Half an hour has passed since Leo became unconscious. He was suddenly awakened. The first thing he saw was Kagi trying to help him up. Kagi mentioned that he made Leo swallow a healing pill.
Leo said, "You look busted. You should take a pill, too."
"Oh... the pill that I gave you was my last one, Sire", said Kagi.
Leo couldn't help but say, "You know... it's still weird that you're being nice to me after being a dick on day one."
Then, Leo just realised that he was in a fight. He asked, "Wait! What happened to the Omegas?"
Kagi answered, "They got knocked out and restrained. The police will be here very soon so we need to go. We're not supposed to be here."
Leo said, "Wait... the last thing I remember was you falling beside me. Then... I saw a glowing blue light from over there."
"Oh! That would be me!", Leo heard from behind him.
He looked behind and saw a small kid about 10 years old wearing a top hat and black suit, and holding a very slim umbrella. This confused him, especially because he didn't even sense the kid.
He asked, "Who are you?"
The kid answered, "I'm Mirin. Pleasure to meet you, kuya."
"I'm the Alpha of San Juan City", he added.
This shocked both Kagi and Leo because the last thing they want is to be caught doing vigilantism by an Alpha, and because he's just a kid yet he already holds the title of Alpha.
Leo said, "We don't want any trouble. We just want to leave."
"Don't worry! I'm not gonna take you in. I mean I know you're not superheroes because you don't have an Alpha emblem, but I can tell that you're good people", said Mirin.
While Mirin was talking, Leo decided to activate his enhanced vision to check Mirin's aura because he was so curious about this kid Alpha.
"Oh! Cool! You have glowing eyes", Mirin exclaimed.
"You don't have an aura", said Leo.
Mirin chuckled and said, "I know why you're curious, but this is not the right time and place to talk about it. The police are coming. Let's go to your operator's place instead."
"Operator?", Kagi asked.
"Yeah. That guy who couldn't stop fanboying through your earphones over there", said Mirin as he pointed at Netnet's earphones on the ground.
A moment later, Leo and Kagi ran towards Intramuros and waited for Mirin as he reported the situation to the police. The police placed shock cuffs on Tinto and Bala's wrists and took them away.
-
[Later that night in Netnet's room]
Netnet still couldn't stop fanboying because he idolises Mirin so much, and now he's in his room. That moment was just surreal for Netnet.
"Look at him behave like an animal", said Kagi.
Netnet replied, "You just don't understand who this person is because you're a savage from the depths of hell."
"I'm not from hell, scrawny boy. That's a completely different realm", said Kagi.
Then, Mirin spoke, "As promised, let me explain. I was promoted to an Arch Mage by the Philippine Council of Magic just a few months ago. An Arch Mage is just a stronger Mage. You can say I only do magic tricks... illusions. I don't have innate magic like Sorcerers and Warlocks do. That's why you don't see my aura... I simply don't have one."
"Despite that, the Council of Magic believes in my skills and talent and that's why they recommended me to the NAOL to become an Alpha. I'm just a Class A Alpha of the 2nd smallest city in the metro anyway, so it's not much of a huge feat", he added.
"And I know you wanna ask why I'm here in Manila. It's simple, really. I just wanted to... visit the Rizal Park", he added as he grinned.
Epdelion called the lie, "I don't think you visited the park. If you did, you wouldn't have made your way towards the pier because the park is about half a kilometer away from the pier."
Mirin chuckled, "Alright. You got me. I was actually there first. I was just on top of the other crane spying on the Black Lotus because they murdered a civilian in San Juan City the night before. Then, I saw these 2 on the roof of the warehouse, and I wanted to see what they were gonna do."
"Wait... What were you guys actually doing anyway?", Mirin asked.
Before they could answer, they heard someone knocking on Netnet's bedroom door. Then, they heard, "Netnet, are you still awake? I can hear noise. It's 1am. You should be asleep now."
"Oh, no! That's my mom. We're dead!", said Netnet.
Then, his mother opened the door and was surprised to see them. She noticed that there was a kid floating in the air while riding his umbrella like a witch's broom. She said, "Hey! Is that... Mirin? THE Mirin?"
Netnet answered, "Uhm... yes, mom."
She gasped and said, "I didn't know you're friends with an Alpha!"
Netnet seemed confused but he just said, "Uhhh... yes... I told you I have amazing friends."
She said, "Wait! Let me get you boys something to eat and drink."
"No, mom. That's not necessary. They're about to leave anyway", he replied.
Then, Kagi interrupted, "Oh, that would be great Mrs. Batumbakal! I'm starving."
Netnet got annoyed at Kagi, and his mom left to get food. Netnet said, "I know you're not hungry."
Kagi replied, "You're right. I'm not."
Suddenly, Leo brought up something, "Mirin... what happened to Taumbato?"
Mirin replied, "Oh... the big guy. I let him go. He's not involved in the murder case in my city anyway. Let Magnus deal with him because Manila is his responsibility, not mine."
Netnet was surprised by Mirin's answer, so he reacted, "Hmm... I didn't know you guys have that kind of politics within your organisation."
Mirin replied, "Well... If it were up to me, I'd do it. But, Magnus has a huge ego. He doesn't want us to meddle in his business. I don't wanna get on the #1 Alpha's bad side. That guy's a Sorcerer."
Netnet replied, "Okay, that makes sense. For a second there, I thought my favourite Alpha was a... you know."
"A jerk?", said Kagi.
"That's not what I meant", said Netnet.
"I can read minds you know", replied Kagi.
"No, you can't", Netnet responded.
"Yeah, I can't, but that's definitely what you were thinking", said Kagi.
"Haha! And I thought I was the kid here", said Mirin.
For some reason, Epdelion is suspicious of Mirin. He saw that the kid was wearing a similar ring as him. He was hiding his hands behind his back so that Mirin wouldn't notice.
"It seems you guys are fun to hang out with. Except with this old guy right here. Why do you hang out with him anyway? He's like 40 years old or something", said Mirin.
Netnet answered, "He's our professor."
"Ooooh! A professor. Aren't you gonna get in trouble for exploiting these boys?", Mirin asked.
Kagi interrupted, "Shouldn't you be the last person to say that considering you're a minor yourself? You're even younger than us."
Leo defended Epdelion as he said, "We're not ordinary boys, and we're doing this in our own volition. We'd still do this even if Sir Delion was not helping us."
Mirin replied, "Come on, guys, I'm kidding... Or am I? I mean... vigilantism and child abuse? That's a big problem."
"... But, I'm willing to let this go if... you tell me what it is exactly that you're doing."
Kagi got annoyed by that and said, "I appreciate you saving our butts in the pier, but I won't hesitate to kick your butt if you threaten us again."
"Kagi, no", said Leo. "I'll take care of this."
"Are you gonna tell him?", Kagi asked. Leo nodded. Then, Kagi said, "But, he's just a kid. Kids cannot be trusted and are immature."
"Ouch. I'm right here. FYI, I'm an Alpha for a reason, and trust me... my brain is much more developed than yours", said Mirin.
Netnet laughed and said, "That's highly unlikely but that's a good comeback. Haha! It seems you found your match, Kagi boy."
"I'd kill you both, but I can't disobey the-- Leo", said Kagi.
"Everyone, stop", said Leo. "Mirin, I'll tell you the truth." Leo told the whole story just like what he told Epdelion and the girls, and what Kagi told him and Netnet.
After a lengthy storytelling, Mirin didn't seem surprised, instead he was grinning. He said, "Well... I've always wanted to see Biringan City for myself. Let's do it!"
"Do what?", Leo asked.
Mirin answered, "You know... go to Biringan City and reclaim your family's throne."
All of them got confused by how Mirin reacted to the situation after hearing the story. But, this just made Epdelion more suspicious of him.
"Great! We have an Alpha on our side. We need every help we can get, right?", said Netnet.
"Haha! I love adventures! When do we start?", Mirin asked. He looked at the others and realised that he's probably missing something. "Oh, right. You're still training. I forgot", he added.
Then, Mirin gave a look of enthusiasm and said, "Well, let's find you strong people to fight then."
"How?", Netnet asked.
"What do you say you become my sidekicks and help me hunt down criminals in my domain, San Juan City?", said Mirin.
Leo, Kagi, and Netnet were thrilled by the offer and accepted it immediately.
-
[In the classroom the next morning]
Netnet arrived later than Leo and Kagi. He was almost late for class because he didn't have enough sleep last night. Kagi realised that and commented, "You look like a tiyanak."
"It's early in the morning and you're already making my blood boil. I swear if I ever get powers, you'd be the first person that I take down", said Netnet.
"You wish", Kagi replied.
Leo cut them off and said, "So... what's our plan today?"
All of a sudden, they heard noises coming from the school grounds. Since the class hasn't started yet, the boys and the other students rushed outside to see what was going on. They saw that almost every student in the school is surrounding someone as if they're a celebrity. To their surprise, it was actually a celebrity. It was Mirin.
"What is he doing here?! Did I miss something? We didn't plan to meet here, did we?", said Netnet.
"No. He's a kid. What do you expect?", Kagi answered.
Then, Mirin pointed at them and said, "Hey, friends!"
The classmates of the 3 boys looked at them when they realised who Mirin was pointing at. One of the classmates asked if they're friends with the Alpha. Kagi denied, while at the same time, Netnet enthusiastically confirmed. Their classmates were amazed, so they flocked to the boys to ask them for favours to get pictures with Mirin and get his autograph. But suddenly, Mirin appeared out of nowhere and tried to go through the crowd, "Excuse me, people. I need to see my boys." The students were just starstrucked.
"How did you get here?", Netnet asked.
"Uhm... I teleported?", Mirin answered.
Kagi commented, "Good job keeping a low profile. Why are you here anyway?"
Mirin replied, "My monster friend, didn't we have a discussion last night?"
Then, Leo asked, "Are we going somewhere?"
"No, my other monster friend", Mirin answered. "I'm just here to pay you guys a visit."
"Aren't you supposed to be in school?", Kagi asked.
"Oh, but I am in school, aren't I?", Mirin answered cheekily.
"Ha! He got you there. Can't touch him, can you, Kagi?", Netnet commented.
"You didn't need to pay us a visit, Mirin. You could have just called or messaged us", said Leo.
Mirin answered, "Nah... phones are for noobs. They're just a distraction. Besides, why call when you can teleport?"
"Wait... then whose phone number did you give us last night?", Netnet asked.
Mirin answered, "Hmm... I'm inclined to lie and say that it isn't my mother's phone number."
Kagi whispered, "I hate kids."
"Anyway... I came here to tell you guys to meet me at Baluarte de San Diego at your lunch break", said Mirin. "Don't make me wait!", he added.
Then, Mirin started walking away as he said good bye to the starstrucked students.
"Wait! Where are you going?", Netnet asked.
"Uhm... Walking my way outside?", said Mirin.
"I thought you said you can teleport?", Netnet asked.
"Did I? Hmm... I don't know. See you later, big bros", Mirin answered.
As he was walking away, he came across Epdelion to which he smiled and said, "Hello, really old man. I just came to visit the boys". Then, he reached for Epdelion's hand to shake it. Epdelion was confused about that interaction and why Mirin was there, so he gave an enquiring look to the boys who were a few meters away. Netnet gave him an I-don't-know look because they're just as confused.
-
Later that day after Epdelion's class, the professor asked the 3 boys to stay so he could have a conversation with them. He told them that he won't be able to join them any longer in their training or missions because he acknowledged that Mirin was right. The last thing he'd want to happen is to risk their objectives if people find out that he's helping them with their crime fighting stuff. He also told them that Mirin is more suited to mentor them at this point since he's officially an Alpha and they won't get in trouble if they work as his sidekicks. Netnet and Leo were saddened to hear this news, but they understood why it had to be like that.
Epdelion also warned the boys about Mirin. He told them that even though he's an Alpha, he felt that the kid was hiding something from them, so they should be cautious. The boys were confused because they didn't feel that from Mirin, but since the professor is older than them, they acknowledged that he knows more than they do, so they heeded the advice.
Before they left the classroom, Epdelion handed Leo a book. It's like a small version of the tome that they saw in the club room that contains information about Biringan City. The professor said, "Leo, I entrust you with this book. It has all my knowledge about Biringan City. Always, and I mean always bring this with you wherever you go. No one else but you should be allowed to open this book. No offense to you both. It's my gift to the future king of Biringan City."
Leo took a quick look at the contents of the book. He noticed that there are blank pages at the end. Epdelion said, "I intentionally left blank pages for you 3 to write on. I know you'll learn more information along the way that is not written there, so feel free to write it down."
Leo answered, "Thank you, Sir Delion. I'll treasure this and keep it safe."
Epdelion asked, "Are you boys going to meet up with Mirin today?"
Leo answered, "Yes, Sir. We'll be at the Baluarte de San Diego during lunch break. He didn't tell us what it's about."
"Hmm... I see. Well, you should drop by the club room this afternoon. I'll be preparing food for the club members", said Epdelion.
"Really, Sir?! That would be great!", said Netnet. "Hey, Leo. I'll get to see Rachel again", he whispered to Leo.
Leo chuckled and said, "Don't be too obvious now, Net."
-
[At noon at Baluarte de San Diego]
The 3 boys arrived at their training spot. They couldn't see where Mirin was. All of a sudden, Leo and Kagi sensed something from behind them. They looked behind, and saw a glowing cards coming towards them. Leo grabbed Netnet and they dodged the cards. As the cards hit the ground, they sparked and left burn marks.
"What are you doing?!", Kagi asked.
Netnet looked around to see where the cards came from and who Kagi was talking to. He was surprised to see Mirin hovering above.
Mirin summoned more cards from inside his magician's hat. Tens of glowing cards formed a circle around Mirin. He started laughing, then he attacked the boys with his cards. While carrying Netnet, Leo dodged the cards, Kagi did the same. However, the cards were following them like a heat-seeking missile.
"There's no way you can run away from my magic cards", said Mirin.
Kagi took out his magic shard and grabbed a branch from a tree and turned it into a sword. Then, he quickly slashed all of the cards. Mirin was fascinated by what he witnessed.
"Let's see you defend from this", said Mirin as he summoned burning cards. He launched the cards towards the boys.
With his quick thinking, Kagi dashed towards Leo to protect him, and so that all the cards will be directed at one point, allowing him to destroy them with just one strike. He used his technique - Sining Sandata: Kukong Asero. With this technique, he creates a long ranged slash. The slash intercepted the cards and made them explode.
Leo realised that he needs to help Kagi, so he jumped away to leave Netnet in a safe location. Then, he returned and stood side by side with Kagi.
With confidence, Kagi said, "Looks like you're outnumbered now, boy."
"Oh really?", Mirin replied. Then, he waved his magic wand to create multiple illusions of himself. His illusions surrounded Kagi and Leo. They pointed their top hat at Leo and Kagi as if they were cannons. Mirin commented, "Looks like you're outnumbered now... kuya."
Leo gave an annoyed look to Kagi because his mockery came back to them. With a guilty look, Kagi mouthed the words, "I'm sorry, my prince."
The two dashed to attack the illusions, but to their surprise, instead of cards, glowing swords started shooting out from the illusions' top hats. They quickly switched to defense and dodged the swords. Leo grabbed one of the swords, then they attacked the illusions again. This time, they were successful in slashing them. However, more illusions started to appear. This went on until the two found themselves catching their breaths.
"We can't keep going like this. We need to find the original", said Leo.
"But how? There's so many of them now", said Kagi.
All of sudden, Leo noticed that there's something odd about the swords that were stuck on the cement. He looked at the sword he's holding that he grabbed earlier. He noticed that the sword felt different. Then, he tried to nick himself with the sharp edge of the sword. He was surprised by what he found out.
"Kagi...", said Leo. "I know what we should do", he added.
A few moments later, Kagi stepped forward and just stood instead of assuming a defensive stance. The illusions pointed their hats at Kagi. Leo went down on one knee and closed his eyes, then he took a deep breath and activated his enhanced vision. Then, the illusions shot burning swords at Kagi. The swords were getting close to Kagi, but he didn't seem to care and didn't try to defend himself. Tens of burning swords went through Kagi. Surprisingly, Kagi was still very much alive.
"Just as I thought... these really are illusions. They're not real at all."
Mirin smirked because they figured it out. So, he pointed his hat at Kagi to shoot a real normal sword. Leo expected this, which is why he activated his enhanced vision, to easily detect a real sword and where it's coming from. He was able to determine the real Mirin's location. Leo shouted, "Now, Kagi!"
Leo dashed with all his might towards Mirin's location, while Kagi parried the real sword.
"I got you now, Mirin!"
Mirin was frightened to see Leo getting closer to him. Leo grabbed him by the neck and said, "It's over."
"Yes! You're amazing, Sire!", Kagi exclaimed.
However, Mirin started laughing and said, "Who says it's over?" Suddenly, Mirin vanished.
"What?! An illusion?!"
Leo was stunned. He didn't expect it to happen. He was certain he caught the real Mirin. Then, he turned around and saw the real Mirin appear a few meters behind Kagi.
"He teleported!"
Kagi had no idea that the real Mirin teleported behind him. Mirin shot a sword at Kagi.
Leo shouted, "Kagi!"
Kagi finally realised what was going on. As he turned around, Leo tried to dash towards Kagi to save him, but he already spent most of his energy to dash earlier. He mustered the remaining strength that he had to dash once more. He could see the sword approaching Kagi's head. He realised that he was not going to make it.
Kagi was about finished turning around when he saw the sword a few centimeters away from his eye. His eyes widened out of surprise and fear because he knew he didn't have the time to dodge or parry it.
Leo exclaimed in desperation, "NOOOOO!"
All of a sudden, the sword stopped which allowed time for Leo to grab it away from Kagi's face.
"Why did the sword stop?"
Then, they heard clapping. It was Mirin who was slowly walking towards them. Leo and Kagi got confused.
"You both passed the test", said Mirin.
"What test? You mean you weren't trying to kill us?", Kagi asked.
"Kill you? Now why would I do that? I mean except for the fact that you're both monsters who are not supposed to be in the human realm", said Mirin.
"What's this all about, Mirin?", Leo asked with an angry look on his face.
"I was simply testing your skills and how you adapt to a battle", Mirin answered. "I'm impressed that you figured out that my illusions are really just intangible illusions", he added.
Leo and Kagi looked at each other, and just about the time Netnet came out of hiding. Netnet was actually watching the battle unfold from behind a wall, which was not the same place Leo left him at.
"If you guys lasted in a battle against me, an Alpha, then you should be ready to face whatever foe I will have you go against tonight", Mirin explained.
"Tonight? What do you mean?", Leo asked.
"Some Alphas work from the afternoon until almost the break of dawn. Tonight, I will show you why that's the case. You'll be in for a surprise", said Mirin. "Although, I'm not sure what Netnet is doing here. He won't even be of any help to us tonight", he added.
"Oh...", Netnet uttered while trying to hide the emotional pain.
"I'll meet you here tonight", said Mirin. "Be ready", he added.