The assignment was clear. A devil had been causing chaos in the city, and it was up to Denji, Aki, and Ryota, with the recent addition of Power, to deal with it.
They stood outside the last known location of the devil's attack, trying to piece together the clues.
Power, being the most unconventional member of the team, initially seemed uninterested. However, her eyes kept darting to Ryota, a mixture of curiosity and something unidentifiable shining in them.
Denji, oblivious as ever, jumped right in. "Alright! Let's kill this thing and get paid!"
Aki sighed, "It's not that simple, Denji. We need to strategize."
Ryota nodded in agreement, "Exactly. We need to—"
"Why are you here?" Power abruptly interrupted, pointing a clawed finger at Ryota.
Ryota looked taken aback. "I'm here for the same reason you all are: to hunt this devil."
Power tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "You're different. Not like them," she said, indicating Aki and Denji.
Before Ryota could respond, Denji blurted out, "Well, yeah! He said he's gay!"
Aki smacked Denji on the back of the head. "Idiot! That's not what she meant!"
Power's eyes widened, a mischievous grin forming on her lips. "Oh! So you like men?" she teased.
Ryota sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can we please focus on the mission?"
As they continued their investigation, the dynamics within the team began to shift. Power, despite her teasing, seemed genuinely intrigued by Ryota, often watching him intently. Whether it was genuine curiosity or a ploy to unnerve him was anyone's guess.
The three of them, each an oddball in their own right, traversed the rooftops of the city. The cool evening breeze was offset by the tension in the air, and the city lights below formed a breathtaking backdrop.
Power, in her natural element, bounded from building to building with wild abandon, occasionally sending tiles flying. Her red eyes gleamed with mischief as she looked back, taunting the boys to keep up.
Denji, not one to back down from a challenge, revved up his chainsaw and gave chase. "You're not leaving me behind!" he shouted, his voice filled with equal parts determination and excitement.
Ryota, on the other hand, was more composed, effortlessly using his agility and prowess to keep up. He didn't possess the supernatural abilities of the others, but he had his own set of skills, sharpened from years of training and experience.
As they leaped across the buildings, Power suddenly stopped, her ears perking up. "Do you hear that?" she whispered.
The two men strained their ears, and after a moment, Denji responded, "Sounds like... singing?"
A haunting melody wafted through the air, growing louder with each passing second. Power's eyes narrowed. "It's a Siren Devil. Lures its prey with its song and then strikes."
Ryota frowned, trying to locate the source of the song. "We need to find it before it finds us "
Denji, chainsaw ready, grinned. "Sounds like a plan. Let's take it down!"
The trio readied themselves, gearing up for the imminent confrontation with the devil.
After th- power smashes the devil all around....Makima arrives with a frown...they all assemble
Makima stepped onto the scene, her imposing aura making the battered environment seem even more desolate. Her gaze was cold and assessing as she looked over the three.
"You had one job," she began in her usual calm, controlled tone.
"It's all Denji's fault!" Power immediately snapped, pointing accusingly.
Denji frowned, "Hey, why me? Ryota is the one who kept giving those ridiculous commands!"
Ryota scoffed, "Oh, please! You barely listened! Most of the problems began when Power decided to go off on her own rampage!"
Power hissed, "Don't you dare put this on me! I did my part! If anything, Denji was the one dragging us down!"
Denji countered, "You're always so quick to charge in without thinking! And Ryota? He's too busy overanalyzing everything!"
Ryota rubbed his temples, trying to keep his composure, "Denji, if you'd just listened for once, we could've had a better strategy. And Power? Cooperation is key. Ever heard of it?"
Power snarled, "Maybe if you two weren't so useless, I wouldn't have to do everything myself!"
Denji shot back, "Everything? Like getting trapped? Oh yeah, that was super helpful!"
Ryota muttered, "Maybe if we had an actual plan rather than you two bickering, we could have succeeded."
Power growled, "Says the guy who can't even follow his own strategy."
Denji added, "Right? And then blames us when it goes wrong."
Ryota snapped, "If you guys would just—"
"Enough!" She shouted, but they seemed too caught up in their own world of blame and anger to heed her.
She blinked, obviously not used to being ignored, especially by her own subordinates. Taking a deep breath, she raised her voice, this time in a more stern and commanding tone. "I said, ENOUGH!"
The three exchanged glances
Power, with her usual unrestrained candor, pointed at Makima, "You didn't give clear instructions! This mess is your fault too!"
Denji, clearly agitated, shot a glance at Ryota. "Why'd you interfere at that last moment? We had it!"
Ryota, eyebrows raised in surprise, retorted, "I saw an opening! Besides, if Makima had briefed us better, maybe we wouldn't have clashed like that."
Makima, who was usually the picture of composure, seemed momentarily taken aback by the onslaught of complaints. She took a moment, her gaze shifting between the three before landing on Power. "I provided the information I had. Situations change, and I expect my team to adapt."
Denji, trying to defend his point, said, "But Makima, if we had known about that devil's second form-"
Makima cut him off with a hand gesture, "You are devil hunters. Unknowns and sudden changes are part of the job. What I can't understand is why you three couldn't work together."
Power snorted, "Maybe if someone didn't treat this like a game of secrets, we'd have better teamwork."
Ryota, realizing that the conversation was escalating into a full-blown confrontation, intervened, "Okay, let's just take a breath. We're all on edge, and pointing fingers isn't helping."
Makima regarded them all with a scrutinizing look. "This mission highlighted flaws in the team dynamics, not just in the briefing. Take this as an opportunity to grow, to learn to trust and communicate better."
Power muttered something under her breath about "Humans and their lectures," but the overall sentiment was clear: They needed to become a cohesive unit if they were to tackle greater challenges ahead.
As the argument continued, the Illusionary Devil's voice echoed in Ryota's mind.
"Well played, Ryota. Quite the little trickster, aren't we?" the devil teased, amusement dripping from every word.
Ryota silently responded in his thoughts, a smirk forming on his lips, "Sometimes you have to shake things up a bit."
The Illusionary Devil laughed softly, "Using illusions on your own team to challenge Makima? Bold. Cheeky. I appreciate the audacity. You've got more spine than I gave you credit for."
Ryota mentally shrugged, "I figured it was time someone made things interesting around here. Besides, it's good for them to not always fall in line so easily."
The devil's amusement was palpable. "You know, for a human, you surprise me often. Keep it up, and our partnership might turn out to be more entertaining than I thought."
Ryota took a moment to bask in the rare praise. With the Illusionary Devil on his side, he felt confident in facing whatever challenges lay ahead, even if it meant ruffling a few feathers.
Denji leaned closer, his usual mischievous grin in place. "So, Ryota, heard you're into guys. Guess that means you're not competition for the ladies around here, huh?"
Power, her red eyes glinting, chimed in, "Weak human feelings. Who cares if Ryota likes males, females, or both? It's all the same. Humans are just food."
Ryota's question hung in the air for a moment before Denji gave him a wary look, shuffling his feet. "Honestly? It's weird to me. Where I grew up, folks talked trash about guys liking guys."
Power smirked, seemingly enjoying the tension. "Humans are weird. They kill and get killed for all sorts of reasons. Why not add this to the list?"
Ryota sighed, "So, you're not okay with it?"
Denji scratched his head, looking a bit uncomfortable. "It's... different. I mean, I've never known someone who's openly gay. But, I guess, if you don't try anything on me, we're good."
Ryota gave him a look of mild annoyance. "Trust me, Denji, you're not my type."
Power laughed, her distinct cackling filling the room. "Burned by a human! This is too good!"
Denji pouted, "Hey! I'm plenty of people's type!"
Ryota just smirked and turned away.
Ryota, slightly exasperated, rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not gay, guys. That was just a ruse."
Power tilted her head, the glint in her eyes unmistakable mischief. "Then why the act? Did you want to get close to Denji? It's fine if you did. Denji's body might be appealing for humans."
Denji blushed furiously. "Wh-what?! Power, what the hell?"
Ryota rolled his eyes. "It was just a tactic, not anything personal."
Power chuckled, her sharp nails clicking together. "Humans and their tactics. You're all so complicated. Why can't you just be direct like devils? Eat, fight, sleep. Simple."
Ryota raised an eyebrow, "You think we're complicated?"
Power responded, with a sweeping gesture of her arm, "Humans, bruh. Always overthinking things."
Denji, still reeling from Power's earlier comment, muttered, "You think I'm appealing?"
Power grinned, teasingly, "To some devils, maybe. Human bodies can be... interesting."
Ryota sighed, sensing the endless cycle of banter beginning. "Let's just get back to the mission at hand, please?"