The Gun Devil is a devil whose power source stems from humanity's fear of firearms. Thirteen years ago, due to a surge in firearm-related terrorist attacks and widespread circulation of guns, people's fear skyrocketed. That fear gave birth to the Gun Devil—an entity that brought mass destruction in mere seconds.
During its initial rampage, Hayakawa Aki lost her entire family. From that day on, she harbored an unrelenting hatred for the Gun Devil and swore to destroy it.
The first step in that mission is tracking down the Gun Devil's main body through fragments of its flesh. The Gun Devil's power is so immense that even its dismembered pieces instinctively pull toward each other. Once a critical mass is reached, the combined flesh might attempt to return to the original body—revealing its location.
Hayakawa Aki has been relentlessly pursuing this goal.
All of the above is what Hayakawa Aki and her team understood from their perspective.
But Renji Kuroda knew more.
In truth, the Gun Devil had long since died—or rather, had been reduced to a half-dead state. Its corpse had already been dismembered and scattered.
Hayakawa Aki's destined end was one of betrayal: possessed by the very devil she despised and killed by those closest to her.
However, this world wasn't identical to the original Chainsaw Man universe. It bore many similarities, but there were crucial differences.
For one, this was a world populated only by women. All main characters originally portrayed as men had been gender-swapped into various types of stunningly beautiful women—Hayakawa Aki included.
Renji Kuroda, too, was still only half-certain of the logic and structure behind this all-female reality. It was hard to say what fate awaited Hayakawa Aki here.
Still, as long as Renji was around, she would not suffer the same tragic end as in the original story.
Inside the building, fragments of the Gun Devil's flesh reacted to the piece in Hayakawa Aki's possession. They lifted into the air, tugging on the string tied to them.
Aki tugged the string back, reeling in the floating flesh fragments, and slipped them into her pocket.
Denji stood off to the side, head drooped, eyes unfocused. She yawned repeatedly, clearly disinterested.
Power, in contrast, lounged without a care in the world. Hands behind her head, she casually chewed gum and blew a massive bubble. With a grin, she elbowed Renji Kuroda, proudly showing off her bubble-blowing prowess—only for the bubble to burst and splatter all over her face.
Shrieking, Power began frantically scraping the gum off her skin, clawing at her face in distress.
For this mission, Hayakawa Aki's full team had assembled. Including Renji, there were seven members in total.
One woman with striking curly hair glanced at Denji and Power's carefree antics, a slight frown forming. She leaned closer to Hayakawa Aki, murmuring something in her ear.
Renji watched the exchange, thinking for a moment before recalling her name—Arai Hirokazu.
She'd had little presence in the original series, eventually dying to protect Higashiyama Kobeni. But in this world, gender-swapped, she now possessed dazzling curly hair and a notable presence.
She was probably complaining about Denji and Power, remarking on how unreliable they seemed, and worrying that their mission might take a turn for the worse.
Standing on the opposite side were Higashiyama Kobeni and Himeno.
Ding~ Host has encountered a main character, Higashiyama Kobeni, for the first time. System rewards: three points.
Kobeni noticed Renji's gaze and immediately grew flustered. Realizing she was being watched, she looked around nervously, lowered her head, and finally gave a small, awkward smile, waving shyly at Renji.
"Eh~?"
Ding~ Host has encountered a main character, Himeno, for the first time. System rewards: three points.
Himeno walked over with a curious look in her eyes. She leaned in close—so close that Renji could smell a faint whiff of perfume. It made him a bit uneasy.
"You're Renji Kuroda?" Himeno asked directly, her voice carrying a teasing tone.
Renji nodded slightly, stepping back a couple of paces. His voice came out a bit dry. "Mm, yes."
Seeing that, Himeno smiled mischievously. "Shy, huh? That's not quite how Aki described you. But I like this version better. You're kinda cute like this. Your looks match her description perfectly."
Ding~ Detected Himeno's curious emotion. System rewards 5 points.
With that, Himeno stepped closer and began to circle Renji Kuroda, observing him carefully. Her eyes scrutinized every detail, and the intensity of her gaze made Renji visibly uncomfortable. He stood there stiffly, allowing her examination in awkward silence.
"How should I put this… you give me a strange feeling," Himeno said finally, stopping in front of him. Her eyes narrowed. "Hey, you're not human, are you? Could you be a Devil? A… Succubus Devil?"
That almost made Renji laugh out loud. He stifled it, managing a helpless shake of his head. "Senior, that joke is really something. I'll give you that."
But Himeno didn't laugh. Her stare remained firm and unwavering.
Renji froze. For a moment, he wondered if she was actually serious.
Then she pointed to the large backpack slung over his shoulder, curiosity lighting up her face. "Why are you carrying that during a mission? What's inside?"
Renji shrugged casually. "Food, just in case. You never know what might happen out here. Better to be prepared than starve."
Ding~ Detected Himeno's suspicious emotion. System rewards 10 points.
"Eh? Food?" Himeno tilted her head, now looking both amused and skeptical. "You're acting more and more suspicious~ Are you really a Succubus Devil?"
"…Is there even a connection between bringing food and being a Succubus Devil?"
"Of course there is!" she insisted, jabbing a finger in his direction. "You've got that suspicious charm going on—relying not just on your looks but on subtle tricks to stand out and make people like me pay attention to you!"
Renji was completely at a loss for words. He stammered, unsure how to refute such twisted logic.
That was when Hayakawa Aki stepped in, turning back toward them with a frown. "Himeno-senpai, don't bully the newbie."
Himeno blinked. "Eh?! Bully her? I'm just joking! Right, Kobeni?"
Without waiting for a reply, she darted over to Higashiyama Kobeni and hugged her tightly, squishing the girl like a stuffed animal. Kobeni flailed for a moment, then simply closed her eyes and endured it in silence.
Clearly, this wasn't the first time.
"All right, let's move," Hayakawa Aki called out, taking the lead as she strode forward into the hotel.
The rest followed.
They began searching the building methodically, floor by floor. When the group reached the seventh floor, Renji suddenly stopped and raised his voice to halt them.
"Hold up. This is as far as we go. Don't head upstairs—the eighth floor has already turned into the Eternal Devil's stomach."
He quickly shrugged off his backpack. Initially, he intended to pass it to Denji, who was closest, but changed his mind and handed it to Hayakawa Aki instead.
"Hold this for now."
Then, Renji's expression hardened. A surge of energy stirred within him, and in the next instant, his body was engulfed in a radiant golden light.
When the glow faded, Renji had already transformed—his figure now clad in regal armor, wielding a laundry pole like a holy lance. He had become Arthur Pendragon.
Gripping the laundry pole with both hands, Renji raised it overhead, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Without hesitation, he drove it upward with incredible force.
As his Mana Burst skill activated, the pole's blade shimmered with golden brilliance. Its sharpness increased exponentially, slicing through the ceiling like butter.
A clean square hole was carved out effortlessly.
With a loud thud, a section of the ceiling collapsed and landed on the carpeted corridor floor.
Ding~ Detected Himeno's suspicious emotion. System rewards 5 points.Ding~ Detected Hayakawa Aki's suspicious emotion. System rewards 5 points.Ding~ Detected Higashiyama Kobeni's suspicious emotion. System rewards 5 points.
Renji turned to the stunned group and spoke calmly, "Everything I said is true. Don't doubt me."
P@treon Rene_chan