While Denji ran back home, Kanzaki Izanagi headed in another direction.
About half an hour later, he found the place he remembered. It had taken some time since he was searching blindly.
In front of him stood a long-abandoned building with a rusty door and weeds growing wildly across the property. The area was completely desolate, no signs of anyone nearby.
"I hope the Zombie Devil's in there..."
Izanagi muttered to himself.
His plan to deal with the gang started with this devil.
Although the old man who tormented Denji wasn't the gang's boss, he had still been foolish enough to make a contract with the Zombie Devil in the original timeline. The result? He ended up as one of the very zombies he created.
This time, Izanagi intended to expose the Zombie Devil's powers early — and use them against the gang itself.
Before stepping inside, he assigned all his remaining attribute points to his Vitality stat.
[Ding! Attribute points allocated — Vitality +8!]
[Vitality: 45]
[Unallocated attribute points: 0]
His stamina hadn't fully recovered from the fight with the Ant Devil, but with his Vitality now at 45, Izanagi estimated he could use Kamui two or three times if needed. That should be enough.
Pushing open the rusted door, Izanagi found that it creaked loudly on its hinges. The place had been abandoned for so long that the lock had rusted away.
The interior was pitch black, but his Mangekyō Sharingan allowed him to see clearly.
In the back of the room, he spotted the Zombie Devil — a grotesque figure towering nearly six meters tall. Its body resembled a warped human ribcage with a large, exposed brain where its head should be. Numerous intestines extended from the brain, attaching themselves to several humanoid figures standing nearby — zombified humans.
On the Zombie Devil's chest was a massive, revolting human face — its true head.
"Devil," Izanagi called out coldly, "I have something to discuss with you."
"You wanna make a contract with me?" the face on the Zombie Devil sneered. "Sure... I'm always happy to make a deal~."
"You're mistaken." Izanagi's voice turned colder. "I'm not here to negotiate. You have two options. Either you do exactly what I say... or you die."
"What?!"
The Zombie Devil's face twisted with rage. "Who the hell do you think you are?! You think you can threaten me?!"
Izanagi didn't bother responding. He drew his katana from his waist and prepared to strike.
"I know what you are! You're a devil hunter!" the Zombie Devil roared. "Damn hunters, always sticking your noses where they don't belong!"
The Zombie Devil's hatred for devil hunters ran deep. They killed its kind constantly, forcing devils to flee or hide.
"Kill him!" the Zombie Devil barked.
The zombified humans let out guttural moans and staggered toward Izanagi.
Izanagi barely flinched. These things were slow, weak, and barely posed a threat.
With just his Sharingan's base abilities, he weaved between them with ease, slicing down the mindless undead like cutting through paper.
[Ding! Devil Defeated: "Zombified Human" — Attribute points +1!]
[Ding! Devil Defeated: "Zombified Human" — Attribute points +1!]
[…]
One by one, the zombies fell, and Izanagi steadily accumulated attribute points.
Seven corpses later, the room was littered with blood and dismembered limbs.
[Ding! Attribute points gained: +7!]
"My servants...!"
The Zombie Devil stared in horror, finally realizing how powerful Izanagi was.
Without its zombie minions to protect it, the Zombie Devil was defenseless. Desperate, it stammered, "W-Wait! Don't kill me! I don't hate humans! I don't hate devil hunters either! I swear!"
Izanagi narrowed his eyes. This cowardly thing was weaker than expected — without its zombies, it was pathetic.
"Sign a contract with me." Izanagi pressed the tip of his sword against the disgusting face on the devil's chest. "Do that, and I won't kill you. But from now on, you'll work for me."
The Zombie Devil hesitated.
Devils were bound to the terms of their contracts. If Izanagi succeeded in binding it, the Zombie Devil would have no choice but to obey him.
"As long as you don't make any unreasonable demands... I'll agree," the Zombie Devil finally muttered.
The devils that resurrect in Hell and return to the human world lose their memories, meaning many devils don't even realize they can reincarnate. The Zombie Devil clearly believed death was permanent — and it feared dying above all else.
"It's simple." Izanagi's expression darkened. His Sharingan spun ominously.
"You'll approach the gangsters and make contracts with them willingly. Give them your power... and turn them into zombies."
The Zombie Devil's expression twisted with unease.
"...That's all?"
"That's all." Izanagi's voice was cold. "But if you betray me or refuse, I'll kill you here and now."
The Zombie Devil swallowed hard.
"Fine... but how am I supposed to get close to them? I can't exactly walk around the city looking like this..."
It was a fair point. With its twisted body, the Zombie Devil would stand out like a beacon. Any devil hunter would cut it down the moment they saw it.
"That's easy."
Izanagi's left eye flared red, blood trickling from the corner.
The Zombie Devil flinched at the sight of those ominous eyes.
"W-What are you doing?!" it stammered.
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