Even without Perfect Me, I could maintain my fused form with Carpy for about twenty minutes. While twenty minutes may not seem like much to the average person, it was an eternity for a battle between exorcists of our levels, where even just a second could spell victory or defeat.

In this form, I was a true half-demon since I fused with a demon the right way, and not achieved this form due to some experiment or having the demon sealed in me. Which always left some kinds of drawbacks, and even Agon whose seal was made in the best way possible, wasn’t able to use Yamata No Orochi’s full power.

I pulled out the flaming sword from my gut, letting the wound regenerate on its own. Fusion without relying on Perfect Me had its own advantages. For these twenty minutes, I was essentially a demon.

Wings of blood sprouted from the Demonic Exorcist's back. He had predicted that I was going to attack from underground, taking to the air to allow himself time to see the attacks coming. The maneuver came at a cost though, as he couldn’t fly as fast as he could move on the ground.

My water blades relentlessly butchered his army, leaving alive only those few demons with strong defenses. I manifested my own wings of water and took to the air myself.

Although I didn't use the wings to fly, I kept them present as a precaution against surprise attacks from behind.

Suddenly, my water blades slowed down and almost came to a halt as a peculiar demon—a giant elephantine creature with a mosquito’s stinger for a trunk—plunged its stinger into the ground. The demon began to inflate, absorbing all the water we had prepared underground, even causing the surrounding grass to wither. Although I attempted to slice it apart with a water blade, the demon's tough hide made it difficult to draw blood.

This was a problem. Although it might not be apparent yet, leaving this demon unchecked would ultimately determine the outcome of the battle. However, I couldn't devote much time to this situation, as some of the demons and humans with projectile abilities had begun to retaliate after the frequency of my attacks had decreased.

Concentrating all the water on the surface, I gathered it at the tip of my new dark crimson horn, which had sprouted from my forehead. Compressing the water as much as possible, I shot it out, piercing through the water-stealing elephant effortlessly and killing it with a single attack. As the creature burst like a balloon, the water it had absorbed became available to me once again.

The Demonic Exorcist's eyes widened as my water-pressurized attack continued unabated, curving and heading towards him. Instantly, a dark centipede emerged from the ground, shielding its master. However, the high water pressure easily penetrated the centipede's hard exoskeleton, passing right through the monster.

Although the centipede obstructed my vision, it also hindered the Demonic Exorcist, giving me an advantage. I couldn't see him, but I could sense his location and attack accordingly. My aim was his head, but when the centipede collapsed, it revealed a gaping hole in his throat, obliterating his lower jaw.

To compensate for my lack of brute strength, I developed a water pressure attack. While it wouldn't penetrate the defenses of an ultimate-class demon, it proved effective against the Demonic Exorcist and his centipede demon.

The inspiration for this attack came from a show I had watched in my previous life, where water pressure was used to cut diamonds. Who said procrastination was useless?

Although Tamae No Mae's power fueled his healing, there was a cautious look in his eyes. We both understood that if my attack had been slightly more powerful, it would have annihilated his head and killed him.

We were both aware that his survival was merely a stroke of luck.

While the Demonic Exorcist had certainly grown stronger, his most formidable opponents thus far had been the two-tailed cat and his Red Tails organization.

In comparison, the two-tailed cat was the weakest ultimate class demon in the war, even weaker than Uwabami, from what I had seen.

The Demonic Exorcist was undoubtedly powerful and had experienced an incredible and alarming rate of growth. However, I had faced adversaries who could easily kill him. If he were to confront Otakemaru, even the current Demonic Exorcist would undoubtedly lose and suffer greatly.

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"I pushed myself beyond limits I once thought impossible to surpass," the Demonic Exorcist cried out with a smile. "If you were to pit me against myself from just a year and a half ago, I could kill them in a heartbeat. Back then, I had believed I had reached the pinnacle of my growth, consolidating by merely amassing more puppets-"

"Enough with the lengthy speech," I interrupted. "I don't have time for this."

His smile faded, his hair turned silver, and three white fox tails swished behind him. "Right, let's refocus on the fight."

Well actually, I meant it in the literal sense; my fusion was on a time limit. He seemed to have taken it as mere dismissal—did he think so highly of me to assume that I had enough leisure time for small talk?

Demons swarmed towards me, and I mercilessly cut them down in droves. A small lake had formed around us, providing me with a distinct advantage. Although the Demonic Exorcist had numerous demons, each one I killed was typically a high-class demon. He had a sizable army, but it was not infinite.

Whoever won this fight knew that the other side wouldn't come out unscathed. However, finishing the other quickly would minimize our own suffering.

Suddenly, a burst of fire wreathed the Demonic Exorcist’s form, emanating a purplish hue that could be sensed even from a distance.

Without warning, an explosion cracked through the air, and the Demonic Exorcist materialized in front of me. His leg was covered in Blood Armor as he delivered a powerful kick to my face. Just before the blow landed, however, I instinctively blocked it with an arm coated with water. However, the water boiled almost instantly, pushing me back and setting half of my body on fire. Fortunately, with ample water nearby, I could swiftly extinguish the flames, but not without leaving behind some dangerous scars.

Tamae No Mae possessed the power of Fox Fire, a form of cursed flames that she naturally wielded. It struck me as odd, as I knew that only pure nine-tailed foxes could utilize such power. Could it be due to his blood control ability? Perhaps he did some Xianxia-esque bloodline purification?

Regardless, fire was an element in which I held a clear advantage against—even if it was fox fire, which ranked second only to dragon fire.

Raising my arms, I commanded the surrounding water to stagnate. The earth beneath us swelled like a volcano on the verge of eruption. The Demonic Exorcist forcefully stomped his leg, creating a fiery field that targeted the ground. While it vaporized some of the water I had been manipulating, it also claimed the lives of several of his own demons.

Nonetheless, he couldn't easily rid himself of the water within my domain, given the vast sea of water nearby.

...

Eighteen minutes later, I was nearing the limit on how long I could sustain the fusion. The ground around me was charred, the earth itself baked and steaming. My left arm and leg were severely burned, rendering them useless. The stench of burning flesh filled my nostrils, and the realization that it was my own flesh made me nauseous. The cursed flames proved formidable, despite my being its direct counter.

However, I still fared better than the Demonic Exorcist. Despite his ability to regenerate, he had reached his limit after being repeatedly struck down. Half of his face was missing, slowly knitting itself together at a truly lethargic pace. The demons and humans under his control had retreated, and among them, I recognized one individual—the ex-World Exorcist.

Even the typically reckless Demonic Exorcist couldn't hide his cautious expression. The loss of the many demons and humans that he had painstakingly gathered over decades was catastrophic. He also knew that I hadn't yet unleashed Perfect Me, a fact that should worry him.

True, he might eventually activate his third-eye ability. Even if Perfect Me made flawless decisions or attacks, they would be futile if he could anticipate them in advance. The question was whether he could survive until his third eye completed its analysis.

It was a perilous situation that practically anyone else would have retreated from, but the Demonic Exorcist only sported a crazed grin, ready for round two. However, I had no intention of continuing the fight.

While I understood the concept of risking my life and had done so in the past, defeating and killing the Demonic Exorcist held no tangible gain. Sure, he might be a lunatic, but that described around 70% of exorcists.

"Time out!" I called out suddenly, raising my arm as the Demonic Exorcist screeched to a halt. "I feel someone within my sensory range—a powerful exorcist."

The Demonic Exorcist frowned, and our eyes locked. He turned to one of the humans under his control, but the man shook his head. "I do not sense anyone is within my radius, Master."

However, another human stepped forward, speaking with emotionless certainty. "His words are true."

"Of course, they're true. Compared to your sensory powers, my demon has got to be at least ten times better," I stated matter-of-factly. The controlled human with the lie-detection ability nodded in agreement.

Now it was only a matter of whether this psychotic bastard was willing to fight a two-on-one battle.

Fuck, why couldn’t he just follow common sense like everyone else?!