Two days later.
The big operation to surround and suppress the gang led by the snake woman Sawatari Akane was officially underway.
Early that morning, Hayakawa Aki rode with two Devil Hunters from Kyoto: Kurose Yutaro and Tendo Michiko. Due to the shooting incident orchestrated by Akane, six Tokyo Devil Hunters died, and twenty‑five others resigned out of fear. Because of this personnel shortage, Tokyo's Special Divisions 1, 2, 3, and 4 were all merged into Special Division 4. Now, most of the Devil Hunters were… let's say, unconventional characters. Fiends like Power were part of their ranks.
Kurose and Tendo were here because Makima had invited them to serve as instructors for a period of time.
Aki stared out the window lost in thought. In the passenger seat, Tendo chewed gum quietly, and the car was so silent you could hear nothing but breathing. Kurose, who was driving, had a broad horizontal scar across his nose, almost as if he and Tendo were scars‑and‑all matching partners in chaos.
Finally, Kurose broke the silence.
"Hayakawa, Tendo and I have finished Miss Makima's request. We probably won't see each other again after we head back to Kyoto," he said.
"So there's something I want to ask you."
Aki turned her eyes to Kurose.
She wasn't a woman of many words.
Kurose watched her through the rearview mirror, kept his hands steady on the wheel, and continued.
"Hayakawa, your goal is also the Gun Devil… but you don't actually think you can kill it, do you?"
Aki didn't answer at first.
Tendo perked up, "I heard that during the shooting you and Himeno blocked the snake woman's retreat, but you couldn't beat her and had to take time off to recover, right?"
Aki's eyes darkened for a moment. "Yes."
"So you see…" Kurose sighed, "That woman killed some of ours. But the Gun Devil… just showing up once caused millions of deaths globally. You get what I mean? If you couldn't handle one woman, how do you think you'd stand against something like that?"
"Kurose, you talk too damn much," Tendo interjected.
Kurose gave a bitter smile.
"It's not that I can't empathize with your family situation, Aki. Tendo and I both lost people to the Gun Devil. That's why we joined Public Safety. Because we hate it so much."
"But even so, I still think the Gun Devil is untouchable."
Aki didn't reply.
Kurose's face hardened, his voice turning cold.
"Honestly, looking at you annoys me sometimes. You're weak as hell, but you have this tragic anime‑hero vision. It's pathetic."
Tendo leaned over, "Where exactly?"
Kurose: "…"
"Right here, look." He rolled up his sleeve.
"Liar, there's nothing there," Tendo said flatly.
Aki just sighed.
"Please stop rambling in front of me. Quiet is enough."
"If you want to mock me, wait until I'm dead and you can mock me at my grave."
"I'm doing this because it's my goal."
"If I didn't have this goal, I probably would've died long ago."
The car screeched to a stop at the back entrance of the target building.
Kurose parked and slipped into silence, body trembling just a bit.
"Thanks for the guidance, seniors," Aki said, calm as ever, slinging her sword onto her back as she stepped out.
A soda can flew straight at her.
Thump.
Aki caught it without emotion.
She turned back to Kurose, confused. "Senior Kurose?"
Kurose took a breath, then called after her with a crack in his voice.
"Hayakawa! I may be annoyed with you, but I support you!"
"One last piece of advice."
Kurose raised a finger and barked, "Be careful, okay? There are no sane people left in Special Division 4!"
Aki bowed deeply before walking away.
Kurose hadn't finished his sentence, but after witnessing Makima's eerie methods, he dared not say more.
There are no sane people left in Special Division 4.
That, of course, included Makima herself.
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