WHOOSH!
The clouds over Takido City violently parted by a beam of blue light rising forcefully into space.
A shockwave swept through the territory dominated by a small forest near a church on the outskirts of Takido.
The originator of such power was none other than the young Shinka Kusaka.
'That should be enough to get their attention.'
He thought.
That was an ability of the holy sword Shinka had stolen. Possibly a quality most holy swords possessed.
In the few hours since his initial fight, Shinka had investigated Shizumi and Kaede Namikawa.
Both daughters of Raymond Namikawa. Son of a Japanese man and an American woman, raised abroad and currently the religious leader of the church in Takido City.
Just by knowing that Raymond had been to the Vatican, Shinka understood that it basically meant the exorcists were an organization that spanned the world.
It also meant the reach of demons was negligible compared to that of angels on planet Earth.
Now, with all that in mind, Shinka had to consider more things.
If Raymond had done things right, then he had most likely already informed the Vatican about Shinka's sister, but there was still the possibility he hadn't disclosed it, in which case, Shinka would only have to eliminate Raymond and his daughters to protect his family's identity.
Shinka's eyes contracted for an instant.
"I was waiting for you," he said calmly.
"Kid, you look like a bad villain from a B-series movie. Save those comments; they don't intimidate trained people at all."
Shinka began to hear footsteps behind him. Three people stood in a row.
'I-I thought it was intriguing... but only for a second!' Kaede thought for a moment.
Two girls and a man.
"It's good to see you prepared the ground for visitors, Kusaka," Raymond was the first to speak.
"Raymond, you seem more reasonable than your daughters. Wouldn't you let me explain what happened without the need for a fight?"
"Of course, I would like to spare us this charade, but I have a certain protocol to follow. If you surrender and submit yourself, then we could do as you say."
Shinka thought about the man's words for a few moments.
"Come on. It won't be as bad as you think. Besides, I'll give you candy so you don't feel bad."
The boy shook his head slightly.
"I'm sorry. They already tried to kill me once. I can't be that trusting." A slight smile appeared despite his anguish. "Especially since my aunt told me not to accept candy from strangers. And you must admit you didn't use the best choice of words for a priest."
"Hey, kid, don't try to slander the Church. Those are calumnies spread by demons and fallen angels!" Raymond said in a tone Shinka couldn't discern as serious or joking.
"Let me ask you one last question, Raymond, was it fun investigating me?"
"It was an interesting read... And you don't have to be so polite with me. Don't be so formal." He made a casual gesture with his hands, and a mischievous smile formed on his lips.
'Is Dad trying to make him lower his guard?' Shizumi and Kaede couldn't help but wonder.
Shinka's expression softened as he continued sword training.
"Did you share that information with anyone else?"
"You said that was your last question! But fine, I'll still answer." He closed one eye and his smile widened further. "Not at all."
The grip on Shinka's sword tightened.
"I see," he whispered.
'So, that's how it is...'
Shinka knew he had no intention of deceiving him. For someone who knows they have the battle won, why would he lie about not having disclosed the information?
Maybe if Shinka were more powerful and on equal footing with Raymond, he might have lied because of the possibility that Shinka would kill him, and as insurance that he would soon be hunted, but if that's not the case...
Why lie?
"Stop doing that with the sword! You don't intimidate anyone with such poor handling!" Kaede shouted upon seeing that Shinka hadn't even turned to look at them.
In an instant, the boy's body stopped abruptly.
Calmly, Shinka turned towards the Namikawa family.
"So be it then. Kusaka Shinka, due to your blood relation to a human reincarnated as a demon and your strange display of power, we must detain you for questioning," Raymond said with authority.
"You are a potential danger to normal people," Shizumi said, sensing the atmosphere.
Shinka closed his eyes.
His body was enveloped in a strange blue light.
[Magical Reinforcement Lv.15] [Natural Fencing Lv.20] [Kunst des Fechtens (German Fencing) Lv.10] [Escrime (French Fencing) Lv.10] [Verdadera Destreza (Spanish Fencing) Lv.10] [Kendo (Japanese Fencing) Lv.10] [Sensory Enhancement Magic Lv.20]
Shinka's eyes glowed.
[Unable to use Magical Inspection skill. The target far surpasses the user's skill level.]
'He's still stronger than me, but I won't lose. I can't afford to.'
'Is he serious...?' Raymond's eyes tensed as he saw Shinka's stance and aura.
"Shizumi, take cover, without a weapon you're dead weight. Kaede."
"Yes, Father." Kaede understood her father as soon as she saw Shinka assume a combat stance.
BOOM!
A giant crater formed in the ground.
Shinka's body disappeared agilely.
He reappeared between father and daughter. With a circular slash, both were quickly repelled.
Of course, that hadn't been a regular slash.
BOOM!
Another explosion was heard.
"Energy slash!" Kaede shouted upon noticing the force.
"Watch out!" Her father warned, seeing sword leaves flying towards them.
The leaves generated slashes around Kaede and Raymond, but they successfully repelled the fatal ones.
'Did you really learn that much in just a few hours?' Raymond couldn't help but wonder.
The grass moved violently around them.
Shinka's immense running speed made it impossible to see where he was.
WHOOSH!
CLANK!
Kaede almost fell to the ground repelling Shinka's slash.
"M-My defense..." she whispered, seeing Shinka's efficient method.
'It's nothing like the skill he showed this morning!'
The boy disappeared and reappeared again.
CLANK!
Kaede's guard weakened enormously.
Shinka almost pierced her if not for Kaede managing to avoid a vital cut by using her armor to deflect the blade.
CLANK!
With another slash, Kaede was forced to her knees.
CLANK!
The ground beneath Kaede cracked powerfully.
'I'm going to die!'
CLANK!
CLANK!
CLANK!
Three consecutive slashes were successfully repelled.
THUD!
A kick from Raymond sent Shinka flying back several meters.
SHUD!
The boy was forced to stab his sword into the ground to avoid being sent flying.
'Too much strength.' Shinka and Raymond thought of each other.
"Your improvement with the sword is unnatural. I can only think of a Sacred Gear," Raymond said, frowning, trying to see Shinka's reaction.
'Sacred Gear...?' Shinka maintained his neutral expression, showing no hint of doubt or confusion.
Shinka disappeared from where he was.
CLANK!
Raymond forcefully stopped Shinka's sword.
"Kaede, you're no match for Kusaka. Stay on the sidelines and attack when you see an opportunity."
CLANK!
CLANK!
CLANK!
"What level of combat is this?"
Kaede wondered as she watched Shinka and her father suddenly disappear and reappear in a different place, clashing their swords.
'Are they still human?' Shizumi was weaker than her sister in terms of technique, but she had worked hard alongside her sister to match their father.
They both knew they were far off; maybe in a decade they could reach his level, but witnessing such a monstrous spectacle...
For them, it was unbelievable.
That someone their age, with no apparent background other than a sister who gave up her existence to a demon, could suddenly match their father.
"F-Father can't lose, right, Kaede?"
Shizumi looked at her sister.
"That boy, Shinka is very strong. He surpassed us in a matter of hours, but it's impossible for our father to lose this battle. No matter how you look at it."
Shizumi nodded; her sister was right.
SLASH!
Strands of Shinka's brown hair floated in the air after a quick slash.
Shinka had jumped to dodge Raymond's furious slash.
In a matter of microseconds, while still in the air, he changed the way he held the sword and aimed it at Raymond.
With his other hand, he pointed at the man's feet, and a blue halo of light enveloped them.
'I can't move!' the man thought.
'Energy can be launched from the sword in many ways.' Shinka's sword suddenly shot out.
The energy had been expelled to the other side, causing the sword to transform into a furious spear of light.
Raymond had mere tenths of a second to take his sword and drive it into the ground, nullifying Shinka's magic.
WHOOSH!
BOOM!
The sword embedded itself in the ground. Raymond came close to death.
Agilely, Shinka landed and disappeared in a blur towards where Raymond was.
CLANK!
Some drops of sweat ran down Raymond's cheeks.
'He's getting nervous.'
Shinka suddenly left an opening.
Kaede's eye tensed.
'Now or never!'
WHOOSH!
In a blur of light, she disappeared and reappeared beside Shinka, her sword swinging towards the boy's neck.
"No!" Raymond shouted at his daughter upon seeing the scene.
Kaede reacted upon hearing her father.
Shinka's eye trembled.
He clenched his jaw.
'D-Damn it!' The boy cursed his own weakness.
Kaede changed the direction of her blade to repel Shinka's attack.
WHOOSH!
Shinka's sword sliced Kaede's sword in half.
'He deliberately slowed down his attack...' Raymond saw it clearly.
Kaede felt she only saved her neck because the friction slowed down Shinka's blade.
Raymond and Kaede were still paralyzed by confusion, so Shinka took advantage of the moment.
SLASH!
THUD!
A kick sent Kaede flying.
The blade of the cut sword was still spinning in the air from the impact.
Shinka's hand glowed blue, and a halo of light enveloped the half of the cut sword spinning in the air.
'I can't hesitate! I can't hesitate! I can't hesitate! I can't hesitate! I can't hesitate!'
WHOOSH!
The sword was aimed at Shizumi.
She, seeing the blade flying violently towards her, knew her legs wouldn't move quickly, but her hands would.
'Not this time!' Opening her palms, she nervously watched as the blade approached her face.
CLAP!
With a clap, Shizumi stopped the sword in the palms of her hands.
Raymond breathed a sigh of relief seeing his daughter was safe.
'This crazy guy has an obsession with throwing swords. And besides, he's a chronic indecisive. But I can't complain...' Raymond thought, seeing the development.
That boy couldn't be colluding with an evil organization. And if he was, he still had a human heart.
SLASH!
CLANK!
The man easily repelled Shinka's sword.
"Just because I'm not looking at you doesn't mean I'm not paying attention," he said confidently.
"This fight has lasted longer than it should. I must admit I'm impressed by your improvement with the sword; you're undoubtedly very strong."
Raymond took a pause.
"And you might have a very promising future, but if that future implies a possible catastrophe in Takido, then I can't let you continue growing. Not until I have the answers I want."
Shinka froze.
Not because of the man's words.
But because Raymond's body began to emit a strange golden luminous aura.
"I shouldn't use this ability to intimidate a child, but otherwise, this battle will drag on... From what I saw, it's a magic that you and I have in common."
The ground beneath Raymond began to crack.
"MAGICAL REINFORCEMENT!"
An explosion of energy spread through the forest, shaking the leaves of the trees, and even Shinka's heart.
In less than a second, Raymond's body disappeared from where he stood.
Shinka's entire body felt the imminent danger and tensed.
With a quick movement of his hands, a translucent mana shield formed in front of Shinka.
BOOM!
Raymond's fist landed on the shield.
CRACK!
The shield completely cracked.
BOOM!
Shinka was sent flying with a single blow.
'H-He's using his fists because he knows if he uses the sword, he'll kill me?!'
Shinka hit the ground with his back and tried to get up, but a hand prevented it.
An open hand landed on his face, grabbing him firmly and dragging him across the ground.
BOOM!
He was sent flying against the trees.
PUKE!
Shinka spat blood.
He fell to the ground like a rag doll and tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't respond.
As best he could, the boy lifted his head to see the battlefield, but it wasn't possible.
BOOM!
A kick made his head hit the ground.
'S-Shit...'
Shinka felt his hair being pulled hard, and consequently his head.
Raymond held Shinka's head by his hair while staring at him fixedly.
"You lost, Kusaka Shinka," Raymond said with authority.
[HP 10/50]
'...'
Silence flooded the forest for a few seconds.
"T-The moon... is pale tonight," Shinka whispered in pain.
In that instant, Raymond noticed something and looked directly at the sky.
A magical circle in the sky suddenly appeared and broke.
'Invisibility?!' Raymond looked in horror as a sphere the size of a building formed in the sky.
"Father, that... That's not the moon!"
"It's a super-condensed energy sphere. Wow... Kusaka, so you were willing to commit suicide with us?" Raymond once again spoke calmly.
Shinka's heart skipped a beat.
He didn't understand why Raymond was so calm.
"Even if you kill us, the Vatican will send people to investigate why I'm dead. Naturally, they'll investigate you and your family."
"M-Maybe... Maybe that's the most logical, b-but what if I manage to make it look like you fought a demon?"
Shinka struggled to say every word.
"If the Vatican thinks you fought a demon to the death, they won't even investigate my disappearance. As soon as that sphere touches the ground, it will disintegrate everything nearby, including our corpses."
Raymond looked at Shinka impressed but immediately began to laugh.
"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Shinka didn't understand.
'What's wrong with him?! Isn't he even a little scared?!'
"I'll tell you a secret, Kusaka... Just because I'm tired of this." Raymond brought his face close to Shinka's.
"The Vatican already knows about your sister. Even if I haven't spoken, they are aware."
Shinka's eye contracted with horror.
"Your sister is part of the peerage of a demon from a famous clan. It's impossible for us not to know the basics about her."
Shinka swallowed.
"I can see you doubt my words. Shitori Souna, that's her name on Earth, but she is from the Sitri Clan, and her real name is Sona. She is Sona Sitri."
"Shut up! You must be lying to save yourself. It's impossible...!" Shinka was shocked and tried to break free, but Raymond was an immovable force.
"With my speed, I can take my daughters and leave here in less than a second." He observed the teenager in front of him. "A second ago you seemed very intelligent, but I see you've lost your composure now."
Shinka's eyes widened like plates.
[Rationality Lv.39]
Shinka's expression relaxed slightly.
The physical pain and fatigue were real.
The mental pain and fatigue were real.
'From the beginning, I knew this was suicide... This is just my fault.'
"I... lost. I lost before I even started," he whispered while looking at the ground, seeing the blood flowing from his body.
"That's right. So it will be easier for both of us if you simply surrender."
Shinka nodded and clumsily stood up.
"Don't be so sad. If the Vatican knew about your sister before, and they haven't done anything, it's because they simply can't or it's not convenient for them," he said brazenly.
At that moment, something clicked in Shinka's mind.
'It's true...'
If what Raymond said is true, they wouldn't want an all-out war against a major demon clan.
Maybe his battle had been meaningless, but at least he gained more power and more information about the world.
"Is it okay for you to talk like that about the organization you belong to?" Shinka was incredulous.
Raymond just shrugged.
"What? Are you going to rat me out or something?" His expression was absolute mockery. "By the way, can you undo the giant mana sphere? I don't want it to explode and destroy the forest. That would really be a problem."
"I've never... met someone as shameless as you." Shinka extended his left hand; his right was broken.
WHOOSH!
Particles of light began to emerge from the sphere and spread through the forest, bathing the place in a faint blue light.
Suddenly, something seemed to bind Shinka's hands.
[Mana Restrained]
They looked like magical handcuffs.
"Shinka, you are now under the protection of the Vatican as a possible suspect of conspiring in Takido City."
The boy raised an eyebrow at such an act.
"It's the procedure I told you about," Raymond whispered.
Shinka sighed and just nodded.
"But say you agree and accept your responsibility!"
"Why would I do that?!"
"Because I need to confirm you understand why you're being placed under arrest! It's the law!"
"Alright, alright! I..." Raymond and Shinka continued talking.
"Kusaka wasn't a bad kid after all," Shizumi whispered.
Kaede, with an astonished look, turned and looked into her eyes.
"I'm not justifying that he tried to kill us all! I'm just saying, in his situation, I think... I think I would do the same."
Kaede fell thoughtful at her sister's words.
"Well, we tried to kill him first. It makes a bit of sense, I guess," she whispered while walking.
Shizumi walked slowly towards the battlefield to pick up her sword, but before she could take it, an electric shock was expelled from it.
"AH!" Shizumi screamed in pain.
"What's wrong with Muramasa?" she asked, confused.
"Ah, it must be the demonic energy sealed inside," Shinka responded wearily.
"I see. So that's how you planned to deceive the Vatican. You were going to make the energy sphere absorb the demonic energy so that residues would remain. How clever!" Raymond understood instantly.
"H-Hey, how the hell did you acquire that energy?!" Kaede shouted, surprised.
'This man. Raymond is truly admirable...' The boy's thought obscured his surroundings.
"Kusaka Shinka, aren't you going to answer me?!"
'Anyway, now that I know my family is out of danger, at least temporarily, I must take advantage of the knowledge Raymond has...'
'I can also somehow use Shitori Souna, or rather Sona Sitri, to persuade them not to do anything strange to me if necessary.'
Shinka thought while looking at the full moon.