Chapter 14

Sam couldn't have been happier as he lay down on the bed of his new house. Finally, he was debt-free, his mind was free, and he had a more decent apartment.

Power didn't need to pack her things since she had only brought her cat, Meowy, with her. Sam didn't mind the company of the cat or the housewife.

As he looked at Power's clothes, Sam realized she only had one outfit, and it would be nice to buy her some more clothes.

'Reminds me of the girl in Dark Souls 2 when she asks people to give her clothes. I bet no one made her dress properly,' he thought with a smirk as he stood up.

"Power," he called.

"What do you want?" she said, coming to his room.

"Since we're living together, I'll set some rules. Don't mess up my room unless you're cleaning it. You'll do the laundry, and I'll do the cooking, on Fridays, alright?"

"Hey!" she complained.

Sam shrugged. "Hey, humans act like this."

"What about your part?" Power retorted.

"I provide with my money. You do your part," Sam stated.

"Hold up. I can provide too. We're in the same job, and I got your debt paid, so that means you owe me," Power argued.

'Damn, she's smart sometimes,' Sam thought.

"You belong in the kitchen," Sam said, then paused as he remembered something from his previous life. "And make something to eat," he added.

Power clenched her teeth a bit and reluctantly agreed, "Fine."

Sam went to his bed and lay down. It didn't take long before he could see smoke floating in the air.

He quickly stood up and rushed to the kitchen, where Power was grilling something, and the fire had just started spreading.

"What are you doing!" Sam yelled, seeing the fire about to spread. He hurried to his room, brought a large towel, and threw it on the fire before it could spread any further.

"I only did what you asked! Stop yelling at me," Power replied, looking at Sam with a shrug.

"I didn't ask you to burn down the kitchen," Sam retorted.

"Power isn't perfect, okay?"

Sam gave her a side-eye glance. "You know what? Stop cooking. Just take care of your room, put your dirty clothes in the washing machine, and I'll do the rest." He couldn't help clenching his teeth.

"But Power doesn't have many clothes in the first place," she pointed out, indicating her white blouse, black pants, and shoes.

"After this kitchen is clean, we'll go shopping," Sam exhaled deeply.

Power giggled. "Deal." She happily walked back to her bedroom.

Sam began cleaning up the kitchen but soon realized something and walked to the mirror. He was still wearing his black suit, had his sword hanging on his back, and held a broom in his hand.

'I look like a yakuza. I only need some tattoos. This reminds me of that show,' he thought to himself as he lowered his head and continued sweeping. "The Way of the Househusband."

"Fits you very well," Power commented as she entered the kitchen.

Sam's eyes opened wide. For a moment, he had forgotten he wasn't living alone, and he couldn't act quirky. A few veins appeared on his forehead.

"Get out," Sam said.

"Hehe," Power laughed, then teased, "Happy you've got my back, House Husband."

"Say that one more time, and I swear I'll hit you with my belt, and you won't even move," Sam warned.

"But Makima said you can't abuse your power," Power reasoned confidently.

"I can always order you not to tell Makima anything," Sam replied, though he knew it would be useless since his boss could still find out.

"But I can write or express myself in any other way. There's always a loophole," Power retorted, extending her tongue at him.

"Since when did you become so smart?" Sam slowly started untying his belt. "You're right. Ordering you would be abuse. What if I don't order you in the first place?"

"Hehe." Power observed before turning and leaving.

-x-X-x-

It didn't take long before they went out. Sam took her to a market for cheap used clothes. He was still waiting for his monthly salary, so he had to buy them inexpensively.

Power was excited and picked out dresses, shirts, and other items frequently. Seeing Power's choices of short dresses, Sam couldn't have been prouder. He even encouraged her to get short skirts, claiming it would make her more intimidating.

The Blood Demon, while smart at times, was quite naive and fell for his trap.

Sam, on the other hand, ended up getting a t-shirt for himself.

-x-X-x-

"Goodnight," Power called out loudly from her room. "I'll stay up reading some books!"

"Do whatever you want," Sam replied as he rested his head on the pillow, then added, "I order you not to kill me or harm me while I'm asleep."

"Why would I?" Power responded. "You cook, buy me things. I'll keep you alive."

'As if she has a choice,' Sam thought as he closed his eyes. It was nice having a living partner; it took away the sense of loneliness.

Buzz Buzz.

His phone rang, and he let out a deep breath, opening his eyes.

"What's up, Himeno?"

"It's sempai, for you."

"Yeah, yeah, Himeno, Sempai. I was about to fall asleep."

"Listen. Makima is assembling a squad to corner the Zombie Devil. We suspect that there will be many zombies around. We need someone like you, who can help take care of them swiftly," she explained. "Are you in?"

"I'm on my way," Sam replied, eager to accept the XP call. However, he suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to open the mystery box and the skill book earlier. "Hold on a second. They've located the Zombie Devil. It means that tonight, or this dawn, they'll find Denji, who will become the Chainsaw Man. The mess will start from there."

He slapped his forehead. "Shit. I forgot to open the mystery box and the skill book. What a busy day."

"By the way, you didn't forget that you owe me a date, did you?" Himeno paused.

"A date?" Sam repeated.

"Yes, a date. When you said you'd invite me for a meal," she reminded him.

"Ah, yes, I remember now," Sam admitted. He had been serious at that time, but she had mentioned having expensive tastes, so he had been procrastinating the date.

"Good. Don't be late. I'll pick you up from home," Himeno said.

"By the way, I'll send you my new address."

"I already have it," she replied before ending the call.

Sam got his devil-hunting outfit and sword. On his way out, he said, "Power, don't wait up for me tonight. If you go out, lock the door."

"You're having a date?" Power suddenly appeared in front of him. "Who is she?"

"Why do you care?" Sam responded.

"Aaaa... nothing. Isn't it too late for your date?" she inquired.

She was becoming too clingy, wasn't she?

"It's not a real date. It's a devil-hunting session," Sam explained. "A date is just a metaphor that some friends use so I can pay them back with benefits."

Power laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, right. Who would date in the middle of the night?"

"Go back to bed. Things might get messy," Sam advised.

"Okay. I'll come with you."

"You're not invited for the mission. It's a quick thing. Stay here." Sam shut the door and, before Power could try to drag him into a conversation, used his superior speed to leave the building, leaving only a gust of wind behind him.