✔The Joker's Insanity

QUADRAGINTA

"WELCOME TO THE ELITE KILLING TOURNAMENT'S KILLER FINALE!"

Classical music blared through the speakers as Miss Aurora flashed her professional smile at the guests. Hindi tulad noong mga nakaraang match, sa tournament ballroom gaganapin ang huling laban. I stood behind the curtains and watched these humans fake their smiles again.

Sa pagkakarinig ko kanina, puro mga kilalang personalidad ang manonood ngayon. Politicians, businessmen, artists, and others that I don't give a shit about. As usual, they wore their disgustingly expensive dresses and showed off their jewelry. They all wore silver masks.

Halos mapuno na ang lalagyan ng "donations" sa may bungad. Nakakatawa talaga ang mga taong 'to. Nagpapayabangan sila kahit sa pagbibigay-limos sa tournament. Makes me wanna chop their heads off and add them to my collection.

'Hindi 'yan ang pinunta mo rito, Joker! My, oh my! Focus, will ya?'

Paalala sa'kin ng lohikal na boses sa utak ko. Really, sometimes I forget that I have a sane part of me somewhere in my head! Ang alam ko kasi matagal na akong nilamon ng Art of Insanity.

Dumako ang mga mata ko sa malaki at antigong wallclock na nakasabit sa pader. It was almost midnight---almost time for the finale fight.

"I'll put an end to Jack the Ripper's chaos, once and for all." Ngumisi ako't inayos ang smiley face necktie ko. I even polished my cane for tonight!

Sayang nga lang at mamamantsahan ito ng dugo mamaya. Tsk!

Tahimik kong hinintay ang paglipas ng oras.

But my mind kept returning to the cabin.. 'Wala pa rin kaya siyang malay?' Napabuntong-hininga ako. It's been a couple of days since her fight with Joshua (Slender Man). Kung hindi ko pa pinatay ang lalaking 'yon, malamang hindi pa matatapos ang laban.

Plus, the audience were being impatient that time. We shouldn't keep them waiting right?

Kung hindi ko tinapos ang laban para sa kanya, malamang ang mga audience mismo ang tumapos sa kanilang dalawa. Hindi ito madalas binibigyan ng atensyon, pero isa sa layuning ng Elite Killing Tournament ang i-satisfy ang kanilang mga manonood. Kapag hindi na nagustuhan ang audience ang kaganapan sa loob ng arena, they have a right to request to the administration to "cancel" the fight.

And by "cancel", it means killing both the participants.

"See? Boredom brings out the monsters in humans." Pagak akong natawa at bumalik sa pagkakaupo.

Matagal ko nang pinaghihinalaang kasama sa EKT si Joshua. I did some investigation on my own before, and I found out that he was a regular customer. Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya naisipang sumali, but I must say, he has potential. He's an amateur killer, but he managed to make it to the second round of the tournament.

'Nakakatuwa na sana eh, kaso pakialamero ang siraulong 'yon. Tsk!'

Yes, folks.

The reason why I couldn't read Marquessa's mind is because of him. He can block mind readers. Natuklasan ko ang abilidad niya nang magkasagutan kami sa campus noon. At first, I was a bit confused why I couldn't hear his thoughts. Then, I realized he was blocking it.

Doon ko rin natuklasang siya ang palaging umaaligid noon kay Marquessa. He was protecting her from me. How foolish!

Sa may eskinita matapos ang laban ni Marquessa kay Black Sheep, she told me that she can feel someone's presence nearby. She asked me if I could hear anyone's thoughts to know if someone was there, and I told her the truth (oo, may mangilan-ngilang pagkakataong ding nagsasabi ako ng totoo sa kanya). Wala akong narinig noon dahil hinaharangan ito ni Joshua.