Hardcore Exorcist: Reborn to Grind

Since I moved into the West Wing, Lady Ayano’s been showing up all the time.

I always see her getting chased around by guys in black suits.

Word is, she’s been ditching her magic lessons.

“Look, it’s Lady Ayano!”

“She’s so pretty…”

“So freaking cute!”

“Like a ray of sunshine~”

“A living saint!”

“We’d die for her!”

The Terminator candidates here are all between sixteen and eighteen. So whenever the pretty little Lady Ayano struts into view, they lose their minds like a bunch of idol fanboys.

“Meow~ Ikaku, check it out! Transformation magic!”

Lady Ayano likes turning into a cat. Sometimes she goes full feline to shake off her pursuers. Other times she just pops ears and a tail to act all cutesy.

“Don’t you wanna touch my ears, Ikaku? Looks like you do!”

“Lady Ayano, please—stop pressing all that fluff on me.”

“Don’t you wanna touch? Hehe!”

“Ah—no, Lady Ayano, no. Absolutely not. Please—ah—”

She tests my limits daily. Loves to tease me with her saccharine “meow~s,” flaunting all that fluff like it’s a damn weapon.

Today, she’s back again.

I’m eating with a few senior candidates, trying to keep my head down and play the humble junior, when she flounces in.

“I’m borrowing Ikaku for a bit!”

The seniors freeze like they’ve seen a ghost and just nod like bobbleheads.

Next thing I know, I’m dragged to the basement shooting range.

“This is bad, Lady Ayano. They’ll think I’m your accomplice.”

“Accomplice in what?”

“I heard you’ve been skipping magical training.”

“Oh, that. I just prefer going at my own pace. Right now I’m in a gun mood, and I want you to coach me. That’s the mood. Meow~”

“Ah—no, Lady Ayano, please. This is bad… so bad!”

I can’t flat-out refuse her, so whenever she invites me, I tag along.

Thing is, she’s already pretty good. With her custom sidearm, she can land nine out of ten shots on a stationary target from twenty meters. I’ve honestly got nothing to teach her.

Still, she keeps inviting me.

And what happens?

“Hey, Ikaku. Getting cocky, huh?”

“Sucking up to Lady Ayano to climb the ladder? Eh?”

“She keeps ‘meow~ing’ at you and you just take it. Push back, man!”

“You failed Boot Camp but got in with connections, didn’t you? And now you’re using more connections to get into the Terminators?”

“Don’t you cheat the system, kid!”

Before I knew it, I’d become public enemy number one.

Two weeks in the West Wing, and I was outcast.

“Dead weight with no mana trying to climb up by playing politics?”

“We should show the instructors how weak you really are.”

“This place is for the strong.”

“You don’t belong here.”

“Go get ‘meow~ed’ somewhere else!”

I end up snapping.

“I’m an outstanding Exorcist. I built myself from the ground up. That’s why I’m here. From where I stand, you seniors are about on my level. But not for long. You’re all so soft, I’ll be surpassing the lot of you in no time.”

Denying myself would mean spitting on Master and my martial brothers who recommended me. I can’t let that stand.

Though honestly, that’s just me justifying it later. I don’t have the self-control to stay quiet when someone mocks me.

After that little speech, I get challenged constantly.

“Ikaku, Applied Shooting Level 3. Let’s go!”

The seniors keep calling me out.

“Perfect score. Twenty points. Thanks for the warm-up, Senior.”

“…”

I usually win without breaking a sweat. Even the top marksman among them never challenges me above Level 3.

I usually train at Level 5. It’s not even close.

“You’re being ostracized, Ikaku. Aren’t you?”

Two months passed before Lady Ayano noticed.

She tilts her head, looking puzzled.

“You’re always alone, huh?”

“I train all the time. No time for socializing.”

“How stoic! That’s so you, Ikaku. Meow~”

“Ah—no, please, this is bad—Lady Ayano—ah—”

I don’t change how I treat her.

Of course I’m worried. I thought about what would happen if Lady Ayano kept favoring me. It wouldn’t end well. I wouldn’t make it as a Coral Terminator.

Even Master and my martial brothers were concerned.

“Lady Ayano seems quite taken with you, Ikaku… This may not help your career.”

“I understand, Master. But I’ve been thinking about what loyalty really means. What it means to repay a debt.

If I distance myself just to advance, I’d be betraying what I owe the Akai family. That’s not something I can allow.

Repaying that debt means more than playing it safe. It means being polite. Being reliable. Helping her stay on the right path. That’s how it should’ve been from the start.”

“You’ve made up your mind?”

“Yes, Master.”

“When the time comes, you’ll leave the estate. You’re ready for that?”

“Yes. Two years and ten months left. After that, I’ll bow, give my thanks, and walk away. My fate isn’t mine to decide. All I can do is give everything I’ve got. The rest is up to the Akai family.”

“I see… Hahaha. You really are something. Straight as an arrow, as always.”

Master smiles, giving a deep nod.

“I’m just sorry, Master. Toward you, Senior Brother Ron, and Senior Brother Lee. You’ve all invested so much time in me.”

“What are you saying? Even if they don’t keep you, your Kung Fu, your technique, your wisdom and courage—none of that disappears. I just know you’ll make it as an Exorcist. When the time’s right, come back with titles and trophies. The Akai family will welcome you with open arms.”

With my masters’ blessing, I follow my own path.

I train harder. Sharpen my Kung Fu. Polish my weapon skills. Study everything I can.

And whenever Lady Ayano shows up at the West Wing, I deal with her fluffy antics and glare the bratty candidates into keeping their mouths shut.

And then one day…

“What?! Ikaku, you can’t use mana?!”

The truth I’d been quietly hiding—worried she’d see me differently—slips out.

“I get checkups twice a year with Dr. Kobe, but nobody knows what’s wrong.”

“Then I’ll figure it out myself! I may not look it, but I’m a Viscount-rank mage. That means I’ve got deep knowledge about mana! Come on, follow me, Ikaku! This way! I’ll give you a special tour of my magic workshop!”

She leads me toward the main building.

Candidates probably aren’t supposed to step foot in there. I know better.

But Lady Ayano is beaming, and I can’t bring myself to say no.

I follow nervously.

And run into a man.

Tall. Well-dressed in a string tie and formal wear. Movie-star handsome. Holding a thick book.

“Big Brother! Look, look! This is my childhood friend, Ikaku Tanpakushitsu!”

“Lady Ayano? We’re not childhood friends… are we?”

“Oh… I just thought we were… Turns out it was one-sided… Ikaku doesn’t feel that way…”

“…Pleased to meet you, Lady Ayano’s Elder Brother. I have the honor of serving as Lady Ayano’s… childhood friend. Name’s Ikaku Tanpakushitsu. Please excuse the silly name.”

“You’ve got some nerve, punk. Get outside.”

With a grim face, he tosses the book down the hall, grabs my collar, lifts me like I weigh nothing, and hurls me out the window.

Glass explodes around me as I plummet from the second floor, crash-landing into the elegant courtyard fountain with a spray of shards.

Then he jumps down after me, rolling up his sleeves.