Third Person Point Of View
Dahan-dahan na idinilat ni Senju ang kaniyang mga mata. Nagulat siya sa kaniyang paggising at napansin na walang masakit itong nararamdaman sa kaniyang katawan. Kinapa pa nito ang buong katawan para makasigurado. Nakapa niya ang kaniyang kwintas, at nakita na nasira ang kalahati ng pendant dahilan para maglaho ang pakpak na nakapaloob dito.
"Naloko na! Nasira ko ang regalo sa akin na kwintas ng boss!!" Malakas na sigaw ni Senju sa kaniyang pagkagulat at pagkataranta, na nakalimutan nito panandalian ang kaniyang kondisyon na kinalalagyan. "Hindi 'to maaari!!"
"Ang ingay mo naman!! Babae!" Isang boses ang narinig ni Senju. Hinanap niya ito sa paligid sa kaniyang paligid. Nakita niya ang tatlong pigura sa di kalayuan na tila nagbabantay sa kaniya. Kasama sa tatlo na mga ito si Johnbhel na walang malay.
"S-sino kayo? Mga Tao? Kalaban? Tsaka anong babae? Lalaki ako!!" Naalarma na sabi ni Senju. Kaagad siyang tumayo sa kaniyang kinaroroonan at sinubukan na gumamit ng magic.
Napagtanto naman agad nito na siya ay kagagaling lamang sa isang labanan, laban kay Terminator 10 at naubusan ng mana. "Patay..."
Ang mga nakita na pigura ni Senju ay sina Gemmalyn, Isda at Johnbhel.
Lumapit agad kay Senju si Gemmalyn. "You must go to the final room. You're all healed up." Anunsyo ni Gemmalyn.
(Anong pinagsasabi nito?) Mas lalong nagtaka si Senju. (Did they save me?)
Hindi nagtagal, nagkaroon ng liwanag sa sahig na tinatapakan ni Senju at kalaunan ay nagkaroon ng butas dito at nahulog si Senju.
Bumagsak siya sa isang malawak na walang laman na lugar bukod sa isang mataas na mayroong hagdanan na altar.
"Where did that woman sent me!?"
"Come up!" Isang boses muli ang narinig ni Senju. Naintindihan naman nito na inaanyayahan siya ng kumausap sa kaniya na umakyat patungo sa itaas ng altar.
Kaagad na umakyat sa altar si Senju, inabot siya ng ilang minuto para marating ang tuktok nito. Nakita niya si South na nakaupo sa sahig kasama ang isang lalaki na mayroong mahabang makulay na buhok. Sa gitna ng tuktok ng altar ay mayroong isang malaking bolang crystal. Mayroon ding hawak ang lalaki na isang Golden Staff.
"Have a seat." Sabi ng lalaki kay Senju. Umupo ito sa tabi ni South.
"What's going on? Who's that?" Bulong ni Senju kay South. Napansin din nito na wala na ang kanang braso ni South. "What happened?"
"Kalma. Ang Sarimanok ang kaharap natin ngayon."
"Ano!?"
"Hyper ka ah? That's rare."
"Idiot."
Umigham naman ang Sarimanok para kunin ang atensyon muli ng dalawa na nagsisimula nang mag-bangayan.
"First, I would like to welcome you in here, Legendary Aces. Pasensya na kung hindi ko kayo agad hinayaan na makita ako dahil kinailangan kong masigurado kung kayong dalawa ay mga Legendary Aces nga bang talaga." Saad nito sa dalawa.
"What's that Legendary Aces thing?" Patanong na sabi ni Senju kay South.
"I don't know. I just woken up myself, hindi pa matagal mula nang akyatin ko ang altar na ito, so this is the first time Sarimanok talked to me." Katwiran naman ni South.
"Kayo ay mga Legendary Aces, the black line in your palm is the proof." Muli ay nagsalita ang Sarimanok.
"Black line?" Sabi ni Senju. Agad niyang tinignan ang kaniyang palad at nakita ang isang itim na linya.
"Napansin ko 'to kaninang gumising ako. Ano bang mayroon sa linya na ito? Bigla na lang 'tong lumitaw at hindi mabura-bura." Sabi ni South.
"Tinatawag ang mga iyan na 'Mark Of Destiny. Ang mga taong mayroong linya na ganiyan sa kanilang palad ay ang mga Legendary Aces, na tanging mga tao sa mundong ito na makakagamit sa 'Chaos Magic'."
"C-chaos Magic? What the hell...my magic is Fire Magic."
"Yeah, mine was Plant."
"Hindi magic ability ang tinutukoy ko kundi mismong tawag sa kapangyarihan na mayroon ang mga Legendary Aces. To be more precise, there exists 2 Power Systems in this world which are Magic and Chaos Magic. Chaos Magic was previously called Curse but was changed into Chaos Magic because of the destructive and ridiculous traits it have. For example you two. Do you really think Fire Magic can have the trait of elasticity and ability to mold physically solid object made of fire? Do you really think Plant Magic makes a person can turn himself into the composition of the plant he wants to, by maintaining his humanoid form? What's more interesting is if he studied so much about plants, every plants is his power? Those ridiculous power you have are not magic but Chaos Magic. You have those because you are Legendary Aces." Paliwanag ng Sarimanok muli kina South at Senju na labis na namangha sa narinig.
"So my power is not Magic but Chaos Magic...damn that's mind blowing." Reaksyon ni South.
"What the hell? So we belong to a special lineage of people in this world or what for being this Legendary Ace thing?"
"You do. You belong to the 9 Great Clans after all. During the 2,000 year war apocalypse before the recounting of years in this world, 9 Clans created new power system. It was Chaos Magic, they created a total of 100 Chaos Magic Abilities. Nagawa nila ito dahil sa dugong dumadaloy mula sa kanila. Wether you believe it or not, Ancient Demon Blood flows into the 9 Great Clans nerves." Ipinagpatuloy ng Sarimanok ang kaniyang paliwanag.
"Ancient Demon Blood..." Sabay na sabi nina South at Senju na napa-isip.
"You! I know that you belong to the Avalo Clan." Dinuro ni Sarimanok si South. "Avalo Clan created 5 Chaos Magic Abilities, one of them is Demon Plantito. It's the ability to enslaved or produce plants in the surroundings and mimic their appearance and capabilities, whether this plants are real or fantasies. That's what you're using, right now."
Speechless ang naging reaksyon ni South.
"At ikaw naman, walang duda, kabilang ka sa Finnes Clan."
(Finnes? So that's my surname in this world...I used my surname, Fanah from Earth because my parents in this world didn't bother to say to me our surname. To think that they belong to the 9 Great Clans but they are poor and evil to sell me as a slave.) Pagkausap naman ni Senju sa kaniyang sarile.
"Finnes created 3 Chaos Magic Abilities. And one of them is the Elasticity Molding Level Flame. You can make your body composition the same with the flame and make it stretch or increase in size or make it a different object."
"Hindi pareho ang bilang ng Chaos Magic Abilities na nagawa ng 9 Great Clans?" Tanong naman agad ni Senju...nabalot ng katanungan ang kaniyang isipan bigla sa kaniyang pinagmulan.
"Oo." Tugon ng Sarimanok. "Ang Madzua Clan ang pinaka-kaunti ang ginawa na Chaos Magic Ability, isa lang ang ginawa nila. That is of course, the counterpart of 'Elasticity Molding Level Flame. Theirs is called Elasticity Molding Level Wind. And the clan that made the most number of Chaos Magic is the Mchavoc Clan. They made 15 Chaos Magic Abilities."
"So Rialyn might be a Legendary Ace like us since she's an Madzua Clan member?" Nagbigay ng nanghuhula na posibilad kay South. (Now I understand why people treat us as monsters and why my grandfather keep on saying to me back then that we're meant to put catastrophe to the Demon Realm also known as Underworld.)
"Don't get the wrong idea. Yes Chaos Magic Abilities are only wielded by 9 Great Clan members but only limited to the Legendary Aces. Meaning, there's only one representative from each of the 9 Great Clans and only one each among the 100 Chaos Magic Abilities can be used. Those who are not Legendary Aces, will only wield Magic. Dahil Madzua ang kaibigan mo, Wind Attribute ba ang ginagamit niya?"
"Yeah. But she didn't show any sign of weird molding of her wind ability like what Senju does that I see dozen of times." Paliwanag ni South.
"Kung ganon, dalawang posibilad lang ang maaaring mangyari. Hindi niya pa sinubukan na tuklasin at palawakin ang kaniyang magic o sadyang Wind Magic lamang talaga ang gamit nito at hindi kabilang sa mga Legendary Aces." Saad ng Sarimanok.
Nabalot ng katahimikan sa pagitan nilang tatlo ng ilang sandali.
"Anyways, South, aren't we forgetting about something?" Sabi naman ni Senju na siyang bumasag sa katahimikan.
"Ano naman ang nakalimutan natin? Ahh, ang compass piece. Sarimanok, you're holding that right? Since you took your time to heal our wounds-well except for my arm that I didn't wanted to be healed as my oath of going to become more a serious and stronger fighter. You even told us secrets about us that we didn't know. Does that mean we can asked for the compass piece from you?" Sabi ni South na siyang nagpapikit sa mata ng Sarimanok.
"Hindi ba pwede?" Tanong naman ni Senju.
"Hindi sa ganon, I'm planning to give it to you guys. But, before I give it, I still have a lot to say to you that you must know. Dahil konektado ang compass piece sa pagiging Legendary Aces niyong dalawa." Giit ng Sarimanok, tumalikod ito kina South at hinawakan ang malaking bolang crystal. "Give vision, to where Mekuro is." Bigkas ng Sarimanok na siyang sinunod ng nagliwanag na bolang crystal at binigyan sila ng paningin sa lugar kung saan naroon ang Sarimanok Guardian na humarap kay Don Nervoz. Nakita nina South at Senju na nakikipag-laban si Shannon ng matindi.
"Fuck! It's the boss. We forgot about her damn it!" Sigaw ni Senju.
"T-that's the Don? Seriously, is boss joking around when she said she had no chance against him? She's fighting fiercely." Hindi naman makapaniwala na sabi ni South dahil sa kaniyang napapanood ngayon na labanan sa pagitan nina Shannon at Don Nervoz.
"That shitty Don. His subordinate that I had fought have a robotic tentacles." Angal naman ni Senju.(Just when I found out that there are high-technology existing in this world and yet, the one who will let me see it was a fucking evil incarnate.)
"Ang lalaking kinakalaban ng babaeng nasa paningin natin ngayon, ay balak na makuha ang compass sa akin para gamitin sa kasamahan tama? Ang babae naman na pinipigilan itong mangyari ay kasamahan ninyong dalawa at siya ang kasalukuyang 'Guardian Grace'." Sa sinabi na ito Sarimanok, ang dalawa ay napalayo saglit sa bolang crystal ang tingin.
"Anong ibig mong sabihin? Guardian Grace, katulad din ba namin ang boss?"
"That's absurd." Reaksyon ng dalawa.
"Seems like you know some details about the Giftia and the compass pieces are the key to go from where it is located. Giftia is known as a 'Blesser', it will be the one to unlocked the power the marks you have in your palm. The same with the Guardian Grace's circle mark on her back palm."
"I noticed boss having a circle mark on her back palm and that circle has 9 divisions." Sabi ni South.
"Giftia is not a treasure meant for everyone. It is meant for the Guardian Grace and the Legendary Aces. Guardian Grace, isang titulo na nakukuha ng isang tao na kabilang sa 9 Great Clans. Isa sa 9 Great Clans ang magiging Guardian Grace, sa oras na piliin na ng Giftia. Mawawala sa kaniya ang Chaos Magic niyang taglay kapalit ng 9 na ibat-ibang Magic Abilities. Guardian Grace is the vessel that will lead the Legendary Aces to Giftia, with the purpose, their destined fate. Destroying Demons."
"Demons..."
"Demons..."
"Matagal na panahon na ang lumipas mula nang unang beses na magkaroon ng Grace at mga Aces. Kabilang ako sa mga unang henerasyon ng mga Legendary Aces. Our generation was tough, we failed to do our mission. Even in the second generation of Guardian Grace, I was chosen to become a Legendary Ace again. It was much worse as the Guardian Grace died before even meeting all the Legendary Aces as she herself, refuses her role. She refuses to meet the Giftia even after several summon the Giftia have requested from her. Sari chose her life of having 'Wisdom Chaos Magic', her generation was the most crucial one for being able to complete the mission the previous generation have failed but she throws it away. Because of this, her clan have a bad reputation back then, The Mchavoc Clan. Sari was killed later on by an enemy so my role as an Legendary Ace ended, my Burning Majestic Rooster Chaos Magic remained to me, maybe that was a gift for being a Legendary Ace. Because I wasn't able to protect the 2nd Generation Guardian Grace, I won't meet anymore Guardian Grace in my life."
"Tinanggap ni boss ang pagtawag ng Giftia sa kaniya, at nagkaroon siya ng maraming Magic." Sabi ni Senju, na kinonekta sa kaniyang sinabi ang lahat ng mga nalaman nito na impormasyon.
"Sa ngayon, mahihirapan kayong gawin ang nakatadhana niyong misyon dahil sa mga Don." (Sadyang mapagbiro ang panahon, dahil ang mga taong katulad nila ay nabuhay sa mismong panahon kung saan malapit na siyang magbalik...)
"Dons are all going down. We will bring peace by dealing with them as the first step to achieved that goal." Anunsyo naman ni South bigla sa Sarimanok.
(And there are still idiots who desire the imposible dream to achieve.) Sabi ng Sarimanok sa sarile nito. (There's no such thing as peace.)
"Tama ka South. Ngayong may mga nalaman tayong importanteng mga bagay patungkol sa atin na konektado sa Vlade Empire, mas lalong tumindi ang aking pagnanais na lumakas para sa pagkamit ng kapayapaan at pagkapantay-pantay antas ng buhay para sa lahat." Masigla na sabi naman ni Senju na siyang nagpasingkit sa mata ng Sarimanok.
"Well said shrimp, and for now, let's see how flamboyantly will our boss beats the shit out the Don she's facing." Maangas na sabi ni South. Muli silang tumingin sa bolang crystal ni Senju at nagulat nang makita nilang matamaan ng malakas na pwersa ng beam sa mukha si Shannon at maglaho ang kalahit ng mukha nito.
"What the fuck!! Boss!!" Sigaw na sabay nilang dalawa sa gulat. Nanlaki ng husto ang kanilang mga mata.
Itutuloy.
*****
Author's Note: Ultimate Power scaling edition, Top 15 Magus(According to the Magic Power shown and used from strongest to weakest so far).
1. Don Nervoz Winter
2. Don Celestial Mañokaw
3. Shannon Petrini
4. Nadare Setsuna Sette
5. Ringgo
6. Arsah Mchavoc
7. Aimer
8. Mane
9. Marco
10. Amano Mañokaw
11. Terminator 9
12. Terminator 10
13. Star Voided
14. South Avalo
15. Senju Fanah