The First Steps of an Exorcist

The Ruined Apex Courtyard – The Scars of Battle

The Werewolf King, a creature of nightmare and raw power, was no more. Reduced to a smoldering pile of ash by Ethan's devastating final strike. The courtyard, once a symbol of martial excellence, was now a desolate testament to the brutal clash – scorched stone, shattered structures reaching towards the smoke-filled sky, the air thick with the cloying sweetness of burnt blood and the lingering tang of ozone.

Raj stood frozen amidst the devastation, his body numb, his mind a tempest.

📌 That power… that terrifying, inhuman power.

📌 Exorcism Arts… they aren't just techniques. They're something beyond martial arts. Beyond raw strength. Beyond the limits of humanity.

And yet…

🔥 His fists clenched, the knuckles white against the grime.

📌 I don't possess that power. I was utterly helpless in this fight. A spectator in my own potential demise.

📌 If I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with warriors like Ethan, Volt, Phoenix, and Hera… I have to evolve. I have to transcend.

Raj exhaled, the smoky air stinging his lungs, and turned towards the man who had effortlessly vanquished a monster that had seemed invincible.

Ethan.

He stood at the edge of the ravaged courtyard, a silhouette against the dying embers of the battle, casually inhaling from a fresh cigarette. Not a single scratch marred his body. He exuded an aura of effortless power, a quiet confidence that spoke of mastery beyond Raj's wildest dreams.

Raj's heart hammered against his ribs.

📌 This is it. My moment of reckoning. If I don't seize this opportunity, I may never have another chance.

🔥 He took a tentative step forward, then another.

"Teach me," he said, his voice hoarse but firm.

🔥 Ethan's Judgment – The Trial of the Ghost Hunter

⚡ Ethan exhaled a plume of smoke, the cherry of his cigarette glowing like a tiny inferno in the twilight.

His gaze flickered towards Raj – sharp, penetrating, as if he was dissecting him layer by layer, weighing his worthiness in the balance.

📌 He's assessing me. Judging whether I'm worthy of his time, of the burden he carries.

Ethan's voice, when it came, was cold, detached, devoid of any warmth.

💀 "Do you even comprehend the gravity of your request?"

📌 Raj swallowed, forcing down the lump of fear that had risen in his throat. But his voice, when he spoke, was steady.

🔥 "No. Not entirely. But I'm willing to learn. I need to learn."

💀 Ethan scoffed, a dry, humorless sound.

📌 "Want? Need? Trite human desires." He flicked his cigarette butt into the dust. "Kid, you don't even grasp the fundamental nature of Exorcism Arts."

📌 "You think you can just pick it up like some new street fighting technique? You think it's just another martial art to add to your repertoire?"

📌 "You're wrong."

📌 "It's something that consumes you. It demands a price."

🔥 Ethan took a step forward, his aura shifting, a palpable wave of power radiating from him.

📌 Raj's skin prickled with an instinctual fear, a primal awareness of danger. It wasn't just Ethan's physical presence; it was something… otherworldly.

📌 The shadows around him seemed to deepen, to writhe, to take on a life of their own.

💀 "Exorcism Arts aren't just weapons, kid," Ethan murmured, his voice dropping to a low, menacing growl.

🔥 "They're a curse. Once you tread this path, there's no turning back. The world changes. You change."

🔥 "Because the instant you wield Exorcism power – monsters will be drawn to you. Demons will sense your presence. You become a target."

📌 Raj felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down his spine. The weight of Ethan's words settled upon him, heavy and suffocating.

Ethan leaned in, his piercing gaze locking onto Raj's, his eyes burning with an unnerving intensity.

💀 "Are you prepared to live with that? To carry that burden?"

Raj inhaled deeply, the acrid air filling his lungs. He felt the weight of the decision pressing down on him, the diverging paths stretching out before him.

📌 He could retreat. He could cling to the familiar world of pure martial arts, remaining within the realm of human conflict.

📌 Or… he could step into the unknown, embrace the terrifying potential that lay dormant within him, and face the horrors that lurked in the shadows.

🔥 Raj clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He had already made his choice, though he hadn't fully understood the implications until this moment.

"I don't care about demons," he said, his voice ringing with conviction. "I don't care about the consequences. I only know that if I don't walk this path, I'll never reach my full potential."

🔥 "I want to stand on that battlefield like you did," he continued, his voice unwavering.

🔥 "I want to fight monsters. I want to be strong enough to destroy them."

📌 His voice didn't falter. His resolve was absolute.

Ethan exhaled, a long, drawn-out sigh. Then… a slow, predatory smirk spread across his lips.

💀 "Heh."

💀 "Alright then, brat. You want to learn Exorcism Arts? Your trial begins now."

📌 "Pass my test, and I'll impart my knowledge. Fail… and you return to the mundane world, a footnote in the annals of martial arts."

🔥 Raj grinned, a flash of defiance in his eyes. "Bring it on."

🔥 The Trial Begins – The Test of Focus and Control

📌 "Alright, kid. Lesson one." Ethan straightened, his posture shifting from casual indifference to focused intensity.

📌 "Exorcism Arts aren't like traditional martial arts. You don't just learn a series of moves. You don't simply condition your body."

📌 "You train your soul."

🔥 Ethan flicked his fingers.

A thin wisp of smoke, seemingly defying the laws of nature, curled around them, twisting and contorting in the air as if guided by an invisible hand.

📌 "You ever feel that surge of heat in your blood when you're in a fight? That moment when your instincts sharpen, when time seems to slow down? That's energy. That's the raw power that Exorcism Arts tap into."

🔥 "First, you have to find that energy within yourself."

🔥 "Then, you have to learn to control it. To mold it. To command it."

🔥 "If you can't master this fundamental principle – don't even think about confronting a demon."

🔥 The First Trial: Awakening the Dormant Power

📌 Raj sat cross-legged amidst the rubble, his body aching, his mind racing.

📌 Ethan settled down opposite him, his expression one of lazy amusement, as if he was watching a particularly entertaining play unfold.

📌 "Close your eyes, brat," Ethan instructed. "Focus. Delve into the depths of yourself."

📌 "Feel the energy that lies dormant within your body. It's there, waiting to be awakened."

Raj inhaled slowly, trying to center himself, to push aside the distractions of the ruined courtyard and the lingering echoes of battle.

🔥 He tried to focus, to quiet the chatter of his mind.

📌 At first, there was nothing. Just silence. The gentle whisper of the wind whistling through the cracks in the shattered walls. The distant rumble of shifting debris.

📌 Then – a flicker. A spark. A faint sensation of warmth, buried deep within his core, like a tiny ember glowing in the darkness.

📌 It felt like a pulse, a rhythmic thrumming, like something slumbering within him, waiting to be roused.

Raj intensified his focus, drawing upon every ounce of concentration he possessed.

🔥 The warmth began to spread, expanding outwards, flowing through his veins like liquid fire. It coursed through his arms, his legs, tingling in his fingertips.

📌 There it is.

📌 This is my energy. My potential. My power.

💀 "Alright, good," Ethan's voice cut through the stillness, snapping Raj back to the present.

📌 "Now, the real challenge begins. Control it."

📌 "Push it into your hand. Gather it. Hold it. Don't let it escape."

🔥 Raj gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing.

📌 The energy within him flickered erratically – unstable, untamed, like a wild beast straining against its leash. It wanted to surge outwards, to break free from its confines, to unleash