Ace up the sleeve

The first thing Miku did was move silently through the apartment.

Any plans Kiyohime had for the future were destroyed in an instant by that lunatic, who seemed to enjoy himself as he took the lives of the girls. Even now, Kiyohime's chances of survival were slim, but they weren't zero.

"Come on, you're the last one left. The sooner you make this easy for me, the sooner I can get back and claim my pay." He said, cheerful as ever.

Once he got paid, he'd buy some chocolate donuts.

Desmon's footsteps echoed throughout the place, getting closer and closer, as if he had known their exact locations from the very beginning. That would explain how he found them so easily. His ability to detect presences should never be underestimated.

With remarkable agility, Miku darted toward one of the farthest apartments. The place was littered with the remains of a kind elderly woman who had been living there only minutes ago. Blood stained even the photograph of an old man resting on what appeared to be a small family altar.

Kiyohime hadn't shown mercy to anyone. Whoever lived in the neighboring apartments wasn't part of this world anymore. To her, they were just toys to play with.

And now, ironically, the situation had reversed; Desmon was hunting her.

-This spot will do...

"I know you're there. Come out already." Miku said with a confident smile.

"And here I thought I could add some suspense," Desmon replied, leaning against the doorway before stepping inside. "You've stopped running. Guess you've accepted your fate." He added, amused.

He began swinging his sword in a relaxed manner, as if to say, this ends here and now.

"Remember this: even if you manage to kill me, I won't disappear! When I come back for you, I'll kill you in the cruelest way possible!" Miku screamed, her voice dripping with anger and hatred.

"You sure talk a lot for a demon. Now I understand why that guy abandoned you. Hahaha!" Desmon chuckled.

Just a quick search online was enough to dig up information about Kiyohime's origins; something Desmon had done while on his way here. He was skilled at multitasking.

"You bastard! You have no right to mention my beloved, you filthy hybrid!"

"Wow, that's racist. Why do all demons judge me without even getting to know me...?"

Is it unfair to be treated as a pariah by other demons?

Every demon capable of speech hurled insults at him over his origins. At least the non-speaking ones only wanted to kill him without judgment.

-Isn't there a ministry for demons who verbally abuse others?

Such an out-of-place thought perfectly reflected how little the demon hunter cared about the situation.

"You're an abomination that shouldn't even exist! Every demon knows that!"

"Keep talking like that, and I might cry..."

Desmon's wide grin, so at odds with his words, remained fixed as he closed the distance, aiming to drive Alastor into Miku's chest.

This was exactly what Kiyohime had expected. Desmon was playing into her hands.

-What an idiot.

Using the opening created by Desmon stabbing Miku, Kiyohime planned her escape. The apartment was near a highway, and she could use the chaos and destruction she'd cause among humans as a distraction to get away. It was a feasible plan since Desmon would be forced to protect innocent bystanders first. So... why was the demon's true form suddenly filled with confusion?

"Impossible…!"

Desmon's sword, which appeared to be heading straight for Miku's chest, shifted at the last second, plunging instead into Kiyohime's real body as it emerged from Miku to make her escape.

Like any demon, Kiyohime had a true form. By possessing the girls, her body merged with theirs, turning them into disposable vessels and making her partially immortal; until the vessels were destroyed.

Kiyohime's plan should have worked. She would have escaped with her true body right as Desmon killed Miku, using the opening to find new vessels and plan her revenge in the future.

"Unlike those other four, you're truly ugly. If I keep looking at you, I might turn to stone."

Kiyohime's true body was long and coiled, covered in glistening scales like a massive snake. The upper half of her body retained a humanoid shape, her face twisted in fury, her burning eyes brimming with hatred, and her sharp fangs bared. Her long, dark hair seemed to move of its own accord. Meanwhile, the lower half of her body was purely serpentine, with a thick, flexible tail that twisted and lashed out with practiced ease.

In short, her appearance is terrifying; a perfect mix of woman and snake; but that's not the whole truth.

"How did you know!?" She screamed in rage.

"Know what? Your biography? It's on Wikipedia." He replied smugly.

The most powerful weapon Desmon has? That's right: the internet.

"You didn't answer my question!"

Kiyohime slowly backed away, dark blood spilling from the gaping wound in her chest caused by Alastor.

"Are you wondering why I didn't kill that girl?" Desmon tilted his head innocently.

"Did you… already know this would happen!?" Her tail slammed into the ground furiously.

"I have no idea, but let's say I did." He replied with an arrogant smile.

From the moment Desmon realized Kiyohime's mind faltered when it came to regenerating one of the girls, he used it to his advantage. By tricking her into thinking he had killed them, he threw her off balance.

In reality, the Nakano sisters were still alive; unconscious but alive. They might feel some mild discomfort when they woke up, but they were safe.

Before Alastor could decapitate the girls, while Kiyohime's attention was locked on the sword, Desmon struck them in an instant with immense force, breaking through their scales and knocking them out cold. This forced Kiyohime to abandon their bodies and move to another vessel.

Even so, Kiyohime could still sense the girls' presence. Her mental stability depended on that awareness. If Desmon could keep her distracted, she wouldn't realize the truth.

As if that wasn't enough, the blood on Alastor played an important part in Desmon's ruse. Since the girls' scales reflected damage back to their attacker, Desmon used the blood to paint a convincing scene of carnage.

It was just a hunch, a reckless idea, but to his surprise, it worked. He may act like a fool, but Desmon isn't stupid when it comes to battle.

His senses and intellect sharpen with every fight.

"You tricked me!"

Kiyohime finally understood the situation. The girls were alive but unconscious. And now that she had moved to her original form, she couldn't return to their bodies unless she repossessed them.

A risky plan; had Kiyohime stayed calm, Desmon would've had to come up with something else.

"Why are you acting like I'm the bad guy here?"

-Is it wrong to knock out beautiful girls? …That doesn't sound great...

Desmon found himself imagining the police chasing him down for this particular "crime."

-Do demons have lawyers? Are they protected by law?

While Desmon seemed lost in thought, staring into space, Kiyohime tried to retreat. But Desmon hurled Alastor, cutting off her escape.

-Tch, damn you… I still have one chance." She began to smirk.

"I should've known... There's no way the girls' father would let you kill them." Kiyohime cursed her own obliviousness.

"You're mistaken, but you're also correct." Desmon answered calmly.

Back in that conversation at Mr. Nakano's apartment, he had begged Desmon, even going so far as to kneel, to do everything in his power to save the girls. If there was truly no other choice, he asked Desmon to at least grant them a quick death.

It was a heartbreaking decision for a father, but if it meant freeing his daughters from Kiyohime's torment, he was prepared to let them go.

Desmon, moved by this act of unconditional love, had agreed. For once, his smug demeanor vanished, replaced with solemn respect for Mr. Nakano's resolve.

-In the end, I managed to get her out of their bodies. Not bad for an improvised plan.

From the start, Desmon had intended to save them. Kiyohime's ability to regenerate their bodies was a bonus; otherwise, Kurox's attack might've killed Miku outright.

-Let's not mention that part...

Would they be called the Quadruplets now?

"All men are fools, but you're the biggest idiot of them all for explaining everything to me! I just have to reclaim their bodies, and I'll be invincible again!"

Confident that Desmon wouldn't harm the girls, Kiyohime lunged toward Miku's unconscious body.

"You're far too naive."

Just as she was about to reach Miku, she suddenly found herself unable to possess her. The reason? Desmon held her tightly by the tail.

"The girls deserve some rest. Let's take this conversation somewhere else." He said with a grin.

With ease, Desmon hurled Kiyohime's enormous form into the apartment next door.

"Damn you...!"

"Be a good demon and let me end your life. Then again, is there such a thing as a good demon?"

-What is a good demon? One that never leaves the underworld?

A question for him to ponder in the future...

"Don't underestimate me!" She roared.

Kiyohime used her tail to hurl the furniture from the apartment at him, but Desmon, now reunited with Alastor, simply sliced them into pieces.

"Tch, you're slippery. Then again, it makes sense; you are a snake."

The demon took the opportunity to search for any of the other girls.

"They must be close..."

Using her claws, she dragged herself faster across the floor, tearing through the walls and columns of the apartment complex.

When she smashed through a wall, she caught sight of one of the Nakano sisters.

"You're mine!" She wasted no time lunging at her.

"The girls need several hours of sleep; or at least that's what Shizuka told me."

Desmon dropped from the ceiling, placing himself between Kiyohime and Ichika's body.

"You!"

Desmon deflected Kiyohime's claws with his sword, and in the opening he created, he kicked her into another apartment, sending her body crashing through the walls.

The apartment complex was already old, and with the destruction caused, the building began to tremble. It was only a matter of time before it collapsed.

Desmon could survive the debris, but the other girls wouldn't fare so well under the crushing weight.

"Let me be kind; any last words?"

There wasn't much time left before the building collapsed. Desmon prepared to finish off Kiyohime. If not for the urgency, he would have ensured the demon screamed in pain, begging for death.

"Damn you!" She concentrated her demonic energy. "I still have this!"

There was no guarantee her final move would work, but she didn't hesitate to use it. After all, everyone has something they want to forget.

She locked eyes with him; her sinister gaze turned black and gold, her pupils dilating as if they could see into the past.

-What is she trying...

For a moment, Desmon felt strange, but the sensation faded in an instant.

"Ahahaha!" Kiyohime erupted in maniacal laughter.

"What's so funny?" He raised an eyebrow. "If you've got a good joke, I'm all ears. I've still got time." He taunted her.

"You're fascinating! Who would've thought that's what you're hiding!"

"Hiding? Want to play hide-and-seek? Aren't you a bit too old for that?"

"Say what you will, but answer me this: How does it feel to have killed with your own hands the only person who ever cared about you?"

Kiyohime reveled in her words, and seeing Desmon's expression only heightened her delight.