Blood. Won't stop. Denji was on his knees. Blood dripped from the wound on his left arm, creating black stains on the carpet. The edges of his vision flickered white. His head was heavy. He tried to stand. His legs wouldn't obey. The Eternity Devil was screaming. The entire hallway shook. The flesh walls convulsed. Where Denji's blood touched, they blackened like burnt skin. Regeneration. Stopped. His own blood had stopped it. Pochita's heartbeat still pounded in his chest. Not over yet. Light seeped through a gap. Deeper into the hallway. Where the Eternity Devil's core should be. The flesh walls spasmed. For just a moment, the depths trembled. Aki moved. The 182cm body rose slowly. Dried blood streaked from his forehead to his jaw. His face was pale. His lips had lost their color. Still, he stood. "[cold]You... reckless bastard" His voice was low. Not a shout. But his eyes had decided something. Aki extended his right hand quietly forward. Summoning the Fox Devil—a massive, faintly glowing jaw tore through space. In the previous memory, when he'd aimed that jaw at the flesh walls, it got sucked in instead. Not this time. Aki wasn't trying to cut. He moved the jaw slowly across the wall's surface, probing for vibrations. Searching by touch for where the core was. Denji searched his previous memories. Aki had never used it this way before. This guy was thinking. Moving on his own. Denji tried to stand. Hands on his knees. Pushing his body up. His legs shook. Not enough blood. But— Power stood up. Her body rose slowly from the floor. Red and gold two-toned bangs fell across her face. Her teeth showed. Her mouth clenched tight. Green vertical-slit eyes stared down the hallway. Her face was exhausted. But her eyes burned with anger. "[serious]...Tell me when you find the core's location" Her usual bravado was gone. Her voice was low. Quiet. That's how Denji knew she was serious. Aki stopped the jaw. "[cold]Center of the back. Slightly left. About fifteen meters ahead" Power didn't nod. She just extended her right arm and began pulling blood from her own body. The blood fiend's power—but different this time. Not the usual wide spears. Thin. Sharp. Multiple thin blood spears extended from her fingertips like threads. Power guided each one carefully into the flesh walls. The spears threaded through like needles. The walls trembled. Body fluid seeped. Slowly, a path to the core opened. Precise movements. Denji had never seen Power move like this before. Denji finally forced strength into his legs and stood. Blood still dripped from his left arm's wound. Enough remained to deploy the Chainsaw. Probably. Three people. Naturally aligned. No one gave orders. No one assigned roles. But they understood. Denji would push open the front flesh wall with his Chainsaw. Aki would crush the tentacles extending from both sides with the Fox Devil's jaw. Power would drive her spears toward the core. That was all. "[serious]Let's go" He pulled the starter on his chest. Gakiin——!! The Chainsaw blade deployed. Blades extended from his entire body. Sound roared through the hallway. He charged the front flesh wall. The blade bit in. Yellow body fluid sprayed. Resistance. He pushed. Tentacles extended from both sides—Aki's jaw flew from the side, crushing them at the root. Power's thin spears threaded through the wall's depths. Three people. Moving forward. Then—the hotel screamed. A heavy sound came from beneath their feet. Cracks spider-webbed across the ceiling. Plaster turned to powder and fell. The Eternity Devil thrashed in agony. The hotel's structure itself was at its limit. A section of ceiling collapsed. A concrete chunk fell toward the hallway. Direct hit on Denji's shoulder. The impact tilted his body—in that instant, a hand pressed against his back. A pushing hand. Strong. Aki. Not a word. Just support. Denji faced forward. Stepped. Power screamed. "[angry]Found it——!!" She pulled her arm back. Gathering all her body's blood to one point. Thin spears bundled together. Became one. Grew thicker. Power's face went white. Still, she pulled. A final strike pouring in all her blood. A great spear formed. Denji extended his Chainsaw blade to maximum. He felt all remaining blood ignite. His arm burned. His vision wavered. But he saw the core. Deep within the flesh, something pulsed. There. "[angry]Power——!!" "[angry]I know!!" Power's great spear released. Zudooon——!!! The spear pierced the core. The Eternity Devil's shriek filled the hallway. Not a rumble. Just a scream. Walls. Ceiling. Floor. Everything shook. Denji drove his Chainsaw in. The blade bit the core—the Chainsaw Devil's blood invaded. The core collapsed from within. Flesh burned. Blackened. Contracted. The Eternity Devil's death cry erupted. All light in the hotel vanished. Flesh walls crumbled to ash. Crumbled to powder. Dissolved into air. The hallway disappeared. Walls vanished. The ceiling fell—next instant, Denji was falling through space. Gravity existed. Air existed. Light existed. Asphalt hit his entire body. ＊ Blue sky. Blindingly blue. Morning light fell straight down. Denji lay on his back. His body wouldn't move. His arms were heavy. His legs wouldn't listen. Battered. Covered in blood. Still, he saw sky. On his right, Aki caught his breath. Quiet breathing. Eyes on the sky. His forehead scar gleamed in the morning light. On his left, Power had her face pressed to the asphalt. No strength to get up. Her two-toned bangs spread across the ground. Silence stretched. Aki spoke. "[cold]...Not bad, rookie" His voice was low. Small. But clear. Denji stared at the sky. Couldn't speak. Those words pierced his chest. Wouldn't come out. Words he'd never heard in the previous memory. Power kept her face on the asphalt, voice muffled. "[serious]...It was because of me... you should... be grateful..." Her voice trembled. He knew it was bravado. He'd seen her crying inside the hotel. Still, she fought. Released that great spear. Denji started laughing. Couldn't stop. Voice came out. Shoulders shook. Stomach hurt. Still, laughter came. Tears came. Laughing while tears fell. They were alive. That was enough. "Why are you laughing..." Face still on the asphalt, Power spoke. Her voice still shook. Aki glanced at Denji silently. Said nothing. But his eyes softened just slightly. All three stayed still. Morning light rained down on them alone. ＊ Makima stood at the front entrance of the Special Division headquarters. Her glossy black hair swayed slightly in the wind. Red eyes watched the three. A warm smile played at her lips. The smile of a superior officer genuinely concerned for her subordinates. "[gentle]Good work. All three of you... did wonderfully" Her voice was warm. Power puffed out her chest. "[excited]Of course! With me around, we're unstoppable!" Aki bowed silently. Denji smiled and answered. "[serious]We managed somehow" Makima smiled. Nodded. That moment. Makima's eyes narrowed. Just for an instant. Her gaze fell on Denji's left arm. The wound he'd carved himself with the Chainsaw—the gash still not fully closed, its blood stain darkened black. Just 0.5 seconds. That was all. Then her smile returned. "[gentle]Rest well. All three of you really did your best" Her voice sending them off remained warm. Denji walked the hallway, feeling the laugh-crying from before completely fade away. They won. That was true. Defeated the Eternity Devil. Left the hotel. Aki and Power were alive. But—that gaze. Makima had seen Denji's wound. The Chainsaw's blood had stopped the Eternity Devil's regeneration. How much of that fact did Makima grasp? What had that 0.5-second stare calculated? Denji had no answer. That woman saw more than Denji thought. ＊ Outside the Special Division headquarters, the sky was still bright, heading toward evening. Aki headed toward the train station first. His steps were tired, but his spine remained straight. Denji and Power remained. Neither said anything. But Power continued walking beside Denji. Usually she'd immediately start talking about what she wanted to eat, but today she was silent. Denji asked. "[serious]Aren't you going home?" Power paused for a moment. "[serious]...Today's the other direction" A lie. Denji could tell. There was nowhere Power wanted to go in that direction. Denji said nothing. They walked to the station platform together. Power's profile was quieter than usual. He remembered her crying face inside the hotel and looked away. They reached the platform. For the few minutes before the train came, they stood side by side. That was all. Nothing special. But Denji thought those few minutes were warmer than any scene from the previous memory. Across the tracks, Makima's gaze still wouldn't leave his mind.