MLII C3.1, P6- "One Of A Kind"

"One Of A Kind" is the sixth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's third Chapter (Episode Two). 
It was released on 22.01.2021.
== Plot ==
Our heroes have managed to escape from No Man's Land- one of the greatest obstacles yet. Having defeated the almighty demon and his wicked servants, they prepare to finally complete the goal they have been longing to complete for so long- defeat Rentar-Ihrno and rid the world of her evil influence, putting her evil soul to rest in the process.
However, this dream has yet to come true. The reason for that is simple- there is one more obstacle in the heroes' way. And it is Rentar-Ihrno herself.
In order to give the world what it deserves, Jared has to defeat her in an honorable battle and show her that humankind is not afraid to fight back when it is threatened.
Even though the battle may be easier due to the Vahnatai's demonic blood, there is a strange feeling in the air. Something is amiss, but nobody can find out what it is... or why.
Perhaps the Happy End is still far away, after all...
== Story ==
Jared and his allies approach the fort whose lights are flickering nearby.
Once they get close enough, they notice something strange.
Although it is massive, it is also empty. There are no guards staying on the walls, no citizens beyond the fort's walls. And, most importantly, nobody comes to greet them, even though they are very close to the main entrance.
Unfortunately, entry has yet to be gained as the entrance is blocked by a massive portcullis.
Its bars are made of solid steel, capable of deflecting even the sharpest weapons without a scratch. It might be difficult to get it to open without finding the mechanism that is responsible for the job.
As Lethal and John search the area near the gate for a hidden mechanism, Jared carefully inspects it. He touches the steel, puts its hardiness to the test and smiles.
"From the looks of it, you might have an idea."- Ghall-Ihrno says- "Maybe it can help us get rid of this obstacle."
Jared nods.
"Yes."- He says stoically- "Watch closely."
He looks at his right hand and moves its fingertips a little bit. Wisps of flame appear on them, dancing on the top like ballerinas on a dance floor. Once that is done, he touches the bars with the palm of his hand.
Soon, the steel starts to melt. A few seconds later, there is only a puddle of liquid substance where the bars once stood, mighty and unbreakable.
Lethal and John look at Jared and realize that the obstacle is gone. They are genuinely impressed.
Jared looks at them. Then, he looks at the gate. 
He nods.
"If they think that such a portcullis cannot be destroyed by any means, they were just deluding themselves."- He says- "From what I saw when they were still whole, the bars are made of solid steel, thus susceptible to melting. Sure, the temperature from which they are going to start to melt is higher, but that doesn't stop someone with a talent for magic to give it a try."
He looks back at his allies.
"My magic is just hot enough to do the job."- He continues- "In other words, it was child's play to get rid of it."
John smiles.
"I've got to be honest, Jared."- He says- "You never cease to amaze me."
"And today is no exception."
The heroes enter the abandoned fort and look around.
Their suspicions are confirmed. The place is like a desert- quiet and abandoned, as if nobody has lived in here in the first place.
They decide not to waste any time investigating the other buildings and instead decide to search the biggest one- Rentar-Ihrno's Inner Keep.
The way in is blocked by a gate similar to the one which Jared destroyed and this is why it goes down as quickly.
After making sure that nobody is watching them, they enter the keep and look around.
It takes them half an hour, but they confirm that the first two floors are clear.
Thus, the only floor that remains... is the third and final one.
Just as they climb the stairway that leads to it, they hear something. And it is coming from outside.
Looking out of the nearby window, they see a large group of warriors approaching the fort in the distance. They are coming closer and are headed this way.
Jared quickly realizes that those are not screams that would come from Vahnatai.
"If they are not coming from Vahnatai, then... "
He turns to his grandfather.
"Grandpa, I want you to lead everyone out of here."- He says to him- "Meet up with the newcomers and help them take over the fort while I fight with Rentar-Ihrno. Do not worry about me. This is my fight and my fight alone. And, if I have to die in a time like this... I will die with honor."
Lethal is surprised. Jared has never taken matters in his own hands, let alone defeat a powerful enemy like Rentar-Ihrno by himself. He is concerned, to say at the very least.
However, he agrees with Jared's plan. Without thinking twice, he takes John and Ghall-Ihrno with him and they walk back from the way they came.
"Good luck, child. I believe in you!"- He says before he joins his two companions in leaving the building.
Jared is now alone. He looks around again, but the Vahnatai are still blissfully unaware that he has entered deeper into their inner sanctum.
Or perhaps they are preparing a trap for him.
Nevertheless, the boy approaches the biggest door in the corridor and realizes that it leads to Rentar-Ihrno's throne room.
He presses his ear next to the door and listens for anything suspicious.
It is eerily quite, just like the rest of this fort.
Still suspicious that there might be a trap, he carefully touches the doorknob and turns it...
However, just as he is about to succeed, someone grabs his hand.
He draws his sword, jumps back and looks at the potential enemy...
It is Farrar- one of his most trusted allies and fellow protector of the city of Paris.
"Farrar, please do not tell me that you have become one of them as well."- Jared says, tears in his eyes- "My heart cannot take. Please reconsider your decisions!"
Farrar shakes his head.
"I would never join those traitors, my friend."- He says- "I would rather fight them and die than help them out."
Jared seems to believe Farrar. He sheathes his blade.
However, there is still a seed of mistrust nested deep within the boy's very being. While he does not show it openly, he is concerned that his friend might be a traitor.
Nonetheless, he decides to trust him. For now.
"Why are you here?"- He asks him- "And how did you know where to find me?"
Farrar sighs.
"Well, let's just say I have been here for a while. I have been looking for any enemies to kill before meeting with the alien queen herself, but to no avail. This place is as empty as a villain's hollow heart."- He responds- "I heard you coming and I tried to greet you, but you sent your grandfather away before you could do so."
He shakes his head.
"Like you, I thought that you were one of their kind now and I tried to stop you from fulfilling whatever evil plan might have been on your mind. Or, at least, this is what my overly heroic mind told me."- He continues- "But now that I see that it is otherwise. And I humbly offer my services to defeat this monstrosity once and for all!"
Jared is unsure how to respond, at first. The thought of having someone else fight beside him is not encouraging him. But he knows that there will be more than just Rentar-Ihrno in there.
As the old people always say- "Better be safe than sorry".
The two of them enter the throne room and notice Rentar-Ihrno standing in the middle.
They do not have time to scan their surroundings as she wakes up from her slumber, angered by the arrival of someone that she truly hates.
"But how?!"- She says- "I thought that you are dead. That the ones in No Man's Land have taken care of you!"
"How are you still alive?!"
Jared shakes his head and lightly touches the handle of Demonslayer.
"True heroes never die, Rentar-Ihrno!"- He responds- "Whatever you send at me, it does not matter. I will always emerge victorious. Until there are people who still depend on me, I will always keep on fighting!"
Rentar-Ihrno's surface flashes red. She seems to be very angry.
"Enough of this foolishness!"- She yells- "You have embarassed me for long enough! It was thanks to you that my assault of Paris failed! It was because of you that my minions were slain while they were trying to kill the citizens of Duskwood! And, most importantly, you are the reason why all of my settlements are being destroyed! One by one! All of my hard work, gone to waste, because of you!"
She prepares to cast a spell.
"Heroes like you... they are such an eyesore! Annoying pests, not worthy of living in a pure world such as mine!"- She continues- "I have slain many of you, both in the time when I was alive and as a Crystal Soul. You are nothing but a weakling with visions of an imperfect world! And you do whatever you can to make that impossible dream a reality, even if you have to sacrifice your own life in the process!"
She hurls a fireball at Jared.
"Of course, there was no chance that I could miss your enthusiasm. Your determination to make this better. Your bravery when stuck in a difficult situation."- She says- "You are one of the most powerful enemies that I have ever faced. You are one of a kind, Jared. However, that doesn't mean that I will let you talk to me about your foolish beliefs and make me go astray."
"I'm afraid that this is the end of the road for you. So, face your inevitable demise without any resistance, for the sake of everything that you love."
Jared manages to dodge the fireball and draws his sword. He leaps to his feet and charges at Rentar-Ihrno.
As always, the creature has expected that he would attack her with Demonslayer. She unleashes a new, powerful shield and watches as he tries to penetrate it, to no avail.
She laughs maniacally.
"Do you see this Jared?"- She says- "No matter what you do, it will all crumble in the end. All of your efforts. All of your dreams. They will all turn into dust!"
Jared inspects the magical shield carefully and notices a small crack on top of it- something that Rentar-Ihrno is currently unaware of.
"I may not be able to climb on top of it, but maybe someone can help me perform an airborne strike that will break the shield."- He says to himself.
He turns to Farrar.
"Hoist me on your shoulders and launch me in the air!"- He says.
Farrar gasps.
"But Jared! A-are you sure?"- He asks him- "You could get hurt! Please don't do anything reckless!"
Jared sighs.
"I know that very well. But... it will be worth it when she feels the pain."- He mutters- "Now do as I say! Trust me, we will succeed!"
Without another word, Jared and Farrar work together to perform this task.
Rentar-Ihrno watches with interest as the Farrar hoists the boy on his shoulders and prepares to throw him in the air.
"What a foolish move. Jared must be very desperate to do such a thing against an unbreakable shield like mine."- She says to herself- "Or maybe he is very smart and has already got a plan... "
Once Jared is firmly on his shoulders, Farrar nods.
"Alright. Now take it easy and good luck."- He says- "Are you ready?"
Jared nods.
"I am always ready."
Farrar looks at Rentar-Ihrno.
"Get ready, you fiend!"
"One... "
"Two... "
"Three... !"
Farrar launches Jared in the air with all of his might. The boy takes the opportunity to get closer to the crack and swings his sword when he is close enough.
Unsurprisingly, his theory proves to be correct. The entire shield immediately cracks, leaving Rentar-Ihrno wounded and defenseless.
Unfortunately, she recovers as quickly as she is hurt by the blow.
She does not say anything to congratulate him. Or mock him. Instead, she channels a small part of her power to summon two powerful, ghostly defenders.
"What are those?"- Farrar says, seemingly unaware of what he is seeing.
Rentar-Ihrno laughs.
"Behold, my ever-faithful Hraithes- the most powerful warriors in the Vahnatai Underworld whose loyalty is shown even when they are not among the living!"- She says and her crystal flashes red- "I never thought that I would have to use my most powerful allies against you, but you have proven yourself. Thus, you have the honor to die in a way that will deface you from this world once... and for all!"
"Go, my loyal knights! Defeat those evildoers and show them the true power of the Underworld!"
The creatures stand up, draw their weapons and charge. They move with remarkable speed, as if their undead bodies are unable to drag them down.
Farrar pushes Jared out of the way and fights both Hraithes at once. One of them manages to stab him in the shoulder, but this gives him the chance to strike it back, wounding it in the process.
He looks back at Jared briefly.
"She's unguarded!"- He yells- "Go! I will take care of those!"
Jared nods. In a few moments, he is a fair distance away from them and closer to Rentar-Ihrno.
The Crystal Soul laughs again.
"Well done. You left your friend to fight my warriors alone, just to have your revenge on me."- She says- "Yes. Abandon him. Just like you abandoned her."
Jared is about to swing his weapon at her. Just as Demonslayer is about to touch the suface of her crystal, something unexpected happens.
The boy stops and pulls his weapon back. He looks around., confused.
He is clearly seeing something that Farrar cannot.
In his mind, images of a time long past appear. Events that happened before he was born.
He sees his father, fighting Rentar-Ihrno. He sees how he stabs her with Demonslayer, thinking that he has put her down for good. 
He also sees another image, depicting a time close to the one that he is currently in. He sees three people running in a sewer. He sees a pack of humanoids chasing them. He sees how they are surrounded by them, how they close in for the kill.
And finally, he sees how one of the humans shields the other, saving their life, but getting hurt in the process.
Jared falls to his knees. He clearly remembers those traumatic events, things that he has been trying to forget ever since. The image refreshed this painful memory, burning in his mind like a fire in a house, erasing every moment of peace and quiet that he ever had.
All that remains now... is the neverending pain.
Rentar-Ihrno laughs.
"Yes! Yes, feel the pain of your past!"- She yells- "Remember the mistakes that you made! Suffer! Beg me to stop! Do it!"
Jared looks at Demonslayer weakly. He brings its edge closer to his chest.
And closer...
And closer....
But just when the bitter end seems to be close for him, he stops. He sees another image, something that happened shortly after the nightmare.
He sees two people looking at each other, a woman and a boy. The first is bedridden, close to death and smiling as she experiences the last moments of her life, with the one whom she truly loves and cares about. The second is sitting on a chair, his eyes filled with tears, holding the woman's hand and begging her to not lose hope.
Most of the sentences that they are saying to each other cannot be heard by Jared. However, one of them is loud and clear, flashing like a candle in his mind:
"I will always be by your side Jared. I will always believe in you. Keep on fighting and make this world a better place. You can do it, my sweet child!"
Suddenly, Jared stands up. At first, his eyes are filled with tears, all because of the painful memories that he had to remember in a time like this.
"Mom, I am sorry."- He mutters- "I am sorry for making you feel all this pain. I am sorry for abandoning you and dad, for turning my back on you when you needed me the most. And, worst of all, I am sorry for being such a bad example for a son."
He looks at Demonslayer, then ahead.
"All this time, you have been giving me the strength to move on and fight, even when you aren't truly here, by my side. All the battles that I won. All the people that I saved. All the enemies that I defeated. I owe all of this to you, mom. You are the reason why I became so strong, so determined."
He looks down.
"I never knew how hard it would be for me to lose a parent. All those nights that I cried myself to sleep because of that, I remembered you. I pleaded you to come back, so I could see your face one last time. More than anything, I wanted to hug you. To be comforted by your kind words. To show my gratitude for helping me become a hero who helps the poor souls in our troubled world. To tell you how much I love you, more than Life itself. But now, I see that all those dreams are futile. Because, once a person leaves this world... they are gone forever."
He sighs.
"I will always cherish the memories that we had and listen to your priceless advice. And, whenever I feel lonely, I will remind myself that you are always by my side, no matter what. We will always be together."
He looks up, his eyes sparking with anger and determination. He draws his blade and prepares to give Rentar-Ihrno a taste of her own medicine. A fever that she won't sweat out.
"THIS ONE IS FOR YOU, MOM!"- He screams and leaps forward, stronger and determined that he ever was before.
He starts to hit Rentar-Ihrno's crystal, his blows getting stronger and stronger, one after the other. His determination is burning like a wildfire in a forest, majestic and unstoppable.
Rentar-Ihrno tries to defend herself. She regenerates her shield and tries to push the boy away, but to no avail. Jared destroys her only defense within mere seconds, leaving her vulnerable once again.
She uses her most powerful spells against him, intending to live at all costs. However, her will to survive is easily crushed by Jared's determination to keep the promise that he made to his mother.
"People like you, they belong in the Netherworld! Not the other way around!"- Jared screams at her- "I will send you back to the realm from whence you came, demon!"
Rentar-Ihrno tries to defend herself once again, but the results are the same. Nothing can stop Jared, not even her most powerful spells.
"I-impossible!"- She says- "How can such a fragile human vessel hold such an insurmountable amount of power?! This... this cannot be!"
The surface of her crystal starts to crack. Her inner energy starts to leak, causing her to become weaker and weaker with each swing that Jared forces onto her fragile body.
Seeing that his opponent is mortally wounded, he takes a step back, lifts his sword in the air and begins to chant a holy incantation. In a few moments, his eyes become white. His determination grows. His hatred for this wicked soul stronger than ever.
"O, Gates of Heaven! Open your doors and send this unworthy soul back into the Realm of Darkness!"- He chants- "Forevermore!"
Suddenly, Heaven's gates appear and open wide, illuminating the entire room and causing the Hraithe to die immediately.
Rentar-Ihrno watches in horror as the surface of her crystal is set on fire by the light, rapidly engulfing her in holy flames. However, her expression soon changes. From a look of horror... to a peaceful stare, directed towards the Gate.
"Free. Finally free."- She whispers- "Free from the darkness inside of me. Free from the neverending pain. I can finally rest in peace."
Now purified by the light, she slowly fades away. In a few seconds, she is completely gone, away from this world, for better... or for worse. Finally, she becomes one with the endless Void.
== Trivia ==
* This Part shared the same name with a Part in "Miracula Luxia: Patient Hope".