Jun Fudou

There is a constant worry that her dark thoughts will escape the confines of her mind and become actions.

It's not death if you refuse it.

--

-- into her shoulder.

"I never... wanted to hurt you." She shuddered through the pain, blood trickling down the fresh wound.

"And I still don't!"

-- late at this point. Kazumi had committed to the attack and Jun had to move. She only had time to step aside enough to avoid being pierced through the heart and instead be pierced through the shoulder.

Jun quickly clasped her dark hand around Kazumi's wrist to keep her attacker's claws dug --

Jun's eyes went wide in astonishment at what she was witnessing. In one instant, she was learning that Kazumi still lived, and in another, she's learning that her bestial transformation in possessing her to such ruthlessness.

"Kazumi, no!" She cried out to her, but it was too --

-- "You're Kazumi! Or part of her...
I-I didn't mean for that to happen to you!"
Her grip on that leg tightened, and soon, she raised to a stand and swung Kazumi around. Then, she released her, throwing the devilish Kazumi against a far wall.

"Kazumi! This isn't you! Please, don't fight!"

-- as the crumbling debris fell all around Jun, who was brought to a coughing fit from the planted foot pressed down into her gut.

Through ragged breaths, she clutched her attackers ankle.

"You... Kazumi?!" With all her strength, she began to push that leg in her clutches up and off her. --

In just a few suffered slashes, Jun became aware of how dangerous this beast was. If she was not careful, the next slash could be the last.

Despite trying to avoid the attacking creature, Jun was snatched up and kicked back down through the roof of the building.

Clouds of dust were kicked up --

-- claws digging into her arms would have been cause for concern, but the Devil Lady's eyes were fixated on this enemy's face. There was a familiarity in their eyes.

"How do you know her?!" Coming to her senses, Jun hiked her legs up and then kicked them into her foe's abdomen to shove them off.

The beast she held was dropped as there was little left of them. She was about to get ready to spring to offense, but hearing this last creature utter that name caused Jun to freeze up.

"What did you-...?"

Before she could finish her thought, she was shoved into the ground. The pain of those --

-- I hope for your sake one of you can actually speak!" Jun's voice was stern and demanding.

-- behind Kazumi. They opened their jagged toothed maw open wide in anticipation as they slowly made their approach, unaware of the newcomer who had just stormed in.

Jun Fudo, The Devil Lady, clutched the head of the merged beast and raised him upward, dangling him in the air.

"Enough! --

-- smashed into, the dark figure overlooks the damage, noticing a battle between other beasts had already commenced.

The place they had broken into was a supermarket in its after hours. The two merged beasts were hiding in the darkness, shuffling through aisles, trying to circle around --

Beasts attract other beasts. Their presence is felt. The scent of malice and blood follows them wherever they go.

It was only a matter of time before they were all found by another, one who has no alliance to their brutish ways, for she is a Devilman.

Landing atop the building opposite the one --

-- monsters, who easily walked to them, ready to tear into them and make meals of them.

-- three humanoid beasts emerged, covered in hair, their faces each distinct from one another, but all of them ghastly with crazed eyes and salivating maws filled with flesh tearing teeth.

The two drunkards fell back, and shrieked, trying best to crawl away, but were far too slow for the --

-- call a ride and with no one else in sight, they thought it best to somehow walk home.

Unfortunately for the two of them, they were easy prey for a hungry pack of savage beasts.

There was a rustle from the bushes by the pavement they walked on. Then, from behind them, a group of --

The quiet night streets were empty. Hardly any late stragglers wandered, save for a group of businessmen who had their arm around one another to keep balanced amidst their drunken stupor. After a night of drinking, they wandered through the lonely streets, too disoriented to use their phones to --

-- disappeared into. Her apartment was taken note of. She walked to the door, gently placed her hand against its surface, and lingered a moment
Then, she slipped away, but this would not be the last time Jun stopped by this place.

-- herself wondering. The answers needed to be found, even if it meant going beyond boundaries.

Once Kazumi walked into the distance, Jun felt her legs move, sending her into a hurried jog to follow.

After some sneaking around from a short distance, Jun found the residence that Kazumi --

She almost reached out to Kazumi to halt her, but stopped herself. Her mind raced, trying to figure out the reason for this behavior.

"Kazumi... what's happened?" Could she have decided to pursue a life without her past? If so, how could Jun object?

Whatever the reason, she didn't want to leave --

-- relent, another attempt was made to approach Kazumi. Jun's brows furrowed up in anguish. A step forward became an insistence to take their history into consideration again, although it was a forced and desperate attempt that would not help Jun's case in appearing friendly.

Feeling Kazumi pull away produced a soft gasp from Jun. She was in disbelief. Had this been an act? If it was, then what did she do to deserve such cruel treatment?

"Scared? Kazumi. You know me. I am not a stranger. You must know that! You must know what we have been through."

Rather than --

-- you talking about?! It's me, Jun. Fudou Jun." There was immediate escalation to loss of patience in her tone. "I thought you were..." Her eyes became trembly. "I thought I lost you!" She couldn't keep to herself any longer. Her hands gripped onto Kazumi's shoulders.

This was not the response Jun was expecting. It caused her to blink and show disbelief on her face. She hurriedly walked closer to Kazumi and looked her directly in the eye. It was clear that she was not mistaken. This was the same face of her dearest friend who she lost some time ago.

"What are --

-- each other down, the more Jun became wide eyed, realizing that this was real.

"Kazumi-chan...?" Her soft voice broke through the silence.

-- stride like a shark confident in its dominion of the waters.

This striking figure watched intently as if half expecting Kazumi to disappear any second as some figment of her imagination, a vivid memory brought on by remorse or nostalgia.

The longer the moment lingered with the two staring --

-- simple woman, one who avoided interaction, risk or attachment. Her peers in the industry might have called her boring, but that couldn't be further than what was on display here. The ex model stood, her body draped in a long coat, carrying herself with disregard for the world and with confident

Jun stood tall and statuesque, like an unavoidable wall in Kazumi's path. The distant stare on her face was a piercing one that was unmistakably focused on the face once thought forever lost to the clutches of death.

In the days before the rise of devil beasts, Jun was known as a demure and --