Chapter 40: Captain Kishibe
At the Special Division 1 Training Base.
Otonashi Chiya had come here for his evening outing, intending to spend more time sparring and interacting with his squad members. This time, he wasn't just dodging; he was actively taking the initiative to attack and counter. Of course, he used very light force, stopping just at the point of contact to ensure no one was seriously injured.
Chiya's current opponent had a face that was already a bit bruised and swollen, yet the man still bowed and said, "Thank you for the guidance!"
To Public Safety devil hunters who constantly teetered on the edge of death, these minor injuries were nothing. The experience gained from the spar was far more valuable.
"Thank you for the match," Chiya responded politely.
During a break, the female members of Special Division 1 gathered to chat.
"The new Vice Captain is great. He's handsome and easy to get along with. I wonder if he has a girlfriend?"
"Forget it. Someone like him is probably already taken."
"You know, Captain Kishibe was actually a real heartthrob when he was younger, too."
"Really? Looking at him now, you can tell he wasn't bad-looking, but it's a shame he's grown old."
Just then, a voice they least wanted to hear suddenly rang out from behind them.
"Who's grown old?"
Kishibe had appeared out of nowhere, speaking with a completely expressionless face. In this timeline, Kishibe was around fifty years old, with heavy stubble on his chin and temples and visible wrinkles. A stitched scar ran across the left corner of his mouth, he wore earrings in both ears, and his build was tall and broad.
Kishibe's sudden appearance terrified the girls; they looked like they had seen a ghost.
"No, nothing! We didn't say anything!"
"Really! Not a word!"
Their panicked expressions betrayed them instantly. They were mostly shocked because Captain Kishibe almost never visited the training base. However, Kishibe didn't care; he couldn't deny the fact that he was indeed getting older.
"Captain Kishibe," Chiya greeted him with respect as soon as he noticed his arrival.
"Vice Captain Otonashi. I came here today to inform you of something. There will likely be an important mission tomorrow. Have everyone prepare; you will be the one leading the team," Kishibe said in a low, flat voice.
[Ding! Host has activated achievement: "First Encounter with Kishibe". Attribute Points gained: 1!]
"Understood," Chiya replied. Meeting Captain Kishibe for the first time, the sense of pressure he radiated was truly extraordinary.
"Pick nine people now to accompany you tomorrow. The target is expected to be a devil that has swallowed a fragment of the Gun Devil's flesh. Don't be careless, and ideally, let's have zero casualties."
Having said his piece, Kishibe pulled a flask from his coat and began drinking as he walked away.
The members present immediately understood the situation. Many began to volunteer, stepping forward to request a spot on Chiya's team. Even knowing that tomorrow's mission would be dangerous, none showed fear.
A significant portion of the hunters in Tokyo Public Safety were just like Hayakawa Aki—people who became devil hunters solely for revenge against the Gun Devil. They were survivors of the disaster the Gun Devil had caused years ago; having lost their families, they lived only for vengeance.
"Well then, let's do this: nine slots, first come, first served."
Otonashi Chiya didn't bother hand-picking anyone; he let them volunteer. He couldn't be bothered to specifically select the most elite nine, nor did he feel it was necessary. If his teammates were all top-tier elites, the risk of them "stealing his kills" would be higher, and he didn't want to gamble with his attribute points.
In less than five seconds, Chiya had his squad of nine.
These people were all persecuted by the Gun Devil. They became Public Safety hunters out of rage and hatred toward it. While such a dangerous profession isn't exactly a blessing, your existence—Wrath—has given them the drive to keep living, Chiya communicated mentally with the Wrath Devil. This is just what you see. What you don't see are the countless others who, after losing their loved ones, fell into despair; not a few chose to end their own lives.
These people, at least, are still living well and have the hope of continuing to do so.
Now that he had taken on the role of Vice Captain, he intended to fulfill his duties responsibly and avoid casualties as much as possible. The reason Public Safety had such a high mortality rate was primarily due to the frequent, high-difficulty missions. As long as he was present and could hunt the devils quickly, no one would have to die.
However, the Wrath Devil wasn't particularly moved after hearing this. "So, in the end, it still isn't a good thing, is it?"
"Don't look at things in such black and white terms. What I'm saying is that the Gun Devil is the true perpetrator. It caused these people to feel anger—an emotion that has both a good side and a bad side. Isn't this exactly the value of your existence?" Chiya continued to patiently guide the Wrath Devil. "Isn't this much better than them giving up on life or committing suicide?"
All he received in return was a cold response: "You don't need to lecture me. I don't want to hear it."
"...Fine." Chiya realized that the Wrath Devil was incredibly stubborn. Perhaps preaching logic to a devil was difficult for them to grasp or tolerate; he would have to let her see things with her own eyes later on.
After staying at the training base until 9:00 PM, Chiya headed home.
Tonight was a bit special; Pochita was the one who came to open the door. Pochita jumped up, bit the doorknob, and used his body weight to pull it down. Chiya walked in and caught Pochita as he let go, letting the little devil sit in his hands.
"That's right, Denji should be studying with Kobeni. Thanks, Pochita," Chiya said with a smile.
"Vauh!" Pochita looked equally happy.
Chiya walked quietly toward Denji's room and saw her studying seriously with Kobeni. Not wanting to disturb them, he stepped back out just as quietly.
A few minutes later, Kobeni emerged from the room.
"Um, it's about time for me to head back. Let's call it a day," Kobeni said to Chiya, acting somewhat bashful. She had always been like this—easily embarrassed when interacting with people.
"Alright. It was a little over two hours, so I'll just settle it at 5,000 yen for today." As he spoke, Chiya handed a 5,000-yen bill directly to Kobeni.
"Thank you so much!" Kobeni exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. Not only was he decisive, but he had even overpaid her.
"Oh, right!" Kobeni suddenly remembered to give her progress report. "Even though Denji-chan lacks prior knowledge, she is very willing to learn and picks things up quickly. She's a very smart and good girl!"
In reality, Denji had bribed her with a bag of snacks, telling her to say as many good things as possible in front of Chiya-nii.