Hella couldn't do anything because she couldn't even see his movements, resulting in Hella being thrown far away until she hit the wall of their previous house. The wall was almost on the verge of collapsing because of it.
"The thief is so noisy."
Hella got up from the wall, returning the Javanese man's banter.
"Who's the thief, you thief?"
The Javanese man put the temu kunci cake into his pants pocket.
Mitha was confused by what was happening, terrified, and ran to find a hiding place.
"Good grief, who is this again!!!! It's already so hard just to go home, there's always trouble."
A flurry of hard punches and kicks was exchanged between the two parties.
Various punches and kicks were unleashed.
However, from the techniques he displayed to Hella, it seemed like he had taken martial arts before.
He even looked more like he was evading attacks and catching Hella's hands and feet rather than just blocking them.
At the moment Hella launched a front kick, he—or more simply called the Javanese Man—chose instead to catch Hella's foot, then pulled it in a U-shape from right to left while taking a backward step. As a result, Hella lost her balance, making her focus more on recovering her balance and ignoring him. Following that, the Javanese Man from the SN FAMILY delivered a sharp elbow strike straight to Hella's face.
Right on Hella's cheek, Hella fell down. He pinned Hella's body and beat her with alternating hands relentlessly and quickly.
Hella continuously received attack after attack.
However, she was stopped by the hands of darkness created by Hella to impede him.
"Your face looks familiar."
"Of course, this is our second time fighting."
The hands of darkness struggled hard to pull the Javanese Man's hand backward.
Seizing this opportunity, Hella spat at him and then landed a punch on his face.
The tables turned, and he fell down.
Struggling against the shadow hands, he tried to stand up, but suddenly the blade of Hella's sword with a dark aura was at his neck.
He realized he had seen that sword somewhere before.
"You...."
"You already know? Yeah, I was the one who stole your stuff back then. Let me introduce myself, Hella C'el Fall. The Expert Ghoster."
"So you...—"
A keris appeared in his hand. He slashed, but Hella successfully avoided it by jumping backward to create distance.
"Relax, bro, relax!"
The two of them fought their way away from Hella and Mitha's boarding house.
The Javanese Man attacked Hella using his keris. Hella dodged, but not all of them were successfully avoided because his attacks were faster than Hella's reaction time, making it difficult for her to face all of his assaults.
In Hella's mind, she thought.
"He's faster than Celis, damn it."
This losing position lasted quite a while because Hella wouldn't easily find an opening to counterattack, as the Javanese Man's flexibility exceeded Hella's. Moreover, as time went on, he understood more and more where Hella was moving, as if seeing into the future.
Hella continuously received attack after attack, and little by little, scratches appeared, wounding her body and face.
"Damn it, if this keeps up, I'm going to lose."
He swung his hand further back than all his previous attacks, full of annoyance and anger, but the Javanese Man made a huge mistake instead.
Although it sounded trivial, the momentum generated would become slower.
This was Hella's first opportunity to overcome him. Hella landed a right punch coated with darkness aiming at the Javanese Man's face. At the same time, the Javanese Man also wanted to stab Hella's eye.
Just as both attacks were about to launch, Hella slightly tilted her body to forty degrees. Hella hardened her strength and fortified her punch even more.
But when their attacks were about to hit each other, the Javanese Man didn't realize that Hella had tilted her body, causing the Javanese Man's attack to miss.
Hella's punch hit the Javanese Man's nose.
The devastating punch produced an explosion sound like a basketball bursting in a training room.
The ferocity of Hella's punch created a strong gust of wind that even blew down many surrounding trees because they couldn't withstand the fierce gale.
The Javanese Man was thrown far away, landing repeatedly on the ground and then floating into the air again due to the sheer force.
Until he finally stopped because he crashed into a small mountain.
The Javanese Man vomited blood. He got up from there and then fled from Hella.
"Arghh.. I didn't expect him to be that strong."
Not long after, Hella arrived at the Javanese Man's location, but she couldn't find him—she likely arrived too late, allowing the Javanese Man time to escape.
"Tsk, he escaped. Ah, because I've been sharing my power too often, I can't do things like I used to anymore."
Hella split the dimension and returned to the initial place at the boarding house earlier.
"Where did that kid go again, oh gosh. Oh right, she probably went there."
Late afternoon, around 4:12 PM WITA.
Celis was sleeping in his room when he woke up. Shintia opened the door to check on him.
"Just woke up?"
"Yeah."
Shintia tried to approach Celis.
"Celis, I want to talk."
"We better talk outside."
"Can you stand?"
"I'm bored in the room all the time; it's already been two years just stuck in the room."
They sat in the living room, side by side on the long sofa.
"What do you want to ask?"
"Um, I just thought of something.—"
She expressed it with a sense of shyness.
"—I'm nobody to you, but I get to stay at your house."
Celis crossed his legs with one hand placed on the back of the sofa.
"So?"
"Because of that, I didn't think twice about sleeping randomly at the place of someone I don't know, and you don't know me either. Actually, I only wanted to stay for a day—"
Before she could finish speaking, Shintia was cut off by Celis.
"So what's the problem?"
"Huh?!"
"If you feel that way, where else would you go after leaving here?"
Shintia's feelings were slightly hurt upon hearing that.
"...."
"Is Dea your family?"
Shintia said in a low, heartache-filled tone.
"No.... I don't understand. I don't really understand my own family. I only know I was in an orphanage at age five. Dea's parents and Dea—who was four years old—were also there. They picked me up, chose me, and made me her older brother as well as her guardian because both her parents worked and had no time, and there was no one else to watch over her. So it was just the two of us in that big, luxury house like a palace. And until that time, Dea got mad at me, and that was the first time she was like that. I stopped her because it really didn't suit a pretty woman like her, and she started changing last year."
"That must be heavy for you. That's why I'm the one who will accept you here. Because you don't have anyone and you don't even have a place to go home to."
Shintia's heart was touched upon hearing that.
"Seriously, Cel, it's okay?"
"Who knows."
Shintia felt a little happy because there was someone who could accept her.
"Celis, what month were you born in?"
"Hm? June seventh."
"Wow, how is that? It's so nice and neat, the seventh month on the seventh day."
"You?"
"I'm in month three. So I'm older than you."
"That's only a four-month difference."
Shintia shook her head while wagging her index finger from left to right.
"Hm, hm, hm! Now, I am your Older Sister. Obey your big sister, little bro."
Celis sighed.
"Hoooh....yes, Sister Shintia."
Shintia laughed happily upon hearing that.
"Hahahaha!!!"
Celis looked at Shintia, who looked extremely happy—laughing not because something was funny, but out of the sheer joy she had found. Celis felt a slight pang of pain in his heart seeing Shintia happy with him.
In his heart, he thought.
"She's happy, but I feel awkward about it. —Ah right, this is painful, but I have to go through with it."
Celis appeared lost in thought until Shintia called out to him.
"Celis. Why are you daydreaming?"
"N-nothing, it's fine. I was just thinking about something."
"What?"
"So nosy."
"Tell meeee~~~"
"Later."
"Oh like that, then I won't cook you shredded chicken later. Just eat the clear vegetable soup later instead."
Threatened, Celis scratched his head while sighing.
"Hahhh.... You really are so naggy. Don't be mad though, okay?"
"Yeah."
"Don't be mad, okay."
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"Truly?"
"Yeah."
"Cross your heart?"
"What is it, hurry up."
Day turned to night, estimated to be around 5:52 PM WITA. Celis got up from his seat and left Shintia there.
"Later, I want to take a shower first."
Shintia threw a pillow from the sofa.
On the other side, Mitha and Hella ate together in the room. Mitha looked shy around Hella.
In her heart, she thought.
"Gosh, how embarrassing."
2 hours earlier, Mitha had run, even going straight past her grandfather's house all the way to another remote village.
It looked like a secluded village there, and the roads weren't paved yet—still bare dirt. The houses there were all tightly shut like a ghost town. It was completely deserted with not a single person around.
Mitha started getting exhausted from running for so long; the distance from the boarding house to Grandpa Johan's house was quite far.
Then, after running for a long time, she bumped into someone.
"Ouch..."
Mitha backed away slowly and caught a whiff of a pungent armpit odor. It was a tall, muscular, tan-skinned man wearing glasses. But what stood out the most was his ugly face and the dirt on his neck as black as coal. He wore clothes that were no longer wearable or already torn.
"Ha?"
He turned around, his body and armpit odor growing even stronger. Mitha almost wanted to vomit right on the spot. Mitha accidentally blurted out.
"Stinky."
He was offended and approached Mitha.
The closer he got, the further Mitha retreated. However, his walking style wasn't like a normal human's; he walked with a slight limp.
"What do you mean, stinky?"
Mitha replied in fear.
"N-no, no, no. It stinks so much, there must be trash near he—"
Mitha tripped over a stone and fell. She grew even more terrified and panicked as he got closer.
"Hungry... hungry... hungnnnryyy...."
His sharp fingernails wanted to touch Mitha. But Hella arrived just in time before that happened, Hella appeared right beside them.
A devastating punch from Hella landed on the man's head. This punch wasn't as fierce as the one against the Javanese Man, but at least the man was thrown far into a house there, destroying it as it braced his body. He stood up from the wooden debris.
"Who are you, HAAAHH?!!!"
Hella appeared right in front of him, piercing his heart with a dark sword as his blood began to flow.
"Arghhh!!!"
The man's hands tried to grab Hella's sword. Hella realized his fingers had long, sharp nails. Without a second thought, Hella pulled back the sword and then slashed him from the shoulder down to his lower waist.
"Die already, monster."
The man screamed and then vanished into dust. Hella was surprised.
"Turns out there are still creatures like that, I thought they were all gone."
Hella appeared in front of Mitha and extended a hand.
"Come on."
Mitha felt relieved that Hella could save her, reached out to take Hella's hand, and stood up. However, her foot felt painful because her ankle was sprained or twisted from the fall earlier.
"Ouch, I think my ankle is sprained."
Hearing this, Hella scooped her legs from underneath and lifted her up. Mitha was carried like a baby.
"Don't go far, it's hard for me to find you."
Mitha blushed upon hearing those words, coupled with being carried like this—her face turned red and practically steaming.
Hella, completely oblivious to her feelings, asked.
"Are you having a fever? Let's find something to eat first, then go home."
Mitha nodded her head with a floating, dreamy feeling.
Back to the present situation, the two of them finished eating, and Hella cleaned everything up. Afterward, Hella wanted to discuss the Javanese Man.
"Do you have a plan, Mitha?"
"A plan?"
"Yeah, to get back the cake from your grandfather. The faster we get it back, the faster we can go home."
"Hmm... Not really. But my foot still hurts. Is it okay if I come with you to get it?"
Hella had forgotten about Mitha's sprained ankle.
"Oh yeah. But I can't possibly leave you behind either."
Mitha blushed again.
"Y-yeah..."
Hella complained to her.
"You're really like this, tomato head."
Mitha stood frozen like a statue upon hearing that.
"Tomato. . . . ."
Hella laughed at Mitha's funny facial expression.
"Hahahahaa!! Your mood changes so fast. Hahahaha!!!"
Annoyed with Hella for laughing at her, Mitha gave Hella's shoulder a rough pat.
"Ow... Hahaha!!"
Hella stopped laughing and stood up.
"Do you want me to take you home? So you're safe and no one comes looking for you here."
"I don't want to go home~"
"I can't take care of you because you're also hurt, don't force yourself."
"But I don't want to go home."
"If that's the case, do you want to come to my house? You can look after my little siblings there too. Deal?"
"You have siblings?"
"Yeah, they're still little. You're not safe here, I'm afraid you'll get kidnapped by the SN FAMILY. Plus, if you come with me, your foot will just hurt more."
Without a second thought, Mitha said.
"Yeah, I'll go to your house. Besides, you helped me earlier. So, u-um.. T-thanks..."
Hella smiled sincerely at Mitha.
"Yeah, thanks to you too."
A portal appeared inside the house right behind the door. Hella and Mitha emerged from it, carrying their belongings.
Hella shouted.
"Kiana! Kania! Cia! Big Brother is home!"
The sound of their footsteps started to become clearly audible; as usual, they came running toward Hella. Hella squatted down with open arms, and they ran straight to Hella, immediately hugging him. Cia, lagging slightly behind, joined in and hugged Hella from behind.
Kiana asked Hella.
"Papa, where have you been?"
Mitha was shocked upon hearing that, not expecting him to be called "Papa."
"PAPA?!!!"
Hella replied.
"Just went to look for medicine for a friend.
Get used to calling me 'Big Brother'."
Kania asked Hella while looking at Mitha's face.
"Papa! Who is this pretty lady?"
Hella answered.
"Oh yeah, I forgot, she's a frien—"
Before he could finish speaking, Cia said in a high-pitched tone.
"Mama!!!"
Cia got down from Hella's back, and Hella stood up, carrying both of them left and right.
Mitha was even more shocked to be called.
"MAMA?!!!"
Cia opened both her arms toward Mitha as a code—she wanted Mitha to carry her too. Mitha carried Cia, feeling how light she was.
Hella laughed.
"Prftt!!! Mama? Hahahaha!!!"
"Aaaa... what the heck!!"
They all played together a little bit. Spoiling the three of them, they looked happy—and the happiest one of all here was Hella. Tears welled up in Hella's eyes.
Deep in his heart, he thought.
"If only every day could be like this... Why does Slander Disaster have to exist? Well... if it weren't for that, moments like this wouldn't happen either."
Slander Disaster was the name of the event that destroyed the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, caused by someone spreading witchcraft.
7:21 PM WITA. Mitha and Hella were feeding the three of them.
Hella called out to Mitha.
"Mitha, could you take care of them for a moment? I want to go get the Temu Kunci cake back."
"Yeah, sure. But do you actually know where it is?"
Hella stood up, stroking his younger siblings' heads one by one.
"If I didn't know, I wouldn't be going there right now."
Hella sliced the space with a small knife, creating a portal right in front of the door.
"Big Brother will be gone for a bit, okay? I'll be home tomorrow."
They nodded and waved their hands.
Hella returned their waves, stepped into the portal, and it closed immediately.
Samarinda, on top of the roof of a famous local big mall.
The Javanese Man, sitting casually there enjoying the high-altitude view, sensed someone behind him and stood up to turn around. He didn't expect Hella to be standing there.
"Still looking for that cake, huh?"
"Get down here quickly, Java."
"Just 'Java' this and 'Java' that—my name is Fadil. Fadil Tri, The Speedy from the Skena Family."