Chapter 9: Kamui Dimension
"Close your eyes. Do not open them until I give you permission."
Otonashi Chiya emphasized this to the Zombie Devil first. The Zombie Devil didn't ask why; since it had signed a contract with Chiya, it was bound to obey. Contracts were absolute—the party that violated one would die instantly, no matter how powerful they were. Thus, Chiya was certain to spare its life in the end.
The Zombie Devil obediently closed its eyes, not daring to peek for even a second.
Immediately after, a swirling vortex of distorted space sucked the entire Zombie Devil into Chiya's right eye, teleporting it into the Kamui Dimension. Although both eyes shared functions once the Mangekyo was complete, using one eye's ability through the other increased the drain. He intentionally kept them separate: the left eye for offensive Kamui and the right eye for defensive/spatial Kamui, minimizing the burden on his body.
"Ahhh! It hurts, it hurts! What are you doing to me?!"
An entity as massive as the Zombie Devil couldn't help but feel the physical strain of spatial distortion. It howled in pain.
To be honest, Chiya wasn't feeling great either. The size of an object he could transfer depended on his ocular power and chakra—or in his case, his vitality. Moving something as bulky as the Zombie Devil was quite taxing.
"This is my devil power. I've placed you in a separate space where no one can find you. Keep your eyes closed. I'll let you out once I reach the destination," Chiya said calmly.
The Kamui Dimension acted as his private domain, and his voice could be transmitted directly into it. He forbade the devil from looking because the dimension was one of his core secrets, tied to the fundamental mechanics of the "Kamui" technique. He preferred to keep others in the dark as much as possible.
"Fine, I get it," the Zombie Devil replied submissively. It realized it could no longer smell the human boy's scent. Even with its eyes shut, the surrounding environment felt utterly foreign and unknown. What on earth did that devil hunter do? Where the hell am I? Devil hunters really are the worst! Disgusting!
Meanwhile.
Denji had finished packing long ago and had been waiting at home for over half an hour. Initially, she was excitedly chatting with Pochita about the "big brother" they had met. But as time ticked away and he failed to appear, anxiety began to creep into her heart.
"Pochita, that big brother is probably just busy with something troublesome, right? He didn't just leave us behind, did he?"
Denji held Pochita in her arms, her eyes glued to the window. But the figure she longed for was nowhere to be seen. Her expression had shifted from excitement back to a hollow stillness; her words were merely a way to comfort herself.
It would be perfectly normal if that big brother suddenly regretted his decision and abandoned them. After all, the yakuza were terrifying, and almost no one wasn't afraid of them.
"Whine..." Pochita's expression also looked a bit dejected.
"I'm so hungry... let's eat a slice of bread first."
Denji pulled a bag of bread from the table. It was the cheapest kind imaginable—hard and flavorless—but she had no other choice. Even a single bag like this had to be rationed over several meals.
"We can only eat one slice. We have to save the last one for the big brother."
Denji took out a single slice and tore it in half, giving one piece to Pochita.
She still refused to let go of that last shred of hope.
Ten more minutes passed...
Denji's heart sank further and further; that final spark of hope was nearly extinguished. She had thought she might actually escape this living hell—it felt as surreal as a dream—and in the end, it truly seemed to be nothing but a fantasy. To go from extreme excitement and anticipation to absolute nothingness; the emotional whiplash was unbearable.
Denji knew she couldn't just sit here and wait forever. Tomorrow was the last day of the month, and her time was running out. If she couldn't pay off this month's debt, she would be forced into sex work...
"Phew—!"
Denji took a deep breath, steeling her resolve for both herself and Pochita. "Let's head out and try to find another devil! If we can hunt one down, there's at least a chance we can pay off the debt for this month!"
"Woof!" Pochita barked with spirit.
Just as Denji pushed open the door to leave, having completely abandoned her daydreams, she spotted a figure appearing in the distance. She froze, rubbing her eyes vigorously. She stared wide-eyed, confirming once more that the figure was indeed Otonashi Chiya.
"Sorry I'm late."
Seeing Denji standing there stunned with reddened eyes, Chiya felt a pang of guilt. He had casually mentioned he would be gone for "a bit," but "a bit" had turned into an hour. He could have arrived a few minutes earlier, but he had stopped to buy food.
"You're not late! I've already packed everything," Denji said happily, wiping the tears from her eyes.
At this point in time, Denji hadn't experienced nearly as much trauma, nor had she lost her heart yet. Her emotions were far more abundant and pure than in the original story.
"No rush to leave just yet. Come, eat something."
Chiya handed a plastic bag to Denji, filled with bread and various snacks.
"This is...?"
Denji opened the bag and found it packed with food. Most of it consisted of delicacies she had seen in shops before—things she desperately wanted but could never afford.
"Is all of this for me?!" Denji asked, her face full of disbelief.
"Yes, it's all for you. I've already eaten," Chiya said with a smile.
Ecstatic, Denji hugged the bag and ran back inside, with Pochita happily trotting after her. Watching Pochita's adorable, waddling gait, Chiya felt a sense of wonder. To think the Chainsaw Devil, who once shook the very foundations of Hell, was so happy to coexist peacefully with humans.
Though Pochita looked like a cute orange dog, his true form—his complete form—was the Chainsaw Devil that struck terror into the hearts of almost every devil in Hell. Because his complete form was humanoid, devils preferred to call him "Chainsaw Man," or the nickname Chiya was used to from his previous life: "Hero of Hell" (or Black Chainsaw).
Any devil eaten by the Chainsaw Man suffered true death. For example, the "World War II Devil" had been consumed; consequently, humanity's memories of WWII were erased, and the devil itself ceased to exist unless the Chainsaw Man vomited it back up. This was the primary reason the devils feared him so much.
Suddenly, Pochita turned his head to look at Chiya, wagging his tail with a friendly expression.
"Pochita."
Chiya felt a sudden urge to pick him up. He figured he wouldn't be attacked. He reached down and lifted Pochita; the little dog was very well-behaved and offered no resistance.
[Ding! Host has activated the achievement "Pochita's Sense of Closeness (Lv.1)." Gained 2 Attribute Points!]