Sometimes, a person lives just to settle a score—especially when they know their time is running out.
It's like a downtrodden junior assistant who, upon discovering they have a terminal illness, might risk everything just to take down a famous, tyrannical director.
A-Fa had been a mole for so long and witnessed so much of Lungmen's filth that he wanted to drag a few of the animals he loathed down to the grave with him. But he wasn't without attachments: he had an elderly mother and two friends in the L.G.D. with bright futures.
In the past, he didn't want to implicate them.
Even though he knew half the people on this street deserved to die, he had to cautiously gather evidence and cooperate with the Guard Department's slow-moving bureaucracy. He had to act as if nothing were happening in the face of gang bullying and atrocities committed right before his eyes. When sleep eluded him, he would secretly record the names of those he wished to settle scores with in a ledger.
But now, a monster had appeared—one strong enough to rival Madam Ch'en and one who ignored all the rules. This creature had slaughtered the Iron Anchor colleagues he had hated for years.
More importantly, A-Fa could now turn his official identity into that of a dead man. And a dead man is often more useful than a living one.
A-Fa threw his personal clothes and belongings into the pile of corpses. He planned to change his name, find an underground clinic for some plastic surgery, and in a few days, send a sum of money home under the guise of an insurance payout to sever his final lingering ties.
This way, he could go down his "death note" one by one without worrying about endangering his family or friends. He didn't know if "Chainsaw Bro" was strong enough to help him clear the whole book, and he didn't care if he died on the path of revenge.
He was an Infected anyway. Everyone dies eventually. Why should those villains get to spend their whole lives trampling over him?
Denji was a man of action, and the two hit it off immediately.
While Denji's current transformed strength might not be enough to face the top-tier powerhouses of Terra, hunting down gang bosses and tyrants was child's play for someone with an infinite health bar, endless stamina, and the high-speed mobility of his chains.
Under A-Fa's guidance, Denji tracked down a Siracusan profiteer named Russo. This man had committed no shortage of evil deeds but was cautious enough never to leave a trail for the L.G.D. He was an outsider with no local roots in Lungmen, and since Siracusa wasn't a particularly influential superpower, killing him wouldn't spark a diplomatic crisis.
However, the merchant was wealthy enough to employ four bodyguards rumored to have experience with Blacksteel Worldwide.
Initially, A-Fa had been skeptical of Denji's claim that he grew stronger by absorbing fear. A-Fa had worked in bars and hung around gangs—places where people loved to gossip about fighting—and he had never heard of such a bizarre Originium Art.
In truth, the patrons of Lungmen's dive bars simply had narrow horizons. If one were to mention this to the old aristocrats or scholars of Ursus or Kazimierz, it might have stirred terrors buried deep within their bloodlines.
But after witnessing Denji slaughter the four bodyguards and Russo himself, A-Fa knew Denji wasn't exaggerating.
When the four well-equipped, highly-trained bodyguards swarmed him, Denji initially struggled. His fighting style lacked finesse; he mostly relied on the raw stats and regenerative power of the Chainsaw Devil to tank hits, occasionally punctuated by flashes of inspiration.
By the point Denji had transmigrated, he had already undergone special training from Kishibe, the strongest Devil Hunter in his original world, so his skills had improved slightly. However, the fusion with the transmigrator's soul had somewhat lowered his raw combat output.
The bodyguards were skilled and equipped with advanced Raythean Industries weaponry. The initial exchange actually left Denji with several wounds.
But the Chainsaw Man only needed to pull his cord to keep fighting. His opponents, on the other hand, bled out. They felt fear. They began to wonder if their commission was worth their lives.
A-Fa, watching from a safe distance due to his own weakness, noticed one thing clearly: the moment the first bodyguard was sliced in half, the fighting spirit of the other three plummeted.
In contrast, the speed of Denji's saws increased, and his strength surged.
"You're scared of me, aren't you? Good! Stay scared!"
Finally, as a blood-drenched Denji hoisted Russo into the air, A-Fa saw that the chainsaw on Denji's head was spinning so fast it was practically throwing off sparks.
"Only I know the safe combination! Ten million Lungmen dollars for my life, how about it?" Russo begged in broken Lungmen dialect.
Denji didn't answer. Instead, he pointed at the bodyguards' corpses. Their military-grade Raythean armor had been shredded by his fear-boosted saws.
"Is your safe harder than that? If I kill you, the money's mine anyway!"
As the saw blade drew closer, Russo lost all composure. He began wailing for mercy, and Denji caught the pungent scent of him losing control of his bladder.
"Hey, A-Fa. You tell me—does this guy deserve to die?" Denji glanced back.
"Based on the intel I have, he deserves to die at least nine times," A-Fa spat.
So Denji swung his saw nine times, turning Russo into a pile of red scraps.
Then, the two began the "Search, Loot, and Evacuate" phase. A-Fa was intimately familiar with L.G.D. investigation procedures and was incredibly efficient at searching for loot and cleaning the scene.
The merchant's hoard was extensive. Denji even found a large quantity of human organs and military equipment.
"I take it back. Nineteen times wouldn't have been enough," A-Fa remarked, looking at the "parts" stored in jars. He realized he had been too conservative.
After clashing with the mercenary bodyguards, Denji began to take this world's equipment seriously. He picked out a set of high-quality Raythean armor to protect his chest, neck, and arms.
His logic was simple: he could heal from other wounds by drinking blood or pulling his cord. But what if he was dismembered in battle and couldn't reach the cord? This world was too dangerous; he needed to be professional.
Terra's armor often featured numerous pouches and straps—originally a design aesthetic of the game—but Denji had a brainwave. He poured the blood plasma found in the merchant's house into military canteens and sealed bottles. He strapped them tightly to his vest and waist, looking like a hiker covered in energy drinks.
He even considered a bit of "black tech" modification: installing a tubed system with a valve that reached his mouth. If he fought an opponent with high defense who didn't bleed easily, he could just sip his own supply to keep going. How convenient.
Next, he grabbed a military hand-crossbow, stuffed several tactical daggers and spare magazines into his pack, and felt the satisfying weight of the metal. His "firepower deficiency anxiety" was finally fading. He didn't bother with higher-end weapons, as most required Originium Arts to function—something he couldn't use yet.
As Denji was leaving his mural on the wall, A-Fa started cursing again. He had found a hidden ledger documenting Russo's business dealings. It had been locked in the safe with a large amount of cash.
A-Fa scanned the names and transaction records. He took a deep breath and looked at Denji with newfound loyalty.
"Big Bro Denji, I'm with you for life! Let's send all these Perro-sons to hell!"
Denji nodded, then shook his head.
"That's easier said than done."
"How so?"
"Think about it. If I only kill 'bad' people, everyone will see the Chainsaw as a symbol of justice. If people aren't afraid of me, how do I get stronger? How do I kill the even bigger, badder guys?"
Denji's logic was sound. A-Fa frowned. "Well, we can't exactly kill 'good' people, can we?"
A moment later, they shouted in unison: "I've got it! We kill the hypocrites!"
The two huddled together, flipping through the ledger. A-Fa's eyes lit up as he pointed at several names.
"This one, and this one! They act so righteous in public, but they're filthy behind the scenes! Wait... why is there a church and a charity house on here?" A-Fa was incensed.
Denji wasn't surprised. "Those are 'raw material suppliers,' get it?"
In his mind, if public figures who pretended to be paragons of virtue were found slaughtered by a chainsaw, the resulting panic would be massive. However, that might draw too much attention from the L.G.D. He needed to be careful.
As they were brainstorming, A-Fa's terminal buzzed. His face went pale. This terminal was specifically for contacting his handler. He hadn't even dared to carry it openly while in the Iron Anchor Gang.
That meant Madam Ch'en was calling.
Denji saw the change in his expression and his hesitation. He guessed the reason. If they could deceive Ch'en and get the L.G.D. to cooperate, it would be a huge boost to their plans. But if they used Ch'en, could A-Fa still claim he was doing this for the right reasons?
"The choice is yours," Denji said gently. "You're my only capable partner. I'll understand whatever you decide."
He wanted A-Fa to know that even if he chose a path that went against his "Big Bro," Denji wouldn't turn a saw on him.
After a long struggle, A-Fa finally spoke up. "Big Bro... I don't want to drag Madam Ch'en into this."
Denji nodded. "Then smash that thing. From now on, consider the old A-Fa dead."
Even though they hadn't secured the L.G.D. as an ally, Denji felt a sense of peace. When starting a career, nothing was more important than a loyal and reliable partner.
However, Denji had no idea that this decision was about to thoroughly provoke two terrifyingly powerful women.
────────────────────────────────────────
🔥 Want more chapters & early access?
Support me here:
👉 https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
✨ Get:
• Early access chapters
• Full access to all released chapters
• Support the story you love ❤️
📖Arknights: Chainsaw Man Buccia
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────