Although it was far away, Kanzaki Izanagi was absolutely certain of what he was seeing.
His Mangekyō Sharingan made his vision razor-sharp. Even from a distance, he could tell that the thin figure with waist-length golden hair was unlikely to be a boy.
And yet... the person was holding Pochita in chainsaw form.
It had to be Denji.
Did something go wrong with this world's timeline? Izanagi wondered. Why does Denji look... like a girl?
While Izanagi tried to make sense of it, Denji was already locked in battle with the Ant Devil.
Ants were normally tiny, but this creature was anything but. The Ant Devil towered over Denji, its twisted limbs resembling distorted human legs. Its gaping mouth was packed with jagged teeth, and its movements were unnervingly quick.
Although ants weren't widely feared, their raw strength and resilience made this devil far more dangerous than it looked.
"Pochita, let's go!"
Sweat dripped down Denji's face as she charged forward with Pochita in hand.
Denji was desperate. If she didn't kill the Ant Devil and get paid, tomorrow she'd have no choice but to sell her organs to make ends meet. There was no other option.
But Denji had little experience using Pochita as a weapon, and her malnourished body lacked strength. Her attacks were slow and clumsy.
She attempted to saw through one of the Ant Devil's legs but was quickly swatted aside by one of its powerful limbs.
"No... I can't win..."
Denji's voice shook with fear.
The more terrified she became, the more aggressive the Ant Devil grew.
Izanagi's eyes narrowed.
I can't just stand here.
He focused his gaze on the Ant Devil. His left eye widened, and veins bulged across the sclera as Kamui's power surged.
Space twisted violently around the Ant Devil's head. A spiraling vortex formed, distorting the air until —
CRACK!
The Ant Devil's neck snapped, its head spinning unnaturally before dropping to the ground with a dull thud. Its body followed soon after.
[Ding! Devil Defeated: "Ant Devil" — Attribute points +7!]
Denji sat frozen, still on the ground, staring blankly at the lifeless devil.
"W-What just happened?!"
Denji's voice trembled with disbelief.
"Woof!"
Pochita had returned to its usual form, barking happily as it rubbed against Denji's side.
Izanagi walked toward Denji, wincing slightly. His left eye throbbed painfully, and a trickle of blood ran down his face.
He covered his eye with his hand, cursing under his breath.
Even with my Vitality at 30, Kamui still hits me this hard...
His body ached, and the sharp sting in his eye hadn't faded. Kamui's power was incredible, but the side effects were brutal.
[Ding! Attribute points allocated — Vitality +7!]
[Vitality: 37]
Izanagi immediately assigned the newly gained points to his Vitality. The pain in his eye dulled, and his exhaustion faded.
I've got power... but I still can't push it too hard.
Frustrated, Izanagi clenched his fist. He needed to hunt more devils and gain more points.
Denji scanned her surroundings, still dazed. When her gaze landed on Izanagi, her face lit up with recognition.
"Wait... did you... did you save me just now?"
Izanagi smiled slightly and nodded.
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: "First Encounter with Denji" — Attribute points +1!]
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: "First Encounter with Pochita" — Attribute points +1!]
Now that Izanagi was closer, he could finally get a clear look at Denji.
Despite the change in appearance, Denji's face still resembled the original — just more delicate. Her signature shark-like teeth were still present.
But her face was filthy, her long golden hair a tangled mess, and her clothes were ragged and thin. Malnutrition had clearly taken its toll on her body. Only Denji's dark red eyes retained any vibrancy.
Izanagi placed a call to the truck service and the police, arranging for the Ant Devil's body to be collected.
As Izanagi spoke on the phone, Denji seemed lost in thought.
Once the call ended, Denji hesitated before speaking.
"Um... hey... can I... can I have a piece of that devil's body?"
Her voice was timid, her expression nervous.
Denji's request wasn't bold or demanding — just desperate. Even a small portion of the devil's corpse could earn her some cash, and right now, even pocket change could mean survival.
Izanagi shook his head.
Denji's face fell, and her shoulders slumped.
She didn't complain or beg. She just accepted it with a quiet sigh, like someone too beaten down by life to even hope for kindness.
Izanagi sighed.
"How much debt do you still owe?"
Denji blinked in surprise.
"Uh... I dunno... a lot... maybe... 100 million yen?"
Her voice was unsure, like she couldn't even keep track of the overwhelming debt hanging over her.
"That devil's corpse won't change anything for you," Izanagi said. "Even if I gave you the whole thing, those thugs would just take it and still demand more. You won't break free unless you fix the real problem."
Denji stared at him in confusion.
"...What do you mean?"
Izanagi's eyes narrowed.
"I'm saying... instead of throwing scraps at a bottomless pit, why not deal with the ones pulling the strings?"