"You accomplished something extraordinary," Tatsuma breathed, his eyes shimmering with tears of gratitude. "You saved us all. You are..."
GRRRRRRRRROOOOOOWL.
The sound wasn't subtle. It sounded like an angry bear trapped inside my torso, demanding immediate sacrifice.
Tatsuma froze, the profound spiritual moment shattered instantly.
I clutched my stomach. It felt like I hadn't eaten in a century. "My bad. Is there anything to eat?"
Tatsuma blinked, then let out a genuine, hearty laugh. "Of course, come. The kitchen staff is already preparing a feast."
A feast? Goddamn. They're really going all out, huh?
Ten minutes later, I was sitting in the mess hall, downing my fifth beef bowl. Tatsuma sat across from me, sipping tea, watching me eat with a look of absolute fascination.
"So," I said, talking through a mouthful of rice. "Fill me in. I remember the chanting circle, syncing with my inner domain, and hitting the Impure King with a wave of heat. But after that, it's a blur."
Tatsuma set his cup down. His expression grew mythic, like a priest recounting scripture.
"You didn't just hit the Impure King, Rin. You erased it. But the phenomenon didn't stop there," Tatsuma said quietly. "After the shockwave, your appearance shifted. Your hair turned into literal, roaring white-blue fire. The heat radiating off your body became so intense that the air and space around you began to warp and bend. Reality itself was struggling to contain your presence."
Oh, shit! I thought, my eyes widening.
"The Exwires were terrified," Tatsuma chuckled softly, though his eyes remained wide with awe. "Ms. Kirigakure had to physically hold Ryuji and the others to the ground because the ambient pressure of your gravity was crushing them. Even I couldn't stand. We could only watch."
"Watch what?" I muttered, grabbing a chicken leg.
"For the first sixty seconds, you were a god of salvation," Tatsuma explained. "You hovered there, and the Miasma didn't just burn away. You changed its composition entirely. The Impure King was born from the Eyes of Misfortune, but your flames rewrote that truth. They became Eyes of Fortune. The ash that rained down from your fire began to heal everything it touched."
Oooo, I'm that guy for real, I thought, giving myself a pat on the back.
He tapped his own chest. "My lungs were ruined. The poison was killing me. But when the ash touched me, the sickness was wiped away instantly. The destroyed courtyard, the crushed trees, the withering mountain... it was all restored in the span of a minute. You purged the rot and left behind a blessing."
Sanctified it, huh? I chewed slowly as I nodded my head in approval. Well, I did command the Banshōman to make me the ultimate doctor.
"But then," Tatsuma's voice dropped, the awe turning into lingering horror. "The second minute began."
I stopped chewing.
"The heat kept climbing," Tatsuma said, leaning forward. "It became unbearable. We realized quickly that you weren't stopping. Your physical body couldn't handle the energy you were generating. Your skin began to blister and blacken. Ryuji was screaming for you to stop. And then... right before our eyes, you turned to literal ash."
WHAT?! I thought, looking at him wide eyed. Then I looked at my hand.
"Your body started to rapidly disintegrate into ash, until there was no solid figure to see," he whispered. "You fell from the sky as a cloud of cinders. Shiemi collapsed, crying. We all thought you had sacrificed yourself, that you were dead."
I swallowed the chicken hard. Hmm, that might be a slight problem if it happens every time. But It's a good thing I command for adaptability, so I guess I just need to train in that state more.
"But before you completely hit the ground," Tatsuma smiled, "the godly blue-white flames erupted from nothingness. They caught the cinders mid-air and wrapped around them like a cocoon. We watched in absolute silence as the fire wove your bones, muscle, and skin back together. You've been regenerating in the isolation ward for three days."
"I see," I said, scraping the last grain of rice from the bowl, trying to play off the fact that I had literally died and resurrected. "Well, glad the cocoon worked. Having no body would've been awkward."
Tatsuma laughed again. "Indeed. Oh, and one more thing. The exact spot in the courtyard where you hovered? The ground absorbed so much of your heat that it refuses to cool down. We can't extinguish it or seal it. It's permanently superheated."
"Really now?" surprise covered my tone. "Does that mean it's broken?"
"No," Tatsuma grinned. "You gave us a permanent geothermal anomaly. The elders have already drawn up plans to turn it into a sacred hot spring."
God of Flames and luxury spas, I smirked, shaking my head.
I stood up, stretching my arms. My newly-forged joints popped satisfyingly. "I should probably go see the others. Shura looked like she was about to have an aneurysm before I blacked out."
We left the mess hall and walked through the wooden corridors of the Kyoto Field Office.
It was... weird.
Usually, when I walked through a Vatican-sanctioned facility, I got glares, whispers, and people reaching for their weapons.
But now?
Monks stopped what they were doing and bowed deep, practically touching their noses to the floor. Exorcists pressed themselves against the walls to give me space, their eyes wide with reverence.
"They saw death and rebirth," Tatsuma explained quietly, walking beside me with his head held high. "To them, you aren't the Son of Satan anymore. You are a manifestation of Ucchusma, the Fire God."
We turned a corner and ran into a familiar group.
Mamushi Hojo was standing there, talking to her father, Uwabami. When she saw me, she froze. Then she stepped forward. Her bandages were gone.
She looked up at me. Her right eye—the one that was corroded and consumed when storing the Right Eye of the Impure King for Todo—was there. It was perfectly formed, healthy, and functional.
"You..." Mamushi's voice trembled. She raised a shaking hand to touch her cheek. "When the ash fell... the light... it fixed me. It didn't even hurt."
Uwabami, the stubborn old mule who had wanted me executed just hours ago, slowly lowered his head. It looked painful for his pride, but he did it.
"We are in your debt, Okumura," Uwabami grunted, his voice thick with emotion. "The Hojo Clan... stands with you."
"Uhh, don't worry about it," I said, feeling slightly awkward under the worshipful gazes. "Just... try not to follow any more bad people, I guess."
Mamushi bowed so low I thought she was going to headbutt the floor. "Yes, sir."
Sir?! The motion I've gained in three days is insane.
We reached the main lobby. And that's where the noise started.
"RIN!"
Shiemi was the first to spot me. She tackled me in a hug. "You're okay! You're really okay!"
"Aye, easy," I said, gently patting her back. "I'm still recovering."
Come to think of it, I haven't really communicated with her much, or any of the others when I didn't have to. I should probably try to be a bit nicer.
She pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes. "When you turned to ash... my heart stopped. It was so beautiful, but it was so terrifying. I thought you had burned away to save us."
Sacrificing myself to save others?! For free?! Nah, I don't think I'll ever be that nice.
Then the rest of the Exwires swarmed.
"You bastard!" Bon shouted, getting right in my face, though his eyes were suspiciously glossy. "What the hell was that?! Do you have any idea what it felt like out there?!"
"Uh-huh," I said casually. "Just a high-level flame state. Burns a lot of calories."
"Don't play dumb!" he snapped, his voice shaking slightly. "I couldn't even lift my head, Okumura! The moment your sword floated, the air turned to lead. It felt like the entire sky was crushing us into the dirt. And then you turned into literal fire and warped the space around you!"
"The sheer density of your energy..." Konekomaru adjusted his glasses, looking at me with a mix of deep fear and scientific awe. "My knees gave out completely. It wasn't just heat. It felt like standing next to something otherworldly. Gravity and physics just stopped applying to you."
"Like he broke the scale of reality," Renzo finished, grinning but looking uncharacteristically pale. "Yeah, my life flashed before my eyes. Like, three times. Remind me never to steal your lunch, or owe you money, or look at you funny."
"Hmph. Don't let it go to your head," Izumo muttered, crossing her arms and looking away, though I noticed her shoulders finally relaxed. She shot me a sideways glare. "Next time you decide to play God, give us a warning so we don't think we're watching you commit suicide. But... at least you managed to clean up the mess without burning the rest of us. Good job, I guess."
I smirked at her. That's basically a love letter coming from her.
I looked over their heads.
Yukio was standing near the door. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't asking questions. He was staring at me, his glasses reflecting the light so I couldn't see his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles white.
Aye, I haven't seen this bastard in a minute, either.
"Aye, Yuki-boy," I called out. "You good?"
Yukio jolted, forcing a tight, painful smile. "I'm fine, Rin. Just... relieved the mission is over. How are you feeling?"
"Same, more or less," I replied.
"Bravo! Bravissimo!"
A cloud of pink smoke exploded in the center of the room. Time seemed to slow for a second as a figure materialized in a ridiculous white suit and top hat.
Mephisto landed lightly, twirling his umbrella. When he looked at me, the usual playful glint in his eyes was gone. And in its place was a sharp, analyzing, and perhaps a little unsettled look.
I gave him a mocking grin.
"What a show!" Mephisto clapped, leaning in close. "I must say, Mr. Okumura, you continue to surprise me. Erasing the Impure King? Restoring lost organs? Rewriting the physical properties of a demon lord and cheating death in sixty seconds?"
He lowered his voice, so only I could hear.
"That wasn't just a power-up, was it? That tasted like... Authority."
I met his gaze. I didn't blink. I let my eyes flare ruby just enough for him to catch the warning.
"Just doing my job, Director," I whispered back.
Mephisto leaned back, his grin widening, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Indeed. The Vatican is in an absolute uproar. They don't know whether to canonize you as a saint or execute you immediately. It's delightful chaos."
Those insects can try. They'll be in for a rude awakening soon.
Shura stepped between us, crossing her arms and glaring at the demon king.
"Back off, clown," Shura sighed, waving a hand dismissively at Mephisto. "The kid literally turned to ash three days ago. Look at him, he's running on fumes as it is."
She was right. My adrenaline was fading, and the bone-deep exhaustion of rebuilding a body from scratch was crashing back in.
"I answered your questions," I said, addressing the group, my voice heavy with fatigue. "But I'm done. I need more sleep."
I looked at Shura, a tired, arrogant smirk creeping onto my face despite the exhaustion. "By the way... seeing as I just rewrote the physical properties of a demon god..." I paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "Breaking a little contract is going to be light work. Better start figuring out how you're going to pay up on that bet, babe."
Shura scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She looked at my raw, regenerating skin and a genuine, relieved, and maybe even slightly hopeful smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, fatwood," she responded, shaking her head. "Focus on not looking like a piece of overcooked bacon first before you try taking on my baggage. We roll out tomorrow morning. Go get some rest, you've earned it."
"Looking forward to it," I winked, though my eyelid felt like sandpaper.
I turned and walked toward the hallway.
Instinctively, the Exwires and the surrounding monks stepped aside, parting like the Red Sea to let me through. Nobody said a word. The reverence and underlying fear were palpable in the quiet shuffle of their boots.
I walked down the hall, feeling their eyes boring into my back.
Looks like they bought it. Mostly.
The Exwires thought it was a super-move. A raw, self-destructive adrenaline boost. That was good. Let them think I'm just a really strong hammer with a nasty recoil.
Mephisto, on the other hand, knew better. He smelled the reality-warping. He recognized the Authority of a Sovereign. But he was too entertained—and maybe too wary of the fact that I couldn't be killed permanently—to out me yet.
Your move, clown.
Yukio... Yukio's glaring issues were a problem for another day.
I reached my room and collapsed onto the futon.
The power is finally here, I thought, lifting my raw hand. I focused, and for a split second, I felt the connection to the void: the Banshōman; absolute adaptation, healing, and immunity.
But the heat...
I remembered the sensation in the inner domain, and Tatsuma's recounting of my body turning to ash. My divine core was absolute and I claimed an all powerful physiology, but If I used that Sovereign form for more than sixty seconds, I wouldn't just pass out. I would incinerate my own physical existence all over again.
Ten steps forward, but five steps back, I mused. I've reached a higher form of evolution, and now I have to retrain that all over again.
The excitement just never ends.