Narrator POV.
Makima, through the eyes of animals, would occasionally observe Isagi from afar. Not constantly, not in an obvious way… just small glimpses—enough to confirm that he was still there, existing, moving outside of her direct control.
Although that wasn't as simple as it sounded.
Isagi kept any animal away from his home.
Rats, cats, birds… it didn't matter. If one entered his field of vision, he wouldn't hesitate to throw a knife at it without thinking twice. Not out of cruelty, but out of instinct. Out of survival.
Even so, every now and then, Makima managed to watch him through the eyes of some distant bird perched on a cable or on the edge of a nearby building.
And what she saw… wasn't normal.
Sometimes, Isagi would just stare into nothingness. Not at the ordinary void, but at something. As if he could see what nobody else could. As if he were listening to—or speaking with—an invisible presence.
From that perspective, he looked like someone having a conversation with the air.
His accelerated growth and his power—apparently without demonic origin, without a visible contract, and most importantly, without paying any price—could not be natural. Not in that world. Not under those rules.
That… interested her. A lot.
Makima was not a woman easily impressed. In fact, almost nothing managed to capture her genuine attention. However, there was something different about Isagi. Something subtle.
The scent of his Marechi blood, even for a devil of her caliber, was pleasant. Not intoxicating… but distinctive enough to be noticed.
And that small detail—insignificant as a grain of sand—had been the beginning of everything.
A tiny interest. But real. For the first time… in a human.
"W-what did you say?" Isagi spoke up, breaking the silence with a nervous smile. "It's like I suddenly didn't hear you properly."
He was lying. He had heard every word with perfect clarity.
Makima didn't change her expression. She didn't sigh. She didn't smile any wider than usual. She simply asked again, with the same unsettling calmness as always.
"Since when did you know I wasn't human?"
The question fell like a slab of concrete.
"I… well."
Isagi visibly deflated. His shoulders dropped slightly and he let out a short sigh. There was no point in dragging it out anymore—he was cornered. If he stalled too long, he risked provoking Makima… and he knew perfectly well that wouldn't end well.
So he decided to spill the truth.
"From the very first second I saw you…" he began. "I felt something off. I have a sixth sense that only activates around devils. You could call it a 'danger sensor'… or a 'devil sensor,' whatever you prefer." He shrugged, trying to make it sound casual, as if he hadn't just revealed something that could cost him his life.
The truth was… it wasn't entirely a lie.
It was a carefully modified version of the truth: an adaptation of Izuku's Danger Sense Quirk, received as a reward from the System. Makima didn't need to know he had a constant warning system for any nearby threat. Only enough to explain why he had known… and why he had been afraid.
Makima didn't speak immediately.
"Interesting," she repeated softly. "A sixth sense that activates only around devils?" Her smile was still there, but it wasn't as warm as before. It had lost that almost human nuance that made her seem harmless. "And do you know what devil I am?"
Isagi slowly shook his head.
"No," he answered with measured honesty. "And that's why I fear you in silence. Because if there's one thing we all fear… it's the unknown." He raised his eyes to look at her—not challenging her, but not lowering his head either. "Besides, if you work in Public Safety and hold such a high rank, it's because you're strong. Very strong."
Saying he knew exactly what devil Makima was would have been stupid. He had no credible source to back something like that up. The sixth sense was already a dangerous explanation, but still plausible.
Knowing her specific demonic identity… that would have crossed a line he couldn't justify.
"Do you want me to tell you?" Makima asked. She didn't wait for an answer. She had no issue clearing up Isagi's doubts… if he still had any left. "I am the Control Devil. Anyone inferior to me… I can subjugate."
Silence fell immediately. And to Makima's surprise, the revelation caused nothing in Isagi.
His expression remained stoic, unmoving, as if he had just heard an irrelevant fact. Technically, he already knew from the moment he arrived in that world. As a reincarnated person, he had access to far too much information to be shocked now.
Makima's eyebrows lifted slightly at his lack of reaction.
"And?" Isagi asked, completely naturally, like it was no big deal. "Is that it?"
He couldn't fake surprise. He was a terrible actor, and they both knew it.
"You don't seem surprised," Makima said, stepping two paces back, invading his personal space less.
Isagi, noticing the distance, relaxed almost immediately.
"Well..." he shrugged. "You said you can only control inferiors. But I'm the son of 'Chambeador' with 45 centímetros arm." He smiled smugly. "Obviously, there's no soy inferior to you."
He had fully recovered his carefree attitude, the one that bordered on insolence without becoming outright provocation.
"I don't know what 'chamba' means," Makima admitted, "but you're right about one thing." She watched him closely, measuring every micro-expression. "I can't control you. Whenever I try, my ability bounces back… or is rejected."
Makima fell silent after saying it. She waited for his reaction. She wanted to see if, by revealing that "weakness," Isagi would become more rebellious. If he would lose his fear.
It might have seemed counterproductive, but it was all part of her plan. After all, control wasn't always enforced with chains… sometimes it was enough to let the other person believe they were free.
Isagi's head snapped up when he heard that.
He looked around quickly, as if someone else might have said it. Then he brought a finger to his ear and cleaned it in an exaggerated way, checking if it was clogged or if he'd misheard.
"Wait… what did you just say?"
"I can't control you." Makima sighed softly before turning around and walking back toward the window. The sunset light outlined her silhouette as she spoke with her back to him. "Captain Kishibe… have you heard of him?"
Isagi shook his head instantly. Makima glanced at him from the corner of her eye and continued.
"He is the strongest and most experienced Devil Hunter in Public Safety. I can't control him either." She paused briefly. "You are the second person, after him, that I cannot influence at all."
Isagi listened to every word carefully, without interrupting. He nodded slowly, processing the information.
That… that changed everything.
Knowing he was one of the few humans unaffected by the Control Devil's domination power completely shattered the tension that had been building between them.
The atmosphere—at least for Isagi—suddenly became lighter. As if he had reached some kind of inner peace… almost divine enlightenment.
Makima raised an eyebrow as she noticed the shift. That relaxation. That sudden comfort. It was nowhere near the reaction she had expected.
(Hell yeah… it must be because of the Player's Mind. Mental control abilities don't work on me.) Isagi thought, letting out a small smile.
His greatest fear regarding Makima had always been that absolute power to dominate others. Erase memories. Seal them away. Manipulate wills. Use people as living weapons.
Now, knowing he was immune, his biggest concern began to fade.
And that… was something Makima definitely could not ignore.
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End of the chapter.