Tantei High (Erityian Tribes, #1) | Published under Pop Fiction

Chapter 51 - To The Forest

"Shut up, Hiroshi. Huwag mong lokohin ang mga bata!" sigaw naman ni Ms. Reina kay Sir Hiroshi.

"But it looks like teleportation," Sir Hiroshi responded.

Wait. So that wasn't teleportation?

"We didn't teleport," Sir Hayate confessed. "Hiroshi just injected something to us that made us invisible for two minutes. The complexity of our body can't handle the mechanism of teleportation, after all."

"Done with your lesson?"

Napatingin kami kay Ma'am Ramos na biglang sumugod kay Sir Hayate. She moved so fast that I couldn't follow what she did.

"Kelan ka pa naging mainipin, Ma'am Ramos?" Ma'am Reina taunted and I was shocked to see her between Sir Hayate and Ma'am Ramos as she tried to fend off the enemy's sword. I wasn't able to follow her movements, too.

Napansin ko naman ang kakaibang sword na gamit ni Ma'am Ramos. Its hilt was placed in the middle and both ends have sharp blades. On the other hand, Ma'am Reina was using two short swords.

The two Reapers also lunged toward Sir Hiroshi and Sir Hayate, and all I could see were afterimages.

"Everyone, run!" sigaw ni Ken at ginamit namin ang pagkakataon na 'yon para makatakas mula sa Reapers. Nagulat na lang ako nang biglang may bumagsak na bomba kung nasaan kami a few seconds ago at kung hindi sumigaw si Ken ay baka kung napaano na kami.

"Shit. Naghahalu-halo na yung amoy ng gunpowder, dugo at kung anu-ano pa sa hangin," Ken muttered. Napansin ko kaagad na nagbago ang kulay ng mata niya from yellow green to light yellow. It seemed like he toned down the sensitivity of his sixth sense.

We got caught in group and individual fights as we pushed through the campus. I was worried with the students who were severely injured but we couldn't stop. I just hope the medical team could still save them.

Napatigil naman ako nang mahagip ng mga mata ko sina Mama at Sir Hideo sa pusod ng gubat pero agad din silang nawala. A gasp escaped my lips when I saw a part of the forest burning. I could also hear screams from everywhere and Shinigamis kept on forcing their way inside the campus.

Bigla akong kinabahan.

"Where are you going?"

Napalingon ako kay Hiro at silang lima ay nakatingin lang sa akin na parang nagtataka dahil nakaharap na ako sa gubat.

"I need to go there," I said.

"Bakit?" tanong naman ni Reiji.

"Akemi . . ." tawag ni Akane.

Alam kong sinabihan ako ni Mama na lumayo sa gubat pero mukhang susuwayin ko ulit ang utos niyang 'yon. I admit I was hardheaded but I wanted to see her.

"Sorry," sabi ko sa kanila at saka ako tumakbo papunta sa gubat.

I thought they would prevent me from going there but I was astounded when I saw them running with me.

"Why are you guys here?" tanong ko habang patuloy pa ring tumatakbo.

"We're a family. We can't just leave you alone," Akane said.

Bigla namang bumigat ang pakiramdam ko. I realized I was getting selfish and immature again and they got dragged as a result.

'Don't worry. We understand you.'

I was about to say something to him but we stopped in our tracks when the trio suddenly passed us by.

"How did . . ." Ken's voice faltered and he couldn't finish his statement anymore.

Hindi ko rin alam kung paano pero parang in-sync sina Ma'am Reina, Sir Hayate at Sir Hiroshi. Nakatalikod si Ma'am Reina kay Ma'am Ramos pero parang may mata siya sa likuran at naiiwasan niya lahat ng pag-atake sa kanya ni Ma'am Ramos. Si Sir Hayate naman ay biglang napalibutan ng kung anu-anong hologram. If I remembered it correctly, that was Sir Hiroshi's ability. How could Sir Hayate use that? Ano ang nangyayari sa kanilang tatlo?

Everything went wrong when Ma'am Ramos and Kyuuya decided to attack us instead of our teachers. We summoned our weapons but Ma'am Reina immediately intervened.

"I told you not to hurt my students, bitch!" she cursed and the next thing I knew, Ma'am Ramos was already wailing as her right arm got severed by Ma'am Reina's sword and some strange objects around her that kept on flickering.

"L-let's go!" sabay hatak sa akin ni Akane at tumakbo kami palayo sa kanila.

Napaisip naman ako dahil hindi ko maintindihan ang nangyari. It was if their abilities were interchanged. What happened back there?

"Hindi ko akalain na makikita ko sila na gano'n," sabi ni Akane nang makalayo na kami ro'n.

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"I've read about that unique ability in a book but I thought it was just some kind of myth."

I was about to ask her about it but my skin suddenly tingled. Pagtingin ko sa harapan namin ay may dalawang Shinigami nang nakaharang at kinilabutan ako nang akita ko kung sino sila.

"Oh. Our target willingly came to us," Ichiro said and I could still remember how he made me unconscious for two days.

Their expressions changed and they both looked at me. I readied my spear as they sprung toward me, but before I could defend myself, Akane had already placed herself between me and the two Shinigamis. She just blocked and stopped their momentum with her two swords and I could feel the anger radiating from her. After all, these two were the ones responsible for her mother's death.

"You already killed my mother," she growled. "I won't let you kill my friend, bastards."

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