Chapter 53: Helping from the Shadows
As expected of Teacher Higashiyama... her level is so high...
Denji instantly viewed Kobeni as an even greater threat!
Still, when it came to studying, she continued to apply herself; she wasn't about to start ignoring her teacher on purpose. Kobeni, however, had absolutely no idea how she was being perceived in Denji's imagination. If she knew the truth, she would likely be stunned speechless.
Once the tutoring session ended, Denji took a refreshing bath and fell asleep, full of anticipation.
The first ray of morning sunlight hit Denji's face, and she blinked her eyes open.
The very first thought in her mind was her promise with Chiya-nii from yesterday. Instantly shaking off her drowsiness, she sat up and hopped out of bed. She finished her morning routine at record speed and rushed to wake Chiya up.
To her surprise, Chiya was already awake and busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
"Chiya-nii, you're up so early!" Denji said, a bit startled.
"Aren't you doing the same?" Chiya replied, walking out with three plates of breakfast.
Today's meal was the usual: two poached eggs per person, a slice of bread, and a glass of warm milk—and of course, a portion for Pochita. Breakfast didn't need to be extravagant; it just needed to be balanced.
Chiya placed Pochita's plate on the table and let him sit right there to eat. He never intended to treat Pochita like an ordinary pet dog. With a casual hop, Pochita easily reached the dining table, which was significantly taller than him.
Once breakfast was finished and the dishes were washed, Chiya led Denji and Pochita out the door. As usual, they used soft gauze to wrap the chainsaw blade on Pochita's head, making it look like Denji was simply carrying around a stuffed doll.
"Chiya-nii, where are we going first?" Denji asked eagerly.
"Since it's early morning, let's start by hiking up a mountain to see the scenery," Chiya suggested.
He had mapped out a rough plan the night before; he wanted to take Denji to at least five different spots throughout the day. Their first destination was Mount Takao in Tokyo. Not only could they enjoy the autumn leaves, but there was also a chance to catch a view of Mount Fuji from the summit. Plus, hiking was a great way to get some exercise.
"Come to think of it, Denji, you should move around more. Staying cooped up at home all day isn't good for your health."
If Chiya remembered correctly, Denji suffered from a heart condition inherited from her mother. He planned to take her to Tokyo Hospital for a check-up tomorrow or sometime soon to see if medical techniques enhanced by devil powers could cure her. If it couldn't be permanently cured, he still had a backup plan.
Of course, he would never force Pochita to fuse with Denji to create the Hybrid "Chainsaw Man." That would depend entirely on Pochita's own will. Even if Pochita was reluctant, Chiya had other options up his sleeve.
"Mhm!" Denji nodded obediently. If Chiya-nii brought her out every day, she'd be more than happy to stay active.
Otonashi Chiya first took Denji by car to the foot of Mount Takao before they began their slow ascent. Further up, there was a station where they could take a cable car to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the autumn leaves from above.
However, halfway up the mountain—true to form—the unexpected happened.
A devil suddenly appeared before them. It looked remarkably like tree leaves and was smaller than most common devils, standing only about two or three meters tall. A human head sprouted from its top, giving it a gruesome appearance. Judging by its name alone, it seemed like a very weak devil; its only method of attack was likely grabbing people with its hands to stuff them into its mouth. Weaker devils generally lacked specialized offensive abilities.
The only exception would be if it had swallowed a fragment of the Gun Devil's flesh, which would cause it to mutate and gain new, incredibly powerful abilities. Looking at the Leaf Devil's size, it clearly hadn't consumed any; otherwise, it would be at least two or three times larger.
There were many people hiking at this hour. About a dozen were in their immediate vicinity, and the Leaf Devil's sudden appearance sent them fleeing in a panic.
"Run! A devil is here!"
"Aaaah—I don't want to die! I want to go home!"
In an instant, screams filled the air. Chiya's right hand was already resting on the hilt of his tachi, intending to end the Leaf Devil with a single strike.
But just then, Denji suddenly spoke up: "Chiya-nii, can I try?"
Even though Denji always felt that fighting devils was dangerous, she had never successfully hunted one before, and she felt a lingering itch of curiosity and regret. Chiya was momentarily stunned; he clearly hadn't expected her to make such a request.
However, he agreed. "Alright, but you must be extremely careful. You can't let your guard down for a second when fighting a devil."
He would be watching from the sidelines anyway. If Denji fell into danger, he would intervene immediately to kill the Leaf Devil. No matter how fast a weakling like the Leaf Devil was, it couldn't outrun his "Kamui."
This was also an excellent opportunity for Denji to train her skills. Keeping her protected in a cradle entirely devoid of crisis wasn't necessarily a good thing; it might actually hinder her.
"Okay! Pochita, let's go!"
Denji removed the gauze from Pochita's head. With a sharp "Woof!", Pochita shifted into his combat form. It wasn't his "Black Chainsaw" form, of course—that would leave Denji with nothing to do. Instead, the chainsaw on his head simply lengthened and began to spin. Denji gripped the handle on Pochita's back, holding him much like one would a regular chainsaw, and dashed toward the Leaf Devil.
The Leaf Devil also realized that this human girl seemed the most threatening and decided to make her its first meal. It reached out to grab her, but Denji dodged easily, subsequently sawing a massive wound into its body. Entrails and blood began to pour out.
"AAAAAAGH!!"
The Leaf Devil flew into a rage and swung a massive palm at Denji. This strike was far more violent and swift than the last. Lacking combat experience, Denji hadn't anticipated such a fierce counterattack and was unable to dodge in time. She instinctively closed her eyes in panic, immediately regretting her overconfidence. She hoped Chiya-nii would save her, but she felt it was too late.
However, at that exact moment, a spatial vortex suddenly materialized on the Leaf Devil's arm. The arm and the space surrounding it were twisted by the swirl. Following a shrill scream from the devil, half its arm fell to the ground.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement "Helping from the Shadows." Reward: 5 Attribute Points!]