Cultivator in a World of Angels, Demons, and Super Heroes

Kawasaki, 2AM.

"M-Mr. Fool. P-please spare me. Even better! Join us! We—" The demon tries to plead.

"NO." Red simply refuses.

"I LIKE INFORMATION." He demands.

He does not use his child act as there are no cameras and witnesses around.

"A deal?" The demon gets hope.

"Yes. Give me information. I will make it quick and painless." Red offers.

"I-I…" The demon's eyes widen.

"Demon, would you like me to hand you to your victim's family? I don't care about your demon core." Red plays with the demon's imagination.

"I-I'll talk." The demon, feeling no way out, accepts his fate.

Soon, *shlink* Red, with a simple nick of his self-made rune knife on the body of the demon's host, "BLLGUUHHH* the demon is dead, and its core condenses in front of its former host's mouth.

Another demon core is added to Red's possession.

Only the demon core he just collected, does not have as much energy as Ag'Dramos's.

It has been a month since he made trouble in the Kumagai Compound, and he has been in his spare time, scouring Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Saitama Prefectures for demons.

He expected that demons are hard to find, but to his surprise, he found one every four or five days, a rate he considers not that rare. With the demon he just killed, he accumulated his demon body count to eight.

He figures that there are still possibly thousands of demons still left wandering the earth.

"It's not worth it anymore …" Red sighs.

Originally, he does not care much about the energy from the demon cores, and is only after information. But after gathering information from his fifth demon, he found nothing new.

After all, the 'Scamps', which he now learned are what the demons call their lowest rank ones, are the only ones Red has found so far, and they do not know much. He also does not expect to find stronger ones in the future. After all, demons of Ag'Dramos' pedigree are rare even in hell.

<>

8 AM Hinohara.

Red is done cultivating for the day and he zooms back to the house.

He has progressed pretty quickly in his Celestial Breathing Technique. After successfully transitioning to the breathing technique's Sunlight Stage six weeks ago, and has conditioned his body enough that he no longer bleeds through his skin when cultivating, he has progressed fast and can now cultivate during the earlier hours, and the late hours of daylight.

After learning what the Scamp level demons know, he has focused more on his cultivation and body refinement, instead of wandering around, observing people.

While he has gathered from the demons that the hell will more likely not be open in a very long time, he wants to grow strong to survive what might come. He also wants his students to survive.

"Kotone. Fumio. Good morning." As soon as he arrives at the backyard of the house, he greets his two disciples who are busy training together.

"Good morning boss / Kichirou-san." The two pause their training immediately.

After all, Red does not usually interrupt their training unless they are doing something wrong.

"Let's talk." Red says as he goes to sit on the grass. The two disciples join him.

"How about Gin?" Fumio asks.

"I'll talk to him separately." Red says.

"What's this about, Kichirou-san? You look oddly serious." Kotone says.

"Okay…" Red starts telling them about his demon hunting escapades for the last month.

<>

Outside of the bamboo walls of Red's herb gardens.

*inhale*

*Exhale*

Gin takes a deep sniff of satisfaction of the tea in his cup. He is currently sitting on a bamboo chair, on the second-floor terrace of a two-story traditional Japanese house.

"Ahh.. This is life…" He smirks as he takes in the view of mountains of Saitama.

The house is positioned right outside the bamboo walls, and beside the huge bamboo gate.

<><><><><>

A month ago.

"A-are you serious?" Gin cannot believe seeing a two-story 'minka', a smaller one than the one where Fumio and Kotone stays at, is right in front of him.

"Yeah, Kichirou-san. Are you serious?" Kotone eyes Gin in envy.

"Yeah." Red nods.

"I would make you one too, Kotone, but you spend half your time in the city." He shrugs.

Kotone drops her envy.

"I didn't see this when I came here." Gin says.

After all, it is as if the two-story house appeared out of nowhere.

"I had a friend with a wood ability make it. It has electricity, water, heater." Red introduces the house's features.

"When you said I have to live outside the garden, I was a bit hurt… but this… Thank you, Kichirou-san." While Gin is happy, he gets suspicious.

"But what's the catch?" He asks.

"Working for a Superioris of my level, it wouldn't look good if I don't treat my employees well, right?" Red smirks.

"Come on, Kichirou-san. What work do you want me to do?" Gin is amused, but Red's answer makes sense.

"Okay. You will be taking Fumio's caretaker responsibilities." Red starts.

"So… removing the weeds, paying the water and electric bills, buying food?" Gin enumerates.

"Yes. Guard the gate too." Red says.

"Guard? I'm not strong though." Gin is taken aback.

"Well, if people want to enter by force, just flee. We can take care of anyone who wants to make trouble. But aside from that, you will entertain curious visitors." Red says.

"I see. Well, that's easy enough." Gin easily accepts the job.

<><><><><>

"Hey kid!" Gin is interrupted from his daze by someone calling out to him from the road.

"Oh? Village Chief?" Gin looks down and he sees the Village Chief in an electric car, sitting at the driver's seat.

He raises his brows, curious at the man's visit.

"Is Kazuo-san around?" The village chief asks.

"Ah. He's still on his trip abroad." Gin comes up with an excuse immediately.

"I see. That's too bad." The village chief deflates, making Gin feel guilty.

"Anyways. He did tell me to give you some tea leaves if you visit again. I'll be down in a moment. 

[.][.][.][.][.]

"After a month of 'talking' with demons, I think we need to change things around once again." Red starts, making his two students pay attention immediately.

"The demons said that the connection of hell to our world, is back. It's weak, but they feel that it's a sign that the gates of hell are starting to open back up."

This makes Fumio and Kotone feel chills climb up their spines.

Red then continues to tell the two about the hierarchy of demons and their human equivalents.

A few minutes later.

"W-what do we do, boss?" Fumio asks. He looks fine, but inside, he is afraid.

Kotone too, is scared, and she is already trying to think of how to make herself and Haruto safe.

"You two are strong enough against demons for now. Fumio, you can defeat their Knights. Kotone, you can defeat the average Soldier." Red assures the two, making them feel better.

"H-how long do we have? Before the demons come back?" Kotone asks.

"Ag'dramos, said a few centuries at most. After all, that is how long it took for both Heaven and Hell to start the Great Harvest. And a decade at the least, if the leaders of hell figure something out. One of the demons I talked to, some sort of an analyst, theorizes that even if the gates will open tomorrow, it will take a year or two before the demons equalling the B-Class Superiori in strength, start appearing." Red explains.

The two sigh. They both feel that they have plenty of time to get stronger.

"However. Nothing is always sure." Red then pulls out two sheathed katanas from his storage space and offers it to his two students to take.

They are cannot even express their surprise for the gifts as, "Unsheathe them for me please." Red orders them.

*shink*

*shink*

The two follow and the katanas silvery white beauty is revealed. The shine they expect in such a weapon, however is not present.

"huh… What kind of alloy was used in this, boss?" Fumio, more than familiar with swords, asks in interest.

"Not metal. Bone." Red says.

The two disciples' eyes widen in shock.

"B-bone…" Kotone even almost drops her sword.

They then try to look for Red's body if he is missing any bones, but they see none.

"I'm kidding." Red smirks, making the two relieved.

He indeed put shavings of his bones in the forging of the katanas. This makes the katanas have the ability to channel spiritual energy. While some metals can channel spiritual energy, his bone can channels spiritual energy almost seamlessly.

"Hold them up, please." Red asks.

The next moment, the two disciples' eyes widen as they see on Red's palm, a wound open up, and from the wound, leaks out a stream of blood which Red suspends in the air.

They then hear sizzling sounds coming from their swords, and they see the flat of the blade start glowing from high temperature.

The two also cannot help but notice that the glowing parts are displaying some symbols.

"Runes…" Fumio guesses.

"Correct." Red confirms.

The next moment, the blood suspended in the air moves to coat the blades.

The two students meanwhile, are confused and weirded out at Red's actions.

"Talismans and sigils made of salt, only lasts temporarily and will turn to dust after trapping enough demons. If those talismans and sigils are made of blood, they last longer and their magic juice won't run out. Blood is also used in carving Runes. If runes are not made with blood, then those runes are useless." Red provides an explanation.

"Are those family weapons and heirlooms by the clans made just like this?" Fumio asks.

"Not exactly, but follows the same concept." Red explains. 

"Effective against demons. And adding their history, no wonder they're very expensive." Fumio.

He is reminded by one of the rumors that a superioris clan bought a rune sword of a fallen clan for a few hundred million yen. 

"But why does it have to be YOUR blood, Kichirou-san?" Kotone asks.

"I found that runes infused with my blood are stronger." Red shrugs.

The two look at him in interest and surprise.

The knife he used to kill the demon earlier in Kawasaki is a testament to the power of his blood. With just a nick of his knife, the Scamp possessing that human, died.

During the last month, Red not only trained the Celestial Breathing Technique, and went to hunt for demons, he also went to look for knowledge.

Knowledge of anti-demon magic to be precise that is kept in Japan's branches of the Catholic Knights and the Brotherhood of Adam. He also paid visit to the shrines of the Shinto Order.

After studying enough, he realized that the magic of this world is powered this realm's autochthonous energy. Meaning that the magic of this realm only works in this realm where the same energy is present.

However, Instead of using the knowledge he learned and apply them by the book, he was not satisfied and he tried playing around with it. This resulted to him successfully making a budding branch of anti-demon magic of his own.

A type of magic that combines this realm's autochthonous energy, to the more universal spiritual energy.

His personal magic is what he used to make his rune knife, and the rune swords that he is about to bestow on his two students.

A minute later, *Tssssssss* Red coats the katanas with a layer of water to quench the hot blades.

"And these now, are your personal rune weapons." Red says, done with his work.

"W-whoah…" Kotone holds her breath as she unsheathes the full beauty of her new katana.

"Phew…" Fumio whistles, doing the same thing.

"sss…" Suddenly, Kotone takes a deep breath after accidentally nicking her finger.

Careful." Red smirks.

"I'm not healing that. You should be careful next time." He gently rebukes Kotone.

"I-I will." Kotone nods, but her minor injury is nothing compared to the happiness she is feeling for her first real weapon.

"Goodness. Just how sharp…" Fumio shakes his head, still in disbelief at the quality of the blade he is holding.

"How do you like them?" Red asks.

"Kichirou-san ... Somehow, it feels perfect in my hand." Kotone notices immediately. 

"Yeah, same here. How'd you do it, boss? Did you hold our hands while we were sleeping?" Fumio jokes. The image he painted with his words makes Kotone blush.

"AHAHA!" Red cackles.

"That's a great idea! I should have done that. It would've made it easier." He nods.

Fumio shrugs, not curious anymore.

"Alright. You two can appreciate your katanas more later. I need to check you two's progress."

Kotone is up first for the assessment.

As soon as Kotone and Red are in the middle of the backyard, "Use your sword, Kotone." Red orders.

"W-will that really be fine?" Kotone feels her blood run cold at the request.

"Why don't we make a test swing?" Red asks.

"A downward swing would do." Kotone nods, raises her sword above her head, and swings with all her might downwards.

Suddenly, to her shock, Red appears in front of her. Her swing is already in full swing and it is too late for her to stop it. She can only watch as Red stops her sword with his forearm.

*thunk* The sound makes Fumio and Kotone's stomachs sink.

Kotone immediately retrieves her sword.

"See?" Red rolls up his sleeves and shows his exposed arm to Kotone.

Kotone looks closer and to her surprise, Red's arm does not appear to be injured. Except for a small indentation, and a small wound that looks like a papercut, she sees nothing else.

Fumio too, dashes to join the two to take a look at Red's arm.

"Holy shit…" "Yeah." The two disciples can only stare in disbelief.

"Even if I somehow slip up, you're not strong enough to hurt me." Red assures Kotone.

His words give Kotone a huge sigh of relief.

"Well then.. Let's continue."