"Hold on, aren't demons supposed to be impossible to kill one-on-one or even with a group?"
"That is correct. If that was a starved demon, it still shouldn't have been possible for you to win. But if it was a mutant, then it's a different story."
Reiji kept looking at the man, baffled. Something in the man's gaze said he knew something—something very important.
Right, we still don't know if it was a demon or a mutant. Hell, maybe neither. But something about him tells me he knows!
Reiji calmed his mind, trying not to show any hint that he found the man suspicious. Damn it, what do I say to him? Reiji suddenly realized that the situation might not be that serious.
"I've never seen a demon. I've just heard about them. I haven't read books or met people who covered the topic. It was so mysterious to me that I started to think they didn't even exist."
Haruto Hishino watched Reiji's face as he spoke, clearly interested in the topic of demons and mutants. Haruto realized that Reiji was tilting his head in a weird way because he and the chair were in the way.
He jumped off and pulled the chair out of the way before sitting on it and getting back to listening to every word.
Haruto's father was deep in thought. His hand reached out and grabbed a book from the third shelf from the top. The title read Human Extinction Causes. He looked at it for a moment, then glanced at his son. With great hesitation, he decided to open it.
"What does that book have to do with demons and mutants?"
"There is a section dedicated to creatures that can only be described as supernatural and terrifying."
He opened the book in the middle, turned a couple of pages, and then turned to Reiji. He started reading the little that was known about demons.
"Demons are speculated to have the same ancestor as humans. Demon strength can only be described as supernatural. It is unknown what these demons consume. Their lifetime is unknown, but some records suggest over 200 years. Demons can have any number of eyes and limbs. Some records even suggest two heads. It is safe to assume that we know nothing about demons."
Reiji lay there, listening. His mind replayed the fight that took place earlier as Haruto's father read the short passage. Some things seemed to check out.
Four eyes and supernatural? Yeah, that freak was definitely supernatural. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen.
"Continue reading."
"I'm sorry—Reiji, was it? That's all that's known about demons. But there is a highlighted part under this text. It reads: 'Do not face a demon alone nor in a group. Death is certain.' Most people who face a demon die a gruesome death."
That means it wasn't a demon. If mutants have the same appearance, then that creature had to be a mutant.
Reiji thought about it for a moment. But that theory depended on what was known about mutants and whether they actually had a similar appearance.
Without warning, he was ripped out of his thoughts by two little hands gripping his head. His heart rate spiked so quickly he felt every beat in his chest.
Haruto leaned forward and gently turned Reiji's head back up to face the ceiling. Having only his head turned to the side was starting to hurt, so he didn't protest. This kid wasn't as dumb and ignorant as he thought.
Geez, that was embarrassing.
All the while, Haruto's father found the section on mutants. Reiji noticed that he had to turn a few pages. If mutants were just like demons, shouldn't they be closer together? If so little is known, then maybe even on the same page? Reiji decided he was just overthinking things.
"Mutants have been described as distorted humans. They are often confused with demons. Mutants are much weaker and less deadly than demons. Mutants don't have extra body parts. Their bones and muscle structure can be quite distorted when compared to a human. They can be so distorted that even moving or simply walking can be impossible. Their lifespan is usually under forty years, but some can survive over a hundred in peak condition. They are omnivores. Origin remains unknown."
Reiji was deep in thought. The creature's long arms and gray skin pointed to it being a mutant—until he realized one thing: any number of eyes and limbs.
"Wait, but that thing had four eyes, making it a demon. No, it couldn't have possibly been a demon. I would have died. Unless…"
"Unless you really are that strong. I don't know how, but you beat a demon—a weak and starved demon, but still a demon. And if you're still in doubt, that thing had a pretty symmetrical body. A mutant, based on descriptions, would be a lot more distorted than that demon. We now know that demons, at least the weakest kind, can be killed by decapitation. I wonder if damage to any other vital spots could cause death."
Reiji thought about what the man was saying. A very important thought came to Reiji's mind—that thing's regeneration. It was the most bizarre and terrifying thing he'd ever seen.
"Add to that dumb book that the weakest demons can regenerate an entire limb in about thirty seconds. How do you organize demons based on strength anyway?"
Haruto's father was surprised. Even though he expected something unexpected, he didn't expect that.
"D-demons… they aren't organized by any system. No one knows the difference between a strong and weak demon. The ones who survived an encounter with a demon—of any strength—died shortly after from injury."
Haruto's father was shaken by the information about demon regeneration. His voice betrayed just how nervous he truly was.
As if demons weren't terrifying enough! Now we know how fast they can regenerate. I wonder how fast a strong demon would regenerate. Also, this man who's been stalking our village at night not only beat a demon—he saved all of us! This has been a very eventful morning.
"Is there anything else you noticed about the demon? Any behavior patterns or ways of thinking or—"
"I have nothing else to give you other than the behavior was like a damn animal, but that might have been because of starvation and the cold. The thing fought like an animal too. There was no rational thinking or sense of self-preservation."
Haruto's father listened intently. An idea suddenly popped into his mind. He had a person who survived—no, won—a battle with a demon right in front of him. This could make history.
"Could you describe the battle? It would be the first documented fight between a human and a demon."
Haruto's father had that excited undertone in his voice. His eyes showed a hint of hope. Reiji already suspected that he'd try to document it before he even asked.
"It charged at me and pounced three times in a row. It was like darkness or light didn't affect its sight. It roared like a—"
"Wait! Hold that thought!"
He quickly ran through the noren, exiting the room and going into his shared bedroom where his wife was still sleeping. Reiji and Haruto heard the sounds of papers being rampaged through in a chaotic way.
"So, your dad is like… crazy into this stuff?"
"Huh? Yes!"
Haruto Hishino answered as if he were a soldier. Reiji found it amusing, helping him cheer up. Haruto even did a salute with his classic, silly, determined face.
"What are you doing?"
A sleepy female voice called out to Haruto's father as he looked through all the papers he had in the corner of their room, just lying on the floor.
"Something really important. Don't worry, you can keep sleeping."
Grabbing an empty sheet of paper, ink, and a quill, he exited the bedroom he shared with his wife.
The house's layout was simple. Viewed from above, there was a hallway that stretched from the front door to the back of the house. In the middle of the hallway, there was one doorway on each side. Each doorway was covered by a noren.
On the right was the shared bedroom of Haruto's parents, and on the left was Haruto's room, which was planned to be shared between him and his future siblings.
The part of the hallway that stretched past the door was used as a storage space for random stuff. There were clothes, pieces of food, and whatnot.
He ran into Haruto's room and placed everything down on the table. Haruto jumped off the chair and pushed it toward his dad so he could sit comfortably while writing.
"Alright, try going slower and phrase your words better. I'll write it all down. Say only a few words at a time."
He dipped the quill into the ink and got ready to write what Reiji would say.
Damn, this guy takes this very seriously.
Reiji thought for a moment before finally knowing what to say and how to say it.
"It was the dead of night… I was walking up and down the village…"
After a short while, Haruto's father wrote down everything that happened. He stood up and held the piece of paper in front of him, the sunlight seeping through it.
"We're one step closer to making history!"