7:46 PM (currently planning how to save Tasyo)
Ramel: "Are you telling me that a corrupted soul can't be detected by you—a Panggulo?"
Venus: "Yeah… Lea told me about it."
(Flashback: One week before the mission)
Lea, the Punong Albularyo of the 5th company, currently staying at the 7th company's home base, speaks with Venus.
Lea: "Venus, this mission you're about to join is a joint operation under the authority of the 3rd, 5th, and 7th Pato. It's not like the regular assignments you're used to. This one… could decide your future, depending on your performance."
Venus swallows nervously.
Venus: "What's the mission about?"
Lea: "It's mainly related to corrupted beings… or to be more specific—Aswangs."
Venus was surprised upon hearing those words.
Venus: "Wait, why? I specialize in dealing with Engkantos—not corrupted beings."
Lea: "You just became a candidate to be a Punong Albularyo the other day, right?"
Venus: "Ye… yes."
Lea: "That's likely the reason you were chosen for this mission. You have potential. You're already walking the same path as us Punong Albularyo… but that path is long. You've only just begun. That's why you need to build experience—especially against our other ancient rivals… the Aswang. That experience will help shorten your journey."
Lea's tone softens as she continues.
Lea: "Don't worry. You won't be alone on this. Our Tangan Panabla will be part of this mission too, along with some of your fellow Panggulo and members from the 3rd company."
Venus sigh then places her hand over her chest and bows respectfully.
Venus: "I'm Venus Hiraya, Panggulo of the 7th company. I accept this mission."
Lea smiles at Venus's resolve—but inside, she knows Venus has no idea how difficult and brutal this Ban-Se mission truly is.
Venus: "Well… even though I just accepted, I still don't know anything about Aswangs."
Lea: "That's alright. Your Punong Albularyo and I will train you."
But still, Venus's face held a look of concern.
Lea: "Then let me give you some pointers—something to ease your worry, even just a bit."
Venus: "Heh, what is it?"
Lea: "You see… Aswangs were once human."
Venus's eyes widened in shock.
Venus: "What?!"
Lea: "Looks like you didn't know. Let me start from the beginning. First—let's talk about the Engkanto. Even though we consider them enemies, their souls are still noble in their own way. And since Engkata is a descendant of Agma, who is also an Engkanto, we're more closely connected to them through the soul."
Lea pauses, then adds a smirk.
Lea: "Just think of them as distant cousins—cousins who want to rule the world and kill you. As for the Aswang... before they became like that, they were human. But they gave in to their darkest or evil desires. Their souls became corrupted. hence why we call them corrupted beings. And that's where the real problem comes in."
Venus: "Why is that?"
Lea: "Because of their corruption, our souls can't connect with theirs. In summary We can't sense them like we do other beings. The only time we can detect them is when they release their ill intent in their full corrupted form."
Lea taps her finger against her staff.
Lea: "That's why we rely on totems made from the Balete tree. They help us share our senses with them—at least enough to catch a trace."
7:55 PM – Currently examining the original soul that remains inside Tasyo
Ramel: "Yeah, I get it—you can't sense corrupted souls. But still, how are you going to do this?"
Venus: "First, we need him unconscious."
Ramel nodded. Without hesitation, he grabbed Tasyo by the face and slammed him into the ground, cracking it on impact.
Tasyo: "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
Ramel: "Right. I forgot how tough these guys are."
He kept slamming Tasyo into the ground—over and over. After the twentieth hit, Tasyo finally passed out.
Venus: "Uh… what just happened?"
Both Elayna and Venus stared at Ramel, dumbfounded.
Elayna: "Are you sure that was the best way? It looked like you were trying to kill him."
Ramel: "I already slammed him into walls earlier, and he still had enough strength to fight. That's why I was about to decapitate him—before you stopped me."
Then Ramel shifted the topic.
Ramel: "Anyway, how are you planning to save him if you can't even sense his corrupted soul?"
Venus: "Oh, right. Yeah—I can't sense them. But that doesn't mean I can't use them."
Ramel: "What do you mean?"
Venus: "When I possessed someone earlier, I noticed that every time I used a spell, it burned a bit of the corrupted soul. It's complicated, but in theory—it might work. If I possess his body, I might be able to use the corrupted part and release it through a spell... Right now, his original soul isn't fully gone. There's still about 10% left."
She looked at Ramel and Elayna, then gave a small nod—ready to begin.
Without another word, Venus began drawing Baybayin letters on Tasyo's forehead using her own blood—the same ritual she had used earlier.
After a few seconds, Venus's body slumped forward, unconscious.
Suddenly, Tasyo's eyes snapped open.
Ramel: "Venus?"
Elayna: "Venus? Are you there?"
Both moved closer, watching carefully.
Tasyo (Venus): "Yeah... I'm here."
Elayna: "How are you feeling?"
Tasyo (Venus): "My head hurts… a lot. I didn't expect the pain to transfer to me when I possess someone."
Ramel: "Honestly, I didn't think it would work."
Elayna: "Yeah, me neither."
Venus took a moment to breathe through the pain, then continued.
Tasyo (Venus): "Anyway, the plan is to keep casting spells to burn away the corrupted soul. Since only 10% of his original soul is left, I have to be careful not to burn it."
She looked at both of them and gave a nod.
Tasyo (Venus): "Alright. Here I go."
Venus raised her hand, forming a spell. A glowing orb formed—similar to the one she used in the warehouse—but this time it pulsed with darkness, wrapped in thick miasma.
Ramel: "It's working... the corruption's releasing from Tasyo's body."
Then, a quiet tik-tik sound can be heard in the air.
Elayna's ears twitched. She turned sharply toward the sound.
Elayna: "Shit… this is bad. Ramel, get ready—something's coming. Guarding Venus is our priority."
Ramel immediately readied his axe, stepping in front of Venus. Elayna unsheathed her daggers, taking position beside him. They stood still, tense, waiting.
Elayna: "It's too quie—"
Suddenly, the wall burst open. A blur of movement—the Tiktik—struck Elayna in the stomach with a powerful kick. She was sent flying, crashing into the far wall with a loud thud.
The Tiktik lunged toward Venus's unconscious body, retracting its claw and reshaping it into a spear-like form.
Just as it was about to strike—
A slashing sound can be heard.
Ramel intercepted it with blinding speed, his axe cleaving through the creature's arm before it could land the blow.
Tiktik: "AHHHHHHHHH!!"
The monster shrieked and leapt backward, clutching its severed limb.
But Ramel didn't give it a chance to breathe. In a blur, he appeared in front of the Tiktik, grabbed its face with one hand, and said:
Ramel: "Let's take this outside."
Then, with brutal force, Ramel slammed the Tiktik through the wall—intentionally breaking through the structure to force the fight outside.
Ramel still had a tight grip on the Tiktik's face as both of them plummeted off a cliff. Mid-fall, Ramel released the creature and quickly hacked at the cliffside with his axe to slow his descent. The maneuver worked, but not without consequence—he scraped and bruised his body against the rock. The Tiktik, unfazed, extended his razor-sharp nails and stabbed them into the cliff wall, mimicking the descent.
As soon as the Tiktik landed at the base, Ramel didn't give him a moment to breathe. With blinding speed, he charged forward, instantly closing the distance. He swung his axe with lethal force, but the Tiktik ducked low, narrowly dodging the blow. In retaliation, he launched a powerful kick toward Ramel's stomach. He blocked it with his leg, but the sheer strength of the aswang still overpowered him. He was hurled backward—though he managed to twist midair and land squarely on his feet.
Tiktik: "Gotta say, you really are something, kiddo. Not even giving me a second to recover… and you've got the guts to take me on alone? Looks like you're underes—"
Before he could finish, Ramel rushed again, cutting him off with another furious attack. This time, the blow was blocked by the Tiktik's fully healed right arm.
Tiktik: "Are you really that confident you can beat me?"
With a sinister grin, the Tiktik's body began to shift and contort. Muscles stretched, bones cracked, and a guttural snarl echoed through the clearing. The creature was fully transforming—revealing his true, monstrous form.