"Senpai Himeno, don't say things that can be easily misunderstood. You'll make Otonashi uncomfortable."
Aki reminded Himeno.
Himeno immediately laughed, "Why so serious? But Aki-kun, you really do care about Otonashi-kun, huh? Someone might get jealous~"
However, despite her playful words, Himeno's expression showed no signs of actual jealousy.
"..."
Aki furrowed his brows.
He had gradually grown accustomed to Himeno-senpai's personality, so he chose to remain silent.
"But seriously, Otonashi-kun, you should still be careful. The power of the Wrath Devil is a terrifying double-edged sword!"
Himeno's demeanor suddenly turned uncharacteristically serious.
In terms of raw strength and practicality, no other devil within Kyoto Public Security could compare to the Wrath Devil. But the price it exacted was also the steepest. It was a true double-edged sword—one misstep, and there would be no turning back!
"Mm, I understand."
Chiya nodded slightly without offering further explanation.
The Wrath Devil residing in his palm remained silent as well. To the Wrath Devil, no one besides Chiya was worth caring about.
"Since the contract with the devil has been signed, it's time for us to head out." Himeno said.
"Then let's go."
Atomi led them to the parking lot via elevator, preparing to drive them to Kyoto Station.
Although Chiya had taken the Wrath Devil's true form with him, Kyoto Public Security had not prohibited such actions. As long as the contract was in effect, the Wrath Devil couldn't commit any atrocities. If anything went wrong, the responsibility would fall entirely on Chiya.
---
Arriving at Tokyo Public Security
The higher-ups had already assigned Chiya and Aki their new roles.
"It's been decided—Aki-kun, you'll be assigned to Extermination Division 3, where I work. From today onwards, you'll be my partner, and I'll be responsible for guiding you through the three-month probationary period." Himeno informed Aki.
"By the way, the examiners gave you a pretty good evaluation. Among the recent recruits, you're one of the more outstanding ones. Otherwise, passing the lowest-difficulty exam would usually only earn a C rating."
Aki nodded without any objections.
He had originally wanted to partner with Chiya, but he wasn't the type to be unreasonable. With Chiya's S-class rating, it was understandable that they wouldn't be assigned together.
"Aki-kun, go to the second floor to get your work ID first."
"Understood."
As Aki ascended the stairs, Himeno turned to Chiya and said, "Otonashi-kun, your situation is rather unique. The higher-ups of Public Security want to meet you in person."
"No problem." Chiya nodded.
Being able to interact with the upper echelon of Tokyo Public Security would help him determine whether the Control Devil, Makima, had already arrived in the human world.
Led by Himeno, Chiya arrived in front of an office on the fourth floor.
Himeno left first, heading downstairs to find Aki.
Chiya lightly knocked on the door and announced himself. "I am Otonashi Chiya."
"Come in."
A deep male voice responded from inside.
The door was unlocked. When Chiya entered, he saw a middle-aged man in a Public Security uniform sitting behind a desk.
Wrinkles were already prominent on the man's face. Contrary to what Chiya had expected, he didn't have an imposing presence. Instead, he looked somewhat kind.
"Let's start with introductions. My name is Yoshimura Taki, and I am the Director of Tokyo Public Security."
The middle-aged man introduced himself.
"Director Yoshimura."
Chiya greeted him respectfully.
Internally, he began analyzing the situation. If this man, Yoshimura, was indeed the one in charge of Tokyo Public Security, then Makima had likely not yet descended into the human world.
Otherwise, Yoshimura's authority would have already been overridden—since in the original story, the leadership of Tokyo Public Security had always been in Makima's hands alone.
"Otonashi Chiya, I've reviewed all of your records. Kyoto Public Security also sent over a report yesterday. I heard you took the Wrath Devil's true form with you?"
Yoshimura Taki asked.
"Yes."
Chiya answered truthfully.
"You should already be aware of the tragedies caused by the Wrath Devil's power in the past. Be careful not to rely on it too much, lest history repeats itself."
Yoshimura calmly warned him.
"I will be mindful."
Chiya responded humbly without offering further explanations.
"Good. Now, let's talk about your job assignment. After discussions among the leadership—including myself—we've decided to assign you to Extermination Special Division 1 as the Vice Captain."
Yoshimura Taki continued, "The captain of Extermination Special Division 1 is Kishibe. However, unless there's an extremely critical mission, he rarely takes action personally. So most of the time, you'll be leading the division."
The leadership specifically placed Chiya in Speacial Division 1 because of its unique nature. While he was officially the deputy captain, in practice, he would be leading the team. This arrangement was intended to facilitate his rapid growth, with Kishibe providing guidance when necessary.
There had been proposals to have Kishibe train Chiya first, but the idea was quickly dismissed. Since Chiya had been classified as S-class rank, he likely had some pride and might not be willing to undergo training. Moreover, he wasn't a rookie who lacked combat experience.
"I understand."
Chiya accepted the decision.
As long as he could hunt powerful devils, it didn't matter to him which team he was assigned to.
"Now, there's the issue of your partner. Besides Kishibe, there doesn't seem to be anyone suitable for you…" Yoshimura seemed hesitant.
Chiya was a rookie himself, so pairing him with another rookie was out of the question.
Among the veteran agents, the stronger ones already had partners, and assigning him a weaker one would be meaningless.
The only viable option was Kishibe, but Kishibe was a special case…
In fact, Yoshimura's influence within Tokyo Public Security might not even surpass Kishibe's. The only reason Kishibe hadn't taken control was that he wasn't interested in political matters and preferred to do things his own way.
"That's not a problem. I can patrol and handle missions on my own." Chiya said calmly.
"That works. If a suitable candidate appears, I'll consult with you before making a decision."
Yoshimura nodded. "For now, get acquainted with the members of Exorcism Division 1 tomorrow."
"Understood."
With that, Chiya concluded his meeting with Yoshimura.
As he left the office, a thought had already taken root in his mind.
Now that he was certain Makima had not yet arrived in the human world, it was time for him to take action!
Since he had no idea when or where Makima would descend, he might as well take the initiative and travel to Hell—ensuring that she wouldn't be discovered by the old men in the Cabinet first.
As for how to reach Hell, he already had a method in mind.