"That was seriously terrifying... this outfit's borrowed, you know?" Desmon lazily brushed off a few lingering flames from his jacket, as if he hadn't just survived a hellish explosion.
From the epicenter of the blast, Desmon emerged unscathed, wearing his usual carefree expression. Like being nearly incinerated was just another regular Tuesday.
-If I focus… I think I can do it at will...
The explosion had been instantaneous. He didn't even have time to react—just felt the heat rising beneath his feet. So how did he come out alive?
Since beginning his solo journey, his reflexes and mobility had become superhuman. By channeling demonic energy into his body, his abilities had only grown stronger. But there were still limits.
Until a few minutes ago.
During one of Kagenra's attacks, as Desmon dodged a sweeping arm, his body vanished for a split second and reappeared some distance away. He hadn't even meant to.
It happened again when spikes erupted from the ground—his body disappeared and reappeared mid-air.
Was it the power of love and friendship unlocking new abilities?
Probably not.
But in less than a day, constant battle had pushed him past his limits. Out of sheer survival instinct, Desmon had awakened a new technique: short-range instant teleportation. Perfect for dodging… or closing the gap.
And knowing him, he'd probably find more use for it in daily life than in actual combat.
"THE DOG LEARNED NEW TRICKS!?" Kagenra's voice boomed from within its massive armor.
"You're not the only one who can pull off new moves!"
"DO YOU THINK THAT WILL SAVE YOU, WRETCH?"
"Is it just me, or are you talking more than usual? I'm supposed to be the one spouting nonsense—don't steal my gig!"
"KEEP BARKING, MORON!"
Why is it that the stronger demons get, the more arrogant and talkative they become? Nobody knows.
"Don't get cocky just because you seem smarter than me now, smoke-chan."
"IT'S REALLY NOT THAT HARD." Kagenra replied mockingly.
"Alright, that's it. I'm done!"
Without another word, Desmon charged straight at the demon. Kagenra raised its massive axe and brought it down with brutal force.
Despite being twice Desmon's size and wielding a colossal weapon, its speed and reflexes were still absurdly sharp.
Unfortunately for the demon, its attack missed—Desmon vanished and reappeared right in front of it.
The movement was instantaneous, like he'd blinked out of existence and back into it.
"My turn!"
His fist landed squarely against the demon's torso. The impact echoed with a deep thud—followed by a dull crunch of bones breaking.
"...I might've forgotten how tough armor usually is." Desmon muttered, staring at his bloodied hand, fingers bent in ways no doctor would approve.
"ARE YOU DONE?"
The armor wasn't just metal—it was hardened demonic energy, dense enough to be nearly impenetrable. Without enough force, punching it only meant breaking yourself.
"I could do this all day." He said, pretending to sound confident.
"THEN PROVE IT!"
Kagenra swung a massive punch—but Desmon was already gone.
-Change strategy… or keep going until one of us breaks?
Not exactly a hard question.
If something stands in the way… just destroy it. That's always been Desmon's way—whether it's demons or some country's mafia, he'll be the last one standing.
With a crooked grin, Desmon reappeared in front of his enemy and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks. One after another—but as expected, all he managed to do was injure himself even more.
-...Maybe I should rethink my strategy.
Before he could even consider a new plan, Kagenra came at him, swinging that monstrous axe in a vicious arc. But Desmon was already teleporting from spot to spot, dodging with a mocking grin and exaggerated expressions.
"Am I here? Nope. Over there? Oof… seriously, you're so slow!"
He wasn't taking it seriously. Or at least he pretended not to. His new ability made him even more elusive and dangerous—and he had no intention of wasting the chance to drive his opponent insane.
"Have you considered getting glasses? Maybe a visit to the eye doctor, huh?"
He easily dodged a downward slash, reappeared above Kagenra's head, and struck twice. But all he got in return was a dull, metallic thud.
"Tch…!"
He clicked his tongue and launched himself backward, twisting mid-air to avoid the next strike. But this time, the demon was faster. With its free arm, it threw a direct punch.
Desmon tried to teleport—like he'd done so many times before.
But… nothing happened.
"Huh?"
The technique failed.
At the last second, he raised his arms to block. The impact sent him crashing to the ground, bouncing several times before landing clumsily.
"Just a lucky shot..." He muttered, panting.
But when he took a step, the world collapsed inside his head. Dizziness. Nausea. A sharp, stabbing pain behind his eyes.
-I knew that onigiri tasted off…
He bent over and vomited—not the rest of his onigiri, but blood and pieces of his insides.
Food poisoning would've been easier. But no—his entire body was bleeding from within.
Mastering a technique isn't the same as truly mastering it.
Overusing his new ability had pushed him to the brink. Even with his body reinforced by demonic energy, it wasn't built to endure such strain. If not for his regeneration, he'd probably be dead.
His brain, unable to handle the barrage of consecutive teleports, had started to break down. The internal bleeding was the cost.
Desmon had the reflexes and the skill. But not the control. On a hypothetical mastery scale, he was at zero. It should've been used only at critical moments. Using it recklessly was a death sentence.
-Mental note: don't spam that again…
He could heal his body, sure—but not fast enough to stay safe in the middle of a fight.
And right then, while he was still staggering, he looked up… only to see the blade of the axe brushing past his forehead.
Without thinking, he teleported upward on reflex.
"This is gonna hurt tomorrow…" He muttered.
And oh, it definitely would.
In the air, completely exposed, Kagenra grabbed him by the leg like a toy… and started smashing him violently against the ground and nearby structures. As if it were wielding Desmon's body like a bat. Street signs, walls, houses—everything Desmon's body touched was reduced to rubble.
-So this is what it feels like…What kind of karma is this? Oh… right. Guess I deserve it.
He'd used gang members as blunt weapons more than once. Who needs a sword when you've got a guy who, just moments ago, swore he'd send you to hell?
Finally, Kagenra leapt high into the air and hurled him down with demonic fury. Desmon hit the ground so hard the impact created a massive crater.
-This can't be good for my bones…
That was all he could think. Ironic, as always.
At the bottom of the crater, his body lay battered, broken… but not beaten. His regeneration was still working, doing what it could. Not enough to bounce back instantly, but enough to stay alive.
Then, from above, a furious voice roared:
"IT'S OVER!"
Kagenra dropped like an executioner, channeling the full weight of its armor and gravity into a lethal downward slash.
"And who the hell decided that!?"
Just before the blow landed, Desmon vanished. He reappeared a short distance away, rolling along the ground as a shockwave rocked the area from the demon's missed attack.
"Whew… way too close." He muttered, propping himself up on one knee.
He was breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell in a ragged rhythm. Slowly, his body began to stabilize, recovering from the physical and mental strain of abusing a technique that clearly came with a price.
He knew some hits couldn't be avoided. But others? Some were worth taking instead of gambling your life to dodge. That line was starting to become clear.
From now on, the rule was simple: teleport only when it truly matters.
-Now that I think about it… should I give this technique a name? Mmm… maybe I'll ask Shizuka.
Who better than his otaku teacher to come up with some flashy name to shout before activating it? Not that Desmon would ever actually shout it.
"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT!? RUNNING AWAY!?"
From the rubble, Kagenra emerged like an indestructible fortress, axe slung over its shoulder, its voice echoing like thunder.
"You're not exactly giving me a lot of choices." Desmon replied, stepping forward. "But don't worry, I remembered something from an anime I watched. Time to test it out." He grinned with his usual mocking smile.
Using an anime tactic against a real demon? Maybe not the most logical idea… but then again, the existence of a demon wasn't exactly logical either.
"YOU ARE INSIGNIFICANT! ACCEPT YOUR FATE!"
"Tough luck." Desmon shrugged. "I don't take orders from ugly demons."
Their eyes locked. The air between them grew heavier. Any move could spark the next clash.
"Let's play tag." Desmon smirked. "Catch me if you can!"
And with that, he bolted between the houses like his life depended on it.
He wasn't running away. At least not in his mind. It was a tactical retreat.
Kagenra stared in silence for a moment. Every step Desmon took, every taunt, stabbed at its pride. A constant reminder that no matter how strong it was, it couldn't touch that damn gnat that had been mocking it from the start.
"YOU'RE… IRRITATING."
"People tell me that all the time!"
The demon charged forward like a runaway train. Each step made the ground tremble. Houses crumbled like paper before its advance.
Nothing could damage that heavy, almost impenetrable armor… or could something?
Without Kagenra noticing, Desmon had slipped away between the neighborhood's structures. The demon walked as if it didn't need to see to find him.
"HIDING IS USELESS!"
With a single punch, it obliterated the front of a nearby house.
Inside, as expected, it was plain—just basic furniture. These homes were never meant to be more than replicas.
"Anata~, gohan ni suru? Ofuro ni suru? Soretomo… watashi~?"
Standing in the entranceway was a white-haired boy in a lab coat, delivering a suspiciously warm welcome.
For a second, Kagenra stared with something close to confusion, as if asking itself what the hell Desmon was trying to accomplish with this stupidity.
Since the battle began, Kagenra had been evolving. If Desmon's words once seemed meaningless, now—with its mind and intelligence growing—everything Desmon did was just mockery. And as it said itself, Desmon was becoming irritating.
Without a word, Kagenra swung its axe, reducing the house to splinters.
But Desmon was already gone.
"Nya~?" He teased from atop a pole, imitating a cat.
Kagenra roared and slashed the pole in half—but Desmon was already inside another house.
With a single swing, the demon cleaved the home apart—only to find Desmon sitting casually in the bathroom.
"Occupied… Pretty sure I locked the door."
BOOM!
The house exploded with the next strike, but Desmon was already on the roof of another.
Kagenra began tearing everything apart in pursuit, but every attempt ended with Desmon doing something completely ridiculous while dodging.
"You know, you should show a little more respect for private property."
"You think they'll make me pay for all the damage?"
"If I grow my hair out, do you think girls will like me more?"
"Don't you wanna talk this out like civilized people?"
"You know, I used to be like you. Tururuuu…"
"Just saying as a friend, that girl's not worth it. I mean, paying for dates? Seriously?"
Each line was an invisible blow. Each word more absurd than the last.
And yet… it was working.
Kagenra was starting to lose control. Its attacks became erratic, wild. Its judgment clouded by sheer frustration.
Desmon, for his part, kept being a walking nuisance. He didn't have the power to hurt Kagenra… but Kagenra couldn't catch him either.
His greatest skill? Being annoying. Maybe acting like a complete idiot wasn't so useless after all.
"SHUT THE HELL UP!!"
Kagenra unleashed its full fury—smashing, wrecking, shredding everything in its path with brutal swings and crushing stomps. Houses, streetlights, entire blocks were sent flying.
"It's only been a few hours, but it feels like three whole months since we first met... Funny, right? I mean, who the hell drags a fight out for over three months?"
Standing atop Kagenra's head, calm as ever, Desmon surveyed the destruction. Hands in his pockets, posture relaxed.
Like he was just enjoying the show.
If Kagenra were human, every vein in its forehead would've probably burst.
With a strangled roar, the demon swung its arm in an attempt to crush him—but Desmon was already in the air, landing gracefully.
"A few days ago, I fought a cow… and a horse." He sighed deeply. "Let me tell you, they gave me a hard time. But you… well, at least your armor looks cool." He added with mocking disdain.
After all, what guy hasn't fantasized about wearing an epic suit of armor?
"WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING?!" Kagenra's usually deep and calm voice was now pure rage.
Powerful beings tend to have sky-high egos—especially demons who've evolved to the point of full self-awareness.
"Are you too stupid to get it?" Desmon tilted his head like he was talking to a toddler. "To put it simply: you're a pathetic demon whose only advantage is being intangible. Also, you're ugly. And weak."
He stuck out his tongue with a taunting grin that was worth a death sentence.
For a moment, silence fell. A heavy pause—like the calm before a storm.
Then, Kagenra let out a dry, distorted laugh.
"YOU'RE FUNNY… I'LL KILL YOU!"
Completely unhinged, it hurled its axe with such force that the air trembled as it cut through. An unstoppable projectile.
The demon hunter simply smirked and teleported to the side, perfectly dodging the impact.
Turns out, this idiot isn't as dumb as he looks. He'd been goading Kagenra into throwing the weapon at him all along—acting like a fool was part of the plan, even if not entirely an act.
"If your opponent's tough, use something just as tough to hurt them."
A line he heard in one of those late-night anime he watches instead of sleeping.
Should he improve his sources of wisdom? Maybe. But right now, it didn't seem like such a bad idea.
Although… there was one thing Desmon hadn't accounted for.
"This thing won't budge…"
Desmon grabbed the axe with both hands, trying to wield it—but it was no use. The weapon stayed perfectly still, embedded in the ground.
Kagenra's fury slowly faded as it watched Desmon try to use the axe.
"WHAT A PATHETIC DISPLAY." It sneered.
And then, the weapon moved—but not because of Desmon. It began dragging itself slowly back toward its owner, like it was answering a silent call.
"Believe me, I'm trying not to look like an idiot." Desmon growled, gritting his teeth as he struggled to hold it back. But the more he tried, the dumber he looked.
If he'd paid attention in demonology class, he'd know there are weapons bound to their wielders, making them unusable by others.
Then again, Desmon doesn't have demonology class. So, his stupidity is kind of understandable.
-Tch, this is pointless...
Disappointed that his flawless plan had flopped, he tried switching strategies...
...Or he would have, if not for one more problem.
"Come on, you stupid hunk of metal, move or let me drop you!"
But the effort was futile. Chains materialized around Desmon's hands, binding him to the axe while also suppressing his demonic energy.
Kagenra wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
It strode forward like an executioner savoring the end.
"ANY LAST WORDS?" It asked with arrogant relish.
"Hmm… cake?"
"DIE!!"
Kagenra raised its fist, charged with pure demonic energy, ready to turn Desmon into a smear on the floor.
-I guess it doesn't like cake…
In that split-second before it all ended, Kagenra's body was launched through the air, slamming into the ground.
In Desmon's hands was the massive axe—he'd used it to swat Kagenra like a ball.
-...Lighter than I thought.
A dark aura crawled across his arms. Something inside him had shifted. He didn't fully understand it, but frankly, he didn't care.
"I have no idea what the hell is going on… but honestly? I don't really care." He flashed a dangerous smile.
Kagenra struggled to its feet. Its armor was dented, its expression more confused than angry.
"HOW?!"
There was no way Desmon should be able to wield the axe. But if the demon connected it to what happened earlier—back when it was chasing Desmon through the mountains—everything would start to make sense.
"Truth is… I've got no clue! Tehe~!" Desmon gave himself a cartoonish tap on the head.
Then, as if a switch flipped, his expression darkened.
"But what I do know is… this is the perfect moment for you to grit your teeth. Oh, right—my bad. You don't have any. Hahaha!" His childish grin twisted into a sadistic sneer. "Now, I'm gonna return every single one of those hits!"
Before Kagenra could even brace itself, Desmon vanished. A faint hum in the air was the only clue.
Suddenly, he was right in front of the demon.
Without giving it a moment to breathe, Desmon brought the axe down in a brutal slash. He spun on his heel, delivering a backhand strike that shook the demon, following it with an unrelenting sequence. Each blow echoed against Kagenra's armor like hammers on an anvil, rattling it without giving it a chance to react.
"Come on, come on, I thought you were tough?"
With a direct hit to the side, Desmon launched it into the air, sending it crashing into a cluster of houses that collapsed in a cloud of dust and rubble.
Kagenra staggered to its feet, seething, and threw a punch as Desmon approached. But the hunter vanished just as he closed the distance... and reappeared above it. Mimicking an executioner's pose, the axe came crashing down, forcing the demon to its knees under the sheer force. Desmon's strength, paired with the massive axe, made for a devastating combo.
"And they said no one would ever kneel before me... too bad I have more refined tastes."
Desmon gave it no respite. He lifted the demon's body with an upward strike and continued the onslaught without pause. Every attempt Kagenra made to fight back was futile. When it tried to retreat, Desmon was already there. When it tried to anticipate, the demon hunter warped again, chaining blow after blow in perfect rhythm.
"I seriously need one of these. Where'd you get it? Amazon? Temu?"
Kagenra tried to grab the axe as Desmon spoke nonchalantly, but Desmon simply teleported to the side.
"Didn't anyone teach you not to touch other people's stuff?" He spun around and launched Kagenra into the air with a vicious backhand.
"Get ready, tough guy. Hope that armor's... insured."
Desmon followed it with a leap, catching up mid-air. For a moment, they hovered in a suspended instant, as if the world was holding its breath.
"BASTARD!" Kagenra roared, swinging wildly in desperation.
But Desmon deflected each strike with inhuman precision. His control over the axe was flawless—he moved as if dancing with it. Every block, every spin, opened the demon's guard, and Desmon punished it with swift, surgical slashes that rang across the armor.
"Don't break the laws of gravity!"
Raising the axe above Kagenra, he brought it down, striking the demon with such force, leaving a massive crater as a result.
Desmon descended after it—not as a victim of gravity, but as a spinning projectile. Using the axe as his axis, he turned into a descending buzzsaw.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"
There was no way Kagenra would fall to Desmon—not while Desmon wielded its weapon against it. It rose and raised its arms to block the blow.
The impact thundered. The axe struck its armored arms full force, and they cracked from the collision.
But Kagenra didn't expect it to be a feint—Desmon released the axe at the moment of impact and was suddenly right in front of it.
Planting a foot forward, he drew in a breath and unleashed a punch straight into Kagenra, followed by another—and another—and another, raining down a storm of blows with everything he had. Each strike faster, each one deadlier.
Desmon's hands began to break—bones splintered, skin torn, blood streaming—but he didn't stop. Not for a second. His regeneration barely kept him standing.
By the time Kagenra managed to recall the axe to its hands, it had already taken hundreds of direct hits.
With a final roar, it swung the axe downward, forcing Desmon to retreat.
Desmon gasped, his legs barely keeping him upright. Though his earlier taunts seemed effortless, it had taken immense focus to pull them off—and the physical toll was heavy.
In front of him, Kagenra stood with armor dented and battered—but not yet cracked.
There was no turning back.
They locked eyes, each ready to end the other.
Then... it came with a simple sound: the dry thud of a falling chunk of debris.
An unspoken signal.
Kagenra charged, raising its axe like a guillotine, roaring.
Desmon did the same, giving it everything he had.
Head to head.
All or nothing.
In that final second, time seemed to fracture. The edge of Kagenra's axe grazed Desmon's skin, tearing flesh, closing in on his neck... nearly severing it.
But then...
Desmon vanished.
And reappeared right in front of the demon, who could no longer react.
-Eat this!!!
Desmon finishes it with a vertical double-fist strike. Until now, that would've done nothing. But this time was different—Kagenra's body was sent skidding backward, its feet dragging along the ground.
Desmon breathes heavily, his fists mangled, hanging like blood-soaked rags. Every breath takes enormous effort. He's too good at pretending he's fine, even though inside, he's more broken than anyone else.
But now, all that effort hadn't been in vain.
Silence fell over the entire area—until a sound like cracking glass echoed through the air.
From the center of Kagenra's armor, a thin web of fractures began to spread like crystal veins, connecting with the dents left behind earlier.
One second.
Two.
Three.
The armor was completely covered in cracks.
Desmon watches with a crooked grin.
"Never underestimated you, baka."
He barely lifts a leg with the last of his strength and kicks a small piece of debris. The chunk sails through the air...
Clink!
It hits the armor... and nothing happens.
For a moment, Kagenra believed Desmon had won, but all that effort hadn't been enough to destroy the armor.
It tightens its grip on its axe and begins to advance, its gaze burning with fury and triumph.
Desmon only raises his hands, as if surrendering to his fate.
"DISAPPEAR!!!"
Kagenra roars, charging at him in a frenzy.
"Show's over!" Desmon says with a gleeful grin.
With newly regenerated fingers, he snaps—and as if on cue, just as death seems inevitable, Kagenra's armor explodes into thousands of shards.
CRAAAAACK!
The axe spins through the air and lands behind Desmon with a dull thud.
"...!!!"
Was it all planned?
The truth... not really.
Desmon was banking on the debris being enough. When it wasn't, he looked like an idiot, so he just let Kagenra come at him full force, letting that very momentum finish the job.
And in the end, it worked.
More or less.
But with the armor gone, Desmon now faces a new problem—or rather, an old one.
"Well, Smoke-chan, without that damn armor you're just a mass of smoke I can't hit... Still just as bad, huh?" He sighs, scratching the back of his head.
-How much longer is JB going to take?
Desmon is exhausted, running on fumes. All he wants is to crash on Shizuka's couch, hang a sign that reads Do Not Disturb for 5 Days – Demon Hunter Sleeping.
Unfortunately, things never go as he hopes.
His gaze locks onto Kagenra, preparing for the demon's next move... but he realizes too late that the axe behind him has begun to shift.
...
"What do you mean I have to do it manually?!" JB shouted, slamming her desk in frustration.
Elsewhere in Japan, a blonde woman scowled at her screen.
The message couldn't be clearer:
"Energy Reassignment Failed. Manual Access Required at Main Console."
"Great... just when I thought everything was ready." JB gritted her teeth, muttering like she was trying to convince herself. "Relax, JB... you're almost there. Just one more step. The guy just has to press a few buttons... He can't be that dumb, right?"
She minimized her windows and accessed the hangar security cameras. Still online.
But before she could speak, she froze in silence.
On screen: Desmon, completely restrained. Not exactly new—but this time...
"There's two of them?!"
JB's words say it all. Desmon is being held by two smoke demons.
Just seconds ago, caught off guard, the axe behind him had morphed into a perfect copy of Kagenra and trapped him. The first demon joined in, pinning Desmon entirely. He struggles as their crushing force presses down, but he refuses to give in.
He was completely pinned.
"Desmon, what the hell happened?!" JB asked through the speaker.
"Kinda busy... not dying right now to think about it..." He replied with a half-smile, his whole body trembling from the strain.
The pressure increased. As if they were trying to crush him.
-Tch... This is bad. JB thought, scanning for options.
No one else could reach the panel. Without assistance, the whole operation would fail.
And Desmon... didn't look like he could hold out much longer.
-Should've bought myself life insurance...
Desmon's body began to give out. Pain with every breath. Vision blurring.
His life—short but intense—flashed through his mind. Some good moments, sure... but far more bad ones. And far too much pretending.