6:40 PM.
The sky was a hazy gray.
Nara Prefecture's famous beer and snack street was already crowded with people.
The street was bustling with activity, packed with people coming and going.
To vent the stress of daily life, most office workers would invite one or two close colleagues or friends and find a suitable restaurant in the beer district for dinner.
After downing a glass of draft beer, whatever was bothering them would effortlessly spill from their lips.
At this moment, a particular restaurant welcomed a special group of guests.
"Hello, welcome!" The waitress standing by the door enthusiastically opened it for them.
Stepping inside, they could see numerous people already drinking and dining.
"How many in your party?"
"Twelve. We made a reservation this afternoon," Kiko Natsume smiled. Although she was the Captain of Special Division 3, she always gave off a very approachable vibe.
"Ah, it's you folks. Right this way, I'll take you to your room."
The waitress seemed to know their identities and hurriedly led the way.
The group followed Kiko Natsume into a pre-arranged private room.
At the entrance, everyone took off their shoes and stepped onto the tatami mats.
"Natsume-senpai, your body recovered very quickly! You were in a wheelchair this morning, and you can walk normally this afternoon," Arata observed.
"I took a special kind of medicine, so my body recovered fast."
At that moment, Tsurugi immediately chimed in, "Captain Natsume's body hasn't fully recovered yet, so she can't drink alcohol tonight. If you want to drink, Arata, just come to me."
"Also, does Denji drink?"
"I don't drink. When is Miss Makima getting here?"
"Her? It seems she had some important matter to attend to and will be arriving a bit late."
"It's great that Miss Makima can come! I haven't seen her in so long." Knowing Makima was definitely coming, Denji was beyond excited.
"A single day apart feels like three autumns" perfectly described Denji's mood right now.
"Natsume-senpai, you said there were twelve of us earlier? Besides the people from Division 3 and Division 4, is there someone else?" Arata asked.
"Yes, there is one special guest. And all of you should know them." Kiko Natsume didn't reveal the name immediately, keeping them in suspense.
"Let's all find a seat first. The menus are on the table. Tsurugi, if you don't mind, could you be in charge of ordering?"
"Understood, Captain Natsume," Tsurugi said, immediately marking down sizzling squid on the menu.
"Since we're out, there's no need to call me Captain Natsume. Just call me Kiko."
"K... Kiko."
Tsurugi absolutely loved this form of address. He then lowered his head and continued filling out the menu.
"Sizzling squid seems to be Captain Natsume's favorite dish, isn't it? But do you remember what we like to eat, Tsurugi?" Tenten asked deliberately.
"How could I possibly remember what you guys like to eat? The main thing is that Kiko and I both love sizzling squid, which is why I remember it clearly. As for what you guys want to eat, just order it yourselves," Tsurugi hurriedly explained, not wanting Tenten and the others to see through his little crush.
"Get Denji a serving of toast. It's his favorite food."
"Master, that's what I used to love eating. Now I love eating barbecue, fish, sushi..."
Denji counted on his fingers, listing off all the delicious foods he had eaten recently.
Seeing Denji's earnest expression, Arata just smiled faintly.
He recalled the time when Denji couldn't even achieve "toast freedom."
Back then, Denji thought toast spread with jam was the most delicious food in the entire world.
Now, he was already able to name a whole list of gourmet foods other than toast.
Everyone sat down on their knees.
Arata, however, sat differently from the rest, crossing his legs on the tatami mat.
"Natsume... I mean, Kiko, sit here." Tsurugi was incredibly attentive, gently helping Kiko Natsume sit down while taking the seat right next to her, making it convenient to take care of her.
Tenten took the initiative to sit right next to Arata.
And as time passed, the distance between their arms grew smaller and smaller.
Denji didn't sit next to Arata.
Instead, he was busy saving a seat for Makima.
"Captain, when are the people from Division 4 arriving?" Tenten asked.
"I asked before we came in. They said they were ten minutes away. They should be here right about now."
Kiko Natsume glanced at the watch on her wrist.
Suddenly, the door to the private room was violently shoved open.
BANG!!
With such a violent way of opening the door, Arata knew exactly who it was without even looking.
"The Great Power has arrived! Everyone make way!" Power yelled, being the first to charge in.
"Hey! Power! Take your shoes off!!" Aki Hayakawa's roar followed immediately after. He grabbed Power by the back of her collar and dragged her right back out of the room.
He insisted on forcing Power to take off her shoes outside before letting her in.
"Why does the Great Me have to listen to you everywhere we go?!!!"
Power turned around and confronted Aki.
She had already had enough of his endless nagging at home.
Even when they were out, she couldn't escape his motherly scolding.
"When you come out, you represent Division 4. Don't embarrass us."
"The Great Me only represents myself!"
"If you don't listen, I'll tell Miss Makima when she gets here."
"Fine, the Great Me won't bicker with you. It's just taking off shoes."
Power directly kicked her shoes off, sending them flying into the air.
She then charged into the private room barefoot.
Aki Hayakawa sighed helplessly, picked up the shoes Power had sent flying, and placed them neatly at the entrance.
"Arata! Did you miss the Great Me?! I know you definitely missed me!"
As soon as she entered the room, Power immediately lunged at Arata.
Her entire front plastered itself against Arata's back.
Watching this scene, Denji was truly envious.
"What are you doing?! Are you trying to crush Arata to death?!"
From the side, Tenten spoke up indignantly on Arata's behalf.
She forcefully tried to separate Power from Arata.
"What Arata does is none of your business!" Power yelled at Tenten.
"He is currently Division 3's outside help. Naturally, it is my business."
"Don't crush my master! If you have the guts, crush me!" Denji also yelled, feeling quite dissatisfied.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Denji! It's only been a few days and you've already forgotten me?!"
"The Great Me knows you, but you're too weak to pique the Great Me's interest."
"Power, behave yourself!" Aki Hayakawa sat down next to Denji and yelled at Power.
"Denji! Help the Great Me teach Aki a lesson, and I'll lay on your back! The Great Me knows exactly what you want!"
"Uh..." Denji glanced at Aki. Aki was glaring right back at him, seemingly asking, You dare?
"Um... excuse us."
At that moment, two more Public Safety Devil Hunters slid the door open and walked in.
It was none other than Kobeni and Arai.
Compared to the others, these two seemed rather shy.
Kobeni, in particular, was already starting to sweat from her forehead.
She thought it was just going to be a normal get-together. She hadn't expected there to be this many people.
"Power, roll over to the side. Stop pressing down on me."
Arata pushed Power over to Aki's side.
He might as well let Aki keep a close eye on her.
He then turned to look at Arai and Kobeni.
"Don't just stand there. Go sit next to Peter."
"O-okay..."
"Understood, Arata-senpai."
The two slowly took their seats next to Peter.
Both their actions and the look in their eyes revealed a deep respect for Arata.
"You don't need to be so serious when we're out for dinner. But how did I become your senpai?" Arata asked.
"Um... didn't you work as a civilian Devil Hunter for a year and a half? In terms of seniority, you've been doing this longer than I have. It's only right that I call you senpai," Arai said hastily.
He would rather take the initiative to call Arata 'senpai'.
He absolutely did not dare let Arata call him 'senpai'.
Because Arai knew full well he couldn't handle that kind of weight.
"Don't be so stiff. The menus are on the table, order whatever you want to eat. The higher-ups specifically gave Division 3 a subsidy for this dinner," Kiko Natsume smiled amiably.
"We owe this all to Arata. If it were up to us, we might not have found the missing people even after three days," Tsurugi mentioned casually in front of Division 4.
And it was entirely due to Arata that the whole of Division 4 had been invited to bask in his glory.
"I heard about you solving the case from Himeno-senpai. Arata really is suited to be a Public Safety Devil Hunter. Much better than the other two," Aki Hayakawa said slowly, lighting a cigarette.
"Aki, what is that supposed to mean?! I put in effort too, alright? Plus, I even got treated as a suspect!"
"The Great Me put in effort too! I called Arata and even helped him analyze the case!"
"Analyze the case? You clearly spent the entire phone call complaining about Aki!" Denji exposed her directly, not leaving Power with any face.
"Excuse me, this is the oolong tea sent by our boss. It's already been brewed for you."
The waitress brought over a pot of freshly brewed oolong tea.
Kobeni, being the closest to the door, hurriedly stood up to receive it.
But her body swayed slightly.
She almost dumped the entire pot of hot tea right onto Arai's head.
"Kobeni, be careful!" Arai exclaimed in terror, covering his head.
"I... I'm sorry!"
After apologizing, she first walked over to Arata's side.
She poured a cup of tea for him and said, "Master, please have some tea."
"Thank you. But I really don't feel safe having you pour tea. You'd better give the teapot to Arai. I'm terrified that in the next second you'll trip and spill the tea all over the floor."
"Okay," Kobeni squeaked, quickly handing the teapot to Arai.
Arai took over the duty of pouring tea for the seniors.
At that moment, Tenten suddenly leaned in and whispered to Arata, "Why does that girl call you Master?"
"Because Kobeni was trained by me. Even though her usual performance leaves much to be desired, I firmly believe she is absolutely a dark horse."
Arata had a thorough understanding of everyone else.
But Kobeni was excessively mysterious.
Aside from the fact that she manages to survive until the very end, the devil she contracted is also a massive point of suspicion.
Some even theorized that Kobeni might have contracted the Misfortune Devil or the Death Devil.
If it really was the Death Devil, or some other incredibly powerful devil...
As her master, Arata would feel incredibly proud.