Before it Begins

Dear Emiya Shiro,

If this letter of mine makes it to you wherever you are -it would be awesome if that were the case. I want to begin by informing you that I am a human who has been altered into a Devil…

Talk about unbelievable, right?

Look, I'm sure you would think of this as some sort of joke and throw this letter away. Which is fine by me. But I'm very serious about this. I am not some fictional conjuration from a chunnibyou's imagination.

Which as a chunnibyou myself should mean a lot.

I am a literal Devil… Or maybe some kind of super ghost if you want to get technical.

… … Okay, now I feel stupid for beginning like this, but eh~ who cares?

Hah… Alright, let's keep the tires rolling.

Now I'm sure you're wondering why I am writing to you, especially…

The truth is that I am not quite sure myself.

I had originally planned on writing to Spider-Man. But considering where I am and the theme of the situation I am in. Anime and all. I feel like you are the next best and possible choice.

There's also your core ecchi—ahem, I mean psychological anecdote.

Your determination. Your suffering. Your drama… Man, I salute you.

Oh, yeah… Now I remember why I had written this in the first place.

I wanted to ask you as a not-so-big-fan of yours; how do you do it?

Honestly, while I am sure your dream is quite a noble one -for a noble (un)death that is. I still can't help but marvel at what goes through that head of yours as you punish yourself while saying it's for others.

Now here's the part where you say; I do it for everyone's happiness, and I won't and don't want to argue about your stance. If your result couldn't change your decision then I sure as hell cannot.

Besides, It's not my decision. It's not even my local universe.

Hell, it's not even my story.

It's yours, and with that, I've decided that I'll be living for myself. Of course, I'll be doing the 'saving' and the 'rescuing' and the 'fix-it'. But I'll be doing it on my terms.

Not as a Hero and certainly not as a Devil.

But as Takehiro Akira; a Human Vasto Lorde.

Ah, crap. Sounds cringe now that I am reading it to myself...

Till, next time…

Yours Unfaithfully,

The Hollow Devil…

ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ

An insignificant weight settled on my leg as Akane-chan crawled over and made herself comfortable.

Watching the little girl, I still couldn't fathom what was going through that mind of hers as she was slowly but surely making herself comfortable while being close to what ostensibly appeared to be a Devil.

Not that I'm one, exactly.

I've been hearing the frightened whispers of the people hidden in the mall more times than I would have liked to hear. They all think that Akane-chan is also a Devil, herself.

Not sure how they came to such a conclusion—eh, scratch that.

I can see how they came to such a conclusion with Akane-chan's behavior and all.

Akane-chan's eyes peered down at the sheet of paper on the table.

"What are you writing?"

"Nothing, exactly." I huffed and without any further explanation folded the sheet into a paper plane. "Just… A little urge of mine to scribble some nonsense while you ate."

Spiritual energy gathered, infusing the sheet as I took aim upwards and in blurring speeds, set the paper construct for a course of no return.

I huffed in amusement. "Heh, maybe it will fly to Mr. EX Protagonistas and knock some common sense into him."

Akane-chan made a confused noise, but I smiled –not like it could show on a face like mine- and ruffled her hair.

By the table side, the Claymore Devil writhed. "Alright, the girl's eaten and you've finished writing whatever the hell it is that you want to write. So what's next, Boss?"

"Next we go on a little trip…" I froze as a sudden thought came to me. "Wait… Wait. Wait. Wait… Dammit, I haven't considered that, have I?"

Originally, I had intended on nabbing Denji from the Yakuzas and showing him the good life. A middle finger to canon as I turn it into a pretzel.

I still plan on doing so, only there's one small problem.

Where does Denji live at the moment?

While it is true that I now possess the physiology of a Vasto Lorde with all its spiritual properties. The one thing that didn't come with the package was an Eidetic Memory.

I remember most of the major happenings in the Chainsaw Man manga. But the small bits still elude me.

'Did the manga even give any information about Denji's original residence in the first place?'

Grunting, I placed an edged finger on the table and began tapping it incessantly.

"So, about the trip?" Claymore Devil hesitantly asked, its voice betrayed the nervousness it had at my disgruntled aura.

"That'll be put on hold... For now." I replied. "But in the meantime, I'll have to figure out how to deal with that guy over there."

I gestured at the human mass situated near the window.

To outside observers, the human would have looked like an ordinary man catching some shuteye. But to me, it was plain old Kishibe nursing his head while dealing with a nasty case of headache.

"So how are you hanging over there, old man?"

Kishibe groggily raised his head and stared at me with tired eyes.

"One; do I look okay after that ridiculous punch of yours? And two; come on, I'm just over 28."

Surprisingly, it was Akane-chan who had a comeback for that. "So that means you're an uncle, then."

My chuckle turned into a chortle as I saw Kishibe flinch at those words.

"Sharp words you've got there, little girl."

"Oi, watch the tone, Uncle," I said, pulling Akane-chan closer. "Nice wordplay, Akane-chan. Now why don't you go around and pick whatever you want while I have a little chat with Uncle Kishibe, here."

Akane-chan looked up at me. "Won't take long?"

"Yeah, I promise."

A sigh suddenly came out from my lips as I watched Akane-chan ambled towards the ice cream section in the restaurant.

Canon aside, I have to say; that Akane-chan is a brave child. Braver than I could ever be. Hell, I don't know how I would feel if I had been the one to watch my parents die.

'Heh. Probably would have gone berserk by now.'

"Rough day for the kid," Kishibe said in a drone tone. "I've seen the vids from the security footage. It's not something a kid like her is supposed to see. Eh, on second thought, it's an inevitability a kid like her is gonna see—not like a Devil like you could understand, either way"

"Yeah…" I cleared my throat while sitting up. "You're probably right."

Considering how lives are easily wasted in canon, I figure Kishibe is most likely right.

But it seems Kishibe hadn't expected my agreement as he raised an eyebrow while staring at me with a disturbing intensity.

Hell, even the Claymore Devil felt nonplussed by that.

"Can we kill him, boss?"

I flicked a [Raiko] kido at the living weapon.

"Gyaaah!"

"No, we do not."

"Yeah… Got it."

"You…" Kishibe, who wasn't disturbed by what just happened, said. "You sure you're a Devil and not some escaped Frankenstein monster from the Soviets?"

I reclined and folded my arms. "And what makes you say that?"

"What makes me?" Kishibe incredibly parroted back.

"For one, it would explain a lot of the strange quirks I've picked up on you. I've been killing Devils even before I'd able to understand the word 'masturbation'. And that means, seeing all your kind has to offer. It's not hard for me to have an idea of what they're thinking. You thought I can't seem to place you anywhere on my Devil catalog."

"Maybe, it's because you can't kill me, and trying to do so would only be asking for some ass whopping."

"There's also that." Kishibe easily shrugged in agreement. "But at the same time. Nah~. You lack that innate wickedness I'm used to seeing in Devils. At first, I thought you were into kids and stuff like that. Now, I'm not so sure what to think."

"… … Kishibe, for the sake of your teeth, I'm happy you hadn't gone far with that perverse thought. By the way, why don't you sound glad about that? Judging from your tone, it's like you're laying out the worst-case scenario."

Sighing, Kishibe cradled his head as he fished out a small can from his jacket and took a sip.

"It is the worst-case scenario. You see, everyone has a little wickedness in them. Devils and humans. There's no difference in that. It's merely the former are more liberal about their desires. But at the same time, that's what makes them all too easy to deal with. Extermination, subjugation, and servitude. These are the three modulus operand the world today utilize when dealing with Devils. You, on the other hand, are a total enigma."

Kishibe pointed a finger at me.

"… I'm not sure if Japan has the means to exterminate you. It's not like we don't have trump cards of our own, it's just a feeling of mine that this country would be looking at a death toll higher than the Gun Devil's if we go down that path."

My lips twitched half in amusement and the other in horror.

It's not like I couldn't see where Kishibe is coming from. Judging my actions over the past few hours or so, I can tell that I am different. Which meant my response to outside stimuli now wouldn't be like before.

Back at the park, it took only a few seconds for me to calm myself from slicing and dicing those policemen into bits. At that very moment, they were no different from the Mosquito Devil I had just killed.

'I wonder if that's the inner wickedness in me.'

Meanwhile, Japan's strongest Devil Hunter continued.

"Subjugation… Wouldn't put much hope in that, and as for servitude—I still can't figure out what your deal is so that's a risk Japan won't take."

The claymore shook as if its dweller had something to say, only to hold it off at the last minute.

Ignoring that, I took the Devil Hunter's words to heart. All Kishibe had said had been the right words.

I'm not that eager to go back to Hell –if I am truly a Devil of sorts-, I'm also not that eager to be coerced into submission, and subjugating the Human race would buy me a whole lot of trouble.

… What to do?

'Hmm… I merely wanted to give Canon the middle finger, but now I'm stuck at the beginning. How do all those Isekai characters do it again?'

Several thoughts ran through my mind as I eyed Kishibe who leisurely focused on his tinned drink—and then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, an idea struck me.

I don't want to be Eliminated.

I don't want to be Subjugated.

I don't want to force others to Submit to me.

… But what of Co-existence?

Of course, I knew it would be unprecedented. The ostensible co-existence I remember in the canon timeline was that of Quanxi and Santa with their respective countries – though, screw them both, most especially the latter.

My version of co-existence would be different, I will make sure of it.

"Hey Kishibe," I called to the Hunter. "Still open to ideas?"

Kishibe raised a brow. "That's why I laid them out in the first place."

I breathed a small prayer to a God that probably doesn't exist and...

"Alright, how about this…"

ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ

30 minutes later,

With a long satisfactory puff, Kishibe let the waft of the cigarette freely flow as he watched the procession of people who were being guided out of the mall by Public Officials.

As expected, the Bureau was doing its job perfectly. Kishibe had already caught notice of how they clandestinely sifted through the crowds gathering information from various sources concerning what had happened.

Normally, Kishibe would have been pissed that they didn't take his testimony at surface value—if it were not for the fact that he agreed with his higher-ups in the particular case.

"Today's one damn-strange-fucking-heck of a day." Kishibe self-noted after another caffeinated drag.

A Devil without any form of animosity towards humans.

'What a joke.'

Huffing, Kishibe reclined against his car as he mentally processed today's happenings.

Oh, this wouldn't affect his Hunting in the slightest. Rather the fact that such an unfairly powerful Devil exists would mean there are others like it out there.

Others certainly do not with its kind of demeanor.

It's time to up his game.

Then again, it wasn't like Kishibe hadn't suspected such a thing with the Gun Devil and the new surge of fear at Devils rocking the globe.

The Devil is powerful and scary enough to understand the madness of man… Taking it down would require at the very least; all the Devils they had in stock, the Devil Hunters in Japan, and the ones they can procure abroad.

A hail-mary kind of extermination.

'Jesus H. Christ.'

Kishibe shook his head with a tired laugh.

"Nah, it's not worth it."

But that leaves only one option—a much simpler one if the Devil is to be believed.

Flipping up the phone he had borrowed (more like stolen,) Kishibe dialed a number and waited for his higher-ups to pick up the call.

"It's Kishibe…"

"… … …"

Whoo… Here goes.

"Yeah, sorry to say, it's a bust… … The Devil is just that powerful. Luckily for us, it is also intelligent to be interested in human blood…"

"… … …"

"For the safety of Japan don't think about subjugating him… Yes, it's that strong."

"… …"

Eh, what the fuck?

"I don't think it's possible. You all got her when she was young. Still moldable. That Devil, nah, I don't think so."

"… …"

"Well, thankfully we have a solution brought to us by the Devil, itself. Co-existence."

"… … …"

"Yeah, I don't trust it. But I'm quite sure when I say this; It doesn't need our permission to do whatever the fuck it wants to do."

"… …"

"Still want to try… Her? Disregarding the possibility that it might not work. Are you sure you want to bind such a powerful Devil under her command?"

"… …"

Ah, screw it.

"Alright… Alright, whatever happens, won't be on my head. I also expect at least two more zeroes in my bank account when I receive my pay by the end of the month. I'm too old for this shit."

Cutting the call with a sigh, Kishibe looked up to the heaven that certainly wouldn't start answering now.

"Now the ball is in your court, Devil… Overcome the Primal Fear, and this country can do nothing except bow down to your whims."

Hopefully, its whims aren't the frenzied kind.

ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ

3 hours later,

There was this feeling of exaltation coursing through me as I took a stroll on midair as if it were on flat land.

The wonders of a Reishi platform.

Below me was the sprawling city filled with people who from my perspective, looked like ants skittering about. I'm quite sure the ones who have seen me or have any kind of business on the high-rise building terraces are dialing the Public Bureau line as if their lives depend on it.

No surprise. I would have done the same if I were in their position...

Akane-chan, who made herself comfy on my shoulders watched the setting sun without any expression marring her face. I occasionally saw her lips trembling, but she didn't sob.

Sighing, I ran my hand through her hair and kept on walking.

"Um, can I ask you something, Boss?" The living weapon in my hand asked.

"Sure, fire away. Just don't ask uncomfortable stuff and we're golden."

"So… Um, why co-existence? Why not submission? Don't get me wrong. You're strong. Very, very strong. But weren't you looking for someone? Isn't that why you wanted us to go on a whacky trip before canceling it because you didn't have the resources to find them? So just use the humans. With a country at your beck and call, you can do whatever it is you want."

I paused midair considering the Claymore Devil's word.

It made sense. A lot of sense.

Controlling Japan would give me the same result as co-existing with the country. I would be the one to get all the positives for controlling Japan. I could renege the Contract of Makima's immortality. I could protect Denji and the others better from a position of power.

A true middle finger to canon.

But…

"The humans won't take that kindly," I replied. "You know, humans are a tenacious bunch. Put them in a cage and their hunger for freedom would make them do the impossible. The very fact that Devils despite being more powerful than humans haven't made the world a total slaughter fest should say a lot. Besides… Co-existence comes in all sorts of forms. I'm merely choosing the form that benefits me."

"Oh~ co-existence, only with you in a higher position." The Claymore Devil said in understanding. "A Devilish plan."

I groaned at the pun, but did nothing of it—not when I could spot two fighter helicopters in the distance heading my way.

It took merely some minutes before the aircraft arrived some distance away, before suddenly halting. It seems they don't want to get close to us.

[Yo-You have been called to follow us, De-D-Devil]

Claymore Devil laughed in mockery. "Hah! The humans couldn't have chosen a better messenger. Whoever is using that microphone is a big pussy."

"Can you blame them? It's their inherent nature."

"Yeah, I fucking can. What about the little squirt on your shoulders, right now? Her parents were eaten by a Devil and she's not—aaaahhhh!"

" Claymore." With a concentrated Reiatsu crush, I continued coldly. "I almost thought of you as an intelligent guy with all those deductions and all, but it seems I was mistaken."

"Guh… Wh-What did I do, Boss?!"

I sighed—and upped the ante. The air rang with the screams of the Claymore Devil and like always, I didn't bother myself about it—until Akane-chan tapped my horn eliciting me to look at her shaking her head.

"If that's what you want." I dialed back my spiritual pressure and said to the blade Devil. "I told you no uncomfortable stuff in this talk of ours, and you just had to say things that were over the top. Be thankful, Akane-chan's an angel, or you would have been screaming your lungs out for the next five hours."

With a pain-filled grunt, the Claymore Devil snapped shut while I turned to one of the hovering helicopters prompting a yelp from its occupants.

'Now what's his problem?'

Outwardly, I said. "Lead the way. I will follow."

It's time to haggle for a peaceful co-existence Contract.

ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ

Meanwhile,

Inside the black government vehicle heading for the same location as the meeting between an abnormal Devil and humanity's leaders, a certain ring-eyed girl smiled.

It's time to perform her duty for her country.