Chapter 1: The Forsaken

I've read reports of a monster that's been attacking humans and devouring them for food. Apparently it's a demon of maybe C-class of the centaur race if I read the report right. The description of the monster I was given by my resources is that of a woman with short white hair. That's not much to go on but certainly narrowed things down greatly, even in a Japanese city like this where everyone dyes their hair strange colors. Humans nowadays make me wonder. Even though everyone changes their hair people with white hair are quite rare unless they're inhuman monsters, but that's for a later time.

My prey wasn't hard to find. Or rather my prey found me and not the other way around. I found it quite easy to alienate myself and enter Japan without arising questions. Then I had to make my way through the country side with false identification and a visa that was good for four years. I was called in by an significant other to take care of a problem. A problem that for some reason no one else seemed to care about dealing with. I don't really care if a monster goes around eating human flesh, after all we all need a way to sustain ourselves. I've eaten raw wolf and monsters before to survive. I've eaten bug people and demons just because it's not wrong to eat something that's not even your species. I forget what the word for the act of eating your other race is called. It escapes me.

Sadly in order because of previous hunts I've been forced to take certain contingencies. I've regressed down to a young adult age when I tore out the power of my soul out of my body and stored it away for a later time when I might need it again. I'm very much human without it in a way I never thought I'd feel again. The sudden decrease in pressure upon my body almost caused me to implode, but I'm not that easy to kill. I've lost five years off my age due to my regression just to grow up again under different circumstances and adapt to different powers like I've done before. Once I lose something completely that could cause a drastic change within me I regress to grow into the change. Most of the time I lose years instead of gain them just to do it all over again. I'm an old man in a young body because of this condition and suffer puberty more than once or twice to get where I need to go in order to blend in.

The crushing power to manipulate the fission reactor that is your soul and use the power to bend reality and time is much too dangerous for me to contain for right now and I need to be inconspicuous to get under the radar of the modern day powers in Japan. It's also to ensure a couple old "friends" don't take notice of me not that it would happen if I'm careful, but no one is perfect. My search for this demon is one of those times. It can morph its lower half into that of a human and blend in just like I'm doing and sort of failing. I'm dressed up like a catholic priest with a black suit and red tie underneath my long trench coat to hold all my tools of the trade. My dress shoes are leather and not really shoes at all but boots for me to use if I need to run. I'm not arrogant enough to say that I've never need to run away and running away is a good tactic to have against arrogant prey. That's one reason I have a brick of some high grade c-4 on my person along with my common load out of two swords, a crossbow, grenades, blessed sulfuric acid, and of course silver bullets for my .45 magnum. The cross hanging around my neck was for show and it was annoying to say the least to have on and uncomfortable.

Certain circumstances made my body a little allergic to crosses from the biblical God. I can wear them but they're uncomfortable. It's a sensation I can only explain as the feeling of a thousand needles stick in into your skin then pulled out for a moment before moving a millimeter over and penetrating again into my skin next to the old hole. That's the feeling I get every time my cross bounces as I walk. Maybe I should have disguised myself at a Shinto priest instead of a Catholic one but what's done it done. No one will question a holy man, especially one of my race and stature. I stand over these people with ease being six feet with my boots and a medium regular build. I'm African but I was never born in African because my mother was a servant in Germany, or what is Germany now since the vampires took control of it. Regardless of my origins I'm different and it shows. I kept my hood down for now and opt just to wear a pair of dark opaque sunglasses to cover the slight glow my eyes carry in the dark. There're somethings I can't hide and this happened to be one of them. My Jaeger soul will not be contained.

When it comes to my constant traveling over the world I never liked coming to Japan. Kaguya-hime happened to be the only Shinto god I liked and didn't threaten to kill like I did Amaturasu and Izanagi. Izanami and I are close right after I released her from her eternal and personal prison. The goddess was nice enough to stick around and assist me much like Kaguya does whenever I look up to the moon. Very few gods deserve praise in my opinion but Kaguya receives almost all of my attention whether it be day or night time. I hated tea until I had a cup of hers whenever she comes down for a visit on a new moon. Uzume as well is pretty nice and a good dancer. I was terrible before she came into the picture. I've been forced to annul of a couple gods already and hated the fact that I did… Sometimes. Gods are a dying breed and need to be protected if you asked me… Every once and a while. That may be a reason why I befriend some of them… Until they piss me off enough to warrant obliteration.

It was close to night time and the moon was slowly rising up. I can feel so many signatures of demons, devils, monsters, and an angel in the distance, but this single one coming my general direction is significantly noticeable. It's a demon or so I believed at first. It's not a demon but close to it. This must be one of the Devil race, the ones who came after the demon race. Demons hate Devils and vice versa. I'd side with a demon over a devil any day. At least the demon tells you they plan to kill you or want you for your power instead of using undermining tactics. Devils don't have honor like demons do but that doesn't matter at the moment. What does matter is the presence I feel in the northeastern sector of this city. I can feel Devil-kind in the western sector and it's steady. They don't seem to care about people being eaten alive in this city which is strange. I had thought that Devils in groups are assigned sections or cities to operate in and thus protect the people in it. The less human souls you have to pawn off of the weaker you become. I guess that's why I'm still around. They don't really care for us humans but that's fine. I've fought for my kind for centuries and will continue to do so for as long as I breathe.

"Mhhhm." I heard a woman's moan just at the edge of my hearing. I have hyper sensitive hearing so if I can't hear her like someone is screaming in my ear with a megaphone yet then that means she's caught my scent at a distance of maybe 300 meters. That or maybe she took notice of a new prey she found worth investigating. It's most likely the former because the only beings in this forest are myself and it. It knows I'm coming to kill it and it's unafraid. Good, I like being underestimated. It makes killing my target much easier.

I passed by a multitude of trees and stopped at a clearing or what's be a clearing soon. I planted most of my c-4 on trees facing inward facing towards the small bit of clearing and one piece in the center of the clearing. I pulled Isabella out from her holster still in her retracted form. With a pull of the trigger my crossbow grew into her full ready form with her six bows at the ready. With a strong pull back I loaded a cartridge of twenty bolts in and spun the pulley to load the first one. This is a devil I'm hunting is more than likely a stray thrown into the world of man and labeled as someone else's problem. Stray Devils are less troublesome to deal with for the most part despite the chance they may be stronger than the usual devil under peerage. Peerage from what I decided to understand are a way for high class Devils to gain power and repopulate the ranks of Hell kind lost in the Great War not too long ago. Those were the days. Lucifer was an amazing being. I could kill him but that doesn't change the fact that out of all the archangel I have seen he was the most impressive. Satan is pretty impressive as well and a constant companion of mine. Michael pales in comparison to the both of these beings. Metatron fell in the war sadly. I can respect a being that puts everything on his own ideals. The war was worse than three world wars mixed into one. Much worse. I found out just how annoying stray Devils could be after the war. I had to clean up the mess after all. That was around four or five thousand years ago. Something like that. I wasn't alive, well not the "me" now that is.

I broke out of my thoughts when I felt something appear in my senses. I stopped and turned toward the devil in hiding. "Oh, a priest." I heard her voice resound around me like it was coming down from the heavens themselves. I looked around and sort of pretended to be confused and unaware of her location. I wanted this hunt to be enjoyable, since I'm exceptionally human now, before I go and take care of the Devils in this city. A few less evil creatures to deal with turning innocent humans into them. I'd rather be an angel than a devil or maybe a god even though I detest gods almost as much I do Devils. I suppose I can blame the aftermath of the Great War on my personal vendettas against the current factions.

Demons, devils, fallen, and angels; The world would be better off without them around. Before this night is over there be one less to worry about at least.

"How do you taste I wonder? Minty for being so holy mwhahaha!"

I sighed and reached down for my blade on my right hip. I pulled and a red blade of creeping shadow black tiger strip design with a saw like and lightly toothy edge hummed when pulled out his scabbard. This sword held no guard and its hilt black with leathery material wrapped around.

"A demon's blade? Now why would a human let alone a priest have that?"

I can't blame this devil for her ignorance and belief this was a demon's blade after all its aura is ghastly. Its song and hum sings tales of never ending bloodshed and a will to spill more until this planet runs dry. The miasma that swirled around the blade seeped into the red molten rock like cracks. You could almost say this sword was like a volcano shaped into a sword. Even though the edge is jagged and toothy it's so fine that just looking at it can cut you. No demon could ever hope to wield this let alone look at it without losing themselves to the pure unadulterated Hate. Hate given shape with war as its home away from home. This blade has no equal and can cut through anything and yet cannot stand up against an assault. I can't defend without causing harm to myself. A handicap I accept and used much to my advantage. I can wield Hate because he allows me to and this devil will soon know fear. I plan not to use any special powers and rely on my human abilities like I do most of the time to make things interesting.

"So good," the devil moaned. "You smell so good. I can't hold it in anymore!"

I felt a sharp increase in Devil energy and stepped back a couple times as the devil transformed into a C-class beast demon reincarnated into a devil. Demon centaur are almost like chimera but only in main body. It still has a human half attached to the beast half. This one wasn't the most hideous but its body is strong. Almost like a boar and a lion merged into one with a black snake as a tail. The human half retained most of its features I hope. She's top naked now and has to be my target. Short Snow white hair and the species is on point.

"I can't wait to eat such a riveting morsel," the devil chuckled.

Devil energy flooded the surrounding area giving it a faint violet hue strange enough. The color of its aura help differentiate which devil peerage threw this one out into my world. Violet seems to be the color so that narrows it down to a low noble house. The four predominate clans are red, yellow, orange, and blue currently so they're not the culprits. I don't plan to eliminate the family that threw this woman away instead of killing her while they had the chance; this shouldn't take any more than five minutes to kill.

Hate hummed. "I know," I passed my hand over Hate's edge. "It's not worthy of your time but it has to stop. You're hungry aren't you?" Hate shivered. Images filled my mind of certain individuals Hate wished to bleed out instead. Most of them I couldn't recognize. Hate was utilizing what little power of foresight I do have to mark targets it wished to cut and so far I have three women and seven men. All within the supernatural factions including a Youki kyūbi it seems. I have never seen any of them but Hate uses foresight to pick out his victims meaning they aren't beings I have met but rather whom I will meet later down the road.

I felt a spike and blinked to see a slightly agitated expression on my target's face. I can assume right now this devil is getting impatient with my stationary form and is about to attack out of frustration, or is in the middle of a monologue about how evil she is and how I'm going to be one of her next meals like most men that she had the fortune to meet. "I will spatter your guts around the trees and…" It was always the second and not the first. Why do beings that believe themselves more powerful feel the need to speak instead of act? I'm done not listening. Talking makes the hunt boring in the beginning but gives me time to prep my weapons like loading my revolver with demon suppression rounds. I rose up Hate and grabbed my left shoulder. With my magnum in my left hand I stepped to the left with my right shoulder forward. I stepped to the right a little to be on line with the monster because a tree it had yet to crush was in the way. I aimed down the sights and focused the laser sight equipped to the barrel on it's body. Sometimes these lasers don't work on monsters like a banshee. Their spirits are transparent to the point their physical body follows. I don't need it to aim though. It's mainly for the hell of it but it's nice to see the surprise on a target's face when they see the "sniper dote" on their bodies.

I pulled the hammer back with a loud click and pulled the trigger. My single action fired and the round impacted and shattered into its left front leg in the same place my laser dote touched.

"Ahhhhh!" The monster roared and collapsed down upon that leg. I rushed forward and swiped Hate across its beast like torso showering blood out from the gash. Like a buzz saw through butter, Hate shred the flesh from what bone there was in a delicious bloody mess. The beast roared and stomped down upon me with its other front leg. I moved out the way with a simple side step, but the blow to the ground was covered with devil energy which pushed me off my feet and back at least ten feet away. I glided back with my balance intact and landed on my feet in my stance once more. "Damn you human! That hurt!" Slowly the devil climbed up to its feet with a vicious snarl. "I was going to make it fast," she snarled again showing off razor sharp teeth. "But now I'm gonna make it last until…"

I pulled the trigger again and this time got the back leg on the opposite side. "Ahh," the devil screamed and fell back. An advantage I took with Hate held across my body in reverse grip. The devil noticed my charge and rose up its humans hands. Some manner of bone like lance spout out from its body which it took in hand and swiped out at me. I reversed and cut straight through the lance with a little more trouble than that of her hide. It's paw for its left leg sprung out but I rolled over it with ease. If I'm anything it's nimble and fairly acrobatic. It's not good enough to qualify for the Olympics but it serve me well enough to avoid something like that. I leaned out the way of her other lance and whirled around the next. By then I was in close range and in slashing distance. The devil suddenly rolled away. I gave chase but she whirled around for some reason. A whip in the form of its tail lashed out at me and connected with my chest. I gripped the ground with my feet and trailed back. Suddenly, like an anaconda, that tail suddenly bit my shoulder hard enough to almost shread it into pieces and lifted me up. My stone skin from my beast aspect saved my skin from breaking as it spun me around and wrapped me starting up top. Like an anaconda it placed me in a death wrap. This wasn't good. I can't reach for my swords or any of my bomb to help me get out of this. I placed limiters on my body as well so I could stay incognito and not excite any supernatural powers in this city. What can I do to get out of this?

I took a breath and let it out. Ki pulsed out of my body from my cross and that sensation I suffer wracked my entire body. But I know its a hundred times worse for her than it is me. Suddenly the wrap loosened and I was able to feel the room my body needed to get out of this. I got loose enough and grip my cross and prayed. Exorcist holy magic is quite useful if I do say so myself. Being a Paladin for the holy church has it's advantages. As soon as I touched the cross and prayed I took another breath to build up my Ki once more. With a breath out a burst of holy light shot out from the cracks of my fingers and burned the scales of this devil's snake appendage in front of me. The devil gasped at the shock of this holy piece touching it's evil flesh. A smoldering cross shape branded itself on that snake like tail in front of me.

"May all heathenous beings find redemption within the fires of his retribution," I prayed to myself and the monster before me as I slipped back down to the ground and landed in a crouch. I picked up my pistol I dropped and faced the monster before me as it surveyed it's injuries.

"I'll fucking tear you to ribbons!"

I rolled as the tail came straight down on me to safety behind a tree. I holstered my gun and moved into the shadows of the trees. The devil turned around and it's monster body followed with most of its shifts and turns slowed from the crippling blows done to its lion legs.

"Where are you?"

I stopped at its rear after trailing through the shadows of the trees around it and pulled out Isabella. I sheath Hate next and rolled my shoulders with a breath. I switched her fire select switch to five round burst. It's just a crossbow configuration version of what would be on your standard assault rifle. My modern day modifications to this elder crossbow turned it into a deadlier weapon than most high power rifles and illegal to own to boot. The bolts it fires are anything but humane. My bow was made from the bones of a dragon I was forced to slay and this is the end result after years of kills, souls, and customization . I turned the laser point on and aimed at its back and rear legs.

"Where are you?"

Right here, I thought to myself instead of saying out loud like an idiot. I pulled and in five consecutive shots the bolts pierced its back. I hide behind a tree before pulling back and holding the charging handle to keep it from reloading another set. I pulled the trigger again and the five bolts blew up sending shrapnel, blood, and bone every which way. Explosive tipped heads are very effective I must say. I let the charging handle go and pressed the retract button and six bows receded into the receiver. I don't need that much power for this devil. My bolts literally imbedded themselves into the monster's body until I couldn't see them anymore. I can imagine just how painful that blast was it is showed with the sheer amount of blood caked the spots bordering me at the tree. I could have just used the standard one bow but there just ain't no kill like overkill.

I placed Isabella back into her holster on my waist and pulled my revolver out then took Hate out of the tree. I rushed away just in time for the devil to stomp down and destroy the series of trees I was hiding behind. I sighted in and fired three shots. I hit her tail at the snake's head and her remaining rear and front legs. By this point it's devil power is sealed. It can't heal itself like it's been doing now. It's bleeding profusely from its legs and rear flank plus each leg has a holy bullet in each. Signs of the chunks of flesh it attempted to restore stopped as bleeding heaps of skin and fur.

"I'll kill you! I'm gonna…"

I threw the holy acid in the air and pressed the trigger to the pinch of explosives on it. The vial burst open at its face. The result was loud and full of curses. I holstered my revolver once more and held Hate at the read. I waited for the burnt and slightly runny face to point towards me with black eyes full or murder glaring down at me. The acid burnt its eyes but it could still see me, if barely. Its sense of smell is now gone and its crippled with constant pain from the bullets clouding its thoughts. All monsters once backed into a corner become primal beasts that can only think of one thing: To kill. It crawled after me while its human half flung its remaining lance at me. I leapt back and frowned. Now that this devil has gone primal its lashing out like a cheetah and rushing forward like a bull. Rage became its pain killer as it forced its body up. Covered in burns, scratches, cuts, blood, and missing hair from random areas the acid landed on, the devil still made its way up and charged after me and fast. I retreated back and took to the trees.

"Tic." I murmured.

"You can't hide!" It blasted through the trees after me. This won't last long and it's most likely on its last leg. I still have a present for it though. I rushed forward past a red glowing remote to a small clearing. "Don't run!" I rushed forward and dove down into a small dugout I made to shield me from the explosion.

"Tic."

I waited until it broke one last tree and stopped in the clearing.

"I'll kill you! I'll rip you to pieces!"

"Boom."

I rose my remote and pulled the trigger. The plastic explosives blew and quaked the earth of which I laid on. Wind and fire shot over me and a branch and wood chips from the trees embedded into the tree and rocks in front of me. If the shrapnel can blast into a rock and pierce into a tree like this I can only imagine what happened to the devil.

I waited for the earth to stop moving before I took to my feet again to admire god's work done upon this heathen of an inhuman monster. I really need to stop watching Hellsing before my hunts. I'm starting to emulate Alexander Anderson but that man is what I've emulated myself as once I took my vows with the Vatican. That world need a man like that to keep up monsters which I do for a living. I just don't use bayonets or carry a bible to make seals to purify the area.

I heard a faint whimpering that was almost sad if anyone that cared would have heard it. I stepped up from the dugout. The area had dust everywhere and the trees took damage I felt was a shame. I love trees. I hate to harm them but this thing had to be stopped. Speaking of which, I noticed a random rock in the middle of the blackened clearing. I know it's not a rock because it's moving. It's the devil in something akin to the fetal position just with a beast bottom with its legs in like a spider and her human half hugging itself for comfort. The devil seemed to be whimpering. That's a bit pathetic for a devil to do such just because they're in pain they are not accustomed to. This thing knows nothing of pain. I've felt much worse than it's suffering from right now.

I slipped Hate into his scabbard as I approached the body. He didn't wish to fight this devil and one or two cuts were the limit. I reached for Isabella instead to shoot it in the head before a swift decapitation.

It looked up as I stopped at its face. It coughed and looked back down to its chest, covered in burnt flesh and littered with wood shavings. "What…are you waiting for?" It coughed a few more time. "Do it… kill. Me."

I looked down on the beast turned devil. I pushed a button on her stock and this time only one bow sprout out from the sides instead of two butterfly wings on each. I pulled back the charging handle to show a glowing bar only one-fourth full. I need to recharge this later but this will do. I pulled the handle back one last time with some added mana from my matrix and automatically it shot back forward. The tip of bow glowed then spread down the bow to the bolt loaded already. I switched from burst fire into semi-auto to placed all the power into one bolt instead of divide it by two to five depending on the number of bows.

"As you wish." I aimed down with it pointed at its head but stopped before I could pull the trigger. The way it looked at me made me hesitate. It wasn't anger I saw in its eyes. It wasn't evil pouring out its soul. It was pain. It's anguish. Does this devil wish to die? Was that why it's hunting ground was this city. It came here on purpose to another's territory and I've noticed the signs of a few others that picked up the trail of this target like I did. Was it searching for something or someone to kill it? The cities I passed through with a body count happened to be within the territory of fallen angels and Devils. This one fought and defeated a decent amount of foes before I came. All supernatural threats unlike me who uses human tools and magical weapons instead of powers most of the time. This devil was on a death march the whole time. It was looking for someone or something to kill it. Why would it do this though?

Suddenly the devil's aura faded entirely from my awareness. The body of the beast seemed to recede back to her human torso. She could no longer retain her animalistic form and is reverting to that of a humanoid again. I waited as her tail sucked into her body, her lion like legs with boar like joints and muscles turn into human legs though torn and caked with wounds. The bullets that shattered in her legs at the front and back along tail seemed to be lodged in her waist, hip, along her spine, and finally the one where he womb would be. I can tell by the holy symbol each carved into her flesh from my bullets. Her fur covered it before.

I reached for my charging handle and push it back in making the glow from the mana stop. I holstered Isabella and kneeled down. She loos to be dead. She didn't move. Her chest didn't appear to move either. I placed my hand at her mouth and nose and saw that she's breathing, if faintly. Her devil aura is completely sealed and the acid burned into her blood stream more than likely causing unmeasurable damage to her internal organs. Her flesh will heal but on the inside is a different story.

Every fiber of my being is telling me to end this devil once for all. It's garbage. Trash. It's not worth the dirt it's laying in right now. So much was telling me just to end it but a small piece of me wished for me to help her. To help her find peace. To help her find some sort of redemption. I thought on both sides of the spectrum until I came to a rough consensus. I removed my coat and slid the devil into it. I closed it up and scooped her up in my arms. I hope I'm not make a mistake in letting this thing live or for wanting to follow through with my plan. Some might call it cruel but that some can go to hell. If they're lucky they might learn a thing or two like I did.

I held the woman close and journeyed towards an exit to the park I found myself in. I felt another devil's aura nearby and can feel eyes on me but it seems he or she are scooping me out. Maybe here to see what was causing all this ruckus this early into the night. They didn't seem keen on causing a conflict and left once I exited the forest to the remotely deserted city street.

That explosion most likely scared a good amount of people which I can understand. With all the talk of terrorists in this world blowing up random schools or land marks its no wonder they run for the hills once an explosion comes about. I jumped over the fence with ease after all it's only three feet up into the street and aimed for the car closest to me clearly abandoned with the keys in it. A Nissan Maxima that looked to be maybe an early two thousand model.

I placed her in the back and laid her bleeding form down. Lucky for her my coat is enchanted to help seal wounds. I took to the front driver seat and started the car. The problem I had was the fact that I don't have credentials for the woman in the back or a place to stay unless I can acquire a hotel room or abandoned building somewhere in this city. I drove past police vehicles and around overhead cameras but utilizing alleyways. I was lucky that there weren't any cameras on me when I expropriated this vehicle. I stopped and parked to check my phone for somewhere to lay low and rest. Maybe a house I could buy or an apartment for me to use that I can rent in tonight without questions asked.

I searched until I landed on one that I found interesting. Apparently it's a steal for an apartment with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Basically it was a house just above ground and I had to take an elevator up to get to it that's large enough to fit a car. Strange that it's cheap like this so more than likely it's haunted by something that's why. Good thing I double as an exorcist on weekends. Ghosts are easy to get rid of. I'd say a cake walk when compared to almost anything else. A couple choice words or burn a couple remains and the ghost is gone forever.

I pressed the number on the phone and it instantly dialed. "Moushi moushi," I heard over he line and was confused at first until I remembered I'm in Japan not Russia anymore. I believe that's the formal way of saying hello or something along those lines. I have had to speak Japanese in a few years since that fairy tail monster fiasco I had to put down.

"Eh hai," I began and soon my internal translator got to work. "I'm calling about the apartment complex for rent. The Starlight?" I remembered the name for this specific one the best I could but I knew it was more than that.

"Star…light?" The man over the phone pondered. "Ah you mean the Star reach apartment suite, yes?"

"Yes," I decided just to go along with it.

"You wish to rent?" Renting will be much easier but if I can buy the entire building it would make things both easier to customize but hard to manage public affairs pertaining to the building. My visa is only valid for another year.

"I'd like to buy it, yes."

"Very well can when do you…"

"Tonight," I said quickly.

"T-tonight? But sir…"

"I will be at the building in maybe twenty minutes. Please prep the means for output business transaction to go through smoothly." I pressed the red phone on the screen and started the car again. Might just keep this. My contacts can help this vehicle disappear and I can get a paint job done in three days with a little incentive on top. I pulled out the alley and drove.

A/N: Thanks for reading and please review.