The streets of the Seongsu neighborhood were covered in debris and wreckage. The aftermath of the explosion had gouged deep into the buildings’ outer walls, crumpled cars like sheets of paper, and left a huge crater in the middle of the road.
Amid the chaos which was reminiscent of a battlefield, countless people moved quickly and efficiently through the area. Forensics teams in protective suits crossed the scene and investigated the destroyed sections, while rescue workers hurriedly searched through the wreckage for survivors or casualties. The sounds of debris being overturned mixed with the shouts of the rescue team and created an atmosphere thick with urgency.
In Ha-young, who was watching all of this from a distance, continued her report through her tablet. Her face showed signs of deep fatigue, but her voice remained calm and composed.
“―That concludes my report.”
“Good work, Team Leader In. It was a disaster in every sense of the word.”
The chief on the other side of the tablet nodded as he spoke.
“The target escaped from the scene, correct?”
“Yes, I apologize. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to give chase.”
“No, it’s fine. If it was strong enough to take down a high-level devil with a measured magical power of over 80 in a single hit, it’s at least on the level of a greater devil. Even if you had chased it, we’d just have one more body to count.”
In Ha-young didn’t bother to disagree. The centipede devil which had seemed so powerful had been crushed like an insect by that being. To such a devil, she would be far less than an insect and likely nothing more than a microorganism.
Still, if necessary, In Ha-young was prepared to pursue that devil. It was her conviction as a security agent dedicated to protecting the citizens.
“I will continue the mission. The target is still somewhere in the city.”
But the chief shook his head firmly.
“Stand down. You’ve already lost too many team members. Your contract with the devil has also been severed. You’re not in any condition to carry out the mission alone. Wait for now. There will be measures soon from the higher ups whether it’s a reassignment or reinforcement for your team.”
“But if a archdevil is lurking somewhere in the city, it’s a serious emergency—”
“This has already been reported all the way up to the Director. Do you understand what that means? Whether you’re involved or not, nothing’s going to change.”
In Ha-young fell silent. She realized that the situation was now out of her hands. At the same time, she felt a slight sense of relief. The trust that the word “Director” commanded among Security Bureau agents was that big.
“I understand. I’ll stand by for now, as you’ve instructed.”
“Good. You’ve worked hard. Go home, take a good shower, and get some rest. You’re the hero who protected the city, after all. You deserve at least that much.”
With those words, the chief ended the call. Staring at her reflection in the now dark tablet screen, In Ha-young let out a deep sigh. A hero who protected the city? That was ridiculous. She hadn’t done anything.
She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and decided to follow her superior’s orders and get some proper rest today. After all, she was mentally exhausted. When she got home, she was determined to enjoy some fried chicken and beer.
As she absentmindedly returned the salutes of fellow Security Bureau agents she passed, In Ha-young suddenly noticed someone crouched in a corner.
“That’s… definitely…”
It was a familiar face. If her memory served her right, it was the new D-rank agent who had started work today. In Ha-young tried to recall the agent’s name, but no matter how hard she thought, it wouldn’t come to her, so she quickly gave up.
Instead, as a superior or perhaps as a senior, she approached the female agent with the intention of offering a few words of advice. Surviving such an extreme situation meant that whether it was luck or skill, something had been on their side.
Just as she was about to speak to the agent, In Ha-young suddenly stopped in her tracks. The agent’s entire body was trembling uncontrollably up close.
“Th-They’re… dead. All dead. My fellow trainee, my senior… they’re all dead. They told us to do our best, that if we stayed sharp, we wouldn’t die… but I can’t do it, I can’t… if I keep doing this, one day I’ll either die or lose my mind!”
In Ha-young watched the agent’s back for a moment before clicking her tongue lightly and quietly turning away.
Tsk, that one’s a lost cause.
In this line of work, it wasn’t uncommon to see agents whose spirits had been broken. It was no surprise. The pride of being a guardian of humanity didn’t guarantee survival.
The fight against devils wasn’t a story from a movie; it was a harsh reality, and in that reality, low-ranking Security Bureau agents weren’t superheroes but just expendable items that were constantly being torn apart.
In Ha-young no longer felt the need to offer advice to a agent she would never see again, nor did she find any value in remembering her name. The odds were high that the agent wouldn’t return to work tomorrow. Even that, in a way, was considered a happy ending for a Security Bureau agent. After all, fewer than one in ten retired from this job with their bodies intact.
And so, with no one to care for her, the new agent trembled in fear alone for a long time until the scene was finally cleared, and she managed to stand up and go home. It was a common ending for an ordinary D-rank agent.
But the new agent had failed to notice something.
On the way home, her shadow had grown unnaturally large.
***
Ssshhh—
“Haah…”
Special Security Bureau D-rank agent Shin Na-yoon sat blankly in the bathroom as she lay crouched under the steady stream of water.
Hot water poured endlessly over her body, filling the bathroom with thick steam, and making everything around her blur as if she stood in a fog. She had been standing like that for quite some time, but she remained there, emotionless, like a broken doll.
The events of the day replayed over and over in her mind—devils, gunfire, destroyed buildings, corpses, and more corpses.
Then suddenly, the thought of her unpaid rent surfaced, and she quickly turned off the faucet before the water bill could get any higher. Though it felt ridiculous to worry about the water bill at a time like this.
“Maybe I should just quit…”
Shin Na-yoon voiced a thought every office worker thought of at least once. She hated the idea of going to work. The thought of going in tomorrow made even the act of falling asleep tonight feel unbearable.
But there was nothing she could do. Most of her coworkers and seniors had died in a single day. Wanting to go to work under these circumstances would have been abnormal.
Still, what would happen if she quit her job? In times like these, with youth unemployment at an all-time high and the economy in such a slump, finding another job wouldn’t be easy. How would she pay her rent and living expenses?
Should she return to her parents’ house now? But what would her family think if she quit her job after just one day? Her mom had been so happy when she became a public servant. And what about her smart little sister, who was in her final year of high school? Unlike herself, she had to make sure her sister went to college.
These thoughts chased one another in circles, weighing down Shin Na-yoon’s heart. Yet the idea of going to work brought back vivid memories of the horrifying scene she had just seen.
Crushed and mangled flesh, bright red blood, the giant centipede devil that devoured her colleagues, and even the chicken devil that had obliterated the centipede devil in one blow. If she stayed with the Security Bureau, she would have to face things like this again. The thought made her even more depressed.
Shin Na-yoon dried her wet hair and stepped out of the bathroom with just a light towel wrapped around her. The subtle aroma of cheese filled the air from the living room. Now that she thought about it, she had ordered pizza for dinner. She hadn’t eaten a single slice; she had been abruptly called away just as she was about to start.
It was too late to eat now, and after everything that had happened, Shin Na-yoon had completely lost her appetite. She walked over to the dining table to put the pizza in the fridge.
Only for her to find an uninvited guest sitting there.
“Uh…”
The man sitting on Shin Na-yoon’s beloved sofa, which she had splurged on, was eating pizza. He had horns sprouting from his head and large bat-like wings extending from his back. The sight was so familiar that she screamed before she even realized it.
“Aaaah! It’s the chicken devil!”
The devil—no, Kang-joon—glanced at her as he took a bite of pizza. He didn’t care about Na-yoon’s scream, casually chewed on the pizza, and spoke.
“Who are you calling a chicken devil?”
“P-Pease, spare me! I don’t taste as good as chicken! I-If you want, I’ll order you so much chicken until you explode!”
Kang-joon paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow slightly before letting out a small chuckle. After swallowing the pizza in his hand in one bite, he stood up from the sofa and walked toward her.
“That’s not a bad deal.”
“H-Huh?”
“Alright, let’s make a contract. I’ll spare you, and you’ll provide me with food, shelter, and clothing. And since you’re the one who suggested it first, you don’t have the right to refuse.”
Die or make a contract.
That’s how it sounded to Shin Na-yoon.
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