"Hmm?" JB murmured, glancing up from her computer.
As she was going through some routine emails, she noticed her phone buzzing. She picked it up without much urgency, but her brow furrowed when she saw who was calling.
"Asako? Did she forget to tell me something earlier...?"
It was odd. They had just had a brief conversation a few minutes ago. Given the sensitive nature of their work, they avoided speaking more than necessary—especially over the phone. Two calls in one day could only mean one thing: trouble.
"This is JB. What's going on?"
As perceptive as ever, she instantly sensed something was off. You don't get to be the boss without learning to read between the lines. And right then, the first thing she heard was the roar of a motorcycle engine.
Something didn't add up. The sound was louder, rougher. Asako was riding—and she was speeding.
"Oh, so JB's a woman? I thought I'd be talking to James Bond… You just crushed my dreams!" A male voice shouted through the speaker.
"Huh?" JB blinked, confused, as if her ears were playing tricks on her.
"When did I ever say I knew James Bond?" This time, it was a woman's voice.
"The initials are JB. It's obviously James Bond… obviously, right?"
"You're such an idiot!"
JB had no idea who this guy was, but one thing was certain: one of the voices definitely belonged to Asako. The other, though, sounded like a man more interested in spouting nonsense.
"Asako...?" JB asked, her confusion growing.
If this was some elaborate joke, it wasn't funny. The whole conversation was absurd—and completely inappropriate.
"By the way… what should I say?" The man asked.
"...I hadn't thought of that." Asako replied hesitantly.
"And I'm the idiot? Hahaha!" The man laughed, clearly amused by teasing her.
JB pursed her lips in silence. It felt like they were ignoring her on purpose.
-Did Asako get herself a guy and now she's mocking me? It was the first thought that crossed her mind. Even though deep down, she knew that didn't make any sense—logic had completely left this conversation.
"If you don't need anything, I'm hanging up." JB sighed, somewhere between annoyed and confused.
"Give me back my phone!" Asako's voice came from a distance, followed by static.
"But you gave it to me! Make up your mind—either you drive or you talk. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe you should talk and I'll drive."
"In your dreams!" Asako shouted. The tone made it clear she was losing patience.
More bickering and offhand comments followed, until Asako finally regained control.
"JB, wait. I wanted to ask you something." She said quickly.
"What is it, Asako?" JB responded, more serious now. Though unseen, she raised an eyebrow at her friend's hesitant tone.
"It's not easy to say... but first, promise you won't call me crazy or make fun of me."
"Are you drunk?" JB asked, nearly out of patience.
"Of course not, but…"
As JB tried to make sense of Asako's words, another voice cut in.
"You're taking way too long. Just tell her what we need."
"Like it's that easy!"
And once again, they started arguing like two people who'd known each other forever. Given their personalities, at least they matched in that regard.
-She's definitely drunk... JB thought with resignation.
For a moment, she seriously considered hanging up and calling back later.
"JB, right?" The guy finally spoke. It seemed they'd decided he'd take over the conversation… or at least try. "Name's Desmon. Normally I'd give a grand introduction and talk about all kinds of things. Like how you manage to put up with this woman. Did you know she tried to arrest me the second we met? Hahaha!"
Has someone completely forgotten they're in a life-or-death situation… or do they just not care?
"I can believe that..." JB replied with hesitation.
-Since when is Asako this friendly with criminals she tries to arrest...? I'm definitely scolding her later.
"You've got three charges on your record. If it weren't for this situation, you'd already be in cuffs and being interrogated.'' Asako's voice chimed in from the background.
"Let's ignore her for now." Desmon replied disinterestedly. "Do you know where I can find someone who can create tornadoes powerful enough to destroy a city—or maybe a machine that can do that?"
JB blinked. Slowly. Twice. As if processing that level of stupidity required extra effort. Then she sighed.
"They're definitely drunk…" She muttered under her breath, but still answered.
"If something like that existed, you can bet it'd be in government custody within twenty-four hours. And its creator? Chained up in an underground bunker with no sunlight and no internet. So no, I don't have the address of some mad scientist club obsessed with weather-based chaos."
JB was already sliding her finger toward the hang-up button when she heard the next words.
"Listen to yourself, Asako. I think we're dead, hahaha. Oh well. Let's see how we try to fix this."
The carefree laugh didn't match the weight of his words.
JB blinked again. Words like that couldn't just be brushed off.
"Asako… are you actually in danger?" JB asked. Her voice remained steady, but now carried a trace of concern.
"Let's say yes… but I think I can manage somehow." Asako replied evasively, offering no further details.
"We're screwed. No doubt." Desmon added. "I can't kill that thing like I usually do, so you might want to start writing your will. I'll probably survive, sure, but hundreds of thousands of people might die… oh well, what can we do?"
Desmon doesn't work miracles. In his current state, he's completely powerless against the demon.
JB's expression turned ice cold at that number… it wasn't a joke.
Hundreds of thousands.
That's not the kind of exaggeration you use to sound dramatic. That's a national-level threat.
"Hundreds of thousands of deaths?" JB repeated, her voice now razor sharp. "Asako, stop joking around. This isn't a game!"
She preferred to talk to Asako over Desmon.
"The idiot's right." Her friend cut in, this time with a seriousness that left no room for doubt. "It may sound stupid and unreal… but it's very likely to happen."
And with those words, the atmosphere shifted completely.
JB froze. Internally, her mind had already launched into overdrive—scenarios, containment protocols, emergency responses. She was scanning for patterns, answers, anything that made sense.
-Bioterrorism. Experimental weapons. Forbidden tech. Is it happening again…?
Nothing.
None of her theories matched what she was hearing.
And yet, Asako's tone was unmistakable. She wasn't exaggerating. She never did.
That's what scared JB the most.
She took a deep breath, holding back the urge to shout. And made a decision. This whole thing might seem idiotic and unreal, just like Asako said—but right now, JB chose to trust her.
"Tell me clearly: what the hell is going on? No hints. No sarcasm. Just facts!"
The hand holding her phone was trembling.
Not from fear.
But from the possibility—after all these years—that maybe this time… not even she could stop what was coming.
"Telling you would be pointless—you wouldn't believe it. Asako didn't at first, either. So let's leave that for another time… maybe over dessert. Your treat, of course."
JB ignored the remark entirely—more for her mental well-being than out of patience. She knew she wouldn't get any real answers by pushing. And since she'd chosen to trust Asako, she had no other option but to go along with it.
"What exactly do you need?"
"Oh, your tone changed, haha."
"Stop laughing. How can you act like this in a situation where hundreds of thousands of lives might be at stake?"
JB's voice was dry and cold now—a blend of restrained anger and sheer frustration. Desmon's indifference, that ridiculous humor… it was driving her mad.
"Oi, oi, don't get mad at me! I'm a victim here too, you know?! But seriously… what we need is something that can generate extremely powerful air currents. Strong enough to match—or surpass—a tornado's force. In short, think of it as if we were trying to counteract a very lethal toxic bomb."
The mockery in his tone vanished completely. Desmon was dead serious. If possible, he'd rather avoid innocent bloodshed.
-A chemical bomb? JB thought.
If something like that went off in a city… the death toll would be unimaginable. And the survivors—condemned to a living hell they might never escape.
Her rational mind still resisted the idea, but JB's instincts pushed her to act. She began searching frantically on her laptop, digging through classified data networks and advanced research reports. It only took seconds before something caught her eye.
"I found something." She finally said. "One of the labs at the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) runs studies on typhoons and extreme winds. They use massive fans to simulate hurricanes."
"That might come in handy," Desmon replied with a grin.
"Their maximum output reaches EF-5 tornado levels."
"And that means what, exactly? In terms I can understand?"
For someone who dropped out of school at twelve, getting by day to day was already a challenge.
"Winds strong enough to wipe out a city." JB said seriously.
"That's what I like to hear. So, where is this place?" Desmon asked, sounding way too excited—like he'd just found a candy shop giving out free samples.
Is it time to cross "survive a tornado" off his to-do list?
"In Ibaraki Prefecture." JB replied, still typing away.
"Asako, how far are we from there?" Desmon asked, tilting his head. His knowledge of Japanese geography was nonexistent.
"Several hours… and we'd have to take a detour."
"Oh, perfect. We're dead again, hahaha."
-Well, guess it's time to come up with a new plan...
"Would you stop killing us every five minutes?"
And, as expected, they started bickering again. Though, if they still had time to joke around, maybe things weren't as hopeless as they seemed. Or at least, that's what JB wanted to believe.
"Asako, where are you guys right now?" JB asked. There might be another option.
"Shiga Prefecture."
"Give me a second…"
"Sure, take all the time you want. We'll just focus on staying alive. Maybe we should stop for afternoon tea?" Desmon said in his usual tone.
"Has anyone ever told you you're an idiot?" JB usually ignored him, but that was getting harder by the minute.
"More times than you'd think, hahaha."
JB exhaled through her nose, trying not to scream.
-I have no idea what the hell is going on, and apparently the only one who can do something is this damn clown…
What unsettled her most wasn't the looming threat or the potential casualties. It was that, despite her clearance and experience, she couldn't make sense of it. It all felt like a deranged fanfiction written by someone who'd rather spend their nights writing than sleeping.
"There should be another NIED lab near your location…" JB finally said, having found another possible lead.
"If it's on the way, I'll make it work. But from the way you said that, I'm guessing it's not great news, huh?"
Desmon is very perceptive.
"Correct. That lab can only generate winds equivalent to an EF-3 tornado."
JB skimmed through all the available data at lightning speed. With a job like hers, the country's knowledge was literally at her fingertips.
And yet, even with all that power… she felt like she was playing blind against an enemy she couldn't understand.
"Hm…" Desmon seemed to think for a moment. "Is there any way to overload those giant fans? Crank them up to EF-5 levels?"
From what little he'd gathered, he knew the difference between EF-3 and EF-5 was massive. And in his current situation, he wasn't about to hold back on anything that could give him an edge.
Kagenra had survived once. Desmon wasn't going to let that thing come back a third time.
"I think it's possible…" JB muttered, as she started analyzing the lab's infrastructure in depth.
Technology has its limits, sure. But no one ever said it couldn't be pushed—used at 200% of its capacity. Of course, that probably voids the warranty.
"Alright, I'll leave that to you. Things here are about to get... weirder and more violent." Said Desmon with a smile JB couldn't see. But if she could, she'd know—it only meant more trouble.
And then, it happened.
A sound that froze JB's blood.
Ssskraaaagh!
It didn't sound like anything from this world. It was like something had torn through the very air and screamed in agony, like a creature straight out of hell.
Then—silence. Broken only by Asako's voice:
"Tell me if I'm wrong, but… you said that thing only had two attacks. And judging by your face, I'm guessing you've never dealt with that before, right?"
The vein on her forehead looked ready to burst. In less than an hour, Asako had already given up trying to apply logic to the chaos around her. Partly because of what was happening, and partly… because Desmon was right next to her. A guy who treats life-or-death situations like just another day at the park.
If Shizuka saw her now, she'd welcome Asako to the club.
The club of people who stopped trying to use logic around Desmon.
It has plenty of members. Some in other countries. And probably more joining soon.
"Think it was a bad idea to mock that thing earlier?" Desmon asked, eyes fixed on what was starting to emerge from the dark cloud in the sky.
One… two… three…
In seconds, the numbers hit double digits.
And as if the new enemies weren't enough, his next words made it clear the real show was just starting.
"How the hell am I supposed to kill those things? Anyone got a spare pair of wings?"
"I swear I'll be the one to kill you first!!" Asako shouted, trying to vent her fury.
Asako's desire to exterminate Desmon for being an idiot: 100%.
"Welp, time for a little workout." Desmon said, practically buzzing with energy. "JB, we'll call you later. Of course, if we don't..."
"Because you're dead. Yeah, you've said that a few times already." JB replied, not even flinching.
Desmon had said they were going to die so often, it had lost its punch.
"Oh! Looks like JB's finally gotten used to this idiot." Asako said with a half-smile.
"I'd rather not, but if you trust him… I don't have a reason not to."
"You know I can hear you two, right? You're hurting my feelings…" Desmon said, pretending to wipe away invisible tears. "Hope you two buy me dinner sometime. I'm doing the heavy lifting here, and I don't work for free."
"If you make it out alive, with Asako, and explain what the hell is going on… I'll pay whatever you want."
"Now that's a good deal. I'm officially motivated!"
And with that, the call ended.
JB stared at the screen in silence, as if trying to convince herself the conversation had been a hallucination.
She had no real idea what was going on on the other end, but one thing was certain:
From Desmon's tone, from what he asked for, from where all this was heading…
Nothing good was going to happen in that lab.
Even after everything she'd already done, JB knew her real job was only just beginning.
Without hesitation, she clasped her hands and slapped her cheeks hard. She needed to focus.
The alcohol still lingered in her system, but she couldn't afford to be sluggish now.
"Alright… time to get to work!"
Her voice was the same as always: firm, determined. Ready to face anything. Even something this ridiculous and unreal.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
In the sky, Desmon's body plummets at full speed, completely out of control.
Meanwhile, flying creatures pour down from the heavens, diving straight for him.
And yet, despite the overwhelmingly grim situation, his expression is calm—as if it were just another day. In fact… he almost seems to be enjoying it.
''No matter the situation, if you can still enjoy yourself, then it's just another pain in the ass.''
A phrase he heard years ago.
And so, with a grin on his face, he's about to do what he does best…
"Let's rock, baby… it's showtime!"
And that is…
Killing demons.
After all, it's in his blood.