Chapter 129: International Transfer
Otonashi Chiya brought Denji, Kobeni, and Pochita back to Tokyo, moving them back into their original home for the time being. As for the others—Shingetsu, Reze, and the rest of the Hybrids—Chiya rented two suites for them in the same apartment building. Having a place to stay was enough for now; since they were in the same building, they could gather at Chiya's place whenever they weren't sleeping.
Following the Cabinet incident, the Japanese authorities had intentionally manipulated the narrative. The public only knew that the Cabinet had collapsed due to a major blunder; they knew nothing of the specific details, nor did they know of Chiya and his group. Only the Japanese government and high-ranking officials from certain other nations knew the truth, and they had all tacitly agreed to keep it a secret from ordinary citizens.
Consequently, the daily lives of Chiya, Denji, and Kobeni remained largely unaffected. Chiya felt the authorities had handled this quite intelligently. However, he still needed to find a permanent destination—a place where he could buy a house and settle down long-term.
"Reze, how much do you know about the international transfer of Devil Hunters?" Chiya asked her.
If he participated in a transfer and things went smoothly, he could find a suitable country for permanent residence.
"International transfers? I know a fair bit. Are you planning on entering the market, Master?" Reze asked.
"Something like that. We need a place to settle down, and currently, neither Japan nor the Soviet Union are particularly suitable choices," Chiya nodded.
"Then you should definitely give it a try. Given your recent track record, you'll likely become the most sought-after Devil Hunter in history!" Reze said, her excitement growing. "I can't even imagine how astronomical your transfer fee will be!"
The mechanism of international transfers involved various countries placing bids. For hunters who already belonged to a specific nation, that nation would decide which country to transfer them to—usually favoring the highest bidder—and the transfer fee would go to the original country.
However, Chiya had no clear affiliation. The Japanese government wouldn't dare claim he belonged to them, which meant Chiya could choose his destination himself. The bidding process would proceed as normal, but the transfer fee would belong to Chiya personally. Reze was eager to see just how high a record Chiya would set on the international stage.
"It's too early for that. First, tell me the specific rules so I can prepare," Chiya said. He didn't care much about the fee; he was more interested in the sincerity and attitude of the bidding countries, and whether he actually liked the place.
"Let me think... there are two transfer windows every year: Summer and Winter. As for the timing..." Reze paused, her eyes lighting up. "Ah! It just so happens that the Summer Transfer Window starts in less than half a month!"
"That soon? That works for me," Chiya replied. "In that case, I should see who I need to contact."
"I can help with that, Master! I remember that this year's international transfer hub is rotating to China, and I happen to know some of the internal staff," Reze said. Her network of connections was predictably vast.
"I'll leave it to you, then," Chiya said.
Reze looked dissatisfied, pouting slightly. "Is it just lip service, Master? No reward for my efforts?"
"What kind of 'reward'?"
Chiya already had a premonition of what Reze might say.
Instead of speaking, Reze tilted her head slightly toward Chiya and tapped her cheek with her finger. Her intent was unmistakable.
"..."
Chiya remained silent for a moment. "Be serious. There's no need for you to tease me with stuff like this."
In his eyes, this was likely just Reze using her acting skills to toy with him.
"But I am being serious. Don't tell me Master is shy already?" Reze's remark was clearly meant to provoke him.
"If you say so."
Having been pushed this far, Chiya wasn't going to take it lying down. His earlier warning was meant to remind Reze not to assume he wouldn't actually do it; it would be a shame if she sacrificed her dignity just for the sake of a prank. He had given her a chance to back off, but since she was doubling down, he stopped holding back.
Reze suddenly felt a light "tap" on her cheek, and her playful smile stiffened for a fraction of a second.
As Chiya suspected, her actions had indeed been a performance designed to tease him. She hadn't quite expected him to go through with it, though she had mentally prepared herself for the possibility. What she hadn't expected, however, was the sudden flutter in her chest—that subtle, heart-pounding sensation was completely different from the time she had proactively kissed him on the cheek.
Back then, it was pure acting. Now, she harbored complicated feelings for Chiya, even if she hadn't fully acknowledged them yet.
Seeing Reze dazed, Chiya said calmly, "See? I warned you, but you wouldn't listen."
"Oh? I didn't say it was bad. After all, Master is my favorite person~" Reze replied with a soft smile. After this encounter, her heart felt clearer; her affection for her Master might not be overwhelming yet, but it certainly wasn't fake.
Chiya assumed she was just being stubborn. "Forget it, I'm done messing around. Was that 'reward' enough to satisfy you?"
"Perfectly satisfied. I'll give that staff member a call in a bit," Reze said with a laugh.
A little while later, Kobeni returned home from school.
"I'm back."
"Little Kobeni, welcome home~" Reze immediately went over to help take her schoolbag.
Reze truly had a way with people; she had quickly managed to get along quite well with both Kobeni and Denji. As for Pochita, he still hadn't been recognized as the Chainsaw Devil. Chiya suspected that in the original story, Makima had intentionally leaked information about "Chainsaw Man" to high-ranking officials worldwide—much like how she manipulated the Eternity Devil and others. One could say every event in the first part of the original manga was part of Makima's grand design.
Without Makima's influence, almost no one in the human world had ever seen the Chainsaw Devil, and the devils killed by Pochita in Hell had been reincarnated with their memories wiped.
Meanwhile, Shingetsu's relationship with Denji and Kobeni remained cold, though the primary reason was simply the language barrier...
AN-
I've uploaded a new fanfic on my account.Its called Percy Jackson:The Names of Leo Valdez.Would be really grateful if you can give it a shot.Only 3 chapters but I'll upload more today. 🥲
Enjoyyyyyy!