I stood atop a mound of white-haired individuals, cradling a cute chunni weeb princess in my arms. The members of Organization X lay unconscious beneath me, the battle far from easy. I nearly had to resort to using my Perfect Me ability.

"Tough fight, eh?"

The princess, unappreciative of my jokes, shot me a pointed glare and a pout.

Well, truth be told, the fight wasn't as difficult as I made it out to be. Though, maybe I should have acted even harder to earn some points from the princess? "Ow, I'm injured. I’ve been hit with a poisonous attack, and only a kiss from a princess can save me!" I cried dramatically, placing the back of my hand to my forehead.

Her eyebrows twitched, but then she regained her composure. "Hey, that's not something you should joke so casually about."

"Who said I was joking?"

"Curing poison with a kiss on the lips? I won’t even bother gracing that with a response."

"Who said it had to be a kiss on the lips? Jeez, you really have a perverted mind."

"Baka!" she cried instinctively. However, she realized her mistake a second too late, and her eyes widened.

I chose not to comment and instead gave her a smile. Blushing, she covered her face with her hand against my shoulder as she muttered, "You know, you wouldn’t stand a chance against my fiancé. He would definitely take offense at your flirting with me."

"Flirting?" I tilted my head. "Whatever do you mean?"

I could feel the warmth radiating from her face, and I decided to deliver the final blow, whispering in a sing-song tone, "Baka~"

I set Wis down and leaned against a tree as we waited for our attackers to regain consciousness. As they returned to the waking world, one by one, I gestured at them to sit down. They were all smart enough to understand the situation they were in.

Once they were all awake, some groaned, but most had already recovered due to the regeneration factor from the demons sealed inside them.

"I don't think I need to mention this, but just to clarify, if any of you try to run away, I will kill you," I stated.

Well, Carpy would be the one to kill them, but they didn't need to know the exact details of that.

They stared at me with wary eyes. Some were scared, while others seemed to be cooperative enough. A handful displayed no emotions, as if they didn't care about life or death.

These kids had tried to attack us, but I did not hold it against them. They had done so because they had known no other choice; I would give them another chance to live, regardless of whether they deserved it. A teenager shouldn't be burdened with such significant worries. The most pressing concern in their minds should revolve around whether the person they fancy reciprocates their feelings.

"Before you stand two options; join my side, or you die," I announced, presenting them with my ultimatum. I had already gone to great lengths to spare their lives. However, I had no intention of assisting those who were unwilling to accept help, unless I felt compelled to do so for some unforeseen reason.

"You call that a choice?" one of them remarked derisively. It was challenging to discern which one had spoke, as they all had similar appearances.

"Well then, how about this alternative? Whoever made that remark identify yourself, so I can kill you," I said, placing my hand on the hilt of my cursed sword and releasing a malevolent aura. "Now you understand the difference between a choice and a non-choice? It's quite significant, isn't it?"

A few gasps emanated from the onlookers, and I clarified. "By the way, that was a joke."

They gazed at me and Princess Wis, their eyes silently questioning the appropriateness of my humor at such a moment. For me it was. This was an attempt to portray myself as easy-going and forgiving. Or, at least that was what my excuse would be, in case they ever asked.

...

In the end, everyone chose to follow me. As we made our way back to the cabin, I attempted to engage in conversation with some of them. However, it became clear to me just how socially inept one could be when they had only ever lived in a lab.

Upon reaching the cabin, the first group of white-haired children had already awakened and were cradling hot cups of chocolate. Bear, on the other hand, appeared tired and lay on his back, tongue out, breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?" I approached my favorite furry companion.

"Yeah, just too many of them asked for seconds," he replied, looking up in dread as he noticed the other kids following behind me. It was difficult to gauge his emotions, given that he was a bear, but I felt that it was getting easier the more time I spent around him.

"Alright, and no one helped you?" I asked, directing a glare towards Pan, who was lounging about. "Pan, you're in charge of making chocolate for the rest of the children."

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He winced but didn't protest my orders. Then I turned to Yara, and she met my gaze, along with the princess on my back.

"So, were they well-behaved?" I asked Miku, gesturing towards the first group of white-haired assassins.

But I already knew the answer; if anyone had misbehaved, Carpy would have dealt with them accordingly.

This was the advantage of having power. I could do as I pleased, and I could choose to help anybody I wanted without having to worry too much about the danger. The implied threat was enough to dissuade anyone from repaying my goodwill with hostility.

Now I needed to assign someone to handle the tedious tasks for me. These children would need accommodations, education, and the opportunity to experience a typical high school life with concerns about grades and exams. Whether they chose to pursue a career as exorcists would be their decision, but not before they had a taste of normalcy.

Suddenly, the Ord within me surged. It felt as if I were being rewarded for doing whatever I pleased. In this world, people referred to this as Enlightenment. It usually occurred when someone underwent a transformation or manifested their emotions into the world. Or, in my case, when they finally had the power to do something they had long desired.

***

Delia experienced an unprecedented sense of power and freedom, as if she were swimming among the clouds. She was finally accomplishing the things she had always dreamed of, and her Ord, her mystical energy, seemed to grow with every step. The stagnation she had felt during her early years as an Exorcist now lifted like fog.

Her growth was boundless.

Once struggling to keep up with her uncle, she had now defeated him in a single strike. The elders, who had always exuded overbearing authority, fell to her blade before they could react.

Joy, jubilation, and excitement flooded her being. It was as though a whole new world had unfolded before her eyes. She wondered why she had ever kept these feelings buried within her heart.

Her father's cold gaze remained, but Delia could now see the rage he concealed. In the past, she would have been curious about the origin of these emotions, or about her absent mother. However, those concerns held no importance to her now.

As her father prepared to unleash his special ability, Delia swiftly threw her dagger towards him. Although he managed to evade it partially, the projectile found its mark in his shoulder.

The room dimmed, and Delia's father stood atop a mountain of skulls beside a torii gate. He peered down at her and issued a warning, "Be careful, we both know we cannot afford to hold back."

Delia smiled, her instincts alerting her to an impending attack aimed at her throat. In the past, she would have hesitated, but now she acted swiftly. Raising her dagger, she infused it with Ord, creating a resounding clash as she blocked her father's strike. The force of the attack forced her ten steps backward, her feet digging into the ground. Had it connected with her flesh, her neck would have been severed instantly.

Though she never fully understood her father's ability, she recognized that as a peak-level Creator, his power exhibited blaster-like properties. Now, as she deflected his attack, she gained a deeper comprehension. "It's akin to an X-ray laser, capable of bypassing physical obstacles to strike the body directly, despite being an imaginary attack."

Her father, a Creator unable to control Ord outside his own body, had to establish certain rules for the attack to manifest. Otherwise, it would remain purely illusory, never striking anything. "The attack only materializes upon encountering something infused with Ord, whether it be a human body or, in this case, my dagger."

Her father narrowed his eyes and remained silent. Delia sensed the next attack coming from her left side. But weren't his attacks only able to manifest in a straight line?

She blocked the attack, which pushed her back, but suddenly pain erupted in her back, and blood pooled beneath her feet in the shadowy darkness.

"You're just a wild animal, talented, but still wild," her father commented. "That's why you were never suitable to become the clan head."

"I no longer care about what you think of me. I'll still lead the clan after I'm through with you... or whatever is left of it," she smiled, his words having no effect on her anymore.

"Kill me? You've grown stronger, almost to the point where I could be proud of you. But a mad dog can only go so far before it must be put down," he coldly stated. "Now, die, my daughter."

Delia felt attacks coming from all sides, her heart freezing. She realized that while his imaginary attacks couldn't harm anything physical, they could still bounce off each other. Delia glanced at her father, and although she could easily say she no longer loved him, she still respected the effort he must have put in to reach this stage. He could have been a Special Exorcist, but it seemed that he had been waiting for the right time.

The attacks cut into her body, but Delia charged, covering herself in Ord. The first attacks had managed to breach her defenses, causing some injuries. But as the battle continued, her father's attacks and her defenses seemed to reach a stalemate. She rushed at her father, but he didn't dodge. Finally, his cold gaze descended upon her.

Yet, behind his mask, she saw not fear, but acceptance and pride. "I've been a villain, a killer. I've murdered women, the elderly, and children. I feel no regret or guilt for what I've done."

Delia didn't care and sensed his attacks growing stronger. If they were outside the barrier created by her father's special ability, she had no doubt that houses would be torn apart like paper.

"I am happy that I have helped my brother and his family grow stronger," his smile widened. "Delia, I am proud of you! That ruthlessness-"

He didn’t get to finish his speech as a dagger pierced his throat.

"Whatever fucked up message you had, you will take it to the grave. I don't give a shit about what life you lived, or how you ended like this. Just die knowing that you never really meant much to me either," Delia snorted.

Blood spilled out of his mouth, yet he still wore a smile.

Delia had acted without hesitation, uncaring as to whether her father acknowledged her or not. Suddenly, his hair turned white, and Delia prepared herself for a last-ditch attack as he tapped into his remaining lifespan. However, her caution was proved needless as two crimson daggers, with ghostly screaming faces along their blades, materialized in his hands.

With the demise of the Dark Sword Clan, his body slumped back, and the mountain of skulls turned to ash.

In his final moments, he had crafted weapons for his daughter. Delia gazed at the daggers and scoffed.

For some reason, she couldn't shake off the revulsion in her stomach, as if her old man had ultimately achieved what he had desired.