It was probably Makima who told her too, right?
Gotou opened her mouth, really wanting to explain that she wasn't the Chainsaw Devil.
But for her, even starting a conversation like that was incredibly difficult.
Akane didn't seem eager to press the issue either. She quickly shifted the topic."So, a-anyway… we've got a mission."
"Miss Makima said a devil showed up near the shopping district. We're supposed to take it out. She also said… it's a really easy one."
As she spoke, her expression twisted into a miserable frown.
It was clear she wasn't thrilled about hunting devils either same as Gotou.Just doing it because life gave them no choice.
"U-um, you're leading the way, right?" Gotou asked timidly.
"Yeah…"
Akane pursed her lips, turned, and started walking.
She might not have full-on social anxiety like Gotou, but she was definitely a shy girl too.
Putting these two together was a recipe for zero energy and maximum awkward silence.
As they walked, they passed a small neighborhood park, where a group of boys were kicking a soccer ball.
A bad feeling crept over Gotou.
She swore she could hear something slicing through the air. She turned her head just in time to see a soccer ball flying straight at her face.
Reflexively, she threw up her hands and braced for impact, eyes wide.
But, whoosh.
The ball suddenly paused midair, then dropped harmlessly to the ground at her feet.
Gotou blinked, stunned.
Wait… what just happened?
"Hey! You okay?" one of the boys called out as they jogged over.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" Gotou called back.
"Cool! Mind kicking the ball back for us?"
"U-uh…"
Gotou wasn't exactly experienced at this kind of thing.
But as always, she didn't know how to say no. So she tried. She clumsily kicked the ball only for it to veer off in a totally random direction.
"I-I-I gotta go!"
Not sticking around to see where it landed, she bolted down the street.
Eventually, she caught back up with Akane.
"Where'd you go?" Akane asked, sounding startled. "Did you find the devil?!"
"N-nope! Nothing happened!" Gotou shook her head in panic.
"Phew." Akane let out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that."
It was just a tiny detour, but finally the two of them arrived at the busy commercial district.
The streets were packed. Regular civilians bustled around, laughing, chatting, shopping completely unaware that a devil might be prowling nearby.
There was no sense of danger at all.
Way too many people.
This was exactly why Gotou hated coming to places like this.
Devils were scary, sure, but you didn't need to talk to them. You just had to kill them.
Dealing with people? That was so much worse.
"We're here," Akane said.
"Okay… s-so, now what?" Gotou asked in a tiny voice.
"Now we ask around. See if anyone's noticed anything strange. If we get a lead, we track the devil down."
She explained it calmly, but Gotou was already dying inside by the halfway point.
Thud.
She collapsed on the spot.
Akane's eyes went wide in panic.
What's going on?!Is she… is she about to transform?! Is the Chainsaw Devil about to go on a rampage?!
Both girls were terrified for completely different reasons and neither said a word.
"U-um… Akane-san," Gotou finally forced out.
"Y-yes?! What is it, Bocchi-chan?!"
"Can I… can I leave the asking to you?"
"…Huh?"
"I-I just really don't do well talking to strangers…"
"Ah. Ah, no problem."
Akane finally relaxed.
So she's not transforming. She's just cripplingly shy.
Wait a minute… is this really the Chainsaw Devil?
Wouldn't that make her more like… the Social Anxiety Devil?
Gotou let out a deep breath of relief. Crisis averted.
As long as she didn't have to talk to anyone, everything was okay.
Akane continued forward, stopping every now and then to talk to bystanders.
Of course, she didn't open with "Seen any devils around?"
Only an idiot would do that.
She stuck to asking if anything weird had happened lately, or if there was anything bothering them.
If someone didn't want to cooperate, no problem flash the Public Safety badge and they shut up real quick.
She had definitely figured out how to use authority to her advantage.
Eventually, she approached an elderly lady.When Akane asked her usual line about anything troubling her, the old woman scowled.
"Oh, I'll tell you what's been bothering me! Some young punks were incredibly rude to me just now. I'm a sixty-nine-year-old citizen, and they had no respect!"
"You said you're with Public Safety?" she added, eyeing the badge. "Then you people ought to deal with these street rats already! It's outrageous!"
"A-ah, um… where did they go?" Akane asked nervously.
"That alley over there." The woman pointed.
"Thank you for your cooperation~" Akane said with a strained smile, then turned toward the alley.
She wasn't actually interested in dealing with delinquents.
But maybe they'd seen something or knew something. It was worth checking.
Normally, Akane would be slacking off by now, hoping not to find anything.
But with Gotou right behind her, watching her like a supervisor, she didn't dare.
Of course, she had no idea Gotou was thinking the exact same thing.
They stepped into the alley, where a group of teens were squatting on the ground.
All of them looked up as the girls approached.
One of them a bleach-blond guy jumped up and shouted in shock.
"What the hell?! You two again?! Pink-haired freak and a high school cop?!"
Akane rolled her eyes. "I should be asking you. Are you the only delinquents in Tokyo or something?"
Tap, tap, tap!
The other boys reacted even faster. They jumped up and bolted.
"Our boss is Denji! You got a problem, take it up with him!"
They shouted as they ran off.
"Wait, you jerks just gonna leave me?!" the blond yelled. He scrambled to his feet. "Wait up!"
"Gah!" he choked as someone grabbed the back of his collar.
Akane had caught him.
Despite looking small and soft, she was surprisingly strong.
"Hold it," she said.
"I-I just remembered I got urgent stuff to do!" Denji yelped.
"It can wait."