[19]

On the day, just before she was set to depart, she had been called upon for a small chat.

The two had sat, face to face, with a circular table between them. The maids had served tea and left the area as quickly as they had came.

On that lusciously decorated balcony, she had watched as the right hand of her savior slowly drank a sip of her tea before finally speaking up. The star's shining in the night sky against the blackened earth of the demon realm, and the eyes of Shelt looking into her's as if to read her thoughts.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you," The calm-voice had entrapped her "we serve our Lord, and whatever you do will reflect upon her image."

"I don't care if you take your revenge or if you create chaos within the human realm."

"However..." The earlier calming voice was replaced by an icily piercing tone.

"Your mission is still the same: Return with an account of the nearest kingdom and its military might."

"One month, no sooner or later, we will invade."

Watching the twinkling stars just behind that fading voice, Ashe had wondered if time had ever been as kind enough as it had that day. One month was a seemingly short margin of time to do all she wished within that realm, yet, it was the longest of brief breath she had had since.

When she escaped, her life had been nothing but of pursuit and escape. She hadn't had this much time to catch herself before.

When she finally found shelter, she had pushed herself to regain control of her body. To control the powers that had been forcefully fed into her.

"I'll be honest." The calming voice traced her back into reality.

"Although you have learned to control your transformation. Your strength is still aways from being grasped in your hands."

***

Unconsciously, she gritted her teeth tightly as her pristine white fangs grew by a bit and the crunching sound reverted into her ears.

She had begun to realize, she hungered for battle; no, she hungered for blood. Was it when she first escaped? Was it when she struggled to find shelter? Was it when she forcefully kept her mind from going berserk? Or was it the countless times spent amidst the raging tide of the dungeons in order to control her strength?

'I should have killed them all when I had the chance.' Those were her true thoughts.

Emotions were the most important attribute of half-bloods. Controlling it was the same thing as controlling your power; especially so for transformation types like herself.

At that time, the time where she had escaped with her life hanging on the line, she could do nothing to control her transformation. With rage, sorrow, and anger swirling inside of her all at once, she was in a state of full transformation. There was no reverting back until her mind would calm.

No matter where she went, she was never allowed. The ridiculing faces, the sneers, the horrific screams of the people's voices when they saw her true figure under the cloak. The city guards that chased her down, and her rags of bloodied dirt.

Being classified as a demon; ultimately, she decided to become just that and ventured into the demon realm. Turning her back on the world she once watched in the backstreets of the cities, the world her brother had once guided her through, and the world they had agreed to seek together.

Since that day, she had learned the definition of regret. Regret that she had failed to carry her brother's corpse in hand. Regret that she had put an end to his misery with her own hands. And regret that she hadn't dyed the whole of the land with the blood of the cursed clan.

She wanted to go back in time, but that wasn't a choice. However, revenge was her pick of salvation.

As her feet moved across the steps that led atop the arena, she could feel the blood within her starting to boil. The cursed blood wanting to take over, turn her mind into nothing more than a driven force for its power. Since that day, she had bonded with the heart of the demon, she had struggled to control herself.

She had no idea why only she survived, nor any idea as to why he had failed to fully bond with the heart he was entrusted with.

However, amidst the rage built up inside of herself, she knew just who to accuse. Just who to account for the mindless slaughter of orphans to further their own ambition.

'Crow's Nest!'

Unconsciously, her blood crimson eyes gleamed as she faced her opponent.

She didn't remember his name, nor did she find any need to. He was nothing more than a wall that stood in her way.

There was only one thing to do to such a confrontation, and that was to knock it down.

The man, wearing nothing more than a simple robe, placed his hands forwards as he spoke, "<Summon>, Azure Wolf!"

A white magic circle appeared atop the floor of the arena; glistering in a white radiance, it positioned just in front of the man.

Slowly, a figure began to wallow out of the pits of the magic circle, out of the pits of that well. Its gray fur glowing in an azure light, its four legs striking against the floor with power, its tail wallowing behind, and its crimson blood-hued eyes flickering in a light.

It opened up its mouth and looked towards the sky covered in a domed light, and a howl escaped from its jaws as its fangs bared.

"Attack!"

As the radiance of the magic circle dyed down, the beast charged forwards with a command.

It's four powerful legs propelled it against Ashe, its azure light glimmering in fevor.

Ashe's eyes locked against the beast's; each of their crimson bloodied eyes staring at the other.

This was a battle between beasts; a girl with the heart of a demon, and a demon ordered by a human.

As she watched the beast's charge, she too prepared herself.

'I remember that time. I walked the land with big open eyes, my silver eyes glimmering under the shining beacon of the sun.'

Her body lightly crouched as the beast reached striking distance.

'Dreaming of the world beyond the back street's of the city.'

The savaged face of the Azure Wolf dawned closer; it's frontal right paw brought up into the air as it swiped towards Ashe.

'Yes, at that time, I was naive.'

She raised her left hand and took the blow that thundered across her body.

Her legs grasped against the floor in an effort to hinder her flight as the air rippled with contact.

Against her body, she took the full force of the demonic beast's blow.

Her left arm grew a bit numb as her body visibly shuddered in place and her vision blurred for a single moment.

"Escape!" The man had already had a bad premonition as soon as he saw the girl take the full brunt of the attack without a scratch.

However, he was far too late.

With a speed unheard of, Ashe crunched her right hand into a fist as it began to quake with anticipation.

'If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have ever survived!'

Her crimson eyes glimmered against the demonic beast's.

Her right hand shot forwards with the feverish thought of battle.

It found the impact of fur and bone.

An intense sound echoed through the arena as her fist met with the head of the Azure Wolf.

The body of the wolf moved with the breeze that carried it; its figure sailed through the air, thundered across the arena, and landed a few meters from the man.

The man hurried to command the wolf as his voice rolled into the air "Get Up!"

Seeing the figure of the girl closing in, his voice spoke with command "EVADE!"

The wolf's body quivered lightly as it's body rose, shaking his head and looking up, it was just in time to spot the girl's feet narrowing closer.

The shine of the Azure LIght against its fur sparkled as its body jumped to evade the flying kick.

Ashe's kick missed the wolf as it pounded against the stage.

The ground shook and a booming sound eclipsed the arena as her leg found contact.

The ground beneath her feet crackled with fine lines and clusters of dust arose.

Not waiting for the girl's motion, Curly howled "Bite!" as the wolf lept forwards.

Even amidst the small clusters of dust, it could see the girl with its crimson eyes and its jaws mawed open.

However, was it the only one with the eyes of a beast?

Watching the wolf's jaw approach closer, Ashe's crimson eyes glimmered as she held both her hand's forwards.

Already in a leaping position, the wolf couldn't evade and she managed to clamp its jaws.

In contact, her hands grasped against the top and base of the creature's fangs.

The beast's eyes seemed to whimper.

She could smell the stench of its dripping salivary as her arms quivered while her hands remained clamped on its top jaw and bottom jaw, as if to tear them apart.

'I don't remember my origin, he had refused to tell me.'

Her right leg hooked upwards as it's soles found contact with the beast's lower jaw.

The huge body of the beast took flight and it propelled upwards.

However, its body came into contact with the domed glittering light as blood sprayed from its jaws and it began its descent.

As its body was amidst descent, Ashe jumped upwards and delivered a kick once more.

Although not traveling far, its body traversed across the air and fell short of the man.

"Fu*k!" A short curse arose from the man's depths.

Was this the strength of a little girl? Wait, how old was she even!?

Those where the thoughts that spiraled in his brain while his body propelled towards the wolf and his robes flutter along.

"With the light that guides me, goddess of the light, propel me forwards!" A chant spewed out of his lips as a hazy light descended onto his figure.

His speed increased with every breath and step he took, after activating the light attribute magic <Increased Speed>. However, in return, his heart rate and breathing became hurried.

It was impossible to draw out the power within living beings without giving something in return.

The girl did nothing to stop his advance as he charged towards his fallen wolf. Quickly reaching, crouching, by the side of his companion; a chant escaped his lips.

"Oh goddess of light, protect me in your embrace."

A domed light of gold spread forth with him as the center, before eclipsing both he and the Azure Wolf.

As he watched the wolf that struggled to stand, he placed his palms onto its head.

"Oh light that guides me, heal the wounds of this mortal body."

The light wallowed from his hands as it entered into the demonic beast.

"Come On Gray!!" The man yelled as he continued to pour his mana into the body of the quivering wolf.

Ashe's body flinched, her crimson eyes immediately traced towards the man.

"What did you just say!?" Her voice oozed out as her eyes narrowed, her steps were already beginning to head towards the light barrier as her dauntless black hair fluttered behind her.

"You dare name your pet that name!?" Ashe's fist pounded onto the light barrier, spreading ripples amidst its surface.

Amidst her rage, her fangs began to grow and her body began to undergo a change.

Her heart began to beat in a frenzied rush as her blood began to widely rush around within her, pumping into her organs and strengthening her body, she could feel it; the blood of a demonic beast changing her.

An intense pain immediately assaulted where her heart was located, piercing and almost making her scream, but she had already gotten used to it.

Her teeth clamped shut to keep her bark of a beast from escaping.

It didn't end there, next was her body.

Her hands transformed into claws; black fur leading towards pristine shining black claws that replaced her fingernails and grew longer. Her entire arm had been morphed into something more beastly as fur spread just to her neck.

This wasn't a full transformation, however...

A crack spread amidst the barrier as her hand pierced into it.

Holding the whole with both morphed hands, she growled a low roar as she tore it wider.

More cracks began to appear that outstretched from the hole, with a final piece.

She ripped apart the barrier as it broke into nothing more than dissipating fragments.

"What the?" Curley finally realized his impediment as he looked shockingly at the girl that had crumbled his barrier, there was a glint of fear in his eyes as she approached.

"Wai-!"

Ashe directly strode forwards as she delivered a kick to the head of the man.

HIs body tumbled back and slid across the floor of the arena.

The man's eyes opened as he struggled to stand.

He saw the figure of the girl, picking the cowering wolf up by its throat.

"Wait! I give up!" The man's hurried voice bellowed as he realized what was happening; his hand outstretched.

Ashe's hands squeezed tighter as the whimper of the wolf ranged on.

Her crimson eyes had already become even more blood like, now, her pupils had blended within to make full eyes of red.

Baring her fangs, her claw crunched tighter "He doesn't deserve that name!"

As it dug deep into the throat of the wolf, Ashe seemed to smile.

'Yes, it is my role to kill him once more, with my own two hands.'

Within her, she could hear a voice calling her.

"Kill me." The boy smiled, even as his body was losing control, he asked her directly.

Forcefully suppressing his own change with his willpower, he asked; no, he begged her to kill him.

At that time, the beast had taken control of her body.

Her transformed hands had unhurriedly pierced forwards as tears stained her eyes.

As the blood leaked from the boy's mouth, she felt his hand on her head, shakingly, she could feel him stroking her head with warmth from his body that was losing his own.

He smiled.

"Good job, Ashe."

Her hand squeezed his heart.

Blood flowed.