The Curse Devil

"Power, are you okay?"

Everyone looked at Power with concern.

Power stood frozen in place, holding an apple with a huge bite taken out of it in her right hand.

She had not even finished chewing the apple in her mouth.

From the very first bite, she had already realized there was something special about it.

"Power, say something." Himeno nudged her, but she still did not respond.

"Why's she just standing there?" Denji, whose injuries had healed, kept studying Power's blank expression.

"Meng Fan, can you check what's wrong with her?"

"I can tell she's fine, but I don't know why she isn't moving."

"It's definitely the apple. Eating it makes you freeze up."

As Denji spoke, he reached for the apple in Power's hand.

But before he could touch it, Power whipped her hand back.

"Hands off my apple!" Power clutched the apple in both hands, then took another enormous bite, muttering all the while, "So good! This is the best food I've ever eaten!"

"Power, are you sure you're okay? Why don't you go to the hospital with Aki and get checked out?"

"I'm perfectly fine! I'm not going to the hospital. Besides, have you got any more apples like this?"

"Yes, but they're not for you."

"I don't care! I want more! I'll do anything you ask, so give me another apple!"

For the sake of another apple, Power grabbed Meng Fan's clothes and dropped to her knees to beg.

She even brought out her big, tearful eyes.

"Is it really that good?" Himeno looked baffled. "Oh, right. Why did you freeze up just now?"

"It was so good that I couldn't figure out how to express it for a while, so I just stood there."

Power's description piqued Denji's curiosity.

How good could an apple possibly be?

Just then, the wail of an ambulance siren drew closer.

Himeno hurried forward and waved the ambulance down.

Two paramedics soon climbed out, carrying a stretcher.

"How many injured people are there?"

"Power, Denji, are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital for a checkup? And don't worry about the medical bills. Public Safety will cover everything."

"Himeno, I need a stretcher. I skipped breakfast, and my stomach doesn't feel too good." Meng Fan raised his hand.

"I'll personally treat you with my fist in a minute," Himeno said with a smile. "If you don't need treatment, go along with Aki to the hospital. I need to head back to headquarters."

"No problem."

The three of them then climbed into the ambulance with Aki.

Himeno drove Meng Fan's car back to headquarters.

Inside the ambulance, all three kept their eyes fixed on Aki Hayakawa.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" Aki Hayakawa asked irritably.

"Oh, Aki's getting shy."

"I'm not shy. I just don't like people staring at me."

"Say, Aki, would you consider making a contract with another Devil?"

"I already have contracts with two Devils." Aki Hayakawa turned his head to look away.

"Those two are too weak. The Fox Devil is basically a one-shot ultimate move. He can instantly kill weak enemies, but he barely scratches the big ones. The Curse Devil is a little stronger, but you have to meet certain conditions to activate its power, and it costs you your lifespan. You're still young. Don't waste too much of your life."

"How did you know I also have a contract with the Curse Devil?"

Aki met Meng Fan's eyes, his expression grave.

The Curse Devil was Aki Hayakawa's trump card.

Aside from Himeno and Miss Makima, nobody knew about it.

"I'll tell you the truth. I made a contract with the Plot Devil, so I know a lot of people's secrets."

"The Plot Devil?" Aki Hayakawa frowned. "What else do you know?"

"I also know Miss Makima's secret. There's far more to her than meets the eye."

Meng Fan smiled faintly, then raised his head and stopped staring at Aki Hayakawa.

"So you're all Public Safety Devil Hunters with Devil contracts?"

The middle-aged man beside them suddenly spoke up.

There was a hint of excitement in his voice.

"That's right. As a Public Safety Devil Hunter, it'd be ridiculous not to have a contract with a Devil or two. We have to fight Devils, after all."

"Thank you for all your hard work. Without you, ordinary people like us would be completely at the Devils' mercy."

"Don't mention it, sir. We may be new, but we won't show Devils any mercy." Denji rubbed his nose, looking proud.

"You're a Public Safety Devil Hunter too?" Denji's introduction surprised the man.

If Denji had not spoken up, he would have assumed the boy was the injured man's younger brother.

It had never crossed his mind that Denji might be a Devil Hunter.

"Yeah. Don't I look like one?"

"How old are you? You only look like a teenager."

"Don't worry about my age, sir. As long as I can kill Devils, being young isn't a problem."

"Well said. Heroes really do come young." The man gave Denji a thumbs-up.

They chatted cheerfully along the way.

They learned that the hospital also had a doctor who had made a contract with the Surgery Devil.

With the Devil's help, that doctor had saved countless patients on the brink of death.

That was why people both loved and hated Devils.

Before long, thanks to its right of way, the ambulance quickly reached the hospital.

And because they were Public Safety Devil Hunters, a dedicated doctor and a private room were arranged for them immediately.

In less than half an hour, Aki Hayakawa's wounds had been treated, and he was lying in a hospital bed.

"Public Safety Devil Hunters really do get great benefits. Himeno wasn't lying to us."

Beside the bed, Meng Fan peeled an apple with his blade claws.

The fruit basket at the head of the bed was a special fruit package reserved for Public Safety Devil Hunters.

"We risk our lives on the job. It'd be outrageous if the benefits were lousy too," Aki Hayakawa said.

"But those of us contracted with Devils that have powerful healing abilities never get to enjoy the medical benefits. If possible, please ask Himeno to give us the cash equivalent."

Aki Hayakawa ignored him.

But when he saw that Meng Fan had finished peeling the apple, he reached out to take it.

Meng Fan did not give it to him.

Instead, he brought it to his own mouth and started eating.

That left Aki Hayakawa awkwardly holding out his hand.

"Aki, why's your hand up? Feeling fidgety?"

"Forget it. I thought you were here to take care of me, but you're just eating my fruit basket. I shouldn't have expected anything from you."

"If you wanted an apple, you should've said so. You're making us sound like we came here to mooch off you."

"Ding-dong..."

The doorbell rang outside the hospital room.

A nurse pushed a meal cart inside.

"Hello. Sorry to disturb you."

"It's lunchtime. I've brought the patient's nutritious meal."

"A nutritious meal!" At the mention of food, Denji and Power, who had been sitting listlessly nearby, instantly perked up.

The two hurried over to help push the meal cart.

"Leave the rest to me! You can go now."

"Yeah, we'll take good care of the patient."

Power and Denji chimed in one after the other.

They soon sent the nurse on her way.

The lavish meal on the cart made both of them drool.

"Aki probably shouldn't eat right after having his wounds treated."

"Exactly, exactly! When you're injured, you should sleep more. Back when I got hurt, I had no appetite at all. All I wanted was sleep. So we can't let this nutritious meal go to waste. I'll take care of it for Aki!"

The two started eating as they spoke.

They simply treated Aki Hayakawa, lying in his hospital bed, as a patient who needed less food and more sleep.

Looking at the meal surrounded by those two,

and the fruit basket Meng Fan had claimed,

Aki Hayakawa suddenly felt like crying, but no tears came.

Apparently, he had come here to suffer, not to enjoy himself.