9: Elites are on the Move

*CHAPTER NINE*

Judging by their looks, these two are not here for a good reason.

And I just heard that the guy who looks like a ninja is a Class A Assassin, thus, I could assume that they're from a certain organization operating in the dark web.

"We're coming HERO." Sabi nung mukhang ninja sabay dahan-dahang lumapit sa kinaroroonan ko. He emphasized the word 'hero' in a rediculing tone.

He's taking me as a joke, huh.

Lumingon ako sa paligid. Walang tao. Guess I've made a considerable distance from the crowd, that's why these two casually showed up.

So it's safe to fight with all my strength here. Anyways, these two right here already knew my identity. How did they do that isn't an issue right now. Maybe I can ask them later.

"Phantom Knives!" Sigaw nung assassin sabay bato ng dalawang kutsilyong hawak nya sa akin.

I don't know how he did it, pero lumipad nang straight na parang mga arrows ang dalawang kutsilyo patungo sa akin. He's style in throwing those knives are different from the common throwing techniques which made the knives rotates towards it's targets.

I didn't dodge the knives as it simply passed in the both side of my body. The one is in the left while the other is in the left.

"Scissor's Slash!" Sigaw ulit nito at nagulat ako nang biglang huminto ang dalawang kutsilyo mid-air.

He crossed his arms like he's holding a huge scissor, and the knives followed his hands and both started to swiftly move sideways. It's like a tip of a huge scissor trying to cut me.

However, I am faster than the knives. Kaya madali akong nakalayo sa range nito.

What a strange move.

"Hmm you're faster than I thought." The assassin said calmly while retrieving his knives. It seems like there were some kind of invisible strings attached to it. 

While I'm dodging the assassin's attack, I was observing the guy in the back coat who's just standing behind the assassin. He's not making any move and it bothers me. I should be alert, baka sneak attack ang specialty ng isang yan.

"Barrage of raining knives!" Sigaw ulit nung assassin while performing a strange move using his knives, he's madly thrusting it in the air like someone is there.

His hands were moving so fast that I could only see so many afterimages from it creating an illusion that he's holding a barrage of thousand knives in front of him. I guess it was 20 square meters large.

What a strange move. I couldn't believe any normal person could do such a thing.

With that, he quickly moves towards my direction throwing that barrage of thousand knives to me.

Pero hindi ako gumalaw kasi na wi-werdohan ako sa ginawa nya. Is this some trick or an illusion to scare or distract me? So that he can make his attack afterwards?

Ngunit nung makita kong wasak-wasak ang isang sanga ng punong kahoy na nadaanan ng ginawa nyang moves ay agad akong napa-atras.

This thing is not an illusion and it's dangerous.

Parang tinusok ng napakaraming kutsilyo yung sanga ng kahoy. Kung katawan ng tao ang matatamaan nun, tyak lasog-lasog ito. Kaya kailangan kong mag ingat at dapat na hindi ako tatamaan ng bagay na yun, mahirap na.

Patuloy na umaabante ang assassin habang ako ay panay naman ang atras. Lahat nang bagay na nadadaanan ng assassin at nung raining knives nya ay wasak-wasak talaga.

This move is a big deal kung kayang sabayan ng assassin na ito ang aking galaw. Pero habang tumatagal napansin kong normal lang ang bilis ng kanyang mga galaw, except of course, his hands.

Bale yung bilis nya ay sa kanyang kamay naka-concentrate upang magawa ang raining knives moves nya. Ngunit yung mga hakbang nya patungo sa akin ay parang sa normal na tao lang.

So, this is the weakness of that move.

After realizing these things, ay tinalon ko agad yung sanga ng isang punong kahoy na may limang metros ang taas. Pagkatapos ay mabilis akong lumipat sa isa pang punong kahoy kung saan ang sanga nitoy nasa ibabaw lang mismo nung assassin.

Ginawa ko ang galaw na yun sa loob lang ng isang segundo kaya hindi agad nakasunod sa akin ang mga mata ng assassin. Dahilan kaya nagawa kong tumalon sa likuran nito nang hindi nya napansin.

Sinuntok ko agad ito ng malakas sa kanyang batok dahilan upang ito ay tumilapon sampung metros mula sa kinatatayuan ko.

Napahinto ito sa ginawang move na raining knives.

Yung dalawang kutsilyong hawak nya ay nakatusok sa punong kahoy kung na una kong tinalon kanina.

It turns out na tama nga ako. Hindi nya masasabayan ang bilis ko. I am two moves ahead of him kaya may advantage ako sa kabila ng pinakita nitong kakaibang ability.

Bago pa nakatayo ang assassin ay mabilis ko na itong nilapitan at hinawakan sa kanyang batok sabay hagis sa kanya dun sa punong kahoy na malapit sa akin. At upang masigurong mawalan ito nang malay ay nilapitan ko pa ulit ito at sinipa sa sikmura.

Napaungol lang ito pagkatapos ay nawalan na ng malay.

"You.. What kind of monster are you?" Maya-maya'y narinig kong sabi nung lalaking kasama ng assassin.

"I am not a monster." Sabi ko sabay lapit sa kanya. Binilisan ko ang aking mga galaw kaya isang segundo lang ay nasa harapan nya na ako.

"What the--." Gulat na gulat na sabi nito nang Bigla akong sumulpot sa kanyang harapan.

Hinawakan ko ang kanyang leeg at isinandal sya sa malapit na puno ng kahoy. Pero alerto ako dahil baka may sandata syang itinago.

"You're a monster." Sabi nito nang maka-recover na sa pagkagulat.

"Stop talking and answer me, who are you guys? Why did you suddenly attacked me? What is a Golden Circle?" Tanong ko habang tiningnan sya sa kanyang mga mata matapos na kunin ang kanyang suot na salamin gamit ang isang kamay ko.

"You can't make me talk, kid." Tugon naman nito habang pilit na inaalis ang aking kamay na may hawak ng kanyang leeg. "Try harder if you have the guts. But even if you torture me to death, I won't spill a bean to you. Haha" Patawa pang sabi nito.

This guy is a lunatic.

Nakuha nya pang tumawa kahit na alam nyang wala syang magagawa laban sa akin.

"You better not let me go, kid. Or else malalaman ng buong mundo ang sekreto mo." He said while laughing and at the same time struggling to get away from my grasp.

This guy.

Does he have some problem with his mind?

But he has a point. Kung pakakawalan ko sya ngayon. Maaaring malaman ng lahat ang aking sekreto. Hindi ko kayang i-blackmail o takutin ang isang to dahil mukhang matigas eh.

So ano ang kailangan kong gagawin?

Think Gale.

Think.

Think.

Ahh! I have an idea.

"You have to kill me if you don't want the world to know your secrets. But are you capable of killing a human being?" Tumatawa na namang sabi niya.

This guy is stubborn. At dahil sa kagustuhang tumahimik na sya ay sinuntok ko ito sa sikmura dahilan upang ito ay mawalan ng malay.

I immediately put him and the assassin guy in my shoulder and left in the area. Mabilis akong pumunta ako sa gitna ng artificial forest ng Academy at pinahiga ko sa isang punong kahoy ang dalawang walang malay na tao. Kailangan ko silang talian upang masubukan ang ideyang naisip.

At bago pa ulit magkamalay ang dalawa ay ginamit ko ang aking bilis upang maghanap ng bagay na pwedeng itali sa dalawa. Hindi naman ako nahirapan dahil nakakita agad ako ng isang mataas na alambre. Kaya yun ang ginamit kong pantali sa dalawang lalaking hanggang ngayon ay wala paring malay.

Hinubad ko yung suot na mask nung assassin at ginamit ko ang google lens ng aking cellphone, na bigay ng mga Smiths, upang i search sa internet ang mukha ng assassin. Baka kasi may record ito na makakatulong upang makilala ko sila.

Maya-maya lang ay nag respond na ang aking google lens at pinakita na nito ang mga visual matches nung mukha ng assassin.

Maraming informations na nakasulat pero mas nakuha ang aking pansin nung isang info na galing sa isang site.

"Henry Damper, as known as "The twin knives". The most wanted murderer and internationally known contract killer with a bounty of $100,000.00."

Yown! Jackpot!

My idea isn't that bad. Mukhang magkaka-pera pa ako nito.

It turns out that this assassin guy is an international killer, huh. Kaya pala kakaiba ang galawan ng isang to. Kung normal na tao lang ang kalaban nya, tyak na ang hirap nyang talunin. He's not called as a Class A assassin for nothing.

Pagkatapos ma-confirm na itong assassin nga ang nasa visual match na binigay ng internet ay itong kasama nya namang may deperensya sa utak ang sinearch ko gamit ang google lens.

However, walang match na ipinakita ang google, tanging yung noo nya lang at yung style ng buhok nya ang pinakita.

What the eff.

This fool is really useless.

So anong gagawin ko ngayon dito? Papatayin? No. I am not a killer. Takot nga akong pumatay ng asong ulol, eh.

Ahh. Isu-surrender ko nalang ito sa mga pulis at sasabihin kong kasama nya itong assassin. Yeah. That's what I should do.

Pero teka muna. Paano ko ipapaliwanag sa mga pulis na ako ang nakahuli ng mga ito? Papaniwalaan kaya nila ako?

Baka huhulihin ulit nila ako matapos ko silang takasan kahapon. But the Smiths have already settled that thing, right? Hindi na nga ako hinanap, eh. So basically, I am now safe against the police.

Ahh. Tama. I will use the Smiths. Kung sila ang magsusumbong sa mga police na nahuli nila ang isang most wanted killer at ang assistant nito ay tyak na paniniwalaan sila ng mga ito.

Okey! I will call Heath now.

....

*Somewhere in the Dark Web*

In the headquarters of the Golden Circle.

Two days after the incident that stirred the calmness of the hidden societies operating in the Dark Web.

"That Phantom Hero has taken down the The Twin Knives and the Third Capo of our Golden Circle and even dared to surrender him to the Police after exposing some information on the transactions occurring in the Dark Web. How come that the 'Order' is not making any action?!" Sabi ng isang may edad na lalaking nakasalamin sabay tayo mula sa inuupuan nitong silya na parang trono. Nakasuot ito ng isang pulang suit na pinaibabawan nga isang itim na balabal na nakatayo ang mga kwelyo. Sa likuran ng suot nyang balabal ay may nakaprintang larawan ng isang Golden Circle na napaligiran ng golden dust particles.



Sa harapan nya ay may nakaluhod na isang lalaking nakasuot ng isang itim na hooded cloak an may naka-printa ring Golden Circle sa likod.

"I have already inquired the Order about this matter, Godfather. However, up to this hour I haven't received any reply from them." Sabi pa ng lalaki habang nakayuko parin.

"I would like to suggest that the respected Godfather should not wait for the move of the Order, as the Order would only make a move if there were benefits they could reap." Sabi nung isang lalaki na nakaupo sa isa sa labing apat na upuang nakahilera sa magkabilang gilid ng harapan ng trono. Sa upuan nito ay nakaukit ang Roman numerals na 'VIII'.

Ang labing apat na upuang ito ay may iba't-ibang numerong nakaukit. Ito ay nakahilerang magkatapat at inuokupa ng labing apat ka taong nakasuot din ng itim na balabal katulad ng suot ng lalaking nasa silyang parang trono.

"Godfather, I support the suggestion of the eighth elite." Sabi nung isa pang lalaking nakaupo sa upuang may Roman numerals na 'V'.

"That damn self proclaimed hero is strong to think that he took down a class A assassin that easily. Should we deploy our Class S assassin then? Or should I task the elites to handle this matter personally?" Sabi nung lalaking tinawag ng lahat na Godfather sabay upo sa upuan nito na parang trono.

"I would like to inquire the Godfather about what we would do to this self proclaimed hero should we caught him." Isang elite naman na nakaupo sa upuang may numerong 'III' ang nagtanong.

"The first elite could do some experiment to him. Let's see if we can make him one of our souldiers or sold him to other organizations." The Godfather answered.

"We should study his genes first, for us to identify if we can replicate it or isolate it for our benefits. If we would be lucky, we can have a breakthrough in our latest human experiment which aims to create a super-soldier." The guy sitting in the chair with the number 'I' said.

"Let's catch him first and see what we can do after we succeed." The guy in the chair with number 'II' said indifferently.

"So it's settled now. I'll leave this matter to the hands of the elites." The Godfather said as he lift the gavel that was placed in the table beside his seat. "This council meeting is adjourned." He said as he tap the sound block using that gavel.

....

In the headquarters of the Order of the Dark Circle.

"The Council of elites of the Golden Circle has already gathered to discuss their possible action regarding the matter concerning the boldness of the Phantom Hero." Sabi ng isang lalaking nakasuot ng itim na damit habang nakaluhod sa harapan ng isang matandang nakaupo sa isang tronong itim.

"It seems that they won't wait for the decision of the Grand Chancellor." Sabi naman nung lalaking nakatayo sa gilid ng trono.

"Let them be. The strength of this Phantom Hero is still unknown. If the elites of the Golden Circle can take him down, then we can make our moves afterwards. If they can't, then we can use our trump card to take him down." Kalmadong sabi ng matandang nakaupo sa trono. "I am sure that we can always find a way to deal that Phantom Hero no matter how strong he is. And maybe, we could also turn him into a lab rat for our benefits as Doctor X is almost done with his latest model of human cloning program."

"Should that experiment succeeded, the Order of the Dark Circle would be claiming the title of the most powerful organization in the Dark Web. The glory would be ours once again." The guy beside the throne said.

"That is right. So let them begin to hunt that big prey, we would make our moves depending on the result of this hunt." Sabi ulit nung lalaking nakaupo sa trono.