Ran had thought he'd get the moment to size up his opponent, take in their demonic might and features.
He'd thought wrong.
Only a movement of shadow alerted him to the fact that he was being attacked when a Hell Lord from the side of the shadow lords lunged into the circular arena.
Ran jumped to the side and barely escaped being speared through.
Eyes wide, he looked at the demon who had attacked him. He was kind of immaterial, more shadow than flesh.
He was nearly seven feet tall and opened his mouth as if to grin, all Ran saw was a void of shadow.
The shadow demon jumped and managed to somehow melt into shadow and appear right next to Ran's face.
Ran discovered, very much to his surprise, that his reflexes were beyond what he'd expected.
He ducked, fell flat on the floor, and rolled away to put some distance between him and the demon.
But the shadow demon was faster than he'd expected.
"Up boy. Up!" Xin yelled at him.
Ran sat up and scurried back as the demon came at him. He rolled again away at another lunge.
This time he was not so lucky.
He escaped, but felt a bite travel down from the back of his neck to his waist.
He fell face flat to the ground with a yelp as blood soaked his clothes from where the spear had cut through his flesh.
"You have to do better boy. Remember who you are. Unleash yourself," Xin called out.
Ran muttered a curse at the Demon Prince and turned to lay his back on the ground.
He blinked through the pain as his back met with the floor and saw the shadow demon strutting towards him in a swaggering carriage.
"Little boy, you have been offered as a sacrifice. Do you realize that now?" The demon asked. "Your Prince there is offering your blood to cross the realm."
Ran heard Xin scoff somewhere behind him. "If you believe that boy then you are better off dead. We can only be let through by you winning this fight. So get back up, you mortal abomination, and fight. Bring me the head of this lesser creature who would dare throw a jibe at a Prince of Hell."
The shadow demon scoffed right back and threw his spear at Ran.
He somehow found himself filled with strength. Ran rolled on the floor again and got to his feet.
If he was going to die then he was going to die bravely.
He lunged at the shadow demon and dived him to the ground. Then he began to rain blows upon the demon's face.
His skin became metallic as he called to the powers within him and they answered.
The shadow demon's face felt more like liquid than solid, but it screamed regardless. With every hard, metallic punch the demon screamed like its nerves were on fire.
From behind Xin called out in advice. "Harder. Be relentless, boy. Bring me his head."
Ran felt his world view narrow until it became just him and the shadow demon. He could no longer hear Xin, see the world around him or even think straight as he gained tunnel vision.
He was lost in the moment. Overwhelmed by a terror driven passion to kill the shadow demon.
He did not see it coming when the demon took hold of his shoulders, lifted him five feet clear off the ground and threw him off.
Ran sailed through the air and crashed hard into the ground, dislocating his left shoulder.
He bit his tongue from trying to suppress the scream that poured out of him.
He wasn't even dead yet he wished he was. He felt dead all over.
Turning his head, he saw the shadow demon struggling to rise.
Ran made a great attempt to get back on his feet, shaking like he was overcome with seizures as his body ached all over.
"You must let go, boy!" Xin yelled at him.
Ran searched within himself and felt for a split second the urge to do as the Demon Prince was ordering him to.
He let go after a thoughtful moment.
No, he was not going to die a monster.
He was going to die bravely. He wouldn't give in to the abomination that rests deep inside of him.
"You must unleash yourself, boy. You must fight!"
"Shut up!" Ran yelled back, feeling something awaken in his spirit from his rage.
"No, no, no." He forced himself to his feet and took a deep breath, pushing the Lagarakei back.
He refused to let himself be possessed, his soul was not a meal to be consumed.
As he was thinking this, he saw the demon stand and stretch out his hand. The shadow around him melted and delivered his spear into his hand.
With a purposeful stride the shadow demon came at him again.
"Do you want to suffer in pain, boy. Fight!"
Ran ignored the Demon Prince's voice and took a step forward. As he made to take another, the demon stretched out his hand and Ran felt his own shadow blanket him and pin him to the ground.
The void of the demon's mouth spread out in a grin as he rushed to him, his spear brandished.
Ran's eyes widened and he didn't even know when he activated his Ether Aey rune and telekinetically sent the spear jumping out of the demon's hand.
But the demon was just as relentless. He did not stop his swift approach, running heedlessly.
Ran unable to move, watched as the demon stretched out his arms, shadow blade extending from his claws.
Ran stared, frozen.
And then his hand fell.
It fell with a thud that sounded like a thunderous roar in Ran's ears.
He was senseless to the ensuing pain. He could only freeze and watch as blood gushed from his stump.
He'd known the reality, but it was now it was beginning to settle within him.
"I'm going to die," he thought.
He felt his vision swim as he staggered back, his blood wetting the ground in a shower.
He got too caught up staring at his stump that he failed to notice the next attack.
He felt it though. It was as cold as the darkest winter, its bite as bitter as the sharpest razor, its force as strong as a demon's wrath.
Ran felt the blade strike into his heart and exit out through his back.
Raising his head to stare deep into the eyes of the Shadow Hell Lord, he felt all his strength leave him and he collapsed to his knees, pulling the blade down with him and in the process widening the injury.
He coughed and was not surprised to see a spray of red spill out through his parted lips.
Was this what dying felt like? There was so much pain, pain and peace.
Normally it'd be more difficult to notice the latter as one could easily be distracted by the former. But pain was an old friend, this held no candle to being burned by the Blaze and Hakokage.
The peace was what shocked him. He'd never even thought of it, that dying could be peaceful.
He didn't have time to ponder the oddity for much longer though, his life was falling through the gaps of his fingers.
Looking around again, blood running down his chin as he took in the figures surrounding him, Ran blinked one last time.
His body went limp.