Lord Of Doom!Reincarnated Into a Novel as the Strongest Side Character

Chapter 36: Mystical Sherin Flame! All dead!?

Kaito sprinted down the hallway, his katana trailing behind him. He burst into another room with urgency, only to find it empty. Without hesitation, he tore through the second wooden wall and pressed on.

"This mansion is much larger than Sensei's; it stretches to near infinity," Kaito thought, a mix of awe and urgency fueling his next move.

Running faster, he spotted a door to his side and entered, but still no children were in sight. "Where could they be? Unless... the Akuma has kept them with itself?"

His eyes widened in horror as worry for the children's safety surged within him.

Suddenly, an unbearable stench assaulted his senses, emanating from behind the room. Cautiously, he entered, ripping through the wooden wall. His entire body began to tremble; his head felt heavy as he covered his mouth in shock, nearly dropping his katana. He staggered backward, overwhelmed by an unbearable wave of sorrow.

In front of him lay multiple lifeless bodies of children, both low-rank exorcists and soul reapers, piled along with their innocent souls that had been devoured.

Tears streamed down his face, but he quickly wiped them away, tightening his grip on his sword. His sorrow ignited into unrestrained anger, a rare and unseen flame—grey in color. The mystical Sherin Flame began to engulf his body and katana, causing the walls of the room to crack slightly.

The Mystical Sherin Flame is a legendary force passed down through a unique bloodline known as the Shinrin Blood. This lineage, though not a clan, consists of powerful individuals who possess this extraordinary flame. They're are believed to had all died in a unrecorded incident before the Heian era, with Kaito as its last descendant.

The Sherin Flame is said to grant its bearer immense power, allowing them to channel their emotions into formidable energy,

"This damned Akuma shall die by my hands!Nothing will survive!" Kaito shouted in anguish. In that moment, he instinctively knew where the haunting music was coming from, and suddenly his speed surged—he moved as fast as sound. He burst into a room that would have taken him 20 minutes to reach, arriving in mere seconds, like a sharp bullet.

His sword was already poised for an attack, flames dancing along its blade.

The Akuma sat on a plush pillow, an instrument before him playing itself. Just as Kaito prepared to slash its head off and tear its body to pieces, the creature drew a string from the instrument and transformed it into a weapon, aiming it directly at Kaito's head. He spiraled back, dodging the strike and skidding across the hallway floor as the door to the room shattered.

The flames around him ignited further; Kaito had become emotionless—neither pain nor anger resided within him. This absence of feeling caused the flames to burn brighter, as if he had reached a state of silence after experiencing intense emotion.

The Akuma struck again, but Kaito dodged effortlessly and appeared behind it. In a low, emotionless voice, he said, "Grade 3 radiant or not, you won't leave your own territory alive."

The Akuma, stunned by his speed and agility, vanished and reappeared in the passage, wielding seven strings transformed into weapons. It began striking at Kaito, who evaded with ease, only further fascinating the Akuma.

"I must be cautious; its technique, Tōsen, turns anything it touches into a weapon. I need to move faster and reduce my flame usage, lest I be blinded by its light and torn apart by those weapons," Kaito reasoned, tempering his flames slightly. He began rolling his katana like a rope, his head bowed.

"Limitless Sky Fire Slash, First star constellation!"

A swirl of flames appeared in front of him, one line twisting into a sphere while the others sharpened like his blade, lined on either side. The Akuma's face morphed into fear as it witnessed the formation. It instantly struck its strings at Kaito in a cowardly motion. But Kaito was gone again. The Akuma found him up close, his sword aimed and piercing through its disfigured forehead, blood spilling out.

In an instant, Kaito was behind it again, stabbing his sword through its back and slicing through its insides before sliding the blade up to its head from the chest, then clearing the area. The flaming formation surged toward the Akuma, slicing and dicing its body mercilessly, like a chainsaw but more brutal. Moments later, nothing remained; the Akuma was reduced to dust.

"I have nothing of importance in this mansion, apart from clearing the bodies," he muttered, dashing toward where he had left Saito and the two other surviving children.

He found Saito, gripping his sword tightly in a defensive stance, fear still evident in his eyes. Upon seeing Kaito—bloodied but not his own—Saito felt a wave of relief, though he dared not touch him, afraid of his terrifying appearance. Even the young girl took a step back.

"Let's get out of here. We have no reason to stay. The cleanup team will handle the rest, and we're taking the two children back with us. Let's go." Kaito lifted the young boy, who still hadn't woken, placing him on his back. He passed his bloodied sword to Saito, who escorted the little girl, following closely behind Kaito.

Saito also didn't bother to ask if Kaito had found any children since he could read the air around him, knowing something had happened and it was best for him to keep shut.

A few moments later, they emerged outside the mansion. The villagers had all gone to sleep, allowing them to pass through the village unseen. However, night watchmen might patrol for thieves and other threats, though they were useless against an Akuma and would flee at the sight of one.

Kaito exchanged a glance with Saito, who understood the unspoken message: they would take the forest route to avoid the night watchmen.

Saito nodded and led the sulking little girl to the side of the mansion, where a forest path awaited. Kaito followed closely, carrying the young boy on his back.

They arrived at the second forest, the path leading to Kurama Village and then to the hidden village.

Making their way quickly and avoiding the usual route through the village at night after hunts, they pressed on toward the hidden village.A soul reaper and an exorcist stood guard along the path, on duty throughout the night while others would take over in the morning. Upon seeing Kaito, they cleared the way.

Kaito approached a soul reaper still awake, staring at the night sky, lost in her thoughts. He called to her in a whisper and gestured for her to take charge of the little girl from Saito while he handed the boy over to him. They needed to take the children to the infirmary, where a single female healer—known as a Kusuriya stayed in charge. Though she would likely be asleep by now, at least the children could rest until morning, when treatment could begin.

Kaito left the hidden village and headed back to the temple. As he departed, the two guards exchanged glances and began to gossip.

"He's literally bathed in blood," the first one said.

"I can hardly see his face! Is that really Kaito, or a bloodied ghost?" the second replied, staring blankly at Kaito's back as he moved steadily toward the temple, where Reikishi would surely still be.

***

Inside the Technique-free room.

Sakura had given up for a moment, leaning against the wall with both fists bloodied, while Kenji and Gojin continued to throw blows at the rocky surface. Surprisingly, Gojin had managed to make a scratch, but it had taken him five hours. Remarkably, his fists weren't bleeding, which was astonishing to anyone watching.

Doesn't he bleed?

He was punching with immense force without any aid, relying solely on raw power. Although he could probably blast the wall apart, but his gaze could also wreak havoc on everything beyond it, potentially destroying the entire village, as his Runo technique was currently ineffective.

The two continued their relentless assault. Kenji was bleeding profusely but didn't stop despite the pain; his blood stained the wall.

Sakura had now fallen asleep on the cold wooden floor. She had tried her best but didn't want to risk breaking her knuckles at this point. She and Kenji would still have to head to the infirmary the next morning; they could at least endure a night with bleeding fists.

A few moments later, the two collapsed onto the ground, overwhelmed, and decided to take a break. They lay on the floor, positioned at opposite angles from one another, along with Sakura.

"I have to crack that wall!" Gojin and Kenji shared the same determination, even Sakura had felt it until pain and exhaustion took over....

***

The temple door swung open, and Kaito stepped inside but didn't venture further due to the blood on him; it was against tradition to enter a temple in such a condition, as purity is highly valued in worship culture.

Those seeking to honor the deities within must be clean and respectful, reflecting the belief that impurity can disrupt the sacred space. He could only remain near the entrance, waiting for Reikishi to finish and for the incense smoke to dissipate, a reminder of the reverence owed to the place.