The old warehouse on the outskirts of Maykarta felt stuffy under the slowly blinking neon lights. The door was closed, locking Team C inside the dusty room full of wooden crates and the faint scent of a warehouse. Wednesday afternoon was shifting into evening, reminding them that less than 24 hours remained before their match against Team A.
Radhif placed his energy shield in a corner, Dzoavha was busy checking his mini drone, Nadhyfa adjusted her bracelet anxiously, and Ryn leaned against a wooden crate, his rifle in his lap. Dhoost, in his camouflage cloak, stared at the PILAR watch on his wrist, the purple accents blinking slowly.
"Hey, try opening your watches," said Dhoost, his voice soft but urgent.
"All the information about PILAR is here, from the schedule, standings, to team profiles. We only have one day before facing Team A."
Radhif nodded, his fingers tapping the black watch with red accents. A small holographic screen appeared, reflecting light on his serious face.
Dzoavha immediately opened the calendar menu, his AR glasses blinking rapidly.
"Tomorrow is Thursday, at 11:00, we'll be facing Team A. Whoa! That means less than 24 hours!" he said, his voice squeaking with panic.
"And on Saturday we face Team B. We can't waste time like this."
Ryn, swiping his watch screen, snorted.
"What happens if I swipe here?"
His screen showed a table.Team A and Team D at the top with +1 point, Team C and Team B languishing at the bottom with -1 point.
"Team B is really at the bottom. Who are their members?" he asked, eyebrows raised, grinning half-heartedly.
Nadhyfa glared, her hand slamming her blinking green bracelet.
"Ryn! Don't discuss other teams first, our opponent tomorrow is Team A! Team B can wait!" Her voice was loud, full of urgency.
The loss to Team D yesterday still stung, making her restless.
Ryn shrugged, but his fingers switched to the team profile menu. The screen displayed the five names of Team A, all male. There was Han Dirga, Gerald Raster, Youda Utama, Rey Gustastu, and Dioné Firmanshah.
His eyes immediately fixed on Rey Gustastu, Techno Role, from SMAN 2 Maykarta.
Ryn froze, his grin vanished. His face tightened, his fingers trembled as he tapped the name. Rey's photo appeared, neat short hair, sharp eyes, a faint smile that felt arrogant.
"Son of a b*tch," muttered Ryn, his voice hoarse.
Radhif, seeing Ryn's expression change, frowned.
"What's wrong, Ryn? Do you know him?" he asked, stepping closer, his shield still leaning against the wall.
Dhoost, Dzoavha, and Nadhyfa turned, sensing a strange aura from the usually relaxed Ryn. Ryn took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Rey's photo.
"Rey Gustastu. I've known him since junior high," he said softly, his tone mixed with anger and old wounds. He lowered his watch, looking at his friends.
"Do you want to know why I hate this guy so much?"
Nadhyfa nodded quickly, sitting on a wooden crate next to Ryn.
"Tell us, what happened?"
Dzoavha and Dhoost moved closer, while Radhif stood with his arms crossed, waiting patiently.
Ryn looked down, his fingers touching his left knee.
"During junior high, Rey and I were really close. You could say we were best friends. In 9th grade, I dated a girl named Mila." His voice slowed, dragging up heavy memories.
"We used to go out together, like couples usually do. One night, Mila and I had plans to watch the stars on the limestone hill in the next town. We went there on my motorcycle."
"You know how the road to that hill has lots of sharp turns, right? Suddenly, a car overtook us, going really fast, and it sideswiped my bike. My motorcycle wobbled, and we fell into a small ravine. And he was the one driving that car."
The room fell silent. Only the hum of the neon lights could be heard. Nadhyfa covered her mouth, her eyes wide. Dzoavha took off his glasses, his expression stiff. Dhoost gripped his folding knife tighter, his eyes downcast.
"Mila... didn't make it," Ryn continued, his voice almost breaking.
"I was injured in my left knee, my bone was slightly fractured. As for Rey? He ran away. And in court, he said it was just an accident, unintentional. The judge declared him not guilty." Ryn pulled up his pants slightly, showing a long scar on his left knee.
"Since that day, I never saw his face again. And now, he appears on this watch, as a candidate agent who will 'protect' Maykarta."
Radhif sighed, patting Ryn's shoulder gently.
"Be patient, Ryn. But... it's better not to bring this grudge into the arena," he said, his tone firm but full of empathy.
Ryn stood up abruptly, his precision rifle gripped tightly. "That's exactly why we have to win tomorrow! I don't want to lose to that bastard!" His eyes blazed, full of spirit mixed with anger.
"Come on, let's practice now. Let's crush Team A tomorrow!"
Nadhyfa smiled slightly, caught up in Ryn's spirit. "Okay, let's go!" she exclaimed, jumping off the wooden crate.
Dhoost nodded slowly and stood up as well. Dzoavha, who had been quiet, suddenly tapped his watch, opening the individual ranking page.
"Wait, guys, look at this first," said Dzoavha, his voice serious.
His screen showed the rankings. Han Dirga (Anchor, rank 6), Gerald Raster (Shadow, rank 7), Youda Utama (Support, rank 8), Rey Gustastu (Techno, rank 9), Dioné Firmanshah (Marksman, rank 10).
"Team A looks strong. Their rankings are far above ours. I'm only rank 18, Radhif rank 17, Ryn rank 19, and Nadhyfa rank 20. Tomorrow will be tough if we're not serious."
Nadhyfa slapped her forehead. "Oh no, we're doomed if it's like this! What's their equipment? Is it better than Team D's?" she asked, anxious but curious.
Dzoavha swiped the screen to Team A's equipment page. Data appeared; Reflective Shield and Sickle (Dirga), Stealth Mantle and Energy Pistol (Gerald), Mini Turret (Rey), Hybrid Electric Crossbow (Dioné), Recovery & Shock Effect Pistol (Youda).
"See for yourself," said Dzoavha.
"Their shield can reflect attacks, including your rifle, Ryn. Rey has a laser turret. Their Marksman uses an electric crossbow that can electrocute my drone. Their Support can heal the team while giving us shock effects. This is no joke."
Nadhyfa groaned loudly. "Oh no, Dap, don't make us more panicked! How are we supposed to face all this tomorrow?!"
Suddenly, Dzoavha stood up and ran to the warehouse door.
"Wait here!" he exclaimed, opening the door slightly and darting out into the Maykarta night air.
Nadhyfa, panicked, chased after him while shouting, "Hey, Dap, where are you going?! Don't just run off like that!"
Ryn, Radhif, and Dhoost exchanged glances, confused but accustomed to the team's chaos.
Outside, under the gray sky, Dzoavha opened the seat of his motorcycle parked beside a tree. He pulled out a small metal box containing electronic tools from the Computer Network lab at SMKN 2 that he had secretly collected. Nadhyfa arrived, panting.
"What are you doing, Dap? Don't keep us in suspense!"
Before Dzoavha could answer, Dhoost appeared behind him, his camouflage cloak making him almost invisible in the tree's shadow.
Dzoavha jumped, throwing the metal box into the air. Dhoost deftly caught it.
"Don't appear out of nowhere like that! What if I have a heart attack?!" scolded Dzoavha, his face red.
"This is serious, okay? Come on, help me bring this inside."
The three of them returned to the warehouse, carrying the metal box and tools from the motorcycle seat.
Inside, they threw their respective equipment onto the concrete floor. The energy shield, precision rifle, mini drone, medical bracelet, and Dzoavha's tools. Ryn and Radhif approached, Ryn's eyes still holding a grudge.
Dzoavha took a deep breath, looking at his friends with shining eyes.
"Team A must also be analyzing us through their PILAR watches. Their equipment is advanced, but we can upgrade our own gear!" He pointed to the metal box on the floor.
"I brought tools from the Computer Network lab. Let's modify the drone, shield, rifle, and anything that can give us an advantage tomorrow. We can't lose again!"
Radhif smiled faintly, his hand holding his shield.
"Good idea, Dap. But... are you sure we can finish before tomorrow morning?" he asked, his tone hopeful but realistic.
Ryn spun his rifle, grinning widely even though his eyes were full of anger.
"Of course we can, we have to go all-out for tomorrow's match!" he said, his voice full of spirit.
Nadhyfa nodded, still anxious. "Okay, but if it fails, don't blame me!" she exclaimed, starting to sort through the equipment on the floor.
That afternoon, the old warehouse on the outskirts of Maykarta transformed into an emergency workshop. The neon lights on the ceiling flickered, illuminating piles of wooden crates, scattered electronic tools, mixed with the smell of hot solder. Team C worked hard, sweat dripping from their foreheads, focused on upgrading their equipment with the simple tools Dzoavha had secretly brought from the SMKN 2 Computer Network lab. The small metal box was now wide open, its contents including nano cables, modification chips, and used components, scattered on the concrete floor. Their PILAR watches occasionally blinked, reminding them that time was ticking towards tomorrow morning's match against Team A.
Dzoavha, with his constantly blinking AR glasses, was busy modifying his mini drone.
"Okay, here it is," he murmured, after installing a small microphone on the drone's body, then soldering a tiny speaker to the side of his AR glasses.
"Now my drone can record sound in the arena and I can see and listen from a distance."He grinned, though his eyes were red from fatigue.
Radhif, on the other side, looked at the pile of components from his disassembled energy shield.
"Dap, this can be put back together, right?" he asked, eyebrows raised in confusion.
Dzoavha glanced over, then crouched beside him, helping to reassemble the components. With a few nano connections and additional chips, the energy shield transformed into a portable protector that coated Radhif's arm like a futuristic gauntlet. With one hand movement, the protector could expand into a full shield.
"Cool, right?" said Dzoavha, proud.
"Oh,this too." He added a small chip to Radhif's short sword, adding a mild electric shock effect.
"To fight Dirga's sickle. Let him be surprised himself."
Dhoost, sitting in a corner with his camouflage cloak, focused on his folding knife. He separated the blade and handle, installing a nano wire rope between them. Deftly, he reconnected the knife. Now, his knife could be thrown to ensnare enemies like a nano cable, attack from a distance, or still be used as a regular knife.
"This will make them all tremble," murmured Dhoost, his voice soft but with satisfaction in his eyes.
Nadhyfa, with her half-disassembled medical bracelet, complained loudly.
"Dap, can this really be put back together?" she asked, holding the components carefully.
Dzoavha, while grinning, took one of the laser shooters from his drone and soldered it to Nadhyfa's bracelet.
"Relax, Nad. Now your bracelet can shoot lasers, but slowly, okay, only in one direction. I had to sacrifice my drone, it can only shoot from one opening now."
Nadhyfa's eyes sparkled. "Cool! So I can monitor your conditions while attacking?"
Ryn, sitting alone on a wooden crate, focused on his precision rifle. He took a 10,000mAh power bank from Dzoavha's pile of tools, attaching it near the rifle's charging port with a nano cable.
"This should be enough for backup energy," he said, his voice flat but full of resentment.
"So I can shoot them as much as I want." Without the others' knowledge, he also secretly slipped a folding cutter into a hidden part of his rifle, his eyes narrowing as he thought of Rey Gustastu.
"Just in case," he murmured to himself.
Time passed unnoticed. The sky outside the warehouse was pitch black, their PILAR watches showing 9:00 PM.
Team C lay exhausted on the concrete floor, sweat and dust sticking to their faces. Dzoavha's drone buzzed softly in a corner, Radhif's portable shield glowed faintly, Dhoost's knife lay beside him, Nadhyfa's bracelet blinked with its new laser, and Ryn's rifle stood upright on a wooden crate, its power bank neatly attached. They stared at the results of their hard work, a mix of pride and anxiety.
"Damn, we really finished this overnight," said Nadhyfa, her breath still ragged.
"But...now what? Where do we take this?" She pointed to the pile of equipment on the floor.
"This warehouse is safe, but tomorrow we enter the arena through the secret elevator at school."
Radhif stood up, wiping sweat from his forehead. "We can store this at school tomorrow morning, but bringing all this to school without getting caught is troublesome too. Especially Ryn's long rifle, even a bag won't fit it."
Ryn snorted, looking at his long rifle. "I can't hide this in a bag. Too risky to bring home too." He looked around the warehouse, then nodded slowly.
"I'll leave it here. Tomorrow, after break, I'll skip class, take this rifle, and enter the arena through this warehouse. So, we'll meet at the PILAR headquarters."
Nadhyfa's eyes widened. "Skipping class? How many times is that this semester, Ryn!? Aren't you afraid your parents will find out?" she said, but her tone was half-joking.
Dhoost raised his hand, his voice calm. "Even though the idea is bad, what else can we do? The rest can bring their equipment home. Radhif's shield is small now, my knife is easy to hide, Nadhyfa's bracelet isn't too conspicuous either. Dzoavha's drone can fit in a bag. We can take them home, and tomorrow as soon as we get to school, store them in the secret elevator right away."
Radhif nodded, though hesitant. "Okay, but be careful. Don't get caught. PILAR is strict about this." He looked at Ryn.
"Are you sure about leaving the rifle here,Ryn?"
Ryn grinned, but there was a shadow of resentment in his eyes. "Sure. This warehouse is safe. Besides, I'll definitely come here tomorrow anyway." His tone was cold, making Nadhyfa and Dzoavha exchange worried glances.
They started packing up the equipment. Dzoavha put his drone and AR glasses into his bag, Dhoost hid his wire rope knife in his cloak pocket, Nadhyfa wore her laser bracelet like a regular accessory, and Radhif shrank his portable shield into a gauntlet form, storing it in his backpack. Ryn left his rifle leaning against a wooden crate, making sure his folding cutter was hidden.
One by one, they left the warehouse, the Maykarta night sky greeting them with cold air. The banyan tree beside the warehouse swayed gently, their shadows stretching on the ground.
"Tomorrow we meet at the PILAR headquarters,at 10:30," said Radhif, his voice firm.
"Don't be late,Ryn."
Ryn nodded, patting Radhif's shoulder. "Relax, Dhif. I'll come with my rifle, I'm always ready to destroy Team A." His voice was full of determination, but in his mind, the shadows of Mila and Rey Gustastu's face still haunted him.
They parted ways, heading to their respective homes on their motorcycles, carrying their newly upgraded equipment. In the distance, the lights of Maykarta blinked, as if holding PILAR's secrets yet to be revealed. Tomorrow, in the arena, the battle against Team A awaited, and for Ryn, this was more than just a tournament. It was time for revenge.
TO BE CONTINUED...