Chapter 23 – To the rescue!

The party of Aswangs snarls and encircles their prey. Juan is done; the information from the Manananggal was heard loud and clear. And the aswangs hurled their anger.

"So the Manananggals are making blood sacrifices for an Anito? The nerve they have on disrupting the balance and the Pact!"

"Isn't this the reason why we have the Pact? We made a deal! The tribes of darkness will hear this treason!"

"The Manananggal are out of the Pact! How dare you betray your brothers of the night?"

Juan ordered his frogs to disengage their magic. The frogs disappear immediately with white smoke appearing on where they stood. Juan's frog appears right back on his shoulders, resting from his wounds.

The Aswangs hold the Manananggal down. The Manananggal plead for mercy but the Aswang didn't pay attention. In one swift motion, all of the Aswang pulled the Manananggal's body part from all directions. The Manananggal didn't have the time to scream, all was heard was he plead for his life. The party was in no mood to celebrate over a small victory, they know where their people are held and they must hurry.

The party called for a discussion. They huddle and are planning for an attack on the Manananggal's cave. During Juan's interrogation, the Manananggal spilled that their kidnapped victims are taken to a hidden cave just outside of the mountain ranges. The party all agreed to attack the Manananggal but they are not decided on how to do it. Others want to infiltrate the cave as quietly as possible but the other half argues that the more time they sneaking around, the fewer Aswangs they will save. They want to storm in and charge with full force but the other half counters them that will alert the Manananggal and might kill all of the victims.

Juan was about to give his piece on this but he felt a searing pain on his sides. It was too intense that it made him falls to his knees in pain. He pants and grasp for air, one of the aswang notice and helped him to his feet. It's the magic, it's taking its toll on Juan's true body back at the Inn. He was spending so much magic that his energy is starting to burn out.

"I must be careful or else I might not get to the bottom of this," Juan says to himself as he clenches his blade closer to his chest back at the Inn. The party is still divided and Juan ditches the group. He instead opted for his specialty, infiltrate a place and blend in with the people and hopefully, they buy his reasoning.

He transforms himself into an eagle and flies into the air. While flying, Juan's mind is occupied with what disguise he should do so he can blend in with the Manananggal. He thinks about the hand-like wings on their back, the fangs, and long tongue, the red eyes, and the pale white skin. And he is thinking about it, his real body in the Inn felt a sensation – a large bang vibrates thru the Inn. He can feel that something is up back in Vale. From the sound of where it came from the airships above Vale must suffer an attack.

"Sorry Leshin, whatever that is I hope you can hold it off until I get back"

The moon was kind tonight; it gives Juan the cold yet welcoming feeling. Reminds him of home; the days he will tend the farm with his wife, and by night they will return to home and enjoy the rest of the day with their kids after a long day's work. Juan closes his eyes for a moment "Fenrir, Jormungandr, Hel, Angrboda . . . we will be reunited I promise. I will make everything right."

After flying for a while Juan spots the cave with his eagle eyes and sees a large patch of banana trees near the cave. Juan lands one of a banana tree nearby the cave. There he heard two manananggal are flying about the cave's entrance then another manananggal flies from the sky while carrying its kidnap victim on its tongue. The two guards let him pass and congratulate him for bringing another sacrifice for their lord.

The frog smells a putrid smell; Juan also picks this familiar scent "Smell of rot and iron – rotting bodies are near." His frog didn't have to look far – they look below the banana tree and they see bodies mutilated and bloodied. All of them are cut clean in the middle and left to rot. He asks the frog to look around, there they saw more bodies piled up and just like before, all with their upper half missing This is a mass grave for their victims. Juan feels the two frog's fear but he reminds them they must set fear aside or more innocent lives will experience the same fate these poor souls had.

Then a roar shakes the ground. Rumbling and crashing sounds continue to emanate from the cave. "The creature has escaped again!" screams from the cave can be heard. Cold air and a chilling sensation began to cover Juan. He knew in an instant that roar was infused with magic; it causes fears and distraction to those closer to the source of the roar. He is familiar and accustomed to it as this is one of the favorite magic that aswang would use during the Aswang Swarm. This magic roar caused mass hysteria within their enemies and picking off their enemy as they scramble to safety.

Juan feels the frog he inhabits fear for its life and wanted to return home. "Not yet my friend. I will be with you and ensure your safety – once we enter the cave. We will set them free, fight our way out and make an exit. The frog swallows its fear and tries to put a brave face; Juan applause his little fried.

"So they manage to get a powerful aswang as a sacrifice too? These Manananggal are braver than usual, well that's the effect of having Dogon." First Orochimaru's power was amplified by the body part of Bathala and assisted by Daija, they manage to gather a huge yokai army under their influence. Now an anito controlled by Bakunawa, controls the Manananggal. Juan sees the partner; the Dogons are infiltrating different societies and from within are amassing an army and potentially use this to secure more power and rule again. Before Juan can further dwell into it, the earth rumbles once more and this one causes the cave to crack and widen.

"Hold the beast!" The Manananggals inside the cave are in a panic. Cancels his magic lets the frog revert back to its original form. He instructs his wounded friend to stay put within the bushes and observe any happenings from outside while the other frog will try to take a closer look into the cave.

The frog followed his lead and leaps into the cave entrance. The two manananggal didn't suspect a thing. As the frog passes thru, Juan overheard the two manananggal preoccupied discussing how they will take down this huge beast. One of them tells the other that they should just bail and relocate to the second base and leave before they got killed. The other agrees but reminds him that if they fail to secure their victims and escape, the word might get out to the other races. The two started to fight over it and Juan couldn't careless but this raises another question – where is the other base of the Manananggal?

The frog continues to leap forward and into the dark cave. There he seems the hulking Aswang being tied up by the tongue and pierced by their sleeping agent. There are at least 3 manananggal holding the limbs and another went pierces the head and body. The huge aswang could careless and slams their fist into the ground. The cave shakes and rocks above their heads fall hitting the manananggals tying it down.

Juan sees this as an opportunity to move and help but before he can move in, the aswang roared. He is nearer to the source compare to the last, and this time the frog's fear has escalated. Its psych disoriented and mental state screams only one thing – fear.

"WAIT! Don't get scared!" Juan tries to hold on but the frog scrambled in fear. This severed his connection and wake up in the Inn. When he opens his eyes, Leshin is there to greet him.

Juan's other frog is resting outside when it saw the other frog run past the guards and returned to the wild. He knew something went wrong and decided to go inside the cave himself. He tries to connect to Juan but he's not answering with his physic link. Thou wounded from their last fight with the Manananggal, will not back down. He and Juan went thru hell and back from different kinds of war and adventures together – and this won't be their last.

The frog passed thru the entrance again there he also sees the huge aswang being restrained by the manananggal. They are struggling to secure the aswang but then a manananggal with skulls and beads across their neck flies across the cave and into the face of the aswang. It pulled out a bottle and spilled its contents all over the aswang's face.

Despite its distance, the frog can smell the powerful scent of sleeping herbs and different sleeping agents on this brew. The aswang takes a swing but they easily dodge the attack. The manananggals continue to pierce it with a sleeping agent and finally, the aswang falls.

The aswang falls and with a large thud, they drag the aswang back to the cell. The one with the skulls and its neck yells for the others how did that aswang escape?

"Rayong, don't be mad at us. We pierced this one with our tongues and made sure it is asleep before we drag it out of the cell. But suddenly it woke up and transformed itself to this huge form."

Rayong, the one with the skulls flies to the one who spoke asked calmly. "I do understand that you failed to secure our sacrifice for the night. Now tell me what you can do to fix this mistake."

The manananggal smiled and confidently replied "We got him now. We just need to hack this huge aswang in half and sacrifice the blood for our Lord!"

Rayong smiled and hug him. "Attaboy." Then the manananggal in his accepted his hug and gave a warm embrace in return. But Rayong has other plans in mind, he pierced the manananggal's neck with his sleeping agent and the manananggal slowly loses his strength, his wings stop flapping and eventually falls to the ground and fell asleep.

"You want to cut a body of an aswang, who is strong as iron?! We cannot dent their bodies. We can pierce thru our tongues but opening them whole is impossible! This is why we need the aswang in their human form and then we sacrifice them."

The manananggals in the area stared in silence. Rayong signals his men to carry the sleeping manananggal and sacrifice him instead. The frog watches in amusement; barbaric ways of the aswang, the disorganized unity of the Antrian races, and even the manananggal killing their men due to mediocrity. The frog remembers why he picked Juan in the first place as his partner being a Frog Shaman – it's because Juan has compassion.

A strong knight can pose the most powerful weapon to defeat his foes, but what is a knight if his kingdom is gone? What does a man do when life beats and destroys him? Juan was born from a race of powerful beings, taught magic by the most powerful runemaster, wields power from the Chronicle's blessing and the arts of the Frog Shaman and yet he always used it to guide others away from the path of destruction. Even the aswang, once the enemy of the guardians, Juan showed them the way away from fear.

"Reminiscing of me eh friend?" Juan's words fill the frog's head. The frog asked him what happened and Juan told him that the other frog was filled with fear that Juan felt the fear enter his head. He manages to calm down and reconnect with his frog. The frog was glad and informed Juan what happened while he was gone.

"I see, well… do you think what I am thinking?" Juan asked his friend and the frog nods. "Good! Now let us find those cells and unlock them. Let's make a riot!"

The frog leaps carefully from room to room. A lot of manananggal is in the air, flying about, and seems to be preparing for the ritual. The frog manages to get to a storage room with clothes being dried up and an overpowering smell of lime lingers in the area. Juan and the frog take a look around and found a large sack of lime fruits are everywhere. Juan deducts that these are clothes and items from their kidnapped victims and soaked in water with lime fruits like lemon, oranges, and calamansi to remove the smell of blood. Then maybe they will use it again or even recycle their clothes to other materials.

"Despite the bloody nature of the manananggal, they seem to be tidy and clean freaks". Juan thinks about and finds that correct, the place seems to be spotless and the cave, despite being old and dusty, remains tidy. Juan was about to touch the lemon but the frog leaps away.

"Scared of the lemon?" Juan asked his frog. The frog shakes his head and explains that he still has open wounds. Touching the lime juice will bring them immense pain. Juan pulls back and lets his friend leap out of the area. "I am sorry about that. I let my hunger get the best of me." Juan explains that all of this magic he used all night starts to make him hungry. The frog knows and offers Juan that he can eat some flies if he sees any. "On a second thought, I am good now." The two friends laugh it out as they proceed to find the victims.

They finally entered the prison and saw a lot of iron cages in the area and the middle is the huge aswang from earlier is chained up on the ground. The place is currently quiet as the victims are all asleep. Most of the manananggals are called into the altar where Rayong will perform a sacrifice for their Anito.

Juan sees a lot of races are taken: Tikbalang, Duwende, Diwata, Kapre, Syokoy and Aswang. Juan checked the cages and see that the locks can brittle and easily broken. "Even kids can open this, that's why they need to be asleep." Juan shakes his head as he frog leaps about to find a way to wake them up.

Juan transforms the frog into his form with aswang like features and assumed control. He opens the cell nearest to him and slaps the face of a sleeping kapre. "Come on man, I need you awake. " A slap does nothing. Two slaps make the kapre's cheeks red. Three slaps, his cheeks begin to swell but no signs of waking. Tries to wake up the others but none of his methods is working.

Bam bam bam! Juan hears the drums and the singing of the manananggal; the ritual has begun. Juan needs to figure out how to wake them up before any of them can be sacrificed. Juan sees the wounds all over the big aswang's body. He smiles mischievously under the sheets of the bed at Vale and his frog nods. If there is one thing Juan is good at it's his trickery. Juan makes haste, he goes to the storage room and grabs some lime fruits, and runs back to the prison, and squeezes the juice out of the fruit and into the wounds of the aswang.

The painful sting was unbearable and. Whatever dream the aswang had, it all disappears the instant that lime juice made contact with the wounds. The aswang opens its eyes and wriggles in pain, its big arms pull the chains, and the aswang about to scream but Juan jumps over the aswang and covers his mouth with his two hands.

"SHHH! Keep it down there! I'm here to rescue you guys!" The aswang was hesitant at first but the moment it saw Juan's lower half and still got his legs – the lips remains sealed.

"Who are you brave one? And how did you wake me up?" The aswang asked Juan as the chains holding the aswang down were carefully pulled to not create any noise.

"I am Juan of the Blackfoot clan to the rescue!" While holding up the citrus fruits. The aswang raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I never heard of you before." Replied the giant aswang. Juan didn't show it but he sweats nervously and as usual, he lays his way out of any sticky situation.

"Oh, it's because I was Inang's secret apprentice and we like to keep it that way. I was part of the group that was sent to Vale to get Leshin. We didn't get him but when we get back we heard that other aswang and Inang were taken – so this is why I rescue you and hopefully find Inang here" Juan puts a worried face as he tries to convince this aswang.

The aswang stood and nods. "Thank you, Juan, I didn't know that Inang had a secret apprentice. Now tell me, what's the plan and where are the other aswang?"

"Well, they are on their way here. That I can assure you"

"Okay Juan, when are they arriving?" at this point, Juan took a long pause. He did leave the group without telling them his plans.

"Soon, I promise you. But for now, it thinks it's best we wake the others up too and fight our way out of here." Juan tries to convince the aswang but it didn't work. At best the aswang is irritated at Juan's answers.

"Juan, stop. We are stuck here and there is too much manananggal for me to handle at once. I tried escaping earlier" the aswang stops and looks at the wounds it received. "And it didn't work."

"I agree that's why we need them" Juan points to the other sleeping victims around them.

"And which one is going to fight with us, Juan? Those helpless children? Or maybe that old tikbalang with its red cheeks? Maybe those aswangs can fight and some of the victims can use their magic but I doubt a small resistance can deal with a cave full of manananggal. Plus, that moment they wake up, they will immediately scream seeing an aswang on its true form and maybe accuse us of kidnapping us in the first place or worst might not even help us at all."

The aswang leans on the ground as it licks its wounds. Juan can sense the same fear this aswang had when he talked to Tatang. Crippled by fear and hopelessness can put even the strongest being into a corner. Juan, tired of seeing other people being drag by their negative emotions, decides to sit down with the aswang.

"I did not come this far just to see my people die. Maybe Inang was sacrificed before I got here or maybe she is located with one of these cells. But I am damn sure I will fight the manananggal just to see all of you guys out of this hole."

"Juan, that is never noble of you. But it is best to wait it out and wait for your other aswang to arrive and save us. It's useless to escape if that manananggal with skulls on his neck got some concoction that can put anyone back to sleep."

"And what if those aswangs met that guy? It wouldn't matter as if we saved some lives if not all?"

The aswang pauses and didn't see it that way. Juan remarks that maybe they might be different from the other race but it doesn't mean we can try to trust one another. Juan recalls that Tatang said that they were shunned by the other races due to their appearance.

"Tatang told me that we were cast out due to our difference from the other races. Maybe it's time we show the other race what we can do. Undo the mistake and let them perceive for what we are"

"Monsters, that's what they call us" the aswang still refuses to accept Juan's idea.

"And when we helped them, they will perceive as something more." Juan smile and extends his hand. Turns the other way and looks at the cells.

"And let say they agree to help us, what can we do against their sleeping agent on us and that guy"

Juan smiles and taps the aswang he shows his sword and the citrus fruit. "This thing stings and kept you awake right?"

The aswang looks dumbfounded and amused at some time. "You are indeed the best secret apprentice that Inang have." The aswang smile and stand up.

Juan smiles back and both proceed to work. Juan returns to the storage room and brings every citrus fruit he can to the prison room. The aswang opens the cells and gathers all of them in one spot. Once all of the victims are released from their cage, the aswang cuts their palms open.

After Juan gathers enough fruits, he looks over the sleeping victims and pours the juice on their palms. One by one awakes and in a panic. The aswang first awaken and they are easily calm down by the big aswang. The others from different races are a different matter, Juan first wakes the capable-looking ones like the herd tikbalang, the large kapre, and the swift syokoy. At first, some of them didn't trust the aswang but Juan manages to gain their trust with his silver tongue. Juan next awakens the older ones and explained the situation to them, they calmly agree to trust Juan and finally, Juan was about to awaken the children but the big aswang stopped Juan.

"Hear that?" The big aswang asked Juan. The drums have intensified and the manananggals prayers are replaced by shouting and celebration. From the distance, the voice of the leader of the manananggal Rayong moves from room to room "BRING MORE TOBE SACRIFICED! OUR LORD DEMANDS IT!"

The screeches of the manananggal flood the caves. Juan and the group know they need to go now before the manananggal knows what's up.

The big aswang turns to Juan "These kids will just panic and might be a hindrance once a fight broke out."

An old elf raises his hand "I'll speak for the older people here. We old ones will protect the children but we cannot fight while carrying them." the other elderly agrees.

"We will protect you as the best as we can." Some of the tikbalang and other races chime in. "We are ready to protect you but we cannot hold the manananggal for long," says one of the syokoy.

"And let us move forward and take the brunt of the manananggal. You guys stick with each other we got this" says the big aswang.

"Good, now that's settled . . . let's escape before they catch us here. I know the layout when I enter this place. And remember to be silent as much as possible and hide if things get tough." Juan then leads the group into the cave system.

Since Juan has seen the cave system he took the long route to the back entrance; this route has enough space for them to move and plenty of places to hide if there are manananggal that comes their way.

"The prisoners have awakened and escaped!" roared one of the manananggal. Then the cave system became silent – the drums are gone and the only thing Juan can hear is his frog's heartbeat.

"My friend, I am running on fumes but I will do my best to protect you and the crowd out of here" thou the frog doesn't reply Juan feels the frog's affirmation. "Thanks, buddy."

Juan and the group walk carefully among the cave system. Juan and the other aswang cannot hear them as their wings are silent to their ears. Tensions are high as they can feel any sound that came from the cave can be their doom.

Juan safely led so far and is near to the entrance of the cave. Juan first steps out from a corner and inspects the room – all is clear. Juan was about to take a step further when his frog suddenly takes control of the body and jumps back.

A fast-moving claw almost rips Juan in half. "WOAH! How did you know there was an enemy there?" Juan asks the frog as he is watching his friend take control of his movement and lands. "Instincts, Juan. Think like the hunter as clearly, you guys are the prey." The frog returns to the back of Juan's mind and lets Juan take control again.

The manananggal screams for the others to come and soon Juan is surrounded by a swarm of swirling manananggal. It looks like a black tornado that swirls Juan. Luckily the group isn't seen yet by the manananggal as their attention is Juan. Rayong flies in the middle of the group and smirks at Juan "What a foolish attempt to escape us."

Rayong pulls out a bottle and throws its content on Juan's footing. The stench of the sleeping agent is so powerful that one whiff of it dulls the sense. But Juan got a plan B for anything. Juan slices his palm and opens a bag of calamansi. He pours the citrus on his wound; its sting was so strong that it felt his palm is being stung by multiple ants. Juan manages to stave off being asleep and ready his pose.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!" Rayong exclaims that never before his concoction was bested.

"Gardening! Do you know you can squeeze these into good sweet juices if you add some honey with it? Offer this to your lord and maybe he can stop drinking our blood?"

"CAPTURE HIM!" Rayong's blood boils from the way Juan mocks their lord.

Juan then runs for the entrance and the manananggal throws their tongues to stab Juan and inject him a large dosage of anesthesia to make him fall asleep. Juan activates his magic to increase this body's reflexes. "Buddy, let's dance with them but let me control your speech. Let me draw them." Juan passes the control back to his frog and lets him dodge the attack.

Juan manages to draw every manananggals' attention to him. Juan dodges most attacks and those that will hit him, the sword slice it up with ease. Juan twists and twirls in the air; some of his evasive moves manage to dodge an attack hit other manananggal in the process. One by one the manananggals are either dropping or their tongue being cut off.

"Seriously? I am leaping like a frog and you can catch your sacrifice? Man, your lord of whatever will be disappointed" It might not be obvious to others but Juan is burning his magic even more. It's a good thing the large aswang notice what Juan was doing.

From the darkness, large hands grab two unsuspecting manananggals and crush them. The big aswang emerges from the shadow and roars. The manananggals are disoriented with fear! And with this change – the aswang emerges from the shadow and they tackle the swarming manananggal around Juan.

Rayong disoriented from the roar lands on the ground. Juan seizes this opportunity and tackles Rayong and they land near the entrance of the cave. Juan manages to slice Rayong left-wing but Rayong gets on top of Juan and manages to slice his arm. Juan kicks Rayong away and both rolled from each other.

Rayong pulls another bottle and throws it on the ground. Smoke began to spread around him and Juan. Juan asks his frog to listen carefully, the left-wing will give him away as blood will start to drip from the cut. And he was right, Juan manages to hear the blood drips from his left then to his right, and a small delay from in front of him. Juan jumps in the air and blocks the attack from Rayong.

Not to be deterred, Rayong launches his tongue and tries to pierce Juan's head. Juan negates his magic and shirks back a frog dodging the attack in the process. His frog latches on the back of Rayong and transforms back to his human aswang form and stabs Rayong's right-wing and slice it open.

Rayong screams in pain. The other manananggals are busy with the aswangs, the large one is good at disorienting the manananggal in the air, and once they land the other races like the tikbalang and syokoy are on it to finish the manananggal. Other manananggal that manage to resist the roar are kept busy by the magic caster on the ground and the aswang assaulting them in the air. Their manananggal's speed means nothing if they are bombarded by strong sonic waves infused with fear and assault from the ground and the air. Their focus is divided, their leader struggling and their lord is nowhere to save them.

Juan sees this and proudly stands to see the day the aswang and the other races of Antrian finally working together. Rayong tries to crawl away but Juan grabs him by the wing "Where do you think you're going?" Juan tried to try to drag the crawling Rayong.

In a desperate move, Rayong holds his three-skulled necklace to the sky and yells some incarnation and ended it with yell "My Lord! Give me the strength to prove our worth! The manananggal needs you!"

The three skulls glow their eyes with red menacing lighting crackles from within the three skulls reassemble themselves and formed the anito. The red light passes thru Rayong and a dark voice speaks thru him "My children, your worth will be weighed by the blood you gave me!"

Red lighting passes thru the anito and hits every manananggal alive in the vicinity. The manananggal didn't receive any physical changes but their eyes are full of fury as it crackles with lighting and their claw can be seen shining. The aswang can see red mist began to form around the manananggal.

One aswang didn't mind and tries to attack the manananggal mid-transformation. The manananggal didn't flinch at all and gutted the aswang in return. Their claws are now infused with lighting magic and make the aswang's harden skin seems paper.

A diwata uses her magic and blasts the manananggal left arm off but just like last time, the manananggal didn't mind and continue its attack. The manananggal almost bite her but a tikbalang manage to push the manananggal in the nick of time.

The manananggal flies back up and continues its attack. The diwata cast her fireball and it manages to blow the manananggal's head off and this time it stays dead. As she celebrates the death of her enemy, lighting passes from this dead manananggal to the nearest manananggal. Now this one's lighting grew powerful and its attacks seem to be stronger.

"Foolish child – your death only gives me sustenance. There is no way you can defeat them." The voice from Rayong continues to mock Juan. "My children do not feel pain. They do not know fear. And only knows death."

"Juan! Killing one of them works but their life forces transfer to the others and make them even harder to deal with!" The large aswang yells as it instructs the other aswang to back up in a defensive state.

Rayong is there just holding the anito in his arms. Juan tries to stab Rayong but there seems to be an invisible force that doesn't allow his blade to connect with Rayong. He tries to slice the anito but seems a thing happened.

"JUAN! We cannot keep this up!" the big aswang yells as it tries to swat the manananggal but they are getting faster and faster. And manage to land hits on the big aswang.

"Keep them distracted! I will find a way!" Juan yells and observes the anito state closely.

"Child, you and your clan can join me. I can spare the aswang clan and let them join in my army."

"Please? Let me guess, you will use us so we can sacrifice more people in your name. Please I know your identity. You're no god, no lord or savior of the manananggal. You're using them, Bakunawa."

The anito's eyes sparks; Rayong turns to anito to face Juan. It got Juan's attention and as this was happening an aswang manages to grab one of the manananggal and bite its throat off but this time lighting didn't pass to others. Juan's talk manages to distract the anito and this caught the attention of the big aswang. It informs the others to keep fighting and not to distract Juan.

"You know me? Ah, so you should know my capability and strengths and most of, what I am" the voice from Rayong continues to be allured.

"Of course, I met one of your friends – Daija. He did a bad one at an island in Antrian." Juan sits on the ground casually with his sword lying on the ground and just across the anito.

"HA! Daija?! Did he now!" the anito laughs in disbelief. "That opportunist is the slowest among us and he survived all this time?" The anito shakes and returns to Juan "And you should realize how your world will crumble once we returned"

"Yeah well, we killed him and stopped him with your Bathala part collection adventure." Juan bluffs just to give more time for time.

The anito didn't move for a bit. "Did you know? And how was that? No one manages to kill us Dogon."

"We did; Daija used a pawn just like your Rayong. And we manage to kill him and finally Daija. You don't believe me? Why don't you ask your manananggal to go there and see for yourself?"

Juan puts a poker but deep inside he laughs as the manananggal behind the anito is being taken care of easily by the aswang. The anito fell silent then its eyes crackles with red lighting and replied "Thank you for informing me this child. So you're telling me that this generation has learned about the body part of Bathala and manage to kill Daija with it."

Juan confidently nods.

"Then I should get moving and kill all of you before you can kill me" the anito's eyes sparks once more.

The manananggal began to charge up. More and more red mist and exhumed from their body. Their body boils from the rage that the anito feels. He fears his death will come, his shivers on the thought that he will finally die and palpitates in rage that such feeble creature can kill them. The anger boils the blood of the anito from within and gives them the power they need but in return, their blood evaporates from their skin giving them a red visage that covers them.

"CRAP! I made it angry!" Juan panics and grabs his sword and tries again to piece the anito but the invisible barrier is still there. The manananggal begin to move in such an erratic manner that even aswang are having a difficult time predicting their movement. The big one is receiving wounds after wounds and eventually, the other aswang are dropping like flies.

"JUAN! Do something!" The big aswang yells as its body is starting to be painted with its blood.

"Damn it! I got no other way. I'm going in!" Juan gives the frog back its control to the body. Juan created a physic link with the anito and enters the subconscious mind of a Dogon.

"Now Bakunawa, show me your secrets!" Juan dives into the unknown recess of an ancient being and begins his mental battle to their victory.