Chapter 43
The girl's name was Higashiyama Koharu. Just hearing the name gave off a strong "cute girl-next-door" vibe. She was petite and looked fragile, like a gust of wind could blow her away.
Upon closer inspection, the first thing that caught the eye was the medium-length bangs draping softly beside her right cheek, strands gently clinging to her skin. The left side of her hair was neatly pinned behind her ear with two bright red hair clips, revealing a smooth, clean forehead.
Her deep brown hair was tied into a short ponytail at the back—practical yet carrying a hint of youthful student-like innocence.
Her features were extremely delicate, skin fair and translucent, but what stood out most were the four beauty marks scattered across her face like tiny stars: two beneath her left eye, one on her left cheek, one beside the right corner of her mouth.
Far from detracting from her beauty, these moles added a unique charm to her already adorable face—playful yet utterly lovable.
However, at this moment, her brown eyes were always filled with unease and timidity.
Like a startled little animal, the corners of her eyes faintly red, as though tears might fall any second.
She looked exactly like an easily shattered porcelain doll—instinctively inspiring the urge to protect.
It was almost impossible to imagine that someone like her was a Public Safety devil hunter who staked her life fighting devils to the death.
As for the man named Arai Hirokazu on the other side… well, he's a guy.
Denji withdrew his gaze and turned back to Hayakawa Aki, who was still explaining the mission.
"Let's stop here, Aki."
"?"
The sudden interruption drew every eye in the group toward Denji.
Denji saw no issue. Based on the intel he got from Makima—combined with his past-life memories—this mission was nothing more than an "appetizer."
Finishing it quickly would free up more time to deal with what came next.
"I already know what's going on with the devil inside. From now on, just fight around me."
The words carried a hint of arrogance, but the tone was pure relaxed confidence and absolute certainty.
It gave off an inexplicable sense of awe.
When he finished, no one contradicted him—only Power shouted in loud agreement:
"Yeah, yeah! We barely slept last night—super sleepy~ It's just a little devil. This great one can handle it with one hand! Charge charge charge! Wherever Denji says to hit, this great one hits!"
"Oh oh, straight in then!"
"Yes, sir!"
The little couple harmonized perfectly, then charged straight into the hotel without hesitation.
Yes—the mission target was inside this very hotel. Several civilian devil hunters had already died inside, and none managed to bring back any intel.
Higher-ups judged the danger level extremely high. With the added reaction from Gun Devil flesh inside the building, the threat level rose another notch.
That's why they dispatched the entire Special Division 4.
"They'll be okay, right?"
Arai Hirokazu couldn't hold back. Denji and Power's overly casual style completely shattered his image of Public Safety devil hunters.
When dealing with something as dangerous as a devil, shouldn't they be cautious beyond reason?
At the same time, the earlier scare still lingered in his heart, leading him to think the worst:
"One of them is a devil, right? And the other can stay so close to a devil… Are they possibly planning to team up with the devil inside and take us all out…?"
Aki had already felt something off earlier. Now hearing this man openly voice malicious suspicion toward teammates, he frowned and cut in sharply:
"Enough. They are both specially recognized strategic assets approved by the higher-ups. Their strength is considerable. Even though they haven't been here long, they clearly have their own way of handling devils. Don't make a fuss."
"…Understood, Hayakawa-senpai."
"Let's go. Follow."
The group picked up the pace and quickly caught up behind Denji and Power.
Aki walked up beside Denji and asked quietly:
"What's the situation with the devil inside?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't you just say you already knew what was going on with the devil in there?"
"Oh, right."
A pause. No follow-up from Denji.
Aki pressed again:
"So what devil is it?"
"Mhm."
"…"
Fuck. He got fooled by the earlier act—forgot this guy was also an absolute monster.
Of course, it was also possible the way he got the information was too special to share casually.
Even though he tried his best to fill in the blanks mentally, he still couldn't help retreating with a dark face…
After teasing Aki, Denji secretly stuck his tongue out at Power, made a silly face, and flashed a peace sign.
Power—who had been clinging to Denji's side the whole time—actually didn't get what was funny about the exchange.
But she knew: Ponytail was sulking, Denji was laughing → conclusion: Denji is happy.
So she happily giggled along with him.
Who cares about the rest This great one just loves seeing Denji happy
The two laughed louder and louder, making Aki increasingly convinced he'd been completely played.
Face black. Face red~
Seeing this, Himeno poked Aki.
They exchanged glances. Himeno furrowed her brows slightly—expression curious, eyes seeming to ask "You okay?" and "What's wrong?" at the same time.
"Nothing. Just stay behind me later. I'll find a way to deal with the devil inside."
Himeno pouted.
Way too clumsy at changing the subject. Did he really think she was that obedient?
She swayed as she walked—no proper posture, zigzagging—until she ended up beside Denji and gave his shoulder a light bump.
"Oi~"
"Oi?"
Himeno hadn't expected her casual shout to get an immediate response.
A trace of amused interest unconsciously appeared on her face.
This newbie seems pretty fun~
"You…"
Just as she was about to say something, she noticed Power—still glued to Denji—glaring at her and secretly huffing.
Himeno took half a step back. With a relaxed expression, she raised both hands in surrender and explained:
"Don't misunderstand—I'm not trying to steal your little boyfriend~ This is just normal colleague interaction."
Power thought for a moment, then stopped huffing and shrank back beside Denji.
Denji took in the whole scene. Once Power pressed close again, his hand instinctively went to smooth her hair.
Then he looked at Himeno and—perfectly timed—gave a slightly apologetic expression.
As if explaining on Power's behalf: She's not targeting you, she just gets a little temperamental about these things~
Originally, Power's little huff had only fueled Himeno's teasing spirit even more.
But seeing Denji respond so politely, she felt obliged to return the courtesy.
And so the two began a genuinely polite conversation.
Like casual small talk.
And Denji really understood Himeno too well.
He casually dropped lines like: "We live pretty close, me and Aki." "I often hear him talk about you." "You must be really important to him." "Even before meeting you, I was wondering if he liked you." "Now that I've seen you, I'm sure of it. No wonder he always brings you up." "Guaranteed—you two have such couple vibes, definitely gonna last forever~"
Good grief—he actually managed to make the bold, carefree Himeno embarrassed.
In the end, Himeno floated away with an excuse. When she drifted back to Aki's side, she suddenly went boneless and leaned fully against him~
Aki instinctively tried to dodge—but reacted fast enough to catch her.
Damn… six people total, and now there are two couples…
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