On the horizon, dawn was breaking and the stars were fading.
Cael drove Asa Mitaka toward the Devil Hunter headquarters. They had agreed to check on the cat's condition today.
Cael drove steadily, hands firm on the wheel.
Asa, in the passenger seat, had dozed off without realizing it.
No one knew how long she'd been asleep.
She woke up rubbing her tired eyes and noticed a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her heart warmed at the small gesture.
"Asa, sleep a bit more. We'll be there in about half an hour," Cael said casually.
"Haa…" Asa yawned while staring at the early light outside the window.
"No need, Cael. I've had plenty of sleep."
Cael flicked on the fog lights.
"Seems like you really care about that cat's safety."
"As soon as it's better, why not adopt it yourself?"
"I remember you even picked a name out… Gura‑something?"
"Gurambun," Asa corrected.
"That's a weird name," Cael teased.
After saying it, Asa's expression dimmed for a moment.
"Gurambun was the cat I used to have, back when I was living at the Devil Victim Shelter."
Cael blinked, taken aback.
"Sorry for bringing up bad memories," he said softly.
Since what happened at the amusement park, Cael had tried to learn about Asa's past. Like him, she was an orphan, and both her parents had been killed by devils.
His parents were taken by the Car Devil, and Asa's parents had been killed by the Hurricane Devil.
Asa struggled especially with her mother's death.
A few years ago, the Hurricane Devil had struck without warning, leaving a trail of destruction. Asa and her mother ran desperately from the wreckage.
But then she saw a calico cat with a broken leg lying in the rubble, waiting to die.
Instinct made her go back for it, and she tripped on some debris.
Then a car was flung through the air and was about to crush her.
Without hesitation, her mother shoved Asa and the cat out of the way.
Her mother didn't make it.
After the storm cleared, the scene was hell‑ish: her mother crushed under the wrecked car with the cat in her arms.
Asa cried almost every tear she had that day.
If she hadn't turned back for the cat, her mom would still be alive.
But at least the cat—Gurambun—survived.
Since then, the calico cat became Asa's only family.
The name Gurambun meant the sound of a collapsing building.
But later, Gurambun died too, just like her mother.
Half an hour later, the Devil Hunter headquarters loomed ahead.
Cael had been here before and knew his way around. He quickly found the Special Division 4 duty room.
He located Hayakawa Aki, but didn't see Kobeni Higashiyama anywhere.
"You guys here?" Cael asked.
Aki looked up, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"It's you? What are you doing here?"
"We're not looking for you," Cael said dryly. "We're here for Kobeni Higashiyama."
"What do you want with her?" Aki narrowed her eyes.
"I've got business. I'm technically your colleague, so I wouldn't hurt her, would I?"
Aki's gaze drifted over Asa standing behind Cael. She'd originally planned to tell Cael about Kishibe wanting to see him and to ask if Cael wanted to join the counter‑offensive operation. But with an outsider present, he kept his mouth shut.
Dragging family into secret shit was a terrible idea.
Aki looked away and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it slowly.
"Bad timing. Kobeni and Himeno just went out on patrol. If you go after them now, you might catch them at a breakfast spot nearby."
"Thanks. Asa, let's go."
Cael took Asa's hand and started walking.
"Thank you." Asa bowed politely to Aki.
Watching them go, Aki exhaled smoke into a ring and muttered, "Polite. Better than that fiend back home."
Outside, Cael and Asa began checking nearby street shops.
Sushi shop.
Tempura joint.
Takoyaki stand.
After a short walk, near a gas station, they found the two Public Safety hunters sitting at a secluded ramen shop.
Himeno was smoking, eyeing the nervous girl beside her.
"Akai is only 20, she's still growing. Can this tiny bowl of ramen fill you up?"
"It's… enough," Kobeni Higashiyama said with an awkward smile. "If I drink all the soup, my stomach feels full."
"You…" Himeno shook her head, "you're like Aki, you haven't filled out in the right places yet!"
"No one's gonna like you like this!" Himeno laughed and plopped a skewer of takoyaki from her plate into Kobeni's bowl. "Here, help me finish these."
"Eh! Senior Himeno, what are you—"
Bam.
Cael stepped up and slapped a wad of bills on the counter.
"Boss, two bowls of udon, three servings of taiyaki, and a plate of pancakes. I'll pay for these two too."
"Alright! Sit down and wait, you two!"
Himeno perked up when she heard Cael's voice.
"I was wondering why that big spender's voice sounded familiar. So it's you, handsome."
Asa instantly felt a little jealous and gripped Cael's hand tighter, stepping slightly in front of him.
Himeno noticed Asa right away.
She smiled and said, "Wow, what a cute little sister. Cael, is this your girlfriend?"
Cael was about to answer, but Asa jumped in, cheeks coloring.
"I'm Asa Mitaka, Cael's friend. We're still just friends for now."
"Oh." Himeno stubbed out her cigarette with a laugh. "So it's the push and pull stage of romance. I get it."
"I'm jealous of you, Cael, having such a cute girlfriend~"
Asa's cheeks flamed red, but her tension eased as Himeno seemed earnest.
Cael grinned and teased, "If you're envious, Senior Himeno, you should get one yourself. I think Aki and you would be a killer match."
"Hahaha!" Himeno slammed the table, laughing. "Great minds think alike! I've wanted to drag Aki out and go private for ages! But Aki just wants to chase that Gun bastard."
Kobeni simply kept eating her takoyaki in silence.
Inside Asa's mind, Yoru squirmed. The Gun Devil? Didn't Public Safety know that devil's pieces were scattered and locked down by countries?
Cael also raised an eyebrow. He'd heard devils are born of fear, the stronger the fear the stronger the devil. With all the gun‑related violence in the world, the Gun Devil had to be terrifying.
But Cael didn't dive into that political bullshit.
He got straight to the point.
"Senior Himeno, we're actually here to find Kobeni."
"Eh?!" Kobeni nearly choked on her takoyaki.
"Find… find me?"
"Yeah." Asa peeked at Kobeni with hopeful eyes. "Is the cat we rescued earlier okay?"
Kobeni wiped her mouth and answered, "The cat's treatment went well. It was discharged after three days."
"It turned out the cat belongs to Power, a Blood Fiend from Special Division 4."
"It's with her now. Power's living at Aki's place, so the cat's there too."
Cael exhaled. "I see."
"Thanks, Akai," Asa said politely.
"You're… welcome," Kobeni muttered, glancing down.
Despite being embarrassed by the free meal, she absolutely loved not paying for it.
Cael sighed. They'd gone in circles. If they'd talked to Aki sooner, they wouldn't have wandered to every shop in town.
"Oh well." He looked at Asa. "After we eat, let's head straight to Aki's place."
"Okay."
Just then…
Bang!
A blood‑covered middle‑aged man burst through the shop curtain, clutching his ears and screaming.
"Help! Help! There's a devil!!!"
Himeno instantly snapped into professional mode, showing her ID to the man.
"I'm a Public Safety Devil Hunter. What happened?"
The man looked at her like she was a miracle.
"My… my daughter was snatched by a devil into the woods! Please, go save her!"
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