Massacre

Long ago, when the Desire Devil first encountered Denji, the boy, beaten half to death in an alleyway, murmured his dream in his delirium.

To live happily with his family.

The passing Desire Devil answered this dream and formed a contract with him.

She would grant Denji's wish, allowing him to live a happy life. And when Denji genuinely declared his happiness, the contract would be fulfilled, and the price would be collected.

Just like Faust, upon uttering, "You are so beautiful, please stay a while," his soul would be claimed by the devil.

Back then, the Desire Devil, upon their first meeting, couldn't possibly fulfill Denji's dream with her own power. She wasn't that strong. So, she chose to personally intervene, crafting a happy life for him. And since she hadn't paid the price for the wish herself, that price would naturally be collected.

It's known that wishes granted by the Desire Devil always come with a far crueler price than the wish itself. So, what agonizing price would be demanded for a happy life?

Naturally—everything that made him happy.

From transforming into the jet-black Chainsaw Man to bisecting Power, who was closest to him, not even a second passed.

"Guh—! That hurts!!!"

Even with a devil's robust vitality, being suddenly cleaved by a chainsaw elicited an uncontrollable scream from Power.

But the scream quickly ceased. Reduced to bloody chunks, including her heart, she was no longer capable of feeling pain.

"Denji, what are you doing?!"

Himeno and Reze, reacting to the carnage, immediately tried to intervene. But against the whirring chainsaw, ghosts and bombs were equally futile. Their attacks dissolved into meaningless sprays of blood.

Death was their only outcome.

"Ribbit, it's Lord Chainsaw!"

Beam, the Shark Fiend, looked on in bewilderment. He didn't understand why, but the Chainsaw Devil he followed had suddenly appeared before him. He didn't know why Chainsaw Man was attacking everyone, but he, loyal to both Chainsaw Man and Denji, believed he wouldn't be killed—

His shredded flesh ceased its contemplation.

Everything happened too fast. One moment, Denji was moved to tears by the birthday cake, the next, he'd transformed into Chainsaw Man, unleashing a power ten, a hundred times greater than before, slaughtering his unsuspecting friends and family.

Except for Makima, who'd thrown both Shoko and Aki out the window in the nick of time, everyone in the Hayakawa household, including Makima herself, was reduced to bloody fragments.

"...Huh?"

Thrown from the upper floor, Aki's years of combat training instinctively kicked in, allowing him to land without dying. Yet, his mind was as scrambled as if he'd suffered a severe concussion.

His face and body were splattered with blood, still warm, having flowed through the veins of his cherished friends and family mere seconds ago.

"Wh-Why...?"

Aki staggered to his feet, staring blankly at the Chainsaw Man above.

Was that Denji?

He didn't know.

What… what had happened?

Why had Denji killed everyone?

Why… why had everything gone so wrong…?

Though Makima had thrown him clear, he hadn't escaped unscathed. His recently reattached right arm was gone again. But he felt no pain, his gaze fixated on the Chainsaw Man above.

Wow, the emotional turmoil in Aki right now must be off the charts.

Though Aki's expression was blank, Shoko could sense the utter devastation within him. The sheer intensity of his emotions was what made him appear so indifferent.

One second, he was celebrating a birthday, the next, his most trusted family member had brutally murdered everyone, and he, once again, had lost someone precious to him.

This twisted despair, disbelief, and agonizing grief… if converted into energy, Shoko couldn't even fathom the amount.

But this energy wasn't for her!

Right now, all of Aki's emotions were directed at Denji, not her. Therefore, no energy would be generated.

No matter. It can be used next time.

Above, Makima, killed by Denji, quickly regenerated.

She had contracts with Japan's prime minister and cabinet members. Any attack on her would be transferred to Japanese citizens as injuries or illnesses.

Meaning, unless Chainsaw Man killed her over a hundred million times, using up the entire Japanese population, Makima was effectively immortal. Of course, he could also devour her, which would erase the concept of Control from the world, effectively ending her existence.

"Chainsaw Man, the Hero of Hell. It's a shame I've become your anti-fan. If I could, I'd wish you'd just stay a heart and never come out…" Makima's gaze swept over Chainsaw Man, then her brow furrowed. "No, something's… different."

"A mindless killing machine?"

Following Chainsaw Man's gaze, Makima noticed Shoko and Aki below. "I see, they're his targets."

"This is the worst-case scenario. I don't think I can win."

Even having ordered all her controlled devils to assemble, mobilized all available Devil Hunters, notified Kishibe to gather forces and prepare to banish Chainsaw Man back to Hell… even with all these preparations, Makima felt no sense of victory.

Because he was Chainsaw Man.

If conquering Hell was a figure of speech for others, for Chainsaw Man, it was a simple description. If Makima possessed even half his power, she wouldn't have bothered organizing a rescue mission for Shoko. She would have stormed Hell single-handedly.

The only way Makima could think of defeating Chainsaw Man, assuming he didn't devour her, was to manipulate public opinion, promoting him as a hero, erasing humanity's fear of him. This would weaken him, making him vulnerable to a carefully planned attack, exploiting his heroic nature…

But this strategy relied on one crucial factor: Chainsaw Man's cooperation. If he still possessed his usual heroic instincts, she could set a trap. But this mindless killing machine clearly wouldn't play along.

Yet, Makima had no choice. His primary target was Shoko, and Makima wouldn't allow that.

But… could she even stall him until his reputation improved…?

"Shoko, run. I'll hold him off."