After gaining approval to take the day off, Denji and Power found themselves riding a train out of the city. As they settled into their seats, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels against the tracks echoed in the background.
"I know the dwelling place of Nyāko's catnapper, so that's no issue... My original plan was to lure you to its dwelling to exchange your life for Nyāko's. But due to our contract, that is no longer an option," Power said as she leaned back on the cushioned train bench. Her expression tightened, and she looked at Denji with slight hesitation. "Are you sure your power will be enough to kill the Bat Devil? He is a formidable foe."
Denji nodded and placed a hand over his heart. "Yeah, I know I can take him down. Trust me, my strength isn't something to underestimate."
"It better be. Nyāko's life hangs in the balance. I will not tolerate failure!" Power said and pointed at him. "If you fail, our contract will be null and void! Your life will be mine to kill! You hear me!"
Denji nodded with a smile. Rising to his feet, he walked over to Power and sat down beside her, making her glare at him. "Yeah, I got you. Okay, let's talk strategy…"
-=C-S-M=-
Power grunted as she dragged Denji's body along the dirt path leading to an old house outside of the city. Blood-soaked Denji's blonde hair left a thin trail along the ground.
After finally reaching the house, Power opened the door and dragged Denji behind her.
"You had no qualms leaving me to wait, did you, Blood Devil. I almost thought you turned tail and fled."
A large, looming shadow emerged from within the dilapidated, abandoned house. Power frowned and dropped Denji's body before it, standing back as her eyes scanned the room.
"Spare me your complaints! Earning my freedom took some time! Still, I've brought you a human and met your demands! Now release Nyāko!" Power yelled.
The Bat Devil examined Denji's body and inhaled deeply. "I see you've brought me a young man full of vigor!" He said. Reaching into its wing, he brought out a large cage suspended by a chain. Within the cage, Nyāko could be seen.
"Nyāko! There you are!" Power said with a relieved smile. She then turned to Denji and grimaced. "You better not have lied to me."
"Hm? What nonsense are you-"
Power clamped her hands together and unleashed a blast of blood, slicing through the chain holding Nyāko's cage. The Bat Devil blinked in confusion, shocked by the unexpected attack and the loud sound of a chainsaw revving beneath him.
"What?!" The Bat Devil yelled, but gasped as Chainsaw Man kicked him back with such force that the Devil was sent crashing out of the house.
Twisting on his heel, Chainsaw Man retracted the chainsaws from his arms and caught Nyāko's cage. The cat meowed at the sight of Chainsaw Man but was ultimately snatched away by Power. She looked down at her pet with relief, but then turned to stare at Chainsaw Man with wide eyes.
"So this… is your power?" Power asked.
"It is," Chainsaw Man said and turned to the large hole in the house.
Holding out his arms, he extended his chainsaws and walked out of the gaping hole of the building. Rising to his feet, the Bat Devil looked up at Chainsaw Man with wide eyes.
"You were a devil?!" Bat Devil said shakily. "I was tricked!"
"You were," Chainsaw Man said. "To use a defenseless cat as a hostage to get another devil to do your dirty work. How pathetic."
"Shut up! I'll show you the power of the Bat Devil!" The Bat Devil roared and flexed its mouth muscles, causing his lips to extend.
Before he could unleash his super sonic attack, Chainsaw Man burst forward with great speed and slashed one of his chainsaws across the devil's stomach, sending blood and guts across the grass.
The Bat Devil let out a thunderous roar, its cry echoing through the sky as it stared upward, desperation mingling with fury in its eyes. Pain coursed through its body, the weight of exhaustion heavy on its limbs, yet an undeniable fire surged within. With a furious growl, it swung its massive arm, sending Chainsaw Man crashing backward, skidding several feet across the ground. Summoning every ounce of strength, the Bat Devil propelled itself upward, its mighty wings unfurling. It ascended into the air, the wind rushing past it, and began to soar toward the distant glow of the town.
"I can't fight in such a state! I need blood!" The Bat Devil said, but gasped as pain shot up his leg. He looked down and saw Chainsaw Man holding on to his furry leg. His sharp teeth were tugging themselves into the Bat's flesh. "Release me!"
"You think you can run from me, you ugly son of a bitch!" Chainsaw Man yelled as he scaled up the Bat Devil's body using his fur. Chainsaw Man jumped and spun in the air, his chainsaws erupting from his arms. Now free, he used his weapons to chop one of the Bat Devil's arms off and slice up his chest.
The Bat Devil let out a bone-chilling scream of agony as he plummeted from the sky, his wings torn and powerless. Tumbling through the air, he and Chainsaw Man hurtled toward the ground, their descent ending with a catastrophic crash on an empty city intersection. The impact sent a resounding boom reverberating through the streets, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris that enveloped the area, momentarily shrouding everything in a choking haze.
From atop the hill, Power, alongside Nyāko perched on her shoulder, watched as they fell. "Chainsaws…" she muttered. "Let us go, Nyāko!"
Power grinned and slid down the hill to follow after the two battling Devils.
"Devils?! Here?!"
Panic surged through the crowd, a chorus of fear echoing against the brick walls of the city.
"Run! Run!"
The desperate shouts cut through the chaos as civilians stumbled over one another, their eyes wide with terror.
"Someone call the Devil Hunters!" a voice cried out, quaking with urgency.
A palpable wave of dread washed over the streets, where debris from the unfolding carnage littered the ground. Above it all loomed the nightmarish figures of the Bat Devil and Chainsaw Man, their terrifying forms wreaking havoc and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid stench of fear, as the innocent onlookers found themselves grappling with the reality that a battle between devils had erupted right in front of them.
The Bat Devil groaned and tried to rise, but was stopped when Chainsaw Man burst out of the clouds of smoke swirling around them, both chainsaw arms in front of him. With a loud yell, Chainsaw Man stabbed his chainsaws deep into the Bat Devil's torso.
"AAAGGGH!" The Bat Devil yelled as Chainsaw Man ripped and tore through his chest and organs.
"Haha! Hurts, don't it!" Chainsaw Man yelled as blood and gore flew past him.
This form seriously messes with my head. My thoughts feel so scattered, and I can't think very rationally! All I can think about is tearing my opponents to pieces with my chainsaws! Chainsaw Man thought.
Pulling his arms apart, Chainsaw Man ripped the Bat Devil in two.
Even though his opponent was now in two pieces, Chainsaw Man wasn't willing to take any chances and tore off his other arm and head from its upper half.
"Sorry… no grand and prolonged battle for you," Chainsaw Man said, looking around at the watching civilians. "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"
Deciding to ignore the onlookers' stares and whispers, Chainsaw Man walked up to the Bat Devil's head. Raising a leg, he placed it over the dead devil's head and leaned on his knee.
Man, that was intense. Chainsaw Man thought as he looked down at his chainsaw hands. It's crazy to think that I managed to do all that. No, it wasn't just me. I was letting my heart guide me… Thank you, Pochita.
"What is it doing? And… is that Devil wearing a Public Safety Devil Hunter uniform?" A high schooler said as he eyed Chainsaw Man from a safe distance.
"Is he trying to pose like some sort of main character or something?" Another high schooler said.
Without warning, Chainsaw Man was propelled backward by an unseen force, his body hurtling through the air like a projectile. The sound of metal crumpling echoed ominously as he slammed into a parked vehicle, the impact causing it to crumple and split apart as if it were made of paper. Shards of glass and twisted metal erupted in all directions.
Slithering across the ground with its towering, grotesque form, a creature composed of writhing tendrils approached the remains of the Bat Devil. Its shaggy black hair undulated like dark seaweed, catching the dim light as it moved. With a face twisted into a frown, the Leech Devil stared down at the fallen creature. "Batty… to think you would have died so quickly," the Leech Devil said before looking over to where Chainsaw Man had landed. "You bastard… You killed my boyfriend."
Marching forward, Chainsaw Man brushed the scrap from his shirt and removed a large shard of metal from his back. "I did. And you know what, I think I did him a favor. I mean, look at you. Gross."
"How dare you say such things!" Leech Devil roared and unleashed several of its speeding tendrils at Chainsaw Man. "I'll kill you!"
Chainsaw Man ducked and swiveled under the attacks. With a wide swing, his chainsaws sliced one of the limbs, eliciting a pained scream from the Leech Devil.
"How dare you! Now I was going to kill you quickly, now, I'm going to make you suffer!" The Leech Devil screamed.
"Let's see you try!" Chainsaw Man yelled.
Dashing forward, Chainsaw Man used his enhanced speed and strength to rip and slice the Leech Devil apart. The leech Devil tried to fight back, but its attacks either missed or were countered by Chainsaw Man's sharp swings.
Beaten and bloodied, the Leech Devil stumbled back and stared down at Chainsaw Man with utter terror. "You… I remember you. Aren't you… The Hero of Hell," Leech Devil whispered.
"Not exactly, but yeah," Chainsaw Man said and raised his spinning chainsaws. "I'll give you a choice… die here, or get eaten by me."
The Leech Devil froze and made no moves to dodge or escape as Chainsaw Man jumped right at her. With a swing, Chainsaw Man removed the Leech Devil's head and stabbed his chainsaws into her bleeding throat. Jerking himself down, Chainsaw Man fell and ripped the Leech Devil in half.
Panting, Chainsaw Man stood surrounded by the blood and gore of his opponents. With an exhale, he released his transformation, watching as his chainsaws slid off him in globs of fluid steel.
"So this is your power."
Denji turned and saw Aki standing not too far away, his once raised hand now at his side. "Newbies," he said, and turned behind him where three other individuals stood. "Aid and evacuate all civilians from the area."
"Y-yes, sir!" Hirokazu Arai and Kobeni Higashiyama both replied, immediately getting to work. Their gazes shift over to Denji nervously every now and then.
"Himeno, as our senior, keep watch for devils, please!" Aki then said.
"You got it," Himeno said and then turned to Denji. "Well, we meet again~" she added with a wave.
Denji nodded and then noticed Power and Nyāko running towards them, her eyes wide as she looked at the corpses of the Bat Devil and the Leech Devil. "It is done! The Bat is no more! Haha! That is what you get for taking Nyāko!"
Aki sighed and walked up to Denji. "When you told me that something interesting would be happening in the city, you could have been more forthcoming in saying that you were planning to take out two devils. We could have formulated a better plan of attack."
"Yeah, maybe. But everything turned out fine. I'm the only one who got hurt, and most importantly, no one died," Denji said, only to stumble forward slightly. His head was spinning due to the slight loss of blood.
Aki reached out and grabbed Denji by the arm, steadying him. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little lightheaded."
Aki nodded and surveyed the blood and destruction. Turning to Denji, who was being questioned by Power, he couldn't help but be impressed at what the young Devil Hunter accomplished.
He was right, his power is worth putting up with him. Aki thought before Power's loud and obnoxious laughter filled the scene.
Power was stomping her feet on the Bat Devil's skull, crushing one of its eyes into a bloody paste. "Haha! How the tables have turned, you weakling! Now face my wrath!"
Her however, I'm still not sure. Aki thought.
-=C-S-M=-
"Considering the circumstances, the appearance of two powerful Devils in a public area resulted in only a manageable level of property damage, which is fortunate," Aki said as he looked at Denji, who was eating a cookie, while sitting on an examination table within the hospital room they were in. "While I would have liked to have been notified of your little… operation much earlier, you handled the situation well considering your inexperience."
"No, I was just lucky," Denji said and finished his cookie. "If there were people crossing the street at that intersection when the Bat Devil and I fell, they could have died. If I had trusted you with the plan to save Power's cat, then we would have had more control over the situation."
Aki blinked and nodded. "Yes, that's right. But in the end, everything worked out. Two Devils are now dead thanks to you. And for that, today is a good day. Still, you did all this to save that Fiend's pet. Now that was stupid."
"Power may be a Fiend, and a liar, and a bigot, and, well, she's a lot. But she's not that bad. Her pet was in danger, and she was desperate. I had the power to help, so I did," Denji said and stood up, no longer feeling lightheaded and weak from his loss of blood.
"We found a trail of blood leading to where the Bat Devil was hiding. Did the Blood Fiend attack you?" Aki asked. "Was that why you're so lightheaded?"
"No, that trail of blood was actually fake blood. It was part of our plan to fool the Bat Devil in order to save Nyāko. I'm lightheaded because whenever I enter my Devil form, I lose a lot of blood from when my chainsaws rip out my body," Denji said.
"Is that so?" Aki said, rifling through his report. "Still… trusting a Fiend, a Devil… it won't end well."
"…what happened to you? Why do you hate Devils so much?" Denji asked carefully.
Aki narrowed his eyes at Denji and sighed. He walked over to the room's sink and turned on the faucet. "…several years ago, on a regular day, my entire family was killed by a Devil right before my eyes. Indiscriminately and without warning. That's why I hate Devils. That's why I want to kill them in ways that cause them to suffer as much as possible," Aki said, and turned off the faucet.
"I'm sorry that happened to you, Aki," Denji said, looking down.
"I'm not looking for sympathy, I just want you to understand that Devils aren't to be trusted. Devils will always yearn for the deaths of humans… Fiends are no exception," Aki said.
"No, that's not true," Denji said, catching Aki's attention. "Pochita, my only friend and companion for as long as I can remember, was a devil. When my father killed himself, I inherited his debt. Ever since I was seven years old, I've worked tirelessly to pay off a debt that wasn't mine. If I didn't, the Yakuza would have killed me. During that time, I met Pochita, and the two of us made a contract to help each other survive. Over time, that agreement turned into a friendship. For years, we defeated several weaker devils and steadily paid off my debt."
Denji sighed and closed his eyes, recalling memories of Pochita. "A few months ago, these same debt collectors tried to sacrifice me to the Zombie Devil. They succeeded, but something amazing happened: Pochita gave up his own life to become my heart. I'm alive because of him. So, no, I don't believe that all devils or fiends are inherently evil. Power, while... bizarre, isn't as bad as many other devils. In fact, she loved Nyāko enough to risk her own life against the Bat Devil. So cut her some slack and let her prove herself first. And maybe extend that same sentiment to other fiends or devils, at least at the beginning."
Aki had a contemplative expression and turned to leave the room. "That mindset of yours will get you killed one day." He said and left the room.
"See! I'm innocent! This was all a carefully crafted plan by the greater to free Nyāko! So kindly remove these binds!" Power said from down the hall. Himeno, who was watching Power, turned to Aki with a frown.
"You sure about this? Even if everything that these two said was true, that doesn't excuse their reckless actions. And her true nature," Himeno said and rose from her crouch. "When little miss Fiend here eventually kills somebody, bam! That will be on you."
Aki stared at Power for several seconds and then at the cat carrier carrying Nyāko at her feet. The small cat meowed while looking up at Power. Aki sighed and brought out a set of keys. "We have to take advantage of every tool at our disposal in our line of work. That includes the very things we hunt," he said as he removed Power's cuffs. "They're still the enemy, we're just using them… I refuse to trust them."
Power rolled her eyes and bent down to pet Nyāko. Her eyes then turned to the door that led to Denji. She frowned as she continued to pet her cat. The words Denji said echoed in her head.
Only to be quickly dismissed in favor of petting Nyāko.