DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

Dragons are known as divine, powerful, and wise beings, characterized by their long, serpentine bodies, wingless forms, horns, and shimmering scales.

Legends speak of dragons capable of controlling rain and storms, revered as symbols of good fortune and protection.

However, every positive thing has its darker side.

There are dragons that succumbed to demonic power, transforming into malevolent figures associated with misfortune and death.

These dragons lost their divine traits—their ability to fly, their horns, and even their great intellect—becoming more wrathful and irrational creatures.

But in losing something, they gained something else: wings that allowed them to rule the skies once more and an overwhelming, destructive energy as the price for their divinity.

Thus, dragons—divine and wise creatures—are also known as destructive and wrathful beings.

It is said that, in Japanese folklore, yōkai sometimes take on dragon forms. Although they may resemble these enormous beings of immense destructive power, they lack the true might of demonic dragons.

This is the case with Kiyohime, a serpent woman who, consumed by rage, transforms into an unstoppable fury, her serpentine body becoming that of a demonic dragon.

Legends and the diverse creatures of Japanese folklore are more connected than they seem.

...

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

Kiyohime, now transformed and brimming with demonic energy, lunged at Desmon with her razor-sharp claws outstretched.

"Looks like the ladies are all over me today." He said with a confident grin.

Desmon used Alastor to intercept Kiyohime's claws, though her sheer strength sent his body skidding back.

"You'll have to share your workout routine with me."

Gathering demonic energy in his arms, Desmon managed to deflect her claws, giving him the chance to deliver a vertical slash across the demon's chest, which he didn't hesitate to take.

"Idiot~." Kiyohime sneered, a mocking expression on her face.

Alastor sliced through Kiyohime's scales effortlessly, showcasing the sword's immense power. Yet, as the blade cut, a deep gash appeared on Desmon's chest, as if Alastor had turned against him

"These scales are a pain."

Continuing his assault, Desmon leaped and delivered a kick aimed at her head, as if trying to snap her neck. However, mid-air, his head twisted unnaturally, sending Desmon hurtling into the rubble.

Cuts or blows—every attack on Kiyohime is mirrored back on the attacker, turning this into a battle of endurance. Who can regenerate more effectively?

"Guess I kick pretty hard." He joked, standing up and popping his dislocated jaw back into place.

"It's only a matter of time. I'll enjoy tearing you apart piece by piece.~"

Desmon had been exhausting his demonic energy ever since arriving at the apartment complex. Between using most of it with Kurox to speed up his devil arm and a brief rage-fueled outburst, it was only a matter of time before Kiyohime's regeneration outpaced his own. Without demonic energy, Desmon's ability to heal mortal wounds was, in essence, nonexistent.

"I see. So, I just need to end this quickly." He replied, confident and upbeat. Showing doubt or hesitation would only work against him.

"How long will that attitude last before you're begging for your life?~" With the upper hand, Kiyohime allowed herself a smug tone.

"At least I'm not running away in fear, you know?" Despite the odds, Desmon didn't hesitate to taunt her right back.

"YOU WRETCH!!!" The memory of her past humiliation sent Kiyohime into a furious rage.

She let out a thunderous roar and began flapping her wings.

"This place is already falling apart, and now you're thinking about flying? Consider the rest of us, will you?"

Before she could take off, Desmon hurled Alastor into a nearby heating system, releasing a cloud of steam that engulfed Kiyohime.

"Trying to buy time? Don't toy with me!"

Kiyohime beat her wings furiously, clearing the surrounding vapor.

"More than buying time, I just needed a distraction."

Leaping onto Kiyohime's back, Desmon grabbed hold of her wings.

"Get off me!!" She thrashed wildly to shake him off but couldn't do so in time.

"Your wings look pretty cool—mind if I borrow them?"

Without waiting for an answer, he used her back as leverage and, with immense force, tore her wings off in one brutal motion.

"Arghhh!!!" Kiyohime screamed in pain as the demon hunter kept a smug smile on his face.

"If your scales reflect damage, the best choice is to aim for something without scales."

Kiyohime's body was entirely covered in scales, making it difficult to harm her without taking damage in return. However, her wings, made of delicate membranes, became the perfect target—and disabling them also prevented her from taking the fight to the skies.

"YOU'LL REGRET THIS!!!"

"I don't think so, not now that I know your weak spot."

Desmon leaped off Kiyohime's back, landing with a roll and retrieving Alastor.

-Not sure how much longer this building will hold... and taking her down the way I had planned won't be easy.

Hurting something that reflects damage? What part of Kiyohime doesn't have scales?

"THAT WON'T DO YOU ANY GOOD!!!"

Kiyohime lashed out with her tail, aiming for Desmon. He blocked the strike, using her momentum to propel himself back toward Miku.

"Hey, Miyu, do you think you can help me out?"

"Miyu? I don't know any Miyu." Miku sounded a bit offended at the mix-up.

"Your ability to stay so calm is admirable, but there's no time for that now. I need you to irritate that thing."

Oddly enough, Miku was unusually composed in this situation. She could have tried to run, but instead, she stayed and watched Desmon's battle. Her mind raced with countless thoughts.

Even she didn't fully understand why, but... she didn't want to walk away until she knew how things would end with Kiyohime.

"Me?"

"You're the only other person here... give me a moment."

Desmon moved to intercept Kiyohime as she charged toward them at full speed. She was met with a swift kick to the face, followed by another that sent her flying back the way she came.

Of course, Desmon also felt the pain of the reflected damage, but he managed to land near Miku.

"Alright, now where was I?... Oh yeah. Try to piss her off as much as you can." Desmon stood with a quick jump and stretched.

"You're the perfect person for that…" Miku wasn't about to agree to something so reckless.

"I can't do two things at once. And even if I could split myself in two, it'd probably kill me. If I die, I'm pretty sure they don't have donuts in hell." Desmon shrugged.

Miku couldn't help but think of him as a hopeless idiot, but she quickly gave in.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked hesitantly, unsure of how she could possibly make a difference against Kiyohime.

Faced with this entirely valid question that might turn the tide of the battle, Desmon replied:

"I have no idea, both of you have been rejected, so you should be able to understand each other. Think of something while I buy us some time''

Without waiting for Miku's response, Desmon dashed toward Kiyohime, countering the demon's attacks.

"He's insufferable!" Miku stomped the ground in frustration. That guy had casually suggested that, since she'd been rejected too, she should come up with a way to tick Kiyohime off.

But... he wasn't entirely wrong.

-Should I just leave while he distracts her? The thought crossed Miku's mind, but she quickly shook her head.

Why did it feel like she wanted to stay and see the fight through to the end?

Before she realized it, this situation had turned into a problem Miku felt compelled to solve herself.

"She's wrong!" Miku clenched her fists tightly.

Kiyohime's earlier words had stirred anger in Miku—not directed at Kiyohime, but at herself.

-"They chose a boy they barely knew over the sister they grew up with."

-"I don't do anything girls don't want me to. If you nearly killed your sister, it's because your jealousy drove you to think about taking her life."

Kiyohime, having possessed Miku, knew the truth. There were no lies in her words—she'd seen all of Miku's thoughts and memories.

The five sisters had grown up together. Like any family, they had their share of arguments, but in the end, their bond was unbreakable.

At least, that would have been normal. But because of Kiyohime, those bonds were nearly shattered, including the near-loss of one of their lives—all because they'd fallen in love with the same boy.

Was it worth trading her sister's life for a boy's affection?

Initially, Miku had no answer to that question. But now, she had her own answer—one she'd found thanks to Kiyohime.

Meanwhile, Desmon kept dodging and deflecting Kiyohime's attacks.

"What's wrong? Not going to fight back?!"

"I'm not a masochist… I think?" He hesitated for a moment. The internet had far too much content aimed at teens.

Kiyohime's strength and speed had increased significantly, but Desmon could still keep up with her. However, merely dodging wasn't his style.

"Whatever you're planning, it won't work!!!"

Kiyohime slammed her tail against the ground, forcing Desmon to jump to avoid it.

-How much longer is she going to take?

"Don't underestimate me—sometimes, my ideas are revolutionary."

Midair, Desmon twisted, narrowly evading Kiyohime's claws with a smirk.

"Too late!"

Although he avoided her claws, Kiyohime's tail intercepted him. Desmon braced for impact, but it never came, as the tail wrapped around him, trapping him.

"You know, I'm not into your whole bondage thing, but maybe…" His disinterested tone was cut off as Kiyohime squeezed tighter.

"How many seconds until you're nothing but a pulpy mess of blood and flesh~?"

"...the s-sufficient ones..." He wheezed with an arrogant grin.

"DIE ALREADY!"

The pressure intensified drastically. Desmon felt his muscles and bones cracking under the strain.

-I don't think bones are supposed to make that sound…

His bones, blood vessels, and organs were crushed under the immense force. Even though he was regenerating, the relentless pressure only prolonged his suffering.

Blood began to seep from his mouth, ears, and eyes. His body was seconds away from turning into the mangled mess Kiyohime had promised.

-This is definitely going to hurt tomorrow…

"What happened to all that confidence~?" She taunted, clearly savoring his helplessness.

Seconds from death, Desmon's plan had already succeeded.

"That's enough! Your conflict is with me, not him!"

"Huh?"

Kiyohime shifted her focus from Desmon to the girl standing before her.

"I'll deal with you after I crush this trash~!"

Kiyohime had no reason to prioritize Miku anymore; possessing her was no longer necessary now that she had grown stronger.

"That's exactly why Anchin left you!" Miku shouted, summoning all her courage.

Kiyohime's gaze froze on Miku, the name too familiar for her to forget.

"You're hardly one to say that." Even so, Kiyohime remained calm.

"I know. But I'm still better than you!"

Of all the sisters, Kiyohime showed the most compatibility with Miku, and upon possessing her, she was able to see all of the girl memories and thoughts. However, this also happened in reverse, as during the possession, Miku was able to see Kiyohime's memories.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT! IF YOU WANT TO DIE, I'LL GRANT YOUR WISH!!!"

Kiyohime's demonic aura made Miku tremble, but she stood her ground. At this moment, she was the only one who could stop the demon.

Miku was a shy, quiet, and reserved girl. Her insecurity and pessimism stemmed from years of isolation and limited experience in understanding human connections or emotions.

Falling for Uesugi had been a new and exhilarating experience for her, like a fairytale dream of a maiden meeting her prince. But that dream shattered when he chose Yotsuba as his girlfriend.

With her lack of experience in love and the pain of rejection, dark thoughts crept into Miku's mind—thoughts she never imagined she could have.

It was in that vulnerable moment of anger, sadness, and loneliness that Kiyohime's influence latched onto her, turning Miku and her sisters into easy prey.

Once freed from the possession, fragmented memories not her own surfaced in her mind.

The most vivid of them was a giant serpent coiled around a massive bell. Inside, a man was hiding, but his efforts were in vain; his end awaited him in that place.

This marked the beginning of Kiyohime's legend…