It took some time to stabilize my body.
The first time I defied gravity, I nearly cooked myself. My skin had blistered, and my internal heat had hit apocalyptic levels. But I healed. And every time I did, my flesh grew back denser.
I trained through the afternoon, getting accustomed to this new sensation and uncovering new depths to my new state. I discovered that focusing my absolute intent allowed me to compress my presence, preventing my energy from leaking haphazardly.
Then, I tried to push my body further. I needed to endure enough extreme spiritual stress to force my human survival instincts to unlock 100% of my potential. It was risky—tearing muscles and scorching my own nervous system—but my high-speed regeneration constantly repaired the damage, forging a stronger cage for the fire.
After that, I practiced shaping my flames into complex concepts rather than just explosive blasts. This was much tougher. When I tried shaping a simple sphere, my imagination would run wild, and it would destabilize into a jagged spike of pure heat.
I almost set the entire place ablaze.
It was grueling work, but the payoff was absolute.
Now here I was, back in the clearing. No sword on my lap this time. The Kurikara was leaning against a tree ten feet away.
I sat in the lotus position, hovering four feet off the ground.
The Mantle of the Sun hummed over my skin. It was still hot—like wearing a wool sweater in a sauna—but it wasn't burning me anymore. I had synced the rhythm of the demon heart with my own pulse. I didn't need the sword as a training wheel anymore. The core was fully integrated.
Inhale. Expand. Exhale. Compress.
I opened my eyes. I floated there, weightless, looking down at the grass.
"Ight," I muttered, rotating my body in mid-air simply by denying gravity's hold on me. "Looks like I'm finally fully operational."
I let gravity have me back, dropping softly to the grass. I grabbed the Kurikara, strapped it to my back, and headed toward the Inn as the sun began to set.
The atmosphere inside the Myōda headquarters had drastically deteriorated since the morning.
Walking through the wooden corridors, the air felt suffocating. It wasn't just the lingering smell of antiseptic and miasma from the triage center; it was paranoia. Monks stood in tight circles, whispering frantically and shooting suspicious glares at anyone who walked by. The knowledge that a traitor was among them had leaked, and it was tearing the sect apart from the inside.
I passed the main hall. The sliding paper doors were open, revealing the Exwires taking a meager dinner break.
They looked like they had been through a war. The fatigue was etched deep into their faces.
Shiemi was the first to notice me. She was wrapping a bandage around her own scraped wrist, but she stopped, her green eyes going wide as she looked at me. As someone deeply connected to the natural flow of life, her spiritual empathy was highly sensitive.
"Rin..." Shiemi murmured, standing up slowly. "Your flames... I can't feel them anymore. Did something happen?"
Konekomaru, who was sitting near her, adjusted his glasses. He looked at me, and I saw a genuine, instinctual shiver run down his spine. "It's not that they're gone," he whispered, his voice tight. "It's... it feels like there's nothing there at all. Like a void."
Earlier today, standing next to me was like standing next to an open oven. Now, I had compressed my presence entirely. To their spiritual senses, I wasn't a raging inferno anymore. I was an abyss.
"You look less like a ticking time bomb and more like a statue," Izumo commented, staring at me over the rim of her teacup. She looked exhausted, but her sharp eyes missed nothing. "Did you finally figure out how to meditate, or did you just fry your own brain out in the woods?"
"Something like that," I said simply.
Renzo let out a low whistle, leaning back on his hands. "Gotta admit, man. It's way more intimidating when you're quiet. You feel like a ghost."
Bon didn't say anything at first. He was sitting in the corner, chewing on his thumb, practically vibrating with repressed anger and frustration over the chaos in his home. He glared at me, hating the fact that I looked perfectly composed while his entire world was falling apart.
Before Bon could open his mouth to start an argument, the sound of combat boots echoed down the wooden hallway.
Shura walked into view. Her face was set in a grim, stressed line as she reviewed a clipboard of guard rotations. She stopped when she reached the open doorway, her veteran Exorcist senses immediately locking onto me.
Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at me. The memory of me coughing up black smoke just a few hours ago was fresh in her mind.
"You actually pulled it off," Shura murmured, a mix of disbelief and profound respect coloring her tone. "You caged it."
"I told you I was different," I smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Better start getting ready to pay up on that bet, Shura. I definitely have a few things in mind."
Shura scoffed, but a nervous, hopeful tension flickered in her eyes. She quickly masked it with her usual abrasive swagger. "Don't get cocky. We still have a traitor running around, and this sect is bleeding out. Save the gloating for when we actually survive the night."
"Fair enough." I shrugged.
An older monk suddenly jogged down the hallway, stopping a few feet away from me and bowing stiffly.
"Mr. Okumura," the monk said, his voice tight with urgency, pointedly ignoring the rest of the Exwires. "The High Priest is requesting your presence immediately."
Bon's head snapped up, his scowl deepening into pure outrage. "My dad? Why is he asking for you? He hasn't spoken to me since we got here!"
"Probably because I get things done," I retorted, turning my back on the room and following the monk. Then I laughed. "Keep resting, kids. The adults have work to do."
A few minutes later, I met Tatsuma in the surveillance room tucked away in the back of the Inn. One wall was lined with monitors displaying grainy feeds from the Deep Keep and the surrounding perimeter.
Two other men were there. Yaozo Shima (Pinky's father, and head of the Shima clan) and Uwabami Hojo (the head of the Hojo clan).
"This is the boy?" Yaozo asked, eyeing me critically. "The one you claim can purify the King?"
"He's the one," Tatsuma said, his eyes glued to the screens. "Rin, tell them what you told me."
I leaned against a console, ignoring the tension. "The thief is Mamushi Hojo. She's working with Todo. They're going to hit the Deep Keep tonight."
Uwabami slammed his hand on the control desk, making the monitors rattle. "Watch your tongue, boy! My daughter is a devout Exorcist! She would never betray the Order!"
"Todo got in her head," I said calmly. "Probably told her the Order is corrupt and he has the 'true' path. It's a classic cult recruitment tactic."
"Lies!" Uwabami shouted, pointing a shaking finger at me. "This is some kind of ploy, isn't it? You're trying to sow discord among the families to cause chaos! Who sent you?!"
"Denial won't change the facts, old man," I countered, keeping my voice level. "She's the mole. If you don't secure the Right Eye now, she's going to walk right out the front door with it."
"I won't hear another word of this slander!" Uwabami reached for his staff. "I should—"
"Silence."
Yaozo Shima's voice cut through the argument like a blade. He wasn't looking at us. He was pointing at the center monitor.
"Uwabami. Look."
We all turned to the screen.
On the grainy black-and-white feed, inside the sealed barrier of the Keep, a figure was moving. It was a young woman in Exorcist robes. She moved quickly, striking down multiple guards with precision strikes before they could even raise the alarm.
She stepped over their bodies and reached for the sealed canister. Before she fully grabbed it, she was confronted by Juzo, with Bon watching discreetly from a corner of the room. When Juzo asked her why she was doing this, Mamushi spoke about how she wanted to wake up the Myōda and flush out the real traitors—whom she believed were Tatsuma and Mephisto for knowing that I, the son of Satan, was being raised in secrecy.
She believed by sealing away both eyes, it would prevent the resurrection of the Impure King. Then they engaged in a quick clash.
Poor stupid girl, I thought, shaking my head. That geek Todo really got into her head.
Uwabami's face went pale. "Mamushi..."
"We have to move, Now!" Tatsuma ordered.
We sprinted through the winding corridors of the complex. The alarm finally began to wail, a low, mournful sound that echoed through the halls.
By the time we reached the hallway leading to the Keep, it was chaos. Monks and Exorcists were scrambling, weapons drawn, confused by the sudden breach.
We rounded a corner and ran straight into Shura. She was geared up, looking frantic, trying to organize the lower-ranked exorcists.
"Hey!" she shouted, spotting us. "Where the hell are you going? The alarm is—"
Tatsuma breezed past her, and as he did, he delivered a few pats to her rear.
"Good work, Young Ms! Keep it up!" Tatsuma cheered, putting his "senile old man" mask back on for a split second.
Shura froze, gaining an anger mark. "You senile old—!"
I followed right behind him.
Gotta follow his lead, right? I thought, a wicked idea forming in my head. Besides, I can't let an opportunity like this slip by.
I reached out and grabbed a firm handful of her ample rear, stopping her rant in its tracks.
Woooooow, that's soft, I thought as I entered a new plane of sensational existence. It was like grabbing a handful of the world's highest-quality pillows.I might have to do everything in my power to marry this woman.
"Yo old man, your technique needs work," I critiqued him, giving her an audacious squeeze to prove my point. "You gotta put more wrist into it."
I looked back at Shura, with the biggest grin I could muster. "This is my future wife you've touched. Show some respect."
"Oh ho, I didn't realize. My apologies, young Rin," Tatsuma replied without missing a beat. "Ah, to be young again."
Shura blinked. For a micro-second, the anger stalled, replaced by genuine, bewildered processing of what I just said.
Then, the fuse blew. "I'LL KILL BOTH OF YOU!"
She spun around, a high-speed elbow aimed directly at Tatsuma's head. Tatsuma, moving with the deceptive fluidity of a master monk, ducked and rolled away smoothly.
I, on the other hand, didn't dodge.
WHAM.
Her elbow connected square with my jaw. It sounded like a gunshot.
My head snapped to the side... but I didn't move an inch from my spot. I didn't stumble or fall. I just slowly turned my head back to face her, working my jaw.
"Solid hit," I commented, tasting blood. "But we have a job to do."
Shura stared at me, her anger momentarily replaced by shock. That hit probably should have knocked out a bear. But, I just took it like a light breeze.
"You..." she stammered.
"Sorry, babe," I stepped in, lightly cupped her chin with one hand, and winked. "Duty calls."
I turned and sprinted down the hall after Tatsuma, leaving her confused and flustered in the dust.
We burst into the keep area just in time to see Mamushi disappearing with the eye, along with Todo right behind her.
"Mamushi!" Uwabami screamed, dropping to his knees. "It can't be... It just can't be."
Tatsuma was ready to pursue, but he was cut off.
"Father."
It wasn't a scream. It was a cold, hard statement.
Ryuji Suguro walked out from the group of gathering monks. He looked terrifyingly calm. He walked right up to Tatsuma and placed a heavy, firm hand on the High Priest's shoulder.
Tatsuma tried to pull away gently.
"Ryuji," Tatsuma said, his voice calm but hurried. "I'd love to talk, but I really need to go after Mamushi. So, let me go, okay?"
"No," Bon said, his grip tightening like a vice. "Mamushi is a traitor," Bon stated, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "The temple is in chaos, we are under attack, and you knew. You knew something was happening and you said nothing."
"Ryuji, please—"
"Is Mamushi right?" Bon caught him off. "Have you betrayed us?!"
"Of… of course not!"
"If that's true, then tell me the truth. Right here, in front of everyone!!" Bon said, gesturing to the students and monks filling the hall.
"The truth…." Tatsuma began, glancing at the open door where the thief was getting further away every second. "It's a secret. I can't even tell my own son."
He started laughing, a nervous, deflecting sound. "It'd be better if I never have to tell you."
Bon was stunned. "Despite all this, you still won't tell me?
"Sorry, but I have to go after Mamushi," Tatsuma said, turning to leave. "Ryuji, listen to your mother and teachers, and be a good boy. Okay?"
"Enough with the caring father act!" Bon screamed. "If you leave without telling me, I will no longer recognize you as my father!"
Tatsuma froze. The air in the room grew heavy.
Damn! I thought, eyes wide as I watched the drama unfold. What's gonna happen now?! How's the old man gonna get out of this situa—
I closed my eyes and face palmed.
What am I doing?! I need to step in and get him outta here!
I stepped forward, moving between the father and son.
"He's not talking to you because we have some things to take care of," I said nonchalantly.
Bon snapped his head toward me, eyes blazing. "Get out of the way, Okumura! This is a family matter! It has nothing to do with an outsider like you!"
"It stopped being a family matter when the alarm rang," I shot back, meeting his glare. "Now it's a tactical failure. While you're here crying, the enemy is getting away."
"You don't know anything!" Bon roared, stepping into my personal space. "You don't know the weight of this temple! You don't know—"
"I know you're wasting time," I cut him off, my voice turning cold. "And I don't have the patience for it."
I quickly raised my foot and stomped down hard on the stone floor.
BOOM.
A massive wall of blue flame erupted, creating a searing barrier between us and the other monks. The absolute heat was instantaneous and overwhelming in the enclosed space, forcing Bon and the others to scramble back, coughing and shielding their faces as the area began to heat up.
"What the hell?!" Bon screamed from the other side of the inferno.
"Stay there," I said, my voice distorted by the heat. "We'll be back."
I grabbed Tatsuma's arm. "Old man, we gotta go now!"
I looked up at the high, vaulted ceiling of the Keep. Heavy stone beams supported the roof.
"We're taking the express exit."
I focused my power into my right leg.
Conceptual Cleave.
I kicked the air. A blade of heat shot upwards, slicing through the support beams and the roof like butter.
CRASH.
A massive section of the ceiling collapsed. Debris, tiles, and heavy stones rained down in front of the wall of fire, creating a physical barricade of rubble that completely blocked the path for Bon and anyone else trying to chase us.
"I'll fix that later," I told Tatsuma. "Hold on."
I engaged my Sky Step. Blue flames surged around my legs as I defied gravity entirely, launching us straight up and shooting through the hole I'd just blasted in the roof.
We burst out into the cool night air, leaving the chaos, the fire, and the shouting occupants trapped inside the building below.