Reze is a weaponized human.
A 'human' with a bomb's heart.
It's neither the "demon" itself, nor a "demon" whose corpse has been taken over by a demon.
A warrior created by the Soviet Union to serve the state. She transforms into Bomb Girl only when she is on a mission by pulling a pin inserted in the side of her neck. From a young age, she was locked in a secret room and given special training, making her a female version of James Bond, capable of anything from sabotage and assassination to espionage.
He once fought Denji.
They approached him, attempted to seduce him, and resorted to force in order to obtain the heart of his chainsaw, but still failed to accomplish their goal.
We're screwed.
He was supposed to be the most talented agent.
Why is that?
Is it because I was charmed?
According to the person in question, that expression is not accurate.
Reze believed she had no value as a person.
He may be a top-notch agent. But all he can do is destroy and kill, and he has hardly ever done anything productive like creating, nurturing, or passing on anything.
My life was shallow.
I thought that if I exposed my own shortcomings, the hasty feelings of love I had planted in Denji would dissipate.
However, even then, Denji said this:
They say it's all a lie.
You really did teach me how to swim, right?
Good intentions.
Kind.
Something like a heart --
It taught me that having something so human-like is what gives it value.
It's okay to live with your head held high.
Therefore, Reze thought that she could only remain human while she was by his side.
This story is...
This is a record of a few days in which those who do not know the meaning of life race through the darkness in an attempt to prove their existence, only to disappear without leaving anything behind.
Set Reze's heart ablaze
Whether it's a movie or a manga, stories about students almost always turn out to be love stories.
A spring of encounters, with cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind. A love story begins, filled with giddy hope.
A love story unfolds under the sweltering sun and towering cumulonimbus clouds, as it races across the blue sky.
A love story about longing for companionship in the autumn breeze, and heartache caused by the gaze of one's beloved.
A love story about two people walking side by side, leaning close together, their feelings conveyed through their white breaths.
Denji thought it had nothing to do with him.
My first time at school. High school life.
Everyday life wasn't as dramatic as a movie, nor was it colored with romantic love like a manga. Reality is, after all, just reality... The so-called golden age that had been touted turned out to be nothing more than a dull, stagnant fiction when you looked at it up close.
It's not shiny, and it's not pretty.
So I just slump over my desk, complaining with my single classmates about whether there's anything interesting going on, and drift along day after day in a gloomy, rudderless boat.
That's what I thought.
But.
The rainbow-like shimmer came unexpectedly.
The usual classroom.
In the classroom, where you can smell the dust and feel the dampness clinging to your skin as you breathe, white chalk taps against the wall.
Her graceful fingers were inscribing names onto the blackboard.
"--Reze"
A name Denji is very familiar with.
A transfer student.
That person I've been curious about has arrived.
She flipped the hem of her uniform with a light tug, suppressing her embarrassment and grinning.
"My name is Reze, and I've transferred here from the North. I hope to have a fun high school life with everyone!"
Her clear eyes wandered, then found Denji, and crumpled. You could see the dazzling light spilling out.
Denji thinks.
Up until now, all I wanted was a girlfriend.
That was all my high school life was like.
"By the way, I'm Denji's girlfriend. Nice to meet you!"
Things will be different from now on—with that conviction, Denji stands up.
His classmates were stunned, but he didn't care. He kicked his chair, raised a double peace sign, and jumped up.
"Yay!! We won!!"
Youth has arrived.
The golden age has arrived.
Deep down, the dreamers who had narrowly escaped death were now striking triumphant poses.
I can't contain my joy.
In the middle of her colorful vision, Reze turned around to face the teacher, still smiling.
"Um, I don't have my textbooks yet, so would it be okay if we looked at them together?"
No sooner had she said it than she stepped forward with graceful steps and came to the back of the classroom.
She plopped her small bottom into the seat next to Denji, rattling the desk as she pressed it tightly against his.
"n/a"
She leaned her neck closer, revealing her white teeth from her luscious lips.
"It's finally here. Daytime school."
A sweet sigh gently reaches my nostrils.
He whispered, sounding embarrassed.
"Shall we go exploring together later?"
If someone said that to me, I'd have no choice but to become completely weak and helpless.
"I will..."
@
Time rewinds by one full day.
At the Devil Hunter Tokyo Headquarters, a dimly lit conference room shrouded in purple smoke was packed with men who looked like gorillas.
Punch perms, beards, sunglasses. Half of them have impressive scars, like badges of honor. Even organized crime officers should be a little more endearing than that.
The burly security officers sat around a U-shaped table, cigarettes in their mouths and documents in their hands. They all directed solemn gazes towards the girl standing in the center of the room. These men, who should have been accustomed to rough situations, were wary because the girl's background was extremely dangerous.
"nice to meet you!"
A cheerful voice echoes.
Reze, a former agent raised in the Soviet Union, bowed respectfully.
"Looking forward to working with you today!"
Stand with your heels together, straighten your back, and clasp your hands behind your back to emphasize your slender silhouette.
It was a refreshing contrast to the stifling, masculine smell of the conference room.
Her genuine affection was so sincere that any innocent virgin might fall head over heels for her at first sight. Her overflowing, adolescent smile was perhaps not entirely appropriate for a typical interview, but it was her way of showing that she could even put on such an act in front of a row of gorillas.
Even those gorillas in public security know that much.
"Hmm... So you're Reze-kun."
The interviewers begin their discussion.
"So, you're planning to assign her to the Anti-Demon Special Division 6?"
"Yes. He was originally a Soviet agent... The details are written in the document you have before you."
"You're so young. You're still a minor, aren't you?"
"I hear he caused quite a ruckus. But that's precisely what proves his abilities..."
"Is this really okay? We also fly the Imperial Chrysanthemum crest on our banner, you know. No matter how capable he is, using a former terrorist is..."
One of the gorillas visibly grimaced and slammed his cigarette into the ashtray.
He seems to want to say he has a complaint, but he can't say it out loud.
The man responsible for the incident was sitting calmly in the middle of the conference room with his legs crossed.
A seasoned veteran and the strongest devil hunter in public security. His name is Kishibe.
"I will take full responsibility."
At that voice, the menacing faces of the yakuza look-alikes deepened in frowns.
When someone states something so confidently, it's difficult to pursue the matter further. All you can do is frown bitterly.
Amongst those public security officials, the only one who could openly voice dissenting opinions was a skinny, bespectacled man of roughly the same generation as Kishibe.
"Kishibe-san"
As he exhaled cigarette smoke slowly, the bespectacled man, who looked like an intellectual yakuza, coldly declared:
"Even for someone like you, this is probably not tasty."
"What do you mean?"
"His background and career history are just too incredible."
"This person will have a new family register created. They will become a different person. There's no problem."
"That can't be true. He went on a rampage through the city, didn't he? He completely wiped out the Anti-Demon Division 2."
"She was just doing her job. She doesn't have any dangerous ideologies... Or is it a matter of emotion?"
"This is a matter of professional ethics."
"Okay, okay, okay"
A slightly overweight man wipes the sweat from his brow.
"So, what kind of background information will be recorded in the new family register? Like, your name?"
The young girl cheerfully introduced herself.
"I'm Hanako Kishibe!"
"..."
"..."
The intellectual yakuza's grim expression deepened.
"What did you say?"
"I'm Kishibe Hanako!"
Everyone couldn't believe their ears. They looked at each other, trying to figure out the true meaning of what was said.
"Hanako?"
"Kishibe, Hanako?"
"That's different from the document!"
Kishibe explained with withered eyes.
"I said I'd take responsibility, so I'm going to consider him my adopted son."
"No, not the last name, Mr. Kishibe. I mean the first name. There's no way it's Hanako."
"Why?"
"Isn't that obviously a fake name?"
"Really?"
Reze cleared her throat. "So, I have a suggestion!" she said, raising her hand cheerfully.
"How about Minami Kishibe!"
"Minami?"
"Kishibe Minami?"
"Why Minami?"
"Ah, I have experience learning about popular trends in order to have something in common with Japanese people. Minami is the name of the heroine in a famous drama!"
"Oh, what did you say? The heroine of a drama?"
"It's the one that goes, 'I'm Minami, from Haruo Minami!' Do you get it?"
"Huh?"
"What's that?"
"Hey, does anyone know anything?"
"Oh, uh...? Could that possibly mean..."
All eyes turned to one gorilla who clapped his hands together.
"A long vacation?"
Reze nodded emphatically, as if to say, "That's exactly what I wanted."
"That's right!"
"Why that name?"
"Being able to introduce yourself like this is an advantage. For example, you can use a conversation template starting with, 'Hey, have you heard of Long Vacation?' It makes it easier to connect with your target audience."
"Huh?"
"I see."
"No, no, no, you don't have to do any espionage, okay?"
"Oh, really?"
"Don't you have any attachment to your original name? ...Um, was it Reze? It's fine as it is."
"Okay then, I'll go with Kishibe Reze."
"...Um, may I proceed?"
The slightly overweight man wiped his forehead.
"So, what exactly can you do?"
Reze straightened her posture and began counting her special skills on her fingers.
"I think I can do pretty much anything. Fighting demons, capturing them, infiltration, assassination, interrogation..."
"Hey, I don't want you carrying out assassinations in Japan."
"Yes, I'll be careful! ...Well, this is just a way of promoting myself, and I believe I understand the common sense of Japanese public security. Of course, I am also well aware that extreme behavior is not tolerated. I, Kishibe Reze, would like to receive guidance and encouragement from my seniors in Japan, without being bound by my past record!"
"law"
"Well, I guess that's fine."
"You speak Japanese very well, don't you?"
"Hmm. I hear you were originally a Soviet agent, but why did you decide to work in Japan?"
"Well, while working as an operative, I suddenly started wanting to have a respectable job. From now on, I want to do work that people will be grateful for."
"Oh, really?"
"Is it based on trust?"
"I guess Makima's influence isn't lingering."
"That's not true, as has been proven by those who were under other control."
"Oh, that's right. But still..."
"I understand that you all may have concerns!"
Reze raised her voice forcefully.
"However, I intend to prove my innocence through my actions from now on!"
The skinny man with glasses had his eyebrows twitch.
Kishibe glanced over, then deliberately crossed his legs and said, "Well, I guess so," to attract attention.
"I'll be in charge of managing this guy."
The man with glasses sighed in annoyance.
He shook the cigarette pack up and down, then put one in his mouth. He had the gorilla next to him light it.
"...That's not the point. There's no precedent for something like this. First of all, have you really severed ties with the Soviet Union?"
"So how many other public security officers are there who can be used?"
The remark, which could easily be interpreted as an insult to all of the Public Security Devil Hunters, caused silence to fall over the room.
Kishibe's expression remained completely unchanged. As if to say that facts are facts, he calmly surveyed the burly staff members.
"Get rid of your misplaced pride. We're already short on veteran Public Safety officers because of the recent Makima incident. Public Safety doesn't have the luxury of leisurely waiting for these rookies to grow up."
"So, are you saying we should hire foreign agents? We're not a private company, you know?"
The man with glasses glanced briefly at his subordinate.
"Well, um, currently there is a nationwide shortage of devil hunters..."
He snorted, making no attempt to hide his displeasure, and exhaled a puff of purple smoke.
"...Kishibe-san, I warned you, didn't I? We're busy too, so please don't expect any help."
"ah"
The two slowly leaned back against the chairs.
Kishibe, and a skinny man with glasses.
Those with influence fell silent. As silence descended, the portly man who was moderating anxiously glanced around.
"Well then, Kishibe Reze, starting tomorrow, you will be responsible for monitoring Hayakawa Nayuta and Hayakawa Denji. The important points are summarized in the document, so be sure to read through it."
"Yes! Understood!"
Reze plastered a smile on her face that was as bright as a blooming flower.
"Kishibe Reze! I'll do my best with all my heart!"
@
And time fast-forwards back to the present.
Reze transferred to the high school Denji attends.
They flaunted to everyone around them their closeness, much like a couple in Europe or America.
We returned to the Hayakawa house, chatting and laughing as we bought snacks along the way.
I was greeted by icy eyes.
"And then?"
At the entrance to the temporary Hayakawa family's apartment building.
The one who appeared with the look of a vengeful spirit was Hayakawa Nayuta.
"Why did you bring him to my house?"
Put your heart and soul into every single phrase.
Such a vile human cannot be allowed to live—a genuine murderous intent, worthy of the name "devil," rose within him, freezing Denji's relaxed face in a second as he opened the front door.
"Oh no!" I thought, breaking out in a cold sweat, but it was already too late.
Nayuta Hayakawa, a girl who is legally Denji Hayakawa's sister, stands before her stepbrother with seven large dogs at her feet, her eyes devoid of emotion.
Her eyes are as hard as glass, and she cannot perceive temperature.
Hayakawa Nayuta.
Their species is demon. Not a metaphor, but a real demon.
The next generation of 'Control Devils' after Makima.
His ability is 'Domination'.
She's exactly like Makima used to be.
It can completely dominate lower animals or those it considers inferior.
It was an extremely wicked ability, and at one point there was a possibility that he could have become the worst kind of devil, like Makima, who would have dominated those around him without hesitation.
However, Denji stopped him.
A being who could only build relationships with others through dominance has now come to accept Denji as a perfectly equal, neither looking down on him nor looking up to him.
—That is the Public Security Bureau's view of Hayakawa Nayuta up to the present day.
Nayuta is a demon, and Denji is a human.
Their relationship is like that of siblings, or perhaps like that of lovers deeply in love.
Reze narrowed her eyes meaningfully as she recalled the information she had found in those public security documents.
"Hmm..."
The slightest change in the girl's demeanor went unnoticed by anyone in the room.
(Hayakawa Nayuta, right?)
Reze's job was to monitor and manage her.
"To raise them so they can coexist with humans"
The slogan put forward by the Public Security Bureau was closer to idealism. It was more difficult than "killing" or "capturing." Moreover, she had to be protected from assassins from foreign countries who were targeting her.
There are very few people in Japan with the ability to accomplish that. That's precisely why the task fell to Reze.
The fact that they now have to use weaponized humans who were once assassins sent by the Soviet Union made Reze think that the rumors about Japan's Public Security Bureau being short-staffed might be more serious than she thought.
(Well, at least it's better than going back to my homeland.)
I glanced at Denji.
He is making excuses to the little devil with a bitter expression on his face.
Are they family, or lovers? It wasn't clear, but Reze thought that they were definitely on good terms. In a normal relationship, they wouldn't fight in front of someone like Reze.
"I wonder if Denji...wants to be killed."
It was a rather dangerous statement to call it a fight, though.
Looking back, it was the same just the other day.
When they first reunited, Denji was grinning from ear to ear, which made her visibly angry.
(Oh, I see. So Denji has angered Nayuta twice.)Same causeI
The girl's tone of voice, which sounded extremely ill-tempered, was understandable.
"You've got some nerve..."
At the feet of the little devil, the dogs were growling with their legs spread wide. Needless to say, their intimidation was directed at the two scoundrels.
Denji and Reze.
But the former Soviet agent remained completely unfazed.
"Huh? Why are you suddenly angry?"
I even know how to butcher military dogs.
He popped his head out from behind Denji's shoulder, covering his mouth and letting out a chuckle.
"Ahaha, I get it! You're afraid of losing your big brother, aren't you!"
"..."
"It's okay, okay? Big sister isn't a bad person."
Hayakawa Nayuta remained silent.
He stares at Reze with an android-like face.
Nayuta. The Demon of Domination.
She is a successor to Makima, who killed Reze in the past, and is also a woman who is occupying "the place where Reze might have originally been."
There was a certain degree of animosity between the two women.
"Hello, customer? Can you hear me?"
"..."
Nayuta remained expressionless.
Reze gave a forced smile.
The dogs all flattened their ears, tucked their tails, and backed away from the invisible hostility that was clashing within them.
"...Perfect timing. I was thinking I wanted to talk to you about it."
Nayuta was the one to start it.
"Go up"
"Hey hey"
The two women stepped onto the wooden-floored corridor, outwardly speaking indifferently. They proceeded to the back room with quiet steps, but they made no attempt to hide the look of obsession that was visible on their backs.
Denji muttered as if it were someone else's problem.
"...That's scary."