His testicles exploded: Fragments of flesh, skin, and blood scattered around, staining the ground with the brutality of the moment. The agonizing sound of the member twisting slowly, consumed by the spiral, merged with the dry crack of porcelain shattering as it hit the stairway: and its remains, like his own, were swallowed by the darkness.
It was as if the thread of his life snapped along with it…
"Is that it! Matter unravels in a standoff, without needing to measure strength or speed… Incredible!" he exclaimed, his voice agitated and brimming with fascination.
His eyes, piercing and cruel, fixed on the miserable figure before him. Still alive, but gasping, clinging to the last moments before an inevitably brutal death. His legs were submerged in a pool of blood, thick and dark like the richest of wines.
He had been castrated by the expansive spell: the savage Defragmenter — which, in a single movement, devoured matter mercilessly, like an implacable divider of material and immaterial particles.
Blood trickled from his dry lips as his body convulsed, eyes wide open, locked on the terrifying figure of the messiah — a gaze brimming with fear and pain.
His prey had become the hunter… The roles had reversed!
"You don't understand, you old idiot…"
And who, in such a state, could? All that remained of the wretched man were groans of pain and pleas for mercy.
It was pleasurable to feel superior — more honored, more intelligent — part of his inherited narcissism. After all, only his own reflection in a lake would be worthy of pity and compassion.
"To exorcise is to neutralize negative energy with neutral energy. But, depending on the depth and complexity of that energy, it's necessary to compensate with power and speed. That's why many exorcists prefer to pierce through this density with countless strikes. However, human skin — like yours — succumbs with a single chant, like paper before a jet of water. Could it be…"
Meanwhile, he wrapped his hand in his aura, concentrating it until it shone intensely. The light manifested, gleaming in his palm as his eyes locked on the nearly dead figure before him.
"No… What am I doing?"
He hesitated for a moment, but soon his expression twisted into contempt.
"You're garbage, aren't you? Letting you live, even as a cruel act, would be too kind!"
He narrowed his eyes, focusing directly on the old man's head, as silence weighed in the air.
Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!
That single trigger fired in his mind, and everything suddenly ended.
A cold smile formed on his face in the blink of an eye. In the next instant, the old man's head exploded, struck by a blast of light strong enough to obliterate even a grand building, ending his life with merciless violence.
Brains fell down the stairs, boiling blood splashed across the walls. Nothing remained from the neck up after the beam.
The first man killed by his hands, the first life the messiah had taken. In that moment, he, who had always gazed at the angel of death from afar, now felt its presence growing closer, like a shadow enveloping him.
He sanctified himself through blood… baptized himself through death!
The devil is born. Among men…
And so, everything ended in that hall. The body collapsed backward with a thud, and blood spread across the rotted floor. The only sound that remained was the assassin's ragged breath, who, with one last exhale, completed the end of his innate technique, draining a third of his remaining energy.
Falls like shattered glass; shards spread and, in moments, vanish…
Finally… after so long of being tormented by him, I feel lighter!
Such a thought ignites like a flame in his mind. And, as he turns, he says goodbye — perhaps final, perhaps not — to his past, now reduced to a pool of blood and flesh.
Without distinction, he not only overcame the obstacle but utterly destroyed it.
At least, he thought… up to now, these are merely affirmations I will regret.
Taking steps forward, he follows the ideal that brought him there, the truth that moves him at this moment and will guide him through the end of the three acts that permeate his mind.
When he finally leaves the place, the morning light embraces his face. He gazes at the sky, feeling blessed after such a great and "benevolent" act.
"To my lord, thank you. Your light finally shone after the cursed fall!"
He feels every fissure in his skin praising the heavens, as if his entire body were in communion with the divine.
And while he ends one cycle of his life, others begin theirs. Amai steps down from the vehicle that brought her to her destination. Her gaze rises toward the next step: the imposing registry building of the order.
And yes, it's a good name!
But… back to the matter, she is there to officialize her partnership with the so-called "sour boy."
As she advances, she observes the old building beneath a shimmering veil, which slowly dissolves to reveal the administrative sector of the order, in Saisho. This structure, erected over a century ago, imposes itself with majesty and history.
For at the entrance, a towering statue of Akiko Shirasaki, her great-grandfather and supreme leader of the council and the entire spiritual organization in a past era more than two generations ago, welcomes all who arrive. Above the grand door, carved from resilient teak wood sourced from the fertile lands of Aija and nearly ten meters high, rises an octagonal base supporting a massive dome. Ancient columns, honoring the first great human constructions, uphold it, lending an air of timelessness and reverence.
Old stuff that men love to preserve, their culture…
It exudes an atmosphere of contemplation, serving as the center where exorcists resolve their legal matters peacefully. Around it, murmurs fill the air as exorcists and clerks enter and exit, immersed in the exchange of information and updates.
"Isn't that the council leader's daughter?" asks a redheaded boy, addressing a young woman with brown hair and a serious gaze.
"Yes, that's her. They say she's the best exorcist of her generation… do you believe it?" replies another, averting his gaze, avoiding direct eye contact.
"Maybe it's just luck… or some inherited ability that makes things easier. Those nobles…" adds the boy again, with a hint of disdain.
But she, however, ignores the looks and whispers, keeping her head high. Her confident smile remains as she climbs the entrance steps.
Idiots…
At the top of the staircase, she places her hands on the door adorned with the faces of the most important exorcists in history. With a brief but determined sigh, she pushes it open, slowly revealing the interior of the place she knows so well.
The sight awakens vivid memories of her childhood, when she accompanied her father, then the administrative director of the place and now one of the nine who lead the council. The recollections of daily moments with him echo in her mind, linking past and present.
The scent of cappuccino reaches her nose, bringing a wave of nostalgia. Every piece of furniture remains exactly as she remembered, filling her heart with a mix of longing and familiarity.
"Amai Shirasaki… I didn't expect to see you here. Has the feisty cat finally found her match? Like the rumors said?" teases a boy next to a water dispenser to her left. Recognizing her, he leaves a half-filled disposable cup on a nearby table.
"Long time no see, Miyazaki Watanabe…" she replies calmly, noting the four crosses on the sleeves of his overcoat. "You're already grade four? Looks like you're not so weak anymore!" Her tone is feline, accompanied by a sideways smile that challenges him.
"Am I not? Damn…" He adjusts his coat with a hint of sulkiness. His eyes, however, gleam with the same provocation. "So, who was unlucky enough to be paired with you? I heard even the council's darlings and old Kyotaka's favorites went through an affinity selection. Was that it?"
"Yamasaki Yami. Do you know him?" she retorts with a calmness that hides her irony.
They step a bit back from the entrance, but the boy doesn't move aside, blocking her path.
"Ah, of course it's him… Crazies should stick with other crazies…" eliciting a brief and mocking laugh from her.
"Right… and psychos like you? Found someone?"
"Bitch…" he lets the crown drop, his expression contorting in frustration. But greater than his frustration is the indignation on her face. Despite his insolent behavior, he knew she wasn't a fool. "I… don't want anyone getting in my way!" He tries to soften his words, but the attempt only makes the atmosphere tenser.
And so, with a look that reflects a challenge, she steps forward, daring him to block her way. "If you think stopping me will change anything, you're more lost than you think!"
Calmly, but her voice cuts sharp as a blade.
"Anyway, I must go. Unlike you, I have responsibilities." She nearly pushes past him to proceed.
But the boy persists in his provocation, laughing mockingly:
"Wow… What's up? You must spend the day doing nothing! What's so important, oh, grade five exorcist?"
The provocation is clear, but she remains unshaken. She responds only with a cold smile, not even looking back, just taking another step forward.
"Get better and find out!" she replies sharply, ending the conversation as she heads to the reception desk.
Upon arrival, she spots two women: one young, around twenty, and an older lady with white hair typing energetically on her computer.
"Excuse me, I'd like to legalize and formalize my registration and my partner's…" she addresses the older woman.
The woman, without pausing her typing, casts a quick glance around, searching for someone.
"Well…" she looks at her with an impatient expression. "Take this slip and go to the formalization room on the second floor. Check the reason for his absence and everything will be in order, dear. Anything else?" handing her a small note.
"Uh, no… Thank you." she replies, grateful, before stepping away.
With firm but measured steps, she walks away from the desk and stops before the staircase, the next step in fulfilling her mission.
It's not like public service. Here, competence and speed knock at the door of administration… It's those with 'little powers' who usually screw everything up!