► Comforted by a demon ◄

Shoto finally looked him in the eyes. 'I don't care. You don't seem like a demon that deserves to die.' The demon slightly tilted his head, before asking, 'But, I heard that you slay every demon that crosses your path. Or was that just some made up rumor?' He narrowed his eyes while waiting for an answer.

After a moment of silence, Shoto began speaking with a bitter expression on his face and averting his eyes from the demon, 'No, the rumors are true. I mean, they were true...

I don't do that anymore. I only kill them if I know they deserve it.' Visibly surprised, Vox dug a little deeper, 'Did something happen that changed your mind? Wait, you didn't fall in love with a demon, did you?' A little grin formed on his lips as he was anticipating a grand story.

The demon slayer blushed a little while stammering, 'N-No!' He continued in a quiet voice, 'The last demon I killed two years ago, made me realize how blinded I was. He was a great person. And, if I had realized my mistakes a little sooner, I could have prevented his death. No, I could have prevented many deaths of innocent demons...' Tears started streaming down his face and he tried to sloppily dry them with the sleeve of his jacket, 'Oh, sorry. I don't know why I suddenly started crying. I thought I already forgave myself... Maybe, it's just that I'm sad?'

The moment he finished that sentence, Vox gave him a big hug. 'It's alright Shoto. You must have had your reasons. It's not like everyone knows what's right and what's wrong. You made a wise decision to change yourself and it's okay to cry.' Those were the words Shoto needed so that he could calm down again. 'Thank you, Mr. Akuma. I can't believe I'm crying in front of a stranger, and he is even comforting me.' Both started chuckling until Vox twitched slightly. 'Ugh' He rolled to the side so that Shoto could get up.

'Are you alright?' Panic was written on Shoto's face. Vox just grinned while responding, 'Don't worry. I just have a few bruises, and my body feels sore. I must have fought for hours. A good night's sleep should be enough to get me back on my feet.' He reached out his hand for Shoto to pull him up. The other calmed down and reached out to him. He pulled him up and put his left arm over his neck to support him. It was pretty comfortable since Shoto was a little smaller than Vox by a few centimeters.

'You have really great timing,' the demon started. 'You came right when I needed someone to pick me up. Or else, I would have had to stay in this dirty and cold place for some time.' Shoto chuckled.

'I'm glad I can be of help Mr. Akuma'. 'Please call me Vox. I feel old if you talk to me like that and you don't even have a last name. Or is that a fake name? Besides, we just hugged. So, I think a first name basis is in order, no?' Shoto blushed a little while recalling the embarrassing scene. 'No, it's my real name. And yes, you are right, Vox.' 'That's my boy' The demon teased him a little before groaning from the pain again. 'Ugh... Can you tell me what happened that made you start hunting demons in the first place? If it's okay with you, obviously. I feel like our walk will take some time. So, if you don't mind...' 'No, I don't mind.' The demon slayer answered. 'But it's a very gloomy story so don't expect too much.' (If you don't know what happened in his past, please visit Shoto's Youtube Channel, and watch his first lore video. Thank you!)