Keira's eyes widened when he saw the man who interrupted Harold during the ritual. The Vice-Captain of the 4th Division of Veritas Detective Agency is someone she knew in the past.
She thought, "I am doomed."
Lucas Aguero, the first person who made Mariam Celeste realize that life is not bad at all. But he also became one of the people whom Mariam wanted to forget for the rest of her life. For eight years, she imagined different scenarios if she met again the people she left and wanted to erase from her life. She thought that after all these years, they would just move one and forget about the existence of Mariam, but she was completely wrong. Right now, she wanted to ask questions that are left unanswered, to the Almighty One. Her ebony eyes are looking at the one and only Lucas Aguero and got distracted as memories flowed about their painful past.
Harold tugged back his arm from Lucas and glared back at him as he replied, "None of your business, Mr. Ace of Veritas.".
When Keira felt like her heart was extremely heavy because of the sudden gush of painful memories, she heard the cold reply of Harold, and this brought her back to her reality. She is now an Exorcist, and Lucas Aguero has a different world from her.
"Harry, deal with him later. We've got only 10 seconds." Keira coldly said to prevent the fight in between the two seconds-in-command of the two divisions of Veritas.
"Subdue him if he interrupted me once more." Harold instructed two of the members of the Special Division. He continued to restrain Keira's body using the chains, but Lucas was about to interrupt him again. The two brave members of the Special Division tried to stop him, but the ace of the 4th Division of Veritas knocked them in seconds using a simple martial arts technique. The Special Division was dumbfounded, and they dared not to get close to him.
Well, Lucas Aguero is the ace!
"Sir Aguero, if you stay still, Keira will be unscathed. We are now dealing with someone a normal human cannot see and this idea is instructed by Exorcist Keira herself. An Exorcist is considered the highest rank in our division, and we cannot defy their commands unless it is against the Holy Rules." Another member of the Special Division bravely spoke despite his fear from Lucas because of his aura, but he thought that if this could buy some time so Harold could finish the ritual, then, it would be all worth it.
Nice one! Ah. I don't know his name. Whatever.
When Lucas heard that reason, he remembered a past memory with Keira where she said the same thing. He froze and stopped protesting and attacking the members of the Special Division.
'When I met you ten years ago, you had a weak constitution. There are times that I dare not to touch you because of how fragile you are. Yet, even if that is the case, you still gave me a bright smile that can brighten my mood and the environment around you. The day before you disappeared, you told me the same thing that this little thwart is blabbing about. Why? What is it that I do not know about you? And yet you told me hundreds of times that I am the only person whom you will give your whole life for me because you love and trust me. I believed that. Was it also a lie?" Lucas thought as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as he could not bear seeing the unconscious body of Keira being chained to the wall.
"Keira, it is ready." Harold informed Keira who is dawdling at the door, looking restless. Keira's body looks like a captive from the medieval era.
"Hey… do not tell me—"
"Wow~ Good job, Harry!" Keira delightedly said despite not changing her stone-face expression and gave him a thumbs up.
"That ERC is not yet dangerous; try to deal with it for a while. Give me 20 minutes, wait for me and be extra careful with my body. I need to go now. Try not to die." She hurriedly added with an excited tone as she waved her hand, and her soul passed through the door.
"That, that traitor!" Harold exclaimed while the other members of the Special Division were also dumbfounded.
'It's an Elite-Range Class though! And one nearing DC!' The members of the Special Division that remained inside the room consisted of two Clairvoyants, four Elite-Mediums, and five Normal-Range Mediums thought the same thing as their heads drooped.
When Keira went out of the room, she encountered a few ERCs and took care of it alone using only short powerful Latin prayers. Her only equipment ever since she became an Exorcist five years ago is her powerful divine voice in her soul state. When the unclean souls heard her voice speaking powerful Latin prayers, they were completely turned into powder dust. She is a once in a century Exorcist as she is the only one that uses Divine Words that can exorcise unclean souls, regardless of class, without knowing their names.
'I will just report these filthy creatures to the higher-ups later. I need to help them first.' Keira thought as she finally sensed the location of her comrades who are dealing with ERC 264. She ran towards them. Reverend Anthony is standing in a stance using a Holy Sword sanctified by Archangel Michael himself as his exorcism equipment. Theo is pointing his first-class revolver to the unclean soul; it was loaded with Holy Bullets that are special beyond means as these were made from the water of Al-Maghtas. Beside the Reverend is another handsome, neat-looking young man with amethyst eyes, his silky black hair with a waist-length was fully tied is confidently using a Holy Scepter that was bestowed to Moses in the ancient times, with a smile on his face, but a bit of tiredness is already painted on his face. He is Rylan Mendoza, the Commander of the Special Division of Veritas Detective Agency.
"In nómine Pátris, et Fílii, et Spirítus Sancti. Amen!" When Keira prayed the first verse in a loud voice. ERC 264 who is now turned into Demon-Class 56, shouted in pain.
"Keira!" Theo exclaimed when he looked around at the voice where Keira was. She is standing behind him.
"Thank me later." Keira confidently said and this annoyed Theo that he decided to shoot at the weakened DC. It tried to escape, but the Reverend and Rylan subdued him using their Holy Equipment.
"Theo, shoot him now in his core!" Reverend Anthony hurriedly instructed. Theo never misses his targets, and this case was the same. He pointed his gun and pulled the trigger without hesitation. The DC exploded and turned into small flames of fire.
"See that?" Theo bragged, but Keira just ignored him.
"Father, Rylan, good work." Keira said as she passed by Theo to annoy him.
"Hey!" Theo shouted because of the first-hand embarrassment he felt when he saw that the Reverend and Rylan are trying to hold out their laughter.
"Why are you even here? Aren't you reprimanded a while ago?" Theo asked this question to get back to her.
"It's an emergency. Another ERC is inside that room, and it seems like it will turn into DC, however, I cannot deal with it alone. It seems stronger than this one." She paused for a while and shook her head and continued, "No, it's way out of league. I believe it's one of the ten strongest Fallen Angels that is once unconscious is now awakened. It is now sealed in my body, but I do not know how long my body can hold that filthy creature."
"Let's go." Rylan said and the four of them hurriedly went to the room on the 44th floor where the ERC is being sealed in Keira's body.
"Commander! Please help Clairvoyant Guevarra! His soul was trapped by the ERC!" one of the members of the Special Division rushed towards Rylan, trembling in fear.
"Where is my body?" Keira calmly asked with a cold expression on her face when she saw that her body is gone and the chains that were once the filled with Holy Water were now destroyed and bloody. Beside it is the unconscious Harold who is trembling, pale, and profusely sweating.
"I-It was stolen by Sir Aguero. We are so sorry that we were not able to protect it."
Keira clicked her tongue and furiously went out of the room to look for her body and save Harold's soul by completely turning the DC into ashes.
"Keira! Wait for us!" Reverend Anthony said and followed her. Theo, Rylan, and some of the members of the Special Division followed them.
"Mariam! Mariam, open your eyes!" Lucas worriedly waking up the fainted body of Keira that is comfortably laid on his muscular arms. Mariam Celeste is the missing first child of the Celeste Conglomerate for eight years.
When she opened her eyes, Lucas sighed a relief and hugged her tightly. She hugged him back with a creepy smile on her face.
"Promise me that you will not leave me alone anymore, hm?" She said with a trembling voice, pretending that she is holding out her tears and pain.
"Not anymore—" Lucas replied as he sighed and hugged her tighter and continued, "I will always be by your side to protect you."
"How romantic." The real Keira in her soul state commented and clapped her hands with her cold-stone expression. The DC heard her and trembled in fear because she was not able to sense the presence of the Exorcist. The hug from Lucas was loosened and his eyes turned to look at Keira's soul who is squatting like a thug beside her possessed body.
"Time to go back to where you belong, DC 57." Keira coldly said, but the DC forcefully pushed Lucas away and tried to run away. Unfortunately, Theo already pointed his revolver on Keira's back head and warned, "Do not move or I'll shoot."
"H-Help me… I am afraid…" the DC pitifully acted out and asked help from Lucas.
Lucas hesitated for a while before he picked up his gun that was fallen when the DC pushed him hard. He pointed his gun at Theo and was about to pull the trigger, but he sensed danger from behind and to his surprise, Rylan was about to knocked him down using a scepter. Luckily, he dodged it before it hit him.
"Why do you keep hurting Mariam?!" Lucas furiously exclaimed, gritting his teeth and tightly gripped the gun on his hand while looking at the trembling Keira.
'Are they filming a drama or what? This cliché in fantasy romance is really cringy…' Keira thought and got disgusted at the "you and me against the world" scene of the 4th Division Vice-Captain and her possessed body.
"Mariam?" Rylan asked as he slightly tilted his head with a confused look on his face.
"Who?" Theo seconded but got disrupted when Keira kicked his stomach. Because she is in her soul state, it just went through Theo's body, and he felt severe coldness on his stomach.
"In nómine Pátris, et Fílii, et Spirítus Sancti. Amen!" Keira started reciting the Latin prayer and this brought back their attention to the DC. She also noticed the surprised expression of Lucas, his emerald eyes are widened and is looking at her, as if he can see her.
"Maybe it is just my imagination." She thought and continued the Latin prayer to exorcise the DC.