Pingcui

Biodata

Appearance

Pingcui is petite, with dark gray hair and a cold, haughty expression when first introduced 92.

• Eel-shaped ponytail: Has eyes and a mouth capable of making expressions 92.
• Emotional expressions: Her ponytail can blush, look frightened, or display affection independently of the expression she tries to maintain 94 96 121.
• Sensitive ponytail: Touching it makes her shiver and blush; she explicitly objects to having it touched without permission 96.

Personality

Pingcui is proud, outspoken, and fond of demonstrating her knowledge. She habitually examines new acquaintances with her ability, even when doing so is intrusive. Although she claims she will keep what she learns private, she eagerly explains other people’s contracts to Asaba Kotone 94 97.

Her confidence contrasts with her embarrassment over romantic feelings. She often denies wanting attention while her ponytail openly seeks it, making her attempts at composure ineffective. She enjoys Asaba’s praise and becomes jealous when he gives other women attention 96 121 125 136 143.

Despite her sharp manner, Pingcui is attentive to Long’s needs and behavior. She stops Long from eating inappropriate objects, handles her laundry, and sincerely apologizes when Long loses control 92 94 121.

Discrimination against fiends increasingly hurts her as her emotions become more humanlike. She particularly values Asaba because she detects no prejudice in his treatment of her or Long 98.

Abilities & Skills

Insight

Pingcui acquires information by examining a target, including knowledge she did not previously possess. Her ability is compared to an encyclopedia rather than unrestricted omniscience 92 122.

• Contract identification: Reveals which devils a person has contracted with and what those powers do. She identifies Asaba’s Angel Devil and Mask Devil contracts, as well as Master’s Doll, Curse, Hell, and Darkness Devil contracts 92.
• Detailed analysis: Can reveal a power’s applications and contract costs, as demonstrated when she identifies a Poison Gas Devil contractor’s attacks and missing body parts 94.
• Devil identification: Determines a devil’s identity and abilities directly, including the Roadblock Devil and Stitch Devil Fiend 97 132.
• Trace analysis: Can obtain information from evidence associated with an absent target. The Gender-Swap Devil’s lingering scent lets her identify it and explain its staged transformation 122.
• Threat assessment: Recognizes the Darkness Devil as a primal fear that has never died, despite having lost her own memories of Hell 92.

Activation and limitations:

• To examine a particular person or devil, she deliberately uses her ponytail. Her usual pose places a circle formed by her fingers and her looped ponytail before one eye 92 122.
• Ordinary objects do not require the same deliberate use of her ponytail 122.
• She needs something to examine; without a target or related evidence, she must make guesses 122.
• Contracts connected to Pochita and Little Gun escape her detection while they are concealed in the separate Kamui Dimension 93.
• Knowing someone’s powers does not reveal every intention. She fails to understand Master’s true objective when discussing the offer to take Asaba as an apprentice 94.

Expressive Ponytail

Her ponytail primarily reflects her genuine feelings, though it also possesses a small degree of independent awareness 96.

• Can move without her deliberate instruction, including tangling her hair to encourage Asaba to groom it 121.
• Seeks affection on its own, approaching Asaba expectantly after he pats Cosmo’s head 125.
• Can be consciously restrained or hidden when Pingcui wants to conceal her feelings 96 99.
• Becomes unresponsive while she is under Makima’s control 134.

Physical Capabilities and Blood Recovery

• As a fiend, Pingcui has physical capabilities exceeding those of ordinary humans, but little direct combat ability. Long accompanies her as protection 92 93.
• Human blood restores her strength. She reports that even a sip of Asaba’s blood replenishes a large amount of power and tastes far better than ordinary blood 94 95.
• She suffers from airsickness and attributes it to the body she occupies 95.
• Her alcohol tolerance is extremely low: one glass leaves her drunk and unable to walk steadily 98.

Languages and Learning

• Initially speaks Chinese, understands only basic English vocabulary, and cannot speak Japanese 92 136.
• Enrolls in Japanese lessons arranged by Asaba. She later reports mastering the fifty-sound chart and working toward N4 136 143.

Background / History

Service in China and the Berlin Operation

Pingcui has lived in China long enough to become familiar with its people, but no longer remembers her previous existence in Hell. She and Long serve as Devil Hunters, gradually reducing their colleagues’ overt discrimination through their achievements without winning Pingcui’s trust in those colleagues 92 98.

China sends the pair to Berlin for an international operation against a Yakuza stronghold. Pingcui examines the assembled hunters and chooses to accompany Asaba, whose Chinese fluency resolves their communication difficulties. During the assault, she identifies the rear guards as ordinary humans without devil contracts while Long protects her from gunfire 92 93.

After the fighting, Pingcui explains Master’s contracts and analyzes a fleeing Poison Gas Devil contractor. When Long loses control after tasting Asaba’s blood, Pingcui apologizes and subsequently discovers its exceptional restorative properties herself 94 95.

First Visit to Japan

Pingcui and Long accompany Asaba to Tokyo, where he supplies blood bags and takes them out for food. Pingcui’s growing attraction becomes apparent through her ponytail, though Asaba mistakes her feelings for something other than romantic interest 95 96 97.

During a patrol with Aki Hayakawa and Himeno, she identifies the Roadblock Devil and directs Long to kill it. Himeno advances the pair’s bounty payment from her own money because they are not registered with Tokyo Public Safety 97 98.

At dinner, Pingcui becomes drunk after one glass, insists that Asaba feed her, and rubs her face against his while he carries her. She later murmurs that she likes him, but he does not hear it. Remembering the incident the next morning, she hides beneath the covers and later conceals her ponytail in a hat before leaving for China 98 99.

Hong Kong Reunion and Transfer

After being transferred to Hong Kong Public Safety, Pingcui meets Asaba at the airport and helps complete his paperwork. She and Long live inside the Public Safety building because fiends are not freely permitted to rent accommodation outside 120 121.

During an amusement-park outing, she identifies the Gender-Swap Devil through its traces after it transforms Asaba. She remains attracted to him in female form. When Quanxi subsequently pursues him, Pingcui objects and suspects that Quanxi is exploiting his transformation to pressure him 122 123 124.

Pingcui asks to accompany Asaba to Japan because she wants to remain with him. Li Ye sets a combined transfer fee of five million RMB for her and Long; their savings total slightly less than three million. Asaba turns to bounty hunting to cover the shortfall, eventually using payment from the Fang family to complete their transfers 126 127 133.

Life in Tokyo

After arriving in Tokyo, Pingcui meets Reze and Makima. Her habitual examination reveals Makima’s identity as the Control Devil, but Makima immediately places her under control. Asaba secures her release by kissing Makima on the cheek 133 134 135.

Asaba arranges Japanese lessons for Pingcui, Long, Cosmo, and Suture. Pingcui subsequently learns the fifty-sound chart and begins studying toward N4. Reze also agrees to teach Pingcui, Long, and Cosmo to cook 136 137 143.

When Power joins their household, Pingcui identifies her as the Blood Fiend, openly shares the group’s devil identities, and befriends her. She trusts Power because Asaba brought her home 152.

Catalogue Record

Pingcui’s Catalogue affection measures her feelings toward Asaba, not her combat strength. The Constitution rewards associated with its milestones belong to Asaba, not Pingcui 120 121 122 126.

Relationships

• Asaba Kotone — Teammate, translator, and romantic interest. His lack of prejudice earns her trust, and his efforts allow her to move to Japan. He initially mistakes her affection for friendship, disappointing her 92 98 126.
• Long — Close companion and protector. Pingcui supervises her behavior, understands her limited speech, and helps manage her daily needs; Long supplies the fighting strength Pingcui lacks 92 93 94 121.
• Cosmo — Fellow fiend and housemate. Pingcui initially questions Asaba’s special kindness toward her, but Cosmo later sides with Pingcui when Makima controls her 124 134.
• Quanxi — Respected hunter and romantic rival. Pingcui first meets her in Hong Kong and objects to her pursuit of Asaba, while recognizing that she cannot challenge Quanxi’s strength 123 124.
• Himeno — Friendly Japanese hunter who pays Pingcui and Long their bounty share in advance and gives them gifts before their departure. She also introduces Pingcui to alcohol 98 99.
• Makima — Romantic rival who retaliates against Pingcui’s inspection by controlling her. Pingcui reacts indignantly after being released 134 135.
• Kobeni Higashiyama — Asaba’s girlfriend. Pingcui becomes jealous upon learning their relationship, though the two converse through Asaba’s translations 136.
• Power — Fellow fiend and housemate whom Pingcui quickly befriends after identifying her true nature 152.

Notable Quotes

“As you can see, we’re both fiends, but we don’t have any particular hostility toward humans.” 92

“I just want to be with you. Is that not allowed?” 126