Under the blazing midday sun, at the camp of Kubiz. It was as if the heat of the sun itself were giving its blessing to the soldiers stationed on both ravines that served as the camp's walls. The light seemed to bend and ripple from the intensity of the heat. It was as though the sun were mocking the soldiers, making the entire surroundings appear like water. On top of that, the rocky ravines beneath their feet felt like furnaces that absorbed and trapped the sun's heat. Because of this, some of them temporarily rested in the makeshift huts they had built along the edges of the ravine. The soldiers were drenched in sweat, looking almost like wilted vegetables under the brutal climate of Tundun.
"Fuck..." one of the soldiers muttered. "Is this hell or a beach?" he added, wiping the sweat from his face.
"Yeah, no shit," said another soldier who was watching the inside of the camp from the top of the ravine. "I wish we'd just been stationed in Puliran instead. The climate there is like Iberia's."
There were ten of them in total, and the same number on the opposite ravine. After a short while, they headed to the hut to rotate with their fellow soldiers. Five entered the hut, and five others came out to take their place.
"Hey, you three over there—stay here for now!" they shouted at three of the soldiers who had just stepped out of the hut. "Fuck, none of those slaves are going to try to escape anyway."
"Better safe than sorry. One kid already escaped the other day, right?" a younger soldier reminded them.
"Haay, that was just a kid. Just another extra mouth to feed around here. Come on, get over here."
The younger soldier sighed, then went back into the hut to rest. They had only been stationed in Tundun for a week, and already they were regretting agreeing to it. Along with the heat came relentless mosquito bites every night.
Unbeknownst to all of them, thirty-five rebels were silently crawling closer to their camp. Once they were near enough, Mayari began dividing the group. Islaw's group moved ahead first, split into teams of five. Despite being sixty years old, Islaw climbed the ravine with all his strength. His body was thin but taut, marked with scars, a permanent remembrance of his enslavement when he was still a child. Every callus on his palms told a story of hardship.
Sweat streamed down their brows and foreheads, yet in this moment, the heat of Tundun was their ally. Every grip on the rocky ravine was also a grip on hope... Hope that this would be the beginning of their freedom.
"Stay alert, friends," the old man reminded them, his voice quiet but filled with authority.
He paused briefly and looked toward the opposite ravine. Five of their comrades were climbing alongside them there. They resumed their ascent, carrying with them the hope given by the young princess. Even so, the old man could not help but bear a growing unease.
In three years, he had fought Iberia five times. Of those five battles, only one had been a victory—and even then, it was barely so.
"What if we're like the others... and we just lose again?" a voice whispered in his mind. "What if we fail? What if, instead of helping, we only endanger our people inside even more?"
He shook his head, forcefully erasing the voice from his thoughts. This was not the time for doubt, for him or for them. At this moment, they had a plan. A real, carefully thought-out plan. A plan born from the mind of a sixteen-year-old girl—yet the same girl who had clearly read and understood the weaknesses of their movement.
"Tata... Tata..." a young voice whispered beside him.
"What is it, Toto?"
"Are we really sure about this?" the boy asked. "I mean... trusting the plan of a child?" Toto clarified as they continued climbing.
"I understand your doubts, son. But remember, you're a child too, just like her," the old man replied. "Now go on. Save your strength for the fight later."
Toto nodded and continued. As they climbed, Islaw forced himself to bury his doubts and focused all his strength on the task entrusted to him. For him, he could not be the source of doubt among his comrades. He looked up toward the top, only five meters left. From above, three Iberians moved slowly and sluggishly, lazily circling and watching the inside of the camp.
Below, their fellow rebels waited silently for their signal. Kario's group had already gone around to board a boat. Meanwhile, Kuroy's and Bay-an's groups were hidden among the tall grass and trees along both sides of the road.
Islaw swallowed all his hesitation and pulled himself upward until he nearly reached the top of the ravine.
One by one, Islaw and his group reached the edge. He signaled his comrades to remain silent. He took a deep breath and steeled himself.
"Goddess Ynaguinid, Lord Kan-Laon... guide us," the old man whispered.
Two Hours Earlier
At the Datu's palace in Tundun, Sula arrived early to organize his belongings. Every corner of the room carried history and stories from the previous Datus who had once lived within its walls. Sula stood by the window, from where he could see the entirety of Plaza Nuevo. He took a deep breath, then sat back down on his chair. At the same moment, three knocks sounded on the door.
"Come in," he ordered.
The door opened, and his younger brother entered, already wearing his uniform as an Arbikizer de Tundun. Sula smiled when he saw him.
"Leaving already?" he asked, pulling his brother into an embrace.
"Yes, bro-." Masala replied as he adjusted his uniform. "I mean... yes, Datu Sula."
Sula immediately frowned and flicked the back of his brother's head. "Idiot, it's just the two of us here." After a few seconds, the two of them burst into laughter. "Alright then, when are you coming back?"
"I don't know yet, brother," the young soldier said. "Maybe next month, once everything in Puting Bato is settled."
The Datu's expression mellowed slightly. "Is that so? Then let me help you." He took a pencil and paper, wrote something quickly, and handed it to his brother. "Here. Go to the hospital and look for this person."
"Huh? Why?" Masala asked.
"I want to make sure you'll be able to come back in time for Father's birthday."
"Oh right..." Masala said. "But wait, why the hospital? Is this person a doctor or a baylan skilled in healing?"
Sula laughed. "No. Father introduced him to me just yesterday after the feast." He sat back down on his chair. "He's a mercenary from Juru Pakal. Father said he hired the man to act as my guard during the coronation, in case someone tried to kill me." Sula took a sip of water and continued, "But on his way here, he was attacked by two Pugut Mamu."
"Pugut Mamu!?" the soldier exclaimed in shock. "Two Pugut Mamu?"
"Yes. He killed both of them, but he was injured in the process, so he's in the hospital now," Sula explained.
"Wait—wait a second, He killed two Pugut Mamu?"
"Yes. What else would you expect from a mercenary from Juru Pakal?" the Datu replied, a note of admiration clear in his voice. "Alright, go now. Show him this letter."
Masala took the letter, then moved out of the office and headed for the hospital. Neither of them knew that this decision would lead to one of the greatest changes in Tundun in the days and years to come.
Fifty kilometers away from the Capitol, back toward the shores of Tundun, under the same oppressive heat of the sun, Islaw and his companions quietly guided themselves forward. They quickly hid among the scattered rock formations above.
From their position, Islaw's companions laid out a red cloth as a signal. The same was done on the opposite ravine. When the rebels saw this, all of them felt their hearts pound violently in their chests. They took deep breaths and sharpened their senses.
"Are you ready, Princess?" Agni asked the young woman. This was her first battle, and beyond that, it was also the first time she had planned a fight. Beside her, Wan noticed the faint trembling of Mayari's hands, as well as the sweat racing down her forehead. The young man smiled and held her right hand. "Hey, calm down," Wan said.
"Th-thank you, Wan..." Mayari replied softly and gently as her cheeks turned red. She took a deep breath to steady her heart. Agni, meanwhile, smiled secretly as he watched the interaction between the two.
Back above, Islaw and his group crawled slowly toward the two soldiers patrolling at the top of the ravine. Gradually, the pounding of their hearts grew so loud it nearly deafened them. One by one, they prepared their arrows. Along with Toto, Islaw approached the two soldiers whose backs were turned, while the three other rebels headed toward the hut where the remaining soldiers were napping. They silently slit the throats of the soldiers inside the hut, while Islaw and Toto quickly moved to cover the mouths of the two guards before cutting their throats as well.
On the other side of the camp, however, something went slightly wrong. One of the rebels was injured, yet they still managed to dispatch the soldiers quietly. When Islaw saw the signal from the second ravine, they laid a green cloth along the edge.
"Friends, let's go!" At Mayari's signal, Wan stood up with a smile. Agni's eyes, meanwhile, were sharp. The events in the forest where the Datu had died were still fresh in his memory. This time, he promised himself, and the spirit of Rakta, that he would protect Mayari, no matter what it cost.
Wan and Agni moved first, swiftly attacking the two guards at the entrance of the camp. Mayari followed right after them, and with her advance came the sound of the alarm ringing throughout the entire camp. Though caught off guard, the soldiers quickly recovered, organizing themselves and taking up their positions.
Mayari swept her gaze across the Iberian soldiers. When she spotted what she was looking for, she turned to Agni and issued an order. "Now, Captain—focus on that bastard."
Agni nodded and began to chant:
"In Your name, Halmista, let form be born,
Let truth be veiled and falsehood be revealed.
Plant dreams in the eyes of thy enemy,
And in the heart of light, let them lose their way."
When the chant ended, twenty soldiers suddenly appeared out of nothingness, materializing as if torn from the air itself. They shouted as they charged straight into the camp. The soldier, Mayari pointed felt a shiver run down his spine seeing the rebels.
"Fuck!" he yelled, a lieutenant by rank, the commander of the camp.
From above, Tata Islaw and his group began raining arrows down upon the camp, even though their remaining ammunition could be counted on two hands
"FUCK!!" the soldiers screamed when it finally sank in that the guards who had been stationed above them were gone.
Despite this, a baylan from Iberia stood up, smiling to confront Wan and Agni.
"You idiots!" the soldier thundered, his voice crashing like a powerful rumble. At the same time, a spear formed from his hand, which he hurled with full force toward Wan.
Wan raised his arnis to block the spear. It shattered on impact and vanished into nothingness. Even so, one of the rebels died instantly from a second spear thrown by the baylan.
While all of this was happening, the slaves quickly retreated back into their cages. They huddled together like drenched chicks, clinging to one another as they trembled in fear. Some of them still had Bakal na Pira fastened to their hands. A few locked eyes with each other, unsure whether they should feel hope—or terror.
In one corner, a thin, elderly Kalanget clutched himself tightly and muttered, "This is madness!! They shouldn't be doing this..."
His body rocked back and forth as his eyes remained wide open, staring into nothingness. The anxiety among the other slaves was unmistakable. Their eyes were sunken, their skin nearly clinging to bone, their lips cracked and split.
Amid all of this, a child asked his mother, "Nanay... what's happening?"
She wrapped her arms around her child—whose bald head was covered in scabs and sores—and whispered, "Don't look."
"SHIT! Who are those people!?" snarled an Ikugan slave. "The Iberians are just going to make things worse for us because of what they're doing!" he added, gripping the hot iron bars of their cage with shaking hands.
"Sister..." whispered another young boy, he looked even younger than Agustin. "Are we going to escape?"
Tears streamed down from the child's bruised eye. It felt as though the Ikugan woman's heart had been violently pinched. Her brows drew together as her teeth began to grind. She scanned her surroundings, desperately searching for anything that could serve as a weapon, when suddenly her gaze locked onto one of the attackers who had charged into the camp.
Along with the other slaves, everyone froze, eyes fixed on one of the youths now inside the camp. His hair was silver, and he moved as fast as the wind itself. Within three seconds, three Iberian soldiers had already fallen.
"Ate... who is he?" the child whispered to the Ikugan woman.
"I—I don't know..." she replied, her voice barely audible.
"Fuck! Does it even matter!? How many of them are there!? Three?" another slave shouted. "The Iberians will gang up on them and kill them anyway—"
"SHUT UP!" yelled a thin Agta. "Can't you see how he's moving!?"
At the same time, the Ikugan woman watched Wan with complete focus as he dispatched the soldiers trying to block his path, effortlessly, mercilessly. Her golden eyes followed every single movement he made.
Slowly, her mouth fell open, but no words came out. Moments later, she felt heat rush into her cheeks, and the corners of her lips began to curve upward... without her realizing it.
Wan's movements became even more audacious. He agilely avoided the sword of one of the soldiers by jumping and twisting midair. You would think he was a cat by the lightness and speed of the way he landed. He swiftly swung his arnis into the temple of another soldier.
One soldier raised a rifle and aimed it at him, but before he could fire, Wan knocked the weapon away with a sharp upward strike of his arnis. The rifle cracked cleanly in half from the force of Wan's blow.
Inside the cell, the child screamed with a full smile on his face,
"NANAY! HE CAN SAVE US!! HE'S GOING TO SAVE US!!"
Even the elderly man in the corner of the cell slowly stood up and stared at Wan, his eyes beginning to water. He had tried to escape from the Polo countless times since he was a child. The only thing his shoulders had ever known was the weight of stones or sacks placed on him by the Iberians. "Th–that boy..." he whispered.
A mother tightly embraced her child. "M–maybe..." she said, her voice mixing with mucus, saliva, and tears, "maybe this time... they will succeed!"
In the midst of the chaos, Mayari noticed the gradual change in the expressions of the slaves inside the cages. With her sharp eyes, she saw hope beginning to bloom in their gaze, focused entirely on Wan.
Before even a second passed, Mayari ordered Agni, "Let Wan go first."
Agni stared at her, visibly exhausted from the four-line panawag he had chanted earlier.
"I want them to see Wan as a hero."
"Princess?" Agni asked, frowning.
"I just realized something," Mayari replied. "This isn't only about freeing them... I will claim them completely through Wan."
Mayari remained hidden behind Agni as the Iberian soldiers slowly began to surround them. Amid the chaos, Mayari smiled and whispered to Agni,
"The plan continues. But it wouldn't hurt to seize this opportunity. I'll use the hope they see in Wan to make them loyal, to me, not just to the Penumbra."
Mayari cleared her throat and shouted loudly, "JUST STAY HIDDEN!! IN A SHORT WHILE, WE WILL FREE YOU ALL!!"
The words she spoke were brief, but they echoed deeply within the minds of the slaves. They were not merely rebels who came to stir trouble for Iberia.
They were here for them. To free them. After a long time, a strange feeling slowly grew in the hearts of the slaves.
Hope.
Beyond that, Wan's movements, every strike of his arnis, felt like a message from the young woman who had promised them salvation. A message that seemed to say,
"Just a little longer, and you will finally taste freedom."
"Remember this," Mayari whispered to Agni. "They will see Wan as a hero. And in the future... they will look at me as their leader."
At present, all the slaves were cheering for Wan, and Mayari... She knew this moment would serve as the foundation of her power in the future.
One of the baylan charged toward Wan. A bone-shaking punch slammed into the young man's cheek. Wan was sent flying several meters away from the sheer force of the blow. The baylan's fist had become as hard as diamond, glinting under the blazing sun.
Meanwhile, Agni was fighting another baylan—the same one who had earlier conjured spears.
"Oi, that hurt," Wan said, spitting blood as he slowly stood up.
"Wan, be careful!" Agni shouted. "He's the same path as me!"
"Hubog?" Wan asked, staring at the man's diamond-like hand. "So you can alter the composition of your own body..." Wan smiled. "Damn, that's an advanced one... what are you, a chemist?" He popped his neck. "So, you manipulate the carbon in your body."
Elsewhere, Mayari saw that it was time to execute the third phase of the plan. She shouted as if she were losing hope, "Le – let' go!! Fall back!!!"
Wan immediately moved and lifted Mayari, retreating with her. The Iberian soldiers burst into laughter, joined by the shout of their lieutenant,
"HAHAHAHA! CHASE THEM! LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE!"
The soldiers around him immediately turned toward the fleeing rebels.
"Wait, Lieutenant... chase them!?" one of the baylan asked.
"Yes! Chase them!" the lieutenant shouted. They couldn't understand why they had to chase just three fighters.
"Lieuten—" one soldier tried to speak, but the lieutenant shouted again, ordering them to pursue.
"Fuck—wait, Wan!" Mayari struggled in his arms. "Put me down!"
But Agni cut in, "Princess, we'll move faster if Wan does that!"
"Told you," Wan added.
The Iberians chased Mayari out of the camp. When they reached the outside and moved away from the entrance, the lieutenant noticed that the soldiers stationed outside were not attacking—while those atop the cliffs, Islaw and his group, remained motionless.
Slowly, everything became clear in the lieutenant's mind. Agni had removed the panawag spell he had placed on him. Moments later, Wan set Mayari down and quickly turned to face them, a grin on his lips.
"NOW!"
The soldiers fell into panic once more as they were suddenly surrounded by rebels. Mayari's forces immediately took advantage of the confusion. From above, Islaw's group precisely picked off several Iberians who fell instantly. Meanwhile, one of the baylan hardened his back into diamond to block the incoming arrows.
Wan immediately spotted him. He cracked his fists and said, "Yo, let's continue what we were doing earlier."
Wan's tone was full of mockery despite the chaos around him. He sprinted toward the soldier and swung his arnis at the man's side—but it was as if he had struck a rubber ball. The blow bounced off after the soldier hardened his side into diamond before the arnis even connected.
Wan shut one eye and grimaced as vibrations from the iron arnis crawled up into his arm. "Tch..." Wan muttered.
Meanwhile, Mayari was being protected by Agni and Kuroy. Slowly, the number of Iberians dwindled, but so did the rebels. At present, five of their comrades had already died.
"You can't hurt me, boy! Hahahaha!" the baylan taunted Wan.
Wan only grinned. He bounced several times, like a boxer ready to rush in at any moment. The air was filled with screams and the smell of blood. And in the midst of it all, on the fifth bounce, Wan suddenly charged forward. Wan became a blurred shadow due to the speed of his movement. From a distance, the Iberians turned pale at the sight of Wan's agility.
"D–did you see that?" Bay-an asked Agni and Kuroy.
"P–Princess..." Kuroy whispered. "Wan... w–who really is he?"
The baylan tried to track Wan's movements. Wan moved rapidly around him. Moments later, Wan spoke, "I learned something about you... you can't alter your entire body, can you?"
The baylan's eyes widened upon hearing this. "Because if you could, you would've turn your entire body earlier, not just your back."
Wan grinned again. "Now... try guessing where my arnis is going to strike."
Wan feinted as if he were about to strike the baylan's neck. The soldier instantly hardened his neck into diamond, but Wan immediately altered the direction of his swing. Wan's arnis slammed into the soldier's right arm.
The baylan's entire body shuddered from the force of Wan's blow, accompanied by the crushing of bone. Before the baylan could even scream from the pain, Wan followed up with another swift strike to the baylan's jaw. In a single instant, five of the baylan's teeth flew upward, along with the complete dislocation of his jaw.
Another baylan, the same one who had earlier conjured spears turned to look at them, but Agni seized the opening and attacked without hesitation. With his kampilan, the head of the second baylan rolled across the ground.
For a moment, the fighting halted, and all attention shifted to what Wan had done. None of them could believe it. Even their lieutenant staggered backward, mouth open, breathing heavily. Moments later, a dagger pierced his lung from behind.
"For the Tunduvans you ruined..." Kuroy whispered to him, gripping the dagger now buried in the soldier's body.
From above, the rebels with Islaw began clapping rapidly. All of them were in disbelief. In just a few more moments, they would finally free their fellow Tunduvans from the Polo.
Back below, an Iberian secretly aimed his rifle in Mayari's direction. He took a deep breath—but before he could pull the trigger, a fist slammed into his cheek. The Iberian was sent flying, and the rebels immediately hacked him down.
Bay-an raised his fist and shouted, "FRIENDS!! LET'S FINISH THIS!!"
The rebels' morale surged even higher. Now, only ten Iberians remained. And all of them were trembling at the knees.
"J–just a little more..." Toto whispered as tears slowly fell from his eyes. "T–Tata... we can do this..." he turned to Islaw and continued, "we're going to free Th—"
The boy never finished his sentence. In a single instant, the upper half of his body collapsed to the ground, while the lower half remained standing.
Toto's blood soaked into the earth, mixed with his scattered organs, like butchered meat. Everyone atop the cliff stopped clapping. Even their breathing ceased. It was as if all the blood had drained from their faces as they stared at the severed body.
Slowly, they raised their gaze upward. They saw the image of a man floating in the air. He had long crimson hair that flowed with every gust of wind. A devilish grin was etched onto his face.
"TOTO!!!" Islaw screamed. "YOU SON OF A BITTCCHHH!!!" the old man roared as he immediately took aim at the man above. Nemo.
Tears poured endlessly from Islaw's eyes as he rained arrows at the man in the sky. Yet every arrow failed to reach Nemo, blocked by the wind wrapping around him. Everyone's attention snapped upward at Islaw's scream.
Nemo looked like a rabid dog as he watched Islaw's desperate volley of arrows. When Mayari saw what was happening above, she recognized the man now floating in the sky. An intense panic crawled through her entire being.
Her knees weakened, and she collapsed to the ground. Her hands trembled, sweat raced down her forehead, her heart pounded violently, and her breathing became labored.
"HAHAHAHA, you're just wasting your strength, old man!" Nemo said to Islaw. "If I were you, I'd be praying to every god I know."
"NEMO, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Masala shouted from below.
His voice was firm and filled with authority. "We are Arbikizers! Not executioners!" Masala added.
"Tch, I'm not part of your band," Nemo muttered, rolling his eyes.
Still, he complied, because of the contract he had with the young soldier's father. Masala's group marched forward quickly.
Calmly, he faced the rebels and spoke, "Penumbra! I am Lieutenant Masala of the Arbikizer de Tundun! Surrender now, and I promise that all of you will be treated with dignity and in accordance with the law!"
As all this unfolded, Agni noticed the rapid rise and fall of Mayari's chest. He rushed to her side. She was still staring into nothingness, pale.
"Princess! Princess!"
"Hey—what's happening?" Wan asked, his tone gentle—unlike his usual self.
Wan grabbed the princess by both shoulders and shook her, trying to bring her back to her senses.
Inside Mayari's mind, Nemo's face was burned into memory, pulling her back to the night when she and Given escaped from the palace.
At the same time, Masala's group continued advancing. He had not expected this scene. They had come to head for Isla Puting Bato using the boats along the shore here at Camp Kubiz.
Moments later, a scream echoed and drowned out the silence. Bay-an charged straight at Masala. Kuroy tried to stop the rebel but failed.
Masala sighed.
He quickly stepped sideways and used Bay-an's momentum to slam him onto the dusty ground. Masala wrenched Bay-an's right arm upward while pinning the rebel's back with his knee.
"Surrender now! If you don't, I'll be forced to use violence!" Masala ordered.
Though outwardly calm, Nemo noticed the hesitation in the young soldier's voice. At present, only twenty-six rebels remained, along with Kario's group, now already at the shoreline as per Mayari's plan.
Facing Mayari's group were sixty soldiers of the Arbikizer de Tundun. And meanwhile, Mayari remained slumped on the ground—still stunned, still vacant.