Denji walked out of the Public Security headquarters in a daze.
The glaring sunlight hit him, but it didn't bring him the slightest warmth.
He was still holding the final scores of the Yamai sisters in his hand, standing in the middle of the bustling street, not knowing where to go.
After a long while, he suddenly squatted down as if waking from a dream.
"Why does it have to be me?"
Not caring about the eyes of others, Denji clutched his head and shouted in self-pity, "Makima-sama! How could you give such an important decision to someone like me?!"
To be honest, he could hardly remember what he had discussed with Makima earlier.
When he realized that the fate of the Yamai sisters was now in his hands, and that his words would decide which Yamai would stay and which would disappear, his already limited brain short-circuited in an instant.
He had joined the Public Security because he wanted an easy, simple life.
Even if it meant becoming Makima's dog, that was fine; in fact, he preferred to be a dog.
After all, being a dog was such a simple and happy thing.
You didn't have to think about complicated matters—just follow orders, and you'd get a comfortable life and enough food. He had no objections to being a dog.
How many people in this world would want to be a dog but couldn't even become one?
But Denji never imagined that Makima would entrust him with such an important decision.
"How can I be the one to make the final decision? I can't do it..."
Squatting on the ground, his face contorted in distress, Denji knew the relationship between the Yamai sisters, and he knew only one Yamai would remain in the end.
But he had no intention of stopping it or talking about "bonds" or "companionship" to console them.
Although he had a good impression of the Yamai sisters, having spent a month with them and developed some affection for these two quirky girls, that was all.
If either Yuzuru Yamai or Kaguya Yamai disappeared, he would probably feel down for a while.
He might feel unmotivated at work, might lose his appetite, and might sigh whenever he thought of them...
But eventually, he would forget.
Because that was how Denji survived.
Though this might sound cold-hearted, if Denji weren't this way, he would have long been defeated by the hardships of life.
Looking at the paper with the final scores of the Yamai sisters, Denji's face was filled with bitterness.
The current situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
He wasn't the one sitting in the audience, quietly listening to the judge's final ruling.
He had become the one who would give the final decision.
This pressure weighed heavily on Denji.
"I can't do this alone..."
Denji stood up, making a decision in his mind.
But it wasn't to decide which Yamai would disappear.
Instead, he decided to share this pressure with others.
With that thought in mind, he didn't hesitate, immediately took a taxi, and arrived in front of a high-end apartment building.
Following his memory, he took the elevator to the door of one of the apartments and knocked.
Soon, a woman wearing a thin shirt, with an eye patch over her right eye and missing her left arm, opened the door.
"Himeno, long time no see."
"Oh, it's Denji. What made you think of visiting me?"
The woman, named Himeno, raised an eyebrow in surprise, stepped aside to let him in, and said, "Come in, I'm sure you wouldn't come if it wasn't something important."
"It's nothing, I just have a few questions to ask."
Himeno was one of Denji's former seniors in the Anti-Devil Division.
Or rather, she used to be his senior.
Because she had retired.
A few days ago, in a battle with the Sword Devil, she had sacrificed her arm and some of her internal organs to gain stronger power from the Ghost Devil, whom she had contracted with.
If it hadn't been for Yuzuru Yamai arriving and taking down the Sword Devil, Himeno would probably have been left as nothing but a corpse by now.
Although she still wanted to continue being a Devil hunter, in the end, she couldn't withstand Hayakawa Aki's persistence and retired early.
Denji didn't know much about this former senior of his.
In fact, he didn't even know her full name, only that her surname was Himeno.
But maybe it was because they weren't very familiar with each other that he came to find her first.
"Well, in that case, just ask here."
Himeno, using her remaining arm, opened a cigarette box and expertly lit a cigarette. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind. Let me guess—did you confess to Makima and get rejected? So now you're here to ask me for some love advice?"
"I didn't do that, and even if I did, I wouldn't ask you for love advice."
"Haha, fair enough, after all, I've never been in a relationship."
Himeno laughed heartily a couple of times, then blew out the smoke before asking, "So, what do you want to ask?"
"If... if only one of the Yamai sisters, Yuzuru or Kaguya, can remain, which one would you choose, Himeno?"
Himeno blinked, seemingly surprised by the question.
But soon, she remembered the scoring system established by Makima before her retirement, and the events surrounding the Yamai sisters. She immediately understood why Denji had come to her.
"Makima is really a cruel woman, isn't she?" Himeno looked at Denji with a compassionate gaze. "To leave such an important decision to you, even I can't stand it. I don't know what's so great about her, but everyone seems to love circling around her."
"Alright, alright, I didn't ask about your opinion on Makima, can you just answer my question directly?"
"You brat, even when you ask for help, your attitude is terrible."
Himeno chuckled at him, but didn't get angry.
Taking another drag from her cigarette, she exhaled slowly and said, "If I had to choose, I'd pick the one named Yuzuru."
"Why?"
"It's simple, because Yuzuru saved my life," Himeno replied matter-of-factly. "Thanks to her, I at least still have one arm left, so I can still smoke."
"..."
"I know, this isn't the answer you wanted to hear," Himeno said with a helpless smile. "But honestly, even if you ask everyone in the Anti-Devil Division, you probably won't get the answer you want."
"So, what should I do?" Denji asked dejectedly. "I can't just randomly pick, can I?"
"If you really can't decide, then this is an option," Himeno said. "Actually, I don't think you need to put so much pressure on yourself. You see, the Yamai sisters don't have much emotional attachment to each other. All those duels they've had were just about devouring each other to become the only Wind Devil. They just want an answer from us, any answer will do."
"Is... is that so?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on how you see it."
Himeno shrugged.
"Anyway, this is the only advice I can give you. What you choose to do next is entirely up to you."