An Exorcist's Guide to Power

"Here are my conditions," Hiraku said, standing on the freshly mowed grass. He knew there was no better place to train than the abandoned farm mill he and his brother used to visit.

"First, when you learn how to track demons, you won't go solo to face them. Deal?" He looked at her as she sat on a mat, gazing at him.

"Deal!" she responded with a quick nod.

"Second, you stay by my side always. We won't be apart, no matter what."

Lisa looked at him with a smile.

"Stay by your side always," she repeated his words.

"No, it's not what you think! I mean, when we're on a mission, you should stay by my side and not wander off or get lost," Hiraku quickly added, his tone anxious.

"Okay, deal!" she replied with another nod.

"Third, as soon as my third eye gets fixed and you find the truth you're seeking, you'll have to give up being an exorcist."

Lisa was taken aback by the last condition. She knew Hiraku genuinely cared about her and wanted her to be safe. The final condition was one she knew she shouldn't refuse.

"Deal," Lisa agreed, but deep down, she knew she wouldn't keep that part of the deal. A secret buried deep in her heart had haunted her all her life, and it wouldn't let her walk away so easily.

*

"Trailing demons requires the use of the third eye. Every human being has a third eye, but not everyone can unlock its power. A person would need to be born with supernatural gifts to access it. The second way to access its power is through the practice of the dark arts. Those who follow this path are called sorcerers mages or witches.Everything pure is born out of light,but evil is only an abscene of light. Those who practice dark magic have lost the way and are condemned for destruction, they are never satisfied with whatever evil they can think of, so they feast off the suffering and pain of innocent victims. For both of us, we were born with this gift, so we don't involve ourselves with the dark arts," Hiraku explained.

"What's the difference between the spells you use in battle and the spells of the dark arts?" Lisa asked with curiosity.

"A good question," Hiraku replied. "The spells I use are mostly in Latin. In the beginning of time, Latin was one of the languages passed down by a celestial being whose name I do not know. This celestial being was an angel. The Latin language was a secret of the heavens because it had the ability to draw mystical powers from the heavens to the natural plane. Though it has undergone much evolution, its power remains intact.

"When I chant a spell, my spiritual power becomes linked with the powers of the heavens, and I use that power to bind demons. As for the spells of the dark arts, which also involve the Latin language, they are forbidden to those of us who follow the way of the light because they require sacrifices—both human and animal."

"That means I can quickly learn the spells in a short period of time since I was born with supernatural abilities," Lisa said confidently.

Hiraku hated to admit it, but with Lisa's supernatural abilities, it would only take her a few weeks to learn the spell of exorcism.

"Don't get overconfident, Lisa. It takes time and patience to learn the spells," he cautioned.

"Um, I have another question. How many kinds of demons and angels exist?" Lisa asked.

"Let me see... Explaining the types of angels might be a bit complex for you to understand right now, but I'll try to categorize them.

"The lowest rank of angels are the silver angels. They are mostly messengers and guardians. I'm not an angel, but Zack repeatedly told me that I was born with some powers similar to those of a guardian. When I transform, my spiritual form is covered in armored silver.

"The second type of angel is called the golden angel. These angels are responsible for prophecies and for accompanying the souls of the righteous to the afterlife. They are more powerful in combat than the silver angels because, if the souls of the righteous fail to cross over, they can be captured and held in bondage by demons.

"The third kind are the immortal angels. They are assigned to fight celestial demons in the physical realm.

"Lastly, there are the celestial angels, who remain permanently in the heavenly realms. They guard the heavens from intruders and serve the Holy One."

Hiraku explained while Lisa listened attentively:

"As for the demons, the lowest rank is called the beta demon. It is the weakest among demons, but they often become deities, and through blood sacrifices, they can evolve into an omega demon or even more. The omega demons command the beta demons, who obey by offering them half of the sacrifices they collect.

"The third rank is the alpha demon. We've faced one of these together before. Alpha demons can reside in a human host. In fact, all demons can possess a human host, but the difference with alpha demons is that they are worshiped by lesser demons. They can remain in their host for years, feeding off their energy, and they don't require constant blood sacrifices.

"The last kind of demons are the celestial demons. These are the most powerful. I can't face this kind of demon alone. Usually, Zack and I have to fight them together. In all battles, strength in numbers matters for victory. The more people on our side, the higher the chances of winning."

Hiraku concluded his explanation, looking at Lisa.

"Alright, I understand," Lisa said with a serious expression. "I'm ready. Teach me."

Hiraku didn't know whether to be impressed by her willingness to learn or worried about her overconfidence. He opened the spellbook, its title written in bold on the front cover: Clavis Salomonis. And so, he began teaching her.