After the job was done, Blade didn't rush.
He slung the coffin over his shoulder, blood still drying on his boots, and walked off into the quiet streets like nothing had happened.
The nearest Vailhom hideout wasn't far — every country had one. They had to. Devils didn't care about borders.
And Blade? He was one of the few bastards from the motherland who could clean up messes like this alone. But HQ never trusted him to run solo. Too reckless. Too wild. That's why they always stuck him with a unit.
He arrived at what looked like an old restaurant tucked between buildings — nothing special from the outside.
"So this is the hideout?" he muttered. "Could've fooled me. First time in England… and of course, Red Unit's here too. Never miss a spotlight."
"Country's crawling with devils, and they still make it a damn stage."
He pushed the door open.
Ting-ting.
"Hello, take a seat," said the waiter casually.
Blade didn't respond. He just flashed an old pocket watch with a glowing red crest engraved on its chrome face.
The waiter's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah. Home Special. Follow me, sir."
---
Inside was bigger than expected — Victorian-style furniture, dark walls, thick rugs, and quiet halls that echoed your steps. Cold air. Burnt incense. Silence.
Then a voice broke through:
"Is that you, Blade?"
A tall girl with black hair approached, dressed in a white synthetic coat. Sharp voice. Familiar smirk.
"Raze," Blade blinked. "Didn't expect to see you here. Thought you'd show up after finishing that project."
"I bailed early," she shrugged. "Got bored."
"So… did you finish my weapon?"
"Ehh… did you pay me?"
Blade narrowed his eyes.
"Come on, Raze…"
She smirked. "Relax. Just messing. C'mon, I'll show you."
---
She led him down a narrow hallway and opened a huge reinforced case full of weapons — stacked blades, polished and wicked.
Blade's eyes lit up.
"Hell yes."
"You want the old ones fixed too?" she asked.
"Yeah. They're… uh… cracked. Bent. Maybe broken."
"You didn't break the hammer, did you?"
"No," he lied. "The others though…"
She groaned. "I swear, Blade — break one more of my weapons, and I'll kill you myself."
He muttered in his head: Your weapons are fun as hell, but they break too damn fast.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be more careful," he said out loud.
Raze reached in and pulled out a wicked-looking blade.
"This is the Gear Blade."
She handed it to him like it was royalty.
"Works as a sword or a spear. Handle extends. Blade's forged from the remains of the Serpent Devil — just like you asked. The more blood it sheds, the sharper it gets."
Blade stared, impressed.
"Damn… you really outdid yourself."
"Of course I did. Now let me show you the rest—"
Alert. Alert.
A loudspeaker crackled in the distance.
"Emergency reported on 9th Street. A devil and a devil contractor have been detected."
Blade raised an eyebrow.
"Two in the same night? Past 3:00 a.m.? Guess I can't kill 'em — gotta capture."
A voice echoed faintly through the walls:
"Someone lost their mind again. Put their trust in a devil… and look where it got them."
Blade smirked and slid the Gear Blade into the coffin.
"Alright. Let's test this out."
He turned to leave.
"These ones—fix 'em up if you can," he said, tossing his busted weapons into the case.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," a voice called out.
A woman with light blue hair stepped through the hallway, boots tapping sharply. Cold stare. Confident walk.
"You're not going on solo missions for a while, Blade."
He froze.
"Ava? You're here?"
"Thought you were still at Vailhom."
"I'm here for a mission. HQ sent me. England's crawling with devils right now — and it's not because of the portals."
"…So I'm not going on the mission?"
"Oh, you're going."
She smirked.
"But not alone. You're joining Unit Red."
Blade looked like he'd been slapped.
"Unit Red?! Of all the damn units, they send me with them? Why not Unit Gray or—"
He muttered under his breath.
Ava raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a problem?"
"…No, ma'am."
"That's what I thought."
Raze stifled a laugh.
"Come on," Blade muttered. "I'm not her damn dog. She's just cruel."
Ava turned back.
"Let's go. I'll take you to your unit."
Raze called out behind him with a smirk:
"Try not to die. I've got more weapons to show you, remember?"
Blade rolled his eyes.
"She's enjoying this way too much…"