CHAPTER 48 : FATHER AND SON

A small earthquake caused by Nur's power resulted in more chaos. Mikael, using what strength he had left, pulled Khairul and Khalid toward him with the black liquid from his shadow power.Zaki tried to stand, but the shaking ground made him fall again, while Rose clung to her police car. The roots where Syakir and Lilly, along with the HOPE members they controlled, were planted shook violently, causing them to lose focus. The ground began to crack, and rocks and earth flew into the air."Huh... Huh... Huh..." The earthquake stopped, and Nur was gasping for air, exhausted. Many were still on the ground, their bodies weak and heads throbbing after the tremor."Khai... Is your body able to heal?" asked Mikael. Khairul remained silent. Mikael checked the wound on Khairul's abdomen—it was slightly closed but still open."Kid." Mikael realized there was nothing he could do, as Khairul's spirit was already broken. Using his shadow power, he forced Khairul's wound to close."Urgh..." Khairul winced in pain for a moment, and Mikael stood back up. Zaki, now recovered, also got to his feet and looked around."Check on Khalid," Mikael requested. Khairul hung his head. He took a step forward, managing only to create one axe with his power.Rose managed to reload her pistol. Shaurya, who had regained consciousness, winced in pain from the hit Zaki had delivered to his right arm earlier. He forced himself to stand, grabbing his pistol with his left hand."I'm not playing around anymore..." said Zaki, as Mikael raised his axe. Rose fired her shot first, hitting Zaki's neck, but he didn't even flinch. Zaki continued toward Mikael.At the same time, Hazim fired a laser beam from his eyes toward Syakir, but Lilly deflected it with thick roots, though the roots burned, and the laser managed to break through.Syakir dodged just before the laser could hit him, his expression turning angry. He raised his hand."You ungrateful tool... How dare you attack your master—" Suddenly, Syakir stopped speaking and moving. Lilly looked at him, confused."You think... it's that easy to control me?"Inside the Mind Dimension, Mei held Syakir's head."How... How is this possible? I've already controlled you... shut down your mind...""Minds are a world I control. You're the one who's truly clueless, huh? You didn't learn anything from your past mistakes..." Mei replied before crushing Syakir's head with just her palm.Back in the real world, blood poured from Syakir's nose. He slumped down, covering his nose and mouth. The wires connected to the backs of the HOPE members detached, and by the time Lilly realized what had happened, it was too late—every HOPE member had vanished from her sight."Sometimes I forget how terrifying you can be, Mei," sighed Kyoko with a bitter smile as she leaned on Nasuha, her left leg still not fully healed."I'm sorry, everyone... I couldn't control myself... I hurt you all..." Nasuha finally came to her senses."Don't worry. Welcome back, Nasuha," Mei smiled at Nasuha."I... have no energy left..." Chyou sat down, exhaling slowly."Leave the rest to me," Nasuha responded with a determined yet cold expression. Even though her palms were burned, she still used her power to fly back into the air."That damn woman! She cuts off my control again!" Syakir raged as Nasuha headed toward him and Lilly, her sharp gaze locked onto Syakir."You made me hurt my friends... I won't let you go!" Nasuha's eyes glowed brightly, and her hands lit up. Lilly sent thorny roots toward Nasuha.Hazim's laser burned all the roots. Nasuha flew closer to Syakir, but Lilly threw red seeds that caused an explosion, sending Nasuha flying backward.Lilly quickly jumped away with Syakir, but Nasuha followed, firing beams of light relentlessly. Lilly used roots to block all of Nasuha's attacks."Urgh... It hurts..." Hazim groaned as smoke billowed from his eyes, blinding him. Nur approached him, holding his shoulder."Brother... I can't... I don't understand what's happening... What is all this?" Nur sobbed, her body trembling. Hazim grabbed Nur's hand."I'm here... I'm here, Nur," Hazim reassured her. After the smoke cleared from his eyes, he looked toward Mikael, who was fighting Zaki, and Khairul, who was watching the battle with a somber expression.Is this what you've been hiding, Khai?A world full of pain... too strange... too terrifying...For a kid like you to be in such agony?I can't understand it now. But I see you fighting...I can't explain it either, but I've learned a little bit about how to use this power. I'm going to help."Nur... We have to go down there and help. Don't be afraid, I'm here. Just stay behind me," Hazim urged."Help?" Nur was still hesitant."Yes..." Hazim replied softly."Stop running!" Nasuha shouted as she slashed through many roots with Star Slash. Lilly and Syakir landed on the ground, with Lilly letting out a small sigh."No more roots..." she muttered. Syakir sat beside her, exhausted, with blood still dripping from his nose. Nasuha landed in front of them, sending dust flying into the air."You have a grudge against me, don't you? Why? Because I beat you last time? You do realize you attacked us first, right?" Nasuha asked, bombarding Syakir with questions. Syakir remained silent, while Nasuha clenched her fists."I know people like you... Cowards. Hiding, using others to get what you want. Why do people like you even waste oxygen on this planet?" Nasuha gathered a huge amount of light energy.Zaki slammed Mikael into the ground, Mikael's axe shattering to pieces. Zaki's claws extended, ready to slash Mikael's face, but Hazim's laser shot pushed him aside. Mikael quickly turned to see Hazim and Nur approaching the fight."I... I can help," Hazim said. Mikael nodded and stood up, while Zaki gritted his teeth."I already told you... I won't waste any more time!" Zaki rushed toward Hazim, his eyes glowing red. Hazim's eyes also lit up with red lasers, but Zaki quickly closed his eyes, while Hazim's laser burned Zaki's hand."Brother!" Nur screamed in fear, seeing what was happening."Aaarrghhhh!" Hazim screamed, intensifying his laser until it pierced through Zaki's palm."You're useless! Die!" Zaki stabbed Hazim in the chest, blood splattering everywhere, and Hazim's laser immediately stopped.Mikael froze, Nur was terrified, Rose didn't have time to react, and Shaurya's face turned angry. Khairul's eyes widened as Zaki pulled his hand from Hazim's chest."Brother! No! Brother!" Nur rushed to her brother, who lay on the ground with a hole in his chest, while Zaki just stared at Hazim, whose eyes had lost their glow."Hazim..." Khairul stood up.Hazim wasn't breathing. Nur shook his body repeatedly, but he didn't respond. Mikael tried to attack Zaki but collapsed, having no strength left."You killed him?!" Rose screamed, firing her gun alongside Shaurya. Another earthquake seemed to shake the ground, and Zaki raised his hand, ready to kill Nur, who was cradling Hazim's body.Khairul tightly gripped Zaki's hand before he could strike Nur. The earthquake stopped, and everyone froze. Nur looked up. Khairul wasn't looking at anyone, while Zaki remained silent. Khairul's grip was so strong that Zaki couldn't pull his hand away."Khai?" Mikael was confused."Khai, get out of there!" Rose commanded.Khairul looked at Hazim and Nur with a sorrowful expression."I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... This is all my fault..." Khairul said as sharp blades protruded from his back and the sides of his mouth. He turned to face Zaki, and Nur looked at Khairul with a fearful expression."Enough... You killed my friend... Isn't that enough for you?" Khairul asked, throwing Zaki far away from Nur and Hazim.Where did this strength coming from?Something has changed...All of Khairul's wounds healed. He clenched his fists tightly, shards of black sword fragments that had shattered earlier emerged from both his arms, forming new blades. The new blades were longer and slightly curved, resembling mantis arms.Zaki grinned sinisterly."You... are just like me. Look at how ugly you are!" Zaki's muscles grew larger as his body transformed into an even more grotesque form."Havvveee youuuu suffferreedddd enoougghhh, Khaairulll?" Zaki asked, as Khairul stared at his father."You're right... I am just like you. I only hurt others, causing them pain. I should've died long ago, but I'll drag you to hell with me, old man." Khairul's eyes transformed into those of a mantis, and he and Zaki took steps forward.None of this means anything anymore.Just kill him...Then die too...Khairul and Zaki began fighting, their claws and blades repeatedly piercing, tearing, and slashing through their flesh, but they kept healing. Everyone watching the fight was frozen, unable to do anything.Two monsters, relentlessly attacking each other, their feet unmoving, only their hands tearing each other apart. Blood splattered everywhere. A father and son, both solely focused on killing each other."S-Stop it... Khairul... Stop it..." Rose sat down, realizing how powerless she was, unable to do anything."Kid... Enough... Enough fighting..." Mikael's voice was hoarse."Aaarrghhhh!""Kuaaarrghhhh!"Zaki and Khairul's attacks became faster. They began moving their feet. Khairul tried to decapitate Zaki, but his blade only cut Zaki's neck. Zaki tore Khairul's cheek, but it healed instantly.I haven't really changed in the end.Still the same useless asshole...I thought I had changed because I did something meaningful.But that was all a lie I told myself every day...I don't deserve to be loved.You shouldn't love me, Nasuha...None of you should care about me.Just forget all of it, Khairul!Forget everyone!Just kill everything!Khairul stabbed Zaki in the stomach, spilling his guts, but Zaki didn't stop attacking, ripping Khairul's chest open.Nasuha watched from a distance as Khairul and Zaki fought. The light in her eyes and palms vanished, her expression a mixture of shock and sadness. Syakir and Lilly also looked horrified at the sight of the fight.Why did everything turn out like this?"Khai..." Kyoko looked troubled, Mei covered her mouth, and Chyou stared blankly.Why is my life nothing but suffering?Shaurya moved toward Rose, leaning against their police car.I want to change...This isn't what I wanted..."Syakir... Let's run... Let's run, now!" Lilly used her last root to pull herself and Syakir away. The two of them ran, but no one paid attention to them. Everyone was too focused on Khairul and Zaki."This is the last time... The last time I lose..." Syakir muttered, Lilly gently hugging him from behind. Syakir was startled."Yeah... Next time we win," Lilly replied."Lilly, you..." Syakir was at a loss for words. He just turned his head away and let Lilly hold him.If only...If only my life were different, maybe I wouldn't have to suffer like this.What's the meaning of my life?After everything that's happened?"I love you too, Khai. I've felt this way for a long time...""Hah... Hurgh... Kuh..." Khairul and Zaki stopped attacking each other. Khairul's right arm was nearly severed, his chest torn open, his face slashed deeply."Karh... Karh... Karh..." Zaki's right eye hung out, his body covered in stab wounds, his guts spilling."Khai..." Nasuha called out, looking at Khairul. Khairul slowly turned his monstrous, injured face toward her, and for a moment, Nasuha was frightened, but she still took a step forward.This is who I am, Nasuha.I'm ugly... I'm evil...People suffer, die because of me...All of this happened because of me.Because I didn't die in that hospital.Because I didn't die with Mom."Moooree! Moreee! Moorrreee!" Zaki screamed as his body healed, Khairul's body also began to heal itself. He turned back to face Zaki."Khai... That's enough!" Nasuha called."Shutttt theee fuccckkk uppp!" Zaki snapped, ready to attack again, Khairul raised his hand.Hazim... I'm sorry I lied to you all this time.I didn't even get to say anything. You're gone because of me... Because I lied...Nur... Don't forgive me... Hate me...I'm the one to blame.Why didn't anything in my life go right? Is this really my fate? Just to suffer?Yeah... I want to die, just kill me-Zaki punched Khairul, knocking him back, and Khairul sat on the ground in front of Zaki..."Where?! Where... is your rage?! Where?!" Zaki screamed, but Khairul's eyes were empty, and he refused to stand."Just kill me.""No! Not like this! Not like this! Fight... Fight me!" Zaki demanded, but Khairul didn't move.What's your problem, old man?You've won...In the end, I couldn't do anything.Aren't you satisfied yet?You brought me into this world to suffer... Why was I even born? Nothing good has ever happened in my life..."Fight! Fight!" Zaki seemed to have lost his mind, forcing Khairul to fight again and again, but nothing happened. Khairul sat frozen before him."Khai... How could you say... something like that?" Nasuha cried, and Khairul turned to her again."Do you not love me anymore? Do you want to leave me?" Nasuha asked, her voice trembling.My shining star of hope. Your smile brightens the world... When I look at you, it feels like maybe the world isn't so bad...At first, all these feelings were foreign to me. I never thought I could feel this way..."Khai-rul..." Under the rain, when you were about to jump off that bridge. I'm so grateful I chose to follow you that day... Thank God I grabbed you just in time..."What do you think, Khai? Short hair for me. Do you think... it looks pretty?" You know, you almost killed me that day? My heart was racing like crazy. I think that's when I started noticing these strange feelings...Realizing I didn't want to taint you with my darkness.When you told me you loved me... I was so happy.I'm sorry I'm not good at complimenting you or saying nice things... It always makes things awkward...Nasuha... When you hugged me... I felt like screaming something... Asking you for something...Nasuha..."Nasuha... Save me... Please... save me, Nasuha..." Khairul pleaded, the blades that had grown from his body slowly retracting. Nasuha turned back to face him.Khairul began to cry.I need you to save me... from all of this.I'm scared...A beam of Star Beam blasted from Nasuha, sending Zaki flying backward and crashing into a building, which immediately collapsed. Nasuha floated above Khairul, a smile etched on her face, and slowly descended, touching both of Khairul's cheeks."I'm here... You don't need to be afraid anymore, Khai. I'll save you now," Nasuha said as she pressed her forehead against Khairul's.A vision of Khairul as a young boy being hugged by Nasuha, who was wearing the Ms. Star costume, flashed in Khairul's mind."Kaaaarghhh!" Zaki emerged from the rubble of the building, the sound of helicopters and sirens blaring. Rose and Shaurya turned toward the sky."T-The Special Force?!" Rose was shocked.Two helicopters from the Special Force and their tanks were approaching the battle zone of HOPE. Nasuha flew back into the sky as Khairul watched her.Khairul has saved me.Over and over again...he took the responsibility of dirtying his hands for the safety of others...Now, for him.I don't care who I have to kill..."Star Beam... Maximum Output!" Nasuha unleashed the maximum output of her Star Beam, hitting Zaki. Bricks and debris flew everywhere as Zaki was driven into the ground, and the fur on his body began to burn."Kaaaarrghhh!" Zaki screamed loudly, but the Star Beam did not stop. The Special Force helicopters had arrived with their tanks, but they did nothing, frozen in awe as they watched Nasuha's attack.When the Star Beam finally ceased, a massive crater had formed on the blackened ground. Nothing remained in the area except for dust and thick black smoke. Nasuha hovered in front of the two approaching helicopters.Suddenly, a flash of purple lightning whisked Nasuha away, and all the members of HOPE vanished in an instant, including Hazim and Nur. Rose and Shaurya looked around at the devastation—the collapsed buildings, scattered debris, and wrecked cars everywhere."A battle between 'Superhumans' again. Such terrible destruction...""In such a short time, we witnessed the aftermath of a Superhuman battle... Everything destroyed, explosions here and there. We were worried about mutated monsters. Now we have humans who can think and control their powers, fighting all over the place.""These Superhumans clearly need to be controlled or eliminated, just like the mutated monsters! They're dangerous!""The Special Force eats up our taxes, but what results do they have to show? They've only managed to capture one 'Superhuman'?""How long... are we going to live in fear... confined like this? Government, do something!""What will humanity do now that they realize Mutants are just as dangerous as Strays? Exciting, isn't it?" Sui'ra asked, turning to the side. Mikael, Khalid, and Mei stared at him angrily."Everything is going just as you wanted, isn't it? You say you don't involve yourself in human affairs, but we know you're behind everything that's happening..." Khalid replied."What Zaki did wasn't something I suggested... It was his own will and choice. But when it comes to the White Tigers, I won't lie—I had a hand in that. But remember, I didn't interfere, only gave a suggestion..." Sui'ra explained, with a carefree smile never leaving his face.