Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga

He stared at me with a piercing gaze, his murder-hobo eyes filled with... well, murder. It was clear what his choice would be.

In an instant, he vanished from sight, leaping over the table. I leaned back in my chair so fast that the back of my head almost touched the ground. But before that, I managed to grab onto his arm as it appeared where my throat would have been.

With a forceful tug, I snapped his arm in half. Surprisingly, I couldn't completely detach it. Releasing my grip, I smoothly backflipped back to a standing position.

The Demonic Exorcist examined his broken arm, which promptly snapped back into place. "Huh, you are physically stronger than me now. That's surprising. Your speed is impressive too. You're only sixteen, how did you manage that?"

His curiosity was genuine, but I simply shrugged. "A hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and a ten-kilometer run. I trained so hard, I almost went bald."

It was difficult to gauge his reaction as he looked at me. Nonetheless, he shrugged and suggested, "C'mon, let's take a walk and talk."

"Sure," I nodded, and we casually exited the scene. As if he hadn’t tried to rip my throat out, not even a minute ago.

I had invested significant effort into constructing this cabin, and I had no intention of seeing it destroyed. Also, Bets' grave was nearby, and I refused to desecrate his final resting place.

Since I was more familiar with the area, I led the way, approaching a spot where Carpy and I had set up a trap, utilizing our combined strengths.

"Are you content with your current situation in life?" The Demonic Exorcist abruptly asked.

"I'm content enough," I replied.

Contrary to popular belief, happiness wasn't a constant state. Even if someone had everything they desired, there would still be both good and bad days. Whether you lived in a mansion or a modest apartment, the experience was similar. Although the wealthy had the luxury of facing their bad days in a limousine.

"Why do I sense that you would find more satisfaction on a battlefield? There's no need for contemplations or complications there, and your only enemy is the one standing right in front of you," he smiled. "Don’t mistake comfort for happiness. I can feel it in your eyes that you’re bored."

Here I was, receiving advice from a murder hobo. It was to be expected that he would view things through a murder hobo lens. "Is that so? Then tell me, where do you think I would truly thrive? Please, share your insights."

I aimed to keep him engaged in conversation until we reached our destination, hoping he wouldn't notice anything amiss. While he likely knew I was leading him into a trap, he was underestimating its scale and being careless. Either that, or he simply didn’t care.

"Deep down, you're a killer," his smile widened. "Y’know? A man of action, someone who takes no shit from anyone! A person like you doesn't belong living a peaceful life, basking in the sunlight without a care in the world. You're clearly made for the battlefield, killing and slaughtering those who oppose you, rather than sitting on a couch."

Was that really how he perceived me? Such a distorted view of things. "And what do you think your role is in this chaotic life of mine?"

"You think what I'm saying is crazy?" He frowned, knowing that I wasn’t taking his words seriously. "Don't worry, one day you will see the truth, I will make sure of that. Look at us now, walking together like old friends, headed to a battlefield where only one of us will likely walk out alive. You think this makes you normal? It’s only a matter of time before you learn the truth too."

He burst into laughter, continuing to speak. "Since our last battle, I have done everything in my power to grow stronger. I have pushed past what I once believed were my limits, reaching an entirely new level of power."

"We've arrived," I said, coming to a stop and gazing out at the expansive field far beyond the city, almost imperceptible in the distance. "You know, nothing you just said was meaningful in any way. Do you seriously think of yourself like some kind of generic manga villain? You just gave the most stereotypical and cliche speech imaginable. You’re kinda lame."

His smile evaporated, leaving behind a grim expression. Suppressing the urge to smile, I realized that he was playing right into my hands. Anger would do nothing for him but cloud his judgment.

I couldn't care less about whatever grandiose and ridiculous plan he had in mind. In this fight, my only concern was dealing with him. It seemed he believed we were destined to be eternal rivals, constantly pushing each other to our limits. But unlike him, I didn't need a crutch like a rival to grow stronger.

Even if, by some chance, he managed to survive this battle, or if I met my demise, I planned to unleash the nine tails upon him. Tamae No Mae may not favor me—I did have her fight a cosmic horror, after all—but no matter how much she disliked me, she loathed the Demonic Exorcist even more. He had stolen a part of her power, and Tamae No Mae would do whatever it took to eliminate him.

It would be the perfect scenario if that battle resulted in heavy injuries on both sides;I could simply waltz over and finish off whoever emerged as the sole survivor.

Deciding to take the first move, I kicked the ground, causing it to crack as a watery tendril presented me with a sword sheathed in red. Without hesitation, I drew the sword, igniting the blade with flames. With one swift slash, I decapitated the Demonic Exorcist.

His eyes widened in shock as his head separated from his body. However, to my surprise, his head, suspended mid-air, managed to smile and speak. "A fire sword? I didn’t know you had something like that. Fire damage cauterizes the wound and hinders healing—it’s clear you came prepared. It seems I wasn't the only one to take countermeasures."

I couldn't help but wonder how his head could speak without his lungs. However, I didn’t have time to think about it for long.

Suddenly, his headless body moved, and I narrowed my eyes in response. A small tendril of blood connected his head to the stump of his neck. He was remotely controlling his body.

I swung my blade again, but the body evaded and grabbed onto my arm. As I attempted to pull him away, he kneed my elbow, causing a sickening cracking sound as my joint bone jutted out.

Disarming me, he swiftly grabbed the flaming sword and stabbed it in my gut. The speed and agility of his movements were astonishing, and the pain was excruciating as it felt like my blood was boiling the organs inside me. I struggled to remain conscious.

"How does it feel to have your organs scorched?" he taunted.

Overwhelmed by the pain, I collapsed to my knees, the sword still impaled in my intestines. With each breath I took it was like fire was filling my lungs. Concentrating was nearly impossible.

"Huh? Is that it? Are you already out of the race?" the Demonic Exorcist jeered. "I was quite excited to hear that you defeated an ultimate class demon all on your own. What a disappointment you turned out to be."

Summoning my remaining strength, I drew my other cursed sword and hurled it at his floating head. But before the attack could connect, a vertical third eye opened on his forehead. The eye darted around unnaturally fast, and he tilted his head, catching the sword's handle between his teeth, smirking triumphantly.

Although the cursed energy on the weapon flared up, it proved ineffective against someone as deranged as him. However, it provided enough of a distraction, and a split second was all I needed.

Water blades erupted from the ground, slicing the Demonic Exorcist's body into pieces. Despite his attempts to dodge, he left behind limbs and chunks of flesh. Another water blade struck the cursed sword he held in his mouth, knocking it loose, and a tendril of water returned the blade to my hands.

"A third eye? So you've turned yourself into a demon? I expected more from you," I mocked him.

In truth, it was a wise decision on his part. With his special ability, a demon body, and the power of Tamae No Mae, he had eliminated all his previous weaknesses and become a formidable opponent.

"Well, drastic times call for drastic measures," he said as streams of blood extended from the stumps of flesh, connecting his body back together. Although his head didn't attach securely, he used blood strings to knit it to his neck. "If I didn't possess a demonic body, that first beheading would have been the end for me. I may not have died immediately, but I wouldn't have been able to continue fighting you in that state."

The Demonic Exorcist was always honest, and I couldn't deny his resilience. However, he tried to downplay the power of his eye, even though I knew its ability and recognized it as Perfect Me's direct counter.

While I didn't recall all the details and some aspects remained unexplained, I understood that his third eye could analyze an opponent and their special abilities. Eventually, it would trigger clairvoyance, granting the Demonic Exorcist the ability to glimpse up to five seconds into that person's future.

The main weakness of the third eye was its limited ability to see only one person's future, making it less effective in group battles. But in the hands of someone like the Demonic Exorcist, it wasn't much of a weakness.

Little did he know, I had no intention of using Perfect Me.

I clapped my hands, and he mirrored the action without hesitation. Both of our Ord powers surged. He punched the ground, summoning a pig's head that disgorged hundreds of humans and demons, all charging toward me.

However, I stood my ground, confident in the superiority of my abilities over his numerical advantage.

The ground trembled as Carpy emerged from behind me. The earth ruptured, sending pillars of water shooting up and water blades slashing through the demons. But we weren't finished yet. Carpy extended his tail, touching my back.

Without relying on Perfect Me, we had reached the pinnacle of Master Affinity, where we could effortlessly use this technique without assistance. In the end, we would see who was going to die first, me or him.

{Metamorphosis}

He smiled at me as his deranged gaze sharpened. “Yes! This is it! Let’s die a little, my rival!”