Narrator POV.
"So you feel lonely, Isagi?". Makima stopped. Those words resonated with her a little. After all, the only things that welcomed her in her own home were her pet dogs. "Is that why you work so much, to distract yourself from it?"
"Huh? No. I like my job. Fighting demons seems pretty cool to me to a certain extent, and the fact that I seem like a workaholic with no social life is just a bit of humor that I love." Isagi quickly clarified, since he wasn't one of those types who hid in work to escape from his problems. He even let out a small laugh as he imagined the image he gave of himself. "I'm just saying that, well, sometimes the silence that welcomes me when I arrive is not very comforting. There's a difference between being alone... and feeling lonely."
He finished the sentence with an almost carefree calmness. He didn't seem like someone who was suffering because of it every day, but neither did he seem completely indifferent. It was simply a reality he had learned to live with, although, from time to time, movies like the one they had just watched reminded him that there were people who did have a place to return to and someone waiting for them on the other side of the door.
Makima remained standing in front of Isagi, quite close to him. She extended her hand and gently placed it over Isagi's chest, who remained calm, without stepping back even once. Then she lowered her voice a little, bringing her body even closer to Isagi's, who raised an eyebrow with an expression somewhere between curious and confused.
"And when you're with me, do you feel or think you're alone, Isagi?"
"Well... no. You're one of the few people I interact with quite a lot. I think the number of people I know and can hang out with are Power and you." Isagi laughed softly as he lowered his hands and his gaze a little to look at Makima completely, who was still standing in front of him without taking her hand away from his chest. "I enjoy spending time with you. Maybe at first I avoided you, but it was inertia, remember? I started actually trying once you told me I was immune to your control power."
"Yes, I still remember. The change was quite obvious: more confidence in me, less tension, and genuine interest. That's why, Isagi...". Makima moved even closer. The streets were almost empty at that hour, so apparently there wasn't a single witness nearby. The distance between them was already so short that she only needed to raise her gaze slightly to hold his eyes. "I also enjoy spending time with you. Your taste in movies entertains me; your comments, even though I sometimes don't understand them, are also refreshing... and your blood and your scent are as well."
Her voice remained soft and calm, but there was a hint of warmth that was unusual for her. She didn't seem to be saying those words out of obligation or politeness; she was simply honestly expressing what she thought of Isagi.
"I know. I suppose it's not so bad, after all, having this special blood." Isagi murmured, since at first he had disliked receiving that trait.
After all, it meant that demons would always be attracted to him before anyone else. However, over time he had learned to see some advantages in it, even though they were still quite peculiar.
Isagi smiled slightly as he raised his hands a little and placed them around Makima's waist. They slid gently until they surrounded her, pulling the redhead into a hug that she did not reject. Makima yielded without resistance and simply allowed herself to be drawn closer, settling naturally in his arms, as if that contact no longer felt strange to her.
She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the pleasant scent Isagi always gave off thanks to his Marechi blood. The silence of the street, accompanied by the night breeze, made the moment feel even more peaceful. The seconds passed slowly and Isagi also ended up relaxing, completely losing himself in that moment of calm.
"Isagi, tell me... do you find me attractive?"
"Huh? Where did that sudden question come from?" Isagi pulled away a little, surprised by how unexpected the question had been. He blinked a couple of times as he tried to figure out where that had come from.
"I suppose curiosity, nothing more." Makima said, keeping her gaze fixed on him as she patiently waited for an answer.
"Want me to be honest?" Isagi asked, and received a small nod from her. "Well, yes, actually quite a lot. If I'm being honest, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen... although it's not like I've seen many." He joked with a small smile, trying to take some of the seriousness out of the moment. Even so, his words were completely sincere and he didn't look away as he said them.
"So you do?. Well..." A small smile appeared on Makima's lips as she slowly brought her face closer to Isagi's.
The distance between them was now minimal.
"I think it's a little late and I don't remember if I made this request to you, but at some point there will be an operation to take down the Gun Devil." Makima said in a low voice, since, due to the short distance between them, there was no need to speak loudly. Her gaze remained fixed on his. "Will you participate? Your record of defeating demons, your growth in power, and your abilities already make you an ideal candidate. If you decide to participate, you would be accepted."
"A future battle against the Gun Devil?" Isagi blinked a couple of times at the idea. The question caught him completely off guard.
He thought about it for a few seconds. His grip on Makima's waist tightened slightly, although it relaxed almost immediately. He already had a good arsenal, he was already strong, he had already purified Mahoraga, and, on top of that, he had a sword capable of cutting space itself. Compared to the Isagi who had first arrived in that world, the difference was abysmal.
That gave him enough confidence and he almost blurted out right there: "Nah, I'd win". However, for some reason, right afterward he imagined himself split in half at the end of the fight. He remained silent for a moment before remembering that, technically, he could survive something like that thanks to his regeneration.
"Hehehe... And what would the reward be for such a high-level gig?" Isagi asked, since he wasn't an idiot. Facing even just a percentage of the Gun Devil was practically a suicide mission for almost any devil hunter.
If he was going to accept such madness, at the very least he wanted to know what kind of reward Public Safety offered for risking his neck like that.
"Well, Isagi, when it comes to you, I could give you the reward myself." Makima suggested softly and without any shame. Her warm breath gave Isagi a slight ticklish sensation due to the small distance separating them. "This time I'm serious. Anything, Isagi... that can include something from me."
"Anything, huh?" This time Isagi wasn't going to steer the conversation away like the last time. If Makima wanted to play like this, well, he could do it too. "That word, 'anything,' covers too much, Makima. Do you think you can fulfill it?"
"I can." Makima nodded, and the corners of her lips curved just a little, forming a small smile. " You can test it if you want, right now. We're already close, aren't we? So, even if it's something personal... I'll give it to you."
Tension filled the place, but it was a different kind of tension from the usual. There was no hostility or danger, only a silence charged with anticipation. The closeness of their bodies, their faces, Makima's words, and that subtle invitation made the atmosphere feel strangely peaceful and, at the same time, impossible to ignore. Makima was undeniably attractive, and she didn't look away from Isagi either.
So, when the distance between them completely disappeared, Makima wasn't surprised. She slowly closed her eyes as she accepted the kiss Isagi gave her on the lips. There was no haste or roughness; she simply responded to the gesture with the same calmness that characterized her, returning the kiss in a gentle and natural way, letting the moment pass in complete silence.
Makima's lips were soft, with a pleasant natural taste. Anyone who had seen them at that moment would have thought they were a couple quietly enjoying the end of a date...
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Isagi calmly entered his house, calmly closing the door behind him, as if he hadn't just managed to kiss one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life.
That calmness lasted only a few seconds, because almost immediately he ran his hands over his face and started clapping as if he had won the greatest prize of his life. Meanwhile, in the background, We Are The Champions began to play, making the situation seem even more exaggerated.
"We did it, Blanco. I did it!". He crouched down with a huge smile and grabbed his white wolf shikigami by the sides of its face. "I want to cry! That's it, I got over the excitement of wanting to try the Magatsumi! I feel like I won the Champions League! Is this what the youth call being successful?"
Isagi wondered as he let go of his white wolf. It stuck out its tongue and began panting like a dog, which sometimes confused Isagi, because it was a wolf, even though he called them "Divine Dogs". Even so, that only made Isagi smile even more, completely euphoric over what had just happened.
"I don't think I'll need Agito anymore from now on. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight. I'll see if Vladimir's works". Isagi said, still full of adrenaline from what had happened.
He walked back and forth around the living room, unable to stay still, while his mind kept replaying the moment of the kiss over and over again. It had been a move that, in his previous life, he had never dared to attempt. And now that he had finally done it, the excitement of having succeeded was enough to keep him awake all night.
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Location: ??? | Place: Makima's apartment.
Upon arriving home, the redhead was greeted excitedly by her dogs. Makima smiled slightly at them while petting some of them, letting them approach her and surround her as usual.
"What a strange feeling...". she murmured as her mind returned to what had happened last. A kiss. She had never received that kind of contact, much less after a date. "I thought I had forgotten it... that I had left that behind."
Her gaze lowered toward her dogs. She was a little confused. For the first time, she had experienced something that felt like genuine affection, without the need for manipulation, contracts, or controlling someone to get them to tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.
That conflicted somewhat with her current beliefs. Besides, she was sure that if the higher-ups of Public Safety found out about what had happened, they would not be happy at all.
But that only made Makima laugh softly as she shook her head. She didn't care too much whether they liked her actions or not; after all, she only listened to them because of the contract she had with the Prime Minister of Japan.
She let out a faint sigh as one of her dogs settled down near her legs. Even she herself hadn't seen that coming. However, it wasn't bad. It felt... good. For a few moments, Makima allowed that feeling to remain, without trying to analyze it too much. It was strange, but pleasant.
Even so, she would not let that feeling make her forget her goal. Bringing back the true Chainsaw Devil.
But then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. Makima had never considered that possibility, at least not in that way. Perhaps she could somehow involve Isagi in her plan, make him participate and, at the same time, discover just how far he would be willing to go for her.
It seemed that she would have to modify what she had in mind a little. Normally, she used temptation to manipulate people without needing to directly resort to her powers as the Control Devil, but after what had happened with Isagi, she would have to think of something different.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she looked ahead. Perhaps there was a way to obtain both things she wanted so badly. One of them had been forgotten for a long time, but now, with Isagi, perhaps it could be possible.
Having a real relationship without needing to use her Control Devil powers directly on him. After all, she couldn't control him, no matter how much she had tried. And that, far from bothering her, made Isagi even more interesting.
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End of the chapter.