Chương 10: Halloween Special
Halloween, a celebration where kids typically dress up to go trick-or-treating, while teens and young adults put on costumes to attend various parties held on this day.
And as expected in Tokyo, you can see people in costumes heading to friends' houses or parties to enjoy the night.
An ordinary day, right?
It's said that on this particular day, supernatural activity increases, including that of spirits and demons. The reason, many believe, is that the boundary between the living and the dead grows thin, making it easier for these creatures to cross over.
But for now, let's return to the main point: the costumes and the people eager for a night of fun.
Among them, there's one person who's been looking forward to this specific day more than anyone else.
His name is Riku Saito.
A 30-year-old man, owner of a successful business with multiple branches recognized nationwide.
So, why would such a successful man await this day with such eagerness, his eyes practically gleaming?
Is he a fan of fancy millionaire parties? Does he long to see others in costume? Or perhaps… he just enjoys dressing up himself.
In his case, it's the third option.
Now, wearing a simple yet striking suit with bright colors and decorations, along with a cheerful clown mask, he steps out of his sleek car and starts walking through the bustling streets.
Some people laugh at his outfit, while others are too absorbed in their own activities to even notice him.
"How I love this day…"
As he ponders all the possibilities, he walks into an alley and takes out his tools of amusement.
Nothing out of the ordinary for a clown; just a knife, a silenced gun, and various torture instruments.
Isn't that what a regular clown carries? Well, in his case, it's what he brings with him on this day.
In the past five years, over 30 murders have been reported, with victims including women, children, teenagers, and the elderly. The police have put in great effort, noticing the common pattern that the murders occur on Halloween, a time when identifying the criminal would be particularly hard.
No matter how much they investigated, the leads never pointed to the culprit, as authorities didn't expect just one person to be behind these crimes. The reason was simple: these killings happened all across the city, all on the same night.
"Who will be the first tonight?" He mused cheerfully, humming a lively tune.
There's no specific reason for his actions; he's simply a psychopath who enjoys ending his victims' lives and playing with them before they die.
"That guy looks promising; maybe he's foolish enough to wander into an alley at night."
An oblivious young man walked along, chatting happily on his phone.
Riku could only catch fragments of his conversation; something about being too tired to go to work in another city.
Without hesitation, holding his trusty knife that had claimed many lives, Riku walked casually towards the young man, and once beside him, he drove the knife into the guy's chest without a second thought.
An act that should have caused the victim to collapse from lost strength, followed by a brutal series of stabbings; yet, to Riku's surprise, his victim remained standing, not even flinching.
"Mind if you don't? I'm on a call…" He said, refocusing on his conversation. "Like I was saying, Shizuka, you're way too old to be dressing up as a magical girl…"
Riku's eyes widened in shock. Had he somehow missed his mark?
He checked the angle and depth of the blade; there was no doubt; it had penetrated his victim's skin, and blood was seeping out.
"This is odd."
After a moment's thought, he started stabbing him repeatedly, but the victim didn't react; he continued talking on the phone as if it were just another day.
"I'll call you back. There's some troublesome guy here." With those words, the supposed victim ended his call.
"What are you?" Riku backed up several steps, utterly shocked as he watched the wounds he'd inflicted heal in the blink of an eye.
"I'm Desmon, a demon hunter. Nice to meet you." Said the young man, his tone cheerful and playful.
Not fully grasping the situation, Riku drew the gun he had and fired multiple times, but none of the bullets hit their mark.
"You should be careful when shooting; you might accidentally kill someone." Desmon said, watching him with amusement.
Riku threw his gun and started running. With impressive agility, he scaled a wall and crossed various streets.
His speed and climbing skills were remarkable, the kind expected from someone with plenty of experience and escape plans for any situation.
"What the hell is that guy…?"
Once he'd put enough distance between them, he stopped to catch his breath.
"Took you long enough; I thought I'd grow old waiting for you."
A voice from behind spoke casually, and when Riku turned around, he found that same guy standing there again.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"As I said, my name is Desmon, pleased to meet you." Desmon extended his hand for a handshake.
"What do you want from me?!"
"Interesting question… hmm… maybe… your head?" Desmon replied innocently, studying him with a playful look.
The words were spoken with such a cheerful tone that they almost sounded like a joke, but Riku felt a chill run through his body.
"Catch me if you can!"
He grabbed a few tools from his pocket and threw them at Desmon, who casually tilted his head to dodge them, watching as Riku bolted away again.
-Some guys are just hopeless.
Without much urgency, Desmon began to walk after him, whistling a merry tune.
Thanks to his impressive stamina, Riku made it to his sports car, climbed in hastily, and sped off, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the city.
After driving at top speed for several minutes, he finally relaxed.
"Who the hell is that guy… no… what the hell is he? How is he still moving after being stabbed so many times? That makes no sense!"
He pounded his steering wheel in frustration.
"It doesn't matter… it just delays my plan for tonight… I'll head to another city and carry on."
Trying to calm down, he convinced himself this was just a setback.
Unfortunately, that thought didn't last long as he heard a faint tap on his car window; something impossible given the high speed he was going.
Slowly, he turned his head and spotted that same guy, apparently unfazed by being stabbed.
No vehicle could keep up with Kurox, Desmon's Devil Arm specialized for speed.
Riku pressed down on the accelerator, trying to put even more distance between himself and the psycho chasing him, but it was no use. Desmon kept up without difficulty.
Their eyes met briefly, and Desmon said something, though Riku couldn't hear it over the noise of the speeding car.
An easy fix for Desmon.
"Now, can you hear me?"
Riku had thought the door would keep him safe, but Desmon ripped it clean off as if it were made of paper.
"Get away from me!"
Distracted by Desmon, Riku lost control of his vehicle, causing it to veer off a slope and tumble down until it crashed near a beach.
The car rolled over several times, fracturing Riku's bones and causing severe injuries, yet, gathering every ounce of his strength, he crawled away from the flaming wreckage just before it exploded.
"Why is this happening to me…"
Lamenting his misfortune, Riku tried to drag himself further, but Desmon stopped right in front of him.
"I'd finish this myself, but I'm last in line, so they'll handle the dirty work."
Without a hint of emotion, Desmon kicked Riku, sending him flying into the sea.
In the vast ocean, where Riku struggled to stay afloat, various emotions surged through him.
Just minutes ago, he was about to carry on with his usual routine, and now he was in the water, fighting to survive one more day.
-What did I do wrong? Why is this happening? This is unfair…
Thoughts like these echoed in his mind.
But there was one thought that Riku couldn't shake. 'I'd finish this myself, but I'm last in line, so they'll handle the dirty work.' Those were the last words he heard from the psycho chasing him, and though he tried to make sense of it, the words seemed nonsensical.
But… seconds later, he discovered the answer as he felt an unnatural hand emerging from the depths below.
"!!!"
That lone hand multiplied, then doubled, and then quadrupled…
In seconds, something began to pull him down into the ocean's depths.
-Let me go, let me go!!!
He tried to speak, but it only made him swallow more water. In that moment of desperation, he understood Desmon's words.
Various shadows, belonging to the souls of those he had killed, were dragging him down to hell; a dark, deep hell.
Riku's eyes gradually lost their spark as more of those shadows completely devoured him.
"…this…can't…be the end…"
His efforts to escape grew weaker until he went completely still.
The last thing he saw were the twisted expressions on those shadows.
And so, in the ocean's depths, the figure of a serial killer met his end. An end for his body, but his soul was about to experience a complete hell.
…
In one of Tokyo's bustling streets, where young and old alike enjoy this Halloween night, a high school boy in a simple costume walks through the crowd.
The party with his friends had been so much fun that he lost track of time, and now he needs to head home.
Along the way, he notices the strange figure of a woman. It wouldn't be odd in itself, given that tonight is for people to go out and have fun; this kind of encounter felt natural.
But the woman didn't exactly choose the best costume for the night. She wore only a dark trench coat, and with her towering height and pale skin, she was a striking beauty, marred only by a mask covering the lower half of her face.
In short, a Halloween costume that's far from original.
As they crossed paths, close enough to brush shoulders, the woman spoke softly.
"Am I beautiful?"
The boy, who looked at this beautiful woman, didn't quite understand why she asked, but without thinking too much, he figured maybe she was flirting.
"Yes, you're…"
But before he could respond, a hand landed on his head.
"Hey, kid, it's way too late to be flirting with older women on the street; leave that to me." The voice of a stranger joined the conversation.
The boy turned to look at him, noticing a tall man with white hair, a black trench coat, and what appeared to be a sword strapped to his back.
Only on this night could you stroll through the city with a sword on your back.
"Who are you?" He asked with a dismissive tone, annoyed at the interruption.
"Desmon. I handle pest control, and right now, I need a chat with this lovely lady here, so off you go. Shoo, shoo." With his usual manner, Desmon waved him off.
Annoyed, the boy decided to leave, since if his parents got home before him, he'd get an earful. With one last glance at the two of them, he continued on his way.
"Now, where were we?" Desmon turned his attention to the seemingly normal, beautiful woman.
"Am I beautiful?"
"Hmmm, I'd say so." Desmon looked her over.
After hearing his answer, the woman slowly removed her mask, revealing a mouth torn open to her ears. Her wide grin was anything but beautiful; it was utterly terrifying, enough to send chills down anyone's spine.
"And now?" She asked, her tone menacing, as if ready to attack the person who'd answered her.
Desmon raised an eyebrow, taking in her face before responding with a relaxed smile.
"I'm a guy with… diverse tastes. A bit of makeup here… some scar cream… or better yet, a paper bag over the face could do the trick."
Without a word, the woman lunged at him, wielding a pair of large scissors.
"No offense, but I'd rather not have a face like yours; don't take it personally." Desmon moved back just enough to avoid her scissors slicing his face.
This left no doubt; the woman wasn't human.
"Well, I found you faster than I thought. And if I remember right… No, I forgot." Desmon raised one hand, motioning for her to wait, while he searched his phone with the other.
After a few seconds, he found what he was looking for.
"Kuchisake-onna, a troublesome, grouchy lady who gives her victims some 'fun' new cuts, am I right?"
Also known as 'The Slit-Mouthed Woman.' she's one of the most terrifying yōkai. Her legend has been told and retold across various regions of Japan, embodying the form of a 'vengeful spirit.'
These kinds of vengeful spirits have physical bodies and an insatiable thirst for blood, indiscriminately attacking their victims. They aren't exactly demons, but Desmon doesn't care about the distinction.
Before Desmon can finish speaking, Kuchisake-onna lunges at him again, but this time her scissors clash against something incredibly hard.
Without much thought, Desmon drew Alastor, his trusty devil arm.
"Not bad, but mine's bigger!"
Exerting more force, Desmon easily knocks the scissors out of her hand.
"You should probably complain to whoever sold you those; maybe get a refund for the poor quality?"
Kuchisake-onna glances at her hands, then lets out a terrifying scream and charges at Desmon once more; this time, Alastor meets something equally hard: claws that have grown from the woman's hand, tough as steel.
"I can only imagine how expensive your manicure must be."
Desmon fends off the troublesome woman and begins attacking with various slashes, but she manages to keep up with him thanks to her speed and reflexes.
Her claws counter Alastor's cuts as if she understands Desmon's attack pattern; not that his technique is particularly complex. Imagine a kid swinging a plastic sword, and you'd be close.
"Am I beautiful? Am I beautiful?" Kuchisake-onna repeats the question every time she trades blows with Desmon.
"You've got a serious complex; ever thought about seeing a ghost therapist?"
Even as Desmon mocks the yōkai, he feels her growing stronger with each passing minute.
This is because, as midnight approaches, demons and spirits gain power, and since it's already 11:40, Kuchisake-onna's power is getting closer to its peak.
On any other occasion, Desmon could dispatch this vengeful spirit without breaking a sweat, but the timing tonight has cranked up the difficulty far too high.
"Why do you keep going for my face? Am I that handsome? Should I feel flattered that I caught a spirit's interest? Or disappointed that only crazy women are into me?"
With a powerful swing of Alastor, he deflects the woman's claws.
"In my defense, technically, you don't have rights anymore."
Before the yōkai can regain her balance, he kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying an impressive distance.
"Maybe I overdid it?"
Wondering if there are any laws protecting vengeful spirits, Desmon starts pursuing the yōkai, who was thrown like a baseball.
She lands on train tracks, used mainly for heavy cargo trains that always speed by at high velocity.
When Desmon arrives, he finds her waiting for him.
"I'll give you a big smile, so we can be together forever!"
-Guess she can say more than a few words, that's something.
"I'm not a fan of having crazies after me, so I'll have to pass on your invitation."
Kuchisake-onna lunges at Desmon, and he sidesteps, fracturing her leg with a kick. When she loses her balance, he follows up with a kick to her neck, twisting her head around.
"Tch!"
Two light cuts appear on Desmon's face.
"I'm pretty sure the info online didn't mention this part…"
Desmon curses the unreliable online source of urban legends for leaving out the fact that this spirit isn't fazed by a few broken bones.
Looking more twisted and horrifying, the yōkai spins her head back into place, along with her leg.
"Wonder if I can do that too… though I'd rather not find out."
Without hesitation, he drives his sword into the ground and readies himself to take on the yōkai.
Desmon ducks, dodging a slash from the spirit.
In that position, he grabs her wrists, holding her in place for a moment.
"Guess I'll go for the ol' reliable." He smirks. "How about a little haircut; just around neck height?"
Desmon snapped the spirit's wrists, then delivered a double kick to its face, using the momentum to flip into the air and recover Alastor upon landing.
"Good night!"
He closed the distance with the yōkai, ready to decapitate her… but in that moment, a strange sound approached swiftly.
Teke teke teke teke teke.
A large slash appeared at Desmon's waist, a cut he managed to partially evade; otherwise, there would be two of him.
The intruder, an uninvited guest, is described as a young woman—beautiful from the waist up, yet without legs. Rather than walking, she drags herself using her arms, making a distinctive 'teke teke' sound as she moves. This sound signals her presence, tied to her terrifying approach. Her typical act is slicing her victims in half with a split-second strike.
These two vengeful spirits didn't even look at each other; they focused solely on the young man before them.
"Well, this saves me a lot of time; a two-for-one deal." He said with a grin.
With her characteristic 'teke teke' sound, also known as the new yōkai's name, she vanished from Desmon's sight, only to reappear in front of him.
Desmon drove his sword into the ground, using it as a pivot to lift himself with one hand, dodging the attack.
Looking at the yōkai upside down, he was ready to deliver an axe kick to finish her off, but the other spirit wasn't just watching.
"I must be quite popular, having two beautiful ladies chasing my body."
One wanted to disfigure him, and the other to slice him in two. He must feel like the luckiest guy alive; at least none of them want his head.
He pushed off with his hand, dodging the second attack.
As he landed, he leaned back, avoiding a slash to his torso, just in time to watch massive claws swish past him.
"I'll need at least a week off for this job." He sighed, exhausted.
Minutes ticked by, nearing midnight, the hour when both yōkai would grow even stronger.
"Normally, I'd love to keep having fun with two lovely ladies, but a grumpy teacher is waiting for me to share some candy, so let's finish this. I'll give you one last dance."
With these words, both yōkai lunged at Desmon, who, with a playful smile, kicked the teke teke in the jaw before she could reach him, sending her flying.
She may be quick to human eyes, even more now that she's stronger, but to Desmon, her speed doesn't compare to a certain pizza addict.
"Now, the dance floor is just for the two of us."
Desmon intertwined his hands with Kuchisake-onna's, immobilizing her claws the moment she lunged.
With her hands pinned, the yōkai didn't hesitate to bring her head toward Desmon's neck, aiming to sink her massive fangs into it.
"It's hard to resist a lovely lady's kiss, but my neck would regret it if I accepted that."
Desmon raised his knee, striking the yōkai's chin.
Gaining control, he moved with her to the side, evading a cut that would have sliced them both in half.
-It's rather helpful that she announces herself with her name every time she moves.
Once the teke teke landed, she immediately charged at Desmon.
"Don't be impatient; your turn will come soon."
As if in a dance, Desmon began to lead Kuchisake-onna, who struggled to free her claws and repeatedly tried for his neck, while the teke teke lunged at them whenever he dodged.
A comical scene, almost like Desmon was mocking these two spirits, though one wrong move would land him in serious trouble.
For a while, he maintained this incredible dance between spirit and demon.
But all good things come to an end, and that moment came as the clock struck midnight, the peak of the spirits' power.
"Right on time, so our fun ends here."
Kuchisake-onna managed to break free of Desmon's grip as the teke teke launched herself at him.
"It's over."
With his limited control over demonic energy, Desmon moved faster than both yōkai, channeling energy into his legs.
With a confident, playful smile, he greeted the teke teke with a kick to the face, strong enough to fracture the spirit's features and send her flying toward the train tracks.
Just then, a sound echoed through the area; it was time for the train to come barreling down the tracks.
The teke teke didn't even notice the train lights approaching, as Desmon's precision kick left her only a split-second to react; one she, unfortunately, couldn't take.
At high speed, the long freight train tore over the teke teke, obliterating it in a blink.
Kuchisake-onna paid no mind to the destruction of the other spirit, focusing only on Desmon, who was already waiting with a gut punch that sent her flying into the train's cars.
The yōkai's body collided, then was repelled by the high speed of the freight train. But as she twisted from the impact, Desmon grabbed the back of her head.
"Let me tell you this: you're uglier than a kick in the ass!"
Without a hint of hesitation or mercy, Desmon slammed Kuchisake-onna's head against the train, using the speeding cars like a belt sander. Slowly, the spirit's head began to disappear, releasing an overwhelming, anguished scream.
The teke teke's end was instant, but Kuchisake-onna's was anything but.
A few seconds later, all that remained of the yōkai's body fell to the ground, starting to fade away.
The sound of the train grew fainter as seconds passed.
"Another job well done… I think." He said with irony.
Why would Desmon be in Tokyo on Halloween night? The answer was simple: work.
Lady had called him that morning, saying he needed to head to Tokyo to handle three alleged demons or spirits. The first turned out to be nothing more than a psycho who loved to commit crimes on this date, but the other two were real yōkai that claimed hundreds of lives each year. Witnesses reported seeing them in Tokyo around this time.
"Hope Shizuka saved me some candy."
With that, he summoned Kurox to head to his teacher and housemate's place.
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