Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

Alexander raised an eyebrow, intrigued as to who the demon chief called for, and confused by the sudden change in his tone and demeanor.

The demon chief took a step down from the raised platform and towards Alexander and Zara. "What's with the confused look boy?" The demon chief asked with a deep chuckle, "You've shown your fangs…." 

The demon chief took a breath as he approached the duo, "…tiny though they may be, it takes guts or," the demon allowed a grin to cross his lips as his eyes narrowed. 

"Maybe you're just insane," the demon then stopped before Alexander, towering over him with his imposing stature. 

The smell of herbs and wood filled Alexander's nostrils.

The demon's expression was a mix of amusement and respect.

The demon now longer saw Alexander as completely broken and useless, but more so as a chipped gem.

Something that was broken in its current form, but could be molded into something new…

Alexander looked up to the demon chief with an exhausted expression, his eyes narrowed and arms dangling at his sides. 

He's calling me crazy, even though it's him who caused this…

"Insane…?" Alexander whispered in a tired tone, "No, tired is what I am, tired of this world and all it has to offer." 

Alexander then sighed, "I'm sick of it, I'm sick of it all, and I couldn't care less about anything you could offer…"

Alexander was absolutely done with this demon, the fear, the hatred, all of it, he just wanted it all to end.

The demon chief raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms, "oh, is that right?" 

Alexander narrowed his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak, but just as he did so, the sounds of footsteps could be heard approaching. 

Turning his gaze in the direction of those footsteps, Alexander was greeted with the sight of two people approaching, a young girl, and a woman.

The woman was a demon that looked close in appearance to Zara, that same dark skin with blue patterns, the horns, the tail, and other features that make up a female demon.

She was a little taller the Zara and was far more developed, with bigger breasts and curvy hips.

His hair was long and straight, with most of it tied in a bun, yet there were a few strands that hung loosely.

She was dressed in long black dress that had a decorative chest piece that held a beautiful pattern and wooden beads that hung all around it. 

As for the younger girl, she looked… different.

She didn't look like a demon, as she looked more like a Hakshi child.

She had the same pale skin Alexander had, though it was slightly tanned. She had the same long ears and the same kind of glowing eyes, yet hers were an icy cold blue.

But she did have several demon characteristics.

She had six eyes, but unlike the demons, whom eyes start at the forehead and ends near the nostrils, she had two normal eyes on the correct spot, with four smaller eyes, two under her main eyes that rested above the cheek, and two that sat at the corner of her main eyes.

She also had a tail, long and thin similar to that of Zara's.

She had no horns and she also lacked the strange pattern engravings on her skin.

She was dressed in a similar dress to the older woman.

"Oh!" The demon chief said with the clasps of his large hands. "And not a moment too late."

"Did you require me?" The woman asked as she raised a hand over her chest, curiously looking towards the demon chief, her head tilted.

The demon chief grinned. "That I do." He replied, gesturing for them to come closer. "Please, I wish to explain something."

The woman nodded, and with the young girl in hand, began to approach.

As they walked, the demon chief turned his attention towards Alexander. "This was the woman of the previous pale conqueror, and she…" the demon pointed out the young girl, "she is the result of their actions."

Alexander's eyes were encapsulated by the striking sight of the half-demon girl. Her striking appearance was unlike anything he had ever seen. 

Seeing Alexander enraptured by the sight of the young girl, whose expression remained as blank as copy paper, made his grin grow wider.

"She's gorgeous isn't she, I can only imagine the woman she'd grow up to be, powerful, beautiful, and intelligent…" the demon chief reached out a hand for the young girl.

"Hand your daughter to me, Exulla." 

The woman- Exulla hesitated briefly, her gaze shifting from the demon chief to Alexander. 

There was a look of hesitant curiosity and suspicion in her eyes.

Yet she remained silent, giving a reassuring squeeze to her daughter's hand. She released her to the demon chief's grasp. 

The demon chief then used his large tail to guide the girl in front of Alexander, who still quietly studied her with a curious gaze.

"You said you couldn't care less of my offer," the demon chief said with a chuckle as he stood the young girl directly in front of Alexander. "But, with how you stare at young Mimi, I wonder if she could sway your will to choose?"

Alexander felt his heart pumping in his chest, he was filled with a wide range of emotions and thoughts, all revolving around the girl that stood before him.

The girl- Mimi, continued to stare blankly into Alexander's eyes, almost as if she could see through them.

There were no emotions behind her gaze, and her expression was unreadable, yet somehow Alexander felt himself gravitating towards her.

He didn't know why or how, but somehow she felt strangely familiar.

Like he had seen her before, or someone like her. 

Who…

Alexander slowly reached out a hand to touch Mimi but was suddenly stopped by a heavy hand pressing against his head. 

Alexander's heart nearly leaped out of his chest as he hurriedly looked up, to see the demon chief grinning. "Wow." He said with a soft chuckle as he gently pulled Alexander away from Mimi, "It looks like we have a prize you're interested in."

"A-a prize?" Alexander stammered, still calming himself down, "The girl… Mimi?"

The chief nodded. "Yes, you've seen her, and you're clearly enraptured by her mere presence, so I say she makes a mighty fine prize."

Alexander gulped hard, "I wasn't… I'm not, I'm not interested."

"Hahahah!" The demon chief let out a bellowed laugh as he removed his hand from Alexander's head. "Not interested?!" He said, his voice echoing through the chamber, "Boy, have you see how you stared down young Mimi?!"

Alexander raised his hands in a gesture of surrender while shaking his head.

From the confusion and hatred of his earlier outburst to the strangely intense feeling he had for Mimi, this meeting had truly gone awry.

"I didn't want this, I don't want her," Alexander attempted to say in a firm and stern tone, yet the shaking of his voice betrayed him.

Zara, sensing the shift in atmosphere and Alexander's nervousness, moved to step in. "Enough Games, great chief, Alexander is not interested."

The demon chief, still towering over them, laughed harder. "Ha, not interested, I haven't seen someone with eyes that wide since, well…" the demon chief glanced over at Exulla, who blushed after understanding the implication.

The demon chief turned his attention towards Alexander. "Boy, today I say a hollow shell become reinvigorated with a powerful surge of life and purpose, and now that once empty shell has laid its eyes on a prize that widened its eyes as big as moons."

He then pointed at Alexander. "It's clear that you are not as worthless as I once believed, but you are still a directionless child."

Alexander frowned, "I don't have any direction to go in." He replied with an attitude, "My life is ruined, you knew that from the beginning."

The demon chief nodded. "I did," he then raised a finger, "but, it's clear that you aren't beyond hope, what you need… is a goal."

"A goal?"

"Indeed, something to strive for, you have nothing you fight for, nothing you want, no one to prove yourself to." The demon chief then pointed his finger back at Alexander, "That's something I can help you with if you make the right choice that is…"

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "What choice?"

"To fight the war hound, or leave the village."

Alexander crossed his arms as he narrowed his eyes.

Is he insane?! I can't fight anyone or anything, and he still thinks I can fight a war animal?!?

"You're asking me to choose between death and death?"

The demon chief shook his head. "No, while both choices can lead to the same grim outcome, only one of them has the possibility to change you for the better."

Alexander scoffed as his expression became skeptical. "How does frightening a war hound help me in any way?"

"I won't answer that question," the demon chief replied, "not because I don't have an answer, but because it's better if you face this trial and come to your own conclusion."

Alexander fell silent as he skeptically studied the demon chief, he didn't see an way he could actually win such a fight.

He lost to Marcia, a girl that was close to his age….

He sucked at training and fighting.

And his world energy skills were poor.

Yet even though that was the case, Alexander couldn't help but feel a dangerous curiosity gnawing at his heels, a deep desire to take a risk.

He briefly glanced at Zara, who stared at him with eyes full of concern.

And the demon chief, who had a look of amusement. 

Alexander sighed deeply, it seemed like everything led to his death.

Well… if I die… I rather it be in a blaze of glory. 

And with that, he had his answer. 

"Fine, I'll do it."