The hot spring trip had ended pleasantly, and the next day, Makima took leave to "handle some official business" for a few days—though she was actually relaxing in Hokkaido. With her absence from Public Safety, Division 4 enjoyed a rare period of freedom.
Arata was currently taking Denji and Power to the Erdao Cafe. It had become their daily checkpoint; regardless of whether Makima was around, if there were no missions, Arata would bring Denji here. As for Power, Arata had originally intended to drop her off at headquarters, but she had adamantly refused, declaring, "Wherever Arata is, the Great Me shall be!" Helpless, he had brought her along for the coffee run.
Aki Hayakawa and Himeno simply turned a blind eye to Arata's truancy. After all, Arata was the pillar of Division 4; they might be able to survive without each other, but they couldn't survive without him.
Soon, a taxi pulled up in front of the cafe. As soon as they stepped out, they saw the cafe door was riddled with holes.
"Looks like the cafe had a firefight before we got here," Arata noted, spotting the signs immediately. Because Power had delayed them, the people sent to ambush Denji had missed their window, clashing with Reze instead.
"Let's head in and check." Arata knew Reze's strength, so he wasn't overly worried. But just as he was about to step inside, a voice stopped him: "Hey! You haven't paid the fare yet! You trying to skip out on the bill?!"
"Denji, you go ahead. I'll pay the driver and catch up."
Arata turned back to settle the fare while Denji rushed into the cafe. The interior was a wreck: chairs and tables overturned, the coffee machine behind the bar shattered, and shelves emptied of cups.
"Let's check the menu. I want a breakfast without any vegetables today!" Power started righting chairs and tables, waiting to be served.
"Eat? Can't you see the cafe was attacked?" Denji ignored her and ran to the back, shouting, "Reze!!"
He checked the storage room, but it was empty. The cafe was devoid of life.
"Denji, did you find her?"
"Master, Reze isn't here! Do you think she was killed?" Denji asked, his voice trembling.
"Killed? Then let's go eat somewhere else," Power said, standing up to leave. Denji and Arata ignored her.
"Unlikely. Based on the state of the place, there was a firefight recently. Powerful devils don't use guns—this was likely the work of gangsters or mercenaries."
"A firefight! There's no body, so she must have been taken because she was too cute!"
"Don't worry. With Reze's strength, gangs and mercenaries are no match for her."
"Huh? Reze doesn't look that strong. Did she contract a devil too?"
"Denji-kun!"
A familiar voice rang out from the door. Reze walked in, carrying two bags of groceries.
"Reze! You weren't kidnapped!" Denji sprinted toward her.
"Kidnapped? Why would I be kidnapped?" Reze pretended to be clueless, hoisting the shopping bags. "Look, Denji-kun, I went out to buy ingredients. What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
"Just look at this place!" Arata reminded her.
Reze glanced past Denji at the carnage, dropping the bags in feigned shock. "My goodness! What happened here?" She rushed to the broken coffee machine, picking up shattered cups like a panicked outsider.
"My Master says there was a firefight here just a moment ago. I'm just glad you're safe."
"Denji-kun, when did you guys arrive?"
"Just now."
"I'm just glad you're safe. Besides, it's not like the cafe is mine anyway," Reze smiled sweetly, causing Denji to blush furiously. She was worried about him, not the shop—she definitely had to love him.
"Looks like we'll have to go somewhere else from now on; I don't want to drag Reze into trouble."
"It's fine, Arata-senpai. After a shootout like this, I doubt anyone will come back."
"Because you've already cleared things up with them, right?"
"Hey! When are we eating? I didn't come here to listen to you talk!!" Power was already seated, waiting to be fed.
As Power finished her demand, a disheveled man rushed in, looking more like a beggar than a customer.
"Sa... save me!!"
The moment he spotted Arata, he dove at his feet, clutching his pant leg and sobbing, "Please, I beg you, save my wife!"
"Are you alright?" Denji went to help him up, but Arata blocked him, yanking his pant leg free and stepping back.
"Denji, don't be fooled."
"Fooled by what?"
"Don't be deceived by an enemy's appearance. They can pretend to be anyone to lower your guard, then attack when you're not looking." Denji nodded, his vigilance leveled up.
"Please... help me." The man saw Arata's suspicion and fell to the floor, pleading weakly.
"Are you alright?" Reze tried to approach to help, but the man snapped, "Don't touch me! I need the strongest devil hunter!"
"The strongest? Who?" Arata asked.
"You're Arata, right?!"
"That's me."
"Then I found the right person. Some independent hunters told me about an Arata in Public Safety—a rookie in Division 4, but incredibly powerful."
"How did you know I was here?"
"I went to the Public Safety headquarters this morning to find you. Some guy with a ponytail said you weren't there and had gone to the Erdao Cafe, so I took a taxi here."
"You mean Aki, right? But what do you want with my Master?"
"A church!!"
At the mention of "church," Arata's memory flashed back to the Apple Case. He became curious. "What do you mean?"
"My wife has been controlled by a devil! She's been holed up in the Church of Light for weeks without coming home. The strangest thing is, she has no income, and I don't know what she's been eating to survive."
"I contacted the local Public Safety hunters, but they didn't believe me because my wife's behavior didn't seem 'controlled.' Since they wouldn't help, I hired independent hunters to force her out of the Wind Church... but I haven't heard from them since."
"So you suspect your wife is controlled by a powerful devil, and the hunters you sent to rescue her were all killed."
"Yes! Please, I've already sacrificed three or four hunters to this. I don't want any more innocent blood on my hands, so I tracked your name down." The man wept, as if he would drag Arata to the scene that instant. "I'm not lying. Please, I'll give you all my money!"
Arata remained calm. "My Master doesn't need money. Besides, we're on duty. If you want us to eliminate a devil, you should file a police report so we can follow the proper procedure." Denji interjected.
"I already called the police—they didn't believe me! Name your price, I'll do anything to save her!" The man crawled forward, grabbing Arata's shoes again.
Arata asked, "Where did you say you were from?"
"Osaka! My wife is being held in the Church of Light in Osaka."
The single sentence sent a jolt of realization through Arata's mind.
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