Lightning flashed in the angry sky and thunder growled as wind and rain lashed down like the world itself was enraged.
Tokyo Fourth East High School.
An abandoned teaching building.
Third floor, an old, grimy bathroom.
Splash—
Water ran from the faucet, but the roar of the storm outside drowned it out.
A lean man with a red mohawk and bare torso stood hunched over the sink, his dead, fish‑like eyes locked on the swirling water in the basin. He looked like a nightmare that sneaked out of a forgotten alley.
"Typhoon, why do you want Chainsaw Man's heart?" the man's voice rasped like a rusty nail dragged across concrete.
From the swirling water, a strange, ethereal voice answered.
"Skinner, that is not for you to question. You only need to know that those are the terms of our contract."
The man known as Skinner didn't turn his gaze, didn't blink, didn't breathe — he just kept staring at the water.
"Typhoon Devil, if we're going to be partners for a long time, we ought to at least get acquainted…"
"I told you," the Typhoon Devil's voice was cold, unconcerned, "that is for later."
Skinner didn't get angry. He just kept talking.
"Then let me confirm the contract terms one more time. As long as I help you get Chainsaw Man's heart, you let me use your power for the rest of my life."
"That is indeed what we agreed," the Typhoon Devil admitted, voice calm, almost bored. "But be careful. The Chainsaw Man who appeared recently has already killed many powerful devils. You are only a human, Skinner; do not die by his hand."
Skinner sneered with contempt.
"That's just because those devils weren't strong enough," he muttered.
The Typhoon Devil made a displeased sound.
"For a human, Skinner, your arrogance greatly exceeds your strength…"
Skinner's face curled into a cruel grin.
"I once took a contract targeting a powerful Devil Hunter from the Summer Country. That guy was known as a cold‑blooded killer, a man without blood or tears. I killed him without breaking a sweat."
"Ooh?" the Typhoon Devil said, almost curious. "How did you do that?"
Skinner bared his pale teeth.
"Because I found where his heart was. I kidnapped his wife and child, skinned them alive right in front of him, and said, 'They're still alive, you know~' Just like that, the cold‑blooded killer didn't resist, and I slaughtered him like a lamb."
The rain pounded harder outside.
🌧️ Inside the Classroom
Back on the fifth floor, Cael and Reze were sitting by the window in an empty classroom.
They watched torrents of rain and flashes of lightning paint the sky.
"Cael, our luck sucks," Reze said with a sigh. "With rain like this, we can't set up the fireworks."
"Yeah," Cael agreed. "Not only can we not set them up, but it's too dangerous even to get around in this."
Reze pulled out her phone and checked the weather app.
"Tsk, Japan's forecast is terrible. It still says 'cloudy'…" she grumbled.
"Yeah," Cael echoed.
A heavy silence followed.
Everything they'd planned so carefully was ruined by a storm.
After a moment, Cael broke the silence.
"By the way, Reze, you're not Japanese, right?" he asked casually.
"Huh?" Reze looked surprised. "Where did you guess that? Does my Japanese sound weird?"
"It's just a subtle accent difference," Cael said with a faint smile. "Asa once explained the differences to me, so I can kinda tell."
Reze chuckled, though her smile had a distant note to it.
"I'm a country girl from up north. Came to the big city of Tokyo to make a living, but I still miss life back home. Cael, you're from the Summer Country, right? Why did you come to Tokyo?"
Huh?
Cael blinked at the question. Why did he come here?
There was no epic choice. No grand destiny. He just… ended up here.
"It wasn't really a choice," he said with a shrug. "My account just spawned here, so I had no say in the matter."
Reze tilted her head thoughtfully.
"So Cael was a country mouse like me," she said softly.
"Pretty much," Cael agreed.
Reze pressed her hand to the glass, watching the rain blur the world outside.
"Cael," she asked, "between the country mouse and the city mouse, which one is better?"
"Huh?" Cael furrowed his brow. "That sounds familiar. Is it from a children's story?"
"Yes," Reze replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's from Aesop's Fables. The country mouse lives safely with simple food, while the city mouse gets the best food but risks being eaten by cats or humans…"
Cael rubbed his chin. "Which one do you think is better, Reze?"
Reze looked at him seriously.
"Me? I think the country mouse is better. Peace matters more than gourmet food. So long as you don't starve."
"Easy to satisfy, huh?" Cael smiled.
Reze's eyebrows knit slightly.
"Cael, you look like someone who'd choose the city mouse," she said.
"Nope," Cael said flatly.
Reze blinked. "Then I really don't understand you. What are you thinking? There has to be an answer."
Lightning flashed again across the sky.
Cael watched the sheets of rain fall, his thoughts drifting.
"I think both the country mouse and the city mouse suck," he said finally. "If I have to pick, I want to be a cat‑eating mouse."
"A cat‑eating mouse?" Reze frowned in confusion.
Cael smiled faintly, recalling a story she never heard — one from before his transmigration.
"The cat‑eating mouse is a rare kind of mouse," he explained, "bigger and stronger than others. It's not afraid of cats. It can even release poison gas if it needs to. It doesn't just survive with cats nearby — it preys on them."
Reze burst out laughing.
"Cael," she said between laughs, "you are totally making that up! A mouse that eats cats and breathes poison? Now that's ridiculous!"
Cael shrugged with a grin.
"A calm life and delicious food don't have to be exclusive," he said. "As long as you're strong enough, you deserve both."
Reze smiled charmingly.
"You're interesting, Cael. Being around you actually makes me feel cheerful."
She stood and stretched, then walked toward the classroom door.
"Sorry, I gotta use the restroom."
"Okay," Cael said.
🚪 The Corridor
Reze walked down the long, empty hallway alone.
Tap, tap, tap.
She felt the rhythm of footsteps behind her.
"Is that you, Cael?" she called gently, turning around.
"Mhm, yep," a voice replied. "It's Cael. I really gotta pee too, wanna go together~"
Reze blinked. That wasn't Cael's voice at all.
Lightning flashed.
Boom.
The electric light revealed a terrifying sight.
A face of malice and hunger.
Skinner stood there, grinning like a predator licking a blade.
"Hey I say, can you take me to pee?"
===
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