Chapter 6: Reasons

0O0O

"Can you explain to me what's going on before I accuse you of pedophilia?" Quanxi said to Kishibe. It was already 9:30 PM and Hiro had gone to sleep a few minutes ago so Quanxi could freely express one of his many thoughts on this situation.

Kishibe crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair and just looked at Quanxi with a serious look but not really angry "To your bad luck, no, I'm not some pedophile, stealing children and using them for pleasure that's just does division 9"

Quanxi suppressed a smile "Then why did you adopt the child?" he said bluntly.

Kishibe raised an eyebrow "Is it that weird?"

Quanxi nodded without hesitation for a second "That's right, in the first place the child would have easily been left in an orphanage without so many complications. In the rules it is written that if there are minors who were affected by a demon attack on their family , then the children would be taken to an adoption place for installation and rehabilitation, then the child would eventually be adopted. But instead you decided to keep the child and offered him a home in your apartment, along with food and a decorated bed for a boy his age"

Kishibe smiled amused "You seem to have read the manual very well. Although you make it sound like I have committed a crime"

Quanxi ignored him and continued speaking "Secondly I am surprised that someone like you, cold, lonely, drunk, womanizer, a fully trained demon hunter and an idiot in my eyes would have adopted a child overnight, when actually what you've always worried about is your hip flask being full of alcohol, having a woman in your bed and ruthlessly killing demons. So yes, it's very weird" at this point Quanxi frowned, really searching for answers I had her frustrated.

Though if she looked deep inside her mind, then she might get an idea of why Kishibe was doing this. But she wanted to keep pushing him

Kishibe's smile slowly faded "Well when you put it that way it sounds weird" he reached for the bottle of alcohol and the small glass, he poured himself a drink because he really felt he was going to need a few from now on.

Quanxi sighed as she watched the hunter, who lately had been called the strongest of them all, take a drink "Why did you do it?"

Kishibe stopped drinking and looked Quanxi in the eye again...or in the eye "To be honest...I don't know either"

Quanxi rolled his eyes "Don't give me that shit that you don't know" deep down, Quanxi thought he had an idea why Kishibe had kept the boy but he wanted to hear it from him to confirm his suspicions. After all, the truth tastes better when it comes from the mouth of the accused.

"It's the truth, or at least that's what I want to believe" Kishibe wasn't looking at Quanxi now, only at a point in the nothingness behind her, getting lost in this question.

"When you rescued him" began Quanxi "You told me that when you saw him it was like seeing yourself in a mirror, right?"

Quanxi's tone indirectly told her to complete her answer, after all she was unlucky enough to know her past so she probably already had an idea why he did what he did. But many times he tried to deny it, trying at the same time to find another reason why he stayed with him but none of them made sense or were concise enough for her taste, so she had to keep the damn truth.

All this made Kishibe become a bit cold and distant with the boy during the first weeks, he did not use to talk to him much even though in his work he usually talks with other hunters but when he saw Hiro he reminded him of the reason why he was staying to live in his apartment, and it is because the answer to why he decided to keep the child tormented him a little. Regret filled him completely and the desire to go back to the past and change everything was always present in him.

Because if he did much of his life would have been different, he wouldn't have become a hunter for the reason he did or he would have become a hunter for the reason he wanted, he wouldn't have this conversation with Quanxi or he wouldn't have it again the same way as now.

And maybe if his parents hadn't died he wouldn't be the crazy he is now, and at the same time he wouldn't have the ability to survive so many years as a demon hunter.

"Well... I guess I'll tell you why"

0O0O

It was fantastic.

She could even call it a demonic play that came out of the darkest reaches of fiery hell, because it was. She had never seen anything like this in his short life and probably not in his supposed other lifetimes either. Because what he was learning here was fascinating, or maybe she already knew about it before but the fact of being reborn gave him back this feeling of admiration and fantasy that he liked.

She knew that demons could be reborn in the human world by taking another person's body, but only when they had died in hell before, and if they died on earth they would return to hell and stay there until they were reborn on earth.

It was a cycle that repeated itself over and over again and seemed to have no end. Many demons preferred to be on this side where they could do what they wanted, because hell in the first place was not a pleasant place even for them, or at least for her. Secondly, because it is more fun to live life that way.

But this...

It was incredible, it was fascinating her more and more as she read and turned the pages of the book she had been ordered to read. If this was real then the cycle of rebirth of demons in hell and on earth, as well as the existence of demons themselves... would be erased from history and from the minds of people who had ever heard of them.

Who knows? She had probably already forgotten one or two demons because of this.

But this was something that seemed to come from something beyond hell. Beyond existence itself if possible.

The chainsaw demon was fascinating.

Her powers, abilities, prowess, and what he could do to other demons if he killed them. All of that attracted her to him, she loved it.

"Do you like that book?" She had been so attached to her book that she had forgotten the existence of Dr. Yuna, she was actually sitting in a chair in front of her, a two-meter table was what separated them.

Makima lowered the book slowly to look at the woman and nodded, Yuna smiled when she noticed the small smile on Makima's face, she also noticed with a little shock that her yellow eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement.

or was it fascination that she saw?

"It's impressive" said Makima.

The doctor nodded in understanding "I know, the world of demons has always been...fascinating, we still don't know much about the world below us but the little we do know is enough to spend hours and hours glued to those books. Of course not everyone shares this hobby."

"They should" Makima agreed, she would probably be reading more of this almost every day.

"Yes, but sometimes it's better to keep some things to yourself like researchers like me do. After all, not everyone deserves to know the best things in those demonic history books."

'Or in this case, your existence in this facility' The doctor thought.

O0O0

Quanxi felt relaxed, it was almost as if she felt liberated somehow. She was looking out the windows of the apartment seeing the beautiful city of Japan shining like it has always been, or at least since the buildings started to have more lights. But still her buildings were huge and it was fantastic to see them from this view.

Her stupid partner was still sitting at the table, with a glass of alcohol in his hand and his eyes fixed on the wall. She sure was thinking that all this she told him was not a good idea but he didn't seem sorry at all.

Quanxi took one last puff on her cigarette before crushing it into the ashtray on a small table that held more of the used cigarettes. Funny, she hadn't worked tonight but everything that happened today made her want to relax with a smoke.

She still felt good about knowing the truth once and for all, even though it was only a truth that only she was seeking. Maybe she spent a lot of time with Kishibe even now she wanted to know more about him.

That sent a shiver down her spine. She was letting herself go a lot at the moment, maybe it was time to express herself with words again.

"What do you expect to become of that child's life?" asked Quanxi.

Kishibe didn't take his eyes off the wall but took his time thinking of an answer. "Well... I just want his life to be full of good decisions, good decisions lead to good things, and good things lead to a peaceful life" Kishibe closed his eyes after he finished speaking and rested his head on the backrest of the chair.

Quaxi just looked at Kishibe for a long moment, then turned her attention back to the windows.

"...What did you say his name is?"

Kishibe opened his eyes, neither of them saw each other but they felt that without seeing each other's eyes they could feel a strange intensity.

"Hiro"

Hiro, a simple name but for a simple boy

"You say you are his father?" she asked again.

"I didn't say that, i'm just in the name of the law or something like that" Kishibe said

"Hey...don't you think Hiro could use one..." Quanxi started oblivious to Kishibe's heartbeat, was she suggesting what he was thinking?

"...aunt?" Quanxi finished with a finger to her chin as if she was considering an offer.

If anyone else had been in that room, they would have sworn they heard something break.

0O0O

It was seven in the morning when Hiro opened his eyes after long hours of sleep. He got up and stretched his muscles like in every morning routine. Through the window the sun's rays entered and illuminated the room, finding it unnecessary to turn on the lights in the room.

Hiro left his room, to go to the bathroom he had to go near the kitchen so when he got there he found a typical scene, Kishibe asleep on the table and with many bottles of alcohol around him. This guy sure drank himself knocked out.

Hiro sighed and walked over to Kishibe, moved his arm to wake him up and did so until Kishibe started showing signs that he was waking up.

When he thought he was aware enough he spoke to him "Wake up Kishibe, you have to take me to school or else I'll be late"

Kishibe growled although it sounded more like the sound of a dying animal "Five more minutes"

"I'm going to take a shower" with that Hiro walked up the spiral stairs to the hallway bathroom.

When there was no one else in the room Kishibe sighed and rubbed his eyes, a small headache was growing in his head and worst of all, it was early. He looked at his watch, it was 7:04 am to be exact.

Shit but his shift didn't start until 12 pm, he really felt overwhelmed. Perhaps these were the challenges of being a guardian of a child, or a parent...

"You asked for it" said a voice in his head.

"Shut up" Kishibe said

"He tells the truth, you were the one who decided to keep the child in the first place"

"And it was also you who created his dream of being a hunter. In the end, you are responsible for what happens to that child"

"Yes...that"

Kishibe had nothing to answer that, when they tell someone the truth, they are left speechless because inside they cannot reply against the truth, it would only be creating excuses to get out of trouble.

All the moves and decisions that Hiro would make in the future would be because of his influence, if Hiro eventually becomes a demon hunter, then it would be because Kishibe indirectly proposed that dream to him. And if Hiro ultimately died in that profession….then it would be his fault.

"I just hope that foolish kid takes the path that he thinks is best for him, although i have to influence that too"