The high-tension standoff in the apartment was abruptly shattered by the sound of a chainsaw engine revving and a frantic scratching at the door.
"MAAAAKIMA-SAN! I HEARD THE RUMOR!"
Denji screamed, kicking the door open so hard it rebounded off the wall.
"THE GHOST-BOY IS THE BOSS NOW?! DOES THAT MEAN I CAN STOP EATING VEGETABLES?!"
Power leaped over his shoulders, landing on the kitchen counter next to Makima's frying pan.
"Silence, Denji! I, the Great Power, have come to witness the usurper! Is it true, Ghost-boy? Have you tamed the Red Demon with the power of your... 'riz-z'?!"
Okarun, who was already dealing with the "Love Contract" and Momo's psychokinetic rage, looked like he wanted to phase into the Earth's core.
"It's not... she's not... we just have an agreement!"
Makima turned away from the stove, her yellow-ringed eyes softening as she looked at Okarun, but turning razor-sharp the moment they landed on Denji.
"Denji-kun. Power. You are trespassing on my private time. However, as I am currently practicing 'Love,' I shall not crush your lungs today."
Denji froze, his jaw hitting the floor.
"Love? Love?!?!"
Power poked Okarun's cheek with a sharp fingernail.
"He smells different. Like a King. A King of... really awkward people."
She then looked at the stove.
"Is that meat? I require the tribute of the kitchen!"
Momo stood in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips, looking like she was seconds away from a mental breakdown.
"Great. Just great. This isn't an apartment; it's a zoo!"
"Okarun-kun,"
Makima said, ignoring the chaos and holding out a plate of perfectly cooked eggs toward Okarun.
"I have analyzed Denji-kun's request. If you wish for me to 'love' you, perhaps I should extend a fraction of that kindness to your... underlings? Should I allow the Blood Devil to eat the high-grade steak in the freezer?"
"Yes! Please! Just feed them and make them quiet!"
Okarun pleaded.
As the group sat around the small table—Momo glaring at Makima, Makima feeding Okarun, and Denji and Power fighting over a single piece of toast—something strange happened.
The Golden Path on Okarun's palm didn't just glow; it projected a map onto the ceiling.
Because Okarun had absorbed a portion of the Control Devil's authority over this world's laws, the map was now showing "Nodes" of power.
"Look,"
Okarun whispered, the room falling silent.
"The Path isn't pointing to a place. It's pointing to the Gun Devil fragments. Makima-san... the energy of those fragments is the only thing fast enough to act as the thruster I need."
Makima looked up at the ceiling, her eyes scanning the coordinates with terrifying efficiency.
"I have several of those fragments in storage. But the rest are held by other nations. However, I think only those in the storage should be enough. I will get them for you, Okarun-kun."
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