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*Chapter start*
[Item: Senzu Bean (Upon consumption, instantly restores all stamina, energy, and internal/external injuries. Does not cure illnesses.)]
"This thing's better than hand sanitizer," Rod muttered, eyes gleaming.
As far as he knew, the Underworld had a pure-blooded devil clan called the Phenex Family that had become filthy rich off selling Pheonix Tears, drops capable of healing any wound.
Just one drop fetched an astronomical price.
It was the kind of treasure that vanished from shelves the moment it appeared, with most of the supply reserved in advance by other noble devil families. Regular devils couldn't even dream of getting their hands on it.
But the senzu bean? Not only could it heal injuries, it fully restored stamina too. The ultimate support item from Dragon Ball.
The main cast had used it to defeat countless enemies.
Of course, since it was a little too overpowered, the anime eventually made up some excuse about low production to stop the protagonists from abusing it.
Which made sense.
As long as you had enough senzu beans, you were basically playing on Easy Mode with auto-regenerating HP and infinite ammo.
Rod popped one in his mouth as a safety net, just in case.
Then he checked the system map, something in the lowest level of the Inner Sanctuary had just been marked.
His heart skipped.
If something showed up on the system's radar, it was either a mission target… or loot.
And loot was good.
Sure, this was the sacred heart of the Five Great Clans. They were technically neutral. But come on, he was a transmigrator. His moral compass didn't exactly point due north. If he didn't need it, he wouldn't steal… but if it wasn't nailed down?
Well, can you really call it theft if auto-loot is enabled?
Surprisingly, the item was poorly guarded.
Maybe they were so confident no one could breach the five-layered barrier that they didn't even bother. Rod only had to knock out two exorcists before he reached the marked location.
A shrine-like chamber.
The floor and walls were lined with red-inked spell formations Rod couldn't understand, plastered over with yellow talismans.
As soon as he stepped inside, a chill wrapped around him.
The source of the cold was at the center of the altar: three redwood boxes, aged and bound in old, brittle seals.
As he drew near, a low whisper echoed in his ears, an eerie murmuring meant to unnerve the soul.
Rod remained unfazed. His strength was enough to resist it. But if a normal person or low-tier exorcist had spent time here, their mind would've been compromised, thoughts eroded by those whispers.
And anything sealed in this manner?
Definitely something rare or dangerous.
Ancient clans loved pulling this kind of stunt.
Rod didn't need to know what it was, he just knew it had to be valuable.
He peeled off the talismans and opened one of the boxes.
A grotesque, monstrous face stared back at him.
"...The hell? This is the treasure?"
Rod nearly hurled the box across the room.
Inside was a severed head, demonic, crimson-skinned, with closed eyes and a fiery mane of red hair.
He had no idea what it was. Thankfully, the system helpfully offered a tooltip.
[Sealed Head of the Oni King: Shuten-dōji]
[Status: Sealed]
"Shuten-dōji? That Shuten-dōji?" Rod blinked.
The infamous oni from Japanese legend?
Well, considering Onra and Gyobu had already shown up, maybe this wasn't so surprising after all.
He didn't know why the Five Great Clans would bother sealing such monsters instead of destroying them outright, but Rod didn't hesitate.
Auto-loot: activated.
He swiped everything in the altar chamber into his storage space without a shred of guilt.
After confirming there was nothing left to loot, Rod prepared to slip out before anyone showed up.
But just then, on his system map, a red dot began racing toward him.
By the time he reacted, it was already above the shrine chamber.
"They're that fast?"
Rod clicked his tongue. Apparently, the exorcists had scrambled to regroup quicker than he'd expected.
He tried to activate a teleport marker, but a system prompt denied the request.
Forced combat detected.
Shit!
Rod rarely liked direct conflict unless it was required. He didn't get off on brawling.
He immediately dropped his presence with Concealment EX and melted into the shadows of the large chamber. There were plenty of hiding spots. He picked one near the entrance.
He'd either ambush whoever came through the door… or slip away unnoticed.
With the Superman Glasses on, nobody could identify him anyway.
So when it came to strangers? Rod had zero moral reservations about cheap shots.
Moments later, a cold gust burst through the half-closed door, bringing a sinister chill that prickled the skin.
That aura wasn't human.
Footsteps followed, heavy and measured.
Out of the darkness stepped a tall figure in a black trench coat with a raised collar. A hawkish face, sharp nose, and piercing silver eyes framed by shoulder-length brown hair.
He gave off Sephiroth energy in all the worst ways.
Rod recognized the aura instantly, Fallen Angel.
He'd tangled with them enough times to know that power signature well.
Same light magic lineage as angels… but twisted and corrupted. A complete inversion.
If Rod's hunch was right, this guy was the leader of Abyssfall, the rogue Fallen Angel who'd defected from the Grigori .
Despite facing a supposed high-level boss, Rod felt nothing. No fear. No pressure. It was like the system had given him some kind of immunity buff upon transmigration.
The Fallen Angel stepped further into the chamber. If he took a few more steps, he might notice signs someone had been here.
Rod was just about to strike, when another red dot blinked onto the system map.
It was closing fast.
The Fallen Angel sensed it too. He frowned and turned.
Neither of them had time to leave now.
But unlike Rod, the Fallen Angel didn't try to hide.
He didn't have concealment skills. His presence was as subtle as a floodlight at midnight.
Moments later, Himejima Suzaku burst into the Inner Sanctuary's main hall.
Her eyes scanned the unconscious guards, face darkening.
As she rushed deeper and found the altar chamber's broken seals, her expression grew stormy.
And there, standing alone under the cold flickering lamplight… was a tall man with silver eyes.
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