After both Cultists were down, I went to check Ethan and Emma's condition. Although I'm pretty sure they're unhurt, I learn from society that asking someone if they're okay will boost your favorability to them. I'm a quick learner.
"Are you both alright?"
"...Yeah."
The one who answer me was Ethan. Even though his composure looks fine, I can see he's trying hard to calm himself from the shock.
While Emma closed her eyes, sobbing quietly in her brother's arms.
"Sorry you two have to see that, but this is the line of work we'll be working from now on. Even so, will you still join me?"
"...If I join you, will I be able to get that kind of power?"
"More, you'll get even more."
"...Can't you exclude Emma in this?"
"Onii-chan?"
"No. It has to be both of you or not at all."
"But-"
"If You joined and Emma does not, there might be some trouble happening in the future. For example; when Emma is in danger and you're still on a mission far away from her, you'll get distracted or even abandon the mission to save her."
"That's-"
"You know I'm right. Besides, if you really want to protect her, the best option is for you both to looking out for each other."
"Emma..."
"Onii-chan, I'm fine. I want to get stronger too."
Sweeping her eyes from the tears, Emma look at her brother's eyes with resolve.
"...You sure about this?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Kukuku-, looks like the little one has already made her choice."
"...Where are we going now?"
"There's still something I want you two to see, follow me."
We start walking up the stairs to the second floor, there we stand in a dark corridor filled with luxury items.
"I have to ask you to stop right there."
Soon as the voice is heard, Ethan and Emma immediately stop their steps and drop to the floor.
"As expected, you won't fall so easily."
Mr.Butler appears and walks toward us with both hands behind his back. There's no fear in his eyes, only annoyance. The confidence of complete victory and certainty of impossible defeat.
"Mental Magic, So it was you."
"To think there will be a kid who manages to defeat a Third-Pawn of us who's in Imperfect-Demonification form."
"If by Demon you meant Mad Man, then yes."
Hearing this, the Old Man smiles.
"Hahaha, Indeed. They're only a Madman indeed, they're not even worth keeping."
Mr.Butler summoned five Wind Blades from thin air and threw them into Ethan and Emma.
"Tch!"
The Five blades coming in fast. Normally, blocking all of it will be difficult, but since we're fighting in a small space, I still managed to hold on.
But again, because this is a one-way corridor... there will be so little space for me to move around.
"What's the rush, Is it really okay to kill such a precious material?"
"It doesn't matter. As long as we have you, our project will definitely succeed."
"Looks like I got the special treatment."
I take a glance at Ethan and Emma.
"Why don't you abandon them instead? That way, you might last a little longer."
Alright, what should I do? I can't fight while protecting the two. Unlike the Beast from before, this Old Man actually has smarts in him. Should I just Shadowstep behind him and risk it all?
No. If he somehow managed to dodge, Ethan and Emma will be left wide open. Besides, I want to save this skill as my trump card. My Shadowstep is the only option I have to get close when fighting someone like him in such a closed space, I have to be very careful when using it.
"Nothing will change if you just stand there."
Summoning another barrage of Wind Blade, He makes a gesture to attack once more.
...
Inflict Fear.
"...!?"
The Butler immediately stopped, and yet only for a moment.
I'm not surprised by this. My aim was not to make him tremble in fear, but merely confuse his concentration on the Mental Magic he cast on those two.
Realizing the Magic has been canceled, Ethan immediately picked up Emma and run to downstairs.
"Good grief, 4th-Tier Darkness Magic 'Inflict Fear'. If I don't have a forte in Mental Magic, it might be quite troublesome to face."
"Now that we have nothing to stand in our way, why don't we start this dance already?"
"Kukuku, are sure about this? Before, I was fighting while maintaining half my focus on the magic I cast on your friend..."
"And I'm also maintaining my half there."
"...Very well, but I won't make the same mistake twice. I shall face you with my full power."
Taking a vial filled with purple liquid out of his suit, the old man starts drinking it.
"Witness, Power of The Absolute."
As if I'll let you do that. I watched way too many anime of dumbasses letting the antagonist scream for 5 Minutes before they transform into something much stronger. If it's only small fry, I don't mind playing along that trope, but not against this old man.
As the old man's body starts becoming purplish, I activate my Shadowstep behind him and decide to end this quickly. If I prolong this fight, the odds cannot be in my favor.
*SWING*
I gave everything in this attack, aiming toward his neck to strike him down in one hit.
However, the Old Man instantly vanish and reappear behind me. Realizing this, I immediately lunge forward to create some space between us and reassess the situation.
"Hooh, even though I aimed to cripple you there."
The Old Man's body has turned into some kind of purplish demon, with black horns like a sheep, bat-like wings on his back, and black scales covering his abdomen.
Demonification. Unlike the Imperfect one from before, this one didn't take the user's life and the user will still manage to keep their sanity intact.
"My sincere apologies for the late introduction. Demonic Cult Worshipper, Follower of Cardinal Isabell de Serpente, Bishop Santiago at your Service."
He bows in gestures of regular butler greetings before vanishing once again and appearing in front of me, start swinging his claw.
He's fast, and because he's not losing his mind, I can't just block him carelessly as I've done with the cultist below.
The hit, though not as strong as the cultist, is much more precise and really tricky to read. I'm pretty sure he could hit harder than this, but since he needed me alive, he hold back his strength significantly.
I tried to use Shadowstep the moment I have the chance and created some distance once more, exchanging blows with things like that would be foolish. Yet, no matter how many times I managed to get away, moments later he will be right on my tail.
Fighting in the one-way corridor like this really took away the advantage of Shadowstep's element of surprise, and even though his movement also becomes limited because of the field, that also makes me an easy target since he can close the distance between us almost instantly.
*CLASH*
Hit after hit I blocked, and repeat the same process. I would be outmatched if I exchange blows for more than 2 seconds, so every 2 seconds passed I would immediately cast Shadowstep, gain some distance and reset the flow of the combat.
'If I continue like this, it is only a matter of time before I fall. I need to take care of his tremendous speed and agility somehow.'
Santiago keeps up with my movement with ease, and more importantly his speed becoming faster and faster... Wait, It's not that he's faster, he's reading my movement.
He knows every 2 seconds I would create some distances, and because we're fighting in one-way corridor, predicting where I will teleport next become so easy.
He's also more experienced in combat than me. Every time I thought I found an opening, it turned out to be a feint. It's not only his speed, his scheme is also elite.
'What if I take the fight outside... No, even though my Shadowstep will be harder to read in an open environment, that also means he can move more freely with his unmatched speed. Besides, right now his wings become useless because of the small areas we're in. Facing that Monster while flying is out of the question... I need to think of another way.'
I cast Shadowstep once again. However, this time he actually appears before me. The moment I came out from the shadow, he lands a kick right to my stomach.
"Aggh-, Huft...Huft..."
Gasping for air, If not because my Shadow Cloak reduces the damage, I might actually pass out there.
"There's no use for your teleportation anymore, I read your movement like an open book."
...
'Wait a minute... He read my movement like an open book?'
As if that words triggered something in my brain, like a missing puzzle piece that I've been searching for all this fight.
'Why it took me so long to realize...'
I cast Shadowstep to the furthest area of the corridor.
"An expected trickery is no more a trickery kid."
He instantly managed to predict where I am going. Arrived at the supposed area, he immediately swing his claw before I was even there.
Or so he thought.
What I aim for instead is the Shadow behind him, I know he will immediately jump to the location that is best for creating distance, that's what I'll do after all.
I just need to get him to where I want him to be. Since he's so confident he could read my movement pattern, there's no way he'll be doubting himself now.
I lunge towards him with all my power. Since he dodged my swing to the neck once, I'll aim at his body instead, this will split him into two!
*CLANG*
The sounds of steel clashing can be heard echoing through, and to my surprise, my blade failed to cut him.
"Wha-, Impossible!"
*THUMP*
A hard punch landed on my face, throwing me to the wall and destroying my Shadow Mask.
"Aggh-"
'FUCK!!!! His scales!! His scales are tougher than I thought!! I never failed to cut anything up until this point, so I ended up overestimating my attack power!!'
"Incredible kid, give you another 10 years and I won't be surprised if everyone hails you as a Hero."
Santiago's expression changed from before, his eyes started to look at me as a respectable opponent.
"If not because my scales are tougher than you thought, I've already been dead at this very moment."
Santiago keeps observing me with a cautious eyes, trying to read if I perhaps still hiding another card in my sleeve.
"That Immense adaptability and decision making, at such a young age too. Even this old man is a little scared."
Raising his arm to knock me out for good, a small footstep can be heard from the stairs.
'Who is it? Is it those two...'
Santiago locks his eyes on the stairs, but he's not letting his guard down the slightest. I know the moment I try something funny, I would be killed this time.
He's not seeing me as prey anymore, he's seeing me as threat.
"Looks like your little friend coming to pick you up."
There, Ethan's sight can be found carrying one of the cultist Ceremonial Daggers that are still filled with Demonic Energy.
"What are you planning to do with that, brat?"
Annoyed by the interruption, Santiago stares at the boy with a bore.
Ethan glares back with hatred in his eyes, but it's just a bluff to cover his fear.
Ethan throws the dagger at Santiago. To no one surprise, Santiago easily deflects it into the air.
...
'Wait-, This is it!'
"Are you done with this tomfoolery, brat?"
Ethan immediately grovels on the floor and gasps for breath.
"Huft... huft..."
"Onii-chan!!"
"... E-Emma, What're you doing here? I told you to run!"
"B-but-, Agghh-"
Soon Emma follows his brother's state, groveling and struggling to breathe.
"S-stop, Leave her out of this!"
"A mere brat doesn't have the right to-"
I vanished into the Shadows,
Santiago immediately swung his claw 180°, predicting I'll reappear behind him. But, that's not my plan at all. My aim is something else.
I jump out of the Shadow, catching the Ceremonial Dagger that's falling. Santiago locked eyes with me as if both of us know; this one moment will be the deciding factor.
With Shadow Blade on my right, and Ceremonial Dagger on my left. I reappear in front of him, trying to slash off his left shoulder.
Santiago sees this coming, blocking my blade with his long claws.
Another attack coming towards him, this time; it is a dagger directed straight at his heart.
"So you're planning to trigger the effect of Imperfect-Demonification, making me go rampage, and I'll die in the process while you're retreating to safety."
Blocking the dagger thrust with his palm, Santiago smirked.
"But this dagger is specifically designed to activate only when it's stabbed to one's heart, making your aim so predictable."
"I know."
Hearing this, Santiago becomes confused. What did the boy know that he doesn't? Did he miss something?
Santiago starts scanning every single part of his surrounding, but he cannot detect anything at all... That's what makes him anxious.
'Was it a bluff? No, we're talking about the kid that almost killed me once. If I only brush it off as a bluff, I'll be the one who pays the price.'
His heart starts to beat faster, his eyes rapidly scanning the area over and over again while his brain tries to think of every single possibility.
'If he misses this one out, he'll be dead!' That's what decades of battle experience tells him so.
Seeing the slightest hesitation in Santiago's eyes, I cannot let this chance slip.
...
Inflict Fear.
"...!?"
The very thing Santiago did not expect.
I've been spamming Shadowstep all this time, making Santiago focus on the location I might move to next.
The other half of his focus was the Ceremonial Dagger, he keep his attention as much as possible on the possibility I would use it to stab his heart.
But, this is not enough. I need more distraction, Santiago's mind and experience would not let him be killed with just this much.
The last key is mind games. I need to bluff!
I must put some fear in Santiago. It doesn't need much, just a little. A moment of hesitation is all I need.
Santiago stepped back, the confusion in his mind makes the spell effect last longer for a couple more seconds before he regains his composure.
More than enough.
This time, I'm giving it my all, every single drop of my mana!!
As my Shadow Blade Aura becomes denser, darker. I lunge toward him with all my remaining strength.
And,
*SWISH*
Bishop Santiago's headless body, layed-cold on the Corridor of Death.