Chapter 54: Kill Steal!
"...Huh?"
Denji didn't feel the impact she expected, and she confusedly blinked her eyes open. Since she hadn't seen the spatial vortex, she had no idea how the Leaf Devil's arm had vanished. She glanced back and saw Chiya-nii,still standing there, unmoving.
Even so, she was certain he must have saved her; otherwise, how could the devil's arm just disappear into thin air? Suddenly remembering Chiya's warning about not getting distracted during a fight, she focused entirely on the Leaf Devil and charged forward once more, revving the chainsaw.
With its arm severed, the Leaf Devil's reactions were sluggish due to the pain. Denji took advantage of this opening, sawing away at it wildly. Soon, the Leaf Devil was shredded and on the verge of death, letting out piteous shrieks.
Kill Steal (K-Head)!
At that exact moment, Otonashi Chiya's left eye widened with Kamui, focusing on the Leaf Devil's neck. Its head was instantly twisted off by the warping space.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement "Kill Stealer." Reward: 5 Attribute Points!]
[Ding! Host has successfully hunted the "Leaf Devil." Reward: 5 Attribute Points!]
The kill-steal was a success, and Chiya pocketed the attribute points. It was the equivalent of using an "Execution" move to snatch an enemy that someone else had already beaten down to a sliver of health.
However, unlike a game, Denji wouldn't have received "kill counts" or "gold" anyway, whereas Chiya could harvest points. Denji didn't care who dealt the final blow; she only knew she had defeated the devil, and she was over the moon.
"Chiya-nii! Did you see? I just took down that devil!" Denji ran back to him, brimming with excitement.
"Well done. You're already quite strong, Denji," Chiya praised.
"Hehe~" Denji grinned happily. "I'm going to fight more devils from now on and get stronger. That way, Pochita and I can protect you, Chiya-nii!" she declared with confidence.
Though she knew Chiya was incredibly powerful, she felt that if she and Pochita worked hard enough, they could eventually catch up.
"Alright, I look forward to it," Chiya said with a smile. He didn't discourage her; instead, he offered encouragement. In his mind, she wasn't actually bragging—if Denji became "Chainsaw Man" or if Pochita logged back into his "Hero of Hell" account, their power ceilings would be top-tier. As for whether she could surpass him? That didn't matter.
"I'll definitely work hard!" Denji felt even more motivated.
Chiya contacted Tokyo Public Safety and the police to handle the Leaf Devil's corpse, then continued the climb with Denji and Pochita. They boarded the cable car and finally took in the stunning view of the autumn leaves.
The red leaves covered the mountainside, swaying in the wind like a sea of fire, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight. Denji had never seen such beauty before; her jaw dropped in awe. "It's so beautiful~!"
"We can come back to hike and see the leaves more often before winter arrives," Chiya said.
"Then... can Chiya-nii bring me here to hike every time you're on leave?" Denji tried asking for a bit more. The autumn leaves were beautiful, but the sight would be even better if Chiya was there to watch them with her.
"Sure. Actually, as long as we get up early enough, I can come here for an hour or two even on work days," Chiya said. His shift usually started at 9:00 AM, but he and Denji had set out before 7:00 AM today. If they woke up early, they could come whenever they wanted.
"Oh! That's great!" Denji was overjoyed. She had worried Chiya might find her request a bit selfish, but instead, he was being even more indulgent.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement 'Pochita's Affection (Lv. 3).' Reward: 8 Attribute Points!]
Even Pochita's affection had reached level 3—perhaps because he also thought the scenery was beautiful.
After the cable car ride, they headed back down the mountain.
"Our next stop is the arcade," Chiya said. "We can play for a while and then head straight to lunch."
"Okay! I've heard arcades have tons of awesome games!" Denji had only ever heard of them; she had never actually stepped foot inside one.
"I'll show you, and you'll see for yourself."
Chiya found a nearby arcade. In this era, arcades were incredibly popular because most households didn't own computers, and PC games were rare. Most people came to arcades for their gaming fix.
"Excuse me, I'd like to rent a private room," Chiya told the attendant. He specifically chose a private room despite the higher cost so that Pochita could play with Denji. Otherwise, Pochita's identity as a devil would be exposed in the crowd. After all, what kind of pet dog—or stuffed doll—knows how to play video games?
Come to think of it, Pochita seemed quite addicted to gaming himself lately.
"Certainly, but..." The attendant looked between Chiya and Denji, asking awkwardly, "I need to verify your ages."
In Japan, electronic entertainment venues have time restrictions for minors. For those under 16, they must leave by 6:00 PM and cannot re-enter. For those between 16 and 18, the curfew is 10:00 PM. The attendant could tell they were minors but wasn't sure of their exact ages; he couldn't afford to take risks.
"I'm exactly 16. This should serve as proof. As for her, she's under 16," Chiya said. He wasn't carrying his standard ID or wearing his uniform, but he had his Public Safety ID on him, so he pulled it out.
When the attendant saw the ID—Vice Captain of Tokyo Public Safety, Special Division 1, complete with the official seal—he froze in disbelief. He never imagined a Vice Captain from Public Safety would come to his arcade to play games, let alone that the Vice Captain was a minor!
"No problem at all! Please, come this way. Private Room 1 is available!" The attendant personally led the way. Since the girl was clearly under 16, her specific age didn't matter as long as they left by 6:00 PM. Besides, he didn't dare disrespect a high-ranking officer of Tokyo Public Safety!