Chapter 37

The members of NSCJ, the National Security Council of Japan, were seated at a round table, currently in the midst of a highly confidential meeting.

A picture of a young black-haired man was displayed in the center. He was Sam Lee, the Rookie of the Year, who also happened to be identified as the weakness of their Weapon—the Control Devil.

The head of Public Safety had presented this information to them. The ministry was greatly concerned about the possibility of their adversaries, from the USA to China, discovering this vulnerability. While those nations possessed fragments of the Gun Devil, Japan relied on Makima as their ally.

"Now, we have a problem, don't we?" asked the head of NSCJ.

"Makima appears to have an affection for a human."

"Is that even possible? She's a devil. Maybe she's manipulating him."

"If she wanted to manipulate him, she would have already controlled him. But whether he's controlled or not, he's not the primary concern."

"I see your point. The problem lies with her."

"What if other nations find out?"

"We'd be in trouble. Even her contract with the head minister isn't without a loophole that would allow her to turn against us."

"So, what do we do?"

"Easy, get rid of the kid," one of them suggested. "It may not sound good, but for the safety of our nation, I believe even the young man would understand."

A few of them chuckled. "Understand... let's move past this. We must prioritize the greater good of our nation, even if it requires a small sacrifice."

"Other than that, I don't think Makima would respond well to that."

"What if he were to die in a mysterious accident?" one suggested. "One that would make it seem like another nation was responsible."

"That way, if her feelings are genuine, she'll continue working for our nation's best interests."

-x-X-x-

"Achoo!" Sam, seated on the floor, sneezed and rubbed his nose. Currently, he was holding a controller and playing a game on his PS2. He was delighted that this world had something in common with his previous one.

Power lay on the couch, swinging her legs up and down. She complained, "Sam, I'm hungry."

"Just get some of my blood; I'm busy," Sam replied.

A few drops of blood dripped from her waist, forming a blood hammer. Power glared at Sam and said, "Ever since you got that box, you've been neglecting your duties. You're not cooking, not cleaning, and you're not even trying to... engage with me! You're not actively seeking out devils like you used to before."

"You know, this is called 'Warrior's rest.' Besides, many devils come to my house daily," Sam said, frowning. "Oh man, I almost died. Power, shut up; you're just a distraction."

Sam had his reasons for acting this way. He missed some of the happiness that the modern world had to offer.

"I get it. That machine is evil. I shall destroy it so that you..." Power rushed toward the PS2, lifted her hammer to destroy it, but Sam's quick reflexes allowed him to snatch the PS2 and escape. Unfortunately, Power managed to destroy the TV instead.

"My heart nearly stopped beating," Sam said, looking at Power. "Are you trying to destroy the only thing... well, the second thing I love. The first one being..." he paused, "never mind. Are you unhappy to see me happy?"

Power bit her lip and pointed to her clothes, saying, "They don't clean themselves, you know. Just like your clothes."

Sam glanced at his shirt and then realized something, asking, "How many days has it been?"

"Five days, and you forgot to do the laundry. Your fridge is empty, and the only thing you've eaten was a bag of potato chips."

Sam scratched the back of his head. "Man, I forgot that I have a life. People to connect with, duties, and progress to achieve."

"I wanted to be the strongest, but I've taken a step back. How much experience have I wasted..." he mused. "But other than that, I've realized that Makima is a very good person. She's such a sweet girl." Sam contemplated killing some of his allied devils, but he dismissed the idea since they were valuable pawns.

Sam sighed. "You make a good point. I've been neglecting my duties..." He walked past Power, paused, and said, "But if you destroyed my PS2, I'll make you work a part-time job."

Makima had removed Power's memories when she revealed their contract was invalid, and Sam was thankful for that.

"Don't forget, medium-rare," Power ignored his threat and settled back on her couch. "Glad I got my house husband back. I guess we shouldn't welcome Makima anymore."

"Shame on you," Sam scolded her. "Her company is good."

"Come on, Sam. I know you turn anyone who turns you good into good. I noticed that when I showed you my meat. You even liked Himeno more after that."

"Right," Sam agreed. "I should call her."

Knock Knock

Sam paused when he heard a knock on his door. He hadn't sensed any devils approaching, so it must be a human. He trusted his instincts, and they told him that many people were waiting by his door.

"Not many visitors. I shouldn't let my guard down," Sam thought as he grabbed his katana and opened the door.

Before him stood men in black, with a portly man in a black suit at their head, adorned with numerous trophies.

"Who are you guys, and what do you want?" Sam asked, somewhat annoyed.

One man, who appeared to be a bodyguard, exclaimed, "This is the representative of the NSCJ. Show some respect!"

"Geez, dude. If I insulted your mom, you wouldn't defend her as fervently as you defend this guy," Sam replied. "What the heck is NSCJ anyway? Am I being suspected for killing someone?"

"No. I'm your boss's boss," the portly man said with a forced smile.

"Ah, Makima-san's boss," Sam nodded. "What do you want?"

"Well, we've been following your performance over the past few months, and we're here to officially promote you."

"Promote me?" Sam thought and raised his head. "Does that mean more responsibilities?" In that case, he wouldn't have time to enjoy his hobbies, wouldn't he. More work simply meant more life.

"Quite the opposite. You'll only be in the field for important missions. It means your payment will increase."

"I need to buy a new TV anyway," Sam was about to nod when the man added, "But first, you'll need to complete one mission."

"One mission?"

"You have to retrieve a few pieces of the Gun Devil, from the Chinese government."

"Hold up. Does that mean I'll be going to China?"

"You'll go undercover. Do you accept this mission?"

"Maybe," Sam said. "But I want to be paid in advance, and I want a substantial bonus."

"Worry not. Check your bank account."

Sam's phone vibrated. He reached into his pocket, picked it up, and opened his eyes wide when he saw the notification.

"Six... seven..." he counted the zeros carefully, ensuring there was no mistake. 'Man, I can live a good life with this amount of money for ten years. That's it. I'll quite quit after this mission.'