Shit! Fuck! Damn it!

My clan's recent actions, which involved backhanded tactics and the killing of members from a powerful clan, would have managed to escape serious consequences due to the Dark Sword Clan's leverage. However, this large-scale attack was unreasonable and tantamount to declaring war!

What the fuck?! I thought we were on the same page!

We shared a common enemy that threatened humanity's very existence. It was incredibly frustrating to witness everything I had worked so hard for being trampled on by the greedy.

Why the hell are you betraying each other when humanity was literally about to be destroyed?! This whole thing was a headache!

Despite my inner turmoil, I attempted to maintain a calm outward demeanor, although it proved more difficult than usual. These people underestimated the gravity of the war, failing to grasp that it was merely the precursor to an impending catastrophe.

In the original story, my clan had been massacred for kidnapping the daughter of a Great Clan, something which seemed to be following on the same tracks. The part about my clan getting exterminated by a Great Clan.

These clans had existed since the time when Shuten Doji was still human, thousands of years ago. They had witnessed the world before the continent's barrier was established.

Furthermore, the claim that my clan had the ability to kill the Kuro Clan Head was highly improbable. While battles between exorcists could never be predicted with absolute certainty, the Kuro Clan head was one of the strongest exorcists around.

"Are you alright?" the Headmaster asked, concern evident in his voice after my prolonged silence.

I nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine."

But everything was far from fine. Once the Kuro Clan Head returned, we would all face dire consequences. Perhaps he would spare me, given my apparent disapproval of my clan's methods. Maybe the reputation my clan had worked so hard to build for me would finally prove beneficial.

The situation was fucked up. A part of me hesitated at the thought of Delia and others losing their lives, while another part felt they deserved their fate. This left me with a tumultuous mix of emotions.

The Headmaster stood up, ready to leave. However, he turned towards me one last time and said, "By the way, the higher-ups in this war have learned about how your team defeated Ibaraki Doji, an ultimate-class demon. However, they intend to attribute the victory solely to Chariot, in order to bolster the morale of exorcists and create the perception that humanity possesses individuals capable of single-handedly taking down ultimate-class exorcists."

"Sure," I shrugged. I didn't attach much importance to such trivialities. Besides, I had contributed very little during the fight.

Gaining recognition for that would only bring about troublesome expectations. After all, every time an ultimate-class demon emerged, people would turn to me due to my supposed "experience” in handling them.

"Wait, does my clan know about this?" I asked.

"Of course they do," the Headmaster narrowed his eyes. A scheming glint appeared in his gaze, and he smirked teasingly. "Don't worry, they won't manipulate rumors to make it seem like you killed the demon on your own."

With those words, he walked out, whistling a merry tune.

Now I remembered why I didn't like this old man. He was too adept at reading people, and no one wanted someone around who could decipher their thoughts, especially not paranoid exorcists.

"Umh," Delia opened her eyes and stood up on her bed, revealing that she had been awake all along. She tried to act like she was sleepy, but this was way too convenient of a time to wake up. Noticing that I wasn’t impressed, she let go of the horrible acting and smirked. "Heh, I never knew your loyalty ran so deep. Are you afraid to give up a nice, hot, and sexy cousin like me?"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Now I wish I had thrown you to the wolves. What was past me even thinking?" I sighed.

"Hey! I can hear you, dumbass! Don't just act as if I'm not even here!"

***

Gem was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. Bets had died, and he had no idea if Kon was still alive. He hadn't had the chance to process Bets' death properly, and it still felt unreal, like a terrible dream. Since that day, Gem had been operating on autopilot, both physically and mentally.

He and his new ragtag team were currently behind enemy lines, and the guy with the big nose, whom Kon had spared during the Expert Exams, had been bitten by a poisonous flower demon. However, their makeshift group was not prepared to handle such situations.

A voice in Gem's head suggested that Kon would have known how to deal with the situation. Gem acknowledged that Kon could have probably saved the guy, but there was nothing they could do, and Gem watched helplessly as the man succumbed to his injuries.

The big-nosed guy had been a great person to be around—fun, kind, and even comforting Gem when his friend had died. After all, the guy’s friend had died too. Yet, despite the positive memories they shared, Gem felt nothing but a hollow emptiness in his chest as he observed his new friend's dying form. Gem’s body felt devoid of energy, and no matter how much air he breathed in, it never felt enough.

"Are you okay?" asked the guy in the purple shirt, one of the members of the eccentric shirt trio that Kon had spared in the Expert Exam. They had volunteered to join the mission to save Kon. "Someone check on Gem; he's breathing heavily. Could he be poisoned too?"

"No," Sei confirmed as he approached. "His pupils are dilated, and he's experiencing shallow breaths accompanied by cold sweats. It appears he's in shock and panicking."

Shock? Panic? Not him.

Gem had grown up in a family of exorcists and witnessed numerous deaths. He had killed both humans and demons alike. Some people would panic or even vomit when faced with such circumstances, but not Gem. It was one of his strengths—to accept that life wasn't always pleasant and that unfortunate things happened.

However, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of trees being crushed nearby, along with distant explosions. Gem immediately snapped into high alert, and the shadows around him swirled as he formed a hand seal, preparing to defend himself.

Whatever had been occupying his mind was pushed to the back as he urgently focused on the present. Now was not the time for an existential crisis!

Abruptly, Agon burst through the trees, clutching an injured two-tailed cat in his arms. "Run!" He yelled.

Within seconds, a red ogre thundered through the forest, effortlessly uprooting trees like they were mere paper. Resting on the ogre's shoulder was a familiar spiked bat—the ogre-like demon was Kidomaru, the ultimate class demon who had led the monster army in the previous battle.

Sei furrowed his brow upon seeing Kidomaru and prepared himself for combat. Gem understood that there was a history of animosity between Sei and the demon, given Kidomaru's escape from the mirror world on two separate occasions. It was possible that Kidomaru's special ability could counter Sei's, but such assumptions were speculative at this point.

Kidomaru's speed was astonishing—almost frightening. However, just as he was about to bring the spiked bat crashing down on Agon’s head, a bell rang out, causing the ultimate class demon to lose his balance. He slipped and crashed to the ground, his weapon missing its target by a foot.

"Huh?" Kidomaru looked around, confusion evident in his eyes as if his vision had become distorted.

It appeared that the ability of the man in the purple shirt had an effect even on a demon of Kidomaru's caliber. The guy continued to ring his bell relentlessly.

"I can selectively target individuals with the bell's effects, although the criteria are always broad, such as them being a demon," the man in the purple shirt explained, his ability intensifying with each ring.

Gem recalled Bets mentioning something about certain exorcists having a condition where they had to explain their abilities, which added a risk but made them stronger. He also remembered Kon's advice about dealing with opponents like these—crush their throats to prevent them from explaining or invoking their abilities forcefully.

For some reason, Gem's mind raced at an incredible speed. His thoughts flowed faster than ever before, adapting to the absence of Kon and Bets guiding him. He had never needed to rely on his own intellect when they were present, but now he had no choice.

"What a troublesome ability," Kidomaru muttered, struggling to regain his footing. He resorted to driving his sharp-nailed finger into his ears, stabilizing his form. "Much better."

He had willingly destroyed his own eardrums to negate the effects of the special ability!

Everyone present understood the situation and quickly distanced themselves. However, some were not swift enough, and the ultimate class demon blitzed through the group. The next time Gem caught sight of Kidomaru, the demon was amidst the trio wearing peculiar colored shirts. With a swing of his spiked bat, he reduced their upper bodies to nothing more than chunks of flesh and bone.

Gem looked up at the midday sky, realizing he couldn't rely on his trump card. Even if he could, he doubted its effectiveness against a formidable demon like this.

When Kidomaru glanced their way, Gem's hope evaporated. He couldn't shake off the thought that he would end up meeting the same fate as Bets...