With a scream of pain, Mammon pulled out the sword that had been thrust deep into his torso. The ooze of Mammon's essence bled an anomalous orange. Anger, vengeance, and pleasure cloud Mammon's judgment. Mammon had felt betrayed by his closest confidant and was determined to exact revenge. All sense of reason was lost, and his vengeance has not yet been quenched. He succumbed to the basest of human impulses and felt no remorse for his actions as he once again charged at his son. The burden, guilt, and insecurity of his incompetence as a father lead him to no reason—only vengeance on the world. He starts this by trying to kill his son, the one perceived in his mind that started it all.
He points at his son, laughing as his plan comes to fruition. He had spent years preparing for this moment, and finally his son was standing in front of him. He walks up to him, tears in his eyes, and says the words Arino has wished to hear his entire life.
"I'm proud of you, son."
Arino could hardly believe what he was hearing; his emotions couldn't process the statement his father made to him. In quick moments, both statements echoed repeatedly through Arino's mind. Arino falls to the floor, unable to control the amount of essence that has circulated. As he falls into unconsciousness in the real world, he wakes up in his own mind.
In this space, there isn't much to it; it's dark, depressing, and blinding. As Arino walks around for what feels like an hour, he sees a child; cowering in fear over the dark environment around them.
Arino: "Are you alright kid?"
Child: "W-who are you?"
As Arino looks at the child, he sees a younger him, looking fearfully at him. Arino laughs and takes the kid's hand.
Arino: "Look kid, I know how much this place has tormented you."
Child: "What would you know about me? You don't even know a bit of what I had to go through?"
Arino: "Do I know? Let me show you something."
As Arino raises his hand toward the darkness, he shows the kid all the moments that happened in Arino's life. The experiences of his life can show the child how to deal with the adversity of life by using the light of his soul. The soul beacons one out of all sin and darkness if one decides that he is worthy of the light that is. As the child is shown the darkness of life, he stands up. As the child stands, Arino speaks to him, saying that while life is full of darkness and suffering, it also contains moments of joy and love.
"Welcome to the real world, kid!" Arino shouts. He gives the kid a smile, signaling that he is no longer alone in his despair. The kid hugs Arino while crying, seeing that someone can show him love without needing something in return.
"Because I am you; we are both Akumo Arino." "I won't hurt you; at least trust an older you, can you?"
The blinding, dreadful atmosphere illuminates a vast field as the child says yes, revealing many heaves of wheat, carrot fields, and potato patches.
"Now you can farm all you want," Arino says with a smile. "You got this, kiddo!"
As Arino's vision reopens to the town of Windon, the child waves him goodbye.
Arino wakes to find Arisa and Savona next to him. He looks up to see Nikuyoku's warm smile aromatizing the atmosphere. As he tries to get up, his body aches, signaling him to lay back down. With a deep sigh, Arino looks around and notices the beautiful nature around him, the townspeople thanking Nikuyoku for her help with the recent harvest.
Arino: "So, what happened?"
Nikuyoku: "Well, you almost wiped out the entire village, let's start there."
Arino: "Is Dad alright, he was pretty angry at me for a while there."
Nikuyoku: "Well, he didn't want you to know the truth about your unknown power spike."
Arino: "Yeah, I saw my hands turn into a platinum color, what does that mean?"
Nikuyoku: "It means that you have the essence of both an angel and a demon."
Arino: "Where would that even come from? I heard you saying something about banter and your son."
Nikuyoku: "Well, there's something I have to tell you about your lineage."
Arino: "That I'm half-angel? Would that mean that Mammon isn't my dad?"
Nikuyoku: "No no, Mammon is most definitely your father. Your mother isn't your real mother, Arino."
Arino perks up with shock, causing him even more pain. He lays back down while trying to control himself.
Arino: "S-so, who is my real mother?"
Nikuyoku: Well... that would be me. That was the whole reason why your father came to kill you in the first place. He didn't want me to take responsibility for not being there in your life, he wanted you to grow up in a more peaceful environment."
Arino: "I see that, but was that the reason why he did what he did."
Nikuyoku: "I had to foretake the Four Year Trail in order to become an Ascended Demon, so I had to hide the fact I already had a child. It was a lot for Mammon to take in."
Arino: "That doesn't make much sense, but it does explain a lot of my dad's actions."
Nikuyoku: "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner..."
Arino tells Nikuyoku to not worry about it as he gazes into the sunset.
"Maybe, this was for the best, don't you think Mom?" Arino asks Nikuyoku with a smile.
Holding tears back, she nods her heads. "The future might be looking bright for once."