Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga - Chapter 56

Chapter 56 - Master's Peak

As we walked up the stairs, Dalia and I stood in front of Paris.

Dalia put a hand on my shoulder and said. “Be careful, don’t let him touch you, and don’t keep eye contact for too long. Don’t do anything that might complete a condition for an ability to activate. Also, keep a look at what he’s doing; only then you can discover what he might be trying to do, which might give a hint at his ability’s activation.”

Her gaze sharpened, and she glanced at me with an unsure look.

Was she worried about me?

“Also remember, this guy is a trained guard,” Paris warned me. She had a stricter approach to everything and didn’t look so worried. “The reason the Royal Family wanted him dead was that he has information on the other royal guard’s abilities. Something an assassin would love to have.”

The tenth floor was luxurious and with shiny things all around. There was a nice view from the windows. After walking a bit, we ended up in front of a huge door with golden ornaments.

Was this the entrance to a royal chamber, or what? These kinds of hotels only cater to the super-rich.

“Our target is behind these doors,” Delia opened the doors.

It was a ballroom, without chairs or any other things. Except for one man, who was a head taller than me and he had a stout build. He was wearing a suit and had a cold look in his eyes and hands in his pockets. “So my hunters finally showed up.”

He glanced at Paris. “It’s an honor for a Special Rank Exorcist to be sent after me. Though I never thought I would see a justice-obsessed freak like you working with the Dark Sword Clan.”

Paris didn’t answer and instead opened her book. “Reiss Wanderlag, you have the right to remain silent. You’re accused of…”

She continued her speech, she was speaking fast, but everyone understood what she said. She probably practiced this a lot. She would finish reading his rights in a minute.

The man charged at us, Delia and I stood in front of Paris. We met him head-on, as we couldn’t take a step back. As the man got closer, Delia kicked at him.

Her attack was so fast that it blew the man away once it connected. Then she crouched down and twirled two knives in her hands and then imbued her weapons with Ord.

“Oh? A Hybrid Affinity? Let me guess, Creator and Warrior,” the man smirked.

Delia shoots toward him like a bullet, and I follow along. She was extremely aggressive in her attacks, but the man kept dodging.

She doesn't fight cautiously at all, that’s what her fighting style declared.

She kept trying to rip the man apart with her knives. He barely dodged, and only ended up getting a scratch on his cheek.

Jumping back, the man took out a knife of his own. Judging by the Ord in it, that was likely a Magic Item.

The man was physically stronger than Delia, but she was a Warrior and could multiply her physical powers. So she was stronger after Ord was involved. Yet he was still somewhat capable of keeping with her. Since he hadn't boosted himself until now, it was safe to assume he wasn’t a Warrior. He hadn’t created an item, so not a Creator either. Blaster? No, he would have shot at Paris by now.

Noticing that he was moving back, Delia recklessly followed him. I called out. "Delia! Don't chase like a mad dog! Remember our mission."

***

Reiss felt like his arms were going to pop off. The young girl had only kicked him once, and he had blocked. But there was a reason why Warriors were the best at close-quarters combat. The girl seemed to be a Hybrid Affinity.

Warrior and Creator, they made the best affinities for close-quarters combat.

'Even clashing our weapons is out of the picture. Since she has imbued her weapons with Ord. Then my weapon will probably break after a dozen bouts.'

But Reiss still had hope as he drew the young girl with him. She followed him recklessly, at least until the brat called out to her again. "Don't follow him. He's trying to create distance between Paris and us."

Reiss glanced toward the youngster. He couldn't have been older than a teen. Why was he even here?

'What a troublesome opponent. It seems like Plan A is a bust.' Reiss knew when to cut his losses.

So instead, he signaled his beasts to attack.

In less than a second, a worm with a wolf's head burst from the ground and bit down the younger woman's leg. She wasn't injured, but the attack made her look away.

Which was enough for Reiss to charge toward her. While secretly having his other bat demon on the roof, which would shoot sound waves that would destabilize the Warrior girl.

Still, he used his body as a distraction and charged at her. But suddenly, he felt a stinging pain on his thigh. Looking down, Reiss saw a hole about the size of a finger on his thigh. It was leaking water. "What?"

The kid!

The only person who Reiss thought was the least dangerous. Had a backpack in his hands, with the lid open, a fish head peeking out of the backpack.

It was a carp, with the fish’s cheeks bulged up.

Tchu!... It sounded like someone spitting. But the projectile was fast. Reiss had no choice but to put his left arm up to block the attack, which caused another bleeding hole to be created.

The carp was shooting some kind of small water globs.

'It's just a low-class demon with no mobility. But despite that, its piercing power is quite high for its level.'

"Seems like you're forgetting about something," the young woman whispered. She was Delia of the Dark Sword Clan.

She was a girl who, during her time studying in the academy, was investigated for a string of murders. When she took her Exert Exorcist Exam, her teammates died and were brutally mutilated. Yet she always came out unharmed.

Of course, having one of their members be a serial killer wasn't something the Dark Sword Clan would let get out, even as a suspicion.

They were using their connections with the higher-ups, who they did favors quite often—getting rid of trouble for them. The higher-ups also turned their heads, and the investigation was cut off.

Still, before the investigation was shut down, Reiss had gotten a look at the files. All the victims were dismembered, their limbs ripped apart, and their heads and torso were buried alive. It was as if the killer was playing with a bug and trying to keep it alive.

To say it was cruel and brutal would be an understatement.

For some time, Delia of the Dark Sword Clan was known as the Doll Chopper. She was a serial killer.

Delia swung her daggers at his neck. Reiss was about to use his one healthy arm to block. He knew the knife he was using would stop some of the blow. So he wouldn't lose his arm, probably. But for some reason, he pulled up his already injured arm by instinct alone.

His arm plopped to the ground. Dozens of slashes happened in a split second as Delia's Ord increased to three times the size.

Reiss didn't mind losing an arm. He still had his other one. Also, he was prepared to lose a limb or two in a battle like this.

With the arm falling off, Delia blushed and had an elated look on her face. Reiss used this split second of accomplishment the little serial killer felt and plunged his knife into her belly.

"Leaving yourself exposed like that ain't a good idea. At least wear some normal clothes. Don't young girls have decency nowadays?" Reiss tried to sink the knife deeper, but the blade was only half in.

These damn Warriors were always annoying!

But he didn’t have another chance to think too deeply as he felt unimaginable pain as if his testicles were about to explode. Delia had kneed him in the balls!

Reiss immediately let go of the knife; his hands went to his family jewels. He fell to his knees and barely jumped back in time as Delia tried to decapitate him.

While jumping back, he used his last resort and used the bat demon on the roof. It ripped off the covering she was hiding behind, and a young woman with a sleeping mask, grey skin, and bat wings for arms started falling.

"SCREEECH!!!" The demon bat's voice made Delia's eardrums burst, blood pouring out.

Reiss took this moment and activated a one-time-use demon from under his sleeve and shot a poisoned dart at Paris, who was almost finished reading his rights.

But instead of hitting Paris, the brat appeared in front of the projectile. He tried to use his sword to block it.

But the dart was a demon that flew past his sword and dug itself into the youngster’s shoulder. The bug exploded in greenish gue as soon as it drilled into his flesh.

The poisoning process had already started. The kid would die in ten seconds. Also, until then, death came in twenty seconds, and the kid was paralyzed. But Reiss didn't have the luxury to wait, as Paris would finish reading him out his rights before the kid died.

But Reiss didn't know if charging ahead was the best idea. After all, Paris wasn't strong; she wasn't weak, either.

He needed more time to think things through! So he charged at the youngster.

"Ugh! Stop!" Delia yelled as she shredded the bat demon with ease. Her knives were barely visible to the naked eye. The bat demon stood no chance. Reiss felt a bit sad since that demon was the one he had raised since he started his Exorcist journey. She was the second demon he had tamed. But he knew he didn’t have the leisure to dwell on it.

Somehow, Delia was fast enough to appear between the youngster and Reiss faster than him. The Ord being exuded by her was something he rarely saw. She was only nineteen too, so she wasn't done growing.

'Seems like her ability is quite suitable for her. I have never seen someone so compatible with their Special Ability. It’s like a pyromaniac with a fire ability.'

Reiss summoned the ant demon below his sleeve. It was a low-class demon. That was the first demon he had ever tamed, and they shared quite a bond. While the demon was weak, it was quite special.

{Metamorphosis!}

With their bond as strong as it could be, the ant demon melted into his skin, and Reiss developed ant-like antennae. Also, his normally slightly tan skin became brown and metallic as an exoskeleton grew.

This was the fusion between master and demon, the peak of a master’s ability. A technique that needed both talent and the bond between master and familiar!