at the Kyoto branch building of Public Safety Devil Hunters… A bright flash illuminated the entrance as Kang Woo's Gatom spell released its travelers. The group stepped out of the dissipating green glow, looking around at the fortress-like facility.
Power threw her hands on her hips, grinning. "Look at that, Denji! I can make people move instantly too!"
Denji blinked, rubbing his stomach. "I thought I might puke…"
Aki exhaled slowly, then turned to Kang Woo with a serious expression. "Before we proceed… let me apologize for my earlier behavior—when I threatened you two days ago. And… I want to thank you for altering my contract with the Fox Devil."
Himeno gave Aki a sideways shove with her elbow. "You're way too formal with this, Aki!"
Then she grinned and turned her attention to Kang Woo. "Kang Woo, come on—join Public Safety. I'll be your best senpai. I swear I'll show you the ropes!"
Kang Woo tilted his head slightly, glancing between Himeno and Kishibe. "What's going on?" "I rarely act out enough to get on people's radar… Himeno being this friendly must mean I did something, right?"
Kishibe cigarette glowed as he took a drag, then exhaled smoke into the crisp Kyoto air. "That 'rarely,' huh… although when you do act, it's the kind of thing nobody forgets. Like… I dunno—punching Homelander so hard the strongest superhero in the world puked on a Tokyo streets . … that'll make sure people remember the day the so-called invincible hero got brought to his knees."Not exactly flying under the radar anymore, kid."
Kang Woo crossed his arms, expression flat. "That's impossible. My payment charges alone would bankrupt this entire country. Anyway… on to business. Do you still have a method to summon the Hell Devil?"
Kishibe took a slow drag from his cigarette, his eyes narrowing. "I do have that method. But it'd cost me a lot of favors I've built up over the years—and even the favors you've got with me wouldn't be enough to balance it out. Summoning the Hell Devil usually requires lives… at least six people."
Kang Woo nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Take-and-give relationship, huh."
Kishibe exhaled smoke and said bluntly, "One of my demands is this: Kang Woo joins the Public Safety Devil Hunters."
A faint smile tugged at Kang Woo's lips. "…Did you just blackmail me, Kishibe?"
Kishibe shrugged, his voice gruff. "I hate losing my students all the damn time. If I've got something to leverage… I'm damn well gonna use it."
Himeno's eyes sparkled with mischief as she grabbed Aki's arm, bouncing on her toes. "Aki, look! Kang Woo's gonna join our suffering! Yaaayyy!"
Aki scowled, trying to shake her off. "Himeno-senpai, can you stop shaking me?! And…—" He shot Kang Woo a half-serious, half-resigned look. "Welcome to Public Safety ."
Kang Woo tilted his head slightly, eyes cool. "Two times. I'll help with any threat twice. And I'll make sure everyone comes out intact."
Kishibe narrowed his eyes, exhaling smoke. "Ten times. You'll help us ten times when shit hits the fan—and then I'll agree to the deal."
Kang Woo let out a small, amused huff, a smirk curling his lips. "I'll say three times. You're not the only one who knows how to summon the Hell Devil. I could just fly there myself."
Kishibe shot him a dry look. "Not all people can summon the Hell Devil. very few can. It takes special arrangements. What I've got… it's supposed to be reserved for enemies that threaten the entire nation. If I use it, I won't be able to summon anything like that for a long time."
Kang Woo sighed and shook his head, smiling. ". Fuck , Five times. That's all I can give you."
Kishibe nodded firmly. "Five times, then."
Without another word, Kang Woo spat into his hand. Kishibe did the same., they clasped hands and shook firmly, the deal struck.
Kishibe exhaled, wiping his hand on his coat. "what devils do you need before we even get to the Hell Devil?"
Kang Woo didn't hesitate."Angel Devil. Spider Devil. Future Devil."
Himeno choked on her own breath, eyes wide. "That many?! Most people manage one—maybe two if they're pushing their luck. But you want four ?"
Aki gave a small sigh, looking resigned. "Himeno-senpai, it's best to just ignore it. Kang Woo's an alien anyway. Maybe he's got some loophole we don't know about."
Power, puffing out her chest, jabbed a thumb at herself. "Like me, right, Denji?"
Then she smacked Arai hard on the back.
Arai winced and snapped, "I'm not Denji, you blood fiend! Denji's over there."
He pointed to Denji, who was doubled over by a trash bin, retching noisily.
Power burst out laughing, hands on her hips. "Ahahahaha! Witness my power! I just made Denji lower than me!"
After a while, Kang Woo and the group arrived at the entrance to the Angel Devil's containment facility, standing before another thick steel door. A tense silence hung in the air between them as they waited.
Kang Woo tilted his head slightly, glancing at the others. "Why the awkward silence?"
Power puffed out her chest, thrusting one fist into the air. "Kaboom! Bam! I thought you'd do something like that, since you're my junior!"
Aki promptly smacked Power on the head. "Idiot. Quiet down."
Himeno laughed, flicking her cigarette ash to the floor."I thought you were gonna show us another fancy magic circle spectacle again."
Kang Woo gave a small shrug."Nope. Not this time." Then he turned to Kishibe, his voice firm."Open it."
Kishibe simply nodded. With a metallic groan and the hiss of hydraulic pistons, the heavy door slowly swung open, revealing the Angel Devil inside.
The Angel Devil sat calmly, legs drawn up on the bench. He looked young, almost delicate, with shoulder-length hair the color of warm japonica wood, framing his fine features. A glowing halo hovered gently over his head, casting faint light on the walls. From his upper back extended a pair of elegant white wings, feathers shifting slightly as he breathed.
The Angel Devil lifted his eyes and fixed Kang Woo with an almost bored expression.
"A human… careful. You might lose your lifespan just by standing near me."
Kang Woo ignored the warning. Stepping closer, he lifted a hand and placed his palm lightly against the Angel Devil's forehead.
"Authority of Memory," Kang Woo murmured. Dark, swirling energy poured from Kang Woo's hand, snaking into the Angel Devil's mind. The Angel Devil stiffened, eyes widening as scenes long buried began to unravel like reels of film.
Memories played out before him: He saw himself wandering into a coastal village, fresh from the world of Devils. He'd been taken in by the villagers despite being what he was. They fed him, clothed him, treated him like family.
Among them was a young woman, gentle and warm. She laughed with him, held his hand, shared quiet walks by the sea. She was the one he loved… and the one who loved him back. Then the memory darkened. A shadowy event, shrouded in confusion and chaos. Screams . The village destroyed. The woman gone. Her face vanished from his arms, leaving only emptiness behind.
Kang Woo slowly pulled his hand away, severing the connection.
The Angel Devil blinked rapidly, silent tears now sliding down his cheeks. His calm mask had shattered completely. He stared up at Kang Woo, his voice trembling. "Who… are you?"
Kang Woo looked down at him steadily. "The one who needs your ability… for some very specific expertise I have in mind. I can make you relive those memories again—and make them permanent—if you wish. But I need a contract from you: to follow my command and do exactly as I say."
The Angel Devil blinked, his voice soft and uncertain. "Relive those memories… again?"
He hesitated, slender fingers curling slightly in his lap. Those memories were painful—steeped in grief and loss—but the idea of losing them forever was even more unbearable. After a long pause, he drew a trembling breath and lifted his chin.
"And if I agree… if I make this contract with you… what would you have me do?"
Before Kang Woo could answer, he lifted his left arm slightly. "Mikhail. Don't get hostile. That's an order."
From the back of Kang Woo's left palm, the Eye of Mikhail suddenly flared open, its iris swirling with blazing light. A ring of Zaiphon runes ignited around it, spinning like a halo of sacred symbols.
Mikhail's voice rumbled out from the eye, edged with barely concealed disdain.
"Yes, Master," he growled. Though he obeyed, his tone was tight with irritation.
The Angel Devil tilted his head, confusion crossing his delicate features as he peered at the glaring, sentient eye. "…Why does that eyeball feel… like me?"
Mikhail let out a sharp, scornful laugh. "We are not the same, low creature. You bear the name of 'angel' But you're merely one of the devils, crawling in filth, . I am born of a higher design, forged in realms your pitiful existence cannot even comprehend. You're nothing but a counterfeit angel… a mockery wearing holy feathers!"
"Enough," Kang Woo interjected sharply, cutting off the tirade.
He glanced between the two of them, irritation flickering across his features. "Quiet down, Mikhail."
Kang Woo looked steadily at the Angel Devil."I want you to channel your strength into the Eye of Mikhail. And when either I or Mikhail says the word 'enchain,' you'll allow us to borrow your power at maximum output. Exactly twenty minutes after that, you'll sever your contract with me. Understand?"
The Angel Devil blinked, confusion and suspicion mixing in his gaze. "Huh… a temporary contract? Why not make it permanent? Also—" His eyes flicked warily toward the glaring eye on Kang Woo's hand. "—your eyeball seems very hostile toward me. I can sense it… that thing could kill me any time it wants."
Mikhail's voice rang out sharply, dripping with contempt. "Hurry up, low creature. Channel your strength so I don't have to look at you any longer."
The Angel Devil let out a small sigh, shoulders drooping slightly. But after a tense pause, he nodded and slowly extended his hands toward the swirling Zaiphon runes encircling the Eye of Mikhail. A soft glow spread from his palms, his energy flowing into the eye.
Kang Woo watched closely. "Mikhail, you getting that?"
"Yes," Mikhail replied, his voice now all business. "Angel Devil confirmed. Twenty minutes of power upon request of the enchain command, either from me or from Master himself."
Kang Woo gave a curt nod. "When the results are satisfactory, you'll get your reward, Angel Devil."
The Angel Devil tilted his head, a somber look in his eyes. "Contractor… my power is life-force absorption. Your action of touching my forehead already reduced your lifespan."
Before Kang Woo could respond, Mikhail cut in, voice laced with arrogance. "If my master were weakened by your touch, I would have already left him. But no—even if Verloren itself tried to absorb my master, it would explode from the sheer density of his soul."
Kang Woo simply waved a hand dismissively. "We'll be in touch."
He turned and moved back toward the group.
Himeno, grinning like a devil herself, leaned closer and chirped, "Kang Woo, after this whole charade… wanna go drinking and get druuunkkkkk?"
Kang Woo shot her a flat look. "I don't think this matter is as simple as that. And besides…" He tilted his head toward Kishibe. as kang woo joked "…Kishibe's chances of using me just got reduced by one."
Kishibe flipped him the middle finger without missing a beat.
Denji, eyes wide, gasped. "Sensei! You swore!"
Kang Woo ignored the commotion and took a step forward. "Let's go. Next stop: Spider Devil."