DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

"I can't believe you jumped off the rooftop!!!" Ichika pouted.

"Just imagine you went skydiving—without the parachute."

"As if I'd ever do that!!"

She looked annoyed, yet she still walked alongside Desmon through the hospital corridors.

"There's a first time for everything. You should be more adventurous."

"The day I decide to jump off a rooftop, you'll be the first to know!"

"Count me in!" He said enthusiastically.

-I'm starting to think this guy is an idiot… She sighed at the thought.

As Ichika fell alongside Desmon, she was convinced she was plummeting to her death. But seeing the smile on his face told her there was nothing to worry about. After all, what's a fall from over twenty stories? Just a horrific death—nothing to stress over.

And, as expected, when they neared the ground, Desmon smirked. This wasn't his first high-altitude fall. He had plenty of practice perfecting his landings to minimize noise and avoid serious damage.

Like it was just another ordinary day, Desmon used the strength in his legs to absorb the impact, landing them both safely. Of course, the landing still produced a dull thud, but as he had observed before jumping, there weren't many people around to notice two teenagers dropping out of the sky.

Afterward, they reentered the hospital and made their way to the cafeteria.

They walked as if nothing had happened, though Ichika was still complaining about how Desmon hadn't warned her beforehand, leaving her screaming the entire way down.

"Is hospital food really as bad as they make it seem in movies?" Desmon asked curiously.

During his trip to Japan, he hadn't been a fan of the in-flight meals—despite the fact that, as a demon hunter, he had eaten things that looked far worse.

"Hmm." Ichika recalled the times she had eaten at the hospital. "Maybe in other hospitals, but here, the food is delicious. You'll love it once you try it…"

As she spoke, her phone vibrated.

"Give me a sec."

Ichika took out her phone and answered the call. After exchanging a few words, she put it away.

"Good news?"

"The opposite. They moved up a scene that was supposed to be filmed tomorrow, so I have to go now."

-Guess I've got no choice. I'll just grab something to eat on the way.

It wasn't the first time a shoot had been rescheduled, and by now, she was used to these sudden changes.

"Are you an actress or something?" Desmon raised an eyebrow.

"If I remember correctly, I told you that when we talked on the rooftop. Did you already forget, Desmon-kun?" She asked in a chilling tone.

Had Desmon seriously forgotten everything they had talked about?

"Oh, right… I think… I mean… yeah. You must be a great actress!"

-I won't forget this…!

Ichika wanted to take her time scolding Desmon, but she couldn't afford to be late, so she postponed it for the next time she saw the demon hunter.

"Here, just hand this to the cafeteria staff."

Being the daughter of the hospital's head doctor, the Nakano sisters had certain privileges, including cafeteria vouchers.

"Two tickets?"

"One is enough for a meal. Consider it my way of thanking you for listening to me."

-Then again… did he actually listen to me at all?

"And the other one?"

"For helping Nino."

What's better than a free meal? Easy—two free meals!

Without overthinking it, Desmon accepted both tickets.

"See you around, Desmon-kun."

"Yeah, see you…"

For a moment, Desmon seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he let it go.

"I hope you didn't forget my name." She frowned.

"Today's a great day, hahaha." Desmon averted his gaze.

-With a lot of luck, I managed to remember the name of Mi… Mi… Miyuki? No, no, it was Misuki… right?

Is there a deeper reason behind Desmon's terrible memory for names, beyond just being an idiot? There is.

"It's important to always remember the names of the people you take jobs for. It shows you're better than the other scum in this place."

"Hmmm, and once the job's done?" asked a 14-year-old Desmon.

"Just forget them. Maybe they'll be dead soon anyway, or you might get a job to take them out later." Said the man who had once been Desmon's mentor.

Back then, in the city where Desmon grew up, only the strong survived while the weak were devoured. Over time, certain habits became part of him.

"My name is Ichika!" She pouted.

-If he remembered Miku and Yotsuba's names, then why not mine?

"Alright, alright, I'll try not to forget it..." He said, shrugging.

"Can't you at least put in a little more effort?"

"Do I really have to?"

For a moment, she thought Desmon's responses were nothing but more questions.

Ichika let out a long sigh—some conversations with Desmon could really get on her nerves.

-I want to believe he's just pretending to be an idiot, but maybe that's too much to ask...

"I'll be late if I try to teach you basic manners, so let's save it for another day."

With that, Ichika turned around and started walking away. But after a few steps, she paused and pulled out her phone.

"Hmm?"

Feeling his phone vibrate, Desmon checked it, noticing a message from the girl who had just walked away.

Nakano Ichika:

"Thanks."

When he looked up, his eyes met Ichika's—she had turned back to see his reaction, flashing him a beautiful smile before continuing on her way.

-Déjà vu?

After thinking about it for a moment and finding no answer, Desmon started heading toward the hospital cafeteria.

Once inside, the scene was as expected—an open space with plenty of neatly arranged tables and chairs, reflecting the cleanliness and order that characterized Japanese society.

-Now that I think about it, this is my first time having lunch in a place like this.

Desmon made his way to the food counter, where the staff collected meal tickets in exchange for various dishes.

"I've got two of these tickets. What can I pick?"He asked after grabbing a tray and a pair of chopsticks.

"Good afternoon. You can choose from any of these dishes. Each meal comes with soup and a drink."

Desmon's gaze landed on a menu, and luckily for him, it had pictures instead of just words.

"I'll take these two."

-No idea what they are, but they look delicious.

"Alright, that would be a Katsudon (rice with breaded pork cutlet and egg) and Sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef with vegetables, tofu, and noodles in a sweet broth), correct?"

Desmon nodded.

"Just a moment."

As expected from Japanese efficiency, his food was ready in less than five minutes.

"This looks great."

"Enjoy your meal."

In good spirits and hungry, Desmon searched for a seat, but since it was lunchtime, every table was full.

-Should I just eat standing up?

As he weighed the pros and cons of having lunch on his feet, he spotted a familiar face at one of the tables—someone who had, in fact, shut a door in his face earlier that day.

"It's been a while. What a coincidence."

Without waiting for an invitation, Desmon sat across from Nakano Itsuki, who wore a red blouse and a long green skirt, giving her a casual yet calm appearance that suited her personality. But the most striking thing was the amount of food on her table—enough for three people.

"Desmon-san? I thought you had left." She said, surprised.

"Your sisters had me running errands, so let's just say they kept me busy."

Despite how things looked, Itsuki knew Desmon had helped them out, so she didn't object to sharing her table. Not that Desmon would've left even if she had.

"Really?"

"I've got no reason to lie. Actually, one of your sisters with short hair gave me these meal tickets but had to leave for work."

"I see. That must mean Ichika had something urgent come up." She took a bite of her food after saying this.

On another occasion, Itsuki might have taken the chance to correct some of Desmon's habits, but right now, her focus was entirely on her meal.

"That looks good too.'' Desmon commented as he started eating.

"Yeah, it's delicious. Today, I got Tendon (rice with grilled eel and sweet sauce), Udon (thick noodles in broth with meat), and Shogayaki (ginger pork stir-fry with soy sauce and rice)."

"Maybe I'll try those next time..." Desmon's eyes lingered on Itsuki's food.

"I'm not sharing.'' She warned, sensing his gaze hovering over her meal.

Seeing Itsuki's reaction, Desmon smirked mischievously. Nothing good ever happened when he did that.

"Hahaha, don't worry. I've got my own food. Besides... eel is pretty tasty." He said, taking a bite.

Which was strange—because none of the dishes he ordered contained eel.

-...Wait a minute.

Itsuki began alternating her gaze between Desmon's chopsticks and her own food, trying to process everything.

"When did you even take that?!"

By the time she realized it, it was already too late—she had fallen victim to a food thief.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't moved from my seat."

Desmon's chopstick movement had been imperceptible to Itsuki, making it impossible for her to notice.

"Mmmmm." She stared at him without blinking, but the moment she did, she noticed a piece of stir-fried pork sitting between his chopsticks, as if it had appeared by magic.

"What was that dish called again?"

"You totally took it from my plate!" She accused him as if he had committed a crime against humanity.

"I don't think so. I'm just really fast."

"You just admitted it!"

"There's no proof~"

Ignoring the situation entirely, he continued eating at a leisurely pace.

-Does he really think I'll just sit back and do nothing after he stole my food?

There were some things Itsuki simply couldn't let slide, and having her food taken was one of them.

With a determined gleam in her eyes, burning with the thirst for revenge, she lunged with her chopsticks toward Desmon's food. However, the young demon hunter intercepted her attack with his own chopsticks.

"Stealing other people's food is wrong."

"And you have the nerve to say that?!" She pouted.

She tried to push through, but her chopsticks couldn't break past his defense.

"You can keep trying, but it'll just be a waste of time." Desmon said arrogantly.

"It's unfair for you to take food from others!" She kept up the struggle.

"I just wanted a little taste. I wouldn't call that a crime."

"You have your own food!"

"You should learn to be less selfish."

"Right back at you! You should learn to share!"

They reached a stalemate, neither willing to back down.

-I just want to finish my meal and leave, but at this rate, I'll be stuck here until dinner.

Desmon hadn't expected Itsuki to be this serious about her food.

"Fine, just take some already."

Giving up, he let her chopsticks pass through.

"Yay! I wanted to try the pork chops!"

With lightning-fast speed, Itsuki took several bites from Desmon's plates.

"Hey! I said take a little, not everything!"

"You started it. You have no right to complain."

-I need to remember never to take her food again.

Once she was satisfied, she resumed eating her own meal.

"Do you always eat like this?"

"What do you mean?" She spoke after swallowing.

"Three full plates of food, plus what you ate from mine."

-Now that I think about it… she's eating enough for three people.

"I was just a little hungry." She averted her gaze slightly but didn't stop stuffing her mouth.

-For someone who eats this much, she stays in shape… where does all that food even go…

Instinctively, Desmon's eyes drifted toward her body. After a few seconds, his gaze stopped at a certain spot.

"Oh, I see." He nodded to himself.

"Mmm?"

Itsuki looked at him curiously as he seemed to realize something.

"It's nothing."

And with that, they continued eating without any further incidents.

...

"That was delicious."

"Agreed."

After a while, they both finished their meals, satisfied.

-I guess today wasn't so bad after all, Desmon thought in a good mood.

"By the way, Desmon-san, what did my sisters ask you to do?"

Now that the meal was over, Itsuki wanted to know exactly what her sisters had requested from the demon hunter.

"One asked me to stop her sister from doing something stupid, and the other asked me to have a conversation with her."

"Judging by how you said that… Miku asked you to stop Nino from doing something dumb, and Ichika asked you to listen to her."

"Oh! That's correct—100 points!"

Desmon's explanation had been vague, but she understood it perfectly.

"Not surprising. I know them well, so it was easy to figure out." She said proudly.

"Just to be sure, you're not gonna ask me to talk with you about something too, are you?"

The last thing Desmon wanted was another girl venting her problems to him. He could barely deal with his own, let alone anyone else's.

I wasn't thinking about that, but from the way you say it, I take it you've already talked to Nino and Ichika."

"Yeah, it was exhausting. They both needed me to spell out the obvious, but I guess they would've figured it out sooner or later."

Desmon just voiced his thoughts. If he could come to that conclusion, then obviously, the girls would've reached the same answer eventually.

"It must have been tough for them..." Itsuki imagined the scenario of her two sisters talking to Desmon, but the only outcome she could see was them freaking out.

"It was even worse for me. Jumping off the rooftop twice—bad for the legs."

"Jumping off the rooftop...? Oh, I get it! It's a metaphor!" She nodded in amusement.

"Technically, I did, but I guess everyone interprets things their own way." He shrugged.

They both understood completely different things.

"Are they okay?" Itsuki asked with a serious expression.

That was the crucial question she wanted to ask.

She could tell her sisters were still struggling with their emotions—Nino didn't seem willing to talk about it with anyone, and Ichika would just pretend nothing happened, making things even harder. So, it was a surprise that both of them had opened up to Desmon.

"They're fine. You don't have to worry—they managed to move on. They just needed someone to remind them." Desmon's expression turned serious for once. "Although... one of them hates me, and the other wants to scold me the next time she sees me." Of course, his seriousness didn't last long.

"Haha, yeah, I can imagine. They're a bit special that way." Itsuki said with a smile before her expression softened. "Desmon-san, thank you for helping them. They can be a little difficult, but deep down, they're good people." She bowed her head slightly.

As the youngest of the five sisters, Itsuki was also the most mature. Even though Uesugi's rejection and Yotsuba's situation had been tough, she understood that shutting herself off and dwelling on it wouldn't help.

Her sisters, however, didn't see it the same way. And if Desmon had been able to help them, then it was only right to thank him.

"It was nothing." Desmon waved it off like it wasn't a big deal. "At least you didn't cause me any trouble—except for stealing my food. But I guess I had that coming."

-So he really is just like Miku said. Itsuki thought.

During their conversation, Miku had told her that while Desmon might seem like a troublemaker, he was actually a good guy.

"You started it, so you can't complain." She grinned.

"Noted. If I take your food, you'll turn into a hungry bear."

"That's an unfair comparison." She pouted adorably, like a small, sulky animal.

-I'm not a hungry bear… I wonder what bear meat tastes like?

Somewhere in Japan, a bear shivered, sensing a greater predator watching.

"I think it's a pretty accurate one." Desmon said before standing up and stretching.

Finally, he could head home and get back to sleeping.

"Don't forget your tray."

Itsuki stood up as well, picking up hers.

"What are you, my teacher or something?"

That classic scolding reminded him of how Shizuka always nagged him about the smallest things.

"I actually want to be a teacher in the future." Itsuki said with determination.

"I feel bad for your future students..."

"That's rude!"

Arguing over whether or not Itsuki would be a good teacher, the two dropped off their trays and left the cafeteria, heading toward the hospital exit.

"Hope there's no line at the station." Itsuki sighed, already picturing herself crammed like a sardine in the train all the way home.

"I feel you. Train rides are exhausting, that's why I prefer not to use them.''

"Wait, don't you take the train? I heard you're from another city." She looked at him, slightly surprised. Desmon didn't seem like the kind of guy who owned a car, let alone had a driver's license.

"I've got something better and way more convenient than a train." Desmon glanced around to make sure no one was watching. "Faster than any train in this country."

-How did he…?

Before Itsuki's eyes, a black motorcycle materialized out of nowhere. But unlike any normal bike, Desmon's had an aura—something almost mystical.

"If you're wondering how this is possible—I have no clue!" He declared proudly. "If it works, no need to overthink it."

On any other day, Itsuki would've questioned the logic behind what she had just seen. But after everything that had happened lately, she knew not everything could be explained with common sense. The supernatural defied the logic she was used to.

"That's a pretty simple way of looking at things..." She raised an eyebrow.

"Overcomplicating simple stuff doesn't help anyone—that's my motto!"

Without overthinking it any further, Desmon approached Kurox, his favorite multi-purpose devil arm.

But just as he was about to hop on, he remembered his conversation with Ichika.

-Oh, right… she said I should be more considerate with girls. …how annoying…

"Oi, if you don't want to take the train, I'll drive you."

Like a true gentleman—or at least, that's what he wanted to believe. Desmon offered to give Itsuki a ride. However, the annoyed look on his face made it clear he was doing it more out of obligation than kindness.

"Thanks, but I don't think I'd feel safe in that thing. Besides, having you as the driver gives me a bad feeling..." Itsuki frowned, already picturing the disaster.

"It's perfectly safe. I can even take a nap while driving."

"That's a crime!"

"The cops already stopped chasing me, so I guess they gave up." He spoke with complete disregard for traffic laws.

Well, except for one particularly stubborn officer who still hadn't given up. That woman was way too persistent.

-What is he even saying...?

"By the way, what I said wasn't a question." He said with a sinister grin.

Before she could respond, Desmon scooped Itsuki into his arms.

He might not seem like it, but he was a sore loser. She had stolen several bites from his plates at the cafeteria, and if there was a way to get revenge, he'd take it—with a big smile, just like now.

"Wait—put me down!!"

With her still in his arms, Desmon mounted Kurox.

"Shouldn't your hands be on the handlebars...?" She asked, fear written all over her face.

Her struggles were pointless—there was no escape. More importantly, Desmon's hands were currently occupied.

"Don't worry, it's got autopilot. Full speed ahead, Kurox!"

As if responding to his command, the motorcycle roared to life and sped off.

With no other choice, Itsuki clung tightly to Desmon.

-He is definitely not a good guy!!

...

High above in the sky, a shadow-cloaked figure remained still, watching something in the distance.

"A yōkai forced to become a demon... This should be entertaining."

As he spoke, a thick, ominous black smoke began to seep from his hand.

"Kagenra, show me how strong you've become... and more importantly, the chaos you're capable of unleashing." His voice was chilling, as cold as the void itself.

Once, it had been Enenra—a yōkai. But its master had renamed it. Now, it was something far more powerful and destructive than in its original form.

Named demons were superior beings, far more fearsome than ordinary demons—creatures of will and raw chaos. However, having been forcibly transformed, Enenra had lost all autonomy. Now, it was nothing more than an obedient hound for its master.

Slowly, a massive cloud of black smoke spread across the sky. Though the entity had no eyes, looking at it gave the eerie sensation of being watched—like staring into hollow sockets that reflected an infinite abyss.

Without another word, the dark mist began to move toward its target—a young man riding his motorcycle home along the highway.

"Make this entertaining, demon hunter."

And just like that, the shadowy figure vanished without a trace.

Unaware of what was to come, Desmon was about to face a demon he could not defeat alone—an enemy that would drag him through hell itself.