26-1: Mariana's Mystical Power vs. the Sniper's Scope
An abandoned building beside the Kembang Setaman nightclub.
A masked man had the barrel of his sniper rifle aimed at the nightclub.
Through his night scope, his target was clear—a beautiful woman dressed in elegant black, a paper fan spread open in her left hand.
Three bullets were chambered. His index finger rested on the trigger, ready to fire.
Meanwhile…
On the nightclub's second floor, Mariana sat restlessly. A glass of untouched cocktail sat before her.
She rose slowly, assuming a low fighting stance. The paper fan in her left hand opened wide.
Her hand began trembling violently. A crimson glow flared at her wrist. The paper fan gleamed, hardening like steel.
The red glow spread across her entire body. The air around her grew unbearably hot.
Broto and the bodyguards began to sweat. The air conditioning was no match for the wave of heat radiating from Mariana's tenaga dalam—her inner power.
The air grew heavier.
Broto: "Ma'am?"
Mariana signaled him to stay silent.
Downstairs, the music still pounded. Disco lights spun as people danced to the blaring dangdut beat.
***
26-2: Paper Fan vs. Bullets
Back to the abandoned building.
Through the night scope, the sniper had his perfect shot.
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Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three bullets ripped through the air toward the target.
Meanwhile…
Mariana, already prepared, moved like the wind.
The first bullet—she slashed aside with her fan.
Whoosh!
Crash!
Clang!
It ricocheted, shattering a window.
The second bullet—she smashed with her right fist.
Thud!
Crash!
Bang!
It spun away, striking another window.
But the third bullet came too fast to block. Mariana let it hit.
Thwack!
Plunk!
It fell harmlessly to the floor, as if it had struck an invisible steel wall, stopping just a handspan from her body.
Broto and the guards were pale with cold sweat.
Beads of perspiration as big as corn kernels rolled down Mariana's forehead.
Below, the party roared on. No one had noticed a thing.
The masked man simply shook his head, calmly packing his weapon into its case before leaving the building.
***
26-3 The Laptop Screen
Mariana sat back down, her eyes sharp and unblinking. She took her cocktail and sipped slowly, the fan in her left hand now folded.
Broto lit a kretek cigarette, inhaling deeply before letting the smoke drift lazily from his mouth.
The pounding music from below did nothing to ease the tension upstairs.
Suddenly, the CCTV operator approached Broto and handed him a laptop.
Broto's eyes widened at what he saw.
Broto: "Ma'am…"
He hurried over to Mariana, placing the laptop before her.
Mariana's gaze locked on the screen.
Mariana: "Bastard!"
***
26-4: The Raid on Kembang Setaman Nightclub
Mariana's jaw tightened as she stared at the laptop.
From the front entrance, a loud commotion erupted. The front hall was torn apart as around twenty people stormed in.
Mariana: "Green Gang."
From the left side entrance, several security guards were thrown across tables, glasses, and bottles. Patrons scattered in panic.
The scene was just as chaotic as the front.
Two young women in pink leather jackets burst in, followed by a man and a middle-aged woman.
Mariana: "Rani and Rina!"
From the right side entrance came the sound of police sirens.
Mariana: "Densus 88!"
On the basement CCTV, a woman in a red jacket and a man in a police uniform strode quickly toward the lift.
Mariana: "Nagini!"
Her right hand clenched into a fist. The fan in her left hand snapped open.
***
26-5: Giono Heads to Kembang Setaman
The sidewalk outside the abandoned building was dark, unlit by street lamps. The place felt deserted and eerie.
A masked man stepped out, carrying a large case in his right hand.
He removed the mask, glancing toward the nightclub.
Giono: "Weladalah, wedus!"
It was Giono—the leader of Geng Hijau.
Giono: "That Mariana… three bullets and she's still standing! Wedus tenan!"
He noticed the chaos at the nightclub from afar. Police sirens grew louder.
Giono: "Weladalah, wedus! Things are heating up…"
He stowed the case in his car, locked the door, and headed toward the nightclub.
From a distance, he could see Turiman, Karto, Tikno, and the others tearing apart the front hall.
Giono: "Wedus! I told you not to get involved! You, Karto! And you too, Turiman!"
***
26-6: Mariana's Small Smile
Turiman: "Hit 'em!"
Tikno: "Smash 'em! Beat 'em up!"
Karto: "Turn them into sticky rice martabak!"
Danu: "Make them into potato croquettes!"
Thud!
"Ow!"
Clang!
Crash!
"Mercy, Auntie!"
Bam!
Bang!
"Damn fool!"
From the other side came equally noisy replies:
Salamun: "Let's turn them into peanut brittle!"
Kolil: "Make them into gado-gado!"
Mesran: "Choose—hospital or cemetery?"
The ruckus of the second round of fighting roared like a bustling night market.
From the second floor, Mariana watched with a cold face. But hearing the food-themed battle cries…
She couldn't help but smile.
To be continued
