"We've got work, everyone!!"
Himeno clapped her hands loudly to pump everyone up.
"Himeno-senpai, you startled me."
"Is Arata really this timid? Just a moment ago you were confidently shaking hands with Miss Makima, claiming you were the most qualified to kill the Gun Devil. Panicking before we even leave?"
"One thing has nothing to do with the other. To me, the Gun Devil is like chopping vegetables."
"I bet you just wanted to take advantage of Miss Makima."
"I think so too. After all, Miss Makima's hands are silky, soft, and bouncy." Denji chimed in.
"Whose f***ing apprentice are you anyway? Why are your elbows always bending outward taking someone else's side?" Arata shot back.
"Master, what does 'elbows bending outward' mean?"
"It looks like this." Arata physically demonstrated a posture with his elbows jutting outward.
"Alright, let's head out and leave Miss Makima in peace for a while," Himeno urged, ushering everyone out of the office.
Leaving Makima alone, standing in place, her gaze lingering on Arata's retreating back. She felt like something had happened the moment she shook Arata's hand, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly it was.
Shaking her head, she decided not to dwell on it.
...
"We have two other companions who have been interning for over half a year joining us on this mission."
"Isn't that too many people?"
"What do you know? It's called tempering them and building their combat experience. Besides, our lineup is incredibly strong. Dealing with one devil shouldn't be a problem."
With an undying, immortal teammate like Arata backing her up, Himeno's confidence had multiplied several times over.
After the group walked out the front doors of Public Safety, a man and a woman were already waiting for them.
The young woman was named Kobeni. She had delicate features, a petite frame, and fidgeted nervously, looking extremely shy.
The man was named Arai. Though his name was nothing special, he looked reliable and full of drive.
"Himeno-senpai!" Arai shouted like a new recruit addressing a commanding officer.
"Let's move out. We have three rookies joining us on this mission as well."
"Three rookies? That many?" Arai sized up the unfamiliar trio.
A Fiend, a street punk. As for the other one, besides being a bit handsome, he was completely unreadable.
"H-hello..." Kobeni greeted them politely.
"Hello, Beni," Arata replied.
"I... my name isn't Beni. It's Kobeni."
"From now on, I'll just call you Beni, because you're the only one here who won't end up taking a knife in the back."
"What does that mean?"
"It means stick with me, and I'll keep you safe."
"Don't talk big, rookie. Being a Public Safety Devil Hunter is a very dangerous job. We have much more experience than you do. When the fighting starts, just focus on taking care of yourself. I might not have the time to protect you," Arai scolded, puffing up his chest using the tone of a senior.
Having been a rookie for so long, he finally had the chance to lecture newer recruits.
"Arai, you don't need to worry about him at all. That guy can't die."
Just then, Himeno pulled up behind the group driving Arata's Mercedes.
"Himeno-senpai, since when did you get a car?"
"It's not mine. But we need to hurry up and leave. The people at the hotel just called me again."
"Understood, Himeno-senpai!" Arai moved quickly, hurriedly getting into the car.
"Beni, you ride in my car." Arata casually put his arm around Kobeni's shoulder and guided her toward the other vehicle.
"Hey, rookie! Don't just start hugging people right after you meet them!" Arai stuck his head out the window and yelled. He was easily the most troublesome one in the entire squad.
"Dammit, rookies these days do whatever they want. Once this mission is over, I'm definitely going to discipline them on behalf of Himeno-senpai," Arai muttered, pounding his fist against his thigh in the back seat.
"Arai, I suggest you don't mess with him. He's the strongest person among us." Himeno glanced at the disgruntled Arai in the rearview mirror. As his senior, it was necessary to give him a heads-up.
"He's that strong?"
While they were talking, Aki Hayakawa also got into the car. The rest of the group sat in Arata's vehicle.
"Aki-kun, what's that guy's deal?" Arai asked.
"I don't really know. All I know is that even Miss Makima couldn't kill him."
"Even Miss Makima couldn't kill him?!" Arai was shocked. In that moment, he deeply regretted the lecturing tone he had used earlier.
"It's fine, Arai, don't be scared. He's actually pretty easy to get along with."
With that, Himeno stepped on the gas and drove out of the Public Safety compound. Arata's car followed closely behind.
A while later, the two cars pulled up to the entrance of the Morino Hotel.
A large crowd of family members anxiously waiting for news had gathered outside. Among them were families of the hotel guests, families of the Devil Hunters who had gone in and never come out, and families of the hotel staff.
"Himeno-senpai, Aki-senpai, you're here." A young Devil Hunter quickly approached them.
"Make them step aside." Aki Hayakawa took the lead, holding a piece of the Gun Devil's flesh suspended by a string.
"All unauthorized personnel clear the way! The team assigned by Miss Makima has arrived!"
Hearing it was the squad handpicked by Makima, the families on both sides instantly cast hopeful gazes toward them.
"Please, I beg you, save my Momotaro!"
"My wife and her male best friend are trapped inside the hotel! Hurry and save them!"
"Everyone shut up! Your family members will be rescued. But if you keep yelling and screaming and disturb my seniors, I can't guarantee what will happen," the young Devil Hunter shouted at the crowd.
Fearing for their families' safety, the crowd instantly fell silent.
"Master, what is Aki doing?"
"Using that piece of flesh to locate the devil. If the devil inside the hotel ate a piece of the Gun Devil's flesh, that thing will react."
Right on cue, the piece of flesh dangling from Aki's hand began to twitch.
"The devil inside ate a piece of the Gun Devil's flesh. It's no longer an ordinary devil," Aki turned back to warn the group.
"That makes things a lot more troublesome." Himeno looked pointedly at Arata as she spoke.
"Don't always rely on me. I'll only step in during a critical crisis. If I just one-shot it, we wouldn't be tempering the rookies."
"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease," Himeno smiled sweetly.
"But Himeno-senpai, giving the rookies a little reward before the battle would really boost morale, wouldn't it?" Arata didn't forget to try and secure some benefits before they went in.
"A reward? Of course."
Hearing there was a reward, everyone instantly looked at Himeno.
"Whoever defeats the target devil this time, I'll give them a kiss."
"Ah!!"
"Himeno-senpai, are you serious?" Arai panted heavily. He looked even more excited than Denji.
"Himeno-senpai just wants to kiss someone, so she found a legitimate excuse."
"What!! Himeno-senpai, you're actually that kind of person?" Arai gasped.
"Arai, don't listen to his nonsense."
"But Denji, why aren't you reacting? Come to think of it, you haven't had your first kiss yet, have you?" Himeno asked.
"Even though I haven't kissed anyone, I only want to kiss someone I like. As for Himeno-senpai's kiss, I'll pass. If I defeat the devil, I'll just give the reward to my master."
"Spoken like my true apprentice. I didn't take you in for nothing." Arata nodded in satisfaction.
Denji's utter indifference piqued Himeno's interest. She immediately leaned in close to Denji's ear and whispered something.
No one heard exactly what Himeno said.
But they could all see Denji's face instantly turn bright red. "Sorry, Master. Pretend I never said that just now."
"You f***ing dog!" Arata gave Denji a massive thumbs down.
"Alright, let's hurry up and head inside," Aki Hayakawa, who was at the very front, called out before stepping into the hotel himself.
The others hurriedly followed.
"Aki, everyone in this hotel has been evacuated, right?" Himeno asked.
"It seems not. There are residents on some floors who never came down."
As the two at the front were whispering to each other, a sudden gust of wind blew past them.
Taking a closer look, Denji and Arai were practically speed-walking past them. Both of them seemed to have developed an extreme, burning obsession with the reward.