DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

On the third day of the Kyoto trip, Sobu High students are given the chance to explore on their own, either solo or in groups of friends.

The idea is to encourage students to gain a little more independence while enjoying their youth before they enter their third year, when exams for university admissions will dominate their concerns.

With that in mind, students are expected to leave the hotel and make the most of the day, with few exceptions.

Naturally, 99.9% of the students plan to have fun, but as always, there's the 0.1% who think differently.

And that small percentage consists of just one student.

"Why do I feel deja vu?"

"Maybe it's your age?"

"What are you implying, brat?!"

"Just let me stay in the hotel… I'm exhausted…"

With it being breakfast time, most of the students and teachers have already left the premises; except for two people.

A teacher, who even on her day off, wears her classic white lab coat, and a "student" refusing to leave the hotel.

It's obvious these two are Hiratsuka Shizuka and Desmon.

"How can you be tired?" Shizuka says as she tries to drag Desmon with her, but her efforts are in vain.

"Someone didn't let me sleep because she was busy scolding me…"

"What did you expect me to do?! How can you walk into the hotel half-naked looking like a walking corpse?!"

As Shizuka said, the previous night Desmon returned looking like a corpse, as no normal person could be moving with that many injuries and dried blood on them, not to mention his shredded clothing.

And since Shizuka is listed as Desmon's aunt in the Sobu High records, she was the first person who had to handle it.

Saying, "Don't worry, he's half-demon and just fine, he probably fought a demon and did something idiotic to end up in that state…"

Though not far from the truth, there's no way the other teachers or hotel staff would have believed her.

"You could've saved the scolding for today." He yawned sleepily.

Desmon had drained his demonic energy from the severe beating he took, nearly costing him his life, so to recover, he just needs to let time pass—and what better way than sleeping?

Shizuka let out a long sigh and stopped trying to drag him. "You should've snuck in another way if you came back in that state…"

She could understand Desmon to some extent; he hadn't gone out partying only to end up like that.

"You want to know what happened, don't you?" He said with a smile.

"Tch!" Shizuka cursed.

As an anime and manga fan, she finds Desmon's stories about fighting demons highly entertaining. She knows firsthand what it's like after experiencing being chased through the city by a demon.

So, seeing Desmon in this exhausted state, even without his usual jokes while getting scolded, tells her he faced a formidable foe.

"Let's make a deal: you buy me breakfast, and I'll tell you what happened."

Yesterday, since Desmon had caused trouble for Yukinoshita, Shizuka had punished him by withholding his breakfast for today, as she's the one who gives him his allowance.

-What should I do? I gave him that punishment for his behavior… but I really want to know what happened yesterday…

Standing firm in her decision to teach him a lesson or giving in to her interests; a tough dilemma.

Noticing her hesitation, Desmon cracked a smile.

"Yesterday was exhausting… I almost died more than once, not to mention beating up those TWO huge demons… but I'm too tired to try and remember it all…"

"All right, all right, you got me." She gave in, her curiosity finally winning. "But first, get dressed. How are you still in your pajamas?"

Being a student, getting him a new uniform wasn't that hard, as the last one was left in tatters.

"You're so grouchy."

Ignoring her, Desmon began undressing in front of Shizuka to put on his Sobu High uniform.

Normally, Shizuka would be embarrassed to see a man's body, but after living together for so many days, she's seen him half-dressed more times than she can count. It's been similar for Desmon, who's seen Shizuka walk around in just her underwear or with a towel wrapped around her torso after a shower.

Shizuka had to adapt to Desmon's way of living, or she felt she'd go crazy dealing with his logic.

"They really kicked your butt, didn't they?" She said with a smirk.

"What makes you think that..?" The demon hunter glanced away. Always too proud, it's hard for Desmon to admit he was used as a punching bag by two demons.

"I've seen your body heal from serious wounds in a flash, but now you've still got some cuts."

Shizuka's sharp eye caught the fact that, although most of Desmon's wounds had healed, there were still scrapes here and there, especially on his chest.

The demonic energy from the demons had tried to invade Desmon's body, making it harder and requiring more demonic energy to heal completely.

"They cut me before I knew it, then threw something at me like a missile…"

If that fight had happened in an urban area, civilian casualties would have been in the thousands. But since it took place out in the open, away from the city, that wasn't an issue.

"That sounds rough…"

"Next time, I'll get my revenge on that cow and pony."

"Huh?" Shizuka was taken aback. "Were you fighting demons or visiting a farm?"

"I don't know their names, but their heads looked like animals."

"I take my eyes off you for a second, and you're off fighting farm animals?"

"Now that you mention it, maybe that's about right…"

Desmon finished changing while responding sarcastically.

Demons would tremble before a guy in a white shirt and black pants; at least his trench coat gave him a different aura, but it had been completely destroyed.

"You look strange." Used to seeing Desmon always in his black coat, it was odd seeing him like an average student.

"Don't remind me…"

Internally lamenting the loss of the trench coat Trish had gifted him before he left, Desmon knew he'd have to find a similar one to buy someday. But with his debts, that was a distant dream.

With Desmon ready, they both left the hotel and headed to a café for breakfast.

…

"So, you can lose after all." She said, trying to sound serious, but inside she was amused by Desmon's usual arrogance on that subject.

"It was a draw since they ended up leaving." He replied, taking a large bite of chocolate-drenched pancake.

After arriving and taking a seat, they ordered several desserts, and while waiting for the food, Desmon told Shizuka everything that had happened.

"From what I understood, they thought you were dead, so it was only natural for them to back off after their victory." She took a bite of a strawberry from her parfait.

Since she hadn't had breakfast either and Desmon only ordered desserts, she decided to order one too.

"They didn't make sure I was dead, so they just ran off with their tails between their legs." He began by eating a piece of chocolate cake.

"Don't be a sore loser, just admit they beat you fair and square."

"It was two against one. Any way you look at it, I was the winner." He continued with traditional sweets from Kyoto.

"I don't know what world you're living in where that counts as a win..." She dismissed any argument, savoring her parfait.

"Next time, it'll be my victory; don't doubt that." After finishing all his food, he stole a strawberry from Shizuka's parfait.

"Hey, you brat! Haven't you eaten enough already?" She tried to grab the strawberry back, but Desmon was quicker.

"Never waste free food." True to himself, he felt satisfied after annoying Shizuka by stealing her strawberry.

"I think you're the only one who, after being beaten and left on the verge of death, is back to normal with just a few hours of sleep..." She regretted that the experience hadn't matured him.

"No idea. There are all kinds of people in the world, so it's hard to say." He replied confidently.

Once they were done with breakfast, Shizuka paid the bill, and they left the café.

"Alright, I've done my part, so I'm heading back to the hotel." He turned and began walking toward his room, eager to hug his comfy futon.

"Act your age, not like an old man..."

"I have no interest in sightseeing or anything like that. Plus, I have to work this afternoon in Tokyo."

Upon waking up, Desmon saw a message on his phone from his current client, asking him to meet at a hospital in Tokyo, where he and another person would be waiting to discuss his next job. Until then, Desmon was free.

"You should at least ask for a day off."

"I agree, but that woman's a witch; I feel better keeping my distance from her."

Meanwhile, Lady sneezed in another part of the world.

"Is someone talking about me?"

Back with Shizuka, she found it curious how Desmon couldn't defy that woman named Lady.

It wasn't the first time Desmon had shown his dislike for her, describing her as a witch who only cared about money.

"If you're still going to Tokyo in the afternoon, why not use this time to experience life as a high school student?" She tried to encourage him to make fun memories he could cherish later.

"I'll pass on that idea..." He declined, crossing his arms.

Shizuka sighed inwardly, but after a moment, an idea struck her.

"If you don't have plans, why not come with me?"

"I'm not a fan of monitoring other students and all that."

As a teacher, Shizuka's job still involved looking after the students at Sobu High, but of all the students here, Desmon is the most problematic.

"The other teachers are enough, and the other students are way less problematic than you."

"Why, thank you! You're making me blush." Desmon averted his gaze, pretending to be a shy maiden.

"That wasn't a compliment..." She shook her head quickly. "So, what do you say? Want to come with me? I promise it'll be fun, and in case you're wondering, Kyoto isn't just a city of tourist spots."

Students are prohibited from straying too far from the designated area during the trip since it could be dangerous, though in Desmon's case, his mere presence is a deterrent. Any thug would regret trying to mess with this guy.

"Let's go!" he replied immediately, with little hesitation; Shizuka shares many hobbies with Desmon.

"But there's one condition."

"Ughhhh." He sighed in disappointment.

"It's nothing serious, just that you need to act like a normal student."

Shizuka wants Desmon to enjoy himself, but in a way that's typical for a guy his age.

"But I'm the most ordinary guy you'll ever find."

"Your idea of 'ordinary' is out of this world…"

"So, what should I avoid doing?"

"Being yourself!"

"That just raises more questions than it answers…" Desmon thought about it, but didn't quite get what she meant.

"Just act normal, without doing all the things you usually do."

"It's a bit tough, but I guess I can manage."

Not that Desmon is some kind of maniac who can't practice restraint. Right?

"Settled, then. Let's head downtown; there are a few places to check out, like some arcades."

Like any other city, Kyoto has some popular spots for young people looking to have fun.

"You just wanted someone to go with, right?"

"Guh!" Shizuka, who had started walking, froze, avoiding Desmon's gaze. "As if! I just wanted to make sure you have fun…" She began to whistle, feigning innocence.

She'd already seen a few places she wanted to visit while in Kyoto, but as a teacher, she has a role to uphold. Technically, if she's supervising a student, she'd be killing two birds with one stone.

''You could've just said that from the start.'' He shrugged, not opposed to the idea of going with her.

-She could have just said she wanted to have some fun.

Once they'd both agreed, they just needed to leave the tourist area, hop on a half-hour bus ride to a nearby train station, and then take a few more minutes to reach their destination.

Of course, that idea didn't occur to the demon hunter. "Alright, let's go. I'll drive."

Desmon was about to summon Kurox, his trusty devil arm, a sleek black motorcycle, but Shizuka stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Using Kurox to get downtown." He said innocently.

"What part of acting like a normal student don't you understand?"

"Is it weird?"

"Of course, it is! No one just makes a motorcycle appear out of thin air."

"So, how are we going?"

"We'll take a bus and then a train."

Desmon's expression turned to one of distaste and boredom, but then he broke into a grin.

"In that case, I just need to blend in like a normal person, right?"

"Exactly." Shizuka nodded, noting Desmon's cooperation.

"Alright, give me a few minutes. I'll be right back."

Desmon started to walk away, turning the corner and disappearing from Shizuka's sight.

-What's he up to now? she wondered to herself.

In the short time they've lived together and from their interactions, she knows Desmon isn't the kind of guy who breaks his word, so he wouldn't run off or do something stupid.

With nothing else to do but wait, she started scrolling through some manga and anime news on her phone for about five minutes.

After that short wait, a blue motorcycle parked in front of her.

"Alright, problem solved." Desmon, with a cheerful smile, hopped off the bike.

"I told you that—"

Her words stopped as she realized that Desmon hadn't just painted Kurox another color. He was riding a different model entirely; a Honda GB350.

"Did you… steal it!?"

"Hey, why is that your first assumption?" Desmon protested.

"As if someone would just hand you a motorcycle because you asked!"

No sane person would lend or rent a motorcycle to a student.

"Actually, that's kind of what happened. What went down was…"

As soon as Desmon left Shizuka, he started wandering through the neighborhood, thinking of ways to avoid an uncomfortable, slow trip.

But as time passed without any ideas, he gave up and was about to return to Shizuka.

-There's no way anyone would just lend me a vehicle if I asked…

Walking back after coming up empty-handed, he noticed a guy stepping off a blue motorcycle, pulling on a balaclava, and pulling out a gun before hurrying into a store.

Even an idiot could tell what was about to go down.

But the sight only brought a grin to Desmon's face.

"Bingo!"

Inside the store, the owner threw his hands up the second the robber entered, gun aimed at him.

"All the money, no tricks, or you're going straight to hell!"

Under threat, the shopkeeper started emptying the register, cursing his bad luck.

"I'll be borrowing your ride; I'll return it later."

When all hope seemed lost for the poor man, a third voice startled them both. But as the robber turned around, he was met with a headbutt straight to the face.

The robber's eyes rolled back from the impact, and he dropped like a sack of bricks, his body twitching on the ground.

"I heard in Kyoto this is how you greet people… Well, never mind."

Ignoring the situation, Desmon searched the robber until he found the motorcycle keys.

"You might want to call an ambulance."

It took a few seconds for the store owner to process the words of the student who had walked in and saved him from being robbed.

"You mean the police… right?"

"Maybe I went a little overboard…" Desmon said, nodding toward the guy on the floor.

The robber's body was still twitching, as though the headbutt had done some internal damage; not enough to kill him, but enough to leave him with a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

With nothing left to do, Desmon headed out with his newly "borrowed" vehicle. He might return it someday…

But just as he was leaving the shop, the man he saved called out to him.

"Can I at least know your name?"

It would be rude not to thank the person who saved him, but it took the man a while to really process what had just happened.

"I'm just a regular student." With that, he walked out of the store, whistling a happy tune.

The shopkeeper, left stunned, called an ambulance and the police.

-From now on, any student will get a discount at my store. That was his decision as thanks to that mysterious boy.

A happy ending, all thanks to a guy who just wanted to act like a normal student.

"And that's what happened."

"So, in summary, you stopped a robbery just because you wanted to borrow a vehicle from a thief?"

"Correct."

Shizuka let out a long sigh.

"I want to scold you for this, but morally, I just can't..."

"We got a free ride, I don't see the downside." He tilted his head.

"You'll return that motorcycle to the police, obviously!"

"I have no problem with that." He shrugged.

With both in agreement, they could finally head toward the downtown, plus Shizuka wasn't exactly a fan of taking the bus and train to get there.

But before Desmon could get on the motorcycle, Shizuka stopped him.

"You know, Desmon, students don't drive, especially not without a license."

"And do you have a license?" He asked mockingly.

Shizuka did have a driver's license, but it was for a four-wheeled vehicle.

"Don't underestimate me, brat." She pulled out a new license she'd gotten just before going to Kyoto.

"I'm not handing over Kurox to you."

"I… that wasn't… Forget it, I'll drive for now." She dropped the topic and climbed on first.

Since she drives Kurox to school every morning, she decided to get a license to avoid any issues with the police.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Don't underestimate me, I'm a great driver."

"If you say so..."

Without further debate, Desmon sat behind Shizuka.

"Hey… where do you think you're putting your hands?!"

Desmon's arms wrapped around Shizuka's waist, a bit too close to her chest.

"I have to hold on, don't I?" He said teasingly.

"Don't take advantage of the situation!"

"I'm just following traffic rules; it's what any ordinary student would do."

"Tch!" Shizuka cursed at him. "If your hands move, I won't hesitate to throw you off mid-ride!"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

With both on the same page, Shizuka began to drive.