In this chapter some loose ends from the anime of Devilman Lady will be tied up.
Chapter 32: How A Deity Was Born
Through the window of the mansion's office hall, Satoru, with Higa by his side as well as Atun and Lilith in their disguises, had watched the battle from the start. And almost through the entire length of it, that trademark sinister smile didn't leave the young leader of the Crusaders's face.
In part because, to his amusement, this so called "Amon" looked almost exactly like his greatest enemy. And not only that but he was easily tearing through his crows and even traded blows with Kotura, the strongest of his henchmen in terms of raw physical strength. And even Kaim captured his interest: never before had Satoru seen such a large and bulky quadrupedal creature move with such speed and dexterity. He was even impressed by the demon's armored skin which shrugged off all the attacks of his crows and of those bulky grey demons.
That was, until Kitano was defeated.
His smile dissappeared, replaced by a serious frown, shared by even Higa, who remarked in irritation and contempt "That incompetent fool. He had her at his mercy and yet managed to end up cut to pieces."
Atun and Lilith on the other hand, had an amused smile from ear to ear, in part due to how the owl beast had somehow managed to lose when he had that woman's life on his fingertips. And in part because, both of them were impressed by the strength of the so called Devil Lady and even her close resemblance to Amon.
Speaking of which, before that woman captured his interest, the Demon Hero had watched with a contemptous look as his greatest rival, completely unchanged from millions of years, battled the Crusader of Lightning. The mere sight of him made Atun's blood boil in anger. Why did he side with those frail humans? Why did he betray and kill those of his own kind to protect them? That was what infuriated him, not the act of turning against his own kind, because it wasn't uncommon for some demons, even after Zennon began his rule, to turn against their own kind. Most of them, like the feared turtle Jinmen, would do so simply because they were power hungry monsters who believed themselves to be above everything, refusing to ever bow down to someone else and therefore would even go as far as hunt and kill members of their own kind to satisfy their hunger. Nor was it uncommon for demons in their society to challenge each other in order to reach a higher place in their large and very strict social hierarchy.
No, what was utterly inconceivable and outrageous was that Amon, the one who even he, once used to call friend many eons ago, apparently did that to protect a race of creatures far weaker than the demon race. And spilling the blood of his own kind for them was something Atun could never forgive even if he never once desired to harm the human race, in spite of how little he thought of them. And now his opportunity to get his revenge towards him for all the proud warriors he slaughtered was at hand.
Even more puzzling was that the mighty Kaim himself, another fellow demon warrior he fought with, was at his side. To say that Atun was shocked to see him too and at Amon's side no less, was an understatement. The rumors he had heard were true after all. Even Kaim himself, another one of the most powerful warriors of demonkind had turned against his own people, presumably for the same reason Amon did.
His feud with Amon aside, though, he had to admit that the one called Jun Fudo was quite the remarkable and strong warrior. Having watched how she held her own against dozens of both those crow beasts and Lilith's minions and how she managed to turn the tables on the Crusader of Wind, mere moments before the owl beast would end her life, left quite the strong impression on him. He was now convinced that she would indeed be a worthy opponent to fight later on, after he would settle his feud with Amon and indeed, even Lilith seemed to share her lord's opinion, for Atun had noticed just how focused her gaze was on that woman, how much his consort's crimson eyes were filled with lust and fire which gave away the disguised flower demoness's yearning and desire to play with her along with Lilith sensually licking her fucsia lips due to how much that strong and beautiful woman had intrigued her.
And after seeing the bloody way the Devil Lady managed to dispatch the Crusader of Wind, Lilith felt so captivated and aroused by her strength, and by her beauty that she groped her right breast with her right hand, tracing her fingers around her nipple, imagining all the possible ways she could play with her, unravel all of her secrets and finally break her and make her submit to her will. She had done such things for many eons to those she would find worthy of her interest and to many who opposed her lord.
"Mmmmm… Such strength… Such beauty…" she hummed sensually, closing her eyes, licking her lips and groping her other breast with her left hand, earning an amused smile from her lord. Seeing her getting turned on by those she found worthy of her interest, as well as seeing her fantasizing over the many ways she could play with her prey before enslaving it to her will, never failed to amuse him.
"I take it that she had exceeded all of your expectations, has she not, Lilith?" asked Atun, causing Lilith to reopen her eyes, turn towards her lord and reply sensually with a passionate and fiery look in her face and crimson eyes "I have not felt like this in ages. There is something about that woman….. A fire….. An ardent willpower and determination…. That is just so delightful and captivating…"
Those words did not go unnoticed by Satoru, who flashed yet another one of his nefarious smiles at the disguised, orange haired demoness while his bodyguard Higa remained impassive at Lilith's sadism and lust, remarking to himself in his mind how much she reminded him of Kitano, the most sadistic of his colleagues. He then spoke "It is truly a pity that we coudn't manage to open her eyes and make her accept her true nature. Perhaps, you will succeed were we failed, Miss Lilith." Having learned from Atun of the demoness of seduction's past accomplishments and the various "persuasive ways and powers" she was known for, made him delighted to have her at his side, at least for the time being. Thanks to those qualities, she could even prove to be one of his greatest assets in his future plans.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Atun's voice "You still seem very confident, in spite of the fact that one of your subordinates has just been killed." pointed out the Demon Hero in human form having turned towards him and flashing an equally sinister and conceited smile.
"That's because there is nothing to worry about. Mister Kitano's demise is only momentary. Thanks to Miss Izumi's powers he will co-" Began Satoru, his young and soft voice still filled with confidence…..
Only to be promptly interrupted mid-speech by the deafening sound of an explosion which shook the entire building and caused his face to turn pale and his sinister smile to leave his lips completely. Atun and Lilith on the other hand, still kept their cool, in spite of the unexpected event.
"What? An explosion?! From behind?!" exclaimed in disbelief Higa, just as shocked by this sudden event as his master.
Atun then closed his eyes, scoffed in amusement and spoke "Mmph. As i thought. That is why only three of them attacked from the front. It was all a distraction to allow the fourth one to sneak in from behind." he then focused his gaze towards the pachyderm demon, surrounded by dozens of crow beasts and grey demons and mused to himself in his mind "As expected from you, Kaim. Only you could have come up with such a simple yet effective plan." and indeed the pachyderm demon was renowned among his kind not only for his strength but also for his calm and collected mind which allowed him to analyse and exploit his opponents's weaknesses instead of just blindly charging in like most demons, a stark contrast to his bulky, quadrupedal appearance. And indeed, many of the demons's victories against the angels during their war, 66 million years ago in the Dinosaur-ruled Earth, were owned by Kaim's great intellect which made him an effective tactician whose advice proved to be fundamental to both Zennon and Satan in their offensive campaigns.
Satoru on the other hand, was taken completely aback by what had just happened. He them remembered that he had sent Izumi to relieve Kitano of his duties of guarding the prisoners. And it just so happened that the corridor in which those captive beasts were being held was located in the northern part of the building, in the basement below. Then as soon as he heard Atun's words, his shock turned into dread. Kitano was one thing, but he coudn't risk losing Izumi too, his most valuable asset, thanks to her ability to bring back the dead. If that would happen, not only would Kitano be gone forever but his plans may be ruined completely.
"It would seem that i underestimated them." he mused to himself in his mind, having realised that the situation was mere moments from falling out of his hands. He had to act quickly. So he turned towards Higa and ordered "Go to Miss Izumi's aid. We can't afford to lose her too." he then paused and turned towards Lilith before ordering her "Recall your servants too, Miss Lilith. They will draw our enemies inside and keep them occupied while we regroup."
Lilith simply looked at Atun, who gave her an approving nod, before giving the young beast a nod of her own. She then closed her eyes and telepathically transmitted her order to all of her servants, while a concerned Higa asked "But what about you, my lord? Who will remain here to defend you?"
His trademark smile returning to his lips, Satoru replied "Isn't it obvious, Mister Higa?" while glancing at the Demon Hero and his consort in human form causing the tall brown haired disguised beast's eyes to widen in even more concern. Was his master truly going to entrust his safety to those demons?
"Master….. You're not seriously intending to-" began Higa once again, only for Satoru to quickly interject "Have you already forgotten our agreement? Just as they have offered our help to deal with that treacherous woman, we have promised to help them settling their feud with that Amon. They have nothing to gain by going against their word." reassuring his subordinate with his soothing voice.
The disguised Crusader of Fire coudn't object that. Even if they weren't going to help them in the long run, they were going to assist them in disposing of the woman who had given them so much trouble. With his composure regained, he bowed slightly to his master, declared "Yes master, i understand." and then took his leave, heading to his colleague of Ice's aid.
The young beast then turned towards the two demons and spoke "Please excuse Mister Higa. He really does worry too much sometimes."
In response, with an amused smile, Lilith replied "It never hurts to be too prepared, just like that little swan said." putting emphasis on the words "Little Swan" simply out of derision.
Ignoring her mockery of the Crusader of Ice and with an equally smug smile, Atun turned towards the young brown haired beast in front of him and declared "I believe the time has come for the little dove to come out of the cage."
With his smile widening even more, Satoru replied "Yes indeed, Atun. We are all gonna have to play our cards very careful now."
And with that, the young leader of the Crusaders along with the Demon Hero and his consort left the Office Hall and headed for the tower of the mansion, intending to play their trump card while one by one, all of Lilith's minions retreated back into the building.
In the meantime, in the mansion's entrance hall
(OST: Devilman OVA ost: the track that plays from 0:00 to 1:03 = watch?v=2EyvkhaNxkA )
Most of Lilith's minions managed to retreat deep into the heart of the mansion by heading through the main corridor that stretched through the ground floor of the two store tall entrance hall which had two set of stairs on both the left and right that would lead to the first floor, but some of them weren't so lucky.
Like a pair of wild cats, Akira and Jun ferociously pounced on as many demons as they could in order to keep them from reaching Sirene, forcing several of the bulky grey demons to fight back.
Akira wasted no time and promptly unleashed his fire breath on the first two demons he could find, burning them to a crisp. Then with a snarl, Akira, charged towards another one and punched through its eyeless head, equipped with a mouthful of sharp teeth, splattering blood, brain matter and skull bones on the floor. Another demon with an ant head seized this opportunity to position itself behind the spitting image of Amon with its wings. Having already anticipated this however, Akira grinned, spun around and delivered a backwards chop of his right hand to the grotesque demon's neck, decapitating it.
A third demon with a pink flower instead of a head, then attacked him from behind but thanks to his enhanced senses, he cocked his head on the left at the last second, receiving a minor cut on his left cheek from the lesser demon's claws. Chuckling evily he then swiftly rammed both of his hands through the mouth of the demon's chest face. Tightening his muscles, he then lifted the larger bulky creature over his head and by using the jaw and mandible of its chest face's mouth as leverage, he then tore it completely in half, causing its blood and a good chunk of its entrails to fall on him, drenching his body.
On his left, Jun was faring just as well as he did against those lesser demons. She easily and gruesomely crushed the head of a flower headed demon with just one hand after sidestepping its attack on the right. Then after noticing two more demons charging towards her, she narrowed her golden eyes towards them and grinned evily before lifting the corpse of the demon whose head she had just crushed as if it was as light as a feather and tossing it towards them, knocking both of them to the ground.
One of the two demons, with an ant head didn't even have time to recover as the demonic amazon leaped with a leopard's agility towards it and brought down her right fist on its head, obliterating it and killing the demon instantly.
The other demon, of the rotund head and wide mouth variant after seeing the gruesome demise of its comrade began to shake in fear. But what completely overwhelmed it with terror was the blood-drenched Devil Lady turning towards it, bearing her golden cat-like eyes filled with bloodlust and savagery towards it. Overcome by fear and panic, the demon let out a terrified shriek, sprouted its purple bat-like wings and attempted to flee only for Jun to leap towards it, landing on its back and causing it to fall back on the ground.
"Is that the best you can do?" she taunted while using her left foot to pin it on the ground. She then grabbed both of the demon's purple wings and began to pull, while at the same time repeatedly kicking the foul creature's back. The grotesque grey demon struggled in an effort to free itself but to no avail. It then screamed in agony as Jun, with a wide grin and with all of her might, ripped the wings from its back, causing blood to gush out uncontrollably from the stumps where the wings used to connect to. Finally she raised her right foot and brought it down on the demon's rotund head, crushing it beyond recognition and killing the foul creature instantly.
(Soundtrack Ends)
As she looked down at her latest kill, she coudn't help but feel dissappointed. These creatures were so weak compared to her. Akira had built them up as unstoppable, evil monsters who conspired behind the shadows to bring the extinction of humanity. But right now Jun was finding it hard to believe that such weak creatures actually caused so much pain and suffering. And it made her blood boil in disgust and revulsion. Even some of the first beasts she faced posed more of a threat to her than these poor excuses of monsters. And even after everything they did, they still had the nerve to commit such atrocities?
No. She will not let them go unpunished. Not after everything they did. Not after what they did to Ak-
No….
She then gasped, her eyes widening and her grin leaving her lips completely upon realising that most of those thoughts weren't her own. Rather those thoughts belonged to her inner beast. And for the first time, it didn't feel like it acted simply to preserve itself. Could it be….. that for the first time ever….. the beast within her had acted out of anger….. for what those creatures had done to Akira, the man she loved?
She was pulled out of her thoughts by Akira rushing past her towards four more of those demons, who had decided to confront the two Devilmen at the same time in a bid to ensure their brothers's safety. So they resorted to their most dangerous ability.
Two of them stood their ground while the other two used their wings to hover above the other two before all of them opened their mouths and began to fire a barrage of acid projectiles from their mouths.
Caught completely off guard by the demons's counterattack, Akira could only deploy his wings from his back and jump in order to avoid as many of those projectiles as he could. However the space he found himself in was quite restricted and as a result one of them struck his right leg while a second struck the membrane of his left wing. He grunted in pain as the acid began to melt the flesh on his right leg and left wing. At the same time some of those acidic projectiles struck the floor beneath him, the acid being so powerful to actually melt the floor and create a large hole in it.
As a result, Akira found himself falling a good four meters through the newly created hole in the floor due to one of his wings being disabled. After seeing him struck down and beginning to fall into that newly made hole in the floor, Jun panicked, called out "Akira!" and then promptly leapt into the hole after him. There was nothing but darkness below. Nonetheless, Jun managed to catch Akira before he would hit the floor.
She landed on the ground with the spitting image of Amon in her arms. With her golden eyes filling with concern, she asked "Are you alright?" while hiding her surprise at how, even blood-drenched, Akira looked so attractive. And she coudn't help but think that the way she was holding him was almost….. romantic.
For an instant the half-devil's cheeks turned ever so slightly pink due to how close they were. He coudn't help but find himself entranced by how beautiful Jun looked, even covered in blood. Nonetheless, he nodded and simply replied "Yeah, i'm fine. I've had worse." while sparing a glance at the partially melted flesh on his leg. He then took his time to remove the acid on his leg and heal the melted wound after Jun released him as well as retracting his wings into his back.
Then as he got up, he was surprised to see that their surroundings were completely different from the elegant and brightly colored corridors of the mansion's ground floor. Dark grey walls of concrete all around. He then noticed a elevator on his right, as well as a helical staircase right besides it, presumably the means of accessing this part of the building.
"Mmmmm….. This must be the underground basement. I wonder if…" Began Akira, quickly realising what part of the mansion this was. He was beginning to believe that maybe they were close to where all those people were being held captive.
However he was cut off by Jun letting out a surprised gasp. He then turned towards her and saw that she was staring towards a double sliding metal door with her jaw hanging wide open and with wide eyes shaking in shock.
"Jun?" he called out after coming at her side.
"Look… on each door…" was all she could say, shock still present in every word that left her mouth. Akira then turned his eyes on the door and saw that on each door there were two large letters drawn on it, a yellow H on the left door and a black A on the right door with a blue line underlining both letters. And on the right of the door there was a red warning sign that read:
"RESTRICTED AREA.
AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY.
ALL PERSONNEL WHO WILL ENTER THIS AREA WITHOUT AUTHORISATION WILL BE EXECUTED ON THE SPOT."
"What is it?" asked Akira, wondering why the woman he loved was just standing there petrified in shock. However he was not prepared for the answer he was going to get.
"That's….. that's the emblem of the Human Alliance….."
And with those words, a look of pure bewilderment and incredulity formed on the half-devil's face. He then asked her "Are you sure?" earning a nod from the Devil Lady, who replied "Yes….. I have seen it too many times to count. I would never mistake it." her voice and her face now devoid of any emotions. She could not believe it. Why was the emblem of that fallen organization present in the underground basement of what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary mansion in the middle of the forests of the Nagano Province?
There was only one way to find out. And for some reason, Jun felt compelled to find out what lied ahead, behind that door.
Akira was just as confused as his lover. Then it began to dawn on him. Since the Human Alliance was a secret organization, it would only make sense that its members would go to any lengths necessary to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. So naturally, using a mansion as a disguise for one of their facilities was only logical if a little surprising at first.
"Do you think this place used to be one of their facilities?" he asked her again, earning a nod.
"Yeah, i think so. But i would have never thought that the Japanese Branch would have had one of their facilities be built this deep into the mainland." she replied, while walking towards the supposed entrance.
As Jun pried the two doors open with her herculean strength, Akira folded his arms over his chest and asked her in curiosity "Japanese Branch? Our country wasn't the only one in which the Human Alliance operated?" even though he already knew the answer thanks to what Takae and Takeshi had told him when they welcomed him in their house.
"No, they had many branches all around the world and their main headquarters was located in Washington D.C. . It was also where their main research center, the Samuelson Institute was located. That's where most of their research on the Beasts and on the Devil Beast Syndrome was carried out." explained Jun as soon as she finished prying the doors of the entrance open, actually surprising Akira by the amount of information she knew.
As she then began to walk through the entrance, she stopped as soon as Akira asked her "I see. And please forgive my curiosity, but why is it that you know all of this?"
He was surprised to see Jun lowering her head towards the ground slightly, a look of dejection and sorrow forming on her face as soon as he came at her left. He cursed himself after realising that by asking that question, he had caused some of the painful memories of the past to flash back in her mind.
Nonetheless he gently placed his left hand on Jun's right shoulder, causing her to lift her head back up, turn her golden eyes towards his own, before he spoke tenderly "It's okay. You can tell me." trying to sound as reassuring and as soothing as he possibly could.
Jun's golden eyes softened after hearing the concern in his voice and after seeing the calm and serene, reassuring look in his eyes. She then calmed down, looked away and then began her recollection as soon as Akira took his hand off her shoulder.
"I used to be part of their ranks." she began, earning a surprised look from Akira "After i became what i am, Asuka recruited me in the organisation. Made me into her own personal subordinate. She sent me in missions to kill other beasts, people who, unlike me, had lost control of themselves. They used to call me "Hunter J"." her sadness flared by a tiny bit of anger as she pronounced that codename. She had always despised it. When others called her like that, it hurt her, because it made her feel even less like a human than what she had already become.
To say that Akira wasn't prepared for this revelation was an understatement. Putting down others who had lost control of themselves and who were too far gone to be saved was one thing. But why would Jun have agreed to help a woman as cruel as Lan Asuka?
He got his answer when Jun continued "She said it that it was for the good of the human race and i wanted to believe that. Of course, you know how it turned out in the end. I knew from the start that something was not right….." she paused, lowering her head downwards in shame and her lips began to quiver in guilt "But i hated what i had become so much that i just didn't care. All i wanted was for the people i cared about to be safe, away from danger. Away from myself…"
"Jun." chimed in Akira, gently grabbing her furred right hand with his left one, causing her to gasp and turn back towards him, her golden eyes meeting his. To her surprise they were filled with pity and compassion, for he knew very well how she felt. Having fought for so long believing to have done the right thing only to learn that she had been used as a means to an end all along. Learning part of her past didn't change the way he felt towards her. And he wanted to help her in her times of doubt.
"None of that was your fault. You were simply deceived, used as a pawn in a larger game, that's all. In the end, all you ever wanted was to protect the ones you cared about. You shoudn't think too much about it. It's all behind you now. All that matters now is your efforts to make up for whatever mistakes you may have made in the past. And i think that is enough." he reassured her with a smile.
Her confidence and resolve boosted by those words, she then returned the smile and replied "Akira….. Thank you. I needed that." she then turned back towards the entrance of the supposed hidden facility, seriousness making its way back on her face before she declared resolutely "Let's go. Hopefully this is where all those people are being held."
Akira simply nodded, determination and seriousness filling every corner of his face. And with that, the two devilmen procedeed to walk through the entrance of the former facility of the Human Alliance.
Little did they know that what lied beyond those door was far more sinister and ominous than what they expected.
In the meantime
Satoru, Atun and Lilith after heading towards the highest part of the building, took Nike out of her cell and procedeed to bring her towards a special room of the mansion, one that was reserved for a special purpose.
As the young beast and the two demons procedeed to bring the angelic demoness towards said room with Satoru walking in front of Nike and with Atun and Lilith behind her, the orange haired disguised demoness's crimson eyes widened as soon as she felt two very strong presences nearby.
Having felt them as well and having noticed her reaction, Atun turned towards his consort and told her "They are near." Nike had also sensed their presence, but chose to remain quiet and hide her surprise at how close they were. On the other hand, Satoru, who had also detected them, added "Yes indeed. And they seem to have discovered what truly lies beneath this building." with his trademark sinister smile.
"Please allow me to deal with them, my lord. In particular, i would love to play with that woman." pleaded Lilith, her crimson eyes filled with a burning desire of lust. She hadn't felt like that for a very long time. And now finally she could play with someone worthy of her interest.
"Do as you please with her but remember: Amon is mine." simply ordered Atun, not displaying any emotion in the face of his human disguise. But before she could take her leave, the young leader of the Crusaders added "Before you do that, let them uncover the horrible truth that lies beneath this place. Let that woman sink into despair upon learning what her true purpose was all along. It should make your goal all the more easy to carry out, woudn't it, Miss Lilith?" he asked the disguised demoness.
A wicked smile formed on the demoness of seduction before she declared "Worry not, little boy. I shall take my time with her. Now if you will excuse me, i shall take my leave." and with those words her entire body glowed purple, before she dissappeared completely.
In spite of her quiet and her emotionless face, Nike was deeply worried. She was relieved to know that Lilith would not have done anything to kill Amon, even if that was only because her lord, Atun wanted him all for himself. However knowing full well what the flower demoness was capable of, she was afraid that even her beloved Amon's resolve will be put to the test by the wicked demoness's illusions.
She just hoped that Lilith would uphold her promise towards her and not go too far.
Back in the underground basement
(OST: "Gloom And Doom" = Parasite Eve soundtrack = watch?v=GDI1DaRaUkM )
To say that the two devilmen were utterly shocked by what their eyes were seeing was an understatement.
They had hoped that behind those doors, there would be a long corridor filled with the cells in which those people were being held. What they saw instead was something straight out of a horror movie. A gigantic, four meter tall room, filled with all sorts of machinery, various computers and most frightening of all, many dozens containment tanks in the center of the room, which still were still filled with their preservation fluid inside. The stench of blood filled the entire room and to the shock of the two devilmen, several dead people, all wearing white coats lied on the floor, dead.
"W…. what happened here? Just what is this place?" was all Jun could say in disbelief, after walking inside and taking a look around. She coudn't believe what she was seeing. She coudn't believe that this monstrosity of a room was where the same organisation she was part of operated. Then she stopped upon unwillingly stepping close to the corpse of one of the several people who wore those lab coats and much to her incredulity, on the white coat, she saw the emblem of the fallen organisation once again. And another thing that she quickly noticed was that all of those dead people, presumably scientist had no scratches or bite marks that would indicate that they were killed by beasts. No, they all had what appeared to be gunshot wounds on their foreheads or chest. Who could have done this?
"Jun… Look….." called out Akira, who just stood in front of the containment tanks after coming close to inspect them, frozen in horror by what he was seeing. The moment he set foot into this gigantic room, he had a pretty good idea of what he had to expect, given everything Takae and Takeshi told him about what the Human Alliance did to their kind. His suspicions were proven correct by what he saw next.
As she came at his side, the demonic amazon's golden eyes widened in even more dismay and perturbation to the point that she covered her mouth with her furred hands after letting out a horrified gasp. The glass of the containment tanks was covered by dust, the possible result of months of lacked maintenance but it still did not prevent Akira and Jun from seeing what lied within. Mutilated body parts and half dissected corpes of beasts of all kinds of shapes. Severed arms and limbs, dissected torsos, even corpses of what appeared to be children and infant beasts. And beyond the set of large tanks, there was what looked like an operating table, flanked by several smaller tanks that held organs that had been surgically removed and even a beast's partially dissected head that showed the skull on one half, and the exposed muscle and eye on the other half as well and even the brain, the result of the head being scalped. To top it all off, on the bloodied table lied the partially dissected and partially rotting corpse of a large lizard-like beast, tied in chains by its arms and legs, missing several organs in its chest, including the heart. Close to it were several surgical instruments, perhaps the same ones used to dissect it.
All Akira could do was swallow his saliva, sure that had he not seen similar nightmarish imagery before, in his previous life, he would have most likely thrown up. This was the Center of Biological Studies all over again. For some wicked twist of fate, he was seeing the same horrors his eyes had witnessed when he rescued Mico from that twisted laboratory. All those dissected corpses of demons and devilmen. The Anti-Demon Special Corps's scientists coudn't tell the difference because there simply was no way to biologically distinguish demons and devilmen. And that was what ultimately lead to the extinction of humanity. Ryo's video in which he divulged false information on how demon possession worked was simply the final nail in the coffin.
But as shaken as Akira was, his horror just coudn't compare to Jun's own.
"No… It can't be…...All this time….." was all she could feebly let out, her voice filled with intense dismay, disgust and horror. Her golden eyes and her entire body were trembling like a leaf due to the horrifying realisation that the same organisation that she was forced to work with was responsible for this and that all those corpses used to belong to people who were once human and maybe some of them could have still retained their humanity and yet were being experimented upon against their will. She shuddered at the thought that if such hideous experiments were being conducted in this relatevely small facility which used a mansion as a cover-up, what horrendous nightmares did the Samuelson Institute, the main research center of the Human Alliance, harbour inside? She was glad that she and the rest of the world would never find out, given how the institute was confiscated by the american National Security Agency and perhaps shut down and dismantled for good.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by Akira declaring grimly "I knew it. I should have figured it out already by what Takae and Takeshi told me that they would have stooped as low as this. They were just like those monsters…."
Surprised by his sombre and serious tone and not understanding at first who Akira was referring too, Jun turned towards him and asked "What do you mean?" after regaining her composure. What Akira revealed to her next, shocked her.
Not even bothering to turn towards her and with his eyes still fixed on those gruesomely dissected corpses and body parts Akira began "As the demons launched their final worldwide assault on humanity, the japanese goverment, in an effort to combat them, founded a massive organization known as "The Anti-Demon Special Corps"."
Taken completely by surprise by this, Jun could only repeat hesitantly "Anti-Demon….. Special Corps?" earning a nod from the spitting image of Amon, who then continued "Yes. They created special weaponry, specifically designed to combat the demons, after they experimented on dozens if not hundreds of them. However they ended up killing more humans and devilmen than actual demons." his voice taking on a grim and gloomy tone, causing Jun's eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Why? How could they do that if their task was to hunt the demons down?" she asked with her eyes shaking, not believing what Akira was telling her. The half-devil then finally turned towards her and anwered "Even if their intentions were good, they were doomed from the start. The shapeshifting abilities of the demons are on a cellular level and that is what allows them to flawlessly mimic the appearance of the humans they possess down to the most minute parts of their anatomy and physiology. There simply was no way to biologically tell demons apart from devilmen just as there was no way to distinguish normal humans from disguised demons, unless the latter were to reveal their true form. Only us devilmen could do that. And as it turned out, they didn't just experiment on demons but also on devilmen."
Jun could only listen speechless, beyond terrified by having learned the scariest ability the demons possessed. She had no idea that their ability to merge with other living beings, both plants and animals was that powerful. Now she knew why they were able to bring the extinction of humanity: they must have used that ability of theirs to hide within human society, infiltrate in the various armies and world goverments, conspire for years and then strike at exactly the right moment.
She also was thoroughly shaken by the revelation that on Akira's original world there was also a similar organisation to the Human Alliance, only even worse. She was also surprised to hear a hint of sadness in Akira's voice and she wondered why.
(Soundtrack Ends)
She got her answer when Akira averted his gaze from her and closed his eyes upon recalling that fateful day, when he assaulted their headquarters with his army "They… They were the ones who killed Miki's parents…" his lips shaking upon recalling that heart-wrenching memory. His mother, hanged upside down like a pig… and his father chained, missing an eye, held between the spikes of a torture machine…..
Jun could only gasp in utter shock and sadness at those words and her heart sank upon recalling what Akira revealed to her, the day after they confessed their love to each other. How the ones who raised him like a son they never had were brutally tortured to death simply for being mistaken as demons. The mere thought that they had been murdered for the same reason Kazumi's parents were, broke her heart.
Instinctively she reached out for Akira's left cheek with the soft, furred fingers of her left hand, caressing it. Her gentle touch stopped his lips from quivering but his eyes still remained closed. Then with her eyes softening, she spoke tenderly and with much empathy "Akira….. I….. I'm sorry… I can't even imagine how it must have been for you….. To see them-"
"It doesn't matter anymore. The ones who murdered them payed for their crimes. I made sure of that, trust me." he replied sharply, while reopening his eyes, taking Jun by surprise and causing her to take he fingers off his cheek. Did he actually kill other human beings? They may have been vile, irredemable monsters but even still, she did not expect that. But now it wasn't the time for her to ask him more about that, given their task at hand.
"But enough about that." he began while turning around and beginning to walk "We have to….. Hmm?" only to stop himself upon stepping on something strange. He then looked down at it and realised that it was a half torn photo. After he knelt and picked it up he saw, upon taking a closer look that in the center of the photo there was a tall young woman with blonde shoulder lenght hair, piercing blue eyes that wore a light grey sweater, blue jeans and sneakers. She had such an apathetic yet intense expression that it even made Akira uncomfortable. On her left stood an even taller and older woman that looked to be in her late thirties to early forties who also had blonde hair tied in a bun as well as blue eyes just like the younger woman but unlike her, the older woman was smiling. She wore a white coat and a skirt as well as medium heeled shoes.
Akira wondered why in the midst of all the bloody mess of this place there was such a photo. He also wondered why it was ripped because he could definetely make out a third shadow on the ground, besides the one of the two women, indicating that the part of the photo that was ripped would have showed a third person. But most importantly of all, for some reason he coudn't help but notice how that young woman in the center of the photo reminded him a lot of his former best friend Ryo. That apathetic, piercing gaze, the blue eyes, the blonde hair. Could it be…...
He got his answer when he heard a shocked gasp from Jun, which pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned towards her and saw that she was completely frozen by what she was seeing, her golden eyes shaking in disbelief. Then, before he could ask her why she was having such a reaction…..
The shocking reveal came.
"A….. Asuka?" was all the Devil Lady managed to feebly utter, causing Akira's eyes and lips to widen in utter shock and disbelief.
(OST: "Observation From The Goddess" = Devil Lady Soundtrack = /hollowuo/devilman-lady-ost-kamigami-no )
"Jun….. You don't mean…" was all Akira could say, just as thunderstruck as his lover, before she quickly snatched the photo from his hand and brought it closer to her eyes. She thought that her eyes were deceiving her. She didn't want to believe them. But the irrefutable truth was that the photo she was now holding in her hands showed a younger version of the same woman who made her what she was, the woman who forced her to kill all those people and who manipulated her all along.
"Yes… It's her…I would never mistake that face…..." she hesitantly let out, after finding the strength to speak. Dozens of questions were pounding her mind right now. Why was this photo in such a place? Who was that woman besides Asuka? Why was this photo half-ripped?
She had to know. Even if it meant postponing their search for those people, she had to learn the truth.
And so, much to Akira's surprise, she dropped the photo and began to thoroughly search the place from top to bottom, hell-bent on uncovering the secrets of this place. To her luck there were several diaries kept on a table with many medical items.
Seeing that he might as well give her a hand, Akira also joined in the search and not too long afterwards, Jun found what appeared to be a diary. A research diary. With much curiosity, she began to delicately scroll through its pages, taking great care in avoiding to tear the paper with her claws, given that it was already heavily worn out. Many of its pages were so worn out that the writing was completely unreadable.
However her curiosity turned into shock the moment her golden eyes landed on one of the very few pages that was still readable. The page read:
"September 25th, 1994
I didn't expect so many goverments to come together so quickly after the disease was discovered. Ironic, considering that they were pointing their nukes at each other for the last 40 years. Who would have thought that the discovery of such a virus would have put an end to worldwide tensions and disputes that nearly drove all of humanity to extinction. Good thing mother had the keen instinct to reveal that classified information to the japanese goverment before she died. Not that it should be surprising: she was always the crafty and resourceful one given the rich family she came from. She built this secret facility within the basement of this mansion that she inherited from her family, knowing full well that sooner or later it would have come down to this. She wanted me to continue her battle against this plague, to carry on her will to save the human race. Oh mother, how naive you were. Humans are beyond saving. All of them are doomed to end up as father did. But you don't have to worry about that anymore. I will use the body you and father cursed me with and its powers to make sure humans won't evolve anymore. I will use them as the stepping stone of an evolution of my own. If all of them are inevitably destined to become monsters like him, then i shall become the light that will guide the few unsullied ones and erase those who will be tainted by that disease. That will be my revenge towards the one who took you away from me, my dear mother."
Jun froze as she read the final phrases, her hands shaking in disbelief. She recalled the night she abandoned Asuka after Satoru came to kill her. She recalled the words Asuka spoke that night. How all humans were simply stepping stones for her evolution into godhood. Then she recalled the words Asuka spoke before she cast her into the depths of hell. How she hated her parents for cursing her with a body that belonged to neither a man or a woman. How she hated the world and all of humanity for their flaws and wicked nature and how she saw the Devil-Beasts as the represantion of their darkest side.
"Well, that explains a lot. This woman right here must have been her mother. And this whole place belonged to her family." came Akira's voice which pulled her out of her thoughts and caused her to look towards him and the photo he held in his hand.
After realising that he had also read the page, she replied after looking at the photo once more "I wondered why that woman looked so similar to her. I guess i should have figured it out from the start…." her voice becoming distant and dry.
"And that must be Asuka's diary. But what does it mean by "The body you and father gave me and its powers"?" he asked wanting to know more about the late Lan Asuka.
"Apparently, she was born as an intersex. Her body had both male and female attributes. She revealed that to me when i confronted her several months ago. She said that she hated her parents for cursing her with such a body. I didn't know why she had it nor why she possessed the powers that she had." she answered before pausing and looking back to the diary again while a apprehensive look made its way on her face "But now it makes sense. Her father was a beast. She became what she was because she was born as a result of the union between a human and a beast. That must be why she had those powers….."
A contemplative look formed on Akira's face. That woman was exactly like Satan. Like all angels she was an hermaphrodite and her body possessed both masculine and feminine characteristics. Akira then spoke "This doesn't fully explain why she did what she did though. From what is written there it almost seems like she wanted to save the world but we both know that it's not what she ended up doing, right?" earning a nod and a serious look from Jun.
The Devil Lady then replied "Far from it, believe me." and then procedeed to scroll through the worn out pages of the diary looking for an answer to those questions that she also harbored in her mind. The words Asuka spoke that day, before she raped her and cast her in the fiery depths of hell still lingered in her mind. Her goal from the start was to take control of the world and rule it as she saw fit. But until now, Jun never knew what truly was that drove Asuka to commit all the crimes she did. And especially what she meant with "You were born for my sake and now you will die for my sake."
She began to get her answers as soon as she came across another two pages that, unlike most of the others, were in perfect condition. The first page read:
"February 21st, 1997.
Ever since that fateful day, since the first individual discovered to have progressed was identified, the research of the Human Alliance has yielded very important and shocking results.It was found that the awakening of beasts is triggered by the activation of a factor in the DNA which has been dubbed as "The Beast Factor". We have discovered that by the mark of the Devil Beast Progress, the Factor is activated whenever a human undergoes a stressful physical of psychological event. To the surprise of the Human Alliance however, it was discovered that not all humans possess this factor. Even more surprising, it was discovered that people who have a strong and resoluted mind can even retain their sentience after they become beasts, in other words, their humanity. As for myself, while i slowly spent three years climbing through the ranks of the organization, thanks to the influence of my mother and the fact that she was one of the founding members, i came to the conclusion after studying years of research, that in order for me to evolve, my body has to receive the proper stimulus and data. I found out by experimenting on myself, that my body possesses a unique factor of its own, which i have momentarily dubbed "The Lan Factor" which is what gave me my unique psychic abilities as well as the wretched body i was cursed with."
Akira and Jun were not surprised to see the results of the years of research conducted by the Human Alliance as well as the description of how humans evolved into Beasts written into this diary. Both of them knew well enough how it worked, courtesy of Takae and Takeshi in Akira's case and courtesy of Asuka herself in Jun's case. However both of them were greatly surprised to learn that not only was Asuka's mother one of the founding members of the Human Alliance, Asuka herself had a unique factor of her own, different from the one that caused humans to turn into beasts. Both of them guessed that it was because she was the result of the union between a beast and a human woman even though it could have been due to other reasons that the two will probably never know.
(Soundtrack ends)
But as astonishing as this was, what really shocked the two Devilmen, Jun in particular, was what was written in the second page.
"However it is not awake yet. It needs something special to awaken but for the time being what it gave me was enough. Everything went according to plan. Those fools were so easy to manipulate and deceive. Some of them have even deluded themselves into believing that humans and Beasts can coexist peacefully. That is why they have set up that experiment in that town in Colorado to measure the rate in which Beasts evolve and how many of them can retain their human self after their transformation. But such a small town is insufficient to truly measure the rate of their evolution. And that is why i set up a new, much larger experiment here in Tokyo as soon as i secured my position as the leader of the Japanese Branch. It took me three years to come this far. And it will be here in the capital of the country of the one i despise the most that i shall find the one i seek. For in order for me to truly save this world and rid it of the plague that seeks to tarnish it forever, i need my opposite. Someone truly extraordinary, born from darkness, one who curses its own fate just like i do, the one that can make me whole. Then i will finally shed my impure, mortal shell and ascend. Only then will i become God."
(OST: "Elegy" = Devil Lady soundtrack, the track that plays from 3:21 to 5:31 = watch?v=urPG62zXTUM )
The word "horror" coudn't even begin to describe what Jun felt as she read the second page. No, it was only the tip of the iceberg, one of only dozens of emotions that she felt at that moment as all the pieces came together. Asuka had planned it all along way before she met her. Her goal from the start was to evolve in a different way from the beasts in order to reach godhood and rule the world as she saw fit, all the while keeping humanity from evolving any further with her psychic powers in her idea of a perfect world while gradually disposing of all the beasts. Jun was only the final part of a plan that had spanned over four years, the final catalyst of the birth of a distopic new world and a cruel dispotic and dominant deity who stole the free will of every single human being on planet Earth, essentially robbing them of their freedom just like the beasts.
Akira, just as shocked as her, could only watch as the woman he loved went from trembling in horror and dismay to seething in utter fury and hatred.
The Devil Lady clenched her sharp teeth in outraging anger and disgust upon recalling everything Asuka put her through. Convincing her to follow her, locking her into the warehouse, causing her to nearly be killed by that wolf beast, turning her into a monster, forcing her to kill others like her, paralising and raping her before casting her into the depths of hell. She knew the night she abbandoned her after revealing how she truly viewed humanity after Satoru nearly killed her, that Asuka had manipulated her all along. Little did Jun know that she had planned this from the start, all the way back when she first met her, more than a year ago. And if she hadn't met her, someone else would have fallen into her clutches. And then it dawned on her when she recalled those words.
"We sensed each other from the very beginning."
She knew the moment she saw her from the first time. The moment Asuka met her when she bidded Kazumi farewell at the entrance of that underground station, she knew that Jun would have been the one. By pure chance Asuka had found the one she was looking for. And that was why when Jun was about to lose control of her beastly side, Asuka made sure that she woudn't by exploiting their bond. And as soon as Jun realised it, her disgust turned into hatred.
"Asuka….. You monster….. You knew… You knew the moment we first saw each other that i was the one you needed….." she began, her voice seething with so much fury that she didn't sound human at all. And as her anger reached a boiling point, she crushed the diary to pieces with her hands. Finally she threw her arms in the air, screamed in a mix of anguish and hatred "DAMN YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO MEEEEEE!" and brought them down on the metal table from which she picked the diary, smashing it to pieces. The mere thought that she even harbored feelings towards that monstrous woman at one point, made her blood boil in revulsion.
Akira could only watch in sadness at the emotional breakdown of the woman he loved. He knew far too well how she felt. The realisation of being not only manipulated from the very beginning but also the reveal that she was only the final part of a plan that had spanned for four whole years: it was not at all different from what Ryo did, making sure that Akira fused with Amon to ensure he would survive and be at his side when humanity would be no more.
So, he intinctively placed a hand on her left shoulder, intending to comfort her, while calling out her name in the most soothing tone he could muster "Jun…." she was trembling like a leaf, grief beginning to supplant her raging fury.
"She….. She made me like this…. She turned me into a monster…..." she feebly let out, closing her eyes as tears began to fall on her cheeks, her anger turning into sorrow, causing Akira's eyes to fill with even more pity and compassion. It was exactly like he thought. It was Asuka who made Jun what she was, just like Ryo did to him. But even Ryo in the end, did it because he genuenely loved him and wanted him at his side when the demons would have finally reclaimed their world. However, to Lan Asuka, Jun was ultimately a means to an end, her greatest tool for her to use in her goal to reach godhood.
"She made me kill all those people… She hurt so many innocents… And yet…. I…. I…." weakly continued Jun until the pain of those memories became too much for her and her voice faltered. No matter everything she did, no matter all the people she hurt for her own selfish desires, for quite a while Jun, without even knowing it, actually harbored romantic feelings towards Asuka due to her being one of the only people who managed to calm her down whenever she would begin to lose control of herself. Her manipulative nature was so that it made Jun feel at peace when she was with her in spite of her mostly cold and stoic nature and later on. It was only after she finally vanquished her in that climatic final battle that Jun realised that she did in fact love Asuka. However in the end, because she hated what she had become so much, she could never find the strength within herself to return such love.
But now the mere thought of this broke Jun and it made her hate herself even more. How could she have done this? How could she have let herself develop such feelings towards such a monster of a woman even if they were so alike? She was the one who made her like this, who put her through that nightmarish struggle between her humanity and her newfound demonic nature, who made her kill all those people all the while lying to her and assuring her that it was for the good of mankind when in reality it was not. And yet she developed such feelings. It was all her fault. She had given in to her self-loathing. She was too blind to realise that she should have never joined forces with such a woman.
However, at that moment, as incomprehensible cries replaced her words….. She felt it.
"Shhhhhhh….."
(Soundtrack ends)
A gentle and tender hush filled her ears as a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her from behind with one around her chest and the other around her toned abdomen. She was too overcome by sorrow, too absorbed in her pain to notice those arms wrapping around her. It was only when those arms pulled her close to a warm, powerfully built chest that she gasped in surprise. Then, she heard that voice…
(OST: "Ada's theme" = Resident Evil 2 soundtrack = watch?v=3Wj4uCjymO4 )
"It's okay… She's gone….. She will never hurt you again." spoke Akira after resting his head on her left shoulder, his lips close to her left ear, his voice filled with unfathomable tenderness and affection. He coudn't bear to see her like this. He coudn't bear to see her cry. Not now that he had finally learned how she came to be.
"A….. Akira….." she called out, her golden eyes beginning to shake in passion, her eyelids closing slightly. His voice was so soothing, so beautiful and thanks to it, all of Jun's sorrow began to dissappear. The warmth she felt at that moment… the tenderness of the embrace….. the affection in Akira's voice. He was doing it again. He was taking away the pain, the sorrow and the grief. And the way he had embraced her….. it was the same way she embraced Kazumi when she voiced her will to fight with her, only for Jun to reassure her that she needed to go there on her own.
"The past is the past, Jun. You are no longer shackled by that woman's lies. You didn't let them bind you forever. You defied your fate, however cursed it might have been. You used the power that woman cursed you with to bring peace between humanity and the beasts. And you're wrong. You are not a monster. You are the furthest thing from it. A monster would never feel emotions like grief and sorrow. A monster would never understand concepts like compassion, empathy and love. That is what it means to be human. You do understand and feel those emotions, Jun. And that is the proof that you always held onto your humanity, no matter everything you went through." he finally declared. The moment he saw Jun giving into despair and sorrow, he recalled the day he rescued Mico. The many days of torture made her sink into despair and into the belief that she was a demon, a monster. That girl coudn't have been more wrong about that. She was like him, a Devilman, a demon with a human heart. And now he was seeing that broken young girl in Jun, the woman he loved.
The Devil Lady quivered at those words. He was right. She was still human. And whatever happened in the past, it didn't matter anymore for by vanquishing Asuka once and for all, she gave peace to the two races. She then reached out and placed her right furred hand on Akira's own right one, which was firmly resting on her left shoulder.
"Akira….." she called out again, while slowly turning her head towards him "Do you truly mean all of that? I have killed other people. I have hurt many who were not deserving. Do you truly believe, after everything i did, even if it was misguided in part, that i still am a good person?" she asked him, with a look of both dejection and discouragement, her golden eyes staring directly into his own.
In response, Akira removed his arms from Jun's chest and abdomen and instead placed them on her shoulders, before a serene smile crossed his lips. Then he replied, without any hesitation "If there's one thing Kaim taught me, is that the mistakes of the past do not define who you are now. In the end, everything you did, you did it to protect the ones you cared about.." he paused while slowly and gently placing her hand on her chest, near her heart before he finished by declaring "Do not let what happened in the past shake your resolve, Jun. You are not what you once used to be. And never forget what you truly are. You may no longer be human, but your heart is still that of a human. And as long as you let it guide you, as long as you hold onto it, it will show you the way. Never forget that."
Jun's eyes shaked passionately at those encouraging words, a choked feeling bubbling inside her. Finally, overcome by happiness, she hugged Akira deeply. All this time she believed that no matter what she would do or how much she would try, she would be beyond saving for all the people she put down, evil or not. And yet, Akira had not only accepted her past but, just like Kazumi did, had actually encouraged her to fight on to protect what she had left. In other words, him, the one who had brought back love into her heart.
"Akira….. Thank you. You have given me the strength to move forward again." she declared passionately, her head buried deep within Akira's broad chest. The spitting image of Amon could only smile even more, heartwarmed to have restored Jun's resolve once more.
"I'm glad i have." he replied happily. Then he removed himself from the embrace and declared "Let's go. You do remember why we came here in the first place, right?"
Jun simply nodded as a determined and resoluted look formed on her face. This time she wasn't alone. This time things will go differently. This time, she will make things right once and for all.
And so she turned towards another door that faced in front of the one they used to enter this twisted laboratory before she declared "Yes. And this time i will make things right. No matter what." earning a nod of approval from the spitting image of Amon.
And with that they left.
(Soundtrack Ends)