One month ago, Denji found himself in a grim situation, munching on old, decaying hamburgers behind a diner. If he got caught after 5 o'clock, the owner, ever-ready with a broom, was sure to give him a sound thrashing.
Fast forward to the present, and Denji's life had taken an exhilarating twist. He was now soaring through the skies in a helicopter, bound for an inn in Kumano, a coastal village. Here, he would be residing with his hyper-elite squad while being relentlessly pursued by a world superpower due to his involvement in the destruction of a part of a city.
Throughout the chaos, Denji held onto a glimmer of hope. He wondered if the kind, elderly lady who used to serve him hot chocolate back at the coffee shop in St Petersburg had managed to escape unscathed.
Sitting beside him was Angel, now fully healed after a night in the medical ward. He was clad in a crisp white dress shirt, a black tie, and sleek suit pants - a look reminiscent of Denji's usual attire. Positioned between Denji and Reze, Angel exuded an air of silent determination.
Reze, the enigmatic girl, had mostly remained wordless since her time with Makima. Yet, she continued to smile at Denji and offer subtle waves whenever their eyes met. Denji, torn between uncertainty and emotions he couldn't quite fathom, hadn't mustered the courage to speak to her. A persistent knot in his stomach kept him from taking that step, even though he hoped things were still okay between them.
"Denji, look," Angel nudged him with his shoulder. Denji turned his gaze towards the window, spotting a vast expanse of brilliant blue stretching out before them. "The ocean, right?" Denji asked, seeking confirmation.
Angel leaned over Reze, his face close to the window, and Reze joined in, their eyes fixed on the picturesque view. The sight of the light sandy beaches approaching brought a smile to Reze's face; she had never experienced a beach before and found the warmth and tropical ambiance captivating. She admired Angel's infectious enthusiasm for the sunny weather.
"So," she said, turning her attention back to Denji, "to get the record completely straight. you and Angel aren't brothers?"
Denji hesitated for a moment before responding, "Uh, no. He's my squad mate."
Reze continued the conversation, her curiosity piqued. "Is it the same with your sister?"
"Eh? N-no, we're just squad mates. I mean, technically, Denji and Angel live with me, but that's mainly to make us easier to find," Kobeni explained. Reze tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, absorbing this new piece of information.
"Well, when we get back to Tokyo, we might have to go shopping for a bed because Makima has assigned me to live with you all," Reze disclosed, her voice carrying a note of uncertainty. Angel turned to look at her, his curiosity piqued. Denji's mouth hung open, clearly surprised by this development.
"Isn't she supposed to ask me first?" Denji finally managed to voice his concern. Kobeni, nearby and seemingly trying to get some rest, was roused by the conversation. She turned to Kishibe for some clarity.
"She briefed me about it; she figured you wouldn't have a problem with it," Kishibe responded.
Kobeni couldn't hide her frustration, muttering under her breath, "W-w-would have been nice of her to ask first." Himeno, seated beside Kobeni, offered a reassuring perspective, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulder.
"Come on, Kobeni, it will be fun! You have a whole party living with you all the time! How hard could it be?" Himeno's enthusiasm was infectious, attempting to shift the mood towards a more positive outlook.
Kobeni couldn't help but laugh, her gaze drifting away as she lost herself in thought. Reze shifted the focus to Denji with a pointed question, clearly curious about his background.
"Denji, how long have you been with the Devil Hunters?" Reze asked, her eyes fixed on him. Denji hesitated briefly before answering, "About 1 month. I met Kobeni 3 weeks ago, the day I joined the Devil Hunters."
Himeno and Kobeni continued to scrutinize Denji, their inquisitive expressions making him feel like they were peering into his very soul. Denji, trying to brush off the intensity of their gazes, replied, "Good pay," a nervous sweat forming on his brow as he averted his eyes.
However, Reze, who had observed Denji closely during their time together, could sense that he was not being entirely truthful. His fidgeting and evasive behavior were telltale signs that there was more to the story than he was letting on.
Leaning against the helicopter's wall, Reze watched as the lush forests passed by below, the landscape a blur as their group journeyed toward the inn. The wind ruffled her hair, and a contemplative expression graced her features as she gazed out at the world, lost in her thoughts.
Makima had been in the town for two hours already, and she had set up her operations in a small, gutted office building, which now served as the Devil Hunters' base of operations for their undercover mission. Aki arrived at the building, bypassing Yoshida and setting down bags of food on a table next to Makima. He also retrieved a folded piece of paper from his suit pocket, carefully unfolding it and securing it against a wall using a tape dispenser with a series of clicks. The map was now prominently displayed for everyone to see.
"I retrieved everything you asked," Aki informed Makima. She nodded, holding a phone to her ear and motioning for him to remain silent as she conversed with someone on the other end. After concluding the call, she pressed the phone against the receiver.
"Kishibe's squad has landed, along with Himeno and Yoshida," Makima reported. Aki seemed surprised by the mention of Yoshida.
"Yoshida?" he inquired.
Makima continued, "Yes, while you were retrieving clothes, I took the liberty of hiring private security from Kyoto for Kishibe's squad. The other two members should arrive tonight." The pieces were falling into place as the Devil Hunters prepared for their mission in this locked-down town.
"You're using Denji as bait arent you?"
Aki's astute observation about using Denji as bait seemed to wipe the smile off Makima's face. She acknowledged his insight, "A very astute observation. The longer we have the assassins and Soviets pursuing Denji, the more our resources will be drained. We must clean this up quickly and efficiently."
Aki remained stoic, voicing his concern, "Won't using Denji as bait put everyone else involved at risk?"
Makima, undeterred, approached Aki and straightened his suit jacket, her hands pressing against his upper chest. She continued, "I have faith in you and your squad, Aki. You have shown yourself to be quite dependable in the fight against the Eternity Devil. I trust in your abilities." Her hands then moved to tighten his tie, the fabric pressing against Aki's windpipe for just a moment before she loosened it. "Do not fail me," she admonished.
Makima swiftly changed the topic, "There's a diner a few doors down from here." She began walking towards the door. "Aki, meet me for dinner there tonight at 9."
As she left the headquarters, Aki moved to her desk and noticed a piece of paper that had fallen to the floor. He picked it up and quickly skimmed through the business jargon, landing on something intriguing. The plot thickened, and the tension in the room was palpable.
Aki's curiosity was piqued by the sudden news. "The Katana man has been located after a climactic battle with the Zombie devil outside the town of Nara," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. The proximity of this event to their current location raised a red flag. Something indeed seemed fishy about the situation. The Katana man, though a threat, had been largely off the public Devil Hunters' radar save for a couple of incidents earlier that year. The fact that he was now making a significant appearance was cause for concern. Aki couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than met the eye.
Aki's realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. "She's luring out all the fiends," he whispered, connecting the dots. Meanwhile, the Violence Fiend, sneaking in with a case of beer through the back door, greeted him with a casual "Yo."
As Aki looked at the Violence Fiend, he couldn't help but wonder if this operation was intended to draw out every hidden fiend, putting them at the forefront of this dangerous situation. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place.