Beads of cold sweat continues to form on Grand Ecstasy's face. The group stay silent as they process the situation they find themselves.

  Until someone breaks the silence. It's Beltrand who still in disbelief.

  "Hey brother, maybe you just jumping to conclusions too fast. Look around us, they doensn't scream "monsters" to me." Beltrand speaks ad he points his hand outside the fence where people are playing fiesta games.

  "There's just so many factors that leads to that conclusion. First being that Shirna's smell something off."

  "Hmmm... No wonder you two suddenly go in high alert." Claustrine nods slowly.

  "What the other things Mateo?" Sophia asked with worry.

  "I gonna list it all quickly."

  Mateo raised a finger.

  "First is the smell that Shirna detected. That's just the catalyst for me to become suspicious."

  Mateo raised another.

  "Second is the lack of salt."

  Then he raised a third finger.

  "And vinergar or other sour things."

  "Wait a minute. Why those two are also are pointers. What if that's just their preference?" Claustrine asked with curiosity.

  "Yeah that's going to be their preference because aswangs are highly weak to salt and acidic liquids."

  "Oh..." Claustrine is confused.

  Mateo raised his 4th finger.

  "That Dinuguan they serve us. Those are intestines of their own kind. These motherfuckers trying to turn us like them."

  The otherwordlers feel intense shiver after Mateo reveals the purpose of the revolting food. But they didn't even managed react when Mateo raise his last finger on his right hand.

  "Fifth is the intense stare the people we meet giving on Penelope. Specificaly on her belly."

  "What's with her?"

  "Aswangs' favorite food are still or new born babies." Shiva answers with sadness.

  The otherworlders's eyes widen then they slowly turn on the house where Penelope is currently in.

  They connect the dots on why Nathan choose Penelope and convince her to visit his hometown. Everyone felt an intense sense of revultion and dread on the thought.

  Of that they're just extras who gonna get involved. Victims alongside the main target.

  "Fucking monsters." Beltrand gritted her teeth.

  "H-hey s-should we save Penelope right now r-right?" Sophia is filled with concern as she continue to view the house.

  "No we can't act recklessly. We're currently surrounded and my surface knowledge is not enough to scale how strong they really are." Mateo's counter-argument.

  "Besides, we only have a bag of calamansi as their counter, we don't have salt and the way they basking on sunlight. It's safe to say that the sun doesn't work on them like what the movies and stories potrays." Shiva added.

  "Do we really need them?" -Claustrine.

  "Who knows? What if they can regenerate or something?" Shiva then shrug.

  "We should tread this carefully from now on."

  "B-but..."

  Sophia then realizes that Mateo is right. She gritted her teeth out of frustration.

  Mateo looks on Claustrine.

  "Trinne, do you think you can create salt with your magic?"

  Claustrine understands the question.

  "I think I can but I can't create a mountain of it. It's a two element object and it would be taxing on my mana pool."

  Mateo nods.

  "I understand. Ok, you guys wait for me here, I gonna enter the house to check."

  But before Mateo stand up. Penelope and Nathan exits the house alongside his uncle and other people. One of them pushing a wheelchair with a very frail old man sitting on it. Sophia makes a huge sigh of relief after seeing that Penelope looks fine.

  "What's your takeaway with this Mateo?" Claustrine asked.

  "I don't know Trinne. But I'm just glad that she's ok. From now."

  "It's great but still. We need to find a way to leave this place without suspicion." Shirna reminds everyone.

  "Penelope is the one that's going to make that difficult. Not only she's pregnant but also, there's no way she would believe us if we tell her the truth." Mateo speaks with solemn expression.

  "If you tell me suddenly that my fiancee is a monster in disguise. I gonna get mad as well." -Beltrand.

  "From what I can see... Penelope is also close from giving birth so we should handle the escape with care. Damn, this situation is nuts. It only takes one mistep and it's over." Shiva commented.

  Mateo combs his hair with his fingers then he sighs deeply.

  "Vacation my ass." Beltrand whispers then chuckle.

  They see the couple walking towards them so they fix their posture to not look suspect.

  "Oh Nathan, Penelope. What you talked inside the house?" Mateo asked. Nathan makes a soft gentle smile.

  "They approved. They said that the village would support us." Nathan happily speaks his mind.

  "And our wedding is set for later night." Penelope smile.

  "That fast?" Shiva is surprised.

  "Yeah hehe. It's the proposal of the mayor itself. He says that it would bring us good life and also, we're not the only one having a wedding later. There'e also few others." Penelope says with ethusiasm.

  "A communal wedding ceremony huh?" -Mateo.

  "So I know it's quiet a reach but. Perhaps you guys can stay here for the night to witness our wedding. Is that ok?" Nathan's suggestion, his voice have hint of pleading.

  Grand Ecstasy smiles.

  "Of course!" Mateo speaks for all.

  Nathan and Penelope are delighted.

  "Thank you so much guys!" -Penelope.

  "Welcome. By the way, who is this mayor you talking?" Mateo asked.

  "Ah it's Mayor Tobias. He's there alongside his grandpa."

  Nathan points on one of table where two men is seated. Being treated by the uncle's daughters with food. The one is a middle aged man with mustache and proud posture as he eat slow and elegant.

  Meanwhile the old man on the wheelchair beside him is eating more slowly with her frail hands. Mateo and others flinch a bit when they set their gaze on the two.

  As they feel fear they commonly experience when faced with powerful opponents, but it's got more amplified by the fact that they're not in Yhigressia right now.

  "Should I introduce you guys to him?" Nathan proposed.

  "No It's fine. We don't want to interrupt their lunch." Mateo's polite answer.

  "Oh I see. Well then, just enjoy the fiesta guys. Me and my soon to be wife would go back to my home and talk to mom and dad about the wedding."

  Nathan and Penelope then politely excuse themselves then leave as Grand Ecstasy waves their hands. When the two is gone. They return to their serious conversation, but this time. A lot more alerted than before.

  "Don't look at them. They might notice us." Mateo's warning.

  "We know that. This is bad, really really bad." Beltrand the grabs another bottle of beer, flicks the cap and then chug it bottoms up.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "The smell is a lot stronger now. Guys, let me borrow your perfume please."

  Claustrine gives her pefume to Shirna who proceed to spray some on the back of his hand and wipe it below his nose.

  "I never seen such sinister aura before." Sophia is clearly scared.

  "And if that's their most powerful, I'm scared on how strong the others are." Claustrine are full on worried.

  "Fighting them head on is out of option now. We should escape quietly."

  "How about Penelope? She would really make a racket about this." Shiva asked Mateo who scratches his head.

  "Fuck. It's frustrating."

  "She would not cooperate with us unless she see the truth for herself."

  Mateo agrees on his brother. In a world who thought that such magical creatures are just fantasy, speaking the thought that they're in fact "real", it's lunacy.

  Mateo then picks a bottle of beer, bites out the cap and then chugs it empty. He almost slammed it on the table but he realizes that would garner attention. So Mateo slows down and place it gently.

  "I guess we have no choice but to do that. Guys, I have a plan."

  "You're look unsure Mateo." -Claustrine.

  "My plan is stupid Trinne but the other choice is to abanddon an innocent lady and her daughter. And I can't stomach that."

  ~~~~~~°~~~~~~

  10 PM. The town is still full of life unlike the first night as people still lively outside. Gas torches are erected everywhere and the music is still playing but a quieter than before.

  Still, there's minor changes. The villagers are now wearing white clothes. There's a group of folks doing a silent parade around the village, holding torches and ancient looking artifacts.

  In the center of the town, preperations are complete for the communal wedding.

  "This place gives me eerie vibes." Beltrand watch the townsfolk's serious demeanor.

  "I know there's night time weddings but this is just feel uncanny." Shiva commented. On his view, he's not observing a wedding but more like a occultic ritual.

  Mateo walks away on the venue.

  "Lets go. It's time."

  The three man returns to Nathan's home where they meet everyone. Penelope is wearing a simple white dress as Rosa grooms her. Shirna, Sophia and Claustrine are sitting on the bench as they watch the process.

  Rene meanwhile is standing in the corner. The husband and wife also wearing white clothing with seriousness just like the rest.

  "Are you done?" Rene asked, feeling bored.

  "Not yet. We need to ensure that Penelope looks amazing there.

  "Hehe thanks tita."

  "Where's Nathan?" Mateo asked casually.

  "He must be on his uncle's home right now also preparing." Rene smile.

  "I see... Good."

  Mateo looks at Claustrine and they talk using their eyes. She nods and then she tap Sophia. The two stands up and approach Rosa and Penelope.

  "Let us finish this ma'am. You should also prepare for the wedding." Claustrine's friendly offer.

  "Ah thank you hija. You're right. I'm so focused on Penelope that I forgot myself." Rosa chuckle.

  "Sit here Penelope. We gonna make sure you look beautiful." Sophia smile as her and Claustrine gently drag her to another chair. Far from Nathan's parents. Now with a distance. Mateo finally makes his move as him, Shiva and Beltrand walks in front of Penelope and others. In between the parents and her.

  "Penelope."

  "Yes Mateo?"

  "Listen. Look carefully on your future in-laws in front of us." Mateo speaks quietly.

  "Huh? What do you mean?" Penelope is dumbfounded but she still make a friendly confused smile.

  "Trust me. This is for your own sake.

  Rene and Rosa notices that everyone is looking at them warily so they approach.

  "Is something wrong kids?" Rene asked. His expression remains serious.

  The moment the married couple reach a close distance, Mateo opens his Bag-of-Storage where he pulls a tabo full of salt. Then he throw and spread all of them to Rene, Rosa to Penelope's shock.

  The moment the grains of salts touch their skin. It instantly corrodes and melts their flesh. Rosa and Rene's faces become unrecognizable as their skin continues to darken and falls off.

  The splash of salt not fully hit their entire body protected to their clothing but Mateo is confident that it would be enough to send their point.

  Penelope watch in horror, disgust and confusion watching the scene unfold in front of her. The parents of her fiancee writhing and screaming due to agonizing pain caused by the salt.

  "S-S-S-SALT?! H-H-HOW?!" Rene's distorted and wrathful question while Rosa continues to make a screeching scream which inhuman in any sense.

  "Look Penelope! This is the true identity of Nathan's parents! This is not a wedding! This is a feast!"

  "F-feast!? What the hell do you mean!? I don't understand!?" Penelope is panicking as the confusion become even worse.

  "Penelope, we're currently in an town full of aswang. And we are their main course for tonight." Mateo speaks with a serious tone.

  Penelope makes a silent cry as Mateo's words finally reach her. She watch her parent-in-law now transforming into grotesque form. Their skin now become fleshy wrinkly red and slimy. Their face is inhuman and wrathful with only small crimson dot on their eyes.

  "This is what aswang's real form huh? Very different from what the legends said. But still, you'll look revolting." Shiva speaks with disgust.

  "You! How do you know?! Where you even got that much salt?!" Rosa asked with anger.

  "You guys just too obvious and as for the salt. That's a secret." Mateo casually answers.

  "YOU! WHATEVER! YOU'RE ALL JUST MERE HUMANS! AFTER WE KILL ALL OF YOU, WE GONNA MAKE SURE WE ALL CELEBRATE ON YOUR CORPSES!" Rene screams.

  The two reveals their claws and saw-like tooth.

  "Don't kill Penelope or he kill us." -Rosa.

  "I know that! Just kill the meats already!"

  Rene and Rosa leap to Grand Ecstasy with an intent to kill everyone except Penelope.

  The two is inch close to Mateo and Beltrand with a sinister smile on their face. They didn't notice but the two disappears on their sight.

  SLASH

  Rene's arms and legs got decapitated while Rosa is cutted vertically. Their eyes wonder around and see Mateo and Beltrand posing on their side, swords in their hands.

  Their body falls on the floor, making a splat sound. Blood scatters and flows on the ground as the two twitch in pain.

  "I-i-imposible..." Rene's complete disbelief.

  The two tries to regenerate their bodies as Mateo and Beltrand look down on them.

  "Looks like Shiva's correct. Your kind are really regenerators." Mateo speaks

  "W-who are y-you?! T-this is n-not possible!" Rene screams.

  "We're just adventurers." Mateo answers with indifference.

  Mateo opens his Bag-of-Storage again and picks a plastic bag full of salt. He proceeds to take fistfuls and aggressively throw and scatter it to Rene who screams in pain.

  His screams becomes quietter and gurgled as the salt continues to melt his entire body until only a puddle and bits of gore remains. Rosa right side watch all of it unfold. Her face is full of rage and sorrow as she clenches his teeth and tears flow on her eyes.

  "Trinne. Burn her."

  "Ok."

  Claustrine then cast a small fireball which he throws to Rosa. She twitches agressively as the flame engulfs her entire body until only ashes remains.

  "They regenerate and the only way to kill them is through salt or fire. Ok, this is good enough." Mateo notes his observation.

  Penelope is in catatonic shock. Her brain struggles to make sense of what she just seen.

  Her in-laws are monsters.

  Her friends are suddenly wielding swords.

  Claustrine suddenly holding a staff and spawning flame out of nowhere.

  She can't process the barrage of information.

  "W-w-what..." Penelope speak.

  Mateo walks in front of her and kneel.

  "I know this is going to be devastating for you Penelope but you have the right to know the truth. This town is full of monsters like them and their main objective is to kill and eat us. Especially, this." Mateo then gently poke Penelope's pregnant belly.

  Penelope's face slowly turns into absolute dread after the revelation. Still, there's denial on her mind as acceptance of truth means.

  All of the love Nathan show to her are just a front. A disguise used to lure her to the town swarmed with monsters with sole desire to consume her and her child.

  Penelope's dread turn into silent crying. Her soft sobbing then become louder, wrecked by myriad of thoughts that eating her soul.

  "No no no NO NOOOOOO! THIS CAN'T BE TRUE! NOOOOOOO!!!"

  Penelope becomes an emotional wreck. Her wails are like daggers to everyone who genuinely feel sympathy for the broken lady.

  "I'm so sorry Penelope." Sophia is also crying.

  Penelope continues to wail for a moment until...

  "UGHHH!"

  Grand Ecstasy flinch when they see Penelope suddenly felt pain.

  "What's wrong Penelope?!" Mateo is worried.

  "I-I-I-I-I... I'M GIVING BIRTH AGHHH!!!"

  Everyone turns into panic mode.

  "Fuck! Why now?!" Mateo lose his cool as the event ruin his plan.

  "Mateo! What we should do?!" Beltrand shouts.

  The first plan is to lead and protect Penelope to the van after revealing the truth to her. But now it's out of equation. Still, Mateo calms down.

  "Change of plan! We gonna use this home as a fort. Beltrand bring Penelope to a room then return here!"

  "Ok!"

  "Sophia! Do you have knowledge on this situation?!"

  "Don't worry! I already done few midwife works!"

  "Good! Follow Penelope and help her give birth! Shiva and Shirna, join and protect them!"

  "Ok!" Both Shirna and Shiva shouts.

  Beltrand, Shirna and Shiva help Penelope to enter a room where she's going to give birth. Before she follows, Sophia drops all of her 5 aura totems to the floor to boost her friends' capacities.

  "Please be safe." Then Sophia enters the room.

  "Claustrine, cast your detection magic."

  Claustrine follows and spreads her mana for short seconds. Then she retracts it back.

  "They're here."

  "How many?"

  "The entire village populace." Claustrine grasp her staff tightly.

  Beltrand walks outside the room followed by Shiva who run towards the bathroom, splashes of water can be heared for a while before Shiva exits now carrying a bucket full of water, a washbasin and towels as he run back to the room.

  "What's the situation?" Beltrand asked.

  "We gonna fight the entire village. The screams earlier might be call for help and now they're here."

  "Fuck." Beltrand opens his Bag-of-Storage and picks his shield.

  "We didn't even have time to wear our armor." Mateo commented.

  "We got caught off-guard. There's nothing we can do." Beltrand respond.

  Mateo sigh.

  "Ok lets go."

  Mateo, Claustrine and Beltrand walks towards the door and leave the house. There, they see the townsfolk who earlier are having fun now full of murderous intent. People of all ages are present, their eyes are the same small red dot which is now glowing on the dark.

  Tobias raise his right hand then move it down to point it to the three. A signal for everyone to attack the victims who became intruders and threat to their existence.

  The Aswangs creates a terrfying howl as they transform into their true forms with variety of grotesqueness.

  Some become hulking monsters.

  Others became slender and sinister.

  There's few that now flying with their wings made of membrane.

  The crowd of Aswang then rushes towards the three.

  "I can sense some of them are more powerful than Rosa and Rene." Claustrine's advice.

  "I guess we can't use the two as the standards." Beltrand commented.

  "Scared?" -Mateo.

  "Of course. It's normal now that we fighting unknowns." Beltrand smirks.

  "Understandable. Ok guys, don't hold back. Show them what Grand Ecstasy is truly capable of!"

  One of the slender Aswang in quadrupedral from reach Mateo. She's a female and Mateo recognize her despite the disgusting form.

  It's one of the Uncle's daughter.

  She leaps and attempted to chomp Mateo's head with a single bite. Only to fail as Mateo side steps and cut her in half with a single sword slam.

  The Aswangs behind her stops on their tracks after watching their brethen got decapitated in the waist. Mateo use the opportunity to open his BoS to get salt and kill her.

  The Aswangs feels fear watching their kin gets an agonizing death. Mateo stares on the crowd with a furious look on her eyes. Observing their enemies.

  "Trinne cast a wall around the house."

  Trinne nods and then she protects the house by casting a tall earth wall surrounding the perimeters.

  The aswangs watch with awe on the showcase of ability. Especially the Mayor who not only awestruck but also mad on the scene.

  "HOW PEOPLE LIKE YOU STILL EXIST TODAY?! WHO ARE YOU REALLY?!" Tobias shouts with wrath. His terror voice echoing on the quiet woods.

  "We have no intention to answer that question." Mateo calmly speaks.

  Tobias greeted his teeth.

  "Then we just gonna force out the answers before we eat you all!"

  Mateo sigh.

  "You picked the wrong people to victimize with. We gonna make sure that this village would cease to exist." Mateo then points his sword to Tobias.

  Tobias' face twitches, he gritted her saw-like teeth and he transforms into her monster form. Unlike the others, his form are like armored with thick solid muscles. His hair lenght increases and becomes pointy tentacles made of the same slimy flesh as their body, flailing around and his body bulks up. His tall stature dwarfs the others.

  "DON'T GET OVERWHELMED! THEY'RE JUST MERE HUMANS, WE CAN KILL THEM ALL!"

  Tobias scream motivates his fellow aswangs who proceeds to continue their halted advance. More viscious than before.

  Mateo and Beltrand sprints and ready to face the enemy while Claustrine aims her staff in the air. The end of her staff starts to burn brightly.