just a guy who's a devil hunter for fun

Chapter 53: UNLEASH YOUR RAGE ON THIS FIST!!!

"Strange..." Santa Claus muttered, observing Arai's body. "With this condition, you should've been dead long ago."

"And it's also peculiar that you haven't become part of my army," she added, tilting her head as her gaze landed on the metal shards embedded in Arai's arms.

Santa Claus: "I see... those metal fragments on your arms must be creations of a devil, right? Using the power of a stronger devil to nullify the power of a weaker one... clever!"

Arai: "SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND FIGHT!!!"
He roared like a wild beast, launching himself at his enemy. But before Arai could reach her, Santa Claus was faster. She unleashed a punch with all three of her arms, carrying unimaginable force.

For a moment, everything slowed down in Arai's eyes. In that instant, he felt it clearer than ever: DEATH.

Arai's entire ribcage shattered. The force of the attack hurled him through multiple buildings, burying him beneath rubble.

Santa Claus stood there, admiring the destruction she had caused with sheer amazement.

The sky darkened as the sunlight faded, replaced by night and the glow of city lights.

Santa Claus: "This... is the power of the Darkness Devil... a power I could never attain as a human," she muttered, her twisted body turning black as two curved horns sprouted from her head.

Caught in the thrill of her new strength, she didn't notice Arai rising from the rubble, eyes burning with murderous intent.

Arai: "Heh heh... uglier than ever now..." he muttered, blood continuously spilling from his wounds. "If I were you, I'd piss blood just looking at myself in a mirror."

Santa Claus only glanced at him with one eye. In a flash, she teleported right next to him.

She swung all her arms at Arai, sending him flying at terrifying speed. Her long hair morphed into tendrils; one pierced his stomach, pinning him to a wall.

Arai coughed up blood. Santa Claus retracted the tendril, letting him collapse.

Santa Claus: "Fast, strong, and flexible... humans will never reach this level."

Gritting his teeth, Arai struggled to stand, a gaping wound on his abdomen, body trembling from pain and exhaustion.

Arai: "You should've aimed for the head..."

Santa Claus: "A cockroach..." she muttered, unleashing more tendrils at him.

Arai darted across the surfaces of buildings, running along steep slopes, steadily increasing his speed.

Santa Claus (thinking): "He's accelerating?!"

Despite his injuries, Arai moved faster and faster, evading attacks effortlessly, leaving afterimages behind.

Arai (thinking): "I can't just keep dodging... time to go on the offense."
He leaped toward Santa Claus, fists ready.

With his increased speed, Arai unleashed a flurry of punches, each strike carrying the power to destroy her body.

He retracted his fists, seeing her body crumble—but the power she gained from the Darkness Devil allowed her to regenerate at an astonishing rate, much to Arai's shock.

Santa Claus: "You... cannot kill me... I... am immortal."

An invisible force slammed into Arai, sending him crashing into a nearby gas station. The blow nearly paralyzed him.

Burning with rage, he forced himself to rise.

Arai: "I... will kill you... AT ANY COST!!!"
He poured gasoline over himself, then smashed the metal shards in his hands together. Sparks ignited, engulfing him in roaring flames.

Arai lunged at Santa Claus, embracing her. She screamed as the fire burned her, but he held on. She tried to throw him off, but the hose binding them set her ablaze as well.

Santa Claus: "Why... WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE, YOU BASTARD?!"
Arai continued pulling her closer, defying the flames.

Arai: "I cannot die yet! I cannot give up yet! Those lives... the lives you turned into puppets... the lives I was forced to kill... I WILL AVENGE THEM!"

Santa Claus could no longer resist Arai's steadily growing power. He closed the distance between them, leaping and delivering a devastating punch that obliterated her body.

Ignoring her screams, Arai grabbed a nearby car and hurled it at her.

The vehicle exploded, completely destroying her body and throwing Arai back.

Arai staggered to his feet, approaching Santa Claus—her body now nothing but a continuous blaze, unable to recover.

He looked down at her as she burned.

Santa Claus: "You cannot kill me... I have a contract with the puppet devil... and... my puppets are scattered across the world. One touch and any of them becomes a servant... I will show you pure despair!"

Arai: "Is that so? Hah... hah... come on... I'll face you... even if I lose... that man will finish you off for me..."

He collapsed, but a hand reached out to catch him.

Denji held Arai in his arms, smiling softly, pride shining in his eyes.

Denji: "I don't know what happened, but it looks like you really gave it your all. Arai... nice fight..."
He gently set Arai down and turned toward Santa Claus. From afar, Chain-chita, Power, Beam, and Prinz approached.

Santa Claus: "It's... you..."

Denji: "Who's this?"

Chain-chita: "The one who was with the guy you broke the arm of at the hamburger shop."

Denji: "Ah! Right, right," he squatted next to the few remaining unburned fragments of Santa Claus. "So it was you..."

Santa Claus: "Hmph! I'll make sure to turn you into—"
She froze mid-sentence, eyes widening as strange images and memories that weren't hers—memories of the Darkness Devil—flashed in her mind.

Santa Claus: "You... you are—" she stammered in terror, but before she could finish, the flames consumed her completely.

Denji: "What the...? Don't get it at all," he said, standing and stretching before turning to Chain-chita.

Denji: "You guys go ahead. Take my brother to the hospital while you're at it."

Prinz: "You're not coming?"

Denji: "I'm going to check if anyone else survived."

Chain-chita: "Go and come back quick! Watch this one for me," pointing at Power clinging to his back.

Denji: "Got it," he said, leaving. He walked through the streets, only to find countless corpses of humans turned into puppets.

His expression darkened, guilt rising within him.

Denji (muttering): "I'm sorry... Am I even worthy to be a devil hunter...?"

Santa Claus, now reduced to ashes, found herself in a completely dark, empty space, utterly naked.

Santa Claus: "Where... am I? Where's the exit?"
She wandered endlessly, searching for a way out—only to realize: THERE IS NO ESCAPE FOR ONE WHO WIELDS THE POWER OF DARKNESS.

—End of Chapter—