One above all

by Abusamadres-Sama

In 1977 Kishibe came across a child amidst a massacre that had once been a family's home. He made the decision to take the child with him until he could find a new home for him. Meanwhile, elsewhere, the Control Devil learns that she must become perfect to rise to the top and be someone who can achieve anything. This means using people as well.

21. I'm not crying, you are!

Chapter 21: Strange long-term friendships.

O0O0

Notes: Hello, no offense.

No, I wasn't dead, I was just partying... And depressed, but not so depressed as to be serious and I eliminated myself from life, what's more, they even gave me more reasons to stay here. Finish reading the chapter and I'll give you informative context.

And in case you forgot where we left off, Hiro and Makima still have to settle their differences in the library.

Did you want more interactions between Hiro and Makima? Well fuck it, here's a chapter with a lot of interaction between kids with a lot of problems.

And lore.

And you want an optional advice? When you think you are getting to the most emotional part, put on the song livingroom or sweet dreams that they used in the anime.

I'm not one of those who put songs in the middle of stories so I'll tell you now, and this is the first time I recommend a song for the environment... So you can imagine what you can find here.

But before you start reading, I'm going to say hello to some comment subjects and answer a few questions.

HossamGasser0:

I had already responded to you in private but I will still post what I said at that time so that others also have an idea of how I try to handle this story.

Sorry to hear that bro.

I just want to say in my defense that it was never my intention to make Kishibe and Quanxi very ooc, I just thought that since I'm writing mostly the part of their lives where they were in their late 30's, almost into their 40's, I could make them both a little more expressive and more open with their thoughts, all for the simple fact that they still haven't reached that part of their lives where they don't give a fuck about everything, they don't give a fuck about the world, some people and even their own lives. What I want to say is that both Kishibe and the Quanxi in my story have not yet reached that part of their lives because they are still living something of their youth, that's why you see them making jokes or making fun of each other, which to tell the truth, even for me it becomes anticlimactic at times but little by little I want to cut it.

I want to show the decline of both of them throughout the story, I mean even Fujimoto showed Kishibe as a man who was much happier and more expressive when he was young, so I wanted to show that here as well, actually Kishibe from the first chapter already you could tell he was very cold and expressionless but at the same time he still showed the slightest bit of enthusiasm, so I started with a Kishibe who felt like shit but at the same time didn't want to leave this world, not yet.

It's almost the same with Quanxi, she's almost all the time like the person who doesn't give a damn or who expects the world to follow her natural course while she just... exists. Even so, I dared to give her more expressionism so to speak de ella, making her smile or laugh, in fact I have emphasized in history more than once that this is inappropriate for her de ella. But then again, they both haven't reached that point in their lives yet where they both feel like the world is a shitty place. Quanxi on her side of her still does n't feel the need to get away from everyone and go back to China to fuck as many demon girls as she can. Perhaps all these actions can be justified by the fact that someone like Hiro came into their lives, giving them one more reason to stay alive.

You know what they say about becoming attached to a person, you won't know until very late.

It's just a matter of waiting for both of them to match their canon counterparts.

About the conversation between Makima and the past control devil, I can really agree with you, I didn't like the final result either, in fact that whole part was the one that cost me the most to write. I don't know dude, I just didn't know how to explain that whole part to make it as clear as possible, you can blame my terrible skills in explaining things I'm not familiar with. So yeah, I really think it could have been better but just like you I wouldn't know how to change it, I guess I'll just have to leave it that way, even if it left a bad taste in my mouth.

About Hiro and Quanxi, well I really don't know what to say about that. Maybe that's true, maybe it would have looked better if Hiro decided for himself what to do, maybe not, but in the end I ended up writing to a Hiro who was feeling very confused about what was the right thing to do or what was the best course. of action, just remember that he is still 10 years old, he still needs the guidance of an experienced adult and I wanted to make it remarkable here, that Hiro is not yet ready for some things in life, he did not come into the world knowing everything, that not always it can be very brave, that he still needs to learn about certain things that will help him in the long run, it's almost like a mini training but mainly it serves to help him grow as a person, or character development.

I always wanted Hiro to be that way because I hate how the main characters overnight become the most knowledgeable people in the whole world, even though they are young (teenagers) and don't give a reasonable reason, they only show it to prove that the protagonist is the strongest person in the world just because the script wanted it that way. The point is that I don't like what is forced, what is ambiguous and everything that lacks a coherent development, I mean that there may be protagonists who can ask for the help of characters with more experience to guide them in whatever they are going to do, In the end it's all about character development, making one person know everything all at once is something I hate and I would damn myself if that happened to me with Hiro.

On the other hand, I can understand that the course of this story feels strange, but all in good time, because I already have this story planned until its end, believe it or not.

And yes I am making Quanxi become a hybrid at some point in the story, I don't know if she was already a hybrid when she met Kishibe but again, this is an alternate universe so many things are different than what Fujimoto envisioned in the first place. . So don't be surprised if things are out of place at times.

About Kishibe and Makima well that's up to you, it's fine if you like it or not, I respect your tastes. Although as I said eventually Kishibe will come to coincide with his canon counterpart to her, so his way of seeing Makima will change and he may become like in the canon, just accept that someone like her is among them but always keeping an eye on her for some abnormality.

While I'd like you to understand a bit about Kishibe's animosity from her towards Makima, he knows what she's capable of and feels like the only person who knows that having the control devil as an object of study is a terrible idea. Someone who has lived through hell would know the right thing to do with a devil of her kind. Also it's not as if in this universe they have come to good terms... fault of Hiro's existence again.

Thank you for leaving your review, I think I half needed this to better explain my ideas. Too bad that you didn't like this chapter, but I mean if even I didn't like my own chapter I can't expect everyone to think otherwise, I just hope to do better next time. If you are still interested in the story and how it will end, just wait for new chapters, anyway, we are already closing the childhood arc to enter adolescence ;) and this is where I really cannot fail with surprises.

Thanks again for leaving your opinion, and for reading all this... if you really did xd

mg11491:

Thanks, yeah, I guess if the story deviates a bit it can help create more scenarios or situations that hardly anyone expects, or at least that's how I see it.

Gwynx:

Thank You.

Incognito74:

Always happy to see your comments from day one, and see what you think of each chapter.

Soph Soph Riddle:

Thank you for your comments, I am glad to know that you love Makima too, I am very sure that you will continue to love this version because I have many scenarios prepared for her and Hiro. And yes, I'm thinking of doing a Makima pov in the future but I can't find a suitable place yet. Greetings.

Able and Table:

I'm not entirely sure if you continued reading but... Hello anyway.

Wyqkrn:

Thank you, and this time I did great things with the translation. Oh and there's definitely some crazy stuff coming up between Hiro and Makima.

Knighmare6:

Thanks for the compliment, and yes, sorry again for the grammar mistakes, lately I try to go back to the previous chapters to fix them so that no one else finds them, but it's somewhat frustrating.

Houses of The Unholy:

Oh yeah, even I can't wait to get to canon and see all the mess that can go on. Everyone in public safety will be wondering how Hiro managed to make the hottest girl in the office fall for him.

And about when we will get to the canon... I don't know xd.

Well I'm done, start reading.

0O0O

The subtle but barely audible sound of the air conditioner was clearly heard when no one involved dared to say another word. The cold air brushed across Hiro's skin giving him chills and a few shivering letting him know that it would have been a good idea to bring a sweater, but then again no matter how cold it got, it couldn't help to calm the heat on his cheeks.

Hiro in general wasn't sooooo bad at socializing with other people, although in reality that was highly debatable because at school he only talked to another boy his age, although that was up to him if he wanted to get more friends or not inside the school, why improve something that is not bad in the first place? That had been said to himself when he realized that having only one friend in his whole life wasn't as bad as everyone thought, although it wouldn't be bad to have more than one that's for sure...

Hiro realized that he was contradicting himself a lot right now, Kenji was a good friend but he wondered why in these three years he hadn't socialized with other kids at his school, he felt that a part of him was somewhat reluctant to get others friends on her own, so he simply decided that time would help with that, he would just wait and see as eventually more good-natured people came into his life on their own.

It didn't work, or at least not in the way he expected.

Really waiting for something to happen without doing anything is not a good way to get what you want, he supposed that was the idea of working hard to get what you want.

In his case, he shouldn't have sat at lunchtime waiting for other kids to come up to talk to him instead of him talking to them first, if he wasn't training to be a hunter right now it would definitely have been hard for him to get a job when he was an adult.

In these three years... How many friends had he made? He only got two: Kenji who befriended him since the first day of school, he only needed a "Hello" and a simple handshake...

And Makima...

Yeah, it was definitely a bad idea not to get more experience with socializing people on his own, it would have served him well when talking to Makima.

Although of course, nobody can prepare you in life to befriend a devil girl.

But she was also to blame, who told her to become friends with a boy who doesn't even know how to make friends?

He thought no one here prepared her to befriend someone like him, it's not like that was meant to happen, was it?

No, definitely not, Yuna had shown it to him just a few minutes ago. Now that he thought about it, everyone seemed fine with him and Makima being friends, but at the same time leaving several lines that neither of them was allowed to cross, if one of them did they would be in serious trouble.

If Hiro took this too far the consequences for him would be something gruesome that Yuna had prepared for him in advance. Although not even he himself could define exactly what it meant to go too far with her.

Basically she would make life impossible for him, or in the worst case she would try to kill him.

On the other hand, he wasn't so sure about the things that Yuna would do to Makima if she did something that she didn't like, but he was sure about what Kishibe would do to her.

He would kill her for sure, he had been able to throw one of his knives at her head and Hiro was pretty sure Kishibe would enjoy finishing the job once she did something bad.

Like what things? Hiro didn't want to think about it in too much detail for his mentality's sake, but he knew for a fact that if there was a reason to kill the control devil again, Kishibe would use that opportunity to finish her off, regardless of his initial protests.

But what were all these thoughts and conclusions for? To realize that now he himself could not utter any other words to continue the conversation.

He literally didn't know what to say, the words weren't coming out of embarrassment and because he couldn't think of anything useful, Quanxi didn't prepare him for what would come next, just told him to say the sentence and everything would be fine.

But Hiro could swear there was an underlying joking tone to all of this...

Wow, if so, the advice of his two teachers didn't work at all, they just brought him trouble all day.

The first day of training would be the worst of all without a doubt.

What could he do now? He wasn't sure what a man's etiquette was after telling a girl how cute she is.

And he definitely wouldn't use any advice Kishibe gave him in the future on that subject, he didn't want to end up getting beaten up by other women.

Hiro didn't know if it was a godsend or being very patient, but Makima was the first to speak again. Hiro would thank her one day for having more guts than him.

"You... what did you say?" Makima asked slowly still keeping that blush that wouldn't disappear from her cheeks, it's not like she was aware that she was blushing, only Hiro knew, she was more busy thinking about what he said.

Hiro had a calm look and a small smile, but inside he was screaming 'Nooooooooo, don't make me say it again!'

Why Makima, why do you have to be so cruel?

Hiro coughed into his fist trying to compose himself and put up a trustworthy front, this was taking longer than he would have liked.

"I mean... That you look very pretty today" having to emphasize it again had been a lot for him, so much so that his own blush was present this time.

Makima was startled and her vision was distorted for a second, she looked away although this time her face did not betray her with any emotion, it was like that every time she was worried about something, she had been taught that maintaining composure in distressing moments was vital for work development.

However she now realized that she simply couldn't.

"I…I meant how do you know I'm the Control Devil" she rubbed her left arm in an attempt to calm her nerves.

While both children had shown a more than decent IQ for their age, especially Makima, it didn't preclude both of them from becoming somewhat clumsy at times.

It was something that was tied to the human mind, human stupidity had no limits, and Hiro realized it now.

The boy resisted the urge to slam his face into the table 'I'm not cut out for this'

0O0O

"I believe the kid isn't cut out for that" Kishibe argued as Quanxi reminded him of the advice she gave Hiro in case things got out of control with Makima.

(A/N: Did you understand? Did you really understand? In case things got out of 'control' with Makima, xdxdxdxd. Nah, be careful I'm killing people with my humor)

Quanxi leaned back in the passenger seat while she touched her chin, it was weird, her jaw was hurting more lately, maybe it was because she was starting to smile more often.

"Are you going to say that you do? Personally, I hope the boy doesn't go to his head like you did, it would be the worst possible scenario." Quanxi shuddered at the thought of that.

No, Hiro didn't have the demeanor to become a ladies' man; In any case, it seemed he wouldn't be the one wearing the pants in a relationship, if he managed to get one for a change.

Kishibe did not take his eyes off the road, his eyes showed an unknown longing "Someday... Someday..."

Maybe Kishibe was never meant to have Quanxi, but a more human part of him appreciated these little moments of tranquility and comfort. Compared to the tumultuous years of their youth, damn it, adulthood for them felt like the childhood that was denied to them by everyone.

He didn't know if Hiro was denying himself the enjoyment of his own childhood, or perhaps his concept of "childhood" was very different from the norm.

How ironic.

Kishibe and Quanxi hated their childhood and adolescence, but it seemed that Hiro would enjoy them more than they did, despite taking the same path imposed upon them.

The boy was a very peculiar human being, his guiding principles tended to shift over the years or due to some random events, and Kishibe couldn't keep up to perfectly understand him. One day he thinks toys are the most fun thing in the world and that educational TV is actually boring, and the next day he asks for Dante's Divine Comedy as a birthday gift...

Hiro was a oddball to Kishibe, one who forces himself to change his mind when things seem to have only one course of action, when he has no more options in life, or simply when he wants to help someone.

But he was his oddball, after all, one that life asked him to look after in his own way.

Kishibe wondered what Hiro's biological parents would think if they saw everything he had done for him. He wasn't sure if they would be pleased to see that their only child was destined to be a devil hunter.

Speaking of Hiro's parents, memories somewhat hazy came to Kishibe of the day he looked up information about Hiro's father. He didn't remember it perfectly because he was somewhat drunk that day, but he could recall some inconsistencies regarding his personal information. To keep the story from getting too long for his own thoughts, and for his devils as well, Hiro's father had a... very peculiar past that caught Kishibe's interest at that moment.

"I'm not one to say this, but do you know that keeping secrets is wrong, right? I thought humans were much more moralistic, hmm. How long do you think it will be before the great Dr. Nishimura... or even those disgusting high-ranking officials in Japan, find out the truth? Just the thought of their faces makes me twist with laughter, hahaha."

'That doesn't matter, anyway it's just a speculation of mine'

"If you delve into the depths of his mind, you'll know that lying to the higher-ups isn't something too difficult for him."

Hiro's father wasn't actually that special, at least that's what he believed for now. It was the rest of his ancestors that intrigued him. His father was just another unfortunate man who fell victim to a devil attack that took his parents (Hiro's paternal grandparents). However, something in his citizens' records caught his attention, and to this day, he hasn't been able to shake it from his mind.

If things were as he imagined, then Hideki, and therefore Hiro, were more special than he initially thought. One of them was deceased, so it wasn't worth dwelling on him, but his son was alive and brimming with energy, which was an advantage.

His surname said it all, but...

There were many Takahashis in the world, especially in Japan. It was more than obvious that it could be a simple coincidence in the vast world he lived in. Still, he was determined to dig deep and uncover all the inconsistencies himself, to see if it was just a crazy theory in the end.

Takahashi.

Takahashi.

Takahashi.

Could it really be that...?

Perhaps yes, perhaps no.

In any case, it was something he would keep secret until he could prove its truth. He would definitely keep it hidden from both Yuna and Hiro. He wasn't sure whether to tell Quanxi or not... No, it was better to keep it to himself for now. The right moment would come to tell Hiro.

But where to start? Hideki's files didn't reveal much.

"At the place where all this began."

The house... Of course, the old Takahashi family house, the place where he found Hiro. Both the residence and the neighborhood were abandoned today. After the child's parents' death, several families had chosen to move away from there, fearing they would suffer the same fate as those people. That was a common occurrence; people usually decided not to take the risk when a devil attacked a particular area. Nothing guaranteed that another devil wouldn't strike again, and if given the chance, they preferred to relocate to a distant, safer place where demons would never find them.

That's what happened to Hiro's home. Families left until the place was practically devoid of human life. It had become a ghost town in every sense. Some attributed it to a curse, claiming that was why nobody dared to live there. Maybe it was true, but the time Kishibe returned to that house to bring a memento to Hiro, he hadn't sensed any strange presence. Still, he didn't bother to investigate his house more thoroughly, especially his father's belongings.

This was a somewhat complicated issue. According to his records, during parts of his life, Hideki Takahashi had been traveling around the world to locations that coincided with forbidden zones marked by public safety to keep residents away. Whether because they were under investigation or because those areas were filled with an eerie energy making it practically impossible to stay there.

Why had Hiro's father made those trips? Kishibe could easily brush it off as another coincidence, perhaps his father simply enjoyed traveling. But after seeing two, then three, then four, and ultimately five locations that matched those forbidden zones marked long ago, and in which Hideki had ventured without apparent reason, Kishibe knew there was something strange about all of this.

This left him exasperated. Why were the Takahashis such peculiar individuals?

Regardless, he would have to return to that house one of these days and see what he could uncover. If there was something that might provide a clue to the theory he had in mind, it would be worth taking a look.

But not now.

As curious as he was, his current priorities were training Hiro and his work. There was no rush. Besides, he was considering telling Hiro first. It would be good for both of them to embark on an adventure in that house and relive beautiful memories.

"Truly beautiful memories."

Someday, perhaps when Hiro was a bit further along in his training.

For now, it was best for the boy to enjoy his childhood in his own way.

Because easily, everyone could die tomorrow, and they might never realize it. It was better to savor these times of peace in the meantime.

0O0O

Hiro looked at his reflection on the table, trying to appear expressionless but failing in his attempt. At the same time, he berated himself for his earlier statement. However, upon closer consideration, what he said wasn't a lie; it was the truth, and he wasn't sure if Makima herself was aware of it.

She was beautiful. Setting aside the fact that she was a devil, Makima was probably the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He didn't know whether devils crafted these forms to lure their human prey, as Kishibe once mentioned some cases of devils transforming into seductive humans to then consume men and women. If that was the case, they knew exactly how to ensnare their victims by creating bodies that were visually appealing.

Or at least that's what Kishibe explained on a night he stumbled in, drunk and battered to within an inch of his life by Quanxi.

Hiro almost chuckled at his own situation. Makima had been quite successful in getting his attention. Then he fell into her trap when she brought him to this very library, though thankfully she hadn't devoured him.

Yet...

With a shiver, Hiro wondered if Makima consumed human flesh. God, he hoped not. Knowing that she could kill someone in the blink of an eye was enough; or perhaps she could command someone else to do it for her with her powers.

Fortunately, Makima wasn't the typical devil posing as a human. Well, technically she was, but in a way that seemed much more real, and one where she didn't devour people... Probably.

Kishibe was right; reincarnation was a fascinating topic. Maybe he could learn more about it from Makima when he asked her more questions.

Either way, if the Control Devil had taken this form to captivate humans and lead them into her trap, then she had chosen wisely this time.

Continuing with her, in other instances, Hiro hadn't paid as much attention to the girls in his class. Of course, he could distinguish between what was attractive and what wasn't, but none of his classmates had caught his attention the way Makima did in less than a day. That spoke volumes to him about how much she intrigued him, while also inducing a significant amount of fear.

She was undeniably special in many ways. Hiro liked many things about her. Her golden eyes with multiple rings in them, he thought they were mesmerizing and fantastic to behold. Her brown hair, which could easily be mistaken for auburn if you didn't pay closer attention. The few times Hiro touched her hair, he couldn't help but notice how soft it was to the touch. She must have taken good care of it to keep it that way.

Speaking of her hair, her hairstyle also appealed to him greatly. The two strands falling on the sides of her face and her ponytail were an interesting yet captivating combination. He wasn't sure if that style was widely used by other girls.

Hiro was skeptical about whether he should include her personality. That was easily debatable and complex. Hiro had only recently noticed it a few days ago. However, for Hiro, having someone like Makima by his side was a double-edged sword, or like experiencing a sudden change of atmosphere. Unlike him, she didn't let a single emotion dictate her life. For better or worse, she would make him align with her emotions, making them both feel comfortable or uncomfortable.

Makima was curiosity, happiness, and longing; qualities that made her easy to communicate with.

However, she was also darkness, sorrow, and loneliness, which conflicted with her other traits and drove her to desperately seek the affection she had longed for, for who knows how many lifetimes.

Perhaps that's why she hugged him so tightly, as if there were no tomorrow, because she never had any of this in the past or it had been denied to her for various reasons. Or maybe devils were just bad at communicating.

In any case, it was clearer to him now that Makima was very lost.

"Stop doing that."

Hiro looked up to see Makima's piercing gaze fixed on him.

"What thing?" he inquired.

"Your face," she explained, staring deeply into his eyes, as if he would vanish with a blink. "When it stays static for too long, even without blinking, it means you're thinking about something that has no answer. I know because I've seen you do it more than once."

"Oh..."

Her eyes glanced at his own reflection on the table, a reminder of the one thing that gave her away as not human, and a way to remind her once again that she couldn't be with Hiro for what she truly was, only for that thought, she almost looked at her own reflection with hatred.

"And because it seems I do the same," she looked at Hiro again with a furrowed brow. "But this time, for some reason, it's driving me crazy not knowing what you're thinking. All the things that can be said out loud... All the conclusions you reach... Why don't you share them with me?"

To her dismay, he simply smiled, something she appreciated because she liked his smile, and at the same time, it frustrated her because it still didn't reveal much about his true intentions in this conversation.

What was going through Hiro's mind right now? What was he thinking about her right now?

Did he hate her?

Did he still consider her a friend?

Was he even comfortable with her being here?

How did he know her secret?

So many questions, and the only place where the answers could be found was Hiro's mind, a place she couldn't easily access.

"It depends."

For some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine. This felt strangely familiar, so the words came out automatically a few seconds later.

"Depends on what?"

"On how much you want to know."

Makima fell silent as she grappled with the situation. She tried to decipher Hiro's words and their meaning, tried to see beyond him, beyond his little mystery act, and understood where he was going with all this. But the understanding only left her more confused.

Makima remained expressionless as she stared at Hiro, her gaze a silent query that could be summed up as, "Are we really going to do this again?"

Definitely not the most suitable moment for these types of games.

And just as she expected, he raised five fingers of his hand. "You can ask me 5 questions. Maybe that way you can reach my conclusions."

Well, this certainly wasn't how she had envisioned this conversation going.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"We didn't fare too well last time."

"T-That was your fault."

"Maybe you shouldn't have pushed the boundaries so much with your questions."

"M-Maybe you shouldn't have run away..."

"... Yes... Maybe."

Makima sighed, frustration evident in her gaze as she looked at Hiro. "I'd prefer to do this differently."

Hiro rested his head on his hand. "I would have preferred to ask you those questions without any restrictions too, but you only offered me this format to learn more about you"

"And you still went too far for my liking..." Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile, the first such expression throughout the entire conversation. It didn't escape Hiro's notice, and he was pleased to see her smile. It made him believe that she, too, was taking things lightly—or at least he hoped so.

"Can't we discuss this in a more traditional way?" she attempted to reason with him.

"No, but look at it this way: you can ask me 5 direct questions, just like I did with you, and that way we'll eventually get straight to the point that concerns us" Hiro explained, trying to be reasonable.

Makima pondered this for a few seconds. The way he wanted to proceed with this conversation through a simple game wasn't that different from traditionally talking about a certain topic with others. Eventually, everyone would arrive at the subject that concerned them.

The only difference she noticed here was that she would have to be much more direct in her questions, instead of letting the conversation flow as she normally would. And he would have to be direct in his responses as well.

So, she would have to frame questions that automatically gave her more than one answer while simultaneously addressing underlying questions.

With one last sigh, she looked at Hiro with a defeated expression. "Fine..."

Hiro's smile widened as he saw he had managed to convince her. It set off a chain reaction that caused Makima's own smile to appear almost magically. The fact that he wanted to impose the same rules of her little game in this context seemed amusing and embarrassing at the same time. She felt like he had an effect on her, one she couldn't resist, and she was certain he knew it.

For that reason, they continued to gaze into each other's eyes, both smiling with the same intensity.

For that brief moment, Makima pushed aside her worries and fears to enjoy this pleasant moment with him. Who knows, it could be the last pleasant memory she had of him.

And Hiro realized he had managed to ease the tension. Quanxi would be proud, no doubt.

"Alright then." Hiro settled back into his chair. From Makima's perspective, he resembled a businessperson preparing for a very important meeting.

"Ask your first question" he calmly prompted her to begin all of this.

Makima posed her first question, immediate and straightforward because she had it on the tip of her tongue from the start. "How did you find out I'm the Control Devil?"

Hiro's response was equally swift; the answer had been forming in his mind for some time now. "Kishibe told me. He informed me on Saturday night, narrated the entire story that Public Safety had about the Control Devil. He also disclosed that he was the one who killed you ten years ago."

Makima had anticipated this answer. It seemed that no matter how many permissions that hunter granted her, there was no guarantee he would keep her secret. It appeared not to matter to him. A part of her couldn't help but chuckle at herself; of course, why would Kishibe care about keeping her secret from Hiro? Why would he think differently? If he had the chance, he would do whatever it took to drive her away from the boy.

Perhaps he had done it deliberately, knowing the consequences, or maybe Hiro had pressured him into telling the truth. Something didn't quite add up. Why would Kishibe reveal the truth about her to Hiro when he had previously given her permission to approach him?

Was there something more here that she wasn't seeing? Or maybe Kishibe was just a bastard who didn't care about the consequences of his actions.

And now knowing that he was the one responsible for killing her ten years ago gave her a new perspective on things. It explained why she had felt an immense animosity towards him the first time they met, for no apparent reason. Why even the simple act of engaging in conversation with him was difficult to maintain, as she was always contemplating various ways to rid herself of him, morally just or not.

That day she and Hiro had ridden the elevator down, and she found herself face to face with Kishibe, she couldn't help but imagine how satisfying it would be to see a gaping hole protruding from his chest, blood pouring out endlessly. She felt an instant threat from him, as if her instinct told her that at some point, he would attack her. If that happened, it meant he had already attempted to do so in the past.

She wanted to kill him. Truly, she wanted to do it right then and there. She might have stained the floor with his blood that day, if not for Hiro who was literally by her side, witnessing everything. The doctor Yuna was also present, ready to order her execution if she saw her succumbing to a simple fit of rage.

But even then, she would have attacked, disregarding Yuna's warnings. A part of her knew that clearly. If Hiro hadn't been there to see and restrain her with his hand, this would be an entirely different story.

She quickly learned to control her emotions toward that hunter, attempting to resist the urge to tear his head off each time they crossed paths. But that didn't mean she would suddenly warm up to him.

Everything made sense now. It also explained why his scent repulsed her, so different from Hiro's, which was like a captivating symphony, a smooth and harmonious dance of fragrant notes. Each essence that emanated from his neck, where she had managed to sense it, was like a canvas of emotions, intertwining affection, compassion, and security in an embrace only he could convey.

"I understand..." Makima stopped thinking after that. Hiro had a way of causing her to lose herself in the vast sea of her thoughts and emotions for longer than she could afford, even if she wasn't precisely thinking about him.

It could be considered either satisfying or detrimental, probably depending on the situation. Right now, the best course of action was to continue the conversation.

"My second question..." she announced swiftly but avoided meeting his gaze. "How much did he tell you?"

Hiro took only a second to reply. "Enough," he answered, and Makima felt a nervous twitch in her eye, her aversion towards Kishibe returning.

Nevertheless, Hiro continued, speaking slowly but with clarity, so she could listen and analyze the underlying tones of his voice.

"He told me about your past lives—how you used your powers to kill people, devastate entire civilizations. He said you caused several empires to crumble from within, broke peace treaties to start wars... And a long etcetera that I'd rather spare me for now." She could sense his discomfort as he recounted all that she had done, or was purported to have done in this case.

She listened in silence, her expression unchanging, but her mind working intensely to process everything.

The first time she heard about all the things she had done in her past lives, she didn't really know what to say. It was as if her mind had simply absorbed all the new knowledge and accepted it without feeling any other emotions—no surprise, sadness, happiness, or anger.

There was nothing, just a simple "Ah" slipped from her lips on that occasion, as if part of her had expected this revelation.

Back then, there was no remorse or any emotion that would have caused her to feel guilty about the supposed terrible things she had done in the past. She felt nothing. Perhaps, as a devil, she was not detached from human suffering, which might be why she couldn't empathize with anyone enough to want to ask for forgiveness or repent for the actions she had taken. Dr. Yuna had told her that it wasn't worth asking for forgiveness for things that happened centuries ago, things she had just learned about. Ultimately, it was all in the past.

She wondered if that was how she had also felt in her past lives while causing many people to die—feeling nothing, yet having a need to sow chaos and destruction wherever she went. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't.

In any case, she used to be indifferent most of the time. Everyone around her seemed indifferent about that specific topic. Dr. Yuna told her that the higher-ups in Japan were aware of her history but were still willing to continue studying and training her. It was as if everyone had tacitly agreed that dwelling on the things she did to humanity in the past wasn't worth it. What seemed to matter more now to these people was what she would do to people in the future.

That was why she felt nothing, thought nothing, didn't regret or congratulate herself for actions carried out many years ago.

People died—well, too bad for those caught in the crossfire. They should have done better; then maybe their experiences would have been less overwhelming than they already were.

Nations lost the hard-earned peace they had built—well, they should have created a much more sustainable and disaster-resistant society. If your world crumbles due to a single mistake, you've done something wrong from the very beginning.

Wars broke out—eventually, it was something that had to happen. There is no world that doesn't eventually gain something good from wars, and life still finds a way to be born, regardless of whether it proves harmful to the rest of the world in the future.

If this were a conversation with someone else, perhaps with Dr. Yuna or even Kishibe, she would have stated those things aloud without hesitation. But now she couldn't... And the reason was right in front of her.

She had seen that look in Hiro's eyes as he spoke, and even now, he struggled not to think about all the havoc she had caused. Perhaps her mere presence was unsettling him because he knew what she was capable of, what she could do to him.

For once, Makima felt remorse for her actions and was embarrassed that Hiro knew all of this. Yet, being realistic, there wasn't much she could do to change things right now. It wasn't as if she could magically go back in time and alter her actions just to give this conversation a different outcome than the one anticipated.

Makima knew in theory that she had committed those acts in the past, then was killed and sent back to Hell, only to die there and reincarnate on Earth without any of her memories. She had become almost like another human, not feeling the weight her actions should have had on her, and no one had reproached her for it until today. Dr. Yuna had explained that it was better to consider herself as a new consciousness, a new version of the Control Devil, one that was separate from the events of the past and focused only on the events of her time.

Perhaps that's why she was never surprised or affected by knowing her entire past. She didn't consider herself responsible for those actions; it was her previous version's fault. She had nothing to do with the past; she was only concerned with the future.

There were exceptions, like that hunter who still held her past against her. But she would quickly ignore them with indifference. She didn't care what her previous version had done to humanity; she couldn't remember it and couldn't feel empathy for others in that regard.

She was someone else.

Someone indifferent to the past.

Someone who would rather believe it never happened in the first place.

But then...

When Hiro slowly listed all the things she had done long ago, it really felt as if they were telling her, here and now, and not her past version, as she had always wanted to believe. It felt so deep, cutting through her harshly like a pair of scissors. It sounded personal, but she couldn't say for sure; it didn't matter. Because it genuinely hurt.

It hurt so much that she even wished to run away in that moment, somewhere Hiro couldn't find her. But she couldn't at that moment. She knew that fleeing would only make things worse.

For once, she felt remorse and wished her past versions had thought twice before acting. Perhaps then, she wouldn't be risking losing something precious, something she was now certain she had always longed for. Now that she thought about it, maybe this was the true punishment for her actions—losing the treasure she had sought all her existence. Her past actions, driven by the quest for answers to her existence, had taken away what she treasured most now.

It could be called karma; it probably was.

In the end, it could be said that indirectly, she had brought it upon herself. Perhaps it could have been resolved if she had been better at keeping secrets.

At this point, it wasn't worth thinking about it anymore. She would have to endure the pain and anguish that would come after this. Hiro probably hated her now. She had lied to him and tried to hide her true self, which proved to be even more horrible than he could have imagined.

She loathed herself for everything now. There was no one else to blame for everything happening to her now—only she was responsible for ruining her best life yet.

She was the one ruining the first and true friendship she had ever dreamed of having.

Without realizing it, Makima had been silent for a few minutes, her gaze now fixed on a point behind Hiro. From across the table, Hiro could see her gaze becoming increasingly distant, even appearing somber. He could swear she went through various stages of unfamiliar emotions. He had expected that something like this would happen eventually. To proceed toward the point that concerned them, he decided to continue answering her questions.

"Do you have... a third question?" he asked.

Hiro noticed how Makima quickly turned her gaze toward him, as if she wasn't waiting for him to address her again or as if she had forgotten he was there in the first place.

"..." She said nothing, but her gaze remained distant. For a moment, Hiro thought that maybe she was angry with him, though he could easily be mistaken. After all, Makima's mind was much more complex than he had imagined.

"Come on, Makima, we're not done yet," he encouraged her to continue once more, reminding her that this was still a conversation, not a silence competition... or whatever it was.

Makima's gaze faltered, and her eyes shifted back and forth as she tried to formulate the words in her mind.

Hiro was patient with her. He would always try to be patient from now on.

Makima remained silent for what felt like hours as she attempted to formulate another question. But for Hiro, it was just another minute. Finally, she managed to say something, her voice a bit shaky "Do you... know what I'm capable of?"

Hiro blinked, momentarily confused by the question, but he quickly realized what the redhead was referring to. Still, he felt curious. He thought that Makima had already realized he was aware of her powers when he told her about her past actions.

"Yes... well, more or less. I haven't seen everything firsthand, except for what you did to that target, but I've heard some things about it too," Hiro tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his features. "Come to think of it, that rat that suddenly appeared on the table and stayed on your shoulder... Were you controlling it?"

Makima's eyes widened in clear surprise, apparently he had figured out her little trick some time ago, or perhaps he just had a vague idea of what was happening with that rat. She couldn't help it; she had been afraid to approach him earlier this afternoon, so she sent one of her rodents to keep an eye on him. Maybe she couldn't talk to him through it, but at least she could know what he was doing. The mere act of observing him was enough for her, even if not through her own eyes.

Then Dr. Yuna appeared, and she had to withdraw her tiny spy from the scene.

Hiro saw her nod slowly, and he folded his hands, thinking to himself. Well, that explained why the rat behaved so unnaturally. He wouldn't lie if he said the idea of her watching him through an animal was disturbing. It would be very challenging to interact with them in that case.

If one day he was walking in the park and encountered a dog he couldn't resist petting, only to find out that Makima was watching and listening to him through that very dog, he would probably be spooked like never before. It would be worse if the dog said something like, 'No one will ever believe you' That would give him nightmares.

Makima wouldn't be capable of doing that... probably.

Hiro shook himself, pulling away from irrelevant thoughts. He probably should stay away from horror stories for a while.

Both of them fell silent this time. They were thinking about different things, yet those thoughts somehow related to both of them.

Makima felt like she couldn't go on with this. She wanted to leave, but her legs wouldn't respond. Maybe it was because her mind was too occupied trying to keep her emotions in check. She was angry with herself, she wanted to cry for all the twists of fate that led her to this point, for what she was risking losing... or perhaps had already lost a long time ago. She was afraid of what he might think of her, or maybe he was already thinking it.

Makima didn't want Hiro to hate her or despise her for being a devil, but there was nothing she could do to fix it. She grimly realized that the only thing she could do was make it worse, but making things better was out of the question.

Everything had been ruined.

She had ruined it.

So she concluded that it was better to leave it as it was. It wasn't worth trying to fix this, as she could easily predict that he would reject her.

Her kind was born for that, right? For so many years, devils had despised the human race, and humans returned the hate multiplied by two. The mere existence of those creatures was criticized to no end, and many wondered why they couldn't get rid of them once and for all. It seemed they were born only to receive hate and disdain.

Why would she be any different from the rest? Hiro now knew that she had done horrible things, and he probably wasn't sure if she would continue to do them in the future. That uncertainty would likely lead him to believe that being near her was a bad idea. The best thing would be to stay away... Forever.

Forever...

Damn it.

Damn her existence.

Damn her nature.

And damn the existence of devils.

Why couldn't she have come into this world differently?

Why couldn't she have been born as an ordinary human instead of a reincarnation that, at the end of the day, was still a monster?

Why didn't the world grant her that privilege, like it did to many other humans?

Why didn't she think twice before acting in the past?

What had crossed her mind when she ruined the lives of other people?

What benefit did she find in all of that? Did she at least think it would help her in the future?

Did it even amount to anything?

Because of a series of events, she was now losing something she had always wanted.

Love...

Hiro knew better than anyone that she needed it, that she longed for it. She always wanted someone to share her life with, someone she could call a friend or family.

For a while, Hiro had become that for her, but... He must have quickly regretted it once he learned the truth. Makima was sure of it. Any human would, right? No one would be friends with a devil, especially if you wanted to become a devil hunter in the future. You couldn't do both at the same time; it was counterproductive.

The only reason Hiro became her friend in the first place was because he thought she was human. It probably never crossed his mind that she was a dangerous devil. That would have likely scared him and gone against his ideals of devil hunting. Why would you be friends with a devil if your main goal was to kill devils?

Makima could understand that Hiro would support his ideals more. After all, he wouldn't want to be around someone as sinister as her.

Right?

Yes... He surely agreed with that. She was a monster, and he was a kind-hearted human who just wanted to help her, but ended up helping a beast instead.

She would understand...

Understand if he asked her to stay away from him, never to speak to him again, never to look him in the eyes or at all, never to touch him even with a finger, and anything that involved being in contact with him.

Makima couldn't take it anymore. Her heart was pounding with pain as she delved deeper into the reality she had to face, a reality that terrified her because she didn't want to go through all that pain again. It was over. There would be no more greetings, no more caresses, no more talks, no more shared smiles... And there would be no more hugs.

Hiro would do the same as other humans, he would hate her for lying to him, despise her for being a devil, and fear her to the point of thinking that the only way to get rid of her would be to end her existence.

She would have to learn to live with this, as she always had. But now, she could experience the pain of loss firsthand, the pain of making a mistake, a mistake that would lead her to lose... Everything.

Her first and only friend...

Her first friendship...

It was all over.

And then it happened again, just like the first time in this very library. The first tear came from her, slowly rolling down her cheek on a face that showed nothing but pain.

0O0O

Hiro could recall all the phases their conversation had gone through so far.

They had gone from looking very confused and somewhat confident to becoming extremely uncomfortable, with comments that had little to do with the topic they wanted to address.

After that, he thought things were improving a bit. For a short while, Makima smiled sincerely, although Hiro couldn't explain why. But with each question she asked, her self-esteem plummeted to worrying and drastic levels.

Her expressions didn't reveal much about her thoughts; most of the time, they seemed stoic with an occasional slip that was too fleeting to catch unless you were paying close attention, which Hiro had been doing all this time.

But one thing was clear: she was in conflict, and he was deeply involved in it.

What he had wanted all along was for her to attempt to clear her doubts through her questions to him. However, the problem arose when with every answer he gave, it seemed like she wanted to escape from this place or disappear.

It wasn't his intention to make her think differently; the last thing they needed was for someone to walk away with a misconceived idea of the current situation.

But apparently, it hadn't worked out as he had hoped. Hiro realized now, as he looked at Makima, that she was likely jumping to hasty conclusions.

Two more questions remained, there must still be something he could do about this. Time was running out, as he feared she might disappear at any moment, just like last time. That's why he didn't take his eyes off her. It felt like even looking away for a second would make her vanish.

Suddenly, he noticed a lone tear sliding down her cheek. Oh no.

This was bad... Makima was thinking about something very negative, and she probably had already formed the wrong ideas. Damn it.

Hiro didn't want to see her cry again. He had to do something, anything that would give her an idea of his true intentions...

But how?

How could he directly address this issue in a way that would put them both at ease?

'Ugh, damn it, this didn't go as well as I thought. This game didn't really help'

Wait a minute...

The game.

Makima might be the one asking the questions now, and he might be giving the answers, but he suddenly recalled a small but significant detail from their question and answer exchange last Saturday.

Hiro remembered that he still owed Makima a question.

Indeed, Makima had told him he could ask her five questions, but she had only asked him four. It was the fourth question that triggered this whole misunderstanding in the first place, and they had been stuck on it ever since.

He could use that to his advantage to calm her down. The words were forming in the back of his mind as a healthy and clever strategy, and he was quite confident it could work. If there was one way to make Makima change and become harmless to everyone, this was the ideal plan to continue the process of friendship between her and him.

But more than anything, this was necessary to soothe her...

And let her know that everything would be alright.

"Makima," Hiro spoke with a calm voice, attempting to be as serene as possible. The world around them seemed to fade into near nonexistence, as if the only things that existed between them were the table and chairs. Everything else was easily pushed aside.

"..." She didn't say anything, still refusing to meet his eyes. Her gaze was fixed on the table, her hands clenched into fists.

Was he finally going to tell her everything he thought of her and set down all the conditions she needed to follow? Whatever it was, it had to be quick. The longer they spent here, the more painful it became.

"I never got to ask my last question. Do you remember?"

Huh?

His words were clear, meant for her to hear perfectly, and yet she couldn't comprehend.

Makima finally lifted her head to meet his gaze. Surprise was visible on her face, mixed with a touch of confusion.

"...What?" She asked, almost in a whisper. If they weren't in such a quiet place, Hiro might not have heard her.

However, he did it this time, and he stared directly into her yellow eyes as he repeated his words, "I said I never got to ask my last question in this game, remember? The first time we played this game, we stopped at the fourth question... because you didn't really want to answer it until now."

In that moment, Hiro had a sort of epiphany. It was as if everything they had been talking about was leading up to Makima finally admitting that she was a demon.

It was probably the longest way to get to such a simple answer. Would it have been so difficult for her to say a simple yes? Maybe that would have saved them all this trouble.

Makima blinked, confused and not comprehending why he was bringing up this topic right now. She had thought this conversation would end sooner rather than later, but it seemed that Hiro wanted to keep talking.

He had been right; he never got to ask his final question, and yet he couldn't see why this should be important right now.

"Yes... You never did" Makima remained still in her chair, almost like a statue as she tried to see how things would proceed from here.

"Can I ask it?" Hiro inquired with a hint of innocence, as if he were excited to ask whatever was on his mind.

She stared at him intently with her yellow eyes, adorned with rings within them. If this was the last time she could be near Hiro, she would cherish this image of him for the remainder of her life. He had a serene face with blue eyes like the sea, reflecting the warmth and affection that only someone like him could show to others.

"Yeah..." she said automatically, whatever it was would probably only confirm something he already knew beforehand. It didn't matter anymore what happened next.

Perhaps there were people out there more deserving of Hiro's friendship and affection – a human, not a demon like her.

Not a monster like her.

"What do you want to know?" Her eyes were dull, as if they had lost their light and life at some point.

Whoever that person would be in the future, Makima hoped they could make the most of everything Hiro had to offer.

Hiro parted his lips to speak and ask his question, and for that split second, Makima gave him her full attention as if it were the last time she would look at him.

Because he was someone too precious to live in a world so unjust and cruel.

And it would be so unfair for someone like him not to live a life filled with harmony...

"Do you want us to keep being friends?"

It was as if all the sound in the world had suddenly vanished, not even the currents of wind were perceptible in that moment, or any other sound that might have occurred at that time didn't reach her ears. Everything fell silent after that question. It was as if neither of them had expected it...

Or perhaps it was because her mind had reset in that instant and everything she had thought up until now felt like a falsehood her mind had conjured to play a trick on her.

There were things in the world she was sure of: she was sure that both humans and devils were terrible in many ways, and that this world needed a facelift at some point in its life.

But not this, she definitely wasn't sure she had heard correctly, her confidence slipping with every passing second, as if it were walking on ice. Her eyes widened with the greatest surprise of their lives reflected in them, a gasp escaped her, causing her breath to pause momentarily, and her mouth opened to emphasize her astonishment once again.

She looked at the cause of all this, Hiro remained as composed as he could allow himself, as if what he had said earlier wasn't a mistake brought on by her mind that had been wandering all this time while waiting for his question.

And suddenly, as if he were repeating his words in silence, he smiled once again. That smile radiated a degree of joy and tenderness that had been unknown to her until then, while revealing his white teeth. His eyes conveyed the same calm and serenity, as if transmitting the reassuring message that everything would be alright... That there was no reason to be afraid.

Makima was left speechless, her mind still processing what had happened just a few seconds ago. Her eyes gazed at Hiro with disbelief, but there was something beyond them, something even she hadn't yet grasped, hope.

Hiro was right, he had guessed Makima's thoughts and where they were headed. She was giving up on the idea of continuing to be his friend, so directly asking the question was better now than ever.

They needed to maintain this friendship.

For the greater good.

Because she needed it.

...And because he needed it too.

Despite everything, Makima remained a mystery to him, one he was determined to solve on his own. A few misunderstandings and popular beliefs weren't going to stop him.

So, it was time to go all in, time to let Makima know everything he thought.

"Makima..." he stood up from his seat, "I want to ask you something else, just to make sure" he walked towards where she was sitting, stopping at a safe distance for her to hear him.

She remained silent, unsure whether it was because the question was still affecting her or because she simply offered to listen to what he had to say.

He looked at her with analytical eyes, his head slightly tilted, "What do you consider yourself to be right now?"

She wasn't sure if the question reached her ears a bit late or not, but she stayed still and continued to remain silent.

"Huh?" she managed to say finally, but without understanding what he was referring to "I don't understand..."

Hiro glanced at the ground for a moment, "I mean, do you see yourself as the Control Devil... Or just as Makima?" he watched as confusion twisted her features, raising an eyebrow and shifting her eyes from side to side on the floor.

"I..." She thought about it for a good second, her brow furrowing in a short but deep contemplation, "I guess at the end of the day, I'm both things."

Hiro nodded, scratching his head, "Well, that's true, but what I'm getting at is... What do you want to be at the end of the day? The Control Devil?" he took a step forward, his intense gaze fixed solely on her, "Or just Makima?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but the words didn't come out as she reanalyzed his question, "Is there... any difference to you?" she was curious.

He smiled again, but it was a nervous smile, "I was hoping you'd ask that, but yes, there's a clear difference for me. However, what matters to me right now is knowing your answer. Who do you prefer to be? Just the Control Devil? Or just the girl who became my closest friend?" He finished with a bold remark that he had thought up himself.

She widened her eyes in astonishment, her cheeks turning red again, but this time she noticed, yet she ignored it for the moment.

All she did now was ponder his question.

The Control Devil...

Or Makima...

Until now, she had never considered the idea that she could be two different forms based on two simple names. Even when given another name, it didn't make much of a difference, as she always remained a demon at the end of the day, and was treated as such.

So the name Makima was insignificant to her because it didn't contribute much; it was just another way to classify her or give her some identity in this earthly realm. There had never been a difference; she had always been the Control Devil under both names. She didn't feel any noticeable distinctions.

Or perhaps she did? This was a complicated topic now. What did it mean to feel like the Control Devil in the first place? From all she knew, the Control Devil was a manipulative and cruel being who only cared about their own objectives. She hadn't felt the need to be that, at least not in the way everyone thought.

She had already been imposed with a life objective, becoming a hunter. But in the end, it was just a goal to achieve, and she would do everything in her power to achieve it. After all, she didn't have many options here.

There was nothing else in this world that interested her; the world was dull, to say the least, for her to try something new. She felt that it wasn't worth moving forward as she did in the past. After all, this world was already so rotten.

What would be left for her to destroy? Nothing, that was the answer. So, she embraced this life because there were no other options to choose from. She couldn't even go back to being what people had heard about her; she couldn't become the devil who fought against Kishibe ten years ago... Because it wasn't worth it, right? She was trapped in this new life, whether she liked it or not, and she didn't have the power or authority to decide, not yet at least.

She didn't feel exactly like the Control Devil, even though she still was one. It was like deceiving herself.

Again, this topic was too complicated, even for her.

Her past version probably wouldn't agree with her right now, but since she didn't have her memories intact, she didn't bother thinking too much about that aspect. She forgot everything, her lives, her goals, or her reasons for continuing in this world. But what did it matter now? She died again and was reborn here for a reason, because she had failed. So, if she had already failed before, this was a lost cause altogether.

But there was still something she didn't understand , what was Makima then? To her, there was no distinction between the two; they were the same damned thing, a devil. It was just another name from a probable list of several names that others had given her over the years. So, why did Hiro boast of knowing there were differences?

"I think I can't give you an answer," she admitted, her head lowered, "Because to me, there's no significant difference."

Hiro fell silent, and once again, Makima felt a great need to know what he was thinking.

"Mmmh," he hummed, as if he were analyzing something or testing out which words to choose next.

Hiro stood there a few steps away from Makima, who still didn't dare to get up from her seat and approach him. She felt as if she no longer had permission to get close to him, only to observe him.

Hiro took a deep breath before speaking, his words carrying the weight of a decision he knew would make a significant change, "So, let me tell you the differences I found. Maybe that way, you can come to an answer," his chest swelled with confidence, the same confidence he had used against Kishibe, Quanxi, and Doctor Yuna.

And the same confidence he had used to take a step forward and hug her the first time they met.

"To me, the Control Devil is a malevolent being, someone who only looks out for themselves and doesn't care about the havoc they leave in their wake. They manipulate others without regard for the consequences. They have no affection or appreciation for life beyond their own. They're a horrible entity that revels in watching the world burn at their feet, without a clear purpose in life. They view others as inferior, seeing themselves as the pinnacle of existence," Hiro said each word with severity and unwavering conviction. It was risky to say this in front of Makima, but it was the truth, and it was necessary to make it clear that he despised such actions. He thought he might regret his words after the first few, and for a moment, he did, seeing the expression on Makima's face growing more and more pained.

But he continued.

"They're someone who simply shouldn't exist in the first place" his brow briefly furrowed in a gesture of disdain.

And for Makima, Hiro was confirming something she had already anticipated.

But Hiro wasn't finished yet, and all traces of hatred vanished forever as he spoke his next words, each one more genuine than the last.

"Then we have Makima, or at least the Makima I know," the girl in question left behind her thoughts and focused all her attention on him, "She's... a bit hard to grasp, but not impossible. You can learn a lot about her even if you haven't had many interactions," he smiled a little sheepishly, "It's like you've known her all your life."

Her cheeks turned red this time. "She's very affectionate, she can hug you so tightly you can barely breathe, but that's okay, it's nice either way. She has some peculiar hobbies and tastes, but that only makes her more special, I suppose."

But what came next was probably... No, it was the most important part.

"But above all, contrary to what everyone thinks, she's fragile" his gaze was serious and full of understanding "She's never had anyone by her side to show her what love and affection are. She never had a mother, a father, sisters, or brothers to demonstrate love, and she certainly never had a friend there to support her and teach her about friendship."

"She's someone who has yearned her whole life to have an equal, someone who understands her or can comprehend her enough to bring out all the pain she carries within. She's someone who has lost her way and had the misfortune of ending up in the hands of people who don't care about her wishes."

Makima's eyes were wide as she listened to Hiro. Unbeknownst to her, tears had begun to flow, and her eyes were turning reddish. Each word he spoke etched itself into her subconscious, preserving this moment for eternity, ensuring she would never forget.

"Deep down, I believe that Makima can become better," he continued, "Because even if she might look terrifying at first glance, deep down, she's someone who wants the other person to feel comfortable around her. She might struggle with it, but the mere effort is worth mentioning, because it demonstrates deep down..."

He gave the most sincere smile of his life "That she does have a heart, and she deserves a chance to have what she always desired, even if it's just once. She deserves to have a family."

"That's why I'm here, because I want to tell you that I can be by your side, that I want to be by your side." He could feel his cheeks flushing, but he didn't care.

Makima audibly gasped as her emotions overflowed with each passing second. Her heart raced, faster than ever before, with every honest word Hiro spoke. Before, her heart only raced out of fear of the impending rejection she would have to face.

But now, it was different. Her heart was showing signs of life because, for once, it was beating out of happiness and being moved. And it was made even better by the fact that it was Hiro saying these things. So, this time, she allowed herself to think differently, to feel differently.

And for once, she truly felt it, the gentle warmth of hope.

"I feel that being by your side will truly be worth it. Some might call it a risky gamble, but no risk, no reward. But I can't be the only one who agrees with this." Hiro finally approached her more closely, and in a move he hadn't anticipated, he took her hand in his, holding it there and feeling its softness.

"I'm asking you again now," she felt like he could see right through her, his eyes reflecting everything he wanted to express, "Do you consider yourself the Control Devil... or Makima?"

She still couldn't find the words, not after everything he had said.

But he wasn't finished, and she hoped he never would be "Because if you ask me..."

Hiro smiled like he never had before "I prefer to stick with Makima."

There were no words to describe what she was feeling. After all the dreadful thoughts and self-imposed rejection she had created, hearing this was like the greatest happiness. Warmth was filling her chest, a warmth that felt more secure now than ever, a warmth that only Hiro could provide.

He looked at her and knew it had worked. Telling the truth had always worked for him, and this time was no different.

"Makima, I want us to keep being friends" he finally admitted, making the declaration he had struggled so hard to say, and the one she had been so afraid of not hearing.

Those were the words she had lost hope of hearing during this conversation, but they returned, as if they were a lifeline.

Makima looked at their clasped hands, tears continuing to fall. Despite everything, there was still something gnawing at her from within. She could easily dismiss it now, given everything Hiro had said, but she wanted to be absolutely sure. She needed reassurance that everything would be okay from now on, that she wouldn't have to be alone anymore, that being a devil wasn't a barrier to feeling loved.

"I have one more question..." she suddenly said, catching Hiro off guard, "And I want you to answer it honestly." She wasn't looking into his eyes; her gaze was focused on their hands, as if representing the bond they shared.

Hiro didn't say anything, but he watched her attentively, and she took it as a sign to continue.

She took a trembling breath before asking the million-dollar question, the one she had been so afraid to ask, the question that had led them to this moment in the first place.

"Don't you hate me for being a devil?"

Her eyes swiftly moved to him with an eagerness, and Hiro needed only a few moments to respond.

"No, Makima" he said with a serious tone, but his words were sincere. "I don't hate you for being a devil... And I don't think I could ever hate you."

That was all she needed. She jumped from her chair and pulled him into an embrace, burying her face in his chest. Once again, they were enveloped in a comforting, secure hug.

Makima cried softly against his chest, her sobs muffled by Hiro's clothes but too powerful to be silenced.

Both of them finally felt it.

They knew everything was alright.

That everything would be alright.

0O0O

Notes: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

The reconciliation was even better than I imagined!

This chapter is incredible; Hiro and Makima finally set aside all their misunderstandings and only made their friendship bond stronger.

This is how you break the Internet, not with nonsense like Gear 5.

Learn from Hiro, guys; this is how you win over the ideal girl.

Now, please forgive me for taking TWO months to release this chapter, but hey, I made it longer than I anticipated, and believe me, I intended to write more, but I got carried away, and now I have a 12k-word chapter.

Is that fair? You tell me, I think it depends a lot on the quality of the chapter.

The thing is, as some of you may already know, at the end of May, my PS4 finally took its last breath, and I had to put it to sleep... For 150 bucks and some PS3 games.

You see, in this world, there are people who already have an established routine, and for better or worse, they have to follow it.

My routine consisted of writing, playing video games, and doing some other extra stuff. But now that my PS4 died, that routine was broken, and it caused me distraction and concern throughout June and July because it was something that had become typical in my life.

It was as if a part of me had been taken away, so to speak. Moreover, everything became very boring without video games, what can I say? It's my other passion besides writing.

But it's not a time for lamenting... because I have my sights set on a PS5...

I'm really sorry, guys, but understand what losing something you do every day for entertainment can do to you. I mean, it's hard to find something that's as enjoyable.

What did you want me to do? Play chess? Come on.

Even to this day, they haven't released Chess 2.

Setting that aside, this chapter was started in June, so I was hoping to release it that month, which didn't happen, but I do want to share the notes I had prepared back then.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is cinema, and no one can say otherwise.

Right now, I have it on my PC digitally to watch it on my 55-inch screen whenever I want.

You know you can always leave your comments about how you liked this chapter. Speaking of which, I have a question for you.

What is your favorite chapter so far in this story?

Personally, I've never been good at deciding these things, but I'm torn between this one and Chapter 10.

The next chapter will probably be a bit short; it will only continue from where we left off and set the stage for the last chapter before the 4-year time jump.

I know it might sound forced to suddenly jump 4 years, but we'll do it differently this time, unlike the 3-year time jump.

But I need Hiro to grow; I need this story to take a step further in terms of its narrative, you understand, and I believe I've developed the young Hiro enough, and now it'll be much easier and fun with a teenage Hiro... with newly discovered hormones.

Hmmm, there are some really fun things coming up between Hiro and Makima.

And let me ask you this, for the fanfiction community: How did you feel about the translation this time? The first part of this chapter was translated using Google Translate as I usually do, but I finally decided to see how a translation by an AI would look, so most of the chapter until the end was translated by an AI. The results left me very satisfied personally. But tell me, do you see a significant improvement now, and should I continue doing the same from now on?

See you guys, take care, I've been abusamadres, and we'll see you next time.