Yoru pressed Cael's head down.
"Cael Spinal Sword!"
"No!" Despair surged through Asa's heart.
[Trigger 'Dark Water' Advanced I effect ten times to increase Luck attribute cap (3/10)]
Nothing happened. Yoru froze, and Asa's mind went blank. Why isn't this working?
"Damn it…" Yoru refused to relent.
Clap!
She slammed Cael's head again. "Cael Ring-Pommel Saber!!"
[Trigger 'Dark Water' Advanced I effect ten times to increase Luck attribute cap (4/10)]
"Cael Spine Spear!!!"
[(5/10)]
"…Cael Human Skin Armor…"
[Trigger 'Dark Water' Advanced I effect ten times to increase Luck attribute cap (10/10), Luck cap now 299]
Finally, the girl holding his head no longer had circular pupils, nor the A-shaped scar on her face. Two streaks of tears traced down Asa's cheeks. She was back.
Mission complete, in a strangely instantaneous way.
Who had triggered the effect? Yoru? Asa? Cael's mind spun. The Luck cap increase should have been good news, yet he couldn't feel happy.
"Asa…"
He reached to wipe her tears, but his hand was swatted away.
"Don't touch me!" Asa shouted, lips trembling, bitten until they bled.
As Yoru's symbiote, she understood her own ability—turning her body into weapons—but… Cael hadn't reacted.
One cold truth struck: he didn't feel the same way.
Hahaha… "Hahahahaha!" Asa clutched her stomach, laughing until tears streamed. "What is this? What is this?!"
She had worried for him moments ago, yet now he stood frozen, mind a mess.
"Asa, listen! It's not what you think…"
Her heart shattered, voice trembling. "You're going to explain again? Tell me! What is it, exactly?!"
Her makeup smeared, her gaze fixed on him.
"You lied about not knowing anything about Chainsaw Man… I don't blame you. But do you know? I don't care about any damned Chainsaw Man. I only care about the Cael who lent me his shoes… Do you get that? I like you! But what do you think you're doing?! Playing with my feelings! Am I your toy?!"
Pain radiated through him. "No… it's not like that, Asa. I love you too…"
"The effect of my contracted devil is that anyone touching me nullifies the effect, so…"
"Enough, Cael," Asa cut him off, smiling bitterly. "How many more lies do you want to tell? Yoru and Chainsaw Man have been fighting for ages; she knows better than anyone that Chainsaw Man doesn't have that nullification effect!"
"It's… Blackbeard. The Blackbeard Devil's effect," Cael insisted, faltering.
"Do you take me for an idiot?"
It was over. This was the boy who cried wolf. Cael felt like dying. Once inseparable, they had become enemies in an instant.
"Asa…"
She wiped her tears, pointed to the door, and cried, "Cael, leave my house."
"Asa, I wasn't lying…"
"Get out!"
He wanted to hug her, like before, but she moved to the window, breaking several anti-theft bars.
"If you don't leave now, I'll jump from the sixth floor!"
"Asa, don't!"
He had no choice but to retreat, expression dark. "Okay… I'll go."
Before leaving, he added, "I'm sorry, Asa. I really wasn't lying…"
Alone, Asa collapsed on the torn bed, sobbing uncontrollably. "Big liar…"
Her gaze fell on the clothes Cael had bought. Anger flared. She grabbed them and hurled them down the stairs.
"Such good clothes could fetch a fortune, what a waste," Yoru commented.
Asa, face streaked with tears, threw them harder. "I'm not selling them! I'll never take anything from him again!"
"Why not leave them? Better yet, let me turn them into weapons—what if they hit someone?" Yoru mused.
"Yoru, mind your own business! I said I'll never take anything from him! Let them all die! If someone dies from falling clothes, they must be divine…" Asa snapped.
"Sure, it's easy to discard external things… but what about inside you, Asa?" Yoru continued, hands on her hips.
"Asa, you f***er!"
---
Cael wandered aimlessly through bustling streets, a zombie among the crowd. He didn't drive, didn't care about the car anymore. Luck? he thought wryly. Perhaps he'd had enough.
At a convenience store entrance, a group of kids with doodle boards blocked the donation box. A girl with long hair under a baseball cap smiled, emerald eyes bright, black choker on her neck.
"To help children harmed by devils, please donate! Donors can participate in a lucky draw! Prizes are provided with love by the organization!"
Cael approached, emptying a thick wad of banknotes into the box. He didn't want the money; donating felt better.
The girl's eyes widened. "Sir! That's at least 500,000 Yen!"
"I don't have online payment," Cael muttered, dispirited.
"No, you gave too much! You can spin our prize wheel for fun!" she said excitedly.
He casually spun the wheel.
The pointer stopped at the Grand Prize, only 0.5% odds.
Clap, clap. The girl handed him a prize and a flower.
"Your luck is incredible! The Grand Prize is a ticket to a super popular movie! And this flower is ou
r token of appreciation~"
"Oh." Cael accepted the flower and ticket. The movie? "Heartbreak, Flowers, and Chainsaws."
---