Chapter 159: Call Me Kira
Fami agreed so readily that it caught Chiya slightly off guard.
Surprising as it was, it made sense; after all, in the original story, the Famine Devil's actions were consistently driven by the goal of killing the Death Devil. Still, Chiya couldn't shake the feeling that her true intentions might be more complex—though for now, they appeared quite straightforward. Based on his knowledge of the original plot, her claim of being "driven by instinct" held water.
Regardless, once a contract was established, he didn't have to worry about her backing out. No Devil can violate a contract, not even the Darkness Devil.
"Then I look forward to working with you, Famine Devil," Chiya said with a slight smile.
"Call me Kira," the Famine Devil corrected him seriously.
"..."
Chiya fell silent for a moment. "I'll go with Kira then. That's your name, right?"
In the original series, that was indeed the name she had chosen for herself.
"Correct. Just call me Kira from now on," she emphasized once more.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Chiya replied.
"Regarding the Control Devil's whereabouts... although it's been months since I last saw her, we four sisters can sense each other's presence when we're relatively close. It won't be difficult for me to help you find her," Kira said, suddenly shifting the topic to Makima.
"Then when you're free, take a trip to Hell with me," Chiya said.
"We'll need to prepare the price for a contract with the Hell Devil first," Kira noted.
"No need. I can take you directly to Hell when the time comes without signing a contract with the Hell Devil," Chiya said casually.
"Is that so? It seems I underestimated you," Kira replied. Her face remained expressionless, but a flicker of surprise rose within her. So, this human youth hadn't reached Hell through the Hell Devil's power last time.
"By the way, do you plan on staying here as a student? Just make sure you don't reveal your identity as a Devil to the others," Chiya warned her.
"I know. I'll maintain my disguise as an ordinary human student," Kira promised.
"I hope you keep your word. As long as you don't do anything to harm humans, I won't interfere with you," Chiya stated, making his stance clear. Cooperation was one thing, but she couldn't be allowed to run wild.
"Don't worry. Until the Great Prophecy of Nostradamus arrives, I will act as a normal student should."
Kira only told half the truth. If the War Devil appeared in the meantime, she might still set a few things in motion—provided she didn't cross Chiya's bottom line. For now, Chiya was her greatest hope; she knew exactly where her priorities lay.
"Fine. But since you've already achieved your goal of cooperating with me, are you sure you still want to be a student athlete in the Devil Hunter program?" Chiya asked.
"Since I'm already here, I might as well play along. I'd be bored otherwise," Kira said nonchalantly.
"Suit yourself, just don't go disappearing halfway through." Chiya said.
This way, there would be another "person" guaranteed to pass the final assessment—specifically, this Famine Devil character.
Right then, Shingetsu happened to push the door open and enter.
"Chiya, quite a few more students have come to apply these past few days. Take a look at the list..."
As the words left her mouth, Shingetsu's attention immediately shifted to Kira. "Who is this? Don't they know that students wishing to sign up need to apply downstairs first?"
Shingetsu hadn't learned much Chinese yet, so she was still speaking Russian. However, as a Devil, Kira possessed an innate linguistic talent and could easily understand what she was saying.
Kira tilted her head, as she often did, and said in an emotionless voice, "I am a student here, not a Devil."
"..."
Chiya was momentarily speechless. Wasn't saying something like that just "telling on herself"? He hadn't expected this girl to have such a "clueless" streak.
Since Kira's appearance—aside from her eyes—was identical to a human's, Shingetsu didn't immediately suspect her of being a Devil; she simply found the comment bizarre.
"Her name is Kira, and she wants to sign up too. Just give her the list to fill out here," Chiya told Shingetsu.
"Hmm..."
Shingetsu became even more curious about this girl. Her face didn't look Soviet, yet her Russian was flawless. Although the girl hadn't done anything, Shingetsu's intuition told her that this student was far from ordinary.
"Here. Fill out all the required information, then just wait for the notification," Shingetsu handed the list to Kira first.
Kira took the pen and moved it swiftly, quickly jotning down her name, grade, class, and other details. Once finished, she gave Chiya a "bye-bye" gesture and departed.
Chiya took the list and glanced over it, then said to Shingetsu, "Except for Kira, have someone take the others for a physical exam first. Those who pass can officially begin training."
"Why except for her? Is there something special about her?" Shingetsu couldn't help but ask.
"Because she's a humanoid Devil. A physical exam would expose her immediately."
Chiya trusted Shingetsu enough that he didn't see a need to hide the truth from her. The fact that Kira was a Devil just had to be kept from the ordinary students.
"She's actually a Devil...?" Shingetsu was slightly surprised.
After the Wrath Devil, Crimson, here was another humanoid Devil who looked even more human than her. It was clear now that Chiya had already known this Kira person for a while.
"Yeah, but don't mention it to anyone else. It's enough that we know," Chiya reminded her.
"Understood." Shingetsu nodded.
Later, having nothing else to do, Chiya went downstairs to check on the students who had already begun formal training. There were currently nearly two hundred students being trained in groups, with one coach assigned to each group.
Chiya and Shingetsu were both wearing the official uniforms of the Shanghai Devil Hunter Association. Their shoulder patches, representing SSS and SS rank respectively, made their status obvious to anyone with even a slight understanding of the ranking system.
"Good afternoon, Head Coach."
"Good afternoon, Deputy Head Coach."
As Chiya and Shingetsu appeared, the coaches immediately greeted them respectfully. The "Deputy Head Coach" was naturally Shingetsu; setting strength aside, she was the closest to Chiya, so no one dared challenge her for the position.
Under these circumstances, Furia and the other Weapon Humans also changed how they addressed Chiya. It certainly wouldn't be appropriate to call him "Lord" or "Master" in front of a crowd of students.