I'm glad you found it interesting! I thought the synopsis might help at this point. This chapter was crucial to the whole story, so I didn't want anyone to feel lost in the now quite lengthy plot.

As for your questions... Some answers are still forthcoming, but I can address a few here.

Why would a demon pray? Great question. After soulbinding, which is like a demon fusing with a human soul and becoming at least partly human in a way, Inoue was overcome with the guilt of his past sins and heinous acts (check out the story of Gagoze if you want to know more about my source material).

As for the prayer itself, don't think of it too much in a Western sense. Here, there's definitely more of an Eastern approach to the prayer. That goes for Persephone's prayer, too, which is more about honoring the deceased Ken than it is about recognizing the power and dominion of any deity.

Why would Inoue fight Persephone? That's a complicated answer. @theironfelix would understand this (with all his MGS references and CQC hugs), but it comes down to honor. He wanted to die, but he had too much honor to beg for death or to kill himself. Furthermore, he had too much respect for Persephone as a fighter. He doesn't fully understand her motivation or why she has sided with Barnabas, but he knows her reputation as a warrior. In the end, like the many nameless dead he has buried, he, too, desires an honorable death.

And perhaps the most interesting question of them all: did Persephone fall in love with Ken? I don't how she could not have. In this narrative universe, demons are about as complex as humans. Sure, most of them behave like you would expect demons to behave, and many of them have worldviews that are absolutely bizarre to humans, but by and large, they have rich inner lives and many entangled motivations.

That said, even among demons, Persephone is a bit unique, which I think is what makes her story worth telling in the first place.

Thanks for asking such excellent questions! I hope my responses clear some things up and keep you intrigued. There will be more updates to the story soon!