Being an anomaly in a world of logic had its perks, especially when your traveling companion was the former head of a national intelligence organization.
Even without her supernatural "Control," Makima's brain was a library of economic loopholes and high-stakes social engineering.
"To feed the engine, we need currency,"
Makima stated calmly as they stood in the bustling downtown district.
"In this world, money is the literal manifestation of human effort and kinetic potential. It is the 'energy' we will trade for your fuel."
While Okarun leaned against a railing, feeling the hollow ache of his empty Phase-engine, Makima went to work.
Without using a single drop of magic, she approached a high-end brokerage firm nearby.
Within an hour, using nothing but her terrifyingly sharp intellect and knowledge of market patterns, she had "convinced" a local investor to let her consult on a series of rapid-fire day trades.
By sunset, she walked back to Okarun and Momo, spinning a sleek black debit card between her fingers.
"The logic of this world is fragile,"
She smiled.
"They rely on patterns. I simply saw the patterns before they did. Now, Okarun-kun... let us find your 'fuel'."
They didn't go to a fancy restaurant. Okarun didn't need atmosphere; he needed calories.
Pure, raw chemical energy that his body could convert into spatial fuel.
They hit a massive "All-You-Can-Eat" Wagyu buffet, followed by a high-calorie ramen shop, and finally a bakery.
As Okarun ate, he didn't get full.
Instead, his devil body worked at overtime speed.
Momo watched in awe as a faint violet steam began to rise from Okarun's skin.
Every bite of high-fat protein and carbohydrate was being broken down instantly, not into fat, but into energy.
The "Golden Path" on his palm, which had been a dull gray, began to flicker with a warm, amber light.
"It's working,"
Okarun gasped between bowls of fatty tuna.
"I can feel the engine cooling down. The calories... they're acting like a coolant and a spark plug at the same time."
Makima sat across from him, meticulously cutting a piece of steak, watching him with that "loving" intensity.
"The devil body is simply a biological furnace. If we feed it enough, we can generate the thrust needed to slip between the cracks of reality again."
However, eating ten times the human limit in a public restaurant started to draw attention.
The "logic" of the world was beginning to react to them.
The lights in the restaurant began to flicker, and the air around their table grew heavy.
"Okarun, we have to move,"
Momo whispered, noticing the manager looking at them with a mixture of horror and confusion.
"People are starting to notice."
Okarun stood up, his eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp violet spark.
He felt a surge of strength—the first bit of real power since they left the Chainsaw Man world.
6/10