Amir's POV:
"What in the hell is this?!" I urged.
This might probably be the exit of Death Valley. But this one would be hard for us to cross this lake. We already reached the valley, but this one...
"Is this the infamous lake of fire?" Marcus emitted.
"Ito yata 'yon! Akala ko isang kwento ng mga matatanda lang pero totoo pala ito." Cleb responded.
"It's a sinkhole with fire inside it. This was also known as the gate of hell! Something's unusual! Hmmm..." Li added.
"Kaya siguro bihira lang ang nakakaligtas at nakakatawid papuntang Mana Boundary, ito pala ang dahilan. At hindi na bumalik pa't nanirahan na lang sa nayon na malapit sa Mana Boundary," Cleb added.
"This might be the only entrance and exit of the Haiyan from our neighboring realm Raiyan. Probably they created this so that the intruders will find it hard to enter and invade the realm, --" Marcus said
"So, how can we cross this?" I asked. Looking at them waiting for them to answer. They just give me the look.
"So, what should we do? Fly? Jump over?" I added.
We've been stuck here for a while, thinking about what should we do by crossing this lake of fire, thinking about how other people going in and out of the realm manage to cross this. I was seated at a big rock here overthinking some ways to cross this.
I saw Li walk towards the side near the edge of the lake of fire, touch the barrier, and then turn around. There's a force field barrier that protects the Mana Boundary from the entities of Death Valley. Aside from the tall trees covered by it and wall-like rocks, the only opening going through the other side was the lake of fire.
"Wait, maybe...there's some other way for us to go over this?" Li uttered.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"What if this lake of fire was just an illusion?!" He added.
Illusion?
"Illusion? How can you say that? This is real," Marcus responded.
"None of us ever crossed this lake of fire right?" Li asked.
We all nodded.
"What if this is a trick? Making us believe that it's impossible to cross this lake of fire. Come to think of it, how did some outsiders from other realms and the people who managed to cross this able to do the impossible?" He added.
We were confused. He was certain at all.
"No, look!" Li opposed and picked some pebbles on the ground and attempted to throw them at the lake of fire.
The moment he threw it at the hole, the pebbles dropped off...above it -- like it floats, motionless. We were stunned by it, mouth-opened. How come this happened?
"See?" Li emitted, delighted.
"What the..." Cleb.
"The lake of fire was just an illusion!" He uttered.
"How did you know that?!" I asked.
"It's because of that barrier!" He pointed at the wall barrier.
"Aside from that tall trees and big rocks that serve as the barricade to the other side, there's also that invisible barrier; a magical force field, that was created to trick the entities of Death Valley from attempting to come through the other side of it. It was a trick that made entities from Death Valley be fooled by it so that they believe that it's impossible for them to invade or migrate at the mana boundary -- including us!" He uttered.
"Same as well as this lake of fire! It was an illusion. It was made for us to believe that this truly existed, that this lake of fire played our minds, that we assumed that we couldn't cross this, and made us believe that it was impossible to cross from the other side. Marcus is right! a one-way between both realms. This was created to play with our minds. It was a game between ourselves, whether we believe in what we think or we believe in what we see. You all see a lake of fire and concluded that it was impossible for us to cross and might kill us, but I see a bridge that would be our only chance to cross from the other side," He concluded.
He walks forward, approaching us.
"You don't have to see to believe it, believe it and you will see." He emitted and no reluctance, walked first into the lake of fire, it felt like he was floating but the real is -- it was an illusion. He picked up the pebble that he had thrown earlier, glanced at us, and smiled.
"Come on! What are you waiting for?" He uttered.
We were astonished and froze. He crossed first from the mana boundary. Cleb set foot, followed by Marcus, and then, I'm the last one to cross.
"Tama nga si Li, ilusyon lang 'to! Pinagmumukha lang tayong tanga pero lupa pa rin 'yong inaapakan natin," Cleb said.
"Yeah, others might have known this already. Those people who already crossed this," Marcus said.
"At nandito na tayo sa Mana Boundary!" Cleb said.
We already set foot at the Mana Boundary. It feels like my entire body was restored. The ambiance is calm and clear. I took a deep inhalation and exhaled. A breath of fresh air!
"The aura here is different!" I uttered, looking around at the place while strolling.
"Yeah, it feels like I was refreshed," Marcus added.
"Tama! Parang mas lalo akong lumakas!" Cleb added. Ecstatic by it.
"We should rest here! Bukas ng umaga na lang natin sila hanapin," Li suggested.
We just nodded ahead and agreed. After all, we've been having a run for our lives at the Valley of Death, so maybe we need some nap. We sheltered at one of the acacia trees nearby and had some rest, Marcus created a bonfire. They sat near it and gaped at it. I didn't catch up on them because I already felt sleepy.
Early in the morning.
"Amir! Catch!" Marcus uttered. Throwing the apple at me.
"Thanks!" I said after I caught it and took a bite.
We've been up early this morning to continue our mission to find the other Offspring assigned in this area.
"Tingin niyo, what kind of Offspring are they?" Li asked out while walking ahead of us.
"Stronger than us," Marcus answered.
"Has lots of magic skills than us," I added.
"Been together for a long time," Marcus added.
"Madiskarte!" Cleb added.
"Uhhhh, okay! what do you think is our edge on them?" Li said.
"Nothing," Marcus answered.
Everyone was silenced after that.
"Hindi naman siguro, remember what Master Ki Bou said -- battling with those demon children was our edge on them -- I mean, kayong tatlo since I have never experienced fighting with them --"
"Because you're our healer, and you being smart was enough for being vital to this team, Li," I responded.
"Napaka overwhelming naman 'yon! Don't worry, I'll be your great healer!" Li uttered.
...
Awww, sweet niyo naman!
As Li was about to turn back and face her, she deliberately slapped him right on the face, forcefully. We were stunned by it until we saw Li drop on the ground becoming unconscious from that slap. His face was swollen and blood came out of his nose.
"Li!!!" we uttered in sync, as we were all shocked by what happened.
We ran to approach Li who was unconscious. While the childish-like girl in two high messy ponytails standing right at him was menacingly smiling at us. Who is this girl? I felt sudden rage when she stepped on Li's face, I was about to raise my point finger when a tall slender bald man jumped over us, luckily, we got reflexes and were able to dodge it.
"Hahaha! mga hangal!" uttered that familiar voice.
I glared as soon as I saw him. It's him again!
"Long time no see...Omu!" Cleb uttered, now clutching both of his axes.
"Kumusta, Cleb! Buhay ka pa!" Omu uttered.
"Ohhh, magkakilala na kayo?!" the girl uttered.
"Oo, sila lang naman 'yung tinalo ko at hinayaan na lamang makalayo...tila ako'y naawa sa higante nilang kaibigan, hahaha!" He sarcastically uttered, laughing at it.
Then undoubtedly, Marcus and Cleb drive towards Omu Magre clutching and arching their weapons to raid Omu. Clattering sounds were all over the area.
"Hi!!! Hihihi!" uttered and she giggled.
I turned at her and glared.
"You! You'll pay for what you did to Li!"
"Eh, ano naman ngayon? Sinampal ko lang naman siya 'tas ayon natumba na, mahina pala siya!? Hihihi!" she uttered.
"You did not--"
"I'm Emmidi, the Sixth Child of Lord Val--"
I strike a light beam at her, but she manages to dodge it that fast.
"Oh! Bastos?!" She emitted. Felt offended.
"What?"
"Hindi mo man lang ako pinatapos! Anong klaseng lalake ka? Ang kapal ng muk--"
Another light beam strikes forward but dodges it again. This girl has good reflexes.
"Oh? Long-range magic technique ang ginagamit mo, well, we're no match...dahil mas gusto ko 'yung malapitan na bakbakan!" She said.
She wants close combat. This girl is a fighter, different from Louison.
"Who cares!" I uttered.
I struck light beams at her multiple times, but she was able to dodge them with ease.
Know her weakness, Amir!
What?
She has god-like reflexes. The speed of your magic is useless even if you try to hit her multiple times. Her instant reaction to a stimulus was well-calculated.
What should I do?
Two things; find her weakness or match her reflexes.
The Mana Instinct?
Exactly! Although instinct and reflexes are two different things; instinct is conscious while reflex is reaction. But somehow both are equal when it comes to the battlefield.
Then, support me!
I will! Besides, we are in the Mana Boundary which makes us stronger than her. You are at an advantage, Amir. Use it well!
"Hahaha! Kahit anong gawin mo ay hindi ako matatamaan niyan!" She said.
"I know!"
The Mana Instinct was activated. I still keep doing my thing constantly and I noticed that her reflexes movements are all the same, repeated. I tried to change the way I attacked her, from hitting it straight forward, I angled it a bit forty-five degrees, making it look like I missed a shot or the center. The target shot was in the head, I faked my shots yet, she kept repeating it at every angle of the hit — still the same. Assumed that she was trained to master those reflexes from that kind of attack.
"Missing the shot?" She uttered while dodging my attacks.
I halted from attacking making her confused.
"Oh? Pagod na?" She said, tilted her head.
I took a deep inhalation and the moment I exhaled, I raised my arm and pointed at her head, she was expecting an attack from me, but all of it was a fake. I moved my feet forward and then she dodged it by slanting her head at an angle, she knew that I aimed for her head, so she only shifted her head. The moment she did it was the point I uttered the solar flare. The urge to use solar flare instead of a light beam was on point, that kind of reflexive style was meant for long-range sharp and slim attacks, like my light beam, and it won't work to an extended cylindrical solar rays with a maximum intensity.
She was burnt, roasted like a weakling, and smoke emitting in her. After that, I ran towards Li who was still unconscious. What should I do? I don't have healing magic.
"Marcus! Cleb!" I shouted.
...
Marcus's POV:
"Marcus! Cleb!" I heard Amir calling us. I turned around and saw him beside Li.
I turned my gaze at Amir's enemy and I was shocked when I saw her being roasted. What kind of magic is this? Is this how strong Amir's magic is?
"Marcus!" Cleb uttered. I turned around and saw Omu arching his sharp claws at me. I jumped over him to dodge and slashed his back, it was wounded but not that deep.
He snarled. This slender tattoo man is quick and flexible. He thrusts his long hinge legs forward us, as soon as he manages to adjust that quickly after that action happened. Meanwhile, I wasn't able to adjust since I just came down from that high jump. I was caught off guard, my eyes dilated when I felt a sudden pain right in my upper left abdomen.
"Marcus!" Cleb screamed. I felt my abdomen, blood splashed, and plummeted. I'm hardly catching up with my breath, drops of blood splatting in my mouth. I was down on my knees and let go of my sword.
Marcus! Marcus!
Lady Fire! I'm sorry!
Shut up! Stand up there!
I need you! I know you have more than that! Do your thing! Let's switch up.
Listen, I can recover your wound and keep you alive, but once I do...it will take us longer to recover and unleash some new magic -- including the dragon breath. You only can perform at least two magic, because it will be a burden to both of us once I go full-force after I recover your wounds. It's up to you, Marcus, you just have to decide.
If that is so...
"How's that? Easy win!" Omu bragged. Then walked forward at me, I could sense him walking behind me.
"Hoy! Nandito ako!" Cleb uttered and hurled both of his axes at Omu.
Omu Magre manages to duck it. He speedily runs towards Cleb with claws arching forward.
"You!!! Now, taste my new curse!!!" He yelled.
"Tattoo Demon Curse; Tattoo Haze-kinesis,"
The area became smoky. It looks like a haze but darker in tone, the dark mist has symbols and flows, and it looks like these floating characters are from Omu Magre's skin tattoos that float and surround the area making it like a fog. Meanwhile, here I am now lying on the ground, sprawled and in pain. I couldn't do anything to help Cleb, I could hear clashing sounds and urges screaming between them. I want to help Cleb.
If that is so...then I'm going to risk it! Let's switch and heal me! I don't care if this limited the use of my magic. Do it!
Okay!
...
- END.