"Come on."
Nagpahatak na lang ako kay Hiro at hindi ko alam kung saan kami papunta. He appeared right after Mama dn Demi jumped from the window.
Silent tears continued falling from my eyes. I suddenly remembered the times we spent together. How could she say those words when she took care of me, fed me and loved me unconditionally?
"I am not your real mother."
Mas lalo lang gumulo ang katauhan ko. Hindi ko na alam kung sino talaga ako. Kung dati ay may pinanghahawakan pa ako bilang anak ni Rina Lazaro, ngayon wala na.
"Stop thinking about anything first," Hiro said, breaking the silence between us.
"Don't read my mind," I said in response as I tried to close my mind tighter.
"Sorry."
Paglabas namin ng Midori building ay halos lumubog ang puso ko sa nakita ko. The whole campus was in chaos and I could see Shinigamis coming out of the forest. Teachers and students were already engaged in a battle against some of them who were moving toward the inner campus.
'They may have breached the dimension barrier at the forest but they can't use Black Dimension inside the campus. Keep that in mind.'
Napahawak agad ako sa ulo ko. That was Sir Hayate. But how . . . ?
"He's using an equipment made by the Technology Department to communicate with all of us using his mind," sabi ni Hiro sa akin pero nanatili lang akong nakatingin sa kanya.
Bigla naman niya ulit akong hinatak papunta sa direksyon ng dorm pero halos mapasigaw ako nang may humarang sa aming dalawang Shinigami.
"Ah. That's her, right?"
"Come with us—"
Agad akong binitiwan ni Hiro at nagulat ako nang may narinig na lang akong gunshots.
"Go to hell," he coldly said as one of the Shinigamis slumped to the ground.
My mind went back to its right state when I heard my own scream. The other Shinigami managed to dodge the bullet from Hiro's twin guns. Napatingin na lang ako sa kanya. Did he just summon them within a split second?
Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ko nang naglabas din ng baril ang Shinigami at itinutok niya 'yon kay Hiro. He immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him. The next thing I knew, the Shinigami's body fell on the ground with a thump.
Pagtingin ko kay Hiro, his green eyes were already looking at me.
"Are you okay?" tanong niya sa akin.
"Y-Yeah—"
Then my mind snapped. What the heck am I doing? I am also one of them. I'm a Senshin. That means I also have the responsibility to save this place, not to be protected by them.
Siguro nga hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga sinabi sa akin ni Mama but that was a personal matter and I shouldn't have brought that during a fight. We're in a middle of a war. This wouldn't be the right time to think about my personal matters anymore.
"Look out!" Hiro yelled as he pushed my head down and I used that moment to summon my weapons.
Tumingala ako at nakita ko ang Shinigami na wala nang malay sa harapan ko. I enhanced my sight and I could see a group of Shinigamis who were also holding bows. One of them, who was about 500 meters away, was aiming at Hiro.
Sinipa ko ang paa ni Hiro kaya na-out of balance siya at napaupo sa tabi ko. I shot my arrow and it snapped the arrow accelerating toward us into halves. I shot another one to the Shinigami who fired it and it pierced his right shoulder.
"There's no need to kick me, though," sabi ni Hiro nang makita niya kung anong ginawa ko. Bigla naman akong nahiya dahil hindi ko naman sinasadya na gawin 'yon.
"S-sorry."
"At least you're back to your old self. Let's go," saka niya ulit ako hinila paalis sa pwesto namin.
Habang tumatakbo kami ay hindi ko mapigilang hindi mapatingin sa paligid. Kahit ilang minuto pa lang ang nakakalipas matapos ang pagsabog ay sobrang dami ng casualties. I felt a knot in my stomach when I saw students who were injured, and some, already lifeless. I could have been one of them. I could die but I don't have any time to ponder on that. I need to set my priorities and at the top was to protect the people I treasure.
There were only around 100 Shinigamis inside the campus and most of their troops must still be in the forest. The ones holding them off must be Sir Hideo and Mama.
Nagulat naman ako nang may humarang ulit sa aming tatlong Shinigami.
"Long time no see, Rainie," the girl said as she swung her sword at me.
Para naman akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig nang makita ko ang mukha ng Shinigami habang nakangiti sa akin.
"A-abigail?!"
She brandished her sword at me with an unbelievable speed and the edge grazed my shoulder. I screamed in pain as I tried to cover the gash but blood was already trickling down my arm and hand. She pointed her sword at me and I did the same with my gun. I quickly pulled the trigger but she avoided the arrow. She was caught off-balance so I used that second to summon the spear I have yet to use. Abigail regained her balance and her sword and my spear clanged against each other.
Oh, god. I thought I was going to die.
"Interesting," sabay ngiti sa akin ni Abigail.
She attacked me almost immediately and I had no choice but to defend but her blows were getting heavier and it was hard to keep up. Siguro may epekto rin ang pagkagulat ko dahil hindi ko inasahang makikita ko rito si Abigail Relena. Bigla ko tuloy naalala ang pag-uusap nina Ma'am Ramos at Ma'am Castro noong nagkasalubong sila habang nasa likuran nila kami ni Abigail at papunta kami sa Principal's Office.
If Ma'am Reina was the scout and the one who brought me to Tantei High, does that mean Ma'am Ramos was also a Shinigami and she recruited Abigail?
I was caught off-guard by those thoughts and Abigail used that moment of carelessness to attack. I tried to defend it but I got thrown off by the impact. I was slow to get up and I froze when I saw she was already swinging her sword halfway to my head.
"Die, Rainie—!"
Narinig ko naman ang pagtama ng isang metal sa isa pa. Pagtingin ko, I was already looking at someone's back.
"You're welcome, Akemi," sabay lingon sa akin ni Akane habang pinipigilan ang sword ni Abigail. "Sorry, but she's not going to die," Akane said in a serious tone. "Hindi na ako papayag na may mamatay na namang importante sa akin."
"Akane!"
"Back off, Akemi. I'm gonna teach this ugly girl a lesson," sabi ni Akane at bigla naman niyang idiniin ang daliri niya sa blade ng sword niya. She summoned another weapon—her old sword—and they fought with each other using two swords.
Pagtingin ko sa kabilang gilid ay kalaban naman ni Hiro ang dalawang Shinigami na kasama ni Abigail. Suddenly, I felt miserable and useless. These people were always protecting me but I couldn't do anything for them. I wasn't strong enough to protect them.
'You can also protect us.'
Napatingin ako sa likod ni Akane habang kalaban niya si Abigail. How? Sarado ang isip ko pero nababasa niya? Teka, di ba si Hiro lang ang nakakagawa nun sa aming anim?
'H-how?' I desperately asked.
'Do the things that we can't, but you can,' Hiro said.
The things that I could do, huh. Unti-unti ko namang na-realize kung ano ang ibig nilang sabihin. Napangiti na lang ako dahil mas naiintindihan pa nila ako kaysa sa mismong sarili ko.
'Thank you, guys.'
Tumalikod ako sa kanilang dalawa at tumingin sa direksyon ng gubat. Sinigurado kong malapit lang ako kina Hiro at Akane para alam ko pa rin kung anong nangyayari sa kanila. I focused my sight and I could see everything within 700 meters. This time, I summoned my old bow and arrows.
Naramdaman ko naman ang Shinigami sa likod ko pero hindi ako nabahala.
"Go on, Akemi! I've got your back!" sigaw ni Akane at narinig ko ang pagbagsak ng Shinigami sa lupa.
I held the bow and gun on my left and the string of the bow and tail of three arrows on my right. Using these two weapons, I could fire four arrows in one shot. With these, I could also hold off the Shinigamis from the forest even if I was 700 meters away from them.
I started shooting arrows simultaneously. Now I know what I could do to protect them.
***