I didn't think I was anything important or special, but the other kids did. They thought it was amazing how I always got first in every test, and won every game we played. My parents kept telling me about how I'll grow up to do amazing things. All this really gets to a girl.

When I was nine years old, my friends and I went up a mountain searching for beetles. It wasn't anything new to us, we lived our entire life in our small town surrounded by mountains. We all knew our way around, we were all taught safety procedures and carried our flares.

We always went searching through that path when the want arised.

But this time was different. He was with us. The teacher introduced him as Shinzo Haki because he never spoke. He wouldn't blink if you stared at his eyes, and if you tried telling him something he would grab your arm tightly and wouldn't let go. He never smiled or frowned, he just wore still face of calmness.

We didn't know a lot about him, he just transferred in from a city a month ago, but in that time, he freaked everybody out. I was different, I could do anything I put my mind to, I could get him to become my friend. And then class would return to normal, people would stop focusing on him and not me. He didn't deserve the attention. I was going to do great things. Watch me.

So, I invited him to come beetle hunting with us. Everybody knew that after class ended, he just sat in his seat until his parents picked him up hours later. My friends were surprised by my offer, and even more surprised when he followed us.

My plan was going smoothly, as we collected beetles he slowly relaxed, I was able to see him blink. I kept going, making him help me with beetles too hard to get on my own. I handed him one so I could use my hands to climb down, I asked him for a boost, or to lift something.

As the sun started to set, my friends wanted to leave, I allowed them to go. Some stayed longer than others, but by nightfall all the other boys and girls left. It was just me and Haki, I used my flashlight to point at places and I told him of the fun things my friends and I did there.

It was odd, we were done collecting beetles and I could tell it wouldn't take a lot more to get him to be my friend, but for some reason, when I finally saw him smile, I wanted to see more. I made him laugh with a funny story, I watched as the night stars amaze him, his eyes looked way better than the stars. I heard his voice, he sounded unbelievable sad, I wanted him to be happy.

I was telling him about the constellations my mother taught me, when we heard it. Leaves rustling and twigs snapping. Both of us jumped and I aimed my light on the source of the sounds, a bloody dog, it limped towards us. My light was reflected back by something on his neck. I relaxed, it was a collared dog, the dog was injured and it was cute.

I stepped forwards, whispering comforts. I wanted to help this dog, I reached a hand out to its whimpering head. And was suddenly pushed to the side, I dropped the flashlight, and was plunged into darkness. I heard a shout, whimpers, roars, thumps and cracks. My heart jumped up and I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I tried to get up, but my ankle shot pain up my leg. Fear. Panic. Tears started to fall from my eyes,

Then a beam of light flickered on, it went off just as quick, but I crawled to where I thought it came from. Another flicker and I got closer. There was no need to crawl around in the dark after the third flicker, because it immediately sustained the ray of light. And I saw the source of my fears, what would haunt my nightmares.

Shinzo Haki was kneeling over a mushy red and white pile, he was slamming a large rock he held with both his hands down onto it, accompanied by a shout. Something within that pile reflected light back to me, and I saw matted fur in the edges of the pile. My tears eventually dried up as I laid there frozen, I could see clear, he was kneeling over a pile of flesh and bones. And with each thump of the rock, blood squirted.

When blood landed on my face, I snapped out of my trance, and whimpered. Haki snapped his head towards me as he held his rock over his head. I could see his rage filled eyes as the cried endlessly. Moments passed, and I fired my flare up into the sky.

"I told you! But did you listen to me? Of course not! He isn't ready for school!" My wife shouted at me, but I focused on the dirt road ahead of me. I took a quick glance at the rearview mirror and spotted my son, he still wore that dead expression. I didn't like how my wife refused to acknowledge him when he was in this state.

"We can't keep him at home and his therapist said he needs things to return to normal." I tried reasoning with her.

"How is moving to a town in the middle of nowhere, thta he doesn't even remember, 'returning to normal'?" My wife asked, but I didn't answer. We already had this argument and I didn't want to repeat it in front of my son.

This was my hometown where I grew up, where I met his mother as she was passing through, and where she died giving birth to him, I hoped I was making her happy by giving our son her family name. I moved in with my sister and her kid in the city so I could raise him while working a job with a high salary. I had planned on taking him back here when he was older, or for the summers, but I never could find the time.

"He killed a dog for fucks sake!" She shouted, I tried to not let it bother me, I knew she was just stressed, but so was I. And the more she talked the more I regretted marrying her, but I kept it all in. I didn't want the trauma my son was going through to rip apart his home, everything will get better with time. It will. Everything will.

I already apologized to that girl's parents and the people that help find them, for his actions, and explained his trauma to them. I told them about how he and his friend were walking home and encountered a rabid dog, he was hospitalized and his friend didn't make it. He had nightmares about the incident, and he probably relived that moment in the woods. I told them about his medication and therapy. My wife looked mortified to be admitting something was wrong with my boy.

I was just lucky that the girl's mother was an old friend of my son's mother, she handle the whole incident without ever looking like she couldn't handle it. If it was anybody else, we probably would have got sued.

My wife continued to complain, and complain, and complain.

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel, my jaw was clenched so tight I could hear them grind, my blood pressure rose and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. The trees raced past as and the engine roared.

As my wife's screeching reached a high, I could feel my temper ready to explode.

"Dear, aren't you going a little too fast?" My wife softly asked me. I snapped my head in her direction. Confusion racked my body, I was looking at my wife as she looked at me with concern. But I could still hear her screeching complaints.

As my brain struggled to cope with reality, I tried to focus on driving, but a giant dog appeared on the road. I smashed the brakes and the car decelerated near instantaneously. My head was sent straight into my steering wheel.

My memories from that moment were a jumbled mess, but I was informed by police that someone found us a few hours later and we were rushed into a hospital. I tried explaining how we got into that accident, but I couldn't recall, the only thing I remember was a big dog.

I didn't know what I expected when I returned to my hometown, I had left this place, because in my youth I thought this town was too small for me to spread my wings. I argued with my old man day and night about being a musician, and eventually couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away.

I thought I could find success in the city, but my skills were average, and I couldn't find anyone to let me in a band. With no home or money, it was only a matter of time before I resorted to stealing.

It wasn't before long that I forgot about my musical aspirations and focused on swindling and scamming people, for years I did that, then I got caught. And spent a few years in prison. While I was in, I reconnected with my father, and when I finally got out, my father invited me back home. I accepted his invitatiom, and although I already served my time, my father insisted I repent for leaving the family business.

So, that's how I got here. Cleaning up the old abandoned temple that no one knew who it belonged to, while dressed as a Shrine Maiden. My father had spent most of his life reading snippets in out ancestors life, and he was sure that this temple belonged to a benevolent spirit who would cleanse the soul of mistakes.

So months went by, and I grew to like being a Temple Maiden, I could feel my regrets lessen as I cleaned and repaired the temple. Every time my father visited, to bring me food, he would praise my work ethic, and mention how much I've grown. It was embarrassing to recall how immature I used to be.

When I finished sweeping off the final leaf I felt like I achieved peace. Then the days past and I grew bored. My father had asked that I live here for a year, but finished all my tasks in a few months. I was contemplating asking my father or the Temple Spirit for some manga, when a lost looking boy stumbled through the gate.

I put on a smile I used in my scamming days, I was using it to help a child, so I hoped I would be forgiven. "Are you lost? Do you need any help?" I hoped he had came here with someone, because if he did then either he could get home or I could chat with someone, and maybe convince them to bring me manga,

"Curses." He suddenly said, it was so cold and flat, that a part of my went on edge. "Can you get rid of them?" He asked, even though his tone remained creepy, it was the glint of hope in his eyes that made me relax.

"Of course I can." I lied with a smile.

For the rest of the day I explained what knew about curses and how to get rid of them, nearly all of my knowledge on this subject came from manga and anime, but with my past, there wasn't anything I couldn't convince a kid wasn't real. I didn't know why he wanted a curse gone, if I had to guess, than maybe it was bullying or family problems, but something in his life led him to believe that he was the problem.

While cleaning, I had found a few old coins, my first reaction was wondering how much they were worth, but my second was about how I should change my behavior, now they were just sitting in a box. I told the kid to wait for a moment and fetched a coin, I handed it to him and told him it was a charm, that as long as he could picture a world without his curse, the charm would make it go away.

He left with a small smile and thanked me with a warm voice. Helping him also made me feel better, so I asked my father about the duties of a Shrine Maiden, maybe I could help other people.

A month later, the boy returned, but it took a moment for me to recognize him. His previously wild black hair was cut short, his blue eyes overflowed with cheer, and they were bag free, a smile that showed teeth and a bounce in his step. He took in the temple, admiring every nook and cranny. He waved excitedly at me, and I finished talking to a few high schools students about charms, before walking over to him.

"Thank you sooo much, Miko!" He shouted those words, each one filled with gratitude. I decided to overlook being named my profession by a child and smiled down at him. It seemed whatever he was dealing with was over, it was comforting to know, because even though he was a child, and likely blew whatever it was out of proportion, it had still troubled him.

"I'm just doing my job."

Then he gave me a rant only a child could produce, by sorting through his words, the dogs that followed him were gone. It felt incredibly silly, but children could get easily scared. When he finally slowed down, there was a pause before he continued, and while I was an expert at reading people's emotions, children experienced them far too quickly for me to get a lock on them. So he was either embarrassed or regretful to ask me of there was a way to fight curses.

There was no way he was talking about fighting dogs, or was regretful. He was embarrassed because he wanted me to play along with him, which was what I thought was happening.

For the next few years, he would come back and I would play along. I would lecture him about curses, demons, youkai and other monsters, teach him some Shinto rituals, and give him impossible tasks to accomplish. Each time he came back, he would claim to have completed it, or needed more time, I decided to keep playing along until he admitted it was just a game of make believe.

During those years, the temple saw many visitors, both from in and out of town, there was even talk about bringing back a festival. I completed my father's request, but I still lived at the temple, I would occasionally visit the town on the weekends, and mingle with the people. I met the father of the boy who visited, and was thanked profusely for helping his son.

Over a cup of tea, I came to know about the visiting boy, his name was Shinzo Haki, and he was traumatized by a rabid dog, he was tormented by the fact he couldn't save his friends and developed a phobia that made him see dogs as monsters. I had helped him overcome his fear and process his friend's death. As I was thanked by his father and feeling overwhelmed, I saw him walking across the street, wooden charms hanging from his pants and talking to other boys his age. He looked so happy, a warm feeling sprouted in my chest, I was glad I was able to positively change someone's life. At that moment, I decided that this was what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life.

On his sixteen birthday, January 6th, I decided to end our make believe. Not because I was tired of it, but because I was sure he didn't need me anymore, all I was doing now was holding him back from. I wanted to end it on a high note, so in a way that symbolized him growing up and no longer needing to use superstitions as a crutch, I held a small graduation ceremony. I gifted him something I thought anyone sixteen year old boy would think is cool, an ancient katana, it was rusty, barely held together by dirty white tape, and the blade was dulled, it was completely unusable as a weapon, but he could hang it up and remember fondly about overcoming his trauma.

He took it with steady hands, and bowed deeply at me. He promised to make the world a better place, and to never forget anything I taught him.

I descended down the stairs from my Master's temple, and thought fondly of my previous experiences with her. The first person who believed I was cursed, who lent me an item that chased away the demonic wraiths that normal humans perceived as dogs. I requested tutelage from her and she became my Master, under her I learned how use magic, and under her various companions that passed through I picked up more than enough skills necessary to become a Demon Hunter.

I was glad, I knew I was going to be returning to the city this coming school year, and I was going to cleanse that city of all its mistakes, with six years of tempered rage.

Kuoh Town will not be the main focus, neither will canon characters. This is a separate story within the world.

Three almost useless Devils with just a sliver of Pillar Blood in them, form an Alliance. #64, Flauros. A middle schooler, her magic abilities had been watered down by the decline of her bloodline. She can generate fire in her palms. #70, Seir. His ancestor was disowned for being weak, they lived in the human world and didn't pass down their traits, but a mutation occurred in him that turned him into a Devil. He can Teleport. High School. #71, Dantalion. Her ancestors made a deal with a Devil from the Dantalion family; they wanted a child. The Devil granted their wish, and helped them conceive, but when the child showed signs of being a half Devil, he stole it for unknown reasons. Leaving her Human twin, who passed down small psychic abilities. She was born with a lesser version of the Dantalions ability and found out about the other Devils in town. She works as a professor. Mind Reading and Telepathy.

#35. Marchosias. A quarter Fallen Angel/Devil, she is a high school student trying to ignore her family history.

The Plus Exorcists, Hunters, and Youkai.

Goodbye for now.