The air in the room turned tense after Aswa's provocative words. Zay stood rigid, his eyes narrowed as if dissecting the meaning behind Aswa's statement.
"What? Useless? We spent all night gathering intel to take them down! And you call it useless? Don't you know information is the most crucial thing?!" Zay shrieked, his voice cracking between anger and confusion.
Aswa simply crossed his arms, his demeanor relaxed like he was watching a soap opera. "Prove yourself first," he said lightly, as if asking for sugar at a roadside stall.
"Hah? Prove what, damn it?!" Zay kicked a chair violently.
CRASH!
The chair slammed into the wall, leaving splintered wood in its wake. Aswa's group—Mondy, Arca, and Momus—stared wide-eyed before whispering in unison: "Whoa, Aswa really brought out his true colors!"
"I know intel is important," Aswa continued, his eyes flicking briefly to Mondy. "But my faction can get intel easily. I know the strengths of Joglo and Srengseng inside out. That's why I accepted them. But you?" His gaze sharpened on Zay. "I don't know if you'll be an asset or dead weight."
Zay scratched his head in frustration. "Ugh... So you want us to prove ourselves by fighting?"
"No need." Aswa suddenly grinned, his expression shifting like a kid who'd found a new toy. "Just make yourselves sound interesting. Convince me we need you."
The Mysterious Call and the Threat
Suddenly, Mondy's phone rang, shattering the tension.
"Hello? Who is this? Who? Engo?" Mondy frowned.
The name "Engo" made Zay flinch. "Did he say Engo?"
Aswa immediately caught the reaction. Meanwhile, Mondy kept arguing with the caller:
"Eh... You know our plans? From who? One day? That means tomorrow! Ugh, damn fraud!" He hung up roughly.
"Who was that?" Arca asked, curious.
"No idea. Said his name was Engo," Mondy grumbled. "He said, 'You wanna conquer Kembangan District, huh? Fine, I'll give you one day. If you fail, we'll crush all of you—Meruya Selatan, Utara, Joglo, and Srengseng!'"
"Could Engo be Kembangan's leader?" Aswa mused.
"Hmm... If so, we're screwed. Why don't we just attack them now?" Arca suggested, already clenching his fists.
"Geez, Arca! Charging in blindly is suicide, you know?!" Mondy ruffled Arca's hair in exasperation.
"What if we challenge them to an eating contest?" Momus chimed in innocently.
"Stop spouting nonsense! Be serious, Momus!" Mondy groaned.
Aswa fell silent, tapping his chin. "Mondy, make a plan. Now."
"I don't even know where to start, Aswa!"
Mind Games and Kembangan's Secrets
Zay, who'd been frustrated earlier, now smirked smugly. He was sure they'd beg for his help. But Aswa pivoted sharply.
"Fine. Tell me about their school structure. You said they're united under one leader, right? So there must be two sub-leaders. We'll target them first, then the district boss," Aswa directed.
Mondy nodded and led them outside. Zay looked stunned.
"You don't want my intel? How arrogant!"
"Weren't you listening earlier? Prove yourself first!" Mondy taunted over his shoulder.
In the playground near the school, Mondy laid out his intel:
"From what I know, they're originally the Killian siblings—Kille leads South Kembangan, Pille leads North Kembangan. Both trained in martial arts, but Pille's the strategist. If they team up, it's game over."
"That bad? Are they really that scary?" Arca scoffed.
"Yeah! But the scariest is their district leader—the strongest high schooler in Kembangan!"
"Wait, how do you not know Engo's name, Mondy?" Aswa probed.
"Engo? I know other district leaders—the Mookervaat duo in Kalideres, Chi Sadan from Tangerang, or that mysterious Grogol Petamburan boss. But ours? Every time I dig, I hit a wall."
Roles and the First Move
Under Mondy's guidance, they finalized the plan:
Aswa would solo Kille (South Kembangan)—his strength guaranteed a quick takedown before joining the others.
Mondy and Arca would handle Pille (North Kembangan).
Momus would scout the neutral zone, then tail Aswa after Kille's defeat.
The biggest hurdle? Kembangan's numbers, especially with their district leader's backing.
Without hesitation, Aswa sprinted toward South Kembangan alone. The wind whipped through his hair, his face glowing like a kid who'd just gotten ice cream.
"It's been so long since I've felt this free!"
TO BE CONTINUED