A few days later:
Rem was driving his car at midnight; the streets were completely empty. One hand on the wheel, the other holding a book titled * Human Anatomy * before he closed it and tossed it onto the passenger seat, where a stack of other books lay — * The Process of Making Hybrid Devils * with Tatsuki Fujimoto's name written on top of cover, and another titled *The Difference Between Devil and Human*
. A faint worry flickered across his face, born of a recurring thought that hit him every time he stopped at a red light. The same question echoed in Rem's mind in a soft voice as if he feared hearing it aloud: 'Will my plan succeed? Who am I kidding? Just because I read a few books doesn't make me a doctor…'
He sighed deeply, carrying his frustration in his breath. "Haaah…" he said as he parked in front of his apartment. "Anyway, even if I fail… who would care about the life of some stray dog?" he muttered, getting out and heading for the building.
He opened the door to the familiar stench of mess. The apartment had become a pile of filth, and in the middle of it Denji and Pochita were wrestling over a hard scrap of bread. The moment they saw Rem they froze, sweat beading on their brows. In a desperate instant Denji pointed at Boshita and shouted, "He! He started it!"
Pochita snarled angrily, disappointment in his eyes: "Hawww!" Rem shook his head with a sigh, then smiled faintly and stepped toward them.
When he stopped in front of Denji, the boy closed his eyes expecting a beating… but instead he felt warm arms hug him tightly. Rem patted Denji's head and Boshita's head.
"How was the place while I was gone? Did you like it?"
Denji's eyes widened, then brimmed with tears. "M—me? I'm sorry… I didn't mean to ruin your home!"
Rem chuckled softly as he rose, continuing to pat. "Don't worry, it was filthy before you came, haha… anyway, we will be moving to somewhere better soon, so cheer up."
Denji wiped his tears and asked hesitantly, "A new home?"
Rem gave a sideways smile: " i wouldn't exactly call it a home… a mansion would be more accurate."
"Really?!" Denji asked, excitement lighting his face.
"Yes—do you want to see it?" Denji and Pochita nodded eagerly, which made Rem chuckle.
"Okay, go pack your things. I'll wait in the car." He smiled to himself as he walked away, thinking wryly ' not like they have anything to pack anyway...'
_________
As soon as Denji climbed into the car he sat in the front seat and Boshita leaped onto his lap, both brimming with childlike excitement. "W-will there be… a lot of food?" Denji asked, eyes bright. Rem didn't answer immediately; he buckled Denji's seatbelt, then said in a calm, warm voice: "Yes, I told you, my son… from now on you don't have to be afraid. You'll eat whatever you crave ... the finest meats and the richest juices. Just wait until we arrive... tonight will be unforgettable.... for the two of us"
Tears welled in Denji's eyes and he wiped them quickly before smiling shyly: "Thank you… Rem."
Rem looked at him for a moment and then said kindly but firmly, "Call me 'father' from now on."
Denji hesitated, then murmured, avoiding Rem's gaze while blushing, "O—okay… fa—father."
Rem smiled warmly and started the engine; they drove off together.
_______
The rain came down harder as the car cut through the dark toward the promised mansion. Rem glanced at Denji asleep beside him, clutching Pochita witha faint smile on his innocent face that was visible in the darkness of the car
"Tsk…" Rem murmured, exhaling slowly. He reached for the radio and then for a cigarette box in the center console. He took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips; as he was about to light it—
WEEE-OOO—WEEE-OOO—WEEE-OOO!
Police sirens blared from behind, slicing through the roar of thunder and rain
Rem let out a long sigh and stared into the rearview mirror with an expressionless face. "Great… in the middle of nowhere, and at this hour. Great." He pulled the car to the side of the road.
The officer approached slowly and knocked on the window. Rem rolled it down gently; his voice bored but polite: "Is there a problem, officer? As you can see, my son's sleeping—' THE DEVIL !!! ', he shouted in his head glancing at Denji to make sure Pochita 's chainsaw was still hidden under denji arms. Luckily it was; Rem breathed in relief.
The old cop smiled and spoke kindly: "Sorry to bother you, son, but you were driving a bit too fast. It's dangerous for you and your son."
Rem nodded apologetically, elbow resting on the window ledge. "I apologize, sir. I swear it won't happen again. Could you let it slide just this once?"
The officer shook his head regretfully and reached for his ticket book. "I'm sorry, son, but I have to write you a citation—" He stopped when his phone rang. "Ah—excuse me a moment." He answered, a warm smile spreading across his face. A small feminine voice— was visible alittle bit but not entirely because of the sound of the rain. "Hello, sweetheart… I'll be back soon… yes, I brought your favorite cake," he said, hanging up with a smile. Then he extended the ticket toward Rem and said kindly, "Here—be careful on the road, son."
Rem couldn't hear everything over the storm, but the tone told him enough: the man had a daughter… or maybe a granddaughter. Rem studied the officer's face for a moment and then spoke softly, measured: "Wouldn't it be better for the both of us if we just ...went our way and forget this ever happened ? Your shift is probably over… let's both pretend this ticket was never written. ...what do you say? Deal ?" He smiled faintly, looking at the paper in the officer's hand. "We don't want something as small as this to ruin our budding relationship—especially when the loss will be one-sided."
The officer stiffened and grew cautious. "Now I'll have to ask you to step out of the car and show me your license and registration" he said, hand moving toward his holstered pistol.
Rem ignored him and asked quietly, "How old is she?"
the question made The officer's grip on the gun tightened; his voice became suddenly sharp: "Get out of the car now!"
" i refuse "he said as He turned the key and the engine rumbled to life, filling the silence. Then Rem said in a cold, unmistakable tone: "now I will step on the gas ...and you will go back to your car… you will think about this when you get home while you eat that cake with your daughter, and you'll thank God that he made you take the right path on this night... mister i promise you the other path wouldn't do good for you or your family...so i will ask you again sir ,do we agree that we will forget about this and move on?"
"S—sir—"
"i will take that as yes...now I'll step on the gas… and you'll take a step back so my car doesn't crush your feet understood?" Rem said as the window closed and the car eased forward.
The officer took a step back his hand trembling slightly on his pistol,
while the wipers swept the rain slowly from the car windshield, Rem watched the cop walk back to his car in defeat from the rearview mirror.
____________
Rem arrived at his destination twenty minutes after his encounter with the old cop. He parked the car in front of a rusted iron gate draped in creeping ivy; beyond it the promised mansion loomed in the dark. Its interior lights were lit, casting a dim glow through the dusty windows.
Rem stepped out of the car quietly, then carried the sleeping Denji and Pochita in his arms toward the entrance.
The mansion rose in the heart of a dense forest, and the heavy rain streaming down the stone walls made it look as if nature were washing away centuries of dust. In that moment the whole scene resembled a painting pulled from a Dracula novel — an isolated castle wrapped in dark trees and mysterious, solemn beauty.
Rem kicked the door lightly, revealing a vast hall bathed in a golden glow from dozens of candles scattered on the walls and chandeliers. He walked quickly toward the last door on the left where the living room is.
There, he gently placed Denji on one of the couches, then stepped away holding Pochita in his hand.
The little devil moved a bit when he felt Rem's rough grip tighten as Rem sat Denji down — "Ha—" — but before Pochita could bark, Rem clamped his fingers hard over Pochita's mouth and whispered into his ear in a cold tone:
"make another noise … and I'll kill you both."
Pochita 's eyes widened in terror and his body stiffened in place.
Rem continued down the long corridor, dragging the limp Pochita from his grip as if he weighed nothing, toward one of the rooms in the middle of the hall, while the little devil scratched feebly at rem hand with his trembling paws
______
A few hours later, Denji opened his eyes groggily and rubbed his face with his hand. He found himself sitting in a chair at a long dining table piled with every delicacy — seafood, roasted meats, carefully prepared vegetables. His mind was fuzzy; he could see only the food and hadn't noticed Rem watching him quietly from the dark corner of the room
"Well… look who finally decided to wake up" Rem said with a mocking tone as he approached slowly.
Denji lifted his head toward him, but everything was blurred from the long sleep.
"I admit you worried me a little," Rem said as he sat beside him, pulling a wet tissue from a box on the table and gently wiping Denji's face with oddly affected tenderness. "There you go." He tossed the tissue aside and added with a crooked smile, "Normally I'd make you go brush your teeth first, but the food would spoil before they become clean, hahaha."
Denji ignored Rem's teasing and asked in a faint voice, "Where… where's Pochita?"
Rem replied indifferently, raising an eyebrow, "Hm?"
Denji repeated a little louder, "I said… Pochita — where is he?"
Rem smiled a mysterious smile, then rose from his seat and walked to the chair at the end of the table. He said calmly, "Ah, Pochita … about him—"
"Before we talk about your little friend, why don't you moisten your throat a bit, my son?" Rem said, pointing to the bottle of water beside Denji.
In an instant Denji grabbed the bottle and gulped it down in one go, which made a faint smile cross Rem's face.
"A lot happened, which is why Pochita didn't join us in tonight's feast," Rem said as he lifted his spoon and began to eat. Denji watched him with a gloomy silence.
Rem cleared his throat as he noticed Denji's heavy gaze. "I don't see you eating, boy."
Denji answered in a muffled voice, "I don't eat without Pochita …"
Rem shook his head slowly and said coldly, "thats unfortunate " Then he continued eating calmly.
Denji raised his eyes to him, tears threatening to fall, and asked in a trembling voice, "What happened to Pochita?"
Rem paused for a moment, spoon poised near his mouth, then said in a flat tone, "Like I said… a lot happened." He finished the bite as if nothing had occurred.
"pochitaaaa!!" Denji screamed, trying to stand, but as soon as he moved, heavy iron chains tightened around his limbs, fastening his hands and feet to the chair.
Rem raised his hand calmly, as if asking him to stop. "Calm down, my son, I'll tell you everything…"
He took a light breath, then said in a feigned, sympathetic tone, "Pochita 's mother came a little while ago. She told me she missed her son and that she would take him back. She asked me to tell you that herself… and she also told me that Pochita said he'd miss you a lot."
Denji stared at the chains binding him, then slowly raised his head toward Rem, voice trembling, "H-his mother? She was here?"
Sweat poured from his brow and tears streamed down his face.
"Yes… unfortunately," Rem said with a calm smile, leaning forward slightly. "Let the tears out, my son. Don't be ashamed… even Pochita cried — he was shouting, Denjiii! Denjiii! Save me!!!" He mimicked a cry in a soft, mocking tone, as though taunting the tragedy of a child who had lost what he loved most.
"Get me out of this chair, you bastard! Get me out! SOMEONE HELPPP MEE POCHITAAAAA HELP MEEE!" Denji screamed with all he had. His cry echoed through the wide hall.
Rem's smile vanished and was replaced by a stern scowl. He rose from his seat and walked toward Denji.
Denji bit his lip to stop himself but it was too late — Rem's hand came down hard on his cheek with a slap that rang out through the silent mansion.
Blood poured from Denji's lip and his right eye swelled from the bruise. He was stunned — unable even to cry. Rem stood above him, breathing deeply to control himself, then pointed at him and said coldly, "You forced me to do this boy."
He looked quickly at Denji's battered face, sighed, and returned to his chair as if nothing had happened. He sat back
"from now on" he said in a low voice as he cut a piece of meat, "you WILL follow table manners, young man. I will not let you ruin this feast with your nonsense" Denji lowered his head to the floor, tears mixing with the blood from his eyes, while the clinking of cutlery filled the hall.
Rem finished his plate, cleared his mouth with a napkin and said softly, "Ahem…"
Denji lifted his head toward him his one eye met rems.
Rem smiled lightly and said, "I suppose I owe you an explanation — why I'm doing this to you." He paused, thinking, then continued: "I have a pact with a devil… nah i Wouldn't call it that ....a spoiled vile creature is a more fitting name for her. A week ago she told me about a devil called the chainsaw Man...and that i have to make a contact with him so i could gain my abilities back" Rem chuckled softly as he approached the large covered dish in the center of the table. "I know—the name doesn't suit you at all… but with a few modifications between you and your friend, it'll fit perfectly."
He stood before the big covered platter and put his hand on the lid with a cold, theatrical tone: "And now, my son… Denji, I present to you—"
He lifted the cover slowly—
The sight was nightmarish. Pochita, Denji's childhood friend, was laid out on the platter, dissected; his nerves tied to tubes, his entrails absent, his eyes gouged and his little chainsaw ripped out from his forehead . His body was made to pump like a heart.
The scene overwhelmed Denji. He didn't make a sound; his eyes widened and he fainted, collapsing forward onto the table like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Sleep well, dear chainsaw Man."