6 Tokyo

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The next day, as I had believed, more things would begin to change.

First, I saw how He now separated the… water? Yeah, the water below and how He did something else with it, too. Forgive me, but I don't really know how to describe it, as He was very peculiar in the ways He did... pretty much everything.

You see, at first, we were actually connected to the 'water' initially, but then He made a change that completely removed us from one another, saying He wanted to create a... thing that stretched far between our home and the rocks and water below. He said it was 'necessary.'

Though, there was a slight problem with this change; apparently, he named it something we already regarded our home as it were His very words. Fortunately, He said it was alright and simply changed our home's name, anointing it with something else entirely; we liked it and believed it was good.

Now, we were moving even further from the things below, only connected by the 'sky' that lies in between.

————————————

"Denji."

"Haaa…"

"Denji?"

"Me too… I like you, too…."

"DENJI!"

"Miss Makima—OW!" Kancho—fed up with his friend's failure to adhere to his surroundings—smacked him on the back of his head to get him concentrated; they finally arrived in Tokyo, and the city was bustling as expected of such a renowned city. "Huh?! What's happening?"

"You're acting weird again," Kancho answered, pointing Denji's head to the building on their right. "And I think we've made it to our stop."

"This way, come on," Makima guided, showing the way inside the compound. "This is the Tokyo headquarters for our Devil Hunters."

They made their way inside; Kancho was a little embarrassed by the fact he still had no shirt on while Denji was more focused on thinking about Makima again; he knew the place was vital by simply witnessing how almost all the staff were moving around constantly, carrying papers and whatnot. It was a Monday, after all.

"Including civilians, there are more than a thousand Devil Hunters in Tokyo," Makima commented. "We in Public Safety get a lot of paid vacation time and the best benefits."

'I really don't know what a 'best benefits' is, but it's gotta be somethin' good if it comes right after paid days off,' The sound of getting free money for nothing was such a fantastic appeal to Kancho that his mind almost began to roam around like Denji's. "Er, you said I was getting five thousand yen for working here, too, right?"

"Well, oddities like yourselves wouldn't often receive a paycheck, but as part of our deal, I think they can make an exception. You will be paid by the hour, and the rate does increase if you do a good job." She explained, getting a nonsensical smile from Kancho; he liked the prospect of money as it meant he could soon buy anything he wanted at a moment's notice, such as food.

"Awesome possum." He said, stepping into an elevator she had led them into; Denji suddenly bowed his head in thought after they had reached the floor before theirs. "Uh… Denji—what are you doing?"

"I wanna… I wanna get together with her real bad!" He whispered, pulling Kancho in to hear his pleas. "Help me out here, man—"

"Nope, you're hopeless. Utterly hopeless."

"But—"

"You ain't real either. Just a figment of my mind."

"Huh?! But I'm right here!"

————————————

Two Minutes

————————————

"Nice office..." Kancho remarked once they eventually made it to Makima's office—which was as they had expected—fairly impressive; he had also noticed that there was also a painting on their way in, depicting a demon using a spear to throw off a sinner trying to escape a burning lake of blood. 'Neat.'

"You two." She called, suggesting for the two to come closer; she was holding two Public Safety uniforms, both dry-cleaned and brand new.

"Uh, yeah?/Yes?!"

"We're supposed to wear uniforms, so put these on," Makima gave them the uniforms but also gave Kancho something else; a pair of black loafers. "I saw you didn't have any shoes, so I took the liberty to lend you a pair we had in storage."

"Ah, thanks!" Denji and Kancho took the garments and examined them briefly; unlike what they had initially believed at first impression, each one felt relatively heavy, as if they were packing body armor within the cloth. 'Kinda thick… what the heck kind of material they usin' for their clothes?'

"Once you've changed, I'll introduce you boys to one of your colleagues. He will be your senior for your time here."

'Senior?/Wha?'

————————————

Five Minutes

————————————

Their senior was already standing at attention in front of Makima when they returned from their short-changing trip; he was tall, had a topknot in his black hair, and faced forward as if he were a soldier on duty.

Kancho's new clothes fit him perfectly, making him feel rather dapper and affluent; it was his first time wearing formal attire—and with the addition of his good-looking hat and new pair of loafers—he felt like a distinguished businessman. Denji, meanwhile, had a slight problem with his attire as he still needed more time to fix his tie correctly. "Damn it…" He griped, twisting and twirling it around.

'He's probably in his twenties, and just by the way he looks… he might be a professional, too,' Kancho commented as he peeked upon his senior's stature from the left side; his demeanor, however, was a different story. 'That stare, though… it's kind of creepy.'

"This is Aki Hayakawa. He started three years before you two came along," Makima explained, watching as her juniors gazed upon their new authority. "For today, tag along with him."

"HUH?!" Denji exclaimed in surprise; he was obviously expecting to have only stayed with Makima for the job's duration. "Tag along…?"

"I see…" Kancho nodded, putting an open hand near Aki's chest. "I, er—uh… I hope we can work well together." Sadly, he received nothing in return, nothing except the cold and stern gaze of a young man's blue eyes. 'Or not…'

"So I'm not working with you, miss Makima?" Denji reiterated, hoping what he had heard from her mouth was a facade or some sort of misspeech, even though it clearly wasn't.

"Of course not," Aki remarked cooly, taking Denji by his collar and dragging him across the floor. "You and miss Makima are in completely different leagues."

Kancho, seeing this, immediately backed away from the man and kept a shield around his neckpiece; he just got some new clothes, and he wasn't gonna let the guy wrinkle them so quickly. "Hey, hey—watch the collar, man! I think I can walk just fine on my own!"

Aki didn't dignify the teen's words with a response and only persisted in his dragging of Denji. 'Jeez, what's his problem? Not even five minutes, and he's tryin' to pick a fight with us!'

"Stop talking." He ordered, pulling harder on Denji's collar. "We're going on patrol."

"No! Miss Makimaaa!" Denji whined, doing his best to try and resist Aki's powerful grasp.

"I'm really sorry about him," Kancho apologized, watching the painful exchange and following them closely from behind. "It's just his earlier upbringing, I swear."

"Damn it, get up," Aki demanded, tugging even more on the seized neckband. "You're acting like a child."

"No way! I wanna work with Miss Makima!" Oddly, his words were enough to incite Makima to intercede, causing her to kneel before Denji and begin speaking to him alluringly.

"If you perform well, we'll be able to work together." She said, fixing his tie in a few smooth movements, which caused his face to redden profusely. "But that road's length depends on you, so keep your chin up, okay?"

"Uh-huh..." The woman's grace utterly stupefied Denji; after that, the three left, exiting to start their patrol on the streets of Tokyo.

————————————

Fifteen Minutes

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"Hey, sir. Does Makima have a boyfriend?"

"..."

"... Hey, tell me."

"..."

Kancho oversaw the interaction between the two, knowing full well that the way Aki kept opening and closing his hand subtly proved to be a sign of imminent hostility; at this time, he could only hope that the two would get along during the duration they had left with each other. "Stop asking about Makima, Denji. Can't you see he's—"

"C'mere," Aki requested from out of the blue, turning to a direction that led to a nearby alleyway. "I got something to say."

"Hey!" Denji didn't seem to grasp the situation yet. "Just gimmie a simple answer now, will ya?"

'Oh, boy...' Kancho remarked, reckoning that Denji was only digging himself a deeper grave or hole to lie in. 'Maybe a scolding from this guy will be enough to set him straight?'

————————————

Fifteen Minutes

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"OOOMPF—" Aki had punched Denji directly in his face, sending him stumbling towards the ground.

"Eh?!" Kancho honestly hadn't expected this much hostility from the guy; for a professional, Aki was a bit brash in his lecturing. "Why did you—"

"No." He sounded, pointing at him threateningly. "Watch."

Aki proceeded to beat Denji senselessly for a few seconds, throwing him to a pile of trash bags: bloodied and his face covered in light wounds; Kancho then stepped in to try and mediate the damage. "Alright, that's enough—" But only joined in the punishing once he was punched square in the jaw and thrown alongside his friend atop a pile of trash."Oww..."

Aki then lit a cigarette and began smoking it before giving the two a sudden warning. "Yeah, you two should quit." He advised, blowing out a puff of smoke."Because if you show up tomorrow, I'll kick your asses again."

"Why, though…" Denji asked, seeming not to care that he was just beaten.

"Facts…" Kancho agreed, attempting to get up from his place. "What the fuck's your problem—" Only to get punched in the gut and thrown back to his spot on the ground. "Gugh…."

"Maybe my kindness isn't getting through to you…." Aki remarked. "The people who go into this job for shallow reasons end up dead. And among my peers, the ones who became Devil Hunters just for the money got killed by Devils. Every single one of them."

"Your point…?" Kancho asked, now squinting his eyes at the man he once tried to be cordial with.

"The only ones still alive are those with a strong motivation." He boldly declared. "But you two…? Lemme guess, Denji. You're just after Makima, right? That's why you took the job?"

"Bing-bong…"

"And you, brown hair. Are you in it for the money, huh? Did I get it right?"

"Ugh… so what if I am?" Kancho said with a slight grimace, thinking of what right that guy had in his rights—other than being his direct senior—to say those spiteful things.

"Then I'm glad I hit you pieces of shit." He finished his cigarette and threw it onto Denji's shirt, spitting on it afterward to ensure it went out completely.

'Asshole,' Denji remarked.

"I'll do you a favor and tell Makima that you lowlives got scared of a Devil and ran away or something." He then turned around and began to leave them behind.

However, as he walked away, Kancho looked at Denji with a raised eyebrow, wondering if his friend had the same sentiment in mind; he did, in fact, have the same sentiment in mind. "Hey… Aki, right?"

"What is it now—"

"DODGE!"

"Huh—" Kancho and Denji suddenly came up from behind Aki and performed a combined attack on his ass; Denji chose to go for his nuts while Kancho went for the guy's face. "GAUUUUGH—" He then fell to the grown, feeling tremendous pain in his nuts and cheekbones.

"Stupid bastard…." Kancho huffed, rolling up his sleeves to execute a proper beatdown on the man they had just jumped. "Let him get up so I can put 'em back down again!"

"No, Kancho…" Denji muttered, wiping some blood from his nose. "For turning around like that… we should be grateful…"

"What are you talkin' about—" It took him only a second to understand what his friend was going for; whatever it was, Kancho knew Denji was gonna hurt Aki really bad. "Oh, wait… hold on just a darn diddly minute, bro… I think I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down here!"

"That's it… because—" He then began kicking Aki right in the ballsack, delivering blows that were so painful that they made a 'TAK' sound whenever the front of Denji's shoe made contact with Aki's testicles. "WHEN—WE FIGHT A DUDE—WE ONLY AIM—FOR NUTS—OR NOTHING!"

"AAAAA—" The amount of lower body pain Aki was in could not be measured by usual human standards, only a miracle could save him at this very moment. "Auh…"

"Whew!" Denji gasped, wiping some sweat from his brow. "Today, I ate udon for the first time… and a hot dog, too…"

"It's the first time we got treated like people… the first time we ever got treated to a normal meal, so to us… this is like living in a dream," Kancho added, smiling as Aki looked at him from below with so much deep hatred, he could probably say he was his archnemesis. "We became Devil Hunters for some pretty stupid reasons…" He resumed, scratching the back of his head.

"But we're willing to die to keep living like this!" Denji stated, holding onto his tie as if it meant he was making some sort of necessary declaration. "Ah, well—actually, I take that back. My life isn't mine alone anymore…" He said, looking away from Aki to contemplate what he just said; it may have been offensive to Pochita if he could still hear him.

"Oh, yeah, that's true—GFF!" Sadly, that was all Aki needed to punch Kancho right in his jawline again, followed by a kick to Denji's stomach, which forced both teenagers back from their injured senior. "GAHH! AGAIN, DUDE?! REALLY?!"

"A pair of thugs like you… have no place in liking Makima!" Aki proclaimed, making it sound like he was challenging the two's right to take Makima's hand in marriage.

"Huh?! What gives?! You just want her for yourself, too, huh?!" Denji argued, getting himself into a fighting stance.

"And I'm only in it for the money, so don't loop me into your stupid love triangle!" Kancho clarified; this was when he saw how Aki's eyes were starting to twitch violently, almost as if he were on drugs. "Uhm… are you gonna be okay, man? You don't look so good—"

"Y-You bastards…s-seriously…" He began slowly falling to the ground, about to faint from the sheer amount of pain he was in. "... Only a-aimed… for the balls…" And, then, he was out cold.

"..."

"Well, shit," Kancho remarked, kicking Aki's near-lifeless body. "I think we might've killed him…"

————————————

Twenty Minutes

————————————

Makima didn't know what to think when she saw the state of her three pups; it wasn't even an hour, and they had already begun trying to kill each other. "So, what happened?"

"A Testicle Devil attacked and went ape shit on his balls!" Denji lied, actually managing to make it sound convincing to a degree.

"T-That's a lie… he made that up…" Aki groaned, attempting to squeeze around Denji's neck with his elbow but to no avail, as he was in too much pain to even try moving his arms anymore; surprising, mainly because it was his balls that got shattered, not his arm's bones.

"Uh… I didn't see anything," Kancho decided it was better to try and make it look like he hadn't any involvement in the matter, so he went with a story he had cooked up in the elevator. "I was busy fighting a… Pedophile Devil that, like… jumped us while Aki was getting his ass beat… it was crazy, yo. They were like, workin' together and shit."

"Hmmm," Makima already knew the truth via how ridiculous their stories sounded, but she decided against punishing them; well, not now, at least. "So, what do you think? Can you three get along?"

"Not a chance./This guy is scum./I want to sleep…"

"Aw, I'm glad you guys are hitting it off." She said, completely ignoring their opinions entirely. "Hayakawa, I'm putting Kancho and Denji in your squad."

"Squad?" Denji repeated, tilting his head as he had no idea what the word meant.

"Like a… team?" Kancho asked, displaying more brain cells than his one-year-apart counterpart. "Cool."

"These thugs?! Really?! But we already have so many troublemakers as it is!" Aki pleaded. "If we add any more weirdos…"

"I told you when we created your squad, didn't I?" Makima questioned, putting her hands together all strange-like. "That I'd try operating it with a unique experimental setup."

"YAAAWWN…/COUGH—"

"Just who in the hell are these guys…?" Aki questioned aloud, in utter disbelief he had to work with—and also house—some more eccentric-looking characters.

"Denji and Kancho here are humans, but they can turn into Hybrids at will using their designated triggers. They are extraordinary, so it's been decided that we'll treat them as a special case."

"Ha! How do you like that?! Badass, right?!" Denji goaded.

"Are you serious? I've only heard flimsy rumors about cases like that…" Aki said with mild apprehension.

"As I said, these two are special cases," Makima clarified again. "... However, if either one of them ever quits or disobeys orders… they are to be put down as a regular Devil."

"Wait… what's that mean?" Denji asked.

"Yeah, it's as if you're telling us we can't ever, like… retire from this line of work?" Kancho followed; Makima only smiled in response to their concern.

"Yes, Kancho, that's exactly what it means." She answered, smiling a bit wider at what she was about to tell them. "We'll be working together until death does us part."

————————————

Six Minutes

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The three walked down a street in Tokyo once again, crowded with both people and traffic. Kancho was a little amazed at how quickly his wounds had healed; it hadn't even been an hour, and his jawbone already felt fixed. 'Maybe it's because of Ono's blood in me? Wait—no, he probably has, like, AXE fluid instead of blood—'

"Turns out you're gonna live with me, so we can keep an eye on you…" Aki said, bringing Kancho out of his thoughts. "And for your information, they told me I can choose to kill you both if ever one of you tries to run away."

"Thanks for the advice…" Kancho said sarcastically, knowing full well that's probably what the guy wanted from the second they left the Devil Hunter HQ. "Sheesh."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hey… is Makima a bad person?"

"Eh?" Kancho was a little shocked by Denji's question; he had literally spent the entirety of the last day or so trying to get closer to her. "What makes you suddenly say that?"

"If you are that unsure of her, then just give up on her," Aki answered, immediately trying to shut down the conversation before it even picked up. "You are a Devil, be grateful that she's letting you stay alive. Hunting your kind is what we do, after all."

"Okay, but is she a good person?" He pursued with his questioning, not caring the slightest about angering him once again.

"That should go without saying," Aki remarked; he then angled his head a little, not glancing back but showing just a tad bit of his regard over the topic. "How could she be anything less when she saved my life."

'Him, too? What's up with this woman saving weirdos like us?' Kancho wondered; it was odd, very odd, that this woman just happened to be around to help whenever certain lowlives like himself and Denji were in their direst of times. 'It's just so uncommon... nobody in their right mind would do that unless there were something to… something to gain? Yeah, 'gain,' that sounds about right.'

Kancho wanted to trust the woman, he really did, but something was always stopping him before. It was probably some innate ability he had gained after fusing with Ono, or maybe it was something he had inside him all along. It really didn't matter. All that did matter was that Kancho still had neither fully nor truly trusted Makima, even after she did save him and Denji from their past lives. 'Man… all of this is so confusing, but I know deep down… I always gotta put trust my gut. No matter what—'

"Yeah, she's good... I really wanna hug her again someday."

"HUGHHHH?! WHAT DID YOU SAYYY?!"

It appeared Denji just made another one of his classic blunders; what's worse was that it was right as he and Aki were beginning to allow a veil of peace to come over them. Kancho was certainly gonna have his ass handed to him someday by his friend's unhinged stupidity and carelessness. And, of course, there was likely nothing he could do about it either, apart from screaming at him in anger.

"DAMN IT, DENJIIII!"

————————————

Thirty Minutes

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"Strawberry jam, plum jam, marmalade…"

"Denji."

"... Butter and some honey… maybe shake a little bit of cinnamon on there, too…"

"Denji…"

"And the ultimate bread is ready!" Denji announced, presenting his 'masterpiece,' which was allowing its toppings of butter and honey to slip off onto his pajama pants.

"Denji," Kancho spoke with the most weighty tone he could muster. "This is disgusting."

"PFFFT—what are you talkin' about?! I got the best toast ever right here!" He claimed right as he was stuffing the slice into his mouth. "Thank you for the meal!"

"Ugh…"

"MMMM! Ish sho good!" Denji exclaimed, his mouth full as he bit into the toast again, this time with a loud 'CRUNCH' to it. "Wanna try some, dude?" He asked, chewing with his mouth open.

"NO!" Kancho yelled, standing up from where he was sitting at the small table. "AND CLEAN YOUR DAMN SPOT—WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GUESTS HERE!"

"You're no fun, man! Just try it once, please!" Denji offered the sandwich to Kancho and—with great anticipation—watched as he finally gave in and took a bite of the toast. "Good, amirite?!"

"..."

"Right, Kancho?"

"..."

"Kancho?"

"I-" Denji watched as Kancho suddenly got on one knee and placed a single hand around his stomach, pleased that his creation had such an impact on his pal's taste buds. "I…"

"You think it's the best right?! Hahahaha!" Denji laughed, already congratulating himself. "I know, I know… send my award in the mail and—"

"I think I'm having a stroke..."

————————————

Two Hour

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"Union job, humm huh-humm huh huh huh huh-humm!" Denji sang in the tub loudly as Kancho waited outside with only a towel to keep him warm; the AC was also on full blast—outside the bathroom, to be precise. "Paid days off, huh-humm huh-humm-hum huh-humm huh-hummm hum!"

Aki, who was busy doing laundry, was already tired of the incessant humming. "YOU'RE TAKING TOO LONG IN THE BATH!"

"YEAH! THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO NEED A GOOD RINSE, TOO, Y'KNOW!" Kancho remarked, hitting the bathroom door a few times in frustration; he and Aki seemed to find common ground in their shared hatred of Denji's carefree lifestyle. "IT'S GETTIN' COLD OUT HERE! DENJIII!"

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Four Hours

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Kancho was walking down Aki's room corridor when he came across Denji again; this time, he was coming out of the bathroom. "Aaaah…" He yawned, stretching a little as he moved.

"You seem fairly happy with yourself…" Kancho remarked, smirking a little at his friend's strangely-pleased demeanor. "Something good happen while I was gone?"

"It's probs cuz I just took the best crap of my life… oh, and uh, sorry, by the way," Denji said, moving past without elaborating on what he had just said. "G'night!"

"Uh, good night?" Kancho was obviously confused but put it off as something negligible and continued on to the bathroom; he had to take a crap on the double. 'Weird—'

Then, he came across Aki, who was appearing a little worse for wear; his eyes were wide and twitching, and he was shaking his head in disbelief at something inside his bathroom. "Oh... Aki... are you gonna be using it first, or can I—"

"You two are Fiends…." He murmured, shaking his head down low; he must have seen something that shook him to his core. "Monsters…"

"Huh…" Kancho peeked into the bathroom and saw what had made Aki so depressed; there was an empty toilet roll handle, and the shelf that would've contained an entire supply was all but empty. 'W-What the hell is happening… I-I swear that there was a full roll just ten minutes ago when I was just brushing my teeth…'

————————————

Next Day

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The trio found themselves outside a suburban home in the Nermia City district; there was a Fiend sighting, and they were supposed to go and deal with it. 'Our first actual assignment…'

"We've got a Fiend inside an East Nermia residence. Civilian evacuation and lockdown of the scene are complete at this time." Announced a policeman on a microphone, signaling that the sight was now free of any civilians or unwanted persons; Aki became the first to make contact.

"The Fiend target is holed up in a room on the second floor." Said the first policeman they saw; he was middle-aged and appeared slightly fatigued, reasonable proof that he may have spent a lot of time on his current shift. "We'll let you Devil Hunters handle the rest."

"Mr. Hayakawa, are these new rookies with you?" Asked another; this one was younger, and he seemed to be of the same rank as his coworker.

"Sup, the name's Kancho." He greeted, shaking the police's hand with his right since he was holding a sheathed kodachi on his left. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"Mitsuru Nakazaki." The man replied, tipping his hat and moving along. "Good luck."

They went inside the building, crossing some police tape before entering through the front door; from the second he entered the home, Kancho could vaguely sense that something had died, and it was in the upstairs bedroom. "I think the second floor's the place. Let's head up."

"Hm." Aki nodded, moving toward the front and leading the small group by himself. "Let's move in—"

"Hey, what's a Fiend?" Denji suddenly asked.

Aki turned at him with a disappointed look on his face; the boy clearly seemed to know nothing, further making him draw the conclusion that the boy was simply a dunce. "What? Didn't you learn anything in school?"

"Nope, didn't go to school." He answered matter-of-factly, even though that was pretty sad to hear. "Neither does Kancho, if you can believe it. Though I gotta say, Kancho does know a thing or two about them—way more than I could ever accomplish."

"Uh-huh, and to answer your question, Denji, a Fiend's a Devil that got ahold of someone's corpse," Kancho explained as they moved up the stairs. "Ahem… they also keep some kind of aspect related to the Devil's, too, like their powers."

"But, wait… doesn't that make us one?" Denji asked.

"Nope, you can tell the difference between a Hybrid and a Fiend because they usually have something wrong with their heads."

'Least one of them knows something useful,' Aki noted, placing his foot on the first door they came across; coincidentally, this was where Kancho had sensed the danger. "You'll understand better when you see one for yourselves."

He kicked in the door, and on the ground, they saw the Fiend who was causing all the commotion; his body was average, like a human's, but his mouth resembled that of a crustacean or insect.

"That is one ugly ass motherfucker…" Kancho commented, audible enough so that the Fiend could hear him speak; on the floor, it was littered with the former human's paraphernalia and pet bird's blood. 'Aw, what! He killed his pet?! Not cool, man!'

"Fiends have the Devil's personality. One of you kill this one," Aki ordered, standing behind the two in front of him.

"Uh, is it strong?" Kancho questioned. "Do we need to transform for this guy?"

"No, but turn into a Devil, anyway. I want you to show me your power so I can decide whether you're useful or not."

Kancho didn't like the sound of that as he believed it was too revealing for his tastes. 'Showing off my abilities sounds like a dumb thing to do. I'll just gonna kill him with my—'

"DON'T LOOK! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL ALL YOU DEVIL HUNTERS!" The Fiend cried and started sprinting at the three; he was either referring to his face, the fact he ate his bird, or the sheer amount of porn he had on the floor. "CURSE ALL OF YOU DAMN—" Fortunately, Denji was at the ready with a tomahawk and made quick work of the Fiend, chopping its head off in one fell swoop.

'Okay, well, that works for me.' Kancho supposed, returning his kodachi to its scabbard. "Good work, Denji."

"Thanks—"

"Hey. Why didn't you use your Devil power?" Aki interrupted, getting a confused expression on Kancho's face in return.

"Bro, really? This guy was weak sauce." Kancho replied. "We shouldn't have to use up all our energy on small fries like these—"

"Ohh, well… when I use my power to kill Devils, and like cut them up and stuff… it looks super painful."

"..."

"..."

"..."

'Huh,' Kancho was confused, really confused. Denji wouldn't have done something so merciful just because he felt bad for something; it didn't add up. "What…?"

"Like, uhhh… I could've ended up as a Fiend like this guy, too, right? So I guess I wanted to give the poor guy… a painless death…" The way he said the final sentence was a bit suspicious, noticing how Denji switched between looking at them and the dirty magazines on the floor—everything was starting to make sense, and Kancho was getting slightly pissed.

'This guy…' He bemoaned, realizing that Denji was only after some porn; Aki, however, took a more direct approach to his claims and put the blond's head against the single window in the room.

"Listen up, and don't you forget this." He said, directing Denji's gaze to the police outside. "Fiends are bona fide Devils, too, so a Devil Hunter shouldn't sympathize with Devils. It's fucking disgusting."

"Uh, can we tone it down a bit—" Kancho tried to be a mediator but was only shut up by Aki's next set of words.

"A Devil killed my entire family right before my eyes."

'OKAY—ZERO TO ONE HUNDRED REAL FUCKIN' QUICK,' Kancho remarked, eyes widening at the dropping of such a personal thing to say. 'EHH?!'

"The cops down there? I've gone drinking with them before. They're risking their lives to do their jobs, to protect their wives and kids," Aki continued, pressing a little bit harder on Denji's head against the glass. "Everyone is serious about this, but you two? It's like a goddamn game."

'This is leaning toward a personal level real fast…!' Kancho was not having a good time at all, being subject to such emotion right before his very eyes. 'Man, I just wanted to get paid and earn a living, but now? I'm stuck in a job that forces me to fight demons for the rest of my life, and now this guy who's supposed to be my senior is talkin' about families and livelihoods—THINGS THAT MAKE THIS JOB SOUND EVEN MORE LIFE-ALTERING THAN IT SHOULD SEEM!'

"I want to kill Devils in ways that cause them to suffer as much as possible. But what do you want? To be friends with them?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... If there are Devils I could be friends with, then yeah, I do. Cuz I don't have any friends other than Kancho at the moment," Denji answered, and the room's temper abruptly started to die down.

Aki then let him go, walking out of the room first. "I'll remember those words…." He said before he left.

"..."

"..."

"Okay, now tell me why you spouted all that shit," Kancho demanded. "I know you just were lookin' at those stupid porno magazines on the ground."

"Huh?! Was it that obvious?! Oh, man, I hope he didn't notice either!" Denji exclaimed, kneeling to pick up the 'loot.' "If any blood got on these, they would've gotten ruined."

"Uh-huh."

"Y'know, cuz with the chainsaws, blood ends up spaying all over—" Kancho immediately shut Denji up with another loud 'SMACK' around his head, causing a slight yet annoying pain in that area. "OW–WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Be better." Was all he said, shaking his head, too, in frustration. "Moron, I can't believe you only did that Fiend a huge favor for these… things," Kancho said, holding one for himself and allowing a naughty picture to fold onto the ground, revealing a good-looking woman with enormous tits. 'Man…'

"Yeah, but I'm still taking them anyway!" Denji exclaimed, picking up the magazines and placing them by his side. "All right! The porn has been secured!"

Kancho shook his head in disappointment; the kid was a lost cause. 'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph… give me some fuckin' strength…' He prayed, turning away from Denji in shame for only half a second. "Anyway, let's—OH, WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' NOW?!" He shouted as he returned to Denji kneeling on the ground with his hands atop his kneecaps and his face buried in between his legs, similar to when he was in the forest during their very first assignment from Makima.

"I wanna touch some boobs…" He replied, which led to Kancho making it a point again to slap him over the head, but only a little bit harder this time around. "HEY—AGAIN?!"

"YOU DESERVE MORE THAN WHAT I'M GIVING YOU!" Kancho berated, covering his eyes and turning away from him again in annoyance. "God… can't you see? We gotta be serious about this, for our friends' sakes and our own. We may be living the dream, just like we promised, but we gotta strive for something greater than…" He then kicked a pile of magazines on the ground. "This."

"Eh? Like what?" Denji questioned, rubbing the spot he was just hit.

"Like… like a goal, an objective, or a star or something," Kancho simplified. "That Aki guy's still chasin' his dream, and we've just accomplished ours. Or, well, I still have to climb 'The Mountain,' whatever that means—"

"But I still wanna touch some boobs…"

"Denji—" Kancho was getting ready to hit him again, but this time, Denji was prepared with a counterargument.

"No, wait! Think about it, though. I gave up on achieving that dream forever ago cuz I thought it was impossible for me… but now, I have a decent job!" Denji said, slowly nodding to everything he was saying as if he were speaking some factual truth.

'Why are you getting sweatier… and why is your hand outstretching toward me…' Kancho watched as Denji's hand started feeling at his legs; things were getting weird. "Denji, I need you to focus."

"I am focused, Kancho! In fact—I think this has been the most focused I've ever been in my entire life…!" He started to get louder as he went on. "I KNOW WHAT HE MEANT, NOW! I FOUND MY STAR, DUDE!"

"Please stop touching me—"

"IT'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE SERIOUS ABOUT!"

"Buddy, I think you've lost your marbles—"

"MY GOAL! IT'S—"

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One Hour

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"—MELONS!"

"The fruit?" Makima asked, genuinely perplexed about what her dog meant by the term.

'No… not like the fruit,' Kancho, meanwhile, knew exactly what he was talking about; he nodded and smiled, believing that this was indeed the most humiliating moment in his life.

"Hey! Pay attention, you idiot!" Aki shouted, understanding precisely what Denji meant as he spoke.

"Huh? To what, now…?"

"I'm pairing you two with another buddy starting today," Makima stated, getting a cocked eyebrow from Kancho.

"Another partner?" Kancho asked. "Who's it gonna be?"

"We'll get to that, but first, I'll need to elaborate on why this was done in the first place." She said. "You see, in Public Safety, for large-scale missions, patrolling, and so on, we act in two to three-person teams." And as she was explaining, they could hear footsteps coming from outside. "Ah, perfect timing—it looks like your buddy's here."

"Eh?" Kancho turned around and saw the door bust open; a girl stood there; her hair was dyed pink and bore a pair of yellow-red eyes—resembling that of a firearm's crosshairs and evidently different than Makima's spiraling irises. 'What's up with the horns?' He also noted that she had a pair of red horns atop her head.

"Be careful… she's a Fiend."

"HEY, HEY, HEY! GROVEL, HUMANS! FOR YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF 'POWER!' ARE YOU, MY SO-CALLED BUDDIES?!" 'Power' announced, performing a pose after her striking introduction.

"POWER?! YOUR NAME IS POWER?!" Denji remarked.

"AND WHY'S HER NAME SO FIRE?!" Kancho added, more concerned that his name was—in comparison—a bit lame.

"Wait a minute—you're a Fiend, too?! Fiends can be Devil Hunters?!" Denji wanted to cross-examine the girl, only to go back on his investigation after moving his eyes down to her chest area. "Ahem—well, whatever! Lookin' forward to workin' with ya!"

"That easy?! What's wrong with you?!" Kancho yelled.

"Calm down, everyone," Makima said. "Fiends are, like Devils, targets for extermination. But Power here is highly rational. Therefore, she's been put on Hayakawa's team."

"That kinda makes sense, I guess?" Kancho said, a little unsure after watching her act so imposing. 'She seems so prideful, though.'

"Of course it does, foolish human! For I am the great Power!" She declared. "Now, on your knees, Human!"

Kancho could help but feel a sudden feeling of dread after hearing her talk again. 'Why do I have a bad feeling about her…'

"I mentioned this before, but 'Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division Four' is an experimental unit. The higher-ups will be looking to dissolve your team as soon as possible if you can't get results," Makima explained, putting on her coat and walking to toward the door. "I don't need to explain what would happen to you three if that happens, do I?"

"Er… no?" Kancho answered, scratching his head a little in defeat.

"Good, now, take these badges." She said as she gave them their identification; it showed that they had their pictures in suits, oddly enough, even though they hadn't worn a proper coat yet. "Her horns will attract attention, so only patrol places with little traffic. And if you ever run into any civil Devil Hunters or get questioned by the police, tell them that you work for 'Public Safety Devil Extermination Special Division Four' and show them your badge. They should scowl and leave you alone."

'How she got my photo…' Kancho wondered, examining his badge for himself; Denji was biting his for some reason while Power was trying her best to bend it with her fingers.

"If you have any questions, ask Hayakawa. He's the one who paired you three up," Makima finished, opening her door and exiting the room.

'Meh, whatever—' Kancho placed his badge in his back pocket. 'Time to hunt some Devils!'

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One Hour

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The job was turning out to be not as fun as he had initially thought; they were on some rooftops, on account of Power's horns, but saw no Devils up there or down below for a whole hour. Power was, of course, the most bored out of the three and began running around the place to try and find something to pass the time.

Kancho was getting a little aggravated by the constant sound of shifting pebbles; it could be a Devil, and he wouldn't even know. "Can you please stop running—" Suddenly, she went and slapped him over the head. "OW?!"

"Silence, peasant! Hurry up and provide me something to kill on the double! I thirst for blood!" She ordered, hitting him again, thinking it would make the brunet do her bidding; it only made him more annoyed.

"You're acting crazy! Damn!" He retorted, putting his arm up to defend himself from another light attack. 'Jeez… I wonder how's Denji handling this—'

"I can forgive some craziness as long as she's pretty… but the issue is how I'm gonna touch those boobs on Makima… big boobs… Makima's boobs…"

'Oh my God…' Kancho thought defeatedly. 'Nutjobs... nutjobs surround me...'

It was then he noticed a brown cat to the side, lying atop a pillar without a care in the world; for just a moment, he had wished he were like that cat. 'What a chunky boy.'

————————————

One Hour

————————————

"Ugh…" Denji was now sitting atop a rail, becoming aggravated by the lack of Devils in the vicinity. "Why aren't there any Devils? It's been like two freakin' hours…"

"Hoho~ 'tis likely a consequence of my very presence!" Power asserted, rubbing her nose in self-gratification. "Before I became a Fiend, I was a greatly feared Devil!" She explained, hanging off the rail slightly. "Demonic peons will likely flee the moment they catch my scent!"

'Devils have scents…? That doesn't sound… wait—I think miss Makima said something like that to me before, but only about how bad I smelled…' Kancho pondered with a hand around his chin; if that were the case, hunting Devils was gonna be extremely difficult, he thought. "Devils smell? Really?"

"Mhm! And remarkably, you yourselves have quite a stench, I dare say!" She remarked, looking at Kancho in particular. "Especially you, human. It's quite overpowering!"

"Uh… is that good or bad?"

"Pretty bad in this case because we're looking for Devils!" Power admitted before shaking her head a little; she was quickly disappointed with something on account of that, for some reason. "Though I must say, it is a problem, however, that your smell is trying to overlap my own!" She stated, creating a sharp knife with her blood and putting it up close to Kancho's left eye. "So stop it now, or I'll kill you!"

"Put down the damn knife—I don't even know what you're going on about anyway!" He said, pushing away the weapon from his face. 'She can make things with her blood? That's a pretty freaking strong Devil ability…'

"Such ignorance! You reek of only a fragrance that can only be associated with death! Answer me, smelly one. How did you manage to attain such an overbearing stench? Tell me so I can take it from you!" She started bashing him in the shoulder, not enough to do any real damage, but it was enough to make him feel some mild discomfort.

"Not a chance—AND STOP HITTING ME!"

"WAIT, WAIT—THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO DELIVER RESULTS?!" Denji questioned aloud; he—like Kancho–also realized the issue at hand. "GAAAH!"

But then, unexpectedly, Power stopped attacking Kancho and began sniffing the air. "Hm? Hoh~"

"Eh, what's with you—"

"I SMELL BLOOD!" She yelled, pushing Kancho to the ground as she sprinted in a random direction. "THE SCENT CANNOT DECEIVE ME!"

"WHAAAA—HEY, SLOW DOWN!" Kancho got up and started running after her; surprisingly, he managed to keep up. "C'MON, DENJI!"

"Blood, blood, blood!" Power persisted nonstop in her pursuit of the sweet-smelling aroma; she would have her fill whether they said she could or not. "It smells so good!"

"HEY! WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU GUYS ARE GOING?!" Denji's voice became increasingly distant as the two ran ahead; he tried his best but only persisted in falling behind. "AND WHY ARE YOU GUYS SO FAST?!"

'Cardio—don't fail me now. All those years of stealing from fruit vendors gotta pay off someday! Like now!' Kancho thought to himself, feeling varying levels of stress as one, he was heading into battle, and two, the girl racing in front of him was doing so without some backup. "At least let me catch up a little—DAMN!" He called after her once more, receiving only her crazed laughter and old-world speech in response.

"The game is afoot! The battle is joined!" Power declared, moving even faster than before; this was about the time when the sun unexpectedly blinded Kancho, rendering him oblivious to the ledge he was quickly heading toward. "WEEEEE—"

'HUH?! DAMN THIS SUN! WHERE DID SHE GO—' He no longer felt the roof's ragged surface anymore, judging that it felt as if he were floating in midair. 'Huh, why can't I…' And as he looked down, he saw he was, in fact, falling towards the Earth: rapid and untethered. "OH, HOLY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—"

————————————

X

————————————

"The scene is locked down, and civilians are evacuated. Requesting backup at Nerima Station." A man on the telephone was on the Public Safety hotline; he was a private Devil Hunter. "It's the Sea Cucumber Devil… Sea Cucumber Devil… huh? No, I said the Sea—"

"—UUUUUUUUOOOOOCCCCKK!" Kancho and Power then appeared from above the Devil—one squashing the Sea Cucumber Devil with a hammer made of blood and the other falling right atop the demon as it was getting crushed, adding himself as merely another cause to the already devasting eruption of dark green-colored blood and guts. Both were now covered head to toe in monster blood.

"C-Cumber….?" As anyone would be, the man was utterly horrified by the sight.

"I DID IT! THE GLORY IS MINE!" Power expressed her triumph audibly and began giggling maniacally at her work. "GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Meanwhile, Kancho was aching quietly on the ground—in the 'Yamcha position' no less—hurting moderately from the great fall. "I wanna go home…."

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