CHAPTER 25 : ENEMY

"There are about a hundred and fifty members in that Special Force, half of them are soldiers and the other half from the PDRM. Just look at all those weapons and equipment. It seems like they're serious about capturing or killing Mutants. With what they have, they're definitely dangerous."Chyou and Mikael were investigating the Special Force that Rose had mentioned. They had set up a base in Kuala Lumpur. Using Chyou's powers, both of them became invisible, allowing them to observe the weapons, equipment, and surroundings of the Special Force's base.Among the weapons the Special Force possessed were various types of automatic rifles and grenade launchers. They also had new high-tech traps, bulletproof and heavy assault shields, as well as a map displaying their movement plans.After leaving the base, Mikael and Chyou hid in a dark alley. Mikael lit a cigarette while Chyou leaned against the wall, the cigarette smoke swirling around as Mikael pondered their situation."The Special Force might not yet have the tech to effectively detect and locate Mutants, but with the weapons and tools they have, they'll definitely kill us if we fight back. We need to figure out a way to avoid them..." Mikael sighed, glancing at Chyou, who looked at him briefly before turning her gaze elsewhere."You're pretty quiet compared to the others," Mikael remarked."Nothing much to say," Chyou responded, and Mikael nodded in understanding as he blew out another puff of smoke."Let's go grab something to eat. I'm starving... Didn't even have breakfast this morning," Mikael suggested, tossing his cigarette butt away. He patted Chyou on the chest as Mikael's costume, created by his powers, disappeared into his shadow."I need to take off my costume first," Chyou said."I'll wait for you..." Mikael replied as he walked ahead, and Chyou sighed softly."HOPE, I'm not at all interested in your group's mission, but it's a lie if I say the Mutant powers you all have don't fascinate me. You'll definitely get in the way of my plans sooner or later. Before that happens, I'll take control of you," Syakir said as wires extended from each of his fingers. Lilly dropped several seeds from her palm, and they grew larger.When the seeds opened, out came several Strays, in various shapes and forms. Some looked like cats, some like humans with hollow eyes and large mouths, while others resembled humans with gaping mouths in their bellies. Syakir inserted his wires into the heads of the Strays."Attack them!" Syakir commanded."Khai?" Nasuha was confused when Khairul suddenly stood up, drawing both of his blades, his body tense with goosebumps rising as he looked alarmed. Khairul could feel intense pressure all over his body."Something's not right! Kyoko, come here!" Khairul called, and Kyoko swiftly moved toward him and Nasuha."What is it?" Kyoko asked."I sense something... Strays? Three of them? Four?" Khairul was also confused by what was happening, but Kyoko was already prepared, surrounding her body with lightning energy, and Nasuha created a light shield around them.The roof trembled for a moment before six Strays appeared. A cat-like Stray leaped at Khairul, but Nasuha's shield pushed it away. Kyoko struck down two Strays facing her, but the Stray with the large mouth absorbed her attack and retaliated. Again, Nasuha's shield blocked the counterattack."We're surrounded by Strays?!" Kyoko couldn't understand how these Strays were able to work together. Khairul focused on three Strays attacking him in close combat, while Kyoko handled the other three. Nasuha flew into the air, assisting them both by creating shields and firing beams of light.Even with Nasuha's help, these Strays were difficult to fight. They weren't like other Strays that charged blindly. They were cautious and aided each other...Are they Mutants?"Mrawr!" The cat-like Stray managed to scratch Khairul's chest, but Khairul countered by stabbing it. He threw the cat Stray's body toward the other two Strays attacking him.Khairul stepped back as Nasuha fired a beam of light at the two Strays attacking him, pushing them to the edge of the rooftop."Khai! I'm sorry!" Nasuha panicked as she saw the large wound on Khairul's chest."I'm fine! Just focus!" Khairul ordered as the two Strays came at him again. The light shield blocked their attacks, giving Khairul an opportunity to stab another Stray, this one resembling a blue-skinned human with hollow ears, driving the blade into the ground and splitting its head.Kyoko created a lightning bow and fired lightning arrows, but once again, the Stray with the large mouth consumed the attack and fired it back at her."Try deflecting this!" Kyoko enlarged her lightning arrow, and this time, the Stray with the big mouth couldn't absorb it, tearing its entire body apart with a powerful lightning strike.Suddenly, large tree roots grew and captured Kyoko, binding her tightly. She struggled but couldn't move, as the roots were impervious to her electricity."Got you," Syakir appeared, and his wires slithered out, entering the back of Kyoko's head."You-" Before Kyoko could react, her eyes turned white, signifying she was under his control.Nasuha managed to kill the last Stray Khairul was fighting with a Star Slash, and she immediately turned to check on Kyoko, but suddenly, a lightning strike hit her, causing Nasuha to fall to the ground."Nasuha!" Khairul shouted, worried about her condition, but he was also struck by lightning, which pushed him back and burned part of his body."Kyo—! Hah..." Khairul was confused, unsure why Kyoko was attacking them. However, his expression turned grim when he saw Syakir controlling Kyoko and two more Strays in front of him, with Lilly in the background, manipulating large tree roots."Choose: be controlled or die," Syakir threatened, and Khairul clenched his teeth in frustration."How about chop off your head?" Khairul retorted, a mix of anger and clarity surging through him as he realized what had happened to Kyoko and Nasuha."Then die! I don't need a useless power like yours anyway." Syakir sent the two Strays charging toward Khairul."Star Beam!" Nasuha unleashed a powerful Star Beam that knocked both Strays down, breaking Syakir's control over them."Nasuha..." Khairul glanced toward her briefly."I'm fine. What happened?" Nasuha asked."I'm not sure, but... he's controlling Kyoko using those wires from his hands," Khairul explained. Syakir observed them both before making Kyoko float above him."Your power is useful, girl. Choose: be controlled or die. Don't waste your life for the boy," Syakir offered, but Nasuha's eyes flared with anger, and she flew back into the fight."In your dreams!" Nasuha yelled."Such a waste," Syakir sighed, sending Kyoko to attack Nasuha. Kyoko fired lightning arrows repeatedly at her.Nasuha dodged every attack, flying away and shielding herself with a light barrier. Meanwhile, Khairul ran toward Syakir with both arms blades, attempting to strike him, but sharp roots sprang up to block his path, forcing Khairul to back away and dodge."Sorry, I have to," Lilly attacked Khairul with her tree roots, but Khairul deflected and sliced through every root directed at him.Lilly moved forward, pulling out gray seeds and throwing them. Gray flowers sprouted quickly from the seeds, releasing smoke that obscured Khairul's vision."Damn it!" Khairul froze. His body sensed sharp roots heading toward him. He managed to dodge and block most of them, but one root pierced his thigh."Ergh!" Khairul cried out in pain as Lilly threw him off the apartment building."Khai!" Nasuha screamed, but Kyoko's attacks kept her from helping him.As Khairul fell, he managed to stab both of his blades into the side of the building. He slid down quickly, but eventually, Khairul gained a foothold on the wall."Hah... Hah... Phew..." Khairul panted heavily, looking up.No time to waste! Nasuha needs me!Khairul began climbing the building with his blades. Blood flowed freely from his wounds as he strained to bear his own weight, his hands trembling as the blades cut into him. Yet Khairul ignored the pain and climbed as fast as he could, leaping back onto the rooftop."Still alive?" Syakir muttered.Lilly threw a red seed toward Khairul, and giant chili peppers emerged from it, exploding and sending fiery blasts. Khairul pushed through the explosion despite his left shoulder burning, advancing toward Lilly.Sharp roots lunged at Khairul, but he cut through them with ease, closing the distance between him and Lilly. Khairul sheathed his blade back into his arm before punching Lilly hard in the stomach with his right hand.Lilly was flung backward, but her roots caught her before she fell."Urgh... Bleerghh!" Lilly vomited from the impact of Khairul's punch, collapsing weakly on her roots."Stay down!" Khairul snarled before turning his attention back to Syakir. Lilly could only watch him go."...Okay..."Khairul tried to punch Syakir, but wires lashed him backward. Syakir whipped his wires at Khairul repeatedly, and finally, Khairul drew his blades again, attempting to cut Syakir's wires, but he couldn't sever them.A powerful lash struck Khairul's neck, choking him momentarily. Syakir approached and kicked Khairul aside, dragging him across the floor."You can't hold on for much longer, can you? Just surrender yourself to me," said Syakir, looking back at Nasuha, who was enveloped in a shield of light, while Kyoko unleashed relentless lightning strikes towards her."You don't know anything... Asshole." Nasuha smiled. Suddenly, Kyoko's powers stopped, and Syakir was initially confused but soon realized. Kyoko's hands appeared slightly burnt, and she gritted her teeth."Let me go!" Kyoko screamed, trying to pull Syakir's wires."Ah! Argh!" Kyoko cried in pain as she struggled to pull them, and Syakir sent more wires piercing into the back of her head."Fight back again, and you'll die!" Syakir threatened, but Kyoko's distraction gave Nasuha enough time to aim both her hands at Syakir."Star Beam!" The beam shot quickly towards Syakir, hitting him and causing him to be knocked back, tumbling off the roof of the building, and the wires controlling Kyoko followed suit.What? Just like that... I lost... Just like that?How could she fight me back? This is completely unreasonable! All this doesn't make sense! My power was supposed to control her entirely!Why was that electric girl's attack completely ineffective against the light girl? That boy with the strange power is a nuisance too! How could Lilly lose to her with just one punch?"This is all your fault, Lilly! It's your fault!" Syakir yelled as he fell, but he was caught by roots from Lilly's power."I know, I'm sorry..." Lilly sighed, quickly pulling Syakir and herself away from the apartment building. Nasuha wanted to chase after them but remembered Khairul and Kyoko's condition; she rushed towards them."Khai!" Nasuha landed beside him first. Khairul was lying weakly on the floor, visible lash marks on his neck, and blood was flowing from a stab wound on his thigh."What was that? They're Mutants... Why did they attack us?" Kyoko lamented, walking towards Nasuha and Khairul while covering the back of her head, feeling extremely dizzy from Syakir's earlier powers."Don't worry... It's just a scratch. I've been through worse," Khairul smiled as he tried to lift himself up again."I don't understand what just happened. It was so sudden," Nasuha sighed, gently touching the lash marks on Khairul's neck."Uh!" Khairul winced in pain."So-Sorry..." Nasuha quickly withdrew her hand."I'm okay—I'm okay," Khairul reassured her, while Kyoko looked around, letting out a long breath."Let's go home. There's no way we can continue our patrol in this condition..." Kyoko commanded, and Nasuha and Khairul nodded in agreement without thinking twice."Khairul, Nasuha, and Kyoko were attacked by Mutants? Nasuha said they're coming back to my house now; she said they're pretty hurt too," Mei said while checking her phone, reading a message from Kyoko explaining that their group was on their way to Mei's house and detailing what had happened."Mutants attacked them? What happened?" Khalid, who was with Mei, asked."They don't know either. Khalid, we need to head back to check on them," Mei suggested, and Khalid placed both hands on the steering wheel."Alright. I'm getting worried too... I also want to ask about the Mutants who attacked them," Khalid replied, driving the Furioswheels away from the location."Uh... Huh..." Syakir was slightly burnt after being hit by the Star Beam. Lilly sat beside him, taking out a pink seed that produced a flower of the same color. The flower emitted a glow that healed some of Syakir's injuries."They got away now... but... I will kill... Kill them!" Syakir groaned, feeling frustrated and humiliated after being defeated by Nasuha. The moment when Nasuha unleashed the Star Beam and defeated him fueled the fire of his anger.The two of them were hiding in a dark alley. Footsteps echoed from the darkness, and Syakir and Lilly turned towards the sound."It seems we have the same desire," said a rough male voice from the darkness."Who are you?" Syakir asked."I'm the only one who can help you kill them... Those damn kids," Zaki emerged from the shadows with a sinister smile, wearing a black shirt and brown jeans."Do you think I'll trust you after what happened earlier?!" Syakir attacked Zaki with his wires, but Zaki caught Syakir's wires with his right hand, which transformed into a muscular, hairy arm with sharp claws. He caught the wires just like when Syakir tried to attack Sui'ra.Zaki pulled Syakir towards him, dragging him closer. He stomped on Syakir's head as soon as Syakir was beneath him."Let him go!" Lilly shouted, approaching with sharp roots aimed at Zaki's head. The smile on Zaki's face remained."I'd prefer if we worked together... My power, your power, and that girl's power would be useful for us to kill those two damn kids. Think about it, what's more important to you right now? Your life or your pride?" Zaki questioned, pressing down harder on Syakir's head.You... You're bargaining with me? Damn! Who the hell are you?Shit...I can't get out of this situation.Damn it! I'm done for!I'll make him eat his words someday. But for now..."Alright, alright! We'll work together! Let's kill those kids!" Syakir said, and Zaki immediately released the wires and took his foot off Syakir. Syakir quickly stood up and faced Zaki."Wise choice.""They've started fighting, huh. Interesting," said Sui'ra, watching the events unfold through a hologram. The hologram showed Nasuha releasing the Star Beam at Syakir.There were many other holograms surrounding Sui'ra, displaying various cities, humans, Strays, and Mutants engaged in their activities. One of the holograms followed a bespectacled man; he turned to the hologram watching him and moved his index finger towards it. A sphere of energy was created, and the hologram recording it suddenly closed.