Chapter 50: Harrow and Bagwis

Chapter 50: Harrow and Bagwis

After hearing the creature when Reese bashed open the door, he was shocked. "How did you know I was coming?" Reese demanded, his voice edged with disbelief.

The creature, cloaked in shadows, let out a low, sinister chuckle. "It doesn't take a genius to understand you," the creature in front of him sneered, stepping forward into the faint light. "We knew you were going to investigate the other malls after you interrogated those useless humans. So, the League sent me here for backup, and here you are, just as expected."

Reese's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. He understood now. The League of Shadows had anticipated his every move, laying a trap that he had unwittingly walked into. 'No wonder I could not find anything in the other malls, The other one is actually here.' Reese thought as he watched the figure in front of him warely.

Drawing upon his heightened senses, Reese detected the presence of a creature lurking just 20 meters to his right. Yet, try as he might, he couldn't discern its shape, for it was shrouded in a pitch-black shadow that seemed to swallow the light around it. Reese could also feel that these two creatures were more powerful than Serpenthia. But Reese did not mind; now that he had made a breakthrough and mastered the new technique, he could fight them head-to-head. 'Or should I say head to heads?' Reese smirked at how cringey he was.

But Reese's attention was on the human-shaped figure before him. Reese's instincts screamed at him, saying that something was amiss. Despite its outward human appearance, his spiritual sense told him that this human-shaped figure was not human at all. Its aura was different from that of a human, tinged with a darkness that sent alarm bells ringing in Reese's mind.

With a furrowed brow, Reese weighed his options, his inner dialogue a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. 

As the human-shaped creature stared at Reese and said, "Are you the one who slayed Serpenthia?" its voice carried a haunting melody that seemed to echo through the darkness of the hall. 

Reese squared his shoulders, meeting the creature's gaze with unwavering determination. "Yes, I am," he replied proudly, a sense of accomplishment swelling within him.

As Reese confirmed his role in Serpenthia's demise, a sinister aura seemed to emanate from the human-shaped creature before him. Its eyes, once filled with a haunting elegance, now glowed with a menacing crimson light, casting an eerie glow across the dimly lit hall.

"You dare to challenge the might of the League of Shadows," the creature intoned, its voice dripping with arrogance and contempt. "To think that a mere mortal could slay one of our lieutenants. Such audacity."

Reese held his ground, refusing to be intimidated by the creature's arrogant demeanor. "I did what I had to do to protect those children," he retorted, his voice steady despite the rising tension in the air. "If that means facing the League of Shadows, then bring it on!"

The creature's lips curled into a disdainful sneer as it regarded Reese with thinly veiled contempt. "You are nothing but a fool," it spat, its voice laced with venom. "To think that you could stand against us and emerge victorious. You will regret the day you crossed paths with the League of Shadows." 

The creature's eyes narrowed, its expression darkening with anger. "You may have killed Serpenthia, but you have made a grave mistake," it snarled, its voice echoing through the hallway like a thunderclap. 

"After we capture you, human," the creature hissed, its voice laced with venomous intent, "we will seek out your family and all those you hold dear. And before your very eyes, we will slay them, one by one."

As the creature spoke, it slowly emerged from the shadows, its form taking shape in the dim light. Reese's eyes widened in shock as he beheld the creature before him—it was a Tikbalang, a mythical creature from Filipino folklore known for its horse-like appearance and mischievous nature.

The Tikbalang stood tall and imposing, its body cloaked in shadows that seemed to writhe and twist around its form. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. With its horse-like head and muscular humanoid body, the Tikbalang exuded an aura of primal menace, its presence filling the hall with an oppressive weight.

Reese stared at the Tikbalang in disbelief. He had heard stories of these creatures, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would come face to face with one. 

As Reese stood face-to-face with the Tikbalang, a mixture of shock and disbelief flooded his mind. "You're a Tikbalang," he uttered, his voice barely above a whisper, as he struggled to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

"In the flesh," the Tikbalang replied, its voice echoing with a sinister undertone. The creature's presence loomed over him, casting a shadow of dread across the hallway.

Reese tore his gaze away from the Tikbalang and turned his attention to the human-shaped creature standing on the other side. With a furrowed brow, he addressed the mysterious figure. "And who might you be?" he inquired, his voice steady despite the rising tide of unease within him.

The creature's grin and its form began to shift and contort, its body morphing into a grotesque array of shapes and forms. With each transformation, Reese's heart pounded in his chest, a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. Even though he was not afraid, witnessing the creature change made him light-headed. 'How gnarley.'

Then, in a flash of movement, the creature settled into a new shape—a gray-skinned monstrosity with elongated arms, pointed ears like those of an elf, and a mouth twisted into a menacing grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth and a long, slithering tongue. Its nails gleamed like polished steel, each one sharpened to a deadly point.

A wave of realization washed over Reese as he beheld the creature's true form. "An Aswang," he whispered, his mind racing as he pieced together the puzzle before him. He had heard stories of these creatures, dark entities from Filipino folklore known for their insatiable hunger for human flesh. 

After transforming into its true form, the Aswang stepped forward, its gray skin shimmering in the dim light as it introduced itself with a voice that seemed to echo from the depths of the underworld. "I am Harrow," it proclaimed, its tone dripping with malice. "The third lieutenant of the League of Shadows."

Beside Harrow, the Tikbalang shifted restlessly, its equine features contorting into a sinister grin. "And I am Bagwis," it announced, its voice a haunting whisper that seemed to echo with the whispers of the night. "The second lieutenant."

Reese watched with a mixture of apprehension and determination as Harrow and Bagwis revealed their names and ranks. He could sense the malevolence emanating from them, a darkness that seemed to coil around them like a cloak.

"And what is your name, human?" Bagwis asked with a smirk, its eyes gleaming with a predatory glint as it fixed its gaze on Reese.

"If you want to know my name, then defeat me first," Reese said smugly as he took out his Arnis Sticks and unleashed his soul power. 

Bagwis's smirk faltered slightly as Reese's defiant words reverberated through the hall. A flicker of surprise danced across its features, quickly masked by a veneer of confidence. Beside it, Harrow shifted uneasily, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the human before them.

As Reese unleashed his soul power, a palpable pressure filled the air, causing Bagwis and Harrow to exchange wary glances. The intensity of Reese's aura caught them off guard, its strength far surpassing what they had anticipated from a mere mortal. But the pressure coming from Reese did not last long.

"Such arrogance," Bagwis hissed, its voice laced with disdain as it attempted to regain its composure. "You underestimate the power of the League of Shadows, human. You will soon learn the folly of your words." 

With a swift motion, Bagwis and Harrow vanished into thin air, their forms melding seamlessly with the darkness around them. In the blink of an eye, they reappeared before Reese, their movements fluid and precise as they launched a coordinated attack.