Chapter 79: The Camera Devil
"..."
Hearing Chiya's blunt assessment that it was "cringe," Shingetsu's exquisite face stiffened ever so slightly. He was not a person prone to showing emotional fluctuations, which meant Chiya's words had dealt a significant blow.
After all, this was the codename he had always believed perfectly matched his strength and temperament. No one had ever dared to suggest there was anything wrong with it before; Otonashi Chiya was the first and only one.
"But then again, it might just be the cultural difference. In the eyes of you Soviets, this codename is probably quite normal," Chiya offered a bit of tactful comfort immediately after the strike.
He was technically telling the truth. After all, "Tsar" was derived from the Latin title "Caesar." While the word "Caesar" felt fine, translating it into the context of Russian history carried a specific weight—and when translated into Chinese, it became "Tsar."
Chiya continued, "So, could you make an exception for a foreigner like me? For example, can I just call you by your real name?"
To his surprise, Shingetsu agreed without hesitation. "As you wish."
This was actually because Shingetsu had already conceded that Chiya was stronger than him. In his worldview, the weak have no right to refuse or resist the strong. Therefore, as long as it was a request from Chiya, he would essentially comply.
Chiya was momentarily taken aback. Hadn't Director Lev said that this guy hated people using his real name? He hadn't expected Shingetsu to agree without even a second of doubt.
"Then I'll call you Shingetsu from now on."
As Chiya said this, two military Devil Hunters happened to walk past them. Hearing the name "Shingetsu" fall from Chiya's lips, their eyes nearly bulged out of their heads. They stared at Chiya with looks of pure shock.
Currently, nearly everyone in the Leningrad Military Department knew that the "Tsar's" real name was a taboo that must never be uttered in his presence. Even though this boy was the newcomer from Tokyo Public Safety, surely someone would have warned him!
With the "Tsar" standing right there, this kid actually dared to address him by his real name! Clearly, these two had just returned from outside and had no idea what had happened that morning.
However, just as they expected the boy to be finished, they heard Shingetsu give a flat, expressionless grunt of affirmation. "Mm."
The two hunters stood frozen in place, utterly stunned. Had the "Tsar" suddenly developed a better temper? They were plagued by doubt but certainly weren't brave enough to test the theory themselves.
Shortly after, Chiya and Shingetsu exited the Military Department. A small sedan was waiting for them at the main gate.
A dedicated driver took them toward the mission site. Compared to Japan, the Soviet Union was vast and sparsely populated; traveling by car was the most practical option.
Leningrad was divided into more than a dozen administrative districts. It was split into central city districts and suburban districts; Peterhof was one of the latter.
Upon arriving at the mission site, Chiya was met with a scene that felt somewhat familiar. Since police during the Soviet era were referred to as the Militsiya, the entire area had been cordoned off by them. The Soviet Union's mobilization capabilities were impressive—at a glance, at least a hundred Militsiya officers had surrounded the perimeter.
Beyond the police, several individuals in civilian clothes could be seen. These were likely Soviet private-sector Devil Hunters.
Chapter 79: The Camera Devil (Part 2)
"What's the situation?" Chiya asked, falling back into his habits from Tokyo Public Safety by getting the facts first.
"And you are...?" The Militsiya officer looked at him with doubt. Chiya's custom military uniform wasn't ready yet, and in his civilian clothes, he looked like a private-sector Devil Hunter—especially with his East Asian features.
Shingetsu spoke up immediately: "He's my partner. I am from the Leningrad Military Department's Special Operations Unit..." He paused for a moment, remembering Chiya calling his codename "cringe," before forcing himself to finish: "...Unit 1 Captain, Tsar."
"Oh! You're the Devil Hunters from the Military Department! You're finally here!" The officer looked delighted.
They had been waiting anxiously. The devil inside could burst out at any moment; their job was to protect the local residents, and one slip-up meant death. Furthermore, the one who arrived was the "Tsar"—a codename famous throughout Leningrad. Rumor had it that the Tsar had never failed a mission since he started serving, and the police believed it because many of them had witnessed his power firsthand.
As for the partner next to him, though they didn't recognize the East Asian youth, anyone partnered with the "Tsar" was bound to be formidable. Now, they didn't have to worry about whether they'd make it home alive.
"The devil this time appears to be the Camera Devil. Scans show it has more than one fragment of the Gun Devil in its body. It was already wounded by private-sector hunters."
"However, those private hunters suffered heavy casualties. The Camera Devil is currently hiding in this gymnasium to recover. There are human corpses inside, so it has blood to heal itself. It's also wary of the private hunters out here, so it likely won't run out until its injuries are fully healed."
The officer continued briefing Chiya and Shingetsu. "Anything else? Specifically regarding the Camera Devil's abilities?" Chiya asked meticulously.
Shingetsu interrupted: "It's not necessary. We'll just go in."
"..." Chiya gave a slightly awkward smile. Shingetsu was as arrogant and confident as ever, though he certainly had the merit to back it up.
"You'd have to ask the private hunters for specifics, we aren't entirely sure. We only heard that if you stay within the Camera Devil's field of vision for three seconds, you take severe damage. If you're in sight for more than ten seconds, it's instant death."
Despite saying he wasn't "entirely sure," the officer had managed to explain the Camera Devil's key lethal trait.
"I understand. That's enough," Chiya nodded. He only needed to know the mechanic of the ability; he didn't need a life story.
Chiya hurried to catch up with Shingetsu, who was already walking toward the small indoor gymnasium.
When the private-sector Devil Hunters nearby saw Shingetsu, they knew their job was done.
"It's the Tsar. Nothing to worry about now; we might as well head back."
"Don't be in such a rush. Let's head in, keep our backs to the devil, and sneak a peek at the fight. Let's see if the Tsar gets a speed-run kill this time."
"By the way, who's that kid with him? An East Asian... is he from China?"
AN-
Was this devil created from Cyber Social Anxiety or smh?
To everybody who made it stronger, Ishowspeed is very disappointed
Anyway,next chap