A sharp, blade-like gust of wind swept past, forcing Souichirou to duck. Behind him, the sound of trees falling echoed through the forest.
Arame Koushi had stopped engaging in a direct clash and was now focusing on chasing after Aya and Nina. Souichirou, meanwhile, was relentlessly pursuing her, disrupting her advance and buying time to prevent her from catching the children.
"Ahaha! It's a game of tag! I wonder if you can catch me," Arame Koushi laughed.
With an agility reminiscent of a wild animal, she dashed down the mountain slopes. Her movements were so swift and nimble that no ordinary human could hope to catch up.
And so, Souichirou's movements became superhuman as well. He shot a thread of
Silveit
toward a nearby tree, letting gravity pull him forward as he swung. Using the tree as a foothold, he repeatedly propelled himself forward at incredible speed.
But relying on gravity also made his movements linear. This limitation prompted Arame Koushi to counter by unleashing her magic at him.
Her magic was a genuine threat.
True to her name, her spells—be it wind, water, or a combination of both—were nearly invisible. The sheer lack of visibility made them especially dangerous.
The only reason Souichirou could avoid them was his extensive experience. By watching her movements—her hands, her eyes—and predicting what he would do in her place, he managed to evade her spells and close the gap.
Whenever he started to lose ground, he fired a projectile spell to disrupt her.
While Souichirou specialized in close combat, he wasn't incapable of using ranged magic. As an exorcist who often worked alone, he had learned to handle every aspect of his craft without relying on a partner like Renji, who excelled in long-range combat.
However, Arame Koushi avoided his projectiles just as deftly as he dodged her magic. Occasionally, she used the wind swirling around her to deflect his attacks entirely.
"If you're going to run, why not flee far enough that I can't catch you?" Souichirou taunted.
"Such a shallow provocation. Do you think I would fall for that? Do I look like some vulgar woman to you?" she replied, sneering.
"I've never met a monster that exercised restraint," he shot back.
"Then perhaps I'll be the first to teach you," she said with a grin, snapping her black umbrella open.
"I'll crush you flat."
At her words, the heavy clouds draped over the mountain released a torrent of rain. It started as a few scattered droplets but quickly escalated into an overwhelming downpour. The raindrops pounded the trees with such force that they splintered and cracked under the pressure.
The water struck with the impact of bullets. A single droplet struck a tree trunk, leaving a gaping hole.
"...This is like gunfire," Souichirou muttered. To protect himself, he conjured a barrier of magical energy overhead using
Shaping
, shielding himself from the rain.
The relentless chase momentarily came to a halt.
"Love and rain—both are better when heavy. They bring comfort, stability. What could be more important for a peaceful life?" Arame Koushi mused.
"For someone so obsessed with peace, you seem drawn to places with exorcists," Souichirou remarked.
sixth-ranked
being. Her experience against exorcists meant she was well-versed in countering most magic.
"When in doubt, healing everything around the injury is best," she said.
"That might have worked against older spells," Souichirou replied.
"...What?"
Her smugness turned to confusion as her attempt to heal herself failed again.
Despite replacing her damaged flesh, the wound remained—a fresh scar across her cheek.
Her restored face bore a single, unhealed mark.
The truth became evident:
it could not heal.
"Do you know what happens to a monster that runs out of magical energy, Arame Koushi?" Souichirou asked.
"...Of course."
The principle at play was simple.
The exorcists' Explore more stories with empire
Shaping
magic adhered to a strict rule: once a
change
was imposed, it could not be altered again without a new
Silveit
thread.
A wound imposed as a
Shape
was permanent. It could not be undone through healing magic.
And as long as the wound persisted, it would continue to drain the monster's magical energy—its lifeblood—until nothing remained.
"Magic is life. Just as humans die when they lose too much blood, monsters perish when they lose too much magic."
"This is getting... rather irritating," she replied coldly, her playful demeanor replaced by steely resolve.
"It seems I'll have to get serious."