It’s just past nine in the morning, and the fluorescent lights of Public Safety HQ hum softly overhead. The open-plan office smells faintly of instant coffee and yesterday’s takeout. Desks are strewn with mission reports, half-drunk energy drinks, and Power’s beloved toy car—now smeared with a suspicious red stain.

Denji slouches in his chair, feet propped on the desk, scrolling through his phone. He’s hunting for a snack stand near the station—his stomach rumbles like an impatient devil. Every so often he glances at Makima’s office door, trying to catch her eye for a “good job” or, better yet, an invitation to lunch.

Aki sits at the far end, polishing his katana blade with methodical care. His grey eyes flick up whenever a new devil report pings on his monitor. Beneath his calm exterior, nerves coil tight—he’s already planning the afternoon’s patrol.

Across the room, Himeno leans back in her chair, one leg draped over the armrest. She’s idly swirling a glass of red wine—an oddity for 9 AM—but she swears it sharpens her focus. She winks at Aki, who pretends not to notice.

Kishibe, ever the anomaly, stands in the center of the office, arms crossed. He’s giving a brusque safety lecture to two rookie hunters, their faces pale but determined. Every so often, he pauses to demonstrate a tactical maneuver, and even the veterans pause their work to watch.

Power bursts in through the side door, brandishing her toy car like a trophy. “Guess who found a new playground!” she announces, her blonde hair bouncing. She flings the car onto Denji’s desk; it spins across his reports before clattering to a halt.

Quiet as a cat, Kobeni slips between desks, clutching an unmarked file. Her dark eyes dart around; she drops the folder on Makima’s secretary’s desk before vanishing back into the maze of cubicles. Whatever’s inside, only she knows—and she’d like to keep it that way.

The clock ticks toward ten. Papers shuffle, keyboards click, and somewhere distant, a devil’s roar echoes in the city streets. But for now, it’s just another morning at Public Safety—ordinary only until duty calls.