As it turned out, Chiya had guessed correctly.
Himeno, a seasoned veteran who had worked for Tokyo Public Safety for several years, had a habit of arriving at work precisely between 8:55 and 8:59 AM.
This left Chiya and Aki waiting in the break area for over half an hour, making their early arrival feel pointless.
"Sorry, sorry! Looks like I kept you waiting," Himeno apologized with a smile as soon as she entered.
"…"
Aki didn't even feel like responding. "The staff told us to wait for you. So, what's going on?"
"I have an update for you. The evaluations are out. You got a B rank, just as I expected. But Otonashi-kun's rank actually surprised me."
Himeno looked at Chiya with a slightly astonished expression. "I didn't expect you to become the second-ever S-grade recruit in Tokyo Public Safety's history. At this rate, you're about to become my superior."
She had always known that Otonashi's abilities were exceptional, but his performance during the evaluation had far exceeded her expectations.
The examiners had unanimously given him an S-grade, showing complete satisfaction with his performance.
Following the precedent set by Captain Kishibe, Otonashi would likely skip the rookie period altogether and be immediately appointed as a deputy squad leader in one of the Anti-Devil Divisions.
The rookie period was designed to help newcomers—who lacked strength, experience, or the right mindset—gradually adjust to the intensity of Public Safety work. But for a prodigy like Chiya , who was already stronger than many veterans, that step was unnecessary.
In terms of rank, disregarding seniority, Otonashi would indeed become Himeno's superior.
"It was just luck," Chiya said humbly with a faint smile.
"Oh, come on. The examiners told me you practically took down a high-difficulty devil unscathed. That's something most veteran hunters can't do."
Himeno wasn't going to let him downplay his achievement. "Anyway, your assignments haven't been finalized yet. But before that, we need to make a trip to Kyoto."
"You probably already know that every new recruit gets a chance to form a contract with a devil under Public Safety's supervision. These devils are often stronger than those available to civilian Devil Hunters—not only in raw power but also in the relatively lower contract costs."
"This will help strengthen your abilities. Aki, I recommend you form a contract with the Fox Devil. The interviewers already explained why to you at the time. As for you, Otonashi-kun, that's up to you. The Fox Devil wouldn't really be an upgrade for you."
Otonashi's strength was already on par with Kishibe, another S-grade hunter. Himeno felt that the Fox Devil's abilities weren't quite on his level.
"Well, I don't have anything else to do, so why not go check it out?" Chiya replied casually.
"Alright then, we'll depart in a bit~" Himeno announced.
Shortly after, the three of them boarded a subway train bound for Kyoto Station.
Otonashi and Aki had already changed into their Tokyo Public Safety uniforms the previous day. Their presence on the train reassured the passengers.
Although devil attacks on subway trains weren't frequent, they did happen from time to time. Occasionally, a devil would even appear suddenly inside a train.
That was because devils who died in Hell and were reborn in the human world would appear at completely random locations. If one had exceptionally bad luck, a devil could literally materialize right above their head.
"When we arrive at the station, a Kyoto Public Safety Devil Hunter will be there to meet us," Himeno said. "Some of the old-timers in Kyoto Public Safety's leadership can be a bit eccentric, but the regular hunters are easy to get along with. We won't have to deal with the higher-ups this time."
…
Not long after, the subway arrived at Kyoto Station.
As soon as they stepped off the train, they spotted someone waiting for them—a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties.
She was also wearing a Public Safety uniform, which was nearly identical to Tokyo's since both were business suits.
"Long time no see, Atomi" Himeno greeted her.
"So it's you bringing them over, huh?" Fujii Atomi responded with a smile.
Since Tokyo Public Safety frequently sent members to form contracts with the devils under Kyoto's jurisdiction, many Kyoto hunters had grown familiar with their Tokyo counterparts.
"I heard Tokyo Public Safety has a new S-grade prodigy. Is it one of these two?" Fujii Atomi glanced at Chiya and Aki, but based on looks alone, she couldn't tell who was stronger. They were both pretty handsome, though.
The news of Tokyo Public Safety's newest S-grade recruit had already spread beyond Tokyo, reaching even Kyoto Public Safety.
Each region had slightly different evaluation criteria for hunters. Under Tokyo's standards, no other branch—including Kyoto—had ever produced an S-grade hunter. That was why, even at his advanced age, Kishibe was still considered Japan's strongest Devil Hunter.
Now, with another S-grade hunter joining Tokyo Public Safety—one as talented as Kishibe—the organization's dominance in Japan was practically secured for decades to come, assuming he didn't die young.
There was also an unspoken rivalry between regional Public Safety branches. Since Tokyo had always been the strongest overall and was the most favored by the government, its hunters had the greatest influence on national security and public confidence.
This was why Kyoto Public Safety functioned almost like a resource hub for Tokyo's hunters, readily offering its devils for contracts.
"It's this one, Chiya Otonashi. And the other one is Aki Hayakawa," Himeno introduced them.
"Oh, I'm Fujii Atomi. Nice to meet you both," she greeted them politely.
"Can we leave now?" Aki asked in a cold tone.
He clearly had no interest in idle chatter.
"Ah! Of course, my bad for dragging things out," Atomi quickly apologized.
"No worries! Geez, Aki-kun, don't be so cold~" Himeno teased, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"…"
Aki neither resisted nor acknowledged her.
"My bad. Let's get going," Atomi said.
With that, she personally drove them straight to Kyoto Public Safety.
There weren't many formalities involved. Upon arrival, they were taken directly to the underground base.
Below the parking level, the elevator had only one more option: "-10."
All of Kyoto Public Safety's controlled devils were kept on that floor.