Chapter 32: Vice Captain of Special Division 1
"Himeno-senpai, please stop saying things that are so easily misunderstood. You're going to trouble Otonashi," Aki reminded her.
Himeno burst into laughter. "Why so serious? But Aki-kun, you really do care about Otonashi-kun, don't you? I'm almost getting jealous~"
Despite her words, Himeno was grinning ear to ear; she didn't look jealous in the slightest.
"..." Aki's brow furrowed. He was gradually becoming accustomed to Himeno-senpai's personality, so he chose to stay silent.
"But in all seriousness, Otonashi-kun, you should still be careful. The power of the Wrath Devil is a terrifying double-edged sword!" Himeno's expression suddenly turned unusually solemn.
In terms of raw power and utility, there was no better choice in all of Kyoto Public Safety than the Wrath Devil, but no price was higher either. It was a true double-edged sword; one slip-up could lead to eternal damnation.
"I know. I have it under control," Chiya nodded slightly, offering no further explanation.
The Wrath Devil residing in his palm remained silent as well. In her eyes, no one mattered except Otonashi Chiya.
"Since you've both finished your contracts, it's time to head back," Himeno said.
"Let's go then." Fujii Atsuko led them back to the elevator to the parking lot, preparing to drive them to Kyoto Station.
Even though Chiya was taking the physical body of the Wrath Devil with him, Kyoto Public Safety did not forbid it. As long as the contract was active, the devil couldn't run amok, and if something did go wrong, the responsibility would fall entirely on Chiya.
Back at Tokyo Public Safety.
The high-ranking officials had already finalized the work assignments for Chiya and Aki.
"It's settled. Aki-kun, you've been assigned to Special Division 3, the same as me. Starting today, you'll be my partner. I'll be responsible for guiding you through your three-month internship," Himeno told Aki first.
"The examiners gave you a good evaluation. You're considered one of the more outstanding recruits from the past year. Normally, passing the minimum difficulty only gets you a C-rank."
Aki nodded, having no objections. Although he had previously wanted to partner with Chiya, he wasn't the type to be unreasonable. Given Chiya's S-rank rating, it was clear they were no longer on the same track.
"Aki-kun, go to the second floor and collect your work credentials."
"Understood."
As Aki headed up the stairs, Himeno turned to Chiya. "Otonashi-kun, your situation is a bit special. The higher-ups want to meet you in person."
"No problem," Chiya nodded.
Meeting the top brass of Tokyo Public Safety would allow him to judge whether Makima, the Control Devil, had already arrived in the human world.
Under Himeno's lead, Chiya arrived at an office door on the fourth floor. Himeno left to find Aki downstairs, while Chiya knocked gently and announced his name. "I am Otonashi Chiya."
"Come in."
The voice of a middle-aged man drifted from inside. The door was unlocked. Upon entering, Chiya saw a middle-aged man in a Public Safety uniform sitting behind a desk.
The man's face had prominent wrinkles, and his expression wasn't as stern as Chiya had imagined; instead, he looked somewhat kind.
"Let's start with an introduction. My name is Yoshimura Taki, the Director of Tokyo Public Safety," the middle-aged man said.
"Director Yoshimura," Chiya replied respectfully.
Internally, he began to analyze the situation. If this man held the reins of Tokyo Public Safety, it almost certainly meant that Makima had not yet descended to the human world. Otherwise, this Director's power would have been completely usurped; in the original story, the high-level leadership of Tokyo Public Safety effectively consisted of only Makima.
"Otonashi Chiya, I've reviewed all your information. We also received word from Kyoto Public Safety today. I heard you took the physical body of the Wrath Devil?" Yoshimura asked.
"Yes," Chiya nodded truthfully.
"You must have heard of the tragedy caused by the Wrath Devil's power before. Be careful not to over-rely on its strength to avoid repeating history," Yoshimura warned in a calm tone.
"I will keep that in mind," Chiya responded modestly, offering no further explanation.
"Good. Now, about your assignment. After deliberation by the leadership, myself included, we have decided to appoint you as the Vice Captain of Special Division 1."
Yoshimura continued, "The Captain of Special Division 1 is Kishibe. Except for high-priority missions, he rarely deploys in person. Therefore, most of the time, you will be the one leading the division."
The leadership had assigned Chiya to Division 1 specifically because of its unique nature. While Chiya would officially be the Vice Captain, he would essentially be performing the duties of a Captain. This was intended to foster his rapid growth while allowing Kishibe to provide guidance whenever necessary.
Initially, someone had suggested that Kishibe should give Chiya special training, but the idea was quickly dismissed. As an S-rank rookie, Chiya likely possessed a degree of pride and might not take well to forced training; moreover, he wasn't exactly a newcomer lacking in strength or experience.
"Understood," Chiya replied.
As long as he could hunt powerful devils, it didn't matter which team he was assigned to.
"There is still the issue of a partner. Aside from Kishibe, there doesn't seem to be anyone suitable for you..." Yoshimura hesitated.
Chiya was still technically a newcomer, so they couldn't just pair him with another rookie. However, all the strong veterans already had partners, and pairing him with someone weak served no purpose. Only Kishibe remained, but Kishibe was a "special" case...
Truth be told, Yoshimura's prestige within Tokyo Public Safety wasn't necessarily higher than Kishibe's; it was just that Kishibe stayed out of politics and did as he pleased.
"It doesn't matter. I can go on patrol by myself for the time being," Chiya said calmly.
"Very well. When a suitable candidate becomes available, I will consult you for your opinion," Yoshimura said. "That will be all for now. You can go and introduce yourself to your colleagues in Special Division 1 today."
"Understood."
As Chiya left Yoshimura's office, a thought began to take root in his mind. Now that it was almost certain Makima had not yet arrived on Earth, he decided to take the initiative!
Since he didn't know when or where Makima would descend, he figured it would be better to proactively head to Hell. This would prevent those "old bastards" in the Cabinet from discovering her first.
As for how to get to Hell, he already knew the way.