After a few days of me trying to get close to Kuya Tonyo, I've managed to gather more information about him.
That, he was married and got separated before he got into a relationship with Ate Martha.
The wife cheated with someone older than him two decades ago, he was 27 by then.
I think, that made him traumatized. Maybe. But that doesn't justify his actions.
Then one night, I was invited at their home. Out of nowhere.
The most terrifying part was, Ate Martha went to the city and won't be back till three days.
I wanted to back down, and decline, but I can't. Not just because I'm scared, that's a given, because it's me. But...
"Anthony, you won't refuse me right?" Kuya Tonyo was already holding my shoulder.
"N-No. Why w-would I?" I managed to force a smile.
Kuya Tonyo's hand never left my shoulder as he stir me towards his house....
No....it wasn't the path to his house. But...the path that leads towards a hidden path fifty meters away from the main path.
"Kuya Tonyo, this isn't the path to your house."
"No. It isn't. You've been quite the detective.... Anthony."
His voice has changed. It was creepy that made all hairs on my body stand up.
Yawa.... I'm gonna die aren't I?
[DEMONIC ENTITY HAS BEEN DETECTED]
I was beading cold sweat. No matter how I brush away his hand on my shoulder, he wouldn't budge.
We got deeper into the woods. With every attempt of my escape failing.
I even bit his hand off, but he just looked at me with that stupid, creepy grin. He didn't even looked pained.
He's enjoying that I'm getting scared.
The six ghosts behind me? They're unrecognizable.
Sharon, Paula and the rest were glaring at him. Fury could be seen in their eyes.
"Well, well, how touching. The spirits of my dear victims, hovering around?" He paused from his walk and looked behind us.
He saw all six of them. Then went back to his walking as he smirked wickedly.
[RAGE LEVEL OF SOULS HAVE REACHED THRESHOLD. INITIATING.... VENGEFUL SPIRIT....]
No...no no no... All six of them can't be vengeful spirits because of this creep.
I need to stop it. Think Anthony. Think....
I looked around, something that could help them. Something I can do to calm them down.
"Grr.... Whatever!"
I turned around and face them. Sidestepped, but got choked by how tight Kuya Tonyo, or the demon perhaps, using his body's hold on my shirt.
"Ouch! Hey... Loosen up a bit will you?" I coughed out and glared at him.
[VENGEFUL SPIRIT PROGRESSION HAS SLOWED.]
Huh? What did I even do?
Kuya Tonyo's grip tightened even more. Even though I'm scared, succumbing to it won't help at all.
I gripped his hand and took out the Holy Rosary in my pocket. Taking advantage of my proximity to put it on around his neck.
The moment the rosary hit his skin, he let go of me, dropping me down the ground.
"Take this off me! ANTHONY!" Kuya Tonyo wasn't able to touch it.
He was screaming. No.. growling. His face was glitching. Like something was slowly getting pulled out from him.
[HOLY ROSARY HAS BEEN USED. TARGET HAS BEEN WEAKENED.]
[HOST, USE EXORCIST SKILL TO PURGE OUT THE DEMON]
Right... Right...
I tapped the skill and suddenly, my eyes glowed. The air shifted, as my mouth opened on its own.
I started speaking in Latin, that I swear I'm not capable off.
And as I chanted it, Kuya Tonyo was clutching his head.
"Stop Anthony. It hurts. I'm your Kuya Tonyo remember?" His voice was warm and gentle.
Like how he usually is.
But I'm not falling for it. Perks of being a coward was that. I'm thorough.
My voice went louder. The holy rosary was glowing around his neck.
Then....a dark ominous energy was getting purged out from him.
Kuya Tonyo was unconscious on the dirt ground, while the entity was now growling loudly, screaming in pain as it tried to remove the rosary away from its neck.
"You fool! I'll make you pay for this!* It growled, eyes bloodshot, bloody red, as it looked at me.
And... Just my luck.
My chanting ended.
[DEMON SUCCESSFULLY PURGED OUT]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: MY FIRST DEMON ENCOUNTER]
[GAINED +50 POINTS]
I was smirking like a fool. Seeing the notifications.
"Oh yeah! Uh-huh. Who's the coward? Me? Not at all. Oh right! I rock!" I even did a victory dance.
Which was.... Kinda too early.
And I just jinxed it.
"Grwahahaha! Idiot! You think you can eliminate me? You might have purged me out of that useless guy's body...but that was a mistake. I'm more stronger without a host!"
The demon was laughing manically. Like what I did just gave him an advantage.
"Don't forget about us." Paula's voice broke the demon's triumphant laugh.
"That's right. Since you're out of that man's body, we can now take action!" Yanna added.
They've been hovering around Kuya Tonyo angrily but they never once hurt him. To be precise, they can't hurt him.
"What can pour souls like you do to me?" The demon's eyes glowed even more red.
"This.." Sharon said calmly.
And all six off them lunged towards the demon, he was still weak because of the rosary, made him a bit vulnerable.
Paula yanked his hair angrily, Yanna kicked his stomach, the other three took turns punching the demon.
And Sharon?
She wrapped her fingers around the demon's throat, and tightened around it.
"You'll get to feel the pain you inflicted us." She wasn't angry, she was calm.
Which made it more terrifying.
Oh hell, went loose. Paula was like someone enjoying whatever she's doing.
But as for me?
I turned around, holding my stomach. Because the women just went all out. Laughing and chattering on the best way to torture the demon.
And I swear. It's not worth watching...