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Ego by Kol
Why? Because I can.

I wake up in a daze, my body aching from the aftermath of the battle with Zaker.

Self-reflection isn't my best skill, but even I have my moments. I've come a long way, but my recent encounter has highlighted the gaps in my abilities. There's no room for complacency in this dangerous world.

A major crutch I've been relying on, is tier difference. Difference in tiers between stats is obvious in effect, but the more subtle difference between over all tiers is importance.

Regardless of stats, beings of lower tiers are more vulnerable to/ less effective against beings of a higher tier.

Usually, even if a creature has equal physical stats to me, they are still just Tier 0s, meaning, even with equal Str and Vit, I do more damage to them then I should be able to. Zaker was a Tier 1 Devil, the damage we did to each other was exactly what it should be. I couldn't see his stats, but I'm assuming his Int, Magic, and Apt. were high enough to send him to Tier 1, the Tier where one is 'truly' Supernatural. The average new stray isn't fully recognized by my Sacred Gear as a Supernatural existence, they simply have some Tier 1 and Tier 2 stats. A Tier 0 can't do anything against a Tier 8, regardless of stats. For how can a 'mortal' affect a 'deity'? The important thing, was that stats ultimately determined tier, so a tier 0 went from 7 total stats to 8, they'd now be a Tier 1. For example, a human with 1 Apt and 7 Magic would be a Tier 1. If they previously had 6 magic, they would go from doing 0 damage to a deity, to being able to do a minor amount of damage. Still way less then a stat of 7 should be able to manage, but it would now be technically possible to kill a deity.

Zaker definitely could have become a problem, if whoever his master was didn't eventually put him down themselves. I sort of feel like maybe he had a higher than usual luck stat. In the grand scheme of things, Tier 1s like me and Zaker were ants, and if an ant could bring me this low, I was drastically over estimating myself.

With a newfound determination, I decide I need more training. Maybe I'd hit a threshold and gain a stat.

[Devil Hunter]

A hunger in me roars, but I ignore it. I can test the benefits of that status when I was more prepared. 50 devils gave me that. When it comes to other notable creatures, I've killed 3 vampires and 1 fallen. Getting a Hunter status for those would be nice, but the average fallen was significantly stronger than the average stray. Vampires were usually good at hiding, and while I got the killing blow on that Fallen, but Xenovia put in most of the work in that fight. My body shakes, and my nerves feel...cold. I was not that girl's favorite person. Which I guess was fair, I'm walking the fine line between Exorcist and Ex-Exorcist, and she tends to kill the later on sight.

My whip combat mentor, Priest Dennis, is a grizzled veteran in the art of whip combat. Despite his ecclesiastical background, he's an excellent teacher, and I've learned a lot from him.

"Kaito, you've got potential, but potential won't save you in a fight. You need to refine your technique and enhance your instincts," Dennis advises as we begin another training session.

For the next two months, I immersed myself in rigorous training under Dennis's watchful eye. The sound of the whip cracking becomes a familiar rhythm, and my body learns to move with precision and fluidity.

[Whip Mastery] Lv (1/2)

Kaito ( Human )

Lv 14

Tier 1

[ Stats ]

Vitality 2

Strength 2

Charisma 0

Intelligence 1

Luck 3

Wisdom 0

Agility 2

Aptitude 1

Magic 1

Finesse 2

Dennis, satisfied with my progress, shares a piece of crucial information. "Kaito, if you're serious about cleansing the world of supernatural filth, there's a place you need to visit – Micanopy, Florida, USA."

"Micanopy? What's there?" I inquire, curious, though there was no guarantee I'd follow his suggestion.

"A coven of vampires has taken root in Micanopy. They've been causing trouble, and I believe your skills could be instrumental in dealing with them," Dennis explains.

I nod, absorbing the information. Vampires, that's good. But also weird. The church usually relied on me to just do my own thing, and not be an idiot who would kick off the war. Asking me to do things was usually more trouble than handling it themselves.

"I'm going to need more details, and why me?" Priest Dennis clears his throat at my question.

"I'm not supposed to mention it, but before you begin your attack on the coven, Seraph Michael himself will speak to you."

I stare at Dennis, a shiver going down my spine. I like angels. I respect angels. My problem with the church didn't have to do with angels and god. Even than, I did not feel good about meeting the Head Angel. I would have preferred if Dennis kept his mouth shut.

"I'm loosely aware of your...troubles. Regardless, you are an asset against the forces of evil. Be assured, that those vampires will not spread out further than they currently have. This should be a suitable way for you to make progress on your Sacred Gear, and to see the fruits of your labor with whip combat."

Ah, yes, It was easy to forget that Dennis was one of those. Evil's Predator. That's what some people call me and my Sacred Gear. Vasco made it clear I was to maintain that only the slaughter of evil beings made me stronger. Another reason I was worried about meeting the Seraph. Did he know my gear wasn't so limited? Did he judge me? I hope not, it was already ridiculous that so many saw my god gifted power in such a bad light.

Still, Dennis was right, fighting a coven was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, especially if this was basically a test. So there should be others nearby, incase I bit off more than I could chew.

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