RE:volt! Chapter 50: Free Air

“Never say I don’t do anything for you.”

Brought back to his world, Ark and the mephisto were immediately separated by a blinding blast of energy from Ark’s sword, his half-baked New Moon art striking the demon as it casted him away.

“SHIT!” Ark swore, hitting a nearby tree with his entire body wracked with pain as the mephisto howled in pain, the backlash of having its psyche dragged into Ark's reality sphere damaging the magical creature.

“Six-Two-Six!”

Suddenly Ark’s eyes snapped open, the sound of rustling leaves and his number being called out snapping his head toward the group of slaves charging out of the shrubbery to attack the men clad in black.

Axel and Isa ran and charged the mephisto, the pair knocking the still disorientated demon down where they began stomping and punching the butler, not giving him a chance to recover from Ark’s attack.

“RAAAAH!” As the duo began beating on the demon, Thirty-Three charged from the bush, a massive tree branch in hand that she swung and immediately broke the neck of a black-clad man who stood unmoving.

“Six-Two-Six, are you ok?!” Thirty-Four asked as a loud neigh sounded out, followed by a deerling rushing out of the shrubbery and headbutting one of the mephisto’s puppets away before it stomped on the demon with Isa and Axel continuing their beat down a moment later.

“Brat! Get on!” Ninety-Nine yelled as a now awake and angry maid leapt off the rear end of the deerling and stabbed a puppet with a dagger, coating her dress in blood.

What?!

“Why are you guys here?!” Ark demanded, blood flowing from his mouth before his eyes looked over to his shattered sword and mangled arm.

“To save you! Come on!” Thirty-Four yelled, pulling Ark up who was too weak to resist. He stumbled, falling into Thirty-Four’s warm embrace, her skin like a refreshing cup of water against his burning skin. “Ninety-! Ninety-Nine! Something’s wrong! He’s burning up!”

Immediately the man hopped off his deerling, hobbling up to Ark. “Come on, come on! It’s ok kid, he’ll be ok!”

What the hell is even going on?! Ark said to himself, his head pooling blood into his eye.

“He’s hurt! He’s hurt!” Thirty-Four began to panic, the girl near hysterical.

“Stop.” Ark said as Ninety-Nine grabbed ahold of him.

“Come on now brat, no more heroics you dumb oaf. Time to stop playing hero and let someone save your ass.” Ninety-Nine chastised only for Ark to take a breath.

“STOP!” Ark roared, everything in the nearby vicinity coming to a standstill with Isa lifting up the mephisto once more time by the collar and delivering a punch before dropping him.

“These guys… are on our side.” Ark moaned out in pain as fresh blood began to leak from his nose. Ah, here's the backlash…

“Ok, enough Loyd. Let’s get you to safety.” Ninety-Nine said with Axel and Isa looking down at the bruised and beat up butler.

“”Ooops.” The two boys let out before attempting to dust off and help the butler stand. Only for said butler to fall face first into the dirt.

“Sebastian.” Ark whispered, the demon suddenly vanishing from his face-down prone position to reappear kneeling in front of Ark, the butler no longer dirty or unkempt with zero signs of injury on his persons. “See to these people’s safety. If so much as a hair on them gets hurt… you know what I’ll do to you.”

The threat was just that, a threat. Ark had no power over the mephisto but it didn't know that and for now, Ark would capitalize on that.

“Yes sir. As you command. It is my pleasure to serve.” The butler said, drawing odd looks from everyone gathered who looked from the neatly dressed butler and back to Ark. Each person wondering who the heck this butler was.

“Now… someone get me… some..thhhhhinggggg…” Ark began but trailed off, his words slurring as he fell and lost consciousness, the last thing he saw being what appeared to be an apparition of Liana overlapped on Thirty-Four calling his name as he slipped into darkness.

*****

“Six-two-six? Six-two-six!?” Thirty-Four screamed, shaking the unconscious teen in her arms.

“Stop lass! Stop shaking him! You'll make his wounds worse!” Nintey-Nine barked, prying the girl off of Ark who spun, running at the butler.

“You! You did this!” Thirty-Four yelled, picking up Ark's shattered sword and slashing at the man who effortlessly dodged her.

Thirty-Three joined in, bouncing off of a nearby tree to attack from above, the pair combining their efforts to take down the smug looking man.

She missed, the butler side-stepping her with the two sisters mere moments from colliding with each other. However, just before the duo made impact, they were suddenly caught. The black clad servants catching both and settling them on their feet with the butler standing at a distance and bowing.

“Haven’t you heard that it’s rude to throw around accusations?” The butler said, drawing a scowl from the sisters who immediately spun to attack the black-clad men holding them who simply vanished.

“I saw what you did! I saw you attack him!” Thirty-Four snarled, recounting the flash of light that she’d seen before she saw Ark fly into a tree trunk. “I’ll kill you!”

“No, what you saw was the young master failing his technique,” The butler said, unperturbed by the group of humans surrounding and pointing weapons at him. “Resulting in his unfortunate and mangled state.”

Seeing Thirty-Three growl and move forward, the branch in her hands cracking from the raw strength she was using to hold the tree limb. Expecting disaster, Ninety-Nine decided to act, pulling at Thirty-Four.

“Let it go, lass.” Ninety-Nine said. As the only one present who grasped the danger the man before them presented, Ninety-Nine decided to placate and be cautious. They were still within the vicinity of the Constantine manor, with the flames and smoke visible above the trees and snaking into the sky. To make matters worse, Six-Two-Six was injured, the boy unconscious, meaning they’d have to get him aid.

The old slave sighed, tugging Thirty-Four to face him, the only one who could reign in her sister aside from Six-Two-Six. The two boys that had been with the girls flanked Thirty-Three, the duo prepared to back the girl up against the butler.

“Listen to me. Six-Two-Six is injured with heavy injuries. This man is a mana user. He’s armed and he has help. Think Thirty-Four, think! If we run afoul of this man, we won’t survive.” Ninety-Nine reasoned in a whisper, calming Thirty-Four down who blinked before stopping her sister. “Atta girl.”

“I don’t like this person.” Thirty-Four whispered, glaring at the butler as Seventeen walked up and shook the butler’s hand.

*****

Blinking, Ark awoke to the sound of giggles. Something he hadn’t heard in years as his eyes fluttered open to be greeted to the familiar texture of a ragged tunic over his face and something heavy on his chest and left arm.

Attempting to shift the cloth, Ark moved his dominant hand out of reflex, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through his body. He endured it though, and slowly peeled back the shirt being used to block the sunlight hitting his eyes where he spotted Thirty-Four lying on his chest, sleeping on his uninjured arm.

“They’re just boobs. I don’t get what the big deal is.” Thirty-Three said as Seventeen played with the shirtless woman’s breasts, the two sitting in a clearing in the middle of the forest with sunlight beaming down on the pair. “Bit annoying and they hurt my back.”

“Big squish big squish.” Seventeen giggled before she buried her face into an indifferent Thirty-Three’s chest who’s scarred back was facing Ark. “Can I undo these wrappings? Pwwwwse?”

“No, they’re a pain to tie up so my boobs don’t flop everywhere when I fight.” Thirty-Three spat.

Ignoring the pair, Ark looked down to his throbbing arm, the appendage bruised and injured, every movement and twitch causing him pain. He had tried to use a starter sword technique known as the New Moon, the first in a series of eight sword techniques taught to Ark by the imprisoned Felldragon Bellrog, a prisoner of Irelix who sacrificed itself to become Ark’s weapon of choice for a chance at revenge against the Dragon Empress.

A powerful technique that brought forth so much volatile mana that most weapons were unsuitable for the skill, destroying them along with the user’s body.

We’re still alive… Ark said to himself, enjoying the warmth of the sun as he placed his hand around his neck where a heavy weight was missing.

Yes monkey. Somehow we’re still alive despite your best efforts. Irelix said, her tone one of annoyance. Are you happy?

With your persistent unhelpfulness? No. Not quite.

You realize without me that you’d be that mephisto’s plaything right about now?

Oh I do. If only you were this helpful all the time, maybe I might actually like you.

Your bitter remarks wound me monkey. Straight to the soul, truly. Like a dagger plunged in my immortal heart. Irelix replied in a sarcastic manner, an image of the empress filing away at her talon appearing in the back of Ark’s mind.

Irelix.

Hm?

Thank you.

Ark laid still, not a word said between him and the dragon.

Odd.

What is?

I don’t believe I’ve ever been thanked before when it wasn’t with my talons on the neck of someone.

Ark smirked.

Feels nice doesn’t it?

No. Absolutely not. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Is this why your kind is so cruel to one another? Regrettably, I believe I understand why you monkeys are so hateful. Why would anyone-

Ark tuned the dragon out, his injured arm moving to place his palm on his face as he sighed.

“Hey! Don’t lick me you idiot I don’t have milk!!”

“Ow!” Seventeen let out as Thirty-Three chopped her on the head.

“You are very weird ya know.” Thirty-Three griped before turning her head to Ark who was pinching the bridge of his nose. “Oh! He’s awake.”

Seventeen quickly ran over to Ark and slid in the grass, her white and black maid dress being stained green as she sled beside Ark.

“Boop.” Seventeen said, the blonde girl immediately poking Ark in the nose.

“About time you woke up.” Thirty-Three said, immediately standing over Ark with the latter using his mangled arm to throw the shirt used to cover his eyes toward her.

“Where’s Ninety-Nine? Sixty-Six?” Ark narrowed his eyes. “Where’s the butler?”

“Here sir.” Sebastian said, appearing out of thin air to stand beside Ark and causing Thirty-Four and Seventeen to jolt back with their arms raised

“Hnnhg.” Thirty-Four let out before she woke, rising up off of Ark and hugging him immediately upon waking up.

“HEKH!” Ark involuntarily let out, his eyes going crossed as pain wracked his entire body and his injured arm bent at an angle.

“You’re alive! You’re alive! You’re alive!” Thirty-Four repeated over and over again, crying into Ark with his heart feeling as though it were swelling in his chest despite the pain.

“Crushing! Cuuushing!” Ark let out.

“Easy lass, give him some breathing room.” Ninety-Nine said as he walked out of a pair of trees. The boys Axel and Isa following behind with bundles of plants, fruits, and mushrooms in their arms. “So you’re finally awake.”

Ark smirked as Thirty-Four continued to latch on and didn’t let go.

“That I am.” Ark said, taking in a deep breath as he prepared for the future, not as a slave, but now, as a free man. There was much to be done.