"When the hand remembers its purpose, the world must brace for its judgment."
Temple of Lakapati Myth-Tech War Coverage
Source: Archipelago Television News — Live Helicopter Feed
Timestamp: 17:42 PHT
"This is Rico Velasquez, reporting live from Archipelago Television News' aerial unit over Davao City. Viewers, what you're about to witness is no drill — the historic Temple of Lakapati is currently embroiled in an all-out myth-tech war."
🎥 [The camera pans over the stepped terraces of the Temple, its stonework fractured, ancient ward-lights flickering beneath sustained impacts. Myth-tech munitions arc through the sky, each detonation unleashing both conventional blasts and relic-borne shockwaves.]
"From this altitude, the scene is pure chaos. The surrounding district teems with armed factions — their vehicles and weaponry equipped with visible rune-engines, coil-weapons, and ward emitters. Coordinated ground exchanges are relentlessly targeting the Temple's defensive perimeter."
🎥 [The lens captures a siege tower shuddering forward through the haze, its frame reinforced with glowing inscription plates. Rooftops across several blocks lie collapsed or warped, fire and relic energy surging together in violent eruptions.]
"Inside the temple perimeter, it is impossible to ascertain the number or identity of the defenders, but we can observe signs of active relic deployment — shield glyphs forming, collapsing, and reforming under fire. This represents sustained myth-tech combat on a scale the world has never witnessed."
🎥 [Brief static interrupts the feed as the helicopter banks for a wider shot, revealing several city blocks cordoned off by makeshift barricades etched with hastily scrawled wards.]
"Authorities have yet to issue an official statement. Airspace over central Davao has not been formally restricted; however, given the ground instability and the scale of relic warfare involved, we are maintaining a safe distance."
🎙️ [Rico's voice lowers, urgency still palpable.]
"For those just tuning in: the Temple of Lakapati — a centuries-old cultural landmark — is currently under siege in what experts are categorizing as a full-scale myth-tech war. We cannot confirm the identities of the factions involved or the reasons behind this conflict, only that both sides are deploying relic-integrated weaponry, heavily rune-armored vehicles, and coordinated arcane-tactical maneuvers. This far exceeds the scope of any local dispute."
📡 [Transmission stutters again amid radio chatter and bursts of relic-static.]
"We will continue monitoring from the air as long as conditions allow. Stay tuned to Archipelago Television News for verified updates."
The Right Eye of Bathala
Within the temple. The Temple of Lakapati did not merely tremble; it felt as if it breathed.
Deep within its sanctum, the stone ribs groaned as ancient veins of light pulsed beneath them. Every relic embedded in the walls resonated with recognition for the one who had come to claim the Eye.
Gregorio entered the chamber, his armor dented and breaths shallow, yet his resolve remained steadfast as iron.
"Go and take it, Gregorio!"
The Right Eye of Bathala, cradled by the intricately carved goddess, flared open—not merely an orb, but a living flame suspended in crystalline stillness.
It reached for him even before his hand could make contact. Power surged through him like molten gold, igniting every nerve. His right pauldron split and reformed into obsidian curves adorned with glowing Baybayin script—the Right Shoulder Armor of the Kamay ni Bathala.
For the first time since the Kamay had been fractured, both Eyes were united, and the Kamay ni Bathala was now complete.
Purple divine energy surged up to the heavens as if it is heralding a cosmic arrival.
The World trembled.
The shock of completion nearly brought him to one knee. The Kamay was whole once more. The glyphs on his armor whispered in unison: Hand of Judgment. Hand of Mercy.
Bestowal of New Sandata Skills: Right Eye of Bathala
The divine connection ignited as three new glyph patterns imprinted themselves upon Gregorio's spirit:
Echo Pulse — The Eye on the right pauldron unleashed a vibration transcending the air, resonating through the very fabric of spirit and myth. This shockwave revealed concealed truths—illusions shattered, cloaked assassins emerged outlined in silver, and traps resonated with ominous warnings. Even the deceptions of the battlefield could not withstand its vibration within a fifty-meter radius.
Glyph Lock — From the same Eye emanated a counter-inscription, a razor-thin sigil capable of being inscribed upon an enemy artifact, immobilizing its divine functionality for ten critical counts. Whether myth-tech or Sandata, no relic escaped its sealing when struck accurately.
Soul Thread — The most profound of gifts. Gregorio could cast a golden tether of aura into the heart of an ally, binding their senses. Through this connection, they could perceive what he perceived, react in tandem, and even share endurance and pain. Two fighters moving as one—reflexes synchronized, destinies entwined.
The Siege Continues
Outside the sanctum, the battle intensified. The Temple trembled with the impact of enemy mortars striking its upper tiers.
Gregorio stepped onto the parapet where Sybill Lucero stood amidst the black-flamed circle of the Sangguniang Dilim. Her hair whipped about her face like a tempest, her voice cutting through the air as she chanted incantations older than the islands themselves.
Their eyes locked, and no words were exchanged. The nod they shared was more binding than any oath. An alliance forged in siege and fire was born.
On the eastern ridge, Raja observed the light crowning Gregorio's shoulders. His jaw tightened. "The Kamay… complete."
Beside him, Hermano barked orders to the Babaylan lines, preparing the next divine artillery strike.
Raja's hand dropped to Haring Sawa's hilt. "Then we no longer need you."
The blade flashed—faster than betrayal should have time to form. Hermano staggered back, clutching his side as his command glyph sputtered and died.
"You dare—" Hermano's voice thundered with disbelief.
"I dare because you're in my way," Raja replied, turning to his serpent-helmed riders. "To the Temple. Everything falls before us."
The three-way chaos erupted without a horn to mark it.
The Sandata Unit and Sangguniang Dilim—now bound by their pact—locked shields and spell glyphs, deflecting the first serpent charge.
Raja's Ahas ng mga Lakans roared down the slope, rifles bristling, myth-tech grenades hissing.
Hermano's Babaylans, stung and shamed, advanced with ritual precision, their chants staining the air crimson with divine wrath.
The Temple's forecourt became a tide of bodies and relic light.
The Silent Duel
High above the chaos, three Bakawan sniper teams ghosted into position, their matte-black God Assassin rifles braced against stone and steel. Each weapon was an Mk. VII Bakawan Pattern, chambered for 15.5mm relic-piercing dart rounds. Triple-glyph chambers hummed with Anito Bane sigils, their curse payloads tipped with crystallized Bato ng Paghuhukom (Stone of Judgment) shards — engineered to pierce god-like defenses, unravel divine wards, and shatter celestial armor fields in a single shot.
From the bell tower, the first team's soul-threaded scope tracked Gregorio Aguilar's heartbeat through the smoke.
On a rooftop, the second team adjusted windage, their optics mapping aura fluctuations. By the shattered wings of a guardian statue, the third team's spotter whispered range corrections.
All three firing lanes converged on Gregorio's chest.
Then — a note.
It was faint, almost playful, threading through the din of battle. Maximo arrived.
The Sumpit ni Dumalapdap rested in his hands like a sniper's rifle, its barrel glinting with ancient magic. He blew a sustained melody which enveloped him in a light bending camouflage.
Even the God Assassin scopes — designed to pierce illusions — saw only a mirage that refused to remain still.
He shifted his grip, breath steady. The Sumpit's chamber was loaded with Sonic Dart Rounds — relic-forged projectiles carrying compressed resonance charges.
Upon impact, they detonated in a focused sonic burst, capable of rupturing armor, shattering glyph wards, and neutralizing anyone within three meters.
Bell Tower
The lead sniper's crosshairs steadied on Gregorio's pauldron. Maximo's staccato note launched a dart that punched through the scope — and exploded. The blast tore the rifle's glyph chamber apart, hurling both shooter and spotter against the wall in a spray of blood and bone. Neither moved again.
Rooftop
The second team caught a shimmer between chimneys and fired. Their god-slaying round ripped through a stone pillar like paper — but struck nothing.
Maximo, prone on a distant ledge, exhaled a rising trill. The dart curved midair, struck the shooter's trigger hand — and detonated, showering rifle fragments and roof tiles into the spotter's face. Both collapsed, lifeless.
Statue Crossfire
The last team had set a trap, rifles trained to intersect. One shot from them could have ended Gregorio.
Maximo's melody dropped into a low, resonant hum, the air around him shimmering like heat over stone. He fired from extreme range — the dart threaded perfectly between the statue's broken wings, pierced the shooter's temple, and exploded in a burst of relic dust and shattered stone.
The spotter spun toward the sound, but Maximo's final note warped the battlefield's acoustics. The man turned toward an echo and caught a dart in the chest. The blast knocked him clean off the parapet. Neither body stirred.
The melody faded. The camouflage peeled away, revealing Maximo crouched on a high parapet, the Sumpit ni Dumalapdap resting across his knees. He glanced toward Gregorio — alive, unscathed — and allowed himself the faintest nod before melting back into the smoke, leaving only the memory of a tune that killed.
Meanwhile, back in the temple. The Sandata Unit and the Witch Queen finally synchronized their Sandatas, unleashing their combined arcane might against the invading scourge.
Combo Strikes
Mist Prism Barrage — Marian's Sundang carved a spiral in the air while Renato's Kalasag refracted it, creating a shimmering prism that caught incoming glyph mortars and hurled them back toward the Babaylan flank. Explosions rippled through their lines.
Flame Spiral Blitz — Agosto swept his Kampilan in a circular guard as Sybill plunged her Kandila into the earth. Black and scarlet flames whirled upward, a hungry cyclone that devoured serpent riders and reduced their myth-bikes to slag.
Echo Lockdown — Gregorio triggered Echo Pulse, unmasking a squad of cloaked Babaylan assassins attempting to breach the inner stairs. As they flinched in sudden exposure, he lunged and burned Glyph Lock into their relics. The killers tumbled, their blades rendered inert.
Soul Thread Sync — Gregorio's tether lashed to Marian. Her stance shifted, suddenly mirroring his. Together, they moved as a single weapon, carving down three serpent lancers in an unbroken dance.
Trinity Clash
From the eastern breach, Raja re-emerged, serpent-scale armor glinting, Haring Sawa coiled like a living whip. His gaze was not fury—it was hunger.
From the shattered western gate, Hermano Lopez strode forward, Banal na Parusa radiating golden wrath. His robes were torn and bloodied, yet his voice remained steady.
"You wield the Kamay, but you do not speak for the divine."
"You wield sovereignty," Raja hissed, "but you do not speak for the people."
Gregorio raised his bracers.
"Then let the relics decide."
The glyphs responded.
A shockwave burst outward as the three relics activated in unison:
Raja's serpent blade lashed in a whip-like spiral, each arc a declaration of dominion.
Hermano's scepter struck the ground, summoning chains of judgment that lashed toward both men.
Gregorio flickered into Kisap Mata, his fists weaving violet spirals that bent the battlefield's rhythm.
They collided.
Steel met scepter. Spiral met coil. Glyphs detonated mid-air, rewriting the wind itself.
Gregorio ducked beneath a serpent lash, countered with Glyph Lock—freezing Haring Sawa's arc for three counts. Raja pivoted, redirecting the serpent toward Hermano, who shattered the attack with a scepter strike.
Hermano's chains lashed Gregorio's left pauldron, but the Right Eye flared—Echo Pulse detonated, revealing the hidden glyphs powering Hermano's assault. Gregorio struck, not to kill, but to sever the chain's source.
Raja roared, "You fight like a god—but you hesitate like a man!"
Gregorio replied, "Because I still choose." The three clashed again—each strike a philosophy, each dodge a refusal to yield.
Then, silence.
"Sync complete," Hermano whispered.
He slammed Banal na Parusa into the ground.
"Punishment of the Gods—DIVINE VERDICT!"
Hermano's chains do not bind—they sentence. The Chain of Heaven glyph is the divine decree that silences relics and seals fate.
The Glyph chains erupted from the earth, latching onto relics and forcing Sandata bearers to their knees. Sybill gasped as her flames shrank. Renato's shield arm dropped, the Kalasag reverting to its ancient badge form.
Then Raja hissed—"Sync complete."
"Punishment of the Gods—SERPENT EMPIRE!"
Raja's blade does not strike—it commands. The Hydra Coil glyph is the empire's promise: seven fangs, one will, no mercy.
Haring Sawa split into seven spectral cobras, each lunging for a different Sandata wielder. Agosto was hurled into a pillar. Marian's shoulder split under a fanged strike. Gregorio found himself pressed, serpents coiling for the kill.
Love that Transcends Worlds
In that moment of peril, the world narrowed. Gregorio's mind reeled—not from fear, but from a sudden image: rain on rusted tin roofs, a woman's quiet laugh, her hand in his on the outskirts of Namayan. "You don't need to be a god," she had told him. "You just need to be human enough to choose."
The memory steadied his breathing. The serpents' hisses dulled. The battlefield stretched back into focus.
The Kamay ni Bathala Retaliates
Echo Pulse burst from his right pauldron, peeling away the serpents' camouflage glyphs and revealing the true cords of Raja's control.
Glyph Lock followed, branding those cords and freezing them. The spectral beasts shuddered and fell to mist.
Soul Thread lashed to Sybill this time. Her flames flared with Gregorio's strength, forming a defensive dome of black fire around their combined position. Inside that dome, he raised both arms. In his mind, Gregorio locked onto his targets.
"Punishment of the Gods—Ender of Worlds!"
When Gregorio clenches his fist, reality folds inward. The Spiral of Erasure does not destroy—it unmakes. It is the final punctuation in a sentence written by gods and rewritten by man.
The Kamay ni Bathala's twin Eyes blazed, and the very air buckled. Time lurched. Every glyph in sight froze mid-arc, suspended like fragments of a shattered constellation.
Gregorio clenched his fist—sigils flaring—and the stillness ruptured into a concussive shockwave of violet aura. Enemy ranks splintered like brittle pottery. Siege towers imploded upon themselves. Glyph threads snapped in bursts of unmaking. All around, soldiers dissolved from this realm, their forms unraveling into smoke-black dust.
When the haze thinned, Hermano knelt within the remnants of his ultimate defense: the "Six Sacred Walls of Heaven." Five lay in ruin; the last trembled on the brink of collapse. His relic's light had guttered to a dim ember.
Across the ruin, Raja stood amidst the wreckage of his Hydra Coil Defense—seven serpents annihilated, one barely drawing breath, Haring Sawa's coil flickering weakly. Their eyes locked, not as comrades nor sworn foes, but as men united by the grim knowledge that this battle was lost.
Escape glyphs ignited into the air around them, self-inscribing with desperate precision. In twin flashes, the Babaylan's Supreme Leader and the Serpent King were gone.
At this moment, the Kamay's spirals dimmed, no longer pulsing in rhythm with Gregorio's heartbeat. Pulse Depletion. He staggered, the relic's silence louder than any scream.
Only the Soul Thread could restore harmony.
But the battlefield did not wait.
Around him, the Temple of Lakapati groaned under the weight of retreating siege towers and the fading roars of Raja's serpents dissolving into mist. The black flame of Sybill's Kandila flickered low, and Marian's mist coiled protectively around the wounded.
Gregorio dropped to one knee, bracers trembling. The Eyes of Bathala—both now bound to him—felt heavier than any armor he had worn. The Kamay was whole, but his spirit was not.
He reached inward, casting the Soul Thread. A golden tether spiraled from his chest, seeking resonance.
It found Marian first—her breath synced with his, her mist stabilizing the pulse.
Then Agosto, whose flame tempered the overload.
Then Renato, whose shield absorbed the backlash.
And finally, Sybill—her black witchflame braided into the tether, feeding his failing rhythm with the raw, unyielding will of the Sanggunian. In that instant, relics and covens pulsed as one.
At this moment, the Kamay pulsed once.
Then again.
The rhythm returned—not as it was, but as it must be.
Gregorio rose slowly, violet spirals reigniting across his shoulders. The Kamay ni Bathala was reforged. But the cost of its power was now etched into his bones.
He turned to Sybill. Their eyes met, the Soul Thread still faintly humming between them.
"The cooldown is over," he said. "But the reckoning has only begun."
Her flame curled higher. "Then we'll burn with it."