Bruised & Battered

Aki Hayakawa comes to in a hospital bed, the loss of Himeno still raw. Denji and Power, reassigned away from him, bicker at his bedside before leaving, and a grieving Aki breaks down once they go. Denji, doubling back for forgotten manga, glimpses the tears and wonders why he himself feels nothing for Himeno or anyone else, fretting that he may have lost his human heart before brushing the thought aside.

Makima brings Denji and Power to the cemetery and hands them to Kishibe, a veteran of Division 1, for training. He quizzes the pair on loyalty and revenge, judges their detached answers perfect, then snaps their necks to show how blood restores them. Tasked with toughening Denji before the Gun Devil comes for his heart, Kishibe resolves to beat the two relentlessly until they can best him. They scheme to outwit him with glasses and clever traps, but he flattens every attempt.

At the hospital, Tendo and Kurose tell Aki his Fox Devil has soured on him and gently pitch him on quitting. Aki refuses, set on killing the Devil that murdered his family. They lead him into a Public Safety holding facility lined with caged Devils and bring him before cell 108, home to the Future Devil, whose past contractors paid with their lifespan or their senses. Aki steps inside to face it.

Denji and Power begin their brutal apprenticeship under Kishibe, who proves far stronger than either. Aki, abandoned by the Fox Devil, is counseled by Tendo and Kurose but refuses to leave Public Safety, determined to avenge his family. He is then led to the imprisoned Future Devil to seek a new contract.

The tenth episode of the series adapts material from chapters 29 through 31. Kick Back plays over the opening while Dogland serves as the ending theme. The Future Devil makes its debut in this installment.