Chapter 9: Exorcist Zero
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-Hollow-

 

“Hey Hollow, what do you know about the Exorcist Order?”

Eve crouched down, holding onto my leg. I wanted to kick her off but I wasn’t ready to attract that kind of unwanted attention.

“I only know that they call themselves the Exorcist Zero and that they are blessed by Ave. They are given the power to battle against Ruiners.”

“Hm, so they really are your mortal enemies?”

“They’re ranks range from 1 to 10. I’m not sure if the ranks correlate to the level of their powers. It seems the loudmouth is Exo-4 and she’s pretty weak.”

I grit my teeth. The Exorcist with the staff poured out mana at unnatural levels. She might pose a problem if anything.

Holding two bright blue staves that looked to be of an ancient time, the small white-haired child swung her arms back and forth. An ominous white mist began trickling from beneath her and around the town.

“Ahhhh!”

A woman standing nearby screeched as she gripped her head. Her eyes turned bloodshot red. Blood trickles down her cheeks. The victim's body then began pulsating as her bones cracked inhumanly. Unexpectedly, she stopped and leaned her body downward.

The short skirt giggled at the horror inflicting this woman.

“Puppets search out the Ruiner! Bring her to me!”

I leaned down, watching the eerie performance.

“Puppets?”

Something was off about that…But then it came to me and I instantly rose up.

“We need to go, Eve!”

“What is that?”

Eve questioned, but I grabbed her risk and made my way to the back of the pastry shop.

“What’s the deal, Hollow?”

“That white-haired Exorcist…that mist she brought out is some kind of possession tool…”

I kicked down the back door and let go of Eve’s hand. Now we both began running through the rural settlement.

“Heh, she’s making the great Forbidden Bird run? That’s rich.”

“No, you fool. I’m not running because I fear her…”

I sighed.

“That mist is scattering about the town. That means her power can possess more than one person at a time…That’s why she said…Puppets.”

“Are you telling me she’s making all the farmers and settlers here into her puppets?”

A door lunged open from the side as a large muscular man wielding an ax slice down at me. My blade clashed with his weapon’s head. A white aura seeped out from his body.

“Wait, Hollow!”

I lunged forward pushing him back, giving myself an opening as I sliced his head off. His body lied wasted on the ground, blood trickled out from is severed wound.

There I stood looking at his wasted body.

“Shit…this is what she wanted. Now she’ll know where I am because I cut a string from her puppet.”

I hit my head at my foolishness. Eve however didn’t seem to catch on yet as she scratched her head in frustration.

“Jeez Hollow, he was possessed! Is there anyone you won’t kill?”

“My blade…caught friction going through his neck too.”

Eve stomped on the ground, kicking up dirt.

“You weren’t lying, you’d kill anyone, huh?”

“The power behind him was equal to that child’s mana level.”

I put my finger to my lip now. That would mean anyone she possesses shares her power. So, at any given time I could be fighting an army of…her.

“Hey, what’s going through that head of yours, Hollow?”

“Come on, Eve.”

I raced off, not attempting to look back. If I’m not careful and I allow her to possess this entire settlement, I’ll be easily outnumbered. I still don’t know the level that Exorcist has nor what else abilities she has stored away either. So, I’ll have to make sure if I confront her it’ll be on my terms, not hers.

“Hey, my feet ain’t fit for running this much. Are you gonna tell me what’s going on in your head?”

I could feel the cool chill of her silver mist pulse behind me. Her mana was closing in and it would only be a matter of time before she’d reach us. So, I turned around and lifted Eve, over my shoulders.

“What the hell?”

My wings appeared as I kicked off the dirt and into the sky.

“Eve, I might have to eradicate this village if we decide to take this fight head-on. Are you okay with seeing countless of your own slaughtered?”

Eve surprisingly shrugged.

“Hm, do what you have to do. I’m just here for the ride. Not like I have a say in this…”

From the distance, I felt a pulse of mana surge behind me. I swooped down, nearly missing the powerful shock wave aimed at us.

“Hey, Ruiner!”

The short-skirt now named Exo-4 cried from the distance. They’ve discovered us, it was inevitable. My best bet in this fight would be to lead them outside of town and into the nearby woods.

After traveling a few minutes in the sky, we flew into a collection of trees. Once we landed, I released Eve and took out my blade.

“How long do you think until they get here?”

Even crossed her arms as she asked.

“I’m sure they’re on their way…a few minutes at least.”

Eve puts her nose in the air and sighs.

“The Exorcist Zero are blessed by Ave to kill Ruiners. But from what I saw so far they don’t have any intentions of protecting humans…”

“No, they’ll destroy an entire collection of humans to kill one Ruiner. I can only guess that Ave has given up on humanity.”

Eve laughed while holding her stomach. I couldn’t imagine how she found anything about that funny. She, being a human herself, should be outraged.

“Ave…you fool.”

A shock wave rippled from the earth causing Eve to fall on the ground. Earth bellied it’s stomach up, spewing mud out of the ground. I jumped over and shielded Eve from the mountain of rocks plumbing around. Emerging from the dirt, the white-haired small girl. A white aura circled her as she stood elegantly, facing the two of us. Standing atop a rock lodged from the earth, she gazed down at me.

“What a sloppy entrance.”

I spat, still covered in filth.

“Ruiner, I’ve found you! Now I will do my duty as an EXO of the holy army and rid of you for all the pain and suffering you’ve caused on this land!”

I pushed Eve out of the way. Now that I looked at her…she is a demon. Not a Ruiner…but a demon. Why on Eon would she be a member of the Exorcist Zero?

“Are you sure you want this fight, kid? You can walk away now and we’ll forget you ever saw me.”

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t! My love for Exo-1 burns too bright to be shrouded by the pleas of some hapless Ruiner.”

Stars sparkled in her demonic red eyes as she searched the heavens. Now returning to reality, she glanced at Eve who sat hopelessly on a rock.

“Strange, she doesn’t seem to be a monster but human…Is she your captive?”

“Tsk, it might be the other way around by this point. Eve, stay away I’ll handle her!”

Eve nodded then took cover behind a nearby tree.

“Protecting the very souls you’re destined to kill? How strange, how very, very strange…”

The ghostly child nodded as her aura grew stronger. She aimed her dual staves my way.

“However, it’s no matter. I, Exo-3, will rid of you now Ruiner of Wails!”

 

 

From the distance, I could hear them…the souls of the puppets drawing near to the forest. Her mana reached them even this far away. As they closed in my determination peeked.

There will be lots of blood if they stand in my way...

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