Bang.
Denji adjusted his backpack and closed the car door.
"Cael, I'm heading to school."
"Alright. Study hard, Denji. If you run into trouble you can't handle, call me immediately."
Denji nodded obediently. "Got it. I'll remember."
Just as he was about to leave, Cael suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Denji, wait a second."
"Is there something else, Cael?"
"You forgot your allowance." Cael pulled out a stack of bills. "Here. Fifty thousand Yen. Keep it safe."
Denji hesitated and did not take it.
"Cael, that's too much. It's only for daily expenses. I don't need this much. I haven't even finished the money you gave me two times ago."
"Just take it."
Without giving him a chance to refuse, Cael stuffed the money into Denji's arms.
Business at the shop was booming now.
Especially after Reze joined as a full time worker.
Cael's original goal of making a small fortune had already been surpassed.
Denji's expenses were barely a drop in the bucket.
Cael looked at him seriously.
"Denji, don't be stingy when you need to spend money."
"You're not even fourteen yet. What are you saving for, marriage?"
Denji scratched his head. His expression dimmed a little.
"Cael..."
"You really don't have to do this."
"I'm already really happy just being able to go to school."
"But in the future you're going to marry the two sisters at the shop."
"Your expenses will be huge."
"I don't want to be a burden and cause you trouble."
Denji lacked formal education, but he was far from stupid.
During the holidays, just from the way the two girls at the shop looked at Cael, Denji had already guessed a lot.
And that made him worry.
He was afraid Cael would eventually stop taking care of him.
For one thing, he was not a girl. That meant he definitely could not live with Cael forever.
Second, they were not related by blood.
From a normal person's point of view, if Cael married two beautiful women, an unrelated kid like Denji would easily become a nuisance. A burden better thrown away.
Cael blinked in surprise.
Was Denji really that perceptive?
He had figured out the situation with Reze and Asa that easily?
Damn.
Luckily, Asa was not nearly as sharp as Denji.
Cael laughed and rubbed Denji's messy blond hair.
"Relax, Denji."
"You're not a burden."
"I treat you like my own brother."
"And what kind of asshole mistreats his own brother?"
"If taking the money makes you feel bad, then think of it as an advance on your salary."
"Maybe in the future you'll help me look after my kids."
Denji's worries were completely unnecessary.
Each of Cael's future wives was more unconventional than the last.
And Cael himself was not exactly normal either.
The moment those words left his mouth, Denji's eyes lit up.
So that's how Cael sees it.
Tears welled in Denji's eyes as he nodded hard.
"Yeah!"
I need to eat something really good today.
He could never repay Cael's kindness.
After saying goodbye to Denji, Cael fell into thought.
Denji's concerns were not completely unreasonable.
Asa had already started adapting to the work at the funeral home. She had mentioned more than once that after graduating from university, she planned to stay and work there.
As for Reze, that situation was even clearer.
After betraying the KGB, she had nowhere else to go.
Right now there were only three people working at the shop.
Both girls worked extremely hard, especially Reze.
Because of that, it might be better if Denji stopped helping at the funeral home and found another part time job.
More importantly, it would avoid awkward situations.
Cael could not exactly act all lovey dovey with his wives while Denji was standing right there.
It might be time to rent a separate apartment for the kid.
While Cael was thinking about this, far away near the Higashi Meihan Expressway, inside a patch of forest.
Two men and one woman in Public Safety uniforms leaned against a sedan, smoking and chatting.
They were members of the Kyoto Public Safety Special Operations Division 1.
Subaru had messy hair that looked like a bird's nest. Unshaven, lean, and sharp eyed, he looked to be in his thirties.
Okamoto was in his early twenties, slightly chubby with a buzz cut. His calm expression made him seem older than he actually was.
Ono stood beside them, tall and well mannered, with shoulder length hair and round glasses. She looked about twenty five or twenty six.
Sitting on the car hood, Subaru took a deep drag and burned the cigarette down to the filter.
He jumped off the hood and stretched.
"Alright. Break's over. Let's get moving."
Ono pulled out another pack of cigarettes and offered it to him.
"It's still early anyway. Mr. Subaru, want another?"
Subaru scratched his head.
"How much longer?"
Okamoto checked his phone and spoke calmly.
"From Kyoto to Tokyo it's about four hundred kilometers. We're already more than halfway there. If we drive faster, we'll arrive in about an hour and a half."
"See? We still have four hours of spare time," Ono said stubbornly, still offering the cigarette. "Plenty of time. Just have one."
Subaru waved it away.
"Nah. Forget it."
"I want to save the extra time for sightseeing in Tokyo."
"Makima invited us to help train the newcomers."
"I wonder if I can ask her out."
Ono's eyes widened.
"Are you insane? Makima is a Public Safety Devil Hunter working directly under the Cabinet."
Okamoto shook his head.
"I don't think your chances are very high, Mr. Subaru."
Subaru shrugged.
These two were real mood killers.
"Anyway, I'm heading out. What about you?"
Flop.
Ono dropped onto the grass and closed her eyes.
"But I still want to smoke. The grass here is soft. I really want a nap."
"Then I'll support Mr. Subaru," Okamoto said.
"Two votes to one. Let's go," Subaru laughed as he dragged Ono up and shoved her into the driver's seat.
The sedan soon merged onto the expressway.
Ono drove while chewing betel nut to stay awake.
Subaru and Okamoto sat in the back.
"Ono, you talked with Makima back in Kyoto, right?" Subaru asked.
"Yeah."
"From what you know, what kind of woman is she?"
Ptooey.
Ono spat the betel nut residue out the window.
"Mr. Subaru, you seem pretty obsessed with Makima. Why are you asking?"
Subaru rubbed the stubble on his chin.
"I've never actually spoken to her."
"But I've seen her ID photo."
"She's gorgeous."
"Exactly my type."
"And I haven't heard any rumors about a boyfriend."
"So if possible, I'd like to try pursuing her."
Okamoto stayed silent.
Ono burst out laughing.
"You're dreaming in broad daylight."
"Someone like Makima isn't getting close to ordinary Devil Hunters like us."
Subaru smiled faintly and rested his chin on his fist.
"You don't get it."
"Women who look like ice queens might actually be starved for love."
"A guy like me with some older man charm might be irresistible to her."
Ono shook her head.
"You're crazy."
Subaru sighed and leaned against the window.
"I still have to try."
"If I could get lucky with Makima just once, dying afterward would be worth it."
Right then.
Clang.
A row of heavy chains tipped with iron spikes suddenly dropped from the hillside beside the expressway, blocking the road.
Pshhh.
The car ran straight over them.
All four tires exploded instantly.
The sedan lost control and began spinning across the road.
"Aaaaaah!" Ono screamed while slamming the brakes.
The guardrail shattered as the car smashed through it. The out of control vehicle finally slammed into a large tree and stopped.
Thick black smoke poured out of the hood.
The engine was completely destroyed.
Fortunately, all three of them were still alive.
"Damn it..." Subaru had not been wearing a seatbelt.
He clutched his bleeding forehead.
"Ono, what the hell kind of driving was that? You ran us straight into a tree."
"I..."
Ono was about to explain.
Crash.
The windows of the car suddenly shattered.
Six gun barrels were aimed directly at them.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Gunfire erupted.
Ten seconds later, three corpses sat motionless inside the car.
After the shooting stopped, a man named Joey leaned into the broken window.
"Whoops. Boss, looks like we accidentally killed a real beauty."
"Really?" Richard leaned in with a grin. "How hot? Let me see."
After looking clearly at Ono's body, Richard clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"She's taller than me. Not my type."
"Good thing she's already dead."