"Careful!"
Arai shouted, lunging forward to shove Denji out of the way just as a car came hurtling through the cafe's glass, smashing exactly where Denji had been sitting.
"That... that looks like my car." Kobeni's eyes widened in horror as she pointed at the upside-down wreckage of her prized vehicle.
"Kobeni, get back!" Himeno roared, realizing the situation had turned dire; at a time like this, a car was the least of their worries.
Before anyone could react, a black Mercedes was hurled through the opening. Arata didn't dodge; his muscles surged instantly. He sprinted forward, caught the flying car in mid-air, and set it down steadily to the side.
"Throwing Kobeni's car is one thing, but you dare throw my car?" Arata shouted toward the street.
Standing outside the cafe was a man with the head of a tiger and a human body. He was heavily muscled, his mouth filled with fangs, draped in a tiger-skin coat. The mere sight of him made Kobeni's legs tremble uncontrollably. His clothes were identical to those of the masked man who had ordered coffee earlier.
"You're fast. You've got the shadow of a Leopard Devil in you."
"You noticed that already?" the Tiger Devil sneered. He unsheathed his blade-claws, ready to strike.
But before he could, a sturdy back blocked his path. It was a minotaur.
"Arata-senpai, leave this guy to me. I want the seniors to see what I'm made of."
Confident and standing tall, Arai—the man who was once considered dead weight—stepped up. Seeing Arai wanted to show off, Arata retracted his claws and stepped aside. "It's all yours. Show him the power of the Ox Warrior."
"Understood!!" Arai, now transformed by the Ox Devil, snorted two puffs of hot steam from his nostrils. Even Himeno was taken aback by his massive physique.
"Is this the devil Arai contracted?"
"Yes, Himeno-senpai. This is the Ox Devil."
Reze, on the other hand, was unfazed, looking completely calm.
"Looks like a fight is breaking out." The Angel Devil sipped his ice cream, acting like a completely disinterested passerby.
"Arai, don't be reckless. There's no need to play hero when we have the numbers." Only Aki Hayakawa remained rational, favoring a group beatdown over a duel. He drew his long sword, standing beside Arai.
"Aki-senpai, trust me," Arai said, desperate to prove himself. Ever since he was almost fired, he'd been looking for a chance to look cool in front of everyone and prove he wasn't a useless waste of space.
"Aki, let Arai have his moment. I'll step in if things go south," Arata said, leaning against the counter and sipping his coffee.
"Are you two done yet?" The Tiger Devil roared and threw yet another car into the cafe.
Arai leaped into the air with confidence, intercepted the flying car, and then used the vehicle itself as a weapon, hurling it back at the Tiger Devil.
BANG!!!
The car slammed into the ground, its front end folding like paper.
"A cow dares to challenge a tiger? You have a death wish!!" The Tiger Devil vanished, reappearing behind Arai, his massive jaws locking onto Arai's solid shoulder.
"MOOOO!!" Arai let out a pained bellow. The sound was so pathetic that Arata choked on his coffee, spraying it everywhere.
"Carrying the expectations of my seniors... I will not lose!" Arai seized the Tiger Devil's head and executed a perfect shoulder throw. He pinned the devil to the floor, his left hand gripping its throat while his right fist rained blows onto its face.
"Arai, you're doing great!" Himeno cheered. "Reze, bring me a beer!"
"We only have coffee, no beer."
"That's a mood killer."
"Aki, don't be so tense. It's rare for Arai to be this brave. I believe in him." Himeno comforted Aki, who was gripping his sword tightly.
"I hope so. I'm currently using the Future Devil to watch how this plays out. If the situation turns against Arai, I'm stepping in immediately." Thanks to the Future Devil, Aki could see a few seconds into the future. If things looked bad, he would cast aside all honor and strike without hesitation.
"MOOO!" Arai's bellow echoed through the street again, and every time he groaned, Arata wasted another cup of coffee.
The Tiger Devil's fangs dug deep into Arai's fist, leaving him twisting in agony, unable to break free.
"NO!!" Aki summoned the Fox Devil.
Krak! A giant fox head erupted from the ground. The Tiger Devil, sensing danger, let go and leaped backward.
"The meal was decent, but I didn't get to eat it." The Fox Devil, having made a dramatic entrance, vanished back into the earth.
"Aki-senpai!" Arai clutched his bleeding hand.
"Division 4 has no room for those who are brave but brainless. Don't go off on your own against a devil we can take together." Aki stood firmly on the same side as Arai now.
"If you're all coming together, then I won't hold back!" The Tiger Devil roared. "I sacrifice my right hand and my ass—give me all your power!"
His body surged in size, his fangs becoming sharper than ever.
"Hey, you just made me waste two cups of coffee." Arata appeared behind the Tiger Devil, his blade-claws piercing straight through its heart.
The Tiger Devil spat a mouthful of blood, but still managed to turn and swing a fist. Arata dodged with a quick side-step.
"So you did contract the Leopard Devil."
"You couldn't even die without exposing me, could you?"
"Who's dying? That remains to be seen!" The Tiger Devil clutched his heart. "I sacrifice my body and my life! Tiger Devil, devour him!"
A massive tiger maw lunged toward Arata.
"Arata, look out!" Aki's warning came a second too late.
The giant maw swallowed Arata's upper body whole. The Angel Devil, watching from inside the cafe, didn't even blink. Reze covered her mouth in shock. Arata, the man who had just cooked for her, had been killed in a heartbeat.
"Don't be sad. Everyone has to die eventually," someone tapped Reze on the shoulder.
"Arata-senpai is a good person; he shouldn't have to die." Reze turned, only to jump in fright. "You..."
"I'm still alive. I just changed my 'skin'." Arata felt the skin on his hands; it was much younger and smoother than before.
"Didn't you just die?"
"Don't worry, my Master can't die," Denji added.
Can't die? How strange. Reze's understanding of Arata deepened. Speed, immortality, brute strength, and bladed weaponry. If possible, she would choose to make her move when Arata wasn't around Denji.
"There are many strange things about me."
Arata walked over and shook Kobeni awake. She immediately crawled toward her beloved car.
"My... my car."
"It's a total loss, but as long as you don't sell it, you haven't lost money."
"I spent all my savings on it, and I've only had it for three days!" Kobeni wailed, complaining between sobs. She regretted driving it today.
"Don't cry, Kobeni. I'll reimburse you for your beloved car."
To a billionaire, buying a small car was hardly worth a blink of an eye.
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