Chapter the Ninth

What would I have written on that letter to convince Johnson to go look high and low for a kid somewhere in Tokyo?

Oh, nothing much. I just decided to pretend to be the kid's uncle. It's a perfect plan!

Denji doesn't know much about his parents, how would he know that I'm lying? And having 'turned into a monster', There is no reason to expect me to look in anyway like him or his father.

So here's the gist of what I wrote for Denji that I asked John to tell him.

I'm his uncle and I didn't know he existed because his father and I weren't very close, that I recognized him by seeing his face and learning of his situation and that I decided to help him out of his misery at zero cost.

I told him I couldn't meet him in person because I was affected by a serious 'condition' that makes me ashamed of what I look like and that it didn't matter for him to see me in person, just know that I care and blah blah blah…

Eventually, Johnson did find him. He was indeed about fifteen. I don't even remember how old he was in the original timeline of events.

I had already prepared a bunch of golden stuff for him to sell by then. Swords that Johnson himself was glad to be for, and more. Things he could say the Gold Devil (Which I said I made a contract with, people still believe that's who turned some of the trees golden) made for him.

By my estimates, it all totals to about one hundred million and that's only on the legal market. The government would pay a lot just to know more about 'the golden devil'. Luckily for me, Makima kept her mouth shut about my nature.

On the black market though, that shit could go up to twice the price. 

Seriously, people have attacked the giant golden trees to steal from them, half their leaves are gone by now, all sold on the black market to the highest bidder. So he should be more than safe with all I've given him. He'll be able to leave the country, start a new life and be happy or what not.

He'll finally get a chance at prosperity with all the money he's gonna make, find a wife, make a family, die happy… Is what I thought.

I was so blinded by my desire to help him that I didn't realize all the flaws in that plan. What I should have done is have John sell the stuff and give the money to Denji. 

Yesterday night, there was a man slaughter. People say the heard the roaring of a chainsaw and screams. Obviously the loan sharks turned on him and tried to kill him instead of accepting that his debt was paid.

Worst in all? Makima got involved very very fast. I didn't stop the plot… I hastened it. So now I'm about to meet my 'nephew'. And Johnson is in the corner, as always. Chuckling at the hilarity of the situation. Fuck you.

The door of the building quickly opened. Public Safety Central, as we call it, is very large. I don't exactly remember what Public Safety looked like in the original Chainsaw man world but I'm pretty sure it wasn't anywhere this big. It'll take them a few minutes to get to Makima's office. I don't think she'll even want to introduce the two of us so Denji can keep dreaming about his all benevolent uncl–

I hear steps on the stairs outside my cell. Two sets of legs? Walking together. I do not dare turn sway from my screen, mindlessly scrolling on YouTube's home page as if that could save me from my fate.

The dread that filled my entire being was suffocating. I don't even know why I'm so afraid. He'll just be disappointed, disgusted… No biggie, so why does it scare me?!

The steps were getting closer and closer until finally, they stopped.

"And this is the room of one of my most powerful weapons against the Devil threat, Roach Man."

The door opened behind me.

"As well as John Johnson, a very efficient devil hunter I'm sure you're already acquainted with…"

Shit! She knows… Of course she knows by now. Denji probably told her everything, that horny fool!

I couldn't turn around but I could smell the nervousness emanating from him.

"Well. Roach Man, don't you intend to say hi? After all… he is your nephew."

Someone kill me, I made a mistake, I regret everything, have mercy please end me already I'm sorry, I've learned my lesson, I swear I won't try to mess with the plot ever again but please, please… End me already!

I heard a choking sound.

"Wait… You mean… Rochi Ojisan?! Is that really you?!"

Yes. Rochi, as in 'roach'. It only made sense at the time.

I sighed and closed the computer. I slowly stood up, then turned around to face them. Johnson was holding back tears of laughter, the bastard. Feeding on my suffering like a devil.

"I'm… Sorry to disappoint but–"

I didn't even get the chance to finish talking. He rushed forward to hug me.

Maybe I am a devil. Because I feel like I've abused his vulnerability. I need to tell him the truth. And I was about to when I felt a sudden cold sweat. Makima was glaring the moment I opened my mouth to scream.

Torture. This must be it. She knows I'm ashamed and wants to make sure I endure all of it. The bitch, of course she does. Now that the plot is certain to unfold, I'm gonna make sure she too suffers when she inevitably turns on us.

Denji proceeded to cry for a few more minutes until finally, he calmed down.

"You're a monster… But how?"

I sighed and explained to him the radioactive roach bullshit and more. I embellished on who I used to be and my relationship with his father.

I wouldn't even know the guys name if not for Johnson's digging…

And I told him of my life after my monstrification. How I lived in the wilderness, how I discovered the extent of my abilities… The fact that I'm the one who caused the attack of the Forest Devil, my capture and my time here…

We both lived horrible lives but, his was clearly worse.

He talked about his family situation, the death of his parents, his first encounter with Pochita, the weird devil's he's killed over the years and his pursuit for a dream to fulfill.

All the while, both Makima and Johnson were still listening. The latter had finally stopped giggling like the Joker in an orphanage.

Finally, after it was all done, Makima announced how things would proceed forward. She was surprisingly reasonable with Denji, I didn't hear her refer to him as a dog at any point.

Naturally, with all the changes made to the story, I feared I was going to be tasked with taking care of Denji but Makima decided to leave that to Aki. As I recall, he was her little bitch. In the sense that whenever there was something annoying to deal with, he was the one to take care of it. Willingly or not.

I feel bad for him. But we'll get revenge once Makima turns on us.

At least she isn't trying to seduce Denji this time. Good.

In her office, the silence was deafening. I sat in front of her, waiting for something to happen. Minutes passed and yet, she still didn't say anything.

"So is there a reason I'm here? Otherwise I'm gonna start thinking you actually like my presence around you."

She narrowed her eyes.

"He isn't really your nephew, is he?"

"Obviously. I've already told you my true origin."

She rose to her feet and bent over her desk to get closer to my face.

"No. I think you're lying about that."

… Well I guess when you lie too much, it's hard to ever believe you.

"I think you're lying…" She began as she retreated to her seat. "To protect him from me."

"Solid theory." I said sarcastically. For once I was being truthful you bitch.

"How did you know about him? A random teen in Tokyo… yet you had so much info about him, which I know no one told you about."

She smirked.

"You knew his name, his appearance, had a good approximation of his age, you knew about Pochita… So yes, I think you're lying."

I said nothing. I couldn't say anything. I didn't have any explanation. And now that I stayed silent, she was certain to believe Denji to be my actual Nephew…

"You're afraid that I'd want to use him against you, that's why you pretended to have no family members alive. You feared I would hurt them to get you under control."

Then she chuckled.

"But I don't think that's everything. For one, I doubt Rochi was your name before you became… A roach monster. For two, there's the most important part in all of this. You knew about Pochita."

She rose to her feet and walked around her desk to reach my side. Slowly. So excitingly slowly.

"You were being so cautious about his existence not to hide him from me but hide him. You somehow know I would be interested in the chainsaw devil."

She then pointed a finger at me. 

"So tell me. How? This won't kill you of course but it will hurt. Very much more than when I was holding back."

Yes! Perfect, finally something I can easily explain.

"The future devil. I improved him temporarily with my abilities when I went to talk to him. A gamble. But I know how this ends."

And that's the truth. I did do that once, right after I gained the right to make devil contracts. He didn't see how I would die. With his improved power, I asked about the damage some of the future heavy hitters would do. Turns out all of them even a decade from now get taken care of well. With many, many casualties.

I asked about Garou and, though he couldn't give me specifics, all he knew was that the name itself was going to change the world.

When I asked about god though, he didn't have anything. Of course he wouldn't.

Makima laughed.

"So then I would have won!" She concluded. "If you hadn't gotten involved, I would have gained control over the hero of hell and defeated my sisters!"

"Ha! You wish!"

She stopped laughing.

"Then why stop me if I was going to lose?"

"Minimize the collateral. Make sure as few people as possible don't die. And besides, your plan was stupid."

She frowns and laughs.

"I don't care for your opinions. Even if my fate is to lose, I still win. Besides, you truly believe I won't try to defy fate?"

She approached her face to mine, at an uncomfortably close distance.

"He will be mine. My sisters will die. Humanity will be saved. And I'll have him rip your heart out before devouring you whole, to erase you from the face of history."

I'm not gonna lie, I was actually scared. She is untouchable and she knows it. She has all the cards. I couldn't even get Saitama to blow her up for me, everything is in her favor. My only solution is to make sure that on the day of the battle, she loses.

"You'll die by the hands of that nephew you love so much…"

To all of you 'I can fix her' guys, know this. Maybe sue can be fixed. But you can't fix what doesn't want to be repaired. You throw it away and move on.

"You will die alone as you lived alone."

"That's just untrue."

"We'll see the truth when you're atomized until there is nothing left for you to regenerate."

I remember how these stories went in my old world. Even tragedies had good endings. Even the bad girls turned good in the end. Even god bowed to the might of the transmigrator. Because of the plot, of course. 

But I do not think this is the kind of world I live in. I don't see a way out. I don't think I alone can win. I'm not actually the protagonist. Saitama will save the world. Chainsaw man will save the world. I'll just he helping from the sidelines, as if they couldn't take care of it by themselves.

You think I stand a chance against Garou? God? That space ninja guy? I couldn't even beat Boros. I couldn't beat Orochi or any of the top monsters in the monster association. I couldn't beat any of them.

And the worst in all of this? I was given the power to make myself stronger. But why use it on me when there are already heroes to save the world? When I could just boost Denji or Saitama or Tatsumaki or Blast… I'm not actually needed by anyone or anything.

I left one world only to be as insignificant as in the other. I just know I'll die a pitiful death. Fighting against one of the weaker god level monsters or devils. And the world will just move on.

Worse, because of my meddling with the plot, when I die, Denji will have to feel like he's lost another family member because of me. This isn't a game, actions have real consequences. 

If I had been in dragon ball, I could have simply cheated if I really needed to get stronger.

In Naruto I could have just learned to write fancy and do stupid shit like store items or make enormous explosive tags or something.

In Dc I could have abused my knowledge to get rich. In Marvel? I'd be screwed, I don't remember enough…

But no. I'm stuck in a cross of two worlds. Chainsaw man x OPM. In the end. It could have been worse. It could have been SNK or Tokyo Ghoul. It could have been Berserk, 40k or Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

"You may leave now. Lest I'm going to think you actually enjoy my presence."

You clever bitch.

At least… Things could be worse. But they could also be better. As I walk out of Makima's office, I think to myself… At least I'm walking out of there alive. There's hope. Hope for a better tomorrow even still.