Michiko Tendo

Year: 1997. Country: Japan. City: Kyoto.

current location: The Public Safety

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Public Safety Devil Hunters The Public Safety Devil Hunters are an organization of government-sanctioned Devil Hunters in Japan who function similarly to a Fire Department or Police Force. They're sent to dispatch Devils in the event of a threat to the public and are tasked with resolving Devil-related incidents on a smaller scale. Though the threat level of the Devils they pursue can vary, they're generally sent after bigger threats than those working in the Private Sector, according to Himeno. To compensate the fact that Devil Hunters from the public bureau are sent after more dangerous Devils than private Devil Hunters, the government gives them more paid days off and other benefits. Despite the benefits, Public Safety, like all departments that work under the goverment, must also do paperwork and always give well-explained and detailed reports about their activities.

Devils (悪あく魔ま／デビル Akuma/Debiru?) are a race of supernatural entities appearing throughout the World. They are creatures that feed upon humanity's fears. Devils are born in Hell. All Devils are born with a "name" that correlates to a concept. These can range from highly tangible (Fish, Tomato) to entirely abstract (Future, Curse). The concept does not have to refer to something that exists; there is no indication that ghosts, zombies or angels exist in the world, yet all these names have corresponding Devils. Each name is unique to its respective Devil, though some overlap based on specificity is possible as there have been both a War Devil and a World War II Devil. Devils manifest according to the collective consciousness surrounding their names (for example: the Gun Devil appears to be constructed out of guns and has gun related abilities). They are the embodiment of the fear that "name" represents, so as long as that "name" instills fear, they continue to reincarnate.

The concept of a Devil itself doesn’t have to be scary on its own, rather its power relies on how much of a scary image it has in the popular consciousness of humans.

Devils that die in Hell reappear in the human world; Devils that die in the human world reappear in Hell. Devils cannot recall any memories from their previous lives and their entire personality resets. Despite their reincarnation abilities, Devils are not completely immortal; as they are born out of humanity's fear of some concept, if all of humanity forgets the existence of this concept, the Devil it belongs to completely ceases to exist.

Physiology The appearance and physiology of a Devil varies from one to another, as their shape and bodily structure often have to do with the "name" they embody. Most Devils possess human limbs, faces, bones, and other body parts, such as the Snake Devil's mouth being made of interlocking human arms, even their fears wouldn't indicate organs or limbs, given the Tomato Devil and Grape Devil both possess human eyes and limbs despite being based on plants. Other Devils, such as the Fox Devil or the Octopus Devil, don't appear to have these features (at least on what parts of them have been shown). Devils do not reproduce as most organisms do, instead simply "appearing" in Hell. What criteria, if any, cause a Devil to be born are completely unknown.

Due to their nature of existence, Devils do not typically have familial relationships. However, there are instances where more powerful devils regard other devils as their children. Devils who are friendly and are more inclined to humans will take on a very humanoid form in the natural state of their incarnation, some being indistinguishable from a human save from some subtle tells. There have still been some non-humanoid Devils who have been friendly towards humans such as the Fox Devil.

Devils primarily feed on the blood and fear of humans, however they can also survive by drinking the blood of other creatures (such as Fiends and other Devils). While fear makes Devils more powerful, consuming blood allows them to quickly heal their injuries as well as grow in power — meaning that consuming humans is more than just instinctual hatred, but often necessary to their survival. For that reason, while Devils and Fiends can also consume other kinds of foods, such as vegetables and fruits, most refuse to live off of them, since it will not heal their wounds or give them more power. It is unclear whether or not their blood is properly nourishing to them, but given consistent remarks that they have a terrible or unusual taste, it's likely that Hybrids aren't as nourishing to Devils as humans (despite being mostly human).

Devils also appear to be incapable of dying due to old age; they can live indefinitely until killed by external factors. The age of most Devils are unknown.

Primal Devils Devils who bear the names of Primal Fears (根こん源げん的てき恐きょう怖ふ Kongen-teki Kyōfu?) are particularly ancient and powerful, embodying the most instinctual fears ingrained within the human psyche. Described as "transcendent" beings, they frighten lesser Devils and Fiends alike, including those who have previously been ignorant of their existence. Indeed, having never experienced the death-and-rebirth cycle typical of Devils due to their immense power, Primal Fear Devils have always dwelt in Hell under the same identities throughout human history.

Contract (契けい約やく Keiyaku?) is a binding verbal agreement between a Devil and a Human. It is a very important concept in the series and is fundamental for the relationship between humans and devils.

A contract is a supernatural agreement that compels its participants to fulfill its terms. Contracts can only be formed between devils and humans - fiends are incapable of performing contracts nor can two devils form a contract with each other. Contracts are binding in nature and cannot be broken on pain of death. When a devil offers a contract to a human and the human accepts, neither can go back on their word.