"Aki Hayakawa, you bastard, what did you promise me back then? Didn't you say your companion wouldn't slaughter the innocent?"
Looking at the sudden spike in murder case files over the past few days, Ch'en Hui-chieh was furious inside the Lungmen Guard Department:
"Gang brawls, robbery-murders, and even rape-murders—at the scene of every single case, that damn chainsaw symbol was left behind! There are even witnesses explicitly stating they saw a killer wielding a chainsaw! Give me an explanation, what is the meaning of this?"
Aki Hayakawa helplessly took the case files. After flipping through them for a moment, he explained with a sincere expression, "These are all copycat crimes. If he were the one taking action, there wouldn't be this many witnesses left alive to report it."
His certainty only fueled Ch'en's anger.
Actually, having seen the Chainsaw Killer's crime scenes firsthand, how could Ch'en Hui-chieh not know that these were merely clumsy copycat crimes?
The Iron Anchor Gang had been completely wiped out, leaving no survivors; Russo's lackeys and Old Jia's family had all died neatly and uniformly. Furthermore, every time the Chainsaw Killer struck, there were never any casualties among unrelated bystanders—only the targets and their core cronies at the scene.
His targets were incredibly specific. He never implicated the innocent, nor did he strike at those whose crimes didn't warrant death.
However, Ch'en Hui-chieh still felt incredibly frustrated.
Initially, when the Chainsaw Killer wiped out the Iron Anchor Gang and the black-hearted merchant Russo, she only considered him an overly extreme avenger—those people were thoroughly evil, and their deaths were more than deserved.
But when the news of the great philanthropist Old Jia and his family's murder broke, she began to suspect: could this Chainsaw Killer be a maniac who killed indiscriminately? If so, the nature of the problem would be entirely different.
However, the Guard Department's in-depth investigations centered around the deceased quickly unearthed Old Jia's true colors: his so-called "charity foundation" was merely a money-laundering tool. The orphans Old Jia adopted were either sold on the black market or butchered and turned into organ merchandise. The deeds he committed in the dark were far filthier than those of any gang.
Furthermore, his family members were all either involved in these shady dealings or beneficiaries of them.
Thus, Ch'en finally realized: this Chainsaw Killer was likely a vigilante who used violence to execute his own brand of justice.
Coupled with the fact that his movements were truly elusive, like a ghost, the Guard Department had been completely unable to track down his whereabouts. Ch'en simply shelved the case temporarily—after all, many of the targets the Chainsaw Killer purged were respectable figures she also despised but could do nothing about legally.
But contrary to Ch'en's expectations, aside from dispensing justice, the Chainsaw Killer also left behind that highly recognizable bloody chainsaw pattern at his crime scenes.
Moreover, with this person consecutively committing major crimes while the Lungmen Guard Department stood helpless against him, such a figure was bound to attract a massive number of admirers. Worshipping the strong was human nature, after all, let alone on the land of Terra where supernatural powers existed.
Wicked individuals, edgy teenagers, and extremists dissatisfied with the status quo all took this bloody chainsaw pattern as a symbol of defying authority and executing revenge.
It was just like picking up a certain murderous notebook and consequently harvesting a massive number of Kira worshippers.
Even though Denji absolutely didn't want worshippers, the Chainsaw Cult was born nonetheless. However, these people's copycat crimes only deepened the ordinary populace's fear of chainsaws, which still achieved Denji's desired outcome.
"The root of the problem doesn't lie with him, but with us."
The always objective Hoshiguma delivered the conclusion: "Because we have delayed in catching the Chainsaw Killer, the bloody chainsaw has become a trademark that everyone dares to imitate. Many people seeking personal revenge or private gain act under this name. Ultimately, it's just to evade suspicion and accountability."
Ch'en nodded, then looked at Aki Hayakawa and sighed:
"So, even if your friend's original intention was to punish the wicked, the result is that many innocent people have been implicated. Lynching is never the proper way to execute justice. If you can contact him, persuade him to turn himself in. I can hire the best lawyers to reduce his sentence, and even plead with Chief Wei on his behalf—his skills and sense of justice should be used in the right place."
Just as Rope had anticipated, the value of recruiting the strong was very high in Terra. With Wei Yenwu's style, as long as Denji was willing to cooperate, erasing his criminal record would be a piece of cake.
Aki Hayakawa maintained his sincere expression, nodded, and said, "I will do my best."
But the devil in his right eye spoke in a mocking tone: "You're lying. How interesting!"
Aki Hayakawa knew very well in his heart: there was no way he would help the Lungmen Guard Department arrest Denji.
He could vaguely guess Denji's thoughts: this Chainsaw Devil contractor was likely planning to rely on amplifying fear to gain power, so he could survive well in this dangerous world of Terra, or perhaps to search for their companions.
As a member of the Guard Department, Aki had access to more intelligence than Denji, and he was even more acutely aware of how treacherous this world was.
Anyway, he had already sacrificed a massive amount of his lifespan to the devil; his days were numbered. In contrast, he hoped Denji could live longer and more freely.
Over the following days, Aki Hayakawa utilized his future-sight ability to continuously strike out, accurately arresting a large number of Chainsaw Killer copycats and earning massive merits for the Guard Department.
Yet, Ch'en Hui-chieh vaguely felt it: this guy was just cleaning up the mess and compensating for that "Chainsaw," without any intention of severing the root cause.
"Why are there such stubborn people in this world!"
Ch'en Hui-chieh could not understand Aki Hayakawa's reckless protection of his companion, even at the cost of his own future and principles.
Just like how, a year later, most Lungmen citizens wouldn't understand why Ch'en Hui-chieh would throw away a perfectly good future for a group of Infected who had nothing and huddled in the sewers.
Lungmen Lower City, right in the alley where Denji had first descended and unleashed a massacre upon the Iron Anchor Gang.
Three men were leaning against the corner of a wall, dividing the spoils. A pile of jewelry was heaped before them, and brand-new chainsaws lay at their feet—these were specifically bought from the black market to impersonate the Chainsaw Killer.
Due to Ah Fa's manipulations behind the scenes, the price of chainsaws across the entirety of Lungmen was currently soaring. Buying these chainsaws had truly cost the men a pretty penny.
But looking at the harvest before them, the three all felt it was worth the price.
"We're rich! We're really rich now!"
A tall, thin man bit into the diamond ring in his hand, grinning from ear to ear. "The guards at that jewelry store were scared shitless the moment they saw us pull out the chainsaws. They didn't even dare resist!"
Another fat man with a face full of fierce flesh chimed in, "Of course! Who isn't terrified of the bloody chainsaw's name? The goods belong to the boss, but their lives belong to them!"
The tall, thin man said smugly, "Who isn't afraid of chainsaws right now? As long as we leave the pattern at the scene, everyone will think it's the work of the Chainsaw Killer. It'll never be traced back to us! Ain't that right, Old Tree?"
The last man, referred to as Old Tree, was continuously using professional tools to appraise the quality of the jewelry on hand, muttering to himself in a Lungmen accent, "She's saved, my girl! This time, she's finally saved..."
Old Tree wasn't a professional robber. He was an employee of the jewelry store and a fairly decent person. It was just that his daughter had contracted Oripathy.
Driven to a dead end, he had agreed to the invitation of two desperate men from his hometown to act as their inside man, impersonating the Chainsaw Killer to rob the jewelry store together.
The tall, thin man and the fat man exchanged a glance, both seeing murderous intent in each other's eyes.
"Ah, Old Tree, since you're in the game now, loosen up a bit. Pack up the goods first, let's head to the restaurant to celebrate!" The tall, thin man stood up and walked toward Old Tree.
"Okay, okay, give me a sec!"
Old Tree agreed verbally, but he still didn't look up. Right now, he had absolutely no desire to go out and have fun. Instead, he was calculating how to quickly exchange the jewelry for cash to buy the expensive suppressant medication for his daughter.
"Die, you street rat! Giving you face but you don't want it!"
Just then, a heavy steel pipe smashed viciously into the back of Old Tree's head.
Old Tree's vision went black, and he stumbled to the ground. He raised his hand in disbelief, looking at his fellow townsman, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "You guys..."
"Don't blame us." The tall, thin man crouched down and reached to snatch the jewelry from Old Tree's embrace. "Who asked you to be such a liability? Someone with such an obvious weakness will expose us sooner or later."
Old Tree hugged the jewelry tightly, using his last ounce of strength to resist. "Don't touch it! This is my daughter's life-saving money! You can take my life, but you can't take my money!"
The fat man kicked him in the head. "Let go! We know where you live! If you don't wise up, we'll wipe out your whole damn family!"
Those words were like a sharp knife, piercing through Old Tree's final line of defense.
Despair, rage, unwillingness... Countless dark thoughts surged within Old Tree's heart.
Just as his consciousness began to blur, a sinister, icy voice suddenly echoed in his ear:
"Human who desires wealth... Do you wish to obtain the power to change your impoverished fate?"
Old Tree thought of the Yan folk tales about evil spirits that possessed people. But compared to his hideous companions before him, he felt that evil spirits weren't so terrifying after all.
"As long as you can help me get revenge and save my family, take this body of mine!"
The voice in his ear grew delighted. "Then form a contract with me... the one named the Poverty Devil..."
"Let go! What the hell, why did this dead rat's strength suddenly get so big?"
His companions were still trying to pry the stolen goods from Old Tree's hands, entirely unaware of the fate that awaited them.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Arknights: Chainsaw Man Buccia
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────