In the forest outside the town, a large armed group could be seen gathered. At the center, two figures sat close together — the clear leaders of the group.
Henchman: "Do we really have to go and find those people? Heck, we don't even know if that group you're talking about is even here. What do you call them again… Agi… agima…?"
Group Leader: "Agimatayo."
Henchman: "Yeah, that's it. But still, it might just be a coincidence."
Group Leader: "Impossible. Think about it — both the barangay hall and the warehouse were destroyed and burned, and the culprits still haven't been caught."
The group leader leaned forward slightly before continuing.
Group Leader: "Don't worry. We already have intel on where some of their members are. Two Tiktik are tracking them right now."
Henchman: "Then why aren't we helping them?"
Group Leader: "Relax. We're the backup. If they manage to find their targets, we'll know. We'll hear the cry of a Tiktik."
As if on cue, a loud Tiktik call echoed from the distance. Both men immediately stood up, and one of the henchmen grinned.
(Fun fact: If a Tiktik sounds quiet, it means it's close. If the sound is loud, it's actually far away.)
Group Leader: "Speak of the devil."
Henchman: "Looks like they've encountered some of them."
Both of them suddenly transformed fully into Tiktik.
Group Leader: "All of you, follow both of—"
He was abruptly cut off by one of his members, a man wearing a red cap.
Guard: "Sir, wait!!"
Group Leader (Tiktik): "Son of a WHAT!?"
Guard: "Someone wanted me to give this to you."
The guard with a red cap handed over a small sphere-shaped vial to the leader, who was now fully transformed into a Tiktik. The moment it touched his clawed hand, the liquid inside began to boil violently.
Group Leader (Tiktik): "What's this…?"
The vial hissed and bubbled even harder until—
BOOM!
The glass shattered, releasing a thick, burning miasma that engulfed the entire group.
Henchman (Tiktik): "AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Group Leader (Tiktik): "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Both shrieked in agony as their skin began to smoke and blister.
In the chaos, the man with the red cap lunged, driving a blade into the neck of one of the leader's Tiktik henchmen. Before he could finish the decapitation, the Group Leader grabbed his arm, halting the strike mid-swing.
With a roar, the Group Leader drove his knee upward, aiming to crush the attacker—but the red-cap man countered, slamming a balisong knife straight into the leader's knee.
Snarling in pain, the Group Leader kicked his wounded subordinate out to safety.
Group Leader (Tiktik): "WHO ARE YOU!!?"
Rain started to pour, pattering hard on the ground.
The red-capped figure said nothing then proceed to spun his body, gaining momentum, and aimed his weapon at the Group Leader's neck. The Tiktik leader tilted his head sideways, the blade only managing to graze his cheek. Snarling, the leader retaliated with a swipe of his sharp claws, but his opponent slipped away. His claws tore through the red cap instead, slicing it clean off and revealing the man beneath.
It was Andaya.
Without hesitation, Andaya charged. The Tiktik leader roared and lunged to meet him. Their clash was brutal—Andaya weaving and dodging the ferocious strikes, his blade cutting through the air with precision, while the Tiktik threw every ounce of his strength into trying to land a fatal blow. All the while, the Aswang struggled to regenerate his burning, smoking wounds from the Luzbrasa's mist.
As the fight raged, another enemy suddenly leapt at Andaya's back, claws outstretched for his neck. Andaya reacted in an instant, flipping backward and driving his knee into the creature's face. The impact cracked bone, sending the attacker staggering. But as he steadied, Andaya saw black smoke oozing from the enemy's body.
Andaya: "So this is what they call a pseudo-Aswang… And by the looks of it, the Luzbrasa's mist doesn't affect them."
Before he could press further, the sky above darkened. A van came hurtling down, crashing with explosive force where Andaya had stood. He rolled aside, but the wreckage separated him from the Tiktik leader.
Pseudo-Aswang: "OPEN FIRE!!!"
Gunfire erupted, a storm of bullets tearing into the air. Andaya moved like lightning—slicing, deflecting, dodging, his blade flashing as he dove behind the twisted remains of the van for cover.
Andaya thought quickly. He grabbed the bottom of the van, pushed with all his strength, and lifted it onto its side, using it as a shield. Then, with another push, he started moving it forward.
The henchmen were shocked.
Henchman: "He's pushing the van straight at us!"
They fired again, but the van kept moving. One of them was crushed against a tree. Another barely rolled away in time. The van split their group—two on the left, two on the right.
Andaya the threw the van. It smashed down on the left side, crushing the enemies. He rushed to the right side, deflecting more bullets as he closed in. His fist slammed into the first henchman's stomach, making him cough blood before collapsing. The last one tried to aim, but Andaya cut his gun in half and punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.
Andaya stood still for a moment, catching his breath. Then, calmly, he slid his blade back into its sheath.
A moment later, Andaya heard footsteps. Three figures walked out, black smoke pouring off their bodies.
Without a word, they rushed him.
The first one shot out a long tongue, aiming for his head. Andaya dodged and grabbed it, pulling it tight like a rope.
The second enemy came in from his blind spot, claws ready to strike. The third swung in from his right side.
Andaya didn't panic. He yanked the tongue hard, then drove its sharp tip straight into the second enemy's eye. Blood sprayed as the creature dropped, screaming. At the same time, Andaya leaned back just enough to dodge the claws from his right.
In one smooth move, he let go of the tongue, pulled out his blade, and slashed across the third enemy's back, cutting deep. The creature stumbled forward with a howl.
Andaya straightened up, eyes locked on the last two.
Andaya: "So… which one of you assholes threw that van at me?"