The three brothers dragged the corpses out of the wrecked car.
After stripping the bodies of their IDs and documents, they sealed them in black body bags and carried them deep into the forest.
This was Aldo's second time killing someone.
His legs trembled the entire time, but at least he did not vomit like he had during the first kill.
Richard, the eldest brother, was the most experienced among them.
He understood something important about this line of work.
Information always came first.
Richard used the biometric data from the corpses to unlock the electronic devices they had been carrying. Then, with practiced efficiency, he hacked into the internal systems of the Japanese Public Safety network.
Soon, the identities of the deceased were completely exposed.
Aldo and Joey pulled out cameras and began photographing everything. This was information they needed to memorize.
Next, Richard searched for their real target.
It did not take long.
Cael's information appeared on the screen.
Compared to the long and detailed records of Subaru, Okamoto, and Ono, Cael's profile was extremely short.
Cael. Undertaker. Tokyo Public Safety Special Division 4, temporary assignment. No agency or unit may alter his position without the permission of his direct superior, Makima.
Richard frowned and blew a smoke ring.
"Yeah, this guy's file is encrypted."
"Definitely, big brother," Aldo said quickly. "A normal person's file wouldn't look like that."
"Tch. Acting all mysterious."
Joey, with his afro bouncing slightly, spat out the grass root he had been chewing.
"So what? He's just the guy who can turn into a chainsaw head. The client's files already explained it. Nothing to be scared of."
"Pfft. Hahaha!"
Richard suddenly burst into laughter, holding his forehead.
"Joey's right."
He slowly lowered his hand and looked at his brothers.
"Since the three of us are immortal, and we have the power from our Devil contract plus an information advantage, we don't even need a direct fight."
"We can kill him easily and collect twenty million dollars."
Richard slid his hand down his face.
When his hand moved away, his appearance had completely changed.
Messy hair like a bird's nest.
Scruffy beard.
Lean build.
A capable looking man in his thirties.
Richard had transformed into Subaru.
All three brothers had contracts with the Skin Devil.
The Skin Devil allowed them to perfectly copy the appearance of any corpse they had touched.
Age, gender, height, even blood type.
Everything became identical to the original person.
From a biological standpoint, it was impossible to prove the difference.
"Joey, Aldo, how do I look?" Subaru asked while stroking his chin.
Joey stared for a moment.
"It's identical, big brother."
Aldo rubbed his nose.
"Big brother, stop speaking English. Try saying something in Japanese."
Subaru cleared his throat and took out the ID he had taken earlier.
"Hello, Cael. I am Subaru from Kyoto Public Safety Special Operations Division 1. My two subordinates were attacked and killed on the way here. I heard you are Miss Makima's capable subordinate. I would like your assistance. Could you come with me?"
Joey scratched his chin.
"Something feels a little off, but I can't figure out what."
Meanwhile, Aldo was still listening carefully to the audio recordings taken from Subaru's phone.
"Big brother, it's the accent."
"Accent?"
"Yeah." Aldo removed his headphones. "That pronunciation is from the Osaka dialect. Subaru is from Kyoto. His tone should sound different."
Subaru nodded slowly.
"I see."
He adjusted his voice and tried again.
"Let's go. How about now?"
Aldo frowned slightly.
"Still not quite right."
He thought for a moment before continuing.
"Subaru is an unmarried middle aged man. His tone should sound intentionally deep. And a little greasy too. Like the kind of guy who secretly thinks he's charming."
Joey grinned and gave Aldo a thumbs up.
"Professional analysis."
"Got it." Subaru squeezed his throat slightly and spoke again.
"Let's go."
Aldo listened carefully.
"Yeah. That sounds right now."
He nodded with satisfaction.
Subaru took out his phone.
"Operation begins. From now on, I am Subaru."
According to Subaru's travel schedule, once the Kyoto officers arrived in Tokyo, someone named Hayakawa Aki would be responsible for receiving them.
Calling after an unexpected attack would be perfectly reasonable.
The phone began ringing.
Ring.
Ring.
The call connected.
"Hello, Subaru. Are you close to Tokyo?" A calm female voice spoke from the other end.
Subaru lowered his tone, filling it with anger and exhaustion.
"Aki, something happened. We were attacked by an unknown group on the road."
"My two subordinates, Okamoto and Ono, are dead."
"I'm the only one who escaped."
Silence filled the line for a moment.
Hayakawa Aki was clearly surprised, but her voice remained composed.
"Subaru, where are you right now? I'll coordinate a rescue team immediately."
"No."
Subaru spoke sharply.
"Aki, don't do anything unnecessary. I can still move. I don't need rescue."
"You must not alert the enemy."
Aki frowned slightly on the other end.
Subaru had been a Devil Hunter longer than she had. It made sense to trust his judgment.
"Then what do you plan to do?" she asked.
Subaru lowered his voice again, sounding filled with grief.
"We need to play the long game to catch the big fish."
"I secretly placed a tracker on the attackers."
"Once we learn their movements, we will eliminate them all."
"I understand," Aki replied. "Tell me your next step so I can cooperate."
Subaru let out a long sigh.
"I found the bodies of Okamoto and Ono."
"They were my subordinates."
"I plan to bring them to a nearby funeral home first. At least they should leave with dignity."
Aki exhaled slowly.
"My condolences, Subaru."
"It's fine," he replied quietly. "This is our fate as Devil Hunters."
"I checked the map. The nearest place is called Lior Funeral Home."
"If you have time, Aki, let's meet there and discuss the details."
"Lior Funeral Home?"
"Yes. I'm hanging up now."
Click.
The call ended.
With the Skin Devil's disguise, Subaru had no fear of meeting others face to face.
The more people around him, the less suspicious he would appear.
That made it easier to find the perfect opportunity.
A good hunt was worth the wait.
For twenty million dollars, staying undercover a little longer was a small price to pay.
Subaru turned toward his brothers.
"Brothers."
"Now it's big brother's time to perform."
"You two handle the logistics."
"Bring the bodies."
"Let's move."
Joey stuck out his tongue excitedly.
"Twenty million dollars, here we come."
Aldo nodded nervously.
"D... don't worry, big brother. I'll handle it."
The three of them emerged from the forest and returned to the highway.
Aldo and Joey lay flat beside the road.
Subaru stood upright near the shoulder.
He raised his right hand and gave a thumbs up.
"I wonder if hitchhiking works in Japan," he muttered to himself.
Five minutes later, a middle aged man wearing a loud floral shirt stopped beside him.
The man rolled down his window.
"Hey kid, do you need hel..."
Bang.
The man's head exploded like a watermelon.
One more vehicle obtained.
Subaru blew lightly on the muzzle of his gun.
"Tch. Damn criminal. Committing crimes again."
===
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