Chapter 9: Clash of Worlds.

Note: Enjoy.

0O0O

The sun was beginning to emerge in the city called Tokyo; people swarmed the streets, each heading to a different destination but on the same path that guided them. It was Friday morning, precisely 7:30 AM; at this hour, the younger kids should have been in school, taking their last classes before the weekend. However, there was one child who decided to break this rule, just for today.

Hiro Takahashi gazed out of the car window at the buildings and people passing by. It was a bit chilly outside, but he wore a blue hoodie, custom-fit black jeans, and white sneakers. Seated beside him at the wheel was Kishibe, his guardian and future teacher. Kishibe's expression remained stoic, and his gaze was always fixed on the road. He wore his standard public safety demon hunter outfit, complete with his well-known large coat. The difference today was that Kishibe had on leather driving gloves. Hiro found it strange that he was wearing gloves; he had never seen him wear them before and wondered why he chose today of all days to do so. Perhaps he was just feeling cold.

Regardless, that wasn't important. What was important was that today they were going to visit the Demon Research Center and Devil Hunter Training Facility. Aaaah, it was too epic.

He had been anticipating this day for three years, but ironically, he had also been avoiding it as he still harbored some fear of devils deep down. However, he believed that he could overcome that fear if he set his mind to it. If Kishibe and Quanxi could do it, then so could he. At least, that's what he hoped.

Deep down, Hiro still felt a bit groggy as Kishibe had woken him up at 7 in the morning just to go to this place. Adding to that, the argument they had the night before occurred at 11 PM, a time when he should have been asleep. But Hiro glanced at Kishibe, and the man seemed unaffected by the lack of sleep; he appeared to be accustomed to it. That was one of the many skills he would likely learn in his training.

This was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Exhilarating because he was sure to encounter interesting things during the training, and terrifying because the future that awaited him was still very uncertain. However, he hoped at least to live to save a human life from those ugly devils. God willing. Although he had noticed that the Christian religion hadn't been of much help lately. He thought about it because there were hundreds of devils in the world, and no angels in sight. Maybe if there were a God, He wouldn't let this happen...

But that was a topic for another occasion when he got lost in his thoughts. After several minutes, Hiro could finally see from the car window a massive building that stretched along the street, about 50 meters wide in his estimation, and he guessed it was around 30 meters tall, but he wasn't sure.

"Is that the research center?" Hiro asked the solemn driver, looking at the enormous building with curious and awestruck eyes. With all the polarized windows, it resembled a giant mirror.

Kishibe continued to watch the street as he replied to the boy, "Yes, that's the place. And if you're wondering why it's larger on the sides unlike other buildings that are taller, it's because they also house devils here, so special places are needed to contain and study them. Add to that, this is where the training grounds for hunters are located. Of course, it's optional to train here; there are other places in Japan."

Hiro stopped looking out the window and turned to Kishibe with a tilt of his head. "And will I come to train here?"

Kishibe glanced at Hiro for just a second, and then his eyes returned to the road. "We'll see"

"Can you tell me more about this place?"

"There's not much more to say. The only thing that might interest you is that the building extends below us as well. As you can imagine, it's also used to house devils. In this case, high-ranking devils."

Hiro felt a cold sweat breaking out. "High-ranking?" For some reason, that word gave him a bad feeling about those demons.

"Yes, you see, Hiro, there are weak devils, regular devils, tough ones, and then there are the high-ranking ones. Devils that have been around for hundreds or thousands of years, responsible for the deaths of millions. Hunting them was a headache for hunters in those times, and nowadays, it's even more challenging to contain them. However, some progress has been made with new technologies."

"That sounds... grim." Hiro swallowed hard, feeling the hairs on his arms stand on end, but he wasn't going to back down. Not again.

"It is. But you have nothing to worry about. They are locked in high-security vaults," Kishibe gave Hiro a half-smile, hoping it would ease his nerves a bit.

However, Hiro felt anything but calm. Kishibe's smile actually seemed darker than he wanted it to be. He didn't know if Kishibe was trying to reassure him or just teasing him. He leaned more toward the latter, but it felt strange for Kishibe to make jokes. Today was indeed a peculiar day.

When they arrived, and after finding an available parking space, it was already 7:44 in the morning. Despite the excitement and terror of exploring this place, Hiro was hungry. Kishibe didn't give him a chance to prepare breakfast; they left once both were ready.

"Aren't we going to have breakfast first? I'm hungry," Hiro pointed out as he exited the car, rubbing his belly to emphasize the fact.

Kishibe shook his head. "No, sorry, but I prefer your breakfast to stay in your stomach." Without further explanation, Kishibe walked toward the entrance. Suddenly, Kishibe's instincts lit up like a switch.

He quickly lifted his gaze to the top of the 15-story building. The windows were designed to prevent seeing the interior, being polarized, but people inside could clearly see what was happening outside. However, that wasn't an issue. Kishibe could easily sense when someone was intensely watching him, and he could also feel when a devil fixed its gaze on him as if he were prey. Kishibe stared intensely at one of the windows where the person... or thing should be.

"She's in there; I can feel her."

Kishibe squinted his eyes and continued to stare upward intensely. "I know. Me too," he unconsciously said aloud.

"Huh?" Hiro stood there, confused by what Kishibe had said. He noticed that Kishibe was focused solely on the upper windows, but Hiro couldn't see anything. The most he could make out was the reflection of some clouds. Kishibe stopped looking through the windows when he remembered Hiro was with him. Without offering any explanations, he resumed walking toward the entrance, moving as if nothing had happened.

Hiro also stopped looking through the windows when he realized Kishibe was leaving him behind. He ran to catch up, and by the time he reached him, Kishibe was already opening the door for both of them.

Upon entering, Hiro was taken aback by the typical office environment. Even as a sanctuary for devils, the place was well-organized.

They even had a receptionist and waiting chairs!

It looked like a clinic or a corporate office. If he were honest, he had expected something more... macabre. Perhaps a dark aesthetic like that of the hunters, demonic paintings, or a picture of Christ hanging on the wall. But no, instead, there was a cat clock on the wall, swinging its tail every second.

Kishibe seemed to notice Hiro's internal conflict. "Any issues?"

Hiro continued to look around the place, as if trying to spot some hidden mini-demon. "Well... I expected it to be scarier."

Kishibe snorted. "Hey, we're not that uncivilized. We still have some social class in these things; otherwise, we wouldn't be dressing in elegant suits" He said it as if he felt offended in some way.

Kishibe had a point, so Hiro set aside his thoughts and just followed Kishibe to the receptionist.

The receptionist greeted them with a smile. "Good morning, welcome to the Demon Research Center and Demon Hunter Training Facility. How may I assist you?"

"Hello, I'm Kishibe." Hiro shot Kishibe a look that said, 'Seriously? Don't you have another first or last name?' It was a look that Kishibe either didn't see or chose to ignore.

"I have a meeting scheduled with Dr. Yuna Nishimura today. I made a reservation last night" Kishibe continued, and he could see the receptionist searching through the numerous documents for the appointment he had requested.

"Let me check... Ah, yes, here it is. Kishibe, public safety devil hunter" she closed the document. "Your appointment was scheduled for 8:30 AM. Would you like to wait in the lounge until the meeting time?"

"In fact, I was hoping to take a tour of the facilities until it's time" Kishibe quickly glanced at Hiro, who was just observing the conversation. In the background, he was taking mental notes, so next time, he would know how to talk to the receptionist. Only if necessary.

"I understand. You just need to show your hunter's license to the guards at the back door to enter the facilities. Dr. Nishimura's office is on the twelfth floor before the demonology library."

"Demonology?" Hiro asked, and that was when the receptionist realized that Kishibe had a kid with him. She hadn't noticed until now. Usually, adults or hunters came, and it had been many years since a child had visited.

"Is the kid with you?" the woman inquired.

Kishibe nodded. "Yes, he's accompanying me while we tour the facilities. Is there any issue?"

"Well, not really, it was just unexpected. Anyway, when it's time, take the elevator, and it will take you to the hallway leading to Dr. Nishimura's office."

"Understood, thank you. Hiro, let's go." With that final statement, Kishibe began his new walk, and Hiro quickly kept up.

The receptionist looked curiously at the child accompanied by a devil hunter until they were out of her sight.

Kishibe walked a few meters to the other side of the building, where the door separating the outside world from the terrifying one was located. When he arrived, he spotted a black door guarded by two hunters in uniform.

"Identify yourself" one of the guards ordered, and Kishibe took out his hunter's license from somewhere Hiro didn't know.

The guard inspected it for a few seconds before returning it. Then, he looked at the child accompanying him, and Hiro shuddered at the gaze both guards gave him.

"You should know that when a minor enters here, it's the responsibility of the guardian, in this case, a hunter, to keep them in check against anything unusual, any suspicious objects, or the many devils that lurk in this place. Clear?"

"Of course, he'll be with me at all times. He won't leave my side" Kishibe said with the utmost seriousness Hiro had ever heard from him.

The guards said nothing more and opened the door for Kishibe, and both Hiro and him entered. The first thing they encountered was a dark hallway illuminated by many red lights. Along the corridor, there were many vault-like doors painted black, each with the word 'danger' written in both kanji and English. This place was extremely eerie for Hiro; it was chilly, and he was pretty sure he could hear some unknown sounds emanating from the vaults.

All of this seemed like something out of a nightmare.

Hiro shuddered when someone placed a hand on his shoulder, but he calmed down when he realized it was just Kishibe. Speaking of whom, he had a serious look on his face directed at Hiro. Kishibe crouched down to his height and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"Now, listen to me very carefully, kid. From now on, I don't want you to leave my side. Stay close until it's time to go to the twelfth floor. If you see anything that seems out of the ordinary, tell me. If you see something I can't see, tell me. This place is sometimes a maze for those who come here for the first time, and trust me, you wouldn't want to get lost in this place. During this tour, I'll show you some basic things about how devil hunters train, that's it. We won't do anything else here, understood?"

Hiro remained frozen throughout Kishibe's speech but managed a stiff nod. For Kishibe, it was more than enough, and they set off.

They started walking down the hallway that sent chills down Hiro's spine. Kishibe walked calmly as if it were a street in the city, but Hiro walked shakily by his side. Suddenly, some inhuman screams echoed from the vaults near the exit, causing Hiro to open his eyes wide in fear.

"What was that!?" Hiro asked in terror, and Kishibe simply spoke calmly as they continued walking.

"They're devils, obviously. Some of them have been selected for study and analysis. These doors here" Kishibe unabashedly gave a few knocks on the doors, making the roars and cries behind them intensify and become more cacophonous. This only heightened Hiro's fear, "Are made of a Titanium and Tungsten alloy, preventing the devils from surpassing the doors."

Hiro swallowed hard. "Is it really safe for them to be so close to us?"

Kishibe not one to boast, did so nonetheless. "Kid, if I wanted to, I could take care of all these devils without any issues" he said, and Hiro looked at him in amazement.

"R-really?"

Kishibe nodded almost sagely. "Of course, better worry about the ones below us; they could give me a run for my money"

Hiro was going to thank Kishibe after this, now he was going to be scared to look down thanks to him.

The hallway wasn't very long, but it was relatively wider than usual, probably to maintain a certain distance between non-hunters and the devils. They took a few more steps, and amidst the monotonous darkness, they could see the exit door. Kishibe opened it, and Hiro was blinded by a bright white light coming from inside. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and covered them with one hand. Finally, after he thought he was inside, Hiro opened his eyes and found himself in a massive room. The room resembled a large interrogation room from those police and criminal movies, but three times as big. It had, of course, a black door, and next to it was a large two-way mirror where spectators could see the room from the inside, but those inside couldn't see they were being observed. The ceiling was high, soaring about 15 or 20 meters above the ground, and it was vast, as if whatever happened here was colossal. The lower part, the floor, and the walls had a massive gap, almost the size of a regular football field.

"Wow, what is this place?" the child asked, totally amazed by the size of the room. Hiro suddenly felt incredibly small in a space like this.

On the other hand, memories not entirely pleasant flooded Kishibe's mind. In this place, he had shed sweat, blood, the blood of others, and broken one or two limbs. He was starting to regret coming to this place, but Quanxi had pushed him to put his butt on the line for once. He thought it was fair, not just for the three years Quanxi had helped him, but also because he could handle this place better than she could. Quanxi's experience here wasn't very pleasant. He just hoped Hiro would fare relatively better.

"Hiro, this is one of the main training rooms in the research center. Here, they train future devil hunters."

"Are they all this big?"

"It depends. This room is designed so that people can train and, at the same time, be studied by the research staff" Kishibe squinted his eyes 'And, of course, to train and observe dangerous beings' he thought last.

Hiro's brain started working as he continued to admire the place. "But isn't this place too big just for those kinds of things? I mean, if I were to build something like this, it would be for some really large practices, don't you think?" Hiro looked at Kishibe for confirmation.

"You know, sometimes you're so perceptive that it's scary" Kishibe made a mental note to test Hiro's intelligence once his training officially began. He was 10 years old, said he didn't care about dying, and had great perception that, if he weren't human, Kishibe would think he could read minds.

That was a close one!

"Oh... sorry" Hiro rubbed his arm, embarrassed, and looked at the ground with a slight blush. "I just like to overthink things, and they get away from me."

Kishibe rolled his eyes. "That doesn't matter anyway. But yes, this place is made for high-level training."

"What do you mean by high level?" Hiro was intrigued by the kind of training the hunters received in this room. Surely, it pushed them to the limit in some way.

"Do you remember me telling you that hunters use a contract with devils to fight other devils? Well, in this room, they also train those skills, obviously avoiding the guidelines or exchanges of the contract until the day they have to kill demons."

"Wow" Now Hiro understood perfectly; the power used in this place must be monstrous.

"Let's continue" Kishibe walked to the other hallway next to the room, and Hiro followed, getting used to Kishibe's pace.

As they walked, Hiro asked another question, "Where is everyone? I thought there would be more people in this place."

Kishibe put his hands in his pockets as he spoke, "Doctors or scientists usually spend their entire day in their offices or in the laboratories. The most you'll see here are security personnel, paperwork staff, and the occasional mad scientist emerging from their cave."

Kishibe glanced at his watch; it was 7:55, so he had time to show Hiro a few more things before the most tedious part began. They walked until they reached an elevator and another door. Kishibe took the elevator, and Hiro obediently followed. Inside, Hiro found the button panel curious. It wasn't like the one in the elevator of his apartment building, where there were numbers specifying which floor the elevator would take you to. Instead, it was different; in place of numbers, there were letters of the alphabet, going vertically from A to Z.

"Where are we going?" Hiro questioned.

Kishibe pressed the button with the letter A; it could be a good start. "We're going to a somewhat eerie place that I like" he said. With that said, the elevator started descending, and Hiro realized they were heading to the depths of this place, where those devils that could give Kishibe a run for his money were located.

Hiro swallowed hard, feeling his stomach knot with anxiety. Instinctively, he grabbed the bottom of Kishibe's coat for reassurance. Kishibe didn't say anything and chose to ignore it throughout the entire trip.

Immediately after the button was pressed, the elevator began its descent.

"How far down does this go?" Hiro asked when he felt like hours had passed since they entered, although only 6 minutes had gone by.

"If I remember correctly, about 35 meters. Only the first level."

"...Why are they so deep underground?"

"Remember, these aren't common devils; you can't just shoot them and be done with it. We keep them underground for better containment. Besides, no one in their right mind would keep a devil with thousands of years of experience in a lab room, not even the craziest scientist. Some of these devils haven't seen sunlight in years."

No one said anything more. However, inside Kishibe's mind, an irritating conflict was unfolding.

"I hate this place."

"No one asked you."

"I still hate it."

"Stop complaining; we haven't even arrived yet"

"I never liked this place; it's dark, filthy, and lonely"

"Oh, don't be a crybaby. You were only here for 2 years before you made a contract with this human. Meanwhile, I've been here for 5 years!"

"5 years!? I've been here for 10 years!"

"Shut up already" Kishibe mentally told his three demons who wouldn't stop talking. Somehow, he managed to let out a mental growl.

"I just hope they've already taken the fire devil away; I didn't like that guy."

"You don't like anyone."

"True"

"It's not entirely true. I like some humans, like this kid, Hiro. He seems to have a future as a hunter. I mean, just look at those motivations."

"Well, you're right. I've never met a human with such dreams, and he doesn't even care about dying in the process. It's admirable, and I don't say that to just anyone."

Kishibe arched an eyebrow as he listened to the conversation in his mind. First, they began criticizing each other, and then they started praising a child destined to kill their kind. It was ironic.

Finally, the elevator stopped, the doors opened with a ding, and the boy and the hunter stepped out, one looking genuinely nervous, and the other completely calm.

Fortunately for Hiro, this place was better illuminated. Unlike the first hallway with all those red lights that scared him, this area had entirely white lights perfectly placed on the ceiling. The only thing that didn't change was the massive vaults serving as prisons for these demons.

"Well, kid, welcome to the first level, level A" Kishibe said, raising his arms to gesture to all the vaults as if they were artworks in a museum.

"It's... cleaner" was all Hiro managed to say as he moved his head in all directions, admiring the effort put into making this place look more pristine.

"¿Really? Is that all you're going to say?"

Kishibe ignored both comments and glanced at his watch; it was now 8:05. The journey here had taken longer than expected, but fortunately, there was an elevator at the end of the hallway, so he could use it to reach Yuna's office directly.

Hiro also noticed that this place was quieter than the first one. There were demons here, as Kishibe had mentioned, ultra-powerful demons. Well, he didn't use the term "ultra," but it was a way to describe their power. Despite having such power at their disposal, they preferred to remain silent.

"It's very quiet here" his voice echoed in the silence, which amused him. He just hoped he wouldn't disturb any demon who might be taking a nap.

He wondered if devils took naps.

Kishibe put his hands in his coat pockets and looked down at his damn responsibility. "These devils have spent so much time in this place, and no one has paid attention to their screams or growls, so much that..."

"They think it's not worth saying anything because they'll never get out..." Hiro finished his sentence, realizing the reason for the silence. Upon further thought, these devils must have made a lot of noise for a long time, demanding to be set free. Yet, in the end, they never did and chose to give up.

"Yeah, after making a fuss for so many years, they finally gave up and have just stayed silent, waiting for something interesting to happen."

"How many years has this place been here?"

Kishibe scratched his chin as he thought, realizing the rough sensation of a beard starting to grow.

"Well, the offices above have been around for about 10 years. But the underground bases, I believe, have been here since World War II, if I'm not mistaken."

Hiro was left gaping at that information, wondering how old the hunter organizations were. However, another question popped into his young mind.

"What is the devil that has been here the longest?"

"Well, I prefer not to say names" Kishibe glanced at the door to his right just for a moment. "But the oldest should be the one who arrived here in 1944."

"Wow."

"Sometimes we wonder if they're still in there, they make no noise as you've already heard" both began to walk cautiously.

As expected, none of the vaults emitted any kind of sound; they were so silent that it seemed like there was nothing inside. It was so calm and quiet that the only sound echoing was the one of their steps approaching the end of the hallway.

Nevertheless, with the knowledge that inside those vaults, there are ominous beings that would undoubtedly kill him, it created a creepy atmosphere that seemed to spread throughout the corridor.

It was calm but eerie at the same time. And he didn't know how to feel about it.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"I think I've never asked you, but you told me a long time ago that hunters make contracts with devils in exchange for power, and they get a part of you" Hiro recalled, looking up to meet Kishibe's face, but he only stared straight ahead.

"You have a good memory" Kishibe praised, though it was a praise without emotion. 'Although I mentioned it not long ago'

"So, I want to ask, what's your devil? Or do you have one, at least?" Hiro raised an eyebrow, and curiosity, as always, was present on his little face.

Kishibe sighed; if this continued, he would run out of air. He should have invented a rule of only answering one question a day. But damn that childish curiosity.

"Yes, I have devils with whom I've made a contract. Three, in fact" Kishibe gestured with three fingers on his left hand to demonstrate, but he still stared ahead, paying no attention to Hiro's astonished expression.

"Can you have more than one!?"

"Yes, although most think it's better to have only one. There are long-term repercussions if you use them constantly. Now imagine having three devils that ask for something in return for their services."

"What have they taken from you?" Hiro asked, fear evident in his voice.

"Kid... you have no idea. But let's not talk about that. I have three devils I've made a contract with: the Knife devil, the Needle devil, and the Claw devil"

Hiro couldn't help the fascination that seeped into his voice. "They sound incredible."

"Haha, finally, someone accepts it."

"I don't think the same, but to each their own" Kishibe said indifferently, earning a growl from one of his devils.

"Fuck you"

They finally entered the elevator; Kishibe pressed the button that would take them up. He glanced at his watch for what he thought was the third time that day, and his eyes widened slightly when he noticed the clock hands pointing to 8:16.

Time had flown by; it felt like a short period, but they had actually been there for 11 minutes. Or perhaps the time devil was playing some kind of cruel joke on him.

Hiro pulled up the sleeve of his sweater to reveal his small digital watch, noted the time, and looked at Kishibe, questioning if he was aware of the current hour.

"Are you going to that meeting now?"

"Unfortunately, yes" Kishibe didn't need Hiro to remind him. "Our tour took more time than I anticipated. I had hoped to show you many more things, but time is not on my side this time. Don't worry; maybe next time, we'll explore this place more in-depth."

Hiro didn't know whether to be happy or scared about that prospect.

The ride up in the elevator lasted a good ten minutes. Ten damn minutes where no one spoke, and only the elevator's music could be heard.

Finally, the elevator's ascent sensation halted, and a second later, the doors opened, revealing an ordinary-looking hallway that resembled an office space. It even had a water dispenser next to a philodendron plant. The right side of the office wasn't made of concrete walls; similar to Kishibe's apartment, it was protected by several polarized windows, offering a good view from this height.

Next to the water dispenser and plant were four tandem chairs attached to each other. Apparently, they were waiting chairs for people awaiting their turn to speak with Dr. Hiro took a seat in one of them.

Before opening the door, Kishibe glanced both ways down the hallway. His eyes never deceived him, but at the moment, there was no sign of any danger in sight. Therefore, he could leave Hiro here without any issues while he talked to Yuna. However, internally, he felt very reluctant to leave the kid outside, especially when a certain demon was lurking around. But then Kishibe wondered if Yuna let Makima roam the halls alone. Doing so would be the stupidest thing in the world, considering the kind of devil she is. On the other hand, if Makima could freely walk around the offices without fear of repercussions, it meant that her training was going better than they expected.

Still, that made him nervous because you never know what the control demon might do.

Kishibe turned to Hiro, who was sitting in the first chair next to the door. His face was calm but expectant, waiting for whatever Kishibe was about to say.

What could he tell him? "Hey kid, there's a devil around here that can control people, so be careful" That didn't sound right, so he would try to improvise, sounding calm as if there were no devils nearby.

"Why not just go into the room with the kid?"

"Are you kidding? Kishibe wouldn't let that witch get close to that kid. Besides, if they start talking, and the brat reveals his motivations for becoming a hunter, then Yuna would have good reasons to keep him locked up here."

"Do you really think so?"

"The eyepatch human can confirm it for you."

Their conversation finally led him to a decision.

"Kid" announced Kishibe, "This meeting is likely to last longer than I'd like. And inside is not an environment you'd want to be in, believe me, it's boring" Partly true, he never liked meetings with higher-ups, but he had to go anyway. "Do you think you can wait here sitting?"

Hiro nodded. "Uh, sure, I guess" Inside, Hiro was dying of boredom that was about to come, but he restrained himself from showing it. "I think I can stay here and enjoy the view" They were so high up that he could even see the building where he lived from here.

"Alright, just remember, if you feel something wrong, knock on the door and call me. I'll respond immediately and kill anything out of the ordinary." Hiro felt somewhat confused by the extreme care Kishibe was showing him. Yes, it could be called extreme because it was the first time he had shown such concern for him. Generally, it wasn't concern that he displayed, but rather an interest in the things he was going to do, albeit in a detached way.

"Uh, okay" What could be bothering Kishibe so much, apart from all the things they had seen? Sometimes Kishibe could be an enigma hard to understand. Or rather, all hunters were weird in their own way.

Kishibe gave Hiro one last look before sighing and knocking on the door twice, a sound that seemed to resonate throughout the hallway due to the prevailing silence. After a few seconds, a "Come in" was heard from inside, and that was Kishibe's cue to enter.

Then Kishibe disappeared into the room, and the last thing Hiro saw of him was the lifted jacket before he vanished completely.

0O0O

Kishibe closed the door behind him and finally saw, after several years, Dr. Yuna, son of a bitch, Nishimura, sitting at her desk. She was reading a document whose content Kishibe was unaware of, but when he heard the door close, he focused his eyes on the visitor.

A sly smile formed on her face, and she looked at Kishibe with eyes that held no hint of purity.

Kishibe felt a twitch forming in his right eye but managed to stop it and return to his stoic expression.

"Well, look at what the wind brought in" Yuna said, placing the document on the table and giving her full attention to the hunter. "But if it isn't young Kishibe, well, not so young anymore."

Kishibe sighed. "Hello, Dr. Yuna. I see time has barely taken its toll on you." The last time they saw each other was 15 years ago when he and Quanxi completed their training at the age of 23. By that time, Yuna was already 30, just seven years older than them, but she spoke to them as if they were mere 10-year-old children. He hoped that wasn't still the case.

Yuna's smile didn't waver. "What can I say? I've known how to take care of myself, even at 45."

Kishibe took a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. Yuna clasped her hands and placed them on the desk.

"Now, to what do I owe this... pleasant visit?" She calmly inquired, but inside, she was pretty sure of the reason why the greatest demon hunter of recent times was here. After all, it was highly unlikely that something escaped this man.

Kishibe crossed his arms and said as seriously as possible, "I think we both know the reason why I'm here."

That was when the atmosphere in the room finally shifted from being falsely friendly to being completely tense, filled with the dark thoughts each of them harbored.

Finally, the doctor's smile disappeared, replaced by a blank stare.

0O0O

Hiro remained seated in the chair, swinging his legs up and down for sheer amusement. Despite being so close to the door, he couldn't hear any of the words being exchanged inside. Either that or they weren't talking at all.

Hiro glanced around the hallway. To his left, farther ahead, was an elevator leading to some unknown place for him. To his right, there was nothing but the plant, water dispenser, and the elevator that brought them here.

This was probably the most boring place in the building, perhaps due to its aesthetic, resembling an ordinary office space. Maybe if they added some red lights, it would look less dull.

"Oh, this sucks," he complained"Not even ten minutes have passed, and I'm already bored."

He crossed his arms in an anger that, to anyone present, might have seemed cute.

"There's literally nothing to do here"

"Oh, but there are many wonderful things to see in this place" said a voice.

Hiro felt his blood run cold and stifled a scream from the sudden fright; his whole body went stiff. Slowly and cautiously, he turned to the right again, and his heart skipped a beat, but not in a good way.

There, sitting beside him, was what appeared to be a girl of his own age. She had light brown hair that was almost red, tied up in a ponytail with a short bang that barely reached above her eyes, and two long side locks. She wore blue jeans, a long-sleeved red sweater like Hiro, and white sneakers.

What amazed Hiro the most were her yellow eyes that seemed to have multiple rings in them; for a moment, he felt hypnotized. Very weird, but somehow they reminded him of those hypnosis wheels they used at fairs.

But that didn't matter. What did matter was, how had she managed to appear beside him without him noticing!?

Hiro's eyes were wide open; he was genuinely scared right now. This girl came and sat next to him without him sensing her arrival in the first place. From what Kishibe had told him, that was not normal at all.

Moreover, the smile she was showing only made the situation much more disturbing than it already was.

"W-w-who are y-y-you?" demanded Hiro, still in a state of shock. Someone coming to your side without you feeling their presence and talking to you is genuinely terrifying. Especially considering that the only way to enter was through the elevator, but at no point did the elevator doors open for the girl who was STILL sitting beside him to come out.

And Kishibe told him that this was a maze for newcomers. What if she was a girl who got lost many years ago and is now a spirit wandering the halls to steal the souls of visitors?

In this world, and especially in this place, that was very possible.

The girl in question let out a little giggle while covering her mouth, and Hiro once again felt hypnotized. But now in a good way. Yet, deep down, he felt like she was just mocking him.

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Makima. And you are?"

Makima? What a... peculiar name. He had never heard of a person with such a name.

"Uuuh, I-I-I'm Hiro, Hiro Takahashi."

Hiro began to process a bit. First, he was sitting here, then this girl named Makima appeared out of nowhere, and now they were exchanging names as if they were in the park making new friends. There wasn't much of a difference, as he always found it challenging to talk to new people, especially kids his age.

"Hiro," she said, as if savoring the name. "I see, a lovely name." Makima was now looking ahead, appreciating the beautiful view of the city. Her legs swung up and down, imitating Hiro's small childlike behavior. Hiro, still looking at her with fear, found her smile both unsettling and, strangely, cute.

'Okay, Hiro, don't rush. She's a very cute but terrifying girl. She came out of nowhere and right now, she's sitting right beside you, and she doesn't seem to have any intentions of leaving. Wait, what if she's not really a girl? What if she's actually a devil disguised as a girl?'

Hiro felt like he was hyperventilating. He stopped looking at Makima for a moment, staring at the floor, caught in a mental conflict. This made him miss the gaze Makima was giving him and her slow approach towards him.

'Should I call Kishibe!? But what if I interrupt him at an important moment!? Oh God, this is bad, I'm really scared. No! Control yourself, Hiro, you can handle this. She's just a girl, and if she tries anything, I'll hit her. Wait, that's not morally correct. I'll just call Kishibe, and he can take care of it—'

Before Hiro could continue his thoughts, Makima had closed the gap between them, bringing her nose close to his neck and taking in a deep breath. Needless to say, Hiro was in shock from what had just happened.

Just a second later, Makima returned to her position in her chair with a satisfied smile. "Hmm, your scent is different. I've never smelled it before." Her smile seemed to grow a bit more, and her eyes momentarily gleamed. "That means you're someone new in this place."

Hiro barely paid attention to what Makima said; he still had his hand on his neck at the point where Makima had sniffed him. He remained surprised by what had happened. Of all the ways she could have attacked him, he never imagined it would be like this.

A small part of him felt... violated. He wasn't sure if that was the right word, but clearly, his personal space was invaded in a strange way.

But in that brief moment when Makima was so close to him, he could smell her too. She smelled nice. He couldn't quite describe it, but it was close to vanilla. Either way, it was a scent he liked.

Meanwhile, Makima was enjoying the peculiar scent of Hiro. It wasn't an unpleasant smell; it actually smelled good, but she couldn't quite describe it. Somehow, this scent was very... strong. And she liked it.

"You know," Makima spoke, trying to get Hiro's attention, "I like your scent."

Hiro had a blank look, but his mind was a mess. 'Okay, I can't handle this.' Without hesitation, Hiro was about to knock on the door to call Kishibe, but a hand caught his other hand that wasn't heading towards the door. Hiro turned, and he could see Makima holding his right hand, a small smile on her face.

"Earlier, I heard you say there's nothing to do here. Let me show you a little place that might interest you" she suggested in an almost pleading manner. However, Hiro thought his mind was just playing a trick on him.

Hiro knew he shouldn't go. Every ounce of responsibility told him he should stay where Kishibe left him. But on the other hand, there was this girl suggesting to go to an interesting place, and he was getting unbearably bored. Yet, she was a girl who appeared out of nowhere and had questionable origins; bad things could happen.

But somehow, even he didn't understand it, the more he looked into her eyes, the more reluctant he felt to knock on the door. He felt like he should go with her to that place, even if it was terrifying.

The more he looked at her, the more she became an enigma to him. That feeling of following her was growing in him, and besides terrifying him, it had him captivated, if not curious. There was a mystery behind those yellow eyes, a mystery he would like to unravel.

"O-okay" Hiro replied, managing to come up with an answer.

Makima's smile grew as wide as it was the first time he saw it. "Good, come with me" she said, standing up while still holding his hands to guide him. He didn't seem to want to let go, and she didn't mind.

It was then that Hiro snapped back to reality a bit and realized, as they walked towards the elevator, that their hands were still intertwined. The realization caused his cheeks to tint with red, but he noticed that Makima was calm about it. He also noticed that her hand was cold but very soft. On pure instinct, he ran his thumb over her hand, rubbing it and feeling the smooth sensation. This earned him a small laugh from her, and Hiro found himself smiling too.

They finally entered the elevator; Makima pressed a button that would take them to the top floor of the building, to the demonology library. The doors closed, leaving the hallway completely empty.

0O0O

Chapter premiered on wattpad on 12/24/2021 (Just to clarify)

Notes: You can consider this as a Christmas gift since it's the moment all of America has been waiting for. To be honest, I've been imagining for months what the encounter between Makima and Hiro would be like. There were many scenarios I considered, but ultimately, I settled on this one. It's likely that the next chapter will come out next year, which is in a week, but I doubt it.

Damn, this is the longest chapter in this story, surpassing Chapter 3 by a thousand words.

It's around 7,600 words, not counting the final notes. I think it's wrapped up nicely; it's perfect. I liked it, and I'm very confident that you'll like it too. But, just like me, you're probably left wanting more of Hiro and Makima. Don't worry, my friends, the next chapter will have plenty of that."