Evil Demons

Was it time to eat?

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Backlit, she could only make out the figure of an old man standing before her. His beard and hair were neatly groomed and white, and he wore a holy-looking white robe.

He reached out and slowly laid his hand on top of her head. His ethereal voice seemed to come not from before her but from the distant horizon, like sacred music from heaven.

"Child, you've worked hard."

Inagaki Miki's eyes instantly filled with tears. Within seconds, clear droplets rolled down her cheeks.

She opened her mouth. Her chest felt tight, her throat seemed to be clamped shut, and the words were stuck fast. Not a sound came out.

"Demonic energy is constantly polluting the land that humankind depends on to survive, and it has bred a host of vile minions. The road ahead is treacherous. Can you shoulder the responsibility of vanquishing demons and defending the righteous?"

".I. can."

Inagaki struggled to steady her emotions and spoke as firmly as she could.

"Good." The old man took out a Saintess Fruit. It was a Parasite that Shiraishi Wataru had transformed with his [Alienation] ability.

"Eat the Saintess Fruit, and you will officially succeed as the Saintess. The Demon Fetus inside you will also be eliminated. At the same time, you must set out on the thorny and demanding Path of Demon Extermination, to secure a glimmer of hope for all living beings and this land."

Inagaki respectfully accepted the Saintess Fruit with both hands, tilted her head back, and popped it into her mouth.

The old man before her seemed to turn into smoke and clouds. Smiling, he gradually dissolved into the glowing particles of the dusk.

Inagaki had just started to reach out when a sudden pain shot through her abdomen. From her perspective, her swollen Demon Fetus began to writhe and shake violently.

"No, you're not my son. You're an intruder. You're a demon, and you deserve to die!"

Hatred flashed in Inagaki's eyes as she struck her abdomen with all her strength.

Once, twice, three times. Everything fell quiet.

She looked at her now-flat stomach, a complicated smile appearing on her face.

"No, there's still that demon that needs to be cleansed." Inagaki gazed at a small patch of sky outside the window and murmured.

She slowly got up. Without even putting on her shoes, she walked barefoot into the corridor.

There was a courtyard below the hospital, where patients could get some sun and exercise outdoors. It usually closed after dusk, and now was about the time it would shut.

"Saintess! What brings you here?"

"Greetings, Saintess."

The two fellow believers looked a little surprised. The Saintess had never come to the courtyard before.

"I received a divine revelation. I'm about to set out to destroy a demon. Don't worry, I'll be back. Prepare dinner for me." Inagaki Miki spoke to her two fellow believers with complete seriousness.

A nurse who was getting ready to take the patients back to their ward was used to this sort of thing, and even played along. "Where in the courtyard are you going to destroy the demon, Saintess? Be careful of the ant nest to the west. It's pretty dangerous."

Inagaki shook her head and gazed at the sunset on the horizon as she walked out with the two fellow believers.

The nurse thought it over but decided not to stop her. It was rare for her to get out for a walk; if she stayed out too long, the nurse could always carry her back later.

"I'm off. You two go back first."

Inagaki Miki waved, then, to the nurse's utter astonishment, floated straight up into the air and flew off in a certain direction.

"Farewell, Saintess! Vanquish the demons and rid the world of evil!" The two believers obediently dropped to their knees and bowed.

The nurse clutched her chest as if having an asthma attack. She looked first at the patients kneeling below, then at the figure in the distance, unable to tell whether she was the patient or the other woman was.

"Wow, the Saintess flew away!"

"Isn't it normal for the Saintess to fly?"

"Look at her, acting like she's never seen anything before. She might've escaped from a psychiatric hospital. Let's keep our distance."

Some patients pointed at the nurse and whispered among themselves.

Oh no, now they think I'm crazy!

No! I need to report this right away!

A patient has flown away!

The nurse hurriedly turned and ran, no longer caring about the scheduled closing time. With all the recent uproar over supernatural events, the only thought in her mind was: I'm quitting today, no matter what!

Inagaki Miki clumsily operated her body, rising from a height of a dozen meters to hundreds of meters in the air.

The bustling city, neon lights gradually flickering on, streams of traffic, crowds of people, and flocks of sparrows flying off into the distance—all of it filled her view.

The strong wind buffeted her, making her sway. It took her some time to get the hang of it, but she gradually learned how to fly forward against the gale.

She looked down and memorized the hospital's location, afraid she might not find her way back.

"An evil presence. It's coming from over there."

Inagaki gazed at the cluster of buildings. She could sense the presence that filled her with intense revulsion.

Without stopping, she flew toward her target with all her strength.

As evening fell, the bars gradually welcomed people who might only just have woken up. For them, a new day was only beginning now.

Neon lights and heady indulgence.

"Chihiko, you're here early today. Hahaha, I heard you almost got that girl to call the police last time. I saw her—she looked awful. Tsk, tsk."

"She took the money. She just wanted more. Greedy bitch."

Ogura Chihiko curled his lip, sat down in a booth, and listened to the warm-up music as he casually opened a bottle of liquor on the table and poured himself a glass.

"I'm telling you, you should find some women from that scene. They can take a lot more than ordinary people."

"Why would I want to use something other people have pissed on? It'd make my skin crawl."

Ogura Chihiko downed his drink and shook his head. "The fun ones are the girls who look innocent. Watching them look lost and helpless, with those innocent little rabbit eyes..."

His drinking buddy clicked his tongue twice. "Even I think you're a pervert, and I'm a pervert myself. I heard you're planning to get married again. Which naive young woman have you tricked this time?"

"Heh." Ogura Chihiko chuckled. "I've had my eye on this one for a long time. Her parents only care about money. As long as I keep them in line, she won't dare file for divorce on her own. If we divorced, I wouldn't have a single cent in my name anyway. Hahaha, I rely entirely on my family."

As they chatted, night fell, and the bar grew livelier and livelier.

Deafening DJ music thundered through the dance floor. People of all backgrounds mingled as young men and women swayed and flaunted their charms.

Ogura Chihiko wandered around the dance floor, but none of the women caught his eye. He turned his attention to the bar and unexpectedly spotted a beauty who looked just right.

"Hey, gorgeous, here alone?"

"Yeah."

"Want to go dance for a while?"

The woman glanced sideways at Ogura Chihiko. He looked pretty good, and his clothes were all designer brands. She'd seen the watch on his wrist in a magazine.

She smiled and met his gaze. "Sure, but I don't know how to dance. You'll have to teach me."

"Easy. I'll show you step by step." Ogura Chihiko took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"Just follow the beat and sway however you like, like this. When the music gets going, start dancing. Woo!"

Just as the two were growing more intimate, the music abruptly stopped.

"Huh?"

"Why'd it stop?"

"We were just getting into it!"

"DJ, get out here!"

At the control booth in front of the dance floor, a DJ dressed like a rebel looked pleadingly at the woman in the patient's gown standing beside him. "M-ma'am, I stopped the music like you asked. Can you let me go now?"

His assistants and the security guards lay scattered around him, groaning softly.

Inagaki didn't answer or even look at him. She lifted her foot and, barefoot, stepped onto the expensive DJ console, gazing down at the "demons" below as they began to grow restless.

Before long, she spotted the target she had been longing to find.

Found you, demon.