𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄? (𝗵. 𝗮𝗸𝗶) ✓

Don't You Die, Aki

"We've received an extermination request concerning this building," Hanasaki told Aki, gesturing to the bleak, nondescript body of the hotel that loomed ahead of them. "They say there's a Devil in here. We don't know what's become of the guests, but probably nothing good. A few civilian Devil Hunters went in there, and they never came back."

He stared up at the structure, scanning it for any clue to identify what sort of abomination dwelled inside its concrete bowels. It looked pretty ordinary, albeit slightly eerie. He couldn't quite put his finger on it; perhaps it was because it looked too normal. That, as well as the overwhelming feeling of emptiness that radiated from its walls, made the idea of disappearing through the maw of the beast all the more unappealing.

Hanasaki yawned as they continued to approach the hotel. She had been looking forward to a nice, boring day inside the Public Safety headquarters. However, some superiors had ordered her to oversee this mission — most likely because this was Denji and Power's first time on one. She definitely wasn't looking forward to actually having to concentrate during her job, especially so with some of the present company.

Including her, they were a team of seven. Along with those aforementioned, accompanying them were the two rookies, Arai and Kobeni, and Aki's partner, Himeno. Hanasaki and Aki were at the head of the party. Following them, to their left, Himeno seemed to be harassing poor Kobeni — for whatever reason, Hanasaki didn't care to ask. Denji and Power were lagging behind them, both with surly expressions on their faces. And Arai was strolling a few feet to their side, in line with the two Devils, as if he felt the need to survey them in case they tried anything funny.

Once they were no more than thirty feet from the double doors, Aki halted and held up the item he'd been cradling in his palm while they walked. It looked like a sort of gruesome bracelet, or necklace; hanging from the black string was a grey, fleshy lump similar in appearance to a bullet.

As it dangled there, it began to twitch towards the building. He watched it with an unreadable expression, while Hanasaki openly grimaced at the vein-knobbled chunk of Devil meat.

"You sure it's not the Gun Devil itself in there?" Denji asked, peering over Aki's other shoulder to examine the bullet.

"The bigger the piece, the bigger the force of attraction. This is too weak. Whatever's in there's only consumed a bit of Gun. And Gun's too big to be hiding in there, anyway."

"Oh, that's how it works?" Denji's 'question' seemed less like it was asked and more like it was just said as a half-hearted remark. He scratched the back of his head, and leaned closer to the object, teetering precariously on the tips of his toes.

Aki sighed, moving to put the grisly artefact back into his trouser pocket. However, before he could do so, another bidder put forward their interest in it.

Power had stalked her way to the head of the group as well, and suddenly made a lunge for the object. However, its holder snatched it away before she could reach it, and she scowled at him spitefully as she staggered back to her feet.

"Just give me that thing!" she demanded. Aki looked back at her with blank disdain.

"Weren't you two supposed to be learning manners?"

His wry query immediately succeeded in provoking the two, triggering a colourful stream of insults that issued ceaselessly from them.

"Who the hell's gonna suck up to you for no reason?!"

"How foolish and conceited these humans can be!"

Hanasaki took a few ginger steps away from the outraged pair, but Aki appeared unswayed. While they were distracted by their own indignation, he dug around in his other pocket and pulled out two wrapped sticks of gum.