Devilman: The Rebirth

by Nanto99

Akira had lost everything: his friends, his home, the love of his life and at the end his own life. But what happens when fate decides to give him a second chance at life? Now, reborn in a similar yet completely different world, watch as Akira meets new friends, old enemies from the past and discovers his new place in this world. Watch the rebirth of Devilman.

38. Chapter 38

Here we have the immediate aftermath of the second arc. I apologise if this took so long to make but again, my life has gotten quite busy. still, i'll try to write more when i can and i would also like to get back at my Bleach story, which, don't worry, i haven't forgotten.

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Chapter 38: Some Scars Will Never Heal

Once again, Akira found himself back to that horrific and traumatic moment on the night in which he lost everything, including his humanity. And no matter how many times he relived it in his nightmares, the scene was always the same. The burning house, the mob of sadistic men, armed with all sorts of weapons, gathered around all those stakes, laughing maniacally as they displayed the severed body parts of the girl who once was Miki Makimura, parading them as if they were trophies of a succesful hunt. That vision would be forever engraved in Akira's mind and it would continue to haunt him in his nightmares for all those 20 years of war, no matter how much he tried to suppress it with his hatred for the demons and especially for Ryo, the main culprit behind all the tragedy and horror that befell the world in which Akira had lived in his previous life.

But to Akira's horror, as the mob appeared in front of him through the flames and smoke as it always would everytime the scene replayed itself out in his nightmares, he realised that this time, something was different.

This time, it wasn't Miki's head that was stuck on that stake, surrounded by all those monsters in the guise of humans that celebrated her demise. No, instead of the decapitated head of the girl who had known him ever since he was little, a young woman's head was stuck on the tip of that stake. The head of a woman with brown eyes, long straight, dark brown hair that flowed beautifully, as if wind was blowing through it every time the stake was waved around left and right. And that beautiful face bore the same expression of agony and terror that was present on Miki's face every time Akira saw her head being exhibited as a trophy on that stake.

It was Jun's head.

Overcome by horror and grief, Akira clutched the sides of his head with his hands, threw it backwards and screamed while everything around him faded to black.

"JUN!" Akira cried out as he snapped awake, somehow managing to wake up from that horrific nightmare, finding himself sitting on a bed. He gasped deep breaths in and out, clutching his face with his left hand in an effort to calm down while holding the blanket that was covering him with his other hand, but he coudn't. Every time he relived that painful memory made him wish that he had been the one to die on that fateful night. But just when he thought nothing could make it worse, for the first time ever he didn't see Miki's head impaled on that stake, but rather, Jun's, the second woman he had fallen in love with.

And just like that, a great fear now lingered in his heart.

Up until that long-haired, blonde woman with emerald eyes, clad in that white robe, that looked exactly like how humans traditionally envisioned angels to look like, healed her throat, much to his enormous relief, he had been utterly devastated, believing to have forever lost Jun. It was even worse than Miki's death because in his former lover's case, he only saw the aftermath of what those monsters in the guise of human beings had done. But Jun? Not only did he have to witness how she had been brutally tortured to an inch of her life in that vision of the past, he had to watch with his own eyes from start to finish as Atun brutally crushed her throat with his bare hand just as she found out, to her horror that she was the very reason why Satoru and his henchmen, the same monsters who had murdered the Devil Lady's first lover and her family, had been brought back. And then he had to watch as her head turned towards him the moment her body struck the ground. Seeing those beautiful eyes seemingly devoid of any life crushed his heart. And if Kaim hadn't arrived…...If that woman who also showed him with her psychic powers how Kazumi died, hadn't healed her crushed throat…...He would have…

"I see that you are awake." the familiar voice of Kaim pulled him out of his thoughts. Surprised, Akira turned on his right and saw the demon sitting in front of him on a simple wooden chair with his hands on his knees, now in his disguised human form, looking at him with much relief but with concern at the same time.

Greatly surprised to see him in this form again, wearing a casual attire comprised of a grey long-sleeved shirt, brown pants and socks, the Devilman called out "Kaim….?" before gasping slightly and taking a look at his surroundings and realising that he was in a room in which he had never been before "W-Where am i? Where's Ju-" he asked, before grunting slightly in pain and clutching his left shoulder as he began to get agitated, due to the wounds he had suffered the day before, for now matter how high his healing factor was, that didn't stop him from experiencing pain, much like how any normal human would.

"You seem to have forgotten about the injuries you sustained yesterday. Although they seem to have healed already." Kaim calmly spoke again, causing Akira to gasp, all at once recalling the events that had transpired the day before, and indeed as he looked at his body, he saw that his wounds were all gone, including the one on his back from which Atun had ripped his left wing off.

"How long was i out?" Akira asked, for now avoiding his friend's gaze. The demon replied "For 12 hours. It is now quarter past eight in the morning right now. And to answer your question, you are back in Tokyo, in my apartment to be more precise, the one i took when i began to live in this world as a human. I took you here after the destruction of that accursed edifice in which Takeshi and all those people had been imprisoned against their will. Luckily, Sirene and i managed to free them all and i made sure they all escaped. As for Jun….." Kaim paused after explaining to his friend where he was at the moment and letting him know that his friend and all those people he and Jun had initially gone on their own to rescue, had been succesfully freed. Then, after lowering his head, he told him "Although her current whereabouts are unknown to me, rest assured that she still lives, thanks to Nike, who carried her broken body away to safety after healing her throat." trying to reassure Akira as much as he could. Seeing how the first thing he did as he snapped awake was crying out Jun's name in a panic, was enough to make him understand how strong his feelings towards her were.

A massive wave of relief washed over Akira, not just from learning that Takeshi and all those people were okay but also from knowing that, although being beaten within an inch of her life and having her throat downright crushed, an injury which would almost certainly have killed not just any human, but any other living animal, Jun had survived, courtesy of her unlikely rescuer. But now a multitude of questions pounded his mind: who exactly was Nike, that blonde haired, emerald-eyed woman who looked almost exactly like an angel from Christian Religion's traditional depiction of such entities and who had also been taken prisoner by Satoru and his goons? Why did Kaim seem to know her so well? For that matter, why did she seem to know Amon so well, to the point she screamed his name in distress upon seeing Akira, begging him to rescue her under the assumption that he was Amon and not the human who took the mighty demon over? Why exactly did she choose to show him those visions of the past in his mind? How exactly did Kaim come to own this apartment? And most of all…..

Why was Kaim so hell-bent on sacrificing himself when he came back to rescue him just moments after Atun dealt the near-killing blow to Jun? What did he actually mean with the words "Final Atonement"?

Akira needed some answers. And he was sure that Kaim knew most of them. So for now he decided to avoid asking about Kaim's motivation and instead, as he looked in the brown eyes of the demon's human disguise, he spoke "Nike…..So that's her name…. And from what i saw, you two seem to go a long way back, right?"

With a somber look, Kaim nodded and simply replied "Indeed. And i can tell from the look on your face that there are many things you wish to know." earning a nod from his friend. The disguised demon promptly got up and added "Alright, then. I will give you the answers you seek, but first…." as he went over to a nearby wardrobe and pulled out a brown sweater, a pair of jeans, underwear and socks, before coming towards Akira and putting them on the bed near him "Here, put these on. I hope they are to your liking. In the meantime, i will prepare something for you to eat."

Taken aback not only by his gloomy mood and by how considerate he was by giving him some of his own clothes, but also from the fact that apparently the demon knew how to cook, Akira simply spoke "Thanks…." as he got up and began to put on the clothes as Kaim turned around and headed towards the dining room "I don't understand….Why is his mood so low? We saved those people….We all managed to get out of that place in one piece….At least i think we have….And yet, he seems so sad…." the half-devil thought as he put on his shirt, not understanding what was that seemed to trouble his friend so much.

Either way he was about to find out.

As he went over to the dining room, Akira had to admit that, although simple, the apartment Kaim had found for himself was quite nice and comfy. Although most of it consisted in one single room in which both the dining table, the kitchen and the living room and tv all resided, aside of course from the bedroom. It even had a balcony on the left of the kitchen and the half-devil could see from the sunlight that it was indeed morning. And indeed as he came in the main room of the apartment, he was greatly surprised to see him cooking a mix of dishes, such as steamed rice, miso soup, pickles and many other things, as well as preparing coffee. As he took a seat on the table, Akira remarked "I didn't know you actually knew how to cook."

"It was quite easy to learn this skill, especially given the way i have come to acquire this disguise, as well as from having tasted your own cooking. Which, by the way, was very good." Kaim replied, referring to the time in which he had lunch with him, Takeshi and the girls the day he was introduced to them for the first time.

"Thanks….But what do you mean with-" Akira began to ask, after thanking his friend for having appreciated his cooking, due to the perplexity he had when he spoke of how he came to acquire his human disguise, only for Kaim to reply "Save your questions for later. Right now you should eat in order to regain your strength. Afterwards i will tell you everything you wish to know. You have my word." as he put the various dishes on the table.

Touched to see just how much Kaim had come to care about his wellbeing, especially after looking after him while he was unconscious for 12 hours straight, Akira did as he was told and the disguised demon joined him in breakfast. The half-devil had to admit that Kaim's cooking was pretty good, not as refined or elaborate as Jun's, but nonetheless enjoyable and nothing went to waste, since both of them needed more food than what a human would normally need due to their higher metabolism, a characteristic of Demons and Devilmen alike. That higher need for sustenance was also one of the many reasons why the Demons often had voracious appetites: everything that lived and breathed was fair game to them, especially back during the Age of the Dinosaurs, when they had to fight every single day to survive.

And after they both finished eating, Kaim spoke "I take it that the food was to your liking." as he cleaned his lips and cheeks with a napkin, surprising Akira even more with how civilized he acted.

"It was…." Akira simply replied, now staring blankly at the coffee in his cup, his gaze melancholic. That was all it took for Kaim to see how troubled his mind was right now. There was only one way to ease it and that was to answer the many questions the half-devil had.

Thus Kaim closed his eyes and asked him "You wished to know who Nike was, didn't you?" as he took a sip from his coffee, causing Akira to raise his head back up, looking back at him.

After a moment of surprise, Akira's expression returned to how it was seconds earlier and after averting his gaze from Kaim's eyes, he replied "Yes. When i saw her for the first time, held in the clutches of Satoru and his goons, i felt….weirdly nostalgic. As if i'd known her all my life." he then looked back towards his friend before stating "And she cried out Amon's name, begging him to rescue her. She thought i was him. I guess they were also friends back in the day….." a faint smile making its way on his lips.

But nothing could prepare him for what Kaim revealed to him with his next words "Nike was much more to him than that. She was his lover."

And all at once, pure astonishment filled every inch of Akira's face "What?" was all he could ask, his eyes wide in disbelief. Up until the moment he met Kaim for the first time, Akira believed that the reason Sirene hated him so much was because she was Amon's lover and Akira just so happened to have taken the demon she loved, away from her. And now, just when he thought he had seen and heard everything, as it turned out, the same woman who had been held captive along with all those beasts and who saved Jun from death's embrace mere moments before what little life left in her unconscious, broken body would leave it, was none other than the very same lover of the demon Akira had taken over at the Black Sabbath all those years ago.

Still awestruck, he could only repeat "She… She was his lover?" receiving a nod from Kaim, taking await what little shred of doubt away. Then he quickly connected the dots "That's…..That's why she showed me those visions…..She was hoping that i would recognise her….. " at last understanding why she went as far as showing him the visions of what Satoru and his henchmen had done to Jun and Kazumi.

Kaim's expression didn't change in the slightest "Yes. As a psychic, Nike's powers are second only to the demoness Psycho Jenny and one of them is the ability to project visions of past events in the minds of others, making them play out like what you humans call movies. She has to read the minds of others to use this ability, however." He thoroughly explained, having personally witnessed both of these abilities beforehand several times in the past, before asking Akira "What is it that she showed you?"

And the moment he asked that question, a look of utter pain and grief crossed Akira's face, the likes of which Kaim had never seen before, to the point it almost made him regret asking this question in the first place. And for his part, the half-devil didn't want to reply. Those two visions will be forever etched in his mind, for he felt like he was there, witnessing those horrible events and being completely powerless to do anything to stop them, just like Miki's death.

But Kaim needed to know, since the one who sent him those visions just so happened to be a great friend of his. Thus, after taking a deep breath, he began to speak, his hands clasped in front of him on the table, his gaze fixed on them "Something i wish i didn't see. Two memories that she took from two of Satoru's goons that were holding her captive when she read their minds….." he paused for a few seconds, needing to find the strength for his next words before declaring "Jun had a lover too once. A girl named Kazumi Takiura, whom she met a few years ago in her early days as a fashion model. She told me that they were just friends and that Kazumi was still in High School at the time."

For a moment, Kaim's eyes widened slightly in surprise, recalling how the day before, they came across the corpse of that hideous rat-beast right before stumbling across Sirene battling Higa, and Jun's horrified reaction upon seeing it. And as he recalled how the Devil Lady revealed that said rat-beast was the same one who killed Kazumi's parents, the disguised demon no longer had any doubt.

"I see….So that is the one she was referring to when we stumbled upon the corpse of that grotesque rat-like beast whom she claimed, had murdered her parents." the disguised demon deduced, earning a nod from his friend who then continued to explain "Jun took her in her house since that day. She gave her a place to live in after her family was taken away from her. And it was in that time that their friendship eventually turned into love." but then he stopped, his hands and lips beginning to tremble in sadness. He had been THAT shaken by those memories he saw, almost as if they were his memories to begin with. But ultimately, he managed to muster enough strength to declare "It was them, Kaim. They were the ones who killed her. She died right before Jun's eyes and there was nothing she could do….." his whole body shaking even more, a single tear falling from his right eye.

And the moment he saw just in how much sorrow Akira was, to the point he was beginning to cry, it finally became clear to the demon, who gasped in disbelief "Akira, you don't mean….."

"Yes." the half-devil interrupted him before he could finish his question "She showed me the exact moment in which Kazumi died. She may have done that to help me finally understand just how much those monsters had hurt Jun, but…..But….." he tried to keep speaking but the words caught up in his throat, with more and more tears falling from his eyes "It f-felt like i was there…..I saw her being stabbed in the stomach….Her f-face contorted in so much p-pain…..Her eyes so d-devoid of life….And i c-coudn't….."

Kaim coudn't bear to watch anymore. With a commiserate look, he got up from his chair, walked over to Akira and hugged him from behind in the same caring way a father would to his son, as he lowered his head, shut his black eyes and broke down in incomprehensible tears. Umberknownst to the disguised demon, this was because Kazumi bore quite the resemblance to Miki especially in terms of her hair and face and while her death was nowhere near as gruesome as Miki's, that look of agony on her face as she was fatally stabbed was exactly the same expression Miki's severed head had on that fateful night. And if he had been this grief-stricken by having witnessed that harrowing event with his own eyes despite not having even met Kazumi, he didn't even dare to imagine what Jun must have felt when it happened right in front of her eyes….But at least she got to hold Kazumi in her arms as she died….She got to comfort the girl in her final moments…..

Just as Kaim was comforting him now, being here for him like any friend would "It's alright….I'm here." he reassured as tenderly as he possibly could, something which he was not used to given the brutal and merciless world he originated from. To add to the irony, he was now comforting the same man who once mortally wounded the woman he loved. That same man who had now become his friend. A strange mistress fate was indeed.

To some extent, Kaim's display of kindness and empathy greatly warmed Akira's heart and served as a wonderful source of comfort, to ease his burden. But the half-devil was still greatly distraught for what he had witnessed the day before and that made him think back to everything Jun had been through. And it wasn't enough for her to see the girl she had fallen in love being mortally wounded right in front of her eyes: she had to watch her second love almost suffer the same fate and because of him, she…

With his cries dying down, Akira slowly grabbed Kaim's right arm, wrapped around his friend's chest and weakly spoke "This….Is all my fault…..I wanted her to be happy….I coudn't bear to see her sad…..After everything she went through….." while his friend looked at him with even more empathy and sadness recognising himself in the young man who once used to be his enemy in his previous life. Only now he realised just how strong his love towards Jun was, and it was no different from the love Kaim had for Sirene, the one he swore to protect with his life ever since the day her mother died birthing her.

"But all i've brought her has been nothing but further pain and sorrow…...Because of who i am…...Because of the one i have taken ov-" Akira kept speaking, voicing his shame and guilt for all the pain he felt Jun had been through ever since he met her, due to him still being the one who took over Amon, one of Demonkind's most heroic warriors. Atun was only one of many demons who had either grown envious of his power and fame or who had been previously bested in combat by him and thus sought to challenge him to prove themselves stronger. And because of who he was, Akira was now conscious of the fact that there will always be others who will seek him out to settle their feud with Amon, perhaps the most famous demon warrior of them all.

"No. It is us demons who are entirely to blame." Kaim proclaimed as he pulled himself out of the hug, his voice calm and emotionless, pulling Akira out of his guilt and making him look at his friend in perplexity. "What do you mean?" he asked as the disguised demon walked back to his chair and sat back in it.

"There is something i should have told you much earlier, Akira. I believed that there was no point in doing so but after what happened in the recent days, i realised that it was a mistake not having done so." Kaim spoke as he clasped his hands in front of him and looked downwards with the same sadness and guilt Akira had glimpsed earlier. Part of him wanted to ask him what he was getting at but, nonetheless, he remained quiet and allowed his friend to continue speaking, completely unprepared for what he was about to find out.

"As i have already told you when we first met, God sent us demons to Hell after we died. What i have not told you is that, as we died, we lost our original human disguises, the ones we acquired in our original world from the humans we succesfully possessed." and with that declaration, Akira's eyes went wide in disbelief.

"You mean…..That you didn't carry them with you when you came back from the dead?" Akira asked incredolously, earning a nod from the disguised demon in front of him "They were not part of us to begin with. We demons took those humans over because we needed a way to infiltrate their society in order to learn how they lived so that we could then destroy them from the inside. Even Satan himself knew that it would have been far too dangerous to simply wage an all-out war against mankind without heavy losses, given how powerful some of the weapons they possessed were, with some being even capable of wiping out entire cities."

Kaim's explanation left the half-devil surprised yet at the same time amused by the sheer irony of what that revelation meant "It almost makes me want to laugh. For all the might he prided himself so much for, even Ryo was afraid of what the humans could have done to the demons had they fought them in a direct, open war. But no matter how thorough he was with that elaborate plan of his, not even he could foresee that some humans, for all their frailty, would have had a heart powerful enough to take over the very same demons who tried to possess them. And it's so ironic that even the Son of God himself would be afraid of nuclear weapons." he thought. Still, he coudn't really fault Ryo all that much, considering how much devastation even the first two of such weapons – which were only a tenth of the power of Hydrogen Bombs and many others that followed in the decades after the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – did historically, not to mention the many thousands of people who continued to die in the following months and years either from the effects of the burns, radiation sickness and other issues compounded by a multitude of factors such as malnutrition and various other illnesses. He doubted even the demons would have been immune from those forces, at least the weaker, lesser ones. And those were just two bombs. Akira shuddered to think what even 10 of them would have been capable of: the demons woudn't have stood a chance against even double that number of bombs.

Kaim's voice pulled him out of his thoughts "Regardless, the most likely explanation as to why that happened is that it was God's doing. Given what Satan, his own son was capable of, i would not be surprised if he was, in one way or another, able to separate the souls of the humans we took over from our own before casting us in the unforgiving fires of Hell." he theorised, as Akira listened with a look of understanding. Having witnesses Satan's power with his own eyes and knowing that even he, was no match for his father, it was only logical for Kaim to assume that God could have been easily capable of doing something as drastic as separating two souls from a shared body. But like all theories, it was not a proven fact. It could also have been due to some other, unfathomable reasons which will, most likely, always remain unknown. What was a proven fact however, was that in this new world, the demons found themselves back to how they originally were as soon as they awakened from milions of years of slumber back in their original one. But if they had began to find new disguises by continuing to possess other humans and Kaim also just so happened to have a one too, then…..

"Kaim…..That means…." Akira hesitantly spoke, his face and voice filled with dismay and shock upon realising that his friend had done once more, much like the rest of his kind did back in their original world: taking over humans in order to use their bodies to blend in with the rest of human society, effectively killing them in the process.

But the guilt and sorrow that made its way on Kaim's face as he lowered his head, not even managing to look Akira in the eyes due to how ashamed he felt, shocked the half-devil even more than this latest revelation. Then, the disguised demon spoke "Yes. We have made ourselves guilty of that same crime once more, including myself. But this time it is different. We are not united like we were on our original world. We are on our own, scattered throught the globe, completely unaware of our leaders's whereabouts. And either way….." he paused, closing his eyes, his entire body shaking in guilt "I have renounced my kind. After i heard and saw just how far they had fallen, how needless all the slaughter they had committed was, i no longer wished to have anything to do with them. All i ever wanted, ever since i was brought back to life was to reunite with Sirene. But there was no way i could have found her had i not found myself a human host to use in order to live in this world, where humans and beasts coexist."

Akira initially felt a small degree of outrage upon learning what Kaim had done but what little resentment he might have held towards him vanished completely upon hearing just how much self-loathing was present in his voice, as well as learning that the one and only reason he did that was all in the hope of finding the woman he loved again.

(OST: "Will of the Heart" (first half, from 0:00 to 2:02) Bleach Soundtrack )

"Kaim….." the half-devil called out, his voice and face now full of nothing but empathy as his friend reopened his eyes, looked at his left hand and declared "This body…..It belonged to a man called Seiji Hayami, who used to be the owner of this apartment…..A man who was a bouncer by profession….. A man who once had a wife, a son, even a pet dog….But who lost everything in the crysis that took place several months before we even came into this world…..I stumbled upon him completely by chance one night in the streets while i was in my spectral form, drowning his sorrows in drink." while Akira listened in astonishment but also sadness at how somber Kaim's voice had become. That explained why Kaim just so happened to be the bouncer of the club he, Takeshi and the three girls went to: he had inherited the knowledge and skills required from the human he had taken over, who was a bouncer by profession. It also explained why Kaim had developed those alcoholic tendencies in the days before he was reunited with Sirene: they had been passed from that human who had lost his entire family during the crysis.

"That man was utterly broken…. His entire family gone…. He had nothing left…. All i felt as i took him over was an unbearable sadness as i acquired his memories, learned of what had happened in the months prior to my rebirth in this world…..And chose to live the life of a human being." Kaim continued, not even having the strength to look at Akira in the eyes due to how ashamed he felt for what he did. But eventually, he finished his recollection with a fake chuckle and by stating "Such a hypocrite i am, right? I have renounced my kind, sweared to protect this world and its people and yet…...In order to live among humans, i had to take the life of one."

And the moment the demon finished his speech, it all became clear to Akira. The reason why Kaim sought to sacrifice himself the day before and atone for his crimes all stemmed from his self-loathing. It was already clear to the half-devil that Kaim had come to hate the mere fact that demon blood flowed in his veins. But it was the simple act of having possessed an innocent human being, who had lost everything due to a series of very unfortunate events that made Kaim go as far as hate himself. And he really coudn't blame him for that, seeing what his kind had done in the past and the fact that even after bringing their own end upon themselves, most of them still didn't change their ways.

But seeing Kaim like this, one of the noblest, kindest individuals he had ever met, broke Akira's heart. And in many ways, he reminded him a lot of Jun, not just because he, much like her, was a noble, kind and compassionate soul who would have gone to any lengths imaginable to protect those he loved, but because much like her, he hated himself for the crimes he thought he had commited. But Akira could never hate him for that, no matter how much Kaim thought he had sinned and deserved to die for it.

Thus, with a look of great commiseration and empathy, Akira reached out for Kaim's right hand with his left one and as soon as he called out his name "Kaim….Look at me" with the most soothing voice he could muster and slowly put his hand over the demon's own, Kaim gasped slightly in surprise, lifted his head and his gaze met the black eyes of Akira, filled with nothing but compassion and pity "None of what your kind did was your fault just as it wasn't your fault that you were born as a demon. You shoudn't let that trouble you since it doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is the present and you shoudn't let others or whatever mistakes you may have done in the past, define who you are now. You are who you choose to be." Akira told him, his voice and face solemn, before a kind smile formed on his lips "You taught me that, remember?"

Akira's words left Kaim speechless. He wished he hadn't told Akira this so that their friendship would have gone unobstructed. But he deserved to know that, to know that none of what had happened ever since he was reborn in this new world was his fault alone. The disguised demon, however, believed that after telling him of this shameful act, he would have never looked at him the same way, perhaps even come to view him with bitterness, contempt even. The kind words that left Akira's lips proved him wrong.

"Akira….." he could only call out, his eyes closing ever so slightly, happiness beginning to return to his heart before the Devilman finished saying what his own heart was telling him to say "Kaim…..Before i met you i didn't even believe demons were capable of kindness let alone things like empathy and altruism. Ever since Ryo first told me about your kind and ever since i became a Devilman, i thought you were nothing more than heartless monsters, creatures that lived for nothing more than battle and bloodshed. But you showed me that i was wrong about you demons all along. You are one of the kindest and noblest individuals i have ever met in my entire life, even kinder than some humans i used to know. You changed my world. You taught me that everyone deserves a second chance, even creatures who once used to be merciless warriors and killers in their previous life. And you're still my friend, no matter who you once used to be."

And all at once, what little tinge of sadness that remained completely left Kaim's heart, replaced by overwhelming joy. Even after learning about that act that brought him so much shame and self-loathing, Akira's opinion of him hadn't changed. He still was his friend, the one who had changed his view on an entire race of creatures, who taught him above everything else, that everybody deserved a chance to let go of their past and strive to become better people, regardless of whatever mistakes they may have done before. Akira had accepted his past and still maintained his kindness and friendship towards him.

Nonetheless, a suprised look replaced the happiness on Kaim's face when Akira's gentle smile left his lips for a moment as he added "And while it was regrettable that you had to take that man's life in order to live in this world, if he truly had nothing left to live for like you said, then you probably did him a favor. Believe me, i know far too well what it feels like when you have nothing left to live for. No more joy…..No more hope…..And all you're left with is despair, grief…..An unbearable loneliness…." his eyes momentarily leaving Kaim's gaze and his voice taking on a sorrowful tone, recalling Miki's death once again, and the despair that brought him.

Kaim didn't understand why his friend's mood had dropped so much, oblivious as he was to the death of Akira's first lover. But it didn't matter for not too long after saying those last words, Akira's smile returned and, as he looked into the disguised demon's brown eyes once again, he told him "But the thing is, Kaim, you are not alone and you still have plenty of reasons to live for. There are many people who care about you, people whom you have inspired with your kindness, with your altruism. Sirene loves you just as much as she loved Amon. Misaki, Kyoko and even Takeshi look up to you, almost like you're a father figure to them. And Jun?" he paused, letting out a joyful chuckle "In spite of having known you for less than three hours, she was already willing to risk her life for you. Her compassion honestly speaks for itself. So whatever you do, don't be so quick to throw away your life. You have the hearts of many backing you. And i'm happy to be one of them."

Kaim was left speechless and for the first time in a long time, he didn't even know what to say. But in his heart there was nothing but joy. He had no idea how much he had changed Akira and his view on demonkind. He only understood now that it was because of his kindhearted nature that the Devilman had come this far as a person, one that, umberknownst to him, was nowhere near as lenient in his previous life as he was now. Thus, he could only let out an awkward chuckle, close his eyes before reopening them and declaring "That is…..Nice to hear." his shy and awkward mannerisms giving away his inexperience in how humans usually interacted with each other "It truly pleases me greatly to hear all of this, Akira. It makes me even more grateful to have you as a comrade, no….As a friend."

Akira smiled even more and joyfully replied "Me too." before realising something and recalling how Kaim had not seen Sirene in eight days before they once again came across each other the day before. So as he removed his hand from Kaim's own, he asked him "Hey, remember when you told me yesterday that you didn't see Sirene in eight days because she needed some time for herself to come to terms with everything you told her when you two were reunited?"

Slightly taken aback by this question, Kaim replied "I do. Why are you asking me that?" and Akira, still with a beaming smile on his lips, saw an opportunity to further help his friend and return the favor for having brought him to his apartment and for having watched over him as he recovered from the grueling battles of the day before.

"Believe it or not, she just so happens to work in the same modelling agency Jun does." the Devilman revealed to him as he got up from his chair, causing the disguised demon's eyes to widen in astonishment "It's located in Shinjuku and it's called "Calypso Models". You could ask the guys who work there where she lives."

Kaim was once again, amazed, not just for having learned where the woman he loved actually worked but also from the fact that Akira had told him this. He quickly figured out that it was his way of thanking him for having looked after him, thus, with his smile returning on his lips, the disguised demon told his friend "Thank you for telling me that. I will go there as soon as i can."

Akira nodded in acknowledgement, before, with his smile leaving his lips, he turned around and headed towards the entrance door of the apartment, intending to take his leave. Seeing his smile dissappear, Kaim looked at him in worry and asked "Where are you going? Would it not be better if you were to stay here a bit longer in order to recover fully?"

Akira stopped just in front of the door and with a faint smile, he turned towards Kaim slighly and told him "Don't worry, i'm alright. It's just….." he paused, an expression of sadness and sorrow forming on his face "I need to be alone for a while…...A lot has happened yesterday….And i'm not even sure about what to do next after all i had to learn today and yesterday…"

That expression was all it took for Kaim to understand just how distressed Akira was and how much what happened the day before had taken its toll on him. Thus, with an empathetic look he spoke "I understand. Then, i suppose i will see you aroung. Take care." bidding him farewell for the moment.

(Soundtrack Ends)

"You too, Kaim." Akira spoke as he opened the door and left, leaving the disguised demon alone. Kaim simply stared at the door for several moments before getting up from his chair and heading towards a nearby window, gazing at the many skyscrapers of the city as well as the plaza below occupied by hundreds of people each heading off to their daily activities or to work. How he envied them: all those people walking nonchalantly without a care in the world, full of cheerfulness after the integration of those who had become different had just begun, completely oblivious to the menace that had come to haunt this world. And his heart continued to ache for Akira, pitying him for all the hardships he had to go through ever since he took Amon over.

"I cannot imagine what it was like for him…. To be dragged into that cruel and unforgiving world of violence and death in which he was never meant to belong….. But i am afraid that nothing but further pain and tragedy is waiting for him in the future….Just like all those people who were persecuted, hunted down and imprisoned simply because they became different….. It is only a matter of time before the monsters i once called my kind will plunge this world into chaos once again…...I only hope that we are not already too late…" those where the thoughts he had in his mind, as he kept observing the people in the streets below, hoping that this time things will go differently.

Meanwhile, somewhere else

She had died again.

Much like several months ago, when the very same woman who made her the way she was went as far as raping her before ending her life and casting her in the fiery pits of Hell to forever rot along with the rest of the scourge that her kind was supposed to be. And much like the last time, Jun saw nothing but darkness, a black void entirely lacking any light, a dark abyss of nothingness. But she didn't care, for she had resigned to her fate. In her quest to bring peace and equality between the humans and the beasts, she had brought back the same monsters who had taken away everything from her and so many others. Rotting once again in the fires of Hell with no way out was a most fitting punishment for having inadvertedly undone everything she had fought so hard to achieve and having brought no more than further angst and suffering to so many others.

But as it turned out, things were different this time.

"Wake up, Jun…..Wake up….."

Hearing that voice again, shocked Jun. And then, all of a sudden, a light appeared, piercing through the darkness. And in the center stood a familiar figure with green eyes and orange hair "Kazumi…?" she called out, recognising the one whom those eyes and voice belonged to, believing that she had been reunited with her in the afterlife.

"Don't be afraid….. It's not yet your time. You still have plenty of reason to live on…. You just don't know it yet…." The voice of her first lover spoke, once again encouraging her to live on. And just as she appeared, she began to fade away.

In an act of anguish, Jun extended her left arm out, trying to reach out for Kazumi's manifestation fading away "Don't go! Please! I don't want to be-" she desperately pleaded, her eyes already on the verge of tears.

But before she could finish her plead the voice spoke again "You won't be alone this time, my love. You have friends now…. Protect them….." and as most of the body of the spirit of Kazumi faded away, the last words where "And they will protect….. You….."

And before Jun could understand what was going on, the light glowed more and more before it erupted in all directions, engulfing and blinding her. After a few seconds, Jun began to reopen her eyes, but for some reason she coudn't quite grasp, she felt extremely tired, exhausted. And she shoudn't be given that she had died, or at least she believed she did.

But as her eyes slowly began to open up, she saw that, in spite of her vision being blurred, there was yet again, a pair of green eyes in front of her "K-Kazumi….?" she called out again, believing that those eyes belonged to her once more.

A completely different voice answered instead "Hey…. Can you hear me?" a feminine voice so beautiful and radiant it sounded….. angelic. And then a large, but soft hand carefully caressed her right cheek. Startled by the hand, which was much larger than a normal human one and by the voice, which was one she had never heard before, Jun immediately gasped in surprise and recoiled back, unintentionally getting into a sitting position in the process.

To her surprise, she saw that the owner of that voice, had also gasped in surprise and pulled herself back while also raising her arms up in front of her almost in a shy manner, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. For one, the woman in front of her was MUCH taller than a normal human woman, despite looking pretty much like one, to the extent that, although she was on her knees, she was still able to look Jun straight in the eyes on the same level of height. But what left Jun speechless in particular, wasn't the woman's clothing, which appeared to be a white, sleeveless robe straight out of ancient times, nor the large, folded, pristine, white wings coming from her back which, along with her robe made her look like an angel from the Christian Religion…..

No, it was the woman's face. She thought her eyes where deceiving her or that fate was playing some kind of twisted joke on her. But on that face, which was as beautiful as that of a greek statue, there was a pair of green, emerald eyes, which looked almost exactly like that of her first lover. To top it off, the woman had long, blonde hair that resembled the one Asuka had, only it was messier and of a lighter shade. But just as she was wondering why, for whatever reason, someone who looked like a cross between Kazumi and Asuka was right in front of her….

She suddenly remembered what happened the day before.

"You…...I remember you…...You were-" Jun hesitantly spoke, astonished to recognise the same woman that was held captive in the clutches on Satoru and his henchmen. Now she was just a few inches away from her and what a beautiful woman she was, even more beautiful than many models she had worked with.

"Held hostage?" the white winged woman finished for Jun, before a radiant and kind smile made its way on her lips "Yes, i was indeed. But after you lost consciousness, Kaim arrived and through a well devised gambit, he was able to free me. Afterwards, i took hold of your unconscious body and carried you away to safety."

Upon hearing this, Jun gasped in even more astonishment and as she took a look at her surroundings, she noticed that for one, she was sitting on a bed, with two blankets covering her body which, as it turned out, was naked. As she instinctively used her right hand to keep the blankets up and cover her chest, she then saw that she was in a bedroom with white walls, a locker and a writing desk adjacent on both ends of the bed respectively and a large window just above the bed where the rays of the sun shone through…..

And when she saw the familiar sight of several of Tokyo's skyscraspers through the window, it dawned on her.

"I…. I'm not dead….." Jun spoke in amazement as she touched her face, head and neck with her left hand, finally realising that for whatever reason, she was still alive "I thought i had died….."

"You came very close to it." the kind and caring voice of the angelic woman snapped her out of her mental haze and made her turn towards her "As impressive as your body's healing abilities seemed to be, a crushed throat is almost always fatal, regardless of how powerful you are. For all intents and purposes, it is a miracle that you are still among the living and i shudder to think how things would have ended had Kaim arrived even half a minute later than he did."

Jun's eyes widened and she immediately put her left hand around her throat while averting her gaze from the one in front of her, immediately remembering what had happened. How Atun crushed her throat to bits with his bare hand, his black claws actually piercing through the skin, the excruciating pain she felt…..But in spite of how downright agonizing it was, not even it could compare to the mental breakdown she felt upon learning what she had done by unwillingly relinquishing the power she used to defeat Asuka. She put her thoughts aside upon realising, to her astonishment, that there was no wound around her neck and that she could breathe normally "I don't understand…..How am i still alive when-" she wondered out loud…..

The angelic woman answered her doubts with a kind smile "Because i was the one who healed your bloodied and battered body. It was the least i could have done after all you went through yesterday." her green eyes equally filled with shining compassion. Taken by surprise even more, Jun dropped the blankets, letting her long dark brown hair fall in front of her and cover her chest slightly as she looked at her body and ran her hands on it from top to bottom, realising that there wasn't so much as a scratch on it. But as she looked at both of her arms, all she could do was gasp in utter disbelief.

"My scars…..They're gone…." was all she could say, feeling and seeing nothing more than soft, smooth skin, completely lacking the grim reminder of that grueling and hard-fought battle of several months ago that decided the fate of two races.

"Yes. I thought those sticked out like a sore thumb amidst the beauty that is your body, so i took them away with my healing powers." the literal angel joyfully proclaimed and all at once, Jun's amazement gave away to happiness. Those scars always served as a grim reminder not only of that hard-fought battle, but also of everything she had lost in order to make the integration of Beasts in human society a reality.

But now, that reminder was gone and thus, with a beautiful, joyful smile, Jun turned towards the woman in front of her, meeting her green eyes with her brown ones and spoke "Thank you. It was very kind of you to do that." expressing her gratitude for no longer having to deal with those painful memories surfacing just by looking at herself in a mirror. Then, after gazing into her emerald eyes for a few moments, her face filled itself with curiosity "Your name…..You've done so much for me and i haven't even asked your n-"

With her smile growing even more radiant, the angelic woman introduced herself before Jun could finish her sentence "It is Nike. And i am glad to have helped a noble and courageous warrior such as you, Jun." and as she did, she closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly on the left and let out a sweet giggle, somewhat surprising for a being of such celestial beauty.

In spite of being surprised by the fact that she knew her name, Jun found herself enchanted to say the least "Nike….Like the eponymous Greek Goddess of Victory…. Such a beautiful name…. For such a beautiful and kind woman…." she thought in awe and delight, having already connected with her. This Nike wasn't just utterly beautiful, but her kindness and cheerfulness, as well as her gorgeous emerald eyes made Jun feel nostalgic "She reminds me so much of her….."

Another voice, a familiar one this time, pulled her out of the trance Nike's beauty and radiance had cast on her "Well now. You two seem to be already getting along well." causing her to gasp in surprise. With her eyes wide, Jun turned towards where the voice came from, along with Nike and immediately recognised the woman that was standing with her back rested against the frame of the door and her arms folded over her chest, beneath her large breasts.

"Sirene…." Jun called out in disbelief and awe, as bewitched by the appearance of her human form as she was the day she first met her. Up until now, she had only seen her in several modelling outfits she wore when taking part in photo-shoots, advertisements or other jobs. But even with no more than a pink, long sleeved shirt with fucsia spots, black pants and no footwear whatsoever, she was still so beautiful. Her pale skin, her long, wavy white hair, those captivating azure eyes and the way her clothes hung tightly against her, highlighting her curvaceous, flawless body…...

"As a matter of fact we were!" Nike cheerfully told her fellow demoness, her smile still on her lips "I was just about to tell her where we had taken her before you came in to join us!"

Even more surprised, Jun turned towards Nike and asked "We?", beginning to wonder just where she was now, before Sirene asked her, earning her attention "How are you feeling, Jun? I trust that Nike was pretty thorough in healing your wounds?" her piercing, but calm blue eyes bearing into her brown ones.

With a slight smile, she looked away and replied "She was. She even made the scars on my arms dissappear. I got them in a grueling battle i fought many months ago…" pausing as her smile left her lips, replaced by a melacholic look "For the longest time the mere sight of them as i looked at myself in the mirror made my skin crawl…..Due to how they always reminded me of everything i went through….."

Nike looked at her in much concern due to how much her mood had suddenly dropped while Sirene's calm, emotionless expression didn't change. She had in fact heard from the many tales about her as well as from the memories of the human woman she had succesfully possessed and taken over, how the so called "Devil Lady" rose back from the fires of Hell to face the tyrannical God Child who enslaved all of Humanity under her control, robbing them of their free will while imprisoning the Beasts away, and how, in spite of the odds being in the latter's favor, she managed to vanquish that false, despotic deity after an ardous and decisive battle. That was of course before she learned that Jun was that very same entity, on top of being the same strong warrior that at one point even bested her in their confrontation from nine days ago and that only served to further cement her admiration towards her.

Nonetheless, she asked, her voice still emotionless, displaying neither interest nor concern "Let me guess: it was that so called "God Child" who gave you those scars?" causing Jun to gasp in shock, while Nike looked at her fellow demoness with a solemn look, knowing full well where this was going.

Immediately turning towards her, Jun asked "H-How do you know about her? Who told you this?" her brown eyes wide open in utter disbelief. In response, Sirene unfolded her arms from her chest, took her back off the doorframe and replied "No one did. I was aware of that tale for quite a while, in truth, ever since i took the human name and appearance of Lisa Kamitori and began to wander aimlessly in this new world, so similar, yet completely different from my original one." leaving Jun even more confused. What did she mean by those words? What did she mean by taking the name and appearance of Lisa Kamitori?

Before more questions could form in Jun's mind, Sirene continued "What i was not aware of until yesterday, was that the legendary "Devil Lady" who, according to the tale, rose back from the very fires of hell through a gigantic pillar of fire that erupted from the Earth, right from the very center of this city, challenged the God Child and vanquished it after a long and ardous battle, was you all along." her voice surprisingly filled with much reverence, taking Jun by surprise even more with the way she recalled the tale, especially when a smile crossed the pale woman's lips "The moment i first learned about the tale, i was in awe and i wondered if some day i would have crossed paths with that entity. My awe turned into admiration when i found out just yesterday that the same "Devil Lady" that shaped the very fate of this world and its people, was you, the same strong and beautiful warrior i had the honor to fight eight days ago. How strange fate can be, don't you think?" she finally proclaimed, while tilting her head to the left slightly.

Jun coudn't believe what she had just heard. Even in spite of having known her for less than a month, she quickly learned, especially after finding out what she was, that Sirene was not someone who could be easily impressed. Yet here she was, outright expressing respect and admiration towards her achievements and her beauty and strength, no longer hiding it behind her cold and emotionless exterior she had the day before. And she felt quite flattered since she was still not being used at being praised so much, due to how she had been treated in the past by some of the people in the secret organization she used to be a member of. With a select few, most people were afraid of her but she coudn't really blame them for that.

And for her part, Nike, who had witnessed the entire exchange from start to finish, was likewise greatly surprised not just because she had learned Jun's true identity as the fabled "Saviour of the Beasts" but also at the reveal that she and Sirene had faced each other in battle just eight days ago, thinking that it would have been quite a sight to behold. She was pulled out of her thoughts however, when Jun first spoke with a slight and cheerful smile on her lips "Please….You flatter me. Although, i must say that it feels nice to be praised like this. I don't get that often." surprising both demonesses with how shy and humble she sounded. Both of them thought that it was quite strange and unbecoming for someone who had achieved so much.

However the moment Jun told Sirene "But i still don't quite understand what you meant when you said that you took Lisa Kamitori's name and appearance?" with her cheerful smile leaving her lips completely, replaced by a serious and apprehensive frown, both demonesses immediately understood where this was going.

"Then we have much to talk about." Sirene solemnly declared as she headed over to a nearby wardrobe. As she opened it intending to pull out some clothes to give to Jun, she told her "But before we do that, here are some cl-…..

Only for Nike to get up on her feet, rising to her full height of 2.3 meters (which made Jun feel quite small next to her) and chime in with a cheerful smile "That will not be necessary. In fact, if you do not mind…." she spoke, earning her fellow demoness's attention before turning towards a confused Jun and proclaiming excitedly "I would like to show my newest friend here one of my abilities!" while excitedly putting both of her hands behind her back.

All Jun could do was blink twice in perplexity "Friend? She already thinks of me as a friend? But we've only just met!" she thought, while Sirene closed her eyes and sighed. Although they were close friends, not only was Nike's curiousity and cheerfulness almost completely unheard of among her fellow demons but her almost childish eagerness to show others what she could do with her powers sometimes was a bit too much for a hardened warrior like the Demon Bird. Nonetheless, she replied, her voice back to her usual cold and aloof tone "Suit yourself. In the meantime, i shall prepare something to eat." before closing the wardrobe and leaving the bedroom.

Jun had no idea where this was going, so she awkwardly asked Nike "Ehmmm, not to sound rude or anything but why did you stop Sirene from giving me some clothes? I can't exactly go around all n-"

"Don't you worry. I shall rectify that right now!" the literal angel proclaimed with a sweet and excited voice before she extended both of her hands towards Jun, outstretching her fingers. At once, a blinding white light shot up from her palms, startling the brown haired young woman and causing her to cover her eyes with her left arm. And as the light dissappeared, Nike happily exclaimed "Ta-Da! I hope they are to your liking!" while spreading her arms in such a carefree way that she almost looked like a little girl. But before Jun could ask what the tall winged woman had done, she suddenly felt something around her body. So she looked at her arm…..

And found out that a long sleeve was covering it.

Thus, she could only gasp in disbelief, get up from the bed and look down at her body which was now covered by a brown sweater and a pair of light blue trousers. Still not believing what had just happened, she touched the sweater and trousers with her hands and realised, to her complete and utter astonishment, that they were 100% real. Not only that, but she also realised that she was wearing a bra and a pair of underwear as well as a pair of sneakers and socks.

"These clothes…..They're actually real!" Jun exclaimed, beyond amazed by what she had witnessed. She then looked at Nike and asked her "H-How did you do this?" her brown eyes shaking in awe.

"Well, i am glad you asked!" Nike excitedly exclaimed, delighted to see how Jun had reacted. She always loved showing off her incredible psychic abilities and seeing the faces of others fill themselves with awe and wonder always made her feel happy and amused. Thus, she began to explain "I am actually a psychic, meaning that yes, my powers are linked to my mind and they actually revolve around the manipulation of the very fabric of reality. That, in turn, gives me a wide range of abilities and one of them is the ability to manifest my thoughts into tangible things. In other words….." she paused before her gaze shifted towards a blue alarm clock on the nearby desk. Then she brought a hand close to her, with the fingers outstretched and Jun could only watch in awe and wonder as green energy gathered around her palm before, after a flash of light, an alarm clock identical to the one on the desk appeared on her hand, fully working "I can basically create inanimate objects with my psychic energy, though this first requires me to see an identical object to the one i wish to create. More importantly, i cannot use this ability to create living creatures: they are simply too complex for me to replicate." she finally declared, her cheerful smile not leaving her lips even once in the midst of her explanation.

"Incredible….." Was all Jun could mutter out, her mouth agape, blown away by what she saw. Not even Asuka, the self proclaimed new God of this world, possessed such an ability. Even after everything she had witnessed, ever since becoming a Devilman, never would she have ever expect one day to meet someone who could create objects from nothing with no more than their mind. Just when she thought she had seen everything.

"I know, right?" Nike happily told her as she put the clock down on the same table where the other was, before beginning to leave the bedroom "As much as i would love to spend hours telling you about all the many others things i can do with my powers, i believe we have a lot to catch up to. So if you do not mind, we should go. Sirene must have already prepared breakfast." Jun did as she was told and followed Nike as she exited the room, since she was starting to feel a bit hungry.

(OST: "The funniest Shinigami" Bleach unreleased funny music )

Sirene was busy cooking the various dishes in the various pots and pans when Nike and Jun came in the dining room. The former had some difficulty bending over slightly and folding her wings in a way that would allow her to pass through the door due to how tall she was, but she eventually managed to do that, although the sight slightly amused Jun.

"These human contraptions are so complex, hehehehe…" she spoke in between awkward chuckles, making Jun chuckle as well. Nonetheless she took her seat on one of the chairs and Nike simply got on her knees on the right side of the table due to her being much taller than a normal human. It didn't take Sirene long to finish the various dishes and thus, all three women had breakfast together. Not a word passed between them as they all ate their respective dishes and Nike, in particular enjoyed Sirene's cooking a lot, in particular the homelettes with the rice and shrimp inside, as shown by the cheerful smile she had through the entire breakfast and the happy hummings she made as she ate. Even Jun had to admit that the food was pretty good.

"Mmmmmm, yummyyyy! I cannot believe i ate all of that! I did not know human food tasted so good! And i did not know you were so good at cooking, Sirene!" Nike happily exclaimed as she cleaned her mouth with a napkin before rubbing her full belly, charming Jun even more while Sirene merely replied "I am glad it was to your liking." and for a few moments, Jun just looked at her, with a slight smile on her lips and with her cheek resting on her left hand, feeling even more nostalgic than before "Kazumi would have loved to meet her….." she thought, happy to have met such a cheerful and likeable woman.

(Soundtrack ends)

"Jun." Sirene's firm and emotionless voice pulled her out of her trance and got Nike's attention "You wished to know what i meant when i said that i took the name and appearance of Lisa Kamitori?" making the happiness on her face dissappear, replaced by a mix of seriousness and apprehension. Nonetheless, she simply nodded and Sirene, after taking a sip from her cup of tea, declared "Very well then. But you may not like what i am about to tell you." as she prepared to begin her explanation.

To say that Jun was shocked was an understatement.

Finding out that the demons had been sent to Hell after their death by none other than God himself sent shivers down her spine since she had been to that same exact place herself, courtesy of Asuka. The mere thought that even in another universe, such a horrific dimension existed greatly disturbed her, even if the brief time she spent in her universe's own version of Hell was nothing compared to the 20 years of torment and agony Sirene and some of the other demons had to endure. And in a way, it made Jun feel sorry for the Demon Bird: as misguided as she was, even she did not deserve all those years of suffering. However, the revelation that upon being sent to Hell, the demons lost their original human disguises, in other words, the humans they took over by possession in order to acquire a disguise to use in order to infiltrate the world of humans and the fact that Sirene's current appearance was that of a human, could only mean one thing…..

"Why, Sirene? How could you just take that woman over like that?! She had a life, her own life! And you just-" Jun almost exclaimed, outraged by what she had heard. Having already heard from Akira how demon possession worked, it didn't take much for her to deduce that the weaker of the two souls involved in a possession basically died as the stronger one took over the body.

"I can understand why that would upset you, Jun." Sirene interrupted her before she could finish her sentence "But think of it like this: had i not taken over Lisa Kamitori as well as her former apartment in which we are now, i could not have able to live in this world as a human. It was simply a matter of survival. And make no mistake, as much as i never really thought much about humans, robbing one of them of its life for no other reason than my own personal gain was not something i enjoyed." while Jun listened, the initial anger she felt upon realising that Sirene had actually killed "Lisa" by taking her over when she possessed her, fading away momentarily.

"I am a warrior, Jun. I have always only lived for the thrill of battle but that does not mean that i never had my own code of honor. I never harmed those who could not fight back, because there was no challenge, nothing to be gained in taking their lives. Amon taught me that." the disguised Demon Bird proclaimed, to which Nike smiled, heartwarmed to be reminded of what a righteous and noble soul the demon she loved was, to have shaped Sirene in the bloodthirsty but honorable warrior she was. Jun's expression on the other hand, remained the same, one of distrust and antagonism, although part of her did wonder what kind of individual Amon truly was. Obviously, the fact that Sirene spoke of him with so much reverence meant that he was more than just a ruthless warrior.

(OST: "Pathos" = Devilman Lady soundtrack )

That all changed when Sirene's usually cold and emotionless expression turned into one of regret and sadness "But on that day, 20 years ago, i went against everything i stood for. I did not care how far i was willing to fall, all i wanted was to kill the human who had taken away the demon that meant the most to me, the one who shaped me into who i am now." Jun's eyes widened slightly in astonishment upon hearing those words, filled with nothing but shame which made her realise that she was telling her of the day she fought Akira back in her original world.

"My own desire for vengeance was my very undoing. I hurt and killed many people who were not deserving simply because they were in the way. But more importantly….." Jun could only look at the woman who sat in front of her in incredulity as soon as she saw her visibly biting her lower lip, her azure eyes trembling in self-loathing "Kaim died because of me. He gave his body to me because he loved me, because he could not bear to see me on the brink of death, my beautiful body torn apart, impaled by my own talons…." she declared, sending a chill down both Jun and Nike's spines, both of them left downright awe-struck upon hearing that again. To give your own body for somebody else's sake…. If that wasn't an act of love, they didn't know what was.

"But, as it turned out, he gave his life away for nothing. Akira Fudo was never the one truly at fault for what happened to Amon. Rather, it was Satan's doing, because he wanted to have that human at his side after the humans would have been wiped out. He knew full well that the pure heart of that human would have been powerful enough to take even Amon over. And that meant…." Sirene paused, a single tear falling from her left eye, her voice cracking slightly "That all the underhanded, dishonorable actions i committed that day were all for nothing. And ever since Kaim revealed all of that to me nine days ago, not one day has gone by in which i have not felt regret and shame for everything i have done…..For having hurt so many who were not deserving…...For having taken over this human woman for my own selfish desires….. " finally she looked at Jun and finished by saying "For what i was about to do to you, Jun…"

The Devil Lady and the former lover of Amon had to rethink their entire images of Sirene. Seeing the sheer amount of guilt and pain on her face as she expressed her shame and self-hatred for everything she had done in her quest of vengeance made Jun realise that maybe, just maybe, they were much more alike than she had thought. She knew from the moment she apologised to her the day before that her words were sincere: and her later actions that day were already enough for Jun to forgive her for what she was about to do to her the night they fought.

Nike, on the other hand, having already been informed of all of this by Sirene before Jun woke up from her unconsciousness, was greatly saddened to see the legendary Demon Bird in such a saddened and remorseful state but it warmed her heart to once again see that she was always much more than a bloodthirsty but honorable warrior. She was a sentient being just like her and as such, she could understand and feel even the most positive of emotions, something which many demons simply laughed at, viewing those emotions as a weakness.

"Sirene….." Jun soothingly called out, what little resentment she may have felt towards her gone, replaced by nothing but pity and compassion. With her cold facade now gone, she could see Sirene for who she really was: a broken woman who had been blinded by the pain of having lost the one who mattered to her the most. She was so much like her: Jun already knew it when she glimpsed her sorrow in her azure eyes, just as she prepared to finish her off. That was already enough for her to figure out that she shared her same pain. What she didn't expect, was for her to have come to hate herself for all the sins she had committed in the past, a feeling she knew far too well, given how much she had come to be so ashamed of herself in the past, of what she had become.

Lowering her head down in shame once more, Sirene continued "Part of me wants to lie and hide behind the fact that i was not aware of Satan's involvement in Amon's fate…..But i would be a fool to do that. In my heart i know that even if i knew the truth, i would have acted no differently. I was simply too prideful. Jun….." Sirene paused and turned her head away, closing her eyes "The fact that you can even look at me right now, after everything i have done is a testament to your resolve. But i cannot ask you for forgiveness, not after i-"

"Sirene, look at me." Jun firmly proclaimed and in an act that took her completely by surprise, she gently put her left hand on Sirene's right one, making her gasp slightly and look at her former enemy in stunned silence. In her brown eyes there was not a hint of bitterness or anger. No, her eyes shined with resolve and compassion as she began to speak "I knew it the moment i witnessed just how much sadness and sorrow your eyes carried after i momentarily gained the upper hand in our battle, that you had suffered. Believe me, i have seen that look far too many times to mistake it." she then paused for a brief moment, her expression softening "You were hurt. You no longer knew what was right anymore, even when we met again yesterday. You may have hidden it with your cold facade but i knew your heart was still torn in two by the remorse of what you had done."

Sirene was left so astounded, she didn't even know what to say in return. She coudn't believe just how much Jun understood her. But that look of pity and empathy on her brown eyes said it all and Nike coudn't help but look at the brown haired young woman in awe "She…. She fully understands her….. It is said that your enemy cannot be known until you fight them…. It is a trait of strong warriors…. The fact that she is also an empathetic person speaks for itself….." Nike thought, recognising in Jun not just the same iron will Amon had, but also his ability to empathise with others.

"Jun….." Sirene called out, her azure eyes shaking in a mix of awe, affection and sadness. She coudn't believe it: her former enemy was able to read her like a book. She had fully understood her. She could see it in her brown eyes now: they held the same pain and regret the Demon Bird had come to harbour even before she learned the truth, when she rotted for two whole decades in the unforgiving fires of Hell.

"I never hated you for what happened, Sirene. I just coudn't. You and i may have started off with the wrong foot, but we have been through the same pain: we have both lost the person we cared about the most." Jun told her with a heavy and sorrowful voice before, with a slight smile, she continued "But the past is the past. You are no longer the same woman you once were." remembering what Akira had told her as he comforted her when she gave in to her despair upon learning the truth about Asuka's true intentions. She then glanced towards Nike for a moment before looking into Sirene's blue eyes and finally declaring "And i'm sure both Kaim and Nike woudn't want to see you like this. And neither do i. So please, let go of the past. After all, i have already forgiven you." Nike coudn't help but smile in joy at Jun's display of kindness and forgiveness. It made her all the more glad to have met her. Still, it greatly saddened her to know that, much like her, Jun had also lost the person she loved the most. And unfortunately for her, she saw it with her own eyes when she read Higa and Izumi's memories.

"Jun….." Sirene called out again, almost moved to tears by Jun's heartfelt and compassionate words. In her previous life, she used to look down on things like compassion and empathy, yet here she was, her heart conquered by very same emotions she used to dismiss as useless. She then closed her eyes, shook her head and replied "I used to look down on things like empathy and compassion. I thought they were worthless emotions, something only the weak could feel but you proved me wrong." she then paused, reopened her eyes and with a joyful smile, she declared "Thank you. I will never forget your kindness. You taught me that even it, is invaluable to a warrior and for that, i will be forever grateful to you." remembering what also happened the day before. How that dark green-haired Devilman girl stood up for her when many of those beasts, mere minutes after being freed from their cages, were distrustful of her. How her kindness touched Sirene and all those other beasts and inspired them to follow the Demon Bird as she led them to safety. And now Jun's declaration of forgiveness had finally made her realise once and for all just how wrong she was to dismiss those emotions as worthless.

Jun smiled, heartwarmed to know just how big of a role she had in changing a woman who once was a bloodthirsty and ruthless warrior. She was even more glad to have spared her and allow her to become the woman she never was in her previous life. As for Nike, what her emerald eyes had seen made her heart fill with unbridled joy. Even though she was always a friend of hers, she could have never thought that Sirene could change: she was always too stubborn and prideful to do that and yet here, Jun had accomplished that, something not even Amon could. With a soothing look, she spoke "You have a good heart, Jun." earning her attention "Honestly, i find it awe-inspiring that you've managed to keep it even after all the hell you have been through." she lowered her gaze down as her face filled itself with sadness "Even after all that you have lost….That poor girl…."

(Soundtrack ends)

Those words nearly made Jun jump on her feet. With a look of incredulity and shock, she asked "H-How do you know Kazumi?!" immediately realising who Nike was referring to, while Sirene simply watched in confusion, not understanding where this was going since she didn't know who Kazumi was. However, the former lover of Amon knew that she had said something she shoudn't have said, but she coudn't help it. Those two memories she had seen when she read the memories of the Crusaders of Fire and Ice hit her like a truck. Seeing that poor girl having to witness the woman she loved being merciless tortured in front of her own eyes and then seeing that same girl giving away her own life for Jun's sake was harrowing for Nike, even more so when she learned that Amon was forever gone.

But she had to know. She deserved that much after all that happened the day before. Thus, reluctantly, Nike kept her gaze down in guilt and began to speak while Jun and Sirene listened "Ever since i first laid my eyes upon you from the tower of that edifice in which i was imprisoned, i was…..Fascinated. You looked so much like Amon. Then i saw just how much…..Anger and hatred you felt when you saw that cruel boy and his henchmen again…. And for some reason, i wanted to know what was it that those monsters had taken away from you so i read their memories. And-"

"You can read other people's memories?" Jun asked, interrupting the literal angel mid speech, while hiding her surprise as she heard just how much the former lover of Amon had been enthralled by her appearance alone, which did not come off as a surprise to Sirene: after all, with or without its resemblance to Amon, Jun's demonic body looked just as beautiful as it was powerful.

"Yes. It i another of my abilities. All i need in order to read others's memories is touching them or allow them to touch me." Nike explained, her voice still heavy with sorrow "And what i saw from those monsters's memories….. It nearly broke my heart."

"What did you see?" Sirene asked, wanting to know what was it that had left her fellow demoness so saddened and for a moment, Nike's lips trembled. She didn't want to tell the other two women about it, especially Jun. But there was nothing she could do about it. Thus, she began to speak "There were two memories i was able to find. The first one….." she paused for a brief moment, her green eyes shaking before she turned towards Jun and told her "Showed you, impaled on the wall of a skyscraper's penthouse by what appeared to be many large ice shards, that monstrous Satoru and his henchmen surrounding you, torturing you without a shred of mercy….." her voice trembling with each word she spoke before finally declaring "And that young girl with green eyes and orange hair, forced to watch that brutal torture unfold before her eyes….."

Jun's eyes widened in dismay and she gasped in so much shock that for a moment she stopped breathing. She coudn't believe it. She refused to. But the truth was, that Nike had been able to see with her own eyes the exact moment in which Satoru's henchmen nearly tortured her to death in front of Kazumi's eyes, the anguish and horror the girl felt causing her to turn into a beast and lose her humanity.

"You saw Kazumi…..Through those memories…." she hesitantly spoke, still aghast from this revelation, earning a nod from the angelic woman. But before she could continue her explanation, Sirene chimed in and asked "Who was she? An acquaintance of yours, Jun?" causing Jun to gasp once more. And just like that, she found herself between two walls: there was no escaping it. She had to tell both demonesses her past in full. All the pain, all the anguish, all the grief…..All of it.

Thus, after taking a deep breath, Jun answered, lowering her head downwards slightly "Yes….A former acquaintance that is….." and the moment she began to speak, her voice already trembling, a sudden wave of guilt washed over Nike, for having caused Jun to relive all those painful memories once again. But, nonetheless, Jun resolved to continue her recollection and therefore, she began "I guess i should start from the beginning…."

And for the next five minutes she proceeded to tell Sirene and Nike a brief summary of her life. How she had been raised by her mother, father and grandfather in the countryside of Kanto. How it was her own decision to leave the village that had been her home for so long to start her career in the world of fashion modelling, something that always fascinated her even before starting High School. To Sirene this was nothing particularly interesting but Nike was quite happy to learn that Jun had quite the normal, happy and comfortable life before she decided to leave the village she used to call home in order to pursue her interests.

"I first met Kazumi when she accidentally entered my locker room when i was preparing for a photo-shoot at the Agency. Back then, she was still in High School but like me, she also always had a great passion for fashion modelling and she had just started getting into it. We ended up doing the shoot together after she told me that she was a big fan of me." Jun explained, fondly recalling those memories, some of the best of her entire life "She said that i had this mature radiance not many models had and that i wasn't one to let others dictate who or what i should be." she added, a faint smile making its way on her lips "We were friends ever since, from that day on…..."

"She must have been a wonderful person, i presume." Nike remarked, a faint smile also appearing on her lips and in response, Jun turned towards her, and with her smile growing ever so slightly, she told her "I'm sure she would have loved to meet you, Nike. Like you, she was always so cheerful and upbeat, not to mention kind and caring." before averting her gaze from her and declaring "Just being with her always brought me so much warmth and no matter how many obstacles she knew she would have faced in her career, she always moved on with a smile on her face. I knew she always had what it took to be a model and i'm sure she would have enjoyed a good career….." her eyes shaking in ever so slight happiness. For as painful as it was to recall those memories, they also brought Jun much warmth given how wonderful her time spent with Kazumi was.

Sirene was surprised to learn that Kazumi was an aspiring model much like how she and Jun were. But she had already figured out what must have happened, otherwise Kazumi would have been with them to talk about it "But it was not meant to be, right?" she stoically asked, her arms folded over her chest, breaking Jun out of her fond remembrance.

She answered, after nodding, "Yeah. As the months went by, every day became pretty much the same. I would go to work, finish in the evening, Kazumi would either call me, ask me to accompany her home or invite me to dinner. That was, until…" the words caught up in her throat as she recalled the moment she met Asuka for the first time, just outside that Subway passage. The memories of that day, or rather, night, would keep haunting Jun ever since. But eventually she managed to utter "I met her…..Lan Asuka….." causing both Sirene and Nike's eyes to widen, especially the former. She then proceeded to tell both demonesses of how that fated meeting happened. How Asuka had come right at her doorstep after seeing her just outside the Subway passage. How the imposing blonde woman bore her piercing blue, never wavering eyes onto her brown ones and convinced her to follow her, as if she had cast a spell upon her.

"But why? You knew right from the start that something was not right about her. Why did you follow her?" Nike asked Jun, not understanding why the latter would have followed a complete stranger who had not only stalked her, but also knew her name and address.

"To this day, i still don't know for sure. But like she said, i probably did that instinctually. Like she said, a beast may have indeed always reside within me and all it needed was a way out. And in a way, Asuka did give it the opportunity to express itself for the first time….." Jun replied, her voice already shaking. She did not want to tell the two demonesses what happened after she entered that warehouse on the docks of the Bay. It brought back all the pain and horror of that night….

But Sirene's inquisitive and calm voice compelled her to do so "Jun. What happened?" she asked, surprisingly showing much concern which did serve as a source of comfort for Jun.

(OST: "Recollection 2" = Bleach Soundtrack )

Nonetheless, Jun lowered her head and although her brown eyes were shaking in utter pain and grief, she began to speak "She took me in one of the many warehouses around the docks of the Bay. She locked me inside and i soon realised that i wasn't alone. There was also a man….. locked in chains to a support pole of the warehouse…..That man…." she paused, her lips trembling as she recalled how that grey haired man with blue eyes, defying the impossible, transformed into basically a werewolf and shattered his chains with a mighty, beastial roar "Was a Beast…..The first one i ever met….."

Sirene and Nike's eyes widened in pure shock and disbelief but before they could voice their stupor, Jun shakingly continued her recollection "It wasted no time. Its claws cut deep into my back as i begged Asuka to open the door i had been locked into. I….." she momentarily stopped speaking as she recalled it all at once. The unspeakable pain as the wolf beast's hellish claws cut deep into her back. The sheer horror in witnessing something straight out of nightmarish tales about to end her life, viewing her with nothing but contempt and apathy, the same way an animal would view its food. The terror she felt as her cries and pleas fell on deaf ears and instead, Asuka's cold voice encouraged her to kill it, to not let it kill her…..To awaken.

"You breathe his scent and yet you still try to remain who you are, Jun Fudo?"

Back then she had no idea what those cold, mysterious and almost mocking words could have meant, but now? She could feel nothing but pure hatred as she recalled those words, courtesy of having discovered just the day before, what Asuka's true intentions were all along. The mere fact that she had put her through such an ordeal mere hours after meeting her, made her blood boil in disgust.

Nonetheless, with her lips trembling, Jun continued "I had never been so terrified in my entire life before and since that night….. I had never felt so utterly powerless…..But then, as i laid down limp, covered in my own blood, at that creature's mercy, as i felt my life slowly leaving my body…" she paused, before lifting her head up, looking straight into Sirene's blue eyes and declaring "It happened for the first time."

By now, Nike had been left so horrified by what she had heard that she covered her mouth with one of her hands while her emerald eyes shaked in great dismay. She coudn't even fathom why someone could have even thought of doing something so cruel. But before she could speak, Sirene beat her to it when she spoke "I see…..It was at that precise moment that you became what you are now….." still finding it hard to believe that this was exactly how the Devil Lady came to be.

"Y-Yes…" Jun weakly replied as she took her gaze away from Sirene's once more "I thought it was all a nightmare when i woke up the day after…..But then i remembered it all….." her voice now trembling as she looked at her hands, the same way she did after she regained her sanity after viciously mauling the wolf beast that was about to kill her "How the agonizing pain i had, vanished as soon as i transformed for the first time… How i tore that beast apart with my own hands… How i just looked at myself in horror, refusing to believe what i had become….. But you know what was it that horrified me the most?"

Both demonesses shook their heads.

"When i transformed…..When i dug my claws into that beast's flesh…..When i tore it apart…." Jun had to bite her lower lip and she was mere moments away from breaking down in tears as she turned towards Nike and shakingly declared "I enjoyed it….." causing the demoness's emerald eyes to widen even more due to how much grief Jun's voice now carried.

"You…..Enjoyed it?" the literal angel hesitantly repeated, now even more shocked than before, since she had no idea that someone as kind and gentle as Jun would have been capable of something like that.

In response, Jun turned her head away and close her eyes in shame as she answered "I coudn't help it…...I felt…..Powerful…..Unstoppable…..As if i was being born again….. As if Jun Fudo was merely a superficial shell, a flimsy disguise that in that moment, was ripped off to reveal the real me, who had lied dormant inside all my life….." then, with her lips trembling even more upon recalling how she felt the day after her first transformation, she added "When the full reality of what happened that night sank upon me as i woke up the day after…. I wanted to kill myself…. I was too horrified by what i had become and what i had done….. But i coudn't do it….. And that was only the beginning….."

And so, Jun proceeded to recount everything that happened after that nightmarish night. How Asuka recruited her in the Human Alliance. How she lied to her all along and used her as a hunting dog to kill other beasts, who unlike her, had completely lost their humanity, their reason. How in those months she had come to view herself as a monster, believing that it would only have been a matter of time before she would have lost herself completely, which she would have, had it not been for Kazumi and to a lesser extent, Yuasa, the two people closest to her. How Satoru and many others beasts she fought constantly ridiculed her and called her a traitor, who had refused to evolve just like the rest of Beastkind. And finally, the reveal that Asuka had manipulated her all along for her own selfish goals, this after the many times she toyed with her emotions and exploited the relationship that had nonetheless begun between them. She even told them that it was Asuka, who killed her and sent her in the pits of Hell to forever rot: however she coudn't bring herself to tell the two demonesses that how Asuka gleefully took her time paralising her with her psychic powers and raping her before ending her life. It was too painful.

And by the time Jun finished, Sirene's mouth was agape in shock. She had to rethink her entire image of her former enemy. She didn't know that a part of Jun actually enjoyed the power she possessed as well as the fact that, as shown by the sheer amount of sorrow and self-loathing her face and voice had, that said power utterly terrified her. Never would she have imagined that Jun actually had to go through such a hellish struggle between her humanity and her beastly instincts, chief among them, her lust for blood and her enjoyment of battle. Those were two integral parts of Sirene's being, what defined her, what she had always lived for and yet not only had Jun come to possess those tendencies, she had always been scared of them, of what they were turning her into, something she was never meant to be in the first place. And that, coupled with the fact that the way Asuka had manipulated her from the very beginning only to then dispose of her when she had outlived her usefulness, reminded her of how Satan had callously sacrificed Amon just so he could have Akira at his side when the Humans would have been extinguished, made Sirene for the first time feel sorry for Jun, for everything she had been through: she was a victim, a unwilling pawn all along, just like her.

Nike on the other hand not only was heartbroken to hear all that Jun had been through, but she coudn't help but feel angry. Angry for everything that vile Lan Asuka put her through, from turning her into a supposed monster, forcing her to kill others, filling her head with lies in order to make her believe that it was all for the good of manking only to then reveal that she had manipulated her from the very beginning to evolve into a supposed God and rule over the world.

"How cruel…." Nike spoke, her eyes staring downwards, surprising both Jun and Sirene with how much…..Anger her voice contained.

"Nike?" the Demon Bird asked her and she had to watch in incredulity as Nike's lips began to tremble and she actually had to ball her hands into fist to keep herself from losing it "How could someone even….. T-think of doing something even close to that to another person….. It's….. It's wrong!" she exclaimed, shutting her eyes while a single tear actually fell from her left eye.

Jun coudn't believe it. Nike had been so affected by hearing her backstory that she had actually shed a tear for her. It was almost unbeliavable that despite having met each other literally only a couple hours ago, that the angelic woman would go as far as shedding a tear for her after hearing her backstory but the sheer pain and sorrow in her voice was a dead give-away. And Jun thought Yuasa could be empathetic and emotional.

"Nike…" she called out, empassioned by what she had seen but not understanding why the demoness looked away from her as soon as she called out her name "I'm so sorry….. I…. I didn't know you had to go through so much…. I'm sorry….." Nike weakly replied, her voice gradually cracking before actually breaking down in tears and burying her face in her hands much to the confusion of Jun and Sirene. Even the latter though this was strange: sure, she always knew that Nike would often get extremely emotional over even simpler matters but to this extent for someone she had only just met a couple hours ago? There clearly was more to it.

Wanting to find out if that was the case, she asked her "Nike, you said that there were two memories you were able to see from the minds of your captors. What did the second one show?" causing her fellow demoness to lift her head up. She quickly saw Jun looking at her in concern due to how much sorrow and agitation her normally joyful emerald eyes now had. She looked away again…..

Only for Jun to reach out for her right hand, placing one of her own into it which made Nike look into her brown eyes as she reassured her "It's okay. You can tell me." her soothing and calm voice calming the literal angel slightly. But she knew that by telling her what she had seen would only bring back quite possibly the memory of quite possibly the most painful moment in Jun's life.

But there was no escaping it. So, after turning away from her again, she reluctantly spoke "It….It was….." the words catching up in her throat as hesitation overtook her for a moment before inevitably saying "It was the moment that girl, Kazumi died, protecting you from that terrible white winged beast." shutting her eyes out of guilt as she did so.

Jun recoiled back, her mouth agape in shock "Y-You saw that?" she hesitantly asked while Sirene simply looked at Nike with a look of surprise "Yes, i have….. And it made me feel so…. Hopeless. That valiant girl fought that white winged, red eyed beast without a moment of hesitation…. But the outcome was inevitable…. The agony on her face as she was struck down…. I will never forget that." the angelic demoness sorrowfully explained.

It didn't take long for Sirene to also figure out that Kazumi had died, otherwise she could have been here with them. But to learn that she had given her life to protect Jun was astonishing to her and, on top of that, when Nike spoke of a certain white skinned winged beast with red eyes, Sirene immediately knew who she was referring to, since she had fought her within the dark corridors of that accursed mansion "So it was her…. That damned Swan Beast that could bring back the dead…. What cruel irony…. I had fought the very same murderer of Jun's friend and i was completely oblivious to it…." she thought as she recalled that battle, one she had greatly enjoyed. But after seeing the look of horror and pain on Jun's face as soon as Nike told her made her hope that Izumi had died for real. She wasn't able to make sure of that because of the matter at hand, which was saving all those people held within the Crusaders's lair.

She and Nike could only watch as she balled her hands into fists and declared "Kazumi…. As horrifying as it all was for me to go through all i went through…. It was even worse for her." taking the two demonesses aback once more. Both of them were in for an even greater shock when Jun explained, her lips and brown eyes trembling "Her parents…. Were murdered by beasts sent by Satoru, all because in their eyes, i was a traitor to their kind and as such, i deserved to be punished. Fortunately i was able to arrive in time to save her from the two beasts he sent after her but by the time i arrived it was too late for her parents….." her voice filling with anger, the events of that night, only mere days after her awakening, still fresh in her mind, as if they happened yesterday.

Nike and Sirene were equally shocked and outraged that Satoru had stooped as low as hurting Kazumi and her family who had nothing to do with Jun's supposed betrayal, all in order to punish her. However their anger was replaced by even more sadness as Jun continued to recall what happened after that fateful night "And that was only the beginning of the hardships Kazumi had to go through. With her parents dead and her house destroyed, she had nowhere else to go, so i took her in and gave her a place to stay in my apartment." the words caught up in her throat for a moment due to the sorrow she felt upon recalling those hard days in which her life constantly alternated between spending time with Kazumi at her house, at work, or going out to hunt down beasts during the night "It was hard, you know. Having to look after Kazumi while also having to hide what i had become from her, what i was doing… We…. We even argued several times…." she spoke, in particular remembering the night in which Kazumi peeked on her while she was taking a shower, umberknownst to her because on that day she had met with Sakazawa who had warned her to not trust her and keep an eye on her. Jun's subsequent scolding of Kazumi that night, in part also because she had been dealing with that hideous beast with dozens and dozens of eyes that resembled the mythical creature Argus from Greek Mythology, that had begun stalking her for several days, was one of the things that came the most at straining their relationship, especially since it was a time in which they were both unsure of how they really felt about each other.

"But it was during that time that our relationship slowly but surely began to evolve into love." she proclaimed, which made the two demonesses's eyes go wide. They coudn't believe that she and Kazumi were in love but they both could only watch as Jun finally began to cry "But eventually we became separated…. We were only reunited after she was captured as used as a bait to lure me in to….. to…." but as soon as the events of the night she was nearly tortured to death in front of Kazumi's eyes, she coudn't take it anymore. She fully broke down in tears, her words replaced by sorrowful cries and she buried her head in her arms as soon as she put them on the table.

Overcome by sorrow, Nike scooted closer to Jun and hugged her from the left, pulling her in a comforting embrace and the brown haired young woman immediately pulled herself from the table, turned towards the literal angel and buried herself on her, crying even more than before. No more words were needed by Nike to understand how it all ended for she had seen it herself through those two terrible memories.

"It's okay. I'm here." she soothingly tried to reassure Jun while gently caressing her long dark brown hair and while Jun tightly held on Nike's robe as she buried herself deeper and deeper in the embrace "I-It was all my f-fault…. I brought them back….. I needed that power i acquired in Hell to defeat Asuka….. But it was comprised of all the souls of the beasts i killed….. And by forsaking it, i…." Jun weakly tried to speak, her voice completely cracked, only for Nike to tenderly hush "Ssshhhhh….." while cradling her even more. But her comforting behaviour was not enough to hide the few tears that also descended from her emerald eyes "How horrible…. I cannot even imagine how awful it must have been for both of them…. Especially for Jun, who had to watch Kazumi die in her arms….." she thought, heartbroken not just to have now learned just how painful it was for both of them but for the fact that by forsaking the very power she used to defeat Asuka, she had unwillingly brought back those monsters from the dead.

"Jun….." was all Sirene could say, saddened not just by that terrible revelation, but to also have finally realised that, much like her and Nike, she shared her same pain: having lost the person she loved the most. It made her heart ache to see her, such a noble and courageous warrior, like this, in such a broken, vulnerable state. And seeing Nike being so deeply affected just by having learned about her past and the how wasted no time comforting the grieving Jun, put a slight amount of comfort in her heart.

"I…..I thought….. That with Akira…. I could have begun living again…. I thought i could have been happy again….. But….." Jun weakly let out as she pulled herself slightly from Nike, her gaze still down, avoiding the literal angel's own "It never ends….. No matter what i do…. No matter the decisions i make….. Others always get hurt because of me…. Because of what i am…." she proclaimed as she slowly pulled herself out of Nike's embrace, much to her chagrin, and stood back up, her head still lowered down in guilt and sorrow.

"Jun, that is not true." Nike firmly countered as the brown haired young woman turned around and began to walk towards the apartment's door, but as she did, Nike also rose up on her full height, towering over her and exclaimed "You may have lost everything, but you have given countless people their freedom! They would not have a future because of you! You can't just….."

(Soundtrack ends)

"Yes, i have to!" Jun suddenly yelled, silencing a shocked Nike, before her voice calmed down "I have to fix this alone. It's my responsibility and mine alone. I don't know if i'll ever be able to bear the sight of people getting hurt because of me again. I'm sorry." she solemnly proclaimed with her head still down, while also apologising for having yelled to her newest friend. Finally, she looked at Sirene and asked her " The people held prisoner in that mansion…. Did they all make it out alive?"

The Demon Bird merely replied "Yes, they have. Kaim made sure they did." assuring Jun that they all survived. Well, all except for one, the goat beast called Inosuke, something Sirene had omitted in order to not make Jun's mood drop even more. In response Jun, simply nodded in acknowledgement but as she began to take her leave, a greatly worried Nike exclaimed again "Wait! I-"

"Let her go."

Sirene's emotionless words cut Nike off, stopping her in her tracks, allowing Jun to close the door and leave. Turning towards her, the angelic demoness asked "Why did you do that? Why did you let her go?" not understanding why she had allowed Jun to leave.

"It is obvious, Nike. She needs some time alone to fully come to terms with what has happened yesterday and all the implications that come from it." she then turned towards her and asked "Did you not see how her eyes were filled with so much resolution and conviction? Those were the eyes of a true warrior, Nike. And like all warriors, she needs some time alone to prepare for the hardships to come." her tone as emotionless as it usually was, hiding her newfound admiration for Jun: in spite of everything she had gone through, her resolve still remained the same.

"I know, but…." Nike sorrowfully replied as she clutched her chest with both her hands, her emerald eyes gazing downwards "I just wanted to do something…..Anything, to ease her pain…."

"There is nothing you or i can do about it. You may have healed her physical scars….." Sirene simply replied as she also got up and after walking towards one of the windows of the apartment, she moved the curtain away, revealing the streets beneath. And as Nike came alongside Sirene's human form, she spotted Jun, walking away from the aparment, wandering off into the streets.

"But some scars will never heal, no matter how much time passes." Sirene solemnly declared as the two demonesses gloomily observed Jun as she dissappearing through the crowd.