Before we begin, i have to make a confession: Yu Yu Hakusho was one of the many inspirations for this story. As such, there will be several references to it later on, just like the scene near the end of this chapter.
With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 17: The Truth
Sirene had perched herself on a large branch of a tree at the other end of the forest, merely a dozen meters before a cliff. The Demon Bird, heartbroken by her realisation of having betrayed Kaim's love, had now buried her face in her hands and was crying even more than before.
"I…. I am so unsightly…" She spoke weakly, in between tears "I should be beautiful, noble, strong… that is what i, Sirene, mightiest of all demonesses should be…" Normally all of her battles served to further emphasize her beauty, her strength, or so she believed. Only now did she realise that her battles right from the moment Amon was taken away to her battle against Devilman, had been driven entirely by her desires of him, by her lust.
Taking off her hands from her face and now staring blanky at the cliff before her, she continued somberly "I used Kaim merely to satisfy my own selfish desires… Not for a beautiful battle but for an unsightly one…." her tears flowing slower than before. She was considering throwing herself in the abyss that laid before her with the intention to finish it. She could never look at Kaim's eyes again. She could never look at him again after what she put him through. He did not deserve her.
But before she could decide to end her life, a familiar voice came from behind "No. It was not an unsightly battle. You simply wanted to avenge Amon, but you did not know the truth." causing Sirene to immediately gasp and turn around, her eyes widening.
"Kaim…" she spoke softly, her eyes filling up with tears once again after meeting Kaim's own. He had come to her, in spite of everything that had happened.
"Sirene….." replied in a calm and soothing tone Kaim, coming closer towards her. Even when crying, even when her face was distorted by sadness, she was beautiful. He could not bear to see her in such a weak, vulnerable state.
After leaving the tree and landing gracefully on her feet, Sirene asked "W….. Why have you followed me?"
"Is it not obvious?" I have come to comfort you." replied calmly Kaim, stopping just a few meters before his beloved Demon Bird. It was almost unbeliavable that, just a few hours ago she was a bloodthirsty killing-machine, hell-bent on tearing her enemy, Devilman, apart. And now she was having an emotional breakdown, proving once more that she was not a mindless beast but a sentient being that felt emotions and knew how to expressed them.
"Kaim… I….. I used you for my own purposes…" began weakly Sirene, closing her eyes and lowering her head towards the ground along with her wings, which now touched the ground as well "I….. I betrayed your love…" she continued, tears flowing even more "I do not deserve you….. I….. I….. I AM HIDEOUS! I AM NOTHING!" she finally screamed in grief, breaking down once again in tears, falling down on her knees and burying her face in her hands. She coudn't do it. She coudn't look him in the eyes anymore. Why was Kaim so determined to be with someone so selfish, so vain?
Kaim himself was on the verge of tears. Seeing her in such a state was just as heartbreaking as seeing her mortally injured, moments from death. Instinctively, he closed the gap between them, now standing mere centimeters before her. He then spoke "No, Sirene. You are not hideous." his voice resolute and unwavering, causing her to look up towards him, who now towered above her.
"You are the most beautiful being i have ever laid my eyes upon. I knew that from the moment i first saw you." he continued, a few tears beginning to fall from his eyes as well, causing Sirene's beautiful blue eyes to widen in astonishment.
"Ever since your birth, i have always been with you. I watched as you reached adulthood, rised up among our army's ranks, felled thousands of demons who were foolish enough to challenge you." he spoke, his voice calm and soothing while Sirene could only listen speechless "But i also saw your honor, your compassion. You never killed those who could not defend themselves. You always cared about me, Amon and all the others warriors who had the honor to fight alongside you. You always put the safety of your comrades before your own."
Sirene's breath had been taken away. Now matter how much she tried to hide it with her pride, deep down, she was just like Kaim had described her. She deeply cared about her fellow demons, not just Amon. Watching Agwel and Ghelmer being unceremoniously slaughtered by Devilman almost broke her heart. The two had served under her for millions of years, slowly becoming friends with her as the eons went by. And while she didn't hold humans in high regard much like the rest of her kind, she never sought to harm them, mostly due to the reason why Amon didn't harm them. What point there was in killing beings that didn't even try to fight back?
"That is why i love you Sirene. Because deep down, you are a noble, kind soul. You were simply misguided, that is all." finally declared Kaim, his tears of joy now flowing freely, no longer held back, his voice full of joy and passion.
As soon as those words left Kaim's mouth, Sirene coudn't take it anymore. Overwhelmed by Kaim's passion and kindness, she screamed in anguish "KAIM!" got up on her feet and hugged the pachyderm demon deeply, burying her head on Kaim's right shoulder, just underneath his horn. Kaim's heart began to beat faster upon feeling the Demon Bird crying even more on his shoulder, her tears grazing his armored skin. Instinctively, he lifted his left forward leg and wrapped it around Sirene's body, pulling her even closer.
"F-forgive me… It was all my fault…" weakly cried out Sirene, her head still buried in Kaim's shoulder, warming the pachyderm demon's heart. For endless eons he had awaited this moment. Now his dream of fulfilling his relationship of love with his beloved Sirene was slowly becoming a reality. He then realised that it was time to tell her the truth. Well, part of it: he didn't know how she could or would react upon finding out that Amon was in fact her father. It not only could threaten his bond with her, but it might even rekindle her hatred against Devilman. So for now he decided to omit that part. But the rest of it will be known to her. She deserved to know after everything she went through.
"Your mother would be so proud of you." spoke calmly Kaim after finally deciding to tell her the truth. This caused Sirene, to suddenly stop crying, slowly pull her head off Kaim's shoulder and parting away from the hug.
"M…. my mother? You knew my mother?" she asked hesitantly, stunned by what she had heard. Kaim braced himself. Sirene's mother begged him, millions of years ago, to never let any harm befall her daughter and he also begged him to never let her know about her true parents in order to keep her safe. But now, he had to break that promise. It was the only way to keep the tragedy that befelled them from happening again.
And so Kaim's eyes met Sirene's own, before he spoke again, "Yes, Sirene. I believe the time has come for you to know the truth. All of it." his voice now filled with seriousness and solemnity earning a puzzled and thunderstruck look on Sirene's face.
Mustering up all of his courage, Kaim began "You are the last of your kind, Sirene. Back when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth, there was a tribe of female demon warriors that became legendary for their strength and pride. It was the Sirene Pride, the one from which you descended."
Sirene's eyes and mouth widened in shock. There where others like her in the past? There was an entire tribe of beautiful demonesses who looked just like her?
"T….. There where….. Others like me?" was all Sirene could let out, her voice and her face full of incredulity.
"Yes, Sirene. And they were all just as beautiful as you, even though their wings were black, just like those of a raven. I was a long time friend of them. I fought at their side in many battles." continued Kaim, his voice beaming up slightly upon recalling the memories of all the time he spent with them and all the battles he fought at their side.
Sirene listened in awe and astonishment as Kaim recounted the past of the proud tribe. Sirene coudn't believe that she came from such a proud dinasty. In fact, she didn't even know who her parents were. She hatched from an egg, just like any bird would, under the watchful eyes of Amon, while Kaim took care of her ever since.
Wanting to know about her dinasty's fate, Sirene hesitantly asked "W…. What happened to them?" causing Kaim to close his eyes in grief and lower his head to the ground. He then replied sorrowfully "The dinosaurs wiped them out. They destroyed their nest, killed most of them, crushed their eggs…" only to stop suddenly, the pain brought back by those memories becoming too much to bear. Sirene could only watch in sadness as Kaim's voice became dry, filled with distress and grief. She could only imagine how he would have felt after having watched so many proud warriors, warriors whom he had fought with, warriors who had become his friends, being all slaughtered like cattle and not being able to do a thing to help them.
"Kaim…" spoke softly, Sirene, putting her left hand on her chest, near her heart, which was now beginning to fill with sadness and pity for her friend before her. She had no idea of just how much grief he had harbored in his heart, all this time. She had no idea that he had lost so much.
(OST: "Guts ": Berserk 1997 soundtrack)
"Your mother was the only survivor. She went on to join Satan's army and fight against the forces of heaven… until the angels fatally wounded her….." continued Kaim, his sorrow and pain slowly fading away from his face and voice "She died birthing you." he finally concluded, opening his eyes again and staring at Sirene's own.
The Demon Bird, gasped in utter shock and disbelief as soon as those words left Kaim's mouth. She then asked hesitantly and with great incredulity "M-my mother… Died birthing me?"
"Yes. In her last moments, she begged me to take care of you, to protect you and to never tell you about your lineage in order to prevent others from coming after you. It is through that promise that i have always been with you." Spoke again Kaim, finally telling her why he had always been with her.
Sirene coudn't even speak. She had been so shocked by what Kaim said, that she coudn't even find the strength to reply. She remembered now, of the time she spent with Kaim in her early years. Unberknowst to her, the harpies of the Sirene tribe were already fully capable of defending themselves the moment they were born, despite being less than a meter tall, due to their claws. That was why she was able to quickly rise up the ranks of the demon army when she was still young. She had been blessed with strength that had been passed down through countless generations.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by Kaim who finally concluded "Before i knew it, throught the eons of time, my affection towards you, turned into love. Amon may have been the only one you may have had feelings for, but i did not care. All i wanted was to see you happy."
"Kaim….." spoke softly Sirene, a few tears of sorrow falling from her eyes again, heartbroken to have discovered what her companion had been through. The pachyderm demon, closed his eyes again, the sorrowful memories coming back to him , before he spoke again "Do you understand now? Do you understand now, how i felt when i saw on the brink of death? Seeing you like that broke me! That is why i gave my body for your sake! BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO LIVE!" he screamed in grief, tears falling again from his eyes and with his lips quivering, lowering his head towards the ground again before he fell onto his front knees.
Sirene coudn't take it anymore. She promptly rushed towards her friend, sat on her knees and pulled him into a soft, caring embrace, her tears adding onto his own.
"Kaim….. I'm sorry…. I…. I didn't know….." she spoke softly, her voice becoming as soothing and angelic as that of a caring mother, comforting its child. Those words came from her heart. It was no longer filled by revenge, hatred and lust but by compassion, pity and sorrow. She had no idea that Kaim had suffered that much. What he went through was worse than every possible punishment the fires of hell could have inflicted.
She then withdrew her arms from Kaim's body before her hands softly grasped the sides of Kaim's face, her beautiful blue eyes meeting Kaim's own. The latter gasped in astonishment upon seeing the eyes of his beloved Sirene. They were filled with pure happiness, peace and serenity. For far too long her eyes did not shine so brightly. They made her even more beautiful than he possibly could have imagined.
"Heed my words. I was wrong to treat you like that. But that will not happen again. You have been alone for far too long But from this day forth, you will no longer be alone. I will always be at your side, until death will set us apart." declared Sirene, her voice firm and resolute, devoid of any hesitation, while giving Kaim the most beautiful, passionate smile he had ever seen. Shortly afterwards, the words that Kaim had awaited for countless eons finally left his beloved Sirene's mouth.
"I love you, Kaim."
And with those four words, Kaim's dream became a reality. Sirene had finally accepted and returned his love. His heart overwhelmed by joy and happiness, Kaim replied, his eyes filled with passion and happiness "Sirene….. I love you too."
Having both declared their feelings for each other, Kaim and Sirene both moved towards each other, closed their eyes and their lips met each other in a kiss of unsullied, pure love, while a gentle wind filled the air, gently caressing the grass, the leaves on the trees and the skin of the two demons. They remained like that for what seemed like an eternity.
They had been denied their love in their previous life. Death had set them apart. But now, they had finally found each other again. Fate, this time, had prevented history from repeating itself. Thanks to their former enemy, Devilman, they had now finally expressed their feelings towards each other. And now, no matter what the future has in store for them, they will stand united, until the end.
(Soundtrack ends)
Earlier at the other side of the forest
For the first time ever since he overcame "his crybaby side" as Miki put it, Akira was nervous. He now had to explain to his counterpart from another universe, who he was, how he became what he is, the enemies he fought against, how his world ended and so on and so forth.
Jun had taken seat on a fallen tree after being told by Akira that it would take a while for him to explain, while the spitting image of Amon stood in front of her, facing away from her and prepared himself to tell her the truth. She still coudn't help but stare in fascination and intrigue at how handsome he looked, what with those powerful, well scuplted muscles and black fur on his lower body.
"Jun." he began, dead-serious "What i'm going to tell you right now, as absurd as it may sound is the truth. You can hate me as much as you want for lying to you all this time, all i ask is for you to hear me out." Jun simply nodded, her face devoid of any emotion giving Akira the go ahead to begin.
In response Akira cleared his throat before speaking "I guess i should start by telling you my surname." causing Jun to raise one of her eyebrows up in perplexity. Coming to think about it, Akira had never told her his surname for some reason. And she was about to find out why.
Turning towards her, his black eyes meeting her golden ones, Akira declared "It's Fudo. My name is Akira Fudo." trying to sound as sincere as he possibly could.
Pure shock filled every corner on Jun's face and she sprang on her feet due to how unexpected that was. At that moment she felt like she had been hit by a bombshell. How did Akira have her same surname?
"W-what?" she asked, utterly disbelieved by what she had heard "A-are you….." she began, her voice faltering.
"No. Before you ask, no, i am not your long lost brother, cousin or whatever. I come from another world." spoke Akira, cutting her off mid-question. The Devil Lady's eyes widened. Akira came from another world, no, from another universe?! No matter how much she tried it, Jun coudn't believe it and that was saying something, considering all the crap she went through.
"You… you are from another universe?" managed to ask Jun, after seconds of just standing there in disbelief. Akira himself was actually quite surprised. Even after everything Jun had gone through, such a concept still left her with such disbelief. But he coudn't really blame her for that. After all, who woudn't have such a reaction upon discovering that there existed another universe along with another counterpart of themselves in that universe?
"Yes. As absurd and unlikely as it sounds, i do come from another universe. One very similar to this one. And yes, so do Kaim and Sirene." he replied in an emotionless tone and expression, hiding away his surprise at seeing just how much Jun had been left astonished by what he said.
After taking her time to let the full weight of the reveal sink in, Jun hesitantly spoke "Then… Sirene and Kaim are….."
She was stopped by Akira "No, they are not Devil-Beasts. They are Demons." cutting her off, mid-speech, earning a confused and shocked look on the Devil Lady's face.
"Demons?" she asked, taken aback even more. Ever since she first met Akira and Sirene for the first time she could sense that despite having a similar scent to that of a Beast, they felt completely different. Now she had gotten her anwer. And it was even more shocking than she possibly could have imagined. Even in in a different universe creatures similar to the Devil-Beasts existed.
"Yes. They are a race of sentient beings that were created by God, thousands of milions ago, after he created the Earth, way before he created humanity." he continued, causing Jun to gasp even more. God, as in, the same God that created the Earth and humanity in the Bible, existed?! And he also created the demons?! She was so shocked by what she heard that she coudn't even move.
"God… Exists?" she asked, her voice filled with utter astonishment and disbelief earning a nod from Akira. He then turned away, looking to the left before replying"Yes. He grew to despise the demons due to their animalistic nature and decided to exterminate them. But one of his sons, the archangel Satan, decided to rebel against him, because he saw how unfair his father was in treating beings that had to fight every single day just to survive. So he sided with the demons and saved the demons from him, defeating his forces in the process. After becoming the leader of the demons, Satan chose to hibernate himself and the rest of his kind for milions of years in order to prepare himself and the demons for their final battle against God."
This left Jun even more shocked. The way Akira described God, hardly resembled the caring, fatherly deity described in the bible. Akira then continued "When they awoke after their slumber, the Earth had changed: it was now inhabited by humans. Satan coudn't forgive them: in his eyes they had desecrated the Earth he fought for with all of his might, stole it from their rightful owners, the demons. So he came up with a plan which involved him getting stripped of his memories, disguising himself as a human, learn about humanity's ways before destroying them from the inside."
Jun, at this point had become intrigued and at the same time appalled by what she had been told. Why would Satan had gone after humanity? What fault did they have? They didn't even ask to exist in the first place.
But then as her mind shifted towards mankind, she remembered the day she met Akira for the first time, the time he spent with her at the pub where they both opened up to each other, telling each other a glimpse of their past. A single desire formed in her mind: wanting to know how Akira became what he is.
Instinctively, she then asked "Akira….. what happened to you?" her voice suddenly becoming caring and compassionate. She had seen the sadness in his eyes ever since she first met him. Now she needed to know the truth.
Akira took a deep breath before lowering his head slightly towards the ground. He then began "My life was just like that of any other kid: i was a shy and timid student, who could never stand up for himself and would always cry to escape problems or rely on my girlfriend to get out of trouble. But i'm sure i already told you that."
Jun's eyes softened at Akira's words and became filled with pity and empathy. She could feel that he was speaking the truth, due to his voice getting slightly emotional at recalling the memories of what he once was. She still coudn't believe how similar they were. Jun was exactly like him when she was younger. Having been born with a weak body and suffering regurarly of anaemia only served to make her even more shy and introvert in her days as a schoolgirl.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by Akira continuing "All of that changed when a friend of mine, Ryo Asuka told me about the existence of the demons. His father, an archaeologist found out about them but got possessed by one. He committed suicide after managing to temporarily gain the upper hand against the demon who had possessed him." while turning back towards Jun, his voice and face assuming a dead-serious look again.
It took Jun all of her might to not gasp in utter shock. Not only there was another counterpart of her in another universe, there was an alternate counterpart of Asuka too?! She shuddered at the mere thought. She didn't even want to imagine what this "Ryo" did, after the woman responsible for turning her into a beast put her through, manipulating her ever since to slaughter dozens of beasts some of them being even innocent people whose only fault was not having enough willpower and resolve to resist their instincts.
Deciding to keep that matter a secret for now, Jun instead asked "Possessed? What do you mean?" wanting to know more about these demons Akira spoke about.
"Demons are not like Devil-Beasts. In order to infiltrate human society, they have developed the ability to assume a non-corporeal, ghost-like form that they use to take over human minds. And it is not pretty. I saw dozens of people having their souls completely erased, screaming in agony as the demons slowly took them over, before distorting their bodies in unimaginable, hideous and monstrous shapes."
The reveal left Jun utterly petrified. It was even worse than people turning into Beasts, losing their humanity merely because of a genetic mutation. The very thought of a malicious, sinister entity, slowly and painfully erasing your mind before taking over your body, distorting it, and using it to commit all sorts of cruelties shocked her to the core.
"That's…. That's horrible….." was all she could let out, her lips agape and her voice filled with utter horror and disgust. How could those creatures even do such horrible things?! At least the Beasts had no fault for becoming what they are, but these demons where fully aware of what they were doing.
Akira simply watched as a look of contempt and disgust formed on Jun's face upon hearing those words. He was quick to realise that, like him, she did not tolerate those who hurt the innocents simply for their amusement. He could only imagine, just how many scumbags she had to face ever since she became a Devilman.
He then continued, pulling Jun out of her thoughts "However, if a person's resolve and willpower is strong enough they can resist the demons that try to overtake them. As a result they can take control of a demon's powers and appearance an even access the memories of said demon."
And with those words every doubt vanished from Jun's mind and she gasped in realisation, her eyes shaking at having finally understood that she was like him. She then spoke "T-then….. you're…"
"Yes. I am a Devilman, a devil with the heart of a human just like you. After Ryo told me about the existence of the demons, he and i went to a party that he had arranged in order to attract some demons. After he started a fight, the demons came and began to possess dozens of those people. I was among them: i was possessed by a demon named Amon, one of their strongest and most noble warriors. But somehow, i was able to overtake him, gaining control of his body in the process. That was how i became what i am." he replied in a melancholic tone, before Jun could finish her question, while turning his gaze away from her and lowering his head towards the ground again, a somber expression on his face.
Jun's surprise in her face was replaced by compassion and empathy upon hearing the melancholy in Akira's voice. He almost sounded….. distraught, anguished. It quickly dawned on Jun, that he had been through a lot ever since he became the way he was.
Piting the half-devil before her, Jun slowly walked towards Akira and gently placed one of her furred hands on the half-demon's shoulder before speaking in a caring, worried tone "Akira… What happened?" only for Akira to merely take a few steps forward, leaving the Devil Lady's soft hand. He remained silent for a few moments, as it took him a few seconds to find the strength to recall the painful memories of all the hell he went through. Every time he recalled those memories it brought back so much pain, misery and sorrow that he would often break down in tears, mostly due to Miki's fate.
(OST: "Abel's Ark" = Xenosaga Episode III soundtrack = watch?v=LgCmNN5jY6k )
But Jun's gentle touch gave him the strength to speak. He then turned around slightly, facing perpendicularly towards her and began "At first we thought that we could handle the demons. I even managed to form a small army of people like me in order to better combat them. We were horribly wrong. It didn't take too long for the demons to regroup and launch a massive attack on all of humanity. And it all went downhill from there." his voice devoid of any emotion "And believe it or not: that wasn't even the worst of it. Remember when i told you about Satan's plan?" he asked Jun, glacing slightly towards her, earning a nod from her "The human whom he had disguised himself was Ryo. He had planned that, as soon as the demons would launch their final attack towards mankind, he would have the demons give him back his memories. He then procedeed to show the entire world a videotape of when i became a Devilman, all the while telling false information on how demon possession worked. The result? Humanity itself was sent on a murderous rampage on one another." he then closed his eyes and spoke "I saw thousands of people butcher and torture each other simply out of fear that they were demons. Not even women and children were spared. It was then that i realised that humans in the end were not all that different from the demons i thought against. They brought their fate upon themselves." his voice filling up with more and more sorrow and melancholy.
Jun could only listen speechlessly, disheartened at what she had heard. Akira had been betrayed by the one who made him what he was, just like Asuka did to Jun. She understood perfectly what he had been trough, having to find out that everything he believed in was a lie.
At the same time, she was utterly horrified to find out that, in another universe, the mere reveal that another race of creatures existed sent all of humanity on a senseless rampage on each other. Despite having lost her beloved Kazumi, Jun had managed to save the world not only from the Devil-Beasts who sought to eradicate humanity in order for the beasts to fully take over the planet, known as the Crusaders, but also from Asuka, who in the end, wanted to rule the world and had manipulated Jun all along to murder those few beasts who had actually preserved their humanity, in order to have no competition the moment she would show her true colors. And even then, all Asuka did, was seizing control of every human being of the planet, stealing their free will and stopping all wars while locking all the Devil-Beasts in concentration camps.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by Akira continuing "A lot of my friends lost their lives due what my former best friend did. So i gathered every single Devilmen that existed on Earth, waged war against him for 20 years on what little remained of the human civilization. It all culminated in a gigantic final battle over what used to be China. Demons and Devilmen fought to the very last, until only Satan and i, remained." melancholy still present on his voice.
Jun, still shocked by what she had been told, asked hesitantly "H…. How did it end?" even though, she had a pretty good idea of the outcome. Otherwise, Akira woudn't be standing in front of her now.
Akira's lips began to shake due to the pain those memories brought back and it took all of his might to hold back some tears. He still wasn't ready to talk about Miki's fate. It brought back too much pain and grief. So he decided to keep it to himself for now. Finally, he replied "I….. i never stood a chance against him. All it took him was firing a beam of light and it obliterated me in half. That was the last thing i remembered before i woke up here, in this new world." in a saddened tone. Jun's fears became a reality at that point and every corner of her face filled itself with sadness and compassion towards the one in front of her. He had died. After everything he had been through, becoming a monster, battling dozens of powerful and vicious demons, having to watch humanity's extinction with his own eyes and losing every single one of his friends, he had died. All of his efforts had been in vain.
But Jun was in for an even greater shock when Akira closed his eyes and concluded "But before i drew my last breath, Satan and i, ended up in a rock in the middle of the sea and at that moment, my former best friend opened up to me. He revealed me of how God treated the demons, how he rebelled against him to protect them and how he coudn't forgive the humans after what, in his eyes, they had done to the Earth. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, what little time he spent as a human being changed him: it made him realise that the way he treated humanity was exactly the same way his father treated the demons. How ironic: despite his plan having worked perfectly, he had fallen in love with me when he was Ryo Asuka. But…" he stopped, a single tear falling from his right eye due to the grief he was experiencing "It wasn't enough…. To prevent all of this…" he finished, his hands balled up in fists and his voice having cracked completely due to the grief, the regret and the pain all those memories brought back. At that moment the wind blew gently by, moving the grass and the leaves on the trees.
Jun's heart finally sank and by the time Akira had finished speaking, she was on the verge of tears. Akira had been through the same pain and hardships she had to endure. Not only had he had lost all the people he cared about, he lost his home, he lost his world and at the end, his own life. All because his former friend and the demons had been too blind to see the error of their ways. Two entire raced had been annihialated, all for nothing. Now the sadness that Akira had hidden with his easygoing and cheerful attitude in order to bring back happiness to Jun was plainly visible to her. She knew the moment her eyes first met Akira's own that he had suffered. Little did she know just how much, until now.
At the same time, despite not having told her, she was pretty sure that, among the people he lost, there was Miki and her parents. It was obvious that Akira had lied to her when he told her that Miki and her parents died in a housefire. But then again, Jun coudn't really blame him for not telling her that. Given how much Kazumi's death had devastated her, she coudn't even imagine just how much Miki's death had affected Akira.
And after seeing the single tear leaving his right eye, Jun could no longer bear to see him like that. Instinctively she walked towards him and slowly and gently grabbed his right hand with her furred left hand, causing him to turn his head towards her, his black eyes meeting Jun's golden ones. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Jun pulled Akira into a deep embrace, wrapping her muscular but caring arms around his back and resting her head on his right shoulder, causing his eyes to widen up in surprise and astonishment. Then her beautiful, soothing voice came "Akira…. I'm sorry…... I didn't know…. That you had suffered so much…"
Akira coudn't believe it. Jun was consoling him. The moment she pulled him into a tender and affectionte embrace, her warm body making contact with his own, all of his sadness dissappeared at once. He felt nothing but warmth at that moment in his heart. He then closed his eyes before returning the embrace, wrapping his powerful arms around Jun's back, causing her to gasp slightly, before she welcomed the warmth of the hug again. This was the first time he had used those arms for affection. Arms that had slaughtered hundreds of demons were now being used to give another person warmth. They remained locked together for what seemed like an eternity, the gentle wind blowing around them, caressing their skin.
"Jun….. You…. You're crying….." spoke softly Akira, after feeling warm tears making contact with his shoulder, his voice full of happiness and warmth. The last person who had shown so much affection towards him, was Miki, either when she was comforting him after being bullied or when they embraced for the last time, before Akira set off to free Mikiko from the Demon Busters.
"I knew from the moment i first saw you, that your eyes held much sadness and sorrow. Yet….. you hid them from me….. you brought me warmth with your cheerfulness… You brought back happiness in my life….. You gave me a reason to live again…. Please….. Allow me to ease your pain, for once…..." spoke Jun, her voice filled with passion and warmth, while shedding tears of compassion on Akira's shoulder. The last time she had shown so much affection towards another person was when she held Kazumi in her arms for the last time, moments before she drew her last breath. That's why she was crying right now. Not only because it brought her back those memories of grief, but also because for the first time ever since she became a beast, she was truly happy. After everything she had to endure, the inner struggle between her humanity and the beastly, animalistic urges, the loss of many of her friends and Kazumi, being forced to murder dozens of humans turned into monsters, before being betrayed by the very same people that forced her to do that she no longer had any reason left to live. But then Akira came. And he managed to heal her broken heart. He restored her will to live. And now he had even saved her life. She will forever be grateful to him for what he did for her out of simple altruism.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Akira then spoke "Jun… Thank You…" in a caring and soft tone, warming the Devil Lady's heart even more. He then continued "…...ever since i first learned about you from my new friends, i wanted to know more about you…. Little did i know that you were just like me…."
….. Only for Jun to suddenly gasp in shock and break herself out of the hug. She was now staring at Akira, incredulity present in every corner of her face.
"What?" she asked, bewildered, all of her tears having vanished. Akira cursed himself. With the wrong choice of words, he had just ruined this emotional moment. And now he had to explain to her that he knew about her way before meeting her.
Bracing himself, Akira spoke "It took only two days, after being reborn in this world to find out about you. All i had to do was reading up a fashion magazine in a store. At first i thought it was all a coincidence, but then i saved a Beast couple from a demon that attacked them. In return they welcomed me in their house and told me about you. And let me tell ya, the way they spoke about you gave off the feelings that they were speaking about a hero of legend. To them you really are a saviour, Jun." trying to sound as cheerful and carefree as possible but this only served to exacerbate the look of shock and disbelief on the Devil Lady's face.
"You….. You knew…" she spoke, while taking a few steps backwards, her shock and disbelief growing even more upon realising that Akira knew about her all along.
Having realised what he had done, Akira's gaze left Jun's eyes and he lowered his head towards the ground in shame before replying "Yes. I knew what you where before i met you. I'm sorry to have lied to you but i just….. didn't know how to tell you all of this." shame and regret filling every word that left his mouth, causing Jun to calm down. That being said, she was still upset that Akira had lied to her all this time and so she turned away, her back now facing him.
"You fool." she spoke, taking Akira completely by surprise "Why did you approach me then? Was it really out of altruism or were you merely driven by the desire to see how similar i was to you?" her voice taking on an antagonistic and dry tone, while lowering her head towards the ground slightly.
Upset and equally shocked by this sudden change of mood, Akira came towards her, pointed at her and asked "What? Since when do you care about what i feel like?" in a half puzzled, half upset tone.
This caused Jun's annoyance to turn into anger so she growled, turned around and spat back "SINCE WHEN DO YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY?!" actually causing Akira to flinch back due to the sheer venom present in her voice and the suppressed killing instinct which filled her eyes. His greatest fear had become a reality: she was pissed at him. Akira winced at how scary she looked when angered and at how beastly she sounded.
(OST: Yu Yu Hakusho funny soundtrack = watch?v=3KrtIVp98eM )
However Akira in the end, remained unwavering and irritation began to fill his face and he yelled back "HEY! WHY WON'T YOU JUST STOP GETTING BITCHY AT ME?!" his voice filled with annoyance and outrage. Why was she so mad at him? In case she had forgotten, Akira was the one who had saved her from Sirene, so at least he deserved a bit of gratitude for that.
"Why didn't you have the guts to tell me all of this earlier?! In case you forgot, i was stabbed in the back!" yelled back Jun, having calmed down slightly. She woudn't be so mad at Akira if it weren't for the fact that not having told her all of that resulted in her getting stabbed in the back by Sirene.
"Well i coudn't just tell you "HEY! I'M YOU FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE!". You can't blame a guy for not knowing how to tell that to his girlfriend!" yelled back Akira, feeling more and more embarrassed the longer this little argument was dragging on.
Jun however, was still not convinced. Putting her hands on her hips and with a smug, devious smile, she replied "Oh yeah, because fighting monsters on a weekly basis totally is harder than being honest with your girlfriend." with an equally smug, sarcastic tone, causing Akira to flinch backwards and his face to fill with even more embarrassment and shock. Jun now sounded exactly like Miki, when she was scolding him. He knew that after he and Jun beat up that gang of thugs that, underneath Jun's sensitive nature, she hid quite a temper. But he never realised just how similar to Miki, Jun sounded when she was scolding others.
No matter how much ashamed he felt at that moment, Jun was right. If he had told her the truth earlier, she would have been better prepared and Sirene woudn't have gotten the jump on her. Still, he felt that she was being a little ungrateful towards him after he saved her from Sirene and so he spoke mockingly "Party-pooper!"
However, Jun was quick to retort "Crybaby!" Then with a grunt of annoyance, they both turned away from each other, their backs facing each other, Akira with his arms crossed and Jun with her hands on her hips.
They remained like that for what seemed like half a minute, before Akira glanced back towards Jun and spoke "Look, we both weren't exactly the same ever since we first became Devilmen." in a casual tone before his eyes drifted… downwards, right in the place underneath from where Jun's tail sprouted from "You for instance…."
The Devil Lady could only let out a surprised, high-pitched and unusually cute squeal, her eyes shooting wide open and her cheeks turning completely red as soon as Akira nonchalantly pressed his clawed finger on her butt. He then spoke in a casual and intrigued tone, while staring intensely at it, one hand on his chin "Is it just your demonic form or did you really get such a nice ass?"
It only took three seconds for Jun to grunt in embarrassment and indignation, do a 180, raise her arm, yell "YOU JERK!" in a half enraged, half embarrassed tone, her cheeks still beet red and deliver the mother of all bitch-slaps on Akira's face.
Said bitch slap was so powerful it sent Akira flying towards an Adan fruit tree. He crashed straight at the trunk before slowly and humorously sliding down along it and to the ground, landing butt first. Adding insult to injury, seconds later an Adan fruit fell on his head, causing him to see stars around for a few seconds.
(soundtrack ends)
After getting a grip of himself he sat down with his legs folded like a monk before he clutched his cheek and spoke "Damn… and i thought Miki's slaps were hard….." impressed at Jun's strength. He had just found someone who could slap harder than Miki. Not that it should surprise him, given what Jun was.
"Serves you right, you pervert!" spoke Jun, obviously still ticked off, her mouth clenched, her fist still twitching in indignation, veins twitching above her right eye, her eyes narrowed towards him and her cheeks still red. Akira had to admit it: even in a bad mood, she was beautiful. And for some reason even with her demonic voice, she sounded so cute when annoyed.
(OST: "Smile Bomb Instrumental version" = Yu Yu Hakusho soundtrack = watch?v=LdZH3moeK_U&t=32s )
Any normal human would have been scared shitless by the sight of a pissed off hulking demonic amazon glaring daggers towards them. But Akira was no normal human. So, he merely gave Jun a casual, cheerful smile before replying "Nah, all together, i'd say it was worth it." in an equally casual tone.
This caused the Devil Lady to gasp, taken completely aback by Akira's response, her cheeks reddening even more. No one had ever acted so casually in her presence. Usually every time she got pissed off, everyone in her presence, unless it was another beast, simply ran off for dear life. Nonetheless, she frowned again before saying "Oh, shut up!" in a half annoyed, half flattered tone, while turning around and beginning to walk away. At the same time the sun had begun to rise.
But then Jun suddenly stopped. Her feelings towards Akira made her stop in her tracks. True, he may have lied to her the entire time, but he did it simply to protect her and because he didn't know how to tell her. Plus, he was the one who restored her soul, the one who spent time with her, the one who had healed her broken heart and the one who had, just hours ago, saved her from the jaws of death.
She then turned her body around slightly while the first sun rays of the morning came out, illuminating her, before she called out "Akira…" causing him to widen his eyes slightly in surprise and a puzzled look to form on his face.
"Thank you…. For saving me." she spoke, her beautiful voice now full of passion and gratitude while smiling soothingly at him, her beautiful golden eyes now shining brightly at him, equally filled with joy. She was no longer mad at him. Sure she still nedeed some time alone to come to terms with everything he told her on this night and to ponder on either continuing her relationship with him or not but she had forgiven him for lying to her. And, no matter how much it ticked her off to find out that he knew about who she was all along, he was still the young man who warmed her heart for the first time ever since Kazumi died.
Akira was left utterly speechless. Jun's face was no longer contorted in irritation. Now it was just as angelic and peaceful as it was the first time he met her. And the way the rays of the sun shined brightly on her body only served to highlight her beauty. He then returned the smile, before giving her a thumbs up and replying "Anytime, honey." with an equally soft, cheerful tone.
Jun could only gasp in astonishment, her eyes widening and filling up with even more emotion. He had called her like that again. Even after slapping him so hard, he flew straight into a tree and after yelling at him for lying to her all along, he had immediately forgiven her and called her honey once more. Just like the previous times, he had warmed her heart again, proving that his feelings towards her were true, pure and unsullied. No one had ever shown her so much affection, so much warmth and so much kindness while in her true appearance, not even Kazumi.
Overcome by happiness, Jun smiled back soothingly at Akira before saying "Well. See you around then." waving happily at him, bidding farewell for now. She then turned around and Akira could only watch in awe as a pair of large purple bat-like wings, just like his own, emerged from her back before she used them to take off and fly away, gradually disappearing in the blue sky.
And with that Akira was alone again
(Soundtrack Ends)
He still coudn't believe it. In the end, despite fearing that Jun would have rejected him after learning out the truth, she forgave him and thanked him for saving her. He had just taken his relationship with her to another level. Now there were almost no secrets between them. Well, except for Miki's fate, Jun's backstory and Kazumi's fate. Perhaps, just perhaps… This was the first step in their friendship's evolution…. Into love?
He then took is time to ponder on everything that happened on this day. Kaim had reunited with Sirene, declaring his love towards her once and for all, possibly putting an end to the Demon Bird's quest of vengeance. He had revealed to Jun what he was and how he came to be. And despite that misstep, he was confident that their bond was now stronger than ever. Fate had truly given Akira a second chance at life. No, not just him: Sirene, Kaim and even Jun had been all given a second chance. A chance to live again, to heal their hearts and to find their places in this world.
"She'll need time to come to terms with everything i told her. Can't blame her though, after everything she must have been through." spoke Akira, to himself. He coudn't imagine what Jun had been through, but judging merely by the state she was in the day he first met her, he knew for a fact that it was far from pretty.
"Jun… i promise you. I won't let anyone hurt you again. Not after everything you have endured." he spoke, his voice firm and absolute. He coudn't save Miki. He coudn't protect the people he cared about. He coudn't defeat Satan. But know, he had been given a second chance. A chance to redeem himself and even his former enemies. This time, he will do everything to protect his new friends. His bond with Jun only served to strengthen his resolve. And he will not let her suffer again. No matter what.
And with that, he pulled out his wings and left, looking forward to see what the future had in store for him now.