"She is a demon who takes any form to lower their prey's defense before killing and eating them.", Hari explains.
"You really are a fool, for not believing him when he said I was a demon.", said the Xianwang in sadistic tone.
"If she is such a dangerous creature, WHY IS THE REWARD FOR KILLING HER ONLY 500 GOLD?!", shouted Katsu.
"You are correct, I am a dangerous creature who has killed anyone who tried to kill me, but I am faster and much stronger than any mere-", the demon says before stopping mid-sentence.
"Wait, what did you say the reward was?", she asked.
"500 gold, why?", Katsu says confused.
The demon stopped after hearing Katsu saying that.
"500, only 500,", said the demon as goes on her hands and knees.
"HOW DARE THEY ONLY MAKE THE REWARD 500, I'M WAY MORE DANGEROUS AND POWERFUL, ENOUGH TO BE IN THE THOUSANDS!!!", the demon says as she punches the ground in frustration.
"A-are you okay, do you need time for yourself or-?", Katsu says with concern until:
"YOU DAMN HUMANS, I killed every one of you that tried to hunt me down, wander into the forest without knowing the dangers or even getting lost in attempts of escaping!", said the demon with angry tears.
"Okay, how many people will I meet in this world who keeps thinking they are better than everyone else?", Katsu thought to himself in annoyance.
"OH BOOHOO, SO SAD, my bounty isn't bigger than anyone else!", Katsu shouted in sarcasm towards the demon.
The Xinyang looks up Katsu, furious towards him.
"What did you say, YOU LITTLE SH*T?!", shouted the demon.
"Why does it even matter that your bounty is so low?!", shouted Katsu.
"IT MATTERS, BECAUSE HUMANS ARE MEAN'T TO BE FEARED BY US DEMONS, and if humans don't find us as a threat, then a demon's purpose will mean nothing!", she explains.
"Well even though a demon's purpose is to terrorize or cause destruction, you still haven't explained the real reason why you're doing it.", Katsu says.
The demon seemed to have calmed downed a bit, then she says:
"My older brother...".
"What about your brother?", Katsu asked.
The demon sits down on stump.
"This is what happened...", the demon says.
"Many years ago, my brother was killed by humans, the same reason why you and other people have come, to hunt him down.", she says.
"My brother and I always loved this forest, for years we would come, and we would play, hunt, sleep, or just anything, despite our parents telling us not to go, we would come here every day.".
"Since me and him came to the forest every day, we were eventually discovered and because of that they placed a bounty on our heads.".
"Oh, I see.", Katsu says as he is still bleeding.
"Our parents after hearing about the many hunters that will be coming after us, we were told to never to go back there again, but I knew my brother refused to obey.".
"Later that night he snuck out and went back to the forest, I snuck out to find and stop him, but little did we knew, humans were waiting for him.", she says as she gets a bit down.
"What happens next?", Katsu says with curiosity as he is now getting a bit pale.
"As I followed him, I hid in bushes when I noticed the humans, but he confronted them to try to sort out the conflict between humans and demons,", the demon before going silent.
"If the topic is too personal you don't have to tell us.", Katsu says as who is now shriveled like a raisin.
"Sorry for the interruption but can you like make him back to normal because I don't think he live to hear the end of the story.", Hari says.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that.", says the demon as she casts a spell on Katsu.
"Thanks!", says Katsu as he is now back to normal and no longer dying from blood lost.
"Now, like I was saying,", the demon says as she continues.
"...my brother tried to sort out the conflict between us, but the humans freaked out and started attacking my brother, but he didn't fought back, he stood there and took it.".
"As I watched as all of the humans slicing, cutting, and impaling him, he then shouted,".
"I, AS A DEMON SPEAKING FOR THE REST OF MY RACE, WILL NEVER LAY A HAND ON A HUMAN THAT MAY CAUSE HARM!!", he shouts with everything he has.
"As he says that, he collapses to the floor and as this happened, dawn breaks and the humans eventually left to celebrate, I ran from the bushes towards him and held him in my arms, he then says,".
"I knew you would follow me out here.", he says with a gentle smile.
"I did have a small bit of hope we may be treated as equals, since we and humans aren't so different from one another.".
"Even though we have treated us like monsters, the reason I didn't fought back was because I will end up becoming a monster they expect.", he says as he slowly goes limp and closed his eyes.
"S-soma?", she says as she shakes him.
The demon's tears start to well-up, and the feeling that the world is crumbling and caving in around her.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", she screams with angry tears as she is beating his chest trying to wake him.
"SOMA, PLEASE WAKE UP, I NEED YOU, YOU CAN'T LEAVE YET!!", she cried with tears running down dripping onto Soma's face.
All of her loving memory, every moment in her life with her brother, started to darkened, filled anger and refuge against humans, and she seeks the blood of every human that enters into her domain and ruin the grave of her brother and his memories, the forest itself.
"That is my story of why I go against humans.", the demon says with a serious look.
"Wow, I'm... I'm really sorry to hear that, you must be really hurt keeping this to yourself all this time.", Katsu says trying to comfort her.
"Thank you, for listening to my story.", she says with a soft smile.
"Wait, I have an idea, hold on!", Katsu says.
"What does your brother look like?", he asks.
"Brown skin, deep red hair, curved horns, 19 years old, why?", she asks.
Katsu brings Hari close, and they start whispering, they both nod.
"What were you guys talking about?", she asks.
Hari starts waving his hand, and a large burst of energy surround them.
"*Cough 2x* W-what are doing-?!", as she says that, she stood stunned in place when she saw him.
"S-soma?", she says as she walks closer.
"Hey, how are you?", Soma says with a gentle smile.
She then ran towards him, hugging him.
"*Sobbing* Soma, I miss you so much!", she says with tears running down her face.
"I miss you too.", he says as he is hugging her and caressing her hair.
"I know this isn't actually Soma, but thank you.", she says as she looks at the two with a smile with tears.
"My name is Atsuko, what are your names?", she asks wiping her tears.
"My name is Katsu, and his is Hari.".
"Well, Katsu and Hari, you two are not like the others, thank you.", Atsuko says as she walks away.
"Where are you going?", asked Katsu.
"Home, I think the forest will be just fine without me, now that I can move on, thanks to you two-.", as she says that she bumped into a tree and fell.
"OH JEEZ, ARE YOU OKAY?!", Katsu says with concern.
"Yep, I'm good!", she says as she starts healing herself.
"You did the right thing you know.", Hari says with a smile.
"Yeah, but I do feel bad for demons who get discriminated by humans though.", said Katsu.
"There are just some things in the world that can't be fixed.", Hari says with a serious look.
"But that doesn't matter, right now we can now collect the bounty and our reward!", he says.
"WOW, ok then.", Katsu says with disbelief.
"I mean that's what we came here for.", Hari says as he walks away.
"It's true but still, AND CAN YOU STOP WALKING AWAY WITHOUT ME?!", Katsu shouts trying to catch up with Hari.
Later, they walk back to the Adventurers Guild collected their bounty had dinner to celebrate their first quest completion and went to go in their rooms in the guild.
Katsu lays in his bed and stares at the ceiling trying to sleep and as he finally did.
"SLAM! WHOOSH!".
The window suddenly swings open.
'What the hell?!", Katsu screamed startled.
In front of the window sat a figure of a person.
"ATSUKO?! What are you doing here?", Katsu asks.
"I want to join you.", Atsuko says.
FUN FACT:
Atsuko is based on real demons called "Xianwang" who do the same thing by transforming into small children to lure people close before killing them, typically taking the appearance of a small 3-year old girl with long hair.