DMC: Being a demon hunter in Japan is not easy

Years ago, on a rainy afternoon, two little girls sat on the floor of their living room, wrapped in the sound of falling rain.

One of them rested her head on her arms and let out a heavy sigh.

"I hate the rain..."

The other girl tilted her head at her sister's complaint.

"I like it. It feels refreshing." She said with a smile.

The first girl frowned and raised an eyebrow.

"It's boring. We can't go outside, we can't run, we can't do anything fun. It just traps us here."

Her sister watched her in silence for a moment. Then, with a playful smile, she leaned in slightly.

"Then let's do something."

"Like what?" Curiosity flickered in her eyes.

"Let's make a promise."

"A promise?"

"From now on, if you ever feel sad on a rainy day, I'll be there with you, so you won't feel alone."

The first girl blinked, caught off guard by the seriousness in her sister's voice. Her eyes held a genuine warmth—something she hadn't expected on such a rainy afternoon.

"Why would you say that?"

Her sister shrugged, still smiling.

"Because you always pout when it rains."

Clicking her tongue, the first girl looked away, puffing her cheeks as if she wanted to argue—but found no words. After a moment, she let out a sigh of resignation.

"That's so silly... but fine, a promise is a promise." Realizing her sister wouldn't back down, she gave in.

They hooked their pinkies together, sealing that childish vow.

And though it seemed like a promise of little significance, her sister always made sure to keep it.

Even after all these years, she never broke her word... until today.

...

The sky, which had started with pleasant weather, was now covered in gray clouds, hiding the sun as if warning of the rain to come.

Under that somber sky, a girl walked slowly. She wore a white long-sleeved blouse and a flowing purple skirt, but her clothing wasn't what stood out—it was her expression. A broken face, etched with pain, silent tears sliding down her cheeks.

She had no real destination. She had simply run out of that room, away from her sister, away from the truth she had just heard. Yotsuba would never regain her memories.

At first, Nino refused to believe it. How could it be possible? How could her beloved sister forget them so easily, as if they were nothing? Could someone truly erase from their mind the people they had spent a lifetime with?

No, she didn't want to accept it. She clung to the idea that there had to be a mistake… but when she saw the emptiness in Yotsuba's gaze with her own eyes, she understood. She was gone. There was nothing left of their bonds, their moments, their laughter. Only oblivion.

And as if that weren't cruel enough, her sister now suffered emotional breakdowns. Seeing them triggered something inside her—panic, distress—like they were ghosts from a past she didn't want to remember.

From now on, Nakano Yotsuba's life would continue without the memories of her sisters. But that… that was something Nakano Nino wasn't ready to accept.

"It was so easy to forget us..." She whispered, her voice trembling.

She wanted to blame her. She wanted to scream. As Desmon had said, Yotsuba still acted like the same cheerful, energetic girl she had always been, as if losing her memories didn't matter, as if none of this meant anything. As if they had never existed in her life.

But what was the point of blaming her? Yotsuba hadn't chosen to forget them. They were the ones at fault.

"Maybe… it's my fault? I never meant to hurt her..."

She recalled what Desmon had explained about that day. At first, the idea that a demon would seek out girls consumed by rejection seemed impossible. But now… now it made perfect sense.

The guilt was suffocating her. Not just because of what had happened to Yotsuba, but because, deep down, she knew why it had come to this.

She still had feelings for her sister's boyfriend.

That unrequited love was the root of everything. That was why, when Uesugi rejected them, they all ended up in tears. Not just because of heartbreak… but because their inability to accept that rejection had made them easy prey for the demon.

And even though Desmon told them it wasn't their fault, that demons were unpredictable beings… accepting that wasn't so easy.

Nino kept walking until her legs could no longer carry her. With a heavy sigh, she let herself collapse onto a bench on the rooftop.

She lifted her gaze to the sky.

A sky that remained gray, dull—reflecting exactly how she felt.

"What did they expect me to do…? To accept that I wasn't chosen and smile like it meant nothing…?"

The day Uesugi chose Yotsuba had been painful. But today… today had shattered what little she had left.

Because yes, she was just a teenager facing her first heartbreak. But did they really expect her to get over it with a simple smile? To stand up and move on as if her world hadn't crumbled?

She lowered her gaze, her eyes clouded by memories. She remembered all the times she had laughed with Yotsuba, the moments they had shared, the times they had supported each other.

She remembered a promise. A rainy day, many years ago.

And then, as if the universe itself was mocking her, she felt a raindrop fall on her face. Then another. And another.

It wasn't a storm, just a drizzle. A light rain, barely noticeable, yet enough to remind her that it was there.

Just like that day.

"Liar… You promised…!" Her voice was barely a whisper.

She clenched her fists, feeling the tears welling up again.

Yotsuba had forgotten that promise. And now, Nino was completely alone with its memory.

-This is all my fault… I… I…

The guilt was too heavy. Too overwhelming.

"Why did this have to happen? Why did it have to be us?!"

The raindrops mixed with her tears. And even if she wanted to stop them, she knew she couldn't.

Because unlike Yotsuba… she still remembered. And that memory hurt too much.

-If we hadn't gone after Yotsuba, she…

"Why… why…?!"

Nino lifted her gaze to the sky. A gray, empty, lifeless sky.

Nothing. There was nothing left for her.

Her sister had lost her memories.

The boy she loved had rejected her.

And her own family… what did they think of her now? Maybe they hated her for being the reason Yotsuba had broken down.

-I'm the worst…

"Maybe… they'd be better off without me." Her voice broke into a whisper.

Her eyes, once filled with anger and pain, were now dull. As if, little by little, the idea of going on was slipping away along with the last bit of hope she had left.

-What… what am I thinking?

A shiver ran down her spine, snapping her back to reality.

She took a step back, trembling at the mere thought that had crossed her mind.

Even in a situation like this, even feeling so desperate… that thought was absurd. No, more than absurd. It was something only those who saw no other way out would even consider.

"I should go home…" she whispered, trying to convince herself.

Yes, that's what she would do. She would go back. None of this would change if she stayed here.

But when she tried to move, her body wouldn't obey.

-…Do I really have a home to go back to?

The thought flashed through her mind for just a second. But it was enough.

The small resolve she had managed to gather… shattered.

"This isn't right. I'm not alone… I still have…"

-Who?

Nino felt her breath hitch.

"Huh?"

Her expression of disbelief was her only response.

She turned her gaze toward the door leading off the rooftop. But… the more she looked at it, the farther away it seemed. As if the entire world was pulling away from her.

-Why… why does my body feel so heavy…?

She tried to move, but her feet turned in the opposite direction.

She wasn't walking toward the exit.

Each step took her farther and farther away.

Her eyes locked onto a section of the rooftop's safety railing. It was under maintenance. There was a small gap—just big enough for a person to slip through.

"This doesn't make sense… I… I would never think about…"

-Who even needs me…? Would anyone actually miss me…?

"Shut up!"

Her furious scream echoed through the air.

But no matter how much she fought it, the thoughts wouldn't stop. They only grew stronger. Deeper.

-It's so sad… I'm alone… No one needs me… Do I even have the right to be a burden on them?

"I don't want to be a burden…!"

Tears blurred her vision. Her mind whispered things she didn't want to hear.

She felt her feet moving on their own.

And when she finally snapped back to reality… she was already standing in front of the gap in the railing.

The cold breeze brushed against her face. From here, she could see the city—so distant. So small.

The hospital was about 20 stories high. A fall from this height would be fatal. Four seconds until the ground.

-This is for the best… isn't it? Yes… it is…

Her eyes lost their light.

Her consciousness faded.

"Everyone will be happy…"

Convinced that her existence was nothing more than a burden to others, she leaned forward.

And jumped.

…Or at least, that's what would have happened if not for a voice breaking the silence.

"Pretty sure the bathrooms aren't this way… Hmm…"

The sound of footsteps echoed across the rooftop.

"Hey, you— the girl trying to fly. Do you know where the bathrooms are? I think I'm lost."

The stranger shrugged, as if the scene before him was just another ordinary day.

Nino glanced at him. Just for a second.

But she paid him no more attention and went back to what she was doing.

"Cat got your tongue? Oh well, whatever. In that case—hey, you, the other thing next to her. Can you tell me which way I should go?"

Nino attempting to end her life like this made no sense. It wasn't something she would do.

That was true. It wasn't a choice she could consciously make.

From the moment Nino stepped onto the rooftop, she hadn't been alone. A dark presence—a shadow in the shape of a faceless woman with long hair—had been there the entire time.

Waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Finding an easy prey in Nino, the specter had silently drawn close. And without her noticing, it had begun distorting her thoughts, her emotions… her desires. As if every idea running through her mind had been her own from the start.

Specters were common in cities—some more than others. But there was one thing that made them unique: they couldn't harm humans directly. Not unless they were seen.

And since Nino had no special abilities, she had no way of realizing something was twisting her will.

"Hmm… not much of a talker, huh?" Desmon murmured, his gaze shifting to the faceless figure. "Then again, you don't have a mouth, so that checks out."

He began walking toward Nino.

She tried to take that final step, but her body wouldn't move. It was as if something invisible was holding her back.

The specter felt it too.

Desmon's demonic essence had been stripped away, making him appear like an ordinary human. But if he willed it—if he manifested his energy—things were different.

The specter froze in sheer terror. The kind of fear creatures like it weren't even supposed to feel.

"One troublesome girl is already enough for me…" Desmon sighed. "Two would be a headache. So… this is where we part ways."

He raised his hand, shaping it like a gun.

"Bang!"

A blast of demonic energy shot straight into the creature.

The specter didn't even have time to scream before it was destroyed. Its body crumbled into nothingness, vanishing as if it had never existed.

Alive or not—it made no difference to Desmon. To beings like these, he was a nightmare.

"What… what was I doing…?"

The influence faded along with the specter, so Nino snapped back to reality.

Unfortunately, she couldn't remember anything.

Everything from the moment she had stepped onto the rooftop was a blur.

"I think you were trying to fly." Desmon said, his tone indifferent. "But I don't think it would've worked out."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nino snapped, irritation clear in her voice.

Every time this guy showed up, something bizarre happened.

But as she spoke, her eyes darted around—only to realize where she was standing. Right at the edge of the rooftop, one wrong step, and it would've been over.

"How did I even get here…?! This is your fault, isn't it?!"

"Don't remember telling you to walk along the edge for the view."

"You're the worst…"

And just like that, Nino disappeared from his sight.

"Wow. That's a neat trick… I don't get paid enough for this. Then again, technically, I'm not getting paid at all." He sighed.

As Nino tried to step back, away from the ledge, her left foot slipped. Her balance broke and she fell.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

-So this is it… I guess it's over…

There was no time to process it.

All she knew was that she was falling—plummeting toward death.

Her story would end here. No reconciliation with her sister, no chance to change, not even a single step toward something better.

They say that, in the face of death, a person's true self is revealed.

-Fuu-kun… Yotsuba… I hope you can forgive me…

Although she wasn't to blame for what happened, she never truly apologized. She lacked the courage to admit she had made mistakes.

Like letting her emotions take control.

-Girls… I'm sorry…

Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes.

There was nothing else she could do.

A few weeks ago, in a similar situation, she would have hoped for Uesugi to save her.

After all, he was the one she loved.

But today… he made it clear that there was only one place in his heart, and that was for Yotsuba.

That's why Nakano Nino had no right to even think he would come to save her.

All she could do was surrender.

And wish, with all her heart…

…that in the end, they could both forgive her.