Turning back time a little, Ren's conversation with Cairon was progressing at a steady pace despite the chaos happening to the others. Ren's feeling a bit anxious as he uses his instincts to check on them, they're...fine for now, but it's better not to continue this for too long, so he decides to try speed things along as he blows apart a stable door with lightning, "Cairon, what is it that you want? We don't have all day here". Cairon ponders for a few seconds before answering, "hm...you're right. Unfortunately, some things take time despite being short of it. Like earlier, you asked what my magic is. It's very important that you know that it's a magic unknown to the populace".
Ren feels a little pang of frustration at his answer, but then a striking thought hits him and washes that frustration away like it was never there, "unknown? Something like that exists?", did Adam not show me all the magic??? Hold on...he didn't show me light or shadow magic either! Even though I said I didn't want to be blindsided! Leaving out important information...that bastard! Adam is leisurely observing Ren and Cairon from his throne in the cosmos, "hey, not my fault you failed to inquire further into what was right in front of your eyes. I'm as perfect as I've always been". He says that last past as he summons a mirror beside him and winks at his own reflection.
Cairon lets off another attack into a fence of the stables, "yes, but there hasn't been anyone with it as their affinity revealed by the affinity glass. Even though it's never been discovered when checking for affinity, the magic itself has been secretly passed down in my family for generations. You can learn it just like other magic. Its strength is...almost second to none. One day, I saw this guy harassing this woman. I stepped in, putting my hand on her shoulder to pretend I knew her to try and help her get away. The second I did, it was like lightning struck me. It was an effect of her race that informs us that we were soulmates...but that's not the point. The guy accosting her immediately tried to punch me. I didn't let that happen, and although it was a bit tough to land a punch with his speed, I did. The second I did, it was over. It wasn't even a hard punch, all I need to do is make contact and it's over. That woman became my wife, as we were soulmates, but the guy I beat...he was a Commander. I had no idea as I'd never had much interest in that sort of thing, but I'd caught the Demon King's eye after beating his commander so easily. He gave me an ultimatum; take the place of the Commander I killed...or he'd kill my wife...she wasn't my wife yet, but you get the point. He even threatened to kill my wife's little sister if we ran. There are Demons who deserve to die horrible deaths, but there are also those who deserve to live happy and fulfilling lives. I couldn't risk anyone dying for my personal choices, so I had no choice but to submit. I don't stand a chance against the Demon King. It's impossible to land a punch on him. I instinctively knew the second he launched lightning past my face before I could react".
Ren is frustrated as he listens to Cairon's life story unfold, I feel like crap for thinking this, but I don't have time for this...and why are my instincts are telling me to listen??? The others are...still ok. Then I'll keep quiet to get this over with as soon as possible! Cairon takes a deep breath before continuing, the emotions swelling in his chest as he kicks a support beam, "my wife...died during labour with our second child. Now that my wife was gone, the Demon King threatened to kill my children instead. And if I tried to run with my children, he'd kill all the townspeople, not just my sister-in-law, and hunt us like dogs until we were dead. He'd send a Commander to track us and finish me with his own two hands. We wouldn't have anywhere to run. I couldn't even seek asylum due to my position as a Commander in the first place. I thought about just sending my kids, but they'd have no adult to protect them from the persecutions of being a Demon. They're too young. My wife's little sister offered to protect them in my stead, and I was actually thinking of accepting and sending them away, but then she was delivered to my doorstep, beaten within an inch of her life. I began being more cautious of everyone around me after that...but it doesn't change the fact that me and my family are trapped".
Ren has been listening intently while letting off small attacks, not saying a word...more like the situation wouldn't let him get a word in, Why would someone suddenly tell their entire life story as an answer to a question? I mean, I feel for you man, I really do, but a little warning would've let me mentally prepare myself. I'm struggling not to cry despite being rushed for time!
Cairon continues after a second of gathering his composure, "when two forces collide, the stronger one comes out on top. Since you have the same power as the Demon King, you can probably beat me. But that's not important. What's important is...will you be able to beat the Demon King? With those instincts of yours as an advantage that he doesn't have".
Cairon looks at Ren from the corner of his eye as he lowers his fists, not striking anything else anymore. His eyes demands an answer to his question, a serious answer. Ren can feel a range of emotions from Cairon; desperation, regret, sadness, anger. He is overcome by the atmosphere, answering Cairon completely honestly without hesitation, "to be honest...not right now. But in the future, I promise that I'll do what needs to be done. That, you can be sure of".
Cairon chuckles a little, "the fact that you didn't just straight up say yes actually reassures me more. Do those instincts of yours give you such confidence in your future?". Ren looks at his right palm as he clenches it, not shooting off anymore lightning, "since learning I had this power, I can say that I've gained more confidence. However, not in the way that you think. It's more like I'm more confident in the decisions that I have been making instead of just blind belief in following what I was arbitrarily feeling. It's hard to explain, but it's like reassurance rather than certainty".
Cairon faces Ren once more, "...I don't really understand, but I can tell you're not bluffing, lying, or exaggerating", It seems like it's ok to bet on him, even if I have my doubts...not that I have a choice. The second he came here, it was set in stone that either he'd kill me, or the Demon King would kill me. Cairon then suddenly puts a hand behind his back and looks directly into Ren's eyes despite the distance between them, "last question...how many fingers am I holding up?". Ren can't help himself from being dumbfounded despite Cairon being equally, if not more serious than before, "who asks that in this type of situation?".
Cairon furrows his brow, acknowledging how ridiculous it seems, but deems it necessary, "just testing these so-called instincts of yours a little. Just satisfying my curiosity", I've got a lot riding on the line. I need reassurance, no matter how small it is. Ren regains his composure after remembering he doesn't have time for this, "fine, let's get this done quickly!". Then ponders a little before answering, running through the answers in his head, 1...2...3...4...5... none of them?, "I'm not the biggest fan of people asking how many but putting up none".
Cairon isn't shaken by his correct answer, "right answer, but it could just be luck. But how about...now?", as he holds up four fingers behind his back this time. Ren feels like he's going to snap, but holds himself back and runs through the numbers in his head again before guessing four fingers. This snowballs into multiple rapid-fire back-and-forths of guesses and answers. He humours Cairon, even though he finds the situation absurdly frustrating.
Although Ren takes a few seconds to answer each time, he also gets it right each time. Ren's frustration does eventually snap, "isn't that enough? Do you really want to keep doing this In this situation? I have things to do!!!", like helping the girls down below! Cairon stops, bringing the hand behind his back to his front. He looks at it, melancholy, "sorry, forgive a father's whims. You're not a father yet, but you will be one day, so you'll understand then. Try that trick on them at some point, they'll love...it. Looks like things are getting serious over there".
Ren looks behind him, Cairon's pause carrying an ominous tone. He tilts his neck up to look at the structure Lorilay created, that must be earth magic. Are they ok?...it seems like they're still ok, but I want to finish this quickly even if they're ok! Cairon clenches his hand into a fist, resolve overwriting his melancholy upon seeing the structure, "my daughter...is a prodigy. She picks up things almost instantly. She'll surpass me by the time she's twenty if I train her, especially if I teach her our family's magic. The Demon King won't allow my daughter to run free if she learns it. If she did...he'd probably just turn her into his slave. He'll shackle her to himself and condition her to be his personal attack dog. That...is something I can never let happen, no matter what. I feel like he'll realise her potential within the next few years if I'm by her side. His attention will inevitably turn towards her one way or the other... He'll take her while she's still weak enough to not put up much of a fight and...I can't even say it such horrors. There's only one way to stop that from happening with the least amount of bloodshed...but I can't beat him, so I have to take a gamble and buy time. I know she'll follow in my footsteps...but she'll have to walk that path alone".
As he finishes saying this, Cairon gives Ren a smile, but that smile fills Ren with the most dread he's ever felt in his life. Before Ren can say anything, Cairon unleashes one of his moves...into his own torso, impaling himself with his hand. Ren dashes towards him in a panic, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING???". Cairon falls to his knees as Ren quickly grabs his shoulder to support him. Cairon, "this is the only way for my children...to be safe...to have a chance...at growing up happy... Maybe if I'm out of...the picture...hopefully he'll forget...about them...as slim as the chance...may be... But as long as I'm here...they will always be on his mind... I can't run...or hide them...or he'll kill everyone until...he finds them...this is...the only way... I couldn't even...commit suicide until now...but now you're here...so he shouldn't retaliate...against anyone...but you...if I die".
Ren looks at Cairon's wound, but his instincts say it's impossible to save him, who the hell can inflict a fatal wound like this on themselves like that?!?!?!The only thing I can do for him now...is to see this through till the end, "ok, I promise I'll beat him. You have my word!". Cairon musters a smile before he punches Ren's face with about half of the strength he has left. Ren could tell that he needn't dodge the punch and takes it without question. He then turns his head back towards Cairon, confusion evident on his face. Cairon smirks in response, "we need to...make it look...authentic".
Ren starts bleeding from his nose and top lip, but pays no mind to it. Cairon wheezes as he leans into Ren for support, "I decided to...bet on you...to defeat the Demon King and...set everyone free... This...might only buy...my kids some time...but it's better...than nothing... I haven't seen anyone else...with the potential...who could possibly beat him bar the...Vampire Lord...but with your power...it might be possible", even if I know nothing about you, my only choice is to believe in that possibility.
Ren, completely serious in every word he speaks in order to try and reassure Cairon, "without a doubt, I will". Cairon smiles at his declaration, "thank you… and can I ask...one thing of you?". Ren, "if it's something I can do". Cairon, "please release the...locked up slaves...and get them to the church", the church closest to here seems to be a legit one since I stopped almost all the illegal trade around here. Ren, "we were going to anyway", once he mentioned this was a slaver's place, I wasn't going to leave anyone here.
Ren and Cairon then hear a massive explosion, causing the structure Lorilay created to start to collapse, black smoke rising into the air. Cairon, "seems like...we should hurry... Throw me through...that wall", as he indicates with a jerk of his head. Behind said wall, the structure collapses, a plume of dust now rising with the smoke of the explosion. Cairon, "putting me...in front of the Demon army...like this should...make them think that...you killed me...more believable".
That request, as admirable and noble as it is, makes Ren hesitate, not doing it would only be an insult to the resolve he has displayed, but..."I don't have the strength to throw you through that wall". Cairon just stares at him in disbelief while still bleeding out of his self-inflicted wound. It's as if the his shock made him forget that he was dying for a moment. Ren feels very uncomfortable from Cairon's stare, "don't look at me like that...lightning is my strength, not muscle". Cairon, realising that there is not point in just bleeding out for the sake of it, "then I'll jump through...just break it right...as I do".
Cairon undoes the clip on his Commander armband, letting it fall to the ground before Ren's supports him in standing up. He then takes his hand out of his impaled torso, letting his blood loss increase. He starts to run with the last of his strength towards the stable's wall, the blood creating a trail on the ground. Ren breaks the wall with his lightning just before Cairon hits it, letting him fall through the hole as bits of wood are blasted through the air. Cairon rolls and rolls down the hill, blood spewing with each tumble.
A little bit earlier, Histian has his arm crossed and is tapping his foot in irritation, "ARE THEY NOT HERE YET???". The Demons around him all advert their eyes from him since there's nothing they can do to make a flying Demon fly faster. It's then that that a group of Demons wheeling a cart with various goods from the store house arrive, "Boss, we brought the screaming turtle oil and anything else that we thought might be useful". Shortly after them, one of the Cheetah-kin from earlier sprints onto the scene, carrying a small box. The other two were chasing after her, irritation written across their faces.
Histian struts over to them in his irritation, "YOU'RE FAR TOO LATE YOU FOOL...s? Wait a sec, since you're all idiots, I don't suppose you brought some Fire Lizard skulls with you?". One of the Demons from the group with the cart holds up a bag, "we're not that stupid, boss. We know these are dangerous, so we kept these away from the other stuff". Histian takes the bag from him with great care, "if you weren't idiots, you would've known you're meant to only carry one of these in a bag and stay a good distance away from flammable explosives...but this is perfect. Put the oil barrels at the base of that structure, we won't even need the venom". The Cheetah-kin with the box feels like her soul just left her body due to the wasted effort.
-Fire Lizard Skulls: Fire Lizards have a large horn on their skulls that they can ignite at will. These fiery horns have a variety of uses, from a light source to mating dances and intimidation tactics. After death, these horns dry out and become highly volatile. The horns have three layers in total. The outermost layer hardens but is still susceptible to being damaged. The inner layer releases a flame upon contact with the air, resulting in a slow burn. The core is highly explosive upon contact with the air, making this a dangerous material with little practical uses apart from war or mining. The base of these horns needs to remain attached to the skulls or they will explode. The horns can be safely handled when wet, but there is little need to do so-
The group of Demons do as instructed, placing the barrels at the base of the structure with a thud. Histian places the bag of Fire Lizard skulls on an oil barrel, all apart from the one in his hand. Histian uses one of his sharp fangs to dig into the inner layer of the horn, but not deep enough to hit the innermost layer. Upon retracting his fang, the inner layer of the horn catches fire. Histian quickly places the skull atop the lid of the oil barrel with the other skulls before sprinting to a safe distance.
The inner layer burns slowly and steadily, and after about a dozen seconds or so, the core is exposed to the air. If one was close enough, they could hear the ominous hiss the horn creates before exploding. The small explosion is the catalyst for an even bigger explosion, the shrapnel from the outer layer damaging the other horns, thus exposing their cores to the air to create a chain explosion big enough to engulf and ignite all the oil barrels simultaneously, resting in a massive explosion. The Demons watch as the structure begins to topple over, the base of it all but destroyed.
Histian watches with a satisfied smirk as the structure hits the ground, creating a huge cloud of dust. He hisses out orders as the breeze starts to clear the dust cloud, "CREATE A PERIMETER ON THE OFF CHANCE THAT THEY SURVIVED AND TRY TO ESCAPE! ONCE THE DUST SETTLE, CONFIRM THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE DEAD!". The Demons create a perimeter around the collapsed structure as instructed, patiently waiting for the dust to settle.
Before the breeze can fully carry the dust away, a loud lightning strike draws all the Demons' attention to the stables, pieces of wood flying everywhere as something falls through the newly created hole atop the hill. The Demons watch in horror as their Commander tumbles down the hill with blood flying every which way. Some of them look to the hole in the stables, their eyes in shock as they observe Ren, standing there and looking down at them with a face of indifference, as if he was disappointed by how easy the fight was, Cairon's Commander armband now in Ren's firm grasp. To them, it looks like the opponent he just threw down the hill like a piece of garbage was of no significance to him, but to them, he was the strongest Commander. It was well known that he stood above all the other Commanders, and it wasn't even close. They are too shocked to believe their eyes.
However, no matter how much they want to deny reality, it doesn't change the fact that Cairon is now at the bottom of the hill, bloody and on the verge of death as he wheezes desperately for air. Before anyone can move a finger, Cairon manages to speak in his half-dead state, "r-ru...n". As Ren starts to pass through the hole and descend the hill, Histian is the first one to sprint away in full speed. This causes a chain reaction, Demons following him one after another, screaming in panic as they run for their lives...all expect one Demon, different from all the rest.
The little girl had just finally reached the outskirts of the city, a little to the side of where the battle took place. She sees all the Demons running away in the same direction. However, she doesn't even pay that any attention as she desperately searches the area, her breath laboured as her tiny legs ache. It doesn't take her long to notice a person lying at the bottom of the him, the one she was searching for. She starts sprinting towards him with her wobbly little legs, shouting "DADDY!!!!", over and over as she desperately tries to get closer.
Ren continues his decent as the girl closes in on Cairon. Upon finally hearing the shouting of the little girl after many repeated attempts, Cairon tries to move, but it is futile as the strength has all but left his body now. He can only wait for her to reach him, which feels like an eternity to him. His vision is hazy, making him unable to see the girl once she finally reaches him, "why...are you...here...Roxy?". The little girl, Roxy, bends down and grips her father's trousers as hard as she can. She desperately tries to drag him towards the direction she just came, "I came to...come and get you... The alarm went off so...we have to go...that's what you taught us...but you weren't with us". Cairon can't stop his overflowing fatherly pride and worry, but he is unable to act on them, let alone say anything.
Cairon wants desperately to reach up and hug his daughter, but his body is betraying him, refusing to let him do so. As Ren is about to reach Cairon and the girl, another shout can be heard in the distance, this time from the boy who got separated from the girl earlier, "DAD!!!". The boy quickly runs up to his father and sister. Ren walks past where Cairon is and continues on, not looking back. Whether that's because he doesn't dare to, or is unable to, is uncertain. He tries his best to not let his emotions get the better of him, forcing a mask of indifference. Roxy calls out to her brother, "THEO! HELP! DADDY CAN'T MOVE!".
It pains Cairon to hear these words as his daughter desperately try to drag him to safety. The young Red Fox-kin runs up to them, but he is too stunned by the bloody sight to do anything but stare in uncertainty. Roxy screams at him to help once more, but she goes silent once Cairon weakly grabs her arm, "stop...Roxy... I'm not...going anywhere". Roxy only grips his trousers harder, trying with all her strength to drag her father once again.
Theo, unsure what to do in this situation, moves on pure instinct to stop his sister by putting his hands on her shoulders, his instincts screaming at him to do so, "Roxy...stop". Roxy tries desperately to shake her brother's hand off her, "Get off me!! Why are you stopping me???". As Roxy is trying to shake her brother off, Cairon's arm falls back to the ground, the last of his strength evaporating. Seeing this, Theo immediately wraps his arms around his sister in a firm embrace, "Roxy...I'm begging you...please stop." Roxy freezes as her brother's desperate plea resonates with every fibre of her being, as much as she desperately wants to deny it. Uncontrollable tears start to form in the corner of her eyes. They start spilling over like a dam, and she can't stop a hallowing cry breaking forth from the deepest depths of her being.
The cry, carried by the lungs of a child, feels like something is clawing at the heart of whoever hears it. As if the sharpest nails to ever exist are scraping away at the heart's very flesh, leaving a gushing, gaping wound. This is exactly how Ren feels as he advances towards the explosion site. It feels like the weight of the world is pressing down on his shoulders as the cry shakes him to his core. He clenches his teeth and his fists, his nails drawing blood as he forces himself to take another step onwards, Forward! Don't look back! You made a promise, so keep moving forward! No matter what happens, keep going! Don't stop until you've fulfilled the purpose you were brought here for!!!
Cairon desperately tries to reach out to his daughter, her cry wounding his heart more than any physical wound could. Theo releases his sister and quickly drops to his knees, taking his father's hand into his own, "DAD!!". The sudden release stops Roxy's cry, and she also drops to her knees, resisting her hands on her father's hip as she looks at his face. However, she can't see anything though the tears that are refusing to stop. Cairon, barely hanging on, doesn't know what to do. A million things run through his head, everything he wants to do or say, but there is only one thing he can muster the strength to say, the most important thing of all, "I...love you".
Suddenly, the woman who was with the children earlier, appears and snatches up Roxy into one of her arms. She uses her free hand to grab Theo's hand, "we need to go!". The woman carries Roxy and drags Theo towards the evacuation zone. Theo lets himself be dragged along, tears spilling out of his now hollow eyes. Roxy, however, reacts violently. She desperately kicks and screams, calling out for her father as she's brought further and further away from him. The woman pushes forward towards the evacuation zone, her jaw clenching to try and deal with the pain of her hair being pulled and nails digging into her. The woman doesn't stop, doesn't let the pain get to her, and marches forward towards safety. The only thing on her mind is getting the two children to a safe place, nothing else.
The light in Cairon's eyes are flickering, the moment of his final breath quickly approaches. As his heart slows and eyes glaze over, the last thoughts that run through his head are of his children, Theo...your just like your mother. Smart and kind. You didn't take after me in the slightest, but I know you'll be ok. You accomplish whatever you set your mind to. The Demon King has little interest in you, but Roxy, my little fireball, you have natural talent. You pick up things so fast that's it's hard to believe you're only 7. I would have loved to teach you the ways of our family's martial arts myself as you grew older, but I'm sorry, your father wasn't strong enough to make this a world where you could grow up in peace. It's ok if you never want to follow in my footsteps, but if you choose continue down that you, you'll eventually discover that. It's something only martial artists will be bothered by. Inside is our family's codex. I'm sure you'll master them quickly if you...find it, but I hope...that day comes...after the Demon King is...gone from this world. Cairon, the strongest Commander of the Demon forces, takes his last breath with his final thoughts being the things he wished he could've said to his children before passing.