Slumbering hope

Since the Divine Tree War, the demon has been suppressed to the lowest. There was no turning back with the inscribe of history. They swallow all the bitterness that the war left behind, they were the literal scapegoats. That's why, the word of escaping this fate was only dream for them. And for Raijin to said it so seriously, the genius they've knew since he was little was giving them hope. But despite that, doubt was swirling inside the crowd. They looked at one another, finding reasons for this statement. In all honestly, they want to… they really want it but, how? Just how they can fight this problem that has been hunting their race that no one has ever done a thing which could stop it.

"How…?" one of them asked, a male demon named Amid. His face was full of bruises, eyes were devoid of willingness to live. Just looking at his dirty clothes can answer what he have been through.

Then he continued, "after we escape… how are we going to fight outside?"

He scanned his fellow kind and stared at Raijin, his eyebrows joined in between to prevent the moisture of his eyes, "it will be impossible for us to go unnoticed with this huge crowd, surely, we are going to fight… then, where? Where we will go?"

The demons fell silent after he finished his hurtful question. Though his questions were meant to bring doubt, the light that filled his eyes said differently. To Amid, Raijin's statement were only hurtful because they penetrated his heart to again gain hope for getting out of these shackles.

Before the decision for the destination, Raijin has already found the answer to fight outside. The answer was very simple and it only slipped to all of them because the society prevented them to use it. For him, the answer is their past.

"With this—"

After he said that, Raijin's veins have become visible for them to see. Darken red substance that resembles blood seeped out on his back and climbed in opposite directions. The same thing happened to his horns, eyes, lower back and to both of his hands. On his back, a pair of black wings has became limbs of his. The hands that should be skin was covered with hardened blood, accompanied by sharpen fingers. His eyes were now crimson with vertical slits into them, another thing on his head were the longer obsidian horns. He also has cracked-like markings on his face and body that looks like visible veins. And lastly, a moving object came out on his lower back that could be ok only called a tail, a sharp one at that.

"Jin…" What the…" "His looks resembled the legends," "Oh god…"

Different reactions and various emotions has rose with this sudden change. Lucia could only cry because she realized how big the burden Raijin will carry in the future.

Some fear him, not knowing this was their signature ability back then. But the most common thing was admiration for those who have an idea what was this, especially Kazan.

. "—I'll teach you sorcery."

He said, revealing the sharp fangs on his mouth.

"This is demonic transformation right… so, you will teach sorcery….?" Kazan asked.

"Yes. I was able to dig this cave only because of sorcery and if I can teach this, we can dig this to the other side before Marcos makes his next move," Raijin answered.

"But… was that really easy?" Kazan asked an another reasonable question with a clear doubt on his face.

"About that, I think yes. To begin with—demons—have a good affinity in sorcery like what we were hearing from others' ridicules, and I also found from the books that I stole that we're very good at fire and earth sorcery."

"Sorcery huh…" all of them began to think, they were now considering the possibility of them going out.

Raijin broke the silent.

"As to where... I have a place on mind but I will say it once it was sure."

[Although it is vague and only thought of it when I almost collapse,] he thought while thinking the images he saw earlier.

"I see," Kazan's tone has become weaker, knowing that this uncertainty will yet again stopped their emerging hope.

"Really though, I'm still not so sure on it. That's why, if you don't want to come, it's reasonable," he said and undone his demonic transformation.

"Well, my heart want to," Kazan said, "and I will make a decision once I've talked to my family."

"I'll come!" "We'll think about it..." "I might … uhmm, passed."

All of them expressed their decisions. Most of those who have a quite large family were reluctant. Some have already refused. But those who were living on their own did easily joined. With that, the conversation has almost done when Kazan brought up an another thought.

"Although we were still not sure," Kazan bowed, "please teach sorcery for those who want to."

After him, many—or rather, all of them has followed Kazan and bowed their heads. From the look of it, Kazan asked something that all of them thought. Raijin looked at them and only smiled when he saw his mother acting cutely because she was feeling awkward at bowing to her child.

Then Raijin said, "raised your head. It was awkward for a kid to be bowed at you know."

"Yeah you're right…" they said wryly.

Raijin crossed his arm and said, "but just to let you know, I've already decided to teach you before being asked."

They were delighted when they heard him. And because all of his plans were kept secret to his mom, she was curious about a lot of things.

"So, how long it took for you to learn sorcery Jin?"

"One day," he answered immediately to his mom.

"One day!?!" all of them said in unison which was rather loud. Fortunately, their voices couldn't reach the people outside of slums.

•°•°•

The next night, a learning course has started under the slums. The number of demons has increased because kids have also joined. They were seated on the ground without anyone minding the dirt while adults and children alike were focused on only one person, it was Raijin.

"Listen, inside us, there is an invisible storage for magic energy. We demons might have high affinity with it, but what we lacked was exposure. Now, I'll create a wind by sorcery and I want you all to feel it. Even just a little, react when it does."

For his six months of training, Raijin really did research about sorcery. How the energy storage differs from another, or how affinity works, he studied all that from the inscriptions that he stole. He wasn't confident if he can teach them but he have no choice now.

He created a breeze of wind, just enough to tingle one's body. He smoothly, continuously did it, waiting for someone to react. Like he said, they lacked was exposure the magical energy so by releasing a continues amount, that can somehow fill what they were missing or that was how he thought.

About a half an hour or so and no one from them have felt it. By the way, Raijin has some idea how large is magical reserve was so he was able to come this far and he can still continue but… with no one reacting, he was scared that his theory was incorrect when.

"...!"

Kazan with sweat on his face stood up suddenly. He drew the attention of many while having a perplex, yet excited face.

"Did you felt it Kazan?" Raijin asked curiously, happy that his theory might be correct.

"Y-yeah. It, how do I put, seems like it was has been always inside me… but, why did I just noticed now…?" And it surely did, Raijin thought.

"Like I said, lack of exposure. This city might have a sorcery detection or many magical tools but that was all, it doesn't really affect our insight about magic energy because on how low it gave us. Another thing was we only have vague idea what was it so the result will be that."

"I see, so that how it was," Kazan murmured.

[Still, I always forget that Raijin is younger than me when he talks like this. Haha. Really… this kid is unbelievable.] He smiled, looking at his hand.

"So, how do I use sorcery?"

"That's a good question. First, hmm, let see… try to draw the energy you felt into your hand or any part of your body where you are comfortable with. That sorcery, from what I've read, is Body Strengthening, the easiest one or so I'd heard." Raijin said.

Indeed, Body Strengthening is really the easiest type of sorcery. Demons were also once expert of it, together with Beastmen, Giants and Dragonkins. These four races really excelled when it comes to physical strength alone.

"I also heard of it," Kazan said, " I also heard that it was really useful but, how your experience on this?"

"With only this, I was able to jumped up to hundred meters high!" He said it while smiling a bit, sharing the excitement of sorcery but that backfired him.

"That high!?" Many of them shouted but…

"Wait, wait, Jin!" Lucia called him out and his face has morphed into a cornered rat.

[Crap, I totally messed up,] he thought.

"If you learned six months ago… then, if I guess it right—when you got injured…"

With his sharp mother's guess, the so called genius kid was having a hard time with his cold sweat.

"E-eh, Uhmm." He fumbled and Lucia figured she was correct.

"What about it Aunty?" Kazan asked curiously.

"Uhm, six months ago, he went home with tattered body." Lucia answered while eyeing on Raijin, signaling that they would talk later, alone.

Kazan found it amusing.

"So that was why he didn't came out for about three days back then huh…"

"Yeah," Lucia confirmed.

Having at the center of discussion, Raijin went red from embarrassment. But contrary from that, Kazan and the others misunderstood something…

[So, he even went in danger just to aim this plan… for us!] Kazan thought. [That's why I, no, we must do our best!]

Kazan and others fired up. Lucia get ceased for now and seated. Raijin watched Kazan do his deed. But as a beginner, it should will be hard and after an half hour, Kazan sighed.

"I can't really do it," he complained.

"Just try it again, there's still tomorrow and after." Raijin said.

"But how can you do it."

"Hmmm, how huh… isn't really a matter of how to be honest. The question that really filled my head whenever I do was "why." What I do was to question my energy reserve. Like "why would you flow" or "why would you will be converted" or "why you will gather there." And strangely enough, I can know how then." He said, satisfied with his answer.

"I-I see," Kazan replied, without fully understanding what this alien said just now.

But he still came back on medication and an hour have passed. When the room was field with silence and some were also losing their hope. Kazan broke the gloomy mood.

"I did it!" He shouted and jumped so high that his head hit the ceiling rather strongly.

"Ouch!"

Though quiet comical, the demons celebrated this success, having found a new hope for them has ignited the sleeping flames into their hearts. And at that very moment, demons had yet again awakened.