Chapter 153: Then Do You Like It?
"The authorities in China must be aiming to gradually make Devil Hunting a mainstream profession, right? But if the problem of the 'price of the contract' isn't solved, it won't be able to grow very far. Are they planning to focus on physical martial arts instead?" Reze mused, stroking her chin.
"Exactly. Middle and high school students can voluntarily choose whether to participate in the specialization program. They'll be trained specifically in martial arts to give them the capability to hunt devils without relying on devilish power—at least until they graduate university, they'll be discouraged from signing any contracts," Chiya explained.
"I see. Cultivating martial arts is indeed a great approach, but that kind of thing is highly dependent on talent. Not everyone can train their physique to the level required to hunt a devil, though for self-defense, it's definitely achievable for most," Reze reflected.
"Devil Hunter" was just a job title; anyone capable of hunting a devil could be called one, without necessarily needing a contract. However, for most people, the only way to obtain the power to hunt devils was to sign a contract, which had caused the profession to become inextricably linked to those deals. The main issue was that martial arts required talent, whereas devil contracts—provided one was willing to pay the price—offered power that far surpassed that of an ordinary human.
"That's not really for us to worry about. Overall, if we can slowly realize a version of 'Devil Hunting for All' through physical training, that's certainly not a bad thing. As for how much money or resources that will cost, that's beyond our pay grade," Chiya said.
To achieve mass-market Devil Hunting would require an astronomical amount of funding and resources. Chiya supported the initiative, of course, but he knew he couldn't shoulder such a task alone. He would do what he could to help, but the ultimate success depended on the determination of the people at the top.
"Denji, you'd rather stay home and keep Pochita company, right?" Chiya asked, turning to Denji.
"...Yeah!" Denji hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. Although the idea of playing with classmates her age at school was tempting, she still felt that Pochita was more important; she couldn't leave him all alone at home.
"Alright, I understand."
With the plans for Denji, Kobeni, Reze, and Pochita mostly sorted out, that left Shingetsu. Chiya asked her in Russian: "Shingetsu, what are your thoughts? Are you interested in going to school or anything like that?"
Shingetsu countered with a question: "I remember you mentioned you'd be serving as the head coach at that 'Magic City Qingfeng High School,' right?"
"That's correct. I've already promised President Jiang," Chiya nodded.
"Then I'll go be a coach, too. There's no need for me to be a student. With my physical combat skills, I should be more than qualified for a coaching role." Unlike Reze, Shingetsu had no real interest in studying. Her biggest interest right now was undoubtedly Chiya himself. She wanted to be a coach so she could work alongside him.
"That works. I'll just go talk to President Jiang about it," Chiya replied. He had great respect for Shingetsu's combat abilities, and he knew President Jiang would never refuse such an offer.
Reze immediately saw through Shingetsu's intentions, though she didn't call her out on it. Instead, she focused on Shingetsu's current attire. "Speaking of which, Shingetsu-san, you're dressed so beautifully today. You don't like wearing men's clothing like you used to?"
"Humans are always fickle, and I'm no exception," Shingetsu said coolly.
"Is that so?" Reze teased. "Or is it because you want to appear more feminine and attractive in front of Otonashi Chiya?"
"..."
Shingetsu fell silent. Although that was only one of the reasons, she had essentially been called out.
"But I think it's wonderful, you know? Shingetsu-san really is incredibly beautiful like this. Darling must be absolutely head-over-heels, right?" Reze suddenly shifted the focus to Chiya. "Hey, hey~ Darling, am I right?"
"..."
Now it was Chiya's turn to fall silent. He was increasingly convinced that whether Reze genuinely liked him or not was a separate matter—she certainly loved stirring the pot and watching the chaos. If it were just Reze, he could handle it, but he could feel Shingetsu's gaze fixed on him, waiting expectantly for his answer. He felt a headache coming on; Reze was just looking for amusement, but Shingetsu, you're actually taking this seriously?
"...Didn't I tell you already? Of course you look great in that outfit," Chiya answered.
"Then do you like it?"
Shingetsu was remarkably direct, locking her eyes straight onto Chiya's.
"Saying I'm 'head-over-heels' is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true that I like it. After all, no one dislikes beautiful things," Chiya replied, being quite honest.
"Mm, that's good."
Shingetsu finally nodded in satisfaction. She wasn't the only one pleased; Reze was satisfied as well. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, though she said nothing.
Shingetsu-san, I've helped you this much now, so don't you dare disappoint me~ Reze thought to herself.
For a long time, it had seemed like she was just teasing Shingetsu, but in reality, she had been secretly helping Shingetsu's cause all along. If it hadn't been for Reze's actions when they first met at the Leningrad Military Headquarters—which had provoked Shingetsu—there was no telling how much longer it would have taken for Shingetsu to reveal her true identity as a woman to Chiya. While that initial provocation had been unintentional acting on Reze's part, her later actions were no longer a performance, but rather motivated by a sense of guilt toward Shingetsu, leading her to provide all sorts of assistance. Of course, her guilt toward Chiya ran even deeper, but the least she could do was serve him loyally.
The three of them had been talking back and forth, while Denji and Kobeni stood by without reacting, as the trio had been speaking in Russian, which the other two couldn't understand at all.
"Um..."
Kobeni suddenly spoke up in a small, timid voice. "Could I... maybe try participating in the 'Devil Hunter' specialization too?"
She had two reasons for this idea: first, Chiya was serving as the head coach for the program, and second, she wanted to become stronger and overcome her own cowardice.
"Of course you can. Aside from it being a bit physically demanding, there's no real danger," Chiya said with a smile.
"That works out perfectly! Then Kobeni-chan and I can be partners. A specialization like that in a school setting will probably mimic the official Devil Hunter partner system, right?"
Reze clearly had a great relationship with Kobeni—or, more accurately, there wasn't a single person she couldn't get along with if she put her mind to it.