Chapter 81: Father

"What are you talking about..?" The Light Elf asked, just staring forward at Eiro in complete confusion. It was as if his mind and body had both shut down in response to what was currently going on, which was the only reason that Eiro could actually sling the Three of Swords around his neck so easily to take his mask off. "There… there's no way you're really that monster… That little piece of shit…" James muttered quietly as he stared at the Demon in front of him, although Eiro just glared back, sick of the sight in front of him.

"Why is there no way?" He asked, "Because you don't want me to live? What a coincidence, I feel the same about you." Eiro pointed out pressing his hand into a fist as the three of swords slung around James' neck more tightly.

"No… Avalin, she… she died and you… lived? You should have died the moment she di!" James asked with anger and frustration, "Avalin and Thomas both..! I ended up like… this, and you…? You have a happy family? Don't fuck with me!" He yelled out as loud as he could, and Eiro nodded his head.

"I know. I'm lucky, aren't I? Well, thanks for letting me be the one that kills you, anyway." The Demon pointed out as two of the blades around James' throat digged slightly into its side and the third one pressed against the bottom of his chin.

"I guess I understand why you felt anger over seeing that Statue. Even I could barely hold myself back from doing the same thing as you, and all of the others just stopped whatever they had been doing and looked at the two of them, and Krog and Jess both couldn't believe what they were seeing. It seemed like they had never seen James' face before, or heard him speak that much.

"What the fuck..? You… you two know each other?" Krog asked with a wry smile, just going insane over the ridiculousness of this situation, and Eiro turned his eyes toward him with a sigh. "I guess I can tell you the story a little, huh? It's going to be the last one you'll hear, after all." The Imp said, and slowly looked back at James.

"I mostly pieced it together through knowledge I gained over the years, but I think this is what happened. Six years ago, I was part of a Monster Horde led by [The Sun] to attack the Kingdom's capital. As we were stopping to rest, some other Imps and I split off of the group, and I soon lost those brothers after getting scared by my own notification." Eiro explained, and then sighed deeply, "The next time I saw them was cut up in front of the feet of three adventurers. The Female Archer with a decorated, expensive dagger, clad in red, Avalin. The warrior with sword and shield clad in blue and silver, Thomas. And of course the Rogue with two black daggers clad in black. James." Eiro said, and the more that he spoke, the more James wanted tried to reach forward and somehow hurt him, but the more that he did so, the more Eiro's blades dug into his skin.

"Ava…lin?" Rudy asked surprised, looking through the door at the young girl holding onto Sammy's leg, and Eiro just closed his eyes for a moment and continued. "Thomas and James quickly started mocking Avalin over her nickname, which she somehow despised. And I repeated what they said, 'Ava', and they all quickly took an interest in me, so Avalin took 'Ownership' of me. But somehow, the band she used didn't work properly on me. And within a week, I could break out. But I needed nourishment and energy for that, and so… immediately fed on the flesh, blood and bones of my brothers. That was the first time I truly felt hatred, toward all three of my captors." The Demon explained, his glare hitting James.

"Soon, Avalin warmed up to me, and I warmed up to her. She seemed to really care for me, even boosting my Language Comprehension Skill. And I-"

"Cared for you? Hah, she just wanted money! We all did!" James interrupted, and Eiro tightened his fist to make the three blades slowly scratch over his skin. "I'm aware of that. But she was kind enough to not treat me like a horrendous being. She did not treat me equal, I know, but I wouldn't have done so either. I barely understood what was happening, after all. Either way, she… helped me, at least. She helped me overcome the terror I felt from the monster of the lake underneath a floating town. She trusted me to bring you food when you were exhausted. She showed me how to read, properly eat food with my hands, and dress in clothes, even if I didn't want to at first." The Demon explained, just slightly smiling.

"I only read of such things now, and even if it may sound ridiculous, she was probably the closest thing I would have to a 'mother'. But then, to prove that I am faithful to her without her control, she weakened the ownership over me for just a few moments, which let me break out the moment we left town that day. Remember that moment? When I asked Avalin what a 'Stinehearth' is? That was the notification telling me I wasn't owned by her anymore." The Imp pointed out, and all of a sudden, Jess made a surprising sound, and finally spoke when she was looked at.

"St-Stinehearth?! Like… Like THOSE Stinehearths?! The Duke Family?!" She asked, and Eiro just sighed. "I don't know, and I don't care either. She didn't want to be a Stinehearth anymore, after all. Either way, soon, the time to be sold came soon, and the three of them chose to sell me to a thing known as 'Zaragon'. A horrible creature I never want to really face again. He offered a use of the Ace of Cups in return for me, but just when they made their choice, [The Sun] attacked the town, cut the room we were in in half together with part of Zaragon's body, and just instantly incenerated Thomas without any trace of his body. Zaragon went mad and ate the living Avalin right in front of my mouth to heal, all the whilst I used the 'chance' she had given me to use the Ace of Cups myself, and then escaped. I saved a little girl on the way, who I later named after the one that saved me. Then, I met a carriage filled with people who would later become my family, minus three adults who I killed for their sake." Eiro explained in a clear tone, and then slowly turned his head over toward Krog with nothing but a slight smile, although his eyes showed the anger he was hiding behind that smile.

"And anyone who would dare doubt how genuine my love for them is will suffer." The Demon said, slowly leaning down to grab the mask that James had on his face before and smiled. "I see, so this is supposed to be the me from back then, huh? Did you have to make me that ugly? You really must have hated me." Eiro chuckled, and suddenly, a voice that the Imp hadn't expected to hear again spoke.

"Heh, I think he might've done you a favor. I'm glad I'm blind already, otherwise your mug might've taken care of that." A weak, elderly voice said as he stepped out of the house, held up by Sammy and Arc, while Clementine took care of Leon and Avalin. "Eiro, I think a single death on this hill is enough for a day, don't you think? Let's not pull these children there just yet." Jura suggested, and immediately the three blades and threads slung around James' neck disappeared with a light as a card appeared in Eiro's hand, which he immediately made disappear as well.

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"J-Jura, you're…" Eiro said with a slight smile on his lips as he approached the old man, and he nodded his head in response, "For now I am, yes. But I won't be much longer… Eiro, please, show me the product of that task I have given you." The old man asked, and without hesitation, Eiro nodded his head and rushed up to Jura to take over holding him up, quickly bringing him to the cut down project.

"It… It's in a bit of a messy state right now, but…" The Demon said quietly as he tried to push the chunks of wood that James cut off back into the places they were supposed to go, but Jura just stopped him and ran his fingers over the wood.

"You see, Eiro… My card is that of the pentacle suit… so I gained an affinity for the earth element, adding onto the affinity I had for water already… And because of my talent for that element, gained Nature Magic." The Old man said, slowly closing his eyes, before the grass they were standing on was slowly starting to grow longer and thicker, lifting up the different chunks and splinters of wood and pushing them into the right places.

As they slung themselves around the wooden body and stayed there to keep everything together, at last the head was re-attached, and as a bit of blood streamed down the sides of the old man's mouth and some even started seeping out of the scar across his face, he just coughed and smiled. "Hmm, truly splendid. I have raised a good Apprentice, have I not?" Jura asked, and Eiro just slightly smiled back, just looking at the backs of the group of three, James, Krog and Jess, as they just left the hill, quietly and defeated, and while Krog was angry and Jess felt horrible, James simply seemed… to be sad.

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But Jura was right, one death here was enough for now…

"Let's go back inside, shall we?" Jura suggested, and Eiro nodded his head and quickly helped the old man inside of the house again, bringing him over toward his bed, where he swiftly layed down while Nelli was floating next to him bitterly. "That story, surprisingly intense, isn't it? I thought you were just some rich person's playtoy, and that was why you were so smart…" Jura chuckled quietly, and Eiro just lightly smiled as he sat down directly next to the bed, on the chair that still stood right there.

"Eiro…" Jura said quietly, "I thank you for all you have helped me these past years." He muttered quietly, his breathing slowing down more and more. "Of course. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." The Imp said in a clear voice, and Jura slowly moved his hand over toward the Demon's to grasp it in his last moments.

"I'm proud of you. You have grown into a splendid man these past years. A Demon, better than most men I have known. The children as well, of course… You can be proud of how they turned out." Jura muttered, and it seemed as if he had already fallen back asleep right then and there, although he soon just grasped Eiro's hand tightly, while the others one after another said goodbye to the old man.

Neither Avalin nor Leon really understood what was going on, so they might have just thought that Jura was taking a nap now and everyone was acting weirdly about it, but all of the others couldn't really hope to hold back their tears. Of course with the exception of Arc, who still felt quite bitter about all of this, but he was simply currently incapable of crying, even if he wanted to.

And when it seemed like Jura really was about to pass, he pulled Eiro a bit closer. "You have fulfilled a dream that I hadn't even known I had… and at my age, it might be a bit late to ask to be called… this, in particular, but…" Jura said, his voice growing quieter and quieter, until Eiro had to nearly press his ear against the old man's mouth to understand him, and he soon lifted his head with a slight smile.

"It's not too late at all… Thank you for all that you have done for me…" Eiro said, as he grasped Jura's hand tightly with both of his, his fake and his real one, "I will never forget you, Father." The Demon muttered, and next, he just heard a slight laugh from in front of him.

"No wonder you enjoy hearing it so much…" The old man said, as the grip that Eiro felt returning his own slowly loosened up, "…it sure has a nice ring to it…"

And with those words, and with a slight shine, a single golden card appeard on Jura's chest, as the old man's hand slipped out of Eiro's.

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