Cael hovered in the air, watching the Cockroach Devil writhe like a giant nightmare come to life, when it let out a shrill, ear‑piercing scream that echoed through the ruined downtown.
Even after losing two massive legs, it didn't flinch. It still had four, and it moved with terrifying speed. Without warning, the devil swung one massive hand upward, snatching Cael out of the sky and trapping him in its palm like he was a toy.
"Got you now! Why aren't you running? Huh? Not so carefree anymore?" the devil taunted.
Cael didn't struggle. He just grinned and said, "You're just some cockroach‑sized devil, nothing more. And honestly, I love getting up close and personal with trash like you."
"What?" the Cockroach Devil stuttered, face contorting into rage, its huge palm tightening like a vise.
Before it could crush him, a violent burst of pain tore through its hand, black mist spilling out as flesh and bone dissolved in the blink of an eye.
"What the f*ck are you?!" the devil screamed.
Buzzing wildly, it flung Cael away like a hot potato.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Cael hurtled through the air, crashing through buildings, smashing cars, and sending rubble flying as chaos erupted all around.
At that moment, Power leapt up the side of a skyscraper with her fiendish physiology — scaling concrete like it was nothing and arriving above the devil in seconds.
Aki stood below, human and completely unable to climb the wall.
Of course the elevator shaft was wrecked. Why wouldn't it be?
Aki's eyes narrowed. "Power, try to cripple its wings. Get it down."
"You mess with my Prime Minister's Hand!" Power shouted as she swung her massive Blood Hammer upward, the weapon constructed from her own blood.
THUD! The hammer slammed into the devil's carapace with a bone‑jarring impact. The monster barely flinched, only cracking its armor.
"Is that all you've got? Trying to tickle me?" it growled.
Then, with a horrific twist of its bulk, it punched a fist the size of a van straight at Power.
Power didn't have time to dodge.
"Oh crap, this is trouble…" she muttered.
SMASH!
She slammed into the ground, creating a crater.
"Power!" Aki screamed, rushing forward.
Fiends weren't indestructible. If she was injured too badly…
But before the Cockroach Devil could even heal itself, Cael reappeared like a black storm.
He stomped onto the devil's head, shoved his chainsaw blade deep into its ear, and revved the engine.
The monster squealed — and not because it was in pain, but because it was furious.
That rage lasted about half a second before it threw a massive punch at him.
The blow was so powerful it blew off half its own head.
Cael yanked himself backward with the chainsaw cord, landing on its sternum with casual precision.
"You really thought I couldn't dodge that?" he said with a smirk.
His fist glowed as he gathered strength.
"Now it's my turn."
CRUNCH! His elbow smashed straight into the devil's chest.
The sternum shattered, blood pouring like a waterfall.
BOOM! The residual force sent the foul creature crashing into a building, leaving a massive crater.
The Cockroach Devil lay there, coughing blood.
"Chainsaw Man," it croaked, "we're both devils, so why are you on the humans' side?"
Cael paused, genuinely surprised the thing was still conscious after that impact.
Apparently, it had stamina to spare.
Before he could answer, the devil raised its grotesque hands from behind its body.
In its left hand it held a young schoolboy, terrified and shaking.
In its right hand it held a crushed car.
"In my left," it taunted, "is a child full of potential. And in my right," it sneered, "a family that loves each other."
"Who will you save, hero?"
The monster dropped both at the same time like some twisted carnival trick.
Save people?
Cael pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated.
Was this devil seriously doing a trolley problem?
He didn't have time for that nonsense.
He closed his eyes, summoned a dark vortex around himself, and barreled straight into the devil's body with one goal — destroy its heart.
It screamed and roared as Cael carved through its innards in a bloody frenzy, covered in gore, focused only on killing.
Kill it all.
Kill everything.
He angrily shouted:
"You destroyed people! That's on you! I'm the one who's pissed off because I just went through a breakup! Got that? You don't get to go philosophical on me!"
He hacked and slashed with unstoppable fury.
Finally, the devil collapsed into a mangled pile of broken flesh.
Blood seeped into the cracked pavement.
Ding! Host has killed the Cockroach Devil, gaining 46 attribute points.
Dark Water effect triggered: Absorbed Cockroach Devil ability — Endurance Enhancement (Pain is severely dulled and remaining limbs remain effective even when damaged).
Cael blinked. Another ability.
Right, Dark Water had evolved.
He hadn't expected anything remarkable from this one, but now he realized it actually balanced out the enhanced pain drawback he already had.
Nice.
Not bad for a trash cockroach devil.
If it had been someone like Katana Man, he'd have been down for the count after one hit.
Cael dropped from the ruined building and saw the Fox Devil's head in the distance, shaken but alive, with the dazed student and the car on its back.
The Fox Devil avoided Cael's eyes like it knew this guy was worse than the last devil it helped with.
It turned toward Aki with a huff.
"You actually used me as a cushion?" it snapped.
Aki remained calm.
"Your back is soft, so it works," she replied dryly.
"Hmph," it grumbled, vanishing in a puff of white smoke.
Power, battered and limping, sauntered over.
"Absolutely incredible! I totally killed that cockroach devil and added another glorious achievement to my record!"
"Prime Minister's Hand," she added, "you're welcome."
Aki crouched and held up a huge chunk of Gun Devil flesh, about the size of her fist.
"Found it," she said excitedly.
Behind them, in the park, Makima sat on a bench, breathing slightly fast, her face flushed.
One didn't even have to ask.
Everyone knew what she was thinking.
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