Chapter 43: The Rebel
In the middle of the dark night in Plaridel, after the intense battle that had nearly devastated the heart of the city, Hustisya was still standing, her eyes full of shock and disbelief at the revelation. The silence of the night was broken only by the faint hum of the wind.
In front of her stood Erik, the young boy she knew as a friend, who was now confessing that he was also the powerful sugo Ifugao. His white hair was gradually gone, and the blue energy that enveloped his body vanished, revealing a simple young man with concern etched on his face.
"No... it can't be," Hustisya whispered, slowly backing away, her feet nearly tripping over the crushed stones around them. "You can't be Erik! You're not him!" Her voice was trembling, full of confusion and denial.
Memories of their time together—the conversations under the mango tree, the laughter in the Plaridel plaza—suddenly rushed back, but she couldn't understand how her friend and the hero who constantly appeared to fight her could be the same person.
"Stop this nonsense, Ifugao!" Hustisya shouted, her hands shaking as she tightly gripped her rake-spear, which was still blazing with red fire from the fight with Salazar. "You won't fool me! Tell me you're lying!"
Erik remained calm, listening to the girl, although his eyes were full of sorrow. He slowly approached Hustisya, his steps cautious, as if afraid of making her even angrier.
"Georgia, I am Erik, your friend," he said, his voice soft but sincere.
"Then why did you hide from me that you are Ifugao!"
"It wasn't my intention to hide it from you, but I had to keep the existence of my deity's sugo form a secret from everyone else. I came from Ifugao and traveled here to Bulacan for a mission—to stop the tragedy that a certain sugo might cause... and that was you, Hustisya."
Hustisya was stunned, her eyes widening in shock. "Me? You came to Plaridel just to stop me?" Her voice was full of confusion but also a hint of bitterness. "Is that why you approached me? Is that why you became my friend—just for your mission?"
"Was all the kindness you showed me only for the mission? If so, you won me over just to deceive me."
"No!" Erik quickly responded, his voice rising in intensity. "I became your friend because I wanted to, and the mission had nothing to do with us meeting, Georgia. To be honest, when I saw you in the plaza earlier transforming as Hustisya, I was also shocked. If I had known that you and Hustisya were one, I would have talked to you properly. I might have been able to stop your plans to fight the Spaniards in this way."
"I know it's hard to believe, but I really didn't know about your sugo form in Plaridel."
Hustisya clutched her head, her mind still confused. "Impossible... this is utterly impossible," she whispered, as memories of their friendship and the battles she had fought as Hustisya flashed through her mind.
"This can't be a coincidence. I fell for Erik, but he is also my enemy Ifugao, the female sugo who ruins my mission," she muttered in her mind. "How did this happen?" Her cheeks flushed with shame and confusion, especially when she realized she had secretly admitted to herself having feelings for Erik.
"Wait, if you're Ifugao, does that mean you're actually a girl?" she asked, her voice full of confusion and a touch of anger. "You disguised yourself as a boy to make someone like me fall for you and follow your will?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? Wait, no, you're thinking wrong."
Erik smiled faintly, although his eyes were still full of concern. "I am truly a man, Georgia, but when I use my deity's power, I also take on her form as a woman. I never wanted this, but there's nothing I can do. I am still me—Erik, your friend, and I am a man."
Erik pleaded, his voice full of urgency. "Georgia, let's stop this fight. Let's go home. Grandpa and Grandma are worried about you and are surely waiting for you to come home."
But Hustisya's anger flared, her eyes blazing with red fire. "It's not that easy to stop this, Erik!" she shouted, her voice full of frustration. "Do you think everything will be fine after what happened? I killed Salazar! I know the Spaniards will frame the Filipinos in Plaridel for all of this!"
Erik moved closer to Hustisya and immediately took hold of her hands. "I won't let that happen, Georgia," he said, his voice full of determination. "I won't let Plaridel be harmed because of what we've done."
Hustisya was surprised by the touch of Erik's hands, and her cheeks suddenly flushed. She stared into the young man's eyes, and in an instant, her nervousness returned—the feeling she had secretly harbored for Erik.
"How can you be sure everything will be fine?" she asked, her voice slightly trembling. "What is your plan for Salazar's death? Do you know we're criminals in the eyes of the Spaniards now?"
Erik admitted his feelings to the girl, his face full of sincerity, "I don't know exactly what to do, Georgia. But right now, I want to get you out of here first. I want to make sure you're safe." His eyes were full of worry, and every word he spoke showed genuine concern.
"You're crazy!" Hustisya shouted, her voice full of anger and confusion. "Why are you prioritizing me over the Filipinos in Plaridel? What are you thinking?"
"I'm not saying the Filipinos in your town aren't important," Erik replied, his voice firm but emotional. "They are important to me, but you are important too, Georgia. I'm afraid something bad might happen to you. I can't bear the thought of them punishing you." Hustisya's cheeks flushed even more from what the young man said, and her heart pounded heavily.
Despite her anger, Erik's words continued to pierce through her and soften her feelings. "Wait, why is he saying that? Does he like me too?" she whispered in her mind, but she immediately dismissed the idea. "No, I can't think like this. Calm down, Georgia," she chided herself. "Don't get your hopes up on a misconception. You might just end up embarrassed."
She looked into Erik's eyes and became even more drawn to him, unable to avoid thinking that Erik was willing to sacrifice himself just to ensure her safety. It also occurred to her that Erik was doing this because he wanted to be with her.
As they talked, Erik suddenly looked up at the sky. His eyes widened when he saw two moons shining above the sky. One was a full moon, while the other looked like a quarter moon, gleaming strangely.
"Georgia, look," he whispered, his voice full of wonder. "Why are there two moons? Is that even possible?"
Hustisya laughed, her laughter full of mockery. "Don't fool me, Erik. There's only one moon in the world!"
But when she turned and looked up, she was shocked to see the two moons in the Plaridel sky as well. "Impossible..." she whispered, her eyes full of shock. "There can't be two moons!"
They noticed that the quarter moon was gradually growing larger, and around it, there were twinkling lights like stars. Those lights gradually increased, and moments later, they felt an extremely powerful presence from the sky.
The stars they saw were not real stars but energy balls, which suddenly rained down around them like meteorites.
"Georgia, watch out!" Erik shouted, but before he could move, a torrent of energy balls rained down, each energy ball nearly three feet in size. They struck Hustisya's giant skeleton, which was still standing behind her. Targeting the skeleton, the energy gradually shattered its bones with every explosion.
Body parts rained down onto the ground, and it finally collapsed. Hustisya panicked, her eyes full of terror. "What is happening?!" she exclaimed.
But before she could move, Erik pulled her away, his body transforming back into the form of Ifugao, with white hair and blue energy re-enveloping him.
"We need to get out of here immediately!" Ifugao shouted, his voice full of worry. "This presence... it might be from a general!"
They tried to escape, but before they could jump, floating energy balls blocked their path, now surrounding them. Ifugao knew they couldn't be hit by them. Even though he wanted to fight, he was anxious because his body was still weak from the fight with Salazar. His knees were shaking, and every movement brought him intense pain and soreness.
He gripped Hustisya's hand tightly, his eyes full of determination. "I promise, Georgia, I will protect you no matter what," he said, his voice full of sincerity.
Ifugao immediately drew his sword, ready to protect the girl. She saw how determined he was to protect her, but she was worried about the condition of her friend's body.
Hustisya knew that Ifugao's body was barely able to move due to the damage sustained, and he was in more danger than she was.
Before the energy balls could strike, she embraced Ifugao, and a large shadow appeared beneath them.
"Erik!"
From the shadow, a skeleton skull emerged, swallowing them both to protect them from the blast. The explosion caused an extremely strong tremor, and thick smoke spread around.
In the midst of the chaos, Hustisya wasted no time. She carried Ifugao on her shoulder and leaped away, her feet quickly running through the ruined streets.
"As a sugo, I can't turn your body into mist like mine," she explained, her voice full of worry. "I need to get you out of here!"
While fleeing, Erik suddenly remembered that Hustisya could vanish like a ghost and escape the place using that ability, but because her power wouldn't work while she was holding a sugo, she couldn't do it.
"Georgia, don't worry about me!" Ifugao shouted, his voice weak but full of pleading. "Vanish to escape this place! Leave me!"
Hustisya grew angry at what she heard from Erik, her eyes blazing. "I can't leave you, Erik!" she shouted. "I can't save myself while leaving you behind!" Her heart pounded heavily, and memories of their friendship returned, adding to her determination.
But Ifugao insisted that she prioritize herself. "It's better if one of us escapes than for both of us to be caught! If the Spaniards catch you, Georgia, you will be punished with death!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" Hustisya shouted, her voice full of anger and fear. "I'm also afraid of what will happen to me, but I can't lose you too, Erik!" Her eyes were full of tears, but she quickly wiped them away, unwilling to show her weakness in front of Erik.
While running, carrying Ifugao, Hustisya didn't notice an energy ball quickly approaching from her side. It struck her, and the force of the impact sent both of them flying.
"Ahh!"
They crashed onto the street, hitting scattered cars, and Hustisya's body writhed in pain. She knew that the energy balls were unusual and moved as if they had a mind of their own. She realized they could break her sugo body's protection.
She saw the energy balls surrounding them again, floating in the air like predators. Ifugao punched the ground in utter frustration because his body could barely stand due to weakness.
"I can't even protect you," he whispered, his voice full of regret.
Hustisya rushed to Ifugao, her eyes full of concern. "Erik, do you still have the strength to run?" she asked, her voice soft but full of determination.
Ifugao was surprised, his eyes wide. "What are you planning, Georgia?" he asked, his voice full of worry.
"I can't fight these while protecting you," Hustisya explained, her eyes blazing with red fire. "I still have energy left to fight, but you need to get out of here. I'll take our enemy's attention."
"No!" Ifugao shouted, his voice full of protest. "I won't leave you here, Georgia! I'll stay with you, I can still fight!"
"Are you crazy?!" Hustisya shouted, her voice trembling with anger. "We can't both be caught! If we are caught, Plaridel will have no hope left!"
In the middle of their argument, Ifugao suddenly embraced Hustisya, his arms tightly hugging the girl. "I can't, Georgia," he said, his voice brave but emotional. "I will stay by your side until the end."
Hustisya's heart pounded furiously, and her cheeks flushed and grew warm. In an instant, her mind filled with romantic fantasies, but she quickly dismissed them. "We need to survive first," she whispered to herself, trying to focus her mind on the fight.
While embracing, Hustisya felt something rapidly approaching them. Turning, she saw a long chain made of energy, surging toward them. Due to the speed of the event, she could only push Ifugao away and make her rake-spear appear.
She swung it and cut the chain in half, but she didn't expect the pieces to continue toward Ifugao.
Weakened, Ifugao couldn't dodge, and his arms and legs were bound by the chain.
"Erik!" Hustisya shouted, her eyes full of shock and fear. She tried to approach, but was stopped when energy balls surrounded them again. She knew they had no way to escape. The only remaining option was to fight, even though she knew Ifugao was nearly powerless.
In the middle of her panic, a voice suddenly echoed around them.
"It's pointless to run because I can follow you wherever you hide," a man said, his voice full of authority. "Let's not make this difficult for each other. It's better if you surrender."
When Hustisya looked up, she saw a man with violet hair, wearing a white general's uniform. He was standing on a strange, quarter-moon-shaped vehicle, surrounded by glowing crystals. His presence was extremely powerful, coinciding with the reappearance of the energy balls around them, as if only waiting for his command to crush Hustisya and Ifugao.
"I won't surrender to a Spanish lapdog!" Hustisya shouted, her voice full of anger.
The man grew angry at being called a Spanish lapdog. "Damn this child!" he shouted, his eyes blazing. "I do not appreciate the disrespect of the youth toward their elders!" He introduced himself as General Luna Tanio, the Governor-General of Bataan, one of the twenty-four generals ruling the Philippines.
"My patience is short, so surrender now!" But Hustisya was stubborn. "I'd rather die than be caught!" she shouted, her rake-spear blazing with red fire.
"Damn it!" Luna shouted again, his voice full of frustration. "Young people like you are truly stubborn! You need to know when to surrender!" Energy enveloped him, and the energy balls appeared, now more numerous and faster. "Bravery is not a virtue at all times!"
The energy balls rushed toward Hustisya, but she bravely met them. Using her rake-spear, she sliced and parried them, each explosion shaking the ground. But the energy balls were too many, and the explosions were causing ground destruction and damage to the surroundings. Hustisya was afraid Ifugao, who was still bound on the ground, would be hurt if he was hit by the explosions, so she thought of attacking Luna directly.
A large shadow appeared on the ground, and from it, a gigantic skeleton arm emerged, intending to punch Luna. The punch caused a massive explosion, but Hustisya was surprised when a force pushed the smoke away. She saw Luna safe inside a barrier protecting his vehicle, the Mooncrest.
"This is the Mooncrest, my weapon as a sugo," Luna explained, his voice full of pride. "As long as there is a moon in the sky, my power is more than doubled. You cannot destroy it, no matter how strong you are."
Hustisya was furious at her failed attempt, and with a shout, she swung her rake-spear, releasing a large red fire to attack Luna. It struck Luna's barrier and immediately engulfed the entire area in fire. But moments later, an unseen force pushed the fire away, and it vanished without a scratch on the Mooncrest's barrier.
"I told you, you cannot destroy it," Luna said, his voice calm but full of mockery. "You need to learn to listen to those who are wiser than you. Those energy balls are what I call 'Little Stars.' They aren't that strong, but I can create and detonate them around you all night, and I don't know if your body can withstand the damage from them," he explained.
Countless energy balls reappeared around Luna, and they rushed toward Hustisya one by one. She tried to slice and parry them, but they were too fast. One ball struck her, and she was sent flying to the ground, tumbling amidst the crushed stones.
She felt the scorching ball hit her, and as expected, her body's protection could no longer shield her from them. She knew she had no time to rest, so she immediately stood up, but before she could move, an energy chain bound her body. She tried to break the chain with her strength, but it didn't budge.
"My power only grows stronger under the moon," Luna said. "It's impossible for you to break those chains. Surrender now, so we can rest tonight," Luna said calmly.
But Hustisya screamed, "The fight isn't over! I won't be taken alive!" Along with her scream, a gigantic skeleton appeared, now larger than before, overflowing with dark energy. Hustisya stood on its head, her eyes blazing. "I am ready to fight to the death for the Filipinos in Plaridel!"
There was no trace of fear on Luna's face; instead, he merely sighed, disappointed. "Your potential is wasted, Hustisya," he said, his voice full of regret.
"I am not an enemy of the Filipinos. Between the two of us, who is truly helping Plaridel more? Your blind conviction is why you are fighting, but the truth is you won't save anyone if you continue this."
Hustisya grew angry at Luna's apparent insult to her beliefs. "Stop it! You know nothing about the suffering of the Filipinos in Plaridel and why we are doing this!" she shouted, her voice full of hatred.
"I know nothing about what you've been through, and I don't need to know why you kill people," Luna replied, his voice calm but firm. "The world doesn't care about your problems. Laws were created to protect people, and you clearly violated them. What pity will the world show rebels like you who kill and remove peace from others?" Luna asked.
"The rebels you're referring to are Filipinos who tasted the cruelty of the Spaniards!" Hustisya shouted. "All we're doing is seeking justice for the victims of their oppression!" the girl added.
"Damn it!" Luna shouted again, clearly irritated, his voice full of anger. "It's because of that cursed revenge that the rebellion in the Philippines never ends! As long as there are those who want revenge, there will be no peace in this country!" He angrily stated that Filipinos were narrow-minded if they thought rebellion was the key to peace. "Accept it, Hustisya, the Filipinos cannot win this fight!"
Hustisya laughed, her laughter full of scorn. "It's because of that belief that Filipinos cannot fight that you agree to be a Spanish lapdog, General!" she shouted.
Luna sighed. "Our conversation is going nowhere," he said. "You can't accept the truth, Hustisya. You are blinded by your own anger."
As he spoke, over five hundred energy balls appeared, illuminating the entire surrounding area, encircling the gigantic skeleton. Hustisya was terrified by what she saw, and she immediately looked at Ifugao, who was still bound on the ground.
She knew she couldn't parry all the energy balls because she had very little energy left, but she needed to ensure Ifugao was saved.
Using her remaining energy, she lifted shattered wood from the surroundings and took Ifugao. The wood floated, carrying Ifugao away from the battle.
"What are you doing, Georgia?" Ifugao shouted, his voice full of shock as he tried to break free from the chains.
But as the wood flew, he saw Hustisya, who removed her mask and smiled at him—a smile of farewell.
"Georgia, no!" Ifugao shouted, his eyes wide with fear.
Moments later, the entire surroundings lit up as countless energy balls exploded around the skeleton.
"Georgia!!"
The explosion sent objects flying, buildings collapsed, and the shockwave was felt by everyone in Plaridel. After five minutes, the smoke gradually disappeared. A large crater, fifteen meters deep, remained in the middle of the battle, and half of the city hall was nearly destroyed.
Luna floated in the air aboard the Mooncrest, surveying the surroundings. Nothing remained of Hustisya's skeleton, but he couldn't find the girl's body either. He knew that as a sugo, her deity would protect Hustisya's body. He also couldn't find Ifugao, who had been left bound on the ground.
"Damn it! Looks like those kids escaped me," Luna shouted, angry that the two had gotten away. "I'll have to write a long report because of this," he muttered, his voice full of frustration.
While floating in the sky, he suddenly felt a strange presence in the vicinity. Luna immediately looked at the roof of one of the city hall buildings, where he saw a young girl. He wondered what she was doing there and knew she was not human.
The Mooncrest floated toward the girl, and even though this was the first time he had seen Hiyas, he showed her respect.
"I'm not sure who you are, but I feel the presence of a deity in you," he said.
Hiyas remained looking at him, silently observing Luna. "This is the first time I've met a deity in person," he said, his voice full of wonder. "May I know what someone like you is doing here in Plaridel?" Hiyas still didn't answer, but her cold gaze pierced through Luna.
Hiyas floated into the air, and in an instant, she passed through the Mooncrest's barrier and landed on Luna's vehicle. The general was surprised that the barrier didn't block her. "This is the first time I've seen anyone enter my barrier besides myself," he said, his voice full of astonishment. "Are you a deity like Ada Baal-Aki, the deity of Cabanatuan whom I serve?"
"I am a nature spirit, but you can call me whatever you want," Hiyas answered, her voice calm but full of mystery. "I am a spirit currently awake, looking for amusement and something to do in this world." She smiled at Luna, but her eyes remained serious.
Luna also smiled, still unable to believe their encounter. "A bored deity, then," he said, his voice tinged with a jest. But Hiyas suddenly grabbed his arm and said, "If you can see and touch me, it means the deity of Cabanatuan still favors you."
Luna was puzzled by what Hiyas told him. "What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes full of confusion.
"I slept for hundreds of millions of years," Hiyas explained, her voice serious. "I only recently woke up and found turmoil in this land, and since I won't sleep again for a long time, I thought I'd keep myself busy by doing something in this place, Luna. However, I have no power to fix things, so I am looking for people to do it for me."
She asked Luna, "I feel the very strong energy you possess. Can you fix things in this land?"
Luna smiled because of Hiyas' strange question, but his smile showed confusion. "I don't understand what you're saying," he said. "I have no idea how to fix things in this land. Are you asking me to join the uprising against Spain to drive out the Spaniards?"
He admitted to Hiyas, "I would be happy if the Spaniards were driven out of the Philippines, but that is a difficult task that I cannot do. Filipinos do not have the capability to defend this country against Spain—that is the truth."
Hiyas calmly replied, "I know it's difficult, but not impossible. I'm glad to know you have the desire to free the Philippines, Luna. I won't force you if you don't want to help me, and honestly, I didn't expect you to help me."
Hiyas floated up again, leaving the Mooncrest's barrier, and prepared to leave. "Thank you for talking," she said. "We will meet again another time." But before she fully left, she faced Luna again.
"Prepare yourself for the Day of the Red Moon," she said, her voice full of warning. "Ifugao is my chosen sugo. I don't care if he becomes your ally or your enemy, but I want to ask a favor of you, General. Please do not capture him until he is ready."
Luna smiled at what he heard from Hiyas. "Is that a request or a warning from a deity?" he asked, his voice tinged with a jest.
"You don't need to fear me," Hiyas replied. "Even though I am a diwata, I have no power to harm or kill anyone, especially someone as powerful as you." Moments later, Hiyas turned and vanished with the passing of the wind.
Luna sighed and looked up at the full moon, intrigued by Hiyas' words about the Day of the Red Moon. "Day of the Red Moon?"
The battle in Plaridel ended that night, leaving massive destruction around the city hall and many casualties on the side of the soldiers and rebels. However, Ifugao avoided a greater tragedy and saved most of the civilians.
But in the middle of the silence, they knew many new challenges awaited, and they were certain that the events in Plaridel would significantly affect the future fate of the Filipinos in the Philippines.
End of chapter.