Ball of Nothing

The next few days were spent celebrating the good news. Songs and stories were created and it was the newest hype after the opening of Bells and Begonia. Many demons hailed Beelzebub as the new hero who saved Hell. That earned Beelzebub a true place in the abyss as an important member. Zero couldn't see much of him ever since he returned to his domain to take care of business. Lucifer practically signed Beelzebub's graduation certificate and booted him from the Academy the day after the celebratory feast.

Things only become lonelier when Lucifer sent Zero and Baal packing back to Baal's castle saying he had things to oversee. Zero couldn't refuse because there were extensive repairs to be done to the Academy. On the bright side, Olaf came back and gave Zero a magic contract that allows him to visit his library anytime after he found out that Zero was the saviour of his treasures, completely forgetting that Zero was also the cause for most of the damage in the first place. Nobody reminded Olaf of it and Zero was glad that they didn't. On the other hand, Bob and Olaf decided to stay for a few more days and Zero allowed it. The dragons haven't seen each other in centuries, surely they had many stories to share.

Of course, Raphael and Michael decided to stay back and help restore everything to its former glory. Michael and Lucifer discussed for hours on how to improve the Academy. Who knew that Michael was a secretly competent architect? Raphael took this chance to harvest more mana flowers from the Spring of Vitality for his personal research using the pretext of healing the wounded. Olaf didn't complain about it, in fact, he welcomed it. That confirmed Bob's suspicions about his friend. Olaf was whipped!

"Come here, you scaly hog!" Bob hissed when his friend unknowingly made gooey eyes at Raphael who was passing by. The frost dragon wasn't expecting such a harsh tug at his ear by his friend's material projection and yelped in an unmanly manner much to the archangel's amusement. Instead of helping the frost dragon, Raphael turned away and continued on as if he hadn't noticed anything. Bob narrowed his eyes at that.

Once Bob was certain that Raphael was out of hearing range, he smacked his lovestruck friend hard and pulled his cheeks. "Stop it! You know how this will only end up... you're both too different for it to work out!"

Olaf didn't take kindly to the Eternal Dragon's words. "What do you know? Just because the humans you fell for betrayed you doesn't mean he will... he's an angel! In a literal manner too!"

Bob rolled his eyes. There was a huge difference between loving someone of a different species and loving your natural enemy. Dark and Light magic is each other's natural weakness. The two can never exist in the same space which was the reason for the split between Heaven and Hell. Even if the feelings were mutual, Bob highly doubted it, the relationship will only suffer and hurt both parties.

"Give it up," he told the frost dragon.

Olaf didn't answer. However, the room dropped by a few degrees.

"What if I don't want to?"

Bob sighed. He knew how dragons in love were like. They wouldn't give up on their obsessions easily, not even when hurt or betrayed. That's how many young dragons were killed. Bob knew that his old friend wouldn't be so easily killed but the worry remains. After all, the one Olaf was crushing on was an archangel somewhat on par with Lucifer's power.

"I guess I'll just have to watch your back then," the Eternal Dragon relented much to Olaf's surprise.

"You're not going to duel and stop me?"

Bob raised a brow. "What good will that do? Besides, I'm still just an egg maturing slowly in my master's alternate dimension."

Olaf laughed at Bob's sullen tone. It was odd hearing the word 'egg' coming from the mouth of such an ancient dragon. Yet it was what it was. Bob's curse made him continuously experience that painful cycle of maturing and dying to grow stronger and stronger each life in exchange for his emotions and sanity. Of all the dragons, Bob was the one with the most experience and knowledge about the world. What he knew was comparable to some Gods who never left their territories and gained their knowledge from the prayers they heard.

He then gave his long-term friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me and enjoy the time you have with your current master. Your contract with him doesn't last forever."

Bob didn't want to be reminded of reality, not when he hasn't even taken the first step with Zero. It was true that their contract as master and servant only lasted until his guardian duties returned. Once Kerberos' sentence was up, Bob knew he had to return. It was part of the deal after he pleaded for Gaia's protection back then when it rained dragon blood. Olaf and Bob shared a knowing look and silently mourned for their fallen brothers. There were not many of their race left after the attempted genocide. The weaker ones who couldn't escape to the realm of dragons were forced to seek protection under a stronger umbrella. Bob sought Gaia's protection while Olaf sought Lucifer's protection.

"Stay safe, let's have tea again sometime in the future."

Bob smiled. "Poxie tea is great but I hope for something stronger the next time we meet. I won't be a hatchling the next time."

Olaf agreed and they parted without fuss. Olaf then turned to look at the semi-restored library. He knew that Lucifer was listening in on them somewhere close by. Even with his suppressed magical aura, Olaf still knew the headmaster's personality well enough.

"What do you want?"

Lucifer let the magic fall and walked over to the couch, settling himself in it. The frost dragon still couldn't get used to the new look. Lucifer looked like someone who walked out of a painting and fit very well in the redecorated Academy with its bright walls and colours. It was too white for Olaf's liking despite being a frost dragon but Michael now called the shots so nobody dared to voice their opinions.

"Have you placed the tracker and emergency teleportation gate on him?"

Olaf didn't look too pleased about it but nodded. Bob didn't have to know that the invitation to his library was actually a marker for Lucifer and the Angels to keep tabs on the powerful individual. The frost dragon tried very hard not to think about it as a betrayal. Bob would understand, they couldn't let a suspicious character run around with such power, especially when the said suspicious individual was sometimes a ditz.

Lucifer nodded in satisfaction. It was something the archangels came up with. Although Baal was on good terms with Zero, it didn't mean that the Demon Lord would be able to convince his friend to take responsibility for anything that happens to the Abyss after he forced his way through to have everyone agree on the terraforming project. There was still tension between Heaven and Hell. With the lotuses that could potentially save the abyss from destruction, Heaven was put out of business quickly. This was how Gabriel proposed a plan that would benefit both parties.

"Zero isn't that kind of person, Bob would be the first to know if he was..."

Lucifer didn't bother with Olaf. He was more concerned about having a hidden ace for when things go south. Not even Baal's power can avert some of the disasters they may face. Lucifer convinced himself he didn't do it out of worry for the young and reckless doctor. No, it was for the greater picture. After all, many things could go wrong now that Zero has opened the gates for Redemption once and brought Kerberos away. For a place like Hell that hasn't changed since its founding, the drastic transformation in just a few months caused by a small boy was enough to throw everyone off the balance. Who knows what other chaos the little rascal would be causing when he returns?

"Luci, the painters are ready. Where would you like to commission the mural of Beelzebub's heroic battle? Also, are we really going to dedicate an entire wall in your office just to commemorate a certain cute looking student?"

Lucifer glared at Michael and Olaf raised a brow. "Not here, we'll discuss it in my office." As the dean left, Olaf wondered if there was more than met the eye. Perhaps... perhaps Lucifer actually did like the troublemaking brat!

***

Zero couldn't find it in himself to sleep in the carriage. Although he was feeling sleepy, he tried to stay awake and take in as much as he could. Veronica was feeling a lot better after Lucifer bought the first batch of mana-producing lotuses from Buddha after they were harvested by Robo Mike. The first batch wasn't as successful but they worked well in beautifying the Academy that was undergoing some massive renovation. The Bloody Willow was now better tempered and to Rayneld's surprise, she started growing flowers of some sort. They were still little buds and Zero wouldn't be able to see them when they bloomed but he promised the child of Charybdis that they would write letters even after he left.

Rayneld watched the mana lotuses and wondered if Zero knew how thankful he was. For him, Zero was the first friend he ever had who didn't look at him strangely for loving someone as violent as Veronica. Not only that, the young doctor impressed him with his determination and his wits battling a foe stronger than him. Rayneld was ashamed. Even with such a powerful bloodline, he paled in comparison. Not only did Zero not shun from him, he also helped the manta ray demon to get Veronica back after she went berserk. Rhinestone played with her pure maiden heart and caused her to betray him, taking advantage of her kindness but Zero healed those wounds and made Veronica lovelier than before. he didn't know how to thank the young boy.

The young doctor looked at his map with the markers going out of range as they got further from the Academy. Zero felt as if those reducing marker numbers were like the time he had left in the abyss. He wasn't fooled into thinking he would be here forever. Still, tears made their way down his cheeks. He knew he was going to miss it badly. He had to leave his friends behind and all the people who helped him so much as a person. There were four fragments of Divine Entities here and a family of sorts too after that ordeal.

"What are you thinking?" Baal asked.

Zero didn't dare to look up. He didn't want Baal to know that he was crying again. then again, it wouldn't have mattered. Baal heard him sniffle and frowned.

"Zero... what's wrong?"

The teenager chose not to answer and Baal got up from his side of the carriage to walk over and plopped himself down beside the sniffling brunet. He did something uncharacteristic of him and transformed into his adult self before wrapping one arm across the small teenager's shoulder and hugging him tightly.

Zero melted into the warm arms and felt that he could no longer hold back the dam of tears. His feelings flowed freely as he cried out his sorrow.

"I don't want to go..."

Baal patted Zero's back lightly as the young doctor's shoulder shook. "You have to. What about going on a journey to save those in need and discover new illness you would create cures for?"

"But I don't want to leave you and everyone else behind... It's not like with Truen when you would travel with me after I'm done with my training..."

Baal nodded. "That's true, I can never leave Hell."

Zero sobbed harder at the harsh truth. "Will I ever see you again?"

At this, Baal gave a rueful smile when Zero wasn't looking. "I'm sure we will."

"Promise?" Zero turned his puffy eyes upwards and searched Baal's eyes for the truth.

Baal merely stared right into his hazel ones and replied with certainty. "We will always be friends no matter how far apart we are."

Zero didn't sense any lies from Baal but for some reason, his friend felt further away from him when he said that. He didn't think about it for long and chose to indulge the moment, returning the hug tighter.

"Please don't let this end..." Zero thought to himself as he finally drifted off.