Chapter 8: Old Fears and Shattered Dreams

Three years had passed since that 1977 accident at the Takahashi residence, where Aiko and her husband Hideki Takahashi died from a devil attack that infiltrated their home unbeknownst to them. The couple perished in the assault, but their son, Hiro Takahashi, was the sole survivor as a devil hunter arrived before it was too late.

The child was left without parents and a home, but the same hunter who saved him decided to take him in. For a long time, the boy lived in fear of devils, even though he dreamed of becoming a devil hunter in the future, a dream that starkly contrasted with his fear. Nevertheless, he never gave up on that dream as his goal.

Young Hiro was eager to start his training; he wanted to hunt devils for a simple yet noble reason. He wished to eradicate the evil and sorrow caused by devils. Having lost his parents to a devil, he didn't want more children or people to suffer the same fate. That was his driving motivation and the only thing that overcame his fear of devils. If he wanted to achieve his goals, he needed to train as much as he could. He wanted Kishibe to train him so that the world could become safer, and numerous tragedies could be averted. Many children would stay with their parents and not suffer as he had.

He was determined to achieve it, nothing would stop him, nothing.

0O0O

The apartment door opened, as it always did at this time of the afternoon. Two individuals entered, a black-haired, blue-eyed boy in a school uniform consisting of a white shirt paired with knee-length shorts and black dress shoes. Following him and closing the door was a tired-looking man in his thirties, sporting a serious expression. He wore a tailored suit with an oversized coat that extended just below his back. On his chest, a harness was visible, designed to hold two katana swords at his back. However, the only items he currently carried were a firearm and two knives.

Kishibe and Hiro had just picked up the latter from school. Hiro finished his studies at 1 PM, and Kishibe had to find spare time to bring the kid home. However, suspicions surrounded Kishibe due to his appearance, as many believed he might be a pedophile or a child abductor.

Nevertheless, their lives had already adjusted enough for them to feel comfortable with each other. They had become so accustomed to doing the same things every day, such as having breakfast in silence or occasionally discussing various matters. Kishibe remained distant and cool towards Hiro, but he was no longer as aloof as he had been in the first few months. Now, he spoke to Hiro more than he used to. Sometimes, they discussed Hiro's school day, and Hiro would inquire about Kishibe's work. Kishibe shared some details but avoided going into too much depth to spare the child, who, after all, was only 10 years old and had already experienced enough trauma.

Hiro felt more at ease living with Kishibe. He now saw the tired and stoic hunter as a guardian who, deep down, seemed to care for him, at least that was Hiro's perception. He wasn't sure what Kishibe truly thought. Regardless, Hiro began to admire Kishibe's skills and disciplines in devil hunting. All were fascinated by how Kishibe excelled so naturally in everything. Quanxi once mentioned that Kishibe was considered the strongest devil hunter in Japan, or possibly even the world. This revelation explained a lot. Hiro felt a mix of disbelief and fascination; he knew Kishibe was strong, but he didn't think it was to this extent.

He predicted that if Kishibe was the one training him, then he could become very strong and save many people from devils, just as Kishibe had saved him. To this day, Hiro doesn't know how to thank Kishibe for rescuing him three years ago. Someday, he'll come up with something.

"I'll be in my room," Hiro said, following the same routine as every day. Kishibe didn't say anything, and he didn't expect a response from the man. He just continued on his way to his room without looking back. Yes, that's how they operated, and the peculiar thing was that they didn't mind because it felt so natural to them.

As Kishibe watched Hiro head to his room, he removed his oversized coat and hung it on the rack next to the door. He then walked towards the massive windows of his apartment, gazing outside. The typical buildings of the area were visible, but some were undergoing renovations. He heard they would be fitted with several large screens, similar to what was happening in Times Square in the United States. The uniqueness of the changes was quite noticeable.

However, these were secondary thoughts. The phone in the kitchen rang, and without much surprise, Kishibe went to answer it, secretly hoping that this call would come at any time of the day.

He picked up the phone, placing it against his ear, and heard the soft whisper of Quanxi's voice. "Meet me tonight at 9 on the roof of your apartment, as we agreed. Don't be late." The call ended as Quanxi hung up, and Kishibe returned the phone to its place.

Lately, Quanxi had been the one providing him with information about everything important happening in the hunter society, especially the dark secrets they concealed. Tonight, she was going to share something particularly interesting, more information about the state of the control devil.

The little they had gathered was valuable, as almost no one in the hunter divisions knew about the control devil's status. Only certain government officials and those in charge were privy to this information, and now Kishibe and Quanxi, though their access was less than legal.

Kishibe remembered how three years ago, Quanxi had revealed something significant about this devil, precisely on the same day she met Hiro.

Three years ago, Kishibe's apartment.

"You know, I'm glad you came to see me, though I'm sad you're leaving. But let me ask you... why did you come here in the first place?" Kishibe asked as Quanxi was at the door, and he was escorting her out. He decided to pose this question. Quanxi wouldn't visit anyone unless it was for something important, unless you were an attractive woman. Kishibe had his suspicions...

Quanxi came to a sudden stop while putting on her coat, and her eye widened slightly in surprise. She resisted the urge to facepalm at her forgetfulness. With everything that had happened with the kid, she had completely forgotten the reason for coming here in the first place.

"Well... I'm relieved to know you didn't think I just dropped by because I like you" she adopted a serious look while fully putting on her coat and adjusting it. "I came to give you new information about the control devil."

Kishibe visibly tensed at that. With everything that had happened with Hiro, he had completely forgotten that the control devil was already in Japan. God, he should have been more attentive to that. It seemed he preferred to focus more on the child than on the demons, interesting.

"Damn, I forgot about that" Kishibe muttered, but Quanxi heard him and just rolled her eyes (well, eye, you get the idea).

"What I came to tell you, I extracted from the research center files. I could only take a quick look before slipping away," Quanxi said.

Kishibe's eyes widened in astonishment and a hint of terror, much to Quanxi's satisfaction. "Are you crazy!? If they had caught you snooping in their information, they would have executed you on the spot!" Kishibe wasn't the type to yell, in fact, he rarely raised his voice, especially not at someone. But hearing what Quanxi had done and imagining what they would have done to her terrified him.

Quanxi flashed a small smile. "Don't worry about that. I've been doing it for two years, and I've never been caught. Let's just say their security is too easy to penetrate for someone like me"

Kishibe still couldn't shake the possibility that Quanxi might have been caught, but he forced himself to calm down for his own sake.

"What did you find out?" he asked, now more composed with his typical serious expression.

"Not much, but what little I know is too valuable to be true, and too ominous to be afraid of" Quanxi paused briefly as she organized her thoughts. "In the documents and reports I saw the name assigned to the control devil is Makima."

Kishibe raised an eyebrow. "Makima? Such a strange and peculiar name." He had expected a different kind of name, something more Japanese. Sometimes, government choices could be quite odd.

"And that's not the worst part. I also read that the person in charge of her care and research is the witch Yuna Nishimura" Quanxi said, uttering the name with disgust, a snort escaping her as she grew angry.

Kishibe let out a deep sigh. Of course, who else to care for a crazy devil than another crazy devil. Yuna Nishimura, of all people in the world. Did it really have to be her handling the control devil?

She was renowned as a great investigator, scientist, doctor, and demonology expert more than any other human. Although hunters knew her more as a deranged devil enthusiast, even an arrogant witch to some, Kishibe included. Others despised her for her teaching methods. Among those few was Quanxi. Before and presently, hunters aspiring to become stronger had to undergo a series of training that went beyond human limits.

Quanxi trained under Yuna, and her experience was unpleasant to the point of leaving certain traumas that were still challenging to overcome. Since then, Quanxi harbored a deep hatred for that lunatic.

Darkly, Kishibe wondered what Yuna would do to Makima's mind. Her influence would surely affect her greatly, as children needed an inspirational figure to shape their futures. The image of Hiro crossed his mind, and he couldn't help but feel guilty for a moment.

"Whatever may happen in the future," Kishibe said, and Quanxi gave him her full attention, something she rarely did.

"We must be prepared because very dark times are approaching," Kishibe concluded.

Present day.

Finally, it was 9 PM in the apartment of the world's strongest hunter. Kishibe headed to the rooftop of his apartment to meet with his beautiful and lethal companion.

Before this, he had sent Hiro to bed, preferring that the child not ask where he was going at this late hour. Also, because lately, the boy had become very inquisitive to the point of irritating him.

How the hell was he supposed to know if devils watched TV?

Kishibe finally reached the rooftop; the wind was strong at this height, making it cold. The wind's force moved his hair and the coat of his suit. Further ahead on the building, near the edge, stood Quanxi. She was gazing at the view from this height, her posture straight but relaxed, hands in her pockets, seemingly unaffected by the cold.

Quanxi wore the standard hunter's suit, except for her coat, which would have come in handy now for warmth. She only had on a long-sleeved shirt. Perhaps he was right; Quanxi was colder than the Soviet Union, and very rarely was she a beautiful morning sun.

"Well, I'm here now. If you're not going to give me a kiss, at least tell me what you know," Kishibe said when he finally stood beside Quanxi.

The gray-haired huntress remained unfazed by Kishibe's joke, partly because she was already accustomed to it, and partly because they had more important matters to attend to. So she kept her gaze forward while handing Kishibe a thin envelope.

"You should know that I risked my life more than ever to get this photo. So, I hope that from now on, you make some moves" she said.

Kishibe opened the envelope, revealing a photo measuring 7 cm in width and 5 cm in length. The colored photo depicted a girl who seemed to be the same age as Hiro, with light brown hair that bordered on red. She wore a simple black shirt and a gray skirt that reached her small knees; the angle of the photo didn't allow for a view below the skirt. However, that wasn't important. What surprised Kishibe, sending a chill down his spine, was the color of her eyes – a yellow hue he recognized perfectly. He could almost see the rings in her eyes; they would have been clearer with better photo quality. But there was no doubt, it was her. Additionally, something eerie he noticed was that in the photo, the girl seemed to turn her head slightly and smile, as if trying to look at the camera, as if she knew her picture was being taken.

"You know" Kishibe said, somewhat calm but inwardly restless, "Even with all the evidence we had, I really hoped this wouldn't come true"

Quanxi lit a cigarette, took a drag, and then exhaled the smoke, swiftly carried away by the wind. "Me too. I wanted to retire without going through this shit again."

Kishibe tucked the photo back into the envelope and looked ahead at the breathtaking view of the city from this height. Beside him, Quanxi continued speaking.

"She's 10 years old; that's new information. However, I don't know what kind of training she's currently undergoing."

Kishibe sighed. "That doesn't matter for now. Look, Quanxi, I appreciate this information, but I need some time to rest." In other circumstances, he would have liked to spend more time with Quanxi, even if she only dedicated herself to insulting him. But this time... he simply felt he couldn't.

Quanxi shrugged. "Do whatever you want. I just hope you do something from now on. I've done a lot for you in the past three years, and I feel like I need a break. Oh, and you can keep the photo; I don't need it." Quanxi still felt shivers running down her spine every time she saw that photo. It genuinely seemed like the girl was looking at the camera, or perhaps the girl knew she had been there all that time and just wanted to pose for the picture. If that were the case, had the girl detected her during her other moments of espionage?

"See you, Quanxi. From now on, take better care of your back" with these words, Kishibe walked to the rooftop exit, leaving Quanxi alone. When the only ones left were Quanxi and the sound of the wind, she took a drag of her cigarette and exhaled the smoke...

"You too" she said, but there was no one to hear or respond.

0O0O

The look on his face was one of pure astonishment and bewilderment, but Kishibe could see through people, and reading a child was quite easy, he was hurt, of course. He had promised to train him, not in words but with a silent nod. But now, the child was opening his eyes, which were gradually turning red.

"W-what are you saying?" Hiro spoke with a trembling voice, denying in his mind the words Kishibe had told him. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. His heart was leaping with anticipation and fear.

Kishibe was sitting on the other side of the table, in front of Hiro, with a good view of the child from there, and he could easily hear him. He was simply denying it; this is going to take a while.

Kishibe sighed and closed his eyes as he calmly explained, "I said I won't train you"

Silence filled the room; Hiro was looking at Kishibe with a shocked expression, and Kishibe was staring at Hiro with a blank gaze.

Suddenly, Hiro stood on the chair and shouted with a sorrowful voice, his eyes were teary, "But three years ago, you promised to train me!" Kishibe didn't move a muscle in the face of the child's tantrum and simply let him vent.

"You promised to help me become a hunter!" At this point, Hiro couldn't help but shed tears. He tried to wipe them away with his shirt, but the drops kept coming.

Kishibe responded calmly, "I didn't tell you that. I just told you to come with me, and you agreed"

Hiro was no longer crying now, and after drying his tears, his face contorted in anger, as much anger as a 10-year-old could muster.

"Then why did you bring me with you?! I told you what I wanted to be, and you still brought me here! You explained so many things, but in the end, you don't even want to help me become a hunter!" Hiro exclaimed with fury, and Kishibe looked down, avoiding eye contact with Hiro.

It was true. He recalled three years ago when Hiro refused to enter that orphanage. He remembered how he gave him a whole lecture on his feelings towards hunters, how he wanted to be a hunter like him and Quanxi. He also mentioned wanting to be a public safety demon hunter, but indirectly asked him to train him. The moment to discuss it never came because both were more focused on getting used to each other. Although deep down, Kishibe felt that Hiro and he were avoiding the topic for some reason. They hadn't talked about it again until today.

Kishibe would have waited as long as necessary for Hiro to decide when to start his training. However, recent events made him reconsider his decision. That's why they were here, both sitting at a table in the middle of the night. What Kishibe truly wanted for Hiro now was to keep him from getting involved in the world of devil hunters, at least for the time being. The situation was far from good, well, it never is, but now it's worse. The control devil is back among them and in the hands of a madwoman; the chaos that would ensue would be unimaginable. Many people would be harmed, and those who start as hunters today would, in the future, be killed by that manipulative devil.

What Kishibe wanted was to protect Hiro from that world. He didn't want him to end up like this, didn't want the child's life to have a horrible ending because of him.

"Kid, listen to me" Kishibe spoke with a cold voice, and Hiro gave him his full attention. "Throughout my years as a hunter, I've seen guys with the same mindset you have. They have that desire to be heroes who bring justice to the world by killing devils, they train for years to get their hunter licenses. But when they're finally out there, working and living their dreams of being heroes, they usually don't last more than two years." Hiro was petrified by this information but didn't say anything yet. "Many end up dying horribly, either while doing their duty or seeking revenge for fallen friends."

Kishibe gave Hiro a cold look, making him shudder. "Do you know why Quanxi and I have stayed in this line of work for so many years? It's because we don't care about that kind of stuff. Our mindset is focused on other things when it comes to killing devils. We don't care if we're heroes, if we save people, if we make them happy, if many people die, and we don't care if any of our comrades die. In short, kid, we're crazy. Sane people with an extremely moralistic sense like you would die and not make it past 25, while crazy people like me have stayed here for so many years because we simply have a screw loose."

Hiro now had a lost look as he listened to Kishibe's words. "You won't survive a year as a hunter; you have to be crazy for that" Kishibe concluded, crossing his arms and waiting for any valid argument.

Hiro tilted his head slightly, letting his bangs cover his eyes. He breathed through his mouth since his nose was clogged from recent crying. His mind was working faster than ever; he clenched his fists and could only utter a few words that came out as a whisper.

"I don't care"

Kishibe frowned as he couldn't quite distinguish what Hiro had said. "Hmm?"

"I said I don't care," this time his response came out as a growl.

Now it was Kishibe's turn to growl because this time, he had heard what Hiro said. Was he serious? He gave him a whole lecture on why he couldn't be a hunter, but the brat says he doesn't care?

"What do you mean you don't care? Look, kid-"

"I don't care if I die!" Hiro shouted, causing Kishibe to pause in whatever he was about to say.

Hiro looked up to face his guardian, and Kishibe could see that he wasn't crying; instead, there was only anger, frustration, and determination in his gaze. A strong determination.

"I don't care if my life as a hunter lasts a year or 5 months!" He clenched his fists tightly. "I told you what mattered to me was saving people's lives, and I don't care if I only save a few, I can even settle for saving just one person. But I could die happy knowing I saved someone's life!" Hiro seemed to have finished; he was breathing heavily from all the pent-up emotions.

Now, another memory came to Kishibe, of that night when he spoke for the first time with Hiro. Back then, the child seemed to be aware of what death was when he understood that his parents were dead. And now, this 10-year-old was saying that he would die happy even if he only saved one person as a hunter. At this point, Kishibe didn't know how Hiro's mindset was formed. The boy was no longer normal; he could do other things that children his age do, like going to school or playing with other kids during recess. Still, with everything that happened, it seemed like he was forced to mature very early. Or maybe the kid was born crazy.

So, Kishibe made a decision he would likely regret in the future, but if, in the end, it was what this child wanted... then he was willing to give him a chance, albeit reluctantly.

Kishibe let out a deep sigh as he stood up. "Alright, kid, go to bed." Hiro was about to protest until Kishibe stopped him by raising his hand. "Because early tomorrow, I'll take you to Japan's Demon Research and Containment Center. There, you'll see some things before we start your training."

Hiro's eyes opened for the thousandth time tonight, but this time they were filled with joy. "Really!? Thank you so much, Mr. Kishibe. I promise you won't regret it!" If Hiro had no reservations, he might have hugged Kishibe at that moment. Instead, he ran to his room, eager to go back to sleep and await the big day tomorrow.

Kishibe stayed there, watching as his responsibility ran happily to his room because he granted his wish to die.

"I sure hope not."

0O0O

Makima vaguely wondered what they would do with the photo that was taken of her. That hunter was truly elusive; she could only detect her moments before the photo was taken. She remembered that sensation very well, or rather, the scent that emanated from it. It felt familiar, as if she had smelled it before. That's why it seemed curious that the scent presented itself to her again, if only she could remember. Although it wasn't that important for the moment.

A sense of unease and an unknown anticipation grew within her. She didn't know what it was, but it kept her from sleeping. Here she was, in her bed for an hour, trying to sleep, but the strange sensation simply wouldn't go away.

And now, for some reason, she felt that something good was coming tomorrow. Maybe that's what had her so restless and a little excited. She would discover all of that tomorrow, of course, only if something happened, which had a high likelihood of not occurring, and it would just be another ordinary day of exams, studies, and training her recently discovered powers.

"I just hope tomorrow isn't too boring." With that thought in mind, ten-year-old Makima closed her eyes to try to sleep. It was challenging at first, but she finally managed to drift off.

At that moment, Makima had no idea that her wish would come true.

0O0O

Finally, the moment that all of America has been eagerly anticipating is very close. The encounter between Makima and Hiro will finally take place in the next chapter. I already have the title, and I genuinely think it's fitting.

Just wait for it; it will probably be as long as this chapter or even longer. I've been thinking a lot about this moment, and I just want it to turn out well enough for you to enjoy.

Oh, and by the way, the flashback of the conversation Kishibe had with Quanxi was originally supposed to be in Chapter 6, but due to my stupidity, I forgot to include it. However, I saw the opportunity to include it in this chapter.

Well, that's it for now. See you next time, as some exciting things are coming.