Four years later....
Luke is now 7 years old. The boy enjoyed his life but the darkness within gotten stronger than ever. As for Lura, she ceaselessly search the whereabouts of the Quintico Clan but no to avail. Pressure and frustration changes her mood; she's always irritated and impatient even in small things. Luke noticed her mother's sudden change of mood, that's why he don't pester her like he always did. So, he bid farewell to her and left so he could play with the other kids.
"Luke, don't go at the Dark Forest, okay?" Lura warns and the boy smiled. "Noted, momshie!" Luke left and start searching for kids, playing. As for Lura, she sorts out the documents regarding the Quintico Clan's whereabouts. "Just a little more, I'll be able to pinpoint their coordinates."
Outside...
"Hey, can I join?" Luke ask some kids to play but— "Go away, you infernal-looking kid!" The kids shoo him like a dog. "I'm not an infernal!" Luke defended himself. "How can you explain that reddish hair and hair of yours, huh?!" Kid(2) bullies but the lil boy intervene. "Isn't the Champion of Humanity has red hair?" The rest of the kids gone silent. "Who cares??!" Kid(1) insist. "Those red eyes were sufficient proof he's an infernal!" Luke is speechless, after all, he has blood-tainted eyes.
"Get away, you Infernal Spawn!!" The kid(2) pick up a rock and throw it at Luke. The boy didn't dodge leading an injury to his forehead. "Don't come near us, ya hear me??!" The kids left him and so is Luke. His injury healed quickly before he could wipe off the blood. Then, he headed to the tree to rest. Under it, he touched his injured forehead and felt the injury is now healed.
In that instant, he remembered his mother's and father's face. "My ma is a human and my pa—" his memories shows that his father tapped in his infernal nature. In that moment also, he remembered how the kid points at him for being infernal in which, in quick respond shows he rejected his father's lineage, all because of trying to fit in. That, he clenches his fist and felt bad. "I'm sorry pa. I reacted quickly without thinking straight, leading me to talk bad things to you. I'm sorry." There, he look up to the beautiful skies and fell asleep.
An hour later...
The boy is peacefully sleeping but suddenly— "HELP! SOMEBODY! Help my son!" Luke heard the man's desperate plea. So, he sprung up and headed to the distressed. "What's the matter, mister?" The man's worry is real. "Oh? You're Lady Lura's son!" The man recognized him. "Yeah, I am. Now, tell me what happened to your son? You sounded distressed than ever, mister." The man massages his nose bridge and answered. "My son got dragged by an infernal towards the Dark Forest!" Luke flinched because he remembered that Lura warns him not to head towards the Dark Forest.
Still, the man's face says worry, which is why Luke— "Don't worry, I'll save him!" disregards his mother's warning and headed towards the Dark Forest. "Wait! Sto— Great... that kid went in." The man looks disappointed. "I gotta hurry and contact milady. It seems I spotted blood on his clothes. Blood stench might attract the infernals at bay." The man now headed towards Lura's house, fast.
At the Dark Forest....
Luke scratches his head. "I should've ask that mister where he last saw his son. So naive of you, Luke." He gone quiet. "Still, good thing I remembered his scent! I could use it to track his son!" The boy starts searching deep within the forest. After that long minutes of searching, he finally found them.
They are trapped in a web, encased each in cocoon, leaving their heads to breath. Luke recognized them at first glance. "Wait, those are the mean kids I ask to play before?!" Luke remembered what they've done but instead of leaving them, he wasted no time and free them from their encasement using Aeros Element to cut the webs. Then, he cast another to form an invisible cushion to minimize their fall noise. "I haven't fully mastered the 5 elements of Nature yet but I do hope it is enough to save them."
Luke induced a minimal electricity to each of his fingers, just enough to zap and bring them to consciousness. Thankfully, the kids woke up and the moment they saw Luke, they're surprised. "Oh? It's the Red-haired infernal from be— " Luke didn't let them finish by shhushhing them. "Let's talk about that later, for now, let's leave this place." He whispered and they all followed his lead.
Just then, on their way, one of the kids stumble upon a human remains, making her scream loudly, alerting the slumbering infernal. It roared, they flinched, and— "RUN!!!" Luke told them to get away as fast as they could. The kids panicked and racing their way towards the village.
Suddenly, one of the kids tripped and fell on the ground. Luke halts and aided the kid. "Get up! Quick!" The kid shakes his head and peed himself. Seeing this made Luke grit his teeth and starts confronting their pursuers. "Force yourself and leave. I'll hold the infernal off while you make an escape."
"You— you'll be killed!" The kid worriedly said. "What will you choose, we'll all be killed or someone has to step up and the rest will survive?" The kid is silenced. "By the way, don't worry about me. I can somehow fend the infernal off... For time being."
"Now, go!" The kid slowly stood up and get away. Luke braces himself but his fear couldn't be hidden, after all, it's his first time without the protection of Lura to engage into combat. Luke closed his eyes and feel his surroundings. There, he noticed that spider infernal's tracks. He felt relieved. "He's coming." The roar of the infernal trembled the vicinity.
Hours later...
The kids safely back at the town. They cheered and relieved they've survived. Just then— "Please, we need to ask help!" The kid that peed himself earlier. The lead kid smell his stinking piss. "Eww??! Did you just— pissed yourself?!" He looks disgusted. But the kid insisted and doesn't care less about himself. "That Red-haired kid needs help!" The lead kid crosses his arm. "And why should we? An infernal like him deserve to—"
"IF IT WOULDN'T FOR HIM, WE ARE ALL DEAD MEAT!" The kid yell. "He could've just left us to die at the infernal's den but he risk his life just to rescue us! Shouldn't we return such kindness?" The kids exchange looks and feels guilty. "We must seek aid! Quickly!" In that moment of his determination— "What an honor so hear such words coming from you, young man!" Lura pat his shoulders and both of them were stunned.
"Lady Lura, the Infernal Banisher!" They yell and some started to gather due to admiration but the kid who pissed his pants begs. "Please Lady Lura, help that Red-haired boy!" He pleaded while in distress but Lura pats him and let him face her. "I will, please don't worry." Lura stood up. "Thank you." She then stroke the boy's head and now dashed towards Luke's location.
Most of them are admired by Lura's presence, as for the boy who pissed himself, he only wished that Luke is safe before Lura arrives.
Inside the Dark Forest....
Lura is in haste, searching for Luke. "I've made the greatest discovery upon Quintico Clan's whereabouts and hope brimmed all my efforts. Please, please Luke, be safe. I'm coming."
At Luke's part, the boy slammed to the tree, and blood splattered around him. The Spider Infernal appears to be gigantic and is approaching the injured boy. "Your blood has both stench of that detestable Champion and that of an A—" his speech is interrupted by the moment Luke's aura turned ominous. The infernal felt something's off. "No... This can't be!" He blurted. "This aura... doesn't belong to any regular Anherion Folk. Don't tell me you—"
Luke growl like a beast as his red eyes pulsed. He directed his attention to the infernal and the boy's pupil shrink like that of a cat. His hands cracked and started to darkened, like it was tainted in darkness. The boy drools like a hungry predator and lunged at his enemy. The infernal is stunned and his composure is disturbed. His attacks are full of opening yet Luke mindlessly throws his attacks and surprisingly, all his attacks are successfully inflicted upon the infernal.
The infernal's annoyed by the boy's uncatchable moves, making him spread his silk all over the area. The boy got caught and stuck. "Finally caught you, you pesky brat!" He then approaches the boy but it seems Luke is no longer in his right mind. The darkness emits strongly and boost his power. His eyes glows blindingly, breaking free from the infernals web. "It's no use struggling!" The spider Infernal declared. "Now, let me examine you. Whether my hunch were ri—!?"
Surprisingly, the boy's strength increases and broke free from the infernal's web. The boy roared in anger and pursues the infernal. In a distance, Lura heard Luke's scream. "Over there!" She shifted her direction and now heading to Luke. "Please, don't let anything... happen to my son."
Back at the boy....
The infernal is once again surprised by Luke's unpredictable stunts. "Seriously, you are getting on my nerves, brat...!" The infernal fights back by spitting another barrage of silk, putting him in cocoon state. "That should do—" Again, the boy displayed another feat by throwing barrage of attacks inside his encasement. When the cocoon breaks, his form changed. Slightly. He started to look much about his father when he unleashed his rage; bones emerges in his elbows and spine, his jaw shows ripping, sharp teeth, and enraged expression.
The boy's arms were wrecked from what's happening to his body. The transformation it gives cannot keep up with his young body but because he also inherit his mother traits, he healed instantly. It's like constant ripping with unlimited healing. This trait made the infernal intimidated. "What in Tophet are you—!?" In moment of processing, the boy killed the Spider Infernal by slashing him to bits! Luke's stomach is growing and he starts feasting the remains of the infernal.
By the time Lura arrived on the scene, she sees a horrible yet shocking sight; Luke feast on the infernal flesh and his form undergo some minor transformation. "Lu— Luke?" Lura's presence distracted the boy, thus he stopped and lunged at her in pure infernal instincts. Given how amateur and sloppy his movements are, Lura can easily evaded his attacks. In their minor confrontation, Lura's able to get a gist of Luke's transformation.
"A corpse-type infernal, huh? It seems he inherited that trait from his father, Lucas." The boy's attacked is strongly packed but it creates recoil that destroys his arm in the process, but because of Luna's blood coursing through his vein, he regenerate the damaged part in an instant. "Luke's attacks are contains unrivaled power, thanks to his father's but because he's still a kid, that power raptures his body. Still, he also inherits my sister insane regeneration that heals any of his accumulated injuries— dire or not, in a second."
"Tch! What an unique breed of man and infernal!" In the middle of observation, their battle continues. Lura wanted to know more but can't bear to see Luke acting like an animal other than the usual cute and kind kid he once were. Therefore, she— "As much as I want to know more, seeing you acting this way hurts my feelings. I must restrain you, Luke. Forgive me." Lura knock him and casted another seal to somehow contain and revert his usual self. The boy tries to resist but Lura strengthened her Faith, making Luke unconscious and Lura catch him.
"I need to get at Quintico Village as soon as possible." Lura left the forest. And in that time, someone approaches the remains of the spider infernal. It searched to its brain and took it. "This— I need to give this to his majesty." And so, the shadow figure blends in the darkness.
Meanwhile....
They are greeted by the ones who ask for aid. "Lady Lura, thank the Celestial Planes two are safe!" The man felt relieved and the boy who pissed himself noticed that Luke is stained in blood. "Will the red haired boy be okay?" Lura nods. "Yes. He's a strong lad after all."
"Anyways, I have to leave now. By the way, don't go or stay somewhere near at the Dark Forest's perimeter kids. May this incident serve as a lesson." They all bid farewell and Lura now headed to their house.
At night...
Luke is in pain and Lura focused on strengthening the seal he casted upon the boy. "My seals are no longer working. The darkness is eating away my seal every 3 hours." She looked at the boy and noticed that the dark markings became more visible than before. "Anherion Clan are known to possess great power. It were never a problem if he's a pure blooded, but given he's a half blood, the power is too overwhelming especially for such a young one like him." Luke is in agony. "Don't worry Luke, we'll going to head towards the Quintico Clan and cure you. I, Lura, has spoken."
When the seal is finished, the boy calmed down and Lura wasted no time and start packing the things needed in their journey.
Early morning...
Lura and Luke embarked on a journey and with their course of travel, they must enter the dark forest, on foot. "Momshie, you told me not to enter the Dark Forest, why are we here?" Lura answered him. "Well, we need to enter this forest for our destination, Luke my son."
"But wouldn't the Dark Forest swarmed with infernals?" Lura smiled. "Oh yes! It sure is. But believe me darling. This road is where merchants and travelers usually venture. Since this is the dark forest we spoke off, people still gonna hire warriors for protection." Luke gone quiet for a minute. "Momshie, why aren't we riding horse? Is our destination just kilometers away?
"Well, momshie's short on money at the moment and cannot afford to rent a horse. For now, let's pray that there's kind people who'll let us tag along." Luke gone quiet again and in Lura's thoughts, she's indeed in a hurry. "I can't afford to delay and reach the Quintico Clan to help Luke. But— Quintico Clan's whereabouts were hidden in purpose and I can't risk revealing their location for my personal interest. I just hope someone would kindly give us a ride."