Quest of Automata King

Thieves and Traitor

Due to the increased muscle mass given by Goettia, Mui’s punch is far more energize than ever before. He swings his jabs and hooks, slowly pushing his enemy backward, and overwhelm him with his fist.

Although his enemy is wearing accessories that would hinder the punching effect such as mask, the impact that Mui’s making are enough to make him stumble around. He can imagine that right now, whoever person behind that mask are having their blood shaking around their entire head.

After several punching showdown, that thug leader is starting to wobble, he tried to retaliating, but his arm is slow, and did not giving Mui much challenge to dodge it.

For the last time, Mui swing his last hook, and hitting him right on his head. After that, the thug leader fell knee first to the ground, and goes all four.

Panting but furious, Mui did not let this chance slip through. He quickly grab the collar of that person, and push him forward until he is fall with his back touching the stone floor.

“Who... the hell... are you people!?” shout Mui angrily as he tried to control his breathing. Same thing happened to his attacker who apparently have their stamina drain out after their last battle.

“...Traitor...” Those word are the only thing that he speaks, which make Mui more angry.

“How can I understand if you keep talking like that!?” he swing his to the thug’s face, and once again it hitting his right face. “I don’t even know who you people are! Don’t accuse a stranger as a traitor just because you got some internal problem, dammit!” he swings another one, this time to the other side of his head.

In the end, they are just starring at each other. No words are given since both of them know that it will not make any difference. Until finally, Mui realize another way to reveal who he really is.

Quickly, both of Mui’s hand is grabbing at that man’s head. He tried to shake off the barrier that prevent him to see his true face. Knowing what Mui tried to do, his opponent quickly grabbed his hand too, trying to get it away before it is too late.

“If you don’t want to explain who you really are, then i’m going to find out myself!” shout Mui, cemented his intention.

The mask that man’s wear is some sort of high-quality ceramic that is able to withstand blows from Mui’s fist. While the eye part of it is pair of glass that formed as google for the wearer to see. The rest of his head is covered braided yarn, that looked like hair at some point, giving those groups an alien appearence, despite they are probably just another man.

Apparently, the thug leader have lost his remaining strength. He can’t keep up with Mui’s strength, and can only grit his teeth as the devil destroyed his headgear, and reveal the true face of that person.

Red eyes glowing under the dark night, reflecting the light from the source of light around them. His dark blue skin is blending with the ground beneath, but the most important thing, is what on top of his head.

There is a pair of sharp objects, growing from his skull. It have a dark brown color, just like a tree branch in the fall, it is certainly part of his body, since Mui also have one.

“A... Devil?” mumble Mui. This is the first time that he sees people with the same race after months staying inside the academy. He still remember the train driver that he met when he first arrive, showing him the realities of what the Devils face outside of their kingdom.

And now, here he is, trading blow with person who is the same race as him.

The Devil glaring at Mui. His teeth is gritting, just like a shackeled beast. He noticed that for some reason, his opponent’s attention is shifted to something else, therefore with a grunt he tried to reach Mui’s neck using both of his hand.

Surprise, the thug is now have the upper hand. Because his attack is maged to block Mui’s airflow, he quickly overwhelm him, and pushed Mui until he fall on the ground.

“Now is my turn!” he shout, but there is no smile on his face, or joy after finally able to overcome his opponent. Only rage that can only found inside a soul that have been burried revenge for so long.

“Urgh... Stop... it...!” Mui grunt as he feels suffocating sensation that choking his neck. His vision are started to blur, even the thing that Goettia called ‘head-up-dispay’ either.

“Mui! Stay awake! Come on!” shout Goettia, the dialogue box that Mui seen started to scrolling down into the spells with offensive attribute. But everytime it reached certain part of the menu, the display frizzled up, and the selection is moved to somewhere else.

“Damn it! He have to stay awake for the system to active!” shout Goettia. “Mui! Open Your eyes! Do not pass out you hear me!?”

But no matter how mush Goettia calling him, Mui did not give him any response. Instead, Mui feels that darkness starting to creeping on the corner of his eyes, drowning him into a slumber because his body desperate for air.

At that very moment, a voice save Mui. Not from the princess or friends that act as cavalry and rescue him, but instead, from two brothers that Mui save from the evil merchant.

“Big bro Havest!” shout Malik and Aghya.

“That voice...!?” Mui’s opponent turn his head toward the direction where they coming from, his eyes glow when they see the twin, running toward him.

“Please don’t hurt him!” Aghya shout from the distance. “Big bro Mui and big sis Emmellia save us from evil person! They are not bad people!” add Malik.

As if he forgot about Mui, that person called Harvest let his hand off from Mui’s neck. Immediately, the air filled Mui’s lungs, and the black shadows that creeping on his mind dissapeared.

“Mui!” this time, is Emmellia’s voice, followed by another voice from his friends. They quickly gather around his friend, and asking whetever if he is alright.

“Calm down, I will heal you right away,” said Emmellia, she stretch her hand, and let blueis-green mana flowing toward Mui’s bruise.

Betty moved to the front of Mui and princess. She clench her fist, and prepare in case other thugs are going to attack them.

“Praise the gods! You are safe! I thought that these mages have done something evil with you kids!” said Harvest. He almost did not care about his enemy anymore. His attitude is changed almost 180 degree, with him being some sort of guardian toward these kids.

“Harvest!” shout the kids warning him again about the issue at hand. Their expression is rather upset, especially after the guy that they know treat their saviour rudely. Harvest the thug, changed his expression too.

He finally get up and turn his body, only to see a girl standing with position ready to battle. Behind her, he can see Mui, sitting as his teammate healing his wounds. Knowing that they would not accept him, Harvest quickly turn away while patting those kids to go on their way.

“Big bro! You haven’t apologize yet!” Said Aghya.

“I’ll said my sorry later, for now our teammates are still hurt after the battle, let us go to the healer first,” said Harvest.

“B-but,”

“Enough! I’ll not repeat what I have said, we will back to the shelter now!” Harvest said with a loud voice, making the brothers flinched with fear. They looked at direction of Emmellia and Mui with a sad eyes, as if they asked for forgiveness from the two of them.

Harvest turn around. He get to his two friends that are still grunting on the ground, and helping them to get up. Right before they turn around to leave the vicinity, Emmellia calling from behind.

“Coward! First you attacked us without reason, now you suddenly leave after scolding those poor boys! You damn bandits!” shout Emmellia angrily. Mui have started to recover, and he himself rather surprise that Emmellia would say harsh words like that.

“Yeah! You damn thieves!” suddenly from the tavern Raul and Karas come out screaming. “They muggle us on the street! Taking our purses and angry when we don’t have any gold left! After that, the leader bind us and told to lead to the direction of you guys!” Raul screaming of what just happened to them, and Harvest roll his eyes, fed up after what just happened.

“Alright, alright. You want me to say sorry? Here I go.”

Harvest walking to the direction of Mui, but not before Betty told him to stop his step.

“Halt, you speak from there robber,” said Betty. Limiting the distance between Harvest and Mui.

The Devil looking at Betty with a cold stare, and then he turn his eye toward Mui who is starting to get back up.

“It’s feels nice isn’t it? To being backed up by people with privilege?” asked Harvest.

Mui coughing a bit before he replied.

“What... Are you talking about?”

“The first Devil ever enroll in the academy...” mention Harvest. “I thought it was just nonsense, but the rumor is true apparently.”

Harvest throwing a vial of green potion. Mui remembers it from the time Julius and Challender fighting him, it is a health restoration potion.

“Those boys are under my protection... Just like any other orphans that stranded into the city. Sometime, rich scums that... Look like you people will do something terrifying to them... I gotta keep my eyes up in case those happen,” said Harvest.

“The healing potion is the best I could give. No one wanted to trade with Devils anyway,” grumble Harvest. He turn his body going to leave with the brothers and his subordinates, but Emmellia stopped him.

“You haven’s said sorry yet.”

Harvest turn around, glaring at them with angry eyes. “I’m sorry.”

After he said that, Harvest, Malik and Aghya goes on their way. Leaving Mui and his friends, also several curious tavern customer curious of what just happened. Mui and his friends then end the rest of the night trying to fix things that suddenly happened in the tavern of Thousand Barrels.