DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

Nakano Ichika is the eldest of five sisters, and ever since their mother passed away, she had to take on the role of the most mature one to fill the void left behind and ensure they were all okay. She became their guide, the one who had to stay strong no matter the situation.

From a young age, Ichika was forced to grow up quickly, understanding that as the eldest sister, it was her responsibility to take care of the others.

This pushed her to make difficult decisions from an early age, becoming the "adult" figure in the household while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. She smiled, joked, and did everything she could to make sure her sisters never noticed how much it weighed on her.

Although she often appeared easygoing and playful, beneath that facade lay a heavy burden. Her desire to protect her sisters led her to ignore her own feelings and needs.

However, when she fell in love with Uesugi, her personality changed—she became more selfish and manipulative, even going as far as disguising herself as one of her sisters to deceive him. For the first time in her life, she didn't want to lose something she wanted for herself.

This internal conflict tormented her, as her love for Uesugi clashed with her duty to prioritize her sisters. But in the end, when Uesugi chose Yotsuba, it all seemed to come to an end.

Yet, that was only the prelude to an even greater tragedy—Nakano Yotsuba was gravely injured and suffered lasting mental scars due to the actions of her own sisters.

In the days that followed, Ichika began having unsettling dreams about the incident. Disturbing images haunted her—visions of them hurting Yotsuba. Miku, through subtle remarks, made her question whether they were just nightmares, but Ichika chose to ignore it.

That changed the day the strange white-haired boy revealed the whole truth—a truth too difficult to accept. At first, Ichika refused to believe it, but the more she listened, the more those dreams began to make sense. Desmon's words echoed in her mind, but even then, it wasn't enough to convince her.

The final proof came with Yotsuba's reaction upon seeing them. In that instant, there was no longer any doubt—they had been responsible for her suffering. The pain in Yotsuba's eyes was unmistakable, and the guilt became unbearable.

Each sister reacted differently to the truth, but for Ichika, the blow was devastating. She, who was supposed to look after her sisters' well-being, had ended up causing them irreparable harm.

Even so, she tried to suppress her emotions and inner turmoil, just as she always had. Acting as the eldest sister was her duty—if she didn't do it, who would? But this time, for the first time in her life, her hands trembled.

She tried to hide it, but the final blow came when she heard Uesugi's direct rejection. Deep down, she had already expected it, but hearing it from his own lips was brutal.

A hollow feeling spread through her chest, as if everything that had kept her standing had finally crumbled.

After some time, she dried her tears and spoke with her father about Yotsuba's condition before leaving. It wasn't a situation she could handle directly—her sister's recovery would be in the hands of professionals.

But there was still something she could do—find Nino and talk to her. Seeing her run off in tears was not a good sign.

Determined to find her and make her come to her senses, Ichika said goodbye to Itsuki and set out on her search.

"Where could Nino have gone?"

Ichika searched the hospital for several minutes with no success. She tried calling her, but Nino didn't answer. Her heart pounded—she couldn't leave her alone at a time like this.

-If I were Nino, where would I go?

After thinking for a few seconds, Ichika took the elevator up to the rooftop. As she stepped outside, she was greeted by the last few drops of rain falling and the damp scent of the air.

"I thought she'd be here."

She walked around, but there was no one in sight. The sound of the wind and the overwhelming sense of solitude surrounded her.

-I guess she must have gone somewhere else...

However, an odd feeling made her stop. Something told her she shouldn't leave just yet.

Just as she was about to turn back and continue searching, she heard a strange noise approaching quickly. Her instincts kicked in, and she hid near the rooftop entrance.

"Thank you for flying Desmon Airlines. Hope you enjoyed the view."

-Is that guy…? And he's with Nino?

Ichika watched in surprise as Desmon held her sister in his arms, but what was even more shocking was that they had appeared out of nowhere.

-That must've hurt…

She considered stepping out of her hiding spot to talk to them, but she froze when Desmon casually dropped Nino to the ground.

-I think I'll listen a little longer.

Unsure of how to interrupt them, she decided to stay silent and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Thanks to this, she uncovered several startling details.

Miku had sent Desmon to stop Nino from doing something stupid, and it seemed like he had succeeded.

On top of that, Desmon casually mentioned how Nino had jumped from the rooftop, which alarmed Ichika. However, she felt relieved upon hearing that it had all been caused by a specter influencing her sister—and that Desmon had already taken care of it.

Ichika didn't know much about the supernatural, so she could only accept it.

-Should I thank him later?

Whether she wanted to or not, Desmon had once again saved one of her sisters—something she had failed to do herself.

As time passed, their conversation grew more intense, and Ichika noticed that it was only a matter of time before Nino tried to lash out at Desmon.

-She really pushed her luck this time…

Ichika was taken aback when Desmon stopped Nino's incoming slap with nothing more than a flick to her forehead.

Normally, Ichika would have stepped in, but the movement was so fast that she barely had time to react.

The more she listened, the clearer it became that Desmon was completely indifferent to other people's feelings.

-If this keeps up, Nino will be the one who suffers the most. I need to do something…

At first, she thought Desmon would offer her sister some help or advice, but it turned out to be the opposite—he was just mocking her.

"If you keep dwelling on the past, you'll miss the things right in front of you." Desmon looked up at the sky, watching as the gray clouds slowly began to scatter. "Or at least, that's what someone once told me."

Ichika paused at those words.

-Maybe I should keep watching…

The conversation took an unexpected turn when Desmon suddenly softened his tone and began offering Nino advice.

-Did he see me? Was that just a coincidence?

For a moment, Desmon's gaze landed precisely on her hiding spot, sending a chill down her spine. But when he looked away, she convinced herself it had just been happenstance.

-I see… Yotsuba still remembers us, even if only vaguely…

Tears of joy welled up in her eyes upon realizing that her sister hadn't completely forgotten them.

Knowing that helped ease the heavy burden of guilt she had been carrying—if only a little. Maybe, with time, she could finally move forward.

After a few more minutes, things got heated again, and the discussion turned into another argument. Furious, Nino finally decided to leave.

-I don't know if he did that on purpose… or if he was actually flirting with Nino…

"I'm outta here!"

Tired of Desmon constantly teasing her, Nino stormed off toward the rooftop door.

"Thanks." She muttered under her breath.

But since Ichika was close by, she heard it loud and clear.

-So, you noticed after all, huh?

With Nino gone, Desmon was left alone.

-Nino already left… I just have to wait for him to leave too, then I can...

"How much longer do you plan on eavesdropping?"

-He knew from the start…

"Ah, you caught me. Figures."

With no other choice, Ichika stepped out of her hiding spot, coming face-to-face with Desmon.

"Normally, I'd say being spied on is annoying, but if it's by a cute girl, I guess I can let it slide." He said in his usual carefree tone, watching her with amusement.

Ichika wore a long-sleeved yellow sweater and white pants—a combination that highlighted both her femininity and maturity.

"That's your idea of a compliment?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmm, depends. What do you think?"

"It's the worst compliment I've ever heard." She replied with a teasing smirk.

"Then I guess it's not."

Ichika had seen enough of Desmon's personality to know how to handle him. He wasn't someone who took things too seriously.

"We haven't properly introduced ourselves, have we? I'm Nakano Ichika, nice to meet you." She said calmly, giving a small nod.

Even though she had overheard most of his conversation with Nino, there were still a few things she wanted to ask. The first step was to establish a proper conversation.

"The name's Desmon. Your reliable and friendly demon hunter—though I take on all sorts of jobs." He introduced himself as he always did.

If Shizuka were here, she'd probably scold him for not following proper Japanese etiquette.

"I want to thank you for your help." Ichika bowed her head slightly in respect.

"Drop the formalities, they're not my thing. Besides, your father already paid me—that's why he hired me." Desmon waved his hands dismissively.

Ichika understood immediately: Desmon wasn't someone who helped others out of kindness—he did it because he was paid to. It would've been different if he had simply happened to be passing by and decided to step in on his own.

"I wasn't talking about that." She shook her head with a smile. "I meant your help today."

"All I did was show up and chat for a bit. Besides, I promised your father that day, so think of it as a little extra."

-I see, he has a hard time accepting gratitude…

"You helped Nino when she jumped off the rooftop."

"Miku asked me to. I couldn't refuse—I owed her for helping me that day."

"Is that so?" Ichika tilted her head innocently.

"It is. Otherwise, I'd already be on my way home."

"But you didn't leave, and that's reason enough to thank you." She flashed a sincere smile.

"You're not gonna drop this until I accept it, huh? Fine, fine, I get it. It was nothing."

With no other choice, Desmon accepted Ichika's gratitude, though he had a feeling she was subtly teasing him.

"By the way, Desmon-kun, I'm curious… when you talked about specters, are they different from demons?"

Ichika couldn't help but wonder if it was just a coincidence that her family had encountered both creatures in less than a week.

"To put it simply, they're like mosquitoes—you'll find them everywhere. Most people can't see them, so it's not an issue. But if someone is in a vulnerable state, one of them might be able to manipulate them. Like, for example, that thing right next to you."

"Eh?!"

A chill ran down Ichika's spine as she hesitantly turned her gaze to her right… but there was nothing there.

"You scared me!" She pouted, looking back at him.

"My mistake. It was to my right. But it doesn't really matter—you wouldn't be able to see it anyway."

"I get the joke, but it's not as funny when you repeat it." She sighed, brushing it off.

Contrary to her expectations, Desmon flashed a wicked grin and stepped closer, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"I can't guarantee this will work, but I've learned that if you're creative enough, demonic energy can be used in all sorts of ways. So, I want to experiment a little."

With a relaxed expression, he infused his hand with demonic energy and held it out toward Ichika, who eyed him with suspicion.

-Is this another one of his jokes? Or does he just want to hold my hand?

"You should be more straightforward with your insinuations~" She teased, deciding to play along.

Without thinking too much about it, Ichika took Desmon's hand, feeling a faint tingling sensation on her skin. It seemed like just another one of the demon hunter's pranks—nothing to worry about.

"What do you think? It looks kind of nice, doesn't it?"

"I don't think..."

Ichika averted her gaze absentmindedly, but this time, something caught her eye.

Right beside her, an amorphous, dark mass slithered across the rooftop. Its body was made of liquid shadows, shifting and twisting, with multiple grotesque mouths and erratic, writhing limbs.

-This can't be real…

Her eyes locked onto the creature, as if she were staring at a monster straight out of a horror movie—except this time, it was real.

"If you keep staring at it, it'll notice you… and do something like that."

The specter seemed to freeze for a moment before twisting its deformed head toward Ichika. The instant it noticed her startled reaction, the creature responded immediately.

"Can you see me...? She can... Can you see me...? Do you see me?! Do you see me?!"

The specter's many mouths began speaking in unison, forming a chaotic and unsettling murmur. Its voice was a blend of a wrenching wail and a distorted echo.

The moment it confirmed someone could see it, the creature lunged at Ichika with unnatural speed, emitting grotesque sounds—like something straight out of hell.

"That demonstration should be enough."

Desmon sighed indifferently and, with a simple snap of his fingers, unleashed a shockwave of demonic energy. The invisible force struck the specter, breaking it apart into shadowy particles that dissipated into the air.

Ichika watched in silence, her body still trembling from the shock.

"And that would be a specter." Desmon explained calmly. "Something that can be eliminated with minimal effort. Demons, on the other hand, are far more troublesome. They can see you from the start, and unlike specters, they don't play around… they just kill and devour you."

Ichika didn't respond right away. Her mind was still processing what she had just witnessed. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes was something else entirely.

Until a few minutes ago, specters were nothing more than something out of a TV show. Now, she knew they were real—and terrifying.

"Hey, are you listening? Still in a trance?"

Desmon waved a hand in front of her face, trying to snap her out of it.

"Yeah... I'm fine... It's just hard to process that those things are around us..."

"Not always." Desmon gave it some thought. "They're mostly found in hospitals and cemeteries. Though, there is one city where you'll find them everywhere."

-Now that I think about it, I need to go back there and ask that old lady for another one of those talismans to help me learn Japanese.

Learning from Yukinoshita isn't working—she just keeps scolding him for not knowing something even a grade-schooler could understand.

"Good to know the difference… I guess…" Ichika sighed in relief, realizing that thing was truly gone.

"Like I said, most specters aren't an issue. But if you're emotionally vulnerable or if you can see them… well, you can probably guess the outcome."

"So..."

"I don't know any way to keep them away. And as for demons…" Desmon locked eyes with her. "If you see one, call me. That's my job, after all." He said with a confident smile.

"I see… In that case, it'd be good to have your number." Ichika nodded slowly.

Desmon smirked, as if just noticing something.

"I'd give it to you, but I kinda need my hand free first."

Ichika blinked in confusion before realizing she was still gripping Desmon's hand tightly. Her face flushed slightly as the situation sank in.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't even notice… Guess I got a little distracted, hahaha!"

She quickly let go, trying to mask her nervousness with an awkward laugh. No one could blame her—seeing a specter for the first time would rattle anyone.

Without making a fuss about it, Desmon casually pulled his phone from his pocket. Ichika did the same, and after bringing their devices close, the contact transfer was done in an instant.

Technology keeps evolving at an insane pace—soon enough, we'll probably have computers that can hack entire nations.

"I'll give you a discount on your first request." He said confidently.

"That's reassuring." Her sarcasm was subtle but clear.

Friendship and business were two different things, and Desmon rarely mixed them. Of course, his idea of payment was pretty unconventional—he could charge anything from a hefty sum of money to something as trivial as a chocolate bar, depending on his mood and the situation.

"By the way, you're not gonna ask me to be your personal advisor or something, right? I've had enough of your sister..."

Glancing at her with mild curiosity, Desmon wondered why Ichika was still lingering. She didn't seem in a hurry to leave, yet she also wasn't starting another conversation.

In truth, she was still processing everything she had just witnessed.

As for the demon hunter, he just wanted to grab lunch and wrap up this whole Nakano sisters ordeal.

"No need. Unlike my sisters, I understand the situation." Her voice was calm—almost too composed for the moment.

Desmon studied her with a mix of curiosity and relief. If Ichika had already overheard his conversation with Nino, then she must have known that Yotsuba still remembered them. That meant he didn't have to spell it out for her.

"It's a relief to hear that. I thought you'd be feeling down too after how directly Uesugi rejected them for Yotsuba, and that you'd want to talk it over with someone other than your sisters to get an outsider's perspective. But since that's not the case, I have nothing more to do here, so I'll take my leave. See you around."

He raised a hand in farewell and walked toward the rooftop door at a relaxed pace.

Finally, I can go home...

Being surrounded by troublesome girls was mentally exhausting.

In a good mood, Desmon began humming a tune carefreely. Freedom was just a few steps away.

Or so he thought.

"Hmm?"

He had barely stepped through the doorway when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Instinctively, he pulled it out to check, hoping it wasn't a message from Lady.

Nakano Ichika:

If you've got some free time, that idea doesn't sound so bad.

Desmon blinked several times, as if trying to force his brain to process the situation.

"Should I be relieved that it's not Lady... or depressed that it's a message from the girl I just said goodbye to?"

He turned his head and saw her. Ichika was sitting on one of the rooftop benches, her expression calm but with a hint of expectation in her gaze. She raised a hand and gestured for him to come closer.

-If Miku trusts Desmon-kun enough, and he was able to help Nino... then maybe I should give him a chance. Ichika thought with a smile.

If even her more cautious sisters had trusted Desmon, maybe she could too. Maybe she could finally shake off the weight of that rejection.

She could act like the understanding big sister, pretend Uesugi's rejection was already behind her. But in the end, it was all just an act. And if someone was willing to listen, why turn them down?

Desmon let out a long, exhausted sigh.

-Next time, I'll leave without saying too much...

Resigned to his fate, he walked back and dropped onto the bench beside her.

"Don't look so down, I'll treat you to lunch later." She said cheerfully.

"Who do I have to get rid of?" He asked in a serious tone, since there was something on the table now.

Ichika let out a light laugh. If she didn't know his personality, she might've thought he was serious.

"Oh, come on. I just need a listener."

Desmon adjusted his seat and sighed once more before flashing a half-smile.

Giving advice wasn't really his thing, but if a meal was part of the deal... how dumb would he be to turn it down?

"I'm all yours."