More than a week had passed.
Since the failed assassination attempt on Denji and Makima, the superpowers had made no further moves.
Meanwhile, the Yamai sisters had returned to Japan and resumed their usual patrols.
If anything had changed, it was the number of fans who approached them asking for autographs and photos—there were far fewer than before.
This, however, was expected.
Since it had been revealed that the Yamai sisters were not truly the Wind Devils, the Windborne Yamai idol project had lost its original purpose. The plan, originally meant to weaken their power, had now become meaningless.
Additionally, the battle reports from their missions in other countries had reached Japan, shocking many.
Upon seeing the horrific images of devastated battlefields and the overwhelming destruction left in the wake of their fights, the public began to feel a growing sense of unease.
Some people even submitted complaints and protests to Public Safety, demanding that the Yamai sisters be strictly monitored and prevented from flying freely over Japan.
However, Public Safety provided no official response.
The Yamai sisters, for their part, paid little attention to the public's concerns.
In fact, this shift in perception actually benefited them.
Their main mission required them to be recognized as berserkers feared by both humans and devils alike. Due to Makima's previous manipulation, they had been seen as protectors of Japan, which had slowed the mission's progress.
Now, as the Japanese public's perception of them changed, it only accelerated their goal.
On this day, the Yamai sisters were once again hunting devils.
Over the ocean, a massive sea serpent devil let out a shrill scream as the spear of the Storm Knight—El Re'em—penetrated its skull.
Its enormous body collapsed into the sea, turning the surrounding waters green with its toxic blood.
This sea serpent devil had appeared just days ago and had already attacked dozens of ships, causing thousands of casualties.
Despite its colossal size, it had been elusive, making it difficult to track.
For the past two days, the Yamai sisters had scoured the ocean in search of it.
Their efforts finally paid off today.
Just as Yuzuru was about to use the Storm Knight—El Na'ash to pull the sea serpent's corpse to shore, a cluster of octopus tentacles emerged from the sea nearby.
Sensing the presence of an unknown entity approaching, the Yamai sisters immediately heightened their vigilance.
"Please, do not attack. We are not your enemies."
Just as they were preparing for battle, the coiled tentacles parted to reveal two figures—an older man and a younger one.
Upon seeing them, Kaguya raised an eyebrow, while Yuzuru narrowed her eyes slightly.
The older man was Kishibe, Public Safety's ace devil hunter, once hailed as the strongest devil hunter in his prime.
He was also Denji and Power's mentor, having trained them for a period of time.
Due to their shared living arrangements, the Yamai sisters had met him a few times before, but their interactions had been minimal.
As for the young man standing beside him, dressed in a school uniform with a perpetual smirk, they had never met him in person.
But not meeting him didn't mean they didn't recognize him.
As travelers from another world, they naturally knew his identity. He was Hirofumi Yoshida, a civilian devil hunter contracted with the Octopus Devil.
Despite his young age, he was one of the strongest among civilian hunters, capable of holding his own against top Public Safety agents.
Seeing these two appear, the Yamai sisters couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
However, after thinking about the current timeline of events, they quickly understood why they were here.
"The sea serpent devil has already been slain. If you're here to claim credit, you're too late."
Although they had already guessed their true intentions, Kaguya still acted as though she didn't know anything, folding her arms and speaking bluntly. "As for its corpse, Yuzuru will handle its disposal."
"We have no intention of taking credit for your hunt."
Stepping onto the surface of the sea, Kishibe pulled out a cigarette from his coat pocket, lighting it before taking a drag. "To be honest, I don't care about earning merit at this point in my career."
"Then what do you want?"
"To meet you two." Kishibe exhaled a puff of smoke. "I've wanted to talk to you for a while now, but I never had the opportunity."
"To meet us?"
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, looking at him up and down. "I thought most of our fans were younger people. Didn't expect an old guy like you to be a fan too."
Hearing this, Kishibe's mouth twitched slightly as he nearly choked on his cigarette smoke.
Even at a time like this, it seemed the rumors were true—Kaguya was, indeed, a bit of an idiot.
"The reason I had to come all the way out here is because Makima's eyes and ears are all over Tokyo," Kishibe explained. "If I met you there, she would immediately become suspicious."
"Suspicious? Are you here to try and convince us to betray Makima?"
Hearing this, Yuzuru's expression darkened slightly.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Hirofumi Yoshida, who had remained silent until now, tensed up.
He silently prepared a hand seal, ready to summon the Octopus Devil at a moment's notice.
"This is, indeed, why I'm here. But I know you two don't care about things like freedom or human dignity, so I won't bother with such flowery arguments."
Despite the oppressive wind whipping around them, Kishibe remained calm, his cigarette held steadily between his fingers.
"But if betraying Makima is the only way to save Denji, would you accept that reason?"
As expected.
Upon hearing Kishibe's words, the Yamai sisters sighed inwardly.
Truthfully, they had no particular desire to oppose Makima.
Although she frequently schemed behind their backs, she had never done anything that directly harmed their interests.
Their original plan had been to complete their main mission as quickly as possible and then leave this world without interfering with its natural course.
Moreover, even if they wanted to kill Makima, they didn't have a viable method.
She had already contracted with Japan's Prime Minister, meaning that any damage inflicted on her would be transferred to random Japanese citizens. Essentially, she was immortal.
If they had been playing as Tokisaki Kurumi, they could have used Zafkiel to freeze her existence and eliminate her contract.
If they had been playing as Yatogami Tohka, they could have sealed her in an eternal void.
If they had been playing as Hoshimiya Mukuro, they could have rewritten her history and severed her contract.
Unfortunately, in this world, they were Kaguya Yamai and Yamai Yuzuru—pure combat specialists.
Even if they wanted to save Denji from Makima's grasp, they simply lacked the means to do so.
Thus, they had never considered getting involved in this mess.
But now, Kishibe had dragged them into it.
Given the situation, they had no choice but to participate.
After all, even though the Yamai sisters were battle maniacs, they weren't completely heartless.
"Very well," Yuzuru finally said, after a long pause. "You may continue speaking."
Seeing that the two were willing to listen, Kishibe felt a rare sense of relief.
It was a gamble seeking them out, but it had paid off.
"You two should return to Tokyo and act as if this meeting never happened."
Lighting another cigarette, Kishibe's voice turned firm. "The real battle against Makima is about to begin."