Episode 3

## Paradox

**Paradox** (パラドクス, *Paradokusu*?) is the third episode of the *Devils' Line* anime series. It aired April 21, 2018.

## Summary

Tsukasa remembers that they didn't have hot pot, but Anzai remarks that they can reschedule for any time, since he has been suspended for two months. Tsukasa realizes that the suspension is because he hit her professor and she starts apologizing, but Anzai questions why she is apologizing and requests her to stop talking as they lean into each other.

Since Tsukasa has not seen Miwako since winter break, Miwako deduces that Tsukasa has met a man and pushes for details. Tsukasa describes Anzai as appearing unfriendly and easily angered, but inwardly very nice and willing to admit wrongdoing. When Tsukasa mentions that Anzai has been coming over to her place to eat after work, Miwako becomes anxious, but Tsukasa reassures her that she trusts Anzai.

While returning home with her arms full of groceries for the hot pot, a man bumps into Tsukasa and spills the groceries. He proceeds to apologize, pick things up, and run off, apparently in a great hurry. Anzai comes up as the man leaves and walks her home. On the news that evening, there is report that at a restaurant, a body drained of blood has been discovered and one of the workers has gone missing. Anzai observes that it could be the work of a devil. Anzai then asks Tsukasa about the man who bumped into her earlier because he looked suspicious. Tsukasa asserts that she didn't know him, but he seemed nice since he helped her pick up her groceries. When Anzai scoffs at the notion that "nice" is defined by someone picking up her groceries, Tsukasa adds that the man had dark circles under his eyes, which is a characteristic of devils who have *not* drunk any blood. Just then, there is the sound of an imitated "meow" at the door.

Sawazaki and Jill are at the restaurant where the body was found, and the manager Okino tells them that one of his employees, Katagiri, is a devil and committed the murder. Jill immediately remarks that although Okino is human, he reeks of blood, which is only possible if he had recently been drenched in someone else's blood.

Anzai calls Sawazaki and asks if there is a wanted devil on the loose. Sawazaki confirms that there is a murder that appears to have been the work of a devil, but it now appears that the devil was framed. Autopsy reports have confirmed that the killer made the murder look as though it was framed by a devil. Anzai reports that he has with him Katagiri, devil who was framed for the murder (he was the one who came knocking on Tsukasa's door, and the one who spilled her groceries earlier), and Sawazaki announces that they will send a car to collect the devil. Katagiri explains that although he is innocent, he ran because he once committed accidental murder when he got into a fight, and since then, if he ever feels the urge to hurt a human, he runs away to avoid hurting anyone. While waiting for the police to arrive, the three share some hot pot together.

Jill, who comes with Sawazaki to collect Katagiri, sees Tsukasa with Anzai and is mildly jealous. She calls to Anzai by his given name, Yuuki, and asks him to come see her sometime. Tsukasa notes her physical beauty and becomes jealous as well, thinking that Jill looks like a Hollywood movie star and she can never compete with her. Anzai, however, thinks that Jills just looks average. Tsukasa also ponders the fact that she really doesn't know much about Anzai, not even his given name. Tsukasa is tired, so she lies down. On the television, the New Year's Eve countdown in Hokkaido is starting. Tsukasa has always wanted to go to Hokkaido, which happens to be Anzai's hometown, so Anzai promises to take her there sometime. When she is asleep, Anzai walks away from her side, asking himself what he is doing by promising to take her, since she is human and he is a devil.

Sawazaki and Jill are on another murder case, but this time the victim is a devil. This is the fifth devil victim in a series of shootings. All of the devils were killed by a shot to the head, and none of the devils was in transformed state at the time of death. This seems to indicate that the shooter is specifically targeting devils; however, the information about who in the population are devils is exclusive to city halls, insurance companies, hospitals, and the police. For this reason, Sawazaki calls in Jill and Anzai to warn them to watch their backs, since they are the two devil members of the F Squad.

On his way back from to Tsukasa's house, Anzai picks up the promised Christmas present for Tsukasa. The latter, making cheese-stuffed cabbage rolls in her apartment, reminisces on Miwako's reminders to be careful around Anzai, since she hasn't known him for very long. To avoid attracting attention by leaping from telephone poles, Anzai comes in via the front door this time, to Tsukasa's surprise. Anzai inquires about about her temperature, and whether she went out, because he thinks that something seems different about her, to which Tsukasa replies that she put on some makeup. They kiss, and Anzai tells Tsukasa that he really likes her. The next moment, he gets shot by a bullet coming in through the window.

The sniper, sensing that she missed, fires again, shattering the window. Tsukasa shields Anzai from the flying glass and is herself hit in the nose by sharp glass, causing blood to run down her face. Anzai transforms into his devil state, flips himself on top of Tsukasa, and bares his fangs at her. When Tsukasa lays her hand on his cheek, he looks down and his eyes grow moist. The sniper fires at Anzai again, at which point he jumps out the window and gives chase. Tsukasa calls after him, then notices a paper package he left behind. Opening it, she finds a penguin charm and a Merry Christmas note from Anzai.

Anzai catches up to the sniper and fights with her. As the fight, the sniper rages that all of his kind are murders waiting to drink the blood of humans, and that her mother was killed because of them, which is why she hates and hunts devils. She then shoots him in the lungs.

## Characters

In order of appearance:

* Yuuki Anzai
* Tsukasa Taira
* Miwako Toda
* Ryunosuke Katagiri
* Juliana Lloyd
* Takashi Sawazaki
* Okino
* Toshiro Sakaki
* Ryusei Yanagi
* Zero Seven