"Is that what I think it is?", asked her visitor, his heavy combat boots clacked together as he stopped.

"Hmm?"

She spun around to see him pointing towards her display piece that hung above her humble living room doorway. The wooden part of it was facing a painting of a valley of red spider lilies in spring while its metal part was pointed towards a dark, surreal painting consisting of disturbingly contorted shapes.

"Oh that? That was just a souvenir from back when I was stationed in Hope Town, a place in the outside world where none could be found. And yes, that is exactly what you think it is."

The tall man stroked his chin in wonder. "Deep. I take it you judge souls there too?"

She said nothing but walked slowly towards it, looking at it with sorrowful eyes. "I did. But..."

"Go on."

She hesitated for a bit, her head slowly facing his.

"Due to the nature of some of the city's inhabitants, let's just say judgement was carried out differently, okay?", she finished with a small grin, her face downcast.

The man simply returned her grin with a knowing smile and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You know, Shiki," he said, his constantly stern expression softening to one of acceptance. "Ever since I got teleported here, I've come to realise that a peaceful life might actually be a possibility for me."

"Huh?", she blurted, her head gradually looking up to his with a confused expression. "What are you-?"

"From the day I served as the commander of the Night Sentinels, my sole purpose in life was defending Argent D'Nur from the clutches of Hell. When one of my trusted men made a pact with the legions of Hell and doomed every man, woman and child to their deaths just to resurrect his own son, I dedicated my life to slaughter every single demon I see to avenge my people. Then, they succeeded in sealing me away in a tomb after laying down a trap for me in one of their sacred temples."

He fell silent for a moment, looking out to the cherry blossom tree in the garden outside her living room. He closed his eyes and smiled for a bit before he words began to spill once more, allowing Shiki to let go of a breath she never noticed she held.

"For once, I thought I was finally free from the cycle of death. However, after several millennia of tranquil silence, I was abruptly brought back from my slumber surrounded by reanimated victims of Hell, my hands chained to a metal bed. I knew what must be done. The cycle has started again. So, I ripped my way to Hell and back, a robotic figure called Samuel Hayden constantly pestering me to stop destroying what he calls 'Argent Energy' along the way. Hayden oversaw the facility of the planet I was currently on and wanted to control Hell's energy to solve an energy crisis affecting the humans of his world. And the best part, he was also the one who sent me here after all the trouble I've been through to rid him of his demon infestation."

"Sounds like you hate being sent here," Shiki joked.

He laughed for a bit before continuing his story. Shiki was startled when suddenly got up to his feet.

"At first? Sure, I hated it. That metallic tin-can double-crossed me and got rid of me to ensure that he could continue his extraction of energy in peace. But, then I met the people of Gensokyo. The stunning Hakurei and her cute daughter, the eccentric Yukari and of course, you."

Shiki blushed as he said it but her heart ached as well, full knowing where his heart truly lies.

Then, he turned his back towards her and went out to her garden.

"However, I have also come to realise that such a life was never meant for me."

"Eh? What do you mean?", she asked, her tone one of concern.

He clenched his fists tight and walked towards her, his combat boots clacking in rhythm on the garden stone path. The wind blew a gentle breeze, contrasting with the ominous grey skies above.

"Shikieiki, the place I came from, it was infested with monstrous demons. Creatures that know obey no law but their own and commit countless atrocities. Skeletons that rained death from above, brutish muscular freaks with pale white skin replacing where a face should be and grotesque beasts that would fire balls of plasma to reduce victims to ash. But the worst of the demons did not come from Hell. No, they were none other than humans themselves. There were those whose weak brilliant minds bowed to the will of the Icon of Sin and there were those who sought to harness the power the bowels of Hell possess, full knowing of the risk it brings. My mind is one that is equally as horrifying as the demons that I have spent eons slaughtering yet it still could not comprehend the betrayal of one of my own that led to Hell's integration of my home world. Shiki, this place, Gensokyo, is a beautiful tranquil land but I have a hunch that they are coming. These hell spawn will spare no one and will attempt to bring Gensokyo under Hell's rule. It would be a shame to see Gensokyo fall to ruin."

She was left speechless by the gravity of the revelation that he gave. Questions were about to escape her lips but she did not let them out as she felt his rough hands being placed on her shoulders, his cold but determined gaze staring down at her.

"Shiki," he continued. "When that time does come and when chaos of unprecedented scale arrives, put that souvenir to good use. I know that there is a demon that lies within you."

Her eyes went wide with shock. She was certain that only the Hakurei miko knew of her past in Hope Town. Shock turned to fear when the tower of a man began to chuckle.

"I have lived long enough to know whether the inner madness within people have turned into 'demons' or simmered down to harmless bouts of insanity. You, the Hakurei and I all have our 'demons'. The only difference, Shikieiki, is that she and I have embraced ours. It takes a monster to kill a monster and I am the one that they see in their nightmares."

He then let go and moved towards the front door. As he was about to leave, he looked at her for one last time. A maniacal grin was etched in his face, a face that Shikieiki will never forget.

"I will be looking forward to witness the carnage of your doing, Yama."

"But how am I supposed to do that?", she asked to no one in particular in the empty hallway. The rush she felt from pulling off her dramatic exit from the room had long drained. She felt uneasy. Although she knew that her exit was an act to keep Komachi from doing anything rash, she could not deny the primal excitement she felt at the thought of killing. It was wrong. As the Judge of Paradise, she should be appalled at the idea of taking the life of another as it was not her duty to do so. The law was absolute and it meant that she was not exempt. She knew this all too well.

But, her inner voice was telling her that she had every right to play the role of executioner. It would remind her that she had a mirror that could see the past deeds of a soul and a rod that would be heavy or light based on the weight of the soul's sins. Therefore, it would then conclude, she could increase her work efficiency by simply going out and send the guilty straight to Hell as she had the means to confirm their crimes. Hope Town was the best example of a job well done.

Her forehead creased as her talk with that man kept on replaying in her mind like a broken record. That memory began popping up in her head the moment she pulled the trigger to save Komachi's life.

'Damn bastard...', she thought to herself. She could feel herself gradually agreeing with him the more the memory played back. Were his words true? Did she really have it in her the whole time or was it a product of Hope Town?

Before she could contemplate any further, she bumped into something solid. She rubbed her forehead, cursing herself for being so lost in thought that she was not even looking where she walked. However, she noticed that the wall she bumped into was red and had a bit of a bounce to it when her head hit it. To her knowledge, walls do not growl either when hit.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up only to have slimy drool fall on her face. She nonchalantly wiped the slobber off to find that it was coming from a wide mouth with rows of sharp teeth looking down on her. It had no eyes and only white skin in place of a face. It was muscular and was a tall brute by the looks of it.

Hell Knight.

"Hi."

He scanned the area for any sign of stragglers. His bright yellow eyes and sharp elvish ears gave him a menacing look, remnants of his former weaker self. The faint sound of crunching footsteps in the distance made his ears twitch in delight. A humanoid demon of impressive height, Jager could not help but grin at the thought of there being survivors in this trashed place.

He remembered the orders given to him by one of the Mastermind's generals and scoffed at them. 'Bring your entire squad,' was what the general told him to do upon being assigned the task. How dare the general think so low of him that he needed that many demons to kill off a bunch of stragglers. Thus, he intentionally brought only fifty Hell Knights instead of the full set that was four times the amount and even this amount he felt was overkill for a few people. He was confident in this new body bestowed upon him by the Mastermind and he was aching to try it out.

However, he was feeling a bit generous today so he sent out a Hell Knight to deal with this foolish weakling that dared oppose Hell's might. Let his beasts have a bit of fun once in a while. The desperate screams might prove to be entertaining too. He could imagine the survivors' faces contorted in fear as their feeble efforts of escape led them to their deaths. How wondrous it would be...

Then, he heard a loud roar from down the main hallway. Since he and the rest of his demons were standing by in the reception area, Jager could not see what was going on. He assumed that the beast must have found a survivor and went to sit by the reception desk that happened to be placed on the side of the hallway entrance. There was no need for him to indulge in childish pleasures. He reckoned that it would take it five seconds to bring back the dead body.

So, he counted.

One.
He could feel the vibrations from the beast's heavy footsteps moving in pursuit. The growing volume of the roar meant that it was coming this way. Excellent. The sooner it kills it the better.

Two.
Shots were heard being fired. From his own experience, that must be a shotgun. No matter. It would take more than a few shots to bring down a Hell Knight. How cute.

Three.
Both the beast and its prey are getting closer. Something is not right. Prey should be dead by now. Does it plan to share the prey with the rest of its brethren?

Four.
A bright flash was seen in the hallway. It was so bright that even he could see it despite sitting by the reception desk. Considering that the only things he could see from here were his Hell Knights, rows of empty chairs and a pamphlet rack, it must have been intense.

Five.
The shotgun blast was heard again followed immediately by a sound that could only be described as a watermelon being smashed to bits. The headless body of the Hell Knight he sent came sliding into reception and stopped right in front of his division's feet.

Shit.

Before anyone could register what just happened, a silhouette zipped in between the ranks of the Hell Knights and six heads exploded in rapid succession. As though that was not enough, the limbs of the dead Hell Knights were blown off as well. For the first time in his life, Jager was surprised, impressed and utterly infuriated at the same time.

In a fit of rage, he leaped from the desk into the group of stunned Hell Knights and roared at the top of lungs, "KILL IT NOW!"

"Okay," replied a feminine voice from behind.

"Huh-?!", he blurted as he turned around only to scream in pain as he felt his knees being blasted into mush by a hail of white-hot steel pellets. He never got to yell the unbearable agony away either as he was met with a faceful of boot two seconds in.

Whoever his tormentor was seemed to have a fiery hatred for demon-kind as he was dragged off to the reception desk and had his magnificent legs thrown in front of him in disgust. His legion of Hell Knights was growling and roaring but remained in position. Their cowardice filled him with rage once more.

"What are you doing?!", he screamed. "Don't just stand there, do something!"

"Well, well, well," mocked the woman kneeling beside him. "Looks like they do behave like people after all; useless without a functioning head."

He watched as she got up, pointing her shotgun at him. He smirked at her act of defiance.

"You fool," he hissed. "If you kill me now, they will not hesitate to prey upon you the first chance they get! Not even that toy of yours will save you then!"

"Really?", she haughtily replied. "Let's test that theory of yours, shall we?"

As soon as she finished her sentence, she dashed towards his Hell Knights and leaped over them, blasting several heads off in mid-air. She landed right in the middle of the horde and knelt on one knee. Propping up her old Remington with a devilish smirk, she opened fire on the Hell Knights' knees. The Hell Knights unlucky enough to be close to her roared in sheer pain as their kneecaps were blown off, music to her ears. Those that were smart enough to duck had the honour of having either their arms or head to be separated from their bodies. Those even smarter to attack her while she reloaded had their skulls swiftly bashed in by the rear end of a shotgun.

One by one, the once intimidating regiment of fifty Hell Knights were reduced to a writhing, groaning mess. She stood up, covered in spattered blood and sinews, shoved her shotgun barrel into the mouth of a surviving Hell Knight close to her and slowly pivoted her shotgun downward. The more she pivoted it, the lower the Hell Knight's jaw went. Its low whimpers of suffering quickly became loud agonised shrieks as its cheeks started to tear until its lower jaw snapped off. Then, in an act that can only be described as a mercy kill, she pulled the shotgun out of its mouth and decimated its head.

She then proceeded walk towards Jager, shooting the heads of the Hell Knights that lay on the on the blood-soaked floor as she moved. Dead or alive, it did not matter. She shot them all. There were a few that still had the strength to try and maul her with their strong arms but their retaliation only meant that they had the privilege of having their bodies blasted to a pulp.

Jager said nothing as he watched her stride towards him on the remains of his small army. Once she reached him, she jabbed his chest with her shotgun with a smug grin.

"Any last words, demon?"

"Of course," he replied with a sinister smile, chuckling. "DIE!"

In an instant, she was flung into the wall on the other side of the room. She winced in pain as she got up only to find the demon before her standing tall.

"Fool!", he yelled. "Did you really think you have bested me?!"

He stomped the ground hard, unleashing a fierce orange aura surrounding him. He then shot lasers from his fingertips, laughing as she dodged all of them.

"I have to commend you for even incapacitating me in the first place. Not that many insects come close to beating me, Jager, commander of the Extermination Unit. You managed to take out my small army of beasts as well," he said with his arms crossed.

"But!" he exclaimed. "You have made the grave mistake of returning my legs to me and not finishing me off while you had the chance!"

He began to hover towards her and summoned small fireballs to circle him as a shield.

"Prepare yourself to feel the might of Jager!"

Each fireball circling him began to fire a stream of plasma, moving around like a merry-go-round of death. He then added his own fingertip lasers to mix to maximise his chances of killing her. He watched as she weaved between the plasma streams and lasers, shooting each time an opening presented itself. However, his aura proved too strong for her shots to penetrate.

"Useless, useless, useless!", he yelled with glee. "My aura is impenetrable! Unlike the other commanders who rely on their natural aura, I have augmented mine with countless souls that I have consumed! There is no way that you can defeat me!"

"Is that so?", she replied from behind the cover of the reception desk. "Looks like I have no other choice then."

A bright flash burst from the desk, blinding Jager for brief second. When he regained his vision, he saw her roll out from cover and run straight towards him, shotgun at the ready.

Jager sighed and shot her a condescending glare.

"Really now? Silly girl, you never learn do you-?!"

Before he could finish that sentence, he got cut off with the sudden detachment of his right arm from his shoulder.

"Arggh!", he growled, kneeling as he nursed his stump of an arm. In doing so, his fireball shield and aura faded away. Hearing her footsteps coming closer, he snapped his head towards her.

"H-how? How could this be?! My aura should be impenetrable! You little bitch!", he snapped. It was then that he noticed that her shotgun now looked very different. Instead of the usual dull colour scheme most weapons he saw had, her shotgun was now sporting a jet-black barrel and a pearl-white pump and stock. On the barrel the phrase, 'Judge, Jury and Executioner', was engraved in white and italicised.

"Wait, this wasn't the same weapon you used on my Hell Knights! How did you-!"

"Hush now, Jager," she clicked. "I judge souls for a living. Your biggest mistake was blabbering about what you did with your aura."

His eyes grew wide and swear began to form on his forehead.

"H-hold on now...", he stammered, his arrogant look now one of fear. "You're the judge everyone in my neighbourhood always talks about, right? The one who always lectures people on how they should live? If you kill me, then your reputation would be damaged am I correct?"

His smug grin returned when she remained silent for moment but quickly fell when she smiled instead.

"And you must be a resident of Gensokyo, am I correct?", she interrogated him. "Then you should know of my Rod of Remorse and how it works. I don't even need to use my mirror to know that you have committed countless sins, including the betrayal of your own people, to sentence you to life in Hell. Actual Hell. You lived your life knowing that no one will dare oppose you even before your hideous transformation. Therefore, if no one will judge you, I will judge you myself!"

She placed the tip of the shotgun's barrel against his forehead and pumped the shotgun furiously.

"Fix the hole in the shutter," she ordered

"What?"

"FIX IT!"

"Okay, okay! Please, just don't shoot me!"

He got up and limped over to the hole where he first came in. With what little strength and energy he had, he strained to bend the warped metal into shape and weld it shut. Exhausted, he limped back to her and slumped down on his knees.

"Hey, Jager", she called out.

"What?", he answered, realising too late that the shotgun was pointed back at his forehead.

"You already know first-hand how much a shotgun hurts on its own. So, have a free taste of what a shotgun imbued with the Rod of Remorse's properties feels, okay?"

"Nonononono! Please! NO-!"

BLAM!

Jager's headless body slumped to the floor, landing in front of her feet. She scoffed at it and turned away, making her way back to Komachi.

The demon problem was now settled. The commander's head was now modern art on the wall. But, there was one thing that stuck in her mind after her battle: 'What on earth was that reception desk made of?! It blocked plasma like it was nothing! I should get to know this facility's supplier...'