Chapter 13

"The body of a fiend is much more durable than that of a human—superhuman in strength, speed, agility, and defense. A fiend outclasses the average human being in every way, even before utilizing any devil abilities. One such ability is the capacity to consume the blood of humans, or in some cases, other devils, for regeneration. A single drop of blood can heal an otherwise fatal wound. A shot glass of blood can regenerate a hand. In some cases, as tested in 1991, a fiend can be fully incinerated down to bones, and as long as the remaining cells come in contact with blood, the fiend will regenerate to working order."

Kishibe read from a small handbook gifted to him by Makima. It was filled with various pieces of information about fiends and devils. Most of it was common knowledge for the grizzled old man, but it was new knowledge for Kobeni. She followed along with every word spoken by the squad commander. The small, grey steel cargo bay of the plane shuddered around them as the bitter cold airspace of Saint Petersburg threatened to crack the weak steel protection of the plane under the ice particles. The turbines struggled against the icy onslaught.

Kobeni shuddered every time there was a brief turbulence. Her liquid courage had long since worn off, replaced by a mind-splitting headache. Denji hadn't spoken a word since Makima had briefed them on their mission 17 hours ago. He seemed capable of listening, following along with the group, answering Kishibe's various "do you understand?" questions with a simple nod or shake, depending on his answer. Angel had taken to napping on a bundle of backpacks filled with emergency rations and various survival kits. Denji reminisced about the mission assignment Makima had handed them after they re-entered the bar. Her stand-offish mood the rest of the night couldn't have been more evident. Both squads were thankful when she directed them to meet bright and early in her office the next morning.

Denji listened attentively as Makima briefed them on the mission. He was woken up early, much to his displeasure, and then dragged to the public safety building. An irritable, hungover Kobeni and an uncomfortable Angel stood on either side of him in Makima's office. Kishibe was already there, his arms crossed, fixated on a Manila folder on Makima's desk.

Makima got straight to the point. "For today's mission, I'll keep it brief. Your squad will travel to Saint Petersburg in the Soviet Union to capture a fiend believed to be working as an assassin for the Soviet Union."

Denji looked at the photos in the folder. The quality varied, ranging from grainy black and white to what seemed like a yearbook photo. The main attention grabber was the fiend's green eyes. She looked almost friendly, and Denji couldn't help but wonder if she was like him, someone caught up in something much bigger.

"Currently, we have little information on the whereabouts of the fiend other than their location. However, their capabilities and combat prowess are said to be second to none in the entirety of Europe," Kishibe explained, his tone serious. Angel noticed a subtle head tilt from Makima, as if she was watching a scripted event unfold.

Kishibe continued, "The fiend is incredibly dangerous. They possess regenerative abilities similar to normal fiends and devils. However, they have one notable ability: on their neck is a small circular pin. Even if the heart and organs of the fiend are removed, pulling that pin will allow the fiend to regenerate fully from any wound. It is strongly advised to maintain a safe distance from the fiend."

Makima rifled through the folder, and then presented a particular paper to the trio, allowing them to see it.

Denji was taken aback by the image. A seemingly ordinary girl, yet with a head resembling a bomb typically dropped from a plane. Her arms from the elbows down were metallic gauntlets, each ending in clawed, missile-like appendages. The sheer aberration of the appearance startled him.

"This person is the Bomb Fiend," Makima stated sternly. "If located, they are to be captured at all costs. There will be a car ready to take all of you to an airfield, where you will be discreetly transported to Saint Petersburg via airplane."

Makima got up, grabbing her coat, and started heading towards another room. Just before leaving, her gaze shifted, focusing directly on Angel. The air grew tense, and Denji could feel the weight of Makima's attention on their squadmate.

Denji snapped back to the present from his reverie. Angel, now wide awake, was munching on a chocolate-flavored protein bar stowed in a survival pouch. Meanwhile, Kobeni had succumbed to sleep in her chair. Kishibe was engaged in conversation with the pilot, peering into the dark, snowy expanse outside the plane.

This was Denji's first encounter with Russian snow, and he pondered if it differed from the typical winter snow he was familiar with. He glanced through a small, glass circular window on the plane, spotting two distant lights that appeared city-like to the north. "Kishibe!" Denji exclaimed, seeking guidance on their current direction. "What is it?" Kishibe inquired. "Which way are we heading?" "West," came the reply.

Examining the lights, Denji noticed they were drawing nearer. "Maybe it's another plane?" he speculated. Suddenly, Denji shouted, "Kishibe! Missile!" as one of the lights approached dangerously close, the metallic tube barely missing the plane due to the pilot's skilled evasive maneuvers. Denji lurched forward, accidentally landing on Kobeni, waking her in a panic.

Bucketloads of sweat and tears streamed down Kobeni's face as she grappled with the sudden onslaught of fear. Denji attempted to reach the cockpit, scaling a small ladder to get to Kishibe. Just in time, he witnessed another missile whizz past, detonating half a mile ahead in a fiery explosion.

The intense flash momentarily blinded Denji, forcing him to adjust his vision. However, a dark spot soon grew in his vision, which seemed to enlarge as the plane continued on its course. He wiped his eyes, straining to comprehend what was happening. A silhouette emerged amidst the fiery explosion—an eerie figure suspended in the air, its limbs fashioned from flaming missiles. It was the bomb fiend.

Denji instinctively reached for his rip cord, but Kishibe halted him, emphasizing the necessity of getting to solid ground. Facing the impending threat, Denji released the cord, knowing that confronting the fiend within the plane was a deadly choice. He turned back to the fiend, just in time to witness her extending her hand and releasing a small, baseball-sized spark towards the plane.

Denji's saw white for a moment then he could feel the entire plane nosedive and he went weightless.