Eyes opened. Stain on the ceiling. Yellow. Round. Been bothering him for a while. Denji stared at it for a moment. (……Here.) Familiar ceiling. Familiar smell. Mold and dust and old wood. The far north of Tokyo, Akabane residential district, 42-year-old apartment building——Corpo Minase, Room 103. He sat up. Something small moved on his lap. Pochita. White. Round. Small creature with a tail. This thing lives in his chest instead of a heart. Denji knows this. They share a body to live. Denji knows this. Pochita opened his eyes. Looked at Denji's face. That alone made his throat tighten. "……You're alive" No voice came out. Hoarse. Pathetically small. Pochita tilted his head. Of course. This thing understands nothing. What day it is. What Denji has seen. Nothing. So Denji just hugged Pochita. Hard. As hard as possible. Pochita's body was warm. Small heartbeat pulsing. Felt it in his palm. Tears came. He didn't make a sound. Didn't want to. Just shoulders shaking. Water falling from his eyes. Memories returned. Aki changing. Still human-shaped but something else inside. Gun Devil——worst demon in the world, killed 1.2 million people in five minutes 13 years ago. Its flesh absorbed into Aki's body. Aki wasn't Aki anymore. Power's blood staining his hands that night. He'd never forget that red color. But now Pochita was alive. Looked at the calendar. Yellow, stuck to the wall. Checked the date. Body froze. Still this date? Still here? Everything went back. Denji looked at Pochita again. Pochita snorted, annoyed. Hugged too hard apparently. He laughed. Crying while laughing——so this is what it feels like. (Won't let them die this time.) Didn't say it out loud. But decided it firmly in his heart. Crying ended. Only resolve remained. ＊ Left the apartment. Outside was a normal morning. Akabane shopping street. Vegetable shop owner arranging produce. Turned the corner at the tofu shop. Takoyaki smell drifting from somewhere. Sky blue. Few clouds. (Nothing changed. Everything's the same.) Denji walked pulling on black leather gloves. Black short hair. Small scar on left cheek. 16 years old. White shirt, black slacks——stood out a bit but didn't care. Pochita lived in his chest instead of a heart——that day yakuza tried to kill him, fused with his heart instead. Chainsaw blade ability spreading from his whole body——side effect of that contract. Passed the butcher shop. Screaming. "Ahhhhhhh!!" People running. Housewife dropped shopping basket. Old man almost fell. Child crying. In front of the butcher shop, it was there. Dog-shaped but not a dog. Body wrong. Six legs. Eyes inside its mouth. Skin moving wetly. Low-class demon. Born from human fear——demons. Every time humans fear something, hell shapes that fear and births a demon. Low-class ones move on instinct alone. Not smart. But dangerous. "Noisy" Denji grabbed the starter on his chest. Pull here. Chainsaw deploys. Low-class demon dies with one hit to the chest. (Blood——won't need much.) Fighting needs blood. Depleted, must resupply. That calculation came naturally now. Thanks to the memories. Denji reached for the starter. That moment. Spear flew from the side. Red. Made of blood. Pierced the demon's body. Pinned it to the wall. Heavy sound. Demon died. "……?" Denji stopped. Heard laughter. High. Loud. Somehow joyful. "[laughing]Hahahaha!! How's that! Did you see my blood spear!!" Blood-covered girl burst from the alley beside the butcher shop. Red and gold two-tone long bangs. Green eyes but vertical slits——not human eyes. About 165cm tall. Red horns on her head. Hands wet with blood. Didn't care at all. Blood fiend, Power. Demon that entered human corpse——fiend. This one controls blood. Solidifies it into weapons. Spears like now. Hammers. Anything. Denji froze when he saw her face. Throat tightened. (Power……) Heard her voice. This voice. Thought he'd never hear it again. Hearing it now here. Wanted to cry. Wanted to cry with all his strength. But bit down hard. Endured. "[laughing]That demon was my points! I defeated it! All my credit!!" Power was shouting at passing Public Safety staff. Talking about credit. Talking about how strong she is. Didn't even notice Denji. (Noisy……) But the noise was good. This thing alive like this. Noisy like this. That alone was more than enough. Denji watched Power make noise. Looked slightly into the distance. (This commotion will call that person.) He knew. If the memories were right, that person would come soon. ＊ "[gentle]Good morning, Denji" Calm voice. Turned around. Woman standing there. Glossy black hair past shoulders. Tall——about 172cm. Suit neat. Clean. Beautiful. Face well-proportioned. Smiling. Eyes slightly strange. Red pupils with ring-like patterns inside. Looking at them, felt like being sucked in. Makima. Leader of Public Safety's Special Division. "[gentle]You're assigned to the Special Division starting today. Nice to meet you" Voice was kind. Like a boss who really cares about her subordinates. Denji's spine went cold. (This person……) In the memories, this person was behind everything. Aki broke. Power disappeared. All manipulated behind that smile. Control Devil——can control anything including humans. Ability to move everything at will. That's what this gently smiling woman really is. But had to pretend not to know now. Denji grinned. "[serious]Nice to meet you, Makima" Something pulsed hard in his chest. Fear or tension. Both. Both pulsing together. Makima looked at Denji. Then at Power. Power still talking about credit to Public Safety staff. "[gentle]I think I'll bring that girl to the Special Division too" "[excited]I can join the Special Division? Then I was worth joining all along!!" Power shouted. Had been listening. This way Denji ended up bringing Power along to the Special Division. Public Safety Special Division——directly under the Cabinet Secretary. Anti-demon specialist organization. Elite devil hunters gathered here. Government employees with monthly salary but average only three years. That many people die. But Denji just nodded passively. (Have to stay close. Otherwise can't protect them.) If he took his eyes off this woman, didn't know what she'd do. And what would happen to Aki and Power. Fear and resolve mixed in his chest. ＊ Finished Special Division procedures. Returned to Corpo Minase late at night. Six-mat room. Ceiling stain. Floor scratches. Thin curtains. Everything same as before. Street light through window. Insect sounds. Denji sat down on the floor. Pochita climbed onto his lap. Warm. Looking up at ceiling, organized thoughts about what comes next in his head. (Bat demon incident comes. Then the hotel. Aki contracts with curse demon, loses lifespan each time. Power moves for Mezo……) Had to change everything. One by one. Carefully. "……I know everything" Muttered in empty room. But strangely, wasn't lonely. Knowing means being able to act. Pochita snorted. "Yeah" Answered. Didn't know if Pochita understood. But somehow wanted to answer. Wind moved outside window. Curtain swayed. Denji looked toward window for some reason. ——Human figure there. Just for a moment. In the alley. Dark place street light didn't reach. Something human-shaped stood there. Denji stood up. Approached window. Looked outside. No one. Just dark alley. One bicycle parked. Felt like stray cats might be around but nothing there. (Imagination……?) Tried to think that. Pochita growled low. Not his usual voice. Not his playful voice. Not his pleading voice. Not his hungry voice. It was a warning sound. Denji looked at the dark alley again. Still no one. But back of his neck went cold. (The memories……didn't have this.) This night. This scene. This human figure——didn't exist anywhere in the memories. Which means. Something was changing. Because he moved? Or——. Pochita growled again. Weaker this time. But definitely sensing something. Denji left the window. Returned to the floor. Put Pochita on his lap. Looked at the ceiling stain again. (Might not be just me.) That thought caught in his mind and wouldn't let go. No proof that only he was doing this over. No certainty from the start. Wind stopped. Room went quiet. Only Pochita's heartbeat. Warm. Pulsing on.