Elric recalled the realization he had during his G.o.d Reckoning Tribulation. It was the same realization triggered by the warm soothing voice that eventually liberated him from his suffering."Life is the movement of time and things. Everything comes and goes. Let go of your attachments and discover the boundless power of your light."
Elric closed his senses and focused more on his existence. It was an empty yet present existence.
It was the "I" instead of him. He was present and at the same time everywhere. It felt so natural to him in a mysterious way.
He was everything and everywhere!
Instantly, All the thoughts about his current dilemma are erased with complete nothingness. It was as if they never existed in the first place. He let everything go and shrouded himself in nothing but blissful light.
He was light and free.
Unknowingly, his spiritual body floated above the stone stair and slowly advanced towards the long winding stair.
It did not take long before his surrounding view changed from pitch black into full brightness.
His body morphed back into his human form and he immediately felt the soft and dry touch of the beach sand. He was back in his physical state but in a completely mysterious place.
"Where am I?" Elric asked himself, trying his best to stay calm while his eyes scanned around seeking any trace from Kahayag who left him behind.
"Welcome, my child.." The same warm and soothing voice from who knows where has taken Elric by surprise.
"Let me introduce myself to you." The same voice of a man added.
Slowly, Elric heard a faint voice of shouting men from the distance.
The thud of the numerous rus.h.i.+ng feet could be heard scrambling from his surroundings followed by an increasing sound of the scream from the distance.
Behind Elric, he could hear the slow cascading sound of the waves but he surroundings are still covered in white mist causing him to be unable to see the water somewhere.
SHOOOHK~
A long wooden spare with a sharp and pointy tip came brus.h.i.+ng Elric"s hair.
Instinctively, Elric tried to summon his Dragon powers to fight back.
"No.." Elric immediately realized that he was unable to use his Dragon powers nor his Elemental Authority at the moment and this immediately caused him to stand low in the guard of any incoming attacks. Right now, he was standing in the middle of the sandy beach surrounded by the white mist.
The air was cold and wet, reminiscent of dawn. He could feel that the sun is slowly rising from his right where the spear first came from.
SHOOOK~
SHOOOK~
Another series of spear came flying from the distance, fortunately, they were not aimed at Elric.
He was still surrounded by a thick white mist so he had no idea who and where it actually came from. The least he can do at the moment is to prepare himself for any incoming attack.
The warcries of the man from the distance continued to become louder and louder - giving Elric a hint that they are getting incredibly close.
"This is bad~" Without hesitation, Elric chooses to run towards the opposite direction where the sound of the cras.h.i.+ng waves came from. Despite not knowing what"s in front of him, he still chooses to run to safety as his logic tells him to.
A few seconds later, Elric found himself touching the ocean waves with his knees.
"Ocean?" Elric anxiously tasted the water and confirmed what it was. He looked towards the deeper parts and the thick white mist suddenly dissipated apart.
A large carrack or a four-masted Galeon with a large black cross painted over them spanned valiantly before his very eyes.
The sixty-feet long Galleon stopped from the distance, seemingly unable to move forward due to the large rock and corals underwater.
Suddenly appeared from below, smaller boats loaded with people wearing metal-plated armors with weapons ranging from the axe, swords, crossbows, and even rifles hanging on their back and sides.
They were Spanish colonizers led by Ferdinand Magellan.
"Am I being transported back in time to witness the Battle in Mactan?" Elric mumbled to himself after seeing and realizing what is currently happening.
"No. I am showing you a memory of the last day of my life." The warm voice suddenly replied.
Hearing the same voice over and over again, Elric felt a very familiar comfort and seems to have started to get used to it already.
"Just watch and relax my son." Added the voice and Elric did so.
Soon, five smaller boats had landed to the sh.o.r.eline and immediately stood in a tight V formation - their guns were quickly loaded and aimed at their opposite side.
Quickly, a man with tall stature and a condescending gaze, wearing armor with the finer quality compared to the rest, stood in front and shouted in his own Spanish dialect. An interpreter stood just beside him.
"Lapu-Lapu! With the authority vested to me by the G.o.d of heavens and King Phillip of Spain! Surrender now and proclaim that you will and only wors.h.i.+p his majesty. Raja Humabon has already accepted thy faith and he is bound to nothing but prosperity and glory with us! Lay down your weapons and accept our final offer. Or else-"
"Or else what?"
The rampaging sound of the footsteps has finally calmed down and the thick white mist of the dawn slowly dissipated from the other side - revealing a huge number of native brown warriors standing in three divisions. Their total numbers reached over a thousand, scattered all over the sandy beach.
They were all covered in tribal tattoos stretching all over their bodies. Their eye locked with fierce gazes towards the incoming invaders. They were prepared to defend their land.
A bulky half-naked man walked confidently in front, carrying a Kampilan - a large native sword reminiscent of a large katana swung heavily on his right hand. A scarlet headband was tied - covering his forehead while his muscles are bulging in obvious power it posses.
He was Lapu-Lapu, the local chieftain of the Mactan island and the one who replied with utmost confidence against the leader of the Spanish invaders.
"We bow to no G.o.d but the spirit inside us." Lapu-Lapu, with his warm yet authoritative voice shouted in reply. Magellan"s interpreter on the other side did his job right away and Magellan immediately frowns in displeasure after hearing the interpreted reply.
"Hahaha! Just look how manly my entrance is. What do you think son? I look handsome right?" The warm voice suddenly interrupted Elric who was watching on the sides. Judging from their reaction despite him obviously standing before them, it seems that the people around do not see him at all.
With a surprized look in his face, Elric said, "So you are Lapu-Lapu? Then why do you call me son-"
"Shhhh- quite. I love this part." The warm voice of Lapu-Lapu stopped him.
"Are you boys done with your Sine?" The voice of Kahayag entered out of nowhere as well.
"Oh, Inday! I am just showing my Apo how amazing his greatestererest grandpa is." The warm voice excitedly invited Kahayag.
"I don"t have time for your childish-" Kahayag declined.
"Pfft. Boring. Hey Elric. Just watch. Look how I took care of those white-egged kids."
Hearing the unseen characters talking in his background, Elric only ended up being more confused. Just what the heck is greatestererest anyway?
Either way, he was still interested to watch what really happened in the famous event called the Battle of Mactan.
The show continued before his very eyes.
The sun was still far from completely revealing itself, but Elric could see everything as if it was a day.
With a smirk on his face, Ferdinand Magellan took out the long sword dangling on his side and waved it high.
"Mate! todos os índios!" Magellan bellowed furiously.
His eyes glared with great fervor and pointed his sharp sword directly towards Lapu-Lapu"s figure. It was a declaration to kill all the brown men whom they called Indios.
"Patya! Ubosa sila tanan!" Lapu-Lapu shouted in reply. It means to kill and wipe them out.
The Spanish men were greatly outnumbered, fifty against a thousand native men. But with the help of their advance weapon and full plated armors, their confidence soared high.
BANG!
BANG!
SHOOK~
BANG!
BANG!
The waist-deep water was a great disadvantage to the charging brown men. The Spaniards took advantage of this opportunity and relentlessly unloaded their guns as more bodies of native men suddenly collapsed while charging - they were dead.
Elric watched the battle with a frowning face. He already knew what was gonna happen according to the records but actually seeing the event firsthand was just completely different.
The sh.o.r.eline was quickly dyed red from the blood of the dead men.
The Spanish men mercilessly shot barrage after barrage of their gunfires while their hard plated armors kept them safe from the weak arrows of the natives.
BANG!-
TING!~
But contrary to the dying men, Lapu-Lapu was different. Bloodl.u.s.t was masked in his face. He used his incredible speed, flexibility, and strength to deflect the bullets as if they were just ping pong b.a.l.l.s.
"Focus on him!" Seeing that Lapu-Lapu managed to advance forward without sustaining a single injury, Magellan immediately shouted another command. In response, more of Magellan"s men switched to target the crazy brown man right away.
BBBBANG!
TI-TI-TI-TING!~
Like a possessed demon, Lapu-Lapu swiftly blocked all the incoming bullets with his ma.s.sive cutla.s.s. His bulging muscles danced together with the swiftly splas.h.i.+ng water with the blade as his partner. He showed the main reason he was elected as the Chief of the Mactan island.
He was the best warrior of the Visayas after all.
Seeing this, Magellan ordered a more focused attack against the incoming madman, giving more s.p.a.ce for the other natives to advance further.
One of Magellan"s men managed to move past the charging natives and prepared for a melle battle against the chief of the Mactan island.
The soldier had a wide smirk on his face as he swung his long sword aiming at Lapu-Lapu"s neck.
"Hah. Easy kill-"
RAAGHR!
CLANK!
Unexpectedly, Lapu-Lapu managed to stop the sword with a sudden grab of his bare mouth. His red brown-red eyes glowed menacingly as it reflected from the s.h.i.+ny sword of the Spanish soldier.
Elric, on the other side, could only do nothing but hang his mouth open in great surprise. His eyes almost popping out as well.
"Saitama is that you?" Elric thought.