"Kobeni, how are you feeling?"
Himeno, fresh out of the bath and smelling of soap, wore a mask as she stepped into the infirmary to check on Kobeni.
"I feel much better, but why do my clothes smell so foul?"
"We rode in a pig transport truck on the way back, so everything's reeking."
The door pushed open, and Arai and Power walked in. Power didn't care a bit about Kobeni's condition; she was just looking for a bit of mischief.
"Kobeni, the Great Me told you to lend me your car for a few days, but you wouldn't listen. Now look, no car for you!"
At the mention of the car, Kobeni's lip twitched. She had just wanted to get it repaired, but the malfunction sent her hurtling down a mountain road, nearly costing her her life.
"Power, stop picking on Kobeni; she's already had it rough enough," Arai said, stepping in to defend her. He turned to Kobeni, offering comfort. "Kobeni, I've already told Makima. She'll have someone tow the car back, and Arata said he'd reimburse you for the repairs."
"I didn't realize Arata was so wealthy. Power, do you know how he makes his money?" Himeno asked.
"Arata's money is all stuff the Great Me helped him scavenge! As a reward, he bought me ten new breast pads and a pile of useless clothes."
"Scavenged?" Himeno was puzzled. Even scavenging wouldn't make someone rich overnight. He had booked a cafe for a month, paid triple the fare for a taxi, and offered to cover the repair costs—expenses easily totaling over a million Yen.
"How much money did you help him scavenge?"
"The Great Me doesn't know how to count money! And don't you dare tell Arata that I told you he scavenges money, or I won't be polite to you lot!"
"Uh..."
"Right, Himeno-senpai, how did you find me?" Kobeni asked.
"It was all thanks to Arata's analysis. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have found you even if we spent all day searching."
"Himeno-senpai." Denji pushed open the door. "My Master says he's treating everyone to a soak tonight. You coming?"
"Of course! Wherever Arata goes, the Great Me goes," Power shouted first.
"Arata is treating? Well, then I'm definitely in. But is Aki coming?"
"He doesn't have anything else to do, so Aki said he'd be there."
"That's fantastic." Himeno clasped her hands. They had been colleagues for years but had never gone to a bathhouse together; she wasn't about to miss the chance.
"Kobeni, can you move?"
"I smell so bad, I think I'll stay here."
"Then I'll stay behind to look after Kobeni," Arai volunteered, sitting by her bed.
"Alright, then I'll leave her to you, Arai."
The group left the infirmary. Arata had already arrived at Makima's office, where she was sitting at her desk, reviewing files.
"Makima-san, let's go to the bathhouse."
"Where? Your place or a hot spring?"
"Your bathroom probably isn't designed for group bathing, so let's head to a hot spring resort. We can hit the sauna too."
"Is anyone else coming?"
"Of course. Unless Makima-san has other ideas?"
"Arata-kun, you arrange it. I'm fine with wherever." Makima said, her face expressionless. Any other woman would have been blushing at this point.
"Makima is agreeing pretty quickly this time. We'll be waiting outside for you." Arata left the office.
The group gathered at the entrance of Public Safety HQ. Since they only had one car and no one wanted to sit in the trunk, Himeno, Makima, and Power piled into the back, with Arata in the driver's seat and Aki holding Denji in the passenger seat.
"Arata, which resort are we going to?"
"Fujimoto Tree Resort. I hear it's the gold standard for bathing in Tokyo, and they allow Public Safety personnel with credentials to enter."
"But the tickets are extremely expensive," Himeno noted.
"Don't worry, Himeno-senpai. Anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem."
Arata put his feet up on the dashboard and started the car. It took about fifteen minutes to reach the resort. After checking in and getting their tags, the men and women separated into their respective locker rooms.
Power initially wanted to go with Arata, but she was turned away by the staff at the door and had to follow Makima into the women's bath. As the three soaked in the warm water, Power's eyes kept darting around, making comparisons.
"Power, yours seem about the same size as Kobeni's."
"Don't joke around! The Great Me is way bigger! She's just too scared to compare because she knows I'd win!" Power threw a punch into the water, shouting defensively. It was clear how much she cared about her size.
The girls were busy comparing notes, and naturally, the men were no different, though they were significantly more restrained. They didn't speak; they communicated entirely through glances.
"Stop staring at me!" Denji growled. Aki, meanwhile, leaned against the tub, utterly relaxed.
"Denji, why are you wearing a towel in the bath?"
"Because the Master's eyes are looking at me funny."
"You're overthinking it. Your Master is not into that."
"By the way, how many devil corpses have you absorbed in total?" Aki whispered, leaning over.
"As many as you've seen me fight, you can count them yourself."
Aki recalled the past battles—the Zombie Devil, the Fly Devil, the Mosquito Devil, the Tiger Devil, the Bat Devil, the Mouse Devil... Seeing the sheer scale of the list, Aki was reaffirmed in his assessment of Arata's power. In his eyes, Arata was already a 50/50 match for Makima. If he kept absorbing corpses, Arata's power would surely eclipse hers.
After a while, they donned loose loungewear and wandered into the public areas. Arata headed to the sauna. A moment later, Makima followed him in.
"Arata, come with me somewhere?"
"Makima-san, this is a public place. Let's be mindful of our image."
"Don't worry, no one will enter that room. And I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Seeing Makima so proactive, Arata felt a sudden urge to "train his dog." The two walked through the public area to a secluded room. Two men stood outside the door like statues.
"You controlled them?"
"Indeed. I have them guarding the door so no one interrupts us."
"It seems Makima-san has developed an addiction; you're starting to initiate things yourself."
Makima didn't answer, walking straight into the empty room. Once Arata followed, the men outside shut the door. Makima turned, pointing her finger at Arata like a gun.
"Let's begin. I've already developed a new way to train my dog."
"Is that so? I'd like to see it."
Bang!
Makima controlled her strength perfectly. One shot blasted Arata's legs to shreds. Two more followed, obliterating his arms. It looked fatal, yet every shot carefully avoided his vital organs.
"Come in."
Following Makima's command, four doctors in white coats entered immediately. They quickly set to work, wrapping Arata's wounds with bandages and stanching the bleeding.
"Makima-san, what is the meaning of this?"
Makima, who had been stoic until now, finally broke into a smile. "Arata, I've found your weakness. As long as I keep you crippled without killing you, you'll be nothing but a harmless waste of space that can no longer threaten me."
[Patreon Just got updated dropped chapters till 150 there]
Want to read more??
Checkout my patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/AfrikaanPolarBear Here you can read 50 chapters ahead everyone and also support this fic. Consider subscribing as it'll motivate me and also help this fic.
: )
Thanks you!!!