Rem awoke to find himself in an endless void—no ground, no sky, only a suffocating silence that devoured the sound of his own breath. He slowly raised his head, eyes searching the emptiness for anything—light, sound, form—something real.
"Behind you."
The voice was soft, faint, yet carried an eerie weight that made the void itself feel smaller.
Rem turned sharply, and there she was—the Death Devil. Naked as always, her white long hair drifting like smoke in the nothingness,
"Send me back," Rem said flatly, his tone sharp with authority, his voice devoid of fear or hesitation.
Death tilted her head, a faint sigh slipping from her lips, as though humoring a disobedient child.
"You don't even wish to talk a little?" she asked, her tone almost gentle, tinged with something that might've been pity. "Don't worry… I'll return you. But only after that hunter is gone."
Rem gave a short, dry laugh, his hand sliding down his face.
"Hah… so this is about my safety? Tell me—what do you think I was doing there? I was guarding the bullet, keeping it out of her hands. I burned through every life I had for that. And now you refuse to send me back?because you're afraid i might get hurt"
His eyes darkened, voice low and seething.
"Is that your logic ? ".
"Exactly" Death replied coldly.
"You cannot defeat her, Rem. She is the strongest hybrid currently alive. Returning you back would only ensure your… true death this time."
Rem's expression hardened. He advanced toward her with heavy, deliberate steps. In an instant, he seized her by the neck.
"And who do you think you are… to make my decisions?" he roared, his voice reverberating through the void.
Death looked at him without fear, her calm voice carrying the weight of countless ages:
"I am Death."
In an instant, Rem was hurled down into the void floor with a force so immense it warped his form, his limbs twisting into grotesque shapes" gaah ! " He struggled to rise, but was struck down again even harder, fragments of his very essence scattering into the black expanse.
"I am the one who gave you this body."
She lifted her hand, and an unseen force—like invisible strings—dragged Rem toward her, suspending him helplessly in the air like a puppet.
"I am the one who granted you this power… only because I longed to see the real you again— that pure embodiment of wrath and gluttony."
Her face drew close, her cold breath ghosting over his broken features—her voice a whisper sharp enough to cut through silence.
"But all I see before me now… is a frail, pitiful child—an insult to the memory of who you once were."
She stepped back, her gaze freezing over like the mouth of an open grave.
"You've disappointed me, Rem. From this moment on, do not call for me again… not until you find the Chainsaw Man"
And with that, the void consumed him whole.
______
"Haah…"
Rem opened his eyes again — this time not to the void, but to a white hospital room that smelled strongly of disinfectant.
The steady, monotonous beeping of a heart monitor filled the silence.
He slowly realized he was alive. In a hospital.
Raising a hand to his head, he muttered under his breath,
"…Chainsaw Man?"
The word echoed softly — but this time, in a calm feminine voice.
"Chainsaw Man?"
Rem turned sharply. Sitting beside his bed was a woman with long red hair and golden eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked, suspicious.
She smiled gently. "Oh, forgive me. My name is Makima. I'm currently the head of the Public Safety Division 4. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr…?"
"Rem," he replied coldly.
"Mr. Rem," she repeated with a polite smile, extending her hand.
But Rem didn't take it. He simply stared and said,
"I'd rather not touch a hell monkey ."
Makima lowered her hand without losing her composure. Her voice stayed calm, though her tone held a subtle chill.
"I see."
"What happened… after I blacked out?" Rem asked, his tone pausing midway before turning cold again.
Makima lifted a finger to her chin in thoughtful silence.
"Hmm… I don't think 'blacked out' is the right term. You died. Quite literally."
She paused for a second, then continued in that same tranquil tone:
"After your defeat against Quanxi, I brought you back myself. The fight caused a lot of casualties — twenty people, to be precise. I had to step in quickly."
Rem exhaled through his nose, expression unreadable. "Hmm… that's bad."
Makima's voice stayed gentle, yet firm beneath the surface.
"I'm here to ask what exactly happened there… and who was responsible for those deaths."
She tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes sharp enough to pierce through him.
"Most of the victims were struck in extremely precise points… deliberate enough to be considered murder, not an accident."
Rem smiled faintly. "Does it matter if it wasn't an accident? We're Devil Hunters — our job isn't to stop death, only to make sure fewer people die."
Makima returned the smile, though her expression didn't change.
"You're right. Either way, a Gun Devil bullet was found in your possession. That's a violation — failure to report to higher authorities. So you have two options: immediate execution… or join Division 4, which is currently tasked with hunting down gun devils bullets."
Rem chuckled. "So basically… i have no choice, huh?"
Makima nodded slowly. "Unfortunately. But don't worry — the rest of your team from Division 1 will transfer with you. You won't be alone."
' I'm not worried about that tho ' rem tilted his head in confusion
She stood up, placed the bullet in his hand, and turned toward the door.
"See you soon, Mr. Rem."
"Wait." Rem caught her by the hand.
Makima raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you don't like touching monkeys from hell?"
Reem hesitated for a second, then said boldly, "Can I touch your ass?"
Makima brought a finger to her chin again, pretending to think.
"Hmm… let's see. Bring me every remaining Gun Devil bullet, and I'll do more than that — I'll sleep with you. Deal?"
Rem blinked. I didn't even say I wanted that… I just wanted to touch her ass.
But after a second, his grin spread. "yes, ma'am!"
Makima winked at him before leaving the room with unhurried steps.
A few seconds later, the door opened again.
Himeno and Kishibe walked in together.
Rem stared at them and asked, "You two heard that, didn't you?"
Kishibe sighed without answering, while Himeno shook her head, exasperated.
"Seriously, senpai… you're the worst."
Rem cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem… anyway, you heard what Makima said. We're being reassigned to Division 4 — the team hunting the Gun Devil."
"Yeah," Kishibe said, opening a can and taking a calm sip. "We'll be joining a unit full of rookies and tamed devils. The last Division 4 got wiped out a few weeks ago."
He looked up, voice flat. "So don't expect to live long if you're chasing that thing."
"Right…" murmured Himeno, scratching her head. Her face was unreadable.
Rem glanced at her curiously. "You okay?"
She gave a small, weary smile. "Oh, yeah… I just didn't think we'd be assigned to the Gun Devil case this fast. I thought it'd take some time."
Kishibe let out a dry cough and took another drink.
"In this job, nothing takes time."
He took a long sip. Rem and Himeno exchanged puzzled looks