His day with Cat Daughter ended in a resounding success, Imuru felt in brim confidence of the overall situation admittedly not as smoothly as he would have liked, perhaps, but good enough that there wasn't much to be bitter about. The conversation with Vunaru wrapped up with her filled in on most of the issues that had transpired, and in the end, both parties signed off on a pact between their towns, sealing a new chapter of cautious cooperation.
With the day winding down to the late evening, the three groups exchanged goodbyes. Kemono spoke with Imuru of their bright future together, his voice carrying the weight of a warrior who had found respect in an unexpected rival. Meanwhile, the Apexes and Vulmaru finished drilling Forcent with questions, the Ennom enduring their curiosity with his usual stoic indifference.
Collon, never one to miss an opportunity, gave one last teasing goodbye to his sister Yosho, "Remember you don't have to visit," he said, earning himself a swat to the arm for his trouble.
Yosho shook her head subtly. "Oh, Dear, Sarcasm?" For his response, simply gave a shrug of his shoulder, waving goodbye as he walked off.
Imuru and his members mounted up on their Persudos, all of them visibly exhausted from the long, eventful day. Without fanfare, they began their calm return home, traveling in quiet silence, each lost in their own thoughts as the evening shadows stretched long across the path before them.
Yet despite the day's successes, trouble waited for him at home—a Dark Devider problem that promised to stretch long into the night
"That's over with…" Imuru didn't have much of a thought to say, wanting to simply return home and rest for the day.
When they finally arrived home at last, the once-bustling yard was quiet with only a few Orcs around, simply preparing for the next day. Everyone dismounted the Gray Persudos, and Imuru led the wolves aside to speak with them.
"I want to thank you lovely Persudos for taking the day out of your day for us," Imuru said warmly. "We very much appreciate it, you don't have to worry about us bothering you for the rest of the day."
"Great Imuru," Yosho gently called out, her head tilted as she picked up strange sounds drifting from the town. It wasn't only her hearing it—Linira, Forcent, and Arken had all paused, their attention caught.
Waving the Gray Persudos a goodbye, Imuru strolled over to the group, slowing as he also started to pick up on the sound too. "Huh?" His eyebrows raised. "Is that… music?"
"Apparently someone is holding a celebration… without you, Great Imuru," Yosho remarked, a perplexed lilt in her voice.
"That would be the newcomers," Linira clarified, turning to Imuru. "They're celebrating Arg's death and their new leader—you, Lord Imuru." She paused, her expression unreadable but not unkind. "Aren't you going to greet them? No haste. We all had a long day."
Yosho smiled from ear to ear. "Celebrating Great Imuru. As they should."
"Arg…" Imuru's eyes flicked upwards to the sky, the name pulling a shadow of memory across his face. "I'll pass on the celebrations, thank you. I hope you and Roll will fill them in on Cherisnot's rules." He paused, a thread of concern weaving into his voice. "Whatever happened to Cag… and his troubled partner, Stulte? I didn't think my conversation went over well with him, when he woke up after I accidentally knocked him out."
"He's been dealt with," Linira replied, her tone calm, ambiguous, carrying just enough weight to send a chill down Imuru's spine. Besides him, Yosho's lips pressed into a faint smirk—'good reddance' her expression seemed to say.
"Uhhh… Linira?" Imuru's voice came slowly, edged with deep concern. "What do you mean… he's been dealt with?"
"No worries, Lord Imuru," Linira assured, her composure unshaken. "He lives. Roll and I simply decided it would be best to keep him as far as possible from the others—to prevent him from rallying any Dark Deviders who might still harbor lingering loyalty."
"Hiya-Hiya~..." Imuru scratched the back of his head, his tension easing into a reluctant sigh. "He's problematic for sure… Linira does have a point. I don't like it, but she has a point," He thought.
"He has his partner Cag with him," Linira added.
"He does?" Imuru's shoulders relaxed. That, at least, made him feel slightly better.
Arken heard enough, so turned to leave. "Arken, where are you off to?"
"I am off to sharpen my skills," Arken grumbled back in response. "To grow stronger requires constant hard work. Until next time…" Arken saw an abrupt attention shift in everyone's eyes, causing him to pause. "Hmph. Just what cau—"
"Agh! Wha~t…" Arken found his body involuntarily stepping back, nearly tripping over himself.
"Awe. My Sweet Baby!" The woman Dark Devider lunges at Arken to embrace, but he acts quickly; evading the woman, as he hurries behind Imuru. "I-Im—Imuru," Arken pointed at the woman, stammering out his words, "act… act q-quickly. St—stop her!"
The woman stepped closer and closer, smiling delicately; her eyes glued to Arken's, while Yosho and Forcent carefully watched her movements. Imuru was curious to who this lady was, but he'll defend Arken while getting his answers. "Stop! If I may ask, who are you?"
"Me? Uh, forgive me miss, and Arken," The woman pointed a finger at Arken, "Arken come here, now. It's distasteful for you to hide behind someone so small."
Linira loudly cleared her throat. "Please forgive her. This is Arruru, Lord Imuru—Arken's mother."
" " "Ohh!!!" " "
The trio, Imuru, Yosho and Forcent were both surprised and intrigued; this all heightened due to the prideful Arken's major switch in behavior.
"His mother?" Imuru's eyes scanned Arruru from her toe to head… and a thought came to mind, "I don't want to deal with this."
"Arken's scared of his mommy?" Yosho thought, placing a finger on her lips. She tried to hide it, yet did not put much effort into it as she eagerly wanted Arken to see that her face screamed amusement.
"Arruru, please show your respect. This is Lord Imuru," Linira said, her tone firm.
Arruru's gaze shifted from Linira to Imuru, studying him carefully as she collected her thoughts. Her eyes held a quiet intensity, weighing the figure before her. "The Lord Imuru," she said slowly, "the man who defeated Head-hand Arg?" A pause. Then, with measured grace, she bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Imuru."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too—the mother of Arken." Imuru glanced up at Arken, a subtle smile playing on his face. "Now, I really want to leave you two—mother and child—to speak, but we're all exhausted after our eventful day. Could you come again?"
Arruru straightened, her expression softening. "I'll be back for you, son." Her voice carried a quiet promise. "Until tomorrow. Thank you for your time, Lord Imuru." She bowed once more and stepped away.
Observing her leave Imuru eyes caught onto three other individuals at the corner of his house peeping around, that seemed to be around his height—Dark Deviders.
"Arken's brother and sisters?" Imuru assumed, as it seemed they came with Arruru. "Or simple friends of Arruru."
Imuru didn't think much about it, strolling off inside his house, leaving the others out in the yard behind, except for Arken trailing behind him.
The moment Imuru left, Yosho turned to Forcent. "Dear, wasn't that so sweet... but It does make me wonder."
"If the Dark Devider fears his mother, there must be a reason," Forcent replied, his tone indifferent, as if the matter barely touched his interest.
"A reason? Perhaps. This is Arken after all. His reasons might be very different from ours," Yosho retorted. She leaned forward, clasping her hands behind her back. "For example, what do you fear about your mother?"
"Hmph."
Forcent was one grumble away from simply walking off. But he decided, perhaps out of a rare flicker of indulgence, to answer. Allies and partners, after all.
"My mother ate my siblings after she made me beat them to the edge of their lives. Resources were limited. It was fair, we were all a few months old."
The words flowed from his mouth in such a nonchalant, calm manner that they sounded almost normal, natural, even. Linira, standing a few meters away and trying very hard to mind her own business, flashed a glance over towards the pair despite her efforts.
Yosho stared blankly, her mind struggling to process what had just been said.
"So," Forcent continued, utterly unbothered, "what is yours?"
"T-That is... very interesting." Yosho cleared her throat, forcing composure back into her voice. "I don't know my mother, but my father... he usually makes us stand facing a wall with a book on our heads. If the book falls, we have to stay there longer." She knew, even as she said it, that her response paled in comparison.
"Ah. I see." Forcent nod his head, thoughtful. "I fear training with my father. It could be worse, I almost died twice when we did." Same tone, same clam.
Yosho could only nod. The point of starting this conversation, lighthearted banter was no longer feasible.
Arken didn't respond. Imuru glanced back and caught the Dark Divider's gaze fixed on the front door, staring at it like a threat, like his mother might come through it at any moment and find him. Imuru shrugged his shoulders and left him to his vigil (staying alert).
The short hallway was quiet. His footsteps echoed faintly. When he reached his room, he sighed, resting his sword in the corner.
Then he stood.
Just… stood.
His gaze drifted without focus. The walls were bare. The space was empty and plain. No clutter, no decorations, nothing that said anyone lived here beyond the bare essentials. The silence pressed in, not heavy, just… present. Waiting.
He didn't move for a long moment. Until he did…
Forgetting to take off his boots, he sighed heavily, and brought them outside his room. With that down he now had the chance to speak openly… without the clouding and wrapping his thoughts…
"Alone once again," Imuru began, his voice soft in the stillness. "I enjoy times like this... to just think." He raised a finger, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "But instead of inward, it's outward thinking."
Imuru sat, folding his legs beneath him in a quiet, meditative posture. The room held its breath with him.
He took one last look around the room, then spoke. "So, how've you been, Great Demon Lord?"
"Great... Mostly. I managed to accomplish something important today, Imuru. Another Great Force is on our side."
"Wow, really? That's incredible. These days must be exhausting, huh? Man, I couldn't bear to be in your shoes, Great Demon Lord."
"Yeah, yeah, they have been. But I'm trying, you know? Got to keep at it?"
"Can't slow down now. You're in too deep. We have just two left, and then..."
"And then?"
"And then... we can rest for a while."
A pause. The silence between the words felt heavier than any battle.
"Hmm. Yeah..." A quiet exhale. "Rest for a while."
Imuru went quiet momentarily, pausing the back and forth speaking with himself. He opened his hand, and looked into it…
"It's been a long day… I need to get some sleep."
So he did, finally putting a close to his day.
…
...
Not long after closing his eyes, Imuru was off to sleep, his consciousness slipping away; body falling motionless.
The hours went by fast, the coldness of the night eventually had to give way for the warmth of the rising sun. Imuru didn't have any intention of rising early, and despite his prior exhaustion from yesterday started to shift in his sleep; his eyes cracking open many times—for less than a second, like a blink, as his body tried to find the comfort to fall back to sleep. Turning onto his back, he remained in this position for a few minutes…
Imuru waited… but he didn't feel any form of sleepiness anymore… in fact he felt rather refreshed to an unnatural degree. Aside from this, there was something else he knew needed his immediate attention, then how he currently felt; such as the presence in his room.
…. Deciding to address, he slowly opened his eyes… to a particular scene. At his head, there were three Dark Deviders; about his height (that's a surprise in of itself) the chubby one with a mask, had a round faced female with short hair on his back, with another slim looking male with some muscle beside them arms crossed staring at the other side of the room (?)
"The one who defeated Head-hand Arg?" Ominously said the female.
Imuru bolted from under his cover, getting practical distance from the intruders. He wasn't afraid… just cautious.
"Jumpy," the female said.
"I'm sure you can understand why," Imuru casually replied. He narrowed his eyes and pointed. "Anyway, who are you three?" Imuru inquired.
"Us?" The female said it in such a way that made her sound so offended. "Who are we? Glad you asked…" She carefully began to stand up straight on her companions back, "to… to answer your question. We are the Triangle!" She loudly proclaimed, hands on her hips and head tilted up.
"Ok. Names please?" Imuru asked, brushing off their introduction.
"Uh…"
"Agh. And why should we tell you? If you want our name, then you must first defeat us in combat," The female leapt down off her friend's back.
Imuru smiled faintly… one of hostility… but of course it wouldn't be easy to know. "More confirmation… universal instincts for all Dark Deviders…. Could I beat it out of them? In a non violent way… obviously," Imuru questioned himself internally.
"Formations everyone!" The female screamed, the other two dropping into their stances for combat.
Outside in the hallway, sitting legs crossed on the other side in front of the front door, was Arken; fast asleep after staying up all night looking out for his mother. His slumber was cut short, as he jolted awake from a loud crashing sound. Looking left to where it was coming from, he saw the body of a girl (unconscious), he wasn't sure what to think, stared quietly, his mind not fully operational due to not getting enough rest. A few seconds later, another person was sent flying from Imuru's room, a slim guy (unconscious), quickly followed by a cubby Dark Devider (unconscious).
Imuru came from his room brushing off his hands. He noticed Arken and waved at him, "Morning Arken!" In return Arken sent back a gentle wave. "What's up with him?" Imuru thought. He flashed one last look at the trio, before he made his way to Arken.
"Ow, boy. You look tired. Were you training all night?" Imuru inquired, batting his eyes with curious intent.
Arken gritted his teeth, his face covered in cold sweats. "I—"
"Arken!" A voice cut into the hallway, and Arken recoiled.
"Oh?" Imuru turned his attention from the trembling Arken, to the unfamiliar voice. "Must be someone scary if they got Arken like this."
"Just wait here, I'll scare them off," Imuru said, grinning and pointing his thumb at himself.
Stepping outside on the porch he locked with Arruru. "Hmph. Who is this?..." He approached the steps, and asked a question, "Morning. Who are you?"
"Ah! You must've been really tired yesterday. Hmm," She placed a finger in-between her lips, "as expected from the man who defeated Head-hand Arg, never a day of relaxation," Arruru murmured, her tone highly suggestive.
A sense of embarrassment rose in Imuru's body from the tone of Arruru's words, his cheeks almost turning red. "....."
"Nevermind that, morning to you Lord Imuru," Arruru bowed. "I am here to meet my son, Arken. As we planned yesterday."
Imuru's eyes shot open wide, like it was the first time he's come across such a revelation. "What?! Mother! Arken's mother. Did we speak yesterday?" Imuru questioned his own memory. "The others from Shadow Of The Moon made it here yesterday… It makes sense one of them would be his parents. Wow, no wonder he's worried. Hmm… what should I do here?"
A couple minutes passed after this thought. Imuru and Arken stood at the bottom of the stairs with Arruru standing a couple feet from them.
"Yep. This should work," Imuru thought, feeling awkward now that he has to stay beside Arken for him to speak to his mother… family drama, not his strong suit. It seemed worth it on the other with Arken standing in proud confidence, his arms crossed… almost like he was never scared at all.
"Who's going to get this started?" Imuru pondered, his eyes flicking from Arken and Arruru. "Not my place, but I'd like to not be standing here forever…"
"Ahem! Arken, your mother Arruru… this is a… place to speak of your feelings," Imuru said, picking his words with care to propel the conversation.
"This must come as such a nuisance to be bothered by my child this much… and he still has his life," Arruru said, her voice dropping low as the final words left her mouth. "You really are a careering leader… Head-hand Linira spoke the truth."
"Mo—Arruru, I am no longer a child. I've fought relentless battles over and over again, for that, I Arken, shall dismiss you of your Motherly duties from this day forward."
Arken declared, turning his back to Arruru. A confident display from the Dark Devider, Imuru was well accustomed to; what he wanted to hear next was what Arruru had to say about this.
"Pfft!"
Arruru covered her mouth, her body shaking from the sheer absurdity of Arken's words, if it weren't for Imuru's presence, she wouldn't have had held back from loudly laughing it off and bringing Arken back in line.
"You haven't grown! Still a Kin… you claim to boast such a reputation then why do my instincts say I should doubt? Now Arken, your claims are empty, because your mother hasn't accompanied you on any of them. That experience does not count."
Arken frowned, shaking his head in subtle annoyance. "You had your chance… you kept me back countless times. It's now the era of the Great Demon Lord, we have no time for that."
"That's weird? Arken's speaking so highly of me?" Imuru contemplated crossing his arms across his chest. "What not getting enough sleep does to a person." Was Imuru's explanation for this behavior… ignoring the mother factor that played a role.
Curious about what the conversation was about, Imuru respectfully inquired, and Arruru was more than happy to explain.
"Us mothers accompany our children on their first few missions, before they are allowed to go on their own with or without others," Arruru articulately conveyed.
When Imuru heard this, only one word initially crossed his mind: Cute.
"That's... so sweet... I definitely didn't expect to hear that."
"Putting that aside. If this is a custom, then I will allow you to accompany Arken on one of his missions?... but—"
Arken spun around on the spot, mouth already opening to voice his protest.
"BUT!" Imuru raised his voice, cutting him off before a single syllable could escape. "Only one."
Arruru shouldered sagged, her expression withering away. She was disappointed to hear those words, but Arruru despite being a proud woman wouldn't try to challenge his words—even though he had a welcoming company and personality, his words were absolute. Unlike the core thirty, the newcomers from the Shadow Of The Moon settlement only had Linira words to work off of; her words that set boundaries and gave them exceptions to certain behaviors they may inadvertently display.
"Understood, Lord Imuru." Arruru bowed in deep respect.
"Great Demon Lord!" A voice screamed from behind.
Everyone's attention snapped toward the sound. It was the small female from the Triangle, with the rest of her friends emerging onto the porch behind her.
"Uh?"
While Imuru seemed to be disassociating, his mind clearly elsewhere, Arruru watched with quiet curiosity. But Arken—Arken saw his moment. Here was a chance to prove to his mother that he no longer required her sheltering, her protection. He worked alongside the Great Demon Lord now. He had grown.
Gritting his teeth, baring them in a fierce, tight-lipped display, he stomped heavily up the porch toward Triangle, looming over them with his full, intimidating height, glaring down fiercely.
"Ready to tell me your names yet?!" Imuru shouted at the trio, cutting the tension, and possibly preventing a scuffle, as the Triangle sidestepped Arken and gathered before Imuru instead.
"Yes. We are willing, Lord Imuru." The female bowed her head. "I'm Piin, the Tactician." She pointed to the slime member beside her. "This is Munak, the Quickest." Then she gestured to the last, the chubby member. "Crasher, the physical monster." She straightened, meeting Imuru's gaze. "And together, we are the Dark Triangle—or just the Triangle."
"Head-hand Linira and rookie Roll told us newcomers all about you?" Piin planted her hands on her hips, "she even told us you could kick our asses far worse than what Head-hand Arg could've, so not to try anything. We had to test if she was right," Piin enthusiastically remarked.
"Rookie Roll?" Imuru thought, tilting his head slightly at the casual disrespect toward one of his most trusted. "Note for future reference," He straightened, meeting their eyes. "Roll is not a rookie. He is, in fact, above everyone in the command hierarchy of Cherishnot; aside from me." His voice carried quiet pride as he defended the person he delegated most of his leadership workload to.
The Dark Triangle exchanged glances, then gave a combined nod, voicing no objections.
"We'll be sure to correct any further misunderstanding in town," Piin said.
"Wow. That's really considerate," Imuru thought, a bit surprised.
"If you don't mind me asking," Piin began, glancing around, "why do you live here instead of in town? It's not far—just curious."
"Many reasons I will not get into," Imuru replied in an almost defensive manner.
"Many reasons that I haven't come up with yet," he added inwardly, hoping they'll look past this.
Piin nodded, then leaned forward, an eager glint in her eyes. "If you don't mind me asking… Could you show us those flames? You don't have to, but during Head-hand Linira's discussion with us she mentioned them."
"Demon Flames," Munak suddenly added, "that brun on command." He began shadowboxing as he spoke, excitement bleeding into his movements, becoming a literal hype man.
Imuru sighed, not from exhaustion or irritation, but from the quiet realization that he could let his walls down a little. "Kids—nope, Dark Deviders, best not to assume… Doesn't hurt anyone to show them." Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to go through with it.
A frowning Arken sat at the top of the porch steps, arms crossed, watching with thinly veiled disapproval. Imuru walked out into the yard, considering what to display, what would they find exciting enough?
After a moment, he raised his hand forward. Arruru and the Dark Triangle watched closely, anticipation sharp in their eyes.
It started slowly. A faint build-up of energy. Then a strong breeze began to push outwards from his palm, sending his hair into a frenzy. The wind force; or so it seemed to the naked eye was the disruption of the natural Perivállon in the environment.
… Before it came.
From Imuru's palm, with sudden, controlled force, a fiery swirl erupted, the iconic flames of the Great Demon Lord blazing to life in a vortex of blue-ish purple.
For the Dark Triangle and Arruru, this was more than enough. Eyes went wide. Breaths caught. It even had held Arken's attention.
But Imuru wasn't done. He flashed a look over his shoulder, a flicker of something almost playful and decided to push further. The constant swirl already had a strong outward force, its diameter barely exceeding his own petite form… but he wanted to grow it.
More flames poured from his palm.
The fiery display expanded, swelling at erratic, breathtaking intervals. The Dark Triangle and Arruru stepped backwards in unison, worry creeping into their awe.
Belzora's power and mass grew.
And grew.
Until the swirling inferno nearly covered the entire front yard, its heat contained like thunder. The Dark Deviders concern, however understandable, was unnecessary. Imuru had complete authority over Belzora's properties. There was no danger here. No risk of the flames hurting anyone… only if they knew.
Having his fun, Imuru reabsorbed the flames through his palms; not because he needed to, but doing this had simply become second nature, and it's convenient for a time like this. "Hope I didn't scare anyone too much," He kindly expressed, his tone light, almost apologetic.
"No, no, that was amazing!" Piin replied in a hurry, her earlier fear long gone, replaced by burning enthusiasm that lit up her face.
"I can see where the 'G' for Demon Lord came from," Munak remarked gleefully, practically bouncing on heels.
Even Crusher showed his approval, a firm thumbs up and a series of emphatic nods.
Imuru grinned, proud, casually brushing his hands off as if he'd just finished a minor chore. Simply thinking, "Glad they were impressed."
With his showing out of the way, Imuru went on to speak with the trio for a little while longer, their excited questions and eager chatter filling the yard. Until—
Arruru butted in.