Chapter 32

Surrounded by blood, Sam emerged from the body of the Snake Devil. His eyes met those of Power and Akane.

He appeared disoriented, almost as if he were drunk.

"What's up, Sam?" Power asked loudly, though her voice held a hint of concern.

Sam smiled broadly. "Everything's up. Hehe."

The notification sound still rang in his head.

[+2,000,000 XP]

He should have received half of that experience, but thanks to his Devil Hunter Aura doubling due to a piece of the Gun Devil, the XP he gained from hunting devils had also doubled.

[You leveled up to level 23]

[+10 SP, +20 AP]

That made ten levels in a row.

He had struck gold by defeating such a powerful devil.

After all, it was the Snake Devil, a primal fear for humanity.

Yet he had employed strategy and vanquished it in a battle where he utilized all of his stats, from speed to power, and, most importantly, wisdom. Sam felt like he could write a book about this fight. Maybe the title should be 'I Defeated a Skyscraper-Sized Snake Using Only a Simple Curse and a Hungry Fox.'

"Are you thinking about how to brag to Makima in your head?" Power asked.

"Bad luck," Sam shook his head. "I'm thinking about how to brag about this to everyone."

Power pressed the sickle closer to Akane's neck. Akane appeared genuinely worried and afraid, with sweat dripping down her face and her eyelids trembling.

Power continued, "Sam, don't you think we deserve a bonus for taking down this devil and this... person?"

Sam nodded in approval.

"Kon, you can eat the rest of it," he pointed to the snake.

The Fox Devil was delighted with the offer. "Itadakimasu!" She ate like a stray dog Sam had encountered and thrown a chicken thigh to.

"Well, that's disappointing. It seems you prefer her over me," remarked the Curse Devil, who had yet to depart.

"She doesn't consume my life span every time I summon her," Sam replied. "You're quite greedy, aren't you?"

"Well, look forward to the moment you die, human," said the Curse Devil before vanishing into nothingness.

"Who were you talking to?" asked Power.

"The Curse Devil," Sam replied. Apparently, the conversation he had with the Curse Devil was private.

But that didn't matter.

"Let's get back to the office. We'll take this scammer with us," he said as he struck Akane with his sheath.

Akane, displaying fear on her face, retorted, "Says the scum."

-x-X-x-

Sam returned to HQ with Akane as his hostage. He had heard from other devil hunters, from different divisions, that the mobs had launched a large-scale attack, assassinating many devil hunters. Some were mourning, while others were trying to deliver the grim news to the families of the fallen devil hunters.

Sam crossed one leg over the other as he sat next to Makima's office. He held his phone in his hand, contemplating whether to call Himeno or not. Nobody had informed him if she had survived or not, and he hadn't seen her yet.

"Somewhat, I don't want to hear the bad news," Sam muttered to himself.

"Believe me, I feel the same about you," Himeno said while holding her phone.

Sam turned his head to see her approaching.

A rush of happiness and relief overwhelmed him, but he maintained a stoic expression.

"I was thinking about the horse race I bet on. Where have you been?"

"I've been trying to reach you after I visited your house. There were bullets everywhere, but no blood inside your apartment," she explained as she sat down next to him. "I found blood outside, so I figured it couldn't be yours. Makima confirmed that. I've been looking for you. What have you been up to?"

"What have I been doing?" Sam crossed his legs and raised his head. A broad smile spread across his face. Where should he start?

"Please, don't overbrag," she requested.

"There's nothing to overbrag about," Sam replied. "I fought the Snake Devil." He then took a deep breath and added, "It was a total slaughter, from my side."

"Looks like you love your job," Himeno leaned in and examined his face. Then she glanced at his phone. "It seems your horse broker's name is 'Himeno senpai.'"

Sam stowed his phone back in his pocket. "Listen, do you want to hang out at my place tonight?"

"Oh, I thought since you haven't called, you've already found someone else."

"Did you forget that I tend to forget things?"

"Whatever. Why don't you come to my place?" Himeno suggested. "This way, Power's screams won't bother us."

"Sorry, I can't," Sam sighed. "My apartment was damaged. I need to fix things. Well, at least, my insurance covers this. Though, I wonder if I can convince Makima to give me some money."

"You're obsessed with money, aren't you," Makima commented, appearing out of nowhere and standing next to them.

Himeno nearly froze, but Sam had already expected Makima's presence.

"Get into my office. Himeno, go back home," Makima ordered, without further questioning. Himeno complied, wearing a stoic expression as she left.

As strange as it was, Sam wasn't surprised. He looked at Makima. "Did you just... control her?"

"So what if I did? She won't remember anything," Makima said, entering her office.

Sam followed. She asked him to report what happened. Sam recounted the battle with a mixture of truths and minor lies. He emphasized the strength of the Fox Devil, which many devil hunters used, making it a significant asset.

"Wow, you took down the Snake Devil," Makima said, resting her head on her hands, elbows on the table. "You seem to be getting stronger after each fight."

"Well, you did give me a power boost. Besides, using two devils strategically was what allowed me to win," Sam explained. "It's not difficult to fight an idiot."

"But that doesn't explain everything," she responded. "But still, as long as you're doing a good job, I'm fine with you. Are you sure a devil didn't grant you power?"

"Well, the only devil who gave me power is you, by making me babysit her," Sam sighed as he lowered his head and shook it.

Makima was asking the question she had asked him the first time.

The Control Devil seemed uncertain about him.

Hold on a second.

Makima couldn't see through him, and if she truly wanted that information, she could have simply forced him to reveal it.

But she didn't.

Sam raised his head and looked at Makima, his heart beating louder and louder. 

"You've realized it," Makima gazed at him with her yellow eyes. "For some reason, you cannot be controlled. What are you going to do with this information?"