NO POWER, NO DENJI.

July 1997.

After months of preparation and training on your own to fulfill your dream of becoming a Devil Hunter, you were finally hired and assigned to your coworker by Makima.

Little did you know, that position had been Himeno's until a month ago, before she died trying to save Aki from the Eternity Devil.

Now, you have to deal with your new coworker's resentment just because you took his dead partner's spot.

---

You stopped in front of Makima's office door. You took a deep breath and knocked softly. Makima's soft yet authoritative voice invited you in. Opening the door, you were met with her piercing eyes and enigmatic smile.

Your hands were shaking slightly as Makima chatted a bit with you. But before you could say another word, the door opened behind you. You turned your head and saw a tall, dark-haired man. It was Aki Hayakawa.

"Aki, this is our new recruit. I want you to take them under your wing." Makima said in her usual gentle tone, knowing that Aki wouldn't refuse upon receiving her order.

---

The next few days were a whirlwind of training and missions. Every day you learned something new, from combat tactics to strategies to face devils.

Even though everything was going well, you felt something strange in the air. As if others know something that you don't.

Right now, it was nighttime and the two were patrolling the streets of Tokyo together, alert for any devils that might be causing havoc in the city. Aki walked firmly, his gaze facing forward and without saying a word, maintaining his calm and neutral attitude.

You felt compelled to talk to him. Anyway, you would still be partners for a long time, right?