Genius Intellect

Two and a half years in the Chainsaw Man world. The first year raising a child, the second in prison, and the third, successfully dying and returning to her demonic homeland, Hell.

Her diligent efforts over the past two and a half years had netted her a little over 90,000 energy points, not much more than what she'd gained today alone.

90,000. Shoko's death had yielded a 90,000 experience jackpot, instantly making up for her previous toil.

Though she wasn't present to witness the reactions of her "flock," she could still deduce who contributed what.

First, the 7,000 was likely from Himeno. It was the smallest amount, and Himeno's affection and charge efficiency were both lower than the others.

Next, the 14,000 and 17,000 were probably Power and Makima. Though they cared for her, as devils, they understood death wasn't permanent. Their sadness would be tempered by their anger towards the perpetrators. To truly milk them for energy, she'd need a more permanent death, like being devoured by Chainsaw Man.

The last two amounts, 20,000 and 28,000, were trickier. Which was Aki, and which was Denji?

Denji's charge efficiency was higher, but Aki's guilt over his previous mistrust could have boosted his output.

Regardless, Denji's contribution was at least half of what it had been when she'd "died" in front of him before. Clearly, a less gruesome demise resulted in less energy. Exploding into bits was the way to go.

If she'd died as spectacularly as last time, the energy yield would have easily doubled!

Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly orchestrate her own dismemberment. Unless she framed Makima… No, no, bad idea. Still need to milk Makima for energy.

Her next task was to wait in Hell until Denji and the others arrived.

Conjuring a milk tea, Shoko reviewed her plan.

That measly handgun couldn't kill her unless she wanted to die. And she did want to die, but for a specific reason – the audience.

She hadn't forgotten her initial goal. A major reason for playing the "good bad girl" was to milk the vast readership of Chainsaw Man.

The Honkai Impact 3rd: Sanka Saga manga was niche, yet its readers had provided 5 million energy points. Chainsaw Man, with its far larger fanbase, could offer several times that amount.

Several times 5 million… that was tens of millions of energy points! Her two years of work hadn't even scratched the surface of that potential.

But drastic plot changes could jeopardize the manga's popularity. So she'd intentionally preserved key scenes, maintaining the general flow of the original story.

For example, waiting outside the izakaya until after Himeno had… kissed Denji. Or creating a scenario where Aki had to use the Fox Devil after the Leech Devil survived.

This Public Safety attack was a pivotal moment in Chainsaw Man, a turning point in the story, propelling it towards… well, Fujimoto's madness. Himeno's death was the key event, forcing the naive protagonists to grow and mature.

So, how to save Himeno without altering the plot too much?

Simple. She'd take Himeno's place!

Shoko wasn't being modest. Though she couldn't see the manga, she knew her current role was crucial, almost like a main character. Her importance to the readers and the narrative web surpassed Himeno's. Killing her off would be far more impactful.

The readers would be devastated, showering her with energy.

Plus, her death would allow the plot to unfold naturally… mostly. She hadn't interfered much outside the main cast and Makima. Events would still push Denji and the others forward.

Unless Makima suddenly went rogue and decided to single-handedly conquer the world…

Makima wasn't that powerful yet. And as a devil feared by other devils, a solo assault on Hell to retrieve Shoko would result in her being swarmed and killed. Makima would need to prepare, and Denji, not yet in his full Chainsaw Man form, wasn't strong enough on his own.

Knowing Makima, she'd likely use Denji as bait to lure powerful Devil Hunters from other countries, then send them all to Hell, creating chaos while she slipped in and retrieved Shoko…

The best opportunity was still the Santa Claus arc, just like in the original manga.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

Shoko lay back on the rock, watching a sparrow devil being torn apart and devoured by a vulture devil.

Hell was a brutal place. Surviving here wouldn't be easy.

With that thought, Shoko opened her system interface.

Ordinary Person Aura upgrade – Passerby Aura!

Unless someone has a strong obsession with the user, all other beings will perceive the user as a background character and ignore them.

Perfect for her current situation.

"Ah, almost forgot one more thing…"

Shoko raised her hand slightly.

"When Denji is next sent to Hell, he must appear near me."

Making this small wish, a simple nudge to the future, nearly obliterated her.

Even though she'd calculated the energy cost, the sensation was still unsettling. After all her hard work writing stories to increase humanity's fear of wishes, she was still so weak… A single, harmless wish nearly triggered her one-time revival.

"Being a devil is exhausting…"