DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

After hearing Kiyohime's words, Desmon simply watched her in silence.

One of Kiyohime's abilities is to peer into the soul of her victims, uncovering their moments of misfortune. This technique is usually employed on unlucky girls to gain their trust. However, this time, she used it to delve into Desmon's memories; into the most painful moments buried deep within his being.

"That girl accepted you as you were, and yet you ended her life." Kiyohime hissed, slamming her tail against the ground. "She had so many dreams and aspirations, but the only person she truly trusted sent her straight to hell. Hahaha! Tell me, Hunter-kun, aren't you more of a demon than I am?"

Desmon closed his eyes and remained silent, as if those words triggered buried memories.

"Don't blame demons for your mistake; you're the one who killed her!" Kiyohime pointed at him. "Do you remember her final words? How she cursed you with her last breath?" Her voice dripped with satisfaction. "That girl died because of you, and here you are having fun. Aren't you just a filthy hypocrite? Why don't I do you a favor and reunite you with her?"

People have things they'd rather hide, even memories they want to forget, locked away deep inside. But Kiyohime turned this against Desmon.

-Who would've thought? This guy's nothing but a filthy murderer! Hahaha!

Kiyohime moved closer to Desmon, extending her claws.

"How do you sleep at night? Did you forget how she begged for your help while you ran away like a coward? You're trash; as a human and as a demon. A pathetic creature that blames others for his own weakness."

Now standing in front of him, Kiyohime drove her claws into his chest and lifted him off the ground.

-Just a helpless boy who can't run crying to his mommy anymore.

"What did you do after you killed her?" She sneered. "Did you take responsibility, or did you just run like the coward you are?"

Impaled and dangling from her claws, Kiyohime wrapped her tail around his leg and began slamming him into the ground repeatedly, venting her frustration after her earlier humiliation.

"Back then, you wanted to cry to your mommy, didn't you? Wanted her to tell you it was all just a nightmare. But guess what? You were the reason for her death, too! Hahaha!"

After smashing him against the ground several more times, she hurled him across the room, sending him crashing into the walls.

-So pathetic. I should've done this from the beginning.

With control firmly in her grasp, Kiyohime ignored the girls and focused solely on breaking Desmon. If she succeeded in shattering his spirit, there was a chance she could possess him. And if she pulled that off, she'd become unstoppable.

"Miss your mommy and your precious friend? Well, guess what; they're dead, and you killed them!"

She was close; so close to breaking Desmon's spirit. Or so she thought... grave mistake.

As she approached him to dig deeper into his memories, an immense pressure bore down on her. It was as if gravity itself had multiplied, and the murderous intent in the air was suffocating.

"What… what is this…?"

From where Desmon had been thrown, demonic energy began to swirl uncontrollably.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to pry into people's memories?"

Desmon started walking toward her slowly. The gaping wound in his chest had already healed.

"You don't scare me, you filthy murderer…" Kiyohime growled from the ground.

"I didn't give you permission to speak." He replied, his voice calm yet utterly devoid of the mocking tone he usually carried.

When he opened his eyes slightly, they gleamed a deep crimson.

At this moment, Desmon was truly furious.

Few things could shift his mood so drastically, and Kiyohime had the misfortune of striking a nerve.

"You bastard!"

Kiyohime tried to stand, but the overwhelming pressure kept her pinned down.

-How does he have so much demonic energy…?

Without another word, Desmon moved toward her, gripping Alastor in his right hand.

"Ahhhhhh!" Kiyohime screamed and writhed in agony as Desmon plunged Alastor into her back.

"You think… you can.... Arrggggh!'' She stammered before another scream tore through her as he withdrew the weapon and drove it back into her.

Over and over, Desmon stabbed her, until finally he kicked her upward with such force that her massive serpent form crashed through the second floor and the roof. Like a weightless object, Kiyohime's enormous body flew through the air before plummeting back down, headfirst.

Death by falling? Desmon is not that pleasant.

Kiyohime's body never hit the ground as Desmon drove his fist straight into her face.

The force of the blow was so great that it shattered half of Kiyohime's jaw, sending her body crashing through walls and tumbling across the ground until she finally came to a stop.

-I... I have to escape...

By sheer luck, the impact hurled her out of the apartment, offering her a slim chance to flee. But her body was in such a pitiful state that even moving was excruciating. Her massive frame lay sprawled in a dark pool of blood, spilling from the countless holes in her chest.

Enduring unbearable pain and with her face disfigured by Desmon's strike, she used her claws to propel herself forward. Just as she made her move, a sharp pain erupted from the base of her tail.

Desmon had hurled Alastor from inside the apartment, pinning Kiyohime's tail to the ground.

"Argh!" Unintelligible sounds and cries of agony escaped her mouth.

-You... b-bastard!

Her half-destroyed jaw made speaking nearly impossible, and by this point, her regeneration couldn't keep up with the overwhelming damage.

"Why the rush to leave?"

Desmon began approaching her slowly, taking his time. His emotionless eyes and torn, bloodied clothing gave him the appearance of a demon

-H-he's going to kill me!

Screaming in despair, Kiyohime dragged herself forward with the strength left in her arms. Each desperate pull caused Alastor to rip further into her tail.

"Aaaaargh!"

She let out a guttural scream as she finally tore free from Alastor, leaving her tail split in two. Blood gushed out, staining the ground beneath her.

No longer bound, she crawled with every ounce of willpower she had left, as though her very life depended on it. But when she turned her head to check for Desmon, he was nowhere in sight.

"Who gave you permission to leave?"

That emotionless voice sent a shiver down her spine. Turning toward the sound, she saw nothing but Desmon's foot aimed directly at her face. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance.

The backward kick (Dwi Chagi) obliterated Kiyohime's once-beautiful face, her body ricocheting off the ground before finally crashing back into another apartment.

Without hurry, Desmon began walking toward the apartment again, picking up Alastor along the way.

-Damn it! H-he's a monster!

From the very beginning, Kiyohime never stood a chance against him. Her body was shattered, and her face completely disfigured by the devastating kick. She could no longer move.

What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or should I say... mouse?"

His words lacked the usual amusement he carried in his tone.

Seeing that Kiyohime had given up on running, Desmon closed the distance. Once in front of her, he grabbed her by the hair, lifting her to force their eyes to meet.

Kiyohime felt absolute terror as their gazes locked. There was nothing in Desmon's eyes. When she tried to read his soul, she was met with an unyielding void.

Her fate was sealed. A horrifying, painful death awaited her, and the worst part was that she had no idea how it would come.

"It would be so easy to end you; cut you into pieces and destroy them one by one. But, on second thought, you're not even worth my time. You're nothing but a pathetic woman who couldn't handle rejection, chasing after a man even beyond the river, turning into a pitiful snake-woman in your delusional pursuit of marriage to fulfill a childish dream."

He didn't let her look away, holding her firmly in place.

"And just so you know, any man would leave a lunatic like you. Even I would walk away from a woman so crazed she'd abandon everything for a miserable illusion."

His calm tone carried a hint of pity as he finished.

Without further regard, Desmon hurled her body toward the apartment's kitchen, shattering the stove. Gas began leaking uncontrollably.

The message was clear: You're so pathetic that leaving you alive is punishment enough for someone as wretched as you.

This was the greatest insult Kiyohime had ever received. Not even the rejection of the man she once loved had caused her such pain.

Without paying further attention, Desmon turned around and walked toward the apartment door, pausing briefly to grab something from one of the shelves.

"Bastard! W-who do you think you are to say that? You're just a worthless loser who can't move on after killing the most important people in your life."

That was the message she wanted to convey, but with her face broken beyond recognition, all she could produce were erratic sounds that Desmon ignored.

-I'll kill him, no matter what, I'll kill him!

Groaning in pain, Kiyohime tried to get up to go after Desmon and finish him off. There was no way she could forgive him for everything he'd said.

But as she forced her tortured body upright, she noticed a tiny object that seemed too insignificant to cause harm when thrown at her.

She paid it no mind and began dragging herself toward the door.

Had she not been consumed by rage, she might have realized that Desmon had tossed a lighter; its flame still alight.

Without a trace of expression, Desmon closed the apartment door behind him and walked away. Moments later, the lighter's flame connected with a gas leak.

"Huh…?!"

It was too late for Kiyohime to process what had happened. The gas ignited, and the resulting explosion consumed the entire apartment in flames.

Her screams of agony echoed throughout the complex. Burning alive is among the most horrific ways to die.

"AHHHHHH! ARGHHH! IT BURNS! IT BURNS! N-NO! AAAAAGH!"

Her cries grew louder as the flames devoured her.

Even then, Desmon didn't look back.

...

"This place is going to collapse."

After the explosion, pieces of the ceiling began to crumble. At best, there were only a couple of minutes left before the entire building gave way.

"No time to waste."

With his signature grin, Desmon started searching for the Nakano sisters.

Dwelling on the past doesn't change anything; words he tried to believe but failed to live by. That's why he masked everything behind his smile and carefree attitude.

In a hurried sweep, he found Itsuki, hoisting her over one shoulder before moving to another apartment. There, he found Nino, lifting her onto his other shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Hmm, feels like someone's missing..."

His eyes scanned the area until he spotted Ichika. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he carried her along and rushed out of the crumbling apartment complex.

Once they reached a safe spot, Desmon gently laid the girls on the ground.

"A job well done. I even deserve a bonus."

With the mission successfully completed, Desmon pulled out his cell phone; which, inexplicably, had survived unscathed; and sent a message to Mr. Nakano, informing him to send an ambulance for his daughters and reassuring him that they were safe.

The girls seemed to be in good condition; even the scales on their skin had completely vanished. Still, a professional assessment would be prudent.

The only reply he received from Mr. Nakano was a single word: "Thanks."

As the hospital director, he was overseeing Yotsuba's emergency surgery for severe injuries. A few more minutes without care, and she would have succumbed to internal bleeding.

Knowing his other daughters were safe and that Yotsuba was now out of danger, Mr. Nakano could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The weight crushing his heart had lifted.

Nonetheless, he immediately dispatched an ambulance to meet his daughters and bring them in for examination.

With his task complete, Desmon allowed himself to relax.

"This trip to Kyoto felt endless..." He sighed, stretching.

As he did, he heard a noise from the sisters, who were beginning to regain consciousness.

"Where… am I?" Ichika was the first to speak.

"Outside a collapsing apartment complex." He nodded.

"Why does my head and body hurt so much?" Nino complained.

"Maybe because of the beating I gave you, but I don't think it left any lasting damage... probably." He said, averting his gaze with guilt.

"Who are you?" Itsuki asked, her voice tinged with resilience.

"Desmon, your reliable and friendly demon hunter." He replied with a wide grin.

With every answer from the boy standing before them, the girls looked at him as if he were some kind of weirdo. They had no memory of what had happened, only a few vague, confusing images they couldn't make sense of.

The explanations could wait. There was no rush to overwhelm them with the truth; that they had been possessed by a demon and almost killed their other sister.

"It might sound strange, but I think I dreamed that this guy was hitting me... and it annoys me." Nino said coldly, glaring at him.

Desmon's cheerful, laid-back attitude only made him more irritating to watch.

"I had the same dream." Ichika said, trying to piece her thoughts together but failing.

"So did I..." Itsuki stared at him curiously.

"That's just the power of sisterhood; sharing the same dreams!" Desmon chuckled.

The doubtful stares from the girls didn't faze him. He simply answered whatever came to mind. After such a busy day, he desperately needed some sugar to recharge.

"Miku, did you have the same dream too?" Nino asked, but her question went unanswered.

"Hey, weird guy who's half-naked, have you seen Miku?" Ichika added.

As if it weren't enough that Desmon already seemed strange, he was indeed standing there half-dressed, wearing only torn pants that barely covered him. After all those slashes, what normal clothes could've survived intact?

"Miku? Who's Miku?" He tilted his head and looked at the sky. "Oh, right! She's the one who sings: Arattsa ttsa yari bidabirin ra bari ddan rin ran ren ran doodoo, right?" He mimicked the lyrics as best as he could remember.

Shizuka's hobbies were definitely rubbing off on him.

-What is he even talking about? The three sisters thought in unison.

"Miku, our sister. If I'm not mistaken, the four of us were together before everything became a blur." Itsuki clarified at last.

"One, two, three..." Desmon counted them. There were only three of the four sisters present; technically five, but one was still in the hospital.

Realizing the situation, Desmon's gaze shifted toward the crumbling apartment complex nearby, prompting the girls to follow his line of sight.

There was so much to explain, so much to inform them about. Yet, in the face of all this, Desmon simply muttered:

"I guess I can be forgetful sometimes."