"Who would've thought today would end in complete chaos?" Desmon chuckled carelessly as he sprinted down the highway. "First a calm chat with the quintuplets… and now, running from that damn demon. Haha, just another day, I guess."
As expected, only he would find a life-or-death situation something to joke about.
Behind him, a thick black cloud known as Kagenra sped forward with clear intent: eliminate Desmon. Someone like him, alive and unchained, could jeopardize very important plans.
Underestimating Desmon was the worst mistake anyone could make. If this demon hunter kept gaining experience and weapons, he'd become something that couldn't be contained.
"I can't believe you're enjoying this! You're completely insane!" Shouted Asako Kusakabe, a police officer. She is driving her motorcycle next to Desmon
She didn't even stop to ask how the hell Desmon could run at that speed. If he entered the Olympics, he'd embarrass the entire field.
"You know how it is." He replied with a grin that mocked the danger. "If I'm not saving girls jumping off buildings, I'm running from a demon that refuses to die. Life stuff. Maybe it's the price of being so popular?"
"If that's popularity, I'll pass." Asako sighed in defeat.
Logic, common sense, and any shred of sanity had left her long ago, so she stopped asking questions. But even at that speed, it was only a matter of seconds before Kagenra caught up. And when that happened, laughing would be the last thing on their minds—unless someone enjoyed inhaling toxic mist for fun.
"Tch..." Asako muttered, frustrated, reaching out a hand toward Desmon. "Get on, damn it!"
She wasn't thrilled about helping the guy who nearly killed her a few minutes ago, but he had proven himself more than capable. He deflected Kagenra's spikes with an ease no normal human could match. So if there was even a slim chance of surviving, the answer was clear: he was her best bet.
"Wow, that's fast for a first date… shouldn't we be taking things slow?" Desmon teased, mimicking a flustered maiden's voice.
"Enjoy getting eaten by that thing." She shot back, ignoring him as she accelerated.
Realizing she wasn't joking, Desmon pushed off the ground and, with a quick flip, landed gracefully behind her on the bike.
"You really were gonna leave me? How cruel… sniff, sniff.'' He said, pretending to wipe away imaginary tears.
Without asking, he wrapped his arms around Asako's waist—unlike his Devil arm, motorcycles didn't drive themselves or break the laws of physics.
"Shut up and be grateful I even offered. And if your hands move anywhere else, I swear I'll throw you off."
"Noted." He replied sarcastically. "By the way, you might wanna speed up. That thing's gaining on us."
"I don't need you to tell me that!"
Asako twisted the throttle, managing to put a bit more distance between them and the demon.
"That demon's like an ex… always stalking me and bringing chaos wherever it shows up."
"If you stopped saying dumb crap and focused on a way to stop it, that's the only reason I'm helping you!"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking… though I'm not promising anything brilliant. Better we work together—unless you're dying to find out what happens when someone breathes that smoke. Spoiler: it ain't pretty." He said with unnerving calm.
''Tch.'' Asako cursed.
Desmon had a damn good point. If that demon reached a city, the death toll would be in the hundreds of thousands. And from what little she understood, he had faced it before… and somehow managed to stop it, at least temporarily.
"I'll take that as a yes. Pleasure working with you, Officer-chan." He said with a charming smile. "You can call me Desmon, your friendly neighborhood demon hunter. My rates are super affordable—though the payment system is still a work in progress. Give me a few more days to settle on a price."
Like any good entrepreneur, he didn't miss the chance to promote his business. You never know when a new client might show up.
"This really isn't the time for that…"
"It's always a good time to make connections." Desmon said, looking up.
Kagenra was still right behind them, almost like it was enjoying this strange game of hunter and prey… though in this case, the roles were pretty blurred.
"You know what would be great right now?" He asked with a grin.
"Go on…" Asako replied, not even bothering to hide the exhaustion in her voice. Apparently, the demon hunter had never heard of the concept of "keeping quiet."
"Chase music. Nothing like a killer soundtrack to spice up a getaway where we could die any second. And I swear I've got a couple of perfect tracks for this moment…"
Desmon confidently reached into his pocket—only to pull out what used to be his phone. The thing was completely wrecked, like it had been run over by a train. In reality, it had been crushed by Kagenra.
"...Well, looks like my phone didn't survive my fight with Kagenra." he sighed. "They really don't make phones like they used to…"
-Now that I think about it, Lady bought it… and loaned it to me… does that mean I have to pay her back too?
The demon hunter shivered at the thought of his debt growing even more.
"Were you seriously going to play music right now?"
"Don't worry, I can improvise."
With that, he cleared his throat and, with renewed enthusiasm, started to sing:
♫Ridin' fast, the sun's in our eyes,
Demon made of smoke just passed us by.
It's got claws, it's got rage,
If it catches us, we'll be sliced to bits on the next page!♫
"Are you seriously singing right now!?" Asako shouted, eyes still locked on the road.
"I'm bored, okay?" Desmon replied cheerfully, continuing his improvised song:
♫Maybe we'll crash, maybe we'll fry,
But we're still laughin', don't ask why!
The cops are lost, the demon's mad —
But hey, the ride's not half that bad!
I'd drive us clear, I really might,
But I forgot I don't have a license tonight.♫
"If you keep singing that garbage, I swear I'll throw you off this bike without blinking."
"Tough crowd… and here I thought I nailed those lyrics." He said, faking emotional pain.
"That's the worst song I've ever heard…"
"Turn right or we die."
Asako yanked the handlebars just in time, narrowly dodging a black pillar that slammed into the pavement where they'd been a second ago. Any closer and they'd have ended up skewered.
"If you don't focus on driving, we're going to die. Well… you'll die. I've got better odds, but I'm not enough of a masochist to go through that hell again,'' Desmon said with a shiver, recalling Kagenra's venom tearing through every inch of his body.
"All I hear from you is whining and nonsense. You haven't done a single useful thing to stop that thing. Seriously, why am I even giving you a ride?"
Asako's patience was starting to crack.
"Because the police always protect their citizens.'' He said, nodding with absolute certainty.
"Are you even Japanese?"
Desmon looked away… and started whistling.
"...You're not even a citizen?! Give me one good reason not to toss you to that demon or whatever the hell that thing is!!!"
The demon was after Desmon. So if Kagenra managed to rip him apart, maybe it would be satisfied and disappear. That was Asako's line of thinking, anyway.
And let's be honest, nobody would hesitate much to sacrifice a stranger for the greater good.
"Ouch, you've wounded my soul… sniff sniff—haha." Desmon said with a carefree laugh. "But I like that attitude. Still, if I want to get rid of that thing, I'm gonna need something like… I don't know, a freakin' tornado? Something strong enough to shred it and send it back to wherever it came from."
Desmon had managed to temporarily disintegrate Kagenra before. That experience gave him an idea: if he could channel a wind current powerful enough—stronger than the most destructive tornadoes on record—he might be able to absorb the demon and end it for good.
The problem was, of course, the sky wasn't exactly cooperating. Not even a decent breeze, let alone a storm that could wipe out half a city. And obviously, running for their lives wasn't making it any easier to experiment with weather phenomena.
"Oh, brilliant idea. Just one tiny detail… WHERE THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET A TORNADO?!" Asako screamed at the top of her lungs.
"I have absolutely no idea, hahaha. But we'll come up with something… I think."
"You really are…"
"Oh, would you look at that. Seems like that first impact was just a warm-up. Now comes the fun part. Although I bet it's more of the same... black stakes. So cliche." He said with a mocking grin.
"Huh?"
Asako looked up. From the sky, black objects were falling at high speed.
Though it looked like nothing more than a dark cloud, Kagenra had begun firing hundreds of stakes upward. They slammed into the sky, transforming into a deadly rain pouring straight down onto the road.
"Dammit!"
Without thinking, Asako hit the motorcycle's nitro. A burst of speed shot them forward, just enough to dodge the first wave of projectiles… but not enough. There was barely any room to maneuver, and unless they did something fast, it was over.
"Looks like you need my help again." Said a female voice—completely unfamiliar.
Before they could react, several jellyfish appeared above them. They floated effortlessly, intercepting and absorbing the stakes midair.
"Great. The day just got even weirder." Desmon muttered, clearly surprised.
"You think that's weird?"
Desmon turned his head. A small jellyfish had settled on his shoulder without him even noticing. What was strange wasn't just that it spoke in a soft, feminine voice—it was that, even with his enhanced senses, he hadn't felt it at all.
That almost never happened.
"You know her?" Asako asked.
"Not a clue."
"Sooner or later, we'll meet." Whispered the voice from the jellyfish, playful and teasing. "I'll be waiting for that moment."
"I'd prefer if that day never came." Desmon said coldly.
And without hesitation, he grabbed it and crushed it.
Was it arrogance? A bruised ego at being helped by a stranger? Or did he notice something others didn't?
Because while the jellyfish was pretending to be friendly, it had been silently injecting a toxin into his body. A passive-acting poison, strong enough to kill demons… once the right command was given.
What that mysterious woman didn't know was that Desmon had already survived Kagenra's poison. His body had built a monstrous resistance, and his white blood cells showed no mercy. The moment the toxin entered his system, it was completely destroyed.
So yes, Desmon had every reason to act the way he did. And while he'd let this hidden murder attempt slide this time, next time… he'd go straight for the woman's head.
After all, he wasn't the kind of guy who thanked assassination attempts with a smile.
Attacking the demon hunter was, for many reasons, the smart choice.
Desmon might seem friendly. Even funny. But he was still exactly what he was: a demon powerful enough to wipe out a city's population… or an entire country if he felt like it.
And if one day he decided to kill Japan's prime minister? Who'd stop him? The police? The JSDF? Not in their wildest dreams.
With someone like that, caution isn't paranoia—it's survival.
Because yes, great power does come with great responsibility… at least, that's what they told a certain spider-themed menace. But Desmon? He was told something very different:
"You're free to do whatever you want, whether it's good or bad. As long as it's your choice, it's fine."
And ever since, he's lived exactly by that philosophy.
...
"Looks like the pup has fangs, huh?"
Somewhere in a luxurious corner of Japan, a woman with a serene smile and a deadly gaze spoke in a melodious voice.
The room was elegantly decorated: dark wood furniture, silk curtains, and a calm so perfect it felt unreal. Gracefully seated at a table covered in delicate pastries, she poured herself tea into a porcelain cup.
Beside her, a jellyfish floated gently. Within it, thick black smoke swirled.
"Interesting… Looks like I'll need to study this toxin more closely." the woman murmured, intrigued.
A dark droplet slid from one of the creature's tendrils, and she caught it with her finger. Without hesitation, she brought it to her lips.
"Delicious~"
The gesture, seemingly innocent, oozed a chilling sensuality. Her tongue—marked with a strange symbol—slid across her lips like she was savoring a forbidden wine.
Nothing she'd created before came close to this level of corrosive lethality. Helping the demon hunter, it seemed, had paid off.
Kagenra's toxin was deadly. But to her, it was nothing short of a delicacy.
"I'll be waiting for our next meeting." She said, lifting the cup again—though what it held wasn't exactly tea. "Hopefully next time you'll make the right choice… or I'll have to eliminate you." Her smile was both charming and terrifying.
…
"Looks like it finally stopped drizzling those things on us. Took it long enough." Desmon remarked, relaxed, noticing the barrage of stakes had ceased.
Even demons don't have infinite energy. Continuing a useless attack would be downright idiotic. Kagenra knew that.
"That medusa thing vanished too." Asako said, glancing up. The creatures that had shielded them from certain death had disappeared without a trace.
"Not like we needed them anyway. I could've handled it just fine," Desmon replied with disdain.
Sure. Because facing a rain of demonic stakes is just another Tuesday for the young demon hunter.
"You didn't do a single thing!"
"Heroes always show up at the last second... Although now that I think about it, what a dumb move." He laughed.
Wouldn't there be fewer deaths and less destruction if they showed up from the start? Even with a hero association, that probably wouldn't change.
"Don't change the subject!"
"Relax, relax… For now, let's just hope it doesn't decide to throw out those giant hands or launch more stakes." He said, craning his neck to glance at the dark cloud looming above. "For something so huge, you've only got two attacks? Pathetic! Hahaha!"
"Hey, stop provoking it!"
"Don't worry. I've got everything under control."
"If you say so…" Trusting in that arrogant tone, Asako kept driving while the black cloud continued to follow them.
"For now we've got a half-baked plan. Just need to fine-tune the details. Tell me, you're a cop, right? You wouldn't happen to know a mad scientist with a tornado machine?"
Clearly, someone's been reading way too much sci-fi manga. Shizuka's probably to blame.
"Who do you think I am? Of course I don't know some damn scientist!" Asako huffed, practically fusing her forehead to the steering wheel.
"Doesn't have to be a scientist. Maybe just someone who can think with us. I mean, I've got no phone, so I can't contact anyone."
Desmon glanced at his completely wrecked phone with a sigh. Trish would definitely have ideas, but he was cut off from her.
"As if I know anyone smart enou..." Asako fell silent for a second, something clicking in her mind. "Wait. Actually... I think I do know someone."
"As long as they don't get in the way, anyone's welcome."
"Grab my phone. It's in my pants pocket. If your hand touches anywhere it shouldn't, I swear I'll toss you to the demon without hesitation."
"What a temper, seriously…" Desmon muttered as he carefully reached in and pulled out a flip phone, one of those old-school models with physical buttons. Very much her style.
"Who am I calling?"
"Look for a contact labeled 'JB.'"
"You know James Bond? Incredible. And here I thought that spy only existed in movies. Small world, huh? He's probably got a flamethrower watch or something useful."
Asako clenched her teeth and the steering wheel at the same time. Picturing Desmon getting impaled by a stake was starting to feel therapeutic.
"As if that's even possible!!! Just call the damn number!" She growled.
"So grumpy. You remind me of a certain teacher I know… Let me guess, also struggling to find a date? Hahaha!"
Asako smiled. A sweet smile. Dangerously sweet.
"Alright. I've made up my mind. I'm throwing you out. Say goodbye!"
"Don't take it personally! I'm calling JB, see? Just hoping they pick up…"
He dialed quickly. The dial tone began to ring.
"You better pray they answer, or you're that thing's lunch!"
"I've had enough bad luck for one day. Time for Lady Luck to cut me a break. He said confidently.
And right then, the call connected.
...
A great distance away, several cars cruised peacefully down the same highway.
Inside, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of Desmon and Asako's chaos. Parents chatted and laughed, scrolling through photos from the recent city festival. Kids played in the backseat, sharing candy, singing silly songs, fighting over who got to pick the next track on the stereo.
They were normal families. Ordinary people. Folks who chose the road over the bullet train to enjoy one last stretch of peace before returning to their routine.
Completely unaware of the tragedy waiting ahead. That just down the road, it would become their grave.
Because as Desmon said, Lady Luck may smile on you…
But she never smiles on everyone.