Normally, when we talk about memories—
There are good memories and bad memories. That's just how it is, I think.
That's a little different.
Most of my memories from that secret room are unpleasant, difficult, or painful. They say you forget things once the danger is over, but even now, there are some memories I'd rather not recall.
Guinea pigs had a "point system."
It's a system where you get points for doing well, and points are deducted for not doing well, being slow, or losing.
There is no upper limit to the number of points you can have.
But there was a lower limit.
A score below half the average was considered a failing grade, and a score below half of that was considered a failing grade. This was the instant-death line. Anything below a failing grade meant certain entry into the laboratory.
A failing grade means you're a candidate... You never know when you might be called in. In short, you're treated the same as a death row inmate. You can't sleep, constantly fearing when the door will be knocked on.
I've only ever failed a test once.
I was unwell and then injured. It was also bad luck that I had to deal with subjects I was bad at one after another. The suffering I endured during that period, when the shadow of death loomed over me, still haunts me in nightmares from time to time.
Those were unbearable days.
If adults require samples at a faster pace than usual, they are taken to the laboratory.
If the experiments conducted there are not safe clinical trials but merely human experiments to collect data, participants may be subjected to torture and even death.
If you constantly harbor paranoid delusions, like being slowly strangled with a silk thread, day and night, your mental balance will be disrupted and you'll go crazy.
Polina was exactly like that.
A girl who had been hovering around the failing line for years on end.
Born prematurely, her growth stagnated at the average level of a middle schooler, making the training as an agent, where she had to compete fiercely with others, incredibly grueling. While others who were on the same failing line dropped out in despair, Polina alone continued to cling on. She never let go of the finger that was resting on the edge of the cliff. Why? Because she had one and only hope.
My parents are still alive in the outside world.
If we survive, we might meet again.
Clinging to that slim hope, I gritted my teeth and continued to condone all kinds of betrayal and depravity.
Everyone knew. They knew she was losing her mind, even if only by a thin layer. It was easy to see through, even without being there.
One day, even the instructor saw through me.
Polina's punishment has been decided.
lal
It's raining heavily.
The echoes of automatic rifle fire lingered in the back of my mind.
"..."
The surrounding mountains are bathed in the dim darkness of night.
Anastasia and I were standing side-by-side, lost in thought, on a winding asphalt road nestled in the mountains. We were both completely drenched from the pouring rain.
The enemy—the demon that hunted humans—exploded and scattered into pieces.
There was no one left to fight. Not demons, not puppet soldiers, not Santa Claus, not even the Public Security Devil Hunters.
With a drop of water dripping from the ends of her hair, she asks the question with a sideways glance.
"What are you going to do now?"
"Santa Claus is still around, isn't he? There are other demons in the forest too."
"What if we took them down too?"
"If I defeat him...? What, what are you trying to say?"
"What will you do if there's no longer a reason to cooperate? I'm asking if you'll end the ceasefire."
"Ah, I see."
Anastasia's answer was no.
"I won't fight you. There's no reason to."
He had a look on his face that said, "Why are you asking me that?"
She initiates things unilaterally, then stops once she's convinced herself of something. She shows no remorse whatsoever. She's the epitome of a self-contained woman.
...It's always been like that.
"..."
remember.
Memories I tried not to remember.
Memories that I had decided to keep locked away deep in my mind, refusing to bring any emotions into them.
But it had been bothering me for a long time. I thought this was my last chance to ask. So I decided to ask.
"Do you remember your last moments?"
"Hmm? Oh, I remember. I was shot and killed by the instructors. Because I didn't follow orders."
"Why did you defy me back then?"
"What did you say?"
"Why did you protect Polina?"
Anastasia, who had been about to turn on her heel, stopped dead in her tracks.
They glanced at me suspiciously out of the corner of their eye.
At that time, Polina was past her prime.
I was at my physical and mental limits. I was walking a tightrope on a blade. I was trapped by my obsession and couldn't produce any decent results. Survival was impossible no matter what, and I was sure I would have been disposed of by some other means even if no one had intervened.
"Back then, you were a candidate for Bomb's heart adaptation, and your combat abilities were highly valued. It was a choice between you as a specialist, or me as an all-rounder... there was a chance you could win the right."
"What are you trying to say? Just say it clearly."
"If you had followed orders and disposed of Polina as usual, you might have been chosen. But you didn't. Why?"
Get rid of Polina.
That was the order given to Anastasia.
The adults' orders were an attempt to prove that even a flawed warrior, incapable of functioning as a spy or agent, possessed above-average loyalty.
Anastasia's answer was no.
--you can't.
At the time, everyone couldn't believe their ears.
Because it was an impossible answer in a secret room.
Rebellion. It's an expression of intent equivalent to saying, "Please purge me."
It was suspected that there might be some ulterior motive. But of course, that wasn't the case. The refusal was simply a refusal.
Anastasia straightened her back and said once more clearly so that everyone present could hear:
--you can't.
I always thought she was like a Terminator.
Even Polina must have thought so. She was simply stunned.
"...Even if you ask me why, I don't know."
Anastasia looked genuinely puzzled.
"I couldn't do it, so I answered that I couldn't. Is that strange?"
"Why can't you do it? What was the reason you couldn't help Polina...?"
"reason...?"
Anastasia was deep in thought, her brow furrowed, clearly visible to anyone watching.
He had the look on his face like he'd only just realized it after being told.
"Why... why can't I kill Polina...?"
It's raining heavily.
The fury was only increasing, and Anastasia and I were still standing there, drenched in the night streets.
"Polina... was always close by... always clinging to me, talking to me... A corpse can't talk, right? So it would have been a loss to kill her. That's how it felt."
"Yeah, everyone knew that."
Golden eyes turn towards me.
"If you interact with them repeatedly, they'll naturally become interested...it's a basic technique. Everyone knew it. They knew Polina was trying to deceive Anastasia this time. She was trying to flatter her to get Anastasia to protect her."
Polina, being vulnerable, needed allies.
Allies will lend a hand. Protectors will shield you from those who have incurred their wrath.
The person chosen for this role was the "earnest" Anastasia.
She was simple, easy to handle, and stronger than anyone else, which must have made her very convenient.
"So, it was a lie? Polina was making things up? To use my power?"
"...I thought you'd noticed. Because there's no other way to do something so transparent."
--That's so typical of Anastasia! So cool!
--Wow! I really admire you!
-- Welcome back! Hey, what did you do today? Really?!
"I thought he knew about it, but was deliberately going along with it. He always acted nonchalant, and deep down I thought he didn't really care."
"..."
The Fire Demon's skin no longer possessed enough heat to evaporate water droplets. White steam rose silently from it. It simply stared at me, its former comrade who was delivering unnecessary information, with emotionless eyes.
"You defended someone who was using you for their own convenience. I wanted to know why... I never imagined you were actually being deceived."
I used to think that Anastasia might have possessed feelings of compassion or a sense of justice. Despite her cold demeanor, she might have been a normal human being on the inside—or rather, a noble person who could prioritize her comrades even when her own life was at stake... That suspicion lingered in my mind.
When I muttered that, Anastasia scoffed.
"You guys are always like that."
"...?"
"They're always preoccupied with things that can't even be seen, like lies, true feelings, deception, being deceived... I don't understand it at all. At least, I don't have the ability to perceive them. All I can understand is the surface. Only words and actions."
Just like back then, she said with her head held high.
Polina praised him.
I found it pleasant.
That's all there is to it.
"For me, Polina was a comfortable place. That's why I prioritized Polina over the Soviet Union. What's wrong with that?"
"No... there's no problem... I think...?"
I always thought she was like a Terminator.
She's a woman who doesn't understand other people's feelings. Maybe that's really true.
So what if that's the case?
"Even so... maybe that's okay."
1 hour remaining
Осталось 1 часа.
"...But you're still on good terms with Polina, aren't you?"
From Polina's perspective.
Anastasia was merely someone he used. He only pretended to like her in order to be protected and to learn combat techniques from her.
It's no longer necessary.
Now that I've become a fire demon, gained power, and escaped from the secret room, there's no reason for me to stay with Anastasia. I can go back to my real homeland or do whatever I want.
But she hasn't done that.
I'm still with Anastasia. Despite the limited time we have left, I've come all the way to this distant country with that unfriendly demon.
It's probably not for profit.
I want to be with you, and that's the only reason I'm by your side.
"Perhaps Polina was won over as he repeatedly acted out acts of affection..."
"I don't really understand... but I wonder. Polina doesn't know anything about the Soviet Union or her so-called homeland right now. Maybe she just has no reason to leave me?"
"...? You don't understand?"
"Polina became a demon and lost her memory. She doesn't remember anything about her time as a guinea pig."
"No, no, that can't be true."
Because just a moment ago, she was talking about the past.
—You wouldn't understand, would you? The feelings of someone who has to abandon everything else and cling to one thing, yet still can't achieve results... the feelings of someone who has no choice but to become so biased...
"I remember Polina. She was talking about the past too."
"Is that so? Then do you remember?"
"Or maybe it was a lie. ...Yeah, I think that's it. Sigh, there's no need to do that anymore, so why... did I... lie...?"
Hmm, why?
People don't lie without a reason. That's what Polina taught me.
So, if she was pretending to have no memory, there must be a reason for that, right...?
Why lie...? What benefit could there be in doing so...?
"Yo. Good work."
Polina herself appeared, pushing aside the bushes on the side of the path, as if to say, "I came out because I was called."
He had a friendly smile.
The pouring rainwater touched his skin and evaporated with a sizzling sound. White smoke rose from his entire body. In his left hand was a knife, and in his right hand was the severed arm of a demon.
"Have you already defeated the demon Santa summoned? That's impressive, Nastya and Reze are amazing as always."
"I struggled a little. Just a little."
"I hate the rain. Oh, I thought you might be tired, so I brought this up. Want a drink?"
Polina takes a bite of the devil's arm and sips its blood.
"Give it to me"
"Hoisa"
With a composed expression, she stepped onto the asphalt road with a spring in her step.
Three people who were once guinea pigs have gathered of their own free will on a remote island nation in the Far East, far from the Soviet Union—a strange feeling arises, but a slight unease lingers in my stomach.
Um... what if?
What if Polina lost her memory and started over...?
What if you were no longer the kind of person who could easily deceive others...?
What would happen if you were to make such a mistake?
Polina approaches with light steps. Her joints move smoothly and peacefully, and her shifts of weight are idyllic. She raises her arm to hand the demon's flesh and blood to Anastasia.
My muscles weren't stiff. But then I thought, "Huh?"
Why the left arm?
He was holding a knife in his left hand.
But Anastasia didn't react. I had absolute confidence that Anastasia would always dodge, parry, and counterattack every single attack, but she didn't react. So I wondered if my senses were off.
The knife, held in her hand, slid into Anastasia's solar plexus.
Once it reached the handle, it was rotated 90 degrees.
A dark red blade emerged, dragging its contents along with it.
Blood is spurting out from the gaps in the wound.
When it dripped onto the asphalt, it made a sizzling, burning sound. The blood of the fire demon is indeed hot.
As I gazed at it absentmindedly, I thought, "Wow, that's a pretty good stitch..."
yeah,
...Huh, what?
Did you stab it?
"Huh?"
Polina herself let out a bewildered cry.
"It went in!"
They were wide-eyed with surprise.
"Wait, wait, wait, Nastya! What's going on?! I thought I might get caught off guard and have my neck broken, but..."
"W-what are you doing?"
"She didn't react at all. That's not like Nastya. Or maybe it just means I was that amazing... Hehe."
What if Polina was thought to have amnesia?
Wouldn't you let your guard down a little?
Click.
I switched into work mode.
Close range, knife wielded—no need for the fastest possible lunge. Maintaining the possibility of completely thwarting the target's tactics, he scraped the ground with the soles of his feet, sweeping away raindrops as he swung his arms. His outstretched two fingers stopped abruptly just before piercing the throat.
Polina's knife blade was pressed against my carotid artery.
"Reze has become softer too, hasn't she?"
The small fire genie's golden eyes, which were vertically split like those of a reptile, gleamed.
"You're slow to make a decision, aren't you?"
She's fast. This isn't the Polina we knew before.
I knew that my physical abilities would improve when I transformed into a demon, but I didn't expect the difference to be this small compared to when I was human. I probably have the same or even greater bursts of speed as I do now as Bomb Girl.
In the middle of the night, in the mountains where no one is around, two former guinea pigs kill each other—a situation that resonated deeply with me, but there was one thing that made me rebel.
why.
Out of the corner of my eye, I observed Anastasia kneeling.
The blow was in the lower ribs at a 45-degree angle. An undeniably fatal wound. Death within 5 minutes.
"Why?"
They pressed their weapons against each other's necks and hurled questions at each other.
Polina had a very happy smile on her face.
"I don't think you'll understand even if I say it, but I want to say it so I will. You see, I want to be moved. I only have one hour left in my life, and I want to be moved a lot! Do you understand what I mean? You don't, do you? Being moved isn't just about feeling a pang of sadness and crying. Whether it's joy, anger, or sadness, anything that moves your heart is moved! So, I stabbed myself because I wanted to feel truly alive. And now, you know, it's really funny how I'm more shaken than I thought. Oh no, I've done it, isn't it amazing how this feeling of regret is squeezing deep inside my chest? Because I've betrayed you so many times, for me to feel this way now, maybe I liked Nastya more than I thought, Nastya~~ I think I liked you~~ I'm sorry~~ It hurts~~ But please go out with me~~ I made you like me after all~?"
I realized that I couldn't understand it.
There's only one fact: Polina is dangerous.
Concentrating explosives on the tips of two fingers—
Before I could do anything, it spontaneously ignited.
--!?
Boom
I instinctively leaned my upper body, and the tip of the knife grazed the back of my neck. My body axis remained perfectly stable; I was saved by the repetitive training that had permeated to the very core of my being. My unconscious movements followed a rational flow, and thanks to that, I was able to dodge and simultaneously throw a punch with my other fist.
It was stopped with a smack of the palm of his hand.
"Let's have a match! Let's have a match!"
I slide my fingers along, keeping them in contact. Without letting go, I wrap my fingers around their skin, down the back of their hand and forearm, following their movements in a counter-clockwise direction, crossing my legs and entangling them with my whole body. Once I'm grappling, strength and explosive power are irrelevant; I'll just keep going, breaking and crushing them.
Ju...
Instantly, a shiver of fear crept up my spine.
I forcefully twisted my body away from it. When I looked up after rolling away,
Polina's body surface was glowing red.
"Whoa! I almost got instantly killed! That was scary!"
"Isn't that ability kind of unfair?"
"But I'm Fire Girl! I'm a walking cheat and a total cheat! This is also a privilege of being a huge success in the demon transformation gacha, so please be nice to me!"
Suddenly, my whole body was engulfed in flames.
The shimmering silhouettes seem to vanish the moisture, scorching the air. Rain doesn't faze them at all.
"So, you mentioned a competition, but what kind of competition do you want to have?"
"That's obviously a competition to see who's the better guinea pig! It's like that thing we were sometimes made to do, the one where the winner takes all."
"Is it a game where the one who dies loses?"
"Even if you say no, we're going to start anyway. Or rather, we've already started. See, I've told you that before, right?"
"The competition begins the moment you are born."
"Yeah, exactly. I was wondering how far I could go against Champion Reze now that I have this transcendent power. I'm nearing the end of my life, so I want to give it a try, right?"
"You came all the way to Japan just for that?"
"No way! There are others, too. Lots of them."
I glanced at Anastasia, who was still kneeling and unable to move.
"I've been thinking I need to get back at Nastya. You know, she protected me in our past life, right? I wanted to die back then, so I remember being really annoyed that she was using me as an excuse to feel good about herself."
"So that's why you stabbed him?"
"I could have just punched him, but if I clenched my fist, he'd know. I wanted to have a once-in-a-lifetime, all-out fight, and they say it's better to regret doing something than to regret not doing it."
Really, that's the reason?
But there was no need to be convinced. Before determining the true nature of the crisis, safety had to be secured first. In other words, the threat had to be eliminated. If they wanted to engage in an anything-goes battle, so be it, but I decided to use every means at my disposal to end the situation as quickly as possible.
The fire demon is engulfed in flames—contact seems impossible. How can we defeat it?
He slowly raised both his arms.
A gesture of surrender.
"Just a moment"
"Heh. Hey, I'm the one who taught you that. It was just to buy time and create a diversion."
I slightly shifted my face behind Polina.
A gesture that seems to signal to someone who is there.
But Polina will not be fooled.
"Chainsaw-kun and Dominator-chan can't come yet. They're playing with a troublesome devil."
"So it's been confirmed?"
"Of course! Who do you think I am? I'm a woman who's always looked for an alternative because I've never been able to win through conventional means. Trying to win by using underhanded tactics..."
"Okay, time's up."
The sound of the falling rain drowned out any sounds of movement.
From the bushes behind Polina, Public Security's Devil Hunters poured in. Five gun barrels were aimed at the back of the demon's head, which was engulfed in flames, and the bald giant who was the team leader shouted.
"Don't move!"
In the blink of an eye, a semicircular encirclement had been formed.
The men holding their guns are on high alert. If the target shows even the slightest sign of resistance, even with a single fingertip, the bullets will be fired. That's how I taught them.
Polina remained motionless as warned, facing forward and begging for her life.
"Help me, big brother."
Bang bang bang bang
Four gunshots rang out, and the men who fell to the ground, gushing blood, were from the Public Security Bureau.
"W-what...?"
The bald man's eyes were wide open, as if he couldn't believe what was happening.
The man whose gun barrel was emitting the smoke of betrayal was a fellow Devil Hunter from the same squad.
"Uh, uuuuh..."
The man who had shot his own teammate had a terribly frightened look on his face.
"So, with this, you'll... set my sister free, right?!"
"Of course. Here, one more time."
The man groaned as if he himself were the one who was cornered.
The muzzle of the gun is pointed at me.
In an instant, I ducked under him and landed my elbow in his solar plexus.
Without a sound, the gun fell from the man's hand. He slowly leaned face down, touching his forehead to the ground as if confessing his sins to a god or Buddha.
"...Threat?"
"Didn't I tell you? The competition starts the moment you're born."
Polina once said that the earlier you prepare, the better.
But when? When did they make their move?
She shouldn't have had the time to pull strings within the Public Security Bureau...
no.
There was time.
"I arrived in Japan two days ago... It's not good to give someone like me 48 hours. I can do things like this."
I was startled when I followed the deliberately exaggerated movement of their eyes.
On the asphalt road, there were about 20 people—a unit of public security led by a skinny man with glasses—pointing their guns at us. Polina wasn't their only target; I was too.
"Wait,"
This time there was no warning.
The sound of a bullet slicing through the air whizzed past my shoulder.
"Whoa?!"
With no other options left, they had no choice but to leap into the forest.
Without a moment's hesitation, deadly bullets followed, gouging out the branches and leaves.
The moment I circled around the trees and took cover, a storm of gunfire began. The iron-willed killing intent exceeded ten, surpassed twenty, and pierced through thirty. Bathed in flying sawdust, I gritted my teeth, wondering whether to unleash explosive particles to quell the Public Security offensive.
Why am I being attacked by the Public Security Bureau!?
There's no way Polina could be blackmailing everyone by holding something over them.
As I was racking my brain for a solution, Polina, the root of all evil, fled into the tree right next to me.
"Ahhh! This is bad!"
They were laughing so hard it was infuriating. They were shaking their shoulders as if even a falling chopstick would be funny.
I realized my mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish's.
"Poly... what... what have you done!"
"You see, all I did was to give them false evidence that the Demon of Control was going to rebel!"
"What!?"
"They've captured all sorts of devils, and this is fake evidence that they've even brainwashed Reze. It's a crudely photoshopped image, but for the next few dozen minutes until Shiro is confirmed, there's no way they can ignore the possibility of Makima's return!"
"seven..."
"So, so, what are you going to do? The fight is still going on. You'll be in trouble if you don't deal with this quickly. The Public Security forces are also on Shichi-chan's side."
Suddenly, the gunfire stopped.
There was no voice from behind. The deliberate silence indicated that the situation had progressed to the next phase. Encirclement and suppression. They were approaching slowly and steadily, armed with firearms.
But I can't fight them off. I can't kill or injure public security officers.
Then there's only one countermeasure.
"a"
Leaving Polina's idiotic voice behind, I started running.
Pushing through the bushes, we temporarily retreated into the depths of the forest.
"Agh!" "Ah, ah!" "Eeeh!" "Ouch, ahh!" "Burn, burn!"
look back.
Beyond the trees in the forest, dozens of public security officers were burning.
"Wha..."
"If you're not coming, then you're no longer needed, right?"
Her twisting movements resembled a dance. With the men engulfed in flames as her backup dancers, Polina, the fire-human, stretched her arms out leisurely.
His face held a mischievous smile, but—
For some reason, their eyes seemed pleading.
"Hey, let's play, yeah, zeeeee."
"Polina..."
"What is it?"
"Put out the fire."
I snap my fingers to send particles flying.
A beam of light struck the demon's chest, sending its small silhouette flying. Broken along the branches, it was thrown back onto the asphalt road and tumbled among the burning devil hunters.
"Ouch...that's about it. Yep, this body is definitely a fake."
"Polina, put out the fire!"
"What's wrong? Don't get so angry."
With a light wave of her arm, Polina extinguished the flames surrounding the men. They collapsed, groaning. No one could get up. They were not dead, but the pain of their burns tormented them.
"What do you want to do...?"
Polina is engulfed in flames.
Normally, you wouldn't be able to speak. Because the surrounding oxygen would burn up. Yet, you can speak because there are fewer flames around your face. You must be doing this intentionally. Just so you can talk to me.
"Will you be satisfied if you defeat me?"
"Hmm. It's okay if I don't win. I just want to try."
I've decided.
I'm not backing down now.
I swallowed my resolve and returned to my original position. I pushed through the bushes and took one step, then another, firmly planting my feet on the asphalt.
In front of me lay Polina's small body, still burning. Her golden eyes slowly looked up at me.
"The power of the fire demon is troublesome."
"Right?"
"It also works well with the power of bombs."
"That's right."
Even if explosives are produced, they can be detonated by ignition.
Even if the explosion hits directly, its power is halved.
With the blazing armor blocking my path, hand-to-hand combat seems impossible.
My chances of winning are slim.
Therefore, Polina doesn't really need to use her mouth at all.
I could win even if I played normally. Yet, he's trying to talk to me. There must be some intention behind it—but I still couldn't imagine what it was.
I think it's okay if you don't understand.
"I didn't want to see you. I wanted to look away. I didn't want to face such a pathetic person. ...But the thought that there might have been something I could have done wouldn't leave my mind."
"...In that secret room?"
"I think we managed to avoid at least one of the worst-case scenarios."
"That's just arrogance, isn't it? If you did that, you'd get points deducted and wouldn't have gotten Bomb's heart, you know? If you were unlucky, you'd be treated as a traitor and end up like Anastasia, parararara."
"What's wrong with being arrogant?"
The genie's time comes to a complete halt.
"If you want to compete, I'll do it."
My mission is...
To protect Denji and Nayuta. To keep an eye on them.
Anything else shouldn't be done. It's only a matter of priority; you can do it if you have the time and resources. So we should retreat here. That's what our ingrained combat doctrine says.
but.
Anastasia said.
—I couldn't do it, so I answered that I couldn't. Is that strange?
"This time, I'll date you. I still don't know what you want, but even if you're a big liar and a coward, it would feel bad if you died alone."
"...Hmm..."
The flames, piercing the darkness of the night, grow stronger.
My face is hot. My eyes are dry. But I've decided I won't look away anymore.
"That pissed me off. Are you going to use Reze as an excuse too?"
"I'll do it. If you don't want to, don't bother coming to watch me die."
To confront. To face each other directly.
It seemed like he wanted it, so I decided to go along with it.
I'm going to punch him with all my might.
@
I swung the chainsaw around, shaking off the demon's blood and flesh that was stuck to it.
I took a detour to avoid stepping on the corpse. My shoes were slapping against the soles of my feet, and then I remembered I was wearing flip-flops.
Why am I wearing these? Well, because I wanted to go to the beach.
But I think they said no, so it became a river instead.
I remembered that I had made various preparations for that purpose.
Sportswear, camping gear, and all the food and drinks I bought at the supermarket... I left it all on the side of the road. Uh oh, is it okay? I hope the devil hasn't eaten it all.
"Ah... there aren't any more demons, right? Are you done with work? Can I go home now?"
"They're still here."
"What?! You're still here?!"
Nayuta, standing beside me, twitched her nose.
The area is littered with the corpses of demons. All I can smell is the pungent smell of blood, but Nayuta is different. She can distinguish each one individually. She can sense the presence of demons other than those dead here.
Demons, demons, demons. How many of these things are there?
"This brings back memories. We used to defeat demons in the mountains like this back in the day."
"When did this happen?"
"This was shortly after I met Pochita. I was going to defeat demons to pay off my debts."
"Hmm"
Walking with a shuffling gait.
It was already completely dark. I was wet from the rain and a little cold. I was hungry, so I wanted to set up my tent and have dinner.
I wonder if my camping gear is okay. If it's broken, will I have to sleep outdoors? That would be awful.
"Oh, that's right, the doll isn't here."
Didn't they say Santa Claus exists?
The last time we fought...it was the boss of some kind of doll, and it went into invincible mode at night, right?
Wait, it's nighttime right now, isn't it? Isn't that dangerous?
When I asked Nayuta about it, she replied, "Santa Claus is dead." Hmm, I see. Well, then there's nothing to worry about. Besides, even if he were alive, Rezen's friends can use the power of light. It'll be fine somehow.
"Santa, huh... That was a close call. A demon of darkness came and grabbed my hand in hell."
"I'm so glad you made it back alive."
"Well, I could have just done it in a flash! ...But I couldn't, could I?"
That's right, I think Makima-san returned it. Aki said so.
And after coming back, I was really exhausted... Aki and I took turns sleeping.
It feels kind of nostalgic.
It's all beyond memory. It's a story of recollections.
As we walked back the way we came, surrounded by the sound of raindrops hitting the branches and leaves, Nayuta and I returned the way we came.
The darkness of the night has grown so profound that it's no longer possible to see deep into the forest.
Raindrops were falling from the canopy of branches and leaves. Stepping on the damp, decaying leaves, I sank as if into mud.
"What's this smell...?"
Nayuta stopped walking.
When I asked if it was a demon, it nodded slightly. When I peered into the darkness in front of me, I could vaguely see the shadows of two people.
I stepped forward in front of Nayuta. I cracked my neck and raised my chainsaw. I thought we'd quickly take it down and then camp and eat, but Nayuta said something strange.
"Do I look like you...? Do I... smell the same?"
Two demons stand in the darkness.
I recognized it. I knew it well.
The first one is a large, female-shaped demon.
It has four arms and two legs. Each arm and thigh is stained black, and from the chest to below the chin, it has the shape of grotesque organs. Its face is hard and jet black, like a mask, and its eyes are distinctively cross-shaped.
"Bow down, humans! I am the Grand Marshal of the Universe! The Blood Demon!"
The second person is,
The second one—appeared to be in a form only humans could see.
An adult woman with reddish hair styled in braids hangs down. Dressed in a public security uniform, she stares straight at me with emotionless eyes. Her well-shaped lips form a slight smile.
"It's been a while, Denji-kun."
I haven't forgotten it for even a single day.
She was a demon who left a huge scar in the very center of my heart, and a woman who never even looked at me from the beginning. She was definitely standing there.
"M-Makima-san...?"
I ate her once. I thought I had no other choice. But the thought that there might have been another way never left my mind.
Could it really have been impossible for him to create such an ideal future: to thrive as Chainsaw Man and maintain a good relationship with Makima?
Or, now.
Is there anything I can do?
"That's a lie..."
Nayuta groans beside him.
"I'm here... There's no way there are two Demons of Control. Who are you?"
Makima had a gentle expression. She smiled as if looking at her own flawed child... just as I remembered her, the boss, the person I admired, the person I harbored affection for.
"Aren't you the imposter?"