Chapter 8
Denji had been uncomfortably hungry, but once the curry udon hit the table, that irritation melted away fast.
He'd wrapped up the devil hunt quicker than expected, so the noodles hadn't gone soggy at all. Flavor was on point—pure bliss.
Eating really is happiness… except…
While Denji dug in, Makima sat directly across from him, elbows on the table, chin propped on her interlaced fingers. She watched him with that inscrutable, slightly unnerving gaze.
Her eyes held layers complex enough to fill a full radar chart of analysis…
"Do you like eating, Denji?"
"Yeah."
No hesitation.
"What's your favorite food?"
"Anything that tastes good."
"How do you kill devils?"
"Just—slash slash—two swings and they're done."
"Slash?"
"Slash."
"…I've never seen anyone contract a devil like that."
"Normal."
"Oh~ So it's a devil that's never been contracted before~"
"You misunderstood."
"?"
"It's not a contract. Not a devil. It's the bond between me and my partner."
"What's that?"
"You'll understand when we reach the 'new world.'"
Makima couldn't parse his words or the confident smile on his face.
This wasn't the right moment to dig for truth—she'd pushed a little too hard.
But… "new world," "partner," "bond"… what did they really mean?
All the way from the service area back to Tokyo Public Safety headquarters, Makima mulled over those terms.
Too few clues.
Once they arrived at HQ, Makima led Denji to the elevator while her two subordinates peeled off to file the mission report.
In the elevator, she gave the standard orientation spiel.
"In Tokyo, official and civilian devil hunters combined number over a thousand. But Public Safety offers the best paid leave and benefits."
At the locker room, Makima pulled a perfectly sized uniform set from a cabinet and handed it to him.
"We require uniforms here. Change into this.
Once you're done, come to the central office. I'll introduce you to your colleagues."
"Got it."
Denji took the clothes and headed into the changing room.
Inside, he swapped outfits while humming a little tune, mood still upbeat.
Any minute now… I'll probably see Aki again!
This time—this time I won't let you get…
Thoughts swirled, but muscle memory guided him straight to Makima's office once he was dressed.
He'd already rehearsed the perfect greeting in his head. Hand on the doorknob, ready to push—
Then he remembered. Knocked twice.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
Denji opened the door with high spirits and a big grin—only for the smile to freeze.
The scene inside wasn't what he expected.
Makima stood by the window, yes—but no Hayakawa Aki.
Instead, standing stiff like she was being punished, head lowered, nervously picking at her fingers… was Power.
Power?!
Blonde hair, cross-in-circle golden eyes, those idiot-looking red blood horns on her head—definitely Power.
But why Power? Shouldn't it be Aki?
Questions flooded Denji's mind, but he kept his face neutral.
Power snuck a glance when the door opened. Seeing a human, she instantly tried to switch to her tough-guy act.
But Makima's overwhelming presence drowned it out completely.
Her expression flickered nonstop—trying to look menacing one second, shrinking back the next.
The moment Makima spoke, the balance shattered.
Power reverted to full cower mode. To hide it from the human, she spun around to face the wall—classic "if I can't see you, you can't see me" move.
"This is Power, the Blood Fiend. She's your assigned partner. Hmm…
There's a new mission with suspected devil activity. I'll leave it to you two…"
Denji listened to Makima outline the details while his brain raced, piecing together the timeline shift.
Conclusion: Impact minimal. Still within controllable range.
He accepted the official ID badge and mission file from Makima.
Then walked over and placed a hand on Power's shoulder.
She flinched hard at the touch.
Tilting her head just enough to peek with peripheral vision and realizing it was Denji, some of her fear and awe evaporated.
Tch—what trash dares put a hand on this great one's shoulder?!
She didn't voice it—still in Makima's office—but shifted sideways to shrug him off.
The moment she leaned away, Denji followed the momentum, sliding his hand straight down to clasp hers.
Before she could react, he half-dragged, half-led her toward the door.
She instinctively tugged back… then realized he was pulling her out of Makima's office. Pretending she hadn't noticed the hand-holding, she let herself be towed along.
The second they crossed the threshold, Power's veins bulged—she was about to teach this hand-holding human a lesson.
But Denji released her first, walking ahead like nothing happened.
Power stared at his back, tiny brain overloaded with confusion.
Weird human… can't read him at all… wait—no! This great one has already seen through his tricks! He got scared by my genius intellect and kingly aura and surrendered on his own!
She dispersed the power building in her veins.
Denji had no clue she was trash-talking him in her head—and wouldn't have cared if he did.
He opened the mission file, glanced at the map marker, and nodded to himself.
So that's the place…
When his steps halted, Power immediately crowded in.
"Human, you're looking at—"
Her eyes landed on the map and attached photos. Words died mid-sentence.
Panic → terror → horror → (quick self-brainwash interruption) → memories → longing → grim resolve.
A rapid-fire expression montage later, Power took two steps back.
Denji noticed the movement and glanced over.
Power's eyes darted everywhere except at him—staring intently at an empty corner, lips pursed in a fake whistle, pretending total innocence.
Denji pressed a palm to his forehead, half-headache, half-exasperated.
This idiot's beyond saving… whatever. She's my idiot. If I don't look after her, who will?
Since she's already seen it…
Worried she'd do something stupid, Denji extended his hand palm-up, gesturing for her to take it.
Power saw it… but kept staring at the nothing-corner.
No grab—normal. As long as she didn't outright refuse, Denji was satisfied.
Good. Still the same empty-headed dummy.
Reassured, he stepped closer and took her hand directly this time.
They locked eyes for a beat—some unspoken understanding clicked.
Power "obediently" let him lead.
Hand in hand, both silently passed judgment.
Denji: Dumbass Power.
Power: Dumbass human.