CHAPTER 61 : FUTILE

"The Special Force base is under attack! Everyone, get here now!"Kyoko's voice was heard as the eyes pearls in every HOPE member's pocket shattered. Ali immediately leaped off his house balcony while putting on his mask. He landed on a building across from his apartment."I need to hurry." Ali gathered a lot of energy in his legs, causing his veins to glow a bright blue. He jumped far, almost flying, leaving a crater on the roof of the building. The wind blew strongly, followed by roof debris flying everywhere.Khalid floored the gas pedal of the Furioswheels as he drove with Mei and Chyou. Meanwhile, Nasuha flew as fast as she could, carrying Khairul and Nur.At the Special Force base...Kyoko swiftly moved all the Special Force members away from Lilly's attack. In a flash, she placed the Special Force members in front of the lab. The wounded immediately entered, while those still able to fight began shooting at Lilly.Rose, too, raised her weapon and fired. The layer of leaves covering Lilly began to tear. She moved several vines in front of her to block the bullets.Placing her hand on the wall of leaves surrounding her, she slowly created a new layer."Death Reaper? I choose when I die..." Danielle said, gripping the black spear that had pierced through his stomach with his left hand. Black-red aura swirled around the weapon, causing Mikael to immediately release it and distance himself from Danielle.The black liquid that had bound Danielle opened up. He pulled the black spear from his stomach and placed his right hand on the stab wound."Order, Restore." Danielle healed completely as a bright blue aura emerged from his right hand. He glanced at Mikael, noticing a scythe blade swinging toward him. Danielle dodged."It seems his power has something to do with shadows... The weapons he creates can hurt me, even with the Order I set on myself to prevent injury," Danielle thought to himself. Mikael approached and switched his weapon to two axes, which Danielle deflected as they swung from the right.A shadowy liquid emerged from behind Danielle, binding him from moving. Mikael was able to slash his left shoulder, and blood splattered on both their faces as they glared at each other."I know a bit about what he's doing... His right hand heals, his left destroys. It seems like he can't use both at the same time. As long as I can make it hard for him to choose which power to use, I can win!"Danielle kicked Mikael far away and quickly broke free from the shadowy liquid binding him. Without healing the slash on his shoulder, Danielle aimed his left hand at Mikael, gathering black-red aura."Chaos, Entropy!" Everything in front of Danielle shattered. Mikael tried to dodge, but he got caught in the whirlwind-shaped aura."Urgh!" Even so, he struggled to maintain control of his powers, even as they slipped into the Chaos, Entropy. Danielle was shocked to see Mikael resist Chaos's power. Using all his strength, Mikael threw a shadow spear he'd created toward Danielle at lightning speed.The spear wasn't perfect, but it was enough to make Danielle stop his power for a moment. Mikael slipped into a shadow and emerged behind Danielle. He stabbed Danielle's side with a quickly crafted shadow dagger. Danielle tried to grab him, but Mikael rolled away and stabbed Danielle's thigh."I've trained to fight you... one hundred thirty-seven times. You might not understand how, but you don't need to. You can ask God when you get to hell," Mikael said."No mutant has ever been able to wound me. Let alone make me bleed like this... You're strong. I admit it," Danielle replied, slightly bowing.Meanwhile, only two Special Force members and Syafiq were left facing Syakir and the seven Strays still under his control. Syafiq appeared injured, his clothes torn, and his helmet cracked.Bodies of the other Special Force members were strewn around him. Syafiq gritted his teeth, his face pained."The mutated monster he controls don't move like the others. He controls them, making them more effective... I thought I could fight these enemies, but I can't do anything at all..." Syafiq lamented in his thoughts. Syakir commanded the Strays under his control to attack again."Do you... know? Do-Do you know? Wanna know?! Wanna know?!" A Stray in the form of a woman with long hair but a snake-like body slithered swiftly and appeared in front of Syafiq in an instant. Its mouth opened, revealing smoke and poisonous green saliva. Syafiq immediately stabbed the creature before dodging another Stray with a worm-like head trying to pounce on him.Another remaining Special Force member was stabbed from behind by a Stray with horns, but with the last bit of his strength, he opened a grenade and placed it on the Stray's head."No!" Syafiq screamed. The grenade exploded, killing the member and the Stray that stabbed him. Syafiq grew angrier, grabbed two grenades, and pulled the pins."Die, all of you!" Syafiq stuffed the grenades into the snake-woman Stray's mouth and threw another at the worm-like Stray. As he withdrew his hand from the snake-woman's mouth, it got burned by the acid inside.Boom!The snake-woman Stray's head exploded while the worm-like Stray's stomach burst open. The explosion killed them both. A remaining Special Force member shot the Stray attacking him repeatedly in the head, killing it.Only three Strays were left, with Syafiq and the last Special Force member severely wounded. Syakir watched from afar with a bored expression."You were right, Danielle. These pathetic creatures... Even fighting mindless monster like these is troublesome. Why are you alive if you're this weak?" Syakir questioned, remembering his conversation with Danielle earlier about the worth of humanity.Why hasn't the mutation cell that might be in me activated during a moment like this?Why didn't it choose me? Why? Why?I don't understand at all...My men are still dying... and I've failed to protect anyone..."Star Beam!" A beam of light headed toward Syakir, who immediately looked back. The beam hit the leaves shielding Syakir. Star Beam managed to penetrate several layers of the leaves. Syakir quickly jumped aside before the shield completely opened.Khairul and Nur arrived from the sky. Khairul used his two blades to decapitate a Stray while Nur smashed the remaining two with a giant stone ball, crushing their heads."Iman Nasuha..." Syafiq looked up, seeing Nasuha glowing while flying in front of him.Realizing the situation, Syakir began to flee. Khairul and Nur immediately chased after him, but Nasuha still looked at Syafiq."Get to safety," Nasuha said. The member with Syafiq helped carry him."Iman Nasuha!" Syafiq called out. The member carrying him paused, and they both turned back to Nasuha."I'm Ms. Star... Don't call me Iman Nasuha," Nasuha replied."Thank you," Syafiq said softly, his face full of sadness."You're welcome. Now go, we'll stop them." Nasuha gave a small smile and flew off."Lilly!" Syakir shouted. Lilly turned toward him and realized Syakir was being chased by Khairul and Nur. Vines immediately moved toward them, blocking the two from reaching Syakir."I'm getting sick of fighting you!" Syakir said as a vine lifted him into the air. Khairul cut through several vines before glaring at Syakir."Don't run, coward!" Khairul yelled."Hahahahaha..." Danielle laughed at the situation. Mikael looked at him, confused."What's so funny?" Mikael asked."You think you understand my power completely? You've only seen a fraction of my true abilities. Besides, I've already won... I've proven how weak the Special Force truly is. They weren't ready to face mutants." Danielle stood tall, while Mikael looked around, noticing the lifeless bodies of several Special Force members scattered everywhere."They needed other mutants to save them so they could survive... Humans are truly weak!" All of Danielle's wounds vanished entirely, not healing gradually like other mutants. Mikael's eyes widened, stunned by what he witnessed."You waste your power defending humans who have no meaning. Mutants who are still tied to their human lives are just pathetic. What are you thinking? That your life will go back to normal if you show that you're still human?" Danielle questioned. Mikael simply readied his two axes, standing in a defensive stance."Humanity will never accept us, mutants. That's the reality. Nothing will return to how it used to be. The moment you transformed into a mutant, you ceased being human," Danielle continued as several black pillars rose from shadowed areas and dark liquid moved toward him."Order, Untouchable." A bright blue aura illuminated Danielle's entire body, preventing the dark liquid from touching him. But Mikael had already closed in."Shi-" Before Mikael could act, Danielle grabbed both of his hands, stopping the swing of his axes."I don't like killing mutants because I find it a waste, especially someone as strong as you... Join White Tigers, or I'll kill you right here," Danielle offered. Mikael spat in Danielle's face, but the spit passed right through Danielle's face."What a waste." Danielle tightly gripped both of Mikael's hands."A-Arrgh!" Mikael screamed in pain as Danielle broke both of his arms. He sat down in front of Danielle. His left hand was aimed at him, but Mikael glared at him fearlessly.A purple lightning bolt whisked Mikael away, causing Danielle's attack to miss. Kyoko carried Mikael as far away from Danielle as possible."Plan A failed, it seems," Kyoko said."I knew I couldn't beat him... but tch, he can heal just like that." Mikael sighed. Danielle watched them from a distance."Kyoko, fix my arms." Mikael raised both arms toward Kyoko."Seriously?""Yes.""Argh!" Mikael winced as Kyoko realigned his broken arms. He clenched them a few times, and Mikael could now use both arms again.Danielle ignored them and instead turned toward Lilly and Syakir, who were facing off against Nasuha, Nur, and Khairul. With her earth-manipulating power, Nur was able to create an opening for Khairul to approach Lilly and Syakir, while Nasuha sliced through the roots coming toward Khairul using her Star Slash.When Khairul was right in front of Syakir and about to strike, Danielle suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking Khairul's blade."Argh-!" Before Khairul could swing his other blade, Danielle crushed the blade he blocked and forcefully shoved Khairul to the ground."Khai!" Nasuha called out, worried, and immediately rushed to Khairul."Let's stop playing around and focus on what we actually want," Danielle ordered. Lilly nodded in agreement, and with the remaining roots, she enveloped herself, Danielle, and Syakir. The tree then descended underground."Sh-She went underground..." Rose suddenly realized, their lab was underground, along with the cell where they kept Razi."They're infiltrating the lab! Now!" Rose shouted, rushing toward the lab, but neither her police unit nor the remaining Special Force members followed her."What are you doing?! Hurry!" Rose commanded, but then noticed the defeated and terrified faces of those around her."Alright, sis!" Shaurya stepped forward first. Rose looked at him with a sorrowful expression."We'll help." Kyoko and Mikael appeared before them, this time wearing their masks."Alright..." Rose responded, moving forward with Shaurya while Kyoko and Mikael followed behind.Bella suddenly stepped forward, picking up an automatic rifle from the ground."Let's hope we can really count on them..."With those thoughts running through her mind, Bella followed them inside. Some members of the police unit and Special Force also changed their minds and began moving with them."I... I'm okay... I'm okay." Khairul said as Nasuha helped him stand. He noticed his dented sword, and Khairul adjusted its position."They went underground... It seems there's something they want down there," Nur noted as Khairul and Nasuha approached her.A 'puff!' sound came from behind them. Khalid and Mei, along with Chyou, teleported behind the three of them."Sorry we're late! What's going on?" Khalid asked immediately.Meanwhile, the situation underground had grown dire. Lilly's powers had sent roots sprawling and destroying the laboratory surroundings. Several scientists and lab assistants had been killed. The entrance was blocked by debris, dirt, and rocks tied up by roots. Danielle entered the cell section of the lab, facing Riza, who was still bound by the machines."Danielle? Is all that chaos outside your doing?" Riza was shocked."You look pathetic, Riza." Danielle replied, smashing the glass of the cell, stepping inside, and approaching Riza."H-Hurry! Get me out of here—" Riza pleaded, but Danielle suddenly placed his hand around Riza's neck."W-What?""Order, Truthful." A bright blue aura enveloped Riza as Danielle activated her power."Tell me, Riza, what did you tell them? The Special Force and the lab workers here?" Danielle demanded."E-Everything! I told them everything! They tortured me... Forced me to tell the truth, and I couldn't take it... I couldn't take it..." Riza confessed, realizing he couldn't lie, his expression filled with fear."You bowed down to humans. You're no longer worthy of being a Mutant... or a member of the White Tigers." Danielle's face turned cold, and he plunged his hand into Riza's chest, pulling out his heart, spraying blood everywhere."D-Dani-Hurrrgh..." Riza was killed instantly. Danielle dropped his heart onto the ground and turned around to see Lilly watching him."Sorry you had to see that, Lilly," Danielle said."Y-Yeah... I managed to gather the White Tigers' belongings that they confiscated." Lilly replied.Syakir clapped his hands, revealing exoskeleton technology and several lab items stored inside a giant seed."Shit, can't open it!" Mikael and Kyoko tried to open the lab door but to no avail."Everyone, step back!" Mikael ordered. The police unit and Special Force members quickly retreated as thick black liquid appeared from every shadow and dark corner, and Mikael forced the door open.A heap of dirt and rocks, bound by roots, was revealed. Mikael clenched his fists, and a large shadowy hand formed behind him, smashing the heap apart. Finally, they managed to enter the lab, but they were immediately attacked by several Strays. Mikael and Kyoko were thrown aside as they were almost pounced on by the Strays.Rose, Shaurya, her police unit, and Bella pushed forward. They confronted Syakir, who was controlling the Strays attacking Mikael and Kyoko. They quickly aimed their weapons, but roots whipped their guns aside."Argh!" Rose fell to the ground as Shaurya continued shooting despite having his side pierced by the roots' thorns. Syakir was hit in his left shoulder."Damn humans!" Syakir snarled, releasing a Stray toward Shaurya, but Rose managed to stab the underside of the Stray before Bella shot its head repeatedly.The Special Force members focused on Lilly, but they were thrown left and right by Lilly's seemingly endless roots.Mikael and Kyoko were able to eliminate the Strays attacking them, but now they had to face Danielle. A red aura surged toward them, but Kyoko managed to take herself and Mikael out of the way just in time."This is all futile"