"This guy, what kind of contract does he have? How can a human be this strong?" The girl looked at the assassin in front of her with fear and respect, knowing that if he wanted to, she could have been dead before she even realized she had taken a breath.
Hiroshi emerged from beneath the table, leaned back in his chair, and settled in, looking at Toji and the girl in front of him.
"Akane, take your comrade with you. Toji, stay. We need to talk about the success of your mission," Hiroshi said with an emotionless smile.
Akane simply sighed and grabbed her ally's body, dragging him out of the office. She didn't need to worry about the senbons; they were merely paralyzing, and he was a demon; he'd be fine.
Closing the door behind them, Hiroshi fixed his gaze on Toji as the tension filled the room.
"Did you bring the bodies?" Hiroshi asked emotionlessly.
Toji nodded, and his Cursed Inventory expelled the body of a young man with bloodied brown hair, along with two other bodies in similar conditions.
Hiroshi furrowed his brow as he looked at the bodies and then back at Toji, his eyes showing some confusion.
"What is this?" Hiroshi said, confused but still maintaining his composure.
"There was another user of the Fox Demon contract, and the other two are hunters from the association," Toji explained, pointing to the brown-haired hunter and then to the other two.
"What about Hayakawa, Kishibe, and the Rat Demon?" Hiroshi asked, tense but satisfied with what seemed like a well-executed job.
"I humiliated Kishibe, and Hayakawa, they're both in critical condition. If you want to kill them, now's the time. The Rat Demon was in bad shape, so I couldn't save its body," Toji declared emotionlessly, staring firmly at Hiroshi, who wore a sinister grin that stretched from ear to ear.
"Well done," Hiroshi said, looking at the bodies with a twisted smile that radiated danger.
"I'll pay you 10 million; it will be transferred to your card in two days. Due to your current physical state, I'll call you here for the final part of your mission. After that, you'll receive your other 15 million, so get ready," Hiroshi said with his usual emotionless smile.
Nodding, Toji left the room and closed the door behind him.
"There's definitely something in China. If those two are here now and suddenly appeared, and that guy sent me there with them, there must be something dangerous there. Not only has it piqued my interest, but Public Safety probably has people there too. This is getting complicated," Toji thought as he left the large mansion. His face was expressionless and emotionless.
"We'll see how crazy things get," Toji murmured to himself quietly as a wild smile appeared on his face.
When he arrived at his small but cozy apartment, he opened the door, entered, and closed it behind him. His Cursed Inventory was in his stomach, transformed into a small ball that he would only use when it was time to fight.
The overwhelming silence of his apartment hit him immediately, reminding him that despite being one of the strongest, he was alone. He had no friends, just Nakame, who lived her life in the United States, but she was all he had. If you're wondering why his life was like this, it's pretty simple.
An assassin can't have weaknesses—friends, acquaintances, family, girlfriends, wives... none of that, no matter how important it might be to him. Being his ally or friend was like being friends with hell itself.
No one could be by his side; they could use one of his emotional connections against him and end him, that simple.
With his hair covering his eyes as he took off his shirt and pants, he stepped into the shower and let the refreshing cold water flow over his body.
"I don't want friends, but I want them," Toji murmured as he showered, feeling the water flow over his body.
He knew that wouldn't happen, that it would only put his loved ones in danger, but it was inevitable. He used to be a social person in his past life and had friends. But that's all in the past: "I HAD." Now, because of his lifestyle, it was no longer possible, so he would have to live with that, both in his mind and in his heart—"Alone, alone until the end of his days."
Finishing his shower and returning to his room, he dried off and put on some pajama-style pants before collapsing onto his comfortable bed, overcome by laziness.
"I should call Nakame," Toji murmured before falling into a deep sleep, but like any assassin, his instincts were alert and attentive to every sound or scent around him.
The next day
It was 10 AM in a hospital in Tokyo, curiously guarded by Demon Hunters. In the reception area stood a woman with red hair and yellow eyes, with black rings shining indifferently, accompanied by two young individuals on either side.
A girl with black hair, a beautiful face, one eye soft and covered by a black patch, and a green eye glowing with a mix of anger and concern as she looked at the woman in front of her.
A man with black hair and small eyes, a medium-sized nose, and a scar starting a few centimeters below his cheek, extending sharply across his jawline.
These three figures wore office suits, but the difference was that they exuded an intimidating and tense aura.
"How are Aki and my sensei?" asked the beautiful black-haired girl, looking at the woman in front of her with suspicion and concern.
"Both are stable, Himeno, but they both arrived severely injured, especially Kishibe, who was stabbed multiple times all over his torso and thighs, and his ribs are almost completely broken with bullet wounds in his legs. Aki, on the other hand, only has a scar on his chest and a nearly broken nose," Makima said before starting to walk toward Aki and Kishibe's room.
Upon hearing this, both Himeno and her companion clenched their fists in frustration at the report of their comrades' condition.
"And what happened to Keiro and the others?" asked the black-haired man with a mix of desperation and hope, as he hadn't heard anything about his comrades since the attack.
"Dead," Makima declared indifferently, causing both Demon Hunters' hearts to momentarily stop due to the impact. However, they continued following her, and a trace of anger and vengeance began to rise on their faces, gradually rooting itself in their hearts.
Upon reaching the room, which was guarded by six Public Safety agents, they opened the door and were shocked by what they saw.
In a bed lay Kishibe, bandaged from head to toe, with only his face visible, which had a respirator. They could see that color was slowly returning to his face, but it was a painfully slow process.
This alone was shocking, as Kishibe was considered one of the strongest, and seeing him in such a state sent chills down both Demon Hunters' spines, fueling their desire for revenge. However, seeing Kishibe like this planted a seed of doubt in their hearts, making them question their desire for vengeance.
In another bed sat Aki, staring out the window with his chest bandaged, his gaze seemingly lost in another universe.
Makima, who had seemed indifferent at first, was now deep in thought, her brow furrowed, while Himeno and Arai trembled slightly, feeling the growing pressure emanating from Makima.
"Aki..." Himeno said, her voice filled with concern as she stood next to Aki's bed and looked at him.
However, Makima sat beside Aki and gently embraced him, though her eyes remained devoid of emotion. She softly stroked his hair, causing Aki to blush slightly, and a tear began to fall from his eye.
"Everything will be fine, Aki," she said softly with maternal tenderness and an intoxicating warmth.
Getting ahead of Himeno.
Himeno, who was watching this action, simply closed her hand, turning it into a fist that turned white as she contained all her rage. She knew that Makima was just playing with Aki, only wanting to make him fall and sink into the strange love he had developed for her, and that made her feel powerless.
However, once they separated from the hug, her expression changed.
"Why don't you tell us what happened, Aki?" Makima whispered softly, her emotions still absent, showing her disapproval toward Aki.
For Makima, there was only one man in her life—Toji. However, she didn't consider it an obsession but rather an admiration and love for the man who had shown her affection without hesitation.
Sighing, Aki gently pulled away from Makima's embrace and sighed again as he looked at his divisionmates.
"He's on another level, maybe in a league of his own," Aki said, trembling inside as he remembered the figure of the person who could have killed him if he had wanted to.
Upon hearing this, both Himeno and Arai tensed, while Makima looked at Aki with indifference.
"Tell us everything, down to the smallest detail, and then describe his physical appearance," Makima ordered, her voice now serious, and her eyes gleaming with caution.
After telling them what happened, Aki began describing the assassin's physical features.
"His hair is black with bangs, tall and muscular, with that strange brown worm attached to his torso and shoulders. He wears very casual clothes, a black shirt with loose white pants and black loafers. He has a scar on his mouth," Aki reported with a confused look before continuing.
"A scar on his mouth?" Makima asked, her voice confused and intrigued.
Sighing with frustration, Aki continued: "Yes, and that arrogant smile of his, it makes me sick."
"How was his scar?" Makima demanded, her voice now even more intrigued.
"It started near his upper lip and ended at his lower lip; it looked like some kind of cut," Aki said, confused but seemingly keeping his confusion to himself.
Makima's mind was left in confusion at that moment.
Standing up, feeling weak, Makima forced a smile and spoke: "I'll report this to the Board. Get well soon, Aki." Her voice lacked emotion, but her eyes shone like stars.
As she left the room, leaving behind Aki, Himeno, and the confused black-haired man, Makima gently closed the door behind her and headed to the bathroom.
Turning on the faucet, she gently washed her face with water, wearing a happy expression but with her mind shattered by her thoughts.
"Why didn't he look for me? If he was alive, why didn't he? Why is he like this? Is he against me? Does he plan to kill me?" Makima's mind raced with confusing and worrying thoughts because she knew that the one behind all of this was Toji—her beloved Toji.
However, she needed answers, and for that, she needed to find Toji. If he resisted, she would take him by force and make him her most precious pet. After all, no one could escape her control.
She needed him—she needed to feel his scent, his voice, his warmth. Though time had passed, she hadn't forgotten his smell or anything about him. She would search for what was hers; he belonged to her, and now she knew he was alive.
Leaving the bathroom with a somewhat kind and soft smile, it seemed that for the first time in a long time, Makima's happiness was genuine.
"I'll catch him..." Makima murmured with a somewhat twisted smile as she walked quickly, even hopping lightly.
The hunters guarding the door were stunned when they saw their normally stoic boss hopping happily, emitting her aura, which slightly reddened some of their faces.