Chapter 50: The Supremo of the Katipunan
At the height of the night's festivities, while the lights of the City of Dreams still shimmered and the garden blooms exhaled their sweet perfume, the atmosphere underwent a violent shift. The once-joyous air grew frigid, and the silence was shattered by a terrifying presence.
A massive white portal tore open in the middle of the sky. From its depths emerged a grotesque monster with tentacle-like appendages that writhed like snakes, its crimson eyes burning with malice and hunger.
Perched atop the monster's head stood a brawny man clad in a red coat, a red bandana tied firmly around his arm. His stance exuded absolute confidence, but his eyes blazed with a searing hatred.
Floating in the air, Flora was held captive by the monster's tentacles. She lay unconscious, her body limp after enduring a high-voltage electrical shock. Her white gown was partially torn where the tentacles coiled tightly around her form. The tiara atop her head continued to glint under the moonlight, but the beauty of the night had vanished, replaced by suffocating tension and dread.
"It is sickening to see the traitors of our nation reveling in wealth stolen by the Spaniards from the true Filipinos!" the man bellowed, his voice thick with resentment. "While those with the divine right to this land starve and suffer, you bask here in luxury!"
Every word he spoke struck like a thunderclap, rattling the stillness of the night. He continued, his fury unabated. "Turning your backs on your own kin for the sake of riches and fleeting comfort is unforgivable! In the new nation I shall build alongside the Spaniards, traitors like you will be the first to face judgment!"
As the man ranted, General Romeo stood perfectly still. His eyes were cold and sharp, meticulously analyzing his opponent. His silence did not signal fear, but rather a tightly controlled rage.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low but laced with a lethal warning: "Release her, if you do not wish to live with regret."
The man erupted into a boisterous laugh, mocking Romeo's demand. "You want me to release your princess, gentleman? My apologies, but I cannot return her to you. She stays with me until I find a use for her. Someone like her is worth a fortune!"
In an instant, the monster's body swallowed Flora, as if she were being sucked into a dark abyss within it. She vanished from Romeo's sight, leaving only the terrifying image of the beast looming victoriously.
"Let the festivities begin."
Hundreds of portals suddenly materialized around the building, from the rooftops down to the windows. Rebels poured out, each armed with swords and firearms embedded with strange, glowing crystals. Their movements were disciplined—an army that had long prepared for this very moment.
"Do not worry, sir," the man said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I won't kill them. You can have your princess back—and the other captives—for the right price."
Romeo remained silent, his eyes slowly scanning the surroundings. His calm was unnatural, like the eerie stillness of a gathering storm. He looked back at the man and asked, "If I am not mistaken, you are the rebels known as the Katipunan, correct?"
A smirk played on the man's lips. "Oh, it's a surprise you've heard of us! Correct. We are the Katipunan—the Filipino force that will liberate this country from the oppressive Spanish government!" he shouted with pride. "I am Martin, the new Supremo of the Katipunan, the one who will bring true justice and freedom to—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a balisong (butterfly knife) whistled through the air toward his face.
But before it could strike, one of the monster's tentacles intercepted it, parrying the blade effortlessly. This did not please Martin; his smirk vanished, replaced by a look of indignation.
"I didn't expect you to possess power as well, sir," Martin remarked, noticing dozens of balisongs now hovering around Romeo, each one shimmering under the moonlight.
"So, you are also a sugo of a diwata, yet you accepted the title of an honorary Spaniard? Proof that you've chosen to be a slave to foreigners, like a loyal lapdog? Have you no shame?" Martin added with a sneer.
Romeo remained unmoved. "You talk too much," he replied, his tone icy and fearless. "I have no interest in conversing with terrorists like you."
Martin laughed, though the twitch in his jaw betrayed his insult at Romeo's defiance. "A Filipino force that will liberate the nation? Tsk, don't make me laugh. You're just a terrorist using your fellow Filipinos to gain wealth and power."
"The money we take from captives is returned to the Filipino people!" Martin countered. "We use it for the new nation I am building—a nation free from the Spaniards and traitors like you!"
"You use the 'help' you give as an excuse to exploit them for your own ends," Romeo fired back. "You lure them in with false hope, but the truth is you're only using them to fulfill your own hunger for power."
"Hahaha! What does a Spanish lapdog know of true freedom?" Martin screamed, his voice nearly cracking with rage. "What I do is for the future of the Filipinos! For too long, the Spaniards have used money to oppress us and turn us into slaves—just like you!"
Romeo closed his eyes, and in that moment, a massive surge of energy enveloped his body. His form began to shift—the man in the simple white tuxedo transformed into a towering figure with long, flowing blue hair, clad in the pristine white uniform of a general. His eyes glowed with fierce determination, and his presence felt like an impending hurricane.
"I am tired of speaking with your kind," Romeo said with absolute authority. "I doubt you would surrender peacefully, even if I continued this dialogue."
Martin gasped, stunned by Romeo's transformation and the insignia he wore. "You're a general?" he whispered in disbelief, staring at the rank pinned to Romeo's uniform.
A blue aura radiated from Romeo, a powerful energy waiting for the right moment to ignite. "You chose the wrong place to commit your crimes," he warned.
Suddenly, the building shook from a massive explosion. Glass shattered across several floors, and debris rained down. Romeo smiled as he explained the situation to Martin: "This place is crawling with elite soldiers. I am the Governor-General of Batangas, the sugo of the diwata Ada Balion. Your arrival is timely; it is my mission to hunt down terrorists who kidnap people for ransom."
Martin's eyes burned with fury. "Do you think it will be that easy to catch me? What can you do alone?"
In a flash, portals opened around the garden, and rebels armed with crystal-enhanced weapons charged out. Romeo noted the crystals—he knew they were powered by the energy of a sugo. He knew he couldn't afford to be careless; like the Spaniards, the rebels were now using weapons capable of harming a sugo of a diwata.
"Kill that traitor! There is no room for his kind in our new nation!" Martin ordered.
Despite the horde rushing toward him, Romeo did not flinch. The balisongs surrounding him moved suddenly, like birds with a mind of their own. Each blade moved with surgical precision, parrying swords and bullets like an unbreakable wall.
Even as dozens of rebels attacked at once, Romeo didn't move an inch from his spot. The knives performed a dance of death, attacking and defending simultaneously.
Martin watched in disbelief as his men fell one by one. "How is he doing this?" he muttered. The balisongs weren't just blocking; they were striking the rebels' shoulders and thighs, neutralizing them instantly.
Romeo smirked, standing with total confidence. "I am a soldier forged in battle. Did you street thugs truly think you could defeat me?"
Seething with rage, Martin's body began to discharge black electricity. His form shifted—his body grew larger, his skin turning black and tough like a water buffalo's hide. Horns sprouted from his forehead, and a beast-like tail whipped behind him.
"I will crush you, General! I'll show you the strength of the Supremo of the Katipunan!" he roared.
A portal appeared behind Martin, and he leaped backward into it. Before Romeo could react, another portal opened behind him, and Martin emerged with a fist already mid-swing.
Romeo had no choice but to block with his arms. The force of Martin's punch was so immense that Romeo was sent flying, crashing into a garden pillar that nearly shattered upon impact.
Martin grinned. "Surprised? I'm just getting started!"
High above, the monster's tentacles began to strike, lunging like snakes. Romeo knew the danger—the electricity they carried could paralyze him, just as it had Flora. He moved like the wind, dodging the strikes, but another portal opened at his flank.
Martin lunged again. The transition was so fast that Romeo had to take the hit. The punch connected with his face, reeling him back into the garden's greenery.
"Hahaha! What now, General? Is that all you've got?" Martin taunted.
But he stopped abruptly when he noticed balisongs lodged in his own arm. He realized that even at the speed of his attack, Romeo had managed to stab him. "He's too fast," Martin muttered, his mind clouded by anger.
Martin ripped the knives out and tossed them aside. "Those attacks are useless against me! I am immortal, General! You cannot kill me with mere blades!"
Romeo slowly stood up, calmly dusting off his uniform. There wasn't a trace of fear or exhaustion on his face. "Are you saying that even if I stab you with my balisongs, you won't die?" he asked, his voice a challenge.
"Hahaha! One of my powers is turning myself into a weapon! I am the weapon, and I won't die as long as I have energy!" Martin bragged.
Romeo smiled—a smile of genuine amusement. "What an interesting power," he said mockingly.
Infuriated by the General's lack of intimidation, Martin unleashed a devastating aura. Black lightning coiled around him as he charged. Romeo didn't retreat; instead, he used his bare fists and feet to meet Martin's assault.
Each blow that connected sounded like a lightning strike, capable of pulverizing the surrounding stone. Martin barely dodged a powerful kick from Romeo that snapped a stone pillar in half.
"He's strong," Martin thought, his concern growing despite his bravado. The fight raged on, the collision of their fists creating shockwaves that echoed like explosions.
Moments later, they both landed a punch on each other's face simultaneously, recoiling from the impact. They leaped back to gain distance. Martin's fury intensified as he looked at Romeo's calm expression. It felt like an insult—that Romeo could keep up with him without showing any signs of injury.
"He doesn't even look tired," Martin whispered, his fists trembling. "How is this possible?"
Romeo spat out a bit of blood and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "I didn't get to train today because I was busy entertaining my princess, so it's good to finally work up a sweat," he said coolly.
"You're too arrogant, General! Don't look down on me, because I promise you'll regret it!" Martin screamed.
He charged again, his fist glowing with energy. But in an instant, Romeo caught the punch with a single hand. The impact felt like a bomb going off, yet Romeo didn't budge. "Haven't you noticed? There is a vast gap between our abilities," he said with a smirk.
Martin swung a kick, which Romeo blocked effortlessly with his forearm. Every one of Martin's attacks seemed to have no effect, while Romeo's smile only served to drive Martin deeper into desperation. "Don't look down on me!"
Martin finally landed a heavy blow that sent Romeo crashing through a wall and into the interior of the building. Martin pursued him, dragging him by the leg and hurling him back onto the rooftop garden with such force that the floor buckled.
Martin leaped down and kicked him again, demolishing the garden decorations. "Hahaha! Where is that skill you were bragging about, General?"
Silence fell. Then, from the middle of the wreckage, a laugh rang out—a mocking, confident laugh.
"I didn't expect to get more than just a workout tonight," Romeo said, slowly standing up. He dusted his uniform once more and spat out more blood. "I was testing to see how strong you were, and I'll admit, you are powerful. I didn't think you could actually break through my physical protection."
"Tell me... is that the best you can do?"
Losing all reason, Martin lunged again. Their clash intensified, the rooftop nearly disintegrating under the pressure of their strikes. Stones and plants were pulverized; lights were shattered. Martin's black lightning tore through everything it touched.
But Romeo remained composed. His balisongs acted like sentient beings, defending and attacking in perfect synchronization. When Martin finally landed a solid punch to Romeo's chest, pinning him against a wall, he was horrified to see Romeo simply stand up and stretch as if nothing had happened.
"If you're done showing off your power, allow me to show you mine," Romeo said.
Suddenly, dozens of balisongs appeared around him, floating and wreathed in a blue aura that flickered like ghost-fire. Each blade seemed alive, spinning and ready to strike.
Martin laughed at the display. "Your ordinary knives mean nothing to my body!"
"Oh, really? Then let's see if your words hold true. I hope you're ready," Romeo replied, his eyes burning.
"First Knife of Peace: Peacock of Martyr!"
In a flash, the balisongs converged, forming a massive peacock wreathed in blue energy. Its wings were made of thousands of small blades, while its tail consisted of giant balisongs nearly six feet long. The peacock stood like a god of war, radiating power and authority.
Martin's eyes widened. "What kind of weapon is that?" he thought. He could feel the General's presence double in strength.
Refusing to give in to fear, Martin unleashed his full aura, black lightning coiling around him for a final charge. "Fine! Show me if you can actually defeat me!" He thundered forward, his energy destroying the path beneath him.
But the giant peacock's wings swept forward, acting as an immovable shield. Martin's punch struck the wings, causing a massive explosion, but the shield didn't even vibrate. He punched repeatedly, but the blades would not break.
"You cannot destroy my absolute defense," Romeo said calmly. "The gap in our combat knowledge is simply too wide."
Suddenly, the balisongs from the peacock's tail launched themselves like shuriken. Despite Martin's speed, he was forced to retreat, using his tentacles as a shield. But the blades were too fast—they had a mind of their own, striking from every possible angle.
"Dammit!" Martin hissed, struggling to parry.
"What's the matter?" Romeo taunted. "I haven't even truly begun, and you already look like you're losing hope."
"I'll kill you!" Martin roared, lashing out with his tentacles.
The Peacock spread its wings, and hundreds of spinning balisongs shredded the tentacles effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, three massive blades—each fifteen feet long—slammed into the floor like pillars, pinning Martin's movement.
Before he could react, dozens of smaller blades pierced his body, embedding themselves in his arms and thighs. Though he claimed not to feel pain, he was forced back, his anger turning into genuine dread.
"You can't beat me with this trash!" he screamed. But when he tried to move, a six-foot blade pierced his back and shoulder, paralyzing him. He realized the knives weren't just cutting him—they were infused with energy that suppressed his movements.
"I won't lose like this!" Martin yelled as more tentacles emerged from the portals to strike Romeo. But the orbiting blades sliced them to ribbons instantly.
"I didn't expect this man to be this powerful," Martin thought, his eyes wide with shock. "Is this the true power of a General?"
Throughout the entire ordeal, Romeo had not moved from his spot, the blue energy overflowing from his form.
"Are you finished with your boasting?" he asked. "If so, it's time to end this."
As the battle continued, the disparity in their power became undeniable. The Governor-General of Batangas was not just a soldier for the crown—he was a sugo of a diwata ready to protect what was his, even if it meant taking down an entire army of rebels alone.
End of Chapter.