A fair bit of time had passed since Jack was drowned in the bathtub of darkness, but all things considered, he was relatively normal since then.
Sure, being submerged in darkness which literally decayed at your mind and whatnot was going to have some impact on his capabilities, but all things considered, the boy made it out pretty okay.
As they went to the Ost family and got Jack situated, the Assas family met up with another one of their "allies."
The spark that set Arthur off on his mission to annihilate many dragons was the death of Sally. And on that day, it was not just the Assas family who were present, but also the Oppen family, descendants of the War Dragon.
…
"So you're Arthur's younger brother, right?" Asked a man. This man was a good lot older than Damien, with long legs and a muscularity present, visible beneath his clothes, along with a gray beard.
Damien looked up at him and nodded his head. "Who're you?" He asked.
"Todd, Todd Oppen," introduced the man. He extended his hand and Damien shook it, feeling Todd's grip being quite powerful.
"I met your brother a while back. He's a funny guy, tho' I hear his body's changed a bit from when I first met him."
"Huh? What was he like?"
"He had a full head of hair and was built like a stringbean! But nowadays, apparently he looks like an ogre, from using steroids."
Damien hummed in response, and Todd patted him on the back.
Currently, the families were situated inside of an expensive restaurant. Damien was pretty stoked, taking a picture with Jack to show his old friends how he was doing.
He took a sip of water from a nice glass, feeling particularly fancy. Then, he saw a kid strutting over to him with a scowl and his hands in his pockets.
"Tch. Why am I fucking here, ah? I could be out, training like a hard motherfucker, but instead I'm over here, fucking ordering a lasagna off the fucking menu like a fucking wuss. I wanna train so fucking bad."
"What?"
The kid, having fiery red hair, finally noticed Damien and clicked his tongue again, sitting down at the same table as the two teens.
"Oi, fucker, I heard y'er the brother of the fucking traitor. That true?" Said the kid.
"Don't call me 'fucker.' If you're angry at me for some reason, let's just duke it out and end things that way."
The kid smirked, yelling, "I like your attitude! Why, that's the way things fucking should be, ain't it!? Anyways, are you gonna answer my question?!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm his brother," Damien mumbled. "Is that all I'm gonna be known for?"
"No," chuckled the kid. "If you win against me, then you're gonna be known for beatin' me. Not that it'll fucking happen."
Damien looked the boy over. He seemed like he was still in middle school, maybe a 14 year old freshman or something.
"Yeah, whatever. What do you want?"
"I want to get revenge on your shitty brother."
"Huh? Why?"
"I hate to fucking admit it, but he beat my fucking ass one night after I'd just found out I was a dragon. It was pretty fuckin' close if I do say so myself, but it still hurts. Fucking scary motherfucker. So that's why I wanna beat his stupid fucking ass, now that I'm stronger."
The kid turned around, seeing a man with silver hair talking with the adults.
"Apparently, that dude fucking lost to him too. So we're both here to get revenge and beat his ass."
"That so?"
Damien wasn't too interested, as he saw the waiter appear with the lasagna he ordered. He shared it with Jack, and soon afterwards, Todd spoke up.
"Hello everyone! Please be silent! It is I, Todd Oppen, head of the Oppen family! So, today, I'd like to inform everyone of what is to come!"
He smiled cheerfully, something that didn't sit right with Damien.
Damien had a pretty good amount of friends, and had very few enemies, as he tried his best to get along with everyone. He was quite talented in many things, so the sporty/gym kids got along with him in that area.
Likewise, to those who were moreso in the nerdy crowd, he got along well with them as well due to liking to hear them talk about the stories they enjoyed, and even read what they recommended.
So, when someone like "Todd, the head of the War family" was smiling like he was announcing that he was getting married, it felt like a mask he was wearing in order to hide whatever evil plans he might have.
"Tracking the Scent of a Traitor, we can tell that Arthur Graves is currently making his way down to Africa! This means that, most likely, his goal is to kill as many dragons as he can in the continent where dragons are the most dense."
'Africa? Dang, okay. That idiot, he's probably going to die… Though, if our main job is to get rid of him, that's good news… terribly so.'
"Which is why, we should arrive in Africa as well! And in fact, join him!"
The room was silent for a split second. Damien's reaction was that of widened eyes, and for a moment, he questioned Todd's sanity.
"There are three reasons for this. Firstly, we've declared war upon the Graves family. The Graves family, powerful as they are, are not infallible. Of the Big Three families, the Graves family is perhaps, in fact, even the weakest. Meaning that, if we can enter Africa, allow Arthur Graves to kill as many as he can, then think of what that will do for us."
Conflict is guaranteed in all species.
For dragons, it comes from many factors. Wanting to prove superiority, wanting to grow stronger, wanting revenge, wanting further wealth or might, it was all a reason to kill.
Arthur was one who wanted revenge. Seeing that he wanted to kill as many dragons as he could, there wasn't much doubt that he would eventually go down to Africa.
It's common sense that the less opponents you have, the technically "stronger" you are. If all of your strongest enemies die, won't you in turn become the strongest?
The Assas family was allied with the Oppen family to an extent. Blood was shed during war, and war ran through the blood of all dragons.
Do remember the Big Three families. The Graves family of Death. The Oppen family of War. And lastly, the King family of Earth.
The King family was unlike both the Oppen family and the Graves family, who went to America. Rather, they stayed in Africa. Simply being in Africa, and surviving the constant chaos between dragons was proof enough that, of the three, it was the King family who should be worried about.
"His ability is one with which he can grow stronger and stronger! Is it any surprise, then, that if he is able to survive in Africa, if he is able to grow stronger while in Africa, he is going to be the one capable of wiping out the strongest family?"
He continued.
"So, if we ease the burden upon him, fight with him for just a moment, then upon his victory, we shall deliver the finishing blow, and take his life?"
Naturally, there were a few objections.
"And what if all of us go, and we all die? Don't be mistaken, we're not the only ones with allies, the King family does as well."
"Ah, I get that, I get that. But do remember that every dragon family with the exception of the Graves, in America is on our side. It's not just the Assas, or the Ost. It's going to be an all-out war in Africa, our lives are on the line, our talents and abilities will be put to the test! We get to annihilate all who stand before us, it will be a privilege to kill as we shall! The victor will desecrate and trample upon the loser, just as true dragons should!"
'Then that's no reason, if we're all going to die horribly and be desecrated, then…'
When Damien looked around, he saw the smiles and sparkles in the eyes of nearly every dragon present.
Of course, dragons are violent species. Not just in their blood, but in the way every one of them was raised.
Sure, some weren't as enthused as others. But, deep within every dragon's heart, there was an idolization of fighting and bloodshed.
So, it made sense. Appealing to the yearning of every dragon, to engage in an all-out war for the ages, a war where everything was on the line, where their fighting spirits, their merit, their worth, their value and existence itself was all being put to the test… It wasn't a bad move.
And, seeing the joy of everyone present, it began to spread to even Damien. After all, Damien was a competitive person.
It's a lot harder to stick out from the crowd than one might expect. When everyone else is doing something, most will—even if they say they won't—follow.
So, Damien felt a tenderness, a burning spirit in his heart. If one is born a male, it will, at one point, be their dream to die in battle.
Damien got wrapped up in the energy of the room, and began to enjoy the idea of going to Africa.
"Alright! Now that's been settled, enjoy your feast! We'll be leaving tomorrow!"
Todd got down and smiled cheerfully, as Damien and Jack began to eat. And then, Todd walked over to them with a woman by his side.
"Mind if I have a seat?" Todd asked. Damien shrugged his shoulders and hummed, to which Todd took as a "yes."
He and the woman sat down, with Todd gesturing over to the woman, who was to be around 50 or 60 in terms of age, yet she'd aged quite gracefully.
"This is my wife, Daisy. She's taken an interest in you, Damien."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"She's actually part of the Assas bloodline. Yet, she joined the Oppen family through marriage. As we're not enemies, this wasn't a violation of the First Taboo."
"Okay. And what's that got to do with her being interested?"
She spoke up, saying, "to see one of my relatives become such a widespread and infamous figure is interesting enough. But yet, to know that I can freely speak to their sibling is additionally wonderful."
Damien continued to eat before wiping his mouth with a napkin after it'd gotten dirty.
"Well, I don't really know him all that well," Damien admitted. "I myself have only met him a few times. And currently…"
"Currently what?"
"I feel… I've got to be the one to kill him."
So he confessed.
"Why's that?"
"Well, I'm not gonna fight to be the one to kill him, but it just feels right… I'll admit, I'm pretty unsure about it, I'm not thinking too hard, but it's still just, y'know. I feel like if it's going to be anyone, it should be me."
To this, Todd smirked. After all, it was an amusing idea, with just the right amount of sentimentality.
"I see," he interjected. "Well, please, enjoy your meal."
Todd got up from the table, and his wife left as well.
…
Upon the meals being finished, everyone left to get ready to go on the trip to Africa.
Once everyone was ready, they flew via private jets. They notified everyone necessary, letting it be known that they would be entering the territories.
Damien looked out the window, resting his head with his cheek on his fist.
'There's so many people coming with us, it honestly seems kind of insane. Just what kind of monsters are in Africa of all places, where we need this many people?'
He felt an uneasiness in his heart, and he sighed.
'I'm kind of scared. But it's alright, it's alright. My job is to aid Arthur, and distract him. Everyone else is going to do the hard work. I wonder, will I be the one who gets the final hit in?'