The Demonic Exorcist stared at me, his expression inscrutable as the seconds ticked away. With the time limit for my fusion rapidly approaching, I had to make a gamble quick.

Although I had claimed to have sensed a powerful exorcist nearby, it was only by my own assessment. While Miku might not be on our level, I personally considered her an Elite Rank Exorcist, capable of defeating high-class demons with her unique power.

My only hope was that the Demonic Exorcist would be put off by the unknown threat and would play it safe by retreating. While I saw someone like Miku as strong, my opponent certainly would not; anyone under the Special Exorcist level would be weak in his eyes. I knew him well enough that when I said someone strong, he would assume someone on the upper levels of Special Exorcist was here.

"Good," he grinned. "Having someone assist you will make this fight even more enjoyable!"

This delusional bastard! Despite his inability to regenerate any further, he had the audacity and arrogance to believe he still had a chance, even with a Special Exorcist by my side!

But no, it was my mistake to hope that the Demonic Exorcist would retreat. He was a deranged psychopath, it was as futile as telling a cow not to eat grass.

"Well, if that's how you want it," I said, clapping my hands and expending almost all of my vast reserves of Ord.

I doubted that my remaining energy would be enough to kill the Demonic Exorcist, regardless of what attack I used. The release of so much Ord caused a prickling sensation on my skin, and the fusion was nearing its end.

Water erupted around me while the Demonic Exorcist's fist ignited in flames. However, his eyes widened in surprise when the attack didn't target him, but rather his human and demon puppets, mercilessly slaughtering them. I aimed particularly at those possessing auxiliary abilities such as lie-detection, healing, and sensory powers, severing the versatility provided by their inclusion in his group.

Decades of effort, obliterated in an instant.

Even the Demonic Exorcist’s eye twitched at the devastating outcome. He slapped the ground, calling his pig demon to rise and swallow the remains of his puppets. It was a desperate attempt to salvage his team, and the perfect opportunity for me to intensify my assault on the pig demon.

The Demonic Exorcist's eyes widened like saucers upon the emergence of red gashes all over his pig demon. He turned to me, "Wait-"

But it was too late; he had exposed a moment of weakness, and I was going to take full advantage of it. I brandished my flaming sword and cleaved him from shoulder to hip. As I aimed for his neck, a sudden clicking sound caught my attention, and I glanced down to find an arm protruding from the ground, clutching a large golden key that struck my leg.

The previous World Exorcist possessed a highly conceptual special ability, to lock and unlock.

Officially, people only knew that his power could unlock doors, cursed locks, and the like. It could also "unlock" barriers, causing them to break.

Like most exorcists, he concealed the true extent of his special ability. He could lock his own presence, making himself undetectable, or even his own emotions to prevent even The Lovers Demon from sensing his treachery.

He could also impose such conditions on others. He just locked my Ord. However, his ability was a jack-of-all-trades, and I usually had too much Ord to be affected by something like this. But in my weakened state, the lock lasted an entire second before the pressure of my inner energy broke it.

During that second, the Demonic Exorcist, despite missing his lower body and having only one arm, launched a barrage of punches at me. His blazing fist seared my abdomen, chest, shoulder, cheek, and jaw as dozens of hits landed.

I was sent flying, bouncing off the ground multiple times before skidding on my back. Scorching pain riddled my body, but distinctly less than before. The Demonic Exorcist's flames had weakened, and it was made obvious that his ability to use it was not a natural part of his repertoire when the fist he used to hit me with got burned, unable to shield himself from the cursed fire. The flames died out as the injuries he inflicted healed from my natural regeneration.

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Unlike him, I could still heal, giving me an advantage. Meanwhile, the Demonic Exorcist had to make do using his own blood as makeshift string to stitch himself back together.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, falling to his knees and throwing up a mouthful of blood as his silver hair turned back to black. He looked at me, blood dripping from his chin like a savage beast. The crazed look in his eyes would put a rabid dog to shame.

Due to all the water I had used in the fight, a small rainbow had formed above me.

Wait, were leprechauns a thing in this world?

With these peculiar thoughts in my mind, a wave of exhaustion washed over me as Carpy and I separated. Although Carpy was exhausted too since I had used his Ord, his size alone towered over the Demonic Exorcist.

The Demonic Exorcist sighed and lay down as well, he no longer had the energy to fight either. "Are you telling the truth about the powerful exorcist approaching?"

"Yes, I swear it on the life of my clan," I replied without hesitation. "Although I may not like you very much, I value the integrity of our battle. Besides, you spared my friends, and I appreciate that. I won't even inform them that you're unable to use your escape methods. Consider this my debt paid."

Oh, I definitely would rat out on him, but unfortunately, there was no strong exorcist nearby. Nonetheless, after this, I would do my best to sic Tamae no Mae on him.

“Heh, you’re even crazier than me,” he chuckled and gazed at the sky. After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded. "I’ll believe you."

Good, because if he had deceived me with another human possessing lie-detection abilities, I would have instructed Carpy to eliminate them. Fortunately, it appeared that such individuals were scarce, which made sense given the rarity of Exorcists with lie-detection abilities.

The Demonic Exorcist groaned as the World Exorcist helped him up, relying on his human puppet for support as they walked away. He waved at me with one hand and, with a breath that seemed to indicate his proximity to death, he said, "That was an entertaining battle, Kon. Let's do it again sometime."

Fuck no! We’re not doing that again! That fight was way too close for comfort!

"Do you happen to have any healing demons on hand? These cursed flame burns are going to be a nuisance to heal."

He turned his head and glanced at me. "I had three, but you killed them, so now I have none," he grumbled. "I lost numerous valuable demons and humans with unique abilities. Replacing them will be a tremendous hassle, assuming I’m lucky to find someone like that again."

The Demonic Exorcist complained as if it were all my fault, continuing to grumble like a cantankerous old man while limping away.

As soon as he disappeared from view, I let out a sigh of relief. I had come dangerously close to death in that battle, without my usual fallback plans or strategies for survival if I had lost. However, with him gone, I could now utilize my Special Ability.

{Perfect Me}

Almost instantly, the remnants of Ord I had stored attacked the curses on my burn wounds, pushing them away. It cleansed many of the wounds and even promoted some healing. However, after a few minutes, dark clouds began to form at the edge of my vision from my complete depletion of Ord.

Ord exhaustion—it had been a while since I had last experienced it. Nevertheless, I wasn't overly concerned. Carpy was by my side, and he would protect me no matter what.

***

Yara gazed into the distance, where Kon's tamed demon loomed over the forest. The battle appeared to be over, but she hesitated to approach, still gripped by what she had witnessed.

The first time Yara had encountered the Demonic Exorcist's Ord was from when he had casually entered the cabin with cooking utensils and pasta, causing her to faint from the sheer malevolence of his energy. The second encounter nearly gave her a heart attack. His presence exuded a level of sinisterness that surpassed even demons born of wicked thoughts.

"It seems the battle has ended. We should go and assist Kon," Miku suggested, the unspoken possibility of Kon's demise hanging in the air.

As the strongest among them, Miku's suggestion went unchallenged. Yara also noticed Miku's unwavering loyalty to Kon, and since witnessing the Demonic Exorcist, Miku had been noticeably unstable. No one dared to imagine her reaction if they refused.

They ran toward the battlefield, with Yara carrying the princess on her back. After recent events, Yara was determined not to leave Wisteria vulnerable against any potential new threats.

Upon reaching the battlefield, Kon’s tamed demon stood protectively over his Master’s battered body. As they drew closer, the true extent of Kon's injuries became apparent, causing everyone to wince. Burns, scars, broken bones—he appeared gaunt compared to when he had set out. It seemed he had employed some ability or healing technique, which likely demanded great stamina. Despite his mummified appearance, Yara detected signs of life within him.

Yara then glanced at Wisteria, who wore an inscrutable expression. She wondered how the young princess would cope with the knowledge that someone she had grown close to had been deceiving her all along.

Nok was Kon, the monstrously talented fiance of Princess Wisteria.