Jas raised his hand, and corrupted mana oozed from it, coalescing into a long, black spike that writhed with dark mana and emitted an ominous black smoke. He raised the weapon at them with a smile hidden beneath his mask.
"Try to entertain at least a bit, Exorcists."
"Willias, snap out of it!" Isabel shouted breaking through the haze clouding Willias's mind. The priest stood frozen, stunned to silence as he faced a Devil that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Yes… yes!" Willias stuttered, shaking himself free from his stupor. Beads of sweat slid down his brow as he gripped his staff tightly, his knuckles white with tension. His gaze locked onto Jas, glaring at him. "The Savior must have a purpose for this encounter. To face a Devil today—this must be my calling."
Jas laughed. "Your faith blinds you, old man. You're overestimating yourself."
"...!"
In the blink of an eye, Jas vanished, his body dissolving into a trail of black, pulsating mana. The air hissed as he closed the gap between them in an instant.
"Rank Eight Light Spell: Holy Wall!" Willias roared, slamming his staff into the ground. A radiant wall of shimring light erupted before him, glowing with Holy Mana.
This wasn't a defensive spell ant for re protection—it was an Exorcist's weapon, forged to annihilate demons, to purify them with light. But Jas wasn't a re Devil. He was sothing far more stronger.
The Devil's lance surged with dark, corrupted mana as he thrust it forward.
-CRACK!
The holy barrier fractured upon contact, fissures spreading like lightning bolts across its surface before shattering entirely in a blinding burst of mana.
"What?!" Willias gasped, disbelief etched into his face. One of his strongest spells, destroyed as if it were nothing.
A sudden gust of wind marked Jas's reappearance. He was re inches away now, his eyes gleaming with greedy intent, but it wasn't Willias's life that caught his attention. His gaze fell on the staff clutched in the priest's trembling hands.
"That's a beautiful staff you've got there," Jas said with wide eyes. "I think I'll take it. Off your dead body, of course."
Without waiting for a response, Jas's eyes turned murderous, and his lance moved—swift and lethal—a blur aid to sever Willias's head from his shoulders.
But before the strike landed, two brilliant light flared to life on either side of Jas.
Sealing Circles.
They radiated the craftsmanship of master Exorcists, designed to target and subdue demonic entities. Though their power was calibrated to bypass human allies like Willias, their true purpose was to strike Demoninc Entities with crushing force.
Isabel and Reynold had tid their attack perfectly, their coordination impeccable. The circles ignited with a burst of mana, closing in on Jas from both sides like a vice.
Unfortunately for them, they were far too slow for him.
Jas leapt back, but to the others, it appeared as though he had simply vanished into thin air.
Reappearing a mont later, he twirled his lance with a swift movent he pointed it at Willias. A smug smirk appeared on his lips as dark mana began to gather.
A black, inverted pentagram materialized in the air before him.
The symbol was srizing yet terrifying, its ancient patterns etched with unnatural precision. It shimred in shades of obsidian and ash, emanating a malevolent aura as tendrils of black smoke coiled and twisted from its edges.
Willias froze, his face ashen. The oppressive corrupted mana radiating from the pentagram was suffocating, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. The others fared no better. Even Isabel, the only one among them who had encountered such power in her past battles with Devils, stood paralyzed.
If before she had doubted about facing a Devil, right now she was convinced. And he might be indeed Astoroth as he claid to be.
Jas on the other hand, surveyed the pale, horrified faces before him, and his gaze shifted to Cattleya, who stood trembling. A dark, amused glint flashed in his eyes as his lips curled upward in a mocking sigh.
"I was just joking. Relax," Jas said nonchalantly, lowering his lance. The pentagram dissolved instantly.
Using a Reverse Pentagram might as well destroy this place after all and he didn't wish for that.
The weight in the air lightened, and the group began to exhale in tentative relief.
But their mont of reprieve shattered in an instant.
Before anyone could react, Jas disappeared again, reappearing directly in front of Willias even faster than before.
"Wha—!" Willias barely managed to gasp before a flash of movent severed his right arm.
His golden staff flew from his grasp, spinning through the air before Jas snatched it.
"Wow, This has to fetch quite the price," Jas whistled, twirling the staff.
"ARRRGHHHH!" Willias's scream tore through the field as the searing pain finally registered. Blood gushed from the stump where his arm had been, staining the grass beneath him a deep crimson.
Jas glanced at him with mild interest, then smirked. "I'll be keeping this, if you don't mind, Willias." Without waiting for permission, he stowed the staff into his spatial storage with a flick of his wrist.
"F-Filthy Devil—" Willias choked, his voice trembling with rage and pain, but he never finished the sentence.
With ruthless speed, Jas drove his lance through Willias's open mouth, the dark weapon piercing through his throat and lifting his body into the air like a grotesque banner.
Willias twitched for a fleeting mont, his body convulsing weakly as the life drained from him. Then, he went limp, his head slumping unnaturally to the side.
The world around them seed to pause.
Isabel, Reynold, and Sina stood frozen, their faces pale with horror and disbelief.
Even Patrick Cromwell and his nephew, Leon, appeared shocked. Yet Leon's reaction wasn't entirely fear—there was a clear glimr of fascination in his eyes as he observed Jas taking down a mber of the Holy Church.
Jas smiled delighted as he watched the last flicker of life fade from Willias's horrified eyes. Releasing his grip, he let the body slump lifelessly to the ground.
The black lance dissolved into particles, vanishing as if it had never existed. Jas straightened, brushing his hands off casually.
"And now, we're even." He turned to face the remaining trio, his gaze sweeping over their wary, frozen expressions.
None of them answered.
"No need to be so frightened," he said, his tone almost mocking. In an instant, he disappeared and reappeared directly behind Cattleya.
Cattleya stiffened, her breath catching at his sudden proximity. For all her usual composure, she now seed strangely subdued, almost ek.
"I'll keep my word," Jas murmured, his voice low as he reached for her. Gently, he removed the tape sealing her lips.
"Cattleya!"
Sina imdiately called.
Before Cattleya could respond, Jas tilted her chin upward, forcing her to et his gaze. The only thing visible behind his mask were his piercing crimson eyes.
"I kept my word, Cattleya Starlight," he murmured. "I trust you'll keep yours as well."
Cattleya bit her lip, overwheld by his presence. She had never felt this small or powerless in front of anyone—not her parents, not even the sternest of her elders. Yet, she nodded, her movents stiff and reluctant.
"Good." Jas released her, his fingers leaving a lingering chill on her skin.
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Without another word, Cattleya turned and hurried toward her parents, her steps quick and unsteady.
"Cattleya!" Sina cried, rushing forward to envelop her daughter in a tight embrace. Tears stread down her face as she clung to her.
Sina pulled back just enough to inspect her daughter frantically, her hands moving to check for any injuries. "Are you hurt? He didn't harm you, did he?"
"No, Mother," Cattleya replied, her voice strained. "He didn't harm … He only wanted the Holy Coins."
Reynold stepped closer, his stern gaze searching his daughter for any signs of distress. "Even so, we must ensure you're unhard, Cattleya."
"Yes, Father," she replied, though her voice carried a faint grimace.
"Stay alert," Isabel interrupted the reunion, her eyes still fixed on Jas. "Don't lower your guard for even a second."
anwhile, Jas's attention was fixed on the Holy Coins nestled inside the open box before him. His gloved fingers hovered over them as if he were savoring their presence.
"I love them," he whispered, his crimson eyes narrowing beneath his mask. "I want more Holy Coins…"
After a mont of ogling the coins, he spoke up.
"Put them away, Gin."
"Yes, Lord Astaroth," Gin replied. Kneeling reverently, he gathered the boxes into his arms and vanished.
Jas gave a last glance at 'Leon Cromwell' before he disappeared.
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