Chapter 22

“Wait, wait! Cyrus, you didn’t tell me about this!”

“Huh? I didn’t?”

“…No, you didn’t!”

“Well, it’ll be fine. Just give a few remarks, greet the people. It’s easy. And then, you’ll become one of mankind’s greatest hopes. It’s alright to get up on stage and boast about it. It’s a big deal, you know?”

“…Fine.”

I’d been suddenly forced to come on stage and address an audience of nobles. I was still a little upset about that, but I took the mic and began to speak to the audience.

“Um, well, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is Yuria Curtis. Um, I’m very honoured to have been chosen as the 13th Special Rank Exorcist. I will work hard from now on for the sake of all of humanity…”

Did I come off a little stiff? I thought. I tried to continue speaking, but… Hey, wait a minute. For some reason, there’s a whole bunch of people clumped up near the stage, and one of them has a mic… Wait a minute… This is…

“Congratulations! I’m certain all of humanity will be happy to hear of your appointment.”

“T-thank you!”

Is this a press conference?! The media’s here too! No wonder there’s so many people here… Oh no, am I gonna have to answer all their questions?

“Now, I have a question for you…”

”

”

Oh, yep, they’re asking questions…

“So, the 13th S-Rank Exorcist has been chosen. Many of us already knew this was going to happen. However, we’re all a little concerned about your background. There are a lot of rumours swirling around about you. Is it true that you were in the Twilight for two years?”

Wait, what?! That leaked?! That’s my personal information! I mean, I wasn’t planning to hide it forever, but is this really okay? Besides, he said they knew a 13th S-Rank Exorcist would be selected! I have no idea what’s going on, I thought. I looked at Cyrus, and he simply smiled back at me. That man… He’s an absolute sadist. Definitely.

I had to decide how to answer the reporter’s question. I could have lied, but… I decided it would be best to answer honestly. No one had told me I had to keep it secret, after all. I’d just come up with this belief that I shouldn’t be the one to say it.

“…It’s true. I lived in the Twilight for two years. I only returned to the Barriered Cities recently.”

“It’s true…?”

“Yes.”

As those words left my mouth, I saw several reporters leaving the venue. They seemed to be saying, “Breaking news!” on their way out. Seriously… Have I really made the news already? Isn’t this… bad?

I didn’t want to stand out, after all. That was just part of my personality. I was an introvert – that would never change. I was a little scared by the fast pace of this press conference and the immediate consequences of my words… but I resolved not to let it show. All of a sudden, I’d become an official S-Rank Exorcist. I decided I had to act strong to live up to the title.

“What was it like to live in the Twilight?”

“Oh, well, you see…”

Like that, the press conference went on for two hours.

***

“I’m so tired…”

“Well, it went pretty well, no?”

Once I got off the stage, Eira had come over to talk to me. She really was quite kind, to go out of her way to come and talk to me.

“Is Cyrus really always like that?”

“Well, he’s a bit of an airhead. He makes some dumb mistakes as a result, but I wonder… He really seems to enjoy the results of his little ‘mistakes.’”

“He’s the worst…”

“Anyway, come on.”

“Huh? Where?”

“We’ve got a meeting to get to. One with all the S-Rank Exorcists. This time we’re all going to be there. It’s pretty unusual. Since it compromises the defences of the other Barriered Cities, it’s not a good idea to assemble all of us in one place. It’ll probably be over in under an hour.”

“First a press conference, and now a meeting…”

“You’ll probably have to introduce yourself to the others. I did when I first joined, at least.”

“Oh yeah, when did you become an S-Rank Exorcist?”

“About a year and a half ago.”

“Oh, no wonder I didn’t recognise you… Wait, but the number of S-Ranks is the same as when I left. How is that?”

“I’m the 12th-ranked of the group. My predecessor died, so they brought me on as a replacement.”

“…Do they usually add people to the ranks like that, just to replace a lost member?”

“No. My becoming an S-Rank Exorcist… Well, it was probably just me being in the right place at the right time.”

“I see…”

“Well, we should go.”

“Okay.”

I followed after her. As we were leaving the venue, I noticed Dan, Rebecca, and Aria standing near the exit. They looked angry… even more angry and hostile towards me than I could’ve imagined.

Why him? Why this useless piece of shit? they seemed to be thinking. At the conference, the reporters had asked me why I spent two years in the Twilight. I managed to dodge the question by giving a vague answer. I could have called out the three of them there and had them answer for their sins, but I thought it would be better to say it to their faces.

I’ve changed since back then. I’ve become Yuria, the S-Rank Exorcist. I’ll take care of my past myself, I decided.

Ignoring their baleful glares, I left.

***

Later, we arrived at a conference room. There was a large, round table in the center of the room, and we sat around the table in rank order, starting from the right side. I was 13th – the last in the ranking – so I was at the very end. I was sitting next to Eira, which made me feel a little relieved.

“I’m… really glad I got to know you, Eira. I’ve always felt like I can count on you.”

“Huh? What happened all of a sudden…”

“Ah! Eira, you’re blushing! Mm, do you and Yuria know each other? Adorable, adorable!”

“Ugh, it’s Claudia… You got here awfully fast…”

“Well I was excited to see Yuria again! Of course I came early!”

Claudia, the same Exorcist I’d met in the Seventh Barriered City, had arrived.

“I suppose I should formally introduce myself. I’m Claudia. I’m 7th in the ranking. I look forward to working with you!”

“Yes, I’m very glad to be working with you.”

She came closer and offered me a handshake. The scent of her perfume gently tickled my nose as we shook hands. A mature, older woman… That was my impression of her. She was a little taller than me – probably because of her heels – and her long, blonde hair was done up in curls. She came off as a very friendly person. But first Derrick, and now Claudia… There seems to be a lot of people Eira doesn’t like, I thought.

A moment later, another familiar face approached.

“Hey, Yuria.”

“Oh, Gil. It’s been a while.”

“I’m 3rd in the ranking, by the way. Looking forward to working with you.”

“Yes!” I bowed. Gil gave off strong “older brother” vibes, and he seemed like a very dependable person. Overall, I felt I’d been pretty warmly welcomed.

“Alright, alright. Take your seats, everyone. We’re going to start the meeting,” Cyrus said as he and the rest of the members entered. I didn’t get a chance to greet the other S-Rank Exorcists, though.

I was going to go around and greet everyone, but Eira said, “Stop it. That’s a waste of time. All the S-Rank Exorcists are very strong, of course, but a lot of them are pretty weird.”

And so, the 13 of us sat at the table. I didn’t recognise most of them, but I could tell just from their aura that they were no ordinary people. I could almost feel the scent of blood hanging thick in the air. The air was heavy. I could feel all of their power instinctively.

“Now then, let me introduce Yuria, our new S-Rank Exorcist. Knowing you lot, most of you probably skipped the party earlier. Yuria, if you would please.”

“Yes!”

I stood up and immediately felt everyone’s eyes on me. They seemed to be appraising me as I introduced myself.

“I’m Yuria Curtis. I’m honoured to have been selected as an S-Rank Exorcist. I, too, would like to fight for all of humanity with you all. I’m looking forward to working with you,” I said. Not even a moment after the words left my mouth, I noticed a knife flying towards me. It was fast… Or rather, it felt like it was intended to weave its way outside my awareness, but…

I immediately activated [Invisible], using it as a wall. I wrapped the wall around the knife, completely killing its momentum. There was no murderous intent behind the throw; it was merely intended to test me. However, I could tell the person who threw it was incredibly skilled.

“I see. No wonder Cyrus, Gil, Claudia, and Eira recommended you. Looks like you’re pretty much capable. I’m Roy, by the way. Nice to meet you,” the man who threw the knife said. He was sitting in the fourth chair. His hair was spiked upwards and was a rather eccentric mix of blue, green, and yellow. He was wearing sunglasses, too. He’d drawn my attention when he entered for his weird appearance, and it seemed the 4th-ranked Exorcist was pretty hot-blooded and flashy.

“So, did you really spend two years out there?”

“Y-yes, I did…”

“What’s your level?”

“Are you asking about Twilight Syndrome?”

“The fuck else would I be asking about?”

“I’m level 5, but… Well, just look at my arm.”

I exposed my right arm. Everyone started at it intently for a second.

“Ha ha, this kid’s a monster. You’re the only one who’s gone that far, kid. I’ll accept you, Yuria. You’re gonna have a whole lotta hellish fights from here on out… Good luck, kid.”

Cyrus was the next to speak. “Now that we’re done with that, allow me to welcome you once more to our ranks, Yuria.”

As everyone in the room turned their eyes from Cyrus back to me, I realised: they had all accepted me as the next S-Rank Exorcist. I had finally become a full-fledged S-Rank Exorcist, one of the last hopes of mankind.