"Interesting. A succubus out hunting in broad daylight? I thought you lot were strictly nocturnal. Public indecency is a crime, you know."
Alistair gripped a succubus by the throat.
"An Exorcist? Don't you guys stay in the Demi-human District? Why are you in the Human Zone? Heh... a deserter?" The succubus sneered, unfazed by her predicament.
"Exorcist? I'm just on vacation. Can't a guy catch a succubus in peace?" Alistair didn't know what an Exorcist was, but he played along to fish for info.
"Not an Exorcist? Which faction then? A wild awakened? No, a wild one wouldn't be this strong. Who are you with?" The succubus narrowed her eyes.
"How do you know I'm not wild?" Alistair was curious.
"Idiot." The succubus mocked him, then exploded into a swarm of bats that flew into the sky.
"So predictable." Alistair looked at his empty hand. He reached up, and pale blue flames erupted, forming dozens of fireballs that chased the bats. They were incinerated instantly, leaving nothing but mana residue. "Succubi are just bundles of mana. Burn the mana, and the person is gone. Very eco-friendly."
"She got away," a female voice whispered in his ear.
"What? I burned all the bats."
"Turning into bats is just a habit. It doesn't mean she can't turn into something else. Like a crow," the voice corrected.
Alistair turned around. Standing there was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. She had long hair tied in a side ponytail—the "anime mother" hairstyle of doom. She had a seductive face with a beauty mark under her eye and a curvy, motherly figure.
"I see you succubi are getting bold. That disguise is a bit lazy, don't you think?" Alistair could sense her aura clearly.
"I am a 'Legal' succubus. I don't 'hunt' for souls. You have no reason to harm me," the woman said confidently.
"'Legal'? There's such a thing?" Alistair felt his head spin. This was his chance to learn about the supernatural underworld.
"Of course. A succubus doesn't have to kill. If we control it, the person just feels tired for a few days but has a wonderful dream. For lonely men, it's a win-win."
"I guess so," Alistair mused. In his past life, he would have loved a visit from a friendly succubus. "So, what exactly is an 'Exorcist'?"
"People are starting to gather. We shouldn't talk here. Come to my house," the woman said, gesturing for him to follow.
The "repelling" spell the other succubus had cast was wearing off.
"Was that spell temporary?" Alistair asked.
"It requires continuous mana. You really don't know much about mental magic, do you?" She sighed.
"I thought it was a one-time cast thing," Alistair admitted awkwardly.
"That only works if you want to clear a crowd once. For a busy street, you need a sustained field."
Alistair followed her. He wasn't afraid. With all twelve talismans, he could flatten the city if he wanted to.
They arrived at a standalone house. "Welcome to the Tsukikawa home. I am Eri Tsukikawa, a 'legal' succubus."
Tsukikawa? Alistair's interest piqued. He remembered the mother-daughter duo. The mother was referred to as "Tsukikawa-senpai," and the daughter was Saki.
"I'm Alistair. I guess I am a 'wild' awakened."
"I can tell you about the supernatural world if you'd like," Eri said, getting some tea from the fridge.
"Please. I've noticed more 'strange things' lately. Why is that?" Alistair asked, feigning ignorance of the world gate.
"First, 'Exorcists.' They are awakened who mostly kill 'Souls' in the Demi-human District." She used mana to project an image of a "Soul."
"These 'Souls' are mutations. They have no consciousness at first but absorb life force. Once they absorb a soul, they become stronger and gain consciousness and abilities."
She projected another image. Alistair froze. It looked exactly like a Gillian-class Menos from Bleach.
"What is that?"
"They call it an 'Iron-Skinned刺鬼' (Spiky Demon). It's big—about two meters—but stupid and has no special abilities, just a very hard body. Only one has been found, and it's locked up in the Demi-human District. It only eats souls, so as long as it's locked up, it's harmless."
Just one? Okay, good. So the world isn't full of Espada yet.
"What about the human district? Are there Exorcists here?"
"A few, but the 'Materialism' here is too strong. It weakens demi-humans. Supernatural beings are stronger where 'Mystery' is abundant. Here, their bloodlines wither. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, like a fantasy novel logic," Alistair said.
"Exactly. If you want to grow stronger, you should go to the Demi-human District. The 'Mystery' there is much thicker. It's hard to break through your limits in this 'Material' world."
Alistair nodded. He was already planning to go there. Not just for strength, but for the legendary Snow Woman—Fuyuka Yukino. He'd heard she was a fan of "cream puffs." And he happened to have a lot of "cream" to offer.