Hearing of my death prophecy, my hands trembled and my throat felt dry as a feeling of dread washed over . But despite my bodys reaction, a split second of clarity struck .
What was this fear? Why was I feeling like this? My mind felt sluggish, but I imdiately woke up as I made a realization. Tamae No Mae was known for her mind gas and her wit, and despite her raw power, she was still a master of manipulation.
I must be under so kind of minor hypnosis. For a split second, when I felt her power, I panicked; when the mind was distorted was when the hypnosis was most efficient. She had hoped to throw into a downward spiral of despair, hampering my thinking and overlooking the outside influence.
A prophecy of certain death? Who the hell woke up and made the protagonist? I didnt have the lightning scar on my forehead either.
I had no doubt that Tamae No Mae could outsmart . She was a cunning and ruthless demon who had been scheming for unknowably long. However, there was sothing peculiar about her behavior.
She seed overly prepared for our encounter, and her claims about divination being straightforward didn't sit right with . If divination was truly so reliable, those who could glimpse the future would surely be ruling the world.
The way she had effortlessly unsealed Orochi and swiftly subdued him had given the impression that she was wielding her power without any apparent limitations. It was almost as if she possessed unrestricted power and was operating at full strength.
I knew that both Tamae No Mae and Orochi were on a whole different level from the rest of us, but they weren't at their peak state during this confrontation. Tamae's power, in particular, seed unnaturally heightened.
One of Tamae's abilities was to induce ntal weakness in others, making them susceptible to her influence. I couldn't help but wonder if I was already affected by her power. Perhaps activating Perfect , my defensive ability, could provide so safeguard against her fear-inducing tactics.
Even my current line of thinking could have been influenced by so form of manipulation, heightening my paranoia. Nevertheless, it was clear that Tamae was wielding her powers freely in a place specifically designed to restrict her. The Magician, the creator of this setting, wouldn't have overlooked such a crucial aspect.
Despite my uncertainty, and feelings of fear that were not quite my own, I looked her dead in the eye. "You don't really need my blood, do you?"
Tamae gazed at with an emotionless face, slowly breaking into a smile. "Hm. Smarter than you look."
I knew it. "Then what are you playing at? You attempted to lure us here, so why go through all this bullshit?"
"I don't appreciate your tone," she replied with a fading smile. "While you may have stood against weaklings like Shuten Doji, I believe you've misunderstood your place in the pecking order." As she spoke, her power erupted, causing the entire pyramid to quake.
It was hard to believe that she still retained so of her stolen power from the Demonic Exorcist. As the structure rumbled, Sei rose to his feet, a dark mirror materializing beside him. Blood stread down his face, and his usually calm deanor was replaced by an intense glare.
Shit, this wasnt good. Tamae No Mae might not be his mother, but she still possessed Noxys appearance, and whether that was enough for that creature inside Seis mirrors to co out was debatable.
The pyramid continued to shudder, cracks spreading across its surface until it finally burst outward. Thankfully, it didn't collapse on us, sparing us from being crushed to death.
Sei, though weakened, maintained his hateful gaze towards Tamae, struggling to stay conscious. "You slaughtered everyone, even the children... the babies in their cradles-"
Before Sei could finish speaking, blood erupted from his eyes and nose like a fountain. It appeared as if his eyes were on the verge of popping out, but he collapsed to the ground before he could say more.
She imdiately launched a ntal attack instead of her usual manipulations, overwhelming us with an imnse pressure that rendered our abilities useless.
What was with this raw power? She wasn't Yamata No Orochi, for goodness sake!
Suddenly, an idea struck like lightning, and I glanced at the ground. Closing my eyes, I activated Perfect and slamd my hand down. The floor shimred, revealing hidden scribblings and seals beneath the now broken illusion.
Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but look at her disappointedly. "Is this a hypnosis strengthening seal? Power increasing seal? Barrier for protection against foreign attacks?" Only a few of the inscriptions made sense as I deactivated Perfect . "You're an ultimate class demon, on par with Yamata No Orochi, while we're just kids. Why are you so excessively prepared? Don't you feel any sha considering the position you hold?"
"I was unprepared once, and it led to my sealing. When I awoke, a portion of my power was stolen," she replied, her gaze shining. "I would be a fool to make the sa mistakes again. I will underestimate nobody!"
Tamae No Mae was a scher, that much I knew. But she was also an ultimate class demon who possessed overwhelming power that countered us effortlessly. With that kind of advantage, she was supposed to be arrogant and order us to kneel or die, sothing along those lines.
I sighed and looked up at the clear sky. The sun's warmth was pleasant, not too scorching, and perfect for getting a tan.
Co to think of it, the reason the rubble didn't collapse was to preserve the seals. Was this change in her personality because of ? My indirect actions had caused the Demonic Exorcist to steal a part of her powers, sothing that never occurred in the original story.
"You weren't really sealed, were you?" I asked, and she nodded.
"I have been free for a while," she admitted. "Preparing a few things here and there."
If she wasn't sealed to begin with, then why did she bring us here? How did she manage to get unsealed? And how long had she been out exactly?
Trying to understand the machinations of thousand-year-old creatures was giving a headache. I could only decipher Shuten Doji's plans in the past because I knew him from the manga. However, Tamae No Mae was always enigmatic and never acted as one would expect.
Even if I possessed extensive knowledge about her, it would be practically useless by now. She was an overpowering demon, consud by paranoia. But it wasn't just her imnse power that frightened ; it was the unknown depths of her plans.
While Orochi embodied unbridled berserk power and untapped talent, she possessed an unmatched intellect, coupled with mysterious techniques, which created a dangerous combination.
Based on my understanding, her abilities primarily encompassed healing, divination, barriers, and ntal manipulation, although she exhibited expertise in other domains as well. Her special ability, Reader's Omnipotence, granted her the power to read anything that had been written, provided the texts were still intact sowhere and she consciously directed her thoughts towards them.
At the caliber of her and Orochi's power, their special abilities beca astoundingly formidable that defied common logic. Hers was not like the Dragon King's special ability, but with thousands of years to study, she was the best mystic around here.
Her special ability was the primary reason I refrained from docunting the tiline of the main story or any plans. "So, are you planning to kill us now?"
"No," she replied with an easy smile that I knew was only partially genuine.
"Can we leave then?"
"That's a no as well. I will have to detain you for a little while," she said, shaking her head as though regretful.
Detain ? My initial thought was that she intended to harm Princess Wis. Otherwise, why would she continue to hold here? "Why would soone like you be interested in the princess?"
"Princess?" She laughed. "I think you've misunderstood sothing. I'm ant to detain those who are after you. You're insignificant in the grand sche of things."
"Then can I go?"
"Obviously not. The last thing I want is to encounter even more annoying exorcists that you'll undoubtedly attract. Your kind are like cockroaches, you know that? Kill one, and eight more will scuttle out," she said, taking a seat. "Instead of dealing with all those troubleso scenarios, why don't you make yourself comfortable and let things unfold more conveniently for everyone?"
With the pyramid destroyed, I could communicate with Carpy more effectively. For a mont, I considered rging with Carpy, but swiftly dismissed the idea. I would undoubtedly lose, and I didn't require Perfect to confirm that.
Although my initial plan was to throw Agon at the problem, it seed even the protagonist wasn't invincible. Tamae No Mae had taken precautions to seal Orochi in the event it attempted to possess Agon.
There was no gentle way to put itwe had been checkmated and suffered a devastating defeat. "So, what now? Are we just going to remain here until you break your promise and kill ?"
"Excuse ?" The nine-tailed fox gasped in blatant mock shock, her face taking on a hurt expression. "Wheres the trust?!"
"Not even for a second would I trust you," I replied unhesitantly, though I couldn't discern her intentions. It was only a matter of ti before her true motives were revealed. It wasn't difficult to speculate why she wanted Sei and Agon present. However, there was also the possibility that she had been deceiving us all along, using as a ans to assassinate the princess. Yet, it didn't make sense for her to involve herself in trivial conflicts.
If I were a betting man, I would say this was likely a Contractual Rule she needed to fulfill in order to gain full control over Noxy's body. While I couldn't predict the thoughts of the nine-tailed fox, I had a rough idea of what Sei's mother desired.
Sei's mother was a demon born from the aura of the nine-tailed fox, disillusioned with the world after Sei's father betrayed her, and she was subsequently sealed and used by the Seii Clan.
"So, how much truth is there to the prophecy you ntioned about ?" I inquired, a sudden uneasiness gripping .
{Perfect }
The mont Perfect activated, the sensations of fear and anxiety dissipated. Tamae No Mae was known for her manipulative abilities, so I had to be cautious around her. What I felt could differ from my real feelings.
"You know, you're surprisingly reasonable for a little young exorcist. I had expected you to try and attack , and I would have had to incapacitate you, just like those friends of yours," the nine-tailed fox's indirect threats did little to bolster her position.
She was clearly evading the question. Perhaps refraining from deception was also a part of the contract with Noxy, a safety asure to prevent the nine-tailed fox from manipulating the terms.
Tamae No Mae had played her cards well. She possessed a body she could almost fully control and utilize effectively. Before long, she would likely regain her full power, although the Demonic Exorcist still retained a portion of it.
Nevertheless, she wasn't the only one playing the waiting ga.
Sothing moved behind , and I turned around, only to discover it was the dark mirror. Sei remained unconscious, while the mirror had inexplicably manifested on its own.
There was an unsettling presence within that I wasn't ready to awaken so prematurely. However, there was no way for to stop it.
Sei's mirror was truly remarkable, possessing an undiscovered function that would only beco known much later. It served as an artifact connecting to the outside world, a creation only soone with Sei's extraordinary talent could achieve.
"Inside that mirror lies the culmination of humanity's hatred towards demonsan impeccable anti-demon weapon," I said, leaning against the ground as I gazed at the sky. Finally, a sense of relief washed over as the foreign sensations ceased. "Sei's unique abilities and hatred towards demons had given rise to sothing deadly... especially for your kind. It was an unwise decision to possess his mother's body, the source of his resentnt. He tailored his special ability to kill her."
The mont sothing erged from the mirror, I inadvertently caught a glimpse, causing my nose to start bleeding. Hastily, I shut my eyes. It wasnt good to look at certain horrors.
The reason why the demon world inside the mirror weakened demons to such an extent was due to this entity.
"Do not fear," a voice whispered in my ear. "Fear not!"
A searing pain consud my head, but I kept my eyes tightly shut and offered no response.
How does one tackle a significant problem? By bringing in an even bigger problem!
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