SRET!!!!
Nyai Mangkududo pulled a black pouch from beneath her robes, a smirk plastered on her face—looking exactly like a legendary witch plotting something evil.
'What's that? Itching powder?'
[Notification! Nyai Mangkududo has unleashed her signature weapon! The "Never-Miss-No-Slip" Love Powder! Warning: Do not get charmed if you don't want to end up as her "All-In-One Bachelor Collection"! ]
'Huh? A collection? You think I'm some kind of online shopping package?! Damn you!'
Kara swallowed hard. Crap, what now? Should he run? No, running might not solve anything.
"Maybe you managed to defeat my husband... Ki Kara... I admit, he's pathetic... but you'll lose to me today!"
Nyai Mangkududo began shaking the black pouch in the air. Her movements looked like a street vendor peddling "energy boosters" at a bus terminal.
"Take this! Everlasting Love Powder: Pro Max Version!" she screamed, scattering shiny pink dust—which, honestly, smelled more like a mix of mothballs and medicated oil.
SRET! SRET! SRET!
Kara instinctively covered his nose with his collar.
'God, this smell is nauseating. Is that love powder or strawberry-flavored drink mix? The color is so tacky!'
[Warning! Simp-level is increasing by 85%! Avoid inhaling the scent or you will start seeing Nyai Mangkududo as a top-tier K-Pop idol!]
'No way! My eyes are still healthy!' Kara screamed internally. He frantically dug into his pocket. He had to have something to counter this.
"Die, young man! Become part of my bachelor collection!" Nyai Mangkududo laughed shrilly, her hand ready to hurl a large fistful of powder right at Kara's face.
Kara closed his eyes, his hand finding a small rectangular object in his pocket. Without thinking, he threw it forward and shouted.
"Eat this! My counter-charm! The Anti-Supernatural-Wife Technique!!"
PYARRRR!
Instead of a mystical explosion or black smoke, out came a fine white powder with a very... familiar scent.
Nyai Mangkududo froze, her face covered in the white dust. She sneezed repeatedly.
"A-choo! A-choo! What is this?! What kind of poison are you using, brat?!"
Kara opened one eye and grinned widely.
"That's not poison, Nyai. That's 'Elephant Brand' baby powder I bought at the corner shop this morning. Just making sure your face doesn't get too oily while you're being evil!"
[Notification! Nyai Mangkududo is in a state of 'Confusion'. The love powder's effect is being blocked by the scent of baby powder that is just too pure!]
From the shadows of a nearby Frangipani tree, Cruel watched with a deadpan expression, though his hands were itching to throw something.
"Pathetic. Fighting a knock-off witch and he turns it into a baby powder drama," Cruel muttered. He glanced at Baskara, who was grinning like an idiot even though he was actually being cornered by Nyai Mangkududo's black smoke.
How dare this woman push my brother like that. Looks like I need to settle the score with her.
Cruel sighed heavily. He walked toward Pak Taryo's goat, which was busy munching on grass. Pak Taryo had brought the goat along because he hadn't had time to feed it all day, and now he was too busy watching the heated duel between Kara and Nyai.
"This will do for a summon." Cruel smirked, pulling a knife from his pocket to perform the ritual.
A few moments later...
MBEEEEEKKKKKK!
Suddenly, from behind Nyai Mangkududo's robes, a giant black shadow goat emerged with glowing red eyes and horns more twisted than Kara's fate. This wasn't just any goat; it was Pak Taryo's goat-turned-demon, and it only had one thing on its mind: eating offerings... or a shaman's robes.
'Whoa, Tem! Whose goat is that?!'
[Notification! The Little Demon has performed a summon using Pak Taryo's favorite goat!]
'That brat! No wonder the demon smells like goat musk!! If Pak Taryo finds out, I'm the one who's gonna have to pay for it!'
KREEET!
The demon goat bit the edge of Nyai Mangkududo's robes and pulled with high-tier spiritual strength.
"Eh?! What is this?! Who's pulling my clothes?!" Nyai Mangkududo screamed as she nearly toppled over. Her concentration broke instantly.
Kara feigned shock. "Whoa! Nyai, did your pet get loose? Since when did a demon goat join the party?"
Cruel, still hiding behind the tree, looked away, pretending he didn't know a thing.
'Better not let that goat headbutt Brother Kara. I'll kill it if there's a scratch,' Cruel thought while silently casting a cloak spell so neither the System nor Baskara's sharp instincts could find him—or so he thought, since the System and Kara already knew.
Nyai Mangkududo slumped to the ground, her prized black robes torn to shreds, looking more like a tattered doormat. Pak Taryo's demon goat was now busy chewing on Ki Mangkurondo's robes (who was still knocked out).
"Damn it... who summoned that emo goat..." Nyai Mangkududo muttered hoarsely, her face covered in baby powder making her look like a failed mime artist.
Kara approached slowly, still holding the baby powder box as his ultimate weapon. He was ready in case she had one last trick.
"Giving up, Nyai? Or do you want more powder? Need to look glowing before you head to supernatural jail, right? I told you, I can't bring myself to fight a lady," Kara said with his signature cocky grin.
[Look at you showing off. Weren't you scared to death a minute ago?]
'Shut it, Tem! Let a man enjoy his victory!'
"So, Nyai... I guess this is what they call karma. Paid in full, no installments like a car loan." Baskara tried to strike his coolest pose.
Nyai Mangkududo looked up at Kara. The field lights, combined with the flashlights of kids playing nearby, hit Kara's face (which was average at best, but looked sparkly for the sake of drama). In Nyai Mangkududo's eyes, Kara suddenly didn't look like an enemy anymore. He looked like...
[Warning! Nyai Mangkududo's 'Melting' level has reached 99%! She has detected the ultimate "All-In-One Bachelor" aura from Kara!]
"Eh?" Kara frowned, confused by her expression. Her aggressive look had turned into watery, adoring eyes, and her cheeks (hidden under the white powder) were turning red. Nyai Mangkududo clutched her chest, her breath hitching—not from the fight, but from falling in love at first sight. She suddenly wanted Kara to be her second husband.
"Yo-you..." she whispered, her shrill voice turning into an eerie, melodic coo.
"Yeah, I'm Kara. What's up, Nyai? Want more powder?"
Nyai Mangkududo shook her head slowly, then suddenly crawled toward Kara's feet, making him jump back.
"You are... so powerful, young man..." she said, staring at him with a look of worship that made Kara's skin crawl.
"Hah? What are you doing? Don't touch my pants! I bought these at the market yesterday, and I spent a long time haggling for them!"
(Yeah, haggling. The original price was 50k, but Kara bargained it down to 10k.)
"Be my number one bachelor, Kara..." she pleaded in a creepy, flirtatious tone. "Forget my pathetic husband. I... I'll retire from being an evil witch! I'll be a good housewife for you! We'll build a shaman dynasty together!"
Kara froze. He looked at his System in pure despair.
Cruel, who had been watching, clenched his fists in rage. What is this woman thinking?! She wants his brother?! No!! That will never happen. His brother belongs to him, period! No one is taking him away.
Nyai Mangkududo stood up slowly, her hand reaching for Baskara's panicked face.
"Your face is so handsome—"
SRET!! CRASH!!
Cruel yanked Baskara behind him and slapped Nyai Mangkududo across the face, sending her falling.
"What the—"
"Who told you that you could touch my brother?" Cruel hissed with a piercing gaze. Nyai Mangkududo went silent and looked down. Somehow, her gut told her not to mess with the person in front of her.
While Nyai Mangkududo was having an existential crisis from the slap, suddenly the village moms (including Pak Taryo's wife, Sarah) rushed forward, dragging their daughters along.
"Ki Kara! Look at my daughter, Siti! She makes the best chili paste, she's the perfect ritual companion for you!"
"Don't listen to her! My daughter, Jubaedah, might only have a GED, but she's an expert at massaging spirits!"
Baskara stood there frozen, trying to process the chaos. Being a lifelong single guy, he actually wavered for a second.
'Whoa... so being a fake shaman gets you a fast-track to marriage? Wait, Jubaedah is actually kinda cute...'
Cruel glared at the moms, but even a demon king couldn't win against the aura of village mothers. He was already mad at the witch, and now the moms were hunting his brother too.
Without a word, Cruel grabbed Baskara's collar like he was grabbing a sack of rice.
"Brother, we're going home. No getting married until you finish your Level 2 ritual book!"
"Wait, Dek! Hold on, Jubaedah was about to give me her WhatsApp number—"
CRACK!
Cruel just had to glance at the ground, and suddenly the demon goat blocked the villagers' path with a bone-chilling "MBEEEEKKKK". Cruel then hoisted Baskara up in a fireman's lift and sprinted out of the square.