Chapter Text
Asa Mitaka practically trudged through the darkened streets leading back to her apartment, still thinking back to the events that transpired earlier that day. The sinking feeling of shame that came when she saw a poor grade on her math test, followed by the sinking dread of her teacher's suggestion to stay after hours for tutoring.
Math was easily her worst subject, and so she knew it was only out of pity that she was offered the chance both at tutoring and even to retake her test. Perhaps she should just take advantage of it, but there were few things Asa hated more than being pitied. Unfortunately ever since she was allowed to leave the orphanage to attend high school, she had received very little except pity from her teachers and classmates.
She could tell that is all it was. Whenever people approached her, whenever they tried to pull her into things just because everyone knew she came from the orphanage and that she lived alone now, whenever her teachers had reached out to let her make up work when other students didn't get the same treatment. She saw through all of it.
She hated how they all looked down on her without even realizing it, and so more often than not she rejected any attempt they made to get close to her.
She only agreed to it this time because she didn't want to be the type of student who was okay with having bad grades either.
The darkened streets did not really help with her mood, ultimately. She was not entirely used to the walk home from school yet, and so she occasionally still made mistakes and got a little lost. Tonight was one such night, where a wrong turn had left her wandering from street to street, trying to find her way back to one that she recognized.
She hated that she made these sorts of mistakes. That something as simple as just walking home proved to be too difficult her. Other high school students could manage this just fine, but not her. Paired with her failure in math, it was enough to almost make her feel sick with self-pity.
A distraction came in the form of a rat dashing across her path from a nearby alley, causing her to jump into the air and nearly topple over in shock.
The rat bounded across the street, and then jumped into a nearby storm drain, all while Asa watched it go. She stared at the drain for a moment before huffing, and shaking her head. Of course this city must be infested with rats. She shouldn't have been surprised to see one, especially this late at night. The city was a corrupt mess, and with that corruption came the sort of filth that attracted vermin. It was a failure on the city's part, to keep its own streets clean. It was also a failure on the part of the people who lived here, leaving their trash everywhere.
With a sigh, Asa Mitaka did her best to put these thoughts out of her mind so she can continue her march back home. It was just a rat, after all. Nothing to get worked up over.
As she was passing the alleyway the rat had emerged from, something fell over from within it, and her attention was drawn towards it.
Four large, emerald cat eyes glared at her from the darkness of the alleyway. Indeed, the only distinct shape within that darkness were those eyes. Even as they moved closer, Asa could only just barely make out a vague feline shape.
A cat?
Teeth flashed from under those eyes, sharp and dripping with saliva as it came closer to its next meal. Sharp claws scrapped at the concrete it walked over as it came closer, and closer while Asa just stood and watched it.
Finally, her survival instincts returned, and she turned to run as fast as she could, only to find herself tripping over something and slamming her head against the asphalt.
She began to push herself up, dazed as she brought a hand to her forehead, the fingers of her shaking coming away sticky and wet. She tried to push herself up, taking one last look at the approaching devil before noting, in the last moment of her life, the claw coming down towards her face.
As the claw tore through the flesh of her face, slicing through skin and bone alike, Asa's thoughts ran at light speed as she assessed her life for the last time.
Even before she left the orphanage, she had always pushed everyone away. She could excuse it to herself as not needing or wanting friends, not wanting people's pity, or even simply not believing anyone's attempts to reach out to her were sincere.
But that wasn't exactly the truth, was it?
She was just afraid. Afraid to let anyone get close to her.
If she could just do it all again, she wished she had just been a little less afraid.
Her fading vision found itself focusing on the storm drain across the street, and in those final moments before her vision went dark, she saw that same rat from earlier crawl out — its beady eyes, seeming to glint yellow from the reflection of the street lights, focused on her.
Then she heard a voice the voice of a woman. Calm, gentle, yet drawing all of her attention upon it even as she lay dying.
I can save you. Give your body to me.
Saliva dripped from the mouth of the Cat Devil as its maw hovered over the body of the girl it had just killed. For weeks now, it had to subsist off of a diet of rats and other vermin as it hid in the shadows of Tokyo. A pitiful existence, unbecoming of itself, but after it had lost a fight with a devil hunter that nearly sent it back to hell, it had little choice.
Yet still, it had been patient. Waiting for the right moment for a human to make the mistake of crossing it on its own. And it was rewarded. A young human female, all alone in the middle of the night. Already, it was drooling over the prospect of gorging itself on her flesh. Of having its strength returned to it, so that it may hunt the next human. And the next, and the next…
However, before it could take its first bite, the human began to move, shifting beneath it. This hardly bothered it too much, the Cat Devil quite liked it when its prey was not so quick to die. It loved toying with its food, dragging out a hunt for as long as it can before devouring its prey. With a quick glance around, just to make sure the streets were still clear, the Cat Devil laughed, speaking in a feminine voice.
"Still have some life left in you, I see. Don't you humans usually die when your head is split open?"
The girl did not respond at first as she rose to her feet, calmly standing at her full height before turning her head towards the Cat Devil.
The sight of those eyes made the Cat Devil recoil for the first time in its life. Yellow, glowing ever so slightly in the low light, with concentric crimson rings.
The girl pointed at the Cat Devil, and a chain shot through its forehead.
"You've caused me quite a bit of trouble. You nearly ate the last of my rats, you know," the girl said in an eerily calm voice. She tilted her head slightly as she regarded the slack-jawed devil before smiling to herself.
"I suppose I can not blame you entirely. Although, if you are so hungry, then why not eat your own paws? Once you are done, wait here until a devil hunter comes to kill you in the morning."
Without hesitation, the Cat Devil brought a paw up to its mouth, and bit down, its sharp teeth easily tearing through flesh and crunching down on bone.
Makima paid little attention as it carried out her order. She merely smiled, turned, and walked away.
As late autumn settles across Japan, temperatures in the capital have plummeted to record lows not seen in decades. This morning, the temperature dipped below 2°C, making it the coldest October since official records began.
Commuters across the city were met with biting winds, and meteorologists warn that an early winter chill may be approaching sooner than expected. Authorities are advising residents to dress appropriately in coats, scarves, and gloves, even during daytime hours, as the sharp temperature drop can pose risks of seasonal illness.
Railway stations and convenience stores have already begun distributing heat packs, while shelters across Tokyo are preparing for an uptick in visitors seeking warmth. Officials caution that while the sudden shift from mild autumn air to early winter cold is unusual, it may continue in the coming weeks.
And finally, in other local updates: despite increased sightings of devils across the region, Chainsaw Man has yet to appear this week.
Asa Mitaka shivered as she awoke in her bed, immediately turning towards her window in a daze of confusion. Gently, she touched her face, right where the Cat Devil's claws had sliced through it, only to find that there was not even a scar left behind.
Was it all just a bad dream?
"Good morning, Mitaka-chan."
Asa bumped her head against the glass as she flung herself away from the edge of her bed, turning to face…
Herself?
Only, no, not exactly herself. Whatever it was had her face, her school uniform, even her hair tied up in a pair of pigtails. Yet, there was something off about her, as she stood over Asa, hands folded behind her back. Everything about her seemed so overly put-together. Not a hair out of place, not a wrinkle in her uniform. Even the way she stood was immaculate — her arms folded behind her back as she stood over Asa's bed, a calm smile plastered on her face.
The only things out of place were the scars, claw marks across her face, and her eyes. Yellow, with crimson rings.
She tilted her head, and spoke in Asa's voice, her tone calm and even.
"I am afraid that last night was not a dream, Mitaka-chan. My name is Makima. You and I will be sharing a body from now on."
Asa stared at this copy of herself in utter disbelief. Slowly, she rose a shaking hand and pinched her cheek.
Makima's smile widened slightly, seemingly amused by Asa's actions. She took a step closer to Asa's bed, sat down on the edge of it, and leaned in closer towards her before speaking again.
"I understand that this may be quite a bit to take in, so allow me to make myself clear. I am the Control Devil, and you and I made a contract last night just before you died. In exchange for your survival, I have taken claim of your body. Surely you remember, yes?"
I can save you. Give your body to me.
Asa felt her blood run cold, and she reached up to pinch her other cheek.
This time, Makima seemed far less amused. She sighed, and then stood up, her smile vanishing as she stood over Asa.
"Get up, make yourself breakfast, and then get ready for school, Mitaka-chan."
Makima paused, and then allowed her calm smile to return to her face.
"And be sure to wear a jacket today. It is quite cold out, after all."
Asa shuddered as she buttoned up her coat just a little further. She hated these coats the school handed out as part of their uniforms. They were thin, probably because of budget cuts, and hardly did anything against the cold. She might as well have not bothered with it at all. It might have proven to be just as effective if she hadn't, in fact.
Makima walked right beside her, a more perfect reflection. Compared to Asa's own somewhat hunched way of walking, Makima stood with her back straight, her shoulders back, and took confident strides as she kept apace alongside Asa.
A silence had settled between them since Asa had left her apartment, which left Asa's mind swimming with questions. Foremost of which was if Makima was a devil, and she had taken her body, then why was Asa still alive?
"Because I need you, Mitaka-chan."
Asa froze in her tracks, watching as Makima continued to stride forward for but a single step, before turning with that same calm smile on her face.
"I can hear your thoughts, Mitaka-chan. Every single one. There is no hiding anything from me. We share a body, or rather, more specifically, a brain. I left you intact because I knew I would be unable to properly imitate your specific mannerisms. As I said, I need you."
Asa gawked at Makima, terrified that even her own thoughts no longer belonged to her. Makima merely smiled at her for another moment before turning again, and tilting her head in Asa's direction. "Come along now. The last thing you need is to be late to class."
She began to walk ahead of Asa, who hurried to catch up to her.
"Wait!" Asa cried out, reaching forward to grab Makima's shoulder, "Why are you doing-" Asa watched as her hand moved through Makima's shoulder, as if passing through vapor.
Makima paused, and glanced over her shoulder at Asa once more.
"I am only appearing to you as a hallucination, Mitaka-chan. You are the only one who can see me, and neither of us are capable of touching the other."
Once again, Makima began to walk, still not bothering to see if Asa followed.
Asa watched her go for a moment, the silence making it clear that Makima had no intent on answering her question.
With a despondent expression on her face, she merely followed along.