I Am All At Sea of Blood: Before Chainsaw Man

Chapter 8 : Tease

Down the wide grey pavement of the hospital, much to the displeasure of bystanders and visitors of the hospital, was the eyesore that was the devil hunter walking between them. With her slouching back, tanned skin, and bright, long bleached hair over her tired face, Kaya stood out amongst all of them. Not that she cared about it. She was used to these kinds of stares, though she still thought she could've fixed her stature just a little bit more.

She straightened her back, her bright green eyes reflecting the light as she looked up at the sun above her. In the increasingly lowering temperatures of the seasons, any little warmth from the sun's rays was greatly appreciated. Even with the caffeine she had already consumed, it only delayed what was inevitable. After the work she did and hours of waiting in the stressful hospital, she was slowly losing sight and control of her movements, struggling to keep a firm grip on the brown file containing the necessary documents for the report she would have to make.

If only her Buddy were still with her, she thought, but deep inside she knew it wouldn't even help her situation much. Seeing a white van close among the other parked cars surrounding her, she let out a little sigh of relief. Taking out her keys, she opened the car, throwing herself on the driver's seat like a heavy sack of vegetables, before immediately flinging the file from her hands right onto the passenger's seat.

"Gods, finally..." She sighed as she pulled the lever on the side of her sea, turning it into a much more comfortable place to lean her back on, or at least, as comfortable as she could make it. The lingering smell emitted from a mixture of tobacco, alcohol, and blood kept her thoughts from running too far from the reality of her job. And to further increase her frustration, the radio on top the dashboard began to let out a buzzing sound.

"Uggh... What is it this time?" She groaned, reaching her hand out to turn on and adjust the dial. After scrolling through the different frequencies, the person's voice on the other side became clearer, sounding rather out of breath. "This is Kyoukawa from Public Safety Division 4. We found a devil near the park grounds. Requesting all available emergency personnel nearby the area to secure surrounding civilians. I repeat. Requesting all available emergency personnel nearby the area to secure surrounding civilians," it called out.

Recognizing the voice and its name, Kaya was reminded of what her Buddy had told her. "Izu-kun, huh... You're really out in the field after all that?" She muttered as she turned on the engine of her car. "You really just won't stop going back to your job, can't you?"

After a big stretch and a crack of the neck, she adjusted the rearview mirror to take a good look at the cityscape behind her as well as herself. "Well then, Kaya... no time for rest now. You got to see what those kids are up to!" she said to herself with a reassuring tone, only to drop it immediately with a sigh. "Yeah... you can do this, Kaya."

***

Earlier that noon. In a small restaurant just by the side of the road. Tucked along the side of the packed dining room was a line of smaller dining spaces, the curtains hung above each of them, giving the much-needed privacy for the less social guests of the restaurants. Within one of them, farthest away from the entrance and main dining room, were Izuki and Arch, enjoying their own meals. Although, between both of them, Arch may have enjoyed it just a little bit more.

Disregarding the cutleries and basic human etiquette, she dug into the bowl full of rice and mixed tempura with her clawed hands, as well as sucking the meat and broth straight from the muscles in her portion of miso soup. After silently watching the fiend messily devouring through large bowls, suffice to say, Izuki, who came through the doors expecting to have a big meal for himself, was slowly losing his appetite.

"What happened to 'not being hungry?'" Izuki asked the redhead fiend, who had an off-white knitted hat that had newly adorned her. Gently putting his chopsticks on the bowl, he then pulled a small orange bottle out of one of his coat's inner pockets. From it, he poured a handful of small white pills, which he then chewed and flushed down with a large glug of water. "You know you could just be honest to me, Arch."