Chapter 9: Night for Demon Hunting

"I'm pretty sure I should be the one keeping an eye on others, not the other way around..."

"Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't cause trouble." Yukinoshita said calmly.

"Isn't that a bit unfair? I just went for a walk yesterday, and besides, you all went out too."

Though Desmon hadn't caused any issues when he took Yuigahama along and returned late at night, Shizuka had already planned for Yukinoshita to keep an eye on him on the second day, the day students are divided into groups.

"Unlike you, we were dragged along by Hiratsuka-sensei. We can't disobey an order from our teacher."

Yukinoshita let out a slight sigh, still recalling the ramen she ate with Hikigaya and her teacher; a taste far too intense for her refined palate.

"You just wanted to go somewhere, didn't you?" Desmon accused, having nothing else to say.

"Think whatever you like." She replied without further interest in the subject.

For Desmon, interacting with Yukinoshita was a hassle, mostly due to her personality.

At this moment, Yukinoshita, Desmon, and a couple of other girls were strolling through the Kyouyouichi Temple; a place of zero interest to Desmon, but he couldn't resist after Shizuka had scolded him earlier.

Inside the temple, they climbed several stone steps, eventually reaching their destination, the Karesansui garden.

This garden primarily uses rocks and other minerals without water, with white sand representing water, designed in such a way that it resembles ripples across the surface.

After the group's tiring walk, they entered the zen garden and took their seats. Desmon, the only one not tired, seemed rather bored. Meanwhile, Yukinoshita noticed Hikigaya nearby, so she went over to chat with him.

The other girls in the group murmured among themselves, surprised to see Yukinoshita talking casually with that guy. She was someone popular, at the top of the social hierarchy, so seeing that kind of interaction was unusual for them; they could be considered Yukinoshita's followers.

Desmon looked around, not sure how to entertain himself.

-Is watching white sand supposed to be fun?

As he wondered if this white sand could turn into quicksand, a girl approached him.

"Desmon-san."

"Hmm?"

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Desmon barely heard her words, as he only had one question in mind.

"Who are you?"

"Are you kidding me? You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!" Yuigahama Yui complained, frustrated that her classmate seemed to forget her every time.

"I have vague memories... did we meet a few years ago?" Desmon tilted his head, digging through his memory to identify the mysterious girl.

"We see each other every afternoon in the service club, and we went for a walk last night!"

"Ohhhh, you're Yuki. How could I forget?"

"I'm not Yuki!"

"My bad, your name is Yumi, right?."

"You forgot my name?!"

Yuigahama might have understood if Desmon called her by her first name casually, but he didn't even remember that.

"Yoni?"

"Why are you giving me a boy's name?!" Tears seemed ready to well up in Yuigahama's eyes.

"Don't worry, Yoshi, everyone makes mistakes." With that, he went back to staring at the sand.

"...It's true... my name is Yoshi... my name must be that forgettable..." Yuigahama mumbled, as if falling into darkness.

"Yuigahama-san, what are you doing?" Noticing the commotion and her friend's cries, Yukinoshita decided to step in.

"...I'm Yoshi... nice to meet you..."

"Yuigahama-san, what are you talking about?" Yukinoshita rubbed her temple, as if she was getting a headache. "Hikigaya-kun, could you take Yuigahama-san somewhere to calm her down?"

"I'm on it..."

Hikigaya began leading Yuigahama away as she continued muttering the name Yoshi with a vacant expression.

Once the two of them left, Yukinoshita's icy gaze focused on the one responsible for all this.

"Is there a limit to how much you can bother Yuigahama-san?"

Desmon looked at her in disbelief, as if wondering what he did wrong.

-Is this guy really related to Hiratsuka-sensei?

She already found it suspicious that Desmon didn't know how to write Japanese and lacked distinctive features, but now she doubted her teacher's words even more.

The other girls in the group were also staring at Desmon, ready to punish anyone who upset Yukinoshita with their sharp gazes, but as usual, Desmon ignored them.

"Shall we go? I'm bored now."

Letting out a long sigh, Yukinoshita and the group left, as they'd already spent quite some time in the zen garden, and there were other places to visit.

…

"Desmon-kun, just to confirm, you're not planning to take that statue, are you?" There was a hint of irritation in Yukinoshita's voice.

"I think it'd make a great pet."

A few minutes earlier, Yukinoshita's group had moved to another temple, where two lion-dog statues stood at the entrance, a common feature in such temples.

The thing was, Desmon had started staring at one of the statues intensely, as if genuinely interested. Yukinoshita thought he'd developed an appreciation for the architecture and craftsmanship, but was surprised when Desmon seemed intent on taking one with him.

These statues are believed to protect temples from evil spirits, but Desmon's curiosity stemmed from feeling that these weren't just motionless figures.

A dog or a cat? Unless that dog has 3 heads, Desmon would find them boring. But having a pet lion-dog in extra-large size would be interesting, of course having a kind of wolf would be exciting too.

"It's a crime, and disrespectful to the culture, to even think about taking one."

"One more thing on my record wouldn't hurt."

"I'm ignoring that you just implied you're a wanted criminal. You can't take the statue!"

"Tch, you're no fun."

After being scolded and finding nothing else to do, he gave up, moving away from the statue and following Yukinoshita.

Once the demon hunter walked away, a soft sigh echoed through the place. Statues tasked with guarding against evil spirits would be powerless against Desmon if he decided to take them, so the statues offered Yukinoshita their blessing.

…

The rest of the trip went smoothly, as Yukinoshita managed to keep Desmon from slipping away and causing trouble.

Later that evening, after dinner, Desmon was resting in his hotel room.

"Let's hope tonight goes well..." He said with a yawn.

With nothing left but to carry out the task assigned by Lady, Desmon gathered his things, this time remembering to take Alastor along.

"Alright, time to head out."

Knowing that some teachers were watching the hotel entrance to prevent students from sneaking out for nighttime adventures, Desmon approached the balcony and leaped down to the ground.

Not his first time jumping from great heights, Desmon landed without a sound.

"Perfect landing. I'd give myself a 9.5; could've bent my knees a little more…" He said to himself with a wide grin.

"Before I forget, I need a map."

Failing to locate the demon the previous night, he'd called Lady to complain about the lack of precise directions, to which she'd called him an idiot and suggested he buy a map, mark the places where disappearances had been reported, and form a pattern to predict the next spot. Another child had been reported missing in the news just yesterday.

Kyoto isn't a small city, so Desmon couldn't be everywhere at once, but tonight, he'd make sure to finish off that demon.

He headed to the nearest convenience store, but as he approached the entrance, someone bumped into him, causing that person to fall backwards.

"Is greeting people like this your usual thing?"

The person was a girl with blonde hair and jade-green eyes, dressed in a pink shirt under a blue jacket, black jeans, and brown boots; a comfortable and casual outfit, ideal for Kyoto's chilly night.

The girl was Miura Yumiko, muttering a quiet curse as she felt a twinge of pain from the fall.

"Watch where you're going!" She said irritably as she stood up.

"You're the one walking while reading a magazine; clearly, it's your fault."

Desmon picked up the magazine that had fallen at his feet and handed it to Miura.

"Don't think I'll thank you, and by the way, you still haven't explained what happened yesterday!"

"Ask Yoshi to explain it to you."

"Yoshi...? You're the one who made Yui feel down!"

Earlier that morning, Miura saw Yui muttering softly, her face completely blank as she absentmindedly responded with the name Yoshi. Thankfully, after snapping her out of that trance, she was back to her usual cheerful self. But for some reason, she developed a certain fear of a video game franchise.

"I'm busy. We'll talk another day."

Without giving Miura a chance to respond, Desmon walked into the store, leaving her alone on the street.

"That guy is such an idiot!" She muttered, deciding to head back to the hotel; it wasn't worth ruining her mood.

-What does he mean I have a habit of greeting people that way?

Pondering Desmon's words, she continued on her way.

Inside the store, Desmon began browsing city maps. As he rummaged through various items, creating more work for the staff, he sensed someone's gaze.

"I know I'm handsome, but I'm not interested in guys." He replied casually.

"Ugh... you're the only one who'd say something like that with such confidence."

Hikigaya Hachiman, dressed in a green hoodie and brown pants, responded to Desmon's words.

"Do you know where to find maps of this city? I need one."

"Turned into a geography fan?" He replied with some sarcasm, knowing Desmon's carefree attitude in school earned him the title of "idiot."

"As if I'd be interested in something that boring. I just need it to find my way around."

Desmon continued sorting through the city maps of Japan.

"Are you planning to go out? Hiratsuka-sensei has forbidden students from wandering at night. By the way, how did you even get out of the hotel?"

A fair question, considering Hikigaya also had to sneak past their teacher's watchful eye.

"I have my tricks."

"She's going to scold you."

"No worries. She thinks I'm still in my room. Besides, I won't be gone long." He replied nonchalantly. "But… if you happen to see her, don't mention you saw me."

Hikigaya frowned; he didn't like getting involved in others' issues, especially when he could be dragged in as an accomplice and get scolded.

"Forget it. I gain nothing from this."

"I'll tell you what color Shizuka's underwear is on the days she doesn't go to work.… Got it!" He said cheerfully as he finally found a detailed map of Kyoto.

Hikigaya's expression shifted to one of shock; he hadn't expected Desmon to say something like that.

Since they lived together, Desmon had occasionally seen Shizuka wandering around the house in her underwear.

"That's..."

He found it hard to know how to respond.

"They're black. I'm counting on you; otherwise, I'll tell Shizuka I told you."

With a sly grin, Desmon left Hikigaya behind as he headed to the checkout.

"Tch..."

Being a young guy, his mind raced, picturing Shizuka based on Desmon's comment.

"That guy is such a headache..."

Trying to push those thoughts away, Hikigaya made for the exit, but the shopkeeper stopped him.

"Excuse me, your friend said you'd cover his purchases." The shopkeeper handed him the receipt.

Sneaking out, Desmon obviously didn't have any money, so he was lucky to run into Hikigaya.

-Shouldn't have looked at him…

He inwardly regretted glancing his way for even a second.

Leaving Hikigaya to grudgingly pay for Desmon's items, the demon hunter checked that no one was around and summoned his black motorcycle, Kurox, climbing onto it.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

Those simple words were enough for Kurox to start moving.

"Mark here... trace the path in this area… according to yesterday's news, it was around here..."

Bit by bit, the map filled with scribbles, and by correlating all he knew, he managed to narrow down the search area.

"Alright, I've got the spot… although… it's on the other side. Oh well."

Kurox came to an abrupt stop, lifted onto its front wheel, then pivoted to change direction.

With the location set, it took only a few minutes for Desmon to reach his destination.

"An aerial view would be more practical."

He decided to leave the streets and climb onto nearby rooftops for a better vantage point. After dismounting, Kurox, the devil arm, vanished.

With a jump, he reached the roof of a house, moving across the rooftops, aided by his phone's GPS.

After a few minutes, he spotted a young kid wandering out of a house aimlessly.

Most parents worked late, leaving kids alone for much of the day.

"I think I found a clue.'' He said with a smile.

Desmon decided to follow him. Fortunately, it didn't take long before he spotted a figure in the distance.

The figure belonged to a tall woman in a white dress and straw hat. But since she had her back turned, Desmon couldn't see her face.

"Hey, kid, you'd better head home."

Desmon stopped the child and snapped him out of his trance, placing a hand on his head after channeling a bit of demonic energy.

It seemed that children were leaving their homes as if they were hypnotized.

"Where… am I?"

"In a dangerous place, so get back home." He said calmly, though there was a hint of irritation in his voice.

That demon was exactly the kind of demon Desmon despised most.

The child quickly turned around, thanked Desmon, and headed home.

"Alright, now that there's no one to interrupt us, we've got things to discuss."

Desmon spoke in a calm tone as he approached the woman in white.

But to his surprise, she turned around, and what he saw was not the face of a beautiful woman.

"I see. I guess those fangs aren't for eating vegetables."

Standing before him was a tall, slender woman with long, disheveled black hair. She wore a tattered white dress that looked like an ancient mourning gown. Her face was shrouded in shadow beneath a wide hat, and a sinister smile stretched across it, as if carved grotesquely from side to side.

Her skin, pale and almost translucent, and her rigid, angular arms gave the impression of a being that didn't belong in this world. Her eyes, hidden under the hat, seemed to harbor a deep, disturbing darkness.

That woman, or rather demon, known as Hachishaku-sama, specialized in abducting and devouring children. She glared at the one who had interrupted her meal.

Realizing her prey had escaped, she let out an ear-splitting roar and closed the distance with Desmon, driving her long claws into his abdomen.

A lethal attack that had killed many of her victims, but Desmon didn't flinch.

"At least buy me a coffee before stabbing me." He replied with a grin.

The demon tried to pull her claws back, but Desmon gripped her wrists.

"It's rude to stab someone and then try to leave." He narrowed his eyes.

Though the demon exerted a tremendous amount of strength, she couldn't overcome Desmon's grip.

"Lucky for you, I'm in a bad mood today... or maybe unlucky?"

With a swift move, Desmon tore both her arms off.

The demon staggered back, howling in pain, but her expression changed when she met Desmon's gaze.

As a demon with a certain level of reasoning, she understood that Desmon was about to exterminate her.

The situation had completely shifted; the demon now felt fear, as if she were the prey before the hunter.

Then, following her instincts, the demon chose to flee.

"So, you stab me and then run away? Should I take that to mean I'm not good with girls?"

Desmon began pursuing the demon, whistling a chilling tune that signaled death's approach.

He could be quite terrifying at times.

The demon's speed didn't require Desmon to use Kurox; his own legs were more than enough.

During the chase, they left the streets and entered open ground, miles of farmland stretching before them.

"Oh, come on, if you're just going to run, this chase is pointless."

Tired of the cat-and-mouse game, Desmon drew Alastor and threw it ahead of the demon, the sword embedding itself in her path, signaling there was nowhere left to run.

The demon could only back away, keeping her eyes fixed on him as Desmon reclaimed Alastor from the ground.

Approaching slowly, Desmon prepared to finish his hunt, but at that moment, a spear shot toward the demon at high speed.

The attack was so fast it even made Desmon raise an eyebrow. The spear pierced through the demon's chest, pinning her to the ground.

Still alive, the demon's face contorted with pure terror, as if she had encountered something far worse than Desmon.

One of the figures stomped on the demon's head, crushing it and ending her life, then extended a hand to absorb an eerie energy from her.

Desmon, meanwhile, focused on the unexpected guests who had arrived unannounced.

The reason was clear: the aura these two emitted was unmatched by any demon Desmon had faced; they were, in short, extremely dangerous.

Even so, that was no reason to back down; in fact, he couldn't have been more thrilled.

"Didn't your mothers teach you not to steal others' prey? Although, seeing those ugly faces, I doubt you even had mothers." He taunted, resting Alastor on his shoulder.

The guests' eyes locked onto Desmon, making the air feel heavy, a prelude to what was about to unfold.

-Looks like I'll be running a little late.