The Vixen's Gambit: Tonight We Hunt

Though Shoko appeared calm and collected, as if at peace with everything, in reality, she was internally panicking.

Makima had been a champion, bursting forth with over 1.5 million energy points. But what about Denji? What about Aki? What about Power?

Her plan had been to slink away after Aki's misunderstanding, then wait for Denji, back to normal, to explain everything, prompting a rush of apologies and a cascade of gold coins.

But now, she was practically gone, and there was still no movement from the Hayakawa household.

Was she about to lose money on this deal…?

Her body becoming increasingly transparent, Shoko finally, reluctantly, tore her gaze away from the Hayakawa residence.

Her gold-farming plan seemed to have… crashed.

Maybe she should have been gentler when ripping out Denji's heart… Now, it seemed, her only option was to try and squeeze a little more out of Makima.

Time to milk Makima dry!

"Makima, could you do me one last favor?"

With only Makima, that poor, exploited soul, left beside her, Shoko refocused her attention. Repeatedly fleecing the same person was unethical, but she had no other choice.

"Could you look after Denji and the others for me? Denji and Power are Fiends, after all. Without your protection, Public Safety might make things difficult for them…"

"And please don't take your anger towards me out on them. They're innocent… If I hadn't had those malicious thoughts, wishing for others' misfortune, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

Barging into my life and then leaving as you please, and you actually think I'd help you? Either stay, or I'll slaughter the entire Hayakawa household after you're gone—Makima knew that even uttering such childish threats wouldn't change anything.

So, facing Shoko's final request, she could only nod numbly.

Everything felt meaningless. Makima didn't know what to do.

Her mental state was so fragile that even the most intense stimuli barely registered.

Crap, I've over-milked my cash cow.

Seeing no further energy emanating from Makima, Shoko sighed inwardly. She really shouldn't have focused on a single source for so long.

But Makima's current mental state seemed… precarious. Leaving her like this could lead to serious problems. Maybe she should offer some comfort…

"Don't be so sad, Makima. I believe every parting is for a better reunion." Though she wanted to offer a comforting hug, Shoko could no longer touch Makima, so she resorted to words. "So, let's meet again, okay?"

"...Meet again…?" Makima, her expression previously dull, now showed a flicker of hope. "Can we… meet again, Shoko?!"

"I don't know. If there's a Hell, why isn't there a Heaven?" Shoko smiled brightly. "I'm so cute, maybe I'll go to Heaven and become an angel. Then we can meet again in a new world~"

[Energy +450,000]

[Energy +200,000]

[Energy +1,500]

[Energy +800]

[Energy +1,300,000]

Jackpot!!!

The sudden influx of energy, multiple large sums appearing in rapid succession, made Shoko's smile towards Makima even more gentle and sweet.

Finally, her energy had arrived!

The two smaller amounts were likely from Reze and Beam. They were friendly with Denji, but not particularly close to her.

The 200,000 was from Himeno, who'd been saved by Shoko and subsequently become a staunch supporter. Though Shoko didn't mean to be dismissive, Himeno's charge efficiency was indeed lower than the others.

The 450,000 was naturally from the adorable Power. Too bad she'd died too early, missing some crucial plot points. Otherwise, the yield would have been even higher.

And the heavyweight, 1.3 million, only slightly less than Makima's contribution, belonged to none other than Aki Hayakawa!

Even Makima hadn't burst forth with so much energy at once. How had Aki achieved this?

The answer: stacked buffs.

Shoko had always thought Lihua Kaslana's energy-harvesting methods were wasteful, especially with Otto and Kallen.

Hesitating during normal interactions, reluctant to deliver the emotional gut-punch, was understandable. After all, Lihua was human, lacking a devil's regenerative abilities. But in her final moments, simply burning to death before Otto?

Too sudden, too quick. Otto likely wouldn't fully process the finality of it all until Lihua was buried.

Simply put – not stimulating enough!

For example, a loved one suddenly dying from a gunshot versus being tortured to death right before your eyes – the emotional impact wouldn't be the same.

A loved one tortured to death by someone else versus being tortured to death by your own hand, after mistaking them for an enemy – the emotional impact wouldn't be the same.

Of course, the resulting energy yield wouldn't be the same either!

To test her theory, Shoko had let Aki continue misunderstanding, even hating her, revealing the truth only after the damage was irreversible.

The result – a resounding success!

This experience would be invaluable for future endeavors~

Besides, he'd forget everything soon anyway. A little pain now wouldn't matter.

From a millionaire to a pauper, and now back to the peak of wealth – the ups and downs of life were truly exhilarating.

With this, her journey in this world was complete.

In a daze, Shoko saw a small, dark figure in the distance, rushing towards her.

Ah, it was Denji. He'd even transformed into Chainsaw Man to reach her faster. Such dedication.

Instead of vanishing before their final meeting, relying on her sheer willpower, Battle Continuation, and the anticipation of Denji's energy contribution, Shoko held on for a few precious seconds.

"Wait, Shoko! I—"

Worried about hurting Shoko, Denji reverted to his human form the moment he landed. The arms that should have embraced Shoko passed right through her.

"—?!"

"Shh~" Before the panicked Denji could speak, Shoko placed a finger to her lips. "Listen to me first, Denji."

"There's a gift I've always wanted to give you, but I never had the chance. It seems I won't now either… Though you might forget, I hope it'll be useful someday."

"Take care of yourself, okay? And…"

After a few brief sentences, Shoko's form was almost completely transparent, barely visible.

Denji's eyes widened in anguish, but what could he do?

He had so much he wanted to say, but there was no one left to hear him.

As the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the encroaching darkness, before her form vanished completely, Denji heard her final words.

Not a last will and testament, not a wish.

Just a simple blessing.

"Happy Birthday, Denji."

[Energy +1,000,000]

"I—"

"I…"

"Why… am I crying?"

Denji retracted his outstretched hand, confused. He'd been trying to grab something… something important.

But… he couldn't remember what.