It is 2008 AD, just before noon on a mild spring day, new recruit, Jacoby Moore enters the KIG (Keepers of the Interdimensional Gate) gymnasium wearing the closest thing he has to a ‘fighting attire’. A pair of navy blue camouflage shorts, a pair of dirty red athletic shoes with white soles, and a pair of faded red grappling gloves lent to him by another operative adorn his chocolate skinned, six-foot, athletic frame. He scratches his black, coarse hair and takes a good look at the gym, taking note of the relatively low-tech aesthetic, much like the rest of the facility, and how abnormally diverse the equipment is. However, there was an ulterior motive to this pause. He knew exactly where he had to go and what he had to do, but he was in no hurry to face his destiny.

He continues to scan the ground floor, but sees no boxing ring in sight. “It must be upstairs.”, says Jacoby to himself. Less than halfway up the stairs, he can hear the distinct thuds of punching bags getting struck and bodies hitting wrestling mats. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he gazed upon a sight that would make any aspiring martial artist happy. The section still looks rather low-tech, but has everything a professional fighter could ever want. He finally spots two boxing rings and slowly makes his way towards them. “Let’s get his over with.” he says with a sigh.

Jacoby is no stranger to fighting; he even made a living off of it for a time in an illicit fight circuit where he recorded 99 wins to two losses. He’s trained in Kickboxing, Wrestling, and even Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has fought men twice his weight and won.  He has had a gun pointed at him at point blank range twice, and took down the gunman each time. However, he knows what he’s about to face is literally otherworldly.

Both rings are currently occupied, but only one appears to have an audience, a lone figure sitting on a nearby bench with a stopwatch in hand. He appears to be a middle aged East Asian man wearing a red and yellow track suit with three notable scars on his face. The man notices Jacoby approaching and turns to greet him. “Hello, Mr. Moore, good to see you.”, says the man warmly with a slight accent, which may suggest that he originates from northeastern China. “Come, have a seat.”, gesturing towards the other side of the bench. Jacoby accepts the offer and draws his attention to what’s happening in the ring.

There are three notably large daemons, two engaged in a boxing match while the third appears to act as the referee. The first boxer looks like an oni standing just over seven feet tall with two stubby horns matching his light medium complexion. The second boxer is a cyclops who looks about four inches taller than the oni with a single stubby horn protruding through his blue neck length hair. Both boxers have the physique of professional strongmen.  The referee looks like a werewolf standing about six and half feet, completely dwarfed by the boxers. The werewolf is by far the most striking of the three aesthetically. Almost half her body is covered in grey fur, most notably her forearms, nose, cheeks, and digitigrade legs. Her deep almond skin contrasts with her fur and highlights her muscular physique. Her flowing tail reaches down to her ankles while her hair reaches past her shoulder blades. Despite her role as the referee, she’s wearing boxing trunks with matching sports bra and both her hands and ankles are tapped.

The fighting is fierce to say the at least. The mammoth combatants trade blow for blow. The sounds of their gloves colliding with each other’s flesh and bones echo throughout the top floor. The impact of each punch can almost be felt beyond the ring. Excluding the occasional block, there is no defense to speak of. Basic boxing fundamentals have been abandoned in favor of an all out slugfest. Despite the continuous strikes, there is seldom a stagger between them. Both titans absorb each hit like sponges. Every so often, the boxers would get entangled; this is where the she-wolf steps in to break them up and give the command to reengage. Despite the size difference, she accomplishes this with relative ease.

Jacoby sits at awe at what he is witnessing. He tries to keep a straight face, but his eyes betray his stoic façade. The man to his left is completely unfazed. “Don’t worry.”, says the man, turning to face Jacoby. “They don’t usually come this big…or this ugly.”, he says jokingly. The man turns away briefly to look at his stopwatch once more. “Looks like it’s going to be a while longer.”, the man puts away his stopwatch to face Jacoby again. “While we wait, allow me to introduce myself. The name’s Wu Yu Ze, but you can just call me ‘Yu’.”. Both men shake hands. “You may be wondering why I called you here. I am a daemon hunter and head trainer for the human operatives of the KIG.”. “A daemon hunter?”, Jacoby asks. “Yes, we’re often tasked with capturing or killing daemons who sneak into Earth using the techniques that have been passed down and improved for thousands of years. We are kind of like ‘battle exorcists’.”, Yu answered. “What about ‘rogue spirits’?”, Jacoby asks facetiously, referring to how he became a daemon. “Hey, that’s a different department.”, smiled Yu.

“But why human daemon hunters?”, asks Jacoby. “The job seems quite dangerous for humans.”, Jacoby looks back at the daemon boxers in the ring. “It is very dangerous indeed. The ‘turnover rate’ is very high. However, we are necessary to keep relations between Humans and Daemons in good standings. There is not a lot of trust between our governments. That’s why we train our human operatives on how to deal with hostile daemons.”, Yu answers as he turns to face the ring while taking out his stopwatch once again. “The first thing I like to do with new human recruits is have them fight a daemon one-on-one to give them an idea of what they’re capable of. A Vale Tudo fight, winner wins by three knockdowns or submission after one minute.”

“Has a human ever won?” asks Jacoby. “No.”, Yu replies flatly. “Even the best fighters humanity has to offer would struggle against the average daemon.” Yu points to the werewolf in the ring. “They would have no chance against a perfect athlete like Lycaska up there.”. “I’m assuming she’s your go to training daemon. I guess that explains the attire.”, says Jacoby. “Yes, she’s my assistant. A damn good one too.”, replied Yu. “She’s also very gentle. Don’t let her looks fool you, she’s a real softy. I was going to have her fight you, but my backup has been begging me nonstop to fight you instead. You must have left a big impression on her.” Jacoby’s heart sinks. He knows exactly who Yu is referring to.

As Jacoby dwells on his deepening dread, a portal behind him and Yu suddenly appears. The portal is bright red, glowing, and has a black sigil in the center that resembles a heart. Before either man could react, a six-foot, feminine figure leaps out of the portal and embraces them both. “Hey, guys!”, the figure shouts cheerfully. “Hi there, Nina.”, Yu replies stoically. Jacoby just sits there wide-eyed; his sense of dread has peaked. His initial fears have been realized. The usher of his supernatural misadventure is here, Nina Beltaur.

Nina leaps over the bench and takes her seat in between Yu and Jacoby. “Ogo and Hitmono are at it again?”, she asks while maintaining a soft smile. “Yep, their technique is sloppy as ever.”, Yu answers. Nina giggles at the reply. Jacoby takes the time to observe Nina’s new appearance. The black military fatigues with the rolled up sleeves and grey tank top Nina wore when they first met have been replaced with an outfit that wouldn’t look too out of place in a professional wrestling match. The first thing Jacoby notices is the striking contrast between her dark attire that completely covers her lower body and the exposed light skin of her almost naked upper body. Said exposed upper body reveals her well-toned and semi-muscular physique. From the waist down, she wears a pair of black and red shorts, black knee pads, and a pair of black padded boots with red trimmings. What little covers her from the waist up are a pair of black elbow pads, white tape on her wrists, a pair of lightly padded black grappling gloves, and a rather skimpy red ‘sports bra’. Another thing Jacoby notices is her previously dark brown hair now appears black and red, matching her outfit. The dark grey, ribbed, bovine-like horns protruding out of her head remain the same. So did her pale blue, almost cat-like eyes and the distinctive black marks under them.

Nina catches Jacoby looking at her from the corner of her eye and turns to face him. “Hey.”, she says softly while holding Jacoby’s hand. “Thank you for doing this.” Nina kisses Jacoby on the cheek. Jacoby has never been particularly anxious in a social situation. However, Nina is unlike anyone he has ever met. She invokes so many strange and conflicting emotions, he freezes up. Nina notices his apprehension and embraces him. “You’ll be okay. I heard you’re a great fighter. Just do your best, okay?”, she says in an attempt to ease Jacoby’s anxiety. It does little to help.

“Time!”, exclaims Yu while resetting his stopwatch and putting it away. “Alright, you lunkheads, that’s enough! You can go again another time!”. Both boxers disengage, give each other a solemn nod, and go their separate ways as they leave the ring. Barring a few scuffs, minimal blood, and ruffled shirts, neither fighter looks any worse for wear. Lycaska stays in the ring, awaiting the upcoming bout. “Alright, you’re up.”. Both Nina and Jacoby stand up and gather around Yu. “Listen up, we’re going to do things a little differently.”. Yu faces Jacoby. “Jacoby, I need to test your new found physicality and endurance. So instead of the standard rules I mentioned earlier, this fight will go on until either of you are completely incapacitated or it is stopped by me or Lycaska. Do you understand?”. “Understood.”, Jacoby answers while steeling his nerves. “Remember, you’re a daemon now. This task may seem daunting, but you’re very capable of accomplishing it. Besides, you’d be doing this ironclad succubus a favor. Not only can she take it, she gets off to it.”, smiles Yu. “Yu!”, shouts a mildly embarrassed Nina while giving Yu a playful push. “Uh, right.”, Jacoby says just before entering the ring to claim his corner. Yu turns to face Nina. “Remember, Nina, Jacoby’s not human anymore. Just as I expect him to give his all, I expect you to do the same.”, says Yu returning to his stoic disposition. “Got it.”, Nina replies before entering the ring to take the opposite corner.

Lycaska gestures towards Jacoby. “Jacoby, are you ready?”, she asks. Jacoby nods. Lycaska gestures toward Nina. “Nina, are you ready?”. Nina nods. Lycaska raises her right arm and swiftly slashes down with it. “Fight!” Both combatants approach the center of the ring, guard half up. Nina reaches her left arm out to offer a fist bump. Jacoby obliges. Both back away with their guard fully up, the fight has begun. Nina takes the initiative and throws a series of punches and kicks. Jacoby is able to withstand this barrage with blocks and parries. He returns the favor with Nina trying to stay on offense. What follows is a series of strikes, blocks, dodges, and parries with no one landing a clean hit. Jacoby is astonished at his speed and stamina. He never felt this fast or energetic in a fight before. However, he takes care to not lose focus. He knows who he’s up against.

The exchange continues when Jacoby dodges a right cross and counters with a right uppercut straight to Nina’s chin. The first clean hit has been landed. Nina reels back two steps. Jacoby tries to follow up with a left hook, but Nina parries and hits him with a left hook of her own. The punch lands directly on Jacoby’s cheekbone. He can feel the sensation of it shattering. Before he has time to recover, Nina follows up with a right roundhouse kick to the body. Two of Jacoby’s ribs break. Nina tries to continue the onslaught, but Jacoby push kicks her away. With the little time he had, Jacoby felt his cheek and abdomen. His bones have already healed.

Jacoby had no time to dwell on this as Nina back on the attack. She charges at him with what seems like a right haymaker. Jacoby prepares to defend against it, but in the last second, she lunges at his waist. Nina is going for a takedown. However, Jacoby reacts just in time to thwart the attempt and pins her to the canvas. A wrestling match ensues as both fighters battle to lock in the chokehold that can put away their opposition and win the fight. However, it becomes clear to Jacoby that he’s no match for Nina on the ground and her horns are proving to be more troublesome than he first imagined. He has no choice but to get this fight back on its feet where he at least has the speed advantage.

Through technique and sheer will, he succeeds while still entangled. Nina, however, is able to push him away. Before Jacoby can regain his balance, Nina hits him with a clothesline that drives them both back onto the canvas. The impact of the strike severs his spinal cord, leaving his body lifeless. Lycaska is the only one who notices, but before she has a chance to inspect Jacoby’s condition, Nina is already reaching in to apply a sleeper hold. However, before she can lock it in, Jacoby heals and slips away. Back on his feet, Jacoby finally realizes his healing ability as his mind races to find ways to use it to his advantage. Once again, Nina denies him the luxury of time.

Nina flies in with a left roundhouse kick to the head. Jacoby blocks the kick and pushes the unbalanced Nina onto the canvas. He rushes in for a knockout blow, but Nina rolls away. Immediately following the roll, Nina lunges at Jacoby with a right hook. Jacoby parries it and launches his assault. He finally has the chance to fully use his superior speed to his advantage and use Nina’s own aggressive style against her. What follows is a series of punches, kicks, knees, and elbow, which are occasionally broken up with clinches to keep her off balanced. Her proud horns that were such a nuisance on the canvas have become useful handlebars in some of Jacoby’s clinches. Jacoby backs Nina into a corner where he slams the back of her head into the turnbuckle, knocking her onto the canvas. He follows with a devastating stomp to the back of her head. The stomp shakes the canvas violently. Lycaska widens her stance to keep her balance. A normal boxing ring would collapse from the force. Jacoby’s right leg is badly wounded, but he’s hopeful this will be enough to end the fight. His hopes are quickly dashed, Nina is still moving.

Shaking off his disbelief, Jacoby attempts the same stomp with his left foot, but Nina rolls away once again. His foot hits the canvas with the same power as the last stomp, injuring his left leg. Jacoby is disheartened to see Nina maneuver around the ring with little fatigue. He had little confidence going into the fight, but now he knows he’s fighting a losing battle. Physically hampered and utterly dejected, he does little to defend against the incoming right uppercut from Nina. The punch not only hits Jacoby’s abdomen, but goes through his entire torso. Nina’s blood soaked forearm can be visible from Jacoby’s backside. Jacoby’s blood, which is almost black with an ominous crimson aura, immediately retreats back into his body. Both combatants pause, Lycaska covers her mouth in shock, and Yu gets off the bench and walks within inches of the ring. All three daemons in the ring look at Yu, wondering what to do next. Yu simply shakes his head as if to say ‘Fight on’. Lycaska nods and backs away from the fighters, allowing the bout to continue.

Jacoby glares at Yu in disbelief. Just as he expresses his disapproval, he reaches behind his back to grab Nina’s arm to trap her. He proceeds to hit her with everything he has. With no realistic chance of winning and Yu refusing to stop the match, Jacoby decides to just fight with reckless abandon. He looks at his situation and asks himself what’s the worst that can happen. He became a man with nothing to fear or lose.

Jacoby continues his desperate assault when Nina catches him with a headbutt, concussing him and releasing his grip on her arm. She quickly pulls her arm out of Jacoby’s body, but accidently rips him in half in the process. Both halves lay flat on the canvas, only connected by Jacoby’s blood that acts as a tether. Gradually, the blood starts pulling his body back together. Lycaska looks ill; she has never seen anything like this before. Yu and Nina have, and they know there is only one way to stop someone like Jacoby. Nina, however, is not too keen on it, knowing the danger it poses to Jacoby’s life. Nina and Lycaska look at Yu, both visually uneasy. Yu shakes his head again. Nina’s unease turns into dismay. Lycaska turns to check on Jacoby, who seems strangely relaxed.

Nina and Jacoby look at each other. Jacoby casual puts his guard up while still torn in two. This combined with his disposition, marginally lifts Nina’s morale. However, it does little to relieve her of the burden she currently feels. “I should at least tell him.”, she thinks to herself. Nina proceeds to grab Jacoby’s lower half and reattaches it to his torso. “Jacoby, I’m going rip your heart out. I’m sorry.”, she says quietly. “Go for it.”, Jacoby says with a smile while adjusting his waist. He rolls back to his feet. “Come now, Nina, why the glum face?”, he says tauntingly. “We still have a fight to finish!”. Jacoby retakes his stance. Nina gives a pensive smile and retakes hers. The fight continues.

Jacoby restarts his kamikaze offense with a running left push kick. Nina dodges and chops his left leg, shattering it. Jacoby stumbles into the ropes, which keep him on his feet. Nina moves in. Jacoby throws a desperation right hook, but Nina parries and dislocates his right shoulder. Jacoby catches Nina with a left hook. He winds up for another one, but Nina breaks his left arm. With Jacoby’s chest now wide open, she swiftly digs her right hand under his ribs and grabs his heart. She carefully severs it from the rest of the circulatory system and pulls it out of his body. Jacoby’s blood again acts as a tether. Nina can feel it trying to pull his heart back into his body. She maintains a firm enough grip to prevent this while not too firm to damage the heart. Sufficient damage to the heart while outside of Jacoby’s body can kill him. Jacoby gives an exhausted smile. “You know, this is a pretty cool way to die.”, he says right before his body goes limp. Nina embraces him with her left arm to prevent him from falling.

“That’s it!”, Lycaska exclaims while waving her arms. The fight has finally ended. Nina slowly moves Jacoby’s heart back towards his body, allowing his blood to pull it back in through the wound. She fully embraces him, nervously waiting to see if he revives. Several tense seconds pass when Nina feels a heartbeat. A rush of air fills Jacoby’s lungs, he’s alive. Jacoby exhales, “Well, at least that’s over.”, he says in monotone. “Fuck you, Yu!”, he suddenly cries. Yu responses with a shrug with his arms still crossed. Nina pulls back briefly to look at Jacoby and then holds him tighter than ever. “Oh hey there.”, Jacoby says to Nina, returning to a monotone voice. Nina releases her grip, keeping her hands rested on his shoulders. Her face is full of remorse, eyes glossy and on the verge of tears. She opens her mouth to apologize, but Jacoby embraces her before she can speak. He slowly rubs Nina’s back to comfort her. A sense of relief hits Nina as tears run down her face. She knows she’s forgiven.

“Hey, Yu.”, says Jacoby, still holding Nina. “Yeah?”, Yu replies. “Fuck you!”, Jacoby yells. “You said that already.”, Yu retorts. “Yeah, I did. Fuck you again!”, Jacoby exclaims with a hint of snark. Nina breaks free of Jacoby’s grasp and charges towards the ropes closest to Yu. “What the hell, Yu!”, she screams. “What?”, Yu asks flatly. “What? I could have killed him!”, cries Nina. “You wanted to fight him.”, Yu’s tone slightly raises. “Not to the death!”, Nina shoots back as Jacoby causally walks up besides her, still visually displeased with Yu. “It wasn’t to the death. I knew you weren’t going to kill him.”, Yu says dismissively. “Well I didn’t know!”, Nina shouts back. “Didn’t you say you wanted to test my endurance and whatever?”, Jacoby interjects. “Me laying there in two wasn’t enough?”. “No.”, Yu answers flatly. “You were still conscience and able to fight.” “But at that point we knew he was a vampiric type and what it took to stop him.”, Nina says while regaining her composure. “I’m a vampire?”, Jacoby quietly asks himself. “Why make us continue and risk his life like this?”, Nina asks while wiping her drying tears.

“Jacoby wasn’t the only one I was testing.”, Yu says somberly. “Nina, you’re losing focus as a KIG operative.”. “What do you mean?”, asks a confused Nina. “How am I ‘losing focus’?”. “You’re getting way too comfortable with the people of Earth, and it’s making you careless out on the field.”, Yu response. “You’re doing a well enough job now, but if this incautious attitude of yours continues, you will eventually slip up and put us all in danger. Your father was the same way and only escaped death thanks to your family’s good reputation with the Herramus Supreme Council, but that can only allow you so much leeway.”. Nina begins twisting the top rope, growing more upset. Jacoby listens intently with a cocked eyebrow. Lycaska just stands uncomfortably in the center of the ring.

“Another thing.”, Yu continues. “Your reluctance to kill further complicates matters. As a Gatekeeper, it is your duty to maintain stability between Earth and Herramus by any means necessary. That usually means taking the lives of those who threaten it.” “That’s not true at all!”, Nina interrupts. “Not only do we have a jail for captives, we can easily wipe their memories. Plus, some of them go on to become operatives.”. “True, but that takes time and resources, which can be better spent elsewhere.”, Yu responses. “Also, even with our high turnover rate, we can only have so many people here. Lastly, those we let go may become a threat again. It is much easier to just kill them and take the body or let local authorities deal with it.”. “That’s your justification? Convenience?”, Nina snaps back. “Every seconds matters. Every resource is precious.”, Yu calmly replies. “I’m not the only one worried about your mindset and approach. Many senior officers share my concerns, even Director Saigaiaka partially agrees. Don’t even get me started with the Council.”.

“I should really thank you, Nina.”, Yu continues. “Your insistence on fighting Jacoby and finding out what kind of daemon he is gave me a golden opportunity to test your resolve.” “My resolve?”, Nina interrupts again. “Yes, to see if you would do what it takes to take down the enemy.”, Yu answers. “Sadly, you did poorly.”. Nina suddenly leaps over the ropes, out of the ring, and confronts Yu. Yu has officially crossed the line. “Jacoby is not the enemy! He is a fellow operative!”, Nina screams at Yu’s face. Jacoby makes himself more comfortable in the ring, still fully in engaged with the argument. “What would have happened if I killed him?”, Nina furiously asks. “I would take full responsibility.”, Yu answers. “I’ll admit this was a bit ‘out there’, but it’s hard for me to argue with the results. The emotional stress you endured here will be no different out there against a real foe. It takes a certain level of mental toughness to be a KIG operative, and right now you lack it.”.

Suddenly Nina punches Yu’s right shoulder, the force knocking him back onto the bench. Yu’s shoulder isn’t badly injured, at worst, he’ll sustain a bruise. However, this does nothing to relieve the excruciating pain Yu feels. Lycaska rushes out of the ring to check on him. Jacoby’s eyes widen as he tries to hold back laughter. “Having ‘mental toughness’, ‘focus’, and ‘resolve’ doesn’t mean being a sociopath!”, Nina proclaims as she storms off, flicking her wrist to open a portal. “Nina!”, Jacoby shouts, stopping her in her tracks. “If you ever want to have a ‘normal’ fight against me, let me know.” Nina gives a soft smile and leaves through the portal. The portal disappears a second later. Jacoby casually leaves the ring and walks up to Yu. “It’s a rough job, Jacoby.”, Yu says while still grimacing in pain. “I’m aware.”, Jacoby replies flatly while crossing his arms. “Any reason why none of you could’ve just talk to her about this?”. “Would she have listened?”, Yu retorts, still grimacing. “She’s a sweet girl, but is stubborn as all holy hell. Talking to her would unlikely change anything. I had to make her rethink her desire to be in this agency, or at least make her rethink her methods.”. “Whatever you say, man.”, Jacoby says dismissively while removing the gloves he borrowed. “Just don’t make me a lab rat anymore, okay?”. “You still have to fight a daemon hunter.”, Yu says while still in great pain. “I guess it won’t be you.”,  Jacoby snarks as he leaves.

“I’ll be okay, Lycaska.”, Yu says, reinsuring her. “Go and take the rest of the day off.”. Lycaska meekly nods and leaves. Now alone, Yu takes the time to reflect and contemplate. He looks around the room to see who is left. Besides a few onlookers, all less experienced operatives, everyone carries on like normal. Arguments and even dismemberments aren’t that uncommon in this section of the gym. He then thinks about the ‘Nina situation’ and how big of a problem it can potentially be.

Yu revealed the agency’s grievances with her, but he did not reveal that no one knows any plausible means of killing her if it ever comes to it. Just as new human operatives have to fight a strong daemon, new daemon operatives have to fight an elite daemon hunter. Not only was Nina the first daemon to win, she was also immune to all of the hunter’s attacks. Another fight was arranged between her and a different elite daemon hunter. The hunter was secretly instructed to use his lethal techniques to win, Nina won this fight just as easily. These events shook the KIG to its core. Ancient daemon slaying arts unwittingly shrugged off by a simple bubbly woman. Yu isn’t worried about Nina in that respect. He knows she would never turn against the agency. Future daemons as tough as her are a different matter.