I probably should've uploaded this from the start, but you know what they say—better late than never.
Story:
As expected, everything revolves around Desmon, son of Dante. And in case you're wondering, yes—technically, his birth happened during one of Dante's jobs, when he met a certain woman. This all took place before the events of DMC1.
Once father and son finally meet—after an intense and emotional encounter (Dante beat him up because Desmon tried to kill him for taking out the guy he was supposed to deliver)—Desmon gets sent on a job about a month before the events of DMC5. Dante didn't want to do it himself because it was too far and, frankly, he was just too lazy.
Desmon takes his time getting there and coming back. It's the farthest he's ever been sent, and he was pretty much left to fend for himself. By the time he returns, all of DMC5's plot has already gone down. So, as Dante's son, all his responsibilities now fall on Desmon. In short, despite his young age, he's already deep in debt…
And for his first job while being in debt, he's sent to Japan to deal with a certain problem—one that's going to be way longer than it seems.
This story won't just feature demons but also delve deep into Japanese folklore: legends, oni, yōkai, and more.
As for pacing, the story moves at its own rhythm. There are already over 50 chapters, yet in-universe, not even two weeks have passed. The first volume is expected to cover roughly 10 months to a year.
At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if each volume hits 100 chapters—probably around 7 to 10 volumes just to wrap up the first part.
MC:
As mentioned, the protagonist is Desmon—17 years old, white hair, blue eyes, usually wearing a laid-back and slightly amused expression. He's fit, with an athletic build.
Now, I'll be honest: Desmon can be a jerk and downright annoying at times. Most characters had the same first impression:
"This guy's a complete idiot."
And it makes sense. He's been living on his own since he was 12—and not in the best mental shape. So expecting him to be empathetic or to care about strangers is asking too much.
Still, he's fun and sarcastic, takes things easy whether he's chatting or fighting off demons while innocent people are in danger. That's probably what gets on people's nerves the most.
But there's a difference between talking nonsense and backing it up. He might act like a clown, but he always makes sure innocent people don't get hurt.
The others eventually get used to his personality—and give up trying to use logic with him. Take Shizuka, for example—she completely threw rationality out the window.
Now, if he's such a pain, why not write him in a way that's more likeable to readers?
Because it wouldn't make sense for someone with his background to just change overnight.
Nobody's perfect. Desmon's human too. He makes mistakes like anyone else. With time and more experiences, he'll mature and realize life is actually worth living.
He's 17. It's the perfect age to be a dumbass—especially when that behavior is a way to hide trauma. He's way more broken inside than he lets on.
Having everyone important in your life die because of you… that messes a person up.
Another point worth mentioning: he's been working as a mercenary since he was 12. In simple terms—he's killed people.
Back then, he was like a doll—lifeless eyes, only doing what was necessary to keep going, because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't die.
Killing humans is different from demons, and yeah, there's all that moral and ethical talk—I get it. But in reality, humans can be just as cruel and monstrous as demons.
"If someone's willing to kill, they should be willing to die."
That's the line Desmon lives by. And that's the kind of people he used to go after.
I bring this up because there might be questions later about why Desmon kills. If someone doesn't try to kill him, he'll usually just knock them out. But if their intentions are different, he won't hesitate. He'll end them without guilt or second thoughts.
To sum it up: he's a good guy, friendly—yet also an insufferable idiot at times. But he gives his all, no matter what.
Strength:
Now to the controversial topic I've seen the most comments about.
To put it simply—Desmon's not weak. It's my fault for having him fight demons that are either overly complex or have extremely obscure weaknesses.
A demon made of smoke that isn't affected by physical attacks. So tell me—how do you kill something like that with just your fists?
The gatekeepers of hell? Desmon beat them down until they activated their Devil Trigger, so it's justified.
A demon that reflects all damage it receives? Desmon had to figure out the right way to kill it. Sure, he could've taken it out earlier, but he trusted that the explosion would finish the job.
After that, Desmon had fun with the rest of the demons.
And yeah, he gets cut up constantly in fights, but that doesn't mean he's weak. He's so used to relying on his regeneration that it's just part of his daily life. That kind of confidence comes from knowing that no matter how close to death he gets, his regeneration always pulls him back. So really, why not abuse that kind of power when you've got that much demonic energy to burn?
He's a teenager—being cocky and arrogant just comes with the territory.
And honestly, if every demon could be taken down with a few cuts and punches, it'd be boring. Especially since his arsenal is still super limited—he can't even pull off epic combos yet.
Of course, if you compare Desmon to Dante or Nero, the power gap is huge.
But here's the thing:
First, as mentioned, he's not mentally stable. Without even realizing it, he's holding himself back.
There's a difference between saying something and actually believing it. Casually claiming to be a demon isn't the same as accepting it—and not hating yourself for it.
Second, throughout the rest of the first volume, his strength is steadily declining. It'll be explained later, but the signs are already there.
So yeah, from the very beginning, he's never been fighting at 100%. That'll be offset later with weapons and abilities he'll pick up as the story progresses.
His Devil Trigger will come when the time is right—he needs therapy first, lol.
But there'll be an in-between stage, a kind of "almost DT," probably around the start of volume 3 or 4.
And yeah, there'll still be demons that are tough to beat. He'll have to get creative to take them down.
In my first playthroughs of the games, the bosses wrecked me. And that's what I loved the most. I couldn't pull off combos, and my reaction time sucked at the beginning, xD.
And well, Desmon would beat the Netflix anime version of Dante, lol. At least that Dante.
Relationships
Yes, the harem tag is there, so it's fair to assume he'll be involved with multiple girls.
The answer is both yes and no.
It'll happen, but don't expect it to be quick. For someone who's lost everyone he's ever cared about, romance is the last thing on Desmon's mind.
If he ever gets a girlfriend, she'll probably die. (Not ruling it out.)
He'll joke about it, flirt with girls, but it's more for fun than anything serious.
Because, as you'll notice, every girl who meets him thinks the same thing:
"This guy's an idiot."
Desmon might be considered attractive, but he doesn't exactly make the best first impression.
So no, the girls won't fall for him the second they see him, and they definitely won't be dragging him to a hotel to talk about the weather.
More likely, they'll slap him with a restraining order.
But over time, after talking, hanging out, going on "non-dates," they might start to think he's actually a decent guy.
I'm an old-school romantic. I want relationships to grow naturally—no rushing, no forced plot-driven romance just because he helped or saved them.
If that were the case, guys and girls alike would be all over him.
The MC interacts with both men and women. He's not nice to girls and boring to guys—he's cheerful and outgoing with people he knows.
And yeah, he prefers older women. 20 and up.
It might not feel like a harem at first, but if the tag is there, it's something that'll just unfold with time.
And just to be clear—there will be no NTR.
…
At some point before the end of Volume 1, there will be a Desmon point of view—to see what he truly thinks about his situation.
And well, lastly, the update schedule is slow, but I guarantee at least one chapter per week. Between work, studying, reading novels, watching anime, gaming, and going out drinking some nights, I just don't have enough time. Still, there will be times when I can upload three to four chapters in a week.
It's not that my writing pace is slow—actually, I usually finish a chapter in a single night—but the next day, while I'm on my way to work, new ideas or edits pop into my head. That's why I tend to delay updates.
I always read your comments and suggestions. I already have the beginning and ending planned, but there's a lot of open space in between.
Just in case, some characters from Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves will make appearances—maybe even one or two from ZZZ.
I'll try to stay true to the essence of each character, but I can't promise everything will be accurate since they're outside of their original worlds. So I'll be taking small creative liberties here and there. Still thinking it through—nothing's set in stone.
Maybe later I'll make a list of characters and their initial thoughts on Desmon, along with the weapons and demons that show up along the way.
One more thing worth mentioning—I have no problem killing off characters.
And you know what they say: nothing develops a character better than killing off everyone they love. Heard that somewhere. hahaha.
Desmon isn't omnipotent—he can't be everywhere at once. Death is always lurking.
Especially if you're someone Desmon knows, since it's not just demons that want him dead.
Desmon is a demon, but he's also human. He feels the same emotions—fear, horror, sorrow, and most of all, loneliness. But what always lingers is the fear of losing the people he cares about again.
After all...
Devil May Cry.