Episodes 144. Who was Me

"Asshole, this isn't the time to do this!" Ryan shouted at me.

When I see him. His body couldn't move because handcuffs made of earth bound his wrists. He couldn't fight back even with his magic, as the handcuffs were as strong as steel.

On the other hand, the woman who had been with him was pinned to a wall, with her wrists and ankles shackled by solid ice.

My brother, holding his own weight with his knees, looked at this scene with a sad face, spreading his arms as if ready to face his death.

I didn't know what to do anymore.

This world had become too chaotic, and I didn't even know what I was searching for anymore.

But, from his words earlier, I could confirm one thing. Killing my brother was the choice I had to make, whether I wanted to or not. It was better to kill him with anger than with sadness.

My burden would be slightly lessened if I did it now. If he became an ally, then I didn't want to carry that burden.

What was happening now was because of something he had created himself.

Not for any other reason, and that was why Ryan and that woman were in that position.

.......

Back to the time when Ryan just greeted me.

I stood face-to-face with him for several minutes without starting a conversation.

Awkward, that's what I might have felt at that moment.

Of all the people I've faced, he's the only one I didn't want to see in this condition. It was like showing how weak the former bully was.

"So, can I start talking?" Ryan finally broke the silence.

I nodded without looking at his face and only stared at the sun outside.

"Why?" Ryan asked with a sad face, his question brief but full of answers like a math problem.

"I just want to know the truth, the truth about all of this... The truth that's been hidden by everyone around me." I answered honestly.

Being the only one who knew nothing was painful. Everyone knew the secret about my eldest brother, but I didn't.

It felt like they were leaving me behind and didn't need me anymore.

I was frustrated with that reality.

Hearing my explanation, Ryan looked back at Rizki with a serious face. "Rizki, can you stop your game and let Rasyid enter that coffin?" Ryan turned toward the coffin nearby.

Seeing the coffin, Ryan's face changed again to one of sadness and suffering. He knew how terrifying the room inside it was.

"No, not before I die... I won't let anyone enter it!" Rizki opposes it while trying to stand, but his wound is already fatal.

"I told you, stop your game!"

"No, this isn't a game, but more like a wish."

Hearing that, we were all shocked and slightly opened our mouths.

"What do you mean by a wish?!" He grabbed my brother's collar and lifted him up.

His anger was uncontrollable because of how tired he was from my brother's increasing game.

My brother who was feeling all that pain just resigned at his fate, his pupils slowly looking at me. "Rasyid, do you remember the end of the voice recording you heard from that document?"

I stared at both of them with trembling eyes. My mind tried to recall what happened in that last voice recording.

"Bu*&-$-$ a@#"

But when trying to remember it, everything sounded vague. Nothing was clear in my memory.

Then, I tried to recall a bit back from the last voice recording.

If I wasn't mistaken, there was an explosion. "*Boom!"

Someone got sucked in... At that time, I didn't know that Nazrul's fate was to be sucked into the coffin and end tragically.

What I knew-

Wait, didn't Nazrul get sucked in? That means the person who did that was...

I finally realized the meaning of that voice recording.

As part of Rizki's promotion, he was assigned to imprison Nazrul, his eldest brother.

However, from the message in that last voice recording, Rizki didn't sound happy with the task, he actually asked me...

***""When you find out, quickly find me. Kill me!" ***

The voice from the recorder clearly echoed in my mind as if I was listening to it right now.

I finally realized! This was his last task for me.

Which was to end his suffering.

Realizing that, I activated my sword and gripped the hilt tightly.

I could no longer control the trembling in my body. I didn't expect his gift of a weapon to end up being used to kill him.

I took a step forward, gripping my sword tightly.

"What are you doing, Asshole?! Why are you trembling like that?! Why do you want to finish him?!" Ryan noticed the trembling I tried to hide.

He stood in front of my brother and raised his wrench-like weapon. "I won't let you do it!"

This was followed by the woman who had been with him since earlier. She activated her pageblug, merging with her glasses, turning the lenses blue.

Seeing her weapon, which was glasses, I finally realized who the woman was.

"So, are you two dating now?" I changed the subject slightly.

I didn't expect their meeting when Putri Tyas arrived would lead to something deeper.

"S-silence, this isn't the time to talk about that!"

The woman, Linda Melinda, finally spoke after I questioned her.

"Yeah, so what?" Unlike Linda, Ryan still wore a serious face, ready to hit me at any time.

"No, just making sure..."

"Are you trying to take her hostage to make me leave?"

"No, but that was a good idea."

"Hey!" (Linda)

Hearing the conversation turn casual, my brother, who had been silent, suddenly stood up to launch a surprise attack once again.

This time his target wasn't me, but...

Thud! Crack!

The first strike hit Ryan, making him fall to the ground. Instantly, a mound of earth rose and adhered to Ryan's wrists, making him unable to move.

"Ryan!"

Linda, shocked, immediately jumped back and prepared to fire lasers from her glasses.

Unfortunately, trying to shoot my brother was a mistake because any attack, as long as there was room to dodge, he could use light magic to evade like teleportation.

*Zap!

The laser shot at Rizki, but he quickly dodged and walked very fast, reaching the woman.

"I won't lose that easily!" She quickly formed a shield of water around her body.

"What a waste of effort?" Rizki formed an ice sword and prepared to strike the shield.

"Got you!" But deftly, Linda transmitted electric power through the shield.

*Zap!

The sword touched the electricity.

"Gyah!"

My brother was electrocuted and thrown far back.

"(Grin)I forgot, you were a former presidential guard, so facing some sudden attacks won't make you lose easily." He praised.

"In that case..." He raised his hand, and the coffin immediately glowed in response. "...I'll make you see how different our levels are!"

A dragon made of earth magically emerged from the coffin and flew toward Linda. Even though Linda's water element was the dragon's weakness, if the dragon was that big, logic didn't apply.

I, who had been silent, finally moved and tried to walk to protect Linda. Not out of pity, but because I thought this fight had strayed from its original purpose.

"Don't forget, I'm at the same level as you, Brother!" I ran, raising my right hand.

A line of water that I drew with my index finger created a floating painting.

Once the haphazard painting was done, a water horse emerged, trying to hit the dragon like a bull.

*Crash!

Water and earth collided, immediately dirtying the battlefield. We were all covered in mud from head to toe, not a part left untouched.

But, as I felt relieved that the dragon was gone, he disappeared again and would surely try another surprise attack.

I looked back to block his attack, but my guess was wrong. He wasn't there.

Or was I not his target?!

Thinking that, I looked at Linda hiding behind me.

She lay on the ground with ice shackling her wrists and ankles.

Beside her, my brother stood, looking at me with a sinister grin.

"Finally, you show yourself, Cike Nuwang!" Rizki showed his eyes that opened wide as he had been waiting for this.

I inadvertently summoned the water horse, the signature of that legendary assassin.

Ignoring his words, I gripped my sword with both hands. Holding my sword equal to standing next to my head, I prepared for the next round.

This time, I would kill him.

As my enemy!

.......

But on the other hand, my cousin, Ryan, kept shouting at me not to do it.

At that moment, I began to lose sight of who I really was.