just a guy who's a devil hunter for fun

Chapter 47: Why Am I Bald?

The demon hunters continued fleeing as the puppet army kept growing. It seemed Denji couldn't completely stop all of them. Standing before the fox demon's claws, summoned by Nakamura, they could easily dodge.

Nakamura: "IMPOSSIBLE!"

Aki: "THEY'VE LEARNED!"

Angel: "YOU GUYS ARE USELESS! FALL BACK!"

Angel moved forward, and the halo above his head shifted slightly, expanding.

"Use: 5 years," Angel said. A finely crafted sword materialized from the halo instantly.

"Sorry, everyone... I have to use you," Angel whispered as he swung the sword gently in a horizontal slash toward the puppets. They fell forward immediately, sliding past him, killed without a scratch. Angel exhaled deeply.

Tamaoki: "So that's the rumored weapon that can steal lifespan?"

Aki: "Should've used it from the start."

Angel: "Everything has its reason, alright?"

Nakamura: "I've contacted headquarters. Other demon hunters are on their way to assist."

Kusakabe: "Good then!"

In an alley, five hunters observed dozens of puppets running toward the mall.

"God... puppets everywhere," one hunter muttered.

"One touch and they're no longer human," another said. "We'll handle all puppets outside the mall... prepare firearms and demons."

Suddenly, one hunter heard movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Quanxi with her harem. She wore a belt with three swords hanging at her back.

"Ladies! Eliminate any intruder as usual!" Quanxi said in Chinese.

"More demon-hybrids again?" a hunter muttered.

"Are they related to that old man?" another asked.

Quanxi reached behind and drew a sword, crouching low, gripping it tightly. The lead hunter braced himself. Instantly, Quanxi vanished before their eyes.

"She disappeared!" the lead hunter exclaimed.

In reality, Quanxi hadn't disappeared; she had scaled the alley wall to bypass the five hunters. Like a missile, she shot through the puppet army as if no one was there. As she neared the mall, the number of puppets lessened. When only a few hundred meters from the mall entrance, Quanxi stopped, surveying her surroundings. Seeing no one, she lifted her sword—it was chipped and about to break. She discarded it and drew the remaining two swords.

"The newcomer who vanished is probably nearby," the lead hunter said.

"Hahaha," the odd-haired girl laughed. "The corpse is talking," she said in Chinese.

"You're in Japan! Speak Vietnamese, damn it!" someone in the group shouted.

"That demon can make you vanish!" the lead hunter warned. "Sato! Use your demon!" he ordered.

"Yes!" Sato replied. But suddenly, horizontal lines appeared across his face and the faces of the other hunters. Before they could react, the upper halves of their faces were severed, and then the puppet army Quanxi had just passed had their heads instantly chopped off. All were wiped out in under a minute.

Quanxi felt something strange—there were no humans around. This was supposed to be where the most puppets gathered.

From the mall, hurried footsteps caught her attention. A group ran toward her, human—not puppets—faces full of fear and urgency. They ignored Quanxi and ran past.

Quanxi paid them no mind, unwilling to attack them, wanting to conserve energy for her mission.

Near the mall entrance, she saw a bald man in a demon hunter uniform with his back to her. She immediately recognized him as security personnel. She crouched, gripping her two swords, and moved at extreme speed, aiming to strike the bald man.

When only millimeters remained before her sword touched the back of his head, Denji ducked just in time, avoiding the blade.

"What!?" Quanxi gasped. Turning, she saw Denji standing close, glaring fiercely.

Denji: "Hey! Who are you? What did you just do to me?"

"I-I..." Quanxi's face betrayed no emotion, but inside she panicked. Unconsciously, she glanced at Denji's bald head.

Quanxi: "I'm one of the demon hunters sent to protect the Chainsaw Devil."

Denji: "Protect Pochita, huh?"

Quanxi: "Correct."

Denji: "Is that so? Then let's head to the second floor together."

Denji stepped forward while Quanxi stayed, observing him. She again unconsciously looked at his bald head, then glanced at her two swords, thinking.

(Should I try again?) she thought.

Quanxi crouched low, using all her strength to dash at insane speed. She swung a sword aimed straight at Denji's head. But Denji turned and blocked one blade with just two fingers.

She swung the second sword, but with a single move, Denji shattered both swords into pieces.

Denji: "Who... are you?"

Quanxi: (He... blocked it!)

Denji: "Hey, who are you!?"

Quanxi: (Who is he really? How can he block two attacks in a row?)

Denji: "Seriously, who are you!? Listen to me!"

Quanxi: (I need to avoid confronting him!)

Quanxi vanished instantly, leaving Denji irritated and confused.

Denji wondered who the woman was. Since she attacked him, maybe she was sent to capture Pochita? But if she were an assassin, she should have eliminated anyone related to the target, right? Like in movies. But after attacking the bald man, she ran off. Denji felt she had glanced at his head. Could it be... she judged him bald and left?

Denji: "Ah! You dare mock my bald head!? Then you've chosen death!!!"