Hōjō Yoru glanced at Yuuki Asuna, then smiled and teased her.
"Yuuki-san, your thought process is really something. Most people, at a time like this, would ask whether they're at risk of being targeted by a Devil. But you're worrying about me instead. Don't tell me those galgames actually work? Just so we're clear—yeah, you're cute, but I'm not really into the whole 'love at first sight' thing. Don't tell me you're having a suspension-bridge-effect moment?"
"W-who says I'm interested in you?! I'm just checking on you, that's all. Quit saying weird stuff!"
His teasing made a blush creep over Asuna's cheeks. Embarrassed and annoyed, she hurriedly changed the subject.
"From the way you're acting, you probably didn't pay any serious price… and you still have the mood to joke around…"
"Let me interrupt your tsundere moment for a second."
Yoru waved a hand. As they continued walking, he kept his tone light—almost playful.
"Sure, it'd be convenient for me if I let you keep misunderstanding things. But my moral standards are just too high. I can't bring myself to deceive girls, so I'll explain: I didn't step in specifically for you. I'm a Devil Hunter with the Anti-Demon Special Operations Division. Killing Devils is my job."
"Huh? But you're wearing a school uniform just like me. You're a high school student, aren't you?"
"Think of it as a part-time job."
"Uh…"
Asuna's inner voice was practically screaming.
She'd never worked a job before, but she wasn't stupid. A normal high schooler's part-time job was at a convenience store or a ramen shop.
Hōjō-kun's part-time job was… being a Devil Hunter.
That was just—
Seeing Yoru looking at her as if waiting for a response, Asuna forced a strained smile and finally found a word that sounded polite.
"Haha… w-well, you're really hardworking…"
Yoru shot her a glance and said bluntly, "You can complain, but don't try to fill silence with nonsense."
"Y-you jerk…"
Asuna bit down on her teeth, stomped lightly, and turned her head away with a pout. She deliberately avoided looking at him and picked up her pace.
"This is called having good social skills, okay?!"
She walked ahead as if she wanted to ditch him and go alone—but after pulling about two meters of distance, she slowed down again.
Annoyed, but not fully annoyed. Creating space, but not really leaving.
Watching her back, Yoru couldn't help but think:
She was cute.
Even without the "transmigrator filter," and based only on this brief interaction, Asuna really was adorable—not just in appearance, but in personality, too.
But still…
This world was ridiculous.
It was supposed to be a world stitched together from various slice-of-life crossover anime. Aside from the small twist of his parents dying early, his first sixteen years had been steady and peaceful. But ever since the so-called "Devils" appeared half a year ago, it felt like everything had changed.
A perfectly normal youth story—how did it suddenly hard-cut into Chainsaw Man?
Then again, after joining the Anti-Demon Special Operations Division and spending nearly a month investigating, Yoru realized he might have been blaming the world unfairly.
This world had never been normal in the first place.
Creatures that looked human, yet hunted humans at night. Strange mountain legends whispered from village to village. Cameras that could photograph spiritual entities. And all kinds of nonsense—werewolves, vampires, yōkai, ghosts—those things were real here.
Most people simply didn't know.
Fortunately… as a transmigrator, Yoru wasn't normal either.
Two months ago, on his way to the convenience store to buy an iced cola, he'd run into a suddenly appearing Sea Cucumber Devil.
At the time, he'd had only one thought:
I want to eat sea cucumber.
Scallion-braised would be perfect. Cold-dressed as an appetizer would also be excellent.
As if answering that craving for good food, he awakened something strange—similar to Devil summoning in the original Chainsaw Man, but without paying any price, without any negative side effects. He only needed stamina.
A peculiar power representing "infinity," "cycle," and "devouring"—
the Ouroboros.
Delicious Sea Cucumber Devil… perhaps I'll never forget you for the rest of my life.
After that incident, Yoru joined the Anti-Demon Special Operations Division and became a Devil Hunter. Of course, he didn't reveal his true ability. Instead, he claimed he'd formed a contract with a "Gluttony Devil," like most Devil Hunters—someone who could only wield Devil power by paying a price.
The Ouroboros's ability wasn't complicated.
Once summoned, and after it devoured a supernatural entity, Yoru gained a physical boost. He could fight using the Ouroboros directly, but because it consumed too much stamina, it wasn't a particularly wise choice.
Which meant…
Yoru's true weapon against Devils wasn't some flashy power.
It was his own overwhelming strength—precise movement—terrifying burst output.
All of it built from effort and sweat, execution and mind games… plus just a little bit of raw stats.
"If you've got questions, save them for lunch."
While they talked, they arrived at the gates of Sōbu High.
He had no idea why Sōbu High existed in Tokyo, but this was a stitched-together slice-of-life world. It had plenty of elements he recognized as a transmigrator, yet not every detail matched the originals.
For example, this world didn't have any era-defining VRMMO called Sword Art Online. Yuuki Asuna hadn't entered SAO and become the "Flash," the legendary front-line raider.
Instead, she'd been trembling in front of the Bat Devil, soft and shaky in the most ordinary way.
"O-oh… okay."
Asuna took a deep breath, forced her emotions back into place, and followed Yoru through the gates of Sōbu High.
For a high school girl, her mental toughness was honestly unbelievable.
She'd witnessed the Bat Devil butcher countless people, nearly died herself, and yet she hadn't fainted on the spot. And after the fact, she'd regained her composure in such a short time.
That level of resilience was practically superhuman.
...
After checking the freshman class assignment list posted at the entrance of the school building, Asuna learned that Yoru was a new student too—and that they'd both been placed in First Year, Class A.
When they stepped into the classroom, the freshmen who'd been chatting in small groups instinctively turned to look at them.
As Asuna searched for an empty seat, trying to decide where to sit, Yoru headed straight for a window seat in the corner of the room.
And on that desk sat a young woman wearing a white lab coat over suit trousers. Her face was pretty, but her aura was exhausted—like a jaded middle-aged man somehow trapped in a young woman's body.
"Hey. You must be Hōjō-kun, right?"
She waved at him as a greeting, her long legs crossed. Sitting on top of the desk in slim-cut suit pants, she looked less like a teacher and more like a delinquent who'd come to shake someone down.
"I'm Hiratsuka Shizuka. Starting today, I'll be the homeroom teacher for this class. Let's get along."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter50)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter50)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter50)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 10
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 10
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