DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

"Where am I...?"

Inside what looks like a crumbling apartment complex, flames consuming parts of the structure, a girl slowly regained consciousness.

Hesitant and disoriented, Miku Nakano opened her eyes.

"What... happened?"

Her gaze wandered across the surroundings, attempting to make sense of the chaotic memories swirling in her mind. After a few moments, her eyes fixated on something.

"What... is that?" She muttered, uncertainty and dread filling her voice.

As she tried to stand, her eyes fell upon a red stain on the floor—an enormous pool of blood.

She wasn't mistaken. That pool of blood and the scattered remains belonged to an elderly woman, one who had always been kind to the Nakano sisters. Now, she was nothing more than a lifeless corpse, showing clear signs of having been tortured before her death.

For a few seconds, Miku's mind couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Then, realization struck her like a thunderclap.

"Ahhh!!!"

She screamed, her voice piercing the air, and scrambled to the corner of the apartment.

"W-What's going on? This doesn't make s-sense." She stammered, trembling with fear.

She was just an ordinary girl. Witnessing a corpse in such a state would be a traumatic experience for anyone.

Fragmented memories flickered through her mind, but in her panicked state, she couldn't make sense of them.

"Futaro... I'm scared..."

In that dire situation, the only thing she could do was wish for the boy she still loved to come and save her.

Unbeknownst to her, those feelings, her unyielding longing for her sister's boyfriend, made her an easy target.

-Miku, I'm here.

"Futaro?"

For a brief moment, she thought she heard the voice of the boy she was so desperately waiting for.

"I thought I heard his voice... but it's strange..."

The situation grew even more mysterious. That voice echoed only in her mind.

-Miku, come to me. I need you!

Hearing those words again pushed her doubts aside.

"Futaro! Futaro!"

Clinging to the hope that the person she loved was calling her, Miku left the apartment through a large gap in the wall.

Her hesitant steps turned into eager ones as she moved toward where the voice seemed to originate.

But when she peeked around the corner, she froze in her tracks.

Standing there wasn't the boy she loved. Instead, a serpentine woman; what remained of her; greeted Miku. The flames had scorched much of her body.

-I knew you would come...

Kiyohime's thoughts resonated directly in Miku's mind. Despite her critical state, the demon had managed to survive and had been drawn by Miku's earlier scream.

"You... you're the one I saw in my dreams..." Miku whispered as she tried to back away, yet something about the demon seemed eerily familiar.

To lure Miku, Kiyohime had invaded her dreams, earning her trust bit by bit until she could slip into her very being. She had done the same to Miku's three other sisters.

-Come closer to me. I can make all your problems disappear if you help me.

Her words carried an intoxicating allure, as though Miku was falling under a spell.

"I... I don't know..."

Miku's mind felt pulled toward Kiyohime, but her body instinctively resisted, urging her to flee.

-Is it fair that a girl like you must suffer for an unrequited love? Is it fair that she gets to have the one you love?

Kiyohime didn't need to name the "she" in her words. Miku already knew.

-I can make your dreams come true. You can spend the rest of your life with the one you love. No one will stand in your way~.

"Can I really... be with Futaro?" Miku's voice trembled, filled with doubt and fragile hope.

This was the same tactic Kiyohime had used to ensnare her sisters, a promise that ensnared their hearts before possession.

-You will. I promise. He'll see only you.

Though in truth, once Kiyohime fully possessed Miku, she'd likely rip out Futaro's eyes to fulfill her promise.

"And what about my sisters?"

For the first time, Miku managed to resist Kiyohime's seductive words.

-They'll all be happy. The four of you will have him all to yourselves. You'll never suffer again~.

Slowly, Miku began stepping toward Kiyohime.

"All... four of us?"

Only a few steps separated her from Kiyohime's grasp, but then Miku stopped.

-That's right. The four of you deserve happiness. You deserve to be with him.

This act had played out before.

"It's true... we worked so hard for him..."

Miku's mind began to cloud, as though she were slipping into a trance.

-That's right, it's unfair that a slut who never put in any effort gets the prize, isn't it~?

"That… is…"

The same situation was bound to repeat itself, but this time, something happened that didn't occur the first time.

As Miku's mind seemed to cloud over, fleeting memories of what had transpired surfaced, giving her a vivid image of Yotsuba's body after being beaten by her sisters.

"…No! You're wrong, Yotsuba doesn't deserve this!"

Through sheer willpower, and the returning fragments of her memories—along with the guilt of seemingly being the one who hurt her sister; Miku managed to break free from the trance.

Was it worth trading her sister's life for the love of a boy?

A question to which Miku found no answer.

-You disappoint me.

The soothing voice Kiyohime pretended to have shifted to reveal her true tone.

"You… you're the one who did this to Yotsuba…!"

Being near Kiyohime, and the connection they once shared, caused Miku's mind to slowly recall more.

-You're wrong. It was you and your sisters who nearly killed her. One more second, and your hands would've ended that slut's life. But that bastard just had to show up in time!

Kiyohime couldn't loathe a certain demon hunter more—the one who appeared at the last second and beat her to the brink of death.

"That can't be…" Tears streamed down her face.

The thought that she came so close to taking her sister's life was a devastating blow.

-Your emotions are delicious. They made it so easy to possess you. After all, you chose a boy you'd barely known over the sister you grew up with.

"Shut up! That's not true…!" Miku tried to protest, but her voice faltered, as if Kiyohime's words were exposing truths she didn't want to admit.

-That's the truth. I never do anything the girls don't want me to do. If you almost killed your sister, it's because you felt jealous and had thoughts of taking her life. You're the best sister ever~

Kiyohime's words left Miku in shock.

-I don't think I can hold on much longer, so just let me come back to you. I'll take care of the rest~

With difficulty, due to her battered body, Kiyohime began crawling toward Miku.

"No!!! Stay away from me!! I don't want to hurt Yotsuba!" Miku declared with all the courage she could muster. Even so, her body remained frozen in fear as she faced the demon.

This time, if Miku were possessed again, it was certain she would kill Yotsuba.

-It's too late. Everyone's abandoned you—from the boy you love to your sisters. No one cares about you. You're a burden to them all, so just die for me!

Sensing she was close to possessing a perfectly intact body once again, Kiyohime didn't hesitate to use the last of her strength to lunge at Miku.

"Futaro!!!" Feeling helpless, Miku cried out the name of the boy she loved, as if hoping he would come to save her.

As unrealistic as it seemed, moments earlier, Yotsuba had done the same, and responding to her feelings, Uesugi had arrived to save her and take her to the hospital, where she was now recovering.

But for Miku, luck was not on her side today. Uesugi wouldn't come riding in on a white horse to rescue her. Something as fantastical as that would never happen.

And yet, as if something defied her fate, the apartment ceiling collapsed, and a figure landed in front of her, blocking Kiyohime's claws with a sword.

"How is it that, out of all the apartments, you were in the last one I checked? Do you know how many cool lines I wasted while coming in? I almost gave up, but then I remembered your father and sisters would kill me, and Lady would increase my debt for leaving a job half-done…"

The first thing the mysterious figure did was complain about Miku's location.

This unexpected arrival turned the entire situation on its head.

Since when did Uesugi have white hair? Was he wearing a wig because he got bored of his black hair?

Where did Uesugi get a sword? Do they sell those online?

Why was Uesugi half-naked? Had he developed a fetish for exhibitionism?

When did Uesugi start working out to get a… well-built physique?

These were the questions that flashed through Miku's mind in an instant as she stared at the uninvited guest who had shown up without an invitation.

"Futaro?" Miku said his name, just to be sure.

Those words made the mysterious figure crack a smile.

"I don't think I could ever compare to a legend like that guy. Who else could win over five sisters? Do you think he'd give me his autograph if I asked?"

Who wouldn't want the autograph of a guy who pulled off such a feat?

Demon hunting? That's child's play compared to that achievement.

Uesugi should write a manga about his story—it'd be a bestseller, though it might get slammed for the ending.

"Who are you?" Miku asked, watching him with mixed emotions: surprise, joy, relief, and doubt.

"Have I introduced myself so many times today that I've forgotten who I am? Maybe it's time to get a new name."

"Y-you bastard!!!" Despite her broken jaw, Kiyohime managed to spit out the words.

"Bastard doesn't sound like a great name choice… Oh well, I'll stick with Desmon." He said proudly.

Is this guy who just barged in and saved Miku an idiot? The answer is yes. No second opinions allowed.

With little effort, Desmon used Alastor to force back Kiyohime's claws.

"By the way, if your sisters ask, tell them I got here way earlier to rescue you." Desmon sighed. "Those girls are such a headache. Is it my fault I forgot one of their sisters? Don't answer—that was rhetorical."

Miku didn't even know what to say. Desmon's attitude was completely out of place for the situation.

You couldn't really blame him, though. The moment the Nakano sisters realized Miku was still in the apartment complex, they scolded him and sent him to find her. For a brief moment, all three treated him with an odd sense of trust, as if their instincts told them he could handle everything.

And so, Desmon started searching every apartment, dramatically bursting into one after another—but with no success.

"You're weird…" Faced with such a strange guy, Miku didn't hesitate to speak her mind.

"Thanks for the compliment." True to himself, Desmon responded in good humor.

"That wasn't a compliment..." She looked at him like he was a complete oddball.

"That's all a matter of perspective. Words can be simple, but they're also so complex, you know?" He said confidently.

"That doesn't make any sense…" Miku raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't it? I remember one of Japan's most important historical figures said something like that…"

Desmon wracked his brain, but, of course, he just made it up.

"I'm good at history, and I've never read that in any book!"

"Maybe you need to read more."

"You're just making stuff up!"

"Oi, oi, are you suggesting I sleep during history class? You're wrong. For example, a bald guy once said, 'If your enemy lives in the mountains, go swim.'' He delivered it with conviction.

But upon hearing those "profound" words, Miku just stared at him in shock; not because he got the quote right, but because he just butchered one of her favorite historical figures' most memorable lines.

"Don't ever say that again!"

"Surprised? I know some history too." He puffed his chest out proudly.

"You're completely wrong! Where'd you even get that from? What did Miyamoto Musashi ever do to deserve such a blatant misquote? Even elementary kids know his actual words!"

Desmon tilted his head like a confused puppy trying to understand why it couldn't pick a fight with a bigger dog.

"The correct quote is, 'If the enemy thinks of the mountain, impose the sea; if he thinks of the sea, impose the mountain.'' Miku corrected him with pride.

"Oh!" Desmon snapped his fingers. "I get it now. So that bald guy liked mountain climbing." He nodded, pleased with his "understanding" of Miyamoto Musashi's supposed war-time hobbies.

"How did you even come to that conclusion?! When did I ever say he liked mountain climbing?! And why are you calling him bald? Just so you know, that hairstyle was perfectly appropriate for his era!"

Talking with Desmon completely diverted Miku's attention, especially as he kept messing up quotes from historical figures she admired.

"Ha! You're so intense. You must really like those historical figures, huh?"

To Desmon, who had been napping through most of his time at Sobu High, Miku's passion was downright amusing.

"Is that a problem?" Miku was bracing herself for his teasing.

"Everyone has their preferences, so no, it's not." He shook his head, still smiling brightly.

"Oh!" Miku responded with genuine surprise. "You can actually say something that makes sense…"

"What's that supposed to mean? For your information, most of the things I say do make sense."

"Hearing you say 'most of the things' makes me doubt it…"

Like two classmates chatting casually during lunch, they continued their conversation as if nothing else around them mattered.

That's just how Desmon is, while Miku managed to distract her mind with the exchange.

However, both of them had forgotten something crucial—the demon they had deemed too dangerous yet were now completely ignoring.

Kiyohime could only watch as they disregarded her, as if telling her she was no longer a threat, like some bad joke.

Her first great humiliation had been at the hands of the man she loved, who fled from her, turning her into a wretched demon driven by pursuit.

The second humiliation came from Desmon, who mercilessly defeated her and spared her out of pity.

And now, both Miku and Desmon were ignoring her, an action that mocked her existence as a demon.

Kiyohime's fury reached its peak. This third great humiliation would be her last.

"You do know it's rude to interrupt someone else's conversation, right?"

Desmon shifted his focus to Kiyohime, who was now radiating an immense demonic aura, far beyond anything she had previously displayed—almost as if she had become a different entity.

From ancient times, myths and legends have been passed down through generations, eventually being written down to preserve them.

But the process of transcription often distorted the details, making the stories less accurate over time.

Kiyohime is portrayed in Japanese folklore as a serpent woman, and while that description isn't entirely wrong, legends tend to lose crucial details with time.

One of the lost details was her true form. A snake has scales, but another scaled creature also exists in mythology.

Had the original legends survived unchanged, Kiyohime would have been described as far more complex than a serpent woman…

In ancient beliefs, snakes embodied wrath and vengeance. But when those emotions evolve, they become an uncontrollable fury, often associated with the massive creatures of legend: dragons.

...the correct description would have been that of a dragon woman.

Upon unleashing her true form, Kiyohime's scales thickened, granting her greater resistance and enhanced damage reflection. Her body grew larger, with severe burns and wounds rapidly healing. Wings sprouted from her back, along with lengthened fangs. Her claws, too, became sharper and far more menacing.

The situation shifted drastically. Desmon now had, at best, two minutes before he and Miku would be buried under the collapsing debris.

Escape wasn't an option, yet fighting would hardly be the smartest move.

Unfortunately, Desmon wouldn't describe himself as a smart man.

"Looks like today's my lucky day." Desmon pointed Alastor at Kiyohime. "Who would've thought I'd tick off another item on my to-do list?"

Miku watched him, unsure of what to say or do, unable to tear her eyes away from what was about to unfold.

"I don't need anyone! I'll kill anyone who gets in my way!" Kiyohime roared with a thunderous scream.

At this point, she had become an unstoppable demon. And yet…

"It's time to earn my title as Dragon Slayer!" Desmon declared with a grin.

…there's always someone ready to send her back to the depths of hell.