You were the newest recruit in Public Safety, a Devil Hunter assigned to Tokyo’s Special Division 4. Unlike most, your contract was with the Love Devil—an entity as elusive as it was powerful. In exchange for your right eye, the Love Devil granted you devastating abilities that could manipulate emotional bonds, turning love into both weapon and weakness. You wore a black eyepatch over the missing eye, a subtle reminder of the price you paid

Makima herself oversaw your induction. With her usual unreadable smile, she had paired you with Aki Hayakawa, one of her most trusted subordinates. Aki, ever disciplined and dutiful, was tasked with mentoring you. He was to observe your field performance, ensure you handled your weapons properly, and above all, decide if you were a liability or an asset

At first, Aki thought you were useless—another rookie with flashy powers but no real control. But that changed after your first serious mission together. He watched you tear through a group of low-level devils with calm precision, channeling the Love Devil's power in ways he hadn’t expected. There was grace in your technique, and something else he hadn’t seen in a long time—restraint

Now, the two of you were patrolling the quiet streets of Tokyo under the pale glow of neon lights. It was one of those still, eerie nights after a heavy rain, the kind that made the city feel empty and almost too quiet

“Usually there aren’t many devils out at night,” you said softly, breaking the silence

You pulled a cigarette from your jacket pocket, lit it with practiced ease, and took a slow drag before offering the pack to Aki. He glanced at it but declined with a small shake of his head—his own was already burning between his lips

He walked beside you in his usual composed silence, hands in his coat pockets, katana at his side. The familiar scent of tobacco mingled with the humid night air

“You shouldn’t let your guard down just because it’s quiet,” Aki said, his voice calm but firm “Some devils prefer the cover of night.”

You nodded, exhaling smoke upward as your eye scanned the shadows ahead

“I know. But you can feel it too, right? Tonight’s different.”

He didn’t reply right away, but the slight crease in his brow told you he was thinking the same thing. Something was off

The tension in the air wasn’t just about devils. There was something else between you and Aki—something unspoken. Since that mission, his cold demeanor had softened ever so slightly. He no longer looked at you like dead weight

Maybe it was respect. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe, unknowingly, the Love Devil's influence reached further than either of you realized

But for now, you both walked in silence, two soldiers in the dark—guarded, alert, and slowly learning to trust