CHAPTER 18

Katana's POV

THE days went by fast and today is friday.

Ang araw ng Levelling. Marami ang excited at ang iba naman ay kinakabahan, at ako?

Hmm, hindi naman ako nakararamdam ng kaba ngayon kaya relax lang,

ngayon ay nandito kami sa Battle Area kung saan gaganapin ang Levelling.

There are a lot of students, so here in the Battle Area, leveling is done, it's very wide, it's like 10th times the size of a soccer field in the human world, it's oval shape full of bermuda grass.

"Katana!" Tawag sa 'kin ni Aw na kumakaway-kaway pa, nakita ko namang umirap si... Sca? What ever her name I don't care about her!

"Dito ka na maupo, Katana!" Sabi ni Em sa paraang pasigaw dahil sa ingay dito sa Battle Area.

"Tara do’n tayo, Lin." Anyaya ko kay Lincy na mukhang nahihiya pa rin pero walang nagawa kun'di ang sumama.

When we sat down on the bench next to the Guardians, Almond, who was at the far end, moved next to me, there were still plenty of vacancies.

"Hey, Babe." Bati nito sa 'kin, tinaliman ko naman siya ng tingin kaya napalunok siya.

"I will punch you if you call me ‘babe’ again." Malamig at makapanindig balahibo kong turan na naging dahilan para bumalik ito sa kinauupuan niya kanina. Tumawa naman ang lahat liban lang do'n sa bitch at sa nagmamay-ari ng mala-abong mga mata.

"Iba ka talaga, Katana!" Pahiyaw na sabi ni Aw. Ano pa nga bang bago?

"HAHA ang epic ng hitsura ni Almond. Iyan ang napapala mo, babaero ka kasi!" Tawang-tawang komento ni Em, napangiti na lamang ako dahil ngayon ko lamang ito makitang tumawa ng ganiyan.

"Umpisahan na natin ang Levelling, let's begin with

the Guardians. Remember, the results is up to you, whether you'll lose or win," Anunsiyo ni Headmistress na nasa gitna at mayroong floating stage. Umayos na ako ng upo dahil mag-uumpisa na ang laban.

"Sa loob ng Barrier ay makakatanggap o makararamdam kayo ng sakit ngunit sa oras na lumabas kayo sa barrier ay mawawala ang inyong matatamong sugat o galos." Paliwanag pa nito, namamangha naman ako dahil sa barrier na 'yon.

May gano’n pala?

Sabagay ano pa nga bang nakapagtataka do’n, nasa Santuaria ako anyway.

"Alam mo ba—" Hindi na ituloy ni Em ang sasabihin niya ng mag salita ako.

"Hindi." She winced because of what I said but still continued what she was going to say, actually she was next to me, she switched seats with Lincy earlier.

"Napakatibay ng barrier na ginawa ni Headmistress dahil wala pang kahit na sino ang nakakatibag d’yan kahit kaming mga guardians ay hindi magawang sirain 'yan kaya safe na safe 'yan." Pagbibigay alam nito sa 'kin, tumango lamang ako sa pahayag niya. Well, let's see mamaya kung talagang nga matibay.

"The first one who will fight is the Guardian of Light Element." Pagkasabi n'on ni Headmistress ay agad na tumayo si Aw na seryosong-seryoso ang mukha. Aba! Talaga ngang tumitino siya kapag may labanan ah.

What will happen is that she will fight the thing that she was afraid of, kung ang dating paraan ng levelling ay pinaglalaban ang mga estudyante now it is said that you will fight against your fear, I think it is more difficult to fight against the thing you fear than your fellow students.

So, it's already headed to

Aw, she stayed on the field for a few seconds, then what she was afraid of came out.

I gasped when it turned out that the creature it was afraid of was a clown.

"Seriously? A clown?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko, tumango naman si Em.

"Hindi lang siya basta-bastang clown, Katana, dahil ang clown na 'yan ay may kapangyarihan din." Paliwanag niya sa 'kin. Hmm, sabagay mukha pa lang nakakatakot na. Labanan ka pa kaya? Nakita ko naman kung paano manginig ang kamay ni Aw.

"Fuck! Mahihirapan nga talaga tayo kapag 'yong kinakatakutan natin ang ating haharapin." Nahihintakutang sabi ni Lincy kaya napalingon naman ako rito at takot nga talaga siya. Tumingin naman ako sa iba pa, si Em naman ay napapalunok, si Almond naman halatang pilit ang ngiti, si Mr. Innocent naman ay pinagpapawisan at kahit si Maldita ay bakas din ang takot sa mukha and as usual balankong ekspresyon ni Mr. Grayish eyes ang nakita ko. Mukhang wala itong kinakatakutan—malay ba natin.

Me? I'm just calm, I honestly don't know what I'm afraid of or if there is something or not?

When I looked at the field, Aw was already fighting but her movements were slow, she seemed really afraid to face the clown and if she continued that she might lose. That's why I closed my eyes and said those words.

Aw, kaya mo 'yan tatagan mo ang 'yong loob, you can beat that clown. That's just a clown, you seem to forget that those you fight against in your mission are stronger and bigger, so be strong!

Pagkasabi ko n'on gamit ang telepathy agad na napatingin sa 'kin si Aw at saka ito tumango't pumikit.

Sa pagmulat ng mga mata nito ay lakas loob itong nakipaglaban sa clown. She was throwing the sword she was holding at the clown, but the clown dodged so well that she couldn't stab him, the clown who was holding an arnis with spikes rushed at Aw wobbled but in the end she couldn't move so she got hit on the shoulder and she walked away from the clown, after a while the clown rushed in again and she was about to hit when Aw blocked her sword and then forcefully pushed the sword causing the clown's arnis weapon to splash out.

Ginamit naman niyang tyempo 'yon saka sinaksak ang clown sa kaliwang dibdib nito, kung saan naro’n ang puso kaya biglang nag laho ito saka nag blink ang monitor. Hudyat na tapos na ang laban at nakalagay sa monitor ang level niya, it's 83 at dati naman ay 80 lang. Aw has come out of the barrier just like Headmistress said, Aw's shoulder wound has disappeared.

"Nice fight, Aw." Puri ni Alvinno, nakita ko namang namula ang pisngi ni Aw.

Oh! I smell something fishy! bumaling sa akin nang tingin si Aw ng may ngiti sa labi.

"Thanks, Katana!" Sabi niya saka ako niyakap, pagkabitiw nito sa yakap ay umupo na siya sa upuan. Nagtataka namang nakatingin sa 'kin ang mga Guardian at si Lincy pero hindi ko na lamang sila pinansin pa.

"Can I sit beside you?" Biglang may nag salita kaya napatingin ako sa kaniya at napagalamang 'yon ay 'yong lalaking muntik ng tamaan ng dagger. Ano bang pangalan niya?

Ivan?

"Sure, Ivan," Tipid kong tugon, nakita ko namang nangunot ang noo nito.

"Ivan?" Nagtatakang tanong niya, ako naman ngayon ang kumunot ang noo.

"Pangalan mo 'di ba?" Pagkasabi ko n'on ay tumawa naman ito ng bahagya kaya naagaw namin ang atensyon ng iba lalong-lalo na ang boys ng Guardians.

"You're funny, it's not Ivan it's Ivvo, remember that name," Titig na titig nitong sabi sa 'kin. "You're so beautiful, Kata—Aww!" Nagulat na lang ako nang bigla siyang humawak sa batok niya na tila nakararamdam ng sakit.

"Are you okay?" Tanong ko, ngumiti naman ito sa 'kin at saka tumango.

He didn't say anything again, my forehead furrowed when my eyes met Mr. Grayish eyes who grinned foolishly while looking at the person next to me. What is his trip? Whatever, tsk.

"The next who will fight is Guardian of Wind Element, Goodluck." Nakangiting sabi ni Headmistress kaya nag tungo na rin si Mr. Innocent which is Alvinno pala ang pangalan.

When he got to the field, like Aw, he also waited for a few seconds, then what he was afraid of came out and I can't figure out the look as long as it's scary like he's a ghost—I don't know, as long as his face and body were terrifying, he even swallowed, but unlike Aw, he had the courage to fight what he was afraid of.

He released his Wind blades as soon as he took his first turn, he immediately hit his opponent but it was just a miss, suddenly a whip appeared in Alvinno's hands, I don't know where it came from, maybe he summoned that whip.

Nag simula ng mag laban ang dalawa, namamangha naman ako dahil ni isang galos ay walang natamo si Alvinno habang naglalaban sila. natapos din ang laban ni Alvinno at ng kaniyang kinatatakutan kaya agad na itong lumabas sa barrier saka bumalik sa kinauupuan niya kanina, ang level naman nito ay from 84 to 87.

Not bad.