A symbol in the shape of a lightning bolt materialized on the wrist guard of Rin's sword. This meant that Rin's primary element was lightning.
Rin descended to the ground slowly, while all his friends looked at him strangely; their expressions were conflicted. Selene stood gazing with deep regret and sorrow at the remaining part of Theron.
Rin watched from afar, then decided to move forward to console her. He took step after step; each step felt like a weight on his shoulders, and he did not know what to say or do. He moved on until he reached her side, then bowed his head slowly and sadly to look at Theron's legs, the only parts left of his body. Selene looked at him in grief; her eyes welled up, holding back tears. Rin could not bring himself to intervene or embrace her. Selene could no longer hold back her tears, and she collapsed in sobs on Rin's shoulder.
At that moment, two figures were watching from a distance atop a sand dune; a man and a woman. They appeared not to be human, but rather like demons. They wore entirely black cloaks, though the horns on their heads could not be concealed. The man had pale gray skin and red eyes, with long black hair. He held up something like binoculars as he observed Rin and the others. The woman looked exactly like him, except she had short gray hair.
The man spoke: "That boy is amazing—he managed to defeat Raah. We must certainly recruit him. What do you think?" The woman replied: "Yes, he is indeed special, but you must consider: will he join us or become an enemy? We must recruit him, but if he refuses, we should kill him before he grows stronger. He might pose a threat to us in the future." The man remained silent for a long time, thinking, then said: "Yes, you're right."
Rin was angry as he looked toward the horizon from afar; he had been able to glimpse them.
The man chuckled wickedly beneath his black cloak, then the woman challenged: "Heh heh, he was able to see us—how amusing. Come on, let's leave now. We've seen enough for today; one day he will join us of his own free will." Then they vanished as if they were shadows in the blink of an eye, leaving behind black feathers drifting in the wind.
The matter was strange—even Rin was astonished; he had kept watching them the entire time, and after blinking and opening his eyes, he saw they had disappeared as though he had only imagined it. He chose not to think about it given the situation he was in.
The others did not understand what had happened; they advanced toward where they had been standing, moving slowly. Leon arrived first and patted Rin on the back, saying: "You were truly magnificent—you managed to defeat Raah." But when he turned his gaze back to the ground, he saw that horrible sight. He remained stunned, speechless, bowing his head just like Rin and Selene. The others were still at the rear, tense. Aretha asked: "What's happening with them? Why do I see them standing there, just staring at the ground?" Mona answered: "Yes, you're right. I'm feeling nervous now."
Erenor realized that what they were looking at was most likely Theron's corpse; since he had awakened, he had been nodding his head constantly, searching for Theron. He had hoped his sense was wrong, but fate shows no mercy. When they drew very close—just one step away—Aretha said: "What are you looking at, everyone?" But Rin and the rest remained silent. Aretha continued: "You've really frightened me; come on, speak!" Yet as she and the others stepped forward, everyone simply stood there, staring without uttering a word. Aretha covered her mouth, and so did Mona and Lina, while Erenor clenched his fist and turned his body backward.
But the person most affected by the scene was Oran; he had remained unconscious ever since Raah's first attack on him and knew nothing of what happened afterward. He stood in shock for a long time before he could comprehend the situation. The one who had promised to protect him, even if it cost him his life… was now dead, with only the legs of his body remaining.
Everyone stood looking at Theron's corpse with sorrow and despair. The sun rose on a new dawn, revealing the gloom and grief on the faces of those present. After a long moment, someone finally spoke among the group—it was Rin: "It would be best to bury him here. He sacrificed his life to protect us; at least it will be our honor to inter him where he fought to the very end." Everyone nodded in agreement with Rin's suggestion. Rin buried Theron's body, as Selene and the other girls collapsed in tears, trying to console Selene.
When Rin finished the burial rites for Theron, he turned his gaze to see Theron's axe gleaming in the sunrise. The axe appeared as if it were Theron himself; it was surely the embodiment of his will. Rin stepped forward to pick it up, contemplating it. Selene looked at him; Rin was already approaching her.
Rin offered Theron's axe—manifested from his will—to his daughter Selene. Selene's eyes were still wet from the many tears she had shed. She wiped her tears away and took her son's axe without the slightest hesitation. Then she looked toward the horizon at the sun rising high in the sky, saying: "One day I will be like this— I will shine like this sun in the heights of the sky." She then looked back to tell everyone to return to the city.
It had been a very arduous day; they had indeed been on the brink of death. That night would never be forgotten; it would remain etched in their memories forever, with their mixed emotions: despair, terror, fear, resignation, loss of hope, pain, joy, happiness, delight… from Rin's feat, followed by shock, grief, loss, emptiness, and the will to survive.
With every step they took, the sun climbed higher in the sky, illuminating their sorrowful faces with determination as they pressed onward.
After a long time, no one spoke about stopping or taking a break to eat lunch. They continued walking without pause; the sun began to unleash its scorching aura. They hadn't eaten since the previous day—but who could have an appetite after all that had happened? They decided to forge ahead; no one spoke up or objected.
Oran's face was still marked by shock and sorrow; he could not fulfill his promise to protect Theron, and he imagined the worst—that Selene, Theron's daughter, had died. He began to wonder: "What if Rin couldn't protect her? Maybe she really is dead." He said, "I couldn't do anything— I was unconscious the whole time, I didn't even witness Theron fighting. I'm just a failure; I broke my promise again. I'm so weak; I couldn't do anything." Oran blamed himself constantly.
As evening approached, they all stood directly before the gate of the city of Arian, and then they moved forward to enter it. The two gate guards knew they were close to King Ethan, so they did not prevent them from passing through. Upon entering Arian, the city was more prosperous than ever before. It seemed the demonic monsters had not attacked the previous night; this was why everyone was out wandering the city today. As soon as the group entered the city, one of the royal guard detachments approached Rin and the group, and a guard came forward to whisper in Rin's ear: "King Ethan wishes to meet with you as soon as possible. It's best you
move now toward the royal castle."
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