If there were a census, and exorcists had to answer truthfully, what percentage of them would admit to killing their own kind? My suspicion was that the number would be surprisingly high. Paranoid thoughts like these were what kept me alive.

"Keep an eye out for anything," I addressed Carpy and Gem.

I yawned, closed my eyes, and sleep came easily as my Ord reserves were almost depleted. It had been an exhausting day.

***

Aria Belle, better known as the Star Exorcist, traveled alone through the dense forest. Fear washed over her body, and her heart shook with terror. Whenever she thought about what had happened in that battle, she felt exposed, as if she were standing naked in front of a winter storm.

Her once silky purple hair swished in the wind, now a bit disheveled. For the first time in her life, she didn't care about her appearance and focused solely on running away from the Ultimate Class demon that had defeated so many Special Exorcists with ease.

Despite the valiant efforts of the Exorcists, the Ultimate Class demon remained unscathed. As Aria contemplated the daunting task of facing such a powerful foe, a wave of overwhelming despair washed over her, threatening to engulf her completely. She felt a lump form in her throat, and tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and her heart raced in her chest. She took a deep breath, but the metallic tang of blood filled her nostrils, making her feel sick to her stomach.

'It's not fair!' She thought bitterly. Some demons were born powerful, while humans had to work tirelessly to gain even a semblance of strength. How could she ever hope to catch up to a monster like that?

But her sadness was short-lived as she sensed something, causing her to suddenly halt and change directions. She ended up atop a steep cliff when she felt something below.

Aria retrieved two talismans from under her bra and wrapped them around her wrists. A feeling of weightlessness surrounded her, and she jumped down. Her falling speed was about as fast as a falling leaf.

As an Exorcist/Celebrity, she had no trouble purchasing Featherfalling Talismans despite their rarity and cost.

Once down there, the guards at the entrance pointed their weapons at her in cautiousness but when they saw who she was they put their weapons down and greeted her.

“Lady Star!”

She flashed one of her award-winning smiles and said. “Can you take me to your leader?”

One of the men nodded vigorously and said. “Follow me, Lady Star! I will escort you to Lord Moon!”

‘So that nerd is the leader here? This’ll be easier than I anticipated.’ Aria thought.

It seemed like things had once again started going her way, which was expected; she was, after all, one of God’s favorites.

The guard guiding her strutted with each step as he was jumping in happiness, but Aria was disgusted by his presence alone. He was an average-looking man. If she had her way, only attractive people would stand alongside her. Otherwise, less aesthetically pleasing individuals should simply bow as she walked by, sparing her the sight of their faces.

After being led through some of the cave's intricate system, the guard led her to a plain wall. But he didn't stop walking, and phased right through the solid wall.

With this showing, there was no doubt in Aria's mind that The Moon was really the leader of this place, and she wasn’t being lied to. He was the only exorcist capable of mixing barriers, and his special ability that could create illusions.

Once inside, she saw that they were no longer in something that looked like a cold and rocky cave. The surrounding area instead resembled a storage house and a library full of many books.

Sitting atop one of the supply boxes was a man with wavy brown hair and square glasses. He closed the book with a snap. "I'm glad to see that you were able to make it out of the battlefield safely, Star."

She looked around and noted that there were enough supplies here to last for months. The boxes had all kinds of tags on them like: food, medicine, clothes, tools, and many other essential things. How could someone get supplies like this in the middle of nowhere?

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The Moon was a skilled exorcist known for his exceptional barrier techniques. But to Aria, he was just another average-looking guy ranked 18th. She was one rank above him in the Special Ranks and didn't want to listen to a loser who was beneath her.

"Okay, nice job. I will be taking over the place from now on," she said, not even bothering with politeness.

The Moon remained silent, his small smirk the only indication of his thoughts. Fed up with his lack of response, Aria flexed her Ord and used her Blaster affinity to unleash a wave of pressure.

Despite being ranked among the Special Ranks, The Moon had depleted much of his Ord during the fight against Uwabami and was constantly maintaining barriers to keep their hideout running. The pressure Aria released should have staggered him, but he didn't even flinch. His smile remained unchanged as he spoke. "Sure, you can be the leader. But I must insist on handling the supply distribution and barrier management."

"Sure," Aria replied, relieved to be rid of those tedious responsibilities.

Despite winning the argument, Aria felt uneasy, as though she had been outsmarted and signed a contract that was heavily in The Moon's favor. She tried to read his expression, but the light reflecting off his glasses made it difficult. There was a mysterious aura about him that she couldn't be quite sure of.

Aria huffed and walked out, followed by the less attractive individuals who always followed the more attractive ones. That was how she had been able to take over so quickly. She couldn't help but relish the feeling of being in control again.

Aria believed that unattractive people should worship beautiful people like gods, like the stars in the sky. That was all they were good for. When she thought about it, the Ultimate Class demon attack might have been divine intervention. After all, God clearly favored the more attractive individuals. Otherwise, why make them beautiful?

The headmaster's command had been torture to her, but now she was free again.

With a smile on her face, she walked through the cave, offering comfort to the people she encountered. Perhaps she could even gain some more fans along the way. Even though she didn't genuinely care about these individuals, she made an effort to act kindly.

…

Aria had been trapped in the cave with injured and dying exorcists for two long hours. Frustrated and bored, she decided it was time to take action.

"Lady Star," one of the guards called out to her. "My name is..."

'His name is as forgettable as he is,' Aria thought. She zoned out his name automatically, unable to recall it. 'I'll just call him Minion Number 2.'

Minion Number 2 continued to blabber, but Aria wasn't listening.

"Whatever you said, forget it. Instead, let's prepare for a concert!" she exclaimed. Aria managed to remain polite, knowing that if people hated her, her special ability would weaken.

"A concert?" the average-looking exorcist asked with confusion. "Miss Star, we're in a cave."

"I'm aware of that. Do you think I'm blind?" Aria raised a questioning brow. She couldn't understand why average people were always so nitpicky. They could just follow the instructions given by better-looking people instead of questioning everything.

"But where will we find the materials to create a concert? And won't it be dangerous to make noise that could attract demons to our location?" the exorcist asked.

Aria forced a smile, holding back the urge to lash out at him. "Create a sound-blocking barrier and a talisman to amplify the microphone. And please, have some competence and don't act like a retard."

"Yes, Miss Star," he replied, backing away. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be surrounded by beautiful people. Even if she was the only one, she knew that her own presence was the most pleasant to be around.

…

Less than three hours later, Aria was serenading the hundreds of Exorcists who had gathered in the cave. She sang with all her heart, her microphone a simple talisman affixed to the end of a stick. Her powerful voice was the very reason for her unique ability - the longer she sang, the more her Ord grew in strength.

Her special ability, called {Look At Me}, granted her greater Ord and better quality Ord as her number of fans increased. However, if her haters outnumbered her fans, her strength would dwindle. She suspected that if she ever became a villain and was widely hated, her own ability's drawback might kill her by weakening her to the point where her heart could no longer beat.

For this reason, she had kept her ability secret, sharing it with no one but herself. Aria had earned her rank as a Special Exorcist through raw power, not her unique ability. She had been on the cusp of achieving world stardom, her hard work finally paying off, but the ongoing wars had put her aspirations on hold.

Though many were aware of her rank as a Special Exorcist, Aria's ability only worked for true fans. She needed to bridge the gap and become a celebrity in her own right to reach a wider audience. If she could become a household name, the boost from her ability might just propel her past the monsters in the Top 5 Special Exorcists.

..

As Aria Belle finished singing her heart out, she noticed a young man sleeping by himself in the corner of the cave, seemingly unaffected by her performance. After covering herself with a cloak, she approached the man and upon closer inspection, she noticed a demon wrapped around him, hidden under his cloak. As she studied him further, her expression turned into a frown… she knew this man.

He was the same person who had stopped the Demonic Exorcist, but she couldn't care less about his accomplishments. To her, regardless of what an average-looking person achieved, they still didn’t matter much.

However, what bothered her the most was that he was related to Ellen, The Lover Exorcist.

‘That shrewd cow! That Bitchy whore!’