In a forest several hundred kilometres from the capital
Jirael landed on some trees and slowly fell down face first. He didn't even try to move. His tears were coming out like a river. He didn't have the strength to cry out at all. His heart was broken. For several days he lay there not moving. His wounds had healed fully but Jirael just couldn't move. The grief struck him very hard. He eyes were pale like a dead person. He had completely lost all will to live.
2 weeks later
A phoenix was flying through the air carrying a child on it's back. They were flying normally until they suddenly felt a wave of despair.
"What is this??? Did a supreme dragon suddenly lose their child? But I don't detect any aura of a dragon. What creature could possibly emit this sense of grief?!"
Before she could think any further, her daughter fell off her back, stunned by the wave of despair.
Meanwhile
Jirael suddenly woke up to a strange smell like it was calling him. He tried to ignore it but his instincts got the better of him. He stood up and he was surprised by what was around him. All the grass had died and all the trees were slowly losing their vitality. He couldn't care less about that since what intrigued him was the smell of something that was coming. Jirael had detected lots of beasts over the past few days but none intrigued him so much as this one that was approaching. He stood up.
"Maybe a little comforting battle before death would be nice."
He activated his Kaminome and climbed up the tallest tree he could see. He was surprised to see a phoenix in the sky and gradually got excited as his instinct for battle went haywire. Before he could fully enjoy this feeling, he saw something the size of a chicken fall from the phoenix's back. Without thinking, he rushed towards it like the survival of that chick was his utmost priority. He blazed through the forest and arrived at a deep gorge where the phoenix's chick was falling in. Jirael didn't hesitate as he jumped in. He went in as he quickly jumped down the walls. The chick was about to hit the ground when Jirael snatched it and crashed into the ground. When he opened his hands, he was surprised to see such a beautiful phoenix chick with red feathers and yellow tail feathers. It was the size of a chicken and had what looked like three spores on its head instead of a crest. The bud was green while the rest was black. He jumped out of the gorge and happened to meet the mother phoenix as she was landing. Jirael said nothing as he simply extended his hands, intending to give back her child.
"UAAGH!!!"
He felt something biting his hand and it was the baby phoenix.
"What do you think you're doing you fat blob?! I just saved you!"
The chick made angry noises as it tried to bite Jirael again. They stopped when the phoenix's mother was covered by a white light. When it disappeared, a woman was standing there.
"Thank you for saving my daughter. As thanks I'll fulfill a wish of yours as long as it's in my pow-"
"Take your child and leave."
The phoenix mother was confused.
"May I ask what made you angry?"
Jirael couldn't say it. He lost his own mother and someone who was close to a mother a few weeks ago. He couldn't bare to see a relationship of mother and child in front of him because it made him feel... jealousy. He put down the chick and walked away.
"Just take your child and leave."
The phoenix took her child.
"I'm sure of it now. He's the cause of the massive waves of grief around here. But...what did he experience that caused him to have this much grief? It's practically impossible to have so much grief that even the surrounding environment is affected."
Little did she know, all the grief that Jirael had in his past lives had culminated to this single point. So far, Volkarin and Michael had been suppressing it but since he reincarnated as a child this time with no memories, all the grief of being betrayed and killed by his own family and the grief of having to leave his own mother in the past life and this life caused him to breakdown, amplifying the current grief he felt. The phoenix looked at him.
"What happened to you? What caused you to feel this much grief?"
Jirael briefly stopped. He clenched his fists but then he kept walking. A wave of murderous intent emanating from him.
"Don't ask questions that don't concern you."
"I'm not done yet."
The phoenix charged at Jirael. As she was about to reach him, he turned around and what she saw shocked her. Jirael's eyes had changed as his pupil now had become like a snake's eyes. It had become elongated like a claw. It was the second stage of the Kaminome. He had finally unlocked it. He met her with his punch. Jirael's bones on his right arm cracked. He thought.
"A 4th Gate huh."
He was outmatched but he didn't care. He was going to use this battle to release all his pent up frustrations. His right hand was almost healed. He rushed in. He saw where she was going to hit him next so Jirael dodged in advance. She was left wide open as he punched her. His fist cracked as he punched her stomach.
"Damnit!"
He jumped and tried an overhead axe kick but that just broke the joints in his knees. Jirael used his left foot to push himself of her and jump back. It would take a minute for his leg to heal under this condition. The phoenix rushed in. Jirael blocked her attack but he was sent flying as his arms broke. He slammed through three trees before his momentum was stopped by the last one. He coughed up blood.
"I still have one remaining good le-'
*Snap*
The phoenix had suddenly rushed forward and kicked Jirael's last remaining good leg. He was now completely defenceless. His wounds would take more than a few minutes to heal. He was completely at her mercy but he still had one last trick up his sleeve. He felt it well up in his throat. In that instant, Jirael released a primal roar that resonated throughout the whole forest. With that, he passed out. The fatigue from not sleeping for two weeks finally caught up with him.
3 weeks later
It's been a month since Jirael escaped from the capital. He had finally woken and was greeted by a little girl with red hair. She instantly hugged him.
"You finally woke up big brother!"
Jirael was shocked.
"What the?! Who are you???Get off me you brat!"
Instead, the girl just held on tighter.
"No way!!! Jimai is not letting go!"
The phoenix mother came in.
"Now now little Jimai. How can you bother Jirael like this. Let him rest some more."
Jirael was shocked.
"I don't remember telling you my name."
The phoenix mother smiled.
"There were a couple of flies in armour causing a stir in the forest. Naturally they let us know they were looking for a boy called Jirael. We bought one of them here to my domain and he confirmed it was you. Now he's my fertilizer. Jirael stood up.
"Thank you for taking care of me all this time. I won't be bothering you any longer."
"Oh? So where will you go after this?"
"The Eastern Continent. There should be some family there."
"Should? Why don't you just stay in my domain for now?"
"A 9th Gate wants my head. Can you defend your territory from him?"
The phoenix was silent. Jirael continued.
"I'll take my leave then. Please point me east and I'll be on my way."
The phoenix stopped Jirael.
"Come with me first."
She went outside with him and then she transformed into her phoenix form.
"Atleast let me take you to your destination as thanks for saving my little Jimai."
Jirael nodded his head and as he was about to get on, the little girl had transformed into a phoenix and sat on his shoulder.
"Tehee you weren't thinking about leaving me behind were y-"
"Get off."
She cried out as she jumped onto her mother.
"Waaaaaah! Mama he's bullying me! Big brother's bullying me!"
The phoenix laughed as Jirael scolded Jimai. They looked like a pair of siblings.
"Hehe don't bully her too much Jirael."
Jirael climbed on and they then took off.
8 months later
During this time they've been flying in the air. Sometimes they'd take the time to the rest and hunt on the ground and fly up. Jirael would regularly take combat lessons from the phoenix, who he found out her name was Jikarin. They were almost nearing one of the central cities of the Eastern Continent. Jirael was going to search for Kristina's mother's family, the Song family in the city of Steel.
"Jirael, Jimai. We'll land here for now."
As they landed, Jirael jumped off.
"I guess this is where we part w-"
He felt a sharp knock to the back of his head.
"MOTHER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!"
"He knows too much about us Jimai. I won't kill him but I'll erase his memories."
Jimai cried.
"BUT MOTHER HE'S KIND. HE WAS KIND TO US!!!"
"All humans are the same Jimai. Once he founds out how valuable the true name of us demon beasts is, he'll no doubt seek to exploit us."
Jimai kept quiet. She remembered the stories she was told of humans abusing demon beasts by calling them by their true names and trapping them. A demon beasts true name is a weakness. If someone knows their name, they can summon them regardless of whether they wish to or not. This means they can be summoned into nets that trap them or worse. Jimai spoke.
"A-atleast don't leave big brother here mom."
"Don't worry. I'll leave him with the humans inside."