One Above All

Chapter 20: What she has always been and always will be.

"The arrest and elimination of the devils always turns out to be a success in each case regardless of the circumstances that started it, it does not surprise me knowing that we always send you, in fact it would be much rarer if you failed"

"It's much easier than it seems, even the most inept hunter could do it without a problem"

"But the most notable difference between you and the others, is that you don't make use of your contracts with the devils, am I correct?"

"You could say yes, most of the time I don't like to use them, it's not that I care if they take what they please, I stopped caring a long time ago. So I generally prefer to use more practical methods, my fists and my weapons are usually enough"

"So don't you consider it useless to have made three contracts with three different devils if you are never going to use them? Excuse me for saying so but if you are going to continue like this then you are misusing public security resources"

"My contracts are just skills that I save for crucial moments, if something gets out of hand or it's something I just can't defeat in the traditional way, I make use of them. I feel like it's a bit of a stretch to use them for arrest and takedown work that can easily be done with bladed weapons or guns"

"When did you use them? Refresh my memory, I don't remember when was the last time you wrote in your reports that you were forced to use your devils"

"On more than one occasion that is a fact. But usually when there are so many devils that I can't kill them one by one and I need a strong enough attack to take them out, like I said I only use them when I feel like something has gotten out of hand, like when I meet a devil that has exceeded my expectations"

"Just like that time 10 years ago?"

"... Yes, it could say yes"

"And that's the whole reason?"

"No, it's actually much more entertaining to fight hand to hand with a devil. Plus I feel like it's kind of stupid to always rely on your contracts when you've spent a lifetime training, it would be a mockery of yourself and your body."

"And what do they ask you for in return?"

"Is it just me or has this conversation strayed from its main topic? I just came to deliver my report"

"We want to be aware of how well you continue to perform today in your job"

"In a nutshell, do you want to know if I'm rusting?"

"It's up to you to see it that way. But by now you should know that in Public Security a life that manages to be close to 40 years old is still rare, so we want to know if you can continue fighting or if you are close to dying as everyone else"

"I once heard a wise man say that death is for losers. I don't feel bad enough to want to retire or let a devil kill me easily, believe it or not I can still fight, and you'll be surprised if you're still seeing me 10 years from now."

"And what you give in exchange for using the powers of devils doesn't make you doubt that? It's well known that if a hunter doesn't die in a battle, their contracts could also eventually kill them with excessive use of them."

"Not really, as I said before I don't use them all the time but I will admit that what they ask me in return might be too much for others"

"Flesh, skin, blood, body parts, vitality, is that what they usually take from you?"

"Yes, but I've still learned to adapt, that's why I'm still alive"

"If you say so boy, but for the record you've been warned a long time ago about the risks of having a contract with a devil, now imagine having three. They could easily leave you with nothing to give in return and that's where -"