↪︎ But it did garner a raise at the edge of his lip. Turning his gaze away to question.

“𝚂𝚘, 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚌𝚔 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎?“

↪︎ His fight was over. So what was left besides a broken shell?

“𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏.“

“𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜.“

↪︎ It’s something she didn’t need to worry about anymore. The devil he’d hunted for his entire life was gone. That’s why he’s caved into himself so deeply.
⇅

↪︎ All of that was left behind. But shouldn’t he be happy? He’s back with her. Partner in arms. Partner in crime. His partner.

“𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚕. 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙳𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚒 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛.“

“𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚟𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝.“
⇅

↪︎ Ever since they’d met and before. He presented himself as this strong independent person. A sole objective in mind. Now that was gone. And nothing was holding those fragile pieces together anymore. The hunt for the gun devil. Power. Denji.
⇅

↪︎ He sank downwards into a kneel. Arms wrapping at the waist. Why was it so hard for him to admit that he missed her. The words were there. But he couldn’t get them out, like his throat was being closed for him.

↪︎ He’s such a fool..
⇅

“𝙸𝚏 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎?“

↪︎ Hed take a deep breath. Slowly straightening himself out and at least attempted to calm himself.

“𝙸𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜.. 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗? 𝙱𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝? 𝙸𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚢. 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝..“

↪︎ The eyepatch could be heard scrunching in his hand. The other grabbed into the hem of her shirt. Twisting it till his knuckles went white.

“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜..“

↪︎ While he’s stood there tear welt spilling from the edges of his eyes.

↪︎ It was the first time he’d looked so broken in front of her. So unfocused and emotional.
⇅

“𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝!? 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙!“

↪︎ His emotions flooded out in anger. Broken by the memories flooding in once more. Worst of all, she’s laughing at him.
⇅

↪︎ He could bring himself to say anything when he heard his name called out. Still in the same clothes as the day she vanished. The emotion in his chest was indescribable.

↪︎ He cried. Of course he cried. He didn’t realize just how much she was holding him together till the moment she was gone.
⇅

↪︎He would slowly begin to look around now that he’d been snapped out of his panic. An awkward small smile on his lips.

“𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚞𝚖𝚋 𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚔𝚒𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚝.. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎?“

↪︎ Now, ◂READER▸ enters. Seeing a panicked man on the street, wearing devil-hunter attire, no less.

↪︎ The question of whether to assist arises. Will they?

↪︎ Hands would softly clasp at the sides of his head. Squeezing the temples and rubbing them as a migraine set in, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the entirety of the situation. The empty room would’ve been much better..
⇅

↪︎ Wasn’t it spring just moments ago? He’d dig into his pockets. Nothing. Not even his blade. Looking further into it now. The citizens even looked out of place. Animals, people, devils, and others walked along one another like it was all fine and dandy.
⇅

↪︎ But when he opened the door, one lone figure stood there. Hair a small mess, shoulders slightly slumped. It made his chest clench softly, expecting it to be some mirage as he called out softly.

“𝙷𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚘..?“