The chilly chant of the sacred slayer, part 1

After that, nothing and no one stopped Shin and Tetsu from escaping the building the same way they came—through the back entrance.

After the hot and smoky interior of the Shinkushio Art Gallery, the fresh air outside tasted sweeter than sugar. People were gathering near the building, watching with a mix of bland curiosity, disinterest and fear—those were passersby and escaped visitors of the gallery.

Police and fire trucks were on their way, but they weren't going to arrive soon.

Shin was about to turn and go on his way, when he spotted a familiar man walking away from the burning building.

As if sensing Shin's attention, Mihara turned around, and their eyes met.

Shin smiled genuinely and set his box of books aside.

'That cockroach is still alive, after all. OF COURSE he wouldn't burn in the flame that he made,' he thought. 'That man brought me so much more trouble than he was worth. Maybe, if he wasn't so trigger-happy, I wouldn't have to run from Red Paintings, too.'

When Mihara turned around again and began running away, Shin didn't hesitate to run after him.

With three Verses of demonic power fueling him, Shin caught up with the running away man in ten meters.

Before Shin could tackle him, Mihara turned on his heel and pointed a gun at him.

"Don't come any closer, Kugutsu Shin!" Mihara shouted. "You are after me too, I know it! You led me into this entire trap! Just go away, or I will shoot you dead!"

Shin stopped smiling. He wasn't even annoyed anymore. Mihara was right, after all. The plans had to be adjusted, but overall, they went as they were supposed to.

Shin never considered himself a person who likes conflict until he experienced it alongside Tetsu.

The demoness was seething under his skin, ready to appear, but waiting for Shin's command. He could've sent her after Mihara immediately, but gave her another command instead.

'I got it, boss,' she replied with an anticipatory smile. 'Don't worry about it!'

Shin himself just stared Mihara in the eye and said, "You are out of bullets, Mihara-san."

It was the same handgun that Mihara earlier emptied into Hamlet, after all.

The man paled and jerked away. "Th-that's… I still have my demon! Iashkawa!"

The serpent-like feathered demon appeared immediately, hissing with anger and annoyance. "Why did you ssstop, idiot? Keep running! Can't you sssense it? Tetsu got an entire Verse stronger since we lassst saw her!"

Without waiting for Mihara's answer, Iashkawa grabbed its Contractor by his wrist and slithered away—only to be stopped by several jagged shards of metal flying in the air.

Tetsu appeared from Shin, grinning. She was missing most of her armor.

The pieces of steel it was made from rose from the ground and now floated around Mihara and Iashkawa like a wall of daggers.

This was a big enough commotion to attract the attention of civilians. Some people paused to stare at the demons, only to turn and run away. Everybody subconsciously knew better than to stay and watch.

Iashkawa gave Tetsu's wall of daggers a glance, then kept running away. It and its Contractor phased painlessly through the first layer of steel—but then a second one rose from the ground.

This time, Iashkawa was too slow to stop, and several shards cut through its feathers and skin, drawing blood.

"Your ability doesn't work for long periods of time, Iashkawa-san," Shin pointed out. "Only a second or two at once. You won't be able to run away from us. But you aren't my target. I only need Mihara. Leave him and go away. It will be painful and scarring, but you will survive his death. You won't survive if you stick with him."

Iashkawa's eyes widened. For a moment, it was thinking the offer over.

One moment was enough.

"No!" Mihara shouted, jerking his hand free from his demon. "I knew it! You are going to sell me out! But I won't let you!"

With eyes wide and crazy, Mihara dashed away from Iashkawa, walking exactly for two steps before several metal shards pierced his legs.

He cried in pain and fell to the ground. Iashkawa hissed and fell, too, only to crawl away on its belly.

'Tetsu, extract Mihara's soul. I will deal with Iashkawa,' Shin commanded, pulling out his dagger.

'With pleasure, partner!' Tetsu grinned wider and pounced on Mihara with claws ready to pull apart tendons and consciousness.

Shin dashed after Iashkawa. In its current state, the serpent demon was no match for him.

"Let me go! You said you didn't care about me!" Iashkawa pleaded. It didn't stop to push itself away, even when echoes of Mihara's pain made its body convulse.

Shin didn't bother to reply. After all, there was no point in explaining to dead demons that they were just fuel for Tetsu.

Iashkawa kept pushing itself. Now Shin saw that this wasn't just aimless and hopeless running—the demon clearly was trying to reach the sewer hatch that was a couple meters away.

But only a single step was separating Shin from Iashkawa now. He took it and swung downward with his knife—

"Talisman: Sealing Barrier!"

Shin's dagger struck a bright blue wall that appeared out of thin air and encircled him in a glowing cage.

Iashkawa made one last push and phased itself through the sewer hatch.

Shin turned on his heels and glared at the person who just helped the demon escape. A single glance—but it was enough that Shin forced his anger away.

He couldn't afford it now. He had to be serious and logical.

Because Shin knew that person, and that she had no business being here—unless she was sent by one of the two forces that visited people in their dreams.

"Why did you do this, priestess?"