Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Denji opens the door to the apartment. He flips the switch that turns on the single hanging light fixture in the center of the room. There is a television atop a dresser set against the wall opposite the door. A game system on the floor near the television. Boxes are stacked against the right interior wall. Near the boxes a mini-fridge scarcely supplied with snacks. On the left interior wall, there's a door slightly ajar. Adjacent a tube radiator sits braced to the floor extending to the ceiling. Asa takes a step into the apartment following behind Denji. Asa was displeased by how unkempt the apartment appeared. With a look of disgust on her face Asa says..

"N- No way".

Denji walks towards the television and presses the power button.
"I know it's not like, awesome but we don't have options".

The newscaster on the television speaks...
"It appears now that the Church of Chainsaw and Public safety are working together, on the hunt for Chainsaw Man and Mitaka Asa. They are not only traitors to Japan but to humanity. We need them brought to Justice! If you have any Information, please don't hesitate to inform authorities."

"This is the only room" Asa said with a look of embarrassment.

"What, you've never shared a room before?"

"Of course I have!" Asa exclaimed.

"Ok so what's the problem." Denji replied with a blank face, feigning ignorance as to why Asa may be hesitant.

Asa's face shifted from embarrassed to deadpan
"I'm leaving".
Asa steps out of the front door to leave the apartment and closes it behind her.

"Everyone is to stay indoors. A snowstorm is anticipated to affect the entire prefecture and last through the night". The newscaster proclaimed.

Asa opens the front door shivering after being blasted by the cold winter air. Without a word she walks toward the radiator and turns the knob to heat up the apartment. Denji and Asa begin scouring the small apartment for anything that will make their indefinite stay more comfortable. The dresser is filled with movies and some games. Denji walks towards the stacked boxes and begins to rummage through them finding sleeping mats and clothes among other necessities. He finds a couple books. One details public safety hunter guidelines, and the other is "Parasyte volume 10". Asa peers into the only other room in the apartment to find a small bathroom with a squat toilet, sink, shower head, and drain. After pulling the only mat they could find they both sat still on the floor watching the television.

"Hey, want to play some video games?" Denji suggested with enthusiasm hoping to break the gloom that had begun to set in the apartment.

Asa turns her head and shifts her torso to face Denji to remind him of her missing arm. Silently staring daggers at him with an otherwise expressionless face. Realizing he'd made a mistake, and desperate to lighten the mood, he opens the dresser to pull out a deck of cards and some board games. Denji teaches Asa how to play several different card games. Games he would play to swindle people as a means to pay back his debt to the mafia.

"Playing these sorts of games is illegal."

"Yeah, but it's fun."

"How can you be so casual about being a criminal."

"Hmm. It kept me alive when I was a kid and now it helps me take care of Nayuta."

"I guess that's not so bad." Asa mutters.

"Huh."

"Never mind!" Asa says.

They shift to playing board games. These games Asa is familiar with. Playing with Denji gives her a warm joyful feeling. Denji's child-like fascination and enthusiasm reminded her of playing the same games with her mother when she was a kid. It also reminded her of the times she would spend at the orphanage playing alone, missing those moments with her mom. Denji's infectious enthusiasm soured after being completely outmatched by Asa's proficiency in the game. He jokingly accuses Asa of cheating to mask how he'd grown tired of losing. Afterward Asa attempts to play Mario kart with the one hand she had. Denji was cheering for her but ultimately, she kept losing and got frustrated. Denji, sitting beside Asa, grabs hold of the controller with his right hand. The half of the controller Asa was struggling to make use of to assist her.

"No-n, Yes! Haha" Asa exclaimed in excitement as she got her first win.
During their celebration, they both recognized how close they'd gotten. Their faces inches apart. They both blush.

"We can watch a movie" Denji suggested

"Why'd you put on a romance film?" Asa muttered.

"The only movies here are romance." Denji replied.

They sat silently transfixed on the television. The soft glow of the screen envelops their faces and dimly lights the dark room behind them.
"(This guy is a total loser, yet I can't help but root for him)" Denji thinks to himself.

"This guy is a total loser." Asa says aloud.

"He's Trying his best."

"It's admirable but he's still a loser" Asa said plainly. "You can't just make a fool of yourself and expect someone to fall for you. Grand public gestures are cringe. What girl would fall for that? It's totally unrealistic. Plus, she's out of his league, they exist in two different worlds. Also, the art direction is completely inconsistent. In the first half the gray tone doesn't match the bubbly hopefulness he approaches school with. The excitement that naturally pairs with the school festival scene is undercut by the depressing color palette and aggressive change in tone from the previous scene. This is objectively a poorly directed film. The most annoying thing is it’s lacking in her perspective, she falls back into being little more than a goal for the main character.”

"Didn't know you were passionate about movies like that"

The Film continues….
As its ending Denji begins to sob

“That was a good movie” Asa said

“Didn’t you say it was bad”

“It is. The full picture brings into focus what the director really wanted to say about how scary infatuation in para-social relationships are. In the end I enjoyed it”

Sometime after the movie ended, they were both laying on the single king size futon mattress that was available in the apartment. Asa had changed into the oversized pajama set they found after rummaging through the boxes earlier in the day. Denji wore his boxer briefs and a long tee. Both laying on opposite ends of the mattress facing away from each other.
"Denji...."

Chapter Text

Asa wakes to the soft buzzing sound of the television and low hum of the winter service vehicle on the main street clearing snow. The door to the restroom creaked open and a cloud of steam started leaking into the main room. Denji walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist, still damp and face flush from the heat.

"Mornin'." Denji said with a smile.

Asa a bit flustered by his casual demeanor replies
"Morning.... Put on some clothes."

"Ok" Denji replied along with a peace sign.
Denji walked past Asa to grab some clothes

"This guy has no shame." Asa thought to herself. While at the same time a creeping sensation spiraled into her chest. Recognizing the feeling she immediately dismissed it. Equating the feeling to delusion. Believing it best to ignore any interest she has in her new roommate. That would spare her from any heartache.

“Get a grip Asa! Now is not the time for this.”

As Denji is getting dressed in the restroom Asa looks around the apartment.
"We're going to have to go out for some supplies."

The day was spent planning how they were going to turn around their unfortunate situation. Figuring out what they would have to do to rescue Nayuta. Navigating areas outside of public safety jurisdiction to protect themselves from watchdogs. They searched for Fami at her usual hideouts to no avail. They hadn't found much success in their endeavors. The day turned night. Asa and Denji are walking side by side wandering the streets illuminated by snow and cherry blossoms. The air is brisk, the wind fair and the sky lit with stars. They come to a pause on an arched bridge overlooking a riverbank that's been painted white by snow.

Asa begins staring at Denji with a look he could only ascribe as being slight disgust.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Denji asks.

"I don't have a problem with you."

"Yeah, well- I don't like how you're looking at me."

Asa turns away to rest her arms on the rail of the bridge.
"I just didn't expect someone like you to be chainsaw man."
As it is a far cry from the cool delinquent Asa imagined while writing poetry about chainsaw man.

"Yeah, well… sorry to disappoint."

"I didn't say I was disappointed."

"Oh." Denji said blushing.

"So, what are you planning to do after all this. Asa asks

"Shouldn't we be thinkin' about how we're gonna make it through this?"
Asa Sighs
"What’s happened we didn’t ask for. What’s coming we know little about. So, we have no way to prevent it. Thinking about what comes after feels good I guess." Asa replied.

"Work hard so that Nayuta can go to college. After that I don't know. I thought I wanted to live a normal life but now I think I only want to be chainsaw man." Denji says with his hand hovering over the cord in his chest

"Because you think it'll get you girls huh perv." Asa said with an annoyed pouting face.

"Wah-, Hey that's not the main reason. I enjoy being a hero just for the attention and praise anyway. If chicks only like me because I'm chainsaw man I'm happy with that."

"That's sad and pathetic."

"It's not at all sad. If I was never chainsaw man, I would've never met you."

Asa blushed and felt the same rush in her chest she felt earlier.

"Hmmm, now that I think about it, it may have been better to not be chainsaw m-."

Asa stares daggers at Denji. Denji staggers backward after seeing Asa's face sour. Both burst into laughter as the weight of the moment evaporates.

"It also gives me purpose. Every day I get to be chainsaw man I save tons of people."

"Hmph."

"What about you?" Denji asks.

"I don't really know either. I wanted my normal life back, but I don't think I was happy."

"How come you haven't healed your arm yet? You should be able to fix ‘er up by drinking some blood.”

"The thought of drinking blood grosses me out. Even when Yoru tried to do it for me, I'd always make it… hard. I know I wouldn't need much but the thought of it just bothers me."

"I get it."

"You don't seem like you would. You eat people right?" Asa said teasing him

"N-NO! I was human once. I didn't want to drink blood or have a chainsaw sprout from my head. But I was determined to live. I wanted to protect the people important to me, so I did it."

"Denji.. give me your arm."

-Someone once told me it can be difficult to understand another's heart.-

Denji stretched out his arm toward Asa.

-So, I should take care to remember the little things.-

Asa grabbed hold of Denji's arm.

-How long are her fingers? Are her palms cold or warm?-

"Can I have some of your blood?"

"Yeah"

-Memorize the bite so that even if I lost my sight, I'd still recognize who it's from.-

Chapter Text

Asa bites down on Denji’s arm. He braces the pain as her arm grows back. Asa pulls out, takes a step back to spit out the blood in her mouth. Denji is mesmerized by Asa’s beauty. The glow of the full moon bouncing off her face. He catches himself amidst his lingering gaze…

“How you feelin’?” Denji asks

Asa looks back at Denji

“Why do you have a boner?”

Denji's face reddens, quickly he turns away from Asa

“Uh that wasn’t on purpose or anything!”

“Whatever, Let’s just head back. The wind keeps picking up. We don’t want to get caught in another blizzard”

Asa and Denji make it back to the apartment just as a ferocious blizzard began to kick up. They straightened up the apartment and put down the new sleeping mattress purchased from the outing earlier in the day. They pop on Ghost in the Shell to pass the time. The apartment rumbled and shook from the forces of the storm outside. Sometime after the movie ended, Asa had changed into the oversized pajama set they found after rummaging through the boxes earlier in the day. Denji proceeded to change into his pajamas. Both lying awake facing away from each other.

"Thanks for earlier.” Asa says

-For giving me the courage to…- Asa thinks to herself

“For helping me with my arm I mean. What you said helped”
“…………”
“Also I never thanked you fo- Asa pauses as she hears a muffled whimper

She flips on the light switch

“Denji….”

Asa finds Denji in a fetal position. Tears streaming down his face. She sits down an places a hand onto his shoulder.

“Nayuta, I killed her. I know I did! What good is being chainsaw man if I can’t protect anyone I care about!” Denji slams his fist on the floor in pain

The apartment shook again with vigor.

“We can still, I’m sure we’ll find her” Asa replied in as empathetic a voice she could muster

“The last thing I said to Nayuta was that she shouldn’t be with me. How could I say that? No matter if I’m chainsaw man or myself I never make the right choices.”

Asa leaned in to hug Denji.

“Blaming yourself for the bad things that happen isn’t fair. I don’t know why bad things happen but you being chainsaw man has saved lives. You saved mine.”

Denji leaned into Asa reciprocating the hug

Asa starts to tear up as they embrace each other.

“I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. You showed me that even when you lose everything you don’t have to eat that crap burger alone.”

“..........”
".............."

Denji takes his head out of Asa’s shoulder.

They stare into each other’s eyes. Their faces warm and flush.

Denji leans in to kiss Asa.

The apartment violently shakes and the lights cut out.

Chapter Text

The following morning Asa and Denji stepped out of the apartment to find a six foot wall of snow had developed overnight. Towering at the end of the walkway, blocking access to the outside world. There were a few neighbors that had been up early already chipping away at it with their shovels.

Asa notices Denji fixing his hand to yank on his starter, her eyes widened as she swiftly grabs hold of his hand pinning it to his chest.
“What are you doing?!”

“That’s a lot of snow and we really don’t have time to waste here.”

“There’s already more people stepping outside their doors if you transform now they’ll all think you’ve transformed into one of those chainsaw monsters and it’ll cause panic. Besides chainsaws aren’t going to cut through snow that thick.”

An old man thin-faced, dark eyes, hollow cheeks, receding hair walks over to Asa and hands her a shovel.
“Snow’s not gonna shovel itself.” The old man said

“Unless you’re willing to blow a hole through these people’s homes we are going to have to be a bit patient.” Asa whispered

“Tch. Fine. We’re going to have to wear these masks if we’re gonna be here a while. Can’t risk anyone recognizing us.”

“No one is going to recognize you, Denji.”

“It’s nice to see a young couple ‘round here. You remind me of my son young man.” The older woman remarked wanting to add a bit of levity to room.

In a dismissive tone Denji responds, “Oh yeah?” while shoveling away at the wall, hardly making any progress.

“Yep, he’s a good kid too. Well, he was ‘til he got wrapped up in that Chainsaw Church business. Now he’s a walking monster. Breaks my heart to see what’s happening to the youth these days.”

“He got a raw deal, but he totally fell for a scam. Who the hell would agree to marry for sex? That’s ridiculous.”

Overhearing the conversation the old man narrowed his eyes “How would you know about what goes on in a chainsaw church? Boy.”

Asa chimes in “Yeah Denji, how would you know?”

“They offered me to join which I obviously didn’t accept. Those guys are cree-.”

“VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM”

A chainsaw monster’s torso burst through the icy bedrock slicing the head off a nearby resident.

“Holy fuck!” Someone in the far end of the hall shouted

Shovel in hand Denji leapt toward the head that was flailing its way through and hammered it again and again until it was motionless. He yanked the body through the hole it burrowed and placed it on the ground. All the residents gathered around to look at it.

“Oh god. I know this person. They used to live here. They were so much younger then.”

A strong wind blew in through the hole dusting the entire hallway white and pulling in more snow sealing it shut. Everyone was now viciously shivering.

The old thin-faced man with his dark sunken eyes addresses the stunned and terrified residents in the hallway.
“It’s time we start thinking about who we eat first.”

“Dude, what the hell is your problem.” Asa retorted

“Why is everyone looking at me like I’m not bein’ practical? We’re screwed no matter how you look at it. If we make it outside those monsters’re waitin’ for us. The hole where you pulled that thing out of has already been plugged by snow. What’s going on ain’t natural.”

“He may be nuts but he has a point Asa. What’s going on ain’t normal.”

At that moment a little boy tugs at hem of his mother’s coat while pointing at Asa. Caught up in the frenzy that was everyone’s madness setting in Asa nor Denji thought much of their masks flying off their faces from the gust of wind.
“Mom, that’s the girl who was on TV.”

“Hey you’re that girl I saw on the news. You killed all those Public Safety officers that protects us from devils.” The mother shouted to ensure her voice echoed above everyone elses

“Huh? I did no such thing!”

“You’re the reason my granddaughter is walking around with a chainsaw sprouting from her head. Stay away from that girl young man she’s a wanted criminal!”

“What? No she’s not she’s… my girlfriend. She wouldn’t do that.”

“You should kill yourself!” Another resident shouted.

Growing enraged Denji began shouting at everyone “Hey, you shut the hell up geezer, I’ll kick your ass!”

The old man with his thin-face, dark maddened eyes flings the shovel in his hand toward Asa. For Asa, everything in that moment ground to a halt. She was again faced with the consequences of actions she had not committed nor had any influence over. The feeling of guilt was tiring. Exhaustive. She no longer had the capacity to muster such an emotion. She was overcome with something different this time. This thing rising in her like a great tide. Asa outstretched her hand. The shovel redirected midair to land perfectly within her grasp.

“Shovel Bomber.”

Everyone and all the commotion in the hallway fell silent.

“It’s a bit bigger but it doesn’t look any different.” Denji remarked to himself.

Asa began walking in the direction of the old man.

Overcome with fear he takes a step back.
“St- Stay away from me you freak.” He stumbles and falls on his ass as she approaches. He no longer saw a person; it was a Devil. A devil whose eyes were wide and red. Hair flowing like wildfire. He scrambled backward until he felt the cold press of the icy barricade that entrapped him. Every step closer his heart rammed harder against the inside of his chest. Now standing over him, she raised the shovel in her hand. Driving it down fiercely the old man cowers, closes his eyes and covers his head.

Thump!

“You want to get away from there.”

Realizing Asa thrust the shovel into the snow behind him the old man scurried away on all fours.

BOOOOM!

The blast obliterated the obstruction preventing them from the world outside.

“AND I’M CHAINSAW MAN” Denji yells as he yanks his starter

Asa places a hand on Denji’s shoulder
“Denji, its time we go.”

“Hold on, You all owe Asa a thank you.”

“Just leave us you-you monsters.” A voice from the crowd muttered

“What the hell?” Denji said

“It’s fine Denji.”

“You just saved their lives.”

The little boy broke loose from his mother and ran up to hug Asa. He was only tall enough to wrap his arms around her leg but it was enough.
“Thank you.”

Our protagonists leave behind the confines of their impermanent refuge. Those that would see them go looked on in a dead silence. As the winds of winter picked up, the sight of their backs turned from solid form to whispering shadow before they disappear completely behind a wave of snowfall.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure.”
“That doesn’t sound like you’re confident in in where we’re going.”
“Last time I was there I could actually see more than 3 feet in front of me.”
Traversing what was once a sizzling city that had now been reduced to an icy hellscape. Buildings buried underneath snow, so deep rooftops were walkable. Rolling hills on the horizon formed from the unrelenting downpour. The worst of it was the air. Inhaling raked their lungs. Every breeze biting their skin.
Asa gripped Denji. Snuggling up to his body as they trudged their way forward. Denji guiding their connected body up the hedge in front of them.
“Wow. There’s no missing that thing.”
“Told ya I knew where we were going.”
There It was. It was as if they’d returned from a distant nightmare. One step forward and they were no longer bracing the cold unforgiving world. Though the surrounding area was blanketed by snow everything within a five-hundred-yard radius of the building was warm. The ground beneath their feet green. The sky clear of the snow that had polluted the air. The Chainsaw Man Church Headquarters.
“So, you’ve never been here?”
“No, there was never a reason for me to actually show up here. My job was to slay devils and be seen doing it.”
“All these people outside the building. There must be hundreds. They’re all praying.”
“Hey you, why’re all you guys on your knees?”
“We are all praying to chainsaw man. Chainsaw man will free us from the cold hell humanity’s been punished with.”
“What the hell? I never said I would do that.”
“Fortunate for the rest of us some punk like you ain’t chainsaw man.”
“You’re askin for-“
“Denji remember what we came here for.”
“Yeah.”
Asa and Denji walked toward the entrance.
“The walkway to the entrance is open.”
“Excuse me but why is no one walking into the building.” Asa asked the crowd of people huddled beside the entrance
“Its locked.” The voice came from a Middle-aged man sitting by with his wife and daughter
“They’re not letting anyone in.”
“Well, I’m bustin’ my way in.” Denji said.
Denji Grabs hold of his starter
“No need for that Chainsaw Man.”
This voice came from inside the building. They opened the door to Asa and Denji.
“Sword guy?” Denji said
“HOW DO YOU NOT… Ugh never mind. Just come in.” Dejected, Miri welcomed in their new guests.
“He a friend of yours?”
“No way I barely know the guy.”
The inside was grander than Asa had expected. If you looked up the expanse and its emptiness was intimidating. It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that it didn’t simply open on to the heavens. There were several floors lined with rooms separated by impressive pillars throughout.
“So Mitaka Asa is Chainsaw Man’s girl? She’s way too cute to be with a guy like you. I guess being Chainsaw Man has its perks.”
“Where’s Nayuta?”
Denji wasn’t demanding or demonstrative. He was the calm before the storm.
“If that’s what you came here for, you’re outta luck. We don’t have her.”
“Ya know, I figured you might say that. That hurts like hell. Hearing you say that now, no matter how much I tried to rationalize it in my head ‘nayuta might be here, she’s probably not but she might be’.” That hope still hurts like fucking hell.”
Denji’s head wavered and hung down over his slumped shoulders.
“But that’s not all we came here for. We’re putting an end to all the chainsaw monsterization you creeps have been up to. So if I gotta murderize you and everyone else in this building to do it I’ll be more than happy.”
Denji dashed toward miri. Striking an elbow into his chest launching him into wall behind him before swiftly closing the gap and striking him again with a fist to the abdomen. Krak! Denji then pressed the blade of his forearm against Miri’s throat.
“Woah there, now that I can help you with.”
“Oh yeah how’s that?” Asa asks with a raised brow.
“Well you see everyone who got turned has a contract with the fire devil. All you have to do is send that thing packing back to hell and problem’s solved.”
“Ok so where the hell is it?” Denji asks
Miri smirks “Heh. You have to summon it for a contract. The only way to do that is to do what everyone else did.”
Denji and Asa exchange looks as they nodded their heads
“Ok” they say in unison