After struggling for a bit and realizing he couldn't break free, Denji finally gave up.
He turned around, face full of reluctance."So? What do you two want from me?"
He cast a glance at Gotou standing behind Akane, his eyes clearly unfriendly.
Gotou's face went pale. She didn't even dare to speak.
From Denji's perspective, it probably looked like Akane was picking a fight again and of course, it had to be because of that pink-haired girl behind her.
"Have you seen anything strange? Anything suspicious?" Akane asked.
Perhaps it was Denji's submissive posture, but her voice grew a bit firmer as she spoke.
"Huh? Why are you asking that?" Denji tilted his head with a lazy scowl. "Wait, you're Public Safety, right? Don't tell me there's some psycho killer loose around here or something?"
"If you want to think of it that way, I guess that's not entirely wrong."
"Whoa whoa, that's not funny. If that's true, then it's not safe for me to hang around! Let me go!"
"Not until you answer the question. Why would I let you go otherwise?"
"Ugh, let me think…" Denji scratched his head. "Nope, can't say I've noticed anything weird… so can I go now?"
"Are you just brushing us off?"
"I'm telling the truth! There's really nothing worth mentioning!"
Akane frowned slightly but eventually let go of his collar.
She didn't think Denji was lying.
The moment the pressure on his neck disappeared, Denji broke into a grin."Heheh, thanks, sis! I'll be on my."
"Wait. Before that, why don't you walk us through the alley real quick?" Akane interrupted.
"Why?!"
"Because we don't know this area. Every time we run into you, you're hanging around in some back alley. You probably know the layout better than anyone, right? Just a quick tour. It won't take long."
"N-no way. You just said this place was dangerous!"
"…"
Akane pressed her lips together, unsure what to say next.
"U-um…" Gotou chimed in softly from behind. "Denji-kun… you don't want to get detained, do you?"
"…Huh?" Denji blinked, then widened his eyes in alarm.
"Oh right," Akane said, suddenly catching on. "We're Public Safety. We have arrest authority."
"Hold on! You can't just arrest me without a reason!"
"That's easy," Akane said with an innocent blink. "We could say you're running an illegal group… or accuse you of petty theft or something."
"That's nonsense! I might be broke, living off scraps and charity, but I've always followed the law! I've never done anything shady like that!"
"Even so." Akane tilted her head. "Let's be real. Who would care whether some penniless drifter is guilty or not?"
Denji clenched his teeth, grinding them left and right, but he couldn't find a comeback.
"W-we're not trying to threaten you or anything," Akane finally softened her tone. "It's just that… we could really use your help. Otherwise it's hard for us to do our job."
"Alright already! Fine, fine, I'll help you losers out!" Denji shouted, fed up.
Akane let out a breath of relief. Talking this guy into anything wasn't easy.
Behind her, Gotou quietly admired her.
If it had been her, she definitely wouldn't have known how to deal with Denji.
Even though Akane was also just a high schooler, she was way better at talking to people.
Now that Denji had agreed to help, he didn't drag his feet.
He led them into the maze of alleys. The paths twisted and turned so much that without Denji, they'd probably be lost within minutes.
And sure enough, there wasn't much to see.
The alleys were dim, full of trash bins and piles of garbage.
Now and then, Denji would comment helpfully, like,"That bin's got the best leftovers if you dig deep enough."
Akane was starting to think they probably wouldn't find anything today.
Which was fine with her. They'd technically done a proper search, so she could report back to Miss Makima without getting chewed out and they hadn't run into any real danger.
Honestly? Perfect.
She was just thinking that when Denji suddenly said,"Huh? Why's there someone here?"
Snapped out of her daydream, Akane and Gotou looked up and saw a small figure wandering in the shadows.
It was a tiny girl, probably around seven or eight years old.
"P-please… help me…" the girl whimpered.
"Eep!" Akane froze on the spot, unable to move or get closer.
Gotou also felt the air shift, like something was wrong. She immediately shrank behind Akane and peeked out timidly.
Denji, as usual, had no such concerns. He walked right up.
"Hey, kiddo. What's up?"
"I… I got lost. I can't find my mommy." The girl looked like she'd just been crying her cheeks still streaked with tears. "Can you help me, mister?"
"Heh, no wonder you got lost. Even I get turned around in these alleys sometimes." Denji patted her head with a grin. "Don't worry. I'll help you find your mom in no time!"
The kindness radiating off Denji in that moment was undeniable.
Sure, he was rough around the edges, talked like a punk, and definitely didn't seem educated, but you couldn't judge someone's heart by their appearance.
"You're a good person, mister," the girl said with a smile.
"S-so she's just a lost kid, right?" Akane muttered to herself, still tense. "Nothing dangerous. That's… that's a relief…"
But before she could relax, Gotou suddenly spoke up from behind her.
"Denji-kun… um, maybe… maybe you should keep some distance."
"Huh?" Denji turned to look at her. "She's just a poor little thing. What, you Public Safety people won't even help a kid?"
"No, that's not it. I just… I don't know, she gives me a really bad feeling…"
Gotou couldn't explain why.
She didn't know what exactly she was sensing just that her instincts were screaming.
That girl was wrong.
"W-what?!" Akane's fear shot through the roof.
Bocchi-chan, the legendary Chainsaw Devil, thought the girl was dangerous?
Could it be… she's sensing another devil?
Could that little girl actually be a devil in disguise?
Denji burst out laughing.
"Dangerous? You're kidding, right? This tiny little thing? What's she gonna do, strangle me with her pinky?"
"I've been standing right here and nothing's happeni...urkghghgh!!!"
Before he could finish his sentence, the little girl suddenly stood on her toes and wrapped her small hands tightly around Denji's neck.
His face contorted in pain as he gasped, unable to breathe.