Chapter Text
Arai Hirokazu never planned to be a devil hunter.
If you asked him years ago he would have snorted and shook his head.
Him, willingly going into a job that was basically one big suicide trip people threw themselves into for their spiral for whatever kind of revenge or paycheck they were looking for?
Jumping into what was basically guaranteed death?
No thank you.
He had a life he wanted to live.
Too many things he wanted to do.
Places he wanted to go.
Experience he wanted to make for himself.
Go to different states..
Find himself a wife and settle down to have children.
Devil hunting wasn’t even a thought in the back of his head.
As brave as he had to admit they were, fighting the evils of hell like that, risking their lives to make sure there was less of those things, It was nothing he had ever wanted to do himself.
He was in no rush to be ripped apart by devils and leave everyone he loved behind.
Arai would much rather do something he’d find joy in and not die horribly in, like writing.
Get something published or any kind of job in the field.
But just like with all people, with life, things didn’t turn out the way he wanted it to.
His distant father, a man he had only met two times and knew next to nothing about dying from a cause he never learned about, leaving his mother widowed and their main source of income… gone just like that.
His mother had a job but it quickly proved to be not near enough, especially with all that drinking of hers.
He couldn’t just let her suffer with it all alone!
She raised him..
Raised him without his father at that!
he owed it to her as her son!
As a member of the family, that he cared about more than anything!
Dropping out of college without her even asking him too to help her.
Instantly struggling to help provide for them, something that was all in vain as his mother took to the bottle more than she ever had before.
He only had a few years of college he hadn’t completed, with any jobs that were hiring just weren't paying him enough even with his mother's own income.
It wasn’t enough for one person to live off, let alone two for their decently sized house they couldn’t pay the bills on.
A thing that only drove his mother more to her drinking.
To her forgetting.
To her sadness and blind rage where she never looked him in the eyes.
Being ‘there’ less and less as he held her hair up as she vomited herself in a lonely bathroom.
Holding her hand as she sobbed and shook.
Snarled and screamed drunk nonsense at him.
Things that changed from a biweekly thing to daily as their situation got bleaker and bleaker.
His mother got worse and worse with her attitude. Her depression.
It was getting hard for Arai to keep up, to deal with it, and not shatter himself.
Such things that made that job field he always scoffed at, flicker in the back of his head before it flourished into an all-out unavoidable outcome.
He found himself looking into it, the horrors, how to apply at the paycheck the devil hunters he had at once shook his head at.
It was a lot of money.
Even during the training phase that money could get them what they needed.
What she needed.
It could be the thing to save them.
It was a scary thing to slowly come to a concussion of.
To actually be considering, with all the rare snips he would hear from people walking around hushed and fearful from full-grown men.
The glances of horrible monsters that he only saw in nightmares.
Of other things, not even those could cook up.
Not to mention just how high the death rate of that kind of work was.
It was a death sentence and he knew it.
Everyone knew it.
Facing those things, killing those things, teaming up with them even?
It made him feel sick.
He didn’t want to do this.
He didn’t want to risk his life for that.
He wanted to live!
He wanted to be a writer!
But.. if he didn’t things would only fall to rock bottom, Into a slow and painful death and he wasn’t going to have that.
It was a hard decision to make and an even harder one to reveal to his mother as he procrastinated and floundered.
His poor mother had already lost so much.
Her family to devils, her husband from the divorce then the jaws of death.
His poor mother never seemed to be sober anymore, who never seemed to be her anymore.
who'd never get grandkids with what he was getting into nor a daughter-in-law.
Eventually gathering his will enough to tell her, finding her on the couch with several crushed beer cans around her.
She smelt like vomit.
“Ma… I signed up to be a devil hunter. I start in a few days...”
Even in her barely aware state, his mother rushed to him, grabbing him by the crisp new suit he had purchased just today, making him cringe.
Her hand cradled his face like he was a child again, but yet not looking at him.
Not looking at the green of his eyes that she shared.
“Galgali… no… you don’t have to do that for us… you don’t have to do that! We can figure something out! We… we can do something!”
“Ma…” he hated the way his voice broke, “It’s Arai.”
Her hand shook, fingers tracing the scar on the side of his face, really looking into his eyes now, her expression only turning more agonized as her words slurred further, “What? Arai… oh… oh no Arai… you… no… no you didn’t.”
He swallowed and put his hand over his own, “I’m sorry Ma.”
It was the only thing he could say to her.
A low sob rose in his mother's throat, pounding her other fist into his chest.
“Arai- you RETARD! Why would you go and do something like that?! Why would you do that?!”
“It’s… okay Ma! I’ve looked at the wages, and the pay is really good! It can-“
“I know how much the pay is!” She screamed, slamming her fist even harder into him, her nails starting to dig into the side of his face, “I know… I know Arai. I don’t want to lose my little boy to THAT kind of life…”
Her strikes at him were getting weaker, her nails drew out of his flesh.
“I know… I just want to help you Ma. I just want you to get better. I don’t like seeing you like this. Living like this… I have to try. I have to do this, or things will just get worse. I have to do this… I’m the man of the house.. it’s my duty! Besides, who knows? Maybe I’ll do really well!”
There was a bitter laugh from his mother, “Even with all I did. You still turned out just like him… exactly like him..”
It wasn’t exactly a compliment.
It was bitter.
Her finger stroked down his scar again, something like guilt flickering across her face.
“You’re too good, Arai. The devils will eat you alive if you act like that you know…”
The man frowned at the statement or her touch to him there, “I’ll put in my all Ma. I promise I will. I’m gonna make a contract with a devil, and I’ll live as long as I can.”
Her eyes only welled up with tears as his mother pulled him into a crushing embrace like she expected him to slip out of her arms right there and then.
Her sobs even more soul-wrenching than Arai had ever heard them.
It made him start to tear up too, but he held it back letting his mother cry into him, alcohol still on her breath.
It was like she was already mourning him..
Maybe she was right to…
Devil hunting had by hair the highest death role of any job.
It was basically signing his life away.
He might as well pick out a tombstone while he was at it.
He better says his prayers..
Say goodbye to any hopes and dreams he once had.
The overhead clock’s ticking bellowed in his head.
Arai held back his mother tighter and let her weep.
~
Arai’s little time left preparing for his first day on the job was more just hours of worrying more than anything as his mother ignored him more than usual, pounding the strongest drinks she could and throwing them back up again all over the house with Arai hovering over her.
Not looking him in his eyes again.
A problem that was going to get much worse after he left, Hirokazu knew. Especially with no one to look after her.
Even more so if anything happened to him.
Passed out cold in another blackout on the kitchen floor.
So much for hoping she was going to get better..
The man could only sigh as he threw on a stray blanket over her before leaving.
The job was just as he suspected it would be at first.
The higher-ups walked about with different scars each with empty eyes.
Something he’d usually feel better about with his own, but not now.
Giving him a pitiful or disappointed look as he passed them minus one smaller girl in particular that rushed by him looking like she was close to tears.
He tried to give them at least a polite nod as his nerves grew to a new level.
Pausing at a dark wooden door.
Checking the slip on paper to make sure..
Ya, A174 this was it.
According to Miss. Makima his trainer, was supposed to be there.
Miss Himeno.
A woman, but he was sure she’d be a perfectly fine trainer.
He slicked his hair back, puffing up his shoulders as much as he could before he knocked on the door.
“Come in!” A voice sang back from the other side, cheery and warm unlike so much else in this place.
It was unexpected.
He let himself in, meeting eyes with the woman with blue eyes, shoulder-length black hair and an eyepatch currently lounging at her desk, her feet propped up on it.
Giving him a genuine smile that made his heart flutter.
She was… pretty.
“Hia! You’re the new guy, aren't you? My new rookie! Arai… Hirokazu right?”
Something flickered in her eyes that he missed as she put down the…
Was that a porno?
“Yes, sempai!” He shouted, giving her a very messy bow, “It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’ll be sure to train effectively under you! Anything you say! I’ll put my all into it! Everything I can!”
“Hmm... eager to get started aren't we?”
It was more playful than anything, feeling a little embarrassed as he instantly stopped his bowing and stood at full attention.
“I am! Yes miss Himino!”
That made her snort, that smile still on her face, taking her feet off her desk, “relax Hirokazu. You can tone down the seriousness. Everyone ALWAYS acts like that when they first get here.. Most of them still do. It gets old fast.”
The green-eyed male didn’t know what to say to that, had he screwed up with his trainer already?
“Sorry Ma’am! Uh… I mean-”
She only laughed, “relax,” she said again, looking over him with her lone eye, “you can do that when we really start going into big missions, for now, I’m just getting you ready for everything, so for now… relax.”
Her voice was still playful, but calming enough to the point even if Arai was unsure of her words made his body feel just a little less tense.
“Really?”
“Course! Might as well try and tell you that now than weeks later when you're acting like you have a stick up your ass like most of my coworkers.”
Himeno motioned at the seat in front of her and he sat himself down. His leg started to bounce up and down.
All this… really was nothing he had expected so far.
He had half thought she was going to make him fight one of those things right away.
Which he supposed was a stupid thought.
He didn’t even know all too much about devils yet. Hadn’t even formed a contract with one.
“There we go! Now before we start, tell me.. Why are you doing this Hirokazu? Are you trying to be some kind of hero?”
It was an invasive question, but still, he answered it without a second thought, “honestly, me and my mother. We need money, protecting anyone I can is more of a second priority.”
She stared at him, not looking as disappointed as he would have expected.
“Hmm, better than just wanting all that money for yourself, those people always are the first to die. The selfish ones and greedy ones I’ve trained always die within a month. You’ll at least last longer than them.”
He swallowed at her change in tone.
Nearly going tense again.
“And devils, what do you think about them?”
“They’re all evil!” he told her confidently at such an obvious question, “they’re all trying to kill us after all, even the ones we make contracts with.”
Her head tilted her gaze at him getting even more strange.
Was that… the wrong answer..?
But why would it be wrong?
“So you would never join them then? Even if they were winning?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t! I’d rather die than even consider joining those monsters!” he snarled, losing his air of trying to be professional about all this.
What kinds of questions even were these?!
There was something sad in her eyes now.
Something almost doubtful that made him feel even worse.
Even more confused.
Why was she even asking him things like that?
Even if she did appear to be nice, Himeno was… Odd.
Was that usual for devil hunters?
Or did he just get an odd one?
“Okay.. done with those lines of questions. Hopefully, they’ll make sense one day. Let's get more into business. Have you made a contract with a devil yet?”
“No… but I’ve been doing a little research and I was considering the fox devil.”
Himino smiled again, “that's not a bad choice! If you're lucky you might even get its head like Aki did! You’re not too bad looking yourself!”
He went beat red.
“I’ll be sure to get that figured out for you! Teach you all I know and more! You know how to fight?!”
“I used to do boxing in high school.”
“Great! So I don’t even have to go easy on you do I!?”
He chuckled nervously, but the playfulness back in her voice got him to relax again.
“I don’t think you’ll need to.”
“Great! Let's get started right away then! You have a lot to learn Hirokazu.”
He knew he did.
“Yes ma’am.”
~
Just as he suspected training even from the start was grueling to the point having to deal with his newly acquired devil was the easy part.
It... or she as the thing like to be called apparently.
He hadn’t been aware tha things even cared about things like gender and what to be called.
‘Nice’ as far as devils went as in she didn’t insult him at all like she thought she might, nor was giving her his blood all too painful.
The actual learning part at least wasn’t too hard either, nor the attempt to build his skills with various weapons. No not at all.
He was a fast learner when it came to that and further building his own stamina was nothing.
Himeno was the real struggle. Even with how nice she was, the actual fighting during training with her was harsh and ruthless.
The first time went the most horribly over all with his hesitation to strike her before her shoe slammed against the side of his head.
Every day for weeks dragging himself back home covered in bumps and bruises with Himino not so much as having a scratch on her from him.
Throwing him around like some kind of child's toy.
It was honestly pathetic on his part.
He should at least be able to land a few blows on her by now, especially with his past experience!
Even with his own thoughts on the matter his new mentor seemed to think otherwise. Slapping him on the back with a wide grin, “You're not doing too bad so far!”
“Are you sure about that?” He got out, flat on his back again, pretty sure at least one of his ribs was broken.
“Course! Even a small improvement is still an improvement! Plus you already have a good build. Keep getting up when I hit you and don’t complain which is rare for rookies!”
Did that many people whine?
With the job at hand, he found it ridiculous.
“That's… good-” he got out, still trying to get his breath back from their fight.
“I mean it! Might have to put you up against other people's rookies sometime! I’ll put good money on you!” She snicked squatting down next to him.
“If that's what you want ma’am.”
Himeno’s smile changed at that, something bitter in it now.
“Arai… I know you said you're doing this for your mother, but is there really no other way you can get it?”
“I wouldn’t be here otherwise. I didn’t have a choice. None of the other jobs were paying enough and I can't just let Ma handle it on her own! She's... my family, that should be the most important thing for anyone!”
The one eyed woman sighed, “You seem like a good person Arai. One who has your head on straight. People like that… die second to devils next to the people who are only after money. You can still quit before we go into any actual devil hunting you know. I wouldn't think less of you for it. In fact, I encourage it. A lot of rookies have died under my watch. I’m not in a rush to see it happen to you.”
A part of him knew her asking this was coming.
Himeno was a kind woman, of course, she would.
It made his nerves start again.
The shere reminder of how dangerous this job was.
How many people died and how quickly they were replaced.
That he was probably going to die as just another one of them.
Die sooner than later.
“If there was… I would have taken it, ma’am. Like I said I don’t have any other real choice besides this.”
She hummed sadly at that.
“You're a lot like my other rookie in that way. You know she was adamant about staying too, she's just doing this for her siblings. Maybe I’ll put you up against her in that fighting ring I talked about!
“Ma’am I-”
“Enough of that chit-chat! Have you recovered yet? It’s not the end of the day yet!” she yapped, cheerful again as she punched her fist into the palm of her hand.
The conversation dropped just like that.
Arai sighed but got to his feet ready for the life to be beaten out of him by his mentor for the tenth time today.
~
More time was fast to go by and his training was a lot more bearable.
The better he got the easier it all became for him.
Able to land blows on his mentor before she promptly threw him on his ass as soon as he offered to help her back up.
Getting faster, stronger, and more quick thinking.
It made him proud of himself… even if his mother was always too wasted when he attempted to tell her about his progress like it would actually cheer her up.
Even with his new very generous income and nothing to worry about she had gotten even worse, spending his money on more expensive drinks for herself to put herself into an endless haze to get rid of that sadness of his father. That fear of what might happen to him any day and leave her with absolutely no one but that bottle.
To rot away with no one to look after all.
To help her to bed after spending most the day on the floor heaving.
To try and cheer her up.
She’d be alone if he died even with all the money.
A thing that was hard not to think about especially with Himeno’s words to him in mind.
That look at her face.
A look she had on more and more frequently the more he progressed at his training.
Like his mother already grieving his death.
His violent, painful bloody death at the claws of something purely evil.
It was both a kind of feeling and drawback counting on with his own set of training, in his present time now both of them were exhausted from their own training.
“You’re starting to get decent at this! You got me pretty good this time!” she praised, whipping the sweat off her forehead.
“Only because of you Miss Himeno,” Arai told her.
“Again with that. A lot of this really is you, you know. Your reflexes are better than most and you hit hard.”
He fiddled with his tie for a moment.
“I was… almost at the top of my class but I-”
“Let me guess you hesitated like you have with me?” the woman asked teasingly, tilting her head at him.
He nodded, “heh.. Ya... I was kind of a lousy boxer when it came to that. My coach would always get so mad at me for it, but I never seemed to break the habit even when I tried to.”
There was that look on her face again.
That sad look.
“You need to learn how to break it now, Arai. It’s a thing you’ll need for your own survival now. Whatever you do, do not hesitate. It’s unlikely, but one day you might have to hurt another person.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I know.”
Himino slapped him on the shoulder, “ata boy! With the rate you're learning, I’m sure you’ll be able to do it in absolutely no time! I even think it’ll be at that time soon when you can start helping me out on things that aren’t training for once.”
He failed to hide his flinch.
“Hey now, don’t worry, no real devil hunting yet especially when you haven’t been introduced to your buddy. I won’t throw you out there until I really think you're ready and even when you are I’ll still be with you for a bit! It’ll be awhile till you’re out on your own with them.”
Arai sat up abruptly.
His buddy?
It was a thing he hadn’t really thought about even with Himino’s rattling on about her own buddy.
How strong and dependable he was.
How he had saved him more times than she could count.
Seeing the man a handful of times by her side with his black hair that was put up in an angle he hadn’t known was possible.
All the hunters had one.
A partner that followed them by their side.
Together even when they didn’t have to be.
A lot of them seemed like close friends to each other, or even more than that in a lot of cases.
Trauma bonding he supposed.
He hadn’t even had a mention of himself getting one yet besides now which was weird.
Shouldn’t he have gotten one by now?
“Miss Himino…? Has my buddy been picked out yet? Or will I be able to choose?”
The woman seemed amused, “nahhhh, that's all decided by the people above you and my own input. Or ah mostly.” she trailed off, giving him a shrug.
He raised his eyebrow.
“This time is a little different. The one we’re planning for you has had several different buddies who all refused to continue to work with her after… a while of training, and because she's technically my other rookie and you’re really the only one left we're trying our luck with trying to pair her with you next!”
Her… a woman for a buddy then.
He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
His full attention was on his mentor, jaw dropping open a few moments before he quickly closed it.
“Why did they start refusing to work with her, if you don’t mind me asking ma’am?” he asked in the most polite way she could.
He was starting to have a bad feeling about this.
Himino put a hand to her chin, “hmm you’d have to ask Kobeni about that.”
She was hiding something.
That was clear, but Aria didn’t push her on it.
It wasn’t his place after all.
She was his boss.
“Right Ma’am… I look forward to meeting her then! I’ll try my best to get along with her.”
“There we go! I bet you two will be fast friends! With how well your training is going you’ll be able to start training with her soon!”
“Of course Miss Himino..” he nodded to her respectfully, his mind a lot less focused on training, even his own impending danger than usual. Mind now on his mysterious buddy to be.
What the hell had she done to have people, a lot of people even flat out refuse to be her buddy?
Because she was cowardly or weak?
He wouldn’t think she would have gotten this far if that was the case.
Arai supposed he’d have to wait to find out before his mind stayed to any conclusions that were unfair.
Just wait until Himino thought it was appropriate for them to meet and start training together to form a team.
A strong team Himeno could be proud she built from the ground up.
More proud of him than ever before.
Just the thought of more of the woman's praise on that matter made him smile faintly.
It always felt so nice to get that from her.
“Smiling?! You never smile! Are you excited to meet her already?” The woman laughed, elbowing him and giving him a strange look.
“Uh… to further my training… yes ma’am.”
“Awww just when I thought little Kazu was going to show interest in someone! You really seem to need it! You're so stuck up… need to wind down a bit!”
Arai turned red, he enjoyed his mentor's company but why did she always have to say things like that?
“No Miss Himeno! It’s just for training!”
“Sure,” she shrugged, “I’ll make sure to try and get you trained up to meet her faster! Because you're that eager to train!”
Her grin was even wider now.
Blue eyes sparkling.
It was almost a struggle for him not to roll his eyes at her at this point.
Giving her yet another polite nod and getting back into what they left on, although the flickers of curiosity at the strangeness surrounding his partner didn’t fade entirely even with his own morals on the matter of judging before meeting.
It again was a rude thing to do.
Whoever this person was, had to be gossiped about enough poor thing.
For… whatever she did or didn’t do.
For the time being though, he’d just have to wait, wait and try and make a good impression on the day he got his first buddy.