On the far side of the village, where the sounds of celebration barely reached, a quiet residence stood beneath the soft glow of lantern light.
The air inside was calm, untouched by the chaos spreading beyond its walls.
Yuka stepped inside the residence, her presence composed yet commanding. Among the people, she was known not only for her strength but as one of the highest-ranking hunters—someone others relied on when everything began to fall apart.
She walked down the corridor and entered the room at the end.
A maid gently opened the door as Yuka arrived, bowing with quiet respect.
Fumika lay on her futon, still and silent, her breathing steady but distant. Ever since her battle with Chio, the Blood Demon, she had not awakened.
Yuka sat beside her, adjusting the blanket slightly before resting her hand near hers. For a moment, she simply watched.
"You always hated staying still," Yuka said quietly. "Now look at you…"
Her voice softened as she continued, speaking as if Fumika could hear every word. She told her about the new hunters, about how they struggled to fill the gap she had left behind, and how the village felt incomplete without her presence.
There was a faint smile on Yuka's face, but it didn't last long.
"I miss you. We all do."
The room fell silent again, until hurried footsteps shattered the stillness.
A Lampman burst through the door, breathless, panic clear on his face. He reported that an elite demon, along with a horde, had begun attacking the outer parts of the village.
The shift in Yuka was immediate. The softness in her eyes vanished, replaced by sharp focus.
"Where?" she asked.
"Eastern district—people are still trapped."
Yuka stood at once.
"Guard this place," she ordered, already moving.
Outside, the village was no longer the same. Smoke curled into the night sky, and distant screams echoed through the streets. What had once been filled with light and laughter now carried the weight of fear.
Yuka followed the Lampman until they reached a ruined section of the road where destruction had already taken hold.
Two demons stood at the center of it. One crackled with violent electricity, arcs of lightning snapping wildly around its body. The other wielded curved sickles, their edges stained dark with blood.
Villagers lay scattered around them.
Yuka stepped forward.
"That's enough."
The electric demon moved first—vanishing in a flash and reappearing directly in front of her.
A burst of lightning exploded outward as it struck, but Yuka raised her hand instantly. A barrier formed, absorbing the impact in a violent clash of energy.
The ground cracked beneath the force.
Before the sparks even settled, the sickle demon lunged from the side, blades slicing toward her.
Yuka shifted smoothly, stepping just out of reach before countering. She brought her hand forward, energy gathering rapidly.
A single blast.
The electric demon was struck head-on, its body convulsing before shattering into fragments of light and ash.
The second demon roared and charged again, but this time Yuka moved toward it.
She closed the distance in an instant, slipping past its blades and striking from within its guard. The impact tore through it completely.
Both demons fell.
Behind her, Lampmen engaged the remaining horde. With Yuka's presence, the battle quickly turned.
One by one, the lesser demons were cut down, their numbers thinning rapidly. For a brief moment, it seemed like control had been regained.
Then the air changed.
Heavier.
Colder.
Yuka slowly turned—and saw Kaminaga.
The demon stood motionless, yet its presence dominated everything. Its long, black hair spread across the ground like a living shadow, coiling around villagers and lifting them into the air. They struggled weakly as the hair strands tightened around their throats.
Three elite Lampmen moved beside Yuka, ready to support her.
"We'll hold them back."
But before they could advance, a new wave of demons surged in from all directions, surrounding them completely.
The elite Lampmen charged without hesitation, cutting through several enemies, but the sheer number overwhelmed them quickly.
One fell.
Then another.
The third didn't last long.
Yuka remained alone.
Her eyes hardened as she raised both hands, gathering a surge of power.
"Disappear."
A massive blast erupted outward, tearing through the horde. The ground split under the force as demons were wiped out instantly. Silence followed—but only briefly.
Yuka stood at the center of the destruction, her breathing heavy.
That attack had taken everything.
Every last bit of her energy.
Her vision wavered slightly—
And in that single moment of weakness—
Kaminaga moved.
Its hair lashed forward faster than sight, wrapping around Yuka in an instant. Her arms and legs were bound tightly, her body immobilized as the strands constricted with crushing force.
She struggled—
But the grip only tightened.
The hair coiled around her neck, cutting off her breath. Thin strands pierced into her skin, slipping beneath the surface. Pain spread rapidly through her body as blood began to seep from countless wounds.
Her vision blurred.
"You are strong…" Kaminaga whispered. "But not enough."
Back at the residence, the silence had turned deadly. A massive demon forced its way inside, killing the resident in an instant.
Two Lampmen tried to stop it, but their heads were crushed without effort. The demon continued forward, its heavy steps echoing through the halls until it reached Fumika's room.
The door slid open.
The maid stood in front of the bed, trembling but unmoving.
"You will not touch her."
The demon struck the maid.
The blood of the maid spilled forward, droplets scattering across the futon—some landing on Fumika's still face.
The maid's body hit the floor softly.
The demon stepped closer, raising its arm again—
And then—
Fumika's eyes opened.
In a single motion, she rose from the futon. Her body moved with explosive precision as she stepped forward and struck. Her kick landed first, followed by a sharp, clean motion of her hand.
The demon's neck tore apart instantly.
It collapsed without a sound.
Fumika stood still for a moment.
Awake.
Back in the ruined street, Yuka's body hung limp, barely conscious. Blood covered her as Kaminaga's grip tightened further, the strands of black hair digging deeper into her flesh.
The demon did not rush.
It enjoyed this.
The hair coiled tighter around her throat, cutting off what little breath she had left. Thin strands slid beneath her skin, writhing like living needles, tearing through muscle and veins from the inside.
Yuka's body trembled.
A sharp jerk—
Her arm twisted unnaturally as the hair pulled in different directions.
A muffled gasp escaped her lips.
More strands forced their way into her shoulders, her back, her sides.
Blood dripped steadily to the ground.
Kaminaga tilted its head, watching her struggle.
"You resist… even now."
The hair tightened again.
Bones creaked.
Her vision blurred, darkening at the edges.
Her body was reaching its limit.
And still—
The demon squeezed harder.
As if trying to crush the last bit of strength out of her.
Then, suddenly—
Heat spread through the air.
Fire.
A figure stepped forward.
Fumika.
Her legs were already engulfed in flames.
She moved instantly.
A single burning kick struck the mass of hair, and it ignited on contact. The strands recoiled, releasing Yuka, who collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Fumika caught her briefly and moved her to safety before turning back.
Then she began to move.
Not just fighting—
Dancing.
Each step was fluid, controlled, and with every movement, the flames grew stronger. Soon, both her arms and legs were engulfed in fire, her entire body radiating heat like a blazing force of nature.
Kaminaga attacked again, its hair striking from every direction.
But nothing reached her.
Everything burned.
Fumika dashed forward, her kicks and punches landing with explosive force. Flames erupted with each strike, burning through the demon's defenses. She grabbed hold of its hair and pulled, forcing it off balance before delivering a relentless series of blows.
Behind her, Yuka forced herself to stand. Her body trembled, but her focus remained sharp. She raised her hand, gathering the last of her strength.
"Now…!"
Fumika created the opening.
Yuka fired.
A concentrated blast struck Kaminaga directly at the neck. The demon staggered, its movements slowing for the first time. Fumika didn't hesitate. She tightened her grip, her flames burning brighter as she struck again and again.
Yuka launched one final attack.
The blast hit cleanly.
And in that moment—
Fumika grab Kaminaga's hair and pulled with all her strength and tore the demon's head clean from its body.
The flames consumed everything.
Silence followed.
Fumika stood still as the fire slowly faded. She turned back toward Yuka, who managed a faint, exhausted smile.
"You're late," Yuka said softly.
Fumika gave a small smile in return.
"You waited."
For a brief moment, despite everything—
They were both still standing.