The roof suddenly went quiet.
It wasn't the kind of silence that meant things were over. If anything, it made everything worse. Just moments ago there had been movement above us, something dragging, something shifting, and then all of it stopped at once like whatever was up there decided to hold still and wait.
No scratching. No sound. Not even the wind brushing against the metal sheets.
It felt wrong.
The kind of wrong that makes your chest tighten before your mind can even explain why.
Then the system's voice cut through that stillness.
[MANANANGAL WITHIN PERIMETER. PREPARE TO FIGHT.]
I didn't speak. I didn't even move right away. I just listened, trying to pick up anything that would give away where it would strike from.
A faint screech came from above, sharp enough to make Sarah flinch and Cynthia instinctively grab onto the wall beside her. Gino straightened beside me, his eyes already scanning the ceiling.
Before anyone could say anything, something pierced through the metal roof.
It didn't tear through violently like I expected. Instead, a small, clean hole appeared, almost like it had been drilled from above. And from that opening, something began to descend.
At first it looked thin, almost like a string, but as it stretched lower into the room, it thickened, glistening under the dim light.
A tongue.
Long, wet, and moving with a slow, deliberate purpose.
It didn't wander. It didn't hesitate.
It went straight for Leni.
More specifically… her stomach.
I could feel the tension spike behind me. Sarah let out a small breath she was trying to hold in, and Cynthia's hand flew up to cover her mouth as she stared at the thing inching closer.
Gino muttered something under his breath, but I didn't catch it.
I was already moving.
The moment the tip of that tongue came within reach, I summoned the item.
A metal wok appeared in my hand, solid and heavier than it looked, but balanced just right as if it was made to fit exactly for this purpose. I stepped forward without hesitation and pressed it firmly over Leni's stomach, positioning it just as the tongue finally reached her.
[METAL WOK: 100 POINTS. PURCHASED]
[DESCRIPTION: NOT YOUR ORDINARY WOK. IT PROTECTS PREGNANT WOMEN FROM A MANANANGAL'S ATTACKS. BURN ANY ENTITIES/CREATURES TOUCHING IT]
The moment the tongue made contact, the reaction was immediate.
A sharp, almost unbearable screech echoed from above, loud enough to make the entire room feel like it vibrated with it. The tongue jerked violently against the surface of the wok, smoke rising from where it touched as if it had been burned on contact.
The smell followed right after, something rotten and scorched at the same time.
The creature tried to pull back, but I didn't give it the chance.
I grabbed the tongue firmly, ignoring how it twisted in my grip, and with one clean motion, I brought the dagger down and cut through it.
The severed part dropped to the floor, writhing like it was still alive, curling and uncurling in violent spasms that made it hard to even look at.
Cynthia stepped back instinctively, but she didn't scream. Sarah pressed herself against the wall, eyes wide but focused. Gino stepped forward immediately and pinned the thing down with his foot, his expression twisting in disgust.
"Okay," he muttered, pressing harder when it tried to move, "that's just wrong."
"Don't let it move," I said, already tightening my grip on the remaining length still connected above the roof.
The resistance from the other end increased. It was pulling back harder now, more desperate, more aggressive. That only confirmed what I needed to know.
It was still there.
Still trying.
"Millien," I called, not taking my eyes off the ceiling. "Take them. Find the other half."
He didn't question it. He already understood.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the salt, tossing it toward Gino. He caught it cleanly, his expression shifting from disgust to focus.
[SALT OF TRUTH: WHEN USED TO ANYONE, ESPECIALLY DOPPELGANGERS, IT FORCES ENTITIES/CREATURES TO SHOW THEMSELVES. ALSO USED TO SEVERE CONNECTIONS.]
"Find where it left its lower half," I told him. "Pour everything on it. Don't let it reconnect."
Gino nodded immediately. Sarah followed him without hesitation this time, and Millien was already moving ahead of them, guiding them out of the house.
The door shut behind them, leaving just me and Cynthia inside.
Cynthia stepped forward and took Gino's place, pressing her foot down on the severed tongue as it continued to twist under her shoe. Her face was pale, but her voice didn't shake when she spoke.
"I'll hold this," she said.
I nodded, tightening my grip on the remaining length above as it pulled even harder now.
It was getting desperate.
Good.
That meant it was feeling the pressure.
I reached into the system again and pulled out another item.
[ROPE OF DEFIANCE: 50 POINTS (CONSUMABLE)]
[DESCRIPTION: THE MORE YOU RESIST, THE TIGHTER IT GETS]
The rope appeared in my hand, light but humming with something unnatural beneath its surface. The problem was obvious the moment I held it.
I couldn't use it.
Both my hands were already occupied just keeping the creature from escaping. Letting go even for a second would give it the opening it needed.
I glanced around, quickly trying to figure out a way to get it up there, but there wasn't any.
Then...
"Kuya!"
I turned slightly.
Alicia was there, hovering just near the wall, her expression a mix of excitement and determination.
"I want to help!"
For a brief second, I hesitated. Then a thought clicked into place, and I couldn't stop the small smirk that came with it.
"Yeah," I said, holding the rope out toward her. "You're the only one who can."
Her face lit up instantly.
Without a second thought, she grabbed the rope and floated upward, passing through the ceiling like it wasn't even there.
A second later, her voice echoed from above.
"KUYAAA! It's ugly!"
Even in the middle of everything, Cynthia let out a short laugh.
I shook my head, tightening my grip as the creature above tried to lash out.
"Good thing it's you up there," I said, pulling harder when I felt it move. "I'd be throwing up right now."
Alicia giggled, then went quiet as she focused.
I could feel the shift in movement above, the struggle getting more frantic as the rope started to take hold.
The creature tried to attack her, and I responded by yanking the tongue downward with all the strength I had. A loud thud echoed from the roof as whatever was up there got slammed back.
"Stay down," I muttered.
A few more seconds passed before Alicia dropped back through the ceiling, landing lightly.
"Done!" she said proudly.
[ROPE OF DEFIANCE SUCCESSFULLY USED. RESTRAINING TARGET: MANANANGAL]
I released the tongue.
Immediately, the roof erupted with noise.
Heavy banging, something large struggling violently, trying to tear itself free. The rope held. It tightened with every movement, forcing the creature into place.
Then something gave way.
A loud crash sounded outside as the creature fell from the roof to the ground.
The house shook slightly from the impact.
I exchanged a quick glance with Cynthia before we both moved outside.
The air felt colder the moment we stepped out.
And there it was.
The manananggal's upper half writhed on the ground, wings twitching uselessly as the rope coiled tighter and tighter around its body. Every movement it made only caused the rope to constrict further, locking it down completely.
It let out a guttural scream, but it couldn't move.
Couldn't escape.
I walked forward, my breathing finally starting to steady, and poured salt over the severed tongue still in my hand. It reacted immediately, boiling and dissolving into nothing within seconds.
When it was gone, I dropped what remained and looked back at the creature struggling on the ground.
Then I exhaled slowly.
"We just wait now."
Because sunrise would finish what we started.
And somewhere out there, Gino and the others were already handling the rest.
Tonight wasn't over yet.