Blood flowed slowly through the filthy alleyway.
Aldo had not even recovered from the death of his eldest brother Richard before witnessing something even worse.
The sliced remains of his second brother Joey were scattered across the ground.
"Gah!!!"
Aldo bent forward violently, feeling as if he might vomit up his internal organs.
His mind felt like it was breaking apart.
Gone.
Both of his brothers were gone.
This could not be happening.
Weren't the three of them supposed to be lucky?
Weren't they supposed to be immortal?
Tap.
Tap. Tap.
Wet footsteps echoed through the alley.
Fami approached slowly, accompanied by the towering Guillotine Devil.
Under the dim streetlights, the Devil's massive shadow stretched across the ground and swallowed Aldo's trembling body.
Fami calmly walked forward and held out a blood stained handkerchief.
"You look terrible. Do you need a doctor?"
Aldo raised his head slowly.
His face was pale, but the face he wore belonged to someone else entirely.
It was the middle aged man, Tachibana Yuya.
"N... no need."
"I just drank too much."
"I'll feel better after throwing up."
Fami tilted her head slightly.
Oh?
Changing faces.
Her eyes lit up with quiet interest.
Interesting.
She glanced down at the countless pieces of Joey's corpse scattered across the ground and asked casually,
"What exactly did you see just now?"
"Chuni!"
The Guillotine Devil opened its sharp beak and cried loudly.
Aldo forced himself to stay calm.
"I saw a truck carrying dried meat overturn."
"The cargo spilled everywhere."
"That's all."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Fami's lips.
Through her ability to read minds, she could clearly sense Aldo's emotions.
Fear and hatred were tearing him apart.
He was far more interesting than his brothers.
Only someone carrying such intense and conflicting emotions had the potential to create something entertaining.
For now, she decided not to kill him.
Watching how things unfolded would be far more amusing.
Fami turned around and casually sat on the skeleton structure inside the Guillotine Devil.
"You are immortal."
"A true master."
"I look forward to seeing what you will do next."
Aldo froze.
Cold sweat poured down his face.
He knew that this woman had seen through every thought in his mind.
"Little Guillotine, let's go."
"Chirp chirp."
The Guillotine Devil folded its wings around Fami.
A moment later, a loud burst echoed.
Bang.
Fami and the Guillotine Devil dissolved into white mist and vanished.
After confirming she had truly disappeared, Aldo collapsed to the ground and gasped for air.
His heart pounded wildly inside his chest.
Did I survive?
But what should I do now?
Should he continue the mission?
His mind was completely disordered.
In the past, decisions like this were always made by his brothers.
Almost unconsciously, Aldo reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph.
He had taken it from Ono's body.
The picture showed a sunny beach.
Two young couples stood together, smiling happily.
One of them was Ono.
At that time she still had long hair and did not wear glasses.
Standing beside her was a young man who looked very similar to her.
That was Ono's older brother.
Next to them stood a slightly chubby girl.
Ono's best friend, Nara Alice.
The last person in the picture was Alice's boyfriend.
All four of them had been university classmates.
On the back of the photo was a date from three years ago.
Below the date was a line of neat handwriting.
"Let's have another beach dinner party in three years."
Aldo placed his hand across his face and slowly wiped it downward.
Moments later, his appearance began to change.
His body transformed into Ono.
After washing away the blood stains, he quietly put on her round glasses.
"I'm sorry..."
Night fell.
The sky filled with scattered stars.
A full moon hung brightly above the city.
Since ancient times, humans had feared the moon.
Because of that fear, the Moon Devil had always existed.
During a full moon, when moonlight reached its strongest point, the Moon Devil became most active.
Its ability shared some similarities with the Falling Devil.
People bathed in moonlight found it easier to recall their deepest psychological trauma.
At least, that was the legend.
Those whose trauma resurfaced under the Moon Devil's influence sometimes gazed at the moon and saw something terrifying.
On the surface of the moon, they would see the Moon Devil's true form.
A group of naked lunatics dancing wildly around a bonfire.
Those who witnessed that scene rarely became artists.
More often, they simply became insane.
Because of this, a saying had spread throughout the world.
When you are sad, no matter what you do, never look at the moon.
Of course, the Moon Devil's power ended there.
In terms of raw destruction, it could not compare to a primal fear like the Falling Devil.
Shinjuku Ward.
Inside a normal residential building.
Knock knock knock.
Ono stood in front of the door with a faint smile.
"Coming."
A moment later the door opened.
A girl wearing light makeup appeared.
Her eyes widened with surprise.
"Oh! Long time no see, Ono!"
It was Nara Alice.
Ono smiled gently.
"Alice... you've become even more beautiful."
"I only called you this afternoon and suddenly showed up tonight. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Alice laughed and grabbed her arm.
"What are you talking about? Come in, come in."
She pulled Ono into the entryway.
"You don't look well though. Was the trip here exhausting?"
"Maybe a little."
Ono avoided meeting her eyes.
"Since you're here, let's drink as much as we want tonight."
Soon Alice brought out an entire crate of canned beer.
She heated up some prepared barbecue and placed various snacks across the table.
The small table quickly filled with food.
Pop.
Crack.
The two women sat on the tatami floor, drinking and eating quietly.
After several drinks, Alice spoke again.
"Ono, we haven't seen each other in so long."
"But you seem much quieter than before."
Ono gave a helpless smile.
"Being a Devil Hunter does that."
"You spend the whole day shouting and fighting. It gets exhausting."
Alice nodded slowly.
"I understand that feeling."
"I've been freelancing for years now."
"Sometimes I just want someone to talk to."
Ono hesitated slightly.
She needed to confirm something.
"Alice... did you receive any phone calls today?"
"From your parents maybe, or the police?"
"Phone calls?"
Alice finished her beer in one gulp and waved dismissively.
"Nope."
"I only got two calls today."
"One from a really annoying editor."
"The other was from you."
Ono finally relaxed.
Alice suddenly asked another question.
"By the way, since you're in Tokyo, why didn't you visit your brother?"
"Did you two fight again?"
"Ah... yeah."
"Something like that."
Alice sighed and picked up a university class photo.
"You should try to understand him more."
"Back then he was amazing."
"Great personality, talented, and ridiculously handsome."
"He was basically the heartthrob of our university."
"If I hadn't foolishly accepted Arakawa's confession back then, I would have chased your brother myself."
Ono stared silently at the photo.
Her gaze fixed on the smiling girl who looked exactly like her.
"I'm sorry..."
Alice blinked.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"I'm fine."
Moonlight streamed through the window and illuminated Ono's body.
Looking at the photo, she suddenly felt as if the real Ono were still alive somewhere.
Her lips trembled.
The emotions she had been suppressing finally broke free.
She collapsed onto the table and began sobbing uncontrollably.
"God damn it..."
"What the hell have I done..."
Alice frowned and gently patted her back.
"There, there."
"It's okay."
After they finished eating and cleaned up, the two friends went to bed together.
Late at night, neither of them could fall asleep.
"Ono."
Alice spoke quietly.
"Are you unhappy with your job?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You suddenly started crying earlier."
"Maybe."
"I've been under a lot of pressure lately."
Alice placed her hands behind her head.
"I've actually been thinking about changing careers."
"I want to open a convenience store."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Ono, do you want to join me?"
"I can handle the startup costs myself."
"I haven't decided yet..."
Alice took a deep breath.
"Think about it seriously."
"Being a Devil Hunter is basically courting death."
"The reason you and your brother argue so much is because he worries about you."
"I'm sorry..."
Ono eventually fell asleep.
But the one dreaming was Aldo.
In his dream, Richard and Joey stood atop a pile of ruins.
They looked down at him calmly.
"Aldo."
"The three of us have no blood."
"No emotions."
"And no souls."
"Remember this."
"We are immortal."
"So we have nothing to fear."
But both of them were already dead.
Suddenly, Fami's words echoed loudly inside Aldo's mind.
In that moment, he understood something.
"My brothers were never the real experts."
"I am the true master."
"And only I..."
"Am truly immortal."
His eyes snapped open.
"The mission continues."
===
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