Hand and Eye.
It was my first experience with a tropical cyclone. It’s not Hurricane Milton, just to be specific. I still find it a bit silly that the name of a cockroach plush toy in my story is the same as a hurricane that reached Category 5...
A tropical cyclone occurred in my city; it’s no secret that I’m Brazilian. This had never happened to me before in my entire life; it was an... experience, so to speak. The saying "Seeing is believing" is true, or would it be "Living is believing" in this case? It was a weak cyclone compared to a real hurricane, but it still made quite a mess of everything around.
Well, that’s the reason for the delay: I lost power. That said, I wrote the next chapter using paper and pen; I’ll digitize it and post it on 10/15. (October 15)
Good night and happy reading!
(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori
[...]---[...]
POV: Blake Belladonna.
“And who would have thought, ladies and ladies—”
“Wouldn’t it be ladies and gentlemen?”
“I don’t care enough about the ‘gentlemen’ part.” Roman didn’t even hesitate at Devas’s question and continued on as usual. Or was it Toman?…
“And who would have thought, ladies and ladies, that an arena mimicking a semi-active volcano, complete with highly flammable gases whose names I have no idea of, would explode?! Only a genius would guess that!”
“Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, Toman, but I suppose that’s to be expected from someone like you.”
“Thanks for the compliments, Lisa. Well, ignoring the amazing Amity arena that has no normal biomes, victory goes to Team RWBY! I said, always bet on red!”
“That’s blatant favoritism.”
“It’s not favoritism, Lisa, it’s common sense. Now, I have a word from our sponsors…”
I took advantage of Roman drawing everyone’s attention to try and sneak away unnoticed. It wasn’t really that hard; Ruby had done a great job blowing up half the arena with her plan.
So it was just a matter of using the dust cloud from the explosion to slip out; I just needed to get through the entrance tunnel that no one—
“No, you’re not going anywhere.” I was stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
—Would find out I was missing… Yang, damn it!
“I wasn’t running away.” I asserted.
“But no one mentioned anything about running away.” Yang responded. I blinked… It was true. “Blake, you barely focused; I had to save your bellabooty twice during the fight. You’re not going to run off and make me do it again tomorrow!”
“Don’t call my butt that!” I hissed, feeling my face heat up.
“Ruby, keep your sister in check.”
“Me?! What do you want me to do?!”
“I don’t know or care, just do it. We’re in public, I don’t want her to embarrass me.” Weiss sighed before walking over to where Yang and I were. Ruby followed right behind her.
“You can’t run away from your parents, Blake, not when they’re here in Amity too!” Yang poked my chest with her finger.
“Just watch…” I murmured. I was confident in my escaping skills.
“Why are you so anxious…” Weiss’s voice grew quieter. “Your mom told Devas that it’s been a while since you messaged them… Blake, when was the last time you talked to your parents?”
“It’s… been a while…” I hated how impossible it was to control my ears from drooping under my bow.
Yang, Ruby, and Weiss all looked at the top of my head at the same time.
“How long is ‘a while’?” Weiss continued.
“It’s quite a while…”
“Like?” Yang asked.
“Like… Since I ran away from home?…”
The silence in the corridor we were in lasted just over five seconds. I would even say it felt incredibly long.
“You haven’t talked to your parents?!”
“Blake?!”
“Blake!”
“I told you all that I haven’t had a good relationship with my parents since that!” With ‘that’, I was referring to the White Fang.
“But you haven’t sent a single message?” Weiss seemed incredulous. “Even I, with the worst possible relationship with my parents, still talk to them every now and then!”
“You said you haven’t talked to your mom in a year and a half!” I pointed out the hypocrisy. Weiss shrank back before pointing back.
“Probably still sooner than the last time you talked to yours!” This time, it was my turn to shrink back. Damn, she was right…
“Wheeeeee”
My ears folded with the noise; I saw Yang and Weiss shrink back too, especially Weiss, who was next to the user of the demonic instrument that made that sound.
“Didn’t I throw that whistle away?!” Weiss yelled, louder than she should have. Probably hearing issues.
“I have spare ones.” Ruby took two steps back, dodging Weiss’s attempts to grab the torture device from her hand.
Yang didn’t even try, knowing her sister’s speed. I massaged my ears as Ruby went back to speaking.
“First of all, no fighting.” Ruby pointed at the three of us before finishing by pointing at me. “Second, you! Blake, you can’t run away from everything!”
“I don’t run away from everything!” I replied instinctively. Their looks said otherwise. “Maybe from some things, but not everything!”
“You pretend to believe what you said, and I’ll pretend to believe you.” Yang bent down as I elbowed her rib. Ruby continued.
“Blake, they’re your parents. I know we all have family problems, but you can’t run away from them.” She pointed to the corridor entrance. “We’re in Amity; unless you want to jump off from here, there’s no way to escape.”
“She could smuggle a Bullhead.” Yang said, still bent over.
“Don’t give her any ideas!” Weiss shouted before sighing. “She wouldn’t be able to do either anyway.”
“Do you underestimate my skills so much?” I narrowed my eyes. I could almost say I was offended. Weiss just smiled and crossed her arms.
“Are you confident enough to run away from Devas?” She raised an eyebrow. I widened my eyes when I realized what she meant. “Because I’m pretty sure I heard him tell your mom he’d bring you to her.”
“He wouldn’t do that…” I said, taking a step back before hitting the wall. The wall spoke.
“I totally would.”
“Gah!”
I jumped forward in shock. Yang turned around and punched whoever was behind me, probably more out of instinct than anything else. I turned in time to see Devas catch the punch with a hand that was glowing purple.
The impact didn’t even make a sound.
“Good reflexes, both of you.” He released Yang’s hand, which she snapped. “By the way, congratulations on the win. You guys dominated the match, even if the plan to blow up Team FNKI was risky.”
Ruby puffed out her chest with the praise before speaking: “It wasn’t a risky plan; I had almost everything under control. It was an almost completely controlled explosion.”
“That statement doesn’t inspire much confidence.” Devas pointed out.
“That’s how I felt when she explained her idea and that my glyphs were the contingency plan if things went wrong.” Weiss said next.
“Details, details. In the end, it all worked out and we won another battle!” Ruby jumped and punched the air. “We’re in the semifinals!”
Yang mimicked her sister’s actions and jumped, punching the air along with her. Weiss didn’t do the same, but I could see the smile on her face, and even I, with my confused thoughts, couldn’t help but smile.
Devas shook his head with a slight smile on his face and turned to me.
“Look, Blake, I’m not actually going to drag you to your parents. You’re an adult, and your choices are yours.” He paused for a second before continuing. “And with that said, so are the consequences. Your mom didn’t look too happy with your lack of contact.”
I felt a shiver run down my spine. One of those really bad ones. Devas turned and started walking away, waving his hand.
“Do what you want with that information. I’m going to grab a bite before I go fix my ship. Anyone want to come?” He asked. Ruby was the first to follow him, with Weiss right behind.
Yang stopped by my side for a moment and gave me two pats on the shoulder. She looked positively too cheerful.
“I’ll save some fish for you when you come back from the beating your mom’s going to give you. Want me to get any ointment for your bellabooty too?”
“I despise your humor, Yang Xiao Long.”
Her response was a loud laugh as she followed the others. I hesitated for a moment before sighing and doing the same… They were right, it was time to stop running…
Or at least, I couldn’t run from this…
[…]
POV: Devas Asura.
Watching Blake’s brief reunion with her parents was curious. They had a lot to say to each other, that was obvious, but their choice was to say nothing and just stare at each other.
That is, until Ghira broke the impasse and pulled his wife and daughter into a hug.
It was at that point that I said my goodbyes and left them to their privacy. I wasn’t the only one with that idea, as all the faunus from the Menagerie delegation followed me out of the private room, leaving the three alone, even though Illia had a look of someone wanting to stay behind with them.
It was outside the room where the problem happened.
Their reaction when they saw Weiss was somewhat expected. The faunus in Kali and Ghira’s entourage didn’t react too badly. Although their emotions were negative, they weren’t extreme.
Even though there was some resentment, they clearly knew that Weiss wasn’t Jacques, let alone responsible for her father’s company’s actions, and they did nothing, for one reason or another.
Illia didn’t seem to make that distinction and had the worst reaction of all.
Even though I couldn’t read her emotions, her anger and hatred, the way her body changed color, turning blood red, as did her hair, said a lot.
Her eyes also changed, going from the original gray to a sickly, cruel-looking yellow.
I really hoped it would be possible to avoid this…
I didn’t wait for something to happen and was the first to move. Weiss’s Aura was low, they all were, and I wasn’t going to risk anything. I placed my hand on the faunus’s shoulder and absorbed her negative emotions using nightmare energy.
Unlike when I did this with Blake, I could feel Illia’s emotions resisting, Illia herself resisting. Unlike Blake, who was almost having a panic attack and wanted the negative emotions to go away, Illia wanted those emotions, that anger, hatred, and resentment…
Not that it mattered much.
The moment my hand touched Illia’s shoulder, her head whipped around sharply towards me and her eyes locked with mine. I could see the reflection of my eyes in hers.
The amber reflected in the yellow…
“Calm.” I advised.
… The orange reflected in the gray.
Illia nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact. When I was sure she wasn’t going to do anything and her emotions were calm, I released her shoulder. She didn’t move; the growing fear within her said a lot.
I walked over to Team RWBY’s RWY before speaking again.
“We’re heading to get something to eat. Feel free to join us if you like. Otherwise, it was a pleasure seeing you again. Blake knows where to find me, but if Ghira or Kali want to know, I’ll be in the VIP cafeteria for the next few minutes.” I gave a slight nod of farewell before turning and starting to walk away.
Only three pairs of footsteps followed me. Yang waited until we had moved away and turned two corners before speaking.
“I want to punch that little woman’s face so badly…” She growled in a low tone. Her hair was glowing a golden yellow while her eyes were red.
“Yang, no violence.” Ruby said in a neutral tone that didn’t suit her. “At least not where everyone will know it was you. That’s what Uncle Qrow said, right?”
Qrow had good advice.
“I’d prefer you all avoid any actions that might disqualify our team from the tournament. Thank you very much.” Weiss sighed. She didn’t seem too affected, at least on the outside. Inside, I could sense she was tired.
Not angry or scared, just tired and, in a way, frustrated.
“Aren’t you mad?” Yang turned to Weiss. “That woman was about to attack you. Well, before Devas traumatized her butt into calming down.”
“I didn’t traumatize her.” In fact, I took care not to.
Messing with emotions using nightmare energy was something I still wasn’t very experienced with. I just wanted to understand why, instead of a new Nightmare emerging from Illia’s negative emotions, the emotions were consumed by Nero.
“I’ll pretend I believe that. Did you see the look on her face at the end?” Yang waved her hand. Ruby gave a chuckle and walked around to stand next to Weiss.
I could feel that Weiss was amused too, but she didn’t show it.
“I’m used to it… This wasn’t the first time this happened, and I doubt it’ll be the last.” Weiss sighed with a distant look before focusing.
“I’ve been dealing with attacks like this since I can remember, since my earliest memory. One of the first conversations I had with my mom was a warning that something like this might happen. So, no, I’m not angry, Yang, just… tired.”
Yang opened her mouth before closing it forcefully and grunting.
“That’s not fair. You’re not to blame for anything…” Ruby murmured.
“It’s not fair that they suffer what they do either.” Weiss spoke with a calm voice. “If for them, I’m to blame just for being a Schnee, for many others, they’re to blame just for being faunus. I’m not blind to see which situation is vastly worse.”
“No one should suffer for the way they were born…” Ruby’s eyes reflected her sadness.
“No, they shouldn’t.” I agreed with her words.
No one should…
I poked the pocket of my shirt twice. When Millia stuck part of her body out to ‘look’ at me, I offered my hand for her to jump onto before handing her to Ruby.
“Here, take the little cute slime; she should help you both fend off the sadness.”
“Sadness?!” Millia quickly shaped her body into words. “What happened?! Why are Ruby and Weiss sad?!”
“Weren’t you listening?” Yang asked. Millia looked embarrassed and created a small arm to scratch the back of her body.
She’d picked up that habit from me, hadn’t she?
“I… was sleeping. I spent all last night watching Devas work, then I ended up falling asleep…”
Cute. I poked the small slime on Ruby’s shoulder. Millia poked my finger back.
“Why does Ruby get Millia when I’m the one who should be getting comfort here?” Weiss asked with a slight pout. I could feel she was starting to return to normal.
“I said ‘should help you both.’ If Ruby doesn’t want to share Millia’s cuteness with you, that’s not my fault.” Before I could finish speaking, Ruby had shot off in a shower of petals.
“Never! Millia and her cuteness are just mine!” She shouted. I could see Millia’s body trembling in her hands as if the slime was laughing too.
Weiss shook her head, amused, before quickening her pace and starting to run after Ruby.
“Come back here with the slime!” She shouted. “And stop using your Semblance! You’re wasting Aura!”
“Never! And I’m not falling for your strategy!” Ruby’s voice grew distant. Weiss huffed before stepping on a glyph that propelled her forward and then onto another.
Yang laughed before starting to follow the two. She was clearly slower, but anyway, it wasn’t a race…
[...]
I scanned the (CHAT) as I worked.
[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: So to sum it up: you got pulled into Devas because of the resonance between your spiritual energies? (Iron Man eating popcorn emote).
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]: I’m sure Devas’s disturbed mind was thrilled with the divine intrusion as well. (Generic guy eating popcorn emote).
[AinzOoalGown]: A poor compatibility between the item and its user. I’ve seen it happen before, but this is the first time I’ve seen such an effect. Usually involves more destruction and injuries. (Skeleton eating popcorn emote).
[(MOD)RedHuntressLive]: Why the popcorn-eating emotes? (Little Red Riding Hood eating popcorn emote).
[WiseWizardGleam]: I’ll admit I lack such knowledge too, Miss Rose. But regarding Devas and Miss Jinn, it’s similar to Legilimency, or at least part of it is. (Old wizard eating popcorn emote).
“If I were to summarize the situation, yes, your answer would be correct, Mr. Stark.” I heard Jinn’s voice coming through the ‘Jinn Microphone’. I could see her eyes moving over the phone as she spoke.
“But, in a less summarized way: what happened was that, because Devas has his own spiritual energy, however different it is from mine, when I entered his mind to transmit the knowledge of the question, a part of my energy mixed with his.”
She hummed for a moment before continuing. I’m sure she did that to keep the (CHAT) from getting lost in the explanation.
“When I tried to pull away, I ended up dragging part of his energy, which resulted in a negative reaction that pulled me back.”
“And then there was a mental ‘tug-of-war’.” I spoke after her. I continued working on the matrix without looking away. “Jinn pulled from one side, my spiritual energy pulled from the other. The relic got involved too, and kind of everything went to hell from there.”
Kazuma was somewhat right. Not in the part about me being racist, but in the part where, the moment something divine tried to interfere within my body, the Divine Anathema didn’t take it well.
Jinn nodded before speaking again.
“In the end, this ‘tug-of-war’ ended up being a draw—”
“I totally won.” I said. Jinn stuck out her tongue and ignored me.
“—A part of Devas’s spiritual energy ended up inside my body, while my mind was pulled into his mind.” She frowned. “The rebound wasn’t pretty either. I was weakened to the point of barely being able to move, and Devas had to handle the transfer of the relic’s knowledge on his own.”
“Which wasn’t very pleasant.” I said after finishing the matrix. That part was done; now it’s on to the right side…
I glanced at the (CHAT) as I walked along the top of the ship.
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]: The question Devas asked wasn’t “How did the people of Remnant use magic?” Or something like that?… You know, that covers a lot. How did your brain not melt?! (Generic guy pointing at a giant brain emote).
[MagicalGirlSera-Tan]: That’s pretty impressive. This is the kind of nonsense I’d expect to hear Ju-Chan did. (Impressed magical girl emote).
[TohsakaHeiress]: “A slight headache,” he said, “it’s nothing,” he said. You know, if having the entire magical history of a world shoved into your head is nothing, I’m really afraid of what is… (Chibi Rin pulling her hair emote).
[AsuraLady]: How do you manage to hurt yourself even when doing something theoretically harmless?! (Pink-maned lion indignantly emote). Half of my stress is from the apocalypse outside, the other half is your fault! If I find a white hair because of this…
I shook my head, amused, as I read the messages.
“I didn’t receive all the information at once. If that had happened, I’d probably have gone into a coma.” I explained while hanging from the side of the ship with the Slime Hook and starting to paint the Mystic Symbols. “And my brain didn’t melt thanks to my regeneration.”
Mainly thanks to the [Devas Ring]. That guy works to help me recover faster…
After a few more minutes chatting in the (CHAT) while working on the ship’s matrices, I decided it was time for a break. Not because I was tired, but because Jinn said she was almost fully recovered.
-//-
[Will something go wrong with this attempt to pull Jinn out of Devas’s disturbed mind?]
Yes: 67%
No: 33%
-//-
“I’m glad most people think this will go wrong.” I sighed as I placed the lamp in my shadow, next to Jinn’s unmindful body. “Ready, Jinn?”
Her response was to nod with her eyes closed while concentrating on keeping her own energy as still as possible.
I closed my eyes for a second while I concentrated as well. At the same time, I pulled the Bone Helm from the inventory and placed it on my head. Eight hands made of nightmare energy grabbed Jinn’s body in reality, while another eight grabbed Jinn’s body within my mind.
The idea we had was relatively simple. To avoid any complications, I would use my shadow as a ‘door’ and pull Jinn’s mind out of my Spiritual Realm, just as I did with my Nightmares.
We had other alternatives, of course, but this was the simplest and most direct way to get her out of there without anything going wrong.
Even without directly looking at what was happening behind me and in my Spiritual Realm, I could sense what was happening. I could feel the ‘door’ slowly opening. A small crack would be enough for me to manifest my Nightmares, but for Jinn, I waited for the ‘door’ to open almost completely.
I just wanted to know why the manifestation of this door was a huge whirlpool in the sea of my spiritual realm…
When I felt that the ‘door’ wouldn’t open any more than it already was, I pulled Jinn from my Spiritual Realm towards the whirlpool. She didn’t resist and let the Bone Helm’s hands guide her through the waters.
When I felt she was out, I closed the ‘door’ firmly, just to make sure she wasn’t pulled back in for some reason.
I turned to Jinn, who was lying on the ground. The body was still and remained so for a few seconds. Just as I was about to start worrying, her eyes opened.
“Ugh!… That was weird.” She groaned as she got up, rubbing her head. “So this is what it feels like to be in a washing machine?…”
“Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” I asked, helping her to her feet.
Jinn accepted my help and leaned on my arm before steadying herself on the ground. She was silent for a moment before responding.
“I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt or anything.” She looked at her body for a moment before laughing. “I didn’t leave anything behind either. My blue flesh is intact!”
“You’re made of energy.” I pointed out.
“I know!” She waved her hand before floating in the air. “I seem to be less restricted too… Quick, ask me something!”
“How many trees are there in the Emerald Forest?” I asked the first question that came to mind.
“That’s a…” Jinn frowned, concentrating. “Three million… Two—
The hands of the Bone Helm caught her as she started to fall. She didn’t continue trying to speak and made a little pout before laughing cheerfully.
“I’m less contained!” She threw her arms up, happy, before jumping in the air and doing a spin. I noticed her white dress as she did.
“Jinn, I think there’s something on your thigh.” I pointed to her thigh. Damn, it was obvious what it was…
Jinn stopped spinning and looked at the spot I pointed to, her right thigh, near the hip. She lifted her white dress to reveal what I had seen: a tattoo…
A tattoo of a pitch-black hand with an orange-pupil eye in the center…
“Since when do I have a tattoo?” Jinn poked the tattoo with her finger. She didn’t seem too bothered. “Is this made of energy?…”
“Yes…” I answered instinctively. If I concentrated a bit, I could sense the energy within the tattoo…
My energy…
[…]
CANONICAL OMAKE (Continuation of the TCOAAL OMAKE)
POV: Andrew Graves
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
I didn’t know how to even begin thinking about a way to get Ashley and me out of this mess! I sleep in a little longer for one day and this happens?!
A demon, a fucking demon?! And not just one; our cultist neighbor made things worse and summoned a second one! This one seemed to know and be a servant of the first demon, the one with the orange eyes.
Devas could claim as many times as he wanted that he was human, but I didn’t believe any of it. A human doesn’t make a demon kneel and kiss their feet just by existing. A human doesn’t make a whole room heat up just by existing!
I pulled at the collar of my shirt and rolled up my sleeves. It was fucking hot…
“First those idiots invading Tokyo and now this? I haven’t even been in this world for two weeks and I’m already getting a headache…” I heard the orange-eyed man murmur.
In this world?… Damn, yes, I totally believe you’re human.
“Know what, I’ll deal with you later.” Devas spoke in a deadpan tone. At the same time, all the shadows around darkened further and dozens, hundreds of red eyes appeared within them.
I gripped Ashley’s hand tightly and pulled her closer to me. Our chances of escaping were non-existent, weren’t they?
The eyes around us turned to stare at me, as if mocking my thoughts. That’s what I thought… At least we’ll die together, right, Leyley?
As my thoughts turned darker, more bitter, and gloomy, Devas threw the red-eyed demon to the ground. The black hands emerging from the shadows pulled it to a place I was sure I wouldn’t want to know where…
You’ll be going there too, soon, Andy~ A childish voice playfully whispered in my mind.
… I wanted to go even less.
“I’ll interrogate that guy later. I need to see what that shit the JSDF warned me about is happening in Yomiyama too.” Devas murmured to himself, almost as if he had forgotten our existence. When his orange eyes turned in our direction, I was sure that wasn’t the case.
Devas glanced between Ashley and me a few times before sighing. All the eyes in the shadows closed, and the heat seemed to decrease until it returned to normal as well.
“Do you have anything planned for today?” He asked. Ashley’s hair hit my face with the force she shook her head.
I did the same, but more calmly. Or at least I thought so.
“That’s the answer I expected you’d give.” Devas vanished from where he was. I tensed my muscles even more when I felt his hand on my shoulder. “Well, let’s go then. I prefer to avoid police bureaucracy; dealing with the Japanese government is a pain, and I don’t want to deal with that in this country too.”
Before I could react, purple flames covered my body and Ashley’s. Part of me expected to be consumed to ashes; the saner part kicked that thought away and celebrated when I didn’t feel the fire burning my skin.
I must have blinked, or maybe I didn’t, I wasn’t sure anymore, but the next moment, we were no longer in our apartment, let alone in our building. Everything around us was just a blur spinning and twisting as if I was on some sort of psychedelic drug.
Then everything stopped and I could see normally again. I almost vomited.
The vertigo made me lose my balance and fall on my butt on the floor. Ashley must have felt the same way since she fell into my lap. I instinctively held her around the waist.
Now is not the time, now is not the time, now is not the time, now is not the time, now is not the time…
“Was that teleportation?” I asked, trying to focus on anything other than my sister’s butt. Maybe I shouldn’t be questioning the demon…
“No, just speed.” Devas answered, walking away from us. “I’m not used to carrying people around while I run, so sorry for the nausea you might be feeling. Here, take this.”
Ashley was quicker than me and reached out, grabbing whatever Devas had thrown in our direction. I didn’t have time to see what it was before she got up from my lap, though not without rubbing against me, probably unintentionally.
I hoped it was unintentional, for the sake of whatever was left of my sanity…
“Pills? What do they do?” Ashley asked. I could see she was holding two soft pills in her hand.
Before Devas could answer, she popped one into her mouth and swallowed it while tossing the other in my direction. I almost dropped the pill as I watched my sister’s idiotic actions.
“What? If he wanted to kill us, he could have done it a long time ago.” Ashley said, looking at me before turning to Devas. “Right? And my nausea is gone, so it must be medicine.”
Devas looked at her as if he were seeing an exotic animal. I had to restrain myself from growling.
“Your mind must be a curious place.” Was his response. “But to answer the other question, the pills are made of Purification Powder, a powder that normalizes everything it touches. It will help with nausea among… other things.”
I really hoped he was talking about the ‘Mark on my soul’ and not about my erection. That would be embarrassing.
With the answer, I mimicked Ashley’s actions and popped the pill in my mouth. The nausea disappeared in an instant, my body relaxed as well, and the headache I had started to fade, along with… other things.
Fuck Ashley…
I placed my hand on the ground and stood up while looking around.
“Where are we?… Are we still on Earth?” I asked. The walls of the place were metallic, the doors I could see were technological too, the kind of door I saw in sci-fi movies.
Please not a lab, please not a lab… I chanted mentally.
“On Earth, the planet, yes. On the ground? No.” Devas answered and started walking. Ashley followed him, and I followed Ashley. When I looked out the nearest window, I saw what he meant.
How many thousand meters in the air are we?… Was that the ocean?
“We’re five thousand meters in the air, west of the Pacific Ocean, to be more specific.” Devas answered. Had I said that out loud or could he read my mind?
Oh God… Actually, by the Devil, I hoped it wasn’t the latter.
“You said it out loud.” Devas said in a good-humored tone before continuing to walk. I pulled Ashley away from the window and we followed him again.
He didn’t say he couldn’t read your mind, Andy~ Be careful what you think…
I ignored the childish whisper in my head. We stopped walking when we reached what I could only call a control room. The amount of computers was immense.
I couldn’t understand a word on the screens…
Devas gestured to the nearest desk and sat down. Ashley sat on the opposite side from him, and I sat next to her.
Was this where our fate would be decided?
[...]
POV: Devas Asura
(“They’re into each other.”)
(“I know, I noticed that within the first ten seconds of meeting them.”) I replied to Jinn.
(“You seem okay with it.”)
(“As long as it doesn’t involve or bother me, it’s none of my business. They can do whatever they want behind closed doors; I don’t care.”)
I had too many problems on my hands to care whether a pair of really weird siblings were into each other. In fact, their apparent predisposition for murder interested me more.
Ashley had a dark and rotten soul; Andrew had a gray soul, but marked by a pact. They smelled of death and sulfur too. That demon had also appeared next to their apartment.
I wasn’t believing for a second that the shitty summoning circle had been what called him. He wanted something there; the question was: what?…
I cast my gaze to where he was confined, within my Spiritual Realm, bound and restrained by Shadowflame. He, or at least I thought it was a he, didn’t seem to be trying anything, just waiting in silence.
I’ll interrogate that thing later, but first…
“I’ll be brief. You two have killed someone, haven’t you?” I could see it in them, their sin. Both tensed up. Andrew, especially; he felt guilty, even if just a little.
Ashley didn’t care at all. Her tension was due to my presence and nothing more.
“Are you going to punish us?…” Ashley was the first to recover and asked hesitantly. “Kill us?… Are we going to hell?”
“No, no, and probably.” I still had to see if this world had a hell, but there were good chances it did, given the demon and everything. Just another thing I had to check…
Even if Shadowflame wanted to punish them, I had other plans…
“So what then? What do you want from us?” Andrew spoke this time.
“What I want from you is a deal…” I smiled as I interlaced my fingers. “A job, basically; that’s what I’m proposing. You work for me, nothing too dangerous. What I want is information. You’d be my informants, what do you think?”
I didn’t wait for them to think and continued.
“I’ll even burn that pact mark on your soul as a bonus. What do you think?…” I smiled wider and extended my hand toward them.
“Do you accept?”
Andrew didn’t want to; I could feel it from him. He wouldn’t shake my hand, after all, he thought I was a demon; you could see it on his face…
“Don’t separate us and I’ll give you any information you want and kill whoever you want.”
… Ashley didn’t hesitate.
I shook the woman’s hand while commanding the Nightmares to enter their shadows. The eyes stared at them, as did I.
“Accepted!”
Maybe I was having a bit too much fun pretending to be the Devil.
[...]---[...]
The Vytal Festival ends in 2/3 chapters. I'll skip ahead after that to wrap up the arc and return to Terraria.
Well, about the chapter: It starts off a bit slow but picks up pace towards the end. There’s important information in there, by the way.
Finally, the OMAKE. I had fun writing that. There’s a reason why Devas did what he did too, which will be explained in the future when he actually goes to that world.
Oh, and there are some hints about what will happen in the future in the OMAKE. If you manage to find them, feel free to comment.
That’s all. Have a good night everyone and happy reading!