I don't want to be an elf!

He still held the final scores of the Yamai sisters in his hand, standing in the bustling street, unsure of where to go.

After a long while, he seemed to wake up from a dream and suddenly squatted down on the ground.

Why does it have to be me?!

Completely disregarding what others thought, Denji clutched his head and yelled in a self-deprecating tone, "Miss Machima! How could you leave such an important matter to someone like me to decide?!"

To be honest, he couldn't quite remember what he had just talked about with Machima.

Upon realizing that the lives of the Yamai sisters were in his hands, and that his words would determine which Yamai would stay and which would disappear, his already limited brain instantly went blank.

He joined the police force because he wanted an easy and simple life.

He wouldn't mind becoming Machima's dog; in fact, he'd rather be a dog.

After all, being a dog is such a happy and simple thing.

He doesn't need to think about complicated things; he only needs to obey commands to get a comfortable life and enough food. He has absolutely no aversion to being a dog.

In this world, there are countless people who want to be dogs but can't.

However, Denji never imagined that Makima would entrust him with such an important decision.

"How could I possibly make the final decision...?"

He squatted on the ground, his expression contorted in a grimace.

He knew about the relationship between the Yamai sisters, and he also knew that in the end only one Yamai could remain.

However, he had no intention of trying to stop them as much as possible, nor was he going to try to comfort them with words like 'partners' or 'bonds'.

Although he did have a good impression of the Yamai sisters, and a month of getting along with them had made him develop some affection for the two eccentric girls, that was all.

If Yamai Yuzuru or Yamai Yaguya disappeared, he might feel lost for a while.

Perhaps I'll lack motivation at work, perhaps I'll lose my appetite, perhaps I'll often sigh when I think of them...

But soon, he will forget.

Because that's how electricity survives.

Although it may sound a bit heartless to say this, if Denji weren't this kind of person, he probably would have been defeated by the hardships of life long ago.

Looking at the paper in his hand with the Yamai sisters' final scores printed on it, Denji's face was filled with bitterness.

The current situation is completely different from what he imagined.

He wasn't the one who sat quietly in the audience, listening to the judge deliver the final verdict.

He became the one who delivered the final verdict.

This pressure made Dianci feel incredibly heavy.

"No, I can't do this by myself."

Dianci stood up and made a decision in his heart.

However, no decision was made to make any of the eight mai disappear.

Instead, he decided to share the pressure with others.

With this thought in mind, he hailed a taxi without hesitation and arrived at a luxury apartment building.

Following the directions he remembered, he took the elevator to the door of one of the apartments and knocked.

Soon, a woman wearing a thin shirt, with an eye patch over her right eye and missing her left arm opened the door.

"Miss Himeno, it's been a long time."

"Oh, it's Denji. What brings you here all of a sudden?"

The woman named Hime raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, stepped aside, and said, "Come in and talk. You wouldn't come looking for me unless it was something important, would you?"

"No need, I just want to ask you a few simple questions."

Himeno is one of Denji's seniors in the Anti-Magic Section 4.

Or perhaps, the former senior.

Because she has already retired.

In the battle against the Demon of the Blade a few days ago, in order to obtain greater power from the Ghost Demon with whom she had made a pact, she sacrificed her arm and some of her internal organs.

If it weren't for Yamai Yuzuru's arrival and defeating the Demon of the Blade, Himeno would probably be nothing but bones by now.

Although she still wanted to continue being a demon hunter, she ultimately couldn't resist Hayakawa Aki's persistent pleading and had to retire early.

Denji didn't actually know much about this senior.

They didn't even know her given name, only that her surname was Hime.

But perhaps it was precisely because they weren't very familiar with each other that he came to find Hime first.

"That's fine, let's ask here."

Ji Ye used his remaining arm to open the cigarette case and skillfully lit a cigarette: "Judging from your worried look, you didn't get rejected after confessing to Machima, so you've come here to ask me for some dating tips?"

"I didn't do that, and even if I did, I wouldn't ask Ms. Himeno for dating tips."

"Haha, that's true, after all, I've never been in a relationship either."

Ji Ye laughed heartily twice, puffing out smoke as he asked, "So, what do you want to ask?"

"If... if only one of Yamai Yuzuru and Kaguya could stay, which one would Ms. Himeno choose?"

Hime blinked, seemingly surprised that he would ask such a question.

But she quickly remembered the rating system that Makima had established before her retirement and the matter concerning the Yamai sisters, and she guessed why this boy had come to find her.

“Machima is such a cruel and wicked woman, isn’t she?” Hime looked at Denji with pity. “She actually gave you the power to make the decision. Even I can’t stand it. I don’t know what’s so good about her. Everyone likes to fawn over her.”

"Alright, alright, I didn't ask you about your impression of Miss Machima. Can you answer my question directly?"

"You have such a bad attitude when you ask someone for a favor."

Ji Ye chuckled and scolded him a couple of times, but didn't get angry.

She took a drag of her cigarette, exhaled slowly, and said softly, "If I had to choose, I would choose that guy named Xixian."

"why?"

“It’s simple, because Yuzuru saved my life,” Hime answered matter-of-factly. “And thanks to her, I at least have one arm left, so I’m not completely unable to smoke.”

"..."

“I know this isn’t the answer you want to hear,” Himeko said helplessly. “But to be honest, even if you asked every member of the Anti-Demon Section 4, you probably wouldn’t get the answer you want.”

"Then what should I do?" Denji asked dejectedly. "I can't just pick one randomly, can I?"

“If you really can’t decide, then this is also an option,” Hime said. “Actually, I think you don’t need to feel so much pressure. You know, the Yamai sisters don’t have much affection for each other. They’ve fought each other so many times just to devour each other and become the only Wind Demon. They just want an answer from us, any answer will do.”

"is that so?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no, it depends on how you look at it."

Hime shrugged.

"In short, this is the only advice I can give you. The rest is up to you to decide what to do next."

Chapter 18 Machima's Plan

Denji didn't get any good advice from Himeno.

But he did not give up. He then approached Hayakawa Aki, Pava, and other members of the Anti-Demon Section 4 who were on patrol, seeking their advice.

Opinions varied on which of the eight dancers should remain, and the reasons given were diverse.

Ultimately, after consulting with all his colleagues, Denji still hadn't made a final decision.

Night fell quickly.

Just as he was sitting on the sofa in the villa, staring blankly at the ceiling, a familiar noisy sound came from the doorway.

Denji's heart sank, and he stiffly turned his head to look at the doorway.

As the door unlocked, the Yamai sisters appeared before him.

"Oh? I thought we would definitely be the first to return."

Upon seeing Denji on the sofa, Yamai Yakuya paused, "Why do you look so absent-minded? Did something bad happen during your patrol today?"

"Surprisingly, Yuzuru actually saw melancholy on Denji's face, a word that has absolutely nothing to do with Denji."

Hearing what Yagyuu said, Yuzuru Yamai also looked at Denji, sizing him up and down, and said, "It seems like something serious must have happened. Did you get rejected after confessing to Makima?"

"Why does everyone think I'm depressed because I was rejected by Miss Makima?!" Denji couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Is that how you all see me?!"

"Apart from this matter, we really can't imagine anything else that could make you feel depressed."

"Agreed. Everyone knows that Denji is Machima's dog and only cares about Machima."

As they spoke, the Yamai sisters came to Denji's side.

Sitting on either side of him, the two girls' eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"If it wasn't Machima who rejected your confession, then what was it because of?"

"I'm curious, Yuzuru wants to know too."

Returning to this topic, Dianci's face showed even more distress.

He didn't know whether he should tell the Yamai sisters about it.

But he couldn't resist their persistent pleading and finally gave in to the secret, saying in a somewhat desperate manner, "It's about the scoring! Your final scores!"

"Oh? Today is the day the scores are released?"

"Ugh, I completely forgot."

"Hey... How could you forget something this important?" Denji's lips twitched. "Isn't this the only reason you joined the Public Security Bureau? You act like I care more than you do!"

"Ahem, we've been eliminating demons every day lately, we don't have the energy to count the days on our fingers."

Yagami coughed awkwardly twice, but quickly asked with a hint of anticipation, "So, who scored higher?"

"Complacency, do we even need to ask about that?"