Prologue

Tap tap tap!

The sound of feet splashing through puddles rang out through the narrow streets in the dark evening. Ren's breath was tight and controlled as he chased after the fleeing shadow in the distance.

Crash!

The sound of something toppling over came as the shadow tripped over a bump in the rough road and fell into a pile of trash. It only took a few seconds for it to get up, but Ren had already arrived behind it.

Clang!

Ren waved his hand and a thin metal chain that was wrapped around his wrist shot out, binding the shadow firmly. With a thought, Ren's spirituality surged, and sparks of flames ignited on the chain before blazing and racing to engulf the shadow.

"K-kiek!!!!!" A pained screech rang out as the shadow burst into flames, writhing on the wet ground, but the puddles on the ground did nothing to quench the hungry flames. In just a few short seconds, nothing but ashes remained; ashes that mixed with the dirty puddles of water and dispersed.

"Phew." Ren let out a relieved sigh, seeing the evil spirit dissipate under his purifying flames. It had taken him much less than he expected to handle it. When his mentor had placed him on this mission, he thought it would be a much more troublesome matter.

"I guess I should be going back now." Ren turned around to leave, but as soon as he turned, he dropped to the floor.

Whoosh!

A strong gust of wind passed over his head. In the darkness, a large, distorted figure materialized. Two pairs of arms on each side and a large head with several eyes scattered all over it. A grotesque mouth stretched over the width of its face with no visible teeth or tongue. The shadow creature was over two meters tall, a towering figure that clearly dwarfed Ren.

"Tch, I knew it wasn't that easy." Ren scoffed and rolled back, not minding the puddles of water. After putting some space between himself and the creature, he jumped to his feet and waved his arms, sending out the thin chains.

Clang!

This time, the shadow creature reacted on time, waving its own arms to send a strong gust of wind that destabilized the chains and made them miss their mark. The chains shot past the shadow creature, stabbing into the stone wall behind it.

"Dammit!" Ren scowled before shaking his wrists. The chains went loose and fell from his wrists before his right hand went to his side, pushing aside his windbreaker and revealing a sword that was as long as his arm, but was only two fingers wide.

"RAHHH!" The shadow creature's mouth bulged open and it let out a guttural roar. The calm breeze around it suddenly picked up while the temperature plummeted. But none of these actions made Ren slow down. Upon pulling out his sword, he dashed forward, the tip of his blade glowing with a small, concentrated flame. The creature also did the same, rushing forward with its claws unfurled.

The two passed each other and stopped. Ren held his sword in his hand, slowly lowering it until it hung by his side. Meanwhile, the creature bent over, as if trying to contain something, but an orange glow lit up within its shadowy body, growing brighter and brighter while spreading, until the creature was lit up by the golden light.

"..." Its mouth cracked open to let out a soundless cry before its entire body turned into golden ash that disappeared in the darkness.

"Well, that was interesting." Ren sighed, sheathing his sword again and turning around. His face was pale and his smile had vanished as he struggled with the aftermath of the draining fight. He had used too much of his energy in the fight and was dealing with the drawbacks now.

"Well done." A voice suddenly spoke out from the shadows, startling Ren. He jumped around to see a middle aged man walking out of the shadows. He wore a similar windbreaker to Ren, black, but with more embellishments and frills to it. It was clear that he was of a higher status than Ren. The man had a head of blond hair and a pair of icy blue eyes to go with them. His sharp jawline gave him a serious and cold look that he did not fail to maximize.

"Mentor Dan!" Ren straightened as soon as he saw his Mentor. He knew that his fight would be monitored, but he had not expected it to have been monitored by his mentor in person!

"You did well to express the teachings that I have imparted onto you, Ren. You are ready to graduate from your apprenticeship and become a true Exorcist." The man, Mentor Dan, said in a cool tone as he walked closer and put a hand on Ren's shoulder. "But first, you must meet with the Council of Elders."

"The Council?!" Ren's eyes widened. There was no Exorcist or Apprentice that was not familiar with the Council of Elders. It was this ancient body of powerful Exorcists who handled the matters concerning the supernatural in the world. They dictated who could be an Exorcist and what they needed to overcome in order to gain the vaunted status.

"Yes. As a high ranking Exorcist, they have taken note of you, my student. They want to see you before they pass on the title of Exorcist to you. You should be grateful." Mentor Don said, giving Ren a side glance that made Ren gulp nervously.

"Y-yes, Mentor Dan!" Ren nodded and bowed his head slightly.

"Come, let us go. There is much to be done. You will be sent to the capital of the country immediately. We should get there by morning, and you will see the Council as soon as we arrive." Mentor Dan said, turning around and walking through an exit of the alley. Ren nodded and hastily followed after his mentor, disappearing into the dark shadows.