Ball of Nothing

By the end of the day when the moon was at its highest, Zero found it slightly difficult to keep up with the previous energy level. His body was telling him that it was bedtime even though Zero didn't really like sleeping early. It could be due to the level of activities going around in the village. With Hua Tuo, Zero had to find things to entertain himself with. With the village, Zero barely had any time to himself.

Today's master of ceremonies was Ruth. Like the battle that morning, only a handful turned up to watch namely because too many were too drunk from that feast. The children were put to bed and some villagers decided to have an early night seeing as the next day would be business as usual.

"In this battle of the odd ones, we have Vishnu our underrated minotaur fighter and Gweshr our strikingly handsome hairy werewolf. As you can see, it is a full moon tonight so Gweshr is currently in his wolf form instead of his human one. Don't worry, he is still able to understand the common language and can respond intelligently," Ruth droned on monotonously as if following a script.

Gweshr took offence when he was described as hairy but couldn't do much since he wasn't able to control his transformation on a full moon's night. The werewolf growled menacingly and Zero backed away a little. Gweshr resembled a feral beast who would pounce at any given moment. On the other hand, Vishnu looked like he was pumped full of adrenaline and steroids. Zero worried a little about the sudden buffing up of the dark-skinned warrior.

Vishnu has always been one of the quieter people in the village that Zero had little to almost no interactions with. He liked to keep to himself and skulked around the walls to help with the construction or simply take a nap somewhere quiet and away from activity. Often, he can be found on some random tree. His quiet nature was a welcoming contrast to the bustling village and Zero took the opportunity in the battle to understand more about him.

"The rules of this battle is simple. Firstly, no weapons. Secondly, you win if you push your opponent out of this ring drawn on the ground. Thirdly, bloodline abilities are allowed but no magic. That's all, let the battle begin."

Zero only noticed the ring on the ground when Ruth mentioned it. The match didn't seem like it was going to be a lot of techniques or tricks if it was about pushing the opponent out of the ring. Zero chalked it down to pure brute strength and wondered why such a fight was considered important. In terms of strength, surely Vishnu would win. Gweshr was stronger and more agile in his wolf form but he wouldn't be able to push Vishnu out of the ring.

Even though the umpire had shouted for the match to start, the warriors didn't move from their spots. Gweshr chose to growl at Vishnu as he locked eyes. On the other hand, the minotaur started to paw the ground with one of his legs as he squared his shoulders forward. He bent down low to the ground with both fists touching it, his legs raised high for a charging position and he pawed the ground more furiously than before. Vishnu's eyes never left Gweshr and his small curved horns at the side of his head extended into something that Zero was sure could rival any knives.

There was tension thick in the air and Zero could barely hang onto the seat of his pants. The two opponents weren't doing anything yet but already, Zero felt as if they were in the middle of an unseen battle. Ruth didn't comment and chose to observe both parties closely for any possible foul play.

While it was true that this match didn't require too much technique, it wasn't an easy one. The vampire wondered if Zero understood what determined a victor in a battle more than skills and techniques. It was something that even Truen agreed on. The young doctor made a brilliant healer because of his kind heart and all-encompassing nature. However, in a battle, Zero made a terrible warrior not because of his lack of abilities or skills. His talent, skills and abilities were top-notch.

The teen simply didn't have the drive for victory.

Zero gasped when both warriors shot off at each other at the same time. The bloodlust in the air terrified Zero. He'd never seen either of them look so fierce before. The carefree werewolf and peaceful minotaur in his memory were completely replaced by the sight of each other trying to tear the other apart.

Wasn't this a friendly match to demonstrate skills? Why were they treating each other like Count Carrabas?

Gweshr leapt just before they collided and gnawed on Vishnu's horn, trying to use the momentum to throw the minotaur off. Vishnu swayed but didn't veer off track. Instead, he dragged the werewolf along, heading straight for the circle's line.

Gweshr knew what Vishnu wanted to do and didn't give him the opportunity to throw him out of the circle. The werewolf let go of the horn and slid across the ground, stepping right at the edge of the circle. His tail swished and the werewolf didn't hesitate to make a run for it, pouncing onto the minotaur's exposed back.

Zero watched as the two warriors brawled without much technique. They were both running on pure instinct and the bloodlust was at a record-high level when Gweshr closed his jaw around one of Vishnu's legs.

The minotaur didn't give two hoots about his bleeding leg and was more focused on bashing the werewolf's skull in with his other hoof. Zero almost leapt into the match to stop them both but Ruth was already beside the teen, holding him down with one hand on Zero's wrist.

"Sit down, the match isn't over yet."

Zero gave Ruth a strange look. "They are injured, we need to stop the-"

"No. They are warriors, the wound isn't fatal. You are not interfering until the match is over. If you'd just sit down and watch, you might just learn a thing or two from them."

The vampire's stern words made Zero sit down again but the worrying didn't stop. The doctor's apprentice looked at the blood gushing out of the bite wound. Gweshr managed to avoid that kick to his skull but the werewolf didn't seem to be in a good position. Vishnu still managed to land a kick to his side and the wolf growled.

Fuelled by both pain and adrenaline, the warriors were at each other's throats again. Zero thought that the way they fought was overly reckless and crazy. The aim was to push the other person out of the ring so why were they growling, biting and kicking each other?

"Have they lost it completely?" Zero asked in a frantic voice, pulling at his hair. He didn't know how much longer both warriors could take but seeing the number of injuries increase as the minutes went by made the young doctor more restless. He wanted to jump in and stop the meaningless battle.

Ruth gave Zero a stern glare. "You just thought that the battle was meaningless right?"

Zero froze. "What... how?"

Ruth's glare sharpened and Zero tried to inch away from the furious vampire. Instead of getting scolded or hit, Zero got startled when Ruth sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands. That strange reaction made Zero curious.

"Zero, watch them carefully. This battle isn't just a show for petty tricks and techniques. Unlike the rest of the battles, this match is a true warrior's showdown. The victor of this match isn't going to be the person who is stronger or faster. It's going to take more than that to properly make a warrior concede defeat."

The young doctor didn't understand what his combat teacher was talking about. For him, this was madness. They were completely battered up and from a doctor's point of view, Zero would have put them both in bed after treatment. They should be in no condition to continue fighting.

Vishnu has his ankle tendon severed on one leg. Gweshr has a broken rib. Did they no longer value their lives?

Zero cringed Gweshr was sent flying with a heavy body slam by Vishnu. The minotaur was looking less bulky now and Zero was sure that whatever buff he had earlier was no running out. According to Hua Tuo, berserker types faced serious lash backs after they come back to their senses. While they were pumped full of rage, they had enhanced power and speed but very low sensitivity. Pain was essentially not felt by berserkers and that made things scary. Zero was told that berserkers could lose a limb and not feel it, charging forward to continue cutting down enemies until they eventually bleed out and die.

How could Ruth and everyone else be so calm when there was already so much blood on the ground?

"Hang in there!" a sudden shout from the moonlight nymph made the werewolf growl lowly. Vishnu was charging at him again and this time, the werewolf held his ground.

Zero was slightly startled when Moona cheered for her lover and Gweshr's change in attitude made him wonder what was going on. Ruth smiled. The match was finally concluding.

Instead of dodging around like usual and trying to trick the minotaur into getting pushed out of the circle, Gweshr decided to face the terrifying charge head-on. It wasn't only Zero who was worried about the werewolf's safety. Moona started to pray, trying to keep her belief strong. Logically, Gweshr was at the losing end because of how much weaker he was when compared to Vishnu in his berserker state.

Zero's eyes widened in surprise when they finally collide. Yes, Gweshr might have skidded a lot with only ten more centimetres before he was pushed out of that circle but he stopped right before he was disqualified. Vishnu wasn't holding back either and pushed with all his might. Zero thought that the werewolf would use Vishnu's force and momentum to kick him out of the circle. In fact, it would be an incredibly easy victory if the werewolf did that. However, Gweshr remained stubborn and chose to fight with his strength, growling as he pushed the minotaur back step by step. Vishnu felt his hoof sliding backwards with every push Gweshr made. Both warriors trembled from the exhaustion and toll of their wounds. Neither of them chose to throw the towel in despite the terrible condition of their bodies.

Zero wanted to cry from vexation as a doctor. At the same time, something within him stirred watching their determination. It was a fool's errand that served no purpose for either warrior but still, they marched on towards a path with no road to follow. Zero didn't understand why they would walk towards an unfavourable end instead of turning around. It was incredibly moving to watch but also painful to not do anything about it. He wanted to stop them and support them for whatever was causing them to fight despite their broken bodies, the feeling was extremely confusing and Zero was befuddled by the conflicting logic.

Ruth smiled. Gweshr was fuelled by the desire to win because Moona was watching. On the other hand, Vishnu found himself losing reasons to continue fighting. The moment he doubted his victory was the moment Gweshr won. Vishnu tried to manoeuvre away when the edge of the circle closed in on him but Gweshr wouldn't allow that to happen. He lunged forward with a snarl and collided into the heavy minotaur using his head. The impact jostled his broken bones and Gweshr let out a bone-chilling howl. The wolf didn't allow that to stop him from propelling forward with a second headbutt. His strong hind legs allowed him to spring up with amazing strength, flipping the crouching minotaur over. The werewolf then followed up with a well-timed kick mid-air to Vishnu's torso, sending the warrior flying backwards and out of the circle.

The crowd applauded as soon as Ruth concluded the match, declaring Gweshr as the victor.

The werewolf transformed back into his human-like form and grinned painfully as the adrenaline faded. Vishnu didn't even have the strength to stand as the buff wore off. Zero was already working on both warrior's wounds, scolding them with tears of relief in his eyes. They were physically in bad shape but with Zero's talent in healing, the worst of it was healed within five minutes.

Gweshr and Vishnu shook hands with wide smiles after the match and Zero called them idiots. Moona wasn't too happy with how reckless her lover had been either but she understood that it was something Gweshr had to do.

Ruth allowed his student to fuss over the two warriors as the other villagers congratulated them for such a fine match.

"It looks like the warrior spirit still resides strongly in the village. Thank you for reminding me of what it is like to fight for something worth dying for," Titor bowed and Gweshr blushed.

"It was nothing," the werewolf said but Zero looked at him intently while stitching back some of the cuts.

Ruth didn't say anything when Zero frowned at the words. His student was bright enough to figure out the true purpose behind today's battle between the odd ones. There were many different kinds of fights in this world and tonight's battle had been something a little different.

The vampire didn't have this match arranged without reason. It was an unspoken battle between the two men who had a crush on Moona. Although Gweshr was dating the moonlight nymph, Vishnu still couldn't accept it and give up on her. they decided to seize the opportunity to hash out their differences and Gweshr's determination convinced the minotaur that the girl he loved would be in good hands.

By the time the healing session ended, Zero was tired. He ordered two days of bed rest for his patients before excusing himself. Ruth accompanied Zero back to his sleeping quarters and asked if the young doctor figured out the reason behind the match tonight.

Zero was deep in thoughts. He didn't understand why both of them would go so far as to fight so viciously. However, he didn't think they did it out of hate for one another. While he was tending to their wounds, Zero noticed that although some injuries were serious, all of them missed anything vital. The young doctor was convinced that the match was a conversation between men that Amon shared with him about. Instead of fists, these men spoke with horns and teeth.

"They were fighting it out like an unspoken conversation between men," he told Ruth. "However, I am confused. What were they talking about that had to be so serious? What could be worth going through the trouble of getting so heavily injured that they couldn't use words but had to use fists?"

Ruth smiled. Zero was getting it.

"Have you ever had to fight to hold onto the things that are precious to you?"

Zero thought about it and shook his head. Anything that was precious to him was in his inventory. Nobody could take it from him, much less steal it. The void was a very safe place.

Ruth nodded and rephrased his question. "Is there anyone whom you would do anything to hold onto them so that you won't lose them even if it meant letting go of everyone else?"

Zero paused and looked at the vampire. "Letting go of everyone else?"

The vampire halted and turned to face his student. "Yes. Is there anyone you would sacrifice everything you loved to protect and save?"

Zero thought about the people he loved. He loved the Great Gods, the Demon Lords, his friends, the villagers and his teachers. However, he couldn't think about sacrificing one to save another. He couldn't sacrifice Truen to save Baal and he couldn't sacrifice Hua Tuo to save Gaia even if Gaia was technically more important than his teacher. Logic didn't work that way and neither did feelings. There was just no comparison.

Ruth smiled and let Zero think about it before calling it a night. Now that the seed has been planted, all he had to do was wait for it to grow. For the vampire, he already knew the answer to the question he posed Zero. Before this, he didn't have anyone he would sacrifice everything for. However, after meeting Zero, the horizon of his world expanded.

The vampire made his way over to Karris' cottage and slipped in through the window. As expected, Seff was waiting for him. The little boy hardly slept at all and Ruth smiled.

"Did you wait for long?"

Seff giggled quietly, not wanting to wake his mother up. the poor lady was sleep-deprived and as Seff grew up quickly, he started to understand more things.

"Will you take me out to play again?" he asked with big beautiful eyes that Ruth couldn't say no to.

He nodded and carried the boy, sneaking out through the window. If Ruth had to sacrifice everything he had to protect someone, there was no question about who he would do it for. The little boy in his arms laughed when the vampire's hair tickled his cheek. Ruth knew that the young halfling had him wrapped around his finger as he wormed his way into Ruth's world, becoming the centre of it.

As the vampire cradled the toddler in his arms close to his chest, he wished that Zero would eventually find someone similar on his travels. Someone who could be Zero's entire world for better or for worse, someone who would give meaning to Zero's existence and become his light when the darkness comes for him.