Chapter 41: The Strength of Faith
In the midst of the chaos in the town of Plaridel, Ifugao stood, a solitary hero facing two powerful sugo—Hustisya, filled with rage and seeking justice, and General Salazar, whose sole purpose was to destroy anyone who blocked his path to power.
Every move Ifugao made was a desperate attempt to hold them back, as he struggled to protect the innocents in Plaridel. In the heat of battle, Ifugao seemed surrounded by blazing blue energy, his twin arnis glowing like stars in the darkness.
In a flash, he parried the flaming rake-spear of Hustisya that was meant for Salazar, while simultaneously dodging a sharp crystal spike from the general.
The impact of the clash between their weapons caused a tremendous noise, and the ground trembled with the force of the collision. "How long do you plan to keep this up, Ifugao? Do you really think you can stop the uprising tonight!" shouted Hustisya, her voice heavy with anger and frustration.
"Now, when we finally have a chance to claim the justice we want?" She snarled as the gigantic skeleton behind her lunged again, its massive fist smashing down towards Ifugao.
But Ifugao swiftly leaped out of the way of the punch and immediately went on the offensive, striking the skeleton's fist with his arnis. The blue energy from his weapon tore through the skeleton like lightning, stunning Hustisya as she watched it split in two.
"No... this is impossible, how did he do that?" Hustisya whispered, her eyes wide with shock.
The calm and weaker sugo he had fought recently seemed to have transformed; all she saw before her now was an Ifugao overflowing with power, possessing a force she couldn't comprehend. She knew deep down that there was something unnatural about her opponent, who was growing stronger with every passing moment.
The giant skeleton tried to attack Ifugao again with its left fist, but Ifugao simply severed it once more.
"How did you get so strong? ... Ifugao!!!" she screamed, her voice breaking with a mix of rage and fear.
On the other side, Salazar stared at Ifugao, his eyes filled with doubt. He noticed that the young sugo was not merely blocking their attacks to stall them. His arnis effortlessly sliced through his crystal monsters as if they were fragile glass.
At one point, a crystal monster charged at Ifugao, but with one swift move, Ifugao struck it with his arnis, and the monster was pulverized into shattered crystal fragments.
"He can crush the bodies of my toughest servants with just one strike; he's completely different from before."
"Who are you, really, Indio?" Salazar whispered, his voice tinged with bewilderment and alarm. He also noticed that even Hustisya's most powerful attacks barely affected Ifugao—the young sugo seemed tireless in the fight, despite the seemingly endless onslaught of attacks.
Unable to accept that Ifugao was overpowering them, Hustisya charged again, her rake-spear blazing with a fiercer red flame. "You won't stop me, Ifugao!" she yelled, her frustration making her lose control, her anger clouding her mind.
Her weapon unleashed a massive burst of red energy towards Ifugao. "Vanish, Ifugao!!!"
Meanwhile, Ifugao stood below, preparing to counterattack. He was surrounded by an immense blue energy, almost forming a whirlwind around him. He gripped his arnis tightly as he braced for a strike.
"I won't give up, I will save you, Hustisya!!"
He slammed his arnis with all his might into the red energy unleashed by Hustisya.
This created a massive energy explosion that sent everything in the vicinity flying. The rising red and blue light was a brilliant spectacle in the sky, nearly illuminating the entire city.
Witnessing this display of power from the two sugo left Jana and the others in awe.
As the light faded, Hustisya immediately landed atop a pillar, weak and panting heavily. "My energy is running low, this is not good."
Just as she was thinking, her eyes widened in shock as blue energy from Ifugao suddenly blew the surrounding smoke away.
"Impossible, how is he still alive?"
Ifugao began to stride forward, shrouded in an overwhelming aura of power. Hustisya gnashed her teeth in fury, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why? Why you do this to us? I curse you, Ifugao!!"
Hustisya unleashed a fierce red aura and lunged towards Ifugao.
But in an instant, Ifugao dodged the attack with wind-like speed, and with a single, lightning-fast motion, he grabbed Hustisya by the waist and carried her like a child.
"Huh?"
Hustisya was stunned by Ifugao's action, realizing Ifugao was merely toying with her in a fight where she herself was prepared to kill him. Her eyes were filled with disbelief. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, her voice a mixture of rage and confusion.
"Hustisya, please, stop this!" Ifugao replied, his voice full of pleading yet firm. "I don't want to hurt you, but I won't allow this battle to continue either!"
But Hustisya couldn't accept this, her anger against Ifugao still dominant. "You're insane!" she yelled, and at that moment, a colossal shadow appeared on the ground beneath them.
From it, an immense skeleton skull burst forth and swallowed Ifugao in a single gulp. Moments later, Hustisya reappeared outside the skull, her eyes filled with confidence, expecting the battle to be over.
But only seconds passed before the skull suddenly glowed with blue energy, and cracks began to spread across its surface.
"What's happening?!" Hustisya whispered, terrified. The cracks on the skull grew, spread, and with a massive explosion, the skull was utterly pulverized, releasing an overwhelming force that flung Hustisya and everything around them backward.
Silence enveloped the area for a brief moment as the wind dispersed the smoke. In the gloom, a blue light shone once more, and at its center stood the sugo Ifugao, his body brimming with an energy they had never anticipated.
"No, I have never felt such immense energy... who are you, Ifugao?" Hustisya whispered, her voice laced with shock and fear. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She knew she possessed strong energy derived from the spirits of the dead, yet even with it, she was powerless against Ifugao.
The two stared at each other, seemingly anticipating the other's next move. Hustisya knew her energy was no longer enough to fight such a powerful opponent, but her mind was clear that she couldn't stop fighting.
Ifugao surveyed the surroundings, then turned to face Salazar. He turned his back on Hustisya and began to walk away, an action that seemed to insult her.
"Wait, where are you going? Our fight isn't over. I won't accept defeat in this battle. Ifugao!"
Ifugao stopped walking, but when he turned back to Hustisya, he met her fury with a smiling face. Hustisya froze, unable to believe Ifugao was smiling.
"I'll take it from here, Hustisya. I will shoulder all the responsibility for tonight," Ifugao declared.
Hustisya could not comprehend Ifugao's words and remained perplexed. "What is your real plan?" Hustisya whispered.
Ifugao's sword reappeared, its tip glowing with blue energy. His weapon, which also featured a gun, had its muzzle illuminated by energy, poised to fire. He aimed it at Salazar, who immediately raised a thick crystal wall to shield himself.
Salazar laughed, his pride swelling. "Are you planning to attack me with your toy? Go on, try, Indio!" he challenged. "Show me what you've got!"
Ifugao remained calm, standing amidst his blazing energy, his eyes free of doubt. In an instant, he fired his sword-gun, and a blue ball of energy shot out, puncturing the thick crystal wall as if it were nothing.
The projectile pierced Salazar's arm, causing him to scream in pain, disbelief etched on his face. "Impossible!" he yelled, clutching his bleeding arm.
Before he could prepare, Ifugao fired his sword-gun again, and another blue round struck his thigh, dropping him to the ground.
Salazar's eyes widened in utter shock that a Filipino sugo had managed to bring him to his knees in a fight. "You beast, Indio!"
He saw the cold, pitiful look Ifugao cast upon him, ready to kill him in the fight. Driven by intense annoyance, the general quickly prepared for Ifugao's next attack, encasing his body in thick crystal, like an armor to protect himself. "You will pay dearly for this, Indio!"
Towering red crystal spires also rose around Salazar, serving as protection.
But Ifugao did not cease his attack. He fired his sword-gun in rapid succession, like an armalite unleashing blue rounds. Each shot caused a powerful explosion on the crystal wall, the rounds slowly shattering the crystal and Salazar's armor.
The sound of crystals shattering echoed with every impact, fragments scattering all around, even as the general continuously summoned crystal walls for protection.
Sweat beaded on his face, showing fear as he still couldn't comprehend the destruction of his prized weapon. "Even high-caliber bullets can't penetrate my crystal wall!" he screamed, his voice filled with rage and terror. "How is an Indio doing this?!"
Ifugao paused his firing, his eyes fixed on Salazar. Slowly, he raised his sword, and its tip began to gather an immense amount of energy. "Let's end this, General of Bulacan."
With a downward swing of his sword, he released a massive ball of blue energy, like a star falling from the sky.
"So powerful, where does this energy come from?"
The orb flew straight toward Salazar, and as it struck the ground, a massive explosion erupted, devastating the entire vicinity.
Cars were sent flying, while the windows and doors of buildings shattered, destroying nearly three surrounding structures. After the explosion, thick smoke covered the area.
In the center of the smoke, Ifugao slowly descended from the sky, his body still glowing with blue energy. Opposite him, Hustisya appeared atop her giant skeleton, her eyes still glazed with shock.
She knew the energy unleashed by Ifugao was far from ordinary, and even she wasn't sure she would have survived a hit from such an attack. "How... how did he do that?" she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.
Ifugao suddenly looked at her, his eyes full of determination. He raised his sword, and its blade glowed with blue energy.
In a swift motion, he swung it through the air, and a powerful energy slice struck the giant skeleton's right arm, knocking the limb to the ground. With another swing of his sword, the skeleton's leg was sliced, causing it to lose balance and slowly crash to the ground.
Hustisya leaped away before the skeleton fully collapsed, but fear and anxiety were evident on her face. She hadn't expected Ifugao to be able to destroy her most powerful weapon so easily.
"No... this can't be!" she screamed, her voice filled with disbelief. "Those giant skeletons were my last defense against the Spaniards, and even they are useless against him."
In the midst of the turmoil, the ground suddenly shook, and red crystals rose from the earth, forming a fortress of sharp spikes. At its peak stood Salazar, bloody and panting heavily, his face contorted with rage.
"You'll pay for this, Indio!" he yelled, his voice full of hatred. From the spikes, crystal monsters emerged, simultaneously charging at Ifugao.
But there was no fear in Ifugao's eyes. He ran towards the monsters, his arnis glowing with blue energy. With unnatural speed, he dodged the monsters' attacks and struck them, slicing their bodies into three parts.
"His speed hasn't changed at all; it's as if he's not getting tired. No, he's even faster than before."
He took them down one by one, continuously advancing toward Salazar. Salazar couldn't believe what he was seeing—his monsters, made of tough crystal, were like toys in the face of the young sugo.
"Impossible!" he screamed, his voice trembling with anger. Even wounded, Salazar wrapped his body in red crystal, forming a thick armor, and moments later, he charged at Ifugao, his hands releasing sharp spikes.
"Yahhh!!"
But Ifugao quickly dodged the attack, and with a powerful strike of his arnis, Salazar's armor shattered on his chest.
The general recoiled, his eyes wide with shock. "How did you do that?!" he yelled. Although Ifugao managed to break the armor, it reformed instantly. With a roar, Salazar charged again, his crystal spikes faster and sharper.
But Ifugao continued to dodge every attack, and in a swift movement, he struck Salazar's right arm, causing a massive explosion of his crystal arm. "What's happening, why can't I hit him?" He paused his attack as his arm disintegrated.
Salazar screamed in pain, and immediately encased the wound in crystal to stop the bleeding. "No... this can't be!" he shouted, his voice full of unbelievable hatred. "An Indio... I'm being defeated by an Indio?!" Driven by rage, Salazar became desperate to land a hit on Ifugao. He wrapped his entire body in even thicker crystal, and charged at Ifugao, his spikes raining down all around, caring little about where they struck.
Ifugao easily dodged the spikes, and when he found an opening to get closer, Ifugao struck the crystals next to Salazar, shattering them like fragile glass. In a swift movement, he struck Salazar's body, causing a massive explosion of his crystal body.
"Yahhh!!"
Salazar knelt in pain from the attack, his armor slowly crumbling and falling to the ground, his eyes filled with fear and fury. "No... I won't be defeated by an Indio!" he screamed, but his voice was trembling with fear. "I am a general of Spain, honed in warfare, so it's impossible for a trash Indio to defeat me."
Spitting blood, Salazar swore he wouldn't stop until he killed Ifugao, and with his scream, red crystals rose from the ground again. Salazar unleashed even greater energy, and suddenly more crystal monsters surged around them.
"I won't lose!" Salazar shouted, his voice filled with desperation. He sent the monsters charging at Ifugao, but the young sugo did not hesitate to meet them.
He charged again, batting the monsters away like toys, and continued to advance towards Salazar. "Damn you, die, Indio!!"
On the roof of the city hall, as Apyong, Hiyas, and Jana watched the battle unfold, their eyes were fixed on the young sugo. Jana was amazed by Ifugao's performance against a general. "I can't believe it," she whispered, her voice full of wonder.
"How is Ifugao keeping up with a general honed in combat? Shouldn't he be running out of energy?" Apyong smiled, his expression calm but confident.
"It's true that Salazar is superior in combat knowledge," he said. "That is evident in his movements. But Ifugao... he sees the general's every move before it even happens. That's why he can dodge and launch quick counterattacks."
Apyong explained that the reason Salazar was getting hit wasn't because the general was slow, but because Ifugao was moving incredibly fast.
"Furthermore, Ifugao has surpassed the power of his opponents," he added. "I can feel that Ifugao's energy is nearly three times stronger than Salazar's. Their weapons—Hustisya's skeleton and Salazar's crystals—are no longer effective against him. At this point, their power is meaningless against Ifugao."
Jana was stunned, her eyes filled with astonished wonder. "In such a short time, Ifugao has become a different being," she said. "The young sugo I almost swept the floor with is now toying with a General of Spain!"
She suddenly considered the implications, her voice filled with hope. "If Ifugao can defeat Salazar, maybe he is the key to freeing the Philippines from the Spaniards!" Apyong smiled, but a trace of worry lingered in his expression.
"That possibility is not remote, Jana," he said. "But it will take more than strength to achieve that dream. Ifugao is still very young, and in my opinion, he still has much to learn and go through."
Hiyas suddenly spoke, her voice calm but her gaze cold as she watched the battle. "There is no doubt that Ifugao is strong," she said. "But his power is dependent on the people around him. The strength of a sugo like Ifugao comes from the faith of the people who rely on him. It is not just one young sugo standing there and fighting, because every person in Plaridel who believes in and recognizes him as a hero is part of this battle."
Hiyas revealed to Apyong and Jana that Ifugao could draw energy from the faith of the people around him. "In the midst of this chaos, people are searching for a hero," she said. "And that young sugo is the one they hope will save them. His energy comes from their belief, and because of the number of people in Plaridel hoping to be saved, Ifugao will not run out of power."
Jana was shocked, her eyes filled with unbelievable amazement. "That's why he's not running out of energy!" she said. "Because so many people are giving him their faith!"
But Hiyas' expression suddenly turned serious, her voice grave. "There are over ten thousand people around us now," she said. "And that energy is enough to surpass any sugo he might face. But there is one problem."
Jana was puzzled, her voice filled with worry. "What problem?" she asked.
Hiyas calmly explained the limitation of Ifugao's ability. "Like the other powers of the sugo, Ifugao's ability to draw energy from faith has limits. He is not yet accustomed to using it, and given the condition of his body, he can only maintain this amount of energy for fifteen minutes. If he doesn't end the fight before time runs out, the energy will destroy his body, just like what happened in Urdaneta." Jana was shocked by this revelation and immediately looked down at Ifugao, her heart filled with concern for the young sugo.
"He has to finish it quickly," she whispered, her voice a mix of hope and fear.
Below, as Ifugao continued to face the crystal monsters, his arnis glowed with blue energy. In spite of the overwhelming number of opponents, his movements were full of confidence and determination. Every strike of his weapon caused an explosion, and every monster that crossed his path was pulverized, crashing to the ground.
In the midst of the battle, his eyes were fixed on Salazar, who still stood atop his crystal fortress, but the general's face was etched with fear and fury. "I will not be defeated by an Indio!" Salazar screamed, his voice trembling with desperation.
But in his heart, he knew that the young sugo before him was no longer an ordinary opponent, and his power was far beyond anything he had anticipated. He compared the young sugo's energy level to a Spanish sword, and he knew that if the situation continued this way, he could run out of energy and lose the battle.
As the battle raged on, Apyong, Hiyas, and Jana remained watching on the rooftop, their eyes filled with hope and concern, hoping that Ifugao would triumph before time ran out and his body gave way once more.
End of chapter.