Activating this achievement directly granted Otonashi Chiya 50 attribute points. This was his largest single-session gain to date, clearly marking it as a significant milestone. After all, the syndicate's influence was vast; completing the extermination was no small feat.
[Ding! Allocation complete: Vitality +95, Strength +30, Speed +30!] [Strength: 80] [Speed: 80] [Vitality: 323]
With the mission over, Chiya took the opportunity to clear his point balance. As his Vitality attribute climbed higher, he could use his Kamui ocular techniques with much more freedom, though he hadn't yet reached a state of total reckless abandon.
Thanks to Chiya fighting on multiple fronts and providing support everywhere, Public Safety suffered injuries but no fatalities during the operation. He and his zombie troops had absorbed the brunt of the yakuza's firepower.
The full battle report naturally reached the Public Safety headquarters. While the zombie unit was noted, the high-ranking officials were most focused on Chiya's ability to provide high-speed support across a wide battlefield and the mysterious giant that appeared during the raid on the headquarters. Consequently, a secret meeting was convened.
"Is there no intel regarding Otonashi Chiya's devil powers?"
"Aside from the Wrath Devil he contracted back in Kyoto, he has kept his other powers strictly confidential. We cannot determine the nature of the devils based solely on these spectacular performances."
"Curiosity is inevitable, but what devils Otonashi-kun has contracted isn't the priority. We only need to know that his strength far exceeds our expectations. He is bound to shine in the Soviet Union."
"It is a bit of a pity. Once Otonashi-kun departs, he may not return for months or even years. During that period, we must still rely on Kishibe to anchor Tokyo Public Safety."
"Rest assured, with Kishibe's abnormal constitution, he can hold out for another ten or twenty years."
"..."
The high-ranking officials of Tokyo Public Safety maintained their appreciative stance toward Chiya, valuing him even more than before. Although the dark side of Public Safety involved exploiting the public's hatred of the Gun Devil to recruit hunters, the officials had neither the standing nor the ability to change the status quo. The Cabinet's stance was something they could not sway or resist.
The crux of the matter was that every nation in the world maintained a unified policy of secrecy. If anyone dared to leak the truth first, they would instantly become a global pariah. It was a deadlock with no solution. As the Chief of Tokyo Public Safety, Yoshimura Taki could only do his best to improve the benefits for devil hunters and collect Gun Devil fragments under the banner of weakening the devil's power. In a sense, collecting those fragments did truly weaken the enemy's side.
Chiya had returned home to rest. It wasn't that his body was exhausted, but rather he simply wanted to relax on the sofa.
Denji and Pochita were, as usual, huddled in the room playing video games, clearly becoming more addicted by the day. Chiya had already bought them over a dozen titles.
I should pick up a few more new games in a couple of days. I'll buy a stock of them before I leave for the USSR so they won't get bored, Chiya thought, lying on the sofa with his hands behind his head.
At this rate, he mused, Pochita might eventually lose all interest in logging back into his "Chainsaw Devil" account and simply become the "Video Game Devil"—or rather, "Gamer Man."
It's not necessarily a bad thing; as long as Pochita is happy, that's all that matters.
Just then, the doorbell rang. It was early evening, and he figured it had to be Higashiyama Kobeni. Otonashi Chiya went to open the door, and sure enough, there stood Kobeni in her high school uniform, wearing a red backpack.
"I'm terribly sorry, I've come over again..." Kobeni said bashfully.
"No need to be so stiff, come on in," Chiya said with a smile.
Even though this wasn't the first time she'd eaten at Chiya's place, Kobeni still insisted on asking permission before touching anything.
"Otonashi-kun, can I... can I eat this?" Even for a small tangerine, Kobeni would ask with a face full of shyness.
"You can, you can." Chiya had lost count of how many times he had answered "yes."
Though he didn't like interfering in other people's family affairs, he finally couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Say, Higashiyama-san, is there some sort of trouble at home? Otherwise, with the salary I pay you every day, it shouldn't be that you can't afford things like this, right?"
Chiya really couldn't stand to watch it anymore. Kobeni's pitiful state—being constantly drained by her family to the point where she felt incredibly humble asking for even the cheapest fruit or snack—was starting to make him feel uneasy.
He felt he needed to guide her. Since he had plenty of free time before leaving for the Soviet Union, he wanted to help Kobeni break out of this vicious cycle of family hardship as much as possible. He knew Kobeni wasn't without her own dreams; she was just too afraid to resist, or perhaps submissiveness had become a habit.
"Eh...?!" Kobeni didn't expect him to ask that. Her reaction was a bit intense, as the question poked right at her heart's sore spot.
"That... it's true that things are a bit... you know..." Kobeni's eyes darted around. She felt that this kind of thing wasn't appropriate to talk about; not only might Otonashi-kun laugh at her, but he might also find her a burden. Consequently, her words were vague and mumbled.
"If there's really a struggle, you can tell me. I might be able to help you." Chiya's tone was gentle, and he looked at her with a serious gaze. He did this primarily to encourage her.
Being looked at so earnestly by Otonashi-kun made Kobeni feel shy, but the inner conflict eased significantly. She felt a mysterious surge of courage to speak up.
"At home... my parents only care about my older brother, who just got into university, finishing his degree. They don't care about me or my other sisters. They told me ahead of time that they won't pay for my university and told me to go earn money early..."
Kobeni stopped halfway, suddenly embarrassed to continue. The fact that her family wanted her to work in the sex industry was something she simply couldn't bring herself to tell Otonashi-kun.
Unbeknownst to her, Chiya was already well aware of these details. He just couldn't show it; he had to play the part for now.
"So, do you want to go to university?" Chiya asked, cutting straight to the point.
Kobeni was momentarily stunned by the question before she replied, "I do!"