Clang! Clang!
Both blades slammed into the creature's body, yet once again they felt as though they had struck solid bedrock.
Fatheema immediately followed with a horizontal slash from her left using the blade in her right hand, then a diagonal strike with her left, intending to finish with a powerful overhead double slash. But, the monster let out a furious roar and responded with a sweeping horizontal strike from its massive spiked mace.
The instant she saw the counterattack coming, Fatheema abandoned her offensive and redirected both blades to intercept the incoming blow.
CLANG!
The weapons collided. The twin blades were nowhere near enough to withstand the impact of the enormous spiked mace.
Fatheema felt herself hurled backward dozens of feet. Fortunately, she managed to regain control in midair, preventing herself from crashing into the ground or slamming into the surrounding trees.
Landing lightly, she immediately steadied her stance.
"My child, why are you here?" Mr. Ahmada rushed over to his daughter, clearly shocked by her sudden appearance. "Leave this place at once. That creature is incredibly powerful. I'm afraid we won't be able to stop it, and something terrible is going to happen."
"Dad! Mom was worried something had happened to you, so I came looking for you. Let's get out of here! You're right, that creature is too dangerous." By now, Fatheema had already gained a rough understanding of the monster's strength. Despite enduring countless attacks, it hadn't even flinched. Judging from the devastated battlefield, a fierce battle had already taken place, yet none of it seemed to have left so much as a scratch on the creature.
"What about everyone else?" Mr. Ahmada said firmly. "We have to save them too. You need to leave. Don't take this risk. Mr. Broto and I will hold it back so it can't kill anyone else. Take the others and get them out of here." He stubbornly refused to retreat, even though his body was already covered with wounds.
"But, Dad... you're badly injured. You've lost too much blood. Staying here will only put your life in greater danger. Let me hold it off instead."
"I'll be fine. Go! Take everyone with you!" Without another word, Mr. Ahmada charged back toward the monster, swinging his short machete.
Mr. Broto didn't hesitate either. He rushed in with his black ancestral spear.
Again and again, their weapons crashed against the creature. Yet the same impossible scene repeated itself. The monster neither staggered nor suffered the slightest injury.
Meanwhile, Fatheema stood frozen, uncertain what to do. She remembered the vision she had seen earlier—her father dying at the hands of an evil being. But all around the battlefield, numerous victims still lay helpless, their fates unknown.
Finally, she made her decision. She hurried to the wounded, helping those who were still alive and dragging the unconscious farther away from the battlefield. Among those still conscious were the village chief and Herman.
"Sir, can you walk? We need to get away from here immediately. Herman, if you're still able to move, please help the others."
Fatheema quickly organized the evacuation of the injured.
Meanwhile, the battle between Mr. Broto, Mr. Ahmada, and the monster became increasingly one-sided. Although Mr. Broto possessed an invulnerability technique, his stamina had nearly run out, and the force behind his attacks steadily weakened.
Mr. Ahmada, however, was strangely different. Despite the countless wounds covering his body, his stamina hardly seemed to decline at all.
As for the monster...
It showed absolutely no sign of injury.
No matter how many attacks landed, its body remained as hard as solid rock. It almost seemed to be toying with its opponents, thoroughly enjoying the battle.
Suddenly, Mr. Broto leaped backward, putting some distance between himself and the monster, leaving Mr. Ahmada to withstand its relentless assault alone. He slung the black spear across his back.
Then he assumed a strange stance.
Balancing on his right leg, he lifted his left foot so that its sole rested against his right knee. Raising both hands above his head, he pressed his palms together.
Moments later, he began chanting an incantation.
Taliku jagad raya, Sirahku Waja Rengas.
Makrifatku Surya Kanca, wujudku Antaboga.
Niat ingsun ajianku... Aji Gelap Sayuta.
Then Mr. Broto shouted at the top of his lungs. He slammed his left foot onto the ground and struck the earth with the palm of his right hand.
A tremendous shockwave rippled outward in every direction. Most of its power, however, converged upon the mysterious black monster.
Mr. Broto had unleashed his ultimate technique—
Aji Gelap Sayuta.
The forbidden art was capable of draining an enemy's strength and crushing their fighting spirit, as though some unseen force were siphoning away their very vitality.
At the same time, it dramatically enhanced its user's own physical power, turning their body into a deadly weapon and making every strike devastating.
The effects of Aji Gelap Sayuta were overwhelming.
Even Fatheema, who stood a considerable distance away and wasn't the technique's intended target, suddenly felt dizzy.
Her eyelids grew unbearably heavy.
An eerie silence filled her ears.
Her limbs weakened, and she nearly collapsed.
The others who remained conscious—Herman, the village chief, and several SAR members—were hit even harder. One after another, they collapsed unconscious under the technique's overwhelming pressure.
Fatheema herself staggered as an irresistible wave of drowsiness washed over her.
Immediately, she leaped farther away, forcing herself to focus both her mind and body.
Meanwhile, the mysterious creature stood motionless.
For a brief moment, it appeared dazed, leaning against its massive spiked mace.
Mr. Broto wasted no time.
Grabbing his black spear once more, he launched himself at the monster with explosive speed.
His spear thrust, slashed, and stabbed in a relentless barrage.
For several moments, the creature became the target of an unending storm of attacks.
Yet despite the savage assault, its body showed no signs of injury.
Every strike from the ancestral spear rang out like steel smashing against solid granite.
The clearing echoed with deafening metallic clangs.
Even empowered by Aji Gelap Sayuta, the black spear still failed to pierce the monster's body.
After enduring countless attacks, the creature let out a deep growl before releasing a thunderous roar. The deafening sound shook the entire clearing.
Then—
A violent shockwave erupted from its body.
Mr. Broto was blasted backward, bringing his furious assault to an abrupt end.
Everything around the monster was hurled away by the explosion. Moments later, the creature opened its mouth wide.
A black sphere of energy formed inside before shooting toward its opponent like a cannon blast.
Mr. Broto leaped aside just in time.
The energy sphere struck the empty ground instead, exploding with tremendous force and sending clouds of dust into the air.
But the attack didn't stop there.
The monster continued firing one black energy sphere after another, reducing the battlefield to utter devastation.
Trees struck by the projectiles shook violently. Branches snapped off, while smaller trees were completely uprooted.
Mr. Broto struggled to evade the relentless barrage.
He leaped left...
Then right...
Then onto the branches of nearby trees.
At one point, he narrowly dodged one projectile. The moment his feet touched the ground, another black energy sphere was already racing straight toward him.
There was no time left to evade. He crossed both arms in front of himself, bracing for the impact.
***