Chainsaw Man, starting contract to cut down the Demon Line

"However, you are treacherous."

Yan Liang changed the subject, reaching out and gently patting Xiao Hong's head as if soothing a stray dog. The warm palm on Xiao Hong's head gave her a strange sense of security.

“You owe me a life, and I’m satisfied with the interest tonight. Now I can give you a chance. As long as you serve me as my subordinate and satisfy me, I can protect you to a certain extent. Even the devil can’t touch you.”

"Of course, let me make this clear from the start. Don't expect me to risk my life for you. This kind of protection is only based on the premise that it doesn't conflict with my interests."

Yan Liang looked down at her, his attitude involuntarily softening considerably.

"Even so, in this world where you could die at any moment, this is the most luxurious guarantee you can get. After all, there will never be another person in the world who would offer you such a deal."

"Really...really?" Xiao Hong looked up, a strong desire bursting from her eyes.

"The premise is that you need to recognize your current situation and position."

Yan Liang withdrew his hand and stood up straight. His oppressive aura spread out again like a tide, making it hard for Dongshan Xiaohong to breathe.

"From this moment on, I will establish three rules between us. Please remember these rules carefully, I will not repeat them a second time."

"First, do not try to betray me or lie to me."

"Second, don't worry about what my orders are, just execute them unconditionally."

"Third, do not run away without my permission or reveal my information to the outside world."

Yan Liang leaned forward slightly, his pure white demonic eye fixed on Dongshan Xiaohong's pale face, his gaze icy:

“If you violate any of these three rules, I will personally cut off your head.”

"Don't expect me to give you a second chance..."

"Did you understand?"

For Xiaohong, whose mind was blank and who felt extremely insecure at that moment, the absolutely strict rules became her only lifeline.

She had witnessed Yan Liang's abilities firsthand. Of the more than twenty people involved in the gambling, everyone was thinking about how to escape. Only he found a glimmer of hope, made a pact with the mysterious demon, and gained immense power to kill Mengye.

Faced with Miss Machima's invitation, Yan Liang not only refused but even dared to take advantage of her, spouting nonsense. Now that she has made a promise to him, Dongshan Xiaohongsi has no doubt about his abilities.

Although Yan Liang's offer came with conditions, if I could get his protection, I wouldn't have to worry about how to save my life anymore!

Facing Yan Liang's oppressive gaze, Xiao Hong couldn't muster any thought of resistance. A strange feeling of gratitude welled up inside her, causing her legs to react instinctively, before her brain could process it.

She crawled forward two steps using both hands and feet, then rushed forward without hesitation, grabbing Yan Liang's legs with both hands. She choked back tears as she said...

"I understood... I understood everything!"

"I will never betray you! I will be obedient... I will do whatever you ask me to do..."

Looking at Dongshan Xiaohong, who had become dependent on him and would not resist no matter how he was bullied or manipulated in the future, Yan Liang finally nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good, remember your current promise."

Yan Liang casually moved his leg, gently pushing Xiao Hong away, his words regaining their initial indifference:

"Go and get dressed, then find me a clean set of bedding. Since things have come to this, let's get some sleep."

"Yes...yes! I'll go right away!"

Xiao Hong gratefully got up from the floor. Without thinking about anything else, she hurriedly began to make the bed for her new superior.

Chapter Eleven: The Story Begins

noon the next day.

After waking up, Yan Liang did not linger for long. Following Dongshan Xiaohong's guidance, the two of them eventually arrived at the headquarters of the Public Security Bureau's Anti-Demon Special Division after several twists and turns.

Unlike the bustling world of later generations, this was Japan in 1997. The Special Studies Headquarters, located in front of the two, was just a rigid, square gray building.

The cold, hard cement exterior and old louvered windows, with not even an eye-catching sign at the entrance, made Yan Liang feel that it didn't seem like any special building, but rather resembled the seiyakusha (world office) that could be seen everywhere in Japan.

After explaining their purpose to the doorman, the two entered the building without any problems. As soon as Yan Liang pushed open the heavy glass door, he immediately saw Hayakawa Aki waiting there.

He was still dressed in his signature style, with his hair tied in a bun, wearing a well-tailored black suit, and a Japanese sword on his back.

Upon seeing Yan Liang and Dongshan Xiaohong walk in, Hayakawa Aki's gaze turned cold.

Clearly, Yan Liang's outrageous behavior towards Machima in the car last night was still bothering him.

"Come with me."

Not even bothering with superficial politeness, Hayakawa Aki didn't utter a single word of nonsense, coldly throwing out three words before turning around and leading the way.

Yan Liang shrugged and followed Dongshan Xiaohong, who was bowing her head like a little follower.

After passing through several dimly lit and oppressive corridors, Hayakawa Aki led them into a changing room that resembled a logistics department. He went straight to a metal cabinet, took out two neatly folded dust bags, and turned to throw them on a bench.

"Are you alone? Where's Machima?" Yan Liang asked casually.

Hearing his name being addressed so casually, Hayakawa Aki retorted coldly:

“Miss Machima is our direct supervisor, so we need to use honorifics when addressing her.”

“Miss Machima is away today, so I’ll be here to guide you… Normally, I would be responsible for familiarizing you with some of the work processes, but Miss Machima gave me a task before she left. It’s a sudden situation, so I’ll tell you some things to be aware of on the way.”

After saying that, he pointed to the dust bag on the chair: "Change into your uniform first. You must dress properly during working hours. This is one of the rules of the Public Security Bureau."

Yan Liang ignored him and unzipped the dust bag. Inside was a well-tailored black suit, a pure white shirt, and a plain black tie.

Looking at the outfit, Yan Liang wasn't opposed to it. After all, for someone who had signed a contract with the Slash Line Demon and was required to abide by the rule of "wearing a suit while working," this actually suited his tastes.

Yan Liang and Xiao Hong picked up their clothes and went into the changing room. When he came out again, his demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.

The black suit fit his tall and straight figure perfectly, and his originally gentle and handsome face was made solemn by this old-fashioned outfit, giving off an invisible sense of oppression.

Not long after, Xiao Hong also came out of the next cubicle.

Her petite frame, a result of long-term malnutrition, made the standard-sized suit look slightly baggy on her, with the sleeves extending past her wrists. Combined with the two red hair clips in her dark brown short hair and her trembling, aggrieved expression, the two looked particularly incongruous. Standing together, the two created an odd contrast.

One is clueless, and the other is unhappy.

"Let's go." Hayakawa Aki withdrew his gaze and strode towards the door. "We have a mission."

"Miss Machima left instructions for us to go to an abandoned factory in the suburbs."

■

Half an hour later.

The vehicle was traveling on the road leading to the outskirts of Tokyo. Hayakawa Aki was in the driver's seat, while Yan Liang and Higashiyama Koko were sitting side by side in the back seat.

The afternoon sun shone through the car windows, and as the vehicle moved along, the roadside scenery gradually changed from crowded concrete buildings to desolate weeds and rusty tin factory buildings.

"The work of the police is actually not complicated. It is usually divided into two types: daily patrols and handling emergencies."

Hayakawa Aki, while observing the road ahead, coldly explained the situation:

"But in the Special Class, especially our Anti-Magic Special Class 4, you'd better put away that playful attitude. The mortality rate for new recruits here is extremely high; it's definitely not a place where you can just coast along."

Upon hearing the extremely high mortality rate, Higashiyama Kokoro, who was already huddled in the back seat, trembled and a look of fear appeared on her face.

Ignoring what she was thinking, Hayakawa Aki continued:

“Routine patrols are manageable, but dealing with emergencies usually involves taking on messes that ordinary police officers can’t handle. And the most troublesome of these is when humans actively collude with evil.”

"In Japan today, although there is a severe crackdown on organized crime on the surface, many gangs still choose to sign illegal contracts with evil forces for their own benefit. The mission we are currently carrying out belongs to this category."

“Miss Machima has received intelligence that a criminal gang is suspected of harboring demons in an abandoned factory in the suburbs. Our goal is to wipe out the demons and rescue any possible survivors. So you'd better be on your guard; I don't want to be distracted by collecting your corpses.”

As he spoke, Hayakawa Aki frequently glanced at Yan Liang with distrust in the rearview mirror. The atmosphere inside the car became extremely tense with each word he spoke.

However, as the object of scrutiny, Yan Liang acted as if nothing had happened, relaxing in his chair. He ignored what Hayakawa Aki had just said, even closing his eyes to rest contentedly.

He seemed completely unconcerned, treating the vengeful demon hunter in front of him as his personal driver.

But in reality, Yan Liang was recalling details from the original work.

According to the original timeline, this should be the storyline where Denji, controlled by the mafia under the pretext of debt, is dismembered and sacrificed to the zombie demon.

Later, he made a contract with the chainsaw demon Pochita, and Denji gained the demon's power, thus becoming the chainsaw man and fighting his way out of the encirclement, until he was discovered by Machima, and finally became her dog and joined the Public Security Bureau.

I wonder if it was because my arrival triggered a butterfly effect that caused a subtle shift in the timeline.

In the original work, this scene was supposed to take place late at night, and Makima was supposed to lead the team himself. Now, not only has the time been moved to the afternoon, but the person leading the team has been changed to Hayakawa Aki, and the companions have become himself and Higashiyama Kokoro.

"..."

There was no sound; a silence fell over the carriage.

Hayakawa Aki looked at Yan Liang, whose eyes remained closed in the rearview mirror, and finally, unable to contain his dissatisfaction, coldly questioned:

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm listening."

Yan Liang still didn't open his eyes, but leisurely adjusted to a more comfortable sitting position and replied in a lazy tone.

"then you……"

Just as Hayakawa Aki was about to question him, Yan Liang slowly opened his eyes, his deep gaze meeting Hayakawa Aki's eyes directly through the rearview mirror.

Staring at that pure white demonic eye, Hayakawa Aki felt inexplicably threatened and subconsciously looked away.

"Hayakawa Aki, right? I can tell you have a problem with me."

"...But I don't care. I just want to remind you of one thing: even if you have a problem with me, you'd better not do things with me because of your emotions, because I have a bad temper."

At this point, Yan Liang changed the subject, his voice becoming very calm:

"If you trust Machima so much, you should know that Machima is not a fool."

"Since she was willing to lower herself to attract me, and even tolerate my rudeness, it has indirectly proven that I have the value to match her."

“Machima recruited me because she valued my talent, and that talent is my strength.”

"However, I did not sense the slightest respect for this judgment in your attitude."

“Hayakawa Aki, one of us is an arrogant person who can’t see the situation clearly, but that person is not me.”

"..."

Hayakawa Aki was taken aback upon hearing these words.

In the rearview mirror, their eyes met silently. Hayakawa Akihara thought this guy was just an arrogant person who used underhanded means to get Machima's attention, but at this moment, faced with Yan Liang's declaration, he couldn't find a single reason to refute it.

Yes, Miss Machima never makes a mistake. Since she made an exception and recruited this man into Special Section 4, she must have her reasons.

Hayakawa Aki was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. He loosened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, and when he spoke again, his hostility had lessened:

"I hope that when you face the devil later, your strength will be as tough as your mouth."

"If Miss Machima's judgment is correct, then I apologize for my attitude just now."

Hayakawa Aki stepped on the gas and then said no more.

Looking at the silent Hayakawa Aki, Yan Liang shook his head almost imperceptibly, his expression somewhat complicated.

To be honest, Yan Liang didn't actually dislike this stern-faced guy. On the contrary, when he watched "Chainsaw" in his previous life, compared to Denji and Pavana, the two quirky characters, the cold on the outside but warm on the inside, mature and rational Hayakawa Aki was the character he admired the most.

He knew very well that Hayakawa Aki wasn't a bad person at heart, and that his bad temper wasn't unique to him. In the original work, he also showed similar behavior in order to dissuade Denji from leaving the Public Security Bureau, and his initial intention was also for the other person's safety.

Because being a demon hunter is definitely not an easy job, joining the police means facing life-threatening dangers at all times.

Therefore, while Hayakawa Aki's current hostility towards him is partly due to his own offense against Machima, it is probably more of a warning to himself in Machima's way.

Otherwise, there's no need to bow down to yourself here.

And ironically, such people often meet the cruelest ends.

Because Machima saved his life, he instinctively trusted her. Because his family was killed by the Gun Demon, he instinctively wanted revenge. But in the end, when he decided to let go of his hatred and leave the Public Security Bureau to live a peaceful life for the sake of Denji and Power's bond, he had already become a puppet manipulated by Machima.

Even if a choice is made, there is no right to continue.

Like every reader, Yan Liang once felt regret when he saw that part of the story, thinking, "If only I could change his ending." But now that he has actually transmigrated to this world, the change in his identity makes his initial thoughts seem as ridiculous as Lord Ye's love of dragons.

Now, he can't even control his own destiny, let alone be a savior to others.

His only goal now is to survive and go home. Everything else is not something he should worry about…

Thinking of this, Yan Liang turned his head and looked at the scenery rushing past the car window.

He frowned slightly and reached out to tug at the black tie around his neck.

Perhaps because there was no air circulation in the closed car, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest for no apparent reason.