DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

After surpassing twice the speed of Japan's fastest bullet train, Desmon shot through the remaining cities like a lightning bolt, finally reaching his destination.

"That really drained me..." He muttered to himself, sighing in relief as he arrived just before the 10-minute deadline Lady had given him.

To achieve such speed in so little time, Desmon infused Kurox with a massive amount of demonic energy, unleashing the full potential of the devil arm.

"Good job, now rest. Though, I'm the one who's more exhausted..."

Desmon dismounted from Kurox near the building where his client awaited. After making sure no one was watching, he made the motorcycle vanish and walked to the building's main entrance.

Residential buildings like this only allow access with a key from the owners. If you're a guest, the apartment owner must grant you entry.

"According to Lady, the apartment is..."

After a few seconds of searching for the corresponding numbers, he pressed the intercom button.

"Good afternoon, I've been expecting you. Please, come in.'' Said a middle-aged man appearing on the intercom screen, responding straightforwardly.

-It's surprising he didn't question my appearance. I guess Lady saved me the trouble of explaining further.

With permission from one of the residents, Desmon entered the building. After a short elevator ride, he walked down the hall until he reached the door where his client was already waiting.

"You must be Desmon. Please, come in."

"Excuse me." He said, remembering the manners Shizuka had taught him and not forgetting to thank his host as he entered.

As expected, the place was a large, luxurious, and well-furnished apartment.

Once they reached the main living room, Desmon noticed another young man, about his age, seated on the sofa.

"Good afternoon." Said the young man with a slight bow.

"Don't be so formal; it makes me feel weird..." Desmon replied, a bit uncomfortable.

The overwhelming luxury of the place made him feel out of place.

"I wasn't given many details, but I hope this long trip was worth it."

All Desmon wanted was to sleep for hours. It was obvious from his tone that he was uninterested, especially since no one had explained the nature of his job.

"Customs must be very different abroad." The man remarked sincerely.

"More than that, I just don't put much weight on it. Besides, I can sense the anxiety from both of you." Desmon said monotonously as he casually sat on the sofa. "I'm Desmon, demon hunter." He added, making his line of work clear as he placed Alastor beside the couch.

The two men exchanged glances and nodded, their eyes lingering on the massive sword he carried.

Why weren't they surprised or questioning it? Could it be related to the nature of the job they were about to propose?

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Nakano Mauro."

His appearance matched that of a middle-aged man with short black hair, parted to the sides. His sharp, small black eyes and serious expression exuded authority. Dressed in a suit and tie, he looked every bit the professional.

"And I'm Uesugi Futaro."

The second was a boy who seemed the same age as Desmon. He had pale skin and black hair styled in a bowl cut. His striking golden eyes stood out against his serious demeanor. He appeared to be wearing a local high school uniform.

"I need to know exactly what you want me to do. Otherwise, the results won't be what you're hoping for.'' Desmon said calmly, looking at both of them.

''He's very straightforward..."

"Sounds good." Mr. Nakano nodded with a calm expression.

"So, Mauro, what do you need from me? I doubt you called me here just to chat." Desmon's demeanor shifted, sensing that the atmosphere hinted at something difficult to discuss.

He might seem like an idiot, but there are moments when he acts surprisingly mature.

"Uesugi-kun, could you tell him what happened to you?"

"Sure." He cleared his throat. "It all started a few weeks ago when Miku injured my arm."

"I assume she's one of the five sisters, right?"

Uesugi nodded.

"I had just started dating Yotsuba a few days before that incident."

Desmon quickly connected the dots, realizing that the names mentioned would belong to the five sisters.

"If that girl hurt you, isn't it just jealousy? ...Wait, did you win over another sister too!?" Desmon was shocked, picturing a scenario straight out of the anime or manga his roommate often watched.

"Actually, it was all five of them..." Uesugi averted his gaze.

"WHAT!? You charmed five girls, and they're all sisters? Man, you're a legend! I'm your fan now; got any tips for me?" Desmon joked with a grin.

"If you put it that way..."

"Oh, so he must be the father of the five sisters." Desmon glanced at Mauro. "How do you resist the urge to get rid of this guy?" He jumped to conclusions without hesitation.

"I decided to accept Yotsuba and Uesugi-kun's relationship. He's shown enough aptitude to earn my trust."

"If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to throw him out a window."

"I won't deny that thought has crossed my mind more than once." Mauro replied with a dark smile.

"Ehhhh?" Uesugi seriously considered staying far away from high-rise windows.

"Uesugi-kun, please continue."

"Alright..." He took a deep breath. "That day, I was helping Miku with some topics. Everything was normal until she suddenly grabbed my arm. At first, I thought it was a joke, but her expression and gaze completely changed. For some reason, I felt fear at that moment. Even more so when she began to exert unbearable force on my arm. I tried calling her name, and that's when she seemed to snap out of it and let go."

As he mentioned, Miku seemed to be in a trance that day. During that episode, she injured Uesugi, though fortunately, it wasn't a severe injury. Still, it was enough to almost fracture his arm. He had to wear a bandage afterward.

A girl like Miku shouldn't have the strength to break a boy's arm. Yet, she wasn't the only one to exhibit such strange behavior.

"I don't think simple jealousy explains this... and judging by your expression, this isn't the end of it."

"You're right. It wasn't just Miku who behaved oddly. Something similar happened with Itsuki, Ichika, and Nino as well."

"Four out of the five, huh? So, the girl you're dating didn't show any changes?"

"Yotsuba didn't exhibit any changes. She kept her usual energetic personality." A small smile appeared on Uesugi's face.

-Gotta give him credit for picking one out of five sisters. Any other guy would've gone for all of them... though that's strange in itself...

"What incidents happened with the other girls?"

"Nothing too severe. At times, they seemed lost in thought, and their attitudes toward me shifted. They'd act affectionate one moment and yell at me the next."

"I know some women, and that sounds pretty normal..."

"I thought the same... haha." None of the five sisters had ever treated him horribly, right?

Uesugi set aside his awkward laugh.

"Even so, their behavior was far too strange and unnatural, so I decided to bring it up with Mr. Nakano, thinking he might know something."

Desmon turned his gaze to Mr. Nakano.

"I didn't take Uesugi-kun's words very seriously at first." Mr. Nakano admitted. "I thought it might just be a reaction to everything that had happened. But one afternoon, when I visited their home, I found Nino staring blankly at a wall. As I approached, I noticed her eyes were a different color, and her voice... it wasn't my daughter's."

"What did she say?" Desmon asked.

Mr. Nakano's expression darkened as he recalled the moment.

"She told me to get out of her sight or she'd kill me. Then, she shoved me with such force that I rolled across the floor several times."

"And I'm guessing she regained consciousness afterward."

He nodded with a serious expression.

At that moment, Nino approached to help her father, completely unaware that she had been the one responsible for the incident.

"And from that, they concluded that something paranormal might be happening to the girls, right?"

A normal person wouldn't associate such a case with demons but rather with the paranormal; ghosts, possessions, and the like.

-Maybe they should call a ghost hunter?

"I thought they might just be sick, but the medical exam showed nothing wrong, so I started researching online. I stumbled across some foreign forums filled with fantastical stories, but they all pointed to a local business that deals with these kinds of cases."

Dante's shop doesn't use paid advertising, so the only way people hear about it is through word of mouth; or these days, through online forums, which some might dismiss as a bad joke. This is how Shizuka eventually found DMC. Never underestimate the power of the internet.

"Didn't it seem too unreal to be true?"

Desmon knows that for many, believing in the paranormal seems like a fantasy or baseless delusion.

"At first, I thought so too. But after talking to Morrison, I started taking the idea of such things more seriously."

Morrison handles job assignments at DMC, matching the right person to each task. Since Desmon was still in Japan for another job, Lady took over the new case and wasted no time assigning it to him.

Another reason Morrison didn't give the job directly to Desmon was to let him enjoy his youth and take a break. Apparently, Morrison had already looked into his past, and Dante partially agreed with the decision.

"If you spoke to Morrison, why did Lady call me?"

If that's the case, Lady should have come to Japan and taken care of everything herself.

"I also spoke to the woman named Lady. She said she has an assistant in Japan who would handle everything."

"Since when am I Lady's assistant? Wait a second; am I even getting paid for this?"

Desmon's pay only goes toward his massive debt. In simple terms, he won't see a single cent of it.

Realizing Lady just sees him as disposable, Desmon sighed.

"Putting that witch aside, do you really think something paranormal; or more specifically, a demon; might be causing the strange behavior of these four girls?"

So far, Desmon had never encountered a demon interested in controlling four identical sisters, which made this case highly unusual. And this time, it wouldn't be as simple as going to their location and cutting them down. Or would it?

"It's all I can think of. That look on my daughter's face wasn't something any normal person could have."

Mr. Nakano's words were filled with concern. If someone had told him this story a few weeks ago, he'd have thought they were crazy for even considering the existence of the paranormal.

"I'll be honest; it's the first time I've heard of something like this. I'm used to finding demons who just want to devour their victims."

While there were exceptions, Desmon's words held true in most cases.

"So, you don't think you can do anything?" Uesugi asked, clenching his fist.

For the young student, this situation defied all logic. Even so, he wanted to believe the person sent to help could fix it.

"I never said that." Desmon replied arrogantly. "You're in luck; I know someone with more knowledge on these matters."

Desmon pulled out his phone and called Trish, who was always there to lend him a hand. She'd even picked out the outfit he wore to Japan, although those clothes had since been destroyed.

After a few seconds, she answered.

"Desmon, you must be in trouble to call me at this hour." Though her words might sound annoyed, her tone was calm.

"More like I have a question." he said, sounding a bit tired. He had expected this job to be a straightforward demon hunt so he could leave quickly.

Desmon then explained everything he knew to Trish.

"I see. I think I have an idea of what's going on." She reached for a certain book. "Put me on speaker. I don't want your head exploding from trying to process too much at once." She said teasingly.

Trish had a certain fondness for Desmon, but that didn't stop her from mocking him for his immature behavior.

Desmon ignored Trish's teasing and turned on the speakerphone on his cell.

"And how do you plan to explain this…?"

Thanks to a certain ghostly old woman, Desmon was fluent in Japanese, so he thought Trish would struggle with it. But…

"I won't repeat myself, so listen closely."

To everyone's surprise, Trish spoke fluent Japanese. Never underestimate a demon with too much free time.

"Based on what I've heard, I believe the four girls are possessed by the same demon; one that preys on those with unrequited love." Trish said as she flipped through her book.

"Is that true?" Mr. Nakano asked, visibly worried.

"This demon is known as Kiyohime, who also suffered from unrequited love in her time. Considering that the boy rejected all four sisters to choose only one, it's likely that the four are being possessed to the point where their souls will be completely consumed, leaving their bodies as mere puppets for the demon." Trish's tone remained serious throughout.

With little else to do, Trish had delved into Japanese demonology and was now able to provide Desmon with potentially useful information.

"Is there a way to save them?" This time, it was Uesugi who spoke. The five girls were important to him.

"The situation is unusual. Normally, they would have killed the person responsible for their unrequited love. But since they're sisters, their bond is too strong to break. However, given the trance-like state they've described, it's possible their minds and souls are resisting. I just can't guarantee how long that will last."

"What can we do?" Uesugi asked anxiously.

"For now, you need to separate that girl from her sisters. She's likely to become the next victim."

To Trish, it was obvious the girls were possessed, and it was a mistake on Mr. Nakano and Uesugi's part not to notice sooner.

As the two absorbed the information, Desmon began talking to Trish.

"You've had a lot of free time, huh?"

"Is that how you say thank you, Desmon-kun?"

"Fine, fine. But don't call me that. It feels weird..."

While Desmon and Trish chatted casually, Uesugi had a bad feeling. He pulled out his phone and called his girlfriend.

Seconds passed, but the call wouldn't connect, no matter how many times he tried.

"Is Yotsuba in class?" Seeing his son-in-law's expression, Mr. Nakano began imagining scenarios of his own.

"She should've finished her club activities by now; she's probably home with the others…" Uesugi replied, sounding uneasy.

"Are you idiots?!" Trish snapped. "She's in the most danger out of everyone. From what you've said, the four must be close to being fully possessed. The first thing they'll do is kill the girl who took their beloved from them, and then they'll come after you. And now that she's alone, it's the perfect chance to get rid of her."

Trish let out a slight sigh; she couldn't believe some people could be so idiotic, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it.

After hearing this, both Uesugi and Mr. Nakano felt a sinking dread. In their minds, they couldn't help but picture Yotsuba's lifeless body.

"Desmon, there's no time. Get over there and do what you have to do." Trish ordered.

The message was clear: do whatever it takes.

"Alright, time to work." Desmon stood up from the couch and stretched briefly.

Without further discussion, he pocketed his phone and secured Alastor to his back.

What lay ahead was just another day for Desmon: exterminate a demon. And if the four girls were already controlled, there was no choice but to eliminate them.

"Wait!" Mr. Nakano said quickly before Desmon left. "If possible, please save them."

"You know you're asking for the impossible. If they're fully possessed, there's nothing to save. The only thing left is to end their suffering." Desmon replied in a monotone voice.

Desmon wasn't heartless; he was no stranger to the pain of losing a loved one. But in this case, Mr. Nakano was at fault for not acting sooner. Though, who could have guessed the girls were possessed?

Uesugi stepped closer to his future father-in-law and bowed as well.

"Please, save them."

At this point, Uesugi had no doubt that everything about this situation was real.

"I can't promise anything, but if the situation calls for it… I think you can guess the outcome."

Letting four possessed girls run free would undoubtedly mean several deaths.

Hearing those words, Mr. Nakano's blood ran cold. How could he face his late wife if four of his daughters died?

"Even so…"

He didn't hesitate to say everything he wanted, eventually nodding to Desmon's words.

Meanwhile, Uesugi looked at his future father-in-law in shock, unable to believe what he had just said.

"Mauro-san, you…"

"You can talk later." Desmon clapped his hands, cutting them off.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Desmon was eager to head to their destination. But there was one problem; he had no idea where it was.

"First of all, I have no clue where the five girls are. You know the way, don't you?" He asked, looking at Uesugi.

Uesugi nodded hesitantly, sensing that Desmon's tone wasn't just asking for directions.

"That works for me!"

Without another moment to spare, Desmon grabbed Uesugi by the arm and leaped through a nearby open window.

Mr. Nakano could only watch in astonishment. If not for Lady's words from the day before, he wouldn't have known what to do. But now, all he could do was sit and hope for good news. From his position, there was nothing else he could do.

Meanwhile, Desmon and Uesugi were in freefall from a building over ten stories high.

The poor young man screamed in terror, a perfectly natural reaction to the situation.

"Elevators are overrated." Desmon said cheerfully. Uesugi, however, couldn't comprehend what had just happened. One moment, they were in Mr. Nakano's apartment, and the next, they were plummeting toward certain death.

"Another thing off my bucket list." -Jump out of a tall building? Check. "Kurox!" Without hesitation, he called on his trusted devil arm.

Saying its name wasn't necessary, but in moments like these, it felt undeniably epic; a habit born from hours of watching anime with Shizuka.

Upon being called, Kurox immediately appeared beside them. Desmon pulled Uesugi towards him, and they both mounted Kurox. The motorcycle easily adhered to the building's wall. Before reaching the ground, Kurox jumped off the wall, landing firmly on the runway and accelerating at great speed.

Destination: the quintuplets' apartment.