Uprising

Badang and Jinn were still tirelessly rescuing anyone who was still alive. Smoke, screams, and debris engulfed the area — like a living hell.

In front of them stood a nearly destroyed house, surrounded by a horde of ravenous Demigons. Inside, a terrified family was trapped.

Without hesitation, Badang charged toward the horde. With earth-shaking stomps and mighty punches, he struck down the Demigons one by one. Black blood splattered, their howls echoed — but none could match Badang's strength.

Suddenly, more monsters emerged from every direction, drawn by the sounds of battle.

"Jinn!"

"I know!"

Jinn dashed toward the trapped family and swiftly led them toward the shelter hall.

Meanwhile, Badang stood firm as the final barrier — fighting off wave after wave of monsters trying to stop them. His breath was heavy, his body wounded, but his spirit never wavered.

When the battle ended and all the monsters lay slain, Badang stood at the center of the field, drenched in blood. He looked around, his eyes searching for Badrul.

He knew… all of this happened because of Badrul. This attack, this chaos — it had to be connected to him.

But before he could move, a voice screamed from afar.

"Help! Please, help me!"

Without delay, Badang sprinted at full speed toward the voice. He saw a woman sitting on the ground, her face filled with terror, her hands reaching out for help.

Badang approached cautiously.

But the moment he drew close — the woman's eyes turned pitch black, and her mouth gaped open, revealing sharp, unnatural teeth.

It wasn't human. It was a monster.

The creature lunged at Badang, but he reacted quickly — deflecting its attack and hurling it hard against the trunk of a tree.

The monster let out a roar, its body beginning to contort and transform, unsheathing long claws and a forked tongue.

Badang stood ready… the fight wasn't over.

Once more, the monster leapt toward him — but before its claws could strike, a tree branch pierced through its skull from behind.

The creature collapsed — dead instantly.

Badang turned. Standing there was Ilyas, blood splattered all over him.

"You okay?" Ilyas asked as he approached.

"I'm fine… But what was that monster?"

"That was a Mimic. A creature that can imitate its victim's voice… to lure in the next one," Ilyas replied, offering a hand to help Badang up.

Badang took his hand, then stood, letting out a deep breath.

"You're looking for Badrul, aren't you?" Ilyas asked, his gaze sharp.

"Yes. I'm sure he's somewhere around here."

"And once you find him… what are you planning to do?"

Badang fell silent. His jaw clenched. His eyes stared off into the distance, unreadable.

"Listen, whatever it is you're thinking of doing… don't. Don't act on emotion. You'll regret it," said Ilyas firmly.

"I know what I'm doing. Stay out of it."

"Suit yourself. I'm just reminding you."

Silence fell for a moment. Only the wind and the sounds of crumbling ruins accompanied their footsteps as they continued the search.

Along the way, Badang saw the bodies of villagers lying still — some charred, others brutally torn apart. The corpses of children, women, men — all too late to escape the wrath of the Demigons.

His heart ached with guilt.

"If I had been stronger… if I had arrived sooner…" his heart whispered.

He clenched his fists, seething with anger and frustration — not just at Badrul, but at himself.

Ilyas merely watched Badang from the side, aware that his friend needed space to calm his storm. He said nothing — only their slow, quiet steps filled the heavy silence of their search.

Minutes passed…

At last, they arrived at a clearing surrounded by forest and thick undergrowth.

In the center stood Badrul, surrounded by several monsters that appeared obedient — those savage creatures seemed to be guarding him.

"You've arrived, Badang," said Badrul. His voice was deep, almost echoing.

Badang was stunned. His breath caught in his chest.

The face of his twin… was almost unrecognizable.

Badrul's skin now shimmered with dark scales, his eyes sharp and glinting. The hands that were once ordinary had transformed into savage claws. His body had hardened, as if no longer fully human… but half-monster.

"What have you done, Badrul…" Badang's voice cracked — a tremble between rage and sorrow.

Meanwhile, inside the shelter hall…

Khai and several of the surviving villagers sat close together, trying to calm themselves. But the voices outside the hall were growing more frantic.

"Help…"

"Mama…"

"It hurts… help me…"

The voices came from outside — faint and heartbreaking — as if children were crying, women were sobbing, and men were pleading for help. But they knew… those weren't human voices.

"Don't listen! Cover your ears! It's all fake!" Khai shouted, trying to rally their spirits.

"What kind of monster is really waiting outside…" muttered Atan, his body trembling.

"Agus, Raka! Have you made sure all the doors and windows are tightly shut?" Khai asked anxiously.

"Yes, we tied the door with rope and covered the windows with dark cloth!" Agus replied quickly.

Inside the dim hall, the group sat in silence, their faces haunted by fear.

The stone walls of the hall seemed barely able to hold back the howling wind that surged from outside, carrying with it the chilling voices.

Those voices — though clear and close — were not the cries of the living.

They were the voices of the dead villagers, screaming and begging for help.

They knew it… the creature was still out there — a being capable of mimicking everything it devoured, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

A terrified mother held her nine-year-old twins close, trying to shield them from the horror waiting outside the hall.

One of the children turned toward the window. Unbeknownst to anyone, the cloth covering the window hadn't been fastened properly — leaving a small gap.

His eyes locked onto something — a pair of sharp Mimic eyes staring back at him from outside.

Ilyas had forgotten to tell them one crucial thing: never, ever look directly into a Mimic's eyes.

The child's gaze met the creature's.

"Don't..."

"... look at me!!"

Suddenly, the Mimic went berserk. It smashed through the window with terrifying strength and burst into the hall.

Panic swept through the room.

The first Mimic went on a rampage, destroying everything in its path.

Khai immediately leapt to attack. But his strike failed to pierce the creature's tough hide.

"Tch, its body's tougher than a Giant's!"

Soon, more Mimics began pouring in from outside, spreading chaos.

"Agus, Raka, protect everyone!" Khai ordered.

Agus and Raka rushed into battle with fierce determination, holding back the attacking Mimics.

Without Ilyas there, they were slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.

Abu and Atan, also present, quickly stepped in to help. Though they hadn't fully mastered the Evo-Virus within their bodies, they managed to provide some support to Khai, Agus, and Raka.

A brutal battle unfolded within the hall — a desperate struggle for survival filled with tension and fragile hope.

The villagers could only watch with anxious hearts as the five of them stood firm before them, defending every inch of the hall from the ferocious assault.

With trembling hands and fear-filled hearts, they felt powerless — able only to pray that the shield of protection around them wouldn't collapse under the weight of the violence crashing down upon it.

Agus was starting to falter. Sweat dripped down his forehead, his breathing grew heavier. The Mimics were growing in number and ferocity. In a moment of hesitation, one of them suddenly lunged at him.

He managed to dodge — but not completely. The Mimic's sharp claws slashed his side.

"Damn it… how much longer do I have to keep this up?"

He turned — his eyes widened. A Mimic had slipped past him and was now leaping toward a terrified group of villagers huddled in a corner of the hall.

Clutching his wounded side, without a second thought, Agus threw himself forward to shield them. His jaw clenched in pain — his arm caught in the Mimic's jaws.

"Run!!" he shouted, stabbing the creature in the head with the sharp weapon in his hand.

The Mimic fell. But before he could even catch his breath, another Mimic charged in from behind and slammed into him.

Agus collapsed, his body growing weak. Blood poured from the wounds on his arm and side. He tried to stand — but his body refused.

Raka, seeing what happened from afar, immediately tried to reach him.

"Agus!"

But too many Mimics blocked his path, preventing him from getting close.

Agus shut his eyes for a moment.

"Is this the end of my life? Heh… not bad…"

Agus saw the villagers in danger, along with his friends who were still struggling to fight off the monsters.

"… But… as long as they're in danger… I won't go in peace!"

Suddenly — BANG!

A gunshot echoed through the hall. A bullet pierced the head of the Mimic that was about to devour Agus.

The creature dropped dead right in front of him. Agus opened his eyes.

Standing before him was a man — one of the villagers — holding a shotgun. He was panting heavily, but his face was full of determination.

"I'm tired of always being protected by others…" he said.

"I won't just hide when my own home is under attack!"

"Just because we're weak, you think we'll surrender that easily?!"

A woman stood beside him, gripping a long wooden stick.

"This is our village. We'll defend it — no matter what it takes!"

Their courage sparked a new fire in the others. One by one, the villagers began to rise, grabbing anything they could use as weapons.

And that night, amidst the screams and crashing chaos, the spirit of resistance ignited within the bloodstained and hope-filled walls of the hall.

A battle erupted in the shelter — villagers versus monsters.

After nearly thirty minutes of fierce fighting, the villagers emerged victorious. Their breaths were ragged, their bodies drenched in sweat and blood — but their spirits burned brighter than ever.

Khai stood, wiping sweat from his brow. He quickly ran over to Raden, who was tending to someone.

"Raden, how's Luna?"

Raden gave a faint smile, his face still smeared with dust.

"Don't worry, she's safe… still asleep. No injuries."

Khai finally exhaled in relief. He collapsed to the ground, drained. For a moment, the heavy burden on his shoulders felt a little lighter.

But the joy didn't last long.

BOOOOOOOMMM!!

A powerful explosion from afar shook the ground. Dust and smoke billowed high from the direction of Ilyas and Badang's battle.

Faint screams and the sound of continuous blasts signaled that an even greater fight was raging there.

At a different location…

Badang and Samar, who had arrived at the scene, were battling Badrul — whose body had almost completely transformed into a monster.

Samar stood tall, his hands trembling — not from fear, but from fury.

"Is that all you've got, HUH?!" Badrul sneered, glaring at Badang and Samar with a mocking smile.

"I swear on my life…" Samar's voice shook, heavy with long-suppressed hatred,

"…I will kill you in a way you can't even imagine, BADRUL!!"