Against her will, Given found herself in quite of a mess... well, it was chaotic and she might really die. Perhaps you were just like her, confused and asking, "What the heck is going on!?" and I wouldn't blame you. Just a couple of chapters ago, Given was just in her dobok, going home, almost got kissed by truck-kun, and now... well, now she was in a very foreign world. So, before things got messier, let's rewind the hands of time. From the day or night before Given was taken from Earth, to this one.
Zooming out from Given, and turning back the hands of time a few days before her arrival. One could not be blamed if one thought that the night sky of Ma-i seemed like a black veil that covered it. At the Kingdom of Tundun, Datu Rakta patiently inspected and cleaned his kampilan. Its blade almost looked like a mirror reflecting his weathered face. He was still in his forties, but the stress of handling Tundun's political affairs had weighed him down more heavily than he liked to admit. He checked its hilt and its blade. This was the same weapon he'd use for tomorrow's hunt.
His room's windows were open, welcoming every ray of light generously given by the moon. Besides that, the lanterns inside his room helped him with his task.
"Are you still going tomorrow?" a girl asked as she opened the door of her father's room.
Datu Rakta smiled, "It's improper to enter the datu's chamber without permission, Princess Mayari."
Mayari returned his smile as she entered the room and jumped on her father's back, hugging him from behind. "I haven't entered your chambers." Mayari's playful tone seemed to light up the room.
"Hahaha, now you did, silly." Rakta gently removed Mayari's slender arms around him.
"And may I ask why you're still awake? It's already one in the morning." The Princess frowned slightly as she picked up one of her father's kampilan resting on the bed.
"Dad, I'm already sixteen. Stop treating me like I'm eight." She turned, smiling once again. "What if you just teach me eskrima tomorrow?"
Rakta paused and pondered his daughter's request. As a Datu, no one could ever question his dedication and efforts in maintaining Tundun's affairs. But as a father? Well, that was a different story. Let's just say that he saw and talked with the council of Tundun's elders more than his own daughter.
"I will think about it." Rakta sat on his windowpane as he playfully questioned Mayari, "Also, are you really serious about that?" The moonbeam gleamed on his toned arms.
"Well..." Mayari stammered, her face turning red slowly, "earlier, I saw that old – I mean, Captain Agni. Dad, he was teasing me! He said that as your heir, I must also be strong in body, not just in the head." Her brows furrowed even more as she placed the kampilan back on the bed.
Rakta laughed and said that the captain had a point. In the future, Mayari would be the one who'd inherit her father's throne. And yes, in Ma-i's culture, leadership wasn't monopolized by one gender. As the future datu, Mayari would have the obligation to lead the army, not just in politics but also in combat if necessary. Then Rakta placed his hand on her shoulder. He gazed into her eyes as if staring into her very soul. "But listen, moonbeam. We're different. And defending our kingdom also comes in different forms. You don't always need a sword to protect Tundun. More often, you do it through calm, humility, and diplomacy."
Mayari's expression visibly changed as she removed her father's hand from her. "Yeah, just like how we bow in front of those fucking Iberians?"
"Mayari, watch your tongue!" Rakta scolded her as he took a deep sigh. "You don't understand now. But every word you say to them will always come back to the people of Tundun. Our people."
The fiery princess turned her back against her father and waved at him dismissively. "I changed my mind..." Reaching the door, she added, "May Dumakulem bless your bungisngis hunt tomorrow."
He exhaled sharply, then called out, no longer as a ruler nor politician, but as a father trying to bridge the distance. "Wait, Mayari… you're right. Tomorrow, we'll train."
But Mayari just continued walking while saying, "I lost interest. Good night, Dad." She shut the door without even looking at Rakta.
Rakta took a deep breath. His heavy eyes traced the faint smile of his wife in their family portrait, hung on the wall of his chamber. "My love… forgive me," he whispered into the quiet air. "If only you were here..." his tone grew more somber as he touched the kampilan on his bed.
The sun rose like a bold warrior-king and soared upon the land of Ma-i. Rakta and his trusted friend Agni, together with ten more soldiers, prepared themselves for their hunt. They gathered at the palace's patio as their horses got settled. Everyone in the palace greeted their beloved datu, bowing, and guards saluted him. None of them, none of them knew that on this very day, Tundun's destiny would be altered. Today, a ripple of events would lead to something that would change not just the kingdom of Tundun, but the world itself... for better or for worse.
"Won't you wake up, Princess Mayari, my lord?" Agni asked, the tail of his red scarf on his waist fluttering in the wind.
Rakta gave a quiet smile that did little to hide the weariness in his eyes. "Let's just let the princess sleep. I'll just speak with her tomorrow."
As the group made their way out of the courtyard, a man stepped forward from outside the palace, his fair skin gleaming under the rising sun, his stature dwarfing even the Datu by a full foot. Without a word, Rakta and his soldiers bowed, an act less of respect than of necessity.
"Good morning, Governor General," Rakta greeted.
The man's dark navy-blue coat felt like a sore thumb against the traditional Tunduvan military uniform worn by Rakta. The man smirked mockingly at Rakta as he told him to raise his head. "Good morning, Datu Rakta, and where are you going?"
Agni straightened himself and answered for his lord, "At Nakub –."
"I don't remember asking you, dog." Agni's fellow soldiers showed a visible mark of irritation. Their lips went sideways, and fists curled a little. However, Rakta didn't flinch. His expression remained perfectly still; he let his gaze focus somewhere past their foreign master's shoulder, as if the insult had never been spoken. But it was clear to his men. Only those who knew him well would notice the faint pause in his breathing, the smallest tightening of his jaw before it eased again.
When he finally spoke, his voice was even and calm.
"To Nakubli, Governor-General. There's news of a bungisngis rampaging in that region."
"Is that so…" The Governor-General lifted a brow, his smirk deepening. "Well then, off you go," he said, his laughter dripping with condescension, like a master humoring a child who asked to be excused for the bathroom.
They proceeded on their march away from the palace. They finally reached the border of the forest. Tall trees and wild grass welcomed his group. Rakta glanced at Agni, his brow curled downward. He had been silent since their march away from the capital. The Datu smiled and finally addressed the issue, "Hahaha, are you still mad, my friend?"
Agni, caught off guard, tried to hide his feelings. He played coy and asked what his lord meant. But Rakta, like the good man he was, told the captain to just cut through the bullshits. Finally, Agni broke and said, "That asshole Sandoval! He walks in our kingdom like he owns it." His voice was heavy and rough. "Since he replaced Governor–General Eduardo, every reform went to shit!"
"Agni, it's been ten years since he was replaced." Rakta smiled at him while gently shaking Agni's left shoulder. "It's time we accepted things." Agni just went silent.
Rakta knew Agni wouldn't listen to his advice. He had known the man since they were children. He also knew too well that Mayari's tongue was partly Agni's fault. However, Rakta didn't dwell on it; they instead moved to enter the forest.
They trekked through the forest for about an hour until it felt like the trees themselves were swallowing them whole. Sunlight kept trying to sneak through the cracks between the branches, breaking into thin streaks of gold that swayed every time the wind passed. The wind made the trees look like they were dancing, spreading the scent of citronella. The soldiers remained on their guard despite these. They were there to hunt a bungisngis that was said to haunt the people near the forest.
The towering trees around them looked like a cathedral roof. Trunks were wrapped with thick moss, while the air carried the sounds of birds chirping. Rakta commanded his soldiers to be vigilant. All ten of his soldiers grabbed their rifles. Meanwhile, Agni unsheathed his kampilan.
"You sure this is the place?" Agni asked one of his soldiers.
"Yes, captain. The villager included it in their letter." The soldier wandered his eyes around the trunks as he swallowed hard. "They said that they saw body parts here, limbs scattered as if they were ripped apart by brute force."
"How did they know it's a bungisngis?" another soldier asked, their steps more measured as they dove deeper into the forest.
The first soldier answered, "A boy and his father said they managed to survive. Robbers attacked their caravan in broad daylight. But then, the bungisngis came slew and ate the robbers." He gripped his rifle tighter, "Then the monster proceeded to rip their horse in two and behead three of their companions." The soldiers swallowed hard upon hearing it.
They continued walking until suddenly, one of the soldiers went silent. His face turned pale, eyes wide as he pointed at the large tree in front of them. "Ca–ca–captain..." he whispered as he pointed in the direction ahead of them. Rakta, Agni, and the others turned to look in that direction. In an instant, the tattoos on Rakta's arms glowed as fire engulfed his arms.
"Get ready, men!" he yelled.
Some were still paralyzed by fear as they gazed at a severed head nailed on the huge tree. It was as big as a carriage wheel and had one eye in the middle, and its mouth was wide open, showing sharp teeth.
"Who the fuck managed to kill such a monster!?" Agni asked, his tone grave and confused.
They all went into formation. Out of the ten soldiers, two of them were baylans besides Rakta and Agni. Baylans were warriors who could manipulate Nu, a life force that flowed inside and around them. They started to form a triangle, where Rakta was at the inner center.
Suddenly, they felt vibrations from the ground. In an instant, the ground started to crack. "Wha–what's happe–." The poor soldier on the left didn't even finish his sentence. A sharp, pointy tendril pierced his heart through the chest.
The soldiers' eyes were filled with terror after seeing one of them get skewered. They roamed their eyes around the crack where the tendril came, then the crack got bigger. An enormous hand ripped the ground like paper, and from under it a thunderous growl bellowed.
A gigantic figure came out of the ground. Its height rivaled some of the trees around, its arms as thick as a tree's branches. Its back was covered with dark-green moss. Its blood-red eyes gazed at one of them.
"GGGGWWWWWWAAAAAARRRRRHHHHHHHWWWW!!!" Its growl engulfed them as fear gnawed on their souls.
"Be–berberoka!?" one of them blurted out, his feet took a back step out of instinct.
"But how in the hell can a berberoka be here!?" Agni shouted. "There's not even a source of water here."
"Be careful men!" Rakta's voice was filled with urgency as the fire on his arms increased in intensity. "This one's not normal."
They pointed their old rifles at the monster. Two of the soldiers – baylans – rushed on both sides of the berberoka while they focused on chanting – no, singing.
"Hounds of Likalibutan, hear our plea!
Bind our foe where they belong!
With binding shackles, fierce and strong!"
Green light pulsed from their tattoos, spreading like fire beneath their skin. Then, with a sound like metal being forged from nothing, golden chains materialized, glinting. Just like a snake ready to eat its prey, the golden chains wrapped around the thick body of the monster.
The Berberoka thrashed violently, its massive body twisting against the chains. Agni didn't waste a heartbeat; he rushed to the front, planted his feet firmly, and began to chant, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Oh Ynaguinid, goddess divine!
Strike our foe with power and shine,
Let your piercing gaze make them resign!"
As he finished his chant, the tattoos etched on Agni's back and shoulders burst into a crimson glow. Three radiant spears emerged behind the Berberoka, hovering like divine judgment. With a single downward motion of his hand, the spears shot forward, piercing through flesh and bone, splattering green blood across the forest soil.
The creature let out a roar as its enormous body dropped to its knees, trembling under the agony of three spears carving through its back like a scalpel. Yet the beast refused to die. It flailed and roared; its fury shook the forest itself. Rakta only grinned. He strode and leaped, landing upon the creature's broad shoulder. His hands clamped down on its head, and the tattoos along his arms blazed orange. In the next breath, fire roared from his palms, crowning the monster's head in flame.
They cheered, oh, how they cheered. They screamed the name of their Datu as he burned the monster's head. But beneath the rain of embers, under their certainty that the beast had fallen, came vengeance. Its tongue lashed out like a spear and struck Rakta through the side, silencing every voice in the forest.
Rakta stumbled backward, clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers. Agni sprinted toward him, his eyes widening at the sight—a gaping hole nearly four inches wide tore through the Datu's ribs, each breath wet and shallow.
One of the baylans froze, his chant faltering at the sight of his wounded lord.
The Berberoka felt it. The creature's muscles convulsed, its chains straining until one snapped with a deafening crack. In a single motion, its massive hand lunged forward, seizing the distracted baylan. The man screamed as the beast sank its teeth into his arm, tearing it clean off before spitting the limb aside with a wet thud.
"HHHMMM–HHHMMM–HMMAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" The monster let out a thunderous laugh that rolled through the forest like a storm. The sound rattled branches, sent birds fleeing from the canopy. The soldiers' knees buckled; one dropped to the ground, trembling. One of the baylans, still gripping the glowing chain, froze, his mind blank, his will shattered.
The Berberoka charged. Before anyone could move, its jaws clamped down on the baylan's head, tearing it free in one brutal motion. The crunch echoed, and the creature swallowed it whole.
Rakta gritted his teeth, fury and sorrow warring within him as two more of his soldiers fell. He pressed his palm against his wound, but the bleeding wouldn't stop.
The forest fell silent for a moment. Then, to their horror, the beast opened its mouth—and words, not growls, poured out. "YOU ALL… DEAD BY ME!"
The soldiers staggered back, disbelief painted across their faces.
"What… what is this?" one whispered, trembling, sweat dripping down his chin as he took a step back.
The Berberoka lunged with inhuman speed, cutting through men like grass. The air filled with the sound of snapping bones, ripping flesh, and the screams of the dying soldiers.
Rakta tried to rise, but the pain crushed and pulled him back to the ground.
Agni knelt beside him, chanting a healing prayer through gritted teeth, but the wound refused to close. "Damn it!" he roared, his fist cracking against the soil.
The Monster towered over the two as it slowly walked towards them. its red piercing eyes gazed at them. Agni stood and from the ground, without any incantation, his tattoos glowed. The soil and the dust and spec of metals like iron from it formed a kampilan, a single-edged sword with a wide tip, making it look like a cleaver-sword hybrid.
"Beast, you will die with me..." he grunted as he went face to face with the monster. However, Rakta grabbed his pants.
"Ag – Agni, you must escape..." Rakta commanded, "Leave th – this place now."
"What!? You're the one who must esc –." He wasn't able to finish as he saw Rakta's complexion getting paler, "M – my lord!"
Rakta coughs up blood as he tried his best to stand. "You – you must escape my friend..." he whispered in Agni's ear. "She – she's en – in danger..."
Agni's eyes widened as his Datu's words dug in his mind, the unusual arrival of the berberoka on a land with no source of water is highly unusual, not to mention its ability to speak.
Agni's hand gripped the kampilan tighter, "But my lord!"
"THIS' MY ORDER AS YOUR DATU!" Rakta seems to spend most of his strength from that yell.
Tears began to well from the captain's eyes. "My... lord..." he swallowed his pride and chose to obey his lord... no, his friend's request. "I – I apologize, my lord..."
Rakta smiled and tapped his friend's shoulder. "Thank you, my dear friend." He pushed Agni as the other one ran as fast as he could with tears-filled eyes.
The monster tried to extend his hands towards Agni, but Rakta caught it, gripping it with his fading strength; the markings on his body glowed once again as he began to burn the monster's arm.
The monster moved away a little from the supposedly dying datu. It swallowed as it began to realize something, this man that should be begging for its life right now is smiling as his brown eyes stared at it with surety.
"I won't die alone, beast..." Rakta declared as he began to chant;
"Oh Barangaw, lord of clouds and thunder.,
Sever the bridge, my foes isolate them!
By your will, my friends be protected!"
Rakta's entire body flared with blinding white light as he seized the monster in his grasp. A sphere of green energy enveloped them both, shimmering like glass. The Berberoka shrieked, thrashing violently, its tendrils shooting out from every part of its body—dozens of them—piercing Rakta's flesh. But he didn't falter.
The light only grew brighter. Blood streamed down his baro (traditional Ma-i clothing), yet Rakta smiled wide, defiant, as his arms tightened around the beast.
"I myself will throw you to Sulad!" Rakta yelled as his body began to burst into flame.
The fire within the spear raged, changing hue as its power climbed. His crimson flame deepened to orange, then golden yellow, then white so bright it seared the air, until it bloomed into an otherworldly blue, and finally, a royal purple, the color of ending and rebirth. Rakta's clothes turned to ashes, as did his skin. The monster cried and wailed in pain, while Rakta... Rakta closed his eyes, smiling thought of his daughter.
"Goodbye, my moonbeam... remember, Tatay loves you." The scent of burning flesh spread within the spear as the light reached its peak. A piercing whistle filled the air. The forest itself seemed to hold its breath. Then came the explosion.
Fire bloomed like a dying star, and the shockwave tore across the forest, uprooting trees and flinging Agni, who was nearly nine hundred meters away. He lost his consciousness as he lay flat on the ground. Miles away from the Capitol, Mayari woke up yelling her father's name.