The savage possessed continued their rampage while clashing with the exorcists. The battle had been both exhilarating and grueling for the exorcists. Many had perished, and some had fled in fear, but the scales were still balanced. If anything, the exorcists were gaining the upper hand.
However, the attack's impact on the community was unprecedented. Towering, elegant buildings and lush trees were reduced to rubble and debris, leaving only remnants of their former selves. The pristine roads, once prepared for the parade, were strewn with rubble, blood, and remains. The good news, though, was that the end of the fight was imminent.
The cowardly exorcist drove his blade through a possessed's heart, grunting as he withdrew the katana from the creature's chest.
Behind him, another possessed lunged, snarling and aiming for his neck. The exorcist quickly spun around, severing the creature's arm and left leg in a single, fluid motion. The possessed collapsed face-first, and the exorcist swiftly impaled its chest from behind.
Breathing heavily, the exorcist inspected his bloodied clothes for injuries. Finding none, he sighed in relief.
"Damn. I need a bath," he mused.
Surveying the battlefield, he saw his comrades decimating the once-dominant possessed. The presence of an elder—no ordinary elder, but the third-ranked one—fighting alongside them had invigorated their resolve. The balance of power had shifted.
Amidst the chaos, the exorcist noticed Eddy. Slashing and exorcising the possessed with seemingly effortless grace, Eddy was a marvel to behold. It was impressive but not surprising. As the prodigious exorcist, his strength was to be expected.
"He's truly unafraid of death. Is that even possible? Every man fears death, no matter their background. No... it's not that he's fearless; he believes he's superior to the possessed. Is that what it takes—belief?"
Lost in thought, a possessed charged at him. He immediately readied his stance to dispatch the creature in one swift blow.
Scwesh!!
The possessed's head tumbled to the ground, bouncing three times before thudding into place. The headless body fell, only to be impaled through the heart by a spear. The spear's wielder was a young girl, alarmingly youthful.
Her name was Rain. At just 14, with short brunette hair giving her a somewhat quirky appearance, she looked every bit the child.
"106!"
The exorcist, irate, shouted at Rain.
"Oi! Little girl! That was my kill."
Rain, upon hearing this, briefly glanced at him.
"Your kill? I don't recall seeing your name on it. I saw a demon and exorcised it. It's not my fault if you're too incompetent to handle a possessed."
"Don't insult me, little girl. I won't take this lightly next time."
Resting her spear on her shoulder, Rain prepared to rejoin the fray.
"The next time you call me little girl, I'll take your tongue as a souvenir."
"My tongue?! Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"
She paused, glancing back at him.
"I'm the 14-year-old who's killed one hundred and six possessed. Know your place."
Clenching his fists in annoyance and grinding his teeth, he watched as Rain walked away.
"That brat... 14 years old and so sensitive about being called a kid? She's literally a child," he thought, exasperated.
He sighed, turning his attention to the battlefield. With all the possessed engaged with other exorcists, he decided not to let them claim all the glory. He set off, determined to find his own fight.
As he advanced, the cowardly exorcist's face contorted with disappointment at the scene before him. Most of the possessed had already been exorcised. All that remained were their corpses and the heroic exorcists, who were seated, tending to their wounds. A typical person might find solace in this sight, but he felt only jealousy. With so few kills to his name, he dreaded the thought of the brat he had encountered earlier having the last laugh.
"....No more possessed?! Just moments ago, these streets were teeming with them, and now they've vanished?! Damn it!" he thought as he continued his search.
"No. There must be more. There has to be."
Stomp.
Stomp.
Stomp.
Thud.
The cowardly exorcist collapsed onto a piece of rubble, letting out a weary sigh. Starved was an understatement for how he felt. After the grueling battle with the horde of possessed and his subsequent search of the area, he was more exhausted than he had been in ages.
"No luck. I guess that brat won."
Tsk!
He hissed in frustration.
Thud!
A piece of rubble tumbled down, bouncing from one pile to another before coming to rest at his feet.
Raising his head, he was met by the gaze of a bloodthirsty possessed, its maw drooling as it advanced menacingly toward him.
Leaping to his feet, the exorcist grasped his sheathed katana, as though intending to draw it, but hesitated. Quickly scanning his surroundings, he turned his attention back to the advancing possessed, a smirk forming on his face.
"Good. I'm alone, which means you're all mine."
The possessed lunged, aiming for him, but he dodged to the right. The creature's subsequent slashes came fast and furious, each one aimed to kill. Fortunately, he managed to block the attacks with his sheathed katana. The possessed, taking a step back, charged forward again with a massive slash.
Once more, the exorcist evaded the strike and drew his katana, slashing at the possessed's neck. The blade cut only halfway through. The possessed screeched in agony, collapsing to the ground, nearly paralyzed.
With a series of three decisive swings, the exorcist beheaded the creature. He sighed softly, then drove his blade through its heart, halting its regeneration process.
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath as if he had run a marathon. Exhaustion gripped him, leaving him barely able to move. As he caught his breath, he stared at the lifeless corpse of the possessed.
"All this effort for one damned possessed? How did that brat manage to exorcise 106? She's only 14, for crying out loud. At this rate, I'll never even come close to becoming an elder—"
His thoughts were interrupted by a chilling, electric sensation that ran down his spine. Almost paralyzed with fear, the exorcist remained motionless, staring blankly at the ground. Was he paralyzed? Poisoned? No, he was simply terrified. The aura he felt was not just overwhelming; it was saturated with cruelty and suffering, a palpable malevolence.
"What is this evil? I've never experienced anything like this. It's... it's like a nightmare."
Summoning what little courage he had left, he slowly turned his head to confront the source of this sinister presence. There, standing tall atop a mound of rubble, was a figure, gazing down at him with an aura of malevolent power.