Aki Hayakawa, GET!

After some maneuvering, Shoko successfully formed a contract with Aki Hayakawa.

Her primary motivation: money. She wasn't about to starve alongside Denji.

Secondarily, she'd established a connection with Aki, the deuteragonist, another potential energy source.

As a Devil, gaining his favor was proving difficult. His favorability remained at zero.

But she had time. She'd get there eventually.

She'd read the manga. Aki, despite his stoic demeanor, was kind. He treated Denji and Power like younger siblings, even willing to abandon his revenge against the Gun Devil for them.

That's why she'd chosen him for her freeloading scheme. She could only exploit the kind-hearted.

Approaching Makima like that would be suicidal. She might become lunch for Makima's huskies.

"Let's go find a Devil to test this out~" With a full stomach and a signed contract, Shoko led Aki through the streets, her perception guiding them to a Devil lurking in an alley.

"Green and lumpy… Is that a Bell Pepper Devil?" Shoko wrinkled her nose at the giant, pustule-covered pepper.

Most Devils were hideous. Truly, Devils with perfect looks like mine are rare.

Aki, observing Shoko's sudden bout of narcissism, couldn't comprehend her thought process.

What is with this woman?

But he remained focused. The Bell Pepper Devil charged, and Aki raised his right hand, framing the Devil between his index and middle fingers.

"Kon."

Boom!!!

A massive, eight-eyed fox head materialized, devouring the Devil and the surrounding wall.

"It's a bell pepper," Aki heard the Fox Devil's mature, feminine voice complain as it dissipated. "So disgusting. Feeding me such vile things will cost extra—hmm, you taste different. Better. Familiar, even…"

Having collected its due, the Fox Devil retreated to its lair beneath Public Safety headquarters.

Aki stared at his hands, bewildered. Both arms were intact. Aside from the lingering ache of past sacrifices, he felt no pain.

The price… it's gone?!

"Don't get too excited. The price isn't gone..." A trembling voice behind him brought him back to reality. He'd transferred the cost to another Devil…

He turned to see Shoko, drenched in sweat. A large patch of skin was missing from her right arm, exposing raw flesh. Her sleeve was soaked in blood, dripping onto the ground, forming a small pool.

Her trembling voice and shaking arm betrayed her pain.

Idiot! I forgot to turn off pain reception! This hurts! Despite instantly reducing her pain sensitivity to 0.1%, the initial agony of flayed skin lingered.

She wasn't afraid of death, but she hated pain.

Pain blockers are truly a godsend. Better than a souped-up henshin device.

"So, the contract works, right? If you're satisfied, remember to pay. 250,000 a month…" With the pain dulled, Shoko regained her composure, even casually licking the blood from her arm.

It was her blood. No sense wasting it. Better to ingest it and heal, like any self-respecting Devil.

Though the healing is slow. Is it because I'm my own supplier…?

"...Are you alright?" As a Devil Hunter, sworn enemy of Devils, Aki should be indifferent to their suffering. Even their deaths shouldn't elicit sympathy.

But this Devil looked human, a young girl barely fifteen. Seeing her suppress her pain, Aki found his resolve wavering.

Having paid the price himself, he knew the agony. He'd screamed and cried when his flesh was first torn away, only gradually becoming accustomed to the pain.

But this girl had remained silent, even putting on a brave face. If he hadn't glimpsed her pained expression, he might have believed she felt nothing.

Is she incredibly strong, or simply used to the pain, like me?

[Energy +100]

Not bad, 100 points at zero favorability. Truly one of the rare, kind-hearted, and normal people in Chainsaw Man.. He truly is one of the few decent people in Chainsaw Man.

"It's fine, just a scratch~" Shoko waved dismissively. "Better than being chewed alive by other Devils in Hell."

"I'm leaving. I'll be at that café in two days. Bring the money and the bank card. And hurry up with the transfer. I need to buy bandages…" As she turned to leave, Aki made a decision that went against his principles.

"Wait. You can't go out like that. You'll cause a panic. Let me bandage your arm."