The Detective and the Devil

The detective flipped through a few papers before placing the stack onto the desk, sliding them over to the other side and beckoning the family across from him to read them. The family of two gulped in anticipation as they gazed at the details on the paper before them. The once fair skin of the two was matted with the grime of the underclass, their horns poking out from underneath the loose beds of hair that haven't been washed in days. The clothes they wore on their body were pristine once, with its intricate floral patterns vibrant and colorful, but now they were ragged, faded out and dirty. The hungry maw of poverty had evidently sank its fangs into them, but even in their state, they managed to come to to Hasu a few days ago, begging him to find their son who disappeared two nights before. Hasu accepted without hesitation on seeing their state. He was never one to say no to a needy face.

The atmosphere at the moment was rather tense, with the family staring grimly at the paper and Hasu unable to come up with anything to ease the situation at hand. After a moments more of silence, Hasu piped up, as cheerily as he could. "I'm sure you two are nervous, but take a deep breath--there is nothing to worry about. You only need to review these documents and sign... here." Hasu lifts a finger, slowly placing upon a signature line at the bottom of the paper.

The man hesitates for a second, staring at the paper before looking up at Hasu, his voice tinged with desperation. "Our son... Where is he?"

Hasu stares contemplatively into the distance ahead, hands folded in front of his face. Of course, he knew their son would be fine, but he was in the grasp of the Hellions. Naturally, a scary situation. How could he tell them the news without having them panic? Social situations weren't exactly his forte. He rubs his bandaged chin for a moment, deep in thought, before responding to the man's question. "Let me begin by assuring you, your son will be okay. Maybe a little roughed up, but he'll be alive. The bad news is that he was taken by the Hellions alongside a multitude of other victims a few days go in a small scale trafficking operation. However, the good news is I know the route the Hellions use and I can return them all safely, including your son." The two look horrified, directing their terrified expressions at each other, then at Hasu. The husband leans over the desk, clasping his hands together, stuttering and spilling over his words.

"Th-the Hellions? Oh, no, no no no... please, please... please make sure our son is safe, please! I beg of you...! I--" The man is interrupted by Hasu, who raises his hand in response.

"Fret not. His life is guaranteed, I assure it. I'm sure you know of my reputation when it comes to cases such as these."

The man stops and looks nervous but looks reassured by his statement, nodding. He has heard of Detective Hasu's spotless track record. Of course, he's never seen the man in action himself, but it wasn't easy to build a strong reputation in the Devil Moon, much less a positive one. He shakes off his apprehension, grabbing any old pen off the desk. Putting his pen onto the paper, he signs his name on the line. When he finishes, he looks back at Hasu. The detective nods then turning his attention to his wife.

"And your signature, miss."

The woman reaches for the pen when she recoils, bringing her hand close to her chest. "What... what of our payment? W-we don't have much, but we'll give you any--"

"I have no need for any significant payment. A single coin will do. Chocolate maybe."

"Ch-chocolate? A-are you sure?"

"Of course."

The husband puts his hand on her trembling hand, nodding. She smiles, albeit a bit apprehensively, but a smile was better than nothing. She takes the same pen her husband used, fidgeting with it for a bit, then signing on a new line as well. Hasu claps his hands together, which startles the two and stands up abruptly. "Your son will be home soon. I'll make sure of it. So, go home, collect yourselves, have dinner, prepare a lunchbox for your son and... have faith in me." There's a pause in the air before the family seems to be swept up by a tide of emotion, tears forming in their eyes.

"Thank you, Detective! Oh, thank you, thank you so much! Thank you for helping us--I was afraid... you... wouldn't...." The man's voice cracks, as he struggles to compose himself. He wipes tears from his eyes and sniffles, his wife embracing him from behind.

"No need to thank me yet. You may send me your regards once I have returned your son. And, I would... never abandon those in need. So, rest easy. All will be well in the end." Hasu adjusts the cuffs of his suit, turning his back to them and vacantly staring into a mirror located on the wall near the desk. The family of two bow and take their leave, leaving Hasu alone in his office. He lifts his collar, tightening his tie and brushing some dust off his shoulders as he stares into the mirror. Of course, he wasn't alone. He was never alone, with that wretched voice haunting him.

"Such a good hearted samaritan. I bet you feel like the Buddha after that, detective." The voice spits out the word venomously, derision and disgust practically dripping from it. The voice sends a chill up Hasu's spine and a wave of pain through his mind, but he attempts to remain stoic, inhaling deeply to calm himself down before speaking out against it.

"You're loud today. That'll be enough from you though. I'm not in the mood."

"Oh? That's enough? Can't handle a bit of ribbing? A bit of teasing from your other half never hurt anyone." Each word the voice speaks sends throbbing pain into Hasu's head with the sound of his shadowy ichor thrumming throughout his body. Hasu's posture faltered slightly, leaning forward into the mirror and putting a hand onto the wall near it to stabilize himself.

"Other half? You're nothing more than a parasite. Leave me be."

"Parasite? I want you to listen carefully, delusional one. You are the foreign body with MY body as the host. I--"

"This is MY body. I have repented, I paid the price for my penitence--"

"You repented? Ha. Don't make me laugh, worm. That wasn't real repentance. You think some pleasantries and paltry deeds will pay for all the blood you shed? Think of those innocents that lay unmoving now, with only the dirt and worms to keep them company, all because you had to sate the desire to snuff out any light you saw. You were nothing more than a depraved, mad beast. You still are."

"... You're right. I know that nothing I amount to will ever make up for the atrocities I committed in the past, but I have changed. I have turned over a new leaf. You can't argue against that. You would be blind not to s--"

"Ah, but have you? I feel it underneath. Those roiling, turbulent emotions. Waiting. Biding their time. Until you crack. I know what lurks within. That devil inside. Wailing, screaming, begging to be free again. Ha ha."

He's now lost his composure, gripping the mirror's sides tightly, staring deep beyond the mirror at a shadow in the distance. If Hasu had teeth, he would be gritting and gnashing them currently. "I said.. enough. That's... that's you. It's not me. I've told you I changed. I'm nothing like you." A bit of a flat rebuttal, but he felt the deep pit growing in his stomach. The voice wasn't... wrong. This thought truly vexed Hasu. He thought he had changed, he thought he had found peace within himself, but...

"Ha ha. Ah, that look on your face is so... invigorating. Did you forget? I am you. The you that remembers. Do you even remember their faces? The faces of the innocents you butchered? I do. But I bet they've all but vanished from your mind as you frolicked around in this... den of sin."

"Of course... of course I remember. Their faces...and..."

"Oh, so you do remember. You remember how you felt back then. The sweetness of their tears, the dulcet tones of their screams... aah. Isn't it beautiful? Don't you yearn to go back?"

"...No."

"Oh, but I do. And I am you. Just remember. At your weakest, I will be there. You'll eventually destroy yourself trying to protect all those writhing worms, and once you lay broken in front of me, wracked in pain, I'll be there. You will be me."

"...I know. That's why... I'll never let anyone get close to me. I'll never let you--no. I'll never let myself hurt anyone innocent again."

"You talk a big game, but I know you. You yearn for real connections. Underneath that monstrous visage you bear is that pathetic sentimentality, poisoning your rationality. You'll crack and open up, and in that moment of weakness, you'll have thrown them into the maw of death. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

Hasu remains silent, gripping his head.

"Given up yet? That won't do. Remember Kofuko's terms? I thrive off your pain. Physical... emotional, it doesn't matter. That's why I need you to struggle. Bearing the burdens of those who are too weak to bear it themselves, suffering along with them as your penitence... that pain only brings me closer. Ha ha. "

"I won't let you consume me."

"Consume you? Now, where's the fun in that? I simply want to become one with you again."

"...we could never become one, because we were NEVER one. You are simply an abscess on a festering wound. An abscess I can't seem to cut off."

"Keep lying to yourself, Hasu. You can't get rid of me, no matter how hard you try. Did you forget? We're soul brothers. And because we share that soul of ours, you and I both understand what we are. Monsters. Dirty, sinful, degenerate monsters. Undeserving of any forgiveness or peace."

"ENOUGH!"

Hasu eventually reaches his limit, slamming his fist through the mirror and through the other side of the wall. A haunting lamentation rings out through the room as the protective ward in his bandages activate, temporarily keeping the spirit at bay. Pieces of the mirror go flying everywhere, only leaving a few pieces hanging from the wall, reflecting his broken image. "I'm... I'm nothing like you." He pulls out his fist from the wall, staring at his own reflection. He grips his head and dusts himself off, picking pieces of the mirror off himself. Hasu then walks over to his seat, plopping himself down to collect himself. Maybe the voice was right. Maybe, he really was a monster. A wolf in sheep's clothing. A pretender that will never find peace. He opens up a cabinet underneath his desk in complete silence and opens up a folder with notes on people he's watched recently, his hands shaking as he grasps the papers in his hand. He needed a bit of a distraction. Perhaps he'd go take up Hayato's offer to clean up the Devil Moon after thwarting that Hellion operation, or go Chimera hunting in the wilds. Too many loose ends, not enough time. With each passing day, the devil's whispers grew louder and louder. Only time could tell when he'd lose himself once again.