Narrator POV.
Every punch made the hybrid's head snap back and shook his entire body. He tried to counterattack several times, but he barely managed to regain his balance before another fist slammed into his face.
With a single backhand strike, this one far stronger than the previous blows, Isagi sent Katana-Man flying several meters away. The impact was so brutal that the air itself seemed to explode around him.
The hybrid hit the ground and bounced several times before sliding across the concrete. He spat out a mouthful of blood while trying to get back to his feet, feeling every part of his body protesting from the damage. That last hit had undoubtedly been the one that hurt the most so far.
Akane took a step back after witnessing what had just happened. The way Isagi had beaten Katana-Man wasn't just brutal—it was humiliating. Not only had he overwhelmed him completely, but he had even found time to fix his hair while doing it.
"Snake, swallow him!" Akane shouted, thrusting her hand forward.
Another one of her fingernails vanished, torn away as part of the price of her contract, exposing the flesh beneath. Just looking at it seemed painful.
The Snake Devil appeared once again.
Its massive body materialized out of nowhere, its gigantic jaws opening wide as it lunged toward Isagi, intending to rip his head off in a single bite. The very air seemed to grow heavier with the sudden appearance of the monstrous creature.
"Huh? Why don't you eat the lower head instead?"
A faint grin appeared on Isagi's lips as he casually leaned backward and avoided the attack.
The demon's jaws snapped shut violently right in front of him, producing a deafening crack that would've torn an ordinary person in half.
But Isagi was already out of range. Cursed Energy covered his fist as he pulled it back and then launched it forward with explosive force, striking the underside of the Snake Devil directly.
"Black Flash!"
Isagi shouted with a grin that showed all his teeth, expecting the familiar eruption of black sparks.
But nothing happened. No black lightning. No spatial distortion. No dramatic effect.
Just raw force.
The punch landed squarely and launched the Snake Devil upward as if it had been hit by a speeding truck. The gigantic creature let out a roar of pain as its body was hurled several meters into the air.
Isagi stood completely still with a poker face.
Nothing.
This was the first time in a long while that Black Flash had failed him when he was actively trying to look cool.
"I'll pretend that didn't happen and that I didn't scream out a technique for absolutely no reason."
Isagi lowered his fist, betrayed by probability itself. Akane took several steps backward, her expression twisted with shock. That made two times now.
Twice Isagi had effortlessly avoided attacks from the Snake Devil, a creature that normally devoured its targets almost instantly thanks to the near-instantaneous speed at which it appeared whenever she summoned it.
It simply didn't make sense. Most people couldn't even react before being swallowed whole. Yet Isagi wasn't just reacting. He was dodging as if the attacks were slow and predictable.
"Hey, idiot, get up. We need to take Chainsaw's heart and get out of here."
Katana-Man, who was still recovering from Isagi's last punch, spat one final mouthful of blood onto the ground.
Hearing Akane's words, he let out an irritated growl and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"As if it were that easy." He finished standing up, his head still ringing from the barrage of punches. "He reacted to and stopped my Quick Draw technique." His irritation was obvious. "He's faster than me. And your damn devil can't do anything to him either."
Akane clenched her fists. This wasn't part of the original plan. She hadn't known Public Safety had another monster besides the strongest Devil Hunter, Kishibe.
She had been confident that Katana-Man and her contract with the Snake Devil would be enough to obtain Denji's heart and complete their mission.
But things were different now. Every second that passed, Isagi revealed something new and absurd. For the first time since the operation had begun, Akane felt the situation slipping out of control.
And that was a huge problem. Because Isagi's arrival had turned a difficult mission into something that seemed almost impossible.
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Location: Kyoto Train Station
Two Devil Hunters stood near the railway tracks. The first was a tall woman with black hair tied into a messy ponytail, with two long side bangs reaching her shoulders.
A horizontal scar crossed her face.
Michiko Tendo.
Beside her stood Yutaro Kurose, a man with short, slightly messy black hair who wore the standard Public Safety uniform.
Like Tendo, he also had a horizontal scar across his face. Both Devil Hunters were waiting for Makima's arrival. They weren't exactly eager to see her.
The red-haired woman always gave them a strange feeling that was difficult to describe. It wasn't exactly fear. But it wasn't comfort either.
It was something that kept them tense whenever she was nearby.
"Miss Tendo."
A Devil Hunter patrolling the station approached the two agents.
His demeanor was calm and professional, but he lowered his voice before speaking to ensure only they could hear him.
"We've received reports that all four Tokyo divisions have been attacked."
Kurose's eyebrows rose in surprise.
An attack on Public Safety?
That was new. They had never faced problems of that magnitude with any organization before, much less a coordinated attack against multiple divisions at the same time.
"Seriously? Does that mean Miss Makima is dead?"
"Then we wasted our time waiting for her here?"
Tendo and Kurose exchanged glances, clearly unsettled by the sudden news. Neither of them knew what to think. If the attack had been as severe as it sounded, the chances of survivors were low.
The sound of an approaching train interrupted their thoughts. Moments later, the train arrived at the station and came to a stop with a soft metallic screech.
The doors slowly opened. And then something strange happened. Passengers began rushing out of the cars. Some walked quickly. Others practically ran.
All of them wore nervous, shaken expressions, as if they were desperately trying to get away from something dangerous.
And, in fact, they were. Slow but steady footsteps echoed from inside one of the train cars.
The sound of shoes striking the floor resonated through the station as a figure advanced with complete calm.
Makima stepped out of the car. Her expression was as serious and unreadable as ever. There wasn't a single stain on her.
No blood. No signs of battle. She was perfectly clean. After all, Isagi had handled the yakuza. She hadn't needed to lift a finger. That image somehow made the atmosphere even heavier.
Because seeing Makima emerge completely unharmed from a situation where everyone assumed she had died was far more unsettling than seeing her injured.
"Tendo... Kurose. We were attacked with firearms. Have the dead recovered and the survivors evacuated. Lunch is canceled."
Makima spoke calmly, though the cold look in her eyes made both Devil Hunters wish they were somewhere else.
Even after revealing she'd been attacked, her voice remained so composed that it felt unsettling.
It was as if none of it had affected her in the slightest.
"Something similar happened in Tokyo." Kurose hesitated for a moment before continuing. Makima's gaze always made him nervous. "Are you alright? Are you the only Devil Hunter who survived the train attack?"
The question was reasonable. Makima had been traveling with several agents assigned as her bodyguards.
"No. Another one survived as well, but he returned to Tokyo to help." Makima answered as she stepped off the train with her usual calm.
The doors slid shut behind her with a soft metallic sound. Tendo and Kurose exchanged another glance. If someone had survived alongside Makima during an ambush of that scale, they had to be exceptionally capable.
As she walked across the platform, Makima recalled how Isagi had exited through the emergency hatch on the roof of the train car.
Without showing the slightest intention of staying behind, he had simply left riding a strange owl-like creature.
That was new. Again. Isagi had pulled another ability out of nowhere. Another skill. Another resource. Another surprise.
—(Could it have something to do with that new feeling he gave off after his day off? Honestly, he's full of surprises... but they're still manageable.) —. The thought crossed her mind. Her expression never changed as she analyzed the situation.
Even though Isagi had revealed yet another unknown ability, she still considered him someone she could control.
After all, he continued working for Public Safety. And, so far, his actions still operated within limits she could observe.
However... A small doubt began to emerge deep within her mind. Tiny. Almost insignificant. But it was there. Isagi had become far more unpredictable in a very short period of time.
Every time she thought she understood the extent of his abilities, something new appeared and disrupted her calculations.
Even so, Makima dismissed the thought almost immediately. She had no reason to worry. Not yet. After all, in her eyes... Everything was still under control.
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End of Chapter.