers. But of
course, the agents of Terresena and Gerona didn't even bother to jail the bandits
because they were partners-in-crime," Marcus added.

Professor Evanesca cleared her throat before facing us. "Agents are just human
beings. Even today, corruption is still rampant among the agents. I am not proud of
it. That's why when I was still an agent, I tried to eradicate all the twisted
agents in the NMLEA. But today, I can proudly say that corruption has been
diminished greatly, if not eradicated totally, from the NMLEA."

"Unfortunately, the same thing can't be said for the Department of Magic," RB
whispered. Professor Evanesca laughed appreciatively before turning her attention
back to her food.

"What happened after they discovered the conspiracy of the agents and the bandits?"
I asked, turning to Marcus.

A grim look ran across his face. "They tried to talk to the agents. After all,
Ambrius was the town chief. The twisted agents, after knowing that their secret has
been unveiled, tried to silence Ambrius and Rohan. Unfortunately, Rohan was killed
in the initial fight," Marcus replied.

RB accidentally toppled his tumbler of water. "What?! The agents killed him?" he
asked.

Marcus nodded. "The events that followed next were chaotic. Because the agents have
an intention to kill Ambrius, he had no choice but to defend himself. Ambrius,
despite being known for his kindness and gentleness, is deadly when it comes to
combat. His natural talent and instincts in fighting are impeccable. And besides,
the Evanesca bloodline has been known for many years to be filled with talented and
deadly warriors. And one of them is here with us, actually..."

The headmistress cocked her head in response.

"Ambrius killed most of the agents in the station of Terresena. The defeated
agents, wanting to avenge their loss against a lowly town chief, contacted the
agent station in Gerona for help. They also reversed the story, saying that Ambrius
and Rohan were connected to the bandits instead. Reinforcements were sent to
capture Ambrius. But the clan of Evanescas and Rivetrions, after learning about the
incident, prepared themselves for an apparent battle with the reinforcements,"
Marcus added.

The headmistress straightened on her chair and continued the narration. "A battle
ensued and many people died on both sides. But the townspeople of Terresena, led by
my great-grandfather and the Rivetrions, emerged victorious against the agents. The
NMLEA, only seeing it as a ruthless massacre of their men, issued an arrest order
against Ambrius. They want him captured, dead or alive, among with the majority of
men who participated in the battle," she said grimly.

"And so my great-grandfather, seeing that the NMLEA who is supposed to be the

protector of truth and justice had denounced them as nothing but barbaric killers,
was left with no choice but to move to the mountains of Terreña and hide as
fugitives. He had lost trust in the government that's why he vowed to himself that
he's going to scour the government free of corrupted officials. The purged became
the purger and Ambrius became the first ever Chief Purger. And from then on, he
waged a bloody war against the government and the corrupt people that reside inside
it."

"The government launched a manhunt against them," Mario continued. "But Ambrius'
protective magic, together with the towering mountains of Terreña and the
unfathomable forest that cloths it, proved to be an extremely difficult barrier for
the agents to penetrate. But the people of Terresena who frequently visit the
forest to hunt or gather wood know its every corner and used the forest as a trap
for the agents. Since then, every unwanted person who enters the forest never gets
out alive. The people, even before the unfortunate incident, have been taking care
of the forest for centuries. And so the forest paid them back with protection and
abundance of food. The forest of Terreña is said to be enchanted, you see.
Eventually, the agent forces declined over the years as more deaths on their side
have been recorded. After a few decades, some of our people eventually went back to
Terresena and reestablished the town. And now, they serve as our eyes on the
outside world."

"This isn't the only camp in this mountain. Scattered all over the Terreña Mountain
Range are four other purger camps. Our influence also spread all over the country
throughout the years. We are now currently the largest and most organized rebel
group in the country. Our goal is to rid the government, especially the NMLEA, of
corrupt agents. We don't just kill people for no reason," Marcus said.

Professor Evanesca took a deep breath. "I think that's all that you have to learn
about us. You see, the Purgers' goal was never stated in any book. We have our own
faults and we have committed sins in the past, yes. And we are not proud of it. Our
group has been laying low for almost a couple of decades already since the recent
Weirdo War. The people here are already tired of fighting. Now, we're just living
silently in these woods, hidden from the society, isolated from the rest of the
world."

"We told you nothing but the truth, Ike. Now, it is up to you whether you'll trust
us or not after hearing our side. I have no right to say that our ways have been
correct from the very beginning. I am only requesting you to judge us fairly and
accordingly," Marcus added before falling silent.

I can hear the noise of the people from outside the town hall. The usual
indistinguishable chatter of the people filled the air, accompanied by occasional
laughter or joyous shouting of the children. It's hard to believe that this
seemingly quiet and peaceful society has a bloody past. On the other hand, my
discovery that not all agents are upright and honest  gave me a really different
perspective.

Growing up as a kid, I've always looked at agents as dedicated and brave people who
are always ready to sacrifice and do everything just to protect the people. I've
always looked at them as heroes during my childhood and even now that I've grown up
—saving the people in need wherever and whenever; not complaining even a tiny bit
about their gruelling and dangerous job.

It turns out that I've been painfully narrow-minded. The agents are, of course,
just humans. They are vulnerable to greed and mistakes. And I shouldn't act so
surprised by the fact that some of them have also commited wrongdoings. That is the
reality.

"There's nothing to lose if you'll trust them," RB suddenly said, pulling me back
to the present. "I mean, you still trusted me after discovering my past. And duh, I
killed, like, a lot of people before and I even tried to kill you yet Ike still
chose to trust me. And look where we are now."

Professor Evanesca smiled. "Right on point. I don't want to sound demanding but I
want your decision right now, Ike. If you'll agree then I'll immediately organize a
training program with them. If not, then I can still train you personally together
with your new trainer. But I must say, the Purgers' impeccable fighting skills have
been honed by nature, by this very forest. Training with them will certainly raise
your skills and abilities. But of course I can understand if you'll find it
uncomfortable working with them."

I stood up from my chair before bowing at the two brothers. "I believe in your
story and Professor Evanesca only wants me to get better with my weirdness. It
would be disrespectful if I don't give you back the trust that you have given me by
accomodating us warmly here in your camp. Please teach me."

Marcus took my hand and shook it before smiling widely.

"The honor is ours, Ike."

        Chapter 7: Positions and Perspectives [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The headmistress clapped her hands together before standing up. "That
settles it, then. We're just going to talk about your training program so you two
can leave the room for now. Ike, you haven't eaten anything yet so at least grab a
bread before you leave."

"Wait... Nicolo, come here," Marcus said, calling a teenage boy who's peeking
curiously from a nearby door. "Why don't you tour these two boys around?"

The boy stepped out of the shadows and walked timidly towards us. I instantly
noticed his pale skin and cyan-colored hair and eyes. RB and I are taller than him
and he looked like he's about seventeen or eighteen years old.

"This is my son, Nicolo. First-year na siya sa pasukan. Sa katunayan nga eh sa

Emerald siya papasok. Esmerelda was able to help some of the children here in their
studies. Actually, kasama kami doon ni Mario sa natulungan niya sa pag-aaral noon.
Nicolo is a Plasma Weirdo," Marcus explained.

"Plasma? That's so cool!" RB blurted out.

"I think he can craft a lot of things from plasma. He has qualified as a Special
Student and Franco will personally train him. It's pretty unique, really. Plasma,
scientifically, is a type of matter that carry charges despite its similarity to
gas. Magically, it can be used like lightning when attacking and it can also be
molded into different things like weapons," Professor Evanesca added.

"Go now. Mag-uusap lang kami rito," sabi ni Marcus kay Nicolo. Nangingimi namang
naglakad si Nicolo papunta sa pinto. Agad naman kaming sumunod sa kanya palabas ng
town hall.

"So, Nicolo... I'm Ike," I said, breaking the awkward atmosphere around us. "And
this one is RB. Magkaklase kami sa Emerald. Nice to meet you."

"Nicolo Eliseo po," sagot niya. "Nice to meet you din po."

"So you were, like, a Plasma Weirdo? I've read about that weirdness and it's really
rare and powerful! You're so lucky! Can you show me your weirdness?" RB asked.

Nicolo scratched his head. "I'm still not good enough in controlling it."

"It's totally okay! Just let me see it!" pilit pa ni RB.

Nicolo opened his hands in front of him and frowned as he concentrated. A cyan-
colored cloud of smoky and glowing substance suddenly appeared over his hand before
morphing into a miniature eagle. Tiny arcs of electricity also ran through the body
of the smoky eagle as it flapped its wings and flew in circles over Nicolo's hands.

"That's so cool!" RB blurted out, eyeing the eagle like a child who has seen a
magic trick. Mukhang epektibo naman ang ginawa niya dahil tila mas gumaan ang loob
sa 'min ni Nicolo.

"Thanks. I still can't use my powers offensively, though. Ah... Gusto niyo bang
maglakad-lakad dito sa village namin? Sasamahan ko kayo kung gusto ninyo," sabi
niya.

"Sige," sabi naman namin ni RB.

We followed Nicolo as he guided us on the dirt roads inside their village. The
entire village is probably the same size as a typical town. Children are currently
happily playing around while the adults are busy doing the house chores. The entire
village looked exactly like a magical village from a children's fantasy book.

"How old are you, Nicolo?" RB asked.

"Eighteen na po ako sa katapusan," he replied.

"I see. We'll probably see each other in Emerald in June! You're going to enjoy it
there. You should also try to participate in the Magical Mayhem! Mananalo ka
panigurado," sabi pa ni RB.

"Actually, parati po kaming nanonood ng Magical Mayhem sa Emerald. Katunayan nga po

eh kilalang-kilala kayo lalo na ng mga bata rito," sagot ni Nicolo.

"Really? Jeez, mukha pa naman tayong mga baliw kapag Magical Mayhem. Nakakahiya
naman," sabi ni RB.

"Kayo nga po ang rason kung bakit marami sa mga bata rito ang gustong mag-aral sa
Emerald. Gustong-gusto po kasi nila kayong panoorin. Katunayan nga po eh isa ako sa
mga humahanga sa inyo," sagot ni Nicolo.

I just stared at him curiously as a subtle smile suddenly curved across his face.
"Kumusta naman ang buhay ninyo rito?"

Nicolo sighed deeply in response. "Tahimik po at masaya ang buhay namin pero
nakakapagod din po kung minsan."

"Nakakapagod?" nagtataka ko namang tanong.

"I'm thankful that I was born here, really. Life here in the mountain has been
peaceful and quiet. Lahat naman ginagawa ng mga magulang namin para mamuhay kami
nang maayos. Pero kung minsan, naiisip din namin kung ano sana ang naging buhay
namin kung hindi kami rito pinanganak sa bundok. Matagal na sa 'king nasabi ni
tatay ang buong kwento kung bakit sila napunta rito at paulit-ulit nilang sinasabi
sa 'min na kasalanan nila kung bakit nandito kami ngayon," paliwanag ni Nicolo.

"Matanda na ako at alam ko na ang katotohanan sa likod ng buhay namin dito. Our
past was bloody and chaotic. And I can see that our parents no longer want us to
continue writing our history using blood. The children here have dreams. Even I
can't see myself growing old here. I think it's already obvious that our community
will soon have to go back to the society. In fact, the previous Chief Purger, my
grandfather, told us in his dying breath that he wants us to start anew."

"My grandfather helped Serafina in the war almost a couple of decades ago. My
father and Tito Mario were still studying by that time so they weren't able to
participate in the war. That was probably one of the biggest mistakes that our
community did. Many people from our side died in the war. And when Serafina was
defeated by Tita Esmerelda, my grandfather probably realized that he chose the
wrong path. Tita Esmerelda begged him not to fight alongside Serafina but he did
not listen to her. And it took my grandfather dozens of dead bodies to realize his
mistake," Nicolo added.

RB and I just stared at each other upon hearing Nicolo's words. We can definitely
hear the maturity in his voice and way of thinking. It seems that their life in
this forest made him a tough person.

"Tita Esmerelda, Tita Elena, Tito Ezekiel, Tito Mario, and my father are the only
people from this village who were able to finish their studies in a magical school.
Tito Mario and my father studied in a foreign magical school. Sinubukan naman ni
Tita Esmerelda na tulungang makapag-aral ang ibang mga tao rito pero sadyang ayaw
nila o kaya naman ay takot silang bumaba. May ilan naman dito na nakapagtapos sa
kolehiyo at matagal na silang bumaba para magsimula ulit. They all seem happier
now. Our ancestors' crimes have been long forgotten by the people already. Not to
mention that we've been sitting idle for almost a couple of decades. Pride and
grudge are the things keeping us from leaving this mountain and starting a new
life," Nicolo said.

"Wow. You're, like, the complete opposite of me," RB suddenly said. "I'm older than
you and yet I'm still childish as hell-"

"Buti alam mo," sabad ko naman.

"But what's important is that you chose not to fight anymore. You chose your own
path. That's the only thing that matters, anyway. Listen to me. I committed a lot
of mistakes before, a lot. I was a horrible person and I don't even have any
friends. I don't have my parents anymore, too. But when I met this guy," RB said as
he punched me, "I saw an opportunity. For the first time in my life, I finally had
a choice. And I chose to chase the guy I love the most and be a good person! And
here I am now. Even though I don't have a complete family, I still have my friends
and Ike and they are enough to make me happy. I am happy because I chose to be
happy!"
"Dang. It took you three installments to finally say something decent, you nitwit,"
I said, pinching RB's cheek.

"It's fine if you don't want to fight anymore. And it's totally fine if you want to
study in Emerald and start a new life for you. Do want you want. You don't have to
be chained to your past. Besides, I can see that your father doesn't want you to
live the life the same way that they used to before. He wants you to start again
because he can see that you have a future ahead of you. Your father is probably
going to be the last Chief Purger," RB added.

Nicolo smiled a bit as he took a deep breath. "Yeah, you're probably right."

It seems that the Purgers are going to be abolished soon. And it will happen not
because the people have gone tired of fighting or because their village is becoming
smaller and smaller for them in each passing day. It's because the children here,
like Nicolo, have dreams. They have dreams about a better life, far from the
chaotic and bloody history that their ancestors had written. And Nicolo, just like
every other person here, wants to write a new future for themselves, for the new
Purgers.

"Whatever. I'm supposed to tour you around. Let's go. We're going to my favorite
part of this forest," Nicolo said before heading out of the gates.

"Okay lang ba na lumabas tayo?" tanong ko naman.

"Okay lang naman po. Tsaka kabisado na po namin ang gubat sa paligid ng village.
Ako po ang bahala sa inyo," sagot ni Nicolo.

Saka ko lang din napansin na naglalabas-masok nga ang mga tao sa village.
Pagkalabas naming tatlo ay lumiko si Nicolo sa isang daan at naglakad papunta sa
kakahuyan.

"This forest served as our playground. In fact, a lot of children here have wild
animals for their pets. Hinahayaan lang namin sila ritong mamuhay nang malaya at
bumabalik-balik naman sila kung minsan. I even raised a couple of eagles before. I
found them abandoned in a fallen nest and I looked after them. I eventually
released them back to the wild when they have grown strong enough to take care for
themselves," Nicolo said as we walked under the thick foliage of trees.

"That's nice. I wouldn't mind living here, though. It's peaceful and quiet here,
far from the noises of the city. Life here is pretty much slow-paced yet
satisfying," RB said, inhaling a lungful of fresh air.

The trees suddenly thinned and the path ended in a clearing. The place was actually
a cliff overlooking a small town seated in a valley. A river snaked through the
town, sparkling with the early noon sun. The view was really breathtaking.
"That's the town of Terresena. I spend most of my time here, watching the town and
the forest around it. The view's much nicer here during afternoon because of the
sunset. I always go here whenever I want to be alone or if I just need some quiet
time," Nicolo said as he sat on the grass.

"Ikaw lang ba ang papasok sa Emerald? I mean, parang ang dami kasi naming ka-edad
sa village ninyo," tanong ko naman pagkaupo namin ni RB.

"Ako lang po ang ginustong mag-aral sa Emerald. Masyado na rin po kasing malayo
'yung siyudad dito sa village namin. May matino namang college sa isang kalapit na
bayan namin dito at halos doon na nag-aral 'yung iba sa 'min. Katunayan nga po eh
doon na rin ako nag-elementary at high school," paliwanag ni Nicolo.

"I see. Sayang naman," sabi ko.

"Well, our parents personally teach us on how to use and control our weirdnesses.
We don't lack training here. In fact..."

Nicolo raised a hand and aimed at a nearby tree filled with berries. A tiny ball of
glowing plasma shot from his fingers and flew towards the tree. There was a loud
crack and a small branch with ripe berries suddenly fell to the ground.

"Sweet," RB said, scrambling towards the fallen branch.

"That's pretty accurate, I must say," I said, thoroughly impressed. Nicolo just
grinned sheepishly before looking over the valley once more. All of us just sat in
silence and appreciated the beauty and calmness of the view in front of us.

"What's Emerald like?" Nicolo suddenly asked after a few minutes.

I took a deep breath before glancing at RB. "It's fifty percent magical school and
fifty percent madhouse."

He raised his eyebrow curiously.

"Well, Emerald is the best magical school in the country, there's no question with
that. The quality of education is high so their standards are also pretty high. I'm
pretty sure that you'll thoroughly enjoy staying there. But on the other hand, it's
also probably the craziest place that you'll ever be in your entire life. Everyone
there is crazy, from your classmates to the teachers and up to the headmistress
herself. But trust me, you will never regret going to Emerald," I said before
smiling at him.

"Bull's eye, hubby!" RB said, giving me an approving nod and a thumbs-up.

"I see... Well, I'll believe in that, then," Nicolo replied.

We all headed back to the village right before noon. The Eliseo brothers and
Professor Evanesca were already done talking by the time that we arrived. Nicolo
bade us goodbye before heading straight to the town hall to help prepare lunch.

"Did you have fun talking to Nicolo?" Professor Evanesca asked as she sat beside me
on a bench.

"He's a really deep person," I said with hint of amusement in my voice.

"Indeed," the headmistress replied with a light smile. "His mother died giving
birth to him. And if not with the help of Matilda, he could've also died with his
mother. He's just like you, Ike. You're both like an old man crammed inside a
teenage boy's body."

"Do I really sound too mature for my age?" I asked.

"You should probably record your conversations with other people. Oh well, people
who have endured a lot during their younger days tend to mentally mature faster
than those who didn't. Even when he was still a kid, I always find my conversations
with Nicolo pretty amusing. He had no choice but to deal with the reality of their
village at a young age that's why he was never able to enjoy his childhood. While
his fellow children played with their toys, Nicolo played with a bow and a stack of
arrows and hunted wild boars in the forest. He rarely talks with other people but I
know that he's pretty curious about the world outside of this forest," the
headmistress said.

"He doesn't seem to be shy when we talked to him earlier," I said. "He even shared
with us a few stories about their past."

"It's because he had always admired you ever since he saw you in the Magical Mayhem
since you were a first-year," Professor Evanesca said. "When I visited this village
on the summer right after your first year in Emerald, Nicolo asked me right away if
you were my student. He saw how tough and strong you were in the Magical Mayhem,
Ike. You faced a lot of difficult situations and powerful opponents but you did not
back down and you still managed to emerge victorious. Strange it may seem but I
think he saw a bit of himself in you. And that, I think, is the reason why he
easily opened up about himself."

"Well, I'm flattered. But I think Nicolo's way stronger than me. I mean, living in
this forest will surely make you tough and he's been living here since he was born.
I'm pretty sure that he's made of tougher stuff than me. He doesn't have to look at
me as if I can endure all the pain in this world," I said.

"Just let him admire you, Ike. I'm pretty sure that you're one of the reasons why
he wants to study in Emerald," she replied.

"What Weirdo Course is he going to be classified to, then?" I asked curiously.

The headmistress frowned. "It's hard to tell, actually. He can certainly qualify as
an Elemental Weirdo but plasma is neither a base element nor a higher-class
element. I think he'll be just like Jared. He's also not classified in any Weirdo
Courses because of his Revenge Attack Weirdness."

I nodded. "That's cool."

Professor Evanesca suddenly glanced at me sideways before smiling. "By the way, I
heard from Rubio that you two just celebrated your first month as a couple a few
days ago. How did the celebration go?"

"It was fun... I guess," I replied, scratching my neck awkwardly.

"Rubio seems to be happier now. Oh well, I can't complain," she added.

I just stared at RB who's currently crouching on the ground not far from us.
Standing around him are children who watched him happily as he made tiny crystal
butterflies fly around them. He raised an open hand and conjured another butterfly
made out of amethyst before giving it to a girl who was watching him amusedly.

"Go on. You can keep it," RB said, smiling sweetly at the girl.

"You are probably the best thing that ever happened to Rubio," the headmistress
suddenly said.

I flinched upon hearing her words. "Uh... No... That's an exaggeration..."

"Before Rubio met you, he was certainly headed towards a dangerous path. I was too
busy minding my business in Emerald that's why I was never able to focus my full
attention in rearing RB during the most delicate years of his development. His
childhood continued to haunt him and he probably already accepted the fact that he
will never be happy again. But when he met you, he saw that he can still change,
that he can still be happy despite all the terrible things that happened to him.
Rubio may have used the wrong way to show his love for you in his first try but
now, he seems to be doing his best to correct his mistakes before. And all of those
things happened because you didn't give up on him, because you gave him another
chance, because you loved him," Professor Evanesca said.

I can feel my cheeks going hot so I immediately looked away. "Uh... Well,
thanks..."

"If you're still not convinced, then take a look at RB. Look at the way how he
smiles. Have you seen him smile like that before?" the headmistress asked.

RB's behavior has really changed over the past couple of years. His stubbornness
may have intensified further but the eerie and creepy aura that emanated from him
during our first year in Emerald is now definitely gone. He also smiles more often
and is a lot livelier and happier now.

"Ah... Youth... You kids are certainly making me feel old," Professor Evanesca said
as she stared dreamily into empty space. "I know I've said this a million times
before but thank you very much for everything, Ike."

I just smiled at her as a reply.

"Oh well, I can smell lunch already! You better eat something or they'll kick you
out of their village. We'll be leaving right after lunch. And if I'm not mistaken,
a particular someone had just arrived in Emerald this morning. He wants to meet you
as soon as possible," Professor Evanesca said mysteriously.

"Who?" I asked.

The headmistress smirked meaningfully. "The craziest person that you'll ever meet
in your entire life."

        Chapter 8: Ezekiel Lucas Evanesca [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Just like what the headmistress had planned, my training with her started
the next day after my arrival in Emerald. I'll be undergoing an intensive training
for the next three weeks, from afternoon until evening. Professor Evanesca and
Professor Romeus will take turns in training me for the weeks to follow.

And now, I am headed to the Jade Battle Dome for the first day of my training. RB's
currently spending some time in Faye's house that's why he's not with me. Pero
mukhang susunod naman siya sa battle dome dahil mukhang may training din siya kay
Professor Elena mamaya.

Wala pa nga akong ideya sa kung ano ang magiging takbo ng training ko. Baka kasi
magtrain lang muna ako gamit 'yung tatlong elements na nakokontrol ko na. 'Yung
training ko naman sa mga Purgers eh sa Hunyo pa magsisimula.

Malapit na ako sa Jade Battle Dome nung biglang nag-ring ang phone ko.

"Oh, ano?" bungad ko kay RB.

"I'm heading back to Emerald. Jack's with me! He said that he wants to barge in and
train with us," RB said from the other line.

"Hi bro!" Jack shouted.

"Yeah, great. Hurry up, you two. Don't dawdle," I said before ending the call. I
was about to pocket my phone when it suddenly zoomed away from my hand. I turned
around and tried to catch it but it was already quietly revolving around a person
standing a few meters away from me.

"Uh, thanks for catching my phone..." I said awkwardly. The person is wearing a
sleek hooded black cloak which covered his face down to his nose. He seems to be
hovering a few inches from the ground as his cloak billowed lightly despite the
absence of wind in the area.

"Can you hear me? Can I please have my phone back?" I said, raising my voice a bit.

The person suddenly opened his arms before ascending swiftly to the sky, his cloak
billowing eerily behind him. At the same time, dark rain clouds covered the bright
afternoon sky and rumbles of thunder suddenly filled the air. A fork of lightning
suddenly erupted from the clouds and headed straight towards me.

"What the hell?!" I shouted as I jumped out of harm's way and landed just a few
feet away from the spot where the lightning striked. "A villain?! How did he get in
here?!"

Another fork of lightning erupted from the sky and shot towards me. I immediately
conjured a barrier to block the lightning. Using my other hand, I flicked my
fingers and sent a volley of rock spikes towards the guy. But the spikes stopped in
midflight before turning around and flying back to me. Despite my shock, I was
still able to conjure a stone wall to block the plummeting rain of rock spikes.

Lightning and Earth Weirdo? A hybrid? I thought as I rolled away from the wall.

I jumped into the air and clicked my fingers. Ice spikes fell from the dark clouds
covering the sky and shot straight towards the guy who hasn't even moved a tiny bit
since he started attacking me. The ice spikes just melted into rain before falling
to the ground with a splatter.

Water?! Now he's a tri-hybrid?!

Before my brain could even process anything, a powerful jet of air suddenly hit me,
sending me crashing back to the ground. I landed badly on the grass just outside
the Jade Battle Dome, panting and coughing for air. At the same time, a huge
fireball fell from the clouds and plummeted straight towards my spot. I only had
time to crawl away as the fireball hit the ground and exploded, sending me flying
through the air with its powerful blast.

Five elements, my mind said as I landed on the road. Five freaking elements. What
kind of monster is he?!

As if controlling five elements isn't enough, the lampposts on the side of the
street where I landed suddenly sprang to life and moved like snakes searching for
their prey. The lampposts wrapped around my legs and arms and forced me to a
kneeling position. The mysterious hooded person descended slowly from the sky
before hovering quietly in front of me. And yes, he hasn't moved even a single
finger at all.

"Your attacks are too direct and simple," the mysterious person said in a crisp and
clear voice. "You have a huge repertoire of powers and yet you do not know how to
use them to your advantage. It's like you have an entire deck of cards at your
disposal and your only move is to throw them randomly at your enemy. You are weak.
Pathetic, even. No wonder Jaeron was able to fool you for the past couple of
years."

I stared at him angrily. "Do you seriously think that you can get away with this?
You are inside Emerald right now, for your info! Maybe I'm weak and pathetic but
I'm not an idiot like you!"

The sky suddenly cleared up and the lampposts unwrapped themselves from my arms and
legs. I fell to the ground weakly and tried to move despite the pain in my entire
body.

"Don't move. Nurse Juliana will take care of you. Jeez, is this the beloved student
of my sister? I didn't know that her favorite student was a pathetic weakling," the
guy said.

"What?!" I blurted out.

The guy took a deep breath before removing the hood of his cloak, revealing a pale
yet young face with a prominent jawline, jet-black hair streaked with green, and
the familiar green eyes which seem to hold a galaxy of stars inside them—giving the
impression that his eyes are glowing permanently.

"I am Ezekiel Lucas Ytteria Evanesca, the youngest and only thorn in the Evanesca
siblings. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Prime Elemental," the guy said with
a small smile, extending a pale arm from under his cloak.

"What?!" I exclaimed in utter disbelief. "You're the Ezekiel Evanesca?! The number
7 agent in the worldwide ranking?!"

He nodded. "In the flesh."

I shook his hand and just stared at him stupidly in utter confusion and amazement.

"As usual, you never go easy on other people. That is the exact reason why I didn't
offer you a teaching position here in Emerald when you graduated," Professor
Evanesca suddenly said. I turned around and saw her stepping out of a portal
together with her sister.

"I just tried to gauge the ability of your favorite student, dear sister. And I
found out that he's pathetically incompetent. I only left the country for a couple
of years and the educational system in this school had already plummeted back to
the ground. You will lose the highly-coveted top spot if this continues," Ezekiel
said.

"Stop being negative, dear brother. I guess you have introduced yourself already to
this fine, young lad here?" Professor Evanesca said, gesturing to me.

"Yeah. I already did," Ezekiel replied. "If the Prime Elemental had a hand and a
face, it would've face-palmed itself numerous times already because of the sorry
state of its current holder."

The headmistress knelt beside me and started running her glowing hands all over my
wounds. "Forgive my brother. Fighting is his way of greeting people, you see. And
forgive his words, too. He's the most unfiltered and straightforward person you'll
ever meet in your entire life."

Ezekiel wore the hood of his cloak, concealing half of his face once more. It also
seems that he's not fond of walking because he kept on hovering a few inches from
the ground. Instead of walking, he just glides through the air silently like some
sort of a ghost.

I stood up gingerly and massaged my chest before taking deep breaths. "Uh,
Professor..."

"Do not call me professor, young lad. Just call me Ezekiel. That term can only be
used for old people. And I am certainly not old yet. I'm just about a couple of
years older than you," Ezekiel said.

"Oh, okay. Can I ask what's your weirdness?" I said.

A triumphant smirk ran across his half-hidden face. "I am a Mind Weirdo. And my
weirdness is telekinesis."

It took me a few seconds to process the thought. "What?! But the elements that you
controlled earlier... The fire... The lightning..."

"Telekinesis, in my own view, is the most powerful weirdness in this universe, far
more powerful than the Prime Elemental or the Prime Destruction or any weirdness in
this world. You see, telekinesis allows you to control all forces in nature. But in
my opinion, all forces are just the same. And I like to call that specific type of
force as the Everforce, the exact same force that created the universe and
maintains the balance of every single thing inside it. Telekinesis Weirdos have
been blessed with the ability to control this extremely powerful force," Ezekiel
said.

"My telekinesis is so strong that I can already control the elements," he added,
setting his own hand into flames. "I wasn't blessed with elemental magic but
telekinesis allowed me to control the elements at
extremely easy to control the particles of earth,
produce fire, I just collide particles to produce
in order to produce lightning. Science and magic,
magnificent results."
their molecular level. It is
air, and water. If I want to
it. And I make the process faster
when combined, can produce

I frowned. "I think I've read about that before-"

Ezekiel smirked. "Geokinesis, Aerokinesis, Hydrokinesis, Pyrokinesis, and

Electrokinesis. Perhaps you've read about those in a book entitled The Science of
Telekinesis: An Idiot's Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Most Underrated
Weirdness in the Universe. I actually wrote that book right after graduating from
Emerald a few years ago and sent free copies of it to all the people that doubted
me before. Do you want a copy?"

"Uh... No, thanks," I replied.

"Elemental Telekinesis isn't the only thing that I can do with my weirdness. I can
also perform Marionette, freeze spells in midflight, disintegrate matter, and give
the illusion than I can slow down time..."

He clicked his fingers and—just like a movie being played in slow motion—all the
falling dried leaves from the trees lining the street suddenly fell slowly like
they're descending through water.

"Or I can fast forward it instead," Ezekiel said and the leaves zoomed swiftly to
the ground as if they've been pulled quickly back to the earth by a surplus of
gravity. "All of the things that a Telekinesis Weirdo can do with his weirdness are
listed in my book together with complete instructions on how to use those powers.
Maybe you should read it to help you broaden your narrow and judgmental mind
regarding the Mind Weirdos."

"You don't have to be so stingy," I said quietly.

"Whatever. That's why I was instantly pissed off when I heard your story from my
sister. It seems that you're just like the majority of the students here in Emerald
who see the Elemental Weirdo Course as the best subject in this school. You only
want to do the flashy stuff, right? Kids," he said in a contemptuous tone.

"It's not like I wanted to show off," I said. "I just don't feel that I belong to
the Mind Weirdo Course."

"I see. Well, I pity the people who only see telekinesis as nothing but the power
to move random things," Ezekiel continued. "They don't know that it's one of the
most powerful weirdnesses in this world... the ability to control anything and
everything. And it seems that you, just like the majority of people, didn't see the
potential of being a Mind Weirdo."
"Ezekiel's really gung ho in defending his weirdness," Professor Evanesca said. "He
even kicked a person before for looking down on Mind Weirdos."

"Serves him right," Ezekiel retorted. "His butt will never be the same again."

"Well, I think we should go now to the Jade Battle Dome so that Ike can start his
training right away. Rubio will also be arriving in a few moments so we should get
started," the headmistress said, gesturing us to the battle dome.

"By the way, Ike," Professor Evanesca said as we entered the building, "you will
also train with Ezekiel to improve your ability to control the elements by just
using telekinesis. All in all, you will be mentored this year by three different
people: me, Ezekiel, and the Eliseo brothers."

"With him?" I asked, pointing a finger to Ezekiel who's currently gliding silently
towards the open field of the battle dome. "I was pretty sure that he was about to
kill me earlier."

The headmistress chuckled. "Yes. And besides, your two remaining years here in
Emerald will be devoted to your training. Only your major subjects will remain in
your schedule starting this year and the free time from your minor subjects will be
devoted to your training."

Inaalis na kasi ang minor subjects kapag nasa third year na rito sa Emerald. Only
the major subjects will remain which includes Transfiguration, Potions, Spells, our
respective Weirdo Courses, at ang subject na kakain sa lahat ng mababakanteng oras
namin, Combat Education. At pagdating naman ng fourth year, internship at training
na lang ang aatupagin namin.

"All in all, you've got a pretty crazy year, Ike. Well, I'm sure that you won't
fold under all the pressure that your hectic schedule will bring to you this year.
You're in good hands, dear boy. Don't worry," Professor Evanesca said.

We settled on the grass and waited for my training to start. And just as I
expected, Professor Evanesca and Professor Elena just stood on the sidelines,
leaving me with their brother.

"It seems that you are now able to control three elements," Ezekiel said without
any prelude, gliding quietly through the air as he circled me. "Aside from those,
you can now also use Plant Magic and ice as well. But from what I've seen earlier,
your moves are still pretty simple, direct, and extremely, extremely easy to read.
You also lack technique to the point that I can even beat you without moving a
muscle while having my eyes closed."

"Well, I'm still learning..." I said quietly.

"That's why for the entire month, you will do nothing but to train endlessly using
your three elemental powers. I want you to become so good to the point that you no
longer have to move even a finger to control the elements," he added.

"Can I really do that?" I asked.

"My dear boy, truly skilled weirdos do not waste their energy in pointless flicking
of fingers or silly waving of the arms. Do you want to know the reason why I can
control the elements without moving a finger?" Ezekiel said.

"Uh, yes?" I replied tentatively.

"Tell me, what is the classification of Telekinesis Weirdos?" he asked.

"Mind Weirdos?"

"Exactly. I don't need to dance around and wave my arms like a ballerina because I
can already control the elements using my brain, my mind," Ezekiel said, smirking
as he pointed a finger to his head. "What I'm trying to say," he continued, "is
that telekinesis can help you achieve that goal. We want you to use telekinesis as
a tool to further strengthen your grasp over the Prime Elemental. We do not have
the luxury of time so we're going to use all possible tools to make you learn and
unlock the full power of the Prime Elemental in the quickest way possible. It will
be difficult, of course. Can you already control the elements without producing
them from your body?" he asked.

I nodded. "Isolated element controlling? I can do that already."

"Good. It will make things easier for you. And trust me, dear boy, once you master
the art of using telekinesis with the Prime Elemental, you will become
unstoppable," Ezekiel said with an evil grin.

"But you're too pathetic that I highly doubt you'll ever achieve that," he added
shortly.

"Do you really have to say that?" I said.

"Whatever. We'll never achieve anything if you'll just sit there and stare at me
stupidly. Get your butt off the grass and start training! I want to see how you'll
deal with the most stupid creation of Emerald, the Scavengers," Ezekiel said before
gliding towards his sisters.

He clapped his hands and the terrain was replaced by a vast, endless sea that
stretched for miles around us. The only land in the area is a tiny islet where the
three Evanescas are currently standing.

"I want to see how well you can maintain your aerial balance while using the three
elements and battling the Scavengers at the same time. And feel free to use your
telekinesis, too. A stroke of beginner's luck might help you integrate telekinesis
with the Prime Elemental," Ezekiel shouted.

"How many Scavengers will I face?!" I shouted back.

An evil grin ran across Ezekiel's half-hidden face. "I want you to fight five sets
of Scavengers version 3."

I just stared at him in utter disbelief as dozens of Scavengers appeared all around
me in huge puffs of smoke.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

        Chapter 9: Braids and Brothers [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Here comes the airplane, hubby! Say ah..." RB said, raising a spoonful of
food towards my mouth.

"Shut up. I can eat all by myself! I'm not a kid, you idiot," I said, snatching the
spoon and tray of food from him.

I ended up in the infirmary after my first training session this month. The
Scavengers were just too much and Ezekiel had to rescue me from the sea when the
Scavengers attempted to drown me. Nalipasan na ako ng magdamag dito sa infirmary.

"You almost got drowned by the Scavengers yesterday. You also fractured your bones
in your right arm and left leg but a couple of Nurse Juliana's staff already healed
you. You can finish breakfast and we can leave and have sex in your room," RB said,
reading my diagnosis on a clipboard. "But man, Ezekiel is a sadist," he added,
putting the clipboard back to the bedside table.

"Tell me about it," I replied flatly.

"He seems to be a pretty cool guy, though," RB said.

"There is no denying that he's cool and powerful. You should've seen him control
the elements yesterday. For a moment I thought he was also the Prime Elemental.
He's pretty scary. Well, I think it runs in the blood," I said.

Nurse Juliana peeked from the the ward's door. "Oh, you're awake. Just finish your
breakfast and you're good to go. I also told Esmerelda to give you a day-off today.
And don't worry, Ezekiel won't do the same thing to you again. I already told him
off for his recklessness yesterday," she said as she stepped into the ward.

"Thank you po," sagot ko naman.

She seems to have recovered well after the incident that happened in Emerald a few
months ago. Her usual strict and stern treatment to her patients are now back with
vengeance.

Nurse Juliana checked my body for injuries; flexing my arms and legs, examining my
eyes, and checking my heart rate and breathing. Seemingly satisfied with the result
of her examination, she clicked her fingers and a fresh set of clothes appeared on
the bedside table.

"Your clothes yesterday. Washed, folded, and ready to wear again. Get out of this
building after you're done eating your breakfast. Try to at least lessen the
frequency of your visits here," Nurse Juliana said before heading to the door.

"Susubukan ko po," habol ko naman sa kanya. Tumango na lang din siya sa 'kin bago
siya lumabas ng ward.

"So hubby's good to go. Here, let me help you change your clothes. I like your
underwear, by the way. Red. So sexy," RB said, unfolding my clothes on the bedside
table.

"Shut the hell up. Sa CR po ako magpapalit, salamat. At kaya ko pong magpalit nang
mag-isa, salamat ulit," sabad ko naman sabay agaw sa kanya ng mga damit ko.

"Eh? I've seen it all already so there's no point in hiding your body from me! Ike
is such an Adonis so he shouldn't be shy showing off his gorgeous body. If you have
it, flaunt it! And besides, I'd like to see you in red underwear. You wore blue
last time," RB said, biting my arm all of a sudden. "Dang it. You're so delicious
that I want to eat you alive!"

"SHUT UP. Ever heard of them term 'self-respect?' Apparently, one of us here
doesn't have it. And jeez, don't bite me. You're not Crimson, dammit!" I said
scornfully. "Here, bring this tray back to Nurse Juliana and I'll go and get
changed. Sa lobby mo na lang ako hintayin."

"Fine," RB said lifelessly before dragging himself out of the room.

Agad din naman akong lumabas pagkatapos kong magpalit ng damit. RB and I headed
back to our dorm right away. Free day nga namin ngayon sa tulong ni Nurse Juliana
at mukhang pag-iisipan pa ni Ezekiel kung paano pa ako papahirapan lalo sa training
ko.

"By the way, Professor Evanesca told me that we can just eat our meals in the
Emerald building. She doesn't want us to spend too much for our food. And besides,
siya naman 'yung pumutol sa bakasyon mo kaya obligasyon ka niyang pakainin habang
hindi pa nagbubukas ang mga cafeteria dito," sabi ni RB habang naglalakad kami
papasok ng Topaz Building.
"Got it," I replied.

RB suddenly clung to my arms tightly before squeezing my biceps. "And we're

basically alone in the Topaz Building for the following weeks, hubby. How about
we-"

"NO."

He was about to complain when a familiar voice suddenly called us.

"Hey, you two!"

We turned around and saw Jack together with a little girl running towards us. "I'm
glad to see that you're fine already," he said, punching my arm upon reaching us.
"Those Scavengers almost slaughtered you yesterday, bro."

"Yeah. You don't have to remind me, silly," I said flatly.

"And who is this pretty little girl?" RB said, crouching to the ground and smiling
widely at the little girl who's with Jack.

"This is Janine, by the way. My younger sister. May trabaho kasi si Mama kaya
isinama ko na muna siya rito. Say 'hi' to your Kuya Ike and Kuya RB," Jack said.

"Hello po!" bati naman sa 'min ni Janine. Ngumiti naman kami ni RB sa kanya.

"You little brat. I told you to say 'hi.' Anyway, I didn't have much time catching
up with you yesterday. Let's go inside. Tell me more about the training camp and
your adventures with Professor Evanesca," Jack said excitedly, ushering us towards
the Topaz Building.

"But man, you two are probably the luckiest person I know. RB got invited to the
National Weirdo Youth Training Camp and you're going to be trained by the Ezekiel
Evanesca. Iba rin talaga kapag biniyayaan ka ng magandang weirdness," sabi pa ni
Jack pagkapasok namin sa kwarto ko.

"Yeah, great. Whatever," I said. "So how's your summer vacation so far?"

"We went out of the country last month. We travelled across Europe and we also
visited a magical school in France! It's so freaking beautiful there," Jack
replied. "But stop asking about my uneventful summer. I want to hear about your
respective adventures for the past few weeks."

I took a deep breath. "Tell him, RB. I'm too tired to even speak," I said before
collapsing on my bed.
RB narrated all the things that happened to us in the past month; from his training
camp and up to our visit in the village of the Purgers in the Terreña Mountain
Range. I had to silence him though when he started telling Jack about our
celebration on our first month as a couple.

"Spare the other details. There's a kid here, idiot," I said, throwing a pillow to
him.

"That's all, then. But you're missing the good part, Jack," RB said meaningfully as
he winked.

Jack smiled widely before slamming his hand against my back. "Nice one, bro. I'm
happy for you."

"Shut up. And I just got out of the infirmary so please try not to injure me. Nurse
Juliana will kill me if I show up in the infirmary again today," I fired at him.

"Yeah. By the way, I'm super excited for our Magical Mayhem this year!" Jack
blurted out. "They will probably give us the hardest and most difficult challenges
for this year's games. I'm going to win this time for sure! Besides, winning in the
Junior Magical Mayhem is a big deal because it can give you a ticket to the NMLEA
Main Office once you graduate and get a license."

"Mukhang handang-handa ka na ah," sabi ko naman.

"Of course! I was finally able to master Marionette last month and I keep on
practicing with it. Gael will be tickled pink once he sees me use Marionette. I'm
also starting to create large-scale attacks with my Water Weirdness. I'm not going
to lose to any of you!" Jack said.

RB just smirked smugly as he stared at us. "How pitiful..."

"Hey, spit it out," I said, narrowing my eyes on him.

"What?" RB said in a feigned tone of innocence.

"I know you from inside out. Ano ba'ng tinatago mo? May alam ka bang hindi namin
alam?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"I do. But I'm not allowed to tell you," he said.

"Jeez. Say it. Is it about the Magical Mayhem? Tungkol ba 'to doon sa napag-usapan
natin nung monthsary natin?" tanong ko.
RB took a deep breath before rolling his eyes. "Fine. But promise me that you'll
never tell anyone, okay? I'm serious. We're not allowed to tell anybody else about
this because we could get disqualified. And don't get hysterical once I tell you
about it. Promise me."

Nagkatitigan na lang kami ni Jack. "Promise."

"Well, Emerald will indeed be hosting the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament this
year-"

Jack exploded instantly. "WHAT?! YOU MEAN THE-"

RB flicked his fingers and crystals suddenly covered Jack's mouth. "I told you to
keep it down!"

Jack immediately gave him a peace sign but RB did not remove the crystals covering
his mouth.

"As I was saying," RB continued, "Emerald will be hosting the CMMT this year.
Sinabi nila sa 'min doon sa training camp namin sa Sierra. 'Yung representatives ng
top 5 magical schools doon sa camp eh automatic nang kasali sa tournament."

"Pati si Jared?"

"Including Jared."

Jack suddenly stood up from his chair as he let out a muffled scream. RB pointed
his hand to him and he immediately sat down to his chair again.

"But there's also a rule in the tournament saying that the recent winner of the
participating schools' respective sports competitions is also automatically
qualified to the tournament. And that rule also applies to you, hubby," RB said
with an evil grin.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously."

RB flicked his fingers and the crystals covering Jack's mouth disappeared in an
instant.

"Woah. You're in the team, bro! Nice!" he said, punching my back once more.
"Each team is comprised of nine members. Ibig sabihin ay may anim pa na kukuning
representatives ang Emerald para sa tournament. Sa paanong paraan? Hindi ko pa
alam. Hanggang doon lang kasi ang alam ko ngayon," paliwanag ni RB.

"Maybe they'll use the Magical Mayhem to select the other representatives. Ibig
sabihin nun eh hindi na kayo pwedeng sumali dahil parte na kayo ng official team
kaya mas mataas ang chance na manalo ako ngayong taon!" excited na sabi ni Jack.

"I highly doubt it," RB said. "Malaking event ang CMMT at ilang buwan 'yun
nagtatagal. Emerald probably won't hold the Magical Mayhem for its students. Kung
ibang school ang nag-host eh baka pwede pa."

"But still, kailangan kong mag-qualify para sa official team! Hindi ako papayag na
nasa team si Jared tapos ako nagchi-cheer lang sa inyo. That bastard... Konti na
lang talaga't titirisin ko na ang gunggong na 'yun," sabi ni Jack.

"Bago ka makipag-away kay Jared eh siguraduhin mo na munang makakapasok ka talaga.

Tandaan mo na may Water Weirdness din ako. Mahihirapan kang makapasok kapag
nagkataon," sabi ko naman.

"Duh, I'm still way better than you when it comes to using water, bro," he
retorted.

"Yeah, whatever. Good luck na lang sa 'yo," sagot ko.

"I think that's the main reason why Professor Evanesca and Ezekiel wants to train
you this entire month. You didn't get invited to the training camp so they're
training you instead for the CMMT," RB said.

"Well, I'm not complaining," I said as I rolled in my bed and stared at the
ceiling. "They're among the best agents in the world, after all. I just hope that
Ezekiel won't try to kill me again in our next training session."

"Dang it. Why are you two so lucky?!" Jack said.

"Kuya's getting hysterical again. Calm down," sabi bigla ng kapatid niya.

"I'm calm, Janine," Jack said. "It's just that your Kuya Ike and Kuya RB have been
blessed too much and I can't stand it. Come here, your hair is getting messy again.
Let me fix it."

"You know how to fix hair, huh?" RB asked with a malicious grin.

Jack just rolled his eyes as a reply. "Duh. Inaral ko kung paano mag-ponytails,
braids, at kung ano-ano pang mga hair arts para dito sa makulit kong kapatid. I
even know how to apply makeup. I studied all of those for this little brat here,"
he said before gently shaking the head of his sister.

RB and I both laughed. "Makeup? Seriously? I didn't know that you can do that!"

"Shut up! I had no choice! Mom is always busy at work and she has to leave early so
I'm left to look after Janine most of the time. You would do the same thing if you
were in my position, you insensitive scumbags. Hey, Janine, when you grow up, don't
let boys like these two here court you, okay? I don't like punks in our family.
Once you hear that your suitor's surname is Lunaria or Talla, run to the opposite
direction right away. Don't look back. Go and find a good guy like your brother;
someone who won't be shy fixing your hair or playing dolls with you."

"Did that really come out of your mouth? And duh, I don't have plans on spreading
my surname. I've already taken the DNA of the Lunarias," RB said meaningfully.

"Shut up," I fired at him.

Janine just frowned at her brother. "But Kuya Jack's also a punk, isn't he?"

"You little sh*t. Back me up once in a while, okay? There. Your hair's fixed. And
stop scratching your head. You don't have lice, you brat," Jack said before pushing
his sister away from him.

"May weirdness na ba siya?" tanong ko.

"Yep. I think she has the beginnings of a talented Healer. Faye's role is in
jeopardy," Jack said with an evil grin.

"You seem to be a really good brother to Janine," I added.

Jack shrugged his shoulders before smirking smugly. "Well, I'm the best bro in the
world, after all. I want Janine to be proud of me that's why I always strive to be
the best. But unfortunately, there are some antagonists in my story who simply
won't allow me to win."

"Sorry?" RB said in a feigned apologetic voice.

"But whatever. I still have two more years to defeat you two so I'll just take my
time and work slowly but surely. You will just wake up one day to see me sitting
comfortably in the number one spot for the agents. Don't worry, though. I won't
forget our friendship once I become the top agent," Jack said.

"Water Weirdo ka ba talaga? Para kasing masyadong mahangin dito sa kwarto. Ang
presko," sabad ko naman.
Jack suddenly punched my arm. "Hey, you two."

"What? I told you to stop punching me. I'm trying to sleep here," I snarled at him.

"I will try my best to qualify as a member of Emerald's official team but if in
case that I don't make it, I want you to promise me that you'll win the tournament
whatever it takes. If you have to break all the bones in your body or skin yourself
alive just to win the tournament then do it. Win so that I can brag to everyone
that I'm friends with Emerald's best students," Jack said seriously before raising
his fist to our direction.

RB and I just stared at each other before nodding at Jack and bumping our fists
against him.

"Promise."

        Chapter 10: Workout Week [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            My training with the Evanescas was supposed to resume the following day.
But to my surprise, I woke up the next day sitting inside what looked like an
airplane. My classmates were also sitting on the other seats, all of them appeared
to be deep in sleep. RB was also sitting beside me, snoring a bit. I immediately
shook him to wake him up.

"Hey, RB. Wake up. Hey."

RB opened his eyes and looked around wildly.

"What the... Where are we? Are we having our honeymoon already?" he asked.

"Shut up. What are we doing here? I can't remember anything. Ang natatandaan ko
lang natulog ako kagabi tapos paggising ko nandito na 'ko," sagot ko naman.

"Same here. All I can remember is that I jerked off before sleeping last night. And
then I saw your handsome face waking me up. I can't remember anything while I'm
asleep," RB replied.

I looked out of the window and saw that we're currently flying over what looked
like a vast, open ocean.

"Let's wake the others," I said before pushing RB from his seat.

Isa-isa naming ginising ang mga kaklase namin sa loob ng eroplano. Lahat sila ay
wala ring matandaan kung paano kami nakasakay sa eroplano na 'to. 'Di nga nagtagal
ay umingay na ang sitwasyon namin.
"I don't have my phone with me," Faye said.

"Same here," Jack said.

"Mukhang lahat sa atin eh walang dalang cellphone. Wala ring nakakaalam kung paano
tayo napunta rito-"

"I do," a familiar voice suddenly said. All of us were silenced in an instant.

There was a sound of someone clearing a throat before the familiar voice spoke
again. "Good morning, everyone. This is flight ESM-CA001. I am your pilot, Ezekiel
Lucas Ytteria Evanesca-"

"What?! The Ezekiel Evanesca?! The number 7 international agent?" gulat na sigaw ni
Zed.

"Yes, the one and only. Now, shut up. Don't interrupt my introduction, you brat. As
I was saying, we'll be arriving in a few minutes in our destination. Please remain
calm and patient. We're not kidnapping you-"

"Hey, Izzy. I can't find the map. Do you have it with you?" Professor Sivera's
voice suddenly said.

"You're sitting on it, nitwit. And stop calling me Izzy, you incompetent jerk. Keep
your hands on the joystick or we'll crash. I don't want to die with these brats
here," he said before clearing his throat. "As I was saying, we'll be arriving in a
few minutes. We didn't kidnap you. Everything will be explained once we reach our
destination."

"Where?" I asked right away.

"Agony Archipelago," Ezekiel replied.

"Agony Archipelago?! Where the hell is that? What are you planning to do to us?!" I
shouted.

"Are you deaf or plain stupid?" Ezekiel fired back. "Everything will be explained
once we arrive at the camp. Oh, speaking of the camp, we've arrived..."

Alice peeked from the window. "Uh, we're still flying. And I can't see any land
ahead of us."

I can sense Ezekiel smirking on his microphone. "I didn't say that we've arrived in
our destination, young lady. I just said that we've arrived in our dropping
point..."

"Dropping point? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Literally. Let's see how fast you'll be able to reach the camp!" Ezekiel said
before letting out a mad laugh. "SEE YOU AT THE CAMP, SUCKERS!!!"

Before anyone could even fathom what he had said, the floor of the airplane
suddenly disappeared, sending all of us plummeting to the ocean thousands of feet
below.

"WHAT THE HEEEEEEEEE-" Jack shouted as everyone fell with tremendous speed.

There was a sound of flapping wings and RB suddenly glided down from above before
grabbing two of our classmates.

"Those who can fly, grab those who can't!" I shouted, grabbing Zed and Tony. Cezka
and Kent both floated in the air using their respective weirdnesses, Asha
disintegrated into smoke, Philip transformed into a giant eagle, and ice wings
erupted from Jack's back. Philip also carried some of our classmates on his back.

"What do we do now?! There isn't any land around us!" Jack shouted while carrying
Cedric and Gael.

"Tony, can you use your weirdness to track the airplane or find that freaking camp
or whatever it was that Ezekiel was talking about?" I asked.

He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again. "Can you turn around,
Ike? I need to scan the entire surroundings," Tony said.

I turned around in my position as he scanned the horizon. "Fly north. I can see a
group of islands about ten kilometers away," he said.

"You heard him!" I shouted to everyone. "Fly North! Tony said that there's a group
of islands ten kilometers away from where we are right now! Let's hurry."

I took the lead and everyone flew behind us. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin
alam kung ano ang nangyayari kaya mabuti nang makarating kami sa lugar na tinutukoy
ni Ezekiel para maliwanagan na kaming lahat.

A group of islands came to our view after a few minutes of flying. The
"archipelago" looked really bizarre. There are ten islands scattered in a perfect
circle around a much larger island where a tall steel tower is standing. The tower
reminded of the one we used in the Magical Mayhem last year. Each island also has
white sandy beaches and are covered with thick forests of towering trees.
"That looks like... Nope, nope, nope..." Jack said, shaking his head. "Please don't
tell me we're having Magical Mayhem right now."

A voice suddenly echoed from the tower as we neared the islands. "Welcome to the
Agony Archipelago. Please proceed to the main island for the orientation. I repeat,
please proceed to the main island for the orientation. Thank you."

All of us flew towards the main island. The tower appeared to be standing right in
a vast open ground. We all landed on the open ground and walked towards the tower
where a few teachers were already waiting for us.

Decorative flags hung from the tower and lined the dirt pathways as well as the
edge of the open ground. The entire place looked like some sort of a survival show
on TV.

"I knew it! Class A will always be the first to arrive! Hello there, Lunaria!"
Professor Ferrea said happily while waving his hand to us. I just nodded at him and
smiled awkwardly as a response.

It seems that all the teachers in the School of Magic were in the island together
with the Emerald Guards. Professor Evanesca just smiled lightly as we settled on
the grass and tried to catch our breath after minutes of flying.

"Line up now. We're just waiting for the other classes to arrive. I'm impressed
that all of you made it here alive," Ezekiel said before standing in front of our
group. As usual, he's floating a few inches from the ground and he's also wearing
his hooded black cloak.

"Yeah. Thanks for trying to kill us. I really appreciate it. So thoughtful," I said
to him.

"You're in talking terms with him?!" Cedric asked.

"Woah. It really is Ezekiel," Kent said while staring at him in awe. "What is he
doing here?"

Sir Fraeo and Crimson suddenly came out of the tower followed by Professor Sivera.
Crimson, upon seeing us, wagged his tail happily before running towards our group.
"Ike! RB!" he shouted before grabbing the two of us into a tight hug.

"What are you doing here?" RB asked.

"I can't tell you. Your orientation will start in a few minutes so you just have to
wait for a while. But you're looking good, bruh! It seems that you're really
compatible with the DNA of the Lunarias!" Crimson said meaningfully.
"Well..." RB said smugly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's just talk later, okay? I'll be one of your camp managers! I have a lot of
stories to tell you!" Crimson said excitedly before walking away.

"Hindi mo talaga kayang itago 'yun sa sarili mo 'no?" singhal ko naman kay RB.

"Marapat lamang na ikalat natin ang magandang balita, mahal kong kapatid," sagot
niya sabay tapik sa balikat ko.

"Jeez. Stop that. Hindi bagay sa 'yo. Mas nagmumukha kang demonyo," sagot ko naman
sabay hampas ng kamay ko sa batok niya.

The other classes started arriving one after the other. Each and every one of them,
just like us, doesn't have any idea about what's happening. Most of them flew to
the island while there were also some others who were sopping wet and appeared to
have swum just to reach this place.

The Emerald Guards conducted a thorough check to make sure that everyone is present
in the area. Professor Evanesca, upon receiving a confirmation from Sir Claudius,
stepped forward before smiling at everyone.

"Good morning, third-years," she said in a loud, clear voice. Everyone greeted her
back.

"I know that all of you are wondering what on Earth are we doing in this strange
place. Well, a few weeks ago, we sent a letter to your parents and guardians to
inform them about an event that Emerald holds every year for its incoming third
year students. We told them in the letter that they should keep this event a secret
as much as possible. The letter included a permission slip and a jinx that will
give them hiccups if they try to tell you anything about this event..."

"I see. Kaya pala mamatay-matay sa sinok sina Mama at Papa kagabi," sabi ni Alice.

"And earlier this morning, we sent Emerald Guards to your houses to bring you to
this place. We used Sleeping Potions to make sure that no one wakes up until they
have been delivered to their respective airplanes," the headmistress added.

"That explains everything," RB said.

"Everyone, we welcome you to Emerald's Workout Week!" Professor Evanesca said

grandly.

Comprehension finally dawned on the faces of the students. "I knew it," Faye said.
"My brothers have been giving me hints about this event in the past week."
"The Emerald's Workout Week is a one week training camp for the incoming third year
students. This is a very important phase in your career as students because this
camp will influence the path that you will take for the final two years of your
stay here in Emerald," Professor Evanesca explained. "As you all know, you will
have a once-a-week internship starting this June. This training camp will help you
prepare for your internships."

"This training camp serves many purposes. First, this will help you improve your
respective weirdnesses. Second, this will give us data about the current status of
your abilities and skills. And lastly, this training camp will help us choose the
best representatives for a very special event that our school will hold this year,"
the headmistress added.

Jack twitched excitedly beside me.

"Let's focus first on our second purpose. Let me remind you that we will assess
your overall performance at the end of this training camp and if anyone fails or
performs poorly in this training camp, he or she will not be allowed to attend
internships starting this June-"

"What?! Seriously?!" Jack blurted out. Even the other students started talking
warily to each other.

"We are serious about this," Professor Evanesca said. "As I said, this training
camp will provide us with raw data about the current level of your skills and
abilities. We will use those data to create an individual training program for each
and every student here. It is up to you to stick to your respective training
programs and it is the job of your advisers and Weirdo Course teachers to make sure
that you're following your training programs. We will pave the path for your
improvement and it is your job to walk on that path using your own two feet. This
is the reason why Emerald has a 100% passing rate in the Agents Licensure
Examination and continues to be the top magical school in the country."

"This tower here and all of the islands are equipped with surveillance systems that
will monitor each and every single student's performance throughout the training
camp. Each class has their own surveillance team. You have no choice but to give
your best. If you happen to receive a thin stack of papers at the end of this
training camp then you can rejoice and dance around merrily. Only the best students
receive the least amount of training advice, after all. That is a fact," the
headmistress added.

"I can already imagine the thick stack of papers that I will receive," I said
lifelessly.

"Don't be so negative," RB said.

"I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic," I snarled at him.

"As for our third purpose, I am glad to announce that Emerald will be hosting the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament this year," the headmistress declared.

"Here it goes!" Jack said excitedly. Maging 'yung iba eh agad namang nakinig sa mga
susunod na sasabihin ni Professor Evanesca.

"The Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament is held every four years as a way of
strengthening the relationship between the five oldest magical schools in the
country— Emerald School of Magic, Veron Academy of Magic, Sierra Magical Institute,
National Agents Academy, and Philippine Weirdo University. The CMMT is not a
competition among the top 5 magical schools. The five participating schools worked
together in the past to help Elijah Serria in the biggest Weirdo War in history
that happened centuries ago. After the war, the schools thought of a way to further
strengthen their relationship and connection. Thus, they all agreed to conduct a
one month training every year with their best students. The annual training of the
representatives of the five schools eventually gave way to the birth of the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament. Emerald was the very first host of the event
that's why we adopted the same name in our very own sports competition," Professor
Evanesca explained.

"Today, the CMMT is an event that rivals the Olympics in its glamour and
viewership. It is also an event known globally. International agents and visitors
from other schools also watch the event. Winners of the CMMT usually get recruited
by the Agents International, the global agency for the agents," she added. "Only
third years can participate in the event that's why we use the Workout Week as a
medium for selecting the representatives. Take note that Emerald is the reigning
champions of the CMMT. In fact, two members of the winning team are here with us
today," she said before gesturing to Crimson and Kuya Yven who was also in the
camp.

"Each team is comprised of nine members. A team captain, a co-captain, two

supports, and five members. We already have four members for our official team this
year..."

Jack slammed his hand against my back.

"Jeez, calm down," I fired at him.

"Jared Esveron of class 3-C and Rubio Talla of Class 3-A, with respect to a rule in
the CMMT, are automatically qualified as a part of the official team because they
are Emerald's representatives in the recently-concluded National Weirdo Youth
Training Camp. You two, come here," Professor Evanesca said.

Jared and RB stepped forward before facing the students. Our classmates and Jared's
classmates clapped and cheered them loudly.

"Kaklase ko 'yan!" sigaw ni Jack.

"And there's another rule in the CMMT saying that the recent winner of the
participating schools' respective sports competition is also qualified as an
official member that's why as the winner of the recent Magical Mayhem, Ike Lunaria
of Class 3-A is also now a part of our official team," Professor Evanesca said.

Our classmates cheered even louder as I walked towards the spot where RB and Jared
are standing. RB punched my shoulder and Jared smiled at me as I stood beside them.

"And like I said earlier, each team needs two support members. That means that the
weirdnesses of these two should not be offense-oriented but must rather be inclined
to healing, tracking, power amplification, and the likes. And Emerald has a
tradition wherein we always send our best Healer as one of our support members.
Miss Faye Lena of Class 3-A, please join these three fine, young lads here in
front."

Our classmates totally went crazy this time. Even RB and I were both shocked as
Faye joined us. Maging si Faye eh hindi rin makapaniwala sa nangyari.

"Well, that was definitely a surprise," RB said as he hugged Faye tightly.

"There you have it, the first four members of the official team of Emerald. That
leaves only five spots for the rest of you. The remaining participants will be
chosen according to their weirdnesses, performance in academics and Magical Mayhem,
and overall performance here in the Workout Week. I wish you luck. For the
meantime, give these four young students here a big round of applause," Professor
Evanesca said.

"Further orientation will be given to you by your respective camp managers. Our
activities will start this afternoon. All of your luggages are waiting for you in
your respective islands. For now..."

The headmistress clapped her hands together and twenty long tables filled with all
kinds of food imagineable suddenly appeared on the field.

"...I know you haven't eaten any meal yet that's why the cafeteria staff has
prepared a sumptuous lunch for everyone. Your camp managers will bring you to your
respective islands after you're done eating. Tuck in!" Professor Evanesca said.

"AW YEAH!" Jack said before rushing towards our table. I was about to follow my
classmates when Ezekiel suddenly appeared beside me.

"Your training with me will resume this evening, Ike. I will be expecting you here
in the main island at an exact seven in the evening. Arrive past seven and I will
make you swim for an entire hour in the ocean. Got it?" he said.

I took a deep breath before scratching my neck. "Got it," I said lifelessly. "Do
you have anything else to say to further ruin my mood right now?"
"You'll be facing more version 3 Scavengers tonight," Ezekiel said with an evil
grin.

"Okay. I get it. Shut up now. You have successfully ruined my day already. Thanks a
lot," I said before heading towards my classmates.

Ezekiel just smirked as he stared at me. "Wait until this training camp starts.
This will probably ruin your entire life, too."

        Chapter 11: Agony Archipelago [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            First and foremost, MARAMI PONG SALAMAT sa mga nagco-comment sa timeline

ko. Nakakataba po ng aorta. And I'm sorry if I can't reply sa iba! Kung may gusto
po kayong itanong sa 'kin eh you should DM or message me sa FB if friend ko kayo.
Sasagutin ko po kayo, don't worry.

At sa mga baguhang readers, pumupunta lang po ako sa Legaspi City to update my

story. Most of the time po ay nasa bahay ako namin sa Sorsogon at walang signal
doon kaya minsan po eh delayed ang replies at updates ko. Sorry. Walang internet sa
bahay or data connection. Iyak.

'Yun lang. Enjoy the update! Labyu ol.

TheAshtone

●●●

Professor Sivera, Ezekiel, and Crimson are our camp managers. Mukhang humingi rin
kasi ng tulong ang Emerald sa NMLEA para sa dagdag na seguridad dito sa camp.
Tatlong camp managers ang in-assign nila sa bawat isla: dalawang professors at
isang agent. Hindi pa doon kasama ang mga Emerald Guards at ibang mga professors na
tumutuloy lang sa tower na nasa main island.

Pagkatapos naming kumain ng pananghalian ay dinala na kami ng camp managers papunta

sa isla namin.

"Each class has their own island," Ezekiel said as he glided ahead of us. "It's
spacious enough to accommodate all the trainings that you will do for an entire
week. Your camp managers will overlook your training. The Workout Week is filled
with all imaginable challenges that will help you improve your weirdnesses and
combating skills. This camp will either break or make you."

"Parati ba talagang nakatago ang mukha niya?" bulong sa 'kin ni Gael mula sa likod.

"Well, yeah," I replied.

We finally arrived at the beach after almost half an hour of walking. Our island
was situated directly on the west and it's at least a few hundred meters away from
the beach.

"How do we get there, professor?" Cezka asked.

"Ezekiel. Just call me Ezekiel, young lady. And that question is yours to answer. I
want you to reach our island using your own two feet or whatever body part you're
going to use. You're not allowed to help anyone," he said.

"What? Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously. Rule #1: Follow the rules. Anyone who breaks the rules will receive
punishment, of course. At ang kasalanan ng isa, kasalanan ng lahat. At ngayon,
libreng hapunan ang magiging kabayaran ng paglabag sa sinabi ko," paliwanag pa ni
Ezekiel.

Wings made out of fire erupted from Professor Sivera's back as Ezekiel rose into
the air. Professor Sivera just carried Crimson in his arms who looked really
pleased as he swung his arms over the former's neck.

"See you at the island," Ezekiel said before flying away from us.

"What a pain," Alice said as she slumped on the sand. "Hindi naman pwedeng hindi
tayo kumain ng dinner kaya mauna na lang kayo. Lahat naman ata dito sa 'min eh
marunong lumangoy. Kita-kita na lang doon sa isla."

Tumango na lang kami sa kanila bago kami lumipad papunta sa isla. Pito lang kasi sa
klase namin ang kayang lumipad gamit ang mga weirdness namin: ako, si RB, si Jack,
si Cezka, si Philip, si Asha, at si Kent. Makalipas lang ang ilang minuto ay
dumating na kami sa dalampasigan ng isla namin.

"Well, that's definitely not surprising. Hintayin na lang natin 'yung mga kaklase
ninyo," Professor Sivera said as we landed on the beach. "Hey, Izzy. Hindi ba
pwedeng hayaan nating tulungan nila 'yung mga kaklase nila?"

"Ano ba 'yung utos sa 'tin? And stop calling me Izzy. Ilang beses ko ba 'yang dapat
i-ukit sa utak mo?" singhal sa kanya ni Ezekiel.

"Sorry?" sagot naman ni Professor Sivera.

"Ezekiel is really grumpy," Crimson said, flicking his tail from side to side.
"You'll have permanent frown lines in your face if you're always like that. Look at
me. I'm always smiling that's why I always look so pretty."
"My facial muscles hurt whenever I try to smile. Smirking is the kindest expression
that my face can make," Ezekiel replied.

"That explains a lot," Crimson said. "I really like your attire, though. You didn't
use that when you were still in Emerald."

"I just donned this attire when I started working as an international agent. It
helps me cancel out unwanted sights and noises from the surroundings. And that
includes you," Ezekiel said.

"You're so stingy as always! And duh, I'm such a beautiful view to look at!"
Crimson retorted before biting Ezekiel's black cloak. "Stingykiel!"

"Uh, wait..." sabi ko bigla nung may na-realize ako. "Magkakakilala kayong tatlo?"
tanong ko sa kanila.

"Of course," Crimson replied. "Izzy, Franco, and Fraeo were classmates before. They
were branded as Emerald's Big Three during their time. They're one year level
higher than us but we know each other because we're members of the Duellers'
District."

"Such a cool moniker..." Jack said.

Our remaining classmates started arriving in the island after almost half an hour.
All of them are dripping wet as they emerged from the sea and walked towards us.

"Is everyone here? Good. Remember that you always have to cross the sea whenever
the main island calls for a general assembly of the students. There will also be a
time limit for you to reach the main island. And of course, failure to reach the
main camp on time will result to punishment for your class. Follow me. I'll bring
you to your campsite," Ezekiel said before gliding away from us.

"This is going to be rough," Faye said as she dragged herself towards the forest
standing ahead of us.

Our island is still considerably large despite being smaller as compared to the
main island. The entire island is almost completely clothed with towering trees
with the exception of the sandy beaches and open grasslands that we can see from
the beach. The sound of crashing waves gradually weakened as the three camp
managers led us deeper into the forest.

"Hindi ko dapat 'to sasabihin sa inyo pero nasa loob lang naman tayo ng Diamond
Battle Dome. The entire island is safe. There are no wild animals here... except
for a narcissistic red fox," Ezekiel said.

"I HEARD THAT!" Crimson snapped at him.

"I knew it," I said as I looked around the forest. "This place looks so perfect."

We finally arrived in a wide circular clearing at the heart of the forest after a
few minutes of walking. A huge wooden house stood at the edge of the clearing and a
mysterious-looking stone podium stood at the very center of the campsite.

"Get changed or take a bath, especially to those who got wet. Your luggages are
already inside that house. The girls' bedroom is separated from the boys'. You also
have two huge bathrooms inside that house. It's pretty comfortable but we don't
have electricity here. Hurry up and go back here right away," Ezekiel said.

Agad namang pumulupot si RB sa braso ko. "Ah... Shared bedroom and bath. I will be
surrounded with beautiful boys for an entire week... This is heaven."

"Yeah. Whatever. Tumino ka naman sana habang kasama natin 'yung mga kaklase natin,"
I said as we stepped into the house.

The entire house is made entirely out of wood. It also has a living room and a
spacious training room. The spacious bedroom has ten beds, one for each of the
boys. Showers and a small pool occupied the bathroom as well. The house was really
designed to accommodate a crowd.

We went back to the open ground outside the house after changing our clothes. The
area around the stone podium is now holding a crackling bonfire. The camp managers
stood silently as they waited for us to settle down.

"Your activities will start tomorrow morning," Ezekiel started. "For now, we have
to prepare for the challenges that are awaiting you in this camp. As you can see,
you already have a comfortable accommodation. But I know that you have noticed
already that we have a very primitive kitchen. Well, that is one of the basic
challenges that we have here in the Workout Week. We will receive rations from the
main island but you have to cook your own food-

"No problem with that!" RB said. "Hubby here is an excellent cook!"

"I see. It's unfortunate that the same thing can't be said for his magical
abilities," Ezekiel replied. "As I was saying, you have to cook your own food. But
there will be challenges where you have to hunt or forage for your food. And that
is where the forest and the sea will enter. Those tasks, even though they look so
simple, actually help you use the basics of magic and your weirdnesses."

"Your first task today is to gather firewood that you will use for the following
days. Our ration will arrive later this afternoon so we better prepare now. You can
also forage for wild fruits in the forest or go hunting if you want. Use this free
time to familiarize yourself with the entire island. Just be very careful not to
injure yourselves. Go now," Ezekiel said.
Kinaladkad naman agad ako ni RB papunta sa kakahuyan. "Let's search for firewood,
hubby!" Sumunod naman sa 'min si Jack.

"I wanna go with these beautiful boys, Ezekiel," Crimson said before leaping
towards us.

"If you're planning to help them-"

"I won't, Stingykiel. As the camp managers, it is our job to look after the welfare
and safety of our students. I'm just doing my job, bruh," Crimson fired back,
swishing his bushy tail.

Ezekiel waved his hand impatiently as he shooed Crimson away. The latter
immediately pushed us towards the forest and away from Ezekiel's strict and
watchful eyes.

"There's a bunch of dried branches in that direction," Crimson said as we stepped

into the forest. "There are also wild berries around. The animals haven't been
released yet so it's pointless to go hunting at this time. Even the sea is still
vacant. Familiarize yourself with this island because it will help you in the
challenges to come."

"Baka marinig ka ni Ezekiel," sabi ko naman habang namumulot ng mga tuyong sanga na
nagkalat lang sa paligid.

"I don't care. His stinginess is no match for my prettiness. I'm not afraid of him
even though he's an international agent," Crimson replied. "But you're actually a
lot luckier than us. Nung panahon namin walang-wala talaga kaming dinatnan sa venue
namin. Kami ang gumawa ng tutuluyan namin, naghanap ng pagkain, lahat. Jeez. I
almost lost my beauty back then."

"Must be rough. By the way, nasaan ba sina Faye at Alice?" baling ko naman kay Jack
na naglalambitin sa mga sanga ng kahoy sa taas.

"Naligo ata. Alam mo naman ang mga babae. Manlagkit lang ang buhok eh pakiramdam
nila ang papangit na nila agad. Lalabas din sila kaagad," sagot niya.

"Kumusta na pala kayo ni Sir Fraeo?" tanong naman ni RB.

Crimson flicked his bushy tail from side to side before staring dreamily into empty
space. "Well, we're doing good. He's still courting me, though. Naka-ilang dinner
dates na rin kami. But I'm happy with what we have now. Sasagutin ko naman siya sa
tamang panahon."

"Did you two kiss already?" RB asked with a malicious grin.

Crimson's fox-like ears suddenly twitched. "O-Of course not."

"Weh?" panabay naming sabi ni RB.

"Fine. We already kissed. And I've been giving him hints that I want to do it
already but he simply won't bite the trap," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Eh? You can just grab his crotch or rape him if you want," RB replied.

"He's very much like Ike," Crimson said as he sat on a fallen tree. "Fraeo's stingy
and sour as hell and he's not the type of person who will say 'I love you' right in
your face. Instead, you will just suddenly feel so warm and fuzzy inside because of
the way that he treats you. And I love it when people makes me feel that I'm
special."

"Ah... I know that feeling very well. I just experienced that last month. Ike made
me feel so warm inside with all the love and sem-"

Binalibag ko naman kay RB 'yung isang sanga na hawak ko. "Shut the hell up."

"Speaking of which, I'm happy for you, bruh! Is it really true that you two spent
hours doing it? You're a monster!" Crimson said excitedly. "I can only last for a
few rounds if I'm doing it with a really strong guy."

"Jeez, can't you talk about something else?" I said irately at the two.

Jack, who was busy gathering berries from above, peered from behind the branches.
"Uh, Sir Crimson..."

"Just Crimson, cutie," Crimson replied. "I like your hair, by the way. Blue and
white. So neat and clean. It makes you look like a really good boy. I love boys
like that, too."

"Forgive him," sabi ko naman habang nakatingala kay Jack. "Flirting is his way of
greeting people."

"Uh, Crimson, can you tell us about your experience with the CMMT?" Jack asked.

"Well... Crazy is the correct term to describe our experience in the CMMT. Also,
beware of the representatives from the other schools especially Sierra and NAA.
They love riling up the other participants especially those who come from Emerald.
They even target us specifically to hinder us in the games. You have to be really
careful and patient or you might end up getting dragged into their tactics,"
Crimson said.
"What was your role back then?" RB asked curiously.

A smug grin curved across Crimson's face. "I was a support member. I actually won
the Best Support Player Award and I'm also the reigning Finals MVP of the CMMT.
Aside from traditionally including the best Healer in the lineup, Emerald loves to
choose a support player with a dual-purpose weirdness, you see. I can track the
enemies and I can also fight in hand-to-hand combat. My spells are dangerous, too."

"That's cool," I said. "Nasaan na ba 'yung ibang members ng team ninyo?"

"Well, some of them are already working in the Agents International at 'yung iba
naman eh nandito lang din sa NMLEA. The AI actually tried to recruit me but I
refused because I don't want to leave my family here. Shara is also a member of the
team. Ah... I can clearly remember our victory... I was the one who gave the
finishing blow to our opponent," Crimson replied.

"What were the challenges like?" tanong naman agad ni Jack.

"Really difficult. There was one challenge where we had to retrieve a gem from
inside an erupting volcano filled with all kinds of fire monsters. Yven was the
only one who remained inside because all of the starting members and substitutes
got eliminated early. We won that challenge, though. Yven got cornered by the other
participants so he froze the entire volcano. I can still clearly remember him
crying like a baby after finishing that challenge," he said with a nostalgic smile.

"Sounds difficult," I said, wincing a bit.

"Well, the challenges in the CMMT are difficult. They're not like the ordinary
challenges in the usual Magical Mayhem, after all. Oh well, I think Ezekiel and
Franco will be part of your coaching staff so you're in good hands. Izzy hates
losing, you see. He won't allow you to lose in such a big tournament," Crimson
said.

"Yeah, probably. I just hope that he won't try to kill us during our training
sessions," I said grimly.

"Worry about that later. You must survive the Workout Week first before anything
else. Get your butts moving so you can eat a delicious dinner tonight!" Crimson
said.

The three of us just took a deep breath before resuming our respective tasks.

"Fine."

        Chapter 12: The Guy in the Black Cloak [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The sun gradually sank over the horizon and darkness slowly enveloped the
archipelago. Professor Sivera lit up the torches around the perimeter of our
campsite which serve as our only sources illumination. And now, everyone is
currently busying themselves in preparing our dinner.

The rations arrived at an exact five in the afternoon. It included bags of rice,
vegetables, meats, fruits, and gallons of water—good for only one meal. At dahil na
rin pinagkalat ni RB na marunong akong magluto kaya naman ako ang na-toka sa
kusina. Buti na lang at tinulungan kami ni Professor Sivera na mag-set up ng mga
kalan lalo pa't wala naman saming Fire Weirdo at hindi ko pa nagagamit ang Fire
Weirdness ko. Si Ezekiel naman eh kanina pa nagpunta sa main island pagdating ng
mga lulutuin namin.

"This is so nice. I mean, for a city boy like me, living this way of life is so
thrilling and fun," Jack said while tending to the chickens roasting over a pit of
glowing charcoals.

"Halata nga," sabi naman ni Alice habang abala sa isang kaldero. "Ni paghiwa ng
sibuyas 'di mo magawa nang tama. Baka masunog 'yan na mga manok. Umayos ka."

"Hindi nga ako marunong magluto pero hindi naman ako tanga," sabad naman ni Jack.

The stone podium suddenly glowed and Crimson materialized on it. The podium,
judging from the way that it has transported the ration and Crimson, seems to be
some sort of a teleportation device that connects our island to the main island.

"I just asked the professors if I can eat here and they said yes," he said, leaping
from the stone podium. Umalis na rin kasi sila kanina ni Professor Sivera nung okay
na ang lahat dito sa camp. "What's for dinner?"

I made a quick scan of the improvised stoves strewn across the camp site. "Roasted
chickens... Tony is making chop suey... Sean is barbecuing pork and corn... Faye
and the girls are making soup and cooking the rice... Magluluto rin ako ng
pinakbet..." sagot ko.

"Nice. Meats and veggies! I love it," Crimson said.

"Aren't you going to eat in the tower? They have electricity there and much more
delicious food," RB said while busy crafting diamond plates and cutleries. He also
created a dining table made out of pure diamond earlier. Siya rin ang gumawa ng
lahat ng mga kutsilyo, sandok, kaldero, at kawali na ginagamit namin ngayon.

"Nah. I love camping! And besides, lumaki nga ako sa probinsya 'di ba? Mas malapit
ako sa mga ganitong bagay. And besides, I also want to taste Ike's famous delicious
dishes. You can't just hoard all the blessings for yourself, bruh!" Crimson
replied.

"Well, you made a really good decision by eating here," RB said.

"Yah. And by the way, Ike, Izzy said that he'll just meet you at eight. You too,
RB. I think the professors are going to have a meeting after their dinner. I'm also
gonna go back to the main island after eating so let's just go there together. I
think Fraeo wants to spend some time with me."

RB and I threw him a malicious look. "Sagutin mo na kasi. Pakipot pa," sabi ko
naman.

"Wow, sa 'yo pa talaga nanggaling 'yan, ha?" sabad naman ni Crimson. "Kung
makapagsalita ka akala mo hindi ka inabot ng dalawang libro para lang syotain si
RB. Hiyang-hiya ako sa 'yo, 'tol!"

"I second the motion," RB added.

Jack just laughed heartily before thumping my shoulders. "I'm always on your side,
bro. Don't worry."

"Ba't parang kasalanan ko pa? Hindi ba pwedeng ayoko lang na minamadali ang mga
bagay na hindi naman dapat minamadali sa simula pa lang?" sabad ko naman.

"There's a fine line between taking one's time and completely denying something,"
Crimson fired back.

"Yeah. Whatever."

Inayos na namin ang mesa matapos naming maluto ang lahat ng pagkain. Naupo naman
kami sa palibot ng mesa na ginawa ni RB kanina. 'Yung mga kaklase ko naman eh
pinagkaguluhan ang mga kristal na plato at mga kutsara't tinidor na gawa rin ni RB.

"Walang magbubulsa niyan. Mawawala rin 'yan mamaya kapag tapos na tayo para wala na
tayong hugasin," sabi ni RB.

"I've been seeing RB use his weirdness since we're first-years but let me just say
that I would willingly exchange my weirdness for your Crystal Weirdness. You're a
walking bottomless moneymaker," Cedric said.

"I know. It's a really chic weirdness for a really chic person such as myself," RB
said smugly.

"Oo na. Ang humble naman natin, brad," sabi ko bago ako bumaling sa mga kaklase
namin. "Anyway, gumagabi na at alam kong gusto niyo nang kumain, maligo, at
magpahinga. Lamon na."

Nagkani-kanya namang lusong sa pagkain 'yung mga kaklase namin. Si Crimson naman na
nakaupo sa kaliwa ko ay pinuwesto na sa harap niya 'yung isang bowl ng pinakbet.
"This is divine, Ike," Crimson said through a mouthful of food. "Now I know why
RB's so obsessed with you."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure that there's an entirely different reason why he's obsessing
over me," I replied quietly.

"We're going to take a bath after our dinner. Sasama pa ba kayo o magte-train na
kayo?" tanong naman sa 'min ni Jack.

"It's almost past seven," I replied, glancing at my watch. "I'll just take a bath
after my training with Ezekiel. Isang oras lang naman 'yun."

"Me too. And besides, we want to have some privacy and quiet time together in the
bathroom," RB said meaningfully.

"Jeez, shut up," sabi ko sabay hampas sa ulo niya.

Pagkatapos ng hapunan namin ay nagligpit na ang mga kaklase namin at naglinis ng

buong paligid. Kami naman ni RB ay nagpalit na muna ng damit bago kami pumunta sa
main island para sa training namin.

"Over here!" Crimson said the moment we stepped outside the house. He's already
standing on the stone podium.

"I'm going to leave you in charge, Jack. Babalik din kami agad," sabi ko kay Jack.
Nakapalibot sila sa isang bonfire at nagpapatugtog naman ng flute niya si Aliyah
habang nagpapalipas sila ng oras.

"Roger, bro!" he said, giving me a salute before turning to our classmates. "You
heard Ike! I'm in charge now! Follow my orders or you'll taste the wrath of-"

Alice slapped him in the face with her ropes. "Shut up."

RB and I stepped onto the stone podium. "This is pretty cool, I must say," I said,
scanning the podium.

"It's a teleportation portal. Okay. We're good to go!" Crimson shouted.

A strange cold feeling overwhelmed my entire body as the stone podium emitted a
faint glow. We reappeared just an instant later on a stone podium standing right at
the edge of the open grounds in the main island. Scattered around the circular open
grounds and around the tower are the other stone podiums that connect the main
island to the smaller islands.
"I didn't notice them earlier," RB said as he looked around the grounds.

"They appeared there right after you left the camp after the orientation. I have to
go! Good luck!" Crimson said before running towards the tower. At the same time,
Professor Evanesca and Professor Elena stepped out of the building. We approached
them right away.

"Good evening, boys. Elena will train you on the other side of the open grounds,
Rubio. Go with her," Professor Evanesca said.

RB gave me a swift kiss in the cheeks before walking after Professor Elena towards
the open grounds on the other side of the tower. The headmistress gestured towards
the grounds in front of us. "This way, Ike. Congratulations by the way for making
it to the official team."

"Ah, thanks po," sagot ko naman. "Hindi ko po inakala na pasok pala ako sa team."

"Rules are rules and we have to follow them. And besides, even if you're not the
recent winner of the Magical Mayhem, I'm still pretty sure that you'll qualify for
the official team," the headmistress replied. "And also, you actually received an
invitation to attend the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp," she added.

I stopped in my tracks. "What?"

Professor Evanesca smiled. "The winner of the Sophomore Magical Mayhem always
receives an invite to attend the training camp. Emerald is one of the schools who
receives three to four invites, actually. But I decided not to send you there for
your security as the Prime Elemental. Remember what I told you back when you were
still a first-year?"

"For as long as I can't control the five elements effectively, I cannot go out in
public and say that I am the Prime Elemental... or something like that," I replied.

"Exactly. I was afraid that you might experience those sudden bursts of magic while
you're in the camp that's why I didn't give you an invitation. I don't want any
unwanted people to know about your secret. I do hope that you can understand my
motive for doing it, dear boy," Professor Evanesca said.

"Ayos lang po. Naiintindihan ko naman po ang sitwasyon," sagot ko naman.

"Mabuti. Bumawi naman ako sa 'yo at binigyan naman kita ng isang buwang training
kasama ako at si Ezekiel. Hindi ka naman lugi kahit na papaano," sabi niya.

"Uh, not that I'm complaining but where's Ezekiel, professor?" I asked.
"Franco and Fraeo are currently talking to him. They're good friends after all. I
think they want to catch up to the adventures of my brother when he was out of the
country," Professor Evanesca replied.

"I see..."

The headmistress glanced at me sideways. "What's your impression of my brother, so

far?"

I scratched my neck. "Well, so far he almost got me killed and he also broke my arm
and my leg..."

Professor Evanesca laughed appreciatively. "I see. My brother is a really good

person despite his intimidating aura. He despises villains above anybody else. I
actually hired him to help Gregor improve our Mind Weirdo Course here in Emerald.
Not to mention that he's going to be your head coach in the CMMT."

"I'm just curious but what's the extent of his powers?" I asked.

"Even I myself don't know. I hate to admit it but he's more powerful than me," she
replied matter-of-factly.

I instantly threw her a skeptical look.

"Believe me, Ike. Ezekiel is more powerful than me," Professor Evanesca said,
tapping my shoulder lightly. "I can confidently say that he is perhaps the most
brilliant student that Emerald ever had. What made him a really exceptional student
is his determination to improve and continuously grow. He himself discovered
Elemental Telekinesis and vastly improved the repertoire of powers that a
Telekinesis Weirdo can do. Even as a student, he is already breaking boundaries."

"The Agents International recruited him right away after passing the Agents'
Licensure Examination. The Agents International is a worldwide agency whose main
goal is to hunt down and neutralize villains and villain groups who have committed
crimes in different countries. If we have the Interpol for ordinary criminals, we
have the Agents International for the villains. My brother has been working there
for almost three years. And as you can see, he currently stands at the number 7
spot of the World Ranking. He is also the youngest and only Filipino in the Top 10.
Unfortunately, he had to take a leave of absence just to be able to work here in
Emerald," the headmistress added.

"That's pretty cool. I've heard news about him in the past years, actually. I think
he's the one who took down a villain organization involved in selling illegal
potions and magical objects," I said.

Professor Evanesca nodded. "Correct. He can easily become the top agent if he
decides to work here in the country. He is also an expert in the field of Dark
Magic, and that is what makes him a notch higher than me."
"What?" I asked in utter confusion and surprise. "But..."

"My brother is naturally curious and adventurous," the headmistress said with a
light smile. "He believes that Dark Magic, when used in very little amounts, can
actually produce good results. That is actually a proven fact. What separates him
from the villains, as he always says, is that he knows his limitations and he knows
when to stop. Speaking of Dark Magic, do you know the reason why he always wears
that cloak?"

I raised an eyebrow as I shook my head.

"That cloak of his serves two purposes: first, it helps him stay in focus. You see,
he intentionally blocks his field of vision and uses his telekinesis to detect the
movement of the things and people around him. He can actually see better when his
eyes are closed. And while doing that, he also keeps himself afloat in the air.
It's his way of keeping his telekinesis sharp and on-point. So when he fought you
the other day, he actually had his eyes closed," the headmistress said with an evil
grin.

"So he wasn't exaggerating when he said that he can defeat me with his eyes
closed," I said, now feeling more inferior to him.

"And the second purpose of his cloak is to keep himself and the other people around
him safe," she added.

"How?" I asked curiously.

"Ezekiel was born with a really strong telekinesis. I think that was also the
reason why he was able to easily control the elements and discover the other powers
that his weirdness can control. But as his telekinesis grew stronger, there are
times when he accidentally blasts people away from him because of his telekinesis.
That happens a lot when he's at the peak of his emotions. It's really destructive
and dangerous that's why he tried to find a way to control his sudden outbursts of
power."

"When he started travelling to different countries as a part of his job in the

Agents International, I think that was when he discovered that black cloak. It's
actually an object imbued with dark magic that helps him suppress the dangers of
his weirdness. His discovery of that cloak is what made him study the field of the
Dark Arts," Professor Evanesca said.

"But professor, I think it's not fair to say that Ezekiel is more powerful than
you. I mean, maybe he's at the same level as you but you're definitely not inferior
to him. Just because someone is good at using Dark Magic it doesn't mean that they
are automatically stronger than those who don't," I said.

"Well, thank you for that, Ike. To be honest, I never dipped a finger in the field
of Dark Magic not because I despise it but rather because I'm afraid of it..." the
headmistress said grimly.

I did a double take upon hearing Professor Evanesca's words. The headmistress is
afraid of something? She must've noticed my reaction because she laughed heartily
before tapping my shoulder.

"I am just an ordinary human, dear boy. I have dreams and I also have fears. And
Dark Magic is one of the things I fear the most..."

The headmistress took a deep breath as she gazed into the sky filled with twinkling
stars. "I have seen truly horrific things in my entire life. I have seen people
going crazy in pursuit of power. I have seen people kill their friends just to
attain their desires. I have seen people at their best and at their worst. I myself
saw firsthand how Dark Magic corrupts people and destroys them, turning them into
heartless villains."

With a pang of pain, I remembered Aria in her last moments; a girl with dreams and
aspirations for herself and her family. And all of those dreams evaporated in an
instant because of Dark Magic.

"I have imprisoned a lot of villains. And sometimes, I even receive criticisms
because of choosing not to kill them. Personally, I try to just capture a villain
no matter how big his or her crimes are. And sometimes, when the villain escapes
just like Jaeron, people would say 'If only you killed him already then he
shouldn't have been able to escape.' I never stoop that low. I never kill people
because it is against my vows. I allow justice to weigh the people who have
committed wrongdoings. I am not justice. I am only an advocate of it," Professor
Evanesca said.

"Oh well, let's not get emotional again," she said, clapping her hands together.
"Go and warm yourself up for your training while Ezekiel's not yet here. I wanna
see how well you've become in controlling the three elements. Don't give Ezekiel a
reason to make fun of your abilities again!"

I stretched my arms before running towards the open field.

"Yes, ma'am!"

        Chapter 13: The First Challenge [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            As expected eh binugbog na naman ako ni Ezekiel sa training namin. Buti na

lang talaga at hindi na kasing-hirap nung unang pinagawa niya sa 'kin ang mga
ginawa ko kagabi sa training ko. And fortunately, I didn't have to break an arm or
a leg again just to finish my training. RB and I were released just after an hour.

At dahil na rin sa tip sa 'kin ni Crimson ay maaga akong nagising nung sumunod na
araw para maghanda ng agahan. The ration arrived at an exact five in the morning.
By the time na nagsimula nang magising ang mga kaklase ko ay nasa kalagitnaan na
ako ng pagluluto ng agahan.

"Woah. Why so early, bro? And what's for breakfast?" Jack said, peeking curiously
on the pots.

"Nag-tip sa 'kin si Crimson na may challenge tayo ngayong umaga at baka kung anong
oras 'yun magsimula. Kailangan nating makakain bago mag-alas syete para makasiguro
tayo. 'Yung gustong maligo, maligo na habang naghahanda pa rito ng agahan. Mga
lalaki na lang siguro muna ang magluto. Maligo na 'yung mga babae," sabi ko sa mga
kaklase ko.

"Ah... Hubby's so responsible. My future is in safe hands," RB said with a dreamy

look on his face.

"Tumulong ka na rito. Hiwain mo na 'tong mga prutas tsaka 'yung mga tinapay. Baka
hindi tayo makakain nang maayos kung hindi natin bibilisan," sabi ko.

"Roger, hubby!" RB replied before giving me a salute. "The early bird catches the
first bus and therefore it doesn't get caught in the rush hour traffic."

"I'm pretty sure that's a wrong idiom," I replied flatly.

"Shut up. Pati ibon ngayon nagco-commute na rin, 'wag ka," sabad naman ni RB.

A familiar voice suddenly boomed all over the archipelago. "GOOD MORNING,
CAMPERS!!!" Professor Ferrea's jolly voice said. "Wake up already! The time is five
minutes past six and the Workout Week will commence in a few hours! I can see Class
A preparing their breakfast already. What about the other classes?! That is the
reason why Class A always hoards all the recognition and attention! Hurry up,
brats!"

I gave everyone in the camp an 'I told you' look.

"What is this, Magical Mayhem? And don't tell me that Professor Romeus is also
there?" Jack said, looking at the tower.

"Of course I am here, Abareñas," Professor Romeus replied. "Be thankful that you
have someone like Lunaria in your class. Let me just remind everyone that the
Workout Week will commence in a few moments so please hurry up and prepare already.
Eat your breakfast or you're not going to last the entire day. We'll be back
shortly."

Professor Ferrea, thinking that the mic has been turned off, let out a mad laugh.
"Look at them scramble, Garrick!"

"Indeed. I love seeing chaos and panic," Professor Romeus replied.

There was a faint click and their voices disappeared in an instant.

"Crimson said that the challenge will probably start at seven," I said to the
others. "Don't panic. We still have time. Let's just hurry up a bit so we can
prepare."

"Connections," Faye said, adding air quotes to the word. "Anyway, maliligo na kami
gaya ng ipinag-uutos mo, Commander Ike. We'll be quick. Let's go girls!"

"You neither have boobs nor ovaries. Help here," I snarled at RB who was about to
go with Faye and the girls.

RB did a double take before throwing me a puzzled look as he clamped his hands over
his chest. "But why did Ike suck on my chest so desperately last time?"

All the boys in the vicinity burst out laughing as my cheeks went hot. "Like I
said, I'll always be on your side, bro," Jack said, barely containing his laughter.
"Nakakadalawa na sila sa 'yo ah. Kagabi pa 'yan," dagdag pa niya.

"Just mind your own business," I fired at him. "Bilisan niyo na lang para hindi
tayo mawalan ng oras. Ihanda niyo na 'yung mesa."

RB suddenly wrapped his arms around me. "I'll go and create some plates and
utensils, then. And despite what happened, I still love you, hubby," he said,
biting my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Bilisan mo na lang."

The table has been set by the time that the girls finished taking their bath.
Everyone ate a quick breakfast and the boys immediately took a bath after eating.
It's already thirty minutes past seven when we finally finished everything that has
to be done.

"Ah... Is hubby already wearing the shoes I gave him? I'm touched!" RB said,
rubbing his face against my arm as we stepped out into the camp site after gearing
ourselves up for the first challenge.

"Jeez. You're not a cat, idiot. Susubukan ko lang kung original ba talaga 'tong
sapatos mo. Baka mamaya peke lang pala 'to," sabi ko naman.

RB's eyebrow twitched. "I'm a total bitch but I'm not cheap, you d*ck-for-brains!"
he retorted, biting my arm.

"And you're not Crimson, dammit!" I snarled at RB as I pulled my arm away from him.
"We'll be starting in a few minutes," Professor Romeus said while everyone in our
camp is busy stretching and warming up. "Wolf down your food while you can. There
isn't much time left. Remember that this is a training camp and not a vacation so
it's already a given that waking up early is a must. I do hope that you'll learn
from your mistakes. Class A is already warming up in their island."

"What do you think is the challenge today? Did Professor Sivera tell you anything
about it?" Tony asked as we sat on the grass and waited.

"Dunno. But knowing Emerald, it's probably going to be a crazy one," I said,
stifling a yawn while stretching my arms and legs. "Dang. I didn't have much sleep
last night."

"We're in charge of the food for lunch," Cezka said who's currently sitting cross-
legged in midair and seems to be meditating. "Rest. You've already done so much for
our class, Ike. Leave the rest to us today."

"Well, thanks," I said.

A loud horn suddenly boomed across the archipelago as the tower in the main island
flashed red light all over the place. Everyone jolted and jumped to their feet at
the sound of the horn. At the same time, the stone podium suddenly lit up before
projecting a hologram image of Professor Evanesca.

"Good morning, campers," the headmistress' hologram image said in a highly-robotic

voice. "Welcome to the first challenge of the Workout Week."

The hologram image of the headmistress morphed into a three-dimensional model of

the archipelago made out of grids and lines.

"The first challenge this week is Island Defense. Every island will be assigned a
gem each. Your task is to protect your island's gem at all costs while trying to
destroy the gems of the other islands. The class who successfully defends their gem
will receive a special prize of an eat-whatever-you-want dinner in the main island
this evening together with a one hour spa treatment."

"Everyone will also be given an unlimited supply of skull stickers. Receive a skull
sticker and you will automatically be eliminated from the challenge, teleported
back to your house in your island, and won't be able to go out until the challenge
ends. Once your island's gem is destroyed or everyone from your class is
eliminated, your class automatically loses. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CAST SHIELD
CHARMS OR ERECT BARRIERS OF ANY KIND AROUND YOUR GEM AND/OR ISLAND. Use only
immobilizing attacks and try not to injure your fellow campers. You will be given 5
minutes to strategize and create a plan. Thank you, good luck, and may the best
class win."

The hologram image of the headmistress disappeared in an instant. It was replaced a

second later by a huge ruby gem that suddenly materialized and hovered magically
over the stone podium. At the same time, a loud beep emanated from the main island
as a countdown timer flashed above the tower.

The ground suddenly shook violently and the sound of crashing water filled the air.
I immediately flew up and looked out into the sea where land bridges have appeared
and connected all the ten islands.

"There are land bridges connecting us to the other islands!" I shouted to the rest
of the class.

Everyone in our class automatically looked up to me.

"Bro... Your cooking skills are marvelous but we also want to relax and be pampered
even for a tiny bit tonight. We've been here for less than a day and I already have
eye bags," Jack said.

I made a quick assessment of our current situation as I flew back to the ground.

"Let's split into two teams: the attacking team and the defending team. Jack,
Alice, Gael, Hannah, Thalia, Sean, Philip, RB, Roselle, we're all going to attack.
We're going to split into two teams. Sasama sa 'kin sina RB, Philip, Thalia, at
Roselle. Ikaw na Jack ang bahala sa team mo. My group will take the island on our
left. Kayo na ang bahala sa isla sa kanan natin. Okay?" sabi ko sa kanila.

All of them nodded.

"The rest will defend the island!" I said, turning to the others. "Faye and Cezka,
you're in charge here! Tony, you know what to do. I also want you to send me real-
time updates while we're out there. Be my eyes and ears in this island. Asha, can
you envelope the entire island in smoke? That would be helpful," I added.

Asha nodded before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I need your help,
Cezka," she said as her entire body disintegrated into smoke. A soft breeze blew
all over the place and the smoke rose into the air before slowly enveloping the
entire island. Asha's figure remained on her spot as her body emitted more smoke.

"I've been training with her for the past couple of years," Cezka said. "I can
already produce fog and I can help her amplify her Smoke Weirdness."

"That's cool," I replied. "Kent, add or remove gravity around the crystal. You
choose. Aliyah, go break some eardrums with your music."

"My pleasure, Ike," Aliyah replied with an evil grin, twirling her flute in her
hands.
"Yvanna and Zed, your weirdnesses aren't that practical in this situation but I
have a huge trust in your hand-to-hand combat skills. Jennica, create as many
duplicates as you can and help these two!" I said.

"On it," Jennica replied before plucking a few hair from her head. She blew them
into the air gently and the strands of her hair slowly morphed to form more
Jennicas.

"And Cedric, I saw a few Balete trees just behind those woods yesterday. Why don't
you go and animate some of them?" I said, smirking at him.

Cedric nodded before rushing towards the edge of our camp. A few moments later,
about a dozen of Balete trees came marching into the camp. Cedric is currently
sitting on a throne made out of vines on top of one of the trees which walked like
some sort of wooden monsters, their branches and vines wiggling like snakes.

"Bow to me puny earthlings!" Cedric shouted as the trees positioned themselves on

the perimeter of the camp site.

"A good defense is the key to winning this challenge!" I said to everyone. "RB,
create as many Crystal Golems as you can and leave them here in the island. Thalia,
set up some traps around the island with your Plant Magic. Jack, Cezka, let's do
some combination offense."

"What are we going to do?" Jack asked excitedly.

"We're going to create a storm around the island. Let's turn this place into an
elemental hell," I said as I rose into the air.

Dark rain clouds slowly accumulated in the sky surrounding our island. At the same
time, whirlpools appeared on the sea and waterspouts descended from the clouds.
Towering waves ravaged the seas as powerful winds blew in a huge circle around the
island. Jack even added hail to the raging storm.

"We'll be leaving in a few moments, Cezka. Can you maintain the storm all by
yourself while we're away?" I asked as I descended back to the ground.

Cezka, whose eyes are emitting a silvery glow, just smiled at me as she remained
afloat in the air. "I can manage things from up here, Ike. Don't worry. I know you
can't see it but there's solid air around me. No one will be able to touch me while
I'm here."

I nodded. "Good. Take care."

"Ike, I'm done setting up some traps around the island," Thalia said.
"And I'm done with my Crystal Golems. They're good to go, hubby!" RB said.

"I think everything's set. Be careful, everyone! Good luck. We will win this one
and we're going to relax and have some fun time this evening! CLASS A!" I shouted.

"CLASS A!" our classmates shouted back.

The voices of Professor Ferrea and Professor Romeus echoed from the tower as the
countdown reached the final minute.

"Ah, look at Class A, Garrick. They've turned their island into an impenetrable
elemental fortress. Those brats are really scary," Professor Ferrea said.

"The ability to make quick decisions in such a short period of time is something
that I have always admired from some of the students of Class A, especially Lunaria
and Talla. Their past experiences with the villains helped them sharpen and hone
that trait of theirs. And for the agents, quick decision-making can spell the
difference between life and death," Professor Romeus added.

"The other classes aren't doing bad, either. Woah, Class B has turned their island
into an inferno. Winter wonderland must be the theme of Class D's island. So
chilly. Class I's island is like an octopus. So wiggly. Today's challenge looks
really interesting. Looks like we're going to have fun commentating this morning!"
Professor Ferrea said.

I carried Thalia and RB carried Roselle. Feathery eagle wings also sprouted on
Philip's back. A solitary black skull sticker also appeared on everyone's hands.

"Since when did you learn to do that?" I asked Philip, eyeing his eagle wings.

"I just perfected this technique last summer. I can now transform specific body
parts into animal parts," Philip said as he waved his hand which suddenly
transformed into a snake's head. The snake faced me before coiling up and hissing
loudly.

"Woah. Scary," I said, stepping back a few paces.

The familiar cool female voice suddenly spoke as the countdown reached its final
seconds.

"All crystals have been erected. Surveillance systems have been set. Island Defense
Challenge will begin in 3... 2... 1..."

A loud buzzer sound went off and we launched into the air before heading straight
towards the island to our left. We flew low to the ground as we passed the ring of
storm surrounding our island.
"Here we go, Garrick," Professor Ferrea said. "Today is also the Weirdness Test of
our incoming freshmen that's why we're providing them with entertainment while
they're in their waiting rooms. Show 'em why Emerald is the best magical school in
the country, third-years!"

"What's this, a reality TV show?" I said. "I do hope that they won't show RB. I
don't want the first-years to get scared of him."

"I heard that!" RB snapped at me from behind. "I'm hurt!"

"But you guys are scary in battle," Thalia said when we finally passed through the
storm. "I'm just thankful that we have you guys in our class."

"And I'm thankful that I have equally-scary classmates in our class such as
yourself," I replied as we entered the other class' island. "Brace yourself. I'm
going to drop you the moment we reach their camp site."

"And as a special offering for our incoming freshmen," Professor Ferrea added, "we
have a special feature called the Student Spotlight. We're going to focus our
cameras to a student and give a real-time commentary about his or her skills and
performance in the battle. And of course, our first choice is the reigning champion
of the Magical Mayhem and the 1st Best Student of this batch, Ike Lunaria! Feast
your eyes on this young lad, soon-to-be-freshmen!"

"What the... Seriously?" I said flatly.

"Focus, hubby," RB said, glancing at me sideways as he flew beside me.

"I am focused! I know how to cancel out nuisances and distractions. Alam kong alam
mo 'yun," singhal ko naman sa kanya.

"Well, that's good," he replied. "We've almost arrived in our destination, by the
way. It's time to show everyone how focused you are today."

A circular clearing suddenly came into our view. RB and I instinctively dived under
the trees to hide ourselves as we approached their camp site. Luckily, they didn't
set up any traps in the forest surrounding the clearing.

"And you better watch me fight, hubby," RB said, flapping his majestic crystal
wings.

I raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

He smirked before winking at me. "Because I'm going to make you fall in love with
me again with my sick new moves."

        Chapter 14: Crystal Menace [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "We're going to drop you on three! Kami ang unang lalapag sa camp site
nila," I said to the two girls as we approached the clearing. "Brace yourselves!
One... two... three!"

RB and I released Thalia and Roselle just a few meters before we reached the
clearing. The three of us landed on the grass just a few meters away from the
island's crystal. And as expected, an entire class was waiting for us.

"I've been expecting your class' arrival, Ike," Cataleya said, her all-white eyes
were already glowing. A few of her classmates rushed forward and attacked us,
sending a barrage of spells to our direction. One of Cataleya's classmates flicked
a finger and conjured a barrier around her.

"Watch out for Lunaria and Talla!" Cataleya shouted from inside her barrier. "One
of their classmates is hiding in the forest. Find her! The remaining guy can
transform into different animals and the other girl can produce acid!"

"Well, we have to do something about that," I said as I battled an Air Weirdo.

Cataleya provided her classmates with real-time data about our attacks and moves,
obviously putting us on a disadvantage. It seems that Cataleya won't participate in
the battle in order to focus on their opponents' next move.

"Leave it to me," RB replied after immobilizing three students at once.

Cataleya instantly realized our next move. "The crystal! Move back!" she shouted to
her classmates.

Crystal Golems rose from the ground in the middle of the crowd of students.
Cataleya's classmates, surprised by the golems' sudden appearance, scattered as
they tried to avoid the attacks. At the same time, gigantic roots sprouted from the
ground as Thalia jumped into the clearing.

I blasted my opponent away with the help of a powerful jet of air before running
towards the crystal. But as I approached the stone podium, the ground suddenly
shook violently, forcibly throwing me to the ground. Towering Stone Golems rose in
a circle around the crystal, blocking anyone from reaching it. One of the Stone
Golems smashed a gigantic fist on the ground, creating a huge crack that headed
straight to my spot. I immediately jumped away to avoid being swallowed by the
ground.

"Look at Lunaria, our dear incoming freshmen!" Professor Ferrea suddenly said. I've
almost forgotten that they are still commentating about me. "You can very well see
his quick reaction time! That's important whenever you're in combat, kids! Watch
him carefully!"
"I would really appreciate it if they'll stop talking about me," I said quietly as
I hurtled through the air.

Before I could even regain my balance after landing, another Stone Golem swung a
hand to my direction, sending its huge rock fist flying towards me. But a jet of
yellowish liquid suddenly hit the flying rock, melting it before it could even hit
me.

"Are you alright?" Roselle asked, gliding on the ground with the help of her acid.

"Yeah, thanks!" I said before standing up and running towards the golems once more.

Everyone is just either too busy fighting the Crystal Golems or the gigantic roots
that no one even noticed me as I approached the crystal. There's just too much
pandemonium taking place in the camp site. I just have to take down a couple of
Stone Golems to get a clear view of our target and destroy it.

"Ike's approaching the crystal! Someone stop him!" Cataleya shouted who is now out
of her barrier and is battling two Crystal Golems at once.

Leaves suddenly flew from the forest before heading straight to me. Despite their
seemingly harmless look, I still ducked to avoid the approaching leaves. And it
turned out to be a really good decision. One of the leaves made a small cut on the
skin of my forehead with its sharp side.

"Aw... What the?!" I said as a trickle of blood flowed down my face.

A guy with a mixture of brown and green hair suddenly stood in front of the
crystal. Hundreds of different leaves revolved around him as he pointed a hand to
me, sending another attack.

I sent a jet of air to blow the leaves away and my opponent as well. The Plant
Magic guy just conjured a barrier to block my attack. At the same time, a Stone
Golem tried to step on me with its monstrous foot. I immediately flicked my hand
upwards and coated the golem's leg in ice before jumping into the air and slamming
my rock-covered leg against it, shattering the golem's leg and sending it crashing
back to the ground.

A few rocks fell on the crystal which vibrated and emitted a faint red glow upon
impact. The Plant Magic guy must've taken cover from the collapsing Stone Golem
because he's no longer guarding the crystal.

"Behind you!" RB suddenly shouted.

I turned around to see another Stone Golem who is about to slam a hand against me.
RB flicked his fingers as he flew towards my direction, creating a huge crystal
spike that cut off the golem's arm. A triceratops suddenly skewered the golem with
its three horns, making it crumble into rocks and dust.

"Is that Philip?!" I said, staring openmouthed at the triple-horned dinosaur which
emitted a deep, guttural sound.

"Of course he is!" RB replied. "Your forehead's bleeding. Who did that?"

"I'm fine. It's just a cut. We need to find a way to reach the crystal without
being detected by those rock monsters! Any ideas?" I asked him.

Before he could even reply, the ground we're currently standing on shook violently
before rising abruptly. The two of us stumbled and fell to the ground as a stone
giant slowly rose in the spot right in front of the crystal.

"How do we even defeat that?" I asked as I looked up to the towering giant. A huge
boulder suddenly broke off from the leg of the giant and plummeted straight to RB's
spot.

"RB!" I shouted.

He only had time to crystallize his body before the boulder hit him. But the
boulder, instead of breaking into two or being blasted away, continued to fall to
the ground as it crushed RB whose body suddenly disintegrated into crystal dust.

But before the boulder could even finally hit the ground, the crystal dust suddenly
morphed into crystal ravens which flew away from under the falling boulder to avoid
being crushed. An entire flock of black ravens suddenly flew to the sky before
attacking the stone giant. I just blankly stared at the crystal birds as they shot
through the stone giant repeatedly like bullets, crumbling it into pieces. Not long
after, dust and rocks rained down from the sky as the giant finally collapsed.

And before anyone could even
hovering crystal, shattering
glow as the island's crystal
hologram image of the letter
again:
process what has happened, the ravens attacked the
it into tiny pieces. The stone podium emitted a red
shattered. It was then instantly replaced by a red
"X". At the same time, the cool female voice spoke

Class E has been eliminated. There are still eight classes remaining.

In an instant, everyone from Class E suddenly disappeared before reappearing inside

their house with a loud crack. All the Stone and Crystal Golems, wiggling roots,
and flying leaves also vanished.

The black crystal ravens cawed loudly before converging to form the figure of a
crystallized human which further transformed into RB. The four of us just stared at
him in awe as he smiled smugly at our reactions.
"Did you just seriously-"

"Duh, I spent an entire month in the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp. What
would you expect me to do? Use fairy dust to attack people?" RB asked, twirling his
hands which emitted puffs of amethyst dust.

Philip, who is now back to being human, threw his hands up. "That's it. You're
scary."

"I told you that I'm going to make you fall in love with me again," RB said,
punching the side of my body.

"Yeah, whatever. I hate to admit it but that was really cool," I replied.

"Talla is a monster, Garrick!" Professor Ferrea said. "Did you see that? He was
able to do something that even some of the Elemental Weirdo agents still can't do!
Disintegrating and transforming your body is one thing but animating and
controlling your disintegrated form is another. Your students are monsters as
always! You better be watching this, incoming freshmen! Let's transfer the Student
Spotlight to Talla!"

"Ever since he was a freshman, Talla has always been a couple of notches higher
than the students in his level. I can even confidently say that he's better than
some of the agents. And the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp helped him enhance
and refine his weirdness. I've also noticed that his crystal attacks have become
smaller and less powerful but they've also become more accurate and precise.
Before, Talla just relied on overwhelming crystals to attack his opponents. But
now, he strategically uses lesser crystals to conserve his energy but he also made
his attacks flawless and extremely exact. As they always say, less is more,"
Professor Romeus added.

"Nice eye you got there, Garrick!"

"I was only stating the obvious."

Cataleya suddenly called us from the window of their house. "Go wild out there, you
two! Malas lang talaga namin at sa isla niyo pa kami nakatabi! I'm going to support
you but we're not going to lose next time! May isang linggo pa kami para rumesbak
sa inyo!"

"Sorry!" tawag ko naman sa kanya habang naghahanda na kaming umalis. "And thanks
for the support! We'll win this one, don't worry!"

Cataleya waved her hand at us as we prepared to take off. RB and I waved back at
her before launching ourselves into the sky.
"Two classes have been eliminated: D and E," RB said, glancing at the huge monitor
attached around the tower. "I wonder what's happening to our island."

I looked back to our island and saw that the ring of storm is still raging around
it, making it almost impossible to penetrate. "I think they're still good. Mas nag-
aalala ako kina Jack. Alam mo naman 'yun, sugod lang nang sugod sa gulo," sabi ko
habang lumilipad kami papunta sa kalapit naming isla.

"Woah, let's transfer the spotlight to Abareñas!" Professor Ferrea suddenly said.
"Look at him! He's doing the Marionette on four people at the same time! As
expected from one of our top students and the 2nd runner-up of the Magical Mayhem!"
Professor Ferrea said.

"Abareñas is really talented and skilled when it comes to using his Water
Weirdness. He also learns quickly because despite being an Ice Weirdo originally,
he was able to easily control water and he also unlocked the higher-class powers of
his element such as the Marionette in a short span of time. This kid, though
reckless and lacks proper decision-making at times, is not afraid to try and learn
new things. Elemental Weirdos have been blessed with the opportunity to become
stronger by unlocking and learning how to use the higher-class powers of their
respective elements. Willingness and determination to improve are huge factors in
becoming stronger especially if you are an Elemental Weirdo," Professor Romeus
added.

"Yeah. Focus your cameras on Jack more. The simpleton will absolutely love it," I
said, already imagining Jack's reaction after being praised by the two professors.

"And there he goes! Abareñas and his team eliminates Class H! Class A is on a
roll!" Professor Ferrea said as we entered the next island.

"Well, it seems that the other team is doing well. Let's stop worrying about them
and just mind our own business here," RB said.

There's already a fight going on in the next island where we landed. I instantly
recognized some students from Class B in the vicinity but the island actually
belongs to Class G. It seems that the classes have been randomly arranged around
the main island.

"Be careful," RB said to us as we landed on the clearing. "There are some students
from Class B around. They might target us."

A long and wiggling rope of water suddenly lashed towards our direction, forcing RB
and I to jump. I looked around and saw the blond- and green-haired Robb—an earth-
water hybrid and one of our classmates in the Elemental Weirdo Course—smiling at us
widely.

"Hello there, Ike and RB. Welcome to our island," Robb declared. He flicked his
fingers and huge boulders rose from the ground before heading straight to us. RB
and I both conjured a crystal and stone wall to block the hurtling rocks.

"Duck!" I said to my classmates before punching the ground forcefully, causing huge
rocks to rise in a circle around me. I then jumped into the air and made a circular
kicking motion, sending the rocks flying in all directions. RB, now seeing an
opening, flicked his fingers and sent a barrage of crystal spikes flying towards
the island's crystal which vibrated loudly upon being hit by the spikes.

A strong wind suddenly blew on our feet before creating a powerful updraft,
toppling everyone from their places and blowing RB's crystal spikes away. An
instant later, huge cracks suddenly appeared on the ground, threatening to swallow
everyone in the vicinity. A significant number of fighters were eliminated from the
area in an instant.

I immediately grabbed RB's hand and shot straight to the sky to avoid falling into
the cracks. Philip was also able to fly while carrying Roselle. Thalia, on the
other hand, had already attached herself to a tree to prevent herself from falling.

RB made a quick scan of the area below us. "We need to find a way to—TAKE COVER!!!"

I didn't even have the time to be shocked as RB swung an arm above us and conjured
a diamond barrier. Philip and Roselle also flew towards us to take cover and Thalia
hid underneath a huge branch.

"What's happening?!" I asked RB in complete bewilderment.

I received an answer a second later as tiny whistling sounds filled the air,
causing everyone to look up suddenly. Some of the people just stared blankly at the
sky with looks of utter bewilderment on their faces.

A rain of arrows suddenly whizzed past us before exploding as they hit the ground.
Some of the arrows hit RB's barrier and exploded, sending us crashing back to the
camp site. It's a good thing that the huge cracks on the ground have disappeared
already, making our crash a bit smoother. The remaining people on the ground also
took cover from the explosive arrows.

"What the hell is happening?!" I asked RB, crouching low as the ground shook
violently with every explosion.

"I think it's Tony," he replied.

A second later, Tony's voice suddenly spoke in my ear. "Sorry, I didn't give you a
warning earlier. I saw that there's a lot going on in your island so I thought I
could help you. Anyway, the camp site is clear now. I'm pretty sure that RB can do
something about that..."

"Thanks! And your arrows are really explosive! What's happening in our camp, by the
way?" I asked him.

Tony's reply came a few seconds later. "Well, I have new weapons in my arsenal,
too. And don't worry about us here. We're good. A few people have tried to attack
us but they can't get past the storm or Thalia's traps in the forest!"

"That's good! Just keep on attacking this island!" RB said. "I think I have a way
to shatter this island's gem. Do you still have arrows, Tony?"

"My arrows can multiply in midair, don't worry," he replied a few seconds later.

"Good. I need a new batch of them right now. Make it rain arrows here!" RB
instructed him.

"What are you planning to do?" I asked.

RB just smirked before placing his hands flat against the ground. "Just watch me
and fall in love again, hubby."

A thin sheet of diamond erupted from RB's fingertips and crept slowly towards the
island's gem. Like water being frozen rapidly, diamonds crept up to the crystal and
slowly covered it. The gem emitted tiny tinkling sounds as RB's diamonds permeated
it, creating cracks on the gem. Tiny whistles also filled the air as a new batch of
Tony's arrows plummeted on the island. A second later, explosions rattled and shook
everything around us once more as the arrows started hitting the ground.

"I want to shatter some dreams today, hubby," RB said with an evil grin as he
stared at the island's gem.

A few arrows hit the crystal and exploded, creating more cracks on it. As RB's plan
finally dawned on me, the gem suddenly emitted a loud crack and shattered, causing
the residents of the island to be teleported back inside their house.

"Update: Class F has been eliminated. There are still four classes remaining. Class
A has eliminated three classes, Class B has eliminated two, and Class I has
eliminated one," the cool female voice said.

"Talla is on fire, as usual! He actually used his crystals to make Class F's gem
brittle and allowed Arellano's arrows to finish the job. And speaking of Arellano,
I must say, he's a pretty strong candidate to be a member of Emerald's official
team for the CMMT. What can you say, Garrick?" Professor Ferrea said.

"Arellano can certainly qualify as a support member because of his weirdness. Not
to mention that he can also communicate with other people over long distances and
his arrows are really deadly, too. Emerald has been known for its dual-purpose
support members in the CMMT that's why Arellano is an excellent choice as the
secondary support member," Professor Romeus said.
We were able to fly out of Class F's island without much difficulty. The students
from the other classes who were also in the island, upon seeing RB and the rest of
our team, either flew away immediately or dashed towards the forest and disappeared
behind the trees and the shadows.

"A scary classmate can certainly do miracles," Roselle said amusedly as we flew to
the next island.

"I don't know why they ran away. I mean, I'm such a pretty view to look at," RB
said quietly.

"You should probably carry a mirror whenever you're in combat. You have to see
first-hand how scary you look whenever you're fighting people," I fired at him.

"That's just my serious game face a.k.a. resting bitch face. What do you expect me
to do while in combat, laugh and smile pointlessly? I did that before to you,
remember? And it only made me look like a crazy airhead," RB replied flatly.

"You have a point, actually," I agreed, stifling a laugh. "Smiling makes you look
like some sort of a sadistic psychopath. I prefer your serious game face."

"Let's transfer the Student Spotlight to Esveron!" Professor Ferrea suddenly said.
"Oh boy, what is he going to do? It seems that he's going to try to find a way to
penetrate Class A's elemental fortress! This is exciting!"

All of us instinctively looked back to our island which is still surrounded by

whirlpools, thunderstorms, and powerful winds.

"I think we should go back to the island for now," RB said with a hint of
apprehension in his voice.

A sudden, loud boom echoed throughout the archipelago. The elemental storm which is
ravaging around the island suddenly blew inward, blowing everything away in its
path. Dust, leaves, broken branches, and a few uprooted trees flew high into the
air as the winds created a powerful updraft in our island.

"WHAT IS THIS?! THIS IS INSANE! Esveron singlehandedly redirected the storm back to
Class A's island! Their island is clear of any obstacles now! This is unbelievable!
Our representatives in the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp have become
monsters!" Professor Ferrea said frantically.

"We need to help them. Let's go!" I said before flying straight to our island.

"And there goes Lunaria and his team. Abareñas' team is also heading back to their
island. Esveron has been improving steadily in his three years here in Emerald. And
I must say, he's one of the most creative and innovative students when it comes to
discovering new ways of using their weirdnesses. He truly deserved the invitation
that he received for the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp and he's going to be a
great asset for Emerald in the incoming CMMT," Professor Romeus added.

A fight is already going on in our island by the time that we arrived there. Even
Jack and his team were already there and are already busy fighting the students
from Class C and B. Jack is currently battling with Jared, and Cezka is hovering
directly above our island's crystal, blowing away and blocking all the attacks
being directed to it.

"Class I has been eliminated by Class C!" Professor Ferrea declared. "Classes A, B,
and C are the only remaining classes! This is going to be interesting from now on!"

RB made a quick scan of our camp site. "I'm gonna end this quickly," he said before
opening his arms and slowly ascending into the air. The wavy black markings
suddenly appeared on his body and face as his eyes and hair also turned completely
black.

"Fall."

A sudden and forceful thrust suddenly pulled me to the ground, forcing me to fall
on my knees. All of our classmates also fell to the ground suddenly as if some
surplus of gravity have pulled all of them. The students from Class B and Class C
were the only ones who were not affected by RB's powers.

"Wrong target!" I yelled at him.

RB just smirked at me as crystal spikes revolved around him, creating a huge helix.
"My target was on point, hubby," he said as he rose higher into the air.

A few crystal spikes broke off from the helix and shot straight towards our
opponents, sending them flying through the air. Some of them crashed against the
trees or landed badly on the ground. RB flicked his fingers as he turned around in
his spot, gluing our opponents in the places where they have crashed or fallen with
the help of his crystals.

Students from Class B suddenly disappeared from the area in an instant as a loud
beep echoed all over the place. "The other students of Class C have destroyed Class
B's gem! They're closing in on Class A's island now! Oh boy, it's a showdown
between Talla and Esveron! Who will win this one?!"

Jared, who's currently busy shattering the crystals being directed to him by RB,
suddenly swiped his arms on his either side, creating a circle of light from his
feet before expanding quickly. RB suddenly flinched when he saw the circle of
light, causing his crystal helix to collapse and the black markings on his body to
disappear.
"GET OUT OF THE CIRCLE!" RB shouted to everyone.

Jared just smirked. "Too late, RB."

The area around me, RB, and Jack suddenly glowed blindingly bright with the
respective colors of our elements. A hot, searing pain overwhelmed my entire body
as rock and ice spikes suddenly erupted from the area around me. Ice and crystal
spikes also erupted from the respective places of Jack and RB. All of those spikes
headed straight to our island's crystal which shattered almost instantly, causing
everyone from our class to be teleported back to our house.

Class C has eliminated Class A. Class C has won the Island Defense Challenge of the
Workout Week. Congratulations.

"What was that?! What the hell was that?! Jared Esveron of Class C destroys Class
A's gem in an instant! This is beyond comprehension! Class C scores an upset win
against the deadly forces of Class A!" Professor Ferrea declared.

Jared and the rest of his classmates who were in our island celebrated upon hearing
the official announcement. The former looked back to us before smiling and nodding.

"Not everything is about you, Class A."

        Chapter 15: Zeniths and Limits [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Forced Activation. Jared was able to perfect that move on our final week
in the Training Camp. It's like Professor Evanesca's Utilization Weirdness. The
only difference is that he can't use our powers directly. I think his radius is
only ten meters wide," RB explained as Jared and his classmates flew away from our
camp site.

"I hate to admit it but that was so cool," I said.

Jack, on the other hand, was already busy yelling angrily from the window. "Curse
you, you bastard! You see this face?! This is the last thing that you will see
before you go into coma the next time we meet and fight! You ruined our fun time
this evening!" he shouted, accidentally freezing and breaking the glass pane of the
window.

"Calm down," I said to him.

"Bro, no person in history has ever calmed down after being told to calm down. I'm
totally fine if we got eliminated by the other classes, with the exception of Class
B, of course. I don't even have a problem if Class C eliminated us. But why does it
have to be Jared?! I'm gonna punch away the smug look on that bastard's face..."
Jack said angrily as he flexed his fingers.
"Everyone, you can now go out from your houses. The staff of the infirmary and your
camp managers will be arriving shortly to inspect everyone for any injuries.
Congratulations to Class C, once again. Thank you very much," Professor Romeus
said.

"Oh well, Ike's cooking skills are excellent so it's totally fine even if we lost,"
Faye said as we stepped out of the house and headed straight to the open grounds of
our camp site.

Our three camp managers materialized on the podium as we settled on the grass.

"Good morning everyone. That was close. Good job, anyway. Nurse Juliana and her
staff will be arriving in a few while so please wait patiently," Ezekiel declared
to everyone.

"The challenge earlier was designed to help us gauge the current level of your
skills in order to formulate a training plan for each and everyone of you here in
the Workout Week. And judging from my observation, I must say that everyone here
have exceeded my expectations, especially you, RB. This is my first time seeing you
in combat and I must say, you're even better than some of my fellow agents in the
Agents International," he added with an approving nod on RB.

RB just nodded politely at him.

"We're just getting started," Ezekiel continued. "I'm sure that some of you here
wants to avenge their loss today. You have to actually be thankful that there were
no punishments given to the classes who have lost. But I'm pretty sure that the
punishments will soon arrive in the future challenges here in the Workout Week."

"Good. I still have a lot of opportunities to avenge our loss," Jack whispered with
an evil grin while cracking his knuckles.

Ezekiel scanned the half-destroyed camp site before giving us his trademark smirk.
"And because you didn't receive any punishment, let me give you one, instead. Why
don't you clean up your camp first while we're waiting for Nurse Juliana to arrive?
No weirdness. No magic. Manual labor, please."

Everyone just stared at Ezekiel in utter shock, disbelief, or indignity.

"WHAT?!"

●●●

The camp managers brought us to an open field in our island after we finished
eating our lunch. From what I've heard from Crimson, it seems that this afternoon
has been devoted solely for our individual training. It's a good thing that we were
able to rest for a while after being tasked to clean the entire camp site. I'm
already getting sleepy by the time we started preparing our lunch.

"You're done with the first challenge and your class lost miserably. If you want to
win the next challenge then there's only one option for everyone here: train,"
Ezekiel declared to the entire class. "But remember that challenges might happen at
any time, even during night. But don't worry, eight pm to six am is our ceasefire
hours. We won't interrupt your sleep or rest. For now, you're going to spend the
entire afternoon training individually. No pairings. You can summon Scavengers from
version 1 to 3 in this wide open field. There's also the sea for the Water Weirdos.
We're just going to watch you. Go wild out there, brats. Oh, and by the way..."

Ezekiel raised an arm skyward and a gentle breeze suddenly blew against him,
billowing his black cloak. Clouds slowly appeared in the sky and covered the hot
afternoon sun, giving everyone in the open field a comfortable shade for our
training.

"I don't want to sunburn or dehydrate anyone. Take care," he said before gliding
away from us.

"Nice! Let's go train at the sea, bro!" Jack said before rushing into the beach.

"Uh, later. I'm just going to talk to Professor Sivera for a minute," I said before
heading straight to the professor who's currently talking to Crimson.

"I'm gonna go and pester Izzy over there, Franco. And what are you doing here,
Ike?" Crimson asked as I approached them.

"Kakausapin ko lang sana si Professor Sivera," sagot ko naman.

"What is it, Ike?" tanong naman niya agad.

"Ah... Magpapaturo po sana 'ko para sa Fire Weirdness ko," sagot ko naman. "Tutal
eh kayo lang naman po ang Fire Weirdo dito sa isla namin."

Professor Sivera smiled. "Actually, ako ang naka-schedule na magturo sa 'yo para sa
Fire Weirdness mo magmula ngayong June. Sinabihan ko na rin si Professor Evanesca
kung pwede na kitang turuan ngayon dito. Pero meron ka pa palang training dito kay
Izzy eh. Tsaka gusto ni Professor Evanesca na mag-focus ka raw muna sa tatlong
elements na kaya mo nang kontrolin kaya hindi muna siya pumayag. Why don't you
refine the powers that you have now? Matagal pa ang CMMT, Ike. Mabilis ka namang
matuto."

"Sige po. Thank you na rin po sa pagpayag ninyong i-train ako magmula ngayong
June," sagot ko naman.

"Ike's so active and energetic. No wonder you were able to last for almost six
hours on bed," Crimson said, brushing my back with his bushy tail.
I stared at him flatly. "Let's not talk about that. I'm gonna go back to the field
and train," I said before heading back to the open field.

At dahil hindi rin naman ako matuturuan ngayon ni Professor Sivera para sa Fire
Weirdness ko eh nag-train na lang ako gamit ang tatlong elements na kaya ko nang
kontrolin. And besides, nangangapa pa rin naman ako sa Plant Magic at Ice Weirdness
ko kaya 'yun na muna ang mga ginamit ko.

"Hey, hubby, come here for a sec," RB said to me after a few minutes as I slumped
on the grass after defeating a set of Scavengers.

"What?" I replied without getting up.

"I said come here, nitwit," he snapped at me.

I got up grudgingly before walking towards him. "What do you want? I'm resting," I
asked.

"I've been watching you since we started training but up to what extent can you
control the elements?" RB asked before flicking his hands. Lengthy and razor-sharp
diamond claws suddenly erupted in the spaces between his fingers.

I stepped back in shock. "What the hell?! Be careful!"

"I was just practicing, dummy. Go on. What can you do so far with the elements?" RB
asked.

"Well, I'm already pretty confident with my Earth and Air Weirdness. My Water
Weirdness is slowly coming together, too. Jack helped me with ice and Thalia helped
me to learn Plant Magic," I said before raising my fist which suddenly transformed
to wood.

RB nodded. "Aren't you preparing some sick, flashy moves? You know, like Jack's
Marionette or my disintegration technique?" he asked.

"Do you want me to disintegrate, too? Sure. Prepare my coffin at the same time," I
said.

He suddenly punched my abdomen. "I'm serious here. Why is it that whenever I'm
joking, you're the one who is all serious, and whenever I'm serious, you're the one
acting like a goofball?"

"Uh, that is the exact reason why you two fit together like a jigsaw puzzle,"
Alice, who's also busy strangling six Scavengers in her ropes, suddenly said to us.
"So... going back to our topic. What do you want me to do exactly?" I asked RB.

"Well, I want to know if you're creating a signature move. I mean, almost everyone
here has their own style of attack. And you of all people here should have your
very own style because duh, you can control five elements," RB said.

I took a deep breath. "I'm still learning the basics. Gustuhin ko man na matulad sa
inyo na may kani-kanya nang pasikat na galaw eh hindi ko naman 'yun magawa.
Fundamentals before flashiness. Tsaka ba't ka ba nagtatanong? Ano ba'ng pakialam mo
sa weirdness ko? For as long as I'm concerned, magkalaban pa rin tayo sa grades."

RB rolled his eyes. "Stop being so competitive. I can give you the top spot
whenever you want. And besides, you already topped me so, yes..."

I stared at him flatly.

"Whatever. Anyway, if you still don't have a sick, jaw-dropping move then I'm going
to help you," he said.

"Wait, hold your horses," I said, raising my hands. "Ba't ka ba kasi biglang
nagmadali na turuan ako? May nakain ka ba na masama o ano? Nahanginan ba ang utak
mo?"

"Nothing."

I raised an eyebrow. "At sa akin ka pa talaga magsisinungaling?

RB took a deep breath before sitting on the grass. "Here, sit beside me. I'm going
to tell you something," he said, tapping the spot right next to him. I just frowned
suspiciously before sitting beside him.

"What is it?" I said after slapping RB's hand which suddenly crawled up to my
crotch.

"Well, I just want Ike to become stronger especially now that he's an official
member of Emerald's team for the CMMT," RB replied.

"'Yun lang ba talaga? Alam na alam ko kung kelan ka nagsisinungaling," sabad ko

naman.

"Fine. When I was at the Training Camp, I also met the students of the top 5
magical schools. Jared and I actually became friends with the representatives of
Philippine Weirdo University. And to be honest, they were all really strong
especially the students from Sierra. We weren't really close with each other
because the people there were either too intimidated or too insecure to approach
us. And I... well..."

RB gave me a sheepish smile.

I automatically frowned at him. "Ano na naman ba'ng ginawa mo?"

"It's not my fault that the students of Sierra were insecure with me. We came
across them in the cafeteria and their leader declared a war against us. And of
course, the prideful and competitive yet strikingly pretty me accepted their
challenge. It's totally their fault for triggering me," RB replied.

I slammed my hand against his head. "Ikaw talaga. Parati mo na lang kaming
dinadamay sa mga gulong ikaw ang may gawa. Dinamay mo ang buong klase natin sa
Magical Mayhem nung nakaraang taon tapos ngayon dinala mo pa 'yun pati sa CMMT?"

"Sorry. You know I don't like it when people trigger me. I'm tolerant and patient
as hell but I don't have an unlimited patience. And that guy just severed my rope
right at the hilt," RB replied.

"Kaya ngayon eh gusto mo akong magpalakas dahil dinamay mo ako sa gulong hindi ko
naman alam?" tanong ko sa sabay kurot sa tenga niya.

"One of the students from Sierra is an Elemental Tri-Hybrid. I think he can control
air, fire, and lightning. He's really powerful. And considering his attitude and
behavior in the training camp, I have a hunch that he might target you specifically
once he sees you because of your similarity to him. And I don't want Ike to get
hurt that's why I'm telling him about it while there's still time," RB replied
quietly.

"Pahamak ka rin talaga kahit kelan," singhal ko sa kanya. "Well, I don't need
flashy moves in order to win in the CMMT. I will train because I want to become
better and stronger with the Prime Elemental and not because some random jerk
plunged me into a mess that I don't even know about. I will learn the basics and
try to create a few moves of my own. Hindi naman ako kagaya ninyo na palakas lang
nang palakas lalo. Darating din ako sa punto na kaya ko nang makipagsabayan sa
'yo," paliwanag ko naman.

Kinurot ko naman ang pisngi ni RB sabay yugyog sa mukha niya. "Kaya ikaw, tumigil-
tigil ka na sa pakikipag-away kung kani-kanino. Wala naman kasing mangyayaring
masama sa 'yo kung tatahimik ka na lang at hindi mo sila papansinin. Sakit ka
talaga sa ulo kahit kelan."

Crimson's face suddenly appeared between us. "What's happening here, you brats? 'Di
ba sabi namin sa inyo eh mag-train kayo at hindi mag-landian. Get the hell up, you
two! Training before cuddling!"

RB and I stood up before heading straight to the open field.

"Fine."

●●●

"That's enough for tonight. Rest for a while and then take a bath," Ezekiel
suddenly said after I kicked a couple of Scavengers away from me, sending them
crashing against a rock before exploding.

"I can still go," I replied.

"Go back to your island. Rest. Take a bath. Sleep. We'll resume tomorrow evening.
Proper resting is just as important as training. And besides, I think Ate Elena and
Rubio are almost done training, too," Ezekiel replied. "Just wait for Rubio here.
I'm gonna go back to the tower. See you tomorrow."

"Ah, wait a sec..." I called after him.

Ezekiel looked back to me. "What?"

"Can I ask something?"

He did not reply but he didn't turn away either so I took it as a yes.

"Uh... What did you do to become so powerful? I mean, your fighting style is really
different and unorthodox as compared to some of the world's top agents. Did you
even encounter any difficulty at all when you were trying to improve your
weirdness?" I asked him.

"I worked really hard. Goodnight," Ezekiel replied before gliding away.

"Wait!" I shouted. "Stop being so stingy!"

"I'm not being stingy. I was only being direct to the point," he said.

"Can you please at least elaborate what you have said? I'm asking for an advice,
for your info. I need your insights because we're still basically both Telekinesis
Weirdos," I said.

A subtle smirk ran across his half-hidden face. "Are you asking me about that now
because of what Rubio had told you earlier this afternoon?" he said.

I paused, completely caught off guard. "Uh... There is that, of course," I replied,
scratching my cheek. "But this is not just about what RB said to me earlier. I was
only trying to-"

"You're lying, idiot," Ezekiel interjected. "Stop trying to hide it. I can smell,
feel, see, hear, and taste the bitter lie in the air around us right now."

I took a deep breath before raising my hands in surrender. "Fine. You win. Now,
answer my question."

Ezekiel turned around before gliding towards me. "Let me accompany you back to your
island. Ate Elena will just teleport Rubio back to your house. Let's go," he said
before heading straight to the forest. I just followed him and waited for the
lecture to start.

The two of us walked on the dirt trail that leads to the beach on the western side
of the main island. Torches lined the either side of the trail—the only provider of
illumination in the area. The crashing of the waves against the shore can be heard
from our place. Ezekiel just glided silently ahead of me like some sort of a
ghostly creature that lurks in the forest and only comes out at night. Even though
I perfectly know that it was only him, the sight of Ezekiel wearing a black cloak
and gliding in the dark and scary forest made all the hair on my body tingle
unpleasantly.

"I know for sure that you know the feeling of being laughed upon or looked down by
people just because you're a Telekinesis Weirdo," Ezekiel said quietly, barely
breaking the silence around us. "And I totally understand why you didn't feel at
home in the Mind Weirdo Course. I was in the exact same position as yours when I
was a first-year in Emerald."

"You're actually pretty lucky. It turned out that you're the Prime Elemental and
they immediately transferred you to the Elemental Weirdo Course which is basically
the star course here in Emerald. I wasn't as lucky as you. I don't have a secondary
weirdness. I didn't experience a second birth. I've been destined to spend four
years of my life in the most laughed upon and underestimated weirdo course in
Emerald," he added.

"But did I wallow in self-pity? Did I waste my time trying to pointlessly move
random things? Did I spend my four years hating the course where I've been
classified? No. Not even once. What I did is that I collected all the insults,
laughter, and underestimation of all the people and used them as my motivation to
become better, to become stronger."

A few arcs of electricity ran through the hands of Ezekiel. Even his cloak billowed
behind him despite the absence of wind in the area. "Growing up as a kid, I've
always admired my sisters' respective weirdnesses. They were so powerful and
unique. That's why I was so excited to discover my weirdness. And come my seventh
birthday, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry after finding out that I was only a
lowly Telekinesis Weirdo. And I grew being pitied upon or looked down by people
because of my weirdness. I was bookish as hell when I was a student so I read books
about Telekinesis. That was when I learned about Elemental Telekinesis. And of
course, I saw that as an opportunity to become stronger. I started controlling
earth because it's in the lowest tier in the hierarchy of powers of the five
elements, making it the easiest to control."

He let out a long and weary sigh. "I thought it was going to be easy. It turned out
that I was pathetically wrong. Elemental Weirdos are really lucky to have been
blessed with the ability to control the elements by just flicking a finger or two.
I almost had to use all my body parts just to be able to control earth. But I soon
found out that controlling the elements, just like telekinesis, is also an art. Do
you have an idea about what I did next?" Ezekiel asked, glancing back to me.

I paused. "Uh, you learned about the different types of movement for controlling
each element?" I asked.

Ezekiel nodded. "Exactly. I asked for help from some of my Elemental Weirdo
friends. They taught me about the specific movements needed to control a specific
element. Fraeo actually taught me how to control earth because he's a Metal Weirdo
and the movements in controlling metal and earth are almost exactly the same. And
presto, I was finally able to control earth using telekinesis."

A strange smile ran across his half-hidden face. "I will never forget the faces of
my classmates when I was finally able to control earth using telekinesis. I also
felt a strange sense of happiness and contentment knowing that I am no longer just
a generic Telekinesis Weirdo. And of course, my initial success is what fuelled my
desire to learn the other elements," Ezekiel added.

"I spent my four years in Emerald trying to learn elemental telekinesis. Even in my
final year in this school, while my classmates were busy creating jaw-dropping and
flashy moves to attract the attention of NMLEA, I worked silently in the open
grounds or the battle halls in order to refine my weirdness. Fraeo and Franco
always train with me. They saw firsthand how I gave everything—blood, sweat, tears,
and a few broken bones—just to get stronger. And when I graduated and passed the
licensure exam, I submitted my portfolio to the Agents International and got hired
almost instantly," Ezekiel said.

"And I eventually proved to everyone that I am not just an Evanesca. I am Ezekiel

and I can create a respected and admired name for myself with my own effort and
hard work," he added.

"That is why you want the people to call you Ezekiel," I said.

"Indeed. I don't insist anyone to call me 'professor' or 'the number 7

international agent.' For as long as you call me Ezekiel then that means that you
respect me, that you know how I worked hard to make that name well-known and
respected. And if you don't like calling me by my first name..."

A thunderbolt suddenly erupted from the sky and hit a nearby tree, making it
explode into sparks and flames. I jumped in shock, but Ezekiel, as usual, did not
even flinch or move a finger at all.
"...then I will make you call me by my first name," Ezekiel said with an evil grin.

The forest eventually thinned and gave way to the moonlit beach. Ezekiel and I just
flew towards our island.

"I didn't know that you had a really colorful journey towards becoming an agent.
I've always thought that being an Evanesca is like a privilege card that you shoved
right at the people's noses and they automatically respect and admire you," I said
quietly as we flew silently over the sea.

For the first time since I met him, Ezekiel let out a hearty chuckle—almost the
exact same laugh as the headmistress'. "Respect and admiration are earned, Ike. So,
going back to your question-"

"How did you become strong?" I repeated, realizing now that I already have an
answer.

"Yes. And the answer is simple, really. And I already said it to you earlier: I
worked really hard," Ezekiel said.

I nodded, now seeing the simplicity of his response. After hearing his story, I now
realize that his answer, though simple, was actually the best advice that he could
give to me. He worked really hard—and that's all there is to it.

"Remember this, Ike: There will come a time when you will feel that you have become
stagnant, that your life has finally flatlined. You will come to a point where you
will feel that you've reached the farthest possible point, that you can no longer
go further beyond. Even so, don't be afraid to push yourself past your limit. Don't
be afraid to learn and try new things. If you have finally reached a wall that
hinders your progress, then all you have to do is to push that wall away or climb
over it in order for you to advance and reach new grounds," Ezekiel said.

I just stared at Ezekiel as my admiration and respect for him welled up inside me.
"You really are the brother of Professor Evanesca."

His lips curved into a carefree smile from behind his hood. "Well, it runs in the
blood, I think."

We finally reached the beach of our class' island. I landed gently on the sand and
Ezekiel just remained hovering above the sea.

"Take a bath and rest. I'll see you tomorrow. Good evening," Ezekiel said, nodding
at me before turning around and gliding silently back to the main island.

I just watched him as he flew away from our island. For the first time ever since I
met him, it finally became clear to me why Professor Evanesca recognizes Ezekiel to
be stronger than her. In the short time where he narrated a part of his past, I saw
the Ezekiel that the headmistress herself admires and respects. I saw a person who
endured everything, did everything, and gave everything in order to get better, in
order to establish a name for himself.

And strange it may seem, I saw a part of myself in the persona of an Ezekiel
Evanesca.

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Watch out for birthdays, surprises, more trainings, and a few bits of
naughtiness in the next update. Also, Emerald's full lineup for the Collegiate
Magical Mayhem Tournament will finally be revealed as the school opens its gates
for a fresh, new year. The official lineups of the four other schools—Veron,
Sierra, NAA, and PWU—are also going to be unveiled. All of those and more in the
next update of Weirdos III: The Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 16: Trump Card [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            May update na po ang The Blood Vow. Yey. Pasensya sa mga naghintay.
Pagsasabayin ko po sila nitong story para Weirdos IV ang pinakahuling story na
susulatin ko before I leave. Thanks.

BTW, Hye-sung of Love Is An Illusion is so freaking cute. May alam ba kayong site
where I can download the manga for offline reading? Hindi pa kasi siya available sa
ginagamit kong manga app. Salamat sa may alam!

TheAshtone

●●●

"Magtanim ay 'di biro, maghapong nakayuko. 'Di man lang maka-upo, 'di man lang
makatayo-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I snarled at RB before throwing a potted plant at him. He
ducked just in time and the pot whizzed past his head before shattering against a
stone statue.

Kakatapos lang ng Workout Week namin kahapon. At gaya ng ipinangako sa 'min ni

Ezekiel nung simula ng event ay nilunod nga kami ng mga professors at agents sa mga
trainings at challenges. We were able to win some of the challenges, too. All in
all ay isa kami sa mga klase na may magandang performance sa event. The Workout
Week ended with a sumptuous feast and the revelation that we were only inside the
Diamond Battle Dome since the beginning of the camp. Hinihintay na lang namin
ngayon ang training program na gagawin ng Emerald at ang desisyon kung pumasa ba
kami para sa internship namin ngayong taon.

The training camp helped me refine my Ice Weirdness and Plant Magic skills. Aside
sa training ko kay Ezekiel ay nagpatulong ulit ako kina Jack at Thalia para sa
training ko. And I still have two more weeks to refine my skills in manipulating
the three elements that I can already control before I move on to controlling fire.

At ngayon nga ay tumutulong ako sa pagmi-maintain ng mga parke dito sa Emerald.

Parte pa 'to ng isang linggong detention na pinataw sa 'min ni Professor Evanesca
noon dahil sa pagsugod namin sa NMLEA para iligtas si RB. Kasama ko naman dito sa
Jack maliban kay RB. Nasa ibang parte naman ng Emerald na-assign 'yung iba pa
naming mga kasama.

"Hubby, why don't we get married after we graduate and then settle down in your
house in the farm? We don't have to bust our butts in the NMLEA. I only studied
here in Emerald because I don't have any other choice when I graduated from high
school. But now that you're here, I'll be completely happy to spend the rest of my
life with you in a quiet and peaceful place like your house in the province," RB
said while sitting on a bench and sniffing a pot of flowers. Hindi naman siya
kasama sa detention pero sumama na rin siya sa 'min.

I clicked my fingers and the shattered pot repaired itself before flying back to my
hand. "Advance ka rin mag-isip, 'no? Sorry pero gusto kong maging agent."

"Of course you're going to say that," he replied. "But wait... Don't you want to
marry me? Don't you want me to carry our future twelve kids? Are you planning to
break up with me in the future?! Am I not enough?! Why do you have to break my
heart-"

"Calm down!" I said irately at him. "Jeez. Hihiwalayan talaga kita kung ganyan ka
umasta parati. Let me just work here in peace-"

"Ninong ako!" sabad naman ni Jack. "Pwede niyo rin akong kunin na coach kung balak
niyong gumawa ng isang basketball team."

I stared at Jack flatly. He immediately gave me a peace sign before burying himself
in a bush.

"Anyway, tutal ay hapon na at malapit na tayong matapos eh umuwi na muna 'yung mga
dapat umuwi para makapagpahinga kayo nang maayos. Magpapahinga lang din ako nang
bahagya tapos may training ulit ako mamaya kay Ezekiel. Dalawang linggo pa kaming
ganito," sabi ko.

"Eh? But I want to barge in and train, too. Dinarasalan ko na ngayon ang lahat ng
mga santong kilala ko para makapasok ako sa official team ng Emerald," sagot ni
Jack.

"'Yung eyebags mo mukha nang bilbil. Palalayasin ka lang ni Ezekiel kung makita ka
niya doon," sabad ko naman.

"I also want to train, hubby. Professor Elena told me that my training with her
will resume in June but I'm used to training everyday in the training camp and it's
so hard to get it out of my system now," RB said.

"Talagang nakukulangan ka pa sa training sa lagay mong 'yan? Magpahinga ka naman

kahit ngayong bakasyon lang. You're too powerful already," I replied.

"Well, my disintegration technique in the first challenge was a total fluke. The
other time when I was able to successfully do it was during our last day in the
training camp in Sierra, and I was strictly supervised by the agents and professors
when I tried to do it. It's fortunate that I didn't end up with my body parts
strewn all over the camp site after I disintegrated in our first challenge," RB
said with a sheepish smile.

Jack stared at him in utter disbelief. "Really? That's so risky. But you ended up
looking extremely cool so it's worth the risk."

"'Wag mo na ulit gagawin 'yun," sabi ko naman kay RB. "Subukan mo lang na ulitin
'yun at ako mismo ang babali sa mga buto mo."

"Is that Ike's way of being sweet and caring? I'm touched!" RB replied.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm threatening you, idiot."

RB sighed loudly before stretching his legs on the bench he's currently sitting on.
"Well, if hubby doesn't want me to go with him then I'll just spend my lonely
evening in my room surfing the internet. I've been disconnected from the cyberspace
for almost a week and my followers are missing me already. Dang it, a lot of guys
chatted me over the past week. Looks like my night isn't gonna be boring after
all," he said while browsing his phone.

I threw RB a sharp stare. "At talagang harap-harapan mo sa 'king sinasabi 'yan?"

"What? I was only thinking about what I'm gonna do this evening. It's not like I'm
implying something," he replied in a feigned tone of indifference.

My eyebrow twitched. "Fine," I said, raising my hands. "You win. If you want to
come to my training then go. Just please don't bother me when I'm busy trying to
save my life from the Scavengers."

"You're so easy to read, bro. RB knows exactly what strings to pull to make you
give in," Jack said, letting out a chuckle.

"Well, I do know everything about my hubby," RB said. "And by everything, I mean

everything," he added while licking his lips and staring at me hungrily.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes before resuming my work.

We were finally released from our gardening and landscaping duties by five o'clock.
Kanina pa kasing alas-otso ng umaga nagsimula ang trabaho namin. Nataon pa na iho-
host ng Emerald ang CMMT kaya sandamakmak ang mga ginawa namin sa mga parke at
hardin sa loob ng Emerald. Ang masaklap pa eh abot sa School of Commons ang mga
aasikasuhin namin.

"And we're going to do this for an entire week. I think my arms are gonna fall off
already," Jack said as we dragged ourselves away from the park.

"Is hubby tired, too? I can help him bathe if he's too tired to move," RB said
while rubbing his face against my arm.

"Are you really expecting me to agree?" I snapped at him as I pulled my arm away.

"Looks like I won't be able to train with you two tonight. I'm gonna go home, take
a bath, and sleep for, like, twelve hours. Take care! And try to control your
urges, bro. You also deserve some rest," Jack said while tapping my shoulder.

"I can control my urges pretty well, thank you very much. Hindi mo dapat sa 'kin
'yan sinasabi," sabad ko naman sa kanya.

RB and I headed to the Topaz Building while Jack went straight to the nearest gate
to go home. I just changed clothes and rested for a while in my room as RB took a
bath. Mamaya na lang pagkatapos ng training ko kay Ezekiel ako maliligo lalo pa't
magdi-dinner din kami ni RB sa labas ngayong gabi. Lumabas din kami kaagad nung
natapos na siyang maligo at nakapagpahinga na ako kahit papano.

"I want seafood tonight and some... meat..." RB said meaningfully, pressing his
hand against my abdomen.

"You can eat whatever the hell you want and I will gladly and generously pay for
it. And then we're going to go home after our dinner and sleep. You need to rest, I
need to rest. At mamaya mo na 'ko gambalain, utang na loob. I'm trying to
concentrate here," I said clearly and firmly.

"Fine. We're still going to celebrate our birthdays in the weeks to follow so I
still have a lot of opportunities to get some meat," RB replied.

We arrived at the Jade Battle Dome where Ezekiel and Professor Evanesca were
already waiting for us. Pagkatapos kasi ng Workout Week ay muli na namang isinara
ang Diamond Battle Dome bilang paghahanda sa CMMT. May ginagawa pa raw kasi doong
mga improvements hanggang ngayon.

"Good evening," Professor Evanesca said as we approached them. Ezekiel just hovered
quietly behind the headmistress and didn't even move or say anything at all.
"Ezekiel will teach you an important trick tonight and I'm just going to watch you.
And Rubio, you can also train for a bit if you want. I'll supervise you if you need
any assistance."

Ezekiel glided towards the center of the grassy field. I instinctively followed him
as RB and Professor Evanesca took their place a few meters away from us.

"You surprisingly did well in the Workout Week and you also impressed me on how you
use the three elements in combat," Ezekiel said without any prelude. "It's a shame
that my sister didn't allow you to attend the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp.
It could've helped you improve your weirdness drastically. Oh well, my dear sister
has her own reasons for not sending you to the camp. And besides, you're too
pathetic and you could've embarrassed Emerald if you did attend the training camp."

"Ba't parang kasalanan ko pa na hindi ako nakasama?"

"Anyway, you're going to focus today on your telekinesis. I am going to teach you a
simple but incredibly useful technique that can save your sorry ass in tight
situations. I myself created this technique and even though I don't like sharing my
treasured discoveries to pathetic and highly-incompetent people like you, I have no
choice but to do so because it is my obligation as your trainer. And besides, it
gives me utmost happiness and contentment whenever I educate ignorant and empty-
headed people," he added.

"You're so stingy I feel like my skin's gonna burn soon," I said quietly.

Ezekiel just ignored me before rising into the air. "Watch and learn. I want you to
master this technique by the end of the week so that we can focus more on
integrating telekinesis to your elemental powers."

He rose higher and higher into the air until he was reduced to a mere speck in the
sky. I just stared at him in utter bewilderment, wondering what on Earth he's going
to do.

"Uh, what now?!" I yelled at him.

Without any notice, Ezekiel suddenly dropped, plummeting back to the ground with
tremendous speed. His black cloak billowed behind him, making him look like a giant
black bird falling from the sky.

"You're falling! Does this technique involve shattering all the bones in my body?
If yes, then I'll just go back to moving objects using my telekinesis. It's
painfully traditional but at least it's safe," I said.

But just a few meters before he finally hit the ground, a bluish-white orb suddenly
erupted from Ezekiel's hand before expanding quickly, creating a huge bubble of
glowing force field. Ezekiel suddenly slowed down as if he's descending through
water, cutting the momentum of his fall and lessening the impact of his landing.
The huge bubble of force field suddenly vibrated before collapsing on itself—
imploding quickly as it retracted back to Ezekiel's open hand.
Ezekiel turned around before pointing his fingers to the wall of the Jade Battle
Dome. A deafening boom suddenly filled the air as he released a powerful shockwave
which blasted a huge hole in the wall of the battle dome. The blast created
powerful winds that toppled me to the ground and shattered all the glass and lights
in the building.

"What the hell?!" I shouted before covering my head with my arms as the entire
battle dome shook violently and debris flew and fell everywhere.

The storm eventually subsided, revealing the half-destroyed Jade Battle Dome with a
huge hole in its wall. Professor Evanesca and RB were safely hiding inside a green
barrier.

"What the hell was that?!" I yelled at Ezekiel.

He turned around before smiling widely. Ezekiel's black cloak is now billowing on
his back, making it look more like a cape than a cloak. His inner attire is, of
course, entirely black as well: black shoes, sleek black pants, and a black
sleeveless shirt with all sorts of chains and magical amulets attached to it,
making him look like a cross between a supervillain and an exorcist. His attire
looked really modern and sleek despite its gloomy color.

"That was a force field being applied in a three-dimensional manner," Ezekiel said
before grabbing his cloak and waving it around him, concealing his body once more.
"I've noticed in our sessions that you always use your force field in a two-
dimensional manner. You either use it as a barrier or as a wall. Force fields can
also be molded into three-dimensional shapes just like the huge bubble I used
earlier."

Ezekiel waved his hand around and all the debris scattered around us flew back to
their respective places. The huge hole in the wall slowly healed as its blasted
parts flew back and repaired the damage.

"What it does is that it slows down everything inside the force field. Like what
you have seen earlier, the force field slowed down my descent, making my landing as
soft as a feather falling to the ground. It's really useful if you want to cut your
own momentum or the momentum of anyone or anything approaching you. Can you still
remember what I told you about how I can create the illusion that I can slow down
time?" Ezekiel asked.

I nodded, amazed and bewildered at the same time.

"Molding a force field into a three-dimensional shape creates a strong pressure

that you will never get in a two-dimensional force field. An orb is the safest
medium to use because it distributes the pressure evenly due to its shape. You can
then use that pressure to wreak havoc, propel yourself out of a tight situation, or
blast your opponents away. Like I said earlier, this technique serves like a trump
card, a final resort if you have exhausted all your available options or if your
opponents have cornered you. This will be useful for the CMMT," he added.

"You can also expand the orb which will result to greater pressure, but remember
that it's like blowing air to a balloon. Once you cross the force field's threshold
for the pressure that it can contain, it will burst and create a blast that is
impossible to control or redirect. Utmost care must be observed when using this
technique."

I nodded. "Can I begin with small orbs? I don't want to accidentally destroy this
battle dome," I said.

"About the size of your palm is good enough," Ezekiel replied. "And then you can
slowly expand it inch by inch. I actually use this technique to meditate, you see.
I hover in the very middle of the force field orb and then try to maintain its
shape and pressure. It's one of the things that I do in order to keep my
telekinesis sharp and on-point. It's an incredibly easy technique that can be
easily mastered by hopeless idiots such as yourself."

"Go, hubby! Woo-hoo!" RB cheered while currently disintegrating a couple of

Scavengers into dust.

I just ignored him. "Uh, how do I do it exactly? Is there a specific movement

needed in order to mold a force field into a three-dimensional shape?" I asked
Ezekiel.

"Release the force field from your fingertips and then allow them to merge into a
single shape. Have you ever played with clay before? It's like molding a clay into
a perfect ball," Ezekiel replied, summoning a small ball of force field in his
hand. He suddenly threw it to the wall of the battle dome where it created a small
explosion.

I nodded. "Okay. Here goes nothing..."

I opened my right hand before flexing my fingers which immediately emitted a thread
of force field that crisscrossed each other. The small threads of force field
expanded slowly and connected with the other threads, forming a dome in my hand.

"Slowly support the ball with your other hand..." Ezekiel instructed.

I placed my left hand over the dome while mustering all the concentration that I
could gather. My hand felt a little heavy as if I'm carrying a ball made of metal.

"Release the ball and let it hover between your hands..." Ezekiel added.

The small dome attached to my right hand suddenly rose and took the shape of a
ball. The ball of force field felt extremely heavy compared to its size as it
hovered between my hands.
"Keep on maintaining the shape and pressure. Don't expand it yet," Ezekiel said as
he glided around me.

"Aside from slowing down everything inside the force field, you can also speed up
things inside it. I actually used this technique when I was still beginning to
learn controlling the elements. You can manipulate the particles inside that force
field and make them collide to produce either fire or lightning—which will bring us
back to the initial goal of your training: learning to integrate telekinesis into
the Prime Elemental," Ezekiel explained.

Comprehension finally dawned on me. "Now I get it! I actually don't have a clear
idea at first on how exactly I'm going to use telekinesis with the Prime Elemental
but it's all clear to me now," I said.

Ezekiel created a ball of force field over his hand before making it rotate
quickly. The ball of force field gave off smoke before bursting into fire. He then
rotated the ball of fire even faster and arcs of lightning started crisscrossing
over the ball.

"If you can't produce it, then summon it. Nurse Juliana told me that she's going to
kill me if you get injured again in one of our training sessions. However, you're
soon going to start learning how to control the two most powerful and most
dangerous elements: fire and lightning. It's impossible to completely avoid getting
injuries considering your current situation."

An evil grin curved across Ezekiel's half-hidden face. "That's why we will use this
technique to help you control fire and lightning in the quickest way possible. The
CMMT is fast approaching and your internship is just right around the corner. We do
not have the luxury of time that's why we're going to create the illusion that you
can already manipulate the remaining two elements. Of course you still have to
learn the hard way. This is just a temporary solution to the imminent problems that
you are about to face."

The ball of force field hovering between my hands suddenly emitted a loud pop as it
collapsed, sending a weak shock wave around it.

"Who said that telekinesis is useless? You are extremely lucky to have been blessed
with the two most powerful weirdnesses in this world, dear boy. Now go and perfect
that technique! Give everyone at the CMMT a scare!" Ezekiel said.

My lips curved into a smile as I flexed my fingers once more.

"Yes, sir!"

        Chapter 17: Moonlit Dance [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The entire month of May passed in a blink of an eye. I spent the final week
of my three-week training with the Evanescas trying to perfect the integration of
my telekinesis to the Prime Elemental. I was able to create a few good attacks but
they're still not good enough for combat use. Despite my insistence, the
headmistress didn't permit me to train in the final week of the month. She told me
to take a break and enjoy the rest of our vacation.

We also celebrated RB's 19th birthday on the 21st of May. Simpleng salu-salo lang
naman ang hinanda ni Professor Evanesca para sa kanya. Nakarating naman sa birthday
niya ang mga kaklase namin. I also celebrated with him by taking him to a movie and
a dinner date.

But of course, RB will always be RB.

"It's totally fine if Ike didn't bring me to a movie or a fancy dinner tonight," he
said while we were walking back to our dorm room after our celebration. "Seeing him
dance naked in front of me would be good enough for a gift."

With that, I slammed the door in his face and went straight to bed, leaving him
alone in the hallway.

And when the 5th of June finally arrived, a surprise greeted me the very moment I
opened my eyes in the morning.

"Happy birthday, hubby," RB said while on top me, giving me a swift kiss in the
lips. "Wake up."

"What the hell?" I said, glancing at my alarm clock. "Get off me. It's just five in
the morning. Let me sleep for a bit—"

I was about to push him off of me when I suddenly realized something.

"Wait," I said before looking at him flatly. "We're both naked, aren't we?"

A smirk curved across RB's face. "Of course. Well, you didn't give me some meat in
my birthday so I'm going to get some today. And besides, it's your birthday! You
should totally enjoy this day. Don't worry because I'm gonna do all the work if you
want. And duh, Ike's already hard as a rock."

"Because it's morning, duh!" I snapped at him. "Biology!"

"I know," RB replied before sliding down on my manhood suddenly. "Biology, hubby."

And the rest is, of course, history.

RB finally decided to let me go when the school's clock tower clanged the arrival
of twelve noon. I collapsed over his body, limp and weak after almost seven hours.

"Lunch time! We're going to eat outside today! Of course I'm paying!" RB said after
glancing at the alarm clock. "Let's take a shower first, hubby. I'm so sticky from
all the sweat and your juices. Ike should jerk off a little more often. You sure
came a lot."

"Damn you. You should really know when to stop, you idiot," I whispered weakly.

"Yeah. I love you, too. Stop acting like you don't like having sex with me. You
wouldn't last for hours if you don't love doing it. Get off me. I love being
squeezed by your body but you're heavy. Wait... Don't tell me you want another
around? Ah... We should probably stop, hubby! We're going to have a lot of kids if
we continue doing this. My body's so sore already and my hips hurt," RB said.

"Shut the hell up," I said before getting up and heading to the bathroom. "I'm so
tired and hungry. Hurry up. I want to eat already."

"Hubby's so agreeable today. What happened to you?" RB asked as he followed me to

the bathroom.

"Masyado lang akong pagod ngayon para kontrahin ka," singhal ko naman sa kanya.
"Ako na muna ang maliligo. Mamaya ka na."

But RB just pushed me towards the shower. "Let's save water."

Buti na lang at wala nang ginawang kung ano pang kalokohan si RB habang naliligo
kaming dalawa. Malapit na mag-ala una nung lumabas kami ng kwarto ko para kumain ng
pananghalian.

"Ang dami na palang nag-text sa 'kin. Kakausapin ko pa sina Mama at Papa mamaya. Sa
susunod kasi kapag sinabi kong tama na, tama na. Sumasakit na ulo ko sa gutom,"
sabi ko kay RB.

"Yeah, whatever. Professor Evanesca also organized a dinner party for your
birthday. She invited our classmates and friends! I'm also going to buy you a gift
after our lunch. We can also watch a movie or relax in a spa before we go back
here. Dang it, I'm such a good boyfriend. I should break up with Ike and marry
myself instead," RB said while clinging to my arm.

"Go on. I dare you. Just let me eat and rest first. I'm already feeling nauseous
from tiredness and hunger," I replied.

"I'm still full though," RB said meaningfully as he tapped his abdomen.

"Gross..." I replied.
"And yet Ike moaned loudly and came a lot," he fired back.

Sinabit ko naman 'yung paa ko sa binti ni RB sanhi para muntik na siyang masubsob
sa sahig.

"Did you hear that? That's the sound of guilt echoing all around us right now," RB
said. "It's deafening."

I just dragged him out of the Topaz Building and headed straight to the nearest
exit. RB mentioned a nearby restaurant as we entered a taxi. Agad naman siyang
pumulupot ulit sa braso ko pagka-upo namin.

"Ba't hindi na lang tayo sa mall nagpunta?" tanong ko kay RB. "Tutal pala ay
bibilhan mo ako ng regalo at gagala na rin eh nag-mall na lang sana tayo para hindi
na tayo sumakay pa ulit."

"Uh, you're talking to the unofficial richest person on Earth. And I want my hubby
to get only the best in his birthday," RB replied.

"Sigurado ka? Baka kung saan mo lang ako dalhin?" sabad ko naman.

He suddenly punched my abdomen. "I can forgive anyone who questions my skills or
trashy attitude but I will never allow anyone to question my taste. Like I said
before, I may be a total bitch but at least I'm not cheap."

"Yeah, great. Whatever," I replied flatly.

"Dang it, I'm so loyal," RB whispered while snuggling close to me. "Ever since
puberty started transforming me into a total head-turner, I also started receiving
a lot of attention from guys and girls alike. Ike should really be thankful that
I'm so loyal to him despite all the hot guys trying to win my heart especially in
my social media accounts."

"Ba't parang ako pa ang dapat na magpasalamat dahil sa mala-lintang paglingkis mo

sa 'kin? First and foremost, ikaw ang naghabol sa 'kin mula pa nung unang araw na
nagkita tayo. Pangalawa, mundo mo ang magugunaw kung sakaling makipaghiwalay ako sa
'yo. At pangatlo, wala akong pakialam kung dose-dosenang lalaki man ang naghahabol
sa 'yo," sabad ko naman sa kanya.

"My world wouldn't end even if Ike breaks up with me," RB replied, raising his chin
proudly.

I instantly threw him a skeptical look before raising my shirt, revealing my

abdomen.
RB faltered for a bit. "Fine. You win. I think I'd die if Ike breaks up with me.
Please don't do that, okay? The first time I saw Ike, I immediately knew that we
were destined for each other. And I totally fell in love with him when I felt his
bulge. I'm totally lucky because I found a strikingly handsome, ripped, and really
big husband—"

"I've heard that line a million times before. Shut up already," I said, slamming my
hand against his face.

Nakarating na kami sa restaurant na tinutukoy ni RB. Agad ko naman siyang kinurot

sa tenga pagkababa naming dalawa mula sa taxi.

"Anong pakulo 'to?" singhal ko sa kanya sabay turo sa mga nakasaradong bintana ng
restaurant.

RB gave me a sheepish smile. "What?"

I stared at him flatly.

"Umarte ka na lang na na-sorpresa ka, okay? Let's go. They're waiting for us
inside," he said before nudging me towards the restaurant.

Pagkapasok nga namin sa restaurant ay bumungad sa 'min ni RB ang buong klase namin,
ang magkakapatid na Evanesca, at maging sina Crimson at Fraeo. Nagulat din ako nung
bigla na lang na tumalon papunta sa 'kin 'yung kambal kong mga kapatid.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUYA!!!" sigaw nila sa 'kin.

"Akala ko ba busy kayo?" tanong ko naman doon sa kambal.

"Palalagpasin ba namin 'to? Tsaka kinausap kami ni Professor Evanesca. Sinundo kami
ni Professor Elena kaninang umaga para naman makatulong kami rito," sabi ni Mama
matapos kong makapagmano sa kanila ni Papa.

"Happy birthday, Ike," Professor Evanesca said before giving me a tight hug.
Ezekiel just nodded at me.

"Salamat po. 'Di na po dapat kayo nag-abala," sabi ko naman.

"Well, you should thank RB for coming up with this idea. Kinausap ko na lang ang
mga magulang mo para pagplanuhan namin ang selebrasyon. I thought of giving you a
surprise dinner party but RB insisted on a lunch party instead. Mukha kasing may
hinanda sa 'yo si RB mamayang gabi," sabi sa 'kin ni Professor Evanesca sabay
kindat.
Agad din naman akong kinaladkad ng mga kaklase ko papunta sa kanila.

"RB told us that he's going to buy some time for us to be able to prepare and set
up this place. But man, seven hours. You're a legend. You have to be very careful
when you and RB get married. You might end up with a lot of mouths to feed," Jack
said before slamming his hand against my back.

"Shut up. RB doesn't have ovaries, dummy. And for your info, ilang beses kong
sinubukang kumawala. Milagrong nakarating pa ako rito nang buhay," sagot ko naman.

"You look lively to me," Jack replied. "Anyway, happy birthday, bro! Nandoon na
'yung regalo ko sa 'yo. Binilhan na kita ng crib para sa mga—"

I stared at him flatly.

Jack immediately gave me a peace sign. "Just kidding," he said before zooming away.

"Ikaw pala ang salarin sa likod ng lahat ng 'to," baling ko naman kay RB.

"Professor Evanesca helped me, duh. And by the way, I cooked your favorite dish.
Pork adobo! I poured a lot of love in making it. Go on, taste it. Tell me your
thoughts," RB said.

"Ha? Sinigang kaya ang paborito ko," sabi ko habang nakangiti.

"You're lying!" RB whined before punching the side of my body. "Don't you ever put
my efforts to waste or I'll—"

"Oo na. Paborito ko 'to. Kelan mo 'to ginawa? Kahapon? Baka panis na 'to," tanong
ko naman.

"I woke up early and cooked this in Professor Evanesca's residence in the Emerald
building before going back to our dorm. Come on, eat it. Hubby should be the first
one to taste this. Now, eat!" he said, shoving a bowl towards me.

"Jeez, calm down. Fine. I'm going to taste it," I said before taking a spoon of
adobo.

RB raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"It's... fine," I said blandly.

"Eh? Tell me it's delicious, dammit! Tell me!" RB blurted out before shaking me
vigorously.

"You sound so desperate," I said, laughing a bit. "It tastes great. Parang luto
lang ni Mama. Thanks for cooking this. Hindi mo na dapat inabala ang sarili mo."

He threw me a skeptical look. "Sure?"

"Oo nga," sabi ko naman sabay kurot sa pisngi niya. "Kung walang kwenta pala ang
lasa nito kanina ko pa sana 'to niluwa. Masarap 'tong niluto mo... parang ikaw."

RB did a double take. "What?! What was that?! Say that again, hubby! Say it!"

"I was only joking," I replied immediately before slapping his head. "Sineryoso mo
naman agad."

At dahil lagpas alas-dose na kami nakarating ni RB sa restaurant eh nagsikain na

rin kaming lahat. Mukhang buong restaurant pa ang nirentahan ni Professor Evanesca
para lang sa birthday ko. Nung tinanong ko naman si RB tungkol doon ay binusalan
lang niya ako ng isang buong crispy pata at sinabihan akong manahimik na lang at i-
enjoy ang birthday ko.

The celebration ended a few minutes past two in the afternoon. Hinatid naman ni
Professor Elena ang pamilya pabalik ng Bicol. Matapos naming makapagpaalam sa lahat
eh dumiretso na kami ni RB sa mall kung saan nga ako bibilhan ng regalo nung
mokong.

"Jockstrap?" RB asked before dragging me towards a sports shop.

"What the heck?! I'll just go home," I snarled at him.

"Box of condoms?"

"Ngayon mo pa talaga naisipang bilhin 'yan pagkatapos ng lahat ng ginawa mo?"

"Sexy underwears?"

"'Wag mo 'kong binababoy, gago ka."

"Ah... Lubricants?"

"You already have an entire closet of lubricants in your room, idiot."

"Engagement ring?"
"In your dreams."

"Ugh... It's so hard to find a gift for a boy," RB said grudgingly.

"I appreciate effort more than anything else, for your info. Hindi mo naman kasi
kailangang gumastos pa," I fired at him.

In the end, RB decided to buy me a new watch. He even bought a really expensive
one. Sinubukan ko naman siyang pigilan pero sinimento niya ang mga paa ko sa sahig
gamit ang mga kristal niya at binalikan lang niya ako nung tapos na siyang
makabili.

"You don't have to spend that much just for a gift!" I snarled at him as I massaged
my feet. "Tapos kapag naghiwalay tayo pababayaran mo sa 'kin 'yan lahat."

"That's weird," RB replied before giving me his trademark creepy smile. "Who said
that we're going to break up? I already bought a crib and an 8-bedroom house for
our future kids."

"Seer ka ba at ang hilig mong tumingin sa hinaharap? Dahil kung hindi, manahimik ka
na lang. Hiyang-hiya si Cataleya sa 'yo," singhal ko naman sa kanya.

We spent the rest of the day in the mall playing games in the arcade and eating
whenever we feel hungry. By the time na natapos kaming mag-dinner ay halos iika-ika
na akong maglakad dahil sa pagod at sobrang kabusugan.

"I definitely have to hit the gym as soon as school starts," I said as I dragged
myself towards the gate of Emerald after riding a taxi back to the school.

"I still have one surprise for you, hubby," RB said before dragging me.

"What the hell? I want to rest already. I'm too tired and too full to even move," I
said.

"This won't take long, dummy. Your d*ck can remain hard for hours so your body
should be able to do the same, too," RB replied.

"'Wag mo 'kong igagaya sa 'yo na parating puno ang metro," singhal ko naman sa
kanya.

He suddenly stopped walking before pushing me towards a park. I just stared blankly
at the completely dark park standing in front of me.
"Uh... What now? I can't see anything," I said.

RB clapped his hands twice.

In an instant, the entire park suddenly lit up, revealing the decorative lanterns
hanging on the branches of the trees or scattered around the bushes. The lanterns
have been wrapped with different gems, casting a spectrum of dancing colors around
the park. Crystal butterflies also flew around the bushes and the trees. The scene
was really beautiful.

"I set this up last night with the help of some gardeners. They even asked me to do
the same thing to the rest of the parks here in Emerald for the CMMT. I really
can't call this a gift but I want to give Ike something special for his birthday,"
RB said quietly.

"This is beautiful," I said as I looked around.

RB suddenly grabbed my hand before walking towards the center of the park. At the
same time, a song suddenly played from somewhere behind the trees. RB placed my
hands on his waist before putting his own hands on my nape.

"Let's dance, hubby."

"What the heck? This is so cheesy. Baka may makakita sa 'tin dito," sabi ko habang
nagpipigil ng tawa.

"Who cares?! Besides, this is one of the secluded parks here in Emerald. And duh, I
have a written permission from Professor Evanesca saying that I can use this park
tonight," RB replied as he swayed to the tune of the music.

"Fine," I said. "But honestly, this is too cheesy," I said before laughing.

"You're ruining the mood!" RB snarled at me before stomping heavily on my feet.

"Jeez. Sorry. Titino na po," sabi ko naman agad.

RB wrapped his arms around me before burying his face on my chest. "I've already
memorized Ike's scent a long time ago. Hubby's scent is so intoxicating. It even
makes me wet."

"Whatever."

"Happy birthday, hubby. You no longer have the word 'teen' in your age. That means
you're already old."
"As if I care."

"Did I make my hubby happy today?"

"You made me so full I feel like I'd burst any moment."

"I filled you with love today, hubby. That's why you're feeling heavy."

"It sounds so creepy when you're the one saying that. Stop it."

"Hey, hubby..."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Yeah. I know. You don't have to remind me every three seconds."

"Would you still love me even if I'm no longer pretty?"

"You're not pretty, dammit."

"Even if I no longer have ovaries?"

"You don't have any, for f*ck's sake."

"Even if my attitude's totally trashy?"

"I already have antibodies for your trashy attitude so, yes..."

"Even if I'm no longer a stunning head-turner?"

"Unlike you, I don't go head over heels in love with someone just because of their
dashing good looks."

"Even if I tell you that you're not my only hubby?"

"Sabihin mo lang at ako pa mismo ang maghahatid sa 'yo sa kabit mo. Pasasalamatan
ko pa kung sino man ang mokong na 'yun."
"Even if—"

I grabbed RB by his waist before kissing him deeply on his lips. "At kahit ano
pa'ng sabihin mo, matagal mo na akong tinali sa 'yo at wala na rin akong ibang
choice kaya 'wag ka nang mag-isip pa ng kung ano-anong mga rason na ikahihiwalay
natin; dahil sa ating dalawa, ikaw ang mas may mataas na posibilidad na magsawa at
kumawala kapag nagtagal na tayo—"

"I'm not like that. I'm like the most loyal boyfriend that hubby could ever have,"
RB replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Kilala kita."

"Swear, I will never even think of breaking up with my hubby. And duh, you already
gave me your DNA so I can't possibly break up with you," he said.

"Fine. Whatever. Tara na sa dorm. Gusto ko nang magpahinga," sagot ko naman sabay
kaladkad sa kanya.

"Do you want some action tonight, hubby?" RB asked before winking at me.

"Uubusin mo na naman ang body fluids ko? NO," I said firmly.

"Eh? Come on, hubby. I know you want it, duh. Stop being so shy."

I took a deep breath before staring at him flatly. "Just one round, okay? I really
need to rest tonight."

RB instantly wrapped his arms around me. "Of course, hubby. One round it is!"

I stared at him for a few seconds. "You're lying, aren't you? You'll never be
satisfied with just one round," I asked.

RB just gave me his signature grin. "You don't always receive blessings like this
everyday," he said meaningfully.

I just rolled my eyes as RB dragged me towards our dorm.

"I knew it... You're pathetically hopeless when it comes to sex..."

        Chapter 18: The Magic 9 [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The first day of school finally arrived. The quiet and empty grounds of
Emerald have been filled with students wearing the school's trademark emerald-green
uniform. First-years walked timidly towards their respective rooms, gazing
bemusedly at the elegant buildings and parks occupying the campus. Chatters and
occasional laughters filled the air as the students talked to each other and shared
their own adventures over the summer to their friends.

Seeing a lot of students walking around the school is a breath of fresh air
especially to me. Halos lagpas isang buwan na mula nung dumating ako rito sa
Emerald at nababagot na ako dahil halos kaming dalawa lang palagi ni RB ang
nagkikita at nagkakasama. Hindi pa doon nakatulong na halos oras-oras nag-aaya si
RB.

Ngayong buwan na rin magsisimula ang training ko kina Marcus at Mario. Kasama na
rin doon ang pagte-train ko para sa Fire Weirdness ko. Hindi ko alam kung ma-e-
excite ako o mag-aalangan sa santambak na training na nakaabang sa 'kin ngayong
taon.

Mukhang ngayong umaga na rin i-a-announce ng Emerald ang official lineup para sa
CMMT kaya naman excited lalo na 'yung mga third-years. Katunayan nga ay
magpapatawag ng general assembly mamaya bago magsimula ang klase para sa
announcement.

"Wait! Why is Ike in such a hurry? We don't have a date tonight, for your info," RB
called after me as I walked out of the Topaz Building.

"Just hurry up or I'll leave you behind," I fired back at him as I adjusted the
strap of my bag over my shoulder.

RB was able to catch up to me as I headed straight to the open grounds in front of

the Emerald building. "Why is Ike not wearing his coat? You stand out too much. I
don't like it."

"We stand out a lot more when we're wearing our special student uniform. I'm fine
with this inner white longsleeves," I said while rolling up the sleeves of my inner
uniform.

"I have to agree though. Hubby looks so neat wearing that," RB replied. "I love
being at the center of attention so I wore our special student coat."

"Whatever."

Malapit na kami sa open grounds nung bigla naming nakasalubong si Nicolo na

kasalukuyang nakatitig sa mapa ng Emerald na dala-dala niya. He seemed to be a bit
embarrassed because of a few curious and envious looks being given to him by some
of the students due to his special student uniform.

"Nicolo!" RB called after him. He turned around and looked extremely relieved upon
seeing us.
"Hello po," bati niya sa 'min.

"You're looking good!" RB said, yanking Nicolo's coat. "How's your first day here
in Emerald? Where's your dorm? Did you get classified in a Weirdo Course?"

Nicolo shook his head. "Nasa Jasper building po ang dorm ko. Tsaka okay lang naman
po ang paglalagi ko rito. Hindi rin po ako na-classify sa kahit anong Weirdo Course
kaya may libre po akong isang subject," sagot niya.

Kung sakali man kasing hindi ka ma-classify sa kahit anong Weirdo Course ay sa
Special Course mo na lang ituturo ang mga itinuturo sa Weirdo Course.

"That's cool. Si Professor Sivera ang adviser mo 'di ba?" tanong ko naman.

"Actually po eh si Tita Esmerelda na po ang magte-train sa 'kin. Busy raw po kasi

si Professor Sivera ngayong taon," sagot ni Nicolo.

Base sa kwento sa 'kin ni Cezka eh binawasan ang workload ng mga part-time

professors dito sa Emerald na nagtatrabaho rin sa NMLEA. Kahit si Professor Romeus
na dapat ay tutulong sana sa training ko nung bakasyon eh hindi na rin naka-attend
sa training sessions ko. Mas pinagtutuunan kasi ng pansin ng mga agents ngayon ang
kasalukuyang tumataas na aktibidad ng mga villains sa bansa.

Crimson also told me that the NMLEA has been trying to convince Ezekiel to work
with them. Pero mukhang nasa dugo na rin talaga ng mga Evanesca ang katigasan ng
ulo. Maka-ilang beses din kasing tinanggihan ni Ezekiel ang NMLEA kahit na ang laki
na raw ng offer na sweldo sa kanya.

"You're one lucky guy," RB said. "Good luck with your first day! Gusto mo bang
magpatulong sa room assignment mo? Pwede ka naming samahan pagkatapos ng assembly."

"'Wag na po. Tiningnan ko na rin po kasi kahapon 'yung mga rooms namin ngayon,"
sagot ni Nicolo.

"Okay. See you around, then. Ingat ka," sabi ko naman. Nicolo nodded politely
before walking away.

"So Cezka's story is really true," RB said as we continued to walk towards the
grass field in front of the Emerald building. "Kaya pala si Ezekiel na ang class
adviser natin ngayong taon."

"Yeah. I think the NMLEA wants to use as much manpower as they can to address the
rising villain activity in the country. Not to mention that some of their best
agents are working here in Emerald that's why it's a no-brainer that they're gonna
be needing their help," I said.
"I wonder if Emerald would still allow us to attend our internship considering the
current situation. I think it might be too risky and dangerous," RB said.

"Maraming hindi papayag kung sakaling hindi matuloy ang internship natin. And
besides, nakokontrol pa naman ng NMLEA ang mga ginagawa ng mga villains. It's not
like they're losing control of the situation," sagot ko naman.

A familiar voice suddenly called us. "Hey, lovebirds!"

We turned around saw Jack with the rest of the gang running towards us.

"Dumaan kami sa dorm ninyo pero wala na pala kayo doon. Ang aga niyong umalis,"
sabi ni Faye pagkalapit nila sa 'min.

"Ike here is really excited to attend the general assembly. He obviously wants to
show off to the first-years," RB said.

Agad ko naman siyang hinampas sa batok niya. "Hintayin mo lang talaga akong
matutunan ang Lightning Weirdness ko at papatamaan talaga kita ng kidlat kahit
tirik ang araw," banta ko sa kanya.

"They're going to announce today the full lineup of Emerald for the CMMT, right?
Man, I'm so excited! I hope I make it to the lineup. I tried to stand out as much
as possible in the Workout Week and I hope it pays off," Jack said.

"I'd be completely fine to just cheer you if ever I don't make it," Alice added.
"After all, three people from our group already qualified for the lineup. Besides,
we already have a lot of work waiting for us this year and I don't want to carry
any additional burden."

"Yeah. Our third year here in Emerald is a hell year," Faye added. "Internships,
more trainings, career seminars... ugh. I've been trying to increase my stamina
over the summer in preparation for our internship this year."

The other students have also started pouring in to the open grounds. We also came
across our classmates as we settled near the small stage that has been erected for
the announcement of the members for the official lineup. Emerald Guards have also
started organizing the students in front of the stage.

At an exact thirty minutes past seven, a few professors exited the Emerald building
and headed straight to the stage. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as the other
students recognized Ezekiel. The headmistress then stepped forward, smiling warmly
as she scanned the crowd of students in front of her.

"Good morning! To our freshmen, welcome. To our returning students, welcome back. A
fresh and new year awaits you here in Emerald!" Professor Evanesca said, her voice
echoing throughout the open grounds as she opened her arms grandly.

"We don't usually call for a general assembly on our first day here because I
always leave the welcome greetings to our dear professors; but because we have a
few important announcements that concern our students, I decided to gather all of
you here this morning," she added.

"I am sure that you have noticed a few agents from the National Magical Law
Enforcement Agency patrolling the school campus. They are here to provide
additional security to the school starting this year. Moreover, the school's
barrier will be activated at the start of the curfew hours every evening. Any
student who gets caught wandering inside or outside the school premises will be
punished heavily," the headmistress said grimly.

The students exchanged curious looks.

"I actually saw our Field Study adviser earlier," Alice said. "Mukhang may shifting
na rin ng mga agents dito sa School of Magic pati na rin sa School of Commons. In-
assign sila rito para na rin sa CMMT."

The headmistress clapped her hands together to break the tension that suddenly
filled the air. "As for the second announcement, I am deeply saddened to announce
that there will be no Magical Mayhem competition this year—"

The headmistress' voice was instantly drowned by the indignant reactions of the
students from the lower year levels. Professor Evanesca just smiled lightly and
waited patiently for the crowd to settle down.

"We won't be holding the Magical Mayhem competition this year to give way to a
bigger event that is going to be held in our school starting this September: the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament," she added.

"Yes, yes, it is indeed exciting," Professor Evanesca said, acknowledging the

reaction of the students in front of her. "However, only third-years are allowed to
participate in the event. In fact, we just held a one-week training camp for our
third-years last month to help us select the representatives of our school for the
event. Our Department of Magical Sports and Recreation deliberated over the past
weeks for the selection of the official members of Emerald's lineup for the CMMT.
And today, we are going to announce the students who made it to the official team.
Ezekiel Lucas Evanesca, the head coach of the official team, will do the
announcement," she added before stepping back.

Ezekiel glided forward. As usual, he's covered from head to toe with his black
cloak. A sheet of paper suddenly appeared out of thin air and hovered magically in
front of him.

"Good morning," he declared in his ice-cold voice. "I will call first the students
who automatically qualified to the official team with respect to Emerald's
tradition and some rules in the CMMT. Rubio Talla and Jared Esveron—as Emerald's
representatives for the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp—are automatically
qualified to the official team as member and co-captain respectively. Please come
to the stage."

"WHAT?!" Jack blurted out as RB headed to the stage amidst the applause of our
classmates and the crowd. "Co-captain? That bastard?!"

"Calm the hell down," I snarled at him.

"Ike Lunaria—as the champion in last year's Sophomore Magical Mayhem—is also
automatically qualified as the team captain of the official team," Ezekiel
continued.

I did a double take upon hearing his words. "What?"

But my classmates were already cheering loudly and Jack pushed me forward
forcefully. "Team captain! That's good enough to brighten up my mood! Congrats,
bro!"

I just walked timidly towards the stage as my classmates went hysterical. Professor
Evanesca nodded at me and mouthed the words "congratulations" as I took my place
beside RB.

"That's my hubby!" RB said before elbowing me hard.

"Congrats, captain," Jared said as he smiled and nodded at me.

"Thanks. Congrats din sa 'yo," sagot ko naman.

"Faye Lena—as the best Healer in her year level—is automatically qualified as one
of the support members of the official team. Please come to the stage," Ezekiel
said.

Jack and Alice both pushed Faye from our line. She headed right away to the stage
and stood beside me.

"The following students that will complete the official lineup have been chosen
according to their weirdness, academic performance in the past two years, and
overall performance in the Workout Week. The next student that I will call
qualified as the second support member of the official team," Ezekiel declared.

The crowd fell deathly silent.

"For his impeccable fighting skills and ability to utilize his weirdness
effectively and efficiently, Tony Arellano of Class 3-A is hereby selected as the
second support member of Emerald's official team. Please come to the stage,"
Ezekiel said.

Kulang na lang ay buhatin ng mga kaklase ko si Tony nung naglakad na siya papunta
sa stage.

"Well, that wasn't a surprise. I always knew from the start that you're going to
qualify," RB said as we congratulated Tony.

Ezekiel cleared his throat. "Her weirdness may not be great in combat but she's
perfect as a back pawn. She can manipulate the mind of her opponents and turn the
tide of the battle in an instant with her mysterious music. Aliyah Diane Intal of
Class 3-A, please come to the stage."

"Now that's a surprise!" RB exclaimed as our classmates exploded with joy and
cheers.

"His performance in the Workout Week was truly unbelievable. With his weirdness, he
can easily wipe out enemies as one of the team's main attackers. We believe that
his unlimited arsenal of animalistic powers is going to be a huge contribution to
the team's victory. Please join the others, Philip Martinez of Class 3-A," Ezekiel
said.

Ngayon naman ay halos kuyugin na ng mga kaklase ko si Philip. Maging ako man ay
hindi na rin makapaniwala dahil halos lahat ng members ng official team ay sa klase
na namin nanggagaling.

"Hindi pa nga nagsisimula ang CMMT magkaka-injury ka na agad," sabi ni Faye nung
nakarating na rin sa wakas sa stage si Philip.

"The next one is perfect either as a middle pawn or a frontliner. With her
weirdness, she can easily snatch a teammate away from a sticky situation. Her
fighting skills really stood out during the Workout Week, too. Being the Most
Outstanding Morph Weirdo Student for two consecutive years also helped a lot for
her to be selected. Come and join your classmates, Alice Achillerio of Class 3-A,"
Ezekiel said.

This time, it was us who went hysterical. Even Alice couldn't believe the
announcement as she walked towards the stage. Pansin ko naman na namumutla at
nagdarasal na si Jack sa baba dahil siya na lang ang naiiwan sa grupo namin.

"He maybe got called last but he's definitely not the least. In fact, he is one of
the top choices for the official team. His weirdness is as common as salt but his
technique and fighting skills are definitely one-of-a-kind. We believe that his
lively spirit and recklessness will contribute to the team's victory. He is, no pun
intended, a really cool guy whose attitude will surely help his teammates in dire
times. Rejoice and join your teammates, Jack Abareñas of Class 3-A," Ezekiel
declared.
Jack raised his arms skyward as if to thank the gods for his inclusion to the
official team. Wala na ring mapaglagyan ng tuwa ang mga kaklase namin.

"God, I can't believe it. My prayers have been answered," Jack said as he squeezed
between Faye and I.

"Congrats," I said, slamming my hand against his back.

"They're going to represent Emerald in the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament

starting this September. And also, we are currently looking for two student
assistants who will help the coaching staff in the coming tournament. To those who
are interested to apply, please inquire at your Weirdo Course professors. Only
freshmen or sophomores are allowed to apply. That would be all. Please give our
representatives a warm round of applause," Ezekiel said before bowing politely and
gliding towards us.

"We're going to meet this afternoon at an exact five o'clock at the Jade Battle
Dome. I'm going to orient you about the tournament," Ezekiel said as Professor
Evanesca dismissed the crowd. "We're also going to talk about your training in
preparation for the CMMT. Is that clear?"

All of us nodded.

"Good. Franco and Ate Elena are the assistant coaches of the team. I'll be
expecting you this afternoon. Congratulations for making it to the official team.
See you later," Ezekiel said, his lips curving into a small smile from underneath
his cloak.

Professor Evanesca approached us and shook our hands one after another.

"Congratulations! I can already smell the intoxicating scent of victory right now.
I am sure that the Department of Magical Sports and Recreation saw something
special in you. And I know for sure that you are more than capable of defending the
crown this year. Go raise some hell in the CMMT, will you?" the headmistress said,
giving RB and I a meaningful look.

The two of us looked at each other before nodding and smiling back at the
headmistress.

"We will, professor."

        Chapter 19: Threat and Trust [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            I'm really sorry for the delaaayed updates. Nagkasakit po ako nung August
dahil sa biglaang pagbabago ng weather dito sa 'min.
Habang nalulunod kasi sa baha ang halos buong Luzon eh ilang linggo nang summer
dito sa 'min sa Bicol. Like, seriously, buong Agosto na sa 'ming tirik ang araw.
Kulang na lang uminit kahit gabi. Tapos biglaang tumindi 'yung init kaya gulat na
gulat ang nonexistent kong immune system. Pagpasok naman nung September eh hindi pa
sa 'min tumitirik ang araw dahil panay kaka-ulan. Jusme. Climate Change sucks.

I'm still waiting kung matutuloy ang TM ko sa TESDA. Kapag nangyari kasi 'yun eh
makakabalik ako sa city for 2 months at makakapag-update ako nang mas madalas (pero
hindi regular.)

Ipagdasal ninyo nawa ang mga antibodies ko.

TheAshtone

●●●

"Man, I still can't believe that almost all members of the official team came from
our class," Zed said as our entire class headed to our first period this morning.

"You should've seen the faces of everyone from Class B," Cezka added. "They looked
like they've eaten a whole bunch of lemons."

"It's not like we're competing with them," I said quietly. "It's not our fault that
the Department of Magical Sports and Recreation chose us as the representatives. Of
course some of us here really tried to stand out during the Workout Week but you
cannot blame them. They only want to participate in the CMMT."

"And more importantly, we were chosen because of our abilities; not because we
pulled some strings or whatever," RB added.

"Amen to that," Jack agreed.

"Nagsalita ang hindi ang competitive. Maiyak-iyak ka na nga kanina nung ikaw na
lang ang naiwan sa baba mula sa grupo natin," sabad naman ni Faye.

Hagikgikan naman 'yung mga kaklase namin.

"Ang mahalaga eh alam na natin ang official lineup ng Emerald. At ang maganda pa
doon ay wala na tayong problema pagdating sa pakikisama sa isa't-isa dahil
magkakaklase lang naman tayo. Mabait naman si Jared at siguradong magkakasundo
kayo. Kaya ikaw naman Jack, utang na loob ayusin mo ang pakikitungo mo doon sa tao.
Wala siyang ginagawang masama sa 'yo," singhal ko kay Jack.

"Spoken like a true captain," RB approved. "Jared doesn't deserve the cold shoulder
that you've been giving him, Jack. He's so cute and hot just to be treated so
sourly by you. And duh, you're so warm and kind to us so why don't you do the same
thing to Jared, too?"

Jack raised his hands. "RB, what do you feel when you encounter someone who also
likes Ike?"

Diamond claws suddenly erupted between RB's fingers.

"Exactly," Jack replied. "May mga tao talagang unang sulyap mo pa lang eh kaiinisan
mo na agad. You can't blame my instincts, bro."

"I actually understand how you feel," RB replied. "I really hate it when someone
shows interest in my hubby; except for Crimson, of course. I can gladly share my
hubby with him. But still, Jared deserves a much better treatment from you
especially after all the things that he did for us last year."

"Binugaw mo pa 'kong gago ka," singhal ko kay RB bago ako bumaling kay Jack.
"Mabait na tao si Jared. At wala kang choice kundi ang pakisamahan siya ngayong
taon. Sige ka, baka hindi ka maging starter kung ganyan ka parati mag-isip," sabad
ko naman.

We finally arrived in our room where Ezekiel was already waiting for us. He just
hovered quietly in front of the room as everyone settled down on their tables. Some
of my classmates eyed him expectantly as we waited for him to speak.

"Good morning, 3-A," Ezekiel said.

"Good morning, sir," the entire class chorused back.

"I've already introduced myself to you last month. I am your new class adviser
starting this year. Professor Romeus was supposed to be your class adviser; but due
to the current situation in our country, Emerald had to cut the workload of the
part-time professors so that they can focus more on working in the NMLEA. As your
new class adviser, I am the one in-charge of monitoring your progress according to
the specific training programs that Emerald created for you. Speaking of which..."

Emerald-green leather-bound folders magically appeared on our tables.

"Your individual training programs," Ezekiel declared. "And I am glad to announce

that all of you have been given permission to attend your internship this year.
Everyone here passed the evaluation."

Everyone in the class let out cries of joy or deep sighs of relief upon hearing the
announcement.

"However," Ezekiel interjected, his voice cutting right through the sudden
cacophony of loud voices and silencing everyone in an instant, "that doesn't mean
that you're allowed to slack off in your internship or training. I am extremely
strict when it comes to monitoring the performances of people. I want you to stick
to your training programs and follow every single thing written on them. Emerald
already paved the way for your success by giving you very specific individual
training programs, and all you have to do now is to walk on that path using your
own two feet. I do hope that you won't put to waste the efforts of all the highly-
skilled people who worked their butts off in creating your individual training
programs."

"Yes, sir," everyone replied.

"Good. Also, as you can see in your schedule, your remaining subjects—Spells,
Potions, and Transfiguration—have been moved to Tuesday and Thursday with an hour
and a half session each. Your Combat Education and respective Weirdo Courses have
been merged into one subject which is the Intensive Training Course, and it has
been scheduled every Monday and Wednesday from eight to five pm. Your internship
will take place every Friday under the same time period. Franco and I are your
Intensive Training Course teachers and Professor Romeus will be your internship
adviser," Ezekiel explained.

Sa third year kasi nagsisimula ang totoong pasakit dito sa Emerald. Halos lahat nga
kasi ng bakanteng oras namin ay gugugulin lang namin sa pagte-train. Preparasyon na
rin namin 'to para sa buong taon na internship pagsapit ng fourth year.

"Your agent station assignments will be the same as your last year's assignments
for your Field Study. Also, we are going to perform measurements this week for your
respective agent costumes. We will consider your favorite color, style preferences,
type of weirdness, etcetera. We cannot allow you to attend your internship wearing
only your Combat Ed shirt or school uniform. Please wait for further announcements
regarding the measurements for your agent costumes," Ezekiel added.

"Aw yeah!" Jack said excitedly. "I can finally have my own agent costume. I
actually already have a design for it."

"I wonder if I can wear something sexy..." RB said.

"Seriously? Sisiguraduhin kong i-re-review ni Professor Evanesca ang costume mo,"

sabad ko naman sa kanya.

Agent costumes serve as our identity. Sa dinami-dami kasi ng mga agents sa bansa,
dapat ay madali kang makikilala ng mga tao. A lot of agents try to wear flashy
costumes. Pero aside sa appearance, dapat nakakatulong din sa weirdness mo ang
costume mo. In fact, ni-require ng NMLEA na dapat may allowance para sa first-aid
kit ang mga agent costumes. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay may contact ang Emerald sa isang
agent costume manufacturer na gumagawa rin ng costumes ng mga agents dito at maging
sa ibang bansa.

"Do you have questions?" Ezekiel asked.

Everyone is just too excited to ask any question at all.

"Fine," Ezekiel said. "Please read your individual training programs. Measurements
for the agent costumes will probably be on Wednesday. Your internship and intensive
training, on the other hand, will start by next week. Just stay tuned for any
further announcements. And again, to the members of the official team, we have a
meeting later at five in the afternoon. You're dismissed. Go train or sleep or
whatever the freaking hell you want to do. Goodbye. See you on Wednesday," he
added.

Bumaling naman ako sa folder na nasa mesa ko. Thankfully eh hindi naman 'yun gaano
kakapal. Nakapaloob kasi sa individual training program kung anong klaseng training
ang dapat mong gawin depende sa weirdness mo, tips para mas lumakas ka pa lalo, at
pati na rin ang preferred dietary plan mo. Nakadikta rin dito kung gaano karaming
oras lang ang dapat mong gugulin para sa pagte-train pati na rin ang expected
results na dapat mong maabot sa pagtatapos ng taon. It's really specific but
extremely helpful.

Bumaling naman ako kay RB na siyang may pinakamanipis na folder sa 'ming lahat.

"Puny humans," he whispered in a scornful voice while glancing at our training

programs.

"Hayop ka?" sabad ko naman.

"Nope. I'm a goddess. A strikingly pretty goddess," RB replied.

I just rolled my eyes. "Hihiwalayan kita kung wala kang ibang gagawin kundi ang
lumandi at mag-inarte."

"Then I'll behave!" sabi naman agad ni RB.

Ezekiel suddenly stopped in front of my table as he glided out of the room.

"Ike, I just received the official lineup of the other schools—"

"That's great," Jack interjected. "Sino-sino po ba ang makakalaban namin?"

Ezekiel took a deep breath before looking at us grimly. "Don't get too excited, you
brats. I saw the lineup of Sierra and NAA. They mean business in this year's
tournament. You guys are in serious trouble..."

●●●
Wala naman kaming pasok sa halos buong maghapon. Aside kasi sa inaayos pa nga ang
internship namin eh nilipat nga kada Martes at Huwebes ang nalalabi naming mga
subjects. At gaya ng napag-usapan, pagsapit ng alas singko ng hapon ay dumiretso na
kami sa Jade Battle Dome para sa orientation namin kay Ezekiel. Sabay-sabay kaming
pumunta doon dahil hindi na rin umuwi 'yung mga kaklase kong member din ng official
team.

Jared was already waiting for us outside the Jade Battle Dome when we arrived.

"Uh, hi..." he said awkwardly upon seeing us, pushing his eyeglasses higher up his
nose.

"Socially-akward Jared is so adorable," RB whispered to me. I just stomped on his

foot forcefully as a reply.

"Hello. Tara na sa loob. Baka hinihintay na tayo ni Ezekiel," sabi ko naman.

Ezekiel was indeed waiting for us inside the Jade Battle Dome. "You're late,"
Ezekiel said upon seeing us.

I glanced at my watch. "Two minutes?" I replied.

"Every single second matters to an agent. Even a split second can decide the tide
of a battle. You of all people should know the importance of being on time. Settle
down. We're going to begin right away," Ezekiel said.

All of us sat on the grass.

"Well, all of you here have been chosen to represent Emerald in the incoming
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament. Take note that aside from the fact that we
are this year's host, we're also the reigning champion of the tournament. I don't
want to pressure any of you but I think everyone should know how important it is
for us to perform well in the competition this year," Ezekiel said.

"Emerald has always performed well in the CMMT. In the recent competitions, we have
always bagged the championship or at least a place in the podium. After all, we are
the number one magical school in the entire country," he added.

"The competition will begin in September. That gives us 3 months to prepare for the
event—more than enough time for you to gel and harmonize. There will be five games
in the elimination round. Each team will be awarded with points in accordance to
their performance in each game. The top 2 teams will face each other in the finals
while the number 3 and number 4 teams will battle for third. Starting this
September, there will be a game every month until January. The finals will be held
in February," Ezekiel explained.

"The prizes usually include 2 million pesos cash prize—"

Jack accidentally froze the entire field. "Two million freaking what?!" he
exclaimed.

An evil grin curved across Ezekiel's half-hidden face. "2 million pesos. Prizes
also include a one-month training in the Agents International Central Headquarters
and automatic employment to the NMLEA Main Office upon passing the Agents'
Licensure Examination. Most of the time, the winners usually get hired by the AI,
too."

"WE GOTTA WIN THIS THING!" Jack yelled. Even I can't believe the whopping prizes
that await the winner of the CMMT.

"That's the spirit," Ezekiel agreed. "However, the participants from the other
schools won't just give you the Grand Golden Cup wrapped nicely in a cute little
box with a tiny ribbon on it. And that is why I gathered all of you here today..."

Emerald-green folders suddenly appeared on everyone's lap.

"The Department of Magical Education just released the official lineups of all the
participating schools this morning via newspaper, social media, news networks, and
the CMMT official website. The CMMT is a famous event watched by the entire world.
Even visitors from other foreign magical schools come to the country just to watch
the event. The DME is just starting to fan the flames of hype for the event by
releasing the official lineups. And I am going to discuss with you the opponents
that you are going to face this year..."

Everyone opened their folder. Aside from the official lineups, it appears that they
have also included the students' profile and achievements.

"Hey, where did they get my picture?! They didn't even ask for my permission," Jack
exclaimed.

"They probably got it from Emerald's student database," Jared replied.

"I know. It's just that I look a bit goofy in my picture. I don't like it," Jack
fired at him.

"You've always been goofy ever since we're first-years. No difference," Faye
interjected

"Nevermind."

"Eh? Hubby's listed only as a Tri-Hybrid? I look dazzling in my picture, by the

way," RB suddenly blurted out.
"He has been listed as an Elemental Tri-Hybrid for his security. Considering his
pathetically pitiful state, we don't want anyone to know that he's the Prime
Elemental. He can't even vanquish an entire set of Scavengers without breaking a
bone or two," Ezekiel fired back.

"I still love you, hubby," RB said, tapping my shoulder.

"Shut up!" I fired at him.

Ezekiel cleared his throat loudly. "We'll begin with Philippine Weirdo University."

A hologram image suddenly appeared behind Ezekiel and showed the pictures of their
official representatives. Ezekiel tapped a picture of one representative which
suddenly expanded before revealing its profile and achievements.

"To be honest, the participants of Philippine Weirdo University aren't much of a

threat this year. They last won the tournament nearly half a century ago and they
ended in last place in the previous tournament. Their students are exceptional
thinkers but they've always lacked in combating skills and magical prowess.
However, you should probably look out for their Team Captain, Phoebe Eroa and their
Co-Captain, Zephyr Eugenio—"

"We're friends with them! They're the only nice people in our training camp," RB
said, raising a hand.

"Well, you can't be friends with them in the CMMT anymore," Ezekiel replied before
facing the hologram screen and swiping it, revealing the next set of participants.

"Ah, yes... This school has the second highest passing rate at the ALE after
Emerald: National Agents Academy. They might've ended in 4th place in the previous
tournament but they are definitely not pushovers. We still don't know what they're
going to do this year but they're extremely skilled when it comes to combat. Well,
that is to be expected from them because they're like a military school for
weirdos. As you can see, their lineup this year is comprised entirely of Elemental
Weirdos. You obviously have to be careful with their Lightning Weirdo, but be extra
careful also with these two..."

Ezekiel tapped two pictures.

"Am I seeing double?" Tony asked, wiping his eyes.

"I actually saw them in the training camp. They're... cute..." RB said, twirling
his hair around his fingers.

"Landi mo," singhal ko sa kanya.

"Yohan and Yael Veloso. They're twins, obviously. That Yohan is an Earth-Air Hybrid
while the Yael is a Fire-Water Hybrid. According to my reliable sources, these two
are known for their ability to craft different weapons out of the elements that
they can control—"

"We can also do that!" Jack shouted, raising a fist.

"Hear! Hear!" RB added.

"I'm glad to hear that," Ezekiel said with a grin. "Next..."

He swiped the hologram screen.

"Of course... Veron's blue is the only thing that can rival Emerald's green. We had
a heated battle with them in the championship game last tournament. We almost lost,
actually. Fortunately, Crimson was able to stay calm and collected during the most
critical moment of the game and he was able to gather his teammates. In fact, he
delivered the finishing blow to the opponent. I'm pretty sure that Veron is still
feeling the sting of defeat and they would want to avenge their loss," Ezekiel
said.

"Veron is the mirror image of Emerald. After all, we implement almost the exact
same curriculum for our Weirdo Courses and they are the second best magical school
in the country. Expect their fighting style and technique to be very similar to
ours. What makes us a shade better than them are our 100% passing rate in the ALE
and the presence of the fruitcake professors headed by the chief fruitcake, my
beloved sister," he added.

"Look who's talking," I said quietly as everyone sniggered.

Ezekiel tapped a picture. "This guy here is the brain and soul of the Veron lineup.
He is a Mind Weirdo with a Foreshadowing Weirdness. I actually worked with an agent
with the same weirdness as his before. Whenever he's fighting, he can actually see
the possible outcomes of the battle and choose an instance that will lead to a
specific outcome. He can even dictate the flow of a battle to achieve his desired
result. He's pretty insane. Considering Veron, their Team Captain might have the
same capabilities."

"Wait a sec," Jack said, eyeing the picture carefully. "This bastard's face rings a
bell..."

Tinitigan ko naman ang picture nung lalaki at pamilyar nga talaga siya sa 'kin.

"He's the guy we encountered in a mall back in our first year," RB replied
abruptly.
"Teima Palacio. Yeah, I remember him now," I said.

"Be careful also with their Lightning Weirdo and Petrification Weirdo," Ezekiel
said. "By the way, I sent a copy of the lineups to my Foreshadowing Weirdo friend
to ask him which team is most likely to win the tournament this year. This team,
according to him, is most likely to win the CMMT."

The last lineup appeared on the hologram screen.

"Sierra?!" Jack blurted out.

"Sierra," Ezekiel repeated. "And considering their lineup this year, I have to
agree."

RB frowned at his folder. "This guy here hubby is the one who tried to mess with
me," he said while pointing to a picture of a red-haired guy.

"Gulo mo, ayusin mo," singhal ko sa kanya. "Nagsumbong ka pa talaga."

"Koshi Ibasco," Ezekiel declared. "He's an Elemental Tri-Hybrid—"

"Tri-Hybrid?! He's only two elements short from being the Prime Elemental!" Jack
said.

"Exactly. And worse, the elements he can control are lightning, fire, and air.
Elemental Tri-Hybrids are just as rare as Healers or weirdos with animalistic
weirdness like the red fox Crimson. He's really powerful. Aside from him, you also
have to look out for one of their support members, Ayumu Cabrera," Ezekiel said
before tapping another picture.

"I think this is the first time that I saw a weirdness like his. He's a Shadow
Shape-shifter. He can transform himself into darkness or a shadow, allowing him
move around stealthily or take the form of whatever thing he likes. According to my
connections, he can also affect other people with his weirdness. He's a really
difficult opponent to battle with."

"He's always wearing a hooded jacket when we're at the training camp, just like
Ezekiel," RB said.

"Because he's blind and he's weak against strong brightness," Ezekiel replied
abruptly. "But make no mistake, his way of seeing things is probably the same as
mine. He probably uses the darkness in his immediate surroundings to feel the
things around him, allowing him to see. As for me, I block my field of vision
intentionally and use my telekinesis to detect movements around me, giving me a
360° vision of my surroundings."
"So cool," Jack whispered.

"Wait a sec," Faye suddenly interjected. "They don't have a Healer?"

"Because they don't need one," Ezekiel replied. "Their attacking power is so strong
and they're so confident that they won't need any Healer. For them, Healers are
just an additional burden to the group. Students of Sierra have been known for
their excellent combating skills and impeccable decision-making. We may have stolen
the crown from them in the last tournament but they've always ended up in the
podium in the recent competitions."

Jared suddenly raised a hand. "Uh, professor—"

"Ezekiel."

"Uh, Ezekiel, what did your Foreshadowing friend say about Emerald's fate in this
year's CMMT?" he asked.

"We will probably finish in the third or fourth place this year," Ezekiel replied
matter-of-factly.

A deathly silence fell over us.

"But just like my Foreshadowing friend, whenever he sees that the battle is not
going in his favor, he would simple tweak the circumstances to change the outcome.
That is what we're going to do this year. Don't let some random people dictate your
fate. That very same friend of mine has predicted my death numerous times already,
and look at me now, I'm still alive and kicking," Ezekiel said.

"Besides, a lot of people also predicted before that Emerald wasn't going to win in
the previous CMMT. Do you want to know the reason why Emerald's team won in the
last tournament despite the lopsided predictions of the people?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I was in my final year here in Emerald when they held the tournament. I was able
to watch the championship game, too. Veron fell right into the trap set up by the
representatives of Emerald, thus, giving us the victory."

"And then?" Jack asked.

Ezekiel's signature evil grin suddenly curved across his face.

"I was the one who created the game plan that tricked Veron and gave Emerald the
Grand Golden Cup of the CMMT, and we will be doing the exact same thing this year."
●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Their internship is finally here. As Ike and RB endure their intensive
training and additional workload in the NMLEA, we will go back to the past to trace
the humble beginnings of their supervising agents, Fraeo and Crimson. We will
finally be enlightened on how their friendship—and love—began in Emerald a few
years ago. Stay tuned.

        Official Lineups and Students' Profiles - Collegiate Magical Mayhem

Tournament [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Emerald School of Magic (ESM)

Headmistress: Esmerelda Y. Evanesca
Official Colors: Green and Black
Previous Standing: Champion

Team Captain
Ike V. Lunaria (Elemental Tri-Hybrid - Earth, Air, Water)*
● 2nd Best Student (1st Year)
● 1st Runner-up (Freshmen Magical Mayhem)
● 1st Best Student (2nd Year)
● Champion (Sophomore Magical Mayhem)
● Special Student

Co-captain
Jared E. Esveron (Revenge Attack)
● 5th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 16 (Freshmen Magical Mayhem)
● 3rd Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 20 (Sophomore Magical Mayhem)
● Special Student
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Supports
1. Tony L. Arellano (Enhanced Senses)
● 10th Best Student (1st Year)
● 8th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 20 (Sophomore Magical Mayhem)
2. Faye L. Lena (Healer)
● 9th Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Healer (1st Year)
● 6th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Healer (2nd Year)

Members
1. Jack E. Abareñas (Water)
● 3rd Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 16 (Freshmen Magical Mayhem)
● 4th Best Student (2nd Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (Sophomore Magical Mayhem)
2. Alice T. Achillerio (Metallic Ropes)
● 15th Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Morph Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● Top 8 (Freshmen Magical Mayhem)
● 12th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Morph Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
3. Aliyah Diane F. Intal (Flute Lullaby)
● 14th Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Psychic Manipulation Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● 11th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Psychic Manipulation Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
4. Philip O. Martinez (Animal Transformation)
● 19th Best Student (1st Year)
● 15th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Transfiguration Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Top 20 (Sophomore Magical Mayhem)
5. Rubio S. Talla (Crystals)
● 1st Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Elemental Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● Champion (Freshmen Magical Mayhem)
● 2nd Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Elemental Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Top 20 (Sophomore Magical Mayhem)
● Special Student
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Head Coach
Ezekiel Lucas Y. Evanesca

Assistant Coaches
Elena Y. Evanesca
Franco N. Sivera

*Note: Ike's listed as an Elemental Tri-Hybrid for his security as the Prime
Elemental.

●●●

Veron Academy of Magic (VAM)

Headmaster: Eleazar B. Ventura
Official Colors: Blue and White
Previous Standing: 1st Runner-up

Team Captain
Teima J. Palacio (Foreshadowing)
● 1st Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Mind Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (Freshmen Sports Festival)
● 1st Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Mind Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Champion (Sophomore Sports Festival)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)
Co-captain
Paul Henrick S. Betis (Lightning)
● 3rd Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Elemental Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● Champion (Freshmen Sports Festival)
● 2nd Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Elemental Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● 1st Runner-up (Sophomore Sports Festival)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Supports
1. Jian Ace V. Lovial (Healer)
● 2nd Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Healer (1st Year)
● 3rd Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Healer (2nd Year)
2. Shane Chloe F. Obiasca (Attack Nullification)
● 5th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 4 (Freshmen Sports Festival)
● 6th Best Student (2nd Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (Sophomore Sports Festival)
● Special Student
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Members
1. Zoe S. Asurin (Air)
● 10th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 8 (Freshmen Sports Festival)
● 9th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 4 (Sophomore Sports Festival)
2. Rob S. De Leon (Petrification)
● 12th Best Student (1st Year)
● 7th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sports Festival)
● Special Student
3. Tristan C. Neptuno (Animation)
● 8th Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Transfiguration Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● Top 16 (Freshmen Sports Festival)
● 8th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Transfiguration Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sports Festival)
4. Charles Gavin W. Peralta (Fire)
● 13th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 16 (Freshmen Sports Festival)
● 4th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sports Festival)
5. Klein R. Romano (Metallic Wings)
● 16th Best Student (1st Year)
● Most Outstanding Morph Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● 9th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Most Outstanding Morph Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sports Festival)

Head Coach
Vincent O. Tejada
Assistant Coaches
Patrick S. De Vera
Veronica G. Segismundo

●●●

Sierra Magical Institute (SMI)

Headmaster: Thomas R. Dig
Official Colors: Red and Silver
Previous Standing: 2nd Runner-up

Team Captain
Koshi I. Ibasco (Elemental Tri-Hybrid - Air, Fire, Lightning)
● 1st Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Elemental Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● Champion (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 1st Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Elemental Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Champion (Sophomore Sierra Games)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Co-captain
Althea Marie F. Perez (Superstrength)
● 3rd Best Student (1st Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 3rd Best Student (2nd Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (Sophomore Sierra Games)

Supports
1. Ayumu S. Cabrera (Shadow Shape-shifter)
● 2nd Best Student (1st Year)
● 1st Runner-up (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 2nd Best Student (2nd Year)
● 1st Runner-up (Sophomore Sierra Games)
● Special Student
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)
2. Denver S. Mariano (Power Amplification)
● 5th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 8 (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 4th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 4 (Sophomore Sierra Games)
● Special Student
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Members
1. Clark Xavier S. Belarma (Blue Fire)
● 4th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 4 (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 5th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sierra Games)
2. Tyrone F. Christiansen (Robotic Body)
● 10th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 8 (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 6th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Morph Weirdo Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sierra Games)
3. Clarisse C. Cordova (Metallic Blades)
● 8th Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Morph Weirdo Student (1st Year)
● Top 16 (Freshmen Sierra Games)
● 7th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (Sophomore Sierra Games)
4. Jasmine G. Froilan (Water)
● 11th Best Student (1st Year)
● 8th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 16 (Sophomore Sierra Games)
5. George P. Mañago (Animal Affinity)
● 12th Best Student (1st Year)
● 12th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 16 (Sophomore Sierra Games)
● Best Psychic Manipulation Weirdo Student (2nd Year)

Head Coach
Carla R. Soriano

Assistant Coaches
Calvin R. Soriano
Jairus F. Tobiasca

●●●

National Agents Academy (NAA)

President: Amatea S. Susano
Official Colors: Purple and Red
Previous Standing: 4th Place

Team Captain
Yael B. Veloso (Elemental Hybrid - Fire, Water)
● 2nd Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Student of the Year - Elemental Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● Top 2 - Group A (Freshmen NAA Sports Showdown)
● 1st Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Student of the Year - Elemental Weirdo Course (2nd Year)
● Champion (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Co-captain
Yohan B. Veloso (Elemental Hybrid - Earth, Air)
● 1st Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Top 2 - Group B (Freshmen NAA Sports Showdown)
● 2nd Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● 1st Runner-up (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)
Supports
1. Katrina I. Oliveros (Healer)
● 8th Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Student of the Year - Healer Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● 3rd Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Student of the Year - Healer Weirdo Course (2nd Year)
2. Kendrick C. Peralta (Radar)
● 10th Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Student of the Year - Morph Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● 5th Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Student of the Year - Morph Weirdo Course (2nd Year)

Members
1. Janus A. Bertin (Lightning)
● 3rd Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Champion (Freshmen NAA Sports Showdown)
● 4th Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)
2. Athena R. De Vera (Blue Fire)
● 5th Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Top 4 - Group A (Freshmen NAA Sports Showdown)
● 6th Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Top 32 - Group B (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)
3. Ivan Blake F. Ebuenga (Ice)
● 9th Academic Honors (1st Year)
● 7th Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Top 16 - Group A (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)
4. Quinn R. Lopez (Air)
● 11th Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Top 8 - Group B (Freshmen NAA Sports Showdown)
● 8th Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Top 4 - Group A (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)
5. Aglaia C. Mendrez (Plant Magic)
● 12th Academic Honors (1st Year)
● Top 32 - Group B (Freshmen NAA Sports Showdown)
● 10th Academic Honors (2nd Year)
● Top 8 - Group B (Sophomore NAA Sports Showdown)

Head Coach
James R. Castro

Assistant Coaches
Lena F. Cruz
Serena P. Fernandez

●●●

Philippine Weirdo University (PWU)

President: Alfonso S. Serreno
Official Colors: Maroon and Gray
Previous Standing: 5th Place
Team Captain
Phoebe C. Eroa (Elemental Hybrid - Air and Water)
● 1st Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Student Award - Elemental Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● 1st Runner-up (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 1st Best Student (2nd Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Co-captain
Zephyr T. Eugenio (Air)
● 2nd Best Student (1st Year)
● Champion (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 2nd Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Student Award - Elemental Weirdo Course (2nd Year)
● Champion (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)
● Participant (National Weirdo Youth Training Camp)

Supports
1. Greg J. Perez (Healer)
● 5th Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Student Award - Healer Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● 4th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Student Award - Healer Weirdo Course (2nd Year)
2. Titus B. Sanchez (Telepathy)
● 4th Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Student Award - Mind Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● 5th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Student Award - Mind Weirdo Course (2nd Year)

Members
1. Carl P. Abueva (Metal)
● 3rd Best Student (1st Year)
● 2nd Runner-up (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 3rd Best Student (2nd Year)
● 1st Runner-up (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)
2. Sophia S. Barcenas (Elemental Hybrid - Fire and Air)
● 10th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 32 (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 8th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 16 (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)
3. Francesca P. Cueva (Duplication)
● 6th Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Student Award - Morph Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● Top 4 (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 6th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Student Award - Morph Weirdo Course (2nd Year)
● Top 4 (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)
4. Zandro K. Devanadera (Fire)
● 13th Best Student (1st Year)
● Top 8 (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 9th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Top 16 (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)
5. Brendon M. Legarda (Sand Transfiguration)
● 8th Best Student (1st Year)
● Best Student Award - Transfiguration Weirdo Course (1st Year)
● Top 32 (PWU Freshmen Intramurals)
● 7th Best Student (2nd Year)
● Best Student Award - Transfiguration Weirdo Course (2nd Year)
● Top 8 (PWU Sophomore Intramurals)

Head Coach
Zyla P. Ortiz

Assistant Coaches
Yvonne S. Gerona
Shaun Kay D. Mendoza

        Chapter 20: Gear Up and Level Up [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Before you get too complacent or too confident, let me just remind you
that my presence will not give you certain victory. Even if I give you a perfectly
flawless plan, if you'll just clumsily execute it then everything will just be put
to waste; that's why you will spend the next three months in training. By
September, I want to see you functioning as a team and not as individual persons.
Understand?" Ezekiel declared.

"Yes, sir," everyone chorused.

"Good. Let us now talk about your positions in the team," he added before swiping
the hologram screen which suddenly showed our profiles.

"Let's start with the members," Ezekiel declared. "You guys are the backbone of the
team because aside from providing additional force for our starting members, you
will also serve as the substitutes in case a starting member gets injured or if
there is a need for adjustments in the starting team."

"Philip, Jack, and RB, you three are among the main guns of the team. Expect that
you three are always going to be used all the time in every game. Together with
Ike, I want you four to train harder in order to improve our team's offense—"

"Roger!" Jack exclaimed.

"Also, I know that some of you are probably wondering why RB didn't get a higher
position in the team. Well, I want to hide RB from the watchful eyes of our
opponents. Of course it's difficult to do that because he really stood out during
the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp; but still, I want our opponents and even
the people to focus on our Team Captain and Co-captain. Besides, no one really pays
much attention to the members."

"I'm too precious that's why they don't want to expose me that much," RB said.

"Shut up," I snarled at him.

"By the way, Aliyah, we have a special gift for you," Ezekiel said and a metallic
flute suddenly appeared in front of him. "Please accept this as a gift from
Emerald. This flute can amplify your powers, select specific targets, or manipulate
many people at once. I think your old flute is already a bit old and outdated. We
believe that with this gift, you will be able to strengthen your weirdness. Of
course you can keep this even after the CMMT."

Aliyah stood up as Ezekiel bowed a bit and extended his hand holding the flute
towards her.

"But this looks really expensive... And it's made out of enchanted silver," Aliyah
said while examining her new flute.

"Well, Emerald wants to assure our victory. Please accept it as a humble gift. We
also had this flute registered at the Office of Weirdo Equipment Regulation under
your name," Ezekiel replied.

Weirdos who need special equipment or weapons to use their weirdnesses like Aliyah
and Tony are required by the law to register their weapon of choice at the Office
of Weirdo Equipment Regulation in the Department of Magic. Nire-review kasi doon
ang equipment na gagamitin mo para tingnan kung akma ba 'yun sa weirdness mo at
kung kailangan mo ba talaga ng special equipment.

"Sige po. Salamat po," sabi naman ni Aliyah bago siya naupo ulit.

"That looks so cool!" Jack blurted out, eyeing the flute enviously. "I wish I could
also have a weapon."

"Supports!" Ezekiel declared, swiping the hologram screen which showed the profiles
of Faye and Tony. "Faye is the savior of the team in dire times. She obviously
heals injured members or restores their health and stamina. Take note, too, that
opponents usually try to eliminate Healers first due to their importance to the
team. It is the rest of the team's obligation to protect Faye; but after seeing her
abilities in the Workout Week, I am confident and convinced that Faye can protect
herself pretty well."

Faye gave Ezekiel a confident nod.

"Excellent. Tony, on the other hand, is a more special support member. With your
weirdness, you can easily monitor your opponents' movements. You are also a dual-
purpose support. Aside from tracking enemies, your fighting skills are also
excellent. Not to mention that your precision and accuracy with your arrows is
deadly. No wonder the selection committee voted unanimously to give you a place in
the official team. We want you to be able to use your weirdness in an even more
efficient and effective way that's why we want to give you this..."

An ultra-modern and sleek black bow suddenly appeared on Ezekiel's open hand.
"Woah, I want that," Jack said.

Tony eyed the bow in a mixture of disbelief and surprise. "But... This is the exact
same bow that I saw on the website of The Agents' Oasis! This is also one of their
latest models! I was actually planning on saving up some money when I finally have
a work just to buy this."

The Agents' Oasis is a worldwide brand of magical equipment and weapons. They also
create really expensive but high-quality and efficient costumes for the agents. The
top agents here in the country usually buy their stuff in the said establishment
because they have a local branch here in the country.

"Well, you don't have to save up your money anymore. This beauty right here can
produce multiplying arrows, homing arrows, explosive arrows, invisible arrows...
you get the idea. It has a tiny dial at the middle where you can choose what type
of arrow you want it to release. Also, aside from serving as a bow..."

Ezekiel suddenly swung the bow which immediately transformed into a cool one-bladed
sword. He swung it again and it turned into a couple of daggers.

"Please... I want that... Give it to me..." Jack stammered.

"It is your job to find out what other weapons this bow can turn into," Ezekiel
said before tossing the bow to Tony. "We already had it registered under your name
so you can't say no. Go and play with it, Tony. I'm sure that that thing will help
you—and us—a lot."

"Well... Thanks..." Tony said sheepishly as he stared at the bow in utter

disbelief.

"In addition, support members can be switched at any moment of a match. They are
the only people that can be pulled in and out of a game no matter when. Each
challenge has its own unique set of rules but they usually include the prohibition
of switching ordinary members whenever the coach likes it," Ezekiel explained.

"Saved by substitution?" I asked.

"Yep," he agreed. "In previous tournaments, when a player is about to get

eliminated, coaches usually switch them out to save them. They want to keep that
from happening all the time that's why they limited the unconditional switching to
the support members only."

Ezekiel swiped the hologram screen. "Co-Captain and Team Captain. You, Jared, will
take the place of Ike in case he gets injured—which is highly probable to happen.
There are also cases when the Team Captain isn't chosen as a starting member and
you have to fill in instead. Even if you did not attend the National Weirdo Youth
Training Camp, I'm still pretty sure that you'd get chosen as a member of the
official team because of your unique weirdness. In fact, aside from being an
attacker, you can also be a support member. You really impressed me with your
skills in the Workout Week and I'll be expecting more from you in the tournament,
Jared."

Jared nodded at him. "Yes, sir."

"Team Captain!" Ezekiel said before tapping my picture. "You are my only contact in
the field in every game. Aside from giving leadership and doing most of the
decision-making nearly all the time, you are also the only player allowed to talk
to the game officials if your team has complaints or whatever. The selection
committee chose you, Ike, because of your lightning-fast reaction time and
impeccable decision-making. We also believe that you won't easily break when you're
put under great pressure because of your past experiences with the villains.
Personally, I believe that you can lead the team pretty well."

"Amen to that!" Jack said, raising his arms skyward.

"And we, your coaches, will serve as your guide throughout the tournament. We're
also tasked to create game plans, study and scout the opponents, oversee your
trainings, etcetera. Aside from me, your official head coach, we also have Ate
Elena and the fire bastard Franco as your assistant coaches. Together with the two
student assistants that will be chosen in the following weeks, we are going to be
the official coaching staff of Team Emerald this year," Ezekiel said, twirling his
hand a bit before bowing deeply.

"Let us now talk about your roles and functions on the team with respect to your
weirdnesses. Jack, Philip, RB, and Ike are the main guns of the team. Our offense
will come from you and you're also expected to protect the other members of the
team especially the supports. The team's success in every game lies in your
shoulders. Like I said earlier, all of you are usually going to be included in the
starting team as frontliners. The starting team is usually composed of at least
five members," he added.

"Tony and Faye are our support members slash secondary attackers. Your job is to
look after the other members especially our main guns and to keep the entire team
intact, strong, and connected. Jared can also serve as a support or an attacker.
You can easily redirect the attacks on our team with your weirdness."

"And last but definitely not the least, Alice and Aliyah," Ezekiel said. "If
everything else fails, you two are going to be our last resort. If we need an
immediate escape from a sticky situation then Alice will enter the equation.
Aliyah, with her mind-manipulating or ear-splitting music, can turn the tide of a
battle to our favor or provide an instant distraction to allow the other members to
flee from a tight situation. Is everything clear?" he asked.

All of us nodded.

"Oh, and by the way, we will be doing measurements for your jerseys probably by
this week together with your measurements for your agent costumes. Your jerseys
will be provided by..."

An evil grin curved across Ezekiel's half-hidden face as he swiped the hologram
screen, revealing a blueprint of our jersey and a familiar brand of agent gear.

"...The Agents' Oasis."

Jack accidentally froze the entire field again. "The Agents' freaking what?!"

"They are one of our official sponsors this year. Actually, Aliyah's flute and
Tony's bow are part of their sponsorship package for Team Emerald. Aside from
jerseys, they also said that they're willing to design and create your agent
costumes for your internship. Well, we actually signed a contract with their local
branch here in the country. They're going to create the costumes of all the third
years but your respective costumes will be designed and created in their main
branch out of this country by their best designers and crafters."

"I'm gonna cry," Jack said. "This is too much."

"I wonder if I can be a brand ambassador or a model for their costumes," RB said.

"In your dreams," I snarled at him.

"Hubby could be their sports underwear model. You'll surely look sexy wearing a
jockstrap," he replied.

I grabbed RB by his nape before slamming his face on the ground. "Kilabutan ka."

"That's enough. Calm down," saway naman sa 'min ni Ezekiel. "Do you have any
questions regarding the CMMT? I'll answer them now."

Philip raised a hand. "What are the challenges going to be?"

"The challenges are highly-confidential and will be revealed only in every game.
They usually reveal the challenge and then give the teams 30 minutes to strategize
and create a game plan. Everything is going to be kept a secret even to us here in
Emerald. Even Professor Evanesca knows nothing about the challenges," Ezekiel
replied. "However, considering the past tournaments, the challenges are usually
designed to measure your overall skill in using your weirdness. Everything that you
have learned so far will be put to use in the tournament—combating skills, spells,
strategizing... you get the idea."

"How about our studies, sir? You said that we're going to undergo more trainings
than the others because of our inclusion to the official team," Faye asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot about that. Well, all of you here are exempted from taking
your term-end exams in October. You will also take your year-end exams on March and
not on February. We're going to give you an entire month to study right after the
finals of the CMMT; but of course, if you don't make it to the finals or the battle
for third, you'll have to take the exams at the same time with the others. Also,
all of you have been given an automatic 250 extra-curricular points for making it
to the official team. Enter the battle for third and we'll give you 50 points more;
enter the finals and we'll give you 100; take home the Grand Golden Cup and we'll
double your 250 points," Ezekiel replied.

"Nice!" Jack interjected.

"However, we will still expect you to perform well in your academics especially now
that you have your internship. Exception from the mid-year exams is not a
privilege, it's a responsibility. If you perform poorly in your internship this
year then we won't allow you to attend your full-time internship next year.
Understand?" Ezekiel said.

"Yes, sir!" everyone chorused.

"Good. I think that would be all for now. Ate Elena, Franco, and I are still going
to talk about your training program. We'll just probably meet again by next week
for the beginning of your training. Speaking of which, Franco will be seeing you
this Wednesday evening for your Special Course, Ike. I know you can already produce
a decent fireball but nothing beats the authentic fire manipulation skills of a
fire weirdo. Try your best to not get injured, okay?"

I just nodded amidst the sniggers of my classmates.

"As for you, RB, Ate Elena and I will be taking turns in training you. We will see
each other here on Wednesday, too. Dang it, I have so many workloads already... And
the bastards in the NMLEA are still trying to recruit me... What did I do to
deserve this kind of stress?" Ezekiel grumbled.

"Try smiling to relieve some of your stress!" RB suggested.

"I don't want to get hospitalized for facial injury because of trying to smile.
Anyway, no more questions, you brats?" Ezekiel asked.

Everyone shook their head.

"Dismissed. Go eat your dinner already. See you this Wednesday for your
measurements. Goodbye," Ezekiel said before turning around and gliding away from
us. Lumabas na rin kaming lahat para umuwi na. Naghiwa-hiwalay na kami pagkalabas
namin ng battle dome.

"Man, I'm getting excited!" Jack said.

"Saan ka ba mas excited, sa inclusion mo sa team o sa jersey at agent costume na
gagawin ng The Agents' Oasis?" sabad naman ni Faye.

"Both," Jack replied. "This is a perfect opportunity to show our skills not just to
everyone here in Emerald but to the entire freaking world as well. Winning in the
CMMT is like securing our future as agents."

"True," I agreed. "I can already imagine the devilish training program that Ezekiel
will prepare for us."

The five of us eventually parted ways: Jack and Faye headed to the gate, Alice
headed to her dorm building, while RB and I went straight to the Topaz Building.

"So it's official now. We're really going to represent Emerald in the CMMT this
year," RB said as we walked in the middle of the slowly darkening school grounds
filled with students. The horizon has turned pink with the setting sun and the
lampposts started illuminating the grounds in response to the arrival of the night.

"Well, yeah..." I replied. "I'm feeling excited and apprehensive at the same time.
Iniisip ko pa lang ang mga training na kakaharapin ko eh nananakit na agad ang
katawan ko."

"Hubby can have sex with me if he wants to remove his body pain," he replied.

I stared at him flatly. RB immediately gave me a peace sign.

"Well, this is all for my future and for Emerald so I can't say no. I guess I just
have to endure this year and try to keep myself alive and my body intact until
March," I said, looking up to the darkening sky before taking a deep breath.

RB raised a fist towards my direction before smiling. "Good luck, captain."

I stared at him for a few seconds before smiling back and bumping my fist against
his.

"Yeah... Good luck."

        Chapter 21: Fire and Focus [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The news about the deal between Emerald and The Agents' Oasis spread
throughout the school quickly like wildfire. When Wednesday finally came, the
excitement and anticipation in the air became so high that you could almost taste
it. Third-years walking around the school talked to each other excitedly,
apparently discussing how they can make their costumes as flashy and eye-catching
as possible.
"Pitiful, really pitiful," Jack said after overhearing a couple of students arguing
over their roughly-sketched costume designs.

Hinampas naman siya ni Faye sa ulo. "Porke't ide-design ng main branch ang costumes
natin kung makaasta ka akala mo kung sinong prinsipe."

Sa time period namin para sa Intensive Training Course gagawin ang measurements.
Pero sa 'min na members ng official team eh sa Emerald building kami susukatan.
Gusto kasi ni Ezekiel na sakto sa mga pangangailangan namin ang design ng costumes
at jersey namin.

Pagkarating namin sa Emerald Building ay nandoon na rin naghihintay sa labas si

Jared.

"Jeez, why does he always arrive before us?" Jack grumbled upon seeing Jared. "He
makes us look like we're bad students because we're always late."

"Kung 'yung ginugugol mo kasi sa pagrereklamo sa presence ni Jared eh inilakad mo

na lang sana, baka mas nauna ka pa sa kanya. We're teammates already, for your
info. You're always so irritable when it comes to Jared," saway naman sa kanya ni
Alice.

"Sa opisina raw ni Professor Evanesca tayo susukatan," bungad sa 'min ni Jared
pagkalapit namin sa kanya.

"Do you already have a design in your mind for your costume?" RB asked him.

"I have," Jared replied. "I don't think they're going to design a really functional
costume for me, though. I mean, I can easily use my weirdness for as long as my
hands are free even without the aid of any weapon or equipment. I really can't
think of any costume design that will help me use my weirdness efficiently."

"Lucky for you," I said. "I've already enlisted all the possible safety features
that I could use for my costume."

Ezekiel and Professor Evanesca were already waiting for us in the headmistress'
office together with what looked like the design team that the main branch of The
Agents' Oasis has sent.

"Good morning. Please be seated," the headmistress said upon seeing us, gesturing
to a row of chairs.

"Is everyone here? Good. Let me just introduce you to the design team of The
Agents' Oasis. They actually sent their head designer, Miss Tanjuaco, to design
your costumes. She's a graduate of the School of Commons and the sponsorship of The
Agents' Oasis to our team became possible mainly because of her. Be sure to thank
her later," Professor Evanesca said, referring to a lady in her mid-20s with a
silver streak in her hair.

The lady bowed politely. "Just call me Ms. T."

"We already gave them your profiles a few weeks ago so that they can create a
design that will suit your weirdnesses. In fact, they already have a design for
each of you here. They're here today because they want to know your preferences or
if you want to add some adjustments to your costumes. Ike, please step forward for
your measurements," Ezekiel said.

I stood up timidly in front of the design team. Ms. T opened a folder before
smiling lightly at me.

"So... Ike Lunaria... Prime Elemental—"

I gave the headmistress a surprised look.

"Your secret is safe with them," the headmistress said, nodding at me.

"Considering the greenish tint of your hair and the color of your eyes, would you
mind if we make green and black the overall color motif of your agent costume?" she
asked.

"Ah... Ayos lang po," sagot ko naman.

"Good," Ms. T replied while sketching on a piece of paper inside the folder. "Don't
worry because we already have a number of safety features to add to your costume.
How about a cape?" she asked.

"Definitely no," I said firmly.

Ms. T smiled appreciatively. "Good. Capes went out of style eons ago. Cloaks that
are convertible into capes are much more trendy nowadays. Just look at Ezekiel."

"Do you have a problem with capes, Ike?" Ezekiel said in a dangerous voice.

"Capes are cool," Professor Evanesca added.

"Thirty years ago, yes," Ms. T replied, still sketching on her paper. "Kids
nowadays want flashy costumes, professor. They always prefer looks over
functionality. Anyway, here is your final design, Ike..."
A hologram image suddenly appeared in front of Ms. T.

"Ooh... Sexy..." RB whispered.

"Cool... I want that," Jack said.

"We chose a muscle shirt-inspired upper body costume to allow you to use your arms
freely whenever you're using the elements. Also, we are going to add gloves and
elbow guards with metallic pads that will serve as extra protection and absorbers
of excess lightning, fire, or magic. Your belt will hold pouches that will serve as
compartments for the first aid kit and stun gun. Lightweight pants and steel-
reinforced boots will complete your costume together with metallic knee guards for
additional protection and excess magic absorption. The fabric of your costumes and
all other costumes that we're going to design repels spells and other magical
attacks," Ms. T explained as the hologram image rotated in front of me.

"Aesthetically, this costume will enhance your body's slimness and height. It will
also highlight your arms and torso. Looks also matter in the world of agents, after
all. If you want to adjust the design then tell us right away. Don't hold anything
back. Tell us what you want and we'll gladly adjust it," she added.

"Go with it, hubby! You'll look sexy with that!" RB said.

"I'm fine with it, but isn't a muscle shirt too... showy?" I asked quietly.

Ms. T smiled lightly. "Like I said, looks also matter in the world of agents. You
are a good-looking young man with a well-built body; therefore, we want to
highlight those features of yours with the help of your costume. We don't want to
ruin your look by giving you a mask or hiding your body with an unnecessary cloak."

"Do you have a problem with my costume, Alyna?" Ezekiel suddenly said.

"Kasi naman, Ezekiel, ilang beses na kitang inaalok ng ibang designs para sa
costume mo. You have a state-of-the-art costume hiding underneath that creepy cloak
of yours. I can modify your cloak's design to give you the exact same functionality
that your cloak gives you, minus the Grim Reaper look," Ms. T replied.

"I'm happy with this," Ezekiel replied. "Like I always say, this cloak helps me
cancel out all the stupidity in this world."

"Fine... Anyway, what's your decision, Ike? If you don't want a muscle shirt-styled
costume then we can add sleeves if you want," Ms. T said, turning her attention
back to me.

"Sige na po. Ayos na po sa 'kin 'yan," sagot ko naman.

"Good. My team will take your measurements, then. Next... Rubio Talla?" she said,
glancing to our teammates.

RB got up from his seat excitedly before standing in front of Ms. T as the rest of
the design team started taking my measurements.

"I was wondering if I could wear something sexy," RB said while twirling his hair
around his finger. "You know, like a mesh fabric..."

Ms. T, Ezekiel, Professor Evanesca, and I all responded at the same time.

"NO WAY."

●●●

Thankfully, RB decided to settle with a more decent agent costume. And because
we're members of the official team, our costumes will arrive earlier than the
others. Baka raw Linggo pa lang ay dumating na 'yun kasama ng jerseys at iba pang
training gear namin. Dalawang set ng costumes at jerseys din ang ipapadala ng The
Agents' Oasis bilang parte ng sponsorship package.

Kinagabihan matapos kaming masukatan ay pumunta kami ni RB sa Jade Battle Dome para
na rin sa simula ng training namin sa kani-kanya naming mga special course. Ezekiel
and Professor Sivera were already waiting for us inside.

"Hey there, Ike and RB! How did the measurements go?" Professor Sivera asked upon
seeing us. Kanina kasi eh hindi pa rin kami nakapag-meet para sa Intensive Training
Course namin.

"Ayos lang naman po," sagot ko naman.

"Good. I'm really sorry if I wasn't able to meet you guys earlier. We're still a
bit busy in the NMLEA, you see. Well, you better enjoy your free time while you
still have them because you have some serious hell waiting for you this year," he
said.

"Just to clarify things, only the third-years are having troubles with their
schedule. The first- and second-years are already having their lessons and the
fourth-years are already in the middle of their one week orientation for their
full-time internship starting next week. We don't want anyone to think that we're
wasting the time of the students here in Emerald," Ezekiel said.

"Wala naman akong sinasabing kung ano," sagot ko.

"Anyway, ako na'ng bahala kay Ike. You go and train RB over there, Izzy," Professor
Sivera said.
Professor Sivera's face suddenly jerked to the left as if he's been slapped by an
invisible hand. "What the heck was that for?!" he snapped at Ezekiel while
massaging his face.

"Oh, sorry. The words 'Izzy' and 'Please slap me in the face, thank you very much'
sound exactly the same to me," Ezekiel replied.

Professor Sivera raised an eyebow. "Izzy."

"Say that again and I'm going to drown you inside a huge glob of water. Let's stop
wasting time. RB, come with me and let's stay as far away as possible from these
two imbeciles. If ignorance is contagious, I would've been sent back to
kindergarten a long time ago because of the extremely potent stupidity of these
two," Ezekiel said before turning around and gliding away.

RB gave me a swift kiss in the cheek and a rub in the crotch before following
Ezekiel towards the other side of the Jade Battle Dome.

"Dang it, Ezekiel's stinginess has intensified tenfold ever since he became an
international agent," Professor Sivera said while smiling to himself.

"He's so stingy I feel like I'm gonna get wounded by his words," I said quietly.

"Well, Izzy will be Izzy," he said with a
learn how to control your Fire Weirdness.
you were able to control fire once before
course, Nurse Juliana will surely kill me
my supervision..."
shrug. "Anyway, you are here tonight to
Professor Romeus actually told me that
and you got seriously injured. And of
if you get seriously injured while under

"Well, yeah," I said sheepishly.

"I can only give you three words that will summarize all the tips that you need to
know about controlling fire: discipline, control, and self-restraint. Your
movements should be smooth and fluid but firm and controlled at the same time. You
must manipulate fire like you really mean it because one moment of hesitation can
definitely lead to disaster. Fire is an element that you cannot tame, but you can
control it. And of course, once you're able to produce and control fire properly,
you should also know the limit of how much fire you should produce. It's a really
dangerous element that can easily go out of control when you're not skilled
enough," Professor Sivera explained.

I nodded, now feeling a bit apprehensive.

"Well, it's a good thing that Izzy already trained you to produce fire using other
techniques. Can you show it to me?" he asked.
"Oh, sure..." I said before raising an open hand to shoulder level.

A rotating ball of force field hovered in my hand. The ball suddenly emitted puffs
of smoke as it turned around even faster. After a few seconds, the ball of force
field went up in flames, making it look like I'm holding a rotating ball of fire.

"Sick," Professor Sivera said, thoroughly impressed with the technique I used.
"Really good. Izzy did a great job in training you within such a short period of
time."

"Thanks po," sagot ko naman. "I'm still a bit clumsy with it, though."

"Now, I want you to use that technique to start learning how to control fire. You
can summon a ball of fire using your telekinesis and then use your Fire Weirdness
to amplify and control it. Smooth and fluid but firm and controlled movements, Ike.
Don't worry because I will automatically absorb any excess fire that might go out
of your control," he said.

Professor Sivera took a deep breath before flicking his hand which suddenly went up
in flames. He then swiped his arm downward with a fluid motion and a streak of fire
followed his hand. He suddenly turned around before punching the air with his open
hand and a ball of fire suddenly shot towards a Scavenger standing a few meters
away from us. The mannequin exploded into sparks and flames.

"Try copying that move. But of course, the really skilled Fire Weirdos don't need
to move like that just to control fire. The difference between using your arms and
hands excessively and not lifting even a single finger is night and day. Oh well,
you're talented and skilled so I'm pretty sure that you'll be able to do it in no
time. Go on. Try it," Professor Sivera said.

I nodded before releasing the ball of fire from my hands and letting it hover
magically in midair. I then closed my eyes momentarily and took a deep breath to
calm and relax myself.

"Don't be afraid, Ike. Like I said, I'm here to absorb any excess fire. You'll
never be able to control it if you're too tentative or apprehensive. Just relax and
use your magic touch," Professor Sivera added.

"Here goes nothing..." I whispered to myself as I pointed a hand to the floating

ball of fire.

I swiped my right arm upward and a long tongue of flame suddenly shot from the ball
of fire before forming into a high arc above me. I turned around to face the
Scavengers and the tongue of flame wrapped around my right hand slowly like a vine
creeping around a branch.

"Relax, Ike," Professor Sivera said when I suddenly tensed up due to the fire
around my arm. "You're doing it just right so relax. There's no need to panic. Now,
try shooting one of the Scavengers."

I pointed a couple of fingers to a Scavenger and tried to shoot the flame towards
it; but instead of being released from my fingers, the fire around my arm suddenly
strengthened and grew larger. Professor Sivera immediately pointed an open hand to
me and the fire around my arm flew towards his hand.

"That was close," he said before exhaling loudly. "But that was impressive, Ike.
Just as I expected, the problem lies not in your skill but in your mind. Like I
said, just remove all the thoughts of hesitation or fear from your head. Relax.
Don't be afraid. You know what exactly to do. You just have to have the proper
mind-set."

I stared intently at my right hand. "Uh, professor, that was my first conscious
attempt to control fire..." I said quietly.

Professor Sivera threw me a bewildered look. "Uh... yes? Why?"

"When I was still learning to control the first three elements, I actually wasn't
able to control any of them in my first try. It took me a few weeks just to be able
to control them even for a little. Now, however, I was able to successfully control
fire even thought it's only my first conscious attempt. It feels so... strange," I
said as I frowned at my hand.

"That's because your connection with the Prime Elemental has gotten stronger ever
since the incident that happened in the NMLEA a few months ago," Ezekiel suddenly
said from behind me, making me jump in shock. "I believe that Elijah Serria got too
impatient with your pathetic inadequacy that he actually possessed your body and
gave you a head start in controlling the final two elements."

"I don't know whether I should feel happy or insulted with that comment of yours,"
I replied.

"Unbeknownst to everyone, the Prime Elemental actually has a hierarchical order of

the elements in accordance to their respective powers. Unlocking the ability to
control earth allows you to learn to control air easier, so on and so forth. Now
that you can already control earth, air, and water, controlling fire is much easier
for you to do. Your situation is very similar to mathematical operations. In order
for you to learn about multiplication easily, you have to learn first about
addition. Division is taught last because it involves the use of all the
mathematical operations," Ezekiel explained.

"Remember that in order for you to control earth, your movements should be firm and
rigid; and in order for you to control air and water, your movements should be
fluid, smooth, and light. Now that you're controlling fire, your movements should
be—"

"Firm and controlled but fluid and smooth at the same time," I said, now realizing
the logic behind Ezekiel's explanation. "The exact same movements used to control
the three other elements."

"Bingo," Ezekiel said with an evil grin. "And that is the reason why my sister
insisted that you should learn to control earth first before trying to learn the
other higher elements. Everything in this world is a process, Ike. You cannot learn
how to divide without learning how to add, subtract, or multiply first."

I nodded. "I get it now. Thanks a lot."

Ezekiel suddenly turned around before gliding away from us.

"Imbeciles," he added in a whisper.

"Well, Izzy's a much better teacher than me," Professor Sivera said as he watched
Ezekiel glide away. "I think that answers your question, Ike. Are you ready to try
again?"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes momentarily before facing the floating ball
of fire once more.

"Yes, sir."

        Chapter 22: Internship [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Just like what Ezekiel had promised, our costumes arrived on Sunday
morning, a few days earlier than the arrival of the costumes for the rest of the
third-years. They actually sent two identical costumes, each of them was inside a
sleek metallic suitcase. Included also in the package are our jerseys, jackets, and
other training gears for the official team.

"HUBBY!!!" I heard RB scream from the room next to mine. Halos kasunod noon ay
sumabog na ang pinto ng kwarto ko at humahangos siyang pumasok bitbit din ang
dalawang suitcase.

"What the heck? Stop screaming," I snapped at him.

"Wear your costume. Now. I want to see it," RB replied, breathless with
anticipation.

"Susukatin ko naman talaga," sabad ko naman bago ko binuksan ang isang suitcase.
"Don't follow me in the bathroom!" I added.

My costume included a close-fitting dark green muscle shirt and pants both with
black linings on the sides, a belt with pouches that serve as our compartment for
the first aid kit and stun gun, hi-cut boots with steel reinforcements, two pairs
of elastic bands with metal pads for my elbows and knees, and a pair of gloves. The
overall color motif of my costume is dark green and black. Fortunately, they
created my costume exactly how I wanted it to be.

The fabric used for all costumes always absorb or deflect spells and other magical
attacks. Just like what Ms. T had planned, the designers gave me a muscle shirt-
inspired costume to allow me to freely use my arms especially whenever I'm coating
them with rocks or ice. My gloves as well as elbow and knee guards, aside from
providing protection, also serve as absorbers of excess electricity, fire, or
magic. My boots, on the other hand, were also designed to absorb dangerous amounts
of fire and lightning aside from the extra protection that they give because of
their steel reinforcements in the soles. They also allow me to use the elements
using my feet.

"Dang it, you look stunning, hubby!" RB exclaimed upon seeing me.

"Yeah, great," I replied flatly.

RB was also already wearing his costume. "Do I look classy enough wearing this?" he
asked while turning around.

Surprisingly, RB's costume has long sleeves that cover his entire arms. His costume
also included a sleek pants and boots that reach up to just below his knees. The
overall color motif of his costume is dark purple and black. The design team of Ms.
T actually asked RB for some gems that they've attached to his costume. He also has
a belt that serves as a compartment for the first aid kit and stun gun. And due to
RB's insistence, the design team also included a police-styled cap. All in all, RB
looked like a really sleek and hip police officer.

"Aside from being a total eye candy, what are the other functions of that costume
of yours?" I asked RB as he inspected himself in the mirror.

"The fabric of this killer costume allows me to imbue it with crystals so that it
can serve as an armor. My boots also permit me to use crystals with my feet. But
dang it, they were really able to highlight my assets and figure..." RB added while
inspecting his back.

Kaya naman habang papalapit ang unang araw ng internship namin ay parang hindi na
maihing pusa si RB sa excitement. When Friday came, the two of us headed once more
to the NMLEA Main Office for the start of our once-a-week internship.

"YOU GUYS LOOK SO COOL!" Crimson blurted out as soon as RB and I stepped into their
office in the NMLEA on the first day of our internship. He jumped from the
ginormous double-decker bed and examined our costumes excitedly.

"You're looking sexy, bruh!" Crimson said, yanking RB's costume. "You look so
expensive and slim! I'm pretty sure that you're going to catch a lot of attention
whenever you're wearing that! Ike should keep his eyes on you or someone might
steal you away from him."
"I have no problem with that," I said flatly.

Crimson turned to me. "And you're looking smoking hot, Ike. Muscle shirt-styled
costumes are as common as salt but you sure stand out a lot wearing that. I also
like how your costume highlights your muscles and torso. Dang it... I'm such a
hopeless beefcake lover..." he said dreamily.

"Calm the hell down," Sir Fraeo snapped at Crimson. "Maghanda ka na dahil aalis na
tayo. It's already eight. Ikaw na lang ang hindi pa nakakapaghanda sa 'tin."

"Wanna help me get changed?" Crimson asked meaningfully.

Sir Fraeo stared at him flatly. "No, thanks. I have other better things to do."

"We're just going to patrol today," he added as he turned his attention to us.
"Hindi makakasama si Shara dahil cleaning duty niya ngayon. Sina Yven, Greg, at
Alicia lang ang makakasama sa 'tin. Hiniram kasi 'yung iba ng Tactical Operations
Group."

Kuya Greg is an Elemental Hybrid with Air and Water as his weirdness. Ate Alicia,
on the other hand, is a Transfiguration Weirdo who can melt anything with her
touch. She can also mold the molten material into whatever thing she likes.

"We can allow you to participate in apprehending minor criminals. However, once the
situation becomes too dangerous, you two should leave the situation to our hands.
Remember that you're still not agents and you are under our supervision—"

"Of course they know what to do, Fraeo," Crimson said before jumping from the
double decker, now fully-dressed. "And if the situation becomes too tight, we will
give you permission to fight like what we did last February!"

"I don't think that's going to happen. We allowed you to fight back then because we
got cornered by the villains and the situation was not in our favor. This time,
we'll make sure that that kind of thing will never happen again," Sir Fraeo said
before scanning the room. "Is everyone ready? Let's go."

All of us headed out of the office and into the ginormous lobby of the NMLEA. It's
business as usual here in the agency with the agents bustling around the lobby.
Malapit na kaming makalabas ng building nung nakasabayan din namin sina Jack at
Cezka.

"Looking good, bros!" Jack said upon seeing us. Their team led by Juno Ase headed
to the opposite direction the moment we stepped out of the building. RB and I waved
at them and the two waved back at us.
"Where's our assignment today, Crimson?" Sir Fraeo asked.

Crimson produced a tablet out of thin air. "Area 17, sir! We're among the ten teams
of agents assigned to that area for the entire week."

"Area 17, then," Sir Fraeo said. "The NMLEA Main Office covers the entirety of the
capital city. Of course there are agent stations scattered around the city and they
have their permanent patrol areas. The agents of the Main Office get assigned to
different areas to provide additional forces to the agent stations. Though it is
mainly the TOG's job, we at the IVRG sometimes get sent to specific places for
surveillance purposes. The NMLEA divided the capital city into different areas for
a more systematic deployment of the agents. We actually have a map where we can see
the real-time locations of all the teams in the capital city."

Crimson brandished his tablet in front of our faces.

"We always patrol everyday. 8 hours. Wala naman kaming specific starting time ng
pagpapatrolya. Basta ang mahalaga ay makumpleto namin ang walong oras na duty sa
isang araw. The NMLEA provided us with trackers for that purpose. Minsan ay may
night shift din kami. Pero salamat sa inyong dalawa dahil isang buong taon kaming
walang night shift—"

"Hooray to that!" Crimson said, raising his arms skyward.

"Amen," Kuya Yven added, imitating Crimson's gesture.

We rode a bus upon exiting the compound of NMLEA. Mukhang medyo may kalayuan kasi
'yung area assignment nila ngayon. Pwede naman daw silang lumipad pero most of the
time at nagco-commute sila para kung sakaling may madaanan silang aksidente o
villain eh makakaresponde kaagad sila.

"Nasa ilalim kami ng Immediate Villain Response Group kaya sa oras na makatunog
kami ng isang villain activity ay dapat namin 'yung i-neutralize agad. Kapag hindi
namin kinaya ay saka kami hihingi ng tulong sa ibang teams. We also have that
feature in our agents-exclusive software in the tablets provided by the NMLEA," Sir
Fraeo said.

Crimson waved his tablet once more in front of our faces.

"Do you have stun guns?" Sir Fraeo asked.

RB and I nodded.

"Good. Agents are not allowed to carry guns for obvious reasons but we're required
to bring stun guns. First aid kit?" he asked.
I pointed to my belt.

"Excellent. Crimson, give them their body cameras and trackers," Sir Fraeo said.

Crimson pinned the minuscule gadgets to our costume. May kasama pang hagod ng kamay
'yung pagkabit niya sa 'kin.

"Are they visible already in the agent map?" Sir Fraeo asked after pinching
Crimson's ear.

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Aside sa pagpapatrolya at immediate villain response, expected din tayong

tumulong sa mga tao, lalong lalo na sa mga communis, kung sakali man na may mga
problema silang makaharap sa paglalakad-lakad nila dito sa capital city at lalo na
rin kung may mga aksidente. Marunong naman na kayong magbigay ng first aid kaya
tiwala ako sa kakayahan ninyo," dagdag pa niya.

RB and I nodded.

"I think that's everything that you need to know about your internship. Magtanong
na lang kayo sa 'min kung may hindi klaro sa inyo, okay?" sabi ni Sir Fraeo.

The bus stopped in front of a waiting shed and we all exited the vehicle. Rush hour
noise and bustling commuters greeted us the moment we stepped into the sidewalk.
Sir Fraeo turned around and faced us with open arms before smiling widely.

"And this is our workplace. Welcome to your first day as interns, Ike and RB..."

●●●

"I know exactly how you feel," Crimson said as I slumped lifelessly on my chair.
Lunch break na namin at sa isang restaurant kami kumain. "Patrolling duty can be
really boring sometimes. I should've warned you earlier not to expect much on the
first day of your internship."

"But you get to eat in a different restaurant everyday," Kuya Yven interjected.

So far kasi eh wala pang masyadong ganap ang internship namin. Madalas lang kaming
maglagi sa kung saan maraming mga tao. Minsan naman ay pumupunta rin kami sa mga
'di mataong mga kalsada. Si Crimson ang kadalasan na nagde-decide kung saan kami
pupunta dahil na rin sa tracking ability at instinct niya.

"At dahil na rin niligtas tayo nitong dalawa mula sa night shift sa loob ng isang
taon, libre ko na ang lunch ninyong dalawa ngayon," sabi ni Sir Fraeo.
"How about us? Me? Your boyfriend?!" Crimson retorted.

"May sweldo kayo. At ikaw, number 29 ka sa ranking 'di ba? May 80k ka na buwan-
buwan," singhal sa kanya ni Sir Fraeo.

"Wait, what?! Kayo na? And you're now a ranked agent?" I asked Crimson.

"The NMLEA just released the new National Top 100 last month. I made it to the Top
30 in my first ranking! Fraeo moved up to the 8th spot and Sir Franc remained at
the top," he said excitedly.

Aside kasi sa National Ranking, meron ding Regional Ranking ang mga agents. Mga
agents lang ng NMLEA at lahat ng agent stations sa loob ng capital city at iba pang
major cities sa buong bansa ang nakakapasok sa National Top 100. Meron namang Top
100 ang bawat rehiyon sa bansa pero mas mababa nga lang ang honorarium nila kumpara
sa mga nasa National Ranking. Ginawa 'yun ng NMLEA para mabigyan ng oportunidad ang
lahat ng agents sa buong bansa lalo pa't sandamakmak naman talaga ang mga agents at
unfair naman kung iisang ranking lang ang gagamitin para sa lahat.

"And about you and Sir Fraeo's relationship—?" tanong ko pa.

Crimson flicked his tail. "Well, we became official just last week. Ayaw pa sana ni
Fraeo kaso pinilit ko na siya at bumigay din ang loko. Your advice really worked,
bruh!" he said before turning to RB and hugging him tightly.

"I'm happy for you!" RB replied. "I knew that my technique would work on you
because it was really effective with me."

Sir Fraeo and I just stared at them flatly.

"I know, right?! Hey there, handsome!" Crimson called at a passing waiter. "I want
two servings of your prime baby back ribs, large iced tea, three cups of rice—"

We went back to our patrolling duty right after eating our lunch. To our surprise,
we came across Zed and Alice who were also with their supervising team of agents.

"Did anything interesting happen to you earlier?" I asked them.

"We apprehended a robber. He's just an ordinary criminal that's why they allowed us
to join in the apprehension. I was actually the one who caught the criminal. How
about you?" Alice said.

"That's cool," I replied. "Kaninang umaga pa kami nagpapatrolya pero wala pa namang
nangyayari. It's kinda boring, actually; but we can't complain, of course."
Naghiwa-hiwalay din kami ng grupo nila. Buti na lang talaga at sleeveless ang
costume ko at nakakatulong 'yun lalo pa't tanghaling tapat. Lahat naman ng fabric
ng costumes eh breathable at nakakapagpa-presko ng katawan; pero sa sitwasyon na
'to, mas pipiliin ko ang sleeveless ko kesa sa longsleeves ni RB. Kakapasok pa nga
lang kasi ng June at may nalalabi pang init mula nung summer.

"Nagsisisi ka na ba diyan sa design mo?" nakangisi kong tanong kay RB nung sumilong
kami sa isang makahoy na parke. Nakadikit sa katawan ko ang pira-pirasong mga yelo
para kahit papaano ay hindi ako mainitan.

"First and foremost, you were the one who insisted that I should wear something
decent that's why I accepted this design," RB retorted while facing his fan made
out of diamonds.

I pointed an open hand to him and released an icy breeze towards his direction.
"Just tell me if it's too cold and I'll adjust it."

"Ah... Thanks, hubby! I'm touched!" RB said before hugging my arm and rubbing his
face against it.

"You two seem to be doing well together," Crimson said while licking an extra-large
ice cream on a cone.

"Well, yeah..." RB replied. "We've been together for two months already and I just
fall in love with my hubby even more with each passing day."

"That's good to hear. You two really fit together like coffee and cream," Crimson
said before taking a deep breath and looking up to the web of tree branches above
us.

"Is there any problem?" RB asked curiously.

"Nothing," Crimson replied as he glanced at Sir Fraeo who was chatting with the
others. "It's just that ever since Fraeo and I entered a relationship, I can't help
but think about our future... or if there's even a future for the two of us..."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, no matter how you look at it, Fraeo and I are both guys. I can't give him
kids. There are some things that only a woman can give to him. I can't help but
think about the future. Fraeo is an up-and-coming agent who's really popular with
the girls. Not to mention that he is also a Lena. Ano na lang ang sasabihin ng mga
tao kung malaman nilang karelasyon niya ang isang hamak na kagaya ko? Popularity is
a huge thing for us agents. I'm afraid that our relationship might affect his
career," Crimson explained.
"I actually understand how you feel," RB replied. "I also think about those things
sometimes. I also feel insecure whenever I saw girls ogling Ike because I know deep
inside me that they have something I don't have: ovaries."

Crimson snorted and accidentally inhaled his ice cream. "Wait a sec... Let me
breathe..." he said, half-coughing and half-laughing.

"Tone down your words a bit," I snapped at him even though I was also laughing.

"What would you do if you saw Ike dating a girl and he looked really happy with
her?" Crimson asked after wiping the ice cream from his face.

"I will drag Ike away from the girl, pin him to my bed, and I will have sex with
him until he falls in love with me again," RB replied.

"What if you caught Ike having sex with a girl in his dorm?" Crimson asked.

"Hey, I'm not like that—"

"I will drag the girl out of the room and take her place instead," RB replied
matter-of-factly.

"What if you caught Ike having sex with a guy in his dorm?"

"I will kill the guy and take his place instead."

"Hoy—"

"Pa'no naman kung magka-anak si Ike sa ibang babae?" tanong pa ni Crimson.

"I will gladly accept his child and raise him or her as my own provided that Ike
will also marry me because THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THAT I'M GONNA LET SOME RANDOM
BITCH TAKE IKE AWAY FROM ME," RB explained.

Crimson took a deep breath. "Obvious naman na mahal mo si Ike at tiwala naman ako
diyan sa boyfriend mo dahil hindi naman 'yan basta-bastang kakagat sa pain ng iba.
He's the good-boy type after all. Ugh... whatever. Just forgive my sentiments."

"Hey, bruh, listen to me," RB said before sitting beside Crimson. "I know that it's
really difficult to be in a relationship with mouthwatering guys such as our
boyfriends. Too much competition, bruh. And yes, we have all the right in the world
to be insecure with girls because they have their own assets that we could only
dream of."
"However, of all the predators surrounding Sir Fraeo, he still chose you. No matter
how sexy the others are, no matter how beautiful they are, or no matter how many
ovaries they have, for as long as the prey chose you, then you are the sexiest and
most beautiful predator in the entire forest. That is also the reason why I don't
feel pressured whenever there are girls catting around my hubby. Kahit anong gawin
nila, ako ang nauna at ako ang pinili ni Ike. Why would I feel threatened? Your
mind-set should always be like that, bruh!" RB said before hugging Crimson around
his neck.

"Yeah, you're right. Dang it, you're such an expert in this field. Thanks for
lightening up my mood. You really are my bruh," Crimson replied as he hugged RB
back.

"Amoy na amoy niyo talaga ang isa't-isa ano? Para kayong kambal," sabad ko naman sa
kanila.

"Of course," RB replied. "Do you want to join in the hug, hubby?"

I stared at them flatly. "No, thanks. I'm good."

        Chapter 23: The Fox Under The Red Hood [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Crimson's POV

Happiness, as they always say, is a choice. If you want to be happy, then be happy.
You may experience the worst day of your life but at the end of that worst day, it
is your choice whether you're going to wallow in despair due to your unluckiness or
you're going to take a deep breath, shrug the bad luck off your shoulders, and
prepare for the next day with a huge smile on your face.

Besides, you really have no choice but to smile in this world full of hatred and
chaos. If you're going to allow all the negativity to affect you, then you're just
going to waste your everyday life snarling, snapping, and screaming on people. More
importantly, it will also make you ugly and unappealing. And trust me, you'll
surely become even more agitated and irritable once you see the frown lines on your
face caused by you biting on to the bait of negativity in this world.

I am Crimson Chua Soriano and this is the story of how I learned to stay positive,
smiling, and pretty despite all the hardships, negativities, and ugliness that I've
encountered since I was young...

"Ma, ba't po ba parati nila tayo pinagtitinginan kapag pumupunta po tayo rito?"
tanong ko sa nanay ko habang naglalakad kami sa loob ng palengke.

"Gusto mo bang malaman kung bakit?" tanong naman ni Mama sabay luhod sa harapan ko.

"Opo."
"Kasi tuwing wala kang pasok o bakasyon eh parati mong sinasamahan si Mama dito sa
palengke. Pinagtitinginan nila tayo kasi ang bait-bait mong bata at matulungin ka
pa sa 'kin," sabi ni Mama sabay kurot sa pisngi ko.

How I wish na sana 'yun nga ang totoong rason kung bakit madalas akong tampulan ng
atensyon noong bata pa lang ako. I guess my mother doesn't want me to feel sad or
dejected if she tells me the truth.

Bata pa lang ako pero kakaiba na ang hitsura ko. My hair and eyes were red, I have
short fangs, my fox-like ears were on top of my head instead of being on the sides,
and I have a long and bushy white-tipped red tail behind me. The people in my
neighborhood were really shocked when they saw me when I was still a baby; but
eventually, they learned to accept my strange appearance. Nakatulong doon ang
pagiging mabait ko at lapitin ng mga tao. Despite my fox-like appearance, I felt
that the people in my community loved and accepted me for who I am.

Sa buong pamilya namin ay ako lang ang may ganitong klaseng hitsura. Apat kaming
magkakapatid at pangalawa ako mula sa panganay. Ako lang din ang nag-iisang weirdo
sa pamilya kaya alam ko na agad na may kakaiba sa 'kin kahit na hindi sabihin sa
'kin ni Mama ang totoo.

Unlike the other weirdos, my weirdness had already manifested the very moment I was
born. That trait is actually shared among Morph Weirdos like me. When my seventh
birthday came, my skin eventually took a reddish tint and my fangs grew even
longer. By the time I was about to attend high school, my appearance was already
very fox-like and I always stand out no matter how hard I try to be inconspicuous.

Unfortunately, the trouble began when I entered high school.

There's a local elementary school in the community where I grew up. I was friends
with all of my classmates and I have no problem whatsoever when it comes to
interacting with different types of people. Unfortunately, the high school where I
attended to was in a nearby town. Mas maraming tao, mas maraming matang nakatitig
sa 'yo. Unfortunately, those new eyes already judged me the very moment they saw my
appearance.

"'Yan pala 'yung sinasabi kanina nung kaklase natin," dinig kong sabi ng isang
estudiyante pagpasok ko sa room nung unang araw ng pasukan namin.

"He looks really weird. I mean, is he even a human being?" the other one whispered
back.

"I don't know. Iwasan na lang natin 'yan. Baka mamaya bigla tayong kagatin niyan,"
sagot nung isa.

Aside from my appearance, I also have the qualities and abilities of a fox. My
senses are more sensitive than that of a normal human being, I have quick reaction
time; and I'm also extremely alert, sharp, and athletic. Nakatulong pa doon ang
madalas kong paglalaro sa mga kakahuyan at ilog na nakapalibot lang sa barangay
namin.

And of course, one of the downsides of having heightened senses is that I can hear
everything, even the whispers of the people once I turn my back on them.

The harsh reality became even more apparent on our lunch break. Habang abala na sa
pagbuo ng kani-kanilang mga grupo ang mga kaklase ko eh ako lang ang napag-iwanan
nang mag-isa sa buong klase. Hindi pa nakatulong na nung mismong pag-upo ko sa
isang mesa ay umusog naman palayo o kaya ay lumipat ng ibang pwesto 'yung mga taong
nasa kalapit kong mesa.

"Kaklase natin 'yan 'di ba? Lapitan mo kaya? Kanina pa 'yan mag-isa," dinig kong
bulong ng isa kong kaklase sa mga kasama niya.

"Ayoko nga. Baka mamaya may rabies pala 'yan," sagot naman nung kausap niya sabay
hagikgik.

As expected, my first day of school ended with me walking back home alone.
Fortunately for me, I still have a place where I can be myself without being judged
or feared by people: my home.

"Nandito na po 'ko," bungad ko sa bahay pagkauwi ko.

"At kumusta ang first day sa school ng anak ko?" bati naman sa 'kin ni Mama na
abala sa kusina.

"Ayos lang po, Ma. Sina Carla at Clarence po?" tanong ko.

"Sinundo ng tatay mo sa eskwelahan. 'Yung ate mo pumunta na rin sa city dahil bukas
na ang simula ng klase nila sa kolehiyo. Sandali, sigurado ka ba na okay lang ang
unang araw mo sa high school? Ba't parang mukha kang matamlay? May nangyari ba?"
usyoso naman ni Mama.

"Wala po, Ma. 'Wag niyo na po akong alalahanin," sagot ko naman habang nagpapalit
ng damit.

"Tungkol na naman ba 'to sa hitsura mo? May unaway ba sa 'yo? Iniwasan ka ba ng mga
kaklase mo?" tanong ni Mama.

"Parang ganun na nga po..." sagot ko naman pagkalabas ng kwarto. Dumiretso ako sa
kusina kung nasaan si Mama para uminom ng tubig.

"At ilang ulit ko bang sasabihin sa 'yo na 'wag mo nang papansinin ang mga pumupuna
sa 'yo? Hangga't wala kang ginagawang masama eh hayaan mo silang maglaway sa
kakapuna sa 'yo. Hindi lahat ng tao magugustuhan ka, Crimson; pero 'yung mga taong
tanggap ang pagkatao mo, sila ang kaibiganin mo. Bakit mo naman ipagsisiksikan ang
sarili mo sa mga taong ayaw sa 'yo?" litanya ni Mama.

"Alam ko naman po, Ma," sagot ko naman. "Nakakapagod lang po kasi. Siguro po kung
hindi ganito ang hitsura ko eh hindi ako pangingilagan ng mga tao."

"Hoy, hoy, para mo na ring sinabi na pangit ang lahi ng nanay at tatay mo. Anak ka
namin at wala kaming pakialam sa kung ano man ang hitsura mo. Ikaw ha, pagbibigyan
ko 'yang drama mo pero 'wag na 'wag mong kukwestiyunin ang lahi namin ng tatay mo,"
sabad ni Mama.

"'Nay naman eh... Nagdadrama na nga ako rito ganyan ka pa. Panira ka pa ng mood,"
sagot ko naman.

Niyakap naman ako ni Mama nang mahigpit. "Pinapasaya ko lang naman ang iyakin kong
anak na wala nang ibang ginawa kundi ang mag-drama sa harap ko."

Well, it's a good thing na mahal na mahal ako ng pamilya ko at isa 'yun sa mga
rason kung bakit kahit marami akong natatanggap na mga puna dahil sa hitsura ko eh
hindi ako nadadala sa mga 'yun. Matagal na sa 'king tinuro ni Mama na huwag nang
pansinin ang mga taong wala namang idudulot na mabuti sa 'kin.

Pero syempre, puberty stage ko noon at self-conscious pa rin ako kaya hindi ko pa
rin maiwasan na makaramdam ng kaunting lungkot dahil tila walang tumatanggap sa
'kin na ka-edad ko.

I started wearing hooded jackets midway through my first year in high school.
Nabawasan ang mga matang tumititig sa 'kin pero hindi naman noon napawi ang first
impression ng mga kaklase ko sa 'kin. They still avoided me. Eventually eh gumaan
ang pakiramdam nila sa 'kin lalo pa nung parati akong top performer sa klase pero
ramdam ko pa rin na tila may pader sa pagitan ko at ng mga kaklase ko.

At dahil na rin sa hindi lang magandang mukha ang meron ako kundi malaman din na
utak, nakapagtapos ako bilang top student ng buong batch namin. Sa tulong ng
teacher ko ay nagawa kong makapag-apply sa Emerald.

And I must say, that was perhaps the best decision that I've made in my entire
life. Sa Weirdness Test ko sa Emerald nakilala ang taong bumago sa pananaw at sa
buong buhay ko.

"So you are Crimson Soriano... Ooh, a Batch Valedictorian... That's good. According
to your high school records, you're a— wait, are you cold? Gusto mo bang hinaan
namin ang air con?" tanong ni Professor Evanesca.

I shook my head. "Uh... Ayos lang po. I'm not cold or whatever."
"Why are you wearing a jacket, then?" And why are you hiding your face?" she asked
curiously.

"Baka po kasi—"

"Baka kasi—?" ulit naman ni Professor Evanesca.

"Baka po kasi hindi ako matanggap dahil sa hitsura ko," sagot ko naman na halos
bulong na lang.

The headmistress smiled lightly before gesturing towards a huge monitor which
suddenly turned on and showed a group of students battling against another group.

"We're currently having our Workout Week here in Emerald. It's a one-week training
camp for our incoming third year students designed to help us gauge their current
abilities in preparation for their internship this year. See that class? That's
Class H, I think. That class has the best student of their batch. Where is he...
Oh, there he is..." she said before pointing to a strange-looking guy.

I had to blink twice to check whether I'm hallucinating or not.

The guy that the headmistress was referring to looked like a half-human and half-
eagle. He has yellow eyes and tanned skin reminiscent of an eagle's eyes and brown
plumage. The guy suddenly launched skyward with the help of his huge wings,
carrying with him a couple of metallic mannequins before slamming them back to the
ground.

"He's very athletic, intelligent, and alert. His classmates respect and look up to
him because he has helped their class escape tight situations numerous times before
with the help of his excellent decision-making skills, impeccable planning, and
superior athleticism. He's strange, yes, and that is what makes him unique and
special," Professor Evanesca said.

"Why don't you take off your jacket?" she asked before smiling gently.

I unzipped my jacket before taking it off and kept my eyes fixed on my shoes as I
stood timidly in front of the panel.

"There you go. Listen to me, Crimson..."

I lifted my face before looking at the headmistress.

"The people inside this school don't know the meaning of the word 'normal.' If you
are strange, if you are peculiar, if you are weird, then you are welcome here. This
is your home, Crimson. This is the home of the weirdos. Emerald is a place where
the people will still accept and love you no matter how weird and strange you are,"
Professor Evanesca said.

She stamped my folder before including a few sheets of paper in it. "You passed the
Weirdness Test and therefore allowed to take the Written Test tomorrow at 8 o'clock
in the morning, Ruby Building, Room 305. I've also included application forms for
your scholarship grant and admission to the Special Weirdo Course. Go and ace the
Written Test, okay? I'll see you this June."

I took the folder she was giving me in utter disbelief. "T-Thank you po..." I
stammered.

Professor Evanesca tapped my shoulder gently. "You are very much welcome. Oh, and
by the way, your appearance actually helped you to pass the Weirdness Test. Soon
you'll be wearing a Special Student uniform so I don't want to see you walking
around the school wrapped in your jacket, okay?"

I nodded as I wiped my tears away.

"That's good. Now get the hell out of my sight. NEXT PLEASE!"

And of course, I was admitted to Emerald as one of the top incoming students. Sa
kabila naman ng sinabi sa 'kin ni Professor Evanesca eh hindi ko pa rin maiwasan na
hindi mahiya sa mga estudiyante kaya nagsuot pa rin ako ng jacket nung unang araw
ng pasukan namin. I also qualified for the Special Weirdo Course Program that's why
my uniform was different than that of the others. Although classified ako as a
Morph Weirdo eh ginawa pa rin nila akong special student dahil na rin sa kakaiba
kong weirdness.

And my first night in after the opening of the classes in Emerald was perhaps the
most unforgettable night in my entire life.

Club Convergence kasi noon kaya naman buhay na buhay ang buong School of Magic.
Malapit pa sa main grounds ang dorm building ko kaya nakaka-inggit naman talaga
'yung ingay at saya ng mga tao. Earlier that day, as usual, eh mas pinili kong
mapag-isa dahil nga nahihiya na naman ako dahil sa hitsura ko. Alam ko naman na
totoo ang sinabi ni Professor Evanesca pero nasanay akong apat na taon na umiiwas
sa ibang tao kaya mahirap ding ibahin ang habit kong 'yun.

Sa kabila ng pag-aalangan ko ay lumabas pa rin ako ng dorm para mag-usyoso man lang
sa mga kaganapan sa labas.

I instantly fell in love with Emerald the first time I stepped into the school.
It's a really special place for me because I felt like I was really at home. Habang
naglalakad ako eh may nakita akong ilang mga estudiyante na mas kakaiba pa ang
hitsura sa 'kin pero bakas sa mga mukha nila ang saya. Magkakaiba-iba man ang mga
hitsura namin pero tila iisa lang kaming lahat ng mga nandoon.

Wala naman akong balak na sumali sa kahit anong club dahil na rin sa nahihiya ako.
Naupo na lang ako sa isa sa mga bench na medyo may kalayuan sa main grounds at
pinanood na lang ang kasiyahan ng mga tao doon.

Habang nakaupo ako ay isang piraso ng papel ang biglang lumitaw sa harapan ko.

"Freshmen?" a guy with silvery hair asked me.

Agad ko namang hinatak patakip sa ulo ko ang hood ng jacket ko bago ako tumango.

"May club ka na bang nasalihan? Do you want to join the Duellers' District?" the
guy asked.

"Ah... 'Wag na po siguro... Nakakahiya po," sagot ko naman.

The guy smiled lightly. "I'm Fraeo. Fraeo Dylan Lena. Vice-President ako ng
Duellers' District. And you are—?"

"Crimson po," sagot ko naman bago ako nakipagkamay sa kanya. "Crimson Soriano."

Fraeo sat beside me. "So... Crimson... I think your parents should've named you Red
or Maroon instead. Mas bagay 'yun lalo na sa appearance mo..."

I pulled the hood of my jacket even further to cover my face.

"Bakit ka ba nag-iisa lang dito? Why aren't you participating in the fun? Nahihiya
ka ba dahil sa hitsura mo?" tanong niya.

"O-Of course not..."

Fraeo threw me a skeptical look. "Let's walk around, Crimson. And don't wear your
hood—"

"But—"

He fixed his eyes intently on me. "You don't have to wear your hood. Trust me," he
said before holding my arm and guiding me towards the open grounds despite my
reluctance.

"I guess you're a Morph Weirdo?" Fraeo asked as we walked in the middle of the
crowd.

"Opo," sagot ko naman.

"Just Fraeo, okay? Second-year pa lang din naman ako. Are you a Special Student?"
he asked.

I nodded.

"Sick. Well, considering your weirdness, you should probably join the Duellers'
District. Isa kami sa mga pinakamalaking clubs sa Emerald. Hindi kasi weirdness-
exclusive ang club namin unlike sa Elemental Enclave, Healers' Haven, Brain
Brotherhood, tsaka 'yung iba pa. We train our members para tulungan silang ma-
improve ang combating skills nila. To be honest, malaki ang naitulong sa 'kin ng
club na 'to para sa Combat Education," litanya ni Fraeo.

"Pero kung ayaw mong sumali sa 'min, nandiyan naman ang Morph Milieu na teritoryo
ng mga Morph Weirdos gaya mo. Member din ako ng Elemental Enclave kung hindi mo
natatanong. Pero syempre, papakiusapan na kita na sumali sa 'min. We have some
crazy guys in our club but they can surely help you improve your fighting skills.
So, deal or no deal?" he asked.

"I would love to join but..."

Fraeo raised an eyebrow.

"...are you really willing to accept someone like... me?" I asked timidly.

He took a deep breath before smiling. "'If you are strange, if you are peculiar, if
you are weird, then you are welcome here in Emerald.' Madalas 'yung sabihin ni
Professor Evanesca. And quite honestly, I couldn't agree more. Tanggap ka ng mga
tao rito kahit sino ka pa man o kung ano pa man ang hitsura mo. For as long as you
are weird, then you belong here in Emerald."

He suddenly gestured to the people around us.

"You probably have sensitive senses, right? Now, tell me, may naririnig ka bang
kumukutya sa 'yo ngayon dahil sa hitsura mo? May nakikita ka bang natatakot o
umiiwas sa 'yo? Ako, nagdalawang-isip ba akong lumapit sa 'yo dahil lang sa hitsura
mo?" tanong ni Fraeo.

I looked around me and realized the he's right. We've been walking for a while now
but no one in the crowd seems to be afraid of me or whispering behind my back. Some
of the people didn't even give me a second glance. Strange it may seem but I felt
like I truly belong to this place, that I have finally found a place where I can be
myself without being feared or ridiculed by people.

Fraeo suddenly pulled my jacket off of me, exposing my reddish skin and bushy tail.

"There... You look so much better when you're not wearing your jacket," he said
before ruffling my hair.

"T-Thanks..." I said timidly as my bushy tail flicked from side to side.

"Let's go. I'm going to introduce you to our club members," Fraeo said before
guiding me towards their booth.

I just stared at him as he guided me through the crowd. For the first time in my
entire life, a total stranger didn't think twice about approaching me, he didn't
even recoil when he touched my skin. For the first time in my entire life, I felt
thankful and proud that I am not normal, that I am who I am.

I was able to forge new friendships and create a good name for myself in Emerald.
In the end, I found a place where I can grow, be happy, and be myself all at the
same time. All of the good things that happened to me became possible because i
just stayed hopeful and positive.

If I got carried away by all the whispering behind my back, I would never be able
to succeed during my early years.

If I allowed fear and doubt to overcome me, I would never have the the courage to
try to enrol in Emerald.

Above all, if I did not stay strong and positive, I would never achieve the kind of
life that I am living today. Of course I have to give credit to my family and
friends because they strengthened and believed in me during those times when I was
doubting myself.

I have experienced the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs in life.
There are times when I felt like giving up; but because of my family, because of my
friends, I learned to always look at the positive side of things even when I myself
was also struggling to see the light. After all, the strongest people are those who
know how to smile during the darkest of times.

So if you're feeling stressed from all the negativity in this world, just take a
long and deep breath, relax, and smile because no matter how messed up your life
may get, everything will always be alright in the end.

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Ike will be facing even more training. This time, it's the Purgers'
turn to sharpen and hone his skills. At the same time, we will go back to the past
once more to finally have a tiny glimpse at the biggest Weirdo War in history and
the life of one of the greatest villains of all time, Serafina. As we start delving
into her deep and dark past, we will soon see the string that somehow interlinks
her with the greatest agent of all time—a connection between Esmerelda and Serafina
that could well be the single greatest weakness that the headmistress could have.
Keep it here on Weirdos III.
        Special Chapter: The Top 10 Most Powerful Students of Emerald (3rd-Years)
[Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Emerald is the best magical school in the country and one of the best in
the world, having ranked 5th in the latest World Ranking of magical schools all
over the globe. What made this magical school the gold standard of agent education
are their high-quality Weirdo Courses, their skilled and talented professors led by
the former number one agent, Esmerelda Evanesca; and the extra-curricular
activities of the school's different clubs which aim to improve the individual
skills and abilities of all the students outside the four corners of their
classrooms.

That's why it's not a surprise that Emerald has a 100% passing rate in the Agents'
Licensure Examination. In fact, the National Magical Law Enforcement Agency has a
hiring policy with this school wherein they prioritize the employment of Emerald's
graduates once they pass the ALE. This school also sends a shortlist of their best
graduates to the Agents International yearly. The graduates chosen by the said
agency receive an invitation to apply in the AI.

In this Special Chapter, the author has enlisted the ten most powerful 3rd-year
students with respect to their magical abilities, skills, and overall academic
performance in Emerald for the past three years. Factors such as performance in the
Magical Mayhem, way of using their weirdnesses, and experience in battling the
villains were also considered.

10. Cataleya Leskovik

Weirdness: Clairvoyance
Classification: Mind Weirdo
Class: D

Cataleya is perhaps one of the best students in the Mind Weirdo Course. Even though
she never participated in the Magical Mayhem since she was a first-year, her
combating skills are still exceptional as seen when she fought Devon in their
attempt to reveal his true identity and against the villains in the incident that
happened in the NMLEA.

Her weirdness also allows her to look into the immediate future, allowing her to
see the possible events that might happen in her immediate vicinity. Even though it
disconnects her consciousness in the present time, her ability is still really
useful especially during the time when Ike and his squad were trying to escape
Jaeron and the villains.

In the end part of Weirdos II, it was also revealed that she can look into the
memories of people and uncover them despite being masked by a Brainwashing
Weirdness as seen when she was able to see Jared's memories even though he himself
can't remember them due to the effects of Devon's weirdness.

As a Seer, she can also give prophecies when she enters a trance-like state as seen
in Weirdos I. All in all, she's a student who has learned to improve her arsenal of
abilities despite having a non-attack-oriented weirdness.
9. Philip Martinez
Weirdness: Animal Transformation
Classification: Transfiguration Weirdo
Class: A

His weirdness, by nature, is not attack-oriented. What makes him a dangerous

opponent is the myriad of animals that he can transform to. Aside from transforming
into an animal, he can also make his animal form larger than usual.

Philip's favorite animal form is a huge eagle as seen in the first two books. Even
in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem, he still chose to fight using his eagle form.
Despite of that, he was able to contain Jethro's phoenix together with Cezka. His
combating skills were also commendable as seen in their numerous practical
activities in Combat Education.

In the Workout Week in Weirdos III, it was revealed that he can already transform
specific body parts into animal parts as seen when he transformed his hand into a
snake and when he used eagle wings without totally transforming himself into an
eagle. He also transformed into a gigantic triceratops in their first challenge,
causing devastating damage to their opponents.

As of now, Philip is trying to perfect his transformation into mythical beasts such
as the dragon and the phoenix in preparation for the Collegiate Magical Mayhem
Tournament. We can all agree that he's definitely going to be a difficult opponent
to fight in the coming competition.

8. Cezka Marie Jimenez

Weirdness: Air
Classification: Elemental Weirdo
Class: A

Cezka is a product of Emerald Secondary School. She is one of the top students of
Emerald, both in combating skills and academic performance. Though she didn't leave
much impact in the Freshmen Magical Mayhem, she proved to be a really powerful
opponent in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem. She also faced Jethro's phoenix and was
successfully able to safely contain it, giving her classmates room to fight their
opponents.

Her performance in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem paved the way towards her Field
Study and internship in the NMLEA.

In the Workout Week in Weirdos III, it was revealed that she's already able to
produce fog and smoke which are among the higher-class powers of her Air Weirdness.
She can also conjure Solid Air, one of the strongest barriers known in the field of
magic alongside the Time Lock, the Evanesca Shield, etc. She was also able to
maintain the elemental storm conjured by her, Jack, and Ike around their island all
by herself as seen in their Workout Week.
Although she didn't qualify as a member of Emerald's official team for the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament, she was actually one of the top candidates
for the Magic 9. Despite of that, everyone can definitely agree that Cezka has a
very bright and promising future ahead of her.

7. Tony Arellano
Weirdness: Enhanced Senses
Classification: Morph Weirdo
Class: A

Tony has always been a high-calibre student since he was a freshman. His weirdness
is also not an attack-oriented one, but with the help of his accuracy and precision
with his arrows, he definitely is an opponent whom you should not underestimate.

In the Freshmen Magical Mayhem, Tony showed the ability to communicate with other
people by redirecting sound waves towards his specific target. His ears can also
serve as a receiver and detector of sound waves and as an amplifier as seen when
Class A listened to the conversation of RB and Jared. His skin is also so sensitive
that it can even detect sound waves.

His fighting skills were also evident during the Sophomore Magical Mayhem when he
single-handedly defeated three opponents in the elimination round. He also fought
alongside Ike to take down two participants during the second and final round of
the game.

Tony's impeccable precision and accuracy were shown once more in the first
challenge during their Workout Week in Weirdos III when he bombarded Class F's
island with explosive arrows. All in all, he's among the top-notch students of
Emerald when it comes to combat and academics. He's going to be a deadly and
difficult opponent in the upcoming CMMT.

6. Faye Lena
Weirdness: Healing
Classification: Healer Weirdo
Class: A

Faye is also a graduate of the Emerald Secondary School. She may be a Healer but
she can definitely give her opponents wounds and injuries whenever she gets serious
in combat. Coming from the Lena lineage, a bloodline boasting of its mighty agents
and military officers, Faye definitely inherited the killer instinct that runs in
the blood of their family. However, her skills and abilities should be credited
mainly on her exceptional drive to learn the things that are outside the field of
her weirdness.

Because she didn't participate in any of the Magical Mayhem competitions in

Emerald, her combating skills haven't been highlighted that much. However, it was
repeatedly shown throughout the series that she's one of the most trusted Healers
by none other than Nurse Juliana herself, the resident nurse and overall head of
the Emerald Infirmaries. Her excellent healing skills are evident with her two
consecutive awards as the Best Healer of her batch.
She's also an expert when it comes to concocting potions as seen throughout Weirdos
II when she helped Ike detect traces of Dark Magic in a park inside Emerald using a
Tracer Potion and when she dissolved the Dark Magic summoned by Devon using a
bottle of Cleansing Potion. She was also able to stop the spread of Dark Magic on
Alice's ropes all by herself.

In the climax of Weirdos II, Faye fought alongside Ike and the rest of their squad
to escape from the grasp of Jaeron and the villains. She used a Healing Orb, a kind
of healing technique that uses light as the healing medium, to break Jaeron's
crystal medallion and prevent him from absorbing the fused powers of Ike and RB.

Althought it's not yet mentioned in the series, Faye uses her knowledge about the
human anatomy to her advantage whenever she's in combat. She uses specific blows
and hits to paralyze and subdue her opponents, a fighting technique known for its
incredible difficulty but deadly effectiveness.

We can definitely expect more from the best Healer of Emerald now that she's a part
of the official team for the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament.

5. Jared Esveron
Weirdness: Revenge Attack
Classification: N/A
Class: C

Jared has always been a top student in Emerald, having placed 5th in his first year
and 3rd in his second year in the year-end ranking of the school. He also qualified
for the Special Weirdo Course Program of Emerald, a prestigious training program
given only to the students with the rarest weirdnesses.

In the Freshmen Magical Mayhem in Weirdos I, Jared diplayed the most basic function
of his weirdness—by returning the attacks directed to him to their original caster.
That also revealed his weakness—he can't use his weirdness to redirect physical
attacks (e.g. punches, kicks, etc.) directed to him. In fact, RB was able to beat
him by switching to non-magical, physical attacks.

In order to address his weakness, Jared trained hard in improving his hand-to-hand
combat.

He didn't exhibit much improvement in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem. In the climax
of Weirdos II, however, it was revealed that he can already redirect multiple
attacks. In addition to that, he can also choose a target as seen when he
redirected the attacks of Jack, RB, and Ike towards the villains.

Jared's one month stint in the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp really helped
him find new ways of using his weirdness. One of his new abilities was revealed in
the Workout Week in Weirdos III, Forced Activation. It's a technique where he can
activate the weirdness of all the people around him in a 10-meter radius and use
those powers to his advantage. He used that technique against Class A to activate
the weirdness of Jack, RB, and Ike to destroy their island's gem and win the first
challenge in the Workout Week.

His inclusion to the official team will surely make Team Emerald a dangerous
opponent in the upcoming CMMT.

4. Jack Abareñas
Weirdness: Water
Classification: Elemental Weirdo
Class: A

Jack entered Emerald as one of the top incoming students. Because he's one of the
best graduates of the Emerald Secondary School—the high school department of the
Emerald School of Commons known for their Basic Weirdo Course offered for their
weirdo students—he got a recommendation from the ESS to enrol in the School of
Magic.

Even as a freshman, Jack already exhibited his exceptional skill in using his
weirdness despite his inability to control it at first. He would always wear gloves
to prevent freezing whatever he touches as seen in Weirdos I. His body temperature
gradually rose especially when he discovered his ability to control water.

With the help of RB, Jack learned to create ice wings that allow him to fly. He
then used this technique first in the Freshmen Magical Mayhem and numerous times
throughout the entire series.

In Weirdos II, it was revealed that he can already craft an ice bow and use ice
attacks to freeze his opponents. The ability to craft elements into different
weapons is one of the trickiest techniques in manipulating the elements. He used
this technique to great success in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem. Jack eventually
ended up as the 2nd runner-up in this competition.

In the Workout Week in Weirdos III, Jack helped Ike and Cezka conjure an elemental
storm around their island, creating a nearly-impenetrable defense. It was also
revealed that he can already perform Marionette, one of the most difficult
techniques that can be mastered by a Water Weirdo.

Jack always lacked proper decision-making and critical thinking throughout their
lessons and games in the series. However, his exceptional talent and skill with his
weirdness, paired with his unparalleled athleticism and recklessness, more than
make up for his lack of proper thinking in combat. He was able to single-handedly
take down majority of the members of Class B and take the first podium at the same
time in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem. He was also able to extinguish Jethro's
phoenix and freeze the entire floating island where the Tower was located in the
final round of the competition.

It's not a surprise that Jack always ends up in the Top 5 of the year-end ranking,
and it's also a no-brainer that he's one of the top picks for the official team for
the CMMT. We can all agree that the coolest guy of the series will give us more in
the chapters to come.
3. Jethro Mantes
Weirdness: Fire-Air Hybrid
Classification: Elemental Weirdo
Class: B

Fire Weirdos are widely known for their unparalleled power, all thanks to their
ability to control the second most powerful element in the hierarchy of elemental
powers; and Jethro is among those who's been blessed with the ability to control
this powerful element.

Despite being defeated by Ike in the one-on-one battles of the Freshmen Magical
Mayhem, Jethro still exhibited superior control and mastery with his Fire
Weirdness. He was also able to deflect Ike's spells using a Shield Charm, showing
his skill and knowledge in the field of spells.

Jethro showed drastic improvement in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem in Weirdos II

when he conjured a phoenix from the burning Tower. Elemental animation is one of
the advanced techniques in controlling the elements. His excellent performance in
the Sophomore Magical Mayhem gave him a podium finish as the 1st runner-up.

Though he didn't make it to the Magic 9, Jethro is still definitely a talented and
skilled weirdo who's been blessed with a powerful weirdness; and as the series
continue to unfold, we'll surely see nothing but improvement from this promising
young lad.

2. Ike Lunaria
Weirdness: Telekinesis/Prime Elemental
Classification: Elemental Weirdo
Class: A

Ike, unlike the other students here in the Top 10, did not enter Emerald with a
promising weirdness or as one of the top students. He barely passed the Weirdness
Test but he still scored a decent grade in the Written Test, allowing him to
acquire a scholarship grant from Emerald.

During his early days in Emerald, Ike always lacked offensive power mainly because
of the limitations of his Telekinesis Weirdness. However, his ability to analyze
situations and create plans that can make the tables turn to his favor really stood
out even during his first year in Emerald. Always a quick thinker, Ike can easily
find a quick escape from tight situations or use the current situation to his
advantage despite having the lower hand from the more skilled and powerful
opponents.

Ike relied heavily on spells during the Freshmen Magical Mayhem. Despite being at a
disadvantage from the other more powerful participants, he still managed a podium
finish as the 1st runner-up.

His real improvement started when he discovered that he's the holder of the Prime
Elemental, one of the most powerful weirdnesses known in weirdokind. As the series
progressed, he slowly learned to control the elements one by one despite
encountering difficulties at first.

The Sophomore Magical Mayhem showed Ike's better control with his Earth and Air
Weirdness. His improvement in controlling the elements, combating skills, and
critical thinking, gave way for him to defeat the much stronger and more powerful
Jethro, allowing him to win the championship.

In the climax of Weirdos II, he led his friends in their attempt to escape from
Jaeron and the villains. At the end of their school year, he finished as the top
student of their year level, thanks to his academic performance and championship in
the Sophomore Magical Mayhem.

At the beginning of Weirdos III, it was revealed that he can already use Plant
Magic and ice which are among the higher-class elements of Earth and Water
respectively, showing his improvement in controlling the three elements. With the
help of Ezekiel, he also started learning to improve his Telekinesis Weirdness. So
far, Ike can already create fireball attacks using accelerated balls of force
field.

Ike's determination and never-ending will to learn new things are the factors that
made him one of the most improved students of Emerald. His leadership skills will
surely be useful for the team once the CMMT kicks off.

1. Rubio Talla
Weirdness: Crystals
Classification: Elemental Weirdo
Class: A

RB is the best graduate of the Emerald Secondary School. He also entered the School
of Magic as the top incoming student, having aced both the Weirdness and Written
Tests.

Even as a freshman, RB already exhibited superior mastery and control with his
Crystal Weirdness. He can animate his crystal creations as seen when he coated the
skeletons of his parents with crystals, allowing them to move around their house
like sentient beings. He can also transform his body into crystals as seen during
the Freshmen Magical Mayhem when he transformed his arms into diamond. RB easily
won the Freshmen Magical Mayhem and finished as the top student of their batch.

He showed nothing but improvement in Weirdos II. In the Sophomore Magical Mayhem,
it was revealed that he can already create Crystal Golems and craft different
weapons from crystals. He also exhibited a strange, new power where black markings
suddenly appear on his body, allowing him to absorb magic from the surroundings and
turn whatever he touches into dust.

RB can also use his crystal creations to communicate with others as seen when he
used his Crystal Golems to talk to his classmates in the Sophomore Magical Mayhem
and when he used his crystal butterfly to ask help from Ike when Jaeron abducted
him from the NMLEA Detention Center.
He also exhibited another strange power in the climax of Weirdos II. Whenever his
hidden powers get activated, RB can force anyone to obey his orders as seen when he
forced the villains to fall to the ground. This strange power of his also appeared
several times throughout Weirdos III.

The National Weirdo Youth Training Camp made RB even more powerful. During the
first challenge in their Workout Week, it was revealed that RB can already
disintegrate his body, transfigure his disintegrated form, and animate it at the
same time as seen when he disintegrated himself into dust and transformed into a
flock of crystal ravens. His attacks have also become more accurate and precise,
all thanks to his one-month stay in the training camp.

RB's emotions can also influence his Crystal Weirdness as seen numerous times
throughout the series. Sometimes, he unconsciously summons crystal butterflies
especially whenever he gets sad. Apart from that, RB can also accidentally produce
rubies or pink diamonds whenever things get too intimate between him and Ike. It
only shows that even though he's really powerful, his weirdness still has a
childish part. (The ability of weirdos to control their weirdness especially during
their childhood can be highly affected by their emotions.)

His superior athleticism and hand-to-hand fighting skills were also evident
throughout the series. The professors have admitted numerous times that RB is even
better than some of the agents. Whenever he's fighting, he also remains cool, calm,
and collected, allowing him to see and exploit the holes in the defense of his
opponents.

The other participating teams in the CMMT definitely have to be wary of RB because
he's going to bring some serious trouble in the upcoming competition.

●●●

If you have suggestions or ideas on what to feature next in our Special Chapters,
feel free to comment your thoughts in the comments section below. Stay tuned for
more weird things here in the Weirdo Series.

TheAshtone

        Chapter 24: The Ninth Prime [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            So I just finished reading Love Is An Illusion and the manhwa shot me

straight in the heart.

I KENNAT TAKE THE CUTENESS OF THE STORY.

The plot was light and cute. The bed scenes were SCORCHING HOT. All in all, maganda
ang kwento though medyo weird para sa 'kin ang alpha and omega thingy nila. Hye-
sung is the perfect image ng mga mabababa kong uke like Teo and Seth.
But can someone please explain the concept of their story? Hindi ko kasi siya gets
masyado eh. I can understand the biology about the dominant and recessive bullshit
but what I don't get is how exactly the relationships among alphas, betas, and
omegas work. Hindi ko alam kung may similar stories na akong na-encounter na may
ganung klaseng concept (the omegaverse thingy) or sadyang unique doon sa kwento ang
concept na 'yun. Please enlighten me!

Just in case kasi eh baka sina Crimson at Fraeo ang sample-lan ko ng MPREG at 'yung
'scent-pheromone' thingy ng LIAI. Well, Crimson's biology is still not clear and I
can still tweak with his body para gawin siyang capable of carrying a child.
Gagawin ko siyang separate story kapag nagkataon. Balak ko rin kasi talagang gumawa
ng compilation of stories na related sa Weirdo Series. 'Yung parang mga short
stories na compiled sa iisang libro just like J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle
the Bard and Ransom Rigg's Tales of the Peculiar.

Kung magaling lang talaga kasi akong mag-drawing hindi ko pagtitiisan ang Wattpad.
ߘ

Thanks sa makaka-explain! Labyu.

TheAshtone

¢‫●●׏‬

Earlier that morning, I was notified by the headmistress that my training with the
Purgers will begin this very evening. Exhausted from an entire day of roaming and
patrolling the city, I flopped straight into my bed after changing clothes the
moment I got back to our dorm and fell into a deep sleep.

What happened next is something that I never expected.

I woke up lying on a completely empty and silent street. Confused and curious, I
got up and looked around me. It's nighttime and the red moon is shining brightly in
the sky above, bathing the entire place in a gloomy red glow. There aren't any
signs of life around. The streets and buildings are quiet and desolate. There's
only destruction as far as my eyes can see; and when I looked down on myself, I
literally jumped in shock and fright.

My entire body was covered in a misty black smoke—or rather, my entire body's made
entirely out of smoke. I saw a nearby fallen lamppost and tried to touch it but my
misty hand passed through it completely. Something glinted in the corner of my eye
and I saw a huge glass window. I immediately approached it to have a better look at
myself.

I stepped back a few paces in surprise when I finally saw my reflection.

It appears that even my head was also covered in black smoke. My eyes and mouth,
however, were giving off a blinding green glow. I look like some sort of a scary
black ghost with glowing eyes. The silhouette of the smoke was exactly like me.
Even the shape of my eyes was also exactly the same as the smoky figure's.

"Weird..." I whispered, raising my smoky hand to touch my reflection.

The glass broke the moment my fingers touched it, sending shards of glass
shattering against the pavement. The broken pieces of glass on the ground reflected
my image, making it look like I'm staring at a many-eyed smoky monster. My
reflection deeply unsettled me so I immediately walked away.

The ground suddenly shook violently, making the buildings around me sway
dangerously. A thunderous roar echoed all over the place and a monstrous shadow
rose from a huge crack on the ground and towered above the highest buildings in the
area. The gigantic shadow smiled widely, showing its long tongue and pointed teeth.

"I can see that you have finally come, Prime Elemental..." the towering shadow
roared.

"What the hell?!" I shouted in surprise as I stepped away from the shadow.

"I am not alone, Fergus," a man's voice suddenly said from behind me.

I looked around and saw a man made out of a smoky white and green light standing at
the very edge of a tall building. I just realized that it was not I whom the
towering shadow was talking to. It was probably referring to this guy.

"Ah, yes... You have brought with you the Prime Destruction, too..."

My heart leaped in shock as another smoky figure appeared right beside the man.
Judging from the silhouette of the figure, it was probably a woman. Her body's made
out of glowing purplish smoke with the familiar wavy black markings. She contrasted
sharply against the blinding light of the guy beside her.

"Astrid... It's so nice to see you, my dear girl..." the shadow said.

"Astrid?!" I shouted in surprise. "Then that guy is Elijah? The ninth Prime
Elemental?!"

"I was just wondering," the shadow continued, "why are you with Elijah, my dear
Astrid? Your powers contrast each other like water and oil. You'll never be able to
defeat me for as long as you are with him. You are destruction, my dear girl. You
are death. It's clear that you should've joined us instead of choosing that guy."

"I'm with Elijah because I'm fighting for what I think is right and just," Astrid
replied. "My power doesn't have anything to do with my personality, Fergus. Even if
I've been cursed to bear the most evil weirdness in the world, I would still use it
to do good."

The shadow laughed loudly, making the earth shake. "As expected from you, Astrid.
Emerald has definitely honed you to be courageous and strong-willed in the short
time that you spent with them..."

"And you are the worst headmaster that Emerald has ever seen or will ever have,"
Elijah fired at him.

"WHAT?!" I shouted in surprise. It seems that I cannot interact with the people in
my dream and vice versa. I've been shouting my heart out already and nobody seems
to hear or even notice me.

"You're slowly getting defeated, Fergus. All of our forces are slowly taking down
your minions all over the world. It took us a while to figure out where and who you
truly are, but now, you have nowhere to run. Your fall will be the deathblow to
your forces in the entire world," Elijah added.

The shadow let out a long and thunderous breath, rattling all the buildings around
us.

"The Prime Elemental and the Prime Destruction... the two most powerful weirdnesses
in the world... the parents of all the weirdnesses that has come and yet to come...
But I'm afraid that you will never defeat me. Evil will always prosper. It's an
immortal monster whose decapitation will only give birth to more ferocious and
powerful heads. You need evil in this world to identify which things are good and
pure. Evil is imperative. Evil is everlasting. Evil is eternal," Fergus said.

"And the Prime Elemental will
this world. Maybe we won't be
the time will come where evil
Elemental is the one who will
world," Elijah replied.
always be there to squash even the tiniest evil in
able to defeat you today, but I know that someday,
will finally be vanquished forever. The Prime
put the nail on the coffin of all the evil in the

A mysterious smile curved across the lips of Fergus. "You have the power to end all
the evil in this world, Elijah. The answer is right beside you, but I'm afraid that
you're too weak to even lay a finger on her. Love makes people pathetic... Love
makes people weak..."

The monstrous shadow of Fergus started growing larger and more grotesque. Shadows
of clawed hands suddenly erupted from the ground and started destroying everything
around us. The green and white light of Elijah suddenly combined with the purple
and black glow of Astrid. The two became one as their colors mixed together.

"Fusion..." I whispered in awe and apprehension.

Fergus let out a mad laugh. "I can see that you have learned how to fuse.
Impressive. It's a pity that you'll never learn how to use that to put an end to
all the darkness and evil in this world. Come to me, you two! If I'm going to die
today, I'm going to make sure that I'll be dragging you with me!"

My heart almost jumped into my mouth when I suddenly realized something. At the
same time, a powerful wind blew against me, dragging me away from the scene. I
tried to hold on to a nearby lamppost but my smoky hands weren't even able to touch
it.

"Wait! WAIT!!!" I shouted as darkness overwhelmed my vision. The roaring of the

wind was immediately replaced by a deep and deafening silence as everything around
me blinked out into an unfathomable darkness.

In an instant, my body felt extremely light. I looked down on myself and saw
nothing but darkness. I can't see, hear, or even feel anything around me.

And then it happened.

A tiny dot of pulsating light suddenly appeared over the distance. The darkness
seemed to crawl away from the dot everytime it pulsates into a blinding brightness.
At the same time, a male voice suddenly spoke, breaking the suffocating silence
around me:

"Ike..."

Even though I don't even know if I still have a body or not, I still tried to move
towards the pulsating light. The dot of light slowly grew into a ball as it became
larger and nearer with every pulse.

A man is currently standing right at the middle of the ball of light. The man has a
completely green hair and a skin with a greenish tinge, too. He seemed to be
clothed in colorful flowers, leaves, rocks, and barks of trees. I also noticed that
he also has glowing lightning markings all over his body and face just like mine.
The man looked young. Judging from his appearance, he's probably about the same age
as me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The man opened his eyes which were also green in color and that seem to hold a
colorful galaxy of stars inside them. It's like his eyes reflect the very universe
itself. His lips slowly curved into a kind smile as he extended a hand towards me.

"I am you..." the man replied.

"Me?"
"We are you..." he added, gesturing behind me.

I immediately looked behind me where balls of light started appearing in a circle

around us. All of them were containing a person with similar lightning markings
like mine. There were even a few women, too. All of them were looking at me.

"Can you please explain what's happening here? Who exactly are you? What are you?"
I asked the man in front of me.

"They are the previous holders of the Prime Elemental," he replied.

My heart jumped in surprise as I looked at all of them. I made a quick count of all
the people around me which, to my surprise, totalled to eleven, including me.

"But there's eleven of us here. I'm the tenth Prime Elemental, right? It's either
there's someone who shouldn't be here or our count was wrong," I said.

"You are the tenth Prime Elemental, yes, and all the people that you can see around
us belong here," the man replied.

"Then why are there eleven people here?" I asked.

The man smiled lightly as he approached me and put a glowing hand on my shoulder.

"I am the reason why the Earth is teeming with life. I am the reason why the Earth
is overflowing with color. I am the reason why the earth shakes, the wind blows,
the water flows, the fire burns, and the lightning strikes. I am the force that
makes life on Earth possible... I am you, Ike... I am Life..."

"WAKE THE HELL UP, HUBBY!!!"

I literally jumped off my bed as RB's voice filled my ears. Ice shards accidentally
flew away from my body due to shock. Thankfully, RB was able to duck just in time
as the ice shards whizzed straight to the walls of my room.

"What the heck, man?!" I shouted as I almost flipped the bed towards RB. "You
freaking scared me to death, you freak!"

"Sorry. I've been trying to wake you up for a few minutes already. At first I
thought you were just having a wet dream so I just watched you and waited 'til you
ejaculate; but you eventually started thrashing in your bed while blabbering so I
decided to wake you up," RB explained.

"Sorry," I replied while massaging my forehead. "I just had a bad dream."
"What? Were you having sex with a girl in your dream that's why you're that
horrified?" RB asked.

I stared at him flatly. "No."

"Do you want a kiss to make you feel better?" RB asked as he suddenly clung on to
me. "Or..."

RB smirked as he made a circle with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand
before putting the forefinger of his right hand through the circle repeatedly.

I grabbed his hand and twisted it. "Subukan mo lang 'yan gawin ulit at puputulin ko
'yang mga daliri mo," banta ko sa kanya.

"I mean if you want some street foods, duh! Tusok-tusok...in mo ako..." sagot niya.

"Pagkakasabi mo pa lang niyan ang sagwa na. Stop it," I snarled at him.

"Anyway, I woke you up because we haven't eaten our dinner yet and the cafeteria's
about to close. Let's go and eat, hubby. Our baby needs proper nourishment," RB
said as he headed to the door.

"RB, wait..."

"Yes, hubby?"

"Can you remember what happened to you when we fused?" I asked.

RB pinched his cheek. "Of course. It felt really good especially when you came
inside me... a lot. I was thinking of letting you cum outside but you pinned my
body on the bed so tightly that I can't even move an inch. Even though I'm a guy, I
still got afraid that Ike might make me pregnant because of the literally pouring
and gushing cum that he deposited inside me—"

"Not that!" I shouted.

"Oh, you mean the fusion that happened in the NMLEA?"

"That."

"Hmm... I really can't remember much but when I saw Ike being squeezed to death by
one of Jaeron's cronies, my vision suddenly darkened and my body sort of tensed and
tightened up. Everything that happened after that was like a dream. It's like I'm
there but I cannot actually interact with anyone or anything. Jeez... I don't want
to feel that sensation again," RB explained with a shudder.

I frowned. The two of us experienced the exact same thing when we fused. Now that I
think of it, I haven't actually asked him about our fusion in the NMLEA. I guess I
was just really glad that all of us survived that it slipped out of my mind.

"RB, can you consciously activate your hidden powers?" I asked.

"Which? I have a lot of powers, hubby. Beauty... Sex appeal... Attention magnet..."

I stared at him flatly.

"The one where my hair goes all black and I can turn any bitch to dust?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Sure. Wait a sec..." RB replied before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
A soft breeze blew against him, ruffling his hair which instantly changed color
from grey and purple to jet-black. The familiar wavy black markings also appeared
on his body and face. RB then opened his eyes which have also turned to black
except for the pupils which remained grey for his left eye and purple for his right
eye.

I instinctively raised a hand to touch RB's face. Something inside me is telling me

that there is something strange going on with him but my mind is refusing to
acknowledge the coincidence of RB's appearance with that of Astrid's.

"I'm not fond of this power..." RB suddenly said. "I can feel that there's
something squirming inside me. You know, it's like I have butterflies in my stomach
which are desperately trying to spread throughout my body. I feel like I'd burst if
I allow them to take over me that's why I don't really try to make this power of
mine go beyond the limit that I can control."

"This power... Did Professor Evanesca tell you anything about this?" I asked.

RB frowned at the ceiling. "Not much... She hasn't told me anything about this
power of mine. She just wants me to learn how to use it properly without me losing
control. I actually lost control in one of our sessions and I reduced half of the
Amber Battle Hall into ashes," he said sheepishly.

"What the hell?! Bakit ngayon mo lang 'yan sinabi sa 'kin?!" gulat kong tanong.

"Well, it's not that important, actually. Besides, Ezekiel fixed the battle hall in
no time. That was actually the reason why they made Ezekiel one of my trainers. He
encloses me inside a force field whenever I'm training. According to him, this
state is just probably about 10% of the true power that I have. Anything past that
threshold will make me lose control. As of now, I'm trying to increase that
threshold without me behaving like a berserk bitch burner," RB explained.

I just stood in total silence as I examined his black markings.

"Hey, hubby..."

"What?"

"You're reacting."

I frowned. "What?"

"Your body's reacting."

I looked down on myself and saw that the lightning markings on my body were already
glowing brightly with their signature green and white light. I then looked at RB
who was also looking at me curiously.

"Do you think we can fuse now?" RB asked.

I didn't give him a reply. Instead, I stepped closer to him and held his hands
firmly. Whether by instinct or by some unknown force, the two of us slowly inched
closer to one another. I lowered my face and held him by his hips as RB tiptoed and
wrapped his arms around my neck. Our lips drew nearer to each other. At the same
time, my green and white smoke seemed to interlace and mix with RB's purple and
black smoke.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"

A powerful shockwave suddenly exploded between RB and me, sending us flying away
from each other. The two of us slammed on the wall before crashing to the floor.
The door blasted open and flew across the room before smashing on the window,
revealing Ezekiel who was standing right outside the hallway of my room. His black
cloak was billowing behind him and his greenish eyes were glowing brightly.

I coughed and gasped for air as my chest tightened due to the impact of my crash.
"What the heck was that?!"

"I should be the one asking you that," Ezekiel replied as he glided into the room.
The shattered window repaired itself and the blasted door flew back to its hinges.
The broken pieces of wood and furniture also flew back to their respective places.
At the same time, RB and I were lifted from our places and floated towards Ezekiel.
"Explain."

"Wait. Why do I feel like we got caught while we're doing something bad? You acted
like a paranoid parent who caught his child kissing someone in his room. Besides,
RB and I can kiss because we're in a relationship," I said.

Ezekiel slowly removed the hood of his cloak from his head before looking at me
sharply. A few arcs of electricity ran through his arms and face as he stared at me
dead in the eyes.

"Explain."

My body flinched as his scorching eyes pierced through me like a laser.

"Well, I just asked RB about what he felt when the two of us fused back in the
NMLEA. I then asked him if he could activate his powers. He did and I examined his
markings out of curiosity. That's when RB pointed out that my body reacted because
my lightning markings suddenly glowed. Then that happened..." I said sheepishly.

"Papanagutan naman po ni Ike ang bata, 'tay," sabi bigla ni RB

"SHUT UP!" Ezekiel and I fired at him.

"Oh, I thought we were role-playing. Sorry. My bad."

"So ganoon na lang 'yun? Bigla mo na lang na gustong tanungin si RB kung ano ang
naramdaman niya nung nag-fuse kayo? Meron ka bang hindi sinasabi sa 'kin?" tanong
ni Ezekiel.

I hesitated. "Well..."

Ezekiel seemed to understand my reaction. "Go and tell Professor Evanesca about
this, okay? Tell her everything. I know that you trust that old hag so much."

"Uh, hubby and I didn't do anything wrong. We're lovers. It's perfectly normal for
lovers to be lovey-dovey at times," RB said.

"You did something wrong—or rather, you did something that you shouldn't be doing,"
Ezekiel replied with a sigh. "Fusion is something that can easily lead to disaster
when done improperly. Just because you two were able to successfully fuse last time
without having your faces swapped doesn't mean that you should try it again without
the consent of your teachers. Besides, it weren't even you two who initiated the
fusion. There's nothing wrong with fusing with a fellow Elemental Weirdo but you
should be really careful because you basically know nothing about that particular
field of magic."
"We get it," I replied. "And we're sorry. We won't do it again without the consent
of the people who know better."

"Good. Fusion is a powerful technique and we might explore that field for the CMMT.
However, for as long as there is no deep need for it, we won't be using it. The
positives and negatives of that technique pretty much cancel each other out. We
don't want you to get injured or end up with swapped faces or body parts," Ezekiel
replied.

The two of us nodded.

"Anyway, I was sent here by my sister to fetch you two. Marcus and Mario are
already waiting for you in the camp. Follow me," Ezekiel said as he held the door
open, letting us exit first.

"And Ike..." Ezekiel called at me as I stepped out of the room and into the
hallway.

"Yes?"

He looked at me meaningfully. "I know you already have a lot of questions, and my
sister is the one who can enlighten you. She might not give you an answer right
away but she can definitely explain why this is like that. I know you trust her so
much, so I'm asking you to trust her again this time."

The two of us seemed to understand what's inside each other's minds. I just nodded
at him as RB hovered awkwardly in the background.

"I will, Ezekiel. I will."

        Chapter 25: The Tree Maze [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Dang it, I kind of feel embarrassed," RB said while fixing his scarf
around his neck as we walked behind Ezekiel who, in his shock or irritation because
of what he saw earlier, forgot to glide through the air and walked clumsily as we
headed for the Emerald Building.

"Well, that's a miracle. Ano naman ang ikinahiya ng isang Rubio Talla?" tanong ko
naman.

"Nothing," he replied. "It just feels like we got caught while doing something
embarrassing."

"Your kissing was embarrassing and disgusting. Fusion is not. It's dangerous that's
why I reacted like that earlier," Ezekiel replied, extending his arms on his sides
as he walked awkwardly. It's like he's walking on a balance beam.

"You aren't that fond of walking, huh?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you
glide, then?"

"I got too shocked that's why my cloak automatically suppressed my weirdness. I've
been gliding for a few years already so I'm really clumsy whenever I'm walking," he
replied. "Once this cloak detects too much emotion, it sends out blocking magic to
contain the powers of my weirdness inside it. It's like a safety fuse or something.
It won't deactivate until I calm down completely."

"That's cool," I said.

"So it actually helps you stay calm and focused whenever you're in combat," RB
added.

"Exactly," Ezekiel replied. "When you're calm, composed, and collected, you'll be
able to see the holes in your opponent's defense and use them to your advantage.
Unfortunately, one of us here goes nuts whenever he's fighting people."

"Pasensya naman," sabad ko sa kanila.

"So Ezekiel's only weakness is walking. That's cute," RB said with a small chuckle.

"No, it's not. It's horrible," Ezekiel fired back. Bigla siyang natalisod sa isang
bato at muntik pang matumba kung hindi lang siya kaagad na nasalo ni RB. "Screw it,
I feel so vulnerable; and it's all because of two students who can't contain their
urges."

"Don't worry! You also have the two best students of Emerald guarding you! Here,
let me help you walk," RB replied as he swung Ezekiel's arm over his neck.

Ezekiel glanced at me before rolling his eyes. "Yeah, one of them is a pathetic
weakling and the other one is a hopeless sex addict. God, I feel so secure right
now."

"And I feel so attacked!" RB cried out.

Thankfully, we were able to reach the Emerald Building without anyone attacking
Ezekiel. Upon reaching the circular office of the headmistress, Ezekiel flopped on
a chair and spoke no more. The headmistress who's currently reading a book gave us
a curious glance.

"Good evening. What happened to you three?" Professor Evanesca asked curiously.
"I'll just tell you later," Ezekiel replied. "Where's Ate Elena, by the way?
Shouldn't we be leaving by now?"

"She's still in a training session with one of our Special Students. She'll
probably arrive in a few minutes," the headmistress replied. "By the way, how was
your internship earlier, Ike and Rubio?"

"Okay lang naman po," sagot ko naman. "Medyo nakakapagod..."

The headmistress smiled lightly. "I know that this year's going to be challenging
for you. You have to learn the last two elements, train with the Purgers,
participate in the CMMT, attend your internship, and perform well in your academics
in preparation for next year. It's going to be difficult, draining, and exhausting,
but trust me, once the school year is over, you will become a lot stronger and more
powerful than before."

"I don't think that's going to happen," Ezekiel replied while drinking water.

A portal suddenly opened at the very center of the room and out came Professor
Elena together with Nicolo.

"Nicolo will be joining us," Professor Evanesca said as she unhooked a green cloak
from the wall. "In fact, Ezekiel has chosen him to be one of your student
assistants in the CMMT."

"That's nice," RB said.

"We're good to go," the headmistress said to her sister.

Professor Elena nodded before pointing an open hand to her portal which seemed to
lead to one of Emerald's battle halls. She closed her hand and the portal suddenly
contracted without totally closing, and when she opened her hand again, the portal
also expanded, now revealing a dark and gloomy forest.

"Let's go," Professor Evanesca said before stepping into the portal. Ezekiel
followed her who seems to have recovered from his shock and is now gliding through
the air once more. RB, Nicolo, and I followed next and Professor Elena entered the
portal last. She then closed the portal with a click of her fingers.

"Where are we?" I asked, squinting around us.

Scattered around us are numerous tall trees of the same kind. Because all the trees
look alike and they've been scattered randomly around us, it's so easy to lose your
sense of direction in this place if you're not going to walk straight. No matter
which direction I look at, everything looks pretty much the same. The darkness
around us and the thick canopies of the trees above didn't help, either. Even the
torches on stilts which were the only source of illumination in the area were
arranged in the exact same manner all around us.

"Good evening," a familiar voice suddenly said from behind us. I turned around and
saw Marcus and Mario. Agad din namang nagmano si Nicolo doon sa dalawa.

I just nodded at the brothers.

"Well, this is out of my hands already. Try not to get injured, Ike. The three of
us will just be heading to the village. See you in an hour. Do you want to come
with us, Rubio?" Professor Evanesca said.

"I'm gonna stay here and watch, professor," RB replied.

"We're out, then. Take care," the headmistress said. The three Evanescas entered
another portal which leads to the main village of the Purgers, leaving Nicolo, RB,
and I together with the Eliseo brothers.

"We're currently at the Tree Maze, Ike," Marcus said, gesturing around us. "The
trees around here have been grown with the help of some of our Plant Magic weirdos.
This is about a few hundred meters wide and people can easily get lost here. In
fact, we've caught a lot of lost people here in the past. The trees, the terrain,
and even the torches have been arranged to confuse and trick the eyes of a person
walking here."

"Ano po ba'ng gagawin natin dito ngayon?" tanong ko naman.

"The Tree Maze also serves as one of our training grounds for more advanced
Purgers. In fact, Nicolo here has been training in this place for almost a couple
of months already. This place will help you sharpen your reaction time, quickness,
accuracy, precision, and other non-combat related abilities. We Purgers have been
known for excellence in those skills," Marcus replied.

"Ezekiel and Esmerelda are in charge of training you how to unlock the remaining
elements of the Prime Elemental. Your training with us is aimed to enhance your
overall sense and awareness in combat. Your two different trainings are actually
complementary. One enhances your combative power and the other one enhances your
analytical power," he added.

I nodded.

"Which means," Marcus continued, "that we don't need flashy or overwhelming attacks
here unlike your training with Esmerelda. We only need small and simple but
accurate and precise attacks. Well, I think it's better to just show you how it's
done. Nicolo, step forward."

"We have to climb up a tree to see things better," Mario said to us as he launched
into the air and landed on a huge branch above us. I just floated towards his place
and RB used crystals on his feet to cement himself on the trunk before running
upwards to the branch.

Nicolo stood at the circular clearing which seems to be the center of the maze. At
the same time, the torches in the area suddenly dimmed, darkening up the entire
place even further. I also just noticed that the forest was too quiet and too still
even though it's evening. There aren't any signs of insects singing loudly or
animals roaming the area.

Marcus placed his hand on a tree trunk before exhaling loudly. The trunk seemed to
melt as it bubbled and boiled like a liquid. Despite of that, the tree remained
standing and perfectly erect. RB and I just stared in awe as all the trunks of the
trees around us boiled and bubbled.

"Is he a Plant Magic Weirdo?" RB asked Mario.

"A Transfiguration one," Mario replied.

"Just like Thalia," I added.

I flinched in shock when two arms suddenly came out of the boiling trunk that
Marcus is touching. Out came next are the head and torso followed by the legs. It
looks just like Emerald's Scavengers, only made out of wood.

"That's a Wooden Mannequin," Mario explained as more mannequins came out of the
trees around us. "That's one of my brothers' techniques with his Plant Magic
Weirdness. He's pretty good at it."

A blinding cyan light suddenly erupted at the center of the clearing. The light
faded away almost instantly, revealing Nicolo whose cyan hair and eyes were already
glowing brightly. Arcs of electricity were also crisscrossing all over his body.

Marcus climbed up a tree as the Wooden Mannequins below multiplied.

"Begin..."

The mannequins started dashing towards the circular clearing, but Nicolo just stood
motionless as he closed his eyes momentarily and breathed deeply.

"Watch him carefully," Mario said.

Tiny balls of glowing plasma suddenly erupted from all over Nicolo's body before
floating around him like some sort of cyan-colored fireflies. He clicked his
fingers and the plasma balls shot in all directions and hit the advancing
mannequins which exploded upon impact. Not even a single tree was hit by the
numerous plasma balls.
"Woah, so cool," RB exclaimed in awe as the entire place lit up with a cyan light
from all the explosions around us.

The mannequins who survived Nicolo's first attack started hiding behind the trees.
In an instant, the deafening explosions were replaced by an eerie and hair-raising
silence.

"And by the end of your school year, we want you to be able to do this..."

Nicolo turned around and shot a plasma ball towards a mannequin who suddenly
appeared from behind a tree. Another one tried to jump on him from above but he
shot a jet of cyan light towards the mannequin which was instantly sliced into two.
RB and I just stared in utter disbelief as Nicolo took down the mannequins one
after the other. It's like he already knows where they are going to appear that's
why he knows where and when exactly to aim.

Within just a few minutes, the Wooden Mannequins have been reduced to nothing but
mere smoking ashes and cinders scattered all over the place. Nicolo closed his eyes
and breathed deep as his glowing hair and eyes went back to normal.

I shut my mouth close as RB applauded loudly. "You mean... that?" I asked Mario
uncertainly.

"That," he replied.

RB, on the other hand, was already busy thinking. "Nicolo's already 18, right? That
means he can already enter a relationship. I think I'm gonna break up with you,
Ike. I've found a new love interest and I just realized how lame you are."

I instantly raised my shirt before staring at him flatly.

"On second thoughts, 'wag na pala. Favorite ko kasi ang pandesal," sabi ni RB.

"Shut up," I snarled at him.

"Esmerelda could've just trained you personally to improve your awareness in

combat, but she believes that nothing beats the skills and abilities of a real
Purger. Well, judging from the stories of Esmerelda, it seems that you learn fast
so you're not going to have any problem with our training program here," Mario
explained.

"Ike, come down here," Marcus called at me who's already on the ground.

"Po?" tanong ko naman pagkalapag ko.

"Your turn," he replied. "We want to see the current state of your instinct and
awareness so we're going to use the same attack as earlier. It's easy for Nicolo to
detect movements around him because he sends out electric signals to detect
movements around him; but I think this is also going to be just a breeze to you.
You can use your Earth Weirdness to detect vibrations on the ground and your Air
Weirdness to detect fluctuations in the air around you."

"Uh... I'm not yet good enough with the elements to do that," I said quietly.

Marcus smiled. "Well, this is the perfect time to unlock and refine those abilities
of yours."

I just nodded nervously as Marcus and Nicolo climbed a tree once more. RB cheered
loudly as I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself despite the sound of
creaking wood all around me. Wooden Mannequins have started sprouting from all the
trees in the area.

"Woo-hoo! Go hubby!" RB shouted while hanging from a branch using his legs.

"Ready when you are, Ike," Marcus said.

I flicked my fingers and summoned tiny balls of force field around me. The balls
rotated swiftly and went up in flames within a few seconds. I nodded at Marcus to
signal that I'm ready.

"Good luck," he said before clicking his fingers.

The Wooden Mannequins all dashed to the clearing where I was standing. I
immediately flicked my fingers, causing the flaming balls of force field to zoom
away from me. There was a sudden explosion followed by the deafening cracks of what
sounded like falling trees.

A few mannequins exploded upon being hit by the balls of fire, but the majority of
them just hit the trees surrounding the clearing, causing them to fall to the
advancing Wooden Mannequins. There was a thunderous boom as the trees hit the
ground.

RB laughed loudly upon seeing the damage that I caused.

"Nice one, hubby! You managed to eliminate all the mannequins in one attack... as
well as almost all the trees here!" he said.

"Shut up!" I yelled at him. "It was my first time!"

Marcus jumped from the tree, obviously trying not to laugh as he looked around the
smoking trees on the ground. He then waved his arms around him and the fallen trees
flew back to their trunks before healing completely. Within just a few minutes, the
Tree Maze has been restored to its former state.

"Well, to be honest, that was pretty bad," Marcus said before taking a deep breath.
"Just as I expected, you always rely on overwhelming attacks to defeat your
enemies. Of course it's understandable because you're still young and learning.
However, the more experienced weirdos don't exhaust themselves in using massive
attacks. It's always better to preserve your energy by using smaller but more
accurate and precise attacks."

I nodded. "Ano po ba'ng dapat kong gawin?"

Marcus smiled. "You really are always ready to learn just like what Esmerelda said.
Well, we're going to start with, of course, the basics."

He clicked his fingers and a few Wooden Mannequins appeared in a neat row a few
meters away from us.

"For now, just try shooting these guys using that fireball technique of yours," he
said.

And so I spent the next hour trying to shoot the Wooden Mannequins using my
fireball technique. It was boring and extremely basic but Marcus insisted that
perfecting the basics is the key to unlocking razor-sharp awareness in battle.
Besides, I can feel that he doesn't want the same thing to happen again.

"Hey, hubby..." RB said as he sat beside me while I'm busy training.

"Yes?"

"You seem to be doing well with your telekinesis," he replied, eyeing the numerous
fireballs revolving around my hand.

"Well, yeah," I said. "But I still can't create large-scale attacks and I still
can't produce lightning using these."

I flicked my fingers and the fireballs shot towards the mannequins standing at the
edge of the clearing. All of them exploded upon being hit by the fireballs.

"Ooh, nice," RB said amusedly. "You're slowly getting the hang of it!"

"Dunno," I replied lifelessly. "I don't think this is as good as Nicolo's attack
earlier."
The Evanesca siblings arrived at the Tree Maze exactly after an hour. Marcus
dismissed me right away after seeing the three.

"We'll just continue with the basics next time, Ike," he said. "Of course you can
always practice on your own to improve your accuracy. Just be very careful to not
cause any serious damage. I'll just give Esmerelda the pointers that will be
included in your training program. Good job."

"Sige po. Salamat din po," sagot ko naman.

Professor Evanesca approached me as the Eliseo brothers cleaned up the Tree Maze.
RB, on the other hand, was already busy nagging Nicolo. The two other Evanescas
just stood motionless on the other side of the clearing like statues.

"How was your training?" the headmistress asked.

"It was... pretty bad," I said, scratching my head.

Professor Evanesca smiled. "You can always train to improve yourself, just like
what you did when you were still trying to learn the elements. And look at you now,
only two elements short from being a full-fledged Prime Elemental."

The headmistress took a deep breath before looking into the darkness surrounding
the clearing. "Do you have something to tell me, Ike? What is it?"

"Ezekiel already told you?" I asked.

She nodded. "I appreciate the trust that you have in me," Professor Evanesca
replied. "Ezekiel gave me an overview of what he saw earlier. Also, you might be
wondering why my brother reacted like that when he saw the two of you fusing."

I scratched my head. "Yeah... He kinda overreacted a bit but I didn't tell him
because I don't want to end up with broken body parts."

"I can understand why you two did that. It's natural to be curious, Ike. However,
we must always practice extreme caution whenever we delve into the field of
mysterious and obscure things. Fusion, as we always say, is a ridiculously
dangerous technique. It's not even taught in any of the magical schools here in the
country, even here in Emerald. It's just too risky."

"As for Ezekiel's reaction," the headmistress continued, "he actually had a really
bad experience with fusion that's why he reacted like that earlier."

I raised an eyebrow.
"Long story short, two of his friends and fellow agents in the AI tried to perform
fusion in one of their missions. Unfortunately, it went terribly, horribly wrong.
His friends died in the accident. I think that incident happened just over a year
ago. That explains his behavior earlier," the headmistress explained.

"I see... That's really unfortunate," I said.

"It is. That's why I don't want you to perform fusion without our supervision. If
you really want to master that technique then we can include that in your training
program for next year. For now, let's go back to our initial topic, Ike. Ezekiel
just gave me an overview so I want you to tell me everything, every single thing
that you saw," the headmistress said.

I took a deep breath before glancing at RB who's currently amusing himself with
Nicolo's plasma creations.

"I had a dream, headmistress. I saw Elijah and Astrid fighting a guy named Fergus.
I also saw the previous holders of the Prime Elemental and... Life himself..." I
said quietly.

"What?" the headmistress asked in surprise as she frowned at me.

"I saw Life," I repeated. "He even talked to me, and I have a feeling that he wants
to say something to me."

        Chapter 26: The Beginning [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            A deafening silence fell upon us as the headmistress stared at the empty

air in front of her. I just stood in front of her awkwardly and waited for her to
react at what I said.

"Uh, professor?" I asked uncertainly when she remained silent for a few seconds.

Professor Evanesca blinked a few times. "Let's go for a walk, Ike," she said before
holding my arm gently and guiding me away from the clearing. "And I want you to
tell me everything that you saw in that dream of yours."

The fallen leaves crackled under our feet as the two of us walked away from the
clearing. Despite of that, the noise was still not enough to break the deep silence
around us. The headmistress just looked straight ahead of her, seemingly lost in
thought.

"I woke up on a street with my entire body covered in black smoke," I said.
"Everything in that dream seemed to be made out of nothing but shadows and light
but I can still distinguish clearly which is which. All of a sudden, this monstrous
shadow rose from the ground and towered above anything else. His name is Fergus,
and he was once a headmaster of Emerald."
The headmistress nodded. "Correct. I will enlighten you about that after you're
done narrating your dream. Continue."

"And then Elijah appeared together with Astrid. I really can't remember much of
their dialogue but Fergus said something about the Prime Weirdnesses as the parents
of all the weirdnesses in the world—"

"Which is true, if we are going to consider the Tale of Life and Death," the
headmistress said.

"Fergus also mentioned Astrid as the Prime Destruction. He also said something
about the Prime Elemental's ability to end all evil in the world. I really didn't
understand what he meant by that but he seemed to be implying something," I said.

"And then?" the headmistress prompted.

"Elijah and Astrid fused," I replied, looking at the headmistress straight in the
eyes.

Professor Evanesca closed her eyes momentarily before taking a deep breath. She
seemed to have understood the meaning of my stare. "I see... Continue, my dear
boy..."

"I was blown away from the scene and transported into a completely dark place.
That's when I saw Life together with the previous holders of the Prime Elemental.
Nobody talked to me except Life, and he was only able to introduce himself before
RB woke me up from my sleep," I said.

The headmistress remained completely silent after my narration. She finally stopped
walking when we reached a cliff overlooking what looks like a tiny village. I
suddenly realized that we're at the exact same cliff where Nicolo brought us on our
first visit here. The moon and stars above twinkled and shone against the dark
night sky.

A cold breeze blew against us and ruffled the leaves of the trees around, finally
breaking the suffocating silence of the place. The headmistress' cloak billowed
lightly against the wind as she looked at the town of Terresena below us.

"Fergus Silverio is one of the names assumed by perhaps the most influential and
successful villain of all time, Demetrius Pluto. According to the history books, he
was able to conquer nearly 60% of the world's countries during his reign. He's a
Morph Weirdo who can transform into anything and everything he wants—"

I suddenly remembered the towering monster with terrifying claws and tentacles in
my dream.
"He simply had the right weirdness at the right time. Demetrius was born during the
time when weirdnesses were just starting to manifest in the people. During that
time, the weirdnesses were still pretty simple and weak because they were still not
as diverse as compared to today's weirdnesses. Not to mention that a lot of
countries before were unstable and on the brink of collapse because of the conflict
between the communis and the weirdos. Demetrius, being the master of disguise,
assumed different personalities and used the collapsing countries to his advantage.
One by one, the unstable countries fell into his hands, and he assigned his most
loyal and trusted minions to govern the countries he conquered while he travelled
all over the world to spread his reign of terror."

"He proved to be a really difficult and tricky opponent to take down. I mean, how
can you even defeat an enemy whom you don't even know what looks like? Up until
this day, a lot of historians are still arguing over the real face and identity of
Demetrius Pluto," the headmistress added.

"That's creepy," I said.

"It is," Professor Evanesca agreed. "It is also natural for villains to seek for
more power... for immortality... Demetrius probably heard about the Prime
Weirdnesses in one of his journeys. He also probably found out through further
research about the unfathomable power they contain and that the holders of the
Prime Weirdnesses were here in this country and are studying in Emerald."

"This country was one of the strongholds of the weirdo society during that time,
all thanks to the influence of Emerald and the Council of Weirdos, the earliest
governing body of the weirdo society here in this country. Emerald protected and
trained Elijah during his early years here in this school. Demetrius probably
learned about Emerald and so he thought of a way of infiltrating the school. He did
find a way, and that is by coming to this country as an applicant for the vacant
headship post in Emerald," Professor Evanesca continued.

"What happened during his tenure as Emerald's headmaster?" I asked curiously.

"To make the long story short, he used his position to try to bend Elijah's mind
into joining him because during that time, he still doesn't have a way of acquiring
Elijah's power. He also tried to recruit the students of Emerald secretly; but of
course, his desperation for power is what revealed his true identity. The Council
of Weirdos and Emerald soon found out that Demetrius had already infiltrated their
institutions. They didn't arrest him at first. What they did is that they
collaborated with all the weirdo-governing bodies all over the world to take down
Demetrius."

"The weirdo society also extended a helping hand to the communis. The non-magical
population, seeing that their only hope for survival is by working with the
weirdos, agreed to help end the war. And so for the following months, the remaining
strongholds of the weirdo and communis societies worked together to create a plan
to take down Demetrius. When they have gathered enough forces, the weirdos and
communis launched a worldwide war against the forces of Demetrius. That war was
later known as the biggest war that the world and history have ever seen."
"Of course, Demetrius heard about the plans of the Council and Emerald, but he
can't leave the country because he still hasn't convinced Elijah to join him. Also,
leaving would be tantamount to revealing his true identity. He got cornered here in
this country while the countries under his control were reclaimed one after
another; and you saw the conclusion of the war in your dream, Ike: Elijah and
Astrid fought Demetrius. They were able to defeat him, but unfortunately, the two
lovers also sacrificed their lives to end the reign of the most successful villain
of all time."

"How did they die?" I asked.

"That is a story to be told another day, Ike," Professor Evanesca replied.

I nodded. "How about Astrid? You didn't mention her that much in your story."

"Astrid Estancia. She was just an ordinary college student during the war. The
Council of Weirdos probably learned about her weirdness so they sent her to Emerald
for her training and protection. Being a late bloomer just like you, she was never
able to use or achieve the full power of the Prime Destruction. Despite of that,
she still fought alongside Elijah to defeat Demetrius, and like what you said
earlier, she was even able to learn how to fuse even though she only had very
little time to train," the headmistress explained.

I gave the headmistress a careful look. "I saw Astrid in my dream and she was
composed entirely of purple and black smoke. She also fused with Elijah who was the
Prime Elemental back then... I can't help but think about the similarity of their
fusion to the fusion that RB and I performed... Also, if I remember correctly,
Cataleya mentioned something about the presence of Astrid and Elijah when RB and I
fused..."

With this, the headmistress bowed before letting out a long and weary breath. Her
aura reminded me of the headmistress that I saw when she fought Jaeron and his
cronies back during my first year. The headmistress looked unusually weak and tired
as she stood motionless at the very edge of the cliff, the wind billowing her cloak
dolefully.

"Your dream is consistent with the real events that happened in the war
participated by Elijah and Astrid. As for the part of your dream where Life talked
to you, I think it shows that your grasp over the Prime Elemental has become
stronger, thus, allowing you to communicate with the previous holders of the Prime
Elemental. In addtion, it also seems that the answers are already arriving to you,
Ike," Professor Evanesca said. "I know that you have a lot of questions inside your
head, and I think it is time for you to learn about the truth. Remember what I said
to you when we first visited the Purgers?"

I nodded. "That you're going to enlighten me about how everything that I see today
ended up to where and what they are now."

"Correct. For the meantime, I want you to put some of your questions at the back of
your mind. I'm afraid that you won't fully understand my response if I answer the
question that you have in your mind right now. You need to see first the details
before looking at the entire picture. To understand the present, one must go back
to the past... Back to where everything started... Back to the very beginning..."

The headmistress suddenly waved her arms around her gracefully. In an instant, the
terrain, trees, stars, moon, and everything around us dissolved into huge puffs and
plumes of smoke. The darkness of the night was replaced by a blinding light as all
the smoke around us took different shapes and forms. A few moments later, a
familiar forest and river materialized in front of us. The moon and stars were also
replaced with clouds and the glaring sun. The singing of the crickets was replaced
by the chirping of the birds. Despite the sun shining brightly above us, I didn't
feel any heat at all. In fact, I can't even feel anything.

Even though the smoke has cleared up, the area around us remained hazy and a bit
blurred. It's like I'm looking at the surroundings through a misty pair of
eyeglasses.

"Where are we?" I asked the headmistress.

I then saw two little girls running towards us. I didn't have time to step aside so
I just braced myself for impact. To my surprise, however, one of the girls passed
right through me. I looked down on myself and saw that my legs have been scattered
into small puffs of smoke. The smoke just coalesced after a while to form my legs
once more.

"We are at the river near the Woodland Mansion. By the way, do they look familiar
to you?" Professor Evanesca asked, gesturing to the two girls who are now bathing
in the river.

One of the girls has a jet-black and wavy hair that extends down to her waist. She
has prominent and tough facial features. It's like she has endured a lot of
hardships in her life that made her face and expression look tough. The shorter
girl also has jet-black hair streaked with green and looked a lot livelier and more
joyful. The girl suddenly looked at my direction and I instantly recognized the
familiar green eyes that seem to hold a galaxy of stars inside them.

"Wait..." I said, pointing a finger to the little girl and then to the
headmistress. "Is she...?"

"The seven-year old Esmerelda Evanesca, yes," the headmistress confirmed with a
smile.

I just stared at the seven-year old Professor Evanesca with awe and bewilderment.
"To be honest, it feels so strange to see you as a little girl. Who is the other
one?"

"The other girl is the last descendant of the Rivetrions. She's the young
Serafina... Serafina Rivetrion..." the headmistress said grimly.
A sudden chill ran through my spine. "Wait... If that's Serafina, then that
means...?"

The headmistress nodded before looking at the young Serafina dolefully. "Serafina,
the greatest villain of all time, was my friend. In fact, I even considered her as
my own sister, and that, I think, is my greatest weakness."

A soft breeze blew all of a sudden, rustling the leaves of the trees nearby. The
silence was broken only by the occasional splash of the water or the joyous shouts
of the two girls as they bathed in the river. It took me a few minutes to process
and understand the revelation that the headmistress had said.

"Rivetrion..." I whispered, frowning at nothing in particular. "I think I've heard

that name before..."

"In the story of Marcus," Professor Evanesca said. "The Rivetrions and Evanescas,
including the Eliseos, have been friends for many generations. That friendship
extended even to us, the last remaining descendants of our respective bloodlines."

"So... You were friends with Serafina?" I asked.

The headmistress nodded. "The Rivetrions are natural-born fighters. Together with
the Evanescas and Eliseos, they led the Purgers to numerous victories against the
agents. As the Purgers continued to wage a war against the government, our men fell
one after the other, and that includes the members of our respective families.
Unfortunately for Serafina, her entire family was killed in one of the ferocious
battles of the Purgers, leaving her the last remaining descendant of the noble
Rivetrions."

The forest suddenly dissolved into a chaotic scene of fire, destruction, and
bloodshed. A lot of people were fighting, and I recognized some of them as the
other family members of Serafina because of their familiar jet-black hair and other
similar features. One by one, all of them were defeated before exploding into puffs
of smoke. Even though we can't interact with the surroundings, I still winced and
cowered everytime I see squirting blood or falling dead bodies.

When the battle finally ceased, smoke rose from the ground and took the form of the
young Serafina who appeared to be crying. The entire surroundings dissolved into
smoke except for her, and when the smoke finally settled, Serafina was already
standing in a wide and spacious hallway together with what looked like her very few
belongings.

"My family adopted her," Professor Evanesca said as her younger self and family
members exited a door and approached the young Serafina. "My parents loved her like
their own daughter, and I loved her like my own sister. Elena wasn't born yet
during that time that's why Serafina's presence brought extreme happiness to me."
The scene around us went back to the forest with the two girls bathing in the
river.

"We were close and we're like sisters, but sometimes, our ideas clash like water
and oil. Even as a kid, I've always tried to solve things without using any
violence. I tried urging my parents to stop killing... to stop fighting... 'Peace,
equality, and justice can be achieved without bloodshed,' I would always say, 'and
we can always forgive the people who did wrong to us...'"

The surroundings dissolved into white smoke, leaving only the younger Professor
Evanesca standing motionless a few meters away from us.

"But Serafina's ideas were different, far different than mine. She is the epitome
of a real Purger. She believes in fighting fire with fire, in taking an eye for a
lost eye. I cannot blame her, really. Her family, as well as his great-grandfather,
Rohan, both died in the hands of the agents. If I had known back then what she's
going to become, I would've done everything to prevent her from becoming a
villain," the headmistress continued.

"You see, Serafina is not the type of villain who wants power or eternal life.
She's not a villain who kills just because she wants to. She's a villain who has a
goal, a dream that she wants to achieve. She's also fighting for the same things as
mine. Unfortunately, her way of achieving her goals is what makes her a villain.
Like what I said earlier, I cannot blame her for becoming a villain. Her past, her
bitter experiences in life are what made Serafina the greatest villain of all
time..."

Black smoke appeared on our other side and took the form of the young Serafina. I
just stared at her as she slowly grew and became a beautiful teenager with striking
purple eyes and wavy black hair. Her eyes, strange it may seem, feel so familiar to
me.

"This is what Serafina looked like when I defeated her nearly twenty years ago,"
Professor Evanesca said when the smoky figure of Serafina stopped growing. Her
appearance is not much different from her look during her teenage years. Her purple
eyes, however, have certainly taken a dark look.

"Uh, professor, what did you mean when you said that your connection with Serafina
is probably your greatest weakness?" I asked.

"You still won't understand even if I give you an answer," Professor Evanesca
replied, tapping my shoulder gently. "Trust me, Ike, you will get your answer to
that question in the future. For now, I think we're going to end our little
excursion in the past here..."

"How can I understand it when you're not even telling me the answer?" I asked.

Professor Evanesca took a deep breath as the smoky version of herself and Serafina
dispersed. The smoke slowly faded away as all the illusions around us evaporated,
revealing the moonlit cliff overlooking the town of Terresena. The singing of the
crickets filled the air once more as a cold breeze blew against us. I just stared
at the headmistress as she walked away from the cliff and headed back into the dark
forest. She suddenly stopped walking before looking back at me sideways, a lifeless
and sorrowful smile curving across her face.

"Tell me, my dear boy," Professor Evanesca whispered as her eyes brimmed with
tears, "can you really hurt someone you love?"

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: The Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament is finally here, and we're
going to start with the very first game of the season. As Ike and his team
acclimate to the four other participating teams, a strong and towering wall will
loom ahead of them; and if they don't find a way to defeat this wall, their chances
of winning the Cup—or any game at all—will be very, very slim. Stay tuned because
the mayhem will soon commence in the next update of Weirdos III: The Untouchable
Lady.

        Chapter 27: Intensive Training Course [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            I will explain my situation for the nth time.

Wala na po ako sa city at nasa bahay ako namin naglalagi most of the time at wala
po doong signal ang kahit anong network. (I'm a Globe user at sinubukan kong
maghanap ng lugar na kayang makapag-data pero wala talaga.) Manaka-naka lang po
akong lumalabas sa city. Minsan po eh kahit wala naman akong rason para lumabas eh
umaalis pa rin po ako ng bahay just to give you an update.

So please stop pestering the comments section or my wall for an update dahil hindi
ko naman po 'yan mababasa. I WILL UPDATE AND FINISH THE SERIES NO MATTER WHAT
HAPPENS. You don't need to tell me to update every other day dahil mag-u-update po
ako at hindi ko po kayo iiwan sa ere.

Kaya sana po eh mabawasan na ang mga naniningil ng updates sa 'kin kapag nade-delay
ang updates ko. We have our own priorities. Hindi po ako oras-oras na nakababad sa
Wattpad. Kailangan ko rin pong ayusin ang buhay ko. I already have too much
bullshit to handle in my life. 'Wag na kayong dumagdag pa. Please don't be toxic. I
despise toxic people.

Ano sa palagay ninyo ang mararamdaman ko kung sa tuwing titingin ako sa comments
section eh puro paniningil ng updates ang makikita ko? Instead of asking for an
update, mas maaappreciate ko pa kung thoughts at suggestions ninyo ang makikita ko
para naman ma-improve ko pa lalo ang kwento.

I'm not mad. I'm not ranting. I just want to make things clear especially sa new
readers. 'Yung mga matagal na kasi sa 'kin eh tanggap nang kasing-irregular ng heat
cycles ni Hyesung ang updates ko. (And yes, LIAI is life.) ߘ
Matutong maghintay. Hindi naman po naka-beta ang works ko kaya wala kayong
karapatan na mag-demand ng mabilis na update. Buti kung naka-beta ako eh hahayaan
ko kayong alipinin ako. Pero hindi eh, so learn to be patient. Hindi ko po
sinasadyang i-delay ang updates ko para mabitin lang kayo. Buti kung may internet
sa amin eh magsasawa kayo sa araw-araw na updates.

Another thing, I also want to explain Ninang Esme's statement in the last update.

The love that Ninang Esme has for Serafina is of sisterly nature. Baka po kasi may
maka-misinterpret. Hindi po sila gaya nina Dumbledora the Explorer at Grindelwald.
Sorry for the oblique statement.

That's all. Love you, guys.

TheAshtone

¢‫●●׏‬

"WHAT THE HE—"

Bago pa man matapos ni Jack ang sasabihin niya ay panabay na namin siyang
sinikmuraan ni Faye, sanhi para tumilapon siya papunta sa dingding ng kwarto ko.

"Jeez, ke-lalaki mong tao pero kung makapag-react ka wagas," singhal sa kanya ni
Faye.

"But, bro... You're not kidding, right? Talagang sinabi 'yun sa 'yo ni Professor
Evanesca? Is she really close with Serafina?" Jack asked as he massaged his
abdomen.

I sighed. "Oo nga. They're friends, they're close, and they're like sisters. Sabay
silang lumaki at mukhang nagkahiwalay lang sila nung nag-aral na si Professor
Evanesca dito sa Emerald. Hindi ko pa rin naman alam kung ano ang nangyari sa kanya
mula nung naghiwalay sila. The headmistress hasn't told me everything yet."

A heavy silence fell upon us.

"But what's important is that Serafina's gone, right? I mean, the headmistress
already defeated her many years ago. There's no point in worrying about someone who
can't even bother us anymore," Alice said.

"That, in my opinion, is the problem," I said grimly.

They all threw me bewildered looks.

"She didn't tell me that Serafina's still alive, but I have a feeling that the
headmistress is not telling me the truth. Judging from her statements in our recent
talk, I feel like Serafina's not yet dead, that she's just someplace hidden or
imprisoned; or worse, she could just be hiding in plain sight," I said.

"That's not a good joke, bro. Please stop," Jack said in a half-scared tone.

I took a deep breath as I stared at RB.

"Hey, RB..."

"Yes?"

I looked at him straight in the eyes, focusing more intently on his purple eye.

"Nothing. Utang na loob, 'wag mong tutunawin ang crotch ko sa mga titig mo,"
singhal ko sa kanya.

"I was only thinking about what will be my dinner tonight," RB replied, giving me a
meaningful wink.

"Serafina..." Faye suddenly said as she read something on her phone. "Real name:
Serafina Gerardo Rivetrion. She dropped her middle and family name when she became
a villain—which is common for villains since using your full name sounds lame. Wala
namang nakalagay masyado dito tungkol sa personal info niya. She was defeated by
Stella Safiro, Carlo Talla, and Esmerelda Evanesca at the peak of the recent Weirdo
War. Her downfall also ended one of the biggest wars that happened here in the
country."

"Only Professor Evanesca knows about all the truths in the recent Weirdo War. After
all, aside from growing up with Serafina, she also defeated her. Kung may isang tao
na kayang magpaliwanag sa 'yo ng lahat ay walang iba kundi si Professor Evanesca,"
dagdag pa ni Faye.

"May nililihim nga 'yung tao, 'di ba?" singhal ni Jack.

"'Di ba sinabi niya rin na ipapaalam niya sa 'yo ang lahat ng katotohanan sa mga
nangyari kay Serafina? Maybe you should wait a little. Baka kasi ayaw namang i-
overload ni Professor Evanesca ng impormasyon 'yang gahol mong utak. Ugh, why do
boys always like to rush things?!" Faye blurted out.

"Fair point," Alice agreed.

"Amen," RB added.
"You're one of us, idiot," I fired at him. "Well, what you said makes sense. Baka
kailangan ko lang talagang maghintay kung kelan sasabihin sa 'kin ni Professor
Evanesca ang lahat. I shouldn't rush things."

"But did you really see the previous holders of the Prime Elemental?" Jack suddenly
asked, obviously keen on changing the topic. "What do they look like? If the Prime
Elemental can only be passed in the same bloodline, then that means that they're
also your ancestors! You were basically looking at the past, bro!"

"I know. Pero wala naman silang sinabi sa 'kin. The only one there who talked to me
was Life himself. Ni hindi ko man lang siya natanong kung totoo rin bang nag-e-
exist si Death at kung sino ang current na holder ng Prime Destruction. Kung magka-
opportunity ako na makausap siya ulit eh 'yun kaagad ang itatanong ko," sagot ko
naman.

"Ugh, heto na naman tayo," reklamo ni Alice. "Can we not please talk about gloomy
things? I mean, nung nakaraang taon ganitong-ganito rin tayo. Pwede naman kasi
siguro na hayaan na lang natin si Professor Evanesca na problemahin ang sitwasyon.
Why do we always have to think about things that we're not supposed to think about
in the very first place? Kaya tayo napapahamak eh."

Faye tapped Alice's shoulder. "That, girl, is one of the best statements that I've
heard in my entire life. I'm actually beginning to think that we've been jinxed to
meet Jaeron and the villains at the end of every school year. 'Yung totoo, sino ba
dito sa atin ang may balat sa pwet?"

"Certainly not me," RB replied. "Ike can testify to that; and certainly not Ike,
too. I can testify to that."

"Shut up," I snarled at him.

"Let's just eat our dinner, okay? Sagot ko ang dinner natin. There's a newly-opened
restaurant near here and the owner invited me to go there. May special discount
sila ngayon. Let's go," Faye said.

"Free food!" Jack and RB cried out.

"I was just wondering, ever since we're first-years, you've always been our go-to
person when it comes to fancy restaurants and other things that only rich people
could afford," I said as the five of us marched out of my room.

"My mother is an undersecretary in the Department of Magical Education and I have

three older bachelor brothers who are earning at least 100,000 pesos per month.
Palagay mo ba eh maghihirap ako? Connections, darling. Connections," Faye replied,
winking at me.

"Rich kid privileges," Jack said, adding air quotes to his statement.
"Hiyang-hiya naman kaming mga nasa middle class ng lipunan," bulong naman ni RB.

"But you have the most profitable weirdness in the world, though," Alice said to
him.

"No bank in the world deserves my precious gemstones... especially my pink

diamonds. They're only for Ike and for our future kids," RB replied.

"Shut up," I snapped at him.

Huminga na lang ako nang malalim habang pinapanood 'yung apat na kasalukuyang
nagtatalo tungkol sa mga economic status nila. Well, no matter what happens, even
if we think about the most negative thing in the world, my friends will always be
there to laugh with me. They will always help me stay positive and happy no matter
how hard and negative my life might get.

A small smile curved across my lips as I looked at them.

"What's taking you so long?" RB suddenly asked, snapping me out of my trance.

"Nothing," I said, blinking a few times. "I just realized how blessed I am for
having mad friends like you, guys."

RB suddenly clung on to my arm. "And you're really blessed to have a bombshell

wifey like me, hubby."

"Shut up."

●●●

Things eventually settled down in Emerald after a few weeks, especially for us
third-years. All of us were able to adjust to our heavier workloads. However, we
really can't deny the fact that our lessons are getting a lot more intense and
demanding.

We're already studying advanced Transfiguration wherein we practice transfiguring

inanimate objects into actual living things. It's ridiculously difficult, and
Professor Vereña just keeps on pushing us to perfect the execution. As expected,
Cedric is the fastest learner when it comes to this field.

Potions with Professor Algarez wasn't any better at all. We're currently studying
some of the most complicated potions known in the field of magic. Some of the
potions require specific number of stirs, temperature, and amount or weight of
ingredients. We even had a lesson once where we concocted a potion that has to be
brewed for an entire week and requires some of the ingredients to be added at a
specific time of the day. I can still clearly remember the time when we had to wake
up at 2 o'clock in the morning just to add lionfish spines to our potion. Of
course, Faye is the expert in this field and she had no troubles at all with her
potions.

Spells with Professor Ozzelus, surprisingly, was pretty fun. He lets us practice
whatever spell we like for as long as it's not dangerous and it's in the book that
we're using. RB desperately tried to learn the Undressing Spell but it turned out
that it was only effective for chickens, not for humans. Professor Ozzelus also
taught us some useful spells that can be used in combat.

As for our Intensive Training Course, we've been bombarded with endless training
sessions with the Scavengers v3 for the past couple of months. Ezekiel was keen on
making sure that our combating skills were on point as hell. Every Monday and
Wednesday afternoon, the entire class exits a battle hall with injuries or
disheveled and torn Combat Ed uniforms.

However, a surprise greeted us one morning as Professor Sivera gathered us inside

the Quartz Battle Hall for another training session.

"Settle down, settle down," he said to our class. "You have an interesting activity
this morning, so please hurry up so that we can begin right away."

The entire class settled on the grass and looked at Professor Sivera expectantly.

"Well, it's already mid-August, so I think it's time for you to start getting
serious here in our Intensive Training Course. Today, you're finally going to have
one-on-one battles!" Professor Sivera declared.

"Aw yeah," Jack cried out, raising a fist. Even our other classmates let out cries
of joy and excitement.

"For the past couple of years, you guys have undergone basic and intermediate
combat training. I'm proud to say that all of you here can already be deployed to
the field as full-fledged agents, all thanks to your dedication to improve and
learn. Now that we're nearing the end of your training, we're going to start
refining your skills in order to further improve your overall power when it comes
to battling the villains," Professor Sivera said.

Two fish bowls appeared on his either side. "You guys have been divided into two
groups. I will pick one name from each of these fish bowls, and the two students
who'll get picked will face each other. No terrains, no Scavengers. Just plain ol'
fighting. You can do whatever the hell you want in the field for as long as you
don't try to kill your classmate. You will win the game if your opponent surrenders
or if your opponent can no longer fight due to complete immobilization, exhaustion,
and/or other similar incidents. I will stop the fight if things get out of hand.
Understand?"
"Yes, sir," everyone chorused.

"Good. For our first pair... Jack and Asha! Nice! Well, the field is yours. We'll
just watch you guys from the command room. Good luck!" Professor Sivera said before
ushering us out of the open field of the Quartz Battle Hall.

"Go girl!" Faye cheered.

"Hey, you're supposed to support me. We're actually inside a common circle of
friends!" Jack retorted.

"Sorry, but girls rule," Faye replied. "Anyway, good luck to the both of you."

"What are your thoughts about the matchup, Ike?" Professor Sivera asked as we
headed to the command room.

"Jack definitely has the upper hand when it comes to offense. However, Asha will
prove to be a really difficult opponent to capture. Knowing Jack, he might get
agitated and frustrated if Asha will keep on evading capture. He has a tendency to
self-destruct if things don't go according to his plan. Asha can then use that
tendency of Jack to her advantage. They will both need patience if they want to
win," I said.

"Ah... I am such a lucky bitch..." RB said while staring at me dreamily.

I tried to trip him using my feet.

"Right on point," Professor Sivera agreed. "You really are one of the best minds
that we have here, Ike. Well, let's just see what the result will be for these
two."

Asha and Jack took their respective positions on the field as Professor Sivera
twiddled some dials and clicked some buttons in the control board of the command
room. It seems that we're just going to use the Ground Alpha for today's activity.

"Can you guys hear me? Okay. Good luck and be careful, you two. Here we go,"
Professor Sivera said before pushing a circular red button.

The familiar female voice spoke as a countdown timer flashed on the screen above
the field:

One-on-one battle will commence in 3... 2... 1...

Jack swished his hands in front of him as a loud buzzer went off. "Let's make this
quick, Asha."
In an instant, ice suddenly appeared on Asha's feet before crawling upwards her
body. Before the ice could totally immobilize her, Asha dissolved into smoke and
escaped the ice prison that Jack was about to create.

"And Jack's nightmare is about to begin," RB said with a grin.

Asha's smoke flew towards Jack before totally engulfing him, obscuring his vision
from all directions. Before Jack could fly or step out of the smoke, I heard a
series of slaps and thuds coming from them. A body suddenly fell to the grass as
the smoke flew away from Jack and formed the figure of Asha.

"Well, that was quick," Philip said with a chuckle.

"Jack, can you move?" Professor Sivera asked, speaking through a microphone.

"I can't!" Jack shouted back with his face buried on the grass.

Even Professor Sivera couldn't hide his amusement. "Well, Asha wins! Wait for a sec
and I'll help you. Asha, please proceed here in the command room. Good job."

The girls celebrated when Asha entered the room. Sa tulong naman ni Professor
Sivera ay nagawang makagalaw ulit ni Jack. It seems that Asha used paralyzing blows
to subdue him.

"I supported you, but I must say, Asha was pretty badass back there," I said to
Jack.

"I certainly didn't expect that," he replied, massaging his neck. "Asha hit me
before I could even lift a finger. I thought she was just going to obscure my
vision that's why I didn't panic that much."

Professor Sivera tapped Jack's shoulder. "That was a perfect example of how
quickness can easily overcome an enemy regardless of their power. Asha, knowing
that she has the lower hand in your situation, acted quickly before you could even
immobilize her. Your powerful Ice Weirdness was no match to Asha's quickness. It's
not always about the power, Jack. Sometimes, you also have to use your brain
instead of your brawn. Keep that in mind especially in the CMMT."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied.

"Next pair!" Professor Sivera shouted, picking a name from each of the two fish
bowls. "RB and Zed! Please proceed to the field. RB, is it okay if Zed uses his
guns?"
"Sure thing, professor," RB replied. "I can defend myself pretty well."

"Well, we all know what's going to happen!" Cedric said before smashing his hand
against Zed's shoulder. "My condolences, Zed!"

"Hey, go slow," sabi ko naman kay RB.

"Of course. Ike is the only person in the world allowed to go fast on me," RB
replied with a meaningful wink.

"Shut the hell up," singhal ko sa kanya.

"Your thoughts, Jack?" Professor Sivera asked as RB and Zed exited the command
room.

"RB will definitely win this one... in like, five seconds or so," Jack replied.

"Those two are so mismatched," Alice said with a sigh. "RB can just transform
himself into diamond and Zed won't be able to even scratch him with his bullets. He
can only win this one if RB surrenders."

"Let's see," Professor Sivera said before speaking to his microphone. "Take care,
you two. Here you go."

Zed must've realized that he needs to be quick if he wants to at least give RB a

difficult time capturing him. Right after the buzzer went off, Zed pointed his
hands at RB and shot continuous bullets towards the latter.

As I expected, RB transformed his arms into diamond before shielding his face. The
speeding bullets hit his diamond arms, producing bright sparks before ricocheting
away from him. Without moving even a finger, RB conjured crystals on Zed's feet
that immediately crawled up to his body, completely immobilizing the latter within
just a few seconds.

"That was quick," Professor Sivera said. "RB wins! You can set Zed free now."

"RB didn't even move from his spot. He's so damn good, it's irritating," Jack said
with a snigger.

"Looks like they don't need any help, so let's keep things going!" Professor Sivera
declared before picking a name from each of the fish bowls. "For our third match...
Ooh, this is a good one. Ike and Tony! Proceed to the field right away."

There was a collective "oohs" from our classmates as Tony and I exited the command
room.
"You're both my bros but I have to support Ike this time, Tony. Good luck to you
two!" Jack called at us.

"Come back here alive, Ike," Faye said with a chuckle.

"Of course I will!" I snapped at her.

"Well, I know that you're one
you a good time, Ike. I won't
opponent. It'll be a pleasure
said, offering me his hand to
the open field.
of the best students of our batch but I won't give
let my guard down, especially now that you're my
taking down the 1st Best Student of our batch," Tony
shake as we walked in the empty hallway leading to

I shook hands with him as my lips curved into a smile. "And it's my honor to be
fighting against a powerful opponent like you, Tony."

        Chapter 28: Gelling and Growing [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            My mind frantically thought of strategies to beat Tony as the two of us

took our respective places in the field. My stomach squirmed uncomfortably when I
saw that he's going to use the bow that the Agents' Oasis gave him. He also fell
deathly silent, and I'm pretty sure that he's formulating a plan inside his head.

I made a quick scan of our surroundings. We're using the Ground Alpha of the Quartz
Battle Hall, which means, there is basically no place to hide or run to if things
get too sticky. A vast expanse of grass stretched all around us inside the
seemingly limitless battle hall.

Tony relies on his bow for offense, so you can deprive him of it early on to put
him at a disadvantage, my mind whispered. Depriving him of his bow would be
difficult, given that he can easily detect if you're going to approach him. Not to
mention that you two can easily see each other because of the open field.

"What to do... What to do..." I whispered as I scanned the surroundings.

"Here we go, boys! Good luck. Give us a good show!" Professor Sivera suddenly said.

I looked up in surprise. "What the hell—?!"

One-on-one battle will commence in 3... 2... 1...

Tony jumped into the air and shot arrows towards my direction. I immediately jumped
away from my spot. The arrows landed right where I was standing earlier, creating a
powerful explosion.
Of course, my mind whispered. Tony has sensitive senses, so the only way to get
near him is by using as many distractions as I can.

I pointed a hand to the sky and conjured thunderclouds, instantly dimming the
entire place. Rock and ice walls sprouted all over the place together with a few
trees and bushes, creating a small jungle in the grassy field of the Ground Alpha.
I then put a hand on the ground to detect movements around me.

Before I could even detect any vibration, a batch of arrows suddenly rained down on
me. I immediately conjured a force field above me to block the explosive arrows.

Behind.

I turned around swiftly and threw a ball of flaming force field towards a nearby
tree. The tree exploded into flames before falling with a loud crash, revealing
Tony who immediately ran away upon seeing me. I ran after him, creating flaming
balls of force field all around me.

"Wait a sec..." I said as Tony suddenly hid behind a rock wall. "Tony wouldn't run
away once he gets a clear view of me. Unless..."

I suddenly tripped on an arrow with a tiny blinking light stuck on the ground,
knocking me out of balance. That's when I noticed the other similar arrows which
were also stuck on the ground all over the place.

"What the hell?" I whispered, picking up another arrow.

A tiny whistling sound suddenly filled the air. I looked up just in time to see an
arrow zooming swiftly towards me.

Sh*t.

I only had time to enclose myself inside a huge ball of force field before the
arrows all around me exploded. My ball of force field flew high into the air before
falling back to the earth with a loud crash, bouncing off the ground a few times
before completely stopping. Thankfully, the ball of force field did not break
despite the thunderous explosion.

I kept myself afloat in the air to prevent Tony from detecting my footsteps. The
flaming balls of force field revolved around me quietly, waiting to be released if
I see even just a tiny bit of Tony.

Another arrow suddenly whizzed towards me. I immediately pointed a hand to the
arrow which abruptly stopped in midair just a few inches from my forehead.
What the hell?! my mind whispered. Is he trying to kill me?!

It seems that both of us have resorted to indirect attacks. Tony must've also
realized my technique that's why he's also being careful with his every move.

"Looking for me?" a voice suddenly said from above.

I immediately covered my arm with rocks before shielding my body with it. Two
swords hit my arm forcefully, sending me crashing against a rock wall. I pointed a
hand to Tony and summoned gigantic roots from the ground around him which wiggled
like octopus tentacles. He swung his swords around him and cut the wiggling roots
one after another.

With Tony now distracted, I sent flaming balls of force field flying towards him.
However, one of his swords suddenly transformed into a shield which he used to
block my attack.

"I hate to admit it but your weapon is so damn cool!" I shouted at him.

"Well, I got blessed," Tony shouted back with a grin.

I rose into the air as powerful winds blew around Tony, enclosing him inside a huge
whirlwind. Before I could even do another thing, a volley of arrows suddenly
erupted from the center of the whirlwind, forcing me to conjure a force field in
front of me to prevent the explosive arrows from blasting me into smithereens.
However, the explosion was still powerful enough to send me flying through the air
before I crashed back to the earth.

Another batch of arrows suddenly appeared high above me. Because I haven't
recovered yet from my nasty fall, I just conjured another force field above me to
block Tony's arrows before bracing myself for the impact. To my surprise, the
arrows did not explode upon hitting my barrier. Instead, they all emitted a very
bright light that blinded my vision, forcing me to close my eyes and to look down
to avoid getting blinded for real.

And I knew immediately that that was grave mistake.

A solitary arrow suddenly flew towards me from nowhere as I crouched on the ground
and tried to fix my burning eyes. The arrow dispersed into smoke as it hit me, not
even scratching my skin. The effect, however, was instantaneous. My entire body
sort of weakened as I collapsed to the ground, not able to move even a single
finger.

"Tony wins!" Professor Sivera declared after a few seconds. "Do you guys need
help?"

"I can fix him, professor. Don't worry," Tony said before kneeling beside me.
"Sorry about that, Ike."

"It's fine," I said. "Congratulations, by the way. You're so damn good."

Tony fixed my body in no time by making me drink a potion. The two of us went back
to the command room where our classmates greeted us, obviously shocked and not
expecting the result of our battle.

"I thought Tony was screwed when Ike conjured a freaking forest in the field," Sean
said.

"It's okay, bro! Today has been a day of upsets!" Jack added, thumping my back
forcefully.

"We saw everything here in the command room," Professor Sivera said. "Your decision
to block his field of view was good. However, it seems that you've forgotten that
Tony can still see even with his vision blocked. He waited for the right time for
you to get close to him and then he used his explosive arrows to knock you out of
balance. That's when he used his "flash grenade arrows" to obscure you vision and
distract you, allowing him to use the paralyzing arrow. Tony lured you into a trap,
Ike."

"His plan was pretty sick, actually," Faye said with a grin. "I'm just glad that
Tony's our teammate in the CMMT."

"Don't cry, hubby!" RB said before clinging to my arm. "I still love you so much
despite what happened."

"Shut up," I snarled at him.

"I'm just curious, but what was your plan, Ike?" Professor Sivera asked.

"My plan is to snatch Tony's bow from him in order to decrease his offensive power.
I thought of blocking his field of vision and giving him as many distractions as I
can so that he won't get a clear shot of me, and then I will use the terrain to
stage a stealth attack in order to deprive him of his bow," I said.

"Good, really good," Professor Sivera said with a nod. "I mean, once you take away
Tony's bow from him, he's pretty much out already; but, well, he was the one who
executed his plan quickly and effectively. Don't worry because we still have a lot
of activities and you guys are going to have more opportunities to bounce back.
Next pair!"

I took a deep breath as I stared at my name that has been crossed out with a large
red "X."
"Don't you dare overthink about your defeat today, dammit!" RB suddenly snapped at
me from behind.

I flinched in shock.

"Jeez, I won't!" I fired back.

●●●

The following weeks seemed to pass in a blink of an eye. When September finally
arrived, the excitement and anticipation of the students for the CMMT became so
thick that you could almost taste it. Decorative flags and banners hung from all
the buildings, and the parks and gardens inside the school campus have been
decorated with the help of RB's crystal lamps. Every night, students occupied the
parks and watched the dancing colorful lights.

Along with the rise of the excitement and anticipation for the CMMT, the members of
the official team were put in an unexpected attention of the media and students.
Jack and RB, whom we all know are a bit mentally-unstable, enjoyed all the
attention that we've been receiving.

I myself also had a fair share of attention. I can't get to our classes without a
few girls intentionally bumping against me or giving me a meaningful stare. I even
received a few gifts from some unknown senders. And of course, RB always goes
ballistic whenever I encounter such things.

"That's weird," RB said to a girl who tried to bump against me in a hallway one
time. "This hallway is nearly five meters wide and yet you ran into my hubby. Why
don't you try running into this knife for a change? You can do it a hundred times
and I won't complain, girl. I'll even encourage you. Go on. Try it."

"Shut up, and put that away! Calm down!" I said before dragging him by his collar.

"I'm calm," RB replied. "I just can't accept that people are starting to get
interested in you just because you're the team captain and you're now a big deal.
People only love you if you're famous. I, on the other hand, have always loved you
back when you were still a nobody. YOU HEARD THAT?!" he shouted to everyone in the
hallway. "I LOVED THIS GUY EVEN WHEN HE WAS STILL A SORE LOSER! AND NOW YOU'RE
OPENING YOUR LEGS TO HIM JUST BECAUSE HE'S A BIG DEAL NOW?! HIS 8-INCH GLORY IS
MINE AND WILL ALWAYS BE MINE FOREVER, YOU BITCHES, YOU SOCIAL CLIMBERS, YOU GOLD
DIGGERS! LET ME GO AND I'LL TURN THIS SCHOOL INTO A FREAKING ALL-BOYS SCHOOL—"

Alice, Faye, Jack, and I had to physically restrain RB to prevent him from
murdering all the girls in Emerald at that moment. That incident made us all end up
in a one-hour detention in the infirmary.

To my surprise, no one ever approached me after that incident. Well, I just have to
be thankful, I guess.
A few days before the first game of the CMMT, Ezekiel gathered us all in the Jade
Battle Dome for another training session. In the past few months, he has bombarded
us with training nearly everyday. He said that he wants to make sure that we won't
embarrass ourselves in the first game of the season.

"Just work on improving your individual skills today!" Ezekiel declared to

everyone. "Be careful to not injure yourselves."

"Free practice!" Jack and RB shouted before running joyfully towards the open
field.

Our two student assistants have also started helping us in our training sessions.
Sila ang madalas na nagdadala sa 'min ng tubig, towels, at kung ano-ano pang mga
kailangan namin para sa training. Nicolo's classmate, Julia, is also one of our
student assistants. She's an Elemental Weirdo with a Blue Fire Weirdness.

"Kailangan niyo ba ng tulong?" tanong ko sa kanila habang buhat-buhat ang isang jug
ng tubig. "I can help."

"'Wag na po," sagot naman ni Julia. "Mag-train na lang po kayo doon. Kaya na po
namin 'to."

"Ah... Hubby's such a gentleman," RB said while busy skewering a couple of

Scavengers with his crystal spikes. "Will you please help me with my training,
hubby?"

"Mukha mo," sabad ko sa kanya bago ko siya tinalikuran.

Ezekiel told us that other than running errands for us, he selected Julia and
Nicolo because of their respective weirdnesses. In fact, we had a few training
sessions where the two of them attack us using their weirdness. It's actually a
mutual training—both of us help each other in improving our respective weirdnesses.
Mas makakatulong 'to sa kanila lalo't mga first-year pa lang sila.

"Ike, come here for a second," Ezekiel said as I practiced balancing my balls of
force field. This is actually one of the techniques that the Eliseo brothers have
taught me in order to improve my precision and accuracy. I summon balls of force
field on my shoulders, tip of my fingers and tip of one foot, and my forehead. I
will then try to keep them balanced in their respective places. It's ridiculously
difficult but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.

"Po?" tanong ko naman.

"Franco told me that you're doing well with your Fire Weirdness," he said while
busy reading something on a piece of paper.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Um... Yes, I guess...?"

"Don't use your Fire Weirdness in the first game," Ezekiel said. "You can use fire
but through your force field technique. Aside from the fact that I still don't have
confidence in your Fire Weirdness, you've been listed as an Elemental Tri-Hybrid
with Earth, Air, and Water as your weirdnesses. We don't want anyone to arrive at
the conclusion that you are the Prime Elemental, especially now. It's not yet the
right time. Do you understand?" Ezekiel asked.

I nodded. "Yes. I'm really not that confident with my Fire Weirdness, either."

"Well, stick with the three other elements. Besides, you're already pretty good
with them. They're less powerful than fire but a lot safer. Now, go and train. I
have to discuss something with Ate Elena," Ezekiel said.

I was about to go back to the open field when the entire sky suddenly dimmed. I
looked up only to see that the sun has been blocked out by a monstrous flock of
shimmering crystal ravens. Even some of our teammates looked up to the sky in awe
and amazement.

"I'm gonna cry," Jack said as he stared open-mouthed at the sky.

The flock of ravens flew back to the ground which formed into the figure of RB.

"Hey, hubby, what do you call a flock of crows?" he asked, wiping some crystal dust
off his clothes.

I paused. "Uh... a murder?"

RB's eyes gleamed as he smirked. "Exactly."

"That's good, RB!" Professor Sivera shouted from the sideline. "Keep it up."

"His disintegration technique is really awesome," Faye said while massaging her
arms and neck. She just defeated an entire set of Scavengers. "The training camp
has turned RB and Jared into total monsters."

"Yeah, you're right," I said with a sigh.

"And don't you ever feel insecure or inferior to them," Faye snapped at me, giving
me a hard blow in the ribs. "You're growing at your own rate, so you should never
compare yourself to the others. I don't want to see our team leader self-
destructing especially now that the CMMT is just a few days away."
"What the heck?!" I said, massaging the side of my body. "What made you think that
I might feel that way? Why would I feel inferior to RB and Jared? They're, like, a
hundred notches higher than me when it comes to power. It's already a given."

"Akala mo ba walang napapansin sa 'yo si RB?" sabad niya. "Surprise, surprise,

tatlong taon na kayong magkasama at alam na alam na ni RB ang takbo niyang halang
mong bituka. He's been getting worried lately because he can sense that you're
troubled ever since the Department of Magical Education released the official
lineups for the CMMT."

"Why would I feel troubled about just a mere list?" I snapped at her.

Faye gave me a blow in the head. "Stop acting like an idiot, you idiot. It's not
the list that made you feel troubled, but on who are in the list."

I sighed. "Kaya pala lately eh halos patayin na ako ni RB sa kaka-train."

"Well, RB just wants you to become stronger. Alam naman niya na hindi naman pwedeng
puro pep talk na lang ang ibibigay niya sa 'yo kaya gumagawa talaga siya ng paraan
para maibsan ang anxiety mo. He doesn't want you to think that you're weaker than
your teammates. He just wants you to be confident with yourself. RB is overflowing
with confidence, and look at him, he's one of the most powerful students of this
madhouse," Faye explained.

"Overflowing is a big understatement," I said as I looked at RB who's now

relentlessly attacking Jared with his crystal spikes.

"RB actually cares so much for you, you know that?" Faye replied while playing with
a small Healing Orb. "I can say this because he's always telling me everything that
happens between the two of you, including the myriad of positions that you two have
tried while in bed—"

"Spare me the horror, please," I fired at her, raising my hands.

Faye let out a chuckle. "I just want to say that you should be proud and confident
with yourself. RB is so proud of you, Ike. Well, never niya 'yung sinabi nang
direkta sa 'kin pero ramdam ko naman na aside sa matinding obsession, eh proud si
RB sa 'yo hindi dahil sa hitsura o sa katawan mo. He's proud of you because you're
always pushing yourself to go forward despite all the hindrances standing in your
way. Kahit tadhana na mismo ang kumakaladkad sa 'yo pabalik, gumagawa ka pa rin ng
paraan para makaabante."

"That was also the reason why he fell in love with you. RB already gave up with his
life at one point in the past. Para sa isang tao na sumuko na sa buhay niya, isang
malaking inspirasyon para sa kanya na makakita ng isang taong lumalaban pa rin
kahit mismong mundo, tadhana, at weirdness na ang pumipigil dito. RB is undoubtedly
the most powerful student here in Emerald; but in his eyes, you are the strongest
person here in this school," Faye said.
"Well... I... don't know what to say," I said sheepishly.

She elbowed me hard before smiling at me. "You've got a really caring and loving
boyfriend in RB. Now go back to the field and train! Once I see you self-
destructing again then I'm gonna destroy you for real, you nitwit!"

I raised my hands in surrender as Faye dragged me back to the field.

"Fine. If you say so."

        Chapter 29: The Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament [Weirdos III: The
Untouchable...]

            The opening day of the CMMT finally came. Kahapon pa lang eh sandamakmak
nang mga local at international media ang nagsidatingan dito sa Emerald. The
representatives of Sierra and NAA also arrived yesterday on their respective buses.
Base sa balita sa 'min ni Ezekiel eh maglalagi ng isang gabi dito ang mga
representatives ng Sierra at NAA dahil na rin sa layo ng mga eskwelahan nila mula
sa capital city.

Binalaan na rin kami ni Ezekiel na 'wag kami masyadong lalabas para na rin hindi
kami pagpiyestahan ng media. Katunayan nga eh dito na rin sa Emerald natulog 'yung
mga hindi nagdo-dorm para hindi na sila maabala pa sa pagpunta nila rito.

As expected, madaling-araw pa lang ay ginising na ako ni RB.

"Wake up, hubby," he said the moment I opened my eyes. "Today's our first game."

"I know, and it's still at six o'clock this evening, you idiot. Let me sleep for a
bit," I snarled at him.

"Ah... But I really want to go jogging today. I want to see the representatives of
Sierra so that I can burn them again," RB said, giving me a quick kiss in the lips.

"Try it and I'm going to glue you here 'til tomorrow," I replied.

"Or do you want to have some action before the game this evening?" he asked with a
meaningful smirk.

I got up grudgingly from my bed before throwing a pillow to him. "Let's go jogging
all morning, then. I'll just get changed... and DON'T follow me in the bathroom,
you hopeless maniac."

Tahimik pa ang buong Emerald nung lumabas kami ni RB ng Topaz Building. Katunayan
nga eh madilim pa sa labas. Hindi na nga namin ginising si Jack na dito lang din sa
dorm building namin natulog.

"Don't you dare come near the buses of Sierra or NAA. Hindi tayo doon dadaan para
na rin makasigurado ako na wala ka ngang gagawing kung ano," sabi ko kay RB.

"Roger, hubby! They're probably staying in the Faculty Compound, though."

The Faculty Compound is where some of the professors and non-teaching staff of both
the School of Magic and School of Commons stay. Nandoon din ang Emerald Guest House
kung saan tumutuloy ang mga bisita ng eskwelahan. The Faculty Compound is not
easily accessible to students due to its secluded location inside Emerald. It was
intentionally built away from the main campus in order to provide privacy to the
residents of the compound. Malamang ay nandoon ang mga representatives ng Sierra at
NAA ngayon.

"I'm feeling a bit nervous, though," RB said while staring at the horizon now
slowly brightening with the rising sun.

"You are the last person in my list that'd get nervous especially in an event like
this," I said.

"Of course I still feel nervous sometimes, especially whenever I see that huge pet
of yours," RB replied with a wink.

"Shut up."

As RB and I continued to jog around the ginormous campus, I noticed a lot Emerald
Guards, police, and agents patrolling nearly all the areas inside Emerald. Mukhang
mahigpit din ang security sa mga gate ng eskwelahan. Base sa balita eh matagal nang
nagka-ubusan ng tickets para sa opening day ng CMMT. Meron namang free access sa
Diamond Battle Dome ang mga estudiyante ng limang participating schools pero
limited seats lang ang available. Available naman sa lahat ng caefeteria sa loob ng
Emerald at sa isang partner broadcasting network ang live broadcast ng game.

We passed by the extravagantly-decorated and brightly-lit Emerald Building. The

landscapers and designers of the school really went over-the-top in beautifying
nearly all the places and buildings inside Emerald. Well, I guess it's also a part
of showing off to the other schools and foreign visitors.

"It seems that they've transformed this school into an amusement park," I said
bemusedly as we passed by a park with stone statues dancing over a fountain.

We came across two early joggers wearing an identical purple jacket with red
highlights on the sides. My heart leapt in surprise when I saw a familiar logo on
their jackets.

One of the joggers stopped on his tracks upon seeing us, his lips curving into a
curious smile. The guy has greenish hair with streaks of silver. His facial
features, especially his eyes, have a certain air of naughty playfulness.

"Talla? Rubio Talla?" the guy said, squinting his green and gray eyes.

RB flinched. It seems that he's trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

"Y-Yes?" RB stammered.

"Hey, RB!" the guy exclaimed when he finally recognized him. "Remember me? I'm
Yohan. We went to the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp together."

"Ah... Of course! It's good to see you here! Welcome to our school, I guess," RB
replied, twirling his hair around his fingers.

What the f*ck?

The Yohan smiled sweetly before extending an open hand towards RB. A bunch of roses
with purple and gray petals suddenly appeared on his hand out of thin air.

Plant Magic or Earth Weirdo, my mind whispered as I looked at the guy carefully.
Maybe he's also a hybrid.

"For you," Yohan said, giving the bouquet of purple and gray roses to RB.

"Thanks," the latter replied sheepishly. "Kasama mo rin pala si Yael..."

The other guy now looked at us. I had to blink twice to check whether I'm
hallucinating or not. The Yael looks exactly like the Yohan, except that his hair
has a reddish tinge streaked with blue highlights. One of his eyes was red while
the other is blue. He's also a lot more serious and watchful than the other.

RB suddenly dragged me forward. "Uh, this is Ike, by the way. He's my classmate and
our... uh, team captain. He's also my boyfriend."

Yohan's eyes gleamed as he transferred his eyes to me. "Yohan Veloso. Everyone was
looking for you in the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp, especially Sir Ojeros.
It's nice meeting you."

I shook hands with him. "Uh, thanks, I guess?" I said uncertainly. "I'm Ike
Lunaria. It's nice to meet you, too."

"Yael Veloso," the other one said, shaking hands with me as well. "It's nice to
meet you."
"They're twins, obviously. Yohan is an Earth-Air Hybrid while Yael is a Fire-Water
Hybrid," RB said.

"What's your weirdness?" Yael asked me.

"Uh... I'm an Elemental Tri-Hybrid—Earth, Air, and Water. I'm also a Telekinesis
Weirdo," I replied.

"Sick. So you're a Duplus!" Yohan said. "I don't think we even have a single
student like you in the NAA with a double weirdness."

Duplus is a term used by some people to refer to weirdos with two weirdnesses just
like me. It's rarely used because Dupluses are, well, also rare. You can also count
RB as one, if you're going to consider his creepy hidden powers.

"To be honest, this is my first time here in your school," Yohan said, glancing
around us in amazement. "Emerald is really big as hell. We're even using a map so
that we won't get lost here."

"Well, feel free to roam around as much as you like. Just make sure you don't end
up in the School of Commons because it's, like, on the far end of the campus.
Mamaya pa namang alas sais ang game. Are you guys staying in the Faculty Compound?"
RB asked.

"Yep. In the Emerald Guest House, to be exact. We're staying there together with
Sierra. Your headmistress even hosted a dinner for us last evening. That was my
first time seeing Professor Evanesca in person. She's really... well, pretty
lively," Yohan said.

RB sniggered. "Good luck to us, then. I guess you'll be practicing in one of our
battle halls this morning?"

Yohan nodded. "Yeah. I'm really excited to practice in one of your battle halls.
It's a shame that you couldn't join us, RB. I really love seeing you in combat."

What the heck?

"Uh... thanks," RB replied, giving me a quick glance. "Mauuna na rin siguro kami ni
Ike. May training din kasi kami mamaya at kailangan pa naming mag-agahan. See you
later. Good luck!"

The twins nodded at us. "See you later, RB. Take care and good luck to both of you,
too. Stay pretty," Yohan said, pinching RB's cheek before resuming his early
morning jog together with his twin.
I just stared at RB flatly as he smelled the roses given to him by Yohan.

"Mabango ba?" tanong ko sa kanya.

RB smiled widely. "Ah, don't be jealous, hubby! I was just being hospitable to
them. Besides, how can you not smile after seeing those good-looking twins? Yohan
is really sweet. Well, he's always been sweet even during the training camp," he
said dreamily.

"They're our opponents, for your info. Hindi sila magdadalawang-isip na manakit
kung nasa official game na tayo," sabi ko.

"Of course I know that," RB replied. "Hubby is really jealous, after all."

"I am not. Why would I even feel jealous?" I snapped at him.

"It's written all over your face, idiot," RB replied. "Alam ko naman kung kelan ka
sa 'kin walang pakialam at alam ko rin kung kelan ka selos na selos. We've been
together for three years, hubby. I already know you so well that I can even find
your pet with my eyes closed."

"Eh di amuyin mo lang 'yan na bulaklak nung Yohan," sabad ko naman. "Tutal pala eh
nagpapaka-hospitable ka lang kaya lubusin mo na."

"You really are jealous!" RB said, laughing a bit. "You're so cute whenever you're
like this. Hey, hubby, listen to me. I was only being kind to Yohan and Yael
because they're here in our school. I don't want them to think that we're overly-
competitive to the point that we won't even talk to them."

RB rubbed the sides of my face with his hands. "No matter how Yohan tries to be
sweet to me, you will always be my hubby. Like, duh, I've already tasted virtually
every single square inch of your magnificent body, so why would you even think that
I'm still going to entertain other hotties? I already hit the jackpot the very
moment that this thing went inside me," he added, giving my crotch a rub.

I slapped his hand away from me. "Jeez, we're in public, you idiot."

"Hey, hubby..."

I looked at him. "What?"

RB raised a fist to my direction. "We're gonna win the first game... in a totally
convincing and dominating manner. That's our way of telling everyone that we won't
go easy on them no matter how pretty or handsome they are."
My lips curved into a smile as I bumped my fist against his.

"Fine."

●●●

"WHAT?! You should've woken me up before you went jogging, bros. If I was there, I
won't let those two bastards go away without giving them at least a broken rib or
something!" Jack exclaimed after hearing about our encounter with the Veloso twins.

"Jeez, calm down," I snapped at him. "It's already over."

The entire team is currently headed to the Emerald Building for a breakfast that
will be hosted by Professor Evanesca. Kani-kanina lang din ay dumating na ang mga
bus ng Veron at PWU. Dumiretso rin sa Faculty Compound ang mga bus nila. Unti-unti
na ring dumarami ang mga tao sa buong Emerald. Everyone is just too excited for the
event this evening.

Some Emerald Guards accompanied us to the Emerald Building. Marami na rin kasing
media sa paligid at hindi na kami pwedeng maglakad nang kami-kami lang dahil baka
pagpiyestahan lang kami ng mga media. As expected, Jack and RB dressed up in
anticipation to all the photographers that will be taking our pictures.

"I'm starting to regret qualifying to the official team," Faye whispered under her
breath as some photographers took pictures of her.

"What do you expect? I mean, you're a Lena. Your family name is already synonymous
with agents," Aliyah said.

"Ike! RB!" a familiar voice suddenly said. I turned around to see Crimson together
with Sir Fraeo and the rest of his team of agents. Crimson gave RB and I a tight
hug.

"We're gonna be patrolling here the entire day and I'm going to light up the torch
for the opening ceremony later! Gosh, I'm so excited! Good luck to you. I'm sure
that you're going to win the first challenge!" Crimson said excitedly.

"Thanks, bruh! Make sure that you're going to look dazzling in the opening
ceremony!" RB replied.

"Of course I will! It's my only chance to catch the attention of hot guys—"

"Hoy," sabad naman agad sa kanya ni Sir Fraeo.

"Just kidding. You're so possessive, Fraeo," Crimson whined, brushing Sir Fraeo's
arm with his bushy tail. "Don't worry 'cause I'll never leave you... at least until
I get to taste your body."

"We're gonna get going," Sir Fraeo said, muffling Crimson's mouth before dragging
him away. "Good luck and take care, especially you, Faye. The whole family will be
watching!"

"Do you really have to put additional pressure on my shoulders right now?" Faye
replied. Sir Fraeo's team bade us goodbye before walking in the opposite direction.

A few Emerald students greeted or cheered us on as we headed to the Emerald

Building. All of the games will be held on Saturdays so that everyone can watch and
support their respective teams. To my surprise, I haven't even seen any of our
classmates yet. Well, knowing them, they're probably preparing something crazy for
tonight's game.

The Evanesca siblings together with Professor Sivera were already waiting for us in
the entrance of the Emerald Building.

"It's good to see that all of you are healthy and prepared for the first game this
evening," Professor Evanesca said jovially, ushering us inside the Emerald Building
and away from a group of photographers stationed outside. "We've prepared breakfast
for you, so let's proceed inside and get the hell out of the sight of those
cameras."

We took a turn in the right hallway immediately after entering the Emerald
Building. Now that I think of it, I haven't been in this part of the building
before. Everytime kasi na mapupunta ako rito eh parating sa opisina ni Professor
Evanesca ang diretso ko.

The professors brought us to a ridiculously spacious dining hall with shimmering

chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and ornate sculptures and paintings on the
walls. The table at the center is filled with all sorts of food fit for a morning
meal. Upon the headmistress' signal, everyone took their respective seats around
the ginormous table.

"Tuck in," Professor Evanesca said after everyone has settled.

"It feels like we're eating our last supper... or breakfast, in this case," RB
whispered to me.

"Just eat," I fired at him.

"I will be hosting a lunch for the representatives of Veron and PWU this noon,"
Professor Evanesca declared. "If I'm not mistaken, you'll have a last-minute
training for the rest of the morning, am I right?"
"Then they're going to rest this afternoon," Ezekiel added. "The opening ceremony
is at 5:30, so we have to be present at the Diamond Battle Dome by four. The first
game of the Juniors' Division is at two in the afternoon. You guys can watch their
game to while away your free time."

The CMMT also has a Juniors' Division for the respective high school departments of
the five participating schools. Only tenth-grade students are allowed to
participate in the event. The format for their division and ours is nearly the
same, except that their challenges are easier and a lot less challenging.

"I will also be hosting a breakfast for the high school team of our school
immediately after this," Professor Evanesca said.

"Did they already release the format of the first game?" RB asked the teachers.

"Like what I said before, they will only reveal the game format of every game at
the very event itself. We will then be given thirty minutes to strategize and
create a plan. Don't worry because you have me on your side. No matter how
difficult or ridiculous the game format is, I will always find a way to win it,"
Ezekiel said, his lips curving into a malicious grin.

"That's the spirit," Professor Evanesca said. "Now have some sausage, dear
brother..."

"Are we really gonna be okay?" Philip asked quietly, giving everyone in the table
an uncertain look.

"We're gonna be okay, Philip," Ezekiel replied firmly. "In the past three months,
I've been training your butts off in preparation for this event. At first, I was
really skeptical about the competitiveness and overall skill of this team. Despite
my lack of confidence in your skills, I still saw great potential in you, and that
is all I need. You maybe are awkward and really jumbled at first, but I eventually
found a way to sew your individual strengths together. Now, I can proudly say that
you are currently at the best version of yourselves. There will always be a room
for improvement, of course. However, I can confidently say that you can win the
first game today. You guys are strong; but together, you are even stronger."

"The selection committee selected you not just because of your power or your
performance in this school in the last three years," the headmistress added. "We
chose you because of your overwhelming potential. While the other schools probably
sent their best or most powerful students, we sent you because we believe that you
can still grow and improve as the tournament progresses; and trust me, the school
with the strongest delegation don't always win in the tournament. The team that
exhibits the biggest growth and peaks at the right moment has the highest chance of
winning the Cup."

"But don't ever be overconfident just because we gave you a pep talk," Ezekiel
interjected. "We still want to see you giving your best in the tournament. Besides,
I really want you to crush Veron and Sierra. They're among the top contenders this
year and they're surely thinking of ways to defeat us in this year's tournament. I
will be extremely disappointed if you perform below my expectations."

"Uh, did you really have to say that?" I asked quietly. "You could've just said
'good luck' and ended it right there. Additional pressure won't do anything good to
us."

"I was just being realistic," Ezekiel replied, raising his hands in defense.

The professors escorted us back to the entrance after we're done eating our
breakfast. Sumama na rin sa 'min 'yung tatlong coaches para na rin sa training
namin ngayong umaga.

"We're going to rest for a while before the light training. Don't overexert
yourselves. The last thing that we want to happen to any of you is an injury. We're
going to train in the Jade Battle Dome until noon," Ezekiel said as the entire team
exited the Emerald Building.

"Yes, sir."

"Ike..." Professor Evanesca suddenly said from behind us.

I looked back to see the headmistress smiling at me. She then tapped my shoulder
gently before nodding at me meaningfully.

"Good luck. Take care. I'm counting on you."

I nodded back at her.

"Thanks a lot, professor."

        Chapter 30: The Opening Ceremony [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "I can't believe that this is happening to us," Jack said breathlessly as
the Diamond Battle Dome loomed ahead of us.

"Calm down. You're freezing yourself... and everybody else," Faye snapped at him.

Loud music and the buzz of talking people emanated from the brightly-lit Diamond
Battle Dome. To avoid attracting the attention of the crowd and media, all the five
teams entered the battle dome in a separate entrance. Emerald Guards and agents
patrolled the area near our entrance, making sure the no unwanted people will get
near to us.

"I think I need some water..." I said, coughing a bit. My throat had already gone
dry due to extreme nervousness.

"Heto po," sabi ni Nicolo sabay abot sa 'kin ng isang boteng tubig. I drank the
contents of the bottle in one gulp.

"Relax. We're heading straight to our dugout to warm-up then we're going out to the
field for the opening ceremony. After that, we're going to have an opportunity to
show off before the main game," Ezekiel said with an evil grin.

"Ooh... showing off. What do you mean?" RB asked curiously.

"Just wait. Let's just say that it's an opportunity for you to release all your
nervousness and anxiety," Ezekiel replied.

Our coaches, including Nicolo and Julia, have donned their uniforms as well. It's
really strange to see Professor Elena and Ezekiel wearing a green and black
tracksuit. Ezekiel kept himself afloat in the air despite not wearing his usual
creepy hooded black cloak.

"Dang it, I always forget that you still have a jaw-dropping face hiding underneath
your black cloak. And I really like your hair. Good-looking boys really have
awesome hair... just like my hubby," RB said to Ezekiel.

"Shut up," the latter fired at him.

A few student facilitators greeted us as we entered the Diamond Battle Dome. They
then escorted us to our dugout. To my surprise, not even the loudest noise from the
outside entered the room. Maybe they've cast Noise-Repelling Charms on our dugouts.
Well, I'm not complaining.

"Take your jackets off and start warming up," Ezekiel declared to everyone. "The
opening ceremony is in fifteen minutes."

"Can I have a kiss, hubby?" RB suddenly asked. "I need it for motivational
purposes."

I stared at him flatly before tapping my cheek.

"Ah, thanks!" he replied. RB then wrapped me tightly in a hug before kissing me

deeply in my lips.

"What the heck?! Sabi ko sa pisngi lang," singhal ko naman sabay tulak sa kanya
palayo.

"Don't act like you don't like being kissed in the lips," RB replied, winking at
me. "Okay, I'm all fired up now! LET'S GO AND MURDER SOME BITCHES IN THE FIELD-!"

"Calm the hell down!" I snapped at him, slapping him hard in the nape.

The others are also busy minding their respective businesses. Jack is having
himself slapped in the face by Alice's ropes, Aliyah and Tony are both busy
adjusting their respective weapons, and the rest are warming up in silence,
apparently too nervous to even speak a word.

"There are some performances happening in the field right now courtesy of the
School of Commons' School of Arts and some local performers," Professor Sivera said
as he entered the room after checking the events in the field. "They're just about
done. The entire battle dome's really packed."

"I think my heart's going to pop out right out of my mouth," Philip said.

"I think I'm dying," Jack said, slumping in one corner of the room.

"This isn't the time to die, guys. At least die later, after the first game," Faye
added.

Every single passing minute seemed to be just a mere second as everyone warmed up;
and when a loud feedback suddenly broke the silence of the dugout, everyone jumped
in shock and apprehension.

"Oh my, oh my... Look what we have here..." the familiar voice of Professor Ferrea
suddenly said.

A tumultuous roar from the crowd erupted after those words.

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends and foes, agents and villains, students and
teachers, foreigners and locals, kids and oldies, the living and the dead-if there
are any watching us right now... welcome, welcome to the opening day of the one,
the only... the greatest and most prestigious magical sporting event of all time...
THE COLLEGIATE MAGICAL MAYHEM TOURNAMENT!!!"

The crowd roared in response.

"I know, I know... We're all excited! But before the action, let me just introduce
my partners-in-crime for the rest of the tournament: First, he is a close friend of
mine and we've covered a lot of games here in Emerald. He's now the number 3 agent,
having climbed a spot higher in the recently-released Top 100 National Ranking!
Everyone, the silent killer of the NMLEA, Professor Garrick Romeus!"

"Shut up," Professor Romeus replied.

"Our next commentator is also a close friend of mine. I even mentored him once when
I was still working in the Department of Magical Education as the overall head of
the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp! Now he's taken that position of mine!
Everyone, the number 2 agent and a part-time professor in Sierra Magical Institute,
Professor Julian Ojeros!"

"Good evening everybody!" a lively baritone voice suddenly said. I was instantly
reminded of a younger version of Professor Ferrea. "As usual, I'm blinded by the
gorgeousness and dizzying expanse of the Diamond Battle Dome! It's a shame that we
don't have one of these in Sierra!"

"Maybe you should transfer here in Emerald to experience firsthand the beauty of
our battle arenas!" Professor Ferrea replied with a jolly laugh. "Anyway, we should
get going because our crowd is getting restless. But before that, I want to
acknowledge first the presence of Franc Lena, the head of the NMLEA and the number
1 agent-"

The crowd applauded in response.

"-Sir Linnaeus Adra, the secretary of the Department of Magical Education, Sir
Clavius Remora, the secretary of the Department of Magic, and of course, we've been
graced by the presence of the Vice-President of the Agents International, Sir
Antonin Fritzberg. Welcome to the Philippines, sir! And of course, to our visitors
from all over the country and the world, thank you for coming all the way here just
to watch our first game. Welcome to Emerald!"

A deafening silence followed his statement. It seems that the crowd has gone silent
in anticipation to what will happen next.

"Let's proceed to the exit. They're gonna call us now. Nicolo and Julia, you also
have to come with us," Ezekiel said, ushering us out of the dugout.

RB held my hand tightly as we walked in total silence towards the sliding metallic
doors leading to the open field of the Diamond Battle Dome. The three coaches
walked in front while Nicolo and Julia walked behind us.

"ARE YOU READY TO SEE OUR PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR?!" Professor Sivera shouted.

The crowd roared in excitement.

"Well, here we go! Take it now, Julian!"

"Our first team ended up in the 5th place in the previous tournament. But make no
mistake, folks! They mean business in this year's CMMT! Everyone, please welcome...
the Philippine Weirdo University!"
Their supporters and the crowd outside applauded and cheered in response. It seems
that the teams will only go out once they've been called.

"Their head coach is an alumna of their school, Ms. Zyla Ortiz. Their assistant
coaches are both NMLEA agents and part-time professors in the same school, Ms.
Yvonne Gerona and Mr. Shaun Kay Mendoza. Their team is headed by an Air-Water
Hybrid, Phoebe Eroa. Their co-captain is an Air Elemental, Zephyr Eugenio. Supports
are Greg Perez, a Healer; and Titus Sanchez, a Telepathy Weirdo. Members are
Abueva, Barcenas, Cueva, Devanadera, and Legarda. And of course, their president is
here to support his team, Mr. Alfonso Serreno. Good evening, sir!"

"Our second team ended in the 4th place in the previous tournament," Professor
Ferrea said. "This school has the second highest passing rate in the Agents'
Licensure Examination, giving them their famous moniker, the 'Agent Factory.'
Please give them a round of scorching applause, the National Agents Academy!"

The sound of drums filled the air as cheers and shouts flooded the entire battle
dome.

"Some of the ladies here are loving what they're seeing!" Professor Ferrea said
with a laugh. "James Castro, the number 6 agent, is their head coach. Lena Cruz and
Serena Hernandez complete their coaching staff. Both of these beautiful women are
working as full-time professors in the NAA. The promising Veloso twins lead this
all-elemental team-"

A few girls squealed upon the mention of the twins. Jack's eyebrow twitched as he
flexed his fingers. "I haven't even seen those bastards' faces yet, but my blood is
already boiling in agitation," he said irately.

"-the Fire-Water Weirdo, Yael Veloso is the team captain while the Earth-Air
Weirdo, Yohan Veloso is the co-captain. I must say, a lot of girls here seem to
like these two so much. Their support members are Katrina Oliveros and Kendrick
Peralta, the former is a Healer and the latter is a Radar Weirdo. Bertin, De Vera,
Ebuenga, Lopez, and Mendrez complete their lineup-and yes, they're all Elemental
Weirdos. Their lovely headmistress, Amatea Susano, is here to support her students.
Hello there, milady!"

"Up next are the Dragons of the North-!"

This time, a monstrous roar suddenly echoed throughout the Diamond Battle Dome. All
of us looked up in surprise as the walls and ceiling shook violently.

"The f*ck-?!" Jack exclaimed.

"They brought a real dragon... well, it's not technically real. It's just a magical
projection. Show-offs," Ezekiel said flatly, not even fazed by the sudden noise.

"They brought their dragon!" Professor Ferrea exclaimed in delight. "That's so

realistic! Well, there they go, the red-clad students of the number 1 magical
research school in the country, Sierra Magical Institute!"

"Carla Soriano is their head coach. Her twin, Calvin Soriano is also one of the
assistant coaches together with Jairus Tobiasca. All three of them were among the
official representatives of Sierra in the previous tournament where they ended up
in the 3rd place. Koshi Ibasco, an Elemental Tri-Hybrid, is their captain and I
also heard that he's one of the top up-and-coming agents that NMLEA is eyeing! Co-
captain is the Superstrength Weirdo, Althea Marie Perez. Ayumu Cabrera, a Shadow
Shape-shifter; and Denver Mariano, a Power Amplification Weirdo are their supports.
No healers, huh?! Belarma, Christiansen, Cordova, Froilan, and Mañago complete this
formidable team! Their headmaster, Thomas Dig, is here to witness his team win the
first game of the season! Good evening, sir!" Professor Ferrea continued.

Professor Ojeros spoke next. "Veron's blue is the only thing that can rival
Emerald's green."

With this, the sound of fireworks chorused with the sound of trumpets and drums as
even more people cheered and applauded. The crowd has gotten so noisy that I can
feel the noise thumping hard against my chest.

"This school lost to Emerald in a very heartbreaking manner in the previous

tournament. However, I'm pretty sure that they're looking to avenge their loss in
this year's CMMT! Please welcome, the second best magical school in the country,
Veron Academy of Magic!"

"My comrade in the NMLEA, Vincent Tejada is the head coach. Patrick De Vera and
Veronica Segismundo, both full-time professors in the same school, complete their
coaching staff. Teima Palacio, a Foreshadowing Weirdo, is their team captain. Their
co-captain is Paul Henrick Betis, a scary Lightning Weirdo. Supports are Jian Ace
Lovial, a Healer; and Shane Chloe Obiasca, an Attack Nullification Weirdo. Asurin,
De Leon, Neptuno, Peralta, and Romano complete their lineup! Their headmaster is
here with us, Mr. Eleazar Ventura! A very good evening to you, sir, and welcome to
Emerald!" Professor Ojeros said.

"We're next. Get ready," Ezekiel said to everyone.

"I really want to introduce this next team but I don't want the people to think
that I am biased, so the honor is yours, Julian!" Professor Ferrea said.

"How do I even describe this team?" Professor Ojeros replied. "Every tournament,
all the schools send their best students to take down this powerhouse school.
However, this school always finds a way to conquer even the tallest of the
hindrances to eventually emerge at the top. Their team is comprised of completely
different members every tournament, but their deadliness and impeccable abilities
always stand out nevertheless. Everyone, please give a round of applause to this
year's host, the defending champions, Emerald School of Magic!"

The doors in front of us slid open, revealing the blindingly bright open field of
the Diamond Battle Dome. The colossal building looked pretty much the same, except
from the fact that the battle dome is now much wider and bigger. The deafening
sound of drums suddenly filled the air as an entire crowd of green-clad people
stood up from their seats and started singing a chant.

"Wait, there they are! Our classmates!" RB shouted, pointing at the crowd on one
side of the battle dome.

Our classmates, whom we didn't even see for the entire day, stood at the center of
the green crowd surrounded with drummers. It also seems that our class has joined
forces with Class C to cheer us on. They're even wildly waving huge flags and
banners.

As we walked towards the center of the field, a colossal bird with arcs of
electricity running throughout its body suddenly descended from the sky with a loud
screech before flying around the battle dome, sending a rain of shimmering emeralds
on the crowd.

"There goes the Emerald Phoenix, the official mascot of Emerald!" Professor Ojeros
said. I looked up and saw that the three of them are inside a skybox overlooking
the entire battle dome. "Hmm... I can definitely see familiar faces! One of the
stars of this team is their head coach himself, Ezekiel Evanesca, whom we all know
is the number 7 agent in the World Ranking of agents-"

Ezekiel's expressionless face didn't even falter despite the cameras and flashes
focusing on him. He just kept himself afloat and glided silently through the air,
making sure that everyone in the field is looking up at him.

"His sister, Elena Evanesca, is also an assistant coach together with the number 5
agent, Franco Sivera. Now, this is the guy that I've been looking for in the
National Weirdo Youth Training Camp! The green team is led by Ike Lunaria, an
Elemental Tri-Hybrid with a Telekinesis Weirdness as well. Yes, he's a Duplus,
everyone! The co-captain is Jared Esveron, a Revenge Attack Weirdo. Supports are
Faye Lena, a Healer and the youngest sister of Franc, Fred, and Fraeo Lena; and
Tony Arellano, an Enhanced Senses Weirdo. Completing the team are Abareñas,
Achillerio, Intal, Martinez, and Talla-wait a second. I saw what you did there, Sir
Gregor! You're deliberately hiding a particular someone from the eyes of the crowd!
Clever, clever! Well, I don't want to ruin the element of surprise. This team is
supported by the former number 1 agent, the living legend, Ms. Esmerelda Evanesca!
A pleasure to see you, madam," Professor Ojeros said.

On the other side of the Diamond Battle Dome, right inside another skybox, sat the
heads of the five participating schools and the other high-ranking officials
mentioned earlier. Professor Evanesca is currently waving at the crowd below them.
Dressed in an emerald-green Victorian attire with matching gloves and a wide-
brimmed hat, the headmistress looked like a queen addressing her subjects.

All eyes seemed to focus on us as we walked towards our designated spot in the
field. We've been placed at the very center of all the teams, right between Sierra
and Veron. The representatives of each team stared at us like eagles watching their
prey.
I can feel the eyes of the other participants locked onto me intently. While RB is
busy greeting his friends from PWU, I just stared straight in front of me and tried
to show no expression in my face.

"There you have it, the five participating teams for this year's CMMT. Please give
them another round of applause," Professor Romeus said, finally breaking his long
silence.

"To proceed with our opening ceremony, may we please call on Mr. Crimson Soriano to
light up the torch to signal the official start of this year's Collegiate Magical
Mayhem Tournament. Soriano is the Finals MVP in the previous tournament and is
currently the number 23 agent in the Top 100 National Ranking. He's also going to
lead the Oath of Sportsmanship," he continued.

Another sliding door opened at the far end of the Diamond Battle Dome, revealing
Crimson who's carrying a bow and an arrow. As he walked towards the field, the
ground just a few meters in front of us opened up. A flaming torch sitting on a
pedestal rose from the hole and slowly came into our view.

"Crimson's carrying a bow. That's new," RB said from behind us.

Crimson seems to be taking all the time in the world to walk towards the torch so I
permitted myself to finally have a look at the other participants of the school.

My attention was immediately caught by a guy wearing a hooded red jacket in

Sierra's team. The top-half of his face is hidden by his hood, showing only his
lips. His appearance really reminded me of Ezekiel whenever he's wrapped with his
creepy black cloak.

"That's the guy who messed with me, hubby. Let's murder him later," RB suddenly
whispered to me, pointing to a redhead guy standing directly behind the coaches of
Sierra.

"Shut up. And go back to your place!" I snapped at him.

Crimson finally finished lighting up the torch which was situated on the top of the
roof at the left side of the Diamond Battle Dome. He's also the one who led the
Oath of Sportsmanship.

"Thank you, Mr. Soriano!" Professor Ojeros said. "Young agents nowadays look so
promising! Anyway, our lovely Professor Esmerelda Evanesca will give us her
welcoming speech. The floor is yours, madam."

The headmistress stood up from her chair as the cameras focused on her. She glanced
around the Diamond Battle Dome with a light smile, waving every now and then to
some particular people.
"Good evening! I will not give you a lengthy speech because I know that everyone is
itching to see some action this evening," she began. "Let me just use this
opportunity to highlight the significance of this event-which we always do every
tournament."

The headmistress paused.

"The Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament was born due to the collaborative effort
of the five participating schools in the far, far away past. It was a dark time, an
era where even the very existence of hope and peace teetered on the brink of total
disappearance. However, some people did not give up in their quest for peace and a
brighter tomorrow. Despite the seemingly unfathomable darkness suffocating everyone
during those times, some people fought to keep the fire of hope burning and
continued to push away the forces of darkness. I am, of course, referring to the
Great World War."

"This very country served as one of the main strongholds of resistance during that
time, all thanks to the combined efforts of the five participating schools, the
Council of Weirdos; and our beloved siblings, the communis. They all set aside
their differences in order to take down a common enemy. Together with the forces
from all over the world, they successfully defended our freedom and defeated the
evil that almost took over the entire world. I can confidently say that that was
one of the most brilliant moments of humankind."

"However, a pressing question remained hovering in the air after the War: How do we
keep the peace that we have fought so hard to attain? The key, of course, lies in
the youth. While the Council of Weirdos evolved to become an official part of the
national government in order to be able to implement stricter security measures and
establish a stronger defense for the weirdo community, the five schools turned to
their students and did their best to make sure that they'll grow as upright
citizens of the country. Aside from improving their respective curricula, the five
schools also created a training camp for their best students that aims to improve
their skills and abilities in using their respective weirdnesses. The training camp
also educates the participants about the morals that a weirdo should exercise."

"As we all know, that training camp was later known as the National Weirdo Youth
Training Camp which eventually gave birth to the Collegiate Magical Mayhem
Tournament. Nowadays, nearly all the magical schools in the country participate in
the training camp. The CMMT, however, remained as an event only for the five
original creators of the training camp as a symbol of their unbroken relationship
that lasted for hundreds of years up until to this very moment."

Professor Evanesca smiled calmly at the cameras as she paused for a couple of
seconds.

"Despite the thrill and excitement that this tournament brings to us every four
years, may we not forget its significance, its value. May this event serve as a
reminder to everyone that no matter how dark the night might get, if we will all
stand together, if we will allow love to fuel our heart, we can always conquer the
darkest of times in order to see the rise of a new day."
The headmistress suddenly glared at the camera, making me flinch due to the sudden
chill than ran through my spine.

"We are strong. We are united. We will never fall. Ladies and gentlemen, good
evening and thank you very much," Professor Evanesca said.

The entire Diamond Battle Dome erupted in a deafening cacophony of applause and
joyous shouts of the people. I just stared at the headmistress as she bowed
politely at the camera before turning around and going back to her seat. I have a
strong feeling inside me that she didn't only give an uplifting message to everyone
watching the event. She also sent a threat... a threat to all the villains watching
this event right now.

        Chapter 31: Ayumu Seki Cabrera [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            And yes, I got the name from Ayumu Murase, the voice actor of Hinata in
Haikyuu!! The name just sounds so cute and I can't help but use it. Lol.

His teammate, Koshi Ibasco, was also named after Koshi Sugawara, one of the setters
of Karasuno and my favorite character in the series. Nothing beats the love of
Sugamama.

The events in the manga are so thrilling, by the way. Ibang-iba na si Hinata ngayon
from the seasons 1 to 3 Hinata. Sana eh i-release na nila kaagad ang season 4 ng
anime series. Lel.

Share ko lang.

TheAshtone

●●●

"Man, Professor Evanesca never fails to make my heart swell with pride and hope,"
Professor Ojeros said. "As I always say, she's the best thing that has ever
happened to Emerald since Elijah Serria. You can still definitely feel and see the
honor and pride of a topnotch agent coursing through her veins."

"Well, things have skyrocketed here in Emerald ever since Esmerelda accepted our
offer of a headship post. Too bad she turned down your school's offer!" Professor
Ferrea replied with a hearty laugh.

"While the two of you are busy arguing over pointless things, I am going to
enlighten everyone about our general rules and mechanics of this tournament,"
Professor Romeus interjected.

"Listen carefully," Ezekiel said to us.

"There will be a total of five games in the Elimination Round of the CMMT. The top
2 teams at the end of the first round will battle for the championship. The number
3 and 4 teams will fight for the third place. The champion will receive gold
medals, certificates, the Grand Golden Cup, and 2 million pesos cash prize—all
thanks to our sponsors. The top 3 teams will also be sent for a one month training
in the Central HQ of the Agents International. The prizes for the other placers
will be flashed on the screen."

"Each team will be given points depending on their performance in every game. The
winner will get 500 points while the first team who gets eliminated first in a game
will receive 100 points. It is important to rack up the points if you want to enter
the championship game," Professor Romeus continued.

"Each game has a specific set of rules," Professor Ojeros added. "The players will
wear a circular shield attached on the back of their uniform. That shield serves as
your Stamina Meters. Every time you receive damage, your shield deteriorates and it
will affect your strength and stamina. Once you receive too much damage, your
shield will break and you will be eliminated from the game. However, if your team
has Healers, then you've got one less problem."

With that, something squirmed on my back as I felt a sudden cold feeling creeping
throughout my body. A circular green plate made of what looked like glass suddenly
appeared on the back of my uniform. It's also bearing my jersey number.

"Neat," Jack said, examining his own shield.

"Shields can also be upgraded in two ways," Professor Ferrea added. "Eliminating
five participants will upgrade your shield one level higher. Higher-level shields
increase your stamina and the intensity of your attacks. Shields can be upgraded up
to level 10. Take note that you won't be able to reach, say, a level 5 shield by
eliminating a player who also has a level 5 shield. You have to work hard if you
want to level up."

"What's the other way of upgrading our shields?" Jack asked.

Huge puffs of smoke suddenly appeared a few meters in front of us, revealing about
a dozen of metallic robots which look like the Scavengers, except for their darker
color and glowing red eyes. They're also a lot taller and a lot more intimidating
than the usual Scavengers.

"They are the other key to upgrading your shields," Professor Romeus said.
"Everyone, meet the Gladiators."

"Ooh, scary..." RB said from behind.

"They're just like your ordinary Scavengers, only made crazier by about ten
notches. They've been programmed to do just a single thing: attack. They will serve
as our nuisances in every game. Eliminate ten Gladiators and your shield will
upgrade by a level. Also, each player has the power to summon up to five Gladiators
every five minutes. Use that power wisely, kids," Professor Romeus said.

"I believe that our participants have been informed already about the rules
regarding their positions in the their team so we won't read it anymore," Professor
Ferrea said. "We also have our game officials and the technical team to make sure
that the participants will play according to the rules of the game. Play fairly,
your brats!"

"For now, we're going to take a break to give way to the warm-ups of each team.
When we come back, Garrick, Julian, and I will talk about each team's participants
in the recently-concluded National Weirdo Youth Training Camp! Don't go anywhere.
This is the live coverage of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament!"

Bright lines suddenly appeared all over the open field of the Diamond Battle Dome,
dividing the entire field into five equal parts.

"Nicolo and Julia, please bring our things here in the field. The rest of you, come
with me. We're going to warm up," Ezekiel said, gliding towards our designated
spot.

All the teams headed to their respective areas in the field. RB, on the other hand,
searched the crowd to look for his friends in PWU.

"I'm getting excited now," Jack said, swinging his arms over my shoulder.

"Kanina parang 'di ka na maihing pusa," sabad ko naman.

"Well, I just saw Juno Ase a while ago and I thought that I should look cool
especially now that she's watching us. I don't want her to think that I'm a wimp,"
Jack replied.

"Ike," an unfamiliar voice suddenly said from behind us.

I turned around and saw the team captain of Veron smiling lightly at me. Even
though I only met him once, I can still recognize the wavy hair and watchful eyes
of Teima Palacio. "It's been a long time, Ike. You seem to have changed a lot. Can
you still remember me?"

"Teima. You're the guy that we met in a mall back when we were still first-years,"
I said.

"Correct. You've been through a lot of trouble in the past three years, Ike," he
said.
"What do you want, you bastard?" Jack suddenly interjected. "You wanna fight?"

Teima let out a laugh as he raised his hands. "Hindi pa nagsisimula ang laro, Jack.
Calm down. Once the game starts, we have all the time in the world to fight each
other. Gusto ko lang naman kayong kumustahin ni RB."

"We're fine," I replied. "We're doing good. Salamat sa pag-aalala."

"That's good to hear," Teima replied with a nod. "I'm glad to see that you're not
crumbling under the immense pressure of defending your title this year."

"Well, we've faced even worse scenarios than this one," I replied with a shrug.
"It's not like our lives depend on this tournament so we're not particularly
nervous or pressured."

"I know," Teima replied, his eyes gleaming a bit. "I can see it. I'll be heading to
our spot, then. Take care and be careful. A lot of participants here are itching to
crush the precious gems of this tournament. You better be alert and wary, Ike," he
added.

"Why are you even talking to us so casually? Like, duh, we're not even friends or
acquaintances at all!" Jack said.

Teima's lips curved into a subtle smile. "I know you guys very well. Isang titig ko
lang sa inyo eh alam ko na agad ang lahat ng mga pinagdaanan ninyo sa buong buhay
niyo. I have the power to do that because, surprise, surprise, it's my weirdness."

"Do you know the meaning of privacy? You can't just walk around and use your
weirdness to anyone anytime you like. You can be sent to jail for that, bro," Jack
snapped at him.

"I know," Teima replied. "I also know my limitations. Careful, Jack, or I might use
your weaknesses against you. Goodbye for now. See you later," he added before
turning around and walking back to his teammates.

"Wait a second," Jack said, taking off his warmer. "I'm gonna eliminate this guy
right now..."

"Calm down. Let's just go to our area. Don't pick a fight or you might get
disqualified, you hothead," I said, dragging Jack by his collar.

Unfortunately, our spot was again right between Sierra and Veron.

"Everybody's staring at us like hawks," Jared said under his breath as he began
stretching. "I feel like they're going to burn a hole right through our bodies if
they continue on staring at us."
"Just ignore them," Aliyah replied. "They'll go tired eventually."

"We have fifteen minutes to warm up before they reveal the first challenge. Don't
overexert yourselves. Also, to those who want to show off their skills, this is the
perfect time to do so," Ezekiel said.

"Uh, how?" I asked.

Gladiators suddenly descended from the sky in the area of Sierra where their
representatives are now standing in a neat line facing the open field. Flying
blades suddenly glinted towards the metallic mannequins, cutting off their heads
and making them explode. The flying blades flew back to their owner which is a girl
with silvery hair.

The crowd let out a collective "ooh" as the girl walked back to the line.

The girl from Sierra looked like a metallic spider. Metal bands are wrapped around
her arms and legs. Attached to these bands are metallic arms with a glinting blade
at their end. She also has a couple of metallic arms attached to her lower back,
giving her a total of six deadly blades.

"Is that even allowed?! She could kill someone with that!" Alice exclaimed.

"Look who's talking," Jack said.

"That's Clarisse Cordova of Sierra. She's just one of the participants that you
have to be careful of in this tournament. She can definitely injure you," Ezekiel
said. It seems that Sierra is doing an attacking practice.

"Their team captain's up next. Watch him carefully," Ezekiel said as the redhead
guy stepped forward.

Another set of Gladiators fell from the sky. They haven't even reached the ground
yet when multiple forks of lightning erupted from the clouds above, hitting all the
descending Gladiators. A rain of burnt metal parts showered on everyone as the
Koshi Ibasco walked away from the field.

"A blessed Tri-Hybrid," Ezekiel said as the red-clad crowd erupted in cheers and
applause. "He can control lightning, fire, and air. I'm pretty sure that he's
keeping a close eye on you, Ike. You've been listed as a Tri-Hybrid, after all."

Sierra's attacking practice has ended but neither of their supports attacked. RB
and Ezekiel seem to be watching Sierra's supports carefully, especially the guy
who's wearing a hooded red jacket that covers nearly his entire face.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." RB said warily as the representatives of
Sierra resumed their warm-up.

The green lines indicating the boundaries of our practice area suddenly lit up as
the familiar cool female voice spoke:

Attacking practice of Sierra Magical Institute is now over. Next is the Emerald
School of Magic. You have five minutes.

"Line up, guys!" Ezekiel called at the others. "Attacking practice! RB and Ike, you
attack last."

"Why? I wanna go now. I don't want the people to look at me," I said.

Ezekiel smirked. "Look around you, Ike."

I gave him a skeptical look before scanning the area around us. The crowd and all
the participants in the field must've realized that we're about to do an attacking
practice as they all fell deathly silent and watched us intently, especially the
representatives of the four other schools. Even the commentators paused with their
work to watch the warm-ups.

"Ooh, is it Emerald's turn for an attacking practice?" Professor Ferrea said. "This
is going to be fun."

"Don't embarrass me, Ike and RB. Go show them that you're a force to be reckoned
with," Ezekiel said with a grin, pushing the two of us towards the field.

One by one, our teammates attacked the Gladiators summoned by Professor Sivera and
Professor Elena. Jack used his ice and froze all the Gladiators in one go, Aliyah
made them explode with her earsplitting music, Philip transformed into an eagle and
attacked the mannequins fiercely, Alice used her ropes to cut them all in half,
Tony used his explosive arrows, Faye burned the Gladiators with an excessive
Healing Orb, and for the finale, Jack, Faye, and Tony attacked Jared who redirected
their attacks towards a couple of sets of Gladiators.

"Look at that!" Professor Ojeros shouted as smoking debris went flying in all
directions after Jared's attack. "What are they, Sir Gregor and Garrick, monsters?!
I can't believe what I just saw! Even your Healer can attack!"

"You haven't seen the worst yet, Julian," Professor Romeus replied meaningfully.

Another set of Gladiators fell from the sky. RB just walked calmly towards the
field and stared flatly at the Gladiators dashing towards him. He then closed his
eyes for a moment before taking a long and deep breath.
"Stop."

Time itself seemed to stop as all the Gladiators attacking RB suddenly froze. He
turned around in his spot before walking back to our area as all the Gladiators
behind him slowly disintegrated into dust.

"He didn't even use his weirdness! He didn't even raise a hand!" Professor Ojeros
shouted as the green-clad crowd exploded in cheers and shouts. "I'm just glad that
I'm not among the representatives of the four other schools down there! Talla means
serious business!"

"Your turn, Ike," Ezekiel said.

Puffs of smoke erupted high above us, releasing another set of Gladiators. I closed
my eyes momentarily before running towards the open field as tiny balls of force
field appeared out of thin air all around me. The balls of force field suddenly
flamed up as they rotated swiftly.

With a flick of my hands, I sent the flaming balls of force field flying in all
directions, hitting the attacking Gladiators and causing massive explosions around
us. Fiery debris rained all over the open field as I walked back to our practice
area.

"Answer me, Sir Gregor, why didn't you send this kid to the National Weirdo Youth
Training Camp? Why? You're always keeping your best students to yourselves!"
Professor Ojeros said.

"We have our reasons, Julian," Professor Ferrea replied with a laugh. "Besides,
Esmerelda herself trained this boy for an entire— OUCH! Let's watch the warm-up of
Veron now!"

Professor Ferrea must've received a painful hit from Professor Romeus.

"Ah, I think I'm going to fall in love again with Ike," RB said.

"Shut up," I fired at him.

"Eh? So that's the best student of Emerald, huh?" an unfamiliar voice suddenly
said. RB and I looked behind to see the redhead Koshi of Sierra looking at us with
a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Hey there, Koshi!" RB said in a feigned tone of warmness. "I'm so glad to see you
here!"

"Likewise, RB," Koshi replied, giving us a nod. "It seems that it isn't just you
who have a knack of attracting attention from the crowd. Your partner is such an
eye candy as well."

"We can also be an eyesore to you, especially when the game comes," RB replied, his
eyes gleaming a bit.

I held RB by his arm. "Hey, calm down. Let's go back to our warm-up. That's
enough," I said, dragging him away.

"I'll be expecting an all-out war once the game starts, RB," Koshi said as I
dragged RB away despite his reluctance. "After all, you were the one who declared a
war against us. Good luck to your team. I do hope that the gems of the tournament
won't get crushed early on."

I had to muffle RB's mouth with my hands to prevent him from retorting any further.

"You should've backed me up, hubby! I was about to say something clever but you
keep on dragging me away," RB whined as we resumed our warm-ups.

"We're here to play, not to pick a fight with someone. Sa oras lang talaga na
puntiryahin nila tayo eh ikaw ang unang i-uumang ko sa kanila," singhal ko sa
kanya.

All the teams eventually finished their attacking practice and warm-up. A deathly
hush fell over the crowd when all the representatives of the five schools were
called to line up on the field once more.

"Ah, the silence brought by excitement and anticipation..." Professor Ferrea said.
"Well, we're not going to prolong the wait any further. Ladies and gentlemen... THE
FIRST CHALLENGE!"

A hologram screen suddenly appeared in front of each team.

"The first challenge is Capture the Gem!" Professor Ojeros declared. "What a
symbolic first game! Each team will be given a gem. All you have to do is protect
and hide it while trying to steal the other teams' gem. One of your members should
hide the gem. Once you capture an opposing team's gem, you have to take it to your
designated base, which, incidentally, is your spawn point in the terrain. Your team
will be eliminated once your gem has been successfully captured OR if all of your
members have been eliminated! Of course, the last team on the field will earn 500
points and an outright number 1 spot in the team standings!"

"This is a single-life and no substitution game, which means, all nine players of
the five teams will be fielded in. Once you're eliminated, you can't be sent back
to the field anymore," Professor Romeus added.

"Ooh, our first game is quite challenging! Well, the terrain excites me even more,
so we're finally revealing it! Even us still don't know what the terrain will be.
Well, to our technical team, reveal the terrain now!"

The crowd, open field, and the entirety of the Diamond Battle Dome suddenly
disappeared, revealing a brightly-lit open sky. Floating islands of all sizes and
shapes are scattered everywhere in the midst of a sea of clouds. Before I could
totally register the entire scene in my mind, the entire terrain went back to the
noisy Ground Alpha.

"That was the Aerial Arena!" Professor Ferrea declared. "No level ground, just
gravity-defying islands! Be careful, because once you fall into the void, you will
be automatically eliminated from the game. Well, the first of the five secret
challenges is out, so start planning, kids! You have 30 minutes!"

Ezekiel flicked his hand upwards, creating a dome-shaped barrier in our immediate
area. In an instant, the sound of the crowd was totally silenced. The view of our
surroundings outside the barrier also blurred. It's like we're looking at our
surroundings through a blurry window.

"We can't let them hear or see us," Ezekiel said as a sleek circular table rose
from the ground and projected a hologram image of the Aerial Arena.

"It's an all-out game, so we're going to use the basic formation: main guns
surrounding the supports and back-up. RB is immediately the target of the opposing
teams due to his power. However, we won't be using him as our gem holder—"

"Why not?" I asked, focusing on the hologram projection of the Aerial Arena on the
table.

"Any suggestions, Ike?" Ezekiel asked with a grin.

"We can make RB hold the team's gem, but he can also create duplicate gems for
everyone in the team. That way, we can instantly confuse and trick our opponents.
Also, I think it'll be good if everyone carries two gems—wait, imposible naman ata
na hindi mo 'yun maisip?" baling ko kay Ezekiel.

He smiled meaningfully. "I'm glad that we're on the same page, Ike. Of course, I
created an opportunity for our team leader to act like a team leader. Well, that's
our plan, then. Everyone is going to carry three gems. If the opponent corners you,
throw your gems right away to another teammate. Trick them."

"So I will play the most important role," RB said. "God, I'm so important."

"Tony, you will be vital in tracking the opponents and keeping your teammates
together. Faye, you're in charge of saving everyone's asses. Ike, here is your mic
and earphone. Keep talking to me. To the others, give your opponents a hard time.
I'm confident that we can win this one," Ezekiel said.
We spent the remaining minutes talking about ways to deal with the different
weirdnesses of our opponents. When a buzzer finally signalled the end of the
planning time, Ezekiel gathered all of us in a huddle for a last-minute pep talk.

"The moment is here. Relax. Keep your cool. We will be on our surveillance room,
watching you. I will keep on talking to Ike, so you guys don't need to worry. Stick
to the plan, and everything will go as smooth as silk. Got it?" Ezekiel asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Good. EMERALD—!"

"—FIGHT!" everyone shouted.

The coaches headed to their respective surveillance rooms as all the participants
headed back to the open field.

"Here we go, Garrick and Julian. In a few while, we are going to witness the first
game of the season. To our crowd, this is the perfect opportunity to show your
support for your team. LET ME HEAR YOUR NOISE!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

The entire Diamond Battle Dome erupted in cheers, shouts, and music from all the
instruments as the crowd expressed their support for their respective teams. All
the players on the field bowed at each other as a part of the opening protocol.

"Dang, this feels awesome," Jack said, breathless in anticipation, as he scanned

the green-clad crowd cheering for us.

My earphone suddenly emitted a momentary beep. "Ike, can you hear me?" Ezekiel
asked.

"Yeah. Clear," I replied.

"Good. I'll be watching you. Ikaw na ang bahala kay Jack. Alam mo naman ang takbo
ng bituka niyan," sagot niya.

"Everyone, ARE YOU READY?!" Professor Ferrea shouted. "I think I'm gonna go deaf
already! Anyway, as we always say here in Emerald... LET THE MAYHEM COMMENCE!!!"

The cool female voice spoke as a countdown flashed in all the monitors around the
Diamond Battle Dome:

Game 1 of the Elimination Round of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament will
begin in 3... 2... 1...
A loud buzzer went off as the Aerial Arena replaced the Ground Alpha of the Diamond
Battle Dome. All of us are now standing in a huge floating island with a solitary
pedestal standing at the very center of the island. An emerald gem suddenly
appeared in front of RB who immediately pocketed it.

"RB, gems!" I shouted.

He flicked his fingers and created exact duplicates of the emerald gem that he hid
earlier. I put a hand on the glowing pedestal after everyone has hidden their fake
gems.

Spawn point set. Base set. You are now visible on the map, the familiar female
voice said.

The three professors were already busy commentating.

"There we go!" Professor Ferrea's voice suddenly said. "Not all teams are visible
yet... There, everyone has set their respective bases! All teams are visible now!"

"Wait a minute," Professor Ojeros said. "Isn't this challenge a bit beneficial to
Emerald? I mean, one of your participants is a Crystal Weirdo. He could easily
create numerous duplicates of their gem!"

"Don't be so afraid, Julian. The challenges have been created even before we
submitted our official lineup to the Department of Magical Education—"

"Peralta of NAA immediately uses his Radar Weirdness to locate their opponents on
the field," Professor Romeus interjected. "You two, we're being paid to commentate,
not to argue with each other. Start working—"

"Tony, scan the area!" I said.

"On it," he replied.

Low rumbles of thunder suddenly filled the air as dark rain clouds covered the sky
above us, instantly dimming our island. A fork of lightning suddenly erupted from
the clouds, carrying with it three red-clad people.

"Sierra!" RB shouted, summoning thousands of crystal spikes around him immediately.

The others also braced for combat as we took our positions.

Tiny arcs of lightning crisscrossed all over the bodies of the representatives of
Sierra. I instantly recognized them to be Koshi, the hooded Ayumu, and their other
support player.
"Do you guys know the first and unofficial rule in the CMMT?" Koshi asked as his
red eyes gleamed with malice.

No one replied.

"It seems that no one has informed you about it," he continued. "Well, let me
recite to you the first rule of this game: Crush the gems first, play the game
later..."

Their support wearing a hooded red jersey, Ayumu, suddenly opened his arms wide
before rising into the air. Our entire island suddenly became engulfed in a jet-
black shadow coming from the feet of Ayumu.

RB suddenly flinched upon seeing the shadow covering our entire island. He
immediately grabbed the two nearest players to him as gigantic crystal wings
sprouted from his back.

"FLY!" RB shouted.

Before anyone could even move or react, clawed hands suddenly rose from the shadow
covering our island. The shadow hands suddenly slammed against the shields of all
our teammates, forcing all of us to fall on our knees. A deafening shatter filled
the air as all our shields broke, sending shards of broken glass flying everywhere.

A painful squeezing sensation overwhelmed my entire body as my vision twisted and

swirled. There was a brief moment of darkness before I fell on a cold floor inside
a room full of monitors with a table projecting a hologram image of the Aerial
Arena. All around me, the rest of my teammates also appeared out of thin air one
after another.

No one was able to speak or move. In fact, no one was able to react at all. Our
coaches, even Ezekiel, just stared blankly at the hologram image of the terrain
being projected on the table. Red, blue, purple, and maroon dots are moving all
over the terrain, but there isn't even a single green dot present on the field.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Professor Ferrea shouted, overwhelmed with shock and disbelief.
"WHAT IS THIS?! CABRERA OF SIERRA ELIMINATES ALL OF THE PLAYERS FROM EMERALD WITHIN
SECONDS! THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ARE OUT! THEY ARE OUT IN THE VERY FIRST GAME OF
THE SEASON!"

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Another huge revelation awaits our protagonists. This time, another
feature of RB's hidden powers will be unveiled. Ike will soon find himself torn
among his responsibilities as a team leader, his demanding training, and his
growing doubt in RB—and himself as well. Not to mention that the second game of the
CMMT is fast approaching, and pressure is piling up on their side. It's make-or-
break as trouble and chaos continue in the next update of Weirdos III: The
Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 32: Backtrack [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "And the crowd here inside the Diamond Battle Dome has gone silent!
Everyone is stunned! This is an upset of colossal implications! Emerald is out!
Cabrera, on the other hand, levels up his shield to Level 2! Watch out for this guy
here!" Professor Ojeros said.

I was finally able to find my voice after minutes of staring blankly in the empty
space in front of me. I immediately looked for Ezekiel who's also dumbfounded while
standing in front of the projecting table.

"Ezekiel, I'm sorry—"

"Don't apologize," Ezekiel replied through gritted teeth. "That wasn't your fault.
That wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't a mistake. Don't apologize."

"Sit. Take deep breaths. Drink water," Professor Sivera said. Nicolo and Julia
started distributing bottles of water as everyone sat on the chairs lifelessly. It
seems that everybody's too stunned to even speak a word. Even Jack, who never shuts
up, was completely silenced and dazed.

"Ike, we need to sit," RB said, tugging on my jersey when I still remained slumped
on the floor. "It's fine. This is just the first game. There are still lots of
opportunities for us to win." Even his gaudy and lively tone of voice was gone.

I just allowed RB to usher me towards a seat. He then sat beside me before holding
my hand tightly. "It's okay. We'll be fine."

"And Cabrera reaches a Level 3 shield with that attack!" Professor Ferrea suddenly
said. "Sierra means business—"

Ezekiel flourished his hand and silenced the noise of the crowd and commentators
outside. The huge TV monitors in the surveillance room were also silenced.

"That was deliberate," Professor Elena, the remaining unfazed and calm person in
the room, said. "That was planned. Sinadya ng Sierra na gawin 'yun dahil alam
nilang hindi nating mapaghahandaan ang ganoong klase ng atake."

"But that kind of attack will never happen again. That's our only consolation for
now," Ezekiel added.

"How can you be sure that they won't do it again?" RB asked.

"The goal of that attack was to humiliate us. It was a surprise and dirty attack.
Ginawa lang nila 'yun dahil alam nilang maraming mga matang nakabantay sa 'tin; at
nangyari nga ang gusto nilang mangyari. They slammed our faces in the mud right in
the very first game," Ezekiel said.

"I know that some of you here wants to have their revenge on Sierra," he added,
glancing meaningfully at Jack. "At kung 'yun nga ang iniisip ninyo, ngayon pa lang
ay tigilan niyo na 'yan. The moment you try to get back at Sierra is the moment
that you lose. What we have to do is get our bearings back and just focus on
completing and winning each game. We will never reach our goal if all that we're
going to do throughout the season is chase after Sierra. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Besides, this is just the first game. However, we don't have time to lose. The
next game is set to happen next month, and because of the semestral break, it will
be held on the first Saturday of October. It's going to be really close that's why
you guys have to return to your training as soon as possible," Professor Sivera
said.

"We will do some research and scouting on the other teams, especially Sierra,"
Professor Elena added. "Take note that you haven't even seen their main guns in
action—"

"And the same thing goes for them, too. They haven't seen you get serious in
battle," Ezekiel interjected. "For now, we have to eat a proper dinner and watch
the game. I won't oblige you to watch, but it will help you a lot if you'll watch
your opponents in combat."

He clicked his fingers and a table overflowing with food suddenly appeared in front
of us.

"I'll get us some food, hubby," RB said, picking up two plates. "What would you
like to eat?"

"Anything," I said blankly.

Faye sat beside me as RB loaded our plates with all the food that he could pile up.

"Hindi na ako magtatanong ng lagay mo dahil halata naman na lahat tayo eh hindi
okay," bungad sa 'kin ni Faye. "Nag-aalala lang ako sa 'yo. Sa lahat pa naman ng
tao rito eh ikaw ang may pinakamalaking tendency na mag-overthink sa mga
pangyayaring kagaya nito."

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit dizzy," I said.

Faye flexed her fingers. "Want some help? I can help you release some of your
tension."

"I'm good. I just need to rest this one," I replied. "Tatapusin ko lang 'tong game
then matutulog na 'ko. Kausapin mo si Jack. Baka bigla na lang 'yan sumugod sa
field nang walang pasabi. Gusto ko man siyang kausapin pero hindi ko rin alam kung
ano ang sasabihin ko."

"Well, it appears that you're in a good situation. I will leave everything to RB,
then. Don't overthink, okay? Ako na'ng bahala kay Jack," sagot ni Faye bago siya
dumiretso sa pwesto ni Jack. Kanina pa kasi walang kibo 'yung tao sa isang tabi.

A plate overflowing with food landed in front of me. "They have pork adobo, hubby.
Here's your water. Do you want some juice? I can get you a glass if you like," RB
said as he sat beside me.

"Water's fine," I replied, pulling the plate nearer to me.

"Then eat. Eat even if you don't have the appetite," RB replied. "I'm gonna shovel
food down your throat if you're not going to eat."

Everyone just forced themselves to eat as we watched the game in silence. PWU got
into a fight with Sierra and got eliminated after us, giving them 200 points.

"Couldn't you Revenge Attack that one?" Jack asked Jared as Ayumu used his Shadow
Shape-shifting technique again to eliminate the remaining fighters from PWU. Jack
seems to have temporarily forgotten his dislike with Jared due to the events that
have unfolded tonight.

"The attack should be something material, like a spell, a crystal shard, a

lightning bolt, or something else in order for me to send it back. The attack
should also be magical in nature instead of being a purely physical one. Shadows
are immaterial, and therefore can't be sent back to its caster even if the attack
is of magical nature," Jared explained.

Ezekiel frowned at the TV monitor as the members of Sierra started searching for
the other teams. "We definitely need to do some scouting and background check with
this guy. He's definitely a formidable opponent that we should watch out for. We
need to know what his weaknesses are, and we need to uncover them fast."

"Ayumu wasn't really the showy type during the training camp," RB said while busy
eating a whole roasted chicken. "Besides, his weirdness is particularly weak during
the day. All of our training sessions were held in broad daylight that's why we
didn't get to see much of his true power. Also, he's totally blind. He can't even
move around without the help of his friends."

Veron encountered NAA about an hour after the start of the game. Teima used his
Foreshadowing Weirdness to predict the movements of their opponents, but the
members of the NAA, especially the Veloso twins, move with lightning speed and
attack with pinpoint accuracy. The members of Veron were reduced in half after just
a few minutes of scrimmage.

"And Veron exits the Game 1 with 300 points. That's good enough for a 3rd spot in
the team standings," Professor Romeus said as Yael and Yohan placed Veron's
sapphire gem in their own team's pedestal. "The remaining teams are Sierra and
NAA."

"The schools up north emerged victorious today!" Professor Ferrea added. "And I'm
pretty sure that the girls here don't mind seeing the Veloso twins for at least
another hour!"

Ice spikes suddenly flew from Jack's body.

"Calm down," Faye snapped at him.

"NAA's discipline and impeccable combating skills are pretty evident in today's
match," Ezekiel said. "I can even say that they're better than Emerald when it
comes to training their students in combat. NAA truly is a military school for
weirdos."

"And we're officially an hour and fifteen minutes into the match!" Professor Ferrea
said. "Man, Sierra is a walking highlight reel. It's like every single attack that
comes from them is camera-worthy. Sierra is an instant crowd favorite!"

Bigger ice spikes suddenly erupted from Jack's body. Ezekiel raised a hand and
arrested the ice spikes in mid-flight.

"Calm down," everyone snapped at Jack.

NAA and Sierra faced off for a chance to get 500 points and an outright number one
spot in the team standings. RB just let out a harsh laugh while watching the two
teams battle.

"They're not even using their weirdnesses to the fullest," he said with an evil
grin. "I'm pretty sure that Sierra will win this one. Those two schools are close,
after all. This fight is just scripted. Damn those mountainpeople."

"True," Ezekiel agreed. "Sierra and NAA have a close relationship with each other
despite the former being a private institution and the latter a government-owned
one. They're both located up north, after all. It's actually common for teams in
this league to form a coalition for their own benefit."

"Uh, how?" I asked.

"Teams team up for additional firepower. They will try to eliminate the other teams
to make sure that the top 2 spots will be theirs. That way, those two teams will
enter the Finals together where they will go all out. That same coalition happened
between Sierra and NAA in the previous tournament," Ezekiel explained.

"That's called cheating," Jack said, finally speaking after hours.

"That's called strategy, Jack. It's dirty, yes, but there isn't any rule in the
CMMT saying that teams aren't allowed to form coalitions. We don't form coalitions
with other teams because we want to play with utmost honesty and fairness in this
league. Besides, a victory is much sweeter when you know that you worked hard for
it... alone," Ezekiel said.

"There is way to break a coalition," Professor Sivera said as he frowned at the TV

monitors.

Everyone suddenly looked at him.

"Well, all you have to do is make sure that you won't get eliminated if you were
targeted by a coalition team. That also happened in the last tournament. Sierra and
NAA ended up in the Battle for Third because Emerald and Veron were just simply too
powerful for them. Emerald didn't team up with Veron, of course; but the two
schools both realized that they're being targeted that's why they upped their
arsenal. Emerald ended up as the top seed in the previous tournament because of
that," Professor Sivera explained.

"Once a coalition sees that their collaborative efforts are futile, they will be
left with no choice but to focus on their own teams," Ezekiel continued. "In our
case, we simply have to make sure that at least either Sierra or NAA don't get a
place in the top 2 throughout the tournament. If one of them sees that they aren't
benefiting from the coalition, they will surely cut their bonds with each other."

Ezekiel clapped his hands together to break the silence around us. "Well, the
coaches are the ones responsible for creating tactics for that, so please don't
think of unnecessary things. For now, we have to focus on the reality that we are
currently the doormat of the CMMT."

As expected, Sierra won with another shadow attack coming from Ayumu. The entire
game lasted for nearly an hour and a half. It's already a few minutes before eight
in the evening when the ending buzzer finally sounded.

"And there goes Cabrera, eliminating the remaining members of NAA! It's official!
Sierra Magical Institute wins the Game 1 of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem
Tournament! What a fight! What an evening! Tonight has been a night of surprises!"
Professor Ojeros said.

The entire terrain switched back to the Ground Alpha, revealing the members of
Sierra who are now standing at the very center of the field under a spotlight.
"Sierra lost only three of their members! We're going to take a break first. When
we come back, our insider will interview the winning team. Also, we're going to
have our post-game analysis and fearless forecast for the game 2! Stay tuned with
us!" Professor Ferrea announced.

Ezekiel clicked his fingers, turning off all the TV monitors inside the
surveillance room.

"Go to sleep. Rest. You'll resume your training on Monday. Doon na lang natin pag-
usapan ang mga nangyari ngayong gabi. Kami na rin muna ng mga student assistants
ninyo ang magtatrabaho ng mga kailangan naming asikasuhin para sa susunod na game,"
utos sa 'min ni Ezekiel.

Everyone nodded.

"Good. Ate Elena, please facilitate the teleportation of these brats..."

Professor Elena nodded before clicking her fingers, causing a portal to open just
behind us.

"Direkta na namin kayong ihahatid sa kani-kanyang mga bahay at dorm ninyo. I'm
pretty sure that there are already a lot of media waiting for you outside. Kami na
ang bahalang kumausap sa kanila. Kung may mabalitaan kayong mga reporter na
nabalian ng 206 na buto sa katawan, ako ang may kasalanan noon. Good night," paalam
sa 'min ni Ezekiel.

Everyone sniggered.

Nagpaalam na muna kami sa isa't-isa bago paisa-isang pumasok sa portal ang bawat
isa sa 'min. Sa bawat ibang lokasyon na uuwian namin ay sinasara ni Professor Elena
ang portal para makalipat din ng exit point 'yung portal na binuksan niya. Huli
kaming umuwi ni RB.

"Ike."

"Po?"

"Don't take tonight's events too seriously, Ike," Ezekiel said when I was about to
enter the portal. "We need your resilience now more than ever. The events that
happened tonight are not enough to define you as a captain and us as a team. We
still have four more games to play, Ike. Keep that in your mind."

I just gave Ezekiel a nod before stepping into the portal which brought RB and I
directly to my room in the Topaz Building.
"Are you going to sleep already, hubby? Matutulog na 'ko kung matutulog ka na rin,"
sabi ni RB pagkaupo ko sa kama.

I held his hand tightly before looking at him straight in the eyes. "Please stay
with me. I need you."

RB let out a sigh before sitting beside me. "For your info, I should be the one
feeling all down and depressed right now," he said.

I raised an eyebrow.

RB rolled his eyes. "Like, duh, I was the one who declared a war on Sierra. If I
didn't do that, they probably left us alone in today's game. I think I also have a
fair share on the blame, hubby."

"I'm pretty sure that they would still target us even if you didn't declare a war
against them," I replied, leaning my head against his shoulder.

RB let out a chuckle. "Yeah, you're right. Maybe they got too insecure with my
dazzling prettiness that's why they eliminated us right away. Dang it, too much
beauty can kill," he said, pinching his cheeks fondly.

"Shut up," I fired at him, pinching his arm.

"Ah, don't get so depressed, hubby! Smile! Smile wide!" RB said, pushing my lips to
curve into a smile. "You looked like you were about to bawl your eyes out earlier.
I want to drown in your sweet manly juices, not in your salty tears—"

I stuffed a handful of my blanket into his mouth.

"But seriously, hubby, stop acting like it's the end of the world 'cause it's not,"
he said while busy wiping his tongue. "We still have a chance, duh! You're just
being a crybaby. We're going to regroup and take the second game from the insecure
Sierra. We'll slam their faces in the mud this time!"

"Ano nga ang sabi sa 'tin ni Ezekiel?" sabad ko naman.

"I know. I was just kidding. I just don't want you to feel depressed because you're
our team captain and you're supposed to be the last person to collapse and self-
destruct in our team. Your dick can even stay rock-hard for hours, so why can't
your will do the same?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "It's just that I feel responsible for every failure of the
team. I'm the team captain, after all. I should be the one leading the team. I
should be the one who carries the team when things go rough. However, we totally
got wiped out in the first game and I can't help but blame myself. If I was able to
react faster, I might've been able to save us—"

RB suddenly put a finger across my lips to silence me. "Stop right there, Mr. Ike
Vista Lunaria. Hold it. Ano nga rin po ba ang sinabi sa 'yo ni Ezekiel kanina?"

"That it wasn't my fault," I said with a sigh.

"Exactly, my strikingly handsome and huge husband. That wasn't your fault. That
wasn't anyone's fault. Sadyang may mga tao lang talaga na insecure at hindi kayang
pigilin ang mga sarili nila na mang-apak ng iba kaya 'yun nangyari sa 'tin. Don't
blame yourself for something that you didn't do. Understood? Got it? Okay?" RB
asked while rubbing my cheeks with his hands.

"Fine. I get it. Stop playing with my face, dammit," I said.

"There you go! My hubby's back! For now, we have to focus our vision on our
training. Our coaches and student assistants will do their best, and we will do the
rest. But before that, we have to sleep and rest first. Go to sleep! I'm going to
sleep here beside you because I don't want my hubby to cry if I leave him alone,"
RB said, tapping my cheeks.

I glanced at my alarm clock. "Actually, it's just thirty minutes past eight..." I
said meaningfully before pushing RB to my bed.

He blinked several times as if he can't believe what he's seeing right now.

"Wait a second," RB said while massaging his temples. "I'm not hallucinating,
right? You, who have always been the last one to get naked whenever we're having
sex, is now taking the initiative. I think my mind can't process that thought."

I stared at him coldly. "Ayaw mo ba? Matulog na lang tayo kung ganun."

"Of course not!" RB replied as he took off my shirt in a hurry. "I was just
surprised, that's all. Well, I'm gonna take this rare blessing right now, then.
I'll make you happy tonight, hubby."

I just rolled my eyes before clicking my fingers, causing all the lights in the
room to turn off.

"Ah... I love my character in this story," RB added in a whisper.

"Shut up."

        Chapter 33: Tips and Thoughts [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Wake up, hubby. I brought breakfast," I heard RB say the moment I woke up
the following day. I opened my bleary eyes and saw RB sitting on the side of my bed
carrying a tray of food.

"It's already eight. Wake up. Get dressed. Eat. We have to finish some homeworks
today, then we're going to a date later this afternoon! Dang it, I'm such a good
boyfriend," RB said, patting his own shoulder.

"Maliligo na lang ako. Ikaw, kumain ka na ba?" tanong ko pagkalapag ni RB ng tray

sa harapan ko.

"I'm done. Eat already," he said. "Aayain sana kitang mag-jogging kanina kaso tulog
na tulog ka pa. Besides, umalis pa lang kanina 'yung Sierra at NAA at ayoko namang
paglaruan pa tayo ng tadhana. Tsaka ilang oras ko rin kasing tinitigan 'yang
makatulo-laway mong katawan kaya 'di ko namalayan ang oras."

Tinutok ko sa kanya 'yung tinidor na hawak ko.

"Don't try to watch the news, hubby. As usual ay ginatasan ng media ang pagkatalo
natin kagabi. We're currently the dartboard of taunts and ridicules from everyone
who watched the event last night," RB said.

I sighed. "Thanks for the early warning."

I took a bath after finishing my breakfast. Marami rin talaga kasi kaming gagawin
ngayong araw lalo pa ngayon na patapos na ang semester. We're exempted from taking
the term-end exams but we're still required to take the preliminary exams and
complete all our requirements in all the subjects. Kailangan din naming magpasa ng
mid-year report tungkol sa internship namin para sa Intensive Training Course.

Abala na kami ni RB sa paglalatag ng lahat ng mga kailangan naming gawin at tapusin

nung biglang may kumatok sa pinto ng kwarto ko.

"I'll open it. Get all the books that we're gonna need," I said to RB before
opening the door.

A smiling Professor Evanesca greeted me. "Good morning, Ike."

"Ah, tuloy po kayo. Good morning din po," sagot ko naman.

"It's fine. I just want to borrow you for a moment for a, you know, small talk.
Ezekiel was worried about you especially after the events that have unfolded last
evening that's why he asked me to talk to you in the soonest possible time. I know
that you and Rubio are busy but this won't take long," Professor Evanesca said.

"S-Sige po," sagot ko naman.

"Rubio can come with us. I want to talk to you somewhere private, so we have to
teleport," the headmistress said, offering her arms to us. "You know the drill,
boys."

RB and I held on to Professor Evanesca's arms. The familiar unpleasant feeling of

teleportation overwhelmed my entire body followed by a momentary darkening of my
vision. The three of us suddenly appeared in what looks like an open rooftop
overlooking the main grounds of Emerald. The Emerald Clock Tower stood mightily
tall on our right side while tiled roof and pointed spires occupied the area behind
us.

"The roof deck," Professor Evanesca said, gesturing around us. "Directly underneath
us is my office. This is probably my favorite spot here in Emerald. I always go
here whenever things get too suffocating or heavy inside my office. A lungful of
fresh air can do wonders, boys."

"This is my first time here. I didn't know that you have an open rooftop here in
the Emerald building," I said as I looked around curiously.

"Well, now you know. By the way, have you eaten your breakfast already? You
shouldn't skip your morning meal, especially now that you're undergoing an
intensive training," the headmistress said.

"Kumain na po kami ni RB ng agahan namin kanina. 'Wag po kayong mag-alala," sagot

ko naman.

"That's good to hear," she replied.

"Uh... I'm gonna move over there and pretend that I can't here you as I hover
awkwardly in the background," RB said before heading to the other side of the roof
deck. A sudden burst of crystal butterflies erupted from his body as he walked away
from us.

"Tough night, Ike," Professor Evanesca said as she watched the students below
enjoying their early Sunday morning walking around the school or lying on the grass
of the open grounds.

"Tough is an understatement," I said quietly.

Professor Evanesca laughed a bit. "Well, I don't want you to feel even worse by
using a stronger word," she said. "But regarding your performance last evening,
what do you personally think about your performance in the first game?"

I paused.
"Well, I think we could've done more. Don't worry because I'm not overthinking or
blaming myself for what happened last evening. Ezekiel and RB told me a lot of
times to not take the events too seriously," I said. I just don't want another pep
talk about self-confidence or whatever.

She let out a sigh before smiling lightly. "You started at the rock bottom, Ike.
Eventually, you were able to climb you way up to success through your efforts and
determination to grow. Along the way, you also slipped and failed a few times.
Nevertheless, your journey throughout your stay here in Emerald has been really
colorful and adventurous."

I just stared at the headmistress with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"You're still learning, of course. However, you are easily one of the most improved
students here in Emerald. Maybe you're not the most powerful or strongest student
that we have here but you are definitely leading the pack when it comes to overall
growth and improvement," she added.

I didn't say a word for I don't even know what to say.

"What I'm trying to say is that you've already done a lot of incredible things, my
dear boy. You've already gained a lot achievements. You've already come this far.
You don't need to add additional pressure to yourself because whether you win or
lose, you've already proven yourself capable of growing and improving. Play the
game because you want to gain experience and lessons from it, not because you want
to show the people that you are strong or powerful," Professor Evanesca said.

I nodded. "I understand, professor."

"It's natural to feel responsible for the team's failure because, well, you're the
team captain. You are expected to lead the team. You are expected to guide your
teammates whenever things get rough. We chose you as the team captain because we
believe that you can perform the duties and responsibilities that come with that
important role. However, you shouldn't shoulder all the blame, Ike. The CMMT is a
team sport, my dear boy. It will always be a team sport and there will always be
eight other players on the field aside from you," the headmistress added.

She suddenly rolled the sleeve of her robes on her left arm, showing a long scar
that runs from her wrist up to her elbow. The scar looks like a huge crack on her
arm.

"How did you get that?" I asked curiously.

"Serafina gave me this scar. I almost lost my favorite arm due to the very long
gash that she gave me in our last fight," the headmistress explained, tracing the
scar with her fingers. "This isn't the only scar that I have. Throughout my life as
an agent, I've received a lot of wounds all over my body, some of them were even
fatal. You can't see them because I'm always wrapped in these green robes. I always
make sure that my face is safe from attacks, though. It only goes to show that even
I, the previous number 1 agent, is just a human, that I am not immune to physical
wounds."

The headmistress took a deep breath before looking up to the bright morning sky.
"But regardless of how many wounds I get or how fatal they are, I would always
fight to the end. Whenever I see villains blatantly abusing their powers for their
own gain, or whenever I see people crying out of fear or asking for my help, my
pride as an agent burns scorchingly hot inside my heart. There have been times when
I almost gave up, but whenever I see people praying for my victory, whenever I see
my fellow agents doing their best to help me, that fire inside my heart burns even
stronger, it burns even hotter. I've won a lot of fights not because of my skills
or my powers, it's because of the people who have stood behind me whenever I face
any villain."

I was suddenly reminded of Ezekiel's statement that he said to me back in the

Workout Week:

...If you have finally reached a wall that hinders your progress, then all you have
to do is to push that wall away or climb over it in order for you to advance and
reach new grounds...

"However, there will be times when all of your efforts will be futile," Professor
Evanesca continued. "There will be times when you will try all the attacks that you
know but the villain will still stand strong. There will be times when you will use
all the defense available and yet you'll still get hit by your opponent's attacks.
There will be times when you will do all the things that you could possibly do but
all of those will be futile and fruitless. During those times, you will be left
with nothing but one option."

Professor Evanesca placed her hand on my shoulder before looking at me straight in

the eyes.

"If you've tried all the attacks that you know but the villain still stands, if
you've tried all the defense but you're still getting hit by your opponent's
attacks, if you've done every possible thing that you could do but nothing seems to
happen, then you can only do one thing: you ask for help," Professor Evanesca said,
her eyes burning with pride and intensity.

"It's not a sign of cowardice or weakness. It's a sign of strength—the strength to

admit that you cannot always win all the battles alone. If I did not ask for help
from Carlo and Stella, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Serafina. The same thing
goes for you, Ike. If you don't know what to do, or you've ran out of options, you
ask for help. You are not and will never be alone. No matter what happens, your
friends will always be there to help you," the headmistress said.

"Ask all the great agents of today and they will give you that very same response.
Asking for help is not and will never be a sign of cowardice, refusing to ask for
help is. It's natural to be afraid, it's natural to feel threatened, but if you let
that fear consume you, if you did nothing but to cower and run away from your fear,
that is when you'll become a true coward," Professor Evanesca added.
"Thanks a lot, professor," I said sheepishly as I scratched my nape. "I really need
those words right now, especially after the turn out of the events last night."

The headmistress smiled at me before tapping my shoulder. "I am glad that I was
able to help you, my dear boy. But seriously, I'd like you to crush Sierra in the
game 2 next month. I don't care if villains humiliate me in front of many people.
It infuriates me a million times more seeing my students get crushed by other
schools. Avenge our loss, Ike. Avenge our loss," Professor Evanesca said with an
evil grin, cracking her knuckles loudly.

"Amen to that, professor!" RB suddenly shouted from the other side of the roof
deck, raising an arm like a soldier who's about to run to a battlefield. "I'M GONNA
F*CKING MURDER SOME SIERRA STUDENTS IN GAME 2! THOSE PUNY MORTALS SHOULD BRACE
THEMSELVES FOR MY WRATH!"

"That's the spirit, my dear godson! Go and shatter some dreams—and bones—in the
next game!" Professor Evanesca replied while clapping loudly.

I just stared flatly at the two who are both grinning widely like evil geniuses.
"Yeah, both of you definitely need to get your minds checked by a psychiatrist as
soon as possible."

●●●

"Gather around, brats. Gather around," Ezekiel said as we entered the Diamond
Battle Dome. It's Monday afternoon and he wasted no time in training us. He even
dismissed our class two hours earlier so that we could start training right away.

"I know that everyone here was immensely shocked by the events that happened last
Saturday. Truth be told, even I did not expect the result of the game 1. In
retrospect, it is clear that we are the target of the top contenders in this
tournament. You shouldn't just be wary of Sierra. Who knows, maybe Veron or NAA are
preparing some surprises for us as well. We have to be careful not to repeat our
abysmal performance in the opening day," Ezekiel said.

"Subukan lang nilang gawin ulit 'yun at dadanak ang dugo sa game 2," sabad bigla ni
Jack.

"I'm looking forward to that, Jack. We did pretty bad and I also want to avenge our
loss, to be honest. However, we must leave the horrifying game 1 in the past where
it rightfully belongs. We have to focus on the future and not allow the past to
hinder our advance. We only have roughly three weeks before the next game, and you
have to train your butts off if you want to perform well in the game 2," Ezekiel
said.

Green folders suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

"Those are the updated scouting reports regarding all the participants in the
tournament. It's a pretty comprehensive research about our opponents. Be sure to
thank your student assistants because it was them who compressed all the data that
we were able to gather," Ezekiel added.

"Nicolo and Julia are so cool," RB said while busy scanning his thick folder.

"Read them this evening. For now, we're going to have some attacking practice. Go
and warm up first. You can also use the Gladiators and the Aerial Arena for your
training ground. This will help you adjust to the game 2. Take care, brats. Don't
get injured or I'll f*cking kill you," Ezekiel said before clicking his fingers.
The Ground Alpha of the Diamond Battle Dome was replaced by the familiar floating
islands in a sea of clouds and blue skies.

"Is everything okay?" Faye asked as I did my stretching.

"I'm fine. Kung sino-sino na ang kumausap sa 'kin para ipaalala na 'wag kong
sisisihin ang sarili ko sa nangyari. Nakatuon na ang atensyon ko ngayon sa game 2
dahil wala na tayong magagawa pa kung ang pagkatalo natin sa game 1 ang parati
nating iisipin," sagot ko naman.

"Well, that's good to hear. Mukhang naka-move on na rin si Jack sa mga nangyari.
I'm just glad that all of us are still good and are looking forward to our next
game," Faye replied as she started stretching as well.

Biglang tumama ang titig ko kay RB na abala sa pagbabasa ng scouting report sa

ilalim ng isang puno.

"Hoy, mamayang gabi ka na niyan magbasa," tawag ko sa kanya. "Ezekiel told us to

practice. Get over here and start warming up, you slowpoke."

RB just waved his hand impatiently. "I'm already pretty flexible, hubby," he said
without tearing his eyes away from his folder. "You go and train. I'm just going to
memorize the names of the people that I'll murder in game 2."

I stared at him flatly. "You better not be serious about that. Just hurry up with
that and start training already."

"Yeah, yeah. I love you, too. You don't have to tell me every three seconds for I
already know that you're head over heels in love with me," RB replied.

I just growled at him before resuming my warm-up.

"RB looks so serious in reading the scouting report," Faye said. "Mukhang kailangan
mo siyang bantayan dahil baka seryosohin niyan ang mga sinasabi niya. Mahirap na."
"Subukan lang talaga niya at ako mismo ang mag-e-eliminate sa kanya," sagot ko
naman.

"Ike, Faye, and Tony, come here for a second," Ezekiel said. Agad naman akong
lumapit sa kanya.

"Po?" tanong ko.

"If ever Cabrera attacks our team in the next game, I want you to try using your
telekinesis against him. Let's see if that can contain his weirdness, because
honestly, we weren't able to gather much information about that Cabrera. Sierra
probably knows that we're going to research about him that's why they're keeping
his full profile a secret," Ezekiel said.

"Uh, but my telekinesis only works on material objects. I can't actually prevent
darkness—or light—from reaching a certain place. I never tried using it that way
before," I said.

"And that is the exact reason why you're still not able to draw the full power of
the Prime Elemental. You won't lose anything if you try, nitwit. I myself don't
think that it's possible, but who knows, you might successfully pull it off in your
first try," Ezekiel said.

I nodded. "I'll try it, then."

"Good. As for you, Faye, I want you to use your Healing Orb technique against
Cabrera. If some Dark Magic is involved in his weirdness, then you will certainly
be more than enough to quell the effects of his weirdness. Healing is a higher-
level skill of Light Weirdness which is a higher-class element of lightning. That
explains your ability to produce light in some occasions, Faye," Ezekiel said.

"I'll give it a try, professor."

"Excellent. And when everything else fails, Tony will be our last card," he said,
turning his emerald eyes to Tony. "Use your weirdness to detect the movements of
Cabrera's shadows. We want you to act like Cataleya. Before Cabrera could fully
execute his moves, you should be able to read them first so that your teammates can
avoid getting eliminated. Can you do it, Tony?"

"I can, professor; and I will."

Ezekiel grinned. "That's the spirit. However, we must not focus all our attention
to Cabrera. He still has his equally-dangerous teammates and there are still other
teams in the tournament other than Sierra. They can and will try to eliminate you
in the next game. Be alert and wary, and nothing bad will happen to you."

All three of us nodded.

Ezekiel clapped his hands twice. "Well, that's all that I have to say to you. Go
back to your training so that you could raise some serious hell in the game 2!"

        Chapter 34: Controlling Freaks [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "IKE! RB!"

Before RB and I could even react, reddish-brown arms suddenly wrapped around us
before enclosing the two of us in a bone-shattering hug. It's Friday and we have
just arrived in Sir Fraeo's office for our weekly internship.

"Let them go. You'll break their bones," Kuya Yven said from the top of their
ginormous double-decker bed.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't able to check on you these past few days. You know, we're
among the teams deployed to the CMMT to provide security to the event that's why
we've been really busy. Are you two fine? I swear I had a hard time preventing
myself from attacking the Sierra fans! They were laughing at Emerald when you guys
got eliminated!" Crimson said with a growl.

"Nagpigil ka ba talaga ng sarili mo?" sabad naman ni Ate Alicia. "Kami nga 'tong
kulang na lang eh itali ka para 'di ka mangagat ng mga taga-Sierra."

"Well, you can't blame me for acting like that, sis. It's all about school pride,
duh. You wouldn't understand me because your school got 300 points," Crimson said,
flicking his bushy tail at her. "So, ano na? Kumusta kayong dalawa? I can only
imagine Ezekiel's face after losing like that. He really hates losing, that jerk."

I scratched my neck. "Well, we're fine, I guess? It was just the first game and we
still have a lot of chances in the tournament. We just have to get our bearings
back and focus our sight on the game 2," I replied.

"Besides, game 3 will surely be ours because the majority of the representatives
from Sierra will get severely injured in the game 2. Some of them might even bite
the dust," RB added.

Agad ko naman siyang binatukan. "Hoy—"

"That's my bruh!" Crimson cried out as he hugged RB tightly. "I want to see you
burn those Sierra bastards to ashes! They shouldn't have messed with our beauty for
they will pay dearly. Calvin even approached me after the game to congratulate me
for Emerald's dead last finish in the game 1. The nerve of that bastard! He just
can't move on with the fact that it was I who kicked his team out of the top 2 in
the previous tournament!"

Ate Shara pinched Crimson's ears. "Kalma. Hindi mo naman siguro ikamamatay kung
babawas-bawasan mo ang gigil mo. You're in charge of our team today, remember? And
Fraeo gave us the permission to kick you whenever you get out of control."

"Where's Sir Fraeo, by the way?" I asked, realizing that he really wasn't in the
room.

"May meeting ang lahat ng team leaders buong umaga kasama ang mga high-ranking
officials ng TOG at si Sir Franc," sagot naman ni Kuya Yven. "It's about, you know,
the rising villain activity here in the country."

"Which means, I'm in charge today, slaves!" Crimson said, raising his chin proudly.
"Follow my orders or say goodbye to your—"

Isang hampas sa batok ang napala ni Crimson mula kay Kuya Yven. "We're not your
slaves, you narcissistic furball."

"Anyway, you guys shouldn't feel bad about your loss, okay? You're still the best
team in the league and nothing can change that. If Izzy asks for our help then
we'll willingly give it to you. I can even train you personally, especially you,
Ike," Crimson said, hugging my right arm and wrapping his tail around it.

Kuya Greg who's busy cleaning the office suddenly threw an empty water bottle at
Crimson. "Are you trying to comfort him or are you just trying to touch all the
muscles in Ike's body?" he asked.

"Both," Crimson replied. "I love meat... especially man meat."

"That just makes you sound a creepy cannibal," Ate Shara said. "Anyway, it's nearly
eight and we should get going. Pagagalitan tayo ni Fraeo kung late na naman tayo
kagaya kahapon."

"We're going to patrol in a different location today," Crimson said to us as we

exited the office. "Don't worry because it's in the city center and there are a lot
of establishments there so you won't get bored. There will also be a lot of people
there, which means..."

"There will be lots of prey to choose from," RB said excitedly.

"Exactly, bruh!" Crimson replied, wagging his tail.

"Talagang harap-harapan mong sasabihin sa 'kin 'yan?" singhal ko naman kay RB.

"Ah, hubby's jealous again!" RB said as he hugged me. "My heart will always beat
for you, hubby. It's just that you can't always eat the exact same meal every day.
You also have to vary your choices so that you won't get bored of your favorite
food."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Ganoon pala. I get it. Why don't we break up so that you
could start tasting other foods? You're free. Go on. I dare you."

RB immediately clung on to my arm. "I was just kidding! Sorry, Crimson. Kailangan
ko nang pagtiisan ang pandesal sa tanang buhay ko. You go and taste those delicious
guys for me, bruh!"

Crimson gave him a salute. "Roger, bruh!"

"Man, those two really go together like coffee and cream," Kuya Yven said.

The team arrived in our designated area after just a few minutes before eight.
Isang sakay lang kami sa bus ay nakarating na kami kaagad sa city center. As
expected ay marami ngang tao doon dahil na rin sa dami ng mga mall sa lugar.

"I don't feel comfortable in my costume, especially in a place like this," I said,
wrapping my arms around me. "Maybe I should wear my cloak."

Lahat naman kasi ng costumes eh may version para sa tag-ulan. Agents usually use
cloaks as their costume during the rainy season. I actually have two hooded cloaks
for my rainy season costume, a green one and a black one.

"You'll look silly wearing a cloak in such a fine, warm weather like this," RB
snapped at me. "Besides, don't you want to flaunt those incredible biceps of yours
in front of many people?"

I stared at him flatly. "Don't lump me together with a narcissistic show-off like
yourself."

"This is why I love you so much, hubby. You're so kind and unassuming. Those things
make you even more appealing. Ike's such a good boy, but a real wild and naughty
kid especially in bed," RB said.

I flicked my fingers and conjured an ice spike above my hand. "Gusto mo bang hindi
makapagsalita buong maghapon?"

RB immediately walked away from me. "What are we going to do today, Crimson? Are we
going to execute some villains in public?"

Agents assigned to cities usually cover lesser area. Kagaya dito sa capital city na
maraming agent stations na nakakalat, augmented pa ng NMLEA ang pwersa nila. 'Yung
mga assigned naman sa mga probinsya ang medyo may mas mahirap na trabaho. Kadalasan
kasi sa bawat municipality ay isa o dalawang agent stations lang ang meron. Kaya
para mabilis ang deployment sa ganoong klaseng mga lugar ay mga agents na kayang
makalipad, gumalaw nang mabilis, o mag-locate ng mga villains ang pinapadala sa mga
malalayong lugar.

Agents usually apprehend petty crimes in a huge city like this. Sa paglipas din
kasi ng panahon ay paunti-unting umatras palayo sa mga siyudad ang mga villains sa
paglakas ng pwersa ng mga agents. Sa ngayon ay madalas magtrabaho sa mga tago at
malalayong lugar ang mga agents ng Tactical Operations Group dahil lumayo rin sa
kabihasnan ang mga malalakas na pwersa ng mga villains.

The area that we're going to patrol today is the heart of the capital city itself.
Malapit nga lang din dito ang NMLEA dahil marami ring government offices dito.
Hindi pa diyan kasama ang malalaking business establishments at mga parke. This
part of the capital city is the center of commerce, entertainment, and government.
Malapit lang din dito ang palasyo ng presidente.

"Ah... I love being assigned here!" Crimson said, opening his arms wide as we
walked in the middle of a huge crowd in a park. Standing around us are towering
skyscrapers. May malapit pa ritong mga mall kaya napakarami rin talaga ng tao.

"Aside from walking all afternoon and filling our bellies with food, we do
virtually nothing here. Well, we usually help the police apprehend some petty
criminals but nothing serious happens in this place. This is why Crimson loves
being assigned here. Even if patrolling duty gets dull, the city center will always
provide us with entertainment," Ate Shara said as RB and Crimson bought towering
ice creams on cone.

"Want some, hubby?" RB offered.

"I'm good. Baka mamaya kung ano pa nilagay mo diyan," I replied.

We also came across Jack and Cezka's team. Jack, as expected, had totally forgotten
his frustration with our defeat and is now looking like his usual hyperactive self.

"Juno comforted me, bro!" he said when I asked him why his mood suddenly became so
sunny again. "She's even rooting for us!"

"Probably because she's also from Emerald?" I said coldly.

"I can really understand now why RB slaps you all the time," Jack replied. "Can't
you just be happy for me, bro? This is my only consolation after our terrible
performance in game 1. Anyway, see you on our training tomorrow. We have to go!"

The entire morning passed without anything eventful happening. Sir Fraeo finally
arrived just when we were about to eat our lunch.

"Wala naman ba 'tong ginawang kalokohan?" tanong niya kay Ate Shara.
"Wala naman. Himala nga eh. Nung huli tayong na-assign dito muntik na 'yang
mangagat si Crimson," sagot ni Ate Shara.

"For your info, that wasn't my fault. That guy just severed my patience right at
the hilt; and I don't like it when people provokes me. It's in our biology, sis.
Ignore me, I'll ignore you. Provoke me, I will bite you," Crimson said.

"Uh, those are for dogs, especially the untrained ones..." Kuya Yven said.

"It's also applicable to foxes! And what are you trying to say, that I am
uncivilized?! I am a refined vixen with good taste and high standards!" Crimson
snapped at him.

Sir Fraeo just lifted Crimson by his collar before walking into the restaurant.

"Ano ba'ng napag-usapan ninyo kanina?" tanong naman ni Kuya Yven pagkaupo namin.

"Intelligence reports regarding the whereabouts and current activities of the

Legion of Death," Sir Fraeo replied. "Which means, hindi natin pwedeng pag-usapan
'yun sa ganitong klaseng lugar. We're going to have a meeting after our patrolling
duty para ma-inform kayo sa mga gagawin natin sa mga susunod na linggo."

"Are things getting serious?" Ate Alicia asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Sir Fraeo replied grimly. "For now, we have to eat our lunch
first. Problemahin na lang natin 'yan mamaya sa meeting."

RB and I just glanced at each other. You can't mention the Legion of Death without
mentioning Jaeron and his cronies. I wonder where they are and what they're doing
right now.

"Can I please have a glass of water?" RB asked the waiter.

"Anything wrong, bruh? You look a bit pale," Crimson asked.

"Nothing," RB replied as he wrapped his arms around him. "Medyo nanlamig lang ako
bigla."

"Okay ka lang ba talaga?" tanong ko naman habang sinasalat ang noo niya. "You're
cold. Maybe you should go back to the dorm. May sakit ka ata. Magpahinga ka na lang
at baka lumala pa 'yan."

Crimson's ears suddenly twitched. He stood up from his seat before looking at the
street outside the restaurant. "Wait a second... I can hear people screaming..."
All the agents stood at once.

"Where?" Sir Fraeo asked.

Without any reply, Crimson suddenly ran on all fours and dashed out of the
restaurant. All of us instinctively followed him as he ran towards a nearby park
where people can be seen running in all directions.

"Stay behind us, you two!" Sir Fraeo said to us. "Quentin, survey the area and send
me real-time updates!"

Kuya Quentin is a Radar Weirdo. He's one of the support agents in Sir Fraeo's team
together with Ate Lizzy who has X-ray vision.

Sir Fraeo placed his hand on Kuya Quentin's back and created wings made out of
metal. The latter launched straight to the sky and flew towards the nearby park.

"This park has four entrances!" Sir Fraeo shouted to the others. "Split up in
pairs! Crimson and I will take this gate. Ike and RB, just stay behind me. This
could be serious!"

The six other agents headed in different directions while Sir Fraeo headed straight
to what looks like the main gate of the park. Crimson had already disappeared in
the middle of the panicking crowd.

My earphone suddenly emitted a static sound. "I can see things from up here,
Fraeo," the trembling voice of Kuya Quentin said. He sounded really scared. "I
think it's a Freak Weirdo. It's right at the center of the park."

The shouts of the panicking people was suddenly reduced to a mere muffled buzz in
my ears. My feet stopped short as the huge gate of the park loomed right in front
of me. Sir Fraeo was already way ahead of us, shouting Crimson's name.

Move... my mind whispered as cold sweat trickled down my face. Move...

But horrible images of the past suddenly rushed inside my mind. I suddenly
remembered the black eyes, bulging veins, and cracking skin of a Freak Weirdo. I
suddenly remembered its eerie posture once it enters its inactive state. I suddenly
remembered the horrible scene that I witnessed a few years ago.

I suddenly remembered Aria.

"IKE!!!"
A body suddenly crashed against me, causing my body to fly through the air before
landing a few feet away from where I was standing. A huge head of a statue suddenly
crashed right at the spot where I was standing earlier.

"What happened to you, you idiot?!" RB shouted in a half-angry and half-scared

voice.

RB's appearance snapped me out of my trance. His black markings seem to be

pulsating, growing dark one second and fading away just as quick. Even his hair is
quickly changing colors from grey and purple to black. RB seems to be fighting
against it.

"What happened to you?" I asked him back.

"I'm fine!" RB replied as he forced himself to stand despite his stiffening body.
"Just go!"

"But—"

His hair and eyes suddenly became jet-black as his wavy black markings glowed
ominously. RB glared at me so intensely that I was forced to step back in fright.

"I said go."

A powerful shockwave erupted behind me, sending my body flying towards the park.
RB's raspy voice echoed inside my ears as I braced myself for the crash. I landed
painfully on concrete, knocking all the air out of my lungs.

"Yay, Ike's here," Crimson said who's currently busy fighting someone.

The entire scene around me can only be described in one word: chaos. Huge cracks
have appeared on the ground, chunks of concrete and huge boulders are eerily
floating in air all around us, and at the center of all the destruction is a person
who's currently floating in midair inside a ball containing what looks like black
smoke.

Freak Weirdo.

"Hello there, Ike!" the familiar voice of Iris said. I just realized that she's
currently fighting Crimson using a pair of rusty daggers. "I've missed you! Where's
RB?"

Sir Fraeo's team is currently fighting a group of villains. I instantly recognized

the Shadow Manipulation Weirdo, Corven; and the Superstrength Weirdo, Hizrot.
Jaeron wasn't there, though. It seems like they've brought an entirely different
group of villains today.
"You're so pretty that it makes me want to kill you," Iris said sweetly as she
swung her daggers towards Crimson.

"I also want to kill you, but you're not pretty," Crimson replied, somersaulting in
midair to avoid Iris' daggers.

I was about to help Crimson when he suddenly threw a spell towards my feet, forcing
me to step back a few paces as the ground in front of me exploded.

"You do not interrupt bitches when they're fighting, Ike! Go and find RB!" Crimson
shouted.

"But—"

"Find RB and leave! Backup is coming! Jaeron could be just around and he might
capture RB!" Sir Fraeo who's currently fighting Hizrot, shouted at me.

With this, I immediately ran back to the gate where I entered earlier. Agad ko rin
namang nahanap si RB na lupasay na sa semento 'di kalayuan mula sa gitna nung
parke. He's still conscious but extremely weakened.

"Let's go! The villains are here!" I said, carrying him in my arms as I ran towards
the gate.

"But we need to help them—"

"You can't even move your body! Help is coming!" I shouted at him, tripping on a
few debris scattered all over the place.

RB's wavy black markings are still pulsating strongly. The ground suddenly shook
violently just when we were about to reach the exit, toppling me to the ground. I
looked back behind me and saw that cracks have appeared on the ball of smoke
enclosing the Freak Weirdo.

All the villains stopped fighting as a huge portal suddenly appeared in the park
with a loud crack.

"Our work is done here. Good luck surviving this one!" Iris said to the agents. "I
want Crimson to live, though. I want to be the one who'll cut your tiny foxy body
with this knife. Stay pretty, Crimson!"

All the villains stepped into the portal as the ground shook even more violently.
Everybody knew what was going to happen next. All the agents in the area conjured
Shield Charms to protect themselves from the incoming blast. RB and I both reacted
at the same time: I enclosed us inside a ball of force field as he conjured a
diamond dome around us.

A colossal explosion nearly broke my force field and shattered RB's diamond
barrier. I just shielded RB's body with mine as we crashed against the wall of his
diamond dome due to the strength of the explosion. It felt like the ground around
us is collapsing into a deep and unfathomable abyss.

With a deafening shatter, my force field and RB's diamond dome broke at the same
time. RB flew out of my arms as both of us were swept away by the powerful winds
caused by the explosion earlier. I crashed against a huge boulder and just
desperately tried to shield my head from all the flying debris around us.

Thankfully, the wind subsided and everything around us finally became clear. I felt
all the hair in my body standing on their end when the scene in front of me finally
registered in my eyes.

The center of the park is now occupied by a huge and deep crater. Concrete,
boulders, and debris have been scattered all over the place. The entire park was
nearly wiped out due to the explosion. A few cars were even swept towards the park.
The windows of the nearby buildings were all shattered. There's only destruction
all around me.

"RB! RB!" I shouted, standing up despite my spinning vision. I ignored the dripping
blood from my forehead as I started lifting the huge chunks of concrete, boulders,
and cars away from my path using my telekinesis.

"RB!" I shouted in desperation.

I saw a familiar reddish-brown arm protruding from underneath a pile of broken tree
trunks. I immediately lifted them with my telekinesis, revealing Crimson who's
bleeding badly.

"I think my arm broke," Crimson said with a wince. "I'm fine. Go find the others."

Sir Fraeo whose body had transformed to metal, suddenly rose from underneath a pile
of boulders. He immediately approached Crimson before hugging him tightly and
carrying him towards a nearby patch of lawn.

"Find the others," Crimson said to him. "I'm fine."

A fork of lightning erupted from the clouds above and hit the ground not far from
us, teleporting Sir Franc and a few agents. Professor Romeus also appeared out of
thin air together with Professor Sivera. Another portal also opened with a loud
crack and out came the Evanesca siblings together with Nurse Juliana.
"I can't find RB!" I shouted at Professor Evanesca, failing to hide the desperation
in my voice.

Ezekiel rose into the air as he clenched his hands on his sides. All the bodies
that have been covered by the debris rose into the air all around us. He then
lowered his hands and the bodies slowly descended back to the ground.

"RB's not among them..." Ezekiel declared.

A bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted from nowhere, forcing everyone to cover

their ears. A person covered in billowing black smoke rose from the crater and flew
directly towards me.

It was the Freak Weirdo from earlier.

Everything that followed after that happened in a blink of an eye. I was nearer to
the crater than any of the agents or the Evanescas and therefore can be reached
faster by the Freak Weirdo. My feet seem to have glued themselves to the ground as
I watched the Freak Weirdo get nearer to me.

Move... my mind said. If that thing touches you, it's over. Move.

But another image kept flashing in my mind's eye as the Freak Weirdo with bulging
veins and horrible black eyes extended its hand towards me.

Aria.

Tears fell from my eyes as the horrible images of the past rushed into my mind. My
legs and arms twitched but I was never able to move any of them. I just closed my
eyes and waited for everything to end.

"Fall."

The effect was instantaneous. The Freak Weirdo suddenly collapsed to the ground
directly in front of me as if it was pulled by a surplus of gravity. It tried to
touch my feet but the raspy and chilling voice spoke once more:

"Stop."

The Freak Weirdo froze. I collapsed to the ground and was finally able to shuffle a
few inches away. A sudden force lifted me from the ground and away from the Freak
Weirdo before I landed right in front of Ezekiel.

No one was able to speak. In fact, I think all of the people there have forgotten
how to speak as we stared blankly at the Freak Weirdo now being held on the neck by
none other than RB himself. His body absorbed the black smoke of the Freak Weirdo
which suddenly withered and disintegrated to dust before our very eyes.

The black markings on RB's body faded away as his eye and hair color went back to
their usual purple and gray hue. Like a marionette whose strings were cut, RB
suddenly collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, sending dust flying around him.
For a fleeting moment I thought I saw the dust took the shape of a skull before
being dispersed into nothing by a gentle breeze.

        Chapter 35: Alethea [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Professor Evanesca and Nurse Juliana rushed towards RB as Ezekiel

immediately conjured a barrier around the entire park. Media vans have also started
pouring in from all directions and the noise of helicopters from above filled the
air.

I walked towards RB who's currently being frantically checked by Nurse Juliana for
any contamination from the Freak Weirdo.

"Is he going to survive, Juliana?" Professor Evanesca asked the nurse. Even her
voice is trembling.

"Based from what I've seen throughout my life as a Healer, he shouldn't," Nurse
Juliana replied. "No one should survive after getting in contact with a Freak
Weirdo; but as far as I can see, there are no signs of abnormality or contamination
in his body. He's perfectly fine, I think."

"Your head's bleeding. You should get yourself healed as well," Ezekiel said to me.

"I'm fine," I replied. "This is just a scratch."

"Yeah... Blood is literally gushing out of your scratch," he said.

Nurse Juliana clicked her fingers, conjuring a stretcher right underneath RB. "We
need to bring him to the infirmary. And you, Ike, should come as well. We need to
get you checked for any contamination. Freak Weirdos are a big deal, and we have to
make sure that you two are really fine."

I just nodded blankly as Professor Elena opened another portal. Nurse Juliana tried
to force me onto a stretcher but I refused.

"We'll be going, then," Nurse Juliana said to the Evanescas. "Take care, you three.
I'll see you later."

Professor Evanesca gave me a nod before tapping my shoulder. "Look after RB for me
while we help here. He needs you."
I nodded. I've already lost my voice due to shock and fear.

Nurse Juliana and I stepped into the portal, directly behind us is RB who's lying
on the floating stretcher. The portal led us right to the infirmary in Emerald.
Nurse Juliana's staff immediately attended to us.

"Lie," Nurse Juliana said as she guided me to a bed. "Do you want to sleep?"

I shook my head.

Some of her staff started attending to my wounds and started checking my body for
any sign of contamination from the Freak Weirdo. RB was also carried onto the bed
right next to me. The staff immediately erected curtains around him.

"Hey there, Ike," Faye said. She's in her Healer uniform. "Good thing I'm here in
the infirmary. What the hell happened back there? We were watching the news and the
incident looked really, really horrible."

She looked at my face and sighed. "You need something to calm yourself. Grace,
would you please fetch me a bottle of Calming Potion and a glass of water? Thank
you," she said to one of her underclassmen.

Faye waved her hand above me, causing all the dirt in my body to disappear.

"I'm not going to heal your minor cuts," she said as a roll of medical gauze
hovered in midair right beside her. "Your wound in the head looks pretty nasty,
though. I will stop the bleeding and make it heal a bit. After I'm done attending
to your wounds, go get changed into our robes here. We'll talk."

Faye's assistant came back carrying a glass of water and a bottle of potion on a
tray. She put a droplet of the potion into the glass of water before stirring it
vigorously. The clear water became pearly white and thick.

"Drink this," Faye said, handing over the glass to me. I drank the contents in one
gulp, which, surprisingly, tasted like a thick and sweetened cream.

The effect was instantaneous. A warm and cozy feeling suddenly erupted from my
stomach before spreading all over my body, calming my trembling arms and legs and
clearing my mind of all thoughts. It's just like drinking milk just when you were
about to go to sleep.

Faye wrapped medical gauze around my head to cover my long gash. She also stopped
the bleeding of the small cuts all over my body. She then gave me a light slap in
the face after she's done treating my wounds.
"Thanks..." I said, finally finding my voice.

"You are very much welcome," Faye replied. "Get changed, please."

She clicked her fingers, causing curtains to rise around my bed. I clumsily took
off my agent costume and wore the patient's robes lying on the bedside table.

The curtains around me disappeared just before I went back to the bed.

"Severe shock, minor cuts, a shallow but long cut on the right side of your head...
Nothing serious, of course," Faye said as she read my diagnosis from her clipboard.
"You'll be fine in a few hours. No contamination, yay."

"RB—"

"RB is being attended to by none other than Nurse Juliana herself," Faye replied.
"I believe he's already in a safe condition, so you don't have to worry about him
anymore. Things got a little bit serious back there, I know, but he'll be fine. You
can still build your family. For now, we need to get out of the emergency room."

She helped me into a wheelchair before bringing me towards a different ward. It's
the usual ward where confined patients are kept while recovering from their
injuries. I've been here loads of time in the past.

Faye gave me a calculating look as she helped me to the bed.

"Akala ko ba okay na ang lahat sa pagitan ninyo ni Aria? Ano 'tong nangyari sa
'yo?" tanong niya bigla.

Gulat naman akong napatitig sa kanya.

"Brad, amoy na amoy na kita. I know you love Aria. Naiintindihan ko rin na hindi
madaling kalimutan ang isang tao na napakalaki ng impact na iniwan sa buhay mo,"
sabi niya bigla. "My father also died a horrible death. I still even have
nightmares about it sometimes. Alam ko naman na imposibleng makalimutan ang mga
masasakit na napagdaanan mo. You cannot forget the pain of losing someone you love.
It's impossible. You just learn to live with the pain and continue with your life
like usual."

"Pero kung darating ka sa puntong ikamamatay mo na halos ang pag-alala sa nakaraan

mo, hindi na ata 'yun maganda para sa 'yo. It's okay to look back to the past for
the lessons and memories. However, it is unhealthy if you'll allow the past to
restrain you from taking a step towards the future. Namatay si Papa sa kamay ng mga
villain, pero naging hadlang ba 'yun nung nagkatapat kami ni Jaeron? Hindi. 'Yun
ang rason kung bakit buhay pa rin ako ngayon. You nearly died earlier, Ike. You
nearly died a horrible and gruesome death. All because you allowed your past to
haunt you at the most inconvenient time," Faye said.

"I'm sorry..." I said blankly.

"You need to rest," she said, tapping my shoulder gently. "Kakailanganin ka ni RB

mamaya. Speaking of which, sana maisip mo si RB sa tuwing maaalala mo ang nakaraan
mo. You weren't able to save Aria and you lost her. Do you want to lose RB just
because you allowed your past to get to you? He loves you, Ike. He sacrificed
himself earlier just to save you, just to protect you. Keep that in your mind."

The entire story eventually unfolded as the afternoon progressed: The villains
appeared in the park earlier but no one saw the Freak Weirdo with them. A
mysterious broken bottle was also retrieved from the debris in the park, which,
according to the initial inspection, contains a few residual magic of a Freak
Weirdo. It seems that the villains have infected a civilian using the rogue magic
that they contained inside the bottle. The villains only fought the agents to make
sure that no one kills the Freak Weirdo before it reaches its final stage.
According to the reports, everything that happened in the park was planned, and the
villains were able to successfully execute their plan.

Afternoon classes in Emerald were cancelled right away. All the students and
interns were also ordered to go home or go back to their dormitories. Even the
school's magical barrier was activated. The news channels overflowed with the
statements from Franc Lena, Secretary Remora, Professor Evanesca, and even the
president himself. All of them declared the incident earlier as an act of
terrorism.

"Alice arrived about an hour ago but she can't go here because the school is in
complete lockdown. Students aren't allowed to go out of the dormitories. Jack can't
enter the school because of the barrier," Faye said when she came to check on me
again at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. "Sinabihan ko na sila na okay na kayo ni RB.
Apparently, both of them were able to help in the rescue operations in the park
after the incident. Pero dahil sa suspension eh pinauwi na rin sila."

"How's RB?" tanong ko naman agad. Hindi pa kasi nila dinadala rito 'yung tao.

"He's still in the emergency room. Inoobserbahan pa siya ni Nurse Juliana. Like I
said, he's fine and out of danger already. Medyo nilalagnat lang siya nang bahagya
pero kung walang mangyaring kakaiba sa kanya sa buong maghapon ay ililipat na namin
siya rito mamayang gabi," sagot ni Faye.

"The Evanescas—"

"—are still out of the school helping the NMLEA," she interjected. "All the agents
were called upon to report to the agency. Professor Ferrea is the headmaster pro
tempore while the heads of the school are still out. He's the one giving orders to
the Emerald Guards right now. In short, everything around us is still in total
chaos and we have to be thankful that we're not out there."
I let out a long sigh as I stared out of the glass walls of the infirmary. It
could've been a quiet and peaceful afternoon if not for the attack earlier. I can't
help but feel anxious knowing that somewhere out there, Jaeron is currently
celebrating the success of his plans today.

The sound of a news flash pulled my mind back to the infirmary as Faye turned the
television on. I instantly noticed the headline written in all caps in a red
background:

A crack in the national security: Freak Weirdo incidents reported in various places
all over the country.

"The NMLEA just reported a total of 8 Freak Weirdo incidents that happened in
various places all over the country in the past few hours. The first attack
happened at the West Park here in the capital city which caused massive damage in
the surrounding area. The attack turned out to be just a prelude to other attacks
in various places in the country. According to the initial report from the NMLEA,
the targets of the said attacks are all public places. We have not yet received any
report of casualties or injuries from the attacks. The Legion of Death claimed
responsibility with all the attacks. In response to this, the president raised the
National Security Alert to Level 3 after the recommendation of the NMLEA and the
Department of National Defense. Agents and police have been mobilized to respond to
the attacks. Stay tuned with us for further developments."

Faye sighed deeply as she gazed out of the glass windows. "It seems that things are
getting serious out there."

"Wait a second..." I said, squinting my eyes as I looked over the horizon.

A glowing speck suddenly materialized in the sky over the horizon. The speck seems
to be heading to the school. It grew larger and larger as it neared the infirmary,
becoming even brighter as it approached us. The speck turned out to be a glowing
green eagle. It created ripples in the school's barrier as it passed through it
with a loud screech.

The eagle also passed through the window of the infirmary before exploding into a
ball of glowing green smoke right in front of my bed. Faye and I jumped in shock
when a booming female voice suddenly erupted from the glowing smoke.

"The hell—?!" I shouted in surprise.

"Stay inside the school. You and RB are safe there," the voice of Professor
Evanesca said. "We are going to visit the places that were attacked by the villains
earlier. We will be back by dawn or tomorrow morning. I also requested someone to
go to Emerald to check on RB. I will visit you as soon as I return to Emerald. Take
care, you two."

The green smoke dispersed into tiny wisps before dissipating into nothing.
"Well, you heard Professor Evanesca," Faye said with a shrug. "This is going to be
a very long night..."

●●●

RB's POV

I was woken from my sleep with a warm ray of sunshine hitting my face. I opened my
bleary eyes and saw the sun shining through the glass window of the ward. I looked
beside me and saw Ike asleep while sitting on a chair beside my bed, his hand
holding mine tightly. He's also wearing the same patient's robes as mine.

"Don't sleep here, idiot. At least sleep beside me," I said, tapping his cheek to
wake him up.

Ike opened his eyes and looked at me in surprise. Upon seeing that I'm awake
already, he suddenly grabbed me into a tight hug before kissing my forehead.

"We shouldn't, hubby!" I said in an overdramatic voice. "We already did it once
here. We should try another place—"

"Gusto mo bang makatulog ulit?" sabad naman ni Ike.

I immediately gave him a peace sign.

"May masakit ba sa 'yo?" tanong niya. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?
Water? Food? Tell me. I'll get you anything."

"Just water... Seeing Ike care for me so much is already enough to make me feel
good," I replied.

Ike stared at me flatly before filling a glass with water from the jug on the table
beside my bed.

"Thanks, hubby!" I said after drinking the water in one gulp. "So, what happened
while I was unconscious?"

An odd expression ran across his face. "'Wag mo na muna 'yung isipin. What's
important is that you're safe now. Just rest so that you can leave today. Kung may
maramdaman kang kakaiba sabihin mo agad sa 'min."

I have a feeling that he doesn't want to talk about the events yesterday that's why
I didn't push the topic further.
The ward's door opened and in came Faye pushing a cart carrying a food. "Nakita
kong nagising na kayo kaya kumuha na rin ako ng pagkain ninyo. I will just do some
checking with your body and then you can eat your breakfast. Ike didn't leave your
side the moment you were transferred here in the ward."

I threw Ike a meaningful look who immediately pretended to be busy transferring our
food to the bedside table.

"Also, you have a visitor," Faye added as her clipboard magically appeared in her
hand. "Go to the rooftop after you're done eating your breakfast. Someone's waiting
for you up there."

"Who?" Ike and I both asked.

"Just go there and you'll see. I think she's the one being referred to by Professor
Evanesca in her message last night," Faye replied.

"Speaking of the Evanescas, where are they?" I asked as Ike placed a tray on my
lap.

"They're still outside doing some business," Ike replied. "Like I said, don't think
about them. Just eat so that you could get your strength back. Sasamahan na lang
kita sa rooftop. Ire-release lang din naman ako pagkatapos kong kumain."

Faye did a check on me first before checking Ike next. Seemingly satisfied with the
results, she finally permitted us to eat out breakfast.

"Nurse Juliana will do a final check on you two before you get released. Uuwi na
rin ako dahil kahapon pa 'ko nandito. They're now allowing people to enter and
leave the school. Try to control your urges when you get back to your dorm, okay?
Rest," Faye said as she left the room.

"Don't say that to me," Ike snapped at her. "Say that to this hopeless guy here."

"What?" I asked in a feigned tone of indifference.

"Yeah," Ike replied flatly. "You look so innocent."

The two of us went to the infirmary's rooftop just like what Faye told us to do.
Upon reaching the place, I saw a woman sitting in front of a round garden table.
The woman has a long mane of wavy and grayish hair. She's also wearing huge round
eyeglasses that magnify her small eyes. The woman has aged a bit but I can still
clearly remember her face. She nodded upon seeing me, her lips curving into a warm
smile.
"Alethea!" I shouted before running towards her and hugging her tightly.

"You've grown so much. You look so different now," Alethea replied as she hugged me
back.

"How are you? I haven't seen you in years, Alethea. Why didn't you visit me here in
Emerald? You know where to find me yet you didn't visit me even once," I said.

"I've been really busy. Besides, you look so happy now. You don't look like you
need any help from me," she replied.

Alethea glanced at Ike before smiling at me lightly. "I see..."

"This is Ike, by the way. He's my classmate and uh, boyfriend," I said. "Let's just
keep this a secret but he's actually the Prime Elemental," I added in a whisper.

Alethea smiled. "I know."

"And this here is Alethea. She's a Seer but an excellent Healer as well," I said,
turning to Ike. "She's the one who took care of me when I was still being held
captive by Jaeron. She's the reason why I didn't go crazy back then. She has a lot
of good stories, too!"

Ike shook hands with Alethea. "Nice to meet you po."

"Alethea and I are going to talk in private so please stay away from us, hubby.
Girl talk. Shoo," I said, pushing him away.

Ike threw me an annoyed look before heading to the opposite side of the rooftop.

"So, what brings you here, Alethea? Are you going to save me again?" I asked.

"Don't be silly, Rubio," she said with a sigh. "Professor Evanesca just called last
night and asked me to visit you here. We're also going to talk in her office once
she arrives."

"About what?" I asked.

"About a few things," she replied.

"Alethea's being too secretive," I said.

She laughed a bit. "You're still childish as ever. Anyway, you shouldn't be asking
me about my situation because I'm completely fine. I should be the one asking you
about your life."

"Well, you know... I'm still strikingly pretty. I have a few good friends. I have a
loving husband. I'm happy and contented with my life. I couldn't ask for more,
really," I said, rubbing my cheeks fondly.

Alethea smiled. "I can see it very clearly, Rubio. You look so much happier now."

"And it all became possible because of you, Alethea. If it wasn't for you, I
would've gone crazy back then; or worse, I would've ended dead. Jaeron is such a
horrible person. He even tried to capture me twice in the past two years! He just
won't let go of me. Do you know the reason why he's so desperate to capture me?" I
asked.

"Because you're special, Rubio," Alethea replied.

"Ha! I knew it! I've been telling my friends that I'm special but they don't just
believe in me, especially Ike. Now I have proof that I really am special. TAKE
THAT, IKE!" I shouted at him from across the rooftop.

"THE F*CK—?!" Ike shouted back in surprise.

Alethea laughed lightly. "Well, you are doing more than good. I just came here to
talk to you for a while; but from what I saw, I guess you won't be needing me
anymore. I'm growing old, Rubio. I'm pretty sure that Jaeron is still after my head
after I betrayed him. Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Sure. What is it?" I asked.

"That you'll take good care of yourself and you won't allow anyone to abuse your
kindness or power," she replied.

"Eh? What if Jaeron kidnaps me again? I need you to help me stay sane, Alethea. I
don't wanna be alone if Jaeron kidnaps me. I don't know what I'm gonna do if I
don't have you," I said.

Alethea took a deep breath before closing her eyes momentarily. "Do you really
think that Jaeron would still accept me after what I've done to him? Besides..."

She looked at Ike who's standing just a few meters behind me while watching the two
of us talk. A momentary expression of happiness and contentment ran across her face
before she took a deep breath and smiled.

"You are no longer alone, Rubio," Alethea said, tapping my shoulder gently. "You
will never be alone again."
●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Ike will receive a few Fire Weirdness tips from an unexpected rival.
Also, the game 2 of the CMMT will commence just before the semester ends. A chance
for redemption will appear in front of Team Emerald; but the other schools,
especially Sierra and NAA, don't want to give any chance to the green team. Ike and
his team will soon realize that the CMMT is not just a game of magical prowess or
physical abilities. It is also a mind game; and if they don't address the pressure
coming from the other schools, there is only one direction for them to go:
downward. Mayhem shall continue in the next update. Keep it here.

        2019 [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            We've seen how much our protagonists grew throughout their stay in Emerald.
We've seen all the happy moments, hardships, and sufferings that they went through
just to get to where they are now. They showed us that nothing is impossible for as
long as we set aside our differences and work together as a single entity.

We've seen how Alice grew as a stable and reliable friend. We've seen her
unconditional willingness and undying support when it comes to helping her friends,
even putting her very own life in danger just to help bring out the truth.

We've seen how Faye grew as a good adviser and guide to her friends. We've seen how
she was able to provide nuggets of wisdom and enlightenment during those times when
her friends become shrouded in the darkness of doubt and hopelessness. Truly, Faye
has become a valuable part of the group.

We've seen how Jack grew to be an enthusiastic and supportive friend. Despite his
reckless behavior, no one can deny that he is a friend that everyone would want to
have. Everyone can agree that his behavior greatly compliments his friends'
respective attitudes.

We've seen how RB grew as a genuine and caring friend to their group. Despite not
having friends during his early years, he was able to forge a strong connection
with his four other friends. He maybe is weird and eccentric but everyone has
definitely become fond of his gaudy behavior.

We've seen how Ike grew as a strong leader to his friends. His sharp mind has
helped them escape tight situations numerous times throughout their stay in
Emerald. Aside from his undying determination, his great sense of justice and
unwavering will are among his greatest assets.

We've seen how they grew in the past few years, and it's definitely worth-seeing
how much can they grow in the coming years. Their individual skills and abilities,
once combined, can truly help them reach greater heights.

But the real test is just about to begin...

This 2019, witness the unfolding of the second half of Weirdos III. Puzzles from
the past will be solved, questions shrouded in mystery will be answered, and
ominous forces will emerge from the dark to consume the light of the day.

We will finally take a trip to one of the most feared places in the world, the Time
Citadel, and finally have a glimpse of what horrors and secrets lie inside the
fortress guarded by time itself.

We will meet Jaeron once more and witness firsthand his efforts to strengthen the
forces of darkness right under the noses of NMLEA and the Department of Magic.

RB's hidden powers will grow stronger and we will finally uncover the painful truth
behind his mysterious and destructive new weirdness. Moreover, we will be
enlightened on why Jaeron seems to be desperately trying to capture RB since the
first book.

The full potential of the Prime Elemental will finally be unlocked by our main
protagonist, and he will soon learn that the real power of his weirdness doesn't
lie on empowering himself, but rather on empowering others.

The glitch that has been growing and gaining strength steadily since the first book
will soon take effect and will change everything around our protagonists, including
their very fate.

Many will become few.

The strong will become weak.
Five will become four.
Two will become one.

Friendships will be tested, loyalties will be questioned, fates will be rewritten,

and lives will be changed forever in the second half of Weirdos III: The
Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 36: Stealth Game [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV

The Evanescas finally arrived at the school that afternoon. Professor Evanesca even
conjured her trademark Evanesca Shield around the school to provide additional
security. Professor Elena also told us that her sister will talk to us right after
she's done talking to Alethea.

"I wonder what they're talking about, though," I said as RB and I walked towards
the Emerald Building. Both of us are currently looking up at the headmistress'
shield in awe and admiration. "That barrier is really awesome, too."

"Dunno. I haven't seen Alethea in years. She told me that she has been laying low
for quite some time now that's why she rarely goes out of her residence. She didn't
even tell me where she lives now. It's just a bit strange that Professor Evanesca
suddenly wanted to talk to her," RB replied.

"Ikaw kasi, kung ano-ano na lang ang ginagawa mo," sabad ko naman. "You should've
seen yourself earlier when you touched the Freak Weirdo. Everyone thought that
you're going to... well, die. I think that was the first time that I've seen
Professor Evanesca that worried."

A wide grin curved across RB's face. "Did that make Ike realize how much he loves
me? Did you have a sudden flashback about all our intimate moments especially in
bed—"

Isang hampas sa batok ang isinagot ko sa kanya. "Ikaw na nga 'tong muntik nang
mamatay, ikaw pa 'tong nagloloko. Jeez. Couldn't you be serious even for a moment?"

RB gave me an expressionless face.

"On second thoughts, 'wag na. Naaalala ko lang 'yung pagmumukha mo nung first-year
pa tayo," sabi ko.

"See? I look so much prettier when I'm smiling," RB replied while rubbing his
cheeks. "Dang it. I'm so beautiful, it's irritating."

"You're not, so shut up," I snapped at him.

We were expecting that Alethea would also be in the headmistress' office when we
get there, but to our surprise, she was already gone when we arrived at the office.
The only person there was Professor Evanesca who was gazing over the horizon when
RB and I materialized in her office.

"Good afternoon, dear boys," the headmistress said, turning around to greet us with
her usual warm smile.

"Where's Alethea?" RB asked as we sat in the chairs in front of the headmistress'

desk.

"She's just resting in the Emerald Guest House. She will be joining us later this
evening for a dinner," the headmistress replied.

"What did she do here? It's been years since I last saw her," RB asked.

"Kinausap ko lang siya sa pag-asang baka may alam siya kung saan posibleng
nagtatago si Jaeron," sagot ni Professor Evanesca.
"Speaking of Jaeron, what exactly happened in the park yesterday, professor?" I
asked, leaning forward in my chair.

The headmistress turned around to look at the horizon where the sun is fast
sinking. "The Legion of Death was indeed responsible for all the attacks that
happened throughout the country yesterday. The exact same thing happened to all 8
attacked locations: Villains infected some civilians and warded off the agents long
enough to give time for the Freak Weirdo to finish its inactive period. Then, just
before the Freak Weirdo exploded, they all disappeared in an instant. It's an
attack aimed to cause destruction and death especially to the agents who responded
to the attack. You two have to be really thankful that you're still alive
especially after what happened to the two of you."

A troubled expression ran across RB's face. "Does that mean—"

She nodded grimly. "Yes. They must've found a way to harness and contain the
destructive powers of a Freak Weirdo. It's troubling and alarming that's why the
Tactical Operations Group is doing their best to track down Jaeron and his cronies.
Even Ezekiel already agreed to help the NMLEA to solve the problem."

"Did you catch any villain?" I asked.

"All the attacks happened nearly in an instant. The agents were not able to
apprehend the perpetrators right away because the safety of the people always comes
first before capturing villains," Professor Evanesca replied.

RB glanced at the headmistress uncertainly as if he's weighing whether to speak or

not.

"Uh, professor, what exactly happened to me yesterday? I can remember being blown
away from Ike's arms but all the events that happened after that were so unclear
and vague. Ike already told me the entire story but I still can't understand what
happened. I should've... died, right? Why did I not die?" RB asked, failing to hide
the worry and fear in his voice.

Professor Evanesca remained gazing at the dimming horizon. "Yes, you should've died
yesterday. The nature of your mysterious power is its ability to absorb magic from
anything and anyone around you. I believe that you were able to successfully absorb
the rogue magic of the Freak Weirdo yesterday and destroy it at the same time. Even
I cannot comprehend how exactly you did it. I guess we just have to be thankful
that nothing bad happened to any of you."

RB nodded, but it's clear from his expression that he's not entirely contented with
the headmistress' response.

"What are you going to do now, professor?" I asked.

"Well, the barrier won't be taken down anymore for the rest of the school year.
Security will also be tighter and stricter especially during the CMMT games.
Ezekiel and I both agreed to help the NMlEA in solving the issue. Don't worry
because your training won't be affected at all. It'll still be business as usual
here in Emerald," Professor Evanesca replied, finally facing us.

"As for you two, I want you to stay alert and vigilant. As much possible, stick
together all the time. Always wear those red pearl bracelets that I gave you.
Jaeron seems to be busying himself in doing other things but we should never get
complacent about your security, especially you, RB. I am pretty sure that Jaeron
will still try to capture you," the headmistress added.

RB and I both nodded.

"Well, both of you seem to be doing fine that's why I won't cage you here in the
office any longer. Why don't you enjoy this beautiful sunset or go back to
finishing your homework? Elena will just fetch you later for our dinner. Take care,
boys," Professor Evanesca said before flourishing her hand, causing RB and I to
materialize in the empty circular room directly below her office.

Neither of us spoke a word until we stepped out of the entrance of the Emerald
Building. A rich shade of pink lined the horizon where the sun is currently
sinking. A cold breeze suddenly blew against us as we walked away from the
building, ruffling our hair and clothes. Despite the cold breeze brought by the
dusk, I felt a strange warmth coming from the person walking beside me.

"Things are changing, hubby. We might even never see a sunset like this ever
again," RB said as the two of us both paused to appreciate the beautiful sunset.

"Yeah," I said, taking a lungful of cold, fresh air.

"But nothing will change between us... hopefully," he added.

"Hopefully," I repeated with a smile.

RB faced me before raising our interlocked hands to his chest. "No matter what
happens, nothing will change between the two of us. We will always be RB and Ike.
We will always be together. We will always be one... forever."

A strange warmth coming from our interlocked hands suddenly coursed throughout my
body as I looked at RB in the eyes. Everything around us dissolved into a blurry
haze of colors and noises as the two of us stood facing each other. For a second I
thought our hands were glowing but it faded away in just a blink of an eye. I took
a deep breath before smiling and squeezing RB's hands gently.

"Forever."

"EXCUSE ME MGA BRAD PERO KALSADA 'TO OH!" sigaw bigla ni Jack na bigla na lang na
lumitaw sa gitna namin.

"Sorry to disturb your intimate moment pero may mga homework pa tayong tatapusin,
remember? You can go back to being lovey-dovey later this evening," Alice said
before separating us with her metallic ropes.

"Ugh, lovebirds..." Faye said, rolling her eyes.

Napakamot na lang ako sa batok ko. "Fine. Tara na. Hindi ko naman alam na inabangan
niyo pala kami rito sa labas," sabi ko naman sabay tulak sa kanila.

I just stared at their backs as we headed to the Topaz Building to finish our
homework. My lips curved into a smile while the four others are busy heckling each
other.

Nothing will change.

●●●

"Lena and Lunaria are the only ones who successfully concocted an Explosive Potion;
therefore, they have a perfect score in today's activity. To the others, you still
have a chance next meeting. You're dismissed. Go and clean yourselves up,"
Professor Algarez declared at the end of our Potions class.

Today's lesson was really challenging. We were tasked to concoct an Explosive

Potion. It's a really unstable and volatile potion that can explode any moment
especially if you add the wrong ingredient or incorrect quantity of a specific
ingredient to it. What's even worse is that once a potion explodes, the other
potions might also explode as well.

RB's pristine hair is now frizzy and burnt and blown backwards from all the
explosion. The same thing goes nearly for everyone in the room. Jack had the worst
of it, though. His face is now blackened with soot because of all the explosion
from his failed attempts to concoct a decent potion.

"I definitely need to spend a whole day in a spa this weekend. I am not my usual
precious and pristine self," RB said as we headed out of the room.

"I'm gonna go for a body scrub," Jack said while busy cleaning his blackened face
with water.

Nearly everyone in our class went straight for a shower in the locker rooms. Huling
klase na sana namin 'to ngayong araw pero may meeting pa kami sa Combat Education.
'Yung mga nawawalang oras kasi namin na isinasakripisyo ni Ezekiel para sa training
ng team eh binabawi niya sa free time namin kapag Martes at Huwebes. Hanggang alas
tres lang naman kami ngayong araw.
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," Faye said as the Diamond Battle Dome
loomed ahead of us.

Ezekiel was already waiting for us inside the battle dome. "Good afternoon," he
said in his usual monotonous voice as everyone settled on the grass in front of
him.

"Our meeting today will be short but productive," Ezekiel said without any prelude
as he started gliding in circles around us. "Today, we'll be doing an activity
involving stealth and covertness."

Murmurs rippled through the entire class. Ezekiel then clicked his fingers,
summoning a hologram image behind him.

"You will be divided in four groups of five. Your goal is to retrieve a gem from
the center of a labyrinth of industrial buildings and factories. You have to do it
without getting detected or seen by the army of Scavengers that will be deployed in
the area. You will receive a failing grade in today's activity if you get detected
or if you fail to retrieve your gem before the time runs out. You have fifteen
minutes," Ezekiel said.

"Ooh, interesting," RB said.

"Why is it important for you to learn how to move stealthily? Ike, do you have an
answer to that?" Ezekiel said, turning his eyes on me.

I stood up. "Uh... Fighting is not always the solution to everything. If you are
outnumbered or you simply want to avoid fighting, you could go incognito to avoid
any unwanted attention. It's a pretty common technique for kidnapping or retrieval
incidences," I said.

"Exactly."

"Hubby's so intelligent," RB said.

"My answer was... pretty obvious," I said flatly.

"The really powerful agents don't need flashy and overwhelming attacks to defeat
their opponents," Ezekiel continued. "The world's reigning number one agent, Serena
Branislav, is known for her deadly stealth attacks—"

"You personally know the Serena Branislav?!" Jack suddenly exclaimed, breathless in
anticipation.

"Yes, I know her personally because we work under the same institution, nitwit,"
Ezekiel replied. "As I was saying, Serena is known for her stealth attacks. Take
note, she's a Light Weirdo so you would expect her attacks to be really flashy...
literally. However, as you've probably seen numerous times in the TV or internet,
her attacks are pretty simple and quite underwhelming for a number one agent; but
if you'll observe carefully, her underwhelming attacks knock out villains in one
hit, thus, giving her the famous moniker, One-Hit Lady."

"But you're also like that, Ezekiel," RB said.

"Personally, I think simple attacks are way cooler than flashy ones. It also
preserves your stamina and power. I can also see that some of you here are
developing their ability to create simple but deadly attacks, especially you, RB,"
Ezekiel said.

"Well, I am a pretty flexible person—"

"Let's begin. First group: Abareñas, Achillerio, Lena, Lunaria, and Talla."

Excited murmurs rippled through the entire class. "This is gonna be fun to watch,"
Tony said.

The rest of the class proceeded to the command room, leaving the five of us in the
Ground Alpha of the Diamond Battle Dome.

"As you can see, I personally grouped this class after considering a few factors.
As for you five, I grouped you in the same batch because of your closeness and
friendship. Remember that you are not allowed to help anyone because doing so will
automatically eliminate you both. It'll be fun to see how you're going to work
individually considering the tight bond among you," Ezekiel said from the PA
system.

The Ground Alpha suddenly transformed into a labyrinth of factory buildings and
huge industrial pipes. The buildings are so tangled and jumbled that it's actually
hard to distinguish a building from the other. It's so easy to lose your footing or
sense of direction in the place.

"That's so mean, Ezekiel," RB whined.

"The world is an unforgiving and cruel place. You have to learn that sometimes, you
have to be selfish. Anyway, you have fifteen minutes. The quicker you finish, the
higher the score you'll get. Don't injure yourselves or I'll injure you myself."

A loud horn suddenly honked from above.

"Are we supposed to begin now?" Jack asked.

"What are you waiting for, brats? Are you waiting for the countdown? There are no
countdowns in real battles, nitwits. Just freaking go! By the way, no golems, RB,"
Ezekiel said.

I wasted no time and dashed straight to the entrance. I was about to take the main
road when puffs of smoke suddenly erupted in the street ahead of me. I immediately
took a turn towards a dark alley before peeking cautiously at the main street.

"The main road is inaccessible," I whispered to myself. "Maybe I should try to go

up."

RB already disappeared in the middle of the tangle of pipes on the other side of
the street, Jack crept up the walls using his ice, Faye entered a building, and
Alice was already at the top of a tall chimney, apparently scanning the entire
area.

I flew upwards to the roof of a nearby factory. Careful to not make even the
slightest sound, I crept on the roof slowly. I used thin sheets of ice to cement my
hands and feet on the metal roof to prevent myself from slipping.

"Fourteen minutes," Ezekiel suddenly said, making me flinch in shock.

"What the hell?! Now you're saying that?!" I said in an agitated whisper.

"Well, you spent half of the first minute standing like idiots in front of the gate
so I thought of reminding you about the time," Ezekiel replied.

I just ignored Ezekiel as I looked around the surrounding area. The building where
we are supposed to retrieve our gems stands right at the center of the terrain. As
expected, it's overflowing with Scavengers. I immediately scanned the area to
search for streets with lesser Scavengers.

"The sewage system!" I said to myself after locating numerous manholes throughout
the terrain.

I flew back to the ground before lifting the lid of the nearest manhole with the
help of my telekinesis. As expected, a web of sewage tunnels greeted me. I just
kept myself afloat in the air to prevent making any noise that might attract the
attention of the Scavengers above.

A loud buzzer suddenly went off followed by the familiar cool female voice. "Rubio
Talla has successfully retrieved Gem No. 5. Time spent: 3 minutes and 34 seconds.
Four players are still on the field."

"What the hell?!" I whispered in disbelief as RB's smug face suddenly flashed in my
mind. Well, I guess RB will always be RB. I would be a lot more surprised if he
didn't finish first.
Every now and then, I would peek from manholes to check where I have gotten so far.
Sakto naman na sa muli kong pagsilip mula sa manhole ay 'yung building na ang
bumungad sa 'kin. I lifted the lid and slid it away from the hole in the most quiet
manner possible. Buti na lang at wala masyadong Scavengers sa paligid.

I immediately flew to the 2nd floor of the building before hiding behind the
parapet of a balcony and checking my immediate vicinity. I was about to crawl
towards a door when a loud crash suddenly erupted from somewhere behind me, making
me flinch in shock.

A loud buzzer went off. "Jack Abareñas has been eliminated. Three players are still
on the field."

"Well, that's not a surprise," I whispered to myself before crawling towards the
door I saw. Jack definitely has no patience whatsoever in situations like this one.

Seeing that no Scavengers are waiting for me inside, I stood up and started
searching for my gem. The entire floor is totally empty except for the walls that
partition it, making it look more like a maze. It's easy to run into a Scavenger or
lose your sense of direction on how the walls have been arranged.

"Your gem is on the fourth floor. Gem No. 4, remember?" Ezekiel suddenly said.

"Sorry?" I replied in a whisper. "I didn't know that there's a pattern."

"Now you know," Ezekiel replied. "Don't worry for I also told RB where his gem was.
I just want to make things quick because we don't have much time and I still have
to go to the NMLEA later for a meeting with the Tactical Operations Group."

I just ignored Ezekiel before searching for the nearest stairs. It's really
fortunate that most of the Scavengers have been scattered just outside the
building. It'll probably take me a lot more time if the inside of the building was
also infested with Scavengers.

After a few minutes of finding my way and hiding from a few Scavengers, I finally
found my gem in the fourth floor of the building just like what Ezekiel said. It
was floating in a brightly-lit pedestal standing right at the center of the wall of
mazes. It teleported me back to the command room when I touched it.

"6 minutes and 21 seconds. Not bad. Faye and Alice are still on the field," Ezekiel
declared the moment I appeared inside the command room.

"That was kind of... underwhelming," I said as RB hugged me tightly.

"You should be," Ezekiel replied. "After all, stealth attacks shouldn't be
noticeable at all. It's less dramatic than an actual fight but much more deadly
especially when executed perfectly. Trust me, I saved a lot of people and defeated
a lot of villains using that technique. Besides, the challenge today was still
relatively easy. In our future sessions, you will encounter tighter and more
difficult stealth operations."

I nodded. "I get it."

"Dang it. I'm such an idiot," Jack suddenly said beside me.

"What happened to you, by the way?" I asked him.

"Well, my plan was to transfer from rooftop to rooftop until I get to the building.
Unfortunately, I lost my balance when I jumped from a building and I fell on a
pipe. It created so much noise that all the Scavengers in the area looked at me,"
he replied.

"Well, that was unlucky," I said, trying my best to stifle my laughter. "You'll do
better next time."

"Hey, you two, shut it. It's not funny," Jack snapped at us.

"I'm sorry. It was just so hilarious," RB replied with his face all red. "The video
was so fun to watch on repeat. I feel bad for you, really."

Faye and Alice both reached their gems before the time ran out. All in all, Jack is
the only one who wasn't able to retrieve his gem from the building. That even made
him more agitated.

"Well, there are still lots of opportunities for you to restore your honor and
dignity," Ezekiel said. "For now, we have to finish today's activity because we
don't have much time left. Next batch, please! Hurry up or I'll kill all of you
with just a snap of my fingers."

        Chapter 37: Friendly Fire [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            I was able to sleep for a few hours after arriving in our dorm before
finally waking up at eight in the evening. I went down to the cafeteria where RB
was already waiting for me. He gestured for me to sit beside him when he saw me
entering the cafeteria.

"I already have your food here. Don't worry, I kept it warm. Hindi na kita ginising
pa kanina dahil tulog na tulog ka pa. I was thinking of just waking you up after I
finish my dinner. How are you?" RB said after giving me a swift kiss in the cheek.

"Thanks. I'm still tired but I'll be fine," I said, stretching my arms.
RB gave me a calculating glance. "Maybe we should ask Professor Evanesca if we
could skip tonight's training session with the Eliseo brothers. You seriously look
like you need to sleep for 24 hours straight. You've been staying late every night
and you're always training during the day. Let's just rest tonight, hubby."

"I can't," I said with a sigh. "Sayang naman kasi 'yung oras. Tsaka ang layo pa
nila at marami pa silang ginagawa bago ang training session. Nakakahiya naman kung
'di tayo pupunta ngayon. I can still go."

RB looked unconvinced but he didn't argue with me.

Well, patapos na rin kasi ang semester at marami na naman kaming ginagawa. Aside
from studying for the preliminary exams, I still have to write a mid-year report
about my internship, complete the other requirements for the other subjects, attend
my personal training sessions with the Purgers and Evanescas, and train with the
team for the CMMT. RB's been nagging me about the shadows under my eyes but I just
keep ignoring his taunts. Lately nga rin kasi ay lagpas hatinggabi na ako parating
natutulog.

Thankfully, our activity earlier wasn't so challenging or tiring. Kahit papaano

pala ay may kaunti namang konsiderasyon si Ezekiel pagdating sa sitwasyon ng ibang
mga tao.

RB and I proceeded to the Emerald Building after finishing our dinner. Pero hindi
pa man din kami nakakarating doon nung bigla na lang na lumitaw sa harap namin si
Professor Elena.

"My sister is already at the camp," she said to us after opening a portal. "Nandoon
na rin 'yung mga kaibigan ninyo."

RB and I looked at each other. "Po?" tanong ko naman.

"The headmistress has decided to let the team train with the Purgers. Ezekiel and
Franco won't be joining us tonight because they're at the NMLEA. While the team is
training, you will be working on your Fire Weirdness, Ike," Professor Elena said.

I nodded. "Sige po."

The two of us stepped into the portal which brought us to the familiar open hall of
the Purgers' town hall. Bumungad naman sa 'min 'yung mga teammates namin na nakaupo
sa palibot ng isang mahabang mesa na punong-puno ng pagkain. Nandoon din si
Professor Evanesca at 'yung dalawang Eliseo.

"Hey, bros!" Jack said upon seeing us before clamping his mouth on a huge chicken
leg.
"I'm sorry if this is so sudden. I just remembered this afternoon that I'm supposed
to oversee your training because of Ezekiel's prior commitment to the NMLEA. The
team also has a training session tonight that's why I just brought them here. Go
and eat first, you two," Professor Evanesca said, gesturing to two vacant chairs.

"We just ate our dinner, professor. Thanks," I said. RB, however, dived straight to
his chair and started devouring all the food in front of him. I just sat beside him
and ate a few fruits.

"You seem to be very busy these past few days, Esmerelda," Marcus said to the
headmistress.

"Well, I can't say no to the NMLEA and I definitely can't leave the students alone.
I nearly begged Ezekiel to agree to help the NMLEA so that I could focus my
attention in the school. The security of Emerald is my first priority especially
now," the headmistress said meaningfully.

Bumaling naman ako kay Jack na nasa tabi ko lang at nagpapakalunod sa pagkain. "Ni
hindi man lang ba kayo nagulat o natakot na dinala kayo ni Professor Evanesca sa
kuta ng isa sa pinakamalakas at pinakamalaking rebeldeng grupo dito sa bansa?"
tanong ko sa kanya.

Jack held up a finger, signalling me to wait as he finished devouring an entire

plate of sausages.

"Bro," he said after drinking water, "it's Professor Evanesca who brought us here.
What could go wrong? I can doubt myself but I will never doubt the headmistress.
Besides, they have marvelous food here. I just can't say no."

"Buti pa kayo at home na at home kaagad sa unang tapak niyo pa lang dito," bulong
ko naman bago ako bumaling sa kinakain kong mga prutas.

"Professor Evanesca already explained the situation to us before we went here,"

Aliyah said. "I agreed to come because, well, I trust the headmistress."

"A few of this camp's men will train the team," Professor Evanesca said. "The
second game of the CMMT is fast approaching and we want you to gain more
experience. As for you, Ike, I asked for help from a particular someone to help in
your training tonight. I think he'll arrive right... now."

A portal opened with a loud crack right behind Professor Evanesca. Out came
Professor Elena who's followed by a really familiar guy with reddish and silvery
hair.

Nasamid pa si Jack sa iniinom niyang tubig pagkakita niya sa kasama ni Professor

Elena. "What the hell?!" gulat niyang sigaw habang umuubo.
"Ah, young Jethro. I'm so glad you agreed to help us tonight. Please sit and enjoy
this succulent dinner with us," Professor Evanesca said, gesturing to an empty
chair right beside Jack.

RB, Faye, Alice, and I all tried to suppress our sudden urge to laugh as Jack let
out an indignant grunt. I just nodded at Jethro who nodded back at me. He then gave
Jack a calculating glance as he took his seat beside him.

"What do you want?" Jack snapped at Jethro when the latter continued to stare at
him. "You wanna fight, bastard?"

"Uh, good evening?" Jethro replied.

The former just growled at him.

"Calm down," said Jared who's seated next to Jack.

"Shut it," Jack snarled at him.

The group split into two parties after the dinner: the other team members went with
the Eliseo brothers and Professor Elena while RB and I headed to the Tree Maze
together with Jethro and Professor Evanesca.

"Just ask for help if you smell something fishy," Jack whispered to me before we
parted ways. "I'll freeze that guy to death if ever he does something bad to you or
RB."

"Don't be silly, silly," I snapped at him. "Just go and train with the others and
stop doubting everyone, dammit."

"Jack has some serious trust issues," RB said with a chuckle as we followed
Professor Evanesca towards the Tree Maze. "He'd doubt himself if he could."

"Tell me about it," I replied with a sigh before turning to Jethro. "And please
forgive Jack. He's a really extreme person with a really volatile mood. I think he
got a bit traumatized with the events that happened last year. Jack and RB are both
mentally-unstable, you see," I said.

"Hey, I'm not mentally-unstable, you insensitive jerk," RB snapped at me. "WHO TOLD
YOU THAT I'M MENTALLY-UNSTABLE? WHO? I'M NOT, OKAY? I'M NOT! TRY SAYING THAT AGAIN
AND I WILL KISS YOU UNTIL YOU DIE OF SUFFOCATION, GODDAMMIT!"

"See?" I said flatly.

Jethro smiled a bit. "I understand."

"Anyway, what have you been up to these past few months, Jethro? I haven't heard
from you in a while," RB asked curiously.

"Well, I've been really busy improving my Air and Fire Weirdness," Jethro replied.
"I was finally able to summon blue fire in our last meeting in Combat Ed."

"Really?" RB asked excitedly. "Show me."

Jethro flicked his right hand which instantly went up in blue flames. RB just
stared at the former's hand in awe and admiration.

"That's so... well, cool," he said. "Why don't you try doing that, hubby? You can
already control fire really well."

I stared at him coldly. "And then what? Give my hand a third-degree burn? Why don't
you try doing it yourself?"

"I can only summon it so far," Jethro replied before swishing his hand,
extinguishing the blue flames in an instant. "I haven't actually tried using it to
attack. It's a good thing that we have a Fire Weirdo in the agent team where Robb
and I got assigned. He was able to help me strengthen my Fire Weirdness."

Lately kasi eh gumaganda na rin kahit na papano ang Fire Weirdness ko. I can now
attack using balls of fire but I haven't tried using large-scale attacks yet. Aside
sa medyo unstable pa rin ang kontrol ko, wala pa rin akong tiwala sa sarili ko.
Professor Sivera keeps on noticing that my movements are still a bit stiff and
calculated whereas I should be more relaxed but firm.

My training with my precision and accuracy proved to be really useful when

controlling my Fire Weirdness. I don't have to use overwhelming fire attacks to
defeat the Wooden Mannequins, which I am really thankful of because honestly, I'm
still afraid of my own fire.

"Here we are, boys. Rubio, please come with me over there so that we could train
right away. Jethro, I will leave Ike to you. Take care and don't injure yourselves.
Have fun," Professor Evanesca said before heading to the opposite side of the Tree
Maze.

"So... Show me first what you can do with your Fire Weirdness and then I'll decide
on what I'm gonna do," Jethro said.

"Okay," I said before touching a nearby tree. All the tree trunks around us
suddenly boiled and bubbled before producing Wooden Mannequins. The Eliseo brothers
also taught me how to summon these mannequins so that I could train on my own
without their help.
I summoned just enough number of mannequins so as to not overwhelm myself once they
all attack. Jethro just watched me from a safe distance as I calculated the
locations of the mannequins surrounding me.

I clicked my fingers and all the Wooden Mannequins rushed towards me in an instant.
I flicked my hands which immediately went up in flames. I then started punching the
air, sending balls of fire flying towards the dashing mannequins. Explosions filled
the air as burning debris went flying everywhere.

Just like their usual attacking pattern, the remaining Wooden Mannequins hid behind
the trees. I flicked my hand and created a long lasso of fire. The hiding
mannequins attacked me one after another, emerging from behind the trees or jumping
suddenly from above. I just whipped my fiery lasso on the attacking mannequins,
cutting them in half or burning their wooden bodies in an instant.

"Thoughts?" I asked Jethro after slicing the final mannequin in half. Scattered
around me are the burning or smoking debris of all the Wooden Mannequins.

"You're a bit afraid to move and your movements are calculated," Jethro said.

"I know," I said with a weary sigh, having heard of the exact same comment numerous
times already.

"Professor Sivera probably told you that you cannot tame fire, but you can control
it," Jethro said, jumping from the branch he's sitting on.

"Yeah," I replied. "I should be the one commanding the fire because one moment of
hesitation will lead to disastrous results."

He nodded in agreement. "True. Fire is a really dangerous element and I can

completely understand why you're afraid of it. Even I also get injured sometimes if
I'm not careful with my movements. I think I can see the problem now..."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You see, a lot of Fire Weirdos
you can control only by putting
whip," Jethro said. "However, I
can harm its owner and opponent
friend."
look at fire as an untamable beast, a monster that
an iron leash around its neck and hitting it with a
do not look at fire as a double-edged sword that
at the same time. I look at fire more as a...

I raised my other eyebrow.

An odd smile curved across Jethro's face. "Remember my Air Weirdness? I actually
use the movements in controlling air whenever I'm controlling fire. I always try to
remain calm and relaxed. That way, the fire will follow suit."
I tried my best to hide the skeptical expression on my face. "Yeah... Calm and
relaxed..."

Jethro, noticing my reaction, smiled meaningfully. "I know what you're thinking. I
didn't look calm at all when we faced each other in last year's Magical Mayhem.
Look what that did to me. I got third-degree burns because of it. It only goes to
show that your emotion can greatly affect your Fire Weirdness."

He flicked his fingers and conjured a ball of fire over his hand. "Touch it. Don't
worry because it won't hurt you."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I can't even trust my own fire."

Jethro nodded.

I slowly put a finger on the ball of fire hovering above Jethro's hand. To my
surprise, it didn't feel hot at all. In fact, it felt just like warm sunshine
hitting my skin.

"If you don't intend to hurt anybody, the fire won't hurt at all," Jethro said.
"The fire will only reciprocate your emotion. It's true that you cannot tame fire,
but you can still befriend it. What you give to it is what you'll get back. In your
case, if you don't trust your own fire, your fire will never trust you back. Simple
as that."

I nodded, now realizing what he meant by "befriending" fire.

"Well, that was my personal technique in controlling fire and I really don't know
if it's also effective when it comes to other people, especially to the pure Fire
Weirdos like Professor Sivera. My Air Weirdness probably has something to do with
my ability to tone down the intensity of my fire. You can also control air that's
why I'm sure that you can also do what I can," Jethro added.

"So are you trying to say that I should use the movements for controlling air in
controlling fire?" I asked.

"Certainly," he agreed. "I think you have to rely on your Air Weirdness first. Once
your Fire Weirdness skills become more refined, then you can switch back to the
firm and flexible movements. It's just like using training wheels when it's your
first time to ride a bike. Of course you can still use that technique if you simply
want to. For me, it's safer and more reliable. Once you're able to tone down the
intensity of your Fire Weirdness, the chances of your fire going out of control
will decrease significantly."

"How come Professor Sivera didn't tell me about this?" I asked, recalling my burn-
and injury-filled past few months.
"Like I said, it's not the case for everyone. Pure Fire Weirdos have different
techniques than hybrids like me. You of all people should know that personal
technique in learning the elements are sometimes a lot more important and effective
than the conventional ones. It's like having your own study routine that only you
know and is effective only to you," Jethro explained.

"I get it," I said, nodding a bit. "What should I do now, then?"

"Try incorporating your Air Weirdness skills to your Fire Weirdness. Let's see if
my personal technique is also effective to you. Of course it is easier said than
done. And remember, don't fear your fire, trust it," he replied.

And so I spent the next hour trying to control fire using the movements in
controlling air. It proved to be really difficult at first. The fire I'm suppose to
manipulate didn't even move a tiny bit during my first attempts. However, with some
tips and secrets from Jethro, I was able to make my fire move a little just a few
minutes before the end of my training session.

Just like what Jethro said, controlling fire using the movements in controlling air
felt extremely different and strange. The lightness and calmness needed in
controlling air helped me a lot to not get intimidated by my own fire.

"You're still rough around the edges but you're actually doing good," Jethro said
after an hour as he glanced at his watch. "Just keep on practicing and you'll
master it in no time. Next session, you're gonna try toning down the heat of your
fire. If you successfully do it, then you can finally start learning to control
lightning."

I took a deep sigh before sitting on the ground. "This is so tiring..." I said as I
stretched my arms.

"I watched the first game, Ike," Jethro suddenly said.

My lips curved into a weary smile. "Quite disappointing, wasn't it?"

"Actually, I kind of expected that Sierra will target you. We're Emerald, after
all. We are at the top of the food chain when it comes to magical education. I know
that you guys felt frustrated. I actually felt a bit irritated because the guys who
defeated me got defeated in an instant," Jethro said.

"I wish you luck, Ike," he continued. "I know that you can win this thing. I'm not
saying this because we're from the same school. I'm saying this because I've seen
how much you've grown and improved in the past few years. We maybe are rivals in
some ways but I've always admired your incredible tenacity."

"Well, thanks a lot..." I said sheepishly.

"Wanna know my other reason for believing that you guys will win this thing?"
Jethro asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Because you're the Prime Elemental! What else? You're more than enough to make
that smug Ibasco cry like a baby," Jethro replied.

"Now you're just pressuring me," I said, laughing a bit. "Besides, I still have a
long way to go when it comes to controlling the Prime Elemental."

"But you're getting there, Ike. You're slowly but surely getting there, dear boy,"
Professor Evanesca suddenly said as she approached us, just behind her is RB. It
seems that the two of them just finished training as well. "I am pretty sure that
by next month, you can start learning to control lightning; and by the end of the
school year, you can finally unlock the full power of the Prime Elemental."

I stared at my hands glistening with sweat. "It feels kinda strange that I've
already learned controlling the first four elements. I feel like I'm not actually
the one who did it."

"But why, my dear boy? You did all of that! You have grown well and you're still
growing. You are who you are now because of your determination and willingness to
learn. Be proud of yourself, dear boy!" Professor Evanesca replied.

"I've been thinking about this, professor, but who's going to train me with my
Lightning Weirdness? Franc Lena is the only person I know who can control lightning
and we all know he's really busy with his duties in NMLEA. Why would he waste his
time training a totally inexperienced person like me?"

An evil grin curved across Professor Evanesca's face.

"I will be training you with your Lightning Weirdness, Ike. I was the one who
started your training and it's befitting that I'm going be the one who's going to
end it. And I assure you, my dear boy, before the school year is over, you will be
known in the entire world as the new Prime Elemental..."

        Chapter 38: Pelagic Pandemonium [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Despite the seemingly endless school days, Emerald's hell week finally
passed. All of us were able to submit our requirements in all the subjects, take
our preliminary and (in the case of others) term-end exams, and stay sane enough to
be allowed to attend classes in the next month.

And for the members of the official team, the only thing left is the game 2 of the
CMMT which was held right on the very last day of classes for the semester here in
Emerald.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I'd rather take the term-end exams than play
in the game 2," Philip said as the Diamond Battle Dome loomed ahead of us.

If you're wondering why we don't teleport straight to the battle dome, there is a
protocol where all the participating players have to enter the venue manually so
that the game officials could check us before we enter our dugouts. They do it to
make sure that we don't bring any prohibited materials inside the venue. It's also
a ceremonial part of every game of the CMMT.

On the other side of the battle dome, I could see a huge green crowd entering the
building. Well, today's game is so important for Emerald that they actually
requested the students to attend and watch the event. Earlier, I also saw a lot of
students from the School of Commons heading towards the battle dome. I guess
Emerald wants to give us the best support it could send.

Inside our dugout, our three coaches and two student assistants were already
waiting for us. Ezekiel gestured us to sit as Nicolo and Julia started distributing
our water bottles.

"Professor Ojeros and Ferrea will start making noise in a few minutes," Ezekiel
said. "For now, we have to warm up while we wait for the announcement of the second
task. Go to the field now. Ate Elena and I will talk to the old hag. Don't injure
yourselves."

Professor Sivera accompanied us to the open field. "Don't be nervous. Ezekiel is

sure as hell that what happened in the first game won't happen again today."

All of us nodded.

"I thought you're not gonna make it today, professor," RB asked.

Professor Sivera just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I can't leave my students
alone. Besides, my work in the NMLEA is already done for today. I just helped in
checking the security of the school earlier before I went here."

Security has been increased almost tenfold here in Emerald especially after the
incident in the park a few weeks ago. Tanghali pa lang ay binuksan na ang gates
para bigyan ng oras ang mas mahigpit na inspection ng mga manonood sa event. I also
heard that Professors Romeus and Elena time-locked the entire Diamond Battle Dome.

As expected, a sea of green-clad people greeted us the moment we stepped into the
Ground Alpha. There are considerably fewer viewers today but the green crowd is a
lot larger than in the last game. And of course, Sierra brought its own red-clad
army of supporters. The other school were already there as well.
"Warm-ups!" Professor Sivera declared as our practice area lit up. "We're gonna do
attacking practice next!"

"Just ignore the others!" I snapped at RB and Jack who are both currently burning
holes on the back of the heads of the Sierra students. "Don't give them a reason to
target us again today, you idiots!"

Thankfully, none of the Sierra students paid any attention to us. The twins of NAA,
however, had already noticed my futile attempt to stop RB and Jack from staring
hard at the Sierra participants.

"Good day," Yohan said, nodding at us.

"It's really unfortunate that I cannot say the same thing to you," Jack replied.

An odd smile curved across Yohan's face. "How are you guys doing? It seems that not
all of you have recovered from their shock in the game 1," he said, throwing a
glance at Jack.

RB's eyebrow twitched. "We've recovered well and fully, thank you very much."

"Of course you will be able to recover in no time, RB. I'm just a bit worried that
some of you might be a little... pressured especially after the turnout of the
events in the previous game," Yohan replied, transferring his eyes to me.

Jack is the first one to snap. "Okay, I'm not gonna fake my attitude any longer for
I cannot stand your smug face. We're doing good and we're going to win this game.
How about you? How does it feel winning a game with the help of someone stronger
than you? Sierra students are powerful, aren't they? It must feel nice to be like a
remora attached to a blue whale."

"Jack," I said quietly, making sure that I'm holding his arm firmly.

Yohan's smile widened further. "Yes, that's true. Sierra students are powerful,
aren't they? They even eliminated you in a blink of an eye last game. I have to go.
Take care," he said before walking away from us.

"Why, you little..." Jack said irately before dashing after the twins. Thankfully,
RB and I were able to prevent him from murdering the twins at that moment.

"Let's just go back to our practice! Ezekiel will kill you if he sees you picking a
fight with other students!" I said to Jack as we dragged him back to our practice
area.

Ezekiel and Professor Elena arrived just in time for the start of our attacking
practice. The former seems to be glaring so much at Sierra and did not even bother
to stop RB and Jack who are also still glaring at the Sierra's students.

"Attack those Gladiators like you mean it!" Ezekiel shouted to us. "I don't care if
stray shots went flying all over the place! It's even way better to eliminate the
teams while we're still warming up!"

"Calm down, Izzy," Professor Sivera said to him.

"I'm totally calm," Ezekiel replied in a feigned tone of tranquility. "GO AND
FREAKING MURDER THOSE GLADIATORS, RB!" he shouted at RB who's currently doing an
attacking practice.

"Yeah, calm..." Professor Sivera said.

Thankfully, Professors Ferrea and Ojeros finally started their loud commentary,
drowning out the murderous shouts of Ezekiel.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!" Professor Ferrea's voice boomed from above.
"Welcome to the live coverage of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament! This is
the second game of the season and we're in for a thrilling and exciting evening!"

"That's true, Professor Ferrea," Professor Ojeros replied. "And what a nice and
fair evening for our game 2! I'm sure that our viewers at home and our live
audience are itching to see some action that's why we won't prolong the wait! To
start our pre-game discussion, let's take a look at the team standings!"

Team Standings — CMMT Seniors' Division

                   SCHOOL                                  POINTS
1. Sierra Magical Institute                      500
2. National Agents Academy                400
3. Veron Academy of Magic                   300
4. Philippine Weirdo University          200
5. Emerald School of Magic                  100

"As everyone knows," Professor Ojeros continued, "the big shock here is Emerald's
dead-last standing. If you are Emerald, the game 1 is something that you would want
to forget. I'm pretty sure that Ezekiel Evanesca will never forgive Sierra for what
they did to his team."

Professor Ferrea laughed. "Knowing him, I'm sure that he would want to avenge his
loss."

Arcs of electricity ran through Ezekiel's hands. "Revenge is not and will never be
enough," he whispered.
"But of course," Professor Ferrea continued, "you cannot judge a team just by their
performance in the first game. Emerald has been known throughout the years for its
epic comebacks. Besides, the point system of the Elimination Round allows the teams
to take over the others in a blink of an eye. You have to consistently win if you
want to stay on top; and a win today for our bottom teams will surely propel them
to the top spot."

"A lot of people were definitely surprised that Emerald got eliminated first in the
game 1," Professor Ojeros added. "However, my confidence in this team didn't waver
even for a tiny bit. We haven't seen them get serious in combat, and I have seen
first-hand the monsters that this team has."

"The commentators are having a field day with our downfall last game," RB said
who's currently stretching beside me.

"I wish they'd stop, though," I said with a sigh. "They're just giving us a lot of
unwanted attention and pressure. I really don't need those."

"Focus," Professor Sivera said to us. "We're here to win this game, not to get back
at Sierra. Just like what Ezekiel said, we will never get to our goal if all that
we're going to do is chase them. We're going to have our revenge, yes, and we're
going to do that by winning today's game."

"I'm really surprised that your brain could actually create those inspiring words,"
Ezekiel said to him.

"Do you really have to say that?" Professor Sivera said flatly amid our stifled
laughter.

The pre-game discussion of the two professors went on for another half an hour.
They even invited a few members of the teams in the previous tournament for an
interview. I also searched for the headmistress in the skybox for the heads of the
schools but I didn't see her there.

"The old hag had to attend to something," Ezekiel said, noticing my search for
Professor Evanesca. "Don't worry for I am sure that she's praying for your victory
tonight."

"Why is the headmistress not here tonight?" RB asked. "We need her support now more
than ever."

"Stop asking and get back to your practice, you narcissistic dandy," Ezekiel
snapped at him.

A loud horn suddenly honked from above, making all of us jump in shock.

"And here we are! We are going to reveal today's challenge! Participants and
coaches, may I have your attention, please," Professor Ferrea said.

"Get in your line," Ezekiel said to us.

"The second challenge of the CMMT is Fix the Puzzle! Each team will be given five
pieces of puzzle which is just your school logo split into five parts. The five
starting players will then be spawned in different locations inside an endless
maze. All you have to do is find your other teammates in order to complete your
puzzle! The first team who completes the task wins!" Professor Ferrea said.

"However, things are a bit complicated in today's game," Professor Ojeros added.
"This challenge is a single-life game with substitutions allowed. Take note that we
have five pieces of puzzle, so if a team loses five players, the team will
automatically be eliminated from the game due to our single-life rule."

Ezekiel frowned at the two professors, apparently not happy with today's game
format.

"Our games are really challenging, but what's even more challenging is our terrain
for today!" Professor Ferrea said. "Technical team, please reveal the terrain!"

The Ground Alpha of the Diamond Battle Dome disappeared and was replaced a second
later by nothing but a vast expanse of ocean. We're all currently standing on a
small island—the only solid ground in the area.

"This is kind of undewhelming," Philip said, looking around in bewilderment.

"Where's the maze?"

Tony, however, was already looking down on the ocean, his face torn between awe and
apprehension. "There's your maze."

Directly underneath us stood an enormously vast underwater maze. It was so wide and
so deep that we can't even see the sea floor or the boundaries. The maze just
stretched for miles and miles around us. Thick forests of kelps can also be seen
from the island. The monstrous maze looks really scary and dangerous.

"I love our technical team," Professor Ojeros said. "Ladies and gentlemen, the
Pelagic Pandemonium! It's an unforgiving terrain that will push you past your
limits. Take note, we're not going to provide you with breathing apparatus, so you
have to find a way to breathe in the water! But of course, our Water and Air
Weirdos have no problem with that!"

Jack was already laughing like a mad genius beside me. "Our opponents are so
screwed now."

The terrain went back to the Ground Alpha. "Well, the second secret is out! Your
30-minute planning time starts now!" Professor Ferrea said.
Ezekiel conjured his usual protective charms around us as we huddled around our
table.

"Go with your Tita Elena and get some potions for water breathing from Professor
Algarez. Ask her for the potion with the longest effect," Ezekiel said to Nicolo
who immediately went through a portal with Professor Elena.

"Okay, we have three students who can breathe underwater: Ike, Jack, and Philip. As
for the others, you're going to drink the Water Breathing Potion. Remember that
this is a single-life game. Once five of you get eliminated, we're out. I'm
thinking about sending Aliyah, Alice, Faye, Jared, and RB first. Ike, Jack, Philip,
and Tony will only be sent once the others get eliminated—"

"But why are we gonna go last? We're the ones who can breathe underwater!" Jack
exclaimed.

"The first team is a sacrificial team, Jack," I said. "We have to send Tony last
because he's going to be vital in finding the others and completing the puzzle due
to his weirdness. Also, us water-breathers will be able to move faster once we're
there. We're the last card if all else fails. Besides, Aliyah's Flute Lullaby won't
be very effective underwater."

"Exactly," Ezekiel agreed. "I still have a feeling that Sierra will target us in
this game. We're just going to send our best pawns last to increase our chances of
actually winning the game. To the first team, try to protect Faye or RB—"

"Just Faye, Ezekiel," RB replied. "I can defend myself pretty well."

"Of course I can also defend myself," Faye said indignantly.

The former grinned widely. "I know you could. So, the ideal final team should be
comprised of Ike, RB, Jack, Philip, and Tony. Of course I'm not saying that the
others should let themselves get eliminated once they see the opponents. It would
be way better if the first team wins this game. We're going to focus on ourselves
in this game but we're not going to show any mercy to the opponents. Just be very
careful not to get carried away by your emotions once you encounter a Sierra
student. Get it? I'm serious about the last one," Ezekiel said.

Everyone nodded.

Professor Elena and Nicolo went back carrying a huge bottle of sparkling blue
potion and a tray of small glasses.

"Professor Algarez added extenders to this potion. She said that the effect will
last for approximately two hours. Do you think it's enough, Ezekiel?" Professor
Elena asked.
"Well, we just have to work fast, sister," Ezekiel replied.

Professor Ojeros suddenly spoke. "Coaches, please submit the list of your first
five to our game officials."

"I'll do it," Professor Sivera said. Ezekiel flicked his hand downward and created
a huge slit on the barrier around our area, allowing the former to exit our
protected vicinity.

Ezekiel turned to us. "Well, once the horn sounds, things will be out of our hands.
I can only pray for your success once you're out there. Of course we want to forget
about the first game, but I want you to remember the lessons that you learned from
that day. Let your frustrations fuel you to become better today, to become
stronger. We are at the rock-bottom of the team standings, true; but that only
means that there is no other way for us to go but up. EMERALD—!"

"—FIGHT!" everyone shouted.

The five starting players of each team remained on the field while the rest headed
to their respective surveillance rooms together with the coaches and student
assistants.

"If I don't make it back, I want you to know that I love you so much, hubby. Tell
our kids that I did this for their own good—"

"Shut up," I snapped at RB before pushing him away from me. "Stop snuggling me.
There are a lot of people watching us, idiot."

"Look at this, Sir Gregor," Professor Ojeros said. "Emerald is saving up their big
guns except for Talla and Esveron. Their water-breathers will actually come in late
in the game."

"Well, this game is one of those games where they have to prioritize and make
sacrifices. I'm sure they sent Talla and Esveron there to provide stability and
strength to their first team. On the red side of things, isn't Sierra at a
disadvantage in this game? I mean, they have a Robotic Body Weirdo and a Blue Flame
Weirdo. The water will just screw up their respective weirdnesses," Professor
Ferrea said.

"True. I don't think they're going to use Belarma and Christiansen that much in
this game," Professor Ojeros agreed. "But take note, they do have a Water Weirdo
which is Froilan and an Animal Affinity Weirdo which is Mañago. Today's terrain
might actually prove beneficial to them."

The two professors went on with their discussion. Ezekiel immediately wore his
earphones and mic upon entering our surveillance room.
"Jared, can you hear me? Okay. Good. Remember my tips for you. Be careful," Ezekiel
said.

A hologram image of the Underwater Maze suddenly appeared on the projecting table.
Dots of different colors have also started appearing all over the maze. They're all
scattered so far away from each other that it seems impossible to find a teammate
or even an opponent in the field.

"Wait, why don't we just tell Jared how to find the others? We can see all the
participants here," Jack said.

"The connection is wiretapped," Ezekiel said, tapping his earphone. "We'll get
disqualified if we tell him his whereabouts. We can only warn him if he's about to
encounter an opponent."

"Bummer," Philip said.

Professor Ferrea's jolly voice suddenly boomed from above. "Well, our pre-game
discussion is finally over. ARE YOU READY TO WITNESS SOME MADNESS, FOLKS?! Let your
old man hear those cries and shouts of support!"

The crowd roared in response.

"Well, who am I to prolong the wait?!" he said with a chuckle. "Ladies and
gentlemen, LET THE MAYHEM COMMENCE!"

"Jared, be careful. I know he's still not in the field but if you see any moving
shadows or whatever that looks related to Cabrera, swim away like mad, okay?"
Ezekiel said as the terrain switched to Pelagic Pandemonium.

All the participants have also started moving. I also noticed that Ayumu isn't
really in the field. Sierra is also probably saving him for their last push.

"And as you can see, our teams have found a way to find their members!" Professor
Ojeros said. "Talla of Emerald is using his crystal fishes to find his teammates.
Those crystal fins and paddlers look really good on him, too! Palacio of Veron is
putting his Foreshadowing Weirdness to some good use. Mañago of Sierra is using
fishes to locate his teammates. So fascinating. Peralta of NAA is using his Radar
Weirdness. Sanchez of PWU is using his Telepathy Weirdness! So cool! These kids are
making me jealous of their weirdnesses!"

"A lot of teams have used the Air Bubble Charm to breathe underwater. Emerald and
Veron, however, seem to have used Water Breathing Potions. Our coaches are such
quick thinkers!" Professor Ferrea said.
I just stared at the TV monitors in front of me. "The key here is to find at least
one teammate. Once you do, that's when you can actually start thinking about
eliminating other participants. It's important to find your teammates first before
engaging in a fight," I said.

"Exactly, Ike," Professor Sivera agreed. "In our case, Jared and RB are our
hunters. That means they're the ones who have to vigorously search for their
teammates. Also, if Jared and RB find each other, our chances of winning this game
will skyrocket."

"WE HAVE OUR FIRST FIGHT!" Professor Ferrea suddenly shouted. "Morph Weirdos are
having a showdown! Cameras! WHERE THE HELL ARE THE CAMERAS?! Oh, there. We have
Alice Achillerio of Emerald squaring off with Clarisse Cordova of Sierra! Metallic
ropes versus metallic blades!"

"The scary spider-girl!" Jack shouted.

Alice is currently fighting with the girl from Sierra who has blades attached to
the metallic levers attached on her arms, legs, and lower back. She's like a silver
spider with claws.

A few of Clarisse's blades suddenly went flying towards Alice. The latter just
flicked her ropes at the blades and sent them flying back to their owner who
immediately conjured a barrier to protect herself from her own blades.

"Go on, Alice. Eliminate that monstrosity," Jack whispered.

"Hey, she maybe is from Sierra but she's still a human being," I snapped at him.

Alice picked up a few boulders from the sea floor with the help of her ropes before
chucking them towards Clarisse. One of the boulders hit Clarisse, sending her
crashing against the wall of the maze and sending puffs of sand flying all over the
place.

"Ooh... That looks painful," Tony said with a wince.

Alice's ropes dived into the cloud of sand and wrapped themselves around the body
of Clarisse. A few of her ropes smashed against the latter's shield, shattering it
right away and causing her opponent to disappear in an instant.

"And Cordova is out! The first casualty from Sierra!" Professor Ferrea shouted.
"SEE THAT?! That's vengeance at its finest! Achillerio gets the first blood!"

Jack punched the air in his excitement. "TAKE THAT, YOU SCOUNDRELS! That's Alice
for you!"
"And I've just received word from Ms. Carla Soriano that they won't be using
Belarma and Christiansen in today's game due to their weirdnesses. That means,
Sierra only has two lives left in this game! Also, Ibasco replaces Cordova. The red
team is in a pinch here! Professor Ojeros said.

"That's karma, bitch!" Jack shouted.

Ezekiel frowned at the TV monitors in front of him. "This doesn't look good..." he
said wearily. "Jared, please hurry up and find the others. I have a really bad
feeling about this."

"Why? What's the matter?" Philip asked.

I've also noticed on the field that Sierra's red dots and NAA's purple dots seem to
be moving towards each other and are forming into pairs.

"No one has actually found their teammates yet," Professor Ferrea said. "This game
will probably take a few hours... which is exactly what our viewers want! WAIT!
WAIT! Mañago is currently being attacked by a swarm of Crystal Golems and
Gladiators! And Talla is not even near him! He's on the opposite side of the maze!"

A loud buzzer sound suddenly went off.

"And Mañago is out! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?! Sierra is down to its last five! It's
the red crowd's turn to be stunned this time! Sierra is in big trouble! Cabrera
enters the game! Can he help turn things around for their team?" Professor Ojeros
said.

"You know, Gladiators should be nothing but nuisances in this tournament. They're
just here to make things a bit chaotic and to provide opportunity for our players
to level up their shields. If you can't even deal with Gladiators on your own,
you'll definitely struggle throughout the tournament," Professor Ferrea said.

"True. You should be wary of your opponents, and not with some dumb pieces of metal
who only do nothing but attack," Professor Ojeros agreed. "And here he is! Cabrera
enters the game!"

Ezekiel turned around and headed straight to the projecting table. "Jared, I want
you to listen to every word I say from now—"

But before he could even finish his sentence, an eerie shadow suddenly crept
throughout the floor of the maze and expanded in all directions. All of us looked
at the TV monitors just in time to see shadow tentacles wrapping around Alice,
Aliyah, Faye, and Jared. Before any of us could react, the four of them suddenly
disappeared before reappearing a few seconds later inside our surveillance room,
dripping wet and shell-shocked.
"AND THERE HE IS! Cabrera eliminates all five players from PWU, therefore putting
them out of the game right away due to our single-life rule! He also eliminated
four players from Emerald, and three players from Veron! His shield levels up to
Level 3 as well! What sorcery is this?!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

Ezekiel punched the projecting table in his agitation. "Go to the maze right now,
you four. Do your best not to get eliminated right away. I have a feeling that
Sierra will only toy with us in this game."

        Chapter 39: Crushing Pressure [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            In the Sierra huddle, a few minutes before the start of the Game 2...

"We can't use Xavier and Tyrone in this game due to their weirdness. That leaves us
with seven players. Our big guns will come in late in the game. The final team
should be comprised of Koshi, Ayumu, Althea, Jasmine, and Denver. Clarisse and
George will be our sacrificial players. Don't worry because once Ayumu enters the
game, we're going to win. We're just going to play with Emerald and Veron for a bit
before we eliminate them," Carla, our head coach, said.

"It's actually pretty easy to defeat Emerald," I said, glancing at the blurry dome
covering Emerald's table.

"What do you mean, Koshi?" Denver asked.

I sighed. "Well, RB sure is strong and we can't really beat him in a one-on-one
battle. Even Ayumu doesn't want to fight with him. This game, we're just going to
leave him alone, but we're going to make sure that he never reaches any of his
teammates."

"Their captain is powerful, yes, but he's just a brainy guy who knows nothing but
simple attacks. His telekinesis maybe is pretty good, but other than that, he's
just a one-trick pony. He'll surely break if we put enough pressure on him," I
added.

"What about the others?" Althea asked.

"Well, the Abareñas is nothing but a loudmouth. If he sees that Talla and Lunaria
are struggling, he'll just get frustrated with himself, too. The Esveron is also
powerful, but he also relies on his stronger teammates for guidance and leadership.
Their other teammates, well... they'll just get eliminated so there's no point in
discussing them," I replied.

"The feeling of not being able to do anything is a lot more destructive and painful
than being eliminated right away," I added in a whisper.

"Well, you heard Koshi," Carla said with a smile. "Let's just talk about your roles
in this game."
I turned to Ayumu while the others discussed the game plan.

"Are you feeling okay? Don't worry because I'll join you immediately once you enter
the maze. I'll never leave you once we get inside," I said, fixing the hood over
his head.

"Do we really have to play with the other teams? I mean, I can just summon you
towards me and complete the puzzle within a few seconds without even fighting
anyone. We'll save time and energy in doing that," Ayumu replied.

"Well, RB declared a war against us, remember? We're just playing in the game that
he created," I said.

"But it was your fault why RB did that. You provoked him," he said.

I took a deep breath before wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "Don't make it
look like we're the bad guys here. We're merely playing this game for the sake of
our school."

"Don't make that as an excuse. Emerald didn't even do anything bad to us. I know
that maybe our coaches are still holding a grudge over what happened in the
previous tournament but that's not our business. They're not the same people who
defeated our coaches. They're different," Ayumu said.

"They are a different group of students, yes. And I also don't like the idea of
dragging other people down so that we could just rise above the others; but you
have to understand that this tournament is also a mind game. If we don't find a way
to win this competition, we'll get eaten alive by the other schools. We're not just
playing for school pride. We're also playing for survival," I explained.

Ayumu didn't look convinced with my reply. He just took a deep breath and spoke no
more.

"We'll win the games, Ayumu," I said. "We'll win them all..."

●●●

Ike's POV

An immense coldness suddenly overwhelmed my entire body as I appeared in the middle

of a forest of kelps. The noise of the crowd was silenced in an instant and was
replaced by an eerie quietness and calmness. I immediately swam to get out of the
thick and towering kelps.
"Keep swimming. You'll eventually get out of that kelp forest. Watch out for any
shadows. Sierra probably wants us to feel paranoid with that attack. Just stay calm
and focus on our goal," Ezekiel said through the earphone.

We basically experienced the same thing in today's game but the sheer shock that it
brought to us hasn't toned down at all. The heavy truth that all our plans can be
destroyed by just a single move seemed to haunt our minds. Even the first team was
still a bit dumbfounded when we left them. Sierra may have lacked players in
today's game, but they certainly didn't lack offensive power.

"And we have our first match! Veron's Palacio and Betis have found each other!
Well, things will be a lot easier now for the blue team! Veron is three puzzles
away from completing the second task, and they still have two lives left!"
Professor Ferrea said.

I was finally able to get out of the kelp forest after a few minutes of swimming.
There's only darkness all around me for I can't even see the bottom or the top of
the maze. It's really hard to tell whether the shadows around me are from Ayumu or
just a normal shadow.

Something glinted a few meters in front of me. I raised my hands to brace myself
for combat but realized a second later that it was only one of RB's crystal fishes.

"Follow this," RB's voice said. "I've found the others. I will first lead you to
your nearest teammate then I'll lead you towards me."

"I love you," I said seriously before swimming as fast as I can after the crystal
fish.

"I know," RB replied.

"Look at this, Julian! Talla has found a way to contact his teammates using his
crystal fishes! It's only a matter of time before they complete their puzzle! The
green crowd is rejoicing!" Professor Ferrea said.

With the absence of Jared, RB is now our sole hunter. Tony is our back up hunter if
ever RB gets eliminated; but given our current situation, we have no choice but to
rely on RB for us to find all our teammates and complete the puzzle.

"You're nearest to Jack, hubby. Someone like him who's a bit messed up in the head
needs the guidance of someone like you. We cannot afford to lose any more
teammates," RB said.

"Got it," I replied.

"Ike, please hurry up," Ezekiel said. "Sierra and NAA seem to be forming pairs and
are closing in on you guys. I have a really bad feeling about this. Please hurry
up."

I ran into a few Gladiators from other teams but I was able to destroy them with
ease. Ezekiel put a charm on us earlier that allows us to speak and hear our
teammates clearly even if we're underwater. That's the reason why we can still
understand what the other is saying.

I finally ran into Jack after swimming out of another kelp forest.

"Bro!" he said upon seeing me.

"The puzzle?" I said right away.

Jack smirked before holding up his puzzle piece.

I nodded at him before taking his puzzle and joining it with mine. The edges of our
puzzle pieces glowed a bit before joining together, giving us the image of the
bottom part of the Emerald logo.

"And we have another match!" Professor Ojeros said. "Abareñas and Lunaria have
found each other and— wait, we have another match! Martinez and Arellano have also
joined their respective puzzle pieces! Emerald is one puzzle away from completing
our second task!"

"You know what to do," RB's voice said through his crystal fish. "I will just wait
for you."

But before Jack and I could start swimming, Ezekiel suddenly spoke through my
earphone, his voice sounding worried and apprehensive.

"Be very alert, Ike," he said. "Ayumu isn't moving at all."

A wall of shadow suddenly rose in front of us and blocked our away. Four people
emerged from the shadow, their bodies seemingly covered in blank ink as they
materialized one after another. The shadow covering their bodies receded, revealing
the Veloso twins; the Superstrength Weirdo, Althea; and Koshi.

"Well, hello there, you two," Yohan said, smiling widely upon seeing us.

Jack wasted no time and immediately swished his hands in front of him, creating
thousands of ice spike out of the water and sending them towards our opponents.
Another wall of shadow rose to block Jack's attack, leaving the four unscathed.

"We have a fight!" Professor Ferrea shouted. "It's Emerald versus Sierra and NAA!
Lunaria and Abareñas are currently fighting with the Veloso twins, Perez, and
Ibasco! Martinez and Arellano are also fighting with Mariano, Froilan, Bertin, and
Ebuenga! Sierra and NAA have teamed up to take down Emerald!"

"And Talla is currently fighting with the shadows of Cabrera! The latter is nowhere
near the players of Emerald but he's showing no mercy to the green team! Talla is
trapped between two walls of shadow!" Professor Ojeros added.

Jack suddenly shot towards our opponent with two ice blades in his hand. He slashed
his blades on our opponents which were suddenly engulfed by the wall of shadow
before reappearing in a different spot.

"They're containing RB in a specific place so that he can't find a way to help you
two!" Ezekiel said as I avoided a couple of boulders thrown to me by Althea. "You
have to find a way to escape your opponents to find RB! Be careful because once you
dive straight to that shadow wall, you'll get eliminated!"

I turned around swiftly in my spot and created a whirlpool around us, blocking us
from our opponents' view.

"We need to help RB! Ayumu's containing him somewhere inside this maze!" I said to
Jack.

"We can't even escape these imbeciles!" Jack shouted. "How can we even help RB?!"

"Okay, listen to me, Ike," Ezekiel said. "Ayumu's shadow wall has a boundary. You
have to swim upward and you'll see it. However, you have to swim so fast so that he
won't be able to adjust his wall in time. Once you're behind the wall, swim as fast
as you can and freeze the water behind you to block your four opponents."

"Got it!" I said before turning to Jack. I then relayed the plan to him in the most
brief manner possible.

The water around us suddenly froze, sending a sudden chill throughout my body. I
immediately grabbed Jack before creating a shock wave below us, boosting the two of
us upward and breaking the ball of ice which almost enclosed us.

"You're quick," Koshi said, suddenly appearing on top of us. "But are you quick
enough for this?"

Althea suddenly appeared behind him before punching me right in the face. The
impact of the punch was so strong that it sent me crashing towards the sea floor.
The shield on my back vibrated, notifying me about the damage that I just took.

Rock and ice spikes suddenly appeared high above me before zooming straight to the
spot where I was lying. Still dizzy and hazed from my crash, I just conjured a
Shield Charm above me to at least lessen the impact of the plummeting spikes.
An ice dome suddenly appeared on top of me and blocked the combined attack of the
Veloso twins. At the same time, a hand suddenly grabbed the collar of my jersey
before lifting me from the sea floor. It was Jack who's currently concentrating all
his strength in supporting his ice barrier.

"DO IT NOW!" Jack shouted.

I raised my hand high above me and created a circular force field that expanded in
all directions, pushing all the water away from us and breaking Jack's ice barrier
as well. The force field expanded further until it reached a few meters in
diameter; and when I could no longer support it, I released the pressure before
redirecting it below us.

The expanding force field suddenly imploded, retracting back towards my hand
quickly. Before I could even brace myself for the effect, Jack and I suddenly
zoomed upward with tremendous speed, leaving with us a wide crater and huge clouds
of disturbed sand. Water entered my nose and throat, making me cough and gasp for
air.

I was finally able to hear Professor Ferrea's voice as we hurtled upward.

"Abareñas and Lunaria have done the impossible! They escape the jaws of defeat by a
hair! Even the other members of the green team have found a way to escape their
opponents!"

Jack and I both pointed our hands behind us and froze the water as we zoomed away
from our opponents.

"That was unbelievable, bro!" Jack shouted, laughing madly. "I thought we were
goners back there!"

Even Ezekiel couldn't hide his amazement. "That was a monstrous ball of force
field, Ike. I am happy to inform you that Philip and Tony have also escaped their
opponents. Philip actually transformed into a giant octopus and wrapped Tony. I
think they made sure that Ayumu's shadow won't be able to touch their shields once
they pass through his shadow wall. They just moved fast enough so that Ayumu won't
be able to restrain them in time. Philip even used some of his ink to confuse his
opponents. He took down two players from NAA as well."

"How about RB?" I asked.

"I'm still alive, hubby," RB's voice said as his crystal fish suddenly appeared in
front of me. "You're getting close to me."

"How did you escape?" I asked.

"Well, I enclosed myself inside a ball of gem before rolling away swiftly. Just as
I thought, Ayumu's shadow cannot penetrate solid barriers. I think he even tried to
break my diamond ball when I passed through his shadow wall but, well, it was so
nice of him to try," RB replied.

"Your opponents are closing in on you. Tell everyone to summon all the Gladiators
they could. I don't know why but Ayumu's shadows suddenly disappeared from the
terrain," Ezekiel said.

I nodded. "RB, tell Philip and Tony to be alert because their opponents are getting
near them. Also, tell them to summon Gladiators in their path to delay the other
teams," I said.

"Roger, hubby," RB replied.

Jack and I both summoned Gladiators behind us as we swam even faster. I've already
lost count on how long we've been staying underwater and if the effects of the
Water Breathing Potion on the others are about to wear off. As of now, our only
goal is to find each other.

"Is Emerald about to exact revenge on Sierra?! The members of the green team are
getting closer on each other and the members of Sierra and NAA are still
considerably far from them! Even Cabrera is nowhere to be seen!" Professor Ferrea
said.

As Jack and I took a left turn on the maze, we saw Tony emerge from the other end
of the path while riding on the back of a killer whale which I presumed as Philip.
He waved their combined puzzle piece upon seeing us.

RB also emerged from the path directly at the center of our way. He beckoned us to
swim towards him as Professor Ojeros and Ferrea cheered us on.

"There they are! They've found their teammates! Emerald is a few meters away from
completing the second task! Emerald can smell victory right now!" Professor Ojeros
shouted.

RB, Tony, and I extended our hands as we swam as quickly as we can. We were only
about a few meters away from each other when shadows suddenly covered the walls of
the maze. Shadows also wrapped around all five of us, preventing us from advancing
any further.

I looked up and saw Ayumu floating above our outstretched hands, his arms and feet
have transformed to darkness and are the ones responsible for all the shadows
around us.

"Ike, use your telekinesis!" RB and Ezekiel both shouted at the same time.
But shadows also wrapped around my hands and prevented me from moving even a
finger. RB tried to attack Ayumu but his crystals just passed right through the
latter's body. It seems that he also has the ability to transform himself into a
shadow.

"JUST A LITTLE! WE CAN STILL DO THIS!" I shouted as I did all I can to stretch my
arm towards the others. Our puzzle pieces are now just a few inches from each
other.

"WHY CAN'T YOU LET US WIN EVEN FOR ONCE?!" Jack shouted at Ayumu. "WE DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING BAD TO YOU! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE?!"

Ayumu seemed to falter a bit upon hearing Jack's words. "I'm sorry..." he said in a
whisper.

A shadow claw rose from the darkness enveloping my entire body before slamming
right into the shield on my back. The familiar squeezing sensation overwhelmed my
entire body before everything around me momentarily blacked out. I reappeared a few
seconds later inside our surveillance room, my right arm is still outstretched in
my attempt to complete our puzzle.

"And after a roller coaster ride of thrill and excitement, Sierra emerges
victorious as Emerald bows out of the second game with 200 points! The defending
champions have sunk deeper into the quagmire!" Professor Ojeros shouted.

●●●

The four others also appeared one after another after a few seconds. I just slumped
on the floor and buried my face on my knees, my hands balled tightly into fists.
Ezekiel already silenced the noise coming from the outside but no one in the room
found the strength to even speak despite the deafening silence around us.

"Dinner," Ezekiel finally said after a few minutes. "Drink water. Rest. You did
everything that you can tonight and you gave your opponents a much better fight
than last time. You gave your all in tonight's game, and that is what matters the
most to me."

Someone sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Let's go and sit over
there, hubby."

"I want to go back to my dorm," I said without raising my face from my knees.

Silence.

"Okay, then," RB replied after a few moments. "Professor Elena already opened a
portal for us. I'll go with you. You have to stand and walk on your own because I
can't carry you. Let's go."
I just allowed RB to usher me towards the portal that Professor Elena opened. I
can't even muster the strength to say goodbye to our teammates. Ezekiel slammed his
hand on my back just before I entered the portal, his face burning with pride and
intensity.

"That was an excellent force field earlier, Ike," he said.

I just nodded blankly before stepping into the portal.

Darkness and silence greeted me as soon as I stepped onto the other side. The
portal closed behind us with a loud crack, leaving the two of us alone. I then
flicked my hand upward, causing all the switches in my room to turn on. The glare
of the lights burned my eyes for a moment.

I headed straight to the balcony of my room with RB just behind me.

"It's okay to do it now, hubby," RB said as I looked up to the star-filled night

sky. Over the distance, I could hear the unclear voices of the two commentators and
the excited screams and gasps of the crowd.

I held RB's hand tightly as I continued to stare blankly at the sky. My vision
suddenly blurred as tears welled up in my eyes. When I could no longer hold them, I
finally permitted myself to cry. A mixture of frustration and disappointment
overwhelmed me, suffocating my lungs and stiffening my body. I just held RB's hand
tightly as tears continued to flow down my cheeks and drip from my face.

"It's okay," RB's gentle voice said. "I understand how you feel because I also
really want to bawl my eyes out. Let it all out, hubby. I'm here."

He then hugged me tightly before tapping my back gently. I just buried my face on
RB's shoulder and released all the heaviness inside me.

"They're going to regret this," RB said, his voice low and gravelly. "They're going
to regret their decision to mess with us. I promise you that, Ike. I promise you
that."

        Chapter 40: The Error in the Primes [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            I've noticed lately na ang daming nagcha-chat sa 'kin sa FB. I'M REALLY
SORRY SA MGA WALA PANG REPLIES! Hindi po ako snob or feeling famous. Sadyang wala
lang po akong time magbasa ng messages kasi busy. Once kasi na nag-online ako, mag-
u-update lang ako niyan then offline na ako ulit. Sorry po!

Also, I'm really not sure if makakapag-update pa ako at least once a month. Well,
ranking na kasi namin at nag-aasikaso na ako ng trabaho ko. Isang taon na nung
December itong Weirdos III at TBV pero nangangalahati pa lang tayo. Lol.
And lastly, have fun reading this chapter. I think the conflict of the story will
begin here. And yes, it took me 40 chapters to actually get my plot moving. Lol.

Happy 2019!

TheAshtone

●●●

The game 2 of the CMMT was held on the last day of the classes for the semester
that's why I'm really thankful for waking up to a quiet and peaceful school grounds
the next day. Despite my aching body, I still managed to get up from my bed and
take a walk around the school.

I was whiling away some time in a park when my phone suddenly rang. It was Jared.

I saw you pass by our dorm earlier. I thought that maybe you want to be alone
that's why I didn't approach you. Ezekiel told us last evening that we should talk
things over. Just tell me if you're available and I'll tell the others right away.

I sighed. I'm totally fine. If the others are available, tell them to go to my dorm
this afternoon. Let's just talk in my room.

Jared's reply came a moment later.

Got it.

The events that happened last night haven't actually sunk in yet. What happened in
game 1 seemed to have repeated in the events last night. The only difference is
that our loss last night was a lot more frustrating. We were just a few inches
short from completing the task, but victory still managed to escape us in the very
last second.

And of all the players there, Ayumu chose to break my shield. I was technically the
reason why the team lost last night.

I just leaned against the bench and tried to erase all the negative thoughts out of
my head. I'm going to stay here in Emerald for the entire break and I'll probably
spend all my time in training. All the members of the team are actually required to
report to the school during the semestral break.

"Hi there, handsome. I'm RB. You're so handsome, it makes me want to bear your
children," a familiar voice suddenly said.
I opened my eyes and saw RB sitting beside me, his hand rubbing my crotch.

"Get off," I said, slapping his hand away. "Where have you been?"

He rested his head on my shoulder. "Well, I woke up early for my routine jog. I was
trying to get into the Faculty Compound so that I could murder some of the students
from Sierra and NAA but their buses were no longer there. I tried to fly after them
to murder their players in some remote place away from the city but I forgot that
there's a barrier around the school so I collided with it and crashed back to the
ground. Thankfully, I only broke a few ribs. Nurse Juliana mended me in no time,"
RB said, showing me his abdomen wrapped in medical gauze.

I stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell? Are you serious?"

"I am," RB replied proudly.

"Hey, don't do that again," I said before pinching his cheek. "You actually got
yourself hurt, for your info. You're powerful but you're not immune to injuries."

RB tilted his head curiously. "But why, though? I can even take Ike's d*ck like a
total champ. Take note, your d*ck should be considered a deadly weapon and yet I
can take it like a total pro."

"Shut up," I said as I shook his face. "Stop blabbering nonsense. I'm serious about
what I said. Stop stalking the other team or they'll think that you're a total
creep."

"A pretty creep," RB whispered.

"Do you want them to look at you as a desperate person who'll do anything just to
win?" I asked.

"A desperate but pretty person," he said.

"You'll be known in the other schools as a creepy stalker," I added.

"A pretty stalker," RB replied in a whisper.

I slammed my hand on his face. "Dang it, I wish I have your confidence," I said.

RB threw me a careful look. "Does Ike feel better now? You didn't say a word last
night, and now, you're so talkative. I'm afraid you've lost your mind due to last
night's events," he said.
"My mind is perfectly healthy, thank you very much," I said as I raised my hands.
"And I am fine now. I was just a bit frustrated last night because we still lost
despite being only a few inches short from winning our first game. I think anyone
would feel frustrated if they experienced the same thing."

"And speaking of the CMMT," I continued, "what happened last night? Do you have any
news? Who won?"

"NAA got eliminated after us. Ha, they deserve it. Veron eliminated them. Sierra
won the challenge and they didn't even fight with Veron. Ayumu just summoned their
members towards him when NAA got eliminated. It was clear that they really just
wanted to toy with us before they complete their puzzle. Curse them," RB replied.

"So Sierra already has 1,000 points," I said.

"Yep. And we have 300. We're tied with PWU at the bottom spot... my favorite spot,"
RB replied.

I took a deep breath as I frowned at the emptiness in front of me. "Sierra is

strong..." I said quietly.

"Ridiculously strong," RB added. "When Ayumu cornered me with his shadows, I was
afraid of even touching it. Sierra isn't just a group of annoying brats who rile
people up just for fun. Their players have immense skill and unparalleled mastery
when it comes to magic and using their respective weirdnesses. I can confidently
say that they're almost unstoppable once they all work together and it's not
impossible for them to win—or even sweep—the entire tournament."

A heavy silence followed his words. RB rarely compliments other people, and he
almost never compliments his enemies. For him to openly admit that Sierra is
stronger and that he's a bit afraid to fight them means that he really considers
them as a difficult opponent to battle with.

"I think that the stronghold of their team is the relationship of Koshi and Ayumu,"
RB said after a while.

I raised an eyebrow.

"They're childhood friends and they go together like bread and butter. Ayumu was
born blind, remember? Throughout his life, Koshi is the one who guided him, both
literally and figuratively. They've been through a lot of hell just like us and
they managed to stay strong together. I think that's one of the reasons why their
team members have a very fluid and smooth connection with each other. Their bond is
founded in deep trust," he explained.

"Our room is getting a lot narrower," I said grimly. "Next month, the third game
will be held. If we don't win it or get even a decent score, our chances of
entering the Finals—or even the Battle for Third—will be very, very slim. We have
to think things over carefully or the same thing will happen to us over and over
again throughout the entire tournament," I said.

RB wrapped his arms around me. "Ah, don't worry, hubby! Ezekiel told me earlier
that he's going to spend the entire break scouting Sierra and the other teams. He's
really pissed off, you see. Ezekiel usually doesn't care about things but Faye
texted me this morning, telling me that Professors Sivera and Elena had to restrain
him from attacking the coaching staff of Sierra while they're getting interviewed
by the press last evening."

I chuckled a bit. "Seriously? He seriously did that?"

"Well, Ezekiel might be apathetic but he's really gung ho about winning and keeping
his name sparkly and shiny. He's already received a lot of criticism because we're
performing poorly in this year's tournament. That's expected, of course. He's only
getting criticized because of him being the number 7 agent in the World Ranking and
because of us being the students of one of the best magical schools in the world.
Damn those high expectations. I'm not tall enough to reach them," RB said.

I just sighed wearily. "Well, we can't do anything now. We just have to focus on
the next game and train our butts off this entire semester. But for now..."

I stood up before holding RB by his hand.

"Where are we going?" he asked curiously as I started walking.

"Let's go out and watch a movie or whatever," I said before wrapping my arm around
his shoulder. "We haven't spent much time together lately because of our training
and academics. I don't want you to lose your interest on me."

RB just smiled widely before clinging on to my arm.

"I don't think that's going to happen, hubby."

●●●

At dahil na rin maghapon kaming gumala ni RB ay gabi na kami nagkita-kita ng mga

teammates namin. Jack even gave me a tight hug upon seeing me. We all just gathered
in my room to talk about our situation in the CMMT.

"Sinabi sa 'kin ni Ezekiel kagabi na pag-usapan daw natin kung ano ang balak nating
gawin sa mga susunod na game. He's going to scout the other teams while Nicolo and
Julia will try to uncover all their secrets and weaknesses. The game 3 will be held
next month, and we can't afford another abysmal finish or we're totally done. I
think Ike should speak first," Jared said.
All of them looked at me.

"Well, we can't actually do nothing but train," I said. "Our next plan depends on
what Nicolo, Julia, and Ezekiel can uncover regarding the other teams. For now, we
have to keep doing what we've been doing since day one. We have to train because
that is the only way for us to become stronger," I said.

"That Ayumu is our problem," Alice said. "I mean, kaya naman nating makipagsabayan
sa ibang teams at mas lalong kaya nating kalabanin ang Sierra. We all saw that
yesterday. Everyone saw that yesterday. Ayumu is just too powerful for us."

"Are you trying to say that we should injure that Cabrera? I'll do it," Jack said.

I hit him in the head with a pillow. "Shut up."

"He's the ultimate support," Faye said. "I watched the recording of the game and he
really is a difficult opponent to deal with. What's worse is that there isn't any
sign of Dark Magic involved in his weirdness. It's just pure power."

RB frowned at the ceiling. "I have a speculation about his weirdness..."

Everyone immediately looked at him.

"Well, the base power of his weirdness is his ability to transform himself into a
shadow and manipulate it into different forms or shapes. Remember that their other
support is a Power Amplification Weirdo, which means that their powers might've
been augmented when they fought us last night," RB explained.

"And?" Tony asked, totally not getting the idea. Even the others just stared
blankly at RB.

"We just have to take down their other support and see what will happen to Ayumu.
That Mariano is the key to exposing the possible weakness of Sierra. Napansin ko
rin kasi sa dalawang games natin na parating dalawang support ang ginagamit ng
Sierra at parating magkalapit sina Ayumu at Denver. Remember, that Denver was also
there when Ayumu eliminated us in the first game," RB explained.

"Their greatest strength can also be their greatest weakness," Aliyah said.

RB grinned. "Exactly. I think the amplified powers of Ayumu allow him to spread his
shadow over longer distances and summon his temmates in the places where his shadow
is also present. That thing happened yesterday. If we eliminate Denver, that could
weaken the powers of Ayumu which might allow us to eliminate him as well. Once
Sierra's supports are gone..."
"...we could murder them all," Jack said, cracking his knuckles.

"Exactly," RB replied.

"Bakit ngayon mo lang 'to sinasabi sa 'min?" tanong naman ni Philip.

"Well, I watched the recording of our first two games over and over again in hopes
of seeing some dirty secrets on Sierra's side. Of course I'm not saying that the
things I've said are true. They're just my observation. Wala namang mawawala kung
susubukan natin, 'di ba? We all want to win, and I'll do anything to make that
happen," replied RB.

"How about the other teams, especially NAA?" Aliyah asked. "Baka makahanap nga tayo
ng solusyon sa Sierra pero ibang grupo naman pala ang papatid sa 'tin."

"We can deal with NAA, Veron doesn't seem to be targeting us, and PWU won't do
anything bad to us. We will only fight back if they attack us first. Hindi naman
tayo kagaya ng Sierra na ayaw tayong tantanan. Ezekiel wants us to focus on winning
the games, not on eliminating teams. Ayaw niyang may hihilahin tayo pababa para
lang makaangat tayo," paliwanag ko naman.

"If we are going to eliminate a team, we're going to eliminate them because they
attacked us first," Faye said.

I nodded.

"But don't you think that's our weakness?" Tony asked quietly. "I mean, a lot of
people are saying that we're performing badly because we're too focused on
ourselves, that we don't actually challenge the other teams. We're allowing them to
bully us."

"I trust Ezekiel," RB said firmly. "After all, he knows what he's doing. He is an
agent and therefore it is understandable why he doesn't want to take advantage of
the others in order to get something. I think he's the type of person who'd rather
allow himself to get beaten up really bad in order to win rather than use cunning
and unfair techniques to defeat his opponents."

"I most definitely agree," I said.

"Same here," Jack said. "I want to win badly but I don't like the idea of dragging
other people down just to get what we want. It's not cool."

"Well, I think we're all on the same page. For now, all we have to do is train,
wait for the scouting report, and trust our coaching staff—and each other as well.
We can still win the next games, and we're going to win because of our efforts,
because we played with utmost fairness. EMERALD—!"
"—FIGHT!" everyone else shouted.

●●●

The others, especially those who are not staying in the dormitories, left right
away after the meeting. Jack, Jared, and Alice stayed for a while but they also
left just a few minutes before the start of the curfew hours.

"Well, I'll be taking my beauty rest, hubby," RB said as he headed out of my room.
"Sleep well. Just go and f*ck me in my room if you feel horny all of a sudden. You
can also blindfold or tie me to the bed while choking me—"

I clicked my fingers and sent him flying out of my room.

"CHOKE ME, DADDY—!" RB shouted from the hallway.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I shouted back.

I had no idea whatsoever how that night would change everything... everything I
thought I know about the Prime Weirdnesses—and myself as well...

It felt like I haven't even slept for too long when I suddenly woke up in a
completely dark place. Of course, I instantly realized that I was dreaming. I
looked around and saw nothing but darkness... deep, unfathomable darkness.

Suddenly, the darkness around me seemed to recede and crawl towards me, towards my
body. I looked down on myself and saw wavy black markings all over my body. When
the darkness finally faded, I saw the familiar towering buildings and green parks
of Emerald. There aren't any people in the area. The entire place is eerily calm,
peaceful, and quiet.

Emerald? I thought as I looked around wildly. I realized that I'm standing just
outside the Topaz Building.

Something quivered on my back. I looked behind me and saw gigantic wings made of
black smoke. Before I could even inspect them further, the wings suddenly flapped
majestically, sending me straight into the air and past the towering buildings of
Emerald.

I haven't actually seen the school while in the air at night. The parks, gardens,
streets, buildings, and open grounds are such a majestic view to look at. I always
forget that Emerald, though initially a magical school, is still an architectural
wonder that is known throughout the world.

I was in the middle of appreciating the beauty of Emerald when a voice suddenly
emanated from somewhere in the darkness below me.

"Come..."

The voice sounded distant and was drowned easily by the sudden blow of a gentle
breeze. Still, I landed back to the ground to see where the voice is coming from.

"Come to me..."

The wavy black markings on my body suddenly emitted puffs of black smoke. The smoke
rose into the air before flying towards the east—to the direction of the Emerald
Building. Confused and curious, I followed the black smoke as it snaked through the
trees and lamppost in the area.

The Emerald Building loomed ahead of me after a few minutes of walking. The entire
building looked empty and quiet. Even the lights in Professor Evanesca's office are
not on. I approached a nearby window to have a look at myself.

Yet again, I was surprised by my own appearance.

My eyes are glowing with a bright greenish-white light but my entire body is
covered in wavy black markings, exactly like my appearance in the dream where I
first saw Elijah. This time, however, a pair of huge wings made out of pure
darkness is attached on my back. I stepped back a few paces due to shock and fear.

"Come here, my dear boy... Come to me..." the voice said once more. It was a voice
of a woman, and it's coming from behind the Emerald Building.

"Who are you?" I asked, speaking to nothing in particular.

"I need your help..." the woman replied. "You are the only one who can help me. I
am here... I am always here... You know where to find me..."

"And why should I help you?" I asked.

There was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again.

"Because the same dark power runs in our veins..." the woman said. "Because you are
the heir of the Prime Destruction..."

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: It's time to take a trip to the Time Citadel, a place where only the
most notorious and deadly villains get imprisoned. Ike will meet some of the most
dangerous villains of the modern day, and he will step closer to the truth about
Serafina and the price that she had to pay after being defeated by Professor
Evanesca in their clash many years ago. A few answers will be found, but more
questions will arise. It's the week of doubt and discovery in the next update of
Weirdos III.

        Chapter 41: Jigsaw [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Okay, let me clarify the timeline of events in the Weirdo Universe.

Weirdos started becoming a lot more common during the 22nd century. Which means,
around 2100s sila nagsimulang dumami. Doon ang simula ng 'The Great Evolution.' Of
course, bago pa man ang boom ng weirdo population eh may mga weirdos nang nag-
eexist.

Elijah Serria, Astrid Estancia, and Demetrius Pluto (Fergus Silverio) lived during
the 24th century. Year 2312 nga exactly nagsimulang mag-aral si Elijah sa Emerald.
He died at the age of 21, so ilang taon lang after ng 2312 namatay ang ninth Prime
Elemental.

Ike Lunaria and Rubio Talla (By the way, his name is pronounced as 'rub-yo tal-yah'
not 'ru-bi-yo tal-lah.' 'Yung isa ko kasing friend akala eh 'tal-lah' ang pagsambit
sa surname ni RB. Of course, Rubio is inspired from ruby and Talla is inspired from
the Tagalog word 'tala' as in stars kase RB is like a diamond in the sky... yes,
kumanta ako ng Diamonds. Lol.) lived during the 31st century, so ibig sabihin eh
year 3000s 'yun. Ibig sabihin, around 700 years ang pagitan nina Elijah kina Ike
kaya wala na po silang masyadong influence sa plot ng present day.

May nababasa kasi akong ilang theories na nag-eextend hanggang sa panahon nina
Elijah. May konting influence pa naman po sila sa kwento pero hindi po ganoon ka-
drastic. Lel. Masyadong malikot ang imagination ninyo. 'Wag kasi masyadong mahilig
sa krimsticks.

Again, kung may hindi po kayo ma-gets sa kwento eh feel free to ask me. (Basta 'wag
spoilers.) I'll be more than happy to answer your queries.

Sana maliwanag na ang inyong mga buhay.

TheAshtone

PS. At si RB ang nasa bagong cover. Lol.

●●●

"What the hell happened to you?"

'Yun ang bungad sa 'kin ni RB nung nagkabanggaan kami sa hallway ng dorm

kinabukasan. Sa sobrang pagod at antok ko kasi ay hindi ko namalayan na
makakasalubong ko na pala siya.

"What do you mean?" I asked while rubbing my eyes.

RB pinched my cheeks. "You look like a total mess. Anong oras ka ba natulog kagabi?
May ka-chat ka bang iba kaya ka napuyat? May ka-video call ka? DAMMIT, TELL ME IF
YOU'RE ALREADY BORED WITH ME AND I'LL FREAKING KILL THOSE BITCHES WHO ARE TRYING TO
SNATCH YOU AWAY FROM ME—"

I flicked my fingers and created a wooden muzzle over RB's mouth to muffle his
hysterical shouts. I just dragged him towards the magical elevator despite his
indignant grunts.

"Let's eat breakfast. At 'wag mong ibabaling sa 'kin ang mga kagagawan mo. Alam ko
kung ilang lalaki ang lumalandi sa 'yo online dahil sinasabi sa 'kin ni Faye,"
sabad ko sa kanya. "Ground floor!"

The door blasted open, revealing the lobby of the Topaz Building. RB just stared at
me flatly as we walked out of the dorm.

Crystals covered the wooden muzzle on RB's mouth before breaking with a loud crack.
"Seriously, what happened to you? Nakatulog ka ba nang maayos?" tanong niya.

"I'm fine," I said with a sigh. "Hindi lang ako nakatulog nang tuloy-tuloy kagabi.
Babawi na lang ako ng tulog mamaya."

"Why? Is there something bothering you?" RB asked.

"Nothing. Like I said, I'm fine. Let's just hurry up dahil gutom na 'ko," sagot ko.

I wasn't able to sleep last night dahil na rin sa nangyari sa 'kin. Buti na nga
lang talaga at nagising ako sa kwarto ko, at hindi sa harap ng Emerald Building.
The dream felt so real... and I'll definitely go nuts if I ever woke up outside
last night.

I think I could still hear the chilly voice of the woman from last night. Ilang
beses ko ring tinitingnan ang katawan ko para siguraduhin na hindi lilitaw bigla
'yung mga marka ko sa katawan kagabi. I'm just worried na baka bigla na lang na may
sumulpot na pakpak sa likod ko.

Bigla na lang sa 'king pumulupot si RB habang nasa taxi kami.

"We have a training session this afternoon with Professor Sivera. Mamayang gabi eh
may meeting din tayo sa Duellers' District. Are you sure you can last all day?" RB
asked.
"I can," sagot ko naman. "I'm just 20, for your info. I still have a lot of
energy."

"I know," RB replied as he traced my crotch with his finger. "I've experienced it
firsthand..."

"Shut up," I said as I slapped his hand away from me.

I am now the president of the Duellers' District. Ilang araw bago mag-sem break eh
binalitaan na ako ni Professor Sivera ng bago kong obligasyon. Actually eh nung
first sem pa ako sinasanay ni Professor Sivera at ng dati naming president sa mga
trabaho sa club. Mas busy na rin kasi sa full-time internship nila 'yung dati
naming president kaya sa 'kin nilipat ang katungkulan. Si Jack naman ang naging
vice-president.

"Sasama sa 'tin 'yung tatlo," sabi sa 'kin ni RB pagkapasok namin sa isang

restaurant. "Nag-ayang lumabas 'yung tatlo para mag-shopping at mag-relax ngayong
umaga bago ang training natin mamaya. Alice, Faye, and I will go to a spa or
something. You boys can do whatever you want. We all deserve to pamper ourselves
today."

RB is again the top student of our batch for the semester. In fact, nalaglag ako sa
third place dahil si Jared ang naging 2nd Best Student. Nung nalaman 'yun ni Jack
eh uminit na naman ang ulo niya lalo pa't nalaglag din siya sa fifth spot dahil si
Faye naman ang umagaw sa pwesto niya. I'm actually not that worried about our
academic performance. Ang mahalaga kasi sa 'kin eh pumasa. Besides, may panahon pa
naman kami para bumawi sa year-end ranking.

Nasa kalagitnaan na kami ng agahan nung dumating 'yung tatlo sa restaurant.

"Hey, bros!" bungad sa 'min ni Jack. "And... woah, what happened to you?" baling
niya sa 'kin. "You look like a mess."

"Pinagod ka na naman ba nitong boyfriend mo kagabi?" tanong sa 'kin ni Faye.

"No," I said indignantly. "Hindi lang ako nakatulog nang maayos kagabi. Can't talk.
Mouth's full," dagdag ko pa sabay subo ng isang buong waffle sa bibig ko.

Buti na lang at wala nang nag-usyoso pa sa 'kin hanggang natapos kaming mag-
breakfast at nakapunta ng mall. Pagdating namin doon ay naghiwa-hiwalay na rin muna
kami.

"We'll meet at the food park, 12 noon. Ang late, iiwan. Enjoy your day, boys! See
you later," paalam sa 'min ni Faye at nung dalawa pa bago sila nagsilayasan.
"Girls are too high-maintenance," Jack whispered as the three disappeared in a
corner.

"Tell me about it. 'Yung sa 'kin nga, feeling babae lang pero high-maintenance pa
rin," sagot ko naman.

"Anyway, balak ko ring mamili nang konti kaya tara na. Sabihin mo na rin sa 'kin
ang dala-dala mo dahil mas lalo ka lang na magmumukhang problemado kapag kinimkim
mo pa 'yan lalo," sabi ni Jack sabay hila sa 'kin.

Huminga na lang ako nang malalim habang naglalakad kami sa gitna ng mga tao.

"I had a weird dream last night..." I said quietly.

Jack nodded. "Go on. You have my ears..."

"The dream felt so real. Namalayan ko na nasa labas ako ng Topaz Building. I had
weird black markings all over my body and a pair of wings made out of pure
darkness. Then, a lady suddenly called me..." I continued.

Jack stopped in his tracks before raising an eyebrow. "What did the lady say to
you?"

"She was asking for help. She said that I'm the only one who can help her, and that
I know where to find her. She also told me that—"

I hesitated.

"That?" Jack asked curiously, raising his other eyebrow.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for Jack's reaction to what I'm about to
say.

"She said that I am the heir of the Prime Destruction," I said grimly.

With this, ice spikes suddenly sprouted all over Jack's body. He also nearly froze
the entire vicinity if I wasn't able to negate his weirdness with my telekinesis. I
immediately gave an apology to everybody near us before dragging Jack away from the
crowd.

"What the heck, man?! You could hurt people with that!" I snapped at him.

"Tell me you're lying, bro. Tell me," he said while staring blank-eyed at the empty
air.
"I'm not," I said flatly.

He blinked a few times before shaking his head, finally recovering from the shock
due to what I just said. "Are you sure about that, bro? Hindi ka ba nabibingi? You
are the heir of the Prime Destruction? Does that mean that you're the holder of the
two most powerful weirdnesses in the world?!"

"Keep it down," I said as I slammed my hand against his mouth. "I was just
dreaming, okay? Klarado man ang narinig ko pero panaginip pa rin 'yun at hindi tayo
dapat maniwala agad. That was only a dream."

Jack stared at me flatly. "Bro, you're the Prime Elemental. I think if someone
tells you that you're also the Prime Destruction, then maybe you shouldn't take it
lightly."

"Balak ko rin sanang pumunta sa library para maghanap ng librong baka makatulong sa
'tin," sabi ko naman.

"At bakit hindi mo sinabi doon sa iba ang tungkol dito? RB was worried with you as
well. Don't tell me nagkakahiyaan pa rin tayong lima kahit na tatlong taon na
tayong magkakasama? Or maybe we should talk to Professor Evanesca. She'll know what
to do," tanong niya.

"I just don't want them to worry," I said with a sigh. "Balak ko sanang kausapin si
Faye pero alam kong sasabihin pa rin niya kay RB ang mga sasabihin ko sa kanya. I
can't risk it. Marami na tayong iniisip. Besides, napakalaking issue nito kung
ipagkakalat ko agad ang napanaginipan ko kagabi. Masyado nang maraming inaasikaso
ang mga Evanesca at ayoko nang dumagdag pa doon."

"So basically, maghahanap ka muna ng mga ebidensya na magpapatunay kung may

katotohanan ba o wala sa mga napanaginipan mo kagabi?" tanong ni Jack.

I nodded.

"At kung maubusan ka na ng options, saka ka tatakbo sa mga mas nakakaalam?" dagdag
pa niya.

"Ayoko ngang abalahin sina Professor Evanesca, 'di ba? Besides, the headmistress is
not in Emerald right now. Mukhang may lakad din siya ngayong sem break," sabi ko.

Jack sighed wearily as he massaged his temples. "Makakapaghintay pa naman 'yung mga
sapatos na bibilhin ko. Fine, let's go. Let's just text the girls later na nauna na
tayo sa Emerald. Where are we going, bro?" he asked.

"Emerald Library," I said.

"Classic Ike. When in doubt, go read a book," Jack said as he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up. Let's just go," I said before dragging him with me.

Jack and I just flew to Emerald. Dala naman ni Jack 'yung ID niya kaya hindi na
niya kinailangan pang bumalik sa bahay nila. The two of us landed back to the
ground right in front of one of the main entrances. Hanggang ngayon kasi eh may
barrier pa rin sa buong Emerald at sobrang higpit pa rin ng security.

We flew once more towards the library upon entering the campus. Bukas ang library
kapag sem break kahit na wala masyadong estudiyante. May ilan din kasing fourth-
years na nag-aaral dito at ilang mga taga-School of Commons na may courses na
related sa mga weirdos at magic.

Madam Sereza let us in after inspecting our respective IDs for nearly ten minutes.
As expected, halos walang tao sa library maliban na lang sa ilang mga student
assistants at ilang nagbabasang mga estudiyante.

"Where do we begin?" Jack asked.

"History or Dark Arts books," I said as I started walking. "We need to find a book
that talks about the Prime Weirdnesses or Serafina..."

A loud thud suddenly erupted from somewhere in the middle of the labyrinth of
towering bookshelves. A few seconds later, a couple of books suddenly emerged from
a corner and zoomed towards me swiftly. The books crashed against me, nearly
toppling me to the ground. Thankfully, Jack was able to catch me on time.

"That was hilarious. Be careful, bro," he said, stifling his laughter.

I always spend time here in the Emerald Library but I always forget that this
building has been charmed to allow a student to summon a book by just mentioning
its name or a particular topic in it. Sanay din kasi ako na mano-manong hinahanap
ang libro dahil ayoko namang sugurin ng isang buong set ng encyclopedia.

I snatched the books hovering in midair in front of me before reading their titles.

"2000 to 3000: A Millennium of Weirdness, The Villains of the Yesteryear, Shocking

Secrets of the Superhuman Society, The Darkest Dark Arts... Well, let's take a
couple of books each," I said before handing two books to Jack. The two of us then
sat around a nearby table and started reading.

I got the the books titled The Villains of the Yesteryear and Shocking Secrets of
the Superhuman Society. I opened the first book first.
"Serafina and the Legion of Death..." I whispered to the book upon opening it.

The book suddenly emitted a faint glow. As if being blown by a strong wind, the
pages of the book turned themselves swiftly before abruptly stopping at the end
part of the book. It stopped in a chapter titled The Supervillains of Modern
History. I scanned the text before stopping in one of the paragraphs.

...with the rise of the agents and the respective weirdo-governing bodies all over
the world after the Great World War, powerful and influential villains have become
less common. There were a few notable villains recorded after the War, but none of
them rivaled Demetrius Pluto in his sheer ability to attract and gather followers
with his uncanny charm. It seems that the villains, after reaching the peak of
their success under Pluto's reign, are now destined to live their lives hiding in
the dark alleys of the cities or the wooded seclusions of the country.

However, one particular woman changed all of that.

Just before the turn of the millennium, another villain destined for greatness
sprouted from the shadows. Just like all the other villains before her, she seems
to have just appeared out of thin air—with no traces whatsoever of her mysterious
past. Her name is Serafina, and she was destined to be the greatest villain of all
time.

Unlike the other villains, Serafina didn't appear in the weirdo society with a
legion of followers. In fact, she began her life as a villain with no loyal
followers or threatened servants whatsoever. However, her very first crime was so
hideous, so horrific that it instantly propelled her towards the NMLEA's list of
the Most Dangerous Villains.

Serafina destroyed an entire town situated in an island, completely erasing it from

the map together will all of the island's inhabitants.

Apart from her very first crime, little is known about the life of Serafina. That
trait is actually shared by nearly all the powerful villains for it adds a certain
air of mystery to their persona...

Darkness suddenly overwhelmed my vision before I could even finish the paragraph. A
chilly breeze blew against me as darkness devoured everything in my immediate
vicinity.

"Why are you searching for answers, my dear boy? You already have the answers to
your questions. All you have to do is look for them inside you..." the voice of the
woman said.

"Who are you? Leave me alone!" I shouted, frantically looking around me even though
I can't see anything. A sudden pain coursed throughout my body as the wavy black
markings appeared all over my arms.
"We are allies. Like I said, the same power runs in our bodies..."

A crystal spike suddenly rose in front of me and reflected my face where the wavy
black markings have also appeared. I punched the crystal spike forcefully,
shattering it to tiny, sparkling pieces.

"To be honest, I am surprised that you don't know anything. You are powerful. You
are intelligent. Tell me, can you really trust the people around you? Can you
really trust your friends? Can you really trust... yourself?" the woman whispered.

I covered my ears with my hands. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The woman laughed. "But why, my dear boy? I'm not just inside your head. I am
everywhere... I am inside your very heart..."

The broken pieces of crystal suddenly quivered before moving towards each other. As
if being pulled by a mysterious force, the sparkling shards clumped together before
forming into the figure of a person—a person whom I know very well.

The crystal figure transformed into a human with the familiar purple and grey hair.
I extended a hand to the person who turned around in his spot, finally revealing
his face.

"RB..." I whispered weakly.

"I know your dreams... and I know your fears... We are connected. Your power is
both a blessing and a curse. If you remain weak, your own power will consume you.
You will destroy everything, my dear boy. You will lose everything and everyone you
love..."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted as tears fell from my eyes.

"Set me free, my dear boy, and I will show you the way. You can still save your
friends. You can still fulfill your dreams. Let us work together, Ike. Only you can
help me, and only I can help you. You know where to find me. You know how to find
me..." the woman said.

"It's okay, Ike," RB suddenly said as he extended a hand to me. "Come here. It's
okay. You're safe."

I dashed towards him before hugging him tightly. RB's warm hands caressed my back,
giving me a strange sense of comfort and security. I just buried my face on his
shoulder and waited for this bad dream to finally end.

"Can you really trust your friends?"

A hot, sudden pain erupted on my chest. RB's arms slackened as I stepped away from
him, a diamond spike buried on my chest—directly over my heart. Blood dripped down
my body as I collapsed to the ground. The darkness around us slowly consumed
everything as I plummeted into the void.

The voice of the woman spoke once more, but this time, her words came out from RB's
mouth.

"Your time is running out, Ike."

        Chapter 42: The Time Citadel [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "WAKE THE HELL UP, BRO!"

Jack's frantic voice snapped me out of my dream. Nagising na lang din ako habang
nakasubsob sa librong binabasa ko kanina. Napatalon ako sa gulat at muntik pang
matumba sa sahig kung hindi lang agad na napigilan ni Jack ang upuan ko.

"What happened? You were grumbling and writhing in your sleep. Buti na lang talaga
at hindi ka narinig ni Madam Sereza. Papatayin niya tayo kung naabutan ka niyang
ganyan," sabi pa niya.

I tried to speak but was only able to utter an indistinct grunt.

"Water?" Jack asked.

I nodded.

Jack created an ice tumbler before filling it with water. I drank the contents in
one gulp before taking deep breaths to relax myself.

"Can you speak? Maybe I should bring you to the infirmary. You look so pale, bro. I
think you really need to rest," Jack said.

"I'm fine," I said before burying my face on the table. "Let's just leave. Bumalik
na lang tayo rito bukas. I'm no longer in the mood to read these dusty old books."

"Same here," Jack said, prodding the book he's reading. "I don't want to trigger my
allergies... Let's just walk outside and enjoy some fresh air."

Jack clapped his hands twice, sending the books flying back to their respective
shelves. Buti na lang at hindi na siya nag-usyoso pa sa naging panaginip ko.
Knowing Jack, I don't think he's going to be comfortable if I tell him what my
dream was.
The two of us left the library and spent the rest of the morning walking around the
school. Dumaan na rin kami sa office ng Duellers' District para asikasuhin ang mga
kakailanganin sa meeting namin mamaya. Nasa kalagitnaan kami ni Jack ng pag-aayos
ng mga gamit nung bigla na lang na lumitaw si Professor Romeus sa opisina.

"Good morning, Abareñas and Lunaria," he said after appearing in the middle of the
room with a loud crack.

Humawak na lang si Jack sa dibdib niya dahil hindi na niya nagawa pang makasigaw sa
matinding gulat.

"I came here to fetch the two of you. Abareñas, you will be heading to the Purgers
for your training session this afternoon. Your teammates have been sent to the
place. You, Lunaria, will be heading to the headmistress' office for an important
meeting," he said.

"Important meeting?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just go with me, you two," Professor Romeus said before offering his arms to us.
"Don't waste time."

Jack and I held on to Professor Romeus and braced ourselves for the unpleasant
effects of teleportation. The familiar squeezing feeling overwhelmed my body as my
vision darkened. A moment later, Professor Romeus and I appeared inside the office
of the headmistress.

"Hey there, hubby. Why did you leave us in the mall, you insensitive jerk?" RB said
who's currently sitting in front of Professor Evanesca's desk. Professor Elena was
also in the room.

I just stared at him for a few seconds as my unpleasant dream suddenly flashed in
my mind. I shook my head lightly and cleared my throat.

"I forgot something that's why Jack and I headed back here. Anyway, where did Jack
go?" I asked, turning around to look for him.

"He's been sent to the Purgers' camp together with the rest of team for your
training. Don't worry for you two will be joining them later," Professor Evanesca
replied. "I sent you here because we have an important appointment."

"For?" I asked.

Professor Evanesca stood from her chair. "We are going to visit the Time Citadel
today, my dear boy."
My senses flickered for a split second. "The Time Citadel?" I repeated.

The headmistress nodded. "The one and only; but before we go there, I need to give
you a primer about the most guarded prison in the entire world. Please be seated,
Ike. We do not have the luxury of time."

I sat on one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"The Time Citadel is a prison for villains who have committed crimes so heinous
that sentencing them to death won't do any justice to their crimes. It is an
impenetrable and indestructible fortress that can withstand even the most powerful
attacks," Professor Evanesca said. "The Time Citadel is guarded by more than just
charms or walls. The fortress is guarded by time itself..."

RB and I both raised an eyebrow.

"The Time Citadel cannot be found in any place in the world. It is located in a
different time and in a different place... away from everyone and everything else,"
Professor Evanesca continued.

Professor Elena stepped forward before opening a portal. "The fortress is located
inside a Time Sphere located in the void. The void is the empty space between two
portals or the momentary darkness just before you teleport to a place. To put it
simply, if you peel away the fabric of space-time around us, the void will be
revealed. In order to reach the void, you have to open an entrance portal without
creating an exit portal. The entrance portal will lead you directly to the void."

"Many theorists believe that the void is the space between dimensions. One thing is
for sure, though: nothing exists in the void, not even time nor distance. That is
the reason why Temporal Weirdos can disappear and reappear in different places
almost instantly. However, you must know where exactly to open your exit portal in
the void so that you can go to the exact place where you want to go," she added.

"Is that the reason why Temporal Weirdos can only teleport to places where they've
been to before?" I asked.

"Correct," Professor Romeus agreed. "A Temporal Weirdo must memorize the
coordinates of a place. He or she must have a feel of the fabric of space-time in
that place so that he or she could teleport to that place again. As you've probably
read before, Temporal Weirdos can only teleport to places as far as their eyes
could see, or to places where they've been to before."

RB raised an eyebrow. "How about the Time Sphere thingy?"

"The Time Citadel is an example of a Time Sphere. It was created around 24th
century by the earliest known Temporal Weirdos. Artificial Time Spheres are areas
with an artificial time that can be manipulated to run faster or slower, and they
can only be created in the void because they cannot interfere with the time in this
planet," Professor Evanesca explained.

"Natural Time Spheres also exist," the headmistress continued. "The time here on
Earth is different than the time on the other planets. I'm pretty sure that you've
read a lot of books talking about how gravity can influence time. The difference in
the gravitational pull of the planets makes the time on these planets different."

I frowned. "Time runs slower when you're nearer to Earth and becomes faster the
higher you go up," I said.

"Exactly," Professor Evanesca replied. "The time in the Time Citadel and the time
here on Earth are different, therefore making it nearly impossible for us to access
it. However, every 60 days, from 12 noon to half-past 12 in the afternoon, the time
in the Time Citadel and here on Earth coincide, thus, creating a temporary path
between the two places that last for roughly thirty minutes."

"And we're going there today?" RB asked.

Another portal appeared right behind the headmistress.

"And we're going there today," she replied.

"The only entrance to the Time Citadel is here in Emerald, and it's right behind
the desk of the head of the school," Professor Evanesca explained, gesturing to the
swirling vortex of darkness behind her. "The path will open once more in a few
minutes, and we will be able to enter the fortress. However, we need a verbal
permission from the secretary of the Department of Magic for us to be granted
entrance."

Another portal appeared in the room. A few seconds later, Secretary Remora stepped
out of the portal followed by a guy wearing eyeglasses.

"Esmerelda," the secretary said, bowing a bit to the headmistress.

"Clavius," Professor Evanesca replied.

Professor Elena nodded at the secretary while Professor Romeus gave him a salute.
This is actually my first time seeing the secretary in person, and I can't help but
feel a bit apprehensive. Well, no one can blame us for feeling like this. Even RB
projected a cold and haughty expression on his face.

"And you two must be Mr. Lunaria and Mr. Talla. It's a pleasure to finally meet the
best students of Emerald," Secretary Remora said cordially before shaking hands
with us.
Noticing our lukewarm response, the secretary smiled lightly at us. "I know that my
predecessor gave you a lot of trouble, and I sincerely apologize for that.
Esmerelda and I were classmates when we were students here in Emerald. I assure you
that such thing will never happen again."

"Okay lang po," sagot ko naman. "Nangyari na ang nangyari at wala na po tayong
magagawa doon."

"Indeed," the secretary replied. "By the way, this is Tyrone Judeus, my special
assistant," he said, turning to the guy behind him.

"It's a pleasure to be with the most powerful and famous weirdos in this country,"
Tyrone said as he bowed lightly at the professors. "I am at your service."

Professor Evanesca clapped her hands together. "I will be having a meeting with
Clavius after we're done visiting the Time Citadel. For now, we have to go. We only
have a minute before twelve. You don't want to be trapped for two months in the
void, do you?" she said.

RB and I stood up.

The headmistress nodded at the secretary. "Clavius..."

Secretary Remora cleared his throat as he straightened himself. "I, Clavius

Corrales Remora, hereby grant Esmerelda Ytteria Evanesca, Elena Ytteria Evanesca,
Garrick Lucio Romeus, Rubio Safiro Talla, and Ike Vista Lunaria entrance to the
Time Citadel."

The portal suddenly glowed brightly as the swirling vortex of darkness disappeared,
revealing only nothing but a circle of the darkest darkness behind the desk of the
headmistress.

"I will wait for you here, Esmerelda," Secretary Remora said. "Godspeed."

Professors Elena and Romeus entered first, RB and I followed next, and Professor
Evanesca entered last. The two Temporal Weirdos swished their hands around us,
creating a transparent bubble that suddenly parted with the portal and carried us
away.

"What's this?" RB asked the headmistress as he examined the huge bubble enclosing
us.

"Elena and Garrick took a chunk of the time in our world. I also used a magical
containment charm to keep us alive while we're here in the void. We have to do this
to make sure that our bodies are still in sync with the time on Earth. If we enter
the void without a Time Bubble, the time in our bodies will stop, therefore putting
us out of sync from the time on Earth."
"And what will happen if we go back to Earth?" I asked.

"Our bodies will catch up with the time on Earth. Everything inside us will speed
up, and we will burst like a balloon the moment we step out of our containment
barrier," the headmistress replied.

RB and I winced.

"Remember the sudden thrust that you experience whenever I slow down time around
you? It's the same phenomena where the slowed down time catches up with the natural
time. That is the reason why a Time Sphere can't be easily created in a place where
a natural time exists. It will just create massive opposing forces, and it's highly
unstable," Professor Romeus said.

The headmistress cleared her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived in our
destination."

The darkness in front of us slowly faded away, revealing a gigantic transparent

bubble with a ball of pulsating light at its center. Revolving around the ball of
light are hundreds of floating crystal islands, all holding a person. Floating
outside the huge bubble are numerous winged crystal golems holding spears. They
seem to be watching the prisoners inside the Time Sphere.

"Light, Temporal, Crystal, and Telekinesis Weirdos of the 24th century all worked
together to create this impregnable fortress that houses villains from all over the
world. This place can only be accessed by Temporal Weirdos, and of all the Temporal
Weirdos in the whole world, only a few of them know the exact location of the
portal and the time that will lead to this place. Elena and Garrick belong to that
elite group of Temporal Weirdos tasked to maintain this place," Professor Evanesca
explained.

"What are we going to do here?" I asked. "Are we going in there?"

"No. We're just going to observe them from here. Our Time Bubble might burst if we
enter the Time Citadel. Also, they don't know we're here because we're invisible. I
just want to introduce you to some of the most notorious villains of the modern
day," the headmistress said grimly.

RB and I exchanged looks of apprehension and curiosity.

Our bubble moved closer to the Time Citadel, finally giving us a clearer view of
the place. Professor Evanesca flourished her hands in front of her, causing one of
the crystal islands to move closer to the wall of the Time Citadel.

The guy looked like he's in his early 20s, with dark hair and eyes. Just like all
the other prisoners here, he's dressed in a matching grey shirt and pants. The guy
looked around him in surprise as his island moved closer to the edge of the Time
Citadel.

"Jelal Habib," Professor Evanesca declared. "He has the ability to force a person
to see his greatest fears. What makes his Fear Weirdness really powerful is that it
messes with your mind. He attacks you psychologically and destroys you from the
inside. Jelal used his weirdness on an entire town to make its inhabitants commit a
mass suicide. That crime gave him a one-way ticket to this place."

RB covered his mouth with his hand. Even my stomach squirmed uncomfortably upon
hearing his crime. "He looks like he's only 20," RB said.

"Jelal commited his crime when he was 16. He's now 23 years old and has been
staying here for nearly seven years. He's probably the youngest prisoner here in
the Time Citadel," Professor Evanesca replied.

She swished her hands once more, attracting another crystal island. The island
contained a lady in her late 30s with frizzy hair and a really disheveled look. Her
eyes are yellowish and her skin has a greenish tinge.

"Merida Riola," Professor Evanesca said. "38 years old. She is a Locust Weirdo.
Apart from her ability to transform herself into a locust, she can also summon a
swarm of locust to infest an area. The Spain's Royal Ministry of Weirdos sent her
here for causing a widespread famine in their country, killing hundreds of
thousands of people due to the lack of food."

Merida's island floated away before being replaced by another island containing a
grey-haired guy. "This man is known only by his first name, Sid. He is a Plague
Weirdo. He travelled all over the world, unleashing plagues wherever he goes. Sid
got caught here in the country and was transferred right away to this place without
undergoing trial from the Tribunal of the Time Citadel—the court that decides the
fate of the villains who have committed heinous and inhumane crimes."

A lady with white hair and pale skin replaced the Plague Weirdo. "Freda Devillin, a
Poison Smoke Weirdo. After killing all the inhabitants of an island here in the
country, she lived in the same island and enveloped it in a thick poisonous fog and
lured sailors towards their doom by using the island's lighthouse. In fact, I was
the one who captured her back when I was still an agent."

"Last but not the least, Mnemosyne Millana, a Hypnotism Weirdo," Professor Evanesca
said as another island neared us. "She manipulated a lot of people using her
weirdness, taking away their money, belongings, and sometimes, their life. She also
tried to infiltrate governments around the world in order to gain control of the
countries. She was caught in Europe and was sent here after trying to hypnotize the
members of the Tribunal."

The headmistress took a deep breath before flicking her hands, sending the five
crystal islands revolving around the orb of light once more. "Those five are
perhaps the most powerful villains here in the Time Citadel. However, none of them
can match Serafina in her sheer power..."
I fidgeted uncomfortably upon hearing Serafina's name. "I've tried searching for
clips about your fight with Serafina but I was only able to find footages of the
early parts of your fight," I said.

"No one was able to record our fight until the end because the entire Emerald
nearly got destroyed midway through our battle and the media had to be evacuated
out of the school. If it wasn't for the school's barrier, the damage would've
spread to the entire city as well," Professor Evanesca replied.

"So you're basically the only living person who has seen Serafina in her final
moments," I said.

The headmistress nodded.

I gave her a careful look before speaking once more. "Is Serafina still alive? Is
she here in the Time Citadel?"

A few seconds passed before she gave a reply. "Serafina is in a place where she can
hurt no one..." Professor Evanesca said quietly.

RB and I exchanged looks of confusion.

"I brought you two here today to give you a glimpse on how powerful the other side
is. I know that you two are too intelligent to believe that the villains of today
are nothing but ordinary street criminals who do petty crimes. You've experienced
firsthand how dangerous are the villains who actually think and plan their moves.
Jaeron and the Legion of Death is just a small speck compared to the huge, dark
world of the really powerful and thinking villains," Professor Evanesca said.

"Is this place in danger of being infiltrated by the Legion of Death?" I asked.

"Of course not, my dear boy," the headmistress replied. "Only Temporal Weirdos have
the ability to enter the void—"

"Jaeron is a Temporal Weirdo," RB interjected.

"He doesn't know where and when to open the Time Citadel. Trust me, this place is
the safest prison in the entire universe. Imprison me in that place and I won't be
able to escape without outside help. I'm honest," the headmistress replied.

"Are there villains here who are also followers of Serafina?" I asked.

"Yes. We caught a lot of her followers after the war. Not all of them were sent
here, though. Most of them have been sent to the underground Detention Centers of
the NMLEA. As I said, only the most dangerous villains who have committed
unimaginable crime are sent here," Professor Evanesca replied.

"And Serafina qualifies as one," RB said.

"Indeed."

"Why isn't she here? Is she dead? Is she still alive?" RB asked.

The headmistress bowed her head. "Like I said, she is in a place where she can hurt
no one. Killing Serafina won't do any justice to the crimes she had committed...
Imprisoning her here in the Time Citadel won't do any justice to her crimes
either..."

Our Time Bubble moved away from the Time Citadel. Darkness slowly consumed the
fortress as the portal we entered earlier drew closer. However, instead of the
headmistress' office, waiting for us on the opposite side of the portal is a
blinding white light.

"Today, we're going to venture in the past to meet Serafina during her childhood,
and you will see that even at a young age, Serafina already had the beginnings of a
great villain..."

The Time Bubble entered the portal before breaking with a loud crack. Professors
Elena and Romeus disappeared as the blinding white light around us dissolved into
plumes of multi-colored smoke.

"My memories will bring us to an ordinary morning in the Purgers' camp many, many
years ago..."

        Chapter 43: The Girl in the Black Dress [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The smoke around us coalesced to form different figures and shapes. After a
few seconds, the same forest materialised around us. This time, however, a lot of
people are gathered around us. All of them seem to be cheering for something.

Professor Evanesca gestured towards our back. RB and I turned around just in time
to see the headmistress' younger version jumping from one floating log to another.
Directly behind her was the younger Serafina. Both of them look older from when I
first saw them in Professor Evanesca's memories a few months ago.

"That's me," Professor Evanesca said to RB as she pointed at her younger self, "and
that one is Serafina."

"That's cute," RB said.

"We're currently having our annual Purger Games. It's like our own version of the
Magical Mayhem where young boys and girls battle each other in a series of games to
determine the best descendant of all the families in all the Purger camps. I think
I was 13 in this memory," Professor Evanesca said. "And I just won the game, yay."

The young Esmerelda just reached a wooden podium before raising her flag. The
people around us clapped and cheered loudly as the podium rose higher.

"I guess you've always been better than Serafina when it comes to skill," RB said.

The headmistress smiled appreciatively.

The surroundings dissolved into puffs and plumes of multi-colored smoke. When
things have finally cleared up and settled, the young Esmerelda and Serafina were
already standing at a cliff overlooking the town of Terresena—the exact same cliff
where I've been to before.

"Show me your disintegrating powers once more, Serafina!" the young Esmerelda said.

"Aren't you getting tired of seeing my power? Halos araw-araw mong hinihiling sa
'kin na gamitin 'tong kapangyarihan ko," sagot naman ni Serafina.

"It's just so cool. You also looked so cool when you disintegrated those Wooden
Mannequins earlier!" Esmerelda replied.

Serafina smiled. "Well, I get lucky sometimes. You know what, you sound so envious
of my weirdness. Why don't you use it? Tutal eh kaya mo naman 'tong gamitin gamit
ang weirdness mo," sagot ni Serafina.

"Well, using other people's weirdnesses feels like using their body parts in doing
the things that I should be doing myself. 'Yung para kang kumakain nang nakakamay
pero kamay ng ibang tao ang gamit mo."

Serafina laughed a bit. "That's gross."

"It just feels weird. Anyway, show me your powers again!" Esmerelda replied.

The former picked up a dried branch from the ground before making it hover over her
hands. Serafina's purple eyes glowed a bit as the branch disintegrated into dust
before being blown away by a gentle breeze.

Professor Evanesca cleared her throat. "Serafina is the last known holder of the
Prime Destruction."

"Say what?" RB replied, his mouth falling open.

A sudden, heavy feeling seemed to drop on my shoulders upon hearing Professor
Evanesca's words. My vision blurred and spun a bit as my unpleasant dreams and the
chilly voice of the mysterious woman rushed into my head once more.

"Are you fine, Ike?" the headmistress asked.

I shook my head. "I'm okay, professor."

"Serafina's weirdness is the Prime Destruction?" RB asked. "How come we've never
heard of it?"

"Again, villains love to keep the story of their lives a secret. It adds an air of
mystery about them and keeps the people from learning their possible weaknesses..."
the headmistress replied.

RB stared at her flatly. "You basically described the life of an agent."

"Yes," Professor Evanesca replied, laughing a bit. "However, Serafina's weirdness

wasn't only the Prime Destruction. Just like you two, she's also a Duplus. She has
the ability to steal other people's weirdnesses..."

"I've read about that, actually," I said. "A lot of people have argued over the
real weirdness of Serafina because she exhibited a lot of powers throughout her
reign as a villain. I guess some of the conspiracy websites were right, after all."

The headmistress nodded. "Let's go back to my conversation with her..."

The two girls are now gazing at the horizon, both of them seemingly lost in
thought. The sun is already shining high above the sky but none of the girls seem
to be thinking of heading back home. They just sat in total silence as they watched
the majestic view in front of them.

"Summer's gonna be over soon," Serafina said with a sigh.

"I know," Esmerelda replied.

"Mag-aaral sana tayo sa Terresena kung hindi tayo nandito," sabi ni Serafina.

"Gusto ko rin sanang mag-aral sa Terresena kaso hindi nga pwede 'di ba? Sabi nina
Papa at lolo hindi raw tayo pwede bumaba sa bayan," sagot naman ni Esmerelda.

The former frowned at the sky. "I can't help but think about what our lives would
be if those greedy agents didn't accuse our great-grandfathers of the things they
never did."

"What do you mean?" Esmerelda asked.

"Isn't the world a bit unfair to us? I mean, we didn't do anything wrong but we're
the ones forced to live our lives hiding in these forests. Samantalang 'yung mga
may kasalanan sa 'tin, sila 'tong namumuhay nang malaya. Tapos tayo pa 'yung
hinuhuli nila kahit sila 'tong may kasalanan," sagot ni Serafina.

"Nangyari na ang nangyari. We can't do anything about it. I also feel bad,
especially for you because you lost your family. To be honest, I'm not fond of our
philosophy here. Killing our enemies won't correct the mistakes of the past. It
will just make our wounds deeper," Esmerelda replied.

"There are corrupt agents, yes, but there are also corrupt people on our side. We
really can't say that we're doing the right thing because a lot of us have also
committed mistakes in the past and even today," she added.

Serafina took a deep breath as she laid herself on the grass. "I don't think anyone
has the right to decide which things are good, and which things are bad. Agents act
like that, you know. They act as if they don't do anything wrong. What's even worse
is that they use the villains they've caught in order to gain fame and recognition.
If you really want to help a person, you don't have to broadcast it to the entire
world."

I just stared at Serafina as her purple eyes watched the horizon. Even though she's
just a kid, I felt a certain air of darkness in the way she speaks and thinks. Even
for a child, her way of thinking was pretty mature.

The young Esmerelda threw a concerned glance at the young Serafina but didn't speak
a word. Professor Evanesca clapped her hands suddenly, causing everything around us
to freeze and become blurry and hazy.

"I know where Serafina was coming from during that time," the headmistress said.
"Wala na siyang pamilya at halos nawala na sa kanya. Hindi ko nagawang kontrahin
ang mga sinasabi niya dahil alam kong hindi niya kasalanan kung bakit ganoon siya
mag-isip. Siguro kung hindi siya nawalan ng pamilya ay iba ang magiging takbo ng
pag-iisip niya."

RB stared at the young Serafina intently. "She has this strange aura about her. I
don't know but her way of thinking is a bit unusual for a girl her age. It's like
she has this permanent aura of darkness surrounding her."

"Based from what I've read about Serafina, some people have said that her very
presence seems to drain the people with hope and happiness. Some even say that she
can make you see your worst fear by just standing near her," I said.

"I cannot deny that," Professor Evanesca agreed. "Maybe she had a weirdness that
allowed her to affect the people's mind, just like Jelal's Fear Weirdness. Even I
myself don't know how many weirdnesses she had stolen throughout her life as a
villain."

The surroundings dissolved into smoke once more after the headmistress clicked her
fingers. She then raised an open hand in front of her and summoned a glowing ball
of white smoke. RB and I just stared curiously at the ball of smoke as it hovered
magically over the headmistress' hand.

"This memory belongs to Alethea," Professor Evanesca declared. "This memory will
show us one of Serafina's many speeches that she delivered to the villains back
when she was still preaching the people about her ideologies. In this memory, you
will see Serafina at her prime..."

The ball of glowing white smoke suddenly exploded before quickly spreading around
us. The smoke formed into different figures and shapes as it settled. A few seconds
later, what looks like a dark amphitheater materialised around us. We're currently
standing on a circular platform at the center of raised seats. I could see trees
peeking from the top seats, indicating that we're probably in the middle of a
forest.

A lot of people are seated on the seats around the circular platform. Surprisingly,
all of them looked foreign. I also spotted the younger Alethea in one of the seats
as I looked around.

"Serafina travelled all over the world to teach the people about her own
philosophies about the weirdo society. I think this place is somewhere in Europe,"
Professor Evanesca said.

"That explains these foreigners," RB said.

Black smoke suddenly erupted at the center of the circular platform. The smoke rose
into the air and formed the figure of a woman. A few moments later, a beautiful
lady with purple eyes and wavy black hair emerged from the smoke. She's also
wearing sleek black robes that extended to the ground around her.

"She's... really beautiful," RB said in awe.

Of all the physical features of Serafina, her purple eyes are the ones that really
captured my curiosity and interest. Her eyes and the way she gazes at things look
and feel very familiar... uncomfortably familiar...

Serafina bowed deeply to the people around her. "A good day to all of you. I am
Serafina, and I am here to enlighten you," she said in a crisp and booming voice.

She then stood up mightily, taking a few seconds to scan the people around her.
"I can see that your life here is not that different from our life back in our own
country. Just like you, we're also forced to live our lives like rats, hurriedly
scurrying away the moment we feel any danger. We live our day to day lives in fear
of what might happen to us if we dip even the tip of our fingers in the society.
Just like you, we've been pushed into the seclusions of forests—away from our
dreams, away from everything and everyone else," Serafina began.

She raised a finger. "You were forced to live here by the normals because you're
different. You were forced to live here because your government forbade you to hurt
those normals. You were forced to live here because the normals drove you out of
your homes even though you did nothing bad to them."

"Let me ask you this: Why are you letting these normals frighten you? Why are you
allowing a lesser species to kill your brothers and sisters? We are powerful. We
are unique. We are the next stage of the human evolution. These normals are nothing
but mere neanderthals compared to our superior abilities and intellect," Serafina
said, her voice echoing around the place.

"So why are you being forced to live in these lands? Ah... yes... Your government.
This is where our fates coincide. You see, our forefathers were driven into hiding
by our government for doing the right thing. You, on the other hand, were driven
here by your government because of retaliating to those normals who disturbed your
silence..."

Serafina let out a ringing laugh. "Tell me, my dear brothers and sisters, is your
government really trying to protect you? Or are they just putting leashes on your
necks to control you? Are they really thinking about your welfare? Or are they
protecting those people who disturbed your peaceful lives?"

All the eyes in the area stared transfixed at Serafina. Even I can't help but
listen to every word she says. She has a really strong charisma that attracts and
catches everyone's attention, including mine. RB also watched Serafina in total
silence.

"Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. You have the power to end your
sufferings. You have the power to change your lives. Don't let a few people decide
what your fates should be. YOU ARE NOT DOGS, AND THEREFORE NO ONE, NO ONE CAN TELL
YOU WHAT TO DO, NOT EVEN THOSE LOWLY NORMALS. People have always feared the
strange, the different. That is the reason why they drove you away."

Fury and intensity filled her voice as she looked around her. "THEY HAVE THE RIGHT
TO FEAR US! Go and show them that you should be respected, that you should be
revered. They've already killed a lot of our brothers and sisters. History has been
splattered with bloody wars between us and the normals, but we always emerge
victorious. Why? Because we are superior! Because we are the better species! Today
is the last day that you're going to live in these mountains. Tomorrow, you will
reclaim your lands, your homes, and your lives. Your suffering ends today!"

Serafina paused, letting her own voice echo repeatedly around them. She then took a
deep breath before glaring at the empty air in front of her. Strange it may seem,
but for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a part of Professor Evanesca in her
eyes. When Serafina spoke again, her voice was surprisingly calm and cold.

"We are weak. We are divided. We will rise. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very
much."

Deafening applause and shouts filled the air as all the people around us stood up
from their seats. A few of them were already crying while some raised their fists
in the air. Some of them even threw flowers at her.

RB and I both sighed simultaneously, having realized that we haven't breathed for a
few seconds. The three of us just stood in total silence as the surroundings
dissolved into multi-colored smoke.

"Even before her very first crime, Serafina has been preaching people about her
philosophies. She left the Purgers the same time I graduated from Emerald. That was
when she probably met Jaeron and started travelling all over the world," Professor
Evanesca said.

"What makes Serafina different from all the other villains is her ability to move
people using her words. She only committed a crime once, and that was when she
annihilated an entire island, but other than that, her record was pretty clean.
However, a lot of weirdos all over the world who supports her killed a lot of
communis and tried to overthrow their respective weirdo-governing bodies or
governments," she added.

"Her teachings influenced a lot of people all over the world. For the first time in
history, a villain was able to kill thousands of people and overthrow governments
all over the world without moving even a finger. Serafina was put under the
watchlist of the NMLEA, but she was never arrested for she technically didn't
commit any crime," Professor Evanesca said.

All the smoke finally cleared up, revealing the familiar forest of the Terreña
Mountain Range. The headmistress took a lungful of the cool, fresh air around us
before signalling us to walk.

"Serafina didn't like the idea of having followers for she looked at all weirdos as
her equals. Jaeron was the main reason why the Legion of Death was formed. Even
when people begged to come with her, she would always refuse and tell them to live
their lives freely," the headmistress said.

"That's actually not so evil," RB said. "I thought Serafina was just like those
villains who are obsessed with powers and followers."

"Like I said, Serafina is a unique villain. She didn't try to overthrow a

government or killed numerous people. What she wanted was to enlighten weirdos
about how they should live their lives. She believes, as you've seen earlier, that
we should rule over the communis. She thinks that our respective weirdo-governing
bodies shouldn't be put under the control of a normal. That is the case here in our
country," Professor Evanesca said.
"Uh, I don't want to mention this because it might make you uncomfortable but a lot
of people have said that you and Serafina are so alike, and that is the reason why
everyone believes that you're the only weirdo as powerful as her," I said quietly.

A faint smile curved across the headmistress' face. "I understand, Ike. Serafina
and I were friends that's why we share some qualities. We are so alike in many
ways, yet we are also so different in many ways. Everybody said that I was able to
defeat Serafina because I'm half a notch better than her when it comes to power and
skill. However, I believe that my familiarity with her was the reason why I emerged
victorious in our last fight."

The Purgers' camp loomed ahead of us. The gates of the tree village opened as we
approached. Professor Evanesca stopped walking before ushering us into the village.

"Eat your lunch, you two. I will go back here after my meeting with Clavius. Your
friends are already here. Take care. See you later," she said to us.

RB and I were about to turn around when the headmistress called me once more.

"And Ike..."

I looked back. "Po?"

Professor Evanesca's green eyes fixed on me intently. "Is there anything bothering
you lately? I've noticed that you're a lot jumpier than usual. Is there any
problem?"

A few seconds of silence followed the headmistress' words as her eyes pierced my
body like a bullet. I just looked away from her before shaking my head.

"Nothing, professor."

Professor Evanesca nodded. "Well, I'll be going then. I'll see you two later."

The headmistress turned around before walking away from the village. Just before
she totally disappeared in the middle of the trees, she suddenly exploded into
green smoke. A huge green eagle rose from the smoke before flying towards the
forest with a majestic flap of its wings. The eagle emitted a loud screech before
finally disappearing in the middle of the trees.

"Dang it," RB whispered. "She's so freaking awesome."

"Shut up."
●●●

NEXT UPDATE: It's the third game of the CMMT. As Ike and his squad reach the most
crucial juncture of the tournament, desperation and determination will envelop the
team. Can they finally score a decent win or will the gems finally collapse and
crumble under the immense pressure coming from the opposing teams? Limits will be
crossed, and friendships will break in the next update of Weirdos III: The
Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 44: Sheeny Shadows [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            We're not yet back to our regular updates. Sadyang may magandang
development lang akong naisip for the story kaya nagkaroon ulit ako ng kaunting
motivation to write. Our ranking is finally over, at maghihintay na lang ako ng
recalibration (or ng special ranking sa October.) Hahaha. I'm hopeless.

Also, lemme share this strange encounter of mine sa ranking namin.

Meron akong nakasabayan na nag-aapply din sa Science, Junior High. As expected, I

ranted to her my personal woes and my current quarter life crisis. Sinabi ko rin na
feeling ko ang tanda ko na and I haven't accomplished anything in life.

This girl asked my age, and so I said I'm 21. She nearly slapped me after knowing
my age. Lel. Apparently, she already has 2 kids and she's in her late 20s na. She
told me na I'm still young and that I shouldn't waste my youth overthinking about
things like my dilemmas. She advised me to just do what I love to do dahil
pagsisisihan ko raw pagtanda ko kapag hindi ko ginawa ang mga bagay na gusto kong
gawin ngayon.

I NEVER TOLD HER THAT I WAS A WRITER IN WATTPAD. Hindi rin kaagad na nag-sink in sa
'kin 'yung advice niya, initially dismissing it as another cheesy, cliché advice.
However, habang nasa bus na ako pauwi eh tila bigla na lang akong nasampal ng
advice niya at doon ko narealize ang relevance ng mga sinabi niya sa 'kin.

I thanked her internally and hiniling na sana makapasok siya sa ranking. And yes,
magpasalamat kayo kay ate girl dahil tila pinadala siya ng tadhana para sampalin
ako sa mukha ng katotohanan. Lol.

Of course it didn't restore my motivation right away. Sadyang narealize ko lang na

Wattpad is still making me happy. Writing is still making me happy. YOU guys are
still making me happy. Sadyang nag-iba na ang priorities ko pero Wattpad will
always occupy a huge space in my heart. For now, I think I'm gonna stay until I
finish the Weirdo Series.

Enjoy the update. Maghintay na lang din kayo nang kaunti dahil malapit ko nang i-
announce ang winners ng song suggestion contest ko for TBV. Also, tatapusin ko na
muna itong Weirdos III bago ko tapusin ang TBV. After ng TBV eh saka ko na
susulatin ang Weirdos IV.
Inaasikaso ko na rin ang TM ko kaya baka makabalik ako sa city for a couple of
months. Sana matuloy. Lel.

It's good to see you again, mga timawa. ߘ

MAGBUNYI!

TheAshtone

P.S. And again, sisterly love lang po ang meron sina Professor Evanesca at
Serafina. Sinabi ko na nga before na 'yun lang ang meron sila pero talagang may mga
nag-assume pa. Read properly.

ʢ‫●●׏‬

Koshi's POV

"What's your weirdness, Koshi?" Ayumu asked as I exited the testing area. Young
weirdos undergo a test when they turn seven in order to really determine their true
weirdness. Even though weirdnesses manifest when someone reaches seven years old,
the manifestation might not be enough to identify their real weirdness that's why
most of them still undergo a test.

"I'm an Air Weirdo," I said blandly as I gave him my test results.

One of our classmates suddenly stood up upon hearing me. "Eh? You're just an Air
Weirdo, Koshi? That's lame."

"And what's yours, Tyler?" Ayumu fired at our classmate.

"I'm a Fire Weirdo just like I suspected," he replied before raising his fist
mightily.

"Yeah, cool," I said as I sat on my chair.

Tyler, however, was not yet finished with his taunts. "Parati na nga kitang
natatalo sa mga activities natin, pati ba naman sa weirdness eh lamang pa rin ako
sa 'yo? I wouldn't want to be like you even if I were you," he added with a
snigger.

Ayumu stood up from his chair. "What's the matter with you? Why are you always
trying to get under Koshi's skin? Wala naman sa 'yong ginagawang masama 'yung tao."
"I'm actually surprised that you still hang out with Koshi. You have a really
powerful weirdness, Ayumu. You should be spending your time with strong and
powerful persons, too. Not with dweebs who don't even have a decent weirdness,"
Tyler replied.

Ayumu was about to retort when our teacher suddenly entered the room.

"Don't mind him," Ayumu whispered to me as he sat on his chair. "Tyler's head has
swollen thrice now that he knows he's a Fire Weirdo."

"All of you have undergone weirdness identification test. The results will help you
decide what path you want to take once you enter high school. Take note, however,
that those results are not yet final. Elemental Weirdos are particularly prone to
drastic changes in their weirdnesses. In fact, I will be totally surprised if none
of the Elemental Weirdos here undergo a Second Birth," our teacher said.

And yes, I was initially an Air Weirdo when my result came out when I was seven.
But even before our weirdness identification test, I really didn't care what kind
of weirdness I would have. However, other people, especially my friends and
classmates, cared a bit too much about our weirdnesses. I studied in the Sierra
Magical Institute Primary School, and therefore it is understandable why the
students here are already a bit competitive even at a young age.

Unfortunately, isa ako sa mga napagbuntunan ng tukso dito sa Sierra dahil sa

weirdness ko. My Fire and Lightning Weirdnesses didn't fully manifest until a few
years later. Sa mga panahong ako ang tampulan ng tukso ay si Ayumu ang naging kasa-
kasama ko.

Ayumu was born blind. Saka na lang namin nalaman na related pala sa weirdness niya
ang pagkabulag niya. He's a Shadow Shape-shifter, giving him the ability to
transform into a shadow and manipulate it to take the form of whatever thing he
likes. In addition to that, he can also 'see' in the dark, giving him an
unparalleled alertness during the night. It's actually a pretty cool and powerful
weirdness.

We're childhood friends because we're neighbors. Sa buong buhay namin ay ako parati
ang kasa-kasama niya. I served as his eyes to the world, literally and
figuratively. I guess mas lalong lumalim ang pagkakaibigan namin dahil sa simula pa
lang ay malaki na ang tiwala namin sa isa't-isa.

Nagpatuloy pa ang panglalait sa 'kin ng ilang mga kaklase ko hanggang sa nakatapos

kami ng elementary. Sa katagalan ay nasanay na lang ako at 'di ko na lang sila
pinapansin, pero kahit papaano ay nasasaktan pa rin ako sa mga sinasabi nila sa
'kin.

"Can you believe it? We're going to become high schoolers this June!" Ayumu
exclaimed one afternoon as the two of us walked home.

"Kaya nga eh," sagot ko naman.

Ayumu's hand gently squeezed mine. "Sinabi sa 'kin ni Tita Karen na nagdadalawang-
isip ka raw kung papasok ka sa Sierra High," sabi niya.

Natigilan ako.

"Don't lie to me," sabad naman agad niya bago pa man ako maka-react. "Bulag lang
ako pero hindi ako bingi... o tanga."

Napangiti na lang din ako. "Oo na nga. Baka kasi hindi na ako mag-apply sa Sierra
High kasi alam mo naman kung gaano kataas ang standards doon. I'm just an Air
Weirdo. I don't think I'm powerful enough to be admitted to the secondary school."

Ayumu did a double take. "Just an Air Weirdo? Naririnig mo ba ang mga sinasabi mo?
You're an Elemental Weirdo and you're powerful. Akala ko ba balak mong matutunan
ang higher-class elements ng weirdness mo? That's the unique thing with Elemental
Weirdos, that they can become stronger if they work harder to improve themselves.
You're that type of person, Koshi. That's why I can't see any logic behind you
decision."

I didn't say another word as I stared blankly at the road in front of us. Ayumu,
however, gently squeezed my hand before smiling at me.

"We'll enroll together in Sierra, okay? Throughout my life, halos ikaw na lang
parati ang kasama ko. You're the reason why I can see, Koshi. I don't think any
other person can describe the world to me the same way as you did. You're my
friend, and I want you to stay with me. Kung hindi mo talaga magustuhan ang Sierra,
then we'll enroll somewhere else. I just don't want us to be separated," Ayumu said
quietly.

I just took a deep breath before smiling a bit. "Fine. You win. I'll give it a
try."

I enrolled in Sierra and got admitted together with Ayumu. Malaking bagay na galing
ako sa primary ng Sierra at mataas ang mga grades ko kaya naging madali lang ang
pagtanggap sa 'kin sa high school. Ayumu and I also qualified for the prestigious
Sierra Training Program offered only by the school to its most talented students.
By agreeing to be included in the STP, the student also commits to enroll at the
Sierra Magical Institute upon graduating high school where the training program
will be continuously implemented. May grade requirement din na kailangang i-
maintain para manatili ka sa program nila.

As most of you probably suspect, my entire life changed the moment I stepped into
the Sierra High. It was during my first year in high school that I discovered my
ability to control two more elements in addition to my Air Weirdness. And it
happened right on our first ever combat activity.

"Gather around, class. Hurry up," our teacher said as he led us towards a vast open
field filled with numerous obstacles. "Like I said earlier, your first combat
activity is an obstacle course. Three students will run per batch. You can use your
weirdnesses but please don't destroy the obstacles. Take note, this is not a
competition. This activity is designed to help us see how you are going to use your
respective weirdnesses."

And of course, I was grouped with Tyler who unfortunately also got admitted in
Sierra High and is also in the same class as mine. It's a good thing that Ayumu was
in our group, too. Our group is the first one to run in the obstacle course and I
really don't want to spend my first ever combat activity trading arguments with
Tyler.

"Nervous, Koshi?" Tyler asked as we stood at the starting line of the obstacle
course.

"Why would I be?" I asked him.

"Well, they will see in this activity that you don't have a really great weirdness
and everyone will be disappointed with you," he replied.

"Didn't you hear what our teacher just said? This is not a competition, Tyler. I
know you're competitive, but you should really know where and when to use that
competitiveness. It makes you look stupid whenever you pick a fight with someone. I
know it won't suit you, but please grow up," I replied calmly.

Ayumu coughed loudly to hide his sudden burst of laughter.

Tyler's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I will show you who's grown up now," he said in a low
voice.

From the very moment he said those words, I already had a hunch that he's going to
do something bad. I just ignored him and tried to focus on completing the obstacle
course standing in front of us.

"Are you gonna be fine?" I asked Ayumu. Today's activity isn't really ideal for a
blind person like him. Not to mention that it's the middle of the day and we're in
an open field with not a lot of shadows around us.

"I will be fine, don't worry. I can already increase the reach of my own shadow,
remember? I'll just be very careful," Ayumu replied.

"Still, I'm not entirely comfortable especially that Tyler is with us," I
whispered.

Ayumu just laughed a bit as he fixed the hood over his head. "I'm feeling pretty
normal, though. You're just used to being bullied a lot by Tyler that's why you're
always feeling uncomfortable whenever he's around. You should get used to him and
his behavior, really. Remember, we're going to spend another six years with him.

"Ayumu, Koshi, and Tyler, please position yourselves in your respective spots," our
teacher said. "On your marks... Ready... Set... Go!"

Tyler dashed forward without even looking back at us. The first obstacle is a 100-
meter run in a track filled with craters, bogs, and small ponds of water that are
at least a few meters deep. Lose your balance or footing and you'll definitely
won't recover at all. Ayumu also started running and I just kept a safe distance
from him as I watched him run through the course.

"Koshi, you can leave me alone, seriously. I have my own pace, and it won't really
benefit you in this activity," Ayumu said.

"I can't leave you alone. Not in this course," I said as I flew over the craters
and bogs occupying the track. I really wanted to help him but we're not allowed to.

"It's not like I'm going to die if I fail here," he fired back.

Still, I didn't leave Ayumu. And that was a good choice especially when we reached
the second obstacle. Even Tyler was greatly delayed by the obstacle, and I thought
that he's already way ahead of us.

The second obstacle involves a path with swinging logs of wood. The logs of wood
are swinging on different heights. You could get hit in the head, in the legs, in
the torso, or basically anywhere in your body if you're not careful and alert. Even
if I fly, there's still a possibility that I might get hit by the logs swinging at
a higher height.

Tyler is currently punching the logs with his flaming fists in his section of the
obstacle course, causing total wreckage around him. I looked at Ayumu who already
extended his shadows around him to get a better feel of the obstacles in front of
us.

"There's a pattern with the swinging," Ayumu said after a few seconds. "Just copy
every single move that I'll do and we'll be fine. Are you ready?"

"Are you even sure?" I asked him, failing to hide the skepticism in my voice.

"Absolutely sure."

And so Ayumu and I wove, ducked, crouched, and jumped in the course as we avoided
the swinging logs of wood. After a few moments, I realized that Ayumu was actually
correct. I was even able to figure out what moves to do next when I was finally
able to find the rhythm of the swinging logs.
We're already approaching the end of the second obstacle when a powerful explosion
suddenly shook everything around us. It seems that Tyler, who was left behind with
his head-on clash with the logs, just created an explosion in hopes of blowing away
the swinging logs around him.

Burning debris went flying all over the place, causing a chain reaction and
disrupting the swinging patterns of the logs around us. Some of the logs crashed
against each other while some started falling on us.

One of the logs directly above Ayumu suddenly broke off before plummeting straight
towards him.

I wasn't even able to speak as I watched in horror as everything around us slowed

down. I didn't even realize that I already raised a hand and pointed it at the
falling log. A searing pain enveloped my arm before it shot a jet of fire and a
lightning bolt at the log, blasting it into pieces. The impact of my attack was so
strong that I was blasted backwards and out of the obstacle course.

I knew I just broke my arm, but as I lay curled on the grass fighting off the pain,
a sudden realization hit me like a speeding bullet.

I just used fire and lightning.

The rest is, of course, history. From that point on, my improvement as an Elemental
Tri-Hybrid happened at a blinding pace. With my discovery of my ability to control
three elements, I even surpassed Tyler and his Fire Weirdness. Whenever we have a
combat activity, I always feel a strange sense of happiness in seeing the
frustration in Tyler's face whenever I defeat him. It's an expression that has
become so familiar to me. It's an expression that tells me that I am better, that I
am stronger.

And that familiar frustration is what I can see in the faces of the Emerald
students, especially their captain.

●●●

"I know I'll find you here," a familiar voice suddenly said, snapping me out of my
thoughts. I looked beside me and saw Ayumu sitting on the edge of the cliff beside
me.

We're currently at my favorite spot here in Sierra. It's a hidden cliff on the side
of a mountain overlooking a village and vast farmlands. It really gives us the
illusion that we're in the clouds. Not to mention that the view of the sunset here
is simply breathtaking. This place is only accessible to those who can fly or
teleport due to its isolated location.

"What are you thinking about? You only come here whenever you're thinking about
something. What is it?" Ayumu asked.
"Nothing. I'm just thinking about all our years here in Sierra. I mean, bata pa
lang tayo magkasama na tayo rito," sabi ko naman.

"And what do you mean by that? Nagsasawa ka na sa 'kin?" sabad ni Ayumu.

"Of course not," I said as I rolled my eyes. "We've been through a lot of things
and I'm really amazed that we somehow found a way to survive all those hardships
and conflicts. It's really amazing and unbelievable now that I reflect about it."

"Yeah, you're right. I can still remember the timid and scrawny Koshi from our
elementary years. Look at you now. You're a strapping young man with a really
powerful weirdness. Who would've thought that you'll become like that?" Ayumu said.

I sighed deeply before holding him by his hands. "At alam mo naman 'di ba na ikaw
ang rason kung bakit ginawa ko ang lahat para mas lalo akong gumaling? I have to
look after you," I said.

A few moments of silence followed my words.

"The third game will be held in a few weeks," Ayumu said quietly.

"And we're going to win it just like the first two games," I said firmly.

"The others schools will really give their all in that game, especially Emerald.
It's basically a do-or-die game for them. It will be hard for them to recover if
they lose again this time," Ayumu said.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder as we watched the late afternoon sun sink
slowly behind the mountains, giving us a majestic view.

"We're going to set our own pace and play our own game. If Emerald can't keep up
with us, then it's not our fault. This is a competition, and you have to do
everything that you can in order to win. The best team wins, and the inferior team
loses. It's as simple as that."

        Chapter 45: Do or Die [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV

The semestral break passed in a blink of an eye especially for the members of the
official team. Throughout the break, all of us have undergone conditioning
exercises, practice battles, training with the Purgers, and all other related
activities in order to improve our skills. Even RB who never runs out of energy got
pretty drained with all the training.
"I swear, after this school year, I will never hit the gym ever again. I don't care
if I lose my figure. I'm so tired, even my hair feels sore," RB said one afternoon
as we dragged ourselves to our rooms after an entire day of practice battles
against the Evanescas.

That was actually the only practice battle we had against the Evanescas. Madalas
din kasing wala sa Emerald ang magkakapatid lalo na sina Ezekiel at Professor
Evanesca na ayon sa balita sa 'min ni Crimson eh madalas daw niyang makitang
naglalabas-masok sa NMLEA at Department of Magic.

Kahit sa unang araw ng pasukan para sa 2nd semester eh wala pa rin sina Professor
Evanesca at Ezekiel.

"Professor Evanesca is out of town doing some work for the Department of Magic.
Izzy, on the other hand, went back to the Agents International to submit a report.
Don't worry for he'll be back just before the third game," Professor Sivera
explained when RB and I asked him about the whereabouts of the two in the morning
of our first day for the semester.

"That's weird," RB said. "I thought Ezekiel took a leave from his work at the AI?
And I never thought that Professor Evanesca would allow those lowly mortals in the
Department of Magic to boss her around."

With this, Professor Sivera made an unclear excuse before dashing away from us.

"Professor Sivera probably doesn't know that we're just going to meet later for the
Intensive Training Course. He can run, but he can't hide," RB said as we walked to
a nearby table to eat our breakfast.

"Stop it. You sound so creepy. Pero nakapagtataka rin talaga na wala rito 'yung
dalawa. Hindi ko rin maiwasan na mag-alala lalo't ni hindi man lang natin alam ang
rason kung bakit wala sila rito," sabi ko naman.

"Relax, hubby. Those two will come back crashing here in Emerald the moment they
smell some trouble. Don't get yourself too worried or you might lose your vigor and
rigidity. I don't want that to happen," RB said meaningfully.

Tinutok ko sa kanya 'yung tinidor ko.

Agad namang sumubsob si RB sa plato ng spaghetti na in-order niya.

Dahil 2nd sem na nga ay mas lalo lang na titindi ang mga gagawin namin sa iba't-
ibang mga subjects. Last semester was pretty hardcore already, and things will just
go up by ten notches here in the 2nd semester. Pagkatapos nga kasi ng sem na 'to ay
isang buong taong internship ang gugugulin namin sa NMLEA.
The members of the offical team are no longer exempted from taking the year-end
exams that's why we have to study well in order to pass this year. Not to mention
that we still have to train for nearly the entire semester for the CMMT. Bibigyan
nga lang kami ng ibang exam dahil March kami magte-take imbes na February gaya ng
karamihan dito sa Emerald.

Our Intensive Training Course will be held for an entire day in the Citrine Battle
Hall. Dumaan muna kami sa Emerald Building bago kami tumuloy sa klase namin para
tingnan kung nandoon na ba si Professor Evanesca sa opisina niya. Pagkatanaw pa
lang namin sa opisina niyang nasa taas ng Emerald Building ay halata nang walang
tao doon.

"Well, I guess Professor Evanesca and Ezekiel are really not here," I said as we
walked under the tunnel of trees outside the Emerald Building.

I looked at RB who's currently staring blankly in front of him.

"Hey, are you okay? Is there anything wrong?" I asked.

RB blinked several times. "Oh, nothing..."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," RB replied with a sigh. "I just can't get those memories of Serafina out of
my head."

"Why?"

"Well, to be honest, she has this really powerful aura that demands you to look at
her, to listen to every single word that she says. She's not like those street
criminals who blabber senseless things about the government or the NMLEA. She talks
about the reality of this world. She doesn't want to rule over the world, but she
wants the weirdos to do so. I mean, all the villains in history just wanted to
conquer the world. Serafina, however, was way different," RB explained.

Serafina's statement in the memory that Professor Evanesca showed us talked about
probably the biggest dilemma between the communis and weirdo societies.

The gradual evolution of the human population as non-magical beings to weirdos with
superhuman traits and ability to control magic happened at a snail's pace. Like
what we have always said, it all began in the 22nd century. Sandwiched in the years
between the advent of the Great Evolution and the present time are numerous bloody
wars between communis and weirdos fighting for supremacy and dominance.

In the past few centuries, a lot of countries hunted down weirdos or drove them out
of their lands. Humans naturally fear things that are different from the ordinary.
As the countries collapsed one after another due to endless civil wars between the
magical and non-magical people, the communis population formed alliances and
communities to fight and drive away the weirdos from their lands. Children who
manifest magical abilities were driven away from their homes or sometimes killed by
their own parents.

Thankfully, this country didn't experience much turbulence as the society gradually
changed. There were a few conflicts, of course; but it's a good thing that the
weirdos themselves approached the government to tell them that they have no
intentions whatsoever of conquering the country. Agreements were made, and the
weirdos were given freedom to live their lives together with the normals.

The weirdo society, as a gesture of gratitude to the government, helped defend the
country from villains. They also helped to improve the country as well, especially
the Elemental Weirdos. Earth Weirdos helped the country's agriculture and made sure
that the soil is always rich and perfect for farming. They also helped bring back
to life the wiped out forests and mountains. Air Weirdos helped cleanse the air
free of pollutants, and together with Water Weirdos, they controlled the weather to
provide perfect planting conditions for agriculture. Lightning and Fire Weirdos
helped in providing the country cheap and reliable sources of electricity and
energy.

Mind Weirdos were employed by the government as scientists, researchers, military

advisers, and business consultants to help improve the country's economy, defense,
and scientific research. Infrastructures sprouted like mushrooms with the help of
Telekinesis Weirdos who helped in the construction.

The Council of Weirdos was created—the earliest governing body of the weirdo
society. After the Great War, it evolved to become the Department of Magic. Also,
the vast majority of the weirdo population who have vowed to defend the country
eventually became part of the National Magical Law Enforcement Agency.

The healthy relationship between the weirdos and communis was probably the main
reason why this country rose to be one of the world's richest and fastest-growing
countries after the Great War. Weirdos from all over the world flocked to this
country for protection and freedom—further diversifying the weirdnesses that
manifested in the new generations. According to the PWRI, the migration of numerous
foreign weirdos to this country is the reason why the weirdos here are among the
most powerful in the world. The combination of Weirdo Genes with diverse
characteristics and traits leads to stronger and more powerful Weirdo Genes.

In fact, a lot of clans here have foreign roots, like the Evanescas and Lenas. Even
the Tallas have a foreign lineage according to their last and only descendant who
is currently walking beside me.

"There's just something creepy and unnerving with her," RB continued. "I've read a
lot of stories about the past villains but I have to admit that nothing comes close
with Serafina when it comes to sheer ability to attract attention and interest."

"She's a villain, what would you expect? Remove her of her powers and she's just a
creepy woman who lectures people about the supremacy of one race over the other.
Her immense magical power is what differentiates Serafina from Hitler," I said.
RB appeared to be not listening to me at all. "You did mention before that you feel
like Serafina's not yet dead, right?" he asked.

I paused. "Well, yes."

"What if Serafina's still alive? I mean, the only people who saw her in her final
moments are my parents and Professor Evanesca. Basically, the headmistress is the
only living person who knows what exactly happened to Serafina. Remember, they were
friends, and Professor Evanesca didn't really wanted to kill her bestfriend," RB
replied.

The headmistress' words echoed inside my head all of a sudden. Tell me, my dear
boy, can you really hurt someone you love?

"What are you trying to say?" I asked RB carefully.

"I don't want to create speculations out of thin air without any supporting proofs.
One thing is sure, though: the headmistress isn't telling us the entire story of
how she ended the reign of the greatest villains of all time," he said.

With a painful squirm in my stomach, I suddenly remembered the mysterious lady that
has been talking to me in my dreams in the past few weeks.

"Is there any problem?" RB asked me, noticing my reaction.

"Nothing," I replied.

He suddenly wrapped his arms around my body. "Tell me the truth or I will rip your
uniform apart right here, right now—"

"Fine!" I said, raising my hands in surrender. "Let's just talk somewhere

secluded." I then dragged him towards a park devoid of any student or gardener.

I quickly recounted to RB my dream where the mysterious lady told me that I am the
heir of the Prime Destruction. I also told him my weird dream where he stabbed me
right in the heart. I just didn't mention the part where the lady spoke through
RB's mouth. By the time I was finished, the bench we're sitting on was already
crystallized and RB's face looked like it has been drained of all blood and color.

"I wouldn't do that to you!" he said indignantly after I'm done telling him
everything.

"Of course! I know! And that's not really the problem here, for your info," I said
irately.
RB just stared motionless and in total silence at the empty air in front of him for
a very, very long time.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked him when I could no longer bear his
silence.

"That Serafina is the one talking to you? Yes," RB replied without looking at me.
"Professor Evanesca did mention that Serafina is the last known holder of the Prime
Destruction. And the mysterious lady did mention that you are the current holder of
it. Are you feeling any different?"

I flexed my hand in front of me, causing little streaks of dust, air, water, and
fire to run around my hand. "Actually, I feel completely normal. I don't feel any
strange power inside me."

"Did you tell Professor Evanesca about this?" RB asked.

Silence.

"Only you, Jack, and I know about this. Remember the time when we went to a mall
and Jack and I left you three? I told Jack the truth and the two of us headed to
the library where we searched for books that might help us with my situation," I
said after a few moments.

"So Faye and Alice don't know," RB said.

"I don't want you to worry that's why I didn't tell you. Besides, kilala mo naman
si Faye. Sa oras na malaman niya 'to eh ipagtutulakan niya tayo papunta kay
Professor Evanesca. I really don't want to bother the headmistress right now
because it's pretty obvious that she already has a lot on her plate."

I faced RB before putting my hands on his shoulders. "And please promise me na

hindi mo na muna 'to sasabihin sa iba, okay? Help us find the answers to my
questions first. Kapag wala na talaga tayong mahanap ay saka na tayo lumapit kay
Professor Evanesca. Besides, wala namang masamang nangyayari sa 'kin sa pakikipag-
usap ko doon sa babae. That mysterious lady can't possibly hurt me."

"And if she can?"

"Just trust me, RB."

"As much as I would like to retort, you saying my name just sounds so damn sexy.
I'm turned on. Dang it, I am so hopelessly in love with you, hubby," RB replied.
"Shut up," I snapped at him.

RB sighed deeply. "What's the plan now?"

"Find the answers," I replied right away. "If the lady talks to me again, I will
ask who she is. If we run out of options and things start to get worse, we will ask
for help from Professor Evanesca."

RB stared at me for a very long time before snuggling close to me. "Pasalamat ka
talaga't gwapo ka na nga, masarap ka pa kaya pagbibigyan kita ngayon."

"Shut up."

●●●

As expected, si Professor Sivera nga lang ang sumalubong sa 'min pagkapasok ng

klase sa Citrine Battle Hall. Agad naman niya kaming tinipon para sa kaunting
lecture bago ang activity namin.

"Well, it's the second semester. At pagkatapos ng ilang career seminars at

orientation ninyo sa susunod na school year ay isasalang na kayo sa isang taong
internship sa NMLEA. So basically, this is your last six months of training here in
Emerald. Of course, you're still going to train at the NMLEA during your
internship," Professor Sivera said.

He clicked his fingers, causing the empty battle hall to transform into an office
filled with cubicles, photocopy machines, and dummies sitting on roller chairs in
front of tables overflowing with folders and papers. The terrain changed back to
the empty hall after a few seconds.

"In today's activity, you won't be using your powers because you're going to have
hand-to-hand close-quarters combat," Professor Sivera declared.

A collective "ooh" rippled through the crowd.

"You're going to work with your pair in your Field Study and you're going to fight
another pair. To add a little spice to the game, one pair will have to guard a gem
while the other pair will try to steal it. Immobilizing your opponent, rendering
them unable to fight—which I don't recommend, and stealing or successfully
protecting the gem will give you victory. Let's begin with the NMLEA Main Office
pairs."

Our classmates cheered loudly as Cezka, Jack, RB, and I stepped forward. "This is
gonna be good," I heard Gael whisper breathlessly.

Professor Sivera magically summoned a coin. "Choose."

"Head," RB said with a meaningful glance at me.

"Rim. I feel bad for those fellas, really. No one actually chooses them," Jack
said.

Professor Sivera just smiled before tossing the coin high in the air. "Well, tail
it is," he said as the coin landed. "What's your choice, Jack and Cezka? Defenders
or stealers?"

"Defenders," the two replied.

"We'll have the more thrilling job, then," RB said with an evil grin.

"The defenders have a minute to set up their base. The time limit is 10 minutes. If
the stealers fail to acquire the gem within the time limit, the defenders will win.
Just touching the gem will count as a win. Questions?" Professor Sivera asked.

All of us shook our heads.

"Well, we'll be going, then. To the surveillance room!" he declared to the rest of
the class before ushering them out of the hall. After a few minutes, Professor
Sivera spoke through the battle hall's PA system.

"Set up your base, defenders," he said as the empty battle hall changed into the
familiar city setting. "Use that building in front of you. Don't worry because it's
spacious enough. Remember that the gem must always be near you and that it should
be visible. Go on. Stealers, remain on your positions."

As Jack and Cezka headed to the building, RB and I talked about our plan.

"No powers, so you're just a lowly commoner today. Don't act like a deity, you
idiot," I said.

"Bummer," RB replied.

"I will fight Cezka, you fight Jack. I'm pretty sure that you'll eliminate him in,
like, five seconds. They won't split up, and so we won't split up as well. All in
all, I think we have an advantage here. We just have to be cautious," I said.

"Bad hubby. Are you actually going to hurt a girl?" he asked.

I stared at him coldly. "I know what I'm doing, nitwit. Trust me, I'd rather hurt
you than hurt Cezka—or any girl."
"Did you really have to say that? I'm hurt," RB retorted.

"Stop being such a drama queen," I snapped at him. "We're about to begin. Focus."

Professor Sivera's voice boomed from above. "The defenders have set up their base.
Stealers, are you ready?"

RB and I nodded.

The cool female voice suddenly spoke. "Practice battle begins in 3... 2... 1..."

The two of us dashed straight to the building as a horn honked loudly. Today's
activity is about quickness and precision in every move. Aside from close-quarters
combat, the damage to the surroundings should be kept at a minimum. As we always
say, it's not all about the flashy attacks. Most of the time, less is more.

Our task looks easy at first. However, we have to search every nook and cranny of
this building to find where our opponents placed the gem that we should acquire.
The buildings here are pretty much exactly the same as the actual buildings in a
typical city. Finding our opponents is one thing, defeating them and acquiring the
gem is going to be another.

"I think we should go straight to the top floor," I said when a couple of minutes
had already passed and we haven't even seen a single sign of either Jack or Cezka.

"And why should we do that?" RB asked.

"Because there is a time limit, and if I were them, I would place the gem in the
top floor of the building because the tendency of the stealers is to search every
single floor. Time isn't our ally here, and I'm sure that the defenders will take
advantage of every second that passes," I replied as we headed to the nearest
elevator.

"Of course," RB said, finally seeing the logic. "That's brilliant!"

"That was pretty obvious," I said flatly.

Upon arriving at the top floor of the building, I immediately noticed that some of
the things in this floor aren't the same as the others below.

"Yep, I'm right," I said as I looked around us.

"About?"
"Except for the lobby at the ground floor, every single floor here looks exactly
the same. However, I've noticed that a few things here aren't in the same position
as the things in the floors below us. Someone went straight to this floor without
checking the other floors first. Jack and Cezka didn't know that the floor
arrangement is actually a key factor in this activity," I explained.

"That's pretty clever," RB said, failing to hide the amusement in his voice.

"And now, all we have to do is find Cezka and Jack," I said as I crouched on the
floor and crept slowly through the cubicles around us.

"Can't we just rampage around in this floor? I mean, I love staring at your sexy
back but this is so degrading and tiring," RB whined behind me.

"Element of surprise is everything. Maybe Jack and Cezka already know that we're
here. Maybe not. We just have to imagine all the possibilities in this situation
and choose which among them will help us the most," I said.

It didn't take us long to find Jack and Cezka's hiding place. They've occupied one
of the main offices in the floor and they also placed the gem hovering on top of
the office's main desk. I was able to see them through a small glass wall just
right beside the door.

"What are we gonna do?" RB whispered. "We only have six minutes left!"

"It seems they're not expecting us," I whispered back. "Well, for starters, let's
kick the door down. After that, you dive straight to that desk and grab the gem.
Element of surprise, dude."

"Well, let's do it together," he replied. "On three. One... Two... Three..."

RB and I kicked the door simultaneously, sending it flying across the office. RB
was about to lunge straight towards the desk when Jack suddenly rose from behind
it, carrying with him another desk before hurling it at us.

"What the heck?!" RB shouted in disbelief as I pushed him down to avoid getting hit
by the desk.

"Professor Sivera said that we can't use our powers, but he didn't say that we
can't use the furnitures here," Jack said.

Cezka suddenly appeared beside us. "We're on even grounds here, boys. If today's
activity involved using our weirdnesses, I might've become skeptical about winning
against you two. Since that is not the case, I do hope that you will give your all
in this fight."
I swiped my leg on the floor to trip Cezka, causing her to jump away from me. RB
nodded at me before attacking Jack who's already lifting a small drawer standing in
the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, Cezka, but I have to do this," I said before attacking her. She
suddenly held on to a shelf before somersaulting and kicking me with her legs. I
shielded my body with my arms to absorb the impact of her kick and to avoid getting
blown away. I then kicked a stack of folders into the air before sending it flying
towards Cezka, causing a lot of papers to fly around her. Taking advantage of the
momentary distraction, I dived straight to the desk where the gem is currently
hovering.

Jack, who's currently fighting RB, kicked the desk from underneath, sending the gem
flying towards the top of a tall shelf. I was about to jump to the shelf when a
powerful kick suddenly hit my back, sending me crashing against a wall.

"Don't leave your opponent alone, Ike. That's rude," Cezka said with a grin.

"I wasn't being rude. I was being tactical. RB, NOW!" I shouted.

RB jumped towards a wall as I pulled the towering shelf with all the strength I
have. The shelf teetered on its edge for a moment before crashing down loudly and
occupying nearly half of the room. Jack, who was left alone by RB, was crushed by
the shelf as it collapsed to the floor.

"WAS THAT REALLY NECESSARY?!" Jack shouted from underneath the shelf.

There was a loud tinkle as the gem rolled on the floor directly between me and
Cezka. The two of us locked eyes for a moment before diving straight towards the
gem—both of us extending our arms to their full length in order to reach the gem
first.

There was a loud crash and RB suddenly swung from the ceiling. It appears that he
jumped on the ceiling fan just after I pulled the shelf earlier. The ceiling fan
wasn't able to support his weight but it didn't totally break off from the ceiling,
allowing RB to hang upside-down from it.

"Surprise, suckers," RB said with an evil grin as he touched the gem with the very
tip of his finger.

A loud buzzer went off followed by the familiar cool female voice. "The stealers
have won the challenge. Remaining time is 3 minutes and 54 seconds."

We helped Jack first before heading back to the surveillance room. Thankfully, he
didn't have any serious injuries aside from a few shallow cuts. Faye was able to
heal him in no time.
"Well, I would like to commend both teams for that marvelous fight, but what a
performance, Ike!" Professor Sivera said on our post-match discussion. "That was
some clever thinking. I must say, the way you figured out the situation earlier
made you look like a real agent."

RB pinched my arm. "Stop it, idiot," I snapped at him before turning to Professor
Sivera. "That was nothing, professor. It was really pretty obvious."

"But none of your classmates knew about the pattern until you mentioned it. Trust
me, Ike, what you did earlier was really brilliant and clever. I'm sure that Fraeo
won't find it difficult to make you fit into their group. Good job! Alright, NEXT
PAIRS!"

Faye slammed her hand against my back. "Nice work there, Ike. I guess that will
help us a lot in the Game 3 this month," she said.

I sighed deeply. "Yeah... I sure hope it does..."

        Chapter 46: The Prime's Blessing [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Mid-November is CMMT Week for the five participating schools.

RB and I woke up early for our routine jog around the Emerald campus every morning.
Madalas ay hindi naman talaga kami nagkakasabay dahil nirerespeto naman namin ang
kani-kaniya naming sleeping time pero kinailangan kong sumabay kay RB ngayon para
naman may pipigil sa kanya kung sakaling maisipan niyang patayin ang mga
representatives ng NAA at Sierra.

"Ike doesn't really have to guard me while I'm jogging. I am pissed as hell with
the representatives of NAA and Sierra but I'm not actually thinking of killing
them. My skin's too precious and pristine just to be tainted with the blood of
lowly commoners," RB said as we jogged under the cover of trees.

"Wala akong tiwala sa 'yo," sabad ko naman.

"But why, though? We're already at the eighth month of our relationship but you
still don't trust me? Look at this face. Look at this strikingly beautiful face. Is
this the face of an untrustworthy person?" RB asked as he rubbed his cheeks.

"Yes," I replied right away without even looking at him.

"That's mean. I'm hurt."

"'Cause it's true."

The two of us passed by the empty Emerald Building. Just when we're about to take a
turn away from the building, a subtle boom suddenly erupted from above. RB and I
looked up just in time to see a huge hole on the barrier. A familiar green eagle
passed through the hole before landing right in front of the entrance of the
Emerald Building. The eagle exploded into green smoke before taking the form of a
person.

"Professor!" I shouted when Professor Evanesca finally materialized.

The headmistress, still wearing a billowing black cloak, turned around before
smiling lightly at us. Judging from the slight exhaustion on her face, it seems
that she just travelled for miles before arriving here in Emerald.

"It's been a long time, boys," bati niya sa 'min matapos makapagmano sa kanya si
RB.

"We haven't seen you in weeks, professor. Saan po ba kayo nagpunta?" tanong ko
naman.

"Well, I've been travelling these past few weeks. My job can get really stressful
at times, so I think it's just fair that I spend some time outside. Don't worry for
I am here now, and I will be watching you later as you win the 3rd game. For now, I
have to do something really urgent. Do you want to see it?" Professor Evanesca
asked.

RB and I exchanged looks of confusion. "Yes, I guess...?"

The headmistress clapped her hands twice, causing her billowing black cloak to
disappear. "Well, follow me, boys. This is going to be fun and exciting," she said
before heading straight to the Emerald Building.

The two of us just followed her as she went straight to the hallway facing the main
door, our footsteps echoing loudly in the empty corridor. The corridor led us to a
circular open space which appears to be right at the very center of the Emerald
Building. Pillars with intricate carvings lined the edge of the circular space.

At the center of the open space stood a fountain made of what looks like white
stone. Standing just a few inches higher than me, the fountain has levels of basin
with flowing greenish water. A strange glow is also emanating from it, and I have a
hunch that this fountain isn't just an ordinary fountain.

"This here is the Forreño Fountain," Professor Evanesca said, bowing at the
fountain a bit. "It provides a water-based shield around the school. The water in
this fountain comes from a spring underneath the building. It also has channels
that run throughout the entire campus of Emerald—"

"—which enables it to detect the presence of Dark Magic in the school grounds. When
it detects Dark Magic, it automatically activates the barrier around the school," I
said.

"Correct," Professor Evanesca said. "The water is believed to contain magical

powers. The very first head of the School of Magic, Headmistress Porpentina
Forreño, discovered the protective abilities of this fountain. You see, when a
person assumes the headship post, that person forms a magical bond with the school.
The new head of the school puts a droplet of his or her blood into the fountain to
complete that bond. Under that special connection, the current head is obliged to
protect the school and the students at all costs. If the head fails to comply with
or neglects this bond, he or she will die."

The headmistress faced the fountain before dipping her hand into the water. "We can
also add reinforcement spells to the water in order to strengthen the shield. The
Evanesca Barrier around the school is getting weak, and it's time to refresh it
again."

She then whispered some strange words under her breath, causing her arm to glow
with a greenish light. After a few seconds, the pale green color of the fountain's
water suddenly brightened and slowly took an emerald-green hue. A beam of smoky
green light shot from the tip of the fountain before passing through an oculus at
the top of the dome covering the circular space. Distant rumbles filled the air as
the reinforcement spell for the Evanesca Barrier slowly spread all over the school.

"That should do it," Professor Evanesca said before turning around to face us.
"This thing here has kept Emerald safe from the villains for the past millennium.
Now, as for you two, I know that the Game 3 is happening later this afternoon and
you want to desperately win for the school. It's a crucial game, I know. However,
bear in mind that winning the game should come secondary to your safety. I will be
sending all my luck in your way, boys. You've already made us proud. You don't need
to pressure yourselves. Just trust your coaches and your teammates, but above all,
trust yourself."

RB and I both nodded.

"Well, show's over," Professor Evanesca said before forcefully ushering us out of
the building. "Go back to your jogging, boys. I desperately need to sleep, so
please evaporate from my sight right now. Take care and have a lovely morning!"

The headmistress clicked her fingers, causing the huge double door of the Emerald
Building to slam close.

RB blinked several times as he stared blankly at the door. "Well, that was rude."

●●●

"Focus on the game today. Ignore the others. No more shenanigans. I want you to
warm up, rest for a while, play the 3rd game, and win. This is a crucial game for
us, and if we mess everything up, we will no longer have a chance of getting into
the Finals. I am not pressuring you, I am merely stating a fact," Ezekiel said in
our huddle.

Everyone nodded.

"Well, off you go, then. Take care," he said.

"Sana naman narinig mo ang sinabi ni Ezekiel?" baling ko kay RB habang naglalakad
kami papunta sa practice area namin.

"Of course," RB replied seriously, his eyes gleaming a bit.

"Well, it seems that we're on the same page. Let's go and win this game," I said.

Earlier this afternoon, our classmates informed us that they're going to gather as
many Emerald students as they can to watch the game and support us. Pagkalabas nga
namin kanina ay halos kalahati ng Diamond Battle Dome ang nakasuot ng berde. Our
professors also came to watch. Pati na rin sina Sir Fraeo at Crimson ay kasama ang
buong team nila para manood at suportahan kami. Wala rin kasi ata silang patrolling
duty dito sa Emerald.

The 3rd game of the CMMT has always been a crucial game for every team. For the
higher-ranked teams, it's a chance to further create distance between them and the
lower seeds. A win in this game will also bring them closer to the Finals. For the
lower-ranked teams like us, this is our final hope of boosting our chances to play
in the championship. Sa oras kasi na matalo pa kami rito ay mahihirapan na kaming
makaakyat sa ranking.

Even the other teams must've realized the importance of this game. Halos lahat kasi
ay naka-focus lang sa warm ups at attacking practice. Kahit ang mga taga-NAA at
Sierra ay tila nagseryoso din bigla at hindi na kami gaanong pinapansin.

We're already midway to our warm ups when Professors Ojeros and Romeus finally
started the pre-game commentary.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I am your anchor for today's game, Julian
Ojeros. Our analyst is, of course, NMLEA's Silent Killer, Garrick Romeus! Everyone,
welcome to the Game 3 of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament!"

Applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Of course, we always have a great crowd here at the Diamond Battle Dome! But
Garrick, can you please enlighten us on the events that have transpired in the last
game?" Professor Ojeros said.

The flat and bored voice of Professor Romeus filled the battle dome. "Well, Sierra
won the Game 2 of the CMMT. Emerald was actually on a hot start, but just when
they're about to complete their puzzle, Sierra was able to eliminate them. It will
be interesting to see how our lower-ranked teams will perform in today's game
considering that the higher-ranked teams are currently on a rampage in this
tournament."

"You're lively as usual, Garrick! On that note, let us take a look at the updated
team standings!" Professor Ojeros added.

Team Standings — CMMT Seniors' Division

                       <b>SCHOOL</b>                                     POINTS

1. Sierra Magical Institute (1-1)                 1,000
2. National Agents Academy (2-3)              700
     Veron Academy of Magic (3-2)                700
3. Emerald School of Magic (5-4)                300         
     Philippine Weirdo University (4-5)        300

"As you can see," Professor Romeus said, "Sierra currently has a solo lead with
1,000 points. Directly under them are NAA and Veron with 700 points apiece. Emerald
and PWU are tied at third with 300 respectively."

"Of course, we've always seen this trend in the past tournaments. Teams always end
up tied in the first two games. That's why we always say that the Game 3 is a
crucial game because aside from the fact that it's a chance for the lower teams to
go higher up the standings, it also serves as a tiebreaker among the teams. This
trend has always been observed in the past tournaments. After this game, we're
going to have a tiny glimpse of what to expect in the Games 4 and 5 based on the
standings," Professor Ojeros said.

RB stared at the TV monitor hovering high above us. "We're basically tied with PWU
but at least we're not at the bottom," he said.

"Talk about improvement," I said flatly.

Professors Ojeros and Romeus went on with their pre-game analysis. Of course,
they've invited some notable agents and former members of the teams from the
different schools to give their insights for the the game. After nearly half an
hour, they finally gathered us to announce the third challenge.

"The brats are here, Julian. It's time to reveal the third challenge," Professor
Romeus said.

"Tonight's challenge is Obstacle Course Relay!" Professor Ojeros said. "Each team
will be given a gem. All you have to do is race relay-style towards the end of the
obstacle course. The course runs for fifteen kilometers. Five members of the team
will serve as runners and will be stationed in every three-kilometer mark. The
remaining four members, on the other hand, will serve as nuisances. You can protect
your runner or hinder the runners of the other teams. Your choice. The first team
to put their gem on their pedestal will win 500 points."

"This game is a single-life and no-substitution game. If a runner gets eliminated,

the head coach will choose one of his nuisances to take the place of the eliminated
runner. Of course, once all your members have been taken out, your team loses. YOU
ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FLY OR USE MAGIC TO COMPLETE THE COURSE. You have to run using
your own two legs. Also, the nuisances cannot attack the runners that aren't yet
running. Violating those rules will result to the automatic elimination of the
offender," Professor Romeus added.

"The third secret is out! Now, it's time to reveal the terrain!" Professor Ojeros
shouted. "Technical team, surprise us!"

The Ground Alpha blurred for a few seconds. When things have finally cleared up, a
prehistoric forest of towering conifers and other unfamiliar flora appeared around
us. A winding path occupied with swamps, barren land, and conifer forests stretched
for miles in front of us. It feels like we've been teleported a few million years
back to the past.

"Good one! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Jurassic Journey! This is an
unforgiving prehistoric terrain that will blow your mind back to the past! Of
course, we're not going to give you an ordinary obstacle course! Our obstacles
include swamps, creepy forests, and many others. This game is the ultimate test of
endurance! Don't worry, there are no dinosaurs or other gigantic reptilians here,"
Professor Ojeros said.

"This looks interesting," Philip said beside me.

"The teams now have a 30-minute planning time," Professor Romeus declared. "Good
luck, and see you in 30 minutes."

A projecting table appeared on our field. Ezekiel then gathered us around the table
after conjuring his usual protective charms around us.

"Philip, Ike, Jack, RB, and Jared will be our runners. Faye, Alice, Aliyah, and
Tony will be our nuisances. As you can see on the terrain, the course is divided
into four sections. The starting point to Kilometer 3 is a barren land. Kilometer 3
to Kilometer 6 is occupied by volcanoes. Kilometer 6 to Kilometer 9 is a swampland.
Kilometers 9 to 12 and Kilometers 12 to 15 are both conifer forests. RB is our
first runner, followed by Ike, Jack, Jared, and Philip," Ezekiel said.

"I can transform to a cheetah or something. That's not against the rules because
it's my weirdness. We can catch up to the others if ever we fall behind," Philip
said.

"Exactly," Ezekiel agreed. "We're going to defend our current runner at all costs.
Do not attack the other teams. Just use your Gladiators to hinder the other
runners. I know that you already know what your roles are. Got it?"
Everyone nodded.

Ezekiel spent the next few minutes fixing our attacking and defensive formations.
When the buzzer finally signalled the end of the planning period, he gave all of us
a firm pat in the shoulder.

"I don't want to pressure you but please win this game, because if we don't, it
will be hard for us to climb up in the next two games. I trust you, guys. I'll be
seeing you later in the post-game conference," Ezekiel said to everyone. He gave me
a long and meaningful stare before turning around and walking away together with
our student assistants and assistant coaches.

"The runners will now be assigned to their respective waiting areas," Professor
Romeus said. The entire Ground Alpha was replaced by the Jurrasic terrain. A moment
later, all the runners were teleported to their respective waiting areas. Being the
second runner, I've been assigned to Kilometer 3—right in the middle of a hot and
rocky land with only a very few flora. Erupting volcanoes of all sizes and heights
occupied nearly all the space in the area except for the track. I can't even see a
single player in whatever direction I look at. Thankfully, there's still the huge
TV monitor hovering high above us.

The first runners of all the teams are currently being displayed on the monitor.
Koshi, Teima, Yohan, and Phoebe are the first runners for their respective teams.
Our team has been assigned to lane 4 due to our current ranking.

"Well, everyone has been assigned to their respective lanes!" Professor Ojeros
shouted. "Ladies and gentlemen, witness as the Game 3 of the Collegiate Magical
Mayhem Tournament unfolds! And now, without further ado, LET THE MAYHEM COMMENCE!"

The cool female voice spoke as a countdown timer appeared on the TV monitor. "On
your marks... The Game 3 of the CMMT will commence in 3... 2... 1..."

A gunshot echoed throughout the terrain.

"And there we go! All our runners are now running! I must say, this year's
tournament is really competitive! I mean, all our games so far have used the
single-life rule! I miss seeing the rotation system," Professor Ojeros said.

"It's impossible to eliminate teams with the rotation system. Besides, it's a lot
more fun to see teams geting eliminated without even completing a task. Anyway,
Talla is currently on the lead. It seems that Emerald will give their runners full
protection," Professor Romeus said.

The TV monitor showed RB who's currently running. Surrounding him are Tony, Faye,
Alice, and Aliyah. It seems that no one has attacked them so far.

A battalion of red Gladiators suddenly appeared high above the four. Tony
immediately shot them with his multiplying explosive arrows, causing a rain of
fiery debris to fall around them. The Gladiators who survived Tony's attack landed
around the four before rushing towards them. Aliyah immediately stopped running
before blowing her flute, making all the remaining Gladiators explode.

"Emerald is unstoppable!" Professor Ojeros said. "PWU is having troubles with the
Gladiators. The three other teams are running smoothly on our first kilometer.
We're not yet seeing some heated fights! That's new!"

"Okay, Sierra and NAA don't seem to be attacking us directly," Ezekiel said through
my earphone. "However, alam natin pareho kung ano'ng kulay ng mga budhi nila—ITIM.
I will warn you right away sa oras na makita kong pumuposisyon sila. Follow my
orders exactly and you'll be fine. RB's nearly approaching the first kilometer.
Remember, our opponents will most likely target Faye on their first salvo. Be
prepared, Ike."

"I am, Ezekiel. They had their run in the first two games, but that won't happen
again this time. Not on my watch. Not on our watch," I said firmly.

"That's the spirit," Ezekiel replied. "For the first time since I met you, you
finally impressed me."

So far, none of the teams seem to be attacking the others directly. It seems that
all the teams are focused on reaching the third kilometer first before attacking
the others.

After more than half an hour of waiting, RB and the rest of the team finally
appeared over the horizon. They were able to successfully fend off Gladiator
attacks on their way and are now approaching my waiting area.

"You have to start running even before RB reaches you," Ezekiel said. "Just wait
for the gunshot and then run."

"Got it," I said as I poised myself.

"I think my lungs are going to explode, dammit!" RB shouted while running towards
me. Just a few meters before they finally reach my spot, a gunshot suddenly rang
out from somewhere above us. I immediately started running as RB and the rest of
the gang slowly caught up to me.

"Take this, hubby!" RB shouted as he outstretched his hand holding our team's
emerald gem.

"Thanks! Great job!" I said before sprinting as fast as I can.

"FINALLY!" RB shouted with a sigh before launching skyward—a pair of amethyst wings
sprouting from his back. Half a dozen of Crystal Golems also rose from the ground
around us.

"And there we go! Emerald is the first to reach their second runner! Things are
looking good for the green team! Talla is now on full defensive, and Lunaria is now
running towards Kilometer 4!" Professor Ojeros shouted.

"The other teams aren't far behind them," Professor Romeus said. "In fact, Sierra
has reached their second runner, too. I think we're bound to see some good fights
from this point on."

"Watch out, Ike," Ezekiel said. "Ayumu is one of the nuisances, and I won't be
surprised if he summons his teammates in your area. Be alert. I'm watching their
every move and I will notify you right away if they attack you."

I turned to the others. "Ezekiel said that we should be more alert from now on! The
other teams might attack at any moment!"

"I can't sense any approaching enemy around us," Tony said.

Crystal spikes suddenly erupted all over the ground. "They're not around us," RB
said, flicking his hands upward and sending the crystal spikes flying to the sky.
"They're above us."

Metallic blades, balls of blue fire, and ice spikes suddenly rained from the sky,
forcing us to shield ourselves. An unnatural darkness is covering the sky above us,
which is probably the doing of Ayumu. Three persons fell from the dark sky and I
instantly recognized them to be Sierra's Cordova, the Metallic Blade Weirdo;
Belarma, the Blue Fire Weirdo; and Froilan, the Water Weirdo.

Aliyah blew her flute, sending a powerful shockwave towards the three who
immediately jumped to avoid getting blown away. Cordova released another volley of
metallic blades which immediately flew towards Faye.

A wall of crystal rose to shield Faye from the metallic blades.

"I got your back, girl!" RB shouted who's currently fighting Fire Golems coming
from Belarma.

"And we have our first fight! CAMERAS!" Professor Ojeros shouted. "It's Emerald vs.
Sierra! Who will win this battle?!"

"They're targeting Faye!" Ezekiel said. "Protect her at all costs! Don't run away
alone, Ike. There might be a trap waiting for you."

Alice wrapped her ropes around Tony before sending him skyward. The latter then
sent a rain of explosive arrows towards our opponents. Aliyah is dealing with
Sierra's Gladiators, and RB is currently fighting Belarma and Froilan.

"You missed, bastard," RB said to Belarma after disintegrating his torso, causing a
fireball to pass right through him. "And you also missed, girl," he said to
Froilan, disintegrating his arm next where an ice spike passed through.

I approached Faye who's currently battling Cordova one on one.

"Thank you," Faye said gratefully. "I'm not really in the mood to get sliced in
half."

"They're targeting you," I said.

"Well, I'm honored," she replied before throwing a Healing Orb towards a group of
Fire Golems, making them sizzle and dissolve into smoke. She then threw another
Healing Orb towards the area of Alice and Aliyah, creating a circle of white light
on the ground around them and restoring the health of the two.

"You're welcome, girls!" Faye shouted at the two before facing me. "As you can see,
I can defend myself and the others pretty well."

A colossal explosion suddenly erupted behind us, sending a powerful blast wave
around the place. Nearly everyone in the area was blown away by the explosion as
balls of blue fire went flying all around us. I landed badly on the ground as the
shield on my back vibrated, indicating that I've lost a few stamina.

"FAYE!" I heard RB shout.

I looked behind me and saw Faye lying on the ground who looked shaken and
disoriented by the explosion. Directly above her was Cordova who raised one of her
metallic levers holding a blade, ready to strike Faye's shield.

"FAYE!" I shouted before reaching out a hand to her.

And then, the unimaginable happened.

A blinding light overwhelmed my entire vision, consuming everything around me. The
light eventually faded away, leaving only nothing but darkness. Just when I though
that it's going to be another talk with the mysterious woman, I felt a gentle tap
on my shoulder, making me look behind in shock.

"We can now finally talk, Ike," a familiar voice said.

The guy behind me looked familiar, probably because I've seen his photos numerous
times before. We maybe are a few hundred years apart but I can still see our
resemblance especially in the greenish tinge of our hair and our emerald eyes. The
guy smiled lightly as I took a few moments to absorb everything that I'm currently
seeing.

"You're Elijah Serria," I said quietly.

"I am, and it seems that you've finally found a way to unlock perhaps the most
powerful feature of the Prime Elemental," Elijah replied.

"Most powerful feature?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Elijah Serria slowly dissolved into white smoke as a blinding white light consumed
my vision. Despite of that, his words still echoed loudly right inside my ears.

"Don't be afraid of your power, Ike. Don't control it. Embrace your power.  Let it
flow all over your body. Only then will you finally unlock the full potential of
the Prime Elemental. Only then will you finally become the Tenth..."

Elijah raised a glowing hand towards my face, and a blinding white light
overwhelmed my vision once more.

        Chapter 47: Breaking Point [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            RB's POV

"FAYE!" Ike shouted with his arms outstretched towards Faye.

"Ms. Lena is cornered now! It seems that Sierra's plan is to eliminate Emerald's
Healer first! What will they do now?! This is trouble for the green team!"
Professor Ojeros shouted.

Ike's green eyes suddenly glowed blindingly bright as the lightning markings on his
body also glowed. At the same time, green flames erupted all over Faye's body and
her eyes glowed as well. Before anyone could even process what has happened, Faye
turned around and faced Cordova before shooting a laser beam at her using her eyes.

"SAY WHAT?!" I shouted in utter disbelief as Cordova was blasted high into the air
before disappearing from our sight.

"CORDOVA IS OUT! What the hell was that?! Did Ms. Lena just use a laser beam?! How
is that even possible?! Emerald draws first blood! Wait a second, what the hell is
happening down there?" Professor Ojeros said, finally realizing Ike's strange
behavior.

"SH*T!" I said when I realized something.

I turned around instinctively just to see another volley of blue fire and ice
spikes rushing toward us. We were too shocked by what happened that we forgot that
Belarma and Froilan are still present on the field. I was about to erect a diamond
wall to block their attacks when Ike suddenly rose into the air before swiping his
arm sideways, causing the blue fire and ice spikes to recurve and explode just
behind him, showering us with shimmering shards of broken ice.

"What the hell is happening to Ike?!" Tony shouted as he landed beside me.

"I... I don't know," I said before turning to Ike. "Uh, hello? Ike? Is that you?
Can you hear me? I'm RB, your boyfriend. Please don't hurt me if that's not you," I
called at Ike as I walked towards him.

Ike suddenly looked back at me with such intensity in his glowing eyes that I was
forced to look away and step back a few paces.

"Just go and help Faye," Ike said, gesturing at Faye who's now back to normal and
struggling to stand. "I'll deal with those two," he added before flying towards
Belarma and Froilan.

Tony stood beside me. "What did he say?"

I just stared blankly at the same spot where Ike was hovering earlier. "I'm wet."

"What the hell?" Tony uttered, throwing me a confused stare.

"Nevermind," I said as I blinked several times. "We should help Faye. Let's go."

Thankfully, she doesn't have any serious injuries aside from the strange burn marks
on her body that look like forks of lightning. However, she's extremely weakened
and couldn't even stand up on her own. Tony and I immediately helped her to stand.

"What happened, sis?" I asked. "I thought you've become Superman's cousin earlier."

"I don't know," Faye replied weakly as she coughed and gasped for air. "Ike must've
done something earlier. I'm not capable of shooting laser beams using my eyes.
That's utterly impossible for a Healer like me."

"Then what the hell happened?" Tony asked.

A sudden explosion shook the ground violently followed by the searing heat of a
blast wave. We turned around to see Ike holding Froilan and Belarma by the shield
on their backs. Green flames with crisscrossing lightning bolts burned around them.
Ike suddenly crushed their shields with a loud crunch, making the two disappear in
an instant.
"Belarma and Froilan are out!" Professor Ojeros said. "Emerald is on fire,
literally and figuratively! Sierra has lost three of its participants! The tables
have turned in an instant!

The glowing lightning markings on Ike's body suddenly disappeared before he fell
with a loud thud on the ground. I immediately ran towards him as Tony carried Faye.
The others also approached us, having finished defeating all the Gladiators from
the other teams.

"Ike!" I said, shaking him a bit. "Are you hurt? What the hell happened to you?"

Thankfully, he doesn't have any injury and he's also conscious. "I'm fine, and this
isn't really the time to explain what happened to me. The others are leaving us
behind. We need to run," Ike said.

"But you're too weak to even move," Aliyah said.

Faye placed her hand on top of Ike's head. "I will restore your stamina but this
will eliminate me from the game. I'm already weakened so much anyway. Go win this
thing, guys. I'm sorry if I have to check out this early."

"But Faye—"

"Just keep running! You guys can survive without me. Just stick to the plan and
win, okay? Don't argue with me. Now, relax," Faye said before taking a deep breath.
Her hand placed on top of Ike's head glowed a bit as she muttered a few strange
words under her breath. The shield on Ike's back also glowed, restoring his energy
and stamina. Faye's shield, on the other hand, vibrated vigorously before
shattering.

"Do what you have to do, RB," Faye said as she placed a firm hand on my shoulder,
her eyes burning with a cold fury. "You have my faith and trust."

I nodded at her. "And I won't fail you, sis."

Ike who is now sitting on the ground also nodded at Faye. "Thanks a lot. I won't
let your efforts go to waste."

She gave us a final nod before finally disappearing from our sight.

"And Lena is the first casualty from Emerald," Professor Romeus declared. "It was
clever of her to restore Lunaria's stamina given their current situation. However,
Emerald is now dead last in the race. Veron is leading the pack followed by Sierra,
NAA, and PWU."
"Let's go!" Ike shouted, now rejuvenated with Faye's healing. "Time is not on our
side! We need to hurry up to reach our next runner!"

Because of my magical prowess and impeccable skills, Ezekiel assigned me to stay

close to the current runner to protect him or her in case of an ambush. We have
specific roles and positions depending on the current terrain we're in.

"Are you still willing to do it?" Ike asked me as he ran.

"Dude, I have no choice," I replied as I glided on a sheet of crystal just beside

him. "I have to make this sacrifice in order to prove my theory. If I'm wrong, then
at least I tried. If I'm correct, then that championship is ours."

Ike sighed deeply. "Well, I have faith in you and I didn't fall in love with you
for no reason."

I tripped on my own crystal and nearly stumbled if I wasn't able to regain my

balance quickly. "What the heck, dude?! Why say that now?!" I shouted angrily at
him.

"What?" Ike replied, his lips curving into a faint smirk.

"Nothing, goddammit!" I shouted before launching myself into the air. "I'll just
fly!"

No one attacked us after our first clash with Sierra. I have a feeling that they
were also taken aback by the strange behavior of Ike earlier and are now regrouping
and planning their next move against us. Well, I can't complain. The longer I get
to stay here in the field, the longer I'll be able to help the team.

We didn't get attacked by others teams but the terrain proved to be quite
challenging. Because nearly all the volcanoes around us are exploding, we
frequently have to take cover from the occasional downpour of flaming rocks or
scorching lava. Thankfully, all of us made it out alive of the volcanic terrain.

"And here comes Emerald! They've quickened things up and are now second in our race
—right behind Veron! Things are getting interesting now!" Professor Ojeros said.

"For the player count, Emerald currently has the most number of players with only
one eliminated player. Veron and NAA have seven active players. Sierra and PWU both
have six," Professor Romeus added.

"There's Jack," Tony said as a swampland loomed ahead of us. A gunshot suddenly
erupted from somewhere above us, signalling Jack to start running. I landed back to
the ground the moment we reached the swampland and created a sheet of crystal
around us to allow our defenders to run unhampered in the swamp.
"I'll take things here, bro. Nice work!" Jack said as he took the emerald gem from
Ike. "Now, let's take that first spot!"

With Jack's every step, the area around his feet freezes, allowing him to run
smoothly without getting slowed down by the muck—and that is the reason why Ezekiel
assigned him specifically in this terrain. Just like what I said earlier, we have
specific formations and functions for every terrain.

"Look at Emerald, Garrick," Professor Ojeros said. "It's very clever of them to use
Abareñas in that terrain. Their runners haven't slowed down a tiny bit. Well,
that's Ezekiel Evanesca for you. It's a shame that he never tried to apply in the
NMLEA."

"Ezekiel Evanesca working at the NMLEA is like Zeus living with mortals. I think
it's a wise decision for him to go straight to Mount Olympus instead of wasting his
power in Hades," Professor Romeus replied.

"Clever as usual, Garrick!"

"Shut up."

Ike suddenly looked at the sky, an expression of apprehension and foreboding

painted on his face. "Ezekiel warned me that NAA is doing something shady. He
thinks they're going to attack us. Calm yourself, Jack. As much as possible, don't
fight. We can and will protect you at all costs," he said.

"I am calm, dammit!" Jack shouted at him.

Ike stared at him coldly. "Yeah, sure."

"Well, since NAA is going to attack us, let me prepare a welcome feast for them," I
said before rising into the air. Hundreds of crystal spikes rose from the swamp
before morphing into crystal ravens. The ravens, shimmering grandly with the
reflected light coming from the sun, flew around us in circles and cawed ominously.

We're already in the middle of the swampland when thunderclouds covered the clear
sky. Without any warning, the water around us suddenly rose high into the air,
shattering the crystal sheet and causing nearly everyone in our team to fall to the
swamp. Three persons rose from the swamp just a few meters ahead of us, and I
instantly recognized them as the Veloso twins together with their Lightning Weirdo,
Janus Bertin.

Wasting no time, I clicked my fingers and sent all the crystal ravens around us
flying towards the three. However, another flock of ravens—real, living ravens—
attacked my crystal version. I looked behind us and saw Sierra's Mañago—their
Animal Affinity Weirdo, together with Christiansen—the Robotic Body Weirdo.
"It's an ambush!" I shouted angrily.

Multiple forks of lightning erupted from the clouds above us. Before anyone from
our team could even react, some of the lightning bolts hit our teammates,
automatically eliminating them from the game. Everything happened so fast that I
didn't even see who among our teammates got hit.

"Arellano and Achillerio are out. Emerald has six remaining players."

"YOU FREAKING BASTARDS!!!" Jack shouted angrily before slamming both his fists on
the ground, creating huge ice spikes around us that expanded quickly in all
directions—freezing the entire swamp. He then punched the ice wall in front of him
to reveal a clear path.

"Let's go!" Ike shouted as he pushed Jack forward. "Dang it. I really wish we could
fly," he added in a whisper.

"I can run alone. You guys go and make those bastards regret their decision to mess
with us," Jack said.

"No freaking way," Ike snapped at him. "You are the last person that I'll leave
alone especially in a situation like this. By the way, Ezekiel said that we're
approaching Jared's waiting area. Our opponents are still around. We should run as
fast as we can while they still can't see us."

"Ezekiel also said that Sierra and NAA seem to be conducting a series of attacks to
weaken our team," Ike added. "The first attack earlier was to take out Faye—which
they were able to do. The second attack which is happening right now, is probably
aimed at Aliyah, Alice, and Tony. As you can see, they already eliminated two of
them."

"The third and final attack will be probably aimed at Ike, Jack, and me," I added,
now seeing the logic behind the attacks. "And it will most likely involve Koshi,
Ayumu, and the Veloso twins."

"And why would they do that?" Aliyah asked.

"To assert their mastery on our team and to crush the leaders of this team
totally," Ike replied. "That way, they will destroy whatever comebacks that we
might still have. And the people who started our skid in this tournament are the
ones who will put an end to it."

Without any warning, Ike suddenly opened his arms wide on his sides. His hands
emitted jets of bluish light that took the shape of a huge ball, enclosing all of
us inside it. Just a few seconds after Ike enclosed us inside his ball of force
field, a powerful explosion suddenly erupted from somewhere in the middle of Jack's
towering ice spikes followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering ice.

A blast wave swept through the entire frozen swamp, shattering and crushing all the
ice spikes in the area. Broken ice cascaded down on us, and if not for Ike's ball
of force field, we would've been buried alive under tonnes of ice. With a deafening
crack, Ike's force field broke, sending another blast wave around us.

"I think this is a bit unfair, isn't it?" Yohan said, appearing a few meters in
front of us together with his twin. "I mean, you're only four and we're five. I
think it's just fair that we also trim our numbers to four."

The bodies of Yohan and Yael were reduced to
then interlaced and mixed to form the figure
light faded away, a person with multicolored
has a taller and bigger build than the twins
them, but the same expression of smugness is
glowing multicolored smoke. The smoke
of one person. When the smoke and
hair and eyes stood in front of us. He
and he also looks a bit different from
still pretty evident on his face.

"ARE WE ACTUALLY SEEING THIS?! ARE WE ACTUALLY FREAKING SEEING THIS?!" Professor
Ojeros shouted in utter disbelief. "The Veloso twins just fused! THEY JUST FUSED!
Can you believe this, Garrick?! The crowd is going wild!"

"F**king show-offs! TAKE THIS!" Jack shouted, sending a volley of ice spikes to the
twins. The latter just clicked his fingers, causing the ice spikes to turn to mere
snowy dust.

"BEHIND!" Ike shouted as three persons landed behind us. Aliyah turned around
before blowing her flute, sending a high-pitched whistle towards the three. Bertin,
Christiansen, and Mañago were all blown away before crashing against a huge block
of ice.

Aliyah then changed the earsplitting sound of her flute into a mellow and soft
melody. Within moments, the three men collapsed to the icy ground—all of them are
apparently deep in sleep. I was about to approach them to break their shields when
an ice wall rose from the ground to hide them from view. Yohan and Yael's fusion
suddenly landed between us and the three men.

"Not so fast, RB," the twins' fusion said to me.

"And you're not so fast, either," Jack replied before flicking his hands toward the
fusion. As if being controlled by invisible hands, the twins' fusion was forced to
kneel on the ground with his arms behind him. Jack then made a few complicated
gestures with his hands before slowly lowering them, causing the fusion to fall
face-first to the ground.

"That felt good," Jack said with an evil grin.

"But this won't," the twins replied. Rock and ice spikes together with jets of fire
suddenly erupted around the twins before flying straight towards us. Jack, Ike, and
I both made an upward sweeping gesture with our arms to summon a towering wall of
ice, rocks, and crystals in front of us, blocking the twins' attack.

"Let's run!" Ike shouted as he pushed Jack once more. The four of us started
running as fast as we can towards a conifer forest looming about a hundred meters
ahead of us.

"Over here!" Jared shouted at us as we approached his waiting area. We haven't even
reached the forest yet when Jack suddenly threw our team's emerald gem towards
Jared who made a perfect catch before running immediately.

"Can't you use your powers just like what you did earlier?" Jack said to Ike as we
finally caught up with Jared. "That would be really handy. Also, I'm really
irritated seeing those bastards showing off their skills."

"I can't," Ike replied. "And even if I can, I won't. We no longer have Faye, and we
can't afford to do risky things now that she's no longer around. Besides, I don't
know how to do it consciously."

I looked up at the TV monitor hovering high above us to see our current place in
the race. To my surprise, we're actually in second place—right behind Sierra. It
seems that despite all the attacks that have been directed at us, we were still
able to catch up with the others. However, the other teams aren't far behind. If
everything goes according to the plan, we might actually win this thing and unveil
what could be Sierra's biggest weakness.

But of course, I know very well that Sierra and NAA are going to ruin our plan in
whatever way they can.

I feel a bit safer now that we're running in the middle of this conifer forest. The
trees around us provided protection and cover that we didn't have back in the
previous terrains. If Tony didn't get eliminated earlier, our plan was to make him
hide in the trees to serve as the sniper for the attackers that might ambush us;
but for now, we just have to work with what we have.

"Ezekiel said that the other members of Sierra and NAA have returned to their
lanes. The twins, however, are still running after us. We should really be alert
because they might execute their third and final plan at any moment," Ike said. "We
should also stop summoning Gladiators for we will surely use them later once Sierra
and NAA attack us."

"Why can't they just leave us alone?" Jack blurted out.

"Because we're Emerald," I said grimly. "Because they want to prove that they are
better than the students of the best magical school in the country."

"It's not our fault that they're insecure with us," Jared added. "Seeing how their
representatives are behaving in this tournament, I'm really glad that I didn't
enroll in Sierra despite getting a recommendation."

"Excellent decision, bro," Jack said to him.

"Sierra and NAA are also both approaching their final runners!" Ike shouted at us.
"Ezekiel suspects that they will attack us once they reach the final part of the
obstacle course."

Just like what Ezekiel told Ike, no one attacked us in the first half of the
conifer forest. It's actually a bit unnerving that after all the attacks we've
faced so far, we're now running completely alone in the middle of this silent
forest. It's like the calm before the storm.

After another half an hour of running, Philip's waiting area finally loomed ahead
of us; but instead of Philip, waiting for us in the boundary was a cheetah.

"CATCH!" Jared shouted, throwing the emerald gem towards Philip who leapt into the
air to catch the gem with his mouth. Ike grabbed Jared, and Jack grabbed Aliyah as
we flew because there is no way in hell that we're gonna be able to catch up to a
cheetah.

"And Emerald overtakes Sierra to claim the first spot! The green team has now
reached the final three kilometers of the race! The other teams are now approaching
the final leg as well!" Professor Ojeros shouted.

An ominous darkness suddenly enveloped the entire sky above us. Thunderclouds also
appeared above, emitting a few flashes of lightning every now and then. The air
suddenly became so chilly that all of us started exhaling foggy breaths. We all
knew what's going to happen, and we're just waiting for the trouble to transpire.

"I have faith in you, guys," Ike said as he looked straight ahead. "We can win this
game. We will win this game. I won't let our efforts be put to waste. If I have to
break all the bones in my body so that we can win, I'll willingly do it. I am the
team captain, and it is my job to continue fighting even if everyone has given up."

Right after Ike said those words, forks of lightning suddenly hit the ground
between us and Philip. Koshi, Ayumu, Yohan and Yael (now unfused), Althea, and
Denver suddenly appeared in front of us, separating us from Philip.

"RB!" Ike shouted as he released Jared.

The two of us moved as one—somersaulting in midair and past the students of Sierra
and NAA, leaving behind Jack, Jared, and Aliyah to slow our opponents down. About a
dozen of Crystal Golems fell from the sky as a towering wall of crystals and rocks
rose to separate us from the others. I saw Jack raising a fist towards us before
the wall finally hid them from view.
Ike grabbed my hand before sending a couple of blast waves behind us, boosting our
flight towards Philip who hasn't slowed down a bit.

"We're halfway between Kilometers 13 and 14," Ike said, relaying Ezekiel's words to
us. "We just have to go as fast as we can to reach our podium."

"I have a really bad feeling about leaving those three behind," I said as I looked
back. "I mean, Ayumu is powerful enough to eliminate them in a single stroke."

"And they will probably just toy with us," Ike said.

A fork of lightning suddenly erupted from the sky and headed straight to us. I
immediately grabbed Ike away from the lightning's path, only to realize just a
second later the fatal mistake that I just did.

The lightning hit neither the two of us because it wasn't actually intended for us.
There was a loud cry followed by the unmistakable thud of a body hitting the
ground. I looked behind just in time to see Philip, now back to normal, lying
motionless on the ground. We were about to approach him when he suddenly vanished
from our sight.

A loud buzzer went off. "Martinez has been eliminated. Emerald now has 5 remaining
players."

Wasting no time, Ike immediately grabbed the emerald gem before running. Even I
didn't have the time to feel anything as I ran after him. Behind us, distant
explosions boomed and echoed throughout the forest. We don't have time to talk or
even look behind us. Even the commentators have gone silent as Ike and I ran
straight forward.

Another fork of lightning hit the area ahead of us, carrying with it Koshi, Ayumu,
and Denver. An ominous shadow also covered the ground around us.

We're trapped.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have a date or something?" Koshi asked us, his
lips curving into a wide grin.

Without any preamble, I lunged straight towards Denver, catching him by his throat.
Koshi and Ayumu, both obviously surprised by my sudden move, turned towards me. Ike
and I locked eyes for a moment before he dashed away from us. Ayumu's shadow
followed Ike, but I immediately created a crystal wall to hide Ike from view before
smashing my hand against Denver's shield.

The effect was immediate. The shadows covering the sky and the ground retracted
back to Ayumu's body. Wide-eyed and shocked, Ayumu looked at me with an obvious
expression of fear on his face.
"Ah... Fear..." I whispered softly as the wavy black markings suddenly appeared all
over my body. "I'm surprised that you also have it, dear Ayumu," I said in a low
voice before dashing towards him quickly.

Ayumu raised a hand towards my direction, enveloping me in total darkness. I

instinctively raised a hand to touch his shadow covering my entire body. To my
surprise, I was able to absorb it with the help of my black markings. I then heard
Ayumu gasp as we locked eyes for a second, my lips curving into a wide grin. There
was a loud shatter as he finally broke my shield with his shadow, but he knew that
I just discovered their biggest weakness.

I looked at Koshi and Ayumu with a triumphant smile on my face just before I
totally disappear from the terrain.

"I win."

●●●

My body hit the cold floor of our surveillance room with a dull thud. Ezekiel
helped me to stand before forcefully slamming his hand against my back.

"That was brilliant, RB!" he said, failing to hide his amusement. Even the others
either thumped my shoulders or hugged me tightly.

"Did Ike make it?" I asked as I turned to the monitor, completely ignoring all of
them. "How about the others?"

There were three consecutive thuds as three bodies suddenly appeared inside our
surveillance room. Jack, Jared, and Aliyah all looked disheveled and shaken. Cuts,
bruises, and a few burns are all over their bodies, too. Thankfully, none of them
needed serious treatment and Faye was able to give them first aid.

"Wait," Tony said before standing up to watch the TV monitors in front of us. "Does
that mean..."

Ezekiel turned his eyes back to the monitors. "Ike is all alone now, and he's
already halfway between Kilometer 14 and the podium."

A deathly stillness and silence rippled throughout the entire room. Even the
Emerald crowd and the commentators have gone completely silent. I can even hear
Professor Ojeros muttering.

"Come on, boy... Hurry up. The others are just behind you..." he said under his
breath.
"Ike, they're closing in on you," Ezekiel said, panic rising in his voice. "Please
hurry up a bit. You are nearly there."

Just after Ezekiel said those words, forks of lightning hit the ground just a few
meters in front of Ike, carrying with it Koshi, Ayumu, Althea, and the twins. Ike
jumped into the air before sending a blast wave behind him, propelling him past the
five.

Ayumu pointed his hands to Ike, wrapping his feet and arms with shadows and causing
him to crash to the ground. Ike tried to crawl away from them but Ayumu's shadow
held him back.

"You know, we can end everything here, Ike. I mean, I hate fighting you. You guys
are powerful and scary, really. That's why I'm giving you a chance. You can
continue fighting and continue suffering, or you can end your agony right here,
right now by saying the magic word," Koshi said.

Ike didn't say anything. He just stared fiercely in front of him, in the path
leading to our podium.

Koshi pointed a hand to Ike before sending a bolt of lightning towards him. The
latter convulsed and writhed in pain but he didn't say a word. A moment later, a
blast wave erupted from his feet, sending the others flying backwards and freeing
himself from Ayumu's shadow.

However, a lasso of fire suddenly hit Ike's back with a loud whack, causing him to
collapse on his knees. A long diagonal gash appeared on his back as the fire burned
his jersey and skin. Ike, however, didn't even look behind him and just continued
running as fast as he can.

"Leave him alone, you bastards," Jack whispered angrily.

The twins sprouted from the ground to block Ike's advance. "Man, you guys should
try to slow down a bit. Maybe a few ice might help you?" Yael said before sending a
volley of ice spikes towards Ike who immediately conjured a force field in front of
him to block the attack. However, Althea suddenly appeared beside Ike before
punching him in the abdomen, causing Ike to cough blood.

"I can't look anymore," Alice said before burying her face on her hand.

Ayumu and Koshi approached Ike who is now on the ground. The latter put a foot on
Ike's head, forcing his face to slam on the ground. "I've given you a chance, Ike.
Isn't it clear? We're stronger than you. We're more powerful than you. We're better
than you. Anyone who thinks otherwise are either your supporters or total idiots,"
Koshi said.

"Or people who know how to respect others," a familiar voice said.
Metallic blades together with a strong gust of wind and a lightning bolt suddenly
flew towards Koshi's group who were forced to scatter. To our surprise, the
remaining students of PWU and Veron suddenly landed all over the place. Phoebe's
team seems to have teamed up with Teima's to help Ike.

"Run," Teima said to Ike as he helped the latter to stand.

"But... You guys..."

Teima tapped Ike's shoulder. "Run. We'll buy you time. Your podium is not far from
here. We've seen enough, and they've gone too far. Go and win this game, Ike. You
deserve to win, and I saw it."

Ike nodded at him. "Thank you very much," he said before running away.

Ezekiel gave some instructions to Ike as the latter ran away from the fight. "Don't
throw the gem to the podium, Ike. We don't want it to end up getting snatched by
the other teams. You're nearly there, and if nothing bad happens, we might actually
win this thing. Are you fine?"

"My body's aching all over," Ike replied, limping slightly as he ran. "But I'll
survive, don't worry. And, uh, Ezekiel, is it okay if I talk to RB? I mean, you can
just tell him your instructions. That's not against the rules, right?"

Ezekiel took off his earphones and mic before giving them to me. "You heard him.
Ike needs you."

"Hey there, hubby. Miss me already?" I asked him after wearing the earphones and
mic.

"Shut up," Ike replied.

"Your injuries look bad," I said.

"And Faye can heal them once I'm done running," he said. "By the way, were you able
to execute your plan?"

"Yes, hubby. I finally discovered the biggest weakness of Sierra. Now, all we have
to do is win this game. Ako na ang bahala sa Games 4 at 5. You've done so well
tonight, hubby. I feel bad that you're all alone in the terrain now, but you're
nearly there. In fact, once you turn left..."

A circular clearing in the middle of the forest greeted Ike. Standing at the very
center of the clearing is a glowing pedestal made out of pure emerald. The edges of
the clearing lit up as our team's emerald gem also glowed brightly. Ike then limped
towards the pedestal before stopping right in front of it.

I can see Professor Ojeros and the Emerald crowd going crazy in one of the TV
monitors, but Ezekiel must've muted the audio coming from them. Even our teammates
have gone wild inside our surveillance room.

"Now, Ike, put that emerald gem on that pedestal and let's f**king win this game,"
I said.

Ike was about to place the gem on the pedestal when shadows suddenly wrapped around
his arms and legs. With a mighty heave, Ayumu pulled his shadows back, sending Ike
flying away backwards from the pedestal. Koshi and Yohan also teleported to the
place with the help of a lightning bolt.

"Surprise," Yohan said.

"Why can't you just let us win?!" Ike shouted as he struggled against the shadows
bonding him.

"This is a game, Ike," Koshi replied. "We can't just let our opponents win. Don't
worry 'cause it's not you, Ike. It's your school. So, yes, no hard feelings, okay?
Besides, you're not that threatening compared to your teammates."

Ice spikes covered Ike's body which swiftly crept up towards Ayumu, freeing himself
from the shadows. Using a blast wave from his feet, Ike propelled himself past
Koshi and Yohan and towards the pedestal.

Althea suddenly descended from the sky before slamming her fists against Ike,
causing the latter to crash violently to the ground. Ike tried to stand but shadows
covered his body once more to hinder him from advancing any further.

Rock spikes, fire balls, spells, punches, and lightning bolts flew towards Ike who
conjured a barrier around him in hopes of blocking the attacks being directed at
him. A mixture of blood, sweat, and tears dripped from his face as he tried his
best to move forward despite the relentless attacks of our opponents. His left arm
and right leg are both bent in odd angles probably due to Althea's attack earlier.

All the girls in our room are already crying on their hands, not having any
strength to watch the gruesome scene being displayed on the monitors. The others,
especially Jack, just stared furiously on the screens with their hands balled into
fists and tears dripping down their faces.

"Why don't you try using your telekinesis?" Koshi asked Ike. "That's the only thing
you're good at, right? Come on, show me your useless weirdness. You can also say
the magic word now to end your sufferings."
I wiped my tears away before speaking to my mic. "Ike... Please surrender now. They
won't stop until you surrender to them. Ike, please..."

"I won't... let the team... lose again," Ike replied.

Huge cracks have already appeared on Ike's shield. Almost his entire body is
bleeding, and he's now kneeling on the ground as he outstretched his arms towards
the pedestal.

"COME ON, IKE! DON'T MAKE ME LOSE MY PATIENCE!" Koshi shouted as all the attacks
directed at Ike intensified.

Ike let out a wild scream as the ball of force field surrounding him suddenly
expanded, blasting away all the attackers. The force field grew and grew until it
finally imploded—collapsing on itself and retracting back towards Ike.

A colossal explosion rattled the entire Diamond Battle Dome as a shock wave rippled
throughout the entire building. Rocks, chunks of land, trees, and other debris flew
in all directions. The explosion lasted for nearly an entire minute as the roaring
of the wind reverberated throughout the place. The chaos eventually subsided and we
were able to see what happened on the field.

All the trees have been flattened, huge cracks have appeared on the ground, and
there's only destruction as far as the eyes could see. However, almost everyone in
the battle dome ignored the catastrophe and just searched for one particular person
on the field.

The emerald gem is now hovering on top of the pedestal. Ike, however, has collapsed
to the ground. Both his arms and legs have been bent in odd angles. Burns, cuts,
bruises, and all wounds imaginable occupied nearly every inch of his body. His
face, half-buried on the ground, has been smeared with a mixture of blood, sweat,
and tears. The whites of his eyes have showed up, and we can't even tell if he's
still alive or not.

We know we just won the third game, but none of us, not even the crowd supporting
us, had any strength to celebrate our victory. Everyone in our room was already
crying. Even Ezekiel just crouched on the floor and buried his face on his hands.
The green crowd just stood in total silence as everyone in the building stared at
Ike lying in the middle of all the destruction—mangled, humiliated, and all alone
on the field.

Ike wasn't able to use his elemental powers against Koshi, and, in the end, he had
to rely on his telekinesis to save himself and the team. It's not like he didn't
have any choice in that situation that's why he used his telekinesis.

That was just the best thing he could do in that moment.

        Chapter 48: The Spark of Rebellion [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The sudden roar of the crowd inside the Diamond Battle Dome reverberated
throughout the school grounds. As the deafening noise slowly faded away, a drizzle
of rain started falling from the sky—as if the tiny droplets of water were
disturbed in their peaceful slumber in the clouds by the tumultuous cries of the
crowd inside the battle dome. The people around the dome were either too absorbed
in watching the game being shown on the gigantic TV monitors attached to the outer
walls of the dome or busy taking cover from the drizzle that's why no one paid
attention to a mysterious-looking hooded man who suddenly exited the Diamond Battle
Dome.

No one gave the man a second look as he walked away from the battle dome. His
casual aura as he walked helped him avoid curious stares from the people in the
area. Darkness slowly enveloped the man as the bright lights coming from the battle
dome gradually weakened with his every step.

The man paused under a tree before looking around him carefully. Convinced that
he's completely alone and that no one can see him, he finally took his hood off
before taking a deep breath.

"Game's boring. Let's go," he whispered in a barely audible voice as he continued

walking.

Two persons suddenly emerged from the darkness behind the guy. "I was hoping we
could spend some time here, Jaeron. I was looking forward to seeing Ike."

"You want to stay here? Sure. Vandrick and I will go now and we'll leave you here
to find your beloved Ike," Jaeron replied.

Iris immediately gave him a peace sign. "Just kidding. Please don't leave me. RB
and Crimson will surely murder me once they see me here."

"Where are we headed now, Jaeron? I'm not comfortable in this place. Pakiramdam ko
eh baka bigla na lang na lumitaw si Esmerelda mula kung saan. It's probably a bad
idea for us to go here," Vandrick said.

Jaeron clicked his fingers with his every step, causing the lampposts ahead of them
to die one after the other. "I just wanted to check on our boys before we go to our
destination. It's been a while since I last saw them and all I hear about those two
are their futile attempts to win in the CMMT. Besides, I also wanted to see how
tight the security is in this school. It looks like this place is infested with
police and agents."

"There are agents in every direction I look at. Maybe we should teleport now,
Jaeron," Vandrick replied.

"We can't. I don't trust that shield," Jaeron replied as he threw an uneasy glance
at the green barrier enclosing the entire school. "Who knows what kinds of
enchantment Esmerelda placed around this madhouse. We have to be very careful.
Besides, the entire school is time-locked. Creating a portal here is utterly
impossible."

"Which brings us back to my initial suggestion: Don't make a stopover here in

Emerald," Vandrick replied quietly.

Jaeron abruptly stopped walking upon reaching the center of a wooded crossroads. As
if being driven by some strange force, he suddenly turned on his spot to look
eastward—in the direction of the Emerald Building. A chilly breeze coming from the
tunnel of trees leading to the building blew gently against them. Jaeron closed his
eyes momentarily before taking a deep breath.

"What's the matter?" Vandrick asked wearily. "Is there any problem?"

Jaeron opened his eyes. "Nothing," he replied, his lips curving into a mysterious
grin. "I just want to smell the sweet scent of victory for a bit."

Iris and Vandrick exchanged looks of confusion. Thankfully, Jaeron snapped out of
his momentary trance and resumed his walk towards one of the gates of the school.

"We're getting close to the exit, Jaeron," Iris whispered as the gate loomed ahead
of them. "It's time to use the trick that you used earlier."

The former raised a hand on his side before gently flicking his fingers, creating a
swirling vortex of grey smoke over his hand. The grey smoke, barely visible in the
dark, grew thicker as it continued to turn around in his hand. Jaeron then threw it
towards the group of police and agents stationed at the entrance of the school.

The grey smoke spread quickly before flying directly towards the police and agents.
Everyone at the gate inhaled the smoke before they even realized it was there.
After a few seconds, all the police and agents stood blankly at the gate with a
blank expression on their faces.

"Well, thank you very much for your warm accommodation, my dear police and agents.
Good night. We'll be going," Jaeron said, giving them a salute. The three villains
just passed them without anyone even giving them a glance.

"Care to tell me now what was that?" Iris asked him.

"Memory-erasing gas," he said as they crossed a street. "You won't remember

anything for as long as you're inhaling it."

Jaeron clicked his fingers upon reaching the other side of the road, causing the
grey smoke to suddenly disappear. All the people at the gate blinked several times
and looked around them in bewilderment as if they've just woken from a quick sleep.
"Simple. Handy. Efficient," Jaeron said before raising a hand to his mouth. "We're
already outside the school premises. Did anyone notice us?"

A male's voice replied after a few seconds. "The security is not getting
hysterical, so that must mean that no one noticed your brief visit here. Don't do
that again, Jaeron. I cannot protect you all the time."

Vandrick threw him an 'I told you' look.

"All's well that ends well," Jaeron replied.

"You are our leader, Jaeron. You of all people should know that one mistake can
destroy everything that we've done in the past years. We still do not have a firm
grasp on the Department of Magic, for your info. I serve as your eyes and ears, and
I thought that was enough already for you to stop doing reckless things like that.
Do not try to go here in Emerald again or I will find you and kill you in the
slowest and most painful way possible."

"I understand, and I apologize," Jaeron said. "Thank you for your concern. Alam ko
na marami kang isinakripisyo para sa 'min at ikabubuti lang namin ang iniisip mo.
You're doing a great job. Hindi ko maisip kung ano ang magiging reaksyon nila sa
oras na malaman nilang isa sa pinakamalapit nilang kakampi ang nagtatrabaho para sa
'min."

"Yeah, yeah. Great. I feel appreciated. Goodbye for now, Jaeron. I'm already pretty
stressed with the events here. 'Wag ka na sanang dumagdag pa. I'm out."

Jaeron turned to the two. "We need to find a dark place to teleport. I think
they're already waiting for us."

"Care to tell us now where we're going?" Vandrick asked him as they continued to
walk.

Jaeron took a sudden turn towards a dark alley. "We're going to pay Miranda and
Hector a visit. I want to check the progress of our project."

Vandrick and Iris threw him an uneasy look. "We're going to visit them? Are you
freaking serious? Hindi ko naman alam na balak mo palang makipaglaro sa Department
of Magic ngayong araw. Hindi na sana kami sumama sa 'yo."

Jaeron made a slashing gesture with his hand in front of him, creating a swirling
vortex of darkness a few meters ahead of them. "As I always say, if you don't want
to go, I can and will gladly leave you. Our lives are always in danger. I made that
clear when you joined the legion. Besides, the idiots in their place are probably
watching the CMMT, too. Security is not a problem for us."

None of them spoke another word as they entered the portal. The trio then
reappeared in the middle of an empty and dimly-lit road leading to a building
sitting on top of a wooded hill. The building looks highly modern, with huge glass
walls and minimalist structural design. This place is one of the leading
institutions in the world when it comes to the research in Weirdo Genetics.

"The Philippine Weirdo Research Institute," Jaeron said, opening his arms wide on
his sides.

Up on the upper part of the building, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared behind one
of the glass walls. Jaeron gave the shadow a brief nod before opening a portal once
more, leading them to the room where the shadowy figure is standing.

"Good evening. It's always a pleasure seeing you, Miranda; or should I say,
Director Amadea?" Jaeron said, bowing at her a bit.

A tall lady wearing a white laboratory coat suddenly emerged from the darkness
enveloping the area near the glass wall. She has a dark hair which is contrasted
strongly by a streak of silver. The lady has a particular air of authority and
power about her, probably due to the fact that she's the head of this institution.

"Likewise, Jaeron. Have a seat, you three. Help yourself to some food. And please
just call me Miranda. My ears hurt whenever you call me director," Miranda said,
gesturing to a nearby couch and a table laden with food.

Vandrick and Iris wasted no time and headed straight to the table. Jaeron, on the
other hand, walked towards the glass wall before gazing at the city below them. The
room has a commanding view of the capital city. Jaeron couldn't help but feel a
strange sense of power and authority as he gazed at the vast web of streets,
buildings, and lights below them.

"Such a beautiful view, isn't it?" Miranda said as she stood beside him, her keen
and calculating eyes narrowing a bit.

"Being on top definitely has its benefits," Jaeron replied with a smirk. "Where is
Hector, by the way?"

"He's at the cafeteria together with the others, watching the CMMT. Emerald is
winning, by the way," Miranda replied.

"It's a shame that the same thing won't be said to them at the end of the school
year," Jaeron replied.

Miranda smiled meaningfully. "I presume you went here to check on the progress of
our little project?"

"Of course."
"Then follow me."

Miranda headed towards a double door at the far end of her office. Jaeron signalled
Vandrick and Iris to remain on their seats before following Miranda. Upon reaching
the double door, the latter placed the tips of her fingers on a small screen
attached on the wall beside the door. She then lowered her eyes to the screen.

"Biometrics. Fingerprint and retina scan. Only Hector and I can enter my personal
lab," Miranda declared as the double door slid open with a loud heave.

The lights in the room turned on one after the other as the two walked in. As light
flooded the room, the different apparatuses in the lab came into view. A large
computer stood at the center of the lab. Standing around it are the shelves and
tables containing different bottles and test tubes filled with samples. There are
also a lot of strange and complicated apparatuses around the room.

"I'm amazed on how you can keep this place clean and orderly despite all these
stupid laboratory toys. This is my first time here and I'm pretty impressed,"
Jaeron said.

Miranda just wagged a finger. "Do not underestimate the meticulous eyes of a woman,
Jaeron. I am not a weirdo but I can still organize things without the help of
magic."

"Where is our beloved pet?" Jaeron asked as he looked around the lab.

"She's over there," Miranda said, gesturing to the other end of the lab. "Follow
me."

The two snaked through the labyrinth of tables and shelves occupying the
laboratory. After a few moments, they finally arrived in front of a huge glass
cylinder big enough to fit about a couple of persons inside. Attached to the
cylinder are numerous tubes of different sizes.

Standing inside the cylinder was a young lady who's wearing a black gas mask.
Attached to her body are tubes that are also connected to the tubes attached to the
cylinder. Bulging black veins and huge cracks covered her entire body. She's also
submerged in a clear, bubbling liquid supplied by some of the tubes connected to
the cylinder.

"After years of research, we were finally able to safely contain a Freak Weirdo for
a long period of time," Miranda declared as she pushed some buttons and turned some
knobs on the controls at the bottom of the cylinder.

"That cylinder is made from the strongest bulletproof glass imbued with magic. A
continued supply of tranquilizer helps us contain the destructive magic of the
Freak Weirdo. Hector, on the other hand, erected the strongest Shield and
Containment Charms in the immediate vicinity. This is a Class E specimen, and
that's why she's here inside my laboratory. The PWRI is using her in hopes of
understanding further the nature of Freak Weirdos and to eventually create a
medicine that will cure anyone that gets infected."

Jaeron's lips curved into a smile as he stared at the Freak Weirdo.

"But of course, Hector and I were finally able to harness the destructive powers of
that Freak Weirdo. We're keeping her healthy so that we could harvest more blood
from her, which in turn will allow us to create more Freak Shots. The first few
bullets that we gave you a few weeks ago turned out to be really effective, so
we're going to stick to that formula. Production is still ongoing as I speak. Maybe
you should consider visiting the factory instead of risking your necks here in the
PWRI," Miranda added.

"Nah. I want to see firsthand how you guys do the magic here. Well, it seems that
things are running smoothly here. Now that I am sure that we have a steady supply
of Freak Shots, I now have to find more people that are willing to use those shots
on others. To be honest, I really did enjoy infecting people with those little
devils," Jaeron said.

Miranda nodded. "Well, a lot more is coming your way in the weeks to come."

A faint beep sounded from across the room followed by the heavy heave of the
sliding double door. A lanky man in his late 50s with greying hair and a very stern
expression on his face entered. The man in glasses, also wearing a similar white
laboratory coat, emanated a powerful aura of seniority even stronger than that of
Miranda's. However, what made him really scary was the twisted smile on his face—a
smile that doesn't go well with his stern expression.

"I thought you're watching the game, Hector?" Miranda said as the man approached
them.

Hector, totally ignoring Miranda, bowed deeply at Jaeron. "Good evening to you,
dear Jaeron. I am quite surprised to see you here," he said in a crisp and ringing
voice.

"I just went here to check on our little pet," Jaeron replied.

Hector straightened himself mightily. "Lovely," he said, throwing a momentary

glance at the caged Freak Weirdo. "I'm here because I saw something so intriguing
in the CMMT... something that has a huge implication in the success of the Legion
of Death in the future."

"What can kids fighting each other contribute to our success?" Jaeron asked.

Hector turned around on his spot with his chin raised proudly. "Follow me, you
two."
He headed straight to the computer situated at the center of the laboratory. With
his long strides, he was able to reach the computer effortlessly. By the time
Jaeron and Miranda caught up to him, a video was already playing in a loop in the
huge monitor.

"I saw a strange phenomena involving that Lunaria and the Lenas' only princess,"
Hector said. "The Prime Elemental somehow enhanced the power of Ms. Lena. As you
can see in this video, her eyes shot a laser beam at her opponent. Take note that
Ms. Lena is a Healer, and therefore it is utterly impossible for her to attack like
that."

Hector paused.

"However, in the hierarchy of the elemental powers, we all know that Healing is
just a higher ability of Light Weirdness which is in turn a higher-class element of
lightning. Also, there is a famous theory saying that the Prime Elemental is one of
the parents of all the weirdnesses present here on Earth. If my hypothesis is
correct, then Mr. Lunaria was able to manipulate Ms. Lena's weirdness to give her
the ability to control the elements related to her Healing Weirdness."

Jaeron raised an eyebrow. "And then?"

"Can't you see, my dear Jaeron? If we somehow find a way to acquire or harness his
power, that could give us the ability to control all the weirdnesses in the entire
world. We will become unstoppable," Hector replied, his lips curving into a wide
grin.

"It would be a lot better if we capture Mr. Lunaria. I'd like to do some tests on
that boy myself. He is such a fine, young specimen. I'm pretty sure that I will
thoroughly enjoy exploring his body... Jaeron, my dear, if you ever capture this
young boy, do notify me right away," Hector added as he licked his lips.

"That would be really difficult, especially with Esmerelda guarding him 24/7. But
if we do capture him, I will tell you right away, Hector. Don't worry," Jaeron
replied.

Miranda stepped forward. "Now that I think of it, I think we have some samples of
his DNA here in the lab back when Emerald sent some samples to us to confirm
whether he's the Prime Elemental or not."

"We both know that his samples aren't workable," Hector replied with a deep sigh.
"Esmerelda is a clever woman. Even Elijah Serria's samples aren't good enough for
us to play with. We need samples that we can actually reproduce. I've been
searching for workable samples these past few years but I just can't find anything.
I even gave my directorship to you, Miranda, so that I could focus on researching
the powers and potentials of the Primes."
Jaeron smiled widely before flicking his hand in front of him. A small vial filled
with blood suddenly appeared magically over his hand and hovered carefully in
midair. "Like this?" he asked in a voice filled with malice.

Hector and Miranda stared blankly at the vial of blood.

"This here is a vial of Mr. Lunaria's blood. Back when I acquired it, I really
didn't know what purpose it could serve us. I just had a hunch that his blood might
be really important and useful considering that he's the Prime Elemental," Jaeron
explained.

Hector's eyes widened in disbelief as he raised a hand towards the vial. "Is this
really...?" he said in a breathless whisper.

Jaeron nodded.

The former's lips slowly curved into a wide smile as he wrapped his hand around the
vial of blood. Hector took a deep breath before gazing out of the glass walls of
the laboratory. Below them stood the vast expanse of the capital city occupied with
buildings, streets, blinding lights, and millions of people.

Hector raised his hand holding the vial of Ike's blood as he walked towards the
glass wall—the entire capital city being reflected on the surface of his
eyeglasses. He then let out a ringing laugh that echoed eerily throughout the
laboratory.

He straightened himself up after a few moments before taking a long and deep
breath. "The fate of the entire weirdo society..." Hector said, smiling at the
vial, "...is now resting on our hands."

        Chapter 49: Purple Insurgence [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The game officials had to temporarily stop the game to let the medics
attend to the grave injuries of Ike. Ezekiel and Professor Elena dashed towards the
exit as the terrain switched back to the Ground Alpha.

"We want to come, too!" Jack said, his voice torn between anger and concern.

Ezekiel gave him a stern glance. "You are the last person that I'll bring out
there. Franco, escort them back to the Emerald Building. RB and Faye, come with
us."

"But—"

"Jack, please listen to me," Ezekiel replied in a calm voice. "Ike needs urgent
help. Wait in the Emerald Building for the updates. If Nurse Juliana allows it,
then I'll let you see Ike later. For now, I want you to listen to me."
Jack didn't agree but he didn't argue either. Ezekiel nodded at the two of us and
we dashed after the siblings towards the Ground Alpha.

"I do hope he's okay," Faye said, wiping her tears away as she ran. Even I can't
suppress my own tears.

Nurse Juliana and her team of Healers were already tending to Ike as we reached
their spot. I knelt beside Ike who hasn't shown any signs of consciousness. I can't
even touch him out of fear of worsening his situation. Even Nurse Juliana herself
doesn't seem to know where to touch Ike first. Professor Evanesca also appeared out
of thin air beside us.

"Is he still alive, Juliana?" the headmistress asked.

"He is," the nurse replied, her voice cracking a bit. "But I don't even know where
to touch him first."

"Let me help you," Ezekiel said before putting his open hands just a few inches
above Ike's body. Without moving any part of his body even a tiny bit, Ike slowly
rose into the air without changing his position. A stretcher magically appeared
underneath him and hovered in midair.

Phoebe and Zephyr approached us. Both of them are wounded and limping but they're
still in the game. The two of them hugged me tightly. "Is Ike going to be okay?"
Phoebe asked.

"He's alive," I said as my voice cracked. "But we don't know how grave his injuries
are."

I then approached Teima and his teammates who are standing not far from us. "Thank
you very much for helping Ike earlier," I said to Teima.

"It's nothing," he replied. "Sierra and NAA have crossed the line, and I can't
ignore them and do nothing while they bully the other schools. This is a
competition, I know, but they've gone too far."

In the corner of my eye, I saw the students of Sierra and NAA watching us. I turned
around instinctively before walking towards them. Teima, Phoebe, and Faye all tried
to hold me back but I ignored all of them. The professors who are busy tending to
Ike didn't even notice me.

"I tried to be nice to you," I said in a flat voice as I stared at them one after
another, my eyes resting for an extra second on Koshi, Ayumu, and the twins. "Even
though I really wanted to fight you back, I didn't because Ike doesn't want me to
stoop down to your level."
"I really wanted to crush you in the very first game but I didn't because Ike
wanted us to play fairly. He wanted to give every team the opportunity to play.
Even though you guys always targeted us in all the games, we never thought of
getting back at you because Ike wanted us to win games and not eliminate teams," I
continued.

"Ike is a really good person who's not even capable of thinking anything bad
against his worst enemy. He is a person who has given everything, done everything
to improve himself. He was supposed to attend the National Weirdo Youth Training
Camp, and I'm pretty sure that you would've seen the Ike that I love. Ike is really
special to our team. Ike is really special to me. He is the reason why our team's
morale is still high despite all the setbacks that we've experienced in this
tournament. He is the reason why our team has played in utmost fairness in all the
games. He is the reason why you guys were able to do whatever the hell you wanted
in the tournament."

I shifted on my spot to give them a better view of Ike. "Look what you did to him.
Did he ever do anything bad to you? Did he humiliate you the same way you
humiliated him? Did he make fun of you the same way you made fun of him? You didn't
just hurt Ike when you nearly killed him earlier. You also hurt me, his friends,
and all the people who believe and admire him."

My eyes narrowed as my voiced dipped even lower. "You're lucky that Ike's still
alive, because if he died, I will make sure that all of you will never go back to
your schools in one whole piece. Trust me, I've killed a lot of people before, and
I won't mind adding you to that list."

I turned around before walking away from them. Just before I reach the area where
Phoebe, Teima, and Faye are standing, I momentarily stopped walking before looking
back at Sierra and NAA.

"By the way, don't expect us to go easy on you in the next game. Congratulations,
you finally severed my patience. Good luck, and see you in the Game 4," I said, my
lips curving into a smirk.

A portal has already been opened when we returned to Ike's spot. Faye and I went
with Nurse Juliana and a few of her Healers. Ezekiel and Professor Elena also
stepped into the portal leading to the infirmary. Nearly everyone in the crowd
applauded loudly as Ike was stretchered out of the Diamond Battle Dome.

As soon as the portal closed, Nurse Juliana immediately shouted instructions to her
Healers. I just sat on one of the beds and watched blankly as they tended Ike's
injuries. Even Faye already helped the other Healers. Professor Elena and Ezekiel
just watched in total silence from one corner of the ward.

"Both his arms and legs were broken together with a few ribs... Third-degree
burns... Extreme frostbites... Lacerations all over the body... I even suspect
internal bleeding... For heaven's sake, Ezekiel, why didn't you just tell him to
surrender?! I can't even get mad at this boy!" Nurse Juliana said, tears brimming
in her eyes as she frantically ran her hands over Ike's body.
Ezekiel didn't say a word as he wiped his tears away. I'm really surprised to see
him crying, too.

"I will mend his most serious injuries," Nurse Juliana added. "But I'm telling you,
it will probably take the combined stamina of all the Healers here to heal this
boy. Also, I want you to pull him out of the tournament. No more games! No more
training! If I have to detain him for the rest of the semester here in my infirmary
then I'll do it! I've seen enough, and I can't let this boy risk his life again
just because of some stupid games!"

Ezekiel nodded. "I understand, Nurse Juliana."

The only time that I've seen Nurse Juliana this angry was when the agents attacked
Ike last year. Even Ezekiel was forced to agree to her rapid-fire decisions.

"I won't heal him fully. He's young, but his body has experienced so much stress in
the past few years. There is a limit to everything. This is the problem with kids
nowadays. They think they can do whatever the hell they want with their bodies
because they're still young and can recover quickly. You of all people should know
what I'm talking about, Ezekiel."

I stood up from the bed before heading out of the ward and out of the infirmary. I
went straight to the park in front of the building and sat alone in one of the
benches. From the distance, the voices of Professor Ojeros and Professor Romeus
have been reduced to mere murmurs. The game must've resumed already.

A few minutes have already passed when hurried footsteps suddenly approached the
area where I was sitting. I turned around to see Crimson and Sir Fraeo hurrying
towards me.

"RB!" Crimson shouted the moment he saw me. I immediately hugged him tightly before
releasing all the tears that I've been suppressing this evening.

"You've been so strong and calm tonight, RB. It's just fair that you let yourself
cry even for a few minutes. Go on. Everything's going to be okay," Crimson said as
he tapped my back gently.

They were finally able to talk to me after I've calmed down. "Is Ike in a safe
condition already?" Sir Fraeo asked.

I nodded. "Some of his injuries are serious, but Nurse Juliana assured us that Ike
will live. However, his body might not recover fully from all those stress. This
isn't the first time that Ike got seriously injured, and Nurse Juliana have been
warning him that there will come a day that his body will reach its limit."

"Nurse Juliana is correct," Sir Fraeo replied grimly. "Elemental Weirdos are
particularly prone to permanent body damage because of overusing their weirdnesses.
The human body can only absorb so much damage and stress before it finally breaks.
Nurse Juliana is an expert Healer, but no Healer can heal a body that has already
crossed its limit."

"Ezekiel experienced the same thing, too," he added. "I think it was during our
third year here in Emerald. It was really horrible and scary. Ezekiel's body just
sort of snapped and collapsed while we're on our training. Nurse Juliana was livid
when it happened."

Crimson whacked his bushy tail against Sir Fraeo. "You're not helping, goddammit.
We're supposed to make RB feel better. Stop telling him gruesome tales about
injuries and such. We don't really need that right now."

"What am I supposed to do? I was just saying the truth! I didn't mean any harm,
idiot," Sir Fraeo retorted.

"It's fine. I'm glad that you're here with me because I really don't have any idea
what to do. Our teammates have been sent to the Emerald Building. I don't know if
they'll show up here," I said.

Crimson held my face with his hands. "You were incredible earlier, and as your
seniors in the NMLEA, we're really, really proud of you. You've already done your
part, RB. Ike is safe now. Rest. We'll wait here with you."

I nodded.

"You probably haven't eaten anything yet," Sir Fraeo said. "I'll just buy some food
for us. Hindi pa rin naman kami kumakain nito ni Crimson. Wait for me here, you
two. I'll be quick."

Crimson and I just sat in total silence as we waited for news about Ike's
situation. I really wanted to go inside the infirmary but I couldn't bear to see
Ike in such a horrible situation. I just sat in silence with my head bowed low and
prayed to the heavens to keep Ike safe.

"RB, you're producing too many butterflies," Crimson suddenly said after a few
minutes. I finally raised my face and saw hundreds of ruby butterflies flying all
around us. A lot of them are resting on our bodies while some are on the trees and
plants around us.

"Oh, sorry," I said as I transfigured the ruby butterflies to crystal dust. "It's
just a habit of mine. This always happens to me whenever I get too emotional. I
really don't know how to control it. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," Crimson replied as he smiled lightly. "It's actually pretty

heartwarming to see that your weirdness still has a childish part to it. You have a
really beautiful weirdness, RB. That's saying something because I absolutely love
my weirdness."

"Thanks."

"So you really love Ike, huh?"

"I do."

"My heart broke when I saw what happened to Ike. I mean, he didn't deserve any of
that. He's probably the kindest and humblest person that I've met. Unfortunately,
there are people out there who live just to ruin the lives of other people. Ugh,
why is it that the kindest people get hurt the most?" Crimson asked.

"And that is the reason why we're total bitches," I said.

"Dang it, that is absolutely correct," Crimson replied with a chuckle.

I took a deep breath before looking up at the sky filled with stars. "Ike is a
really unique person. Giving up is simply not included in his DNA. No matter how
hopeless a situation or problem is, he will always find the best possible solution
for it. I've always admired that trait of him ever since I met him."

"What's the plan now? I'm pretty sure that they won't let Ike play in the next
game. No team is allowed to send a replacement for an injured player. You guys have
to play with the remaining 8 members," Crimson said.

I can feel my eyes narrowing a bit as I stared at the distance. "Don't worry, we'll
be fine in the Game 4," I said in a low voice.

Sir Fraeo came back with our food after a few minutes. Professor Sivera and the
rest of the team were with him, too. Due to everyone's insistence, I quickly
recounted Ike's current situation to the rest of the team. All of them fell deathly
silent when I told them that Ike might not be the same again after those grave
injuries.

"Hindi naman 'to ang unang beses na nangyari 'to kay Ike, 'di ba? He's tough. He's
going to make it, for sure," Jared said in hopes of defusing the tension around us.

"That's the problem, Jared," I said grimly. "This isn't the first time that
something like this happened to Ike."

All of us were pretty devastated. The girls are still dumbfounded and are just
staring blankly in front of them. Jack, who usually never shuts up, just slumped on
a bench and buried his face on his legs. Despite the Game 3 finally ending and the
night becoming deeper and deeper, none of us left the infirmary. We all waited
while praying and hoping that there will be no more bad things that will happen to
Ike.

After what it seemed to be ages, Faye finally came out of the infirmary. Obviously
exhausted and clutching a Strength Potion in one hand, she hugged each and everyone
of us.

"How's Ike?" I asked her.

She sat down before letting out a long and weary breath. "He's stable now. We were
able to mend all his shattered bones. Nurse Juliana refused to heal his wounds and
other injuries, though. She wants them to heal naturally so that once they're
totally healed, she will be able to see whether Ike's body will be the same again.
She's furious, I'm telling you."

"Is it really that serious?" Alice asked.

"I'm afraid it is. I mean, Ike's body has been receiving quite a lot of damage and
stress in the past three years. Frankly, it's only a matter of time before his body
finally gives away. Nurse Juliana has been warning him about it that's why it's
really understandable why she's gone ballistic tonight. From the look of things, I
don't think Ike will be able to play for the rest of the season," Faye replied.

A grim silence enveloped us for a few minutes.

"What now?" Jack suddenly said, finally speaking after hours.

I sighed. "Well, we have to be there for Ike especially now. He of all people will
be devastated with that news. Ezekiel will know what to do, and I'm sure that he's
going to talk to us later. Besides, you guys don't have to worry about the games
anymore. I won't let the team lose ever again."

The doors of the infirmary opened and out came the Evanesca siblings. The
headmistress probably teleported to the ward earlier because I never saw her enter
the infirmary through the main entrance.

"We are going to talk to you for a while but you have to go home afer this.
Professor Elena here will teleport you back to your homes or dormitory rooms. By
the way, I presume Ms. Faye here already told you about the situation?" Professor
Evanesca asked.

We all nodded.

"Well, I won't sugarcoat my words. Ike is in a really bad condition. I've never
seen any student—or any person at all—receive that much injury. Tomorrow, we are
going to deliberate on what to do with Ike's future here in Emerald. I've also
talked to Mr. and Mrs. Lunaria earlier and they will be coming here tomorrow to
join us in our deliberation. For now, what we're sure of is that we're going to
pull Ike out of the tournament—"

"What?! You can't do that!" Jack blurted out.

"I'm afraid we have to, dear Jack. I know how important this tournament is to him.
However, we don't want him to end up in an even worse situation. We are merely
doing the best we could possibly do. As of this moment, Ike's health is our top
priority," the headmistress replied.

Silence followed her words.

Ezekiel suddenly stepped forward. "But that doesn't mean that we're going to wallow
in despair and self-pity. Ike already saved our asses in tonight's game. Now, it is
our responsibility to make sure that his efforts tonight won't be put to waste.
Sierra and NAA have been toying with us too much, and I think it's time for us to
show them that we're not just going to let them bully us. It's time to show them
that we can fight back!"

This is the first time that I've seen Ezekiel show such emotion and fury in his
voice and expression. Despite that, I can still feel a certain fire starting to
burn inside me. I don't know if it has something to do with him being the number 7
agent globally or with him being an Evanesca, but seeing him get really intense
pretty much hyped me up big time.

"Enough is enough!" Ezekiel continued, his voice shaking with anger. "We're not
going to let anyone in our team be put to danger again because of them! If it's a
war that they want—"

"—then it's a war that they'll get," I added, my lips curving into a grin.

Ezekiel raised his fist in the air. All the members of the team raised their fists
and joined them together as we huddled. "This is for Ike," I said. All around me,
the eyes and faces of our teammates are all burning with scorching fury and
intensity. "EMERALD—!"

"—FIGHT!!!"

        Chapter 50: The Absolute Limit [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The others went home or back to their dormitories after our talk with the
Evanescas. I, however, stayed and slept in the infirmary despite Nurse Juliana's
insistence that I should go back to my dorm. Even though Ike's already safe, I
still can't bear to leave him alone, and so I spent the rest of the night in the
infirmary.

The next morning, I took a quick shower and breakfast in the Topaz Building before
going back to the infirmary. It's Sunday that's why I don't have to worry about
skipping classes. And even though it's a school day, I still won't attend classes
because of Ike's current situation. I can't and will never leave him alone.

Ike is still not showing any signs of consciousness. According to Nurse Juliana,
he'll probably wake up later this day or this evening. It was midmorning when Ike's
parents finally arrived at the school. They went to the infirmary first to check
Ike's condition before being escorted to the Emerald Building by Professor
Evanesca. They will probably talk about Ike's future here in Emerald.

"So... Shattered bones in the arms and legs... A few shattered and broken ribs...
Head injury and trauma... Third-degree burns... Severe frostbites... Lacerations
all over the body... Internal bleeding... All in all, his body experienced stress
and trauma so severe that his brain doesn't even want to wake him up yet. It might
even be possible that he won't remember last night's events right away once he
wakes up," Faye said, reading Ike's diagnosis on a clipboard. She's the last member
of our team to leave last evening and she's also the first to arrive this morning.

I just held Ike's limp hand tightly as I stared at his face. Nearly every single
inch of his body has been wrapped with medical gauze.

"And Nurse Juliana really healed just his bones," Faye added. "Oh, boy. With his
injuries, Ike will probably get a lifetime ban from entering this infirmary ever
again."

"Can't you fully heal him?" I asked.

"I can, but I won't," Faye replied firmly. "A lot of people see Healers as a
magical solution to all injuries imaginable. However, the most basic and most
important principle that we Healers should learn is that nothing beats the natural
healing process of the human body. Think about this, RB: If you cut a rope into
two, natural healing will make it into a single rope again, with no traces
whatsoever of the cut. Healers, on the other hand, just tie the rope together. It
mends the cut, but it's not as good as natural healing."

"Healers are just supposed to heal magical or minor injuries because it leaves
little to no effect on the body. With major injuries, we usually let them heal on
their own. If we repeatedly heal a major injury over and over again, there will
come a time where the body itself will no longer be able to heal on its own.
Healing is marvelous against magical injuries, but it's not really advisable to use
on major physical injuries," she added.

Faye approached a nearby window before pulling the curtains covering it, letting
the warm golden light of the morning sun into the ward.

"Nurse Juliana wants to let Ike's injuries heal on their own so that she'll be able
to see how much damage his body can withstand and if his body can still repair
itself after such damage. If all goes well, they might allow Ike to train again. If
not, then Ike will have to reconsider his decision to become an agent."

I sighed deeply. "He's going to be devastated once he hears about this."

"Definitely," she agreed. "Knowing Ike, this is going to be a huge shock for him.
Stay with him once they break the news. He'll need you. Speaking of Ike's future,
ano sa palagay mo ang magiging reaksyon ng parents niya?"

"Tito Israel has always been pretty loose with Ike. He's the type of parent who'd
allow his child to learn on his own. Tita Lara is the one who's like Nurse Juliana.
She's pretty strict especially when it comes to the welfare of her children. That's
to be expected from her, of course. She's a mother after all," I replied.

Faye threw me a calculating look. "What if they decided to pull Ike out from
Emerald? What would you do?"

"First and foremost, I don't think Ike will let that happen. But if his parents
insist on pulling him out of Emerald, then I'll just be there to support Ike. I'll
probably live with him in their house in the province, too. I really don't care if
we don't become agents. I've always said that I only study here in Emerald because
I didn't have any choices back then. Now that I have Ike, I'll just go with him
wherever he goes because I love him," I said.

A strange smile curved across Faye's face as she shook her head. "Looks like
someone here is head over heels in love with this bedridden guy. Well, mukhang
hindi ko na pala kailangan pang mag-alala kahit na ano pa man ang mangyari dito kay
Ike. Sana lang eh maging maayos ang pagtanggap ni Ike sa balita. He's already
reached the lowest of the lows, and I don't want to push him down any further."

As the morning progressed, the members of the team started arriving one after
another. Even all our classmates have decided to visit Ike. Faye just made them
enter the ward in pairs to avoid creating too much noise. While the staff is busy
facilitating our classmates, Faye and I went to another ward where our teammates
have gathered to talk.

"Faye's here," Philip said as we entered the ward. "Maybe now you can ask what
happened to her last evening."

"About what?" Faye asked.

"When you shot that Cordova with those laser beams from your eyes," Jack said,
excitement rising in his voice. "I mean, that was pretty awesome and insane."

"First off, Ike was the one responsible for those laser beams," Faye replied. "I
did some research last evening when I got home and one theory said that the Prime
Elemental is the root of all good weirdnesses here in this world. Because of that,
it can make any weirdness related to it stronger or weaker. Take note, too, that
Healing is just a form of Light Weirdness which is a higher-class element of
lightning. If that theory is correct, then Ike has all the right in the world to
manipulate my weirdness."
"I am familiar with that theory," Tony said. "It has one big flaw, though. How can
you identify 'good' weirdnesses from 'bad' weirdnesses? I mean, it all goes down on
how the weirdo uses his weirdness, right? Even if your weirdness is killing people
with just your stare, if you're going to use that deadly stare on greedy
politicians and heartless criminals, I'd still say that you're doing a really
heroic thing."

"I really don't care if Ike can empower villains or agents. What's important here
is that if he was able to enhance Faye's weirdness, then he must be able to enhance
other weirdnesses as well. I wonder what'll happen to me if Ike enhances my
powers," Jack said.

"Philip could probably transform into Godzilla or something," Tony said with a
chuckle.

"To be honest, I still can't believe that we won the Game 3. I mean, I already
prepared myself for the worst case scenario. Even though we won by the skin of our
teeth, I still feel pretty proud about our victory last night. Ike saved us all,
and I'd rather be on his place right now because he doesn't deserve to be in his
current situation. Ike has always been so kind to me ever since, and seeing him
suffer last evening made me feel really mad with Sierra and NAA," Jared said.

"Mad is a huge understatement," Jack added as he cracked his knuckles. "I won't
stop until I break at least a bone from each and every single member of their teams
in the Game 4."

"I don't think Sierra and NAA will be messing with us in the games to come," I
said.

All of them looked at me.

"Well, we were indeed correct about Denver's influence over Ayumu's shadows. Also,
I was able to absorb Ayumu's shadows with the help of my absorption powers. Our
theory was correct, and Sierra knows that we already know their secret. Knowing
that they're strategic players, I don't think Ayumu will approach us ever again.
Because if they do, I will break every single bone in his body right in front of
Koshi," I said, my voice dipping into a low whisper.

"That's RB for you!" Jack said before wrapping me in a tight hug. "Man, I am proud
of you and terrified at the same time. I'm just thankful that you're in our team."

My lips curved into a sly grin. "You guys don't have to worry about Sierra or NAA
anymore. We will get the justice that we rightfully deserve, and Ike is the last
person on our team that they will hurt."

●●●

Ike's POV
The sound of someone walking around woke me up from my deep sleep. I opened my
heavy eyes, saw nothing but blurred and hazy images, blinked several times, and
opened my eyes again when things have finally cleared up. The first thing I saw was
RB sitting on a stool with his head resting on my bed, apparently deep in sleep.
Faye was walking around the ward while reading something from a clipboard.

I gazed out of the glass wall of the ward and saw the late afternoon sun sinking
slowly behind the Diamond Battle Dome. My entire body feels unbelievably heavy but
my head feels really empty and light.

Faye flinched upon seeing me. "Goodness, you're finally awake. Yay," she said
before turning to another Healer in the ward. "Ingrid, please tell Nurse Juliana
that Ike's awake already. Thank you!"

"What time is it?" I asked.

"It's half past four in the afternoon," Faye replied as she approached me and
started checking my body. "Nilipat ka namin dito kaninang tanghali dahil mukhang
wala naman nang mangyayari pang masama sa 'yo. How are you feeling?"

"My body hurts a bit and I feel really heavy. Other than that, I'm completely
fine," I said.

"Good. By the way, RB here didn't leave your side since you were brought here last
night," she said in a whisper. "Be sure to give him a kiss later. Also, your
parents arrived this morning. Can you remember what happened last night?"

With that, all the things that happened last night suddenly came back rushing in my
head. I leaned against the headboard of the bed and massaged my temples to ease the
sudden pain that I felt.

"Don't worry, we won," Faye said when I was about to ask her what happened after I
collapsed. "You were beaten up really bad, though. Everyone thought that you
were... well, dead. You should've seen Nurse Juliana last evening. Livid and raging
can't even describe her reaction."

I looked at Faye for a few seconds, a feeling of uneasiness welling up inside me.
"Faye, why are my parents here?" I asked quietly.

RB suddenly quivered on his seat before raising his head. Upon seeing that I'm
awake already, he lunged straight towards me, wrapped his arms around my neck, and
kissed me on my lips. I just wrapped my arms around him and answered his kiss
gently. Faye suddenly became so absorbed in reading a paper on her clipboard.

Upon pulling away from me, RB threw me the sharpest stare that I ever saw from him.
"Ike. Vista. Lunaria. Do you have any idea how I felt while you were sleeping
comfortably on this bed for nearly an entire day?"

"I'm really sorry," I said. "I just really wanted our team to win."

"And you did a great job last night, hubby. I think I've fallen for you all over
again, to be honest. Next time, just learn when to stop. I know you just wanted our
team to win, but we also don't want to see you get hurt so bad just because you
want to help the team. You can go hard with my body, but go easy with yours, okay?"
RB asked.

I stared at him flatly.

The door of the ward suddenly opened and in came my parents together with Nurse
Juliana, Ezekiel, and Professor Evanesca. Faye and RB politely gave way to my
parents as they approached my bed and gave me a hug.

"Ma, 'wag masyadong mahigpit. My bones just got mended, and you're gonna break them
again," I said.

"Gusto mo ba'ng balian pa kita lalo? Ikaw talagang bata ka..." sabad naman ni Mama
sabay kurot sa 'kin.

"Sorry po," sagot ko naman. "Anyway, why is everyone here? Is there a big news or
something?" I asked as I looked at them one by one.

As my parents pulled away from me, I saw Faye and RB quietly exiting the ward.

"I'd like Faye and RB to stay," I said firmly. "And whatever it is that you're
going to tell me, better say it now."

Professor Evanesca nodded at Nurse Juliana who produced a clipboard out of thin
air. The nurse took a deep breath as she nodded at my parents who stayed by my
side.

"The bones in your arms and legs were all shattered together with a few ribs,"
Nurse Juliana began. "We were able to mend all your bones. However, you received a
lot of other injuries, both external and internal. I'm afraid that your body has
reached or is nearing its limit, and therefore I didn't heal your injuries. Our
plan is to let your body heal on its own so that once it heals fully, I will be
able to assess the current state of your body."

"Assess for what?" I asked.

The headmistress bowed a bit as she momentarily closed her eyes. "Ike, my dear boy,
the human body can only absorb so much stress and damage before it breaks. You know
that, of course. After what happened last evening to you, we cannot risk your
health anymore. That's why we talked to your parents and we've decided that we're
going to pull you out of the team for the rest of the season."

A sudden, heavy feeling overwhelmed my entire body. My chest tightened painfully

and my mind went totally blank for a few seconds as I stared at the empty air in
front of me. The headmistress' words echoed inside my ears but they didn't make any
sense at all.

"Also, we're going to suspend all your training for the rest of the semester. Nurse
Juliana insisted strongly that you should never experience any physical stress at
all because it might worsen your situation. I also talked to your parents, and they
agreed to postpone your studies here in Emerald. You can continue your studies next
year—"

I tried to rise from my bed but a sudden pain shot through my body, causing me to
collapse back to the bed.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" I shouted, anger rising in my voice. "I'm fine! I'll be fine!
I've been through worse and I managed to survive all of them!"

"Ike, listen to Professor Evanesca," my mom said as she held my arm. "Kapakanan
lang namin ang iniisip mo. We can't let you put yourself in danger numerous times
and hope that nothing bad happens to you. Hindi mo alam ang kabang nararamdaman ko
sa tuwing nakikita kitang naglalaro."

"You know how much it means to me to study here in Emerald!" I said as tears fell
down my face. "I can't stop studying now, especially with the internship coming up
next year. I've come this far and I can't turn back at this point! I'll be fine!
There's nothing wrong with me!"

The headmistress sat on my bed before holding me by my shoulder. "Ike, we're doing
this for your own good. If we allow you to do the things that you usually do, it
will worsen your situation and your dreams of becoming an agent will never come
true. But if you heed our advice and you fully heal your body, I am confident that
you will be able to get back on your tracks. For now, you need to rest. You badly
need it. I know that you will be devastated once you hear about this but you have
to understand the situation, Ike. Your body has its limits. Unfortunately, what
happened to you last night was really dangerous and we were left with no choice but
to keep you away from all possible risks. You are the Prime Elemental, and we can't
afford to lose you. The world can't afford to lose you, especially during times
like this."

I didn't say another word after that. I just stared out of the glass wall of the
ward with tears flowing down my face. When I still remained silent for the next
couple of minutes, the headmistress stood up before ushering everyone towards the
door.

"Ike here needs some time to absorb the news," Professor Evanesca said to the
others. "Mr. and Mrs. Lunaria, please come with me to my office so that we could
talk about our other options. Faye and RB, please stay here with your friend. He
needs you. We'll be going."

I never looked at them as they left the ward. Even when the door finally shut
close, I still didn't throw even a glance at them. I felt RB sitting on my bed but
I still didn't tear my eyes away from the glass wall.

"Hubby, they don't want you to get hurt. I want you to achieve your dreams but I,
just like the others, also don't want you to get hurt. I was really scared when I
saw you after you blew up the entire Diamond Battle Dome. I thought for a moment
that you were dead. I don't want to feel that thing again. No one of us wants to
feel the fear of losing you that's why you have to understand why they have to do
this," RB said, his voice cracking a bit.

I let out a sigh as I adjusted my body away from him. "I'm tired. I want to sleep.
Leave me alone."

Silence.

"We'll be going, then," RB said after a while. "Rest. Maybe we'll just talk
tomorrow. I love you, Ike."

I heard Faye and RB heading to the door. As the door shut close with a dull thud, a
suffocating darkness and silence enveloped the entire ward. After being sure that
no one will enter the room again, I finally let all the tears that I've been
holding back to pour down my face.

No one understands what it feels to be in my situation.

        Chapter 51: A Flock of Red Butterflies [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            So, 'yun.

I'M REALLY SORRY SA MGA HINDI KO NAREREPLY-AN SA FB AT DITO SA WATTPAD!

Again, hindi po ako snob. Hindi rin po ako feeling famous. Sadyang hindi lang ako
naglalagi nang matagal online. Kahit noon pa man, sa tuwing nakakapag-internet ako
eh nagpu-publish lang ako sa Wattpad then alis kaagad. I don't linger around too
much.

Again, I'm really sorry. I will try to reply po sa inyong lahat especially 'yung sa
FB. Selemet.

TheAshtone

●●●
My parents were teleported back to our home the next day after being reassured by
Professor Evanesca that I'm safe already. It's already Monday and all my classmates
have to attend our classes. Even RB had no choice but to leave me after Nurse
Juliana threatened him with a ban from entering the infirmary if he doesn't attend
our classes.

As expected, Nurse Juliana didn't allow me to leave the infirmary. She said that
she wants my injuries to heal a bit before she could release me. I will probably
spend a few more days here in the infirmary before they allow me to leave.

Thankfully, my parents and Professor Evanesca had come to an agreement to let me

continue my studies here in Emerald. Though they won't allow me to participate in
any combat activities at least in the next couple of months. Nurse Juliana will
also be monitoring my recovery very closely. All in all, I have to be very careful
with my body lest I risk my stay here in Emerald.

"Here is your breakfast," Nurse Juliana said, carrying with her a tray loaded with
food. "Eat. Drink your medicine afterward."

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Juliana," I said.

Even though my bones were healed already, she insisted that I stay in my bed for as
long as I'm here in the infirmary. With my current situation, I should be really
thankful that she still allowed me to use my arms freely.

I'm still pretty devastated by the news last night. I wanted to ask Nurse Juliana
to heal me completely but I know that she'll just go ballistic if I ask her. For
now, I need to stay here in the infirmary and hope that my poor body will still be
able to recover from my injuries.

I just finished my breakfast when the door to the ward opened, letting in Ezekiel
in his usual creepy, hooded black cloak. Gliding a few inches from the floor, he
headed straight to me and sat on the bed next to mine.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after removing the hood from his head.

"Better."

"Good. Well, I am here today because my dear nutcase of a sister asked me to talk
to you about the news yesterday. We're pretty sure that you're still in shock
that's why you need someone to make things a bit clearer," Ezekiel said.

"What's unclear about yesterday's news? I won't be able to train or engage in any
form of strenuous physical activity because my body might break. That means I can't
participate in the CMMT anymore or join in practice battles in the Intensive
Training Course or attend my internship. The fate of my career depends on the
situation of my body once it heals and recovers fully. That's pretty easy to
understand," I said flatly.

Ezekiel tapped the bed he's currently sitting on. "This bed is the exact same bed
that I used when I was confined here in the infirmary for a few weeks during my
third year. Nurse Juliana had to almost tie me to this bed when I insisted that I
want to continue my training."

I threw him a confused stare.

"I hope that you can still remember the story that I told you back in the island,"
he said.

"Yeah," I said, nodding a bit.

"Well, ever since I discovered my ability to control the elements using my

telekinesis, I started training like mad to master the other elements, too. I
trained nearly everyday, even during weekends. Of course, it was never easy for a
lowly Telekinesis Weirdo like me. I sustained a lot of injuries. A lot of them were
even serious. But of course, after Nurse Juliana scolds and heals me, I always go
back to my training like nothing happened," Ezekiel said.

He leaned against the headboard of the bed and stared at the empty air in front of
him.

"Nurse Juliana repeatedly told me to go slow with my body. She warned me that if I
don't stop, my body will break and it will never be the same again. But I was like
you back then, Ike. I always say that I'm still young, that there's no injury I
cannot recover from. But one night, Nurse Juliana's fear became a reality," Ezekiel
said grimly.

"I was training in the Diamond Battle Dome together with Franco and Fraeo when that
thing happened. I was so happy back then because the night prior to that one, I was
finally able to produce lightning. I was happily producing lightning bolts when my
body sort of suddenly emitted a loud snap. Blood flew everywhere as I collapsed to
the ground. I couldn't move, speak, feel, or even move my eyes. It was really scary
and horrible. But I was still conscious despite of that. It's kind of gruesome, but
do you want to know what happened to me?"

I nodded.

Ezekiel ran his left hand over his right arm, causing his sleeve to disintegrate
into black smoke and exposing his pale arm. Using a finger, Ezekiel then traced a
huge scar that runs from his palm up to his shoulder.

"My arm split in half and... well, exposed my bone which, hooray, shattered. In
addition to that, both bones in my legs shattered, too. As Nurse Juliana have
warned me numerous times before, my body finally reached its limit and broke."
I winced a bit upon hearing Ezekiel's story.

"For the first few days after that incident, I was paralyzed and couldn't move even
a single finger. Nurse Juliana had to ask for help from her Healer friend that
works out of the country. The two of them, together with all the infirmary staff
and competent Healer students, did their best to fix me," he added.

"What happened next?" I asked.

"Well, they were still able to successfully sew back together all my bits and
pieces. However, after I've fully healed and recovered, my body wasn't the same as
before anymore. There was a part of me that the Healers just couldn't heal no
matter how hard they tried. I could no longer run or even walk straight, and even
if I tried, I always collapse after every few steps—"

My eyes widened as realization suddenly hit me.

Ezekiel smiled. "Yes, that's the main reason why I hover in midair and get so
wobbly whenever I try to walk. I underwent some rehab to see if my legs will still
recover but none of them worked. It seems that I will have to spend the rest of my
lifetime with these wobbly legs."

"I'm really sorry to hear that—"

"I hate being pitied upon by people, so if you want your legs to break again then
just continue feeling sorry for me," he snapped at me. "I may have lost my legs but
that didn't affect me whatsoever. In fact, if I didn't lose them, I would've never
discovered my ability to detect movements around me using my telekinesis. I lost my
legs but they were replaced by eyes all over my body. Not too bad, isn't it?"
Ezekiel said with a playful grin.

He stood up from the bed before heading straight to the glass wall of the ward.
"The job of an agent is highly physical. Even the AI doubted my skills at first
because of the condition of my legs. Luckily, I was able to show them that I really
don't need my legs that's why they still hired me. At first they insisted on making
me work in the offices but I strongly insisted that I wanted to work in the field.
They agreed, and, well, the rest is history."

"What I'm trying to say is that you should really take care of your body, Ike,"
Ezekiel continued. "As agents, our body is our main asset. The fact that Nurse
Juliana was still able to mend your bones means that there's a high possibility
that your body might still recover fully. However, that's not a reason for you to
abuse your body. I know I said before that you should keep pushing walls if you
want to advance. But sometimes, there will be walls that you just wouldn't be able
to push. However, that doesn't mean that you can no longer conquer that wall. You
can try climbing or walking around it. In your case, I can see that you're still
aimlessly pushing the wall away even though your body is crumbling already."
I balled my hands into fists as I stared in front of me. "Studying here in Emerald
means a lot to me. I keep on fighting not only for myself but also because I made a
promise to a friend. I've faced a lot of adversities throughout my stay here in
Emerald. Even though some problems I've faced before seemed impossible to solve,
I've always found ways to deal with them and get out of danger. Even though my will
wanted to waver, I kept it burning inside me. Even though my body wanted to
surrender, I kept pushing myself to go forward."

Tears fell from my eyes as I bit my lip in frustration. "But on that night, I can't
get my body to move the way I wanted it to. I wanted to use the elements but I just
can't properly control them. I know I could've done something better that night,
but my mind gave me nothing but doubts and questions about my skills. I was...
afraid," I said through gritted teeth.

Ezekiel patted my shoulders. "Completely understandable. Bear in mind though that

strong people uses fear to fuel themselves. Even I also have fears. All the people
in this planet have their own fears. Being afraid is as normal as breathing."

"I want to train," I said, wiping my tears away. "I want to keep fighting. I want
to prove to everyone that I can win with my skills, that I am not inferior to
anyone."

"But first, you have to rest. I know how much you want to keep pushing. I
understand it very well because I've been in your situation before. You saved the
team in the Game 3. You've done your part. Now, let your teammates do their part.
We now have a few cards that we can use against Sierra, and I'm pretty sure that
after RB's major discovery, they won't be bothering with us anymore," Ezekiel said.

"But—"

"Rest," he said firmly, throwing me an icy stare. "Listen to Nurse Juliana. She
knows what she's doing. She knows what's best for you. I have to go now because I
have a class in ten minutes. Take care, Ike."

●●●

It's been almost a couple of weeks since the Game 3 was held. RB and the rest of
the team are currently training in the Diamond Battle Dome. Ezekiel was with them
earlier but he suddenly left after a while, leaving them alone in the battle dome.
They're just doing strength and conditioning exercises that's why they don't really
need strict supervision. Julia and Nicolo are still with them, too.

"Girl, I've been saying this a lot but I really love your figure. If my
testosterone production was only a little bit higher, I might've gone after your
curves and buns," RB said to Faye.

The latter just let out a chuckle as she continued with her push ups. "Kahit naman
siguro naging straight ka eh titiklop ka pa rin 'pag nakita mo si Ike."
"True, true," RB replied with a nod. "Ike's hormones are strong enough to make even
the straightest guys go gay. I wouldn't even be surprised if our boys here have a
crush on Ike. Go out of the closet now, gals! We'll gladly accept you!"

"NO, THANKS," Philip, Tony, Jared, and Jack all replied simultaneously.

RB sighed deeply as he continued exercising. Honestly speaking, things have been

pretty tensed between him and Ike in the past few days. They still talk and
everything, of course. However, it's still pretty evident that Ike's not happy with
the decision of his parents. RB tried to talk to him about it but Ike always avoids
the topic.

Thankfully, Ike was finally released a few days ago from the infirmary. Nurse
Juliana required him to go back to the infirmary for his daily check ups. The nurse
really wanted to make sure that his body's recovering well. Ike's still using
crutches but he's been given permission to attend classes. He can't participate in
the combat battles, of course.

"I think we can go for a few rounds with the Gladiators," Jared said after their
exercise. "Can you guys still go?"

"Bring it! Summon a thousand of them!" Jack said while bouncing on his feet like a
boxer.

Jared stared at him flatly. "Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. Target
practice first then combat training later—"

He was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the battle dome's metal doors sliding
open. All of them looked behind and saw Ike emerging from the entrance. Still using
crutches and with nearly his entire body still wrapped in medical gauze, Ike limped
slowly towards them.

"Oh, are you gonna watch us, bro? Cool," Jack said as he approached Ike. "I'll just
help you find a comfortable seat to watch us."

"I'm going to train," Ike replied.

A few seconds of silence followed his words. It was RB who recovered first from the
shock.

"Dude, what the heck?" RB said in disbelief as he stepped closer to Ike. "You
should be in our dorm right now, resting. Did you even hear what you just said?
Maybe you need a mirror so that you can have a better look at yourself. You're
using crutches and you look like a walking mummy with all those medical gauze on
your body, and you want to f**king train?"
"I'm going to train, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," Ike said in a low
voice.

"You want to train? You want to freaking train? I thought everything was already
clear to you? You can't do anything strenuous because your body might break. I
thought everyone already explained that to you. I tried talking to you about it but
you wouldn't even open your mouth to talk. Now you're going to barge in here and
say that you want to train? What the actual, freaking f**k?" RB retorted, his voice
rising a bit.

"Then what are you expecting me to do? Sit and wait and watch? Our full-time
internship will be held next year and I don't have the time to waste. Unlike you,
I'm not powerful enough that's why I'm going to train," Ike retorted.

"We were expecting you to rest while your body recovers," RB replied. "That's the
fastest way for you to be able to return to your usual training. Professor Evanesca
said that all your training are suspended indefinitely. Do you want me to repeat
her words verbatim?"

Ike didn't say another word. He just walked past RB and headed straight to the open
grounds of the battle dome, not even glancing back at the others.

RB closed his eyes for a moment before turning around, facing Ike, and slapping him
so hard in the face that the latter actually wobbled on his spot. Thankfully, Ike
was still able to regain his balance.

"Did that wake you up? Do you want more? If that woke you up, I will escort you
back to the dorm so that you can rest. Stop being so stubborn," RB said, his voice
trembling a bit.

Ike kept his head bowed for a few seconds. Then suddenly, he lunged straight
towards RB before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Ike's crutches fell to
the ground but he's still able to keep himself standing as he shook RB vigorously.
The other boys rushed towards them and tried to separate the two.

"YOU THINK I'M DOING THIS JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO BE STUBBORN?!" Ike shouted as
tears started falling from his eyes. "DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE LOOKED DOWN BY
OTHERS?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW SMALL I FELT WHILE SIERRA AND NAA WERE SHREDDING
MY BODY TO PIECES?! DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE SOMEONE STEP ON YOUR HEAD AND
TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE WEAK? THAT YOU'RE PATHETIC?!"

"Bro, calm down! Ezekiel will kill us if he sees you!" Jack said to him as he tried
to pull him away from RB.

"OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND! SOMEONE LIKE YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND! SOMEONE
AS POWERFUL AS YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS TO BE LIKE ME, TO BE WEAK AND
USELESS! YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M FEELING BECAUSE YOU'RE A DEITY AND I'M
JUST A MERE COMMONER!" Ike continued.
"That has always been the problem with you!" RB shouted back. "You're always
shouldering all the blame! You always act like it's all your fault why our team
always loses! We're here, Ike! WE'RE ALWAYS HERE! We're called a team because we're
supposed to always stay together no matter what happens! Stop acting like it's the
end of the world just because you can't train anymore! YOUR MISGUIDED DETERMINATION
WON'T HELP THE TEAM WIN THIS TOURNAMENT, AND IT WILL NEVER HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR
DREAM OF BECOMING AN AGENT! KEEP THAT IN YOUR MIND!"

Ike suddenly pushed RB away before punching him forcefully in the face. He
unintentionally added a blast wave to his punch, causing RB to be blasted towards
the wall of the open grounds. Jack had to clamp his arms under Ike's armpits to
prevent him from attacking RB any further.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, BRO?!" Jack shouted at Ike as he dragged him away.
"FAYE, HELP ME!"

Faye approached Ike before putting her fingers on the latter's temples. The tips of
her fingers glowed a bit and Ike suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed.

"Bring him to the infirmary. Go have Nurse Juliana check him," Faye said to Jack
and the others before heading straight to RB who is now being helped to stand by
their others teammates.

"Are you fine?" Faye asked him. Cracks have appeared on the part of the wall where
RB crashed earlier.

"I'm fine," RB replied, blood dripping from his mouth.

"You have a cut on your lower lip. Let me heal that for you—"

"I'm totally fine. I think I'm just gonna go back to the dorm and rest this one
out. Just go and bring Ike to the infirmary. Nurse Juliana might need you," RB
replied.

"But—"

"I'm fine. I deserve this," RB added as his voice cracked a bit. "I'll just walk
back to my dorm with Nicolo. You guys go home, too. We'll just sort things out
tomorrow."

●●●

The night is unnaturally cold and silent here in Emerald. Only a few students can
be seen roaming the gloomy school grounds. Among those very few students are RB and
Nicolo who are currently walking beside an open field. The latter was walking a few
feet behind from the former, and both of them are in total silence.
"I'm really sorry for what happened earlier, Nicolo," RB suddenly said without
looking back at him.

"It's okay," Nicolo replied. "But are you sure you're fine? Your cut looks really
bad and you have a few wounds on your arms and elbows. Maybe you should go to the
infirmary. I'll go with you."

RB smiled lifelessly. "I'm fine. Like I said, I deserve these."

Silence.

"Magiging okay lang po ba kayo ni Kuya Ike?" tanong pa ni Nicolo.

RB sighed as he looked up at the sky. "Back when I first met Ike, he was totally
creeped out by my behavior. I would always cling to him and he would always recoil
and try to push me away. We didn't become friends right away, obviously. I really
can't blame him if he didn't trust me at first. I had some serious issues before
because of my past. Of course you know them already. But as I continued to follow
Ike around like an idiot, Ike eventually accepted me and we became friends."

"You might've heard about this but Jaeron has been trying to kidnap me for the past
couple of years. During our first year, I lost control of myself once again and
Jaeron was able to capture me. As usual, Ike was there to save me. That was when I
realized that I truly am in love with him. Ike was just as scared as I was during
that time, but when I realized that he's going to protect me no matter what
happens, that made my heart go crazy wild. I said to myself, 'Man, I finally found
the one.' It's silly but I cried like an idiot when I realized that I'm in love
with him."

A nostalgic smile curved across his face.

"Since then, I just kept on falling in love with him every single day. Eventually,
Ike became a lot hotter and swoon-worthy. It's really fortunate that I took the
first step and fenced him right away while he's still not attracting a lot of
attention. Now, I'm reaping the benefits of having a demigod boyfriend with a
ripped bod and a huge asset," RB said.

"I can see that," Nicolo replied with a smile.

"But I didn't keep on falling in love with Ike just because of his body or his
mouthwatering handsome face. Ever since I met him, I've been a total bitch and a
pain in the ass. But no matter how obnoxious or stubborn I get, Ike will always
understand me. A lot of people have frowned upon my trashy behavior and attitude,
but Ike just allows me to be myself. He accepted and loved me even though I'm
arrogant and I treat people like they're garbage."
RB stopped walking before bowing his head low, his eyes suddenly brimming with
tears. Crystal butterflies made of rubies flew around him dolefully as if they can
also feel the sadness of their creator. Some of them flew around him while some
rested on his head and the rest of his body, fluttering their wings gently against
RB as if trying to comfort him.

"Ike's really special to me not only because I love him or that he's the first true
friend I'd made. When I first met him and when we eventually grew closer, he made
me feel that I'm still normal, that I'm still acceptable, that I can still love and
be loved. He made me feel that I have something during the time when I felt like I
have nothing."

At long last, RB finally broke into tears. He just buried his face on his hands as
he sobbed, the ruby butterflies still flying all around him.

"I screwed up big-time back there, didn't I?" he said as he tried to wipe away the
copious tears dripping down his face. "I should've tried to understand him more. I
shouldn't have said those words to him. Ike's been really patient with me all these
years and yet I didn't even consider what he's feeling earlier. I'm a total idiot,
and now, Ike probably hates me."

Nicolo approached RB and tried to comfort him. He always knew that RB's head over
heels in love with Ike, but he didn't expect that his admiration for Ike was this
deep. And seeing RB in so much pain made Nicolo's eyes brim with tears.

"It's gonna be okay. I'm sure that Kuya Ike doesn't hate you. It was obvious
earlier that he was really mad at himself. Maybe you should probably give him some
time alone so that things could cool down a bit between you two," Nicolo said.

Even though he's still crying, RB was still able to force a smile. "I'm really
sorry if I look like a mess right now. You should probably head back to your dorm,
Nicolo. My dorm's just a block away. Thank you for walking with me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks a lot."

With that, RB walked briskly away from Nicolo, disturbing the ruby butterflies
flying around them. The latter just watched the former as he walked without looking
back. Nicolo knows that RB's still crying, but he really can't think of anything
that might comfort him. Ike means everything to RB. Everything. Nicolo's pretty
sure that tonight's incident was devastating for RB. He just wished that RB and
Ike's current dilemma will strenghten their relationship—not break them apart.

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Hearts broke and friendships were tested, but RB and the rest of the
team have no time to feel sorry for themselves. The Game 4 is approaching, and it's
time for them to use their new cards against their opponents. As for Ike, an
unexpected help will come to him, and it will come in the form of the ninth holder
of the Prime Elemental, Elijah Serria himself. It's the week of preparations and
revelations in the next update of Weirdos III.

        Chapter 52: First Mate [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Jack's POV

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Nurse Juliana shouted as she
healed some of Ike's wounds which opened due to what he did earlier. "SERIOUSLY, IS
THERE ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL THAT CAN PENETRATE THAT THICK HEAD OF YOURS?! HOW
MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP ABUSING YOUR BODY AND LISTEN TO WHAT I'VE
BEEN SAYING TO YOU?!"

Faye and I brought Ike to the infirmary right after his fight with RB. We already
told the others to go home and not wait for us. As expected, Nurse Juliana exploded
upon seeing us carrying the bleeding Ike. I'm actually quite surprised on how she
can erupt like a volcano and treat Ike's injuries with such care and gentleness at
the same time. Even Faye who always spends time with the nurse looked a bit scared
as she stood beside the bed while holding a tray of medical stuff.

"YOU HAVEN'T EVEN RECOVERED A BIT FROM YOUR INJURIES BUT HERE YOU ARE, GETTING
HEALED ONCE AGAIN IN MY INFIRMARY! HOW MANY INJURIES WILL IT TAKE YOU TO FINALLY
REALIZE THAT YOUR BODY IS APPROACHING ITS LIMIT? WHEN WILL YOU STOP, WHEN YOUR BODY
HAS BEEN BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS?!"

"I'M GOING TO TELL ESMERELDA AND YOUR PARENTS ABOUT THIS!" Nurse Juliana continued.
"FOR GOODNESS SAKE, YOU ARE THE MOST STUBBORN STUDENT THAT I'VE EVER HEALED
THROUGHOUT MY CAREER AS A HEALER IN THIS SCHOOL! FAYE—!"

Faye flinched in shock. "P-Po?"

"Go and bring this boy back to his dormitory! Make him sleep! Lock the door! Tie
him to the bed if you have to! Don't ever leave until you're sure that he's asleep!
I'm done for the evening! Good day to you three!" she said before storming out of
the ward and slamming the door behind her.

Faye and I just stared at each other. "Oh, man... I think we broke her..." I
whispered.

Ike was just staring blankly at the empty air in front of him. Surprisingly, he was
able to maintain his expressionless face throughout Nurse Juliana's angry outburst.
If it was me, I would've shrunk and shriveled under the scorching eyes of the
nurse.

"You heard Nurse Juliana. Here are your crutches. Let's head back to your dorm. I
really don't want this infirmary to explode so just please listen to her from this
point on," Faye said to Ike.
"Let me help you with that, bro," I said before helping Ike with his crutches.

Ike didn't say a word as we headed out of the infirmary. Faye and I just walked
behind him, exchanging concerned and weary glances every now and then. It's already
pretty late in the evening but the curfew hour hasn't started yet that's why it's
still fine to walk around the school. Despite of that, the entire campus was
already quiet and devoid of any students.

"How's RB?" Ike suddenly asked as the Topaz Building loomed ahead of us.

Faye and I looked at each other and I gestured to her that she should reply. "He's
fine. Nicolo walked with him to your dorm. Let me just say that it's not cool to
punch anyone, especially the person you love. Pasalamat ka at alam ko ang sitwasyon
mo kaya hindi kita binalian ng buto kanina dahil sa ginawa mo kay RB," she said.

"I'm really sorry—"

"Say that to RB, idiot," Faye snapped at him. "To make you feel a lot worse, Nicolo
told me that RB cried a lot while they were on their way back to that building.
Don't try to apologize to him tonight, okay? Rest first. Let your emotions cool
down a bit. Give him some time alone."

Ike stopped for a while when we finally arrived at the entrance of the Topaz
Building. "You guys can go now. I'll be fine by myself. It's getting pretty late,
you should really go home."

"Do you seriously think that we'll leave you alone at your current state?" I
snapped at him. "I'm gonna sleep in your room tonight whether you like or not, bro.
It's Faye who should be going home now. Ako na'ng bahala rito kay Ike."

Faye glared at me a bit. "For your info, nandiyan na sa labas si Kuya Fraeo.
Remember what Nurse Juliana said? Ike needs to rest. Alam natin pareho na hindi ka
mapagkakatiwalaan pagdating sa mga ganitong sitwasyon."

"That's mean," I fired back at her. "Of course I know that Ike's health is our top
priority. And it's already pretty late, duh. Palagay mo ba ipupuslit ko pa 'tong si
Ike para maglakad-lakad kami sa ilalim ng buwan? I'm reckless, yes, but I'm not
stupid."

Faye just scratched her head. "Fine. I'll be going now, then. Remember, ako ang
unang babali sa leeg mo kapag nagpabaya ka at may mangyaring masama kay Ike. Take
care, boys! See you tomorrow!" she said before walking away from us while waving
her hand.

I just watched her as she disappeared in the darkness over the distance.
"Ugh... girls," I said before turning to Ike who was already walking towards the
magical elevator.

Ike has been pretty silent and lifeless since we brought him to the infirmary.
Honestly, I was really surprised that he's actually capable of getting that angry,
but I was totally shocked when he actually punched RB in the face. I've always
looked at Ike as the calm, cool, and collected guy that's why seeing him act like
that earlier made me really scared of him.

"Uh, you should probably sleep now," I said to him as we entered his room. "It's
still a bit early, though. You wanna talk a bit about what you're feeling? I know
you need someone to talk to that's why I stayed here. Go on. I'll listen."

Nahiga na lang si Ike sa kama niya bago siya tumingala sa kisame ng kwarto. "I was
so stupid earlier."

"You're not stupid, you were just overwhelmed by your emotions," I replied as I sat
on the chair in front of his study table.

"I shouldn't have punched RB. He probably hates me now," Ike added as he let out a
long sigh.

I chuckled a bit. "Bro, do you seriously think that RB is capable of hating you?
Besides, it was pretty obvious from your expression earlier that you were really
mad at yourself, not at him. I'm sure that RB saw that and he will understand your
situation. Dude, he loves you so much. You still have to apologize to RB for
punching him, though."

"Am I being too selfish because of the things I said earlier?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not really. Knowing you, alam ko naman na may tendency ka
talaga na sarilinin ang lahat ng sisi. It's understandable, of course. You're the
captain of the team after all. Naiintindihan ko rin kung bakit gusto mong magtrain
at makabawi dahil ganyang-ganyan din ang gusto kong gawin ngayon. Pero kagaya ng
sinabi ni RB kanina, grupo tayo. Alam ko naman na hindi ka sa 'min nagpapabaya.
You're a great leader, for the record. Pero ang problema nga, masyado kang nagiging
hard sa sarili mo kapag natatalo tayo. Parati mong sinisisi ang sarili mo kahit na
wala ka namang ginagawang mali. We're a team, bro. Magbubunyi tayo sa panalo,
magdadamayan tayo sa pagkatalo," sabi ko.

"We lost in Game 1 because Sierra wanted to humiliate us, not because you weren't
able to do anything. We lost in Game 2 because Sierra simply cannot stand to see us
win, not because you weren't powerful enough to beat Ayumu. You were beaten up
really bad in Game 3 because Koshi is a heartless bastard who's too prideful and
arrogant about his abilities, not because you're weak or inferior to him. It's as
simple as that, bro," I added.

With great difficulty, Ike stood up from his bed before heading straight to the
balcony of his room. I just followed him with my arms extended in front of me,
ready to catch him just in case he falls. He leaned against the railing of the
balcony and stood in complete silence for a long while.

"It seems that I won't be able to play in the CMMT anymore, and even if you guys
make it to the Finals, I don't think Ezekiel would still allow me to play," Ike
finally said after a few minutes as he gazed at the empty school grounds below us.

"Don't worry, bro, because we still have RB. Besides, do you seriously think that
we'd still allow Sierra and NAA to bully us around after what they did to you?
Everyone in the team is fired up, Ike. You should've seen RB's face while you were
being treated back in the Game 3. He looked like he was about to murder a few
people. It was quite unnerving," I said.

"Did Ezekiel talk to you guys already about your plans for the Game 4?" Ike asked.

I leaned against the railing of the balcony before looking up at the star-filled
sky. "Not yet, but we'll probably use our new discoveries against Sierra and NAA in
the next game. Knowing Ezekiel and RB, they won't stop until they get a convincing
victory in this competition. You've done your part, and now, it's our turn to
continue the momentum that we have. It's going to be an all-out war in the games to
come."

Ike sighed deeply before tapping my shoulder. "Just look after RB for me, okay? I
know I should be saying this to a more mentally-stable member of our team but I
know I can trust you. I've ran out of luck, that's why I will just wish the best
for you guys."

I just embraced him tightly. "I will just ignore the first part of your statement,
but yes, you can always count on me, bro. You don't have to worry anymore because
we won't be needing any luck in the next games. We have Ezekiel and we have our
teammates. There's no reason for us not to win."

●●●

As expected, the Evanescas heard of the incident between Ike and RB. The two of
them got called separately to the headmistress' office, and I highly suspect that
they both received an earful from Ezekiel. Nabalitaan din ng buong klase namin ang
nangyari kaya naman 'di nila kami tinigilan hanggang hindi nila naririnig ang buong
kwento mula sa 'min.

A few days after the incident between RB and Ike, Ezekiel finally called the
members of the team for the first official meeting since the Game 3. Ilang araw
bago ang meeting ay pansin din namin na madalas mag-usap sina Ezekiel at RB.
Malamang eh pinagtulungan nilang gawin ang game plan laban sa Sierra.

"Well, first and foremost, good afternoon to all of you. I gathered you here today
to discuss our plans for the Game 4," Ezekiel said. "After a few scouting reports
and RB's feedback, we were finally able to formulate a game plan against Sierra. As
for NAA, they're just a remora attached on the back of a blue whale that's why we
don't have to worry about them. As our new captain, RB will now enlighten us about
our game plan."

RB and Ike haven't actually talked to each other since the incident. Dahil na rin
hindi muna pwedeng mag-train o um-attend ng internship si Ike, hindi na rin talaga
sila nagkakasama pa. Kahit sa mga klase namin eh hindi rin talaga sila
nagpapansinan. I've also noticed that RB has become a lot more silent and serious
lately.

"Our theory regarding Denver's influence over Ayumu's weirdness was indeed
correct," RB began. "Denver's Amplification Weirdness enhances Ayumu's Shadow
Shape-shifting Weirdness, allowing him to extend the range of his shadow over long
distances. When I eliminated Denver in the previous game, Ayumu's shadow which was
covering the sky suddenly retracted back to him, thus, confirming our theory
regarding their connection."

"When I tried to attack Ayumu, he suddenly covered me with his shadows. On that
exact moment, I used my other power to try to absorb his shadows. It worked, and
Ayumu immediately broke my shield to eliminate me from the game. They know that we
finally discovered their secret, and I'm pretty sure that they will be thinking of
countermeasures to protect Ayumu in the next game," RB added.

Ezekiel cleared his throat. "As for our game plan..."

"You don't have to worry about Ayumu anymore," RB said in his emotionless voice
that I haven't heard from him in a while. "You guys just have to focus on
completing the challenge in the Game 4. I will be on full defensive, and if Ayumu
attacks us, it will be his final move before he gets eliminated. That's the game
plan."

The rest of the team exchanged looks of bewilderment upon hearing his statement.
Even Ezekiel looked a bit unnerved with RB's strange behavior.

"Thank you very much, RB," Ezekiel said. "So, yes... That's the plan for next
month's game. Also, let me use this opportunity to announce the CMMT Ball which
will be held in the Diamond Battle Dome next month. It's always held with the CMMT
by the host school. All the members of all teams are required to attend the event.
In addition, the event organizers will be inviting the top students from all
schools to the Ball. It's a good opportunity to socialize with the students from
the other participating schools—"

"Socialize with the people who almost murdered Ike? Yeah, thanks," I said
scornfully.

"You have no choice but to attend, Jack. We're all required to attend. It's totally
fine if you don't want to socialize. Besides, I'm pretty sure that a lot of your
classmates will be invited to the event, too," Ezekiel replied.
The discussion for our plans for the next game went on for nearly an hour before
Ezekiel finally released us. It was already getting dark when we exited from the
room that we used.

"Do you guys want to spend dinner together? I know a place. It's still early," Faye
said to us.

"Sure. We could talk about our own strategies, too," I said.

To our surprise, RB suddenly walked towards the opposite direction where we're
headed. Faye immediately called him.

"Aren't you going with us, RB?" she asked.

With his face showing no emotions whatsoever, RB turned around on his spot and
faced us slowly. "No, thanks. I'll just eat at the cafeteria of our dorm. I have to
watch our previous games. Have a great time, you guys," he said in a monotonous
voice.

All of us just watched RB as he walked lifelessly in the middle of the crowd of

students.

"Uh, hasn't he watched our previous games for, like, the nth time already?" Jared
whispered to us.

"Man, I haven't heard him talk like that since we're first-years. That low and slow
tone of his always sends chills all over my body. It's just... unnervingly creepy,"
I said with a shudder.

"Hindi pa rin ba sila nag-uusap ni Ike?" tanong naman ni Alice.

"Nah," Faye and I replied simultaneously. "I've been talking to Ike," I said.

"And I've been talking to RB, of course," Faye added.

"And?" asked the others.

Faye nodded at me. "Well, they want to give each other some time alone. Kami naman
ni Faye ang nag-advice sa kanila na gawin 'yun. I think they both have to focus on
their own problems first. Ike has to recover and get his bearings back together
while RB has to focus on the team and help us win the following games. They don't
hate each other, that's for sure. I don't think they're going to break up, either.
They just need to cool down a bit."

"That's good to hear," Tony said as we resumed our walk towards the gate. "To be
honest, I never imagined that Ike and RB would fight. I mean, they're just a match
made in heaven. RB is obnoxious, stubborn, and a bit arrogant while Ike is
innocuous, temperate, and unassuming. They fit each other like two pieces of
puzzle. For someone who knows them really well, it's unthinkable that they would
fight."

"Well, it's only about time that Ike finally breaks," Jared added. "All that
training, pressure, expectations... Honestly, I'm actually impressed that Ike was
able to handle all his responsibilities that long. It's completely understandable
why he finally broke. Halata naman na hindi siya galit kay RB. Malas lang talaga
dahil si RB ang nasa harapan niya nung naupos na ang pisi niya."

"But seriously, RB's behavior recently has been nagging me. Madalas ka niyang
kausap, Faye. Meron ba siyang nasasabi sa 'yo o may napapansin ka bang kakaiba sa
kanya?" tanong naman ni Aliyah.

Faye just shrugged her shoulders. "You guys noticed it, too, huh? Well, wala namang
nasasabi sa 'kin si RB dahil medyo nanahimik din talaga siya lately. But I can
definitely agree that his behavior changed a bit ever since that incident with
Ike."

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing for us?" asked Jared.

"Dunno," Faye, Alice, and I all replied at the same time.

"It's a double-edged sword, really," I said, frowning a bit. "We're lucky if he

directs his behavior at our opponents, pero kung tayo ang sasalo sa mga kinikimkim
niya, hindi ko alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa 'tin. Well, I trust RB, at ngayong
nakikita kong nagbababad siya sa kakanood ng mga dati nating games, malakas ang
hinala ko na binabasa niya ang mga galaw ng mga kalaban natin. We should trust RB
because he's proven himself to be a reliable friend to us.

Our teammates nodded in agreement. Faye, however, still looked a bit disconcerted
and worried.

"I really can't read what's inside RB's mind. Of course he's always been like that
since we're first-years," she said with a sigh. "But with all that's happening to
us, I can only be sure of one thing: It seems that RB's reverting back to his old
self..."

        Chapter 53: Elijah Serria [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV

"Bye, man! Thanks for all the help! See you tomorrow!" Zed and Sean said to me
before they headed towards the gate of the school. We just got out of the library
after doing some research for a group activity in Transfiguration. Earlier, Jack
told me that the team is going to have a meeting for the Game 4 of the CMMT.
"It's getting pretty dark. Go home right away!" I replied as I waved back at them.

Instead of heading straight to the Topaz Building, I detoured towards the nearest
park to while away some time before I eat my dinner. Even though I don't
particularly like it, the sudden removal of all my trainings and other
responsibilities gave me a lot of time to breathe and relax. These past few days,
I've been spending my free time in the parks and gardens of the school.

I'm no longer using crutches but I still can't walk the same way I used to before.
A few of my shallow wounds have already healed but the majority of my body is still
wrapped in medical gauze. Well, what's good is that I am now in a better condition
than when I first got injured.

As I walked towards one of Emerald's parks, I can't help but appreciate the beauty
of the dusk embracing the whole school. The perfect combination of light and dark
currently shrouding the entire school gave the surroundings a gloomy but relaxing
feel at the same time. Over the distance, the horizon has turned pink with the
setting sun.

Upon arriving at the park, I immediately sat on one of the benches and appreciated
the noise and view around me. I realized a second later that I'm currently at my
favorite park here in Emerald. This park is my favorite because it has a panoramic
view of the Diamond Battle Dome, Emerald Building, and the other majestic buildings
of Emerald. Plus, it's facing west, making this park the perfect spot for watching
sunsets.

"I am glad that you're spending your free time relaxing and unwinding. That will
make your recovery a lot faster. Also, it will help you unclutter your mind," a
familiar voice suddenly said.

I looked behind me and saw Professor Evanesca smiling at me. I immediately greeted
her.

"Good afternoon, professor. Ano po ba'ng ginagawa niyo rito? Upo po muna kayo,"
sabi ko.

"Thank you," Professor Evanesca said before sitting beside me. "I was just walking
around the school when I saw you entering this park. I've been receiving reports
from the Emerald Guards that they've been seeing you spend time in the parks here
in Emerald that's why I thought that maybe you were about to while away your time
here. It seems that I was right. Why don't we spend some time here, my dear boy?
Just like you, I've been really busy lately, too. I am in dire need of fresh air."

The headmistress gazed at the marvelous view in front of us.

"I would like to apologize to you, Ike," Professor Evanesca suddenly said.
Gulat naman akong napatitig sa kanya. "P-Po? Bakit po?" nagtataka ko namang tanong.

"It's because I piled a lot of obligations on your shoulders this year without even
thinking what you might feel," the headmistress replied. "Your training as the
Prime Elemental... Your inclusion to the team and your captainship... Not to
mention that you still have other academic and extra-curricular obligations to
fulfill. It's kind of my fault why you got seriously injured. If only I lessened
your load a bit, you would've experienced less stress and pressure."

"I've been really busy lately that's why I wasn't able to pay full attention to
your training. I guess I was a bit too complacent with you that's why I didn't even
think that you might be under immense pressure already. I thought that you're
already fine on your own because you can already control four elements. Obviously,
I was badly mistaken. With that, I really am sorry, Ike. Once you've recovered
fully, I will make sure to give you my utmost guidance and supervision with your
training," the headmistress added.

I took a deep breath as I gazed at the darkening school grounds around us. "It
wasn't really your fault, professor. I think I've been really hard on myself lately
during my training. Before, I thought I have no time to relax like this. Now, after
getting seriously injured, I realized that I should've given myself breaks and
pauses from all those responsibilities of mine. I just kept pushing myself forward
even though my own body was already telling me to stop. Where did that bring me?
Back to square one. I can't even train or put too much stress on my body now. Worse
of all, I hurt RB because of my pride."

Professor Evanesca smiled lightly. "Speaking of Rubio, how are things between you
two?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, we gave each other time to focus on our respective
goals for this year. I feel horrible because of what I did and I'm going to
apologize to him in the future. For now, I need some time alone."

"That's an excellent decision. But I'm telling you, RB loves you so much. When I
talked to him the other day, he cried a lot because he thinks that he should've
tried to understand your situation. He said that you've always been patient with
him and that he feels horrible because of how he treated you when you were at your
lowest," the headmistress said.

"I certainly don't want him to feel that way..." I said quietly.

Professor Evanesca tapped my shoulder. "I am not an expert when it come to love but
I can still give you a piece of advice based from my experiences and what I've seen
throughout my life. Fighting is something that you cannot avoid in a relationship.
It helps strengthen your bond. But when you let that anger eat away your love for
each other, that's when it becomes toxic and harmful. I do hope that your current
rift with RB will make your relationship stronger."

"As I've said, Rubio loves you so much," she continued. "I know how much you mean
to him because I've seen the Rubio before you arrived in his life and the Rubio
after he met you. He has changed a lot since you came to his life. He has changed
for the better. And I, as her guardian, am extremely glad that someone like you
loved him for who he really is. Rubio saw that in you, too. And that's the reason
why he admires and loves you so, so much. You changed his life, Ike."

My cheeks felt really hot that's why I looked away immediately. Thankfully,
Professor Evanesca stood up before tapping the top of my head. "Take your time, my
dear boy. No one's rushing you anymore. For now, I think you should go back to the
Topaz Building and eat your dinner. It's getting really cold out here."

The headmistress bid me goodbye before walking away from the park. I spent a few
more minutes sitting on the bench before heading back to the Topaz Building. It's
already dark and the crowd of students heading out of the school earlier is now
gone. It's still pretty early though that's why I decided to take a quick sleep
when I arrived at my room.

And then it happened.

I woke up lying in the middle of an empty road. I then realized a second later that
I'm currently somewhere in the capital city, and that everything around me looks
and feels very familiar. There's not a single person in whatever direction I look
at. There's only destruction as far as my eyes could see.

A blinding light suddenly erupted from the top of the building. I squinted my eyes
and saw the familiar green and white light merging with the black and purple light.

"I've definitely seen this before..." I whispered as I watched the light pulsate
strongly.

I instinctively looked down on myself and saw black smoke enveloping my entire
body. I then realized that this dream was the same dream that I saw a few months
ago.

"Wait... Something's wrong here..." I said as I watched Elijah and Astrid fusing.

As if in response to what I just said, wings made out of pure darkness sprouted
from my back before flapping majestically, sending me straight to the top of one of
the buildings. Now with a better view, I can finally see what's happening between
Elijah and Astrid. Of course, their bodies are just made out of light and glowing
smoke so I really can't tell if there's something wrong with their bodies. However,
as I watched their glowing smoke billow and swirl violently, a feeling of
apprehension welled up inside me.

Elijah's green and white smoke seems to be trying its best to detach itself from
Astrid's black and purple smoke. Every time that the former tries to separate
himself from the fusion, the latter's smoke drags him back and transforms the green
smoke into black. It's like Astrid's darkness is slowly consuming Elijah's light.
A chilly laugh suddenly echoed throughout the surroundings. "I told you, kids. You
will never be able to survive after you fuse. Your fusion is raw and unstable,
making it uncontrollable and dangerous. It seems that it won't be long before we
see each other again, Elijah and Astrid."

From the top of another building, I saw Demetrius Pluto who's now lying weakly on
the floor. His dark silhouette was splattered on the floor like paint, and I can't
even imagine what happened to him.

"Trust me, Demetrius, I really don't mind dying. Your reign is finally over, and
it's a great honor for us to die for this country, for the world. You really don't
know when to stop, do you? Look what your greed did to you. You will be hated and
despised by the generations to come," Elijah shouted at him.

"As I've said before, evil will always prosper. You might've ended me today but
there are still a lot of villains out there who are just as powerful as me. Do you
really think that ending me also meant ending all the evil in this world? You are
so naive, Elijah. That has always been your problem," Demetrius replied.

An unnaturally cold breeze suddenly blew against me, causing my body to shiver a
bit. I looked at Demetrius' silhouette on the ground for a long time, and when he
neither moved nor spoke again, I deduced that he might've died already.

My attention was drawn back to Elijah and Astrid when their fusion suddenly emitted
an unearthly wail. Their body is now almost entirely covered in black smoke, and I
can sense Elijah's presence wavering.

"I'm really sorry, Elijah!" Astrid's voice said. "I can't control it!"

"It's okay," Elijah replied in a barely audible voice. "Don't be afraid. We still
have each other."

I tried to fly towards them but the concrete floor where I'm standing on suddenly
liquified and crept upward my legs, cementing me right on the edge of the
building's rooftop.

"Wait! Maybe I can help you!" I shouted. "Elijah!"

As their light continued to pulsate violently, huge puffs of black smoke also
erupted from their body. Now, Elijah's green light has been reduced to a mere dot,
and Astrid's darkness has gotten even stronger.

"We may have lost today. We may have failed to end the long rivalry of our
weirdnesses. We may have not written a happy ending to our story. Our paths will
cross again, I am sure of it, and when it happens, I know that our feud will
finally end. Maybe not now. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not in the centuries to come.
But I know it will happen... in another where, in another when."
Their eyes suddenly glowed blindingly bright with Elijah's greenish-white light.
And then suddenly, Astrid's darkness finally consumed all the light remaining on
their body. There was a sudden explosion of light, forcing me to shield my eyes. A
moment later, two limp bodies plummeted straight to the ground below.

Tiny beads of light dripped down my face and I realized a second later that I was
crying already. I tried to fly after them but my feet are still cemented on the
floor.

"Ah, yes... It's a bummer, isn't it?" a familiar voice suddenly said from behind
me.

Before I could even look behind, everything around me suddenly dissolved into huge
puffs and plumes of smoke. The smoke then coalesced and took different forms and
shapes. When everything around me finally settled, I realized that I'm currently
standing in the middle of one of Emerald's open grounds. It's nighttime and the
surroundings look exactly how I remember it, except that there aren't any people
around. My body's also back to normal now and I'm wearing my own Emerald uniform.

"Good evening, Ike," the voice said once more.

I turned around and saw Elijah Serria smiling lightly at me. Instead of taking the
form of a blinding greenish-white light, he's dressed in an emerald-green uniform
which I presumed to be his uniform back when he was still studying here in Emerald.
He looks like he's about the same age as me.

"Elijah Serria," I said quietly.

He nodded. "Ike Lunaria."

I raised my hands a bit. "First off, how the hell is this happening?"

"Through our connection as Primes, of course," Elijah replied. "Your grasp over the
Prime Elemental has gotten stronger lately. As a result, I'm finally able to
communicate with you. I am the previous holder of the Prime Elemental, and
therefore I have the strongest presence inside you of all the Primes."

I nodded. "Second, why are you talking to me now? Like, after all these years, why
now?"

"We now have a stronger spiritual connection, Ike. You were finally able to enhance
your friend's weirdness, right? That power has a spiritual aspect to it, and like
what I said before, it is perhaps one of the most powerful features of the Prime
Elemental," he replied.

"The Prime Elemental has other powers?" I asked.

A playful smile curved across Elijah's face. "Did you really think that controlling
the elements is the only thing that the Prime Elemental can do? You've been doing
really well with your weirdness, though."

I just gave him an unbelieving and bewildered stare for an entire minute.

"Do you have other questions?" he asked.

I threw him a calculating look. "I saw the dream. I'm really sorry for what
happened to you and Astrid—"

"Don't be. It's for the greater good, Ike. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices
in order to achieve something. You of all people should know that," Elijah
interjected.

"What exactly happened in your fight with Demetrius?" I asked.

Elijah turned around before walking away from me. I instinctively followed him and
waited to hear his version of the story.

"I'm sure you've heard or read our story somewhere," Elijah began. "Because you've
already seen most of the dream, I will just tell you the events that have
transpired in the end part of that fight."

"Astrid and I fused. It's something that we've done several times prior to that
battle. However, we were never able to achieve the perfect 50-50 ratio of the Prime
Elemental and the Prime Destruction—"

"50-50 ratio?" I asked.

"Literally," Elijah said. "I was always in control of the fusion ever since we
started doing it. Astrid was still pretty novice in controlling the Prime
Destruction that's why I had to take the lead all the time. However, in that fight,
the Prime Destruction took over our fusion. As you've seen earlier, it consumed me,
the Prime Elemental. That's what will happen if the Prime Destruction takes more
than 50 percent of the fusion."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why does the Prime Elemental still exist?"

"Ah... That's probably one of the secrets of the Primes..." Elijah said.

My eyebrow rose even higher.

"The Prime Weirdnesses can never be destroyed," he said. "It will continue to exist
forever and ever. In the case of the Prime Elemental, it depends on the bloodline
of the holder for its continuity. The connection doesn't have to be direct. For as
long as you're connected by blood, no matter what the degree is, the Prime
Elemental will always survive on that connection."

"Just before I crossed to the other side after I died, the future of my bloodline
was revealed in front of me. It was like seeing numerous roots extending miles and
miles in front of you. Attached on those roots were tiny balls of light... Then I
saw your light, Ike, and I knew in an instant that you are going to be the
Tenth..."

I blinked several times. "Wait, what?" I asked.

"To put it simply, once a Prime Elemental dies, the future of his bloodline will be
revealed in front of him. The current holder will then choose who will inherit the
Prime Elemental. I saw you, Ike, and so I chose you. I don't want to sound morbid
but once you die, that will also happen to you," Elijah explained.

"But how did you know that it was I who should inherit the Prime Elemental? I'm
still having problems with it, for your info. I'm not like you who already
manifested the Prime Elemental at the age of seven," I said, feeling a bit
betrayed.

Elijah just smiled at me. "You will just know, Ike. Once you're there, you'll just
know who exactly to choose."

"Yeah... For now, I'm really not looking forward to that," I said.

He didn't say another word after that. I then realized that we're now standing
right in front of the Emerald Building.

"Whoa... Is this the Emerald Building now? It looks really grand," Elijah said,
gazing at the marvelous green structure standing in front of us.

I stared at him for a few seconds. "Is there a reason why you talked to me now?"

He took a deep breath as he looked up at the spires and clock tower of the Emerald
Building. "I presume you are in dire need of help and assistance, Ike. I saw what
happened to you a few weeks ago. I know your current situation."

I just scratched my head wearily.

"Well, I really can't train or do anything reckless as of the moment because I

might break my body. I really want to learn from you but I don't think this is the
right time to do it," I said with a sigh.
Another playful grin curved across Elijah's face.

"You're in luck today, Ike. I think I have the perfect solution to that little
problem of yours..."

        Chapter 54: The Tenth Prime [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            I know it's a bit late na but I want to express my joy with Ateneo Lady
Eagles winning the Season 81 championship of the UAAP Women's Volleyball.

Though hindi na ako ganoon ka-fan nila ngayon, I'm still happy dahil halos apat na
taon din akong naghintay. Lel. I'm a HUGE fan of the Fab Five up to the Valdez era,
especially with their Cinderella run in s76 where they had to beat AdU once, beat
NU twice, and then beat DLSU thrice to win. That was undoubtedly the most epic and
iconic run of all time in PH sports history. Ngayon kasi eh so-and-so na lang ako
sa kanila ever since nakikipag-angasan na rin sila. Lol.

Hindi man nila natalo ang La Salle, pero ang mahalaga eh nanalo sila. Haha. Even if
La Salle is 0-12 in standings, they will always find a way to defeat Ateneo. Haha.
Coach RDJ is a legend.

Anyway, sa mga readers ko na fans din ng ALE, congrats sa inyo. ߘ Sana manalo rin
ang Emerald sa CMMT. Haha.

OBF! İߒ

TheAshtone

P.S. Again, nakaka-insulto po sa part ko na kaka-update ko lang tapos may magco-

comment agad para maningil ng update. Palipasin niyo naman ng isang araw bago kayo
mag-comment ng ganun, ha? Para naman mababasa ko siya once na bumalik ulit ako sa
city, hindi habang nasa city pa 'ko. Hindi ba pwede na magpasalamat na lang tayo
dahil nakapag-update pa ako at hindi 'yung maniningil agad kayo? Nakakairita sa
mata, seryoso. Salamat.

‫׏‬٢●●

"WHAT THE ACTUAL F**K?!"

I stuffed a handful of french fries and a whole burger into Jack's mouth to muffle
his scandalous outburst before forcing him back to his seat.

"Dude, what the heck?! People are looking at us! Watch your mouth!" I snapped at
him in an angry whisper as I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head.
Jack and I went out to a mall during the weekend. I was actually the one who
invited him so that I could tell him about my dream and encounter with Elijah. As
expected, he totally went nuts upon hearing the news.

"What was Elijah like, bro?" Jack asked when he's finally chewed and swallowed all
the food that I stuffed into his mouth.

"He's actually... pretty cool," I said. "That was my first time seeing Elijah but I
instantly felt comfortable with him. Actually, he's a bit like you in those
extremely rare occasions when you're calm."

The way Elijah smiled and spoke throughout our encounter gave him an air of
youthful playfulness about him. His behavior was free-spirited, and that was
probably the reason why I trusted him so easily. I guess that's to be expected from
him because he's just about a couple of years older than me.

"I wonder what kind of training Elijah will give you. Man, being the Prime
Elemental is so damn cool. All your attacks look epic, only the best weirdos train
you, and above all, the very name itself provides so much glory and glamour. I wish
I could be like you," Jack said dreamily.

I stared at him flatly before rolling up the sleeves of my jacket, showing him my
bandaged arms.

"Minus the gruesome injuries, of course," he added quickly.

"Elijah didn't really say that I'm going to train. Sinabi lang niya na baka may
solusyon siya sa mga problema ko. Baka. After that, the dream ended. Hindi ko alam
kung kelan ulit ako kakausapin nung tao. Mukhang maghihintay na lang ako kung kelan
siya ulit lilitaw," sabi ko naman.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Accept it, bro. Elijah's going to train you. He's not a late
bloomer like you, is he? Man, imagine how powerful he is. I wonder how you're going
to train, though. Maybe he's going to teach you some sick moves that you could
practice once you recover."

"Like I said, he didn't say that he's going to train me. Seriously, how dense can
you become?" I fired at him.

Jack raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. I get it. But seriously, I can't help
but feel extremely excited for you. I mean, you enhancing Faye's weirdness was
already pretty insane; and Elijah said that the Prime Elemental still has other
powers. Aren't you excited with that?"

I stared at him coldly. "Dude, with my current situation, any development regarding
my weirdness will never change the fact that I can't train for at least the next
two months. I'd be more excited if Nurse Juliana says, 'Good job, Ike. You can now
train again.' But since that's not going to happen any sooner, I don't think I can
get excited with anything at all."

"How about you try to enhance my weirdness? Ever since I saw you enhance Faye's
weirdness, I've been wondering how you could improve my powers. Man, maybe I could
freeze the entire world and create an Ice Age if you enhance my Water Weirdness,"
Jack said excitedly.

"Are you seriously thinking about that? Hindi ko nga ma-improve ang weirdness ko,
'yung iba pa kaya?" sabad ko naman.

"You are one pessimistic guy, bro," he snapped at me. "You could use a little bit
of sunshine in your life."

Honestly, hinihiling ko rin na sana eh may solusyon nga si Elijah sa problema ko at

sana ay magawan niya ng paraan para mapagaling ako kaagad kung kaya man niya. Maybe
he'll teach me how to heal myself quickly without any adverse effects on my body.
Truth be told, I really don't have any idea about what could be Elijah's remedy to
my current problem. I'm just hoping that he contacts me as soon as possible and
that his solution will really benefit me.

Not being able to train has caused a huge shift in my life. Aside sa bawal akong
sumali sa combat practices, pinagbawalan din ako ni Nurse Juliana na mag-gym sa
unang buwan ng injury ko. It's a bummer, of course. I'm used to regularly going to
the gym. Kahit simpleng jogging eh hindi ko na magawa. Ayaw kong umasa pero sana
nga eh si Elijah na ang sagot sa mga problema ko.

"By the way, I have something to tell you, bro. This is something that you should
really know," Jack whispered to me after glancing around us.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have to whisper? I can't hear you well, for your
info."

"It's about RB," he replied.

I stared at him for a long moment.

"Talk," I said in a low voice.

Jack shifted on his seat uncomfortably. "Well, ever since your fight with him,
we've been noticing a change in RB's behavior. All the other members of the team
have been noticing this, too. I just thought that you would want to hear about this
that's why I'm saying it to you right now."

I threw him a bewildered look. "Care to elaborate?"

"He's been really silent, serious, and watchful these past few days. I mean, the
last time he was acting like this was during our first year here in Emerald.
Remember how creepy and eerie he was back then? It's back with a vengeance now. All
the members of the team are weirded out by his behavior. Faye, Alice, and I are
really worried, too," Jack said.

My stomach squirmed uncomfortably.

"Also, he's been watching our previous games endlessly in the past few weeks. Sa
tuwing aayain namin siyang lumabas, parati na lang niyang rason na manonood daw
siya ng mga dating games natin. Like, duh, tatlong clips lang 'yun. At 'yung isa pa
nga, walang sampung segundo ang itinagal natin," dagdag pa niya. "Malakas ang kutob
ni Faye na tila bumabalik sa dati niyang pagkatao si RB."

Huminga na lang ako nang malalim bago ako tumanaw sa labas ng bintana.

"Ano naman ba'ng masasabi mo? You of all people know exactly what's going on inside
RB's brilliant mind," tanong ni Jack nung hindi pa rin ako nagsasalita.

"Just trust RB."

Jack stared at me blankly for a few seconds. "What?" he asked, blinking several
times.

"Trust RB. He knows what he's doing. I'm actually quiet shocked that you guys are
still doubting him. I know that he's had a horrible past and that affected his
behavior greatly. We saw that on our first year here. However, we've also seen how
much he has changed in the past couple of years. RB will never put you guys in
danger. I'm sure that he has his mind set on winning the Game 4 next month. There's
no need to freak out with just a change in his behavior," I explained.

Jack still looked unconvinced.

"'Di pa ba kayo magbabati? I know that RB has changed for the better but seeing him
act so creepy brought back some old memories, really bad memories. I really prefer
the sunny and perverted RB than the silent and serious one. His behavior lately
makes me feel like I'm friends with a really stealthy and deadly assassin," Jack
said.

I sighed wearily. "Like I said, we have our own problems to fix. Kayo na rin ni
Faye ang nagsabi na bigyan na muna namin ni RB ng oras ang isa't-isa. I have to
apologize to RB for hurting him, but I just don't think that this is the right time
to do it, especially with all the things that's been going on around us. I need to
heal my own wounds first—both physical and emotional. I have to fix myself before I
try to fix our relationship."

"Man, RB's one lucky guy," Jack said with a smirk as he stared at me.
Binato ko na lang siya ng isang ice cube mula sa baso ng iced tea na iniinom ko.

Jack and I didn't spend that much time in the mall. Aside kasi sa may training pa
sila mamayang hapon sa mga Purgers, may mga kailangan din akong tapusin na mga
activities at projects namin. Pagkatapos naming matunawan at makapaglakad-lakad
nang bahagya ay pumunta na rin kami pareho sa Emerald.

"Are you sure you can go to your dorm on your own?" Jack asked when we're about to
part ways. "I still have half an hour before we go to the... uh, camp."

"Dude, I can walk already. Hindi naman ata ako bata na kailangan pang ihatid sa
pupuntahan ko," I snapped at him before walking towards the opposite direction.
"Bye. Take care. Watch your mouth."

"Okay, then," he said as he waved at me. "Rest well! See you when I see you. I'll
look after RB for you, bro!"

Kung wala lang sana akong injury eh baka naglakad-lakad pa 'ko sa grounds dahil
weekend pa naman at konti lang ang mga estudiyante sa paligid. Pero dahil mukhang
quota na ako sa kakagala ay dumiretso na lang ako sa dorm ko para tapusin ang mga
dapat kong gawin. Medyo natatakot din kasi akong pagurin masyado ang sarili ko
dahil baka mangyari nga sa 'kin ang kinatatakutan ni Nurse Juliana.

I was busy lifting all the books I need with my telekinesis when a sudden warm
feeling coursed throughout my entire body. I looked down on myself just in time to
see the lightning markings all over my body glowing brightly with their usual
greenish-white light. The glowing smoke from my body slowly coalesced to form a
tiny ball which hovered right in front of my face. I instinctively raised my hand
to touch the glowing ball of greenish-white smoke.

The moment my fingers touched the ball, a blinding white light overwhelmed my
vision, forcing me to shield my eyes with my hands.

"Oops, sorry. Was that too bright?" the familiar voice of Elijah suddenly said.

I opened my eyes and saw Elijah standing right beside me, and we're once again
right in the middle of an empty open field in Emerald.

"Good day, Ike."

I blinked several times. "Yeah... Hi."

"I'm really sorry if I had to end our conversation last time. I realized that you
haven't eaten your dinner yet that's why I sent you back to the real world. Anyway,
what's good is that you're here and you're ready," Elijah said.
"Ready for what?" I asked.

He smiled mysteriously. "You'll see."

"Fine," I said flatly. "Anyway, where are we? I know we're in Emerald but where
exactly are we?"

"We are inside your head... in your mind, to be exact," Elijah replied.

"And what's currently happening to my body?" I asked.

Elijah waved his hand, causing the area in front of us to suddenly open up to
reveal my room. I then saw my body sitting motionless on the floor. The lightning
markings on my body are still glowing. My eyes are open and glowing, too. Some sort
of barrier is enclosing me in a perfect dome and my body is currently emitting
greenish lightning bolts that are connected to the dome-shaped barrier around me,
making me look like a human plasma ball. I can't help but feel a bit disoriented
and bewildered by the sight of myself in such a strange state.

"Your physical body is in a state of suspended animation. No one can wake you up
unless I let you go. I can even take over your body if I want to just like last
time. Your friends wouldn't even notice the difference," Elijah said before waving
his hand again, causing the view in front of us to disappear.

"That sounds a bit scary," I said.

Elijah just smiled. "Don't you trust me?"

"I do, and that's why I'm going to ask you now what we are going to do today here
inside my brain," I said firmly.

"I am going to train you," Elijah replied matter-of-factly.

It took me a few moments to process the thought. "Uh, I'd love to but as you can
see, Nurse Juliana will kill me if I train. I know you just want to help me but I
really don't want to get killed by a nurse. Thanks for trying to help, anyway," I
said.

"We are inside your brain, Ike," Elijah replied. "You can do whatever the hell you
want here, and that includes training. Kung ano man ang ituro ko sa 'yo dito,
magagawa mo rin 'yun sa totoong buhay. It's great, isn't it? You don't have to
worry about getting injured or tired. We are inside your brain, Ike. In this place,
nothing is impossible."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Elijah just smiled lightly before turning around and opening his arms wide in his
sides. He flicked his hands upward, causing the ground we're standing on to
suddenly rise and fly upward towards the clouds above us. The perfectly circular
open field rose and rose until we're already in the middle of a sea of clouds.

"This is your training ground, Ike," he said as a battalion of Scavengers descended

from the sky. "And I will be your teacher. I told you I have a solution to your
current problem, and this is it."

I stared at him stupidly for a few seconds. "Great... I will trust you because
you're obviously way better than me."

"That settles it, then. For now, you are going to master the final and most
powerful element of the Prime Elemental—"

Arcs of lightning crisscrossed all over Elijah's body as he turned around and made
a huge sweeping gesture with his arms. He then pointed a hand above us and shot a
ginormous lightning bolt skyward, creating a long and huge hole on the clouds
above.

He's oozing with experience, my mind said as I stared openmouthed at the clouds
above us. Just from that single attack, I could clearly see that his movements are
fluid, smooth, and highly refined. There are absolutely no wasted or excess
movements in that attack. He's like a professional, and I'm a total amateur.

"Once you learn how to control lightning, we'll move on to more interesting
things," Elijah said mysteriously.

Elijah walked around me in circles. The lightning markings on his body are glowing,
too. I've also noticed that they look a lot more prominent and defined than mine.
Even his very appearance tells me that he's a lot better in controlling the
elements.

"To be honest, controlling lightning should be the easiest thing to do for someone
like you who can already control the four other elements. Why? Because the skills
needed to control lightning are just the same with the skills needed to control
earth, air, water, and fire," Elijah said. "You have to be firm so that you can
withstand its power. Your movements should be light and fluid to allow the
lightning to flow through your body smoothly. Lastly, you have to be decisive when
controlling lightning so that it obeys you, and not take over you," he added.

I nodded. "I get it. How do I begin?"

"Baby steps, of course," Elijah replied. "You have to do it first in your hands.
Once you get better, we'll use your arms. We'll eventually use your entire body
once you get stable in controlling lightning. Once I'm satisfied with your
performance, we'll move on to large-scale attacks. Considering the level of your
skills, I think you'll master lightning by the end of this year."
I had to blink several times. "That quick? Not that I'm complaining but it usually
takes me at least three months to learn the basics of an element, and that doesn't
even include the more complicated skills."

Elijah just gave me his signature playful grin. "Trust me, Ike. Above all, trust
yourself."

Silence.

"You see, that has always been your problem," he continued. "You're always doubting
yourself. You're always thinking twice. You're always afraid of what might happen
to you if you do this or that. Remember what I told you? The key to unlocking the
full potential of the Prime Elemental is by letting it take over your body. Let
your power course through your veins. Let it fill you up to the brim. Don't be
afraid of it. Don't suppress it. Let it go. Let it out. Let it be free..."

Elijah's eyes glowed brightly as he floated to the air with his arms opened wide on
his sides. His lightning markings emitted puffs of greenish-white smoke which laced
around him like billowing ribbons. Arcs of lightning and fire crisscrossed all over
his body as rocks and ice revolved all around him in a huge circle, making him look
like a miniature, three-dimensional star system.

"The Prime Elemental... in its full power," I whispered weakly as goose bumps
erupted all over my body.

"Achieving this state is really easy, Ike," Elijah said as he landed back to the
ground. Above us, the clouds have formed into a menacing vortex that emitted forks
of lightning every now and then. "Like I said, you just have to let your power flow
throughout your body. You're always afraid of using your weirdness because it might
hurt you. Let me tell you this, Ike: you will never achieve anything if you always
think like that. Take a risk. If you fail, you'll learn. If you succeed, you'll
conquer."

Seeing Elijah in his full power is already enough to send chills all throughout my
body. Even in his usual state, he's already pretty cool. Now that he's in full
power, it made me realize how awesome and powerful he really is.

"You are special, Ike. There is a reason why I chose you to be my successor. You
can become like this. You can become more powerful than this. In a matter of a few
months, you can become a full-fledged Prime Elemental. All you have to do is trust
yourself... Question is, are you brave enough to do it? Are you brave enough to
trust yourself?" Elijah asked as he extended a glowing hand to me.

I stared at him for a long moment before giving him a firm nod. A sudden warmth
coursed throughout my body as my lightning markings also glowed blindingly bright.

"I am."
Elijah smiled at me before shaking my hand. "Congratulations, Ike. You've finally
earned the right to be called the Tenth."

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: When they eliminated Emerald in an instant, RB was there. When they
crushed Emerald's spirit, RB was there. When they nearly killed Ike, RB was there.
He was watching. He was waiting. He was preparing. He's had enough, and now, he's
going to show everyone why the participants in the CMMT, even the students from
Sierra and NAA, don't want to fight him one-on-one.

It's time for some purple vengeance in the next update of Weirdos III: The
Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 55: Goals and Mind-sets [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The drafts for this story have been completed already with the exception of
the finale update na isusulat ko kapag finale na talaga para naman may sense. Base
sa nakikita kong dami ng chapters, we actually only have a few more updates before
the big finale of Weirdos III. I actually can't believe na may extra draft chapters
ako. Haha. Ilang taon na ang nakalilipas mula nung huli akong nakalasap ng extra
draft chapters.

Gustong-gusto ko nang i-publish ang draft chapters na meron ako. Lol. Pero I want
to create the emotional buildup leading to the finale. Also, things will start to
spiral wildly for the story after this update, at gusto ko na may tamang pacing ang
kwento.

Also, I'm currently creating an entirely different universe na balak kong gawan ng
fantasy story in the near future. Compared to Weirdos, it's gonna be a lot bigger
and more complicated. Sa ngayon, nasa initial stages pa lang ako ng development
niya pero halos kumpleto na ang elements ng universe na gagawin ko. Kung may time
ako (sana meron nga) eh baka isulat ko siya after ng Weirdos IV.

For now, dito muna tayo. 'Wag muna ma-excite masyado mga timawa. Lul.

TheAshtone

●●●

RB's POV

"WHAT?! YOU TWO ACTUALLY FOUGHT?!"

That was Crimson's reaction when I told him about the incident that happened
between Ike and I. Because Ike's not yet allowed to attend our internship, I am now
the lone intern in Sir Fraeo's team. We're currently eating our lunch in a
restaurant right at the heart of the capital city.

"Hey, lower your voice. People are staring at us," Sir Fraeo said to Crimson.

The latter just ignored him. "But why? I mean, I never imagined that you two would
fight. Your respective behaviors perfectly negate each other, and that's why I
think you two are a perfect match. Are you gonna be alright, bruh?" Crimson asked,
his fox ears drooping a bit.

"I'm fine," I said lifelessly. "It was totally my fault why Ike went angry with
me."

"Kumusta naman si Ike?" tanong ni Kuya Yven.

"I think he's coping well with the situation. We haven't really talked since our
fight but Faye has been giving me news about Ike. He's not allowed to do any
strenuous activities that's why he's been spending a lot of time winding up in
Emerald's parks or studying in the library," I said.

"Classic Ike," Kuya Quentin said. "I feel sorry for him, though. He's been
struggling throughout the season and he was pulled out of the tournament just when
he's finally done something good for the team. We were speechless when we were
watching the Game 3. I didn't know that Sierra and NAA would go to such lengths
just to win."

"Curse your school!" Kuya Yven snapped at him. Kuya Quentin, together with two
other members of their team, Kuya Jamie and Kuya Robi, are all alumni of Sierra
Magical Institute.

"I could only imagine Izzy's reaction after that game. I've been trying to text him
these past few weeks but he hasn't replied even once. I guess he's pretty focused
on winning the next games," Sir Fraeo said.

Crimson flicked his bushy tail from side to side. "Oh, you should've seen Izzy's
face while the Healers were carrying Ike to the infirmary. I last saw that
expression on his face back when Sierra totally slaughtered our team in the Game 4
of the previous tournament. Look what happened in the Game 5 of that tournament. We
won the game in, like, three seconds."

Kuya Yven high-fived Crimson as the latter made a mic-dropping gesture in front of
the Sierra boys.

"How about you?" Sir Fraeo asked me after tugging Crimson's ear. "How are you
feeling? Dapat siguro doon ka na lang muna sa office. Maybe you need a break from
all these things lalo pa't alam ko naman kung gaano ka ka-busy sa Emerald."
"Kelan ka kaya magiging ganyan ka-alalahanin sa 'kin?" sabad sa kanya ni Crimson.
Binatukan na lang siya ni Sir Fraeo bilang sagot.

"Okay lang po talaga ako. I'm actually glad that they still allowed me to attend
internships despite being alone. It helps me relax and get my mind off of things
especially with all the things that's been happening. I'll be okay, Sir Fraeo. This
is nothing compared to the things that I faced and endured before," I said.

Crimson hugged me around the neck. "My bruh here is a strong and independent
person; and don't you dare separate me from this beautiful, sassy human being. He
needs our guidance and help now more than ever," he said.

"Hindi ko naman sinabi na ipu-pull out ko siya sa team. Minsan talaga kailangan mo
ring tapyasan ang pagka-war freak mo," sabad naman ni Sir Fraeo.

"Yeah, great," Crimson replied before turning to me. "Let's talk after our lunch,
okay? I know you already have Faye and your other friends to talk to, but you can
also tell me your problems. Maybe I can help you, too."

Kaya naman pagkatapos ng lunch namin ay nagpahuli kaming dalawa ni Crimson mula sa
iba. The others instinctively gave us some space and quiet time as we patrolled
around the city center.

"Kumusta kayo ni Sir Fraeo?" tanong ko sa kanya habang naglalakad kami sa gitna ng
mga tao.

"Akala ko ba kayo ni Ike ang pag-uusapan natin?" tanong niya.

I smiled. "Gusto ko lang mangumusta sa inyong dalawa."

Crimson looked up at the sky. "Well, we're both doing good. We've been to some
dates already and he also already introduced me to his family. Once we have the
time, we're planning on spending a few days back in my hometown so that he could
get close with my family. Maybe this December. All in all, I think we're off to a
good start with our relationship," he said.

I pinched the side of his body before smirking meaningfully. "Did you two do it
already?"

With that, Crimson's tail and ears suddenly jerked upwards as his already reddish
cheeks reddened even further, making his face look like an overripe tomato.

I just let out a hearty laugh. "I knew it. How many times already?"

Crimson stared at me indignantly. "First off, I didn't even say that we already did
it! Don't get the wrong idea."

"Bruh, I know that between the two of us, you are the one with the stronger and
deadlier sex appeal; but when it comes to the actual sex, you know that I'm the
total expert. I can smell the sweet scent of a popped cherry from miles away like a
total pro, bruh," I said.

He just sighed deeply before nodding. "Fine. We already did it."

I smiled. "Was it Sir Fraeo's first time?"

"Yeah."

"How did it go?" I asked.

Crimson looked away, his bushy tail flicking from side to side. "Well, for a first-
timer, Fraeo's instincts weren't that bad..." he said quietly.

"It was really good, wasn't it? Don't deny it. Come on, don't be shy. I can sense
it," I said as I tickled him

He raised his hands in surrender. "Fine! Okay! It was really good. I've had sex
with a few guys before but sex with Fraeo was incredibly good. Not to mention his
ripped bod. I actually had a hard time believing that it was his first time. Oh
well, I think it's the Lena in him. Dang those perfect genes. Our teammates made
fun of me the day after that because I was totally silent and dazed for an entire
day."

"And now, you also have a Lena in you! I'm so happy for you, bruh!" I said happily
before shaking him. "Was he, you know, big?"

Crimson stared at me for a long moment. "I'm pretty flexible, but Fraeo made me
seriously adjust to his asset during that night."

"We're so lucky, bruh!" I said as I gave him a tight hug. "It's kind of
unbelievable, but considering our trashy attitudes, we're really lucky that we've
been blessed with kind and unassuming but extremely fresh and mouthwatering
boyfriends with such ginormous assets."

"Yeah, great. Speaking of boyfriends, how's your man doing? Tuwang-tuwa ka sa

revitalized sex life ko pero baka naman stressed ka na masyado dahil sa alitan niyo
ni Ike," sagot ni Crimson.

"We don't hate each other, of course," I said. "Alam ko naman na mas galit sa
sarili niya si Ike kesa sa 'kin. As of the moment, we're giving each other some
space that we need; and frankly, my rift with Ike actually gave me time to think
about my plans for the game. It's actually a blessing in disguise. Nakakapag-focus
ako sa team, nakakapag-focus naman si Ike sa recovery at sarili niya. I'm happy for
him."

Crimson brushed his tail against me. "That's probably the most mature thing that I
heard from you, bruh! I'm actually proud and quite ashamed of myself at the same
time. Proud because you're handling the situation like a total adult and ashamed
because here I am, going crazy over my sex life while you're dealing with a lot of
things."

"Don't sweat it. You don't need to feel bad about yourself just because your friend
isn't in a good situation. Just be happy with your life and I'll be completely
fine. My relationship with Ike has been going really well over the past months and
it's just about time that we encounter some turbulence; and looking at our
situation, I think this will actually help our relationship become stronger. We'll
be fine, okay? You do need to shoulder my problems," I said.

"Stop it. Your maturity is going to make me cry," Crimson replied as his ears
drooped. "You're so awesome, bruh."

"We're awesome, bruh!" I said before hugging him again.

"What's the plan now?" he asked.

"Well, I'm going to continue focusing on my current obligations. I have to look

after the team and be the leader that they need. Also, I'm brewing up something hot
and spicy for the Game 4 of the CMMT. It's about time that Sierra and NAA get what
they deserve. I think you'll thoroughly enjoy it," I said, giving him a meaningful
smirk.

"Interesting... I'm looking forward to it!" Crimson replied.

Bigla namang dumaan sa gitna naming dalawa si Sir Fraeo. "Tapos na sa drama, mga
bruh? Tara na't magtrabaho na tayo para naman may magawa tayong matino ngayong
araw. Bilis na."

Napatitig na lang sa kanya si Crimson habang naglalakad siya palayo sa 'ming

dalawa.

"Awayin ko rin kaya ang killjoy na 'to?"

●●●

Ike's POV

"This is getting silly."

My face is currently slammed flat on the grassy ground because the lightning I was
supposed to control backfired on me and paralyzed my entire body, causing my body
to collapse.

Elijah just smiled before clicking his fingers, instantly lifting off the paralysis
on my body. "Just keep on trying, Ike. You'll never learn how to walk if you won't
even take a single step."

"How I hope that this is just as simple as walking," I whispered as I sat on the
grass. I massaged my joints to remove the unpleasant feeling of paralysis on my
body.

"Look, you can already produce lightning using your telekinesis. That's already
pretty impressive. Now, all you have to do is focus on the movements needed to
control it. Be firm and decisive but fluid and light. That's it. Fear and
indecision won't help you, Ike. I thought you were brave enough to take a risk, so
why are you acting all hopeless?" Elijah asked.

"Wanna rest already? Wanna go home? I thought you want to master lightning?
Obviously, it's the most powerful element that's why controlling it won't be a walk
in the park. Maybe I should end our training now so that you can return to your
comfortable room in Emerald," he added.

I balled my hands into fists before standing up. "I can still go," I said.

"That's the spirit," Elijah said while lying on the grass. "Now go and continue
your training. I want you to destroy at least one Scavenger using your lightning.
As I always say, don't be afraid. We are inside your brain, and no matter what
injury you get here, it won't affect your physical body. This is the exact reason
why I chose to train you here, Ike. No injuries, just pure learning. Show those
Scavengers who's boss!"

"Yes, sir," I said as I bounced on my feet.

I flicked my right hand to summon a ball of fire which rotated faster and faster
until it transformed into a ball of lightning. The ball then produced arcs of
lightning that crept up and crisscrossed all over my right arm. I lowered my body a
bit as I extended my arm on my side, causing the crisscrossing lightning to
intensify.

"That is perfect, Ike," Elijah said. "Now, concentrate hard and target a Scavenger.
You're already firm but fluid. Now, your movement has to be decisive but light if
you want your lightning to obey you and hit your target. Take your time. You're
already doing great."

I closed my eyes momentarily as I took a deep breath to relax myself. I then slowly
raised my body before turning around and swinging my arm towards the Scavengers,
sending a powerful bolt of lightning towards the metallic mannequins.

There was a loud crack as a thunderclap suddenly erupted followed by the explosion
of a Scavenger. Some of the lightning that hit the Scavenger I targeted rebounded
and hit the other mannequins, causing a chain reaction of explosion all around us.
Fiery debris flew everywhere as every single Scavenger in the area exploded.

I just stared in utter disbelief at the destruction around me. My right arm is
hanging limp on my side with a few bruises and burns, but all the pain I'm feeling
has been numbed by pure adrenaline as I realized that my attack was successful.

"And that is what I'm talking about, Ike," Elijah suddenly said, clapping loudly.
"Excellent. Your arm got totally injured but what's important is that you can
finally create a decent lightning attack. I'm impressed. You might actually be able
to follow the timeline of development that I had set for you."

The bruises and burns on my arm disappeared. "Can I give it another try? I asked.

"Rest for a while. Even if we're inside your head, you still have to take a break
every now and then. I've seen a lot of people get injured before because they go
nuts after creating just one good attack. Take a few minutes to reflect on what you
just did. Appreciate the good parts of your attack and identify the areas that you
can improve on," Elijah said before tapping the grass beside him.

I just sat on the grass and waited for my body to calm down from all the
adrenaline. Elijah, on the other hand, lay flat on the ground and looked up at the
cloudy sky while humming to himself. I stared at him for a long moment as a few
questions suddenly popped in my head.

"Are you real?" I asked suddenly. "I mean, are you really the Elijah Serria?"

He smiled. "I am just an image created by the Prime Elemental to aid you in the
mastery of your weirdness. If you had schizophrenia, I am one of your personalities
that takes the form of a very close friend that you're really comfortable with and
that only you can see," Elijah said without even looking at me.

I gave him a weary stare. "I don't have schizophrenia, do I?" I asked.

"Of course you don't," Elijah replied with a chuckle.

"So you're not Elijah Serria? You are just my weirdness taking the form of Elijah
to help me with my problem," I said.

He nodded. "Yes, that is correct; but that doesn't mean that I am not Elijah."

That didn't make any sense whatsoever so I just didn't push the subject any
further.

"Got more questions?" he asked.

I frowned a bit as I tried to remember a few things. "Back when I first saw you in
my dream, I also saw all the previous holders of the Prime Elemental. I also saw...
Life. He even talked to me, saying that I'm him."

Elijah smiled meaningfully. "Ah... That guy. Well, Life exists inside all the Prime
Elementals that ever lived. He exists inside you, he exists inside me. He's
basically the very core of our weirdness, you see. I think I first saw that guy
when I was fifteen years old. He also said the same thing. He's a really boring
guy, Ike. Don't try to contact him again."

"But why did he appear in that dream?" I asked.

"Like I said, your grasp over the Prime Elemental has gotten stronger lately. That
stronger control over your weirdness allowed you to establish your own connection
with me, the other Primes, and Life himself. You're actually pretty late in
establishing your connection with us. That's totally my bad, don't worry. I
should've set your weirdness to activate at the age of seven," he said.

I nodded. "Another thing, was Astrid really the holder of the Prime Destruction
during your time? Did you two really fuse just like what I saw in the dream?" I
asked.

"Astrid was the Prime Destruction during my time, yes," Elijah replied with a nod.
"About our fusion, Astrid and I did fuse, but it wasn't really a full fusion. She
was just learning to use the Prime Destruction by the time we fought Demetrius
Pluto, and as you saw, the fusion backfired horribly."

I frowned a bit. "What do you mean by full fusion?"

"Can you describe to me what you saw in your dream? What did our fusion look like?"
Elijah asked.

"Uh, you were made of green and white light while Astrid was made of black and
purple light," I said. "When you two fused, your smoky light interlaced with each
other—"

"Did we create a new color?" he prompted.

"No..."

"Exactly," Elijah said with a smirk.

It took me a few moments for comprehension to finally dawn on me. "Oh... I see..."

"Your dream was like an x-ray vision. You saw the very essence of the Prime
Elemental and the Prime Destruction. Just like what you saw in your dream, our
colors just laced together and mixed, but we really didn't create a new color.
Fusion is a very complicated thing, Ike. Weirdos who can fuse are rare, but weirdos
who can perform a full fusion virtually don't exist. You need a form of trust even
higher than love itself to perform a full fusion," Elijah said.

I nodded. "This is actually the first time that I heard of this."

"Well, now you know it. Weirdnesses are much more complex and special than what you
think, Ike. As the Prime Elemental, I think you're going to find that fact
extremely fascinating and helpful," he said.

I stared at him for a few seconds. "I have another question, Elijah."

"Fire away."

"Who's the current holder of the Prime Destruction?" I asked before looking at him
straight in the eyes.

Elijah let out a sigh before bowing his head low. "The past is mine, the present is
yours. My knowledge is only confined within my own lifetime. Anything past that, I
have no knowledge whatsoever. I am from the past, Ike. I do not live in your
present. I cannot answer your question. I am sorry."

I just gave him a nod even though I'm not fully satisfied with his response.
Sensing that he doesn't want to push the subject further, I just pretended to be
wholly absorbed in watching the sea of clouds around us. However, Elijah's reaction
strangely reminded me of Professor Evanesca's aura whenever I feel that she's not
telling me the truth.

        Chapter 56: Snakes and Ladders [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            RB's POV

December finally came, and so is the fourth game of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem
Tournament.

Because the CMMT Ball is going to be held on the second week of December, the Game
4 of the CMMT will be held on the weekend of the first week of the month. On the
very first day of December, Emerald students woke up to a completely different
school ground. The school's designers have gone over the top and over the Earth in
decorating the entire campus for this year's Christmas.
Aside from numerous evergreen trees all over the school grounds, a faint snow is
also falling over the entire school. Even the temperature dropped significantly,
forcing all the students to wear their coats. With the barrier still present over
the school, it's like they've transformed Emerald into a gigantic, refrigerated
glass ball of snow and evergreen trees. I highly suspect though that the designers
totally went overboard this year only because of the CMMT.

Alongside with the grand redecoration of the entire school, they've also finally
given out invitations for the incoming CMMT Ball. In fact, all of our classmates
received an invitation. The letter said that we're required to wear formal clothes
and that we can also bring a date if we want to.

As expected, the entire school went nuts with the news. All of a sudden, all the
students of the school seem to be grooming themselves rather a bit too much in
hopes of catching a date or being someone else's. Even a few girls started throwing
me mysterious and sticky glances whenever I walk in the hallways of the school.
F**king imbeciles.

"That's it. Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna wear a huge sign that says, 'I like boys.
Don't bother, girls.' These bitches just don't want to leave me alone," I said to
Faye when a girl conveniently bumped onto me while we're walking in a hallway. I've
lost count already on how many times this exact thing has happened to me.

For us members of the official team, the primary focus is winning the Game 4.
Ezekiel already told us that winning the Game 3 only kept our chances in the
tournament alive, but it didn't actually propel us past the leading teams. If we
want to go higher up the standings and make it to the Finals, we need to win Games
4 and 5. Basically, all the remaining games of the elimination round are do-or-die
games for our team.

On the morning of the Game 4, our coaches together with the student assistants
gathered the members of the team at the Emerald Building for breakfast.

"The headmistress isn't around today because she had to attend to something
important," Ezekiel said as he led the team to the main dining hall of the Emerald
Building. "She's sending her best wishes to the team, of course. Gather around the
table now and be seated, please. The food is getting cold."

The atmosphere embracing the team is unnaturally quiet. Every single member of the
team looked focused and calm. Even Jack who can't stay still even for a second is
totally calm and cool today. I guess everyone in the team knows how important the
game tonight is.

"Before we tuck in to this sumptuous breakfast, I'd like to say a few words to the
everyone," Ezekiel said when everyone has finally settled. He then paused for a
long moment before letting out a long and deep breath.

"As you can see, one of our members is not here," Ezekiel began. "As you all know,
Ike has been pulled out of the team for an indefinite time. We don't know if he'll
be able to recover before the tournament ends. Even if he do recover, he still has
to undergo a rehabilitation program to be able to return to his former strength and
form. For now, all we can do is pray for his speedy recovery and that nothing bad
happens to him again."

"We won by the skin of our teeth in Game 3. A lot of critics have said that our
victory wasn't dominant, that we only won because Veron and PWU helped us. As an
agent, I cannot argue with that. However, if we didn't plan carefully, we would've
lost already even before Ike reached the final kilometer. If you didn't give every
single ounce of your strength in helping the team, we would've been eliminated in
an instant by Sierra just like in Game 1. If Ike did not sacrifice his body, we
wouldn't have won that game."

Arcs of electricity crisscrossed all over Ezekiel's arms as his voice shook with
intensity. "Let us dedicate this game to Ike. Let us dedicate this game to the
person who served as our unending supply of determination, strength, and
resiliency. Ike will be watching us from the stands this evening, and I want you to
make him feel that his efforts in the previous game were not wasted. Ike's at the
lowest point of his life right now, and I want you to lift him up by making him
proud. Can I trust you with that?" he asked.

"Yes, Ezekiel," everyone said.

"That's good to hear," he said before nodding at me. "I think our current captain
has something to say to us. RB, the stage is yours."

I stood up from my seat before scanning the people seated around the table. "You
guys have always trusted Ike so much. That's completely easy to understand, of
course. He's reliable and responsible. He's the main reason why our determination
and fighting spirit never dipped down a tiny bit even though we suffered two
straight losses in the tournament. I could never be like Ike. I could never be as
physically, emotionally, and mentally strong as Ike. To be honest, I don't think
I'll be able to lead the team the same way Ike did."

I paused for a few seconds as my voice echoed a bit inside the large dining hall.
"But this time, I want you to trust me, too. I'll never be like Ike, but I will do
my best to give our team the victory that we rightfully deserve. I will lead and
guide the team in the best way I can. I may not be as good as Ike, but I will be
the leader that you need in a situation like this," I said.

"Tonight, they will regret that they hurt Ike. They will regret their actions
against us. They will regret that they messed with the students of the best magical
school in the country. Our mascot, the phoenix, is the perfect symbol for our team.
Just like the phoenix, no matter how many times they try to burn us to ashes, we
will always rise stronger than ever before. Tonight, we will do the exact same
thing. From the ashes we'll rise, from the ashes we'll conquer."

All the people around the table broke into a loud applause as I sat back on my
chair. Jack thumped my shoulder so hard that I almost fell face-first onto a plate
of sausages right in front of me.
After the breakfast, Ezekiel talked to me for a bit in private.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I feel great," I said as I watched my teammates marvelling at the interior of the
entrance hall of the Emerald Building.

He stared at me for a few seconds. "You know, we still have other game plans. You
are a valuable piece of the team, RB. If your plan fails, that will deal a huge
blow to our team. We already lost a huge part of our offensive arsenal with the
loss of Ike. With your plan of diving straight to the danger, I can't help but feel
a little bit uneasy," Ezekiel said as he glided beside me.

"Don't you trust me?" I asked.

"I do, but this is Sierra we're talking about. Who knows what projectiles are they
going to throw at us this time especially now that we know their secret. We don't
want to lose you so early in the game, RB," he replied.

"I'll be fine," I said firmly. "We'll be fine. I know what I'm doing, Ezekiel. To
be honest, it's very uncharacteristic of you to be really doubtful and worrisome.
What happened to you? Are you feeling okay?" I asked.

Ezekiel just rolled his eyes. "I am more than fine, thank you very much. I just
wanted to be sure that you're sure with your decision. Well, if that's your plan
then I won't get in your way. As your head coach, I will just guide you in the best
way I can. I'll see you this afternoon in your training, then."

I nodded at him as I rejoined my teammates. "Game 4 is ours, Ezekiel. Trust me. I'm
ready to break a lot of bones just to win tonight. I am pretty sure that you and
Ike will thoroughly enjoy tonight's game," I said as my lips curved into a
meaningful grin.

●●●

Afternoon finally came. As the faint sun sank slowly over the horizon, thousands of
people flocked into the Diamond Battle Dome for the Game 4 of the Collegiate
Magical Mayhem Tournament. A few teams are already warming up on the open field. Up
on the skybox housing the commentator's station, Professors Ferrea and Romeus
waited in total silence for their broadcast to finally start.

Their headphones suddenly emitted a momentary static.

"Professors, we're about to go live..." a voice said through their headphones.

Both of them cleared their throats. "Here we go, Garrick!" Professor Ferrea said.
"We're going live in 3... 2... 1..."

As all the lights and TV monitors inside and outside the Diamond Battle Dome lit
up, Professor Ferrea's jolly voice rang throughout the place.

"GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE! This is the live coverage of your Collegiate Magical
Mayhem Tournament! I am Gregor Ferrea and joining me today for an all-Emerald
commentary is none other than NMLEA's Silent Killer, Garrick Romeus!"

"Good afternoon," Professor Romeus' flat voice replied.

"What an exciting game we'll be having today, eh?" Professor Ferrea said. "To start
our pre-game discussion, let us all take a look at the updated team standings!"

Team Standings — CMMT Senior's Division

                          SCHOOL                                     POINTS
1. Sierra Magical Institute (1-1-2)                1,400
2. Veron Academy of Magic (3-2-3)             1,000
3. National Agents Academy (2-3-4)            900
4. Emerald School of Magic (5-4-1)              800
5. Philippine Weirdo University (4-5-5)      400

"Garrick, fire away!"

Professor Romeus cleared his throat. "Sierra is still leading the pack with 1,400
points. Veron is next with 1,000 points. Directly behind them are NAA and Emerald
with 900 and 800 points respectively. PWU is at the bottom with 400 points. Even
though Emerald won the previous game, it was not enough to propel them to the top
of the standings. If the bottom teams want to keep their chances alive in this
tournament, they should win this game and the next. There's no other way. You win
today, you survive. You lose today, you lose the entire tournament. Simple as
that."

"Speaking of Emerald, they just can't seem to find their groove in this tournament.
They've shown flashes of brilliance, of course. However, they always seem to lose
their grip right at the endgame of each challenge. They won by the skin of their
teeth in the previous game, and now that Lunaria is out of the tournament, who
knows what'll happen to this team, especially to Talla who is their lone bright
spot. They might've lost heart already," Professor Ferrea said.

"To our viewers, Lunaria of Emerald has been pulled out of the tournament because
of the severe injuries that he sustained in the previous game. We're not yet sure
if he'll be able to return to the competition. We've been told that Mr. Lunaria's
recovering well," he added.
Down at the Ground Alpha, the Emerald team is currently warming up. Just like this
morning, the atmosphere surrounding the team is hushed and serious. Everyone looked
focused, even their student assistants.

"Look at Talla's face, Sir Gregor. I don't think that's the face of someone who
finally accepted defeat," Professor Romeus said, a faint smile curving on his face.

"Speaking of that boy, don't you think his performance is a bit lackluster in this
tournament, Garrick?" Professor Ferrea asked.

The former threw the latter a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I've seen firsthand how monstrous Talla could become. However, if I'm going
to compare his performance in the last three games with the performances of the
students from Sierra or NAA, I'd say that the other students are doing a lot better
than him. We both know Talla, Garrick. We know he's capable of doing much, much
more. We know what he can do. We know that he's even better than some of our
agents. I'm just wishing that we'll finally be able to see the Talla that we've
been desperately wanting to see in this tournament," Professor Ferrea said.

"Of course I can see that," Professor Romeus replied. "Talla's been performing
rather a bit less than what people had expected. Personally, I think he's doing
fine. I know he's up to something. I just can't tell it but there's something going
on inside that mind of his. Who knows, maybe we'll see tonight the Talla that we've
all been wanting to see."

Back at the Ground Alpha, RB and the rest of the team are still warming up. "The
commentators are having a field day with your lackluster performance," Faye said to
RB, adding air quotes to her last two words.

"And they will be having another field day about me in the next game. That time,
however, they're going to talk about how awesome I was in tonight's game," RB
replied.

Phoebe and Zephyr approached the two. "We heard about the news. Is Ike alright?"
Phoebe asked.

It was Faye who replied. "Ike's recovering well. He's probably with our classmates
in the stands. Thank you very much for helping him in the previous game."

"It's nothing," Zephyr replied. "Sierra and NAA have crossed the line and we just
can't stand seeing them bully you guys. It's really rude of them to always target
you in the previous games."

"Don't worry," RB interjected as he stretched his legs. "They won't bully us

anymore in the games to come. Just please stay as far away as possible from me when
the game starts. Of course I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to be sure that I
will be the last and only person that Sierra and NAA will see before they get
eliminated."

The three exchanged bewildered and scared looks.

"You guys should get back to your warm-ups!" Faye said to Phoebe and Zephyr as she
faked an indifferent demeanor. "He's always been like that since the incident with
Ike..." she added in a whisper.

After about half an hour, the commentators have finally finished their pre-game
discussion. All the teams are also done with their warm-ups and attacking practice
are are now huddling up with their coaches as they wait for the fourth challenge to
be revealed.

"Gather around, brats!" Ezekiel said to the team. "They're going to reveal the
challenge! Listen up!"

"Our crowd is a bit quiet today," Professor Ferrea said. "LET ME HEAR THOSE SHOUTS,
PEOPLE!"

The crowd roared in response.

"Well, that's good enough for me. Garrick, what is our fourth challenge?!"

"The fourth challenge of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem is Snakes and Ladders. Eight
members of the team will be fielded in while the remaining member will serve as a
piece for the board that is located in the Jade Battle Dome. Dice will be scattered
in random locations all over the terrain. The hunting team will have to locate
those dice and roll them so that their piece could move," Professor Romeus
explained.

"That's right, folks! This is the first time that we'll be using two battle arenas!
The Diamond Battle Dome will serve as our battleground while the Jade Battle Dome
will serve as our board!" Professor Ferrea added

The TV monitors displayed a gigantic circular board occupying the entirety of the
Ground Alpha of the Jade Battle Dome. The circular board rises with every turn,
making the final square the highest part of the board.

"Sweet," Tony said.

"That's new," Philip added.

"Just like the board game, we also have some snakes and ladders on our board. But
of course, we added a few power ups and punishments on our board. It's up to you to
find out what they are! All power ups last for exactly a minute. The board has 100
tiles, and the first team who reaches the 100th tile wins the game with 500 points!
The second team will get 400 points, so on and so forth. You know the math!"

"If a team loses all their eight members, they will automatically be eliminated
from the game because our challenge today is a single-life game. The piece can be
substituted by anyone from the hunting team, though. Of course, it is your job to
strategize to win tonight's challenge," Professor Romeus said.

"Our challenges are really competitive! When are we actually going to use the
rotation system?! Anyway, now that the challenge has been revealed, let us reveal
the terrain as well! Technical team, blow us away!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

The Ground Alpha blinked out for a moment before being replaced by the familiar
vast forests and numerous floating islands with towering waterfalls. This time,
however, a few erupting volcanoes can be seen over the distance. Even some of the
floating islands also have a volcano on them spewing out lava down onto the Flat
Grounds. The time is also set in the evening.

Jack let out a maniacal laugh. "Our opponents are so screwed now."

"I missed this terrain, Garrick!" Professor Ferrea said with a hearty laugh. "Team
Emerald is familiar with this place, of course. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to
Nocturnal Dystopia! Well, this terrain is actually a combination of two terrains
from last year's Emerald Magical Mayhem. The beautiful Flat Grounds and gravity-
defying islands came from the Dystopia's Domain while the hell-deep ravines and
erupting volcanoes came from the Nocturnal Nightmare. I'm loving this terrain! Our
technical team never fails to amaze us as always! Thank you very much, technical
team!"

"As usual, all the teams have a 30-minute planning time before the start of the
game," Professor Romeus said. "Teams, your planning time starts... now."

        Chapter 57: The Unbreakable Gem [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            As a countdown timer flashed on the TV monitors all over the Diamond Battle
Dome, Team Emerald gathered in a tight huddle to discuss their plans and
adjustments in tonight's challenge.

"The challenge and the terrain are both perfect for our plan," Ezekiel said after
conjuring his usual charms around their area. "We just have to field in all our
players except for one who will serve as our team's piece for the board. Now, who
shall we pick..."

"Faye should be our piece," RB interjected.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief or confusion. "Uh, don't you think we'll need
Faye to heal our injuries and shields? Just saying," Jack said.

"I have a huge respect for my sister's abilities and offensive prowess, thank you
very much," RB replied in his usual flat voice. "But we won't be needing a Healer
tonight, trust me."

Faye nodded. "Well, I have a huge trust on RB and I am totally fine being the
piece. All I have to do is stand and move on the board. I think that's a lot better
than actually being out on the field fighting opponents and locating dice. I'm
completely fine with RB's decision," she said.

Ezekiel's lips curved into a triumphant grin. "Faye is our piece, then. Ate Elena,
please inform the game officials that Ms. Lena is going to be our piece for the
board. Thank you very much."

The teams have to notify the game officials on their choice for their piece because
they're going to be sent to the Jade Battle Dome fifteen minutes before the actual
game starts.

"Well, we're going to use our basic attacking formation: primary attackers
surrounding the secondary attackers with Tony acting as our sniper. Tony, you will
also be vital in locating the dice. The primary focus is to find and roll as many
dice as we can. We're only going to fight back if someone attacks us first. RB will
be on full defensive today as planned, but if Sierra and NAA target us again
tonight, RB will switch on the offensive and wreak havoc," Ezekiel explained.

"We're not gonna split into two teams for more chances of finding dice? You know,
more chances of winning?" Alice asked.

"That'll just weaken our offense. Remember, we only have a total of 7 hunters on
the field as compared to the 8 of the other teams. They can afford to split up, but
we can't. Strength in numbers, Alice. Besides, I am pretty sure that we won't be
having any troubles in locating the dice with Tony on our team," Ezekiel replied.

"Leave that to me, guys," Tony replied.

"That being said, the other teams might attack him knowing that he has a vital role
in tonight's game," RB said. "I will stay close to Tony to make sure that no one
tries to eliminate him from the game."

Philip still looked a bit disconcerted. "What if they try to eliminate us all
again? I mean, with Ayumu's shadows, it would be really easy for him to wipe us all
out in one stroke especially now that we're going to stick together. It will be
Game 1 all over again."

RB's purple and grey eyes gleamed a bit as he scanned the Sierra huddle. "I want to
see him try..."

Jack threw confused glances between RB and Ezekiel. "So we're basically giving
Sierra and NAA a chance? I mean, if they don't attack us, we won't fight them back,
right?" he asked.
Ezekiel nodded. "Definitely, but knowing Sierra and NAA, do you really think that
they are capable of leaving us all alone? Tonight's formation is a clever trap,
Jack. Once those two schools bite onto our trap, it will be their last moment in
tonight's game."

As all the teams continued with their planning, the two commentators also shared
their thoughts and tips about the fourth challenge.

"You were the head coach of Emerald in the previous tournament, Garrick. If you
were to give any advice to our teams here, what would it be?" Professor Ferrea
asked.

"Keep running and never look back. The ideal thing to do is to keep looking for
dice and just play the game as it is. However, it is also important to note that
eliminating teams means improving your chances of getting a higher score. You can
win the game without playing the game. Emerald, Veron, and PWU have a high tendency
to play to reach the 100th tile. On the other hand, Sierra and NAA have an
inclination to eliminate teams rather than try to win the game by playing. Knowing
that they have a little coalition in this tournament, I think it would be really
hard to fight against a team consisting of 16 members. With these contrasting
styles and numerous scenarios that might unfold, I think we're on to a very
interesting game tonight," Professor Romeus said.

His partner let out a hearty laugh. "What clever analysis, my dear friend! It is
indeed interesting to see how our teams will fare in tonight's challenge. Emerald
has a little bit of momentum with their victory from last game, but Sierra is
riding a tsunami of it with their strong finishes in the previous games. Veron and
NAA are neck and neck in the middle of the pack, while PWU just can't get a strong
finish in this tournament. It's all about keeping your smooth flight or rising
higher up the sky in tonight's challenge!"

When a buzzer signalled the official end of the planning time, an unnatural silence
swept through the entire Diamond Battle Dome. It seems that everyone knows how
crucial this game is especially for the lower teams.

"This is the moment, you guys. We've already said a lot of things to you. Now, it's
up to you to make our plans work. It won't be easy. It won't be a walk in the park.
When things get rough, I want you to remember that somewhere in the middle of that
green crowd supporting us, Ike is sitting there wishing to be playing with us. Win
this game for him. Do you understand?" Ezekiel asked.

Everyone nodded.

"EMERALD—!"

"—FIGHT!"
"Well, that's all. I will keep in contact with RB. Have a safe game, you brats,"
Ezekiel said to the team before heading to their surveillance room together with
their assistant coaches and student assistants.

The team walked towards the open ground and waited for the terrain to switch. "It's
game time, RB," Jared said as he bounced on his feet.

The former scanned the green crowd sitting right behind them. After finally
locating Ike in the stands together with their classmates, RB closed his eyes
momentarily before taking a long and deep breath.

"Feeling better now that you've seen him?" Jared asked him with a faint smirk on
his face.

RB cracked his knuckles. "I think I can summon about a thousand of Crystal Golems
right now."

Jared smiled widely as he poised himself for combat. "That's good to hear..."

The entire Ground Alpha blinked out to be replaced by the Nocturnal Dystopia. The
entire team is now standing on a huge floating island overlooking a forest
surrounded by erupting volcanoes and rivers of lava. Despite the time being set at
night, the surroundings are still well-lit with the light coming from the full
moon.

"What a way to greet us," Aliyah said, peering down wearily on the fiery terrain
below them.

RB's earphone emitted a momentary static. "RB?"

"Ezekiel."

"Good."

Professor Ferrea's ringing voice swept through the entire terrain. "The teams are
now ready! Question is, are our viewers ready?! Let me hear those cheers and
shouts! Make your seatmates go deaf! Rupture your voice boxes! Are you ready to
witness some madness?!"

There was a momentary pause. Even though they can no longer hear or see the crowd,
RB can only imagine the crowd's reaction right now.

"Well, as we always say here... LET THE MAYHEM COMMENCE!!!"

A horn honked loudly to signal the start of the game.

"TONY!" RB shouted.

The former squinted his eyes before scanning the view around him. After a few
seconds, he pointed towards a bunch of trees between two volcanoes situated about a
couple of kilometers away from their island. "Two dice. Down there."

"It's showtime, everyone," RB said before diving straight to the ground. The others
also followed suit.

"And there we go, Garrick! The fourth game is officially on! What do we have
here... Ooh, our teams with members who can locate stuff are looking good! I think
Emerald and Veron have located a few dice. They're off to a really good start!"
Professor Ferrea said.

"Arellano's Enhanced Senses will prove to be really useful tonight for Team
Emerald. Also, I am pretty sure that he will be a hot target for the other teams in
tonight's game. Emerald should protect him well if they want to win again this
time," Professor Romeus added.

RB's team finally landed on the spot that Tony pointed to earlier. Just as Tony
said, a couple of glowing dice are lying on the ground hidden behind thick bushes.

"Jared, take that. I'll roll this one," RB said before taking the first die. The
die was so huge that RB needed to hold it in both hands. He then threw it on the
ground where it rolled for a while before finally stopping.

"Five. Not bad," Jack said when the die stopped.

Everyone on the team looked up at the TV monitor high above them to see Faye's
green podium moving five tiles forward. Jared also rolled his die which gave them
six. The rolled dice then glowed brightly before disintegrating upward into
glittering green dust.

"That's eleven tiles right away for Emerald! Veron also moves to the fourth tile
and gets the X-ray Vision power up! This power up allows all the members of the
affected team to have an x-ray vision. Obviously, they will be able to see through
barriers such as mountains and trees. Use that power up to locate those evasive
dice, kids!" Professor Ferrea said. "It's a good start for these two teams, but
Emerald takes an early lead!"

"Good start!" RB said to the team. "Some of us will have to fly while the others
will remain on the ground. We need to keep Faye moving! Tony, locate the nearest
die. Ezekiel, can you smell anything fishy with Sierra and NAA?"

"None, so far," Ezekiel replied. "I think they're going to establish a good start
on the board first before they start attacking other teams. I think the other teams
are still adjusting to the terrain, too. It's too early to tell what they're going
to do. I'll inform you right away once I see something worrisome. The team's
looking good, by the way. Keep that momentum going."

Professor Ferrea's voice suddenly boomed from above. "And Sierra moves two tiles
forward and lands exactly on a ladder leading to the seventh tile! Wait... NAA also
moves to the sixth tile! All teams are on the board now! Man, our gameplay today is
so satisfying to watch! I feel like a kid again!"

The terrain proved to be really challenging and dangerous. Aside from the forests
of thick and towering trees that could easily disorient someone's sense of
direction, the volcanoes spewing out lava and fiery boulders are really dangerous,
too. RB and the rest of the team explored the terrain carefully and made sure that
they won't get trapped in a volcanic eruption or fall into ravines that lead to who
knows where.

Even the other teams seem to be adjusting first to this strange terrain. No fights
have broken out yet and no teams have even summoned Gladiators to distract the
others. Just like what Ezekiel said, the teams are still trying to get a feel of
the terrain. The real game is probably going to start after about half an hour.

"There's a die up that tree," Tony said as they walked on a clear path in the
middle of a forest.

Alice extended her ropes to the tree where a die has been lodged carefully in
between two branches. The placement of the dice on the terrain changes every minute
that's why they have to move really quickly once they locate a die near to them.

"Roll it!" Jack shouted.

Alice rolled the die on the ground which stopped at four.

"Fifteenth tile. I think we're going to stop on a power up," Ezekiel declared.

"Emerald moves to the fifteenth tile! There's also a power up, and it's... ooh,
Invisibility! This invisibility power up applies to the players and their
respective locator dots on our hologram maps. It means that the coaches and players
from opposing teams won't be able to see them for a full minute. The affected
players will still be able to see each other, though. Thanks to Emerald's Spells
Master, Professor Ozzelus, for making this possible! It would be really awkward if
teammates won't be able to see each other. Though it's pretty untimely, use that
power up wisely, kids!"

Jack just let out a groan. "Man, we don't really need this power up right now.
Don't you have an Instant Kill power up or something? That would be really useful.
I'd love to use that on Sierra and NAA."

"Don't be silly," Jared fired at him.

Half an hour passed and all the teams have advanced nearly halfway on the board.
Emerald is still leading, all thanks to the impeccable skill of Tony in locating
dice no matter where they were placed or hidden. A few fights against Gladiators
have broken out, but no teams have actually encountered and fought each other. The
terrain is just too big for the five teams.

"Snap! NAA lands on a snake! 8 tiles back, kid!" Professor Ferrea said. "Emerald is
still leading the pack with their piece on the 58th tile. Veron is on the 53rd
tile. PWU is on the 49th tile. Sierra is closely behind them on the 46th tile.
Trailing behind is NAA on the 42nd tile. We have a close race, and things are just
about to get a lot more exciting!"

"We could clearly see that the supports of the leading teams are helping a lot in
locating the dice. Emerald and Veron have very effective locators in Arellano and
Palacio respectively," Professor Romeus added.

Ezekiel suddenly spoke through RB's earphone, his voice filled with worry. "RB, be
careful. I think Sierra and NAA are up to something. The teams are now nearing each
other, and I don't think they're going to fight."

"Are they going to team up?" RB asked.

"I believe so."

RB's eyes gleamed. "Good."

Right after Ezekiel's warning, the usual ominous darkness occupied the night sky,
blocking out the moon and all the stars.

"Be alert. Sierra is up to something," RB said to the team as he looked up at the

pitch-black sky. "Tony, stay close to me."

A loud rumble suddenly echoed from above followed by Gladiators suddenly descending
from the sky. The red and purple Gladiators fell around them in a circle, enclosing
the team in all directions. At the same time, shadows slowly crept on the ground
all around them, plunging the place in an unnatural darkness.

"SIERRA AND NAA SUMMONED ALL THEIR GLADIATORS ON THE AREA OF EMERALD! IT'S UTTERLY
OVERWHELMING!" Professor Ferrea shouted as members of Team Emerald braced
themselves for combat. "THEY ARE NOW CORNERED! WHAT WILL EMERALD DO NOW—"

RB suddenly rose into the air as puffs of black smoke erupted all over his body,
causing his wavy black markings to appear. As all the Gladiators in the area rushed
towards them, RB's black eyes gleamed as he uttered a single word:
"Fall."

The Gladiators rushing towards them suddenly crashed to the ground as if the
gravity in their area increased all of a sudden. Right before the very eyes of the
stunned crowd, the Gladiators disintegrated into dust before dissipating into
nothing.

"Talla's shield levels up to Level 8," the familiar female voice announced to the
entire battle dome.

"What... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Professor Ferrea shouted as the Diamond Battle
Dome exploded with the shouts from the green crowd. "TALLA ELIMINATES A TOTAL OF 80
GLADIATORS TO LEVEL UP HIS SHIELD TO LEVEL 8! UH-OH. BAD MOVE, SIERRA AND NAA! BAD
MOVE!"

The shadows behind Tony suddenly quivered before rising to form the silhouette of a
person. The shadows covering the person receded, revealing the Superstrength
Weirdo, Althea. Before she could even strike Tony's shield, RB pointed a hand to
her before uttering another word:

"Stop."

Althea froze all of a sudden as if invisible strings suddenly pulled her back. RB
glided towards her before holding her arm and pulling it away from Tony who
immediately aimed an arrow at her. The others also braced themselves for attack.

"You guys are so easy to read," RB said in a low voice. "You tried to overwhelm us
with Gladiators in hopes of eliminating our team without even fighting us. While
everyone is distracted, you were supposed to sneak up behind Tony to shatter his
shield so that even if we survive the Gladiators' attack, we won't be able to
locate the dice as quickly as before. You guys are trying to be sneaky to avoid
fighting us. Why? Are you afraid of something? Oh, wait... Why don't we ask dear
Ayumu himself?"

RB placed both of his hands on the shadows on the ground before pulling them with a
mighty heave. As if pulling a heavy and waterlogged blanket out of water, RB pulled
out a person wearing a red hooded jacket from the shadows on the ground. It was
Ayumu. He tried to transform himself into a shadow but RB's black markings glowed
ominously and absorbed the former's shadow.

"Hello there, dear Ayumu. Don't try to escape or you'll get badly hurt," RB said
with a grin before forcing the two of them to bow to their teammates.

"What do you want from us? Look, I'm sorry for what we did to your team!" Ayumu
said.

"I want you to look at them. I want you to look at every single one of these
people. I want you to look at them straight in the eyes. Does it feel good to have
your dignity stepped upon? Does it feel good to be targeted in every single game?
Does it feel good to be laughed upon because you're weak?" RB said in a gravelly
whisper. "Go on. Tell me. How does it feel to be in our position now?"

"Why don't you eliminate us, then?!" Althea shouted at him. "You want revenge? Do
it! But it will never change the fact that we are better and stronger than you!"

There was a loud crack which sounded horribly like a bone breaking followed by the
pained shout of Althea. "And for you, dear Althea, how does it feel to have your
bones broken?" RB asked.

"ELIMINATE US NOW!" she shouted.

RB's lips curved into a wide grin. "Oh, I'm not going to eliminate you..." he said
before throwing the two on the ground, right at the area where the rest of the team
is standing. "They are..."

Wings made out of pure darkness sprouted from RB's back as thousands of crystal
ravens started flying around him. With a mighty flap of his wings, he launched
straight to the sky and towards the area where Ayumu's shadows came from earlier—
his murder of ravens flying around him ominously as he headed straight to where
Sierra and NAA are.

Back on the ground, the rest of the team stared at the immobilized Althea and Ayumu
on the ground with great contempt in their eyes. Jack then stepped forward, smiling
widely as ice spikes slowly covered his body. He then cracked his knuckles loudly
before crouching in front of the two.

"Well, this is going to be fun..."

        Chapter 58: Purple Vengeance [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            You better listen to the song, dudes. Haha. This is Sia at her finest. Lol.
Listen to the other songs of LSD, too. Genius is probably my favorite dahil unang
dinig ko pa lang sa kanta eh si RB na agad ang pumasok sa isip ko. Lol. The
original is good, but this remix is LEGIT.

Have fun reading this chapter, by the way. Alam kong maraming naghintay dito. ߘ

TheAshtone

b‫●●׏‬

The students of the Emerald Secondary School's Weirdo Class 12-A couldn't be
happier with their lives. Even though the school is using a heterogeneous style in
assigning students in the sections, being assigned at Section A gave the impression
that they are the best students of their year level. Truth be told, they are in
fact the star section. A lot of teachers praise their good performance and high
placements in every term-end ranking. Now that they are in their final year, a lot
of students from their class are looking forward to try to get admitted to the
prestigious Emerald School of Magic.

Everything would've been perfect for this class if not for one particular person.

Rubio Safiro Talla.

Everyone in their class agrees that there is something unnervingly strange about
that guy. Ever since they were first-years, Rubio has never had any friends. Well,
some of them tried to befriend him during their early years in the school but he
always shuts them out. As the years progressed, everyone in their class just
accepted the fact that they will never be able to establish any kind of friendship
with him.

Everything is just strange about him, from his manner of speaking up to his
behavior inside and outside the classroom. There are rumors going around as to why
he's acting all strange. Some say that the death of his parents caused the change
in his behavior, while the others say that it was caused by the trauma that he
experienced when he was captured by the villains. Either way, Rubio is an
undoubtedly disconnected and aloof person who seem to have his own world.

Everyone agrees that Rubio is strange, but no one in their class wants to admit
that they feel a little bit of bitterness with him.

Rubio, despite being a huge puzzle, has always excelled in school. Whenever the
entire class cannot answer a question, the teachers would turn to Rubio who has an
answer to virtually all the questions in the universe. No matter how hard they
tried to be the best, Rubio will always emerge on top of the term- and year-end
rankings. Even if they create the most spectacular attack, Rubio will always do
something flashy and jaw-dropping with his weirdness that will automatically
overshadow theirs.

The most hurtful truth of all is that Rubio probably has one of the best
weirdnesses in the world with his Crystal Weirdness and that he's being trained
personally by no other than the former number one agent and the current
headmistress of the entire Emerald, Professor Esmerelda Evanesca. All their
teachers strongly agree that Rubio is extremely ahead of his classmates, and being
that talented and skilled meant that the School of Magic's doors will be wide open
to admit him next year.

Everyone in Class 12-A has a silent feeling of animosity towards Rubio. What makes
them feel even a lot more bitter is that even if he knew about what they're feeling
with him, he probably won't even care. He is the perfect example of a lazy genius
who can earn all the recognition and praise in the entire world without having to
give a single goddamn f**k about anything.

"If a weirdo can actually produce the element, then he is automatically classified
as an Elemental Weirdo. However, if he can only transfigure substances into an
element, he's a Transfiguration Weirdo. That is the most important differentiating
factor between an Elemental Weirdo and a Transfiguration Weirdo," RB said in one of
their classes.

"Excellent, Rubio. That wraps up our discussion for today. Tomorrow, you'll be
having a quiz, so please study well for that. Thank you, everyone. You are now
dismissed. Go home already," the teacher said.

When their teacher left the room, one of the students jeered at RB. "Good job as
usual, teacher's pet. Do you want  some dog food as a reward?" his classmate said
with a snigger.

Rubio, as usual, just stood up lifelessly before heading straight to the door. Just
before he exited the room, he looked back at his classmate and gave him a faint
smile. "At least I can count to ten, Calvin. Also, does your girlfriend know that
you're seeing someone else? I don't want to break a relationship but I saw you
kissing Clara of Class 12-C yesterday in a coffee shop. I can send a picture to
your girlfriend as a proof," he said in his flat, emotionless voice.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Calvin's girlfriend shouted in disbelief.

As a ruckus erupted inside their classroom, Rubio quietly slipped out of the room
and walked away from the commotion.

"Stinking mortals..." he whispered as he took a turn on a hallway.

Rubio knows very well what exactly his classmates think about him. He's been
treated like a total alien in the six years of his stay at the Emerald Secondary
School and that's enough already for him to know that his classmates don't really
like him. He couldn't care less, anyway. He likes being alone, and he probably
won't be able to make any friends ever again.

Besides, being alone has its advantages. In the past five years of his life, he has
observed and memorized the respective tendencies and behaviors of his classmates.
They don't know anything about him, but Rubio knows everything about every single
one of his classmates. He knows their secrets. He knows their dreams. He knows
their fears. Knowing that he's a lot of steps ahead of his classmates gives him a
strange feeling of satisfaction and superiority.

Rubio passed by a nearby restaurant to eat his dinner. He usually does this because
he lives alone and he really doesn't have time to cook especially now that they
have a lot of homework to finish. Once he finishes his solitary supper, he also
usually walks home because his house is not that far from Emerald. It's already a
few minutes before seven when he finally headed home.

Rubio took his usual shortcut towards his house. The streets in his shortcut are a
bit dark and not frequented by people, but it cuts his walking time significantly
that's why he always takes this way. Besides, he's always alone whenever he walks
here that's why he really likes this shortcut. Tonight, however, a group of three
people are waiting for him on his way.

He paused for a while to recognize the three people. "Oh, it's just you, Calvin.
Good evening," he said in his flat voice before resuming his walk.

"Yeah, good evening, Rubio..."

A jet of fire suddenly flew towards Rubio who dodged lifelessly out of harm's way.
"I really don't want to fight you because my stomach's really full and I don't want
to get a stomachache. You should really go home. It's getting late."

"Did you seriously think that I'll just let you go after what you did earlier?
Shanna broke up with me, for your info! Why can't you keep your mouth shut about
the things that you see?!" Calvin shouted as he sent fireballs flying towards
Rubio.

The latter just wove and ducked smoothly around the former's fire attacks. "It's a
really good decision for Shanna. Considering the dismal level of her IQ, I am quite
surprised that she was able to make such a logical decision. You should be really
proud of her," Rubio replied in his usual emotionless voice.

Calvin let out a shout of frustration as his flames engulfed both his arms.

Rubio stared at him flatly. "I wouldn't do that if I were you because your fire has
a really high tendency—"

The former slashed his arms forward and sent two huge jets of fire towards Rubio
who didn't even move away from the line of fire. However, instead of flying
straight to him, the jets of fire recurved and flew back to their caster, creating
a huge explosion of fire that knocked Calvin and his two other cronies off their
feet.

"—to backfire on you. Our Basic Combat Training teacher always said that your
fire's still unstable. I'll just tell our teachers tomorrow that you won't be able
to attend classes because of your stupidity," Rubio continued, staring coldly at
the smoking bodies on his feet. He then let out a long sigh before dialling a
number on his phone.

The call connected after a few moments.

"Uh, please send an ambulance to Simona Street, near the West Valenio Business
Center. There's an idiot who played with fire and got seriously hurt. Please send
medical assistance ASAP. Thank you very much," he said.

Rubio then pocketed his phone before continuing his walk. "I hate people..." he
whispered lifelessly before taking a turn on the corner of the street.
Calvin, just like the rest of Rubio's classmates, is one of those people that he
can perfectly read like a street sign. When it comes to combat, he knows exactly
what their tendencies are. In fact, he has formulated a specific combat strategy
for each and every single one of his classmates. That's probably the reason why
they could never beat him.

His classmates tried and tried, but it seems that it's ridiculously hard, even
impossible, to put even just a tiny scratch on a diamond...

"We'll be having a combat practice today," their teacher said in their Basic Combat
Training subject. "The end of the school year is just a few months away, and I know
that a lot of you are aspiring to enter the School of Magic. Let me just tell you
that if you want to even have a chance of getting admitted, your combating
abilities should be really refined and on point. Now, how about a good old 'Capture
the Flag?' One vs. Everyone style! Who wants to start first?"

Rubio raised a hand.

"Good! Let's proceed to the battle hall, everyone!" their teacher said.

Whenever Rubio volunteers in every combat training, the entire class seems to
mutually conspire to take him down. Now, as they headed to one of Emerald Secondary
School's battle halls, the rest of the class exchanged meaningful looks that seem
to mean only one thing:

Shatter the gem.

"Go to your position, Talla!" the teacher said as the terrain switched to a rocky,
mountainous place. "Rest of the class, go and position yourselves wherever you
want! Game begins in 3... 2... 1..."

As a loud buzzer sound went off to signal the start of the game, RB closed his eyes
and took a deep breath.

"The best students of the class have a high tendency to attack first," his mind
said. Right after he thought of that, about five people suddenly emerged from
behind huge boulders and dashed towards him. Crystal wings suddenly sprouted from
his back before he launched high into the air, leaving behind his flag.

His attackers stopped for a moment and looked up at him in total confusion.

"Thanks for leaving your flag behind, Rubio!" one of his classmates shouted before
dashing towards the flag.

"You are welcome," he replied before flicking his hands, creating a circular wall
of crystal spikes around the flag that expanded quickly, capturing and immobilizing
all five attackers.

A few spells and projectiles suddenly flew towards RB who immediately tucked his
crystal wings behind him and dived straight to the ground. He then sent a few
crystal spikes to the exact spots where the attacks came from. There were a few
grunts of pain and Rubio knew that he hit the bull's eye.

"Now that you've taken down the best attackers, the inferior ones will now act on
total desperation," his mind said as he landed back to the ground.

The sound of loud screams filled the air as the rest of the class made a mad dash
towards the Rubio. He just stared coldly at the people attacking him before curling
himself forward, causing ice spikes to sprout all over his body. There was a loud
snap and the crystal spikes flew from his body and hit all the attackers, gluing
them on the trees and mountainsides.

The terrain switched back to the usual setting to reveal their teacher clapping
loudly at Rubio. "As usual, you were excellent, Rubio! That's a perfect score for
you in today's activity! I wouldn't be surprised if you emerge as the School of
Magic's top student next year!"

Rubio's eyes gleamed as he scanned his classmates lying all over the floor. "Well,
I get lucky sometimes..."

●●●

"CABRERA AND PEREZ ARE OUT! AND HERE HE COMES! LIKE A BIRD OF PREY HAVING SPOTTED
ITS NEXT VICTIM TO KILL, TALLA IS NOW HEADING TOWARDS SIERRA AND NAA! I CAN SMELL
VENGEANCE COMING!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

A flock of crystal ravens suddenly descended on the area of Sierra and NAA. Their
members looked around them in apprehension as the ravens cawed ominously at them.
The eerie silence broken only by the noise of the ravens didn't help to abate their
apprehension at all.

"This is just probably one of Talla's tricks!" Koshi shouted to the others. "We've
already seen it numerous times before. He can't possibly take us down all by
himself. Get ready!"

Some of the crystal ravens flew towards each other and converged to form the figure
of a person. A second later, the crystal figure disintegrated into dust to reveal
RB with his wavy black markings.

Ezekiel's voice rang loud and clear in RB's ears.

"RB..."
"Yes?"

"Slay."

As all the members of Sierra and NAA braced themselves for combat, RB rose into the
air and spread his arms wide on his sides.

"Fall."

All the people around him collapsed to the ground simultaneously. At the same time,
RB's hands transformed into shadows that grew further into black tentacles.
Numerous tails made out of shadows also sprouted on his lower back, making him look
like a many-tailed, black fox. His shadow tentacles and tails extended and wrapped
tightly around his opponents. He then slowly raised his arms, causing some of the
bound members of Sierra and NAA to rise into the air as well.

"What sorcery is this?! For some strange reason, Talla can also control shadows
now! What a shocking twist! It seems that the students of Sierra and NAA are all
immobilized now! This is trouble for our northern friends!" Professor Ferrea
shouted.

A deathly silence and stillness enveloped the mesmerized crowd. The sight of RB
hovering eerily at the center of hundreds of ravens and the bound students of
Sierra and NAA is enough to send chills down the spine of everyone watching. His
black tentacles, tails, and wavy markings made him look even a lot scarier.

A bolt of lightning and jet of fire suddenly flew towards RB whose black eyes
suddenly glowed. Instead of hitting him, the lighting bolt and jet of fire seemed
to hit a predetermined barrier around RB before disintegrating into sparkling, red
and white particles.

"It's futile. Don't waste your energy," RB said as he lowered Koshi in front of
him.

"I can see what this is all about," Koshi replied. "It's about vengeance, isn't it?
We hurt you, you hurt us back. You guys have probably looked at us as the
antagonists. Now that you're in our position, don't you think that you've become
like us? What you consume is what consumes you, RB. Look at you, you've become a
monster, too."

RB's lips curved into a wide grin. "You don't know anything about me, Koshi. I am
more than just a monster. Fear and darkness are my friends; and trust me, we are
not and will never be alike."

Silence.
"The first three games must've felt good for you. You guys were simply unstoppable;
but I think that was your biggest mistake, Koshi. You guys already showed your 100%
at the very beginning of the competition. You gave us a box of puzzle pieces, and
all we had to do was arrange those pieces to form the whole picture. You already
gave your all, but we're just getting started. We've hit rock-bottom, so there's no
other way for us to go but up. You, on the other hand, have reached the apex in an
instant. Remember, my dear Koshi, the higher you fly, the harder you fall," RB
said.

"You think this will stop us from targeting you? As long as you're on the field, we
will never stop until we eliminate you. Defeating us tonight will only fan the
flames of our revenge. No matter what happens, we will always be the better team!"
Koshi replied.

"Well, as I speak, the rest of our inferior team is hunting down the dice at a
staggering speed while your teams are immobilized around me. Also, I don't think
you'll be targeting us again in this tournament after this evening," said RB. "I
promised to myself that I will not allow anyone to hurt any member of our team ever
again. You can target us again in the next game, but just make sure that I'm not in
the field when you do it; because if you try to hurt anyone from our team while I'm
still in the game, I will hunt you down and crush every single bone in your body."

Koshi smirked. "Just like what we did to your Ike?"

The shadow tentacles wrapped around everyone tightened all of a sudden. Horrible
sounds of cracking bones filled the air as the shadow tentacles quivered and
squeezed their captives. Even Koshi winced a bit while everyone around them grunted
in pain.

"Yes, just like what you guys did to my Ike," RB said with a grin as he lowered
down the Veloso twins to his level. Black flames erupted all over his body before
creeping on his tentacles and towards the students of Sierra and NAA who writhed in
pain as the black flames engulfed their bodies.

"Are you seriously going to kill us?!" Yohan shouted at him while convulsing in
agony.

"I'm not going to kill you," replied RB, his eyes gleaming. "I'm just gonna hurt
you really, really bad."

"Fine, you win!" Yael shouted. "Just eliminate us and end all of this!"

RB stared at him flatly. "I do not take orders from filthy mortals..."

He then drew Koshi nearer to him before tracing the side of his face with a shadow
tentacle. "Ah... Fear..." RB whispered softly. "It's amazing how a little pain can
draw out a lot of fear from a person. Ayumu's special to you, right? What would you
feel if I hurt him the same way you hurt Ike?"
Koshi stared at him fiercely. "Don't you ever dare drag Ayumu in this! He didn't
want the idea of targeting you but we pushed him to help us! Don't you dare hurt
him!"

"Do you feel now what I felt when you hurt Ike?" RB asked as the tentacles wrapped
around everyone tightened even further.

"This isn't the time to be cocky, Koshi!" Yohan shouted, blood dripping from his
mouth. "Just tell him to eliminate us! Your pride won't help us in this situation!"

RB smiled. "Good advice, Yohan," he said before turning to Koshi. "You know the
magic word, Koshi. You know it very well. Eat your pride and I'll end your agony,
or you can act all confident and suffer for a little bit longer. I'm waiting."

The black flames on RB's tentacles intensified further. Serious burns and cuts have
also appeared on nearly every single student of Sierra and NAA. Some of them were
even unconscious already. Koshi threw RB a contemptuous stare before looking away
from him.

"P-Please... Eliminate us..." he said in a barely audible voice.

The shadow tentacles wrapped around Koshi suddenly retracted away, causing him to
fall to the ground. RB then raised a foot before putting it on Koshi's head and
forcing his face to the ground. "Just before I eliminate you, I want to give you
one last message that you should always remember whenever you think about targeting
our team," RB whispered as he looked down on Koshi. "I do not bow down to lowly
mortals..."

He then slammed his foot forcefully against Koshi's shield. There was also a
collective shatter as the shields of the students from Sierra and NAA broke
altogether. RB's tentacles retracted back to him to form again into his hands and
black tails. His body then disintegrated into dust which formed into crystal ravens
that flew high into the air.

"HOW'S THAT FOR VENGEANCE?! TALLA ELIMINATES SIERRA AND NAA FROM THE GAME! We told
you he's up to something! We told you that you haven't seen his best yet! The least
possible score for the rest of our teams is now 300! Emerald, Veron, and PWU are
still in the game!" Professor Ferrea shouted, failing to hide the joy in his voice.

A few minutes later, RB landed back to his teammates who greeted him wildly. "That
was insane, man!" Jack said before hugging him tightly and nearly lifting him off
the ground.

Even Ezekiel couldn't hide his amazement. "I am simply speechless, RB. Great job."

"Yeah," RB replied, his lips curving into a strange grin, "I get lucky
sometimes..."
●●●

NEXT UPDATE: Trust is one of the most difficult things to give and earn. When you
trust someone, you don't just give them faith or belief. You give a part of
yourself to them. That's why when someone breaks your trust, it also breaks
something inside you. Giving someone your trust is already difficult, giving it to
the same person for the second time is virtually impossible.

Their year is about to end. As our story approaches its final phase, another
unsettling occurrence involving our protagonists will unfold. Suppressed powers
will break free, and we will all see that the darkness is now a lot closer and
deeper than we thought.

Can you still trust your friends? Can you still trust yourself? Can you still trust
your own darkness?

Be careful. Be wary. Be watchful.

The end is near.

        Chapter 59: The Switch [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Lol. I forgot na 5 years na pala tayo nung June 11. Haha. Normally eh may
ginagawa akong katangahan sa anniversary pero dahil masyado akong busy eh baka wala
na akong gawin. Haha. Baka gumawa na lang ako ng Special Chapter for the story.

Anyway, happy 5 years! Naabutan lang tayo ng limang taon kasi sooobraaang baaagaaal
kong mag-update. Lul. Thanks sa limang taon. Hindi ko na sasabihing more years to
come kasi wala akong balak na magtagal pa rito sa Wattpad. Haha.

By the way, meron pa ba akong reader dito na talagang binantayan ako from Committed
to Love You hanggang dito sa Weirdos? Like, 'yung readers na naabutan pa ang pag-
aabang sa updates ng CtLY at hanggang ngayon eh hindi pa rin ako sinusukuan? Kung
wala, kahit sa My Stubborn Suitor na lang. If meron, curious akong malaman kung
sino. Pakilala kayo. BE HONEST.

'Yun lang.

TheAshtone

●●●

RB's POV
"While you were busy kicking the asses of the members of Sierra and NAA, Tony here
went on a hunting spree with the dice. As you can see, we're already on the 94th
tile and we have here a die that you should roll. We want a six, bro. After what
you've done tonight, I think it's just right that you roll probably our last die in
this match," Jack said, giving me a die.

"Good luck, RB," Ezekiel said. "Let's win this game."

I threw the die on the ground where it rolled for a while before stopping at five.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Tony said with a snigger. "Let's go and hunt for
our last die, then."

Professor Ferrea suddenly spoke. "Wait, wait. Hang on a minute, kids. Hold your
horses. Can't you see that there is something strange with our 99th tile?" he said.

All of us instinctively looked up at the TV monitor high above us just in time to

see Faye sliding towards the 99th tile of the circular board. When she finally
reached the tile, eight green doors suddenly rose from the floor around her,
blocking the 100th tile and everything around her from view and enclosing Faye in
an octagonal-shaped room of doors. The doors then rotated quickly before abruptly
stopping.

"What's going on?" Jared asked.

"Of course, someone had to reach this tile," Professor Ferrea said with a light
chuckle. "What a cruel turn of events for Emerald. This is probably the worst tile
on our board. The 99th tile is a bit like a trap. As you can see, we have eight
doors surrounding our lovely Ms. Lena. One of those doors leads right to the 100th
tile, while the others will drag you back down on the board. How far can you fall?
Well, one door will crash you back to Tile 0, your starting tile."

"WHAT THE F**K?!" Jack shouted in utter disbelief.

I sighed. "Which means..."

"...that all your efforts tonight can go to waste if you pick the wrong door. You
only have one chance, kids. One chance. Looking at the current positions of Veron
and PWU, if you choose the wrong door, there is a huge chance that you won't be
able to catch up to them especially if you fall to Tile 0," Professor Romeus
continued.

Jared threw his hands up in frustration. "Of course, after everything that we've
done tonight, we won't win that easily! I should've known. Our smooth run tonight
is just too good to be true."

"Calm down," Jack snapped at him.

The latter stared at Jack for a very long time. "At ikaw talaga nagsabi niyan?"

I stared long and hard at the doors surrounding Faye before speaking to my mic.
"Ezekiel, I would like to make a switch..."

"What? Who? Why?" he asked in bewilderment.

My lips slowly curved into a smirk. "I would like to switch Faye with Tony."

It took Ezekiel a few seconds before he could react. "Oh! But of course!" he said
as I heard the unmistakable sound of a hand slapping a forehead. "Of course, RB.
You are a genius! Wait a sec."

"Tony, we're switching you with Faye," I said as I turned to my teammates. "Just
take your time. We're already there. You just have to give us one last push. You
know exactly what to do."

Tony just smiled at me before nodding. "Of course I do."

"We have a switch!" Professor Ferrea said as Tony's shield glowed. "Arellano is
going to be switched with Lena. What a clever move, Ezekiel! Clever, clever. Well,
let's see what Mr. Arellano can do!"

Tony's body twisted and turned before disappearing with a loud crack. A split
second later, Faye appeared at the exact same spot where Tony disappeared earlier.
Without any preamble, Faye lunged straight to me before giving me a bone-breaking
hug.

"That. Was. Divine," she said, shaking me violently. "You're always surprising us
with your deadly moves! You're just simply amazing."

"We're all amazing. You also did a great job on the board, sis. We actually didn't
fall in any punishment tile. I think you're our lucky charm in this game," I said
before turning to the TV monitor above us. "Now, we just have to watch Tony do his
magic."

On the board, Tony is now concentrating hard on the doors surrounding him. All of
us just waited in total silence and anticipation as he gazed at all the doors. Even
the commentators went silent as almost everyone in the building waited for Tony to
make his choice. Anticipation and tension certainly enveloped the entire battle
dome.

After what it seemed to be ages, he finally stepped towards the door to his left
before slowly lifting his hand to the knob.
"Just turn the freaking knob, goddammit! You're killing me!" Jack shouted irately.

Tony finally turned the knob of the door that he chose. The moment that the door
opened, a blinding white light suddenly erupted from it and overwhelmed everything
in the room. At the same time, everything around us blinked out into total
darkness.

Silence.

A split second later, blinding flashes of light overwhelmed my vision, forcing me

to shield my eyes with my hands. The deafening roar of the crowd also filled my
ears.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS! OUR WINNING TEAM TONIGHT! EMERALD REACHES THE 100TH
TILE FIRST AND EARNS 500 POINTS! WHAT A WIN! WHAT A PERFORMANCE! TEAM EMERALD
FINALLY SCORES A DOMINANT VICTORY IN THIS TOURNAMENT!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

The entire team is currently standing on a floating circular podium right in front
of the green crowd. Cameras flashed from nearly all directions as all of us waved
at the boisterous crowd in front of us. I searched for our classmates and saw them
demolishing their box in celebration. My eyes immediately searched for Ike who's
currently with Cataleya and Jethro in a box right next to our classmates'. The
three of them are all clapping at us with faint smiles on their faces.

"Ah... Feels good," I heard Jack say beside me.

"What can you say about their performance tonight, Garrick?" Professor Ferrea asked
his partner.

"It's easy to recognize Talla's perfect performance in tonight's game. However, we

should also note that it was also a total team effort for Emerald. While Talla is
currently slowing down Sierra and NAA, the rest of the team took advantage of the
time and hunted down dice at a lightning speed. Talla was the star tonight, but let
us not forget the massive contribution of Arellano and the rest of the team.
Emerald was an efficient team in tonight's game," Professor Romeus said.

"I couldn't agree more, Garrick! Well, we still have Veron and PWU on the field, so
we have to wait and see who'll take the 400 points. Everyone, for one last time,
TEAM EMERALD!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

The crowd applauded us once more as our floating podium slowly descended back to
the ground where our coaches and student assistants were already waiting for us. As
we headed towards the entrance leading to our dugout, Ezekiel zoomed towards us and
gave me a tight hug.

"I can't even find the proper word to describe how well you did in tonight's game.
Congratulations for your great game, and thank you very much for making us,
especially Ike, extremely proud tonight. I'm sure that your boyfriend is happy for
you," Ezekiel said.

"Thanks. Of course, I couldn't have done it without the help of these marvelous
human beings here," I said.

Ezekiel hugged Tony next. "And thank you so much for making everything so smooth
for the team tonight, Tony. You were unstoppable in locating those dice!"

"I'm just doing my job, Ezekiel," Tony replied.

"And it's a job well done for all of you, guys. Well, dinner's ready in the dugout.
We're gonna have a postgame interview so stuff yourself full before that. Hurry up
so that we can still watch the other teams play," Ezekiel said, ushering us towards
the dugout.

"A postgame interview, huh? I have to look really handsome, then," Jack said as he
combed his blue and white hair with his hand.

"You always look stupid regardless of your look. Why bother?" Alice snapped at him.

Our usual postgame sumptuous feast was already waiting for us in the dugout. The
infirmary staff checked everyone first for any signs of injury before being allowed
to enjoy our dinner. Thankfully, none of us needed any serious medical attention.

When everyone has finally settled on their seats, Ezekiel stood from his chair at
the head of the table and gazed at all of us for a long moment.

"My sister just sent me a message to congratulate you in your victory tonight," he
said. "First and foremost, I would also like to congratulate everyone for our
success. I think we finally showed them the Emerald that everyone has been wanting
to see in this tournament. Now, some people might say that RB did all the heavy
lifting tonight. Bear this in your mind: if RB did all the work tonight, then why
did we find a lot of dice in such a short time while he was busy slowing down
Sierra and NAA? All of you worked hard. All of you carried the team. All of you
were marvelous in tonight's game. Those are the reasons why you won."

"You've already shown everyone that you are the Emerald that everyone expected to
see in this tournament. You've shown everyone that we are not a team that they can
mess with anytime they like. With our victory tonight, our chance of entering the
Finals is now a lot bigger, but Sierra and NAA will surely be coming for us in the
next game. However, I am now confident that all of you will be able to defend the
team and our school from anyone who dares to humiliate and make fun of us.
Congratulations once again to all of you, and you may not devour your supper."

As everyone dived towards the table, I leaned towards Ezekiel before whispering to
him.
"I need to tell you something," I said.

Ezekiel gave me a long stare before nodding and standing up from his seat. With
everyone busy devouring the food on the table, no one noticed us as we exited the
dugout and headed to a dimly lit hallway.

"I think I already know what this is all about," Ezekiel said when we're already at
a safe distance from our dugout.

I glanced around us. "Is Ayumu alright?" I asked.

"Mr. Cabrera is completely fine, RB," he replied. "He's not showing any signs of
injury or anomaly with his weirdness. Are your concerned that you took his
weirdness? Also, what exactly happened there?"

I frowned. "I really don't know. When I was holding Ayumu, I just felt a strange
warmth coursing up my arms. Then suddenly, I can also control shadows. That was the
first time that I've done something like that, but that wasn't the first time that
something strange happened to me. I really don't have any idea what's happening. I
just moved out of pure instinct when I controlled those shadows."

Ezekiel stared at the empty air in front of him for one full minute.

"Activate your weirdness," he said, "hold my hand, and try to do that thing again."

"But—"

"I know what I'm doing, RB" he said before giving me a reassuring nod. "I just need
to test something. Trust me."

I nodded at him as I bounced on my feet and shook my hands. "Okay. Here goes
nothing..."

I closed my eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. The wavy black markings
appeared all over my body as Ezekiel took my hand and placed it halfway on his arm.
I concentrated hard on our interlocked arms for a few seconds, causing my black
markings to slowly creep up Ezekiel's arm. A few more seconds passed but nothing
happened.

"Let me help you," he said.

His green eyes glowed brightly as strings of light crisscrossed on our interlocked
arms. Ezekiel's arm suddenly emitted glowing green and blue particles that slowly
crept up my arm. However, instead of being absorbed by my wavy black markings, the
glowing particles suddenly shot back to Ezekiel with a force so powerful that the
two of us were blasted away from each other, sending us crashing painfully on the
walls of the hallway.

"Well, that didn't work," Ezekiel said, wincing a bit as he floated back to the
air. "Are you alright? I'm sorry."

"I'm fine. What was that for?" I asked, standing up as well.

"I tried to make your power absorb my weirdness," he said. "Unfortunately, it did
not work because your weirdness strongly rejected my telekinesis. Oh well, at least
we tried."

"What's your plan now?" I asked.

"I am going to talk to my sister about this once she returns. For now, I want you
to enjoy your victory and stop stressing yourself out on things like this. Stop
overthinking. You didn't cause any harm on yourself or on others, so I don't see
any reason for you to be worried. Let's go back to the dugout now. The food is
getting cold," Ezekiel said before ushering me back to the dugout.

The game ended with Veron reaching the 100th tile first, giving them 400 points.
PWU followed next with 300. After a few reviews by the officials, they ruled that
Sierra got eliminated first, therefore giving them just 100 points. NAA was
eliminated just a split second after their ally which gave them 200. With our
victory tonight, we've overtaken NAA and took the 3rd spot in the team standings,
directly behind Sierra and Veron.

After our supper, Ezekiel briefed us a bit about the postgame interview with the
press. In the actual interview, we just answered questions and faked smiles until
the interview was over. It's already a few minutes past eight when we were finally
able to leave the Diamond Battle Dome.

"Is the headmistress still isn't here?" I asked Ezekiel after we stepped out of
Professor Elena's portal.

"Isn't it obvious? Like I said, she had to go somewhere to do something important,"

Ezekiel replied.

"So the Department of Magic is still bossing her around?" I asked.

"No, they don't and they can't. My nutcase of a sister will never allow incompetent
people to tell her what to do," he said before turning to the others. "Gather
around, brats. I want to talk to you for a bit before we send you home. Hurry up."

All of us gathered in a tight huddle.

"Again, great job tonight. The fight isn't over yet, though. Bear in mind that if
we win Game 5, we will definitely enter the Finals; but of course, Sierra and NAA
will never make things easy for us. Now, I want you to rest and prepare for the
ball as your coaches go back to the drawing board. Enjoy your victory for now. The
game will be held next year, so we have a lot of time to prepare for that. Once
again, thank you very much for your hard work. Go home now, kids. Ate Elena will
teleport everyone back to their homes," Ezekiel said.

"I think Jared and I are gonna head out now, Ezekiel," I said as I gave everyone a
hug. "We'll just walk to our dorms. Bye everyone!"

"We'll go with you, then," Alice said, stepping forward with Tony.

The four of us bid goodbye to the others before heading out of the Emerald
Building. Alice and Tony parted ways with us because their respective dorms are on
the other side of the campus.

"Did you notice it?" Jared asked quietly as we walked under the tunnel of trees
right outside the Emerald Building.

"That the headmistress is always out of the school and doing some mysterious, shady
job?" I asked.

Jared nodded.

"I did notice that, of course. For the past few months, Ike and I have been asking
Professor Evanesca about her frequent out-of-school trips whenever we see her. As
expected, she never gave us any clear answer," I said.

"What do you think she's up to?" he asked.

I just shrugged my shoulders. "Who knows? I really cannot give you an exact answer;
but considering the recent events that happened in this country, I think her trips
are related to the increasing villain activity."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking about," Jared replied. "I mean, she maybe is the
headmistress of this school but deep inside her, she's still an agent. You can
never strip someone of their real passion, especially a person like Professor
Evanesca. She will always help the NMLEA maintain the peace that she gave to this
country nearly twenty years ago."

The two of us just gazed at the green barrier enclosing the entire school—the
barrier that has been keeping everything and everyone inside this school safe since
the start of the school year. Back when school was just starting, I really didn't
give much importance to the barrier. However, after seeing and experiencing
firsthand the slowly growing villain activity in the country, I now realize how
important this barrier is for this school and for everyone inside it.
"Things are definitely changing. Our situation just feels so different now. Well,
whatever. My heart will always be at peace for as long as we have the
headmistress," Jared said as he tore his eyes away from the barrier.

I didn't say a word as the two of us walked in a completely empty street. Jared has
a point, and I'm a complete idiot if I don't admit that he's right. Even though
we're safe here in Emerald, I know that somewhere out there, Jaeron and his cronies
are doing their best to gather strength and power; and for as long as they're free,
the peace and tranquility of this country will always be in danger.

Poison, no matter the amount, is still poison.

        Chapter 60: The Contamination [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV

"That's enough, Ike. You've done so great. Rest for a bit, and then I'll send you
back to your body," Elijah said to me after I annihilated an entire set of
Scavengers with a single lightning bolt.

"I can still go," I said.

Elijah clicked his fingers, causing our floating training ground to disappear and
be replaced by a forest with beautiful trees and singing birds. He then clicked his
fingers once more, creating a hammock for each of us that stretched across a
sparkling river. The scenery is really quiet, peaceful, and relaxing.

"Rest. Relax. You're already doing so well with your Lightning Weirdness," he said
before lying on his hammock.

I just stared at the surroundings in utter amazement. "Can I also do this?" I

asked.

"Of course you can," Elijah replied. "We're inside your head. I used to do this a
lot during my time, too. You can literally go anywhere you want and do anything you
want inside your head. Imagination is a powerful, powerful form of magic, Ike.
Never underestimate the power of your brain."

"How can I be sure that my progress with my Lightning Weirdness isn't some sort of
an illusion created by my brain?" I asked.

Elijah just let out a chuckle. "You still don't trust me, do you?" he asked. "I am
confident that your progress with your Lightning Weirdness here inside your brain
isn't just a trick. It's real, Ike. Once your body recovers fully, you'll be
surprised to see how good you are in controlling this element. I'm sure that your
friends will be pleasantly surprised, too."
Ever since I started training with Elijah, my progress with the last element has
been speeding up at a staggering rate. I always keep asking Elijah if he was just
enhancing my powers but he always says that I'm improving quickly because of my own
efforts and hard work.

In the past few weeks of my training, I can now actually summon lightning without
having to produce it using my telekinesis. Also, both my arms can now withstand the
effects of lightning. Now, I'm slowly trying to adjust my entire body to it. Elijah
said that at my current rate, I will be able to use lightning all over my body
before the year ends.

At first, I was really skeptical with my training, but now, I'm just really
thankful that Elijah's helping me. I've devoted nearly all my free time in training
with him. What's really awesome is that I can still train even when I'm asleep and
I won't even feel tired or drowsy at all. All in all, I feel really happy that I'm
improving a lot. Also, my injuries are healing well and Nurse Juliana's really
satisfied that I am no longer abusing my body. According to her, she might clear me
of all injuries by the end of the next month. My rehabilitation training is also
going smoothly.

If all things go well, I might be able to return to my usual busy life by next
year.

"Elijah..." I said as I gazed at the blue sky above me.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," I said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For this. For everything. Honestly, I was about to give up with my dream when I
got seriously hurt in the Game 3, but when you came, I think you just opened a new
door for me. I didn't even think before that I could totally train like this,
without the fear of being hurt or injuring myself. I just want to say that I really
am grateful that you're here. You're like the older brother that I never had," I
said.

"It is my job to help you, Ike. Maybe the Prime Elemental sensed that you were
about to give up that's why he sent me to help you. I am here to ensure the
continuity of our weirdness. Once you leave your plane of existence, you are going
to take my place to help and train your successor. We are all connected, Ike,"
Elijah said.

A long silence followed his words.

"I have to show you something, Ike."

In an instant, everything around us blinked out into total darkness. It seems that
I'm floating in what looks like an endless void. A sudden burst of light from
behind me caught my attention, causing me to turn around.

A huge ball of pulsating green and white light greeted me. It's unbelievably
bright, but surprisingly, it didn't hurt my eyes whatsoever. A comforting warmth is
also emanating from it. It looks exactly like the sun, only with green and white
light. Everytime it pulses, the darkness around us seems to crawl away from it. I
found myself being drawn to its mysterious and eerie beauty.

"Curious?" Elijah said, suddenly appearing beside me.

"Yeah," I said without tearing my eyes away from the ball. "What is this thing?" I
asked.

"This is the very essence of the Prime Elemental. We are currently at the very core
of your body, of your very soul, where the power of the Prime Elemental comes from.
It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

I nodded. "It is."

"There is a problem, however."

Before I could even ask him what's the problem, the huge ball of green and white
light suddenly changed in appearance. Now, black veins are on the surface of the
ball, too; and everytime it pulses, I could see black smoke being emitted around
it. It now looks like a glowing ball enclosed in black, strangling roots.

Elijah gazed at the ball with concern in his eyes.

"The core, as I see it, has been contaminated."

His words seemed to echo loudly inside my ears. "Contaminated by what? How?"

"I honestly don't know the answer, but I am sure that the contaminant is some form
of Dark Magic." Elijah replied. "As of now, I'm still trying to figure out what
exactly caused the contamination. I have a hunch, though."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Astrid and I fused, remember? I was the Prime Elemental, she was the Prime
Destruction. I think she might've left some of her powers inside me when our fusion
went horribly wrong. There could still be other reasons, of course. Don't worry,
Ike. If I caused this problem, then I'm going to fix it. You already have so much
in your plate. Let me handle this," Elijah said.

I stared long and hard at the ball.

"I have to tell you something, Elijah."

"Fire away."

"A few months back, I experienced a few ultra-realistic dreams. I think it happened
during the time when I was still having dreams about your battle with Demetrius
Pluto. In that dream, I was made out of pure darkness except for my eyes. Then,
there was this woman who talked to me. She said that I'm..."

Elijah raised an eyebrow.

"That I am the current holder of the Prime Destruction," I said grimly.

"I see..." he said, nodding a bit. "And what questions do you have, Ike?"

"Is that true? And who is that woman?" I asked, looking at him straight in the
eyes.

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell who's the woman talking to you because, like I said,
I do not have any knowledge about your present. As for what the woman said, I am
confident that you are the Prime Elemental. This contamination might've been caused
by the Prime Destruction, and maybe that's why the woman thought that you're also
the Prime Destruction. Again, all we have now are theories. If you would like, I
will examine your memories as I investigate the possible source of the
contamination. Are you fine with that?" Elijah asked.

"You can do that?" I asked.

"Of course. I'm like the caretaker of your weirdness inside your body. I will do
everything I can to identify and solve the problem. No worries, Ike. You're in
competent hands," he said.

I nodded. "Thanks a lot, Elijah. Now that I think of it, don't you think that
Astrid's the one talking to me? I mean, you two fused, and you think that she
might've left some of her power inside me. I think it makes perfect sense if she's
the one trying to contact me."

"Again, we are still not sure of that. For now, I want you to focus on your
training. Leave the difficult things to me, okay? For as long as I am here, all you
have to worry about is your improvement with the elements," Elijah said.
I just stared at the ball of light pulsing in front of us. I was drawn to its eerie
beauty earlier, but seeing it now with the ominous black veins that seem to be
strangling it, I can't help but feel a sense of apprehension as to what might
happen to the core of our power if the black veins continue to spread on it.

"Well, I think you should go now," Elijah said, snapping me out of my trance. "It's
getting dark and you should really eat something. Also, your friend's been trying
to wake you up for a few minutes already. See you soon, Ike. Take care."

Before I could even speak, Elijah clicked his fingers, causing everything around me
to disappear. A split second later, my eyes opened and I saw Jack who's currently
shaking me violently.

"What the heck, bro?! You sleep like the dead! I was about to go hysterical here
because I've been trying to wake you up for almost a couple of minutes!" he said.

"Sorry. I was training with Elijah. What's the matter?" I asked as I massaged my
head which was aching a bit.

Jack threw a box of pizza in front of me. "We're going to finish some homework,
remember? But before that, we should eat first. The pizza I ordered just arrived a
few minutes ago. The other food should arrive in a short while, too. Eat up."

"Thanks. Let's eat on the table, idiot. Don't make a mess on my bed," I said,
carrying the box of pizza to my study table.

"How was the training?" Jack asked.

"It went fine," I said. "Things are going smoothly for my Lightning Weirdness. I
can actually already use both my arms in controlling it. Now, I'm trying to adjust
my entire body to the lightning. It's gonna take a long time but I'm progressing.
Elijah said that I'm actually improving well."

Jack punched my shoulder lightly.

"Look at you, getting better and better everyday as if you don't have injuries! I'm
happy for you, bro. But dang it, Elijah's dead serious in making you really
powerful. I could only imagine how powerful you'll become in the future with Elijah
training you," he said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, please," I said, raising my hands.

"I wish you'll recover quick enough just in time for the Game 5 or the Finals of
the CMMT," Jack said. "With RB getting a lot more powerful, you rejoining the team
will just amp up our offense. That championship is as good as ours once you return
to the team."
"How's RB, by the way?" I asked.

With that, a wide grin curved across Jack's face as he pinched the side of my body.
"Why? Did you fall in love with RB all over again after the Game 4? He was awesome,
wasn't he? I've rewatched the game for the nth time already. Dang it, RB is just so
cool."

I stared at him coldly. "Hindi ba pwedeng gusto ko lang mangumusta?"

"He's doing great, as usual. As of now eh pinapalasap muna sa 'min ni Ezekiel ang
panalo namin laban sa Sierra at NAA. Of course, he warned us that those two schools
will come at us even harder than before in the Game 5. We're prepared for them. For
the first time since the start of the tournament, people are actually starting to
think that we can win this thing. You know what, you two cooling off for a bit
actually helped a lot. I mean, RB became a total monster in that game and you're
improving at a blinding speed. Your rift might actually be a blessing in disguise,"
Jack said.

"So ano, ayaw mo nang magbalikan kami ni RB?" tanong ko naman.

"Mahal mo talaga si RB 'no?" sabad naman ni Jack. "Of course I don't want to see
you break apart. I'm just happy because you two were able to find yourselves after
you quarrelled. Seeing you two really improve after facing major setbacks makes me
genuinely happy."

I gazed out of the windows of my room where the late afternoon sun is currently
bathing the school grounds with its warm, golden light.

"I'm actually really glad that Elijah showed up to help me. He changed everything.
I was able to train in a way I didn't know possible. Of course I feel bad that RB
and I had to fight to get to where we are now; but as people say, sometimes, bad
things have to happen in order for good things to prosper."

Jack just swung an arm over my shoulder. "Come back to the team as soon as you can,
okay? I am not a Seer, but I can see great things in the future for you and your
wifey. I know that you two are still in the process of finding what you have to
find, but when you do find them, come back to us as soon as possible because, dude,
I really want to win the Grand Golden Cup."

I just let out a chuckle.

"I can't promise, but I will try."

●●●

Jack and I were able to finish all our homework early and that's why he left just
right before dinner. I told him that he can just eat his dinner in the cafeteria
but he refused.

"Can't, bro. Sorry," he said as he flew away from the balcony of my room. "Janine's
gonna be waiting for me. Eat your dinner, bro! See you on Monday!"

"Fine. Take care. Say 'hi' to Janine for me," I said as I waved at him. I just
watched Jack as he flew towards the gate of the school.

I was about to go back to my room when a faint boom suddenly erupted from above. I
looked up just in time to see the familiar green eagle passing right through the
barrier enclosing the entire school. I jumped from the balcony of my room and flew
towards the Emerald Building as quick as I can.

"Professor!" I said as I landed a few meters away from her.

The headmistress turned around and greeted me with her jovial smile. Despite the
usual warm aura emanating from her, I could still see traces of exhaustion and
weariness on her face and posture.

"A pleasant evening to you, my dear boy," she said.

"You look tired, professor," I said quietly.

Professor Evanesca just waved her hand impatiently. "Don't mind me. I am totally
fine, my dear boy. How about you? You look quite different. Nurse Juliana told me
that you're recovering well from your injuries."

Sensing that she doesn't want to talk about her aura, I didn't ask any questions
and just answered her query.

"Uh, yeah," I said. "I'm actually recovering a lot faster than I expected. Nurse
Juliana said that she might clear me of any injuries by the end of next month."

"That's good to hear," Professor Evanesca said, tapping my shoulder gently. "Is
there anything that you want to talk about?"

Surprisingly, I still haven't told the headmistress about my training with Elijah.
Well, both of us have been really busy these past few months and we rarely see each
other. Now, after Elijah's revelation, I felt that I should tell the headmistress
about everything that Elijah and I have been doing.

"Actually, I've been wanting to tell you about this but you've been really busy
lately that's why I never had the opportunity to tell you. Professor, I've been
training with Elijah inside my head for the past several weeks. He actually showed
up during the Game 3 when I enhanced Faye's weirdness," I said.
"Can you please elaborate on that, Ike?" the headmistress asked.

I quickly told her everything that Elijah and I have been doing recently. I also
mentioned my quick improvement in controlling my Lightning Weirdness.

"I see. That technique is not uncommon, but it's extremely difficult to do. It
requires a higher level of consciousness, or in your case, the assistance of
someone who can do it. It seems that the Prime Elemental still has other secrets
that we've never heard of. Fascinating," Professor Evanesca said.

"Also, Elijah showed me the very core of the Prime Elemental. He told me that the
core of our weirdness has been contaminated by some form of Dark Magic," I said.

The headmistress suddenly looked alarmed. "What did Elijah say about the
contamination?" she asked.

"He's trying to find the cause of the problem so that he can figure out what to do.
Elijah told me that I should just focus on my training, but the contamination
looked really serious and... scary," I said quietly.

Professor Evanesca gave me a reassuring pat in the shoulder. "Trust Elijah, okay?
He is your predecessor after all, and he knows what he's doing. If he told you to
just focus in your training, then just do it. You already have a lot in your plate,
Ike. I'm sure that Elijah just wants to help you."

I stared at the headmistress for a long moment. "There's also another thing,
professor..."

"Fire away."

I quickly recounted my dream where the mysterious lady talked to me and told me
that I am the heir of the Prime Destruction. After I'm done telling the
headmistress about my dream, she just sighed deeply before gazing at the quickly
dimming horizon. High above us, menacing thunderclouds have formed where lightning
flashed every now and then.

"When Elijah showed me the core of the Prime Elemental, that dream was the first
thing that came into my mind. Don't you think that those two are somehow related?
Elijah said that he's confident about me being the Prime Elemental, but I can feel
that there is something wrong with my weirdness. What do you think is happening to
me, professor?" I asked, failing to hide the concern in my voice.

"I am not a Prime, Ike. Even Elijah cannot give you a clear answer to your
questions. Personally, I believe in Elijah's hunch that his fusion with Astrid
caused the contamination. Remember, both of them died right after their fusion
that's why no one was able to know what are the aftereffects of their fusion on the
Prime Weirdnesses. The contamination might be one of those," Professor Evanesca
said.

I sighed wearily.

"Trust Elijah, okay? Trust him," Professor Evanesca said after noticing my
reaction. "He knows what he's doing, and he'll never put you in danger. Now, I have
to go and rest because I just had a very long journey. Good evening, Ike."

I just watched the headmistress as she headed inside the Emerald Building. Her aura
suddenly reminded me of the headmistress that I saw after fighting Jaeron on our
first year here in Emerald. An air of exhaustion and lifelessness seemed to
envelope the headmistress as she walked away from me, giving her an unnatural look
of weakness.

Finally, the double door of the Emerald Building shut close and I was left alone in
the dark and quiet grounds in front of the building. Feeling a bit heavier than
usual, I turned around and headed straight into the menacing darkness enveloping
the area ahead of me.

As the darkness slowly consumed everything around me, I had a strange feeling that
I'm walking straight towards an endless, bottomless void.

        Chapter 61: Primal Poison [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            RB's POV

"You look dazzling, RB!" Faye said when I exited the bathroom. Alice and I are
currently in Faye's house to get ready for the CMMT Ball later this evening.

"Thank you," I said. A few days back, Faye brought us to a designer friend of her
to help us decide what to wear for the ball. She told me that she also sent Jack
and Ike to the same designer. Ike also went to Jack's house to prepare for the
ball.

The overall motif of my attire is black and purple with some accents of gray. As
usual, the designer asked for some gemstones that he attached on my tuxedo. Faye
also enhanced the color of my purple and gray hair using one of her potions.

"You two look stunning, too," I said. Faye is wearing a white gown that really goes
well with her pearl-white hair. Alice, on the other hand, is wearing a red gown
with accents of black.

I am Faye's date, and Alice will be with Zed. Jack will be with Cezka, and Ike will
be with Cataleya. I actually personally asked Cataleya to be Ike's date because I
don't want some random bitch to take advantage of our current situation. I tried to
ask the other girls in our class but all of them were already taken. In fact, Ike
didn't even have any plans of attending the ball. I just asked Jack to convince him
to attend and to suggest Cataleya to be Ike's date. Thankfully, the latter agreed.

The ball is set to begin at thirty minutes past six, and we have to be at the
Emerald Building at six in the evening. Only selected, top third-year students from
the five participating schools were given invitations to the ball. Everyone in our
class got an invite. I guess my classmates are pretty high-level. Not surprising,
of course.

Sir Fraeo was already waiting for us when we exited the house. According to Faye,
her brother's team is one of the teams of agents assigned by NMLEA to the ball to
ensure the security of the people attending it.

"You're also wearing a tux, huh? I didn't expect that," Faye said to her brother as
we entered his car.

"We have to blend with the surroundings," Sir Fraeo replied. "I think we would
obviously stand out if we go to the ball wearing our agent costumes. Secretary
Remora and Kuya Franc will also be attending the ball that's why we agents have to
be on top of our game tonight."

"Fair point. Where's Crimson, by the way?" Faye asked.

"Papunta na sa Ball. Doon na lang kami magkikita-kita sa Emerald ng mga teammates

namin," sagot ng kapatid niya.

"Akala ko ba ngayon ang trip niyo pauwi kina Crimson?" tanong pa ni Faye.

"Obviously, we had to adjust our schedule because we were assigned to the ball.
Bukas na lang kami uuwi sa kanila. Anyway, wala na kayong nakalimutan? Let's get
going. We'll be late. Kailangan pa naming i-survey ang lugar pagdating namin doon,"
sabi ni Sir Fraeo.

The weather is unbelievably terrible. Mula pa kaninang hapon nagsimulang umulan, at

dumilim na nga pero hindi pa rin 'yun tumitila. Powerful winds also blow every now
and then accompanied by the occasional rumbles of thunder. I just wished that the
weather will become a bit better just before the ball starts.

We got caught in some late rush hour traffic but we still arrived in Emerald with a
few minutes to spare.

"Take care, you three. I'll just park the car. See you around!" Sir Fraeo said
after dropping us off in the street next to the Emerald Building. Thankfully, the
rain already stopped and we headed straight to the building where a few people are
already gathering.

"Alice!" Zed said upon seeing us. The four us then proceeded to the entrance where
people are already lining up.
A wall of flowering plants has been erected around the perimeter of the Emerald
Building, giving the place some privacy. Beautiful orbs of mutilcolored lights also
floated around the entire place. A couple of persons stood at the huge double door
and welcomed guests into the building. One of them asked for our invitations before
allowing us to enter.

"Is it just me, or the interior of this building totally changed?" Alice asked as
we stepped into a spacious hall filled with tables covered in emerald-green
tablecloth.

She's actually right. The corridor on the either side of the entrance hall along
with the huge staircase and the long hallway leading to the Forreño Fountain are
now gone. Instead, the entire ground floor of the Emerald Building has been
transformed into a spacious hall with towering pillars that lead up to the glass
roof. At the center of the hall stood the Forreño Fountain, the lone attraction in
the room. Tall windows clothed with emerald-green curtains lined the hall. At the
other end of the hall was another double door leading to the back of the Emerald
Building where I could see the familiar fountain with the statue of a lady at its
center and a few more tables.

"Jack just texted me. Nasa labas na sila. Mukhang sa kaparehong table lang naman
natin sila na-assign," sabi ni Faye.

"Ooh, this is gonna be so awkward," Alice whispered to me.

Another staff approached us. "Your table, sirs and ma'ams?"

"Uh, table 20?" I said, recalling the table number that the welcoming staff told
us.

"This way, please," the staff said before leading us to a table near the double
door at the far end of the hallway. Along the way, we've seen a few of our
classmates who are already seated at their respective tables. I even saw a few
students from the other schools, too.

Now that we've gone deeper into the hall, I noticed that at the center of the room
was a wide, circular platform that has been slightly raised from the floor. It
looks like it's going to be the dance floor for tonight's ball.

"This place looks really expensive," Faye said when we're finally seated. "Well, I
guess Emerald just wants to show off. By the way, the two boys are here already."

I turned around on my seat to see Jack and Ike entering the hall together with
their respective dates. Jack is wearing an all-white tux that really highlights his
blue and white hair. It also pairs up really well with Cezka's silvery gown.
"Ooh, someone looks definitely sizzling tonight," Alice whispered to me.

The motif of Ike's attire, as expected, is green with highlights of black. He's
also wearing a pair of black gloves. The greenish tinge of his hair also looks a
lot more pronounced and noticeable with the addition of a green streak of hair that
runs smoothly on one side of his head.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy this evening thoroughly," Faye said, elbowing me a bit.

"Shut up," I snapped at her.

One of the staff led the four to our table. To my surprise, Ike's seat was directly
beside me. Our classmates just exchanged meaningful grins and looks as Ike sat
beside me after helping Cataleya to her seat.

"Hey there, bros and lady bros," Jack said in an obvious attempt to alleviate the
suffocating awkwardness embracing the entire table. "You look dashing, RB! I love
your hair and coat!"

"Thanks," I said, my voice cracking a bit. "You look good, too."

"Well, all thanks to Faye's connections," he replied. "By the way, we saw the
members of Sierra and NAA earlier. It's amazing how they were able to recover
quickly after suffering those injuries. Maybe you should've broken more bones in
their bodies, RB."

"Hoy," sabad naman sa kanya ni Faye.

"Just kidding," Jack replied.

"Did you see Ayumu?" I asked him.

Jack threw me a bewildered look. "Uh, yeah. He's at the table over there together
with his Sierra friends. Why? You wanna hurt him again? I can help you."

"Nothing, and stop being so war freak," I said. As the rest of the people in our
table talked to each other, I created a crystal butterfly underneath the table that
flew silently over the people in the hall and towards the table where Ayumu is
seated. When Ayumu finally noticed the butterfly bumping into him several times, I
raised a hand to my mouth before whispering, "This is RB. Let's talk outside."

Ever since the Game 4, I've been trying to find a way to talk to Ayumu. Although
Ezekiel already said that he's fine, I still want to personally check on him and
apologize as well. I hate Sierra and NAA with all my heart, but I already knew from
the first time I saw him that Ayumu is different.
"Hanapin ko lang si Crimson sa labas," paalam ko sa iba bago ako tumayo at naglakad
papunta sa likuran ng Emerald Building. Halos nagkasabay naman kami ni Ayumu
pagkalabas namin. I'm actually surprised that Ayumu can walk that fast despite
being blind.

Before I could even speak, Ayumu took my hands before bowing deeply at me. "I know
this won't be enough for what our team did to you but I'm really, really sorry.
I've been trying to convince Koshi and our coaches to stop targeting your team but
they just won't listen to me. I'm really sorry, RB."

I just stared at him blankly for a few moments.

"I was actually going to apologize to you," I said sheepishly as I guided him
towards a secluded part of the park. "I really don't know what happened in that
game. When I returned to our dugout, I asked Ezekiel right away if you were fine.
For a moment back there I thought I took your weirdness."

"I'm okay, don't worry," Ayumu replied. "So, can you control shadows now, too?"

I nodded before raising a hand which suddenly transformed into shadow tentacles.
"That's right. Are you sure that you didn't feel any changes in your weirdness at
all?"

Ayumu just smiled lightly. "Everything is still pretty much the same, RB. I'm sure
you already know this, but Denver's Power Amplification helps me spread my shadows
over greater distances. The most basic function of my weirdness is transforming my
body into a shadow. I can also transform other people into shadows or take the form
of whatever thing I want. We just had a practice battle a couple of days back and
everything seems to be fine with me."

I nodded. "I see. I'm really glad to hear that."

"Uh, I also heard that something happened between you and Ike. Is everything
alright with you two?" Ayumu asked.

"We just went into some turbulence with our relationship but we'll be fine," I
said. "As of now, we're giving each other time to focus on our own endeavors. When
all of this craziness is over, I'm sure that we'll return to our usual cat-and-dog
life. We're good, we just don't have the time for each other yet."

Ayumu smiled. "Well, I can only
relationship to go back to what
experienced a few problems, but
those challenges, I'm sure that
two of us have now."
wish for Ike's speedy recovery and for your
it used to before. Koshi and I have also
we were able to overcome all of those. Without
we'll never have the kind of relationship that the

"Yeah, I think our team experienced firsthand how lethal that relationship can be,"
I said, laughing a bit. "But dang it, my first impression of you was really
correct. You really are a good person, Ayumu."

"The same thing goes for you, too, RB," he said.

"Has anyone ever told you that your eyes look really pretty? It's such a waste that
you're blind," I said.

Honestly, his eyes are probably the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen in my whole
life. They even rival Ezekiel's. Ayumu's ocean-blue eyes seem to hold a colorful
nebula of stars inside them, giving his eyes the impression that they're reflecting
the very universe itself.

"Thanks," Ayumu said quietly. "Koshi says that all the time, too."

"So, see you around, then. Good luck with the Game 5," I said. "Hindi na kita
masasamahan pabalik sa table mo dahil ayoko namang maging awkward ang sitwasyon."

"I can walk. Gabi naman kaya malakas ang pandama ko. Thanks a lot, RB. Good luck
din sa inyo," Ayumu said before heading back inside the Emerald Building.

I was about to go back to the building when my hand suddenly grazed the base of the
fountain as I was turning around. A shallow scratch appeared on the back of my
hand, drawing out some blood.

"Aw... What the..." I said, wincing a bit. I was about to wash my hand in the
running water of the fountain when the lights inside the Emerald Building suddenly
dimmed. I looked back and saw that the ball is about to begin so I immediately
dashed back to the building.

"Where have you been?" Faye asked me as I sat down.

"Nothing. I got scratched a bit. Can you heal me?" I asked, offering my hand to
her.

Faye just rolled her eyes before running a glowing hand over my scratch, instantly
healing it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, and welcome to the CMMT Ball hosted by the
Emerald School of Magic," Professor Ferrea suddenly said in a surprisingly calm and
smooth voice.

Orbs of multicolored lights floated in midair in the high ceiling, giving the
entire room a cozy and romantic feel. Professor Ferrea stood at the center of the
hall, walking around the fountain so that everyone could see him.
"I will now give the floor to our lovely headmistress, Professor Esmerelda
Evanesca, to give us her warm words of welcome," Professor Ferrea said as the
people applauded.

The headmistress, which was seated around a table right beside the platform
together with Sir Franc Lena, Secretary Remora, and the heads of the other schools,
stood up and smiled at everyone she saw.

"Merry Christmas, everyone! First and foremost, thank you very much to our
hardworking staff and organizing committee for making tonight's ball possible,"
Professor Evanesca said, her crisp and clear voice ringing throughout the entire
hall. "I would also like to thank Philippine Weirdo University, National Agents
Academy, Sierra Magical Institute, and Veron Academy of Magic for sending their
lovely students to this ball. Of course, I will never forget the NMLEA who provided
security to this event. My dear Franc, thank you.  Also, to my dear friend,
Secretary Remora, thank you very much for gracing us with your presence despite
your very tight schedule."

"Well, here we are," she continued, gesturing around her. "We are approaching the
end of the tournament, and to symbolize the strong relationship that the five
schools have, we always hold the CMMT Ball at the end of the hosting year."

"Yes, the end is definitely near. Next month, the Game 5 will be held, and the
month after that, the Finals. Soon, all of us will have to part ways. Of course,
the exact same thing has happened over the past millennium. Sometimes, I wonder,
why do we keep on coming back to hold this tournament? Why do we pitch our students
against each other and say that we have a good, healthy relationship with each
other? That sounds and looks a bit hypocritical, I daresay."

She paused, letting her own words echo throughout the room.

"The answer is clear, of course. We have differences. We have differing opinions.

We look at this tournament in various ways. Our students sometimes hurt each other
just to get that sweet victory; but at the end of each tournament, we always see
our participants embracing each other, thanking each other. This tournament, though
brutal and unforgiving at times, allows our participants to grow in ways that they
didn't know possible. In this tournament, rivalries always form, and friendships
always spring. We see the best and the worst from each and everyone participating
in the tournament."

"We keep coming back because we always learn from our participants. They show us
the exact things that formed this tournament nearly a millennium ago. We see
despair in every defeat. We see hope in the start of each game. We see fire during
battles. We see friendship in coalitions. They show us that no matter how big the
adversary is, we can conquer it if we stand together, united and strong. Just like
today, we could see the growing unrest in this country, but if all of us—"

Professor Evanesca's speech was suddenly interrupted when all the floating orbs of
light above us went out, dissipating into puffs of multicolored smoke. An unnatural
silence swept through the entire hall as everyone looked around them in
bewilderment. Through the glass roof of the hall, I could see thick clouds covering
the moon which were emitting low rumbles of thunder.

Then suddenly, I heard someone grunting in pain as a loud thud broke the silence of
the room. I looked beside me and saw Ike curled on the floor, apparently in immense
pain. His body shook violently as wavy black markings suddenly appeared on his
face.

"Ike!" Faye and I shouted before sitting beside him. Before we could even touch
him, a powerful blast wave suddenly erupted from his body, sending our table and
everyone else flying across the room. I landed painfully on the floor several
meters away from our table.

I looked behind me only to see Ike who is now floating in midair right underneath a
vast, swirling vortex of darkness. His arms are stretched wide on his sides and his
body is in a graceful arc as he slowly floated higher and higher into the air. A
few chairs and tables also floated eerily around him.

Suddenly, all the lights went back on as Ike slowly descended back to the floor,
his eyes are all black now, too. His lips curved into a sly, haughty smirk—an
expression that I've never seen on his face before.

Ike swiped his arms in front of him, causing all the tables and people barring his
way to be swept towards the side of the hall as if being pushed by giant, invisible
hands. Ike then walked slowly towards the headmistress who is now standing in front
of the Forreño Fountain.

"Good evening, Esmerelda," Ike said in raspy, chilly voice. Despite the strange
quality of his tone, I could still distinctly hear a woman's voice speaking with
him.

A team of agents suddenly came dashing into the hall. Before they could even
position themselves, Ike flicked his hand at them, causing the agents to be blown
away from the hall. The entrances shut close with a loud bang, barring anyone from
exiting or entering the hall.

"Look at all of you," Ike said, giving everyone in the room a contemptuous look.
"With all that's happening to your country, you still have the time to gather
together and have fun. How could you do this? I am disgusted. I don't even know
what to say."

Professor Evanesca stared at Ike fiercely. "Leave the boy alone. Don't you ever
drag him in our situation. He doesn't even know anything about this."

"What if I tell you that I don't want to? Come on, Esmerelda, we both know the
importance of collecting powerful pieces that we can use in a game. I can see that
you're slowly running out of time. You're growing old, Esmerelda. I, on the other
hand, have conquered both time and death."
"What do you want?" the headmistress asked in a gravelly whisper as arcs of
electricity coursed throughout her body. "You will forever be in that place. No one
will help you. No one will dare to save you. For as long as I am breathing, you
will forever stay in that place, alone and trapped."

"I want nothing. I am just waiting. Also, I think there is someone out there daring
enough to save me. I only came here to show you how wide my influence is now. Soon,
that influence will break through and spread like poison in your society, just like
what I'm doing to this boy. Hurry up, Esmerelda. One day, you might wake up only to
see that I've already destroyed everything and everyone you love," Ike replied,
emphasizing every single syllable.

Strings of blue light suddenly shot towards Ike and bound together his arms and
legs tightly. Ezekiel suddenly stepped out of the crowd with his hands pointed at
Ike, his eyes burning with a cold fury.

"You villains always talk too much," Ezekiel said in a low voice.

The blue ropes strangling Ike dissipated into black smoke. He then pointed a hand
at his captor before clenching his hand, causing Ezekiel to freeze on his spot.
With a flick of a finger, Ike sent Ezekiel flying across the hall.

"You Evanescas are always so intense. Well, I don't want to delay your fun time any
longer. Good evening to all of you. Oh, and another thing, Esmerelda..."

Professor Evanesca looked at Ike straight in the eyes.

All of a sudden, Cataleya also rose from somewhere in the middle of the upturned
tables, her all-white eyes glowing brightly. She slowly stepped forward as if she's
sleepwalking. Ike and Cataleya then both said the same thing at the same time:

"In the place where everything ended, and everything will begin,
I am standing there in the middle, waiting patiently for my kin;
And when the blood of the monster has been spilled on my feet,
I will rise from my slumber to bring your final defeat."

The bodies of Ike and Cataleya both gave off puffs of white and black smoke. Then,
just like a marionette whose strings were suddenly cut, both of them collapsed
lifelessly to the floor. The swirling vortex of darkness hovering on the ceiling
also disappeared into black smoke. For a fleeting moment, the smoke seemed to form
into a huge, ghostly skull that hovered above Ike before eventually dissipating
into nothing.

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: It's the dark side's time in the next update of Weirdos III: The
Untouchable Lady. We will see Jaeron and his cronies doing their best to strengthen
the Legion of Death. At the same time, the mysterious trips of Professor Evanesca
will finally be revealed. Who will win the race for dominance and power now that
time is quickly running out?

        Chapter 62: Turning Point [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            By the way, I didn't make it to the initial sala of the RQA. Lul. Not
shocking, of course. As I've said, recab lang ang pag-asa ko. As of the moment ay
hinihintay ko 'yun. Pero I'm currently thinking about enrolling sa TM dahil
nakasisilaw at ang sakit sa mata ng 30k salary ng isang TESDA instructor. HAHA.

Thanks nga pala sa mga prayers at well-wishers. Don't worry, 'di pa end of the
world. Balak ko ring kumuha ng experience dahil feeling ko 'yun ang kumaladkad sa
'kin despite getting decent points sa ibang criteria.

Thanks a lot!

TheAshtone

●●●

Chaos.

The doors of the hall threw open, and the people inside dashed frantically towards
them. I would've been swept away by the crowd if it wasn't for a hand that grabbed
my arm before dragging me towards the center of the hall—the spot where all the
people inside the room seem to be running away from.

"Rubio... RUBIO!" Professor Evanesca shouted with an unmistakable tone of fear in

her voice.

"Professor! We're here!" I heard Faye shout. I realized a second later that she's
the one dragging me. She pushed through a couple of students and we were finally
able to get a clear view of the center of the hall.

Several people have converged around Ike and Cataleya who are still both
unconscious on the floor. Nurse Juliana is currently examining the two. Faye
immediately knelt beside the nurse and helped her.

Professor Evanesca, upon seeing that I'm fine, let out a sigh of relief before
turning to the Emerald Guards.

"Escort the people out of the building. Secure the area. Send all the students back
to their dormitories. Double-check everyone that leaves the school," she said.

Sir Franc Lena is also shouting the same orders to the agents inside the hall.
Secretary Remora, on the other hand, is currently surrounded by a group of agents
together with his special assistant.

"Tyrone, call the police. Request for assistance," he said.

"Right away, sir," Tyrone replied.

"What in the world just happened?" Jack asked, suddenly appearing beside me. "Who
was that?"

I stared at him flatly. "Do I look like I have any idea?" I said.

Ezekiel rose from the middle of the upturned tables and floated towards us. His
blue coat has been torn and crumpled in different places. He then clicked his
fingers, causing all the tables and chairs to disappear.

Now that nearly all the people have left the hall, Professor Evanesca stood up
before gesturing her arms grandly around her. Suddenly, the entire hall started to
narrow as the pillars and glass roof slowly swirled out of our vision. Just like
mud being molded into a new shape, the walls of the room converged together to form
into a circle. After a few seconds, the ground floor of the Emerald Building
returned to its usual look and arrangement.

We are now standing in the familiar circular room housing the Forreño Fountain with
the smaller glass dome as the roof and with lesser pillars around us. The long
hallway connecting the room with the entrance is also back.

"They do not have any apparent injuries," Nurse Juliana declared to everyone.
"They're safe, just unconscious."

The headmistress nodded. "I think you should still admit them to the infirmary just
to be sure. Let them sleep for tonight. I'll talk to Ike tomorrow morning once he
wakes up. Elena, please help Nurse Juliana."

Her sister opened a portal that leads right to the infirmary.

"We'll come, too," Jack said, stepping forward.

"All of you needs to go back home or to your dormitories. They're both safe now,
don't worry. Rubio, Ezekiel will escort you back to the Topaz Building. Go with
him. To the others, my sister will send you back to your respective homes," the
headmistress said.

Sensing that she doesn't want further arguments, I just nodded in agreement. I gave
Ike one final glance before bidding goodbye to my friends and following Ezekiel who
is now walking towards the double door. As I walked away from the room, I saw
Professor Evanesca nodding at Sir Franc Lena and Secretary Remora. I have a hunch
that they're going to have a few minutes of talk in her office later.

There's still a lot of people gathered outside the Emerald Building. Ezekiel took
my arm and guided me through the crowd. Within moments, the two of us were able to
get past all the alarmed and panicky people.

"Are you okay?" I asked Ezekiel as we walked in the middle of a dark street devoid
of any people.

"I am completely fine, thank you very much," he replied as he glided through the
air ahead of me. Ezekiel then ran his hand on each of his arms, causing his blue
coat to transform into his usual billowing black cloak.

I stared at him for a few seconds. "What exactly happened there, Ezekiel? What
happened to Ike? Who was the person that the headmistress was talking to?"

"Even I cannot fully comprehend what happened to Ike," Ezekiel replied. "I am just
as clueless as you. There are some things that only the headmistress knows and
understands. She is a woman of secrets, Rubio. Sometimes, even I find her very
puzzling and mysterious."

"Don't you think that Ike got possessed by someone back there?" I asked.

"That is a sensible guess, and I have to agree with you. Ike was definitely not
himself earlier. The headmistress will surely get to the bottom of the incident and
we will all be enlightened in the coming days as to what really happened earlier.
For now, we have to be patient and we have to trust my sister," Ezekiel replied.

A strong rain suddenly fell accompanied by claps of thunder and strong gusts of
wind. Ezekiel just conjured a force field around us, blocking all the water and
wind.

"You have to be very careful from now on, RB," Ezekiel said as he gazed at the
distant street outside the school. "We are safe for as long as we're here inside
Emerald; but out there, things are slowly changing. The Legion of Death is starting
to make their presence felt. When villains attack more often, it means they're
getting stronger."

"Do you think that the Legion of Death is responsible for what happened to Ike?" I
asked.

Ezekiel shook his head. "Of course not. Jaeron wouldn't dare to even set a foot in
this school. He knows that he can never defeat this school for as long as my sister
is here. Even Serafina was never able to conquer Emerald during her time. Take
note, my sister wasn't even the head of the school during that time. The government
or NMLEA may collapse, but Emerald will always be the final bastion of hope and
resistance against the forces of evil."
Ezekiel let out a sigh before looking up at the barrier enclosing the entire
school.

"For hundreds of years, Emerald has always been the stronghold of the forces of
good. At some points in the past, villains have taken over the NMLEA, conquered the
Department of Magic, or even enslaved the national government; but Emerald has
always stood strong in the middle of the smoking ruins of these great institutions,
mighty and undying. Villains did their best to infiltrate this school, to conquer
it, to destroy it. As everyone knows already, all their attempts have been futile.
It seems that the school itself rejects everything and anything that is evil."

I stopped on my tracks. "What if they try to destroy Emerald from the inside?" I
asked.

"And what are you trying to say?" Ezekiel asked.

"What if someone's already here inside the school and is just waiting for the right
time to strike? Everytime we see Jaeron, he always brags about how well they've
infiltrated the society. Jaeron doesn't strike me as a person who would say
nonsense things just to look or sound cool and threatening," I said.

A strange look ran across Ezekiel's face for a split second.

"My sister knows and trusts everyone in this school, from the deputy heads down to
our cleaners. She doesn't just trust blindly, RB. Even if she's miles away from the
school, she knows every single thing that's happening here. Trust me, she will
crush any villain who dares to even show a thread of hair here in Emerald," Ezekiel
replied.

The two of us finally reached the Topaz Building. With a flick of a finger, Ezekiel
created an opening on his force field so that I can get out.

"Thanks a lot, Ezekiel," I said.

"Rest. Eat your dinner. Don't leave your room," he replied.

Ezekiel nodded at me before turning around and suddenly dissolving into puffs of
black smoke that flew swiftly high into the air before heading back to the
direction of the Emerald Building. I just watched him as he eventually disappeared
in the darkness over the distance.

I headed straight to my room, ignoring all the murmuring students gathered in the
lobby and the common room of our dorm. The news of the incident, as it appears, had
already spread throughout the entire school like wildfire. Tomorrow, the entire
country will surely hear about the incident, too.
And I wasn't wrong.

After a rainy night of uneasy and troubled sleep, I woke up the next day with
nearly all the students heading out of the Topaz Building. I almost forgot that
classes for this year are already over, and that the students are now going home
for the Christmas break. Carrying with them their luggages, the students braved the
morning rain—all of them seemingly very eager to leave the school. I headed
straight to the cafeteria where a few students are eating their breakfast.

I was about to eat my breakfast when my attention was suddenly caught by a news
report being displayed on a television at one corner of the cafeteria. Beside the
newscaster, a short video clip of the incident last night is currently being played
on loop.

"...both the National Magical Law Enforcement Agency and the Department of Magic
refused to give any comment, saying that the Emerald School of Magic has the
authority to comment on the incident. As of this morning, the full account of the
incident last night hasn't been disclosed by Emerald. Moreover, the school hasn't
released any official statement yet, but they said that they're going to release
one later this day. Stay tuned with us for more updates."

Totally ignoring my food, I immediately stood up from the table and headed out of
the cafeteria. After creating a crystal umbrella, I dashed straight into the heavy
downpour and towards the infirmary without even looking back.

●●●

Ike's POV

I woke up in the familiar spacious, well-lit room while lying on a bed with white
pillows, bedsheets, and blanket. I instantly realized that I am currently inside
one of the Emerald Infirmary's wards. Before I could even recall last night's
events, the door of the ward opened and in came Nurse Juliana. To my surprise,
she's not in her usual furious state whenever I get admitted here in the infirmary.
Instead, a look of utmost concern and worry is painted on her face.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked as she checked my entire body.

"I feel... fine," I said, feeling my body for a second.

"Good. The headmistress will be here in a few moments together with your parents.
I'll get your breakfast," Nurse Juliana.

"My parents? Why?" I asked.

The nurse looked at me with concerned eyes. "Just wait for them, dear. They know
what to say to you," she said before leaving the ward.

I just stared blankly at glass wall of the ward. Outside, a heavy rain is currently
pouring from the dark skies, giving the ward a depressing and gloomy atmosphere.
With a pang of uneasiness, the events that have transpired last night suddenly
rushed into my head. I jolted upward on my bed when I realized the things that I
did last night.

Before I could ponder on my memories, the door of the ward opened once more,
letting in Professor Evanesca and my parents. Upon seeing me, my parents dashed
towards my bed and gave me a tight hug.

"Elena brought them here as soon as you were admitted here in the infirmary,"
Professor Evanesca said with a small smile on her face. She obviously hasn't slept
yet judging from the look on her face.

"Ma, ayos lang ako. I feel normal, don't worry," sabi ko bago pa man makapagsalita
si Mama.

"Parati ka na lang na napapahamak. Dapat kasi sumama ka na lang sa 'min noon pa,"
sabi niya.

"Alam niyo naman po ata ang sagot ko diyan," sabi ko. "I can't and will never leave
Emerald until I finish my studies here."

My parents looked back at the headmistress before nodding. "May sasabihin sa 'yo si
Professor Evanesca," sabi ni Papa.

The headmistress sat on the bed next to mine before letting out a long, tired
breath. I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the headmistress now that I see
her exhausted and drained due to the aftermath of last night's incident.

"Can you remember what happened to you last night?" Professor Evanesca asked.

I nodded. "Yes, professor."

"The events last night were pretty obvious, and it would be really idiotic and
selfish of us to deny you the truth any further. I already told your parents about
this, and they agreed to let you know, too. When you delay the truth over and over
again, it eventually becomes a lie," the headmistress said.

Professor Evanesca then looked at me straight in the eyes before nodding a bit.
"Serafina's magic has contaminated the core of the Prime Elemental. Simply put, a
part of Serafina's magic is inside you, and it made you act weird last night."

The three of them looked at me as if waiting for my reaction. To my surprise, I

didn't feel surprised about the news at all. I just gave them a blank nod.
Honestly, it felt like I was being read a diagnosis of a disease that I know I
already have.

"We will get to the bottom of this, okay?" Professor Evanesca said, leaning towards
me. "I already had a hunch the moment you told me about the contamination. I just
didn't tell you because I don't want you to worry. Now that we know what the
problem is, we can find ways to solve it. I promised your parents that we will do
everything to solve this problem, and that promise extends to you, too, Ike."

"I also already had a hunch the moment Elijah showed me the core of the Prime
Elemental," I said, my voice flat and emotionless. "I wasn't shocked when you told
me, really. I already prepared myself for whatever scenario that might happen. I
actually feel a bit bad because it seems that I've added another burden to your
problems, professor."

The headmistress reached out for my hand. "You are not and will never be a burden
to me, Ike. From the moment we knew that you're the Prime Elemental, I already
promised to myself that I will do everything in my power to give you the best
education and guidance that I could provide. You are my responsibility, Ike."

"I just have one question, professor," I said quietly.

"Anything, my dear boy," the headmistress said.

"How?"

Professor Evanesca stared long and hard at the empty air in front of her as if
she's pondering on what her response will be.

"Unbeknownst to everyone, the Prime Weirdnesses have some sort of connection with
each other. Serafina is the last known holder of the Prime Destruction, and she
certainly did a lot of research and experimentation with it. As I've said before, I
am not a Prime, therefore my knowledge is very limited. I suspect that Serafina
found a way to exploit the connection between the Prime Destruction and the Prime
Elemental."

"So Elijah is the one who can give us a clearer explanation as to what is happening
to me," I said.

"That is correct," she replied. "Speaking of Elijah, I want you to report to me

everything that he'll discover about the contamination. Also, tell Elijah that
we're trying to help him solve the problem. He is the previous Prime, and therefore
he has a lot of knowledge about the workings of the Prime Weirdnesses."

I nodded. "I will, professor."

The headmistress looked at me with softness in her eyes. "At first, I was afraid
that the news might trouble you. I must say, I am quite impressed on how well
you're handling the situation right now. You've become so strong, Ike."

"Thanks a lot, professor," I said, my cheeks going hot.

"Well, just eat your breakfast, and you're good to go. Elena will just teleport you
and your parents back to your home in the province; but before you go, I think a
particular someone wants to talk to you. It's Christmas, Ike. You should fix some
things before the year ends," Professor Evanesca said before looking back at the
door where a person had just entered.

The three of them left the room to give RB and I some space and privacy. RB just
stood motionless at the door and stared at his slippers as I rose from my bed and
walked towards the glass wall of the infirmary.

"I'm sorry—"

"No," I interjected. "I'm sorry. I was the stubborn one. I didn't listen to you. I
punched you. I hurt you. Kasalanan ko ang lahat. You were just trying to make me
realize the truth. Ako itong makitid ang utak at ayaw makinig sa 'yo. I'm sorry,
RB. I shouldn't have done that to you."

RB suddenly burst into tears. He just kept his head bowed low as he wiped his
copious tears away. "We still have some things to focus on, and that's why we still
can't go back to our usual lives," he said, his voice cracking.

I nodded. "Yeah. You have the team and the tournament, and I have to focus on my
recovery. Also, I'm trying to fix a few issues with my weirdness. As much as I
would like to go back to the way things used to be, I just don't have the time yet.
We don't have the time yet. I don't even think that I'm gonna have a vacation.
There's just so much to do," I said.

"I was really worried with you last night," RB said.

"Don't be. I'm gonna fix this, okay? Professor Evanesca and Elijah will help me.
You already have so much things to do, and I don't want to add to your problems.
I'm really sorry if I still can't give you time."

"I understand," RB replied while still crying. "Before you go, can I ask for one
thing?"

"Anything."

He kept his head bowed before wiping his tears away. "Can I get a hug?"
I just smiled lightly before enclosing RB in my arms and kissing his forehead.
"Crybaby. Once all of this is over, let's spend some time together. Spend your
summer in our house in the province. We could also use some help there because the
farm's really busy during the summer."

"And then we'll have sex? Everyday?" RB said, sniffling a bit.

I laughed a bit. "Anytime you like."

"I can't wait," he said.

"I'm really amazed on how you can cry like a baby while being a total pervert," I
said flatly.

RB just hugged me back before burying his face on my chest and inhaling deeply.
"Dang it. I get hard just by smelling your scent."

"Shut up."

        Chapter 63: Breaks and Breathers [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Christmas decorations hung from every single mansion in the village of

Central Sernon Residences. Anyone can easily tell what the occasion is in whatever
direction they look at. Christmas songs can also be heard coming from nearly all
the houses. Even the quiet and desolate house number 14 has been dressed with
bright colors of red, green, and gold decorations.

Inside the house number 14, a lady with greenish hair is currently busying herself
in the kitchen. She's dressed in green pajamas with a red apron in front of her.
The woman, of course, is Professor Evanesca. It's Christmas day and she's currently
cooking breakfast for the residents of the house.

After placing the last dish on the table, the headmistress went up to the rooms to
wake the others up.

"Good morning and Merry Christmas, everyone. Wake up already, people of the house.
The food's getting cold. Wake up," she said while walking in a corridor and banging
a couple of pots against each other.

One door opened and out came Ezekiel who's still wearing pajamas and hugging his
pillow. Yawning and stooped lazily, he just floated through the air towards the
stairs. "It's already the 31st century. You really have to stop doing that," he
said to his sister while combing his ruffled hair with his hand. "We're civilized
people, sis. You don't have to wake us up by banging pots together. So barbaric."

"And Merry Christmas to you, too," the headmistress said to him.

A loud crack erupted from the kitchen, indicating that Professor Elena's already
downstairs.

Another door opened and out came Rubio in his tank top and shorts. "Good morning
and Merry Christmas, godmother," Rubio said to Professor Evanesca.

The headmistress wrapped her arm around his godson's shoulder. "And Merry Christmas
to you, my dear godson. Let's go and eat breakfast, shall we?" she said as she
guided RB to the stairs.

Down in the dining area, the two others are already waiting for them. Professor
Evanesca slapped Ezekiel's hand away who's already picking up a couple of pigs in a
blanket from a platter. "Wait for the others."

She then sat at the head of the table before smiling at everyone. "I think we
should give out and unwrap some of our gifts."

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "Yay. Gifts," he said in a flat voice before flicking his
hand, causing some of the gifts under the Christmas tree in the living room to fly
towards the table. The two sisters both summoned their gifts magically, while RB
used crystal butterflies to deliver his gifts to the others.

"You know, you can just give me a big box of diamonds. I'd be more than happy with
those," Ezekiel said to RB while unwrapping his gifts.

"That's offensive," RB snapped at him. "It's like asking someone if you could have
a couple of their fingers. Gemstones should be given willingly."

"Yeah. You're just like Fraeo. I once asked him to give me a few bars of gold. He
didn't talk to me for several days after I said that," Ezekiel replied. "Elemental
Weirdos are so emotionally-attached with their elements."

"Because it's a part of their selves," Professor Evanesca replied. "It's actually
one of the curious traits of Elemental Weirdos. They feel so attached with their
elements. It's understandable, of course. After all, they produce the element, and
therefore it is technically a part of their bodies."

"Of course, a lowly Telekinesis Weirdo like me will never understand that. My bad,"
Ezekiel said before bowing a bit.

"Uh, Faye actually has something to show us, godmother," RB said to Professor
Evanesca. "I think something strange happened with her... weirdness."

The three Evanescas simultaneously threw him a curious look. "What do you mean? Is
it bad?"
"No, it's not serious," RB replied. "She's going to pay us a visit later. Actually,
she just told me about this a few days ago and asked if you could give your opinion
as to what could've happened to her weirdness. We have our speculations, but we
obviously need to hear what you have to say."

The headmistress nodded. "I'm curious. Well, tell dear Faye to pay us a visit. I
want to see and hear firsthand what news she has for us. I might be able to help
her. Now, I think we should finally eat our breakfast. Tuck in, everyone!"

Considering the things that have transpired over the past few months, everyone of
them is just thankful to have some free time where they can think about nothing but
how they're going to spend the entire day. After eating their breakfast and
cleaning up, the Evanescas and RB went to the living room to while away some time.

"Aren't you going to call Ike? You smoothed things out in your last talk, right?"
Professor Evanesca asked RB while the latter is playing cards with Ezekiel.

"We cleared some things up, but we agreed that we're gonna give each other some
time alone even during the break. Besides, we're still pretty busy this Christmas.
The team has to train for the Game 5, and Ike still has to recover and train with
Elijah. He did promise though that he's gonna spend all his time with me once all
of this is over. I'm gonna spend summer in their house in the province," RB said
with a smile.

"Since when did you two mature like that? It sounds really creepy. By the way,
you're screwed. Two of diamonds! In your face!" Ezekiel said before dropping his
cards in front of RB.

"I am just genuinely happy that the two of you are handling your problems like
total adults. It seems that things are finally falling into their right places.
It's a very merry Christmas, indeed," the headmistress said, letting out a
satisfied sigh before leaning on her chair.

It's already around ten in the morning when the doorbell finally rang. RB who's
currently helping Ezekiel and Professor Elena in the kitchen went to the gate to
let Faye in.

"Merry Christmas! I'm with my dear brother," she said as she stepped into the gate
before hugging RB. "He said that he wants to check on Ezekiel that's why he came
with me."

"Merry Christmas, sis," RB replied before turning to Fraeo. "I thought you were
with Crimson, sir?" he asked.

"Well, umuwi muna ako dahil Pasko. Bihira na nga lang kami magkasama-sama ng mga
kapatid ko at si Mama. I'm just gonna go back to Crimson's family in the province
and spend the New Year there. Merry Christmas, by the way," Fraeo replied.
RB nodded. "Professor Evanesca's in the backyard. Let's go," he said to Faye before
leading them into the house.

"By the way, aren't you going to call Ike? Okay na kayo 'di ba?" Faye asked.

"I might text him later," RB replied. "We're good already, but we're still giving
each other space. He did promise though that we're gonna spend summer vacation in
their house in the farm... and maybe have sex everyday," he added in a whisper.

RB and Faye just exchanged muffled giggles.

The three of them went straight to the backyard where Professor Evanesca is
currently reading a book while seated on a garden chair. Upon seeing that Fraeo and
Faye have arrived, the two other Evanescas left the kitchen to join them. As
Ezekiel and Fraeo pestered each other, RB and Faye approached the headmistress.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, dear," she said after Faye greeted her. "Rubio here
already told me about your concern, but he still hasn't told me what the situation
is all about. Is there any problem with your weirdness, my dear?"

"It's not really a problem," Faye replied. "Professor, can you still remember the
incident in Game 3 when Ike enhanced my weirdness and I was able to shoot laser
beams with my eyes?"

The headmistress nodded. "Yes, I remember it. You looked really cool, too, my
dear."

"The thing is, I was still able to use that ability even after that incident.
Recently, my weirdness seems to be getting stronger, too. I think I should just
show you," Faye said.

"Go on," the headmistress said.

Faye nodded at RB who swiped his arms in front of him before making a few
complicated hand gestures. A few seconds later, crystal mannequins appeared in a
neat row a few meters in front of them.

Faye closed her eyes for a moment as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. All of a
sudden, streaks and particles of white light crisscrossed all over Faye's body as
her eyes started glowing. Using her eyes, she shot a laser beam at a couple of
mannequins which were instantly reduced to smoking dust. She also shot a couple of
glowing orbs to the other mannequins which exploded into blinding white light.
Finally, Faye summoned a ball of light between her hands before aiming them at the
remaining mannequins. A huge beam of light erupted from between her hands and shot
at the mannequins which were totally reduced into nothing but a few wisps of smoke.
By the time that Faye was done, all the people in the area are already staring
wide-eyed or open-mouthed at the spot where the mannequins were standing earlier.

Ezekiel was the first one to recover. "Well, that was bright; but wait, was that a
beam attack? That looked like one of Serena's deadly attacks."

RB just stared at Faye in total surprise. "WHAT THE HECK, SIS?!"

Faye straightened up and combed her white hair with her hand. "It appears that I
now have the ability to produce and control light. I am almost completely sure that
Ike has something to do with this."

"Can you still heal, my dear?" Professor Evanesca asked after several moments.

"I still can, professor," Faye replied. "So, what do you think is happening to me?"

The headmistress nodded. "First and foremost, I can definitely say that this is not
something that you should be alarmed or worried of. If anything, you should really
feel thrilled and excited with this new development. I am more than confident that
you can improve and refine this new ability of yours."

"As for what caused the change," she continued, "I believe in your speculation that
Ike has something to do with this. Once he returns from his vacation, I will tell
him about your situation. With Elijah also present in his body, I am sure that
he'll be able to provide us with answers. For now, I don't think we have the right
to disturb Ike's peaceful Christmas with his family especially after everything
that happened to him in the past few months."

The others nodded.

"Of course, professor," Faye replied. "I understand."

"Well, that's settles it, then. Why not stay here and have lunch with us, my dear?
Wait a minute. Ezekiel, did you seriously leave the food on the stove?" Professor
Evanesca said, suddenly turning to her brother.

"Yeah, why?" Ezekiel asked.

The headmistress just stared at him flatly.

"I can smell something burning."

●●●
Ike's POV

"Dude, seriously? It's Christmas," Elijah said when he finally materialized in

front of me. Ever since the incident in the ball, I've been giving Elijah signals
that I want to talk to him but he just didn't summon me in his realm inside my
brain. Today, after my nth attempt to contact him, he finally answered my call.

"I have something important to tell you," I said, looking at him straight in the
eyes.

Recognizing the concern on my face, Elijah nodded at me before clicking his

fingers, causing our circular training ground afloat in a sea of clouds to appear
all around us.

"Talk."

I quickly recounted to him the events that happened in the CMMT Ball. By the time I
was done narrating the events, the concern on Elijah's face has turned into a
frown.

"The day after that, Professor Evanesca talked to me," I continued. "She said that
she's almost a hundred percent sure that Serafina's magic has contaminated the core
of the Prime Elemental. The headmistress also said that the Prime Destruction and
Prime Elemental have connections with each other. Serafina, being the previous
holder of the Prime Destruction, might've been able to exploit those connections
during her time."

"I see. Thanks for the information, Ike. That will surely help me a lot in solving
this problem," Elijah said.

"Another thing. The headmistress also asked if I could report your findings to her.
She said that she might be able to help you if she knows what's happening inside
me. Are you okay with that?" I asked.

"Sure. That would be great, actually," Elijah replied. "However, it's Christmas,
Ike. You should be spending your time with your family. Today, forget all your
problems and troubles. Like I always say, I am here to facilitate your training,
not to drag you in some stupid investigative work. Leave the difficult part to me."

"But—"

"Don't you trust me? I am more than capable of solving the problem. Your news will
help me a lot in solving it, and I want to thank you for telling me that. I also
have to apologize to you. I thought that you just wanted to train that's why I
didn't take your signals. My bad. Sorry," he said.

"Ellijah, I really want to help you—"

"Merry Christmas, Ike! See you soon!" Elijah interjected before waving his hand in
front of me, causing a blinding white light to overwhelm my vision. A split second
later, I was back in my room in our house.

"What the hell?" I said in utter disbelief.

We always spend Christmas in our house in the farm. Our New Years, however, are
always celebrated in our house in the city. Our house in the farm is for quiet and
peaceful celebrations while our house in the city is for loud and boisterous
events.

"Ike, breakfast!" I heard my mom say from the kitchen downstairs.

"Coming, mom! Just a sec," I shouted back.

I was about to leave my room when my phone suddenly rang.

"What do you want?" I said flatly after accepting Jack's video call.

"Dude, it's Christmas! Why so sour? Anyway, I just called because I want to
personally greet you! Merry Christmas, bro!" Jack replied. "Janine wants to greet
you, too. Say 'hi' to your Kuya Ike, Janine."

"Hello Kuya Ike! Merry Christmas!" Janine said, suddenly appearing on the screen.

I smiled at her. "Merry Christmas!"

"You little brat. I told you to say 'hi.' Anyway, we're having a great time here in
Japan. There's just so much to see and do here. I actually forgot to ask what you
want for Christmas. Want me to buy you all the volumes of your favorite manga? How
about a year's supply of wasabi? Or maybe I'll buy you a box of ramen noodles."

"Shut up. Just buy me whatever the hell you want," I snapped at him.

Jack's family went to Japan for this year's Christmas. I think he's the only one in
our group that spent the break overseas. He's gonna be back on the 27th because of
their training, though. The others just stayed in the country due to the same
reason. Game 5 is next month, and they have to win it if they want to play in the
Finals.

"Okay, then. Mom's calling me. I'm out, bro! Take care! Merry Christmas! See you
soon!" Jack said.
"Yeah, Merry Christmas. Try to stay sane while you're away. See you soon," I said
before ending the call.

I was about to pocket my phone when a text message popped up on my screen.

I really want to call you but I don't want to invade your fun time with your
family. I'm here at Professor Evanesca's place with Professor Elena and Ezekiel.
We're gonna visit mom and dad later this day. Have a safe day ahead. Merry
Christmas. I love you.

I just smiled faintly as I typed my reply.

I actually don't know what I'm gonna do today. Thanks for texting, anyway. Take
care, too. Merry Christmas. I love you.

I went down to the kitchen where my parents and twin siblings are already waiting
for me at the dining table.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, KUYA!" my twin siblings shouted at me as I entered the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas din, mga bubwit. Merry Christmas din po, Ma, Pa," I said, giving
each of them a tight hug.

"How are you two doing?" mom asked as I sat on my chair.

I threw her a bewildered look. "Who?"

She just stared at me flatly. "RB. Nagka-usap kayo bago tayo umuwi rito, 'di ba?
Nagkaayos na ba kayong dalawa?"

"Pa'no niyo naman po nalaman na nagkaproblema kaming dalawa?" tanong ko naman.

Isang kurot ang sinagot sa 'kin ni Mama. "Just because we're not with you all the
time doesn't mean that we don't know anything about what's happening with you in
Emerald. Ikaw talaga, dati ikaw 'tong iyakin pero ngayon ikaw na ang nagpapaiyak.
Ulitin mo pa talaga 'yung ginawa mo kay RB at higit pa sa kurot ang mapapala mo sa
'kin," sabi niya.

"Okay na kami, Ma. We sorted things out already before we parted ways. We're not
yet back to our usual dysfunctional relationship because we still have a lot of
things to do. Wala na po kaming problema. Sadya lang na wala pa kaming panahon para
sa isa't-isa," paliwanag ko naman.

"Mabuti naman kung ganun," sagot ni Papa. "Kung galit na galit ka na, sapakin mo na
lang ang sarili mo imbes ang ibang tao. Magmumukha ka mang tanga, pero at least
ikaw lang ang nasaktan. Mahal mo 'yung tao, ba't mo sasaktan?"

"At anong klaseng payo naman 'yun?" singhal sa kanya ni mama.

"'Yun ang payo na nagpanalo sa 'kin ng puso mo," sagot ni papa.

Yumuko na lang ako sa plato ko habang nagpipigil ng tawa. "Seriously? Pasko ngayon,
pa. Sa sobrang cringe ko, pakiramdam ko napunta sa likod ng ulo ko 'yung mukha ko,"
sabi ko naman.

Napangiti na lang ako habang pinapanood ang pamilya ko. The past year has been
really stressful and, well, quite painful. I'm just really thankful that at the end
of the day, I still have a family that I can go home to, that will still accept and
love me no matter how pathetic, or injured, I get.

Now that all the things in my life are finally starting to fall into their
respective places, I couldn't help but feel extremely excited and thrilled for the
surprises and challenges that the next year will bring to me.

        Chapter 64: Delphina [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "You're leaving?"

Those are the words that greeted Professor Evanesca as she stepped out of their
house the day after Christmas. It's still dark outside and there isn't even any
trace of the sun over the horizon. The headmistress adjusted the cloak on her
shoulders before nodding at her younger brother who's floating in midair while
hugging a pillow.

"I am. I'm going to pay the Purgers a visit. I also have an appointment with
Delphina later this day. Christmas is over, so I have to get back to my work," she
said.

Ezekiel turned his body in midair and stared at his sister with his head hanging
upside down. "You're going to visit that old hag? RB's gonna ask questions once he
sees that you're not in the house."

"Then tell him the truth," Professor Evanesca replied matter-of-factly. "What's
difficult with that?"

"Oh, of course. I can just tell him the truth. How idiotic of me," he said,
feigning an apologetic expression. "Easy for you to say because you're not the one
who's gonna be pestered with unending questions. Do you seriously think that RB's
gonna be satisfied if I tell him that you just wanted to spend some time in the
forest that's why you're not around today?" Ezekiel snapped at his sister.

The headmistress just gave him a tap in the shoulder. "I have faith in you, dear
brother. Now, be the man of the house while I'm away. I'll be back just in time for
dinner. Cook something delicious. Goodbye."

She stomped a foot on the ground and created a circle of light that expanded
quickly for several meters. A split second later, a portal suddenly appeared high
above in the sky.

Ezekiel gave the portal a confused look before pointing an accusing finger at his
sister. "Does Ate Elena even know that you're using her weirdness without her
permission?"

"I don't want to wake Elena up. Now, if you won't shut up, you'll wake the entire
village. Go cook breakfast or go back to your bed. Have a good day, dear brother,"
Professor Evanesca said before exploding into puffs of green smoke. A moment later,
the familiar eagle with shiny green plumage rose from the smoke and flew towards
the portal in the sky.

"Show-off!" Ezekiel shouted at his sister.

The eagle just replied with a loud screech before heading straight to the portal
which closed with a loud crack after the headmistress passed through it.

A split second later, the green eagle reappeared in the middle of a sea of clouds.
Over the horizon, the sky is now slowly getting brighter, indicating that the sun
is just about to rise from it. The eagle descended from the sky to reveal the wild
and forested terrain of the Terreña Mountain Range several hundred meters below.
The green eagle flew in circles as it slowly descended to the ground and landed
neatly on a grassland right at the foot of the mountain range.

The eagle morphed to form into the figure of Professor Evanesca which bowed deeply
at the forest. As if to reply to the headmistress' humble gesture, a soft breeze
blew from the forest and billowed her cloak lightly. Seemingly satisfied with the
forest's response, the headmistress dissolved into wisps of smoke that morphed once
again into an eagle that flew straight into the dark forest.

After several minutes of flying, the Purgers' village loomed ahead of her. As if
expecting her arrival, the wooden gates of the walled village opened to admit her.
The eagle exploded into green smoke which morphed to form the figure of Professor
Evanesca.

"Merry Christmas, Esmerelda," Marcus said, stepping forward to greet her.

"And Merry Christmas to you, too. Where is Mario?" the headmistress asked as she
proceeded straight to the village's town hall.

"He's with Matilda at the other village," Marcus replied. "I have some troubling
news, by the way."
Professor Evanesca threw Marcus a concerned look. "Let's talk inside the hall," she
said, swinging her arm in front of her and causing the double door of the town hall
to open. Upon entering the hall, she clicked her fingers and summoned boxes at the
empty hall.

"Your supplies. I also have toys for the children," she said as she proceeded
towards Marcus' office. The latter went straight to his desk while the former took
off her cloak before hanging it on a wall and sitting on a chair.

"What's the news?" she asked.

"A few days before Christmas, I received a message from the other groups on our
various camps all over the country. They've officially cut ties with us and refused
to recognize the authority of the Chief Purger," Marcus explained.

The headmistress threw him an alarmed look.

"This camp and the four other camps on this mountain range are the only Purger
camps that still recognize my authority. I tried talking to them. I tried to
convince them. Unfortunately, their ideals are still pretty much the same as our
ancestors'. They believe that we've gone soft, that we've been laying low for so
long. They want change. Unfortunately, the change that they want is neither
positive nor peaceful," he added.

"I will talk to them. Bring me to their camps and I will convince them to join us—"

"It's too late, Esmerelda. They've been waiting for action from us for the past
decade. I'm afraid that they've gone impatient. To be honest, Mario and I are
really lucky to have been able to leave the meeting alive. It's totally our fault,
don't worry. We should've tried to convince them to change their ways a long time
ago. Ever since our father died, I already felt the silent animosity of the other
chiefs towards us," Marcus said.

Professor Evanesca bowed her head weakly. "I understand."

"There's a more troublesome news, Esmerelda," Marcus replied, his voice dipping
low.

"A few of our loyal members from the other camps reported to me that they've seen
Jaeron visit Fabio's camp several times over the past few months. Fabio is an
influential and vocal member of the group. Unfortunately, he's one of our members
with really traditional views. I believe that under Jaeron's instructions, he
convinced the other chiefs to leave the Purgers. In fact, I think they're
recognizing him now as the Chief Purger. I even suspect that they've already joined
the Legion of Death," he said.

"Then I will talk to him," Professor Evanesca said.

"No. There is no way in hell that I'll let that happen. An agent like you is the
worst person that could talk to a person like Fabio. You two would clash like water
and oil... and probably end up fighting each other," Marcus replied.

"If he wants to fight, then we fight," the headmistress said.

"And you will emerge victorious, that I am sure of. However, if you kill or capture
Fabio, that will only lead us to a hotter conflict with them. We parted ways as
friends, but if we clash again in the future, I'm sure that we will duel to the
death," he said.

Marcus stood up from his chair before walking towards a window. Up above the tree
houses, people are starting to wake up to a new day. A few people are already
walking on the web of wooden stairs and bridges connecting the tree houses to each
other.

"Our loyal men in the other camps wanted to join us, but I told them to stay in
their respective camps to serve as our spies for as long as possible. They might be
able to give us valuable information about the actions of the Legion of Death.
However, if things go worrisome, I will bring them to our camps right away."

A long silence followed his words.

"I can only draw one conclusion from that news of yours: Jaeron is doing his best
to strengthen their group. The Legion of Death is definitely up to something. It's
really unfortunate that we lost what could've been a major additional force for our
side," Professor Evanesca said after a long while.

"How are things in your school, by the way? Nicolo told me that something weird
happened to Ike in the Ball," Marcus said.

The headmistress let out a long, weary sigh. "I couldn't be happier with the
security of Emerald. The agents and Emerald Guards are keeping the school safe and
secure all the time. Now that Ezekiel is with us, I can leave the school without
having to worry about anything."

She paused.

"As for the strange occurrence involving Ike, we are currently finding solutions to
his problem. By the way, did I tell you already that Elijah's training him?"
Professor Evanesca said.

"The Elijah Serria? The ninth Prime Elemental? I thought he died several centuries
ago?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, he did. He's training Ike inside his head. It seems that the former Primes
can actually train the current bearer of the weirdness. It's actually great because
Ike can train with his Lightning Weirdness while recovering from his injuries," the
former replied.

"That's good to hear. I feel really sorry for the boy especially after all those
terrible things that he endured and went through," Marcus said.

Professor Evanesca gazed out of the window of the office. "It's important that Ike
learns as fast as he can. Things are changing fast, and we have to adjust and adapt
to the situation just as quick. She's getting stronger. I'm afraid that she might
break out of her prison at any moment."

Without any warning, the headmistress suddenly headed out of the office, her
footsteps echoing loudly all over the empty hall. Confused and curious, Marcus
followed her as she exited the town hall and walked straight towards the gate.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I have an appointment with a particular someone. She lives quite far from here,
and I have to go now if I want to arrive there by noon. I'll see you again soon,
Marcus. Take care," Professor Evanesca said.

"Godspeed, Esmerelda," Marcus replied.

The headmistress nodded at him before exploding into green puffs of smoke. The
familiar green eagle rose from the smoke before flying straight towards the dark
and silent woods of the forest.

●●●

The midday sun is currently ravaging the land with its scorching heat. Despite the
hot sun shining directly from above, the place is still quite cool due to a strong
breeze coming from a nearby roaring ocean. The view looks like something that was
pulled out of a postcard: hills clothed in a carpet of grass stretched for miles
towards the land, while on the other side was the vast, blue ocean with huge waves
crashing thunderously against the rocky, steep cliffs.

On top of one of the hills stood a humble hut with a thatched roof and walls made
of dried clay—the only man-made structure that can be seen for miles around.
Despite the hut's quiet and gloomy look, it still matched with the surroundings
quite perfectly, as if the winds and waves carved the hut out of the hill.

Just outside the hut, an old woman is sitting cross-legged on the grass with her
eyes closed. Dressed in untidy and faded robes, the wrinkled woman just sat like a
statue underneath the scorching sun, unperturbed by the strong winds or the
numerous seagulls flying all around the place.
All of a sudden, the seagulls all over the place flew away as fast as they could as
a strange new bird suddenly descended from the sky. The new arriver flew in circles
as it slowly flew towards the ground. Just before the eagle landed, it exploded
into puffs of green smoke that morphed further into the figure of a woman dressed
in emerald-green robes and a black cloak.

The new arriver, who landed neatly in front of the old woman, bowed deeply at the
latter, her black cloak and green robes billowing behind her.

"Good day to you, Delphina," Professor Evanesca said.

The old woman opened her eyes, revealing the absence of pupils on them. "You've
been visiting me a lot for the past few months, Esmerelda. What is it that you need
this time?"

The headmistress opened her hand to reveal a glowing ball of white smoke. "I have
some memories."

Delphina picked up her staff which was lying beside her before standing up with
great difficulty. She didn't say a word as she headed towards a small garden not
far from where they're standing. She then raised a hand towards the hut, causing a
small basket to fly towards her. The headmistress just followed the old woman as
she hobbled towards her garden.

"I'll be honest with you, Esmerelda," Delphina said as she cut some herbs using a
pair of scissors from the basket. "I really can't understand why you keep on
consulting me about your problems when you already know the solution to them. You
keep asking me questions even though you already know the answers. That's a waste
of time, especially considering how far I live."

"As they always say, two heads are better than one. It's always preferable to ask
for a second opinion. You cannot always trust your own brain all the time. A Seer
like you should know that," Professor Evanesca said.

"You already have a good Seer on your side. Why bother to ask me? I'm already old,"
the woman replied.

"I don't want to make Ms. Leskovik blind at a young age," the headmistress said.

Seers share a rather curious but somewhat tragic trait. As Seers get better and
better with their abilities, they will also slowly lose their sense of sight in
relation to the extent of their improvement to See. The faster they improve, the
faster they lose their vision.

"So are you saying that you're only consulting me because I'm already blind?"
Delphina asked as she arranged the herbs on her basket.
"Of course not. You are probably the most skilled and experienced Seer on the
surface of this planet. In fact, I am so confident in your abilities that I can
confidently say that you already know how the incoming war is going to end,"
Professor Evanesca said.

A mysterious smile curved across Delphina's face as she stood up and headed to her
hut. "Just because you can see it doesn't mean that you have to say it."

The headmistress followed the old woman to her hut. As they entered the one-room
hut, an array of strange things greeted them. On the walls are shelves that hold
bottles of potions with different colors and contents alongside books and other
strange equipment. On one side of the hut was the bed while on the other side was
an earthen stove and a small table. Hanging on the windows and doorway are
seashells that are emitting tiny tinkling sounds as they bumped against each other.

Delphina placed the basket and her staff beside the stove before heading to a shelf
on the wall. A moment later, she carefully placed a crystal ball on the table
before sitting on the solitary chair in the room. Professor Evanesca just watched
in total silence as the old woman murmured strange words while running her hands
all over the crystal ball.

"The memory..." Delphina suddenly said, offering her hand to the headmistress who
carefully placed the ball of white smoke on the former's outstretched hand.

The Seer lowered the ball of smoke to the crystal ball where it got absorbed and
trapped inside. With a swipe of her hand, the smoke inside the ball morphed into
different shapes and figures and eventually showed the scene where Ike and Cataleya
are both reciting a prophecy at the same time. Their eerie voices echoed throughout
the room as Delphina closed her eyes and concentrated hard while her hands are
resting on the crystal ball.

"She's growing restless, Esmerelda," Delphina said after several moments, her hands
still on the crystal ball. "Her presence is strong, really strong. However, she
doesn't have full control of the boy's body. There was someone in that room that
served as a channel for her to use that boy..."

"A channel? What do you mean?" the headmistress asked.

"If you want to stop her from using this boy's body, you have to severe the
connection right at the source—the person that serves as Serafina's true host.
You've already seen how wide and deep her influence is now. I'm afraid that the
longer she stays inside her host's body, she'll be able to spread her poison a lot
deeper. The Primes are powerful, but they are still young, inexperienced, and don't
have a complete idea on how to fully control two of the most powerful weirdnesses
in the world," Delphina explained.

The old woman tore her hands away from the crystal ball before giving Professor
Evanesca a concerned look.
"Their fusion changed everything. Why... Why did you let them fuse? Why did you let
their paths cross? That is the cruelest thing that you could possibly do to them,"
the old woman asked in a whisper.

The headmistress crouched on the floor weakly before burying her face on her lap.

"You are a Seer, Delphina. You don't just See the future or past events, you also
See the reason why they happened or should happen. There is a reason for
everything. If their paths are meant to cross, then who am I to stand in their way?
They've helped each other grow. They wouldn't be where they are now if not for
their mutual guidance and love for each other. I do not regret my decision,
Delphina," Professor Evanesca said in a firm voice.

The old Seer let out a long breath before standing up and heading towards the
window where the raging ocean can be seen.

"I cannot argue with your decision, Esmerelda. However, bear in mind that you've
driven them into an inescapable situation. Soon, all of you will realize the
repercussions of your decisions. Your time started to run out the moment they
fused," the Seer said.

Professor Evanesca stood up weakly, pushing her hands slightly against the wall to
support herself. Without any warning, she headed out of the hut and into the open.

"There's still a way, Esmerelda," Delphina called after her. "You can prevent the
storm now while you still have the time. You have the power and authority to do it.
Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices for the greater good. You of all people
should know that."

Professor Evanesca stopped in her tracks before closing her eyes for a moment. The
weakness and exhaustion on her face are now gone. Instead, her usual aura of
strength and authority are now back.

"I've imprisoned a lot of villains, Delphina. Throughout my life as an agent, I

never thought of taking anyone's life, not even the greatest villain of all time. I
know I can end the storm before it even begins, but to take the life of a young man
with big dreams and a bigger future ahead of him is the cruelest thing that I could
do in my entire life. I will see you again soon, Delphina. A good day to you. Thank
you very much."

Professor Evanesca walked towards the cliff before jumping from it. A second later,
a huge green eagle rose towards the sky before flying straight towards the vast,
blue ocean. With a loud screech, the eagle flew higher up into the sky before
finally disappearing in a bank of clouds over the horizon.

        Chapter 65: The Cracks on the Wall [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The late afternoon sun hung low over the horizon, bathing the surroundings
with its warm and golden glow. It's just a day after Christmas, and the streets of
the capital city aren't occupied by a lot of vehicles. There are also quite fewer
people than usual, owing to the fact that most people are still on their vacation.

A man in a hooded jacket is currently snaking through a throng of people crossing a

pedestrian lane. As he crossed the street, a group of agents also walked past him.
The man quickly looked in the other direction and pretended to be absorbed in the
towering skyscrapers of the city. The agents didn't give him a second look.

The hooded man glanced back carefully at the agents before walking faster. After
nearly another half an hour of walking, he finally reached a lesser-frequented part
of the city. He took a turn towards a dark alleyway that leads to what looks like a
dead end.

After making sure that he's alone in the alleyway, the hooded man ran a hand on the
blank wall of a building as he muttered a strange word under his breath.

"Revelaré."

All of a sudden, a part of the wall started shaking. As if being pulled by some
mysterious force, a door slowly came into view. After double checking that he's
really alone, the hooded man entered the door. Upon entering, he swiped his hand on
the knob before muttering another strange word.

"Concelaré."

The door then slowly sank into the wall until it disappeared from view. As he
stepped into a rather spacious warehouse, the familiar view of their headquarters
greeted him: a dingy and dimly-lit room with several tables and a couple of couches
crammed on one side and a small kitchen on the other. The other spaces are occupied
by either shelves or bunk beds.

The hooded man went straight to his desk and produced a laptop from one of the
drawers.

"Yay. Jaeron's here. What news do you have for us?" a girl in a jacket and skirt
said upon seeing him.

"Shut up, Iris," Jaeron said before placing the laptop in front of him. "Everyone,
gather around. I want to show you something."

There are only three other people inside the warehouse except for Jaeron and Iris:
Hizrot, the Superstrength Weirdo; Corven, the Shadow Manipulation Weirdo; and
Warner, the Overload Weirdo. The three of them approached Jaeron who's currently
busying himself on his laptop.

"What do you want, Jaeron?" Hizrot asked as he sat in front of the desk.
The former stood up before turning his laptop around to show the four others a
video clip. Jaeron dialed a number on his phone as the others watched the clip
being played on his laptop.

"Did you show the video to the other idiots?" a man's voice said as soon as the
call connected.

"They are watching it as I speak," Jaeron replied.

"Good," the man replied. "Well, as you could see in the video, Ike went totally
nuts in the CMMT Ball for no apparent reason. Even the headmistress looked
genuinely clueless as to what was happening to him. It was pretty scary and creepy,
honestly speaking."

"Are you sure that they're still not suspecting you?" Jaeron asked.

"I am the last person on this planet that they'd suspect to be involved with the
Legion. Don't worry, I'm better in hiding my true colors than anyone else, Jaeron.
You of all people know that. Also, they were pretty convinced with my little act in
the Ball. As of this moment, their trust in me is still sky-high. Freaking idiots,"
the man replied with a harsh laugh.

"Fine. I have faith in you," Jaeron replied.

"Yeah. Great. Going back to the video, I think the end part of that will really
pique your interest..."

Jaeron turned his attention to his laptop where Ike is now reciting a prophecy in a
chilly, raspy voice together with a girl with glowing all-white eyes.

"In the place where everything ended, and everything will begin,
I am standing there in the middle, waiting patiently for my kin;
And when the blood of the monster has been spilled on my feet,
I will rise from my slumber to bring your final defeat."

Jaeron nearly dropped his phone after hearing the prophecy. "Hizrot, play that
prophecy again."

The latter obliged.

"Curious?" the man said. "It's not really a prophecy. It's more like a—"

"Clue," Jaeron said before turning his attention to the wall behind his desk where
several pictures, newspaper clippings, torn pages from books, and other similar
papers are pinned. He carefully examined some photos while reciting the lines
inside his head several times.

"I'm glad we're on the same page," the man on the other end of the line replied.

The four others just finished watching the clip. They now turned to Jaeron who's
still absorbed in the papers pinned on the wall behind his desk.

"Well, Ike looks definitely stunning in his tuxedo," Iris said dreamily. "I just
fall in love with him even deeper everytime I see him."

"What's the matter with that Lunaria? Did he get possessed or something?" Hizrot
asked.

"Are you all idiots?" Jaeron snapped at the others without tearing his eyes away
from the wall of pictures and clippings. "Didn't you recognize the voice of the
person who spoke with Ike?"

"What? Who?" Corven asked.

"The Seer girl? She's pretty," Iris said. "I want to kill her."

"It's Serafina's voice, idiots. Basically, Serafina took over Lunaria's body during
that night. I don't know how she did it, but she actually managed to infiltrate the
body of a Prime," the former replied with a grin.

Their mouths all fell open with Jaeron's declaration.

"This confirms our theory," he continued as he moved some pictures on the wall. "It
seems that Serafina herself is trying to send us a message as to where and how to
find her... and how to set her free from her prison as well. She's definitely
getting stronger," Jaeron added, failing to hide the smile on his face.

"Well, our preparations are going smoothly," Hizrot said. "We now have a decent
supply of Freak Shots, our men are on their respective positions already and ready
to strike at any moment, and our stage is set already. Are you really sure that you
want to wait for a couple more months before we make our move? I think we should
strike while the iron is still hot."

"But of course, Hizrot. Timing is important. We are going to attack when they least
expect it... while the entire world is watching. The sheer shock that our attack
will bring to them would be tremendous. They will fall one by one until there's no
one left to protect the Primes. Our plan will be perfect for as long as all of us
are careful with our moves from now on. Our preparations are nearly complete, so
I'm going to ask you to stay inside as much as possible for a couple more months.
Once Serafina is free, we can all roam the city in broad daylight without any fear
of getting caught," Jaeron said.
"I can't wait!" Iris said excitedly as she played with her knife. "Once we capture
Ike, can you please not kill him right away? I'd love to play with him for a bit."

"But Hector already has an appointment with Ike," Jaeron replied.

"That old, perverted geezer," Iris said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe you can just give
him some of Ike's friends. That ice guy will probably do, or maybe the Revenge
Attack guy. They're both cuties, so I'm sure that Hector will really like them."

They were interrupted by a low rumble coming from the blank wall of a warehouse. A
few seconds later, the hidden door slowly appeared on the wall. A guy in a
sophisticated attire of suit, shades, and a top hat approached Jaeron and his
friends.

"My favorite communis in the world!" Jaeron said upon seeing the newcomer, opening
his arms wide in welcome. "You always bring good news whenever you enter our
headquarters, Leroy. Come here. What's the news this time, my friend?"

Jaeron clicked his fingers, causing a bottle of beer to zoom towards Leroy who
caught it neatly in his hand. The latter proceeded to the table before sitting on a
chair.

"I have, well, good news for you, Jaeron," Leroy said after taking a sip from the
bottle. Jaeron abandoned the pictures on the wall before sitting in front of him.

"Fire away, my friend."

Leroy gave him a serious look. "It took me several months to convince them, but
they finally agreed to listen to what you have to say."

In an instant, a wide smile curved across Jaeron's face. "Isn't that excellent?
When do they want to talk to me?"

"As soon as possible. Let me just warn you, my friend. They are not easy to
convince. Even a villain like you will find it hard to bend their minds. They just
hate magic and anything related to it. I will advise you to observe utmost care
with your actions and words once you speak to them," Leroy said.

"Understood."

Jaeron stood up from his seat before looking at a clock at the far end of the
warehouse. "We're going today, Leroy," he said before summoning a black cloak out
of thin air.
"What? Right now? Why me?" Leroy asked.

"You are going to be our negotiator," Jaeron replied before turning to the others.
"Iris, come with us. We're gonna head out."

"Where? Why me?" she asked.

"Don't ask questions. Just go with us. A pretty face might help me convince them,"
Jaeron replied.

Iris twirled her hair around her fingertips. "Well, I can't say no if you put it
that way. Bye, boys! I'm off to another exciting trip!" she said to the others.

"We'll be back later this evening," Jaeron said to the three men. "The three of us
are going somewhere. Take care while we're away. Don't blow up the warehouse. See
you later."

Leroy and Iris held on firmly to Jaeron. Without any warning, the three of them
suddenly swirled and twisted before being absorbed into a single point. With a loud
crack, the three of them disappeared into thin air.

●●●

Jaeron and the two others reappeared on top of a huge rock several meters away from
a beach. In front of them is a huge island that looks like something out of an
alien world. The entire island is walled on all sides by towering cliffs and
mountains, making it look like a huge rock basin. The only way into the island is
through the beach in front of them. At the center of the island are forests and
vast grasslands that stretch for several miles inland. The entire place looks like
it's been designed intentionally to keep anyone from entering it.

"This place looks really pretty," Iris said as she looked around. Behind them, the
sun is slowly sinking over the horizon, bathing the island with a serene but
haunting golden glow.

Leroy and Iris held on to Jaeron once more and they reappeared exactly on the beach
a split second later.

"We proceed slowly," Leroy said, pointing to a narrow dirt path several meters away
from them. "These people are just like the Purgers. They know when someone enters
their island."

"Creepy," Iris whispered.

Before they could even take another step, several arrows hit the ground directly in
front of them in a neat row. The three of them looked around but saw no one.
"Not another step," a deep voice suddenly said from somewhere in the middle of a
group of trees several meters in front of them.

A bearded man suddenly emerged from between the huge trees before walking owards
them. Dressed in old and faded clothing, the man portrayed an expressionless face
as he scanned the three people standing on the beach. His chiseled and prominent
facial features, paired with several scars, gave him a powerful aura of strength
and grit. He looks like a man who has endured a lot of battles throughout his life.

"Weirdos don't have the right to set even a foot on our island," the man said in a
deep, cold voice.

Leroy tipped his hat at the man. "Good afternoon to you, Isagani. These are my
friends from the Legion of Death. This man is Jaeron Equerza, while the girl is
Iris Miro. Thank you very much for giving us the chance to talk to you."

"Isagani Oliviero, leader of the Purebloods. You are currently in the island that
houses the biggest population of Purebloods in the country," the man said, giving
Jaeron and Iris a cold stare.

Jaeron also gave him an expressionless face with equally-cold eyes. "Jaeron
Equerza, leader of the Legion of Death—the biggest and most influential villain
group in the country."

The Purebloods is a group of communis people with extremely twisted views towards
the weirdo population. When weirdnesses started appearing, several people looked at
it as a curse, as something that should be removed from the human body. While
majority of the people welcomed this change, some looked at it as some sort of a
disease. As a result, these people with traditional views started living together
in communities, isolating themselves from the rest of the magical world.

In the past, the Purebloods used to kill weirdos as a way of purifying the human
race, but when the government started arresting their members, they eventually
moved to the mountains and other secluded parts of the country. This move of the
national government fanned the flames of vengeance and hatred of the Purebloods
with the weirdos. Now, they are notoriously known for their deadly fighting skills
and extreme intelligence in combat.

The appearance of weirdnesses is not something that anyone can control by just
marrying a fellow communis or isolating oneself from weirdos. Whenever a child from
the Purebloods manifest any kind of weirdness, they drive away or kill the child
without a second thought. It's tragic, but it's their way of keeping their
communities pure.

Leroy stepped forward. "Jaeron is here on the behalf of the Legion of Death to
convince you to help them in the incoming war—"
"Why should we help you? Why should we help the people that we despise so much?"
Isagani interjected.

"Both of us have been driven away by the society for fighting for what we believe
is right," Jaeron said. "The government drove you away because you just wanted them
to also focus on your rights and welfare, and not just on the betterment of the
weirdos. We, on the other hand, are being hunted down because of our belief that
the true essence of an agent has been tainted with fame and money. We are so
different, yet we are so alike in many ways."

"The war between the communis and weirdos is long over. The war that we're going to
fight is between the oppressed and the oppressors. They get to define what is wrong
and what is right because they are the ones who are in power. How about us? How
about the people that live in the outskirts of the modern society just like us?
They won the war nearly twenty years ago, and they branded us as the villains. Only
the victors get to write history," Jaeron added.

"What can we expect in return if we help you?" Isagani asked.

"Freedom. I know that you will find it hard to live with us again, but once we win
the war, no one will ever hunt you down or force you away from your lands again.
You can do whatever the hell you want without the fear of being persecuted by
anyone," Jaeron replied.

"You no longer have Serafina," Isagani said. "I'll be honest with you. Serafina is
the only weirdo that I actually liked. I was able to watch one of her speeches and
I was deeply moved by her sincerity and power to move people just by using words.
If Serafina asked for our help two decades ago, I would've given her my full
support."

A triumphant smile curved across Jaeron's face as he summoned his laptop on his
hands.

"I'd like you to watch something, Isagani," he said before playing a video.

When the video ended, Jaeron closed his laptop which immediately vanished into thin
air.

"What you saw was our leader taking over the body of a boy that would've probably
been the biggest and most powerful hindrance to our plans; but as you've seen in
the video, Serafina has total control of the boy's body. Moreover, that clip also
showed us where to find Serafina and how to set her free from her prison," Jaeron
said.

"Prison? Serafina died twenty years ago. The headmistress of the Emerald School of
Magic ended her reign," Isagani replied.

"Serafina is alive," Jaeron said firmly. "Believe me or not, our plan has been
carefully laid out already. It took us twenty years, but our plan is almost
complete. Now, all I'm asking is for you to help us set Serafina free from her
prison. If you agree to join us, I will enlighten you about all our plans and your
group's role in bringing Serafina back."

"What if I refuse?" Isagani asked in a low voice.

"We will leave and never bother you ever again," Jaeron replied.

Silence.

"We have a common enemy, Isagani," he continued. "We should be working together.
This is your chance to exact vengeance on the institutions that drove you into this
place. We are giving you the chance to avenge your ancestors. After the war, we
will give you what you want and you can go back to your lives and we will never
bother you again; but if you want that to happen, you should help us set free the
person who could make your dreams happen. Help us, Isagani. Help us bring Serafina
back to her throne."

A deafening silence followed Jaeron's words. Finally, after a long moment, Isagani
raised a hand before offering it to Jaeron.

"You have our support."

Jaeron shook hands with Isagani. "Thank you very much. Now, the real talk starts.
Two months from now, a series of carefully orchestrated events will happen inside
the most secure institutions in the country."

"And?" Isagani asked.

A mysterious smile curved across Jaeron's face. "We are going to take down the
National Magical Law Enforcement Agency, Department of Magic, and the Palace in one
single stroke. You and your deadly men are going to help us assassinate a director
general, a secretary, and the president."

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: It's the fifth and final game of the Elimination Round of the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament. As the tournament approaches its finale,
teams will fight harder than ever to reach the top 2 spots. In this roller coaster
tournament, who will win the right to play in the Finals of the country's biggest
magical sporting event? All of those and more in the next update of Weirdos III:
The Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 66: New Leaf [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV
It's just a day after New Year, and I'm currently training inside my head with
Elijah. Thankfully, he summoned me again in his realm inside my head the day after
Christmas so that I could train. Since then, I've been training everyday except
yesterday. I'm gonna head back to Emerald on the weekend that's why Elijah's
training me hard while we still have a lot of time.

Over the past couple of weeks, I was able to refine my Lightning Weirdness skills
even further. Just several days ago, I finally succeeded in using lightning all
throughout my body. It appears that using lightning throughout one's body allows
you to create larger and more powerful attacks. Now that I finally mastered using
the final element, Elijah just focused on refining and improving my skills even
further.

Today, I'm having a one-on-one battle against Elijah. He's on full offensive while
I'm on the defensive side.

"When you're fighting someone in close quarters, you have to be really alert and
careful of your movements while being watchful and wary of your opponent's. One
infinitesimal moment of lapse is deadly. If you can stand not to blink, then don't
blink at all," Elijah said as I wove and ducked around his punches and kicks.

"Never turn your back on your opponent," he added before swinging his leg towards
me. I immediately shielded my body and face with my arms to absorb his attack. "And
using your arms as shield is perfect. You can continue fighting with your arms
tied, but you can never fight properly if your body's been damaged heavily. You
should also protect your eyes as much as possible. When it comes to combat, vision
is everything."

The lightning markings on Elijah's body suddenly glowed brightly. I instinctively

summoned a Shield Charm to block his jet of greenish-white light that shot towards
me.

"When your opponent resorts to magical attacks, just use your trusty and powerful
Shield Charms. You're actually a lot better in using spells and charms than me.
That will surely help you in combat," Elijah said.

"Thanks a lot—"

Elijah's jet of greenish-white light suddenly intensified and broke my Shield

Charm, blasting me several meters away from where I was standing.

"And don't give in to distractions. You're supposed to fight, not talk with your
opponent," he said as I winced in pain while trying to stand up. "You should be
thankful that I complimented you. Some villains will try to get to your head, so
you have to keep your silence and not talk to them. But of course, you can also use
that technique especially when the situation is not tilting to your favor."
"I get it," I said, massaging my chest a bit. "That was really clever of you."

Elijah suddenly shot towards the sky, trailing underneath him were helixes formed
by the five different elements. Arcs of electricity also crisscrossed all over his
body.

"When your opponent launches to the sky, it automatically puts you at a

disadvantage. Your opponent will have the upper hand, literally. When that happens,
you have to be on full defensive. Your opponent will also be high in the air with a
wider field of view than yours, so it's important that you never block your own
view. Always keep your opponent within your field of vision. What's the best thing
to do when your opponent attacks?" Elijah asked as he sent a lightning bolt towards
me.

I crossed my arms in front of me and blocked the bolt of lightning with a barrier.
With a mighty heave, I pushed my crossed arms forward and forced the lightning to
recurve back to its caster.

"Use a Reflective Shield," I said as Elijah redirected the bolt of lightning away
from him and towards the sky.

"Perfect," he said with a wide smile. "Well, it seems that you already know
everything that a person should bear in mind while in combat. Of course, you're
from Emerald and is being trained by the best professors and agents—"

I turned around on my spot before swinging a leg behind me, shattering two Stone
Golems that suddenly rose from the ground.

"Lastly, you should be alert for ambushes and surprise attacks," Elijah said as he
descended back to the ground. "But man, you're really getting the hang of it. I'm
really impressed."

"Thank you," I replied, finally letting out a long breath.

Elijah clicked his fingers and created the familiar beautiful forest with a river
and two hammocks that stretch across it—our usual relaxation spot inside my brain
whenever I'm not training.

"You've done so well, Ike. It's time for us to rest for a little while," Elijah
said as he rolled on his hammock.

As I swung on my hammock and watched the birds flying and the branches swinging
with the wind above me, a question suddenly popped in my brain.

"Did the eighth Prime Elemental train you, too?" I asked Elijah.
"Ah... Yes. Alfredo Mangubat," he said with a small hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"What was he like?" I asked.

Elijah chuckled a bit. "Just be thankful that I'm pretty loose and warm with you,
Ike. Alfredo was a pure-blooded sadist. I think he contacted me right when I turned
seven. He wasted no time in training me inside my head. To be honest, if Alfredo
trained me in real life, I don't think I would've made it alive."

"Now that I think of it, I actually don't know anything about your life. Is it okay
if you tell me what your life was back then?" I asked him.

Elijah looked up at the blue sky with a small smile on his face. "I was born in a
kind of post-apocalyptic society. That was the time when the entire world was just
so unstable because of the conflict between the magical and non-magical people. I
was actually born in the capital city, but it was so different during my time. No
agents. No law enforcers. Virtually no government. Just pure poverty, chaos, and
disorder. Life was tough during my time."

"Unfortunately, I lost my parents at a young age. I was five, I think? They were in
a group of nomadic weirdos living together for mutual protection. They had a fight
with several communis. My parents were among those who died in the battle. I
learned to be tough because of our way of life and because of my loss at a young
age."

Elijah's face suddenly brightened up.

"And then, just like you, I discovered my home."

"Emerald?"

"Emerald."

"How?"

"Emerald was the lone bright spot in this country during that dark time. The former
head of the school prior to Fergus Silverio was devoted to saving and educating
young weirdos. Emerald used to be an ordinary university for the communis, but when
the war between the magical and non-magical people broke out, the school was nearly
destroyed. After almost a century since the weirdnesses started appearing, it was
rebuilt as a magical school. Emerald used to be the headquarters of the Council of
Weirdos—the earliest governing body of the magical population," Elijah said.

"I think Emerald was the reason why this country became a safe haven for the
weirdos all over the world. The school served as the middleman between the Council
of Weirdos and the national government. Headmistress Porpentina Forreño hired
weirdos and communis to her school and showed everyone that magical and non-magical
people can live together harmoniously. When the national government and the Council
finally came into an agreement, that started the enormous progress of this country.
As you can see, that progress is really evident in your present time."

"Professor Evanesca did mention that name before. I think she's also the one who
discovered the magical spring that now serves as the fountain at the heart of the
Emerald Building," I said.

"That's right. No person can assume the headship post without putting a droplet of
their blood on the fountain. If you don't do it and you sit right away on the
head's chair, you'll die in the near future. Fergus Silverio was struck by that
curse. Going back to Professor Forreño, she was like my mother. I was around nine
when she met our group during her hunt for young weirdos all over the country. Of
course, our group didn't join her right away. It took her several talks with our
leaders, but they eventually agreed to come with her to Emerald."

"And she discovered that you are the Prime Elemental?" I asked.

"Yep. Professor Forreño was a monster fighter. She even trained me personally. I
owe my improvement with the five elements to Alfredo Mangubat, but my skills and
knowledge in combat and magic were sharpened by Professor Forreño. Unfortunately,
she was ambushed and killed in one of her trips. I was nineteen. I highly suspect
that Fergus Silverio was already watching our every move by that time, and he's the
one who killed Professor Forreño. He just made it look that she was ambushed by a
hostile group of communis. With her sudden death, the headship post was vacated,
and Fergus posed as a foreign professor and applied for the vacated post. You
already know what happened after that, Ike," Elijah said.

"I didn't know that you had quite an adventurous life. I mean, there's just so much
that happened in your life even though you died at such a young age," I said.

"It's not about how long you live, it's about how you live. Yes, I had such a short
life; but with everything that happened to me within my 21 years of existence, that
life didn't feel short at all. There is actually a rather tragic notion saying that
once the Prime Elemental fulfills his or her duty, he or she will die soon. That
happened to me and Alfredo Mangubat. Both of us actually died at a young age."

"That sounds depressing," I said with a hint of discomfort in my voice.

Elijah just laughed at my reaction. "Primes die in order to preserve the Prime
Elemental and to keep it from being stolen or taken by unwanted people, especially
villains. Once we die, our future bloodline will be revealed to us and we will have
the power to choose our successor. Once you choose your successor, the Prime
Elemental will vanish and will only reappear once your successor reaches the age
that you've set for the weirdness to manifest. Don't worry, Ike. I can feel that
you still have a long way to go. Don't feel depressed just because of what I said."

A sudden realization hit me. "Wait, did you just say that all the Prime Elementals
have a mission to fulfill? What's my mission, then?" I asked.
Elijah just gave me a mysterious smile before clicking his fingers, causing the
forest and the river to be replaced by the circular training ground afloat in a sea
of clouds.

"That is for you to find out. Now, let's go back to our training! Aerial battle!"
he said before launching straight to the sky.

"Fine."

●●●

RB's POV

"Okay, RB. One set of Gladiators! Brace yourself. Here goes nothing. DON'T INJURE
YOURSELF, DANG IT," Ezekiel said.

Sapphire wings sprouted from my back as I waited for the signal. I let out a long
breath while looking down from a platform several hundred meters in the sky. We're
inside the Diamond Battle Dome for the team's training, and we're currently
practicing aerial combat.

"3... 2... 1... Go!"

I tucked my wings behind me before jumping from the platform and gliding through
the air. After several moments, the TV monitors around the battle dome flashed a
countdown.

When the countdown was over, puffs of smoke erupted from above and below me. All of
a sudden, ice spikes, fireballs, rocks, blades, spells, and nearly all magical and
physical projectiles imagineable were hurled at me by an entire set of Gladiators.
I opened my sapphire wings before diving to the ground to get out of the line of
fire.

A couple of Gladiators attacked me. I immediately created a couple of diamond

swords before lunging straight to my attackers. One of the Gladiators has a Fire
Weirdness while the other is covered in scales made of sharp blades.

A volley of blades and a jet of fire suddenly shot towards me, forcing me to
transfigure my entire body into diamond to avoid getting burned or sliced to death.
With a mighty flap of my wings, I zoomed towards my attackers and severed their
heads with one swing of my swords.

"THAT WAS BRUTAL, BRO! You're killing it, literally!" Jack shouted from the ground
while clapping loudly. "How I wish we could do that to Sierra and NAA, too!"
Crystal spikes erupted all over my body before revolving around me quickly. Just
when several Gladiators were about to attack me, the diamond spikes shot in every
direction and hit all the attackers which exploded into flames and smoke.

Now with only a few Gladiators left, I tucked my wings behind me before diving
straight to the ground. Just as I expected, the remaining Gladiators followed me
and sent projectiles to my direction. My teammates, however, weren't so thrilled by
my action.

"Dude, you do realize of course that you're plummeting straight to the ground?"
Jack shouted at me. "And you're not slowing down... And no one's going to catch
you... And it will probably hurt a lot."

Just several meters before I hit the ground, I opened my crystal wings before
pulling out of the dive and ascending to the sky. As expected, the Gladiators
didn't have time to pull out and they all crashed to the ground before exploding. I
landed neatly before disintegrating my wings into crystal dust.

"Dang. That was sexy," Faye said as all our teammates and coaches clapped loudly.

Jack's already wiping his tears on the sleeves of his shirt. "It's so cool, I
cried."

"Well, we certainly saved the best for last," Ezekiel said while clapping. "RB's
the last one to combat those stupid Gladiators. That concludes our practice today.
Be back tomorrow after lunch. Enjoy your evening, brats. Take care."

It's just a day after New Year and our training is already back with vengeance.
We've been training since the day after Christmas and Ezekiel only gave us a break
yesterday. We really can't blame him for training us like mad because the Game 5 is
just around the corner, and considering our third placing in the standings, we have
to work double-time if we want to play for the Grand Golden Cup.

"Man, I love to train and everything but this is just too damn exhausting," Jack
whined while we're on our way out of the Diamond Battle Dome. "Once all of this is
over, I will spend an entire day in a spa and spend dinner in a buffet restaurant."

"Buffet..." everyone said dreamily.

We've been really busy training in the past few weeks that we haven't had any time
to spend outside. Even our usual buffets and mall excursions came into a total
halt. Ezekiel just wants everyone to be at the top of their game.

"I just noticed this earlier, but you've been using a different gemstone since the
start of our training in the Christmas break, RB," Tony suddenly said who's
currently scrolling through the pictures on his phone showing our training
practices.
"Yeah. You've been using that black gem lately. What was that? Black diamond? So
cool," Jack added.

"It's actually kinda weird," I said before examining my hand. "Whenever I'm not
consciously producing gems, I always produce black diamond, but whenever I force
myself, I can still produce the gemstone that I want. I also noticed that since the
Christmas break. It's like my base gem changed from amethyst to black diamond."

Faye threw me a concerned look. "RB, give me your hand. The one that got grazed
during the Ball."

"This?" I said before raising my right hand. "You completely healed my scratch,
don't worry. You're still an excellent Healer even though hubby totally meddled
with your weirdness."

She took my hand before examining it on her palm. Without any warning, Faye
suddenly slapped my hand, causing a ring of white light to appear on it that
expanded and crawled all over my entire hand.

"What's that?" Alice suddenly asked, pointing at the back of my hand.

The outline of the graze on the back of my hand suddenly appeared, but this time,
it's totally black in color. Black veins also appeared around the graze, giving the
impression that black ink is all over my hand. Nearly the entire back of my hand is
covered with the ominous-looking black veins and markings.

"What did you do?" Jack asked Faye.

"Don't make it sound like I'm the one who did this," Faye snapped at him. "I felt
something weird when I healed your wound in the Ball, RB. Maybe I should've
cleansed your graze first before healing it."

"Are you saying that my hand is infected?" I asked.

"No, not at all. I think your hand's completely fine," Faye said slowly as if being
extremely careful with every word that she says. "Nurse Juliana might be able to
fix your hand, but for now, I think you have to get used to its look."

"Wait, did you just take RB's hand to make it look like that? It looks scary and
unappealing," Jack said.

Faye gave him a slap in the face. "Stop making it sound like I'm at fault here.
These black veins and markings slowly spread all over a person's body, and if I
didn't do what I did earlier, they might've gone totally unnoticed and caused
greater harm. It's a good thing that I was able to detect these before they could
spread all over RB's body."
"Then what caused those to appear?" Philip asked.

"I really don't have any idea what could've caused these veins and markings to
appear. Maybe these were the aftereffects of Ayumu's shadows on RB's body. Can you
feel anything weird with your body? Any pain? Numbness? Anything?" Faye asked me.

I paused. "Nothing. I feel totally normal. Maybe I should ask Ayumu if his shadows
can do this. He might be able to help us," I said.

Faye nodded. "Do it. I'll refer this to Nurse Juliana as well. You should also tell
the Evanescas about this. They might know what to do. I know a few techniques that
might fix this, but I don't want to put you in any more danger. Let's identify
first the problem before trying to solve it.

"Okay. I get it," I said. "Thanks a lot, sis," I said while massaging my hand.

"Now, who wants some food? I know a buffet restaurant near here. Let's splurge
tonight while we still have the time," Faye said to the others.

The rest of our teammates let out cries of joy as we headed towards the gate of the
school. I just walked in total silence behind the others while examining my
blackened hand. Strange it may sound but for the first time since I met her, I have
an unpleasant feeling in my gut, telling me that Faye's not being entirely truthful
with her responses earlier.

        Chapter 67: Murder Mansion [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV

The Christmas break finally drew to a close, and all the students who live at the
dormitories headed back to Emerald the day before the start of the classes. I
arrived via train at the capital city late in the afternoon. The weather is still
ridiculously wet, and as I exited the train station, another strong rain suddenly
fell from the sky. Dragging behind me my luggage, I summoned an umbrella before
braving the torrential downpour.

As I stepped into the sidewalk, a couple of shady-looking guys followed me while

maintaining a safe distance. Ever since I got home last month, Professor Evanesca
told me that the NMLEA assigned a couple of agents to our house for my security.
They've also been following me a lot over the past couple of weeks every time I get
out of the house. They're probably going to leave me alone once I enter Emerald.
Even Professor Evanesca wasn't comfortable with me taking the train to the capital
city. I just insisted on taking the train because I've been causing them a lot of
trouble over the past few months and I don't want to give them any more
inconvenience. Thankfully, they agreed.

I took a cab to the school, and as I watched the buildings and people pass by the
window, I listened to a news report on the cab's radio.

"An agent station in the town of Catalina was raided just yesterday by a villain
group claiming to be members of the infamous Legion of Death. Seven agents were
reported injured while three were killed. The NMLEA condemned the said attack and
promised that they will hunt down and arrest all the perpetrators. The attack is
just one of the hundreds of villain attacks that have been recorded over the past
several months."

A fork of lightning flashed over the distance followed by a clap of thunder. I just
shifted on my seat uncomfortably as I tried to focus on the different sights
passing by the window.

Over the Christmas break alone, news of killings and attacks done by the villains
were reported nearly everyday. Most of these attacks happened in the agent stations
that are located in the secluded parts of the country. Fortunately, no major attack
happened here at the capital city or other major cities in the country. It means
that the strongholds of this country are still under the control of the agents.

The news of what happened to me in the Ball didn't help at all to alleviate the
rising tension in the country. Despite Emerald's statement saying that it was just
an isolated case, several news networks still tried to interview me about the
incident while I'm at home. Thankfully, upon my request, the agents assigned for my
security kept any unwanted people from getting near to our house.

The rain hasn't stopped yet when I arrived at the school. As I gazed at the green
barrier enclosing Emerald, I felt a huge relief knowing that this is still one of
the safest and most secure places here in the country—away from the villains or
media. Just before I entered the school, I looked behind me and saw that the two
agents are now signalling to one of the Emerald Guards stationed at the gate. The
agents gave the latter a nod before finally disappearing in the middle of the busy
street in front of the school's entrance.

The Emerald Guards are double-checking everyone that enters the school. After
presenting my identification card, they finally let me in. With the heavy rain
still pouring from the sky, I headed straight towards the Topaz Building. However,
I haven't even walked that far when a familiar voice suddenly called my name.

"Ike!"

I turned around and saw Tony walking towards me. It seems that he's also just
entered the school.

"Happy New Year, man," I said after giving him a punch in the shoulder.

"Same. You're looking great! Injury-free already?" he asked.

"I'm still awaiting Nurse Juliana's clearance, but I've been training a lot inside
my head over the break. How's your training with the other guys?" I asked him.

"As usual, RB's pretty awesome; but the entire team's doing great! Game 5 is this
Saturday so you better watch your wifey play. By the way, did RB tell you already
about what you did to Faye?" Tony said.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You totally turned Faye into a Light Weirdo," he replied. "She can still heal, but
she can now do things that only a Light Weirdo can do. Maybe they're just going to
tell you once they see you. They really don't know why it happened to her."

"And I honestly don't have any idea, either," I said, scratching my head. "Anyway,
this is my street. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye, man," Tony said before walking towards the opposite direction.

The lower half of my body was already pretty soaked by the time I arrived at the
Topaz Building. I ran a hand all over my pants and produced hot air to dry me off
before entering the lobby of our dorm. I snaked through a crowd of students and
headed straight to the magical elevator.

I shouted the name of my room's floor upon entering. An instant later, the double
door of the elevator flew open, revealing a hallway. As I stepped out of the
elevator, one of doors in the hallway opened and out came a purple- and gray-haired
guy.

"Hey," I said to RB who obviously didn't expect to see me in the hallway.

"Uh, hi," he said awkwardly. "Looks like you're back. I'm glad to see that you're
okay. The weather out there is pretty brutal."

"Yeah. Uh, do you want to talk or something? You're not busy, are you? It's still
pretty early," I asked, glancing at my watch.

"Yeah, sure," RB replied.

The two of us went to my room. RB just sat on my study table while I opened my
luggage and transferred my clothes to the closet using my telekinesis.

"How was your vacation with the Evanescas?" I asked while waving my arms in front
of me like an orchestra conductor.

"It was fine. Professor Evanesca wasn't usually in the house because she always
leaves early in the morning and arrives late in the evening. The only time that she
actually stayed in the house for an entire day was during Christmas. Even during
the break, she's still pretty busy," RB replied.

"As expected. By the way, Tony said that the team's training during the break went
smoothly," I said.

"Well, we're doing good. Our Game 4 victory really fuelled the team's motivation.
By the way, did Tony tell you already about what happened to Faye?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I still don't have an answer. I don't even know how I did it.
Elijah probably knows, and I'm going to ask him once he summons me again inside my
brain."

"Speaking of Elijah, how was your training with him?" RB asked.

"I finally mastered my Lightning Weirdness. As of now, he's helping me increase the
intensity of my attacks. I can't believe I'm saying this, but for the first time
since I started training, I actually feel confident with my skills in controlling
the Prime Elemental," I said with a faint smile.

RB gave me meaningful grin. "Isn't that promising? All you have to do now is
recover so that you'll be able to play just in time for the Finals. Everyone in the
team wants you back, Ike. If we want to win the championship, we need you in the
team."

I gazed out of the window of my room where the rain is still raging. "I can't
promise anything, but I'll try."

"Don't make promises. I'll win the Game 5. All you have to do is play in the
Finals," he said.

"But—"

RB raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes before raising my hands in surrender. "Fine. You win. Dang it,
you're still as stubborn as ever."

"Missed me?" RB asked.

I just smiled at him. "Yeah. A lot."

●●●
RB's POV

Weekend finally came, and so is the Game 5 of the Elimination Round of the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament.

The entire team is currently warming up in our dugout and awaiting signal for when
we'll be allowed to go out to the field for attacking practice. Compared with our
atmosphere in the Game 4, everyone in the team is pretty loose and relaxed. Even
Jack is goofing around as usual—playing with Tony's bow and transforming it into
different weapons.

"Why can't I have one like that?" he said to Ezekiel.

"Because you're reckless and mentally-unstable," the latter snapped at him. "Also,
the Office of Weirdo Equipment Regulation has to see that you really need a
particular weapon so that you could use your weirdness to its full extent. Tony is
an Enhanced Senses Weirdo, and therefore it is sensible that he's using a weapon
that really compliments his weirdness."

"It usually happens to Morph Weirdos like us," Alice said. "I'm actually planning
to apply for the addition of blades to my ropes once I become an agent."

"Not everything in this world is about Elemental Weirdos," Ezekiel added with a
smirk. "Gather around, brats. We're heading out! Try NOT to attack Sierra and NAA
right away once you see them."

"Try?" Jack asked with an evil grin.

Ezekiel replied with an equally-scary smile. "Exactly."

As we walked towards the field, I noticed that the opening of the roof of the
Diamond Battle Dome looks hazy, as if a glass roof was placed there.

"Rain-repelling Charm," Ezekiel said, noticing my reaction. "It's still pretty

rainy outside."

As expected, the commentators were already blabbering the moment we stepped into
the field.

"Oh, there they are, Garrick!" Professor Ojeros said. "Fashionably late, as
expected! I must say, they're looking really good! A couple of wins really do some
magic to a team, eh? This is lovely!"

"Now that Emerald is finally on the field, we can now take a look at the updated
team standings to start our pre-game discussion," Professor Romeus' bored voice
said.
Team Standings — CMMT Seniors' Division

                         SCHOOL                                      POINTS
1. Sierra Magical Institute (1-1-2-5)           1,500
2. Veron Academy of Magic (3-2-3-2)        1,400
3. Emerald School of Magic (5-4-1-1)        1,300
4. National Agents Academy (2-3-4-4)      1,100
5. Philippine Weirdo University (4-5-5-3)  700

"What a close fight we have here! We obviously still don't have a definite Finals
matchup!" Professor Ojeros said. "Well, PWU is officially out of contention for the
championship because of their standing; but make no mistake, they're still here to
make things difficult for the other teams. Also, they can still make it to the
Battle for Third especially if they get a decent score in tonight's game and if the
other lower-seeded schools perform poorly tonight."

"But of course, I would like to focus the spotlight on Team Emerald who finally won
in a totally dominating manner in the previous game!" he continued. "That was the
Emerald that I saw in the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp. Talla and the rest
of the team were just superb in that game! What do you think of their performance,
Garrick?"

"Well, they certainly claimed the victory through sheer force and clever
strategies. Ever since their victory in the Game 3, they've been on a roll. Now
with two victories under their belt, Emerald looks a lot more confident and
relaxed. Momentum can shift very quickly in this tournament, and that little
momentum that they got in the Game 3 really helped the team peak at the right
moment in this competition. Remember, it's not always about how you start or finish
the tournament. Most of the time, it's about how you perform throughout the
tournament," Professor Romeus said.

"Still no Lunaria for Emerald, huh?" Professor Ojeros said.

"Their captain is still recovering from his injuries," the former replied. "If
Emerald makes it to the Finals, Lunaria might still be able to play especially that
the championship game is going to be held next month."

"Well, let's just hope for the best for every single member of every team in this
tournament!" Professor Ojeros added.

Surprisingly, no one from Sierra or NAA seems to be staring daggers at us. Even
though I still want to give them some more spoonfuls of their own medicine, Ezekiel
told me that what I did in the Game 4 was enough already. We've already avenged Ike
and sent a clear message to the two schools. Today, we're going to play the game
like nothing happened. If Sierra or NAA targets us again, then things will quickly
spiral down for them.

"Dude, it's quite surprising that no one's staring at us like we're some sort of
pitiful abomination," Jack said to me while I stretched.

"If they want to leave this arena with their limbs still attached to their bodies,
then they should keep their hands and eyes off us," I replied. "And if they target
us again tonight, I will break the bones they didn't know they had."

Jack let out a maniacal laugh. "You. Are. Awesome. I guess you're pretty fired up
tonight because a particular someone is watching you from the stands," he said.

"Of course," I replied, smiling meaningfully.

When the 30-minute allocation for the warm-up was over, our coaches gathered us in
our spot on the field for the revelation of the challenge and terrain of tonight's
game.

"We're all settled now! We also have now the fifth and final challenge of the
Elimination Round of this  tournament! Are you all ready to see what the challenge
is?" Professor Ojeros said.

The crowd roared in response.

"I'm excited, too! The challenges this year were just so competitive yet extremely
interesting and entertaining! Well, enough with the talk! The fifth and final
challenge is Last Man Standing! Garrick, enlighten us, please!"

"For the last challenge of the Elimination Round, each team will field in five of
their members. The objective is simple: you have to eliminate the members of the
opposing team. Once you're the only person left on the field or all the remaining
people on the field are from the same team, your team wins. There will be no
Gladiators in this challenge. We also won't be using the rotation system,"
Professor Romeus explained.

"The challenge is kinda... easy," Tony said.

"Of course, everyone already thinks that tonight's challenge is easy and quite
underwhelming, BUT don't forget that our technical team has thrown us a lot of
twists and surprises in the previous challenges! Tonight, as expected, they've also
added some spice to the game! Technical team, reveal the terrain!" Professor Ojeros
shouted.

The Ground Alpha blinked out to be replaced with a ridiculously wide and dark hall
with high ceilings and tall windows. All around us, hallways and doors occupied
nearly every space. Outside, a raging rain is currently pouring from the sky
accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. The terrain is set at
night, giving the place a rather eerie atmosphere.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Murder Mansion!" Professor Ojeros declared.
"This spooky house is filled with dark and scary hallways, rooms, halls, secret
passages, secret doors, and a lot more! This is a ridiculously spacious mansion, so
there's no need for you to go outside, and even if you try, you won't be able to!
The main doors will only open once a team wins!"

"All distractions will be removed in this game," Professor Romeus added. "Once the
game starts, you won't hear our live commentary. Also, the terrain has been
enchanted in a way that you won't be able to interact with your teammates. You
won't be able to see or hear them. In short, you're all on your own. If you win the
challenge, you'll just know it."

His partner let out a harsh laugh. "And you guys said that this challenge is going
to be a piece of cake. Well, the final secret of the Elimination Round is out! Good
job, technical team! You now have thirty minutes to formulate a game plan! Your
time starts now!"

The terrain switched back to the Ground Alpha. As a circular table slowly rose from
the ground, Ezekiel conjured his usual protective spells around our designated
area.

"Tony, RB, Philip, Aliyah, and Alice," Ezekiel said right away. "We need to be
stealthy in this game—"

"Why didn't you pick me?" Jack interjected.

"You are the last person on this planet that I'm going to send there," Ezekiel
snapped at him. "Just watch. We'll be needing you in the Finals, so you better use
this free time to scout our possible opponents."

"Well, I can't disagree with that. I'll just cheer here, then," Jack replied.

"Good. As I was saying, we need stealth, and if you want to be stealthy, you have
to be agile or athletic. Tony is good for tracking our opponents. With her flute,
Aliyah is powerful in one-on-one combat. Alice's ropes are going to be useful in
moving around the high ceilings of the mansion. Philip can transform into a cat or
something stealthy. RB is RB, that's why we're sending him."

"I like the sound of that," I said.

"We don't really need a Healer tonight that's why Faye's going to sit this one out.
Jared's Revenge Attack is really flashy and noisy. Jack, on the other hand, is
extremely unstable when left alone," Ezekiel added.

"That hurt!" Jack snapped at him.

"Now, you don't have to worry about being targeted. Tonight's challenge has been
designed to intentionally isolate members of each team from each other. Besides,
it's the Game 5—the most crucial game of the Elimination Round. Every single team
will focus on their own strengths to win. Each team tonight is on their own,"
Ezekiel said.

"What if Sierra uses Ayumu? He's a killing machine. He'll totally annihilate every
single person that comes his way," Jared said.

"And that's why we're sending RB—the only person in this tournament who can battle
Ayumu head-on. Like I said, even if they use Ayumu, he won't be much of a threat.
Of course, his weirdness will be pesky as always, but just like the others, he'll
be alone. This time, you won't be needing the help of the others. You just have to
be confident with your skills and yourself."

"The members of the other teams are no different from us," I said. "They're also
human beings. They're also students. We don't need to self-pity because they are
better or stronger than us. Yes, they maybe stronger, but we are different. We are
going to win because we stay true to ourselves. We are different, and that is what
makes us strong."

"You are going to win the Game 5," Ezekiel said, putting his hand on the table.
"And we are going to play in the Finals next month. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded.

"I'm glad we're all on the same page," he added, smiling widely. "EMERALD—"

"—FIGHT!"

        Chapter 68: Last Man Standing [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "The starters are in!" Professor Ojeros said as five pieces of paper were
given to him. "Hmm... Let's see... Interesting. Sierra won't be using Ibasco and
Cabrera tonight. Emerald, on the other hand, won't be using two of their main guns,
Abareñas and Esveron. The other schools went with their usual suspects, though. Any
thoughts about these interesting changes, Garrick?"

Professor Romeus cleared his throat. "The Game 5 is crucial for the teams chasing a
spot in the Finals, but that doesn't mean that they're going to go all out tonight.
I actually expected that the teams won't be using their full lineups today. It's
strategic. For the top teams with a higher chance of making it to the championship,
it's their way of resting their players for the Finals. Because tonight's challenge
focuses on the individual strengths of the players, I think it's just right that
they only sent a couple of players who are really powerful all on their own."

"Just like Talla?" Professor Ojeros said with a meaningful grin.

"Just like Talla," his partner replied.

"But why didn't Sierra send Ibasco or Cabrera? You just said that this game is all
about individual strengths, and those two are obviously powerful individuals,"
asked the former.

"I think it has something to do with what happened in the Game 4. All throughout
the tournament, everyone looked at Ibasco and Cabrera as an infallible, invincible
duo. However, on that night, Talla totally dominated those two. I think Sierra
expected that Talla's going to explode one way or another in this tournament. They
just didn't expect that he could get that powerful. The result of the Game 4
shocked Sierra. I've seen Talla perform throughout the years, and I must say, even
I was pretty surprised by his performance in the Game 4. Sierra is probably
avoiding that kind of incident again in this game that's why they didn't field in
Ibasco and Cabrera."

"I think everyone was more than surprised by what happened in that game, Garrick!
It's such a shame that I didn't cover that one," Professor Ojeros replied. "Are we
probably looking at the future world's number one agent right now?"

"I don't want to promise anything, but I can confidently say that the future is
definitely bright for our players. It has been a while, but I think it's about time
that we see another agent from this country take the top spot of the World Ranking
once more," his partner said.

"Uh, hello? Can't you see this guy here?" Professor Sivera suddenly said from below
while pointing at Ezekiel. "Number 7, anyone? I think he's on his way to the top.
Soon he'll complete his goal of total world dominance."

Ezekiel swiped his hand in front of him, causing Professor Sivera's face to jerk to
the right as if he was slapped by an invisible hand. "What was that for?" he said.

"Shut up," Ezekiel replied. "You're too noisy."

"You're too serious. The kids will be just fine, Izzy. We've done everything that
we could, and now it's up to them to win this challenge. Have some faith in your
coaching skills. Your magic worked during Crimson's time, and I am confident that
it's still going to work this time," Professor Sivera said.

A few moments of silence enveloped the two as they watched the students discussing
their game plan.

"We were the batch that was one year ahead of the year level that was qualified to
play for the CMMT," Professor Sivera said in a low voice.

"Exactly. I wanted to play in that tournament so bad," Ezekiel replied.

"Me too," his friend said. "Unfortunately, we're not qualified to play because
we're not third-years during that time. Instead, we were forced to watch the games
in envy from the stands. You were actually really lucky because Professor Romeus
asked for your help in creating the game plan for the Finals."

"Yep."

"I'm sure that Fraeo's also feeling some bitterness for not being able to play last
time. I didn't even care even if they called us the Big Three. All I wanted to do
during that time was to play in the CMMT. Now, whenever I remember how I felt
during those times, I can't help but feel really fired up. We're winning this
freaking thing, Izzy," Professor Sivera said, his ruby-red eyes gleaming a bit.

Ezekiel's lips curved into a smile. "I wasn't able to play in the previous
tournament, and I will never be at peace if I don't win this one. If I have to
sacrifice both my arms this time just to win, I'll gladly do it. We are definitely
going to win this freaking thing, Franco."

The two friends looked at each other for a long moment before exchanging nods.
Without any warning, Ezekiel suddenly punched Professor Sivera's arm forcefully.

"What was that for?!" the latter said while massaging his arm.

"Nothing," Ezekiel replied. "Just shut up."

●●●

RB's POV

"Well, looks like we're all alone now," Tony said as the sliding metallic doors
behind us closed. All five of us headed back to our area on the field. "Best of
luck for us, guys!"

We don't have any communication at all with Ezekiel. There's just no way for us to
contact our teammates once we're on the field, that's why the entire team is
relying on me and Tony to win this game. We need to get 500 points in order to
secure a spot in the Finals. Ending up in second place will only complicate things
for us.

I'm also not allowed to create Crystal Golems. There's a special rule tonight that
prohibits anyone from creating sentient, human-like beings. We have to be alone,
and we have to win this game alone. They banned the Gladiators tonight for the same
reason.

"The starters are on the field now," Professor Ojeros said. "Let me hear those
shouts, people! Cheer for your school!"

The crowd cheered and roared.

"That's music to our ears. Well, we will not delay the game any further. This is
the Game 5 of the Elimination Round of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament. On
behalf of Garrick Romeus, I am Julian Ojeros saying, LET THE MAYHEM COMMENCE!"

The Ground Alpha blinked out to be replaced by the huge hall that we saw earlier.
This time, however, I am completely alone. The noise of the crowd and the
commentators was also silenced. The only thing I can hear now is the rain outside
accompanied by rumbles of thunder.

Wasting no time, I immediately went straight to the nearest hallway lined with
creepy-looking paintings. As I passed by each painting, I gently tapped the
knuckles of my hand against their surface and listened carefully. I'm already
halfway through the hall when one of the paintings finally emitted a deep, empty
sound as I tapped it.

"Hello there, sweetie," I said with a smile before lifting it from below. The
painting rotated upwards, revealing an entrance just big enough for a person to
squeeze through.

A smaller, dimly-lit hallway greeted me. As I closed the painting to conceal the
entrance once more, our coaches' words from our discussion earlier suddenly came
into my mind.

"It's a mansion filled with secrets. You have to be an idiot to not realize what
you have to do once you get in there. Walking in the hallways and open spaces of
that mansion is like hanging a big bull's eye on your back. You have to use the
secret passages to your advantage. You can easily launch a surprise attack from
those places," Ezekiel said.

"However, not everyone is going to use those secret passages. Tony and RB, you guys
are obliged to find and work from those secret hallways and rooms. Alice, your task
is to work from the ceiling as much as possible. Aliyah and Philip, you're free to
roam around the mansion as much as you like. Your targets are the players stupid
enough to walk on the open hallways and spaces," Professor Sivera added.

"Dang it. I'm so cool," I whispered to myself while looking down from a trapdoor
overlooking a huge dining hall.

The sound of footsteps suddenly filled the air. Several moments later, a guy from
NAA came out from a hallway leading to the dining hall. I recognized him a second
later as the NAA's Lightning Weirdo, Bertin.

"You poor, poor thing," I whispered softly as the guy stopped in the middle of the
hall before looking around him. I aimed a hand at the guy and shot a crystal spike
at the shield on his back which shattered in an instant. Before he could even
realized what happened, a portal suddenly appeared underneath him before swallowing
him whole.
The crystal spike on the floor suddenly quivered before morphing into crystal
butterflies that multiplied and latched themselves inconspicuously on the dining
table, walls, ceilings, and other hidden places. I closed the trapdoor before
resuming my trip in the hidden hallway.

"I can leave crystal butterflies in every room that I'll see. Once an opposing
player enters that room, my crystal butterflies will morph into spikes and attack
the player. I will also know if a person enters the room that I marked already."

The hidden hallway stopped at a dead end. I instinctively looked up and saw an
empty elevator shaft directly above me. Crystals coated my hands and feet as I
jumped up towards the shaft. With my hands and feet cemented on the wall, I slowly
made my way up.

After several minutes of going straight up, I finally reached the top of the shaft.
To my surprise, what looks like the underside of a bed greeted me as I lifted the
trapdoor. After carefully stepping onto the floor, I crawled from underneath the
bed and into a wide and spacious room.

"I'd love to have a room like this," I said before rolling on the huge bed. "Go
now, my little angels. Infest this room," I whispered as several crystal
butterflies flew from my hand and hid themselves on every nook and cranny of the
room.

I was about to leave the room when a body suddenly came hurtling through the
hallway outside. A girl in a Veron jersey crashed on the floor before being
swallowed by a portal.

I placed my hands on the floor while still crouched just behind the door. A few
seconds later, my hands emitted a thin sheet of crystal that crept into the hallway
and towards the girl's attacker. There was a deafening shatter as my crystals
wrapped around the person in the hallway.

"Look what we have here," I said as I exited the room. It turns out that the girl's
attacker was Sierra's Cordova, the Metallic Blades Weirdo. Crystals covered the
girl from head to toe except for her face and the shield on her back.

Cordova stared at me fiercely. "If you're just going to—"

I raised a hand to silence her. "Hold it. Hold it right there, Gillette girl. Don't
lump me with your douchebag of a team captain who goes crazy whenever he catches an
opponent. I'm not like him, okay? We're not like you. Just please shut up and let
me eliminate you in peace," I said before clenching my hand tightly, causing the
crystals wrapped around her to spread over her shield. There was a loud shatter as
her shield broke.

"I love shattering other people's dreams," I said, sitting on the floor comfortably
while watching Cordova being swallowed by the portal. I stood up when she was
finally gone.

However, I haven't even walked that far when I heard a dull thud behind me. I swung
my arm towards my back but a rock spike suddenly hit it and coated my entire arm,
causing me to lose my balance and fall sideways to the floor. I tried using my
other arm but it was also hit by another rock spike.

"Good evening, pretty," Yohan said, emerging from the darkness at the other end of
the hallway.

"Hey there, Yohan," I replied. I tried to lift my rock-covered arms but they were
ridiculously heavy. "I'm glad to see that you're doing great after what I did to
you."

Yohan stopped walking. "I am feeling great, RB. I'm actually wondering why your Ike
still hasn't recovered fully after almost a couple of months. Did we mess him up
that bad, or is he just a weakling?" he asked.

My eyebrow twitched. "Oh, Ike is really strong. He's just taking his time. He's
going to play in the Finals, don't worry. Unfortunately, you won't be able to play
against him because your team won't make it to the championship."

He let out a laugh. "Really? You really are funny, RB. I really did like you even
during the National Weirdo Youth Training Camp. It's such a shame that you're
already taken."

"You like me?" I asked in a low voice as I feigned a flattered expression.

"Yeah," replied Yohan, stepping closer to me. "You're powerful, independent,

classy, and unusually pretty for a boy. I was just wondering, why Ike? I mean, a
person as cool and awesome as you should also be with someone just as powerful."

"Like you?" I asked.

"Like me," Yohan said, caressing the side of my face with his hand.

I inched my face closer to him before whispering at his ear. "Do you know the
reason why I like Ike?"

Yohan raised an eyebrow while staring at my lips hungrily.

"Because he's strong enough to admit his flaws and weaknesses. Unlike you, he's not
full of himself and not overconfident with his skills. Above all, he's not stupid
enough to fall for a trap like this one, YOU IMBECILE!"
The rocks covering my left arm shattered as crystal spikes sprouted all over my
arm. With a mighty heave, I swung my rock-covered right arm towards Yohan who was
thrown right against the wall of the hallway. Now with both my arms free, I swiped
my hands upward and trapped him in my crystals.

"And most importantly..."

I stepped back a few paces before running towards Yohan and kicking him between his
legs with all the force I could muster.

"...Ike has an 8-inch monster inside his pants as a pet, you disappointing
disappointment!"

"You... monster..." Yohan muttered breathlessly, his face taking the color of an
overripe tomato. I just smiled at him before shattering his shield.

"You're handsome, ripped, and with a decent-sized pet," I said while watching Yohan
sink slowly onto a portal that suddenly appeared underneath him. "But I'm sorry, my
heart and body were taken already by the person you just underestimated. Only Ike
can handle a bitch like me. I like men, Yohan, not boys. Bye. Stay cool and
handsome, though. Sorry for what I did to your balls... and your future bloodline,
maybe."

Yohan just smiled at me. "I concede," he said with a sigh. "Stay awesome and
pretty, RB. You're really lucky that you have Ike," he added before finally
disappearing.

I just smiled to myself before standing up and walking away.

"I know."

●●●

Jack's POV

"We're looking good!" I said as I watched our teammates on the ginormous TV monitor
in our surveillance room. Four of our starters are still on the field, and RB's
just on a monstrous roll since the start of the game. Alice came across with
Veron's Lightning Weirdo, Betis. Unfortunately, they were an obvious mismatch and
the latter won the fight.

Over an one hour has already passed since the start of the game, and it seems that
it's gonna go on for a while.

"And there goes Arellano, eliminating Barcenas of PWU!" Professor Ojeros shouted.
"Arellano and Talla seem to be competing against each other on who can get the most
kills tonight! Talla is leading everyone with a total of five kills. He's followed
by Arellano with three. Belarma of Sierra completes the top 3 with two kills under
his belt."

"Out of the 25 players fielded in, 14 have been eliminated already. That leaves us
with just 11 active players. Emerald still has four players, Sierra has three, NAA
has two, while Veron and PWU both have one remaining player," Professor Romeus
added.

Two consecutive beeps suddenly sounded. "We have two kills! Veron's Betis
eliminates Sierra's Froilan, and Sierra's Perez eliminates PWU's Eroa—the school's
only remaining player on the field! PWU is officially out! We now just have nine
players on the field! WAIT—! Talla eliminates Sierra's Perez!" Professor Ojeros
shouted as another beep echoed throughout the battle dome. "We're down to eight
players!"

Jared just watched the TV monitor in utter disbelief. "RB's killing it, quite
literally."

I could feel my lips curving into a grin as I watched RB walking down a hallway.

"From the moment they revealed the terrain, I already knew that we're going to win
this challenge," I said.

Jared threw me a skeptical look. "Really?"

"I'm not saying this to be cocky or overconfident," I said. "I'm confident that
we're going to win tonight because RB is completely familiar and comfortable with
the challenge's terrain and gameplay," I said.

"Care to elaborate on that?" Jared asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This Murder Mansion is reminiscent of RB's old house," I replied as RB sent

crystal butterflies all over a new room that he just found. "We both came from the
Emerald Secondary School, and even though I'm from a different class, I already had
an idea on how RB behaved during those dark times of his life. The old RB used to
be watchful, stealthy, and utterly creepy whenever he dealt with people. No one
knows anything about him, but he knows every single thing about the people around
him—their tendencies in combat, their capabilities, their fears, their dreams, and
even their darkest secrets."

"This terrain is like a playground to RB. Just look at him," I said, laughing a bit
while pointing to RB who's absentmindedly skipping along a hallway like a kid.
"He's enjoying himself. Those deadly instincts of him have been embedded to his
personality. He might've toned down his killer instincts when Ike became his
boyfriend but I know that they never really went away. Somewhere deep inside him,
those killer instincts are still pretty much alive."
At that moment, Veron's Betis entered a room. Before he could even take another
step, a plague of crystal butterflies suddenly flew from every nook and cranny of
the room before morphing into crystal spikes. Betis tried to run away but the
spikes went flying straight towards his shield, shattering it within seconds.

"Ever since I met him, I already knew that he's a dangerously deadly person.
Killing is programmed in his DNA. He's got the skills, the weirdness; and above
all, the instincts that truly make him one of the most dangerous and powerful
weirdos that I know. There is no doubt, no doubt  at all..."

As Betis sank slowly on a portal, a person suddenly stood at the door right in
front of him. Like loyal pets coming back to their owner, the remaining crystal
butterflies flew gently towards the newcomer before flying around him. Aside from
the crystal butterflies, an eerie and ominous aura of darkness seemed to surround
the person. Finally, he stepped forward, revealing a boy with the familiar purple
and gray hair.

"...that RB was born to kill."

        Chapter 69: Final Push [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Medyo nagmamadali na ako dahil after nitong Weirdos III eh baka mawala ulit
ako for a while para mag-ayos ng mga dapat kong ayusin. While I'm away, balak kong
isulat ang TBV para sa pagbabalik ko eh isang bagsakan na lang ang updates sa kanya
at para makapagsimula na rin ako sa Weirdos IV.

Aalis din talaga ako to do some work sa plot ng fourth installment ng kwento. Hindi
rin ako sure kung ga'no katagal ako mawawala. Also, balak ko ring i-expand pa lalo
ang universe ng Weirdos instead of creating a new one. As of the moment eh I'm
working on several ideas. Not sure kung tuloy, though. I'm just considering it.

Well, have fun reading! Prepare yourselves na for the climax dahil malapit na siya.
Lul. Dahil ako, handa na 'ko sa mga death threats na matatanggap ko. Haha. Love you
all.

That's all mga timawa.

TheAshtone

●●●

RB's POV

"Sorry, girl! I arrived a bit too late!" I said to Phoebe after eliminating
Sierra's Superstrength Weirdo, Althea. The former is now being swallowed by a
portal after being defeated by the latter.
I was busy inspecting a tunnel earlier when I heard the sound of two people
fighting. It took me several hallways and rooms before I finally saw Althea and
Phoebe fighting each other. Unfortunately, Althea already broke the latter's shield
by the time I reached them; and because I'm a total bitch, I broke Althea's shield
with a crystal spike before she could even realize that I was there.

"Totally fine," Phoebe replied, giving me a thumbs-up while sinking onto the floor.
"You're doing great, though. As long as you guys win this thing, we're already
happy with that. Make it to the Finals, you beautiful monster!"

"I will, don't worry," I said. "See you later, girl."

I was about to walk away when something inside me twitched all of a sudden, causing
me to look back to the direction where I came from.

"Looks like I have another prey. Dang it, RB, you are being so awesome right now,"
I said while skipping happily along a hallway. "Rain's still crazy outside though,"
I added, glancing at the tall windows on the other side of the hallway where the
raging rain is currently visible.

I finally reached the room where Veron's Betis is currently sinking onto a portal
on the floor.

"Sorry for breaking your dreams, dude, but I have to make my hubby happy," I
whispered when he finally disappeared. "Time to replenish my butterfly army. Fly
away, beautiful creatures. Annihilate anyone who disturbs your peace and quiet."

As I resumed my tour around the mansion through another secret hallway that I
discovered from behind a bookshelf, Ezekiel's words from our discussion earlier
suddenly came into my head.

"There is a reason why Tony and RB have to work from the secret passages of the
mansion. Discovering those secret passages will give you access to a lot of rooms
and halls without having to expose yourselves in the main hallways and rooms of
that madhouse. Once you discover a room, then you can fill it with traps. It's a
Murder Mansion, for f*ck's sake. Tony, I'm sure that you've already discovered that
your arrows have other purposes. While you, RB... Do I really have to tell you what
to do?" he said flatly.

"No, coach," I replied with a meaningful smile. "I know exactly what to do in those
rooms..."

"I'm so cool, sometimes it even irritates me," I said to myself while looking
around a room from behind a peephole on a painting. After making sure that no one's
in the room, I pointed a finger at the peephole and created crystal butterflies.

"It seems that you're enjoying yourself a bit too much, RB," a voice suddenly said
from behind me. I looked around only to be greeted by two huge balls of fire
hurtling towards me, one blue and one red. I only had time to transform my body
into diamond before being blasted through the painting and into the room.

Before I could even stand, a jet of blue fire suddenly shot towards me. I erected a
diamond barrier to block the jet of fire. However, water suddenly cascaded all over
the room which hardened into ice spikes that shot towards me. I jumped away from my
barrier and cemented myself on the ceiling with my crystals.

"But of course..." I said in a bored voice upon seeing my attackers.

Sierra's Blue Fire Weirdo, Clark Xavier Belarma teamed up with NAA's Fire-Water
Hybrid, Yael Veloso.

"Your schools should really consider merging," I said while crawling on the
ceiling. "You seriously love teaming up, don't you? Can't you guys work on your own
even just for once?"

"Well, teaming up has its advantages," Yael replied. "If we didn't team up tonight,
we wouldn't be able to eliminate your flute girl. She was... pretty hopeless
against the two of us."

My eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't have said that to me, you bastards," I said in a
low voice. "You guys just never learn."

Crystal spikes suddenly covered the entire ceiling before falling down all at once.
The two guys slid away from the room and towards a hallway outside. I jumped from
the ceiling before following the two outside the room. Upon exiting, two balls of
fire flew towards me from either end of the hallway. I immediately swiped my hands
upward and created a crystal wall on my either side to block the fire.

After the explosion, the wall morphed into spikes that shot towards my attackers,
forcing both of them to jump into a room on their respective sides of the hallway.

"I didn't even think about targeting you tonight," I said as my arms transformed
into diamond. "I thought you already learned your lesson in the Game 4, but here
you are again, pestering me again like stubborn mosquitoes."

I entered the room where Clark entered earlier. He greeted me with a jet of fire
but my body turned once again into diamond to prevent myself from being toasted
alive. I slammed my hand on his abdomen before picking him up by his collar.

"I was working here in silence," I said, dragging Clark out of the room before
throwing him through the hallway and towards Yael who suddenly appeared on the
other end. Clark crashed against the latter, sending both of them to the floor. "I
did not target you because I was satisfied already by what I did to you in the Game
4. However, it's clear that you guys still want more."
Several arrows made of fire suddenly shot towards my direction. I just swiped my
hand in front of me before sending crystal spikes towards the fire arrows. All the
arrows and spikes exploded upon crashing against each other, showering the hallway
with fire and crystal dust.

I flicked my fingers at the two boys before clenching my hands, causing crystals to
rise from the floor that coated their legs and feet. With an upward swipe of my
hand, Clark and Yael slowly rose from the floor.

"It seems that you're under the delusion that you can defeat me if you work
together or outnumber me; but I'm sorry, dear boys, it will take more than that to
defeat me. In fact, it will take more than two teams to give me even just a hard
time in combat. You're just a pair of ambitious and overconfident bastards; while
me, I am RB. You do not mess with a person named Rubio Safiro Talla..." I said in a
low voice before pointing an open hand at them.

Tiny tinkling sounds suddenly filled the air. For several moments, the sound just
went on and on. All of a sudden, a swarm of crystal butterflies came flying into
the hallway from either end. All the crystal butterflies that I left in the rooms
earlier came flying towards the shields of Clark and Yael which shattered almost in
an instant. Two portals appeared underneath them and swallowed them whole.

"Remember this, you two: I could've killed you in the most gruesome way with those
butterflies if I wanted to, but I didn't. Bye," I whispered.

I was about to walk away when the entire mansion suddenly shook violently. Without
any warning, a portal suddenly appeared on my feet, causing me to fall right into
it. Before I could even scream or react at all, blinding flashes of light
overwhelmed my vision, forcing me to cover my eyes. The deafening roar of the crowd
also rushed into my ears. As usual, our classmates are currently demolishing their
box. The green crowd in front of us is also going wild.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you the victors of the Game 5 of the
Elimination Round of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament! TEAM EMERALD! The
defending champions have won the fifth and final game of the Elimination Round!"
Professor Ojeros shouted.

"Wait—What?" I said in utter confusion. I looked on my either side and saw Tony and
Philip who were just as confused and surprised as me. The three of us are currently
standing on a floating podium right in front of the green crowd.

"Let's enlighten these boys as to what happened back there, Garrick!" Professor
Ojeros said.

"Well, the remaining players on the field during the final fight were Emerald's
Talla, Arellano, and Martinez; NAA's Veloso and Mendrez, and Sierra's Belarma.
Arellano fought Mendrez, while Talla faced Veloso and Belarma. Mendrez was defeated
first, followed by Veloso, and then Belarma followed next. That left three players
for Emerald on the field," Professor Romeus explained.
Finally realizing what just happened, I grabbed Tony and Philip before hugging them
tightly. "We did it, boys!" I said.

"What a game tonight, Garrick! We've definitely seen some crazy individual powers
in this challenge! What can you say about the performance of our winning team
tonight?" asked his partner.

"Each starting member of Emerald got at least one kill. Talla led everyone else, of
course. Emerald won tonight because they played in accordance to the terrain. Our
playing ground was named Murder Mansion, and Emerald's Arellano and Talla really
did turn the terrain into a minefield of traps. The result? Those two have the most
number of kills in tonight's game," Professor Romeus explained.

"While everyone was busy hunting down their opponents, Arellano and Talla were busy
using the hidden passages and tunnels to plant their deadly traps. Aside from that,
they also used a fail-safe game plan that gave them their dominant victory tonight.
I can confidently say that those two were the murderers in tonight's game. They
truly owned that Murder Mansion, Julian," he added.

As the commentators went on with their post-game discussion. Our podiums descended
back to the ground. A team of Healers quickly inspected us for injuries or wounds.
Thankfully, it seems that all three of us are in a good condition.

"I thought someone eliminated me back there," Philip said.

"Yeah, same. I got scared for a moment," Tony said, laughing a bit. "You were
awesome as usual, RB."

"Thank you," I replied. "You two are just as equally awesome tonight, too."

The Healers finally cleared us of any injury, but before the three of us could even
proceed to our dugout, our coaching staff and teammates rushed towards the field
and gave us bone-breaking hugs.

"WE'RE PLAYING IN THE FINALS, DUDES!" Jack shouted, hugging the three of us and
nearly lifting all of us off the ground. "WE ARE GOING TO PLAY FOR THE FREAKING
CHAMPIONSHIP!"

"Wait," I said, failing to comprehend what he just said. "We're going to play in
the Finals? We're good?"

Ezekiel nodded. "We're going to play for the Grand Golden Cup next month, RB."

With that, my eyes instinctively went to the entrance of our dugout where Ike is
currently watching us together with Julia and Nicolo. Ignoring everyone around me,
I dashed straight towards Ike before jumping onto him and giving him a deep kiss.
"Wait a sec. I'm still not cleared, dang it. You're heavy," Ike said after several
seconds before lowering me.

"I have a huge confidence in these big guns," I said, squeezing his arms. "I
already fulfilled my promise to you, hubby. Now, it's time for you to fulfill
yours. You are going to play with us in the championship game."

"Like I said, it all depends on the result of Nurse Juliana's test next week. If
she clears me of all injuries, then I'll play. If not, then I'll just cheer for
you, guys," Ike replied.

Ezekiel suddenly appeared behind me. "Hey, lovebirds, we're on national TV. Get
back here in the field. There's still a program going on. Julia and Nicolo, you
guys should come, too."

"Go now," Ike said, pushing me lightly to the field.

I raised an eyebrow before taking his hand. "What are you talking about? Dude,
you're the team captain. Let's go."

"But—"

"I'll kiss you again," I said.

"Fine," he replied before walking with me to the field.

The other teams have also gathered on the field for the announcement of the
matchups for the Battle for Third and Finals.

"Well, everyone is here! Good. Once again, thank you very much to our players for
giving us yet another exciting and thrilling regular season. Thank you! You've
shown us that the future is bright for this country! Now, the time has come for us
to reveal the final team standings in this tournament," Professor Ojeros said.

Final Team Standings — CMMT Seniors' Division

                          SCHOOL                                      POINTS
Sierra Magical Institute (1-1-2-5-2)             1,900
Emerald School of Magic (5-4-1-1-1)          1,800
Veron Academy of Magic (3-2-3-2-4)          1,600
National Agents Academy (2-3-4-4-3)        1,400
Philippine Weirdo University (4-5-5-3-5)    800

FINALS
SMI (#1) vs. ESM (#2)

BATTLE FOR THIRD

VAM (#3) vs. NAA (#4)

"The crowd is loving our matchups! The Finals is going to be an all-out war, for
sure! Veron Academy of Magic will battle for bronze against National Agents
Academy. On the upper end of the standings, the top-seeded Sierra Magical Institute
will face the streaking Emerald School of Magic for our championship game. THESE
GAMES ARE GOING TO BE EPIC, I PROMISE YOU THAT!" Professor Ojeros said.

"After not making it to the Finals in the previous tournament, Sierra is now back.
In fact, they are up against the team the actually denied them a spot in the Finals
of the previous tournament. Veron, on the other hand, failed to make it to the
championship. They were doing so good in the previous game. It's just unfortunate
that they slipped in tonight's game. That's the reason why Emerald took the second
place. Well, all I can say is that we have good matchups next month. Veron and NAA
are equally matched, while Sierra vs. Emerald is going to be an interesting one
because of the drama that unfolded between these two teams in our elimination
round," Professor Romeus added.

"One thing is for sure: everyone's going to witness probably one of the most epic
fights in the history of this tournament. To PWU, thank you very much for giving us
a good fight this season! It's your hosting year in the next tournament, and I'm
sure that you will finally get that old glory back. Everyone, give them a scorching
round of applause!" Professor Ojeros said.

The crowd clapped and cheered in response.

"Teams, you may now go back to your dugouts for further briefing about the game
next month. Thank you very much," Professor Romeus said.

I immediately went straight to PWU's area in the field before hugging everyone from
their team.

"You did it, RB!" Phoebe said as I hugged her and Zephyr. "Not that you're gonna
need it, but I'm sending every single bit of luck I have in your way. We're gonna
be watching, so you better win that thing. Keep slaying in the Finals!"

"I will," I said, laughing a bit." Thanks for everything, especially for what you
did in the Game 3. If you guys didn't help us in that game, we would've been goners
by now. Thank you so much," I said.

"Small thing," Zephyr said. "You deserve to win this tournament not only because
you're powerful but because you're genuine and fair. I'm not going to wish you luck
because you're already powerful enough to not need any of it."

I headed back to our team where Ezekiel was gathering everyone first before heading
straight towards our dugout. "Let's go. I know you're all tired and hungry but we
have to wait for a little bit more. The game officials are going to brief us about
the terrain and gameplay of the challenge for the Finals," he said.

"What?" Jack blurted out. "They're going to reveal the terrain and challenge now?"

"Only to the coaching staff and players," Professor Sivera replied. "They always do
this in the previous tournaments so as to give the teams ample time to prepare a
game plan. Also, the challenge for the Finals is always difficult as hell, and we
have to prepare for whatever hurdles they're gonna put in our way."

"Exactly," Ezekiel replied. "Trust me, the game plan that we created in the
previous tournament took us several weeks to perfect. We have to constantly
practice your formation in order to bring you to your top efficiency. If we want to
win that Cup, we have to work even harder than what we did in the elimination
round."

"Sounds difficult," Faye said. "Not to mention painful."

"It is," Ezekiel agreed. "You brats are about to face the most intense training
you'll ever face in your entire stay here in Emerald. If we want to win this
tournament, we have to create the best game plan that we could come up with, you
have to train like mad, and our lineup should be strong and complete."

With that, Ezekiel turned around before slamming his fist on Ike's shoulder.

"You are going to lead the team to our victory in the Finals, Ike. If we want to
win, we need you with us. I will make sure that you'll be able to play in the
championship game next month. Welcome back to the tournament, team captain. Welcome
back."

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: The final challenge for the CMMT will be revealed to our teams. As
Emerald and Sierra prepare for the biggest battle of the tournament, our
protagonists will find themselves in the middle of the most stressful and difficult
part of their life as students. A huge battle is coming, and the team who fights
unprepared will surely be eaten alive by their opponent. It's the prelude of the
battle between the dragon and the phoenix in the next update of Weirdos III: The
Untouchable Lady.

        5th Anniversary Special Chapter: A Day In The (Writer) Life of TheAshtone

[Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            You've probably read a lot of stories from different writers here in

Wattpad. Different writers mean different writing styles. Each and every single
writer here in Wattpad has their own unique formula in writing a story. What makes
a writer unique or special in his or her own way is the writing style that they use
in creating their stories.
In this 5th anniversary special update, your author is going to share some tips
that proved to be effective in his journey of writing in this wonderful world of
stories called Wattpad. This chapter includes the things that your author usually
does and considers whenever he's writing a story.

DISCLAIMER: Hindi dahil effective 'to sa 'kin eh ibig sabihin ay absolute truth na
ang mga sasabihin ko. These techniques worked for me, and I'm going to share these
in hope na baka maging effective din ito sa mga aspiring writers diyan kagaya ko.
Marami din kasing nagtatanong sa 'kin about how I write kaya ito na lang naisip
kong gawin.

●●●

Tip #01: Passion. Passion. Passion.

Para sa 'kin, ito ang pinaka-basic na REQUIREMENT kung gusto mong magsulat. Passion
is what fuels me to continue writing kahit toxic at shitty ang environment ko dito
kung minsan. Hindi ka makakapagluto kung wala kang apoy. Meaning, hindi ka
makakagawa ng matinong story kung in the first place pa lang eh wala naman sa puso
mo ang pagsusulat. Kung wala kang passion sa pagsusulat, hinding-hindi mararamdaman
ng readers mo na connected sila sa story. EVERY SINGLE GREAT AUTHOR OUT THERE HAS A
BURNING PASSION FOR WRITING. Having passion for writing is NOT an option, it's a
prerequisite.

Tip #02: GRAMMAR.

I don't want to sound rude pero kung hindi mo pa alam ang pagkakaiba ng your sa
you're, ng their sa they're sa there, ng ng sa nang, ng pa lang sa pala, etc. O
kaya naman kung paano gumamit ng tamang punctuation, 'WAG KA NA LANG MAGSULAT.

Trust me, masakit sa mata ang j3jem0n l4ngu4g3. As much as possible, keep your
writing clean and tidy. Marami namang books diyan, gayahin niyo na lang kung pa'no
sila gumamit ng punctuation sa mga conversations nila.

Kapag mayaman ang character mo, make them sound and look rich by giving them proper
grammar at punctuation. Trust me, once na mali-mali ang grammar mo, automatic na
disappointing na ang kwento. At least make it sound correct. Haha. Of course 'di ko
sinasabi na maalam ako sa grammar o perfect ang grammar ko. Importante lang kasi
talaga 'yun kung gusto mong maganda tingnan at basahin ang kwento mo.

Make your grammar and English so on point na kung magkamali ka man, aakalain na
lang ng readers mo na na-typo ka lang. Mwehehe. ߘ

Tip #03: Write to express, not to impress.

Kung ang habol mo lang sa pagsusulat ay magkaroon ng maraming followers or maging

sikat, JUST FUCKING FORGET ABOUT WRITING. In my case, nagsusulat ako dahil gusto
kong nakikita na nagkakaroon ng proper form ang mga ideas sa loob ng utak ko.
Especially sa Weirdo Series, I write because I want to express my ideas at gusto
kong makitang nagiging isang buong story ang mga ideya ko. I really don't care kung
kaunti o marami ang followers or readers ko. Okay na sa 'kin na may nagbibigay ng
feedback about my stories through the comments.

Another thing, konti lang ang nakakaalam nito pero wala pa akong nababasa ni isang
kwento dito sa Wattpad. NI ISA SA MGA KWENTO KO EH WALA PA AKONG NABABASA FROM
START TO FINISH TALAGA. Kaya nga kapag may nagtatanong sa 'kin ng recommendations
eh wala akong maibigay. Lol. I am just a Wattpad writer, not a reader. Gaya ng
sinasabi ko parati, kapag online ako eh pumupunta lang ako sa Wattpad to update,
then alis din kaagad. Later malalaman niyo ang rason kung bakit hindi ako nagbabasa
dito sa Wattpad.

Tip #04: Strive to improve, but stay true to yourself.

Dito na papasok ang rason ko kung bakit hindi ako nagbabasa dito sa Wattpad.

I only read books from writers na talagang haligi na ng literature. Lol. Why?

Hindi ko sinasabing walang gatol ang Wattpad writers. MARAMING TALENTED WRITERS
DITO SA WATTPAD. Hindi lang ako nagbabasa dahil gusto kong i-preserve ang writing
style ko. Why? Sa oras kasi na makabasa ka ng isang akda na maganda, ang tendency
mo eh gayahin 'yung style ng writer. It's human nature to always imitate or
replicate that which is good, pretty, or excellent. Kung ano man ang nakikita
niyong writing style ko ngayon, 'yan din ang writing style ko five years ago,
improved at better nga lang. (Hopefully. Lol.)

I read stories from pangmalakasan na authors like J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, Stephen
King, etc. kasi kahit makopya ko man ang writing styles nila, at least pang-
international na ang level. Haha. Kung mangangarap ka lang din naman, dream BIG.
Hindi ko man maabot ang level nila, maitataas ko naman ang quality ng writing ko
without compromising my own writing style.

Tip #05: Have a source of inspiration.

Hindi pag-ibig, tanga. Alam naman ng lahat na anime, mangas, books, and songs ang
kadalasan na source ko ng inspiration for writing. There will be times kasi na
talagang mauubos ang drive mo na magsulat and everything will just be pointless sa
paningin mo. When that thing happens to me, I go back to my favorite books, songs,
anime, cartoons, etc. na pinagkuhanan ko ng inspirasyon in the very first place. Sa
ganung paraan eh nare-revive kahit papaano ang drive ko na magsulat

BUT OF COURSE, bear in mind that inspiration is different from imitation. Okay lang
kung may common themes ang kwento mo sa pinagkukuhanan mo ng inspirasyon, pero
dapat naglalagay ka ng sarili mong touch sa kwento mo. Find an inspiration, but
make that story yours.
Tip #06: Establish a system.

This is a bit complicated. Ito ang kadalasan na procedure na ginagawa ko tuwing

nagsusulat ako ng kwento.

Some writers usually struggle on how to begin or continue their stories. Like, may
ilan na nakakaisip lang ng panimula pero hindi na alam kung pa'no papahabain ang
kwento nila. May iba naman na may kwento na sa isip pero hindi naman alam kung
papaano nila sisimulan.

First, write everything down. Hindi ko 'to ginagawa madalas pero importante na
isulat mo lahat ng ideas mo at i-organize mo sila. Ano ba ang genre ng kwento mo?
What elements are you going to integrate sa kwento? Get a general picture kung
anong klaseng story ang meron ka.

Second, ask yourself, what kind of story am I going to write? Short story? Novel?
Novelette? One shot? Kung alam mo na kung anong klaseng kwento ang isusulat mo,
tingnan mo na ngayon kung anong ideas ang meron ka. Bagay ba ang ideas mo sa type
ng kwento na naisip mo?

Third, decide what types of character you're going to create. Mahalaga na hindi
two-dimensional ang mga characters mo. Maganda rin kung may iba't-ibang
personalities ang bawat characters. Importante na pagsambit mo pa lang ng pangalan
nila eh alam mo na agad kung anong klaseng tao sila. Example: Jack = intense na war
freak. RB = disconnected na medyo abnormal na perverted. Ike = low self-confidence
na unassuming pero matalino. Ganun. Dapat kung ano 'yung general personality nila
sa simula, 'yun din dapat sila throughout the story. Consistent. Mas madaling gawan
ng character development ang isang character na may consistent personality.

Also, hindi mo kailangang i-create ang FULL CAST ng kwento mo sa simula pa lang.
Haha. Nearly 70% ng characters ko eh ginawa while writing the story. Ang mahalaga
ay may main cast ka, then create a full cast around those characters. Hindi ka
gagawa ng movie na kailangan sa simula pa lang ay kumpleto na ang characters mo.
Minsan, some situations call for the creation of a specific character. May ilang
characters naman na sa simula pa lang ng kwento ay alam mo nang kailangan mong
ilagay sa kwentoςat some point in the future. Writer's instinct na lang 'yan.

Fourth, may genre at story ka na, type of story, at characters. Think of a

conflict. Conflict is what will give life to your story. A good story has a good
conflict. IMPORTANTE na may sense ang conflict mo at akma talaga siya sa kwento mo.
Don't just create a conflict. Pinag-iisipan 'yan.

Utang na loob, kung fantasy ang kwento mo, gawin mong related sa fantasy ang
conflict. 'Wag mong gagawing drama ang conflict mo dahil hindi 'yan teleserye.
Hahaha.

Kung drama man, pakiiwasan na ang kidnapping, tumakbo kaya nabunggo (tanga, puta),
nagbarilan, and things na makikita mo na sa usual Filipino soap opera. (Oo alam
kong may mga kwento akong ganun. Pasensya na. Haha.) As much as possible, be
creative sa conflict mo. Hindi lahat ng kwento ay kailangang mag-end with violence.
Fifth, create a timeline of events for your story. Isulat mo lang kung ano ang mga
VITAL EVENTS sa kwento mo. Kelan ba mangyayari si ganito? Kelan ba lilitaw si
ganito? Kapag nakagawa ka na ng timeline of events, madali na lang maglagay ng
fillers sa gitna nila. Hahaha. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FILLERS. HAHA. Pero
dapat, may sense naman ang fillers mo. 'Wag ka ring papahalata na filler chapter
lang 'yan. Hehehe.

Sixth, develop your characters and story. Gawan mo naman ng significant events na
magpupush sa characters at sa plot na magkaroon ng magandang development. You can
use small conflicts para magawa 'yun. In my case, I use specific arcs/seasons for
every minor conflict na ginagamit ko. Madali mong mapapahaba ang kwento kung may
ganoong technique ka.

Tip #07: Consult your friends.

Kahit sino naman, pwede. Ask for feedback and suggestions. Matutulungan ka nila na
pagandahin pa lalo ang kwento. I consult my friends kapag may idea ako about a new
story or may bagong arc/season akong gagamitin sa sinusulat kong kwento. Mahirap
gumawa ng kwento nang mag-isa ka lang. Ika nga nila, two heads are better than one.
Having a lot of heads working together is the best. Lol.

Tip #08: It's not always about writing.

Magpahinga rin, ha? Lol. Especially kapag nauubusan ka na ng ideas, minsan

kailangan mo ring ipahinga ang sarili mo to replenish your creative well. I usually
write only kapag nasa mood ako, and usually ay early morning or late afternoon
'yan. During those times na relaxed lang ako, mas nakakapag-isip ako nang matino.
NEVER FORCE YOURSELF TO WRITE.

SUBUKAN MONG MAGSULAT NANG INAANTOK KA at nakakaantok din niyan ang susulatin mo.
Haha. Tao ka lang, hindi ka robot kaya dapat lang na magpahinga ka. Kahit passion
mo 'yan, kahit buhay mo 'yan, you need to rest and take a breather every now and
then.

Tip #09: Just FREAKING write.

Gusto mo maging writer? Eh di magsulat ka. Haha. Minsan talaga kailangan mo lang na
magsulat para may masulat ka na. Don't overthink about your story. Kapag nagsulat
ka na at nahanap mo na ang groove mo, natural na lang na lalabas sa 'yo ang mga
dapat mong sulatin.

Natatawa nga ako na naiinis sa ibang tao kasi minsan meron na silang idea, may
maganda nang conflict, o maganda naman ang plot, pero nagtatanong pa kung pa'no
nila bubuuin ang story. I'm like, 'ISULAT MO NA LANG KAYA?' Haha. You will never
learn how to walk without taking a step. Don't be afraid na baka hindi maganda ang
pagsusulat mo. Sa katagalan ay mag-iimprove ka na lang. There will always be room
to grow. To learn is to commit mistakes.
"‫●●׏‬

So 'yun. Alam ko very general na 'yang tips na 'yan. Haha. Mag-search na lang kayo
sa net ng tamang tips. Lol. 'Yan lang kaya kong i-share sa inyo.

What now?

Well, nalalapit na ang professional life ko kaya magbabago na ang buhay ko rito sa
Wattpad. After kong matapos ang Weirdo Series at TBV, magiging less active na ako
rito. Baka nga mawala pa. Sadyang may free time pa ako kaya nakakapagsulat pa naman
ako kahit na papaano.

Pero don't worry. Magsusulat pa rin ako. Magbabago nga lang ang way of writing ko.
Hindi na kagaya ng dati na novel type. Sa expansion story ng Weirdo Universe,
styled na after the western series ang stories ko. Divided into seasons, compressed
into episodes. Mas maiksi, less stress. Lel.

I'm working on several concepts na. Balak ko ring isama sa Weirdo Universe ang
possible sequel ng The Devil I Loved at ang revised story ng The Half-Souls. Pero
hindi pa sa kanila ang focus ko as of the moment. May new story ako ngayon na
pinagtutuunan ko talaga ng pansin. Lol.

'Yun lang. Thanks for the five years, mga timawa! Love you all.

TheAshtone

        Chapter 70: The Last Challenge [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Gather around, brats. Sit," Ezekiel said as we entered our surveillance

room. With a casual wave of his hand, chairs appeared out of thin air in the middle
of the room. "Sir Garrick will be here any moment. He's going to enlighten us about
the game for the Finals."

"Dang it, I'm getting excited," Jack said breathlessly as he sat beside Ike. "Any
ideas for the challenge in the Finals, bros?"

"I have," I said. "I'm 100% sure that they're going to make us clash in the Finals.
People love drama. With everything that happened between us and Sierra, I'm sure
that the committee is going to milk it."

"I agree," Ike replied. "The gameplay of the challenge is going to be designed in
such a way to ensure that the two opposing teams will inevitably fight each other.
It's going to be a showdown between Emerald and Sierra for sure."

After several moments, Professor Romeus appeared in the room with a loud crack. He
gave us a nod as we greeted him.
"Congratulations for making it to the Finals. Under normal circumstances, the top
two teams would've been briefed together in a single room. However, because of the
colorful story between Emerald and Sierra in the Elimination Round, the tournament
committee has decided to brief the two teams separately. Professor Ojeros will be
briefing Sierra in their dugout," Professor Romeus said.

"Good choice, sir," Ezekiel said.

Professor Romeus went straight to the room's main TV monitor before tapping it. In
an instant, a three-dimensional map made out of grids and lines appeared on the
screen. The terrain looks like a wide rectangle divided by a body of water in the
middle.

"This is the Mayhem Macédoine," he began. "From the name itself, we are going to
incorporate the elements of the five previous terrains into it. The terrain is
divided into two parts, one part for Sierra and the other for Emerald. Each side
has the same features. We begin in the Lanes..."

He tapped the middle part of the terrain.

"There are three types of Lane in the terrain: top, middle, and bottom. Standing at
the end of each Lane are the Towers. The Towers provide a barrier that runs along
the course of the river dividing the terrain. For as long as the Towers are
standing, the barrier will be there to prevent your opponents from entering your
side of the terrain. Let's move further into the map..."

Professor Romeus swiped the screen towards a circular structure with a huge crystal
at its center.

"The three Lanes lead to the Base. The Base is protected by a barrier provided by
two more Towers located at the Base's edge. Once the Towers are down, your Base's
Kardia will be exposed to your opponents. The Kardia is basically the heart of your
Base. Lastly, the corner of the terrain serves as your team's Spawn Area. From the
name itself, it's the only way to enter the place," he explained.

"I already know where this is going," Jack said, breathless in anticipation.

"The challenge for the Finals is Tower Defense. The gameplay is very simple,"
Professor Romeus continued. "Destroying the first three Towers will take down the
first barrier and willl also give you access to the enemy terrain filled with
power-ups and boosts. Destroying the two Towers at the edge of the enemy base will
take down the second barrier and expose the enemy Kardia. Destroy the Kardia—"

"—and we win the Cup?" Ezekiel asked, his eyes gleaming.

"You win the Cup," Professor Romeus confirmed. "However, the Towers and Kardia
won't just roll over and die once you attack them. Both of them will attack any
member of the opposing team that gets near them. Ten hits from the Towers will take
you out of the game. The Kardia just needs five to do that. Also, those structures
are strong as hell. It will take more than just physical or magical attacks to
destroy them. Also, the opposing team will be guarding those things together with
their Gladiators."

Ezekiel frowned at the screen. "We have to find a way to enter the enemy base and
destroy their Kardia while protecting our own."

"Exactly," Professor Romeus replied.

"How many players can we field in all at once, Sir Garrick?" Ezekiel asked, still
staring at the screen.

"Unfortunately, that's all that we can tell you for now. Even if I wanted to tell
you, I myself don't know the other details of the game. The substitution system and
other rules will be revealed on the night of the Finals," Professor Romeus said.

"Bummer," Professor Sivera muttered. "At least we now have a general picture of the
terrain."

"That's everything that you need to know for now. Don't worry because we're giving
you a copy of the blueprint of the terrain. You can also use the battle halls to
practice. By the way, the press is already waiting in the conference room, Ezekiel.
They're interviewing all the teams. You're going to be interviewed right before
Sierra. I have to go now. Congratulations once again. Good luck in the Finals,"
Professor Romeus said before teleporting away from the room.

Ezekiel and the other coaches just stared long and hard at the blueprint of the
Mayhem Macédoine.

"Well, we still have a month to formulate a game plan for this thing," Ezekiel
said. "For now, I want you to enjoy your victory tonight. Rest. Eat. Your coaches
will go back to the drawing board to ensure our victory. It won't be easy, but it's
not impossible. We will do the hard part, and when the final game comes, you'll get
to do the flashy part."

He clicked his fingers, causing a table overflowing with food to appear in the
middle of the room.

"For now, splurge on this feast and stuff yourself full."

The press conference followed shortly after we finished our dinner. Just before we
left the Diamond Battle Dome, Professor Evanesca talked to us for a short while in
the dugout to congratulate us for our victory. It's nearly nine in the evening when
we were finally able to leave the battle dome.
"That's it for tonight, I guess," Ezekiel said while we're in front of the Emerald
Building. "Ate Elena will just teleport the others to their respective homes. To
those who live in the dormitories, the Emerald Guards will escort you. RB and Ike,
come with me."

"Uh, I'm gonna visit a particular someone, so there's no need for you to escort me.
Ike and I will just go together. We'll be safe for as long as we have each other,"
I said.

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow. "And where are you two going? It's getting pretty late."

I just grabbed Ike by his hand before walking away from them. "It's here inside
Emerald, so there's no need for you to worry. We'll just go back to the Topaz
Building as soon as we're done. Bye, everyone! See you soon! Good night!" I said.

When Ike and I were finally alone, the former stopped walking before staring at me
hard.

"Where are we going?" he asked suspiciously.

"We're going to the Faculty Compound. I need to talk to Ayumu," I said.

Ike threw me a concerned look. "Is it about your hand?"

"You are one intelligent guy, hubby," I replied before pinching his nose. "Let's
hurry up, then. I'm pretty tired already and I want to rest as soon as possible.
Chop-chop!"

Right on the first day of classes, I talked to Ike and showed him my blackened
hand. As expected, his very first suggestion was to tell the Evanescas about it.
Unfortunately, Professor Evanesca wasn't in the school during the first week of
classes for this year that's why I wasn't able to tell her. Professor Elena and
Ezekiel were busy with the preparations for the Game 5 and I didn't want to bother
them.

"'Di ba sabi ko sayo kausapin mo si Professor Evanesca tungkol diyan?" sabi ni Ike.

"Dude, I rarely saw her during the vacation and she wasn't even here in the school
in the past week. I'll just tell her tomorrow. Ayumu might be able to help us
that's why I'm asking him first. He's a really nice guy, I'm telling you," I said.

Ike sighed before rolling his eyes. "Fine. Just be quick. It's getting late."

After several minutes of walking, the two of us finally reached the entrance of the
Faculty Compound. Over the distance, I could see the buses of Sierra and NAA parked
just outside the Emerald Guest House.

"We're going in there?" Ike asked.

"Nope," I said before clamping my hands together. "Ayokong mapaaway kung sakaling
makita tayo ng mga taga-Sierra. Let my butterfly do its magic. Fly away, you
beautiful thing," I said, opening my hands and sending a crystal butterfly flying
towards the guest house.

I took Ike's hand before heading straight towards a nearby park. "Now, we wait."

I also told Ike about my little talk with Ayumu right before the Ball last month.
At first, he was a bit skeptical with me being close with Ayumu. It's totally
understandable, of course. The latter just brought so much problems (and injuries)
to our team that's why I really can't blame Ike for feeling that way. Eventually, I
was able to convince him that Ayumu's a good person.

"You were really awesome tonight," Ike said as we sat on a bench.

"Our team was pretty awesome tonight," I said. "I don't carry the team, hubby. The
members carry each other. That's how we do it."

"I know that, of course. I was just pinpointing your excellent performance tonight.
You've been doing really well in the past games, RB. It seems that my injury was a
wake-up call for you. Maybe you really don't need me after all," Ike said in a low
voice.

I threw him a piercing glare. "Hoy, ano 'yan? Ano 'yang pinagsasabi mo? I'm merely
doing the job that you should be doing. Kapag dumating na ang Finals, ikaw naman
ang may pagkakataon na magpakitang-gilas sa mga tao. You should prepare for that
big day," sabi ko.

"Oo na lang," sagot ni Ike. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but you're
making me fall for you even further with the way you've been playing recently."

"DID YOU JUST SAY THAT?!" I shouted in disbelief. "Wait, are you really Ike? What
did you do to my sour-as-sour-cream hubby? Did your injury damage some parts of
your brain, too?"

Ike slammed his hand on my face. "Shut up. Ever since our little feud, I realized
that I should reciprocate your feelings a bit more. When I hurt you, I thought you
were going to hate me. The prospect of you hating me made me feel... scared. I
realized that I don't want to lose you. I'm not good at it, but I will try my best
to give you back the love that you've been giving me these past years."

Without any warning, I lunged straight towards Ike before burying my face on his
chest. "DANG IT, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CRY, YOU BASTARD! Why did you become so
sweet all of a sudden? I'm not used to this."

"Hey, don't cry on my shirt," Ike said while trying to lift my head off of him.

"Don't look at me. I'm hideous when I'm crying," I replied.

There was a rustle behind us, causing the two of us to look behind.

"Uh, maybe I should've given you some space alone," Ayumu said awkwardly while
politely looking at the other direction. "I think I'm interrupting your time with
each other."

"Oh, don't be. Hubby and I were just talking," I said before standing up and
walking towards him. "You're just in time. Uh, it's a good thing that they still
allowed you to go outside at this time."

"I sneaked out," Ayumu replied. "I just transformed into a shadow so that I can get
here in an instant."

I guided him back to the bench where Ike was sitting. "I'm with my hubby, by the
way. You obviously know each other already, so I'm not going to introduce you two."

Ayumu reached out a hand to Ike. "Hi. I'm really sorry for everything that our team
has done. I'm genuinely happy to see that you're fine and recovering quickly.
Congratulations for making it to the Finals, by the way," he said with an awkward
smile.

Thankfully, Ike shook hands with him. "Don't worry about the things that happened
between our teams. It's all part of the game. Congratulations to your team, too."

"So, what brings you here? Is there any problem? You should probably hurry up
because the curfew hours will start in a few minutes," Ayumu asked, turning to me.

I raised my blackened hand with black veins that look like cracks. "This is the
problem."

"What happened to that?" he asked before inspecting my hand.

"Well, I've been producing a lot of black diamonds lately whenever I'm not
dictating what gem I want to produce. It's seems that black diamond has replaced
amethyst as my base gem. When Faye heard about that, she did some Healer thingy to
my hand and these nasty things suddenly showed up. Faye said that they have a
tendency to spread throughout one's body if not detected early. She already put
some Containment Charms on my hand to prevent these things from spreading any
further. I was hoping that you might have the answer to this thing," I asked.
"Can you remember any incident that happened to you that involves this hand?" Ayumu
asked.

"Oh, there is. Remember when I talked to you during the Ball? I was about to go
back to the hall when I grazed my hand. It's weird because Faye already healed that
wound really well, but as you can see, the outline of that scratch was still really
visible," I explained. "I was only asking you because these things appeared right
after I was able to control shadows just like you."

Ayumu just stared at my blackened hand for a long moment.

"There is something you need to know about my weirdness," he said slowly, as if

carefully selecting his words. "You already know of course about the Theory of
Duality when it comes to weirdnesses. A lot of magical theorists say that there are
two types of weirdness in this world according to their nature: the common
weirdnesses and the dark weirdnesses."

Ike raised an eyebrow. "But that theory is highly refuted by a lot of theorists
because—"

"—it all goes down on how a weirdo uses his weirdness, I know," Ayumu interjected.
"However, we're talking about the very basic nature of a weirdness—its primary use.
Lightning Weirdness is dangerous and deadly, but it's not classified as a dark
weirdness because harming or hurting people is not its primary use. It's a form of
energy that can be used for good things."

"On the other end of the weirdness spectrum, we have the dark weirdnesses. These
weirdnesses only bring harm, bad luck, or even death to people. There's a lot of
weirdnesses that you can associate with this group, but people don't realize it
most of the time because their owners use them for good," he added.

Ayumu looked at the two of us before letting out a sigh. "My Shadow Shape-shifting
Weirdness is a form of dark weirdness."

"Well, it's not a surprise," I said with a snigger.

"The base power of my weirdness is my ability to transform into a shadow and take
the shape of whatever thing I like. Throughout the years, I was able to discover a
lot of other features of this weirdness. Haven't you wondered why you guys feel so
hopeless, frustrated, and agitated whenever I'm actively using my weirdness?" he
asked.

Ike and I both exchanged meaningful looks, our eyes widening in realization.

"Ooh... So that's the reason why even my white-hot bitchiness doesn't work whenever
you go all out with your weirdness," I said.
"That explains everything," Ike added while laughing a bit. "Your weirdness is a
lot scarier than what I thought."

Ayumu just smiled sheepishly. "That's the reason why I got so worried when I heard
that you two had a fight. I suspected that it had something to do with the
psychological effects of my weirdness. You see, my powers give me the ability to
control basically the very essence of darkness itself. Whenever a person gets near
my shadows, I can force them to feel despair and hopelessness. Our coaches wouldn't
be happy if they discover that I told you about this, so please don't tell anyone
that I told you about it."

I tapped his shoulder. "Don't worry, we won't spill the beans. So, where are you
going with this explanation of yours?" I asked.

Ayumu sighed as he let go of my blackened hand. "I honestly cannot think of any
possible solution to this problem of yours. I don't even know if my weirdness had
something to do with what happened to your hand. Like I said earlier, my weirdness
is dark in nature. You can start looking at your situation in that perspective.
Maybe there's a reason why you were able to use my weirdness, RB. You should really
inform Professor Evanesca about this. She might know what to do."

Ike threw me an 'I told you' look.

"Well, thanks for helping us, Ayumu," I said before hugging him. "We'll be going,
then. Have a safe trip back home. I'll see you in the Finals. Best of luck to your
team, but we're gonna go all out in the championship."

Ayumu replied with a faint smile. "We will, too. Take care, you two. See you next
month. I have to go now. Koshi will surely turn the guest house inside out once he
realizes that I'm not in there. Bye," he said before transforming into a shadow
that disappeared in the middle of the darkness cast by the trees on the park.

I just stared at the exact same spot where Ayumu disappeared earlier. To my
surprise, Ike suddenly held my hand tightly. "Whatever it is that's bothering you,
we'll face it together. We will find the cause of the problem, and we will solve
it. You're not alone in this, RB. I'm here. We're always here," he said firmly.

I just hugged Ike tightly before burying my face on his chest and inhaling deeply.
"I'm touched, hubby. Thank you for always making me feel better."

"But you should really tell Professor Evanesca about this, you idiot," he snapped
at me before pinching my cheeks. "And stop rubbing my crotch, for f**k's sake."

        Chapter 71: The Unknown Ally [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike's POV
On the very first day of classes, Nurse Juliana called me to the infirmary to
perform her twice-a-month check of the progress of my body's recovery. Fortunately,
the result of the test was positive, and Nurse Juliana finally gave me clearance to
continue with my internship.

Now, it's the second week of the month, and I'm currently drowning myself in a lot
of paperwork to catch up on all the worksheets that I missed while I'm away. RB and
the rest of the team went out for patrolling duty while I'm stuck here in their
office with Crimson and Kuya Jamie who are both in cleaning duty today.

"Here, I have the files that you need," Crimson said before putting down a thick
stack of folders on the table. "RB already told you that you could just copy his
worksheets so that you can join them in patrolling duty, so why are you stressing
yourself out in answering all these annoying papers?"

"Because I don't cheat. Cheaters never win. Foxes like you will never understand
that," I replied.

"We're not cheaters! We're clever. Don't worry, I understand why you want to take
the painstaking process of answering all your worksheets. You want to be alone with
me here in our office," Crimson said, flicking his bushy tail from side to side.

"Uh, who said you're alone? Sir Fraeo tasked me to watch you carefully today,
Crimson," Kuya Jamie suddenly said from the top of the huge double-decker bed.
"Sit. Behave."

"Get out, Jamie! And I'm not a dog, dammit!" Crimson snapped at him. "Can't you see
that I'm trying to seduce a virile, young man here? Go jerk off in the bathroom or
something. Maybe you can use your Illusion to bring your wildest fantasies to life,
but please just stop bothering us."

Kuya Jamie is an Illusionist, and a really powerful one, too. He's from Sierra. The
school probably has one of the most advanced and comprehensive researches on the
field of Mind Weirdness that allowed them to really perfect their curriculum for
their Mind Weirdo Course.

"It's you who should stop bothering Ike, for your info. He's working," Kuya Jamie
fired back.

Crimson just ignored him before sitting like a dog on a chair in front of my table.
"So... You finally sorted things out with RB, huh? How are you two doing now?"

"We're doing okay," I replied without tearing my eyes off my papers. "We're still
focusing on our own priorities, though. We're good, but we're not yet back to how
things were."

"No sex?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "No."

"Well, I'm just happy that you two are finally okay," Crimson replied while
scratching one of his huge fox-like ears with his foot. "You seriously messed up RB
when you two fought. He looked really miserable and hopeless. I actually kinda
hated you when I heard that you punched him; but it was understandable, of course.
You were just frustrated with yourself. Just don't hurt RB again or I will bite
your face off, you insensitive jerk."

"Yeah, great," I said flatly.

"A lot of people have probably told you this before, but RB actually loves you a
lot," he said.

I finally looked at him. "Faye says that all the time, too."

"Because we're close with RB," Crimson replied. "Faye and I can write a complete
and unabridged history of your love affair. The stories, Ike. The stories. I'm sure
that RB didn't even mind the punch that he got from you. He was more hurt and
afraid of the possibility that you might've finally given up and hated him during
the night when you two fought."

"RB is really sassy and quite bitchy on the outside, but deep inside, he's a really
kind and gentle person who's willing to do everything for his friends and the
person he loves. I actually envy him. I am just a straightforward bitch with a
trashy attitude. RB is not like that, and you saw what he truly is inside. No
matter what happens, you will always be the most special person in the eyes and
heart of Rubio Talla," he added.

"Wow. I'm touched," I said in a flat voice. "Go away now. I'm busy here."

Crimson growled at me. "You and Fraeo are so alike. Sometimes, I just want to kick
him right in the face for acting so insensitive and apathetic. You two should
probably form a team of your own. The League of Heartless Boyfriends Who Simply
Don't Care About What Their Partners Feel."

I just stared at him flatly before flicking a finger, causing a force field to
suddenly emerge between the two of us. "I care for what RB feels, I just show it in
my own non-flashy way. Besides, do you seriously think that RB would love me this
hard if I wasn't able to love him back the way he wants?" I said as Crimson was
pushed slowly away from me by my force field.

"Dang. That sounds sexy. Well, I'm satisfied with your reply, Ike. You can now
finally have your free time! Have fun answering those worksheets, dude. Just call
me if you need any help! I'd be more than happy to give you assistance," he said
before gliding away on his rolling chair. "Jamie, are you jerking off now? Can I
watch? Or maybe help?"
I have nearly two months' amount of paperwork to finish. At kahit members kami ng
official team, kasabay pa rin namin ang lahat sa pagpapasa nito next month. Sa
February na rin kasi ang pagtatapos ng internship namin bago ang year-end exams.

After nearly a couple of hours of seemingly endless work, exhaustion finally took
over my body. I closed my eyes for a moment just to nap a bit, but something weird
happened to me the moment my eyes closed.

"Hey there, Ike," the familiar voice of Elijah said.

I opened my eyes and found myself in the middle of our training ground afloat in a
sea of clouds.

"Uh, hey," I said before standing up and looking around me in bewilderment. "I'm
actually in the middle of something. Why did you summon me here out of the blue? Do
you need anything? You look like you're in a hurry."

"Oh, don't mind me. I... just want to... catch up with you! Yep. How's life on
Earth?" Elijah replied.

I stared at him for several seconds. "Dude, we just talked last night."

Elijah let out a laugh that sounded so fake. "Silly me. Of course! Sorry. Time
simply doesn't exist here in this realm and I sometimes lose track of what day it
is. My bad. I'm so stupid."

I just threw him a bewildered look. "Is everything alright here, Elijah? You're
acting strange."

With that, he suddenly hid his hand behind him. "Oh, nothing. I actually summoned
you here because I thought that you might want to train for a bit. It's seems that
they're finally going to allow you to train once more. If that happens, then
training you here inside your head will be utterly pointless."

I just stared at him blankly.

"Don't get me wrong. You are doing so well already, okay? I just thought that maybe
you want to sharpen your skills a bit more before we finally part ways," he asked.

"You're leaving? I thought you live here inside my brain, and that I can talk to
you anytime I like?" I asked.

Elijah raised a hand. "That's not what I meant. Like I said, once you start
training again in real life, it will be pointless to train here inside your head.
You might not need me anymore during that time."
"But I can always train here whenever I want to. You said that on the start of my
training. Elijah, is there anything wrong here? Let me know. I should know. This is
my brain. I have all the right in the world to know what's happening inside here,"
I said, raising my voice a bit.

He let out a sigh before holding me by my shoulder. "Everything is alright here,

Ike. For as long as I am here, you are safe. I'm sorry for disturbing you while
you're working on something. My apologies. You can return now to your body..."

"Wait a second," I said. "Actually, there is one thing that I've been wanting to
ask you. I just remembered it now."

"Fire away," Elijah replied.

"Remember the moment when you first talked to me? I was in the middle of a fight
against Sierra in the CMMT during that time. After I talked to you, I was able to
somehow enhance my friend's weirdness. She's a Healer, but she was able to shoot
laser beams from her eyes. We didn't give it much attention at first because we
thought that the effects were just temporary. However, my friend just discovered
recently that the effects were actually permanent. My friend can still heal, but
she's also gained the abilities of a Light Weirdo. We suspect that the Prime
Elemental had something to do with it," I explained.

A strange smile curved across Elijah's face. "I thought you'd never ask," he said
before opening his arms, causing everything around us to turn to white.

"It all begins with the Theory of Duality—"

"Everything in the universe has an opposite," I said flatly, having heard of the
same theory numerous times throughout my life.

"Exactly. As the Prime Elemental, our biggest archrival is probably the Prime
Destruction. Throughout the history of the Primes, nearly every single Prime
Elemental faced an opponent whose weirdness was the Prime Destruction. One
exception was probably Astrid. Now, taking into consideration the Theory of
Duality, it has been long believed that all the weirdnesses in this world came from
the two Prime Weirdnesses, and just like those two, the weirdnesses in the world
are also divided into two major groups: the common weirdnesses and the dark
weirdnesses."

With a pang of uneasiness, I suddenly remembered our conversation with Ayumu.

"The Prime Elemental probably has the biggest bracket of the weirdnesses in the
world. You can actually relate nearly all the weirdnesses with it. Morph Weirdos
and Mind Weirdos are related to the bodily functions of a human being, thus can be
connected with Earth because—"
"—Earth represents our body," I said.

"Correct. The abilities of Temporal Weirdos are related to gravity, which is just
another form of Earth Weirdness. Another example is Healing. It's just a form of
Light Weirdness which is a higher form of Lightning Weirdness. You get the idea.
Now, going back to what you were able to do with the weirdness of your Healer
friend, we Prime Elementals actually have the ability to enhance the weirdness of a
weirdo for as long as it's related to the Prime Elemental," Elijah explained.

"How do I know if a weirdness is related to the Prime Elemental?" I asked.

"You'll just know. It's probably one of the most powerful feature of the Prime
Elemental. I was never ever able to do that because Alfredo didn't even mention
that to me. I highly suspect that he was never able to unlock that ability either.
You're probably the first Prime who was able to do that thing. I'm not sure,
though. There are still seven Primes prior to the three of us," Elijah said.

"However, it's extremely difficult to do. You can't just improve the weirdness of a
random stranger whenever you like. You have to have a deep emotional connection
with the person to be able to do that. It can also be activated when someone close
to you is in grave danger. Basically, it's a lot easier for you to enhance the
weirdness of your close friends, family members, or even the person you love," he
added.

I nodded. "I see. Does that mean that the Theory of Duality is a fact?"

"Like I said before, my knowledge is only limited within my lifetime. I only cited
several evidences that could prove the plausibility of that specific theory. Do you
have any more questions? I think your friend is trying to wake you up," Elijah
said.

I just shook my head.

"Good. You can now return to your body, Ike. Sorry for summoning you here out of
the blue. Have a nice day. See you soon," he said.

"Is everything really okay here, Elijah?" I asked, staring at him for several
seconds. "And why are you hiding your hand?"

He finally showed me his hidden hand which looks pretty normal. "Nothing. See? I'm
totally fine. I'll let you go now. I think your friend is starting to get
hysterical because he can't wake you up. Bye!"

"Yeah, bye," I said quietly, throwing him a disconcerted look. I was about to close
my eyes when he called me once again.
"And Ike..."

"Yes?"

Elijah stared at me for several moments before giving me a faint smile.

"Be strong."

●●●

"YOU SCARED ME TO DEATH, YOU BASTARD! I THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER GONNA WAKE UP!"
Crimson shouted at me the moment I opened my eyes. I just raised my face from the
table before looking around me. Even Kuya Jamie looked alarmed and panicky.

"Sorry. I was just so tired I fell asleep. Is there any problem?" I asked while
rubbing my eyes.

Kuya Jamie threw me a confused stare. "You're the problem. We've been trying to
wake you up for nearly five minutes already. Crimson here was about to go full
hysterical."

Crimson shook me violently. "What happened to you? You sleep like the dead."

"My bad. What time is it?" I asked.

"Lunch time," Crimson replied. "Speaking of which, let's head to the cafeteria and
stuff ourselves full. Seriously though, I thought you died in your sleep, you
bastard. That was scary."

"That is just how I sleep sometimes," I said before arranging the papers on my
table. "Let's go. I'm getting hungry, too."

As the three of us headed to one of NMLEA's cafeterias, I couldn't help but think
about Elijah's strange behavior earlier. He's always so cool and confident all the
time, but earlier, he looked really alarmed and troubled. The three of us already
reached the nearest cafeteria and I'm still thinking about Elijah's behavior.

"Why is it that you always look like you're overthinking about something whenever I
see you?" a familiar voice suddenly said from behind me.

I turned around and saw Veron's Teima Palacio smiling at me. He gave me a punch on
the shoulder before I could even speak.

"You're looking fully-recovered," he said.

"Uh, hey. Long time no see. Nasaan ba 'yung iba mong mga kasama?" tanong ko.

Dito rin kasi sa NMLEA ang internship nina Teima. In fact, ilang beses ko na siyang
nakita dito bago pa man ako ma-injury at ma-suspinde sa pag-attend ng internship.
Hindi lang ako nakikipag-usap sa kanya dahil awkward naman ako pagdating sa kanya.

"They're not with me," Teima replied. "They're out on patrolling duty with the rest
of the team. I'm stuck in our office for cleaning duty. You're here for lunch?"

"Yeah," I said before turning to Crimson. "Mauna na muna kayong dalawa ni Kuya
Jamie. Susunod na lang ako sa inyo. Bye. Later."

"Ilang linggo rin kitang hindi nakikita rito," sabi ni Teima nung kaming dalawa na
lang ang magkasama. "Most of the time eh si RB na lang ang nakikita kong kasama sa
team ninyo. I'm happy to see that Emerald finally allowed you to attend your
internship."

"I received my clearance from our nurse on the very first day of classes," I
replied. "How's your team doing so far? Are you guys still practicing?"

Teima nodded. "Yep. Even though it's just a battle for bronze, we're still gonna go
all out. NAA won't be slowing down, either. Our challenge was revealed to us at the
end of the Game 5, and we're currently trying to get more comfortable with the
terrain that we're going to use."

The four remaining teams have been given permission to use the four other battle
arenas of Emerald. The Jade Battle Dome was assigned to us, while the Amber,
Quartz, and Citrine battle halls were divided among the remaining three. Professors
Elena and Romeus help the other schools, especially Sierra and NAA, to get into
Emerald without having to waste their time in travelling.

"Now that I think of it, you didn't play in the Game 5 even though your weirdness
would've helped you a lot in that challenge," I said quietly.

With that, Teima just gave me a mysterious smile.

"Did you intentionally choose not to play in that game to... give way to us?" I
asked. "You were in the number 2 spot prior to that game, but because of the result
of the Game 5, your team dropped to the third place."

"Are you saying that we didn't give our best in that game?" Teima asked, his eyes
narrowing a bit.

"No, of course not. It wasn't what I meant. It's just that—"

"I understand, don't worry. As a Foreshadowing Weirdo, a lot of people say that I
have the ability to defy fate itself. My weirdness allows me to look into the
immediate future and see the possible scenarios that could happen as a result of a
particular choice that you do in the present time. It's a common misconception that
people like me can influence or dictate the future of a person," Teima said.

"Isn't that your thing?" I asked.

"Nope. There is one important concept that Foreshadowing Weirdos should learn at
the beginning of their training: you can never bend fate to your favor or someone
else's. What's meant to happen will always happen. A lot of people talk about
defying their destinies or fates, when in fact, they are doing exactly the thing
that fate dictates them to do. You are here because you are supposed to be here.
People die because it's their time to die. People continue to live because they're
supposed to live longer. There is no escaping fate, Ike."

"Your team is in the Finals because even before the tournament started, your team
was already fated to play in the Finals. Your entire life has been laid out in
front of you, all you have to do is live that life to see what secrets your fate
has in store for you," Teima added with a smile.

It took me several moments to absorb the intensity and depth of Teima's words.

"Wow. That really changes my perspective about fate and life. I didn't know you had
this kind of magic with your words, Teima," I said.

"Well, I love being a Mind Weirdo," he said with a small laugh. "I'll be going now,
Ike. Take extra care of yourself from now on, because you are just about to face
the toughest times of your life. Make sure that you and RB stick together like
superglue."

"What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Teima just gave me a meaningful smile before walking away. "Good luck in the
Finals, Ike. We'll be cheering for your team. Good day."

        Chapter 72: Locked and Loaded [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Double update again for today. Lel. Also, this is the third to the final
update of this story. Next update is the championship game, tapos after nun eh the
climax na. Tatlong updates pa sana 'yun, kaso I will just compress it into two
dahil nagmamadali na rin ako.

May mga inaasikaso na rin kasi ako at buti na lang ay matatapos ko 'tong story just
in time. Mawawala muna ulit ako for an indefinite time after this story. Sa
Author's Note ko na lang idedetalye ang rason kung bakit. For now, have fun
reading!
Pakasaya na kayo habang may panahon pa. Haha.

TheAshtone

●●●

Koshi's POV

"That concludes our practice battle today. You already have the scouting reports
for every single member of Emerald's team, and it's your job to read and memorize
them—especially Talla's profile. We've researched every single thing that we could
find out about his weirdness. I'm not saying that we have a comprehensive report of
his capabilities. We just did our best to uncover all his secrets. Good day to you.
Have a safe trip home."

As everyone stood up from their chairs, I approached Ayumu who's already packing up
his things into his bag. "Let's go, Ayumu."

"I wanna eat something first before we head home. Is it okay if we pass by the
downtown?" he asked.

"Sure. Maaga pa naman," sagot ko. "Medyo nagugutom na rin ako."

"Are the two lovebirds out on a date again today? Napapadalas ata ang lakad niyong
dalawa lately," sabi sa 'min ng isa naming teammate.

"Go get a life, Clark; or should I say, go get a lovelife? Hindi 'yung kami ang
iniistorbo mo," sabad ko naman. Our teammates just sniggered as Clark's face went
red.

As the two of us exited the building, the late afternoon sun greeted us with its
warm, reddish light. The two of us instinctively slowed down to appreciate the
beauty of the sun currently sinking behind the mountains over the distance.

One of the things that I love about Sierra is its location. The school is situated
on top of a flat mountaintop. On cloudy days, the entire school looks like it's
sitting on a floating island in the middle of a sea of clouds. On clear days,
everyone in the school goes home with a breathtaking view of the sunset. The main
gate of Sierra faces west, that's why the students are always greeted by the sunset
every time they go home.

"Another beautiful sunset today," I said as the two of us walked on the steep road
leading to the main entrance of the school. "It's pretty."

"I can't see it," Ayumu said flatly.

"I know," I replied with a chuckle.

For the next several minutes, the two of us just walked in total silence, gazing
every now and then at the sunset or slowing down a bit to appreciate the beauty of
the surroundings. People and buildings eventually thickened around us as we
approached the downtown.

"It seems that you've forged a rather unusual friendship with RB," I said after a
long while.

Ayumu stared at my direction for several seconds, his beautiful star-filled eyes
widening a bit in surprise. "How did you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "Duh, we've been friends since the beginning of time! Well, I
actually saw you slip out of the guest house on the night of the fifth game. I saw
you talking with Ike and RB. I wanted to interfere, but all three of you looked
really worried that's why I just let it pass."

"I see. It's a good thing that you chose to keep a safe distance from us. It
would've been really awkward if you just suddenly jumped on us in that park," he
said.

"What did you three talk about?" I asked, taking his hand as we finally entered one
of the bustling streets of the downtown.

Ayumu let out a sigh before squeezing my hand. "Okay. There is something I need to
tell you. The night when you saw me talking to RB was not the first time that I
talked to him. The first time we talked was during the CMMT Ball."

I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"He just talked to me to check if I'm okay. I told you I was right about him. RB's
a really good person. He even apologized to me for what he did to our team in the
Game 4," Ayumu said.

"At bakit ngayon mo lang naisipan na sabihin sa 'kin 'to?" tanong ko pa.

Ayumu let out a weary sigh. "Because of the thing that our teams have against each
other. Please don't tell me we're about to fight now because of what I did. Ike and
RB already fought because of me, and I certainly don't want to quarrel with you
just because of—"

I immediately hugged Ayumu tightly before shaking him. "Hey. Who said we're going
to fight? You are probably the most sensitive and softhearted person in the entire
world. You know I always immediately regret it whenever I treat you bad. Ah, this
is why I love you so much."

"Stop it. People are looking," Ayumu snapped at me.

"Just tell me what has been happening between you and RB. I just want to know. I'm
genuinely curious," I said.

"Like I said, he just wanted to know if I was okay when he talked to me during the
CMMT Ball. However, on the night when you saw me talking with RB and Ike, the
former seems to be nursing an injury on his hand. RB asked me if my weirdness had
something to do with it. I told him I have no idea and that they should consult
their headmistress about it," he said.

"Does it look serious?" I asked.

Ayumu shrugged his shoulders. "It looks worrying and it's definitely something that
should be checked and treated by a skilled Healer. I know they will sort it out in
no time. There's no point in worrying about something that can be addressed in a
jiffy. Besides, this is RB we're talking about. After Ike, he's probably the
toughest guy in the tournament," he replied.

"How about me? Am I not tough?" I asked, flexing my arms a bit.

"Stop acting like an idiot. It suits you too well. Just don't tell our coaches or
anybody else that I talked to RB. They obviously won't like it," he added.

I stared at him flatly. "Do I look like I have any other choice?"

Ayumu just smiled widely before hugging me. "Thanks a lot, Koshi."

The two of us entered a street lined on either side with food stalls. We stopped
for a while to stuff ourselves and bought some more snacks to eat while we're on
our way home. By the time we're headed back to our village, it's already getting
pretty dark and the temperature is starting to drop.

I looked up at the darkening sky now dotted with the early stars. "The Finals is
next month."

"Yeah," Ayumu replied, now walking without being guided by me.

"Ready?" I asked with a smile on my face.

"Getting ready. Knowing Emerald, they will surely throw everything they have at us.
It's the final push for that big victory after all, and only one game is what
separates both our teams from the Cup. It's totally predictable that all teams will
do everything they can and give everything they've got just to win," Ayumu said.

"True. I also expect Emerald to go all out in the championship game, but that
doesn't mean that we're going to slow down. We've already come this far. It will be
utterly idiotic of us if we turn back or don't give our best in the final game. As
they always say, the best way to show your respect for your opponent—"

"—is by giving them everything you've got," Ayumu continued.

"Exactly," I replied with a smile. "Well, what we can do for now is train harder
and memorize these profiles compiled by our coaching staff. Pain in the body, pain
in the brain... and we still have to study for the exams. Dang it. This is tiring,"
I said, slumping as we walked.

"And yet you were just acting all high and mighty," Ayumu replied, his eyebrow
raised disapprovingly.

"Uh, hello? I had to portray a strong and powerful aura because there's a lot of
people back there. Didn't you notice the girls that were ogling me while we were
eating? I had to look tough," I said.

A shadow tentacle rose from my own shadow before slapping me so hard in the face
that I was nearly thrown off-balance.

"Did you just seriously say that right in front of me?" Ayumu asked.

"Say what?" I asked, feigning a clueless expression.

His eyes suddenly gleamed as shadow tentacles rose behind him and pointed at me
menacingly. "Come again?" Ayumu asked in a dangerous whisper.

"Nothing. I was just saying how lucky I am to be your boyfriend. Don't be jealous,"
I said before hugging him. "I still can't believe that you probably have the most
contrasting personality in this world: half soft and mushy, half hot and spicy."

"And people will surely not believe that a huge goofball is actually hiding inside
that toughened up armor of yours," Ayumu said.

I just smiled at him. "I love being me, and I definitely love you, too. Wanna do it
here?" I asked with a wink.

"Want me to gouge out your insides?" Ayumu asked.

"Let's get a room, then! To my house!" I said before marching forward.

Ayumu just laughed at me. "That's not what I meant, you idiot. Oh well, you're
hopeless."

I nodded. "Yeah. Hopeless. Hopelessly in love with you."

●●●

Ike's POV

"Hubby, wake up. Today is the big day!"

Those are the words that woke me up one Saturday morning. I opened my eyes and saw
RB lying right beside me. Thankfully, both of us have clothes on. RB put an arm and
a leg across my body before burying his face on my chest.

"I thought you want me to wake up?" I asked.

"I want you to wake up, but I didn't say that you could get up. There's a subtle
difference, hubby," RB replied.

"Oh, of course. I should've noticed. How idiotic of me," I said flatly before
pinching his ear. "Let's get up. This is getting ridiculous."

Both of us have an appointment with Nurse Juliana this morning. RB's gonna have his
hand checked, while I'm finally going to be assessed whether I can be allowed to
participate in the championship game of the CMMT or not. It's already mid-January,
and I have a lot of catching-up to do with the team if ever Nurse Juliana gives me
the go signal. If the opposite happens, then I'll just gladly watch the team from
the stands.

RB and I ate a quick breakfast at the cafeteria before heading straight to the
infirmary. RB's now wearing a glove on his right hand to hide the black vein-like
markings on it. Over the course of several weeks, what started out as a small veiny
black mark on the back of his hand grew and spread ominously throughout his entire
hand. To be honest, even if RB doesn't wear a glove, he would still look like he's
wearing one—only it's black in color.

"Are you sure there's no weird feeling in your hand at all? Any pain? Numbness?" I
asked him as we walked under a tunnel of trees.

"It feels absolutely fine. I even jerked off earlier using this hand. Wanna smell
it?" RB asked before slamming his hand on my face.

"Dang it. Get your hand away from my face," I snapped at him.
RB raised his gloved hand in front of him. "I actually kinda like the look of it.
It makes me look like some sort of a black-handed villain. With this hand, I shall
rule over the world!" he said in a deep, commanding voice.

"Shut up. It suits you too well. Let's just hurry up so that I can return to my
paperwork for our internship. If I start early today, I might be able to finish all
the worksheets by noon," I said, consulting my wristwatch.

RB rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Sometimes, you're hot like hell. Most of the
time, you're just plain ol' boring."

"Then why are you still in love with me?" I asked.

He just hugged my arm before rubbing his face on it. "Ah, this is the reason why
you're the only person in the entire universe who can make me wet just by hearing
your voice."

"You're not a cat, dang it. Stop rubbing your face on my arm," I said before
pulling my arm away from him.

Thankfully, the two of us made it to the infirmary just in time for our appointment
with Nurse Juliana. As we approached the building, we saw Ezekiel and Professor
Evanesca standing just right outside the entrance, apparently waiting for the two
of us.

A few days ago, we were finally able to inform Professor Evanesca about the state
of RB's hand. As expected, she was not pleased that we didn't tell her right away
about it. Her very first suggestion was to consult Nurse Juliana, and that's the
reason why RB also came with me today. We're hoping that the nurse might have a
solution to his problem.

"Good day to you, too," Professor Evanesca said after we greeted them. Ezekiel, as
usual, just gave us a nod and spoke not a single word. "Let's go inside. Nurse
Juliana's already waiting for us."

The double door opened to admit us. The two professors entered first and led us
right into an empty ward nearest to the entrance. Just like what the headmistress
said, Nurse Juliana was already waiting for us inside along with some of her
Healers.

"Let's get to business, Juliana," Professor Evanesca said, giving the nurse a nod.

The latter nodded back before guiding RB to a nearby bed.

"Lie down here on the bed," Nurse Juliana said to him. "Drink water. Breathe
gently. Relax."
After a few moments, the nurse placed RB's right hand on an elevating platform
right beside the bed. With a click of Nurse Juliana's finger, RB's glove
disappeared into thin air, revealing his hand which has been blackened entirely by
the markings which were already starting to spread up to his wrist.

I looked at Professor Evanesca who bowed her head somberly upon seeing RB's
blackened hand.

"Did this ever affect any aspect of your body?" Nurse Juliana asked RB.

"Uh, yeah. My base gem is amethyst, but ever since this thing happened to my hand,
it seems that black diamond has become my base gem," the latter replied.

"When did you acquire this?" the nurse asked.

"On the night of the CMMT Ball, my hand grazed a fountain just behind the Emerald
Building. Faye was able to heal my scratch, but nearly a month later, she did
something to my hand which revealed the black markings. Now, they're not really
markings anymore. They've totally conquered my hand as you can see, nurse," RB
replied.

Nurse Juliana nodded before turning to one of her Healers which immediately gave
her a huge bottle containing a bluish-white sparkling liquid. The nurse then poured
some of the contents into a cup.

"This will feel really cold. Brace yourself," she said to RB before pouring the
contents of the cup onto the latter's hand.

"Ooh. That feels good," RB said, wiggling a bit on the bed.

Upon dripping away from his blackened hand, the liquid slowly changed in color,
turning from a pretty bluish-white into an ominous jet black—the exact same color
of RB's hand. The small bowl that collected all the dripping liquid now contained a
black and bubbling gooey substance.

"What's that?" RB asked, recoiling away from the collecting bowl.

Nurse Juliana threw Professor Evanesca a meaningful look. "Nothing. I hoped that
the potion will wash away the black color of your hand. As you can see, it failed.
This potion only works on surface contamination. In your case, the black substance
isn't just on your hand but also inside your hand, indicating that the
contamination is deep. No worries. I've got the perfect solution to that, I hope."

One of the Healers gave Nurse Juliana another bottle containing a thick, pearly-
white liquid. "This is another type of Cleansing Potion. Just take a spoonful after
dinner everyday. Hopefully, this will wash away all the contaminants from your
hand. Return here after one week so that I can check the progress of your hand. Am
I clear?"

RB nodded. "Yes, nurse."

"For now, this is what I can do," Nurse Juliana said before waving her hand over
RB's, causing it to glow for a moment. "The spell will contain the contamination in
your hand for the time being. This black substance will also be analyzed further in
order to better identity the possible cause of the contamination and how to cure
it. You'll get your answers within a month."

The nurse clicked her fingers, causing medical gauze to wrap around RB's hand.
"Change your bandages everyday or whenever they get wet or dirty. You're done."

RB nodded. "Thanks a lot, Nurse Juliana," he said before leaving the bed.

"Ike, lie here," the nurse said, beckoning at me. I immediately followed her order.

"You're recovering a lot faster and better than what I expected," Nurse Juliana
said as she ran her glowing hands all over my body. "Are you sure you're not
getting help from somebody?"

"Of course not!" I said indignantly.

The old nurse just smiled. "I know. I can sense that your injuries have no traces
whatsoever of any Healer magic. Can you still feel any pain? Numbness? Limited
movement? Dislocated joints?" she asked.

"Nothing," I replied.

Nurse Juliana finally finished inspecting my entire body after several minutes. She
then turned to a clipboard before reading some of the papers and writing on some of
them. The rest of us, even the two Evanescas, just stared at the nurse and waited
for her final verdict. After what it seemed to be ages, Nurse Juliana finally set
her clipboard on the table right next to the bed.

"You have recovered well and fully. There are no traces of any injuries or any
thing in your body that might concern me. You are now officially free from any
injuries. Good job, Ike. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that you can abuse your body
again. Like I said, your body's already approaching its limit. If you're not
careful from now on and you experience the same kind of trauma that you experienced
before, I'm afraid that will send your body past its limit. Take care from now on,"
Nurse Juliana said.

"So I can play in the CMMT now?" I asked, tension rising in my chest.
Nurse Juliana stared at me coldly, making my heart sink almost in an instant. Then
suddenly, she gave me a faint smile. "That decision is not for me to make. It's up
to you, Ike."

In an instant, RB dived towards the bed and gave me a bone-breaking hug. Ezekiel
also approached us before slamming his hand on my shoulder, a triumphant smile on
his face. Professor Evanesca just stood smiling on her spot while clapping loudly.

"Wait a second," I said before pushing RB away. "I haven't even decided yet."

Ezekiel just stared at me flatly. "Let's not kid ourselves. We all know what your
answer's going to be."

I immediately looked at Nurse Juliana who suddenly raised her hands. "Don't look at
me. You know what my answer would be; but because I know you very well, all I can
say to you is to take care of your body. You're young, but you're not invincible."

I just let out a sigh before looking at RB and Ezekiel who were also looking at me
expectantly.

"Fine. I'll do it. I'm back."

        Chapter 73: The Endgame [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            After their appointment with Nurse Juliana, Ike and RB were finally given
permission to leave the infirmary. The two Evanescas, on the other hand, remained
inside the ward with the nurse. After bidding goodbye to Ike and RB, the three
others just watched in total silence as the two students exited the ward.

"What are you going to do now?" Ezekiel asked the headmistress after making sure
that they're all alone.

"Juliana, please give me a vial of that thing," Professor Evanesca said, gesturing
at the bowl containing the black liquid. "I will show it to Delphina. She might
know what to do."

Nurse Juliana produced a small vial from her pocket. With a flick of a finger, she
sent a small blob of the liquid flying into the vial. She then corked it tightly
before giving it to the headmistress who pocketed it.

"Be careful with that thing, Esmerelda. It's extremely potent. I don't know if that
thing can contaminate other people, too," the nurse said.

"What exactly caused the blackening of RB's hand?" Ezekiel asked.

"Like I said, it's a form of contamination. It's a good thing that we were able to
detect it while it's still in its early stages. Hopefully, the spell and the potion
will at least help to contain the contamination just in his hand. If things go
worse and the contamination spreads, we might have to resort to drastic measures.
It's serious, I just didn't tell Talla because I don't want them to worry,
especially Lunaria," Nurse Juliana replied.

"Dark Magic?" Professor Evanesca asked.

The nurse nodded. "Dark Magic."

"Didn't Ike also mention that the core of the Prime Elemental has been
contaminated, too? What if this is connected with Ike's case?" Ezekiel asked.

"We already identified the contaminant of the core of the Prime Elemental. As of
now, only Elijah can fix the problem. As with Rubio, we have to wait for the result
of the test before we do anything. Carelessness might only worsen the situation,"
the headmistress replied.

"I most definitely agree," Nurse Juliana added with an approving nod. "I will make
this my priority, Esmerelda. I might also send some of these samples to the
Philippine Weirdo Research Institute for further analysis. The moment the result
arrives, you will be the first to know."

"Thank you very much," Professor Evanesca said.

With a swish of her hand, the headmistress conjured a black cloak out of thin air
before wearing it around her shoulders. "I have to go now. Thank you helping us,
Juliana. Good day to you," she said before heading to the door.

"You're going to leave right now? Where the hell are you going?" Ezekiel asked,
gliding through the air after his sister.

"To Delphina. It's still early. I can still make it by past noon," the headmistress
replied.

"I'll go with you," her brother said.

The two of them finally exited the building. Professor Evanesca just gave Ezekiel a
gentle tap on the shoulder as they stepped into the open. "You have to focus on
creating the game plan for the Finals, dear brother. Now that Ike is back on the
team, you'll finally be able to draw out the full potential of our players. This is
still my fight, and I'm going to fight until the very end."

The younger Evanesca just threw his elder sister a concerned look. "Aren't you
wearing out your body with your endless back and forth trips? Seriously, I've been
telling you to just ask Ate Elena to teleport you to that old hag's place. You're
wasting so much time and energy."

"Elena's already doing a lot of heavy work in helping to maintain the security of
the school. Not to mention that she, along with Garrick, has to closely monitor the
Time Lock all over Emerald. Besides, this is how I exercise, dear brother. I've
aged, but I can still kick anyone's butt, Lucas," Professor Evanesca replied,
bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Ezekiel just rolled his eyes. "Fine. Take care, then. See you later, dear sis. And
don't call me Lucas, you evil witch."

The headmistress just nodded at him before exploding into puffs of green smoke. The
familiar green eagle rose from the smoke before flying up to the sky. As the eagle
approached the barrier, a huge hole appeared on it to let the headmistress pass
through. Some of the clouds in the sky shifted, finally hiding Professor Evanesca
from view.

●●●

The headmistress finally arrived at her destination about a couple of hours past
noon. Unlike last time, dark clouds covered the entire sky and completely blocked
out the sun. Over the distance, a menacing bank of storm clouds are slowly making
their way towards the land. Even the usual powerful winds are not present. The sea
was also unusually calm and quiet. An eerie silence seems to have fallen over the
land and the sea.

Professor Evanesca landed several meters away from the humble hut of Delphina. The
headmistress looked around her surroundings warily, her gaze resting for a moment
on the dark storm clouds over the horizon. She then proceeded to the hut before
knocking on the wooden door twice.

"This is probably the worst time for you to come here, Esmerelda," the old Seer
said upon opening the door. "There's a storm coming, can't you see?"

"Pardon my intrusion, Delphina. This is really urgent. I need your help," the
headmistress said.

The Seer, despite being blind, seemed to stare at Professor Evanesca for several
seconds. Finally, the former let out a weary sigh before opening the door wider to
admit her visitor. The headmistress stepped into the house and sat on a chair
offered to her by Delphina.

"What do you need this time? I'm resting," the Seer said in a bored voice as she
returned to her rocking chair in a corner.

Professor Evanesca produced the vial full of black gooey substance out of thin air.
Delphina suddenly jumped from her chair that even Professor Evanesca flinched in
shock. "Why do you have that kind of thing with you? Where in the world did you get
that? Get that thing inside a Containment Barrier, quick!" the Seer said in a half
irritated, half scared voice.

"I'm so sorry," the headmistress said before enclosing the floating bottle inside
an orb of grayish light.

Delphina threw her a disapproving look before flicking her hand, causing the vial
of black substance to fly towards her. "And where did you get this?" she asked
before proceeding to a nearby table.

"From Rubio," the headmistress said.

"I see," the Seer replied with a somber nod. "This thing is highly infectious. Only
Healers can guard themselves well against this type of magic. What makes this thing
extremely dangerous is not its deadly effect on the body, but it's ability to act
and think as if it has a mind of its own."

Professor Evanesca threw her a bewildered look. "What do you mean?"

Delphina set a bowl on the table before pouring the contents of the vial into it.
"Don't touch that thing," she said to the headmistress before summoning a bottle
containing a pearly-white liquid from one of the shelves in the hut. She then
poured the white liquid into the bowl.

In an instant, the gooey black substance started bubbling and boiling as if it has
been placed over a source of heat. Like some sort of parasite eating away its host,
the black substance slowly crept over the white liquid that was poured onto it.
Several moments later, all that's left in the bowl was the bubbling black substance
which already consumed all of the white liquid.

"This kind of magic only has one purpose: infect. The bottle earlier contained the
purest and cleanest form of magic, but as you saw, this thing corrupted it in no
time. I'm afraid that no Healer in this world can destroy a type of Dark Magic this
strong and powerful. If someone gets infected with this thing, you can still delay
its spread, but you can never really stop it," Delphina said as the black liquid
flew towards a larger vial.

Professor Evanesca flicked a finger, causing the vial to fly back to her. With a
swish of her hand, the bottle vanished into thin air. "Is there anything that I can
do to destroy that thing?" she asked.

"You know very well that the most powerful types of Dark Magic can only be
destroyed by nothing but the exact same force that created them in the very first
place, Dark Magic itself. Fight fire with fire, as they say," the Seer added as she
returned to her rocking chair.
Professor Evanesca leaned forward. "And that's why I am here to ask for your help
one more time. Teach me the spell that will end all of this. It's all I need,
Delphina. It's all we have."

The old Seer let out a weary sigh as if she has heard the exact same request
numerous times before. "Like I said, no person on this planet is powerful enough to
cast that spell. Not even you. Not even Serafina. Not even the Primes or any Prime
from the past. No one."

"But being powerful is not the only option," Professor Evanesca said in a low
voice.

Delphina stood up from her chair and picked up her staff propped against the wall.
Outside, the storm clouds have covered the entire sky and are now emitting forks of
lightning every now and then. A light rain has also started falling from the dark
sky.

"The spell is not mine to teach. It's something that can be given."

"Then give me the spell," the headmistress said firmly.

"The most powerful spells in the universe, especially the dark ones, always require
some form of payment, Esmerelda. This spell has undoubtedly the most expensive form
of payment. No one in the history of this planet has ever succeeded in casting this
spell," Delphina said.

Professor Evanesca also stood up. "I will be the first, then."

"Are you really sure about this? This spell is powerful, but I cannot give you any
assurance that it will work on someone like Serafina. A lot could go wrong,
Esmerelda. Above all, the price is just so high. Once you recite even just the
first word of this spell, it will get its payment whether you succeed or fail. It's
just too risky," the Seer replied.

The headmistress approached Delphina before placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Do I look like I have any other choice?"

The old Seer bowed her head for a very long time as if pondering her thoughts.
After several minutes, she let out a long breath before tapping Professor
Evanesca's shoulder.

"Kneel."

The headmistress knelt in front of her.

Delphina raised her staff before placing it on top of the headmistress' head. She
then muttered strange words under her breath, causing a huge circle of darkness to
appear on the ground around them. Strange symbols made out of red light suddenly
appeared on the black circle as Professor Evanesca's eyes glowed brightly. Then, as
if being sucked by a whirlpool, the circle of darkness along with the runic symbols
on it were sucked into the center. The darkness and strange symbols on the ground
slowly crept up to the headmistress until it covered her entire body. The darkness
that enveloped her finally faded away as Delphina finished her incantation.

"When the time comes, you'll just know what to do," the Seer said lifelessly,
lifting her staff from the headmistress' head. "You are a strong woman, Esmerelda.
Ever since your debut as an agent, I always knew that you have something special in
you, that you were destined for greatness. It's a shame that Serafina went wayward
with her life. You two would've reached greater heights if only you stayed
together. I really want to help you, but just like you, I've also ran out of
options. I'm sorry if we have to end up in this situation."

The headmistress stood up before taking the hands of Delphina.

"Please don't be sorry. You are the reason why my mind's still clear despite of all
the craziness happening all around me. Without your guidance, I would never be able
to go this far. Thank you for everything, Delphina. Thank you very much," Professor
Evanesca said, tears falling down her cheeks.

The old Seer just smiled weakly before hugging the headmistress. "I guess this is
goodbye, my dear girl."

Professor Evanesca gave Delphina one final nod before heading out of the hut. Just
before the headmistress transformed into an eagle, the Seer called her again.

"Esmerelda."

The latter turned around on her spot, the wind billowing her robes.

"Everything will be alright. Have faith."

●●●

RB's POV

Later that afternoon, the members of the team gathered for another training session
at the Jade Battle Dome. Professor Sivera and Ezekiel will oversee our training
because Professor Elena has to facilitate the teleportation of the students from
Sierra and NAA. Aside from our training, Ezekiel also has a larger surprise for the
rest of the team.
"Gather around, brats. I have an important announcement. Don't waste my time or
I'll freaking kill all of you," Ezekiel said at the start of our training session.

"What's the big news?" Jack asked as he sat on the grass with us. "Is Sierra going
to back out from the Finals?"

"Don't be silly. Well, I have a news that will surely delight everyone in this
team. Starting today, we will finally be rejoined by our beloved Team Captain in
our training sessions," Ezekiel said.

Silence.

"Ike has been given permission by Nurse Juliana to play in the Finals, you idiots."

Ezekiel then stepped aside to reveal Ike standing at an entrance several meters
behind him.

Before the latter could even take another step, all the other members of the team
dashed towards Ike to hug him. Led by Jack, nearly everyone jumped at Ike, causing
all of them to fall to the floor.

"Hey, he just got his clearance from the infirmary. You're going to injure him
again, imbeciles," Ezekiel snapped at them.

Jack shook Ike violently. "Is this real?! Is this freaking real?! Welcome back,
bro! Our opponents are so screwed now," he said before helping Ike to stand. The
others either hugged him or gave him a congratulatory greeting. When everyone has
finally calmed down, all of us settled once more on the grass.

"We are all happy that Ike is back to the team, yes," Ezekiel said. "However, that
doesn't change the fact that the Finals is roughly three weeks from now. From now
on and in the coming days, you are about to experience hell on Earth. Aside from
memorizing the scouting reports, you have to work even harder in our training
sessions. I only want nothing but your hundred percent. You can complain, whine,
cry, or do whatever you want for as long as you're giving your all in the training.
I won't and don't mind. Now, let's begin our training session. Do your stretches
now. We'll just watch," he added before gliding away from us.

"I definitely feel like we could take on Sierra right here, right now. I was not
expecting this at all, bro," Jack said as we proceeded to the field.

"I'm actually quite surprised that Nurse Juliana allowed me to play in the Finals.
She's, like, the last person on this planet who would allow me to play. Well, I'm
just thankful that I can finally return to my normal life. I have a lot of catching
up to do," Ike said.

"No worries, hubby. I'm sure that you'll be able to catch up with us in no time! I
have a huge faith in these big guns!" I said, rubbing my face against his arm.

"Stop that," Ike snapped at me. "You're neither a cat nor Crimson."

I threw him a sharp stare. "So Crimson is the only one allowed to do that to you?
Is that it?"

He slammed his hand on the back of my head. "Did I say something like that? No, I
didn't. Please stop your delusions and focus on our task today, you idiot."

Jack just closed his eyes as if to savor the scene happening right in front of him.
"Ah... That's music to our ears. We definitely missed the cat and dog of this team.
It's been so long since we last heard a pointless argument like that."

"Shut up," Ike and I both snapped at him.

Attacking and combat practice followed our stretches and warm-ups. "Line up, brats!
One person at a time! One set of Gladiators per player!" Ezekiel shouted at us.
"Ike, you go first. I want to see how rusty you are so that we can still fix what
we have to fix while we still have time."

"Why me?" Ike shouted back.

"Because we don't have special treatment here, and you have to catch up with the
others! I don't want any complaints. Go now. I don't care if you get injured again.
You've been training with Elijah for several months. Show us if you actually
learned anything from him at all," Ezekiel shouted back.

Ike raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. Here goes nothing," he said before
running towards the open field. At the same time, puffs of smoke erupted high above
us followed by the descending Gladiators.

Streaks of greenish-white light followed Ike as he ascended into the air. Rock
spikes suddenly sprouted on the ground before zooming upwards, skewering some of
the descending Gladiators. With the help of his blast wave and a jet of fire being
emitted from his hands and feet, Ike shot skyward towards his remaining opponents.

Several projectiles flew towards Ike who raised his hand and froze them in
midflight. With a flick of his fingers, he sent the projectiles back the Gladiators
who were forced to scatter. Ike suddenly moved towards his opponents so fast that
he was reduced to a mere green blur. Several seconds later, some of the Gladiators
fell to the ground with their metallic bodies halved.

"This is crazy..." Jack whispered as he watched the mayhem happening above us.

Gladiators act a lot more aggressive as their numbers get diminished. Now with just
a few left, their glowing eyes suddenly turned red, indicating that they're about
to go berserk. As expected, the remaining Gladiators made a mad dash towards Ike
who looked unusually calm and composed despite the fact that he's being attacked by
murderous robots.

The lightning markings on Ike's body glowed brightly together with his eyes. He
then raised his open hands on his either side before sending forks of lightning
towards the remaining Gladiators which exploded into smoke and flaming debris. Ike
finally descended back to the ground, panting for air but miraculously uninjured.

Our teammates had to either wipe their eyes and blink several times or close their
mouths which were hanging open.

"That's my hubby! Woo-hoo!" I said. It seems that I'm the only one who wasn't
shocked at all.

Ezekiel just clapped loudly on the sideline, a triumphant grin curved on his face.
"Welcome back to the team, Ike. Welcome back indeed."

●●●

NEXT UPDATE: It's the Finals of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament. Eighteen
players. Two teams. One goal. Who will emerge victorious in the epic clash between
red and green? Will Sierra remain as an unstoppable force, or will Emerald continue
their hot streak? Don't miss the championship game in the penultimate update of
Weirdos III: The Untouchable Lady.

        Chapter 74: The Prelude [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Okay, why do you guys keep on saying 'Esmeralda?'

It's Esmerelda. EsmerElda. Letter E, not A. There's a subtle difference. The one
with the letter 'a' sounds cheap and fake, while the one with the 'e' sounds
classy. Esmerelda Ytteria Evanesca. That sounds right. Lol.

For clarification purposes only. Bye.

TheAshtone

●●●

Ike's POV

A lot of people say that when you dread the arrival of something, it will actually
come a lot faster than what you were expecting. Personally, I couldn't agree more
because I've experienced the exact same phenomena numerous times already throughout
my life. Just like now, the very few weeks that separated the middle of January and
the first week of February seemed to have evaporated in a blink of an eye.

That dreaded day has finally come, and we have no choice but to face it. Tonight,
our team will be facing Sierra in the highly anticipated Finals of the Collegiate
Magical Mayhem Tournament.

First thing I did when I woke up was call my family who will be watching the game
later this evening. Professor Elena's going to teleport them here in Emerald later
this morning. As expected, my hysterical mother told me to take extreme care in
tonight's game, while my loose father just wished me luck and told me how proud he
is of me.

It's still pretty dark outside when I woke up, so I decided to take a quick jog
after calling my parents. RB was the first person that I saw the moment I opened my
room's door. It seems that he's also going for a jog. Upon seeing me, RB gave me a
faint smile before wrapping his arms around my body and giving me a tight hug.

"Let's go," he said before taking my hand and leading me towards the magical
elevator. I just followed him without saying any word.

"Were you able to sleep at all?" asked RB as we stepped outside the Topaz Building
and into the dark and cold morning.

"Hardly," I said as the two of us started jogging. "How about you?"

"Same. I was about to go to your room last night to spend the evening with you but
I thought that maybe you need some time alone to gather your thoughts and
concentration that's why I left you alone," RB replied.

"Dang it. My chest hurts from all the nervousness and excitement," I said while
laughing a bit and clutching my chest.

RB also chuckled. "Same. This jogging is pointless. Let's just lie down on the
grass or something. My knees are weak and wobbly from all the anticipation," he
said before dragging me towards a nearby open field. The two of us collapsed on the
grass and looked up at the sky still dotted with stars.

"Ah... This is so much better," RB said before snuggling close to me and resting
his head on my arm. "Whenever I'm in a moment like this with you, I always wish
that I could stop time."

"If you're just going to say a cheesy speech about your love for me, just please
keep it to yourself. I'm not in the mood for cringeworthy expressions of love right
now," I said.

He punched my abdomen as a reply. "At least I express my love for you, you
insensitive jerk. You can't even say 'I love you' without rolling your eyes or
sounding bored or annoyed."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's not true, you idiot. I'm a man of action, dude. I'd
rather do it than say it."

"I can't argue with that," RB replied, burying his face on my jacket and inhaling
deeply. "Ike really makes me feel loved... especially whenever we're in bed."

"Shut up."

A long silence suddenly enveloped the two of us as we watched the star-filled sky.
The horizon is now slowly getting lighter, indicating that daybreak is fast
approaching. All around us, everything and everyone are just starting to wake up to
the new day.

Mula sa kalayuan ay nakikita ko na ang iba't-ibang mga media vans na pumapasok sa

Emerald. Of course, the CMMT is one of the most viewed events in the entire world
kaya naman may mga international media rin dito. All tickets were already sold out
almost a week ago. Outside the school, people of nearly all nationalities flocked
to take pictures or watch the school from afar. For security reasons, live viewers
of the event will only be allowed into the school later this morning. Emerald
Guards, police, and agents also roamed the school over the past week.

Hindi na rin kami pinayagan pang makalabas ni Professor Evanesca dahil na rin sa
dami ng mga taong gustong makita kami. 'Yung iba namang kailangan talagang umuwi sa
mga bahay nila eh hinahatid na lang nina Professor Elena at Romeus gamit ang
Temporal Weirdness nila.

"Today's going to be the last day of our suffering and agony," I said after several
minutes of silence.

"Yep. I don't really care about the year-end exams. I know that we'll both ace
them. I just want this tournament to end so that we could go back to how things
were. Above all, it's been several months already since we last did it," RB said
with a meaningful grin.

I stared at him flatly. "Just let me enjoy my sex-free months for now. Once we're
on vacation, you can do whatever the hell you want with me. Just wait for a couple
more months, you hopeless idiot," I said.

"Looking forward to it," he said. "I have so many things in plan for the two of
us..."

"If it's something weird or extreme, I'm out," I snapped at him.

RB was about to retort when he was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Hey,

lovebirds! There you are! We've been looking all over the place for you!"

We turned around and saw Jack, Faye, and Alice walking towards our spot. The three
of them also settled on the grass around us.

Our coaching staff and the rest of the team will have a breakfast later at the
Emerald Building hosted by Professor Evanesca. Based from what I heard, the
headmistress is also going to host Sierra for a breakfast. Obvious naman siguro na
hindi kami magkakasabay ng Sierra dahil baka umaga pa lang ay mangyari na agad ang
Finals.

After our breakfast, we are going to train for a while until 11 am. After that, we
are going to spend lunch with our respective families. In the afternoon, we are
going to train for a bit more in the Jade Battle Dome until 3 pm. The Battle for
Third will be held later at 5 in the afternoon, and the Finals will follow at 7 in
the evening.

"What brought you here? It's still really early. Mamaya pa naman ang breakfast
natin sa Emerald Building," I asked them when they finally settled.

"I think all of us had a restless, sleepless night. For some strange reason, the
three of us ran into each other while going for a jog here in the school. We just
decided to visit the two of you but you were not in your rooms in the Topaz
Building when we got there," Jack said before glancing at our clothes. "It seems
that you two also went out for a jog."

"Well, we tried. After several minutes, both of us realized that we're too nervous
and excited to jog that's why we just settled here," I said.

"Same here," Alice replied. "I'm so excited, my chest hurts."

"What's the plan after this tournament, then?" Faye asked. "Win or lose, we have to
spend some fun time together just to cancel out all the stress that we've
experienced in this competition. Besides, our full-time internship will start next
year. We won't have much time with each other when that time comes."

"Like I said, RB and I are going to spend some time together in the farm this
summer," I said. "Do whatever you want, guys. Just don't forget to invite us in
whatever celebration you're going to come up with. You can also come with us if you
want."

Jack threw us a malicious look. "But of course. It seems that you two are going to
spend some quality time together this summer. I'm sure that you guys won't mind
even if we don't invite you."

"Oh, is that so?" RB replied, tilting his head a bit. "Maybe Ike and I shouldn't
take the Finals seriously, then. Maybe we should slack in the challenge, hubby.
What do you think?"
"I'm considering it," I said, rubbing my chin absentmindedly.

"Of course l'm kidding, dammit!" Jack snapped at us. "Kayo ang unang makakaalam
kung may mapagkakasunduan na kaming gawin ngayong bakasyon. Just please do your
thing tonight. You guys are in charge of the heavy lifting after all."

"We're in charge of the heavy lifting," I said. "All of us have a role in tonight's
game. Our friendship is our greatest strength. No matter what happens, we will
always be one. We fell as one, we will rise as one, we are going to win as one."

"Amen to that," RB added, his eyes gleaming.

Jack suddenly jumped from his spot. "I'm getting really fired up! Let's go and
attack Sierra right now!" he said with an arm raised.

"Get back here, you idiot," I snapped at him.

●●●

As planned, the entire team gathered in front of the Emerald Building at an exact
thirty minutes past seven. Our coaching staff also arrived together with our
student assistants shortly after every member of the team has arrived.

"Is everybody here? Good. Let's proceed inside before I murder those freaking media
people," Ezekiel said before ushering all of us inside the Emerald Building. A
couple of the building's staff led us to the main dining hall where a long table
overflowing with food was already waiting for us.

"Good morning to all of you," a familiar female voice suddenly said. The double
door at the other end of the dining hall opened to reveal Professor Evanesca in her
usual attire of emerald-green robes. This time, however, she's also wearing a
tilted wide-brimmed hat and a pair of gloves, making her look like some sort of a
European noble lady.

"Yes, thank you very much," she said after we greeted her. "Please be seated,
everyone. The food is getting cold. Hurry up now."

When everyone was already seated, Professor Evanesca scanned the entire table with
a huge smile on her face. "I can certainly feel the excitement and anticipation in
the air right now. It seems that you are all in a good mood. That puts me at ease."

Ezekiel threw his sister a bewildered look, his eyes scanning the headmistress'
grand clothes. "What's with the attire?"
"For the record, dear brother, I will also be hosting Sierra after your team. Do
you want me to entertain them while wearing my pajamas? Between the two of us, I
have the more sophisticated and varied sense of fashion. Please don't question my
fashion taste when you can't even think of other attires to wear other than your
black cloak," Professor Evanesca replied.

Ezekiel just rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Eat up, you brats."

"Do you have any other plans this morning?" the headmistress asked as everyone
dived to the table to get some food.

"The team's going to train after this," Professor Elena replied. "Just before lunch
time, I'm going to teleport the respective families of each team member. After
their lunch with their families, they're going to train a bit more before we let
them rest for the game tonight."

As the headmistress and our coaching staff discussed their plans for today, RB
suddenly nudged me before gesturing at Professor Evanesca.

"What?" I snapped at him. "I'm eating."

"The headmistress definitely looks stunning in her attire this morning, but I have
to agree with Ezekiel. I think this is actually the first time that I saw her wear
that kind of attire, with all the gloves and such. It's just a bit weird. Professor
Evanesca despises tight clothing. That's actually the reason why she loves wearing
those billowing, airy robes," RB said through a mouthful of food.

"She's the headmistress and the former number one agent. She can do whatever the
hell she wants or wear whatever the hell she wants," I said flatly.

"I can't argue with that. Professor Evanesca looks stunning anyway, so who cares.
Maybe she just wanted to look slim," RB said.

Ezekiel cleared his throat. "By the way, let me just inform you that we should be
at the Diamond Battle Dome an hour before the start of our game. After the Veron
vs. NAA game, the awarding ceremony will follow shortly. Some of the people here
received an award. Also, your passes will be given later this day. Be sure to
attend your training this afternoon or you won't get your passes. Am I clear?" he
asked.

"Yes, sir," all of us said.

"Good. I'm not supposed to say this to you yet, but I want to give you a big
motivation right now. RB is the season's Most Valuable Player," Ezekiel added.

In an instant, the entire table exploded as nearly everyone from our team dived
towards RB. Our coaching staff and Professor Evanesca just watched us while RB was
being mauled to death by our teammates.

"DUDE, MVP!" Jack shouted while shaking RB violently. "MVP! Of course it's not
surprising at all. I'm just so happy for you, you lucky bastard! TAKE THAT,
SIERRA!"

"You're not supposed to say that to us yet," I said to Ezekiel. Despite that, I
can't help myself from smiling.

"Well, who cares. The tournament committee can't punish us or whatever. Just don't
go blabbering about it to your friends. I'm not an idiot, Ike. I knew that this
news will really fire up the team. Look at your friends. They look like they can
take on a T-rex right now," Ezekiel replied before turning to RB. "Congratulations,
RB. I can't think of any other person more deserving to receive that award than
you. I'm proud of you, kid."

"Thank you," RB replied. "That's probably the nicest thing you said to me ever
since we met, Ezekiel."

"Shut up," Ezekiel snapped at him before turning his attention back to his food.

"Well, congratulations," I said to RB when everyone was finally done hitting or

congratulating him. He now looks like he had a catfight with someone. "I'm proud of
you. Honestly speaking, I'd be more surprised if you didn't win that award. Well,
Ayumu and Koshi are good contenders, too; but you also deserve it. Congrats."

He just smiled at me before giving me a tight hug. "Thank you, hubby. It's our
award."

"But of course, that's not an excuse for you to slack in the challenge tonight,"
Ezekiel said. "I'll be expecting your one hundred percent later. This is the final
game of the season, and I want you to give everything you've got to win the Cup.
One final push—that's all we need and all of this madness will be over. You've
experienced the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs in this tournament.
I'm sure that it's going to be your greatest strength. Have faith. We are going to
win."

"For Emerald!" Professor Evanesca said, raising her glass.

All the other people around the table also raised their glasses. "For Emerald!"

We finished our breakfast several minutes past eight. We are going to rest for a
while before heading to the Jade Battle Dome for our morning practice. We're
already at the main entrance of the building when Professor Evanesca suddenly
called RB and me.

"Do you have time? I want to talk to you two for a bit," the headmistress said.
"Sure thing, professor," I said before taking RB's hand. We bade the others goodbye
before following Professor Evanesca. She led us to the park behind the Emerald
Building.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as we stepped into the park being bathed by the
early morning sun.

"Uh... A bit nervous and excited. Actually, I can't even describe what we're
feeling, professor," I said, smiling sheepishly.

"Understandable, of course," Professor Evanesca replied with a smile. "However, I

want you to bear in your mind that you've been through worse. Ever since your
arrival here in Emerald, you two have faced unbelievable struggles. I guess that's
the reason why you two are just so strong now. I'm not saying that the game tonight
is going to be easy. I just know that you are going to handle it gracefully because
you've experienced some of the worst things that a person could experience in their
life. Trials and failures make a person stronger, and you two have conquered those
things."

Rays of the morning sun suddenly hit Professor Evanesca's robes, making them
glimmer a little. The headmistress paused for a while as if to appreciate the warm
sunshine on her skin.

"I am probably one of those people who have seen you grow in your stay here in
Emerald. I can still remember the timid and frightful Ike Lunaria from three years
ago. Look at you now, standing tall and proud right in front of me. Time really
flies fast, huh? Soon, you are also going to do your part in protecting the
citizens of this country. The future is in safe hands, it seems," Professor
Evanesca added, giving the two of us a nostalgic look.

"We wouldn't be here now if not for you, professor," I said. "Aside from my family,
you're one of the very few people who truly believed in me from the very beginning.
If not for you, I would've failed a long time ago. I owe a lot to you, professor.
Only God knows how grateful and thankful I am to be trained by none other than an
Esmerelda Evanesca."

The headmistress smiled at me. "The honor is mine, my dear boy. You've trained so
hard in the past years, and I think the time has come for you to show the world who
you truly are."

With that, RB's eyes suddenly widened before punching me forcefully.

"What do you mean, professor?" I ssked.

"Let's not kid ourselves, Ike. What do you think is the reason why Elijah was
frantically training you these past few months? Why do you think Ezekiel was so
desperate in making sure that you recover from your injuries quickly? We didn't
train you that hard just to hide your abilities from the people. The stage has been
set for you, my dear boy," Professor Evanesca said meaningfully.

"But... Professor..."

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm not getting any younger, Ike. A lot of
people look at me as the symbol of hope and peace. I think it's time for me to pass
the torch of light to someone younger, to someone who has a huge future ahead of
him. Tonight, the entire world will know who you really are. Tonight, they will
know that you have finally arrived..."

Professor Evanesca clenched my shoulder firmly, her eyes burning with intensity.

"It's time for the world to know that you are the Prime Elemental."

        Chapter 75: Warriors [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            The air is heavy with anticipation and excitement. As we warmed up in our

dugout, Ezekiel and the rest of the coaching staff talked around the projecting
table showing the three-dimensional map of the terrain. The awarding ceremony was
just over, and the Finals will officially begin in a few minutes.

RB was indeed the Season MVP. He also won the Best Offensive Player and Most Number
of Players Eliminated awards. Apart from him, Jack also won the Ruthless and
Reckless award, an award given to the player who took the most reckless and
foolhardy risks throughout the tournament. I guess his unstable behavior in all the
games proved to be useful for the team after all.

Veron also emerged victorious over NAA in the Battle for Third. Their challenge was
Powered-up Chess set in Medieval Madness. It's just like your normal chess, except
that the pieces are the players themselves along with some Gladiators, there are
power-ups, and they have to use their weirdnesses to take down their enemies. It
was pretty fun, but we didn't have much time to watch because we had to prepare for
our game against Sierra.

Ezekiel's voice suddenly snapped me out of my trance.

"Gather around, brats! We're heading out. The Finals is about to begin. Hurry up.
Just follow us," he said to everyone.

RB took my hand. "Let me hold your hand, hubby. I think I might throw up from all
this nervousness."

Silencing Charms have been placed throughout the dugouts. That's the reason why we
can't hear even a single noise coming from outside. Personally, I am extremely
grateful for that because I'm pretty sure that hearing the noise of thousands of
people won't help at all to alleviate what we're feeling right now.
The entire team headed out of the dugout in complete silence. We just stopped
walking when we finally arrived at the sliding metallic doors of the battle dome.

"We're going to wait here," Ezekiel said. "The commentators are about to blabber in
a few while. Just wait."

Jack, as usual, can't even suppress his excitement. "Dang it. I think I'm going to
die," he said as a foggy breath escaped from his mouth.

After several minutes, a loud feedback suddenly erupted from outside. Nearly
everyone in our team tensed up as the familiar voice of Professor Ferrea spoke.

"The dragon is rearing its head as fiery breath escaped through its nostrils and
mouth. Its eyes, burning with fury and power, are fixed on the majestic crown as it
prepares to take back the glory that once belonged to it. However, the phoenix is
now fully healed and recovered. Now with renewed and more powerful wings, it's more
than ready to conquer the skies once more and defend the crown from its new
challenger. Will the dragon burn its opponent to ashes like it did before, or will
the phoenix rise from the embers like it also did numerous times throughout this
tournament? Ladies and gentlemen, it's the epic battle between the dragon and the
phoenix! Welcome to the Finals of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament!"

All of a sudden, a deafening noise suddenly filled our ears, drowning all of us in
a cacophony of human voices, drums, trumpets, and all sorts of noise imaginable.

"Good evening, everyone!" Professor Ferrea shouted. "Thank you very much for
attending this electric Finals matchup! I am joined tonight by my two dear friends,
Professor Julian Ojeros and Professor Garrick Romeus! Say 'hello' to our crowd,
gentlemen!"

"Good evening," Professor Romeus' flat voice said.

"Hello there, people from all corners of the world! Thank you for coming to watch
this wonderful event!" Professor Ojeros said.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious that the people here can no longer wait any
further. However, please forgive us because we have to follow the programme for the
Finals. Earlier, Veron emerged victorious against NAA, giving them the bronze
medal. The individual awards have just been given out, too. Congratulations to our
awardees, especially to our Season MVP, Rubio Talla! No surprises there, of course!
Now, the silver medalists and champions, along with our Finals MVP, are all that's
left to name! Who's excited?!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

The crowd roared in response.

"Well, let's not prolong your wait any further," Professor Ojeros said. "Let us all
welcome the lineups of Sierra and Emerald!"
Earlier, Ezekiel surprised everyone when he showed up at the dugout wearing an
extravagant emerald-green coat. Even Professors Elena and Sivera, together with
Nicolo and Julia, also wore attires of the same color. The coaching staff and
student assistants are required to wear their school's official colors for the
Finals.

"Get ready. We're about to head out," Ezekiel said to us, still floating in midair
even though he's not wearing his usual black cloak.

"I've said this a lot already, but you look dashing tonight, Izzy. You used to have
a really good fashion sense back when we were still in college. It's a shame that
you chose to always wear your creepy black cloak," Professor Sivera said.

"Shut up," the former replied while scratching his arms. "Screw it. I think I'm
allergic to formal clothing."

Professor Sivera's reply was drowned by the sudden shout of Professor Ferrea.
"Before we let you see our brave players, I want to hear your shouts first! Let
your old man hear those screams! Rupture those voice boxes! Well, Julian and
Garrick, the mic is yours!"

"This team never lost the top spot throughout the entire tournament," Professor
Ojeros said. "With their powerful, powerful roster led by Ibasco and supported by
Cabrera, they rampaged their way towards the top of the standings. Ladies and
gentlemen, the number one team after the Elimination Round, the Dragons of the
North... Sierra Magical Institute!"

As the crowd roared in support of the red-clad team, Professor Ojeros also
enumerated their members.

"We have their members: Clark Xavier Belarma, Tyrone Christiansen, Clarrise
Cordova, Jasmine Froilan, and George Mañago. Their supports: the tournament's Best
Defensive Player, Best Support Player, and Weirdness of the Season awardee, Ayumu
Cabrera; and Denver Mariano. Their co-captain: Althea Marie Perez. They are led by
the tournament's Best Team Captain, Koshi Ibasco!"

"Here we go," Ezekiel said as the metallic doors in front of us slid open.

"The second team had to crawl their way up the team standings," Professor Romeus
said. "They had a shaky start this season, but when they finally found their
groove, they never looked back even once. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your
defending champions, the unbreakable gems of the best magical school in the
country... Emerald School of Magic."

Blinding flashes of light overwhelmed my vision the moment I stepped into the
field. Nearly half of the Diamond Battle Dome was cheering for us, all of them
wearing green. As we headed towards the field, a projection of a huge phoenix
suddenly flew above us.

"Their members: this season's Ruthless and Reckless awardee, Jack Abareñas; Alice
Achillerio, Aliyah Diane Intal, Philip Martinez; and the tournament's Best
Offensive Player, Most Number of Players Eliminated awardee, and the Most Valuable
Player of the season, Rubio Talla. Their support players are Tony Arellano and Faye
Lena. The co-captain is Jared Esveron. Lastly, they are led by their returning team
captain, Ike Lunaria."

"Is it just me, or the open field looks so much bigger?" Jared asked.

The usual circular open field of the Diamond Battle Dome has been replaced by a
vast rectangular field. The entire grounds look so much bigger than usual. Even the
stands look wider and taller.

"The Diamond Battle Dome has been expanded magically to accommodate the terrain for
the Finals and the thousands of people watching us right now," Ezekiel replied.

Sierra's already standing on their spot in the field, behind them is a huge sea of
red-clad crowd. Thankfully, our area in the field was placed with a safe distance
from Sierra that's why we don't have to awkwardly face each other while standing in
the field.

"Well, the two teams are now here. It's time to reveal the challenge and the
terrain! Technical team, blow us away like you always do!" Professor Ferrea
shouted.

The entire Diamond Battle Dome shook violently as water suddenly rose in the middle
of the field that formed into a river, dividing the open ground into two and
separating us from Sierra. At the same time, huge chunks of land slowly rose into
the air as trees, mountains, and volcanoes sprouted all around us. Within a few
seconds, the empty terrain was replaced by an alien world of floating islands,
ravines, volcanoes, mountains, and other strange land formations. Towering
waterfalls from the floating islands also cascaded down onto the land. Strange-
looking trees, glowing grasses and flowers, and other flora clothed the entire
terrain.

Despite the dramatic change in the open field, the crowd watching us didn't
disappear. Everyone in the battle dome just watched the spectacle in awe and
amazement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mayhem Macédoine! We've incorporated elements
from the previous terrains into this one. We have floating islands and creepy fog
and clouds from the Aerial Arena. The river dividing the terrain was inspired from
our freezing ocean in the Pelagic Pandemonium. The forest and other alien flora
came from the Jurassic Journey. The night setting and those scary volcanoes and
towering mountains were inspired from the Nocturnal Nightmare. We also have a
system of tunnels serving as shortcuts that pass through those mountains, all
thanks to the Murder Mansion!" Professor Ferrea said.
The crowd applauded in appreciation of the out-of-this-world terrain.

"Well, thank you very much!" Professor Ojeros said. "I'm sure that no one will
argue with me if I say that whenever Emerald hosts the CMMT, the viewers always get
treated to a set of marvelous and majestic terrains! Now, please reveal the
challenge, technical team!"

The area we're standing on slowly rose as glowing green crystals sprouted from the
ground all around us. Lanes branching out into three directions also appeared in
front of our base. At the end of each lane rose a tower with intricate markings and
design. At the top of each tower were spikes that curved inward, protecting a
glowing emerald gem. A couple of towers also sprouted at the edge of our base.
Behind us, a circular hole on the ground suddenly appeared and out came a gigantic
emerald gem. A pedestal covered the hole on the ground where the gem is now
rotating slowly.

"I know we've seen the blueprint of this terrain numerous times already, but this
is really crazy..." Jack whispered as he looked up at the gem.

"At the end of the Game 5 of the Elimination Round, the tournament committee
briefed the two schools about the challenge for the Finals. We always do it in
every tournament to give the teams ample time to create a game plan. However, we
didn't dish out all the secrets at once. Tonight, our teams will finally know all
the rules and mechanics of tonight's challenge, Tower Defense," Professor Romeus
said.

"Each team will field in 5 players at once. The objective of the game is simple:
the players have to take down first the three outermost towers to take down the
barrier running along the river. They will also gain access to the enemy terrain
filled with power-ups. Next, they have to take down the remaining towers at the
edge of their opponent's base to take down the second barrier and expose the enemy
Kardia. The team that destroys their opponent's crystal first will win the Cup,"
Professor Romeus added.

"We are finally going to use the rotation system!" Professor Ojeros said. "Players
have unlimited lives, but a player cannot be sent twice to the field in one
rotation. If a player gets eliminated, he or she can only be sent back to the field
once all the other reserve players have been sent to the field and eliminated as
well. Also, an immobilized player cannot be substituted. Players that have been
eliminated are the only ones that can be substituted except for our support players
who can be sent in and out of the field anytime."

"Also, unlike our previous games, the crowd won't be cancelled out by our special
charms and enchantments. Meaning, our players have no choice but to deal with
whatever distractions or noises our crowd might throw at them! Our crowd doesn't
need to worry about their safety because force fields and Shield Charms have been
erected around the field. Don't be afraid of stray shots!" Professor Ferrea added.

There are several things that weren't included in the terrain when we first saw it
a month ago. The first blueprint didn't have the floating islands and the other
extreme land formations like the volcanoes and ravines. In addition, they also
didn't tell us that only five players are allowed in the field at once. The
commentators haven't even finished with the briefing yet but Ezekiel's already busy
examining the new blueprint being projected over his open hand.

"Well, that's all that you need to know," Professor Ferrea said. "The teams already
had an entire month to formulate their game plan that's why we're only giving them
fifteen minutes to make adjustments to whatever plan they made. Each team will head
back to their respective dugouts to make the necessary adjustments. The planning
time begins... now."

Ezekiel immediately gathered everyone. "Let's go back to the dugout, brats. Hurry
up. We have to make some serious adjustments with our game plan. Waste no time."

Upon entering our dugout, Ezekiel and the rest of the coaching staff gathered
around the table projecting a three-dimensional version of the terrain.

"Of course, we already have a game plan for a five-player match," Ezekiel said,
turning to Professor Sivera who's already scanning some folders.

"We have to assign a player in each of the three outermost towers," Ezekiel said as
he scanned the contents of a folder given to him by Professor Sivera. "The fourth
player will guard the remaining two towers at the edge of our base. The fifth
player will serve as our sniper, and he should position himself in this particular
island..."

He then pointed to a small floating island hovering just right at the edge of our
base.

"That job is for Tony," Professor Elena said.

"Aliyah, Jared, and Alice, I want you three to defend the outermost towers. You can
also use the Gladiators to help you guard them. You, RB, are going to guard the
remaining two towers inside our terrain," Ezekiel said.

I raised a hand. "That plan already reeks with inefficiency and failure," I said
quietly.

To my surprise, Ezekiel still smiled. "And why do you say so, Ike?"

"For starters, we should assign Tony and RB as backup forces. If Sierra targets one
of our towers, at least one of them should help the player defending it. Besides,
it's utterly important for a team to defend their outermost barrier if they want to
protect the entirety of their base... wait a second, I think it's impossible that
you haven't thought about this thing," I said.

Ezekiel's grin grew even wider. "That's exactly what we want Sierra to think."
Throughout our training sessions, our game plans were never revealed to any member
of the team except for RB who, according to Ezekiel, is going to play a big role in
the Finals. Our coaches just made us practice with several formations but they
never really revealed the game plans entirely. Talk about paranoid.

Green dots suddenly appeared on the hologram projection of the terrain on the
table. "Gather around, brats. It's time for you to know our official game plan,"
Ezekiel said. "We are about to stage the most epic comeback in the history of this
tournament..."

●●●

Fifteen minutes later and we finally finished briefing everyone in our team about
our game plan. Ezekiel made sure that each and every single member of team knows
what they're going to do once they're sent to the field.

"Aliyah will be guarding the the top lane, Jared will be stationed at the mid-lane,
and the bottom lane is for Alice. RB, the remaining towers are yours. Tony, I have
a huge faith in your Enhanced Senses. That's our first formation. I do hope that
you've memorized every single phase of our plan. Once the right moment comes, RB
will give the signal to start the final phase of our plan. Got it?" Ezekiel said.

Everyone nodded.

"And of course, Ike's going to play a huge part in that final phase. I'm sure that
you're no longer nervous or intimidated by the forces of Sierra. Just do your job
and all of this will come to an end. I have faith in you, captain," Ezekiel said,
tapping my shoulder.

"I won't fail the team, Ezekiel," I said.

A buzzer sound suddenly went off followed by the voice of Professor Romeus: "To our
starting five, please step onto the teleportation podium in your dugout."

In one corner of our dugout stood a circular podium that serves as a teleportation
device between our dugout and the Spawn Area on the terrain.

"We've ran out of inspirational words to say to you," Ezekiel said. "We've done
everything we could to ensure your victory tonight. We've done our best. Tonight, I
want you to go out there and be proud of what you were able to do throughout the
tournament. Don't go out there as the students of the number one magical school in
the country. Don't go out there as the number 2 seeded team. Go out there as the
people who've experienced the muddy, dirty ground and the airy, heavenly sky. Go
out there as people who had to climb their way to the top from the lowest possible
point. Show everyone tonight that we are here because we fought so hard to be here.
We are here because we deserve to be here."
Ezekiel's cosmic eyes glowed a bit as he stared at each and every single one of us.
"They are the dragons. They breathe fire. But we are the phoenixes. We set
ourselves on fire."

"And I am a diamond," RB interjected. "No one can burn me down."

Ezekiel gave him a meaningful look. "Exactly. EMERALD—!"

"—FIGHT!"

Aliyah, Jared, Alice, Tony, and RB headed towards the podium in our dugout. All
five of them disappeared in a blinding flash of light before reappearing several
seconds later on the Spawn Area in our base. They immediately positioned
themselves.

"Interesting," Professor Ferrea said. "Both Sierra and Emerald seem to be holding
back their main guns for the meantime. Looks like this battle is going to be a long
one. Well, who's ready to see some action?!"

The crowd roared and cheered.

"Well, I'm also itching to see a good fight just like you," Professor Ferrea said.
"And there goes our signal from the game officials! We can finally start this
thing! Let's all shout together the magic words, shall we? Ladies and gentlemen,
for the last time this season—"

Professor Ferrea, along with the thousands of people watching us, shouted the words
that always signal the start of all the action and drama of every single game in
this tournament.

"LET THE MAYHEM COMMENCE!"

        Chapter 76: Between Fire and Lightning [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Welcome to Mayhem Macédoine," the familiar female voice of the Diamond

Battle Dome said as all the Kardias and Towers suddenly lit up with their
respective lights. At the same time, a countdown flashed on some of the TV monitors
in our surveillance room. "Sierra's Kardia has been activated. Five Towers are
still standing. Emerald's Kardia has been activated. Five Towers are still
standing. Power-ups are activated."

Orbs of light suddenly fell from the sky and landed on the inner part of the
terrain leading to the two bases.

Just like what Professor Ferrea said, Sierra also didn't use their full lineup.
Koshi's actually not yet in the field. Ayumu, however, is now hovering directly
above the two Towers at the edge of their base. It seems that he's gonna be
protecting their team's base.

"The battle begins in 3... 2... 1..."

Another buzzer sound went off to signal the start of the battle.

Nearly all the players from both teams stationed in the outermost Towers summoned
Gladiators. At the same time, RB extended his arms in front of him before clenching
his hands, causing crystal spikes to appear all over our side of the terrain.

"First off, RB's going to set up traps all over our inner terrain. They're not
supposed to eliminate people. They're just there to immobilize any idiot who steps
on them. That way, we can delay our opponent or even cause their rotation to
reset."

If all the five active players from
be sent back to their Spawn Area in
or even the Kardia—to the opponent.
beings that might help to outnumber
Golems.
a team were immobilized, the five players will
their base, instantly exposing all the Towers—
Also, no one is allowed to create any humanoid
the opponent. That includes RB's Crystal

With Professor Evanesca's advice, RB will try not to use his strange new powers
tonight. The initial findings about the contamination of RB's hand just arrived
yesterday, and it said that in order to prevent further contamination, RB shouldn't
use any more of his ominous, dark powers.

On my side, Ezekiel's already barking instructions to everyone in the field. Unlike

in the previous games, all the members of a team can communicate with each other
and with the coaching staff.

"Tony, get going with your sniping. Take your time. Be patient. RB, please stay in
your place. To the others, guard your respective Towers. Knowing Sierra, I know
that they're going to attack first. Godspeed, everyone."

The commentators were already talking about the game as it happens. "Christiansen,
Cordova, and Froilan guard the outermost Towers for Sierra, with Cabrera manning
the inner Towers. Mañago looks like he's going to be the freelancer of the red
team. Emerald, on the other hand, fielded in Achillerio, Esveron, and Intal as the
guards of their outermost Towers. Our MVP, Talla, is guarding the inner Towers just
like Cabrera. Also, Arellano's stationed on a floating island just right above
Talla's area. He doesn't seem to be roaming around like Sierra's Mañago.
Interesting. Thoughts, Garrick and Julian?" Professor Ferrea asked.

"Arellano doesn't need to roam around the field," Professor Romeus replied right
away. "He's serving as Emerald's sniper. With his Enhanced Senses Weirdness and his
bow, he can definitely take down any opponent wherever they are in the field. It's
safer and a lot more efficient."
"WE HAVE OUR FIRST FIGHT!" Professor Ojeros suddenly shouted.

Ezekiel turned to Professor Sivera. "Camera 3, now!"

A new video feed flashed on the main TV monitor, showing Alice in the bottom lane.
Over the other side of the river, I could see Sierra's Christiansen together with
his Gladiators flying towards Alice's Tower.

"Alice, please take care. You're not alone," Ezekiel said when Christiansen finally
landed on our terrain.

Several energy blasts coming from the Robotic Body Weirdo shot towards Alice and
the Tower. Before they could reach their targets, crystal ravens and arrows
intercepted all of the opponent's attacks, causing them to explode. The remaining
arrows shot towards Christiansen before exploding while the others that missed just
whizzed past him.

Further into our terrain, Tony is currently squinting over the distance with his
arrows ready to be fired. On the other hand, RB has his arm raised towards the
direction of the bottom Tower, his fingers flicking every now and then in order to
control the murder of crystal ravens flying all over Alice's area.

"It seems that Ms. Achillerio is not alone after all! Just like what we thought,
Arellano is serving as a sniper for the green team. Even Talla sent his formidable
crows to help defend their bottom Tower! They certainly don't need to move at all.
Look, Christiansen's heading back to his Tower now!" Professor Ferrea said.

"The water was too hot, eh?" Professor Ojeros said with a small laugh. "It seems
that Sierra dipped their fingers for a moment in Emerald's terrain to see how hot
their defenses are."

"TAKE THAT, BASTARD!" Jack shouted with a mad laugh.

"As expected, Sierra attacked our weakest link first. Compared to Aliyah and Jared,
Alice has the weakest offensive power, and therefore it's sensible why they
attacked her first. Sierra's first attack was probably aimed at testing the
defenses that we've put up in our terrain," Ezekiel said with a sigh. "But of
course, we intentionally put Alice there to draw all the attackers to our bottom
lane," he added before smirking meaningfully.

"We're looking good, then," Professor Sivera said with a smile.

It's totally understandable why there aren't much fights in the early minutes of
the game. The teams have to obviously get a feel first of what kind of terrain
they're going to face. On our side, they can expect an unlimited rain of arrows and
hundreds of murderous ravens to greet them once they cross the river dividing the
terrain. On Sierra's side, we're expecting monstrous shadows from Ayumu and some
real animals from their Animal Affinity Weirdo, Mañago.

Jack was also thinking about the same thing. "By the way, what animals can that
Mañago summon in this battle dome? Ants? Bugs?" he asked.

"That," Ezekiel replied.

A wider camera shot suddenly flashed on the main TV monitor, showing hundreds of
birds flying into the Diamond Battle Dome through the open roof of the building. At
the same time, Ayumu' shadow crept towards the bottom Tower before morphing into
crows made out of pure blackness. Sierra's Christiansen also flew towards Alice's
area.

"Here he comes again, Alice," Ezekiel said.

As hundreds of live and shadow birds flew towards our bottom Tower, volleys of red
arrows and hundreds of sparkling ravens also flew to intercept Sierra's new attack.
On the ground, Alice is now running towards the edge of the river to face
Christiansen. RB's crystal ravens suddenly rotated swiftly before transforming into
spikes that zoomed towards Ayumu's shadow crows, causing them to disperse into
black smoke. Tony's arrows, on the other hand, targeted huge flocks of Mañago's
live birds before exploding, forcing them to fly away from the area.

Back on the ground, Alice is currently busy evading energy blasts coming from
Sierra's Christiansen. Because the former is obviously at the disadvantage, she
just wove and duck around Christiansen's attacks or used several attacking spells.

"Lure him into the terrain further. Get that guy in the Tower's radius!" Ezekiel
said.

Several arrows heading towards the opposite side of the river recurved and flew
towards Christiansen, forcing him to move further into our terrain. Just like what
our coach wanted to happen, the Tower emitted an ominous hum as the spikes at the
top of it opened wide to let the emerald gem at its center float in midair. The gem
emitted jets of green light that shot towards Christiansen.

"Keep him within the radius of the Tower, RB! Trap him!" Ezekiel shouted.

Several crystal ravens descended from the sky and flew swiftly in a huge circle
around the Tower, effectively trapping Christiansen within its radius. Thanks to RB
and Tony, not even a single bird—live or shadow—was able to hurt Alice or give
damage to the Tower so far.

"HE'S TRAPPED! Christiansen is in a pinch!" Professor Ojeros shouted as the green

crowd roared happily. "Achillerio isn't the deadliest of attackers, but Emerald's
backup support is phenomenal! Arellano and Talla can eliminate an opponent even
without having to face them! Such coordination and connection!"
"Sierra tried to target the weakest link in Emerald's defense by attacking
Achillerio. Christiansen's first attack was aimed at testing the defenses of the
green team. He probably backed away to let the coaches think about what to do with
Arellano and Talla. In their second attempt, they tried to imitate Emerald's
defensive technique. As you can see, Sierra's strategy failed because they didn't
expect that the green team's defense was this strong and tight," Professor Romeus
added.

Alice's ropes swished towards Christiansen who was forced to back away. The latter
is currently defending himself from Alice, the crystal ravens, and the Tower's
attacks that's why it's pretty obvious that it's only a matter of time before
Christiansen gets eliminated.

Right on cue, one of Alice's ropes wrapped around her opponent's leg. With a mighty
heave, she sent Christiansen flying high into the air. At the exact point where the
latter reached the apex of his flight, numerous crystal ravens transformed into
spikes that shot straight towards his shield, shattering it within seconds. There
was a blinding flash of red light and Christiansen was gone.

"Sierra's Player 6 has been eliminated. Emerald's Player 9 draws first blood," the
female voice said as the green crowd rejoiced.

"There he goes! Christiansen is eliminated! The bottom Tower is vacant! Hurry up,
girl!" Professor Ferrea said.

When a player gets eliminated, there is a 30-second cool down time before the team
can send the replacement player. The rest of our teammates cheered on as Alice
crossed the river where RB's crystal ravens have created a bridge. She also
summoned a new batch of Gladiators as the red Tower loomed ahead of her.

Ezekiel and I, however, have our eyes fixed on Ayumu who suddenly raised his hand
to the direction of the abandoned Tower.

"Alice, slow down—!"

Before she could even step on Sierra's terrain, a wall of shadow suddenly blocked
her way and completely hid the Tower from view. Some of the Gladiators who were
flying ahead of Alice were crushed to bits and pieces as they passed through the
wall of shadow. Alice stepped back as shadow tentacles extended towards her.

"And Sierra gives Emerald a dose of their own medicine! It's a showdown between the
defenses of Talla and Cabrera! It seems that Sierra's support has fortified their
terrain with his shadows. This is trouble for Emerald!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

"Eliminating Sierra's players is one thing, destroying their Towers is going to be

another. Frankly speaking, it's easy to slip past the defense of Talla and
Arellano. Cabrera's shadows, on the other hand, are very hard to detect and fight
with. If Emerald doesn't find a way to get past Cabrera's defense, none of their
players might even be able to step on Sierra's terrain," Professor Romeus added.

Ezekiel bowed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if to weigh his options. Even
the joyous celebration of the green crowd was suddenly hushed. "Please go back to
the Tower, Alice. It's too dangerous. We have to regroup."

"Can't we just send RB's crystal ravens to destroy their Towers?" Jack asked.

"Just like Ayumu, RB's control with his ravens has a specific radius. Besides, we
can't just launch a large-scale attack with RB's ravens. It will just drain his
strength and compromise our defense. Tony could use his arrows, but Ayumu will just
crush them all like ants. We have to find a way to draw out their support from
their side of the terrain so that we could eliminate him," Ezekiel replied.

Back in the field, the substitute for Christiansen was already sent to the bottom
Tower, and it's Sierra's Blue Fire Weirdo, Clark Xavier Belarma. Unlike
Christiansen, he can definitely fend off RB's crystal ravens using his explosive
firepower.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I whispered uneasily as Ayumu's shadows crept
throughout their terrain. At the same time, a ring of blue fire erupted around the
bottom Tower as Belarma conjured a bow made out of blue fire before shooting a
fiery arrow high into the air.

The flaming arrow multiplied in midair as it headed towards our terrain. Just
several moments after it was shot to the air, the sky is now filled with hundreds
of blazing arrows—all headed to the three outermost Towers. Alice and Aliyah,
seeing that they have no chance at all to deflect the incoming attack, just
conjured Shield Charms around themselves as protection. In the middle lane, Jared
stood in front of the Tower and waited for the right moment to send back the arrows
to Sierra. At the same time, RB's crystal ravens flocked around the Towers to
protect them from getting heavy damage while Tony also sent another rain of arrows
to intercept the incoming attack.

A blinding flash of light erupted in the middle of the terrain as the arrows hit
their targets and exploded. Some of the arrows exploded in midair thanks to Tony
and RB, while the majority of the arrows heading for the middle Tower were sent
back with the help of Jared's Revenge Attack. Loud buzzing sounds went off as the
top and bottom Towers received a considerable amount of damage. When things have
finally cleared up, craters, burnt vegetation, and blackened ground greeted our
eyes. Majority of the crystal ravens flying around also lay shattered on the
ground.

"A huge attack from Sierra!" Professor Ojeros shouted. "Emerald's Towers and
guardians received damage from that powerful attack coming from Belarma! No one was
eliminated, but Emerald was obviously shaken with Sierra's new attack!"

Professor Sivera suddenly turned to us. "Uh, Izzy... You should see this..." he
said before pointing to a TV monitor showing RB who's currently crouching on the
ground and panting for air. Some parts of his arms and face are now covered with
crystals of different colors.

"RB's getting pretty winded," I said as comprehension finally dawned on me.

"Whatever damage his crystal creations take, he also receives it. The attack
earlier wasn't really aimed at destroying our Towers. They want to weaken RB's
defense in our terrain. "

It may look beautiful to other people, but when crystals start to coat RB's body,
that means he's getting drained and weakened. If he continues on using his
weirdness without resting, crystals will puncture his skin and flesh or even
shatter his bones.

"It's a systematic attack," Professor Elena suddenly said. "They're slowing

chipping away at the foundations of our defense. They tested our defense earlier
with Christiansen's attack, and now they're slowly trying to take that defense
down. Unlike us, Sierra doesn't really have a definite game plan coming into this
game. They create their game plan as they go through the game, making them a lot
more difficult to read."

"What's the plan now?" Professor Sivera asked.

Ezekiel turned to the TV monitors. "RB, rest for a while first. Stop sending those
crystal ravens to the Towers. I'm sure that Tony will be able to defend them
without you— NO. This is an order. We can't risk it. Rest. We can see that you're
getting tired. You can't hide it and we're not stupid. We cannot afford to lose you
this early in the game."

Thankfully, RB agreed. The remaining crystal ravens disintegrated to dust with a

click of RB's fingers.

Professor Ferrea noticed our move. "Now, did Sierra plan this thing? It seems that
the red team has finally found a weakness in Talla. He looks like he's really tired
and weakened. Does that mean that whenever his crystal ravens get damaged, he also
receives damage? This is trouble for Emerald if it's true."

"Could be. Talla is powerful, but just like Cabrera and Ibasco whom we perceived as
really powerful right at the beginning of this tournament, he also has weaknesses.
I'm sure that Sierra's coaching staff has done everything they could to uncover the
secrets of one of Emerald's star players. I can see a particular pattern in
Sierra's attacks, and I think they're on to something really big," Professor Romeus
replied.

"We can send Faye as a replacement for Tony so that she could restore RB's
strength," I said. "It will only take several seconds to restore his stamina."

"I think we should do that, Izzy. Sierra's not yet launching a large-scale attack
and we have to use this time to heal our strongest weapons. We need RB in full
strength especially once we're in the final stage of our plan," Professor Sivera
said.
Ezekiel nodded before pushing a button. "Emerald would like to make a switch. We're
going to switch Player 3 with Player 4," he said before turning to our players in
the field. "Tony, we're switching you out for a moment with Faye. She needs to
restore RB's strength."

"Do your magic," I said to Faye as she stood at the teleportation podium.

"I will," she replied before disappearing in a blinding flash of green light. In
the field, a ring of green light erupted around Tony who suddenly disappeared from
the terrain with another flash of light. Faye reappeared at the Spawn Area of our
base a second later.

"A switch! Arellano has been switched with Lena. It seems that they're going to
restore Talla's strength. Ah... The luxury of having a Healer in your team. Wise
decision, Emerald!" Professor Ojeros said.

"Be quick, Faye," Ezekiel said.

Our Healer immediately approached RB before running her glowing hands all over the
latter's body.

Right at that moment, shadows crept up the body of Belarma who suddenly sank to the
ground and reappeared a moment later in the middle Tower where the Metallic Blades
Weirdo, Cordova, was standing guard. He picked up the latter before flying towards
Jared's area with the help of jets of fire being emitted from his feet.

"An attack! A double attack! And right after Emerald switched Arellano with Lena.
They basically have no backup support now!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

"Brace yourself, Jared! Summon Gladiators!" Ezekiel said as the two players from
Sierra landed on our terrain.

Cordova dashed towards Jared before swinging her blades at him. Based from the way
she attacks Jared, it seems that they know that Jared can't send back physical
attacks. Belarma also landed behind him and sent balls of blue fire, forcing him to
jump away from the line of fire. Jared swiped his hands at the fireballs and sent
them flying towards Cordova.

The blades attached at the end of Cordova's metallic levers shot towards Jared who
also sent them towards Belarma. All around him, the Gladiators were also fighting
fiercely. Despite being outnumbered, Jared was able to handle the power of two of
Sierra's deadliest attackers. Even Jack was cheering for him.

"Find an opening!" Ezekiel shouted at Jared. "Or create one!"

Belarma sent a huge fireball towards Jared. The latter just clicked his fingers,
causing the fireball to slow down with its approach. He then jumped into the air
before pointing his hand downward, making the fireball recurve and shoot straight
to the ground where it exploded. The explosion created a blast wave that sent Jared
high into the air.

"That's an opening," Professor Sivera said with a smile.

With a swipe of his arms, Jared created a circle of light on the ground around
Belarma whose eyes suddenly glowed brightly. Huge jets of fire also erupted from
the latter's hands before shooting at Cordova. Obviously surprised, Sierra's
Metallic Blade Weirdo didn't have time to evade the attack. A powerful explosion
blasted all three of them away from the area. A flash of red light erupted
somewhere in the middle of the smoking terrain followed by the female voice.

"Sierra's Player 7 has been eliminated by Emerald's Player 2."

"YES!" Jack shouted as the green crowd and everyone in our dugout rejoiced. "That's
Forced Activation for you, suckers!"

"Cordova is out!" Professor Ferrea shouted. "Despite being outnumbered, Esveron

finds a way to take down Cordova! Two kills for Emerald!"

Before Jared could even recover from his crash, the water from the river suddenly
rose before forming into ice spikes. The camera panned to show Froilan, Sierra's
Water Weirdo, with her arms extended to the direction of the middle Tower.

Ezekiel and I only had time to shout before the ice spikes shot towards Jared.
"Behind you—!"

Jared was blasted off his feet as numerous ice spikes shot towards the shield on
his back, shattering it within seconds. At the same time, Belarma shot jets of blue
fire at the middle Tower. Within less than a minute, Sierra was able to destroy one
of our Towers and eliminate one of our members.

"Emerald's Player 2 has been eliminated by Sierra's Player 8. Emerald's middle

Tower has been destroyed."

It all happened in an instant. As everyone from our team stared at the smoking
ruins of our middle Tower, a sudden and heavy realization fell upon us. Ayumu
hasn't even used his full power. Koshi wasn't even in the field yet. Sierra may
have already lost two of their players, but all of us knew that the real trouble is
just about to begin. Jared's already down, RB's weakened, one of our Towers was
already destroyed, and we still can't find a way to penetrate the enemy terrain;
but Sierra hasn't even given their one hundred percent in this match yet.

As Sierra's Belarma stared at our terrain still protected by the barrier coming
from our remaining Towers, their team seemed to convey a message that rang loud and
clear inside the head of everyone in our dugout:

Let's drag these phoenixes back to earth.

        Chapter 77: The Juggernaut [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Please consider reading The Artist and the Director by swordanger! Check it
out mga timawa. ߘ

If gusto niyo pong magpa-plug ng story, message me po via direct messaging. Don't
post on my timeline dahil matatabunan lang 'yan ng ibang comments lalo pa't bihira
lang ako mag-internet. Also, i-CAPS LOCK NIYO ANG MESSAGE NIYO PARA MAKUHA TALAGA
ANG ATENSYON KO. Haha. Sorry sa iba kung meron mang may natabunan na nagpapa-plug.
Just message me again.

Again, 'di po ako snob. Sadyang wala lang talaga akong time to browse around the
Wattpad app. Like I said, umaasa nga lang ako sa Gmail ko para mabasa ang comments
niyo. Pasensya rin if matagal ang reply ko. Again, once-a-month lang ang labas ko
sa city. 'Yun lang. Thanks.

TheAshtone

"‫●●׏‬

The moon is currently hovering just over the horizon, creating a long and sparkling
reflection on the ocean's surface. Stars also dotted the rest of the cloudless
night sky. Over the distance, a lone island walled on all sides with towerinf
cliffs jutted out of the calm ocean—the only land visible in the area. The island
would've been totally inaccessible to outsiders if not for a small, rocky shore
situated on the western part of the island.

On any other night, this lonely island would've been completely still and silent
just like the ocean around it. Tonight, however, a huge bonfire is currently
burning on its shore where hundreds of people are currently gathered. Torches also
lined the perimeter of the area and provided additional illumination. Among the
people gathered in the shore were Jaeron and his cronies in the Legion of Death.
All of them seem to be preparing for something.

"It's really chilly here, Jaeron. Maybe I should just go back to the headquarters
and wait for your orders there. I can't stand the cold here," Iris said to their
leader.

"It's not my fault that you didn't wear anything that could protect you from the
cold weather. Just go and warm yourself up near that bonfire or whatever," Jaeron
replied, throwing her a bored look.

Iris rolled her eyes. "Some of the men there kept throwing sticky glances at me. I
might be a little slutty but I still have taste," she said with a shudder.
"Just wait for a few moments. We're still not done with the preparations," Jaeron
said.

A hodgepodge of people bustled all over the shores of the island. On one side of
the shore stood the Purgers, in the middle stood the Purebloods, and on the other
side stood the villains. Their respective leaders, Fabio, Isagani, and Jaeron—along
with some of their most trusted cronies—are gathered around a smaller bonfire
several meters away from the majority of the people.

"All our men are ready to strike," Jaeron said to the others. "They're just waiting
in their respective places. Once I give my signal, all of them will come out to
begin the initial phase of our plan tonight."

"And how sure are you that they will do their part successfully?" Isagani asked.

Jaeron gave him a faint smile. "Because we didn't train them to fail. Consider the
initial phase of our plan done. Also, I do hope that your men have already
familiarized themselves on how to use the guns containing our Freak Shots, Isagani.
Those shots aren't easy to make, so please make sure that only your most skilled
marksmen use those guns."

"I did everything that you told me to do, Jaeron," Isagani replied. "Also, my
sharpest shooters have been training with those guns in the past few weeks. If
you're just going to doubt the shooting skills of my men, I will advice you to just
worry about something else."

Jaeron gave him a satisfied nod. "That's good to hear. How about you, Fabio?" he
said, turning to a bearded man with scars on nearly every square inch of his face.

"My men are always ready to fight. They've been cooped up for so long in our
forests, Jaeron. I'm sure that they're itching to go back to how things were during
Serafina's reign," the leader of the Purgers replied.

"We already know what's going to happen with our targets tonight, but you haven't
told us anything about what we're going to do with the Evanescas, especially
Esmerelda. As of this moment, they are the biggest hindrances to our plan," Isagani
asked.

A mysterious smile curved across Jaeron's face. "We have a solution for the
Evanescas, don't worry. Besides, we already have a perfect opponent for Esmerelda.
As for the remaining two, the three of us can handle them."

Fabio threw him a skeptical look. "We're talking about the number 7 agent in the
World Ranking. Unlike those sissy students that you can't even capture, he can
definitely kick our asses or even kill us. I was able to witness Ezekiel's powers
when he was still young, Jaeron. His weirdness may be common as salt, but his
technique in using it is deadly."
"I know what I'm doing," Jaeron replied flatly. "And I definitely know the
capabilities of Ezekiel Evanesca. He's ridiculously strong, and that's the exact
reason why we have to work together to take him down. Also, you're the last person
on this planet that I'd expect to be afraid of the youngest Evanesca."

Fabio is a Nullifying Weirdo. His weirdness allows him to mark any weirdo with his
magic and deactivate their weirdness for as long as they're inside a specific
radius around him. He can target specific people for a full nullifying effect, or
he can affect all people within his radius to lessen the power and effectiveness of
their respective weirdnesses.

"If there's one thing that I always keep in mind whenever I'm about to fight
someone, it's that I should never be overconfident with my skills. I should just
trust myself, and not be too complacent. Too much confidence will kill you,
Jaeron," Fabio replied.

"Spoken like a true Purger," Jaeron said with a chuckle. One of Jaeron's men,
Warner, suddenly approached him before whispering to his ear. Jaeron gave him a nod
before turning to the other people around their bonfire.

"Gentlemen, I think the time has come. It is time to address these gallant people
standing around us. We have to go to our respective destinations as soon as
possible to ensure the smooth execution of our plan tonight."

With a flick of his hand, Jaeron raised the sand right in front of him that formed
into a circular podium just high enough to allow him to be seen by everyone in the
area. Fabio and Isagani also stood on either side of the podium. The members of the
inner circle of their respective groups stood behind the three.

Jaeron scanned the people in front of him before taking a deep breath. "Good
evening, everyone," he began, his voice ringing loud and clear despite the sound of
waves crashing against the shore. "First and foremost, I cannot thank you enough
for helping us with our plans. All of you set aside your differences for a common
goal. We are forever indebted to you. Even after this evening, we will never forget
your contribution to our cause."

He paused, letting his own voice be drowned by the sound of waves.

"It never crossed my mind, not even once, that I would get a chance to work with
people like you. Frankly speaking, you are the last people on this planet that I'd
expect to work together. Our beliefs and ideologies clash like water and oil."

"However, fate loves playing with the lives of people," Jaeron continued. "For our
Purebloods, they were forced to live in isolation from the rest of the modern world
because the government doesn't want them to fight for their rights. Our communis
brothers were branded as obsoletes, as mere Neanderthals compared to the superior
abilities and skills of the weirdos. When they tried to fight back, they were
banished from society and accused of not being open to changes, as narrow-minded
people who can't accept the fact that the world is slowly changing, and that
there's nothing they can do to stop it."

"The Purgers, mighty and fearless defenders of their territories. Almost a century
ago, you were just peace-loving people living together in harmony. Everything was
perfect, until turbulence came in your lands in the form of bandits and pillagers.
You tried to ask for help from the government, and so they sent the agents.
However, your forefathers unveiled the conspiracy between those bandits and the
people who were supposed to protect you. When your ancestors tried to confront
them, those agents tried to dispatch them, and so they were forced to fight back.
When they emerged victorious, the government branded them as heartless barbarians
who kill anyone mercilessly. Just like the Purebloods, they were forced to retreat
to the mountains to pay for the sin that they didn't even commit."

Jaeron turned to the last group of people in the area.

"And the villains, bearers of poison to the modern society. Back when the
superhuman society was just trying to establish an organized government, we were
the people who fought strongly for changes and reforms that would've benefited the
entire country. Of course, those views were rejected by the majority. We parted
ways with them, and when we fought for our beliefs on our own, the new government
called us as radicals and extremists. With their influence, they imprinted into the
minds of the people that we are evil and dangerous. Within just a few years, we
were forced to live like rats on the outskirts of modern society—scurrying away in
the presence of agents, cowering in fear from the oppression of the authorities."

"You see, the war between the weirdos and communis was long over. Nobody won that
war. Only the government benefited from all those bloody conflicts. Those wars only
gave an opportunity to the government to further draw a more vivid line between
what they consider as bad or good. They get to choose what is right or wrong
because they have the power and influence. We all lost our respective wars, and
only the victors get to write history."

Jaeron's voice suddenly rose dramatically.

"Tonight, we are going to write a new chapter in history! We, the oppressed, are
going to overturn our oppressors! We have a common enemy, an enemy that has been
snaking through our society using its long and powerful tentacles, slowly
constricting us every day. Tonight, we will emerge victorious on top of the smoking
ruins of these institutions. Their reign is over! Our time has come! WE WILL RISE,
AND THEY WILL FALL!" Jaeron said, emphasizing every word.

All the people in front of him raised their hands while letting out their own war
cries. For a long moment, only the furious shouts of the people can be heard before
Jaeron raised his hand to silence them.

"Purgers, Purebloods, and villains, let us all work together to take down our
common enemy. Let us all march towards change. Let us all stand together as we face
a new tomorrow. Tonight, victory will be ours," he said before clicking his
fingers.
Three portals suddenly appeared behind the people in the area. As the Purgers,
Purebloods, and villains marched towards them, Jaeron stepped down from his podium
before turning to Isagani and Fabio.

"You know what to do. Good luck. Take care. I have to go now," Jaeron said before
opening another portal in front of him.

"And where are you going?" Fabio asked.

Jaeron's eyes gleamed. "To Emerald. I have to acquire the final and most important
piece for our plans tonight. Good evening, men. I will see you later."

●●●

Ike's POV

"And just like that, Sierra's Belarma eliminates Esveron AND destroys Emerald's
middle Tower! It all happened in an instant!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

"It's a carefully-orchestrated attack. With Belarma's arrows earlier, he was able

to weaken Talla which forced Emerald to replace their support player. With the
green team's backup forces temporarily absent, Sierra took advantage of the
situation and staged their first major attack. They're taking it slowly and
carefully, and as all of us can see, their patience benefited them. The loss of
Esveron this early in the game is a huge blow to Emerald," Professor Romeus added.

A blinding flash of green light erupted from our teleportation podium and Jared
suddenly materialized on it, fully healed and wearing a new jersey. Before an
eliminated player is sent back to the surveillance room, the medical team checks
them first for any injuries. If the injuries are minor, then they can be sent back
to the field again.

"You did great. Rest for now. We're gonna need you again," Ezekiel said to him.

"WHAT'S THIS?!" Professor Ojeros suddenly shouted, making all of us jump. "SIERRA'S
OUTERMOST GUARDIANS ARE ATTACKING EMERALD'S REMAINING TOWERS!"

Ezekiel slammed his hand on the control panel before pushing a button. "We'd like
to switch our supports!" he said. "Tony!"

Tony nodded before running towards the teleportation podium. Faye's body suddenly
glowed brightly before disappearing from the field. A moment later, Tony appeared
on the Spawn Area at the corner of our base as Faye materialized on our
teleportation podium.
"I wasn't able to restore RB's full strength, but I hope I've done enough," she
said breathlessly.

"You've done more than enough," I replied.

Over the distance, new flocks of bird are currently flying towards our terrain.
Belarma also flew towards the direction of our bottom Tower as Perez jumped into
the air using her Superstrength Weirdness and headed towards the same direction. At
the upper part of our terrain, Froilan is currently gliding on the water towards
our top Tower. Ayumu also transformed into a shadow before reappearing at the edge
of their terrain just right behind their outermost barrier. Shadows slowly crept
into our territory and covered the area near our remaining Towers.

Red and green Gladiators, together with new batches of live and shadow birds,
descended from the sky as chaos erupted around our remaining Towers. Belarma and
Perez double-teamed Alice, while Froilan faced Aliyah. Tony's back to his island
and is currently sending arrows towards our opponents. Crystal wings also erupted
from RB's back as he flew towards the top Tower to help Aliyah.

"We have a war happening in the field right now!" Professor Ojeros said. "Sierra is
on full offensive right after destroying the green team's middle Tower. It seems
that Emerald is still in shock with this sudden attack from the red team. What will
happen now?!"

A batch of Gladiators greeted RB just several meters before he reached the top
Tower. With a lazy swipe of his hand, he coated his attackers with crystals which
fell one by one towards the ground before exploding.

"Clear that Tower, RB!" Ezekiel shouted.

The former landed just in time to help Aliyah who's currently swerving around ice
spikes being sent to her by Froilan. It seems that the latter used earplugs to
defend herself from Aliyah's manipulative flute music.

Crystal spikes suddenly sprouted on the ground around Froilan, trapping her on all
sides. The crystals constricted her further until a loud crunch sounded from behind
her, indicating a crushed shield. Within moments, Sierra's Water Weirdo disappeared
in a blinding flash of red light.

"Sierra's Player 8 has been eliminated by Emerald's Player 9."

"Go and help Alice! She needs your help! Leave Aliyah to guard that Tower!" Ezekiel
ordered.

RB launched into the air once more before heading quickly towards the bottom Tower.
However, he was only halfway towards his destination when dark clouds suddenly
covered the sky. Without any warning, multiple forks of lightning erupted from the
sky and shot straight towards the ground, creating massive explosions where they
hit. One of the targets was RB who's currently flying through the air.

"Sierra's Player 1 has entered the game and eliminated Emerald's Player 6 and
Player 7. Also, Emerald's middle and top Towers have been destroyed."

"WHAT?!" Professor Ferrea shouted in disbelief. "Ibasco just entered the game but
he was able to eliminate two players from Emerald and destroyed two Towers with
that one attack! Emerald is in a huge trouble! This is power beyond comprehension!
And why isn't Emerald sending replacements?!"

"Go back to the base, RB! Tony, keep shooting those arrows!" Ezekiel shouted as the
outermost barrier of our terrain dissolved into green smoke. "Jack and Philip, go!"

The two men dashed towards the teleportation podium as RB flew swiftly back to our
terrain.

Sierra's Koshi is now flying towards our base with Ayumu gliding right beside him.
Their three other teammates also made their way to our final two Towers at the edge
of our base.

"Maybe I should go in, Ezekiel," I said.

"No. We have to wait," he replied.

Thankfully, RB landed on our base just before our opponents reached it. To my
surprise, he gestured at Jack and Philip to stand behind the second barrier. In
front of them, a storm of fire and lightning accompanied by darkness approached
them swiftly.

Ezekiel's already praying beside me. "Please work, please work, please work..."

"What chance does Emerald have against this unstoppable power?! Is this Emerald's
last stand?" Professor Ferrea shouted as the red crowd rejoiced. "Are we about to
crown a new champion this year?!"

"I should go, Ezekiel!" I shouted.

When all five opponents finally reached our base, RB suddenly swiped his hand in
front of him, creating a huge arc of crystals that barred Sierra's players from
advancing any further. He then opened his arms wide before slowly rising into the
air.

A triumphant grin curved across Ezekiel's face. "Ever since I met him, I knew that
RB's different, that he's special. It's already a given that his weirdness and
intellect truly make him a deadly opponent. However, there is more to RB than just
his powers or mind. Throughout his life, he's experienced a lot of horrible things.
He knows how it feels to be captured and trapped. He knows how the people around
him behave and think. He knows how to deal with good and evil. He knows how it
feels to be the hunter or the hunted. Basically, he's seen and experienced it all,
and he knows exactly what to do in every situation that he faces."

Huge cracks suddenly appeared on the ground at the edge of our base, forcing
Sierra's players to back away.

"His experiences in life made him tougher, stronger, and wiser. He is the reason
why he's this powerful. His early training with his parents... The trauma he's
experienced from Jaeron... His solitary life away from everyone else... The
guidance and personal training my sister gave him... His stay here in Emerald...
All of those contributed to his sharp intellect and deadly instincts. RB is not
just a deity living among commoners. He is beyond strength. He is beyond power. He
is a diamond..."

The entire Diamond Battle Dome shook violently as nine dragon heads made out of
nine different gemstones suddenly sprouted from the ground around RB. The nine-
headed dragon, with its long necks, covered nearly the entire base from all angles.
The dragon reared its heads before letting out a monstrous roar that rattled
everything inside the battle dome. The moon shining above the field has also been
blocked out by hundreds of crystal ravens flying all over our terrain. As if
serving as the dragon's heart, RB hovered motionless in midair right at the center
of the dragon.

"He is indestructible."

        Chapter 78: The Monster Within [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            RB's POV

"So his weirdness had already manifested?" Professor Evanesca asked my parents. The
celebration for my seventh birthday was just finished and it's already nighttime. I
was just looking around the house for my parents to show them one of the gifts that
I got when I saw them talking to my godmother in the backyard. Recognizing the
serious looks on their faces, I just stood silently at the door and waited for them
to finish.

"Yeah," my father, Carlo, replied. "Crystal Weirdness, just like the diagnosis
said. It's really powerful and unique. He might even be the only Crystal Weirdo in
this country."

"Is there any sign of any other weirdness?" Professor Evanesca asked.

"None, so far," my mother replied. "Crystal Weirdness must be his base power. This
morning, he was able to produce crystal dust which looked a lot like amethyst. You
can actually see it in his hair and eyes, Esmerelda. According to his diagnosis, he
might also be able to produce stronger and rarer gemstones like sapphire and
diamond when he grows up. What's really fascinating is that all his gemstones are
genuine, if not better in quality. I think it would be better if we just all agree
that his current weirdness is going to be his permanent weirdness for the rest of
his life."

"We can't be complacent, Stella," Professor Evanesca said grimly. "If you notice
any signs of a different weirdness manifesting in him, please tell me right away."

"Why are you so scared? No matter what weirdness manifests in him, we will always
be here to guide him. Rubio is unique, and he's definitely going to be a powerful
weirdo when he grows up. It's our responsibility to make sure that he becomes an
upright person," my father said.

My godmother nodded. "I have a huge trust in your parenting skills, Carlo. However,
bear in mind that there are weirdnesses in this world that are just so dark and
destructive that it's utterly impossible to use them for any good. I am not saying
that Rubio's headed towards that way. Considering his background, I just want to be
sure that he has a safe future ahead of him."

"Are you still worried about what Jaeron might do?" my mother asked.

Professor Evanesca nodded. "Ending Serafina's reign didn't end all our problems.
The Legion is desperate, and that means they're also extremely dangerous. I have
reason to believe that Jaeron will do his best to ensure the continuity of the
Legion of Death. For as long as Jaeron is free, I will never be at peace with
Rubio's security."

"Come on, Esmerelda. We're here. You're here. It's been several years already since
you defeated Serafina. Jaeron can't possibly stage a comeback with what's left of
the Legion. Besides, even if he tries to abduct Rubio, we will be here to protect
him to the death. Jaeron has to be really idiotic to try to go out in the open. For
the record, he doesn't strike me as a mindless villain," my father replied.

My mother suddenly looked back and saw me standing at the door. Upon seeing me, she
immediately approached me and knelt. The two others also fell silent in an instant.

"What are you talking about, mommy?" I asked her. "Is there anyone who wants to
hurt me?"

"Of course not, Rubio. What are you even doing here? Daddy and I told you to rest
already," she said before carrying me in her arms and walking back to Professor
Evanesca and my father.

"I just want to show you this gift that I got, mommy," I replied.

"That looks really pretty, just like your weirdness. Now that you're here, why
don't you show your Ninang Esme your weirdness? Come on," my mother said.

I raised my hand before concentrating hard. Several moments later, glimmering

strings of purple dust crisscrossed all over my hand. Tiny shards of amethyst also
coated the tip of my fingers.

"Isn't that pretty?" Professor Evanesca said with a smile. "You're definitely going
to be a powerful weirdo when you grow up. Who knows, you might even become the
number one agent!"

My eyes brightened up with excitement. "Just like you?"

"Just like your godmother," my father said, pinching my nose lightly. "You are
special, Rubio. I want you to bear in your mind that being special and different is
not bad at all. For as long as we're here, you can be whoever you want and do
whatever you want. We will always be with you to support you no matter what. You
are unique, and that's going to be your greatest strength."

"Well, if Rubio wants to be powerful, he should go to bed right now and sleep," my
mother said. "Let's head upstairs. Daddy Carlo and Ninang Esme have something
important to discuss."

But my parents lied. They didn't stay with me. They left me all alone.

Ever since I was kid, I've always known that I'm different, that there's something
dark and sinister living inside me. I thought I was already special when my Crystal
Weirdness first manifested. However, the real realization that I am different came
to me when Jaeron abducted me and used me for his greedy deeds. Unfortunately, it
happened during the darkest time of my life.

For the record, neither the agents nor Professor Evanesca saved me from the Legion
of Death.

I did.

"We're done for now. Clean him up, Alethea. Feed him. Both of you can rest
afterward. I'll go now. I'll be back tomorrow morning," Jaeron said to Althea after
my session with one of my regular customers.

"Can you please give him a break, Jaeron?" Althea answered. "He's just a child.
Can't you see that his gemstones were all broken? You cannot expect me to heal him
all the time! There are wounds that are not mendable, for your information. I can
only do so much."

"And that's the reason why you're here, Alethea. You're supposed to heal Rubio
regardless of his injuries so that he can produce good gemstones for our clients.
You only have one job, and I'm paying you generously to do it," Jaeron replied
coldly.

"I'm talking about his emotions! I will gladly drain all my strength just to heal
all his wounds, but the wounds inside him are much deeper and will take a lot of
time to heal. You know very well that Rubio's the only reason why I'm still working
for the Legion. He's just a child, Jaeron. Can't you have even just a droplet of
sympathy for him?" Alethea replied.

Jaeron just threw her a cold look. "I will be back tomorrow morning, Alethea. By
that time, I want to see Rubio fully healed and ready for his job. His schedule is
full tomorrow, and I certainly don't want to disappoint my clients. Good evening,"
he said before disappearing with a loud crack.

I just laid lifelessly on the floor, my eyes staring blankly at the cold floor
where droplets of blood and broken gemstones lay scattered. My entire body was
already limp with numbness from all the pain I've experienced. I've been doing this
thing for several months already that's why I've grown accustomed to the pain.

Alethea entered my room before helping me to a chair. "It's going to be alright,

Rubio," she said before running her glowing hands all over my cuts and bruises.
"After I heal you, you're going to take a bath, then we'll eat dinner. We can go to
sleep after that."

"Alethea..." I said in a low voice.

"Yes?"

"Am I a bad person?" I asked.

She threw me a bewildered look. "No. What made you think that you're a bad person?"

"Because my parents died. Because those people are always hurting me. Are they
punishing me because I'm bad? I just don't want them to hurt me. I always do my
best to give them the gems they want but they were never satisfied, and when
they're not satisfied, they always hurt me. Why is this happening to me, Alethea?"
I asked.

She just hugged me tightly, tears brimming in her eyes. "You're too young to
understand, Rubio. The world will never be nice to you just because you were nice
to it. Sometimes, there are people who only want nothing but power and money. The
world is unfair. It will always be unfair. However, just because you're suffering
doesn't mean that you're already a bad person."

Alethea picked up a ruby shard on the floor before holding it against the light.
"Did you know that gemstones don't come to this world as perfect as this? At first,
they're also rough and jagged and irregular. They only become perfect like this
because jewellers cut and polish them to perfection. They have to undergo through
numerous processes before they can be sold."

"Life is just like that, Rubio," she continued. "No one in the world was born
strong or powerful. Trials and hardships make people stronger. Challenges and
setbacks polish and whittle people to become better. You are just like a diamond,
Rubio. Before you can become shiny and perfect and sparkly, you have to experience
numerous hardships and sufferings first."

"But my gems are broken..." I said quietly.

Alethea gave me a warm smile. "Just because you're broken doesn't mean you're not
strong."

"Remember this, Rubio," she added. "People will always try to use you to their
advantage. You are a Crystal Weirdo, and that makes you the target of greedy,
heartless people. A lot of people will look at you as a tool, a thing that can be
used to fulfill one's desires and wants. People will envy you because you're
different, because you're special. If ever the time comes that society itself
rejects you, I want you to stay true to yourself. Don't change yourself just to
suit someone's taste or preference. Find someone who will love and accept you for
who you really are. You are the only person in this world who can polish and shape
your own gemstone. You are a diamond. You are rare. Don't lose your rarity just
because you want to be accepted by the majority."

Well, I've said this numerous times before, and I'm going to say it again: Alethea
was the main reason why I didn't lose my marbles during my dark times with Jaeron.
I'm still skeptical about it, but Jaeron might've had a heart once because he let
Alethea look after me; but of course, a bigger part of me knows that he only used
Alethea so that I won't die from all the injuries and wounds that I get in every
session.

Alethea helped me a lot during those times, but that doesn't mean that I was able
to accept all those horrors and pain like they were nothing. I was just a kid.
Every single pain or trauma that I experience creates a wound inside me, a type of
wound that no Healer can heal. Aside from those wounds, feelings of hatred and
vengeance welled up inside me. Drop by drop, little by little, that well was slowly
filled up.

I knew inside me that it's only a matter of time before my control finally breaks.

"There you go. You can finally sleep," Alethea said as I lay on my bed. "By the
way, I might be late tomorrow."

"Why?" I asked her.

"Don't worry, Alethea just needs to do something really important. I'll be late,
but that doesn't mean that I'm not coming," she said.

I threw her a disconcerted look. "You're not leaving me here, are you?"

Alethea just laughed. "Of course not, silly. For as long as you're here, I'll be
here, too. Like I said, you're the only reason why I'm still working for the
Legion. Just promise me one thing, okay?"

"Sure thing, Alethea..."

"That you'll be a good boy while I'm away. Just be patient and have faith. You
don't deserve to be here at all, Rubio. I'm going to make sure that you're not
going to waste the rest of your life in a place like this..." she said.

During that time, I had no idea at all that Alethea was planning something. I
thought that she was just trying to cheer me up a little bit. I was able to sleep
that night, still missing my parents and still nursing my wounds inside but at
least feeling a bit better than usual.

Unfortunately, the same thing didn't happen to me the next day.

I'm used to waking up with Alethea by my side. Before she leaves for her usual
errands for the Legion, she always cooks me breakfast and tells me to behave while
she's away, that she'll be back as soon as she can. Like I said, I was just a kid.
Alethea was my daily comfort from all the horrors that I face everyday, and not
seeing her first thing in the morning really put me in a great discomfort.

"Wake up. It's already nine. Your first client is here. Hurry up," Jaeron said to
me as soon as I woke up the following day.

"Where's Alethea?" I asked him.

"Alethea won't be seeing you anymore. I'm going to find you a new Healer as soon as
possible. She said that she's tired of you and that she wants a different job.
Hurry up," Jaeron replied.

"She won't do that to me. She told me that she will never leave me," I replied
quietly, tears brimming in my eyes.

Jaeron just stared at me coldly. "Well, she lied. Hurry up now, you brat. You're
wasting time, and time is money."

"I don't want to do it anymore..." I said as tears dripped down on my face. "I want
to see Alethea..."

"Are you deaf? Or are you just plain stupid? I said, that lady won't be seeing you
anymore. The Legion has no room for traitors. Now, if you don't want to end up in a
situation like Alethea's, you are going to come with me right now. Don't make me
lose my patience."

For the first time since Jaeron abducted me, a sudden and powerful force seemed to
burst inside my body. Before I even realized it, I wrenched my hand away from
Jaeron before shouting at the top of my voice.

"I DON'T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE!"

Jaeron slapped me so forcefully that I was thrown off balance. I crashed painfully
against the wall, my head bumping hard against the concrete. A trickle of blood
also dripped from a cut on my lip.

"If you don't want to get hurt, you are going to come with me," he said before
dragging me away.

As expected, I screwed up that day. Because of what Jaeron told me, I was never
able to produce proper gemstones. That day was also probably the most painful day
of my entire life. All the people that used me were not satisfied by the gemstones
that I produced, and so they made me produce gemstones by force. At the end of the
day, nearly my entire body's already bleeding. Sharp and broken gemstones also lay
scattered all over the floor.

Jaeron was very upset with me that day.

"You messed up today, you brat. Just be thankful that they didn't kill you. If you
don't fix your problem by tomorrow, who knows what I might do to you," he said.

"Please..." I said weakly. "I want to see Alethea... I'll do anything..."

"If only you produced proper gemstones earlier, then I might've considered your
request. Because of that hard head of yours, you won't be getting any dinner
tonight. Also, no one will heal your wounds. I'll just find you another Healer
tomorrow. Alethea's probably dead by now," Jaeron said before disappearing with a
loud crack.

His final words probably dealt the death blow to my self-control. All the anger,
hatred, and vengeance that I've been suppressing inside me suddenly boiled and
overflowed, devouring every single ounce of my body. A single trickle of tear
dripped down my face, and with all the force I could muster, I stood up before
walking slowly towards the door.

I did everything they asked me to do... I gave them all the gemstones they
wanted... I only want someone to make me feel better... I just want them to
understand how painful it is to be in my situation... I just want to see Alethea...

I gave them everything they wanted, so why can't they do the same with me?

In that moment, as I stood motionless in front of my room's door, a strange new

feeling overwhelmed me. My chest tightened painfully, my hands twitched
uncontrollably. As if being guided by some unknown force, I slowly lifted my hand
before placing it on the door.
Almost instantaneously, the metallic door barring my way creaked and crackled
before slowly disintegrating into gray dust. Several moments later, the door that
once separated me from my freedom was reduced to nothing but a heap of ashes on the
floor.

"Hey, go back to your room!" one of the guards said upon seeing me.

My hands twitched again as a sudden realization came to me. These people have been
here the whole time. They were here during those times whenever I bleed to death,
whenever I pass out from pain, whenever I want someone to just end all my
sufferings. They've been here the whole time, and yet they didn't even do anything
to help me.

They just stood there.

They just listened.

They did nothing.

The guard that called me suddenly grabbed my hand. Before he could even drag me
away, the man shivered violently as if being electrocuted as cracks suddenly crept
up his arm and face. Just like the door, he also disintegrated into dust right
before my very eyes.

The other people outside my room noticed what I just did. Nearly all of them jumped
from their places and just stared at me with utmost horror on their faces. I looked
at every single one of them, and then suddenly, my eyes stopped on another door at
the far end of the room.

Freedom.

I made a mad dash towards the door, and as expected, several people tried to
prevent me. All the people that barred my way disintegrated into ashes as I touched
them one after another. By the time I reached the door, nearly all the people
inside have been reduced to dust. The remaining people either cowered in one corner
or fled away from the place.

I was like a hungry dog running after a delicious treat. My bloody, twitching hands
were extended in front of me as if they're itching to strangle someone's throat. My
lips were already curved into a wide grin across my bleeding face. I didn't even
care about the fact that I just killed several people. During that time, freedom
felt like a drug, and I was intoxicated by it. It's the only thing that mattered to
me that time. I wanted more of it.

I made my way out of the building. After descending several floors, I was finally
able to find the exit. However, blinding lights overwhelmed my vision the moment I
exited a door. I just shielded my face with my hands as I stepped back a few paces.

"There's a kid!" I heard someone shout.

"I think I know him!" another one shouted. "He's the son of Carlo and Stella!"

One of the people approached me before extending a hand to my direction. "It's

okay. You can trust us. I'm an agent. We won't hurt you. Come here now, buddy."

I want to trust him. I want to take his hand. I want to accept his help.

But as I watched the agent slowly approach me, horrible images suddenly flashed in
my mind. I suddenly remembered the filthy hands of all the people that used me. I
remembered how they smiled and assured me that everything's going to be okay. I
remembered all the lies that they told me.

I suddenly remembered all the pain, and I want these people to feel that pain, too.

"Come on. We can help you..."

My lips curved into a wide grin once more as I took the hand of the agent.

"Die..."

The agent that approached me suddenly crumbled to dust right before the very eyes
of everyone in the area. Before the others could even think of what to do with me,
I dashed towards them and touched everything and everyone that I could reach.

"DIE!!!"

They're all the same. They're just going to use me. They're just going to hurt me.
They will never help me. I'm all alone now. I will always be alone.

"Rubio!"

The voice that suddenly shouted my name snapped me out of my mad trance. My vision
finally cleared up, and I'm now standing in the middle of half-disintegrated bodies
and heaps of ash. Blood from my own wounds and from all the people I killed also
dripped from my body. I looked behind me and saw Alethea, badly bruised and wounded
but still alive. I also recognized the woman beside her as Professor Evanesca.

Everything that happened to me ever since I lost my parents rushed into my head all
at once. The dead body of my parents... The people who used me... All my pain and
sufferings... The people disintegrating to dust... The blood in my hands... It was
just too much to handle for a child like me. The well of vengeance and anger that
has been filling up steadily inside me finally exploded. Using all the strength
remaining in my body, I let out a mad scream that echoed all over the place and
tore the silence of the evening.

It seems that Professor Evanesca already knew what was going to happen next. All
the remaining people in the area were suddenly enclosed inside barriers made out of
green light as a gentle breeze blew from my spot.

All the buildings, lampposts, signages, trees, and every single thing around us
were reduced to dust that was blown away by the wind. Everything that wasn't
protected by the green barrier was totally wiped out from existence. When the dust
storm finally subsided, what greeted us was an empty and barren field right in the
middle of a bustling metropolis.

No one was able to speak or move. In fact, everyone in that place probably forgot
how to breathe. Every single person in the area just stood petrified in their
places and stared at me with utmost horror and fear on their faces. The first
person who was able to recover from the shock was Alethea who immediately ran
towards me and hugged me tightly.

Then everything went black.

It was not until a few years later that Professor Evanesca enlightened me as to
what happened during that night. Alethea was going to tell the agents the current
hideout of the Legion but Jaeron discovered her plan. The members of the Legion
tried to dispatch her, but Alethea was able to escape. The night when I escaped
from my captors was also the night that the agents were supposed to raid the
hideout.

As for what I did to the villains and agents and a part of the city, she explained
that abused and traumatized young weirdos sometimes experience deadly outbursts of
magic. What happened to me during that night was the result of physical, mental,
and emotional torment that I experienced.

I wanted to believe the headmistress. I wanted to believe that trauma was the cause
of that destructive and deadly power. However, as I grew up, I gradually realized
that she wasn't entirely being truthful to me during that time. I felt that there
could be a more logical reason that can explain what happened to me that night.

I know that I am different, that I am special. I've always known it since I was a
kid. Deep inside me, there's something slowly stirring. I can feel it growing
stronger and more powerful with each passing day. I don't know when or how it's
going to happen, but something inside me is telling me that it's only a matter of
time before that sinister feeling takes over me again.

My time is running out.

        Chapter 79: Error 404 [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Belated happy birthday to Haisi_kayetoh! Thanks for reading my stories!
Pasalamatan mo rin ang iyong good friend na nag-request sa 'kin na batiin ka. Libre
your friend. Makonsensiya ka naman. Haha. Joke. Pasensya if delayed ang greeting
ko. Wala na kasing time masyado to go to the city.

TheAshtone

●●●

"That's a Hydra!" Professor Ferrea shouted, his voice trembling with shock and
amazement. "THAT'S A FREAKING CRYSTAL HYDRA! Just when we thought that Talla is out
of cards, he pulls off another stunner!"

Even Professors Romeus and Ojeros forgot to give their follow-up remarks.

"There's no way in hell—or heaven—that we'll be able to draw out Ayumu from the
inner terrain just by attacking their team. So, as part of the phase one, we're
going to lure Sierra into our own terrain and hope that Ayumu comes along. Once
your enemy thinks that they're winning, that's when their defenses begin to lower.
We have to make sacrifices. It's risky, I know, but we have no other choice.
Besides, life's too boring if you don't take risks every now and then."

"There goes phase one of our plan!" Ezekiel said with a mad laugh. "I told him to
delay Sierra, but I didn't know that he's going to summon a mythical beast just to
slow our opponents down. You are doing awesome, RB!"

"Dang. That's sexy," Faye said beside me, staring at the Crystal Hydra now
preparing to attack.

Even I don't know what to say.

The members of Sierra were obviously shocked by what RB just did. Despite of that,
I saw a faint grin on Ayumu's face as he braced himself for combat. He looked like
he's torn between amazement and disbelief of what he's currently seeing.

The diamond dragon of the Crystal Hydra reared its head before spewing out diamonds
in a huge arc behind the Sierra players, trapping them within the reach of the
monster. Of course, Sierra won't roll over and die despite this beast barring their
way. Forks of lightning erupted from the sky accompanied by balls of blue and red
fire that shot straight towards the Hydra, creating huge explosions in the area.
Thankfully, due to the sheer size of the colossal beast, the Towers were shielded
from any damage.

"Continue with that arrows barrage, Tony!" Ezekiel shouted as explosive arrows
rained on Sierra's players. Some of the arrows that missed them shot towards the
distance.
Jared just watched the mayhem with his hands on top of his head. "This is crazy..."
he whispered, half-laughing and half-scared.

Seeing that their attempts to thwart the Hydra were futile, the players of Sierra
tried to attack RB instead. RB, however, has enclosed himself inside a diamond orb,
preventing anything from reaching him. He's just floating aimlessly inside the orb
and doing completely nothing, but Koshi and his team can't even stand still for a
second due to the relentless attacks of the Hydra.

The ruby dragon slammed its head against the ground, causing ruby spikes to sprout
all over the terrain and forcing Sierra's players to jump into the air. Right after
jumping, the amethyst dragon sent a barrage of crystal spikes towards their
direction, blasting everyone towards the diamond spikes lining the battlefield.
With a swipe of Koshi's hand, he saved everyone from getting skewered alive by
creating an updraft that blew them away from the wall of diamond spikes.

"And Sierra, who was rampaging through this battle since the very beginning, is now
having trouble getting past Talla's Crystal Hydra! This is one vs. five! As
expected, Emerald's best player gives the biggest problem to the red team! How can
you even take down a beast that only exists in the myths?!" Professor Ojeros
shouted.

"I have to be honest: this is the first time that I saw Talla use that Crystal
Hydra. He might have created this attack just for this battle. I can't even find
the proper words that would best describe Talla's new trick," Professor Romeus
said.

"Even Garrick is speechless! Understandable, of course! Even our crowd was stunned!
Where are your shouts and cheers, everyone?!" Professor Ferrea added.

Koshi and Ayumu, along with Belarma, are the only ones who can actually fight the
Hydra with their respective weirdnesses. Howrver, even their combined power is not
enough to take down even one of the Hydra's heads. RB doesn't seem to be losing any
more strength, and I highly suspect that him getting weakened earlier was just for
show. I was about to ask Ezekiel but he seemed to have read my mind already.

"Yes, that is correct, Ike. What happened to RB was just for show. Like I said, we
have to lure Sierra into our terrain. Showing them that RB's weakened pushed Sierra
to attack us, creating the domino effect that led to this very moment. Our opponent
acted exactly how we wanted them to," Ezekiel replied.

I stared at him flatly. "You could've just said that to us earlier."

"I love surprises," he said. "Now get ready. We're going to send you to the field
in a short while."

Ayumu suddenly rose into the air as shadows crept all over our base. The shadows on
the ground rose and formed into serpents that wriggled towards the Crystal Hydra
and penetrated their bodies, causing nearly all the dragon heads to blacken.
Ayumu's body suddenly emitted puffs of black smoke as cracks slowly appeared on
some of the dragon heads.

"Izzy, what should we do?" Professor Sivera asked. Obviously, what's currently
happening is not part of any plan.

"Let's wait," Ezekiel replied, his eyes fixed on RB. "He knows what he's doing..."

All of a sudden, RB's eyes glowed with a blinding
penetrating the dragon heads suddenly receded and
Crystals seem to be pushing the shadows away from
the crystals crept up the shadow connecting Ayumu
inside a huge diamond block.
purple light. The shadows
crept back towards Ayumu.
the Hydra. Without any warning,
to the ground and trapped him

Ezekiel raised his clenched hand. "We win."

The diamond orb enclosing RB suddenly collapsed, causing him to fall to the ground.
At the same time, the Crystal Hydra and all the ravens shattered before showering
everyone with multicolored gemstones. While all of those are happening, three
arrows suddenly shot from Tony's floating island before flying straight towards
Sierra's outermost Towers. As the arrows hit their respective targets, the three
Towers exploded, causing the barrier to dissolve into red smoke.

Everyone just stared in utter surprise as Sierra's Towers were reduced to nothing
but mere smoking and fiery debris.

RB raised a bleeding arm before shouting at the top of his voice:

"COUNTER!!!"

●●●

As RB's voice faded away, the Spawn Area at the corner of their base glowed
brightly and teleported a new player bearing the number 1 on his jersey. Arcs of
lighting also crisscrossed all over his body as he waited for the countdown to
finish.

"Emerald's Player 1 has entered the game."

Ike suddenly shot towards the sky, streaking behind him are strings of greenish-
white light. Jack and Philip also flew into the air, the former using ice wings
while the latter has transformed into a phoenix. Tony jumped from his island and
landed neatly on the back of the phoenix. All four of them headed towards Sierra's
terrain.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENED?!" Professor Ferrea shouted, his voice turning
hoarse. "Emerald destroys Sierra's three outermost Towers! Are we about to witness
one of Emerald's infamous comebacks?! The tables are turning!"

"Tony NEVER misses, and that's going to be our weapon. While everyone is busy
taking down the Towers and fighting each other, Tony is going to send explosive
arrows towards the enemy Towers. Take note, his arrows can turn invisible, too. We
can make it look like he's just sniping our opponents, but half of his arrows are
going to be directed at the Towers. We have to take it slow. We have to be patient.
One arrow at a time. Once RB takes down Ayumu, we can finally start the phase three
of our plan."

"It seems that Arellano has been targeting Sierra's Towers silently. I was actually
wondering why he was missing so many shots when he's the most accurate sniper I've
ever seen in my whole life. It turns out that he wasn't just targeting their
opponents, but the enemy Towers, too. He lodged a lot of arrows in the Towers and
made them detonate at the right moment. Clever. Really clever," Professor Romeus
said, failing to hide the amusement in his voice.

Sierra's players, obviously shocked by what just happened, made a mad dash back to
their terrain. Koshi grabbed his remaining three teammates before using a lightning
bolt to teleport them away from Emerald's terrain.

Koshi's team reached their base first, but they haven't even positioned themselves
yet when a lightning bolt suddenly shot from the sky and hit the ground,
teleporting with it Ike. Before Sierra could even attack him, a ball of force field
expanded around Ike and trapped Koshi and his teammates inside it. With a click of
his finger, Ike made the ball of force field explode, blasting away all his
opponents. He then zoomed towards the remaining two Towers and shot jets of fire
towards them.

Ice spikes, fireballs, and arrows also rained down on the Towers, courtesy of Jack,
Philip, and Tony. However, a bolt of lightning suddenly shot towards them, forcing
the three to dive towards the ground.

"IKE!" Koshi shouted as fire and lightning crisscrossed around his body.

Ike nodded at his teammates. "Fight the others. Always give Tony an opening. It's
his job to take down the Towers. I have to settle some things with Koshi."

As the others faced their respective opponents, Ike faced his rival standing
several meters away from him.

"I'm not going to prolong your agony. Let's just settle this once and for all. Come
at me with everything you've got, and we'll see who's the better person for the
last time," Koshi said.

Ike just let out a sigh. "I don't have to. I'm not like you, Koshi. I will never be
like you."
The ground on Koshi's either side suddenly rose and tried to trap him, but he
blasted his way through using his Fire Weirdness. Strings of fire shot towards Ike
who conjured a wall of water to block Koshi's fire attack.

"Why don't you use your Fire or Lightning Weirdness?" Koshi asked as he swung his
flaming arms towards Ike. "Use it!"

But Ike just wove and ducked around his attacker's swings. As he swerved sideways
to avoid one of Koshi's attacks, Ike swiped his hand over his opponent's back,
coating Koshi with ice from feet up.

"I'm done playing your games, Koshi. I'm not here to show that I am better than
you. I'm not here to make you feel inferior. I'm here because of the people who
supported and helped me throughout my journey here in Emerald. I am here for them.
I am here because I want to make them proud and happy," Ike said.

"Well, I am here to do the opposite," Koshi replied before slamming his fiery hand
against Ike, creating an explosion of fire and lightning.

Ike's eyes glowed brightly as the lightning markings on his body also glowed. The
fire and lightning from Koshi's attack were absorbed into Ike's body and caused no
damage whatsoever to him.

"I'm sorry, Koshi, but my dream is more powerful than your weirdness," Ike said
before blasting Koshi away with his telekinesis.

A couple of explosions sent heat waves across the terrain. Ike looked back just in
time to see the two Towers at the edge of Sierra's base collapsing to the ground.
As the second barrier disintegrated into smoke, a rain of crystals suddenly fell on
the gigantic ruby gem hovering at the center of Sierra's base. Everyone on the
ground looked up to see RB who's now flying towards them.

"Sierra's Kardia has been exposed."

As those words echoed inside Ike's ears, everything around him seemed to fade away,
leaving only Sierra's Kardia in his vision. RB landed several meters away from Ike,
flying behind the former were hundreds of crystal ravens. Ice spikes floated behind
Jack, Philip's phoenix form reared its head, and Tony aimed another set of arrows
at the Kardia. All five of them are staring at a single target—the only thing
separating them from victory. None of the players exchanged any words, but all of
them seemed to have understood each other.

Ike raised his hand on his side, causing rock and ice spikes to rise into the air
behind him as fire and lightning crisscrossed around his arms. Sierra's players,
who were either immobilized or blasted away, were able to do nothing but watch as
Emerald's players surrounded the Kardia from all angles.
Ike and his teammates sent their respective attacks in unison towards Sierra's
Kardia. Rock, ice, and crystals spikes, along with arrows, fire, and lightning,
shot towards the enemy's ruby gem. The people watching the scene were already at
the edge of their seats and waited for that big moment to come.

Finally, huge cracks started appearing on Sierra's Kardia. With a sharp snap, the
ruby gem split and half and exploded, showering Emerald's players with shards of
ruby gem.

"Sierra's Kardia has been destroyed. Emerald wins the Grand Golden Cup of the
Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament."

All the features of the terrain crumbled and fell as the entire battle dome shook,
leaving only the base that slowly rose upward. Fireworks lit up the sky, and
confetti rained down on Ike and his teammates while the green crowd rejoiced and
cheered.

"AND THE COMEBACK HAS BEEN COMPLETED! EMERALD RECOVERS FROM BEING THREE TOWERS DOWN
AND DENIES SIERRA OF A CHANCE TO STEAL THE CHAMPIONSHIP! EMERALD SUCCESSFULLY
DEFENDS THEIR CROWN! Ladies and gentlemen, your champions, Emerald School of
Magic!" Professor Ferrea shouted.

None of them was able to speak a word. As the other members of our team were
teleported to the podium, they all just hugged each other and cried or laughed or
rejoiced. The realization that they just won hasn't sunk in yet, and they honestly
don't know what to do.

Ike's eyes suddenly caught RB, and he suddenly knew what to do. Totally ignoring
his teammates and the thousands of people watching them, Ike dashed towards RB
before locking him in his arms and giving him a deep kiss. RB answered back, and
for several moments they totally forgot that they're still in the battle dome.

"Hey, lovebirds, we're on national TV," Ezekiel suddenly said, snapping the two
back to the reality. Their coaches and student assistants have joined them in the
podium.

"Well done, you two," Ezekiel said before giving RB and Ike a tight hug. "That
Crystal Hydra was really something, RB."

"You said I should do my best to delay Sierra. That was my best," RB replied.

Ezekiel turned to Ike. "Your stint in the field was short, but it was time well
spent, Ike. I think you showed everyone what you're truly capable of. Everyone's so
proud of you, especially that old hag..."

He then pointed to a skybox at the top of the Diamond Battle Dome where Professor
Evanesca is clapping enthusiastically, her eyes burning with pride. Ike raised a
clenched hand at the headmistress' direction to acknowledge her. She smiled and
also raised a hand while giving him a nod.

"Well done, Emerald. Well done indeed," Professor Ojeros said. "It was
coordination, patience, and faith that gave Emerald the victory tonight. Despite
facing several setbacks, they were able to push through and continue fighting.
Truly, the green team deserved the win. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the
Grand Golden Cup of the Collegiate Magical Mayhem Tournament."

A beam of light flashed on the podium where Sierra's Kardia was hovering earlier.
The podium slid open from the middle, and out came a huge and ornate golden cup
bearing several emerald gemstones around its brim. The cup slowly rose into the air
before stopping, allowing everyone to marvel at its beauty and grandeur.

Ezekiel tapped Ike's shoulder. "Go on..."

Ike stepped forward and held the cup by its handles. The moment he pulled it out of
the beam of light, a new set of fireworks erupted around the battle dome. Ike
instinctively raised the cup high in the air and the green crowd rejoiced once
more.

"This season has been filled with unexpected turns and twists," Professor Ferrea
said. "Despite losing in the very first game, Emerald still won the Cup. It only
goes to show that nothing is impossible for as long you work together to attain a
common goal. As they always say, teamwork makes the dream work! Now, let's proceed
with the awarding of medals and certificates to our podium finishers. Garrick—
wait... Where the hell is Garrick—"

All the lights in the Diamond Battle Dome suddenly died, shrouding the entire place
in darkness. Several moments later, all the TV monitors around the battle dome
flashed a blank, red screen—illuminating the place with an ominous red glow. All
the people looked around in bewilderment, wondering if this is still part of the
show.

RB suddenly gasped. Ike looked at him and saw that he's crouched on the ground
while holding his bleeding hand—the blackened one. This time, however, his entire
arm has been blackened completely, and RB looks like he's in immense pain. Ike was
about to approach him when RB suddenly raised his blackened arm and slammed it on
the ground, blasting all of them away from the podium.

"RB!" Ike shouted before running back to him.

A portal suddenly appeared behind RB. Before Ike could even take another step, a
jet of light suddenly shot from somewhere in the stands and hit RB, blasting him
backwards and into the portal waiting behind him.

Ike jumped into the air and extended his hand towards RB, but the portal already
closed before he could even reach him. All he was able to grasp were puffs of black
smoke before he crashed onto the podium.
"Ah... Too little too late..." a familiar voice suddenly said.

Ike's chest tightened painfully as he looked behind him and saw Jaeron standing
just several meters away from the podium. His blood boiled as he clenched his hands
before jumping at him.

"BRING RB BACK!" Ike shouted before slamming a hand on Jaeron, creating a powerful
explosion. When the smoke finally cleared up, the latter's already standing at the
podium where Ike jumped from earlier.

"The Diamond Battle Dome's technology is really something, isn't it?" Jaeron asked,
his image suddenly quivering. "You can't hurt me, Ike. I am just a projection."

"Where did you bring RB?!" Ike shouted.

"You want to know where he is? Join us, then," Jareon replied before raising a hand
to his direction, creating another portal behind Ike and sending another jet of
light towards him.

At that moment, Professor Evanesca suddenly appeared on the field. She, along with
Ezekiel, extended their hands towards Ike and sent balls of blue and green light
towards him. Everything around them seemed to slow down as Jaeron's jet of light
flew towards Ike.

"Bingo..." Jaeron whispered.

In the brief moment when Ezekiel and Professor Evanesca sent their respective balls
of light towards Ike, a small portal appeared right in front of their faces. A hand
also appeared from each portal and blasted the two away with a powerful explosion.
Both Ezekiel and Professor Evanesca crashed against the wall of the open field
before collapsing motionless to the ground.

The ball of green and blue light, however, have already reached Ike before
expanding around him and blocked the jet of light aimed at him. Another explosion
in Professor Elena's area rattled the battle dome. When the explosion finally
subsided, she was already lying unconscious on the ground.

Mayhem ensued. The cacophony of shouts and panicked human voices filled the battle
dome as everyone dashed towards the exits. Agents, police, and Emerald Guards
started dashing into the Diamond Battle Dome and tried to control the crowd.

"Fear," Jaeron said, now speaking via the battle dome's PA system. "In moments like
this, I'm always reminded about how fragile the peace that you people have. You've
always depended on the agents for protection, looking at them as the superheroes of
the modern world. You look at them as people who despise evil and never commits any
sin. Tonight, that is going to change. Tonight, you will lose everything that you
hold dear. Tonight, you will fall and crumble right in front of the eyes of the
entire world..."

Jaeron's projection on the podium grew bigger and bigger until he towered above
everyone in the Diamond Battle Dome.

"Your power has terminated. Your days are numbered. You have been weighed and found
wanting. Your kingdom will be divided. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the
glitch."

        Chapter 80: The Glitch [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Hospitalized. Probably dengue. Hinati ko na rin muna sa dalawang updates

ang finale. Late September pa sana update ko kaso 'yun nga. Lol. I will post the
2nd part of the finale as soon as I'm done fixing it.

TheAshtone

●●●

Earlier...

"Will you please at least lower your voice?" Professor Romeus said to Professor
Ferrea while massaging his temples. "You do know of course that we have microphones
and the PA system so that we won't have to shout and turn ourselves hoarse."

"But this is pretty amazing, Garrick!" Professor Ferrea replied with a hearty
laugh. "Admit it, you're also loving the action right now!"

"I do. I just don't go nuts over it like you and Julian do," Professor Romeus
replied flatly.

"Come on. Show some enthusiasm, Garrick!" Professor Ojeros said.

"Shut up, you two. Just focus on the game."

As Professors Ferrea and Ojeros resumed with their loud commentary, Professor
Romeus just watched in complete silence as Sierra and Emerald clashed in the
terrain below. He was about to say something when his phone suddenly vibrated in
his pocket. Upon checking his phone, he saw a solitary message from a nameless
cellular number being displayed on the screen:

Call me.

Confused and curious, Professor Romeus stood up before heading out of the
commentary room.

"Where are you going, Garrick? Emerald's about to win!" Professor Ferrea called
after him.

"Bathroom. I'll be back," he replied.

Upon reaching a quieter hallway, Professor Romeus called the unnamed number. The
call connected after several rings.

"Good evening," a man's voice said.

"Who's speaking?" Professor Romeus asked.

"The harbinger. Now, you are going to follow my orders. You are going to lift the
Time Lock all over the Diamond Battle Dome and the entire Emerald School of Magic.
Once you go out of the building, two persons will accompany you. They're going to
make sure that you're going to do exactly what I want."

Professor Romeus' grip tightened around his phone. "And why would I do that?"

His phone beeped again and showed a new message with a picture on it. In the
picture were women and children—tied, blindfolded, and with handkerchiefs tied
around their mouths serving as mufflers.

"You are a man of action and simplicity, Garrick. I know that," the man on the
other end of the line said. "That's why I'm going to make this very simple for you.
Do what I'm asking you to do, and these women and children will be left untouched.
In fact, once you do your part of the deal, my men will accompany you to the place
where we're hiding the hostages and you can set them free and all of us will be
happy."

"And if I don't?" he asked.

A long silence followed his words.

"Like I said, we both like keeping things simple, Garrick. If you decide not to
help us, then these innocent people will die. After killing them, we will drop
their bodies one by one all over Emerald. In fact, I might even drop some bodies
right inside the Diamond Battle Dome. Ah... Imagine the chaos."

Professor Romeus looked around him and tried to spot agents or Emerald Guards that
might be roaming around.

"Stop looking around you, Garrick. If you try to ask for help, then consider these
people dead. Like I said, I'm just keeping things simple for you. You should even
thank me that I'm just asking you to lift the Time Lock all over Emerald. It's a
very small request."

Professor Romeus bowed his head for a long time before taking a deep breath as if
to strengthen his resolve. After several moments, he finally started walking.

"Where should I go?"

●●●

Ike's POV

"IKE!"

Faye's voice snapped me out of my shock. I looked around me and finally saw her,
along with Jack and Alice, dashing towards me. Using her glowing hands, Faye broke
the green and blue shields surrounding my spot.

"We need to find RB!" I said, finally finding my voice. "Faye—"

"We need to get you to safety!" Faye said before dragging me away. Around us, the
panicked screams of people rippled throughout the battle dome. There's only mayhem
all around—viewers dashed towards the exits frantically while the authorities tried
to control them.

"We need to find RB!" I shouted at Faye. I'm so confused and shocked that I don't
even know what to feel. "We need to find him! LISTEN TO ME, FAYE!"

She suddenly slapped me forcefully. "YOU LISTEN TO ME! Didn't you see what just
happened?! RB was teleported away by Jaeron! We also want to find RB, but we don't
even know where to look! We have to save what's left, and that's you! We have
direct orders from Professor Evanesca to keep you safe no matter what happens!"

"So are we just going to give up on RB just like that?!" I shouted back.

"No one's giving up on no one! We just have to accept the fact that we can't do
anything right now. Ike, please. We can't afford to lose you. We're shocked. We're
all shocked. But Professor Evanesca already told us what to do in situations like
this," Faye replied.

I threw them a confused look. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"At the start of the school year, the headmistress called the three of us in her
office," Jack suddenly said, his voice surprisingly calm. "She asked for our help
in making sure that you and RB are always safe. Professor Evanesca also required us
to report to her at least once a month."

"She also briefed and trained us on what exactly to do in situations like this,"
Alice added. "I know it's difficult and shocking for you, Ike. We also feel the
same. We don't even know what exactly to feel. As of this moment, your safety is
our top priority. We need to bring you to the agents and Emerald Guards. They will
keep you safe."

Before I could even reply, explosions rattled the entire Diamond Battle Dome. Some
parts of the stands exploded, sending a rain of fiery debris all over the field.
The alarmed people panicked even further as louder screams filled the air. A
searing blast wave swept through the open field, blasting everyone from their
places.

"Look at all of you, like ants scrambling away from rushing water!" Jaeron's
projection suddenly said while laughing loudly, his booming voice echoing all over
the battle dome. "It's amazing how fear reverts people back to their primal
instincts. All of you look like hungry animals clambering for food. It's all about
yourself first. It's all about saving yourself first. Freedom has turned you weak
and dependent. Pathetic, even."

"But don't worry because we are here to destroy that freedom. Of course, common
sense will tell you that if you want to destroy something, you have to take down
the foundations first. Well, ladies and gentlemen, take a look at your
foundations..."

A portal suddenly appeared horizontally at the center of the field. Three bodies
suddenly fell from the portal, and for several moments, all of us just stared
blankly at the three bodies lying motionless on the ground.

One of the huge TV monitors inside the battle dome flashed a live video feed. The
camera zoomed in on the bodies and finally revealed their identities. Before I
could even recognize them, Faye suddenly let out a scream before running towards
the center of the field.

"KUYA!" Faye shouted, suddenly bursting to tears. Another person suddenly dashed
towards Faye before dragging her away.

"Faye, don't!" I heard Sir Fraeo say. Even he was crying already. "It's dangerous!
It could be a trap!"

My stomach almost turned literally upside down when I finally recognized the three
bodies: Sir Franc Lena of the NMLEA, Secretary Remora of the Department of Magic,
and the president himself. All of them have a bullet hole right at the center of
their foreheads.

The mayhem happening around us turned into complete havoc and horror. The screams
of the people turned into cries as everyone desperately tried to find the quickest
way out of the Diamond Battle Dome. The people who could fly flew straight towards
the open roof, while those in the ground pushed or pulled others just to get to the
nearest exit. Some of the people even tried to blast their way through the walls.

Now, it seems that even the agents and the police don't know what to do. Everyone
stood transfixed on their places while watching the video feed which is probably
being broadcast to the entire world right now. Horror and fear seemed to have
frozen the authorities.

"Look at your mighty leaders! Look at them! They are now gone!" Jaeron said with a
laugh. "The palace... The Department of Magic... The NMLEA... These great
institutions served as the wall that proved to be really difficult to scale for us
villains. However, it's pretty obvious that we've already conquered them tonight.
Now, only one foundation remains. The only foundation that has stood strong
throughout the centuries. The final bastion of resistance that has always succeeded
in repelling the forces of darkness... Emerald School of Magic."

Jaeron paused.

"We are the Legion of Death. Tonight, all of you will witness as we rewrite
history. The heroes of your modern society will cower in fear as our forces slowly
advance and conquer this country. We've already infiltrated and destroyed the
highest seats in the government, and it's only a matter of hours before the entire
country falls into our hands—"

There was a scream from somewhere around us followed by a huge fireball flying
towards a portion of the battle dome. The fireball exploded upon hitting its
target, causing Jaeron's projection to finally disappear from the field. I realized
a second later that it was Professor Sivera who destroyed the command center of the
Diamond Battle Dome.

"Where's Ike?! The Emerald Guards are looking for him!" I suddenly heard Crimson
shout. The open field is now slowly getting filled with people who are trying to
avoid the fire now slowly engulfing some portions of the stands.

There's just a lot of things going on at the same time that I can't even think
straight properly. Several hands helped me to stand and ushered me away from all
the chaos happening around us. I realized a second later that nearly a dozen of
Emerald Guards have surrounded me from all directions while escorting me to the
nearest dugout. Running behind us were Alice and Jack along with Crimson and the
rest of their team.

The Emerald Guards brought me to one of their stations nearest to the battle dome.
Sir Claudius, the head of the Emerald Guards, let out an obvious sigh of relief
upon seeing me.

"This is the safest place for you, Lunaria," he said upon seeing me. "The security
of the Diamond Battle Dome has been compromised. We can't let you stay there any
longer. Stay here."
"Please, sir, find RB..." I said, my voice cracking.

The head of the Emerald Guards gave me a somber nod. "I can't assure you anything,
but we will do our best. I've already ordered a thorough search of the entire
campus, including the School of Commons. I have to go now. There's still a lot of
things to do."

I just sat blankly on a seat before burying my face on my hands. Jack and Alice
also sat beside me. None of us had any words to say. We just stared at the
emptiness in front of us, numbed with shock and disbelief. Over the distance, we
could still hear the shouts and cries of the people. Only this time, they're
accompanied by the sound of police sirens and helicopters flying around the ablaze
Diamond Battle Dome.

All of a sudden, a commotion erupted outside the Emerald Guards' station. Three
people on stretchers were rushed inside Nurse Juliana's working room. The three of
us stood up in surprise and saw the Evanesca siblings being rushed into the
station.

"It's the Evanescas," Jack said in a frightened whisper as the three of us followed
the Emerald Guards carrying them.

Everything around me seemed to sway and wobble as we followed the guards. I

suddenly remembered the dead bodies of Secretary Remora, Sir Franc Lena, and the
president. If Jaeron's words were true, then the Evanescas could be...

No... No way...

Every single person in the room seemed to think of the same thing. Even Nurse
Juliana, who usually banishes people out of a room when she's working, didn't seem
to mind the people who were watching as the Evanescas were laid to the beds. The
old nurse's eyes brimmed with tears as she washed her shaky hands in a basin of
bluish liquid before checking the siblings.

The Evanesca siblings' robes have been ripped and torn in several places due to the
blasts directed at them. Scratches and shallow cuts can also be seen on their
exposed skin. Ezekiel's head was bleeding, Professor Elena's left arm was bent, and
Professor Evanesca's hands have been blackened completely.

"They saw it," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "Professor Evanesca and
Ezekiel. They saw the attack being directed at them, but they—"

My voice faltered.

"—they chose to protect you instead," Jack continued. "We saw it, too. Jaeron used
that split-second distraction to attack them."
Everyone waited in complete silence as Nurse Juliana checked her patients one after
the other. After several scary minutes, the nurse's shoulders slumped as if a heavy
weight has been lifted off of her.

"They're alive. They've been knocked unconscious, but nothing serious happened to
them. I can fix them in a short while," the nurse declared.

Everyone inside the room let out a collective sigh of relief. Some of the people,
especially the Emerald Guards, hugged each other and rejoiced. Now that the three
are safe, Nurse Juliana reverted back to her usual self and shooed everyone out of
the room. The three of us headed out of the building and sat on the benches just
outside the station.

"That was scary," Jack suddenly said while massaging his chest. "At least the
Evanescas are safe now."

Another group of Emerald Guards dashed into the building carrying three people on
stretchers. I immediately recognized Faye and Sir Fraeo running after them. The
former spotted us, and she ran towards our direction.

"He's gone..." Faye said, crying on my shoulder as I hugged her. "They're...

They're all dead..."

Our momentary relief was immediately extinguished by Faye's news. Failing to find
any words that might comfort her, the three of us just hugged Faye tightly. Jack
produced an ice glass before filling it with water and giving it to her.

Faye finally calmed down, and despite the devastated look on her face, her resolve
seemed to have strengthened a little.

"Jaeron carefully planned this thing," Faye said, wiping her tears away. "Crimson
said that they could no longer contact the respective assistants of the president
and the secretary. The agents are starting to suspect that they're involved."

"The three were supposed to attend the Finals tonight but they didn't arrive," she
continued. "The president was reported missing an hour before the event along with
Secretary Remora and my brother. The agents and presidential security just didn't
announce it yet so as not to create chaos and panic."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

"We still need to find RB," I said. "I know it's nearly impossible to find him at
this point, but we need to find him no matter what happens. No matter what it
takes. He's not just our friend, but he's also a valuable target to the villains.
Jaeron said that he's going to take down Emerald tonight, and I have a feeling that
he's not far from us."
"Exactly, bro, but you are also their target, remember? We need to stay here for
your safety. This is exactly what Jaeron wants you to do. He wants you to act
reckless and search for RB so that he could capture you, too. We need help! We
can't possibly find RB all on our own!" Jack said.

"NO ONE WILL HELP US!" I shouted as fire suddenly erupted on my hands and feet.
"Can't you see, Jack? The president is dead! Secretary Remora is dead! Sir Franc is
dead! The Evanescas are still unconscious! The entire country is collapsing as I
speak! No one can help us now! No one. Our chance of finding RB is getting smaller
and smaller with each passing second. I will find RB. You can go with me and help,
or you can stay here and wait."

Jack was about to reply when something hard and little suddenly bumped at the back
of my head. I looked behind me instinctively and saw something glimmering flying in
front of my face.

Hope.

"Guys, do you believe in miracles?" I said absentmindedly.

"What?" Jack asked.

Flying in front of me was a crystal butterfly made of emerald gem. It was the exact
same butterfly that RB gave me a couple of years back, and I always bring it with
me wherever I go. For some strange reason, RB was able to revive his butterfly
tonight. The always-one-step-ahead-of-his-enemies RB, wherever he is right now, has
found a way to contact me. The emerald butterfly, as if nudging me to move, flew
against my face repeatedly.

"Dude, you should see this..." Jack suddenly said, nudging me on the side before
pointing above us.

Three other crystal butterflies suddenly descended from the trees and flew towards
Jack, Faye, and Alice before flying around them. Their butterflies must've flown
over such long distances just to reach this place. The four of us just watched the
butterflies in awe and disbelief.

"These are the butterflies the RB gave us back when we were still first-years!"
Faye said as her diamond butterfly rested on her nose.

Alice's ruby butterfly also rested on her palm where it flapped its wings gently.
"RB also did this last year, remember?" she said.

"Well, that's RB for you. Dang it. I wish I was half as powerful as him," Jack said
as he played with his sapphire butterfly. "Why are they here, though?"
As if to respond to his question, the four crystal butterflies flew in unison
towards the east—the direction of the Emerald Building. For several seconds, the
four of us just stood in complete silence as we stared at the darkness in front of
us. All of a sudden, the crystal butterflies glowed with their respective colors—
green, blue, white, and red—and illuminated our way.

"Jaeron has always hunted us these past few years," I said as I balled my hands
into fists. "Now, I think it's time for him to stop messing with us. He's always
hunted us, but now, it's our time to hunt him down. Let's bring RB back."

The four of us stepped into the darkness waiting ahead. Our only guides are RB's
glowing crystal butterflies. Even though they look like small specks compared to
the shroud of darkness enveloping us from all directions, their glow served as our
hope. They conveyed a clear message that rang loud and clear inside all of us:
somewhere out there, RB is still alive and in need of help.

We walked forward.

        Chapter 81: The Untouchable Lady, Part 1 [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "Everything here is just so... unnervingly quiet," Faye said as we walked

past abandoned parks and buildings. It seems that the attention of the entire world
was focused on what's happening in the Diamond Battle Dome. Not even a single
person can be seen in whatever direction we look at.

The crystal butterflies kept on flying ahead of us. Sometimes, the wind would blow
so hard and the butterflies would be flown off course. They just immediately fly
back to their places and continue to lead us to wherever RB is.

"I don't know why, but this place is giving me the creeps," Jack said. "I feel like
we're being watched."

"We just need to follow those butterflies," I said. "We'll be there soon."

After several minutes of walking, there is no doubt at all that the butterflies are
headed to the Emerald Building. As we neared our potential destination, they seem
to glow brighter and move faster. Finally, the majestic Emerald Building, with its
towering spires and grand exterior, loomed ahead of us. We're already about several
meters away from the building when our crystal butterflies suddenly stiffened up
and fell to the ground. Their lights have also been extinguished. The four of us
just picked our respective butterflies and stared at the Emerald Building devoid of
any people.

"I guess this is our stop," Faye said.

"Where do we go now?" Alice asked.

Some strange instinct inside me already knew the answer.

"At the back," I said. "Let's stay close to the building as much as possible. There
could be villains lurking around."

We walked around the huge building while keeping ourselves low on the ground. After
several minutes, the park behind the Emerald Building finally came into our view.
Everything was so silent and still until something quivered just behind the
darkness around the park. We hid behind a wall of bush and peeked between the
stems.

"What took you so long, Jaeron?" a voice from the entrance of the Emerald Building
said. I realized a second later that the voice came from Iris. She appears to be
with someone.

There was a loud crack that suddenly tore the silence of the surroundings,
indicating the presence of a portal. Several seconds later, Jaeron suddenly emerged
from the darkness just beyond the park. Behind him was the Superstrength Weirdo,
Hizrot. The latter was carrying RB in his arms-tied with a purple string of light
around his wrists, ankles, and mouth.

My body instinctively jerked forward but Faye and Jack immediately held my
shoulders and dragged me back. Even Alice wrapped her ropes around my ankles to
make sure that I won't be able to jump at the villains.

"I'm going to send our location to my brothers. We stay here and wait. If we show
ourselves to them right now, Jaeron might just teleport RB away. We wait until
reinforcements come," Faye said to me seriously, her nails digging into my skin.

Jaeron finally reached the park. "Freaking agents. I was still giving my speech
when someone blew up the entire command room. I only had time to escape."

"Did you bring the target?" the man beside Iris said. The two of them stepped
towards the light, and I instantly recognized the man as Secretary Remora's
assistant, Tyrone Judeus.

"That bastard..." Jack whispered beside me.

Hizrot stepped forward to show RB to the others.

"Ah... Isn't he cute like that," Iris said, throwing him a doting look. "It's been
a long time. How's Ike? Is he coming here, too? I'm excited."

RB stared at her fiercely, his reply turning to a muffled grunt because of the
purple string of light around his mouth. Despite being tied, RB was able to hold up
a finger at her.
"How about Lunaria?" Tyrone asked. "Isn't he one of our targets, too?"

"He will come here, that is for sure; and when he does, it'll be too late. I do
hope that he brings with him all the agents as well as Esmerelda. I want them to
witness firsthand as I set free the bringer of their downfall," Jaeron replied.

"What are we exactly doing here?" Iris asked. "This place is scary."

"For a villain, yes. However, this place will soon be our domain. We are here
tonight to set a particular someone free from her prison," Jaeron said.

He then signalled to the others to step away as he stood in front of the statue of
a lady standing right in the middle of a fountain. Jaeron opened his arms wide
while looking at the statue, his face torn between immeasurable joy and excitement.

"You've been here all along... After all those years of endless searching, of
endless questions... Who would've thought that Esmerelda would hide you right in
plain sight of everyone? If I had known, I would've been able to set you free
sooner. However, that doesn't matter now. What's important is we're here, and we're
finally going to set you free from your stone prison..." Jaeron said in a
breathless anticipation.

"Is he... talking to the statue?" Alice whispered with a shudder.

With a painful squirm in my stomach, I suddenly remembered the dream that I had
several months ago. The woman's voice brought me right here, right at the Emerald
Building.

"Bring him here, Hizrot!" Jaeron said.

The Superstrength Weirdo approached the fountain. Jaeron grabbed RB's bleeding
hand-the blackened one-and placed it carefully above the fountain. Droplets of RB's
blood fell into the water of the fountain which started shaking violently.

Jaeron and Hizrot stepped several paces back as the water started crashing all over
the statue and the fountain. Then, like a dye slowly spreading through liquid, the
water of the fountain turned blood-red and thick. The red water showered the statue
of the lady which started emitting puffs of red smoke.

"I restore your blood, the fuel that runs in your veins..."

Jaeron and Hizrot stepped forward. The former placed RB's hand over the fountain
once more before muttering some strange words. RB's blackened hand glowed with a
purplish light as droplets of black and gooey liquid fell into the fountain-the
exact same black liquid that Nurse Juliana extracted from RB nearly a month ago.
In an instant, the blood-red liquid turned to a gooey jet-black. Instead of
crashing violently all over the fountain, the black liquid, as if having a life of
its own, slowly crept up the statue like a snake searching for its prey. My skin
prickled unpleasantly as I watched the black liquid slowly consume the statue of
the lady.

"I restore your magic, the power that has conquered and destroyed many
strongholds..."

Cracks appeared on the ground around the fountain as the black liquid slowly rose
into the air and formed into a huge ball of boiling darkness, carrying with it the
statue. Everyone in the area just stood transfixed on their places and stared at
the ball of black liquid hovering above everyone else.

All of a sudden, people started dashing towards the park from all directions as
bright beams of light focused on Jaeron. Some agents even descended from the sky or
jumped from the Emerald Building. Police sirens, along with the sound of
helicopters, suddenly tore the silence of the night as policemen, Emerald Guards,
and agents surrounded Jaeron and his gang from all directions.

The villains braced themselves for combat, but seeing that they're obviously
outnumbered, they just looked around them in fear and apprehension. Jaeron,
however, stood motionless on his spot-not even fazed by the presence of the
authorities.

The four of us stood up from our hiding spot and approached the park.

"There you are!" Sir Fraeo suddenly said as he approached us and hugged his sister.
"It's okay. You're safe now."

"Villains are attacking the entire city," Crimson added. "Nearly all the agent and
police stations have been alerted and ordered to neutralize the attacks. It's a
good thing that we finally cornered that Jaeron."

"We have you surrounded! Raise your hands! Surrender your hostage!" one of the
agents shouted at the villains.

To my surprise, Jaeron raised his hands. Even his fellow villains looked at him in
shock and disbelief. "What the hell are you doing, Jaeron?" Hizrot snapped at him.

"Turn around!" the agent ordered.

Jaeron did so. However, as he faced all the people around him, a wide grin slowly
curved across his face. His eyes scanned the people around him until his gaze
locked onto me.

"I restore your body, the shell of your existence. May your rebirth be the downfall
of these men..."

And then it happened in an instant.

The ball of black liquid exploded, blasting everyone away from their places. For
several moments, I didn't even realize that I was already hurtling through the air
until I crashed painfully on a huge rock. I immediately conjured a force field
around me to block the powerful wind and the debris flying all over the place. For
several moments, all I heard was the howl of the wind blowing around us.

The storm finally subsided after several minutes, and what greeted me next is
something that I will never forget in my entire life.

A portion of the Emerald Building has collapsed. The entire park, however, was
totally annihilated from existence along with the trees and streets surrounding it.
The blast had been directed away from the building and towards the authorities.
What used to be the park and street outside the Emerald Building have been
completely wiped out, leaving only nothing but a wide piece of barren land. Strewn
all over the place like defeated chess pieces are the bodies of agents, police, and
Emerald Guards.

A loud sizzle suddenly filled the air. Despite my blurry vision and buzzing head, I
looked up and saw that some sort black substance is now spreading all over the
green barrier enclosing the entire school. Huge holes started appearing all over
the green barrier as it dissolved into black smoke. Several moments later, powdery
black substance started falling from the sky like some sort of black snow.

The remaining agents, police, and Emerald Guards stood up and looked around them in
bewilderment and fear. I stood up, wobbled, and fell to the ground again. Fear
welled up inside me as I tried to search for my friends in the middle of the rubble
and destruction.

And then suddenly, a female voice tore the eerie silence around us.

"Fall."

It felt like a huge stone was dropped on my back, causing my body to crash back to
the ground. All the people around me also collapsed to the ground in unison as if
the gravity has been increased in the area all of a sudden. From behind a huge
stone, I looked at the Emerald Building and saw that the villains weren't affected
at all by the explosion.

This time, however, the statue of the lady that used to stand at the center of the
fountain was no longer there. Instead, a real, living lady is now standing on the
raised pedestal that used to hold the statue. She's dressed in a close-fitting
black attire with sleeves covering her arms. Her sleek black robes that fitted her
upper body extended to the ground around her gracefully, giving the impression that
she's still part of the fountain.
The lady has a long mane of wavy hair and a pair of striking dark eyes with purple
irises that radiate immense coldness. Even the villains were arrested by her
powerful charm and beauty. The lady in black took a tentative step forward and
descended from her pedestal.

Jaeron fell to his knees as he looked up at the woman standing in front of him. The
other villains also knelt and bowed their heads low.

"You're back..." he said in a breathless whisper.

The woman looked at him. "I never left."

I already knew who the woman was even before she came back to life because I've
already seen her numerous times before in the memories of Professor Evanesca. I
just stared in shock at the lady as she looked around her surroundings. Her look
hasn't changed at all from what I remember. It seems that all those years she spent
as a statue have arrested her youth-an old woman trapped in the body of a young
lady.

Jaeron stood up before bowing deeply at the woman in black.

"Welcome back, Serafina."

●●●

The police, agents, and Emerald Guards who weren't harmed much by the explosion
started surrounding the villains once more. At the same time, a hand suddenly
grabbed my arm before pulling me away from the place.

"Let's go, Ike! We have to leave now!" Faye said to me as she pulled with all her
might.

"RB's right there! I could still save him! Let go of me!" I snapped at her.

Faye has been totally calm all throughout the evening despite the loss of her
eldest brother; but now, I could sense immense fear and apprehension on her face.
She seems to be desperately trying to get me out of the place as soon as possible.

"FREEZE RIGHT THERE!" an agent shouted at the villains.

Faye and I peeked from behind the rock and saw Serafina staring coldly at the
authorities around her. She then raised a hand lazily before swiping it in front of
her, causing the people around her to disintegrate into dust-their cries of agony
fading away with their bodies.
The two of us instinctively hid behind the rock once more. Copious tears started
falling from Faye's eyes as she tried to drag me away from our spot.

"Please... Ike. I'm begging you... Let's go. We can't save RB now," she said.

A half-disintegrated body suddenly fell right in front of us. Half of his face was
still intact, while the other half exposed his empty skull. Faye and I covered our
mouths as both of us gagged and nearly threw up at the sight right in front of us.

For some strange reason, the air around us seemed to thicken as the temperature
dropped, making us shiver and exhale foggy breaths. The darkness just beyond the
reach of our vision seemed to grow bigger and darker-extending its gnarly claws and
horrible fangs towards us. I realized a second later that Serafina wasn't even
doing anything. It was my own fear that froze my body and forced me to see the
monsters that are living inside me.

"Come out now, children. The game is over," Serafina suddenly said. Her voice
sounded so eerily lifeless, like those pre-recorded voices in train stations and
virtual phone assistants-flat, cold, emotionless.

The rock in front of us disintegrated into dust, revealing our hiding place. Faye
and I both scrambled away from Serafina as the latter fixed her purple eyes on us.
My entire body stiffened and my chest tightened painfully as fear petrified me on
my spot. Even Faye just stared at the lady with utmost horror on her face.

Serafina locked her eyes on me before smiling. "I have seen your heart, Ike
Lunaria. I have seen your dreams... and I have seen your fears. Tormented by your
dark past, pitied by your friends, underestimated by your foes; but you have been
gifted with an unimaginable power, my dear boy. You are unique. You are special.
You are the Prime Elemental. Those are enough reasons for the people to fear you,
for them to follow you. With us, you will stand on top of the world-in the place
where you rightfully belong. Join us, Ike, and we will become unstoppable."

A portal suddenly opened in the area between me and the villains. A teenage girl
suddenly emerged from the portal-the exact same girl who has been giving life to my
dreams and haunting my nightmares over the past years of my life. All the fear and
horror seemed to evaporate as my heart swelled with joy upon seeing her again. She
looked so alive and real, as if she's risen from the dead.

"Aria..." I whispered weakly, finally finding the strength to stand.    "ARIA!"

My legs suddenly moved on their own. Fuelled by longing and desperation, I dashed
straight towards the spot where Aria is standing.

I only want to touch her. I only want to hold her in my arms. I only want to be
with her again.
"IKE, NO!"

The voice that suddenly rang out pierced through me like a knife, shattering all
the illusions around me and pulling my mind back to the reality. Aria is now just
within an arm's reach, but she now looks so foreign. She's just floating aimlessly
in midair like a marionette. Her eyes, though wide open, are completely black and
lifeless-far from her image that I have etched in my mind ever since she died.

I turned around and saw Faye looking at me with tears dripping down her face. She
wiped her tears away before shaking her head weakly, and when she spoke again, her
voice was broken-almost pleading:

"Please... No."

I stepped away from Aria as my senses finally switched back on.

"What did you do to Aria?!" I shouted at the villains angrily.

"Relax, Lunaria," Jaeron replied. "Her death didn't go to waste. You see, it's
extremely hard for us villains to acquire a Freak Weirdo. So when we heard about
your friend, we tracked her down and dug her grave. When Freak Weirdos die, their
bodies don't rot for a long time and their magic stays with them for years. We used
her body to harvest her destructive magic. In fact, you witnessed firsthand the
effects of her powers, didn't you?"

I suddenly remembered the villain attack in the city last year.

Despite my rage and shock with what the villains did to my friend, my mind seemed
to focus on one important thing. "Where's RB?" I asked in a low voice. "Bring RB
back to us."

Serafina laughed a bit. "RB? Is that what you're calling him now? Pretty..."

A body suddenly rose into the air just behind the villains. Just like Aria, RB
floated lifelessly through the air. This time, however, something's definitely
wrong with him. Aside from the fact that he's already unconscious, his eyes have
also been blackened completely and huge cracks have also appeared on his face-
making him look exactly like a cracked gemstone. Like a marionette hanging on its
strings, RB's head and arms hung limp and lifeless.

"Haven't you wondered why your Rubio was so powerful? Haven't you wondered why he
was so apathetic and emotionless? Haven't you wondered why he's so strange and
different? Or are you just like those people who were immediately captured by his
beauty and power?" Serafina asked.

Strange it may seem but the answer rang loud and clear inside my head.
"Because RB's your son."

Serafina gave me a triumphant smile. "Crisiant Rivetrion is more than just my son.
He is my diamond. He is the best thing that my powers could create. Your Rubio is
my Crisiant. Nearly twenty years ago, I was thinking about how I could continue my
reign if ever I die. So I thought, why not create the perfect machine to continue
what I have started? Why not create a killing machine more powerful than any human
being?"

The cracks on RB's face have healed. Now, he's also speaking what Serafina's
saying. Like some sort of a duplicate, he also imitated Serafina's words, gestures,
and facial expressions. The effect was chilling and disturbing, and I felt myself
collapsing to the ground as I stared at RB.

"You see, your Rubio is a part of me. He is a machine with only one command
programmed in his DNA: conquer. He is free from flaws. He is perfect. I can
understand completely why you fell in love with him. To complete his perfection, I
gave him the most powerful weirdness in this world..."

Black wings sprouted from RB's back as his familiar wavy black markings appeared
all over his body. He rose gracefully into the air, his majestic wings opened wide
behind him. At the same time, black crystals started revolving around him in a huge
circle.

"I gave him the power to destroy anything and everything. I gave him the power that
can make empires collapse, the power that can even annihilate worlds from existence
or enslave civilizations..." Serafina said as Rubio hovered in midair behind her.

"I gave him the Prime Destruction."

        Chapter 82: Shattered [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            This is just a dream. This is just a bad dream, Ike. Soon you're going to
wake up lying on your bed with RB trying to undress you. Just wait for a bit more
and all of this will end.

But no. I didn't wake up. I didn't snap out of this dream. This is reality, and my
reality is now occupied by a horrible nightmare—a nightmare that I can never wake
up from. There is no escape.

I can't even move from my spot. I just sat on the ground, looking up in horror at
RB and Aria. I don't even know what to do anymore. In that moment, I felt like
everything in my life was just made of lies and deception.

Serafina laughed at my reaction. "Is everything clear now, my dear boy? Sometimes,
the dream that you're chasing is actually a nightmare in disguise. You've had a lot
of dreams lately, haven't you?"
My eyes widened in shock. "B-But..."

"Ah, about your dreams?" Serafina asked as if reading my mind. "You and my son
fused, remember? Your fusion changed everything. My control was only over my son,
but when you two fused, that control also spread to you. That allowed me to
manipulate your mind in ways that you can't even imagine."

"Can you still remember your dream when I first talked to you?" she continued. "RB
also dreamt of the same thing. In fact, the dream was supposed to be just for him.
However, due to your fusion, I was able to drag you to that dream in order to mess
up with your mind a little."

I just looked up at RB who's also smiling like Serafina. "But he never told me—"

"Because my son didn't want you to worry. I'm afraid that he's grown fond of you.
Despite being a killing machine, he still has emotions and the ability to mimic
human behavior in order to interact with people better. You've had a lot of things
in your plate lately, haven't you? He just didn't want to put more weight on your
shoulders."

"For the past several months, I've been trying to ask for help from my son. Despite
my efforts to control him, he was able to repel my power firmly. I must say, I'm
pretty impressed on how he was able to oppose me. He truly is powerful," Serafina
said with a smile, giving her son a proud look.

All of a sudden, her aura seemed to darken a little as she fixed her eyes on me
once more. "You now have answers to your questions. Now, I am going to give you
options. You can stay with your friends and allies in your sinking ship and die, or
you can join us and reach the full extent of your potential. We need you with us,
Ike. We need to work together to change this rotten society plagued with useless
agents and corrupt officials."

Serafina started walking around as if giving one of her speeches.

"You can continue your study here in Emerald if you want to. I can give you
whatever you want. I can give you your world, your Rubio. You two can live together
happily with your family. We villains are going to do the heavy lifting, and you
only have to help us with a few things. I'm going to make your life comfortable and
happy. All you have to do is say the magic word," she continued.

A low wall of purple light suddenly sprouted from the ground between me and the
villains. "Step over here, Ike, and we're going to conquer the world. All your
problems will disappear, and all your dreams will come true."

"And if I refuse?" I said in a low voice before throwing Serafina a sharp look.

"To refuse is to accept defeat, Ike," she said flatly. "You already lost your
president, the secretary of the Department of Magic, and the director general of
the NMLEA; and I haven't even done anything yet. Do you seriously think that you
can defeat us? Do you seriously think that your light can extinguish our darkness?"

"I can give you the stars, my dear boy," Serafina said before flicking her fingers,
summoning tiny balls of light that hovered over her hand. "Or you can choose to
experience hell on Earth," she added before swiping her other hand and creating
cracks on the ground that spewed out lava.

"You haven't even reached half of what you can do, Ike. And you've been training so
hard for the past three years. Sure, you're slowly improving, but we can help you
realize your full potential in no time. All you have to do is join us. Come here,
dear boy, and the world will be yours," Serafina said as she extended a hand to my
direction.

For several moments, I seriously considered her offer. I just stared at the line of
purple fire separating me from the villains, Serafina, Aria, and RB. I
instinctively looked beside me but saw no one... not even a single person can be
seen in the darkness around me.

Serafina noticed my reaction. "You are alone, Ike. No one will help you now."

"DUH! DON'T BE STUPID, CRAZY LADY! HE'S NOT ALONE!"

The area around the villains suddenly exploded, creating huge clumps of ice spikes
that froze some of them. At the same time, metallic ropes wrapped around me before
pulling me away from my spot. Bright beams of light also shot towards Serafina who
was forced to conjure a wall of darkness in front of her to block Faye's attack.

Jack landed beside me as Faye and Alice also emerged from the darkness around us.
Behind us, the remaining agents, police, and Emerald Guards, along with Sir Fraeo
and Crimson, braced themselves for combat.

"You are not alone, bro. Don't tell me you seriously considered that lady's offer?
We've already come this far, and we are going to save RB no matter what," Jack
said.

"She's already gotten inside of you," Faye said to me. "Don't let her get to your
head, too. The Evanescas are coming. We just have to stay alive until they get
here."

Serafina stared at us lazily. "It seems that you've made your choice, Ike. If
that's the case, then die," she said before raising a hand to our direction.

RB suddenly descended from the sky as the ice spikes around the villains
disintegrated into dust. With a mighty flap of his dark wings, he launched straight
towards us as a trail of black diamonds followed him.
"RB's ours!" Faye shouted to her brother as crystal spikes suddenly sprouted from
the ground around us, forcing everyone to jump away from their places. "The
villains are yours!"

"But... You have to stay away from danger—"

"FOR F**K'S SAKE, I'M ALREADY TWENTY! DO I LOOK LIKE I STILL PLAY WITH DOLLS?!"
Faye snapped at her brother. "RB'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY! JUST DO YOUR FREAKING JOB!
ARE YOU AN AGENT OR WHAT?!"

Sir Fraeo raised a finger, tried to say a word, gulped, and ended up nodding
blankly. "Uh... right. Take care, sis," he said as Crimson dragged him away.

Portals have appeared in the area behind Serafina and out came numerous villains.
As the authorities attacked them, the four of us faced RB. For some unknown reason,
he can't seem to recognize us. I highly suspect that he's still under Serafina's
control because his eyes are still black.

"RB!" I shouted as I wove and ducked around his crystal attacks. "RB, it's us! Wake
up! Snap out of it! It's me! You have to fight her!"

He suddenly smiled at me. "You can't help him now, Ike. He's under my control.
You're just going to waste your time," RB said in Serafina's voice.

"DUDE, THAT'S CREEPY. STOP THAT!" Jack shouted at him.

We really can't fight RB because we're afraid that we might just hurt him. We just
avoided his attacks, shielded ourselves from his crystals, or tried to capture him.
RB's attacks, however, are really meant to kill.

There's a lot of things that I want to know about him, especially Serafina's
revelation about RB's true nature. However, none of those mattered for now. I don't
even care if he's the Prime Destruction. I simply have no time to be shocked or
wallow in despair. As of this moment, we just need to bring RB back and bring him
to safety. That's all that we have to do for now.

"Maybe we need to punch him or something," Jack suggested, raising an ice wall in
front of him to block several crystal spikes directed at him. "That always works in
the movies."

I stared at Jack sharply. "I'm not doing that... again."

"I know a way. I don't know if it will work but we have no other choice," Faye
added as she blasted away a crystal attack with the help of her Light Weirdness.
"But you have to immobilize RB without touching him. You three, give me an
opening!"
Faye then rubbed her hands together, causing them to glow completely white. "I'm
ready!"

I shot towards the sky and assessed our situation from above. Faye and Alice are
currently on the ground, while Jack and I are the only ones who can fight RB in the
air. We need to find a way to ground RB so that Faye could reach him.

"Jack, keep him busy!" I said as I flew back to the ground and turned to Faye.
"When I give the signal, blast RB upwards with your Light Weirdness. Leave the rest
to me. Alice, you'll just know what to do. Just be very careful."

I flew back to the air as the two girls positioned themselves on the ground. Jack
looked at me meaningfully, and I gave him a nod. He sent a rain of crystal spikes
towards RB as I also shot jets of fire towards him. As expected, he flew out of
harm's way and towards Faye who was waiting for him.

"NOW!"

A blinding flash of white light erupted from Faye's area and forced RB to fly
upwards away from the light. As the latter hurtled towards us, I directed a blast
wave towards RB, causing him to plummet back to the ground. He was about to adjust
himself to be able to fly again when Alice suddenly wrapped her ropes around his
body before pulling him with a mighty heave.

Before RB crashed to the ground, ice suddenly appeared on his body and covered him
from his feet up to his neck, completely immobilizing him.

"FAYE!"

Faye placed her glowing hands on RB's temples, her eyes glowing white, too. The
former's body was reduced to a mere silhouette of darkness while Faye's body turned
completely white. For several moments, the two of them just stood there motionless
as Faye's light slowly crept from her hands and towards RB's blackened body.

However, RB's darkness fought back and slowly consumed Faye's light. The white
light that was already creeping over his head receded as if being pushed by the
darkness. Little by little, the darkness crept up Faye's hands, up her arms, and
threatened to engulf her entire body.

"Faye..." I said in a frightened whisper when the darkness continued to consume her
body. "Let go if you can't fight him! FAYE!"

I tried to touch her but her glowing skin felt like hot steel that nearly burned my
hands. The three of us just watched and waited nervously as Faye tried to bring RB
back to his old self, and by the looks of it, she seems to be in the verge of
failing.
A bright explosion of light erupted from their area, forcing us to shield our eyes.
When things have finally settled and our eyes have adjusted from the blinding
blast, RB's already holding Faye by her neck.

"FAYE!" I shouted as the three of us dashed towards them. RB just raised his hand
to our direction before muttering a single word:

"Stop."

It felt like powerful strings suddenly wrapped around my body and prevented me from
moving even a finger. The three of us have been completely immobilized on our
places by one of RB's notorious commands.

"You've been together for nearly three years," RB said, still speaking with
Serafina's voice. "I thought it's already clear to you that my son is a lot more
powerful than any of you. Your efforts will just go to waste. If you want to bring
your friend back, you have to defeat me first. You can't even capture him
properly."

"Let her go!" Jack shouted. "Are you seriously going to hurt Faye, your friend?!
ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR WHAT?! IF IKE CAN'T KNOCK ANY SENSE INTO YOU, THEN I WILL!"

Ice spikes erupted from Jack's feet and rushed towards RB, forcing him to let go of
Faye. Instead of dashing straight forward, the ice spikes recurved and followed RB.
Obviously surprised by the attack, he wasn't able to adjust in midair and he
crashed against a boulder. All three of us also collapsed to the ground as RB's
spell was finally lifted.

Jack wasted no time and dashed towards RB as ice spikes coated the former's arm. As
he swung his icy arm towards RB, the latter swerved sideways before blasting Jack
away, sending him crashing straight to the Emerald Building.

"Jack!"

"Let's stop this child's play," Serafina said, causing everyone to stop and look at
her. With a flick of her fingers, she summoned RB and Aria by her side. Another
body from the Emerald Building also flew towards her, and I realized a second later
that it was Jack.

"Let go of him!" I shouted.

Serafina just smiled at me as she held Jack by the collar of his shirt and showed
him to everyone. "I gave you the opportunity to choose between what's difficult and
easy. I was generous and kind to you. I gave you the best options but you chose to
defy me. You chose to join the losing side. You chose death. Now, I'm going to show
you what will happen if you continue to disobey me."
A ball of darkness suddenly appeared over Serafina's free hand. The ball emitted
puffs of black smoke as it pulsated every now and then, indicating the immense
power that it contains.

"I'll join you now!" I shouted before stepping towards them. "Just please don't
hurt my friends!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, BRO?!" Jack shouted. "I'll be fine! Don't you dare
take another step, you bastard!"

I looked around me and tried to ask for help from anyone, but Alice is currently
attending to Faye who has been extremely weakened because of what she tried to do
to RB earlier; Crimson, Sir Fraeo, and the others have been captured by the
villains, and Jack is being held hostage by Serafina.

"I already made my point clear earlier, my dear boy. Once you join us, we're going
to leave at once, your friends will be left untouched, and your Rubio will go back
to his old self. If you choose to stay with your friends, then you're going to
watch them suffer and die one by one. You're also going to lose the person you
love. You have the power to dictate the future, Ike. For one last time, I am giving
you a chance to save yourself and your friends. Us or them?" she said as the ball
of darkness hovered over her hand.

"Like hell that's going to happen!" Jack shouted as ice spikes sprouted on the
ground around them before rushing inward, freezing everything on its path. Jack
jumped into the air as his ice froze the villains and Serafina inside a colossal
ice prison made of ice spikes.

"TAKE THAT!" Jack shouted.

The ice around Serafina melted into black liquid in an instant. "You are one pesky
child," she said before slamming her ball of darkness against the ground.

A powerful explosion of dust and darkness erupted around the villains before
expanding in all directions and threatened to destroy everything it reaches. Jack,
who was currently plummeting towards us, somersaulted in midair and conjured a
barrier made of red ice spikes, enclosing himself and the villains inside a huge
dome of red ice. The explosion which threatened to kill all of us has been
contained inside Jack's ice barrier, making the ground and everything around us
shake violently.

After several moments, the dome of red ice disintegrated into black dust that flew
high into the air before falling all over the place, creating another shower of
black snow. The powerful explosion also created a wide and empty crater.

Silence.
Jack is now hovering eerily in midair right at the edge of the crater, his arms and
head hanging limp and lifeless. As the black snow continued to rain on us, I
realized that a spear of what looks like black ink has punctured his chest—directly
over his heart. His head suddenly lolled to my direction, revealing his blackened
eyes and lifeless face.

"J-Jack..." I whispered weakly as fear welled up inside me. In fact, I've never
been this afraid in my entire life. "Jack..."

As if the gravity has finally regained its grip on his body, Jack suddenly fell
with a loud thud to the ground several meters in front of me. Despite my shivering
body and dimming vision, I was able to crawl through all the rubble and debris just
to reach him—afraid of what I might see, afraid of what might happen.

"You're going to be okay," I said after putting my hand over his chest to feel his
heartbeat. "Faye's going to help us. She knows what to do. Just hang on for a
while. FAYE, HELP ME!"

I looked behind me and saw Alice trying to wake her up. Tears brimmed on my eyes as
I turned my attention back to Jack. The black substance that punctured his chest is
now slowly spreading throughout his body.

"Ike..." Jack suddenly said as he gripped my arm tightly. "Don't let her get to
you, okay? You have to be strong. You have to fight her. I'm going to haunt you for
the rest of your life if you go with that crazy woman. Bring RB back, okay? Bring
him back to where he belongs."

"What the hell are you saying?!" I shouted as tears dripped down my face. "Help is
coming. Hang on!"

A faint smile curved across his pale face. "Tell my mom that I'm... that I'm sorry
for being hardheaded at times. Look after Janine for me, okay? Make sure that she
finds the right man in the future. Also, you have to attend her tea party for her
dolls every Saturday afternoon. I don't have time to teach you how to do her hair
or groom her, so just let Faye help you. Tell them... tell them that I love them so
much..."

Jack's grip on my arm slackened, and his hand fell to the ground limp and lifeless.
His blue irises have been completely blackened, and he let out a long and final
breath. Something was extinguished on his face as he looked up at the dark sky
above us.

And then it was over.

I just balled my hands into fists as I bowed my head low over Jack's body and
finally accepted defeat. I didn't even bother to prevent myself from crying or
suppressing my sobs. A light drizzle also started falling from the sky as if the
clouds above are also lamenting Jack's death.
"I made things easy for you, but you chose the difficult path. If you continue
defying me, you will lose everything and everyone you love. You did this to your
friend. None of this would've happened if you chose to join us right at the very
beginning. You cannot defeat me, Ike. Your only choice is to join me," Serafina
said.

Jack's body suddenly rose into the air. Just like Aria and RB, he also imitated
Serafina's words and gestures. His blank face suddenly smiled as he raised his limp
hands towards me.

"Your friend is powerful," Serafina said through Jack. "He was even able to conjure
Everlasting Ice, one of the strongest materials in the universe; but I am beyond
strength, my dear boy. How many more lives will it take for you to realize that you
cannot defeat me? I hate killing my fellow weirdos. I hate wasting magical blood.
However, you have to remember that these friends of yours will die one by one for
as long as you oppose me."

I clamped my hands over my head as Jack spoke to me with Serafina's voice. Aria and
RB also appeared behind him, their blank eyes staring at me. I feel like I'm going
crazy, and I just let out a mad scream in hopes of cancelling out all the buzzing
inside my head.

Serafina laughed. "The choice is clear, my dear boy. The choice is very clear. Come
here now, Ike," she said before raising a hand to my direction.

A series of explosion erupted around Serafina's area. At the same time, barriers
made out of white, blue, and green light suddenly rose in front of me. As if driven
by some unknown force, I looked behind me and saw three people standing motionless
over the distance with their hands outstretched in front of them.

Just like beacons of light pushing away the darkness around them, the three people
seemed to radiate a warm glow that coursed throughout our bodies. The lady in blue
swiped her arms and opened several portals behind them. Out came the police,
agents, and Emerald Guards. Over the distance, police sirens and helicopters can be
heard approaching the place.

Light.

The lady in the middle stepped forward several paces, her eyes scanning the
destruction and chaos all over the place. When she saw RB and the two dead bodies
hovering in midair right in front of me, her eyes seemed to burn with a cold fury
as arcs of lightning suddenly crisscrossed all over her body. For some strange
reason, the darkness around her seemed to recede with every step she takes.

Serafina's purple eyes gleamed as she stared at the newcomer. "You've grown old,
Esmerelda."
The headmistress stared back, her green robes billowing behind her. "You're still
the same, Serafina."

        Chapter 83: Between Left and Right [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Sorry for the delaaayed update. Halos isang buwan na kasing masama ang
pakiramdam ko. Lumabas lang ako sa city para magpa-check up again.

'Di naman dengue gaya nung una nilang hinala, pero in the past month eh parati
akong nilalamig at may low fever tapos nahilo ako one time. Nung natapos naman 'yun
ay nawala nga ang low fever ko pero napalitan naman ng super hot feeling sa katawan
especially sa legs. Para akong may sinat/lagnat sa init ng pakiramdam ko pero I
feel totally fine naman otherwise. Normal naman ang pagkain ko at wala naman akong
masakit sa katawan. Sadyang mainit lang talaga katawan ko.

This past week naman ay nawala na 'yung hot feeling na 'yun, pero halos isang
linggo na akong nahihilo. 'Di naman totally umiikot ang paningin ko, pero para
akong nalulula.

So 'yun. May alam ba kayo kung ano ang nararamdaman ko? Haha. All I can remember eh
one week prior to my pagkakasakit eh nagpunta ako sa city. Sakto pala na Ibalong
Festival that time at nasarhan ako ng kalsada dahil sa street parade so I had to
walk from Legaspi to Albay. Lol. Around 3 pm 'yun. Baka 'yun ang rason why.

May suggestions ba kayo para maging okay pakiramdam ko? Patulong naman. Lel.
Anyway, please pray for my health! 'Yun na lang ang hiling ko this birthday month
ko mula sa inyo. Lol.

theashtone

●●●

Professor Evanesca swiped her hands in front of her, causing all the captured
people to fly back to her side. Even the bodies of Jack and Aria flew towards the
team of Nurse Juliana. RB, however, flew back to the side of Serafina.

"Get the injured to the infirmary, Juliana. Contact the families of Jack and Aria.
You know what to do," the headmistress said to the old nurse.

She then approached Ike who was just sitting lifelessly on the ground, his eyes
staring blankly at the empty space in front of him. The headmistress' eyes brimmed
with tears upon seeing the look on Ike's face. Without using any fancy handwork or
powerful spell, without using any magic, Professor Evanesca knelt beside Ike and
helped him to his feet before escorting him back to the others.

"I know you've seen terrible things tonight, Ike. I truly am sorry for not arriving
in the soonest possible time. I could've saved your friends if only I arrived a bit
earlier. You are safe now, my dear boy. Your friends are already waiting for you.
You are a brave person, Ike. I am proud of you," the headmistress said before
giving Ike to Alice and Faye who immediately hugged him.

Professor Evanesca was about to turn back to the villains when her younger brother
called her. "I'll go with you," Ezekiel said, his voice cracking.

The headmistress smiled at him calmly. "This is still my fight, dear brother.
Serafina and I started this, we are going to end this. I just want you to crush the
other villains in this school and keep Ike safe at all times," she said before
turning her fiery eyes to Serafina. "This one is mine."

"Why don't you let your siblings fight, my old friend?" Serafina said with a sneer.
"This is just like last time, isn't it? Carlo, Stella, and you. Come on now,
Esmerelda. You don't have to fight me alone. Why don't you ask for help from others
just like what you did last time?"

"Unlike you, I don't drag people to my personal problems and grudges," the
headmistress replied in a low voice.

"Is that so? That seems a bit strange to me. Your weirdness is Utilization, and
that allows you to use all the weirdnesses around you for as long as they're inside
a specific radius. You only reached the top because of other people's weirdnesses,
because you used people. Without them, you're alone. Without them, you're nothing,"
Serafina said.

Professor Evanesca gave her a flat stare. "You can talk all you want, but you will
never get to my head. Also, just to prove you wrong, I won't be using any other
weirdness tonight except mine. It's been nearly twenty years, Serafina. Like what
you said, I've grown old. In those two decades, I've committed a lot of mistakes
and learned my lessons. You, however, are still painfully the same."

Serafina smirked meaningfully. "Oh, I've changed, Esmerelda. I've changed a lot."

A beam of dark, glittery light suddenly erupted from her eyes and shot straight
towards the headmistress. Professor Evanesca, almost lazily, raised a glowing hand
and transformed Serafina's dark light into powdery and sparkling greenish smoke
that whirled around her.

"Do you want me to tell you what your most trusted servant did to your son? Do you
want to know what kind of hell Rubio went through in the hands of Jaeron? Do you
want to know how they treated him in your absence?" Professor Evanesca asked.

"Your own right hand used Rubio to gain money for your Legion. Your son was
maltreated and violated in all ways imaginable at such a young age. He was forced
to endure a lot of pain and sufferings by the same people whom you trusted. It took
us many years to fix him. It took us a long time to bring him back to his old self.
Now, tell me, how can you stand there with them and act as if none of those
matter?" she added.
Serafina closed her eyes momentarily. "You have to make sacrifices for the benefit
of the majority. Besides, Crisiant had to learn the hard way. He is a diamond, and
in order to reach the perfection and glamour that he has now, he had to go through
a lot of friction and polishing. People aren't born strong in this world,
Esmerelda. You have to go through a lot of terrible things in order to make
yourself stronger, in order to make yourself better," she said in a low voice.

An expression of shock and disbelief ran across Professor Evanesca's face. "Can you
hear what you're saying? This is your son we're talking about! Does he look better
to you? Does he look stronger in that state? Does he look perfect in your eyes?"
she said, her voice rising.

Serafina clicked her fingers, causing his son to fall to the ground. His blackened
eyes turned back to normal as the black markings on his body receded before
disappearing.

"RB..." Ike suddenly said after realizing that RB's back to his old self. He tried
to run towards the former but Faye and Alice held him back.

RB raised his head and looked at the direction of Ike's voice. Despite being
greatly weakened, he tried to crawl towards his friends. However, a purple barrier
suddenly blocked his way and prevented him from advancing any further.

"Why? Do you want me to be happy with what you did to him?" Serafina asked the
headmistress. "You only made him weaker. You only made him worse. It's your fault
why your Rubio is in this situation. You have no right, no right at all to question
what I'm doing to him when you're the one who prevented me from being a mother to
my son!"

Black flames erupted around the area of Serafina as purple lightning suddenly
erupted from her hands. All the people behind the two ladies also threw confused
glances at them.

"What the hell is she talking about?!" Ezekiel shouted at his sister.

"Oh, right. You are a woman of secrets, Esmerelda. Do you want me to spill the
beans to them? Do you want me to reveal one of your dark secrets? Your admirers
look at you as the pristine symbol of justice, a person who despises evil and emits
nothing but pure, white light in times of darkness. Do you want me to confess one
of your numerous sins?" Serafina asked.

She then opened her arms wide and looked at everyone around them. "This lady took
my son and used him as a bait to lure me out from my hideout. You were the head of
the team that was hunting me down, right? You knew about my hiding place but you
didn't capture me right away. Instead, you used my son to draw me towards this
school so that you could stage that big fight that we had. Remember that,
Esmerelda? Remember how I knelt in front of you and begged? I told you that I will
surrender quietly for as long as you show me my son... but you didn't. How dare you
question what I'm doing to my Crisiant," Serafina said.
Professor Evanesca swayed on her spot as if some of her strength have been zapped
out of her.

"Oh, but that wasn't the only lie you told the people," Serafina continued in a sly
voice. "Like I said, you love using people. You love playing those chess matches
where you strategically move pieces on this huge board. Let me tell these people
what exactly you did to me twenty years ago..."

She walked back to the ruined fountain where she used to stand as a statue. "Before
I was brought back to life by Jaeron, I was trapped as a statue right at center of
this fountain. It's the Petrification Curse that ended my reign nearly two decades
ago. It's a curse that doesn't really kill a person. It just turns your entire body
into stone but preserves your consciousness. As a result, you consciousness still
lives but you cannot move your body, so there's no way that you can interact to the
world."

"Your petrified form cannot be destroyed by any means, magical or physical. You
also become immovable, and that's the reason why I was never removed from this
place because no one can move my statue. There is only one way to undo the curse,
and that is by dropping your own blood, or blood from any of your relative, on your
statue. In my case, it's my son's blood that set me free," she added.

Serafina's eyes gleamed as she turned her attention back to the headmistress. "But
I had no plans of petrifying myself during my fight with Carlo, Stella, and
Esmerelda. I'm a villain, but I'm not that evil. Oh, right. IT WAS YOUR BELOVED
HEADMISTRESS THAT CAST THE CURSE ON ME."

"She's the reason why all of this is happening right now! She's the reason why
those people were killed. Your headmistress knew what's going to happen if she
petrifies me, but she still did it despite knowing that my son will probably
experience this kind of hell. All of this chaos happened because Esmerelda allowed
this to happen!" she added.

All the eyes in area—villains, agents, police, Emerald Guards, students, teachers—
focused on Professor Evanesca. Serafina's voice rose dramatically as she pointed an
accusing finger at the headmistress.

"Also, when the curse is undone, it leaves the person's heart petrified,
effectively turning them invincible to any physical damage, sickness, harm, or even
death—basically turning the person immortal," Serafina said. "That is correct,
people! Your former number one agent turned the greatest villain of all time
immortal! She turned me into an unkillable monster. You don't like killing villains
because you love to see them suffer and rot in jail. When we fought, I begged you
to end all my sufferings and pain, but you didn't listen to me. I begged you to
kill me, but you wouldn't let me die."

"Now, tell me, do you still admire this woman?" Serafina said, addressing the
people behind the headmistress. "Are you still going to trust and believe her
blindly? This woman is just as dirty and vile as we villains are. Now, do you think
that you agents still have the right to draw the line between what's right and
wrong? Do you think that you're still the savior of the people when this woman
allowed me to suffer despite my pleas?"

The flat expression on Serafina's face returned. "No, and that's the reason why
we're here. We are the end and the beginning. We are going to abolish these self-
righteous agents and establish a new order in this rotten society. Let's start by
crushing your beloved headmistress, shall we?"

Black liquid rose around Serafina before forming into spears that shot towards
Professor Evanesca. The headmistress just clicked her fingers, causing the black
liquid to freeze in midair. With a swipe of her hand, she shattered the frozen
spears into hundreds of tiny fractals.

"Do you want to know why I did those things to you?" Professor Evanesca asked in a
low voice. "Do you want to know why I chose to freeze you instead of killing you?"

"We both know each other, Serafina. We know each other so well. I know that even
the Time Citadel won't be strong enough to contain you, so I had no other choice
but to trap you in that stone prison. Also, do you remember what you did to that
island where you hid? You erased it from the map, along with all the people living
on it. You broke the law, and regardless of your excuse, you have to pay for what
you did."

"I was only protecting my son from the people who wanted to hurt him!" Serafina
shouted.

"BUT THOSE PEOPLE ALSO HAD CHILDREN LIKE YOU!" Professor Evanesca shouted back,
sparks flying from her hands. "Yes, they killed Robb. Yes, they tried to kill you,
too. But on that island, there were innocent people who didn't do anything wrong to
you. There were children who didn't even have any idea of what was happening around
them. Yes, we wrote the law, but you have no right to bend it just because you felt
that you were treated unfairly. You villains have nothing but twisted
interpretations of what's right and wrong! Evil is evil!"

As Ike listened to the conversation of the two ladies, it became clear to him that
this is the first time he saw Professor Evanesca lose control like this. The
headmistress was breathing rapidly and her eyes glistened with suppressed tears.

"You saw it. You experienced it. You witnessed firsthand how we lived our lives
like rats in those mountains because of the people who were oppressing us,"
Professor Evanesca said in a low voice. "You saw how we suffered because of
twisted, greedy people. I tried to solve our problems in the most peaceful manner,
and that is by cleansing the entire government and educating the young ones. You,
however, became exactly like our oppressors. You stooped to their level because you
want vengeance for what happened to your family. Where did that bring you? Nowhere.
You gained nothing but an insatiable hunger to kill, to conquer the weak."

Tears suddenly fell from Professor Evanesca's eyes as she stared fiercely at her
old friend. "You saw how we lived in those mountains. You knew how horrible it felt
when our fathers fought our oppressors. You knew how devastating it was to see our
families get killed one by one. Why... Why did you become like them? Why did you
stoop down to their level? What happened to you?"

Professor Evanesca suddenly moved so fast that she was reduced to a mere green
blur. The villains around Serafina were blasted away as the headmistress clamped
her hands on Serafina's arms before turning around with a mighty heave.

"WHY DID YOU BECOME THE MONSTER THAT WE BOTH DESPISE?!"

The headmistress made a mad swing and threw Serafina towards the Emerald Building
where she crashed violently. Debris and huge plumes of dust rose into the air as
the building swayed and rattled dangerously.

Professor Elena and Ezekiel were already crying. This is probably the first time
that everyone has seen the headmistress lose control like this. It became clear to
everyone that the feud between these two women was more than just an agent-villain
rivalry. Their sentiments are deeply rooted in those years they spent as friends,
and it's obvious that their argument is extremely personal.

Ike also remembered the memories that Professor Evanesca showed him. In those
memories, both of these ladies looked happy despite their way of living. He could
see from the eyes of the headmistress that she's also hurting so much.

A cold, lifeless laugh suddenly erupted from the area where Serafina crashed. The
dust finally subsided, revealing Serafina who was buried on a wall. Her lips curved
into a wide grin as she descended back to the ground.

"Are you expecting me to get emotional and cry?" she asked. "You froze my heart,
remember? You took away my humanity and destroyed it. I had a heart when we fought
last time; but now, I don't have any. You are about to experience the wrath of the
monster that you created."

Black diamond spikes suddenly rose around Serafina along with black, glittery smoke
that formed into spears. With a click of her finger, she sent the spears and spikes
flying towards the headmistress who didn't even move a muscle.

As if hitting a predetermined barrier around Professor Evanesca, the crystal spikes

and black spears shattered around her. Glittering shards of black diamond rained
all over the headmistress who stood motionless on her spot. She suddenly looked
back at the people behind her, and her resolve seemed to strengthen a little.

"Times have changed, Serafina," Professor Evanesca said. "I'm no longer fighting
for myself, but for the people who rely on me. You brought villains to my school
and killed a lot of police, agents, and our own guards. Not to mention that you
also killed one of my students. I made a promise that I will crush any villain who
dares to show even a hair in this school. It's true that I never killed anyone in
the past, but like I said, I've changed; and you are about to become my first
kill."
Numerous chains suddenly erupted around the area of Serafina and bound her arms and
legs together. With a flick of her fingers, the headmistress forced Serafina to
kneel. Professor Evanesca rose into the air with her arms stretched wide on her
sides. All of a sudden, the clouds above shifted and revealed the blood-red moon.
The headmistress' gloves dissolved into smoke, revealing her blackened hands. The
darkness on her hands slowly crept throughout her body until she was reduced to
nothing but a black figure in the sky silhouetted against the red moon.

A circle of black light with strange symbols on it also appeared on the ground
around Serafina. The symbols, written in red light, crept up her body and formed
into cracks. She suddenly screamed and writhed in pain as the cracks slowly
appeared all over her body.

Everyone in the area, villains and agents alike, looked up in awe and fear at the
headmistress as she hovered above everyone else. A strange expression ran across
Ezekiel's face as he threw glances between his sister and Serafina. He suddenly
realized what his sister was about to do, and he ran forward screaming:

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Ezekiel shouted at his sister.

Professor Evanesca opened her eyes, revealing nothing but sockets emitting a bright
red light. A powerful wind suddenly blew all over the place and hindered anyone
from approaching them.

"I destroy your soul, the force in which your existence depends..."

A ball of white light came out from Serafina's mouth and hovered above her. At the
same time, red cracks also appeared on the headmistress' hands and feet.

"I destroy your magic, the source of your vile and corrupted power..."

Another ball came out from Serafina's mouth, but it's made of pure darkness. Just
like the first ball, it hovered in midair just right above her. The red light being
emitted from Professor Evanesca's eyes started creeping all over her face and body.
Now, her silhouette is torn between black and red.

"I destroy your body—"

"ESMERELDA, STOP!"

The voice that suddenly rang out snapped the headmistress out of her suspended
trance. Nurse Juliana ran forward, her eyes fixed not on Professor Evanesca but on
a body which was also writhing in pain on the ground. The red cracks all over
Serafina's body are also present on RB's. Two balls of white and purple light are
also hovering in the air just above him.
"You can't do that," Ezekiel whispered weakly as tears dripped down his face.
"You'll also kill RB."

With this, all the strength of Professor Evanesca seemed to evaporate in instant.
She descended back to the ground, swayed upon landing, and fell to her knees
weakly. The balls of black and white light also flew back into Serafina's mouth as
the chains binding her disintegrated into dust.

The headmistress stared in disbelief at her old friend, her eyes glistening with
tears. "What have you done?" she whispered lifelessly.

Serafina rose from the ground slowly, her piercing eyes staring at the
headmistress. "What have you done, Esmerelda?"

        Chapter 84: The Divide [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            "If you want to perform the Obliteration Spell on someone, the soul, magic,
and body of the person should be intact in a single entity for the spell to work.
In my case, my magic already exists inside my son, therefore making me immune to
the most powerful destroying spell in the universe. If you want to kill me, then
you have to kill your Rubio first," Serafina said with a triumphant smile.

"Don't look at me as if it's my fault," she added. "Your headmistress put my son in
this situation. She chose to petrify me despite knowing the fact that my son will
suffer the consequences of her actions. I'm a mother, and I will never put my own
child in danger."

Professor Evanesca stood up. "Stop acting like you didn't do anything bad to Rubio.
If you truly are a mother, then you shouldn't have tampered with your son's heart
and magic."

"What are you going to do to me? Petrify me again? Imprison me in the Time Citadel?
You can't kill or even hurt me, Esmerelda. Also, I think your time is running out,"
Serafina said, scanning the headmistress' blackened hands.

Professor Evanesca's eyes glowed as sparks flew from her hands. "I'll just figure
out a way."

A jet of green fire suddenly shot towards Serafina who immediately conjured a wall
of darkness to block the attack. The green fire whirled around her before
transforming into black flames that morphed further into a giant snake. Professor
Evanesca slashed her hands at the colossal black reptile hissing at her, causing it
to dissolve into puffs of smoke.

A rain of daggers fell out from the clouds of smoke and plummeted towards Serafina.
As she raised her hand to disintegrate the daggers, jets of white light also shot
towards her. Serafina just clicked her fingers and froze the jets of light in
midair. With a flick of her hand, the white light changed to black that flew back
to her opponent. Professor Evanesca jumped out of harm's way and into the air as
wings made out of green smoke sprouted from her back.

Fights also erupted around the two ladies as the police, agents, and Emerald Guards
clashed with villains, Purebloods, and Purgers. The villain side, led by Jaeron,
tried to get past their opponents in order to capture Ike. Ezekiel and his group,
however, made it difficult for the villains to advance.

"We can fight!" Faye shouted at Ezekiel. "We'll just be a burden to you if we stay
here and do nothing. Serafina is disracted! This is the perfect time for us to get
RB!"

"We have to keep you safe, especially Ike!" Ezekiel shouted back.

Faye smirked before gesturing behind her. "Do you think these people will let
anything bad happen to us?"

Behind them, suddenly emerging from the darkness like ghosts, are their classmates,
teammates, and friends from other classes. Aside from all their classmates in Class
A, other students such as Jared, Cataleya, Jethro, and others also arrived to help
them.

"Fine," Ezekiel said. "But if you ever get in a sticky situation, ask for help.
Bring RB back to us, but always keep your eyes on Ike."

"How about you?" Ike asked who appears to have recovered a bit from the shock.

Ezekiel's eyes sparked. "I want to severe and crush a right hand tonight," he said
as his black cloak dissolved into smoke, revealing his original agent suit. Streaks
of blue light crisscrossed all over his body as he shot towards Jaeron who's
currently fighting Professor Elena.

A lady in black suddenly hurtled through the air as Ike and his friends also dashed
into the fray. Serafina crashed to the ground after being blasted away by Professor
Evanesca. Upon seeing that several people are running towards her son, Serafina
raised a smoky hand in RB's direction and made him rise into the air.

"Rise, my diamond, and shatter these inferiors..." she whispered, causing the black
markings on RB's body to reappear.

"YOUR SON IS NOT A TOOL!" Professor Evanesca shouted as two swords made out of
white light erupted from her hands. With a mighty heave, she swung her swords at
Serafina who conjured a black barrier to block the attack.

"Look who's talking," Serafina replied as her barrier exploded, blasting the
headmistress into the air. Wings made of green light sprouted from the latter's
back as she regained her balance in midair.
"Haven't you told your favorite student why you were training him so hard these
past few years? Does he know the reason why you wanted him to reach the full
potential of his power?" Serafina asked.

"Because I want him to be able to protect himself from people like you, from people
who only want nothing but power and control," Professor Evanesca replied before
lunging towards Serafina and swinging her swords at her.

"Let's not kid ourselves, Esmerelda," Serafina said while defending herself from
the attacks of the headmistress. "You're only training him so hard because you know
that this day will come. You are growing old. Even as I speak, your time is slowly
ticking away. You just want someone to continue what you started. Do you really
think that your student can defeat me?"

"Yes, I do," Professor Evanesca said before rising into the air. A ring of white
light erupted around her opponent before exploding. Small cracks appeared on
Serafina's face and all over her body, but thin sheets of emerald crystal covered
her cracks and healed them in an instant.

"I am invincible, and you are delusional," the lady in black said before sending a
jet of black light towards the headmistress, forcing the latter to erect a barrier
in front of her. At the same time, black liquid rose behind Professor Evanesca and
wrapped around her arms and legs tightly.

Serafina pointed her hand at the headmistress. Black liquid gushed out from her
hand and formed into veins that attached themselves all over the headmistress' body
like some sort of parasite. Greenish-white light started creeping on the veins
towards Serafina.

"How about I steal your weirdness for a change?" she whispered.

Professor Evanesca's eyes glowed brightly as green flames engulfed the black veins
and burned them to ashes. She collapsed to the ground breathing heavily but
otherwise unharmed. "Are the weirdnesses of other people not enough? How many more
weirdos are you going to kill in your search for power?" she asked.

"I will only stop once I acquire the powers of the Prime Elemental. After that, I'm
going to enslave the entire world, and maybe establish an empire later on. After
all, I'm immortal. I'll never die," Serafina replied.

Professor Evanesca stood up. "Sorry to break the bad news, but for as long as I am
breathing, you'll never be able to lay a finger on Ike."

The headmistress was reduced to a green blur as she zoomed straight towards her
opponent. Cracks also appeared on the ground around the two women while they fought
hand-to-hand. Sparks and searing blast waves also erupted from their area whenever
they get in contact with each other.
Serafina slammed her hand against the headmistress' abdomen, causing the latter to
be flown backward. "We were friends once," the lady in black said before sending a
ball of darkness towards Professor Evanesca who immediately jumped away. The ball
exploded upon impact and created another huge crater.

The headmistress reappeared behind Serafina before slamming a ball of white light
on her back, sending her opponent crashing back to the ground. "But you chose to
leave us. You chose this school instead of us. You left your friend alone, and now
you're asking me why I became like this? Why I became a monster? You created the
monster that we both despise!" Serafina continued.

Volleys of black crystal spikes flew towards Professor Evanesca who just flew
straight towards Serafina while shielding herself with her arms. The headmistress
shattered the crystal spikes with her hands as she flew, showering the ground with
sparkling crystal shards.

"You did this to yourself," Professor Evanesca replied calmly. "You have your own
mind. You can make your own decisions. I left because I wanted to make things
better for our fellow Purgers. I left because I wanted to give them a better
future. Don't blame me if I didn't agree with your barbaric ideals," she said,
landing neatly to the ground.

Serafina stood up. "We parted ways when you chose Emerald over us. We already
reached the divide a long time ago. There is no turning back at this point. Your
goal is to protect this country and your school. My goal is to destroy them and
you. Your society has collapsed, Esmerelda, and this school is the only thing that
stands in the path of our success."

Green flames erupted all over the body of the headmistress. At the same time, black
flames also crept up the body of Serafina. The two women flew towards each other,
creating a powerful explosion that blasted everything away around them.

"Before this night is over, one of us will fall," Professor Evanesca said in a low
voice. With a mighty swing of her arm, she sent Serafina flying straight to the
sky. The headmistress flew after her opponent, the two of them rising higher and
higher into the air until they were reduced to nothing but mere green and black
dots silhouetted against the red moon.

●●●

"Is that everything you've got? I thought agents are cool. Turns out I was wrong.
You guys are pretty lame after all," Iris said, twirling her daggers in her hands
as blood dripped down Shara's arm after being cut by one of her knives.

"Get your arm cleansed by the Healers! This crazy girl is mine!" Crimson said,
suddenly appearing after taking down a couple of agents with one kick.
Iris smiled widely upon seeing her new opponent. "Crimson! Aren't you pretty? I've
always wanted to cut your little foxy body to pieces. Your tail will also make a
good scarf around my neck."

"Sorry, girl, but I'm not in the mood to get chopped. Also, if there's anyone
who'll get severely cut tonight, it's you. SO SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET WRECKED!"
Crimson said before turning around swiftly and kicking Iris right in the face,
sending her crashing against a nearby tree.

"TIMBER!" Crimson shouted as the tree fell with a loud crash. "I've always wanted
to do that since I first saw you. Dang, that felt good."

Chains suddenly shot towards Crimson who jumped around them effortlessly. The cloud
of dust where Iris crashed finally subsided, revealing the villain in the middle of
numerous chains connected to her fingers and lower back, wiggling like snakes in
search for their prey. Nearly all the chains have daggers attached to their end,
and Crimson seriously dodged around them to avoid getting cut.

One of the chains whipped at Crimson feet, causing him to stumble and fall to the
ground. Before he could stand up, several chains suddenly shot towards him, but a
wall of steel rose in front of Crimson and blocked the chains.

"Thanks, boyfie!" he shouted at Fraeo. "I thought I was a goner back there!"

"Can you please stop goofing around?" Fraeo replied.

Crimson raised an eyebrow. "Goofing around? Do I look like I'm goofing around, you
ridiculously handsome and hot human being? Mama's working here!" he shouted before
kicking several chains back to his opponent.

"Ah... Love..." Iris whispered dreamily as Fraeo joined Crimson in fighting her.
"You two look so happy. That makes me want to kill you even more."

"So, you love Crimson?" Iris asked Fraeo as she sent her chains towards the two,
splitting them up. "What sorts of thing do you guys do? Do you go out on a date
every weekend? Do you kiss a lot? Do you always have sex with him?"

"Are you my mother?!" Crimson shouted at her while jumping around her chains.

"I used to have a boyfriend back when I was still in school," Iris said
absentmindedly. "Unfortunately, he was killed when he got involved in an agent
operation. It was a careless agent who killed him. I think that was the reason why
I became like this. Since then, I've always hated agents but loved cute and
charming boys. Crimson's also a cutie, isn't he? You love him, right?"

"I do, and it's none of your business," Fraeo replied before sending a volley of
silver daggers towards her.
Iris smiled widely before swiping her hand in front of her, causing the silver
daggers to slow down with their flight. She then turned around and pointed her hand
to Crimson who's still busy jumping around her bladed chains.

"You agents killed my Tyler, so I'm going to kill your Crimson."

It all happened in an instant.

Fraeo's silver daggers which were aimed at Iris suddenly recurved and changed their
path. Instead of flying straight towards her, the daggers flew to the direction
where her hand was pointing—towards Crimson.

Fraeo didn't have any time to shout or even react at all. The only thing that
Crimson was able to do was stare blankly at the daggers flying towards him.
Everything around them seemed to slow down as the daggers hit Crimson and blasted
him backwards. For several moments, he swayed on his feet unsteadily as Fraeo and
Iris just stood frozen on their spots.

Something seemed to pull Crimson to one side. His body suddenly tilted to the left
and he collapsed limp and motionless on the ground. Blood gushed out from the
places where the daggers hit him and colored his agent suit red. Iris threw Fraeo a
triumphant look, the latter just standing petrified while staring at the bleeding
Crimson.

Iris smiled widely. "Crimson looks so much cuter now..."

●●●

A jet of purple light suddenly fell from the sky and exploded. Not long after that,
a jet of green light also fell from the sky and hit a portion of the Emerald
Building, sending a rain of glass and debris on Ike and his friends.

"Those two ladies are brutal," Jared said as he blasted away the debris heading
towards them. Up above them, Professor Evanesca and Serafina have been reduced to
streaks of green and purple light crashing against each other.

"Ike!" Faye suddenly shouted. "I have an idea. I don't know if this will work, but
we have to try this one."

Nearly all their teammates are now fighting RB. Despite their combined efforts, RB
proved to be a really difficult opponent to fight despite being alone. Now they can
understand why even the best students of Sierra can't take him down whenever he
gets serious in battle.

"What?" Ike shouted back after narrowly missing a jet of black light from RB.
"We can't possibly beat him when he's in this state, so why don't you use the Prime
Elemental and... do something!" Faye replied.

"Fuse with him?" Ike asked quietly. "But Ezekiel will go nuts—"

"DOES THAT REALLY BOTHER YOU AT THIS POINT?!" Faye snapped at him angrily.
"Earlier, you looked like you could flip the entire world upside down just to find
RB. Now you're chickening out?! DO YOU WANT TO SAVE RB OR NOT, YOU COWARD?!"

Ike raised his hands, half-frightened and half-shocked. "Oh... Okay. Please calm
down. I'll do it." He then closed his eyes momentarily before taking a deep breath.
His green eyes and the lightning markings on his body glowed brightly as streaks of
lightning and fire crisscrossed all over his arms and legs.

Ike jumped into the air towards RB who shot another jet of black light towards him.
The former instinctively raised his hand and turned the jet of black light to
greenish-white.

"It's working!" Alice shouted. "We'll distract RB while you try to reach him!"

"Ah... The Prime Elemental in its full state," RB said in Serafina's voice. "Such
power. Such greatness. It's a shame that a mere weakling like you inherited it.
Life would be extremely disappointed if he sees the current state of his Prime."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ike asked.

"The universe has many secrets that you know nothing of. Trust me, my dear boy,
you've barely scratched the surface of the huge repertoire of powers and abilities
of the Prime Elemental. I gave you a choice to join us to help you reach your full
power, but it's too late now, Ike," RB replied.

Ike just let out a lifeless sigh. "Ezekiel was right. You villains always talk too
much."

Huge roots and vines suddenly sprouted from the ground around RB and wrapped around
him tightly. Before he could disintegrate those to dust, Ike shot towards him and
held him by his shoulders.

Within seconds, the bodies of Ike and RB dissolved into greenish-white and
purplish-black smoke respectively. The glowing smoke interlaced and mixed with each
other, resulting in a cyan hue. Their bodies combined into one, and when all the
smoke and light faded away, their cyan-haired fusion with the lightning and wavy
black markings on his body appeared.

"Ike? RB?" Faye asked tentatively. "Are you guys there?"

"I'm in control," the fusion replied in Ike's voice. "I can feel RB's presence deep
inside, but Serafina's magic is barring me from reaching him. I'll try my best to
pull him out."

"Unfuse if you feel anything wrong, okay? Just do what you can. Don't push it if
you can't. We'll guard you," Faye said.

The black markings on the fusion's body suddenly emitted puffs of black smoke
before letting out a shriek. The fusion fell on his knees, his entire body shaking
in tremendous pain. His greenish glow also started fading away as the black
markings slowly spread throughout his entire body.

"What's happening?!" Alice shouted.

Before anyone could even think of a reply, someone from the crowd jumped at the
fusion. The lady with clouded eyes placed her glowing hands on the fusion's head
before muttering strange words under her breath.

It was Cataleya.

The fusion finally calmed down as if being coaxed by Cataleya's strange words. At
the same time, the black markings which were threatening to consume Ike slowly
receded as their body was reduced to nothing but green and black light. The young
Seer lifted her hands from the fusion's head, causing it to split into two bodies.
There was a blinding explosion of light, and when everything finally settled, the
three of them lay panting on the ground.

Ike and Cataleya immediately stood up and approached RB. "He's back!" Cataleya
shouted upon checking him.

RB opened his bleary eyes. "What the hell is happening around us?" he asked weakly.

Ike just hugged him tightly. "Nothing. I'm just glad that you're okay. Thanks a
lot, Cataleya!"

"It's nothing," the Seer replied. "It's a good thing that RB was opposing Serafina
strongly. That made it easier for me to pull his consciousness out of her control.
Her magic still exists inside him, though. I can't assure you that Serafina won't
be able to control him again."

"We need to get you to safety," Ike said before carrying RB in his arms.

A cold and lifeless female voice suddenly spoke from above. "You're not going
anywhere."
Gnarly veins made of black ink suddenly attached themselves on Cataleya. Her body
glowed brightly as white light started creeping on the black veins towards Serafina
who was floating in midair above them.

"I've always wanted to have the powers of a Seer. You're a powerful one, Cataleya.
I'm sure you wouldn't mind giving me your weirdness," Serafina said.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Professor Evanesca shouted, suddenly appearing behind Serafina
before kicking her right in the abdomen and sending her crashing right onto the
Emerald Building. The black veins attached on Cataleya disappeared, causing her to
collapse to the ground.

"Leave!" Professor Evanesca shouted at Ike and his friends. A huge jet of black
light suddenly erupted from the area where Serafina crashed and shot straight
towards the headmistress who erected a green barrier in front of her. "LEAVE! My
sister will bring you to a safe place! ELENA! EZEKIEL!"

A swirling vortex of white light appeared several meters away from them. At the
same time, a huge dome of blue light suddenly appeared around Ike and RB, shielding
them from all the spells, debris, and all sorts of projectile flying all over the
place.

Professor Elena and Ezekiel, despite being tangled in a ferocious fight with
Jaeron, Fabio, and Isagani, were able to summon a portal and a force field
respectively to aid Ike and RB's escape.

"Stop them!" Serafina said as hundreds of debris floated into the air and shot
towards Professor Evanesca who stood mightily against her opponent's attacks. At
the same time, nearly all the villains in the area dashed towards Ike and RB.

"GO! LEAVE!" Faye shouted at the two as their classmates and friends braced
themselves for combat. "WE'LL HOLD THEM BACK!"

"But— We can't leave you alone!" Ike shouted back.

"LEAVE NOW!" Professor Evanesca shouted, still shielding Ike and his friends from
Serafina's black light. "For as long as Rubio's near Serafina, she will be able to
control him! You need to get as far away as possible from here! I'll hold Serafina
back for as long as I can!"

Professor Evanesca deflected Serafina's attacks back to her. As the headmistress

flew after her opponent standing at the rooftop of the Emerald Building, Ike and RB
dashed towards the portal waiting for them.

However, the darkness behind the portal suddenly grew tentacles and claws. The
shadow monsters being controlled by Corven extended their gnarly hands towards Ike
and RB, but beams of light and jets of fire courtesy of Faye and Jethro pushed the
shadows back. A powerful gust of wind also blew all over the place, lifting the
villains running towards the two. With a flick of her fingers, Cezka sent the
villains flying away from the place.

Ike and RB were just several feet away from Professor Elena's portal when a
swirling vortex of darkness suddenly appeared behind them and expanded. RB was
almost sucked into Jaeron's portal if Ike wasn't able to catch him by his hand.
Rocks and roots crept up Ike's legs as he tried to pull RB away from the dark
portal behind them.

"Come on, we're nearly there!" Ike said as Ezekiel's force field broke. "Just hold
on!"

But it was obvious from RB's expression that he no longer has any strength left.
Tears dripped down his face as he looked at Jaeron's portal and back to Ike.

"You'll also get captured if you keep on holding on. Let go..." RB whispered, his
voice cracking.

Ike shook his head as tears fell from his eyes. "No... I won't let you go! Just
hold on for a bit more! FAYE, HELP!"

"I'll wait for you, okay? I don't know what Serafina's going to do to me, but you
will always be in my heart, and no power in the entire universe can erase or mask
that. Be safe, Ike. I'll wait for you."

Ike tried to use his telekinesis to pull RB away from the portal but shadows
suddenly sprouted from the dark portal before creeping slowly all over RB's body.
Just before the shadows reach their interlocked hands, crystals suddenly coated
RB's hand—causing Ike's grip to slip.

"I love you," RB whispered as the shadows finally covered his entire body and
pulled him towards the dark portal which closed with a loud crack after swallowing
him. The powerful wind blowing towards it finally stopped, causing Ike to collapse
to the ground. Even though the portal was no longer there, Ike's arm is still
outstretched in front of him—as if he's hoping that RB will still reappear
magically in the spot where he disappeared.

But no RB came back. No portal opened again. Ike just lost maybe half of his world,
and he just crouched on the ground before letting out a broken scream that rang
throughout the entire school grounds.

●●●

A loud explosion suddenly rattled the Emerald Building and created a blast wave
that swept through the school grounds. Everyone looked up and saw that someone just
crashed right on the rooftop of the Emerald Building. Serafina also descended from
the sky before hovering in the air just beyond the edge of the building's rooftop.
"We could've reached greater heights together," Serafina said, her black robes
billowing around her. "We could've enslaved the world—the entire universe, even. We
could've reigned supreme over everyone. But you chose to be with the people who put
us all in those mountains in the very first place. You chose to leave us so that
you could pursue your selfish dreams. You chose them instead of us."

A low and gravelly voice replied to her. "I'm sorry if I wasn't able to fulfill
your dreams and wishes. You see, while you were conquering the weak and the
defenseless, I was busy trying to make the world a better place for everyone."

A jet of green light erupted from the headmistress' area and shot towards Serafina
who also sent a jet of black light. The two spells connected with each other,
creating sparks and explosions in the spot where they collided.

Serafina's black light suddenly intensified, causing the two spells to backfire at
the headmistress. Another loud explosion shook the Emerald Building, sending a huge
cloud of dust and smoke high into the air.

The smoke finally cleared up, revealing Professor Evanesca standing in the middle
of the debris and rubble. The spells that backfired at her have been redirected to
her sides, creating two long parallel gashes on the floor of the rooftop. Her robes
have been severely torn and ripped, and a trickle of blood dripped down on one side
of her face but she's still miraculously standing after enduring Serafina's attack.

"I'm amazed by your endurance, old friend. It seems that I have underestimated your
abilities. Maybe one opponent is not enough for an Esmerelda Evanesca, so why don't
we send in some more challengers?" Serafina said with a meaningful grin.

Several portals appeared around the headmistress and out came numerous villains.
Her eyes, however, are not fixed on the villains that suddenly appeared around her.
Instead, she looked at all the people fighting on the ground below. The
headmistress searched for Ike and saw him slumped aimlessly on the ground at the
far end of the open grounds, not even caring about the ferocious fights and all the
chaos happening around him. Something burned fiery hot inside the headmistress as
she looked at Ike staring blankly in the emptiness in front of him. Finally,
Professor Evanesca's eyes fixed on Serafina who was still hovering in the air
beyond the edge of the rooftop.

"You, Serafina, have made me really, really angry."

Green flames suddenly erupted all over the headmistress' body. As all the villains
dashed towards her, Professor Evanesca sent jets of green fire at her opponents and
blasted them away. The villains attacking her fell one by one like moths flying
towards fire, but the headmistress kept her fiery eyes at Serafina as the she
slowly advanced towards her ultimate target.

Not even a single villain was able to approach the headmistress. Like some sort of
a ferocious gladiator, everyone that tries to attack her falls dead to the ground
before they could even take another step. She may have tried to capture villains
throughout her life, but now, her moves meant nothing but to kill. Every slash of
her hands, every blast coming from her, and every spell she sends kills a villain
or two.

Below them, nearly all the people stood frozen on their spots as they watched
Professor Evanesca taking down the villains with all her might. Ezekiel, however,
suddenly squinted his eyes at Serafina. Before he could even realize what was about
to happen, another smoky figure appeared in the air just behind the portals
summoning the villains. The smoke formed into Serafina with a black spear hovering
beside her.

"BEHIND YOU!" Ezekiel shouted at Professor Evanesca as the black spear shot towards
his sister. At the same time, Serafina's smoky duplicate—the one hovering in the
air in front of the headmistress—suddenly dissolved into puffs of smoke.

Professor Evanesca turned around, but it was too late already. The black spear hit
her squarely on the chest and blasted her backwards out of the rooftop and into the
empty air. The battle on the ground was temporarily stopped as everyone looked up
at the headmistress hovering eerily in midair with her arms spread wide on her
sides. The black spear that hit her has already dispersed into black liquid now
spreading slowly over her chest.

Neither Professor Elena nor Jaeron were using their powers, but time seemed to slow
down as everyone stared in either shock or horror at Professor Evanesca who seem to
hang suspended in midair under the glow of the red moon. All around them, as if
lamenting the loss of the head of the school, the lights from the lampposts and
buildings flickered before dying one by one. As all the light around them faded
away into nothing, the shadows crept slowly and plunged the entire school grounds
into darkness.

The only thing that can be heard through the thick silence is the ringing of the
bell in the clock tower announcing the arrival of midnight. Every single person on
the ground just stood petrified on their places—not hearing anything, not even
feeling anything. Then, like a huge marionette whose strings were suddenly cut,
Professor Evanesca's limp body finally fell from the rooftop of the Emerald
Building, revealing the real Serafina who's currently looking down at her.

A triumphant smile curved across Serafina's face as the headmistress plummeted

straight to the ground—to the exact same spot where she used to stand as a statue.
She then scanned all the petrified people on the ground below, her eyes gleaming
with the light coming from the red moon.

"Game over."

        Chapter 85: Game On [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            Ike could no longer process all the things that are rushing into his head
all at once. Every single thing around him has been reduced to mere blurs and
buzzes. His body has been numbed a long time ago, and he doesn't even care if
someone attacks him right now. Seeing Professor Evanesca's death probably dealt the
death blow to whatever composure left inside him.

Deep inside Ike, he silently hoped that the headmistress will still rise and fight
Serafina. She's been so tough and strong tonight, and a mere spear can't possibly
take her down. However, as the seconds turned to minutes, no Green Lady rose to
clash against Serafina. The headmistress' light that has been pushing away the
darkness around them is now gone, leaving all of them in the middle of uncertainty
and fear.

The villains let out triumphant screams to announce and celebrate their victory. As
if some sort of spell has been lifted from the place all of a sudden, all the
frozen people resumed their fight with their opponents.

As chaos and mayhem continued around them, a hand suddenly grabbed Ike's arm before
pulling him up. "Ike, let's go. We have to go," Faye said, tears dripping down her
face. However, it was obvious from her voice and expression that even she doesn't
know where to go.

"Do you want to know the reason why your friends died tonight?" a female voice
said. Several meters in front of them, black smoke suddenly descended from the sky
and formed into Serafina.

"Because you're weak. Because you're useless. None of your friends would've died if
only you were strong enough. You could've snatched Jack from the jaws of death. You
could've helped Esmerelda fight me. You could've saved your Rubio. It's your fault
why this is happening. I already told you, Ike, I will destroy everything and
everyone you love," she said.

Faye and Alice tried to pull Ike away, but he remained on his spot and threw
Serafina a lifeless stare. With a click of his fingers, Ike sent his two friends
flying away from him.

"Ike, no!" Faye shouted as she tried to run towards her friend. "You don't know
what you're doing! Don't do that!"

Alice tried to reach Ike with her metallic ropes but he erected a force field
around him to block anyone from approaching him.

"I admire your spirit, Ike. I admire your heart, your unshakeable will. However,
those things won't help you survive. They won't help you defeat me, either.
Esmerelda also had the same qualities as you, but she was never able to defeat me.
Your headmistress just delayed the inevitable, and what did it take her just to do
all that? Everything."

Tears fell from Ike's eyes as he took a step towards Serafina. "Kill me, then. I'm
not afraid. Kill me."

Her lips curved into a wide grin as streaks of black light crisscrossed all over
her hand. "With pleasure," Serafina said before sending a bolt of black lightning
towards Ike.

Bluish smoke suddenly rose in front of Ike before expanding, creating a wide
barrier that blocked Serafina's black lightning. When Ike's eyes have adjusted to
the sudden explosion of light, he saw Ezekiel standing between him and Serafina.
His black cloak has been ripped and shredded to pieces, cuts and bruises also
occupied every square inch of his exposed skin, and the wound on his head is
bleeding again.

"MY SISTER DIDN'T SACRIFICE HER LIFE JUST SO YOU COULD SACRIFICE YOURS TO
SERAFINA!" Ezekiel shouted at Ike angrily. "IF YOU DO THAT THING AGAIN, I'M GOING
TO KILL YOU MYSELF, YOU PEABRAIN!"

Serafina smiled at her new challenger. "Ah... the Ezekiel Evanesca. You are a lot
different than your sister. Aside from the fact that you're the most powerful
Evanesca, your views and beliefs are also different from Esmerelda. While your
sister treaded carefully with Dark Magic, you delved right into it and reaped its
benefits. However, haven't you wondered why you, despite being the best Evanesca,
are still shadowed by your great sister despite being a lot more powerful than
her?"

Serafina's smile widened.

"Because you're afraid of your own power. You're always hiding underneath that
cloak of yours. You're always suppressing your power. You hid underneath the skirt
of your sister so that you won't have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of
carrying the country's peace and order. You may be the most powerful Evanesca, but
you are also the weakest and most dependent."

"Who told you that I'm afraid of my own power? You're funny," Ezekiel replied as
his blue barrier exploded, causing Serafina's black lightning to backfire at her.
"Maybe I'm weak and dependent, but that doesn't mean you could get into my head."

All the scattered debris around them rose into the air in unison. For several
moments, everyone just looked up in awe as the debris floated eerily as if they're
suspended in midair by invisible strings. Ezekiel then pointed his hand at
Serafina, causing all the afloat debris to shoot towards her. She raised a black
barrier in front of her and disintegrated the debris into dust.

But his attack wasn't just directed at the lady in black. All around them, like
chess pieces being defeated, the villains fell down one by one as the numerous
debris shot towards them. Ezekiel also rose into the air as ropes made out of blue
smoke erupted from his hands and wrapped around all the villains which were
suddenly lifted into the air. With a click of his fingers, Ezekiel made the afloat
villains revolve around him in a huge circle.

"Also, unlike my sister, I don't take pity on villains. I try to kill them in the
most painful way, in the slowest possible time," Ezekiel whispered, his cosmic eyes
glowing brightly.
He suddenly clenched his hands, causing the blue ropes strangling the captured
villains to tighten. Horrible sounds of cracking bones and agonized shouts filled
the air as the villains were crushed to death, their blood showering the ground
below.

"It seems that you're out of debris to throw at me," Serafina said after
disintegrating the final debris to dust.

"Well, I guess I have to use my powers now," Ezekiel replied before sending a bolt
of blue lightning to his opponent.

"We all know the truth, Ezekiel," Serafina said as she intercepted the blue
lightning with a jet of black light. "You cannot defeat me. You're just delaying
the inevitable. You're just doing the exact same thing that your sister did. You
are powerful, Ezekiel. You know how to reach for greater heights. You know how to
bring out your best. We both know that you're just going to waste your power and
life if you continue fighting for them. If you join us, you will receive the
recognition and glory that someone as powerful as you rightfully deserve. We both
know who you truly are, Ezekiel. We both know why you're here."

A strange look ran across Ezekiel's face. "Please stop insulting me. I will never
stoop that low even if I'm the only remaining person on our side," he replied.

Serafina smiled widely. "Is that so? Look around you, then."

All the remaining police, Emerald Guards, agents, professors, and students have
been captured by gnarly veins made out of black liquid that sprouted all over the
ground. Ezekiel's the only one who hasn't been captured.

"Aside from being weak and dependent, you're also extremely selfish. Your quest to
be better than everyone else made you painfully egocentric. You don't care about
what might happen to others for as long as you're contented with what's happening
to yourself. Esmerelda cared too much about other people, while you cared so much
about yourself," Serafina said.

Sparks flew from Ezekiel's hands as he stared fiercely at his opponent.

"You don't know me. You don't know what kind of hell I had to go through just to
get to where I am now. You have no idea what I sacrificed so that I could become
stronger and better. Unlike you, I didn't steal other people's weirdnesses so that
I could become stronger. You're acting like you know me very well, but you seem to
be forgetting that I am the seventh best agent in the world, and that makes me the
most powerful weirdo in this country as of this moment."

Before Serafina could even reply, Ezekiel crouched low before placing his hands on
the ground. His cosmic eyes glowed brightly with a blue light as ropes made out of
blue smoke erupted around him and wrapped around his allies. At the same time, all
the people in the vicinity, along with all the remaining debris, were lifted from
their places before floating in the air. It seems that gravity itself has been
removed from the place in an instant, but Ezekiel and Serafina remained on the
ground.

"ATE ELENA!"

The lady in black gazed flatly at the beautiful vines of blue smoke swirling around
her. Several meters behind Ezekiel, a swirling vortex of white light suddenly
appeared with a loud crack. The blue ropes flew towards Professor Elena's portal,
carrying with them all of Ezekiel's allies.

Serafina was about to intercept him when all the lampposts in the area suddenly lit
up before shooting bright beams of light at her, forcing her to conjure a black
barrier to block the attacks. It seems that even the school itself is revolting
against Serafina.

While Serafina was busy defending herself from Ezekiel's attack, the latter looked
around him and summoned the dead bodies of Aria, Jack, and Professor Evanesca
towards him. Despite his shaking legs and weakened body, Ezekiel still approached
the bodies before carrying them one by one towards the portal. He's already
carrying Professor Evanesca's body when all the lampposts in the area exploded,
plunging the entire place into darkness once more.

"Where are you going?" Serafina asked slyly as hundreds of black spears suddenly
appeared behind her. Ezekiel clicked his fingers, causing all the afloat debris and
villains to fall all over the place.

"Oh, I already know. I have just one request before you leave. Please tell the
remaining Purgers..."

Serafina's words froze Ezekiel on his spot. He looked back and threw a surprised
look at Serafina who's currently standing in the middle of all the destruction and
chaos, the dark Emerald Building framing her. For the first time in the entire
evening, an expression of fear suddenly ran across Ezekiel's face. Serafina knew
exactly where they're going.

"...I'm coming for them."

●●●

Ike's POV

As my body flew towards the portal, a blinding white light suddenly overwhelmed my
entire vision. I thought it was just the effect of the portal, but when an
unnatural darkness replaced the blinding light, I immediately knew that this is
something else.
"Ike..."

I looked behind me and saw Elijah smiling. I was about to approach him when he
suddenly fell to his knees while holding his left hand.

"Elijah!" I said as I dashed towards him. "What happened to you?"

"No... Don't touch me! You might get contaminated," he said.

I suddenly remembered the dream where he acted all weird and strange. "Is this
about that time when you summoned me here all of a sudden?" I asked.

Elijah gave me a sheepish smile. "Well, yeah. I've been trying to cleanse the core
for the past several months. Unfortunately, I accidentally touched the black
substance and I also got contaminated. Also, Serafina has been trying so hard to
control you tonight, but I was able to push her back."

The black substance is now spreading slowly over his body. As much as I wanted to
help Elijah, all I can do is watch because I myself don't even know what to do.
Above all, I don't know what might happen to me if I touch the gooey black liquid.

"What's going to happen to you?" I asked, my voice cracking. "I already lost my
friends..."

Elijah gave me a reassuring smile. "We will always be inside you, Ike. We will
always be here," he said before pointing to my chest. "You are not alone. You will
never be alone. I already taught you everything that you need to know, and I am
extremely confident that you are more than capable of taking down Serafina. You are
a Prime, and she's just a villain. Don't let her get to your head, okay? Don't let
her win."

He suddenly let out a grunt of pain as the black liquid on his body pulsed. "I know
that you are strong enough to defeat her, but if ever the time comes that you lose
hope, bear in mind that you are not alone. Ask for help. There are more of us out
there, Ike."

The black substance on Elijah's body formed into cracks that crept all over him.
Without any warning, the black substance glowed with a purplish light as his entire
body slowly disintegrated into glittery black dust.

"Elijah... No..." I whispered weakly as tears fell from my eyes. I tried to hold
him but I grasped nothing but ashes.

"Be strong, Ike."

A star-filled night sky greeted me the moment I opened my eyes. For several
moments, I just stared at the blinking stars above me as copious tears dripped down
my face. My body just started feeling again, and I'm now being barraged by pain,
shock, disbelief, and other emotions that I could no longer comprehend.

A sudden shout caused me to jolt up. I looked around me and saw bodies strewn all
over a grassy meadow. It seems that we've been teleported to an uninhabited
grassland. There's not a single infrastructure or signs of human activity in
whatever direction I look at. The people around us have also started coming back to
their senses and are now looking around them.

"FAYE! HELP ME!" I heard Sir Fraeo shout again. I looked behind me and saw him
carrying Crimson in his arms. My entire body nearly collapsed again when I saw that
Crimson's bleeding from head to toe.

One of the people around me stood up, swayed, fell to the ground, and stood up
again before approaching the two. I realized a second later that it was Faye,
greatly weakened and injured, but still keeping herself together just to help
Crimson.

Despite my shaking legs and the welling fear inside my chest, I gathered all my
strength before standing up and approaching them. All the people around us also
started gathering around the three. Faye and Sir Fraeo were already crying, but the
former rubbed her hands together before running them all over Crimson's convulsing
body.

"I... I need t-to cleanse his wounds f-first," Faye said in a shaking voice. "I d-
don't have a... a Cleansing P-Potion..."

Ezekiel crouched beside them as blue smoke appeared all over Crimson's body. With a
flick of his fingers, he extracted powdery black substances from Crimson's wounds.
All the dripping blood also crept back to the cuts where they came from.

"His wounds have been cleansed. You can heal him now," Ezekiel said.

Faye ran her glowing hands all over the wounds on Crimson's body, healing them
gradually with each pass. After several minutes, his wounds looked like they're
already several days old. The copious bleeding also stopped.

"He's already safe. We just need to transfer some blood to him," Faye said before
collapsing weakly on the grass, having used all of her strength just to heal
Crimson's wounds. All around us, the people let out a collective sigh of relief as
the fear of losing another one of our members was finally lifted off our shoulders.

Ezekiel stood up and approached me. "Are you okay? You have some wounds—"

"I'm fine, and Faye badly needs to rest," I said blankly.

It seems that even he doesn't know what to say to me. Ezekiel just tapped my
shoulder, his eyes glistening with tears. He then limped towards the three bodies
who haven't risen since our arrival here.

The people around us gathered around the bodies of Aria, Jack, and Professor
Evanesca. All three of them looked so peaceful—as if they're just deep in sleep. I
wanted to approach them, but all I could do is stand and watch. The remaining
Evanescas crouched beside their sister, both of them sniffling with tears. Ezekiel
hugged Professor Evanesca tightly, and for a fleeting moment I saw two children
hugging their elder sister who has done everything and sacrificed everything so
that she could give a comfortable life to her younger siblings.

All the people around us are also crying. Alice carried Faye and they sat beside
Jack's body and cried. I also took a few steps forward and stood right in front of
Aria. Despite her blackened body and face, I could still see the girl whom I grew
up with—the girl whose dreams and life were cut short because of an unfortunate
incident.

"We can't stay here any longer, Ezekiel," Professor Elena suddenly said. "Jaeron
could trace the portal I used within minutes. We have to leave now."

Her younger brother nodded before standing up. Strange it may seem but Ezekiel
seemed to have slumped suddenly after hearing those words, as if an unseen burden
has been dumped on his shoulders all of a sudden.

"We lost tonight," Ezekiel suddenly said, addressing the people in front of him.
"We lost a lot of lives tonight. Tomorrow, the entire country will no longer be the
same. The villains have won, and they were able to take down this country within
just a very short time. By this time tomorrow, our lives will never be the same
again."

"The path that lays ahead is dark, dangerous, and uncertain. I cannot promise you
that no more lives will be taken. In fact, I cannot promise you anything. We are
the final bastion of hope and resistance against the forces of darkness. We are the
final bearers of light for this country. But if we want to fight the darkness, we
will be needing every single bit of help from you. We cannot fight this battle
alone. We cannot win against Serafina alone. We need you. We need you so bad."

A portal suddenly appeared behind Ezekiel.

"But we have no right to make decisions for you. The future is uncertain, and you
have your respective lives to live. For our agents and police, you still have to
continue your duty of protecting the people of this country. For our Emerald
Guards, professors, and students, Emerald will be needing you now more than ever.
You have more reasons to leave than to stay here, that's why I will completely
understand if you choose to part ways with us. We will part as friends, and we will
remain friends for as long as you fight for what is right and just," Ezekiel said
before stepping aside.
Some of the people stepped into the portal. The vast majority, however, stayed with
us. I realized that all our classmates and friends stayed, along with Sir Fraeo's
entire team and most of the agents and Emerald Guards. Professor Elena closed the
portal when no one stepped into it anymore.

"Thank you for staying with us," Ezekiel said to everyone. "Now, we are going to
head towards one of my sister's properties. It's in the Terreña Mountain Range, and
I can assure our safety in that place. We won't be teleporting directly into the
hideout for security reasons."

We put the dead people on wooden coffins that will be carried by Philip who already
transformed into an eagle. Those who couldn't fly also rode on the eagle's back or
are being carried by those who can. All around us, the people also prepared
themselves for the journey ahead. As I watched the people helping each other,
hugging each other, or wishing each other a safe journey, I couldn't help but feel
a little bit of warmth inside me. My lips curved into a faint smile, and I could
feel the coldness ebbing away.

Ezekiel suddenly appeared beside me. It seems that he's also watching the spectacle
in front of us.

"Isn't this worth fighting for?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah..."

All of a sudden, the emerald butterfly flew out of my pocket before flying around
me. With a painful pang in my stomach, I suddenly remembered RB. The emerald
butterfly rested on my shoulder where it flapped its wings gently.

"We'll bring back RB, okay?" Ezekiel said. "Maybe not now. Maybe now tomorrow. But
we'll bring him back. No matter what it takes, no matter what happens. The game
isn't over yet, Ike. We're just getting started."

I smiled at him. "Game on."

We finally took off after several minutes. As we flew over fields and mountains and
forests, I looked down below and wondered what will people think if anyone sees us—
several unknown people flying in the sky in the middle of the night. Over the
distance, I could see light coming from a nearby town. Philip's eagle form suddenly
let out a loud screech that sounded like a war cry, a cry that rang loud and clear
inside all of us—inside all our hearts.

The night may be dark, but that doesn't mean that day will never come again. The
wind may be cold, but that doesn't mean that it will never become warm again. The
future may be uncertain, but that doesn't mean we're already lost.

They may have divided us tonight, but that doesn't mean that we can never be
reunited again.
I know very well that the darkest days lay in wait just ahead of us, but I also
know that for as long as we stay together—united and strong—we will be able to
brave the darkness and uncertainty that the future might bring to us. We are the
final bearers of light for this country, for the people who still believe in
everything that's good, and if we join together to combine all our tiny, flickering
lights, we just might be able to defeat the darkness enveloping us.

The game is just beginning. The enemy just gained a significant leverage, but they
haven't won yet. We are still here. We are still fighting. We are still united. We
will come back, and we're going to take back everything that they took from us.

The game is not yet over.

To be continued

        Author's Note [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            AT PAGKALIPAS NG LAGPAS ISANG TAON, NATAPOS DIN SA WAKAS ANG BOOK 3. LOL.

This is the longest story in my works. June 2018 ko pa 'to sinimulang isulat, at
September 2019 ko na nga natapos. Lol. That's a record. Actually, around June or
July ko ata natapos ang drafts nito, kaso nga may ginawa akong ilang adjustments sa
latter part ng kwento at may chapters ang finale na recently ko lang sinulat para
feel ko talaga ang end ng kwento.

Well, this is probably my favorite story sa lahat ng nagawa ko. For the first time
ever, pakiramdam ko ay nagawan ko ng hustisya ang ideas na nasa utak ko. Lol. I
just like how I was able to write this story despite na draggy ako magsulat.
Naisulat ko ang dapat kong isulat at naibigay ko ang dapat kong ibigay.

Okay, heto na tayo sa explanations ng mga namatay.

First, Jack's death. Well, ever since sinimulan ko ang kwento at nabuo ang
barkadahan nina Ike, RB, Jack, Faye, at Alice eh nasa likod na parati ng utak ko na
kailangan ko silang bawasan at some point in the story's future. It's just one of
those things na alam kong kailangan kong gawin sa simula pa lang ng kwento.

Jack's death served as the wake-up call para kay Ike na, "Oh, shit. Things just got
real." Ganun. His death conveyed a message sa good side na seryoso na ang sitwasyon
at nakataya na ang buhay ng mga tao sa giyerang papasukan nila.

As for Professor Evanesca's death, well, kailangan ko pa bang i-explain 'yun? Lol.
It's the most predictable of all deaths sa kwento. She had to die so that bad
things could happen at para may Book 4 pa tayo. Lol.

Pero she's getting old na rin naman talaga. Though medyo bata pa naman siya kasi
late 40s pa lang si Esme pero she's past her prime na nga. Still powerful, still
wise, but the body's just human. Lol.

Also, I know that some of you (or maybe a lot) are probably disappointed or
underwhelmed with Ike's performance in this book. Well, all I can say is that may
Book 4 pa naman. Tsaka hindi ko pa talaga feel na ibigay ang 100% ni Ike. Haha. 'Di
pa binubulong ng konsensiya ko. (Maybe because gagamitin ko pa siya sa ibang
stories ng Weirdo Universe.) Pero 'yun nga, just please trust me and my
dysfunctional instincts. Darating din tayo sa point na 'yun. As of now kasi eh
character development ang focus ko kay Ike. Sorry!

So 'yun.

What now?

Well, I have an important announcement. Lol. I'm going to unpublish na muna The
Blood Vow to give way to the other stories ng Weirdo Universe. Sinubukan ko namang
magsulat, pero weakness ko talaga ang pagsabayin ang dalawang bagay. (Ahem.) Don't
worry dahil tatapusin ko ang kwento no matter what happens. Sa Weirdo Universe kasi
talaga muna ang focus ko now. Also, kung susulatin ko ang TBV eh baka 2020 ko na
masulat ang WIV. Lol.

Sorry!

Also, Book 4 is going to be a short one. Ewan. Feel ko lang. Sabi ko nga dati na
WIII ang magiging longest kwento ko, and hayun, naging totoo nga. Kaya pakiramdam
ko na maikli lang ang WIV. Still a novel, of course, but probably shorter than the
three prior books. Abang-abang na lang!

Thanks sa mga sumuporta sa kwento simula Book 1! I will do my best to give justice
sa huling installment ng kwento. Sa mga susuportahan pa rin ako, maraming salamat.
I won't fail you, mga timawa.

See you in Weirdos IV!

theashtone
September 14, 2019 | 9:34 am

        Weirdos Fan Art [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            I just want to share these nice fan arts made by Axel_T for some of the
characters here in the Weirdo Series. Thank you so much! They're really cute.

theashtone

●●●
<img
src="https://img.wattpad.com/b1e040e95df41bb213c13c27d0b08d6df9318554/68747470733a2
f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53
746f7279496d6167652f5a325158475051324768587062773d3d2d3739303739373632382e313563613
438303366396564613333653238333034333433383139332e6a7067" style='max-width:90%'>

<img
src="https://img.wattpad.com/b8ef4d86ace36b5213ea71c333f02e93f1816747/68747470733a2
f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53
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462313661646635383062303236383530343035393834342e6a7067" style='max-width:90%'>

<img
src="https://img.wattpad.com/04ba75fae98069c6f851d4636eb1562f98197773/68747470733a2
f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53
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462316138383130653733653630343533383637353639302e6a7067" style='max-width:90%'>

<img
src="https://img.wattpad.com/c668f1cc7e11c23f2bafda77b7b27427aa1a0943/68747470733a2
f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53
746f7279496d6167652f797364547930334b6338384b6e773d3d2d3739303739373632382e313563613
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<img src="https://img.wattpad.com/9096d1fe48614d60d4d85b8a5c9fb69c039d3e0f/
68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d73657
2766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5a4a635a774639436b3159456f413d3d2d3739303739373632
382e313563613462316664323636393932373631323533373337353032312e6a7067" style='max-
width:90%'>

<img src="https://img.wattpad.com/9d2032544e7c0e56090f501018cd26012918696d/
68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d73657
2766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f444a386765756b4a634e2d6949773d3d2d3739303739373632
382e313563613462323332333162356236653635333939323233383336392e6a7067" style='max-
width:90%'>

<img
src="https://img.wattpad.com/56c9464afcdddbe1eaffd81f59cdde238c85d7e7/68747470733a2
f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53
746f7279496d6167652f315555773873783652645a3775413d3d2d3739303739373632382e313563613
462323563646336356434373232303030363433373735332e6a7067" style='max-width:90%'>

<img
src="https://img.wattpad.com/19e2beec00499297196830e5f9f218efe9de9ac2/68747470733a2
f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53
746f7279496d6167652f415637505f6439534b6c553132773d3d2d3739303739373632382e313563613
462323865653532323538353330363136373933313732352e6a7067" style='max-width:90%'>

        Weirdos III: The Untouchable Lady Playlist [Weirdos III: The Untouchable...]

            1. Chapter 30: The Opening Ceremony

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy

2. Chapter 51: A Flock of Red Butterflies

Sad Song by We The Kings

3. Chapter 58: Purple Vengeance

Genius by LSD (Labrinth, Sia, & Diplo)

4. Chapter 75: Warriors

Warriors by Imagine Dragons

5. Chapter 79: Error 404

The Battle of Concepts by Yuki Hayashi (from the Haikyuu!! Season 3 Official
Soundtrack)

6. Chapter 81: The Untouchable Lady

Once Upon A Dream by Lana del Rey (from the Maleficent Official Soundtrack)

7. Chapter 84: The Divide

Lily's Theme by Alexandre Desplat (from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part 2 Official Soundtrack)

8. Chapter 85: Game On

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

        Sneak Preview | Weirdos IV: The Emerald Heart [Weirdos III: The
Untouchable...]

            "Like I said, I cannot help you. Only the Primes can help themselves,"
Delphina said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Besides, no Prime can
defeat the most powerful force in the entire universe—love. I'm afraid that this
boy's deep connection with Death's Prime is going to be his biggest weakness."

Ezekiel stepped forward. "I'm sure that you've already seen how special Ike is. My
sister has always said that Ike's different from the past Primes in history.
Personally, I couldn't agree more. He may be raw, but he has potential. Above all,
he's done some things that the past Primes weren't able to do."

With this, the annoyed look on Delphina's face suddenly evaporated and was replaced
by an expression torn between exhaustion and pity. The old Seer hobbled towards her
table, toppling some of her bottled potions on the shelves. A gentle breeze
suddenly blew through the open window and rattled the seashell curtain.
"The Prime Elemental is much more powerful than the Prime Destruction. There is no
question with that," Delphina said. "However, the problem lies in the holders of
these great weirdnesses. I can also sense the immense power that this boy
possesses, but I can also feel the sorrow and longing eating away his tremendous
power."

The Seer threw me a pitying stare, as if she's also feeling sorry for the dilemma
that I have.

"Tell me, my dear boy," Delphina said, her clouded eyes brimming with tears, "can
you really hurt someone you love?"

●●●

When the darkness eats away all the light, how will you find your way back to your
path? When the sun never rises again, how are you going to start your day? When you
never wake up from your nightmare, how are you going to return to your dreams?

When you lose everything that you have, how will you start again?

The forces of evil have won. The balance of the society has been toppled. Villains
have taken over everything. And Ike is the only person with enough power who can
stop all of them.

Following the tragic events in Emerald, Ike and his friends were forced to flee
from the school. Left crippled by the loss of their most powerful guardian, they
must look for ways to end Serafina's reign once and for all.

But the path they chose to take isn't going to be an easy one. As the darkest days
descend on them, Ike and his friends will delve deep into Serafina's mysterious
past in hopes of uncovering her dark secrets and possible weaknesses. The line
between good and evil will become unclear as Ike uncovers the inescapable fate that
he and RB have been tangled with.

Destiny will be defied and the future will be rewritten as we witness the epic
conclusion of the Weirdo Series in Weirdos IV: The Emerald Heart.

●●●

Thanks for everything, mga timawa. I know na unnecessary na kung sasabihin ko pa

'to at this point in the series pero sana suportahan niyo pa rin ang Book 4. Lel.
Pakasaya kayo. ߑ

theashtone