The Pieces

[Time: 2:30 AM]

*Ring**Ring*

The shrill sound of the landline echoed through the drawing room. I stir from my bed, slip on my slippers and head towards the source of the noise. Upon arrival, I find Remi fast asleep on the sofa but Ruby is nowhere in sight. I pick up the earpiece of the phone next to the television and answer the call.

"Do you and your girlfriend have a talent for causing trouble?" The voice on the other end asked.

"What brings the student council president to personally contact me?" I replied.

"I have a simple request," he stated.

"Continue", I replied.

"I don't have any complaints from my past life, but please don't repeat the same mistakes and let those around you do as they please," he said.

"I'll take it into consideration," I replied before hanging up the phone.

Remi slowly woke up, propping herself up on her elbows, and turned to face me with drowsy eyes.

"Go back to sleep, kid. It's nothing," I reassured her as she snuggled back into the cushions of the sofa. I approached her, straightened out the blanket, made sure she was covered up comfortably and scanned the room.

Ruby's academy uniform, which she had been wearing earlier in the evening when I entered my dorm, now lay discarded on the side sofa. Her luggage still remained in my room.

Dressed in a black hoodie and sneakers, I made my way to the roof of the building.

"I can't seem to locate her," Rerek or Adam, who emerged from a portal behind me, said.

"Where was the last place you saw her?" I asked.

"She was near Karl's dorm and was fully armed," he replied and added, "Alina had her suspicions about that guy, so I sensed something was wrong. He also visited her while she was in the recovery room, but I managed to stop your pet from killing him."

"How long have you been in this world?" I asked, referring to his time in this dimension.

"Eight months to be precise," he answered.

"Has anything about this world felt strange to you?" I queried.

"It's surprisingly easy to adapt to, despite the presence of powerful individuals who don't seem very powerful," he replied and continued, "And there's also the presence of a piece of the world's altar."

"Do you think that piece is a real one or just a duplicate?" I asked.

"It's a duplicate," he replied. "I remember all the pieces were collected, you were the one who collected them."

"Four pieces still remain," I stated.

"And all four are in this realm," I continued. "This realm is no longer just a habitat, it's become a gold mine for the gods. The one who collects all the altarpieces will have control over this realm and become the most powerful god in existence."

"So you're here to become the most powerful god in existence?" he asked.

"I'm not a god anymore," I replied.

"Same here," he said with a chuckle.

"The person Ruby is fighting holds a piece of the altar and is currently able to match my strength," I informed him.

"And here I thought my life couldn't get any more complicated," he said as he stood on the edge of the building.

--------[POV: Ruby]

I had trouble accepting that I was a devil, a royal one at that, but as events unfolded in my life over the next day, I came to understand that it didn't matter if I was a devil, angel, god, or human. I was Ruby and had control over my own life.

I wanted to break free from this oppressive state I found myself in. I didn't want to be confined by labels. Although I had some freedom thanks to Kael, I still didn't like the guild's mark of order on me.

So, I resolved to put an end to this once and for all. It was just a matter of defeating an S-ranked opponent, which I felt was achievable, especially since I had Kael by my side. I was even willing to be daring if needed.

But I soon realized that Karl was not as weak as I thought. He had been concealing his powers the entire time and was not just a simple S-ranked opponent that I could easily defeat. That sword of his was not just a mere weapon or relic, it was something else entirely. Its beauty was matched only by its danger, and the energy it radiated was not an aura, but something else entirely. The mere presence of this power was enough to put my life at risk.

I found myself in a bewildering and unfamiliar place. The surroundings were strange and unfamiliar, with a unique shade of purple that seemed to be radiating from the ground. The area was completely void of any recognizable structures, except for an enormous wall that rose up from the centre of the environment. I couldn't comprehend how I had arrived at this place or what its purpose was.

One moment I was in Karl's apartment, preparing to attack him, and the next moment I was transported to this strange and mysterious world. I wondered if this was some kind of an alternate reality or if it was even on the same planet as Earth.

"Do you know, Ruby", Karl spoke, his gaze fixated on the shimmering purple sword he held in his hands, as he pinned me to the wall with two katanas that even broke the bracelet Kael gave me.

"I've committed many wrongdoings and I'm confident that more than a hundred individuals would take my life in an instant if given the chance." He continued, bringing the sword's tip closer to my chin.

"Don't worry, I won't just end your life, I will make you feel the suffering you caused me, branded me like a product, I'll make you beg for death" I retorted, gazing into his eyes.

"That might be possible if you could somehow manage to beat me," he replied, slowly bringing the sword's tip closer to my chest, starting to slice through my suit.

As a last resort, I unleashed my wings, which were covered in metallic feathers and cut through the air around me making Karl retreat a few meters.

"Those are beautiful," he said admiring their beauty.

"I don't need a compliment from someone like you," I retorted.

"Oh, I'm not complimenting. I'm just wondering how much they would fetch me," he replied as my wings started to open uncontrollably. Then, he took his sword and sliced my left wing.

"AAAAhhhh!" I cried out in agony. The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before, like thousands of hot steel rods piercing my back. The intensity of it was so great that blood started pouring from my ears.

"Take it easy, just one more time, and I'll put an end to your suffering once and for all," he spoke.

I was unable to focus on his words due to the intense pain I was feeling. I clenched my teeth, trying to find a way to escape the agony, and took a moment to steady myself by closing my eyes. When I opened them again, I was determined to find a solution.

"Now the second", he said but suddenly, a massive disturbance shook the strange purple landscape. Cracks started appearing in the ground, and a large black metal pole, adorned with golden inscriptions, plummeted from the sky, creating a distance between Karl and myself.

"What the?", he turned around as I looked behind him, a four-headed black dragon without any wings, emerged several kilometres away from us, but its size was so massive that it looked like it was standing in front of us.

Suddenly, I was no longer trapped by Karl as my golden bracelet, which had been broken by his blades, mended itself. Instead of falling to the ground, I was caught by Kael, who was standing on the head of the dragon located several miles away.

"I thought you were smart enough to take care of yourself, guess I failed to judge again", he said with a stern gaze as he gazed upon my injured form, his eyes filled with rage due to my imprudent actions.

"I never intended to let you down," I stuttered, expressing regret for my actions.

"I've told you before, if you need anything just ask", he said, placing his hand on the wound in my wing and instantly taking away the pain. I shrunk into his embrace, tears streaming down my face.

"Sorry".

"Am not very fond of apologies", he responded as he gazed at my cut-off wing.

"Looks like someone's headed to hell without a pass," added Adam, who was standing nearby.