Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Chapter 18. The Power of an Old Friend

“What the hell is that...”

Bewilderment spread across Smithers's face.

Exorcists.

Beings who fought all manner of anomalies and monsters... humans who had transcended their own limits.

Many among them wielded the power of gods.

After all, the most common type of exorcist in America—and the vampires' greatest nemesis—were Christian exorcists who worshipped Yahweh as the one true God.

Beyond them... Smithers had also seen plenty of others who based their abilities on divine power.

After all, the easiest way for a human to surpass their own limits was to borrow the power of a higher being.

But...

‘Two beings that powerful can exist inside a single human body? I've never heard of, seen, or fought anyone like that.’

How far one could take that was an entirely different matter.

The so-called vessel within a human, the thing that allowed them to wield divine power, naturally had its limits.

Just as Smithers's body began trembling with fear.

The white tiger cub shimmering over Kang Do-jun's body curled its lips into a broad grin and spoke.

《Hey, brat! Long time no see!

“It's been a while, Spirit Seolhwi. Have you been well?”

A lively voice utterly unlike Wakan Tanka's.

《I finally wake up and what do I see... You're struggling against one pathetic little vampire? How embarrassing! Ahaha!》

“Enough boasting and help me. A lot of people went through hell... trying to bring you back.”

《Haha! Fine! First, let's get rid of that stinking bloodsucker!》

And so, while Kang Do-jun exchanged banter with Seolhwi after their long-awaited reunion.

Smithers's face flushed dark red.

Humiliation unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life as an Apostle of the Great One who ruled Brooklyn surged through his veins.

“You arrogant bastard... You dare act cocky in front of me!”

He swung an arm.

Thousands of blood-red spikes manifested in every direction.

Rain of Blood.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

A deluge poured down as though proclaiming that he was an Apostle.

It carried enough force to destroy the entire space... yet Kang Do-jun didn't retreat.

No, instead, the corner of his mouth rose as though he were enjoying himself.

“Let's cut loose. It's been a while.”

《You got it!》

RUMBLE!

A massive wall of lightning erupted from beneath Do-jun's feet and covered the rooftop.

The red spikes were obliterated and vaporized the instant they touched the lightning.

Not a single spike, not a single drop of blood reached Do-jun's clothes.

“Th-This can't be...!”

Smithers's pupils shook violently.

An attack into which he had poured everything, wagering the lives of his subordinates.

And it had been stopped by a single spell.

Do-jun didn't miss the opening created by that despair and kicked off the ground.

A Taoist art he had refined by combining Native American wind sorcery with Shortening Distance.

And on top of that came Seolhwi's lightning-like energy.

‘Divine Wind Shadow Step: White Tiger Fang!’

CRACKLE!

In an instant, Do-jun's figure vanished.

A strange frictional sound rang out, sending a chill down Smithers's spine.

‘Where is he?! Where the hell is he!’

Just as his eyes darted around, desperately tracking Do-jun's figure.

“Here.”

A voice came from behind him.

Every hair on his body stood on end as blades of blood erupted from his skin.

CRACKLE!

But Kang Do-jun's figure scattered once again.

“Too slow.”

He appeared from another direction and unleashed another barrage of attacks... Smithers barely blocking or countering each one in turn.

But.

“Grrrrrgh!”

In speed and power alike, Smithers was gradually being overwhelmed.

A clear difference in class.

‘He's going to kill me.’

A cold, rational conclusion.

At the same time, Smithers made his decision.

Even if he had to burn away everything he had, he would take that bastard down with him.

Otherwise, the man would become an enormous threat to his master and the entire vampire race.

He awakened the blood energy circulating inside his body.

Using his life force and soul as fuel, he condensed explosive power within himself and waited for his chance.

Then, when Kang Do-jun—who had once again become lightning—revealed himself for a split second.

“DIEEEEE!”

Smithers's chest split wide open, and a cannon blast of blood erupted from within.

He was pouring out every last drop of the Blood of Origin bestowed upon him... intending to kill his opponent with it.

But.

“Too obvious.

CRACKLE!

Kang Do-jun's lips curled upward, and when Seolhwi, the White Tiger Spirit, flicked his tail.

The trajectory of the blood cannon bent farther and farther... until it reversed completely.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

And slammed straight back into Smithers.

Blue-white lightning joined the attack, burrowing into his body and burning him from the inside out.

The body of the man who, until moments ago, had proudly called himself the ruler of Brooklyn turned to ash and scattered in an instant.

“Hooooo, that's over.”

Do-jun took a drag from his vape and drew a deep breath.

His body trembled faintly as the corners of his mouth rose.

It wasn't exhaustion, nor was it from exertion.

It was joy at the revival of an old friend.

‘I did it.’

There had been all kinds of restrictions from the very beginning.

He had needed to create a situation where he could defeat that vampire without revealing his identity to the others.

For that, he had borrowed Annabelle's help to create a Domain.

Then, inside it, he had fed the vampires' souls to the spirits in their entirety and succeeded in awakening the White Tiger Spirit.

《Ahaha! How about that, you brat! That's this great one's skill and power!》

That cocky, restless demeanor.

Watching the spirit who had fought alongside Do-jun for nearly his entire life made him feel as though he'd reunited with an old friend.

Then... a strand of red energy rose from the place where Smithers's body had burned away.

Just as the remnants of his soul tried to escape.

Seolhwi's eyes sparkled.

《Oooh! That smells delicious! I just woke up and I'm starving, so this is perfect!》

“Hey, hey. You can't eat that.”

《What do you mean I can't! It's the perfect restorative meal for my glorious return...!》

Before he could even finish speaking.

A mountain-like pressure surged from the shadows, and the shape of a beast appeared and casually shoved Seolhwi aside.

It was Wakan Tanka.

《Mind your manners, brat.》

“Huh? What the hell, who are you?! Do you even know who I am, getting in my way like this...!”

An enraged Seolhwi bristled his fluffy fur and charged at Wakan Tanka.

But Wakan Tanka merely flicked one finger in annoyance and struck Seolhwi on the forehead.

THWACK!

Seolhwi tumbled backward across the ground like a cat.

《Waaaaaah! That huuuurts!》

Gone was the spirit who had radiated the majesty of a king moments earlier. Seolhwi clutched his head and rolled across the floor.

The sight of him bawling like a baby was almost ridiculous.

《Kang Do-jun! Look at that brute! He hit me! Scold him! Throw him out right now!》

Do-jun pressed his fingers to his temple and sighed.

“Come on, Spirit Seolhwi. Act your age.”

《H-Huh... Are you saying that to me?》

“Yes. Is that any way to speak to the one who saved your life?”

《Saved my life? That brute did?》

Wondering where he should even begin explaining, Do-jun scratched his chin and answered.

“That's Wakan Tanka, one of the supreme gods who dwells in America. If that spirit hadn't taken care of you... you still wouldn't have awakened. And I'd probably have gotten killed by some evil spirit and died alone in a ditch somewhere.”

《...What?》

Seolhwi blinked and studied Wakan Tanka's form.

Once he focused his senses, he could clearly feel it.

He himself had been one of the greatest spirits in South Korea, yet the savage aura pouring from the enormous beast looming before him... was in no way inferior to that of a Great Luo Immortal.

Then Wakan Tanka spoke.

《What are you staring at, cat?》

《...S-Sorry, big brother.》

Seolhwi wiped away his tears as though he'd never been crying and respectfully bowed to Wakan Tanka.

《And your greeting?》

《...Thank you! I owe you an enormous debt for taking me in! I look forward to learning from you from now on!》

A stance switch worthy of Udyr.

As Do-jun let out a hollow laugh at the sight, the sky of the Domain slowly began to collapse.

***

The silent interior of Club ‘Alice’ was still thick with the metallic scent of blood and gunpowder.

The stage had been a scene of utter carnage only moments ago.

Now, only the ashes left behind by the vampires and fragments of shattered spirit-medium dolls rolled across the floor.

“...Did he really drag the vampires into a Domain?”

Cheshire Cat muttered blankly while sitting on the floor and staunching the wound in his shoulder.

Beside him, Queen of Hearts's hands trembled faintly as she reloaded her silver bullets.

“If not, where else could they have disappeared to?”

“But... even in America, you can count the number of exorcists capable of constructing their own Domain on one hand. Even among the A-ranks registered with the National Exorcist Association, only a tiny handful can do it. No, it's practically the exclusive territory of S-ranks...”

A Domain.

That Asian exorcist was believed to have just deployed a spell said to be possible only after one's abilities had reached their absolute peak.

Having witnessed it with their own eyes, everyone's faces went pale.

Now... their voices were no longer filled with fear of the vampires, but curiosity.

“Who could he be? Lucas, the Vatican's Holy Knight? Or Arthur of the Eastern Alliance?”

“None of the characteristics match. They all use Western holy relics or classical magic. That Asian just now... wrote symbols with a brush and wielded the power of all kinds of beasts.”

“An Asian with that level of skill should've become famous ages ago. Who the hell is he?”

A monstrous exorcist completely unknown within the industry.

Everyone was dying to know where on earth he'd come from.

That was when it happened.

Sssss!

The empty air blackened and tore open as though an old sheet of paper were burning away.

Blue flames sparked between the unreal cracks, and a familiar figure squeezed through the opening before dropping onto the stage.

It was Kang Do-jun.

“Hoooo, I'm back.

His clothes weren't even slightly disheveled as he appeared, slowly exhaling the fluorobono-scented vapor from the vape between his lips.

Alice's master, Clock Rabbit... Michael Burrard hurried over and asked.

“Asian! What happened? Smithers? What about his elite unit?”

Instead of answering, Do-jun let the smoke gathered around his lips drift into the air.

“Took care of them.”

His tone was so calm it almost sounded bored.

The club fell silent as though doused with cold water at the unbelievable sight of a man who had just returned after annihilating an Apostle and his entire elite force.

“You really dealt with all of them by yourself? How?”

“That's none of your business. For now, clean this club out and relocate. Launder everything properly too. Unless you want to die.”

“Why?”

At Michael's question, Do-jun ground the ash scattered across the floor beneath the heel of his shoe.

“These guys have people above them. I'm telling you not to act sloppy and let them pick up your trail.”

“...A-All right.”

Michael swallowed hard and nodded at Do-jun's warning.

After seeing the results the man had produced, he didn't even dare consider objecting.

“We move immediately. Liquidate the club at once and burn all related information. We're relocating.”

“What about the Underworld Board?”

“Shut it down temporarily. Once we've renovated it, erased every trace, and relaunched it in another form, it'll be fine.”

“Yes, Master!”

Alice's members immediately began moving in perfect order.

Do-jun smiled faintly and spoke.

“At this point, I'd say I've done my part... So you'll honor the agreement we made, right?”

Michael nodded firmly.

Do-jun had helped them protect all of Club Alice's assets from the vampires.

In exchange, he would receive Clock Rabbit's infrastructure and all the capital necessary to properly establish himself in America and begin building his own power base.

“I'll use every resource at my disposal to provide you with a clean identity, a license, and the best possible solution for secretly opening your own agency. So that you... can become the best in America. Give me a little time, and I'll make sure the result doesn't disappoint you.”

“Fine. I'll trust you and wait.”

The corner of Do-jun's mouth rose into a grin.

Now it was time to see what Clock Rabbit could really do.

The Catastrophe-Class Exorcist Is Too Strong in America

Author

: Gisigami

Production Date

: September 15, 2026

Publisher

: ACES Media Co., Ltd.

Editor

: ACES Media Editorial Team

Address

: 12F, Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Email

: acesmedia9@gmail.com

※ This work was published by ACES Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder,

and its contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and the author.

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