The fog was thicker than usual when Tenshi, Asahi, and Kaito reached the headquarters. The sun hadn't fully risen, and the streets felt like they were holding their breath. Tenshi still felt the heaviness of waking up early, but seeing the HQ doors open—with five more hunters already waiting—snapped him awake fast.
The five looked up as the trio approached.
Mina, the girl from the van yesterday, waved. She was small, sharp-eyed, with dual knives strapped to her thigh. She walked over first.
"Morning, Tenshi."
Tenshi almost tripped. "G-Good morning…"
Kaito nudged him with a smirk.
"You're popular."
"I'm not—"
Asahi walked past both of them. "We're late. Form up."
The other hunters gathered around:
Mina — knife fighter, bright smile
Riku — tall, quiet, shaved head, staff on his back
Tama — small girl with big explosives bag
Sora — thin man with a coiled steel wire at his waist
Jun — crossbow user, serious expression
Asahi counted quickly. "Eight total. Move to the van."
They obeyed.
The transport van rattled over bumps as it left HQ. Tenshi sat near the back, Kaito beside him, Asahi in the front passenger seat. Mina sat directly across from Tenshi.
She leaned forward slightly.
"Tenshi?"
His voice cracked. "Y-yes?"
She smiled lightly.
"If you do good today… I'll kiss you after the mission."
Tenshi froze.
Kaito's eyes widened like he witnessed a miracle.
Jun looked away awkwardly.
Tama giggled.
Riku raised an eyebrow.
Sora pretended he heard
The rest of the ride was quiet, except Tenshi silently thinking.
The van pulled up beside an abandoned steel-processing plant. Huge rusted chimneys rose overhead like grave markers. Shattered windows, broken machinery, and blackened metal littered the area.
Asahi stepped out first.
"Stay close."
Mina whispered to Tenshi, "You okay?"
"No," he whispered back.
"Good. Fear keeps you sharp."
They headed in.
Darkness swallowed the interior. Massive machines towered like rusted giants. Chains hung from the ceiling. Dust drifted through beams of pale light. The smell of oil and old iron lingered.
A soft vibration rippled through the floor.
Riku muttered, "It knows we're here."
Asahi raised his hand.
"Quiet."
The factory rumbled again—
then screamed.
A figure burst from the shadows.
twelve feet tall.
Metal limbs like saw blades.
Rotating jaw of spinning discs.
Armor of welded steel plates.
The Grinder Devil.
It lunged instantly
"MOVE!" Asahi shouted.
Kaito exploded into partial Spino form, skull elongating, serrated teeth. He tackled the devil's left arm, sparks exploding as metal ground against bone.
Riku rushed forward and slammed his hand onto the devil's armor. A sickening hiss filled the air as metal corroded under her touch.
"My Rust Devil weakens it!" Riku yelled.
Mina slid low, slicing at the softened plates with her twin knives.
Jun fired a bolt into one knee, wire trailing back to Sora—
who flicked his wrist.
Metal wire wrapped around the devil's leg, tightening with unnatural angles.
"Bound!" Sora shouted.
The Grinder Devil roared and twisted violently, ripping part of the factory floor with it.
Tama slapped a magnetic talisman onto a nearby column.
"Lock!"
The magnet Devil's power surged—
metal from the devil's torso jerked it sideways, pulling it slightly off balance.
"Nice one!" Mina shouted.
Tenshi took his chance.
He sprinted forward, heart pounding, and swung his katana.
The blade dug into the weakened metal, slicing a plate off.
The devil shriveled.
Its spinning jaw rotated so fast it sent sparks flying like fireworks.
"Tenshi, DOWN!" Mina shouted.
He dropped instantly.
The blade sliced the air above him with a howl of metal.
Kaito claw it and bit the spinning disc, breaking off a chunk with brute force. The vibration nearly shattered his bone, but he held on.
The Grinder Devil swung both arms, ripping the floor.
Tenshi lost his footing—
The devil aimed its spinning teeth at him.
Asahi was there first.
He placed his palm on the ground.
A massive cockroach leg burst from the floor beside him, swinging upward and knocking the devil sideways.
The leg vanished instantly.
Asahi exhaled —
a year of lifespan burned away.
Tenshi stared, shocked.
"Asahi…!"
"Focus," the older man said calmly.
Another attack came.
Asahi summoned a giant roach mandible for half a second, slicing the devil's exposed joint cleanly through.
Then it disappeared.
Another year gone.
His breath hitched… but he didn't stop.
The Grinder Devil twisted violently, breaking Sora's wire hold. Jun fired another bolt, but the devil smashed it mid-air with its arm.
It turned toward Tama—
spinning , screeching —
"Tama! MOVE!" Riku yelled.
She tripped
The devil lunged.
Asahi reacted instantly.
He summoned a massive roach wing, slamming it between Tama and the devil. The wing absorbed the hit—
then shattered into dust.
Asahi staggered back, hand clutching his chest.
That one cost him years.
Tama gasped, "Asahi—!"
"Don't stop," Asahi snapped. "Fight."
Kaito rammed into the Grinder Devil, jaws tearing into the arm joint. Mina leaped onto its back, stabbing down repeatedly.
Riku placed both palms onto the devil's thigh, rust spreading quickly.
"Break it now!" he shouted.
Sora whipped another wire around the devil's neck, pulling it tightly to the side.
Jun aimed his crossbow—
fired—
the bolt slammed into the exposed joint.
"TENSHi!" Mina screamed, "NOW!"
Tenshi pointed two fingers.
"BOOM!"
A medium-sized explosion erupted.
A shockwave slammed into the devil's torso, blowing off half its upper armor. Heat washed across it skin.
The devil staggered.
Sparks shot from its broken saw.
Kaito lifted its other arm, roaring.
Riku weakened the core with a rusty touch.
Mina sliced the opening wider.
Sora pulled the devil backward.
Jun fired bolt after bolt.
Tama threw a magnet charge—
locking the devil in place for one second.
That was enough.
"Asahi!" Tenshi yelled. "Go!"
Asahi stepped forward, breathing hard.
He summoned a giant roach mandible—the biggest one yet—
and slammed it into the Grinder Devil's exposed core.
It pierced straight through.
The mandible dissolved—
Asahi swayed.
The Grinder Devil twitched once.
Twice.
Then its body cracked apart, falling in pieces like broken machinery.
The room fell silent.
Only breathing.
Heavy.
Exhausted.
Kaito slumped onto the floor.
Mina sheathed her knives.
Riku clutched his stomach.
Tama leaned on a pillar.
Sora pulled his wire back slowly.
Jun lowered his crossbow.
Asahi stood perfectly still.
Tenshi ran to him.
"Asahi—are you okay?"
Asahi stared at the broken devil for a moment.
"…Three years," he whispered.
Tenshi froze. "What?"
"That mandible," Asahi said quietly. "Cost me three years."
His tone was casual.
But Tenshi's stomach twisted.
Asahi brushed tenshi's shoulder lightly.
"Don't look at me like that. I chose this job."
Mina approached Tenshi with a smile.
"You did great today."
Tenshi swallowed.
"You said if I… did well, you'd…"
She smiled, a little pink in the cheeks.
"I didn't forget."
Kaito groaned. "BRO YOU'RE SO LUCKY—"
Asahi said, coldly. "We're leaving."