"I can hear you." The boy cursed with being his destined master's vassal whispered, his body saying the words without him even attempting effort.

In a flash of light, Nanashi saw the form of what would bring reason and destruction to his world. His body appeared as a mix between a skeleton, Irish spring green metal, and furred Celtic full plate, with a large yellow metal crest belt covering his midsection, and the remnants of a cloak that float behind him in three strips. "About time someone with some sense showed up. I am Dagda. Welcome to Yomotsu Hirasaka, the Japanese scenic road to the underworld. Hate to break it to you, kid—You're dead. And that friend of yours is next in line."

Nanashi gave the facade of calm, but it was only a facade, it could never hide the immense panic he was in.

Maybe he could ask this.. god to help him, but he remembered the guidelines Nori taught him for deals with gods and demons. The mortal has to be calm, not show any inkling of desperation, and talk to the dealer with the sense of the contract signer being greatly important.

"You've accomplished nothing in the admittedly short span of your life. But together, we could change that. Work for me, and I'll return you to life. It's your call. All I need is your name." Dagda made terms, his eerie commanding voice with a smooth Irish accent making almost anything he said alluring.

"So this going to be a partnership? Because let's be honest here. What do you need ME for? I can easily see you're not a biblical god, so you're not trying to get humans to push that utter bullshit holy war of theirs, since you're obviously an Irish or Celtic god. Maybe you have no physical form and need a vessel to use your power on the mortal world…that wouldn't make sense. You need me because you have a physical form and need a human to be this expendable weapon to do things. So if i can guess what you want me for, why not tell me what you want me for?"

Dagda laughed, and it wasn't a simple laugh, it was an echoing deep laugh. Resounding along the endless clouds of Yomotsu Hirasaka. "We'll aren't you an amusing pile of comical trite! Well since you've humored me, I'll humor you. I want a Godslayer, as I want to kill all other Gods and Demons in this pathetic weak decaying world you used to call a home, but for a few exceptions, and those beings fighting that so called 'Holy War' will be the farthest from exceptions."

Nanashi had the impression Dagda was smiling as he saw Nanashi only smile at his words. "So how about it, Kid? Your name?"

"No name." Nanashi replied. Dagda visibly seeming to get angry.

"My name is Japanese for No Name, Nanashi." He clarified, the Irish All-god's aura switching to.. positive emotions as he stretched out his arm, a sphere of light green energy growing in size as it's color shifted into dark green with the sound of his name, slowly flowing into the soul that is Nanashi.

"Excellent. A little something for you." Nanashi had the inkling that Dadga was smiling as he felt a new strength surge through him, his enteral suit gaining symbols directing copying the ones on Dagda's armor.

"…And a little something for me. Sorry kid but this isn't a partnership. You're now my own personal Godslayer. From this moment forward, you're nothing but a puppet. MY puppet. Just know, obedience isn't optional. So i recommend you keep that in mind."

The boy gave no physical response to the Faustian bargain he saw as the only option. "I'm honestly not surprised. Not like I was in a position to make demands anyway…" Nanashi muttered to himself, Dagda seemed to just gravelly chuckle to himself.

"I think I'm going to like you, Kid."


-Apocalyptic Tokyo-Kinshi Park-

Nanashi's body briefly glowed, a wave of green energy going through his body, healing every part of his person. Dadga's image showing up on his phone's screen.

As the green light replaced the gnarled neck flesh on Nanashi's scarred neck, his eyes shot open. His irises a bright celtic green.

Nanashi slowly sat up, noticing a needle was embedded in his chest, he pulled it out, stretching his body quickly. Needing to find Asahi and avenge Nikkari and Manabu.

"Guess it wasn't a twisted dream after all, Dadga are you there?" Nanashi thought to himself, hoping he could mentally communicate with Dagda.

Dagda didn't respond, but Nanashi could hear the low gravelly laugh.

Nanashi could hear the autonomous moans of a demon horde, the sounds of a knife digging into flesh, and the cries of a panicking girl….

Asahi…

Nanashi ran in the direction of the sounds, on the other side of the park. Finding his gun on the ground empty and coated in demon blood.

He followed the literal trail of demon corpses to the remaining cloud of demons surrounding Asahi. Who was holding a phone in her hand and a bloody combat knife in the other.

"I have to fight; I have to fight. I need to live…I need to live…For Nanashi!" She said herself in a mantra, her face full of fear and adrenaline.

As a Legion charged at her, she stabbed the knife right through its many faces, only breathing deeply as it gave a moment of reprieve. The demons taking pleasure in making her suffer a slow tedious death, seemingly getting intoxicated on her intense emotions.

Asahi tapped on the phone. Cheering to herself she finally got the password right. Only for it to twist into despair. "Shit, Shit, shit…App's locked! I can't summon any demons!" She cried as the phone just gave out a negative buzz, she somewhat hoped the demons would pity her and leave...

"This is how you humans summon demons? With this…machine?" Dadga's voice wondered.

"Dagda, where are you? I need your assistance!" Nanashi ordered.

"Down here, in your little demon-summoning device."

Nanashi brought his arm up and looked at his phone, his arm now covered in glowing brands on it and his phone was literally good as new.

"How the hell..."

Dagda's silhouette showed on the phone's screen. "Good as new. As god of knowledge, fixing such a thing is but a simple task. Now you can summon demons, just as your friend there tried—and failed—to do. Dukes up, kid. Didn't bring you back to keep dying at the hands of some scrub."

Nanashi replaced the magazine in his gun, and in a burst of speed, unsheathed his short blade and sliced through a cluster of demons in the horde.

Landing between Asahi and Adramelech, shooting more demons of the horde to make his presence very well known.

"Nanashi…? You're alive!" Asahi said in complete disbelief and pure happiness, clambering back to her feet behind her partner.

"Asahi. It's go.. it's great to see you, while this might be not the best time, you might want to go hunker down, things are about to get messy." Nanashi told Asahi, who was surprised even more by his vocal clarity.

Adramelech showed to be genuinely surprised. "Well that's odd. Could've sworn I'd left you corpse-like a moment ago…No bother. I'll just kill you again!"

Adramelech, with the snap of his fingers, sent a wave of the remaining demons of the horde at Nanashi, who sheathed his blade and held his gun in his dominant hand, using his other hand to activate his phone's combat features.

With a quick motion Nanashi slammed the butt of his gun into the eye of one of the demons and pulled the knife from the sheath on his ankle. Under handing the blade in his right. "You can now recruit and command demons." Dagda informed Nanashi as his fingers automatically triggered the demon summoning app.

Ardamelech launched a fireball at Nanashi. "Centaur!" in blast of green light, a large twin horse headed colossus appeared in front of Nanashi, blocking the fire with its body with relative ease.

"How adorable." the leader demon muttered, as his horde charged at the boy.

For each demon that was sent charging at Nanashi, the deafening bang of the Phantom went off and another demon corpse was made.

Nanashi with his sigiled arm gave a gesturing command to Centuar. It breathing out a cloud of arctic mist, freezing the demons of the horde solid, only to shatter when they crashed into the ground.

The ice attack caused the demon horde to destabilize briefly letting Nanashi unload his entire gun into the horde, leaving only a handful of demons.

"So, it's easy to kill me, now?! Fuck off and get the hell out here and never come back, you damn bodybuilder peacock horse, or whatever the fucking hell you are!" Nanashi yelled at Adramelech, his voice overlapping with seemingly two other voices.

"…I sense the seething rage of a god behind this newfound power of yours…. Seems I've lost my appetite. Think I'll take my leave now." The demon lieutenant declared, having not listened to Nanashi, but felt the source of his power…. deciding to leave with his remaining eight demons out of the two hundred of his horde.

Nanashi took a deep breath, and cheered to himself. "This power is awesome! And I'll use it to make this world a safer place. I just know it!"

Nanashi looked around to find Asahi, but didn't find her. Nanashi immediately started to panic and look at the other end of the park.

He found Asahi with all her gear, on her knees, emotionally drained staring at the burned beyond recognition remains of Nikkari and Manabu, unable to say words.

The sight of Nanashi seemed to give her strength. "I…I…I was so scared, Nanashi…Oh, Nikkari…Manabu…" Asahi started sobbing uncontrollably, tears going down her face like deep scars.

Nanashi without any thought, quickly hugged his close friend. "Asahi. It's okay…It's okay. You're safe now. I'm always going to be here for you now, I promise you. I'll never let you get hurt again. Trust me on that."

Asahi's sobbing started to lessen as Nanashi started to hug her, taking comfort in the relative safety of his arms. "Nanashi, I'm okay…. I'm okay." Asahi just laid her head on Nanashi's shoulder. Getting to her feet with Nanashi's help after a minute of silence, the adrenaline and emotional energy flown all out of her.

"Thank you Nanashi. You…. saved us. But…" Asahi and Nanashi looked at the charred remains of Nikkari and Manabu, Asahi's grip tightened around Nikkari's phone. "I'll use Nikkari's phone to text the Association, let them know what happened. Let's get to Kinshicho. We should tell Dad ourselves."

Asahi clutched the smartphone to her chest. The burden of their deaths carrying on within her.


As Nanashi and Asahi walked through the park. Asahi started to give out sluggish, pained breaths. "Nanashi…I feel…weak…"

Asahi almost collapsed onto Nanashi, the young man holding her up, examining her body, seeing a line of blood coming from a blood stain near her lower right lung.

"Damnit. I didn't notice she got hurt…"

Nanashi put her arm over his shoulder and helped her walk. Grabbing a life stone from his bag and crushed it effortlessly, the dust flowing into her skin, leveling her breathing, the blood steadily dripping more.

"Nanashi…I'm sorry for not...keeping our promise." Nanashi quickly lifted Asahi and started to carry her bridal style.

"Asahi, you haven't broken our promise, you're not going to die, for as long as I exist." Nanashi looked at his dear friend, she seemed to be getting more tired as time passed.

"Asahi…you need to stay awake. Focus on me. Just talk to me." Nanashi almost commanded, his voice cold yet caring. The guard at the gate opening up as Nanashi moved pasted him before he could even question the two.

"Nanashi, what's happened to you…you can talk normally again…" She started to have tears forming in her eyes. "You just feel so…different now..."

"Dagda, I'm going to tell her what happened. Any problem with that, Partner?" Nanashi mentally told Dagda.

"Kid, You're my puppet, MY Godslayer. I don't care what you tell other people. You'll do what I need of you when the time comes."

Nanashi smirked, he already liked how much of loner his contract keeper is. Not pushing on any extra rules besides the agreement. "Asahi, I don't know what I am right now, but I became it to save you. I probably shouldn't say this, but I like this power…"

"Is that…how you could summon demons, Nanashi?" Asahi asked as the two went down in the elevator, Nanashi's hands coated in Asahi's dripping blood as he explained to her what happened to him within the last hour, a small puddle forming on the elevator floor.

"Nanashi…I feel so…sleepy…"

"Asahi, look at me…don't fall asleep, say awake, with me. With me." Nanashi pushed out of his throat, fear overcoming him. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you..."

"Nanashi. I'm happy I got to spend this time with you." Asahi said in complete acceptance, starting to go delirious from blood loss.

The elevator opened and Kazuko in full medic gear stood there, her eyes going wide from the sight in front of her. "Nanashi, Asahi…What happened to you?"

Nanashi just pushed past her, carrying Asahi through the halls, Kazuko running after the extremely fast boy. "Dagda, can you bring her back? Or is it more of...will you?"

No response came.

Nanashi ran through the subway station and went to Kazuko's room, Kazuko right behind him, trying to keep her breathing in check.

"Nanashi what are you doing, and what's with the marking on your neck?" The resident doctor asked.

"Asahi is dying. I need you to save her. You're the only one who can now! Please!" Nanashi begged. Kazuko opening the door to her room, Nanashi placing Asahi on the stretcher turned operating table.

Kazuko just looked at the girl, opening up her coat and seeing her fully blood soaked grey turned red undershirt. "Nanashi…I'm not sure what I can do to help her…. I think I can keep her stable by grinding up life stones and giving her some Hustle shots. But I don't know if she'll make it…I'm sorry."

Nanashi just stared, his fists so tight they turned white and blood was almost dripping. "If you can't…. I'll…Never forgive you. Do anything you can, I don't care! I will not lose her; life would lose a lot of meaning if she passed." Nanashi started to cry, unable to control the spiral of emotions brewing within him as the closest person to him slowly died in front of him.

Kazuko looked at the two, the boy with green ethereal tattoos on his body and the girl that always smiled when near him, now an emotional mess and a slowly breathing body... their adult figures nowhere to be seen..

Kazuko knew a way.. but she really didn't want to have things come to this. So didn't want to curse anyone with such a fate…. but it was the only way.

"Nanashi. There is a way…but I need you to leave the room, this is a very risky medical technique and I need absolute silence and privacy. Okay?" Nanashi didn't say anything, he just walked out the room and sat against the wall trying to recompose himself.

Nanashi took off his bag and his sheath, laying against the tile wall of the hallway.

"Kid, take this as a lesson, others will only drag you down. You only need yourself to do anything, no one else." Dagda told the boy, giving him the best advice he personal saw he could give.

"I don't want to hear it. Asahi will be fine and life will go back to normal, we'll become Hunters and we'll help Nori and Flynn save this world, and with this power you've given me. I'll slay every god and demon that stands in my way."

As the two went back and forth for an hour, Dagda just seemed to be amused by the boy's ramblings. "Glad to hear it Kid, but I don't think you'll be happy with what's happened to that girl of yours."


Kazuko did all of the medical procedures she could do to keep Asahi stable with the equipment she has, but with how limited it is, as soon as she detaches her from them...she'll die from the foreign components tainting her system she couldn't remove in the surgery she just preformed, and she couldn't let that happen.

So it led her to this moment. Staring at the case with Them in it...promising Nanashi she'd save Asahi.

But she had no right to do this. It was inhumane! She couldn't do it. She lost so many comrades to the Demonoid/Angeloid projects, she couldn't do it again…could she?

She abandoned everything she knew for years because of Them…this time, she'll for once save people with them.

Kazuko pulled the case from the shelf and placed it on the floor, gracefully clicking it open.

She picked up a silver metallic worm, with a plier like elongated and collapsible pincers. "Ankh, time for your namesake to be true."

The former military medical scientist slowly stood up and went in front of Asahi's sleeping body, her chest uncovered from Kazuko trying to stop bleeding of the wound, but it was almost deep enough to go straight through the girl.

"Asahi. This will only hurt for an instant." She opened up the hole she cut directly into the girl's chest, lifting the metal creature above the vulnerable girl's pulsing innards.

Closing her eyes and muttering a Buddhist sutra under her breath, she let the demonic entity struggle out of her fingers and fell into the depths of it's broken vessel.


Asahi with her helmet and goggles under her arm walked out of Kazuko's room, looking surprisingly energy filled, but mentally drained.

Nanashi started to stand up and carry his gear as Asahi walked past, stuck in her own thoughts.

She went into her room, which was, luckily for her, empty. She walked to the back of the room where all of the beds were and looked in the mirror on the wall.

She undid her belt and unzipped her dress, letting it sink to the ground showing herself her bare chest (she removed her undershirt out of it being soaked in blood) and found a sight she was beyond shocked to see.

Where the small hole and scars that should be in her chest was…was…a strange symbol in her flesh. It was only comparable in visage to an Egyptian Ankh but had every cardinal point split to the center leading to an image of a platinum rune in the center with eight branching prongs.

"So this is brand of a fiendling…. I want this to be a dream, but I could feel the aura of Dagda around Nanashi…" Asahi thought out loud, trying to comprehend her situation. She could feel the presence of the irish father god and the various demons within Nanashi's phone.

She turned around and found Nanashi standing a meter behind her, completely quiet, staring at the demonic flesh that her chest now consisted of.

"Asahi. I think it looks…. Beautiful, I have no other words to describe it." Nanashi said in a period of bizarre admiration, unfazed by the nudity of his pseudo sister, who was only in her boots, elastic shorts, undergarments and padding.

Asahi knew Nanashi was sorta into weird stuff at times, but she didn't think the modern art that was her flesh would just seemingly speak to him on a spiritual level... but maybe, just maybe..she could share his view on it.

Asahi just smiled as she looked Nanashi in the eyes. "T-Thanks…and I know this is going to sound...weird…but I can't make myself hate this. I think I like this, it doesn't feel any different from my normal flesh, it might actually be more durable. It's just so strange, I've never felt this good my whole life! I feel like I could jump off a building and land perfectly without harm!" Asahi lively explained as she went through her wardrobe, getting a herself a new undershirt, shirt, and dress jacket. Putting on knee padding and strapping the knife in sheath back to her arm.

Asahi looked ready to take on the world, Nanashi could see that in her eyes. Their pact to see her grow strong flashed back into his mind. "The trauma of seeing all of us die, the near death experience, and this new…source of power must have coalesced into this new resolve…I don't know to feel happy or sad for her…or I guess how to feel for myself."

Asahi put on her helmet, the clasp clicking in place under her head, her goggles slapping into place on her helmet, her positive look shifted to a more worried look, her self-encouragement starting to mellow out. "Nanashi…I need you to be honest with me. I'll know if you're lying to me, but is you there, or is just Dadga using your body as a puppet?"

Nanashi just stared wide eyed, lifting his left arm stared at his phone. "Asahi…It's me, it is, I would never lie to you, how about you fill in the blanks, Partner?"

Dagda's image appeared on Nanashi's phone. "Kid, You're a riot. You expect so much of me, and I can't help but find that amusing. You're a lot livelier then the last one, so I'll continue to humor you. Doing this is a bother but since it seems you won't leave me alone until I answer you and your sweetheart's questions."

"Dagda, I heard that, and Yes, I'd like you to answer my questions! I'm already not human anymore so what's the point of not offering you something in return!?" Asahi said, now agitated at the bitter god's quip.

Nanashi gained the impression Dagda was now smirking in amusement. "Sorry Lass, but I'm not going through the godly death sentence that is binding a fiendling. Damn Magatamas, always turning human bodies into Fiends but leaving them with the human's mind and soul. The first generation of Godslayers some would say, but Magatama aren't something a god can just make, they have to be found in the deep recesses of the Expanse and finding one that's actually powerful is a shot in the dark, most gods just learned how to copy the resurrection process on humans to create Godslayers instead, which is the case with your friend here. Lass, you're a special case. Not the progenitor case of a Demi-fiend, but a Fiendling. Is something seen as filthy to those of divinity and nature, a Magatama was 'generous' enough to fuse itself with a human and simply killed itself turning into flesh for the human, parts of its instincts and affinities transfer to the human, and that fact is what makes it filthy. The fiendling is a tainted human that can grow stronger than most gods, but will just die if they don't find a source of more Magatamas to complete the transfer to Demi-fiend, such a hollow victory and a hollow victory leads to nothing but a plan falling apart, and that is truly the most disgusting of outcomes." Dagda went on a tangent, seemingly venting a lot of bottled up annoyance.

Asahi's eyes went wide at Dagda's explanation. "I'll die...again? This is such a strange feeling. I can't make myself hate that I'm like this, but I feel so empty…"

"Lass, since your pain will only make me have to force Kid to what I want. I'll give you an offer, After I answer your sorrows, any other questions will not be answered unless you give me something I do not know in exchange or have the object you want answers about in front of you. Take this as a game, one where I have much to gain and much for you to learn." Dagda offered, amused with himself.

"I…I accept. Tell me what will cause me to die? Tell me if I'm just going to become a monster like that...horse thing? Tell me if I'll…. grow strong enough to fight with Nanashi…." Asahi almost yelled at the cynical and bitter figment of the high king of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The Irish supreme God started to chuckle to himself. "Well lass, you have the snuff or stupidity to forcefully make demands of a God like your friend here, so I'll make this simple. The game is already set, so I'll give you the rest of your end of the agreement. But you'll have to cement your side of this, shake the hand of your friend. Swear you will discuss nothing about me with anyone else unless I say you can. Understood?" Dagda finalized the agreement. Asahi just looking at Nanashi, her mind a storm of thoughts and decisions.

"Fine. I'll do it. I have nothing more to lose and everything to gain." Asahi shook Nanashi's left hand, green markings crawling onto Asahi's body only to crumple off into dust upon the handshake's disconnection.

"Well, you are the real thing Lass, a fiendling. Unless you can gain control of the of the demonic flesh that's merging with your own. You'll end up but nothing but a sorry shell of a demon. But if you're the person Kid here thinks you are. I doubt that will be a problem. To counteract the eventual bodily degeneration, you'll need to become even more then human, you'll have to progress deeper into the forest you've walked into. Devour more Magatamas, and I can see when you've reach the other end, you'll be very thankful for the courtesy I'm giving you." Dagda disappeared from the screen of Nanashi's phone.

"Kid, this is the limit of what I will give you, you've made our agreement more than just what it was, now it is a debt, and you'll pay it back by never asking me favors, Ever. Again." Dagda mentally told Nanashi.

"You're my Godslayer, Kid I've given you everything you could want, so repay my side of the agreement with yours. You work for me and obedience is not optional, you will eventually think it is it, but I will make you understand, you cannot disobey my orders!" Dagda continued, briefly opening the flood gate of frustration and annoyance hidden within the God.

"Dagda, I share your desire. I will kill every Demon and God that goes against what We want. We're a team, even if you just call the shots. So understand I'm not going to go against your wishes. It will only be my way of achieving our goals, for we share the same end one." Nanashi full of optimism and determination told his "Partner".

Nanashi could hear Dagda muttering to himself, something about "he was right, things are different, maybe there is a hope for them, maybe I can finally free myself of this. Maybe I am Ascended."

"Kid. You remind me of myself, or whatever part of me that is actually left and why I'm saying this is another story, but I'm honestly enjoying I picked you to be my Godslayer. Enjoy my power, I want to be left alone to myself for a while. I will talk to you when I see necessary." Dadga told his Godslayer in a strange form of goodbye, sounding calm and less…burdened, almost relieved.

Nanashi looked around the room refocused after being in an intense mental discussion with Dagda. He noticed Asahi staring at him intensely, seemingly on the brink of a decision.

"Asahi…I know that was a lot to take in, but I want you to understand this. This is a good thing, we have the power to help people, we can protect those that don't have the power to do so, we can help Nori and Flynn end this 'holy war' between Merkabah and Lucifer. So how about it, we're a team?" Nanashi encouraged Asahi, who seemed to take his words very deeply.

Nanashi put his fist out, Asahi walked closer and bumped her fist into his, proudly smiling. "Team." The regenerating teen moved forward and just hugged Nanashi, who returned it in a quick, tight grip.

The moment of unity between the two lasted for a while, leading to where the two were just standing around in the silence.

"So…what do we do now..." Nanashi said, trying to break the silence as he slowly left the hug.

Asahi's face shifted into one of shock as if everything just came back to her. "Nanashi, we need to go the Hunter's Association, tell Dad we're okay and become Official Hunters. You go ahead, I need to have a talk about this with Kazuko." Asahi told her hunting partner as she made a waving motion over her chest.

"Gotcha, I'll be there. Just don't take too long, we probably don't want Boss having a panic attack." Nanashi mentioned as he already started to walk out of the room.


-Kinshicho Hunter's Association

The run to the Association was beyond easy for the teenager, he was able to break his own record in half the time. Dagda was quiet the entire the time, only responding to being called by his name to activate his smart phone.

Nanashi waited in the small crowd of eating hunters to hide from Boss as he waited for Asahi.

About two minutes later Asahi came in from the front door, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Nanashi…how are you…so fast…I get that we're more than human now…. but your speed is ridiculous…"

Nanashi was stretching, bored with waiting for his friend. "Asahi, let's be honest I'm going to need to be this fast to stay alive against more powerful things. You with your new 'power' is probably a whole lot more durable than me. I asked Dagda if you could block gunfire or swords with that new flesh of yours and he said yes, so you're probably going to be a badass combat medic, like a Valkyrie, I'll expect you to keep me off the ground, Partner?" Nanashi put his fist out.

"Partner." Asahi returned the gesture, now with a relaxed and pleasant look on her face.

"Nanashi let's go see Daaad...Boss." Asahi expressed to which Nanashi nodded in response.

The partners walked together to the bar, where Asahi's dad, Seike Noboru quickly walked around the bar towards the two, obviously worried. "Are you two okay? I've been so worried…Kazuko informed me you were recovering from critical condition." Boss said, his voice somber and hopeful.

"Dad…" Asahi almost whispers wistfully.

Nanashi went onto explain what happened at Kinshi park, leaving out the bits about Dagda, and the teens' new technical occupation.

Boss took his phone out of his pocket and sent a few texts. Nanashi's smartphone and Asahi's watch both dinging for a quest completed. The familiar tingling feeling of energy subtlety flowed into their bodies, the teens looking at each other as they both understood the feeling of power very well now.

"Don't worry about a thing. I sent a team of Hunters to recover the bodies. You guys just take it easy."

"Dad…I mean, Boss. We need to talk to you about something." Asahi said to her father, Nanashi noticing she was trying to steel herself to not let anything delicate slip.

"What is it?" Noburu Seike looked with neutrel authority upon the two teenagers.

"Please, make us official Hunters!"

Boss just went silent, looking away from the two for a few moments. "We can summon demons and we've been trained for the last year and a half, I believe we are capable! We need to become Hunters, if only to honor Nikkari and Manabu, and to show respect towards Nori and Kazuko for training us."

Boss made a pained face, it wasn't a decision he wanted to make himself. "Come on now…I can't do that. You're still kids. That's no life for you two."

"Angels and demons are about to turn Tokyo into a warzone! You're going to need as many Hunters as you can get." Asahi made her point.

Noboru looked at his daughter before looking at the well kept ring on his finger. "That isn't something you should have to worry about. I never asked you to be Hunters, damnit."

"Well we're already beyond the point of going back! We can only go forward, it wasn't my choice either, but I accepted it, why can't you just accept it as well!?" Asahi yelled, to which her father quickly took the position of authority again.

"Enough, Asahi! Hand over Nikkari's phone." Asahi gripped her gloved hands tightly and she quickly left the bar, knowing she could say something detrimental.

Boss just sighed. "Come on now…" Boss looked at Nanashi, who was quietly holding Asahi's hand through the discussion, knowing it was her "fight" to have. "Could you talk some sense into her, Nanashi?"

Nanashi nodded. "Okay Boss, but understand she's doing this because she wants to help people." Nanashi mentioned as he chased after Asahi out of the bar at his inhuman speeds.

Boss just stood there. "Why did she have to become like her mother? Risking her own life for others without any care for her own. Does she even know people will miss her…" he grumbled to himself, the whole chain of events bringing back bitter memories.

Outside the Association, Asahi was leaning against the support beam in the middle of the district center. Nanashi quickly in front of her.

Nanashi learned how to read his Partner through years of being around her and he could see she was outright pissed. "How can he not be proud that his daughter wants to follow in his and mom's footsteps." Asahi angrily bashed her right elbow into the pillar behind her, as soon as it impacted she pulled her arm back as it jolted in pain, with a sufficient divot in the concrete pillar.

The two ignored the discovery of Asahi's new physical strength, not out of ignorance but their natural teenage instinct to stay out of trouble for physical mishaps. "My mom was a doctor, she worked her whole life helping people. I want continue that and help people, besides what's the point of us having these powers if we don't do anything useful with them?!" Asahi asked her Partner.

"We just need to prove to Boss that we are capable."

"You're right. We need to prove ourselves! Show my dad we're not just kids anymore!" Asahi almost roared, her resolve almost glowing off of her like an aura of radiance.

"So… got any ideas?" Asahi bluntly asked, her aura still radiating despite her momentary lack of ideas...

Nanashi just stood and thought for a few moments. "We could go recruit ourselves some demons, lots of them."

"Good idea, and since we have these powers it should be easy to get hordes of them to work for us!" Asahi cheered, pumping her fist as things started to click in place for her.

"Asahi, I think you should go scout the Shopping district and I'll go scout out Kinshi park." Nanashi proposed, already walking away to follow through.

Asahi grabbed Nanashi's shoulder, her grip still gentle despite her recent influx of fiendish strength."Nanashi, could we stay together, we're a team right. You go in the frontline I cover fire you and heal you. We've always done stuff like that, so can we keep it that way?"

The demonology 'otaku' crossed his arms."Okay, sure. We can do that, but we're not doing anything else until we collected all of the different kinds of demons in the shopping district and Kinshi park, alright?"

Asahi beamed with confidence. "Sounds easy! We can totally do all that in less than an hour, wanna take turns recruiting the demons?"

Nanashi shrugged as they started to walk out of the underground district and to the gate out to the shopping district.

The two stopped when the guard at the gate yelled at them. "Hey, I can't let you be out here. Head back inside."

"Well, we just lost two people we looked up to today, and wanted to go train to give respect to their passing." Nanashi humbly said, mixing the truth with embellishment.

The guard's face flashed with acknowledgement. "You're Nikkari's cadets. I heard what happened. Lost a good man today…"

"Yeah, so we need to become hunters to show his teachings weren't lost, and to become Hunters we need to collect a whole bunch of demons." The collar-scarred boy reassured.

"Ah, so you want to go on a district side scouting run to become Hunters and Honor Nikkari, I see…. That's pretty admirable. Okay, hurry up, then and stay where I can see you!" The guard told the two.

"Thank you so, so much!" Asahi beamed.

The guard let the two through the gate closing it behind them. "That was pretty slick, Nanashi. Okay let's go bag us some demons!"

The duo high-fived and then set out to rally themselves a small army of demons.


-Kinshi Park- One hour later

With the shot of her rifle the Caladrius' corpse hit the ground, a giant bloody hole in it's remnant of a small frame.

Nanashi pointed his blade, coated in the empowered Bufu spell he was casting through it at a Nadja. "…Please, don't kill me."

"Join me, I need more…allies." Nanashi coldly said to the fairy.

"Hehe! Mister, l love you!" The ceramic color skin tan girl passionately cried and then jumped, hugging Nanashi's torso.

The teenager grabbed the head of the fairy with his left hand, power surging from his phone into the fairy only for the energy to drag the fairy into the phone itself.

"Nice one Nanashi, you got a Nadja to join you!" Asahi cheered. "I think that's all of the kinds of demons in the area. Let's count them off. We got a Fomorian, Sudama, slime, goblin, mandrake, legion, Onmoraki, Katakirauwa, Decarabia, Caldruis, Kabuso, Strigoli, Porewit, Mamedanuki plus a Fuxi and Vodyanik fused in that Cathedral of Shadows app you have."

"That's a small army of demons if I've ever heard one." Nanashi said as him and Asahi put their phones next to each other, sharing the App Points and Stock between them (Nori and Kazuko had given the two small stacks of App Point Cards in advance for them becoming legit hunters).

"This should be more than enough to get Dad to change his tune." Asahi's phone suddenly rang with the notification for Priority Quests.

"It's a message for Nikkari. Should I… Might as well open it, right?" Nanashi only shrugged to her question.

The two read the request, it was rapid response request for a hunter was captured by the angels around the sky tower, it's asking for all hunters available to come to rescue the personal to make sure no casualties happen.

"The Sky Tower's not far from here. Let's go help." Asahi told Nanashi, who only nodded.

"We're Godslayers... whatever that means, but that's got to be a step up from Hunters. So we can totally handle this. Let's get to the Sky Tower!" Asahi accepted the quest.

"The Sky Tower's just outside the park. Hurry!" Asahi yelled as she gestured for them to move to the other end of the park.

The duo stopped running as Asahi saw the large bloodstains left by the incident earlier this morning. A silence overcoming their sense of urgency. "I'm going to be stronger. I have to be, I can feel it in my chest. I will become strong, beyond anything conceivable to demons or angels."

Nanashi stayed silent and placed his hand on Asahi's shoulder. "Asahi, we need to hurry. Besides, you're not alone in this, we'll grow stronger together, so strong that no god, angel, or demon will be safe from us."

Asahi just put her hand over where the markings on her chest centered. "…Yeah…You're right Nanashi. Let's go!"

Asahi internally pushed herself up and the team started running as fast as they could (while still being in short proximity of each other) to the Sky Tower.


-Sky Tower

The duo reached the outer segments of the Sky tower, having hidden behind the varies degrees of rubble around. The sounds of Hunters and angels arguing kept the two from wanting to just charge in, the tension too high for them to let it be broken by them.

There were two hunters standing protectively in front of an unconscious woman hunter in a refitted full body biker's outfit and helmet. Two angels coldly hovered in front of them, a blue winged watcher angel and a Power.

"Only those with permission may enter. Transgressors must be executed." The ninth order angel declared.

"C'mon, she barely stuck her head inside." The hunter in orange chest armor with a shotgun replied.

"Degree is irrelevant. You all flout the Lord's orders. For this, you shall be smote." The Power decreed.

"This is oppression!" The hunter yelled.

"What should we do? There's no negotiating with this thing." The other hunter, a man in reddish orange tinted riot gear with an assault rifle worriedly cried.

"We can't just leave 'im here!" The other hunter replied, motioning his head to the unconscious fellow hunter.

Behind the cover, the duo looked at each other. "Those are angels…I've never seen one in person before. What should we do? This could go very bad if we're not careful."

Nanashi handed Asahi his Phantom. "You'll need this, we have to take those angels on. We're Godslayers, we can do this. We just need to make sure we can assure the safety of the Hunters."

"Yeah, Nanashi. We can handle this. We're going to be Heroes like Flynn."

"And Nori..." Nanashi added in.

"...Okay and Nori as well, but that's beside the point, we can't just stand here, let's go!" The two discussed as Asahi readied the gun.

The two jumped over the rubble that made their cover and ran to stand between the Hunters and the angels.

"Who're you?" The shotgun wielding hunter asked.

"Protectors of the people, like you." Asahi told the Hunter as she readied her phone to summon her recently collected and empowered demons.

"You two don't look very strong, but right now we need all the help we can get." The other Hunter said.

The Angel moved somewhat higher into the air, seemingly full of cold hatred towards the humanoids. "Lady Merkabah's orders are absolute. Those who do not comply must be killed.

The angels readied themselves to fight, The Power gripping its lance to conduit magic power, and the Angel started to gather magic energy in between the shackled hands above its head.

"You guys take care of the other one." The shotgun hunter told the two, him and his partner ran down to the other open part of the Sky Tower's ground floor. Beckoning the Power to chase them which quickly lead to the ironically prideful knight to charge at the two with its lance.

Leaving the childhood friends with the Angel to deal with. "Let's prove we can hold our own!" Asahi declared, Nanashi already forming streaks of electricity in his branded hand.

The two summoned their demons as a wall of front force as they went to fill the Angel with holes and rip it to pieces with high degree winds respectively.

The Angel with their hands in triangular shape, casted Hama upon the demons, melting through two of the frontline as it was aimed for the duo.

Nanashi went to block the magic from hitting Asahi, only for her to put herself in front of him with surprising strength. The large bolt of intense light impacting her body, only for the markings on her chest to glow through her clothes, only for the light to be repelled back into the Angel, pushing it back a meter into the air.

In its daze, the demons jumped onto her dragging her from the air and too the group, clawing, bashing, and tearing at the Angel's body. "To think there was a Hitoshura amongst the unclean. The unclean are truly beyond the hope of redemption." The Angel declared to itself, pushing away the horde of demons mauling at them.

"Asahi, it won't go down. We need to finish it off." Nanashi told Asahi as he dashed into the fray.

"Go, Nanashi! Slay the Angel!" Asahi cheered her Partner on.

Nanashi smirked from his Partner's words of encouragement, his blade being surrounded by his focused empowered Zio spell, leaping into the air at the Angel.

With a battle cry, Nanashi impaled the Angel with his blade, pulling the two from the air into the ground.

"Unthinkable, A messenger of Lady Merkabah, defeated by mere children…" The Angel groaned in death as they destabilized completely, fading into dust and magnetite.

The dust flowed through the air into Nanashi and Asahi. Some of the demons around them trying to whisper their knowledge into their heads in victory.

The Power in the distance could barely fly as it retreated into the tower.

The two Hunters walked up to the teenagers. "Not bad, for a bunch of kids"

"Nanashi, we were awesome! Give it here!" The duo high-fived, rejoicing in their victory.

The moments of victory were cut short by a large flash of light, the sounds of six wings flapping in the air.

A large six red-winged bottom-half less angel with cyan skin and perfectly pampered hair floated in the air, a presence of power and an imperious aura filling the air. "What is this?"

"Shit, that's the archangel Aniel. We don't stand a chance against him." The riflemen Hunter explained, trying to back away with the unconscious hunter.

The wounded Power following the archangel, flapped its wings to be somewhat equal but lower height then the archangel. "Allow me to explain."

The Power explained to it's superior as Asahi and Nanashi quickly went through healing their demons, they'll need a potent force to fight this angel.

"I see… Mere humans defy the laws laid down by our Lord's own messengers? Unclean Ones, I shall dispose of you in His honor. Your lives shall serve as recompense for your sins." Aniel told the Hunters emotionlessly.

With a gesture of his arm, Aniel summoned a bolt of pure lightning in front of the two licensed Hunters. The surrounding ball of electricity bursted into a massive shockwave that sent the both Hunters flying into the far-reaching walls of the Sky Tower's ground floor, likely knocked out cold.

The teenagers gripped their weapons, fear and excitement filling their minds as they looked at each other, smirking.

"I will purity all Unclean Filth." Aniel declared. The two ordering their demons to make a wall between him and them.

"A world of everlasting peace…This is all that Lady Merkabah wishes. Unclean Ones, your presence sullied the world our God wishes to create." Aniel stated as fact. Advancing upon the teenagers and their demons.

"You shall be purified." With a wave of his arm, massive bolts of lightning erased chucks of the demon horde from existence.

"Asahi…." Nanashi monotoned to Asahi, coating his blade in a Zan spell.

Asahi held her gun tightly, fear digging into her. "Yes, Nanashi?.."

"I'm going to do something stupid and likely risky, I want you to take cover."

"But Nanashi…You can't…"

"I said take cover!" Nanashi interrupted Asahi, anger in his luminescent green eyes.

Asahi's assuring smile faded to a sad flat look, running behind the nearby rubble as Aniel continued to remove the demons from the area with ease.

Nanashi with inhumane speed charged at the archangel, jumping off a pile of broken support beams to leap onto the angel, the Godslayer's blade coated in a Zan spell empowered and refined by many scouted demons.

The blade slashed across the archangel's body, stuttering its form.

As Nanashi fell in the air, readying himself to land. "Unclean."

The gloved hand of Aniel impacted Nanashi's body like a man swatting a fly, sending him rapidly into the ground, dust and concrete debris covering Nanashi as he was trying to get himself up, feeling utterly exhausted and close to passing out, slowly closing his eyes.

Asahi ran to help Nanashi, pulling a adrenaline injector from the case on her thigh and injected it into Nanashi's neck. Nanashi quickly opened his eyes and spit out bloody saliva onto the ground. Asahi holding his exhausted form from laying on the ground.

"Fools, you cast aside God's love. Yours will not be a clean death." Aniel commanded with heavenly decree.

Asahi slowly lifted Nanashi, trying to make sure he wouldn't get injured in his weakened state. A look of resignation of her face. "Nanashi, why aren't we strong enough?! We've been made more than human but why are we still the bottom of the pecking order to Demons and Angels. It's always like this, no matter what we do. It's not fair. It's just not fair!" Asahi cried, tears dripping down her face as stared at the Archangel that will take away one of the last things important to her.

Nanashi put his weight on his arms and got to his knees, relaxing his grip on his blade. "Asahi, we have to keep fighting. No matter the foe, we have to win! We are Hunters, Heroes and Protectors of the people. If we fall here. We can't save anyone!" Nanashi cried with valiance in his voice, rising to his feet.

"It's too early to give up." A young woman stated.

With the woman were two other people, which one of them wore with her the Mikado Samurai uniform and the third was in military grade gear with a jacket over an armored chest piece, a combat vest over the reinforced jacket and a dark navy black Irish cabbie hat on his head.

"Let's go. Flynn, Nori." The women called out to her cohorts.

The young man in the military gear named Nori, chuckled to himself. "That's my apprentice for you. Fighting to the bitter end for the lives of others, like a true protector." Nori grabbed a pendent of dragon like scales from his vest. "Koga, time to protect this country! Flynn, Isabeau! time to show this Archangel we mean business!"

"Right, we'll deal with this quickly." The liberator of Tokyo replied, unsheathing the large katana on his side that is supposed the blade of Masakado, and powerfully slashing Aniel as he charged.

The Archangel's wings started to lose feathers, filling the air with broken red pieces.

"Koga, Dragon Fangs!" Tokyo's defense divinity cried, a large humanoid in a green and yellow draconic armor with floating metal arms that held a large fang shaped blade in each. Stabbed into the Archangel's body and wings, ripping off a wing and digging a hole into Aniel's chest.

Nori's goto demon in battle, the national defense divinity Koga Saburo has made it's first appearance infront of the godslayers.

The two teens used the opportunity to distant themselves from the fight and heal. Stationing themselves behind a large pile of rubble, they went through the supplies they have on hand.

Asahi tried to summon her pixie to heal Nanashi but it wouldn't summon, in a slight period of rage, Asahi unzipped Nanashi's jumpsuit to get to his injuries and when her gloved hands contacted his flesh, the rune on her chest glowed and then more runes grew from it.

A rune appeared on the back on her left hand, glowing with light. The energy from the rune went into Nanashi, causing the bruising on his chest and ribs to dissipate with the healing magic.

Nanashi zipped up his jumpsuit as Asahi stared at her hands, shock blooming into excitement. "I could get used to doing that. Nanashi we can't just stand here. We learn nothing from just sitting here and letting others fight our battles. But what could we do?!" Asahi pondered, unsure of what to do.

Nanashi looked over the rubble, the fight was still going on, Aniel not able to attack the three mighty humans, but able to use his remaining wings to defend himself from the blows of the three, keeping the fight in a stalemate.

"Asahi, I have an idea." Nanashi said. Asahi getting to her feet, next to Nanashi as they watched the fight from over the rubble.

"What it is, Nanashi?"

"Asahi, we need to remove Aniel's wings. If we don't he'll last long enough for more angels to come and we'll get out numbered."

"How do we do that?" Asahi asked as she followed Nanashi towards the ongoing fight.

Nanashi drew his blade, green force magic surrounding it. "How else, we rip them off." The Godslayer pointed at a broken support beam next to Aniel.

Asahi nodded and drew her knife. The two interlocked their eyes and then with smirks on their faces ran as fast they could up the beam and jumped.

With roars fitting fiends from the deepest depths of the expanse from the Godslayers, they landed onto the back of the archangel, their blades piercing into the stems of his wings as they used their own weight to cut them off.

Aniel tried to shake off the two mortals that hung from his body, only for Asahi to cut off one wing and grab Nanashi's hand, the two of them pushing off the archangel's body as they jumped to the ground. Bringing the other wing with them.

With only two wings left, Aniel could only make sure it was still flying in the air, his elegantly clothed torso unable to be defended as Koga Saburo shoved both of his blades through it and forced him to the ground with a warrior's cry.

The archangel started to fissure, deep red cracks forming from the core of his body to the edges of his remaining wings, glowing with yellow light like a dying heartbeat. "How could such lowly creatures, ones that don't even now God's love, defeat me?" Aniel moaned his dying words to himself.

"Why would we want the pity of a being that gives nothing and expects everything in return?!" Nori yelled to the archangel, firing a shot from his engraved handgun, Stradivari into the dying angelic being, the ringing of the fired bullet sounded like a master violinist playing a few chords before it faded away.

The red cracks covering Aniel's entire form cracked even more and coated his entire body, yellow light fully showing in the new deeper cracks as Aniel shattered into pieces of aether essence, yet again removed from this plane of existence.

Nori adjusted his hat, holstered his gun, and put the scales back into his vest, unsummoning Koga Saburo. Flynn sheathed Masakado's katana and Isabeau went to treat the wounded.

The hunters groan in pain but said their thanks for being saved by the Liberator and Protector of Tokyo.

Asahi looked in awe at Isabeau, brushing off the dirt that got on her body from the fall, Nanashi checking if she got hurt. "Who's that woman with him? She's amazing… I can't believe someone so cool even exists!"

"Well speaking of someone cool." Nanashi muttered as Nori walked over to the two teenagers.

"You two did an amazing job. You adapted to a situation massively out of your league and was a crucial help to the outcome. I couldn't be more proud!" Nori exclaimed, walking behind the two and wrapping an arm around each shoulder in a cheerful hug.

The two teens wordlessly argued though a series of looks, and started to smile with the positive moment Nori was making. "So, Kid. Why do you and Seike have brands on your flesh?" Nori asked in his still cheerful tone.

The two stayed silent, not sure how to explain it to the self-proclaimed "king of Hunters".

Nori kept smiling, his eyes hidden by the shadow of his hat. "I'm not going to pry, I understand these kind of things."

Nori broke the hug, starting to walk back to the Hunters. "Just so you two know, you may have gotten something good out of the bargains you've made, but remember. If you're not the one that made the terms. It will come to bite your asses off."

The two looked at the back of Nanashi's mentor Hunter and without thinking about it, held hands. The brands on Nanashi's left and Asahi's right in contact.

"Nori, could you give a hand? It would be greatly appreciated!" Flynn yelled over to Nori, who turned around and gestured to the teenagers to come along.

The duo followed suit, Isabeau asking Nori for assistance. "Isabeau, these two can help, one's actually a trained medic, well the closest thing you can get to one in this city."

"That sounds mighty helpful. Could you two help that one walk back to the district?" Isabeau asked the two close friends.

The two Godslayers turned hunters saluted the Samurai. "Yes Ma'am!"


-Kinshicho Hunter's Association

The group passed over the wounded to Kazuko and her small team of medics. Who gave each of the five Hunters an examination for an wounds and bandaged them up, each getting an Ox strength Bezoar flask to drink.

The quest dinged completed after the check-up and with the familiar feeling of power, Nanashi and Asahi high-fived. "Nanashi, We were awesome! I can't believe we got out in one piece, but that just shows we're awesome."

Nanashi just gave a smile. "Yeah…We're awesome."

"Oh yeah! We should show Dad the legion of demons we collected and prove we are more then just Hunter material!"

The two went to the bar, finding Boss. Whose face shifted into rage upon seeing the two. "Do you both have some kind of death wish? Is that it? Or are you both just idiots?!"

"Maybe a little of both…" Nanashi muttered to himself, Asahi stepping forward with determination."But…We collected so many demons…and help slay an archangel..."

Noboru's fist tightened, it was just too much of a risk for him to let his children running around playing hero.."Being a Hunter isn't a joke, Asahi, or a fun little game. It's dangerous business!"

"Pardon me, but from what I've seen, these two are already accomplished Hunters." Flynn said, walking into the conversation with Isabeau by his side.

"Flynn!" Noboru said, surprised the liberator would come over.

"'Tis true. They charged to the defense of their comrades without a second thought."Isabeau added.

"It's people like them that give me hope for humanity, and since Nori mentioned this to me as he left to go to his 'consortly meeting with the fairy folk' I had a discussion with the head medic for this district, Kazuko was her name, I believe. She told me that if Asahi was capable of helping protect people against a tier seven angel and still be alive, she's more then enough to be a Hunter." Flynn explained to Asahi's father.

"Nori mentioned Nanashi was more then capable of being a Hunter. We would have never made it in time if not for them. One can only imagine how many lives they saved today." Isabeau explained.

Boss looked in surprise and awe as the teenagers' words started to hold ground. "My Kids helped you…?"

"You should be very proud of them." Flynn said with pure honesty.

Boss just paused, not sure what to say. "….You said you've recruited your own demons?"

"Yes. We're not kids anymore. We can fight. We can help people."Asahi replied.

"And this is what you want, too, Nanashi? To be a Hunter?" Boss asked Nanashi, who stayed silent for most of the conversation, listening intently.

"I do, there's nothing else for me, and it's what I want to do. Besides I can't make sure Asahi will be okay if I'm not there next to her." Nanashi explained, getting punched in the arm by Asahi (Internally surprised she didn't crush his arm into absolute paste), whose face scrunched up in annoyance.

"Guess there's no use fightin' it..."Boss sighed. "Come on now….Get it together..Okay, as of now, you're both Hunters."

"R-Really?" Asahi said in honest surprise.

"You can thank the Protectors and Kazuko's glowing recommendation."

"Awesome!"Asahi beamed with enthusiasm.

"I still expect you to keep an eye on Asahi for me, Nanashi. I'm counting on you." Boss told Nanashi, dead serious.

"I wouldn't be able to live if she wasn't around, so you can trust me, Boss."

"What's that supposed to mean? And Nanashi, you're embarrassing me." Asahi quipped to her family.

Boss just sighed, a wistful look on his face.

"We finally did it, Nanashi!" Asahi was beaming with positivity, the look of it made Nanashi smile deeply, her happiness always made him feel like he could take on the world without even trying.

"We are bona-fide Hunters!"

With the ding of the quest's completion and the familiar feeling surging within them, the two grabbed each other's hand in a grip and raised it into the air.

To them was a beginning of a beautiful career, but to the world it was the start to a war beyond understanding , and to the squad of Irregulars that will end it... The grinder.