Forward

[Word Count: 3115]

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Ruby's determination remained unwavering as she stood in front of Leo, hands on her hips, attempting to maintain a fierce glare, although a hint of sadness betrayed her true emotions. Leo lounged on the couch, leaning back, and met Ruby's gaze with an indifferent expression.

In the observation room, the atmosphere was palpably tense. All eyes were fixed on the scene below, except for Ai, Aqua, and Kishibe, who displayed varying levels of concern. Himeno nervously crossed her arms, Ichigo and Miyako exchanged worried glances, and their desire to rush down and protect Ruby was evident. However, Kishibe's firm refusal halted any such plans.

"For your safety, only one person is allowed down there with the War Devil," Kishibe calmly stated, effectively quashing any notions of a rescue mission. If they wanted to ensure Ruby's safety, she would have to find her way back on her own, and judging by her determination, that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Ai, in stark contrast to the rest, didn't wear a hint of worry on her face. She watched the scene unfold below with unwavering confidence. Aqua, on the other hand, appeared absorbed in his book, but his unreadable expression hinted at the underlying concern he held, both for his sister's safety and the unpredictable nature of the War Devil.

Kishibe, ever the enigmatic figure, took a casual sip from his flask, his indifference standing out starkly amidst the group's unease. He observed the situation with detached curiosity, as though he were unraveling a complex puzzle.

Ruby gathered her nerves, swallowing hard as she took a cautious step closer to Leo. She was determined, her voice firm, yet laced with undertones of pleading as she addressed the War Devil.

"War Devil, give back Papa's body," she said, trying to maintain her composure.

However, Leo remained unmoved, his indifferent gaze fixed upon her. It was as if he were a statue, unyielding and unaffected by her plea. Ruby's frustration grew with each passing moment. She had hoped for some kind of reaction, even if it were negative, but the complete lack of response was testing her patience.

Suddenly, Himeno, Ichigo, and Miyako visibly flinched when Leo abruptly shifted from his reclined position to sit forward. Ruby stood her ground, determined not to back down, even though her heart pounded with anxiety.

Leo's cold hands moved up the sides of Ruby's face, gently pushing her cheeks upwards towards her eyes. Years of having her face pinched had made Ruby almost immune to such touches, but the icy chill of his grasp sent a shiver down her spine. The physical contact was unsettling, but Ruby remained still, her eyes locked onto Leo's indifferent expression.

Ruby maintained unwavering eye contact with Leo, her small hands gently placed around his cold wrists. She couldn't help but voice her discomfort, feeling the chill emanating from his touch. "You're cold," she complained softly, though she did not attempt to pull away.

For what felt like an eternity, Leo remained silent, but finally, his voice broke the stillness in the room. "Do you want to know why?" he asked, his words sending a ripple of emotions through everyone in the observation room. It had been so long since they heard his voice, and it carried a weight they couldn't ignore.

Ruby's gaze remained locked onto Leo's, and she nodded meekly in response to his question. Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes welled up with unspoken emotions.

Without uttering another word, Leo's right hand moved through Ruby's delicate hair, gently cradling the back of her head as he slowly brought her closer. The room was filled with a tense silence as they watched Leo place Ruby's ear against his chest.

Ruby's emotions welled up as she felt Leo's left arm wrap around her back, pulling her into an embrace that felt achingly familiar. Her heart almost ached in response to the comfort of his hold. She almost returned the embrace instinctively, her muscles tensed with a mixture of relief and confusion.

Then, Leo's words echoed in the enclosed room, jolting Ruby out of her emotional reverie. "Do you hear it?" he asked, his tone stoic.

At first, Ruby wasn't sure what he meant, her heart pounding in her chest as she fought back the urge to ask for clarification. But then she focused, straining her ears, and still, there was nothing. She concentrated harder, searching for the sound, and then, finally, she heard it.

A single heartbeat.

Leo continued to look forward with a distant expression as he explained the situation to Ruby. His voice remained stoic, as if he were merely discussing a mundane topic. "Not long ago, I got into an argument with the contracted devil in my heart. Greedy bastard didn't like what I said, so out of sheer pettiness, it stopped pumping blood around my body. It only beats occasionally to prevent my body from dying."

Ruby wasn't really listening to Leo's words anymore. She had become entranced by the sound of that single, fragile heartbeat, clinging to it as if it were the lifeline connecting her to her father. Leo's words echoed in his chest, but they only registered as distant murmurs to her.

In the observation room, the others were baffled by Leo's revelation, except for Kishibe, who had a working theory. His calm demeanor masked the turmoil beneath the surface as he considered the implications of what the War Devil had just revealed.

Kishibe suddenly broke the silence with a pointed question, his curiosity driving him forward. "What about Leo?" he asked. "Under normal circumstances, as a fiend, you shouldn't have access to Leo's contracts. They should've been considered null with his death. So, how are you able to use his contracts?"

Leo, or the War Devil, straightened his posture, his gaze piercing through the shattered glass toward Kishibe. He didn't seem perturbed by the question. Instead, he replied with a hint of defiance, "Who said I was a fiend?"

Kishibe's brow furrowed deeper as he tried to make sense of Leo's cryptic response. It was clear that the situation had taken a turn he hadn't anticipated. "If you're not a fiend, then what are you?" he pressed, his tone tinged with suspicion.

Leo maintained his cryptic demeanor, offering no straightforward answers. "Who knows," he replied enigmatically, his words leaving more questions than answers.

Meanwhile, Ruby still clung to Leo, her eyes fixed on his chest where she could hear the faint heartbeat. The explanation about the heart's sporadic beating weighed heavily on her young mind, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness and worry.

In the observation room, the tension remained palpable as Kishibe persisted in extracting more information from Leo. His voice remained calm but insistent. "War Devil or not, you're in Leo's body, using his contracts. That means you have some connection to him. Tell me, what's your objective here?"

Leo's gaze remained locked with Kishibe's, and for a moment, it seemed like he might divulge more. However, he stayed true to his cryptic nature, offering no answer as he turned to look straight ahead, leaving the room filled with uncertainty.

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Himeno lightly tapped her chin in deep thought, her expression contemplative. The entire situation felt foreign to her. In her experience, devils usually had clear and often malevolent agendas. Whether it was causing chaos, spreading fear, or causing harm to humans, most devils had a distinct purpose and goal.

The War Devil, however, appeared to be a unique case. It didn't actively seek out chaos or destruction like other devils, yet its mere existence seemed to generate turmoil and fear. Moreover, it had been targeting other devils, which was somewhat in line with Leo's previous actions as a devil hunter.

As Himeno pondered these puzzling aspects of the War Devil, Kishibe couldn't help but feel a growing frustration. The situation was becoming increasingly complex, and the emergence of the War Devil had thrown another curveball into the mix.

Kishibe acknowledged that he had underestimated Leo's growth. He had lost touch with his star pupil after Leo severed ties with the bureau, and it wasn't until recent encounters with the Karma Devil and the subsequent appearance of the Gun Devil that Kishibe realized just how strong Leo had become over the years.

Back then, you couldn't compare Makima to the devils of the week. Public Safety put a lot of effort into training her from scratch. Leo was also pretty strong, but it wasn't fair to compare Makima to the devils that you'd see in the newspapers. She was in a whole different league.

Initially, Kishibe wanted to have contingency plans in place, as he didn't want to burden Leo with the sole responsibility of facing Makima, especially when Leo was showing signs of losing motivation for devil hunting. He had considered recruiting additional capable devil hunters, but finding such individuals was a challenging task. Now, with the unpredictable War Devil in the equation, Kishibe felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

Kishibe's mind began to churn with a new plan. He recognized that he needed to take decisive action to contain the War Devil and minimize the risk it posed. His initial idea was to try and keep the War Devil locked down in the bunker, effectively isolating it from the outside world.

The War Devil had demonstrated a willingness to hunt down other devils, which could be a valuable asset, but it had also shown a propensity for unpredictability and resistance to following orders. Kishibe knew that relying solely on the War Devil's cooperation could be risky, so he needed to have a more controlled approach.

While the notion of leaving Leo's family in the presence of the War Devil seemed incredibly risky on paper, Kishibe couldn't help but hope that some of Leo's characteristics had been inherited by the War Devil. Leo had always been fiercely protective of his family, and if that trait had transferred to the War Devil, it might just work in their favor.

Kishibe sighed and reached for his flask, taking a swig of his preferred drink. It was a moment of contemplation, trying to balance the potential benefits of harnessing the War Devil's abilities with the inherent risks and challenges it presented. He knew that the situation was far from ideal, but he was fully determined to make the best of it.

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As a week passed, Kishibe's plan to have Leo's family practically move into the bunker with the War Devil seemed to be taking shape. The bunker had undergone some changes to accommodate their new living arrangements. In the 'living room', as they call it, a second couch was added in front of the previous one, with a table dividing the two, providing more seating for Leo's family. The observation room had also been cleaned up, and an additional observer had been assigned to the situation, though it wasn't exactly what anyone had expected.

Katana Man, or as the War Devil called him, Backenbart, had become more of a resident in the bunker than an observer. Himeno couldn't hide her displeasure at his presence, given their previous encounters. But every day, Backenbart and the War Devil engaged in what the War Devil referred to as "training," though it appeared to be more like a brutal sparring session.

Backenbart often emerged from these sessions battered and bruised, a testament to the War Devil's harsh training methods. It was a sight that seemed to lift Himeno's spirits, as she witnessed Backenbart's suffering.

However, the most surprising change was in Ruby's demeanor. She had undergone a complete transformation from the somber and aggressive girl she had been since Leo's death. Now, she appeared more joyful, behaving much like her usual self before the tragic events. But her newfound cheerfulness was not the only change.

The War Devil, which had once been known for its crude remarks and menacingly playful attitude, had become eerily calm and subdued. It responded to questions with vague and cryptic answers, rarely providing full explanations. Its movements were almost robotic, and it appeared to be going through the motions with an air of detachment.

When the time for Backenbart's training sessions approached, the War Devil would rise from its seat with mechanical movements, moving to another part of the bunker with Backenbart trailing behind. The very structure of the bunker would tremble as if struck by a miniature earthquake during their sessions.

The training appeared to be less about traditional combat techniques and more like a brutal one-sided beatdown. It had become commonplace for Backenbart to lose a limb or two during these grueling sessions, a testament to the War Devil's relentless aggression.

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As time passed, subtle changes began to manifest in the bunker. The most apparent transformation was within the War Devil itself, as cracks, both figurative and literal, began to appear in its menacing red eyes. This change seemed to coincide with Ruby's persistent interactions with it.

Day in and day out, Ruby was the one who continuously approached the War Devil, invading its personal space and striking up conversations. She chatted with it in a manner that mirrored how she used to talk to her father, without explicitly addressing him as such.

Ai, seeing her daughter's efforts, felt her heart warm as she decided to join the duo in the "living room." Kishibe, who was present in the observation room, casually confronted her with a lazy "Hey," but his words fell on deaf ears as Ai mischievously stuck out her tongue and descended the stairs into the living room. Kishibe made no effort to stop her, content to enjoy his drink from his flask.

Ai settled on the couch opposite the War Devil and Ruby, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her palm. She made playful eye contact with the War Devil whenever the opportunity arose, an amused and confident smirk on her face.

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As the first week of their stay in the bunker with the War Devil came to an end, some noticeable changes had begun to manifest in the War Devil's appearance. The most prominent alteration was in its right eye, which displayed visible cracks within the pupil. These cracks varied in size, with some being small and others larger, extending past the pupil and into the red iris. In the dimly lit makeshift living room, these cracks shimmered with an eerie light.

Another subtle change had started to become apparent as small, almost imperceptible bags formed under the War Devil's eyes, hinting at the toll this situation was taking on it.

Despite these changes, the day unfolded much like any other during the past week. Ruby remained draped over the War Devil's back, standing on the tips of her toes on the couch with her arms around its neck, holding a picture book in front of its face.

The picture book contained familiar faces, including younger depictions of all the family members, including Leo. However, the War Devil remained unresponsive to the images, and Ruby continued to interact with it despite its lack of reaction. She occasionally rose with each of its breaths, as the War Devil's chest expanded and contracted with each inhale and exhale.

Ai sat comfortably in front of the duo, her smile small but gratified as she observed Ruby's ongoing interaction with the War Devil. Whenever they came across a picture that piqued Ruby's interest, she would shove the book in the War Devil's face, and it would respond with a simple hum, its eyes locked onto the images.

However, the moment of peace was interrupted by the distant sound of explosions outside the bunker. Ruby thought they might be fireworks, given that there was supposed to be a festival today. But the War Devil's grim and raspy voice shattered that assumption.

"Those aren't fireworks," it said, its tone heavy with foreboding.

In the observation room, Himeno, who was left in charge while Kishibe was called back to the bureau, glanced at the ceiling. She couldn't discern the sounds of the supposed fireworks, but when the room beneath her shook, a foreboding feeling settled in her gut. She hoped her phone wouldn't ring, as the last thing she wanted was to leave Leo's family alone with the enigmatic War Devil.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard a phone ringing, but it wasn't hers. Peering through the glass window into the living room, Himeno saw the War Devil holding a small Nokia phone. Without a word, it answered the call and placed the phone to its ear, leaving Himeno with a sense of unease and curiosity about the conversation that was about to unfold.

As the War Devil took the call, Ruby's curiosity got the better of her. She carefully placed the picture book down on the couch and moved closer to overhear the conversation.

The voice on the other end sounded strained and pained, filled with groans of agony as they tried to convey a message. "Argh! B- Bomb devil... Division 2 headquarters... massacre..." The caller's words were chilling, and Ruby felt a shiver run down her spine. She could hear the faint sound of an explosion in the background before the line abruptly went silent, and the call ended.

"I see," the War Devil muttered, its voice carrying an air of grim detachment. Ruby slid off its back, watching as it stood up to its full, imposing height. It cracked its back before making its way toward the stairs leading up to the observation room.

As the War Devil ascended the stairs, Ruby couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and worry wash over her. She made her way toward Ai, who was seated on the other couch and laid down, resting her head on Ai's lap for comfort.

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The War Devil entered the observation room, and its presence instantly put Himeno on edge. She stood her ground, her expression tense, ready to react to any potential threat. Her eyes locked onto the imposing figure of the War Devil, her instincts as a devil hunter telling her to be cautious.

Aqua, on the other hand, had been engrossed in his book, but as soon as the War Devil entered the room, he felt a shift in the atmosphere. His grip on the book tightened, and he couldn't help but sense the War Devil's gaze on him, even without needing to look up. A sense of unease settled over him as he continued to read, trying to maintain an appearance of indifference.

The War Devil paused for a moment, standing at the foot of the door that led to the stairway. Its gaze fixated on Aqua with an air of familiarity, causing a shiver to run down Aqua's spine. However, as quickly as the War Devil's attention had settled on him, it seemed to lose interest and continued on its way.

Without a word, the War Devil made its way to the door and exited the observation room.