Two minutes later, the Yamai sisters returned to Japan from the sea, far from the mainland.
They casually threw the Sea Serpent Devil's corpse on the dock, leaving it for the Devil Control Bureau members to handle, and were ready to leave.
However, just before they were about to leave, a Devil hunter called out to them.
"Excuse me, Misses, Makima said that after you're done with the Sea Serpent Devil, you should meet with her."
Upon hearing the message from the Devil hunter, the Yamai sisters froze in place, looking at each other in confusion.
They had just met with the shore, had barely returned to Japan, and hadn't even rested, yet Makima wanted to see them already.
There was an uneasy feeling in the air...
Could it be that Makima had been watching them meet with the shore?
But the shore had said that due to the appearance of the Sea Serpent Devil, all the nearby animals had been scared away, so there was no reason for them to have been monitored.
The Yamai sisters didn't doubt the shore's words, because as spirits, they were quite sensitive to surrounding energies. Normally, they would sense if they were being watched, but at the place they had just been, they didn't have that feeling.
Hopefully, it was just a coincidence.
With some doubt and wariness, the Yamai sisters quickly made their way to Makima's office.
"We've arrived!"
"We're here, Makima. What do you need from Yuzuru and Kaguya?"
They pushed open the door and walked into the office where Makima, as usual, was dealing with paperwork.
When she saw the Yamai sisters arrive, Makima's expression remained unchanged as she put down her pen.
"You've been part of the Public Safety Devil Control Bureau for two months now." Makima said softly. "It's time for the end-of-month evaluation."
So it was about that.
Upon hearing that Makima had called them in for the evaluation, the Yamai sisters felt a sense of relief.
As they were flying over, they had considered whether Makima might have discovered that they had met with the shore and agreed to cooperate, and whether she might have set a trap to attack them first.
They had prepared themselves for Makima to break a cup, signaling an attack, and for nearby Devil Control Bureau hunters and controlled weaponry Devils to swarm them for a battle to the death.
It seemed, however, that they had overthought it.
Although they weren't afraid of Makima setting a trap, having a falling out with her now wouldn't be beneficial to them either.
If they were going to turn against her, it should at least be after they were done with the Chainsaw Devil.
"Heh heh, by the way, Makima, the Sea Serpent Devil has already been slain by me."
Relaxing their vigilance, Kaguya Yamai smugly snorted and said, "Make sure you count this as part of our monthly evaluation score."
"Counterargument, if Yuzuru hadn't found and tied down the Sea Serpent Devil, Kaguya wouldn't have been able to kill it so easily."
Yamai Yuzuru entered character and added, "I also contributed half of the effort in this Devil hunt."
"Doesn't matter, I'll just split the credit with you. Regardless, I'm still the one getting the Wind Yamai Kazamachi name tag this month," Kaguya Yamai waved her hand dismissively. "After all, I've killed more Devils this month than you."
"Cough, cough."
Makima coughed twice, stopping the argument and drawing their attention back to her.
Seeing that she was preparing to announce the results of the month's evaluation, the Yamai sisters stopped arguing and focused on her.
"Kaguya is right, her Devil kills still surpass Yuzuru's this month."
"Ha! I told you I'd be the one to get the Wind Yamai Kazamachi name tag this month!"
"However, after careful consideration, the higher score goes to Yuzuru."
"What?!"
Kaguya Yamai's eyes widened in disbelief, and she slammed the table, demanding, "Why? You just admitted I killed more Devils!"
"Let me explain. The number of Devil kills is just one of the important factors in the evaluation. There are other criteria as well."
"Then tell me why I lost to Yuzuru."
"Because, during the hell mission, it was Yuzuru who used her abilities to hold down the Dark Devil," Makima said, "This act not only bought me time to arrive but also maximized the protection of Denji and the others, making a great contribution to the Devil Control Bureau."
"Ugh..."
Upon hearing this, Kaguya Yamai couldn't say much more.
Like a defeated rooster, she looked a bit downcast and muttered, "I actually planned to stay behind, but Yuzuru just got there first."
"No matter what, staying behind was Yuzuru's choice," Makima said, "Kaguya, hand over the Wind Yamai Kazamachi name tag."
"Heh, Kaguya, your days of boasting about being Wind Yamai Kazamachi are over."
Hearing that Yuzuru was the one to get the name tag this month, Yamai Yuzuru puffed up her chest and extended her hand. "Give me the name tag."
"If you want it, you'll have to take it yourself."
Kaguya Yamai grabbed the golden name tag pinned to her chest, squinting at Yuzuru. "But you know the rules."
"Smiling coldly, Yuzuru knew that Kaguya would say this."
Yamai Yuzuru raised her left hand, and the Raphael—Constrictor appeared in her hand out of nowhere.
In an instant, the atmosphere between the two became tense.
Makima, who had been sitting, froze for a moment.
These two... hadn't they already made up?
Compared to the first month, the times they competed against each other had significantly decreased.
How come they were now preparing to fight again?
Was the Wind Yamai Kazamachi name tag really that attractive?
Facing the summoned angel and the threat of losing the name tag, Kaguya's lips curled into a mysterious smile.
"We've fought this much already, how many more times do you think we'll go at it?"
"It's hard to say. In Yuzuru's memories, we've been fighting since we came to this world."
Yamai Yuzuru lightly waved her Constrictor, her expression neutral. "Kaguya already got the Wind Yamai Kazamachi name tag last month, so according to the rules, this month it's my turn."
"I haven't had enough. Let me take it for one more month, but next time, it's yours."
"Rejecting it. Rules are rules."
"Since you say so, there's nothing I can do."
Kaguya raised her hand, and the Raphael—El Re'em appeared in her hand.
Makima felt an ominous feeling.
Just as she was about to speak and stop them, the Yamai sisters took off simultaneously, rising into the air.
They smashed a big hole through Makima's office, disappearing from sight.
Looking up at the sky through the hole, Makima couldn't help but sigh.
"These two are really becoming harder to control."
Not only had they refused to tell her their true names and abilities, but now they had also destroyed her office.
This was something Makima could accept, but meeting with the shore was something she couldn't tolerate.
Yes, Makima knew the Yamai sisters had met with the shore.
Although, as the shore had said, she hadn't directly seen their conversation on the sea, the fact that the Yamai sisters had escaped her surveillance and the shore's movements were no longer under her control had been enough to prove certain things.
"These two Devils really are a headache."
In the office, Makima's fingers drummed on the table, her eyes as deep as the abyss without a trace of emotion.
"What should we do with them?"