98: Final Battle Arc; Jerome vs. Ahriman

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Ahriman examines Jerome in the Transparent World and recognizes something in the boy, as Jerome looks on at him. Thinking that the demon is quite dignified and majestic, Jerome notices the blade at the demon's side and wonders if he had been an assassin in the past.

Suddenly, Jerome's hand starts shaking, with his sword hilt in its grip, unable to shake off a feeling of dread from being in front of Ahriman. With his body refusing to battle, something that had never happened before in his entire life. What's this feeling? I can't stop shaking! My body doesn't want to fight. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. Jerome thought.

"What are you?" Ahriman inquires, breaking the tension.

"A assassin that will kill you." Jerome nervously declared, still shaking nervously.

"A relic from centuries past? Assassins still exist?" Ahriman questions, his curiosity piqued.

"Why do you want to know so much?" Jerome asked, confused.

"Ever heard of the time the serial killer leader wanted to fight the assassin because he was slacking?" Ahriman inquired Jerome.

"Yeah? But he assumed they weren't." Jerome specified.

"That's because I WAS the serial killer leader! Assassins are jokes, and they slack a lot! I'm surprised you joined the assassins! I wonder how the assassin leader even chose you." Ahriman explained.

Jerome realizes the enmity between them has deeper roots than he thought, murmuring, "He was the reason we went against each other!"

"Actually," Jerome stated, Asserting his position, he declares, "I am the vice assassin leader, so put some respect on my name, fool!"

"Really? This will be a fair fight. Soon you'll regret being an assassin and you'll want to be a serial killer." Ahriman declared.

"In your dreams!" Jerome yelled, swoops forward and attacks him, but the demon effortlessly dodges in the blink of an eye.

"What the...?!"

Displeased, Jerome rebuffs the demon, saying that if hundreds of years have indeed passed then not a drop of Ahriman's blood remains in him. Jerome activates the mark, shaped like a bear and throws a smoke bomb to block of the view of Ahriman's view, but as Jerome slices at the demon's neck, Ahriman quickly evades the attack, impressed with the beauty and grace of the attack.

"Agh dammit! Why does he keep escaping?!" Jerome exclaimed to himself.

Drawing his own blade, Ahriman performs an attack, that Jerome is unable to keep up with and the assassin loses his left hand as a result.

His speed is phenomenal, is it possible to use swordsmanship after becoming a demon? Jerome thought. Shocked that the demon is able to use techniques as a demon, Jerome quickly attempts to restrict the bleeding from the stump of his arm by tightening the sleeves of his robe with his teeth.

Dashing forward, Jerome attacks Ahriman despite his injuries and the demon is impressed at the courage and skill of his descendant. Ahriman catches Jerome's blade between his fingers and turns it on him, pinning him to a pillar, stabbing his sword into Jerome's chest, blood spluttering out.

Looking at him angrily, Jerome attempts to pull the sword out, despite being in pain, but Ahriman grabs his hand, not allowing him to get it out. "Well, for your arm, if you become a demon, you will grow a new one. You know what? I'll stop your bleeding. Humans are so fragile, but however, if you bleed to death, death will always be your fate." Ahriman confronted.

"In that case, you were no greater a man than that." Ahriman added.

As Wilbur shoots at him, he is left utterly shocked as Ahriman instantly appears behind him and asks, "Do you agree?" and slicing off Wilbur's gun arm so fast he wasn't even able to notice.

"Wilbur!" Jerome yelled. As Wilbur's left arm plops to the ground, the boy looks in shock and attempts to defend himself as Jerome is horrified and yells out to Wilbur. Before his hand is able to fully draw his blade, Ahriman swiftly slices off his other arm as well, leaving the serial killer bleeding profusely.

Jerome is horrified at the sight and attempts to pull his blade out of himself but in vain as he is unable to make it budge. Ahriman is surprised that Wilbur is still alive despite having his torso cut in half. Just then, Wilbur suddenly smirked, and lifted his hand up, and in a surprise, his hand regenerated.

"Surprised?"

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