New Goals

Arriving at his small but cozy apartment, he opened the door and walked through, closing it behind him. His Inventory Curse was in his stomach, transformed into a small ball that he would only use when it was time to fight.

The overwhelming silence of his apartment immediately struck him, reminding him that despite being one of the strongest, he was alone. He had no friends, only Nakame, who was living her life in the United States, but she was all he had. If you wonder why his life was like this, it's quite simple.

An assassin cannot have weaknesses, friends, acquaintances, family, girlfriends, wives – none of that, no matter how important it may be to him. Being his ally or friend was like being friends with hell itself. 

No one could be by his side; they could use one of his emotional connections against him and end him, it was that simple.

With his hair covering his eyes as he removed his shirt and pants, he entered the shower and let the refreshing cold water run down his body.

"I don't want friends, but I want them," Toji murmured while showering and feeling the water flowing over his body.

He knew it wouldn't happen, that it would only put his loved ones in danger, but it was inevitable. He used to be a social person in his past life and had friends. But that's all in the past – "HAD." Now, due to his lifestyle, it's no longer possible, so he would have to live with that, both in his head and in his heart, "Alone, alone until the end of his days."

Finishing his shower and returning to his room, he dried himself and put on some pajama-style pants before collapsing on his comfortable bed, overcome by laziness.

"I should call Nakame," Toji murmured before falling into a deep sleep, but like any assassin, his instincts were alert, attentive to every sound or smell around him.

Next Day

It was 10 in the morning at a hospital in Tokyo, curiously guarded by Devil Hunters. In the reception area, there was a woman with red hair and yellow eyes with black rings that shone indifferently, accompanied by two young people on either side.

A girl with black hair, a beautiful face with a soft eye covered by a black eyepatch with a green eye that sparkled with a mix of anger and concern as she looked at the woman in front of her.

A man with black hair and small eyes, a medium-sized nose, and a scar that started a few centimeters below his cheek and extended from his jaw in a cutting fashion.

These three figures were dressed in office suits, but the difference was that they exuded an intimidating and tense aura.

"How are Aki and my sensei?" the black-haired beauty asked, looking at the woman in front of her with suspicion and concern.

"Both are stable, Himeno, but both arrived severely injured, especially Kishibe, who was stabbed multiple times all over his torso and thighs, and his ribs are almost entirely broken with gunshot wounds to his legs. On the other hand, Aki only has a scar on his chest and a nearly completely broken nose," Makima said before starting to walk towards Aki and Kishibe's room.

Upon hearing this, both Himeno and her companion clenched their fists in frustration at Makima's report on their comrades' condition.

"And what happened to Keiro and the others?" the dark-haired man asked with a mix of despair and hope, as he hadn't heard anything about his comrades since the attack.

"Dead," Makima declared indifferently, causing the hearts of both Devil Hunters to stop for a moment due to the impact. However, they continued to follow her, and a hint of anger and vengeance began to surface on their faces, gradually taking root in their hearts.

Arriving at the room, which was guarded by six Public Security agents, they opened the door and were surprised by what they saw.

In one bed lay Kishibe, bandaged from head to toe, with only his face visible, which had a respirator. They could see color slowly returning to his face, but it was a painfully slow process.

This alone was shocking, as Kishibe was considered one of the strongest, and seeing him in such a state sent shivers down the spines of both Devil Hunters who wanted to take revenge on the assailant. However, seeing Kishibe like this planted a seed of doubt in their hearts, making them question their desire for vengeance.

In another bed sat Aki, staring out the window with a bandaged chest, his gaze seemingly lost in another universe.

Makima, who had looked indifferent at first, was now in deep thought, her brow furrowed, while Himeno and Arai were trembling slightly, feeling the growing pressure emanating from Makima.

"Aki..." Himeno said, her voice filled with concern, as she stood by Aki's bed and looked at him.

However, Makima sat down next to Aki, gently embracing him, even though her eyes remained devoid of emotions. She softly stroked his hair, causing Aki to blush slightly, and a tear began to fall from his eye.

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Aki?" Makima whispered softly, her emotions still absent, showing her disapproval of Aki.

For Makima, there was only one man in her life, Toji. However, she didn't consider it an obsession but rather admiration and love for the man who had shown her affection without hesitation.

Sighing, Aki pulled away gently from Makima's embrace and sighed again as he looked at his division comrades.

"He's on another level, maybe in a league of his own," Aki said, shivering inwardly as he recalled the figure of the person who could have killed him if he had wanted to.

Upon hearing this, both Himeno and Arai tensed up, while Makima looked at Aki with indifference.

"Tell us everything, down to the smallest detail, and then describe his physical appearance," Makima ordered, her voice now serious, her eyes shining with caution.

After telling her what happened to them and the murderer went on to his physical characteristics

"He has black hair with bangs, tall and muscular, with that strange brown worm attached to his torso and shoulders. He wears very casual clothing, a black shirt with loose white pants and black moccasins. He has a scar on his mouth," Aki reported with a confused look before continuing.

"In our fight, he used two weapons, a short sword attached to some sort of chain and a wooden sword," Aki said, his confusion growing more apparent.

"A scar on his mouth?" Makima asked, her voice confused and intrigued.

Sighing with frustration, Aki continued, "Yes, and that arrogant smile of his that makes me sick."

"What did his scar look like?" Makima demanded, her voice even more intrigued.

"It started near his upper lip and ended on his lower lip; it looked like some sort of cut," Aki said, confused but apparently keeping his confusion to himself.

Makima's mind was thrown into disarray at that moment.

Rising to her feet, feeling weak, Makima put on a forced smile and spoke, "I'll report this to the Board. Get well soon, Aki." Her voice lacked emotion, but her eyes shone like stars.

Leaving the room, leaving behind a confused Aki, Himeno, and the black-haired man, Makima gently closed the door behind her and headed to the bathroom.

Turning on the faucet, she gently splashed her face with water, wearing a happy expression but a mind shattered by her thoughts.

"Why didn't he look for me? If he was alive, why didn't he? Why is it like this? Is he against me? Does he plan to kill me?" Makima's mind raced with confusing and worrisome thoughts because she knew that the one behind all this was Toji, her beloved Toji.

However, she needed answers, and for that, she needed to find Toji. If he resisted, she would take him by force and make him her most prized pet. After all, no one could escape her control.

She needed him, to feel his scent, his voice, his warmth. Even though time had passed, she hadn't forgotten his scent, not a single thing about him. She would search for what was hers; he belonged to her, and now she knew he was alive.

Exiting the bathroom with a somewhat kind and soft smile, it seemed like Makima's happiness for the first time in a long while was genuine.

"I will catch him..." Makima murmured with a somewhat twisted smile as she walked briskly, even giving some light skips.

The hunters guarding the door were left dumbfounded by the sight of their usually stoic boss happily skipping and emitting her scent, which slightly flushed some of them.

Arriving at her car with a driver waiting for her, the smiling Makima got into the car and spoke with a soft but firm voice to the driver.

"To the office," Makima said, looking out of the window absentmindedly.

At Toji's house. 11 AM.

Toji, who had slept peacefully clutching his pillow like a koala, woke up suddenly, feeling a chill down his spine.

"What the hell..." Toji muttered to himself as a cold sweat ran down his back.

He had a feeling in his mind that he was the target of something or someone, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Sighing to himself, he got up and headed to perform his morning ritual.

After stretching, showering, and having breakfast, he sat on his couch and with a smile, picked up his phone, dialing several numbers rhythmically.

With a soft and concerned voice, a woman's voice answered after a split second.

"Three months without calling me, Toji, you idiot," was the response from the soft yet concerned voice on the phone.

With a gentle smile, Toji replied to the feminine voice, "I was busy with work, Nakame."

End Of Ch.