Chapter 29: Heading to Kyoto
It turned out Otonashi Chiya's guess was spot on.
Himeno, a seasoned "old hand" who had been with Tokyo Public Safety for several years, made a habit of "clocking in" right between 8:55 AM and 8:59 AM every single day. Chiya and Hayakawa Aki had sat in the lounge for over half an hour; their early arrival today had been entirely in vain.
"Sorry, sorry! Looks like I kept you waiting," Himeno apologized with a smile the moment she walked in.
"..." Aki had run out of things to say. "The staff told us to wait for you. Is there something we need to do?"
"First, let me notify you of something. The rankings are out. Your B-rank was exactly what I guessed, but I definitely got Otonashi-kun's rank wrong."
Himeno turned to Chiya with a look of genuine wonder in her eyes. "I didn't expect you to become only the second S-rank newcomer in the history of Tokyo Public Safety. In the blink of an eye, you're about to become my superior."
She knew his strength was unusual, but his performance in the assessment had exceeded even her expectations. The examiners had been unanimous in their decision, utterly satisfied with his results.
Following the precedent set by Captain Kishibe, Chiya would likely skip the internship period entirely and be "parachuted" into a position as a Vice Captain of one of the Special Divisions. The internship was meant for recruits lacking strength, experience, or the right mindset to gradually adapt to Public Safety's intensity. For a "supernova" like Chiya—who was already stronger than many veterans—there was simply no need for it.
In terms of rank, if not seniority, Chiya was indeed about to become Himeno's boss.
"Just lucky," Chiya replied with a faint, modest smile.
"Still being humble? The examiners told me you hunted a maximum-difficulty devil while taking almost zero damage. That's something the vast majority of our veterans can't pull off."
Himeno shut down his modesty immediately. "However, your specific work assignments haven't been finalized yet. Before that happens, we're taking a trip to Kyoto."
"You should know that every newcomer gets one initial opportunity to sign a contract with a devil under Public Safety control. Those devils are often much stronger than the ones civilian hunters can find, offering more power for relatively lower prices."
"It's meant to bolster your strength. Aki-kun, I recommend you try for the Fox Devil. The interviewer probably already told you why. As for Otonashi-kun, it's up to you. I feel like the Fox Devil wouldn't much of a 'buff' for you."
Chiya was too strong—an S-rank on par with Captain Kishibe in his youth. Himeno felt the Fox Devil's abilities simply didn't match his level.
"I don't have anything else to do anyway, so let's head to Kyoto and see," Chiya said.
"Then let's head out in a bit~" Himeno said.
Later, the three of them took the subway toward Kyoto Station. Chiya and Aki had changed into their Tokyo Public Safety uniforms yesterday. As they stood on the train with Himeno, the other passengers felt a visible sense of relief.
While devil attacks on subway cars weren't common, they did happen. Occasionally, a devil would simply manifest inside a carriage. This was because when a devil died in Hell and was reborn on Earth, the location was completely random. If your luck was catastrophically bad, it wasn't impossible for a devil to drop right onto your head.
"When we arrive at the station, devil hunters from the Kyoto Public Safety Bureau will be there to meet us," Himeno noted. "The higher-ups in Kyoto can be eccentric old geezers with strange tempers, but the regular hunters are easy enough to get along with. Besides, we won't need to deal with the top brass this time."
Before long, the subway arrived at Kyoto Station.
As soon as they stepped off the train, they saw someone waiting to receive them—a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She was dressed in a Public Safety uniform, which was virtually the same as the Tokyo version, as both consisted of formal suits.
"Long time no see, Atsuko." It seemed Himeno knew her.
"So it's you bringing them over," Fujii Atsuko replied happily.
Because newcomers from Tokyo Public Safety frequently came to sign contracts with devils controlled by Kyoto Public Safety, the Kyoto staff had become well-acquainted with many people from Tokyo.
"I heard your branch has an S-rank super-rookie this time. Is it one of these two?" Atsuko looked at Otonashi Chiya and Hayakawa Aki. From appearance alone, it was impossible to tell their strength, though both were quite handsome.
The news of a new S-rank recruit in Tokyo had not only shocked the Tokyo branch but had already spread to "neighboring" Kyoto. The ranking standards for Public Safety weren't identical in every region; if judged by Tokyo's strict criteria, no other branch—including Kyoto—had ever produced an S-rank rookie. If they had, Kishibe wouldn't still be known as the strongest devil hunter in Japan even in his old age.
Now that Tokyo had found another genius on par with Kishibe, as long as he didn't die young, Tokyo Public Safety's status in Japan would remain rock-solid for decades. There was an invisible competition between regional branches, and since Tokyo had always been the strongest overall, it was the most highly valued by the Cabinet. After all, the strength of Public Safety played a decisive role in regional security and the public's sense of safety. This was why Kyoto Public Safety was treated like Tokyo's "back garden"—Tokyo hunters could come and sign contracts whenever they pleased.
"This is the one, Otonashi Chiya. And the other is Hayakawa Aki," Himeno introduced them.
"Oh! I'm Fujii Atsuko. Nice to meet you, please take care of me," Atsuko introduced herself in return.
"Can we leave now?" Hayakawa Aki asked in a cold tone. He clearly didn't want to stand around chatting for so long.
"Ah! Of course, sorry for being so slow," Atsuko apologized immediately.
"It's fine! Really, Aki-kun, don't be so cold~" Himeno teased, resting her hand on Aki's shoulder again.
"..." Aki didn't resist, but he clearly didn't want to deal with Himeno either.
"It's my fault. Let's get moving." Atsuko agreed it was time to get down to business.
Next, Atsuko personally drove the three of them to the Kyoto Public Safety headquarters. There were almost no redundant formalities. Upon arrival, she led them straight to an elevator to the underground base. Below the "Level -1" parking lot on the elevator panel, there was only one other button: "Level -10."
All the devils controlled by Kyoto Public Safety were kept on this floor.