Cael froze, instinctively trying to pull his hand free from Reze's grip, but she held on with unyielding force.
"Reze, you've had too much fruit wine. Please… don't do this," he warned, careful not to hurt her.
"I'm not drunk," she insisted, gripping him tighter.
Her eyes were serious as she spoke, leaning close. "Japan is small, but it's crawling with Devils. For every twenty people, seven die because of them. How can anyone feel safe here? Cael… stop working. Let's run away together, okay?"
Cael swallowed hard. Her words were all true, but leaving wasn't an option. "Why tell me this, Reze? My family, my career… they're still here." His thoughts lingered on Asa Mitaka and Denji, who had become like family.
Reze's face flushed a deep crimson. "Because… I like you, Cael."
His heart skipped a beat. Her blush and sincerity struck him harder than any words.
"Reze, I… I just got back together with my girlfriend," he said carefully, trying to stay composed.
"What does that matter? Just break up again. You've done it before."
Cael's mouth twitched. "Reze, you're drunk. I can't just abandon someone after getting involved."
She shrugged innocently. "Then… your girlfriend can come too. The three of us can live together."
Cael rubbed his forehead. "Sober up, Reze. That's impossible."
Her emerald eyes dimmed with disappointment. "I see… Cael hates me…"
"No, I…" Cael's mind scrambled. Facing this sudden confession, he had no words. "Maybe… maybe we're both drunk," he muttered weakly.
Whoosh—
A sudden flare of fire cut across the sky, followed by a loud bang!
Cael's eyes widened in horror as Reze leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Shock froze him for a heartbeat, his instincts betraying him as he didn't immediately dodge.
She held his head with the strength of a beast, prying open his jaw and finding his tongue.
Crunch! Crimson blood filled their mouths.
"Ah… Re…" Cael mumbled, wrenching free, blood spilling from his lips.
Reze's eyes sparkled as she swallowed, her flushed face breaking into a smile. "See, Cael? No alcohol, right?"
Disbelief painted his features. Even if she seemed harmless, this girl was far from innocent. Devil, or possessed by one—he couldn't tell. Blood still flowed, and he needed to recover quickly.
He unbuttoned his chest, reaching for the ripcord. Swish!
Faster than he could react, a silver blade flashed. Clatter—both of Cael's hands fell to the ground.
"Sorry… it really hurts, doesn't it?" Reze murmured, holding his severed wrists with concern. "I'll be gentler next time. Mice cannot disobey human commands. So… cat-eating mouse, I'll take your heart…"
A shark fin appeared, hurtling across the ground toward her.
Shark Fiend Beam launched from the concrete. "Don't harm my master!!!"
Cael blinked, regaining focus. Reze had caught him off guard, but this wouldn't stop him.
"Howl!" He activated the Typhoon Devil's power.
Boom! Fierce winds swirled, a Category 17 Typhoon forming around him.
"What?!" Reze screamed, swept hundreds of meters away.
Within the Typhoon, Cael moved freely, carrying the wildly spinning Beam and muttering, "Follow me… go!"
"Woohoo! Chainsaw Boss blows bad women away in one shot!" Beam cheered, arms and legs flailing.
Over a kilometer apart, Cael signaled Beam with his eyes. "Pull!"
"Got it, Boss!" Buzz! The ripcord engaged, saw blades emerging, and his tongue and hands regenerated completely.
"Chainsaw Boss is back at full strength!" Beam performed excited jumps.
The Typhoon dissipated. Cael felt drained; the ability consumed massive energy.
Meanwhile, Reze stabilized herself, clutching the Paper Bell in her hand. "That wind… good thing I held it, or it would've flown away."
She tucked it safely into her bosom, brushing hair from her neck. "How can Chainsaw Man create wind? Data never mentioned this… cheating…"
Her finger hooked the pull-tab on her collar. "Bang!"
BOOM!
A far more intense explosion than the fireworks shook the air. Reze's form transformed; her once-lovely face became a missile-shaped Devil head. Dynamite strapped across her uniform and arms glinted in the light.
Beam panicked, baring his teeth. "Waaahhh—Chainsaw Boss, she reeks of danger!!!"
"So… what is she, and why is Beam here?" Cael asked, mind racing.
"She's a Bomb! A buddy of the Gun Devil, terrifying beyond measure—the Bomb Devil!!!" Beam shouted.
Cael processed quickly. Reze, like him, was a Weapon Human fused with a Devil's heart.
"Beam, stay back if you're scared. Watch me take her down," Cael ordered.
Reze's threat was real, but Cael still had over a thousand unallocated attribute points. As Chainsaw Man, he wasn't weaker than her.
Beam hesitated, then leapt from the mountain, hugging Cael.
"Ah? Beam, what the hell! Betraying me?!"
"Chainsaw Boss, sorry! Ms. Makima ordered us to protect you. Leave the fighting to us. You cannot risk taking on the Bomb Devil!"
"What? Makima again?!" Cael exclaimed, overwhelmed by the night's chaos.
Reze stood on the fence, looking down at the fleeing Beam. "Thief," she muttered.