A Fool's Heart

Chapter 9: Rivals

-SCENE-

Violence. The Seventh circle of Hell. Deep underneath the crust of the Underworld, that is where the Nine circles reside. And as the circles continue, they only go deeper and deeper down. This place - is the Hell of blasphemers, murderers, marauders, suicide victims, and sodomites. This who were filled with bloodlust and forsook their creator, they are the victims trapped in this Hell.

I am trapped here along with them. Them, and the Dragon host filled with bloodlust, they are the ones I'm stuck here with.

One week. According to my rival, Vali, we are to be trapped here for one week. Around the same amount of time I spent training in Kyoto. I suppose he made it that way for an ironic purpose. Now, I have to remain in this damned place and survive against the bastard's attacks. The unfortunate part is that I don't know how much time is passing in this place. It's because of the nature of this place.

Regardless, I am trapped here and I have to fight Vali to survive.

However, as the time passed, what stood out most to me was not our battles, but rather something else entirely.

DOOOOOOOOOONNNN!

"What's wrong, Hyoudou Issei! Your speed in that form is impeccably faster than mine, but you still haven't fully gotten control over it! Is that not the form you used against Yu-long! Is that not the form meant to honour the Messenger God of Olympus! Show me the skill and control that Sun Wukong blessed you with!"

"Alright fucker! You want it?! You got it!"

Every time we had fought, Vali forced me into using different forms. Every fight was a different fight with a different form. There were even times that we fought in our base forms using our basic gears.

But the times that stuck out to me were usually the times of rest.

"Hmph. I suppose that's enough for now."

Vali dispersed his armor and sat on the floor in the middle of the island. I caught my breath as I dispelled my armor.

"..Haah....now we take a break?.....damn battle crazy bastard...."

I groaned as I sat down back to back against Vali with a sigh.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh? What?"

He eyed me suspiciously for some reason. After a few seconds, he scoffed and looked away.

"Hmph."

What a fuckin weirdo. I looked up to the red clouded sky. I could see the purple lightning sparking through and around it. This whole place is fucking red. Even off in the distance it's just red and I can't even tell if there's an end to this place. I know there has to be because of simply the nature of it, but I can't help but feel it goes on forever.

Honestly, what the fuck is up with this place? I feel like I've been here for two days already, but I can't even tell. Despite the fact that I get tired, I don't feel like get sleepy? Or maybe it's just because I can't tell how much time has actually passed, so it's not time to sleep? I can't fucking tell. Moreover, it feels like my senses are fucked up.

Like, how come I'm not hungry? I haven't gotten hungry at all since coming here. I feel like I've been here for fuckin long enough to be starving. I'm not thirsty either. Don't feel horny either. You might think "Of course not", but hey you know me. Sometimes I fantasize. But here it feels like I can't even fantasize about shit. It feels like my fantasies become fuzzy. It even feels like there are sometimes when I don't remember certain things....Is this place having some sort of fucked up effects on me?