𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙚 | 𝘢𝘬𝘪 𝘩. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

003. | ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴛ. 2

The odds started to seem insurmountable, and as the battle raged on each member of the group became increasingly worn down. Aki's arm bled from a gash, Power's wild attacks were getting more frenzied and reckless, Denji became overcrowded with more and more monsters, even Touko couldn't keep her calm composure as exhaustion began to set in. Even with their circumstances changing, they miraculously found just enough strength to hold off the sea of distorted figures, each one a deadly threat that relentlessly assaulted them.

All while they were trying to push back the infected residents, the devil they were sent to neutralize stood in a corner of the room, a menacing distorted figure that was well beyond humanity, surveying the chaos unfolding before him. Despite all the infected residents, there was one that was still unaffected by everything — his son. The devil's grip tightened on his son, a twisted expression of ownership twisting his features.

"Daddy.. please.." The little boy wept, his face streaked with tears as he implored the man who had become unrecognizable to him, struggling to reconcile the loving father with the fearsome figure before him.

The devil's expression darkened at his son's pleas, a deep anger stirring within him. "Enough!" he shouted, his voice filled with a chilling fury. He seized his son, his grip tight with possessive anger. "Your mother's death was not by my hand, but by the betrayal of those incompetent devil hunters! I've been protecting you all this time, yet you still cry and whine?" The devil's voice echoed through the room, his twisted affection seething with raw pain.

The boy's sobs grew louder, his small body trembling in fear and helplessness. The intensity of his father's words only intensified his tears, his emotions overwhelming him. "Please, I just want things to go back to the way they were! I don't want this anymore! I'm scared!" he cried, his voice quivering with heartbreak.

The devil's voice trembled with a mix of anguish and madness as he vented his emotions. "I am the only one who can protect you." His obsession with protecting his son knew no bounds, and his words echoed with a twisted love that bordered on insanity. "Your mother's death was no accident. It was the result of the incompetence of the devil hunters. Their ignorance and arrogance led to her death, leaving me to endure the pain and suffering alone. I won't let it happen again. I won't let anyone take you away from me like they took your mother away." He clutched his son tightly, his eyes filled with a deep intensity.

The devil's use of the infected residents was a desperate tactic to protect his only son. He was determined and driven by pure insanity to shield his child from any threat or harm, and he saw everyone else as potential threats. In his warped mind, he believed that the infected residents could be used to drive anyone away from his son. By unleashing his power upon the residents, he controlled them to take on Touko,  Aki, Denji, and Power, hoping to create an impenetrable shield around his child, ensuring no one would approach him.

In his distorted and corrupt mind, he had convinced himself that by keeping everyone away, he could protect his son forever. The twisted dynamics of his love and obsession were clear, his actions spoke volumes about his unhealthy attachment.

The devil's gaze turned to Touko, Aki, Denji, and Power, the four of them getting increasingly worn out from the horde of infected continuously attacking them. In a loud, booming voice, he shouted, "You devil hunters think you can waltz in here and take what's rightfully mine? I won't let you!" His voice was filled with seething anger and resentment.

"For so long, I've been alone, consumed by my grief and hatred towards you devil hunters. I've held onto my son, the only remaining memory I have left of her. I can protect him, and only me, and keep him safe. I've lived through hell, tormented by my guilt and the memory of her lost smile. This is all your fault!"