Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Denji was in a great mood as he walked through the bustling street with a spring in his step, a shark fin gliding through the pavement conspicuously behind him. Only recently he had thought that his life could never be this good, he would have thought himself lucky to get little more than bread crusts and rainwater for his dinner, having only a cramped shed to call his own and nothing in his future but the empty dreams he shared with Pochita and a mountain of debt.

Now, however, he felt more optimistic about his future than he ever had before. Ever since Miss Makima had found him in that warehouse, surrounded by the remains of the yakuza who had acted as his masters and tormentors for as long as he could remember, he had experienced things which he had thought would forever be consigned to being unattainable pipe dreams. Dreams destined only ever to be shared with Pochita as he lay awake in bed, dreaming of a better future.

But now, thanks to Makima he had all that he could’ve dreamt of and more! He had an actual home, he had all the food he could ever want and, whilst not a family, living with Power and Aki at helped fill the void left when Pochita sacrificed himself to save him.

Now, thanks to Pochita’s sacrifice, and thanks to Miss Makima, he was finally living the life he had always dreamt of.

However, Denji’s current good mood was due to more than just his improved circumstances. More specifically, Denji is currently basking in the afterglow of his movie-marathon date with Miss Makima, he kept replaying the night over and over again in his head, soaking in every little detail: how Miss Makima looked with her hair down, the movies that made them laugh, the ones that he slept through, and that one movie of the bunch that drove them both to tears, the memory of the mother and soldier hugging seared into his memory.

Despite all of that, he kept going back to one moment: the question he asked Miss Makima in the spur of the moment at the end of their date.

‘Do I have a heart?’

The question had been bothering Denji ever since the death of his first friend, Aki’s partner Himeno; a woman who had treated him with kindness, she even offered to help set him up with Makima!

Yet when she died, he had felt nothing. Even if she threw up in his mouth that one time, he should have felt something!

But he didn’t, and it had shocked him just how little he had been phased by it, and Denji could shake the feeling that becoming a devil had somehow cost him some intangible part of his humanity in the process.

So, when he asked Makima this question that had been weighing down on him, he half expected her to simply laugh the question away and dismiss it as nonsense. Instead, Makima did the last thing Denji thought she would do, she didn’t say a word and simply laid her head on his chest, ear to his heart.

They had stood there, frozen in time for what had felt like an eternity but was only a few moments, the only sound being the frantic beating of his heart. Then she had moved to look him in the eyes, a gentle smile on her face as she said, with such confidence and certainty that all his doubts were washed away in an instant, “You do”.

‘I see now… if I get butterflies in my stomach, that means… I do have a heart!’

“We’re raising funds for children affected by devil attacks!! Please donate today!!”

Denji, who had been walking along daydreaming about the previous days date, was snapped out of his trance by the calls of several charity workers who had setup outside of a flower shop, flogging their cause to passers-by with little success.

“I can also give to charity cuz I have a heart!”, Denji blurted out as he approached the stall, his chipper mood overcoming his natural stinginess.

“Thank you so much!”, chirped the volunteer as Denji fished a few hundred Yen from his pocket, tossing it into the donation box.

Pleased that she had finally received a donation, the woman called out to Denji as he was about to move on, “Wait a minute sir!”, she says, reaching down to a basket at her feet and pulling out a small daisy, “We’re giving flowers to the nice people who donate!”, the woman held out the flower to him, a pleasant smile on her face.

“Oh yeah? That’s pretty!”, Denji took the flower, holding it up as if admiring it, before tossing the poor flower into his mouth and walking off, leaving the shell-shocked volunteer in his wake.

As Denji walked on down the street, his mind wandered back to thinking about the previous night he spent with Makima, amazed that just a simple talk with the red-haired woman had cleared up the doubt plaguing him, banished with just two words.

‘That’s how great Makima is, just talking to her wiped my worries away’, he thought back to the promise that Makima had made to him, she had said that she’d grant him any one wish if he’d help collect the pieces of the Gun Devil. He’d spent a lot of time thinking about what he’d want his wish to be, and at that moment, he thinks he’d finally figured out what he’d wish for.

‘I think I’ll ask her to go out with me for real…’

It made sense to him, he liked Miss Makima a lot, when he had a free moment, she barely left his mind, and even though he’d groped and kissed some other ladies, his heart belonged to her.

Denji’s smile fell from his face, a serious look taking its place as he silently made a solemn pledge to himself: ‘I’d never fall for anyone else!’

He flinched as a droplet of rain splatted onto his nose, the droplet quickly being followed by others until the light drizzle became a full-fledged deluge. “Crap!”, Denji quickly began running as the rainstorm picked up steam, “Gotta get out of the rain!”

“KYA KYA KYA!, at this point, the finned figure following behind Denji peaked his head up through the concrete, laughing as he celebrated the change in weather, “IT’S WATER! WATER! WATER!”

“Beam!”, Denji stopped running as he snapped at the shark fiend, “Stay outta sight! If you cause a scene, we’ll have to walk in the back alleys!”

“YES SIR!”, the fiend quickly made himself scarce as he dived back into the puddle he had risen from.

Denji glared at the puddle until he was sure the excitable fiend was gone, the turn in the weather and the idea of having to sneak through the alleys spoiling his good mood, “Why do fiends all have such dumb names…?”

With that last gripe Denji started his search for cover once again, running further down the street.

Reze had been watching her target closely from across the street, hidden in the crowd as she observing as the boy, Denji was his name, ambled down the street away from a charity stall of some sort.

‘An easy mark, by the looks of things…’, Reze rolled her eyes as the blonde teen ambled down the street, his head clearly in the clouds, ‘How could someone working for Public Safety be so oblivious…?’, she thought as she shadowed the boy’s movements, keeping pace with his stride from across the road, weaving through the crowd as she goes.

As she stalked her mark, she thought back to the orders she had been given by her handlers, the faceless members of the Soviet Politburo who had been controlling her life for as long as she could remember. Her orders had been simple really, they just ordered her to lure her target somewhere private, neutralise him and seize the devil in his heart, that was what she was told by the nameless bureaucrat tasked with bringing her her orders.

This was to be her most important mission yet, Japan’s Public Safety was no joke, and as a result she’d been undercover for weeks before she even attempted to start pursuing her mission, as to not rouse their suspicion.

The time she’d spent undercover has been the longest she’d ever been undercover, usually her missions just involved the assassination of enemies of the state, with these operations generally being short and limited in their nature. It was her first time being deep undercover in another country, she had been prepared for such a mission her whole life, with Japanese being one of the many languages she had been taught in that room.

What her training hadn’t prepared her for was just how much she enjoyed her new life, sure all it was was working at a crappy little café, but just that small amount of freedom was all it took to remind her of all of the negative feelings that had been bubbling within her throughout her time in the room.

However, despite how much she enjoyed her newfound freedom, any enjoyment she felt was quickly extinguished by recollection of why she was really here.

She had read the file of her target, he had no family name, all the Politburo had seemed to know was that he had recently begun employment as a devil hunter under Makima, the feared leader of the fourth Tokyo Special Division and that he was the chainsaw hybrid.

However, parts of the profile she was given stood out to her. Denji, the boy she was following, who she was meant to kill… he was a hybrid, just like her, he was an orphan, just like her, he’d never been to school, just like her…

‘He’s nothing but a weapon, a tool to be used by his superiors. Just like me…’

Reze grimaced at the at that thought, quickly pushing those intrusive thoughts to the back of her mind, she had accepted her lot in life a long time ago, there was no point in defying the demands of her superiors, her fate had been decided the moment she had been condemned to that damn room.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a fat droplet of rain splashing on her head, quickly followed by more until it became torrential. She looked around rapidly, trying to catch a glimpse of Denji through the quickly dispersing crowd clamouring around her, locking onto the boy’s shock of blond hair again. She watched closely as he made a desperate dash towards an empty phone booth some distance up the street, a smirk crept its way onto her face.

‘Private and cramped? Oh Denji… you’re making this too easy…’

“I shoulda brought an umbrella…”, Denji griped to himself, his previous levity forgotten as he stood in a telephone box, his hair dripping and his clothes totally soaked through. He couldn’t help but feel irritated at his new partner, with the fiend having delighted in frolicking about in the rain as Denji had sprinted for cover.

As the minutes passed and Denji stood alone, the rain pattering on the flimsy glass of the booth, his mind began to wander to less serious questions than the existence of his heart, ‘What is up with them havin’ dumb names anyway, first Power, now Beam… like, what the-‘

“WAH!”, Denji was ripped from his idle thoughts as the door of the booth suddenly rattled open, with Denji quickly recovering, looking up to find that he was no longer alone in the booth and that a girl had barged in.

“EEP!”, the girl jumped, startled by Denji’s surprised outburst. The girl was dressed in a simple t-shirt with a bell design on its front, with a choker in place around her neck and her dark hair tied up at the back, her bangs covering her face as she caught her breath.

“Oh. Hi there”, the newcomer spoke before Denji even had a chance to open his mouth, “Sure is coming down, isn’t it?”

“Uhh, yeah?”, Denji replied, still out of it.

“The weather forecast said-“, the mystery girl began to speak, only to freeze as she looked up at him, taking in his face and… laughing?

“Ahahahahaha!”, as the air chimed with the girl’s laughter, Denji’s shock quickly turned into indignation, the fact that a pretty girl had simply burst out laughing at the sight of face hitting his ego like a freight train, “Huh? What’s so funny?”

“Oh, sorr- I’ so sor-“, she seemed to try to apologise before breaking into another peel of laughter, “Ahahahahaha!”

“What’s your deal?”, Denji frowned as he watched the girl from the other side of the booth, as the girl tried and failed to squeeze out an apology, tears of mirth gathering in the corners of her eyes.

“Huh!? Why are you crying?!”, Denji exclaimed, becoming more and more confused by the minute.

The girl wiped the tears from her eyes as her laughter petered out, “Oh gosh”, she replied as she recovered from her laughing fit, sounding embarrassed as she replied, “Sorry about that… it’s just, your face looks a lot like my dog that passed away…”

“Huh?! I’m a dog…?!”, once again Denji was taken aback by her erratic behaviour, ‘Is she loopy or something?’.

By this point the mysterious girl had fully recovered, her head bowed as she apologised, “Sorry! I’m sorry!”

Denji looked at her for a moment before shrugging, ‘Eh, she may be weird, but she does seem pretty cute…‘, an idea came to his mind, ‘Wait! I have the perfect thing for a hot girl!’

The booth was silent following Reze’s apology, the sound of the pitter-patter of the rain being the only sound as she looked at the ground, head bowed. Doubts start flaring up in Reze’s mind as she feels a mild sense of panic settle in her gut.

As the pervasive silence continued, what was only seconds was beginning to feel much longer as her mind raced.

‘Did I underestimate him?’

‘Is he on to me?’

‘Did I screw up?’

All these thoughts shot through her mind as looked back up at the boy, an easy smile on her face. A smile that disappeared near-instantaneously as she watched the boy hunch over, his hands to his mouth as if he was about to throw up.

“Huh? Are you okay…?”, she cautiously held her hand out towards him, as if to help, only to stop as the boy continued dry heaving with even greater force.

“Hang on!”, he exclaimed, waving off her concern as he fumbled around in his pocket with his free hand, “Handkerchief, handkerchief…”

With a final tug, the boy pulls something out of his mouth, before proudly holding it up as if it was part of a magic performance, “Ta-daaa!”

“Whaaat?!”, Reze was completely caught off guard for a moment, her mouth hanging open in awe as the boy posed, holding up the small purple daisy he had pulled out of his mouth. Not once in any of her previous missions had she ever had an interaction as bizarre as this. Reze recovers quickly as she paints a faux smile on her face, excitedly responding to her target, “Oh my gosh! A magic trick! That’s incredible!”

As Reze gushed over his ‘magic’ trick, Denji quickly dried the small flower in his handkerchief and held it out to her.

If Denji had been able to see her eyes through her bangs, he would have seen her flinch in surprise before reached out and gingerly grasping the stem of the small, sodden flower taking it from his hand.

“No tricks or gimmicks to this magic!”, Denji gave her a toothy grin as she brought the flower close to her face, gazing down at it, admiring the delicate flower.

Reze held the small flower closer to her chest as watches her expectantly, grin fixed to his face, oblivious to the shock of the girl in front of him. Her gaze remained fixed on the small flower in her hand, for as long as she could remember not once had she been given a gift, with her handlers only ever giving her the bare necessities that she needed to complete her missions.

Before she was sent on her first mission, she had only ever seen flowers in pictures from the textbooks they used to teach her back in the room. During that time, she had dreamt of seeing the outside world, her imagination being filled with images of flowers and nature she had gleaned from her lessons, though, over time she had forgotten those dreams of the country, her missions slowly wearing her down.

But now, holding that small flower in her hand, she felt heat rise to her cheeks and a smile creep onto her face as she raised her head again, green meeting brown as her eyes met Denji’s for the first time as she smiled warmly at him, before speaking in a soft voice, “Thanks…”

As pinging of the rain on the glass began to fade, Denji’s heart skipped a beat as he finally got a clear look at the girl’s face as she tilted her head up fully to look at him, her piercing, emerald-green eyes peering out from behind a stray lock of her raven hair and a blush clearly visible on her cheeks. Denji’s brain short-circuited as she broke eye-contact and turned her head to check the weather outside.

“Ah!! The rain stopped!”, the girl exclaimed as Denji stared blankly, following her outside of the booth and onto the street.

“I work part-time at this café down the street called Crossroads”, Reze turned back to him as she pointed down the road, “Come by sometime and I’ll thank you for the flower!”, she says, walking away before looking over her shoulder and pointing at him, “You better come by!”

Denji watched as she walked off, staring blankly after her until she disappeared around the corner, only one thought crossing his mind.

‘Wonder if coffee’s any good…?’

Denji was bent over catching his breath in front of the door of the café the girl in the phone booth had said she worked at. He still didn't know what had possessed him to make a mad dash for the café as soon as she had disappeared round the corner, true, he would never pass up on something free, especially when offered by a girl that cute… 

He was also curious about what a proper coffee would taste like, he supposed it wouldn't be like the grainy shit he'd made for himself when he had just moved into the Hayakawa place. He was also baffled at why a cute girl had asked him to visit her at work out of the blue. 

'Yeah, what's up with that…?', shrugging his worries away he quickly examined the outside of the coffee shop, it was a quaint little shop that looked pretty quiet from the outside. All-in-all it couldn't, by any stretch of the imagination, be described as one of those trendy coffee houses featured in those tourist magazines, with its old bay windows being framed by a couple of plants and shrubbery.

Denji let out one last deep breath and pushed open the door of the café, instantly noting that the interior was very similar to the exterior, with it being similarly outdated and quite bland in its style. With the staff inside being nowhere in sight, he saunters over to the most appealing spot available, a booth seat by the window with plenty of natural light and a smattering of decorations on the window ledge behind it. 

After sitting there zoned-out for some time Denji hears a door click open from behind the counter, looking up from the table he sees a stern-looking man in an apron, who must have been around his forties or fifties, approaching the table. "Sorry about that kid, was just out back for a smoke, we usually don't have any customers around this hour", he spoke with the gruff nearly gravelly tone of a chain smoker, "Anyway, what brings you to my humble little shop at a time like this kid?".

"Oh nah, I'm not here for any particular reason, just meeting someone here, I think I'm early though" he responds, resting his head in his hand again.

The gruff man suddenly laughed, "Meeting with a girl then huh? Ahhh… to be young again", Denji froze, some red coming to his cheeks, "ah… umm…" he stuttered.

"I'm just joshing ya kid, it's not my job to pry anyways. So, what can I get you, a coffee, something to eat?", recovering from his brief spell of embarrassment Denji replied, "Uh, just a water would be cool".

"No problem, coming right up kid, I'll go see if that part-timer has shown her face yet, she should have been in here ages ago", the manager started walking back towards the counter.

"Thanks, old man!", Denji exclaims as he walks away, the manager stops for a moment before continuing on his way sighing. 'Geez… Between him and that girl, kids have no respect these days…'

As Reze turned round the corner and into the alleyway the casual smile slowly left her face, becoming an eerily neutral expression, 'Well, that seems to have gone without a hitch, he's gullible for someone with a background like his, other than that everything seems to be going as planned' she thought, climbing the steps leading out to the main street, 'though I wasn't expecting a magic trick…', a small amused smile came to her face unbeknownst to her as she reached into her pocket where the flower that was subjected to Denji's 'magic trick' was wrapped in a small napkin.

'I wonder if I should throw this away, though I suppose it might be better to keep hold of it for now, no sense in getting rid of it straight away…', with that thought she removed her hand from her pocket and continued down the main road, smile now gone from her face. 

She ran through her cover story in her head again, a habit she picked up over many similar missions, 'orphaned from a young age, currently working part-time to support herself during her studies at the local high school', that was the backstory she had crafted and spread piecemeal among regulars at the café, the few other staff members and that miser of a manager.

Her internal mantra was soon interrupted by her arrival at the café, she slipped in through the back door and into the staff room, throwing the apron over her head and tying it in a practised bow behind her back.

'Living this life has been kinda… fun', a wave of melancholy suddenly rushes through her. 

Working here, studying schoolwork, her rapport with the customers and manager, it was all manufactured and false. Studying for tests she didn't even have, working a job she didn't need and forming empty relationships.

"Reze! Are you in there!?", the manager's voice carried from the other room, she checked the clock on the wall, seeing that she was indeed 5 minutes late.

'Hmmm, Reze... makes a nice change from a number... or a monster...' , Reze mused. This was the first mission she had been in where they had deemed it necessary to provide her a name, and she couldn't say she wasn't enjoying it. It was a damned sight better than what her superiors called her...

"Yes," she intones back to her boss, stepping out of the staffroom and walking towards her irate boss.

"You're late. I'm not paying for the time you aren't working" he states bluntly, she returns with a dead stare "Cheapskate" she pouts, all of this may be fake, but her rent and food bill was still very real dammit!

"Here, water for table four", taking the drink from him she walked towards the seating area, cursing her penny-pinching manager as she went, before deciding to focus on her shift. After all, this normal life of hers will be over once she fulfils the aims of her mission and retrieves the chainsaw devil from the target, 'I should probably start thinking about my game plan for when the target comes around, though I suppose I'll have a decent amount of prep time this shift', she briefly wonders how to handle the next interaction with the target, only to freeze as she turns the corner upon the sight of a familiar shock of unruly blond hair. 

"Already!?"

Reze stared at the boy, mouth agape in shock for a moment, before blinking away her surprise, "Wait, what the heck! You got here before me!". At this Denji shifted slightly in his seat, "Now that you mention it, I guess I did", he replied nonchalantly as he lifted the glass of water to his lips, "I'm only here to get my thank you".

'Hook, line aaand sinker', with that thought Reze's expression turned into a smug, teasing smile. 

"Oh reeeally?", she walked around to the other side of the booth, suddenly plopping herself down, right next to Denji, causing him to jolt and lean away from the girl, "Want some company?", she asked belatedly, as if proving that her question was rhetorical she shuffles even closer to him, causing Denji at her warily 'I can't figure this chick out at all…'.

"Hey, Boss! Coffee over here for me and him!", she calls, waving gleefully over to the manager, eager for some petty revenge over her docked wages. He returns the call with his trademark scowl "You're here to serve coffee, not drink it!".

"Awww c'mon, why not?", Reze whines "It's not like we get any customers after morning anyways!". He stares at her for a second before he breaks, giving her a crestfallen look, "Unbelievable…" he sighs, moving to grab two coffee cups from under the counter, quickly making up a simple black coffee for each of them, bringing them over and setting them in front of the two teens before slinking back off to behind the counter.

"Ta-daa! The thank-you was coffee!", the girl exclaimed theatrically, gesturing grandly to the piping-hot drink in front of Denji. "Do you like coffee?".

Denji stared at the cup hesitantly, he was still scarred from his last encounter with the bitter beverage, but surely proper coffee from a shop would taste much better…

"Sure," he said, shrugging and lifting the drink to his lips, taking a sip.

'Nope, still shit'. He instantly recoiled, putting down the drink, his face scrunched up due to the bitter taste. In contrast to this reaction, the girl next to him was struggling to hide her amusement.

"You totally don't like coffee!", she exclaimed, a small laugh escaping her mouth, "Oh my God, the look on your face!".

"Come on! Coffee is gross! It tastes like mud!", he griped in response, embarrassed at her reaction. At this point, the girl had descended into a full-blown fit of laughter. "You're such a kid!" She giggled, playfully pushing his shoulder in between peals of laughter.

'Wait'. Denji looks at the hand on his shoulder and freezes, 'she's touching me a lot, and smiling at me too. Could it be that this girl actually… LIKES me!?'.

Denji's revelation was interrupted as the girl turned to him again, having finally recovered from her laughing fit, she was now looking at him with a small smile on her face, "My name's Reze, what's yours?"

"Denji", he replied instantly, he had been that distracted he had completely forgotten to even introduce himself, never mind ask her name!

"Denji… Denji…", Reze mulled over the name softly, making sure that he overheard.

"I've never met anyone as funny as you… Denji", Reze tilted her head, looking up at him with a soft smile and rosy cheeks. 

"Oh-h yeah?", he stutters back, his mind in complete disarray. 'She totally likes me!', He thinks in complete shock, his heart beating rapidly as if reminding him of its presence, he then comes to another realisation…

'Wait… I like people who like me!' 

As Reze fixed him with a fond gaze he could think of only one thing in his shellshocked state.

'Save me Miss Makima! I'm gonna fall for this chick!'

Denji and Reze talked for some time after his epiphany, with much of this time being filled by a flustered Denji making jokes and the ring of the two teens laughing, one nervously and the other with seemingly genuine mirth. 

"Hahahahaha! Stop! Stop!", Reze was again doubled over with laughter as a result of the corny pun he had just made.

"Don't worry, I have plenty more where that came from!" Denji bragged, grinning proudly at her reaction, "Ow! Hey! Hahaha!", Denji laughed as Reze playfully hit his shoulder.

"You better not", she warns with a mock scowl on her face, before her face breaks out into a grin. Denji turns to look at the analogue clock mounted on the wall behind the counter, only to double-take at what time he saw.

"Ah sh-, sorry Reze I've gotta run, I was meant to be back home an hour ago!", Reze yelped as Denji suddenly jumped out of his seat with a start, about to run for the door, his need for a home-cooked meal courtesy of Aki taking over his mind for a moment, after all, he didn't really know how to cook for himself all that well, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Power handle dinner again, he wasn't picky but he drew the line at roadkill so raw it was still twitching!

"Is everything okay Denji?", he stopped, breaking out of his panic and turning back to see a surprised Reze half rising from the booth, looking at him with a concerned look.

"Oh, I uh… have to go now, Reze…" he says, scratching the back of his head, mildly embarrassed by his blind panic.

"Aw… really?" She whined, giving him a crestfallen look.

"Yeah, sorry… if I don't get back soon then they'll send someone out to find me, and knowing Aki he'll be a real hardass about it…"

At this Reze moves up from their table and approaches Denji at the door, stopping in front of him, "Ah well, guess it can't be helped then", she says with a slight shrug. She then smiles at him gently, "I work the same shift most days, so feel free to drop in anytime."

"Yeah, I definitely will!", he replies eagerly as they walk together towards the door, as he opens the door Reze stops him with a hand on his arm, "You really are the funniest person I've ever met, I haven't laughed that much in forever! So… thanks for the good time Denji."

With that, she gave him a wink and half skipped back towards behind the counter, with the sound of the staffroom door clicking shut breaking him out of his stupor. 

Denji walked out through the door and made his way down the street in the vague direction of the Hayakawa residence before he suddenly stopped. 

"Hell yeah!", he shouts, punching the air in celebration, a victorious grin on his face.

'There's no way she doesn't like me!'

The rest of Reze's shift went by in a blur, with the meagre amount of customers visiting the café during the evening shift meaning that the last hour of her shift was mostly spent staring into space and counting the cash in the register many more times than was strictly necessary, with the manager eventually giving up the ghost and allowing her to head home a bit early.

She sighed as she turned the key to her flat and pushed open the door forcefully when it jammed, turning on the lights to reveal a small, two-room apartment. It was a utilitarian room, devoid of any personal touches, only a bed, drawer, desk and other necessities decorating the room.

Reze sighs again and flops down on the hard, comfortless bed, putting her arm over her eyes.

'I'm so tired of this'.

This empty life was pointless and exhausting, though it was all that she knew, having been raised from birth to be the Politburo's ace in the hole, the Soviet Union's answer to the Gun Devil and to Japan's organised devil hunters headed by that woman…

Denji… he was the same as her, a life of hardship, rewarded with a life of servitude to the state and expected to be happy to be given the bare necessities of life as a reward.

She pulled a folded-up handkerchief out from her pocket, carefully unwrapping it to reveal the delicate flower nestled inside.

'Yet unlike me, he’s still so… alive…'

She folds the handkerchief back up and carefully places it on the small nightstand next to the bed before lying back on her bed and closing her eyes.

'Hmm... It'll be nice to hear him say... my name... some more... before...'

For the first time in years, Reze fell into a sound, dreamless sleep, unbeknownst to her, with a small smile on her face.

Chapter Text

‘How the hell did I get stuck with that lazy bum as a partner, and why a devil to boot?’

Needless to say, Aki was quite exasperated as he walked home from one of the new routine patrols introduced after the recent attacks from the acolytes of the Gun Devil, with the main source of his ire being the new partner assigned to him by Makima the other day.

‘This has to be some kind of karma for setting up Power as Denji’s partner, though having her around the flat seems like punishment enough sometimes…’.
At this thought Aki lets out a long sigh, his hand instinctively going to his jacket pocket for a cigarette only to come up empty.
“Oh yeah…” he sighed again, suddenly regretting his decision to quit.

Robbed of his favourite pastime his mind wandered back to his conversation with Makima over the assignment of the Angel Devil as his partner, he had told her from the start that he wouldn’t be able to get on with the devil, though he didn’t have much of a choice but to go along with her choice after she brushed off his concerns and made his participation in the expedition to destroy the Gun Devil conditional on on successfully working together with the Angel Devil.

‘It would be a problem enough to work with a devil, but working with him will be difficult considering he is as lazy as he is powerful, though at least he isn’t violent unlike most of the others, then again he is dangerous enough when he actually decides to use his powers’, Aki thought back to the briefing he got from Tendo and Kurose on the Angel Devil’s powers, with the ability to sap someones life just by a touch, as well as creating weapons using said life force, with their strength varying depending on how many years were used.

‘Honestly….’ Aki thought, a frown creasing his face ‘All of those powers are pretty useless if he refuses to do his job, but if Makima thinks its necessary I don’t really have a choice in the matter’

Rounding a corner Aki’s thoughts turned to Makima, namely the root-and-branch reforms she instituted to Special Division Four in the wake of the massacre of most of its active devil hunters, with the biggest being the replacement of lost members with fiends such as the Violence Devil, Angel Devil, Princi and Beam to name a few. Even though he knew that the founding purpose of Special Division Four was to try a more radical approach towards devil hunting, it still rubbed him the wrong way that so much of the team was made up of Devils, and even more so with how quickly the decision was made.

‘I’ll have to ask Makima for more details about the changes, though I’d assume she just had a number of emergency contingencies like this prepared in case of a huge loss of manpower’, though even with this thought Aki couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right, remembering the cool attitude that Himeno had towards Makima.

‘No, there’s no point being paranoid, especially since Makima was directly supporting us from Kyoto’, moreover, he did remember a drunk Himeno mentioning that her master Kishibe didn’t much like Makima when they were out at a dive bar in Shinjuku a few months back, so he might be able to pry the reasons out of him at some point.

As he neared his street his mind turned to that night in Shinjuku, it was Himeno’s idea to go out that night after returning from retrieving a small fragment of the Gun Devil from a devil that was infesting the upper floors of a classy hotel in Central Tokyo, turned out that a devil that feeds off of the fear of heights when powered up by the fragment was a force to be reckoned with, managing to kill half of their squad before he and Himeno clambered onto the roof of the high rise and put down the Devil. Himeno had always taken the loss of teammates hard, but when they went out after that mission it was the first time that she asked him, many rounds deep, if he wanted to leave public safety with her. At the time he was sure she was joking, but seeing how hammered she would get after the more intense missions they were sent on, as well as the number of times she repeated her request for him to leave Public Safety with her made him suspect that she was serious.
He was never able to give her the answer that she wanted, his personal quest to destroy the Gun Devil coming first over anything else, only after Himeno’s death did the idea of leaving Public Safety enter his mind again.

‘No point in regretting my decision now, my life is on a timer as it is, and the Gun is still out there after orchestrating the attack of Special Division Four, the best I can do is continue hunting the pieces and ensuring that those brats don’t die in the process’. As Aki turned down the street to his flat, he just hoped that Denji had eaten out rather than attempting to make his own dinner again...

Denji had spent most of his spare time that day slaving behind the counter of the Hayakawa residence’s kitchen counter, though not for any benevolent reason like giving Aki a break from making dinner after a long patrol shift, instead, having had little to keep himself busy, with Reze not working and Power being out of town, Denji decided to work on his tolerance of coffee, with the evidence of this practice strewn all over the counter in the form of coffee granules, sugar and a couple of patches of spilt coffee from his previous attempts.

Denji stared at his latest attempt in dread, sure it looked significantly better better than his last attempt, but that was a low bar considering that when he tried the last one he ended up spitting it out near instantly, being both grainy and too bitter. Clearing his mind of the memories of his last cup and steeling himself he took a swig of his latest creation, praying that the milk and sugar would be enough to make it drinkable, then he heard the rattle of a pair of keys unlocking the front door.

‘Shit, Aki must have finished up his patrol early!’, Denji pinched his nose and swallowed the rest of the coffee, barely taking the time to taste it as he scrambled to tidy up the mess he’d created, settling on just sweeping most of the mess into the sink as Aki walks through the door, taking off his shoes at the door and hanging up his work jacket before looking at Denji standing behind the kitchen counter.

“You better not be expecting me to make dinner tonight” said a drained Aki, giving Denji a deadpan look before making his way over to the fridge behind the counter
“Nah, I ate plenty after the patrol anyway, managed to ditch Beam and grab something to eat at the café’ responded Denji, who had shifted himself to hide the mess in the sink and around the counter from Aki, who had fished out a tin of beer from the fridge.

Aki cracked open the can and took a swig before sighing, “What’s behind you Denji?”
“I don’t know what you mean…” replied Denji putting his hands up as Aki turned to face him,
“I wasn’t born yesterday you punk”, Aki narrowed his eyes, “And your acting is about as convincing as Powers’, so move out of the way".

“So just why were you trying to make coffee anyway?”, said an exasperated Aki as he sat opposite a chastised Denji at the table, “and how did you manage to screw up making something were the requirement is to just add boiling water?”

“Rude!”, snapped back Denji, still huffing over being chewed out for the mess he left over the counter, “but if ya need to know it’s because I was given a cup the other day by this hot chick at the café, and I wanted to know how to make some for myself”, with Denji’s expression changing from morose to proud as he spoke, “Oh yeah, she totally likes me by the way”.

Aki blinked in surprise at Denji’s admission, all thoughts about coffee leaving his mind, ‘What!?’, Aki was in disbelief, sure he knew that Denji was unpredictable and scatterbrained at the best of times, but this was unbelievable!

“Wait, what?”, said Aki, mouth open in shock.

“Well… she bought me a cup of coffee, she also touched me and smiled at me a lot” responded Denji, “Soooo… I’m pretty sure that means she likes me…”

“No not that!”, snapped an exasperated Aki, pinching the bridge of his nose before continuing, “I thought you were after Makima, with you pining after her since you joined Public safety and all, or are you really so dense that you forgot?”

Denji blinked at that, “Well, its not that I don’t like Miss Makima”, a conflicted look appeared on Denji’s face, “I mean… she gave me this life I’m living, got a place to live, a good meal every day, so of course I’m grateful… But this chick… appreciated me for me I guess”, with this Denji looked away from Aki to the side.
Suddenly Denji put his head in his hands and groaned, “Ughh… I don’t know about any of this man… are you done interrogating me now you dick?”

Aki’s face softened after hearing Denji’s reply, “Yeah, yeah I’ll let up…”, they sat there in silence for a moment before Aki got up again with a sigh, “Wait there, I’ll cook up something quick for us”

Aki returned from the kitchen a short time later, putting two plates down on the table, making a zoned-out Denji jump a bit.

“It’s just some plain rice balls, no complaining” said Aki, walking back to the counter and picking up two cups of fresh coffee and placing them by the plates of rice balls.

“A tablespoon of coffee, add a cup and a half of boiling water, stir and leave it to brew for a couple of minutes then pour and add whatever amount of milk and sugar it is you want”

“Huh? What are you on about”, asked a confused Denji before digging into the rice balls.

“I’m telling you how to make a decent cup of coffee, so that you don’t make another mess in my kitchen next time you want to impress this ‘hot chick’ of yours”, replied Aki with a barely visible smirk on his face.

At that comment Denji started coughing, having choked on his food, finally recovering an embarrassed Denji responded, “What the hell man, you can’t just come out with stuff like that when I’m eating!”

“Well judging by that response, I was dead on the money” replied a smug Aki as Denji pouted, taking a sip of the coffee, cringing at the the bitterness as he drank it.

“Bleghh… not sure I’ll ever get used to that taste, but it’s better than the last one anyway” grumbled Denji, “Since when did you make coffee anyways?”

Aki rolled his eyes, “Its not that difficult, and its basically a requirement for stakeouts, used to have to make it for Himeno the morning after the divisions work drinks, was the only way to get her to function for the day, especially if the sadists who put together the patrol rota gave her an early shift”, Aki replied, a smile coming to his face as he remembered the time a hungover Himeno had been in such a rough condition after one such instance that she had thrown up on some poor student on the train.

“You were real close to her huh?” Denji said, “Did you never think of getting with her, cause I know you like Miss Makima too and all, but ya seemed a lot closer with your buddy than anyone else”.
At that Aki opens his mouth to reply only to close it again, looking blankly at Denji for a moment, before finishing his coffee and getting up and throwing on his jacket again.

“I need to go out again for the night patrol so I won’t back till later, make sure you clean up before you go to sleep”, ordered Aki while slipping on his shoes before leaving the apartment.

“Huh”, a confused Denji blinked, “What the hell was his problem?”.

“Phew…”, an exhausted Reze slumped down in one of the café’s booth seats, resting her head in her hands, she usually managed to avoid the night shift most days, however today was not one of those days.

‘How does a café with no customers even end up being this filthy?’, she had been busy cleaning the place for over an hour after close, and with there only a couple of elderly customers through her whole shift. Even worse was that the customers today didn’t even try to make any small talk, they didn’t even acknowledge her when she gave them their orders!

‘It’s a shame Denji wasn’t here today…’, the boy had shown up to the café a couple of times since she first invited him, with him often already being at his regular booth near the window when she arrived for her shift.

‘Heh… thought it would be a bit harder to seduce the Chainsaw than this, they briefed me to be prepared for this mission to last months and it’s only been a week…’, any humour that Reze took from the ease of seducing Denji was quickly replaced by an uncomfortable feeling in her gut – guilt.

‘What I’m doing here isn’t right’, she knew that in her heart, what she was doing here was manipulating a poor buy, the same age as she was, to fall for her, only to sweep the rug out from under him at the last minute and steal the chainsaw devil from his chest. What choice did she have though?

‘If I don’t do this then what will they do to me?’, the Soviet government wasn’t exactly known for their forgiveness after all, even after the reforms of the past decade…

“Girl, are you listening to me, Reze!”, Reze jumped slightly and looked up to see her manager, Mr Kayo giving her an exasperated look from behind the counter, presumably in the middle of giving the shop a last look over before close. ‘Geez… was I really so out of it I didn’t notice that old geezer?’

“Finally, thought you were sleeping there kid, I’m in the middle of locking up so you’ll need to get moving soon”

Recovering from her surprise and embarrassed at being caught off-guard, she went straight to her usual snarky responses when dealing with him.

“Sorry boss, I’m just so, so tired from all the unpaid overtime I can barely keep my eyes open”, Mr Kayo just rolled his eyes at the typically sharp-tongued response, shifting slightly to lean against the counter.

“I’ve already said you’ll get your overtime hours as part of next months paycheque, so stop being dramatic, you can blame the server that quit yesterday for that”

“Cheapskate” chirped Reze, always eager to remind him of the fact whenever she could.

“Yeah, yeah kid, don’t take your bad mood out on the person paying your wages”

Reze gave him a puzzled look at that, “What do you mean?”, she didn’t think she was acting too much differently from usual, was she?

“Don’t give me that kid, you’ve been in a bad mood all day because your little admirer didn’t show up”, Reze opened her mouth to splutter out a reply only to be cut off before she got the chance.

“Don’t give me any stupid excuses kid, you’ve been distracted all day, and every time a customer came in you looked like someone kicked a puppy”, the manager gave her a knowing look as Reze recovered from her embarrassment to a practiced pout.

“Geez boss, there’s no reason to embarrass a girl like that, I just think he’s funny is all…” responded Reze who, even with her training wasn’t able to keep a faint blush off of her face.

At that Kayo chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender, “Fine, fine I know when to let up, just make sure you don’t regret anything later”, Reze flinched at that, though thankfully Mr Kayo had turned around before he noticed, she didn’t want him prying more than was necessary.

“Anyway kid, you better be getting going now, just gotta do a couple things before locking up, so you go home and get some sleep”, with that he disappeared back into the staff room leaving a confused Reze sitting at the booth with a troubled look on her face.

Reze flopped down on her bed, exhausted from the long shift, for once looking as drained as she felt.

Recently it had been taking more and more out of her to keep up her act. Naively she had thought that she had everything under control, but the fact that that manager of all people had been able to read her so easily was beyond frustrating!

And why couldn’t she shake this feeling of guilt? Its not like she had any qualms with previous missions, it wasn’t as if Denji would be the first innocent person she’s killed, or even the first person she’s tricked and deceived, so why?

Who was she kidding? She already knew.

‘It's because he’s the same as me, an orphan, a tool, a slave’

‘It’s because he’s funny, compared to me he’s so full of life, he hasn’t let his lot in life break him, always joking around and making those goofy faces’, Reze smiled at the memory of Denji half-choking on his first cup of coffee before she froze and sat up straight in her bed.

She looked at the side cabinet beside her bed, on which sat the same flower the boy had given her, which had since been placed in a makeshift vase in the form of a filled water glass. The realisation hit her like a freight train.

‘Shit. I like him’, she had fallen for her target, after all her missions and training she had fallen for the target of her most important assignment yet.

‘I thought Denji was easy to seduce, and here I am, falling for him without him even trying, feels kinda unfair…’, she barked out a mirthless laugh at the thought.

“Don’t regret anything later, huh?”, she brought her knees up to her chin.

“Now how the hell am meant to do that…? “

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Denji had first visited Reze at the café, and since then he had dropped in everyday for his lunch, usually sitting in their usual booth, waiting for Reze to finish up her morning shift. He had made a habit of observing the few customers coming in and out the small café and, in between his frequent glances at Reze, realised something.

The only people Denji had seen come into the café since he started going was the same old couple he’d seen every day for the past week, a couple of burnt-out office workers and a couple of groups of students studying.

‘Damn, that place has been deserted all week’, Denji thought as he made his way to the café, having finished his patrol later than usual because of Beam, ‘That damn shark sure loves not listening to me when it suits him, it’s all ‘Lord Chainsaw’ this and ‘Lord Chainsaw’ that until he sees a pond’, needless to say, Denji wasn’t exactly happy with the shark fiend after having to chase after him for the best part of an hour, especially when it ate into his time at the café.

‘I hope Reze is still about, heh, maybe Mr Kayo has her doing more overtime again, wouldn’t be too suprisin’ since I haven’t seen any other staff about…’

 At that thought Denji stopped at the door of the café with a slight grimace on his face, ever since he met Reze he had constantly felt conflicted about his feelings for the spunky barista, how could he fall for another girl so soon after his date with Makima, and after everything Makima did for him?

‘My heart belongs to Makima, Makima found my heart for me’, Denji thought guiltily before reaching for the handle of the door, ‘But my body has other ideas…’

With that thought Denji pushed open the door, his face brightening near instantly as he is greeted by a familiar chipper voice.

“Ah!”, Reze quickly turned to face the door, “Got a customer!”

Denji immediately went to sit down at the table next to the girl who herself was hunched over stationery and textbooks at their usual booth near the window. “Came by to grab lunch”, Denji said casually, settling into the seat and picking up a menu. Reze looked up from her work and fixed Denji with a teasing smile, “Every day for a full week?”, she asked with a teasing lilt, “The food here isn’t that good!”.

“Nah, it’s good”, came Denji’s deadpan reply, the boy never even looking up from the menu.

Reze’s smile dropped momentarily in disappointment ‘No reaction, really?’, quickly recovering she resolved to double down on her teasing of the distracted boy, whilst pointedly ignoring Mr Kayo muttering his approval of Denji’s taste in food. “You have no taste”, Reze stuck her tongue out at Denji, trying to attract his attention again, but to no avail.

“Lemme see here… Curry and… Ice cream”, Denji read out slowly, trying to decipher the menu, “Ah! Also fried rice!”

Reze was staring at Denji, resting her head on her hands, a contented smile on her face as she watched Denji’s childlike excitement, ‘Well, I do remember reading that best way to a man's heart is through his stomach…’, she thought, bemused.

“Would you like to eat at my table, Sirrr?”

Denji finally looks up from the menu to to see Reze looking at him with something between amusement and her usual teasing look. “Nah I’m cool… You’re studying right?”, Denji replied casually before giving Reze a knowing look, “Even though you’re s’posed to be working”.

“You aren’t in school, riiight?”, a pouting Reze fired back playfully to his jibe, “Even though you’re 16?”.

Denji blinked, thinking about what she just said, ‘I… never really thought about that… huh’.

Reze looked at the young devil hunter, picking up on the momentary surprise on his face, ‘I wonder why Public Safety even recruited someone so young? Why all the interest in Chainsaw? I know hybrids like me and him are always valued as tools of the state, I’m an example of that myself, but the Japanese government never seemed as interested as other nations…’, with this in mind, Reze resolved to probe Denji for any information she could to find out why this change could have happened.

“I think you’re worse than me”, the teasing demeanour had left Reze’s face as she spoke.

Denji looked back at her, looking unsure, “I dunno… am I?”. As far as he was concerned, he was living the high life since he started working for Miss Makima at public safety, hell he even had paid days off!

“A kid who should be in school, hunting devils?”, any mirth, fake or not, had left Reze at this point as she continued with a frown “You’re a rare breed, super rare”.

‘Damn it, looks like that bitch is taking notes from the Politburo, he’s of no use to her beyond a tool, its just-‘, Reze paused, her internal fuming being replaced by an all too familiar melancholy, ‘No, there’s no point getting worked up about this, there’s nothing I can do anyways I just need to stick to the mission, even if I…’.

Denji looked up at Reze as she suddenly got up from her seat, carrying a couple of textbooks with her, “Well I’m gonna study at your table, scooch over and make me some room!”.

Denji moved over for her with a grunt, still pondering what Reze was saying about school, ‘I wonder what school would be like, I did promise Pochita that I would live a normal life, and Reze’s sayin’ that what Miss Makima has me doin’ isn’t that at all…’.

 They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the scratching of pen against paper as Reze worked her way through her textbook, she actually found she enjoyed working her way through the book, the times when she was given lessons in Moscow being some of her only fond memories of childhood.

“I guess I do wanna learn to read better…”, Denji was the first one to break the silence after thinking over what he’d heard about school from some other devil hunters in public safety. Not being able to read fluently was something that had been getting on his nerves ever since he had to start writing up reports on whatever incidents Power caused on patrol, and even though Aki helped him with them he’d rather do it without the man berating him every time…

“You can’t read?!”, Reze looked up from her book, a look of surprise painted on her face, “Okay, I’ll teach you!”, Denji watched in surprise as she started writing something in her notepad, before pushing it in front of him.

“Duh-duh-duh-duuuh!”, Reze proudly announced the arrival of her impromptu reading exercise in front of the boy, a smug smirk on her face, “What does this say?”.

Denji looked down at the notepad, expecting to have to focus to figure out what it said, only to roll his eyes at what was written.

“That just says “balls” you perv!”

“So, you can read!”, Reze ignored the accusation, smiling as if she was a proud teacher.

“Balls is the one word I can always read”, came Denji’s deadpan reply.

Reze stared at Denji.

Denji stared back.

And just like that Reze’s poker face crumbled.

“Ahhahahaha!!”, the girl was officially in hysterics, tears of laughter in her eyes, “What’s up with that?!”, Reze just about managing to get out the question through her laughing fit.

‘I wonder if this is what school is like’, as Reze was still doubled over in laughter, Denji was thinking about what school would be like, ‘If I would be able to have fun with a girl this cute at school, I think that’d be pretty cool…’

Denji rested his head on his hand, looking at Reze, who by now recovered.

“Kinda wish I coulda gone to school with you, Reze. Seems like it’d be fun…”, Denji’s eyes widened in surprise at what he’d just said, a blush appearing on his face, ‘Shit, what am I saying! My heart belongs to Makima, I can’t just be comin’ out and sayin’ stuff like that!’.

Reze looks up at Denji, who had averted his eyes from hers with an obvious blush on his face, she knew her mission was to simply retrieve his heart, but…

‘I’ve never met someone like him before, I’ve never had a target make me feel like… this, feel alive…’

‘If I- If we ever want to escape this life, teaming up would be our best chance. We could run away together, surely-‘, Reze quickly cut the thought short, wishful thinking would get her nowhere, for now she needed to push on with her plan.

Reze sidled up closer to Denji, draping her arm around his neck and leaving their faces only inches apart.

“Wanna check it out?”, Reze was almost whispering in his ear, “After dark?”.

Denji’s blush only deepened, “After dark?”.

By now, Reze had turned to look Denji directly in the eyes, her previously teasing attitude gone, replaced with a simple earnest expression, “Explore the school with me”.

Denji was captivated, simply staring in silence for a few moments, before managing to voice a response.

“Okay…”

‘All I could say was “okay”!’, Denji would have facepalmed if he hadn’t still been staring at the smiling girl in front of him, ‘but at least I get to see what a school is like… and with Reze too!’.

And sitting beside Denji, still looking up at him with a contented smile on her face, was an equally excited Reze.

After all, she’d never seen the inside of the school either.

Some time had passed since Reze had invited Denji to ‘her’ school, with the girl having went back to work the rest of her shift after some of the regular customers started trickling in. This left Denji more or less to his own devices for the better part of an hour, during which he entertained himself with his usual pastime of watching the customers, and of course his favourite waitress.

Denji perks up as he sees a tired-looking Reze walking over to the table with a cup of coffee in each hand, setting both down on the table before plopping down next to him, leaning into him and letting out an exasperated sigh.

“H-hey, what’s up?”, Denji half-stuttered out in embarrassment as Reze turned her head to look at him, a tired grin on her face. “Oh nothing much, the old man was just asking me to work some overtime and I had to tell him I already had plans”, Reze stretched, wincing at the crack that came from her back and leaning back into the booth seat, “After all, it’d be quite hard to go to the school later if I was sitting here till close, I think if we meet there at around seven there should be no one about”.

“Yeah, that sounds alright, I ain’t doing the night shift, so I should be done my last patrol by five”, said Denji nonchalantly before turning his attention to the cup of coffee in front of him with an apprehensive look on his face.

“What’s wrong, have your tastebuds not matured yet?”, Reze intoned back to her favourite hobby of teasing the young devil hunter, “especially since you’ve been here every day for a week…”

“Hey! I’ve been train’n my tastebuds, I can drink this stuff no problem!”, Denji took a swig of the coffee, still cringing slightly at the bitter taste, but otherwise showing no other adverse reaction.

‘Huh, that’s not half-bad, if I put in some sugar like I did at home it might actually taste good!’.

“Oh wow, you managed to keep it down!”, Reze gave him a cheeky grin as she leaned back onto his shoulder, having shifted in case Denji repeated his reaction to his first coffee, “must have been some intense practice if you didn’t spit it over the table again”.

“I’ve been making coffee at home, the guy I’m stayin’ with showed me how to make a decent cup, so I’ve been practicin’ after my shift”, Denji said with a proud smirk, reminiscent of those of a certain blood fiend.

“Why all the practicing though?”, she looked up at him with a mischievous look in her eyes, “trying to impress someone maybe?”

“Ahh… not really”, he scratched his cheek awkwardly, cheeks reddened slightly, “It's just that ya said it was childish not to like it, so I figured I should try to learn to like it, considering I’m a workin’ man and all…”

Instead of the expected teasing there came no response from Reze.

‘Huh… thought she’d be in another fit over that one…’, Denji turned to look at the girl again only for them to lock eyes.

“You’re allowed to be a kid sometimes you know”, Reze had an uncharacteristically serious look on her face as she stared at the young devil hunter before continuing, “What… what did you do before becoming a devil hunter, Denji?”

Reze wasn’t really sure why she asked the question, she already read his background report, knew he used to live on the streets, but she felt compelled to hear it from his own mouth, in his own words.

Denji blinked in shock before looking away, remaining silent. For a moment Reze thought she might have pushed too far, opening her mouth to apologise, “It’s okay, you don’t need to-“

“Nah, it’s fine”, Reze’s apology was cut short by Denji’s melancholy response, “it’s not like its anything too interestin’ or anything, was just me and Pochita livin’ in a crappy shack, hunted devils for an old Yakuza asshole to pay back my old man’s debts…”

Reze’s frowned, she had of course known that Denji was homeless before joining Public Safety, but hearing the details from his own mouth was different. Somehow, she thought that maybe he had at least had freedom before he was found by Public Safety, but what he said about the Yakuza seemed to rule out that possibility. One part of what he said stood out to her even more than that though.

“Who is Pochita?”

Denji, still looking anywhere except at Reze sat in silence for a while before letting out a sigh and slumping in his seat, “Pochita was my dog… he was my only friend since I was a kid”, Denji was looking at the tabletop as he spoke, a small but pained smile visible as he continued, “He saved my life, so I have to live for both of us…”

Denji turned to Reze with a puzzled look, “Why’d you want to know all that for anyways?”

“Sorry… I was just curious about how you could’ve ended up working as a devil hunter so young, sorry if I came across as nosey…”

“Nah, its cool”, Denji waved off her concerns nonchalantly, “Just caught me be surprise is all, nobody really asked me about it since I became a devil hunter”

The two teens continued chatting idly for sometime afterwards, with Reze talking a bit about ‘her’ school, yet as they talked Reze couldn’t get the image of the expression he had when talking about his past.

After all, it's one she seen in the mirror every day.

Ohta Kayo was having a pretty good day all things considered as he counted the cash in the register, his small café was unseasonably busy throughout the day so far, his back pain was conspicuously absent and that troublesome waitress of his was too busy with that devil hunter kid to back-sass him.

‘If business keeps up like this, I might be able to take Tae somewhere nice for our anniversary’, Kayo thought with a small smile on his face, he’d been promising his wife a trip to Okinawa for years now, after 30 years of marriage it would be nice to take her back to that beach house they spent their honeymoon at…

Kayo’s trip down memory lane was abruptly cut short as the staff room clicked open behind him.

“Hey boss!”, the sudden greeting from Reze led the man to let out a sigh, he should have known his peace of mind wouldn’t last long after blondie had left…

“Geez kid, keep your voice down”, Kayo complained wincing.

“Nope”, she responded, sticking her tongue out cheekily as Kayo let out a long sigh, his thoughts of Okinawa being replaced by a familiar headache as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Anyway… Reze would you be able to work until close tonigh-“

“Sorry, no can do Boss, I already have plans for later with Denji, so you’ll have to hope one of the other girls can”, with that the girl promptly shot down Kayo’s plans for a relaxing evening, dooming him to have to call in one of the other brats for the evening shift.

“Well, I suppose I can’t complain too much, you luring in that Denji boy is keeping this place afloat”, Kayo says, resigned to the premature death of his relaxing afternoon.

“Hey, don’t make me out to be some sort of seductress, rude!”, protested the affronted seductress in a well-practiced teasing lilt. Kayo just chuckled at the girl’s antics, the young girl reminded him a bit of his own wife, mostly as a result of their shared sharp tongues.

“Enjoy your date kid, I’ll get someone to cover for you this time, but I expect that you’ll work till close on your next shift”.

“Yeah, yeah”, Reze rolled her eyes at the demand, “I’ll work late next weeks shift, no problem, can I go now?”.

As she moved towards the door Kayo delayed her one more time.

“One last thing girl”, Reze turned at the mans voice responding impatiently, eager to go home and prepare to head to the school.

“Yes?”, she huffed reluctantly turning around.

“That boy, Denji, he seems like a good kid, and you’ve seemed to enjoy spending time with him as much as he obviously has with you”, he paused briefly before continuing, “all I’m saying is to remember what I said before and don’t wait too long, after all I wouldn’t be happily married for three decades if sat around waiting”, he said with a wry smile on his face.

Reze fixed her boss with a deadpan look, “first you call me a seductress, then you tell me to be more forward, jeez it’s a wonder you got married at all…”, a smirk then graced her lips, “thanks boss, I’ll keep that in mind”.

“Ha!”, he barked out a laugh at the girls sardonic response, “Just make sure you don’t forget about your job while you’re chasing after that boy!”. When he turned back to the girl he blinked in shock, because for a moment he didn’t see the same lively, sarcastic young school girl, but instead was greeted by a girl with no emotion visible on her face.

“Goodbye, boss” she said, expression unchanging as she turned and left through the door, motions seeming almost robotic.

Kayo was left confused in his small café as Reze briskly walked home, plagued by her own conflicted thoughts.

“Hey, hold up a minute!”, Denji watched as Reze deftly scaled the school gate, in a couple of practiced movements.

“Shhh, quiet!”, Reze hissed at him through the gate, “the first rule of breaking and entering is making as little noise as possible”, she said, holding up a single finger as if she was a teacher educating an unruly student.

“Of course I know that, I’ve broken into plenty of places before!”, Denji whispered back at her defensively as he clambered over after her, “besides, you said earlier that there’d be no one about anyways, so why all the sneak’n about?”

“Oh, we don’t need to be really, but doesn’t it make it feel more exciting!”, she winked at him as he dropped down beside her. Denji rolled his eyes, a smile on his face as they started walking over towards the school building.

“So… what sorta things do you do in school anyways?”, Denji asked nonchalantly, “do ya just learn stuff or what?”.

“Well, we do spend most of the school day in class, but we get some free time through the day, like lunch for example”, she responded, a fond smile on her face, “so during breaks I usually just spend time with some of the other girls in class like Hikari and Riena”.

Reze then looked to Denji with a playful grin, “You know Denji, I don’t have any guy friends at school, maybe we could have lunch together here someday, hmmm?”

“Y-yeah, that’d be pretty cool!”, Denji eagerly agreed before bringing his hand to his chin, as if deep in thought, “I wonder if there’s some way I could go to school and stay at Public Safety?” He pondered aloud.

 ‘I’ll have to ask Miss Makima when she’s back from Kyoto', Denji wondered if Miss Makima would agree, after all if he did the night patrols instead of Aki surely he’d have time for school, however his thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Makima after she had found him, she had treated him kindly up until she needed him to go deal with that devil, the words she said came back to him.

‘I have no need of a dog that says no’

Denji shook his head, that was when Miss Makima had just met him, sure he had been angry about it at the time, but that was just her way of testing him!

‘Yeah, Miss Makima even went on a date with me, she obviously doesn’t think of me like that now!’, Denji thought, momentarily confident before something else crossed his mind.

‘What would Miss Makima think of me going on a date with another girl…’, a frustrated frown creased his face, Miss Makima saved him and gave him a home, so why did he feel so drawn towards the girl in front of him?

As they arrived at the side door to the school, the one that Reze had noticed was left unlocked at night, she turned round to look at the boy trailing behind her.

She seen the conflicted look on his face after she’d joked about going to school together, sure it wasn’t like it was a serious proposition, but it still stung to see that he conflicted between her and that witch, ‘just how deep are her claws in you Denji?’.

‘No, all that is relevant is the mission, not my juvenile jealousy’.

“So Denji, shall we go inside?”, she plastered a forced grin on her face, “I have a lot to teach you after all”.

The two teenagers walked through the hallways of the abandoned school, with one walking confidently through the halls as if she knew the place like the back of her hand, and the other walking slightly behind her, eyes moving side to side uncertainly.

“You aren’t scared Denji?”, Reze looked over her shoulder at the boy, who promptly stopped looking around and shrugged.

“Ehhh… it’s not so much scary…”, he said as he tried looking through the small window on the classroom door as they passed by, “It’s more like it feels weird, I guess…?”

Reze tilted her head at that, amused, “What the heck?”

She shrugged before a sly smile came to her face, this seemed like the perfect excuse to play the damsel.

“Well, I’m a little scared”, she slowed to match Denji’s pace, leaning into him, “can I hold your hand?”

To his surprise, Reze grabbed Denji’s hand before he even got a chance to reply, leading him onwards. He turned to look at her, a somewhat dazed look on his face, in contrast she looked straight on, leading them to their destination with a rosey blush on her cheeks.

Denji returned to looking forward, his thoughts conflicted again.

‘Makima… I don’t really want to hold her hand, but…’

  ‘My body moves all on its own…’

“So, who can solve this problem?”

Reze had eventually stopped at a classroom on the second floor of the school and told Denji to take a seat at one of the front row desks as she started writing some basic maths problems on the blackboard.

“Ohh! Pick me! I know”, Denji waved hands in the air as shouted out the answer, “Two! Two!”

“Correct!”, Reze beamed at him, “You’re a genius!”

She turned back to the board as Denji celebrated, with the scratching of chalk on the board being the only sound in the room as Denji tried to make out what Reze was writing with little success, as Reze moved to block his view.

She then suddenly moved away from the board, dramatically presenting her handiwork to her student, “Now what does this say!?”

“Oh, pick me, pick me!”, he exclaimed as his hand shot up again, “I dunno!”

“The answer is ‘Big Ass’!”

“Perv!”, Denji exclaimed, an amused look on his face, leaving the perv in question with a proud smirk plastered on her face.

“Ah man…”, Denji slumped down, resting his chin on his hands, a contented smile on his face, “so this is what school’s like, I think I pretty much get the picture now.”

“So you’ve really never went to school, Denji?”, Reze piped up as she finished wiping the board clean, “Not even grade school?”

“Nope!”, Denji chirped back, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

‘Oh… he really hasn’t had… I thought he might have had some education before he lived on the streets, not to mention Public Safety, even the Politburo ensured I had a decent education!’, at this final revelation Reze’s mask was gone, left in its place was something between concern and empathy. ‘Just what does public safety want with you Denji, surely if they wanted an effective weapon they would at least teach you the basics…?’.

“Isn’t that, like… kinda… you know… bad?”

“Bad?”, Denji looked up at the girl in confusion, ‘What does she mean ‘bad’, since Miss Makima found me I’ve been living the good life, right…?!’

“More like… messed up”, by now Reze had slipped fully into her natural neutral expression, a look reflected on Denji’s own stunned face as he focused on the girl in front of him intently.

 “At 16, you’re still just a kid, you know?”

“It’s when most kids are studying to get into college, throwing themselves into a club or sport, hanging out with friends…”, Reze’s stare bored into Denji as she continued her rant, “But you’re killing devils, almost getting yourself killed…”

“Is this Public Safety place you’re with right now really a good place?”, she knew what the answer would be, but she wanted to make him think about the situation he was in.

‘Maybe, just maybe, if I can get him to realise, maybe we can escape our masters together…’, this idea had been floating around in her head for a while now, but it only had a chance to work if they were together.

“Yeah, they’re super-great!”, Denji responded to her as if stating the obvious, “I get three meals a day and I get to sleep in a bed.”

“That’s, like, the bare minimum standard of living in Japan…”, Reze’s expression remained impassive as she continued her verbal assault, “It’s not something amazing”.

Denji maintained eye contact with her for a while, before looking down at the tabletop, his expression a mix of confusion, frustration and maybe even… sadness, as if he knew everything that she said already, but just didn’t want to admit it to himself…

“Uhhhh…”, Denji groaned as he looked back up at her, looking significantly more drained compared to the boy who had been waving his arms about a few minutes ago. “All this thinkin’ is making my brain overheat…”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Reze’s face as an idea came to her, ‘Denji… if they won’t teach you anything, maybe I can make a start…’.

“Want to go cool off then?”

“DWUGH!?”

Denji stood, his mouth agape at the the girl in front of him, a girl how had just stripped off her top and was currently in the process of stepping out of her shorts. This wasn’t at all what he was expecting when Reze said that she’d teach him how to swim!

But he wasn’t complaining either.

He was quickly snapped out of his stupor by a shout from Reze, “Take your clothes off!”, she was looking up at him with cheeky grin, “You’ll sink if you leave them on!”

Denji blushed, forcing himself not to agree instantly, “Isn’t that too naughty?”

Reze cocked her head, “Don’t you want to learn to swim?”, she said, keeping her tone as matter-of-fact as possible.

His eyes trailed up and down her body, settling on her chest in response.

“I’m startin’ to see the appeal…”

He snapped out of his trance, his eyes snapping back up her face. Only to be greeted by her emerald orbs staring right back into his, with a coy smile playing on her face as her arms looped behind her back.

Her bra dropped to the ground.

And Denji’s face lit up like a beacon.

“WHOA?!”

She turned to her side as she began stripping off her underwear, leaving her choker as the sole surviving part of her outfit. “Get naked with me Denji.”, she said as she kicked her underwear off towards the rest of her clothes, “It’s not like we can see anything in the dark anyway.”

With that barefaced lie, she swan-dived into the pool, her head illuminated by the moonlight as she swam out to the middle of the large pool.

Denji’s head was spinning, it was his first time seeing a girl naked, he seen everything from her chest, her curves, even below the waist! He shook his head, attempting to banish those thoughts from his head, ‘calm down dude… you can’t… if you strip down here, you’ll be unfaithful to Makima!’

 Moments later he was standing naked in front of the pool, his clothes thrown haphazardly beside Reze’s.

‘Dammit’

Denji stared at the dark water, he may have already forgiven himself for cheating on Makima, but that didn’t solve the small issue of him not knowing how to swim!

“Ah ha ha! That’s freezing!”, Denji looked up to see Reze waving at him from the centre of the pool, “Come in the water Denji!”

‘Don’t do it Denji!’, an internal battle still raged within the boy, ‘If I go, my heart will go with my body!’

“Oh nooo, I’m drowning! Heeeelp”, Reze was now splashing around in the water, having resorted to her usual antics in her attempts to convince the boy to join her.

She sunk herself down into the water up to her eyes, watching Denji’s conflict as if she was a shark hunting her prey.

All it would take is one more push.

“Ah-haaa!”, she surfaced again and swam a little closer to the edge of the pool, “You’re too chicken cuz you can’t swim, riighht?!”. Reze grinned. She got him.

“BOOOYAA!”, Denji cannonballed into the pool, making sure to aim as close to Reze as possible.

“Ah ha ha ha ha!”

“Ha ha ha!”

The laughter of the two teens echoed across the empty grounds as Denji resurfaced and the two started splashing each other.

“That is cold!”, Denji said, still chuckling as he stopped splashing and settled still in the water next to the girl. They floated there quietly for a moment before she turned to him, her arms outstretched towards him.

“I’ll teach you!”, Reze exclaimed, a bit louder than she meant to.

Denji looked towards her, a blush painting his shocked face.

“The things you don’t know… or can’t do.”

“I’ll teach you everything.”

The rain had come on suddenly.

Denji and Reze stood back in the classroom, looking out at the pelting rain, both with rather glum looks plastered on their faces.

Denji was lost in thought, on one hand mourning the rain cutting short his skinny-dipping with the raven-haired beauty beside him, and on the other hand content that he had learnt how to swim, it certainly helped that Reze was a great teacher!

Reze, though, was thinking about something different altogether…

“Hey, Denji… which one would you choose?”, Reze never took her eyes from the rain trickling down the window pane.

“The town mouse, or the country mouse?”

Denji took his eyes away from the storm, fixing Reze with a questioning stare, “What’s that?”

“It’s one of the stories from Aesop’s fables, a collection of stories that were written by a slave in Ancient Greece”, she turned away from the window and looked Denji in the eyes.

“The town mouse enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city, while the country mouse enjoyed the peace and quiet of the country. The town mouse would eat all the fancy foods, while the country mouse would eat only simple foods”.

“So Denji, which would you choose?”

“I’d rather be the town mouse”, Denji answered surprisingly quickly. Reze blinked in surprise, she had expected at least a little hesitation.

“Really?!”, Reze blurted out, “The country mouse has it way better! Nothing beats peace!”.

Denji shrugged at that, “But the city has better grub, and it seems like more fun!”

“Are food and fun all you care about?”, Reze had turned back to the window, her bangs shielding most of her face from view.

“Yup!”, another instantaneous response from Denji came forth.

A small smile came to Reze’s face.

She really did like Denji, Reze knew that. His honesty, his humour and his purity, she truly did love all of those parts of him. But if she wanted to have any chance at following through on what she felt, she needed to convince him to leave Public Safety…

‘One shot, I’ll give it one shot to get him to run away with me, if I fail then… back to my mission…’

“Then tomorrow… wanna check out this local festival with me?”, Reze turned around to look at him, her face wearing a beaming smile, “There’ll definitely be fun and good food there!”

“Yaayy! Awesome! It’s a date!”, Reze started skipping to the door as she spoke, “I’m gonna run to the little girls room!”.

Reze walked out of the classroom with a small wave, the smile dropping from her face as soon as she turned the corner.

She knew that this rain wasn’t natural, she was on the hunt…

Back in the classroom Denji was looking out of the window again, a neutral look on his face, he let out a loud sigh.

“She’s so freakin’ cute…”

“Hey Pochita… I like two girls now, guess who…”

Reze walked down the dark hallways of the school with an innocent smile on her face, trying to get as much distance away from Denji as possible.

‘If Typhoon’s contractee has created this storm, then they should be somewhere in this building’, as if on-cue she heard the scuff of someones shoe on the ground behind her.

‘Gotcha’.

Reze whipped round to face the stranger, “Denji?!”

“Yeah, that’s right. Denji, that’s me”, the figure shuffled out of the shadows leisurely, “I was just needin’ to take a leak myself.”

He was fully visible now, a dirty looking man with a greasy mohawk and a heavily scared face, burnishing a knife in his right hand.

“Let’s go to the bathroom together, you get me?”

Reze had to mask the contempt in her eyes, she had to act the scared damsel for a creature like this?!

‘I think the roof sounds better, no chance anyone will hear you up there…’

*WHAAM*

Reze crashed through the door to the school roof and out into the rain. She knew that that thug was right behind her, she had made sure that she ran slowly enough that he wouldn’t lose her, she even hammed it up and fell over.

‘Ohhh I’m going to enjoy this…’

As she jogged to the roof railing she came to a stop and swung around, seeing the knife wielding punk standing at the roof door.

“Uhhh, hellooo…?”, the contractee mockingly sung out, “What, you gonna take a leak on the roof?”

“Who… who are you?!”

‘Dead meat’, Reze just needed him to get bit closer…

“Funny question. Do you even know who you are?”

“I know who you are, you’re the cheese”, her pursuer had a vacant, crazed look in his eyes, “The cheese to lure the mouse out into the open”.

“What are you talking about, please, leave me alone!”, Reze cried out, she had always done well in the acting training sessions.

“I’m gonna cut some skin off your face…”

A step closer.

“Gouge out an eye…”

Another.

“Show them all to Chainsaw and tell him this.”

And another.

“Your woman is still alive.”

He brandished his knife lazily as he closed into striking distance, “I couldn’t tell you why, but when I do that… most guys will do anything I say.”

“After that I’ll just kill him nice an’ easy, all I need from you is some skin and an eye”.

“I don’t want your life”, with that he lunged.

‘Finally’.

“Aaaaaahhhh!”, Reze screamed like a murder victim even as she launched herself onto her attacker’s torso, using one hand to brace herself on his left shoulder and the other to grab the wrist of his knife hand.

She used her momentum to twist around to his back, breaking his right arm in the process, then putting him in a chokehold, using her body mass to make him fall backwards.

She lay lay there as her assailant, now victim struggle, kicking, flailing and gasping for air, as she patiently kept up the pressure on the man's neck, as the rain and the wind drowned out all other noise.

“Pa… paa..”

Reze remembered only one thing from before she was put in that damned room, the sound of a woman, singing in her native tongue…

“The day of my date with Jane, everything is ready”

“We are going to church in the morning”

“We will have coffee and omelettes in the café”

“After we’ve taken a stroll in the park”

“We’ll go to the aquarium to see the dolphins and penguins Jane loves so much”

“We’ll rest in the afternoon”

“So what did we do in the morning?”

“We’ll reminisce and remember”

“We will not remember”

“We spent the night in the church”

And all was still on the roof.

Chapter Text

Dozens of people thronged through the Tori gate at the entrance to the temple, with the usually serene complex being packed to the gills with locals coming to celebrate and view the nearby fireworks display later on in the evening.

As people moved up the steps and through the gate, they passed by a lithe young girl with raven hair sitting on the steps leading up to the gate, clearly lost in thought, her bright emerald eyes staring into the near distance.

‘So, today is the end…’, Reze thought with realisation, she had been pushing back and delaying her mission for as long as possible, but today it ended, either Denji agrees to run away and leave Public Safety, or she fulfils her mission…

She knew which ending she would prefer.

The finality of it had come rushing back to her as soon as she and Denji looked out at the unnatural storm trapping them in the school. When Typhoon and his contractee had interrupted their swim, it had snapped her out of her trance, for much of that night she had felt like a normal schoolgirl, but there was nothing like killing that waste of space on the roof to remind her of what she was trained for.

However, even with the not inconsiderable power of Typhoon on her side, she desperately hoped that it wouldn’t come to fighting Denji, she would much rather have them both use their power to try and escape their masters, rather than fruitlessly fight to the death just to return to being attack dogs for their governments.

‘I wonder if Typhoon could be of any use as a distraction?’, Reze shook the thought out of her head, she can’t get ahead of herself, Denji needed to agree to run away first, and that wasn’t a certain thing at all…

‘I have one chance to convince him, hopefully he took what I said at school to heart…’, she grimaced at that thought, Denji didn’t even realise just how messed up his situation was.

‘At least I’m aware of how fucked my life is’, she thought bitterly, her face twisting into a frown before quickly returning to a neutral expression.

‘No, there’s no point in getting all pissed at him, he doesn’t know any better…’, she sighed and leaned back on the steps, quietly singing one of the few songs she picked up in that damned room.

“Hush you mice! a cat is near us,”

“He can see us, he can hear us...”

“--What if he is on a diet?—"

“Even then you should be quiet!”

Reze had a melancholy smile on her face as she finished singing the short rhyme, it was from a game she and some of the other kids in the room played, before they-

Reze quickly snapped to attention as a shock of blond hair caught her eye from the crowd, standing up as Denji started jogging up to her with a bright smile on his face, and for a moment Reze forgot all about the room, the smile on her face reflecting the boy’s own.

“Hey Reze!”, Denji called out as he briskly weaved through the crowd towards Reze, panting as he stopped in front of her, catching his breath. “I’m real sorry for being late, took me longer to get rid of my partner than I thought it’d be…”

Denji sheepishly looked up at the girl, only to find her hunched over trembling.

“Ahhahaha!”, Reze guffawed as Denji stood there confused.

“What’s so funny anyways?”, Denji looked at her confused as she recovered, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Oh its nothing really, just remembered the first day you came to the café”, she grinned cheekily at him, “I still have no idea how you got there before me, I took a short cut that day and everything!”

“D-dunno, just walked there normally, anyways what’s there to do at this festival anyways?”, Denji quickly changed the subject, “cause I’ve never been to one of these before, didn’t you say there’d be plenty of food?”

‘No way I’d tell her I ran the whole way there!’, Denji still didn’t know what possessed him to run there immediately, he’d even ran through a construction site on his way there…

Reze smiled at Denji’s embarrassment, as curious as she was about how he got there before her that time, it was just endearing to see how embarrassed he was about rushing off to see her.

Though she did wonder if he’d rush to see her if he knew why she was really here…

“Well, there’s definitely plenty to do, though it is my first time at one of these in a long time…”, Reze put her index finger on her chin and pondered his question as they walked up the steps through the tori gate.

“Ah there!”, Reze quickly pointed at the first stall she seen as they entered the shrine complex. Denji had no time to look at where she was pointing before she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him through the crowd towards the stall.

“Hey, Reze hold up a sec-”, Denji complained, the smile on his face and the dusting of red on his cheeks giving away his his pleasure at the situation. ‘Never thought I’d have a cute girl drag’n me through a festival…’, Denji thought, internally thanking Pochita as they arrived in front of the stall.

“Tadaaa!” Reze exclaimed, taking her hand out of Denji’s to dramatically present the small stall to him, “Candy apples!”.

Denji looked at the stall, where dozens of candy apples were on display.

“Hey young man, would ya like a candy apple for you and your girlfriend, only 200 yen!”, the gruff looking stall attendant called out, having noticed him staring at the stall. Denji hesitated for a moment, before turning to see Reze playfully pouting at him.

“Uhhh… yeah sure!”, Denji replied quickly, once again happy to be receiving a paycheque every week. Denji took the apples off the man's hands, passing one off to Reze.

“Ohhh, what a gentleman”, Reze grinned as she took the treat from his hand, poking Denji in the side as she teased.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah”, Denji griped before quickly matching the girl’s smile with his own, he enjoyed talking with Reze, his time with her felt very different to spending time with Aki or Power, Aki could be a moody bastard and, well Power was Power…

But with Reze he felt that he just enjoyed the time they spent with each other, spending time with someone when it wasn’t related to work was… refreshing.

‘Doesn’t hurt that she’s a hottie too’.

 “Hey, Denjiiii… lets go over there to eat”.

“Sooo, is the gentleman going to be treating me all night”, Reze threw Denji a lopsided grin as she tossed the used stick of her candy apple into the bin by the bench they were resting on.

Denji smirked back at her, giving her a knowing look, “thought you’d been doin’ a lot of overtime shifts”.

“Can’t blame a girl for trying”, Reze pouted in response, sticking out her tongue.

Reze stretched as she got up, “we have some time before the fireworks start”, she reached down and grabbed Denji by the hand, pulling him up, and dragging him in close.

“Guess we should move on from the food and get to the fun, huh?”, she whispered into his ear beguilingly, leading him off into the crowd.

“Hey Reze, what about that stall there!”, Denji pointed towards a stall composed of a number of small pools. The two teens had wandered around the fair, playing whatever games that caught their eyes, the last being hoop throwing game in which Denji managed to win a meagre stick of cotton-candy, a prize he immediately passed off to Reze.

“Oooh that’s the goldfish scooping game, lets give it a shot!”, Reze cooed excitedly as they made their way over, “I think I’ll give this one a shot myself though”.

“Huh, what brought this on?”, Denji responded drolly, “thought you wanted to have me win everythin’ for you”

“Maaaybe I wanna to win something for you this time”, she grinned up at him, her cheeks rosey.

“Anyways, this game requires a delicate touch, so watch and learn Denji”, she winked as she walked off to the stall, Denji following along, a wide grin on his face.

“Damn Reze, how’d you get so good at those games, thought you hadn’t been ta one of these in ages?”, Denji gushed as they walked away from the shrine complex.

At that, a frown flashed onto Reze’s face for a brief moment, before reverting back to her usual smile.

“Like, you got the high score in that shootin’ game and everything, you nearly emptied one of those pools of fish!”

“Hahaha, oh I’m a woman of many talents Denji, though fairground games do just happen to be a speciality of mine”, Reze laughed at his enthusiasm before pouting, “I just wish the prizes were better, the prize for the fishing game was just keeping the fish, like who would even need that many fish!”

Denji shrugged, “Could cook up somethin’ I guess.”

Reze stared at him blankly for a moment.

“Hahahahaha!”, Reze fell into one of her customary laughing fits, “who even says that, hahahaha!”

“Hey!”, Denji protested, “nothing wrong with it, me and Pochita did it all the time…”

Reze recovered, wiping tears from her eyes as the boy pouted, ‘Well Reze, it’s now or never, the fireworks are starting soon, time to bite the bullet…’ 

“Hey Denji, follow me, I know a place we can see the fireworks… in private…”

“Oh… uhhh… yeah sounds good…”, she grabbed a flustered Denji’s hand and started leading him away from the festival and towards the tree line.

Reze let go of Denji’s hand as they reached a small clearing at the top of a hill, walking to the fence by the dead-drop.

“My boss at the café told me about this place”, Reze said as she looked out at the landscape of the residential neighbourhood below, “He says that it has the best view of the fireworks, and we’ll have it all to ourselves, cuz it’s top secret”, she looked at him as he walked up next to her and leaned against the fence.

“Oh yeah?”, Denji had a relaxed smile on his face as he rested on the fence, ‘this date has been pretty great, though… it feels… different from my date with Miss Makima somehow…’

“Hey, Denji?”

“Mm?”, Denji acknowledged the question, half lost in thought.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot and…”, she hesitated for a moment, preparing herself for what she was about to say. “I stand by what I said”, she turned to look him in the eyes, “Your situation really is messed up”. She had Denji’s full attention now, as he raised his head up off of the fence.

“Like, making a 16-year-old fight devils to the death?”

“Not even letting you go to school?”, Reze’s tone was bitter, “The government shouldn’t allow that”.

Denji gasped as Reze suddenly grabbed his hands in hers, his flushed face reflecting that of the girl he was face to face with.

As Reze looked him in the eyes, she had no thoughts or worries on her mind the words tumbling from her mouth in a flood.

“Will you quit your job… and run away with me?”

“I’ll make you happy, I’ll always protect you”, Reze paused for a moment as she looked up at Denji, who was frozen in place, his face flushed and eyes unblinking.

“Please”, her last plea seemed to snap Denji out of his shock. “Run away… with you?”, Denji asked haltingly, still somewhat shell-shocked, “Like, where?”.

‘I need to convince him now, if I fail here, I’ll have to…’, Reze knew what the consequences would be if Denji didn’t run away with her after this, she’d have no choice but to go through with her mission…

“I can get a favour from someone I know, they have this place Public Safety will never find you”, Reze knew of someone in Public Safety who might be able to help them disappear, it was a long shot, but she’d already decided to go all-in. “If we go there… we could even go to school together… maybe not right away, but someday”.

“Why would you do all that…?”, Denji’s mouth was agape in surprise, ‘why would she want to do all this, why would she want to just up and run away with me?’.

“Because I like you, Denji!”, Reze blurted out. ‘This is it… please agree… please’, Reze’s mind raced as Denji broke eye contact, and looked down at the ground, conflict written all over his face.

‘Oh…’, a cold feeling gripped Reze’s gut as the silence hung in the air.

“Why are you hesitating?”, Reze asked this calmly even as she panicked inside, “You don’t like me?”

Denji head snapped up at that, “I do like you!”, he shouted out, as if in desperation. But just as suddenly as the passionate response came to Denji all energy seemed to leave him again.

“But… I’m getting’ recognition for my work lately…”, Denji was looking at Reze with a look somewhere between sheepishness and exhaustion, the guilt and conflict clear to see.

“They let me go pretty far without supervision now… I’m slowly learning how to handle buddies with crappy personalities too, I even hit it off with this older coworker I couldn’t stand”, thoughts of Power and Aki had come to mind as Reze had asked him to run away, sure they were both annoying at times, but he’d never lived in a nice flat, or with other people before and he couldn’t bring himself to just up and leave like that…

“I even found, like, a career goal”, memories of a redhead leaning on his chest, and the feeling of Miss Makima’s bite flashed through his mind, “I’m starting to enjoy it more and more”.

But memories of bright green eyes, a teasing smile and peals of laughter also sprung to mind unbidden, the conflict playing out internally as he looked up at Reze with an pitiable expression.

“Can I not keep working… and still see you?”

Reze’s shoulders slumped, she could just stand in silence, feeling her blood turn to ice in her veins. ‘I failed’, Reze thought as she blankly stared forward.

‘There’s only one thing I can do now…’, she looked at the ground in shock, feeling her one chance to escape her servitude, no matter how small it was, slipping through her grasp. She looked away from Denji in an attempt to hide the bitter look on her face as another revelation hit her.

“Okay… I get it…”, she struggled to keep the shock and hurt from her voice before turning and looking him dead in the eyes again.

“Denji… there’s someone else you like, isn’t there?”

“Huh?”, Denji only had time to let out a short grunt of confusion before the whistling of the first fireworks being set off pierced the silence of the night.

Neither teen was paying any attention to the display however, as Reze had quickly closed the distance between them, locking her lips to his.

Denji was in shock as the sound of the fireworks faded into the background, with the only thing on his mind being the girl with whom he was currently locked in a passionate duel of tongues.

As Denji’s mind raced, Reze had only one thought pass through her mind, ‘I’m sorry, Denji… but I don’t have a choice’.

Denji flinched as pain flooded his senses, all of a sudden all he could taste was iron, all that could be heard was the explosions of the fireworks and the cheers of the crowd below. Reze’s hands dropped to her sides, and Denji fell to the ground in shock, looking up at the girl who, only a short while ago confessed her love to him.

‘W-what th- what?’, she was sticking out her tongue.

And it had his own resting on it.

Reze’s face had a calm, eerie smile as she spat out the remnants of his tongue onto the grass and started approaching him again. Denji panicked, frantically reaching to pull his cord, curling his finger around the cord and moving to pull it.

Nothing happened, he just felt more pain as something flashed in front of his eyes, he looked down, panic rising as he saw his hand hanging from the cord on his chest, he looked up, Reze standing above him with the same impassive smile, a knife in hand, her once bright emerald eyes looking so dull and cold now.

Reze knelt down at his side, knife thrown to the side, and grabbed his remaining hand tenderly. Denji just looked down at the ground, eyes more sad than panicked, the blood loss rapidly draining his energy. Reze used her free hand to prop his head up, looking into his eyes, she could swear she could see tears in them. She kissed him one more time, tender as a lover would, before pulling back, blood dripping from her lips.

“Does it hurt?”, her voice dripped with unexpected tenderness, “I know, I’m sorry”. This apology was lost on the boy as he bled out in front of her. Any tenderness in her eyes was replaced by that cold, impassive look again.

“I’m going to take your heart now, okay?”

He looked up at her again with what little remaining energy he had, unable to respond even if he wanted to.

And then the puddle next to him exploded.

“DASHHH!”, the shark fiend sprung out of the ground beside the two, grabbing Denji, his momentum carrying both of them over the fence and down the steep incline.

“What!?”, Reze exclaimed in shock, impassiveness being replaced by surprise, and then anger. She quickly rushed to the fence, desperately looking for Denji and the fiend.

‘Goddamn shark, looks like this is gonna get messy…’, Reze cursed her carelessness, she should’ve been more observant, she sighed internally, it was her own sentimentality that caused this, and now she was in it for the long-haul…

Beam ran carrying Denji with him as he ran, talking to himself in panic and panting for breath, “Run away, run away, run away!!”

“Why didn’t I realise from her scent!!?”

“She’s bad news, Lord Chainsaw!!”, Beam looked behind him just to see the figure of a girl standing on the fence above, one hand raised up to her neck.

“She’s Boooomb!!”

Reze balanced with ease, perched atop the fence.

*Plink*

Reze the blushing waitress was gone. 

“Boom”

Reze’s head exploded in a shower of gore, blood filling the air and fragments of bone and cartilage flying out everywhere like a frag grenade, embedding themselves all over the clearing.

Blood dripped down from the stump of her neck as something unrecognisable grew from it, fuse wires snaked out from what was left of her right arm, reconnecting the mangled limb before spreading out and consuming the whole arm.

As bits of brain and bone rained down, an alien creature stood perched atop the fence, an apron of TNT swaying in the wind as expressionless creature looked down upon the fleeing shark fiend carrying her target.

“Thief”

Bomb was here.

As Beam looked up at the newly transformed hybrid, he saw a flash, instinctively he jumped back, with Reze having blasted herself towards the shark fiend at high velocity, turning the ground he was standing on moments before to rubble.

Reze quickly launched herself from the crater, hitting the shark fiend with a series of explosive punches, following up by blasting the ground below them, pulverising the concrete and blowing the fiend and his injured Lord away.

Beam quickly recovered from the blast, crouching protectively in front of the incapacitated teen.

“RRRR!”, Beam growled as Reze stood, watching them impassively.

“Are you another member of Division 4?”, Reze asked in an even tone, “If you leave Denji and run away, I’ll leave you alone”.

“GRAAAAGHHH!”

Reze sighed as the fiend growled, his head transforming into a monstrous visage, she really had hoped that she could’ve ended this quickly, “Fine”.

“GRARR!”, Beam launched himself towards the hybrid, maw agape to bite her in half. Reze simply raised a single hand to meet the shark’s assault.

And with that beam was shrouded in fire and smoke, slumping on the ground by Reze’s feet, sizzling on the concrete like a fish on a pan.

The screeching of rubber on the tarmac behind her almost made the Bomb hybrid sigh, at this rate there was no way she could end this in a timely manner, and she had no real desire to kill anyone who wasn’t her target. Every second she wasted decreased her chances of success.

A bunch of shabbily dressed devil hunters rushed out of the car, carrying crude weapons with them.

“Dammit, I was looking forward to the festival”, the bald devil hunter moped as he hefted his single edged blade on to his shoulder.

“Yikes, its killing something”, the blond with the short wakizashi sword casually observed.

The dark-haired devil hunter raised a small radio up to his mouth, “Got a devil near the festival grounds, engaging at 18:34 hours.

Reze was becoming exasperated at this point, these were small-fry devil hunters at best. “Civilian devil hunters, are we?”

“Whoa, it spoke!”, tank top blurted out in shock. “We’re dealing with a pretty strong one here!”, the blond with the short-sword exclaimed. He didn’t even get a chance to ready his weapon before he heard a snap, and a small spark hit his chest, only having a chance to look down at his chest before he and his partners were consumed by a storm of fire.

Reze watched on as the hunter were incinerated, their car detonating and flying into the air.

‘Right, now back to-‘, Reze turned to where she left the defeated shark fiend, only to see a trail of blood leading down the next incline, towards the city.

“That was one quick get away”, Reze was almost impressed at this point as she took of in pursuit of them, the inhuman features of her devil-form melting away as she gave chase.

Aki’s day was going pretty well so far, his monthly training sessions with his old friends from Division 2 was one of the highlights of his routine, especially since most of the special division were wiped out. ‘It’s nice to have some company which isn’t Power or Denji’, Aki thought, the kids may have grown on him, but they were a handful at the best of times, ‘at least Denji has been keeping himself occupied and out of trouble’, Aki internally thanked the mystery girl Denji brought up for keeping him out of his hair for a while.

“Aki, my man!”, a lively man with a scar running either side of his mouth leaned against Aki’s shoulder, “sorry for makin’ you come by and school these guys”, he said, referring to Aki’s battered and bleeding sparring partner.

“I could never say no to you Nomo”, Aki responded lightly to his old buddy.

“Oh, really now”, Nomo grinned, “Come back to Division 2 then, it’s not too late!”. Nomo had gone into full salesman mode as he continued, “Blood and gore stories are all we hear about the special division, if all goes well, I’ll make vice-captain in 5 years”.

“And when I do, I’m gonna go all out on luring you back, you can count on that!”

Aki froze for a moment before forcing himself to return Nomo’s smile, “Thank you, sir”.

Later on, as he was getting ready to leave the training building, a voice piped up from beside Aki.

“Hey, you haven’t told them you’ll be dead in 5 years?”, Angel inquired as they walked down the hall.

Aki frowned; he’d been more than happy to pretend his new ‘buddy’ wasn’t there with him. His good mood spoiled he responded, “Who told you that?”

“Power”, Angel replied matter-of-factly.

Aki sighed, so that’s what Power had been blabbing to Angel when he was first assigned to him.

“That damn devil…”, Aki sighed in exasperation, he really should have seen this coming…

“Keep it to yourself”, Aki snapped at Angel, who didn’t seem to pay him much attention, keeping his gaze fixed straight forward.

“You’re so lucky… wish I would die soon”, Angel responded monotonously, “As long as I’m alive I have to keep working, when I’m dead, I won’t have to anymore. Aki looked down at the short devil, unsure how to respond, before his train of thought was interrupted by Nomo rushing towards him.

“AKI!”, he looked panicked, “We need you downstairs, STAT!”.

Aki arrived in the lobby to find the shark fiend, Beam, and Denji collapsed on the ground, bloody and beaten, with Denji seeming barely lucid, soaked in blood and a stump where his hand should’ve been.

“He was at the front door, groaning something about being in the Special Division”, Nomo recounted sceptically, “Is this fiend really one of you?”

“Y-yes, he is!”, Aki exclaimed, recovering from his surprise and kneeling down in front of the toasted shark fiend.

“What happened to Denji, did a devil get to him?”, Aki questioned the fiend.

“Uurgh… Bomb coming!”, Beam managed to get out with great effort, “Bomb… Gun Devil’s… ally!”

Aki flinched at the mention of Gun, quickly moving to quiz Beam further. “How do you know that?”, Aki looked down at the fiend, Denji’s wellbeing forgotten for the moment. “Answer the question, I can kill you now if I so choose”.

“Rrghh…”, another groan. “I-if I tell, I’ll be killed!”, Beam cried out in desperation, “I promise Lady Makima!”

Aki’s blinked in confusion at that, “Makima…?”

Suddenly Beam’s head snapped towards the open front door, “Ah! She here! She here!”, Beam shouted in terror, “Bomb is here!”

Nomo and Aki turned their attention towards the door, only to see a slim silhouette slowly walking up the driveway towards the building.

“’Scuse me! The pretty lady over there!” Nomo was the first to react calling out to the figure; a slender girl who had now stopped in the middle of the driveway, “Sorry but you can’t come any closer!!”. The figure stood motionless as Nomo continued, “This is the devil-extermination Division 2 training facility!”, he shouted authoritatively, “It’s off limits to civilians!!”

Suddenly a cloyingly sweet voice echoed from the lithe figure, “Hellooo?!”

Denji stirred on the ground at the sound of her voice, “R-reze…!?”, he groaned weakly.

Nomo looked at the boy in confusion, “Reze…?”

The figure in front of them, Reze, called out again, an unsettling smile visible on her face as she did.

“Please help me!!”, she called out in the same faux sweet voice. “There’s a devil after me!!”.

Nomo’s face took on a neutral expression, he knew what he was dealing with now, “Oh really… pretty big smile for someone being attacked”, Nomo remarked, not caring whether the girl heard him or not.

“Nomo”

Nomo looked towards Aki, who had called out to grab his attention, “I know, grab your bud and fall back”. He turned his attention back to the girl, who hadn’t moved an inch since she called out, “Contact HQ and the vice captain”, he ordered Aki, “Call all on-site division agents”.

“Also…”, Nomo called out again as Aki turned to go, “Have you seen that hottie somewhere before?”

“Skirt chasing now? Aki would have laughed at Nomo’s antics in any other situation, “Really?”

There was no mirth on Nomo’s face however, “No man… I’m serious”, he looked back out at the girl, and as he stared out, he remembered a story old man Kishibe had mentioned one time, about a room in Moscow…

“Couldn’t be… could it?”, He shook his head, “Nah, there’s no way…”, it was just an urban myth, and the old man had always had a screw loose anyways…

“Darn… looks like it didn’t work”, Reze spoke to herself, tilting her body left to right as she did, “Guess it wouldn’t!”, she spoke in a cheery yet unenthusiastic way, as if she was just going through the motions.

“Oh well…”, the smile fell from her face as she raised her hand up to her neck, looping her index finger through her pin, “Guess its plan B – Kill them all”.

As she stood at the ready two more hunters rushed out of the building, joining Nomo in his stand-off.

“Kato, Tanabe”, Nomo addressed the two underlings who had joined him, “If you manage to kill her, dinner and drinks are on me”, Nomo said, his voice upbeat.

“Don’t think for a second that she’s human- give her the full devil treatment!”, as Nomo gave his men their orders, Aki hoisted Denji on to his back, “Sorry sir, I’ll leave this to you”, Aki looked at his old buddy regretfully.

Nomo didn’t look back, “You owe me one”, he shot back playfully, though without any mirth.

Reze simply stared at them impassively, finger still curled round her pin, she was used to being a tool of her government, but she tried to follow some rules of her, to have some semblance of autonomy, by avoiding killing whenever possible.

She had a feeling this wouldn’t be one of those times, as the two newcomers bit their hands and pointed at her – not good.

She felt wetness dripping down from her nose and mouth, “Blood…?”

“We grew mold in her heart and intestines”, Tanabe explained to Nomo succinctly as they watched the blood dripping from the girl.

“She’s bleeding from her nose and mouth – damn, that’s effective!”, Nomo was impressed, this may not be as bad as he feared!

“Even if she regenerates by drinking blood, it won’t get rid of the mold, we just need to buy some time”, Tanabe explained further, keeping a wary eye on the wounded girl, who still hadn’t moved.

*plink*

All of the men looked at the girl, who was now looking back at them, eyes cold and unflinching, dropping the pin she pulled from her neck on the ground. The men all looked at her, on alert.

She smacked the other side of her neck and continued staring at them emotionlessly.

Then her head was consumed in a fiery blast, being sent flying across the drive.

“What the?!”, Tanabe yelled in shock, as Kato yelled in surprise beside him. They all watched as her head landed with a meaty thud.

“Suicide…!?”, Tanabe asked Nomo, clearly shocked by what he witnessed. “Not sure”, Nomo replied, “can you put mold in her brain?”, he eyed the head warily as he questioned Tanabe.

“It only works on living things.”

Nomo flinched; it wasn’t Tanabe that said that, it came from the…

Nomo watched in shock as the girls body casually walked up to the head, lifting it up, its eyes still watching them.

Then it sprung to life, throwing the head directly at them with a perfect pitchers form.

“No way-“, Nomo turned as the head crashed through the glass doors behind them, landing at the feet of the backups that had gathered there. “Boom”, the decapitated head intoned croakily.

And the lobby exploded into a ball of fire, spraying Nomo, Tanabe and Kato with glass shrapnel. As soon as they recovered from their shock, and their ears stopped ringing, they were assaulted by screams from inside the lobby, “Devil attack, devil attack!!”, one of the men screamed out before being cut off.

Nomo turned towards the scream, ‘Damn, she must be able to reform from her head!’.

“She’s on our right, don’t let her get to Aki!!”, Nomo yelled, moving to go to the lobby.

“Nomo!”, a yell from Kato, “Dead ahead!”

“What!?”, Nomo swung around, only to see the girls headless body sprinting right at him, ‘oh you gotta be kiddin’ me!’

“KON!”, Nomo called on Fox as fast as possible, with the summoned paw swiping at the corpse sprinting towards him, only for it to vault right over it effortlessly.

And it was coming right for him! The body fell on him, grabbing him in a tight embrace.

“KO-“

BOOOOOOM!!!

Nomo’s desperate cry was cut short as the entire front of the building detonated in a massive ball of fire.

Reze was stood in the remains of the lobby nonchalantly, bodies littering the ground around her, holding the remains of her latest victim in her arms.

“Let me shoot it!”, one of the crowd of remaining hunters shouted desperately, “Masaki Ando, requesting permission to discharge firearm!”

“Granted!!”

Reze threw aside the torso, firing a spark at them from a finger gun, detonating the entire corridor, killing the entire group. “Do you have to get permission every time you fire a gun in Japan?”, Reze pondered, it could be such a strange country at times…

“KON!”, she heard the shout behind her and whipped round, deftly dodging the claws heading straight for her, vaulting over it as she did, before landing straight in front of the man who tried to end her.

‘Ah… its that one from outside, what was his name again? Nomo or something?’, Reze appraised the man in front of her, ‘just how did he survive that any way?’

“Not so easy to kill, are you?”, Reze said, her voice cold.

“Well, you’re pretty easy on the eyes yourself”, Nomo was on his last legs, he’d managed to summon Kon just in time to get that damned corpse of him, sure he last an arm in the process, but he sure as hell came out of it better than Tanabe and Kato…

Nomo grimanced as the girl reached out to him to finish the job. Then his eyes drifted to look behind the monster in front of him.

“Kon”

And the jaws of the fox devil snapped down right in front of Nomo. Nomo looked up to see his saviour, his life having flashed before his eyes, “Vice-Captain!”

The Vice-Captain gave him an easy smile, “Sorry to cut in on you there”, he put his hand on the fox devil, “That was maybe a little too close for comfort”. Nomo opened his mouth to thank the man for saving his life, but the words died in his throat as he heard a growl come from the Fox devil.

“Urgh!”, it grunted in disgust, “This taste…!”. Both men had turned to the devil at this point, “I hate this taste… I’m leaving…”

“What…?!”, the Vice-Captain wheeled around with Nomo, both watching as the Fox devil dissipated into a deep mist.

There was a figure standing in the mist, both men turned to look at each other as Reze sauntered up to them, not a scratch visible on her.

The Vice-Captain sighed dejectedly, “I was supposed to go to this singles meet up tonight.”

Nomo grinned nervously, “Come on Boss, take me with you!”

“I’ll drive”

Aki slammed the door of his car, having just gotten Denji and Beam piled into the car. He put the key’s into the ignition and started the car, barking orders to Angel as he pulled out onto the road. “You, feed them both your blood”. Angel morosely pulled up his sleeve in response, “ugh… if I have to…"

Suddenly, Aki stopped the car, seemingly frozen. Angel looked up from his task in confusion, “Aren’t you gonna drive?”

Aki glared out at the road in front of him, teeth clenched, “Dammit… You just had to show me a bad future, didn’t you…?”

“Huh?”, Angel looked as something landed in front of the car, Aki flicked on the headlights, to reveal Bomb standing right in front of the car, Aki stared at the creature hatefully, knowing what it was about to show him.

Reze raised up the two mens heads aloft in front of her, they had died bravely, she hadn’t wanted to kill them, but they got in the way. She saw the driver of the car, the man with the topknot, glaring at her, pure hatred in his eyes.

She was unable to hear his words, but she could read his lips well enough.

“Monster”

And honestly, Reze couldn’t disagree with him, ‘I was a fool to think there was an escape from this life…’.

As she stood there with the heads in her hands, she could only hope they handed over Denji. She really didn’t want to kill more people tonight…

Chapter Text

“That devil earlier was pretty tough huh?”, Kobeni jumped slightly as Violence broke the comfortable silence that had settled between them. They had been assigned one of the night patrols around Ginza in the aftermath of the defeat of Katana and Sawatari.

Kobeni had been thrilled when she found out about the posting, with Ginza being one of the safer parts of the city; a result of the many luxury businesses hiring private devil hunter to guard the premisses. And for the last week her optimism was well-founded, with not a single devil attack happening in their vicinity since their assignment. Until this evening that was...

“H-huh?!”, Kobeni squeaked back in response, “O-oh… Yeah…”. Her peaceful fortnight patrolling Ginza had been swiftly brought to an end when a devil ran amok in one of Ginza’s most popular high-end department stores.

“Haha!”, Violence barked out, laughing at the fond memory of the fight, “Who woulda thought a clown devil could be so strong!”.

Kobeni chuckled nervously at her buddy’s antics. Whilst he remembered fighting and killing the creature, she just remembered hiding among the bodies of its victims… ‘God the t-things it did to them..’, Kobeni shuddered, ‘the b-balloons…”

She looked back up at Violence nervously, “S-sorry, I know I wasn’t much help today…”, she looked back down at the pavement guiltily.

Violence looks back down at the timid girl, “Ahh, nothing to worry about Kobeni, I enjoyed myself anyway”, Violence chuckled in response. “A-ah, oh, I see…”, Kobeni fidgeted.

“Mr Violence, w-why are you so nice to me?”, Kobeni stuttered out a question that had been bugging her for ages, “I-I thought that all fiends would be like P-power or Princi… but you don’t seem like that at all…, you’re so… kind to me”.

Violence put his hand to his chin, as if pondering what she said, “Well, I remember Miss Makima saying that fiends are often influenced by their hosts emotions… so that may have something to do with it…”

Kobeni looked up at the fiend in confusion, “wha-“, she was interrupted by a buzz from her pager.

She looks down at the small device, seeing it displaying a message from her boss Hayakawa…

“Hey, whats wrong Kobeni?”, Violence watches as he sees the girl trembling.

“It’s Mr Hayakawa, t-there’s been an attack at the Division 2 training f-facility…”, she replied to the fiend, the misery on her face visible clear as day.

Violence perked up at that, excited at the thought of another fight, “Then we better get going!”, he exclaimed before sprinting off. Kobeni desperately scrambled to run after him, struggling to suppress her panic. She rushed towards the direction her partner ran, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

‘T-this day couldn’t get any worse…’

Reze stood in front of the car, holding aloft the heads of the last two hunters she killed in a show of power, hoping that it would be enough to intimidate the remaining Public Safety members in the car into giving Denji up to her.

Judging by the hateful expression the driver was fixing her with, she didn’t fancy her chances…

‘Screw it, it’s worth a shot anyways, anything to cut this short…’, with that thought she gave her ultimatum. “I killed them to show my power”, she stated matter-of-factly, her voice sounding monotone and tired, “I’d prefer to keep the killing to a minimum”.

The Topknot in the driver's seat maintained his death glare, griping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. Reze turned her head, fixing her gaze on the incapacitated boy slumped over in the passenger seat. She would’ve winced if she could’ve, ‘if only he’d agreed to-‘

She cut the thought short, she had a job to do.

“Unload Denji from the vehicle and walk away”.

A moment later the car screeched past her. Topknot had made his choice…

Reze sighed, ‘Geez… nothings went my way today’, she felt her melancholy turn to anger as the car drove down the road behind her. ‘Not only do all my own plans blow up in my face, but then the mission goes tits up as well!’

‘Screw this!’, with that Reze detonated the ground below her, launching herself towards the car like a mortar shell, landing with a thud on the car roof mere moments later.

“Cars burn to a crisp because of the gasoline…”, Reze said this just loud enough for those in the car to hear.

“This is turning into a big pain…”, she wound back her fist.

“THANKS FOR NOTHING!”, Reze yelled out in frustration as she went to bring her fist down on the car, explosions rippling down as it went, all her rage being channeled into the blow. Just as she was about to bring the fist down, she caught a flash of movement coming towards her from her left, quickly halting the momentum of her blow and raising her other arm to defend against the flying kick coming her way.

The force of the kick sends her flying off the car roof, hitting the tarmac with a thud. Quickly recovering from the fall Reze gets to her feet, just in time to send her assailant, a fiend of some sort, with some kind of plague doctors mask on his face, flying down towards her with an axe kick.

She would’ve rolled her eyes if she could’ve, this day was becoming more and more of a pain in the ass…

She simply raised her right arm and stopped the kick dead in its tracks, the ground under her feet shattering under the force of the kick. She smirked internally as the fiend quickly jumped back in shock.

“No way!!”, the fiend shouted, “But I kicked you at full strength!!”

‘Maybe intimidation will work this time…’, Reze thought as pain shot through her arm.

“It was pretty good!”, she taunted moving into a fighting stance, “Put’em up!”

They stood in a stand-off for a moment, neither budging an inch until the fiend suddenly put his hand up to his mouth and shouted out.

“Kobeni!!”, he called out, “Change of plans!!”

“This lady is way to strong for us!!”, Reze watched in bemusement as the fiend turned tail and booked it towards a nearby building, shouting as he ran, “Time for a tactical retreat!!”

He quickly reached a side door to a nearby building, nearly ripping the hinges off the door as he ran in, before quickly doubling back and poking his head out of the doorway. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just show myself out!!”, the fiend called out one last time, before quickly slamming the door behind him.

Reze stared at where the fiend disappeared to, cocking her head slightly, ‘huh… didn’t think it’d work that well…’, she then remembered the name the fiend had called out, slowly turning to look behind her, ‘I wonder who he was calling out to- oh you have got to be joking…’

Reze almost face palmed as she looked at the terrified girl on her knees behind her.

“Get up… get up, get up, get up, get up!”, Kobeni chanted to herself, “My legs…”. Kobeni’s day had just went from bad to worse, her legs having given out as soon as Violence had run away, her attempt at a sneak attack failing miserably…

She looked up nervously just to see the Bomb staring directly at her.

“YEEEEEEEEE!!”, the petite girl screamed out in terror as Reze stared at her in confusion, “I’M SORRY, I’M SORRY!”

“I’LL QUIT THIS JOB, JUST PLEASE HAVE MERCYYYY!!”

Reze continued watching as the girl grovelled, now calling out for divine intervention.

‘I didn’t even do anything…’, Reze thought as she began walking away from the girl, ‘Well, at least I didn’t have to kill anyone this time, if only everything else tonight went that smoothly…’

As she reached a respectable enough distance from the girl, as to not catch her in the blast radius, Reze launched herself into to the air once again.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God!”, Kobeni swore to herself, she’d definitely quit this time, no matter how big the bonus was, and no matter what her parents thought!

As they sped along the main road, Angel was wrapping the wound on his arm with a frown on his face, having just dripped as much blood as he could into the blonde’s mouth, a feat easier said than done when weaving in and out of traffic at great speed…

‘This better be worth it’, he thought grumbling to himself, only to freeze, hearing a sound coming from outside the car, almost akin to fireworks…

His eyes, widened, ‘uh-oh’, quickly winding down the car window and poking his head out, seeing an orange streak zigzagging through the night sky towards them.

“Here she comes!!”, Angel yelled into Aki as the orange in the sky faded and a figure descended down towards them.

Reze fell down towards the road, her dynamite apron fluttering around her as she landed on the six-wheeler driving behind them with a thud, having just fallen short of her target. She calmly sauntered to the front of the lorry, looking down at the car that was now only mere metres in front of her.

Angel’s head swung away from watch the Bomb hybrid behind them as he heard a sharp gasp from the seat behind him, ‘oh that boy’s woken up, we might actually survive this… shame…’. He turned to Aki, who was laser focussed on the road in front of him, trying and failing to find a gap in the traffic, “Hey, so Chainsaw kid just came back to life, but Bomb girl is right behind us”, Angel casually informed Aki, as if the whole thing was a bore to him.

Aki on the other hand, was pretty far from being bored, cursing as he tried getting getting the radio in the car working, “Crap!”, he barked as he fiddled with the radio as he drove, “the police radio’s is busted!”.

As if in reply the radio flicked on, though with the only sound coming from in being a loud static.

‘So much for backup’, Aki grimaced.

“If it comes to it, I’ll ram her with the car!”, Aki yelled in frustration, “We can’t give her Denji!”

Denji gasped as life rushed back into his body, the taste of blood lingering in his mouth reminding of how he got there, as he stared at the back of the car seat blankly.

'Reze… after all that she was only after chainsaw…’, his shock and bitterness quickly gave way to anger.

‘She tells me she likes me, that she wants to run away with me!’, Denji worked himself into a black rage, ‘then she bites off my fucking tongue!’

He hears Aki talking in the front seat, but he wasn’t listening as he pulled the cord in his chest, his chainsaws springing out, Denji instantly putting them to work cutting through the car roof. He heard Aki and that Angel chi- dude shout at him, but he didn’t care, he only had one thing on his mind.

Denji jumped out of the car, coming face to face again with his favourite waitress…

As they stared each other down, Denji found the words he wanted to say tumbling out of his mouth, “When I was in so much pain I thought I’d die, in the back of my confused brain, I thought about things reeeal hard, and I realised somethin’…”

“EVERY WOMAN I MEET TRIES TO MURDER ME!”, he thought of Himeno, that nervous chick, Power and all of them had tried to kill him! Hell, even Miss Makima threatened to kill him not even an hour after they met!

“EVERYBODY’S AFTER MY CHAINSAW HEART!”

“WHAT ABOUT MY HEART?! DENJI’S?!”

“DOES ANYONE WANT THAT?! HUH?!”

“I do”, Reze calmly interjected as Denji’s tirade reached its crescendo. ‘There’s no point lying now, I’m gonna have to kill him anyway, may as well let him know the truth…’

“I meant it when I said I like you, Denji”, Reze, for those few seconds again sounded as she felt; tired.

“Wait… for real?”, the rage and bitterness instantly left Denji’s voice at the other hybrid’s confession, ‘could she mean it?’, Denji’s mind raced with questions, ‘why did she attack me then?’

“You’re so gullible!”, Denji was snapped out of his thoughts as Aki yelled at him from inside the car, “Don’t listen to the enemy!!”

“Ack! That was a close one!”, Denji exclaimed, feeling a bit embarrassed, “Almost got tricked there!!”

Reze was starting to get pissed at that damn topknot, though she supposed it didn’t really matter if Denji believed her or not at the end of the day, it didn’t change anything…

“I don’t know why you wanna kill me, but I’m gonna have to pass!!”, Denji’s fury was reignited, “I’ve got MAKIMA!!”

“Makima…”, Reze almost visibly deflated upon hearing that name, ‘So he works directly under Makima… so all my plans were sunk from the start…’

“Oh Denji…”, Reze’s voice was laced with pity, “You’re that witch’s pet?”

“Then even if we had run away with me, it would have been pointless…”, Reze sighed, Makima’s abilities of surveillance were well known, and if she’d taken an interest in Denji they wouldn’t have got far, “Darn…”

“Yeah, well, I should never never have kissed you either!!”, Denji paused for a moment, “Darn!!”

If Reze had eyes right now, she’d be rolling them.

“If any more people die because of me, I won’t be able to sleep at night!”, Denji got into position, “So you’re under arrest! I’m takin’ you in!!”

Reze shifted into a fighting stance, observing Denji’s own movements, “Come here, Denji”, Reze said, her voice cold and oozing confidence, “I’ll show you how we do battle.”

Denji sprung towards the lorry Reze was perched on, yelling as he flew towards her, “Oh you’re gonna teach me everything!!”

With that battle cry, Reze threw a punch right towards him, with Denji deftly dodging the strike… only for Reze to redirect the momentum of the strike down towards the truck they were standing on, detonating the vehicle below them, bathing them both in smoke and flame.

The lesson had begun.

Denji flew away from the blast, careening into the metal shutters of an office closed for the night.

“OW!”, Denji cried out, more in surprise than in pain, the impact winding him. ‘Huh, well that coulda be-‘

His thoughts were interrupted as Reze shot forward through the smoke, practically materialising in front of him, ‘Oh come on!!’, Denji only had time to cross his chainsaws in front of him as the blow connected, the whole lower floor of the building exploding, littering the street with fragments of glass and concrete and sending Denji crashing through the shutter, with the force of the explosive blow sending him flying through several internal walls.

Denji slammed into another wall, having slowed his momentum enough that concrete cracked instead of shattering again. He was in a crouching position, chainsaws still crossed as Reze stood watching him from the former entrance of the office, now blown open wide by the blast, the shutter in bits all over the street.

“You’re not applying yourself Denji”, Reze taunted as Denji rose from his defensive position, “You can’t just swing your chainsaws around”.

“You have to understand your powers better”, Reze wasn’t sure why she was telling him all of this, she usually did banter a bit while fighting, it helped distract her from from whatever atrocity the Politburo had her doing, but giving her target advice? Never.

She shrugged as Denji spotted the surprise she left on his right saw, waving at him cheekily, showing off her missing finger, as the fuse on the detached appendage reached its end.

“Boom!”

Once again Denji was blasted back through the wall, the last remaining windows on the floor blowing out, pulverised concrete creating a thick smoke in the air, Reze once again stalking closer, stopping at the hole Denji had disappeared through. For a moment all was silent except for the sound of falling debris.

‘There’s no use playing dead on me Denji…’, Reze was getting bored of this now, ‘I know how much punishment we can take’.

As if he had read her mind, she heard Denji’s Chainsaws revving once again from somewhere within the smoke and haze, the suspense being ended as Denji launched himself straight at her. He was closer than she thought he was.

‘Oh Denji…’

He wasn’t close enough though, as Reze, in one fluid movement, slugged him with a rocket-fuelled haymaker straight to his gut, catching him mid-jump. A blinding flash lit up the remains of the building, as a beam of light flashed from the bottom floor all the way through the roof as Denji found himself launched like a firework up into the sky, with no way to defend himself.

‘SHHIIIIIIIITTT!!!’, Denji screamed internally as he flew up into the night sky, the breath having been forced from his lungs after Reze had gut-punched him, the fire still burning where he was hit. A blur of black and orange shot up past Denji with a roar, before the engine suddenly petered out above him. Reze quickly pivoted in the air, her right leg quickly sprouting wires that quickly engulfed her entire leg, forming up in the shape of a missile.

‘Boom’

Reze rocketed down, the missile detonating as soon as it made contact.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

The two hybrids descended back to earth like in the form of a flaming meteor, crashing down upon the block of offices below.

Reze was crouched down in the crater where they had crashed down, her leg now back to normal, and resting in what remained of Denji’s stomach.

‘Eughh…’, Reze stood up, removing her foot from what remained of the boy she, just hours ago, planned to escape with, pushing down her self-loathing as she looked around at the civilians who were blasted away, many of whom were injured.

Around her was, men, women, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters…

Reze’s head quickly snapped back to the torso at her feet, the sound of flesh reforming alerting her, “Regeneration…”, Reze looked down curiously, ‘How is he- ahhh… clever…’

“You were revving before I kicked you, hmm?”, Reze taunted as she picked up what was left of him from the ground, the civilians screaming as they saw the monster haul the torso up from the crater, Denji’s saws spinning weakly as he was raised into the air.

‘Not clever enough, I’m afraid’.

Once again, the street was lit up by explosions as Reze began blasting what was left of Denji with blast after blast, the bystanders cowering behind whatever cover they could find as she kept up her relentless rolling barrage.

As the smoke from the blast cleared, the only sound that could be heard was the sizzling and crackling of skin and flesh. Reze dropped her arm back to her side, as she looked down at what she had done, most of the skin had been burnt off, all limbs gone, blood evaporated and the chainsaw on his head shattered. The only recognisable features left being his head and the cord on his chest… the one she had first seen at the school…

‘…….’, Reze quickly jerked her head away from Denji, from her handiwork, looking straight ahead as she moved to leave.

She gracefully walked over the rubble and destruction on her way out, walking even on the corpses of the civilians killed in her initial impact into the street, using them as steppingstones through the wanton destruction and carnage she had wrought.

With her mission near complete, and Denji once again incapacitated and in her hands, Reze felt numb, in her hands she held what was left of her hopes, her hopes of escaping from this life of monotonous killing, her hopes of fleeing to live a peaceful life and her hope that she would have someone- something shifted behind her, some tumbling rubble, the scrape of a shoe on the ground, she swung around- too late.

The blade came down before Reze managed to turn around fully, slicing clean through her arm, with Denji and the arm that was carrying him dropping to the ground. For a split-second Reze stared at her stump of an arm, at Denji on the ground, before turning to her assailant.

‘Goddamn Topknot!!’, she fumed as she swung around with a guttural yell, swinging her arm at him as it reformed, a trail of explosions following the arc of the blow, as Aki threw himself out of the way with barely a second to spare.

Reze silently seethed as Topknot dodged her every swing, always a second or two ahead of her. Her frustration building, Reze decided to break out the big guns again, ‘Screw this, and screw topknot!’, her arm morphing into a missile akin to the one she just used on Denji. These used up a lot of her energy, but she needed this guy gone ASAP if she wanted to complete this mission, she was on a timer after-all...

She slammed the missile down, incinerating debris and corpses alike, cars flying off in every direction as another catastrophic explosion rocked the street. However, any hope Reze had of ending it all there and then dissipated as the smoke in front of her cleared, revealing Topknot a safe distance away in the arms of the fiend she spared earlier.

‘I guess no good deed goes unpunished’, she thought bitterly.

Drained after firing off two of her strongest attacks in quick success and seeing the chances of a timely victory shrinking before her eyes, Reze decided to move on to plan B.

“Sorry I’m so late to the party!”, Violence exclaimed as he released Aki from his grip. He had known that he and Kobeni stood no chance against Bomb in a straight fight, so a tactical retreat was the best option. Now that they could go at Bomb together, the likelihood of a better fight was that much higher!

‘I do hope Kobeni got away okay though…’, Violence had sprinted through the streets as soon as he was out of sight, following the streaks of light left in the sky as Bomb moved, he’d had no time to double back to check on her.

 ‘Ahh, I’m sure she’s fine, given how athletic she is I’m sure she ran away as soon as I yelled out to her… yeah!’, Violence’s thoughts were wrenched away from his buddy, who was definitely not still curled up on the street where he left her, as Aki finally spoke. “This is the first time I’ve ever wanted to be friends with a devil”, Aki finally spoke, still in shock as he shakily got up, Violence moving to support him.

As the two moved into defensive stances, they eyed Reze warily, tensing when she quickly held both of her arms out.

“Whoa, time out!”, Aki and Violence stared at the hybrid in confusion as she continued on, “I’m anaemic and practically naked, and now its two on one”, Reze complained airily, as if she was some poor damsel, “That’s no fair!”

She wasn’t totally lying either, those last few attacks had drained her big-time, she was practically anaemic after expending so much blood forming up those missiles. Now she just had to buy a little time…

Violence turned to Aki suddenly, “True that…”, Violence didn’t want to make the fight unfair, it would kinda take the fun out of it, “Should we give her a handicap”.

Aki didn’t even have the energy to be exasperated at this point, “No”. “You heard the boss man!”, Violence quickly swapped his attention back to Reze.

As the wind began picking up, Reze knew she had bought herself enough time, ‘Heh, looks like Typhoon has his uses, shame I have to use it on these lot though, could’ve been a great way to disappear off the grid, disappearing in a storm…’

Moments later the building behind her exploded, the Typhoon devil crashing through, bellowing as it finally arrived at the scene.

“LADY REZE!!”, the strangely childlike voice of the devil roared, “TYPHOON HAS ARRIVED!!”

Aki’s mouth nearly hit the floor as Violence cried foul, as they watched the giant devil crash through the building behind Bomb, its form that of a child, with an intestine-like rapidly spinning around it, pulverising all it came into contact with. Aki just hoped Angel was following through on his end of the plan…

A short distance away, Beam carefully set down what remained of his partner on the asphalt below, morose at his failure to protect Lord Chainsaw from Bomb. He looked up silently as he saw Angel, another of Lord Chainsaws followers, carrying over a corpse.

Angel held the body of the woman over Denji’s prone form, thinking back to her last moments as her lifeblood dripped down into the hybrid’s serrated mouth. She had looked up at him as she died, reaching towards him as if he was offering her salvation. And then she died, just like that.

All he could offer was meaningless platitudes, ‘you’re going to heaven’, ‘it’s okay’, ‘I’m sorry’.

He shouldn’t even care for these humans, he was a devil after all… but the way that woman looked at him, reminded him of something.

He frowned, if only he could remember…

He snapped out of those thoughts as he heard a low rumbling sound coming from the body at his feet, bones and sinew reforming and reconnecting until Denji shot up, his saws revving like an engine roaring back to life.

“Any ordinary devil would be dead!”, even the usually melancholic Angel couldn’t keep some amazement from his voice, sure Devils could heal themselves with blood, but not getting half their body being blown off!

“That’s my Lord Chainsaw!”, Beam meanwhile shouted in elation at the return of his partner, “He’s the badass-est!”

Angel quickly wiped the shock from his face, addressing Denji bluntly, “Your girlfriend is killing too many people”, Denji looked out towards the burning neighbourhood, its streets strewn with bodies.

“Leave her loose like this, and many more people will die”, Angel still wasn’t sure why the deaths of those civilians bothered him that much, but he knew he couldn’t just leave this be.

“Choose Chainsaw”, he turned to address Denji, who was looking towards the destruction in the mid-distance, “Do you let her kill you without fighting, mitigating casualties… or do you kill her?”

Denji opened his mouth for a moment, before sighing lightly and rising back up to his feet. “Pretty easy choice if you ask me”, he still didn’t specifically want to kill Reze, but if it was between his own life and hers?

That was easier said than done though, Denji looked around at the destruction she had wrought, “Reze’s insanely strong though...”

Angel frowned, ‘ehhh… no point sending him off to killed again I suppose, time for some brainstorming… ah I know!’

“Shark, you seem to know a lot about the Chainsaw Devil”, Angel turned to the shark fiend who was still crouched on the ground, “If you want to live through the day, you need to tell us as much as you can.”

Beam opened his mouth hesitantly, “Lord Chainsaw… Ultra fast… but when he moves, he use more than feet!”

As he continued, Beam grew more and more animated, “He used Chainsaw to move, he throw and hook chain, move from building to building!”

With that a switch flipped in Denji’s head, it was what Reze said!

‘I’m not applying myself, that’s what she said!’

“Oh yeah!”, Denji exclaimed, “Samurai Sword moved around with that flashy sword-draw move… and Reze used explosions to move too!”, Denji would’ve thanked Reze for her ‘lesson’ if she hadn’t turned him into her personal punching bag. “So I oughta apply my powers as well!”

“LORD CHAINSAW, YOU GENIUS! LORD CHAINSAW, YOU GENIUS!”, Beam cheered jumping up and down in excitement.

“Using my chain to move?”, Denji pondered for a second before remembering something the old man had said after he left him and Power bleeding out after one of their training sessions, something about… thinking outside the box?

“I get it! I know the answer!”, Denji yelled in victory as Beam cheered on.

“EXACTLY! EXACTLY!!”

“ALRIGHT, IMMA DO THIS THING!!”, Denji turned to Beam animatedly as he detached the chains of his arm saws.

“BEAM! TURN INTO A SHARK!!”

 “Is that really it?! Isn’t it something else?!”, Angel shouted in disbelief at the sight in front of him, “Like shooting chains from your arms and hooking them on buildings?!”

Angel couldn’t believe that after all that, Chainsaw had decided not to go for the most obvious answer, as he had expected him to, but instead Angel had watched in shock as he mounted up the shark fiend like a horse, using the chains as a bridle.

“Say what?!”, Denji questioned incredulously, “This is the correct answer!”

“Right Beam!?”

“CORRECT, CORRECT, CORRECT, CORRECT!!”, Beams shark-form garbled out, the chain-bridle firmly in place in his maw. With that Denji yanked the chain, him and Beam taking off into the air, leaving Angel in the dust.

“YEE HAAW!! GIDDY UP, BEAM!!”

Reze was perched on the side of the building, clinging onto a window frame as Typhoons winds ripped up the street block. Then she heard something over the howling of the wind, the revving of saws…

She turned her head, averting her gaze from Topknot, ‘You should’ve stayed down Den-‘

“Ahahaha!!”, Reze’s annoyance abated as she fell into a fit of laughter, after that talk she gave him about applying his powers, and he rides that stupid shark fiend towards her like a horse!

“That’s so funny!!”

“THERE YOU ARE… CHAINSAW!!”, Typhoon roared behind her as Denji closed in on her. Reze clamped down on her laughter, remembering the situation, ‘he always does find some way to make me laugh… but this needs to end before escaping this damn city becomes impossible…’

“DENJI, I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET REVIVING!”, the pressure was well and truly on, and Reze had lost her patience about twenty minutes ago.

“BEAM, DON’T MAKE ME REGRET THIS!!”, Denji barked as he spurred him closer to Reze and the Devil coming up behind her, cars and concrete swirling within it, tearing up the street.

“YES SIR!!”

Sections of the building blew outwards as Reze fired shot after shot towards Denji as he steadily closed in towards her, the winds of Typhoon only delaying his advance

“Your aim really sucks!!”, Denji began taunting Reze as her shots flew past him, his newly found mobility already paying dividends.

“You’re a cockroach!!”, Reze growled in response, blasting upwards from her perch in an attempt to retreat back to a safe distance.

“CHAINSAAW!!”, Typhoon slammed one of its appendages haphazardly into the building, aiming to cut Denji off from his pursuit. Both were too late, however, as Denji and Beam deftly dodged Typhoon’s swing, before quickly lunging upwards, Reze’s ascent being too slow to avoid Denji’s swing.

“Ow!!”, Reze’s cry of pain was muted, it wasn’t the first time she’d got a limb cut off, but she was still surprised that Denji had improved so much in such a short time. ‘He’s a fast learner… should’ve guessed’, she grimaced as she blasted herself backwards with her hands, ‘he did take to the swimming lessons quickly after all...’

“Darn, what a waste!”, Denji was the one doing the taunting now, “I went and cut off a perfectly good-looking leg!”

“LADY REZE!”, seeing Reze under pressure Typhoon called out in a guttural howl, “TAKE MY BLOOD!!”. With that Typhoon spat a glob of blood, the wind carrying it to Reze, splattering over her, a new leg sprouting out near-instantaneously as the blood found its way into her mouth.

‘Eughhh, Devil blood sucks…’, Reze grumbled internally, the rancid taste lingering in her mouth. Still Typhoon had been very useful to her so far, if it was just her against Denji and all those other devil hunters she’d have been in an even worse state than she already was.

“Oh good!!”, Denji exclaimed as he saw the leg grow back, only to catch himself after the fact, ‘No, she’s my enemy, I need to bring her in!’.

“Wait, not good!!”

“This is just absurd!!”, Reze was getting tired of this whole situation, she was behind schedule, she was relying on a devil that tried to killed her the other day to keep herself in the fight, and she had to fight another hybrid while he was riding a giant shark!

Denji, meanwhile, was in full battle mode again, and he’d set his sights on a new target, directing Beam directly towards Typhoon. ‘Reze’s tough enough as is, no way I’m lettin’ her heal again!’.

He sliced his chainsaw through Typhoon as he and Beam flew past.

“GYAAAAHHH!!”, Typhoon wailed, its scream a horrifying mix of a baby’s cry and the howling of the storm.

“Man, I’ve got it easy!”, Denji said viciously as he tore into Typhoon, “All I hafta’ do is swing my chainsaws around like an idiot!!”

“STAAAY AWAAYY!!”, Typhoon’s howls of pain and terror echoed across the battlefield, as Denji’s wholesale butchery continued. Until all was silent, the winds dissipating, with all that remained of the devil being a pile of guts and gore spilling from the building it first smashed through.

“Now where’s Reze?!”, Denji and Beam hovered in the air, looking down upon the carnage below, scanning the area for the other hybrid.

“HUH?!”, a sound came from above, the whistling of the air alerting Beam to the Bomb devil coming crashing down from above, “LORD CHAINSAW!!”. Beam moved quickly, twisting himself around to shield his rider from the blow.

*BOOM*  

A massive explosion lit up the sky, with the momentum of the blast shooting both hybrids off into the mid-distance, towards the docklands.

“Yowtch, that hurt!”, Denji griped as he crawled his way out of the shark fiend’s mouth, the air being filled with the smell of seafood, “Thanks for the save Beam!”. Denji thanked his buddy, the fiend having twisted and swallowed Denji just as the explosion ripped into them. Beam gave a few weak gasps in response.

Denji watched as a figure gracefully dropped down from the sky, landing in front of him in a crouched position, silent as a cat.

Standing up, Reze stared at him for a moment before breaking the silence

“Oh, Denjiii…”, Reze called out in a sickly-sweet singsong, “Isn’t it about time you gave up?

“Hmmm… Nope!”, Denji responded sassily as the two hybrids stared at each other in a stand-off. A stand-off quickly brought to an end as Reze fired a shots from her finger, blowing off one of Denji’s arms just as its saw began to whirl to life. The blast sent Denji flying off the roof, and down towards the jetty below.

Reze jumped down from the building, following the wounded boy, only to find him already standing. ‘Tch… so stubborn’.

“This is just annoying now”, not once on any mission did Reze have a target so determined to thwart all her plans, from refusing her offer to run away, to simply refusing to stay down!

“Could you cut to the chase and die for me?”

Denji released something as she said this, ‘she says she is in a rush to kill me, and she doesn’t seem too worried about destroying everythin’, so why has she taken this long, why not do it at the school?’

“In that case, you should’ve just cut to the chase and killed me the first time we met!”, Denji shot back. Then there was silence for a moment, Reze staring at the boy before deciding to ignore his observation altogether.

“There’s nowhere left for you to run”, Reze responded, nearly robotically.

“I dunno about that”, Denji turned his head, motioning towards the expanse of water behind him. The lack of a response from Reze fuelling his confidence that his plan will work.

“You shouldn’t have taught me how to swim”, he thought back to that night at the school, “Big mistake”

“Oh really?”, Reze taunted Denji, “Are you going to swim away?”

Denji stared at her, and she stared back. Denji pulled his cord, with Reze shooting another spark with a snap, Denji’s arm exploding in a ball of fire, the flesh being incinerated as he was rocked by the blast. When the smoke cleared all that remained was-

“A chain?”, Reze exclaimed in confusion at this development, ‘this didn’t happen befo-‘.

Her thoughts were cut short as the chains shot out from the remains of Denji’s arms, rapidly closing in on her, the serrated chains wrapping her up in an instant, digging into her flesh and quickly tugging her straight towards Denji.

In only a few seconds, Reze found herself pressed flush against Denji’s body, all her limbs immobilised, as she and Denji were teetering at the edge of the dock.

“Wh-?!”, Reze squeaked out in shock, not expecting the speed of the chains, Denji simply growled a question in her ear in response.

“Can ya explode when you’re wet?”, Reze felt a flash of panic as Denji fell backwards, and then the cold water of the bay hit her and she knew she was beat, her fuse wires wouldn’t explode when she was in here.

And honestly, she couldn’t bring herself to care, as they sunk further into the water, their metal heads dragging them down.

She could feel herself going numb.

She felt the water entering her lungs, and she didn’t care, after all the lives she’s taken, today alone, wasn’t this the least she deserved?

They hit the bottom, and Reze was reminded of the body below her, she looked at him as her vision started turning back, but she didn’t see the chainsaw head or the knife-like teeth. Instead she saw a blonde boy smiling up at her, doing a back-float in the water, throwing her a goofy smile as she laughed with him.

One last thought crossed her mind as her world turned dark,.

‘Denji… I already told you why I didn’t…’

Chapter Text

It was pitch black; he could feel the muddy silt underneath him, the faint warmth of the girl on top of him, and the barbed chains which tied them together. Nothing in sight but the dark waters of Tokyo Bay and the face of Reze, their hybrid features melting away as his vision went dark.

Denji's eyes snapped open, his last memories of cold darkness being contrasted by the bright blue sky above and the warm sand below him. He sits up groggily, resting his arms on his knees, looking down at the sand. He quickly notices the metallic taste in his mouth.

'Huh… blood…' , Denji thought as he absentmindedly wiped the remnants of the dried blood from his mouth, 'wonder who the hell revived me…'.

He looked around, checking for whatever good samaritan revived him. He didn't have to look too far.

'Oh it was just Beam…'  Denji's face dropped in disappointment as he looked at the unconscious fiend beside him, the cut on his arm telling Denji all he needed to know, 's'pose he was the one that got me to the beach as well. Guess I'll have to thank him later'.

Denji lay back down in the sand and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sand and the water lapping at his feet, 'huh… this is kinda nice…'.

'…'

'…'

'…'

Denji's eyes snapped open again as he quickly bolted upright again.

"Shit, where's Reze?!", Denji exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet, head swivelling as he looked up and down the beach, to see it empty, the only souls on the beach being him and Beam. 

'Crap, of course Beam wouldn't've brought her up!' , Denji cursed his oversight as he swapped to scanning the water. And there it was, further out in the water, he caught a glimpse of something dark: Reze's distinctive raven hair! Just a short way out into the water was Reze's body floating face-down in the surf. Denji jumped into action as soon as he saw the body, wading out into the bay until he reached it, the water now up to his waist. He flipped the girl over in a panic, in his haste forgetting that the girl in question was naked from the waist up.

"Ah shit!", Denji shouted in shock, as he quickly turned his head away from the body, his face bright red. 'Totally forgot her explosions did that!'

 Denji pulled himself together, shaking off his embarrassment and with a new gratitude that his own transformation at least didn't totally shred his clothes; he looped his arms under Reze's arms and began dragging her towards the shore, keeping his head turned to the side the whole way back.

As he reached the beach, Reze's body in tow, Denji laid Reze down on the sand gently before kneeling down in the sand next to her. He put his fingers to her neck. 'No pulse… well go figure I guess…' , Denji facepalmed, he found her face-down in the water of course there wouldn't be a damned pulse, 'blood, she'll need blood!'. Denji springs up, looking around the beach momentarily before spying what he was looking for and running off for it. A moment later, he was back at the girl's side, a sharp, jagged shell in one hand. He raised his hand above her mouth and moved to cut his hand with the shell, before he froze.

'I think I'm forgetting something' , his eyes snapped quickly down to Reze's chest before just as quickly looking away, 'Oh yeah…'

  A moment later Denji had stripped off what remained of his shirt and pulled the garment over his fellow hybrid's head and returned to his position kneeled at the girl's side, but the hand holding the shell was now down at his side and his face bore a conflicted look as he stared at Reze's face.

The face of the girl who had laughed at his jokes, the same girl who goofed off with him at the café, the girl who showed him what school was like, the girl who taught him how to swim…

Denji's face twisted in anger.

Because it was also the face of the girl who had blown him apart.

The face of the girl who had bitten off his tongue just moments after declaring her love for him.

The same girl who had just been after his chainsaw heart…

As quickly as the anger came, it left him. Despite all that happened the other day, Denji couldn't bring himself to stay angry at the girl, after all, he worked with several people who had tried to kill him, hell Power still tried every once in a while!

He cut his hand with the shell and positioned it above the girl's mouth, crimson droplets slowly dripping down. Even if this ended up being a mistake, Denji still needed to know the truth. 

'She said when we were fightin' on the road that she really did like me, that she wasn't just after my heart' , he took his hand away when he thought she had enough blood, sitting back down next to Beam's unconscious form as he waited for the girl to resuscitate.

'Maybe this is dumb… hell, it definitely is…' , Denji looked morosely out into the bay, 'but I need to know that someone, anyone out there actually wants me, and not just what's inside my heart…'

The sound of waves lapping on the shore and gulls cawing pierced Reze's ears, the smell of salt in the air dragging her out of her coma, dreams of swimming lessons under the moonlight fading away.

Her eyes groggily opened, revealing the clear, blue sky above.

'Wha- how…?' , Reze was confused, she hadn't expected to wake up at all, or at least to have woken up in captivity again, the open sky was the last thing she thought she'd wake up to. Then it hit her, there was only one person who would revive her after all that happened.

She suddenly jerked herself up into a seated position, arms resting on her knees, her eyes looking down at the sand. She didn't even need to look beside her to know who she'd find there.

'Why… after everything, did he save a murderer like me?',  Reze kept her eyes locked on the sand, feeling ashamed that Denji had still revived her, after everything she'd done to hurt him, 'I need to know why…'.

"I can't believe it…", Reze finally spoke, voice coloured with a strange mix of disbelief and melancholy, "Why did you revive me…?".

Denji hadn't moved from his position looking out at the sea, a pensive look on his face, not even moving his head to look at her. Reze almost thought he ignored her question; she knew she'd deserve it if he did. "I'm living a wonderful life", Denji's reply came, breaking the awkward silence between them, the boy still looking out to sea as he went on, "Even if I get beaten black and blue, go through hell, and die again and again… as long as I get to eat good grub the next day, I can wipe the ledger clean".

Reze kept her eyes on the ground as Denji gave his speech, she would've been impressed by his resilience if it wasn't for the implication behind the words, 'He'd happily go through all that, just for food and somewhere to live… sounds like Public Safety alright…'.

"But… if I arrested you right here and turned you over to Public Safety", Reze's thoughts were cut short as Denji continued, "I just feel like… there'd be a fish bone stuck in my throat…".

Reze was watching him from the corner of her eye now, his speech getting her attention and breaking her out of her spell of self-loathing.

"Even if I'm living this wonderful life… if there's gonna be stabbing pain in the back of my throat sometimes, it'd suck…" as Denji finished his speech, the sound of movement from beside him drew his attention, turning his head only to see Reze on her feet, her piercing green eyes staring at him intensely from behind her tousled bangs.

"Could you still say that if I killed you right now?", Reze said this, her voice cold and emotionless as she looked down at him. Reze still couldn't understand why he revived her. Surely after all that, he couldn't still like her; why should he feel bad about bringing in a killer like her?

But to her surprise, he just smiled up at her cheekily, "If I'm gonna get killed, let it be at the hands of a hottie, that's my motto". Denji watched curiously as Reze turned her head down again.

"Pfft…"

"Ahahahahaha!"

Denji watched Reze's cold stare break as she doubled over into a laughing fit. As he watched, he thought back to when they first met in that telephone booth, 'heh… what was it she said again, that I reminded her of her dead dog or something?' Denji smirked at the memory. Even during their fight in the storm, Reze had found the time to go into a fit of laughter.

Then he was ripped out from his reminiscing as he realised that the girl was no longer laughing and had returned to looking down at him, an implacable look in her eyes.

'He saved me, even after what I did to him, so I'll return the favour…' , Reze thought as she looked at him, she needed to leave right now, if Public Safety was looking for them, then she should at least make sure they didn't think he let her go, she didn't have much faith that that bitch would show much leniency towards him…

'Sorry again… Denji'

"By any chance… do you think I actually like you?" Reze's mask was fully on as she lied through her teeth, "Every expression. Every blush since I met you, all of it was a lie, the product of my training."

Denji's mouth was agape in surprise at the sudden tirade as Reze held eye contact with him, and if Denji was paying attention, he might have seen a flash of emotion in her eyes that was almost… tender.

She turned away suddenly, "I failed… I spent too much time fighting you." Reze turned away, confident that her lie would be enough to distance Denji from her, "I'm running now. Bye".

However, as she began walking away, her plan hit a snag. Because Denji had been paying attention to her. And he didn't believe her.

"Wanna run away with me?"

Reze froze mid-step as the boy she had been planning to leave there on the beach asked her the very same question she had asked him at the festival, a hand behind his head and a nonchalant look on his face as he agreed to do the very thing that he refused to do before. 

She looked back over her shoulder at Denji, her mind going haywire, only able to get out a single word.

"What…?"

Denji held Reze's gaze as he continued, "I can fight too, raises your chances of gettin' away". All throughout this, Denji's face didn't shift from this carefree look, the ghost of a smile barely visible.

Reze still didn't turn around though, only watching Denji over her shoulder from the corner of her eye.

'Tch… he's stubborn' , as she stood there she debated if she should keep walking. No, he'd probably follow after her…

In the end, she just settled on trying to drive him off again.

"I've killed a lot of people you know", Reze stated matter-of-factly, barely moving a muscle, "letting me go means that you would be aiding and abetting a murderer, Denji."

"Do you understand that?"

Denji tilted his head to the side, looking at Reze as if he could see right through her, 'That one's not workin' on me Reze… if you were as bad a person as you're makin' yourself out to be, why didn't you kill me when we first met'.

Denji answered Reze's bluntness with his own, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, I still like you."

A smirk came to his face as he saw Reze shift and turn slightly, "You say it was all a lie… but isn't it true that you taught me how to swim?"

Reze turned fully around at that, her cold mask thawing, being replaced by a rosy blush, her face looking conflicted as her feet slowly brought her closer to Denji, as if moving by themselves. The two not breaking eye contact as she drew up close, her arm draping itself behind his neck, memories of a moonlit swim flashing through their minds.

As they gazed into each other's eyes, Reze thought about how easy it would be to just snap his neck and leave him there on the beach, where he'd be safe. She was about to do it too; it would be the right thing to do if she wanted to protect him.  

But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

As she looked into his eyes, and despite knowing that their chances of escape were slim to none, she kept coming up with new reasons to go through with it. She didn't want to go back to that damned room, only to be allowed out when they needed a weapon, she didn't want to be controlled anymore, and she didn't want to hurt Denji again…

It was selfish of her. She knows that. She knows that the chance they escape that witch's clutches were slim to none, that it would put not just her, but also Denji in danger…

But at that moment, she didn't care about any of that as she thought back to what that crabby old manager had told her. 

'Don't regret anything later huh…?'

With that though Reze closed the last small amount of distance separating her and Denji, going up on her tiptoes and planting a chaste kiss on Denji's lips, before quickly separating and moving back, her arms back down at her sides.

"I meant what I said back on the road Denji, that I like you I mean", Reze chuckled dryly, "as if that wasn't obvious by now…"

She looked to the side nervously as she spoke, still unsure over her decision to drag Denji into this mess.

Denji snapped out of his stupor as he registered what she had said, his shock at the sudden kiss being replaced by a bright smile, the news that she actually did like him, and that someone actually just wanted him for him, with no ulterior motives, was a relief. 

The smile dropped from his face however, when the gravity of the situation hit him, he needed to leave everything that Miss Makima had given him behind; his job, Aki who had saved him over and over, Power who… was his friend. She'd only tried to kill him a couple of times recently!

But when he looked at the girl in front of him, he found other thoughts came to mind. He imagined going to school, talking with friends over lunch, eating nice grub every day. He wanted more than the bare minimum, and above all he thought about doing all of it with someone who truly cared about him.

'S'pose I should probably say something…'  Denji turned his attention back to Reze, who hadn't moved since her admission, an odd, almost anguished look on her face as she looked away from him.

"I'm glad an' all that you like me to…", Denji addressed her, snapping Reze out of her funk, "and having a normal kiss for once was great… but what do we do now?"

Reze gave him a weak smile, "well… getting off this beach would be a good start".

Before they were able to discuss their escape any further, a groan quickly brought her attention to the fiend lying in the sand behind Denji, the smile slipped from her face as she walked over to the fiend, the same one that had been a constant thorn in her side the day before.

"Hey what are you-!" Denji's shout was cut off as a sharp crack echoed across the beach. "What the hell Reze!?', Denji stared open-mouthed as Reze took her hand away from the fiends neck and stood up, fixing him with an exasperated look. "We can't have him following us, what else would you have me do?"

"I know that!" Denji snapped at her, infuriated at her nonchalant attitude, "That doesn't mean y' had to kill him!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Reze puts her hands up, trying to placate the boy, "He's not dead!"

"Ehhhh…?", Denji looked at her, his mouth agape, "but you just snapped his…"

"His neck?" Reze finished his sentence for him, "well I had to stop him following or reporting on us somehow, and he's a fiend, so it's hardly a big deal for him".

"Yeah, I guess you're right…", Denji replied unsurely; despite having calmed down, he still seemed uncomfortable as he continued, "but you coulda at least told me what you were gonna do…"

Reze's expression softens as Denji speaks, guilt and worry hitting her like a punch to the gut as she closed the distance between them again, grabbing his hand lightly.

Reze looks Denji in the eyes, wincing as he flinches at her touch, "Denji, I… I've done awful things, I've killed more innocent people than I could count, more than I could ever be forgiven for…", Reze's face was hidden by her bangs as her hand gripped onto Denji's more tightly, "but I don't want to hurt people anymore… and I especially don't want to hurt you again…"

Denji grasps Reze's hand tightly in response, looking down at her sympathetically. "You know, before I joined Public Safety, I used to work for the Yakuza…", Reze's gaze snapped up to meet Denji's own, her surprise at his response clear. "I'm not gonna pretend that they had me doin' stuff as bad as killing people or anything, but I'm just sayin' that… I know what it's like to have your whole life controlled by someone else"

An unsteady, yet warm smile came to Reze's face. "You really need to wise up a little", Reze giggled as she started to walk off, dragging Denji lightly by the hand as she went looking over her shoulder with a teasing grin as she did, "maybe when we get off this beach, you can help me pick out some clothes?"

Denji flushed bright red, a smile on his face as he was dragged off, "Y-yeah!"

"How'd you learn to pick locks anyways?", Denji asked through thin curtain of the changing room. The two teens had broken into a small beachside clothes store, with Reze having volunteered herself to pick the lock of the back door after Denji had floated the idea of kicking down the door

"Ah-ah-ah Denjiii-", a lilting voice echoed from behind the curtain, "a lady has to keep some secrets".

Denji rolled his eyes as he continued waiting, leaning against the wall and looking around the shop. It was a small, modest store, with its stock of clothes mostly reflecting its beachside location, with a mixture of tourist-orientated branded clothes, Hawaiian shirts and swimwear lining the walls. Denji looked down at his own clothes, Reze had picked him out a pair of khaki shorts, a simple white shirt and a Tokyo-branded baseball cap to hide his hair before she had rushed into the changing room with her own chosen outfit in her arms.

Denji let out a disappointed sigh, 'shame she was kidding earlier…', Denji thought back to Reze's quickly forgotten tease that he could pick out her outfit. Denji's eyes looked at the swimsuits on the wall, 'wonder what she'd look like in one of those…'

Denji was snapped out of his thoughts as the curtain rattled open and Reze stepped out, he gawped as he drank in her slim figure. She was dressed in a pair of plain black shorts and a simply branded t-shirt tied off at her midriff, her hair worn in a ponytail that poked out the back of her cap.

Reze grinned at Denji's reaction, "Oohhh, does someone see something he liiikes?". Denji scratched the back of his head, his face flushed slightly, "Yeah… what about it?".

Reze giggled before going up on her tiptoes and whispering breathily in his ear, "You don't look to shabby yourself"

Denji's face turned bright red as Reze broke into a laughing fit, "you're almost too easy to tease Denji!"

"Yeah, yeah", Denji griped, his cheeks still slightly flushed as Reze's laughing fit tailed off, "so… got any idea what to do next, I don't really have any idea where to start…"

"Well, the original plan was to get picked up by some operatives outside town last night, so it's not like I had a master plan or anything", Reze puts a finger on her chin as she thinks, "though I suppose we could get a train from Daiba station out into the country, then grab a car and drive up north", she shrugged, "oh, and we should probably stop at my flat and grab some supplies".

'That was my original plan if he had agreed to come with me at the festival, so we may as well use it' , she grimaced at the thought, it would've been so much easier if that first attempt had worked…

As the two fugitives left the pilfered store and went on their way, the flutter of wings drew Reze's eyes back towards the beach, a murder of crows resting on the surrounding buildings. 

"Hey, Reze!" Denji turned, noticing Reze lagging behind, "You comin' or what?"

Reze gave one last uneasy look at the birds, "Y-yeah, coming!", she jogged lightly to catch up, "I was distracted by those birds, they're giving me the creeps…"

Denji glanced up at the birds, "eh… they're creepy alright, but they're pretty harmless, me an' Pochita even used to have them for dinner when I was able to catch them!"

Reze laughed dryly at that as they hurried down the street, "you really would eat anything, wouldn't you?"

Unbeknownst to the two teens, those dozens of beady eyes remained trained on them, unblinking as they skulked into the nearest alleyway.

"So, how are you so sure that they won't know where your flat is anyways?", Denji asked Reze as they walked, having been following the girl through a myriad of alleyways and residential side streets as they made their way towards her home.

"I don't", a frown creased Reze's face as she replied, "but if they didn't know who I was before yesterday, I'd doubt they'd have found out where I lived quite yet", she sighed, "though it's not as if we have much of a choice, we won't get far without money…"

"Damn! I left my paycheques back at Aki's…", Denji grumbled as they turned into another alleyway, Reze smiled and chuckled at the pouting boy following behind her, "Don't worry Denji, I've saved up plenty, I didn't do overtime for the old man just for the hell of it". She had only started doing overtime when she first hatched her plan to try running away with Denji, her superiors would have originally just picked her up when she was clear of the city. Still, without them she would need the extra cash to get out, especially if it was the two of them…

"Well, there it is", Reze pointed at the building complex in front of them, it was a small, run-down-looking building tucked away in between some modest residential buildings and the railway line, "Home sweet home…"

As Denji and Reze entered her flat, courtesy of a key hidden above the doorframe, Denji was struck by the bareness of the flat, 'It's kinda like nobody even lived here…' Denji thought as he followed Reze inside, the concern on his face contrasting Reze's stony expression.

"It's very uhhh… empty?", Denji said as Reze was rummaging through the room's small wardrobe, "though ya would've had some schoolbooks or somethin' at least."

Reze froze for a moment before sighing and continuing her search, "I'm used to it- ah here we go!", Reze found what she was looking for, a backpack buried under a pile of clothes, bringing it over and setting it on the bed, with Denji walking over to join her.

Reze unzipped the rucksack, scanning through its contents, 'money- check, emergency food- check, blood packs- check', she suddenly remembered something, quickly opening her side cupboard and, grabbing a small booklet and shoving it, and the purple flower pressed inside it, into the bag.

"Yup, everything's there. Time to get going", Reze announced matter-of-factly, her voice clipped as she flung the pack over her shoulder. As she began hurrying to leave the flat, a hand grasped her own, stopping her in her tracks.

"I get it now, you didn't get to go to school either, did you?", at that Reze swung around, meeting Denji's gaze with her own, her expression giving nothing away, "You were talkin' about how bad it was that I didn't go to school, but you were the same, weren't you?"

Reze hesitated for a moment before responding, "I lied about a lot of things Denji… you're right, I never attended a day of school in my life", Reze looked away as she spoke in an attempt to hide the sorrow that she knew would be plastered over her face, "I've just been someone else's weapon my whole life…"

Reze gasped as Denji pulled her in close, abruptly snapping her out of her melancholy, "Hey, Denji! We really need to-" Reze started to protest before she met his eyes again, the intense look on his face taking the words from her mouth. 

"Reze", Denji held both of her hands in his own as he spoke, "You said when we were fightin' that you meant it when you said you liked me".

"Well, I meant when I said that I wish I coulda gone to school with you", Reze looked back at him, her face flushing as only Denji could make it, "Maybe, once we get outta here, we could go together, be more than just weapons?"

Reze blinked in shock; she'd never thought she'd hear someone ask her that, that she'd ever get the chance to live a normal life. Images of her and Denji attending school, making friends and goofing off flew through her mind. However, she couldn't shake the fear in her gut that she was simply leading Denji to his death. 

"Reze, you alright?", Denji asked, voice laden with concern.

Despite her worries, the chance to be able live a normal life with the boy in front of her, to attend school, to escape and live in peace… it made it feel like it was worth the risk. Reze rested her forehead against Denji's chest.

"Hey, Denji?", Reze spoke in a small voice.

"Y-yeah?", Denji looked down at her in equal parts surprise and concern.

"Thanks…"

The two teens were soon on the move once again, sticking to the same quiet neighbourhoods and alleys, weaving their way towards Daiba station, talking as they went.

"Huh, so you're Russian!?", Denji exclaimed, "but your Japanese is perfect, you don't even have an accent!"

"Shhhh!", Reze shot Denji a glare, "Not so loud!"

"Ah it's fine, no one's around anyways", Denji waved off Reze's concern before returning to questioning her, "How'd you learn to speak such good Japanese anyway?"

Reze sighed at Denji's lack of concern shaking her head in exasperation, "тебе повезло, ты милый"

"Huh?" Denji looked at Reze in confusion, "What did that mean? Oi Reze!?"

Reze grinned, amused at Denji's confusion, "Wellll…Wouldn't you like to know?"

Denji rolled his eyes, "Urghh… you're impossible…"

Reze laughed at Denji's exasperation, "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time for questions when we're out of here", she pointed at a building down the street as they rounded a corner, "Speaking of which, that's the station right there".

"So what do we do once we get the train, just let it take us as far out as it can?" Denji asked as they began making their way down the street. 

"Yeah… pretty much, once we get out as far as we can it's just a matter of getting a bus or something up North, maybe steal a car if we can", Reze answered, acutely aware that her plan was far from watertight. 

Denji, who was just as aware of this fact as she was, just shrugged, "Hey, it's the best plan we've got either way, not like I coulda come up with anythin' b-"

Denji froze, the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he felt an itching sensation on the back of his head, as if someone's gaze was boring into the back of his head. Denji quickly swung around, hoping to catch whoever was looking at him red-handed, only to be faced with empty air.

'Eh…? I was sure something was there!' , Denji looked back warily, only for a couple of rats to scurry out of the alleyway they had just come from and run into the hedges across the road, 'Really… that was it…?', Denji felt the tension leave his body as the rats disappeared from sight.

"You okay Denji?" he turned back around at the sound of Reze's voice, the girl having walked ahead whilst he was distracted.

"Yeah, it was just a couple rats, nothin' to worry about!" Denji said as he jogged to catch up.

If he had looked back, he would have seen that a single rat had stopped before it had reached the bushes and was now sitting motionless in the middle of the street, its beady eyes boring into the backs of the two hybrids as they made their way to the station.

"Here's your ticket; that's the right one, right?" Denji handed Reze one of the small card tickets, shoving the other unceremoniously into his short pockets.

Reze grabs the ticket, scanning over it quickly, "Hmmm… yeah looks good, the Yurakucho line should take us near enough to the outskirts of Tokyo, getting a bus out to the country from there should be easy enough…"

They sat in a secluded corner of the station's waiting area, situated under the stairs, giving them a clear view of the departure board. The two sat watching in silence, counting every second that passed on the digital clock above the board, counting down the seconds until they could escape, with the two hybrids unable to relax, the tension visible in their posture.

'Ten minutes, huh?'  a small frown creased Reze's face as they waited; something had been eating at her since the beach, 'I guess that gives me time for one question…' 

"Hey… Denji?"

Denji looked at Reze from the corner of his eye, "What's up?"

"Why did you choose to run away with me?", Reze's voice dripped with curiosity as she turned to look at him, her head cocked, "Cause I know you aren't up and leaving your friends and job just because you like me, if that was all then you would've ran away with me after the festival".

"Why'd I run away with you, huh?" Denji's eyes drifted back to the clock, a pensive look on his face, "I guess it was cause of Pochita, he sacrificed himself to save me, in return I promised to show him my dreams. Don't think i'd be livin' true to that if I didn't go with you…"

'Show a devil his dreams… how would that eve- oh… his heart…' , Reze fought to push down her guilt upon the realisation that her mission had, in reality, been to take away the only friend of the boy she had come to love.

"What are your dreams, Denji?", Reze continued her questioning, curiosity piqued even further as Denji's brow creased in thought and… Reze could have sworn he looked frustrated…

"I-I'm not sure really…" his face settled into a small frown, "I used to dream of havin' somewhere to live, then I dreamed of eatin' real food, and then Miss Makima gave me a goal to work towards, to kill the Gun devil"

Reze's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Makima, she didn't know much about the woman, all she knew was that she was not to be trifled with lightly. The Politburo had purposely sent Reze on her mission when Makima would be busy down in Kyoto sorting out the aftermath of the mess caused by that amateur Katana hybrid.

Reze flinched as Denji's hand suddenly rested itself on her own.

"You know, that night when you taught me to swim, I dreamt that maybe I could go to school someday, I dreamt of maybe makin' some friends, hanging out and learnin' smart stuff". He was looking at her again now, his frustrated frown having been substituted for a faint smile, "And I dreamt of you there with me, Reze…"

Reze looked back at him, her mouth agape and face red, "Denji, I-"

"Can all passengers due for Chikatetsu-narimasu please make their way to platform 2, can all passengers due for Chikatetsu-narimasu please make their way to platform 2"

Reze was cut off, much to her frustration, by the station announcement informing them that their train was incoming.

"What were you sayin' Reze?" Reze looked at the boy and opened her mouth again to say something, only to sigh and smile at him, "Thanks, Denji", she gripped his hand and pulled him up, "but I think we'll need to run, that announcement was for our train!"

It hadn't taken them long to get through the ticket gate and up to their platform, with Denji and Reze loitering by a pillar as they waited.

"Really, we rushed all the way here, and the train isn't even here…", Denji pouted as he twiddled his thumbs impatiently.

Reze batted his arm lightly in response, "Well it's better than missing the damn thing, next one isn't for an hour". Denji huffed at that before perking up again, his face lighting up in excitement as he caught sight of a vending machine a short distance away, "Hey Reze, I'm gonna grab somethin' from that machine over there, you want anything?"

"Huh", Reze looked up, having been deep in thought, about what Denji had no idea, "Oh yeah, sure I'll just take a drink, I don't mind what one".

As Denji walked off to the machine, Reze returned to her thoughts, face screwed up in consternation, 'A dream huh… wonder what my dream would be…', Denji had told her about his dreams, and she couldn't get it out of her head, 'he had a dream to escape his life, and then when he did escape his life, he kept on dreaming...', she frowned at that thought, 'If we do get away, I wonder what my dream will be…'

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sounding of a train horn, the crows that had settled on the opposite platform flying away, startled, as the train began rattling through the station on the opposite track. Coincidentally, Denji arrived back at the same time.

"Here, just got you the same as me", Denji handed her a small can, Reze smiled as she saw what the drink was, a cold-brew coffee.

"Gotten a taste for coffee, hmmmm…?", she smirked as she poked Denji in the side, with the boy averting his eyes, "Yeah, it grew on me…", Denji said, scratching the back of his neck.

Reze moved to turn around to the platform again, "Anyway, it looks like our train is running a bit la-" as the last carriage of the train sped past, she suddenly found herself staring into a pair of otherworldly yellow eyes accented with rings of red. Reze froze; those eyes belonged to a besuited woman, her fiery hair tied in a tight braid and her arm outstretched pointing a finger right at her.

"Bang"

Time slowed down as Reze felt something splatter on the right side of her face, she whipped around only to see the left side of Denji torso explode into a shower of gore, the boy screaming in shock and pain as he went down. Reze's hand moved to her pin… too late.

"Bang"

Pain assaulted her senses, her arm all but pulverised, the remains of the dropping to the ground with a wet thud, Reze looking down at the stump where her arm used to be, grasping it in an attempt to staunch the bleeding.

When she looked back up, she found herself looking directly into those spiral eyes, the woman now right in front of her. Reze stumbled back in shock.

"Bang"

Reze felt as if she had been punched in the gut as she stumbled back. Then an icy feeling crept up from her stomach, her whole body going cold, her remaining hand went to her abdomen. Nothing, nothing but blood. A wet cough rattled from her throat, soaking the front of her t-shirt with blood.

And then she fell.

Makima looked down at the hybrid, watching, head cocked in curiosity as the girl used the last of her strength to haul herself closer to the boy she had fallen next to, her strength failing just as she reached him, her head resting on what remained of his chest.

Reze's vision was going dark, the side of her face wet from blood as it rested on the remains of Denji's chest, she found herself wishing she could turn around and look at him, but her strength had already failed her. As her world went dark one last thought flashed through her head.

'I'm sorry… Denji… was all… my…'

Otherworldly eyes gazed down at the pair's corpses in curiosity, head cocked, and a finger perched on her chin.

"Hmm… well that is interesting…"

"So, why'd Miss Makima send us out this way?" Angel looked up at Aki as they walked through the street, "If we're looking for Chainsaw and his girlfriend, I would have thought we'd be looking along the shore?"

"Makima said that Bomb worked at this café; it's also near Denji and Beam's patrol route", Aki replied tightly, "I suppose Makima thinks we might get a lead on the whereabouts of Denji and that murderer from the owner".

Angel's interest was piqued at that, "You really cared about those guys, huh?"

Aki flinched before he sighed, "Yeah, they we're some of my last friends in Public Safety, and Nomo… was a good friend, didn't have many of those left as it was".

Angel wondered why he was asking any of this, he didn't especially care for humans after all, "Must have been nice, to have had good friends like that", a frown creased Angel's face, "All I remember is waking up in a Public Safety holding cell", suddenly a face flashes through his mind: a dark-skinned girl with tribal markings on her forehead, the very same face he had seen the previous night.

Aki glanced at Angel, an unreadable look on his face, unsure exactly what to say in response.

"I guess that's the place", Aki's gaze snapped back in front of him as Angel spoke, pointing at the building just down the street, a small, unassuming café. 

Aki read the small chalkboard sign sitting near the door as they approached the building, "Yeah, that's the place Makima mentioned, 'The Crossroads Café', owned by a Mr Ohta Kayo".

As they entered the café, they were met with an empty café, the humming of a coffee maker being the only hint that anyone was there. Aki strode up and rang the small bell on the counter, calling out as he did, "Ohta Kayo, we're here from Public Safety; please come out. We want to ask you a couple of questions!"

Quickly, they heard muffled noises from behind the staff room door before the doorknob rattled and the door swung open, a moustached man in his late middle age rushing out to greet them.

"Oh, hello ummm, officers…?" Kayo stammered out, his eyes flicking in confusion towards Angel's halo and wings, "H-how can I help you?"

"Me and my associate here just want to ask you some questions about a girl who works for you, used the name 'Reze' and an employee of Public Safety called Denji". Kayo nodded as Aki maintained eye contact with Kayo as he continued, "First, we want to know when you last seen either Reze or Denji?"

"I haven't seen either of them for a few days now; the kids met up here most days and spent most their time talking and slacking off, Reze was meant to have a shift this morning, but she's been a no-show", Kayo looked at Aki puzzled at the questioning, "Why do you need to know about them for, are they in trouble, did they elope or something?"

Aki flinched at the last question, a realisation hitting him, 'That girl he was talking about that night… it must have been her', a feeling of guilt writhed in his stomach, 'If I'd just listened that night… if I paid more attention, we could have avoided this…', Aki pushed down his guilt as he moved to answer Kayo. "Both Denji and your employee went missing after the devil attack last night, as such, any information you could provide would be invaluable", the practised excuse flowed easily from Aki's mouth as the shop owner's face fell in worry as he replied, "Yes… yes… of course".

Angel and Aki left through the front door, Aki having asked the rest of his questions, learning very little from the man except that the two hybrids had been meeting there for weeks, much longer than they originally thought…

As they walked down the street, one question continued to bother Aki and Angel: why did Makima send them here?

Images flashed through the darkness: a classroom, the moon reflecting off a pool, fireworks lighting up a dark sky and then, finally, a young blonde-haired boy. He was smiling at her warmly, his hand gripping hers.

Then there was blood, the boy in front of her being replaced by a corpse, the life in his eyes had vanished, half his chest being blown away. She screamed.

"DENJI!!" Reze jolted awake, her breathing heavy and frantic as she thrashed around, only to find her arms and legs cuffed to a steel chair. Her eyes dart rapidly, scanning the room she was in, only for them to instantly meet a pair of ringed yellow eyes, the unnatural orbs instantly freezing Reze in place. The breath felt like it had been stolen from her lungs.

The woman opposite her, the same woman who had effortlessly incapacitated her and Denji, was just sitting staring at her, a serene look and placid smile painted on her face as she watched her in silence. Reze knew who this was. She fit the exact description of Makima.

"W-where is Denji!?" Reze found her voice, managing to stutter out her question to Makima, whose expression didn't budge an inch as she replied, unblinking.

"I like the country mouse too".

Reze's blood ran ice cold; the implication of Makima's words was clear: she had been watching her and Denji the whole time, but how-

Reze's eyes went wide before dropping down to look at her feet, 'The birds… the rats… I'm sorry Denji. I guess we never had a chance after all…'

Reze didn't look up as she spoke, her voice shaky, "Where's Denji…?"

Makima stood up calmly, pushing her chair back in, leaning on it, and looking down at Reze.

"I've heard of stories from the Soviet Union, of poor, parentless children being seized by the state, and sent to a room". Reze's hands clenched as Makima spoke, her nails digging into her palms, drawing blood, "Guinea pigs experimented on to be obedient weapons of the state".

"W-what do you want?" Reze's voice was barely audible as she interrupted Makima's monologue.

Makima stood up to her full height, expression unchanged, "I know how much you wanted to run away with Denji, but does a murderer like you deserve a normal life like that?"

"All those people you killed, Chiro Nagase, Asuna Chihiru, Hideo Kazuhiko and countless more, you killed them without a thought. All you are good for is being a tool", Reze was completely still as Makima spoke, "but, luckily for you, I have a need for tools, so I am willing to offer you a deal".

"Be my tool, you will join the Public Safety Special Division, and you can live". Reze still didn't budge, her eyes remaining laser-focused on the ground, "and, to sweeten the deal Denji will also face no punishment if you decide to accept; I'll even let you work together, isn't that more than what a killer like you deserves?"

Reze looked up at the mention of Denji, her vibrant emerald-green eyes looking dull and defeated, before looking back down at the table before her.

"I-I accept… your deal…" Makima's smile widened ever so slightly at Reze's quiet, monotone response, walking over to the girl's side. Reze flinched as Makima tilted her head by her chin, forcing the girl's dull green eyes to meet her otherworldly rings.

There was no smile on Makima's face now, as her eyes pierced into Reze with an intense, predatory look, "Very well, this is a contract".

And then, Reze's world went dark again.

Chapter Text

The world around him was dark and blurry. All he remembered was handing Reze a drink, then he was splayed out on his back, staring up at the rafters of the station roof, the sound of a train rattling away into the distance being all he could hear. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move to get up; all he could do was lie back, a creeping chill emanating from his chest, slowly spreading throughout his body.

Denji tried to speak, only to croak out a rattling groan, then he felt some small amount of warmth, as he coughed up frothy, warm blood.

It was a feeling he hadn't felt since before Pochita saved him back at the warehouse, back when coughing up blood in the morning was a regular occurrence. His mom had died of a disease, some problem with her heart. As the blood dribbled from his mouth he thought about his mom, she had died when he was he was still young, too young to even remember her face.

'Wonder… what she was… like…'

He wondered if she was kind, if she looked like him, had she loved him, or was he just a burden to her…? 

As the cold overtook his senses, the scenery of the train station around him turned pitch-black, only darkness surrounding him. Whilst his whole body was ice cold, Denji found that he could now move his head freely, weakly craning his head to look down at his chest. All he saw was a circular hole carved through his chest, there was no blood, no pain and no heart. Just a deep hole leaking inky darkness. 

Upon seeing this, Denji again found his strength failing him, slumping back down, looking blankly up into the dark sky above once again. Suddenly, a soft, ominous voice echoed out from the darkness above.

"How could someone like you ever be loved?"

"Someone who felt nothing after your so-called 'friend' was killed?"

As the voice echoed throughout the darkness around him, in the dark sky above him, red spirals pierced through the darkness, gazing down at him, growing brighter and brighter each time the voice spoke.

"How could anyone love someone who doesn't even have a heart of his own?"

Denji squeezed his eyes closed as the oddly familiar voice wormed its way into his head, 'No! I do have a heart, Miss Makima even said so!'. Denji squirmed under the domineering gaze, the intensity of the spirals growing stronger and stronger, Denji not being able to escape the red light by closing his eyes. 

Then it stopped as if some had just flicked off a light, the vicious red light returning to black, the previously oppressive darkness now seeming pleasant in comparison, with the darkness offering respite from the all-seeing spirals. Denji's eyes cautiously opened, suddenly feeling a gentle pressure on his chest, warmth emanating throughout his body from that point, 'Wh-what…?'

Denji once again craned his neck, looking down at his chest, only to find that in place of the inky hole that was there before, his eyes met the bright green eyes of a girl. She was resting her head on his now healed chest, smiling faintly as she held her ear to his beating heart.

"Of course you have a heart, Denji", the girl spoke, her voice soft and soothing, "You're the funniest, kindest person I've ever met". The girl smirked slightly, "Hell, even if you don't have a heart, then I'd say that you wouldn't need one, after all…", she reached up with her hand, caressing his face, "You'll have mine, after all…"

"Reze…", Denji uttered the girl's name softly just as her arm flopped back down from his face, as if it was the arm of a puppet that just had its string cut. Reze was still smiling fondly, head resting on his chest still as her eyes began to close. 

"Reze!", Denji yelled as loudly as his battered body would let him. There was no response beyond light, shuddering breaths. 

'Knock, knock, knock'

Denji turned, the piercing sound of a door knocking coming from his right. There he saw it, it was at the end of an alleyway, the door being covered in blank posters, the only other features on the battered door being a peephole and mailbox.

'Knock, knock, knock'

He tilted his head as someone knocked on the door again; he knew that he had seen that door before, but for the life of him he could pinpoint where…

"Denji!", he jumped as a hand, slick with blood, weakly grabbed his own. He turned to look at Reze once more. She was now barely conscious, blood flowing from her mouth, her abdomen a bloody mess and her sole remaining arm being outstretched to hold his hand.

"Denji…", Reze looked at him pleadingly, her strength visibly fading, "Please.."

"Don't… open… it…"

With that, Reze faded into the encroaching darkness, Denji reached out towards where she had been, his hand still covered in her blood. He tried to call out her name, but all that came out was a gush of blood. He slumped back down to the ground once more, his consciousness fading as the knocking began anew. 

'Knock, knock'

'Knock, knock'

'Knock, knock'

'Knock, knock'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

Denji's eyes slowly crept open, woken from his slumber by the steady rhythm of a train moving along its tracks, wincing as bright sunlight assaulted them. He shifted groggily, moving his head and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, only to meet the gaze of a pair of ringed eyes. He froze for a moment, feeling what almost felt like a fight or flight response before dismissing the feeling, after all why would he need to run?

"Hey Miss Makima, where are we anyways?!", Denji nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement, only to be stopped by a weight clinging to his arm. 

Makima smiled calmly, a finger up to her lips shushing him, "Quiet now Denji, you don't want to wake her up yet, she only fell asleep a short while ago".

Denji barely heard what she said as he settled back down, looking down at the sleeping Russian clinging to his right arm, with his sudden movement causing her head to shift and rest on Denji's shoulder. Denji's surprise at the girl's position was quickly replaced by a fond smile as she snuggled into his side.

"To answer your question, we are on the train to Enoshima", Denji's attention was quickly diverted back to Makima as she spoke, "Don't tell me you had forgotten already, we've had this work vacation day planned for a while now". 

'Oh yeah, I remember Aki sayin' that we get an annual work trip as part of our contract, gotta love jobs!'

Aki himself looked up from the small novel he was reading, fixing Denji with an exasperated look, "Don't tell me your memory is that bad, I thought a punk like you would at least make sure to remember his paid leave…"

"Oh, shut your mouth top-!", Denji stopped his retort remembering Reze was fast asleep next to him, quickly checking that she was still sound asleep before continuing in a more hushed tone, "Shut up Aki, it's not my fault you're too boring to listen to!"

"Yeah, yeah, and it's not my fault you and Power don't listen to a thing", Aki rolled his eyes, going back to reading his novel, Denji squinted, trying to make out the title of the book, a feat easier said than done, he hadn't had as much time to practice his reading recently.

"The book is called 'Kokoro', written by Natsume Soseki", Denji jolted as a teasing voice came from beside him, Reze grinned at his surprise before continuing, "If memory serves, it's about a young, impressionable student and his teacher, whom he admires", she raises her free hand to her chin, trying to remember some details of the book, "A lot of pretty dark themes in it I think, stuff like the past determining peoples fate and the consequences of human selfishness".

She looked at Aki pointedly, "Of course, Topknot would be reading a dour book like that…"

"Can it!", Aki grumbled, burying his nose in the novel grouchily.

"Wow Reze, you're so smart!", Denji gushed, causing the girl in question to giggle, making no move to decouple herself from his arm.

Denji looked at her curiously, "By the way Reze, how long have you been awake anyway?"

"Oh that, she's been awake the whole time Denji", the response came from Makima, who had been listening with the same unchanging smile on her face the entire time, "I just thought it would be more entertaining to play along".

Denji pulls a face at that, huffing as Reze bursts into a laughing fit, "ahahaha, the look on your face- ahahahaha!"

"Oh yeah, Miss Makima, where 'bouts is Power anyway?" Denji asks, looking to change the subject, "Is she coming, or is she gettin' her blood drained again?"

"Oh, Power is just on another carriage", Makima responds with a light chuckle, "Aki here asked Himeno and Angel to take her off his hands for the trip down, she seemed all too happy to oblige".

Aki puts down his book, seemingly giving up on reading anymore and joining in the conversation, "Power is still afraid of Makima, she nearly ran away with Angel and Himeno". Makima chuckles again at this, "Oh yes, Power is quite the drama queen, I think she just associates me with getting her blood drained", Reze looks up at this, now recovered from her laughing fit, "So… does her getting her blood drained… hurt her or something?"

"Hmmm… I wouldn't say that it would hurt her, though it's not especially pleasant either", Makima's face took on a more neutral expression, "All we do is keep her in isolation for a while and wait until she burns through her blood stockpile.

"Huh…", Reze turned to look out the window, a pensive look on her face, "Sounds kinda lonely…"

"Nah, Miss Makima is right Reze, Powy's dramatic about everything, hell she threw her dinner over Aki the other week just 'cause she didn't like carrots!", Denji shrugged off Reze's concerns, smiling at her as he regaled her with Power's antics. Reze turned back to him, a small smile on her face, "Heh, I suppose you're right, it's just… well it just reminded me of something is all…"

"Well, since everyone is wide awake now and with Enoshima only being a short while away, I think it's a good time to go over the itinerary for our trip", Makima interjected, directing the conversation back towards their destination, "The most famous location there is the Enoshima Shrine, though in reality, it's more like three separate shrines each dating back to the year 552". Reze perked up at this nugget of information, her eagerness to learn something new shining through, "Oh, I'm not very familiar with Japanese religion at all, what are the shrines dedicated to?"

"Ah yes, each of the three shrines is dedicated to one of the three Munakata-Sanjoshin, the three sister goddesses of the sea, water, fortune and wealth", Makima continued, seemingly enjoying her lecture, "The three shrines of Enoshima together are one of the three Nihon-Sandai-Benzaiten, with the other two being located at Miyako Island in Aki and Chikubushima Island in Omi".

"After the shrine, we'll head to the Sea Candle lighthouse to see the view, and then visit the Samuel Cocking Gardens nearby".

"Samuel Cocking…?!", Denji repeated the Garden's namesake with difficulty, confusion on his face as he enunciated the words, "What does that mean, is it another language or something?"

"Ding-ding-ding, 10 points to Denji!", Reze exclaimed teasingly grinning, "You're right, that's an English name Denji, though I can't say the name itself really rings a bell…", Denji pouted at Reze's teasing, blushing as the girl leaned back on him.

Aki rolled his eyes at their antics, "Maybe if you two stopped flirting and listened to Makima, you'd find out who he was!".

Denji looked at Reze, a deadpan look on his face, "Damn, he's got a shitty attitude today…", Reze returned the look, "He's just mad his girlfriend's on the other carriage". At that their façade broke down, with Denji and Reze breaking down into gales of laughter, as Aki stewed in anger, grinding his teeth. 

"Shut it you two, or I'll stick Power on kitchen duty when we're back!"

The two hybrids froze, their laughter coming to a sudden end as they turned to Aki and spoke in tandem. 

"Yes, Hayakawa, sir."

"Shutting up now, Mr Hayakawa."

Makima chose this moment to continue, "Well, as I was saying the gardens were founded by an English trader by the name of Samuel Cocking sometime during the Meiji era. I heard that it used to have a greenhouse, but that it was destroyed during the Great Kanto earthquake", a small frown was visible on her face, "A shame, apparently the greenhouse was home to many exotic tropical plants, wonder if they'll rebuild it someday…?"

"Oh, oh!", Denji chirped excitedly, any interest in history having been replaced by a much more pressing concern, "What about food!?"

"Oh yes Denji, of course", Makima's usual smile was solidly back in place, "Once we finish up sightseeing, we'll all head down to the beach to unwind, there's also several local delicacies to try as well."

Reze pokes Denji in the side, pouting as he turns to look at her, "Geez, I went out of my way to buy a nice bikini for the beach, and you're asking about the food…?"

Denji's gaze quickly snapped back to Makima, his face dead serious, "Miss Makima, permission to skip sight-seeing and go to the beach?!"

"Denied", Makima hid her laughter with one hand as Denji visibly deflated and Reze burst into a fit of giggles, her face taking a noticeably rosy hue.

"Don't worry Denji, once we're finished seeing the sights, you and Reze can go and do your own thing, maybe you could see if there are any brochures advertising date spots at the train station".

"M-miss Makima!", Denji spluttered in embarrassment, conflict clear on his face.

'Why is Miss Makima saying this, wouldn't she be mad since we just went on a date?! ' , Denji's thoughts were all over the place at Makima's teasing, 'Though… I guess it wouldn't be all that bad… me an' Reze have a lot in common, she's hot, and funny and…' , Denji looked back down at Reze who had settled upon resting her head on his shoulder, a contented look on her face,  'Yeah… that doesn't sound too bad at all actually… '

As Denji was occupied thinking about his love life, Aki looked at his watch, "We should be arriving at Enoshima station in the next ten minutes, so everyone make sure you have all your luggage before we get off!"

As Denji disentangled himself from Reze, much to her chagrin, he couldn't help but look forward to getting to Enoshima and as he pulled his and Reze's luggage down from the overhead storage above their seat, he couldn't help but look forward to swimming with Reze… again.

"Ahhhhhh…!", Reze stretches as make their way out of the station and into the pleasant sunshine of Enoshima, not noticing Denji swipe a small brochure from a stand by the door, "It's great to finally be off that train, those seats were playing havoc on my back!"

"Heh, well you seemed pretty comfy to me…", Denji looked at Reze from the corner of his eyes the sceptical look on his face being matched by a smug smirk.

"Not my fault you make a great pillow", Reze smiled back, lightly swatting his arm in response before pointing in front of them.

"Oh there! There's Himeno and Angel!", Reze exclaimed as the devil hunter and devil came into view, Himeno was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans combo, whilst Angel had opted for his usual Public Safety suit.

"Oh yeah- wait where's Pow- ARGH!", Denji was cut short as the fiend in question sucker-punched him in the back of the head.

"FOOLISH DENJI! THAT WENCH HAS DULLED YOUR SENSES!", Power screamed in Denji's ear as he clutched the back of his head in pain, "HOW ELSE COULD YOU NOT NOTICE THE PRESENCE OF ME, THE MIGHTY POOOWERR!!"

"What the hell Power?!", Denji looked up at the crowing fiend, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, "And stop being so loud, everyone'll stare!"

"And who are you calling a wench you smelly little zasranets!!", Reze cussed out the fiend, incensed at Power's flagrant insults as she shoved her away from Denji.

"HOW DARE YOU ASSAULT ME MORTAL-"

As the girls bickered, Denji felt an arm drape itself over his shoulder, dragging him away from the two girls. 

"Let's leave them be for the moment Denji, I have a few questions for you…", a playful voice whispered in his ear as turned to see Himeno's distinctive eyepatch and trademark grin.

"So, first of all, what's going on over there anyway, trouble in paradise or something?"

"Wh-what!?", Denji stuttered in confusion as Himeno released him from her grip, having dragged him off to the side, "No, no nothin' like that! Powy was…", Denji scratched the back of his head, "Well she was just actin' like herself really…"

"Ahhhh… I see…", a mischievous glint came to Himeno's eye, "so things are going well with young Reze then… so where does that leave our deal then?"

"Eh…?", Denji looked at the woman in confusion.

"Ehhhhh… don't tell me you've forgotten already, you helped me get with Aki, so I'd feel kinda bad if I didn't keep my end of the bargain and help you get with Makima", she looked at him quizzically, "But… if you're going with Reze I guess that means you aren't interested in Makima anymore?"

"I- uhhhh, I-", Denji stammered, failing to get out a reply as Himeno continued on.

"Honestly, probably a good thing you aren't barking up that tree anymore", Himeno frowned, a strange edge in her one eye before she sighed, the tension leaving her as suddenly as it came, "Well I suppose it doesn't really matter, if you need any help with Reze, I'll always be willing to lend a hand".

She grinned again, "After all, with me and Aki going private, I'll have plenty of free time to help out".

"Huh! You and Aki are leavin' Public Safety?!", Denji almost shouted before catching himself and lowering his voice, "What about the Gun Devil, thought he was set on killin' it?"

She looked at him, giving him a kind smile, "Well, take it from one friend to another… some things are just more important at the end of the day".

"Anyway, speaking of more important things, it seems like that's all the time we've got to chat for now, looks like Aki managed to wrangle Power and your girlfriend", Himeno points to Reze, who was jogging towards them, an annoyed look plastered on her face, "I'll leave you two kids to it", Himeno winked as she walked off, waving over her shoulder as she went.

'What do I want? What is more important to me…?'

As Denji watched the girl jog towards them, he thought back to his deal with Makima, when she had promised him a single wish if he succeeded in killing the Gun Devil, for a while he thought he knew what his wish would be, but now…

As Reze jogged closed in on him and Himeno the annoyed expression had left her face, replaced with a small grin, a thought crossed Denji's mind, 'Wonder if I could use that wish to go to school with Reze…'

"You alright Denji, something on your mind?", Reze stopped in front of him, her face framed by her hair, now slightly dishevelled from her scuffle with Power, "Nah… nothing important, was just thinking about something Himeno was sayin'… what happened over there with Power anyways? I didn't get a good look".

"Oh, Aki managed to get her off me, last I seen them Aki was leading her off to Makima in a headlock", Reze rolled her eyes, tidying her hair as she spoke, "I have no clue how you stand her… is she always that aggressive?"

Denji shrugged in response, "She tried killing me the first time I met her, so yeah, that's pretty normal for her…", Denji stopped and thought for a moment, "Though now that I think about it, she actually hasn't tried to kill me for a couple of weeks…"

"Geez… If that's her mellowed out, I don't think I could handle living with her back then…"

"Hey! Lovebirds!", Reze's griping was abruptly interrupted by a shout from Himeno, who had rejoined Aki, Angel, Power and Makima, "We're going to start walking up to the shrines now, you's coming or what!?"

"Coming!!", Denji and Reze shout back, with Reze grabbing his hand as they jogged towards the group. Reze looked back with a grin, "I think I overheard from Aki that Makima is buying us all some of Enoshima's famous ice cream, so we better hurry up before Power steals our share!"

The group of devil hunters were standing in the middle of the Benten Bridge which led to Enoshima proper, the group waiting as Makima and Aki returned from the small food stand located at the halfway point of the bridge, the two senior devil hunters carrying a number of oddly coloured cones of ice cream.

"Huh, what the hell is this?", Denji turns up his nose at the ice cream as he grabs it from Aki's hand.

"It's a local delicacy, it's matcha ice cream topped with fish", Aki answered Denji as he handed Reze and Power a cone each. Denji shrugged, taking a bite out of the ice cream, his eyes lighting up as he savoured the treat. "Crap, that tastes really good!"

Power cringed as she scarfed her ice cream, shuddering as the taste hit her tongue, "Urghh… it tastes like the sea…", her disgust quickly turned to anger, "I am bewildered that anyone would dare put fish on ice cream!"

"What's your problem with it?", Denji looked at the blood fiend, bewildered, "You get to eat ice cream and fish at the same time. It saves time and you like meat anyway!" 

"Hey, what do you think Reze?", he turns to Reze, seeking her opinion on the odd snack, only to see that she had nearly finished it already, "Huh, wha-?", Reze looks at him surprised, quickly wiping the ice cream from her mouth, "Y-yeah it's pretty good, though I've never had ice cream before so it's a bit of a strange first time…"

"Huh, guess you two aren't picky eaters, huh?", Aki gave Denji and Reze a mildly disgusted look, before fixing his own cone with an apprehensive look, taking a tentative bite.

"That's not half bad actually", Aki's eyes widened in appreciation, taking another bite, "The sweetness of the ice cream compliments the saltiness of the fish better than I thought it would."

"You sound like a pretentious food critic, Topknot", Reze smirks at Aki's commentary on the ice cream, with Denji choosing to pile on as well, "You act grossed out, then say you liked it, make up your damned mind already!"

"Yes, Topknot, your damned mind needs making!", Power chipped in, not wanting to be left out of their customary bullying of Aki.

Aki sighed in response, "I'm just expressing my opinion, you can leave the badgering for when we get home…"

Makima chuckled as she, Himeno and Angel slowed down to match the pace of the Hayakawa household, "Nice to see that the Hayakawa family is so close". 

"Yeah, Aki really is a mother hen, huh?", Himeno grinned at Aki mischievously. The four members of the household looked at each other, with Aki letting out a sigh, "I'm not sure about close, it feels more like I'm the parent of a bunch of rebellious brats…"

"Sheesh, real nice Aki…", Denji grumbled as Power began crowing obnoxiously once more, "I daresay it is we who are always looking after you, Topknot, you should consider it an honour!"

"You say you're like a parent, but half the time you act the part of the overbearing big brother!", Reze snarked at him from the sidelines, with Himeno pouncing on the comment, "Oh, oh, oh! Does that make me the cool older sister?", the woman chirped in eagerly, playing along with the joke.

"Sure, sounds good to me 'big sis'", Reze and Himeno laughed together as Aki grumbled, Power and Denji continuing to badger him as Makima chose to give her piece, "No I think Aki was right, he does seem like their mom".

Aki's jaw nearly hit the floor as he stood there, shocked, "Their m-m-mom…?".

Denji, Power and Reze all fell into a laughing fit.

"You're a mommy Aki!", Denji crowed, Reze tittering beside him, "He's just a single mother trying to get by, ahahaha!"

"A mother with a topknot!", Power was on the ground now, rolling in laughter. "Shut up you three!", they were all dodging Aki's blows as they danced away from their seething 'mother', as the group steadily made their way through the shopping street until they reached some steps leading up to a large torii gate.

By now the group had settled down, growing tired of harassing Aki and instead taking in the sights "That's Enoshima Shrine just ahead", Makima announced as they climbed the steps, walking through the torii gate. Aki was reading from his guidebook as they climbed, pointing out the three halls of the shrine whilst reading off a smattering of historical anecdotes. 

This historical lecture was going straight over Denji's head until Reze swatted his arm, "You should be listening to this Denji, as boring as Topknot is, the history itself is quite interesting", Denji threw her a lopsided grin, "I'll leave all the smart stuff to you Reze, you can tell it all to me later, maybe grab a coffee?"

Reze giggled at that, "Sounds like a plan to me, though first things first… do you have any idea what to do once we get to the shrine?", Reze asked, "Because I don't have a clue…"

Denji scratched the back of his head, "Nah, I'm in the same boat, the only time I've been to one was when we went to that festival…"

"Welllll, let 'big sis' Himeno educate you both", Reze and Denji jumped as Himeno put herself in between the two of them, one arm draped over either teen's shoulders, "Basically, when we arrive at the shrine over there, you want to pay respects to the Gods, so you throw in some money and make a wish and, If the Gods are feeling generous, they may just grant it".

"There, see how Makima just made a wish", Himeno pointed the teens towards the red-headed woman, "Just do what she did, drop your offering into the box, bow your head, clap twice and bow again with your eyes closed".

"That's quite a lot of steps, feels like it could be more straightforward…", Reze frowned in confusion, fixing Himeno with a questioning look. Himeno just shrugged, "Hey, don't look at me! The Gods are capricious, I don't make the rules!"

One by one, each member of the group went up to make their offerings. Most kept their secret, with only Power choosing to loudly proclaim all of her three wishes: that all humans would die, that she would win a Nobel prize and that Makima would vanish from the world. Needless to say, she received a tongue-lashing from Aki for the last statement, with Angel, Himeno and Reze oddly smirking at Power's declaration, with Makima herself being strangely chipper about the whole thing.

"Power, you aren't meant to say your wishes out loud Power dear. If you do they won't come true", Makima lightly scolded Power, seemingly amused by the Blood fiend's attempt at assassination via divine intervention.

After a brief attempt by Power to fob off her wish as being Denji's idea, much to his chagrin, it had been Aki's turn to go up.

"I'll be keeping that to myself, thanks", Aki brushed Denji off as the blonde continued to to prod at him, "I bet I can guess! It was, like, revenge or something, right?"

"That would be a better wish than the ones Power made, but I'm not going to bother the Gods with that", Aki responded, "I can get revenge on my own".

"What was it then?", Denji continued interrogating him, refusing to take a hint.

Denji was then joined by Power and Reze, who started whispering to each other in a huddle. "Sounds sketchy…", Denji whispered, "Do you think he wished for something, y'know, filthy?"

"I don't think, I know!", Power proclaimed with certainty, "He may act like a prude, but the animal lust rolls off him!"  

"Oh definitely, probably wishing that big sis would-", Reze's addition was cut short as Aki finally snapped.

"Would you three shut it!?", Aki's eye was twitching now as he snapped at the three, before his voice became very quiet, "I wished for you three to find happiness".

The three teens looked at each other in silence for a moment. Before they broke out in peals of laughter. 

"What, like, seriously!?"

"How much of a sap can you be!?"

"You pray for the dumbest of things, Topknot!"

"Dammit, I take it back!", Aki fumed, walking off as the trio continued laughing, with Makima being forced to interject and calm them all down, "Now, now you three, be nice to your mother".

"I'm not their mom, Ms Makima!"

As the group calmed down again, Reze gave Denji a sharp prod in his side, having just come back from making her own offering, "Denji, it's your turn, get a move on!", Reze said all of this with a teasing smile on her face, amused that Denji had forgotten the point of coming up to the shrine when they were mocking Aki. Denji unsteadily walked up to the shrine, "Geez… um… okay…", he stood uneasily in front of the offering box, before throwing in some change, clapping and closing his eyes as he'd seen everyone else do. Though when he closed his eyes he found he had no idea what to wish for.

First, he thought of Pochita, but Miss Makima had said that he was alive inside of him and… well it felt wrong to ask for more than that…

He was also living a normal life, hell he was even on a beach vacation with Miss Makima, his life was going pretty great! There were a ton of things he still wanted, of course, to eat tons of different food, before he met Reze he probably would've wished for tons of girlfriends… not that he would know what to do with them…

'Huh… does Reze count as my girlfriend, I never really asked her…'

Denji, wasn't sure what to wish for, though he did have a vague notion that if he wished for all of them, nothing would come true.

He thought about wishing that he and Reze could go to school together, but that seemed kinda pointless, after all, he was going to ask Miss Makima to grant that wish for him, and she would definitely do that if he killed the Gun!

Finally, he arrived at a decision.

'I wish we could all come back here again…'

As he walks back, Reze moves to meet him, stopping in front of him, "So what did you wish for Denji?"

Denji scratched the back of his head, acting coy, "Oh, nothing much, just wished that we could all come back here again someday, how 'bout you?"

Reze's face took a somewhat dour look as she looked away, responding in a quiet voice, "I just wished we could live a peaceful life…"

She turned to face him, grabbing his hands and looking him in the eyes.

"You need to wake up Denji"

"H-huh", Denji flinched, bewildered at the girl's sudden change in tone, "Wh-what do y-"

"Wake up"

"Wake up Denji!!"

Denji's eyes snapped open and he quickly panicked, looking down at his chest, only to find it fully intact. Letting out a sigh of relief, he looked up to find himself eye-to-eye with Aki, who was flanked by those devil hunters from Kyoto, 'What were their names again, Tendo and Kurome or somethin'…?'

Then the panic hit him again as the events of the train station came back to him, he remembered being on the ground, bleeding out, but he didn't see what happened to Reze!

"Aki- Reze, where is she!", Denji shouted, straining against the cuffs tethering him to the chain.

"We'll get to your little terrorist friend in a moment, but first you'll explain why you thought it was a great idea to try to run away with someone who was trying to kill you yesterday!", Aki snapped back at Denji, clearly holding back his anger for the benefit of the other two devil hunters, "In case you've forgotten, you can't just run away like that, as a devil you are considered the property of the state, where would you even run to!"

"Do y' think I don't know that already!", Denji shouted back, before lowering his voice and continuing, "If you wanna know why I ran away, it's because I like her…", Denji looked away, "Reze had every chance to kill me when we first met, you know? But she didn't!"

"Instead she laughed at my jokes, fooled around with me at her work, she showed me what  school is like, she taught me to swim…", Denji turned back to look Aki in the eyes once more, "She just wanted to escape, and… some things just matter more than workin' here, y'know?"

Aki flinched at that, memories of countless nights out with Himeno ending with her asking, sometimes nearly pleading that he leave Public Safety with her. He found that he understood Denji far more than he'd admit.

"I suppose that's good enough for now", Aki sighed, fishing out a packaged sandwich from a bag below the table and pushing it over to Denji, "Eat that". Aki turned to Tendo, "Would you mind uncuffing him, Tendo?". The tall woman moved to do so, though the unsure look she gave Aki made clear how she felt about it.

"And you're in luck, Denji", Aki spoke as Denji grabbed the sandwich with his now free hands, ripping open the packaging and beginning to devour the food, "Because Makima has decided to overlook this incident, just this one time".

Denji froze, swallowing the last bite of the sandwich before responding, "B-but what about Reze!?"

"I don't know myself…", Aki looked away, on one hand, he felt guilty that he couldn't assuage Denji's fears, on the other… well he wouldn't be shedding any tears for the terrorist who had killed Nomo, "But Miss Makima did tell me that she wanted to inform you of Bomb's fate herself".

Chapter Text

Denji's head swivelled from side to side as he, Aki, Tendo and Kurose made their way through the winding corridors of the Public Safety headquarters, searching for any sign of the Reze as they marched through the halls, with Aki leading the way. As the group started climbing the flight of stairs, Tendo shot Kurose a pointed look as they walked at the back of the group, flanking Denji. Kurose sighed, looking away from Tendo, seemingly losing the silent battle as he voiced the question that had been bugging both of the scarred devil hunters.

"So… you're that chainsaw kid, huh?", Kurose says, fixing Denji with an appraising look, "Not quite what we were expecting, eh Tendo?"

"Eh…?!", Denji looked over his shoulder at Kurose as he followed Aki up the stairs, the aggravation clear on his face as he growled back, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Oh, don't get me wrong", Kurose raised his hands apologetically, "I'm not going after ya or anything, it's just that- ack!"

Tendo elbowed Kurose in the side, having grown tired of watching him try to explain, "What he's tryin' to say is that you ain't what we were expecting when we heard about ya from Makima, she… well… she never said you were so young…". Denji flinched at that, the anger draining from his face, being replaced by a small frown, "Yeah… I've been told that an awful lot recently…", Denji responded quietly, thinking back to the night he spent with Reze at the school as they reached the top of the stairs.

'Don't think we'll be seein' what school is like any time soon…' , Denji thought as they marched down the hallway, the final stretch leading towards Makima's office. And despite what Aki had said about him being off the hook, it still felt like a march to death row…

As the two devil hunters continued talking with Denji, Aki was fuming inside, 'How the hell could Denji have run off with a murderer like her', none of the events of the last day made sense to him. First, that monster killed Nomo and the rest of Division 2, and then Denji runs away with that damned killer just because she batted her eyelashes at him.

And then, after all that, Makima wanted to invite them all up to her office to discuss Bomb's fate, as if it shouldn't have been a foregone conclusion!?

As the group arrived in front of the door to Makima's office, Denji shuffled, looking down at his feet anxiously, jolting as a soft voice called out to them only moments after they stopped in front of the door, muffled by the thick oak door.

"Please, come in everyone".

Aki and Denji stood in front of the imposing hardwood table, with Tendo and Kurose hanging back by the door. Aki stood still, his face neutral, though an astute observer would have noticed him grinding his teeth in frustration. In contrast, Denji was slouching, hunched over as his eyes swivelled around the room as if looking for something, pointedly looking at anything or anyone who was not the red-haired woman sitting behind the table, her clasped hands resting on the table.

The silence was only disturbed by the ticking of a clock, as Makima stared impassively at the young devil hunter, a calm smile on her face as her eyes bored into the side of Denji's head.

"Miss Makima", Aki broke the silence first, his voice tense with the man clearly straining to hide his anger, "You called us here to-"

"I honestly can't say", Aki was cut off as Makima raised a hand, silencing him as she addressed the boy she was staring at, "That I'm not disappointed, Denji".

Denji's eyes quickly turned to meet those of Makima as she addressed him, "Miss Makima, I-". Makima raised her hand again, with Denji's mouth snapping shut as the woman continued on, "Running like that was a deeply reckless thing to do", as she spoke her face maintained the same calm, nearly serene look, "But, in recognition of all the good work you've done for Public Safety recently, I've decided to overlook this little…hiccup, just this once".

Denji's nervousness dropped from his face momentarily, "T-thanks Miss Makima!", Denji exclaimed, his expression notably brightening for a moment, before he looked away from her once again. "But… I wasn't by myself…", Denji was looking down to the side as he mumbled back to Makima in response, "I-I ran because I wanted to… go with her…", Denji was sweating nervously as he meekly turned to look her in the eyes again, the concern palpable on his face, "So if I'm being let off easy… then what happens with Reze…?"

"Hmmm… well, that's a different matter", Makima raised her hand to her chin as if thinking about something, "After everything she did, we obviously can't let her go free, on the charges of espionage and terrorism alone we would have all the reasons we need to liquidate her."

"Wh- no! You can't do that Miss Makima!", Denji jerked forward, panicked, only to be sharply elbowed in the side by Aki, who shot Denji a glare as he reprimanded him, "I'd say that would be fitting, you're lucky you're getting off lightly!"

"Now, now Aki, I wasn't finished talking yet", Makima's soft voice silenced the two housemates once again, "Whilst the crimes Bomb committed were indeed grave, the higher-ups have decided that she is much too powerful an asset to simply dispose of, especially with the Gun Devil's allies on the move. A conclusion I agreed with."

"That monster killed the whole of Division 2! How can we just let that go!", Aki shouted, appalled that Public Safety and Makima herself were even contemplating the idea. Makima didn't flinch at Aki's rage, instead waiting until he was done, with that same calm smile on her face.

"If Public Safety killed every devil that's ever killed one of us, then we wouldn't have all that many devil contracts to fight them with", Makima didn't miss a beat as she turned her attention fully to Aki, "When it comes to the Gun Devil, you know as well as anybody that we need all the resources we can get, and sometimes, in pursuit of the greater good, we have to allow for some necessary evils".

Aki opened his mouth to respond, only to close it again, choosing instead to bide his time and talk to Makima by himself. 

Seeing that Aki was placated, at least momentarily, Makima turned her gaze back to Denji, "For that reason, we decided it would be prudent to offer Bomb, or should I say Reze, the same offer we gave Denji here: live and join Public Safety or die as a devil."

"Needless to say, she chose the former", Makima said, her usual serene smile morphing into what could almost be called a smirk. Upon Makima's revelation that Reze was not only unharmed but was joining Public Safety, all the tension left Denji's body, relief flooding his mind, followed by excitement that he would be able to see her again.

In stark contrast to Denji's joy, Aki was standing stock-still, tight-lipped and stoney-faced whilst Tendo and Kurose shoot each other a conspicuous look from their positions flanking the door.

"That's awesome Miss Makima, you're the best!", Denji was practically beaming, "Where bouts is Reze anyways? Is she here?"

Makima chuckles at Denji's excitement, "All in due time Denji, we have something else to discuss before that", the smile on her face dropped as quickly as it had appeared, "Whilst you were unconscious, Power returned from having her blood drained".

"And, given how much she has improved during your time as her buddy, I've decided to have her work with a new partner for a while".

"What?! Why?!", Denji exclaimed before catching himself and lowering his tone, "I mean… why would Powy need a new buddy, I thought you said she was doing well…?"

"It's because of how well she's doing that we thought it prudent to socialise her more, after all, if we want her to work well as a member of Public Safety, she should be expected to work with more people than just you and Aki", Makima calmly explained her logic, "However, I do know how close you and Power have become, so there will be no change to her living conditions, Aki here will just escorting her to headquarters in the mornings to meet with her new partner".

"Then… who'll be my buddy if Powy's off with someone else?", Denji asks in confusion. 

"You'll find out soon enough Denji", Makima responds, "You'll meet your new partner in the lobby and then you will both be briefed on your new patrol routes. You're dismissed for now Denji, me and Aki need to discuss a few things, though I'm sure we'll be talking again very soon", Makima politely dismissed the teen with a polite smile, watching Denji intently as he walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.

With Denji gone, Makima's gaze turned to Aki, "I believe you have a few questions for me, Hayakawa?"

Aki looked at Makima intensely, before speaking in a halting voice, his anger apparent, "Miss Makima, how could we even consider letting that murderer live!"

"She not only wiped out a whole division, she also killed hundreds of civilians, I can't work with a monster like that! Who even knows if she won't run the first chance she gets!"

"Well I'm afraid that will be unavoidable Hayakawa, as I said before we need all of the firepower possible to defeat the Gun, and having Bomb on our side will more than makeup for the loss in manpower she has caused", Makima responded, a cold, business-like smile on her face as Aki attempted to splutter back a response.

"B-but, how ca-!"

"This is non-negotiable, Hayakawa, and if you think you are unable to work together with her, then we will have to reconsider your place in hunting the Gun".

"No- I… you ca-!", Aki exclaimed, appalled, before catching himself, "No… I'll work with that… monster, I'll do anything to kill the Gun…", Aki looked away from the red-haired woman in front of him, cowed and defeated as she continued fixing him with her trademark neutral expression. "I'm glad to hear that Hayakawa, it would be a shame not to have a talented hunter like yourself with us on the hunt", Makima responded, clearly pleased by his decision, only to open her desk drawer and pull out a manilla folder, setting it down on the table, right in front of Aki, who wasted no time opening it, his face falling as he read its contents.

"Y-you can't be serious!", Aki exclaimed, his face pale as he looked at his boss in shock.

"Oh, this is very much a serious matter Hayakawa, you see, I agree with you that the Bomb is still an unpredictable asset, so I thought it best that she stayed with you", Makima cocked her head as she responded to him, "You are the best suited to keep her in line after all".

Aki looked like he wanted to argue more, to shout and deny Makima's request, then all the fight seemed to leave him at once, as a deep sigh escaped his lips as he shut the folder.

"Was the surname really necessary…?"

"Oh, very much so, as a result of Bomb's rampage the other day, we will be under the spotlight more than ever, and as such I've decided that it was necessary to provide Bomb with a background", Makima replied to the morose-looking Aki's question, "And with her staying with you I thought it would make sense to have her take the identity of a cousin of your former partner, with her family's permission, of course". Makima then pulls out two more folders, laying them out on the table. Aki grimaces at the sight of them, "Don't tell me…"

"Indeed. For the same reasons, it's been decided that both Power and Denji should take the Hayakawa name. The less attention they attract right now, the better".

"Fine", Aki lets out a deep sigh, "Fine…".

"Well, if that's settled, then you're free to go Hayakawa, unless you have any questions?"

Aki looked at Makima, meeting her fiery eyes, before shaking his head, "No ma'am".

"Very good, I'll make sure to remember your commitment when I choose the team that will go after the Gun Devil", Makima said, smiling at him, pleased by his acceptance. Aki bowed his head as he was dismissed, jaw clenched as he tensely replied, "Thank you, Miss Makima".

As Aki turned on his heel to leave, he heard Makima address Kurose and Tendo, who had been watching sympathetically as Aki was given his orders. "So, Tendo, Kurose, I heard you're heading back to Kyoto shortly-", this was all Aki heard Makima say before the door clicked shut behind him as he stormed down the hall. 

Denji is deep in thought as he starts making his way back down the stairs, his meeting with Makima fresh on his mind.

'Wonder what Makima wanted with Aki… he still seemed pretty pissed bout Reze' , a conflicted look crossed his face as he thought of Reze. On one hand, he was delighted that Makima had decided to let Reze live and better yet, let her work in Public Safety!

But on the other hand, all the stuff about Power being given a new buddy rubbed him the wrong way, and he had to go meet some stranger to be his new partner!

'What the hell was up with that!' , Denji fumed internally as he marched down the stairs, with Makima for once being the source of his ire, 'I have no idea why Miss Makima is doing this, could she at least pair me with someone I know! I was already paired with Beam, and Reze is also-'

"Oh", Denji stopped as he neared the bottom of the stairs, realisation dawning on him as he started walking towards the lobby again, the conflict on his face replaced by excitement and anticipation. 'Miss Makima wouldn't have… right…?' , Denji sped up as his thoughts raced, 'surely after we tried runnin' she wouldn't have… right?'

At this point, Denji had practically broken out into a run as he rushed down the hallway, nearly slamming into a devil hunter as he rushed around the corner to the lobby, ignoring the complaint of the scarred devil hunter he had barged past as he came face-to-face with the girl he'd be looking for ever since he'd woken up, his face flushing as she turned and met his eyes, the relief was palpable on her quickly reddening face.

"Denji!!"

Reze was standing in the foyer, leaning her back against the wall, her eyes fixed firmly on her feet. A bitter smile came to her face as she looked at the new sneakers that had been given to her: the only part of her new Public Safety uniform that she liked, the suit only reminding her of her new status as a tool of Public Safety. 'Heh… beats ruining my good clothes every time I transform, I guess…' , this small smile fades as she brings her hand up to her neck. Much to her chagrin, the standard Public Safety suit didn't include a replacement for her signature choker, she frowns as her fingers brush the grenade-pin trigger it used to hide.

Unlike her powers, the trigger that activated them had never been something she'd been proud of, to her it had always been just an ugly reminder of her servitude, something to be covered up and hidden rather than displayed. 'I'll have to get a new one as soon as I can' , Reze thought, shifting her suit jacket to help cover the trigger, the smile returning to her face as an idea came to mind, 'Maybe I should drag Denji out when I go to get one…', she giggled lightly as she thought back to the beach shop, 'Would be nice to make him all flustered again'.

Reze had been waiting in the lobby for a while now, she'd woken up in that same interrogation room, with Makima nowhere to be found. All she remembered was agreeing to join Public Safety, in trade for her life, after that her memories got… fuzzy…

After that, some gruff Public Safety grunt tossed her her new uniform and forwarded on Makima's orders to wait for her orders in the lobby. 'I hope Denji is alright…' , she knew that Makima had insinuated that Denji was unharmed, but that was of little comfort when her last memories of him were of him bleeding out on the train platform, she shuddered wrapping her arms around her torso, reminded of quickly Makima had overwhelmed them both, and of those ringed eyes leering down at her.

The thought of running had crossed her mind as she waited, but it was an idea she had quickly dismissed, it would be impossible to hide from that witch anywhere in Japan, her and Denji's disastrous escape attempt had proved that much… And besides, this arrangement wasn't all bad, sure she was under the thumb of another government, but now she could have a life outside just killing, she'd even get to work with Denji!

All-in-all, Reze would be willing to swallow remaining a tool for the government, at least this way she can have a bit of normalcy, being able to live outside of that damned room and being able to share that life with someone like her, well… 

Wasn't that more than what a monster like her deserved…?

"Hey, you! I'm talkin' to you!", Reze looked up to see a balding devil hunter glaring at her, a scar running down from his left eye.

"Hope you aren't getting comfortable, you murderer!", the man sneered at her, his tone dripping with scorn, "If it was up ta' me, I'd have you locked up down with the devils!"

Reze looked up at the man, speaking drolly in response, "Иди на хуй".

The man scoffed indignantly, "Tch, hope you rot in hell, you fucking foreigner", he sneered down at her before spitting right at her feet, barging past her, making sure to clip her shoulder as he left. She turned, glaring at the man as he left, though the anger soon gave way to guilt, she couldn't exactly blame these people for hating her, she had killed dozens of them after all…

And then, suddenly a shock of blond hair appeared from around the corner, her emerald eyes widened upon locking with a familiar pair of caramel orbs. "Denji!", she rushed to him immediately, almost instinctively, wrapping her arms around his chest as she practically crashed into him, "I-I'm glad you're okay!"

Denji froze for a moment, stunned by the sudden contact, before returning the embrace with gusto, "Same to you, Reze, I thought you were dead when I woke up!", he broke from the embrace, putting his arms on her shoulders as the two teens drank in the sight of each other, Denji looks to the side sheepishly, "I… don't really remember much from the train station but… I'm sorry, you coulda probably got away easily if I wasn't there".

Reze reached up, putting her hand on his cheek, turning his gaze back to her, "Honestly Denji… I should be the one apologising, I was the one who dragged you into this whole mess, all I did was get you hurt…"

"Y'know, I meant what I said, back at the beach", Denji grinned at her cheekily, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Even if I knew that'd happen, I'd have made the same choice again".

Reze's cheeks reddened at his reply, with her playfully swatting his arm in response, "Geez… how can you say stuff like that so casually…", embarrassed yet grinning Reze stepped back from him.

"Soooo siiir… what brings you down here to little old me anyways?", Reze's trademark teasing made its return as she grinned at him. Denji rolled his eyes, though with the smile on his face betraying his pleasure at her teasing, 

"Well, Miss Makima told me that I'd meet my new buddy down here", said Denji, returning her teasing grin with one of his own, "So… lookin' forward to workin' with you, buddy". Reze blinked in surprise, she'd been told she'd be working with Denji, though she'd assumed Makima just meant she'd be working at Public Safety, not that she'd work side-by-side with him, 'But, why would Makima pair us together after we tried to run?'

Despite that mystery, Reze chose to push it to the back of her mind for now, after all, it's not like Makima had much to fear from them running away…

Not to be beaten, Reze shook off her momentary surprise, pouting as she replied to Denji, "Oh… and here I thought we were a lot more than buddies…"

"Wha- I- I mean- huh!", Denji spluttered, his façade breaking as Reze burst out laughing, doubled over, "Ahahahaha!"

Denji was about to reply when a deep, gruff voice cut both it and Reze's laughter short.

"Are you kids done, or do I need to waste more of my time here?"

"EEEK!" "AHH!!"

Both Denji and Reze yelped and spun around, both in a fighting stance until Denji realised who the owner of the tired voice was.

"Master Kishibe! What the hell?!", Denji griped as the old Devil Hunter stared at the impassively

"This old guy is Kishibe!?", Reze exclaimed, still on edge. The reputation of Public Safety's strongest Devil Hunter preceded him, with him and Makima being at the top of the list of people she was told to avoid on her mission. Kishibe ignored Reze, addressing Denji first, "I'm disappointed that you thought you'd be able to escape Public Safety kid", he took a swing from his hip flask before continuing, "Thought you'd have learnt that much from your training".

"Hey, me and Powy learnt a lot! You never taught us anything like that!"

"Shut it kid", Kishibe said, pointing at Denji who instinctively clamped his mouth shut. Kishibe then turned to Reze.

"So you're the Bomb, huh?", he cast an appraising eye over the girl.

"Yeah, what about it", Reze watched the old hunter warily, staying on guard.

"Hmmm… you've been taught well, though I suppose 'taught' would be the wrong word", Kishibe fixed her with a piercing look, making her shudder. "Well, as much as I'd love to chat more, I've been told by Makima to give you two your marching orders", He pulls out a laminated piece of paper: a map. "That's your new patrol route, you're to head out on it now and return here by 5pm to meet Hayakawa, if you're late we'll assume you ran again, and then we'll have to put you down. Understood?"

"Yes Master Kishibe!", Denji quickly replied, whilst Reze continued giving the old man a wary glare, suspicious of how much he knew of her life.

"I don't know why I'm having to babysit you kids…", Kishibe sighed before turning and walking away, looking over his shoulder as he went, "Anyways, I'm gonna hit the bar, try not to transform by the way, you two caused quite the stir the other day".

"I'm sure we'll be talkin' again very soon".

"So that was 'Mad Dog Kishibe', huh?", Reze asked Denji, the two teens turned Devil Hunters were walking around their new patrol route in Chiyoda, a notably more central route compared to Denji's old route, likely to keep them close to Public Safety Headquarters…

"Yeah, that was him alright", Denji responded, "You don't seem too impressed?"

"It's not that, I can tell he's plenty dangerous… I just didn't expect him to reek of alcohol…", Reze responds, though leaving out her other concern regarding the old hunter: that he knew about the room… 'Suppose it'd make sense if he did… with him being so high up in Public Safety…'

Denji frowned, shuddering, "Oh yeah, he's plenty dangerous alright… beat the shit outta me and Power when he was trainin' us"

"That bad…?", Reze looked at him curiously. "He broke our necks the first time we met him", Denji responds dryly, before proceeding to list off the many, many different 'teaching methods' Kishibe used on them.

The two sat outside a small coffee shop, having decided to grab lunch after Denji had exhausted his long list of Kishibe's lessons, with the two now sipping on a cup of coffee each, their sandwiches having been long-devoured. "This coffee tastes like shit!", Denji complains as he took another swing from the disposable cup, his face scrunched up at the taste. Reze smiled smugly as she drank hers, "Thought you liked coffee now, Deeenji?"

"I do!", Denji snaps back, "But this is just awful, it tastes like crap!"

"Hahaha! Yeah, this just might be the worst instant coffee I've ever had!", Reze laughed as she gave up her façade of enjoying the swill that the café passed off as coffee.

"Huhh!? But how come your drinking it if it tastes like crap!?", Denji exclaimed, looking at her incredulously.

"So are you though?", Reze deftly avoids answering the question, posing Denji one of her own instead. Denji just shrugs in response. 

"What if I like crap", he takes another swig of the coffee. "Same", Reze says nonchalantly, following Denji's lead and raising the cup up to her lips. 

It only took a moment for both of the hybrids to burst into laughter, spewing the coffee they had been drinking on the ground next to them.

"Pfft hahahaha!!"

"Ahahahahah!!"

By the time they had recovered from their joint laughing fit, what was left of their coffee was cold, not that either of them especially cared…

"Ahhhh….", Reze wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "I already miss Mr Kayo's coffee, he made a great cup, well when he got off his ass to do it anyways…"

"Huh, suppose we probably can't go back there anytime soon", Denji noted, "Though I guess we could make up a reason for why you joined Public Safety…?"

"Ohhh, have I got you hooked on coffee now?"

"Somethin' like that". Suddenly, Denji's eyes widened as if he remembered something, "Hey Reze, I forgot to ask but what happened back at the train station? I just remember getting' the drinks, then waking up with Aki starin' at me". The mirth disappeared from Reze's face, flashes of what happened coming back to her, "Well… it was Makima herself that ambushed us…"

"Wha- really, Miss Makima!?"

Reze nodded silently at Denji's shocked interjection, "Yeah… I don't remember much, just that she just… appeared outta nowhere on the other side of the platform, she took you out, then everything goes black…" She lets out a sigh, "After that, I woke up in an interrogation room, Makima was there and she offered me a deal, work for her and don't die basically…"

To Reze's surprise, no surprise showed on Denji's face as he spoke, "Oh yeah, that's the same offer she made me, guess that must be pretty normal for Public Safety".

"Wh-what?", Reze was appalled by how nonchalantly Denji reported that he had been coerced into working for Public Safety. She had, perhaps naively, assumed that even though Denji wasn't allowed to go to school, that he at least had more freedom than she did. As it turns out, his situation was worse than she thought…

"No Denji, that's not normal at all!", Reze exclaimed, before catching herself and lowering her voice, "It's normal for… criminals like me to get an offer like that, but you were just a normal kid, what'd you do to deserve that?"

Denji's forehead creases in confusion, conflict clear on his face, "I-I've killed people too, the Yakuza that I was payin' my debt to, and Miss Makima gave me a life better than anything I had before…"

Reze finally found her voice again as Denji trailed off, "Denji… Makima didn't do all that out of the kindness of her heart…", she spoke softly, looking at the young man sympathetically.

"I mean, Miss Makima let us off easy after we tried running, she even let us be buddies!", Denji's voice started to raise, his tone defensive as Reze reached out to set her hand on his arm.

"Denji…", she spoke softly, patting his arm comfortingly as she sighed in defeat, "I know she did all that, it's just, I don't know why they allowed someone… like me… to live after all that…"

Reze looks at Denji, griping his arm more tightly now, an anxious look on her face, "I'm happy to be here… I really am, it's better than what I deserve, but…"

Reze trailed off as she thought back to her encounter with her new boss, her memory of the events since that witch ambushed them at the train station was fuzzy at best. A fact that made a chill go up her spine, Makima's ominous reputation didn't exactly soothe her worries over her hazy memories, especially considering that nobody even knew what contracts the woman actually possessed…

Denji looked at Reze in surprise, not having expected such a passive response, his guard dropping once more as he focused back on Reze, catching the girl by surprise by grabbing her hand in his own. "Reze… sorry for, y'know, snapping at you there and all… you didn't deserve that…", Denji looked Reze in the eyes, his own being conveying both guilt and sympathy, "I don't really know what your life was like before… but what I do know is that you do deserve better than that…"

Denji smiled as Reze's cheeks lit up, her mouth open slightly in surprise as Denji continued, "I know we won't be able to go to school together like you wanted, but we do get paid days off soooo… we could maybe, y'know go out somewhere sometime…", Denji's face was now as red as Reze's, his hand still holding on to Reze's as he looked away abashedly. Reze's flustered surprise was slowly replaced by a fond smile as Denji spoke, with the girl giggling lightly as Denji finished, "Denjiii, are you by any chance asking me on another daaate?", Reze was grinning now, hoping to hide her own embarrassment by teasing the boy. She failed.

Denji, instead of becoming even more embarrassed, simply looked back at Reze, his cheeks still flushed, but his face dead serious, "Yeah. I'm asking you on a date, Reze."

All Reze could do for a moment was stare back, open-mouthed, she was sure that her face had become as red as a berry, though she found that didn't care about that at all as she responded, "I'd love to go on a date with you… Denji".

As Denji suddenly jumped up from his seat, shouting in celebration, Reze found herself laughing at his enthusiasm as a thought crossed her mind.

Even if she was still a weapon and a tool, and even if she had simply traded one master for another, at least she was no longer alone.

Chapter Text

“So, Denji, what are the other members of the Division like?”

Reze and Denji were sitting in the lobby of Public Safety headquarters, having arrived back ahead of schedule. With time to burn whilst they waited for Aki to come and pick them up, drinking the bottles of iced tea they had bought from a nearby vending machine.  Tired of the awkward tension that had hung over them since Denji asked her out at the coffee shop, Reze had decided to try and learn as much about her new coworkers as she could.

Denji chugged the rest of his tea, letting out a satisfied belch as he turned to her, “Eh? Why’d you wanna know about them?”

Reze rolled her eyes at this, “Because I’d like to know who I’ll be working with, will be pretty handy knowing who to avoid, you know?”

“Eh, suppose you’re right, Hmmm… let me think…”, Denji held out his hand in front of him, counting off his fingers as he began listing off names, “Well you met Master Kishibe earlier, other than him the only other humans in our division are me and Aki, and I’m treated as a devil by most of them”, Denji puts his hand back down and turns to her, “Other than that everyone else is a fiend like Powy and Beam”.

“Oh, hey there! You’re the Bomb from the other day!”, just as Reze was about to question Denji some more she was interrupted by a boisterous, muffled voice. Reze whipped around to face the direction the new voice came from, seeing a tall, masked man coming towards them, a tiny girl following close behind, shaking like a leaf as she tried hiding behind the tall figure.

“Hope ya don’t hold our little scuffle against me, just following orders!”, Violence laughed as he stopped in front of the two hybrids.

Recognition dawned on Reze’s face, “Oh, you’re that fiend that ran off back then, you’re pretty strong, got me pretty good with that kick…”

Reze watched the fiend warily as he laughed again, waving off the compliment, “Hahaha! Nice of you to say Bomb, but I have enough sense to know when I’m outmatched!”

“This guy here is the Violence fiend, I think…”, Denji chose this moment to chip in, glaring at the fiend, clearly annoyed at the interruption, “He’s the partner of Shorty over there, she’s another of the human devil hunters left along with Aki”.

Confusion clouds Reze’s face, “But I thought you said that you, the old man and Aki were the only humans left?”.

Denji simply shrugs, “Eh, I forgot, the shorty there is called… uhmm... huh…”, Denji stares blankly for a moment before turning his gaze to Kobeni, staring at her blankly.

“What’s your name again?”

“W-wha, b-but I- Y-you-“, the poor girl didn’t even get a chance to voice her objections before she was pulled out from her position behind Violence by the fiend himself. Violence forcing the timid girl out in front of him, gesturing to her proudly.

“This here’s my buddy Kobeni! She’s pretty cute, huh?”

Reze looked at the girl quizzically for a moment before her eyes widened and her face lit up in recognition. 

“Ohhhh, you’re that girl who was grovelling on the road!”, a mischievous glint appeared in Reze’s eyes as she remembered something else from that day.

“Thought you said you’d quit if I left you, how come you’re still at Public Safety?”

“Ehhh?! W-well… I-I!”, Kobeni stammered frantically for a moment before all the fight seemed to leave her, shoulders slumping as she continued in a quiet, dispirited voice, “I-it’s the o-only job that pays this well t-that… isn’t…”

The smile fled from Reze’s face as she watched the small girl wilt in front of her eyes, “Geez… hey, I was only messing with you. I won’t hurt you! We’re working together now after all!”, Reze reached out to Kobeni, only for the girl to flinch and move back to hide behind Violence again.

Seeing Reze’s concern, Denji quickly interjected, “Ah, don’t worry ‘bout her Reze, Shorty here is always like that, ain’t your fault”.

“Huh… right…”, Reze looked at Denji and then back to the odd couple in front of them again, an unsure look still plastered on her face.

“Yeah, Kobeni here is just a little shy!”, Violence said loudly, oblivious to the tension, “But that’s just part of her charm! Wouldn’t you agree?!”

Reze opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by an unexpected voice.

“Th-thank you f-for not k-killing me!”, Kobeni practically yelled out, her eyes scrunched shut as stood back out in front of Violence. Reze looked down at the ground, her bangs covering her eyes as Violence continued on where Kobeni left off, his hand on the timid girl’s shoulder as if to calm her, “Me and Kobeni here were hoping to bump into you actually, to say thanks for goin’ easy on us back there”.

All was silent for a moment, Reze keeping her eyes on the ground as Denji reached out to her, “Hey Rez-“

“No”, Reze’s voice was cold and dull as she turned her gaze back up to Violence and Kobeni, “Don’t thank me for that, I did nothing worth any thanks that night. There were a lot of people I didn’t give that option to…”

“O-oh… w-w-well I-I’ll always be g-grateful to y-you anyway, M-miss R-Reze!”, Kobeni quickly scurried away around the corner with that final declaration of thanks, presumably away from whatever retribution she expected from disobeying the hybrid girl’s request. “Hey, Beni! Wait up!”, Violence quickly ran after his fleeing buddy, looking over his shoulder and waving as he booked it after her, “Was nice talking again Bomb, see ya around!”

Reze, meanwhile, was stewing in her own feelings of self-loathing, teeth grinding as her mind went back to that night.

Bodies piled high, and her stepping over the corpses she had created, pretending that it didn’t bother her.

No, she was just a monster at her core. After all, she’d killed all those people without a thought, what right would she have to accept an apology for not killing someone, as if it was some kind of achievement when all those deaths were on her hands?

“Hey, Reze… you okay?”, Denji looked at Reze in concern, “What was all that about?”

Reze blinked, the coldness vanishing from her face as she snapped out of her trance of self-loathing, “Oh, I’m fine Denji, it’s just…”

“Just what?”, Denji questioned her as she trailed off, his voice laced with concern, “If it's about scarin’ Shorty, don’t feel too bad, she tried to kill me pretty recently!”

Reze throws Denji an incredulous look at that, “She tried to kill you? Really?!?”

Denji shrugs at this, “Eh, nothing new under the sun”.

Reze looks at him blankly for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh and looking away from him again, “It's nothing… well no, it’s just…”, Reze stops mid-sentence as she notices another familiar face, with a very familiar topknot approaching them, “It can wait for later Denji, it looks like we have some more company…”

Throughout his whole patrol with Angel, Aki had been fuming over the situation he had been foisted into. Having to accept that that monster gets to live was galling enough, but having to house her under his own roof? He still didn’t fully understand why Makima had dropped this responsibility in his lap of all people, why not just lock her up until needed like the other devils?

He had a face like thunder as he turned the corner into the main lobby, finally catching sight of the source of his ire for the first time since their duel in the ruin of the city block she had devastated.

Aki strode towards the two teenaged hybrids, only for the girl to turn to look at him as he approached. Her eyes looked tired and drained as she looked at him, and as she turned back to inform Denji of his arrival, he had been expecting to see the monster that had held the heads of his friends aloft. But instead, Aki couldn’t help but remember what Kishibe had told him the day they had apprehended the two hybrids. The old man had spoken about orphans, human guinea pigs, experiments… and a room…

Aki fixed a scowl back on his face as he stopped in front of the two teenagers, with Denji greeting him.

“Yo, Aki you’re late! When are we going home anyway? And what’s happenin’ with Reze?”

Aki’s eye twitched, “If you want to hear about all of that, then can it so I can tell you!”. Denji quickly shut his trap as Aki snapped at him, keeping his ire focussed on the blonde teen, and pointedly not looking at Reze.

“For whatever reason, the higher-ups have decided that I’m to be stuck with not just you and Power under my roof, but also Bomb over here”, Aki said, grinding his teeth as he spoke and gestured aggressively towards Reze.

“Hey! This ‘Bomb’ has a name y’ know!”

This protest hadn’t come from where Aki expected, however, with the raven-haired girl simply fixing him with a cold stare. No, instead the shout had come from Aki’s own roommate, with Denji storming up to him, getting in his face.

“Her name is Reze you dick! And-“

“That’s enough Denji. It’s fine”, Reze interrupted Denji’s fiery rant, placing her hand gently on his shoulder, “It’s not a big deal, really…”

In truth, as she defused Denji’s anger with a small smile, Reze felt nothing but melancholy acceptance. She knew that she’d always be seen as a murderous devil by those in Public Safety, as much as it bothered her, it was predictable.

It was also nothing new…

Aki meanwhile had flinched as Denji had suddenly squared up to him. He hadn’t been surprised that Denji had reacted in such a way, not really, he knew well enough that the kid was a punk with no respect for authority.

What had surprised him was that he had reacted to something so minor, so quickly. Aki’s eye twitched as Denji backed off at the Bomb’s touch, ‘tch… guess Denji was serious back in the interrogation room. Trust that kid to fall for a murderer…’

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing down his anger, there was no point in escalating anything right now. It’s not like he’s had any luck changing Miss Makima’s mind in the past, plus he really didn’t want to end up on her bad side… “Well, if you’re done with your little outburst, then it's about time we head on home”, Aki sighed again, still hardly believing that the words were coming from his mouth, “and, for God knows what reason, Miss Makima has decided to curse my home with your presence as well, Reze”.

Aki’s voice dripped with malice as he swung around, briskly marching towards the door, his barely contained fury visible to any he passed. In his wake, he left the two teens shellshocked, jaws agape. They stood like that for a moment, before Denji turned to Reze with an excited grin, shining with an almost puppy-like excitement.

“You hear that Reze! We get to be roommates!”

Before she could open her mouth to answer, Denji jolted in realisation, “Oh crap! We better catch up with Aki, he might actually leave us behind if he’s in that shitty a mood!”

As Denji grabbed her wrist and started pulling her behind his as he dashed to the door, she found that her melancholy had left her as she jogged to the exit with Denji, a smile on her face and her troubles, while not forgotten, weighed less on her as she left the building and went on to a new life.

Thus far, the drive had been quiet, the tension in the air being as thick as the silence was pervasive. Denji and Reze both sat together in the back seat, with the pair watching the scenery of Tokyo go by from their respective windows, neither wanting to be the first to break the silence, lest they incur the wrath of their chauffeur.

Aki meanwhile was a bundle of repressed rage, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. He’d been so thrown off by Denji’s earlier reaction, that he had forgotten to inform his two passengers of the fact that Public Safety had essentially created brand new identities for them both.

Or rather, he had procrastinated, he wasn’t exactly thrilled over that decision after all, so the longer he could hold off that conversation the better…

Back in the back seat of the car, Denji had gotten tired of pretending to be interested in the monolithic skyscrapers that dominated the skyline of Tokyo. They had impressed him the first few times he, Aki and Power had commuted to Public Safety headquarters, but it was hard to fake interest in a view he had seen most days on the way to work. Plus, there was something, or rather someone else who was much more interesting than some boring office blocks…

Denji craftily tried to catch a glimpse of Reze from the corner of his eye. She was sitting in the seat, her legs crossed with one foot bouncing slightly, his gaze trailed over her the girl’s form, internally cursing the fact that her new uniform covered up her long, lithe legs and her subtle curves.

His gaze then tracked upwards. The slight swell of her chest, the absence of her signature choker stood out, though he couldn’t see her pin trigger from this side. Then her saw her face, a sly smile, a small blush on her cheeks.

Her bright, emerald eyes watching him coyly, akin to a cat that got the cream… Oh...

“Wellll… someone seems to be enjoying the view…”, Reze purred as she turned her full attention to him, leaning in towards him as far as her seatbelt would allow, “And here I thought that you’d be the one showing me some sights”.

Denji felt a flush creeping up his neck as he grinned nervously, eyes flicking to and fro, “Well, y’know…”, suddenly his eye lit up as a perfect excuse came to him.

“I was looking out your side to uh… see if I could catch a glimpse of Tokyo Tower!”, Denji blurted out his excuse proudly, still avoiding eye contact with the bombshell to his right.

In response, Reze’s gaze bored into the side of Denji’s head, her teasing smile softening as she unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted over to the middle seat, leaning up to whisper in his ear.

“Tokyo Tower is on the other side of town Denji”, as Reze’s breath tickled his ear, Denji went as rigid as a board, the blush spreading across his face as she grabbed his hand in her own, “But just remember, Denji…”

“You’re free to enjoy the view anytime”.

“I-I, well-!“

Whilst Denji stuttered out a flustered response, Aki’s eye wouldn’t stop twitching in annoyance, the man currently mourning the loss of the awkward silence he enjoyed moments before, anything would be better than listening to the two teens behind him doing… this.

At this point, he was seriously considering driving into the oncoming traffic as a preferable alternative…

“Bomb”, Aki’s icy voice cut through the flirting from the backseat, “Put your seatbelt back on. As much as I’d enjoy seeing you go through the windshield, I’d hate to have to do all the paperwork”.

And once again, silence reigned supreme in the car. With this, Aki focused all his attention back onto the road, his sanity saved for the moment, whilst the two hybrids were sitting apart again, with Reze having reluctantly moved back to her own seat.

Even though the silence had returned, Denji and Reze found that they didn’t care, with both having content smiles on their faces despite Aki’s foul mood, their fingers still intertwined as the car trundled onwards towards home.

“Huh, thought this place would be fancier, considering Topknot here is a Public Safety bigshot…”, Reze was the first to speak as they clambered out of the car, quickly followed by Denji, with Aki being the last out. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, never really thought about the place bein’ too small though. Bigger than anywhere else I’ve lived”, Denji joined Reze in front of the apartment block where the girl was appraising the building.

Reze shrugs nonchalantly, “Hey, same here, I’m not complaining or anything, it’s definitely bigger than my last place anyway. Just find it kinda weird that Public Safety wouldn’t splurge a bit more is all”.

“We’re government funded Bomb”, Aki intoned from behind them tersely, “Means we get good holidays and shit pay. We’re lucky the government provides us with free accommodation like this”. He moves to climb the stairs up to the second floor, before looking over his shoulder at the two teens following him up, “Sadly, that also means they get to decide who lives in it as well”, and with that last passive-aggressive remark, Aki continued on up the stairs.

‘I get the feeling I’m not wanted’ , Reze thought wryly, though it's not like she could really blame the man at the end of the day… “Ah just ignore him Reze, you’ll love the place!”, Denji casually blew off what Aki said, smiling excitedly at Reze, clearly thrilled to show her the flat. “It’s got comfy beds, a good view, a bath and all the food you could ask for! Hell, when he doesn’t have a stick up his ass Aki can be alright, he makes great grub!”

Reze giggled into her hand, finding the blonde's enthusiasm infectious, “Geez, with a sales pitch like that I can’t help but be excited!”

By the time the two had caught up with Aki, he was fishing through his pockets for his keys. As he turned the key in the door and swung the door open, he addressed them again. “I’ll be heading out on patrol again soon, so you’ll have to sort dinner for yourself tonight Denji”, Aki had returned to the tried and tested method of simply pretending that Reze didn’t exist as he entered the living room, followed by the two hybrids.

“So, try not to make too much of a me-“

Before Aki even got a chance to finish his sentence, a loud crash sounded from down the hallway, followed by the thudding patter of footsteps.

The three looked over towards the room the noise was coming from.It was Power’s room.

Denji and Aki’s faces turned white and, before they had any chance to warn a now-concerned Reze, the door to the room burst open.

“BEHOLD DENJI! THE MIGHTY POWER HAS RETURNED!”

The haughty fiend proudly proclaimed her presence, having kicked open her bedroom door upon hearing the sound of them entering the building.

Aki was cursing himself, with everything that had happened today, he forgot that Power was due home today. Similarly, Denji had been so caught up in his reunion with Reze that he had forgotten all about Miss Makima mentioning that Power had returned home after getting her blood drained.

And, whilst Denji had grown to appreciate Power’s abrasive attitude after having to deal with Beam’s fawning, he was pretty worried about how she’d react to Reze living here.

‘Well, hopefully Powy will get on with Reze alright, she took well enough to Aki and that short chi-‘ , Denji’s optimistic thoughts were cut short as a small blood spear flew right past his head, directly towards Reze.

‘Shit! ’, Reze’s instincts went on overdrive as soon as she saw the horned fiend’s target-like eyes narrow dangerously upon catching sight of her at the back of the group, with Reze shifting her head to the side as the fiend's rapidly formed blood spear missed her head by a hair.

“DENJI, TOPKOT! WHO IS THIS INTRUDER!?”, true to form Power struck first and asked questions later, “THAT SMELL OF HERS IS AWFUL! SHE MUST B- BLEGHH!?”

Power’s speech was cut off as Reze darted forward and delivered a solid punch to the fiend’s gut, causing her to double over breathless. Reze quickly followed up by then putting her into a headlock, Power’s face turning purple as Reze held the lock firm. “Reze, stop! That’s enough!”, Denji implored her, springing into action and prying Reze off of the Blood Fiend, with Reze letting go with little resistance, the adrenaline leaving her upon hearing his plea. Now released, Power scrambled back up to her feet, coughing and rubbing her throat as she glared at Reze and Denji, “D-denji! You’re siding with this harlot!?”

“Powy, I’ve told you before, you can’t just attack people on sight!”, Denji shouted back in exasperation before turning back to Reze, “Sorry ‘bout that Reze, I totally forgot to warn you that Power would be back home, you okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit surprised is all…”, Reze gave Denji a small smile, appreciating the concern, before turning her attention back to the fiend. “What is her problem though?”, she calmly pointed at Power, who by now was shakily getting back up to her feet, her face contorted in a snarl.

“Y-you! How d-dare you speak to me like that, I was simply defending myself, tis’ true!”, Power pointed right back at Reze as she rewrote the history of the last few minutes, “Topknot! Who is this interloper, I demand you remove her at once! Your Prime Minister demands it!”

Aki, who had up to this point been staring at the blood spear jutting out of his wall, his eye twitching rapidly, shot Power a withering glare, “What have I said about making blood weapons inside this house Power!”

“T’was but instinct upon smelling such a foul creature entering my domain!”

‘Should I be pissed about that?’ , Reze thought as she watched Aki and this horned menace argue.

“I don’t care if it was instinct, you brat! It should be instinct to not put holes in my house!”, Aki shouted before sighing again, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration before continuing on to explain their new living situation to the fiend. “From today onwards, Reze will be housed here with us”, Aki explained to the fiend begrudgingly, “So you three better learn how to get along!”

“Nay! I refuse to tolerate a barbarian in my company!”, Power declared with no hint of self-awareness, “Take her from my sight now!”

Aki rolled his eyes, “Not going to happen Power. She’s staying here under Makima’s orders”. 

Power froze, sweat beading on her forehead and the haughtiness fleeing from her face as she nervously looked at Aki, “Y-yes Hayakawa, sir…”

She then turned back to Reze some confidence returning to her as she again pointed imperiously at her, “Y-you, d-despite your blatant assault on me, I have decided that I will accept you into my abode! Grovel and thank the mighty Power!”

Reze was completely baffled at this point, unsure how to react to the blood fiend’s bipolar ranting, “Why the hell should I-“. Reze was interrupted as Denji nudged her lightly with his elbow to get her attention. “It’s best just to agree with her Reze”, Denji said, a tired look on his face, “She’s already rewritten her own memories at this point, in her mind she’s done nothing wrong…”

“Ah, right… got it…”, Reze replied, still utterly confused as she decided to just play along with the fiend’s delusions, “Thanks for your… generosity, Power…”

Power’s face lit up joyously as Reze thanked her, the fiend turning to Denji excitedly, “See Denji! This how to treat an exalted devil such as myself!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Powy…”, Denji rolled his eyes, though if you looked carefully you could see a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“I tire of you now, mortals! Onwards to snacks Meowy!”

As quickly as she had first appeared, Power retreated back into her room, grabbing a bag of jerky in one hand and her loyal feline companion in another, slamming the door of her room shut behind her, her doorknob coming loose and falling to the floor with a loud thunk.

“Sooo… what the hell was that all about?”, Reze breaks the silence as she stares at the door the rowdy fiend had just fled through, still somewhat shellshocked at the chaos that had been unleashed by the devil.“Oh, Power is like that all the time, believe it or not, she’s actually pretty human-like, by devil standards anyway”, Denji waves off Reze’s concerns nonchalantly, “She’s only tried to kill me a couple of times recently”.

Reze does a double take upon hearing that Denji’s flatmate, now also hers, tried to kill him on a regular basis. For a moment she thought about commenting on it, but it wasn’t like she had much of a leg to stand on when it came to making attempts on Denji’s life. She fought to keep a bitter frown from her face at the thought.

And here I thought I could’ve at least made a coffee before heading back out”, Aki spoke, his voice tired and drained, with Power’s dramatics being his last straw, “I’m heading back out before any of you cause any more problems…”

“Hey! I resent that!”, Denji protested at the unfair accusation, with Reze not being far behind with her own complaint, “Yeah, it’s not like I wanted to get attacked!”

“I don’t care!”, Aki snapped before letting out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Just… try not to cause any more damage to the place”. Aki then made his way to leave, opening the front door before reluctantly looking over his shoulder to Denji, “There are two folders on the kitchen counter… make sure you two read them”, and with that, a disgruntled Aki disappeared into the night.

Denji and Reze sat cross-legged on the floor, sitting around the table, two folders laid out open in front of them.

“Hell no! Everyone is gonna think I’m related to Aki now!”, Denji groaned as he read the paperwork, the name ‘Hayakawa Denji’ stood out proudly at the top of the freshly printed birth certificate, courtesy of Public Safety, “The notes at the end here say that I’m a distant cousin of his, urghh… at least it doesn’t say I’m his brother or anything…”

Reze was similarly staring at the document in front of her in shock. For her, who had never had a family and had been referred to as either a number or a devil for her whole life, it was a shock to her system to see the name printed out at the top of the page: ‘Himeno Reze’.

“Hey Reze, what’s yours say?”, Denji leaned over the table, trying to read the upside-down text. She looks up at him, an indecipherable look on her face as she spoke, “Says my new name is Himeno Reze, suppose they needed some sort of cover story for me…”

Denji’s eyes widened at that, “Did you say Himeno?”, he questioned, the shock palpable in his voice.

Reze’s interest was now well and truly piqued as she began to question him, “Yeah, why? Does that name mean anything to you?”

Denji had a myriad of emotions on his face, still feeling guilty that the memory of the woman, who was one of his first friends at Public Safety, still made him feel nothing.“Yeah, that was the name of Aki’s buddy, she was killed a while back when that Katana bastard attacked us…”

‘Ah that jumped up Yakuza… wonder how he ended up as a weapon…’ , Reze thought it was odd that a hybrid had shown up out of nowhere in the middle of Tokyo, after all, she doubted he’d gone through the intense experimentation she had been forced into. “What was she like?”, for some reason Reze found herself asking more about this woman she’d never met. Maybe it was just guilt that she’d practically stolen this woman’s name, all whilst living in the home of her grieving partner. She frowned at the thought.

“Well… I didn’t know her long, but she was the first person at Public Safety to offer to be my friend, so she was pretty nice, except fro-“, Denji froze, a queasy look on his pale face. ‘Can’t believe I almost let that one slip!’ , Denji scolded himself internally, the memory of his first kiss making his stomach turn, ‘Nope! Reze can never know about that…’

“Well… other than that you’d be better off asking Aki, he’d know a lot more than I would…”, Denji finished weakly as he scratched his chin nervously.

Reze laughed bitterly at Denji’s recommendation, “I doubt he’d even want to look at me, never mind talk to me about his dead partner. He’s made his feelings about me very clear, and who could blame him after I butchered his friends?”

Reze was used to this feeling of self-loathing, it was a constant companion throughout her life after all, but she was usually able to just push it down and write it off as following orders, but now… well now that she had at least some autonomy, and especially now that she shared a home with someone directly impacted by her actions, it was a lot harder to push to the back of her mind and compartmentalise.

“Hey, I’m sure they were tryin’ to kill you too, ain’t your fault that you had to kill them…”, Denji tried comforting the girl, having noticed her increasing anguish.

“Don’t try to absolve me of this, Denji!”, Reze unexpectedly snapped at the boy, causing him to flinch slightly in surprise, “I always had a choice! I always had the option not to kill, but I was just selfish… thinking my life was more important than theirs…”

Reze trailed off, her voice fading to just a whisper, as Denji looked on in concern, before he leaned over the table, grabbing her hand and looking her in the eyes earnestly, “Hey, your life is important too Reze!”, his eyes were alight with conviction as he spoke, “Besides, even if you have done all that in the past, you disobeyed the guys orderin’ you to do all that when you ran away with me!”

“But that was just selfishness too Denji! It’s not like it was some grand selfless act, I just ran away and dragged you with me!”

“Hey! I knew exactly what I was getting into back then Reze!”, Denji’s grasp on her hand tightened as he raised his voice, “And hell, I’m just as selfish as you! I kept on wishing for a better life, and I got it, but Pochita… I think that sometimes I shoulda been happy with just me and him…”

Denji was unusually morose and serious as he continued, “Even now I’m not in Public Safety to save people, I’m just doin’ this to live that better life I’m chasing…”

“But, I promised to show Pochita my dreams, and right now bein’ with you feels like a pretty good dream…” Denji’s expression softened, his cheeks ruby red as he loosened his grip on her hand, looking at the shocked girl with a small smile. Reze was quiet for a moment, shock still painted on her face, before she slowly entwined her fingers with Denji’s, grasping his hand back gently as she smiled back at him fondly.

“Oh Denji, you really do need to wise up, huh?”, despite the seemingly harsh words, Reze stood up and made her way round to Denji’s side of the table, sitting down beside him and nestling into his side, latching onto his arm.

“R-reze, what do y-?”

Reze interrupted him, putting her hand over his mouth, smiling playfully as she spoke up again, “When you put it like that, I suppose we can just be selfish together, huh?”

“Now that’s something I can get behind!”, Denji beamed at her response wrapping his arm around her shoulder near-instinctively, happy to see Reze in better spirits.

As she leaned further into Denji, resting her head on his shoulder, Reze still had her doubts. She was still under the thumb of others as a weapon, and she wasn’t exactly convinced that she could find any redemption for her past…

But Denji’s dream sounded like a nice one to share, and maybe that was all she’d need…

“What the hell was Makima thinking!? She wasn’t even in the doors a minute!”

Angel rolled his eyes as Aki ranted about the Bomb for what felt like the dozenth time that night, with Angel wishing that he could find the energy to care about Chainsaw’s girlfriend. “You really shouldn’t be questioning Makima like that, I’m sure she has her reasons…”, Angel responded drolly, feeling it necessary to try and talk his buddy down from his annoyance at Makima. The memory of that tattooed island woman flashed in his mind again, smiling and looking toward him warmly, her arm outstretched as if beckoning him.

Ever since that day, the thought kept on returning to him, and it never failed to leave a sinking feeling in his gut.

“What reason could Makima have to make me live with that murderer!”, Aki snapped back, wheeling around to face his buddy. “I was meant to be training with Nomo this week, and instead I have to go to his funeral!”, Aki was seething in rage, he’d heard from a mutual friend of his and Nomo’s from another division, they hadn’t even found enough of him to have an open-casket funeral, and yet they still insist that she gets to live a cosy life in his home!?

“I’m a devil, I have no idea about any of that…”, Angel gave his usual response to Aki’s concerns, only to surprise the devil hunter by following up on it for once. Angel let out a heavy sigh as he continued, “But if you really need answers about Bomb, then just ask her or Chainsaw. I’m sure he likes her for a reason… he doesn’t seem to hold her attacking him against her after all.”

“You think that kid has a clue?!”

Angel rolled his eyes again and continued walking, “I couldn’t care less, anything is better than listening to you complain about this constantly…”

Aki was about to shout at his annoyance of a buddy again, before restraining himself. It’s not as if shouting at the devil had ever done any good before...He  thought back to what Denji had said in the interrogation cell.

'She just wanted to escape, huh?’ , Aki grimaced as he followed after his buddy, ‘I’ll be the judge of that myself…’

Denji and Reze had sat in their position at the table for some time, both of them almost dosing off in each other’s arms before Denji let out a massive yawn, stretching his arms in the air as he did. “Heeyyy…”, Reze looked up at him sleepily, rubbing the sleep out her eyes as she fixed him with a playful glare, “I was comfortable there…”

Denji smiled apologetically, “Yeah, I was too, but I really don’t wanna be woken up by Aki when he comes back, he’s always in an awful mood after the late shift…”

“Yeah… fair point…”, Reze frowned at the thought of talking to the man, if he was usually in a bad mood when he arrived back, she didn’t exactly want to find out how much worse seeing her would make it… A realisation suddenly came to Reze, this flat wasn’t exactly large…

“Hey, Denji… Where am I going to sleep?”

“Oh… uhhh…”, Denji’s brain short-circuited for a moment as he gave the matter thought, “Well… there’s no way you could stay in Powy’s room, she’d probably try to drink your blood in your sleep…”

Denji looked at Reze, his reddened face lighting up in a mix of excitement and nerves, “W-well, there’s a futon we could lay out in my room, I guess…”

“Ohhhh Denjiii, are you suggesting that we share a rooom?”, Reze purred, grinning slyly at him, “Very bold of you…”

Denji, who at this point was getting used to the girl’s periodic teasing, grinned back, “Well you could try your luck with Power, though we only got her to start showering recently”.

“Geez… it's no fun when you don’t get all flustered…”, Reze pouts, before perking up again, “Oh! Is there something I can wear to bed?”

“Ah, there it is!”

Shortly after he had told Reze to just grab something from his room to sleep in, she had run off to the bathroom to change before he’d even had a chance to ask what she’d picked out, winking at him as she locked the door behind her.

‘Hmm… wonder what she did pick out?’ , Denji thought as he pulled down the futon from the top of the dresser it was stuffed away in, his mind racing as he laid out the futon on the ground, thinking about all the possibilities of what she could’ve picked out, only to disappoint himself.

‘Aww damn it… if Power wasn’t here, she coulda picked out somethin’ sexy from her room…’

As he finished fixing up the futon, he heard the creak of the door opening behind him, “Hey Reze, that’s the fuuuu…“, Denji trailed off, having swung his head around to greet the girl, only to freeze as he drunk in the sight in front of him.

There, leaning on the door frame, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face stood Reze, her hair out of her usual bun and tickling her shoulders and clad in one of his work shirts. Denji’s eyes flicked up and down her form, the shirt doing little to cover her up, only reaching down to her mid-thigh.

‘You know, I take it back… this is pretty damn sexy…’

Reze giggled lightly as she started walking towards, “Hope you don’t mind I stole one of your shirts, it looked like you had plenty of spares”, her teasing smile staying on her face as she walked around Denji, “Thanks for laying out the futon by the way!”

“O-oh yeah, no p-problem”, was all Denji managed to squeeze out, truly in awe at what he had just seen, before he felt two thin arms drape themselves over his shoulders from behind and a breathy voice whispering in his ear, “I’m really looking forward to that date you promised me, Denji…”

Needless to say, as Denji lay in his bed, with a scantily clad Reze lightly snoring on the futon beside his bed and the thoughts of going on another date with her whizzing through his head, it’d be a long while before he managed to get any sleep…

Chapter Text

"Urghh…"

Denji's eyes sluggishly creaked open as his dreamless sleep came to an end. He'd managed to get some sleep in the end, though only after staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours, forcing himself to tune out the soft snores of his new roommate. Denji stared at the roof blankly for a minute before sluggishly turning his head to glance over at the futon Reze had been sleeping on the night before, only to find it empty.

'Huh… wonder where she's got to…', Denji thought blearily as he closed his eyes again. He still felt exhausted, and it wasn't just because he had a girl sleeping in his room. Instead, he felt like he'd woken up from a nightmare only to remember not a single thing about it. It was frustrating, and it had happened a couple of times since he started at Public Safety, but at this point, Denji was just putting it down to sleeping somewhere that wasn't a shed…

"Sleep well, Denjiii?", a soft voice whispered beside him, their breath tickling his ear

"Nah, was kinda crap real- wha!?"

Denji nearly jumped out of his skin as he bolted upright, whipping around to face the direction the voice had come from, now well and truly awake as he met the eyes of the girl who had just moments ago been on his mind.

"The hell are you doin' up here Reze!?"

The girl in question was currently reclining on the bed right next to where Denji had been lying, propped up on her elbow, her hand supporting her head. Reze was grinning like a Cheshire cat as she responded, "What? I thought you would've enjoyed sharing a bed?"

"Well… I'm not against the idea…", Denji scratches his cheek idly in embarrassment, "How long have you been there, anyways?"

"Geez…", Reze pouts as she pushes herself up into a seated position with her legs crossed, "It's not as fun when you don't get all flustered y'know…"

Denji grins at her faux disappointment, deciding to press his advantage, "So what were you doin' in my bed anyway? That's awful clingy for someone who's only a couple feet away."

Reze fixed him with a deadpan stare, "The plan was to make you go red as a tomato, but you just haaad to ruin all my fun…"

Denji smirks at that, "You say that, but I think you just wanted a closer look at the merchandise!"

For her part, Reze continued staring at him for a few moments, her expression unreadable as she slid over to the side of the bed and stood up.

"Reze…?", Denji watched as she began to make her way to the door, confused at her unresponsiveness. He was just about to open his mouth to question her as she looked over her shoulder with a sly smirk on her face.

"You drool in your sleep by the way."

And with that Reze stalked out of the door, leaving Denji behind trying to splutter out a coherent response. "Hey! That's not tr-", Denji's eyes widened in realisation mid-way through his shout.

"How'd you know that?! Just how long were you were you watching me sleep?!"

"I'm going in for a shower Denjiii, no peaking!", Reze's muffled voice responded, dripping with mirth.

"Reze?!"

'Bit late for her to tell me not to peak now, I've seen everything already…'

Denji was grumbling as he made his way to the flat's small kitchen, yawning as he opened a cupboard and fished out a canister of coffee and a bag of sugar, and then ambling to the fridge and grabbing a carton of milk, setting both down on the counter.

'Though, seein' that view in the daylight would be nice…', Denji was lost in thought as he held two mugs in his hands, his cheeks rosy as he thought back to that night at the school, Reze's lithe form lit up by the light of the moon.

Denji brought the mugs over and put the kettle on to boil, the thought of seeing Reze naked again proving hard to shake, the sound of the running shower from the bathroom only working to fuel his imagination further. As he prepared the coffee, Denji found himself grinning, only a couple of months ago he'd been living on the streets, and now here he was, living in a comfy flat, working a government job with people he (generally) got on with and making coffee for a hot girl he'd just been in bed with.

Sure, people tried to kill him every once and a while, but it sure felt like he was living in a dream…

Denji brought the cups over to the living room table, setting Reze's down before sitting down on the opposite side, taking a sip from his own drink. 

'Eh… ain't half bad, definitely better than yesterday's anyway'

As Denji sipped on his coffee, he noticed a post-it note stuck to the side of the table, picking up the small note, immediately noticing that it was Aki's handwriting as he read:

'Took Power to meet up with her new buddy, a kid called Yoshida. Makima has decided to give you two the day off, so I left a bit earlier than usual. I won't be back until late, so you'll have to sort dinner out yourselves. Stay out of trouble and try not to make a mess.'

"So, what's it say?"

"Wha-?!", Denji jumped in shock for the second time in the morning as he looked up from the note at the girl who was making a habit of sneaking up on him. His scolding was stopped in its tracks before it even began, as Denji stared at her with his mouth agape.

Reze looked down at him, bemused, as she stood opposite him her still damp hair hanging down to her shoulder blades, clad only in a towel that stopped at her mid-thigh. Denji's eyes trailed up and down her body, drinking in the view before quickly snapping his mouth shut again, and shooting Reze an annoyed look.

"I wish you'd stop doing that", Denji grumbled as Reze sat down opposite him at the table. She just smiled back at him playfully, "Oh, but it sure looked like you enjoyed the surprise to me?"

As she spoke, she plucked Aki's note from Denji's grip, scanning her eyes over it quickly before setting it back down on the table. "So, Topknot's left already and we have the day to ourselves, huh?", Reze picked up her mug of coffee, taking a sip and letting out a satisfied hum as the first sip hit her tongue, "Thanks for the coffee by the way, you're getting pretty good at this."

Denji threw her a lopsided grin, "What can I say, I learned from the best."

"Nice try flatterer, but I never taught you how to make one", Reze rolled her eyes as Denji shrugged.

"Eh, was worth a shot…"

Reze looked at the blonde boy strangely for a moment before a fond smile lit up her face as she suddenly stood up from her position opposite Denji and stalked around the table.

"Huh? What's up?"

Reze didn't say a word as she set down her coffee beside Denji's, before proceeding to sit down right next to the boy, leaning into his side and resting her head on his shoulder, her eyes looking up at Denji coyly.

"Sooo… The whole day off hmmm…?"

Denji met Reze's gaze, his mind momentarily short-circuiting at the feeling of a scantily-clad Reze nuzzling into his side, the towel swaddled around her being the only thing between his arm and her chest.

"O-oh… ummm… huh?", Denji stuttered, the feeling of her breath on his face and the damp feeling on his shoulder from her still-wet hair, "Uhh… Yeah, that's what it says…"

Reze grins as Denji's face goes red, making him flustered must rank among one of her favourite pastimes, not that she has all that many…

"Wellll… I was just wondering what you had planned for today", Reze batted her eyelashes and pouted as Denji seemed to snap back to reality, "After all, it'd be a waste of our day off if we just lay around here all day".

Realisation flooded onto Denji's face. He'd been so distracted by everything that had happened he'd never even thought that far ahead. He racked his mind, trying to think of a response.

"I've got it!", Denji exclaimed, grinning proudly, his shy demeanour swiftly disappearing to Reze's surprise, "How 'bout we have that date I promised you?! May as well do it now, while we've got the chance!"

Reze blinked in surprise, the tables having been turned on her, not having expected Denji's exuberant response. Recovering quickly, she smiled softly and picked up her coffee again, "Hmmm… that sounds like a lovely idea Denji."

Reze finished off her coffee quickly before setting the cup back down and looking back at him curiously, "Any chance you'll share your plans with me?"

Denji smirked back, throwing up his signature peace sign, "Nah, not a chance, I've got the greatest date plan ever, so no need to worry!"

'Ooh, keeping your cards close to your chest, huh?", Reze raised an eyebrow, her face lit up in amusement, "Well, I suppose I'll just have to wait and see where you take me, consider me intrigued!"

"Though, I do have one problem though…", Reze waves a hand gesturing to herself, "I don't really have anything to wear for a date, and we'd probably get some weird looks if we both turned up in our work uniforms."

Denji shrugged nonchalantly in response, "I don't really see what the problem with our uniforms is, they're pretty comfy…"

"Oh, Denji, Denji, Denji", Reze playfully chided the boy, tutting as she chastised him, "You could get away with just wearing your suit, but a girl needs to dress up for this sorta thing you know!"

As she said this, Denji thought back to his last date with Makima, 'Oh yeah, now that she mentioned it, Miss Makima did go all out dressin' up for our date…'

"Yeah, I suppose that's true", Denji conceded the point to the other hybrid, "I guess if you need something to wear you could steal some stuff from Powy's room, pretty sure she's got tons of clothes lying about in her room, so I doubt she'd notice some stuff missing", he gestured in the direction of Power's room lackadaisically, "You'll just have to check that what you picked out is clean. We just got Power to start washing her clothes regularly sooo…" 

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out, thank you Denji!"

"No problem, besides it's not me you should be thanking, it's Powe-", Denji froze as he felt a soft, light sensation brush his cheek. Reze giggled as she pulled back from Denji's cheek and rose up to her feet and made her way towards Power's room.

"I'll be out when I'm changed, you better be ready by the time I'm out Denjiii!"

"Dear lord, what a mess… Ты шутишь, что ли?!"

Reze stared in awe at the pile of clothes pilled into Power's wardrobe. The room itself was messy enough, with dishes lying around and loose clothes and underwear strewn over the floor and bed, but the wardrobe…

It was both awe-inspiring and awful in equal measure, with what felt like every type of clothing imaginable pouring out of the completely unorganised wardrobe. Reze's eyes trailed over the clothes she could see, there was everything from sundresses, t-shirts, shorts, skirts and much more.

'Is… that a nurse's outfit…', an overwhelmed Reze's eyes were drawn to the more complex outfits the fiend had decided were worthy of being hung up. She sifted through the truly vast number of cosplays the devil had amassed: a bunny girl outfit, maid outfit, butler outfit, a police uniform (handcuffs included), a Qipao, graduation robes, a school uniform, boxing gloves, some kind of punk outfit and even a detective hat with two prominent holes pierced through its top…

'Hmmm…', Reze stood back from the wardrobe again, 'Well, I don't think any of those will do for today anyway…'

'Though, maybe I could persuade the fiend to let me borrow one or two at some point…', Reze smirked as she imagined herself in some of the costumes, the thought of how Denji would react to her in some of the raunchier outfits making a giggle escape her lips, before she started rooting through the masses of clothes again, continuing her hunt.

"Ah! Now we're getting somewhere!"

A few minutes later, Reze had finally found an acceptable outfit, though, as she looked at the outfit she had spread out on Power's bed, she couldn't help but feel that something was missing from the ensemble. Scanning around the room, Reze's eyes widened as she caught sight of a small garment lying where it was thrown on the ground, grinning victoriously as strode over and picked it up.

"Looks like I won't have to go hunting around for one of these after all!"

Denji sat waiting in the living room, slumped down on the table in boredom. When Reze had gone into Power's room to change, he'd got showered and changed in short order. Though, it's not like he'd had to put in that much effort considering he'd just thrown on his work uniform, a fact that made him think that it might be a good idea to expand his wardrobe at some point…

'Eh, not much I can do about that at the minute… Besides, a shirt and tie should be fine… right?'

Denji was snapped from his thoughts by the sound of a door clicking open, with the blonde quickly looking in the direction of the sound, only to be greeted with the sight of Reze sauntering out from Power's room. 

"Sorry I took so long in there Denji", Reze smiled apologetically as she walked over, "The fiend's room is an absolute tip! It took me forever to find a decent outfit in that wardrobe!"

As Reze griped about the mess of the Power's bedroom, Denji was zoned out, more preoccupied with the girl walking towards him than the fiend's messy habits. Reze was wearing a white top that showed one of her shoulders with a pair of denim shorts, high socks and a pair of sturdy combat boots. What stood out to him most though, was that her hair was still out of its usual loose bun, instead falling down to her shoulders.

"Ah… it's no problem, gave me time to get showered and all anyways", Denji responded after a moment, forcing himself to snap back to attention, "You… your outfit looks good, by the way."

Reze chuckled at his clumsy compliment, "Thanks Denji! I was honestly surprised I managed to put together an outfit, that fiend's wardrobe was a mess!". Reze slumped down to sit opposite Denji at the table, letting out a sigh as she did, "I found everything I was looking for at least, even found a choker in the corner."

She looks slyly at Denji, "You aren't looking half bad yourself, Denji."

"Really!?", Denji perked up in surprise, "All I really had was my work clothes, so I kinda figured you'd be disappointed, y'know?"

"Well, it is true that you'll need to get some new clothes eventually, but…", Reze fixes him with a coy look as she reaches across the table to fix up his crooked tie, "I do quite like a man in uniform…"

"That said, I'll still have to insist you come out shopping with me soon", she pulls back from Denji, his face red as she continues, "But for now, I'm looking forward to this surprise date you've got in mind, so shall we get going soon?"

This snaps Denji back out of his stupor, the boy's mind having drifted back to Reze changing back by the beach, 'I gotta stop zoning out every time she does stuff like that, come on Denji!'

"Yeah, let's get going! Trust me, this'll be the best date ever!"

"A movie date, huh? It's a bit cliché, but I can't say I'm against the idea. Never had the chance to go before."

The pair were standing in front of the cinema, Reze walking closer towards the entrance, her eyes scanning over all of the promotional posters littered over the entrance as Denji stood back hesitating.

'Cliché?! But this is the best place to go for a date!', Denji was shocked at the sudden revelation before remembering the most important part of his plan.

"Well, we aren't just here to watch one movie, my super-date plan goes much further than that!", Denji walked up to join Reze, proudly declaring the details of his secret date plan, "We're going on a movie marathon! From now till the cinema closes, we're watching movies, back-to-back!"

"Oh, well that makes things more interesting, there's so many movies here I want to watch too!", Reze's eyes widened in excitement at the news, relieved that she wouldn't have to choose just one of the various movies the cinema was showing. 

"Well then, what movie do you wanna watch Reze?", Denji smiled proudly, delighted that his plan was well received. 

'Yes! I knew Miss Makima's plan would work!', he celebrated internally, 'I knew there was no way Miss Makima would pick something cliché for a date!'

"Wellll… I'm not really sure what to pick honestly, I was never really allowed to watch anything unless it was… educational", Reze grimaced before she looped her arm around Denji's, "Well, how bout we make our way inside whilst I think, hmm?"

Denji smiled brightly down at the girl at his side as they began to make their way in, "Don't sweat it to much Reze. The tickets cover all movie showings for the whole night, so just choose the first thing you like the look of."

Moments later Denji was ordering the tickets from the usher, whilst Reze eyed the board displaying the movie showings, her gaze flitting from movie to movie, trying to find one that looked interesting.

"Yeah, just two tickets for that movie there please", Denji pointed to a random movie poster from the list at the ticket counter, barely even glancing at what movie he'd picked as he handed over two 2000-yen notes and walking towards the auditoriums, Reze quickly following along after him.

"Hey, Denji?", Reze spoke up as they walked, her face twisted in confusion, "Why'd you only get tickets for the one movie? I thought you would've just got an all-day ticket or something?"

 "Well, y'see they don't do that kinda ticket in this place, so you either have to pay for each movie separately, or…", Denji grinned lopsidedly, "We just hop from screen to screen!"

"Oh, but isn't that illegal?!", Reze says, her face dripping with faux shock before her face broke out into a grin, "I like it! Though…"

She looked around at all of the screenings, the movie titles shown on the LED screens above the doors, "I'm still not sure which one to pick…"

Reze looked around for a moment longer before shrugging and pointing at the nearest one, "Ahhh screw it, how about we just watch that one there?"

"Huh, that one huh?", Denji looks at the one Reze pointed at, "Pulp Fiction… that's a pretty weird title for a movie…"

"All the more reason to watch it!", Reze grinned as she took his hand, pulling him towards the door, "Come on! The curiosity is killing me!"

It was hours later, and Denji and Reze were sitting at a small table just outside the screening room of their fourth movie, with both teens greedily drinking some canned drinks from the nearby vending machine.

"Gahhhh!", Denji let out a contented sigh as he polished off his drink, a chilled energy drink, before quickly stifling a burp. 

"Denji! Don't chug carbonated drinks like that, you'll make yourself sick!"

"Yeah, I know, I was just so thirsty through the whole last film, really shoulda grabbed something before we went in…", Denji replied sheepishly, clearly trying to hold back another belch.

Reze smiled at his antics before taking another swig of her bottle of water. She couldn't deny that, they had been in such a rush running to catch the opening of the last movie they hadn't had a chance to grab anything to drink, something they had both regretted as they were dying of thirst halfway through the last movie.

"Yeah, tell me about it, wasn't sure If I'd die of thirst or boredom first…"

"Tch, yeah… We shoulda left early, but I was kinda curious how it'd end…", Denji looks at Reze in worry, "You having a good time Reze?

Her eyes widen as she quickly replies, "Oh, tonight's been great so far Denji, don't worry!"

"I even enjoyed some parts of the last movie, well… in a kinda 'so bad it's good' way anyway…", she grins at him, "Besides, the other movies have all been pretty good, I really enjoyed that one 'After Life', the premise of someone having to chose one last memory to keep forever after they die was really interesting to me."

"Oh really?", Denji looked, a look of mild surprise on his face, "I thought that one was pretty good, but that first movie Pulp Fiction was sooo good! The action was cool as hell, though I did kinda struggle following the subtitles…"

"Yeah, it was pretty good, though I definitely didn't expect it to be a mob movie", she smiled cheekily as a thought came to mind, "Hey Denji… Didn't the mobsters in that movie kinda remind you of Public Safety?"

A moment later both of the teens were in hysterics, with Denji wiping a tear from his eye, "That guy, what's his name…? Oh yeah, Jules! He did kinda remind me of Master Kishibe now that you mention it!"

"Huh, really?! What makes you say that?"

Denji thinks for a minute before responding, "Well it's not like Jules drank booze like he does, but they've got this similar kinda intensity, y'know?"

Reze shudders at the memory of their encounter with Kishibe the previous day, "Well I can't deny he gives off that kind of vibe… but hey, at least he didn't scream scripture at us…"

It was several movies later when they next sat down, both of them drained after a slew of movies that ranged from average to forgettable and, regrettably, simply awful…

Both Denji and Reze were sitting on the same booth seat, rather on separate seats this time, with Reze resting her head on Denji's shoulder contently. Denji was similarly contented, his cheeks rosey and a dreamy smile on his face, his thoughts revolving entirely around the girl on his shoulder.

'Man… she's so cute…', Denji thought dreamily. When he'd gone theatre hopping with Makima, he'd noticed that she rarely ever gave away her emotions while watching the movies, he'd always had to wait until the end of the movie to ask what her thoughts on the movie were and she was very rarely impressed by the movies they watched.

However, Reze… she surprisingly wore her emotions on her sleeve as she watched movie after movie, from focussing intently on action scenes, rolling her eyes at cheesy lines and breaking down into hysterics with him during the comedies.

"Hey Reze, what do you think of the crappy movies we've seen?", Denji blurted out the question without thinking, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

"Hmmm…", Reze thinks for a moment, her finger on her chin, "Well it kind of varies depending on the movie, you know? Some of them are just so absurdly crap that it's funny, others have a certain actor who saves it a bit and then some have some sort of message behind them. The only ones that I hated were the ones that felt like a soulless cash grab honestly."

Reze smiles as she lets out a small chuckle, "Though, considering the only movies I've really watched were the ones from today, I'm not sure my opinion really counts for much…"

Denji blinked in surprise. He found himself pleasantly surprised at what she was saying, when he'd last gone with Makima he'd almost felt guilty about liking some of the movies they'd watched, especially after Makima had finished castigating every flaw she found in them…

He grinned at her, "Well if yours doesn't count for much then I'm in the same boat. It's kinda like… I dunno… that a good film wouldn't be as good without all the crap ones?"

"Yeah, exactly!", Reze exclaimed excitedly, "It's also pretty cool how a lot the actors are having fun playing their roles in some of the weirder movies! Wonder what it'd really be like to act in one of them?"

The two spent a bit more time discussing the merits of B-movies before they settled into a comfortable silence, a silence that was only broken by Reze looking up at the time displayed on the digital board with the movie showings. She sighed as she saw the time, "Hey Denji, as much as I hate to say it, it's getting pretty late… Shouldn't we b- Denji?"

Whilst Reze had been looking at the time, Denji had been focussing his gaze on something else entirely. "Reze, would you mind… watching one more movie before we head back?", he spoke in a much quieter tone as he stared intently towards a screening room towards the end of the corridor, "I just think that you'll… really like this one…"

Reze stared at the unusually serious boy for a moment before a gentle smile came to her face and she took his hand in hers.

"Sure Denji, we better get going then, it starts in five minutes."

A couple of minutes later Denji and Reze were sat in two seats in the middle of the auditorium, with them being the only two people in the room.

"Huh… I'm surprised no one else is watching this, the last couple of movies were still pretty busy despite the time…", Reze looks around, double checking if they were alone, 'I would have thought it' be busier, especially since Denji was so insistent on seeing it.'

"Yeah, well it was quite quiet when I went to see it wi-", Denji froze for a moment before correcting his slip of the tongue, "When I went to see it last time as well, I guess a lot of people didn't want to watch a film with no subtitles…"

Reze looked at him suspiciously for a moment, having noticed his slip, before shrugging off her concern, with something else Denji said drawing her attention. "No subtitles? So, it's in a different language?"

Denji grins in excitement, ready to share the reason he'd wanted Reze to watch the movie, "Yup! That's why I thought you'd like this one since, y'know, it's in Russian."

Reze blinked in surprise, looking down at her lap for a moment before looking back up at Denji with a gentle smile on her face, her cheeks rosy. "That's very thoughtful Denji, I… Thank you…"

"Oh, well I didn't rea-", Denji's abashed protest was cut off when Reze suddenly closed the difference between them, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek, before sitting back in her own seat.

"Well, let's watch the movie, shall we? The adverts are over!", Reze said, smiling at him coyly before turning to watch the screen that was now displaying the movie title, "Oh! Баллада о солдате? Sounds interesting!"

Denji looked back over at her, still flushed and surprised from the kiss, "Uhh… I-is that the title of the movie?"

"Yeeessss sir!", Reze smiled with faux innocence at the boy's embarrassment as she dragged out her reply, "It means 'Ballad of a Soldier'"

"Ballad?", Denji asks, scratching his head in confusion.

"Don't worry, Ms Reze will teach you!", Reze winks before going into her grammar lesson, "A ballad typically means a sort of romantic song, though it can also refer to a kind of grand story."

"Wow…", Denji looks at her in awe, "You're so smart Reze…"

"I did promise I'd teach you everything, didn't I?", she leans in a bit closer as she points at the screen, "There! It's starting!"

As they watched the movie, Reze sidled up closer to Denji, resting her head on his shoulder and whispering important translations into his ear, with Denji flinching slightly every time her breath tickled his ear.

 They both watched the film, entranced in it as Reze explained what was happening and Denji listened and watched Intently. The movie followed the story of the Russian soldier Alyosha, who was given six days' leave from the Red Army to visit his mother back home, and his journey back home. First Alyosha met a disabled soldier missing his leg, who refused to return to his wife only to eventually return to his loving wife.

The next encounter of Alyosha was with Shura, a woman he met travelling on a freight train who was travelling to see her fiancé; an injured pilot recovering at a hospital. The movie then followed their journey together until they had to part ways, with Shura revealing that she had been lying, saying that she had no one and that the only person she had at home was her aunt. Most tragically of all, Alyosha only realised that Shura had confessed her love to him after they had separated, and his train had departed.

'She lied to him, only to fall in love…', Reze wiped a tear from her eye and leaned closer to Denji, 'Why does that sound familiar…'

Finally, Alyosha arrived back at his home and reunited with his mother, but with a cruel twist: He only had a few short minutes to spend with her before he had to go and rejoin his unit. As the mother and son embraced, Reze glanced at Denji only to see tears running down his face as he watched the scene of the mother and son sharing a tender embrace on the road. Reze was about to comfort him until she noticed her vision blur.

Reze reached her hand up to rub her eyes, only for her hand to come away wet, moments later tears were trailing down her cheeks and she decided to simply rest her head back on Denji's shoulder, her tears wetting his shirt as she found herself muttering along with the mother on-screen.

"I won't let you go…"

The pair stayed in that position for some time, until the theatre lights turned on, making them blink in surprise, their eyes adjusting to the light. As Denji moved to get up he was stopped by Reze's hand on his chest. He looked down at the girl, her eyes a bit puffy and red from crying, "Denji… would you mind, if we just stay like this… for a while longer?"

He smiled lightly before sitting back in the seat again, resting his head on top of hers, "Yeah, let's just… sit here for a bit longer."

"Well… we're definitely late anyway."

Having long left the cinema, Denji and Reze had finally arrived back outside the apartment complex, both of them exhausted and ready for bed after a long day.

Denji sighs at the girl's wry comment, "Oh yeah, big time… Aki's gonna tear me a new one…"

"Well… maybe you'll get lucky and he's already asleep", Reze put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Besides, it was worth it to see that last movie, it was the best one by a long shot!"

Denji grinned weakly, his eyes drooping tiredly as they walked up the stairs towards their floor, "Glad you liked it, I actually enjoyed it more with you explainin' it to me than when I watched it with Miss Makima."

"Oh…?", Denji froze as heard Reze's reaction to what he'd just said, quickly realising his slip up, "So you were with Makima when you watched it last?"

They were in front of the door of the apartment, and Denji turned to meet Reze's blank gaze and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Yeah… Miss Makima took me to the cinema after all the Katana dude stuff, I think she thought I was feeling low or somethin'"

Denji quickly turned to unlock the door, desperate to escape the awkward situation in which he'd found himself, only to be interrupted as Reze grabbed his arm and swung him back around. 

"Huh?! Wha-?", Denji squawked in surprise before he was interrupted by Reze moving in close, her body flush to his own, and pulling him into a deep kiss, her arms looping around his neck as she deepened it further. After what felt like an eternity to Denji, Reze pulled back leaving both of them flushed panting for breath, still pressed together.

"I don't care that you went with Makima before, Denji", Reze finally broke the silence as her eyes bored into his, "What I care about is the here and now, and right now I… I'm just happy to be here with you…"

Reze looks down at the ground in embarrassment, not able to bring herself to look at Denji's reaction, 'He's liked that frigid bitch for a long while now, but after today maybe he can move on from her. But… what if he can't, what if-'

"Wanna… go out with me Reze?"

"Sorr- wait wha- huh?", Reze spluttered as her worried thoughts were interrupted by Denji's sudden question, "Sorry, d-did I hear you right Denji?"

"Well… yeah, I mean… we just went out on a date, and with everything that's happened I figured… why not make this official, y'know…?"

Reze's face was red, surprise painted on her face as she stared at Denji for a moment, before a wide grin spread across her face and she lunged forward again, hugging Denji tightly and laughing in delight as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Of course I will Denji! You had me worried there for a moment!"

Denji grinned down at the girl in his arms, his face as flushed as hers as relief flooded his mind, "Hey, I was worried too! If you said no, I don't know what I'd've done!"

"Well, there's no need for you to worry now…", Reze drew herself back from Denji, moving her hands to hold his, "Cause now you have a super-cute girlfriend! Righhht?"

"Yeah…", Denji smiled dreamily as he and Reze stood outside the flat door, 'You see that Pochita! I've got a girlfriend!'

The duo's elation was short-lived, however, as the front door suddenly swung open, revealing a ticked-off, sleep-deprived Aki standing in the doorway, still in his Public Safety uniform.

"What sort of time do you call this you brats!?"

Aki and Reze sat at the table, the oppressive silence of the room hanging over them like a cloud. As it turns out, Aki was still in uniform because he had been called to pick up Power from a train station nearby, the fiend having been dropped off there by her new buddy, and in his annoyance he'd ordered a protesting Denji to go and pick her up, leaving Reze and Aki alone in the flat.

"I'm going to be honest with you Bomb", Aki unexpectedly broke the silence, "You killed my friends, and you killed dozens of civilians. As far as I'm concerned Makima should have put you down when she apprehended you two, but instead, I now have to play babysitter for a monster."

He pauses for a moment before continuing on, "But, someone recommended that I ask for your side of the story and, against my better judgement, I've decided to humour their idea."

Reze, who up till this point had been looking down at the tabletop, barked out a bitter laugh, "Tch, so you want my opinion?"

"Well, you're right I suppose, I killed all of those people when I could've chosen not to", she looks up at Aki, her expression cold, "I'm just a coward who values her own crap life more than others…"

Aki blinked in surprise at the unexpectedly honest answer, "Then why try and run away only after causing all of that carnage? Were you just hoping to manipulate Denji to help you get back to the Soviets?"

"No!", Reze snapped back at Aki's accusation, "It might sound stupid to you Topknot, but he made me want to run away!"

"He didn't have a childhood, just like me, but he's still hopeful and kind. I guess I thought that, with him, maybe running away would be worth it…"

Reze quickly stood up, "Well, are you satisfied now? Because I'm pretty tired."

"One last thing Reze", Aki's voice was stern, but had noticeably less bite to it than before, "My partner Himeno… her sister was the one who allowed you to use her family name. She died to protect me and Denji, and I never even…"

Aki trailed off, shaking his head lightly, "I'm getting off track. What I want to say is, so long as you behave, we won't have a problem, but if you tarnish her name…"

The threat was clear.

Before Reze had a chance to respond, the door slammed open as a blonde blur zoomed into the room.

"HOW DARE YOU STICK ME WITH SUCH A WEIRDO TOPKNOT, I DEMAND COMPENSATION"

Power loudly made herself and her complaints known, as Denji trudged into the room behind her clearly even more exhausted than he was before. 

"Sorry, she- she still runs way too fast…"

As the fiend and Aki bickered, Denji slunk his way over to Reze, "Hey, should we go and lay out the futon before Aki remembers we were late?"

Reze giggles lightly before a sly look appears in her eyes, "I rather just go straight to bed if you catch what I'm saying…"

As the cogs turned in Denji's mind and his face slowly reddened, a thought crossed her mind.

'If every day was like this, maybe working for Public Safety won't be so bad…'

Chapter Text

'God… what have I done…?'

Aki tried to distract himself from the scene playing out in front of him, finding himself suddenly regretting giving that girl the benefit of the doubt.

'I'm lenient on her, and this is what I get in return?!'

The source of Aki's ire was, of course from the two resident hybrids, or more specifically what they were doing while he was trying to enjoy his breakfast…

"Say ahhhh Denji!"

Aki and Power watched in thinly veiled disgust as Reze guided a half-slice of toast into Denji's open mouth, the boy chomping down on it enthusiastically. Denji smiled in contentment as he chewed the toast, humming happily as the taste of melting butter hit his tongue.

'Ahhh… This is the life, eh Pochita?', Denji was smiling broadly as he chewed, 'Tastes pretty good, could use some jam and honey though…'

He looked down at Reze and smiled, the girl smiling back at him wryly as she reached up and wiped off a smear of butter from the corner of his lips with her thumb. 

"Stop smiling like an idiot Denji", she spoke teasingly, before nudging her plate of toast over to him, "You wouldn't make a girl feed herself now, would you?"

"Oh, Yeah, right!", Denji quickly moved with gusto, lifting a piece of toast from the plate, almost dropping it in his rush to feed his girlfriend.

As the happy couple took turns feeding each other, Aki and Power glower from the other side of the table in shared disgust, Power's eyes peering from over the rim of the table she was half hiding under, her face slightly green as she looked at them as if they were a pair of vegetables that had made their way into her food.

Meanwhile, Aki just fixed his gaze off to the side, trying (and failing) to ignore the loved-up teens opposite, 'This is my life now… Well, what's left of it anyway…'

The thought of his impending death only served to sour his mood even further as he stewed, trying to calm his annoyance by taking a sip of his morning coffee, only for a loud crash to make him almost choke on it.

"GAAAHHHH!", Power yelled as she slammed her hands down on the table in frustration, causing Meowy to scarper away off of the fiend's lap, "STOP IT, STOP!"

Power points towards a confused Reze and Denji accusingly, "Your fornicating is disgusting! T'was awful enough that my darling Meowy has been unfaithful and slept with Denji, but know Denji is sleeping with this new harlot?! Unforgivable!"

"What the hell are you on about Powy?!", Denji responded to the fiend's rant with exasperated annoyance, 'Geez… what's her problem this morning…?"

While Denji began arguing with Power and Aki coughed, recovering from choking on his coffee, an idea came to Reze's mind and a mischievous smile came to her face, 'Call me a harlot, huh? Well if that's what she thinks…'

"Power! Stop throwing your damn fo-!", Denji was yelling at Power, who had moved on from arguing with him to pelting him with whatever came to hand, only to be interrupted as Reze inserts herself into the fray, clutching Denji's arm and looking at the fiend with faux confusion.

"But Power…", Reze was barely trying to hide her amusement, "Why wouldn't I be sleeping with Denji? It's perfectly normal for me to sleep with my boyfriend".

"Hey, Reze! We haven't eve-!"

"AARGHH, WHY YOU-", Power rose from her seated position as if to lunge towards Reze only to freeze as she noticed an icy look in Reze's eyes as if the girl was daring her to attack her again. Power withered under the girl's gaze, slowly sinking back down till she was sitting back down, glaring off to the side in anger and frustration.

"Enough! All of you!", Aki, who by now had recovered from his coughing fit, turned towards Denji and Reze, "You two, try to avoid antagonising Power, she's difficult enough as it is"

"But weren't doing anything!", Denji protested at the perceived unfairness of this order, whilst Reze looked away, her face the image of innocence.

Aki fixed them with a deadpan look before pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a sigh, "Sure you weren't, just… try to keep the flirting to a minimum when there are other people around".

He then points at Power, who returns Aki's tired stare with defiance, "And Power, I want you to try to get on with Reze from here on out". Power, who had opened her mouth to respond with another angry tirade, was cut off by Aki, "It may not be ideal, but remember, this… arrangement… was deemed necessary by Makima herself", he raises an eyebrow as Power froze at the mention of their boss, "If you have a problem with it, I'll have to raise it with Makim-"

"NO!", Power quickly shot down that idea, her face white as a sheet and her eyes flicking around frantically, "N-no… Tis no need t-to involve h-her…"

"Good. Now that that's sorted, can I eat my breakfast?", Aki didn't wait for an answer as he began eating, pointedly ignoring his three roommates.

"Oh gee, I get to play buddy-buddy with the brat fiend… the joy…", Reze muttered to herself, with only Denji picking up on what she said.

"Ah, don't worry about Powy too much Reze, she'll warm up to you in no time!", Denji said, excitedly forgetting his annoyance at Aki's new house rules, "Isn't that right Powy?"

Power had stood up by now, clearly uncomfortable as she began to walk back to her room, looking over her shoulder as she walked to join Meowy in her room, "S-sure, I suppose I could allow you to be my subordinate!". Power's eyes widened in realisation as she turned around to face them fully again, "Yes! You can help me beat that awful woman! What say you!?"

'So she's afraid of Makima too, huh?', Reze was busy wondering about just what Makima had done to the fiend to make her so terrified of her, only to realise what she had just acknowledged: that she was afraid of Makima. Not since she was a child had she ever been afraid of someone like this…

'I like the country mouse too'

She shuddered again at the memory of her conversation with Makima in the interrogation, the revelation she'd been listening to her and Denji, the gaps in her memory… 

"Yeahhh… you'd best just agree with her Reze, it's easier that way", Denji was looking at her worriedly, with Reze quickly snapping out of her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah… sure", Reze responded to the fiend dispassionately, not that that mattered to Power, with the fiend already having deluded herself that she was now the leader of an anti-Makima insurrection. Power, now satisfied, turned and walked off to her room again, not caring to wait for a further response from Reze, crowing to herself as she went, "Haha! Yes! Beware Makima, it won't be long till I, Power will be the mighty tyrant of Public Safety! Kneel before me!"

"Thanks for the coffee Aki!", Reze chirped, with too much cheer than what was strictly necessary as Aki put a cup of coffee in front of her and Denji respectively, pointedly ignoring the girl as he went to get Power from her room, having tired of waiting for the fiend to come out of her den.

Denji gave Reze a sly look, clocking on to what she was doing, "Are you just trying to annoy Aki now?"

She takes a sip from her coffee, a content smile on her face, "Hmmm… and if I was?"

"Well, me and Power have plenty of experience…", he grinned at her conspiratorially, "Could give you some pointers"

She raises an eyebrow leaning in towards him, her attention piqued, "Oh, and what pointers would that be, pray tell?"

"Well y'see as a prank, me and Power put shi-"

"THAT WASN'T ANYTHING CLOSE TO A PRANK! IT WAS SICK!", Aki barked as he dragged a writhing Power out of her room, whilst Denji and Reze looked at each other for a moment before breaking out into laughter.

"How dare you not make me coffee Topknot!", Power added to the cacophony of noise tormenting Aki, "I demand that this oversight be rectified!"

"You threw up last time you had coffee!", Aki snapped, nearly losing his head at the blood fiend, "I'll make you coffee in the morning when you develop a taste for it like Denji did!"

By now the two hybrids had recovered from their fit, with Reze looking at Denji knowingly, a mirthful smile still on her face, "I wonder how that happened, hmmm?"

Denji looked away, his cheeks slightly red with a small smile on his face, "Guess we'll never know…"

After Denji and Reze finished off the dregs of their coffees, Denji blinked as if he had a realisation, "Yo, Aki! Why'd you drag Powy out of her room anyway? Thought she wasn't goin' in today?"

Aki turned to look at him from his position leaning against the counter, "Makima wanted to see all of us in HQ for some reason. She didn't say what for, but it didn't sound like it was bad news for once…"

Shortly after they all packed into Aki's car once again, Denji buzzing with excitement at what Makima could want to see them for, whilst Power tried sneaking back to her room, only to be dragged back towards the door by Aki.

Meanwhile, all Reze felt was a gnawing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, cringing at the news. She didn't know what Makima wanted to see them for, but she did know one thing: it couldn't be anything good…

"Since I've been busy for a while, I'm going to take some paid time off and visit Enoshima. I was wondering if you would all like to join me?"

Aki, Denji and Reze stared for a moment, processing what Makima just asked them. They hadn't been long in Makima's office before the woman had hit them with the bombshell offer of a weekend holiday to a small island off the coast of Sagami Bay.

"Wooo-hooo!"

Needless to say, opinions on the idea varied greatly depending on which member of the Hayakawa household you asked. Denji was exuberant, jumping for joy in excitement, whilst Aki nearly instantly agreed, his gaze focussed solely on Makima.

In contrast to the reaction of the two men, Power and Reze were much less enthused about the idea, with Power simply staring at Makima blankly as the blood drained from her face.

"I have an urgent meeting that day…"

The fiend's excuse didn't wash with Makima however, with the woman replying with the same easy smile on her face, "We still haven't chosen a day Power."

Reze meanwhile was torn, she'd always wanted to go on a holiday, and going on a beach trip with her boyfriend was a tempting proposition, but…

'The woman who press gangs kids into being killers, inviting us on a holiday with no ulterior motives? Yeah, that seems about as likely as the Politburo giving me a free spa day…'

"So, it's clear the boys agree, what about you Reze? It's paid totally out of Public Safety's pocket", Makima turned her attention to the one remaining holdout, her spiralled eyes meeting Reze's own.

'As if money's the issue here, you damn witch…'

"Yeah. Sure, I'll go", Reze spoke emotionlessly, averting her gaze from Makima, who simply smiled at the younger girl for a moment before clapping her hands.

"Well, it seems we're all in agreement then", Makima says turning to Aki, "I'll work with your schedules, just let me know what day you can take off"

"Well, I haven't used any of my PTO, so anytime works for me", the usually workaholic Aki suddenly felt that he wouldn't mind a day off, especially if Makima was the one suggesting it.

As Makima and Aki were talking about possible dates, Denji turned to Reze, his face lit up in excitement as he began gushing about the trip, not noticing that his girlfriend didn't quite share his excitement…

"Aww yeah! This is like a dream Reze! We're goin' on a beach holiday!"

Despite her misgivings, Reze found herself smiling at his enthusiasm, "Hmmm, now that you mention it, I guess this'll be the first time both of us have gone on holiday huh?", Reze leans in to whisper in his ear, "And lucky for you, I was planning on going clothes shopping on my next day off, and since I need to get a swimsuit, maybe I'll pick up something… Just. For. You."

Denji's mouth was agape as his imagination went wild, with images of Reze in every bikini imaginable flashing through his mind, his face red he nevertheless quickly nodded his head in affirmative, "Yes ma'am! I'll be good!"

Reze giggled at his eagerness, lightly flicking him on the forehead, "Down boy! Down!"

After she was done laughing at the boy's antics, a thought crossed her mind, "Hey, Denji?"

"Yeah Reze, what's up?", Denji, his face still red, quickly snapped out of his reverie at the girl's question. "Oh, it's nothing much honestly, it's just… Why would we be going on this trip?", she looks at Denji with her face scrunched up as if there was a puzzle she couldn't figure out, "I can get Aki going, but Devils…? I just can't see why Public Safety would allow something like that…"

"Huh… I guess I… Don't really know?", Denji shrugged half-heartedly, "I never really thought about it… Could be a way to take our minds off things, y'know?"

"Ah, very astute Denji!", Reze flinched as Makima chirped up, having picked up on their conversation.

'Damn… That was sloppy of me', Reze admonished herself for her naivety in having assumed Makima was busy talking to Aki, 'Though, I suppose it doesn't matter, she could probably hear us no matter where we are…'

Reze turned to face the woman along with Denji, glad that her thoughts were at least private as Makima continued speaking, "With how busy the division has been, and with how many… unfortunate… losses we suffered as a result, I was able to convince a couple of the Kyoto bigwigs to greenlight this little scheme"

"Thanks, Miss Makima, you're the greate-!"

Denji's praise was suddenly cut short as the door clicked open, causing everyone to turn, only to see a column of assorted devil hunters marching into the room. The hunters made a beeline straight to Makima, Denji and Reze having to quickly move out of the way or risk being trampled.

The Hayakawa household watched in silence as one of the hunters whispered something in Makima's ear. Makima's face quickly turned stony as he continued talking.

"What's the ruckus?", Power asked, looking nervously towards Makima, anything that alarmed Makima would no doubt be even worse news for them after all…

Makima turned her attention back to them, a pair of Public Safety clerks wheeling in an old TV as her lips set into a small frown, eyes narrowing slightly as she addressed them. 

"We have a problem."

Reze felt queasy as she watched the screen, a newscaster narrating as images of Denji's hybrid for flashing on the screen, ranging from him fighting with what looked like another hybrid on top of a train, all the way to him fighting Reze in the chaos caused by the Typhoon Devil. One of the clerks flicks through the channels, each showing the same scenes, with some even being in different languages.

Seeing the carnage that she'd caused played back to her made her feel… ashamed. Or at least more ashamed than she already was at any rate. She never enjoyed killing, so after it was done she usually tried to just forget about it, but having it played back to her on repeat… That made it more difficult to run from…

As Reze watched the reports in disgust, Denji and Power were engrossed in them for totally different reasons. 

"It's Denji fighting on a train!", Power gushed at the sight of the train-top fight between Denji and the Katana hybrid, whilst Denji excitedly turned around to see the reactions of the others in the room, "Being on TV feels pretty good, doesn't it?!"

As it turns out, he and Power were alone in their excitement, the other devil hunters focussed on the TV, the faces like stone. Makima turned her attention to Denji and Reze, looking down at them, the easy smile from earlier replaced with an icy stare.

"Looks like young Reze here fulfilled her task after all", an odd look crossed Makima's face, her expression unreadable as she spoke, Denji and Reze looking back, clearly confused.

"Huh?"

"W-what do you mean?", Reze was especially confused, having no idea what the woman was talking about, "My only mission was to retrieve Denji's heart", she gestured to the boy next to her, "It's pretty clear I failed."

A ghost of a smile played on Makima's lips, "Well, I'm sure they didn't share this with you, but these reports seem to suggest that the Politburo sent you here with a secondary goal: draw the world's attention to Chainsaw Man." 

"I'd been imposing restrictions on the media through Public Safety, but it failed this time. Your fight with Denji caused far too much damage to be swept under the rug as a run-of-the-mill devil attack." 

It was then that Reze saw an odd look flash across Makima's face, the red-haired woman watching the reports on Chainsaw Man with a small yet satisfied smile, almost akin to… admiration. And then, just as quickly it was gone, replaced again with that neutral frown, leaving Reze to wonder if it was ever there in the first place.

"The Chinese and Americans will both be after him for sure… Those like Denji and Reze are rare, and valuable", Makima was pacing now, coming to a stop next to Aki, with Reze and Denji, who had now forgotten about the television, listening to her closely.

"But why would the Soviets deliberately increase their competition?", Aki chipped in, voicing his confusion, "They aren't exactly on good terms with the Americans or Chinese."

"Well, after Reze here failed in her mission, the Soviets lost their trump card", Makima was staring into space now, "Seems to me that the Soviets have calculated that informing their rivals about Chainsaw's existence is their next best move"

"They probably don't care much about who has their hands on Denji – as long as it's not me"

"So…", Denji spoke, looking at Makima with an unsteady smile, "We're still all going to Enoshima… Right…?"

No one was truly shocked at the answer as Makima replied, "Denji. The trip is postponed."

"Oh…", Denji visibly deflated, he'd kind of expected that answer with the way Makima was talking before, but it still came as a bitter disappointment, 'Damn it! I was lookin' forward to going to the beach too!'

His mouth tugged down in a frown as he turned his head away to the side in a sulk, only to jump slightly as a hand grasped his own softly. He turned to see Reze holding his hand, giving him a small smile which he returned, squeezing her hand gently in thanks.

He sighs as another thought returns to his mind, 'Man… I really wanted to see her in a bikini too…'

Makima began walking towards the group of devil hunters, Aki trailing along beside her as she began giving them orders in a tone resemblant to the way someone would order lunch.

"Call in Kusakabe and Tamaki from Miyagi Public Safety Extermination Division 2 and Subaru from Public Safety Extermination Division 1"

"Understood"

"And extend the contract of Hirofumi Yoshida for another month, he'll continue accompanying Power going forward"

"Understood"

As Makima began walking towards the door, flanked by Aki and a near robotic-sounding hunter, she suddenly stopped and looked over her shoulder at the two hybrids one more time.

"Denji, Reze. In the days ahead, assassins from all around the world will be coming to try and kill you. You both can consider yourselves without freedom for the foreseeable future."

With that she left the room, leaving the two hybrids standing in the middle of the room, somewhat in shock at how quickly events had transpired.

"THE TRIP IS CANCELLED! YAHOOO!!"

Needless to say, Power was taking the news a lot better.

"Hahaha! I knew I was wise choosing the Bomb as my minion!", Power was relishing in her 'victory' as the remaining trio sat around a table in the lobby of Public Safety, waiting for Aki to give them a lift back home, "Indeed, she is a brave heroine! Saving the mighty Power from the clutches of the insidious Makima!"

Reze rolled her eyes at the fiend's antics, glad at least that she seemed to have given up on trying to kill her for the moment. Besides, she was more concerned about Denji, who had been unusually quiet since what happened in Makima's office.

"Hey, Denji…", Reze put her hand on his, "Sorry about all this"

Denji looked at her questioningly, "What are you apologising for Reze? Not like you knew what they were wanting you to do, don't worry about it."

His melancholy attitude faded away as he talked to her, Power's crowing fading into the background noise as he smiled at her. In response, Reze sighs and shakes her head, "You say that, but it's true that I caused all of this to happen."

She smiles bitterly as she continues, "I was so focussed on being a good little soldier that I didn't think of the possibility that my superiors were sending me on a kamikaze mission…"

"Ah, stop worrying about crap like that Reze, it's not like you're a mind reader", Denji's dismissive response caught her off-guard for a moment before she notices that he was grinning at her, "Knew that'd break you outta that funk. You've got to stop blaming yourself for everything all the time."

Reze thought about arguing that point, after all, she'd done plenty of stuff that certainly was her fault, but the way her boyfriend was smiling at her in an attempt to cheer her up sapped that desire from her. She instead settled for letting out a deep sigh, resting her head on Denji's shoulder, a faint smile on her face.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

Denji's chuckles as he shifts in his seat, getting in a more comfortable position, "Funny enough, someone's been reminding me a lot recently…"

"I was thinking we could watch a movie when we get back, Aki has some lying about in his room I think", Denji glances down at her, "What do you think?"

She pretends to think for a moment, "Wellll… I could be persuad-"

"Hey, I'm still here!", Power nearly shouted as she reminded the couple of her presence, unhappy that they had clocked out of listening to her monologue practically as soon as it started, "Leaving out a devil as beautiful as me! Tis a travesty!"

"What does that have to do with…", Reze starts to respond only to turn to look at Denji, both of them sharing a look before deflating.

"Would you like to watch with us Powy?", Denji asked in a near-monotone voice, clearly unamused at the fiend imposing on his alone time with Reze.

Not that the horned fiend cared as she celebrated, "Of course! I shall join you with Meowy as soon as we get home! Any movie picked out by yours truly shall be magnificent indeed!"

Reze, though a bit deflated, found herself smiling as the fiend celebrated, finding Power's sincere joy oddly charming. Sure, she was a pain, and had already made a couple of attempts on her life, but she certainly made things a lot livelier.

"Sure Power, while you go and pick out the movie from Aki's room, me and Denji can fix up some grub. Sound good?"

Power's eyes lit up at the mention of food, looking at Reze as if Christmas had come early, "Indeed! There must be meat, I will not tolerate that… poison… that topknot tries to feed me!"

'Heh, she's like a little kid…', a thought crossed Reze's mind, 'I wonder…'

"Well, if you promise to behave, we can stop at the garage and get you whatever meat you want. How about it?"

"Deal", Power quickly agreed to the deal, standing to attention. With how she was standing, Reze wouldn't have been surprised if the fiend had saluted her.

Maybe she could get on with the little brat after all.

Chapter Text

“Penny for your thoughts Tendo?”

Kurose leaned over and lit Tendo’s cigarette, before lighting up his own and taking a deep drag from it. Tendo took a puff before exhaling with a sigh, “Didn’t think we’d be summoned back to Tokyo so soon… I really hate that place, all the hustle and bustle makes me feel claustrophobic, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, my family always frets when I have to head up to the capital”, Kurose agreed, with both him and Tendo having slipped back into their natural Kansai accents, “You’d think they’d be more concerned about my choice of career as a whole, but what would I know?”

The third member of their group, a surly-looking man called Subaru returned, walking out of the public toilets, and sitting himself down on the bonnet of the car, silently lighting up his own cigarette.

“How bout you Subaru?”, Kurose turned his attention to their dishevelled companion, “You have anyone back home?”

“Mmm”, he grunted in the affirmative as he puffed on his cigarette, “My Fiancé, we’re getting married in a couple of months, so this might end up being my last big job. Heh, no point in me makin’ her a widow after all”

“Congrats man! Though it’ll be sad to see you go”

“Ah don’t worry about that”, Subaru waved away Kurose’s platitudes, “I’ll make sure to crash a work mixer every once and a while

Kurose gestured to Tendo, “You’re being awfully quiet Tendo, you finally get a date or something?”

“Tch”, Tendo flicked the stub of her cigarette away, rolling her eyes in annoyance, “You’re starting to sound like my mother. I swear, every time I phone to check in with her it's always the same. ‘You’ll never settle down at this rate Michiko’, ‘When are you going to give me some grandkids?’, It never ends, I swear…”

“Anyway, enough about my private life. There’s something else that has been bothering me”, Tendo’s mouth sets into a small frown as she speaks, “That chainsaw kid… why the hell are we paradin’ him around Tokyo? Shouldn’t we just keep him locked up instead?”

“Hmm… Yeah, you have a point there…”, Kurose’s face scrunched up in thought before he let out a sigh and turned to Subaru, “Subaru, do you mind tellin’ us why that is?”

“Cuz devils got keener noses than humans”, Subaru replied from his position sitting hunched on the car bonnet, taking another puff of his cigarette before continuing, “It’d be tricky to hide ‘im from folks with devil contracts”

“But surely that’d be preferable to lettin’ him roam around town?”, Tendo questioned, “I mean, the kid seemed alright… but he just tried escaping with a wanted criminal.”

“And who could blame the kid…”, Kurose muttered, the three devil hunters going quiet for a moment until he continued, “But what I don’t get is why Makima would even take that risk…”

Tendo and Kurose share a knowing look, only for Tendo to shake her head ever so slightly, her eyes flicking to the car and then back to Kurose, who nodded lightly. Both of them threw the stubs of their cigarettes on the ground, stamping them out.

“Alright, smoke breaks over!”, seeing the other two move, Subaru declared the end of their break, stretching as he walked round to the car's back door.

The trio drove in silence, with Kurose sitting next to Subaru in the back whilst Tendo drove down the backroad route back towards Tokyo. They’d driven a couple of miles down the road before Subaru broke the silence, something having been bothering him since their pit stop.

“Hey, Kurose, Tendo. You guys have met Makima, Right? What’s she like?”

Tendo’s face hardened, “Subaru, there’s something we wanted to tell you about that”, ever since Makima got off that train something had been rubbing Tendo the wrong way, concerns that Kurose shared.

Tendo’s eyes remained fixed on the road, she could feel the gaze of Kurose on the back of her head. Ever since they worked under Makima in the wake of the yakuza attack on Public Safety, she’d had a bad feeling about the woman ever since seeing her walk off of that train, drenched in blood yet with not a single scratch on her, whilst all of her entourage died without a fight…

And her eyes… she’d never seen eyes like that before, at least, not on a human…

“Subaru, there’s something we wanted to tell you about that.”

“Huh?”, Subaru sat up to attention in his seat, after all, it wasn’t every day you hear gossip about the mysterious leader of the Special Division, “Well whatcha waitin’ for?”

Just as Tendo was about to continue a loud bang sounded out, with the woman quickly losing control of the car, quickly careening towards the treeline.

“WHOA!”

Tendo only had time to shout in shock as the car crashed into a tree, her head smashing violently on the steering wheel on impact.

Subaru and Kurose groaned in pain, Kurose beginning to chastise Tendo, “How’dja crash the car, idiot?!”

Tendo meanwhile slowly raised her head from the steering wheel, her head ringing as she thought back to the day she got her driver’s licence. Her Mom had fretted over her all day, nagging her to be safe on the roads.

‘Urghh… guess I proved the old worry wart right…’, Tendo groaned as she gathered herself, ‘You’ve really gone and done it this time Michiko… How’d I eve-’

Before Tendo even had a chance to turn around and respond to her friend, the windows smashed in around them, showering them with glass as the sound of gunfire rang out, Tendo’s world going dark.

“Damn, the woman was fine. Too bad we killed her”, A long-haired man poked his head through the smashed car window, the smell of gun smoke and fresh blood filling not even making him flinch as he reached in, turning the head of the woman in the driver's seat towards him to get a better look.

“Let me get a look…”, another of the attackers, the tallest of the group, leaned in to get a better look, “Ohhh… Not my type, I like shorter women.”

With that, the first man lets go of Tendo’s head, allowing it to drop back down on the headrest, her eyes staring blankly up at the car roof as the assassins open the doors and get to work.

A fox scarpered from the woods, trotting out into a snow-laden clearing, the sky was clear as the winter sun shone down, light reflecting off the snow. Then suddenly the snow was painted crimson, as an arrow pierced the fox’s chest with a dull ‘thunk’.

“Master. What’s the point of this fox hunt?”

Two figures emerged from their hiding place in the tree line, one a tall man with a bow, the other a petite woman with raven hair so dark it appeared nearly purple. The man who had just spoken turned towards the woman, his master, with a questioning look, awaiting her answer.

“Tolka”, the woman addressed her disciple with an intense stare, her pupils like circles of pure darkness in a sea of green, “Do you feel like you took a life?”

“Like I took a life… No. I only feel the vibration from the bowstring”

It wasn’t the first time Santa had asked Tolka this question, and she was just as disappointed with his answer as always. ‘I only feel the vibration from the bowstring’, she considered his words, mulling over them in her mind, ‘He still lacks some of the necessary ingredients… a shame, I’d hoped to have him prepared by now.’

‘But with Makima on the move, I will just have to finish quickly. Either that or the contract will be void, and I have no desire to break a contract with a primal devil.’

As the pair walked back home, Santa repeated the same question again and again, with Tolka denying it each time, until as they were sat around the table for dinner Santa asked it once more.

“Tolka, do you feel like you took the fox’s-“

“No”

He looked down at her with an impassive face, but Santa could have smiled. He had never cut her off like that before, that could only mean one thing: her words had taken root.

‘Pity’

“I see”, now it was time to share the details with him, “Tolka… this current job isn’t a devil hunter job. It’s to kill this 16-year-old boy.”

Santa held up a picture, it showed a bare-chested teen with a missing hand and a… saw coming out of his head.

“Well… sure, I can do that.”

“Tolka”, the man brought his full attention to his master, her eyes now pools of darkness as she spoke, “We’re about to do what we did to this fox to a 16-year-old boy.”

It was silent for a minute as the two stared at each other, Tolka clearly taken aback by his master’s words.

“Kill him”

“Carve out his heart”

“Make that our job, our livelihood“

He stared back for a moment, before his face steeled, “Master… I can kill.”

‘Guilt’

“The powers that be made a promise”, Tolka looked Santa in the eyes, “Once this next job is over, you can stop being a devil hunter”

Tolka started eating, continuing to speak between bites, “You only have half a year left to live, I want you to live the rest of your life in peace”

‘Adoration’

‘Worship’

“Tolka…”, Santa looked at the fair-haired man as he ate, her face uncharacteristically emotional, not because of Tolka’s sentimentality, she had little time for that.

No. it was because she was finally getting a new member of her family, a new perfect doll…

“In all likelihood, her fiend companions will come with her. Now how shall we intercept them…?”

If Kishibe wasn’t exactly thrilled to be walking down the hallway with Makima to begin with, then he was even less keen on discussing the topic of his old buddy with the woman.

“I’m none too keen to approach that one”, Kishibe could have sighed as he replied, “If the whole of humanity came together and held a bare-knuckle fighting tournament, Quanxi would take first place.”

“At any rate, she’ll be tricky”, now that was an understatement, he’d seen her tear through dozens of enemies unarmed and he was hardly the man he used to be in his prime…

Neither he nor Makima looked at each other as they walked, silence reigning for a moment before Makima continued, “I doubt she’ll be the only big name paying us a visit either.”

“It’s no use taking precautions against Quanxi. The one we need to look out for is… Germany’s Santa Claus”

“You think he’ll come?”, Kishibe didn’t spare a glance at her as she continued on.

“I couldn’t say, there are rumours that he died of old age, but…”, Makima trailed off as they walked on down the corridor.

“If he uses devils on us, it’s all over. Guess we should pray he’s been called to the pearly gates…”

The odd pair continued on down the corridor for a while longer, not another word being spoken between them until Makima offered her apologies and took her leave to meet with some of the Public Safety higher-ups.

‘Santa Claus, dead? Tch, she wouldn’t have mentioned him at all if he was…’, Kishibe reached into his jacket and pulled out his trusty hip flask, taking a swig.

‘Hmmm…’, the old hunter hums in contentment as the taste of the drink hits his tongue, ‘A 12-year-old Macallan… Musta been feelin’ sentimental when I filled this up…’

He hadn’t had this particular whiskey since he and Quanxi were still partners, she’d left not too long after the mission where they had that rookie Minami tagging along with him. He took another swig, he was glad Minami ended up leaving Public Safety, he hadn’t wanted the girl to get killed just because she was infatuated with him, he’d heard that she’d even gotten engaged a few years back.

“Master Kishibe!”, Kishibe’s trip down memory lane was interrupted as a new voice called out to him, with the grizzled devil hunter turning to face the newcomer.

“Ah Aki, I guess it is that time of week, what bar are we going to first?”

Aki blinked in confusion, “Umm… no. I just had some questions for you, about Re- about the Bomb.”

Kishibe plucks a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it and taking a drag before pointing at his former student’s partner, “Sure, I’ll answer your questions kid, but you’re grabbing my tab tonight.” Aki simply nodded with a sigh, “Sure, I’ll take that deal…”

Kishibe watched as the younger man began walking out, his thoughts returning to the past once more, and in truth, it wasn’t Minami the drink reminded him of. He idly wondered whether Quanxi’s preferences may have changed a bit.

‘Heh… No chance in hell…’, Kishibe chuckled mirthlessly as he took another swig from his flask. No, after all these years she’d still be the same, just like his Macallan.

And there was a comfort in that, he supposed…

In the bustling streets of Beijing, deep in a shoddy apartment complex, the first devil hunter lay on her king-sized bed surrounded by, well, devils, or fiends rather.

Her fiends. Her women.

Cosmo, with her boundless enthusiasm and knowledge. Tsugihage, ever silent yet oh so caring. Long, with her strength, and bravery. And then there was sweet Pingsti, ever cheerful and sharing useless facts, arrogant to a fault and oh so eager. Each perfect in their own way, at least to her.

 Quanxi lay on the bed, her fiends practically piled on top of her in a pile of naked limbs, all of them revelling in the afterglow. ‘Hmmm… that was nice…’, Quanxi lay back on the bed content, glancing around at her fiends quickly, ‘Oh, Long’s fallen asleep, better keep things quiet…’

“Ahhh… Oh, Quanxi… That was sooo good…”, Pingsti purred in pleasure as she gazed up at Quanxi with adoration in her eyes, even her shade-like ponytail mirroring her pleasure.

“Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!”

Quanxi looked up to the door upon hearing Cosmo’s shouts, alerting her to the presence of the CCP soldier darkening her doorway.

‘Damn, I was hoping for a little more time before the next mission…’

The soldier marched up to the side of her bed, looking down at them with thinly veiled disdain, he looked high-ranking enough, she supposed, not the regular handler they had deal with her.

“You’ve got a job”, the officer held up a picture: a teenager with a saw jutting out from his head, “Go to Japan and capture this saw man.”

‘Japan, huh… this one won’t be easy’, Quanxi mulled it over for a moment before deciding.

“What’s my reward?”

“This will be your most dangerous job so far. The general says we’ll grant you any request to the best of our ability.

Without missing a beat, Quanxi sat up, her fiends gazing up at her inquisitively as she spoke, “Ladies, tell me what you want.”

“Awesome doughnuts! I want 100 doughnuts!”

“Blood”

“Halloween! Halloween!”

“…”

‘Should’ve known, may as well play hardball then…’

“Give my girls human rights and a basic education”, Quanxi watched closely as he turned to leave, reaching the door before looking over his shoulder to reply, “We’ll look into it… if you succeed.”

‘Tch… typical, no manners with these people’, she never had been a big fan of faceless bureaucrats, whether it be in Japan or here in China, but as long as they looked after her and the girls, she’d swallow all the crap they served her. Quanxi lay back down on the bed as the officer’s footsteps retreated down the hall, her fiends settling back down around her, excitedly fawning over her.

She smiled down at her fiends, stroking Long’s hair absentmindedly as her mind wandered. ‘I wonder if Kishibe is still at Public Safety… he’d be an old man by now…’

Quanxi had left Public Safety a long time ago, not long after that woman had been put in charge of her division, but she almost wished that he’d left back then as well, if only to spare her old buddy whatever she had planned.

Quanxi chuckled pithily at that thought, ‘Who am I kidding? Even if I’d asked, he would have said no. That man will be fighting devils till he drops dead.’

He may look older when she sees him again, and they may well meet as enemies, but in that sense at least, he’ll never change, and there was some small comfort in that.

“This blows…”

Denji sat on the floor leaning on the table, his head propped up on his hand as he pouted. The dream of his beach holiday in Enoshima seeming more distant by the minute.

“Oh stop pouting Denji”, the boy’s strop was interrupted as Reze walked over from the kitchen, setting down the snacks and finger foods they had bought on the way home on the table, before plopping herself down right next to him, poking his cheek as she leant into him, “It’s not like it’s the end of the world.”

Reze was honestly content that the trip had been cancelled, in fact, she’d been nearly as relieved as Power that she would have to spend any more time than what was necessary with Makima. However, seeing Denji so deflated, she couldn’t find it in herself to be truly happy about how things had turned out.

“Besides, Makima only said it was postponed”, she reached down and grabbed his hand, “We’ll just have to sit our butts down in this room and watch movies until Public Safety deals with those assassins!”

She grins cheekily at him, “Watching movies all week with your girlfriend is a pretty good deal you know! So what’d’ya say?”

Denji lets out a long sigh before a small smile crept onto his face, “Yeah… I suppose you’re right. I guess we’ll just have to wait till Miss Makima deals with all this crap… I really was looking forward to the beach though…”

“Oh, I know you were Denji”, Reze giggled, “Looking forward to seeing someone there perhaps…?”

“Hey, I won’t deny it!”, Denji laughs as he holds up his hands, “Though I was wondering… maybe we could go swimming, like last time?”

“Hmmm… very tempting, though I don’t think it’d be a great idea to strip off at the beach. Enoshima is bound to be a tourist hotspot”, she leaned up and kissed him lightly on the bottom of his chin before continuing, “Though we could do it somewhere… more private…”

Before Denji had a chance to reply, a crash sounded out from the other end of the flat, followed by the loud thudding of footsteps as Power dashed into the living room, carrying several DVD boxes in one hand and a reluctant Meowy in the other.

“Be grateful! Me and Meowy have lovingly picked out some of the greatest media of our time for us to-“, Power’s tirade trailed off as she froze, her eyes flitting from Denji and Reze to the spread of food laid out on the table, with everything from gyoza to meat skewers laid out on the table, all frozen of course, not that that mattered to the fiend.

Power looked about ready to pounce on the food, before noticing the disapproving gaze of Denji and Reze. She looked at them and then back to the food and then back to them once more, pointing at the food, “Can I…”

Reze and Denji turned from the fiend and looked at each other before bursting out into laughter at the unusually timid fiend. “Ahahaha! The look on your face Powy!”

Denji’s hearty laugh was joined with Reze’s, the girl trying and failing to hold in her own laughter as Power’s face went red in embarrassment.

“What!? Stop laughing at me!”, the two hybrids only laughed harder as the fiend stomped her foot in frustration as she glared at them, seemingly ready to pounce on them. Seeing Power’s anger, Denji held up his hands placatingly, trying to calm her as he and Reze’s laughter petered out, “We’re just kidding Powy, it’s just odd to see you bein’ all polite like that.”

“Hmmph! Well of course I’m polite, people are always telling me how polite I am! I can’t even remember someone saying otherwise!”

“Uh-huh, whatever you say Powy”, Denji looked at the fiend as she prattled on, a bored look on his face as he waited for her to finish, “So you want to watch a movie or not?”

“Yeah, come on and sit-down Power, we even have Yakitori skewers! See?”, Reze waved one of the skewers tantalizingly at the meat-obsessed fiend, who started salivating as her eyes followed the food as it moved to and fro.

“F-fine, I shall forgive you both as thanks for the generous offering!”, Power quickly stalked over to the TV and inserted the DVD, before quickly stalking back and plopping down on Denji’s other side, ravenously grabbing fistfuls of every piece of food that’s he was sure had no vegetables.

As the movie started playing, a smile unknowingly formed on Denji’s face, with Power giving a lively commentary on the movie and Reze snuggling into his side, he found his disappointment over Enoshima fading. However, he did feel like something was still missing.

‘Huh… wonder where Aki is…?’

Aki stumbled as he stepped out of the bar and into the street, unsteady on his feet as he began walking in the vague direction of home. He didn’t know exactly what he expected when he went out drinking with Kishibe, but the older man had basically drunk him under the table and been left none the worse for wear.

Aki meanwhile was struggling to walk in a straight line, ‘Urghh… well at least I found out some more about Reze…’

Aki could at least say he’d succeeded in his goal, even though remembering what he’d learnt might be up in the air… From what Kishibe told him, the girl’s upbringing was even worse than he’d thought it’d be.

‘To think they’d do something like that to a child…’, Aki grimaced as he stopped and leaned against a lamppost, ‘Not that we’re much better…’

Sure, Public Safety may be a good sight better than the Soviets, but drawing the line at experimenting on children doesn’t exactly excuse them press-ganging children to work for them. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him.

‘Those three are all just kids… why should they not have a chance at a normal life, why would Miss Makima…’, Aki’s thoughts trailed off as he continued walking, choosing to put off his concerns with Public Safety for the time being.

Speaking of Public Safety, Kishibe had also dropped the information that Tendo and Kurose had been recalled to Tokyo again. He was sure they probably wouldn’t appreciate being called back to Tokyo so soon, both had seemed quite uncomfortable during their time in the capital after all, but Aki would honestly appreciate the company, it’d be nice to see some familiar faces around the place after the events of the last couple of months.

After about half an hour of Aki shuffling his way down the streets his apartment building came into view in the near distance, much to the man’s relief. He had to remember in the future to not go drinking alone with Kishibe, another drinking session like that and he’d shorten his lifespan even more…

‘Maybe I could rope Kurose and Tendo into coming with next time… could even try to get them to let something slip about Makima… Might even know something about why she seems so invested in Denji and Reze…’

As Aki walked the final stretch home, he knew one thing was certain either way: he was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning.

Chapter Text

It was a warm summer's day as a family of ducks swam lazily up the river, the ducklings dutifully paddling after their mother as she glided over the calm waters, with onlookers watching the serene scene as they stood by the riverside. Well at least most of them were enjoying the view…

"Yo Reze… you think it'd be okay for us to catch and eat those birds?"

"Denji, you're already eating!"

Denji, Reze and Power stood leaning against the railing, looking out at the water. Reze looked torn between amusement and disbelief as she turned her attention away from the view and towards her boyfriend.

"I mean, I'd rather have duck than rice balls, thought the rice could be good bait", Denji continued looking at the ducks absentmindedly, as if imagining what way he'd eat them.

"I'm sure we can get some food on the way Denji, so no killing the ducks, okay?", Reze reprimanded him, the smile on her face betraying her amusement.

"If I was the President, I would allow it…", Power muttered, munching on her own rice ball half-heartedly, clearly dissatisfied with the glaring lack of meat in Aki's homemade snacks.

"Don't worry Power, we'll make sure we stop at a burger place or something, okay?" Reze rolled her eyes at the fiend's pouting. 'She really is just like a kid, huh?'

"Hey, you must be Denji, right?"

The trio nearly jumped out of their skins, with Denji, In his shock, dropping his half-eaten rice ball into the river. spinning around to face whoever had just snuck up on them.

"The hell man, I was gonna eat that!", Denji snapped at the newcomer: a tall boy with dark hair that partially obscured his eyes, who looked to be about the same age as Denji himself.

"N-no… not you! Shoo! Begone!", Power pointed at the boy, looking as if she'd seen a ghost, sweat beading on her forehead as she pushed Denji and Reze in front of her to act as a barrier.

"Hello to you too Power", he replied casually, totally unbothered by the fiend's dramatics, "Name's Yoshida, let's get along."

"Ah!", Yoshida smacked his fist onto his palm as he looked at Reze, his surprise clearly feigned, "And you must be that Bomb girl, good to meet you."

Reze raised an eyebrow, frowning in displeasure at the not-so-flattering epithet, whilst Denji glowered at the boy.

"Why the hell are you here anyways? You don't look any older than us!", Denji questioned him with a sour expression on his face, still mourning the loss of his lunch.

"Yeah, I thought Public Safety only recruited kids on the basis they had no rights", Reze voiced her agreement with Denji, shooting Yoshida a scathing look, "But it sure doesn't look like you're here against your will."

Yoshida holds up his hands as if in surrender, the easy smile still on his face, "You got me. Public Safety asked me to work with them when I have time off school, though I won't be around much after this mission with finals coming up"

"Tch… Well, isn't that nice for you", Reze responded with no small amount of bitterness, before turning back around and looking out at the water. Yoshida's face screwed up in confusion for a moment before settling into a slightly strained smile.

Denji looked to be about to say something to Yoshida when Aki intervened, walking over with a reluctant Angel in tow, "Right you lot, we've stopped for long enough, it's time to get moving."

"Ah, of course, Mr Hayakawa", Yoshida quickly turned to reply to Aki, "Anyway, it was good meeting you two, I hope we'll get to talk some more later!"

With that, Yoshida joined the other Devil Hunters, Kusakabe and Tamaki, who Makima had introduced to them earlier in the day. 'I'm not sure which one's been worse so far…', Denji thought as he leaned back on the wooden railings next to Reze, hands in his pockets.

"Where'd Miss Makima find these weirdos anyway?", Denji looked in the direction of the other devil hunters with disdain, between that guy Yoshida's off-putting chumminess and the overbearing busybody with glasses, Denji was wondering if there was anybody normal in Public Safety.

Aki meanwhile looked at Denji with bemusement, 'He really has no self-awareness, huh?'

Denji was certainly right that there were a lot more… interesting… characters around Public Safety recently, however, the observation made Aki remember what Himeno always used to say: 'The best devil hunters all have a few crews loose'

Well, her maxim certainly proved to be true after the attack by the gun devil acolytes. Almost all of his coworkers were killed in the attack, with all that remained being devils, fiends and Denji. Himeno had loved to act out and get wasted, but in reality, she was pretty normal as far as devil hunters were concerned.

And Aki himself…? Well, he knew he was normal, and his life was already on a timer as it was…

"Yo Aki, you coming or what?", Aki looked to Denji who was now making his way towards the rest of the group, he had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had barely registered Denji, Reze and Power moving, "We're gonna stop at Family Burger on the way, It's on our route!"

Aki's eye twitched as Denji shouted their new plans over his shoulder.

"Since when was that the plan you brat!?", Aki snapped at Denji as he jogged to catch up with him. Denji just shrugged in response, "Powy's still hungry, so unless you want her tryin' to drain one of the new guys…"

Aki looked to the fiend in question, who was busy pestering Reze. The other hybrid patiently listening to whatever nonsense Power was spouting, though Aki couldn't help but notice the small exasperated smile on Reze's face.

"Yeah… I suppose you're right about that", Aki replied, of course not realising a similar smile creeping onto his own face.

'Well, things are more lively now at least, for better or for worse…'

"Sooo, you've finally stopped pouting over that rice ball, huh Denji?"

Reze wasted no time in teasing Denji as they sat down at a table in the middle of the restaurant. The group had only ended up walking about twenty minutes before they reached the nearest Family Burger, Power had practically been quivering in excitement when Aki was ordering the food, with Denji having to stop her trying to jump over the counter and into the kitchen.

"Hey, anyone would be upset over that! It was a waste of perfectly good food!", Denji replied, clearly still not quite over the sight of his lunch sinking into the river, "Though… this sure looks like an upgrade…"

"Tis true, this puts Topknot's food to shame!", Power still managed to find time to insult Aki's cooking as she scarfed the fast food into her mouth, leaving Reze wondering how the fiend could even taste it.

As she dug into her own burger, Reze found her mind wandering as it seemed want to do these days…

'This whole thing is rubbing me the wrong way…', her brow furrowed as she grazed on her fries, 'What's the sense in us walking around aimlessly like this, it's almost like- ah of course…'

"Sorry to intrude again, but is it alright if I join you?"

Reze's eyes flicked towards the direction of the voice, finding Yoshida at the side of the table, tray of food in hand as he stood there with a polite smile plastered on his face, 'It's creepy how he just appears out of nowhere like that…'

Before either Reze or Denji could respond, Yoshida took a next to Power, facing opposite Denji, who threw the taller boy an annoyed glare, "I don't remember either of us saying yes asshole."

"I guess I'll have to settle for asking for forgiveness rather than permission then", Yoshida batted away Denji's gripes, seeming totally unbothered by the three hostile gazes directed towards him.

"So, I'm guessing you want something from us then, since you seem pretty set on bothering us", Reze observed dryly as she finished off the last bite of her burger, "So? Spit it out already"

"I wouldn't say that I wanted something from any of you per se", Yoshida brought his hand up to his chin, as if in thought before continuing on, "It's just that I wondering just how it came about that you and Denji are working for Public Safety. After all, I was only brought in because I'm a top performer in my school's devil hunting club…"

Yoshida let the question hang in the air, an uncomfortable silence hanging over the group for a moment.

It was Denji who broke the silence first, "Not that it's any of your business, but I was hired by Miss Makima herself!", he pointed his thumb to his chest proudly, "So you could say I'm kinda a big deal!"

"I too am a big deal! One could even say that that woman Makima takes orders from me!", Power made sure to chip in with her own boast, not wanting to be left out of the spotlight.

Reze rolled her eyes at the two, before answering herself, "Well, unlike you we don't really have a choice in the matter."

The table went quiet as she spoke, Denji's grin steadily fading as he and the others listened, "Some of us just get told that we get to die as a devil or live as a slave, and that's all there is to it…"

Silence descended back over the group, with even Power looking away to the side as if looking for an escape route. Denji meanwhile just stared at Reze, the look on his face somewhere between concern and consternation.

Yoshida just looked down at his food for a moment, his hair covering his eyes as he spoke, "You know… my finals are coming up soon, so I'll probably be quitting soon, at least for the time being anyway."

"Hopefully when the Gun Devil is dealt with, Public Safety will let you guys live a more normal life. We could always use more members for the devil hunting club you know."

"Hmm… maybe…", Reze's reply was monotone as her mouth twisted into a melancholy smile, her eyes focused on the table as silence reigned once more.

As the group went quiet and everyone returned to eating or simply mined their own business, Denji was deep in thought, pushing his food around the tray absentmindedly. 'School huh… Wonder if Public Safety would let us go…'

He found it very easy to get caught up in the daydream of what a normal life could be like: he could go to class and learn the sorts of things Reze knew, he and Power could goof off together, hell maybe he could even reenact one of those cheesy romance scenes with from a manga he'd read with Reze (Not that he'd ever admit to reading it).

However, the growing smile on his face slowly faded as reality hit, because as he looked at Reze's face he understood why the talk of school seemed to make her close into herself.

Because all her dreams of living a normal life, and his, were just that: dreams. This was shown clearly when Makima simply took away their freedoms in an instant, there was no way Public Safety would agree to give them that much leeway. Unless…

'Miss Makima said she'd grant me a single wish if I defeat the Gun Devil… I think I know what I want to use it for now…'

Denji had been hung up on what to ask Makima for a while now, with the only ideas he had revolving around wanting to date Makima or something of the sort. But now that normal life with Reze and Power sounded a whole lot better than those old plans…

Reze, Denji and Power sat on the curb outside of Family Burger, having slipped out when they were done with their food to escape both the awkward atmosphere and Yoshida. It certainly hadn't helped matters when Kusakabe had started arguing with Power over the importance of a balanced diet.

Whilst Power continued to complain to anyone who would listen about the grievous sins committed against her by the poor staff member who had dared to put a singular slice of tomato in her burger, Denji and Reze sat there looking out at the road. Both of them sat there in silence, Power's complaints fading away as she got up and went to bother Aki, until Denji finally spoke.

"Y'know, I just realised something earlier", his eyes didn't move from the road in front of them as he spoke, "All these guys aren't here to protect us… we're just bait, aren't we?"

Reze looked at him, the small smile on her face as sad as it was proud. It could be easy for some people to write Denji off just because he hadn't received a formal education, but Reze would never make that mistake, though that didn't mean that she didn't mourn that he was being made to grow up as a tool of the state…

She didn't reply to Denji's question immediately, instead, she just shimmied in closer to him, grabbing his hand in her own and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Yeah… you're right", her melancholic smile faded as she leaned into Denji's side, "It's only natural that 'people' like us are used as the bait, we're harder to kill than the average devil hunter after all…"

There is a pregnant pause for a moment before Denji lets out a deep sigh, "Yeah… thought as much... I s'pose the 'no human rights' thing helps too"

Denji's comment caused Reze to start giggling, and soon both of them were laughing at his morbid observation.

"Well, I don't know what you two are laughing about, but you aren't wrong that you're being used for bait", the two were interrupted as Aki joined them, Power in tow.

"I knew it you piece of shit!", Denji snapped at Aki, who only shrugged in response.

"Well you two are harder to kill than us, so it only makes sense", Aki responds nonchalantly, "Don't hold against me, it's so we can go to Enoshima as soon as possible"

Reze threw Aki a dirty look at that comment, "Ohhh gee, how generous…"

Denji meanwhile gritted his teeth in anger as he answered, "If it's for Enoshima… I guess I'll let it go…"

Just as it seemed the issue had been smoothed over, Power, who had been pouting ever since Enoshima had been brought up, exploded.

"HOLD ON, NO FAIR!! THAT'S DIRTY!", the horned girl shouted before lowering her tone under Aki's glare, "You all get rewards for work, but I get nothing! It's awful!"

Aki, who at this point was completely used to the fiend's antics, patiently waited until she was finished before replying, "Okay Power. Then what would you want?"

The fiend in question blinked in surprise as if she was stunned that her complaining actually worked for once, before a devious grin crept onto her face, "I want to suck out all a human's blood until they die…"

Aki just looked at the fiend impassively for a moment as she salivated over the idea of draining a human dry. He opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to deny the fiend's wish, after all what devil hunter would just sacrifice someone to a devil?

"All right, that's fair. Denji, once this assassin business calms down, let her suck you dry until you die."

"What?!", Denji was in disbelief, distraught that he had been sold out so quickly, "No way!"

"Denji's blood?!", Power looked back and forth between Denji and Aki excitedly, before leaping onto Denji's shoulders without warning.

"WOO-HOOOO!!"

Reze merely shook her head as the bratty fiend cheered her sweet victory, Denji calling out to her, "Reze! Can you help get her off me!?"

"Oh I t-think you'll manage f-fine", Reze hid her smile behind a hand, trying to hold in her laughter as he struggled.

Denji, seeing he would not be getting any help on this front, simply settled on grumbling under his breath, "Can we not just sacrifice Aki instead…?"

"Hmm… looks like we'll have to do things the hard way…"

Santa sat opposite Tolka in the Family Burger restaurant, watching their target outside the window from the corner of her eye before turning her attention back to Tolka, who as usual had been hanging on her every word.

"What do you mean master?", Santa said nothing at first, simply reaching up her sleeve and retrieving a nail, placing it beside her meal. "If everything had gone to plan, this nail wouldn't be clean. Sadly, with the Soviet's little experiment sticking so close to the boy I couldn't prick him at all"

Seeing Tolka's silent questioning stare, Santa elaborated "Stab someone with this nail four times and you can take someone's life, though at a great price of course"

"That means that I'll have to leave dealing with that boy up to you, Tolka. We can call it your final test", Santa begins unwrapping her food as she speaks before looking to Tolka once more, "If you pass, I'll introduce you to the devils I have contracts with."

Tolka only nodded severely as he was given his mission, whilst Santa settled for finally digging into her burger, letting out a contented hum as the taste hit her tongue, "Oh it's delicious! I'm almost thankful I could use the nail, it would've been a tragedy to be unable to taste something so delicious!"

"Oh, if no one else was I here I think I'd get up and dance"

Tolka smiled fondly as his master dug into her burger. He had come to be his master's student in pursuit of power, yes, but it truly was his dearest wish that his master could live her remaining days in peace, and if him taking her place gave her the peace of mind to retire, then all the better.

"Oh, there they are!", the group of devil hunters watched as the conspicuous plague doctor mask of Violence peaked its head out of the passenger seat window of a small yellow car. The group watched as the dated car pulled up in front of them on the sidewalk, with Kobeni and Violence getting out of the front of the vehicle.

However, Aki wasn't expecting to see a third figure get out of the back seat, especially not someone he thought would still be in the hospital.

"Kurose, it's been a while… we heard about what happened to Tendo and Subaru, hopefully they find the bodies soon…", Aki grimaced as he tried consoling the man, who looked near-emotionless compared to how he was last time Aki saw him.

However, whatever pity Aki had for the man was overshadowed by one concern: why was he here?

"You don't need to push yourself to join the mission, that's the word from Miss Makima", Aki was pretty confident they had enough hunters on this assignment as is, there was no need for Kurose, injured as he was, to join them.

"I agree with her, you ought to rest and recuperate", Aki decided to give his own two cents, he had no desire for another one of his colleagues to die needlessly.

Kurose stared at him blankly for a minute before bowing his head to Aki pleadingly, his face screwed up as he pleaded, "I begged Higashiyama and her buddy to help slip me out of the hospital to be here". The man looked up at Aki, practically begging, "I want to avenge my friends. I have to, please!"

"I know how you feel… but…", Aki looked at the man hesitantly before he sighed, relenting, "Fine… just don't push yourself, okay?"

It didn't take Aki long to regret his decision as only a couple of minutes later he was looking at Kurose's body slumped against the end of a railing, the man's head having slammed into it after Kobeni's car careened through the guard railing. The vehicle flew straight into an unexpecting Denji and Kurose, the latter dying on impact with the pole, whilst Denji was groaning in pain, blood frothing from his lips.

"Denji!", Reze quickly sprinted over to Denji, cutting her hand on the jagged edge of the smashed railing as she ran, kneeling down at his side and allowing the blood from the wound to run into his mouth.

'Just our luck, a car of all things!', Reze thinks dryly as she frets over Denji. She knew, of course, that Denji would be completely fine when the blood took effect, but that hadn't done much to assuage the rush of panic she'd felt when she saw him get sent flying.

In the car, Power sat in the driver's seat, sweat beading on her brow as she looked on at the double homicide she had just caused. The fiend turned to Kobeni, with the small, timid girl stuttering in the passenger seat, and suddenly an idea hit her.

"'Tis your car. This isn't my fault!"

"Y… Y…", the poor girl couldn't even spit out a response to Power righteous barrage of truth.

"Are you trying to shift the blame onto me?!", the fiend's face twisted in anger as she unbuckled her seat belt and clambered out of the car, "You murderer!!"

With that Power slammed the car door shut, leaving a stunned Kobeni looking out at the carnage, wondering if maybe it hadn't been a good idea to cheap out on her insurance…

"Wha… What the hell…", Aki looked on at the carnage in shock, not quite believing what had just happened. Just a moment ago he'd been talking with Kurose, and now the devil hunter was lying there dead, and it soon became very clear who the perpetrator was.

"What's wrong with you?!" Aki shouted at Power who was standing beside the car, looking completely nonplussed by the chaos she'd caused.

"I wasn't driving!", Power simply pointed at the car as she strolled over, with a distraught Kobeni sitting in the passenger seat staring at the bodies splayed out in front of the car, "It's her fault!"

"My God!", Aki and the rest turned to Kusakabe, the bespectacled hunter pointing towards where Kurose's body lay, or at least what should have been Kurose's body.

"Hayakawa, look! His face… it's changed"

As Aki looked at the corpse, he saw not Kurose, but a complete stranger. He was barely listening to Tamaoki as he identified the man as one of the American skin-changers that Miss Makima briefed could have been sent to Tokyo.

"I knew it!!", Power quickly reverted to type as she gloated over the corpse of the assassin, a smug grin on her face, "Looks like I was the only one to see through the enemy's disguise!"

"The glory is mine! All mine!!", Power dashed towards a recovering Denji, Reze's blood having been enough for him to start to rise back to his feet. This recovery was short-lived as he is bear-hugged from behind, with the force behind Power's grasp being enough to make him cough up blood.

"Power! Give him a minute to recover! For the love of-", Reze quickly pried the excitable devil off of Denji, before taking his weight on her shoulder, "Hey glasses! Can we get a blood bag over here?!"

As Kusakabe ran over with the blood, no doubt complaining about his new nickname, Reze lowered herself and Denji back to the ground, cradling the wounded boy as he coughed up more frothy red blood.

"There there Denji, just stay still and we'll get you up on your feet again soon", Reze spoke soothingly, as she stroked his hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that weird guy, Yoshida, slinking off into an alleyway whilst everyone else was distracted by the dead assassin.

Reze chose to ignore him, instead keeping her focus on Denji, snatching the blood bag from Kusakabe and holding it to Denji's lips, the blonde taking deep gulps as the blood resuscitated him.

'Well, I'd much rather be here than following that creep into a dark alley, that's for sure…'

Across the city Makima watched as Prinzi scuttled away to do her bidding: collecting all the bodies left in the wake of the doll attacks. The power of the Doll Devil was an inconvenient one for sure, with any casualty against it also adding to the ranks of the puppet hordes that had begun terrorising Tokyo.

This was exactly the reason why Makima had been hoping that the German assassin had passed- that and the fact that Santa Claus had contacts and contracts with some very powerful devils indeed. Though, Makima wasn't concerned, not yet. The team she had sent out was quite potent after all, even without sending Beam, having two hybrids certainly helped stack the odds in her favour.

She walked up to a pile of dolls, taking a seat on the broken shells that were once the workers of this office block. Perched on this throne of sorts Makima allowed herself a rare satisfied smile: the relationship between Denji and Reze seemed to be progressing nicely, and the other hybrid had her uses beyond the role of a glorified bodyguard. Yes, everything was going well, all things considered. And if things did go wrong, well she wasn't all that worried.

After all, above all else: she believed in Chainsaw Man.

As it turns out, Denji didn't have peace for long after he was revived. It had been a couple of hours of seemingly aimless walking later, and the group had just decided to turn into the nearest department store for a bite to eat.

And then everything went to shit.

"Second floor! Run for the second floor!", they all frantically scrambled for the stairs, with Denji and Reze following right behind Aki as a swarm of dolls rushed through the front doors of the mall, crashing through the entrance like waves.

"Turn them to stone already!", Denji yelled at Kusakabe, who was right behind them, followed by Power. Up to this point, he had been keeping the dolls at bay using his contract with the Stone Devil, but now the usually stoic man was dashing up the stairs in panic alongside them.

"There are too many! I can only do it from on top of the circle!"

"Some use you are!", Reze growled in frustration, unable to even countenance pulling her pin, lest she blow the entire squad to smithereens along with the dolls. Just as the two hybrids thought they would make it to the next floor, they heard a cry from behind.

"They're almost on me! GYAHH, CLIMB FASTER YOU TRASH!"

Power was near-screaming in fear as she shouted curses at the slower devil hunter in front of her, the dolls closing in on her before one jumped and latched itself onto her back, Power making an animalistic noise as she tried desperately to throw the puppet off.

"POWER!"

Denji and Reze wasted no time as they rushed back down the stairs, brushing past Kusakabe as they launched themselves into the mob of dolls swarming Power, Denji viciously kicking off one of the dolls gripping Power's arm, whilst Reze kicked another down the stairs, the porcelain golem crashing down into the horde, slowing their ascent.

With the fiend freed and the dolls momentarily stalled, the two hybrids turned to a stunned Kusakabe, "What the hell man! We aren't turning into dolls!", both spoke in tandem as the puzzled devil hunter looked on, realisation on his face.

"Only humans can get turned into dolls! Fiends must be immune!"

"What about us, are we immune?", Denji gestured to himself and Reze, though he never got the chance to hear Kusakabe's response as the swarm of dolls began closing in again, the fresh ones having clambered over the others that had been damaged whilst Denji and Reze had rescued Power.

"We'll have time to question four-eyes later! Run!", Reze said, grabbing Denji by the hand and dragging him up the stairs, catching up with Power, who had started running as soon as she had noticed them closing in.

Just as the two hybrids passed Tamaoki at the top of the stairs, reaching the next floor, the stoic devil hunter shouted, "Nakamura! Do it!"

"Yes sir!"

At Tamaoki's signal, another devil hunter appeared as if from thin air, running past the Hayakawa household, towards the waves of dolls.

"Who's this dude?!", Denji turned around to watch the newcomer, before looking to Aki for an answer, only to see that he had an equally confused look on his face.

"Who are you?!", Aki asked, flummoxed at the sudden appearance of the man as the plain-looking devil hunter summoned the fox devil's paw, crushing a cluster of the pursuing dolls into the ground. With the short respite provided by this, Tamaoki began explaining why the man, Nakamura was here.

Denji however wasn't paying much attention, with him and Reze throwing each other a knowing look, after all, it was pretty clear that the only reason someone would've been waiting here is if this was the plan all along.

Tamaoki then turned to Denji, dipping his head as he began to speak, "Sorry that we've-"

Denji cut him off, "Been using us as bait? Put that one together already", Denji just turned away and followed Power up the stairs, an almost bitter look on his face.

For her part, Reze looked at Tamaoki blankly for a moment before turning to Aki with a humourless smile, "luchshe odin raz uvidet, cham sto raz uslyshat."

Quanxi stood atop the first flight of stairs of the department store, not even bothering to look at the dolls running up the stairs after her, they wouldn't be an issue for much longer anyway.

As the sound of heads rolling down the stairs hit her ears, she raised her blunted and chipped sword up to her face, a singular tired eye reflected in the ruined blade. Santa's contract with the Doll Devil was a tricky one, reinforcing the skin and flesh of its victims, robbing them of all free will but, in a sick twist, leaving them conscious in their new form- a spectator in their own bodies.

She dropped the useless sword, drawing two more from their sheathes strapped to her back. There was no use thinking about such things, all she could do was give them a quick death.

The first devil hunter stood with her swords drawn, staring at the stairs in front of her in silence.

'I hope the girls can handle the clean up alright'

With that thought Quanxi began her ascent, not once looking at the bodies of the dolls around her as her walk began a sprint. Despite all the bodies she passed on her way, she didn't see a thing.

"Angel, Nakamura! Defend!! You'll die!"

One moment Aki was talking to him, and the next he was shouting and sprinting in a panic towards where Angel was talking to the new guy. All Denji saw when he turned was a blur darting across the wall, and then Nakamura's head was flying in an arc through the air. Aki and Angel were then pummelled to the ground by an overhead blow, Aki's sword having deflected a lethal blow at the cost of knocking them both to the ground unconscious.

Denji, Reze and the other hunters stood on-guard as the blur landed in a crouch a few meters in front of them, the figure- a white-haired woman, had one eye covered by an eyepatch, a slightly curved sword in each hand and an unbothered expression on her face.

Denji moved to lunge for the woman, only for Reze to throw her hand out and stop him, "Careful Denji!"

A silent stand-off continued for a few seconds, each moment feeling like an eternity until the woman lowered her crumbling swords ever so slightly, a look of recognition flashing across her face as her eyes flit from Reze's face to the pin on her neck.

"Why are you here Bomb?", the silence was broken as the woman addressed Reze directly, "I thought Public Safety would have you under lock and key after that massacre of yours."

"They do, in a way…", Reze eyed the woman warily, her finger not moving from its position looped around her pin, "But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you granny."

"You have the right idea, a deal for an easy life doesn't come up often", Quanxi looked at Reze appraisingly for a moment, before letting one of her sword handles drop to the ground, taking up a fighting stance, "Shame that you're not my type."

Reze flinches at the out-of-the-blue comment, before sneering at her "Thank God for that!"

"Yeah, you heard her, old lady!", Denji barked as he took up a fighting stance next to Reze.

Quanxi simply looked at them blankly, before a ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

"A shame for you that is."

Before either of the teens could process it, Quanxi darted forward, a monochrome blur being all Denji's eyes could pick up as Reze's hand fell limp, hanging from her pin as the jagged remains of Quanxi's sword sliced through flesh and bone.

"Gaahh!", Reze cried out in pain, her other hand scrambling for her pin as Quanxi clocked Denji on the chin with a vicious kick, before swinging her arm out in an arc back towards Reze, slicing clean through the soft flesh of her neck, her head flopping back, held on only by the thinnest amount of flesh that the remains of the dao could cut through.

Quanxi continued on from her incapacitation of the two hybrids, bringing down hunter after hunter in quick succession, swinging her leg around with a reverse kick aimed at the last standing hunter's head.

Only to have it blocked.

"Octopus!"

Yoshida braced himself as he tumbled back across the ground, calling out for his contracted devil and shielding his head as effectively as he could, coming to a stop in a kneeling position, supported by the writhing tentacles of the Octopus Devil.

Before Yoshida had a chance to speak, a dark shape landed in between him and Quanxi with a meaty thud, Reze's head rolling to a stop, glazed-over green eyes looking straight at Quanxi,

"Octopus!", Yoshida's form was quickly surrounded by tentacles whilst Quanxi tried to move away.

"Boom"

"Pretty smart, huh?"

Smoke and fire engulfed the combatants as Denji and a transformed Reze looked on. It hadn't taken long for Denji to recover and regain consciousness and as soon as he'd seen Reze's head nearly sliced off, he'd pulled her pinned and tore it off, lobbing it straight towards the fight before running out of the blast zone of Reze's transformation.

"I've gotta agree, though why'd you go straight for lobbing my head across the room? Thought you'd be a bit sentimental about it", Reze's distorted voice rang forth, her transformation unable to mask the amusement in her voice.

"Well, pulling my cord usually brings me back quickly, so figured it'd be the same for you", Denji responded nonchalantly, fixing Reze with a grin, "As for throwin' your head, I figured you'd like a bit of payback against one-eye over there"

Reze barked out a laugh before turning her attention towards the clearing smoke, "You're not wrong there, can't believe she got me that easily…"

Denji groaned as the smoke cleared to show a singed but otherwise unharmed Quanxi holding Yoshida by the hair, a shard of broken tiling held to his neck.

"Well, looks like we get another shot at this bitch…", Reze growled, as Denji prepared to pull his cord.

"Quanxi", the standoff was broken as a gravelly voice rang out from the stairway, "It's been a long time."

And there stood Kishibe, showing no sign of fatigue as he held Long and Pingsti in headlocks, a knife in each hand ready to end the fiends at a moment's notice. To Denji and Reze's surprise the woman, Quanxi as Kishibe called her, let Yoshida go, the teen crumpling to the floor with a pained grunt.

The pair watched as she walked towards one of the surviving tables, pulling up a chair and taking a seat, looking out the window as if waiting.

"Denji, Reze, can you keep a hold on these two for me?", Kishibe didn't leave much time for them to react as he palms both of the fiends off on them, "And get up from there Power, we need someone to keep watch."

"Uuhhrgh… Playing dead doesn't protect one's hearing…", Power groaned as she got up from the floor, shuffling over to stand behind the two others, shooting a glare at Reze- the culprit of her ringing eardrums, as her transformed form melted away.

Reze noticed the fiend's glare as she watched Kishibe walk over and sit opposite Quanxi, rolling her eyes, 'It's not like I wanted to get decapitated Power…'

It was never a pleasant experience for sure, but what really stung was just how easily the woman had closed the distance between them. It gave Reze an uneasy feeling in her stomach- the woman was fast, unnaturally fast, Reze frowned, hoping that her hunch was wrong.

'Well, if I have to transform again, at least I won't end up naked this time. They weren't kidding when they said these suits were sturdy…'

"Where are the other two fiends?", Quanxi didn't even look at Kishibe as she spoke, avoiding eye contact as she gazed out of the window.

Kishibe was similarly looking out of the window, his head propped up by his hand, "They got away from me", Kishibe's voice sounded his age as he replied, "Public Safety and the police have the area locked down. They'll be caught any second now."

Quanxi just sat there passively as Kishibe turned to look directly at her, "Once Public Safety cleans up the dolls downstairs, I'm taking you in. Don't move a muscle till then."

This seemed to get Quanxi's attention, as the cyclopean woman's unimpressed gaze met Kishibes eyes at last, "This isn't like Mad Dog Kishibe, you've gotten crafty."

Reze's eyes narrowed as she watched the two converse like old friends, 'Assuming she worked as Kishibe's buddy, she must be a lot older than she looks…'

Reze and Denji were both very recently created hybrids, not being any older than their looks would suggest, but this Quanxi had at least decades of experience on them, and they didn't even know what she could do in her transformed state.

Her ponderings regarding Quanxi were soon interrupted though, as Kishibe spoke whilst reaching for something in his pocket, "I'm past fifty now, you mellow out at my age"

Reze's blood froze as Kishibe held up a notepad to Quanxi, she could just make out one word from the angle she was standing at, Makima.

"I lost my fangs a long time ago", Kishibe kept speaking to Quanxi casually, sounding the part of a tired old man even as he held up his note.

"Devil hunters die before they reach old age", Quanxi's expression didn't falter from her deadpan stare as she replied, "You should retire now, while you still can."

"And live on a pension? No way", Kishibe let out a sigh as he flipped the page on his notepad, writing as he spoke, "But I am around that age."

He held up what he'd written once more, however, Reze couldn't make it out this time- and she could've sworn that she'd caught the old drunkard watching her from the corner of his eye for a moment there…

"You wouldn't go senile if you follow the times", Kishibe was writing again as Quanxi spoke, "Keep watching the news, reading the papers. Constantly experience new things."

Then Kishibe held up the pad once more, and she went silent. Both elder hunters stared at each other with glum looks on their faces.

"The news…"

The silence was broken as Quanxi spoke, her voice quiet as she looked down at the tabletop, "There's this reporter on the evening news who's my type… I watched that program every day. Would even buy the magazines she was in, things like that."

Even Reze and Denji found themselves listening intently as she spoke, wondering what the point of this was.

"One day she was exposed for lying about her age… After that it was like the floodgates opened: exposes on her ex-boyfriends and bad behaviour aired on TV one after another."

"She kept appearing on the morning news regardless… But I stopped watching that program…"

She looked up at Kishibe again, the same dull look on her face as before, "It wasn't that the reporter had changed- It was my brain that had changed."

"The secret to leading a happy life in this world, is that ignorance is bliss", Quanxi looked at Kishibe coldly, resting her head atop her hand as she continued, "Kishibe. Be a good dog and keep your collar on."

"Some advice from your former buddy."

Reze tensed up as Quanxi confirmed her fears, watching as Kishibe leaned back in his seat with a soft sigh.

Then, suddenly a sharp click sounded from behind them and, faster than she could turn, Kishibe pivoted in his seat, kicking Denji hard in the shoulder as pop sounded out and a bullet whizzed through the air where Denji had just been standing

"Shit!", Denji yelled as he stumbled back, with the horned fiend writhing out of his headlock and pinning his arm behind her back- an effort that was quickly halted when Pingsti crashed into her, sending her stumbling back herself, trying to support the still-unconscious fiend.

"Quanxi!!", the horned fiend cried out as she quickly deposited Pingsti on the ground behind her.

Reze, having just practically thrown her hostage at Long to free Denji, quickly dived to the side as more gunshots rang out, taking cover behind a pillar as the gunman, presumably another assassin, turned his attention to Denji and the fiends.

In a quick flurry of movements, Kishibe and Quanxi had bolted into action upon Long calling out to her, with Quanxi landing a solid kick to the side of his head while his fist sailed harmlessly past her. Quanxi then deftly stops the knife swing she had been expecting between her fingers, a ghost of a smile on her face.

Kishibe then tries a sweeping kick across the tabletop, but Quanxi catches it, using the force behind Kishibes own kick to send him straight through the glass and out the window, the man only just managing to slow his descent by ramming one of his knives into the wall on the way down.

"M-muh… muh… m-my c-car… My car…"

Kobeni and Violence stood at the window down a floor from the others. They had just cleared out the last of the dolls on one of the lower floors, when they had seen something fly down past the window, followed by a loud crash.

Kobeni looked down at her pride and joy, tears brimming in her eyes as she watched Mr Kishibe clambering off her crushed car's roof.

"Oh, it'll be fine Kobeni! I'm sure your insurance will cover that no problem!"

Kobeni's face crumpled on the mention of her cheap insurance, thinking that one thing was certain: her premiums would be much higher next time…

"GRAAHHHH!"

"Eepp!!", Kobeni happed back from the window with a yelp as another figure flew past the window, glass shards falling through the air as they plummeted past.

A familiar crunching noise could be heard as the man's descent stopped, but this time Kobeni didn't bother looking out the window, knowing exactly where he had landed. Kobeni fell to her knees, tears beading in the corners of her eyes as Violence hurried over.

"Hey Kobeni, you alright?!"

Kobeni didn't respond, the only sound she made being quiet sniffles as her eyes stayed fixed on the ground, mourning the loss of her savings, as her car completed its transition from a beloved coupe into certified scrap metal.

'I hate this job… How could this day get any worse…'

Denji and Reze stood facing the horned fiend, even though they outnumbered the singular fiend, they eyed up the devil cautiously- a caution born from having just witnessed her douse half of the room in a veil of fire.

Denji slips his hand into his shirt reaching for his cord, only for Reze to grab his wrist, "Not yet Denji!"

"Huh? Why not?!", Denji responds before quickly lowering his voice, "If we're going to run at flamethrower girl over there, It'd be better to be transformed."

Reze grimaces before whispering back urgently, "You aren't wrong, but it's not her we should be worried about…"

Reze jerked her head back towards the window where Quanxi and Yoshida were fighting one-on-one, the teen holding up quite well against the assassin.

"That woman, she's like us, and I'd rather save what blood we have remaining for whenever gets bored of playing with her food…"

Denji watches the fight for a moment before shrugging and turning back to the fiend, "Fair enough. You take her right, I go left?"

Reze smirks, "Whoever decks her first does the other chores for a week?"

"Deal", Denji grins back with a shark-like smile before immediately breaking into a sprint towards the horned fiend, with Reze following not too far behind, circling around towards the fiend's other side. Long reacted quickly, spewing fire in Reze's direction, forcing her to dive out of the way with a curse.

"Victory's all mine!", Denji closes in on Long, barging into and sending her to the ground before throwing a punch at the fiend. Long reacted quickly, jerking her head to the side and causing Denji to punch the ground, the boy growling as Long grabbed onto his arm and, using her immense strength flipped him over onto his back, winding him.

Long quickly followed up, straddling Denji and gripping his neck, trying to either choke the life out of him or break his neck- whatever came first.

'Just how strong is this chick!', Denji tried to pry off the hands around his neck only to find that the fiend's arms were immovable, their grip like a vice. All that his struggles earned him was a guttural growl from the fiend, who then shook him by the neck, smashing the back of his head into the tiled floor.

Denji's vision was going blurry, spots of colour clouding his vision when a dark blur- nearly purple- appeared behind the growling visage of the fiend choking him and then the pressure around his neck loosened. Denji wasted no time, thrusting his head forward with all his might, his forehead smashing into the fiend's nose, the cartilage breaking on impact and blood spraying all over him and Long, the latter slumping to the side: unconscious.

Denji is taking deep breaths, one hand around his bruised neck as he looks up to see Reze, one of her suit sleeves noticeably singed, kneeling next to him with a concerned expression on her face, a bloody chunk of concrete falling out of her hand as she spoke.

"You okay Denji?", her voice was laced with worry as Denji recovered, he looked down at the fiend, noticing that the back of her head was slick with blood, eyes flicking to the concrete Reze had dropped before looking up at her with a grateful smile.

"Thanks for the save Reze", he rasped out, coughing a bit before grinning at her lopsidedly, "Still got the first hit in though."

Reze rolled her eyes with a smile as she stood up, offering a hand to Denji and helping him up as she replied, "We'll call it a draw."

As it turned out, Denji wouldn't have much time to recover, as their attention was drawn by a loud smash as Quanxi threw Yoshida straight through another window, the boy joining Kishibe and the other assassin as Quanxi, a bit battered but otherwise unharmed, turned her attention back to Denji and Reze.

Quanxi's eye, flicked to Long's prone form for a moment, before looking back at the other two hybrids, the dark pupil boring into them. Quanxi then sighs, taking a more relaxed stance, "Bomb. This is your last chance, I just want the boy and my women. Leave, and this won't have to get messy."

"You want to get to him, you go through me", Reze's face was set like stone, her voice icy as she responded, "Besides, it'd be rude of me not to return the favour for earlier."

"Just shut up and fight grandma!", Denji growls at the woman as they all get into fighting stances, each waiting to see who will make the first move in something akin to a Mexican stand-off. Then suddenly the tense silence was broken again…

"Stay back or I kill her!!"

"And, uhh… back away! Now!"

Sweat started running down Power's brow as the three hybrids all turned to look at her- and the petite pony-tailed fiend she held in her arms, a blood knife held to her throat. Denji and Reze looked at her in surprise, confusion writ across their faces.

"You're still here Power?!", Denji exclaimed in disbelief, shocked that the fiend who had just moments ago played dead when he and Reze were clobbered by Quanxi, was now trying to stand between them and the first devil hunter.

"Y-you both thought I'd leave?!", Power's jaw went slack as she stared at the two.

"Yeah…", Reze commented nonchalantly, shrugging as Power spluttered in disbelief, "It was kind of expected, to be honest…"

When Quanxi spoke, her voice was surprisingly gentle considering one of her girlfriends was being held at knifepoint, "Could you let go of the girl for me sweetheart? I don't want to have to fight you."

Power looked at her, seemingly scandalised, "You cheater…!"

As the seconds passed, and Power showed no sign of letting go of Pingsti, Quanxi sighed deeply, before suddenly breaking out into a sprint straight towards Power.

"Power!", Denji broke into a sprint towards Power in an attempt to cut off Quanxi, Reze following close behind- that is until Power panicked.

"Gahh-! Okay take her!!", Power quickly shoved Pingsti towards the rapidly approaching Quanxi, quickly running off towards the other recovering devil hunters, the fiend quickly hiding behind Aki as Quanxi cradled Pingsti in her arms.

Denji stopped mid-step upon seeing that Power was safe, having ran out of sight and that Quanxi was no longer focused on him and Reze. He let out a sigh of relief, "Hey, Reze you're smart and stuff, what do you think we should do about her?"

Only silence greeted him.

"Rez-?", Denji turned around, only to see her lying face down, blood pooling around her head, courtesy of a gaping wound on the back of her head- not dissimilar to what she had done to Long only minutes earlier.

"Reze!", Denji quickly sprints over to her comatose body, kneeling down by her side, wasting no time in looking for something he could use to cut himself.

He didn't have to look very hard.

Santa watched as Tolka stepped out from behind a supporting column and proceeded to ram his skinning knife straight down into the chainsaw boy's head without a moment of hesitation. Perfect.

Santa started clapping as she walked toward Tolka, a subtle smile on her face, "You did it, Tolka."

"M-master…?", Tolka looked up at her in confusion, perhaps not understanding why she was here with him. It didn't matter though, there was only one more lesson she needed to teach him after all.

"You completed the job I assigned to you. You've become a full-fledged devil hunter."

"Master…" Tolka's expression was still all business as he moved to lift Denji's body away from its position slumped on top of his girlfriend's corpse, "We can talk later, let's hurry up and move him…"

Tolka freezes as his Master just stares at him impassively, not moving a muscle to help him, "Master…?"

"There's no need to move the body"

Tolka froze, his attention totally captured by his beloved Master's words.

"You always followed my instructions diligently", Santa's voice was kind, but her face only had a small frown as she spoke, "There were times when I was hard on you, but it was all for your own good."

"I don't under-"

"You're part of the family now too", she didn't give Tolka a chance to finish his protest as she moved closer to him, "Tolka, I'll tell you the secret to making a sophisticated doll."

"Take the human you'll turn into a doll… and add emotions only humans have"

"Adoration"

"Worship"

"Pity"

"And the secret Ingredient: guilt", Santa gently placed her hand on Tolka's chest, she had nurtured this man- this new doll- this new member of her family who was writhing in pain under her touch. And now, finally, he could fulfil his purpose.

"It is done", when Santa opened her eyes, she was sitting right outside: where she had always been. Tolka was finally part of the family, and her plan could finally commence.

Back in the department store, the devil hunters are readying to face Quanxi, who now stood with two of her fiends at her back, Aki grimaced. The fiends wouldn't be too much trouble in the state that they were, but that woman Quanxi… he wasn't sure if all of them combined could take her.

Suddenly Aki froze, his face going white as a sheet as he stared into the space in front of him. His mind was flooded with images: an endless field, the rattling of doors… a darkness that swallows up all…

Angel looks up at him in concern, "Are you…?"

As the visions faded, Aki could only look forward, his sword dropping slightly as he spoke, his voice laced with shock as his hand went to his head.

"What is… this future…?"

Elsewhere three voices spoke as one:

"I offer my heart… and my… beloved children"

"In exchange… Hell Devil, please call all living things in this department store to Hell"

Chapter Text

“What in the…?”

Kishibe’s voice trailed off as he craned his neck to look up in the sky, barely believing his own eyes as a titanic six-fingered hand came down from the sky, fingers splayed as its open palm descended on the building and its inhabitants, phasing through the structure.

He watched in awe as the hand closed into a fist as if closing its grasp upon the building, before simply blinking out of existence, leaving the department store standing- totally undamaged.

‘The Hell Devil, huh…?’, Kishibe suddenly found himself thankful that Quanxi had thrown him out the window, thankful both for his life and for what he’d just learned.

‘So… That was Santa’s plan to deal with her. Not a bad one, not bad at all…’

“Do you have any idea what just happened?”

Kishibe turned his attention to Yoshida, who was standing next to him, seemingly bewildered by what he’d just seen. He couldn’t really blame him though, as talented as the kid is, the hell devil isn’t exactly the kind of run-of-the-mill devil a part-timer would see.

“That right there was the Hell Devil. Put everyone still in that building on a one-way trip straight to hell”, the grizzled devil hunter’s voice gave away no emotion as he answered Yoshida’s question, his eyes not leaving the building as he spoke.

“So… You think there’s any way they make it out of there alive?”

Kishibe remained mum, offering no answer as he reached into his overcoat, hand grasping for the familiarity of his trusty hipflask bringing it up once again, the last dregs of his Macallan wetting his lips. It tasted like ash.

Kishibe sighed, sitting down on the tentacle Yoshida had summoned as a makeshift bench a moment ago, feeling as old as his years would suggest.

“Let’s hope so kid, let’s hope so…”

All around them was darkness.

The scuffling of feet, the intakes of breath, the panicked murmurs, he could hear it all. But he couldn’t see anything but the inky black darkness that surrounded them like a wet blanket, nearly suffocating in its intensity, leaving him unable to even see his arms in front of him.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s dark…”

“What the hell is this?!”

One moment they had been standing on guard, ready to face Quanxi and her fiends, and then the Future Devil had shown him that vision, only for the surroundings around him to be replaced by a pitch-black void seconds later, a cold sweat coming to his brow as he tightened his grip on his sword.

And then as soon as it had appeared, the darkness was gone, disappearing suddenly as if someone had flicked on a light. And if someone had turned on a light, Aki would have politely asked them to turn it right back off.

With the darkness gone, all that anyone in the group could see was an endless grassy valley, the rolling hills, garnished with wildflowers went on for eternity, with not a single sign of life being visible across the vast plain. Then there was the sky, a bizarre patchwork of doors made up the sky of this place; a tapestry of interlocking timber frames, the doors rattling and creaking despite the distinct lack of wind.

A strange, hostile place, completely sterile akin to a hospital. Or a morgue…

The two groups that were about to fight were now right next to each other, devil hunter and fiend alike having edged closer to form a perimeter against the darkness that had surrounded them until a moment ago. And it wasn’t just everyone who was on their floor of the department store, he could see an equally confused Violence and Kobeni a dozen yards away, the latter crouched down, as pale as a sheet.

“Huh…?”, Kobeni had finally gotten up from her crouched position, the petite devil hunter walking haltingly towards the main group, clearly in distress, “It’s Hayakawa’s group…?”

Aki paid no heed to the two as they approached, his eyes scanning the area for the only two he hadn’t seen yet. It didn’t take him long to locate them, their bodies lying prone a short distance away from the group.

“Wha.. Denji! Reze!”, Aki shouted in vain as he ran over to the two corpses, his mind racing, ‘How the hell did this even happen?!’

Aki’s eyes skimmed over the prone forms of the two, certainly lifeless, teens. Reze’s hair was matted with blood, he could even see the gleam of white bone peeking out from her matted hair. Denji’s wounds weren’t much better, though perhaps less gruesome depending on who you asked, with the knife sticking out from the top of his head being a good hint as to what happened to him.

Aki wasted no time in pulling Denji’s cord, deciding against pulling Reze’s pin: for the sake of his own wellbeing. Though as the saw burst through Denji’s forehead, he thought that perhaps he shouldn’t have been that worried…

“OOOOW! DAMN! AAARGHHHH!”

Denji’s screams of pain filled the air as the saw stalled before making it all the way out, leaving the blonde writhing in pain.

“He isn’t turning into Chainsaw Man fully… must not have enough blood”, Aki jumped, raising his sword in a defensive stance as he swung around to face Quanxi, who was standing looking down at the two other hybrids.

“Temporary truce, something’s wrong with the fiends”, Quanxi said coolly, before walking up to Reze’s body, kneeling down and pulling her pin. Aki’s eyes widened as he tried to dive out of the way, the grass staining his suit as he hit the deck. The explosion never came.

Quanxi casually walked over towards her fiends as a fizzing sound filled the air, similar to a sparkler a kid would light up at Halloween.

“Tch- urghhh…. B-burns…”

Reze was now writhing on the ground, her arms replaced by fuse wire- another partial transformation.

Aki got up from the ground, glowering at the first devil hunter, “The hell! You could have killed us!”

“If the boy didn’t have enough blood, then she definitely wouldn’t have”, Quanxi looked at Aki, unimpressed, “Now give them some blood, I need to check on my girls.”

“And why the hell are we working with this bitch!?”

“Yeah, what she said!”

Aki would have rolled his eyes if the situation wasn’t so dire, as Denji and Reze yelled in protest, coming back from death clearly not dampening their distaste for the cyclopean hybrid who was currently standing with the cowering fiends.

The two hybrids looked better off now that they had some blood aiding their healing process, though both were still caught halfway through the process of transforming, with Denji’s saw still semi-protruding from his forehead and Reze’s arms being coils of fuse wire, the small explosions that resulted from the transformation having left the sleeves of her shirt in tatters.

Worry quickly etches its way onto Denji and Reze’s faces as they take in their surroundings, their concerns about Quanxi and her fiends fading as they look at the alien surroundings they had woken up in.

“Where the hell are we anyway…?”

“I… don’t know…”, Aki frowned, unable to answer Denji’s question, the Future Devil hadn’t exactly been much help in discerning where they’d found themselves, “But wherever we are, the fiends don’t like it.”

The three look over at the fiends, who by now had broken into a cacophony of wails as Quanxi attempted to calm them down.

“W-why?! W-why are we here?!”, Pingsti looked around in horror, a sheen of cold sweat on her brow as she looked to the sky, eyes flitting from door to door frantically. the horned fiend Long had simply resorted to screaming, at first in terror but quickly fading away into a pathetic mewing, as if she was cowed by something.

It was an unnerving sight, to say the least, one made all the worse as Aki noticed that Power’s usual bravado had left her, the blood fiend just remaining on her hands and knees, staring at the ground in shock, seemingly not willing to look up. Even the usually unflappable Violence was having a panic attack of some kind, with Kobeni being fully occupied trying to calm him down. Only one of the devils seemed to be in a fit state of mind currently.

“Angel! Do you know where we are?!”, the devil who had been looking out at the scenery, looked back at Aki for a moment, his face covered in a cold sweat; the usually apathetic devil seemed truly discomforted for the first time since Aki had known him.

“We’re done…”, the devil turned back around, looking out again at the horizon as he shakily replied, “This… is Hell. This is Hell’s scent…”

“It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been cast into hell by a devil’s power”, Angel spoke, but Aki could barely register the sound, images from his vision flashing through his mind. Surely this isn’t what the Future Devil considered the worst possible death, surely there was some way at least some of them could escape?

“So how do we get out?”, Denji was the first to voice Aki’s thoughts, though with much less panic than should have been warranted, “Can’t we just y’know… leave through one of those doors or somethin’?”

“No!”, Pingsti yelled out, the hysteric fiend frantically looking between Quanxi and the doors in the sky, “Not the d-doors! T-too l-l-late!”

Quanxi quickly moved to comfort Pingsti before addressing her and Long, “Long, Pingsti… Do either of you know a way to get out of here?”

Long simply looked up at Quanxi pitifully, moaning as if she were in pain, returning her gaze quickly to the ground. In contrast, Pingsti looked up, completely frantic as she replied, “Luh… L-lady Q-Quanxi. I… I feel like I’m going to lose my m-mind…”

She fixed her gaze back up to the sky, looking every bit as terrified as she sounded, “We’re b-being watched… We… we’re b-being watched by a dangerous devil…”

“What sort of devils would you even find here…”, Reze muttered as she listened to the fiend’s ranting, shuffling closer to Denji, who seemed to have shed his bravado and now looked as grave as everyone else.

“Far beyond here… there are devils far more dangerous than some Gun Devil…”, Pingsti spoke as if in a daze, shaking as she continued, “The devils with the names of primal fears are watching us…”

“They’re transcendent, devils who have never once experienced death…”, Pinsti raised her hand to her mouth, trying to hold back the bile she felt rising up her throat, “Nghhh… the very instant we draw their hostility, we’ll die…”

She looked back at Quanxi, hunched over, kneeling on the ground and quivering, “L-lady Quanxi… P-p-permission to k-kill myself…?”

Quanxi looked down at her, stunned for a moment before kneeling down next to her, “Idiot! I’ll get us out of here somehow…”

It was the most emotional the others had heard Quanxi, but to the poor fiend, it seemed not to make a difference as she started screaming up into the sky.

“It’s already over! We’re doomed! We’re doomed!”

“It’s coming!”

“It’s on its way!!”

“Ah…”

It went quiet for a moment as the fiends all looked up into the air, their eyes locking on to the same door that Pingsti had been staring at, with all the devil hunters quickly following suit, terror and trepidation painted on all their faces.

“It’s here…”

They all watched as the door swung open, the creaking of its hinges piercing the eerie silence of Hell. For a moment all was still, until a glob of pure, pitch-black darkness fell from the open door, falling onto the grass below like a glob of black ink staining a canvas.

“The Darkness Devil”

As if on cue, the ink rose up until they could all perceive a figure standing in the distance, though they couldn’t make out any feature: it was as if a haze was shielding it from view. They all moved into defensive positions as they watched the tall, ominous figure. Aki raised his sword whilst Quanxi readied her fists, with Denji and Reze doing much the same as her, knowing that trying to transform would be futile.

And then the haze vanished, and from the epicentre of the tall figure, darkness spread forth across the plains, the only area still lit when it stopped was a gruesome pathway leading straight to the figure. The path was lined by bisected astronauts, their torsos lined up on one side, and their legs on the other; a macabre guide towards the figure that Pingsti had instantly labelled as the Darkness Devil.

As they faced off against the devil, staring down the depraved alleyway the creature had created, the darkness slowly enveloped the devil, hiding one astronaut after another until they were all swallowed up. Reze grabbed Denji’s hand, gripping it for dear life as the darkness swept over the group, she felt pinpricks on the back of her neck as it surrounded them, taking comfort in the presence of Denji, their intertwined fingers grounding them in the wake of the encroaching darkness.

*Ribbit*

In an instant, the comforting grip was gone and pain ripped through her body, the cold darkness sweeping in being no comfort as she felt herself tumbling to the ground like a marionette that had its strings cut. Denji felt much the same as he faceplanted into the grass, angrily spitting out some of it as he tried to get back up, only to find his arms gone.

The whole group looked up to see their arms floating above them, whatever pattern they were arranged in in the air was of little concern to them as their attention was drawn to the horrific figure that had apparated into their midst.

As their limbs tumbled back down to the ground around them, the prone hunters and fiends drank in the sight of the devil: this primal fear. Its body was slender and tall, with its whole structure seemingly of assorted limbs, with each leg being a human body from the torso down. The chest consisted of four mummified heads.

And perched on top of this morbid totem pole was a head that was all sharp edges, blades and horns, as if the mutilated limbs making up the devil’s body were just a warning of what would happen to those who crossed paths with a primal fear.

No one dared to speak as the devil stood in the middle of its group of victims, that is bar one. A figure rose up from the ground, a tall, blonde man; his arms somewhere in the pile with everyone else’s as he walked up to the creature and… kneeled.

“I’m the Doll Devil”, the man formerly known as Tolka looked back at the powerless group behind him, “I’ve brought you Chainsaw’s heart, as per the contract.”

“Please. Give me the power to kill Makima.”

“You stay away from him!”, Reze snarled at the Doll Devil as she struggled up on her knees, fixing him with a vicious look.

“No way are you gonna kill Miss Makima!”, Denji had also managed to get himself upright again, “And this heart hear belongs to me!”

Back outside the department store, Santa sat perched on one of her kneeling dolls, ever so much looking like the cat that got the canary. As pleased as she was that the plan was proceeding without a hitch, it was such a shame that it cost her a member of her dear family.

‘Yes… dear Tolka shall be missed…’

Santa’s smile stayed on her face even at that thought, because she knew it was only a matter of time, after all, there was no way for them to escape Hell unless she came, and there was no way that woman would let her little pet project die so easily.

Right on cue, a hand appears from thin air in front of her, a squirming piece of pure darkness held between its fingers.

“A piece of the Darkness Devil’s flesh…”

Thus, the contract was fulfilled, and she would take her prize with pleasure. She allowed the hand to feed it to her as if it was feeding a lover, with Santa’s face lighting up as she accepted her reward, proselytizing herself to the devil of darkness.

“Danke Dunkelheit, Tolka. Heute Nacht töte ich Makima”

Back in Hell, they all watched in a mixture of horror and morbid curiosity as the devil, stared at the Doll Devil, the atmosphere so tense it could be cut with a knife.

‘Why do these people want to kill that woman so badly? I thought it was Denji’s heart they were after?!’, Reze’s mind was racing, just why were these assassins after her? Sure Makima was powerful, but in what world was she powerful enough to warrant such drastic measures? Just what contracts did she have?

‘Maybe the old man knows, him an-‘, Reze quickly dismisses those thoughts, looking down at the stumps where her arms used to be. There would be time for those thoughts when or if they made it out of here, and those odds weren’t looking so great right now…

The fragile peace was broken as the imposing devil reached down to the doll devil with one of the many arms that made up its body, grasping the kneeling devil by the neck and raising it up to its face. The doll made no effort to struggle and gave away no emotion on its face, just staring blankly at the devil with no fear. It was almost as if only an empty shell remained…

Then, as if it had grown bored with its new toy, the devil took the head straight from his body, detaching it with not a sound and with zero blood spilt. It did this with all the ease of a child popping the head off an action figure, and then all hell broke loose.

The first had been Kusakabe, who had been drawing some sort of glyph on the ground with the blood streaming from his severed arms, his position behind the primal fear providing the perfect advantage, or at least it would have. For the very moment the experienced devil hunter summoned the Stone Devil, Darkness swung around, grasping the other lesser devil by the throat as it lunged at it. Kusakabe only had the time to mutter the name of his contracted devil, as if cursing it, before the cracks spreading across the dying devil spread across his own body; both devil and hunter collapsing into piles of shattered stone.

Aki and Denji watched helplessly, the latter trying to grasp the cord on his chest to no avail, as Quanxi, Tamaoki and the fiends jumped into action. Before they even managed to touch the creature most of them were diced up, landing in a mix-mash of limbs and torsos, with only Power being lucky enough to escape this fate, instead only suffering heavy wounds to her leg and abdomen, with one eye being gouged out and the tip of a horn falling to the ground, having been cut clean through.

“Power!”

Upon seeing his buddy cleaved down along with the other fiends, Denji finally got hold of his starter in his mouth, yanking it as hard as he could. A tooth flew out as he pulled, but it had the desired effect: the saw on his head began whirring to life, lengthening and spinning as the boy charged the devil.

“Denji, don’t!”, Reze screamed, but Denji was in his own world; tunnel-visioned on the devil that had hurt or killed Power. Denji reached the striking distance of Darkness just as it dispatched Violence, the fiend having been shot to pieces in mid-air in a valiant attempt to take down the creature.

Reze watched in silent horror as Denji jumped, attempting to slash the devil with his head saw fruitlessly, the boy hitting some kind of forcefield before the devil, seemingly bored of the fight already, simply clapped its hands. At the sound of the clap, Denji’s body twisted into an impossible shape: his arms snapped like twigs, his head spun around until the neck broke and finally, his whole body was twisted, as if it was being wrung like a wet cloth. Finally, Denji’s body was dropped onto the ground like a rag doll: bent, broken and lifeless.

“GRAHHHH!”

As Darkness steadily paced towards Denji’s body, surely hoping to claim his heart, Reze found herself sprinting forwards, towards the devil and her boyfriend’s mangled corpse. She didn’t know when she started running, nor did she even register the guttural cry she made as she ran, coming to a stop in front of Denji in a vain attempt to shield him from the monster looming over them.

And then her eyes met those of the monster, and she was somewhere else entirely.

*Number 958, Number 958*

She usually woke up one of two ways: her growling stomach, or the sound of the commissar summoning another one of them out of the room. Today, it was clearly the latter. She groaned as she moved to get out of bed, her stomach rumbling as she sat up.

’I guess yesterday's gruel wasn’t enough after all…’

She sat up on the side of the bed, she was on the bottom bed of a bunk bed, the girl on top was one of the chattier ones, but she hadn’t seen her since she was called out last week. The room they were in- it was their entire life. As long as she could remember she’d woken up in this shitty bed, in this darkened room, with not a thing to do except stare at the walls and wait for her number to be called.

‘958… Suppose I’ll be up again soon’, 961 thought as she watched the young boy get dragged out of the room, kicking and screaming. She was amazed he still had fight left in him, but she knew better: for the orphans in this room, they were the state’s property and there was no escape.

She sat there on the bed still, dressed in a dress barely better than a burlap sack, her raven hair partially matted with dirt, she wondered when their next shower day would be, it was far too easy to lose track of time when there were no windows.

*Number 959, Number 959*

961 watched as the masked guards marched in again, this time the girl was waiting for them by her bed, placidly accepting her fate.

In truth, 961 may have given up hope of ever seeing the outside of this facility, but she still dreamed of seeing the outside someday. She remembered one of the other girls had managed to get her hands on a magazine a while back, she remembered imagining herself wearing all of those glamourous clothes the women in those pages were wearing, imagined standing where they stood.

But more than anything, the last reason she held on to hope was that she remembered something other than this room. In the back of her mind, she remembered the smell of a homecooked meal and the sound of a woman’s voice: her mother she assumed. Yes… she remembered her mother singing to her, though everything else was just a blur, she couldn’t even remember her face…

*Number 961, Number 961*

Oh… 960 mustn’t have made it last time.

961 waited by her bed for the wardens, looking them in the eyes when they arrived, the only act of defiance she could give, and it was a token at best; meant to sooth her ego and fading dreams rather than to actually resist them.

She followed them down the hall, she heard no screams or wails, just silence and the sound of footsteps: you never hear what happens to the ones who don’t come back, you just… never see them again.

They arrived at a room, the wardens escorting her in and leaving her with a doctor: a stern-looking man wearing a medical mask, before leaving to, presumably, get the next subject.

She didn’t try to talk to the doctor, she just lay down on the bed and waited for oblivion. The doctor stuck a needle in her arm and then it all went dark.

961 awoke what felt like only moments later, but something was wrong: she wasn’t back in with the others: she was in another, smaller room. She felt a dull, throbbing pain in her chest and something like cold metal brushing against her neck. She tried raising her hand up to heck what it was, but she couldn’t; her hands were handcuffed to the railing of the hospital bed they had her on.

So, she lay there, alone, in this dark room. As the time passed, she found herself humming. Humming that one old tune buried in her memories, one that had been sung to her by a voice as sweet as honey.

And as she hummed, some words made their way out of her mouth, carried by her raspy voice into the darkness that surrounded her.

“T-the Night… we spent in… the church…”

“I… not again. I…”

Aki watches helplessly as Reze falls to her knees in front of Denji, a flood of blood gushing from her mouth as she collapses next to him.

First, it was his brother, his mother, and his father. Then it was Himeno, giving her life to save him. Now he had to sit and watch this devil kill and brutalise Power and Denji, while he sat here, useless.

Even Reze, who he’d lambasted as a heartless monster had run to protect Denji, even after he was already lying in a broken heap on the ground, and now she too was lying next to him.

Whilst he knelt on the ground, paralyzed by fear. Not fear of this primordial fear, but fear of having to see yet more friends and family die in front of him, to leave this world before he did…

He was looking at the ground now, sparing himself from seeing Violence get impaled after his second attempt at attacking the Darkness Devil. He didn’t even register the shower of blood raining down on him from Violence’s corpse hanging grotesquely on the Devil’s sabre as the creature stared down at Aki.

Angel had been watching the whole display in silence, lying down and waiting for it to be his turn to die. He had been thinking that it could be a rather peaceful death: a quick and easy decapitation, doesn’t get much better than that, huh?

But if that was the case, why did he feel compelled to move? Why was he standing up? To stand between Darkness and Aki, a human and a devil?

It was looking at him now, he remembered the girl on the beach, her smile, dancing through the waves, her corpse…?

Angel fell flat on the ground, a black liquid akin to blood leaking from every orifice, losing consciousness with the realisation that he might just be more angel than devil.

“Heyyyy Akkkiiiii…”

“Yes Himeno…?”, Aki rolled his eyes at his buddy’s antics. Today’s mission had been quite the dangerous one, any bug-related devil was usually a pain in the ass, and Himeno had decided that it was the perfect occasion to go for drinks, to no one’s surprise. The woman must have already sunk eight pints in the time he’d had his four, and she was clearly feeling sentimental if her tone was anything to go by…

“I reallllly like your hair, sooo spikey…”, she absentmindedly started poking his topknot, her face flushed, words slurring as she spoke, she was even more touchy-feely than usual, sitting next to him in their booth, leaning in close.

“You’ree tall too… n’ handsome to boot…”

Aki moved her beer away from her, “Right that’s enough Himeno, I’ll go pa-“

“Shaddup!”

He blinked in surprise as the drunk woman rounded on him, her eye burning with anger, “You almost died Aki!”

Oh, so that’s what this is about. During today’s mission the devil had shot a stinger at him, thing had almost taken his head off.

“We’re Public Safety, it’d be odd if I didn’t nearly die every once in a while. Besides I’m fine.”, Aki tried calming his partner, surprised at her sudden outburst, finding her anger odd; Himeno was usually quite the jolly drunk.

“It shouldn’t be n-normal!”, Himeno snapped back, the forcefulness of her words somewhat blunted by her hiccupping halfway through. Suddenly she deflated, crossing her arms on the table, resting her head on her arms.

“Go private with me…”, Himeno’s voice was quiet now, muffled by her arms, “Is… a good living… safer… Don’t want you to die too…”

Aki froze for a moment, not sure what to say to her heartfelt words.

“I… after we kill the Gun Devil. I promise, Himeno”, Aki finally managed to force out a response, though it felt… inadequate even to him.

“Tha’s… no fair… Aki… No fair..”, Himeno muttered forlornly in her sleep, gentle snores being all he heard from his buddy a minute later.

‘How selfish could I be…?’

Reze had seen everything from her position on the ground, or as much as she could register as her vision blurred. She felt like a passenger in her own body, lying there powerlessly as Aki slumped to the ground in much the same manner as herself and Angel.

Half-deliriously she began to shift herself, using all the might remaining in her to force her legs to move, only stopping as she rested her head on a familiar chest, it was broken and battered, and she could just make out her blood staining his shirts, but none of that truly registered with her.

“Oh D-Denji… I-I love you…”, her voice was fading as a delirious, nearly mad smile came to her face, “P-please wake up… S-so many m-movies to watch, b-back home…”

In the distance, she saw something jumping at the monster, but it didn’t last long. Darkness dismembered it, just like it did for all the others. But as she watched the last attacker's corpse fall to the ground, something odd happened, it was as if it was being unzipped…?

And then she saw her. First, it was a flash of red in the near monochrome surroundings the Darkness Devil had brought with it, and then she rose up out of the shell of a corpse, stepping out of the remains of Princi as if she was stepping out of a ball gown.

Makima had arrived.

It wasn’t what one could call a standard fight by any means. She watched as Makima silently pointed at the primal devil, all was quiet for a moment until the silence was broken by a snap, Makima’s finger snapping back at a ninety-degree angle.

And then Darkness began to scream, an otherworldly wail that Reze thought would make her ears bleed. A dark liquid spurted out of the devil as Makima walked forward boldly, her eyes fixed on something on the ground: a body and a head, the Doll Devil’s to be exact.

Then a clap sounded out, Darkness had recovered its giant sabre hovering over its head, and as Makima raised her hand in defence, it appeared that she was too late. Her arm is nearly pulverised, each finger being broken before the arm itself was mangled, the limb rolling back in on itself, bone after bone snapping.

Undeterred, and showing not an ounce of pain, the red-haired woman knelt down, placing her hand on the head. And then the head began speaking, but it was not the Doll Devil's words that came out.

“Hell Devil. I offer you all of myself. So, please… Send us back.”

The last thing Reze saw before everything went dark, was a giant, ornate sword flying through the air… and piercing straight through Makima’s heart.

“I-I love you… Please wake up…”

“Wake up…”

“Wake up!”

Denji’s eyes snapped open. Pain was piecing through his skull, the whirring of his shortened chainsaw making the cause clear. He tasted blood in his mouth, he tried wiggling his fingers: Yup, his arms were back. He looked up to see that he was being cradled by Miss Makima, she was hurt bleeding from the mouth and her right arm hung limply at her side as she… spoke? Who was she speaking to?

“The enemy absorbed a piece of the Darkness Devil’s flesh. No attacks in the darkness will work”, Makima was looking at the monstrosity in front of her: a creature with a woman’s head and a body made up of different doll parts, though it was clear who Makima was really addressing as she looked down at the boy nestled in her arms.

“Makima, your dream ends here”, the monster spoke, but Denji paid no heed though, as he looked up, into Makima’s otherworldly ringed eyes.

“Denji. Will you save me?”

That was all it took for Denji, in a split second he was on his feet, fully transformed, his saws spinning as if he had never been injured.

“Try and help the others Miss Makima, I’ll make quick work of this piece of crap!”, Denji barked as he got to work, slashing off several of Santa’s arms as they pounced at him.

“You’re gonna pay for sending us to Hell!”, Denji snarled as he lunged at Santa, only to find his saws slicing through the air as Santa descended from above, sending them both crashing through floor after floor of the building and out of Makima’s sight.

Makima sat there, alone blinking in surprise before a slight smile came to her face. As always, she was right to put her faith in Chainsaw Man, he’d always save her. His host on the other hand…

She stood up, clutching her arm as she walked over to the side of the crater. She could feel bone and flesh knitting back together, she should be fully healed momentarily; much to the detriment of an unlucky Japanese citizen.

As she peered down the hole, a thought came to mind.

‘Try and help the others…? Hmm.’

Chapter Text

‘Now this shit is just unfair!’

Denji watched in disbelief as the doll monstrosity’s arms grew back, all the results of their battle on the roof being undone in an instant. The darkness looking like it was almost wrapping around the creature, cradling it in a healing embrace.

“This body was half a year from death, but it regenerates splendidly now.”

Denji would have been grinding his teeth in annoyance had his now razor-sharp maw allowed for it as the creature Makima had called Santa Claus gloated its newfound powers over the hybrid.

“Less talking, and more fightin’!”, Denji snarled in frustration as he launched himself towards the abomination, only to be stopped in his tracks when a wave of puppets swarmed forth from the darkness around them, the mass of them carrying Denji away as he swung his saws around haphazardly.

“Oh, crap!!”

The horde of dolls pushed Denji away from Santa Claus, driving him back with such force that both they and Denji smashed through the wall, falling into the street; the wave of dolls spilling out and burying him beneath their mass.

Meanwhile, up on the roof above, Tsugihagi looked down at the writhing mass of dolls impassively, cradling Quanxi’s head close to her chest. It was oft hard to tell what the patch-faced fiend was thinking, but as she looked back through the chain-link fence where the other fiends Long and Pingsti’s bodies lay cut up on the ground, her face seemed to harden.

Almost tenderly Tsugihagi flipped Quanxi’s eyepatch and slid her hand into the hybrid's eye socket, her hand looking as if it was rummaging around, looking for something: and then her hand stopped moving. With a firm grip the fiend pulled her hand back out from the socket, and with it came an arrow; the head of the bolt so long that it seemed an impossibility that it could’ve fit in the woman’s head.

It came loose with a popping noise, slick with blood and, with one last look at Quanxi’s face, Tsugihagi let the head drop, falling straight down and into the middle of the mosh-pit of dolls below.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!”, Denji was pinned to the pavement, unable to move or free himself as the dolls kept trying to stab at him, most of the blows thankfully just grazing him; the sheer amount of them making it difficult for them to land blows.

‘Crap… won’t be long until one h-‘

“Ouch!!”, Denji’s thoughts were interrupted as he felt a burning pain in his shoulder, one of the doll’s bladed hands having just pierced straight through its soft tissue.

As Denji’s frustration began to hit its peak, he started hearing… Whistling? Then the noises began picking up pace, the whistling being followed by the crunching and shattering of pottery until, suddenly the pressure on Denji alleviated as dolls flew away from him. The dogpile dissolved as the dolls flew through the air, some smashing as they impacted the ground, others being shot mid-air, bolts shooting clean through the porcelain bodies of the dolls, ripping through their torsos, decapitating them and even ripping limbs clean off as they shot through the air.

Denji is kneeling down on the ground, catching his breath as he looks up at his saviour, ‘What in the hell is th- ohhhh yeah!’

His momentary confusion faded away as he remembered what Reze said about Quanxi ‘being like them.’

“Hey! You’re that eyepatch lady! Hate to break it to you, but I’m kinda busy with tall dark and creepy over there, you’re gonna have to wait your turn!”, Denji barked as he readied his saws. Quanxi stood, her head transformed into a sharp, angular form akin to a crossbow crested with a mane of jagged spikes.

“Tch”, Quanxi scoffed at Denji’s attitude, though it soon became very clear that she had a much more pressing target for her anger. “Chainsaw man, give me a hand until I kill that damn devil.”

“That bastard killed my women…”

Denji had been prepared to fight the woman, or at least to give her some back sass, but hearing the way her voice quivered when she spoke, that mixture of rage and grief…

It made him think of Reze, he didn’t know what happened to her in Hell, nor had he seen her on the roof. He hoped that she was alright, ‘Nah, there’s no point worrying now… Besides, Miss Makima is there, everyone will be fine!’

He got up and stood next to the woman, a bit battered but otherwise fine. However the same could also be said for the dolls: those that had been blown away just moments before now stood up, those with no arms, torsos barely existent, no heads even, all stood up. The only ones not standing up were those that were rendered completely immobile, though even some with no legs were now starting to slowly crawl towards the two hybrids…

“The dolls are powered up”, Quanxi growled through her jagged teeth, her irritation nevertheless seeping through, “Looks like it’s pointless to take them out without killing their master.”

“Either that or cut ‘em up like a blender” Denji adds bluntly, “They won’t get back up from that.”

As the dolls close in, Denji’s saws start to whir again as he prepares himself, “Alright, watch my back!”

Denji turned to Quanxi for confirmation, only to be greeted by empty air.

“Whoa, you’re gone?!”

Denji looked at the empty space next to him for a moment, torn between exasperation and amazement as he tiredly turned back to the crowd.

‘What a shit day…’

“Denji!!”

Reze bolted upright, the girl hyperventilating as she looked down at her hands. She paid little heed to the fact that her arms were reattached to her body, her mind was somewhere else entirely.

“Denji! Denji!”, she cried out, nearly in hysterics as looked at the ground, unable to raise her gaze, afraid of looking up and seeing that accursed darkness again.

“There is no need to worry. We have returned from hell.”

Reze’s head whipped up at the sound of a familiar, soft voice, her eyes meeting the fiery eyes of Makima. The woman was looking down at Reze with a small, calm smile; though it wasn’t exactly hard to discern the lack of warmth in it, “As you can see, I’ve taken the liberty of reviving you.”

The cut on the woman’s hand, and the metallic taste in Reze’s mouth confirmed as much. Though had Reze been in a better state of mind, she may have cringed at having to consume her blood. However, she had bigger concerns at the moment.

“W-where’s Denji?”, Reze asked the woman haltingly, still shaken, “Is he alright?”

Makima just continued smiling that cold smile of hers as she looked down her nose at her, “Denji is currently down there fighting the Darkness Devil, or rather its servant Santa Claus. I trust that I won’t need to tell you to go down there and aid him?”

Reze averted her gaze as she stood up, Makima’s domineering attitude irking her as she wordlessly strides past the unnerving woman to the edge of the building, a ghost of a smile coming to her face as she saw Denji alive and well, tearing through doll after doll on the street below.

“Good luck, 961.”

Reze’s smile proved fleeting as she froze, her finger looped in her pin as she felt herself break into a cold sweat, the panic returning as her blood ran cold. She didn’t dare turn around, lest she give Makima the satisfaction of seeing her reaction.

Her mind raced: How did she know that number? Why bring it up now?

She felt her stomach drop as memories of Hell came back to her, and out of those horrors one memory stood out to her in particular: a sword flying through the air, and piercing Makima straight through her chest. That was the last question buzzing through Reze’s head: Why was Makima still alive?

Reze didn’t dare say a word to her, simply pulling out her pin and letting gravity take her off the edge.

It didn’t take long for Santa Claus to rejoin her endless army of dolls, and in the same breath, bolts shot out at her from an unknown location, practically pulverising Santa’s doll body, surgically picking off each of her limbs, leaving Santa broken on the ground. For a few moments at least.

Denji watched as Santa rapidly began to reform: her shattered pieces reforming in the shade until she stood there unperturbed and fully reformed, seeming more curious than annoyed at being shot to pieces.

‘Well, at least I have back up, thought the old lady had just left there for a minute…’

“I didn’t anticipate you joining us”, Santa spoke, looking into the middle distance as she addressed Quanxi with a small smile on her face, “It’s an honour to meet the human that was known as the first devil hunter.”

Needless to say, for Quanxi, the feeling was not mutual. A fact quickly proven as more bolts tore through Santa’s monstrous form, breaking her up into even more pieces than before: but to no avail. The monster just reformed as if it were nothing, shrugging off the damage as if it were nothing.

“That tickles”, Santa giggled like some kind of demonic schoolgirl, revelling in her new power

“Ah, I see, I can spread my sense of pain across the other dolls too”, Santa Claus looked awfully pleased, totally unperturbed as another arrow flew straight through her head, “Now, how to hunt an invisible hunter?”

Another bolt shot through Santa’s head, obliterating the top half of her head: yet she kept talking, her attention now turning to Denji.

“As for little Chainsaw… can you kill these dolls?”

Denji looked on as dolls began rising from the ground once more, but something was different this time, the dolls were… screaming. They started running towards him, this time with human faces, screaming about their transformed bodies, about how they couldn’t control themselves. Some were even conscious: chunks of their heads missing as they screamed in terror.

“Yikes…”, Denji readied himself to meet the charging dolls, thoroughly disturbed by their screams. “For real?! This is just super-villain-level stuff now!”

“Can a devil hunter kill these dolls?”, Santa repeated herself, her head reforming as her eyes locked with Denji’s, taunting him with the question. And Denji had an answer.

“Nope, nope, nope! No way!”, Denji shouted as he began running away from the dolls, chainsaws sliding out from the bottom of his feet as he began running across the side of the building in an attempt to avoid them and come up with a plan. What he didn’t expect was the dolls to follow him, their feet turning into blades as they ran full pelt across the side of the building.

“Craaap!”, Denji yelled as he ran, finding that having suicidal dolls charging after him wasn’t exactly helping him think. He then notices dolls starting to close in on him from the front, trying to catch him in a pincer movement and makes a split-second decision.

“Damn it!”, he swung his saw around, cutting through one of the pursuing dolls before jumping down to the ground, the remains of the doll falling at his feet.

“M-murderer…”

Denji looked down at the doll talking to him, bleeding out on the ground. It didn’t look like a doll at all, it just looked like a regular guy. For some reason, Denji couldn’t bring himself to move.

‘A murderer huh…’

Denji stood there numbly, not registering the dolls closing in on him until it was much too late, the screaming and crying dolls swarming him, the boy barely had time to cry out as he was once again trapped under a pile of puppets, each one screaming and yelling as their bodies lunged and stabbed at him. He could only desperately swing his saw, all whilst trying his best not to hurt them.

Then another scream could be heard, but this was from a doll, not a human. This came from above in the sky, a flaming meteor coming crashing down from the building above.

The comet made impact right next to the dogpile burying Denji, most of the dolls being blasted away, shattering them and showering the street with ceramic and gore. Denji coughed as he sat up, the smell of smoke and cooked meat searing his nostrils.

‘What the hell hap-‘, Denji didn’t get a chance to finish that thought as something rushed through the smoke and… wrapped him in a hug?

“Reze!”, Denji returned the hug, everything clicking into place for him as he embraced his girlfriend, “You’re okay! When I didn’t see you up there…”

“G-god I was so w-worried!”, Reze tightened the hug, holding on as if for dear life, “I-I thought you were… You could’ve…”

They stay like that for what could have only been a few seconds, but which felt like hours, their transformed heads grating against each other as they pull back, holding each other at arm’s length; as if confirming that the other was truly there.

“M-my… You m-murderer…”

The tender moment was interrupted as a legless doll crawled towards them, only for it to be speared by an arrow, Quanxi’s view of the battlefield having been restored as the smoke cleared.

“She… how could…”, Denji muttered as he looked at the now headless corpse.

“Denji…”, Reze says with a sigh, her voice rich with emotion: she knew how it must feel for him, being forced to kill innocents or to be killed, “Don’t… don’t worry about them, not now. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.

“But we can’t just kill them! Isn’t there another way, can’t we just kill the big bad over there?!”, Desperation tinged Denji’s voice as he gestured wildly.

“You should listen to your girlfriend Chainsaw. These dolls – they’re only imitating humans”, Quanxi’s voice sounded down from above, the other hybrid hanging from the side of a building, half-perched on a window ledge, “Kill them. Don’t hesitate.”

“How do you know that?!”, Denji yelled back to her, not convinced.

“If you understand it that way, you can kill them. Can’t you?”

Denji didn’t respond to that, just staring up at the woman. In their transformed forms, it was nigh impossible to tell what they were thinking at times, but Reze had a good idea of what Denji was going through and took hold of his hand.

“There’s nothing we can do Denji… They’re already gone…”

Denji just sighed, he’d kinda of wanted to be a hero at the start of this Public Safety business, but this didn’t feel heroic at all…

“Ignorance is bliss Chainsaw”, Quanxi spoke these words as if reading from the gospel. Those words were her creed, and she lived by them every day. However, whilst speaking Quanxi hadn’t been paying attention to her surroundings, something she found out in short order as the window beside her shattered, Santa Claus crashing through it and grabbing a hold of the first devil hunter.

“I finally cau-“

Santa’s gloating was unceremoniously cut short as a spark flashed on her chest, exploding into a ball of fire; the eldritch abomination was sent to the ground in a cloud of smoke, some fires smouldering on parts of her body as she screamed.

“Arghhahhhh!”

“Thanks, Bomb”, Quanxi floated down next to them, gruffly thanking Reze, “But that’ll just be the start. Sun’s going down…”

And how right Quanxi was, because as the sun went down, Santa’s screams turned into laughter, as sure as night follows day…

“Aaaarghhhahahahaha!”

Quanxi shot another round of arrows at the creature, Santa already having recovered from the wounds inflicted by Reze recovered just as quickly from the new holes shot through it, simply giggling as the sunlight disappeared below the horizon, darkness engulfing the streets of Tokyo.

“Hee hee hee hee hee…"

Denji and Reze recoiled as they saw the creature crawl out of the remains of the shop she had been blasted into: her limbs had multiplied; her skin had gone a dark bruise-like purple and her head was now as demonic as the rest of her; with piercing luminous eyes and wicked crescent horns jutting from each side of her head.

“So, this is the power of the dark…”, the monster revelled in its new power, watching as the last of its wounds healed: with this power, she could easily defeat these damned weapons and end Makima’s dream once and for all!

“Is it just me, or did you get even creepier?”

“Yeahhh… Something that ugly should really be put down. Would be a mercy honestly.”

Santa turned towards Denji and Reze, her crowing abruptly stopping as she glowered at them. And then she was gone, leaving behind only dust.

“Wha-!”

Just as suddenly as she disappeared, Santa appeared in front of the two teens as if she emerged from the darkness itself, the monster carrying her momentum into a brutal swing of her arms, sending both Denji and Reze flying, straight into a nearby fuel station, both careening into the gas station store, dust and debris billowing out from the impact.

Quanxi meanwhile had elegantly hopped over the attack, once again sending a volley of arrows towards Santa Claus. This time, however, Santa’s new limbs caught them mid-air with ease, snapping them like twigs.

“While you were busy killing me…”, the monster spoke, a huge maw of razor-sharp teeth gleaming as she began to gloat once more, “I took the liberty of creating a few more dolls.”

Quanxi turned to the side to see a sight which made her stomach drop, puppet versions of Pingsti and Long, and they were holding Tsugihagi hostage.

‘I never should have taken this damned job…’

“This crap again…?”, while her thoughts were melancholic at this point, Quanxi tried to keep up some bravado in front of Santa, though with little success, her tired voice betraying her.

In fact, all the fight seemed to go out of her as puppet Pingsti approached her, leaving puppet Long alone to guard Tsugihagi. Pingsti had always been her favourite, not that she’d ever tell the other girls, but she had been such a chatty and vibrant thing; she’d always liven up her day just by being around. So, even when the doll stabbed her straight through the chest, Quanxi couldn’t bring herself to follow her own advice and, instead of killing the doll, she simply let herself fall into a crouch.

As she bled out from the gut wound, she decided that she couldn’t just make herself assume that the doll Pingsti was just an empty puppet, if there was any chance she wasn’t Quanxi needed to show how she felt one last time. So, with the last of her strength, Quanxi wrapped the small fiend in a tight hug.

Santa watched the whole display with an attitude of detached curiosity, not over the devil hunter’s relationships, no. But over something more interesting altogether…

“Now… Can she be made into a doll…?”

“Urghhh… me and my big mouth…”, Denji groaned as he quickly got up, Reze rising up nearby as well, dusting herself off quickly.

“Yeah…maybe not our best idea to aggravate darkness incarnate, at night”

Reze was quickly distracted from her grumbling, however, as she noticed Denji beeline straight to the other end of the shop, grabbing a can and dumping its contents over his head. Reze quickly caught on to what it was when the pungent smell of gasoline hit her nostrils.

“Alright Reze, light me up!”

“What?”, Reze just stared at him for a moment, not quite registering what he’d just said for a moment: and then it hit her.

“Are you touched in the head?!!”, Reze shouted, making Denji recoil, “Your plan is to get me to light you on fire?!”

“Well… yeah…?”, Denji says, quickly raising his saw placatingly seeing that Reze was about to shout again, “Wait, wait! Your explosions seemed to hurt her pretty bad earlier, and if the darkness is healing her, then I’ll just make sure she can’t escape the light!”

Denji grins, or at least does the best impression of a grin that his jagged max would allow as he presents his plan. Reze just shook her head and sighed.

“Y’know, I don’t know whether to hit you or kiss you”, Reze’s voice was laden with mirth and exasperation in equal measure, “You’ve really come a long way from just hacking and slashing, hm?”

“I’d be up for a kiss later, but you could settle for lightin’ me on fire for now”, Denji replied cheekily, getting a sharp bark of laughter from Reze.

“Fine, fine… But you’d better not just burn up to a crisp out there!”

Santa’s hand was reaching out towards Quanxi, the first devil hunter’s still form still wrapped tight around the doll. She hadn’t expected that little ploy to work so well, to think that she would be that sentimental…

Just as her hand was about to rest on the top of Quanxi’s head she stopped, hearing a buzzing sound from behind her, she quickly turned as it grew closer, but she was much too late.

“This is the power of light!!”, Denji yelled out as he jumped onto Santa’s back, his whole body alight as he got the monster in a headlock, his saws mowing through arm after arm as Santa squirmed, writhing in pain.

“AAAARGHHHH!”, a monstrous wail came forth from Santa’s maw as the fire coating Denji began spreading onto her, the darkness struggling to heal the damage.

“AIIEEEEE!!”

With an ear-piercing screech, Santa’s remaining limbs grabbed onto Denji’s burning body, desperately tossing him as far away as she possibly could, looking at him disdainfully as she re-established her air of superiority after the undignified screaming.

“Even after deepening my wisdom with darkness, I still can’t comprehend the behaviour of fools”

“HOOOT! HOOT!”, Denji was constantly yelling, clearly in pain from the flames licking over his body, yet he still found it in him to snap back at Santa, “Hey! I ain’t no fool! I watch education TV every day!”

‘Only fool I see her is you lady!’, Denji thought as Santa Claus looked down at the chains wrapped around her torso, ‘Gotta remember to thank Reze for that makin’ me learn that!’

“His chain…?”

Whilst Santa looked down in puzzlement at the chain, Denji lunged at her, closing the distance with a guttural battle cry and tackling her head-on; a saw blade piercing right through her throat while the other ran her straight through the chest.

This time however, Santa kept her composure as her hands got a firm grip on him, raising him up in the air away from her, his saws sliding out of her neck and chest as she did so.

“This is futile, I can distribute my pain”, Santa’s voice dripped with condescension as the boy was held up, the sight of his body burning up bringing something close to a smile to Santa’s face.

“Gahhh…! Hot!”, Denji groaned in pain before addressing Santa again, though this time it was him mocking the monster, “But can you make ‘im faster than she can kill ‘im?”

Right on cue, explosions started detonating all across the street, dolls being incinerated left right and centre as Santa swung her head around to look at the carnage, before looking back at Denji with hateful eyes.

“And, I dunno… but your regeneration is lookin’ pretty slow to me… all thanks to the power of light!”

Santa responded by pushing Denji against a nearby wall, shattering it and revealing the mass of dolls behind it, the doll proceeding to swarm over him as she looked down at him imperiously.

“A fitting death for a dog that ignorantly wags its tail for Makima… Now stay still and burn.”

However, that wasn’t something Denji was in a hurry to do, the dolls pinning him down doubling up as his saving grace as he bit into them, their blood fuelling his regenerative powers. Thankfully, this wasn’t a cycle Denji had to keep up for long as a spark flew past his head, igniting in the building behind an explosion detonating the dolls, freeing Denji and blasting him and Santa forward towards the middle of the street.

For her part, Reze uses a small explosion to quickly hop over to where Denji landed, finding him locked in a tug of war with Santa Claus and her dolls, immediately sending some explosions Santa’s way, decimating the dolls but doing little damage to the ringleader itself.

“Tch…”, Reze upon realizing that tactic won’t be effective joins Denji in pulling on the chain, trying to drag it in closer.

“I have a plan Denji, when I give the word, grab on to me. Tight.”

Denji grunted in the affirmative, focusing entirely on pulling, trying to ignore the pain of the fire.

“He’s pulling me towards him… Monster!”, without her dolls, Santa began to panic, stubbornly using all he might to pull back from the two hybrids, “I can’t understand him… Get away!!”

On one hand, Reze was bursting with pride: Denji’s idea really had Santa Claus on the ropes. Even with the power of a primal devil, Santa looked terrified as she desperately tried to hold her ground. On the other hand, it depressed Reze to think that he’d been put in a position where instead of living a normal life, he was here…

The chain was completely taut as the contest turned into a dead heat, neither Santa nor the hybrids having the upper hand.

Just what she’d been waiting for.

“Denji, now!”

At her signal Denji grabbed hold of Reze around the waist, she grunted in pain as the fire scorched her skin, but that was of little concern to her as she fired off a large explosion behind Denji, launching both her and Denji towards Santa at high velocity. They made contact with a huge explosion, shrouding them and Santa with smoke and fire, with a hint of what happened being Santa’s pained screams echoing through the night.

And then it was all silent.

Denji and Reze stood over the incapacitated and burning Santa, their devilish features melting away, leaving behind two tired teens, their clothes tattered and burnt as smoke billowed around them. Denji raised one of the doll bodies above his head, letting the blood down over him; his burn wounds fading as it ran down his body.

Reze simply moved in close and embraced him, letting the blood run down over her as she rested her head on his chest, a content and relieved smile on her face as she heard the thumping of his heart.

“There’s no way you’re going to beat the cockroach allegations at this rate”, Reze jokes as she looks up at him, both soaked in blood but with their wounds healed.

Denji smiles back, “Hey tha-“

He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as a familiar fiend tackled them, having launched himself towards them from the ground below.

“LORD CHAAAINSAW!”

Denji and Reze were swept from their feet as Beam’s momentum carried them through the air, the three landing in a pile a short distance away.

Right as Quanxi’s dao swept through the air where they had just been standing.

“Thanks, Beam, I owe you one!”, Denji says as he gets up, eyeing Quanxi and the two remaining fiends furiously, Reze getting up beside him, her finger already looping into her pin.

“What the hell! I thought we had a truce?!”, Denji yelled at the older hybrid who seemed utterly non-plussed that she had betrayed them.

“Truce only lasted until we killed Santa Claus, now it’s over.”

As if the universe was trying to prove Quanxi wrong, the burning cadaver of Santa Claus began to talk, its rasping voice sounding even more demonic as the fire consumed it piece by piece,

“Hee hee, I understand you all now”, the creature somehow still had its smug attitude as it lay immobile on the ground, “Me and my family… We’ll evolve with the power of darkness, and come to kill you again and again. Can you imagine your lives, constantly stalked by death? “

“So, is that truce back on then?”, Reze asked dryly as the head continued spouting threats as it burned up.

“Luckily for you. Time to work Cosmo”, Quanxi said, sounding like she just wanted this job over and done with.

“Halloween!”, the fiend in question was one they hadn’t seen yet, a pink-haired girl with an eye hanging out of its socket and with half her head looking like her brain was spilling out from her head.

“Consider it your punishment for sight-seeing Tokyo without us”, Quanxi’s one eye darted to Cosmo as she spoke, “Let her have a taste of an all-out Halloween.”

“What the hell…?”, Denji said, he and Reze watching in confusion as the fiend crouched down, getting into a pose as if she was preparing to shoot a beam from her hands, aimed right at Santa Claus.

“HALL-OOOO! HALL-OOOO!”

“WEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!”

Everyone just stood there watching the odd display as the fiend’s arms shot out, her ‘beam’ firing.

“Why Halloween…?”, Reze asked, nearly to herself as the odd scene unfolded.

“To put it simply, Cosmo here is frying their mind; can’t hunt us if they’re a vegetable”, Quaxi replied, watching as Santa’s head burned, listening to the last words of the assassin as they were consumed.

“Hallow…een”

“Halloween… Halloween… Halloween… Halloween…”

As Santa was fully consumed by the flames, Quanxi turned back to the other two hybrids, her sword raised.

“Offer from earlier still stands Bomb, let us have Chainsaw and you won’t be harmed, you could even come with us. The handlers in China give a lot more freedoms than Makima ever would.”

“Fat chance, I won’t hurt him for anything! Not again!”, Reze vehemently snaps back, remembering how she had brutalised Denji before in her attempt to get his heart. No, she wouldn’t do that again, and she’d make damn well sure no one else would either.

“Looks like you’re barking up the wrong tree granny!”, Denji gloats as he loops his finger into his starter, ready to pull at a moment's notice.

“The hard way it is then”, Quanxi sighs as she readies her blade.

Then she froze, turning as the smoke cleared around them; locking eyes with an old friend.

Kishibe and Yoshida were revealed as the wind blew the smoke away, Quanxi raising her sword as she turned to face them. Kishibe just gave her an almost mournful look as he and Yoshida… put on blindfolds.

The reason for this became clear as Makima stridently strolled through the smoke, walking between the two devil hunters, katana in hand, holding the blade up in a readied position.

“We surrender.”

To Denji and Reze’s surprise, Quanxi didn’t even try to fight. Instead, she dropped her sword and raised her hands in the air.

“You can cut off my limbs if you think I’ll run, just don’t kill my women”, Quanxi pleaded as Tsugihagi and Cosmo hid behind her, “I’ll do anything to save their lives, even lick your shoes.”

“Halloween!”

Makima stood there for a second, her expression unchanged as she eyed up Quanxi and the fiends until her eyes flitted to Denji and Reze.

“Denji, Reze. I’m afraid you’ll have to turn around. This is classified Public Safety intel.”

Reze wasn’t sure why, but she felt compelled to turn around upon Makima’s order, Denji clearly feeling similarly as neither wasted any time, finding they had moved before even realising it. Beam was practically cowering on the ground, phasing his head through the concrete like an ostrich.

Seeing that the two teens were facing away, Makima smiled as she turned back to Quanxi, her head slightly cocked as she spoke.

“A corpse is talking”

All Reze heard was three thuds from behind her. She could guess what had happened: Quanxi and her girls were dead, just like that. But a couple of things bothered her: why did Makima kill Quanxi but spare her?

And how did Makima heal that quickly? Just what sort of contract did that witch have?

Kishibe felt the warm blood trickle down his face.

He’d known how things would end as soon as Makima walked out of that building alive. There was no way that she’d let any of the assassins live after that. But despite that, despite being prepared he couldn’t bring himself to move. He felt… tired. Felt his age…

“Aren’t you going to take off your blindfold?”

He heard that hotshot Yoshida talking to him, the kid had good sense, leaving Public Safety when he did. With Makima at the helm, their lives may well be on a timer.

“I don’t wanna see a thing.”

No, Kishibe much preferred to keep it on: preferring his fond memories to what would be right in front of his eyes. Every time he’d drank with her it had become a tradition that he’d confess his love to her. It had started as a joke, but as the years passed and the bodies of his colleagues piled up around him, he’d found that the words ‘I love you’ had only grown more and more sincere with age.

And even now, he still did.

Chapter Text

“I’d like to apologise to you both, it wasn’t my intention that things would… get so out of hand”.

Makima stood in front of Denji and Reze, both of whom looked exhausted. Their tattered and burnt clothes were the only remaining signs that they had been fighting for their lives mere moments before.

“Despite that, however, you both performed admirably. Well done.”

They finally looked up at Makima, both the hybrid’s gazes having been focused on the corpses lying directly behind her, Quanxi’s lone eye gazing blankly towards them, her expression frozen in resigned despair as it disappeared from view as Public Safety agents began their work of packing up the bodies of her and her fiends.

“I… uhhh…”, Denji slowly turned his gaze towards Makima, his eyes widening as he registered what Makima had said, “T-thanks Miss Makima! Was hardly a problem!”

Denji’s exuberance was more subdued than usual. Once he couldn’t imagine anything better than being praised by the woman who saved him, who gave him this dream life. But seeing how easily Makima had snuffed out three lives so casually, even after they surrendered… it had clearly unsettled the boy.

‘I know she was gonna try and kill us again, but she was surrenderin…’, Denji quickly shook off those thoughts, ‘What am I doing, Miss Makima knows way about this than me. No point second-guessing her like that…’

“Y-yeah…” Reze’s reaction was much more muted than Denji’s, the girl basically freezing where she stood as her gaze rose up to meet Makima’s. Because in Makima’s expression, she saw no warmth, no gratitude: all she saw was the same smile, the same empty smile that sent a chill down her spine.

The same smile that made her feel that the woman could see right through her, right into her soul…

“Miss Makima!” Denji was oblivious to his girlfriend’s distress as his eyes widened in alarm, his eyes widening as he realised he’d basically just shouted in the woman’s face. As Makima’s gaze turned back to him, her head tilted quizzically, Denji found his mouth had gone dry as he nervously met her gaze.

“I, umm… Are Aki and Power going to be okay?”

Denji had only just realised as the last of the smoke cleared, that Aki and Power were nowhere to be found among the ranks of Makima’s entourage.

Makima didn’t say anything for a moment, curiosity still playing across her face as Denji began to squirm under her gaze until, finally, a small smile came to her face.

“You don’t need to worry about Hayakawa and Power, Denji”, despite her smile, her tone was as professional as ever as she replied, “They have been taken to the hospital along with the other surviving Public Safety agents who were transported to Hell. We’ve also sent an agent with a contract specialising in the reattachment of limbs, so we hope that they will make a full recovery”.

“Oh… that’s good then…” It would be a stretch to describe Makima’s clinical tone as comforting, but it seemed to have the desired effect on Denji, the boy visibly relaxing as some of the tension left his body.

Reze however didn’t ease up at all, her eyes wandering back to where the bodies of Quanxi and her fiends, a group of the agents carrying off one of the corpses in a body bag and into a waiting van.

“What’s going to happen to them?” the words had left her mouth before she had the time to regret them. The question certainly seemed to have an effect on the woman, an almost imperceptible frown coming to her face for a moment – before vanishing just as quickly.

“As a precaution, we always take the bodies of fiends in for storage: even if deceased. In Quanxi’s case, someone as dangerous as her will be kept in custody: indefinitely”, as if sensing the incoming question, Makima continued on, “There was no sense hiring Quanxi, she has a prior history with Public Safety and she’s unpredictable.”

The answer made sense, Reze wouldn’t exactly be thrilled to work with Quanxi, after all the woman had practically decapitated her. But there was a clear implication behind Makima’s words: she and Denji weren’t seen as threats to her, instead, they were seen as predictable and thus, controllable. Reze grimaced bitterly at the thought.

“Well, if you two could excuse me, I need to go help with the cleanup. The officials always get worked up about this sort of thing. Mr Kishibe will make sure you make it home.”

The woman walked away with those last words, not even waiting for a response, leaving Denji and Reze behind in the middle of what looked like a war zone.

‘At least Powy and Aki are alright, kinda thought they were a goner back in Hell. No way Miss Makima would let them croak it so easy!’, Denji thought, trying to keep his spirits high. The truth, however, was that he felt this uncomfortable twisting in his gut: just what would he have done if they had died?

Would he have cried then?

He shook those thoughts from his head, turning to look at Reze, who had been strangely quiet up to this point.

“Hey Reze, how are you hold-“, Denji stopped mid-question as Reze just continued staring after where Makima had disappeared to, not even registering his words. Then he noticed something else, her hands… were they shaking?

“Reze, are you alright…?”, Denji asked, reaching out to touch her hand.

As soon as his hand made contact with hers Reze jumped, turning to look up at him, surprise painted across her face before giving way to relief.

“Oh Denji… sorry about that, just kinda zoned out there for a moment”, Reze threw Denji one of her usual practised smiles, but this time it did little to soothe the boy’s worries.

“Reze… I know that’s a lie, you were shaking there. What happened in Hell, after I, y’know…?”, Denji’s brow creased in worry as he spoke, Reze’s eyes flashed with surprise before she broke eye contact again, whilst tightly grasping his hand back.

“I… not here Denji…”, Reze then slowly moves closer, resting her head on his chest, exhausted, “We can talk back home, okay?”

“Yeah… sure”, Denji exhaled through his nose before embracing the girl, resting his head lightly on her own, a frown coming to his face as he still felt the girl shaking slightly.

‘Just what happened in there…?’

“I hate to be the one to break up such a touching scene, but I figured that you two would want filled in on everything. Doubt she’d have told you much.”

Denji and Reze tiredly looked towards this familiar gruff voice, Kishibe stood there, tipping his hipflask upside down, as if checking if there was any left. Despite this, the look on his face conveyed a complete lack of surprise, almost as if he was checking out of pure habit.

“Master…?”, Denji was the first to speak, “You saying you can tell us more about what happened?”

“Hmm… well I know how all those who returned from hell are doing anyway”, he eyed both of them appraisingly, noticeably avoiding looking in the direction of the Public Safety agents packing up Quanxi and the fiends into the waiting van. Indeed, his pall continence being an obvious hint of his feelings on the matter.

“What do you know then old man…?”, Reze asked, the snarky comment being betrayed by her quiet, subdued voice.

“Heh, you two are human-devil hybrids, so you’re sturdy enough to make smart-ass comments even after visiting hell itself”, a small smirk came to Kishibe’s face, though it seemed hollow, as he pulled out a business card from his pocket, “I’ve written the address of the hospital Aki and Power are in on the back of this. No doubt she didn’t even tell you that much.”

“Thank you master!”, Denji exclaimed, before his face twisted back into a questioning expression, “Anything more than just that though?”

“Ahh… Well, all the fiends bar Power and Beam are dead, Aki and Angel we’re pretty unharmed barring their arms… though we’ll see what Public Safety’s finest have to say about that.”

Kishibe lights up a cigarette, taking a puff before throwing the rest on the ground in disinterest, “Kobeni’s also handed me her resignation, or well, without the arms…”, He shrugged half-heartedly, “Well she’s resigned anyways, a shame for sure. She had good instincts and a strong contract.”

‘Oh…’¸Reze’s face fell, she had actually been quite excited upon first speaking to Kobeni and Violence; they’d been a breath of fresh air in her new life and she’d almost fooled herself into thinking she could’ve made a friend. But now, they were simply banished to the past like all the rest.

“Who again?”, Denji tilted his head. He had no idea about international politics, never mind the small woman who made up one of his few fully human co-workers until moments ago…

“Denji!”, Reze swatted his arm at that, “She was in there with us!”

“Ah! Sorry…!”, Denji scratched the back of his head, “She, uhhh... Kinda stabbed me, but… she was kinda okay, I guess…”

Reze felt a weight settle in her gut, that poor girl… She’d been so timid, yet she’d even tried to approach and befriend her… and she’d quite literally nearly killed her!

‘At least she’s free now…’, Reze always envied those who controlled their own fates.

“Well, anyway… the best to you both”, Kishibe smirks at them both, “I really do hope everything ends up well for you. Heh, maybe it’s for the best, the fewer deaths I see the better. This new generation dies too easy…”

With that Kishibe left them, neither Denji nor Reze had much to say as they leaned against each other, the pair making their way towards the waiting chauffeur, surely organised by Makima herself. Neither Reze nor Denji felt comforted by either of the adults. Neither Makima’s aloofness nor Kishibe’s cynical worldliness brought much comfort to either as they silently made their way home, leaning on each other as their only support.

Denji had practically run to the toilet as soon as they had entered the flat, something that hadn’t surprised Reze in the slightest, much to the amusement of the girl, who had felt Denji’s leg shaking through the drive.

It had been a quiet drive, both the teens leaning on each other as the faceless bureaucrat in the driver’s seat made his way to their home.

‘That girl… what did she do to deserve that…?’, Reze tried keeping her mind off of Hell as much as possible, though her mind kept wandering back to the girl who had tried to befriend her, despite having been her enemy not long before. She had been fighting for herself and had quit as soon as things had proven to be going towards the deep end.

Sadly, neither Reze or Denji had that choice, and for that reason alone the Russian found herself feeling fatalistic as the driver pulled up outside the Hayakawa residence. She is snapped out of her reverie as her door is opened for her, Denji offering her a hand as he opens the door, his face filled with both curiosity and concern.

A few minutes later, and both of the hybrids were inside the flat and sitting around the table; the business card sitting in front of them. The card had the hospital address, that was true for sure, but it also had something else written on it, a single phrase: ‘Careful Now.’

Neither of them really knew what Kishibe had meant by that, Denji had just assumed that it was about Aki and Power, whilst Reze thought it was to do with Makima, though what specifically she had no idea.

“You have any idea what he meant by that Reze? Surely Aki and Power aren’t that bad off…?”, Denji asked, his voice laced with worry over the status of Aki and the blood fiend. Reze had an inkling that the warning had little to do with the two other members of the Hayakawa family: instead remembering the letter that he had held up to Quanxi in the mall, ‘Makima is Listening’.

“No point worrying about it now, they’re alive and that’s all that matters”, Reze said matter-of-factly, “We’ll visit them tomorrow, hopefully, they’ll be fine.”

For a while they just sat, side-by-side, watching some movie that had happened to come on. Neither was paying all that much attention to it though, with Reze staring off into space and Denji being more concerned about the girl next to him. Finally, as he noticed he shoulders shaking again, he’d finally had enough.

“And what ‘bout you Reze? You said you’d tell me what’s up.”

“Ah, yeah… that…”, her face fell as she remembered her promise: she’d hoped Denji would just let it go, but judging by the concern on his face he wouldn’t let her simply brush this under the carpet.

“That monster, Darkness… all it did was show me my own past”, Denji listened raptly as Reze began speaking, recounting what happened to her in Hell in an emotionless, monotone voice, “I guess it just made me… brought me back too…”

She stumbled over her words, unable to maintain her stoic façade as her shoulders slumped, the shaking returning as she continued speaking, her voice cracking, “H-hardly any of us survived, back in that room. They just left us in the dark, plucking us out one at a time, to prod, poke and experiment on us… Didn’t even give us the luxury of a name… just a number.”

She looked up at Denji, the boy being momentarily stunned as his eyes met Reze’s, shocked to see tears brimming in them.

“Once they were taken, we’d either never see them again, or they’d just sit there, staring at the walls…”, a bitter frown marred her face as she continued on, “Then… it was my turn, and lo and behold; I was the first and only success. They finally got their monster…”

“I was knocked out for the surgery, but they told me what they did”, her hand drifted down, resting on her lower abdomen, “They didn’t even care what they took from me… just rushed me to another room and locked me up again, alone…”

“You don’t need to worry about that”, Denji smiled easily as he put his arm around he shoulder, drawing her into his chest. Barring a jolt of surprise, she gave little resistance, with Denji choosing not to comment on the tears seeping into his t-shirt.

“Cause I’ll never leave you. You can count on that.”

He mumbled the last words as he embraced her, but Reze heard them loud and clear, a genuine smile coming to her face as she returned the embrace, squeezing Denji hard enough to make the boy wince.

After a moment, Reze pulled back just enough to look up at Denji, her face red and her eyes puffy, but with a small, sincere smile still lighting up her face, “You better not… I’ll be holding you to that promise you know!”

“Wouldn’t expect any less”, Denji smiled back at her as they settled back down into the sofa, getting into a comfortable position leaning against each other, “How ‘bout we see what else is on? This movie is pretty crap, and not in the ‘so crap it’s good’ kinda way either…”

“You don’t need to ask me twice!”, she still seemed a little down, but Reze seemed a bit more like her usual self, a sly smile coming to her face as she looked up at Denji once more. Then in one smooth motion, she planted a kiss right on the bottom of his chin.

“And just so you know…”, Reze said, practically purring, “I don’t want to leave you either. Never…”

“Ohh uhhh… Yeah?”, Denji was surprised and flustered in equal measure, not knowing how to respond and Reze pressed herself against him, a pleased smirk on her face as she continued.

“And to keep that promise… how bout we share you’re bed tonight, hmmm?”

Needless to say, Reze spent the next few minutes laughing as Denji’s face went bright red, he could drop a smooth line now sure, but he was still so easy to embarrass. What made it even better was that, despite the fact that she had been teasing him, she had meant every word.

Despite everything going on around them, between Devils, Public Safety, Assassins and even Makima, she wouldn’t be going anywhere.

They had sat there watching forgettable movie after forgettable movie, at one point they’d even been watching some crappy Christmas flick; God knows why they were playing this in early Autumn…

They had only started to move to get ready for bed after the news had come on; neither of them had any desire to watch these talking heads talk about the destruction left in the wake of Santa Claus, never mind the fact that Public Safety had ensured that the whole thing was censored. The official line given to the new stations seemed to be that it had been a freak gas leak.

The lie didn’t seem all that believable to either of the hybrids, but people would rather believe in a comforting lie than the hard truth. Better that it had been a freak accident, rather than the rampaging avatar of the human fear of darkness…

Not long after they both got changed and ready for bed. Denji simply wore his t-shirt and boxers to bed, whilst Reze settled for filching one of his t-shirts; she was his girlfriend after all, she may as well enjoy the perks that come with the title.

They both lay in Denji’s bed, though they soon found that sleep eluded them as they stared up at the roof, counting the seconds and waiting for sleep that felt like it would never come. After a while, Reze had had enough waiting as she finally broke the silence.

“961”

“Huh, what?”, Denji turned his head to look at her, confused, “What do you mean 961?”

“That was what they called me, back in Moscow”, she glanced at him and, to his surprise, there was a faint smile on her face, “When I first arrived in Tokyo they gave me the name ‘Reze’. Old man Kayo called me it at work sure, and I signed it for paperwork and the like, but…”

Reze had turned her whole body to face him at this point, a tender look on her face as she spoke.

“It only started feeling like my name when a certain blondie started visiting that café every day, just to see little ol’ me”, she moved closer to him, snuggling into his side, “ So… thanks for that, Denji”

Denji then turns to her and puts his arms around her, pulling her in even closer, “Y’know, those people, the ones back in Russia. They didn’t make you who you are, and I didn’t either. You did that yourself.”

“You said on the beach that your personality when we met was a lie, but you still act like that now; makin’ dirty jokes and teasing me”, Reze froze as he spoke, eyes widened as she lay flush to Denji’s chest, “Far as I’m concerned, you worry too much about all that. You’re just Reze, always have been and always will be – far as I’m concerned anyway…”

“Heh… I worry too much, huh? You sure have a funny way of comforting a girl, Denji…”, Reze responded dryly, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice as she relaxed into his arms.

“Wha- did I say something wro-?!” Denji’s alarmed questioning was interrupted by Reze pinching his side, “Ow, what was that for?!”

“Be still, I’m comfy here!”, Reze snapped with faux-seriousness, before smiling wryly, “You said nothing wrong, I’d go as far to say you were right on the money”

 ‘At least, I hope you are anyway…’

“Ah, that’s good… did you really need to pinch me though?”

“Yup”, Reze responded succinctly, popping the ‘p’ as she rested her head on his chest, “Now quiet down, we’ll never get to sleep if my pillow keeps talking, hmmm?”

“Y-yes ma’am!”

It was pitch black in the room when Reze’s eyes snapped open. It must have only been a couple of hours since she and Denji had dosed off, but her she was wide awake again, whilst Denji snored away.

Talking with Denji had gone a long way towards soothing her fears, but it had done little to stop the nightmares. It had been like reliving it all over again, the room, Hell, Darkness…

But there had been something else, someone else, in her dreams as well: Makima. The woman had somehow made her way to hell to save them, but the way Santa had spoken about her, it made her feel like they had just been… bait. Bait to lure Makima in.

But why would they want Makima? Reze knew from her reputation that she was powerful, but she was only human…

A shudder travels it's way up Reze’s spine, another memory flashed through her mind: Makima kneeling in the familiar grassy plains of Hell, a giant sabre jutting from her chest, blood leaking from her mouth…

‘Just what contracts does that woman have…’, Reze grips Denji tighter as a feeling of dread creeps into her gut.

As she slowly drifted back off to sleep, courtesy of pure exhaustion, another memory echoed through the back of her mind, fractured and unclear.

‘…a contract. You can live… in exchange.. give me-‘

And thus, Reze fell back into a tormented sleep.

When morning came, both Denji and Reze still felt somewhat drained.  They had shambled out of bed and went through their regular motions, showering, getting changed, brushing their teeth; it was only when they’d had their morning coffee that any semblance of life returned to them. They may be semi-immortal beings, but that didn’t automatically make them morning people.

As soon as the pair were ready and awake, they had quickly made plans to visit the hospital Kishibe had directed them to; with Denji being especially keen to visit Aki and Power as soon as possible.

It must have been 11am by the time they arrived at the hospital. Thankfully it had only been a short walk from the flat to the nearest train station, they’d even had time to stop and grab some snacks for Aki and Power from a 7/11 on the way. The poor cashier had seemed particularly confused by the sheer amount of meat-based snacks they’d bought for Power.

As they stood outside the door of the room the hospital’s receptionist had directed them to, Denji’s hand rose up to rap on the door, only to hesitate as he brought his hand back to knock. Reze watched as Denji’s brow furrowed, his face screwed up in worry.

“They’ll be fine you know”, she poked Denji gently in the side before smiling slyly, “Never figured you as a worrywart Deeenjiii~”

“Oh shaddup…”, he snapped out of his trance with a huff, quickly rapping the door. Just as quickly a reply sounded out from the other side of the door.

“Come in!”

Denji slid the door open, the two of them walking in to see an unamused-looking Aki sitting up in his bed.

The man was looking relatively fine, he didn’t seem tired and, judging by his deadpan gaze, he had more than enough energy to be irritated by them.

“You two always know how to make noise, don’t you”, as he turned to face them the covers fell off from around him, revealing a bandaged-up stump where his left arm used to be.

“Your arm! I thought-!”

“Quiet down Denji, don’t shout inside!”, Aki scolded Denji, before sighing, “The specialist Miss Makima brought in, his contract is…fickle. Turns out it was asking too much to reattach both in my case.”

Aki gives both Denji and Reze a once-over, before a small smile comes to his face, “Well, at least you two are fine. Must be nice to be able to grow back limbs.”

“Eh… I mean that’s a plus. Being lit on fire kinda sucks though…”, Denji winced at the memory: adrenaline and the constant healing courtesy of the blood of the dolls had helped, but he wouldn’t call it a pleasant experience either way.

“You did that to yourself Denji…”, Reze shot him a dry look. She hadn’t been a fan of that specific tactic of his, even if it had proven effective.

“I… You know what, I don’t even want to know at this point”, Aki shakes his head just as Reze lifts up the carrier bag she had been holding, plopping it down on Aki’s lap, the thin plastic of the bag near-bursting from the strain of all of the snacks.

“We thought you might get tired of hospital food, so we grabbed some snacks on the way here”, Reze says, “It's just some bentos and stuff, so don’t get your hopes up.”

And that is just what Aki found for the most part: packs of jerky and assorted bentos and snacks. However, there was one last thing at the bottom of the bag: a small Tupperware tub of crudely cut apple slices.

“Ah, we brought those from home, seemed only fair after last time…”, Denji was looking out the window, not wanting anyone to comment on his thoughtfulness.

Aki just smiled fondly as he looked down at the tub.

“Tha-“

Aki was cut off as the door to the room opened with a loud clatter, the door slamming into the frame as a result of the super-human strength of the culprit.

“AKIIIII! H-HE’S HERE! GETTIM’ AWAY!”

A tearful Power stood akimbo in the doorway, the flimsy hospital gown meaning that anyone passing by would be getting an eyeful.

“I SEEN IT, I SEEN IT! I SWEAAAR!”

Power ran to Aki’s bed, burying her head in the sheets as she continued babbling about Darkness, not even registering Denji and Reze as she barged past them.

“What’s wrong with her?”, Denji asks, his voice dripping with concern, whilst Reze just looked on at the girl, pity in her eyes. She could only imagine what effect such a monster would have on a devil…

“She’s done this a couple of times already”, Aki responds, gently rubbing the bawling fiend’s back, “She thinks that devil is in every dark corner, can’t say I blame her…”

“Yes, Darkness was no normal Devil Hayakawa. Devils and fiends feel that difference more so than humans”

A soft, yet commanding voice coming from the doorway caused all of them to turn around, with even Power jolting up, her face going pale at the sound of the familiar voice.

“Ah Miss Makima, to what do I owe the pleasure?”, Aki asked, pleasantly surprised that the woman had taken the time out of her busy schedule to visit, not that he was complaining of course.

Makima walked through the doorway towards them, a couple of orderlies and nurses filtering into the room behind her.

“Well, I was here to check up on everyone’s recovery of course”, her expression was unchanged as she spoke, “I heard about all the commotion Power here was causing and figured she’d probably make her way here again.”

With that said, Makima looked pointedly at her entourage, who began carefully closing in on Power, who only now registered that Denji and Reze were even in the room.

“DENJI? DENJI! DON’T LET THEM TAKE MEEEE!”, Power wailed melodramatically, tightly latching onto his arm.

“It’s alright Powy… it’s just Miss Makima. Darkness isn’t here, ‘kay?”, Denji tried calming the fiend to no avail.

“EVEN WORSE! EVEN WORSE! I DON’T WANNAAA!”

“Power. Be a good girl and let the nurses help you”, Makima’s expression was still set in that same calm smile, but her voice was steely as she spoke, brokering no room for argument.

With those words, Power froze, withering under Makima’s gaze as the nurses closed in, the only sounds coming from the boisterous devil being low whimpers as her vice-like grip on Denji’s arm tightened.

Suddenly she let out a hiss of pain as one of the nurses worked up the nerve and jabbed her in the backside with a needle, quickly withdrawing before the fiend had a chance to lash out. But she never did, instead, Denji felt her slump down against him, her body becoming dead-weight.

“Hey! What’d you do to her?!”, Denji turned around, glaring at the responsible nurse until Makima’s voice rang out again.

“Don’t worry Denji, she’s just been given some relaxants and a sedative to calm her down. Once her hysteric episodes ease, she’ll be free to go home.”

Denji frowned uneasily as he struggled to hold up a woozy Power, even with Reze moving to support Power from her other side, it was still awkward to hold up the fiend.

“If all goes well, we hope to have you and Power released in a couple of days Hayakawa”, Makima was talking to Aki again now as the orderlies took Power from Denji and Reze and led her out of the room, “So until then, rest up.”

“Yes ma’am”, Aki, the workaholic that he was. frowned at this even as he acquiesced.

Makima then turned her gaze again to Denji and Reze, “You two feel free to take some time off, at least until Power and Aki are released, and take as much time visiting as you need.”

“Y-yes, thanks Miss Makima!”

“Thanks…”

As Makima left them, Reze let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She had found the woman unsettling before, but now after what she had seen in Hell, she felt downright oppressive…

Throughout that exchange, it had taken all she had to just look at the woman, her piercing gaze and frozen smile, she was like a porcelain doll given life; her uncanny creepiness setting off alarms in the back of her head.

‘Just what are you, Makima…?’

Kamiya Mitsuyo was having a pretty rotten day so far.

He’d booked this day off months ago, yet his boss still insisted that he went to pick up that shipment from Okaya.

‘Okaya! What’s so important about getting a shipment from Nagano that the bastard threatened my bonus over it!?’

As far as Kamiya could tell it was just a standard grocery pick-up destined for a supermarket in Tokyo, he could only assume that his boss had screwed up his dates and was now foisting the responsibility for his fuck up onto him.

He’d originally booked today off for his son’s birthday, after the debacle last year he’d wanted to make sure that they had plenty of time to celebrate as a family. But now here he was, rushing back to deliver some vegetables in the early hours of the morning. At least he should make it home in time at this rate. God help him if he didn’t, his wife would nag his ear off for sure…

He’d decided to take a back road for this very reason, with this route usually being free of traffic around this time of day, the clear road giving him a nearly free run to Tokyo. However the road today wasn’t quite clear, sure, there weren’t any cars, but…

Why was there a woman walking up the side of the road ahead…?

‘A hitchhiker maybe…? No. What kind of hitchhiker would wear a suit?’

It wasn’t just her attire either, she seemed to be hobbling and, as he drew closer, he realised that she seemed to be covered in dirt and grime.

Kamiya quickly pulled over at the side of the road a short distance in front of her, putting up the handbrake of his van and hopping out.

“Miss, miss! Are you okay?!”

As he jogged up to the woman, who he could now see was clearly dragging a leg limply behind her, she looked up at him: teeth gritted and her eyes bleary with pain.

Despite her stooped posture, the woman stood roughly as tall as he was; she was quite the looker too, at least if it wasn’t for the horizontal scar running the full breadth of her face and the shaggy, dirt-matted that framed it.

And then, with little fanfare, she collapsed face-first on the ground.

“Miss!”, Kamiya quickly ran to the woman’s side, flipping her over and gently shaking her, only to let out a breath of relief as the woman groaned, still barely conscious. Then she began to speak, he could only make out a few words; she was clearly struggling to speak, with her voice being raspy and dry.

“T-tendo… Public… Safety…”

With that, the fight seemed to leave her as she slipped into unconsciousness, passing out as Kamiya looked down. He let out a deep sigh as he stooped down and lifted the woman up, carrying her over to the passenger side of his van.

‘Guess I can kiss goodbye to that bonus’

He carefully strapped her in before rushing around to the other side and starting the vehicle, not even bothering to buckle his seat belt as he tore off down the road as fast as his small van could take him towards the nearest hospital.

‘My wife’s gonna kill me for real this time…’

Chapter Text

'Ah… she snuck in again…'

Ever since she and Aki had been released from the hospital, Power had been clinging to whoever was closest. Usually, this meant him or Aki, and sometimes Reze if the fiend felt brave enough. And it became clear as Denji's eyes creaked open, that Power had plumped for both him and Reze for the second night in a row.

The fiend was curled up in Denji's bed, right between him and Reze, clutching Denji's arm as she shivered, her eyes squeezed shut as if she was having a nightmare.

"Hey, Reze… you awake…?", Denji whispered over the fiend, trying not to wake Power as he lightly tapped Reze's shoulder.

"Yeahhh…", Reze yawned in reply, rolling over to look at Denji, the dark bags under her eyes betraying her poor sleep, "I've been trying to get to sleep again for a couple of hours. No luck though…"

Reze had been sleeping poorly since the events of Hell, though it seemed to be limited to the odd nightmare, practically nothing in comparison to the effect it had on Power. The fiend had essentially been a shadow of her former self since then, her usual bravado and confidence being replaced by fear and hysteria. Denji was honestly surprised she hadn't woken them both up by screaming again…

Reze looks at Power with sympathetic eyes, absentmindedly brushing some of the fiend's loose hairs from her face, watching as she shuddered and flinched even in her sleep.

They were probably quite different from Reze's own dreams, doubtlessly a result of every devil's instinctual fear of those devils whom have never once been killed. Reze's on the other hand, were incredibly personal, the visions Darkness had shown her had been plaguing her night and day, but at least they weren't new fears.

It was just visions of the same dark room, the isolation and fear: fear that all she was just an empty shell, a blank slate with no real ego of her own. Old fears that she'd carried with her for a long time, but they were ones she thought she could finally move past, but now she wasn't so sure…

"Sooo… You fancy getting some grub?", Reze is snapped from her trance by Denji's question, the boy was looking at her, and she could see the mild concern in his eyes.

"Sure, but you're making it, deal?", Reze quickly plastered a smile on her face, one which Denji quickly reciprocated.

"Deal."

As it turns out, Denji didn't have to keep his end of the bargain.

As they left the bedroom, having gotten out of bed as quietly as possible, they were greeted by Aki: and a full breakfast spread: coffee, toast, boiled eggs and more!

"Guessed you two would be up soon", Aki smirked as he gestured for them to sit round the table.

"Awww… And here I was excited to see how far Denji's coffee-making skills have come…", Reze pouts as she strolls over to the table, closely followed by Denji.

"Next time I make it I'll wow you for sure, I've been practising you know!", Denji bantered as he sat down at the table next to Reze and grabbed a slice of toast, "Thanks for the grub, Aki!"

"Yes, thanks for all this. Must say your coffee's nearly as good as mine…", Reze adds, a small smirk on her face as she sips her coffee.

"I guess I'll take that as a complement…"

For a while the only sound at the table was from the trio scarfing their breakfast, everyone was still hungry from the night before when they had to skip dinner after Power had an episode. The relative silence was broken as Aki spoke; tidying up everyone's plates as he did.

"Kishibe filled me in on everyone else's conditions, by the way", Aki said, Denji and Reze perking up in interest, "You already know Kobeni had quit, and then out of all of the devils, only Beam, Angel and Power survive-"

Aki was interrupted mid-sentence as as if summoned by the mere mention of her name, Power began screaming from back in the bedroom. All three of them quickly shot to their feet and rushed towards the room, faces set in grimaces as they made their way into the room.

The fiend was thrashing about in the bed as they entered, her covers thrown off as her limbs thrashed around; Power's wails making them wince as they approached her.

"GRAHHHH! NOOOO! AWAY! GET AWAAAY!"

Denji and Reze quickly moved to hold down her arms and legs, Denji getting decked on the nose for his trouble.

"Gah! Goddammit Power you're lucky I heal easy…!", Denji grumbled, his nose bleeding even as he held on tight to the fiend's arms, he and Reze keeping her still as Aki tried shaking her awake.

"Power! Power! Wake up!", Aki shook her shoulder with his one hand, "It's not here! Calm down!"

Suddenly her eyes shot open and she quickly shot up into a sitting position, practically throwing off Denji and headbutting Aki, the man stumbling back clutching his nose as the fiend looked around in fear and confusion: totally unaware of her streak of assaults on the men of the Hayakawa household.

"W-why is everyone here? I-is it g-gone…?"

"Nah, you're good. Doesn't look like she broke anything."

After the trio had calmed down Power, they had taken her to have some breakfast, the food distracting her whilst Reze checked out the two men's noses.

"Thanks", Aki says before looking at Denji, "I'm surprised that you got the worst of it Denji. Must've been quite the punch."

"Tell me about it…", Denji's voice is nasally as he pinches his nose, before quickly checking to see if it had stopped bleeding and pulling a displeased face, "Sure, I'll just have a little bit of the emergency blood in the fridge in a bit…"

Reze giggled at his displeasure, "At least you can heal it Denji, Aki here is going to have a sore nose for the next few days."

"I really appreciate the sympathy", Aki rolled his eyes as he sat down next to Power at the table, quickly followed by the other two. However, despite his griping, he appeared to be in pretty good spirits.

"Anyway, how are you feeling now Power?", Aki asks, quickly followed by Denji, "Yeah, you alright Powy? That was a pretty bad one."

Usually, Power just woke up frightened, it wasn't often that she had full panic attacks in her sleep like that, and it showed too. She was clearly shaken and didn't even reply, instead moving to Denji's side; clinging to his arm as she sniffled.

She had even reverted to being unwilling to eat her vegetables, throwing them up on her plate despite her best efforts at keeping them down. It was after they had cleaned up the mess that Aki started questioning Denji.

"I heard Makima just went on holiday there, off to Enoshima like she said she would", he looks at Denji with a knowing smile on his face, "Heard she invited you. Why didn't you go?"

Denji froze at the question, his eyes notably flitting between Reze and Power as he sat open-mouthed for a moment, before he just shrugged: feigning nonchalance.

"Dunno… Just felt wrong to go after everything that happened, y'know…?", Denji's voice was unsure, "She offered that me an' Reze could come with her, but leaving Powy and, well… yeah…"

Power had been a main part of the reason he hadn't wanted to go, but the other that he left unsaid was that he was well aware that Reze was no fan of Makima: that much she had made clear when they'd first fought. And if Reze didn't want to go, well… He found the idea of just him and Makima going a lot less tempting than it was in the past…

"Boy, I'm glad you didn't…" Reze let out a long sigh as she scooted over to Denji's side, letting out a dramatic yawn as she draped herself over Denji, "It's been much nicer just chilling at home, especially the alone time…"

"Uhh… I mean it's not like we-", An embarrassed Denji said, trying to set the record straight, only to be interrupted by Aki, who held his arm up with a sigh as he interjected.

"I'm going to stop you both right there before I hear anything I really don't want to hear…", Aki didn't even want to think about what they'd been up to, yet he still found himself smiling again a moment later after all it was good to see that those two at least seemed to have gotten over what happened in Hell. He just hoped that Power would get back to her usual self soon.

A short while later and Aki was tidying up after breakfast. At first, he had some trouble doing his normal day-to-day chores, with things like laundry proving to be much more difficult with only one arm. Though it was true that Denji and Reze could help, and they had indeed already offered to do so, Aki still insisted that he did the same chores as before; his pride playing a not small part of his reasoning.

As he was stacking plates into the small dishwasher, he found himself cursing to himself under his breath every time he went to reach for something with his missing arm.

'Now I know why Himeno always complained about her blind spot…'

At the start of their partnership, Aki would often end up surprising Himeno by approaching her from her blind side, something he'd learnt to avoid over time. He'd never really appreciated how annoying it would be to have a weakness he could do nothing about until now.

As he cleaned, his mind drifted towards the other members of the Hayakawa household. After breakfast, everyone had gone their separate ways, whilst Aki had gone to clean up Power had scurried away with Meowy, holing up in her bedroom, with Denji and Reze opting to go to the convenience store to buy in some groceries: a good thing too since it would be a pretty difficult task for Aki now all things considered...

It'd also probably be his turn to have Power in his bedroom tonight, the fiend did seem to like alternating who she snuck in with on a night-by-night basis. Aki grimaced as he thought back to Hell, to Denji and Power being brutalised by Darkness with little effort, with Reze's valiant attempt to shield Denji also coming to nought. He'd been able to do nothing but watch.

It was the same back when Himeno sacrificed herself, all he'd been able to do was lie there whilst Himeno gave everything she had to try and save them. To save him…

He'll be joining Himeno soon, that much was decided on that same day when he'd fought Katana: his contract with curse probably meant he had mere months left at best.

'I'll be joining you soon Himeno, but I'll give everything I have to make sure that they're safe.'

"Over here Denji, we still have plenty of time before we need to get back. Sit with me for a while?"

"Yeah, sure", Denji shrugged as he sat down on the bench next to Reze, setting his shopping bags down next to hers on the ground, stretching and letting out a yawn as he relaxed, an annoyed pout coming to his face.

"I can't believe we had to go to three different places! Like, who needs such specific ingredients?!", Denji huffed as Reze smirked at him fondly. Aki had given them quite the exhaustive shopping list, clearly wanting to have a decent stockpile of food and other necessities in the house for when they started work again. The amount hadn't been the problem, however, that had been the fact they couldn't get all the ingredients in one place, instead having to trek across the neighbourhood to two other shops.

"Stop complaining Denji~", Reze flicked him on the cheek, her voice taking on a teasing lilt as he looked at her, unamused. Her face then softened into a contented smile as she shimmied closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, "Besides, we got to cut through the park this way, much better than walking through some dull streets filled with identical buildings, no?"

"Ehh… I do like the hustle and bustle of the city, but you're right that it's pretty boring round here…", Denji was looking at the tree line, an unusually contemplative look on his face, "Y'know… this place kinda reminds me of when me and Pochita lived out in the boonies. It was pretty enough I guess, and peaceful but…"

Denji brightened up a bit as he looked at her, continuing his impromptu speech, "Well, I'll go to any damn shop Aki wants if it means I can keep living like this, especially if it means good grub!"

Reze smiled, pleased that the boy had cheered up a bit, though a keen observer would have noticed that complex emotions were stirring behind her smile. It was a bittersweet feeling for Reze, she felt simultaneously happy that Denji was enjoying his life in Public Safety, yet also somewhat… bitter…

"You know Denji… This has been the best my life has ever been as well, though I… Well, it feels kinda dumb to say but…", Reze's face was twisted in consternation as she spoke. Denji looked at her with a mix of confusion and worry.

"Hey, what's up?", Denji hesitated for a moment before putting his arm over her shoulders, bringing her in a little closer, "This… Is this about Hell again, or…?"

"No, no… it's just…", she let out a long, tired sigh as she relaxed, resting her head on his shoulder as she looked out at the treeline; a frown tugging at the corners of her lips, "I always just wanted to live in peace, maybe somewhere in the country… But now life's better, but I still feel like… I'm not satisfied or something…"

"Ah that's all?", Reze blinked in surprise at Denji's blasé reply, her frown deepening.

"What do you mean that's all?", Reze's eyes narrowed dangerously as she turned her gaze from the scenery to him, a fact that was not lost on Denji, who quickly realised his mistake.

"I didn't mean it like that! I didn't mean it like that!", he held his hands up placatingly, "It's just, when I first started livin' in the city, I thought it was the best thing ever, everything felt great but…"

"I'd always get something, achieve something and it'd feel… empty, like I always just want more", an almost wistful smile came to Denji's face as he continued, "Sometimes I'd wonder whether I'd have been just as content in that old shack with Pochita… But you, Aki, and Power, I'd never have met any of you if Miss Makima hadn't found me that day, so…"

Reze's face softened again as Denji trailed off, looking away from her, embarrassed by how sappy his impromptu speech had come out. As tempted as she was to tease him over this, Reze instead settled for giving him a quick peck on the cheek before snuggling into him, resting her head on his shoulder again.

"I get you Denji, I get you…", Reze hummed as she made herself comfortable, giving Denji a light nudge with her elbow. Denji for his part quickly took the hint and put his arm back over her shoulders, his face lit up like a beacon.

"Let's just stay here a while, 'kay?"

"Yeah, don't need to convince me…", Denji replies, his cheeks still dusted with red after Reze's blatant PDA, "Besides, Aki usually doesn't put on dinner till way later anyways."

And with that the two sat there, neither really saying much at all beyond commenting on passers-by, simply enjoying each other's company as people of all sorts trickled past. There were tired-looking businessmen trudging their way back from work, an elderly couple enjoying the pleasant weather, the odd cyclist and even a few groups of high school students cutting through the park on their way home.

"That's the kind of life I'd wish for…", Reze murmured just loudly enough for Denji to hear, her expression filled with melancholy as she watched the latest group of students pass.

"Well, all we need to do is kill the Gun Devil, then we should be able to!", Denji shot her a winning grin, clearly trying to keep her spirits up. However, this attempt proved less successful than the last.

"Hm, depends how much you trust the generosity of an organisation that conscripts children…", Reze grouses sourly, "Besides, it's not even like I know anything about school outside what I've read, maybe it's just crap at the end of the day?"

"Hey, even if it's crap at least we'll be going together. Definitely won't be boring anyways."

Reze didn't respond to that, instead simply getting herself comfortable and returning to watching passersby, an undiscernible expression on her face. Meanwhile, Denji's face was creased with worry, ever since their run-in with the assassins and their unplanned trip to Hell itself, it seemed as if problems were mounting up.

Aki was missing an arm, Power was an emotional wreck with whatever effect that the Darkness Devil had on demon kind clearly leaving its mark on the blood fiend, and then there was Reze; she was usually very adept at either keeping her emotions under wraps or faking a mask of normality, but it was all too obvious that the visions she had seen in Hell had shaken her even more than she had let on.

And then there was another thing bothering him: Why was he the only one who seemed unaffected by the whole ordeal? Did he just not care? Was he that heartless?

No, it wasn't that. The thought of Reze, Aki or Power dying made him wince at the very thought, he could only assume that he was lucky that the Devil had settled for twisting him into a human pretzel, rather than giving him one of those visions the others had…

After a while, they had both decided that it was about time that they left for home, lest they incur Aki's wrath. As they walked, Denji was still deep in thought, the question of how human he actually was gnawing at him once again. Reze too was lost in her own thoughts, her past and questions about her identity still plaguing her. However, something else was bothering her too, something that she wanted to tell Denji.

"Hey Denji…", they stopped as Denji turned to look at her, Reze looking surprised that the words had left her mouth.

"Yeah, what's up?", Denji looked pleasantly surprised that she'd spoken, glad to have something else to focus on that wasn't his own thoughts, "Something wrong?"

She desperately wanted to tell Denji about the other thing she had seen in Hell, the thing that scared her more than any vision Darkness could have thrown her way.

"It's about Makima…"

She'd seen Makima rise from the dead, she just couldn't wrap her head around how the woman had managed to survive and what contract could do such a thing.

Hyperbolic maybe, but she'd seen that creature's sword pierce right through her chest, her arm getting pulverised, and then only a short while later she was completely fine. She'd revived her on the roof and the only sign of any damage on her was her cut and bloodied clothes.

Denji watched as Reze opened her mouth to speak, only to snap it shut again with a frown. She wanted desperately to tell Denji about all of it, but she dared not speak it aloud, Kishibe's warning to Quanxi flashing through her mind; who knew if Makima could hear whatever she would say to him.

She briefly thought about just writing everything down for him when they got home, before letting out a sigh.

"Ahh… it's nothing, was just thinking about what Miss Makima's contracts were, doesn't really matter…", as she spoke Reze found her own words more convincing than she'd thought, after all, Miss Makima's contracts were kept secret for a reason, it only made sense they'd be ridiculously powerful. And there was no real reason to get herself or Denji into trouble by just blabbing about what she'd seen.

"Oh, that's all? Yeah, they're like, top secret, right? I wouldn't worry about them too much", Denji just shrugged nonchalantly, an easy-going smile on his face as they continued walking towards home, "C'mon, let's get a move on. I'm starving here, and Aki's sure to be makin' something good tonight!"

With that they made their way home, Denji's worries momentarily forgotten as thoughts of dinner pushed all else to the back of his head, at least for the time being. Reze tried to match her boyfriend's enthusiasm but was finding it hard to pull off, with doubts clawing at her. Something was off about Makima, but why would that matter? It was common knowledge that she had powerful secret contracts.

Yet Reze couldn't quite banish those thoughts, nor the sinking feeling in her gut…

"Your hair's actually in pretty good condition for a fiend. You must take pretty good care of it."

It had been only a short time after dinner when Aki had declared that Power was overdue for a bath. Despite the general improvement of her personal hygiene since she'd moved into Aki's flat, the encounter with the Darkness Devil had led to the fiend neglecting herself more and more.

And now Reze, as the only other female in the flat, had ended up being roped into helping Power bathe herself, much to her initial annoyance. Though her ire towards the fiend didn't last long, the poor thing had been shaking like a leaf when Aki had tried to order her to go in by herself. Honestly, if Aki hadn't asked (ordered) her to, she probably would have volunteered.

Out of the generosity of her heart of course, definitely not because Power had been asking for Denji to join her. Definitely not.

"T-thanks, I- GAHHH! COLD! C-COLD!", Power's response was interrupted as Reze unremorsefully began rinsing the shampoo out of her hair as the fiend writhed and squealed as the cold water bore down on her, Reze having to jerk her head back out of the way to avoid having her eye put out by one of Power's horns.

"Settle down and stop squirming! I need to get these knots out of your hair!", Reze snapped as she held her in place, deftly running the brush through the fiend's long locks, untangling any knots whilst Power groaned, though not as a result of the water this time…

"Darkness… he's here… in the corner! B-behind me!"

'Oh great, here we go again…', Reze let out a sigh as she set the hairbrush to the side, it was so odd to see Power in such a pitiful state, 'Guess we should call a wrap on this then. Unless…'

Reze left Power on the small stool she was perched on, quickly wrapping a towel around her chest and padding over to the bath and turning on the tap, even adding in some bath soak while she was at it, before heading back to the distraught fiend. Reze wrapped her arm around the fiend's shaking shoulders.

"There, there Power… It's okay…", Reze cooed soothingly into her ear, hoping to calm her, "Come on, I've run a bath for you, just take your time, relax and soak, okay?"

They sat that way for a time until Reze got up to turn off the bath tap, with Power not saying a word until Reze made to leave, her hand resting on the door handle as Power cried out.

"D-don't! Don't go!"

Reze was stopped in her tracks as Power lunged forward, wrapping her hands around her waist, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"He's here! He's there! D-don't leave!"

Reze stays frozen for a moment before letting out another sigh. She'd been planning to just go and curl up next to Denji, maybe watch some slop on TV to send her off to sleep. Now all those plans seemed to be disappearing down the drain. It's not like she could just leave Power alone in this state.

'Ohhh, I'm gonna kill Aki for this…'

Minutes later and Reze found herself sitting opposite Power in the bath, her internal cursing of Aki fading as she relaxed into the warm, soothing water, the scent of the lilac soak she'd added calming her.

It seemed to be doing a world of good for Power as well as, whilst she still looked nervous, she no longer looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and was even starting to relax down into the water.

And so they sat in a not-uncomfortable silence, the only part of the visible over the suds being their heads and knees.

'Might've overdone it a bit with the bubble bath…', Reze thought with chagrin, Aki would probably give her an earful for wasting it, the miser that he was, though he'd probably forgive her as long as it distracted Power.

The effects so far seemed… mixed…

Power was still looking around nervously, as if every shadowed corner, every nook and cranny could hold a threat. Finally, as Power began murmuring to herself again, Reze had had enough, quickly reaching out and grabbing the fiend's hand, causing her to flinch and try to pull her hand back.

But Reze held on, waiting for her to stop struggling, and she did, looking towards Reze with fear and confusion.

"I'ms-sorr-"

"It's okay Power."

"H-huh…?", Power blinked in surprise as she looked at Reze, only to find not anger or annoyance, but a soft smile.

"No one is going to hurt you here, I promise, okay?", Reze gave her hand a quick squeeze before reclining back into the back, closing her eyes and letting out a contented sigh, "It's safe… So just, rela- GaACK!?"

However, it was soon Reze's turn to feel dismayed as her relaxation was suddenly interrupted as Power practically launched herself towards Reze, latching onto her and even forcing Reze underwater for a moment before she managed to break back to the surface, coughing and spluttering.

"Chertov chert vozmi!", Reze barked out between coughs, "What was that for?! Last time I eve-"

Reze stopped mid-rant, as soft sobs reached her ears. Power was tightly hugging Reze, tears seeping down onto her shoulder. They stayed like that for a moment, the only sound in the room being Power's light sniffles.

After some time passed and Power's tears dried up, Reze was just rubbing a circle on the fiend's back, a fond smile on her face.

'This must be what it's like to have a sister…', Reze didn't know at all what it would be like. Hell, she could even have a sister somewhere out there for all she knew, but this sure made her feel like part of a family.

"You know Power, Hell frightened me as well…", Power's eyes widened as she separated from Reze, looking at the Russian girl with her mouth agape.

"R-really?!"

"Yup", Reze looked at Power, amusement twinkling in her eyes for a moment before her voice took on a dourer tone, "I can't speak for everyone else, but that… thing… It showed me things I'd rather have forgotten and dug them all right back up. I even seen Maki-"

Reze was suddenly cut off as Power's hand shot up and covered her mouth.

"Shhh!", Power brought a finger to her lips, motioning Reze to be quiet, her eyes shifting from side to side. Reze observed that whilst there was fear in her eyes, there was something else as well; a certain nervous, yet excited glint in her eyes that she hadn't seen since before the incident with the assassins.

"Say no more! We are allies, you and I, yes?!", Power said urgently, clearly quite excited at this point. Reze simply nodded, causing Power to take her hand away once again.

"Was that really necessary though?", Reze asked dryly, looking at the re-energised fiend in bemusement, with Power quickly grasping Reze's hand and shaking it rapidly.

"But of course! We need to keep things quiet if we're to kill that vile woman!"

'Oh for fuck sake…', Reze slapped her free hand on her forehead in exasperation as Power continued shaking her other hand, animatedly rattling off increasingly implausible plots to kill off their boss, 'What was the point of all that if she was just gonna blurt out that of all things…'

But she couldn't bring herself to be too annoyed at the fiend, who knew all it'd take to get the fiend out of her funk was to agree to a vaguely defined murder plot?

'Well… at least she's happy, I guess…', Reze leaned back into the bath, humming agreement to all of Power's plans and ideas as she did, 'Bratty little sister indeed… Suppose that means I should indulge her a little more…'

Forty minutes later and Reze was slipping on what could generously be called her pyjamas, but which could more accurately be called one of Denji's work shirts.

She was honestly quite surprised that she'd managed to fall asleep in the bathtub, especially with Power prattling on about her ludicrous plots against Makima's life. Though she supposed it wasn't all that shocking; the fiend may be annoying at times, but it was quite… soothing… to be around her.

'I guess this is what it's like to have family…', Reze smiled at the thought as she walked over to the mirror in her and Denji's shared bedroom, preening her hair a little before catching herself and rolling her eyes: dressed like this, it's not like Denji would be paying any attention to her hair when she was dressed like this if his prior reactions were any indication.

'Now that I think about it, I must've looked a bit like this that time on the beach…', and it was true as well, with her damp hair hanging down to just above her shoulders and dressed only in Denji's shirt and some underwear she was almost the spitting image of how she looked after Denji had revived her (minus the blood stains and tears on the shirt, of course).

She hadn't expected that day to be a turning point in her life, yet that's what it had turned out to be. Sure, she was still under the sway of Makima and, by extension, the Japanese government. However, that was outweighed by what she'd gained: a boyfriend who loved her, a cosy home, a bratty fiend who, despite her antics, seemed to bring a smile to her face more often than not.

Then there was Aki… yeah she knew he wasn't exactly her biggest fan, with her killing most of his friends and all…

She felt a familiar wave of melancholy descends on her, as oft seemed to happen recently. Every time she thought about how lucky she was to have this second chance, she was always reminded by something or someone that her hands were, well. Less than clean…

'Well, better see what the others are up to…'

"Denji… are you mad at me…?"

Denji turned to Power, the fiend had been shooting him odd, mournful looks ever since Aki had left on a walk, and they ill-suited the arrogant devil. And now, as she and Denji waited in the living room, it seemed the fiend had finally worked up the courage to ask her question.

"Whatcha mean Powy?", his face screwed up in confusion, "Why'd I be mad at you?"

Power shuffled in place awkwardly, eyes darting side to side, "Well, it's what Topknot said… you weren't able to go with… Makima… to Eno-Enishi-En…"

"Enoshima…?"

"Yes, that's what I said!", Power snapped before her face reverted to its previous bashful state, "Well, you missed out on going because of me… right…?"

A frown tugged at the edges of Denji's lips. Sure, Power being in the state she was in had made him not want to leave; the idea of running off to the beach whilst she suffered left a bad taste in his mouth. However, there were other reasons why he'd decided not to go.

Obviously, he'd felt that Aki would need some help around the place and it was clear that something was a bit off with Reze ever since Hell, she did her best to hide it from him, but she definitely seemed troubled.

And then there was Makima herself. He'd always be grateful to her for saving him back then, but… why exactly was she so interested in him? Was it just his powers? If that was the case, why go on a date with him?

His relationship with Reze felt like it was a pretty equal relationship all things considered, but during his date with Makima where she'd basically dictated what they'd do, he couldn't even recall learning anything about her that night. But then again, she'd told him he had a heart…

Either way, it just would've felt a bit… odd, to go with Miss Makima…

"Nah Power, wasn't your fault at all really" Denji replied, the question clearly uncomfortable for him, "Guess I just didn't feel like going, a lot goin' on in my head you know?"

"Are you sure?", Power knocked on Denji's head, head tilted curiously, "Usually there's not much going on up there"

"Oh, shut it!", Denji groused, swatting the offending hand away, "Besides what happened to your whole guilty schtick?! Weren't you gonna apologise or something?!"

"Well… I would", just like that Power retreated back into her shell, but then she did something unexpected.

"Denji… Drink my blood…" Power had suddenly leaned in close to him, pulling down one of the shoulder straps of her tank top, her cheeks red as she bashfully looked away.

"Wahh…?!", Denji pulled back, his face flicking from surprised to unimpressed in short order, "Why would I drink your blood?! How- what's that got to do with anything?!"

"WAHHH, DON'T HATE MEEE!"

As Denji backed away Power followed, flinging herself on him and pinning him down on the sofa.

"BITE MY SHOULDER! DRINK IT!"

"THE HELL, GET OFF! I AIN'T DRINKING YOUR BLOOD!", Denji strained as he tried holding the girl off, to the point where she had resorted to biting her hand to draw blood and trying to drip it into Denji's mouth, "STOP! YOU'RE GETTING BLOOD EVERYWHERE!"

Both of them had been so preoccupied that they hadn't noticed the bedroom door click open a couple of minutes earlier, and, if they had noticed they would have seen a deeply unamused Reze watching on as they grappled; blood splattering all over the sofa and floor.

"And just what is going on here?"

Denji jolted in surprise upon hearing Reze's voice, an opportunity Power decided to good use of by forcing her cut hand to Denji's mouth and pinching his nose. Denji flailed as the blood trickled down his throat, with Power only releasing him when she was sure he'd swallowed a good amount.

And it was to this scene that Aki was greeted as he arrived back from his evening run: a befuddled Reze standing with her arms crossed looking on as Denji knelt on the ground coughing, meanwhile, a woozy Power crowed in victory; wobbling on her feet as she looked upon her handiwork.

Aki could only drink in the scene in horror, his eye twitching rapidly upon seeing his sofa painted with uneven splotches of Power's blood, with the fiend herself only now sealing the cut on her hand that had still been dripping blood all over the floor.

"All of you… Bed. Now."

'Just outta the hospital, and they're already dragging me in here. Could never accuse them of having much heart…'

Michiko Tendo was in a positively rotten mood. She had only been discharged from hospital this morning, and a Public Safety car had been waiting to pick her up right outside. She couldn't even say she was surprised, it's not like she joined Public Safety for its great work-life balance…

Now, in isolation that wouldn't have been enough to put her in as bad a mood as this, but when paired with everything else, well let's just say she was nearing the end of her rope…

And so here she was, sitting in one of Public Safety's interrogation rooms, dressed in the uniform her mother had sent to the hospital, a pair of crutches leaning against the side of the table. Her mother had been ready to rush down to Tokyo as soon as she'd heard about the ambush, having only been calmed when Tendo had been lucid enough to talk to her on the phone.

Tendo's gaze drifted towards her crutches, her face twisted into something akin to a sneer. It was lucky that her mother had called when she did, catching her at the wrong time would have been… unfortunate.

Tendo was dragged from her thoughts as she heard heavy footsteps approaching from the other side of the door and, with a rattle and click the door swung open, revealing her interrogator.

"Good to see you're still with us Tendo", Kishibe strolled into the room, appearing pretty unperturbed with the whole situation, "Our numbers are thin enough as is."

"Sir, why am I here? Have I done something wrong?", Tendo's tone was sharp as she glared across at the elder devil hunter. Kishibe for his part just sighed before tipping his hipflask to his lips. They sat in silence as Kishibe screwed the top back on the flask, setting it down on the table in front of him.

"Well, officially you're here for a wellness check. After all, Public Safety puts a lot of importance on the mental health of its employees."

Tendo would have rolled her eyes had the man's sarcasm not been so evident, "And unofficially, sir?"

"Hmmm, well let's just say I've taken an… interest in your mental health as well", Kishibe's face gave away nothing as he continued on, "I know it's hard to lose a partner, I've seen too many of mine die in front of me. Seems to keep on happening, whatever I do..."

Tendo didn't speak, she just kept her eyes fixed on her lap, her hands gripping her knees tightly. When she looked up, Kishibe was holding out his hipflask across the table to her.

"Here, it helps", Kishibe sets it down in the middle of the table, only for Tendo to shake her head, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips.

"I would, but it wouldn't mix well with the painkillers. Thanks though…"

"Don't knock it till you try it kid", he reaches across and takes the flask back, pocketing it, "Always good to have something to keep your mind off things, loosen up the gears in your head a little. Though perhaps you don't need it…"

"What do you mean… sir?", Tendo's eyes narrowed at Kishibe's suggestion that she may not be in the right mind, "If you have something to say, say it."

"Calm yourself Tendo", Kishibe replied sternly, "All I want is for you to fill me in on everything that happened to you. The ambush, and how exactly you managed to survive it."

She eyed him distrustfully before sighing, "Am I free to go after?"

"Of course, once we have the details, you'll be free to go home."

"Well, if you want to know how I survived, it's all here", Tendo pointed at her scar. Instead of running across only half her face, it now stretched all the way across it, dividing her face in two, "Made a contract with the Punishment devil. Basically, I get to live; it gets to punish me."

Kishibe raised an eyebrow, "And how does it do that?"

"Tch… Gave me this scar for a start, almost like it wants me to always be reminded that he died and that I couldn't do shit", Tendo's gaze was filled with hate as she glared at the tabletop, "Second gift it left me was this damned shit leg!"

Tendo angrily points at her left leg, her accent slipping through as she continues on, "Hurts day in, day out. Painkillers don't do jack an' it feels like someone's stabbing me with every step!"

Tendo flinched, realising that her voice had gradually been rising in volume to the point that she had practically been shouting at her superior, "Sorry 'bout that…"

"It's alright, I've given enough of myself to contracts to know that it's not exactly pleasant, besides, that's told me all I need to know."

"Sir?", confusion flashed across her face, she'd been expecting to be chewed out, not, whatever this was…

Kishibe fished around in his coat pocket and pulled out a pair of keys, throwing them on the table in front of Tendo, who just looked between the keys and Kishibe before pointing at them hesitantly, "What are these for…?"

"You've been transferred to Tokyo Special Division 4, effective immediately, a hunter like you is wasted in Kyoto. Those are the keys to your new lodgings here, I'll be needing you at work as soon as you feel able, there's a lot to do", Kishibe stated as if he was telling her the weather, and walked towards the door as he spoke.

"But sir, I-!"

"I left the address there on the table. See you soon Tendo."

And just like that KIshibe left Tendo alone, staring at the keys in front of her. And on her face was something that hadn't been there since Kurose died: a smile. Because on the address slip, there was a message scrawled, clear as day.

'Want information on her? Meet me in my office at 12:30 tomorrow'

That her could be only one person. Tendo had had her suspicions of Makima ever since she exited the doors of the Shinkansen and blatantly lied straight to their faces. 'I wasn't shot' is what she'd said, as if. The woman's seat on the train had several bullet holes, all of which were stained with blood.

On top of that, it had been Makima who had sent herself, Kurose and Subaru on that odd route back to Kyoto, and she was sure that Makima knew exactly what she was doing. But she needed proof first.

As she slipped the keys into her pockets and moved to grab hold of her crutches, a thought crossed her mind: Aki! Surely he'd know something!

'I'll have to hassle him over drinks, oughta loosen his tongue a bit...'

"No fair! I want to sleep in hereeee!"

Power stomped her foot on the ground, whining as she stood at the door of Denji's bedroom, the boy in question standing in the doorway, blocking the fiend's way.

"No way Power, you already snuck in last night!", Denji stood firm, arms crossed as he stood firm even as Power tried squeezing her way around him, "No, you kept us up half the night! Besides, it's Aki's turn!"

"B-but she gets to stay!", Power angrily points towards Reze, who was standing behind Denji, grinning impishly as the fiend pouted.

"Sorry Power, girlfriend privileges!", Reze sticks out her tongue at Power, the fiend shooting her a nasty glare in response, practically snarling as she spun around and stropped off towards Aki's room.

"Aki, open! Open! I command you!"

Denji and Reze didn't stick around to see Power's scolding, instead quickly retreating into Denji's (now their) bedroom, with Denji even going to the lengths of dragging over the chair he used as a makeshift clothes horse over to block the door.

"There, that should keep her out", Denji said, only to freeze as he turned around. There Reze was, lying on her side on the bed, clad only in one of Denji's shirts that covered up, well, just enough.

And Reze knew it too, a devious grin on her face as she patted the space on the bed beside her as Denji felt his face heat up.

"So Denjiiii, since we're all alone now, wanna explore some other 'girlfriend privileges?'"

'Am I dead already? Thought I had a few months left at least…'

Last he knew Aki had been lying in bed, struggling to slip off into sleep as Power twisted and turned on the other side of the bed. And now, suddenly he was somewhere else entirely. The scenery around him was… odd, to say the least.

He was standing in a wide open space, there was nothing except a white void around him, the formless shadows swirling through it being the only colour breaking its uniformity. He quickly found that he couldn't speak, couldn't move and that all he could do was stare into this strange void as if in a dream he couldn't wake from.

'Ah, a dream. That's what this is'

Any concerns that Aki had been feeling quickly evaporated. He must have finally been able to get to sleep, though this was strangely more peaceful than most of his dreams had been recently.

"Aki…"

The silence of this odd dream world was broken by a voice calling out his name, it was warbled and distorted at first, as if it was coming from a bad phone line.

"Aki…?"

It was clearer now, clearly feminine yet sounding as if it was coming from far away.

"Akiiii!"

The voice shouted out from behind him and his eyes widened, not out of shock, no. It was because he knew that voice. Aki quickly spun around, suddenly unfrozen; eyes wide as saucers. And then the white void was gone and he found himself in a familiar place: a small Izakaya he'd visited many times.

And in front of him was the very person who had dragged him there day after day.

"Jeez Aki, close your mouth, you'll catch flies!"

Aki's mouth was agape as he stared at the woman in front of him, someone he thought he'd never see again. A ghost.

"HImeno?! H-how, wha-?"

His old buddy just threw her head back and laughed, tears of laughter in her eye: apparently resurrection didn't account for missing body parts.

"You're dreaming Aki! How else could this be happening?", Himeno's smiled fondly at Aki as she reached a hand across the table, resting it on Aki's own, "I'm dead after all."

"I-", Aki opens his mouth to speak before quickly snapping it shut again, looking off to the side teeth clenched before looking back at the woman, his pained eyes meeting her gaze again. In it, he saw no regret, sadness or anything of the sort, just… warmth.

"I… missed you, Himeno…", Aki's voice was choked up with emotion as he spoke. Himeno smiled softly as she squeezed his hand gently, a sad smile on her face.

"I miss you too Aki. But, I'm also glad…", her smile turned sly as she continued on, "You seem to be doing pretty well with some kids running about the place, it's a good thing you're doing for those kids you know."

"I didn't really do anything, I was just tasked with taking them in by Makima, that's all-"

Himeno just raised her hand, sighing in exasperation as she took a cigarette carton out of her jacket pocket, holding it between her fingers and jabbing it in Aki's direction.

"Stop talking shit Aki", Aki flinched at her harsh tone, though she didn't let up on him at just that, "You don't parent three teens because Makima ordered you to Aki, you do it because you're a big softie at heart."

"I'm not their mother…", Aki muttered irritably, cheeks reddening as Himeno chortled and lit up her cigarette.

"Now what did surprise me was you taking in Denji's little girlfriend. Hmmm…" Himeno hummed while taking a drag from her cigarette, "Glad my sis allowed her to take the family name, so exotic!"

"Himeno I… Everyone has just been dying around me. In Hell I couldn't do a thing but watch as everyone-!", Aki looked near panic as he ranted, only for him to realise himself, letting out a long almost defeated-sounding sigh, "I… don't want to lose anyone else…"

"Oh Aki…", Himeno stood up, flicking away her cigarette as she moved around to Aki's side of the table, shuffling in next to him and hugging him from the side like she used to do when she'd had a few too many. "There's nothing you can do for the dead, but those kids…You have them, and they have you."

Aki just let her hug him, not reacting much beyond a humourless laugh, "And when I die they'll be left to the whims of Public Safety. I don't want to see them locked up like some rabid devil, they've had it bad enough as is."

"Sometimes all you can do for the ones you love Aki, is give them all that you have. All that you are", Himeno raised her hand to Aki's cheek, gently turning his head to face her, "Some things matter more than revenge."

Tears were steadily rolling down Aki's face, the man wiping them away on his sleeve before speaking, "Himeno, I… I got you killed…"

"All that time you wanted to… and I…"

"Aki, what mattered most to me was just being with you. I… I didn't want to see another partner die in front of me, especially you…", tears were shining in her eye now as well, her hand tenderly stroking his cheek, wiping away his tears, "Having someone who cared enough to cry for me… That meant more to me than you'd ever know…"

"Aki, give all you can to those kids, and in the end, you'll have someone who can cry for you too."

Suddenly they were back in that blank void, the shadows writhing around them as they stood in a white bubble of sorts, their hands clasped together.

"Our time's almost up Aki…", a bittersweet smile came to Himeno's face, a harsh chuckle escaping her lips, "Thought we'd have a little more time…"

"Himeno… I never told yo-", Aki was cut off as Himeno closed the distance between them, planting a soft, nearly ethereal kiss on his lips. The feeling only lasted a moment before it was over, Himeno pulling away as the darkness began closing in on them.

"I'll see you again Aki, when this is all over…", the shadows were writhing around Himeno now, only her face and arms were visible now and even now, as she reached her arms out towards him, she had a serene smile on her face, "And then we can-"

Her words were cut off as she was consumed by the darkness, the darkness rapidly closing in on Aki, pain shooting through his head as it rushed towards him.

"HIMENO!"

"HIMENO!", Aki shot up in his bed, drenched in a cold sweat and a splitting pain shooting through his jaw.

'It was just a dream then'

Aki frowned, it had all felt so… real. But why did it feel like he'd been slugged in the jaw?

"Hnngh, gonna… get you Dennjii…"

Aki looked down at the other end of the bed where Power was sleeping, the culprit of his injury being made clear when she lashed out with one of her legs, kicking a pillow off of the bed. Aki just let out a deep sigh, though the smile on his face gave away his true thoughts as he lay back down in his bed.

'At least she's sleeping well now…'

It wasn't long until Aki felt himself drifting off once again. His thoughts returned to that dream once again as sleep closed in. He wasn't sure if it was real or not, more than likely it was just a dream created by pure wishful thinking, but…

'I'll do all I can Himeno… and then… I'll tell you, finally…'

Chapter Text

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

'Ka-thunk, ka-thunk'

Denji’s eyes blearily crept open, a hand rising to rub the sleep from his eyes. He looked around, his vision still blurry. He could have sworn he was somewhere else a moment ago. Memories swirled in his head: a train many years older than this one, the smell of sea salt in the air as he walked across a bridge, a clear view of Fuji across the sea forming the backdrop of the quaint island town, its tight streets framed by torii gates, leading up towards a shrine.

Had he been alone? The faces had seemed blurry…

At that thought the last of this dreamy haze seemed to leave him and the scenery around him came into focus, along with the three amused faces of his fellow travellers peering at him.

“Well, looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake”, Aki drolly remarked, “Look alive, we should be arriving in Aomori soon.”

“Really? Thought this ride was meant to be like four hours?”, Denji asked, it felt as if they had just gotten on…

“It’s been three and a half hours, Denji”

“Pheah Benji- You sh- ACK”, Power’s attempted gloating was swiftly cut short as the fiend quickly learned the folly of trying to speak with her mouth full, a chunk of her pork cutlet bento lodging itself in her throat. Though as Aki moved to help Power, the man patting her back as she choked, Denji found he was quickly distracted from the scene by a hand resting on top of his own.

“For what it’s worth Denji, you were adorable when you slept. Good dreams I take it?”, Denji flustered as he turned to look at his girlfriend, Reze grinning cheekily as she leaned in closer.

“I, uhh, would say good. Not bad either though. Sunnier than it is up here anyway…”, Denji replies, distracting from his embarrassment as he points out the window, “Yikes… I feel cold just looking out there!”

Indeed, out the window of the train, as it zoomed through the countryside of northern Japan, all that could be seen for miles was snow-dusted plains and white-capped hills. It made Denji very glad that he’d followed Aki’s advice and packed some heavier clothes.

“Yeah, almost reminds of back… home”, a frown tugged at the corner of Reze’s lips, as if the word didn’t quite sit right in her mouth, “Not quite as cold here though, despite how it’s looking out there. Back in Russia, the soil would freeze so bad some areas would be totally inhospitable, according to the books anyways…”

“Huh… So, you’d never seen it then. Sounds crazy cold though!”, Denji said, hoping to distract her, noticing the pensive look in Reze’s eyes that appeared at the mention of her homeland, “Hey Aki, just how cold is it up near your hometown anyways? Colder than Russia?”

“Russia’s a big place, depends where you’re talking about. I know it will be below freezing in Eniwa round this time of year though”, Aki, who had succeeded in his mission of preventing Power answered before checking his watch.

“We should be in Aomori soon, make sure you have your coats and everything on before we get off, I don’t want to have any getting sick before we even get there; it’s a long journey.” Aki frowned, the thought of having to wrangle Power for an eight-hour ferry and bus journey causing a shiver to run up his spine.

“So, where are we stayin’ again?”, Denji asked, “Is it near Sapporo? I’ve heard of there before on T.V.”

“Yeah, it’s not too far off. We won’t have time to head around that way though, once we visit the cemetery we’ll be heading straight to the hotel. We need to be up bright and early for the bus back to Hakodate in the morning.”

“Pah, Foolish human sentimentality! If we just skipped going to the cemetery, we cou-“, Power’s ever so compassionate interjection was quickly cut short as, when she had jumped up from her seat, working herself into a fervour, the remains of her meal had clattered onto the floor, completely ruined.

It was all quiet for a moment, the only sound being the train clunking down the tracks. Denji was about to poke fun at the fiend’s run-in with instant karma, only to be interrupted by a new sound: sniffling.

And there Power stood, staring down at the remains of her pork cutlet with her misty eyes quickly pooling with tears and her pitiable sniffling intensifying.

“M-m-m-my p-p-p-ork…”

The three others looked on as Power turned from an arrogant fiend into a horned Kobeni in record time. They stayed frozen like that for what felt like an age, but in reality was only seconds, before Aki let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes as he reached inside the small plastic bag at his feet, pulling out his own untouched meal.

“You can have this as long as you promise to keep your mouth shut till we get on the ferry. Deal?”

“Yes Hayakawa, sir!!”, Power quickly snatched the meal out of Aki’s hands, her morose attitude flipping completely, the fiend practically glowing as she began scarfing down Aki’s curry, humming happily as the others looked on, bemused.

“Ahhh… there it is again Denji”, Reze grins slyly, nudging Denji as she pointedly jeered at Aki, an expression quickly mirrored by Denji.

“Yup, good ol’ mother-hen Aki, always acting all cold, but he’s a big softy under all that… Uhhh… what’d’ya call it Reze?”

“Angst?”, Reze chirped, her innocent tone betrayed by the mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Yeah, that’s it!”, Denji grinned, pointing at an unamused Aki, “Who’d have thought him of all people would become a mother...”

“Almost brings a tear to my eye…”

“Enough of the tag-teaming you brats!”, Aki snaps, eye twitching slightly as he glared at the couple, only to let out another long sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Is there any deal I can make with you two that will at least let me have some peace and quiet until the ferry? Anything at all?”

“A pack of Aomori apples!”

“Deal”, Aki was quick to agree to Reze’s request, and she’d clearly done her research; apples in this prefecture are famed nationwide. He’d expected as much considering that the girl had spent the last couple of days with her nose buried in travel magazines…

“Uhhh… I know, I know! Sushi!”

“No, too expensive. Try again.” Aki swiftly knocked down Denji’s first suggestion, no way was he paying for sushi for four, maybe for one of their birthdays if they were lucky…

“Fiiine… Some curry ramen will do… Sitting in?”

“Take out only. We don’t have that much time”

“…” Denji thought for a moment only for his shoulders to slump, pouting as he spoke “Deal…”

Aki let out a sigh of relief as the negotiations came to an end, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. There was no chance of him getting any real shut-eye, they were almost at Aomori after all, but if he pretended to be asleep they might give him some peace for the last twenty-odd minutes of the journey.

It was a plan that seemed to work, with Power seemingly content chowing down on Aki’s lunch, whilst Reze and Denji tittered and giggled between themselves, alternating between teasing and flirting, well it was all just flirting if he was being honest…

Either way, Aki now had some time to think. He always went up to visit the grave near his home town on the anniversary of the Gun Devil’s attack, and it had always been a very solemn affair, and one which he usually found himself dreading weeks in advance. This time however the date seemed to have snuck up on him, he was lucky he even managed to get all of the bookings, from the bullet train to the ferry, through in time.

He supposed that with everything that had happened recently, he’d just been too busy to really think about it, especially with those three to worry about. He hadn’t originally planned to bring them along, but it didn’t feel right to leave Power alone what with the state she’d been in following Hell, and the other two had practically invited themselves along after hearing he was going on a trip: presumably bored stiff after working their way through most of the box sets in the flat over their extended break from work.

‘Maybe with some luck, the rest of the journey will tire them out…’

As it turned out, it hadn’t just been wishful thinking on Aki’s part that the rest of the journey would prove more peaceful. Throughout the ferry trip and onwards, both Denji and Reze had been more than content to keep to themselves, chatting and sharing their food. On the bus ride the bomb hybrid had even fallen asleep on Denji’s shoulder, much to the boy’s smug amusement, though before long he had also nodded off next to her.

Even Power had been subdued, well, at least by Power’s standards anyway…

The fiend had spent most of their time on the ferry throwing up over the side of the railing, only to make a full recovery on the bus, with Aki having to stop the girl from treating the handles and seats of the bus as her own personal jungle gym.

Aki found himself thankful that he booked one of the good onsen inns to stay at, the place having an inclusive dinner delivered up to their room would likely prove fruitful, with Power throwing up most of her (his) lunch and then proceeding to no doubt work up a hunger with her impromptu gymnastics’ routine on the bus.

He’d quickly allowed them to wander off and stretch their legs after the long journey whilst he went to pay his respects at his family’s grave.

The graves were all lined up in neat, uniform rows, each identical pillar capped with soft white snow, the only distinguishing features being the names and offerings on and around each headstone.

And just like that, here he was again: standing in front of this oh-so-familiar gravestone, the single block of stone that marked the death of both his family and his childhood. And so, he stood staring at the marker for what he realised would be the last time.

“I-“, his voice cracked as he went to speak, he hadn’t felt this affected by this place for a long time, but this time… It was different. Usually, it felt near-oppressive to be here, he’d stand here for what would feel like, and what sometimes was, hours, all without saying a word, but now…

“Hey Mom, Dad… Taiyo…”

To this day Aki still winced as he said his brother’s name, it felt so foreign to his tongue, yet so familiar at the same time, “This will be the last time I visit before I… end up here myself. I don’t have much time left, couple of months at most, yet…”

Aki’s stopped for a moment, his solemn expression softening as the words began flowing from his mouth, “I’ve lost people, friends, more… over the last year, but I feel, for once, that there’s more for me to do than to just have my revenge, I need to make sure those three brats are… alright after I’m… gone.”

“So I think I need to let go”, Aki found that the words came rather easily to him, as if a dam had burst, “I’m giving up on hunting the Gun, the time I have left, I want to make sure they’re… that they can live the lives that we could have lived.”

With that Aki turned away, walking back towards the three teens, a sad smile coming to his face as he saw that they were in the middle of a snowball fight, one which Denji seemed to be losing horribly.

Aki looked over his shoulder to the grave once more, a fond smile on his face because, for the first time in a long while he felt unburdened by his past.

“I’ll see you all soon.”

“And just what are you lot doing?”

Aki had to force himself to take a stern tone as joined the three teens, torn between exasperation and amusement as he interrupted their snowball fight. However, as a snowball launched, courtesy of Power, straight into his face he found that same irritation he’d felt on the bus seeping back in.

“S-sorry Aki…”, Power cowered a bit upon seeing Aki’s annoyance, though Aki could’ve laughed if he wasn’t trying to be the disciplinarian, ‘That girl’s mood really does swing on a dime…’

“So? What have you lot been up to while I was at the grave?”

“Just a snowball fight, it’s not like we’ve broken anything!” Denji protested, a little too quickly for Aki’s taste: something was up here.

“Yuuup!”, Reze chimed in, rocking on her feet as she grinned. Aki’s eyes narrowed, suspicions only incensed by Reze’s knowing grin and Denji’s shifty eyes.

“Blearghh!”

Fortunately, or rather, unfortunately for Aki he didn’t have to wait long to solve this mystery as Power keeled over, emptying the remaining contents of her stomach over the snow-laden path.

“Well, jigs up Denji!” Reze seemed pretty unbothered by the display, looking as if she’d been waiting for this exact thing to happen. Denji meanwhile just seemed pretty amused by the whole spectacle, rolling his eyes as he ribbed her, “Damn that’s pretty weak Power, couldn’t even keep grub like that down?”

“Twas… disgusting…”, the fiend’s face was ashen as she glared up at Denji from her bent-over position, looking as if she was struggling to choose between strangling Denji and barfing again. In the end, she didn’t have time to do either as Aki roughly grabbed her by the shoulder, dragging her down the path towards the cemetery entrance.

“I told you those grave offerings would be off Power…”, Reze smirked down at the fiend before nudging Denji in his side, “And aren’t you glad you didn’t eat any know Denji?”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I’ve eaten much worse than that!” Denji proudly exclaimed in response, patting his stomach as he spoke, “I have a stomach of iron y’know!”

“Hahahaha! That not something to be proud of!” Reze could only laugh at her boyfriend’s antics, looping her arm around Denji’s neck, dragging him down enough for her to peck him on the cheek.

“Hahaha, Hey! Is this really appropriate in a graveyard?!”

Aki, equally annoyed by Power’s desecration of some poor soul’s grave and the sickening flirting of his other two wards, roughly grabbed Power by the shoulder, marching her towards the exit.

“A-aki, please I-I’ll hu-hmhrp-“

“Oh no you don’t! You can throw up again when we get out of here!”, Aki barked as the fiend began dry heaving as he dragged her along, “You’re just lucky you didn’t hurl over someone’s grave you damn glutton, now c’mon!”

“You two hurry up! The sooner we get to the inn, the sooner we can get some food Power can actually keep in her stomach!”

And that’s how the Hayakawa family left the cemetery: Denji and Reze rosy-faced and laughing as they followed Aki and a struggling Power out of the cemetery. And, for the first time in years as Aki left this cemetery, this mass grave, he didn’t feel sadness or grief. In past years he often left angry and bitter, at the Gun Devil, at the world, but right now he was just angry at the three teens he’d been saddled with.

They constantly irritated him, threw food, hogged the T.V., sometimes he’d even have to leave the flat just to get away from Denji and Reze’s couple time…

But, as he went through the gates of the exit, he found that he felt lighter than usual. Between Power’s misbehaviour and Denji and Reze’s frustrating mix of teasing and irreverence he found that his thoughts didn’t linger on that solemn concrete shrine to his past and that, for the first time, he’d left the cemetery with a smile on his face.

“Gahhh…. Damn, this is a hell of a place! How’d you afford all this Aki?!”

Denji leaned back on the ground as he let out a satisfied sigh, having just finished his share of the large spread of food that had been waiting for them in their room. Although Power had taken exception to a lot of the vegetable-based dishes, all four of them had had more than their fill, evidenced by Reze lying down next to him a moment later.

“Urghh… Definitely ate too much…” the girl in question let out a groan as shimmied closer to Denji, burying her face in his chest as she let out another long groan, “Oh God… Never let me eat that much again…”

“Public Safety is pretty generous with holidays, believe it or not”, Aki responded, hiding a smirk behind his hand, enjoying the karmic justice of seeing the girl suffering from her own gluttony, “Miss Makima even said they’d cover accommodation this time, so I figured I’d go all out.”

“Well, Powy seemed to enjoy it anyway. Well… mostly”

The fiend in question was currently engrossed in the T.V, God knows why she was so obsessed with some random cooking show, but they were more than happy to leave her be. It was an improvement from her tossing around green beans at any rate.

“So, anything else to do around here Aki? It’s still kinda early…”, Denji asked as he sat back up, a displeased Reze grumbling as he moved, sitting up next to him with a dirty look and a pout.

“Eniwa’s a pretty dull place, not much to do unless you go up to Sapporo, and there’s no time for that”, Aki’s replies, only to continue as he see the couple deflate in disappointment.

‘Huh. They’re clearly not that full if they want to head out already…’

Aki almost laughed upon seeing their palpable disappointment, “If you two want to do something, then I guess we can all head down to the hotel’s hot spring once Power’s show is over, okay?”

“You’re only mentioning this now?!” Now he had their attention, both of them quickly recovering from their lethargic state, bolting upright in excitement, Reze seemed especially excited about this development, her prior lethargy all but forgotten as she looked over at Power.

“You sure we can’t just leave her here; she seems pretty engrossed in that show…”

Aki just shook his head, “No way, Public Safety may be paying, but you can be sure that I’ll be held accountable if she damages anything while we’re gone.”

“Tch… Fine…”, Reze was back to pouting now, torn between excitement that she’d get to relax in one of Japan’s famous onsen for the first, and dread that she’d likely have to babysit Power the whole time, the gears in her head already turning, attempting to think of a way to both have her cake and eat it.

“Any complaints from you Denji?”, Aki turned his attention to the blonde boy, eyebrow raised questioningly.

“Except from having to listen to you the whole time we’re down there? Nah, not really”, Denji snarked in response as Aki just rolled his eyes and began tidying up their dinner table, being sure not to miss the loose vegetables Power hand slung all over it.

“Just make sure to have your towels and robes ready. And all of you be on your best behaviour, okay?”

As it turns out, the novelty of the hot spring wore off quite quickly, or at least for Denji anyway. For the first twenty-odd minutes it had been nice, just relaxing in the water and soaking in the quaint atmosphere, but after that initial honeymoon period, he realised something…

‘Goood, Aki is sooo boorring…’

Denji had tried starting a conversation with Aki a few times now, but Aki hadn’t given any answer except some hums of acknowledgement and the odd ‘shut up’ just for some variety. The last time Denji had looked over Aki’s way, the man had been half asleep.

‘Great, now what…?’, Denji sighs as he sinks into the water up to his chin, letting out a small sigh as he sunk down further, blowing bubbles in the water in a vain attempt to amuse himself, ‘Guess I’ll just have wait patiently till he wants to go… Yeah, I’m patient as hell!’

And so, Denji sat there trying to keep himself busy, fiddling with the starter cord hanging from his chest, ’Shame I can’t talk to you right now buddy…’

And so it was that Denji was stuck watching idly as the water trickled down into the spring, that and Aki’s shallow breathing being the only noise in the deserted pool. It wasn’t long until Denji’s ‘vast’ reserves of patience ran out.

“Hey Aki, gonna take a dump!”

Denji was striding towards the exit and wrapping his towel around his waist before Aki even had a chance to hum his consent. Only a few minutes later and Denji had dried himself off, thrown on a robe and begun his trek back up to their room.

‘Hopefully there’s something decent on T.V, though anything’s better than just sittin’ there…’

It was surprisingly quiet in the inn, Denji thought it was odd. He’d assumed that it’d be busier in Eniwa around this time of year, all the magazines Reze had been reading had said winter sports like skiing and snowboarding were massive up here, but he supposed they must all just stay in Sapporo.

‘Definitely more to do there than here, that’s for sure…’, Denji groused internally, shoving his hands in his robe pockets as he walked, ‘Wonder how Reze is getting on with Powy, hopefully she’s hav-‘

Denji was dragged from his thoughts quite literally as a hand grabbed his arm from a dark hallway as he walked past, pulling him roughly to the side and nearly bringing him crashing to the ground.

“The he-!”

“Shhhhhh!”

Denji quickly found himself pinned against the hallway wall, a hand clamped over his mouth and a familiar set of green eyes peering up at him slyly, the twin emeralds glinting with the light of the setting sun, “So, ditched Aki already hmmm? I’m sure he’ll be absolutely heartbroken…”

The smirking girl removed her hand from Denji’s mouth as she took a step back, allowing Denji to get a good look at her, the last of the daylight shining in through the window bathing her in a warm orange glow. Much like himself, she looked like she was fresh out of the bath: wrapped only in her robe, her raven hair still damp and hanging down to her shoulders, doing little to hide the uncovered grenade pin on her neck.

“What’s up? Starstruck Deeenji?”, Reze teased, before quickly realising just where Denji’s gaze had landed, her hand rising almost self-consciously to her pin shifting side-to-side uncomfortably, “Oh this? Well… I just figured that since it was quiet and... You’ll think it’s stupid…”

“Doubt anything you say could be stupid honestly”, Denji responded as straightforwardly as always, “So what’s up? Why’re you out already, bored too?

“Well, I wouldn’t say bored, it was nice relaxing in there, when I could get some peace anyway…”, Reze griped, her annoyance palpable, “It’s easy for Aki to say Power had to come with us when he’s not having to fight to keep her under control. Feels like revenge on his part…”

“Eh, probably is. He can be petty like that. Doesn’t explain what you’re doin’ out here though.”

“Ah, yeah… Well…” Reze looked conflicted for a moment, looking away as her finger toyed with her pin, clearly procrastinating on what she was about to say. However, it wasn’t long before she looked back at Denji, certainty in her eyes as grabbed his hand, gently tugging him down the hallway.

“Just follow me, I know somewhere we can… talk…”

And so Denji let his girlfriend guide him down the hall, the patter of their bare feet on the wooden floor being the only sound as they hurried through the quiet halls and back towards the bathing area.

“Hey Reze, why’re we heading back that way?”, Denji half-whispered as they moved, with Reze only looking back with a playful wink and a grin.

“Well, you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you? I won’t be giving you any spoilers…” Reze stuck out her tongue as she began to slow her pace, with both of them coming to a stop before a locked door, Reze, without missing a beat, pulled a key out from her bathrobe unlocking the door, turning to Denji as the door swung open, “Don’t worry, you won’t be waiting long now…”

“Taaadaaa!”, Reze spread her arms open wide as they entered the room, Denji gawping in amazement at what he saw, “Welcome to our very own private onsen, for one night only!”

The room was small enough, with only a small living room space with a small T.V, a table and a couple of chairs. But the thing that really drew Denji’s attention was what was beyond this room: a pair of sliding glass doors leading to a traditional-looking yet luxurious pool, steam rising languidly from its surface.

 “Holy crap!”, Denji ran to the doors, quickly sliding them open and looking at the onsen in awe, “How’d you even get this room Reze?!”

“Oh, a bit of this and bit of that really…” She smiled coyly as she walked past her boyfriend and towards the water, “Now, shall we?”

Denji’s mouth dropped open as Reze, her back to him, dropped her robe to the ground, revealing her naked back to him in all its glory, before slowly, deliberately walking into the pool.

“So, you coming or what?”, Reze asked with faux innocence, eyes shining mischievously as she turned in the water to face him, her body obscured by the water and steam.

“Y-yeah!”, Denji quickly dropped his robe and rushed into the water, nearly falling in in his haste. And so both of them sat opposite each other, Denji fidgeting nervously and Reze trying to hide her grin.

“S-so, what’d you do with Powy anyway?”

“Oh, I just left her there, she seemed pretty tired, I’ll let her revert to being Aki’s problem. Besides…”, Reze swiftly moved through the water until she was right next to Denji, sidling up next to him, pressing her body flush to his.

Denji was speechless, his face red as a beet and his mouth flapping haplessly as Reze continued speaking in a sultry purr. “We aren’t here to talk about Power, we’re here to talk about us. Or rather…”, and quick as a flash she moved again, twisting around and straddling Denji, pinning him to the edge of the bath, her full weight resting on his bare lap.

“I can think of some… other things, we can do instead…”

Denji was like a deer in the headlights as he stared at the girl on top of him, eyes trailing up and down her lithe body, from her toned stomach to her breasts. By the time Denji’s eyes had reached hers, Reze had already closed the distance between them, capturing his lips in a deep kiss. The young couple’s tongues duelled as their hands wandered, exploring each other’s bodies ravenously.

Denji found that he was committing each feeling, each detail, to his memory: from the small things like the warmth of her hands and the length of her fingers, all the way to the softness of her breasts under his hands.

This continued until they were forced to pull apart for air, both panting heavily as they looked into each other’s eyes, their flushed faces filled with longing.

“D-denji, I love you…” Reze whispered breathlessly, the words dripping with sincerity as she ran her hand gently down the side of Denji’s face her eyes communicating only pure, unadulterated adoration.

Denji was similarly enraptured, gazing up at his girlfriend in amazement. It hadn’t been long ago that he’d been on the streets, alone with no one but Pochita to care for him, the idea of having a girl who loved him in his arms being little more than a dream he’d hold close on a cold night. Even after his date with Miss Makima, he’d been left wondering if anyone could actually love him. And now he had his answer.

“Denji, you okay? You’re crying…”

“Ah crap.. sorry, I do-“ Denji quickly reached up to wipe his eyes, only for Reze to beat him to it, tenderly wiping away a few tears with her thumb.

“You don’t need to apologise, I get it. I get it…”

Suddenly Denji grabbed Reze, pulling her in close and into a tight embrace, leaving no space at all between them.

“I love you too… Reze.”

Nothing else needed to be said as Reze just melted into his embrace, both of them just staying still, simply enjoying being in each other’s arms. That was until Denji felt something soft and wet pressing against his neck, and then again.

Reze was trailing kisses down Denji’s neck, before separating from him again, her eyes boring into his as she looked at him, her gaze as soft, yet nearly… hungry.

“Denji… I said I’d teach you everything, I don’t know much about this myself but… What do you think of, y'know... doing it? Learning… Together…?”

Denji didn’t need much convincing as he reeled her back, almost reverent as he replied.

“Yeah… Together.”

“And just where did you two disappear to?”

To say Aki was pissed when Denji and Reze eventually made their way back to the hotel room would be an understatement, with even Reze looking sheepish as the pair withered under his gaze.

“Uhh, we were just in a- ah!”, Denji’s response was quickly cut off as Reze elbowed him in the side, an almost eerily fake smile on her face.

“We were just walking around exploring and lost track of time. That’s all.”

The pair had shuffled into the room near midnight, having spent much longer ‘exploring’ than they had thought, only to find that Aki was waiting there for them; and that he was not one bit happy about neither their disappearance nor them leaving him to deal with Power.

“So you were just exploring… Until midnight…”, Aki’s eyes narrowed as the two teens stood at the door uncomfortably, Denji scratching the back of his head nervously whilst Reze stood stock-still, her only tells being the nearly imperceptible shifting of her eyes, as if she was looking for an escape as well as the dusting of red on her cheeks.

‘Wait…’, Aki suddenly came to a realisation, the way the two were acting all nervous, Denji looking away with a blush even more intense than Reze’s, not arriving back till this late and they even seemed to be in a pretty good mood despite being in trouble…

‘Oh for fuck sake…’ Aki groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh as he got up and walked over to take a seat at the table by the window, ‘I’m not dealing with this crap right now.’

“You know what, I don’t even want to know. Just be glad that Power didn’t break anything and get to bed, we have another early start tomorrow.”

Both Denji and Reze let out a small sigh of relief, grinning at each other briefly before they began making their way to the bedroom making sure to be as quiet as possible, to not wake up the fiend, who was currently fast asleep, splayed out across two futons and snoring loudly enough to be heard from the other room.

As they made their way to the bedroom, Denji took one last look back into the living room. He wasn’t exactly sure why, maybe he was just nervous that Aki was still mad at them and was plotting a fitting punishment, or if he was honest he was just concerned with the older man, who was just sitting at the table, eyes trained on the harsh landscape beyond the window.

“Hey, Reze. I’ll be in in a minute, ‘kay?”, Denji whispered to her as he, the girl only smiled and nodded as he walked back towards Aki, a knowing smile on her face as she went into the bedroom to prep herself for bed.

Aki seems to pay little attention as Denji makes his way over, eyes fixed on the window even as the boy sits down on the chair opposite him, joining Aki in staring out at the landscape. It was all silent for a while, the only sounds being the howling of the wind outside and the soft snores of Power from the other room, though it wasn’t long before Denji broke this relative silence.

“Don’t know how you're getting lost in this view. Can’t see shit out there…”

Aki didn’t give any real sign that he’d heard Denji, just taking a sip of the can of beer he’d been nursing for the last half hour.

“Every year when I went to visit their grave, I’d remember only the bad things”, Aki didn’t look directly at Denji even as he spoke, his voice pretty relaxed and thoughtful despite the rather grim topic, “It was depressing.”

 “But this time all of you were such pests, I didn’t even have time to get lost in all of that.”

Denji was shocked as he looked at the older man, who himself had never looked away from the endless snowscape outside.

“Oh. Uhhh… you’re welcome…”, Denji said, unsure at what to think about Aki’s revelation before turning back to look out the window again himself.

“Hey… Aki, is it okay if I ask you something, uhhh… personal…?”

They had been sitting for a few minutes when Denji spoke again, the question quickly getting Aki’s attention as he turned away from the window finally, raising an eyebrow at Denji’s unusual nervousness.

“Depends what about. Shoot.”

“Well, I just wanted to ask… And don’t get mad but… What did you think of Himeno?”

Aki visibly winced at the mention of his old partner, not responding for a moment, simply nudging his near-empty beer can across the table, his brow furrowed as he thought hard about the question.

“I… I’m not really sure…”, It felt as if a fog had descended on his mind, why was he not able to answer? Why did it all seem so… fuzzy?

“Well, she seemed pretty sure ‘bout how she felt about you”, Denji said, his apprehension giving way as he continued speaking with growing confidence, “Wanted my help to get with you and everything…”

Aki flinched as the words left Denji’s mouth, feeling the fog lift from his brain as he absorbed what Denji said.  He opened his mouth to respond only to slowly close it again, exhaling through his nose as he leaned back in his seat.

“Hey Aki, it’s okay, you don’t need to answer or anything, just don’t g-“

“Don’t… It’s fine”, Aki sighed as he looked at Denji, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, “I’m not mad or anything, just… surprised. It’s not like you to ask about something like that.”

“Hey! I care plenty ‘bout all that stuff!”, Denji protested, the boy’s vehement half-whispered complaint making Aki chuckle.

“Sure, sure”, Aki waves off Denji’s complaints airily before looking out the window once again, a wistful look on his face. “To answer your question, I’m not really sure… I was that focused on killing the Gun that I neglected other more important things, more important people”

“Did you know, she asked me so many times to leave Public Safety, to go private with her… and every time I refused. Only after she died did I think: ‘Why didn’t I leave?’, it’s not like I have much chance of killing the Gun Devil myself anyway.”

Denji was surprised by this admission from Aki, just months ago it would’ve been unthinkable to hear Aki say such a thing, indeed if anyone had suggested such a thing to the man himself, he’d likely treat the mere notion with nothing but scorn. Now though he seemed oddly at peace with the notion.

“Whatever happens Denji, just make the most of what you and Reze have and remember what’s really important. If you don’t, you’ll just end up regretting it.”

“Yeah, I will… Thanks Aki…”

The two men sat in silence after that for some time, just watching as the snowstorm began to calm, Aki having little else to say and Denji being deep in thought, mulling over what the older man had said.

It wasn’t long before Denji had made his way to bed, Reze and Power both being asleep by the time he settled down into his futon. As he nodded off he found himself thinking about the trip: the travel had been exhausting, with the endless hours travelling by rail, boat and bus taking its toll, Power’s antics and the weather chilling him to the bone. Despite all this though he only had one thought as he drifted off to sleep.

‘It was cold… but I still had fun…’

He’d asked Kishibe to remove his name from the expedition.

Aki almost couldn’t believe that he’d made that choice, a year ago he’d never have abandoned his vendetta against the Gun Devil, but when he was making his request to Kishibe, he found the words had come to him rather easily.

The reason was a rather simple one after all: he’d gotten cold feet, as simple as that. After watching Denji, Power and even Reze nearly die in Hell, he’d been unable to do a single thing to protect them. How the hell could he live with himself if they got hurt or worse all because of his crusade against the Gun?

And here he was, sitting in the lobby at Public Safety headquarters; Meowy in his carrier at his side and a pile of missed paperwork in his lap. He was getting some strange looks as walked past him, likely because the cat at his side hadn’t stopped meowing ever since he’d gotten it back from Kishibe.

“We’ll get you back to Power soon, so quiet down”, Aki rolled his eyes as he spoke to the cat, reaching through the grate of the carrier and scratching it under the chin, a small smile on his face as the cat nuzzled into his hand, purring loudly, “Power really has you spoilt rotten, huh?”

“Long time no see, Aki! Didn’t take you as the type to talk to animals.”

Aki looked up, recognising the familiar voice, the Kyoto accent instantly clueing him in even before he saw the woman approaching him. Tendo was walking across the lobby towards him, waving with one hand and grasping a crutch with the other as she limped over to him

“Oh, Tendo! It’s good to see you up and about again”, Aki moved to get up to greet her, only for the woman to smile wryly and shake her head.

“No need to stand up Aki, I’ll join you, need a rest anyways”, Tendo haltingly closed the distance between them, only to stumble and half fall onto the seat next to Aki, hissing in pain as her crutch clattered to the ground.

“Gah! Damn it!”, Tendo grumbled as she leaned forward from the seat, picking her crutch up and leaning it against the wall next to her. Now that he had a good look at her face, Aki noticed that the scar that had once run across only half her face now went all the way across, marring it with a harsh horizontal streak.

“You okay Tendo?”, Aki asks, his voice laced with concern as he looked at the woman worriedly. Tendo however just waved off his concern, letting out a tired sigh.

“’Bout as well as can be expected”, Tendo winced as she settled into the seat, “Was bleeding out and Punishment saved me and in return gave me a bum leg, chronic pain and a prettier face”, her voice dripped with sarcasm as she pointed at her extended scar.

“Honestly, the only thing that pisses me off is the pain, fucking devil made sure that painkillers do next to nothing for me, only ones that work practically make me delirious. The leg may make me feel like a damn invalid, but at least I can forget about that sometimes, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know how you feel. Missing an arm is a pain, but I think I’m lucky all things considered”, Aki commiserated with the woman, his face softening further as he put his hand lightly on her shoulder, “I’m sorry about Kurose, I know you two were very close…”

“Thanks Aki…”, for a split second the woman’s unbothered façade crumbled, the pain in her eyes clear and vivid for the first time, only to disappear again just as quickly, a tired smile replacing it.

“I’m glad for one thing at least, the scar… it’s kind of like a reminder, like I’m carrying a bit of him with me.”

“Were you two…?”, Aki asked tentatively, only for Tendo to laugh mirthlessly.

“Nah, we weren’t anything like that, just friends. Grew up together, went to school together, joined Public Safety together”, Tendo's lips twisted into a bitter smile as she barked out a laugh, “Practically did everything together. My mother was desperate for us to get together back when we were younger, but even the idea made both of our skins crawl!”

“Take it you heard that we killed the assassin impersonating Kurose. Higher-ups say that his two brothers were also KIA”, Aki said, hoping to offer her some solace by reminding her that the perpetrators of her buddy’s death were already dead and buried. However, this didn’t seem to be new news to Tendo, who simply frowned clearly unsatisfied.

“I heard, but they were just hunting dogs, I’m after the brains behind the operation.”

“You have any leads on who it could have been? I assumed it was just the Americans given that’s where they were from.”

“Hmm…”, Tendo hummed as if deep in thought before turning to Aki with a conspiratorial grin, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Well, I’ll have to be going now Aki, Kishibe’s working me like a dog”, Tendo said, grabbing her crutch and shakily rising to her feet, cussing as she stumbled again, having put too much weight on her bad leg.

“Tell you what Aki, how ‘bout we meet up for some drinks on Saturday and we continue this little chat, hmmm?”, she looked over her shoulder at Aki with a grin.

“You can count on it”, Aki replied, his curiosity gnawing at him as Tendo turned her back to him again, waving as she hobbled away.

“Good! It’s a date!”

Aki really should have seen this outcome coming when he’d trusted the three stooges to make dinner.

Aki knew something was up after he heard his three wards scheming through the door before he’d even entered, suddenly regretting his decision to forgo grabbing some food from the convenience store by the train station as he turned the key and pushed open the front door.

When he entered the flat was suddenly silent, with Aki walking into the living room to find Denji, Power and Reze standing around the kitchen counter. With Power’s eyes moving side-to-side shiftily, sweat beading on her brow. Meanwhile, Denji and Reze were leaning on the other end of the counter, each with a mug of coffee and looking as innocent as can be.

Too innocent.

“Alright, what are you three hiding?”, Aki said sternly as he set Meowy’s carrier down beside the table.

“What do you mean? Me and Denji were just testing how much he’s improved his brewing. He’s almost good enough to be a part-timer at my old place.”, Reze easily replied, Denji quickly nodding along, with Aki just raising an eyebrow sceptically.

“I told you to make dinner, not coffee. So where is it?”

“Oh, that? Power ate it ages ago. You really should’ve seen that one coming honestly”, Reze said nonchalantly, Power’s head turning to Reze so fast he was pretty sure a normal human’s neck would’ve broken.

“Y-you, TRAITOR!”, Power yelled at the other girl, marching up to her and squaring up to her, “We were meant to cover for each other! Hath you no honour?!”

“Shoulda thought of that before you tried blaming me for blocking the toilet last week Powy”, Denji chirped in with a smirk, one that was reflected on Reze’s face.

“Sorry Power, but we weren’t just going to wait for you to blame it all on us.”

“H-h-how did you know that?!”, Power stuttered, stepping back from the Reze in shock, the Russian’s smirk turning into a full-on grin.

“Oh, I didn’t. But I feel preeetty damn vindicated now.”

“Right, enough you lot!”, Aki snapped, walking past them opening the fridge and grabbing a beer from the back, Himeno’s favourite brand, and marching his way over to the sofa and flopping down into it with a contented sigh, cracking open the can and taking a long, deep swig.

“Just make sure whatever mess you lot are hiding is tidied before you go to bed.”

As the teens skulked their way to their bedrooms, Power and the others bickering as they went, Aki found himself flicking through the channels of the T.V. until he finally settled on one of his favourite cooking shows.

Watching these sorts of shows was a habit he’d gotten into after Denji and Power had first moved in, and a useful one at that. It was hard to keep meals feeling fresh when cooking for three, and they gave him plenty of ideas. However, despite having to put so much more effort into cooking, it was a nice change to be making home-cooked meals.

There hadn’t been much point in putting that much effort into it when he’d lived alone, the only person he’d cooked for during his time at Public Safety had been Himeno, and half the time she’d just as likely to drag him out somewhere to eat than to sit in and wait for him to cook something up.

Aki smiled as a thought came to mind. Power may be a lost cause in the kitchen, but the other two. Surely he could teach them something? It’d go a long way to preventing another ruined dinner like that night’s.

Aki took another swig of beer as a plan formulated in his mind: those two would be getting lessons whether they wanted to or not. Any pleasure he’d get in playing the harsh taskmaster well you could call that an added bonus.

Chapter Text

As it turns out, the first Christmas in the Hayakawa household had raised a number of problems for the four misfits who had been haphazardly put together into what could generously be called a family.

One conundrum was proving the most troublesome: What the hell do they get each other for Christmas?!

This was the precise question Denji was wrestling with as he made his way through the thronging crowds, the street bustling with people making their way home. Indeed, he would have been on his way back home himself if he hadn't remembered that he still had to buy Christmas presents, and it being a week out from Christmas Eve, he had little time to put it off.

So here he was: working his way through the crowd, going from window display to window display to no avail. Beam followed closely behind, hidden under the ground, the only sign of the fiend being his fin weaving through the trampling feet of the crowd, cutting through the dirty slush.

"Ughhh… Still nothing…", Denji groaned, resting his head on the store window, he'd long lost count of how many shops he had visited, and still he had no luck finding what he was looking for.

He hadn't had much trouble with buying most of the gifts, Power had been simple enough since she was always wanting some new cosplay outfit or accessory of some sort, whilst Denji had settled on buying Aki a new cookbook, given the man's love of any and all cooking shows.

No, the gift he was having most trouble with was the most important: his girlfriend's.

"Don't s'pose you'd have any ideas Beam?", Denji's desperation was beginning to show as he resorted to asking for Beam's input, the boy staring blankly at the window display. He'd already rejected any accessories or clothes out of hand, he had little clue about fashion and it wasn't like their work in Public Safety gave them much opportunity to dress in their casualwear.

"Lord Chainsaw! Why get Bomb a gift? She's scary…", Beam responded, poking his head up out of the pavement by Denji's feet, confusion clear on even his fiendish face.

"You can't just not get a gift for your girlfriend! That'd be- aagrh whatever!", Denji snapped, storming away from the window having realised the futility of explaining this to the fiend, "You wouldn't get it!"

"Humans are weird…", Beam muttered with a shudder as his head dipped back below the pavement, settling for following Denji from a distance as the boy got more and more frustrated.

It wasn't long before Denji's feet led him into a department store. The place was quite quiet, with only a few people milling about, Denji guessed it must be closing soon so he picked up his pace, resolving to go from shop to shop for as long as he could until he found something.

'There's gotta be something here!' Denji thought. He must have gone to half of the shops in the place at this point and still he'd seen nothing that would make a good gift for Reze. At this point he was almost ready to just go home and try again another day, that was until a small, unassuming shop caught his eye: a boutique-y little stationery store nestled between a chemist's and a chain café.

"That's it!", Denji could have jumped for joy upon seeing this shop: the answer to his conundrum right in front of his eyes!

After a short look around the traditional-looking shop, and baulking at the price he'd be expected to pay for the high-quality stationery, he'd finally got his hands on a gift he knew Reze would love, leaving the store with a paper carrier bag in hand and a spring in his step.

"Hey Beam! We're goin' back to HQ, get over here!", Denji called as he stepped through the automatic doors and out into the bitter cold night. Denji didn't check that the fiend was following along, trusting that the loyal shark-man had been hanging around nearby.

He was in such a good mood in fact, that he didn't even hesitate as he walked by a charity stand manned by a couple of old ladies, throwing his remaining change into their donation box without even waiting for one of the pins they were giving out.

And, as he walked through the cold night, wisps of snow beginning to fall around him, he was in no doubt that he had a heart.

Back at Public Safety Headquarters, Reze was in a very similar situation to her boyfriend.

She and Denji would usually partner up for their patrols, but since they restarted work in the aftermath of the assassin's incident they had just as often been paired with the remaining fiends, with Denji and her being paired with Beam and Power respectively.

Thankfully Aki had taken the blood fiend back home with him after he'd gotten back from doing his rounds with Angel, Reze didn't think she could've stuck waiting around Power for much longer, the fiend just had too much energy for her own good.

For her part, Reze had decided to just wait in the lobby until Denji got back from patrol, after all, he and Beam usually weren't too much later getting in than she was. The upside of this was that she got some time to unwind after a stressful six hours of babysitting Power, the downside though was that there was another thing stressing her out: Christmas.

Well, more specifically the issue of Christmas presents. For the most part, it had been quite easy, she'd just gotten Power some of her favourite snacks, and Denji some issues of that manga Shark Kick he'd recently taken a liking to, among some other more… personal gifts.

The one that was giving her the most trouble was Aki. Sure their relationship had improved drastically since she'd first moved in, but whilst she wouldn't assume he had forgiven her, he at least seemed to have let go of much of his ire towards her. But that didn't mean she'd forgiven herself…

She still felt nervous at times around the older devil hunter, in the back of her head she could envisage the man simply scorning whatever gift she'd get him, hell she would exactly be thrilled about getting a gift from her friend's murderer either. But she still felt she had to at least get him something to show her appreciation for him taking her in, even if it was under duress.

That was only the start of the problems with buying the man a gift. Power had let slip that he only had a short time left to live, a fact that put extra limitations on what she could get him, after all, it's not like she could in good conscience give a dying man a voucher he may never get to use.

"Goood why is this shit so difficult…?", Reze groaned as she leaned back into her seat, exasperated. She wasn't used to having to think about stuff like this, with every Christmas before this having just been another day for her, the only difference being slightly nicer food delivered to her cell at dinner, likely the result of the chef's guilty conscience.

Back then all she'd known about Christmas had been gleaned from the idle chattering of guards talking about spending time with their families over the holidays, something that had made her feel no small amount of bitterness at the time.

'Screw it, he's getting a book', Reze thought, the old memories souring her mood. She'd initially rejected that idea out of hand, but as the days ticked down and Christmas got closer the idea had been becoming more and more tempting. She'd just need to make sure it was a sufficiently angsty novel if his other books are anything to go by.

A frown tugs at the corner of her mouth. She hoped that he'd have the time to read it, not just for his sake, but for Denji and Power's too…

Power was bored.

It was a few days before Christmas, and the fiend had no idea what to do with herself. That vile woman Makima had deemed to give them some extra time off, no doubt she was planning something heinous…

She'd just come back to her room after having dinner five minutes ago, and she was bored stiff already: however, it was better to be bored than to be stuck out there with… them again. Dinner had been nearly unbearable for the devil, stupid topknot hadn't let her leave the table until she'd eaten all of her veggies, and just to make being trapped there all the more insufferable Denji and Reze had been at the table flirting the entire time. She was pretty sure they were even playing footsie! Right in front of her!

"Yuck…", Power stuck her tongue out at the memory of the two giggling over dinner, quickly scooping up Meowy from the floor and flopping back onto her bed, the poor cat clutched tightly to her chest.

"Tch… You'd never force me to eat something so disgusting, nor to watch something so sickening!" Power groused, kicking her legs in annoyance. She liked the newer girl well enough, she had been kind to her after the events of Hell, with their encounter with the primal devil was still enough to send a shiver down her spine.

But the bomb girl's closeness to Denji still rankled the fiend for reasons she didn't fully understand, all she knew was that she felt an uncomfortable twisting in her gut when she saw the two together.

Power frowned, her grip on Meowy loosening enough for the plump feline to jump free of her embrace, quickly stalking its way to its bed in the corner, Power pouting as she watched it go, "Thou'rt a traitor too then…"

However, never one to mope for too long, Power's mind quickly turned to another thought: Christmas. Her face brightened as thoughts of food and presents filled her mind, though she was still concerned about that anomaly the humans called Santa Claus. Delivering presents across the world in one night? Flying reindeer? A horde of little creatures helping him?

She had to see this with her own two eyes, this man who had the power to rival even a powerful devil such as herself!

It was then that a plan hatched in her head: she'd wait up on the night of Christmas Eve and ambush this 'Santa'. Yes! It was a perfect plan!

She'd simultaneously be able to find out if the fat old man was as powerful as the stories say as well to plunder the old fool's bag of presents. She might even earn a second Nobel prize if she could capture the slippery geezer!

She even briefly pondered if the reindeer would taste any good, she could even share some of it with Meowy like back when they lived in the wild! But…

Aki had already said he was picking up a KFC on Christmas, and from how he described it sounded quite delectable… Yeah, on second thought she'd scrap the whole reindeer part of the plan, catching the old man would be enough…

Maybe she'd even get to nab some of Denji and Reze's share of the food while they were distracted? It is a couples holiday after all, and maybe some of their chicken would help settle that uneasy feeling in her gut when she saw them together…

'Indeed, 'tis only fair reimbursement!'

"Just where are you taking us Denji?"

It was afternoon on Christmas Eve, a light snow was falling and Reze and Denji were walking hand in hand down a quiet semi-residential area, similar to countless other places throughout Tokyo.

For once they were both able to eschew their Public Safety uniforms, instead wearing some of their rarely worn casualwear, with Denji wearing jeans, a t-shirt, a heavy winter coat and a comfortable pair of trainers, whilst Reze had plumped for a simple but stylish skirt and sweater combo with a tan coat on top, a thick pair of tights and scarf being all else that was needed to protect the Russian girl from the bitter cold Christmas night.

"It's a surprise, trust me", Denji replies to her with a wink and a grin, with Reze pouting in response, moving closer to him as they walked.

"Tch, meanie…", the girl muttered playfully, causing Denji to roll his eyes, recognising the oh-so-familiar lilting tone that was more often than not synonymous with her teasing him.

"Don't worry, we'll be there pretty soon."

As it turns out, she didn't have to wait long for Denji's surprise to reveal itself, as the scenery became more and more familiar to Reze. She knew for sure as they passed a familiar corner store, her eyes widening as she turned to Denji in surprise.

"Denji…! Why are we here?!', Reze whispered harshly, having realized why the scenery had seemed so familiar: the location only being confirmed as they cut through a short alleyway and out onto the next street, practically coming face-to-face with a familiar sight: her old workplace.

The Crossroads café looked no different from when she last left the place on the way to her first date with Denji, and it was a sight that brought out many conflicting emotions within her. On one hand, she had enjoyed working there, it had been her first taste of a normal life, even if it had been a lie at the end of the day. The memories of all the time she and Denji had spent there together also caused her to associate the place with a sort of warm, fuzzy nostalgia.

But going back there was another matter altogether.

"What's wrong Reze?", Denji looked down at her in confusion, clearly not having expected this reaction, "I thought you liked this old place when you worked there?"

"It's not that… I…", Reze began to reply, but quickly trailed off, conflict written all over her face, "I can't go in there when…"

Her whole time there had been a lie, and what would she tell her boss? After all, just rocking up and saying 'Hi, long time no see. My whole identity was a lie by the way' would hardly win her any brownie points…

"It'll be fine Reze. The old guy didn't seem like the kinda guy to interrogate you or anything, seemed to like you well enough too", Denji just smiled at her reassuringly, "Hell, I'd bet even if you told him everything he'd still be pretty understandin', so what do you want to do?"

Reze hesitated, doubts filling her head, the what-ifs were near endless. What if he asks too many questions? What if he suspected that she had something to do with attacking Tokyo? What if, what if, what if…

She found herself looking up at Denji and soon found that his comforting gaze and warm smile helped those anxious thoughts fade into the background. The nerves remained, but Reze made her decision, letting out a weary sigh as she shot a small smile back at Denji.

"Alright, you win, just… don't share too many details, I don't really want to spread around that I blew up several blocks of downtown…", even whilst giving her consent the self-loathing was still there, a constant whenever she brought up her past. Something the girl herself realized, as she quickly put on a sly grin for the benefit of Denji.

"After you siiiirrr."

On the other end of the city, a petite girl was sitting at her table, eating a modest lunch of toast and coffee, an old battered laptop sitting off to the side, with a dozen tabs open; all being different job listings.

Kobeni had spent most of her time since quitting Public Safety sifting through the same old recruitment websites or scouring the newspapers for job advertisements, all in the hope of finding a job that could at least cover her rent and the money she had to send back home. At this point, she wasn't fussy about who would hire her, as long as it didn't involve devils or sex work at the very least…

So far it had been a pretty depressing Christmas for the girl, with job hunting not exactly being at the top of her Christmas list, honestly, the one silver lining of the holiday was that her family didn't celebrate the holiday at all. However, that didn't mean she'd been planning to spend the holiday all alone, cooped up in her small flat eating some off-brand cereal with more in common with cardboard than anything edible.

She and Violence had originally been planning to spend Christmas together, the fiend had always been kind to her and had been appalled when she said she usually spent Christmas alone and had instantly offered to take her out for the day. However, that plan had been brought to an abrupt end when he died in his attempt to defend them from that devil in Hell.

It only made her feel worse that, when they had been clearing out Violence's quarters, they had found an envelope addressed to her containing only a Christmas card and some vouchers to an ice cream place nearby Public Safety Headquarters.

It had felt like a cruel reminder of her isolation when she had opened the card this morning, the heartfelt message written in it suggesting that they went together. Needless to say, she'd been inconsolable for most of the morning, the job search had honestly been a pretty good distraction all things considered.

'Another happy year…' Kobeni thought bitterly as she pushed her bowl off to the side, dragging her laptop closer, 'Better get looking again, no point in moping around all day…'

She barely had time to restart her search before she was interrupted by the clattering of her mail slot. The girl immediately shot to her feet, her job search forgotten once more as she rushed over in excitement.

Could it be a tax rebate? Some funding from her parents? She'd even settle for a Christmas card!

She quickly grabbed the letter up from the ground, ripping it open without a thought, her mind racing, trying to figure out who could have possibly cared enough to send her a Christmas card, only to wilt as she unfolded the letter enclosed inside.

As it turns out, Public Safety had overpaid her in her final pay cheque, and was demanding that she pay back the difference by the New Year…

'Well… At least Family Burger is hiring…'

The door chimes rang out as they entered the café, not a soul in sight as Denji and Reze hesitantly entered the building, with Reze eying the staffroom door behind the counter with trepidation.

With both being veterans of the café, Denji as a customer and Reze as staff, they knew better than to call out as both knew Kayo always kept an ear out for the door chimes, ready to rush out at the first sign of a customer. And, as it turns out they were right, as it wasn't long before Reze's old boss rushed through the door in full customer service mode.

"Hello, hello! Please take a sea…", the polite smile quickly gave way to surprise as his practised greeting trailed off, his eyes wide in surprise and his mouth agape for a second as he registered the two teens standing in the doorway.

"Hey Boss", Reze said, burying her nerves under a wry smile.

This seemed to snap the man out of his shock, as he quickly rushed around the counter over to them, his shock quickly giving way to his usual resting expression of mild annoyance.

"You better not be here looking your wages girl, your holidays don't cover for three months of missed shifts."

Whatever tension Reze had felt walking in dissolved upon hearing Kayo's usual griping: the man clearly hadn't a clue about her true identity. Honestly, she actually felt kind of stupid for being so worried that he would figure her out, considering Makima herself had ordered a complete media blackout on anything relating to her and Denji's battle.

"Long time no see", now more relaxed, Reze responded with the flippancy she knew he'd come to expect from her, "I'd ask for the holiday pay at least, but you didn't even pay me for half the days I worked in the first place."

"You kids… always an answer for everything, huh…?", Kayo shook his head in mock disappointment, before looking at the pair with a subtle smile, "It's good to see you two again, I was afraid that you both got caught up in that devil attack a couple of months back."

"Well, we kinda were…", Denji scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "We're not allowed to go into it much, but me and Reze got wrapped up in it and she's workin' with me at Public Safety now…"

"Yeah, things got pretty messy…", Reze frowned, she was glad Denji took the lead in filling Kayo in, she hated talking about that day. It was cowardly of her of course, to feel sorry for herself after that massacre, to hide behind her old Soviet masters as some sort of excuse for killing all those people…

But all the same, she was trying to move past that, she couldn't change what she'd done, but she sure as hell could change what she'd do from now on.

"Well, I'm glad you made it out safe. Kids shouldn't have to go through something like that. I would've thought Public Safety…", Kayo shook his head as if dismissing the thought, "Never mind that, go and take a seat, I'll go whip up some coffee. On the house, just this once."

As the teens thanked the man and moved towards their seats, Kayo turned around once again with a sly smile.

"You know, when you both didn't show up for her next shift, my first thought was that you'd gone off and eloped together. Good to know I was half right."

And with that, the old man disappeared behind the counter, leaving the two teens rosy-cheeked and without any, sitting back at their old favourite window booth, their coats and rucksacks discarded and sitting by their sides.

"See? It all went fine", Denji said with a lopsided grin, "Told ya."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, rub it in…", Reze pouted before grinning back, "You're lucky you're cute when you get all cocky y'know. Soooo… maybe if you show me whatever's in the bag I'll forgive you, hmmm?"

"Hmmm… you sure drive a hard bargain…", Denji scratched his chin, a smile tugging at his lips as he half-heartedly tried maintaining his faux-conflicted act, he knew Reze wouldn't buy it of course, but that wasn't the point. He knew she enjoyed a little bit of teasing and theatre sprinkled through their daily interactions, and he quite enjoyed playing along, and it was definitely more enjoyable than having to go along with Power's delusions of grandeur.

"Guess I'll just have to then, here you are", Denji sighed dramatically as he reached into his bag, pulling out a small parcel, wrapped in a pastel-purple wrapping paper and tied neatly with a green ribbon, and set it on the table in front of Reze.

"Ohhh… Looks fancy…" Denji watched as Reze picked the package up with almost reverent care. Indeed, the gift had clearly been professionally wrapped in the shop and whilst pretty small, it was still hefty enough, "May I…?"

"Yeah, go right ahead," Denji quickly replied, watching with a mix of trepidation and excitement as she began unwrapping the package, carefully untying the ribbon and unfolding the paper, revealing the gift within: a leatherbound journal and a bookmark, both of which were delicately embossed with a familiar floral design - daisies.

"O-oh, Denji…", Reze turned to Denji with a warm smile, one that reminded Denji of the first time they met, huddled for cover in that rickety old phone booth, only now he knew it was oh-so-real, "It looks expensive, you really didn't have to get something so…"

"Don't worry about that," Denji quickly waved off her concern, "I've been saving up for a while now, so it wasn't a problem, really!"

"Besides, I wanted to get you somethin' special," Denji's voice lowered again, his face slightly flushed as he shared his reasons with her, "I know that… well you didn't have much great back then, but hopefully you'll have plenty to write about from now on…"

"Thanks, Denji…" Reze nestles into Denji's side, wrapping him in a warm hug. They stayed like that for a time until Reze pulled back again, uncharacteristically bashful as she quickly reached over and grabbed her own bag, pulling out a gift wrapped in simple plain brown wrapping paper, the only adornment present on it being a Christmassy-looking label, with Denji's name being written on it in a delicate cursive.

"It's not much, but I hope you like it…" much like Denji had moments ago, Reze was now watching in anticipation as Denji tore through the paper, his face lighting up as he saw the first items inside.

"Aw hell yeah!", Denji nearly jumped out of his seat as he saw what was inside: all of the volumes of the latest manga he and Power had been reading, Shark Kick. "That's awesome Reze, thanks!"

Denji had meant to buy his own copies of the manga since it was a bit of a hassle reading them in-store, and he usually got annoyed looks from the staff when he did. However, that's not all that was in the present.

"Huh? What's all this?" Denji asked, puzzled as he set the manga aside, sifting through the other books that were packed alongside them. Thankfully he didn't have to wonder long, as Reze quickly jumped in to answer.

"They're nothing exciting, it's just a bunch of school books that appear on the curriculum," Reze said, laying out the books on the table and pointing at each one in turn, briefly describing each one, "We have textbooks for maths, Japanese, history, and a couple of others. I figured it'd be good to get a head start on all of this if we get to go to school at some point. At the very least we'll be able to catch up on some subjects we'll need to know."

"Plus…" Reze leaned her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand as she looked at Denji suggestively, "I thought it'd give us more time to… study together."

"Well yeah, of cou- ohhhh…"

Kayo watched the two lovebirds from behind the counter with a wistful smile, he'd been waiting to bring over their drinks for a while now but hadn't wanted to interrupt their moment, with the man busying himself by making some snacks while he waited.

'Ah, young love… Reminds me of back when we were young…' Kayo thought as he made his way over, arms laden with drinks and snacks, 'This time of year always makes me sentimental…'

This was the first time Aki had really celebrated Christmas since he was a kid. His parents used to go to a lot of effort for him and his brother, buying in a small mountain of gifts for them both. He'd never really got why they celebrated it back when he was young, he figured it was just their excuse to spoil them.

As he laid out the contents of the KFC Christmas box he'd picked up on the way home, an old Christmas album playing in the background, he found himself thinking about how the holiday had simply passed him by every year since the Gun Devil first attacked. Honestly, the only times he'd really done anything during the holiday was when Himeno would drag him out to some social at a karaoke bar or something similar.

Though he'd be hard-pressed to call it properly celebrating the holiday, since Himeno was just as likely to do that on any given weekend, and most of the people they went out with just used it as an excuse to party more than anything else.

As he laid the platter out on the table, all covered with tinfoil to keep it warm, Aki found himself, as he often did these days, thinking about his death. Specifically, on how he would prepare the other three for after his death, he already had a will written up and whilst he was at least confident enough that Denji and Reze could fend for themselves and had each other to lean on; he still worried, especially for Power. The fiend had been doing a lot better recently and he hoped she would continue that trajectory after he died.

On top of those concerns, he also had to make time to hear Tendo out, the woman had been pretty insistent on meeting up soon.

'Something for the New Year I think…'

Aki's thoughts were interrupted as the front door clicked open and Denji and Reze walked in, all smiles and laughs as they stripped off their coats. He was honestly surprised that they were on time, he'd told them to be back for dinner at 6:00pm, and they were 10 minutes early. A pleasant surprise for sure, the pair usually delighted in bending the rules, especially when it came to their time together…

"Surprised to see you two back in time, figured you'd have been out later," Aki said, mildly surprised. Denji and Reze just shrugged.

"Hey, you said dinner was at six, no way am I leaving Powy alone with all that food. It'd be gone as soon as you'd turn your back" Aki couldn't exactly deny that, he'd had Power go to her room until dinner time for that very reason after all…

"Besides, old man Kayo was closing up early today, and there wasn't much else to do" Reze's intervention made their early arrival make more sense: they were just bored.

"Well, you two go and get ready whilst I finish setting out the rest of dinner, and grab Power only your way."

The rest of the night passed by quite quickly, all things considered, the food disappearing rapidly as Power and Denji got to work on it, practically inhaling the chicken whilst Aki and Reze looked on in shock, before scrambling to get some for themselves.

After that came the exchanging of gifts, and to everyone's surprise they were all pretty content with what they'd received. Aki had given them all a bank account each, all filled with a fair amount that was only meant to be used in emergencies. Aki had received a cookbook and novel from Denji and Reze respectively, whilst Power had received various cosplay outfits and a pile of her favourite snacks. However, the fiend seemed to have forgotten an important aspect of Christmas: giving…

"C'mon Powy, really!?" Denji said with a deep, aggravated sigh, quickly followed by Reze.

"Last time I buy you anything, you little brat," the other hybrid muttered, giving the devil the stink eye. They were all utterly unsurprised of course, the fiend was infamously selfish after all, but they had all, perhaps blinded by the optimism of the holiday, given the fiend the benefit of the doubt. Aki especially was kicking himself, knowing he should have reminded the fiend to get everyone gifts…

"I didn't know, don't blame me!" Power vehemently argued back before picking up the leftover chicken bones on her plate, "Here, have these! The marrow inside is much more nutritious than any other gift here!"

"Jeez… how selfish can you get…" Denji spoke what all the others were thinking as they looked on at the fiend in exasperation.

"Nay! You do not get to talk Denji! I gave you my blood, tis' the most valuable thing of all!"

Needless to say, this argument went around in circles until Aki shut them up, distracting the fiend with practised ease, putting on the television and putting it to the first Christmas movie to catch his eye. By the time it was over it was nearly midnight, with Denji and Reze slipping off to bed early together, whilst Aki had to order Power to go to hers under the threat of having a talk with Makima about it. Only then did she consent and head off to be in a strop, Meowy dangling from her arms as she went.

Later that night…

'Twas the night before Christmas and in the Hayakawa household something was stirring, and it wasn't a mouse… Indeed, Power was stalking around the flat, crouching behind the sofa in the hope that St Nick would soon be here.

"I'll show them! They'll see just how generous I am when I have that old fatso tied up!", Power seethed as she waited, Meowy as always tight in her grip, "I just need to take his lists, then they'll all see that I'm on the nice one!"

Suddenly there was a clatter, and Power made her move, she knew in that moment that it must be St Nick. She flew like a flash from her hiding spot and pounced on her prey, tossing Meowy aside as she flew through the air.

"Time to see if you bleed red and white old man!”

But as she hit her target and brought him to the ground, the figure fell with a yell, and it didn't sound like a jolly little man, but instead someone more familiar.

Because instead of the cherubic face of Old Man Christmas, with his twinkling eyes and round, rosy cheeks, she was instead face-to-face with Aki, and he was no jolly old elf…

"POWER!!"

Chapter Text

'Well, that's a novel sight…'

Aki could barely hide a smile as he took in the sight before him. He'd decided to check to see what was taking Denji and Reze so long to get up, as they were usually light enough sleepers; what he didn't expect to see was Power right in between the two other teens, all of them still out for the count.

He felt some pity for Denji and Reze, the two being separated by the fiend. Power being splayed out over them, her loud snoring clearly not affecting them all that much as they slept on. However, it wasn't long before the uncommon serenity was broken as Power began to stir, Aki always forgot what a light sleeper the devil could be; it was almost feline-like.

'She probably picked up the habit from Meowy', Aki thought, thankful at least that he and Denji had broken her habit of grooming herself like Meowy…

To his surprise Power didn't spring up like he'd expected, she was usually annoyingly active in the morning, but now she just continued to lie there, a confident smile on her face: one he hadn't seen since before that mess in Hell.

"Looking back… I think I beat Darkness back in Hell…"

Denji was the next to wake up, sitting up and stretching with a yawn before noticing the presence of Power and Aki, "Huh? What's everyone doin' in here?" The boy asked as he lazily rubbed the sleep from his bleary eyes.

"I had a realisation, Denji! Darkness fled from me in Hell, did he not?" Power beamed proudly as she looked up at Denji for validation. For his part, Denji just smiled wearily and shrugged, "You sure did Power. Totally."

Seeming satisfied that someone else was able to corroborate her internalized delusion, Power jumped into a standing position on the bed before hopping off the end, "Aki! I need to tell Meowy of my feat! I expect my favourite for breakfast, chop chop!"

Aki rolled his eyes as Power ran off past him to go and find her cat, though he smiled as he did; the fear that had plagued her since Darkness cut her down hadn't suited her one bit. He was happy that she was getting back to her old, annoying self.

"Is that all Aki? Cause I was gonna get a bit more shut-eye…" Denji asked, covering another yawn with his hand as he settled back into bed, back leaning against the headboard.

"You can't just lie in every day Denji. You'll be heading back to work soon enough, and I need to talk to you both." Aki took a matronly scolding tone, before looking towards the conspicuously quiet girl curled up on the other side of the bed, "That means you too Reze. I know you've been awake since I came in."

"Darn… Worth a shot…", Reze huffed, her words muffled by her pillow, "But I don't wannnaaa…"

Sadly, her whines fell on deaf ears as Aki turned to leave, "Out in ten minutes, or you'll be taking Power's chores for this month."

After no small amount of groaning and complaining, Denji and Reze dragged themselves out of the bedroom and over to their breakfast, with Denji quickly waking up as he noticed Power starting to dig into his breakfast; the fiend having just polished off half of his toast and was now sniffing his coffee, the small swig she took making her face twisting into a scowl. He quickly rushed to her and snatched the cup from her hands.

"Stick to your own food Powy! 'Sides, you don't even like coffee!", Denji said, giving Power a dirty look as he gulped down the lukewarm drink, Power cringing as he did.

"Bleaaghh… How do humans drink that… that muck!"

"Well, if you weren't bein' so damn greedy, you'd have remembered you threw up last time you had it!", Denji scolded before turning to Aki as Power sulked, "Thanks for breakfast Aki!"

"Don't think a little flattery will get you both out of those extra chores, I was keeping an eye on the time" Aki's voice was stern as he replied, his back turned to them as he cleaned up, "So which of you two wants to do the laundry and who wants bathroom duty?"

"Awww… c'mon Aki, that's not fair…" Reze whined, before she smirked, mischief glinting in her eyes, "Denji and I were just having a little fun…"

Aki dropped the plate he was washing into the sink with a loud clatter, the man bringing a hand up to his face in exasperation.

"Don't mention that again, and I'll cut it down to two weeks…"

Reze's smirk grew into a full Cheshire grin as she settled down next to Denji at the table, taking a bite of her toast and pointing at Denji with her free hand, "Y'know, he can do this thing with his t-"

"FINE! FINE! You're off the hook, just stop already!" Aki shouted as he turned around, mortified as Reze struggled to hold in her laughter, both at Aki and an equally mortified Denji, whose own toast had dropped from his hand as he gaped at his girlfriend. Power meanwhile just blinked owlishly before turning to Aki.

"Topknot! What are they talking about?!", her gaze darted between her three housemates curiously before she sniffed the air, her face flashing with recognition, "Aki, why do they smell like each other?!"

"Urghhhh…"

"I'll be heading back to work tomorrow. Will you two be alright taking care of Power while I'm out?"

As they finished clearing the table, Aki had finally shared the reason he'd wanted to speak with them: their vacation of sorts, this normality, was rapidly coming to an end.

Denji hadn't been too concerned about this, he enjoyed his job all-in-all, his only concern had been Power, and she was doing a lot better now. After all, it was the only reason he hadn't gone to Enoshima with Makima. Right?

"Well Power seems okay now, so I think we'll be fine. Right, Reze?"

"Huh? Oh, uh… yeah! Of course…" Reze responds in surprise, a frown tugging at her lips. She doesn't know why she felt this… disappointed, did she think that the rest of her life would be this odd little family schtick? No, she had signed up for this back then when Makima… When Makima…

'Huh… Why can't I remember..?'

"Hey Reze, you good?", Denji asks, snapping her out of her thoughts with a tap on the shoulder, "Ya looked like you were zonin' out there."

"Yeah, kind of. Sorry about that, just thinking about… stuff…" she just shrugs weakly, not quite meeting his eyes. Which did very little to ease his worry.

"You sure? 'Cause your face was all scrunched up and everythin'"

"Nah, it was nothing rea-"

Reze was grateful when Aki's landline started ringing, saving her from any more questioning from Denji. It's not like she was going to worry him even more over something as forgetting a couple of details, even if that woman terrified her…

However, that gratitude wasn't to last long as she watched Aki's face go from surprise to confusion and then simply to defeated weariness. The older man sighed as he returned the phone to its cradle, he took a breath as if to calm himself before addressing the three of them.

"Looks like there's been a change of plans. You're all coming with me to the office, hurry and get your uniforms on before we're late…"

"Huh? I thought we weren't goin' back for a while?"

Reze might as well have not listened as Aki answered Denji, she knew already: That woman surely needed something from them.

"Makima's orders. She said she wanted to see the four of us in her office within the hour, so get a move on", Aki found himself wishing he had a cigarette for the first time in a while. He'd asked Kishibe to remove him from the expedition, so why the hell was he being asked to report to Makima? And why with the others?

'Hopefully, she's just checking in on us…'

Even as the thought crossed his mind it sounded hopelessly naïve. If he knew one thing about Makima, it was that she wasn't a woman for idle chatter…

As they stood at the door of Makima's office, Aki was honestly surprised they made it on time: between the traffic and having to iron Power's work shirt for her they'd only just made it on time.

"Please, come in!", Makima's soft yet commanding voice called out from behind the large oak doors. Aki gulped as he put his hand on the door and pushed, his mouth paper dry as he entered, followed by the three teens. The two girls were nervous and shifty, with both Power and, unexpectedly Reze half-hiding behind Denji: the only one who seemed happy enough to be there.

"The three of you look well, I'm glad", Makima gave away nothing as she greeted them, as polite as ever, "I'm sorry to call you all in here out of the blue."

"Excuse me, but…" Aki felt his stomach drop even before he'd asked the question, the dread on his face palpable, "What is this concerning exactly?"

"I heard from Captain Kishibe", Makima didn't even react to the question, simply continuing on in the same business-like tone, "Hayakawa. As you requested, Division 4 can be removed from the expedition to eliminate the Gun Devil. It's not a problem."

"But Denji, Reze and Power will be going on the operation."

Her eyes bored into Aki's, what little moisture left in his mouth disappearing as he opened his mouth to speak, his voice cracking as he spoke, "Wait a…"

He gulped, trying to gather his thoughts as Makima looked on impassively. Her inoffensive smile looked colder and colder to Aki by the moment.

"What do you mean?!"

The three teens looked at Aki in surprise, with the man himself even seeming surprised by the volume of his voice, not to mention the desperation that so clearly tinged it. If Makima was surprised though, she didn't show it, instead clasping her hands in front of herself on the table and launching into her reasoning for this last-minute change.

Aki would've been lying if he said he was listening to her, the woman's words blending together as he gritted his teeth, desperately trying to think of some way, just a singular reason he could give to change Makima's mind.

"Operation members will need to be briefed on classified materials," the woman said, never taking her eyes off Aki, "Hayakawa if you'll be sitting this out, I'll have to ask you to leave."

Aki came up blank, gritting his teeth in frustration. If Makima cared about him glaring at her, she didn't say a word, just staring, waiting for the only answer that she would accept.

"I'll do it!"

Thankfully for Aki, Denji spoke up before he said something he may have regretted, though as Aki turned to face him and the others he was as white as a sheet.

"I've got plans of my own Aki," Denji grinned, oblivious to Aki's conflict, "If we do this, then we get to go to school! Ain't that right Reze?"

Reze jolted as Denji dragged her into the conversation, torn between wanting to kiss him for remembering his promise and strangling him for drawing Makima's attention to her.

"Y-yeah… If we get to go to school together in the end, then I'll do it…", Reze wilted under Makima's gaze. The woman's usual smile had faded as she looked at Reze, almost like she was a bug under a microscope.

Reze quickly looked away from her, unsettled by her, and instead looked up at Denji, her eyes staring into his own, flashing with determination and a confidence that had been missing since they entered the office, "I won't let you go alone Denji."

"Reze.."

"And I'm going too!" Power wasted no time in breaking up this tender moment, throwing her arms over the two hybrid's shoulders, grinning proudly, "Cause that's what buddies do!"

It was quiet for a moment as Aki looked at them, his frustration gradually fading into resignation as Power and Denji waited expectantly. Only Reze seemed to notice his conflict, but she didn't say a word, just looking on in pity as Aki's shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry… Miss Makima. May I rejoin the operation…?"

Aki was starting to understand why Himeno would often rant about Makima. The way she had them all in the palm of her hand since they entered the door… It rubbed him the wrong way.

But it was worth eating a fair heaping of crow to ensure the others were safe.

"Great. Of course you may" Just like that, that clinical smile was back on her face, Makima leaning forward in her seat ever so slightly. Aki would almost say that she looked rather pleased with herself…

"There's no need to worry of course, Denji and Reze here can't die, and Power's quite sturdy herself," clearly she noticed that he was still uneasy about the whole situation as she continued on, "Though I'm sure that they'll appreciate having their guardian there to look out for them, do look out for yourself first."

"Well, now that the four of you are on the operation, I'll tell you all of what we know regarding the current status of the Gun Devil. The information that I'm about to disclose can't leave this room."

If she didn't before, Makima now had their full attention, with Aki waiting with bated breath, different possibilities flying through his head. Just what could be so important that it wasn't to be mentioned outside this room, especially when the Gun Devil was perhaps one of the most documented devils of the modern day?

Nothing could have prepared Aki for what she would say next.

"As of now, the Gun Devil has already been defeated and confined."

It was almost too much to take in. The Gun Devil that had killed his family, that he'd dedicated his life to killing. Turns out that it had already been defeated since that very first attack; its pieces being collected and held all over the world.

And Public Safety's seemingly noble aim of gathering the pieces of it held by other devils? Apparently, that wasn't about killing it, but instead about increasing Japan's power by competing with the other nations that held significant amounts of the Gun Devil's flesh.

It was unsettling in more ways than one. Not only was the whole premise of their mission a lie, but Makima had also revealed that the guns used to kill Himeno and the rest of Special Division Four weren't the result of a contract at all, but instead were manmade. It all left Aki with more questions than answers…

"Why so down Topknot? It's just 'kill and go home', right?"

'If only…', Aki didn't bother moving from the bench as the teens watched him, simply looking up at the sky. The revelations about the nature of their mission washing over him, leaving him feeling much older than his years.

"You scared or something?"

Aki sighed as Denji gave his two cents, sitting up with a weary sigh. If he's going to be forced to take these kids along with him, they should know exactly why they were fighting.

"Even if we manage to beat the Gun Devil, the body will probably just be collected by Public safety and held by the government," Aki looked down at his lap, feeling thoroughly defeated as he explained, "We aren't going on a mission to kill the Gun Devil, we're going on a mission to take the Gun Devil from another country for Japan's possession."

Was he a fool for blindly believing that Makima was as idealistic as the rest of them hunting the Gun, that she truly wanted to destroy the devil for the safety of mankind? Or was she just a cold employee of the government, who only cared about maximising her country's power?

Now that he thought about it, she'd never given him much reason to think otherwise. He'd say that it was down to the feelings he used to hold for her, but… well he couldn't really pin down why exactly he'd fallen for the woman in the first place.

'I was never able to answer Himeno when she'd pester me about that either…'

"Uuuh? What does that mean?", Denji asked nonchalantly, Aki's explanation going right over his head as he cracked open a can of cola, only for it to be quickly snatched from his hand, "Hey!"

"This is important Denji, you shouldn't be so blasé about this stuff", Reze scolded Denji as takes a swig of the boy's drink, handing him back the can afterwards, her lips drawn into a tight line.

"How's it important, we just have to beat it, right…?" Denji's face was screwed up in frustration as he tried to think about what he was missing, "And what does bla- blas- that word you used mean?"

"I just want you to take this seriously Denji, that's all…" Reze's face softened as she sighed, "He's saying that we can never kill the Gun Devil, instead it'll just be used by the Japanese government instead."

"But that can't be right… I mean…"

"Denji, we're proof ourselves," Reze smiled bitterly as she pointed to him and then herself. "It's nothing new for governments to use devils as tools…"

Denji opened his mouth to reply, looking as if he wanted to argue, maybe even defend Makima's intentions, but he couldn't exactly argue with what she'd said…

In any case, their attention was quickly diverted as Aki let out a grunt of pain from the bench, the three of them turning to see him clutching his head in pain, eyes screwed up. But as quickly as the pain came it seemed to disappear, however, it was clear to them that something was wrong with Aki.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Denji asked, concern flickering in his eyes even as he tried to maintain his usual nonchalant attitude. Reze and Power looked equally concerned, the former looking at him in equal parts concern and curiosity: clearly having deduced by Aki's reaction that this wasn't just some sort of migraine.

"It's… fine…", Aki mumbled, looking woozy as he dragged himself to his feet, nearly losing his balance and only just catching himself in time, "It's been a long day is all…"

"You sure? You're as white as a sheet…"

He just shook his head, waving off both Denji and Reze's concerns. What he had just seen… there was no way he was going to worry either of them about that, especially Power; that'd be all the poor fiend would need after only just recovering recently…

"Come on, let's just go home… We'll pick up some dinner on the way."

"So… what was all of that about earlier?"

Denji and Reze had been sitting, watching some crap TV series as had become their daily ritual, when Reze had popped the question during the first ad break.

"What do ya mean? This about the show or…?" Denji's confusion made Reze roll her eyes, sometimes she could swear that the boy acted oblivious on purpose.

"No Denji, back when we were in… her office… You seemed so sure that Public Safety would send us to school, why?", Reze's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as Denji shifted uncomfortably, not meeting her eyes as he replied.

"Ah… well…", Denji was conflicted, on one hand, it was simple to explain that Makima had offered him a wish, but on the other, he hadn't originally intended to use that wish to send them to school, but to get with Makima.

He wasn't sure why it made him feel so uncomfortable: he hadn't even met Reze back then, and while he'll always be grateful to Makima for saving him from his old life, he didn't feel that way about her anymore. But thinking back to that day in Makima's office, it felt wrong somehow… He knew Makima didn't mean anything by it. She'd said herself that she was just teaching him what it was like to have an actual relationship, right?

'Then why does everything with Reze feel… different than that?'

"Denji, are you alright? You look…" Reze trailed off, her voice laced with concern as Denji seemed to snap back to reality, looking at her apologetically.

"Sorry 'bout that… it's just that Makima offered me any wish back then, when she first asked me to kill the Gun, and…" Denji thought for a moment, "Well, the important thing is that she promised to grant me a wish, and I thought that surely us goin' to school is a pretty easy thing to grant, y'know?"

"And you believe her?"

Reze said this with no real judgment in her voice, just pure curiosity as her eyes bored into his. Denji was about to reply but stopped himself. He was about to say that, of course, he trusted Makima. After all, she had saved him!

But the more he thought about it, the more unsure he became. Sure Makima had helped him, helped him a lot! But when they'd first met she'd been pretty scary, and like Reze had said a bunch of times, Makima did run a place that made kids work for them. Though they did pay them at least…

"I mean, Miss Makima ain't perfect or anything, but she really helped me out before. I don't think she'd have any reason to lie about that…"

They were silent for a moment, the only sound being the mindless cacophony of noise coming from the TV as the adverts ran on. Reze looked back at the screen, her eyes partially covered by her untied hair. A small smile was the only visible expression on her face, which was a relief to Denji, even though it looked a bit strained…

"Well, I suppose if Miss Makima promised, then she'd have no reason to lie," Reze said, sounding unexpectedly relaxed about the revelation, "Anyway, we can talk about it more another time, it's starting!"

Denji wasn't quite sure how to react to Reze's about-face, but as Reze curled up on the sofa beside him again, leaning her head on his chest and making herself comfortable, Denji found any concerns he had fading into the background.

'Well, if Reze thinks it's okay after all that, I suppose it should be fine!'

The next hour went by without much incident, the couple binge-watching a few episodes of the show, a kinda trashy high school romance. It wasn't the sort of thing they usually watched honestly, but they'd been a little desperate for something new to watch the other week, and this had been the only real candidate at the time. It didn't help that they were both oddly committed to it at this point…

"The love triangle is a bit much…" Reze huffed as the latest episode came to a close, the near-unending drama that they had just been subjected to leaving her feeling drained.

"Yeah, like a foreign exchange student and some gloomy chick fightin' it out? Suuure." Denji wasn't much better, looking as tired as Reze as he griped about the show, "But, ehhh… at least it's got that 'so bad it's good' thing goin' for it I guess."

It didn't take long before tired teens began to tidy up, preparing to head to bed. It was only them left up as the clock ticked over to 10pm, with Power having gone to her bed early, being tired after avoiding drinking blood all day after Aki had noticed her horns growing. Truly if anything could send the fiend to bed early it was anaemia and the threat of another blood draining.

It was Aki the two hybrids were more curious about though, the man was usually quite the home bird ever since they came back from Hell, usually just heading to bed a little earlier than they did. Tonight, however, he'd been right out the door after dinner, saying something about having plans.

"Thought Aki would've been back by now" Reze yawned as she stretched, the pair having just finished cleaning the dishes they had just tossed in the sink after dinner, the job having gone quite quickly with Denji doing the washing and Reze drying.

"Who knows what that guy's up to," Denji replies as he puts away the last of the dishes, looking over his shoulder with a sardonic grin, "Maybe he's even got a date?"

'Could she have picked a shittier place?'

As Aki sat at the counter of a dingy little bar in the seedy end of Shinjuku, he just felt tired. Tendo really couldn't have picked a worse day to make good on her promise of inviting him out for drinks. It was bad enough that Makima not only forced him to rejoin the expedition, but then she also revealed that the whole Gun Devil hunt was little more than an excuse for a national power grab.

And then there was his vision…

The Future Devil usually only showed him visions of what would happen moments later, and it was usually shown in crystal-clear focus. This time though… this time it had been different. It had come in flashes, blurred and chaotic, a dark night filled with screams, a city block turned to rubble and Denji… He had just been kneeling in the middle of the street, blood and tears streaming down his face.

Whatever it was showing, whatever future that was, Ak was determined to stop it, no matter the cost. Either way, he was sure that it wasn't a coincidence the devil had shown him that future just after Makima had pressed him back into the hunt.

Aki was quickly torn from his thoughts as the stool next to him scraped across the ground, Tendo clumsily plopping herself down onto it, cursing as her crutch clattered to the ground.

"Well, you certainly don't keep a lady waiting anyway," she says letting out a weary sigh before turning to Aki with a bitter smile, before hailing down the bartender, "Hey! Two pints of whatever you've got on draught!"

"Comin' right up!"

"So Tendo, what's this about out of the blue? Figured that you would've given me a bit more of a heads-up than this", Aki complained, not only had she called him out to a dive bar, he'd had to rush out halfway through dinner. He just hoped that he didn't have to come home to dirty dishes piled up in the sink…

"Jeez… No need to be so grouchy about it, can't a girl just grab a drink with a friend?" Tendo snarks as the barman sets down the two beers on the counter in front of them, Aki sliding over a couple thousand yen in payment, a small smirk on his face.

"At least it wasn't Kishibe this time, that always leaves a hole in my wallet."

That got a laugh from Tendo, the woman's eyes full of mirth as she gave him a clap on the shoulder, "Yeah, he's done it to me too. Glad to see that there's a fellow sufferer!"

However, the amusement quickly fades from her face as she jerks her head towards an empty booth in one of the darker corners of the bar, "Hey, let's move over there, it's a bit more private, besides it's a pain to lean this damn stick against the bar. You'd be surprised how often I trip over the damn thing."

It wasn't long before Aki and Tendo were sitting opposite each other in that dreary little booth, Aki's patience growing thin as Tendo took a big swig of her drink, letting out a contented sigh, "Ahhh… God, I needed that…"

"What is this ab-", Aki stopped mid-sentence as Tendo held up her hand to quiet him, a serious look on her face as she put down her drink, quietly pulling out a notepad and pen from her jacket pocket and scrawling something down on it, before sliding it face-down across the table to him.

Aki looked down at the notepad quizzically for a moment before looking back up at Tendo. The woman just looked at the notepad meaningfully before looking back at Aki her face serious even as her voice responded in her usual lackadaisical tone, "You gonna make me drink alone or what?"

Aki quickly got the hint, picking up the notepad, his curiosity piqued. What was written on it did little to sate it, however.

'Only small talk out loud, Makima can hear every word. Trust me.'

Aki's head whipped up from Tendo's note, his eyes wide as he looked back at Tendo, only to find her holding out her pen to him. Aki opens his mouth as if to speak, but quickly closes it again, quickly snatching the pen from Tendo's waiting hand and quickly scrawling down a response, shunting the pad back across the table urgently.

'Explain'

"So, this your favourite place or…" Aki's attempt at small talk was noticeably tense despite his best efforts, the man trying to contain his shock, he knew Makima had top-secret contracts, but something that would allow her to hear everything they said?

"Nah, it's just a nice quiet place to unwind really," Tendo replied casually as she wrote her response, her face dead serious as she slid it back across, "Nothing like a drink and some easy company to… help forget."

'I don't know how, but the old man figured out that she could. But that's not all we figured out-'

Aki froze as he read the last line, the notepad slipping out from his hand as the contents washed over him. First, he felt an indignant anger welling up in him, refusing to even countenance the possibility, but the more it echoed around in his head, the more it seemed possible.

'Makima was behind the shootings'

In fact, it made perfect sense. Makima had said herself just this morning that the Gun Devil hadn't been behind the attacks and that the guns were man-made. She's also said exactly who benefited from the fear of the Gun: the great nations of the world.

Makima worked directly for the government of Japan, she had lied about the purpose of their mission for years and she had ample motive: the attack on the Tokyo divisions had allowed for Makima to take near full control over Special Division Four and the Tokyo divisions as a whole, staffing them more and more with her fiends.

"Aki…? You've barely touched your drink."

Aki jolted as he felt a gentle touch on his hand, Tendo was looking at him with a distinct pity. Aki unclenched the fist he hadn't realised he'd been making, wincing as he saw the warm blood trickling from the nail marks on his palm.

"It's just… It… just reminds me of those nights I'd spend out with Himeno… I miss them, her…"

Tendo could only just hear Aki's quiet response before he gently lifted up the pen again and wrote just a single question.

'Are you sure?'

Tendo just nodded gravely, "Same here… Me and Kurose, we'd known each other since we were kids. We shared everything: our lunch at school, to our job and now it looks like we even share scars…", the woman gently traced the elongated scar running the width of her face as she spoke, a bitter smile on her face as she remembered better times.

"The first mission I went on with Himeno, she told me that she was chasing after the Gun, just like me. But over time she kept on asking me to go private with her, to leave behind Public Safety and the Gun, I always shrugged her off at the time, but now I get it, when there's people you care about your priorities change…"

The two both sat there in silence for a while, taking the moment to wallow in their joint sorrows, before Tendo began writing again, sliding over the last note.

'Me and Kishibe will get in touch when we know more, and don't worry, we don't want the kids to get involved unless absolutely necessary. Though it may be inevitable: Makima likely has designs of some sort on them.'

Now, this wasn't exactly all that comforting to Aki, but he appreciated the woman's efforts either way and nodded his thanks to her, one she readily returned.

"Sorry about bringin' up the heavy topic, though I suppose drowning our sorrows is as good a reason to drink as any," Tendo raises her glass in cheers, "To our buddies!"

Aki picks up his own glass, a determined glint entering his eyes as he sees the brand logo plastered on it: Himeno's favourite.

"To our buddies."

As they clinked their glasses together, Aki was filled with determination. If Makima was indeed behind the attack that cost Himeno and many of his friends their lives, then he'd do his best to avenge them.

And above everything else, he'd do whatever was possible in his power to keep those three out of whatever Makima had planned, even if it cost him whatever life he had left…

As Aki finally sat down on the side of his bed, he put his head in his hands, a nearly agonised groan escaping his mouth as the events of the day washed over him. Even the long hours he'd spent talking and drinking with Tendo had done little to distract him. He almost wished he'd drank more than a couple of pints, just to forget it all. But that wouldn't have done him any favours…

In the space of a day, his world had been turned upside-down. Not only did the woman he'd respected since he first joined up with Public Safety basically tell him that she'd been hoodwinking them all this whole time, but she'd also used that information to push him and the kids into a dangerous fight with the Gun.

And then Tendo had revealed something that made even that bombshell seem like a pittance: Makima had been behind the attack that had rocked the Special Division earlier that year.

The attack that killed Himeno…

In just a few hours, the respect he'd had for Makima had been replaced with a burning desire to avenge his partner, as well as a stinging regret. He hadn't gone off with Himeno to the private sector because of his obsession with the Gun and, to his chagrin, his feelings for Makima.

He'd been a fool, pining after Makima, a woman he barely knew, whilst Himeno had only been staying in Public Safety to keep him safe: a goal she'd ended up dying for. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he'd become and the letters her sister had handed to him, that spelt out in simple black and white how Himeno had felt about him, he'd only realised he'd felt the same when it was far too late. He could only hope that she'd accept his apology when he saw her again.

Because of this, Aki had decided that he'd help Tendo however he could, but like Himeno he wouldn't put this quest for vengeance over the lives of those he cared about if it came to a choice between Makima and those three brats, there was no real choice. Whatever future the Future Devil had seen fit to show him, it needed to be avoided at all costs.

Aki's hand rose up to the eye that the Future Devil had nestled itself into on the day he had made the contract with it, he'd been delaying this since he'd received the vision this morning, but he needed answers.

"Future Devil, show yourself"

As soon as Aki spoke, the devil in question slowly rose into view outside his window, its deep, mocking voice talking to him as if it were right beside him.

"Only if you say 'the future rules!'"

"Don't be ridiculous" Aki growled as the devil tittered, clearly pleased with its own little joke, there was no way Aki was saying something like that when the Devil knew exactly what was in store in his future…

"What was that you showed me earlier?"

"That?" The Devil's voice dripped with amusement, its otherworldly voice causing a shudder to run down Aki's spine, "That was a future soon to come. A future absolutely unavoidable."

"You and Power will be slaughtered. And after that, the devil that devils fear most shall appear."

Aki just sat there on his bed, frozen as the devil faded from view, remembering all of the times that he had avoided possible futures that it had shown him. Sadly, none of those thoughts would give Aki any comfort, possibility after possibility rattling around in his head as he lay there on his bed, time ticking on as he awaited a sleep which refused to claim him.

Chapter Text

It had been nearly a week since Aki and Tendo had met at a crappy dive bar and formed their alliance of sorts, and so far they both had very little to show for it. They had both been trying to dig up whatever information on Makima that they could get their hands on, but it was easier said than done.

The records that they had access to were either heavily censored or, in the case of those relating to the gun attacks in Tokyo or the ambush of Tendo and Kurose, completely non-existent. 

Whilst this was obviously suspicious enough by itself, it didn't prove much other than Public Safety was either hiding something or that they had spotty record-keeping, both of which had always been perennial truths throughout their time working with them.

They had been meeting at numerous different bars and hole-in-the-wall establishments over the week, and still, they had not really discovered anything new other than this tacit confirmation that something was being covered up and covered up well. However, this time they were meeting in a secure Public Safety office on the edge of town, it was deep underground and, according to Tendo, was guaranteed by Kishibe to be completely secure.

As they sat down in the windowless room at what must have been a good few stories underground, Aki finally let out a breath he felt he had been holding since he and Tendo first started investigating.

“So, exactly how sure are we that we can't be heard down here?” Aki spoke first, still sounding unsure whether he should be speaking about this aloud.

“‘Bout as sure as we can be I suppose…” For her part Tendo just shrugged, pulling out her chair and plopping down in it, setting her cane on the table in front of her, “If it’s any consolation, we aren’t dead yet, so I’d assume we’re still in the clear.”

“It’s also the reason we’re here to begin with. The old man found out how she can listen in on everyone.”

“Really?! What’s he found?” Aki leaned forward in his seat, interest piqued, whilst Tendo grimaced.

“Well, it’s disturbingly powerful honestly… From what Master Kishibe said, she has a contract of some sort that allows her to borrow the eyes and ears of lesser creatures. Think birds and rats for example.”

Tendo gestures to the room around them, “That's why we’re sure we can speak here, no way in hell you’ll be finding any birds here, and we had this whoooole complex fumigated twice already.”

“You’re right, that is disturbing…” Aki’s brow creases as another thought comes to his head, “But it also proves our theory. If Makima can see through the eyes of creatures like that, then there’s no way she wouldn’t have known about the gun attacks.”

“Exactly. And if I were a betting woman, I’d bet that she sent me and Kurose on that route on purpose, damn bitch…”, Tendo gritted her teeth, before relaxing and letting out a sigh, “Sadly, that only solves one of our problems. We still have no idea what devil she’s contracted with, nor what the terms of the contract could be.” 

“Given that Makima has no outward signs of a harsh payment for a contract, she must’ve made one hell of a deal, or offered one hell of a reward at the end…”

“On top of this pile of shit, that's not even her only contract. Back in Kyoto, she made me and Kurose blindfold ourselves. When she told us to take ‘em off, all the prisoners she’d brought to the temple were dead, along with those gangsters that attacked you in Tokyo.”

“And with that, that’s all we got on Makima…” Tendo sighed, slumping back in her chair whilst Aki pinched the bridge of his nose. Just what mess had he gotten himself into…

“Any other bad news I should know about?”

As soon as Aki saw Tendo’s frown deepen further, he wished he hadn’t asked.

“Katana, Sawatari, Quanxi and her fiends… All their bodies have disappeared, just up and vanished and no one can tell me a single thing about it!”

“Great… Just great…”

It had been a common problem throughout their investigation, they couldn’t ask about anything directly, and all the files they wanted to access were far beyond their pay grade…

“Honestly, I don’t know what Kishibe expects us to find out by ourselves. Most of what we know has been what he’s told us!”

They sat in silence for a moment, before Tendo hummed thoughtfully.

“Well, it’s pretty clear us two invalids won’t cut it tryin’ to find out anything new through official channels. If only there was someone we know who could sneak into where they store the good stuff…”

“And who could do th- No!” Aki realized what Tendo was getting at before he could even finish the question. There was only one person she could be talking about: his household's very own Soviet spy. “I don’t want any of the kids involved in this Tendo!”

“Oh come on Aki! She’s perfect!” Tendo raised her voice in exasperation, “She’s sharp as a tack, trained, clearly has no love for Makima, and is literally a trained spy!”

“I don’t want them involved!”

“They’re already involved Aki!”

Tendo blinks in surprise, not having realized that they had escalated into having a full-fledged shouting match.

“Sorry, sorry Aki… But I’m right, and you know it. Makima isn’t insisting that they go on the expedition for no reason Aki, she has plans for them…”

Aki sits back down heavily on his chair and puts his head in his hand.

“Fine… Fine then…” he says with a deep sigh, “Only to go in and get some files, and only this once…”

Tendo looked at the man apologetically, “I’m sorry if I thought we had another option…”

“It’s fine, Tendo… You’re right, it’s just… they don’t deserve to be involved in all of this.”

Tendo slumps in her chair too, wishing that she'd bought a pack of smokes with her.

“You’ll have no argument from me there Aki. Not one…”

“Guuhhhh… I don't get a word of this…”

Denji groaned in frustration, he and Reze had been making a little bit of time every night to pour over the school books that he’d gotten over Christmas, though Denji was still struggling with most of the content.

“No, you’re doing great, really!” Reze tried encouraging him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Let's just try the other questions, okay?”

Denji looked at his girlfriend dejectedly as she smiled encouragingly, eventually letting out a sigh and throwing a small smile back at her, “Fine, fine….”

And so they quickly rattled through the remaining questions in their current textbook, Denji having mixed results as they finished on some questions on Japanese history, Reze asking the questions and marking his progress.

“And who was the leader of the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877?”

“Hrrmmmm… uhhh” Denji racked his brains, eyes screwed up as he tried to think of the answer. Suddenly his eyes lit up as he practically shouted out the answer.

“Ah, ah! I know, I know! It was that guy, y’know…, Takamori! Saigo Takamori!”

“Ding, ding, ding! Right on the money!”, Reze beamed at him, wrapping him in a quick congratulatory hug, before settling down beside him again.

“So how’d I do, did I get most of them?”, Denji asked apprehensively whilst Reze let out a small sigh as she set her markings on the table in front of them, the pair going through them question by question.

“Ahh crap, at this rate I won’t even be able to pass school when we get in…” Denji lay back on the ground with a groan, disappointed that he’d failed once again, even if by a narrower margin.

However, he was quickly jolted out of his little strop when Reze lay down next to him, sidling up close.

“I wasn’t lying when I said you were doing great you know,” Reze says softly as she grabs his hand, “We have plenty of time to catch you up on everything, you’re improving across the board too, we just need to work on your Japanese and Maths and you’ll pass any entrance exam, I promise you.”

“Wellll, I suppose I am doing pretty good considerin’ everything” he relaxed again as she spoke, a small smile coming to his lips, ”Still don’t get why the hell we need to know algebra, don’t see how that shit’s useful at all…”

“Ehhhh…” Reze scrunches her face in thought for a moment, just to shrug and nudge him playfully, “Just don’t think about it too much honestly, we need to study it and that’s that. Besides, you got most of those equations when you focussed on ‘em.”

“Whatever you say, teach” he replied wryly, before another thought came to mind, “Sooo… You think Powy stands a chance?”

“If we wanted her to even sit down to study with us, I think we’d need our entire wages to buy enough snacks for her”, Reze was speaking from experience here, her attempts at bribing the fiend often left her wallet pretty barren and only kept the devil on her best behavior for a few minutes at best.

“Besides, I doubt Public Safety would even let her at the end of the day, she’d try drinking some kid's blood before the first day was over.”

“Suppose so…” It was true that Power, despite her recent improvements, still tried to drink their blood pretty regularly, he could just imagine the headlines if she tried that at a school…

“Though speakin’ about snacks…”

Both teens' attentions turned to the delectable pile of snacks laid out in the middle of the table. Throughout their study session, they’d been snacking on some potato chips, but they hadn’t touched the main event yet: a small cake from their local bakery. They’d been planning to save it for after dinner, but Aki had run off somewhere after work, and it was getting pretty late…

“I'm sure Aki’ll be upset”, Reze smirked as she slid the cake over from the center of the table, deftly popping off the plastic cover.

“Eh, what he doesn't know won't hurt `em, besides he’ll just pretend to get mad. He’ll see us studying hard and give us a pass for sure.”

“Ohhh, how cynical of you Denjiii!”, Reze says with fake shock, amusement dancing in her eyes as she reaches for her spoon and takes the first bite of the cake.

“Mmmm. shoo goo-!”

Just as Reze was about to sing the praises of the cake, the front door clicked open and Reze and Denji froze, the latter with a spoonful of cake in hand, frozen in the air halfway to his mouth.

Power had returned from the convenience store, and she didn’t look one bit happy…

In fact, the fiend looked absolutely devastated.

“Y-you s-said there were no snacks left, s-so I went to get us some…” her voice was small and watery as she held up the plastic bag in her hand, the fiend sniffling as she looked at them, “A-and I find you eating c-cake without me…”

“WAAHHHHH!! I WANT SOOOOME!”

And so the waterworks started, the ever-ravenous fiend running at them, dropping her bag and grabbing a chunk of cake with her bare hand, shoving it into her mouth even as tears streamed down her face. Denji and Reze both trying to get her away from their food to no avail.

“Stop Power, it’s getting everywhere!”

“Powy, chill out! You can have some, just put it down, Aki will-”

“Aki will what?” 

The three teens froze as they slowly turned to the doorway to find Aki standing there, the man looking every bit the overworked single parent who’d just arrived back from work.

“Well, y’see we were studying and Powy came back…”

Aki listens to Denji’s excuse and sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, “And you hid food from her, and expected her to not throw a fit?”

“I did no such thing! Liar!”

Aki sighed, exhausted and fed up with all the crap that had gone down today, he was already starting to miss that shouting match with Tendo…

“Power, go and clean yourself up. Now! “ He just pointed at the bathroom door, turning his frustrated gaze on Power. 

The devil looked like she was about to argue for a moment, only to slump and shove the rest of the cake in her mouth, heading off to the bathroom, mouth full as she muttered off biteless death threats, the door slamming shut behind her.

As he turned his attention to the other two, Denji had just finished looking through Power’s shopping, rolling his eyes and tossing the bag to the side in disgust. 

“There’s nothing in here but fucking chicken bones man..”

“So you two have been studying the whole evening?”

Aki’s question came as he finished off tidying the remaining mess on the table, picking up one of the mock exams Denji had been working on, The questions all still looked somewhat familiar to him, even at the age of 22 he could tell he’d forgotten much of what he’d learned at school.

`Huh… guess I really didn’t need most of this stuff…’ 

Aki had always been a good student, but he was keenly aware of just how little of it he had gotten to apply, having gone straight into Public Safety out of high school, and it was a dead cert that he wouldn't get to diversify his career much in the month or two he had left…

“Yeah, Denji’s really been improving!” Reze beamed as she sang her boyfriend's praises, enjoying seeing Denji squirm a little, clearly embarrassed to receive such fulsome praise in front of Aki.

“Geez Reze, I haven’t even passed any of the mocks yet…” Denji grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“She’s right, it’s good you’re making progress,” Aki says, setting the papers back down on the table, “Both of you have long long lives ahead of you. You’ll need to learn a lot to prepare you for it.”

`To prepare you for life when I’m gone`

That’s what Aki was thinking, but couldn’t bring himself to say aloud. There was no point in reminding them of the fact he was on borrowed time, it’d be better for them to just find him dead in his bed some morning than to spend the next few months fretting over him…

It was bad enough he had to worry about that future, in more ways than one.

“Work more on your Maths and Japanese, your scores there are still awful. They’re important,” much to Denji’s chagrin, Aki decided to focus on two of his weaker subjects, “Keep studying and I’ll test you on them next week.”

“Is that supposed to be a reward or somethin’” Denji muttered, face somewhere in between a scowl and a pout. 

Aki almost laughed at the miserable look on his face. He supposed he could throw in a little bit of motivation.

“If you pass I`ll see about taking us all on a trip somewhere nice once we have the free time, deal?”

“Deal!” it was like a switch flipped in the boy, his face lighting up with excitement as Aki smirked. He’d been planning to take them all somewhere anyway, to make some memories. Motivating Denji was just a nice added bonus, and knowing the boy he’d pass with ease now, he always went over and above with the right incentive.

“Good, it's a deal then. Now go check on Power, I want to be sure she’s actually cleaned herself properly and not just done one of her… urghhh… cat baths again…”

As Denji went to check that Power wasn’t slipping back into old habits, Aki’s face hardened as he remembered what he had to do, turning to Reze with chagrin.

The girl, who up to this point had been quietly enjoying watching Denji’s reactions to Aki’s manipulations, now looked back at him curiously. The ex-spy had clearly caught the odd look in his eye, expectantly cocking her eyebrow as if asking ‘Well, what is it?’ 

Aki sighed again before pulling out an envelope from his jacket pocket and holding it out to the girl, hoping that the conflict wasn’t showing on his face. The last thing he’d wanted was to involve any of them, but if what Tendo said was right, and he believed it was, then they were already deep in everything…

“I… have something else for you to read…”

Reze deftly plucked the envelope out of his hands, tearing it open in one smooth motion, and running her eyes over its contents.

Aki had made sure that he included only the information that she would need to know, namely that they wanted her to break into the archives and Public Safety Headquarters and what they wanted her to find: information on Makima’s contracts and anything relating to the Gun Devil and the attacks in Tokyo.

And, of course, instructions to not speak a word of this aloud to a single soul.

On one hand, Reze was sorely tempted to refuse to go along with Aki’s plan, she really had no reason to rock the boat and disturb this cosy life, the last couple of months had easily been some of the happiest and most comfortable of her life, trip to Hell notwithstanding. But…

There were so many things about this situation that set off alarm bells in her head. Why was Public Safety giving them this life? Why had Makima recruited Denji to begin with? Why had Makima let her join up instead of just locking her up somewhere?

She had been given answers to all of these before, but it felt like none of them could stand up to much scrutiny. Sure they were told that Public Safety kept them around because they valued them as assets, but wouldn’t the same have been true for Quanxi?

The old woman had done significantly less damage than Reze herself had, yet Makima had executed the woman and her fiends without as much as a second thought. And in Denji’s case… Well, let's just say that, from what Denji had told her, she didn’t exactly think that Makima just showed up at that warehouse just to hunt a small fry like the Zombie Devil…

She wanted something from Denji, from her… And Reze wanted to know what.

The girl grabs a pen from the desk, quickly scrawling on the back of an envelope and handing it to Aki, “I’ll make sure to give that a read Aki, could help with the exams.”

Reze’s tone was light, but her face was set like a stone as she gave Aki an affirmative nod. He quickly glanced at her hastily written note.

‘I’ll see what I can find, but I expect a full explanation later’

He felt his guts roil, as he looked back up at her stony face, his face a painful mixture of appreciation and regret. He was about to thank her when the bathroom door clicked open again, Denji strolling out, rolling his eyes as he made his way back over to the pair.

“Brace for impact, Powy’s almost done in there.”

Aki grimaced and gave Reze one last pointed look, “Well, it’s getting late, you two should be heading to bed soon. You need to be up early for your patrols tomorrow, got it?”

If the girl had seen his look, she didn’t give any indication of it, instead, she was looking up at Denji, trying to hide her smile as Denji moaned about going to bed early, though Aki was pretty sure the blonde was playing up his reaction for Reze’s sake.

As the pair said goodnight and made their way off to bed, Aki waited in the living room, bracing himself for the inevitable strop Power would throw as soon as she was ordered to bed. And praying that he’d just made the right choice…

“Damn it, my shirt is all stained, why do devils always have to make so much damn mess when ya kill’em?” 

Denji and Reze had just arrived back at headquarters after patrol, having encountered a couple of weak fiends when they were out, which happened to be exactly what had earned Denji’s ire as he looked down at the large red stains on his shirt, already resigned to the fact that it was unsalvageable.

“Only back a day, and I’m already a shirt down…”

“Oh yeah, it's totally ruined alright” Reze replied to the boy's grumblings with a look of sympathy, “It’s honestly pretty fucked up that they take the money to replace them from our pay…” 

It wasn’t the first time that the pair had commiserated with each other over that very fact, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. Thankfully, It never took Denji too long to bounce back from this, a good thing too, since if the two hybrids wept over every ruined piece of clothing they’d be crying all day.

“Eh, ah well” Denji shrugged, deciding to forget about the ruined shirt as he grinned at Reze, “It was awesome how you just made him pop like that, how’d you do it?”

“Didn’t mean to honestly, I was just choking him out, and then ‘pop!’ and there goes his head…” Reze replies, still a little miffed that her regular old chokehold had ended so drastically. Though she supposed that she should’ve expected it, cause if any devil was gonna blow up like that, it’d be the Tomato fiend.

Honestly, she was just glad that none of the mess had gotten on her, it was a minor miracle all things considered…

“Well at least it saved up from havin’ to transform, that would have cost me more than a shirt…”

Reze could only agree with Denji there, after all, she was still grieving the loss of her favorite outfit during her fight with Denji. All she really had clothes-wise these days was a smattering of some simple outfits and her work uniforms. Something that urgently needed to be addressed before they started school.

‘ If we go to school. If.’ Reze reminded herself. They’d been getting pretty excited about the possibility of school life recently, but it was still a big if, she wouldn’t put it past Public Safety or Makima to renege on a promise after all. Especially Makima…

Besides, there was no use in dreaming about the future now, she had a job to do.

“Hey, Denji, I’m gonna run and go fill out the paperwork for that fiend, ‘kay?” Reze said as she promptly stood up with a stretch, “It’ll probably take a while, so you can head on home if you want.”

“I can come with, not like I’m doing anything.”

It wasn’t uncommon for Reze to fill out the paperwork for this type of incident, she was much faster at it than Denji after all, and doing so usually allowed them both to get home early. What was unusual however was Reze doing it by herself. Denji always insisted on waiting for her to finish. He usually ended up falling asleep, but Reze found it sweet all the same.

However, now it was a problem. It would be next to impossible to snoop around if he came with her, and she wouldn’t want to drag him into anything, especially anything regarding Makima. Thankfully she had the perfect excuse on hand.

“Oh, it’s fine, really,” the fake smile came easily to her face as she waved him off, “You can just head on home, besides, you’ll need to bring home Power for Aki since he wasn’t in today. There’s no way we could leave her sitting about while we were both stuck doing paperwork.”

Well, they always say that the best lies have a kernel of truth in them… Leaving Power alone and bored was a combination that would always end in disaster. Of course, they always could’ve taken her with them to do the paperwork, but that idea was likely annoying enough that Denji would dismiss it immediately.

“Hmm…” Denji’s brow furrowed, clearly not all that happy with leaving his girlfriend by herself to do paperwork, before he let out a deflated sigh, “Finnne, I'll go get Powy…”

“Oh don’t pout Denji, I won’t take too long. Promise” she flicks his forehead playfully, “I should be back before dinner, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Denji still looked a little down, that is until an idea hit him, “Ah, I know! How about we head over to the cafe for dinner? We haven’t had one of the old man's currys for a while.”

“Sure, it’s a date”

As Denji left to go and get Power, the promise of a dinner date putting a new spring in his step, Reze felt the smile slowly slip from her face, finally disappearing totally as Denji`s mop of blonde hair fully disappeared around the corner.

‘I better get an explanation for this Aki…’

Reze’s face was hard and emotionless as she quickly made her way down the opposite hallway, sticking closely to the walls and listening out for any voices or footsteps as she went. 

Aki hadn’t given her much information, essentially just telling her what to look for, but she wanted to know why. However, that would have to wait, the man had looked worried, and whilst he was a mother hen at times, he was definitely not one to worry over nothing, especially when it came to Makima. The man had adored the woman not long ago, and now he was arguing with her in her office and asking her to spy on the woman? 

Yeah, something was up, and she was going to find out what.

And so Reze continued making her way through the, honestly, rather mundane halls of Public Safety. Though it may look like any other office in the public sector, especially on the lower floors where the run-of-the-mill employees worked in small offices far removed from the grandeur of Makima’s own. 

It wasn’t long until Reze knew she was getting close to the archives. It was easy to tell simply by the increasing number of cameras she had to avoid as she went. However, that was what was confusing her, the placement of the cameras was sloppy, like it was an afterthought. That paired with the fact that she’d only needed to duck around a corner to avoid a single group of chattering workers really underlined the sub-par security.

On one hand, she found it odd that an institution as famed as Public Safety had such an out-of-date security system, but then again on the other hand it made a weird sort of sense: they had enough firepower in this building to deter most threats, plus it wasn’t as if they were going to keep any top secret documents here. 

Either way, she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As she rounds another corner she finally finds what she’s looking for: the door to the archive. She promptly rolls her eyes upon seeing the lock that was the only barrier between her and her goal.

‘A knob lock, seriously?’ 

It only took her less than a minute to pick the lock, the door swinging open with contemptuous ease. After a quick check for any cameras inside, the spy sauntered inside. 

All-in-all, the room appeared to be akin to a room you’d find in any other office, with rows and rows of filing cabinets dominating the floor space. As she began her search of the nearest cabinet, it didn’t take her long to deduce that the files were organised chronologically, so from there it was just a matter of sifting through the most recent files until she, hopefully, found what she was looking for. 

And then, after skimming through a file from months ago something finally caught her eye, a name: Himeno.

Aki rarely mentioned the woman who she’d gathered had been his partner, and whom she now shared a family name with courtesy of Public Safety, so Reze couldn’t resist reading further. 

Sadly, there wasn’t much more information other than what she already knew relating to the gun attacks, with the only really notable information being what was censored from the document. Though she did feel a pang of guilt when she read through the report on Himeno’s death, this section having been a verbatim report of Aki’s account of her sacrifice. It felt… wrong to her that a killer like her was just given the name of someone who’d so readily laid down their own life.

‘No sense dwelling on that now…’ Reze shook her head with a sigh as she kept reading, eyes scanning down the page until something else caught her eye, ‘Oh… that’s odd…’

Reze’s brow furrowed, this section was censored heavily, but from what she gathered they had taken someone simply referred to as ‘Katana’ into custody, though any hint as to where they had taken him or for what purpose was blotted out.

‘Must be that mafia asshole Denji mentioned. How someone like that became one of us, I'll never know…’

To say that she couldn't care less about the well-being of Katana was an understatement, but what did confuse her was why Makima had disposed of Katana and Quanxi so readily, but offered her a (relatively) cosy job. 

The only difference between them was that Denji, to put it mildly, was that Denji liked her. But she doubted that the woman had ever done anything out of the kindness of her own heart…

Equal parts intrigued and confused, she puts the file back and pulls out the next one, wincing as she sees the title ’The Bomb Girl Incident’. As she read through the reports, her heart sank further and further, the names of the people she had killed were listed in full, and both Public Safety agents and members of the public were listed. It was multiple pages long…

She turned the pages quickly, daring not to read each name, however, if she thought that that would make her feel better, she was dead wrong. 

Whoever had written the report had gone to great lengths to note down every detail of her undercover identity and not just that, but every detail of how she and Denji met, and every one of their meetings in… disturbing detail…

It was like someone had been watching them the whole time…

Her mood had turned from misery to alarm at this point as she quickly scanned through the document, looking for details as the document's pages rapidly filled up with censor bars, then, something caught her eye, and she felt the blood drain from her face.

Bomb was acquired as an asset at 21:33, confirmed to have entered into a contract with *redacted*

Reze’s blood runs cold, the hairs on the back of her neck rising as she breaks out into gooseflesh. She quickly pocketed the page and shoved the folder back into the cabinet, closing it as quickly and quietly as possible, rushing to the door and swinging it shut behind her, panic flooding her system as she carefully retraced her steps, mind swimming with the grim possibilities that single sentence had brought to the fore.

‘A contract?! I don’t remember entering a contract! How in th-’

Reze froze mid-step, eyes wide as the realisation hit her. In all of those documents, everything she’d read, Makima’s name wasn’t in any of them, meaning that it was likely blanket-censored over all documents.

The only person that she’d spoken to after being captured was Makima where they’d made their deal… no…. Their contract, she’d made a contract with Makima, which could only mean that Makima was…

A devil.

‘Need to tell Aki, I just need to get this back to Aki!’ she continued walking, her pace all the faster as her mind raced in panic. Surely, she thought, she should be nearly back at the lobby. But…

Why was she going down this hall, wasn't it the next right?

No, she needed to go the other direction, why was she going this way?

Why was she at the foot of the stairs?

‘Be my tool’

Suddenly she remembered the deal she’d made with Makima, she’d thought it had just been switching one master for another, but it had been so much worse than that. She’d signed herself, body and mind, over to a devil.

‘This is a contract’

She may as well have sold her soul.

“ Oh no… n-no no n-n-no, Oh God… ” Reze could only murmur in a small, pathetic voice as her legs moved by themselves, climbing step after step. Her limbs were leaden, legs stiff as she marched and arms too heavy to raise. It isn’t long before she’s standing in front of a familiar set of double doors, her breathing panicked as she watches her shaking hand unbidden slowly rise and give the rich mahogany door three crisp knocks.

“Enter”

An all too familiar voice rings out from behind the door. It was quiet and soft, almost gentle. Yet there was steel in it, a power that brokered no disagreement. And so Reze made her way in, gently opening the door and even carefully shutting it behind her.

Reze looks at the woman briefly, just long enough to see Makima sitting behind her desk as usual, her chin resting on her clasped hands and smiling that predatory little smile of hers. Reze found that she couldn’t meet those swirling red and orange eyes, quickly breaking her gaze away from the woman’s… no, the devil’s…

She could only stand there, wilting under her gaze. She was sure that if she had control of herself, she’d have been shaking like a leaf, because, for the first time since that room she felt nothing but abject fear.

And then the devil finally spoke.

“Now, be a good girl and fill me in on everything, won’t you?”

She wanted to fight, she wanted to scream, she wanted to run, but she couldn’t. All that came forth was that same small voice.

“Yes, Miss Makima…”

Chapter Text

“So what you’re saying is: she got nothing?” 

It had been a couple of days since Aki had asked Reze to check out the archives for him. He had been so sure that there would’ve at least been something there, however minor it would have been, but the girl had reported back to him that she’d found nothing of any interest.

“That’s what she told me…” Aki said with a sigh. He was disappointed that their search for more information on Makima was bearing no fruit, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved that she hadn’t found anything. After all, the less she knew, the safer she and the others would be.

“Greatttt… Just great…” Tendo groans, possessing none of the secret relief that Aki had, instead leaning back in her chair and covering her face with her hands, “I’m beginning to wonder why that old codger dumped this in our laps to begin with. The only useful information we’ve learnt has come from him …”

“You heard from him recently?” Aki asked. It was true that Kishibe seemed to be the most knowledgeable about all of this by a country mile, so he figured it’d at least be worth asking Tendo if the man had been in touch.

Evidently, if the annoyed gaze she fixed him with was any indication, then he’d asked the wrong question…

“Don’t even get me started on Kishibe” she growled in frustration, “He recruits me and then has the nerve to just keep me in the dark… and he’s always damned busy too!”

“So, all-in-all, we’ve found out nothing we didn’t already know: any knowledge of Makima’s contract or the attacks on Public Safety in Tokyo are either privy only to the highest echelons of the government, or perhaps only to Makima herself.”

They both deflated after Aki gave this verdict, stating what they both already knew: they were out of time.

“The Gun Expedition is coming up soon, it’s likely that me and the others will have to take part in that before I can look into things any further…”

The obvious truth hung in the air like a heavy fog: it wasn’t the matter of taking part, it was the matter of surviving that would be the difficult part. It’s silent for a moment longer as this hangs in the air, only to be suddenly broken as Tendo looks up at Aki from across the table, eyes steely and voice steady.

“I’ll sign myself up for the expedition.”

Aki blinked owlishly before shaking his head, "I appreciate the thought, Tendo, but you don’t have to do that. I wouldn’t want you to do that.”

“It’s only fair,” Tendo’s voice didn’t waver even after Aki’s rebuttal, “You’ve been sticking your neck out for me, working under Makima’s nose, it’s only fair that I return the favour. Besides, if I'm there, maybe your chances…”

She petered off when the possibility of Aki’s death came up again, only this time Aki sighed and smiled at her sadly.

“My chances of surviving don’t matter, Tendo. I’ll be dead in a month or so anyway. I won’t have you risk your life in an attempt to give me another few weeks.”

“Well, what would you have me do, nothing?!” Tendo growled in frustration, “To just sit on the sidelines while you go off to die?”

“Better me than both of us…” Aki replied grimly, before looking her in the eyes, gaze pleading as he continued on, “But you can do something for me: try… try to keep them safe, when I’m not around… Okay?”

“I couldn’t forgive myself if someone else died for my sake. I’ve had enough friends die, so please, Tendo… Promise me you’ll look out for them, that’s all I’ll ask. Please…”

Aki expected more pushback, expected that the scarred woman would continue arguing with him, but instead her defiance crumpled. Her fiery look turned mournful as she realised that he’d made his choice. The pregnant pause continues for a while longer, before Tendo breaks eye contact with a defeated sigh”

“Fine, Aki, fine… I’ll look out for them. I promise…”

“Thanks, Tendo. That’s… That’s a relief,” indeed, it looked like a weight had been lifted off of the man’s shoulders, a relieved sigh escaping from his lips, causing a small, sad smile to come to Tendo’s face.

“Y’know Aki… You're way too kind for your own good…”

Angel was bored stiff.

As it turned out, not having any arms drastically limited what he could do for a pastime. Well, at least on the bright side, it was pretty unlikely that he’d get called up to fight devils on the frontlines again. Though he wouldn’t put it past Public Safety to throw him in there anyway if they thought the threat warranted it.

‘Well, at least I don’t really care about that… ’

After all, Angel had never cared about his own well-being all that much, not for a long time at least, though he couldn’t quite remember when…

Either way, he wasn’t overly concerned about what happened to him, things were awfully boring recently too, with most of his entertainment coming in the form of Aki keeping him company, the man really was to kind for his own good, always going out of his way to visit and take him out of the hospital room Public Safety had shunted him into.

He supposed that the man was the only thing he’d miss if he died, though that’s not saying too much when his only memories were of different Public Safety cells and some fragments of long-forgotten memories: a beach, the sea and sun. A woman, smiling with her hand outstretched…

And yet he couldn’t remember the place, nor when he was there. He couldn’t even recall her name. Why…?

His thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open, the devil turning to look towards the noise, blinking lazily as he saw the familiar figure in the doorway.

“Oh, it’s you.”

Angel’s usually lackadaisical voice was notably tinged with a bit of worry, because Aki looked utterly exhausted, the dark bags under his eyes only highlighted this fact as the man solemnly trudged closer to Angel’s bedside. He’d been up late last night in a foul mood, having finished off his last couple of cans of beer as he’d stewed in worry.

It had been Himeno’s favourite brand too, he’d always admonished the woman for her penchant to turn to the bottle, but after losing so many friends and now having to look out for Denji, Power and Reze, well, he was beginning to understand why she’d done so quite keenly.

It had also led him to wonder just how much of that drinking had been because of him. She had died to protect him, so he could imagine her being as worried about him as he now was for those three kids…

“Yeah, it’s me. Figured I should visit while I still have the chance. The expedition is coming up soon. Very soon…” Aki’s voice was grave as he spoke to an attentive Angel, “And the Future Devil… It said that I’d be killed soon, by Denji…”

“Oh…” Angel’s face falls as Aki delivers the news. He’d known that the man had been dying when they’d met, and that even without having touched him, he didn’t have much time left. Despite this, however, Angel was surprised by the wave of sadness that hit him. It felt somehow both alien and familiar at once.

Angel doesn’t even have time to process this, never mind providing any input, before Aki continues on, as if trying to get out the words as quickly as he can.

“I talked to Captain Kishibe last week, and he accepted my request that you be allowed to form contracts with both the Fox Devil and the Future Devil, rather than being put down.”

If Aki had been looking at Angel as he said this, he would have seen surprise give way to a grateful, yet melancholy look. Angel had assumed the higher-ups would be talking about liquidating him, and what Aki just said seemed to prove that he was right to think so. But to think that he’d been saved from that fate by someone who’d clearly disliked him at the start, and who’d had such a reputation for hating devils…

“You really are a pretty nice guy - totally different from your reputation.”

Aki thought about rebutting that comment for a moment, but quickly decided against it. It would’ve been a hollow denial. He’d hated devils with every fibre of his being until only recently, with Power quickly growing on him despite her foul attitude…

He’d let his hatred of the Gun Devil fuel him for years, ever since his the death of his family, but now he found that that hatred had cooled, and that other things were much more important to him now in the time he had left. And so he told Angel the simple truth.

“I had a change of heart…”

Angel simply hummed in response. It wasn’t an especially pleased or aggravated hum; it was just an… acceptance of sorts. He didn’t especially care about his own life, but he felt he had the responsibility to keep living if Aki felt so strongly about it. 

“Ah…” Angel had a realisation as he turned to look at Aki, an understanding look in his eyes, “I see it was that woman, wasn’t it…”

“What do you mean?”

Angel rolled his eyes at Aki’s obtuseness, “It was your old buddy, wasn’t it? When someone is willing to give their life for you, to hold out a hand and help you at their own cost, it’s almost like you owe them to live and to live for more than yourself…”

“Hmm… know it all…” Aki just grumbled in response, trying to hide the small, sad smile on his face. It’s true that when Himeno sacrificed herself, she’d done so knowing that he’d already cut his own lifespan to a year, but she’d done it anyway. It was only right that he used that time wisely, for her sake and for the others…

They sat like that for a while, a mutual understanding between them as they just sat and enjoyed the companionable silence for a while, the only sound being the beeping of hospital equipment, as they delayed their inevitable final goodbye as long as possible.

Though as it turns out, it would be neither of them who would break the silence as a soft knock rapped the door and it slowly slid open, both of their eyes lighting up in recognition as they saw who was there.

“Reze? What are you doing here?” Aki asked, clearly confused. Reze didn’t exactly interact with Angel much, so he doubted she was there to give him her best wishes.

“What’s wrong?”

Any hope that Aki had that there had just been a minor incident with Power was quickly dashed as he registered the urgency in her eyes.

“Miss Makima has requested to see you and Angel at once,” her voice had that usual tinge of nervousness to it that Aki had always noticed crept in when she talked about Makima, “It… sounded pretty urgent…”

‘Great… Just what I needed…’ Aki frowned, Makima summoning them like this with no notice? Something was wrong here… On the bright side, at least it was unlikely that they had been discovered snooping around, after all, Reze had given no real sign to the contrary. Considering how Makima had recruited Reze, he couldn’t exactly blame her for being nervous around her.

“Do you have any idea what this is about?” Aki asked Reze, but the girl just shrugged helplessly, rubbing her arm nervously..

“I have no more of an idea than you. I was just ordered to fetch you guys…” With that, she turned to leave, looking over her shoulder as she left, “They have a car waiting out by the front. I’ll see you out there, try to be quick. I want this over and done with as quickly as possible…”

Aki’s brow furrowed as the door slid shut behind her. It was hard not to feel suspicious of the timing of this impromptu meeting, and the fact that Makima had chosen Reze to deliver the news after he and Tendo had asked her to look for information for them set off alarm bells in his head. However…

It’s not like they had any choice but to go along with it; it was a catch-22 if he’d ever seen one. 

Besides, he couldn’t make Reze return to Makima empty-handed; he’d asked a lot of her despite knowing that she was terrified of Makima when he’d asked her to help them. That’s without even mentioning that the girl’s survival was essentially permitted at Makima’s pleasure at the end of the day.

“You said that you got visions from the Future Devil, maybe that woman could help?”

Angel was quick to add another reason to go along and see Makima to the growing pile. Whilst Aki doubted that she would be of much help or whether he would even accept any help that she offered, if there was any outside possibility of preventing that future…

“Right, let’s get going…”

The silence of this car ride was beginning to unnerve Aki.

Ever since they’d met up with Reze and the driver in the hospital reception, neither Reze nor the driver had said anything more than a curt “Get in”. This had then continued throughout the drive, with both Aki and Angel settling on watching the scenery outside the window as it passed them by, the bustling streets of Tokyo slowly giving way to suburbs and, finally, the countryside.

Eventually, the black Toyota Century brought them to what looked like an old abandoned seaside town. Oddly, everything looked well-maintained. There was no sign of any devil attacks that were often the biggest reason for settlement abandonment, instead it looked lived in, yet utterly deserted.

It isn’t long before the car rolls to a halt, and Reze turns around for the first time in the whole journey.

“This is our stop.”

She didn’t need to tell Aki or Angel twice, as they both immediately got out of the vehicle, almost feeling exhausted from the suffocating silence, with Reze quickly following suit as she got out of the passenger door. The driver didn’t wait around long, tearing off as soon as Reze’s door clicked shut behind her.

“Why’s he in such a rush…?“ Angel mused, head cocked to one side as he looked down the road as the car rapidly faded into the distance.

“Who knows…?” Aki, meanwhile, frowned as he replied. None of this seemed normal, and it was quickly putting him on edge. The abandoned seaside resort wasn’t helping matters either. If it had looked deserted from the car, but it was even worse standing out here in the open: it would have been dead silent if not for the gentle ringing of the wind chimes in the light breeze.

“Reze, where is-”

Aki turned to ask Reze where Makima was, but stopped mid-sentence as he realised the girl had already started walking away from them and towards a sloping concrete pathway that led down towards the beach. The hybrid only looked over her shoulder again briefly, her eyes oddly… cold…

“Miss Makima said she’d be waiting down below on the beach, c’mon.”

And so Angel and Aki both followed the girl down the slope. She had gotten a decent head start on them and seemed to be making little to no effort to wait for them, leaving the two buddies to talk between themselves as they made their way down the incline.

“I don’t know her all that well, but isn’t she usually a bit more talkative?” Angel is the first to speak, probing Aki about the girl’s aloofness. 

“She’s a lot like Power in that way, she’s always been on edge around Makima” Aki just sighed and looked at the girl guiltily, “Put those three kids in a room and it’s impossible to get them to shut up, but around Makima? Power starts sweating bullets, and Reze… she just… closes in on herself…”

“Rightly so”, Angel quickly answers, only to blink in surprise at how easily the reply had slipped from his lips. It was as if he had a near instinctual certainty that that woman was to be feared. He frowned, wincing as a piercing headache struck him, quickly disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, like a lightning bolt directly through his head.

The beach, the waves… Why did it feel so familiar?

“Are you alright?” Aki asked, looking at the small devil with worry. Angel, in turn, just shook his head.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just… deja vu, I guess…”

They were down the slope and on the beach now, their steps sinking into the soft sand as they made their way across the shore, that is until Angel stopped suddenly, with Aki following suit as soon as he realised, quickly turning to face the devil, who had turned his gaze out towards the ocean..

“What’s wrong?” Aki asked, “Another headache?”

“No, no. Nothing like that… It’s just…” Angel looked back at Aki, a strange mix of curiosity and worry on his face. “You seem wary of her now, but… why did you ever like Makima in the first place?”

Aki’s eyes widened at the question. The man was reeling as the question struck him like a hammer. Why had he liked Makima?? He… couldn’t think of a single reason. She was an attractive enough woman, sure, but that couldn’t be the only reason…

As he racked his brain for an answer, he froze as another face entered his mind: Himeno. He’d spent years trying to please Makima, doing every thankless job for her with a smile and a ‘Yes ma’am’, and while he did this, Himeno had waited for him patiently.

She hadn’t liked working at Public Safety all that much by the time he became her partner; hell, when she was deep in her cups, there were times when she’d say something about Makima laced with so much venom it would take him aback. And yet… she’d still waited for him, periodically bringing up the idea of leaving Public Safety and going private, only to have him shoot her down again and again. And for what?

Because of some nebulous feelings for Makima, feelings he couldn’t even describe or give a singular reason for?

Feelings he no longer had. Feelings he wasn’t sure had ever even existed…

“I… don’t know…” 

Aki looked shell-shocked as he replied to the devil, the man looking out to the ocean with a mournful expression, regret in his eyes, before he quickly turned on his heel and began walking solemnly towards their destination once more. 

Maybe coming here had been a mistake, but if there was even the smallest chance Makima could answer his questions, give him any answers at all, then he had to at least try.

And so, they continued on, and it wasn't long before Makima came into view.

At first, she was little more than a speck on the horizon, then a vague figure of red and black. And now she was a few metres out in front of them, standing in the shallows of the sea.

Unusually for the staid, business-like woman, she had forgone her usual workwear of a shirt and business slacks and instead had opted for a simple yet elegant flowing black dress, as if she were here for a special occasion.

Aki and Angel made their way over to stand by Reze on the edge of the sand. The girl didn’t seem to notice their arrival, her eyes focused on the woman in the surf, neither dared to speak, feeling as if some heavy pressure was on their chest as they too simply waited in silence with Reze, nervously waiting for the woman to acknowledge their presence.

“It shouldn’t be long now…”

It had sounded like the woman had been talking to herself, yet the sound had carried over to them with ease over the sound of the gently lapping waves, and then the spell of silence was broken as she turned to her side, looking at them from the corner of her eye.

“Are you talking about us?”

With that, she turned to face them outright, her eyes meeting Aki’s own. For a moment, the man was captivated; the woman’s fiery eyes and hair clashing magnificently with the pitch-black dress, it was an almost ethereal visage.

But then it was broken when he noticed her smile. It wasn’t serene or kind. It was cold, mocking.

Knowing.

His blood ran cold at that moment. As her otherworldly eyes bored into him, into his soul, he felt as if he was frozen in place.

“I believe you have some questions for me, Hayakawa.”

“I-” Aki began to speak, but found his mouth had dried up. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, “I wanted to ask you about… about my visions. I want to know if they can be avoided. And... I just want them to be safe…”

The woman just stares at him for a moment, the silence again deafening until Makima blinks owlishly, and cocked her head to the side ever so slightly, a small, amused smile creeping onto her face.

“That wasn’t what I meant, Hayakawa” Her smile only widened as Aki blinked in surprise, taking a small, involuntary step back. “You wanted to know my contract, correct?”

“Ho-” Aki gasps before his eyes narrow, any remaining pretence that this was normal conversation has been dropped. This was a trap.

“How did you know that?”

“Hmmm… I thought you might have put that together already…” Makima frowned, her look akin to that of a disappointed mother, “It was quite easy, really. You’re too soft, Hayakawa. You grew a soft spot for my little tool, and all it took was giving her your partner's name and then letting Denji wear you down.”

Makima’s gaze doesn’t leave Aki’s as she motions her hand to Reze, Aki’s head swings around in panic as he watches as Reze makes her way over to them. His stomach lurched as he saw her blank face and dull eyes.

“What have you done to her!?” Aki snapped, teeth gritted as he found that he still couldn’t bring himself to move forwards, stuck fuming powerlessly as Reze came to a stop by Makima’s side, facing Aki and a clearly confused and alarmed Angel.

“Well, dear Reze here was more than happy to tell me all about you and Tendo’s little investigation,” Makima purred as she circled behind Reze, looping her arms around her neck and resting her chin on her shoulder, “As for what I’ve done to her? Nothing that she didn’t agree to when she entered my employment.”

She separates from Reze again and gently strokes her cheek, watching her with a dispassionate, detached expression.

“Now, Reze, be a good girl and hurry back home to Denji, will you?” 

“Reze! Stop! Snap out of it already!!” 

Aki shouted to the girl, but to no avail. His attempts to get her to listen, to snap out of it, were all futile. By the time Reze had disappeared from sight, Aki’s voice was hoarse. He turned back to Makima, his eyes alight with fury.

“Any more questions, Hayakawa?”

He wanted to curse her out, ask what she had done to Reze, and ask her to let her go. But as he looked at her face, he knew that it would be pointless to do so. She may be offering to answer his questions, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she would only answer precisely what she wanted to answer, and in exactly the way she wanted to answer it.

And so, Aki took a deep breath and asked his question.

“Did you have anything to do with the gun attacks? The ambush on Kurose and Tendo?!”

Makima just smiles that same steady smile of hers and tuts in disappointment.

“Ah, yes, Tendo… Such a suspicious woman, always barking at shadows. That they were ambushed was a pure coincidence, a shame too, Tendo would have been of much use here. So troublesome…”

“As for the gun attacks? Well… they’re of little consequ-.”

“Little consequence!? My friends, your employees, all died! Himeno died! Do you not care at all!?” Aki interrupted her mid-reply, voice quaking with anger as he stepped towards Makima.

“Himeno…” Makima’s head tilts again, a small frown coming to her face as if remembering something bothersome, “Yes, Himeno, she was a troublesome woman too. To be expected of one of Kishibe’s students, of course…”

She then looks at Aki curiously, before realisation flashes across her face, and, for a brief moment, annoyance.

“It even looks like she played a part in waking you up, troublesome, even in death… Though much too late, all the same.”

At that, Aki lunges at her with a growl, only to freeze as a voice that had been quiet up till this point finally spoke up.

“Aki, stay away from her! She’s a devil!”

Everything froze. It was as if all the moisture had been sucked out of the air, both Aki and Makima were now looking at Angel, one in shock and the other with interest.

“Ah, so you remember then?”

The answer to Makima’s question was clear. Angel’s eyes were wide with fear, sweat beaded his brow as he looked at Makima with a look of equal parts fear and loathing. He remembered everything, his blissful life on that island, surrounded by his friends, with… her.

And he remembered the day it all ended, a red-haired woman with flaming eyes, a contract…

Her eyes looked up at him, lifeless, as he held her hand one last time…

“So you’ve both woken up now…” Makima seemed uncaring of the distraught pair in front of her for a moment, before that signature calm smile came to her face once again, this time though, there was an air of satisfaction to it as her gaze bored into Aki’s eyes, “That means we do away with the pretenses at least.”

“Hayakawa, a world free of the Gun Devil would be a gift to mankind. Put simply, removing it from the board will make the world safer for humans and for those you care about, too.”

“The current situation is untenable; it’s an unstable security dilemma between the great powers of the world. Help me get rid of it, Hayakawa, help me take the first step to making a better world.”

“Make a contract with me.”

Her gaze doesn’t break from Aki, as she smiles that cold, dead smile, her eyes intense and unblinking as she proposes her deal to Aki, who was currently rooted to the spot, his internal conflict playing out on his face.

“ Hayakawa .”

Aki looked up, surprised to hear Makima speak in a tone very different from usual: it was primal and authoritative, calm and steely, brokering no argument. And as he met her eyes, everything started to fall into place.

“ This is an order. Say you’ll make a contract .”

He knew he shouldn’t trust Makima, everything she had said, he should hate, he DOES hate her, and yet…

Those words reverberated inside his mind, and what she’d said about a world free of the Gun Devil… Was that not what he’d always wanted? Was it not what he’d been fighting for since that day?

But, no… He’d chosen to leave that behind, chosen to live for something that wasn’t just base vengeance. He’d chosen that, for the remaining time left of his life, that he’d make sure that he’d keep the kids safe.

But if Makima could keep them safe, wouldn’t any price be worth paying?

“Aki, no! Don’t!”

As a haze descended over Aki’s eyes, Angel leapt into action, summoning a large sabre, and grasping it tightly with his teeth, darting towards the woman faster than a human eye could follow.

But Makima was no mere human.

Angel crashed to the ground as soon as he was within an inch of her neck, pinned down by an invisible weight: oppressive and inescapable. In an instant, he was completely helpless, sword dropping from his mouth as he coughed, the gentle waves lapping into his face making the immobilised devil struggle for breath.

With the other devil neutralised, Makima turned her attention back to Aki. The fight had left him, she could tell. There was no resistance on his face, just that empty look she’d grown so accustomed to, as well as something else: desperation.

And that’s what she heard in his voice as he spoke the words that she’d been waiting for.

“Makima, I will give you all of me, so please… Denji, Power and Reze… Please keep them safe…”

Aki looked down at the surf after that, desperate and defeated, whilst Angel looked on helplessly as Makima approached Aki and smiled a smile that would have been as sweet as can be, if not for those dangerous eyes, and the crystal clear self-satisfaction in her voice as she responded to Aki one last time.

“Very well, Hayakawa. It’s a contract.”

“The Control Devil?! What do you mean she’s the goddamn Control Devil?!”

Kishibe closed his eyes as Tendo began her tirade. By the time his sources had delivered the information to him, it had been too late for the Hayakawa boy. A damn shame, he was a good kid, but he figured it’d happen one day.

He’d been far too sane to last…

And now, Kishibe had to face the music from his newest protege; it was only fair. He’d gotten them involved, so they were both his responsibility, and so he sat there and weathered the storm of Tendo’s rage. Honestly, though, at this age, he’d seen so many die, heard from so many grieving friends and family, that it just sort of washed over him. Rather than the sharp pain and anguish it caused him when he’d first started out, it all just piled up, a single uncomfortable feeling in his gut, no longer as painful as it was, but now near-omnipresent: an inescapable guilt on his conscience. 

He’d heard that the Angel Devil had disappeared from his hospital room earlier today, and he hadn’t been able to get through to Aki no matter how many times he’d called. At this point, it was pretty clear to him what had happened.

Seeing that the man was lost in his own thoughts, or simply waiting until she was done, Tendo scoffed in anger, “Fine then! You said that Makima was spotted at that resort near Oarai, right?”

Kishibe didn’t speak; he only looked up at her neutrally as she stood up and threw on her jacket.

“I’m going! I can’t just leave him t-!”

Tendo didn’t get to finish her declaration, her face quickly meeting the ground as Kishibe kicked her crutch out from under her, the woman tumbling to the ground in a heap as Kishibe stood up. 

“If Makima is doing what we suspect she’s doing, then he’s already dead.”

When he spoke, his voice was grim and tired, the grizzled devil hunter sounding every bit his age.

“I have no intention of letting another talented devil hunter throw their lives away for nothing. All we can do now is prepare. If we want to stop her, then I’ll need every little bit of help I can get. And then some…”

At this point, Tendo is biting her lip so hard that she almost draws blood, stewing on the floor in impotent anger, as Kishibe holds out a hand to her.

“So, what do you say?”

She was sorely tempted to tell the man to stick it, to yell at him until her throat was hoarse. But she knew he was right, even as it pained her. If Aki was truly already gone, then what sense was there in needlessly following him when she could instead avenge him?

Besides, she’d made Aki a promise…

And so, she reached up and grasped the old hunter’s waiting hand and hauled herself to her feet, meeting Kishibe’s gaze with her own, one filled with fiery anger and steely determination.

“As long as that bitch is dead at the end of this, then you have a deal.”

Kishibe gave a small smile at that, it was hollow and didn’t quite reach his eyes, but the relief was clear in his voice.

“Good, good. We need all the help we can get…”

Because he didn’t know exactly what Makima wanted, but whatever it was, he was sure that it would be nothing good for mankind. Because, if he knew one thing about Makima and her methods, then it was this:

She’d gladly make a desert and call it peace…

Makima made her way through the lapping water calmly and with purpose, walking towards the incapacitated Angel Devil as the hem of her dress trailed behind her. She was glad she wore it today, it was one of her favourite outfits, and it was so rare that she got to wear it too. But she just had to wear something presentable for an occasion like this.

Now that she thought about it, it was a nearly identical position to when she’d first recruited him on that backwater island. She’d be lying if she claimed it was purposeful, but the irony was palpable as she kneeled down next to him and extracted that very same promise she’d gotten from him all those years ago.

She had planned to have him here on this day ever since she had laid eyes on him, ever since she had seen what his ability could do on that island. She had been sure to make sure that he had more than enough years to make use of for this very day.

In the end, she doesn’t even wait to hear the devil repeat the words she knew he’d say, instead making her way back out into the shallows, fixing a pensive gaze on the horizon as she let her mind wander.

In some ways, she felt regretful of Hayakawa’s coming sacrifice. He was a human after all, and she truly cared for humanity, its creations, its civilisation. But it was a necessary evil. To save mankind from what is to come, many more would need to die.

Then she felt something in the air change: a faint humming noise, barely perceptible, ringing through the air. She sniffed the air and frowned.

Ozone and gun smoke.

“It seems that the operation to kill the Gun Devil is now meaningless, even as a bluff.” Makima said, speaking more to herself than anything, “It’s a shame, we are now on course for the outcome that will cause the greatest loss of life.”

She stated this as a matter-of-fact, sounding totally unsurprised at this turn of events, yet her voice still carried a clear undertone of disappointment. Her gaze remained fixed out to the sea as she watched and waited.

The humming was getting louder and louder now, reaching a fever-pitch as her contacts gathered around her: Angel, Hayakawa, Sawatari, Kurose and Princi. All the tools she’d need to defeat the Gun Devil, all here to serve her, both in life and in death.

The Gun Devil was surely carving a bloody path of destruction across the globe by now. It was typical of the Americans to stand against her like this, so predictable. They’d rather unleash carnage in defence of their precious freedom than accept what is best for mankind.

The humming stops, and all is silent for a moment as the Gun Devil appears, the creature having been travelling so quickly that it looked as if it had just blinked into existence above the bay. It was eerily silent as the creature’s blind gaze scanned the beach, its gaze finally settling on Makima and her entourage.

It was a grotesque sight, a disgusting creature of colossal proportions, made of countless guns fused together with dark flesh, its head a giant rifle, its maw was all razor sharp teeth the size of houses and its face looked as if it was an amalgamation of its victims, all crying out in silent anguish.

‘What a perverse abomination,’ Makima thought in disdain, ‘Such a crude creation, I can see why it would be my sister's favourite…’

And then she smiled, it would be a pleasure to defeat even this smaller part of War here today.

The smile never leaves her face even after the silence is broken by a sharp crack, and the first bullet punches through her skull, cracking bone and shearing through her head, leaving a clean hole in its wake.

But she doesn’t fall, instead streams of blood reverse their flow, straight back into her head, the shattered shards of bone meld back together and the skin heals, leaving not a single blemish behind as evidence of Makima’s twenty-ninth death. The only sign of the injury left was the fleshy mockery of a halo that now hovered over Makima’s head.

Her smile was darker now, all grim self-satisfaction and superiority as her contracts spread out at her sides, the woman outstretching a hand to the heavens as the humming restarted and cracks began to ring out through the air.

It wouldn’t be long before she stood on this beach as the victor, standing as the lone salvation of mankind. 

And so the first seal was broken; and the Control Devil set forth to conquer and to bring mankind to heel in an eternal peace. 

Chapter Text

It was all coming in flashes. Images were playing in front of her eyes like a slideshow she couldn’t rip her eyes away from. It almost felt as if someone was holding her head in an iron grip, forcing her to watch those same horrific images again and again.

She saw Aki’s face, panicked and calling out to something, someone; yet she couldn’t hear a word he was saying, it was as if the wind was carrying his voice away from her. 

And then there were flashes of colour, rapid and nauseating. They drilled into her head with no mercy. The glaring flashes of red and yellow swirling together into a disgusting mixture, a migraine forming as her head thrummed in pain.

And then her vision went dark, and instead of those sickening images, it was her other senses' turn to be assaulted.

First, it was the subtle smell of salt tickling her nose, a pleasant smell, yet it made her stomach twist and writhe all the same. She could hear the sounds of waves peacefully lapping on the shore, but this did little to calm her.

Because another sound was getting louder and louder, an infernal, inescapable humming. It had started off as a barely noticeable noise, masked by the waves, to a noise akin to an irritating bug buzzing around her head.

But now? Now it had increased in pitch and timbre a hundredfold, pulsing around her, her ears aching as it became all-encompassing.

And then new smells hit her nose: gunpowder and brimstone.

And blood. That familiar smell, the familiar metallic coppery smell she had gotten to know so well, was everywhere in the air as if it were in a fine mist all around her.

‘You know what to do’

A voice, soothing and calm, pierced crisply through the humming, equal parts soothing and calm and yet chilling. It sent a bolt of dread straight to her core.

And then the other voices came, they were faint, she thought she heard Aki’s name, calls of horror and the distinctive noise of what could only be gunfire. As the noise only grew louder and the voices blended together into an unintelligible cacophony, she felt her throat constrict in panic. She desperately wanted an escape, but there seemed to be none forthcoming; just an endless void.

However, as the thrumming began to reach a fever pitch, a lone voice cut through the noise like a hot knife through butter.

“Reze!”

There was chink of light in the darkness now.

“Reze!

The noise was fading now.

“Reze!”

And she felt the constrictions on her limbs release; she could move again! The small flicker of light was blinding now as the sound disappeared, the only sound now being that same pleasant voice calling out her name.

And then, her eyes finally shot open.

“GAHACK-!”

“ARAGH-!”

When Reze woke up, she had instantly sprung up from where she was lying, desperate to move after the terrifying paralysis of her nightmare. However, unfortunately for her and her unlucky boyfriend, Denji had been leaning over her, worried, only to get headbutted straight in the face for his trouble.

The aftermath of this was that Reze was laid back on the sofa she had just shot up from once again, groaning in pain, whilst Denji was writhing in pain on the ground, clutching his nose, all whilst the grating noise of Power’s laughter filled the air as she made her way to her room, howling as she went.

“Gaahhhhahahaha! You idioooots!”

It didn’t take Denji long to recover as he rolled into a sitting position on the ground, pointedly ignoring Power’s cackling from across the room as he tenderly checked his nose to make sure it wasn’t broken.

“You okay, Denji…?”

He looked up after giving his nose one last experimental prod, his eyes meeting those of Reze. Who was looking down at him from the sofa with an apologetic smile.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s all good… Are… are you alright though?” Denji asked, the worry was clear on his face, even as Reze’s face twisted in confusion.

“What do you mean? I was just sleeping, I mean, I think I was having a bit of a nightmare but…”

“You were tossing around all over the place, murmuring and stuff. It looked like a pretty bad one; you even had Powy worried.” 

However, if Denji was hoping for any light to be shed on Reze’s nightmare, then he was sorely disappointed as Reze strained to try and remember what the nightmare had been about, only for it to slip from her mind like grains of sand through her fingers.

“It’s weird… I don’t remember what it was about really, I think I remember there being a beach, but that’s about it…” and it was indeed very odd, the only time Reze had even been on a beach was when she and Denji had washed up on one after they had sunk together to the bottom of Tokyo bay, and she wouldn’t exactly call that a bad memory…

“Don’t worry, Denji, it’s nothing, really!” Reze says to the worried blonde, sitting up and stretching as Denji also got up from the floor, “Besides, I can’t even remember it, so it mustn't be anything that important.”

“Well, if you say so…” Denji clearly wasn’t convinced, though he decided to shrug it off as something came to his mind, “Ah yeah, I know that feeling. I always have this same old dream. I wouldn’t call it a nightmare or anythin’, but I can never remember it when I wake up.”

Reze quickly stood up and wrapped her arms around Denji in a quick hug, before separating and looking up at him with a small, genuine smile.

“It may have been nothing, Denji, but… thanks for worrying about me, it’s… It’s nice to have someone who cares that much. And, sorry about the nose…” Her smile turns uncharacteristically sheepish as her eyes drift to Denji’s nose, which at this point was starting to swell.

“You don’t need to thank me for that, all I did was wake you up…” Denji replied, his eyes looking off top the side, the boy clearly embarrassed by his girlfriend’s sincere praise, “And don’t worry about the nose, it’s not broken or anything, little bit of ice on it and it’ll be good as new.”

“Oh geez… To look upon such a… sickly scene… Disgusting!”

The tender moment between the couple was interrupted by Power walking back into the room, the fiend clearly having decided that continuing to tease her two housemates would be much more entertaining than anything else she could be doing right now.

“Ah, I suppose it's only right that you two clumsy humans find comfort in each other. If I did something so embarrassing, I’d never recover!”

When Power finished her crowing, she soon realised that both of the resident hybrids were now looking at her, and both were decidedly unamused that the fiend had interrupted their moment.

“Power.” Reze was the first to speak, looking at the devil imperiously as a devious smile spread across her lips, “Go to your room, now.”

“Wha- Who do you think you are!? To order me arou-”

“Power!” the fiend’s outraged fuming was interrupted by Reze, the proud devil being shocked into silence out of pure indignation, “Go to your room, now. Or I’ll tell Aki that you did that to Denji’s nose.”

“Bu-bu-but… But you did that!” Power shouted, pointing at Reze, voice filled with disbelief, but Reze’s smirk only grew.

“Well then, let’s ask the victim”, she looks to Denji, who by this point looked just as smug as his girlfriend, “So, Denji. What happened to your nose again? I didn’t quite see.”

“Well, I was just doing some studyin’ and Powy just came outta nowhere and socked me.”

“Betrayer!” Power looked at Denji in shock, shakily pointing at him, “Topknot will never believe that! He will see through t-these obvious lies!”

“Hmmm… I don’t know…” Denji replies smugly, arms crossed, “He’s still preeettyyy mad ‘bout you tossing your dinner all over the place the other night, I think he’d be pretty easy to convince…”

“So, Powyyyy, what’ll it be?” Reze says, taunting the fiend with her pet name, eyebrows raise expectantly, “Will you be a good girl and head to bed, hmmm?”

Power stood there for a moment in shock, her mouth flapping wordlessly as she looked between Denji and Reze, before she finally wilted under their satisfied gazes. Slouching and making her way back to her room, muttering about conspiracies and the unfairness of it all as she slunk off, sullenly scooping up a protesting Meowy as she retreated to her den.

Now alone again, the couple made themselves comfortable on the sofa, nestling up to one another as Denji clicked on the television, the news being the first thing to come on.

“Hmmm… musta been a devil attack…”

Reze could only agree with Denji’s assessment as they watched the constant stream of feel-good stories playing, with every presenter having that same, nearly pained, smile on their faces. Clearly something bad was going on, though she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face, nor the pride that she felt upon seeing her boyfriend wise up a little. He’d come a long way from the naive boy she’d met in the pouring rain all those months ago.

“Well, haven’t you wised up?” Reze teased, before taking a more serious tone, “But yeah… When the talking heads on the news start acting all cheerful, that only means one thing: they’re trying to avoid a panic…”

It was a fact that put both the teens on edge, after all, according to what Makima told them prior to the whole incident with the assassins, half of the reason she was sent after Denji was to break Public Safety’s media cordon sanitaire around ‘Chainsaw Man’.

To see the relentless spinning of the media right now could only mean Public Safety was working overtime to keep something under wraps…

“Hmmm… Well, never mind that for now, I’m sure Aki’ll fill us in if it’s important,” Denji said breezily before he remembered something he had been meaning to ask Reze since he’d got into the flat.

“Oh yeah! I was meanin’ to ask, where were you earlier? When I went into work, no one knew where you were. I couldn’t even find Aki to ask him either.” Denji asked, having been wondering about her whereabouts all day, until he found her having a fitful sleep in the living room.

“Oh, I was just…” Reze began to answer, but her face screwed up, “I was…”

The girl tried again, wracking her brain trying to remember what she had done today, where she had been. But she came up blank.

“I… I don’t remember, actually. That’s… really weird…”, the confusion was clear to hear in her voice as she raised a hand to her head, as she felt a migraine coming on. She assumed that she had gone to work at some point; after all, she was still dressed in her uniform and everything, yet she couldn’t remember a single detail of her day. It was as if she’d fallen asleep last night and only just woken up…

She did feel pretty tired. Maybe she passed out or something, and Aki dropped her back home?

“That’s not normal at all. Are you sure you’re alright? I could give Aki a call?”

“No, it’s fine, really” Reze assuaged his concerns, seeing no sense in worrying him further; besides, she was positive Aki would tell them when he got home. Though speaking of which…

“Wait, you said you hadn’t seen Aki today?” 

Reze hadn’t paid much heed when Denji had said that he couldn’t find Aki, but it was nearly dinner time, and it was very odd for him not to have arrived home by now. The man always tried to get home in time to cook dinner, and if he couldn’t make it, he’d always call ahead to let them know and tell them to take some money from his drawer for a take-out.

“Yeah, I haven’t been able to reach him on the phone, and he wasn’t at work.” There was a faint trace of worry on his face, a rare sight for the usually laid back boy, “It’s odd, he said he’d come in right after seein’ that Angel chi- dude…”

And then the doorbell rang.

Both Denji and Reze jolted slightly in surprise as the piercing electronic ring of the doorbell interrupted them. Between the news and Aki’s radio silence, neither had realised just quite how on edge they were.

“Oh, that must be Aki now!” 

Denji’s hand was just reaching out for the doorknob when he froze, the noise of the droning electronic doorbell interrupted by something else: a small, worried voice that only he could hear, one that he hadn’t heard for a long time and thought he may never have heard again.

‘Denji…’

And for a split second, it was in front of him. That old door that haunted his dreams on those bad nights, the one he always forgot as soon as his eyes shot open, the vision eerily detailed, and yet…

So many details were unclear, from the fliers plastered to the door, which he couldn’t make out a word of, to the lack of an address. But still, the sight of it made his stomach drop all the same.

‘Don’t open it.’

And just like that, in a single blink, it was gone, and Denji was left staring at the apartment door, his outstretched hand dropping back to his side as the sinking feeling in his gut just got worse and worse.

Something wasn’t right…

“What’s wrong, aren’t you going to open it?” Reze asked as she warily walked up the hallway behind him. Though not as distressed as Denji, the girl clearly had a similar feeling about whatever was behind that door; that same instinct deep in her gut that was telling her that something was very, very wrong.

The two hybrids stayed like that for a moment longer, even as the doorbell rang incessantly, echoing through the silent room.

“I could just…” Reze started, hesitantly reaching her hand out towards the doorknob, only for Denji to grab her wrist, an oddly panicked look on his face. 

“Don’t…”

Denji held her wrist tightly for a moment more, the unease painted all over his face as he eyed the door warily. Denji only seemed to snap out of this trance when the droning sound of the doorbell was spliced with another sound: the piercing ring of the apartment's landline.

Quickly releasing Reze’s wrist from his grip, the pair shared a knowing look; they both felt it, that instinct that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

“Go on,” Reze said with a reassuring nod, before turning back to the door, her face going grim, “I’ll keep an eye on the door.”

Power could only look on in confusion as Denji quickly made his way to the phone, the bewildered fiend only becoming more confused as Reze stood stock-still facing the door, her finger slowly looping through the pin on her neck and freezing in place there, her trigger finger steady: akin to that of a well-trained soldier. 

Power closed her eyes and gave the air a sniff, and then another, only to open them again, her target-like eyes having turned into pools of confusion.

“But… why aren’t we opening it…?” Power questioned, her head cocked to the side like a confused animal. However, Denji didn’t hear her puzzled murmur, having just picked up the receiver, his palm cold with sweat as he gripped it tightly, only to be greeted by a near-impenetrable wall of static from the other side.

But after a few seconds, a familiar voice broke through the static.

“Denji, have you seen the news?”

He’d recognise that voice anywhere: Miss Makima. He found that the gnawing sensation in his gut began to recede as her soothing voice hit his ear.

“Miss Makima… No, I haven’t heard anything, we were actually sayin’ the news was weirdly quiet…”

“I’ll give you the short version” The woman didn’t wait for Denji to continue; instead, she simply went into her explanation. She spoke clinically, as if she were reading off a mission brief.

“The Gun Devil appeared without warning. We failed to defeat it.”

“It took over a dead body and got away.”

“That Gun Fiend is now ringing your doorbell.”

Even if Makima had stopped long enough for him to respond, Denji didn’t think that he would be able to; he felt a cold sweat bead on his forehead as the pit in his stomach opened up into a chasm beneath him.

The doorbell hadn’t stopped ringing.

“T-this has to be a joke, Miss Makima… Right…?” Denji finally managed to force out, his voice shaky. Surely Makima was just pulling a prank on him, right? After all, why the hell would that Gun Fiend come to their house? That would make no sense at all… 

It was still ringing…

“But.. Why would it even come here, Miss Makima? That-”

“Denji… “

The boy went silent again as Makima spoke his name again. Usually, he’d have quite enjoyed Makima saying his name over the phone, with that soft voice of hers tickling his ear. But this wasn’t that same voice; it was harsher, and it almost felt like a command.

“This time you don’t need to think about anything while you fight.”

And with that, the line went dead. She didn’t wait for a response, nor did she answer his question. He was just left holding the phone to his ear, the only reply being the droning of the dial tone. 

He laughs nervously as he puts the phone back in place, accidentally slamming it down with a clatter, startling Power and making Reze turn back to him, eyes questioning.

“That was Makima?” Reze’s voice was tense as her eyes flicked between Denji and the door, her finger not moving from its place curled around her pin, “So… what’d she say?”

“I… I think she was joking, I mean…” Denji laughed nervously as he trailed off, whilst Reze looked on in concern, “She said that the Gun Fiend was at the door… But that’s not possible, right? Right?”

Denji looked to Reze, hoping that she would confirm that this was all just a joke, but she had already swung back around to face the door, somehow even more tense than before.

“I don’t think Miss Makima is one for jokes, especially about something like this…” Reze murmured back grimly as Denji made his way to stand next to her.

“No! Makima must be mistaken!” Power chirped from her spot behind the corner, tapping her nose knowingly, “It’s just Aki, I’d recognise that smell anywhere!”

Denji and Reze looked at each other, the dread clear on both their faces, as if both had realised that their worst assumptions had all of a sudden become all too real.

“Power!” Denji barked urgently, “Take Meowy and go out on the balcony!”

“But wh-!”

“Just do what I say!” Denji snapped, having grown tired of arguing with her, “Stay out there until I say so, got it?!”

For a moment, it looked like the fiend was going to argue with him, but her annoyance quickly faded into a pout as she realised just how serious Denji was. Usually, Denji would at least humour her, but now he was barely even paying her any attention, instead remaining completely focused on the apartment door and whoever, or whatever, wanted in.

“Fine… c’mon Meowy…” Power quickly scooped up the cat and made her way out to the balcony, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. Why were Denji and Reze so worked up about the door? She’d already told them that it was just Aki…

But as she slid the balcony door shut, she couldn’t help but hold Meowy that little bit more tightly.

Back inside, Denji and Reze stood in front of the door, staring at it in tense trepidation. It was Denji who first decided to break the anxious silence.

“I’m… gonna open it”, Denji said, swallowing nervously. His mouth felt like sandpaper as he continued on, looking to Reze for support, “You got my back?”

Reze just nods in response, the bare flicker of a smile coming to her lips for just a moment.

“Always.”

‘Okay… Just open it… Just open it…’ Denji repeated the mantra over and over in his head as he reached out his hand and grasped the door handle. His grip on the handle was tight and slippery with sweat.

‘Just open it… Why am I so nervous?’  Denji gulped as he stared at the door in front of him, not quite able to bring himself to take the final step.

‘C’mon, Denji, just do it! Reze is right here, we can take whatever is behind that damn door!’

With that thought, Denji steeled himself, and, with his eyes screwed shut, he twisted the door handle and pulled the door open.

And the first thing he hears is a horrified gasp from behind him, a sound he’d never once heard come from Reze’s lips. He’d thought that nothing would be able to shock her, but as his eyes snapped open, he froze. 

And he quickly understood why his usually unflappable girlfriend was simply staring at the figure behind the door in pure horror.

Denji froze as soon as his eyes settled on the man at their doorstep, feeling as if all the breath had left his lungs. It was hunched over, with its most distinctive feature jutting out of its forehead: a large gun barrel. But even that deformity couldn’t hide what he was looking at, who he was looking at.

The clothes.

The height.

The face…

“D… Den…ji” 

His voice.

“N… no way…” Denji’s voice was shaky and weak as the blood drained from his face. Both he and Reze just stood in stunned, horrified silence as they unwillingly drank in the sight. His hair was out of its usual topknot and hung limp and greasy, framing his once handsome, now gruesomely deformed face.

And in place of his arms, there were guns.

Their guard was down. Denji didn’t even think to reach for his starter, and in her shock, Reze’s finger had slipped from her pin.

And in an instant, those guns were raised, pointing at them. Denji’s eyes widened as his face twisted in a complex mix of panic and dread, as he yelled out desperately.

“AKI N-”

And then their comfortable little world exploded into carnage.

In only seconds, the whole front of the apartment had been blown away, as the Gun Fiend let loose a hail of bullets, the sheer force of which sent both Denji and Reze flying backwards, all as the flat was shredded to pieces around them.

Neither hybrid was spared from the gunfire either, with Reze being hammered by several shots, leaving her with several craters in her chest and stomach. Meanwhile, Denji himself was quickly bisected as he flew through the air, a line of gunfire messily ripping him in two, his guts flying behind him in a crimson arc as the pair crashed through the window, the sheer force of which ripped Power from her hiding place on the balcony and sent her careening through the air alongside them.

For a moment after they crashed through the balcony doors, it seemed almost quiet, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl as they flew through the open air, the remains of what had been their home streaking through the air around them.

And then the whole world lit up.

Reze had pulled her pin not long after she hit the open air, lighting up the gloomy dusk sky like a firework rocketing through the sky. Whilst this worked to slow her descent, it did little to save her from crashing into a house on the opposite side of the street, with both the girl and the rickety old house erupting into a ball of fire.

Luckily for Denji and Power, they were a safe enough distance away from the explosion, but sadly, that was where the good news ended. They crashed down onto the street in an ungraceful heap, with Power hugging Meowy tightly to her chest even whilst she was scraped and bruised as she skidded across the concrete.

Denji landed not too far away from her, though he had much more than a couple of scrapes and friction burns. The boy's whole bottom half was missing, his missing legs surely pulverised along with the flat, and so he lay there on the street, rapidly bleeding out and in excruciating pain.

But Miss Makima had been right; there was no time to think in this fight.

No time to think about the pain.

No time to think about…

“Power! It’s the Gun Fiend!” Denji managed to growl out even as his strength drained from him. Thankfully, the fiend had already dutifully scrambled to his side, “Pull my cord and run!”

“B-but that’s not possible… That was Aki’s scent… a-at the door…” The fiend’s voice was weak, and she looked practically shellshocked as she spoke the words desperately, as if seeking to deny reality.

“I know!” Denji snapped, making the fiend flinch, but he had no time for this now, no time to think.

“Just pull it and go!”

And she did. She reached down to his chest just as the command left his lips, and yanked the starter with all her might, the revving of chainsaws suddenly coming to life. However, they weren’t alone for long.

Just as Denji’s lower half regenerated and his saws buzzed into action, the Gun Fiend rocketed out of the depleted shell of Aki’s flat and flew towards them with a hail of bullets in his wake.

A rejuvenated Denji quickly twisted his body to come between the rapidly approaching devil and his buddy, shielding Power from any stray bullets, but thankfully, the Devil didn’t even cover half the distance between them when a spark flashed through the air and shot it out of the sky like a wounded bird.

Reze had managed to make her way out of the ruins of the house she had crashed into, and, despite having transformed, she had still picked up a hefty wound to her gut. Even so, she stood there with one arm clutching her wound, and the other pointing directly up into the sky where she had just shot the Gun Fiend from the sky mid-flight.

However, even while the fiend flew down the street from the force of the blast, it let off a parting salvo in the direction of its new attacker. The bullets mostly missed, flying off in every which way, but a couple hit well on target. The first caught Reze in the shoulder and the second in the thigh, making her stumble and grunt in pain.

Seeing that the Gun Fiend had been blasted some distance away, Denji and Power wasted no time making their way over to their wounded friend.

“Reze!” Denji yelled as they approached the ruined building, only for the boy to sigh in relief as he saw his girlfriend still standing, though this instantly turned to concern as he saw that she was leaning heavily against the wall of the building, clutching a gnarly gut wound and panting heavily.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah…” Reze tried waving him off, but her voice was woozy and tired. It was clear that she had lost far too much blood, and as if answering Denji’s question for him, she suddenly fell as if her strings were cut.

“Reze!” Denji quickly caught her mid-fall and lowered her gently to the ground, propping her back up against the wall.

He knew that, realistically, she would be fine just as soon as some blood touched her lips, but he still felt a lancing pain in his chest as the life left the girl that he loved, and her breathing slowed to a stop.

“Thanks… For having my back…”

His voice was thick with emotion as he took a last look at her as the devilish features dissolved off her body. He wanted to stay with her until she woke, but the sound of gunshots in the distance told him that that was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

“Power, help Reze and keep yourself hidden. I’ll deal with A- With the Gun Fiend.”

He didn’t wait for Power to respond; he just started running towards the sound of the guns.

It had been a long week for Fumiko Mifune; her higher-ups in Public Safety did love shunting their paperwork onto her after all, but now she was on leave, and the stress from work seemed so distant. Especially with all of her parents' endless questions…

It was a definite perk of her job, or, more specifically, her contract, that it was rather easy for her to get time off to see her parents since, well, there would always be a Fumiko in the office to pick up her slack. 

She splashes her face with some tap water and looks at herself in the bathroom mirror. She had just gotten home from her last day of work before her planned holiday, and it showed; she looked absolutely exhausted. She'd definitely be having an early night as soon as she finishes dinner.

She was often told that she was the spitting image of her mother, the same hair, the same nose, the same face. But her dark, piercing eyes? She got those from her father, as well as his workaholic nature; at least according to her mother…

But it’s not like she had much of a choice in the matter; ever since she was fourteen, Public Safety had dominated her life. They’d picked her out after her school had referred them to her due to her stellar performance in her school's devil-hunting club. Those clubs were in most schools and were clandestinely funded by Public Safety to find promising new recruits.

And they’d quickly plucked her out from her peers and offered her the deal of a lifetime: a cushy public sector job as soon as she graduated high school. Great pay, great benefits. 

And then they’d taken her to an imposing facility on the outskirts of Tokyo, built like a high-security prison. And there they picked out the devil she would be contracted with: the STD Devil.

She’d wanted to run a mile as soon as she heard the name of the devil they wanted to contract her with; the very idea had made her insides squirm in revulsion. But she was surrounded by all these devil hunters, and she’d already come this far, so it wasn’t like she could just back out now…

And so she’d made the contract, even as her body revolted against the very idea.

And then they brought out the prisoners. All male, and all on death row. None would be missed. The men in suits told her what to do, and… she did as she was told…

And, well, that was how her ‘other selves’ came to be…

She sees herself flinch in the mirror as the sound of fireworks echoes in the distance, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Fumi! Are you okay up there?”

Ah, she’d been up here a while now. Her parents were probably waiting for her to start eating…

“Be down in a minute, Mom!”

She’d better hurry; even in her twenties, she dreaded upsetting her mother. She was usually laid back enough, but when it came to her cooking, she took it dead seriously.

Her parents had no idea about the contract or about what she really did at Public Safety. All they knew was that she had a cosy little office job, and she planned to keep it that way. 

They were good people, freshly retired after a lifetime of honest, hard work, and she didn’t want to worry them by telling them just how dangerous her work really was, or what Public Safety had made her do.

Besides, if anything ever happened to her, they’d have another daughter ready to take her place, and they’d be none the wiser.

That thought did little to cheer her up…

She jumped in fright as another round of fireworks went off, closer this time and so loud that they made the bathroom windows rattle in their frames.

“Jeez…” Fumiko muttered, shooting a baleful glare out the window. If she met whoever was setting those off, she’d throttle them…

It was odd; there were no festivals due to be held nearby anytime soon, maybe the council was just trying to use up surplus fireworks? Either that or some kids were delighting in frightening the whole neighbourhood…

“Fumi!”

Well, she'd better not keep Mom waiting any longer.

“Coming, Mom!”

With that, she throws on a tank top and makes her way out of the bathroom and down the stairs, skipping the last two steps just like she had been doing since she was little. She makes her way to the dining room doorway and stops there.

“Sorry if I kept you”, Fumiko apologised, before jabbing a thumb in the vague direction she’d heard the fireworks come from. “Do you guys know if there’s a festival on or something? They’re making a racket…”

Her Mom smiled up at her as she stepped into the doorway. She was the spitting image of Fumiko, just with more lines on her face and soft brown eyes.

“Oh, I'm sure there’s something on; those ones at the council always forget to mail out the schedules. Come on, Fumi, sit. Before your dinner goes cold”, her mother waved off the question with an easy smile and gestured for her to sit.

“Sit down, Fumi, tell us, how’s work been going?” her father asked, his dark eyes sparkling in interest. He used to work for the government till he retired last year, but even after he retired, he still pestered her when he could about the office gossip. 

At least having to make up stories on the fly for him kept her on her toes, though it was getting hard to keep up with all of the fake coworkers she’d invented…

“Oh, yes, dear, please tell us. Oh! Have you met anyone at work? You’re twenty, surely you’ve found someone…?” her Mother chirped in with a coy smile. She’d been asking Fumiko about it forever, but with her contract, that was impossible… She began walking towards the table, but then another loud boom roared around them, so loud she could hear the windows shatter. 

And then the whole building began to shake.

“EARTHQUAKE!”

Fumiko yelled, her ears ringing as she looked towards her parents, seeing that they were scrambling under the table.

And then they were gone.

Where a moment earlier her parents were huddled under the dinner table, now there was nothing, the whole room was a hurricane of shrapnel and lead as the entire room was ripped to pieces, the popping and rattling of gunfire making itself heard as half of her parents' house, and her parents themselves disappeared in the chaos.

Fumiko stood there in stunned shock for what could have only been a split second. She didn’t even get a chance to scream or wail before the shockwave hit her, sending her flying backwards through the doorway of the now non-existent room, and then everything went dark.

‘It’s cold…’

A shiver ran down Aki’s spine, even despite the gloves, hat and heavy winter coat his parents always insisted that he wear when he went to play outside. All around him was thick, heavy snow lying on the ground, as was typical for winters in Hokkaido.

The boy looks around in confusion, he… he didn’t really know why he was out here…

And where was Taiyo? And his parents?

For a moment, he thought about heading back in to find them, and maybe see if his brother had gotten over that cold. If he had, then they could play together!

But… he was already out here soooo…

He may as well make some snowballs before checking on him, right? Then they could have a snowball fight as soon as they came back out!

And so the boy started to busy himself making snowballs, one by one. He continued this for a couple of minutes until there was a small stack at his feet. 

Yeah… this was pretty boring… Maybe he should just go inside and get Taiyo…

He turns around to head back home, but as soon as he turns, he finds himself face-to-face with Denji. Denji was like another little brother to him; he wasn’t the brightest, and he was always pulling pranks and making a mess, but Aki liked spending time with him; he was always fun to play with.

In his excitement, Aki quickly lobs a snowball at Denji, the blond quickly hopping backwards, the snowball falling short and hitting the ground at his feet.

“Denji! Come on! I challenge you to a snowball fight!”

He launches volley after volley at Denji, laughing as the boy ducks and weaves, every once in a while throwing a snowball back Aki’s way, but they all fall short, almost as if he wasn’t trying to hit him.

Aki was so lost in the fight that he hadn’t realised that he was the only one laughing. 

Their fight continued back and forth for a time until Aki finally managed to hit Denji with a direct hit to the chest, sending Denji onto his back.

‘He’s always so dramatic, I didn’t throw it that hard…’

Aki laughs as he walks over to Denji, a fresh snowball in hand. He’d never had this much fun before. “Mom n’ Dad were always so busy with Taiyo, they never pay much attention to me. But…”

“But now my life has finally… finally… gotten kinda fun…”

It was odd, a moment ago he’d been so happy, but now he felt kind of down. He shook this off, walking towards Denji with a snowball in hand, only to freeze as Denji finally spoke.

“Aki, Please! Stop!” Denji looked… upset as he shouted at Aki, who just stood over him, clearly puzzled, “Snap out of it! This is the last thing you’d ever want to do, isn’t it?!”

‘That’s odd… Denji was usually never like this…’

Aki shrugs this off; besides, he knew what the problem with Denji was.

“C’mon, Denji, don’t be a sore loser!” Aki says with a laugh, pulling back his arm to throw his snowball at Denji point-blank, only for something to interrupt him: a cold, wet object hits him right in the middle of his back.

Aki yells out in surprise as he wheels around to face this new attacker, only to smile and roll his eyes when he sees who it is. It was Reze, a girl around the same age as Denji who he always hung out with. She was hopped up in a thick winter coat that was clearly a size too big for her. Her tousled raven hair peeked out from under her woolly ushanka.

“Two versus one is unfair, you know!” Aki called out, pretending to be annoyed even as he smiled. As long as they all had fun together, then he was happy to fight with a handicap.

“Don’t think that I’ll go easy on you just cause you’re Denji’s girlfriend!”

“Aki! Snap out of it! This is the last thing you’d ever want to do, isn’t it?!” 

Denji had been battling with Aki block by block ever since he’d caught up with the fiend. Or, more accurately, he’d been blasted through block after block.

And… Makima may have told him not to think during this fight, but seeing Aki, the most moral man he’d ever met, butchering people with no hesitation… 

It made Denji ill.

And now, here he was, flat on the ground at the Aki’s, no… the fiend’s feet. His guts spilling out from his side after he had taken a bullet for a woman, only to have to watch the fiend shoot her right after.

“Giving up?”

That was the worst part: Aki’s voice had barely changed, but here he was, doing awful things that the man Denji knew would never do. 

Denji pulled himself shakily to his feet. He could feel the desperation clawing inside him as he watched the fiend’s head cannon begin glowing a luminous orange. Denji wanted to move, to get out of the way. To do anything. But all he could do was stand there helplessly and wait for the attack.

And then the ground behind the Gun Fiend erupted into a fiery explosion, interrupting its attack and sending it off balance with a grunt. But this didn’t last for long as both the fiends and Denji’s gaze turned to the source of the distraction.

Reze.

The girl was only half transformed, with only one of her arms and her apron having materialised, and clearly, what little blood Power had been able to give her hadn’t been able to do much more than heal her largest wounds.

She was clearly exhausted, propping herself unsteadily against a crumbling wall even as the Gun Fiend raised its arm and took aim at her, a satisfied grin on its face.

“No Aki… don’t! DON-”

Denji’s cry was cut short by the deafening shot, a round of bullets practically deleting the entire area the girl had been standing.

“REZE!!” Denji cried as Reze vanished from his sight, the building she had been standing by now little more than open ground and rubble.

Aki would never want this… never…

By the time Denji pried his eyes away from where his girlfriend had just been, the fiend was charging its head cannon once again, with that damned self-satisfied smirk on its face again, the same one that looked so out of place on his face.

Something in Denji snapped as he took halting steps towards the fiend.

“TURN BACK!”

“TURN BACK!”

“TURN BACK!”

Denji roared as he took step after step, even as the fiend's cannon glowed brighter and brighter.

“TURN BACK INTO AKI!!”

And then his whole world was drowned in light.

When Denji came too, all he felt was blinding pain. He groaned as he tried to move, but found that he couldn’t move an inch from the mound of rubble he was propped up against.

The last shot fired by the Gun Fiend must have sent him flying through half the neighbourhood if the massive line of destruction in front of him was any indication. The powered-up shot had cut a clean swathe through several blocks, and it had done just as much damage to Denji himself.

He lay there totally immobilised, his legs and one of his arms having been blown clean off by the force of the attack; the blood loss steadily draining the rest of his strength. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the fiend caught up with him and finished him off with that same imposter smile on its face…

Then something strange started to happen: a crowd of people began to gather around him. Denji wanted to tell them to run, to get away from him and hide, but all he could muster was a weak, pained groan. And then a woman slowly approached him, clearly terrified.

And she had a knife in her hand.

‘No… I’m tryin’ to save you…’ Denji thought blearily, but he didn’t have the strength to move or speak. And so he waited for the inevitable, hoping that Makima would arrive soon to help.

And then the knife arced downwards and pierced… right through the woman's hand.

The woman groaned in pain, gritting her teeth as the blood dripped down in fat droplets, right in Denji’s mouth.

“Save us… Please!”

It wasn’t long before others broke out from the crowd of huddled masses and followed the woman’s example, picking up whatever they could find and cutting their hands, letting their blood flow into his mouth as they begged desperately.

“I don’t want to die…”

“We saw you on TV!”

“I have kids! You gotta save them!”

And so, one by one, they approached Denji, pleading with him to save them as they bled themselves.

And then the rumbling sound of chainsaws starting echoed through the street, the crowd backing up as Denji’s limbs rapidly regenerated and his blades began spinning once more.

And then Denji revved back to life, springing to his feet. The crowd quickly scattered as Denji looked around at them. There were women, men, children… They looked scared and desperate. Mothers cradled their children, whilst others nursed their injured family. He could see bodies littering the street around him…

And all of them were looking at him desperately. Expectantly.

He would save them.

“Hide!” Denji barked at them, and they were more than happy to oblige, scurrying away to hide in the ruins of their homes, as Denji turned towards the direction he had been launched from and waited.

He didn’t have to wait long, as he saw a lone figure approach through the smoke, casually strolling down the middle of the trough its last shot had created.

Denji didn’t have time to think; he just needed to fight…

He just needed to save them.

Aki held up his arms as he tried to defend from Denji’s onslaught, snowball after snowball crashing into them. He’d barely had a chance to throw one since Denji had gotten up!

He was a bit glad that Reze had to go back home; if this were a two vs one, he wouldn’t have a chance… Though it was a shame too, her dirty joke always made them laugh, and Denji always really enjoyed her company. 

Maybe they could go find her when their fight was over?

“Good shots, Denji!”

Aki laughed as more and more snowballs flew, several more catching him on the leg and arm. Sensing an opening, he quickly made another snowball, pulling back his arm to return fire at Denji.

But then he saw Denji’s face and froze. He was crying…

“I… I’ve never seen you cry before…”

Tears were running down his face as Denji threw the snowball he had been clutching, hitting Aki straight in the centre of his chest. But Aki didn’t react to it; instead, the smile fled from his face, and the joy left him. His fingers felt numb all of a sudden, and he felt a creeping coldness run from his hands all the way to his core.

Why did he feel like he was forgetting something important?

‘Denji, Power and Reze… Please keep them safe…’

“I lose…” Aki lets his last snowball fall from his hand and sits on the ground. He felt tired… “I don’t even like snowball fights anyway…”

A lie, but how could he have fun if Denji wasn’t? Besides, he had the feeling that he’d done something wrong. He simply lies back on the ground and closes his eyes, accepting his defeat.

He’d expected Denji to say something, but when he opened his eyes again and sat up, he was gone, and Aki was all alone again.

He wonders if Denji went home, though more than likely, he’d gone to see Reze and Power, they always got along so well.

He hoped they would be alright without him…

With a sigh, Aki stands up, brushing the snow off his clothes. He was cold and wet; he should probably head home now… His mom wouldn’t be happy if he caught a cold…

He turned to walk back to his house. He could see it in the distance; it really wasn’t that far away. He could have sworn he’d walked further.

However, any thought of going inside was dashed when he saw Taiyo waiting for him at the door with a beaming smile, waving at him gleefully with a ball in hand.

“Oh yeah… I wanted to play catch!”

Without another thought, he ran to his brother, the cold all but forgotten as he ran home to his family.

‘I’ll see you soon, Aki…’

Fumiko had tried screaming for help; she’d called out for her parents, for anyone. But she was just one of many voices crying out for help, and she had long since run out of tears. No one would be coming to save her anytime soon. And no one would be able to save her parents.

She couldn’t move; she was stuck, pinned underneath the rubble of her parents' house, and only able to watch what was happening from a small gap in the rubble; her only window to the outside world.

Two devils were fighting out in the street, one was laughing as it sprayed gunfire in every direction, while the other… The other was swinging its saws around, trying desperately to strike the other devil, all whilst trying to direct its attention away from the people cowering in the ruins of their neighbourhood. 

It was trying to protect them…

But then the disoriented woman realised something, that devil protecting them, it was that chainsaw devil Miss Makima had picked up! The same one that devils and assassins had been ripping up Tokyo over for months!

That Devil was here for him! Her parents were dead, and it was all because of him!

Fumiko gnashed her teeth, she screamed and cursed, even though with her hoarse voice it came out more as a croak.

She’d kill it! 

If it was the last thing she’d do, she’d kill that damned chainsaw!

But then something odd happened, the devil with the guns froze. It lowered its arms and just… just let the Chainsaw Devil run it through. She watched as both of them stayed frozen in that deadly embrace, but then the chainsaws came to a stop, and the other devil fell from its blades, landing in a heap on the ground.

And she watched as the Chainsaw Devil fell to its knees.

‘Is it injured? Good!’ Fumiko thought; it only served it right for bringing this down upon them!

But then the saws just sloughed off of the Devil’s body like melting snow, revealing human hands, and a human face…

‘Oh God…’ Fumiko felt her anger evaporate in an instant, instead replaced with shock, and then… Sorrow.

‘He’s… He’s just a kid…’

Just like she had been…

And the kid... he was crying. He hadn’t moved an inch from where he’d fallen, and he was just looking straight into the distance, fat tears streaming down his face.

‘Oh… He’d lost someone too… And still, he fought to save them…’

She felt her vision going dark as she kept her eyes fixed on the scene. He was just a boy, crying alone on the street…

‘Chainsaw Man… I… I’ll save you…’

Chapter Text

Reze’s lungs burned as she ran through the ruined streets. Sirens blared all around her. The air was thick with smoke and dust. There were no more gunshots or explosions; the fight was clearly over. Denji had won. But that was a cold comfort, because if Denji won, that could only mean one thing…

And that meant she needed to find Denji as soon as possible.

The first time she had revived, she had woken up to an anaemic Power. Power was pale and wobbly as she waited at her side expectantly. Power had given her no time to get her bearings. As soon as the fiend saw her eyes open, she used all her strength to pull Reze to her feet and gave her a rough shove in the direction Denji had gone.

“Denji! Help Denji!” the Fiend had barked at her, but she needn't have spoken, because Reze had already started running.

Once she had reached a safe distance away from Power she had pulled her pin, after that it hadn’t taken her too long to catch up, unfortunately for her it turned out that adrenaline and whatever blood that Power had been able to share, wasn’t quite enough: A fact laid bare as soon as she’d caught up with Denji and the fiend wearing Aki’s body.

She arrived just in time, breaking up an attack on the exhausted Denji. But with her adrenaline gone and only a scant amount of blood left, her strength vanished. She slumped against a wall, her devil form dissolving like sugar in water, as her vision was flooded with light.

When she’d woken up again, she’d been surrounded by Public Safety, the familiar coppery taste of blood in her mouth. One of them had also been decent enough to drape their jacket over her, which was a small blessing; her clothes had been tattered by explosions and gunfire. It was honestly surprising that they were in as good a shape as they were; she assumed the Kevlar weave had no small hand in that.

She hadn’t waited around long after waking up, simply throwing the oversized jacket around her and running as fast as her legs could take her, ignoring the loud protests of the Public Safety agents and following the trail of destruction back to its epicentre.

It wasn’t difficult. The signs were obvious: more sirens, more destruction.

More bodies…

She considered herself numb to such things, and for the most part, she was, but as she turned the last corner, she froze. The street was eerily still, the buildings levelled to such an extent that it looked like a natural disaster had struck, making the area look more like an arena than a street. In the distance, she could hear the screaming and wailing of mourners, but in the center of this new clearing, a crowd had gathered, and they were strangely silent, all standing around something. Someone.

It was him, it had to be…

She quickly ran to the crowd, almost tripping over the rubble as she did. When she reached them, it didn’t take much to gently push her way through. Most of the crowd seemed shell-shocked. They just shuffled out of her way mutely until she finally reached the opening in the middle. Her heart stopped.

Denji was on his knees in the middle of the clearing, totally unmoving. And on the ground in front of him was Aki, his body lifeless and his face marred by demonic features even in death.

She heard the onlookers near the front murmur as she made her way towards him. They called him a hero or labelled him a devil. Some looked at him with gratitude and pity; others looked on with fear.

For her part, Reze just sat down next to Denji. She looked at him and saw the tears trailing down his face, but he wasn’t making any noise, nor did he react to her presence. He just sat there, looking out into the distance. Looking at anything that wasn’t the body in front of him.

She knew for a fact that no words, no empty platitudes would help him right now.

So Reze did the only thing that she could think of: she hugged him. And as she did, she felt him begin to tremble, silent sobs wracking his frame as he turned into her, simply resting his head on her shoulder. She brought a hand up to cradle his head as she felt wet tears seep into her shoulder.

“Oh, Denji…” Her voice was thick with emotion as she cradled him in her arms. She didn’t know how long they had been sitting there, but by the time the boy’s silent sobbing had stopped, the sun had fully set, and Public Safety and the emergency services had begun to escort the crowd away from the scene.

As Denji hid his face in Reze’s shoulder, she heard him croak out something. The girl could only barely make it out despite how close he was. His voice was nearly silent—numb and hollow.

“I guess I would cry…”

​

​

As the sleek Public Safety sedan pulled up, Tendo wasted no time in swinging the passenger door wide open, its hinges protesting under the strain. Tendo had gotten one of Kishibe’s men to drive her to the scene as soon as she’d heard that the Gun Fiend had attacked Aki’s apartment, but it had been slow going, as the driver had to slowly work his way through the wreckage of the neighbourhood.

They had known Aki was dead since morning. Only during the drive did Kishibe call and confirm her worst fears: the Gun Devil’s remnants had possessed Aki’s body after it had been defeated by Makima. How Makima did it, none of them knew, but that’s what happened. The tragic results were clear for all to see.

“Public Safety, coming through! Everyone, clear the area!”

Tendo’s leg burned furiously as she shoved through the crowd, demanding space. In her rush, she had left her crutch in the car. By the time she was through the crowd, she was panting, her forehead slick with sweat.

However, that was soon forgotten as she reached the other side of the crowd. She let out an audible gasp when she laid eyes on the scene—on Aki’s deformed and desecrated body.

She felt rage and anger well up in her. Rage towards Makima, for killing Aki and surely then sending his puppeteered corpse back towards his home.

And, of course, anger at herself. Anger that she dragged Aki into this mess. She effectively got him killed. ‘Damn it…’ she flinched, dragging her eyes away from the body. ‘If only I didn’t…’

She shook those thoughts away; there was plenty of time for regrets later. First of all, she had a promise to keep.

Tendo turned her gaze to the two teens sitting by Aki’s body. She felt her anger fade, melting into sorrow and pity for them.

Reze was drowning in an oversized jacket. The remnants of her uniform looked as if they had been through a warzone. She seemed wholly focused on comforting Denji, cradling his head on her shoulder and keeping his gaze away from Aki. She sang softly, a lullaby in a language Tendo couldn’t understand but assumed was Russian.

“Спи, моя ра́дость, усни́.

“В до́ме пога́сли огни́, Пти́чки прити́хли в са́ду, Ры́бки усну́ли в пруду.”

”Ме́сяц на не́бе блести́т,Ме́сяц в око́шко гляди́т.”

“Глазки скоре́е сомкни́,Спи, моя ра́дость, усни́.”

The lullaby sounded almost haunting to Tendo as she listened to her. She was sure that Reze had noticed her approach, but she couldn’t blame the girl for not giving her a glance, especially with the state Denji was in.

She almost didn’t want to disturb them, but she needed to.

Tendo walks up to them slowly before tentatively reaching out a hand and placing it gently on Denji’s shoulder. The boy jumps slightly at her touch, but doesn’t budge an inch, keeping his head down on his girlfriend’s shoulder. For her part, Reze spares Tendo an unreadable glance before turning her attention back to Denji, her gaze softening again as she gently runs her hands through his hair.

"We picked up Power earlier," Tendo said. Her voice was gentle yet matter-of-fact, the same tone she used when delivering bad news to coworkers' families. "She’s okay, but HQ is giving her a check-up to be safe."

The pair didn’t react much. Both stayed silent, but if she wasn’t imagining things, she swore she saw some of the tension leave them.

“I’m here to take you to her. There’s a car waiting just over there, okay?”

At this, Denji finally looked up at her. His eyes were puffy and red. He didn’t speak, just gave her a small nod. It took a few moments, but Denji got to his feet with Reze’s support.

Tendo winces as she turns to walk them to the car; the boy was in shock. The only things he’d been giving any real attention to were Reze and Aki’s body…

It is only when she opens the back seat door for them that she realizes that she couldn’t hear any footsteps following behind her. She turns to check on the pair and curses herself. He was looking back at Aki’s body as Reze gently pries him away from the scene, leading him back towards the car.

He didn’t resist as Reze led him to the car, simply getting in without a word, Reze quickly following suit, neither uttering a word to Tendo as she held the door.

‘They’re only kids…’

Tendo stood at the open door for a moment, internally cursing herself. For not comforting them, for getting Aki involved, for putting them in this situation…

“I’m sorry…” Tendo mutters as she closes the door. She didn’t know what else to say, what else she could say. All she knew was that it wasn’t enough.

​

​

The drive to the headquarters was a long and sombre affair as they drove through the ruined streets. The detours they had to take only piled on time to the usually short enough commute, and the fact that this was courtesy of the devastation caused by the Gun Fiend only made the silence hang all the heavier over them.

The ride finally sped up when they emerged from the last of the damaged streets and moved onto the main road. It wouldn’t be too long until they arrived now. She thinks about making some conversation with the pair in the backseat, but she quickly decides against opening her mouth after checking the car mirror from her position in the passenger seat.

Denji and Reze were practically latching on to each other; even Reze seemed to be in shock. Tendo supposed she had thought that the girl was used to death, but she should’ve known better. Kishibe had told her all about the girl’s background. She may have been raised to be a killer, but she was still a kid, an orphan, just like Denji.

And both of them had just had the closest thing they had to home, to a family, destroyed…

If only Kishibe had told her sooner, if only she hadn’t involved Aki in their schemes, then those kids would still have that life and wouldn’t be sitting there, traumatised in the backseat. But no… There wasn’t any point in assigning blame right now, even if she did feel guilty as hell. Kishibe had told her as soon as he could, none of them had known what Makima was or what she was planning till it had been far too late; and she hadn’t been lying when she’d told Aki that Makima likely had plans for them anyway.

Makima. Tendo grits her teeth; she’d probably have to talk with the damned devil when she gets to Headquarters and pretend that the bitch hadn’t just killed Aki. God, she hoped that Kishibe would be there; he was always good at handling that kind of thing. Kurose had always said her poker face wasn’t all that great…

And then there was Denji, Reze and Power. She’d have to get them set up in a new apartment, and there was no way she’d make any of them do the paperwork; it was the very least she could do to ensure they didn’t have to worry about anything else right now. She’d promised Aki that she’d look out for them, and she intended to keep that promise.

‘Aki… I’ll make sure they’re alright…’

‘I hope… I hope you’re with her, up there…’

​

​

It had been a week since Aki died.

It had all passed as a blur to Denji, Reze and Power. They had been set up with a new flat in a different part of the city. It was a pretty nice neighbourhood, safe and clean, it even had a couple of parks nearby.

Tendo and some Public Safety guys they didn’t recognise had helped them move in with what little of their belongings had survived the attack. They’d actually found the place more or less fully furnished when they had arrived. They’d asked where it had all come from, but Tendo had just told them not to worry about it.

Though the fact that she couldn’t quite meet their eyes when she said that essentially told them all they needed to know.

The flat was about the same size as Aki’s, but it felt so much bigger with just the three of them. Usually any flat with three people in it would be lively, but now it felt practically empty. Ever since Aki died, Denji had been making an effort to act normally, but the differences were very clear to Reze and Power, he was much more quiet and distant.

Reze was also clearly mourning the man who gave her her first real home, but it was clear that she was more concerned about Denji than anything else, working hard to pull him out of the funk he’d get into, often distracting him when she’d notice him getting lost in his thoughts.

For her part, Power was putting on a brave face, acting with the same bravado as ever, but when she thought no one was looking, she’d keep an eye on the other two, her worry palpable. But what she couldn’t hide were the quiet sobs that Denji and Reze could hear through the walls from time to time.

Reze was sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly flicking through a magazine as some talking heads on TV prattled on. She wasn’t really paying attention to either, the magazine itself was some fashion magazine Power had left lying around. In reality Reze was thinking about something else entirely. Specifically the day Aki died.

The thoughts had been stewing in her head ever since: why couldn’t she remember where she’d been that morning? Her memory was usually like a steel trap, a necessity for the kind of detail-heavy missions she’d been sent on her whole life, but for some reason that morning was just… an empty space. She remembered nothing before Denji woke her up, and the more she thought about it, the less it made sense, and the more it disturbed her.

‘Just what happened that morning?’

She tried to refocus on the magazine, but that effort didn’t last long before Power jumped over the back of the sofa, landing right beside a startled Reze, the fiend’s crosshair eyes gleaming brightly as she stared at Reze expectantly.

Her annoyance must have been showing on her face. Power had been making a habit of pulling some antics whenever she noticed Denji was in a mood. Reze supposed that the fiend was just as worried about her if she was getting this treatment too.

“Yes, Power?” Reze asked, quickly composing herself as she set down the magazine. She didn’t specifically want to be disturbed, but she couldn’t exactly turn her away when she just wanted to help in her own way, especially when she looked so excited.

“I heard that it’s Denji’s birthday soon!” the fiend blurted out, unable to contain her delight as she rocked side to side on the couch.

“Really? When is it?” Reze asked, trying to keep her voice level and casual, but Power had her attention now, and by the haughty look on her face, the devil knew it too.

“Hmmm… It’s a secret!” Power pretended to think for a moment, only to refuse her with a satisfied grin.

‘If she’s trying to cheer me up, she’s not doing a great job…’ Reze thought, trying to hide her annoyance. She had never asked Denji about his birthday before; she’d honestly just figured that, like her, he just didn’t really know it himself. It hadn’t even been mentioned in the detailed notes she had been given on the boy by her Soviet handlers.

Still… she really should have thought to at least ask…

“I’ll tell you… on one condition!” Power suddenly exclaimed, holding up a finger in the air. Reze rolled her eyes with a smile. Of course, she’d use it as leverage; she just hoped that she didn’t ask for anything too ridiculous this time…

“You must help me make a cake for Denji!” the fiend declared with a broad grin, “Only then shall I tell you!”

Reze blinked owlishly for a moment before breaking out into a smile. She had expected Power to make one of her usual outlandish demands, or at least to demand payment in food, cash, or blood. It was a nice surprise that the demand was so… wholesome.

“You have a deal,” Reze quickly agreed as she stood up and stretched, “Just say when.”

“You… you’re agreeing that easily?” Power looked up at the other girl in shock, usually Reze pushed a hard bargain when Power wanted something, to have her just cave in made Power uneasy… Is she being tricked?!

“Why…?” Power asked nervously, waiting for whatever hidden condition the other girl would add, but instead she just laughed. A light, chiming laugh that Power hadn’t heard from her since… well, since Aki…

“You really are a good girl, Powy! Aren’t you?” Reze replied with one last fond chuckle, playfully ruffling the fiend’s hair, only smirking when the devil swatted her hand away in annoyance.

“You didn’t answer my question!” Power snapped before settling into a pout.

“Okay, okay,” Reze said, her amused smirk being replaced with a genuine smile, “I just think that it’s a great idea, Power. I think it’s sweet that you want to cheer Denji up. We both know that he needs it, so I'll help however I can, okay?”

The fiend seemed frozen in place by Reze’s praise, torn between pride and embarrassment as she replied, not quite meeting Reze’s eyes.

“G-good! I-it’s about time you recognised my genius!” red dusted her cheeks as she blurted out one of her usually haughty replies, the girl unable to hide her embarrassment over how transparent her altruism had been.

“Just say when, Power. Just say when.” Reze said easily, setting the magazine down next to Power, knowing it would keep the fashion-obsessed fiend busy for a while. “I’m gonna get ready to join Denji on patrol, keep yourself out of trouble, ‘kay?”

“Mmmhmm… mmmhmm…”

Power only mumbled back, Reze taking a quick look back, only to see the girl already engrossed in it. No doubt she was already putting together a new cosplay. Maybe she’d take the fiend out shopping someday soon? She needed some new clothes herself, and it would help take both of their minds off things.

But, first things first. She needed to do something about Denji, and she had just the plan.

​

​

The morning for Denji had been dreary, to say the least. He’d been called into the office earlier than usual to sign off on some reports. He didn’t really read them in all honesty, just skimmed them. It was the usual kinda form they made him fill out. Just some minor devil Power had killed on the way back from her first patrol back the other day. Apparently, the experience had scared a new start into resigning.

So, all in all, a pretty normal outing for Power, all things considered…

He and Reze usually went in together when they had to do the weekly Power-related paperwork, but this time he’d let her sleep on. She seemed to be having a good sleep and… well, she had just needed some time to think. His mind was just so full of crap that he couldn’t focus on anything.

He knew that she’d give him an earful when she got in, but he had hoped that having some time to sort through stuff in his head would help.

He was wrong on both counts.

When he finished the paperwork, he felt no better than before; his mind still felt like a mess, all fried and muddled. It was only when Reze arrived in the lobby that the tiniest of smiles came to his face, even as he awaited the incoming tongue-lashing.

But it never came.

Instead, she simply smiled back at him and took both of his hands in hers, both standing there in the middle of the lobby looking into each other's eyes for just a moment, Denji’s face lighting up red.

“Let’s get going, Denji!”

And just like that, she began marching out the door, dragging Denji in tow, the boy almost tripping over his own feet as he was pulled out the door and down the street.

It was only when they were down the street that Reze slowed her pace and they began walking side by side, hand in hand. Denji tried asking her where exactly they were going on patrol, but she refused to give him a clear answer, instead telling him that “It’s a secret” and “Just wait and see.”

He almost found himself getting lost in his thoughts again, thinking about what had happened, but every time he felt that dark mood coming on, or that pit start to form in his stomach, it would be interrupted by Reze.

She would give his hand a squeeze, tug him around a corner, tell him that “It wasn’t far now”.

“We’re here.”

And then they came to a sudden stop. Denji just looked around in confusion, wondering what Reze could mean. It didn’t seem to be anywhere important in particular; it could just be any old street in Tokyo as far as he could see.

“Am I supposed to see anything here, or is this just a prank?” Denji asks, not having a clue what he was meant to be seeing, only for Reze to roll her eyes with a smile and point behind him.

“It’s behind you, you dolt.”

As soon as Denji turned around, he was met with a phone booth, and memories of that day flooded back. Beam’s yammering, that rain that felt like it had come from nowhere, and then taking cover in this very booth, only to be joined moments later by Reze.

It was the place where he’d fallen in love at first sight.

Reze just smiled as she saw the realisation dawn on his face.

“I’m glad you recognised it! If you didn’t, I think my poor maiden heart would’ve shattered…” Reze sighed dramatically, only for Denji to smirk as he remembered that day.

“I always wanted to ask, that line about me looking like your dead dog… Did you make that one up on the spot, or…?”

“Hey! You try making up pick-up lines on the spot!” Reze huffed playfully, before fixing him with a cheeky grin, “Besides, if I remember it worked preeetty well, hmmm…?”

“Don’t know what you mean…” Denji looked away, scratching the back of his neck bashfully,

“Oh, you know exactly what I mean!” Reze teased, moving in close, putting a hand on his chest, “You got to the old man’s place before I even arrived!”

“I walk fast…”

Reze just giggles at the weak response, seeing that he wasn’t going to own up to it, so instead she grabs his hand once again.

“Then how about you show me your shortcut? I fancy a coffee.”

​

​

Reze still couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten to the cafe so quickly. The route he’d taken her on was longer than her old route! Did he just sprint the whole way?

‘That boy can run when he wants to,’ Reze thought fondly, giving Denji’s hand a soft squeeze as they arrived at the front door of the cafe. It was a nice feeling to have someone want her like that. She may have been trying to manipulate him back then, but even at the time, it had been surprisingly nice to see that he was there waiting at that table.

As expected, Kayo had made a big fuss over them when they walked in, in his own gruff sort of way: ushering them towards their regular booth, heading back behind the counter, and prepping the coffee machine. Reze had even double checked that he remembered their usual, to which the older man just gave her an annoyed look.

“Easy to remember when you have as many customers as this place gets…”

The quietness of the neighbourhood and the shop were one of the main reasons she had chosen to work here, so she was very familiar with this fact. Didn’t stop her from being forever miffed at how her former boss kept the place running though…

Soon Kayo had set their coffees down in front of them and headed back behind the counter, presumably to give the pair a little bit of privacy, as he often did during that week Denji had visited every day. A habit the man had picked up to avoid the constant flirting, no doubt…

Throughout their walk here, Reze had noticed what had been clear for the last week: Denji would seem fine when they talked and would joke around with her, but when he thought she wasn’t looking, he would shrink back into himself. She would notice him staring down at the ground, looking as if he were deep in thought.

When she noticed, she always tried to find a way to snap him out of it, but she couldn’t let him continue on like this, knowing that he was feeling this way.

“Denji, we need to talk,” she said, resting her hand on his as he took the first sip of his coffee. His eyes widen, hearing her more serious tone, as he slowly sets the coffee down again.

“About what…?” Denji asked cautiously, unsure of what brought about the sudden change of tone from before.

“Aki…”

Denji went rigid at the mention of the man’s name. He felt that ache in the pit of his stomach open up into a full-blown pit. No one in the house had directly brought up that open wound since the man died, and Denji’s eyes widened upon hearing it, a cascade of emotions flashing onto his face.

But chief among them was one that Reze recognised all too well: guilt.

Denji opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Just an agonised-sounding croak. He didn’t meet Reze’s eyes, instead looking down into his coffee.

Reze scooched closer when she saw this, just sitting right there by his side as she continued on.

“I know that you and Power knew him for longer, and I can’t imagine how you’re feeling, but you need to know one thing, Denji…” She hesitated for a second, unsure, but quickly gathered herself.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

He turns to look at Reze, his eyes wide in shock at first, but it wasn’t long before they took that same dull sheen that had become all so common.

“Sure feels like it was…” he says bitterly, absentmindedly stirring his coffee.

“I know what it’s like, Denji… that feeling, the guilt…” It was her turn to have her eyes fixed to the table, Denji’s attention fully rapt on her now, “Everyone I’ve killed, I can’t even remember their faces. But that feeling; it never leaves you.”

“But with Aki… You did the only thing you could do. The only thing Aki would have wanted you to do”, Reze’s voice was full of conviction as she spoke, the girl hoping that her words would get through to him.

“I doubt he wanted to die…” Denji mumbled bitterly, the self-loathing in his voice as clear as day, only for Reze to silence Denji with a stern look.

“Denji, I didn’t know him for that long, but… I think the very last thing Aki would have ever wanted was for us to sit back and let him murder all those people, to let him hurt you and Power…”

“The only thing that he’d regret would be that you had to do it…”

It was quiet for a moment, Denji looking at Reze in stunned silence, the only sounds being the ticking of the clock and the humming of the coffee machine. For her part, Reze was squirming inside; she had made numerous assumptions and best guesses. After all, their situations were completely different; she was just a remorseful murderer. Denji, he was still pure, and he’d been forced to kill a good man, his friend, family… All to save complete strangers.

What if she just made everything worse?

“Y’know, when I first met Aki, he beat the crap outta me in an alley…”

Reze’s eyes quickly shot back to Denji as soon as he broke the silence, softening as she saw the weak smile on his lips and the wistful look in his eyes.

“I gave as good as I got, but I never thought I’d care… if he died…” the smile at the oddly fond memory fell away again, “But now… it just feels like there’s a… hole or something… Like I’m all alone…”

He startled a bit when Reze wrapped him in a hug from the side, before the girl quickly pulled apart from him again, looking into his eyes warmly, “Me and Power, we aren’t going anywhere. Okay?”

“If you ever feel alone, and that it’s all just… too much, just remember, I'll always be there for you.”

“Thanks, Reze…” Denji still seemed out of sorts, but seeing that genuine smile on his face again, even as weak as it was, was enough to make her break out into a grin.

She probably looked like a love-struck fool sitting there, smiling as Denji began telling story after story about Aki, watching some of the life return to him as he talked about the pranks they pulled on him, and the little things that Aki did for them.

So they sat there for what felt like an age, sharing stories about the man until their coffee went cold. Kayo just watched on with a knowing smile, the pair not even noticing when he replaced their empty mugs. They were in a world that held only them, and for that short time, nothing else mattered.

​

​

By the time Kayo was closing up the cafe, it was already getting late.

In fact, they were late for their clock-out time back at headquarters. It wasn’t uncommon for them to run a bit late, but they quickly made to leave, knowing that they’d need to make a good pace if they wanted to report back to headquarters and get home before Power decided to try her hand at cooking again…

Her old boss was even kind enough to give them some of his leftover food from the counter. Kayo refused any attempt on her part to pay, simply saying that he still owed her some back pay and that they should come by more often.

By the time they arrived back at Public Safety, a carrier bag of baked goods in tow, it was 6pm, well past their checkout time, and any hope that they had of quietly sneaking back home quickly evaporated as they walked into the lobby and found that Makima was sitting there, waiting for them.

To say that the hybrid couple had differing reactions would be an understatement. Reze felt her hackles go up as soon as the woman’s gaze swivelled to them, whilst Denji, still pretty subdued, instantly perked up as the woman made her way over to them.

“Ah, Denji, Reze. I was hoping to catch you,” the woman said, her tone soft and neutral as always. “Are you both doing well? I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to check in on you sooner. There was considerable fallout following the attack. The Kyoto branch was…”

For a moment, Reze could’ve sworn the woman's voice quivered, and that there was the tiniest flicker of something in her eyes, but as soon as it was there, it was gone, the red-haired woman cutting herself off mid-sentence.

“Never mind that, I’m sorry to hear about Hayakawa. I know you were all close.”

“Thanks, Miss Makima…” Denji said he was hardly beaming at the woman’s words, given the context, but her condolences clearly helped lift his spirits a little.

Reze, however, was less thrilled. The woman hadn’t even given them a courtesy call in the whole week since Aki died. And not to mention the question of how Makima, a woman known for her surveillance capabilities, lost track of the Gun Fiend in the first place…

The thought unsettled Reze; so much about that day didn’t add up. And while she had always been wary of Makima, why was it that she felt a cool sweat form on the back of her neck when the woman’s gaze landed on her?

“Well, I think I’ve kept you here long enough, Denji. Go on home and get some rest, and give Power my best.”

Denji nods happily, before turning around to walk out, Reze moving to follow behind, “So, the boss didn’t have anything with meat, so I was thinking we could stop at the sh-”

“Ah, sorry, Denji. But I’ll need to borrow Reze for a moment. We need to discuss something important.”

Reze’s blood ran cold as Makima’s clinical voice chirped in again when they were halfway out of the lobby. Both of the teens turned around again as Makima stood there expectantly, hands clasped in front of her.

“Really…?” Denji couldn’t hide his disappointment as her words sank in.

“Yes, it may take some time, I’m afraid. But you can just head on home, Denji,” Makima replied easily, whilst Reze felt her heart rate skyrocket. It sounded like something routine, but the idea of being alone with Makima never sat well with her.

“I mean… I don’t mind just waitin’ here…”

Makima notices Denji’s hesitation and frowns, “It’s fine, Denji, it really will take some time. Besides, you'd best go home and make sure Power doesn’t get into any mischief.”

The woman’s tone, though friendly, left little room for debate.

“I can’t wait if you want me to…” Denji asked, turning to Reze. The girl’s gaze quickly snapped away from Makima and back to him, and for a split second, he could have sworn he saw fear flash in her eyes. But it quickly disappeared, replaced with a forced smile.

“No, it’s fine, Denji, we can watch that show when I get back, okay?”

Denji still looks like he wants to argue, but he eventually gives in with a sigh. He knew that, unlike him, Reze didn’t like spending any more time with Makima than she had to, but if she was saying she was okay with it, then he should have nothing to worry about. Right?

“I’ll wait up for you, ‘kay?”

It wasn’t long after Denji’s form faded into the distance that Makima turned to Reze, looking down her nose at her, eyes cold.

“Follow me.”

Reze opens her mouth to question this command, but her mouth goes dry, and all the words, all the questions she wants to ask, refuse to come out.

“Follow me,” Makima just repeats herself, more stern this time, as if scolding an unruly pet, “That’s an order.”

Reze felt her foot move forward, once, twice, and then… darkness.

​

​

When Reze came to, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn’t anywhere in Public Safety, or at least nowhere that she recognised. She was walking down a dark corridor, with the lack of windows and the industrial look of the place, she assumed that it was underground. It reminded her of the holding cells back in Moscow…

That alone made her want to stop, to run a mile from the place. Yet her feet kept her moving forward, even as she felt her head go light and her chest tighten: she couldn’t stop. And then she became aware of other details: a pair of footsteps walking in time with her own, the slightest glimpse of red from the corner of her eye.

There was only one person that could be…

“Makima… Where are we? Why can’t I stop?!” Reze hissed out as if the words pained her. Her suspicions were confirmed as the woman picked up her pace, moving to walk just in front of Reze, before glancing over her shoulder with a smile.

“Why are you here?” her soft voice echoed out in the hallway, making it sound multitudes louder than it actually was.

“Well, because I require you to be here, of course.”

Despite all her attempts to resist, to stop herself from moving, Reze soon found that they were standing in front of a large, sturdy wooden double door, slightly water-damaged, with a simple card swipe lock to its right.

Makima deftly swiped a security card through the lock, the telltale buzz and the click of the shifting tumblers echoing in the hallway. Makima then turns to her with that same tiny smile of hers.

“Open it.”

Her hand trembles as her hand reaches up to the door handle. She has no idea what could be behind the door, but she had no desire to find out. But, all the same, her hand slowly but surely reached for the handle, grasping it firmly and pushing it down, the door clicking open.

“Go on in.”

And with the smallest push, Reze pushes the door open, and it slowly, ever so painfully slowly, creaked open.

“Wh-wha- How… are you here…?”

Reze spluttered in shock as the door swung open, revealing a boardroom of sorts, a number of besuited people hovering around it. But one stood out in particular:

Quanxi.

She’d seen Makima decapitate her and her fiends. Sure, she was as immortal as Reze and Denji, but why would she be here? Makima wasn’t exactly keen on negotiating with Quanxi before, so seeing her now, all dressed up like a Public Safety devil hunter? It made no sense.

“Meet your new coworkers, Reze.” Makima walked through the door, the door clicking closed behind her, “Well, you’ve already met Quanxi, of course.”

Reze just stared at the other hybrid, and the woman stared back. But Reze could see it in the one-eyed woman’s eye; it was like she wasn’t really looking at her, like she was looking straight through her.

There were others too: a tall guy with sideburns who stood off by himself, a short woman who was in the middle of scolding two men —a boy who must have been the same age as her and Denji, and a tall, bespectacled man.

Then, off to the side, his eyes totally fixed on Makima, a broad, dark-haired man stood with his hands in his pockets. He looked American or European to Reze, but that wasn’t what frightened her. It was the fact that, other than Makima, he was the only person in the room smiling.

Reze quickly whipped her gaze away from the man, disturbed, instead looking back at Quanxi.

“Why are we here? Why am I here?” Reze finally asked, fighting to keep her voice steady as she finally asked Makima the question. She wasn’t sure if she’d get a straight answer, nor was she sure if she even wanted one. But she asked it nonetheless.

Makima circles around Reze till she is standing in front of her, and gestures towards the others with a satisfied smile.

“This is Special Division 5. As you’ve probably guessed, they are all hybrids, weapons, just like you.”

“As for the purpose of this division? Well, it’s to do battle with Chainsaw Man.”

“Denji? Why would you want to fight Denji?! I wo-!”

“Who said anything about Denji?” Makima interrupts Reze’s outburst with a dismissive scoff, “Denji isn’t Chainsaw Man. I want to do battle with the Hero of Hell hiding away in his chest and to subjugate him as my own.”

As Makima discussed her plans, Reze felt a creeping revulsion building up inside her. Makima’s cheeks were flushed, her voice filled with anticipation. To see this intimidating, serious woman acting like this… it was disturbing, and it sent all of Reze’s alarm bells ringing.

“But to do that, I need to break his contract, and what better way to do that than to give him the world, and then rip it all away. Piece. By. Piece.” Makima walks right up to Reze, gently caressing her cheek with the back of her hand, “And you are going to help me.”

“I’ll never help you! If you so much as touch Denji, I’ll kill you!” Reze snapped in fury, Makima’s hand slowly recoiled away from the enraged girl as the older woman stepped back. The room was silent.

But then, a sound began echoing throughout the room, light and chiming, and Reze’s blood ran cold.

Makima was laughing. Not just a small chuckle, but she was full-on, doubled-over laughing. By the time her laughter petered out, Reze’s face was pale as Makima wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

“But you’ve already helped me so much, Reze.”

Makima soon moved to stand right in front of the smaller girl again, tilting Reze’s chin upward with her thumb and forefinger so that her green orbs met her ringed gaze. Reze didn’t resist, was unable to look away as Makima looked down at her with a condescending smile.

“Every time you grew closer to him, every little touch, every sweet nothing you whispered to him, every moment you shared… You were helping me.”

“All of it, it will just make the pain all that much worse when I rip you away from him. I wonder what will be the final straw, hmmm?”

Makima then leans in further, resting her chin on Reze’s shoulder and whispering softly into her ear.

“And remember, Denji couldn’t have killed Aki without you…”

Memories flash through Reze’s head as if a dam had broken. She remembered leading Aki and Angel to the beach, Makima revealing herself to them, and Makima ordering her away back home. She remembered the humming in the distance, the cracking of gunpowder…

Aki shouting to her, pleading with her to wake up…

“No… no, no, no… T-that, wasn’t me…”

Reze’s voice was weak and shaky as the memories from that morning a week ago flooded back; her knees shook and wavered as she fell to the ground, murmuring weak denials as she stared at the ground in disbelief.

She’d gotten Aki killed. She’d led him right to his death. And Denji… she was to blame for what he had to do…

And so Reze knelt prostrate on the ground at Makima’s, no, the Control Devil’s feet, as if her strings had been cut.

If only that were the case…

Makima didn’t let up as the girl crumbled in front of her, instead continuing the onslaught.

“This is what you chose. You put your life in my hands. For just the smallest taste of that normal life you craved. You. Are. Mine.”

“You were never anything but a tool, for others to use as they please. To do with as they please.”

She finally turned away from the broken girl at her feet, her attention shifting to the long-haired man whose grin hadn’t budged an inch since they had entered.

“Mr Bridge, please make sure your new teammate settles in. I’m sure that she’ll be more than agreeable. Isn’t that right, Bomb?”

For a moment, Reze doesn’t reply, eyes staying trained on the floor as Makima looks down at her with an expectant smile.

“I… De..n…”

Reze murmurs weakly, her voice raspy as if she were fighting against herself. But then the tension left her body, and the girl looked up at Makima calmly, her resistance gone. A beaming smile was on her face, despite her puffy red eyes and the tear tracks running down her cheeks.

“Of course, Miss Makima! Anything for you!”

Makima smiles, resting her hand atop the beaming girl's head and ruffling her hair, the ravenette humming in delight.

“Good girl.”

Chapter Text

Kishibe and Tendo had been at the black site for most of the day. Ever since the attack of the Gun Devil and the death of Aki, the two devil hunters had ramped up their plan to defeat and kill Makima.

It had taken some time and had tested both their patience. Both having burned through a pack of cigarettes each, the acrid smell permeated the small safe room; the smoke clouded the stale air. But they finally had the structure of a plan, and it all came from a vague idea Kishibe had had when the whole assassins fiasco went down.

“Only problem: summoning the Hell Devil will be costly…” Kishibe groused as he gently shook his hip flask, frowning when he didn’t hear the telltale swishing of alcohol inside. Empty… He never liked discussing death sober…

“Santa Claus caused a massacre last time that thing was summoned. We’ll need a group of loyal men to make the sacrifice…”

“And then it drags Makima to Hell for us. Seems promising…” Tendo frowned. It was by far the best idea they’d come up with so far, but sacrificing their own… It stuck in her craw as much as it did Kishibe’s. That they had to sacrifice some of the dwindling number of Public Safety personnel they could depend on was a steep price. However, neither could see a better choice on hand.

Every other choice, every other option they could think of, would just end in more bloodshed and little chance of actually killing Makima. They weren’t sure what contracts she had exactly, but it had been clear to Tendo ever since Makima had lied to her and Kurose at the train station in Kyoto that whatever it was meant that she wouldn’t be so simple to kill.

“That settles it then,” Kishibe says with a gruff sigh, chair scraping on the ground as he stood up, “I’ll start making the prepa-”

Suddenly, Kishibe was interrupted as a phone ringtone pierced the air. The man stopped whatever he was saying and slowly reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, pulling out a flip phone. He flipped it open and brought it to his ear.

“Kishibe here. What’s the news?”

The old man stood there, not saying a word as he listened, Tendo watching on with trepidation as a shadow descended over his face. Kishibe was one of the oldest hunters in Public Safety, and by all accounts, it showed both in his demeanor and his scars. Yet, now, Tendo had never seen the years weigh so heavily on him.

Tendo strained her ears, trying to listen in on the conversation to no avail. It wasn’t until a minute had passed that Kishibe finally spoke again.

“Understood. Bring those tapes down as soon as possible.”

The man snapped the phone shut and stood there for a moment before promptly sitting back down on the chair with a heavy sigh, dragging a hand down his face.

“So, I’m guessing it wasn’t good news?” Tendo drawled, trying to mask the seed of worry blooming in her mind. If it was enough to inspire this reaction in the usually unflappable man, then it must be bad…

“Nowhere close to it…” Kishibe replied tiredly. “They’ll be down with the evidence soon, then you’ll see for yourself.”

And so they waited there in that little smoky room in an oppressive silence, a dour mood having descended on the pair, the knot in Tendo’s gut twisting and squirming as her mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last.

It felt like it took forever, but after some time, the door clicked open and a small group of Kishibe’s men walked in, dour-faced. A pair wheeled in a TV and VCR on a stand, whilst another simply held a thick brown envelope in his hand.

“We’d been trying to get a hold of security tapes from the hospital for a while, but they stonewalled us at every turn,” Kishibe explained as the man unsealed the envelope, pulled out a videotape, and slid it into the VCR. “So we just decided to break in and steal the damn thing and, well, this is what they found.”

Tendo watched in trepidation as the screen came to life and staticky monochrome security footage began to roll. At first, it was normal enough, except for the quietness of the hospital lobby.

Tendo watched in anticipation, waiting for the reveal, for this information that seemed to have disturbed even Kishibe. And then she saw it: a slight young woman walked through the lobby and out the door. She wore a Public Safety uniform and, glaringly, a choker around her neck.

“Reze? She was at this hospital? Why is tha—” Tendo said, trailing off as Kishibe raised his hand.

“Quiet, keep watching.”

And so she did. For a while, nothing appeared on screen, just an empty lobby and the crackling of static. And then two figures walked into frame, and her heart sank: Aki and the Angel Devil. She wanted to tell herself it wasn’t real, but the evidence was right in front of her, and Aki and Angel were pretty hard to miss…

“Don’t tell me…” Tendo muttered, feeling physically ill as the evidence mounted before her.

“I’m afraid so…” Kishibe said, staring wistfully at his flask. “This video is from the morning Makima defeated the Gun Devil, and this is the last known location Hayakawa and the Angel Devil were seen alive.”

‘Oh God… I… I really did kill him…’ Tendo felt as if a pit opened beneath her. Her head spun; bile tickled the back of her throat. It had been her idea to draft in Reze. Aki was so against it, but she kept pushing until…

She got him killed…

“We questioned Reze after you brought her and Denji back to headquarters,” Kishibe said. “She claimed she hadn’t seen Aki all day. For what it’s worth, I believe her.” Kishibe grimaced at his own conclusion. Tendo caught on quickly; the implication was clear: Reze wasn’t lying; she was under Makima’s control.

Which meant their whole operation could be compromised…

Tendo felt a helpless, frustrated anger well up in her. Anger at herself, that she had dragged Aki into this and then essentially got him killed, and anger at Makima. She remembered Denji and Reze sitting broken in the backseat of the car; it was easy to forget that, despite all their power, they were just kids.

And Makima used them like pawns, brainwashing one into leading Aki to his death and then making the other one finish off what was left?! It was sickening…

And she would make her pay for it all, if it was the last thing she did.

“Well, we can’t just sit here and wait for her to come and finish us off! We need to do something!” Tendo insisted.

“I agree,” Kishibe replied simply to Tendo’s anger, surprising the woman somewhat. She had expected him to want to stick with the original timeframe.

"Makima knows what we’re up to. She’s likely moved her plans forward. We need to move fast—strike now before she catches wind of our plan." Kishibe stands, strides to the door, then gestures to one of the other men. "Watanabe here will take you to the agreed spot. I’ll see you there."

As Tendo watched Kishibe leave, she found a smile creeping onto her face. Despite all the worry, anger, and guilt, she couldn’t help but feel a little… happy.

Truth be told, she wasn’t much suited to subterfuge. It seemed to go poorly every time she tried. No, she always thought of herself as a straightforward woman, and moving directly against Makima after all this time?

Well, let's just say that it’ll be her pleasure to watch Makima get dragged down to Hell, where she belongs.

​

​

When they first moved into the new flat, things had been comfortable enough. Aki’s death left an unfillable pit in their lives. All three teens were clearly affected by the loss. Still, he had left them enough to live relatively comfortably.

Denji and Reze attended the reading of Aki’s will. Power was forced to stay home for obvious reasons. Aki left half his savings to Denji and Reze—a generous nest egg—assuming they would use it to care for Power. The older man (correctly) judged that Power couldn’t be trusted with the money.

The other half he had left to Himeno’s family. A woman, Himeno’s sister, had even come over to talk with them after the reading was over. As soon as she mentioned her name, Reze blurted out an apology.

After Reze explained that she was given their family name by Public Safety, the woman dismissed it. She said she had given permission and that Himeno would have been happy to have such a cute girl in the family. Reze was left at a loss for words.

She and the few others invited to the reading had offered their condolences for Aki, but it had all washed over Denji. The whole time, his eyes were as dry as bone. He’d cried when Aki had died, but now… Was he over it already? Was he really that heartless?

And if he was, why did he still feel like crap? It had been manageable for a while; at one point, he even began feeling a little better.

Then Reze had disappeared. He’d last seen her when he left her with Miss Makima at headquarters a couple of days ago. He’d even sat up waiting for her that night, but she’d never arrived home.

Denji had asked Miss Makima about it the next day, but the woman had apologised to him, saying that she had Reze doing an important job for her involving the Russians and that he’d see her again very soon. He’d tried pressing her for more information, but she’d just smiled and said it was classified, simply repeating that he’d see her again very soon.

“If it wasn’t important, I wouldn’t have asked her to do it.”

That had been what she had said. It was the first time in a long while that he’d left a conversation with Makima feeling worse than when he’d gone in.

And now he was sitting on the sofa, bored out of his mind as he flicked through channel after channel mindlessly. It was all crap, just daytime TV slop, cooking shows, shitty overacted dramas, and soulless game shows with eerily happy hosts and phony contestants. Reze had really ruined the game shows for him when she said that they always let the contestants win after bad devil attacks; it really took the suspense out of it…

‘Reze…’

Usually, he and Reze would have had a good laugh at all of the crappy shows; in small doses, they often had a kind of ‘so bad it’s good’ quality to them, before putting on a rented movie to tide them over until bed.

Now, though, he couldn’t stop the worry that was gnawing at him. It had been strange that Reze hadn’t been able to say goodbye before going to do that job for Miss Makima. And then there was the fact that it was related to the Soviets.

Denji was aware that he wasn’t the smartest guy around, and he knew that Reze would deny it if he asked, but he’d noticed how she’d react when the Russians and her past were brought up. She’d grow quiet, as if she was lost in thought, and once or twice he thought he even saw flashes of fear creep through from behind a carefully crafted smile…

That Denji hadn’t heard from her, and that she was dealing with that alone. It didn’t help his mood one bit.

Hopefully, it didn’t take too much longer. She did hate that type of work, and he really missed their relaxed nights in front of the TV. Reze, spending time with her, really took his mind off things…

He’d been watching TV for a couple of hours now, the mindless garbage on there being the only thing keeping him from his thoughts, and even that was starting to fail. The only breaks from the drudgery were when Power attempted to cheer him up.

She would try everything from putting on some of his favorite movies, trying and failing to make some of his favorite foods, and eventually just resorting to waving around Meowy in front of him until the cat had gotten tired of being manhandled and nipped her.

And now, as Power tended to her wounds, Denji was left to his thoughts again. There was some movie playing now, and Denji found he could barely focus on it. It was clichéd, boring, and it tried too hard to be funny at times, whilst at other times it expected the audience to take it seriously.

‘Maybe Miss Makima was right… Maybe most movies are just crap…’ Back when he’d gone on a date with the woman, he’d quite enjoyed most of the films, even when Makima had been clearly unimpressed.

Now, though, this just felt like a complete waste of time.

He bet that this would be so much more fun with Reze… If she were here, they’d probably be laughing at the shoddiness of this movie. They’d always make fun of them together, and Reze would always notice and point out stuff that would have gone right over his head.

He missed her.

And not just her, all the little things that he’d gotten used to since Makima had found him. The new flat’s rooms still looked bare, and so much was missing: Aki waking them up in the morning with breakfast, Power’s dramatics, all of them eating dinner together, and winding up Aki.

The man had always told them off and acted gruff, but they’d always catch him smiling when he thought they weren’t looking. It had been his first home, and now everything just felt so empty…

“Denjiiii!” The boy jumps as Power’s voice rips him out of his thoughts, and he turns to look at her. The fiend is standing to his side with a pout on her face, “Can you get me something to eat…? There’s nothing left…”

Power wasn’t allowed to go out by herself, and Denji hadn’t been to the shops for a couple of days, so he supposed that Power must’ve run out of her favorite snacks. For a moment, he thought about just saying that he’d go tomorrow, but he was pretty bored with this movie, and he felt kinda bad for half ignoring her earlier…

“Okay, okay, I’ll go now…” Denji sighs as he gets up, “But I’m not just getting you meat, got it?”

“Tch… Finne…” Power pouts, reluctantly agreeing to her buddy’s conditions, inwardly cursing that Denji had inherited Aki’s stubborn insistence that the fiend ate a balanced diet.

And so Denji went and grabbed some money from his stash, just a few thousand yen would be enough to cover it all, and headed out the door, the same dark cloud hanging over him.

‘Maybe some ice cream will cheer me up…?’

​

​

The walk to the store wasn’t all that long, but today Denji decided to take the scenic route, walking through the very same park where he and Reze had people watched before. This time, however, Denji didn’t stop to rest and enjoy the scenery; he was in no mood tonight.

In fact, he barely registered that he was even there; his surroundings, passersby, he felt that he could take in nothing. His head felt like it was constantly spinning, like there was just too much going on in there, and yet it was like he could think of nothing at all.

He was so out of it it took him a second to realise he’d even arrived at their usual convenience store: a small Familymart. In honesty, he didn’t really pay much attention to what snacks he got; he just threw some assorted bags into the basket and some onigiri, hoping that Power would at least like something there, and grabbed the first packet of ice cream he saw from the freezer.

It wasn’t long before Denji had paid for the items; quickly handing the cashier a couple of notes, pocketing the change, and making his way back out of the store, goods in hand.

Denji wasn’t really paying all that much attention as he walked aimlessly down the street, though at least he was walking in vaguely the right direction. Or at least he hoped he was…

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been walking, but finally he came across a lone bench, a vending machine at its side.

‘Good a place as any…’ Denji thought numbly as he sat himself down, setting the shopping bag down beside him and fishing out the packet of ice cream, ripping it open and starting on the first popsicle as the sun began to creep down low in the sky. It wasn’t long before the warm, orange glow of the sunset began to fade, and the sky darkened.

By the time the last sunlight had completely disappeared from the sky, Denji had almost finished his first ice cream, only a small amount of the treat still clinging to the wooden stick, and with one final lick, the last of it was gone. And there, illuminated by the street light overhead, was a single word, printed proudly in block capitals: WINNER.

Winner…

Denji stares at the word for a second, the only noise being the humming of the vending machine as he stares at the word, a growing, twisting nausea writhing in his stomach.

A winner? How could he be a winner?

He killed Aki…

He killed Aki.

He killed Aki.

That was why he couldn’t cry. He killed Aki. How could he cry over someone he’d killed? He had no right to, it was all his fault. The stick dropped from his numb hands as Denji’s guts chose their time to rebel. The burning acidic bile rose up his throat as Denji keeled over, voiding his stomach and painting the ground in front of him with a sickly mix of bile and undigested ice cream.

“Urghhh… What a waste…” A tired mumble was all that Denji could manage as he looked down at the mess and let out a shaky sigh.

“Pochita… My head is such a mess… Can’t think straight ‘bout a thing…” muttered, stressed and tired as he spoke to one of the few people left he could talk to and who would always listen to him.

“My head has been jumbled all week, all my favorite foods taste like crap…” He let out another sigh as he leaned back on the bench, looking up directly at the night sky.

“Something must be wrong with my brain…”

‘With me…’

It was a thought that had bothered him as far back as Himeno’s death. When she died, he’d been a little sad, sure, but hardly crushed or anything. Yet after he’d killed Aki, he felt like a mess, and yet he still couldn’t cry. So was there something wrong with him? Did he have a heart, or was he just a devil?

Makima had said he had a heart, and Reze was totally adamant. But Denji himself wasn’t so sure.

If he was expecting a response from Pochita, he was left sorely disappointed. Instead, he lay down flat on the bench, arm covering his eyes as if to hide those tears that just wouldn’t come.

‘I hope Reze is back soon…’ Denji’s mind wanders back to his girlfriend. If anyone could take his mind off all this crap, it was her. Power always tried her best, but Reze always seemed to know what to say to pull him out of the dumps, at least for a while, at least…

‘Maybe we could go somewhere when she’s back…’ Denji thought idly. It would be nice to go on a trip somewhere; there were still so many places he hadn’t visited. Maybe Makima would even let the three of them go on that trip to Enoshima that she had mentioned before that whole assassin shitshow?

“Denji? Is that you?”

As if summoned, a familiar voice pierced through the silent night air.

“Miss Makima..?”

Denji looked up as the woman strolled out of the shadows and into the streetlamp’s halo of light. The young man looked up in wonderment, not quite believing that she was here. He’d only seen her in casual clothes that one time when she had dressed up for their date, but this was completely different.

All Makima was wearing was a simple hoodie, a pair of light khaki slacks, trainers, and a puzzled look on her face as she walked up to stand beside the bench.

“What are you doing out here at this time?”

Denji doesn’t even have the energy to ask the woman why she was here; instead, he just looks up from his prone position weakly, looking at the mess on the ground from the corner of his eye.

“I… won some free ice cream…”

He finches in surprise as Makima crouches down at his side and takes his hands in her own, the woman humming in displeasure as she does. “Your hands are cold,” Makima says, fixing him with a stern look. Denji can only shrug in response.

“It’s not gonna kill me,” not much could after all, “b’sides, I won some free ice cream from it…” The response was lacklustre, and it was clear as day that Denji cared very little for his winnings.

“Being physically cold will also make you feel down mentally, too,” Makima smiles as she retorts, as Denji marvels at the woman’s effortless knowledge. Makima and Reze were both so smart, and here he was, barely even able to think straight…

“Stand up.”

Denji’s self-depreciating thoughts were quickly cut short as she spoke, the request sounding more like an order, and it was one that he needed little convincing to obey, the boy lifting himself off the bench, Makima helping him, gently tugging his arm until he was face to face with her.

Denji looked into the woman’s unusual eyes; their unnatural orange and gold hues had unnerved him when he had first seen them, but ever since, he had seen them as a source of warmth and comfort. Now he looked into them questioningly. And, as if sensing this, Makima answers his unspoken question.

“How about we have some warm tea at my place?”

Makima doesn’t even wait for an answer, instead just pulling him along gently by his hand. Denji doesn’t resist, just letting himself be tugged along. However, he suddenly stops in his tracks.

“What’s wrong, Denji?” Makima turns, the slightest hint of confusion dancing across her face.

Denji was hesitating, looking back in the direction he’d come from, his conflict clear to see. “I want to… Like, I really want to… But it’s pretty late and Powy will want her food…”

“Oh, it’s just about Power?” The serene smile quickly returned to Makima’s face, her reply coming quickly and naturally, “She’ll be coming around later. Now let’s get going, okay?”

Makima turns to walk again, but still she finds that Denji isn’t moving from his spot.

“Miss Makima… Do you know when Reze will be back? I don’t want to miss her at home…”

“She’ll be back soon, Denji,” Makima says, giving him another tug, and this time the boy complied, walking with Makima down the dark street hand in hand. The woman gave his hand a light squeeze.

“It’ll be a surprise.”

​

​

“There, at last!”

Power crowed proudly as she set down the piping hot cake tray on the waiting tea towel on the counter. She had the icing already prepared in the fridge, and she’d found a great design when they were going through… Aki’s belongings…

Power shook her head and clapped her cheeks with her hands.

‘No thinking about that today! It’s Denji’s birthday, this needs to go perfectly!’

Power had been sad about Aki; of course, he kept her fed, and despite being an overbearing mother hen, he genuinely cared for her. After he was gone, she found herself missing the man greatly…

But how she felt paled in comparison to how it affected Denji. Power knew that he wanted to pretend that he was okay, but it was impossible for him to hide it. He moped all day, sitting mindlessly in front of the TV, only being distracted from his melancholy when Power or Reze found a way to distract him. The only upside of this is that Denji had been completely oblivious to all of Power’s preparation for today.

And Reze… She had just vanished, and on the very day she had promised to help her with Denji’s cake! The nerve! She was just lucky that Power was so industrious and clever that she had been able to do it all alone; now, all she had left to do was ice the cake and add some finishing touches!

She just knew that Denji was gonna love it when he saw it later. Denji had been gone longer than she had thought he would be, but surely she could get the finishing touches done before he got back?

She just hoped that Reze would be back for his birthday too; she didn’t know what Makima had Reze doing, but it was the worst time for Denji. Power may be able to distract Denji, but that day he’d gone out on patrol with Reze was the first time he’d come home with a smile on his face since Aki died.

‘Screw it! If she isn’t back, I'll just have to give Denji the best birthday ever! Yeah!’ Power thought, a determined smile on her face as she went to the fridge and took out the icing, already prepared and in a piping tube.

Then, just as she was about to start, the doorbell rang.

‘Crap! Why do you have such awful timing, Denji?!’

Power scrambled about, hurriedly throwing another tea towel over the cake and moving it into a cupboard below, and throwing the icing straight back into the fridge before running directly to the door and opening it.

“Denji, you better have my sna-!”

Power stopped mid-sentence, her expression changing from excitement to a conflicting mix of annoyance and relief. It wasn’t Denji at the door.

“Well, look who finally showed up!” Power crossed her arms imperiously. “It’s Denji’s birthday! You’re too late to help me bake, but you can at least help me decorate before he gets home! C’mon, hurry up!’

Chapter Text

As Denji stood behind Makima, watching as she rummaged through her pocket for her apartment keys, he couldn’t help but think that the place seemed very different from what he had expected.

He’d thought that a Public Safety big shot like Makima would have had a big house or something, but instead he found that she also lived in an apartment complex. Of course, it was much more impressive than the one they lived in with Aki, being in a nicer part of town and located in a larger, much grander-looking building, rather than a simple, stand-alone two-story building.

All in all, it was more upmarket looking, but still a much humbler home than he had expected from someone like Makima.

He heard the lock click as Makima turned the key, then she faced Denji with a warm smile. It was strange. Denji seldom saw this side of Makima; maybe twice before—when she found him, and at the end of their date. On those days, she seemed especially cheerful.

“I hope you like dogs.” Her smiles were usually professional, her voice always even. But here and now, her smile was relaxed. He could almost hear excitement in her inflection.

Denji opened his mouth to ask her what she meant. He didn’t get the chance. Makima opened the door and was rapidly swarmed by an entire pack of large dogs.

“Okay, okay, I know, I know!” Makima giggled as they jumped around her, licking her face and yapping in excitement, “I’m home, I’m home!”

A couple of the dogs had even noticed Denji, a couple sniffing the boy curiously, jumping up on him as he laughed. He scratched them as they circled around the pair in excitement.

“That’s right, it’s a new person. Isn’t that nice?” Makima talked to the animals as they began to settle down, lavishing them with attention one by one, “That’s Denji. Can you tell him ‘I ruff you’?”

“I ruff you!”

“I ruff you…?” Denji watched as the woman baby-talked to her dogs. He didn’t like Makima like that anymore, but… It still warmed him up inside to hear the woman who had saved him talk about him that way.

Eventually, the dogs had calmed down enough for Makima and Denji to move. They both took off their shoes and placed them on the rack by the door before walking on into the main living area.

If Denji had expected something a bit grander when he saw the exterior of the apartment, the inside was exactly how he had imagined it. Tasteful, modern, and utterly organised, everything gleamed. No speck of dust marred a surface. Unlike Aki’s, there was no rubbish, and every piece of furniture sat perfectly in place.

Denji was amazed as Makima led him over to the sofa; there wasn’t even a little bit of dog hair on it. Did Makima have them so well trained they wouldn’t even go on the furniture when she was out? Or did she just clean that often?

Either way, it was a minor miracle, he remembered that even the short-haired Pochita had often shed a lot of hair on his clothes.

As Denji sits himself down, settling himself on the ground by the coffee table, his back leaning against the sofa, Makima begins to walk to the kitchen, turning to look over her shoulder with a smile.

“What tea would you like, Denji?” She asked, “There’s black tea, green tea, and roasted rice tea…”

In all honesty, Denji would have preferred coffee to tea, but not wanting to be rude and not really knowing the difference between the three types, he responded with a light-hearted shrug and a smile.

“I’ll just take whatever you think would taste best, Miss Makima.”

With a smile and a nod, Makima disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Denji alone in the living room with the dogs, who, now having lost sight of their master, clustered around Denji, curious about this new face. Denji laughed as they crowded around him, licking his face and sniffing all around him, the animals clearly ecstatic at having a fresh face in their home.

Despite the flat being so clean and ordered, nearly sterile, Denji still found himself feeling at home, the sound of the kettle boiling next door and the over-eager huskies making it feel like the very picture of domesticity. As one dog nuzzled against him and Denji began absent-mindedly petting it, he couldn’t help but think about Pochita again.

It had been so long since he’d last seen his oldest friend. They had lived together and looked out for each other since the day they had met. He hadn’t heard a peep from him since he had been killed for the first time, since Pochita had saved him.

But… was that right? Why did he get the feeling that he had heard Pochita? But when?

Why did he feel like he was forgetting something important? Denji tried to dig deeper for the answer, but it only made the feeling all the stronger.

Just as Denji felt a headache coming on, Makima returned, putting a tray down in front of him. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed the woman approach, but when he saw what was on the tray, his eyes bulged in surprise.

On the tray were two cups of piping hot green tea, the subtle aroma wafting through the room. But it was what was next to them that really caught his eye. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it looked like a dessert - fluffy and creamy, with some sort of powdered topping.

“What’s that, Miss Makima?” Denji asked, pointing to the unfamiliar dish, “Is that chocolate?!”. Makima just smiled as she sat down opposite him.

“That’s Tiramisu, it’s just some whisked egg, biscuits, coffee, and a bit of chocolate. I made it last night,” Makima said matter-of-factly, before she looped her arm around one of the dogs, which had walked over to sit beside her.

“Wah! Not you, silly!” Makima laughed as a black and white husky barreled towards her from the pack, clambering over the woman, “I wasn’t calling for you.”

“Whaa?” Denji watched the scene in amused bewilderment, something that Makima quickly caught on to, wrapping an arm around the dog as she explained.

“Oh, this one’s name is Tiramisu.”

“That’s me! I’m Tiramisu!”

Denji just stared at the woman, surprised at the childish voice the usually serious woman had used. Then he broke into a smile. Power often did the same with Meowy. It comforted him to know that Makima joked around sometimes, too, and even gave her pets cutesy nicknames.

“The one you’re petting is called Cream Puff.”

“Yesh, that’s right, you’re getting belly rubs, aren’t you a lucky dog? Yes you are!”

“Yesh, my Creamy has a nice belly!”

Suddenly, Makima seemed to remember Denji was there, turning back to him with a smile, not seeming the slightest bit embarrassed as she gestured Denji towards the food and tea.

“Please dig in. I’m sure you’re hungry. I’ll go and get these scamps fed before they wreck the place.”

And with Makima’s invitation, Denji did just that, picking up a spoon and making quick work of the beautifully made dessert, the taste of the espresso-soaked biscuit making him hum happily. He’d come a long way from turning his nose up at the bitter taste; instead, it was now one of his favorites. It also helped that it reminded him of the good times he and Reze had at the old man’s cafe.

The milk tea was nice enough; indeed, the warm drink helped warm him up. He hadn’t realised just how cold he had been earlier until he felt the hot tea trickle down his throat and settle in his stomach, warming him up head to toe. Though he may have preferred some coffee, the drink paired with the several dogs surrounding him had made the chill feel like a distant memory by the time he had finished.

“So, how was it?” Makima asked as Denji shovelled the last spoonful of the tiramisu into his mouth.

“T’was sho goo-” Denji began to reply with his mouth full before realising his mistake, taking a last gulp of tea to help wash it down, “It was sooo good! Thanks, Miss Makima!”

“That’s good. I’d never tried making it before, so I’m glad.”

As Denji watched Makima’s relieved reaction, he smiled contentedly and leaned back on the sofa. It was so warm and lively here… this place may just be the best place in the world!

Or, at least it would be, but something was still missing…

Suddenly, Makima grabbed one of his hands in her own, surprising Denji.

“Hmm… Good.” Makima hummed, “Your hands warmed up…”

“Yes ma’am…” Denji muttered awkwardly, not quite sure what to say as Makima turned her attention to Tiramisu, closing her eyes as she nuzzled her cheek into the dog's soft fur.

“The best way to warm up cold hands is to touch living things,” Makima said, almost sounding a little wistful…

“Miss Makima… Thanks a bunch…” Denji said with a small yet genuine smile on his face.

“What for?” Makima raised her head up from the dog’s thick coat, looking at him inquisitively.

“My brain feels a little bit better ‘cause of you…”

At this, Makima smiled and shuffled closer to Denji on the sofa, Tiramisu jumping down to the ground as Makima cosied up to Denji instead, resting a hand on his head.

“Yes… You’ve been through so much. You did a good job surviving… You’re a very good boy, Denji…”

“Heh heh… huh…?” Denji felt tears prick the corners of his eye as he heard Makima’s praise, the boy quickly turning his face away from her in shame.

“Uh… It’s not what it looks like! Denji spluttered denials, but thankfully for him, the dogs, as if sensing how he felt, chose that moment to charge him, pawing at him and licking his face until the boy couldn’t hold in his laughter.

Makima waited until his laughter died down before speaking again, her voice serious now, “Denji… So, do you remember our promise? You saved me, too.”

“Huh?” It took Denji a moment to gather himself, but quickly his mind turned towards that time in Makima’s office, her touch… her bite… That memory, it… It made him feel… odd.

“Denji…” Makima spoke again, her voice soft and kind, “You’ve been doing such a good job recently, and you’ve been through so much…”

Denji just looked at her curiously. What could Makima be getting at?

His question was soon answered as the woman continued on.

“Remember, I promised that if you defeated the Gun Devil, I’d grant you whatever you wished for.” Makima fixed her eyes on him, the smile not budging an inch from her face. “So, what do you want, Denji?”

The boy nearly recoiled at the very thought of being rewarded for killing the Gun Devil, for killing Aki, but he knew Makima was just trying to be thoughtful, and, well…

He’d promised Pochita that he’d show him his dreams, and Denji hadn’t stopped dreaming. He wanted so much that he couldn’t even decide!

He looked around the cosy flat, a wistful thought coming to mind: wouldn’t it be great to be one of Makima’s dogs and to live here? It would be great to be happy, care-free, and cared for like one of her dogs… He opened his mouth to speak, to tell Makima his wish.

But…

Something stopped him. A memory. Just like Miss Makima had promised him to grant a wish, he had made a promise too. He couldn't just waste his wish on something so selfish, and he had one more dream left to chase…

“Makima, I…” Denji hesitates for a moment. He wasn’t even sure if Makima could, or would, grant his wish; it was a big ask, and he wasn’t sure if Public Safety would allow it, but he had to at least try.

And if anyone could pull the strings to make it happen, it’d be Miss Makima, right?

“I… My wish is…” Denji gulped before looking into Makima’s eye, the woman smiling still as she awaited the answer she was waiting for.

“I want to go to school! I… I want the three of us — me, Reze, and Power — to go to school! I know it’s a big ask… but… that’s my wish…”

Denji trailed off as he finished his request, looking away from Makima as he awaited her judgment of his wish, and completely missing the smile slipping from Makima’s face, the bare flicker of anger that flashed across her face, and her eyes, once kind, were now hard as stone.

By the time Denji looked back at Makima, her smile had reasserted itself; however, an oblivious Denji didn’t notice that all the warmth had left her eyes, that her voice sounded all the more brittle than before, or that slight twitch in her smile, as if it were strained.

“I will see what I can do… though, is that… all you want?”

Denji’s brow furrows as he thinks hard, before meeting Makima’s gaze directly, his expression determined.

“I was thinkin’ when I fought Aki… If I had been smarter, maybe I coulda saved him. So I was also thinkin’ if someone smarter than me made decisions for me, then maybe he’d still be alive… And maybe I wouldn’t feel like crap all the time…”

Makima perked up a bit at that, listening with interest, her eyes cold and calculating as Denji continued on.

“But… I made a promise. I promised Reze that we’d go to school together, that we’d hang out, have fun, do all the borin’ stuff like homework and classes. I promised we’d do all that together. Maybe… If I go to school, I could even get smarter, maybe even smart enough to deal with all that crap myself…”

“So… yeah. That’s my wish.”

The room was silent for a time, the only sound being the ticking of the clock; even the dogs, previously panting and barking, were now silent as Denji looked down at the ground, bracing himself for the woman’s answer.

Before the woman could reply, a loud noise broke the silence, a sharp knock on the door echoed through the flat. At that, Makima stood up as if she was waiting for just this moment, her face serene as she held a hand out to Denji.

The boy hesitantly grasped it and let the woman pull him to his feet, still waiting for a final answer to his wish. Now standing beside Makima, he settled for asking another question.

“Who’s at the door?” Denji asked in confusion as Makima just looked at him with a calm smile.

“Reze has finished her job, so I thought she should join us here. That will be her and Power now, they’re a bit earlier than I thought.”

Denji’s eyes light up at this, the idea of everyone he cared for being here together filling him with an excitement he hadn’t felt since Aki’s death.

“Really, Miss Makima? That’s great! But, why…?” Denji’s joy turned to mild confusion. Why was Makima doing all of this for him? Feeding him, inviting everyone over… Not that he was complaining, but wasn’t it a bit odd to do all of this out of the blue?”

Makima begins walking to the door, gently tugging Denji behind her. She didn’t turn as she answered.

“Well, it is your birthday tomorrow. Isn’t it only natural that we get everyone here to celebrate?”

‘That's true… I completely forgot about my birthday…’ Denji thought absently, with everything that had happened, he’d completely forgotten about it. He vaguely remembered telling Power about it a while ago.

‘Reze’ll probably be pissed that I forgot to tell her…’

Speaking of Reze…

“Miss Makima, where was Reze anyway?” Denji asks, half expecting another non-answer, and that’s what he gets. But unlike last time he asked, this answer just thoroughly confused him.

“Oh, that? Reze had to carry Power over.”

“Carried…?” Denji’s voice was tinged with confusion as he questioned Makima, but he got no clarification, no response. Denji knew Power could be lazy, but he doubted that the fiend would be bold enough to ask Reze for a piggyback, nor did he think Reze would give her one.

Makima stops as they reach the door, finally turning to look at the boy once again, a small smile on her face as she gives his hand a squeeze, “Let’s greet them together, okay?”

“Oh, uh… Yeah, sure!” Denji stutters as he looks at the door in front of him. It was as simple as reaching out his hand and turning the handle… So why did he have that awful feeling in his gut again? Like his body was telling him something was wrong…

“Open the door, Denji.”

At Makima’s insistence, he takes another step towards the door, reaching out his hand and resting it on the handle. Why did he feel sweat on his brow? Why did his chest feel tight?

Suddenly, something flashed through his mind. He was smaller, dressed only in a vest and shorts, with a pair of ill-fitting trainers on his feet, and he stood before a door. It was old and battered, with water damage visible on the edges and notices plastered all over it. He looked around: he was in a maze of alleyways, it was dark and quiet.

“Denji…”

There it was, the voice from his dreams, the one he’d always longed to hear again.

“Pochita?!” Denji’s younger voice was filled with excitement as he rushed the last couple of steps towards the door. He had to get in; Pochita was in there! And just as he was about to open it, Pochita’s voice sounded out again, tinny and distorted as he listened through the door.

“Don’t open it…”

And just as suddenly, Denji was back in Makima’s hallway, hand on the handle, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to open it. What did that dream mean? Why did Pochita not want him to open it?

He turned back to Makima nervously, only to see the woman smiling at him encouragingly. She walked up to stand behind him, looping her arms around his neck and whispering into his ear.

“Open it Denji… See who truly cares for you…”

Denji gulps. Why did he feel so nervous? It was just Power and Reze. He had nothing to be nervous about! He steeled himself, forcing a smile on his face as he pushed down the handle and swung the door open.

“Reze! I-”

When Denji opens the door, the first thing he sees is his girlfriend's face. Immediately, a beaming smile came to his face; she was back, and in time for his birthday too! But it didn’t take long for the sunny illusion to shatter and for the rest of Denji’s sentence to die on his lips.

Reze wasn’t smiling, in fact she hadn’t reacted at all. Her face was a stony, expressionless mask, steely and unmoving. There was no happiness, no twinkle that always came to her eyes when they were together; she was devoid even of that coy smirk of hers. And…

And her face was splattered with blood… and that wasn’t all…

The white shirt of her uniform was practically drenched in it, flecks of white peaking through the deep burgundy of drying blood, like some kind of twisted modern art.

Why was Reze like this? And Makima said that Power was here too… So where was she? Where was…

As his eyes trailed downwards from his girlfriend's stony face, to her ruined shirt, and finally lower, he froze. His mouth opened and closed, no words coming as he felt the world fall out from beneath him. Reze… she was holding something in her right hand, and it was dangling from familiar long, golden locks.

‘Powy…?’

Denji’s face went as pale as a ghost, as if all the blood had drained from his body, his head swam, the boy felt dizzy and nauseous, like he was about to throw up, and yet nothing came. All he could do was stare in stunned silence as his eyes flicked between Reze’s face and the horrific delivery she held in her hands.

Because hanging loosely from her grip was Power. The girl’s pale hair was highlighted with clumps of coagulated blood, her horns poking out from her ruined hair. Her crosshair eyes were dull and lifeless, staring sightlessly forward. And that was it… Only the fiend's head was left over, ending at the neck in a charred, cauterized stump…

“Ah, our guests have finally arrived,” Makima said, smiling as if there was nothing wrong with the world, before looking down at Power’s head with a tut, “Oh, just leave Power by the door. We wouldn’t want her to make a mess now, would we?”

“Of course not, Miss Makima!” Reze chirped as she tossed Power off to the side of the door and breezed past Denji without a single glance, Denji’s horrified gaze following her as she kicked off her shoes and made her way into the living room, before he looked back down at what was left of Power, tossed so carelessly on the ground, gently tilting from side to side before coming to a rest on its side.

He stayed in the doorway, staring at the back of his buddy's head as it lay there in the corridor, unable to comprehend what he’d just seen. He would have stayed like that for hours, shell-shocked, had Makima not returned to the doorway and taken his hands in hers.

“Oh, you poor thing,” Makima’s voice was saccharine as she gently tugged a reluctant Denji back into the room, “Your hands are cold again. Let’s head back inside.”

Denji didn’t look away from the door as it swung shut. The door may have blocked the gruesome view from sight, but he could still see it, the image feeling like it had been burned into his retinas. He half walked, half stumbled backwards as Makima guided him back to the sofa. Back towards the other sight he didn’t want to see.. Another sight he couldn’t believe…

​

​

Denji must have sat there for hours. So long that the sunrise was beginning to peak through the blinds. For a while, he had simply looked between Reze and Makima, but neither had spoken a single word to him since Makima had sat him back down. Makima had simply finished her own tea and, shortly thereafter, headed to bed without a single word.

She had left Reze in the room with him, but the few times he found the will to say her name, to try to get her attention, she just sat there motionlessly. Totally unperturbed by Denji’s distress. Eventually, reluctantly, Denji had given up on trying; instead, he came to a realisation: this was all just a dream.

There was no way this could be happening.

None of it made sense.

Why would Makima be acting this way?

Why would Reze ignore him?

Why would Reze… Kill Power…?

No, nothing here made sense, and so it couldn’t be real! If he just waited, he’d wake up, and everything would return to normal, and they could all celebrate his birthday together like Makima said!

And so he waited, and waited, and waited.

It wasn’t until a short time after the sun had risen that Makima reappeared, wearing a fresh set of casual clothes and quickly busied herself with making breakfast. Soon, she had settled down opposite Denji, her breakfast laid out in front of her, and began digging in, paying Denji no mind as she ate. A motionless Reze standing just behind her to the side, hovering just over her shoulder.

As Makima washes down her last bite of toast with some tea, Denji finally plucks up the courage to speak, his voice coming out small and halting.

“Am I dreaming?” he asks, looking at the older woman across the table, “M-miss Makima… This is all a dream… Right…?”

Finally, she looks at him. At first, her face is neutral, uncaring. But then Denji feels hope fill his chest as a smile breaks out on her face, and she walks over and sits beside him. Was she about to tell him it was all a dream, to whisper into his ear that it was all a joke?

“Huh? What?” Denji flinched as she rested her head in his lap, “What is it…?

And then something strange happened…

Makima started laughing. And it wasn’t anything like one of the small chuckles he’d heard from her before, nor the joyful laughter from the previous day when she’d been pampering her dogs, no… This laughter was different.

It was mocking. Cold.

Cruel.

And as the woman’s calm facade crumbled, so did Denji. Suddenly, so many things came to mind, all the things he’d pushed aside and ignored rushed to the front of his mind.

When he’d first met Makima, she’d threatened him, called him a dog, and enlisted him into Public Safety. He remembered brushing this off when Reze had mentioned it; he’d never thought much of it, but… It wasn’t something a good person would do, was it?

And then there was… Reze and Power… They’d never liked Makima. Was he just such an idiot that he missed something so obvious? And so, as the woman’s laughter petered out, Denji felt as if the scales were falling away from his eyes, his idolised vision of the woman being replaced by a new, colder visage.

“Ahhhh… That was a good laugh!” Makima had finally stopped laughing, wiping the remnants of her tears of laughter from her eyes, before turning back to him.

“Take off your shirt.”

Denji doesn’t move upon hearing her order, his face crumpling as Makima’s cold gaze bears down on him. However, Makima didn’t wait around for him to obey her instructions for long; instead, she just forcefully raised Denji’s arms above his head, helping him slip out of the t-shirt. He didn’t put up any resistance.

With that, Makima rested her head down on Denji’s lap and began running a finger across the starter hanging from his chest; the last remnant of Pochita.

“In exchange for you living a normal life, Pochita gave you a heart,” Makima started, continuing to fiddle with the cord, looking at the spot on his chest with warm eyes, “But what you made with Pochita wasn’t just a promise. It was a contract.”

“I asked myself… How could I break that contract…?” Makima hummed, each point that she made punctuated by a near-absentminded tap of the ripcord, akin to a cat playing with a string toy.

“How could I make you hurt so much that you could never live a normal life?”.

“So damaged that you’d never be able to bounce back for as long as you live?”.

“Quite the challenge, isn’t it?” She looks at Denji in the eyes now, the ringed orbs shining with self-satisfied pride, “After all, you felt plenty of happiness even when you and Pochita lived in extreme poverty.”