Fairy Tail: Lost One

Chapter 56: Heading Home

Rudra stared down at the ruined ice cream cone, grumbling under his breath. "My ice cream."

"Sorry about that." Scarlet glanced at the melted mess on the ground, at least having the decency to look mildly apologetic. "I’ll buy you another one."

Rudra stood up, dusting off his knees. "No need."

He turned to walk off.

"Um—excuse me." Scarlet stepped directly into his path, blocking him. "What about my request?"

Rudra blinked at her, his expression carefully blank. "What request?"

"The friendly spar! The one I asked you about literally thirty seconds ago." Her eyes narrowed at his sudden amnesia. "Why are you acting confused?"

"I’m not acting. I was in mourning." Rudra gestured vaguely at the sticky puddle on the cobblestones. "Losing something precious tends to affect a man’s hearing. Didn’t catch a word you said."

"Wow," the System muttered dryly inside his head. "Trying to gaslight someone over a fallen scoop of ice cream. Truly inspiring, host."

Rudra didn’t dignify that with a response.

Scarlet exhaled slowly, clearly recalibrating her patience. "Fine. I’ll say it again. Listen carefully this time." She enunciated each word with exaggerated clarity. "I would like. To have. A friendly spar."

"Ah. About that." Rudra shook his head solemnly. "Can’t. Busy today."

"Busy with what, exactly?"

"My ice cream just died." Rudra turned back to look at the melted puddle with the gravity of a man standing at a graveside. "Can’t just leave him there like that. He deserves a proper burial."

He pressed two fingers to the corner of his eye, voice dipping into something tragic. "I’m the only one left in this world who can give him a proper goodbye."

With that, Rudra turned and began walking again, shoulders slightly hunched, the exact posture of a man carrying unbearable grief.

"Stop with your bullshit."

The polished, ladylike tone was gone entirely, replaced by something flatter and considerably more annoyed.

"You really think I’m stupid, or what?"

Rudra didn’t bother answering that either.

Instead, he ran — breaking into a full sprint, launching himself onto the nearest building and parkouring across the rooftops in a blur of motion, putting as much distance between them as physically possible.

Scarlet’s eyes flashed.

"Chronoa’s blessing," she muttered, already moving. "Acceleration."

A faint golden light rippled across her body, and in the next instant, she was gone from where she’d been standing — reappearing several rooftops closer, moving with a speed that shouldn’t have been possible for someone without wings.

She landed hard on the tile behind Rudra, close enough now that he could hear her voice clearly over the wind.

"You’re not getting away that easily!"

Rudra kept running, weaving from building to building without breaking stride.

Scarlet didn’t bother replying. She kept pace across the rooftops, footwork sharp and precise, gaining ground in short bursts whenever Chronoa’s blessing rippled across her limbs — but Rudra’s lead held, and slowly the distance between them stretched.

His figure shrank against the skyline.

Scarlet skidded to a stop at the roof’s edge, chest heaving, watching him vanish ahead. Frustration hardened into resolve.

She raised two fingers to her lips and let out a sharp, piercing whistle.

The response was immediate. A low, guttural roar rolled in from somewhere beyond the rooftops, and moments later her dragon descended in a wide arc, wings beating hard enough to send loose tiles skittering off the roof beneath her. It landed just behind her, lowering its head.

Scarlet swung herself onto its back in one motion.

"After him."

The dragon launched skyward, banking hard toward the fleeing figure still weaving across the rooftops below.

Rudra glanced back, saw the shadow sweeping toward him, and understood running had stopped being an option.

He angled for the city’s outer wall, pushed off the last rooftop, and cleared the stone barrier in a single leap, landing hard on the open ground beyond.

The forest stretched out ahead — dense, familiar, entirely unwelcoming.

He sprinted into the treeline.

Above, the dragon banked sharply, following him over the wall and down toward the canopy, its rider leaning into the wind, an unmistakable grin on her face.

She hadn’t had this much fun in weeks.

After a few minutes of running, Rudra finally skidded to a stop in a small forest clearing, his boots kicking up a cloud of loose dirt as he came to rest.

A heavy, resounding boom shook the ground a moment later.

Scarlet’s dragon slammed down behind him, its massive wings folding tight as Scarlet gracefully swung herself off its back.

"What happened?" She raised an eyebrow, effortlessly dusting off her dress as she walked toward him. "Not going to keep running?"

"No," Rudra sighed, straightening up and rolling his shoulders to loosen the tension. "Running clearly isn’t working out for me."

"So..." Scarlet tilted her head, a triumphant smirk tugging at her lips. "...the spar?"

He exhaled deeply, thoroughly resigned. "Fine. Let’s just get this over with."

Crouching down, Rudra picked up a small, smooth stone from the dirt. He turned it over once in his fingers, feeling its weight, before standing back up, his lazy, unbothered expression fully back in place.

"Once this hits the ground," he said in a lazy voice, "come at me with everything you’ve got."

Scarlet’s posture shifted instantly. Her playful demeanor vanished, her weight settling low into a crisp ready stance as her eyes gleamed with razor-sharp anticipation. "Don’t hold back on my account."

Rudra didn’t reply.

He simply tossed the stone into the air.

It arced upward, spinning lazily against the pale sky. For one brief moment, time seemed to stretch thin, the entire clearing holding its breath as they watched the tiny rock reach its apex.

Thud.

The stone hit the dirt.

Scarlet exploded into motion. She closed the distance in an absolute blur, her right fist already cocked back and driving straight toward his ribs.

Rudra sidestepped without an ounce of wasted effort, shifting his weight just enough to let her punch whistle past his coat.

She didn’t miss a beat. Whirling with the momentum, she threw a low, blindingly fast kick—which Rudra dodged with a simple backstep. She pressed the advantage immediately, unleashing a fluid barrage of strikes designed to overwhelm him through sheer speed and unrelenting pressure.

Left hook. Straight right. Spinning heel kick.

Miss. Miss. Miss.

Frustration flickered across her features. Gritting her teeth, she tapped deeper into Chronoa’s blessing. A golden light rippled across her limbs as the spatial acceleration surged through her muscles. She lunged again—faster, sharper, each strike cutting through the air with lethal precision, missing his skin by mere millimeters.

Yet Rudra remained untouched. Hands tucked lazily into his pockets, his expression drifted between mild boredom and utter disinterest. He casually tilted his head to let a fist pass harmlessly by his cheek, then leaned back an inch as a sweeping kick grazed past his nose.

Her jaw tightened with every swing that hit empty air.

"Can you take this seriously?!" she snapped, her chest heaving slightly as sweat began to bead at her temples.

Rudra yawned—an actual, wide-mouthed yawn—right in the middle of dodging a jab. "I am taking this seriously."

"You’re only dodging!" She threw another strike, only for him to sway out of reach. "This is a spar! You’re supposed to attack, too, you know!"

He raised an eyebrow, pausing for a split second as if genuinely weighing her words. "You want me to attack you?"

Scarlet gave a sharp, certain nod. "Yes!"

"Alright then." Rudra finally pulled a hand from his pocket and rolled his neck, the first real shift in his posture since the stone hit the dirt. "Prepare yourself. I’m attacking now."

Scarlet instantly dropped into an ironclad defensive stance—arms raised, weight balanced low, every muscle coiled tight for whatever devastating force was about to come her way.

She never finished setting it.

A single finger touched her forehead.

"You’re dead."

The voice was flat. Cold. Nothing like the lazy, teasing tone he’d used moments earlier.

Her eyes snapped up, her pulse spiking. He was simply there, standing directly in front of her. He was close enough for her to feel his breath, yet she hadn’t seen him move an inch. His eyes had changed, too—the earlier boredom replaced by a sharp, distant gaze. It was the look of someone who had already finished the fight several seconds before she even realized it had started.

He pushed, lightly, with the same finger still resting against her forehead.

It was barely more than a nudge, but it sent her stumbling backward. Her boots scrambled uselessly against the loose dirt, unable to catch her balance, until she landed hard on the ground. She stared up at him, her eyes wide with total shock.

A heavy silence descended over the clearing.

Somewhere behind them, the dragon shifted its weight, folding its wings tighter as it watched the scene with quiet stillness.

Scarlet lay there for a long moment, her chest heaving as she processed what had just happened. It was just like that night on the rooftop—she hadn’t seen him move, hadn’t felt him close the distance, and hadn’t stood a single chance from the very second he decided to actually try.

"...What," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper, "was that?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he offered a hand and pulled her back to her feet without any ceremony.

"You got your spar." He released her hand, already turning away. "Can you leave now?"

She didn’t respond right away, still visibly shaken as she walked toward her dragon on autopilot. Her footsteps were slower, heavier than usual. But just as she reached the beast, she paused. She turned back to look at him one last time, something sharp and fiercely determined replacing the shock in her eyes.

"This isn’t over." Her voice steadied with every word. "I’ll be back for a rematch."

"Please, no," Rudra muttered under his breath.

Ignoring him entirely, she pulled herself up onto her dragon’s back. A moment later, the massive creature launched skyward with a heavy sweep of its wings, banking over the treeline and disappearing into the distance.

Rudra stood alone in the quiet clearing for a while longer, staring up at the empty sky. Finally, he let out a long, weary sigh, turned on his heel, and began the quiet walk back.

That defeat, however, did nothing to curb Scarlet’s persistence. If anything, it set the pace for the months that followed.

____

As autumn bled into winter and winter gave way to spring, the "friendly spar" transformed from a one-time nuisance into an inevitable routine. Every few weeks, like clockwork, Scarlet would track Rudra down wherever he tried to lay low—a sunny park bench, a crowded tavern, and once, to his immense irritation, in the middle of a bathhouse while he was mid-soak.

Each time, she’d march up with the exact same unwavering confidence, declaring that today was finally the day she’d break his streak.

And each time, Rudra never turned her down. He’d humor her, casually dodging every strike she threw with minimal effort, occasionally tapping her forehead to bring their bouts to an abrupt end. Then, he’d watch her storm off, dusting herself off and shouting a promise for another rematch before the dirt from their clash had even settled.

Eventually, the days blurred together, and Rudra stopped bothering to keep track of which loss number she was on.

Sparring with Scarlet wasn’t the only thing occupying Rudra’s time, however.

About a week prior, he had finally managed to tap back into his chakra—and not just in a basic sense. His Rinnegan had evolved further, settling into a distinct six-tomoe pattern now that his chakra had fully assimilated with his Ōtsutsuki heritage and the karma seal buried beneath it.

There was a cost, though. There was always a cost.

His chakra control was, in a word, abysmal. Which was precisely why he found himself back in the very same forest clearing where he and Scarlet had first sparred, spending far more time there than he’d ever admit to her. He sat with a water balloon balancing in one palm while a shadow clone worked through separate control exercises a few dozen feet away, the two of them repeating the same tedious drills day after day.

Pop!

The balloon burst, splashing cold water down his wrist for what felt like the hundredth time that week. He let out a long sigh, reaching for another from the small pile beside him.

host," the System’s voice cut in. "It’s complete. You can access your demonic powers again."

Rudra paused, the fresh balloon frozen halfway to his palm. "So what’s the catch?"

There was always a catch.

"You won’t be able to use Devil Trigger," the System replied. "You forced it awake originally, which means I have to lock it back down properly this time. We can’t risk it destabilizing again."

Rudra didn’t respond immediately, letting the information settle in his mind. Slowly, he set the unused balloon back down and looked up, his gaze drifting toward the pale afternoon sky filtering through the forest canopy.

A slow breath left him.

"...Guess it’s about time to head home," he murmured, standing up.

Before he could dispel his clone, a familiar voice caught his attention. "This will be our last spar for a few weeks. Are you ready?"

Rudra turned to face Scarlet. "Alone again? Where’s your boyfriend?" he asked, referring to Prince Julius, who usually tagged along.

Scarlet sighed sharply. "How many times do I have to tell you? He’s not my boyfriend!"

"Wow, what a cruel girl," Rudra teased with a smirk. "You know he likes you, right? And here you are, brushing it off."

"He likes me?" Scarlet frowned, genuine confusion in her eyes.

Rudra stared at her like she’d lost her mind. "Are you stupid? What prince goes looking for a girl and accompanies her every single day if he doesn’t like her?"

Scarlet crossed her arms, throwing his logic right back at him. "By your logic, I come looking for you every day, too. Does that mean I like you?"

Rudra stilled, his eyes locking onto hers. "Do you?"

"Of course not," Scarlet replied instantly.

Rudra clutched his heart, letting out a dramatic, wounded gasp. "Damn, girl... at least hesitate. It’s bad for my health having my heart broken like this."

"We’ve spent the past few months fighting and training together," Scarlet rolled her eyes, "that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to fall for you."

A long, relieved sigh escaped Rudra’s chest. "Good."

Scarlet blinked, a strange sting pricking at her chest. "Is it really that weird for me to like you?"

"No, it’s not," Rudra replied softly before changing the subject. "Anyway... we can’t spar today."

"Why not?"

"Because I’m leaving."

"Fine," Scarlet said, assuming it was just another one of his brief departures. "When you get back, we’ll fight then."

Rudra chuckled, though there was a bitter edge to it. "That’s the thing... I won’t be coming back."

Silence fell over the clearing like a heavy blanket. The wind died down, leaving only the sound of their quiet breathing.

Scarlet’s voice dropped, barely a whisper. "Are you... really not coming back?"

Rudra didn’t answer with words. Instead, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into a warm hug. He gently rubbed her back, anchoring her in the moment.

"I had a good time here," he whispered into her hair. "It was nice meeting you, Scarlet."

Scarlet hesitated before wrapping her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. When she finally pulled back, she forced a small, incredulous laugh. "Why are you talking like you’re leaving this world or something?"

Rudra gave her a quiet, mysterious smile. Without a word, he summoned Yamato to his hand. Gripping the hilt, he stepped back and slashed vertically, then diagonally through the empty air.

Scarlet opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but the words caught in her throat. Reality itself buckled, splitting open to reveal a swirling, ethereal portal tearing through the fabric of space.

Her eyes widened in absolute shock as she turned back to him.

"I am leaving this world," Rudra smiled gently, his eyes filled with a quiet fondness. "Because I’m not from here."

With one final step backward, he crossed the threshold. The tear in reality snapped shut behind him, leaving nothing but empty air.

Scarlet stood frozen in the silent clearing. A sudden, bitter realization washed over her, making her heart ache in a way she hadn’t anticipated. He wasn’t checking his ego—he was making sure he wouldn’t break her heart before he vanished forever.

"Now I understand why he asked..." she whispered to the empty forest.

Clutching the fabric over her chest, she turned without another word, climbed onto her dragon, and soared up into the quiet sky.