Chapter 38

"So, you know this guy," Sam was in Makima's office. "I got his picture as I followed him."

While she stared at the picture he had, she said, "He's one of the higher-ups in charge of Public Safety's management."

"Your boss?"

"Not exactly, just a higher-up. Why are you asking about him?" Makima asked, tightening her gaze.

"Yesterday, he offered me a promotion," Sam said. "Does this mean I'm your boss now?"

"Don't be silly. We're equals," she replied. "But other than that, I've got your promotion letter. It's official. You can form your own division now."

"I see, so he's legitimate," Sam replied.

"What? You didn't ask him for ID or something? It could save you troubles."

"Those things are easy to fake. At first, I thought they were frauds, so I considered taking some money from them. I played along and asked for payment in advance. But they're legitimate. Shit."

"What?" Makima asked when he cursed.

"There's something I have to do in return," Sam exhaled a long sigh.

"Which is?"

Sam proceeded to tell her about the secret mission. Since she was a devil, he believed that she could be trusted with secrets more than humans.

Makima lowered her head. "Since I can't control you, you are free to do what you want. But I advise you against it."

"Why? You don't trust me," Sam asked.

"I trust you, but not your power, Sam. You consider yourself fast and a master in swordsmanship, right?"

"Yep, super fast," Sam said.

"I can say that there's a lesbian in China who surpasses you in both," Makima replied.

That was shocking. Makima was always spying on him, so she must have a good idea about his power. He considered her statement very carefully.

Sam sat opposite Makima. He didn't think she was lying about that. The world is vast, and there are more devils outside Japan, and there were people who could hunt them. He'd get into trouble if he fought someone surpassing him without preparation.

But the thing is, he wasn't committed to his mission. He didn't have to succeed. He could report a failure and keep the money for himself. Maybe he could hide and do a side hustle, such as being a mercenary.

Still, that supposed lesbian from China seemed to be troublesome.

"And what if I used your power boost?" Sam asked.

"You'll have a chance, but you may end up burning your whole lifespan," Makima said. "I don't want to spend millennia to find someone like you."

"Yeah, I'm that unique," Sam lied on his chair and looked at the sky. 'No matter how I think of it, there's something missing. I'm not comfortable with this mission. But I need more money. If not, I'll end up like Vergil. More power, but still running from child support.'

'That's not the point. It seems that I have to scam the government, and I need to find a good excuse for why I failed.

'Maybe... Maybe I can get more money from them before heading to China.

'Once I get it, I'll disappear into the night...'

Sam smiled widely.

"What are you thinking of?"

"Can you give me the number of the baldy?" Sam asked. "I need to make a private report."

-x-X-x-

Sam was sitting with Himeno next to a coffee shop near the HQ. Both were having iced coffee.

"It's been a long time. Getting lonely at night?" Himeno teased.

Sam shook his head. "Can't we just sit down? We might be friends with benefits, but we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Weren't you ghosting me for the last week?"

"Nope, I was busy."

"Busy doing what?"

"Running away from a devil that was claiming my soul," Sam was honest. He'd been running from that devil, on his PS2 console.

Himeno seemed genuinely concerned. "You should be more careful."

"I should," Sam said. "Anyway, I wanted to have one last day with you."

"You're leaving or something?"

"Yep, I have a mission abroad. So, you know, I might not see you for a few months," Sam said.

Sam then reached into his pocket. When he read the SMS from his bank, he smiled.

Earlier, he had tried to negotiate with the boss of his boss, saying that he felt that he'd need more money to do his job in China and that the risks were too high. He asked for seven times the previous amount. If he counted in dollars, he had acquired around 1.4 million from the government. He'd already received permission to withdraw it.

He would leave some for Power, use some for his mission, and hide the rest in his house.

"You're smiling. What happened?"

"Jackpot," Sam looked at her. "I won the lottery."

"That's a lie. You don't gamble. But if you don't want to tell me, I won't mind," Himeno shrugged.

Sam held her hand and helped her stand up. "Let's make a good memory before I set off."

Himeno smiled. "It's still job time, but I can make an exception."

-x-X-x-

Sam was at the airport, boarding a plane bound for China. The plane took off, and Sam put one leg over the other.

'Now, I wonder if the plane ever crashed, how would I react? I can stick my sword to it, and once the acceleration reaches zero and I'm near the ground, I can jump.

'Second, summon a giant fox and use it. The fox won't be happy, but meh, she can deal with it.'

'Three... Praying that my HP is enough to take the fall.'

The flight had taken some time. He was traveling first class, but he noticed something strange.

He stood up and walked to the back. The seats in second class were empty, and there were no stewardesses or staff.

'Now, there are two possibilities. One, it's a private plane, and I'm the only passenger. But that's a stupid move; wouldn't the Chinese suspect I'm going to steal their treasures? Second, there's a major problem on board.'

Sam continued walking toward the cockpit. There was a pilot inside, steering the plane.

"Man, I thought I was alone," Sam said. "Do you believe that I almost thought this was a nightmare?"

"Isn't life a nightmare?" the pilot replied, gazing at the sky. "You're young, aren't you?"

"No, I'm as old as time but I look young," Sam replied mockingly. The pilot seemed depressed, so he wanted to cheer him up.

"Oh, you've lived long enough to realize that life isn't important, but what's important is family," the pilot said. He then held the radio and yelled, "Hail China!"

The plane began descending toward the ground. "Son of a bitch!"

-x-X-x-

NSJW office.

"And this way, we have him dead, and the Chinese shall take the blame, and Makima's weakness shall turn into motivation," said a bald man as he opened his arms.

"What about the pilot?" asked another higher-up.

"He's getting the death penalty. In exchange for helping us, his family will receive a lot of money," replied the bald man.

A radio in the middle of the table echoed, "Hail China!"

The rest of the meeting attendants clapped their hands.

-x-X-x-

Sam found himself losing his footing. He grabbed his sword and stuck it to the wall. He looked left and right for a parachute, but there was none.

'Guess it's the Fox Devil's time.'

Sam waved his sword quickly, creating a hole in the plane, before jumping. He found himself falling. Surprisingly, the ground looked like a high-quality GPS image.

He created a circle with his index and thumb, saying, "Kon, get your whole body here."

A giant devil, almost as big as a skyscraper, appeared. Sam landed on its nose, crossing his legs. The head started falling, but it was slow.

"I only bit the dust," said the fox devil's head. "And why are we in the air?" The fox didn't sound happy.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam held tight onto its fur. "Listen, girl, let me summon you a few times. I'll use you as a foothold until I land, okay?"

"Are you insulting me!?"

"How about you take ten years of my life each time?" Sam said. "I'm that desperate."

"You may die that way," replied the fox.

"Trading my life for a fall. I'm dead both ways. I'll gamble my life with you. At least, you, my dear friend, will be the one to take my life."

"Fair enough," the devil said with a touched voice. "New deal. I'll teleport you to Kyoto in exchange for twenty years."

"What?" Sam thought he didn't hear her well and wanted to confirm.

"If you died, who would bring me good meals?" the fox replied.

"Thank you, my friend," Sam rubbed the fox's head. "I've never been touched in my life, except for the time Makima brought me a PS2 and when Messi held the World Cup."

"Keep your stories to yourself."

Both then vanished into a smoke.