Exorcists are chosen from birth.
According to the founding lord and hero who rescued this new phase of the world, the hero 'Lahn' was the exorcist charged with choosing his disciples even after his death.
Exorcists were commonly orphaned children; with both parents dead due to 'strange' causes, which many or all of the times were related to the energy that lived compressed within their firstborns.
So, you could say that if you want to be an exorcist, you should have been born to do it, otherwise it would be a very horrible punishment to pay.
And he is the one who can tell you.
No, not the 'what it's like to be an exorcist'.
No.
If not, he will tell you what Mr. Lahn's punishment is like for those normal humans who dare to call themselves exorcists.
And this is Frederick Leighton, 'Mr. Phony'.
-
They all stood gathered together, with the bound Frederick in front of them.
The trio looked at each other.
The first to speak was young Liam.
"He said he won't exorcise you...?" Soon, she slid in next to Ji Noo and muttered; "Ji Noo! This is going very, very badly..." then both hid behind Anser, using him as a wall so that Frederick wouldn't see them whispering to each other. "This guy doesn't seem to be easily intimidated by our strongman! If this keeps going on..."
Ji Noo sighed, already knowing the answer, he scratched his head.
With all this situation, he could see a headache coming.
"Yes I know," sigh, "I will become a demon."
Anser sharply turned his head upon hearing Ji Noo's words, with a piercing face, he approached Ji Noo and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"No."
And here it comes...another scene of the now mother hen Anser.
"It was a prediction, which may not happen…" Maybe.
At this point, his situation was more critical.
His fingers kept trembling, either from the happiness of seeing Frederick or from the fact that the demon was already trying to possess his body.
Liam was the first to notice.
"Ji Noo…" She knew she needed to do something, help convince Frederick to at least reluctantly exorcise him! "Umm…Mr. Frederick…uh I…"
She walked in front of Anser and Ji Noo, then looked shyly at Frederick.
"I-I know you saved me and I'm so grateful you did! B-But my...my friend will be a demon in a matter of days if you don't do something...I-I'll do whatever it takes to make you do it...but please-"
"No."
"…" Liam remained silent.
He just ruined his performance.
Anser and Ji Noo looked at each other, then sighed. Soon, both of them covered their ears; the real devil was coming, and they didn't want to be his victims anymore.
Frederick, meanwhile, looked at them, confused. "You pair of idiots, what are you doing? Please act normal."
The sound of glass hitting the floor was heard; the broken glass drew Frederick's attention to the "helpless" Liam.
Liam's hand grabbed Frederick's neck, pulling him close to her face, but her innocent face from before changed to an intimidating one. "You have ten seconds to exorcise Ji Noo, and now you only have three seconds left to do it."
It wasn't a question, it was an order.
However, Frederick was not intimidated and answered back; "As if a girl as stupid and weak as you could do anything more than perfume my ass and paint my nails..."
"Time is up, bastard."
And with those words, she headbutted Frederick. The sound of both skulls crunching was heard, however, the only blood that splattered was Frederick's.
Frederick looked at her, surprised.
He had seen the previous occasion how this girl abused potions to be able to defeat an enemy three times or even more strong than her.
However, something that he considered a 'mediocre' and 'ineffective' method…
It was really troublesome.
"...If you keep threatening to hit me, you'll overdose yourself first before you convince me."
However, Liam didn't seem to mind, so she gathered momentum once more, and smashed her head against Frederick's head.
Again, blood flew out, falling on Anser's gloved hand.
However, both Anser and Ji Noo were not alerted.
"Liam will win." Ji Noo expressed.
"Definitely." Anser responded in agreement.
Frederick spurted blood from his mouth, then turned to look at both of them angrily. "You two pieces of shit, neither of you think I'll win?!"
They both looked at each other for a second, then shook their heads.
"There may be a small chance, but a veeeery small one," said Ji Noo, while Anser nodded at his words. "Be thankful she's not on her period."
After all, an angry woman, there isn't much you can do to save yourself from her.
For the next ten minutes, Liam continued to beat Frederick.
And yet, he still didn't want to do anything about Ji Noo's exorcism.
"…" Ji Noo frowned, visibly frustrated. There was only one month left until Walpurgis Night, if they didn't hurry, it would be difficult for Ji Noo to even keep Raum at bay. "Liam, stop. He's already dead."
Liam returned to herself, releasing Frederick's neck, who fell defeated to the ground.
"I-I killed him?! Will I get those few years in prison for homicide...?"
"It was a lie, I only said it so you would leave him."
Liam sighed in relief, then took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her head.
Ji Noo walked over to where Frederick was collapsed. He crouched down beside him and took his blood pressure; it was normal, but a little weak. Perhaps it was from the repeated blows or from the fact that a woman had beaten him.
"He couldn't even win when we unleashed him." Anser muttered, throwing the evidence of the untied rope behind him.
Ji Noo sighed, then turned to look at Anser.
"Anser, let's take him to your office. He's too weak to wake up now."
Waiting for Anser to move, in reality, he did nothing, nor said anything—an angry face went towards Ji Noo.
"…?"
However, Ji Noo was too dumb to understand that what Anser meant was: 'I won't carry him'.
"Are you in your rebellious phase? Liam…"
"No, no…" With a frown and a pout, he went to Frederic, and carried him on his back like a sack of potatoes. Despite Frederick's height, Anser could still carry him easily. "I'm not a rebel..."
Ji Noo sighed, then went with Liam and started walking back to the city.
"Where did we come from, Liam? We went around in circles so much I got lost..." Ji Noo said, then crossed his arms.
Liam looked back, and noticed the pout on Anser's face. That miserable sight softening her heart.
Ji Noo turned to look at her, and seeing the girl's pleading look to make Anser's pout disappear...
"…No, why don't you do it if you care so much?"
Mimicking Anser, Liam pouted, then began to sob dramatically, "I have a lot of traumas with physical contact and relationships between friends, boyfriends, or any emotional relationship... I would like to help him, but…"
Ji Noo snorted, annoyed, then sighed deeply.
He turned around and walked over to Anser, then reached out to stroke his head. "Thanks, Anser..." he looked back, seeing Liam grimacing at him to say more, he knew he couldn't run away this time... "Good boy."
And with that, he went on his way.
Jeon Kwonoo was never good with words anyway, so why would Ji Noo be good at it? But if something small meant a lot to someone like Anser...then it would be enough, right?
"Uwaah! L-Let me go! Let me go!" Liam's voice alerted him as he looked back... "I don't want you to carry me! Put me down, put me down!"
Anser was now trying to carry Liam.
Anser's always expressionless face couldn't convey how happy he was to have received a compliment for just carrying someone. Maybe he could get another one if he carried someone else, right?
"…Face your punishment, Liam."
"W-Waah! I-I'm afraid of heights! Really!!"
***
There are many undignified jobs in this world.
But the dirtiest job of all is being a fake.
His father was a demon hunter. And his mother was a merchant.
It's not like they were the richest people, but they weren't poor either. A middle-class life, humble and, above all, happy.
A happiness that would soon be extinguished, like everything else in this miserable world.
Anarxie was the most famous and populated capital due to its extraordinary demon hunters. But, besides that...
It was the only place where its locals were protected.
The governor ignored the fact that there were more cities besides Anarxie. And that was something that worried the inhabitants of those cities every day.
Delta, Region, La vie en rose, Eternal, and Aria.
Neighboring cities of Anarxie, but left completely helpless and without any demon hunter or exorcist who can protect them from demon attacks.
That's why each city had to find a way to protect itself without needing help from the capital.
In the case of his city, Aria, his father was in charge of teaching his neighbors everything he knew about demons. Beginning to turn Aria, the city of gold, into Aria, the city of mana.
An energy as pure as mana, magic capable of deforming anything and turning it into something special...was mastered by them, by their people.
They were able to save themselves from the attacks of demons on Walpurgis Night, as well as demon attacks when slots appeared or there were descents from the sky.
However, that didn't mean Aria was completely safe.
Many people had to go on expeditions despite not knowing about it in order to keep the demons away. Many died in the process, just as there were some who succeeded temporarily.
For example, Sherly.
However, they needed something, a definitive solution.
And that's where he came up with an idea.
"I feel ready to embark on the journey." He declared, Frederick Leighton. "I will put an end to this situation."
A brave act, from the only prodigy son of the only demon hunter of the town.
However, he knew nothing about hunting.
But...
He needed to keep his people calm.
"I will use Lahn's power of exorcism, and thus; I will save you all! Our people will finally be free!"
And he didn't know about exorcisms either.
But a ray of light in a place of eternal darkness...was all they needed.
The excursion took place. More than ten people besides Frederick participated in the final excursion; they would put an end to the nest of demons once and for all.
Or that's what they're supposed to do.
. . .
"Frederick! Please help us! Seal the demon!"
Seal? No, no, he didn't know how to do it...
"Leighton, weaken the demon, save us!"
No...he didn't know how to do it...
And he couldn't do it.
The screams and the disgrace brought upon him by his lies were not believed by him; that Lahn didn't want to lend him his power at that moment...
What good was having the blood of a demon hunter in his veins... if he couldn't hunt one with his hands?
He prayed. For it all to end.
He prayed. That everyone would return safely.
But, no one listened to his prayers.
. . .
At that moment, Aria died.
An invasion of cannibal demons invaded all the houses, devoured, destroyed, and wiped out everyone in their paths.
And all thanks to a lie.
A small, helpless lie.
Everyone's hope became their doom.
"…"
A war that was thought to have no end; Frederick fought with all his might, losing an arm trying to save his mother.
But it was no use. They all died.
Fire was the only thing that could end the suffering.
"Anarxie will rebuild the city of Aria," A voice called out from behind Frederick, who was watching the destruction of his home. "Becoming a cult leader helped the governor hear my request more quickly; and after what happened today, we'll be able to have our city back in a few years."
Sherly tried to cheer up the 'exorcist' Frederick.
But it didn't work.
The look of anguish and pain was still deep inside him.
It wasn't physical.
It was...guilt.
"…Why is Anarxie more important than us?"
Sherly blinked, then thought for a bit, scratching his head with the broadsword of his sword.
"Randy has been very close to the governor lately," Randy? Randy Bornman? The strongest man today? "He mentioned that Anarxie was the salvation of all…"
Oh.
"...And how does he know?" He turned to look at him, more angry than sad. "Do you prefer to put the salvation of humanity before the salvation of your people, YOUR family?"
"…"
The family...
"Right now, you're just my family, Leighton."
"…"
And that was wrong.
"But I still want to be with mine."
***
It was dark.
He woke up with a sore head, and feeling strangely lighter than before.
"…" he checked his body; his weapons were gone. And also, he was in a bed. "What the hell…"
He looked around, then peered out the window; it was nighttime, and although the sky was still red, this time it was a bit more subdued.
Down below, through the window, he could recognize Anser Ciro's albino hair, just as the young girl Liam was with him.
"…"
He didn't understand why, but every time he saw Liam, he was somehow reminded of his mother.
Maybe, if she were still alive, she would see in Liam...a good daughter-in-law.
But after the beating she gave him…
Shudder.
Maybe it wouldn't be this time.
"Morning."
A voice behind him brought him out of his thoughts; green hair, red eyes...
"Ji Nerd…"
"That doesn't even sound like my name," Ji Noo complained, then gave a tired sigh and leaned against the door. "How do you feel?"
"I'm not going to exorcise you."
"Smart, but I'm serious."
Frederick snorted. It had been many years since anyone had asked him that…
"Isn't it obvious?" He crossed his arms. "This world is a mess, it's not worth saving."
However, Ji Noo would not settle for that.
"So why were you on a hunt when we found you?" He said, using a more serious tone this time to get his attention. "I thought I hated them."
"…"
"…"
Sigh.
"If it was that idiot who told you, I imagine that's why you came looking for me, right?" Then he frowned. "Listen, I'm not an exorcist. If Sherly told you that, it was because I lied to him, because I didn't want to go with him on his damn hunts."
Then he got up from the bed where he had been unconscious, still with the pain in his head, but now not willing to stay there.
After all, if it was all a lie, why keep pretending?
"You are my only hope."
Yes...Frederick has heard it before in the past.
"I doubt that Mandeleine want to exorcise me out of kindness..."
He stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"…You went to see Randy Bornman before you went to see me?" he made a terrifying half turn to look at him with a murderous look. With that, enough to make Ji Noo talk.
"He's the only one who has an efficient exorcist at his disposal... I mean! No offense!"
Well, he couldn't be offended because he wasn't a real exorcist.
But, he thought for a moment…
"He told you something else, didn't he?" This time, his tone became...
"...What are you talking about?"
How did he know?
Frederick stood still for a moment, searching for words to explain what he instinctively felt.
After all, his father was always good at detecting abnormalities, even in people, and his deductions never failed. Frederick could be grateful for that.
And he was.
"I don't know," He looked at the window, frowning. "The few times I accompanied the old man…" He squinted, trying to see beyond the shattered moon that illuminated them. Perhaps, beyond that, there was something else. Someone else waiting for them, someone else...watching them. "I felt like that guy knew more than he should…"
Perhaps, what he knew...
"I feel like he knows what's beyond this world…"
Ji Noo gulped.
No, it was impossible for Frederick to be able to realize his existence, no, no, it was impossible, impossible…!
"What if we were just characters in his story?"
"What are you talking about? Are you high?"
Frederick turned to look at him, and said: "No?"
Ji Noo snorted, slightly irritated...
Talking to him would just waste more of his time.
"Whatever…I guess you're right; yes, Randy did tell me something, but I doubt you want to know."
After all, Frederick hated Randy, though, like any sect leader in general, but that didn't matter much now.
"You're right," He put his weapons in his bags. "I don't want to know, I'd throw up."
"Don't be so exaggerated either..."
And now, back to the main topic...
"I'm serious—I need you to exorcise me, I don't care if you don't know how, at least if you can make Raum not want to come out...I'll settle for that!" He said, then pulled out a bag of coins behind him. "I'll pay you! Well, Anser will..."
Frederick came back to see him, annoyed.
"I told you no, do you want to die?"
"I'd rather die with the demon still sealed inside me than die and have the demon escape..."
Something, daring, he knew it.
Especially when it came to the man who hated death.
"…" Frederick sat on the corner of the bed, his hand scratching his head. "If I still had my other arm, I would strangle you while pointing out all the reasons why I would fail to exorcise you."
Ji Noo sighed, disappointed.
"Also, how the hell did you manage to absorb that demon? Can't you do it again?"
"First, I need Anser's blood to repeat it, and second, I need energy no longer contaminated by demonic energy to be able to seal him there."
Frederick snorted, "These are just excuses."
"Then you too stop making excuses."
Frederick turned to look at him, furious. How many times did he have to repeat that he wasn't an exorcist?
"Are you an idiot? I barely know the basics of exorcism!" Then, he grabbed him by the collar of his sweatshirt, putting him close to his face. "So I don't care that you're dying, I won't do it, you hear? I won't—"
However, he stopped.
Ji Noo didn't seem to be breathing.
"…Idiot?" He pressed his ear to his chest, but no heartbeat could be heard. "Damn…his boyfriend is going to kill me..." Sigh. "Although I don't know if they're dating, I only know that Anser is a damn depressive and a pain in the ass…"
Soon, he returned his gaze to Ji Noo's face, and noticed that his pupils dilated…
That's when he realized.
"Damn it!" He ran to the window, opened it, and then jumped out.
He landed softly on his feet, then pulled out his pistol with his left hand and pointed it at the window from which he fell.
Anser and Liam, who were training, looked at him, confused.
"F-Frederick? What's going on?" Liam approached him, looking in the same direction he was, and realizing what was happening... "N-No!"
Anser frowned, drawing his sword; Scalybur.
Ji Noo had finally been controlled by the demon Raum.
And now, they had to hold on until they could stop Raum in Ji Noo's body.
"I knew today wasn't my lucky day..."
Yes, Frederick, I know. Life is unfair.