Hardcore Exorcist: Reborn to Grind Chapter 56 : You’re Worried About Me... Right?

Those wings must be vital. Shattering just one sends the Demon into a howling fit.

He’s wide open now. I shoot forward.

Six ters. My sweet spot for top speed.

Eightfold Soulfist Secret Technique: Supre Step.

A Surge punch fires mid-dash, my fist driving straight into the Demon’s chest.

Crack! The impact roars like splitting stone.

The blow punches clean through its heart, exits its back, and keeps going.

“Bwahh! Wh-what is this power?!”

“Lucky for you. First ti I’ve managed Dragon’s Roar in real combat.”

Maybe it took staring death in the face to unlock that divine mont.

“Impossible! This can’t be happening! How—how could a human with no mana do this?!”

“You really shouldn’t underestimate the ordinary.”

I yank my arm free.

The Demon crumples, spasming on the pavent. It spits foam, blood bubbling from its mouth—then stills.

“ow ow!”

“Milady! You okay?!”

“w~”

Lady Ayano’s owing up a storm.

I glance up. The getaway car, the one that wrecked into the pole earlier, suddenly peels back onto the road.

“They’ve got guts.”

“ow!”

“Ah—Milady, wait! Don’t chase them alone!”

Lady Ayano bolts after the car, fast enough to make a sports car sweat.

I consider giving chase but doubt I can catch them on foot.

Better bet: take out the car.

I sprint across to the NSX on the opposite curb. Pop the trunk. Pull out a Type 20 5.56mm rifle and take aim.

Then—light rips down from above.

Nine streaks, long and silver. Two, maybe three ters each.

Blades, not bullets. They crash down like lightning, pinning the speeding car to the road with pinpoint accuracy.

I lift my scope, scan upward. A shadow sits atop a traffic light—the source of the attack.

A Brit with a an face, eyes shaded, casually waving down at with a grin.

My gut tightens. I jog over to the skewered car.

Ophelia’s already there, hands behind her back, peering inside.

“ow.”

Lady Ayano’s sitting beside her, waiting like a good girl.

Ophelia stoops, reading the mont. Goes to scoop her up.

“Oh, Mikaela. As precious as ever.”

Ayano turns away like clockwork and trots back to instead.

Ophelia’s hands clutch air. Her blue eyes narrow on .

“Should I take that as a deliberate slight, Mister Akamuro?”

“Why ? She’s the one that walked away...”

“A pet’s behavior reflects on its owner.”

“Cats are unpredictable creatures, my lady. Please have rcy.”

“Hmph. I’ll allow it.”

“Speaking of rcy, what about that guy? He’s not skewered through the skull, is he?”

I nod at the driver, slumped behind the wheel.

“Do I look like soone who misses her mark?”

“Not at all. Impeccable as always, Lady Ophelia.”

“Heh. Flatterer.”

She seems pleased. Maybe I’m safe from getting yelled at for sneaking into Neon Circle.

“But why were you at Neon Circle, Mister Akamuro?”

...Spoke too soon. Dammit.

“I got word from an independent contact. Said there was a high probability of Hidden Fla collaborators there.”

“Red Guild, yes? Fuji told . I ca for the sa reason. I suppose my ssage didn’t get through. Sha. I overestimated your comprehension.

Let rephrase: why did Ikaku Akamuro infiltrate enemy territory without first contacting Ophelia Luxor? Is that clear enough?”

Yeah. She’s pissed.

“Well, see... I didn’t want to trouble you. You’ve got inspections lined up. Plus, this is my fight. If I didn’t move fast, they could’ve slipped away—”

“I told you that I lost my brother and sister, my family’s Exorcists. Therefore, this is my fight too. More than that, it’s the fight of everyone killed that night—every human, every noble, and all their families.

Don’t you agree? You’re not the only one seeking revenge.”

“...Fair point.” I go quiet.

Ophelia sighs. “Forget it. This is going nowhere.”

She’s... letting it slide?

“Your revenge burns hot. I get it.”

“Thank you.”

“But you’re ordinary. An ordinary person who can’t even use mana. There are major limitations to what you can accomplish alone.

Have you ever considered that you might not be thinking clearly? If you don’t act more cautiously, those flas of revenge will eventually consu you.”

I chew over her words. “Wait... are you worried about ?”

She looks away, twirling a strand of golden hair. “Ahem. That’s your interpretation.”

“So I’m right?”

“Interpretation is personal freedom.”

“Uh-huh.” She’s dodging hard. “So you are worried about .”

“This conversation has gone on long enough. I think we should use our ti more productively.”

She turns and tears off the car door. Lifts the unconscious driver’s chin with her silver sword.

“This is definitely the right man. I’ll give you credit for cornering him… though he nearly escaped.”

“I’d have stopped him.”

“Anyone can say that.”

“Besides, there are plenty of other associates.”

I nod toward Neon Circle, where the Demon lies dead, chest blown open.

“There’s one. Rest are inside. Dead now.”

Ophelia blinks in surprise. “You killed that Demon?”

“Yeah.”

“...Not bad for soone without mana.”

“Thank you. I am a Coral Terminator.”

“Even so, you have no mana. Your body would suffer fatal injury from a single bullet. Recklessness is forbidden.”

“So... you are worried about ?”

“Ahem. Of course not. That joke isn’t funny. It makes my skin crawl. Also, didn’t I say this conversation was finished?”

She casts a dark look my way. Like a panther sizing up a pest.

“Ahem. Anyway. Neon Circle might be run by the Hidden Fla. Could be worth digging into. Still, with this fellow in custody, getting him to talk would be fastest.”

“Leave interrogation to us.”

“No, I’ll handle it.”

“No, I will.”

An SUV rolls up. Exorcist standard-issue.

Four Westerners step out in black coats. Three n, one woman.

They haul the driver out.

“Uh... who are they?”

“My Exorcists. I told my family I’d go alone. They disagreed. These were non-negotiable. Besides, they know how to extract information.”

They look the type—nail pullers, tooth yankers, finger breakers.

I’ve had the training, sure, but zero field ti. Better to let pros handle it.

They’re already dragging him off anyway.

“Got it. He’s all yours, my lady.”

“Heh. Leave it to us. You’re welco to watch.”

“I’ll stay. Soone needs to talk to the cops. If I vanish, it’ll cause trouble later.”

“There might be stragglers. Could co to retrieve him. Or for payback. We’ll stay until the Contract Exorcists or police arrive.”

“Thank you... So you really are worried about ?”

“Enough. I’m not wasting another breath. Let’s go.”

Ophelia climbs into the SUV’s passenger seat. The others follow.

As they pull away, she casts one last shadowed glare through the window.

I’m so done talking to you—her eyes say it all.

Guess I really ticked her off.