"Barong!" Wisesa raged, his voice sounding like the crack thunder. "You promised me a quarter of your power would be enough!"
Barong was not content to remain a mere voice. It had transformed into a crackling, pulsing energy. "I gave you what you asked for," it snarled. "But you failed to consider the strength of your opponent. Panggaraknagara's magic is far beyond what you anticipated."
Wisesa's face was contorted with sweat, twitching with pain. He rested his hands on the ground and rose to his feet. It was only when his eyes met Panggaraknagara's that knowledge dawned in his mind.
"My father only learnt three Knowledges," Wisesa said through clenched teeth. "He can fly. He moves objects with his mind. His Knowledge of ¹Gelap Ngampar is probably the most dangerous in all of Lojitengara—the entire world of thaumaturgy, in fact. It's the one he's been working on the most for years."
"I see. He increased his fasting period and killed more people with it. That surely make his shamanic knowledge from the Thunderkeeper the most honed of all shamans!" Barong turned to his lap. "Half of my power, then!"
"Fuck off!" Wisesa swung his hand at the orange energy projection. "I can do this! Only his lightning punch is the dangerous one, the other Knowledges suck ass!"
"You should have taken Barong's offer," Panggaraknagara interjected. "No matter how many Knowledges you use against me, they won't stop my lightning punch from crumbling your bones if I want to."
Wisesa took Barong Heads shroud back into his two fists. "’Thousands of Knowledge’? You underestimate me, old man. Do you think your lightning fist is the aspect of Sukra?"
With a fierce cry, Wisesa hurled a handful of earth at Panggaraknagara, unleashing a barrage of gravel pellets. But his opponent was ready. With a quick gesture, Panggaraknagara stopped dozens, then hundreds of the projectiles in midair and sent them hurtling back towards his son.
But gravel pellets were no more a challenge for the Patron of Lands and its keepers than raindrops on a leaf. Wisesa ran with his chest puffed out, and the incoming projectiles simply bounced off him. Barong's hands dribbled closer to the increasingly nimble Panggaraknagara, sidestepping each time the heavy, hot air almost reached him.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Panggaraknagara threw a lightning-quick punch. Fortunately, Wisesa was off to the side, and his father's fist only brushed against the fabric of his surjan shirt. Unfortunately, this did not mean that the man was entirely safe from the lightning. It was as if an invisible tendril of electricity had crept through the slit of his shirt, jolting his chest once again.
Wisesa's upper muscles stiffened, and he jumped back shakily, while Panggaraknagara went flying with his fist again. Wisesa launched two Barong heads like missiles block his father's advance. For Panggaraknagara, a pair of Barong Heads were indeed like missile blasts. But to the night travelers, they were sparks shooting across the sky, a magnificent offering from the Sunanate for the final days of Uryanwarsa!
Luckily, Panggaraknagara avoided Child of the Beast's energy. However, for Barong himself, it was not luck; he should have been dead on the spot. Instead, the leader of Alas Purwo soared and collided with the wall of the building before his back met the tarpaulin filled with building materials. They were even. His luxurious green suit was ripped apart, infected with black crusts that emitted smoke. The gold hem of his shirt smelled scorched.
"What a foolish boy," the sunan spat."Can't you see before you, the glory and order we can achieve? And yet you fight me, willing to shatter the dreams of your ancestors, unafraid to destabilize an entire country!"
The boy's eyes narrowed with disgust. "Your fucking, power-crazed ancestors are already bones! Caring about their dreams is just a burden on my mind! Just like you!" he retorted. "And I don't need to care about the stability of the country either. After all, Lojitengara will go down anyway for the madness you've created!"
The sunan's gaze flashed, his eyebrows dipped, his lower jaw twitched. However, he abandoned the urge to roar. He channelled his frustration into the force of his leaping hand. Unbeknownst to him, Wisesa was doing the same, sinking his hand into the ground and pulling up a thin, towering slab of earth to act as a barrier against his opponent.
As the wall of earth crumbled and shattered under the sunan's touch, Wisesa seized the opportunity, his hand shooting out and grabbing his father's shirt, slamming him to the ground. The sunan's hands were quickly intercepted by Wisesa's knees, and a flurry of fists smashed into his face, blood staining his teeth and nose.
"All my teachings and patience seem to have been for naught," Panggaraknagara gasped, blood spurting from his mouth with each word. "Oh, Wisesa. Just as I feared. Despite all the grace I endeavoured to bestow upon you, you are nothing but a disappointment!"
"I never realized we had so much in common," Wisesa retorted. "I was hoping for a good father."
Hearing that, Panggaraknagara's two hands fell to the ground. He was pensive. For a long time, an awkward feeling slowly crept into Wisesa's chest.
Perhaps all that fighting had drained the king’s energy. Perhaps he could think clearly with his remaining strength.
"This is a trial from Sang Hyang Sukra," Panggaraknagara finally spoke again, his voice ringing with newfound determination. "I understand now, o, Sang Hyang Sukra! Another inner trial has been bestowed upon me as the rightful leader of Lojitengara!"
Wisesa felt his father's body slowly start to lighten.
Barong emerged from the shadows and cursed the sunan. "Sang Hyang Sukra never inspired you, despicable man!"
But the sunan was lost in his own delusions, consumed by his own mad ideals. He raised his head and chest as high as he could, spewing out taboo words along with splashes of blood and spit. "I should have entrusted Barong to Gading and you be the sacrifice! Gading understands this better than you!" he raved.
Barong's eyes burned with an intense glare, fixated on the sunan's crazed face. It turned its gaze to Wisesa and bellowed, "Mentioning your late brother... He deserves no less, Wisesa! Kill him!"
Wisesa's mind was torn between following the cat's urging and dealing with the weight of his father, who felt as light as a bundle of hay. As he struggled to regain his focus, the tips of his feet lifted off the ground, and he found himself floating higher and higher.
"If you can't be relied upon, it's better that you die and I take over Barong! I won't mourn for you!" Panggaraknagara snarled.
Wisesa's sandaled toes could no longer find purchase, and he lifted off into the air with his father cradled in his lap. Panggaraknagara inches his hand away from Wisesa's knee, preparing to execute a lightning-powered fist!
"Shit!" Wisesa's hands ignited with two Barong Heads, poised to strike at Panggaraknagara's lightning fist. But the force of the blow was too great, and the explosion that ensued ravaged the backyard of the inn, reducing it to a shapeless wasteland.
The harvest feast was abruptly cut short, and the Sunanate Palace lay abandoned. The streets were filled with panicked people, expecting a terrorist attack to seize the throne. Some huddled behind the barricades of the civil guards, while others gazed in shock at the billowing smoke and sparks.
The already soaring sparks spewed out smoke-tailed humans. Wisesa fell on the main street of the city.
The citizens immediately flocked to get a closer look, before Wisesa was shocked and they scattered again. An army of civil guards and Bhayangkaras replaced them with the help of firearms and Gleipnir coils—the only two pieces of equipment hands as courage boosters. Even in metal armour and scary masks, they dared not get within three metres of Wisesa.
Among the onlookers were officials from other states, including a governor from Uwentira State who scanned the crowd and recognised Wisesa.
"Aren't you Wisesa Rukmamenggala, son of Prabu Panggaraknagara III?" the governor asked.
Wisesa stood up, his body staggering like a stalk of barley in the wind. His body was no longer yellowish, but black, due to his clothes being engulfed in flames. He just stared at the governor without a word.
"We have met... You, and your father, and your brother, after the interstate meeting. With other federal kings too." the governor said again.
Wisesa remained silent, still scanning the crowd.
"Where have you been all these years? The Ratu said you've been busy being a reconnaissance soldier and looking for Barong's whereabouts in Pulomas."
Wisesa fixed his gaze on Governor Uwentira again. He finally answered, "That really came out of my damn father's mouth?"
"Damn father...?"
"Never mind the phrase 'damn father'. Did he really say that?"
"That's what he said..."
Wisesa muttered to himself (or to Barong). "Of course. They don't know..." He then asked Governor Uwentira again, "What did you hear about my brother?"
"Y-your brother...?"
"You heard me right."
" He... died of illness. Barong's curse, I hear. My condolences."
"Illness?" Wisesa grinned. "I hunted Barong in Pulomas, leaving my brother to die of illness?"
"What are you waiting for, Civil Guards?" a shout came from the alley. Panggaraknagara emerged in a sorry state, clutching his ribs. "Shackle him now!"
Wisesa rasped and Barong's spirit swelled out of his body, soaring high into the sky like a building-sized monstrosity. The townspeople, unaccustomed to tunnel mouths that emitted roars fiercer than thunder, forgot how to walk and crawled backwards on their hands. A woman screamed until she lost her voice and fell unconscious. The toops dropped their weapons by instinct. The governor regretted ever being curious about Wisesa, realising he might become the monster's next meal!
Barong continued to waltz in various directions, threatening anyone who approached Wisesa with his wicked gaze and subtle dance. Wisesa looked at glaring his father, and exclaimed. "That's right! I am Wisesa Rukmamenggala! The son of Prabhu Panggaraknagara III! And as you can see, it's not just me who dwells in me!"
"Man-eater! Barong!" the governor screamed, his voice shaking with fear.
The other state guests gasped, but Wisesa was not finished yet. He strolled casually, and the soldiers were smart enough to “pave” the way.
Barong's spirit suddenly extended towards the governor until his buttocks hit the ground, mouth covered with his hands. But as the seconds passed, he did not feel Barong's teeth sinking into his skin.
"Foolish human," Barong said. "I may be a man-eater, but have you forgotten the wisdom of your ancestors?" Barong glanced at the rest of the audience. "You Yawa-tongued people, do you not know who I truly am?"
The beast that the people used to worship has not been seen by their generations for three hundred years, which was why they continued to slander him as a monster, a men-eater, and a bringer of ill omens.
"I don't like reading old wisdom books as much as you do," Wisesa chimed in, "But this giant cat is the one you should at least listen to when it comes to commands from Sang Hyang Sukra. Not your clown shamans, and certainly not this asshole king!" He pointed his finger at Panggaraknagara. "It is part of the aspect of Sang Hyang Sukra himself, the deity your former rulers always prayed to for protection of Yawadwipa."
"No way!" replied the governor of Uwentira, his lips trembling as he crawled backwards. "It cannot be you, son! Don't you know how many victims Barong has claimed? It even destroyed the entire city of Wejengmusti before fleeing with its host and becoming the property of Pulomas—you, the property of Pulomas!"
"Well, I can't lie that I'm not it. Barong ruled me and ate every human he met!"
"Then it's all true! The news is true! Pulomas is using you as leverage to take over the government! It's only fair that an ultimatum be issued immediately!"
"He's not brainwashed by anyone!" Barong roared, the governor screamed like a girl, almost peeing his pants. "Didn't you see where his index finger was pointing? Do you still need another clue who's behind this mess? If your eyes are useless, let me eat them!"
The governor's trousers were already wet.
Wisesa laughed briefly, before snapping again, "Oh, you short-witted men! All the rumours are lies! Try to guess why the king's son has become the host of Sang Hyang Sukra!"
All eyes finally slowly turned to one face—the face of Sunan Alas Purwo himself.
"I withdraw my words. You are all smart! What in front of your eyes did this to me! Together with the elite shamans of Yawadwipa. Together with the leyaks of Girah. Together with the western mages!"
Conspiring with the black shamans of Girah state was one thing. Allying with foreign practitioners especially from the west? After all the destruction and glamour that had been crammed into their mouths and minds? No wonder the townspeople started muttering cracks amongst themselves.
"And my brother dying under Barong's curse is not entirely wrong, but it's not entirely right either." Once again, Wisesa pointed at his father. "That bastard sacrificed my brother, and his blood was used to seal Barong into me!" Wisesa showed off the Barong tattoo on his stomach. "Look at this, my brother's blood!"
They all gaped. They were hoping for a surprise ending to the harvest feast, but this was not what they expected. There was no obvious reaction to any of this, apart from the heart beating loudly in each of their ears, apart from the stomach beginning to imagine the human blood that created the intricate carvings in the shape of the Patron of Lands itself.
"The worst part is yet to come!" declared Barong. "You, people from other states! Your home is in danger. This poor child was his instrument to take over the government of every state under the banner of Alas Purwo! The supremacy of the Yawa Nation! Hear me, you foolish Yawanese! Your Panggaraknagara may say Yawadwipa is the center of the gods, but look at you all now, running and peeing at the mere sight of me in spirit form. Do you truly believe in such claims, Yawanese? If you do, I'll kill you all!"
The Barong performance did not reassure the people at all, other than distancing them from Wisesa. Wisesa, on the other hand, closed his mouth and turned around to stifle his laughter; to him, the Yawanese were no different from a flock of ignorant sheep. However, that did not mean that sympathy was already on the side of his father. Suspicious glances had grown for the Panggaraknagara. Their bodies shunned the one called “His Majesty Kasinggihan.”
"It's all right, people! Barong is just playing around," Wisesa said, attempting to calm the situation. "But what he said about my father's mad schemes is true. So who's with me?"
"Warriors! What are you doing!" Panggaraknagara raged. "Shackle him now, or I'll make you as Barong’s meal!"
"Oh, will they do it? In front of everyone?" Wisesa provoked his father. The soldiers in full uniform were like automatons that died from a short circuit. "I doubt that. What was with all that panic earlier? I thought you liked shouting Yawanese supremacy so much. Oh, and one important thing: Pulomas is innocent. I never belong to Pulomas. I escaped when I was brought to Pulomas to finish them all off. Pulomas didn’t want anything, ladies and gentlemen. They are just like you: Live by the law. While Alas Purwo..." Wisesa whistled. "Too many sins! Your present king was not even legitimately chosen according to the ritual summoning of the gods. His brother was, and he died for it, because his older sibling was a fascist bastard trapped in the delusions of previous generations—"
Panggaraknagara immediately grabbed Wisesa without a second thought. Punch after punch was delivered to Wisesa's body as he flew, and the two of them smashed through a row of buildings in quick succession!
Adrenaline rushed through Wisesa's veins as he endured the pain and sting of being struck by lightning. He quickly threw his father, the two of them tumbling into a nearby jewelry store. Two more Barong Heads sprang from his hands, attacking and pushing Panggaraknagara towards the massive safe room and slamming him against the metal wall. The lad was not satisfied. He drew from his hand again, the new projections of the Barong Head, then launched them in rapid succession at every point of the sunan's body until the pain was replaced by numbness, and his eyes could see nothing of the diamond's glamour but a dim blur.
The two Barong Heads approached with the sunan still drooping between them. A small earthquake occurred in the shop as Wisesa commanded the ground to break free a pillar from the building, and hurtle towards his father! Panggaraknagara was sent flying once again, propelled not by magic, but by Barong’s might and pain, enough to make him land on another new building.
Wisesa crossed the road with Barong still blazing through the hanging coconut leaves and street lamps. The streets were jammed with carriages that dared not pass until Wisesa and the cat that possessed him were lost in the building. Sirens echoed from all corners of the city. Buzzing and whizzing enlivened the dimness from afar for some reason; perhaps because the country's leaders were busy fighting, the townspeople had organised a citywide looting. Wisesa did not care. He approached Panggaraknagara, almost buried in the concrete boulder.
"It's time, Wisesa...!" Barong said. "The vengeance of Gading demands it. Let this man die!"
Wisesa's body glowed yellow again. The energy surrounding his hands bubbled, churning until a replica of Barong's form reappeared, opening its jaw right after.
Wisesa stomped on the chest of the old man he had always cursed through life and dreams. The old man was now limp and coughing.
"Yes..." Barong grinned. Its voice was low, long, shuddering. "Right. Let your Barong-wrapped hand crush his head in one bite. Blasphemers of Sang Hyang Sukra have no place on this earth."
Wisesa began to raise his hand, his fist already fully rounded. However, his movement only stopped there, standing still for a long time.
"What... are you waiting for?" asked Panggaraknagara hoarsely. "Do it...! Do it immediately...! Do it for Gading...! This is what you all want, isn't it...?"
Wisesa pulled his father’s collar, then screeched at the top of his lungs right into his father's face!
Then the yellow energy in his body faded away.
Panggaraknagara's collar was released and his head fell on a stone slab.
"What are you doing, Wisesa!" Barong protested. "He's right in front of us, helpless! Eliminate his existence while you can!"
"No...," Wisesa replied. The foot that stepped on the sunan lifted. "No. No more 'Gading'. No more another 'Gading'..."
"What?" Barong's screeched. "He is not 'Gading'! He is not your beloved brother. He is a depraved human being who is a curse to you because he is your father! Kill him now!"
"Fuck you Barong!" Wisesa snapped. "You don't order me around like that anymore! I'm done. No more killing. No more revenge! If you're still drowning in vengeance and choosing the easy path to influence me, you better kill me and do it yourself!"
"Wisesa..." Barong turned its head slowly to the shamefully fallen sunan. It roared before sinking back into Wisesa's body, saying, "Lucky bastard...!"
Another father-son moment. Amidst the rubble of a building. When the night sky grew brighter with fire. Amidst the confusion of the world, the two of them soaked in silence.
"The Bathara Kala ushabti," said the lad. "Give it to me."
Panggaraknagara shook his head. "I cannot move my hands... Inside the shirt pocket."
Wisesa immediately moved over his father, slipped his hand under his shirt, and managed to get the prison figurine of the Moon-Eating Shaman. He did not say a word after that. He was already preparing to turn around and leave his father.
"'No more Gading'...," Panggaraknagara opened his voice. "Your own mind devised this idea?"
"The fuck do you want, to express regret?"
"Express regret?" His son's question was met with a rueful laugh. "My apology will not be sincere now, as I am still wracked with anger. I was just wondering, did your own mind come up with the idea? After all this time you went wild in chains and crates, vowing to tear me to shreds? No... Surely you learnt that from the Western Woman."
"Those are my words," said Wisesa. "Fine... a little bit comes from her, but it's still all from me!"
Wisesa walked again, but then his steps faltered again. "You know what?" He turned around. "That woman has ambitions no less foolish than yours. You want to rule the world, but she wants to make the whole world happy by the power of magic. She literally told this cat that. And she literally intents to gather six freaks in the whole world just for that. She's brain damaged."
"Two morons, two moronic dreams. And you sound... like her dream more."
Wisesa pondered for a while.
"Sounds a little more fun than upholding the supremacy of the Yawanese Nation."
"Yes... I think after all the depravity and shame I've created during my youth, realising father and grandfather's dream can at least make their faces stop turning to me in the afterlife, which has been the case since they lived." Panggaraknagara giggled. "That dream sounds very pleasant too... Taking pride in my status as a Yawanese, making all of them my servants and slaves, realizing everything I asked for... Being favored by the gods..."
"And you still think the gods will still like you when they find out you trapped a god through the blood of your own son?"
Panggaraknagara tried to lift his head, his face wry with the pain in the back of his neck. "Even gods resort to any means to fulfill their will. Didn't you read that in the sacred ²rontals? Sang Hyang Sukra also whispered that to me in the temples."
"Quit that crazy 'Sang Hyang Sukra whispering in the temple' bullshit."
"But he did whisper it."
"No, he didn't. You're dead in the head. That's the most reasonable answer."
Panggaraknagara conceded. He lowered his head back down. "Gods use all means and all power, Wisesa. That is their nature. They have that privilege. However, the idea of Barong never entered my head before, but was inspired by Panembahan Girah. He suggested this as a way of realising my ambition. No, he asked for it. I knew it was one of his cunning tricks to bring me and Yawadwipa down. Nevertheless, I decided to go along with it, thinking I had a trump card of my own to play against him. He'll assume I'll get carried away with my success and then take me down, but little does he know, I'll be the one to take him out first."
Wisesa felt anger grow in the recesses of his chest. However, the anger was not his own.
"Girah... Calon Arang...!" Barong groaned.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Ah, you know. Girah and all the absurd things in it. Girah may be a small state, but its Panembahan possesses a web of connections that stretches far beyond its borders—his power perhaps even surpassing mine as the leader of this country. He associates with some individuals who harbor the third most nonsensical dream you've ever heard of: to elevate all living beings to godhood!"
"One of the reasons I don't wanna live with you, practitioners. You all let power mess with your heads and come up with the craziest ideas."
"In exchange for his aid in bringing the states to their knees, Panembahan Girah asked for a favor: that I indulge in the power of the Barong. And so I did, with plans and schemes in mind, his advice ringing in my ears, his troops at my command, and the Protos particles from his supply running through Yawadwipa. He even brought Western magic practitioners to our aid. He spoke of my chance to taste mastery, to feel the power of a god before ascending to godhood itself."
"Then the deer-headed man, and the insect mage..."
"His close friends."
Wisesa thought of Alicia again. She was still there in the abandoned building of the former inn, probably fighting magic.
"I have to go!" said Wisesa.
"Before you leave, Wisesa, may I ask one more favor of you?" The request halted Wisesa's quick steps. "If you come across Panembahan Girah, would you do him harm for me? But be careful of his friends. They... has a fond of you now. Although, not as much as that Western Girl."
Wisesa did not answer but instead sprinted towards the exit, only to be confronted by a group of engine carriages blocking his path. Confused by their sudden appearance, he noticed that each carriage bore unique symbols, such as boats, chains, and cotton, and others had emblems of sunlit trees. Governor Uwentira in fresh trousers stepped out of an engine carriage bearing the coat of arms of the kingdom of Alas Purwo, and a number of civil guards and old acquaintances stepped out of another.
"So you were all the source of the gunfire?" asked Wisesa.
"Lah, aren’t you the ones sending the signal?" A familiar voice, frail yet musical, replied from behind the side of the carriage. Semar appeared, wearing less armour than the others due to his old and stooped posture. His three adopted children were also present behind him. "Badra sent it over the radio, faltered," he said. "Where is he now?"
"Wait a minute. Badra? But he was shot—"
"Not just Badra!" chirped Petruk, Ki Semar's tall son. "I don't see Alicia with you!"
"Don't tell me you actually took her life out of spite again!" Gareng said, punching Wisesa's arm so that the man stared at the red-skinned youth with glaring eyes.
Then came Bagong, carrying a box twice his size. The material of the box looked fragile, but it certainly was not filled with dangerous materials. "I have come with many gifts to give to Alicia after this mastery!"
"I see you've defeated Panggaraknagara behind the building," said the governor. "The soldiers lost their faith. So did the federal kings. When Pulomas' army arrived, there were a few warning shots before all the civil guards in the city laid down their arms."
Semar agreed. "Praise the gods because we don't have to shed blood. However, we still need to make sure the wielder of Kalimasada is safe."
"I'm not sure about that. The thing is, she's still holed up in the building next to the inn where the ruckus started. Two beast magicians are hunting him," Wisesa said, then took off running. "Come on, let's go!"
"Barong!" Wisesa raged, his voice sounding like the crack thunder. "You promised me a quarter of your power would be enough!"
Barong was not content to remain a mere voice. It had transformed into a crackling, pulsing energy. "I gave you what you asked for," it snarled. "But you failed to consider the strength of your opponent. Panggaraknagara's magic is far beyond what you anticipated."
Wisesa's face was contorted with sweat, twitching with pain. He rested his hands on the ground and rose to his feet. It was only when his eyes met Panggaraknagara's that knowledge dawned in his mind.
"My father only learnt three Knowledges," Wisesa said through clenched teeth. "He can fly. He moves objects with his mind. His Knowledge of ¹Gelap Ngampar is probably the most dangerous in all of Lojitengara—the entire world of thaumaturgy, in fact. It's the one he's been working on the most for years."
"I see. He increased his fasting period and killed more people with it. That surely make his shamanic knowledge from the Thunderkeeper the most honed of all shamans!" Barong turned to his lap. "Half of my power, then!"
"Fuck off!" Wisesa swung his hand at the orange energy projection. "I can do this! Only his lightning punch is the dangerous one, the other Knowledges suck ass!"
"You should have taken Barong's offer," Panggaraknagara interjected. "No matter how many Knowledges you use against me, they won't stop my lightning punch from crumbling your bones if I want to."
Wisesa took Barong Heads shroud back into his two fists. "’Thousands of Knowledge’? You underestimate me, old man. Do you think your lightning fist is the aspect of Sukra?"
With a fierce cry, Wisesa hurled a handful of earth at Panggaraknagara, unleashing a barrage of gravel pellets. But his opponent was ready. With a quick gesture, Panggaraknagara stopped dozens, then hundreds of the projectiles in midair and sent them hurtling back towards his son.
But gravel pellets were no more a challenge for the Patron of Lands and its keepers than raindrops on a leaf. Wisesa ran with his chest puffed out, and the incoming projectiles simply bounced off him. Barong's hands dribbled closer to the increasingly nimble Panggaraknagara, sidestepping each time the heavy, hot air almost reached him.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Panggaraknagara threw a lightning-quick punch. Fortunately, Wisesa was off to the side, and his father's fist only brushed against the fabric of his surjan shirt. Unfortunately, this did not mean that the man was entirely safe from the lightning. It was as if an invisible tendril of electricity had crept through the slit of his shirt, jolting his chest once again.
Wisesa's upper muscles stiffened, and he jumped back shakily, while Panggaraknagara went flying with his fist again. Wisesa launched two Barong heads like missiles block his father's advance. For Panggaraknagara, a pair of Barong Heads were indeed like missile blasts. But to the night travelers, they were sparks shooting across the sky, a magnificent offering from the Sunanate for the final days of Uryanwarsa!
Luckily, Panggaraknagara avoided Child of the Beast's energy. However, for Barong himself, it was not luck; he should have been dead on the spot. Instead, the leader of Alas Purwo soared and collided with the wall of the building before his back met the tarpaulin filled with building materials. They were even. His luxurious green suit was ripped apart, infected with black crusts that emitted smoke. The gold hem of his shirt smelled scorched.
"What a foolish boy," the sunan spat."Can't you see before you, the glory and order we can achieve? And yet you fight me, willing to shatter the dreams of your ancestors, unafraid to destabilize an entire country!"
The boy's eyes narrowed with disgust. "Your fucking, power-crazed ancestors are already bones! Caring about their dreams is just a burden on my mind! Just like you!" he retorted. "And I don't need to care about the stability of the country either. After all, Lojitengara will go down anyway for the madness you've created!"
The sunan's gaze flashed, his eyebrows dipped, his lower jaw twitched. However, he abandoned the urge to roar. He channelled his frustration into the force of his leaping hand. Unbeknownst to him, Wisesa was doing the same, sinking his hand into the ground and pulling up a thin, towering slab of earth to act as a barrier against his opponent.
As the wall of earth crumbled and shattered under the sunan's touch, Wisesa seized the opportunity, his hand shooting out and grabbing his father's shirt, slamming him to the ground. The sunan's hands were quickly intercepted by Wisesa's knees, and a flurry of fists smashed into his face, blood staining his teeth and nose.
"All my teachings and patience seem to have been for naught," Panggaraknagara gasped, blood spurting from his mouth with each word. "Oh, Wisesa. Just as I feared. Despite all the grace I endeavoured to bestow upon you, you are nothing but a disappointment!"
"I never realized we had so much in common," Wisesa retorted. "I was hoping for a good father."
Hearing that, Panggaraknagara's two hands fell to the ground. He was pensive. For a long time, an awkward feeling slowly crept into Wisesa's chest.
Perhaps all that fighting had drained the king’s energy. Perhaps he could think clearly with his remaining strength.
"This is a trial from Sang Hyang Sukra," Panggaraknagara finally spoke again, his voice ringing with newfound determination. "I understand now, o, Sang Hyang Sukra! Another inner trial has been bestowed upon me as the rightful leader of Lojitengara!"
Wisesa felt his father's body slowly start to lighten.
Barong emerged from the shadows and cursed the sunan. "Sang Hyang Sukra never inspired you, despicable man!"
But the sunan was lost in his own delusions, consumed by his own mad ideals. He raised his head and chest as high as he could, spewing out taboo words along with splashes of blood and spit. "I should have entrusted Barong to Gading and you be the sacrifice! Gading understands this better than you!" he raved.
Barong's eyes burned with an intense glare, fixated on the sunan's crazed face. It turned its gaze to Wisesa and bellowed, "Mentioning your late brother... He deserves no less, Wisesa! Kill him!"
Wisesa's mind was torn between following the cat's urging and dealing with the weight of his father, who felt as light as a bundle of hay. As he struggled to regain his focus, the tips of his feet lifted off the ground, and he found himself floating higher and higher.
"If you can't be relied upon, it's better that you die and I take over Barong! I won't mourn for you!" Panggaraknagara snarled.
Wisesa's sandaled toes could no longer find purchase, and he lifted off into the air with his father cradled in his lap. Panggaraknagara inches his hand away from Wisesa's knee, preparing to execute a lightning-powered fist!
"Shit!" Wisesa's hands ignited with two Barong Heads, poised to strike at Panggaraknagara's lightning fist. But the force of the blow was too great, and the explosion that ensued ravaged the backyard of the inn, reducing it to a shapeless wasteland.
The harvest feast was abruptly cut short, and the Sunanate Palace lay abandoned. The streets were filled with panicked people, expecting a terrorist attack to seize the throne. Some huddled behind the barricades of the civil guards, while others gazed in shock at the billowing smoke and sparks.
The already soaring sparks spewed out smoke-tailed humans. Wisesa fell on the main street of the city.
The citizens immediately flocked to get a closer look, before Wisesa was shocked and they scattered again. An army of civil guards and Bhayangkaras replaced them with the help of firearms and Gleipnir coils—the only two pieces of equipment hands as courage boosters. Even in metal armour and scary masks, they dared not get within three metres of Wisesa.
Among the onlookers were officials from other states, including a governor from Uwentira State who scanned the crowd and recognised Wisesa.
"Aren't you Wisesa Rukmamenggala, son of Prabu Panggaraknagara III?" the governor asked.
Wisesa stood up, his body staggering like a stalk of barley in the wind. His body was no longer yellowish, but black, due to his clothes being engulfed in flames. He just stared at the governor without a word.
"We have met... You, and your father, and your brother, after the interstate meeting. With other federal kings too." the governor said again.
Wisesa remained silent, still scanning the crowd.
"Where have you been all these years? The Ratu said you've been busy being a reconnaissance soldier and looking for Barong's whereabouts in Pulomas."
Wisesa fixed his gaze on Governor Uwentira again. He finally answered, "That really came out of my damn father's mouth?"
"Damn father...?"
"Never mind the phrase 'damn father'. Did he really say that?"
"That's what he said..."
Wisesa muttered to himself (or to Barong). "Of course. They don't know..." He then asked Governor Uwentira again, "What did you hear about my brother?"
"Y-your brother...?"
"You heard me right."
" He... died of illness. Barong's curse, I hear. My condolences."
"Illness?" Wisesa grinned. "I hunted Barong in Pulomas, leaving my brother to die of illness?"
"What are you waiting for, Civil Guards?" a shout came from the alley. Panggaraknagara emerged in a sorry state, clutching his ribs. "Shackle him now!"
Wisesa rasped and Barong's spirit swelled out of his body, soaring high into the sky like a building-sized monstrosity. The townspeople, unaccustomed to tunnel mouths that emitted roars fiercer than thunder, forgot how to walk and crawled backwards on their hands. A woman screamed until she lost her voice and fell unconscious. The toops dropped their weapons by instinct. The governor regretted ever being curious about Wisesa, realising he might become the monster's next meal!
Barong continued to waltz in various directions, threatening anyone who approached Wisesa with his wicked gaze and subtle dance. Wisesa looked at glaring his father, and exclaimed. "That's right! I am Wisesa Rukmamenggala! The son of Prabhu Panggaraknagara III! And as you can see, it's not just me who dwells in me!"
"Man-eater! Barong!" the governor screamed, his voice shaking with fear.
The other state guests gasped, but Wisesa was not finished yet. He strolled casually, and the soldiers were smart enough to “pave” the way.
Barong's spirit suddenly extended towards the governor until his buttocks hit the ground, mouth covered with his hands. But as the seconds passed, he did not feel Barong's teeth sinking into his skin.
"Foolish human," Barong said. "I may be a man-eater, but have you forgotten the wisdom of your ancestors?" Barong glanced at the rest of the audience. "You Yawa-tongued people, do you not know who I truly am?"
The beast that the people used to worship has not been seen by their generations for three hundred years, which was why they continued to slander him as a monster, a men-eater, and a bringer of ill omens.
"I don't like reading old wisdom books as much as you do," Wisesa chimed in, "But this giant cat is the one you should at least listen to when it comes to commands from Sang Hyang Sukra. Not your clown shamans, and certainly not this asshole king!" He pointed his finger at Panggaraknagara. "It is part of the aspect of Sang Hyang Sukra himself, the deity your former rulers always prayed to for protection of Yawadwipa."
"No way!" replied the governor of Uwentira, his lips trembling as he crawled backwards. "It cannot be you, son! Don't you know how many victims Barong has claimed? It even destroyed the entire city of Wejengmusti before fleeing with its host and becoming the property of Pulomas—you, the property of Pulomas!"
"Well, I can't lie that I'm not it. Barong ruled me and ate every human he met!"
"Then it's all true! The news is true! Pulomas is using you as leverage to take over the government! It's only fair that an ultimatum be issued immediately!"
"He's not brainwashed by anyone!" Barong roared, the governor screamed like a girl, almost peeing his pants. "Didn't you see where his index finger was pointing? Do you still need another clue who's behind this mess? If your eyes are useless, let me eat them!"
The governor's trousers were already wet.
Wisesa laughed briefly, before snapping again, "Oh, you short-witted men! All the rumours are lies! Try to guess why the king's son has become the host of Sang Hyang Sukra!"
All eyes finally slowly turned to one face—the face of Sunan Alas Purwo himself.
"I withdraw my words. You are all smart! What in front of your eyes did this to me! Together with the elite shamans of Yawadwipa. Together with the leyaks of Girah. Together with the western mages!"
Conspiring with the black shamans of Girah state was one thing. Allying with foreign practitioners especially from the west? After all the destruction and glamour that had been crammed into their mouths and minds? No wonder the townspeople started muttering cracks amongst themselves.
"And my brother dying under Barong's curse is not entirely wrong, but it's not entirely right either." Once again, Wisesa pointed at his father. "That bastard sacrificed my brother, and his blood was used to seal Barong into me!" Wisesa showed off the Barong tattoo on his stomach. "Look at this, my brother's blood!"
They all gaped. They were hoping for a surprise ending to the harvest feast, but this was not what they expected. There was no obvious reaction to any of this, apart from the heart beating loudly in each of their ears, apart from the stomach beginning to imagine the human blood that created the intricate carvings in the shape of the Patron of Lands itself.
"The worst part is yet to come!" declared Barong. "You, people from other states! Your home is in danger. This poor child was his instrument to take over the government of every state under the banner of Alas Purwo! The supremacy of the Yawa Nation! Hear me, you foolish Yawanese! Your Panggaraknagara may say Yawadwipa is the center of the gods, but look at you all now, running and peeing at the mere sight of me in spirit form. Do you truly believe in such claims, Yawanese? If you do, I'll kill you all!"
The Barong performance did not reassure the people at all, other than distancing them from Wisesa. Wisesa, on the other hand, closed his mouth and turned around to stifle his laughter; to him, the Yawanese were no different from a flock of ignorant sheep. However, that did not mean that sympathy was already on the side of his father. Suspicious glances had grown for the Panggaraknagara. Their bodies shunned the one called “His Majesty Kasinggihan.”
"It's all right, people! Barong is just playing around," Wisesa said, attempting to calm the situation. "But what he said about my father's mad schemes is true. So who's with me?"
"Warriors! What are you doing!" Panggaraknagara raged. "Shackle him now, or I'll make you as Barong’s meal!"
"Oh, will they do it? In front of everyone?" Wisesa provoked his father. The soldiers in full uniform were like automatons that died from a short circuit. "I doubt that. What was with all that panic earlier? I thought you liked shouting Yawanese supremacy so much. Oh, and one important thing: Pulomas is innocent. I never belong to Pulomas. I escaped when I was brought to Pulomas to finish them all off. Pulomas didn’t want anything, ladies and gentlemen. They are just like you: Live by the law. While Alas Purwo..." Wisesa whistled. "Too many sins! Your present king was not even legitimately chosen according to the ritual summoning of the gods. His brother was, and he died for it, because his older sibling was a fascist bastard trapped in the delusions of previous generations—"
Panggaraknagara immediately grabbed Wisesa without a second thought. Punch after punch was delivered to Wisesa's body as he flew, and the two of them smashed through a row of buildings in quick succession!
Adrenaline rushed through Wisesa's veins as he endured the pain and sting of being struck by lightning. He quickly threw his father, the two of them tumbling into a nearby jewelry store. Two more Barong Heads sprang from his hands, attacking and pushing Panggaraknagara towards the massive safe room and slamming him against the metal wall. The lad was not satisfied. He drew from his hand again, the new projections of the Barong Head, then launched them in rapid succession at every point of the sunan's body until the pain was replaced by numbness, and his eyes could see nothing of the diamond's glamour but a dim blur.
The two Barong Heads approached with the sunan still drooping between them. A small earthquake occurred in the shop as Wisesa commanded the ground to break free a pillar from the building, and hurtle towards his father! Panggaraknagara was sent flying once again, propelled not by magic, but by Barong’s might and pain, enough to make him land on another new building.
Wisesa crossed the road with Barong still blazing through the hanging coconut leaves and street lamps. The streets were jammed with carriages that dared not pass until Wisesa and the cat that possessed him were lost in the building. Sirens echoed from all corners of the city. Buzzing and whizzing enlivened the dimness from afar for some reason; perhaps because the country's leaders were busy fighting, the townspeople had organised a citywide looting. Wisesa did not care. He approached Panggaraknagara, almost buried in the concrete boulder.
"It's time, Wisesa...!" Barong said. "The vengeance of Gading demands it. Let this man die!"
Wisesa's body glowed yellow again. The energy surrounding his hands bubbled, churning until a replica of Barong's form reappeared, opening its jaw right after.
Wisesa stomped on the chest of the old man he had always cursed through life and dreams. The old man was now limp and coughing.
"Yes..." Barong grinned. Its voice was low, long, shuddering. "Right. Let your Barong-wrapped hand crush his head in one bite. Blasphemers of Sang Hyang Sukra have no place on this earth."
Wisesa began to raise his hand, his fist already fully rounded. However, his movement only stopped there, standing still for a long time.
"What... are you waiting for?" asked Panggaraknagara hoarsely. "Do it...! Do it immediately...! Do it for Gading...! This is what you all want, isn't it...?"
Wisesa pulled his father’s collar, then screeched at the top of his lungs right into his father's face!
Then the yellow energy in his body faded away.
Panggaraknagara's collar was released and his head fell on a stone slab.
"What are you doing, Wisesa!" Barong protested. "He's right in front of us, helpless! Eliminate his existence while you can!"
"No...," Wisesa replied. The foot that stepped on the sunan lifted. "No. No more 'Gading'. No more another 'Gading'..."
"What?" Barong's screeched. "He is not 'Gading'! He is not your beloved brother. He is a depraved human being who is a curse to you because he is your father! Kill him now!"
"Fuck you Barong!" Wisesa snapped. "You don't order me around like that anymore! I'm done. No more killing. No more revenge! If you're still drowning in vengeance and choosing the easy path to influence me, you better kill me and do it yourself!"
"Wisesa..." Barong turned its head slowly to the shamefully fallen sunan. It roared before sinking back into Wisesa's body, saying, "Lucky bastard...!"
Another father-son moment. Amidst the rubble of a building. When the night sky grew brighter with fire. Amidst the confusion of the world, the two of them soaked in silence.
"The Bathara Kala ushabti," said the lad. "Give it to me."
Panggaraknagara shook his head. "I cannot move my hands... Inside the shirt pocket."
Wisesa immediately moved over his father, slipped his hand under his shirt, and managed to get the prison figurine of the Moon-Eating Shaman. He did not say a word after that. He was already preparing to turn around and leave his father.
"'No more Gading'...," Panggaraknagara opened his voice. "Your own mind devised this idea?"
"The fuck do you want, to express regret?"
"Express regret?" His son's question was met with a rueful laugh. "My apology will not be sincere now, as I am still wracked with anger. I was just wondering, did your own mind come up with the idea? After all this time you went wild in chains and crates, vowing to tear me to shreds? No... Surely you learnt that from the Western Woman."
"Those are my words," said Wisesa. "Fine... a little bit comes from her, but it's still all from me!"
Wisesa walked again, but then his steps faltered again. "You know what?" He turned around. "That woman has ambitions no less foolish than yours. You want to rule the world, but she wants to make the whole world happy by the power of magic. She literally told this cat that. And she literally intents to gather six freaks in the whole world just for that. She's brain damaged."
"Two morons, two moronic dreams. And you sound... like her dream more."
Wisesa pondered for a while.
"Sounds a little more fun than upholding the supremacy of the Yawanese Nation."
"Yes... I think after all the depravity and shame I've created during my youth, realising father and grandfather's dream can at least make their faces stop turning to me in the afterlife, which has been the case since they lived." Panggaraknagara giggled. "That dream sounds very pleasant too... Taking pride in my status as a Yawanese, making all of them my servants and slaves, realizing everything I asked for... Being favored by the gods..."
"And you still think the gods will still like you when they find out you trapped a god through the blood of your own son?"
Panggaraknagara tried to lift his head, his face wry with the pain in the back of his neck. "Even gods resort to any means to fulfill their will. Didn't you read that in the sacred ²rontals? Sang Hyang Sukra also whispered that to me in the temples."
"Quit that crazy 'Sang Hyang Sukra whispering in the temple' bullshit."
"But he did whisper it."
"No, he didn't. You're dead in the head. That's the most reasonable answer."
Panggaraknagara conceded. He lowered his head back down. "Gods use all means and all power, Wisesa. That is their nature. They have that privilege. However, the idea of Barong never entered my head before, but was inspired by Panembahan Girah. He suggested this as a way of realising my ambition. No, he asked for it. I knew it was one of his cunning tricks to bring me and Yawadwipa down. Nevertheless, I decided to go along with it, thinking I had a trump card of my own to play against him. He'll assume I'll get carried away with my success and then take me down, but little does he know, I'll be the one to take him out first."
Wisesa felt anger grow in the recesses of his chest. However, the anger was not his own.
"Girah... Calon Arang...!" Barong groaned.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Ah, you know. Girah and all the absurd things in it. Girah may be a small state, but its Panembahan possesses a web of connections that stretches far beyond its borders—his power perhaps even surpassing mine as the leader of this country. He associates with some individuals who harbor the third most nonsensical dream you've ever heard of: to elevate all living beings to godhood!"
"One of the reasons I don't wanna live with you, practitioners. You all let power mess with your heads and come up with the craziest ideas."
"In exchange for his aid in bringing the states to their knees, Panembahan Girah asked for a favor: that I indulge in the power of the Barong. And so I did, with plans and schemes in mind, his advice ringing in my ears, his troops at my command, and the Protos particles from his supply running through Yawadwipa. He even brought Western magic practitioners to our aid. He spoke of my chance to taste mastery, to feel the power of a god before ascending to godhood itself."
"Then the deer-headed man, and the insect mage..."
"His close friends."
Wisesa thought of Alicia again. She was still there in the abandoned building of the former inn, probably fighting magic.
"I have to go!" said Wisesa.
"Before you leave, Wisesa, may I ask one more favor of you?" The request halted Wisesa's quick steps. "If you come across Panembahan Girah, would you do him harm for me? But be careful of his friends. They... has a fond of you now. Although, not as much as that Western Girl."
Wisesa did not answer but instead sprinted towards the exit, only to be confronted by a group of engine carriages blocking his path. Confused by their sudden appearance, he noticed that each carriage bore unique symbols, such as boats, chains, and cotton, and others had emblems of sunlit trees. Governor Uwentira in fresh trousers stepped out of an engine carriage bearing the coat of arms of the kingdom of Alas Purwo, and a number of civil guards and old acquaintances stepped out of another.
"So you were all the source of the gunfire?" asked Wisesa.
"Lah, aren’t you the ones sending the signal?" A familiar voice, frail yet musical, replied from behind the side of the carriage. Semar appeared, wearing less armour than the others due to his old and stooped posture. His three adopted children were also present behind him. "Badra sent it over the radio, faltered," he said. "Where is he now?"
"Wait a minute. Badra? But he was shot—"
"Not just Badra!" chirped Petruk, Ki Semar's tall son. "I don't see Alicia with you!"
"Don't tell me you actually took her life out of spite again!" Gareng said, punching Wisesa's arm so that the man stared at the red-skinned youth with glaring eyes.
Then came Bagong, carrying a box twice his size. The material of the box looked fragile, but it certainly was not filled with dangerous materials. "I have come with many gifts to give to Alicia after this mastery!"
"I see you've defeated Panggaraknagara behind the building," said the governor. "The soldiers lost their faith. So did the federal kings. When Pulomas' army arrived, there were a few warning shots before all the civil guards in the city laid down their arms."
Semar agreed. "Praise the gods because we don't have to shed blood. However, we still need to make sure the wielder of Kalimasada is safe."
"I'm not sure about that. The thing is, she's still holed up in the building next to the inn where the ruckus started. Two beast magicians are hunting him," Wisesa said, then took off running. "Come on, let's go!"
