The atmosphere in the area behind the school became unnaturally silent and still.
Everyone present fell quiet. No one made a sound; it felt as though even breathing had stopped. The tension became unbearable.
Suddenly—the surroundings dimmed, as if a veil had blocked the remaining sunlight in the late afternoon sky.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, and lightning began flashing repeatedly across the sky.
About fifteen steps from where Nyai Sukma sat cross-legged, a black pool appeared—about the size of a well opening.
Slowly, from within the black pool, the head of an Asian-looking girl with wavy hair emerged.
The head continued rising until her entire body stood above the dark surface.
Everyone gasped at the sight.
Hanako stood there with a sharp glare. She looked furious.
"You! Who dares attack me?"
"Evil spirit! Return the people you took! You have no right to interfere in our world!" Nyai Sukma shouted.
"Oh… so you're the one who sent that curse at me. Who are you? How dare you interfere in my affairs?" Hanako sneered, revealing sharp fangs at both corners of her mouth.
"I am the one who will punish you for all your evil deeds!"
Nyi Sukma pulled a brass vessel from her black bag along with a wooden striker.
She chanted a spell, then struck the brass vessel repeatedly.
From inside it emerged a transparent force that twisted and moved like a serpent toward Hanako.
The invisible energy wrapped around Hanako's body and pulled her toward the brass vessel in Nyi Sukma's hands.
Hanako's body trembled violently.
Then—from behind her back—two black serpents emerged, their eyes glowing red.
They surged through the transparent force from the brass vessel.
The two opposing energies tangled together.
Hanako's black serpents lunged toward the brass vessel and Nyai Sukma herself.
A violent collision erupted with a thunderous boom.
Nyai Sukma was forced back several steps from the impact.
She shook her numbed hand and grimaced in pain.
The soldiers immediately opened fire at Hanako. The sound of SS1 assault rifles from Pindad echoed across the area.
Five soldiers advanced while continuously firing.
But Hanako did not move.
The bullets simply passed through her without causing any harm.
"Hold your fire!" Sergeant Prayogi shouted.
He realized the gunfire was completely ineffective.
The five soldiers stared in disbelief.
Hanako growled.
She released energy from within her body.
Her body floated upward, and her eyes began glowing with a vivid red light.
"Devil's Eyes!"
Zash! Zash!
Red lightning-like flashes filled the area.
Sergeant Prayogi and his five men froze in place.
Their bodies would not move.
Then—the two black serpents on Hanako's back hissed and shot forward with a roaring force.
Bugh! Bugh!
All six soldiers were hurled back nearly fifteen steps and rolled across the ground.
Sergeant Prayogi winced as fresh blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"This spirit is incredibly strong… I have to be careful. I'll use the Spear of Kyai Naga Kencana."
Nyi Sukma put away the brass vessel.
Her hand reached behind her back and grasped the long object.
She removed the black cloth covering and the sheath.
Now in her hand was a short spear about one meter long.
Its shaft was black metal.
Near the base was a silver-colored ornamented handle.
Its blade resembled a five-curved kris, golden in color with dark flowing patterns down the center.
A beautiful weapon—yet one with an eerie presence.
The sacred spear she called Kyai Naga Kencana.
Nyai Sukma lowered her stance.
Then she launched herself forward toward Hanako.
Her spear pointed directly at her enemy.
At a distance of ten steps, the two black serpents behind Hanako hissed and charged.
And—
A collision erupted with the sound of an explosion.
Nyai Sukma pulled back her spear and delivered two crossing slashes in the shape of an "X" toward both serpents.
Two more impacts rang out.
She quickly jumped and shifted her body to the right.
A long upward slash swept from low left to high right, aimed at one serpent's body.
The sound of metal grinding echoed as the spear scraped across the serpent's scales.
Sparks exploded from the contact.
She finished her attack by slashing downward across the serpent and immediately thrusting forward.
After completing the combination, she flipped backward to create distance.
Hanako growled.
Her body floated in the air.
The two black serpents behind her twisted and hissed.
Where the Spear of Kyai Naga Kencana had struck, red-purple smoke seeped from the wounds.
The serpents shrank—
and retreated back into Hanako's body.
Hanako raised her right hand.
"Black Vortex!"
A black vortex appeared in her palm.
Dark smoke poured out endlessly.
The smoke spread throughout the area.
Then—from within the vortex—appeared creatures made of smoke.
They formed into black smoke serpents with glowing red eyes.
The serpents twisted and hissed—
then charged straight toward Nyai Sukma.
Nyai Sukma jumped aside and slashed with her spear.
The smoke serpent turned and attacked again.
She drew back her spear and thrust toward its head.
But—
the serpent split into two and struck her from both sides.
Bugh! Bugh!
The black smoke serpents wrapped around Nyi Sukma's body and lifted her into the air.
Her body shook violently.
She struggled to break free, swinging her spear left and right.
Seeing this, Rara Kemuning ran toward Hanako carrying a yellow bamboo staff about one and a half meters long, trying to help Nyi Sukma.
But ten steps away—
she stopped.
Black smoke rose from the ground and seized both her legs.
The smoke crawled upward across her body.
Seeing this, Mrs. Yuyun—who had stood frozen until now—grabbed the basin of seven-colored flowers.
She rushed forward and splashed the flower water toward Hanako.
But—
the water stopped in midair once it reached five steps from Hanako.
As if blocked by an invisible force.
Instead, black smoke seized Mrs. Yuyun's feet.
It slowly crawled upward over her body—
just as it had done to Rara Kemuning.
Hanako laughed maniacally.
Her voice echoed throughout the area.
More black smoke poured out from the vortex in her hand.
The smoke spread toward Sergeant Prayogi and his five soldiers.
Not only that—
they felt themselves being pulled toward Hanako's hand.
Toward the black vortex.
Everyone struggled to resist by grabbing onto anything nearby.
Sergeant Prayogi reached for a corridor pillar while raising his communication device.
"Command! Move to the rear area immediately! We need backup—be careful! We're under attack by a supernatural entity!"
He called the remaining members of his unit, who were still guarding the front area of the vocational school.
The other five soldiers were dragged closer and closer across the ground toward Hanako.
They strained with all their strength.
But it was useless.
Soon they would be pulled into the black vortex—
and no one knew what would happen to them.
Meanwhile—
Nyi Sukma stopped struggling.
She closed her eyes and entered deep concentration.
Gathering all her awareness and spiritual power.
Both hands tightened around the Spear of Kyai Naga Kencana.
Then—
she began chanting a spell to break free from Hanako's supernatural attack.
***