Yoru raised her right hand and admired the newly formed black silk glove.
Any trace of guilt had vanished, replaced by a sharp, unrestrained excitement.
"So this is the power of the Gun Devil… it's incredible."
Watching from the side, Fami looked even more pleased than Yoru herself.
Everything was unfolding exactly as planned.
Step one.
Summon the Falling Devil.
The goal had never been just to trap Yoru inside the Eternal Devil and starve her. That was only a side effect.
What truly mattered was what followed the Falling Devil's descent, global gravity anomalies.
Gravity anomalies caused disasters.
Disasters created resource shortages.
Resource shortages ignited war.
And once war began, the third sister would grow stronger.
Yoru had now gained the ability to turn objects into weapons without touching them.
This was the most critical step. Without it, everything else would have been meaningless.
Step two.
The operation against the Gun Devil.
Compared to the first step, this one was simple.
Fami did not even need to interfere. The youngest sister, the Control Devil, would handle it.
Makima had eyes everywhere.
Spies from across the world had already gathered in Japan, and information had begun to spread. The United States was aware of Makima's plan to target the Gun Devil, and they also knew about Cael.
The details they had varied, but the core truth remained.
Even without the Cabinet restricting her, Makima still intended to move against the Gun Devil fragments in America.
Not for Japan.
For herself.
She wanted to control the Gun Devil and claim its power.
The Death Devil would descend in July.
If Makima wanted a peaceful life with Cael, she could not allow the age of devils to take over.
So she needed power, as much as possible.
And among all devils, the Gun Devil stood above the rest in pure destructive force.
She had every reason to act.
Step three.
The youngest sister would clash with the Gun Devil.
From Fami's perspective, the outcome was obvious.
The Gun Devil could not defeat both Cael and Makima.
Even against Makima alone, it stood no chance.
No matter how powerful it was, it only had one life.
Makima had over a hundred million.
Years of hunting devils under the Cabinet had already given her more than enough power to deliver a killing blow.
Then came the final step.
The most interesting part.
When the Gun Devil was weakened, on the verge of collapse, Fami would provoke Yoru and push her to turn it into a weapon.
Only the War Devil could gather all the Gun Devil pieces by herself.
This step carried risk.
Even Fami could not fully predict Yoru's choice.
Most mothers loved their children.
Even if she could read Yoru's heart, there was no guarantee she would go through with it.
If Yoru refused, Makima would take control of the Gun Devil instead.
Either way, Fami would win.
The Gun Devil's power would fall into someone's hands.
Even letting Makima become the absolute ruler of control was acceptable.
Still, that outcome was… dull.
At best, a three out of ten.
Makima could only obtain twenty percent of the Gun Devil's power through her methods.
Interesting, but not satisfying.
Besides, Yoru had been pathetic for far too long.
Just a few months ago, she had been chased around by the Bat Devil, something far beneath her.
As an older sister, Fami found that embarrassing.
The world needed balance.
If Yoru stayed weak, she would just end up being bullied forever by Makima.
That would be boring.
Fortunately, Yoru made the better choice.
Now she possessed the full power of the Gun Devil.
Her strength had completely reversed.
She was no longer the same as before.
She could destroy Japan at will.
She could even cripple a superpower like the Soviet Union.
Her body had also changed.
Even if her limbs were torn apart, as long as she was not completely dead, she could regenerate by consuming blood, just like any other devil.
And with her current strength, there were very few beings left who could even damage her.
Cael.
The Primal Devils.
Her sisters.
That was about it.
Fami stared at the black silk glove on Yoru's hand, her face flushed with excitement.
"How beautiful… truly magnificent.
Celebrate it.
The symbol of steel and blood.
The absolute ruler of conflict and chaos.
At this moment, the War Devil has reclaimed her authority."
Yoru smirked, clearly pleased.
Her opinion of Fami improved instantly.
"Don't get carried away.
The Gun Devil was born from war. It has always been one of my symbols.
It's part of me, nothing more.
I'm still not at my peak. Calling me the king of war right now would be premature."
Inside her mind, Asa regained awareness.
Something felt wrong.
Why was Yoru smiling like that?
Asa could not understand it.
Not anymore.
She was a mother now.
And that kind of power… was it really worth it if it meant sacrificing a child?
Her expression darkened.
"Yoru… you turned the child into a weapon.
How can you… not care?"
Yoru rubbed her neck, annoyed.
"Care about what?
Isn't it normal for a mother to decide a child's future?
Children belong to their parents, don't they?"
Asa froze.
Right.
Yoru was a devil.
Of course she would think like that.
Fami watched them quietly, then spoke.
"Now that you have this power, what will you do next?"
Yoru tapped her chin, admiring her glove again.
"What else?
I've got power now, so I should use it.
I need a fight.
Ah, I know.
I'll kill Chainsaw Man a few dozen times, then turn him into a weapon."
Her thoughts sharpened immediately.
War meant fighting.
Before, she could never beat Cael.
And Asa's constant interference had made things worse.
Always soft, always emotional.
It pissed her off.
The War Devil, reduced to being stuck in bed, treated like Cael's personal toy.
Pathetic.
"Yeah… I'm definitely getting revenge," she muttered.
Asa reacted instantly.
"What?!
Yoru, you want to hurt Cael?
No.
Absolutely not.
He's my man. My child needs a father."
She fought for control.
Yoru clutched her head, furious.
"Shit.
Asa, give it back.
You've been in control this whole time.
You even had a kid.
Let me have some fun for once."
"I won't.
You only think about destruction.
And now you want to hurt him.
I hate you."
The scars on her face began to fade.
Yoru was losing.
"Fine.
Fine, damn it.
I won't kill anyone.
I won't destroy anything.
I just… want some air.
Don't hate me, Asa.
That actually hurts."
"…Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
Asa hesitated, then slowly let go.
"Alright. But you better keep your word."
"Yeah, yeah."
Control returned.
Yoru let out a breath.
Then she grinned.
"Hey, Asa.
Let me show you something fun."
"What?"
Yoru raised her right hand and pointed east.
Bang.
The shot came without warning.
The restaurant wall melted instantly.
An invisible bullet tore through the air.
One second later.
Boom.
The Tokyo Skytree in Sumida exploded.
The towering structure, once the tallest in the world, shattered into countless fragments.