To Ashes And Blood

The Card

The arena was still roaring as new contestants were announced for the night.

But Damien, who stood outside, couldn't hear it. He stared at the closed doors where the Pillars had walked out. His fists were tightly folded, so much so that his nails dug into his palms.

His mind ran all over the place as he thought to himself.

“The fight was supposed to happen. Everything had been arranged from the meeting with the Devil.”

“And then, just like that, I win without the opponent showing up?”

“How can there be no explanation?”

Damien exhaled slowly through his nose.

"Unbelievable."

Beside him, Dante Rias stretched his arms over his head.

"Well."

He yawned lazily as he began walking forward, forcing Damien to join him.

"At least you didn't have to punch anybody."

Damien turned sharply.

"You think that's funny?"

Rias looked at him, then at Damien's hands.

His smile faded slightly.

"Whoa…."

Damien frowned.

"What?"

"Your hands."

Damien looked down.

“What about them?”

“They were…..shaking, almost like they were vibrating.”

He immediately tightened them into fists.

"I'm fine."

Rias stared at him for another second.

Then shrugged.

"Sure."

He walked past him.

"Come on, pretty boy."

Damien stopped in his tracks.

Rias stopped and looked over Damien's shoulder.

"Are you planning on sleeping in the hallway?"

Damien finally followed.

The cold night air hit them immediately as they stepped outside.

Save for the noise erupting from inside the arena, the whole of the Eastern Sector was less lively at this hour.

Vehicles still moved along the ragged roads, and the lights from neon advertisements shined on different stalls.

Damien glanced around. A town that had been bustling over three hours ago now looked almost deserted.

Only a handful of people roamed the streets, all of them wearing breathing masks.

Rias stepped in front of him.

“It's a dog-eat-dog world out here. If you don't get a space to fit in during the day, you hustle for it at night, take your neighbor's food, and be scared to take a s**t after.”

Rias shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at Damien.

"So..."

He paused for half a second and smiled.

"...have you ever lost something you haven't even had yet?"

Damien looked at him and didn't answer.

Rias chuckled.

"Yeah….. didn't think you'd have an answer."

They continued walking.

For several seconds, only their footsteps made up for the silence between them.

Then Rias spoke again.

"That match being cancelled?"

Damien looked ahead.

"What about it?"

"It's not normal out here."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

Rias scratched the side of his head.

"I've been around these rings for a long time."

He looked over his shoulder, toward the arena behind them.

"Long enough to know when something smells wrong."

Damien stopped.

Rias kept walking for a few steps before realizing.

"What?"

"You know something."

Rias sighed.

Then walked back toward him.

"Not enough to know or assume anything."

"Then why bother saying it?"

"Because this isn't the first time somebody disappeared from a card."

Damien's expression hardened.

"Disappeared?"

Rias nodded.

"It's almost like a pattern. Fighter gets booked."

"Name goes on the card."

"People bet."

"Then, suddenly, after the match....."

He snapped his fingers.

"Poof, they're gone, just like that."

Damien stared at him.

"Where do they go?"

Rias gave a cold smile, different from his usual playful smile.

"That's the interesting part."

He turned around again.

"They don't really……go."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"What does that mean?"

Rias didn't answer.

"Rias! Where do they go?"

Damien hurriedly followed him as they came to a bend into an empty street.

Eventually, Damien looked ahead and then toward the dark sky.

His voice was quieter now.

"Maybe I should just go back to the Devil."

Rias stopped walking and turned immediately.

"You fool, did you fulfill your side of the bargain?"

Damien's jaw tightened as he looked away and folded his fist slowly before taking a deep breath.

"That's what I thought."

Damien said nothing.

Rias stepped closer.

"Whatever deal you made with that b…."

His voice lowered as he glanced around.

".....don't make the mistake of thinking you can walk away from it just because you regret it."

Damien finally looked at him.

"What do you know about me?"

"Nothing."

Rias smiled faintly.

"That's why I like you."

Damien frowned.

"You're weird."

"Oh, come up with something new. That title is getting old."

Rias turned and continued walking.

Damien followed.

But neither of them noticed the bulky figure watching them from several buildings away.

A hood covered the person's face.

Their eyes followed the two men until they disappeared around the corner.

Then they pulled out a small device.

A single name appeared on its screen.

VALDONA.

The figure typed something.

THE CARD FAILED.

A response came almost immediately.

THEN FIND ANOTHER WAY.

The screen went black after that.

—----------------------------------------

Back at the academy.

1:07 A.M.

The busy halls of the academy were quiet as most students were asleep. The lights in the hallways were dim.

Vera walked down the hallway in oversized silk pajamas, rubbing one eye.

She stopped outside Corvin's room and knocked quickly three times before taking a small pause and knocking just once.

"Corvin?"

The door hissed open. As she walked in, she immediately noticed Corvin at his desk with his glasses still on.

“What are you doing up….”

A book was open in front of him. Vera stared at him for a few seconds, expecting him to say something.

When he didn't reply, she walked over and noticed he was asleep.

"Seriously? Corvin!"

She poked his shoulder.

He groaned.

"Ughhhh..."

His head lifted slightly.

"Lovebird..."

He yawned as he adjusted his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"Go to sleep or go wake Damien."

Vera crossed her arms.

"And where exactly is Damien?"

Corvin's eyes barely opened as he glanced toward Damien’s bed.

"I don't know, probably out with that old geezer."

"He's not."

"Sure…. he's probably just out training again or still back at that witch’s lab."

Corvin dropped his head back onto the desk.

"Seriously?"

Vera stared at him.

"You aren't even going to ask why he's not back?"

Corvin waved a hand lazily.

"He's Damien…."

He yawned again.

".....Damien does Damien things."

Vera rolled her eyes.

"Was a waste coming here."

She turned toward the door.

Then stopped as a thought crossed her mind.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device.

Its small circular screen lit up.

She entered Damien's Ashen ID number.

SEARCHING...

The few seconds she waited felt like an eternity.

The device blinked.

PING SENT.

She waited for a while but got nothing back.

PING SENT.

Still nothing.

"Come on...."

She checked the ID number.

Correct.

She tried a direct location request.

LOCATION REQUEST….

The screen flickered.

NO LOCATION AVAILABLE.

Vera's expression changed as she tried again.

NO LOCATION AVAILABLE.

Her eyes moved slowly toward Corvin.

He was already asleep again.

"Corvin!"

No response.

"Corvin!"

Nothing.

Vera stared at the screen.

Damien's name remained there.

“He's not offline, and since a ping was sent, he should have a signal where he is, so why….”

She looked down at the device again.

NO LOCATION AVAILABLE.

Vera's fingers tightened around the device.

Outside the window, rain began tapping against the glass.

She looked toward the dark academy grounds.

"Damien….."