Chapter Text
Yoru couldn't have imagined a more horrid start to her day. Stuck in the head of a girl who was more awkward than any other human she had seen was bad enough but she at least saw some light in it, most notably being in a human body and not some stupid bird. There were schemes to think over, plans to carry out, deadly weapons to make! All for the sake of defeating Chainsaw Man! But no, Asa just couldn't go through with turning that boy of hers into a weapon at that aquarium, as abysmal as that date was in the beginning, because the girl's annoying feelings got the better of her and now they were going out for real. Losers attracted other losers, Yoru guessed. And then Denji just so happened to be the real deal and not some deluded fanboy they once thought!
Oh, Yoru was livid, now having to endure her nemesis in such close proximity would have made her hurl, and now her host was dating him. Bleh. But there was a silver lining, a chance! The War Devil was weakened from her last battle with Chainsaw Man, sure, but it would have been so easy to jump the idiot and kill him, simple as that. At that point Asa and Denji had been together for about two to three months now, but better late than never as the old saying went. Her goals could come to fruition...
And then it just so happened that not only did Asa become more difficult to take over when the time came, the two of them actually separated from each other like they were hallucinations within her mind. Yoru still took on the girl's features, her signature scar and ringed eyes kept as well, but the world around her could be touched. People could see her, Yoru could interact with objects without Asa's body. It was like the devil was truly alive... It was like a dream come true!
No more would she be confined to that hormonal teenager's body, how such a thing was possible didn't matter to the devil, and instead she could kill Chainsaw man with her own two hands! But then the world decided to throw another curveball and screw Yoru over even more.
As it turned out, being separated from the person you made a contract with really fucked over your powers. Even just making a simple sword took a lot of effort, and to top it off it was exhausting to even move around for long periods of time. Asa clearly wasn't bothered when she found out Yoru wasn't even a threat like that, Denji even thought the War Devil looked neat now that he knew she could only give him a small cut... Nothing pissed her off more than that little comment. To think that being within Asa was a better alternative, but it was still nifty that they could be pulled apart for an entire day at most. Yoru made sure no one knew that though.
So where was she going with this? Ah, right. Well, now that Asa and Denji knew Yoru couldn't harm anyone on her own... an idea came to mind. The two dimwits would go out on date for the day, apparently Denji had some spare money to treat Asa to something nice, and Yoru... would babysit his little sister. Nayuta.
What... in the absolute fuck... did I just hear?
"Asa Mitaka. I have tolerated your foolish decisions far longer than I thought possible... But this?! Have you forgotten who you are speaking to?!"
Asa found herself wincing from the devil's raised voice, filled with a level of irritation she hadn't felt in a long while. Yoru sat opposite her in a small chair, her fingers grinding against the fabric as she stared at her with gritted teeth and a sharp glare. Whatever the girl had asked her certainly soured her mood, now that the silence within her apartment was all but shattered. "I told you it wouldn't be for long, just a day at most and that'll be it!" Asa said, almost as if she was pleading with her.
Good, such a demand asked of her required all the grovelling a human could achieve. The War Devil deserved that much at least! Unfortunately, that still didn't ease Yoru's frustration. "And what makes you honestly believe that I, of all people, would be suited towards such a task?! A task, might I add, is insulting enough as it is given who I am!" Yoru growled.
"Believe me, you've made that loud and clear plenty of times..." Asa mumbled, but her unwilling bond with the devil made sure her words weren't hidden and instead only worsened Yoru's foul mood. The girl hastily followed up with a response. "Look, can you just hear me out for a few minutes? I've already talked this through with Denji, so give me a chance." Yoru merely narrowed her eyes before sighing.
"You have one minute. Shoot."
"Denji knows you want to kill him. The whole world knows at this point but y-you get the idea, a fight between you two is gonna happen at some point in the future. Months, years, I-I don't know! We'll both get used to this weird thing between us and you'll be able to make a weapon of your choice by yourself to kill Chainsaw Man. In the end, whatever the outcome will be... you will fight him. All I'm asking is something for the meantime, a favour because a chance like this doesn't come often, Yoru." Asa explained while tiredly rubbing her eyes. She knew convincing the manifestation of war itself would be a hassle in advance but that didn't make things less annoying. "So just do this one tiny thing for me, for us, since you usually get your way most of the time."
Asa certainly wasn't wrong about that. The girl had been complying with her contract to kill Chainsaw Man up to this point, all so the devil would leave her body. Still, Yoru was reluctant to just give in so easily. "An inevitable conflict with Chainsaw Man... I just wish that stupid boy of yours realised the true extent of my powers and feared me." Yoru grumbled with crossed arms.
"Good luck with that." Asa chuckled and leaned back on her own chair, so nonchalant that Yoru couldn't help but feel irritated by it. If there was anything she had learned about Denji, it was that the boy was either too insane or stupid to fear anything relating to devils. "So... will you agree to look after Nayuta for the day?"
To be reduced to a mere babysitter. Me! The War Devil! Tch, what a pain.
Yoru drummed her fingers against the chair, her brow furrowed, deep in thought from Asa's demand. Then... the devil's ringed eyes met Asa's with a smirk.
"Fine, but on one condition."
***
Nayuta sat atop her futon, legs crossed as she looked up to watch Denji pat over his shirt in some weird attempt to make himself look more presentable. "So how long will you be away for, DenDen?" She asked with a tilt of her head, using her hands to tend to Meowy's fur as the cat sneakily made itself at home on her lap. The nickname was a sudden discovery but was adorable all the same to him.
"Eh, only for a few hours. Should be back later at night if things go smoothly." Denji hoped things would go without a hitch. Never could tell with devils these days, or if Asa would break out her mental encyclopaedia again.
Though, months of dating certainly had him entranced by her voice on the rare chance that she did go off on a tangent, and helped calm him down when they were alone together.
Grinning, he finally straightened his shirt and after taking a good long look in the mirror, Denji knelt down and patted the girl on the head. "Don't worry, your super awesome and hip brother will send any rude devil packing if they interrupt us! You just need to do the things we talked about."
"Take the dogs out, get food, do homework and behave." Nayuta listed off with her fingers. Now Custard had wandered into the room looking for attention and Denji ruffled both their heads and nodded to her to-do list. While the girl wore a blank expression most of the time, head pats always earned him a small smile.
"Right on the money."
Nayuta didn't exactly know the specifics of Denji's plan with Asa, but it had been a while since she last saw him so excited about something so she chose to ask later. All she was told was that her babysitter was unique, like her, but what that truly entailed was unknown to the newest incarnation of the Control Devil. Again, no details.
The sound of hard knocking against the front door snapped Nayuta out of her thoughts, Denji stood up and mumbled what sounded like a list of items he needed to bring before putting on a dark green jacket, and she curiously peaked around the corner.
"I s'pose you two could watch those old rentals we got, if she's into that sorta thing too." Denji beamed a toothy smile at Nayuta as he reached for the door knob. She only hummed in agreement.
She remembered the first time Asa brought over some old movies for them all to watch. Denji, Asa, Nayuta, Meowy and all seven huskies to be exact, all huddled around the TV, which definitely made the already cramped apartment a tight squeeze. It was... nice, and thanks to her Nayuta developed a new fondness for them.
The knocks only got louder until Denji finally answered the door. "Alright, alright! Jeez, are you trying to bust my door open? Money ain't cheap, y'know-"
"Asa's waiting for you downstairs, I wouldn't need to bash your door in if you hurried up." Denji yelped as he found himself being yanked forward outside by the shoulders. The voice sounded like Asa, but Nayuta noticed the brash tone that set this person apart. "You two better make this damn thing worth my time, Chainsaw Man." She spat, animosity and frustration pouring out from her voice.
Oh, so she knows who he is... Neat.
Much to the woman's growing irritation, Denji merely grinned. "Don't forget to lock the door if you're heading out~" He said, as if to purposely annoy her. "Oh, and be careful around the dogs. They- Hey, hold on! I wasn't-"
And just like that, the woman slammed the door shut in his face and gave out an audible sigh of relief. "Yeah, yeah, as if you two aren't in hurry to get into each other's pants or anything." She mumbled sarcastically. Nayuta inwardly winced from the loud action.
Now this woman was in for a rude awakening. Literally.
***
At last, Yoru had made it inside, with that insufferable idiot Denji shooed out before her patience could run out and result in a violent fist fight. Then again, what Asa offered in exchange made the War Devil... reconsider doing anything rash. With a heavy sigh, she dropped the bag she was carrying with a loud thud and took her shoes off. May as well show some courtesy to whoever it was Yoru was looking after, though without paying much attention to her surroundings she did wonder what was causing the floor to rumble ever so slightly.
Yoru scowled once she finally decided to look around the room.
"The hell's up with this place? Are his neighbours really that- GAH!" She found herself toppled over by an unknown attack. Fast and swift, and just like that Yoru crashed to the floor, grunting before she attempted to assess the situation. Whoever it was, they weren't alone!
Her attackers were quick, they were numerous, they made sure to surround her and they were barking with curious and excited movements! It was all she could hear! Yoru cursed herself from being caught so off guard, but no matter. These mysterious foes would pay dearly, but despite who the assailants were dealing with they were continuing to... to... lick her.
They were licking her? Yoru's ringed eyes bulged as she finally opted to sit up, now finding herself surrounded by seven huskies who all sniffed and clambered over her to identify their new guest. Two dogs either side of her were already drenching her face with slobbery licks of affection, another on its way to do the same and Yoru gasped as she tried to break free. "Huh?! Dogs?! Who in their right mind would have seven dogs?! Agh, g-get off me already, don't you know who I am?!" Yoru yelled amid the swarm of dogs, who were still all too eager to meet the War Devil regardless of her threats. Unbelievable! "That stupid fool... Asa didn't warn me about thi- Oi! Not the hair! And stop crawling over me already!" She growled with narrowed eyes.
Clearly these mutts didn't want to listen, but no, no using her powers because of how stupidly weak they were right now. Plus... it wasn't like the dogs were doing anything wrong aside from being annoying. Yoru huffed now that her face was wet from the gross assault, however the dogs seemed to calm down and give her space after a few seconds of more sniffing, leaving her to blankly look up at the ceiling.
What a wonderful start to the experience. "Say hello to the War Devil..." Yoru mumbled sarcastically and she finally sat up to wipe the excessive drool off her scarred face, only to find a sudden weight press against her chest. Her ringed eyes looked up and met... a cat, sitting with its two front paws digging into her chest as it merely... stared back at her. Was this feline judging her? Looking down on the War Devil to proclaim its own superiority after Yoru had made a fool of herself? The cat gave out a meow and began to lick one of its paws, or maybe Yoru simply wasn't worth its time. "Seven dogs and a cat. Yeah, because that makes total sense." A groan escaped her lips. “What's next, a devil?”
"That was Tiramisu and Brownie over you, they're a bit more hyper than the rest. The cat on your chest is Meowy."
The sudden voice made Yoru jolt a little on the spot, sitting up right as Meowy begrudgingly moved off her chest, a very odd but clever name if she was being honest, and the War Devil finally met the eyes of the little girl she was meant to be babysitting for the day. She puffed a loose strand of hair away and got to her feet to get a better look at the girl, who only met her gaze with a rather blank expression and a tilted head.
The two of them just stood there, observing the other's features, however what really caught Yoru's attention was Nayuta's eyes. Ringed, just like her own.
Huh? Since when did a child have those?! No... she couldn't be...
"My name's Nayuta, sorry about the dogs." The girl snapped her back to reality as she suddenly outstretched her hand for Yoru to shake, who stood there awkwardly. "You're the one looking after me, right?"
"If... you want to call it that, yeah." Yoru slowly shook Nayuta's hand while her eyes remained focused on the girl's eyes. "Call me Yoru."
"You look a lot like Asa. Are you her sister?"
Perhaps revealing who she really was could come another time. "Erm, I... Yeah! Yeah, I am!" She exclaimed like it was something to be proud of. Disgusting, and Asa of all people?! "So... are you hungry? Did that idio- I-I mean Denji feed you or..." Yoru wanted to curl into a ball and scream for the way she was acting, why was the War Devil stuttering in front of a child?! Though Nayuta seemed to buy it as she nodded her head with a quiet hum. So far so good, as long as things went at this pace Yoru would have no trouble with-
"Auntie Yoru, I want sliced bread." Nayuta demanded and immediately latched onto her leg, looking up at her with a pleading look from her eyes.
Yoru's face took on a new shade of red as any and all rational thought left her now short-circuited brain.
***
Auntie.
Nayuta, Denji's little sister who Yoru knew for a fact wasn't an ordinary human, had just called her Auntie.
I... somehow feel like my reputation has been ruined.
Were it not for the fact that she had a child to mind, Yoru would dove headfirst into the nearest pillow and screamed from the level of embarrassment she felt. But alas, here the War Devil was ten minutes later, being watched rather intently by the girl as several jars were laid out around her, with two slices of bread being cut in half after a copious amount of each jar's contents were spread across them for lunch. Nayuta certainly wasn't a picky eater, yet how one girl could eat so many flavours only added to Yoru's confusion. At one moment she was pointed to one thing, then another right afterwards.
Definitely something picked up on from Denji. Poor thing. She made a mental note to make a better dinner for later as she set the plate down with a glass of water in front of Nayuta who tapped her legs in anticipation. "There, enjoy." Yoru heaved a tired sigh, such an arduous task wasn't made any easier being separated from her host. Nayuta gave her a thumbs-up in spite of her blank look and dug in nonetheless; a nod of confirmation gave Yoru her seal of approval.
At least the cat and the dogs are fed already, that would expect too much of me in my given form!
She excused herself and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her before Yoru took a good long look at herself in the mirror. What met her wasn't a displeased scowl or some other hostile look she'd give after Asa was being an irritating loser... No, Yoru may have been a little tired but she felt oddly mellowed out.
Which was strange because Nayuta had already embarrassed her. "That child... what is it I'm not getting? Why am I acting like this is... routine for me?" Yoru questioned with a mumble, she narrowed her ringed eyes and furrowed her brow, resting a hand beneath her chin and supported her elbow with another. "No, this isn't the power of a devil. She may very well be one but... she's also been living with Chainsaw Man. How?"
Yoru wanted to approach this strategically, to quickly break down such feelings before they could cause her trouble. And after a few minutes... no such luck, and she reluctantly shelved the thought away for another time and simply washed her face to make sure no more hidden dog drool was on her face.
If it isn't a devil then... why am I feeling so odd? Ugh, just my fucking luck! Curse those two idiots!
No, now was not the time to take her frustration out on those two. Not yet. Patience would give Yoru her needed answer as to why she was feeling rather odd around Nayuta, why her heart was filled with a weird sense of pride for someone other than herself. Yes, a true war strategist had to wait for an opening! Then Yoru would figure it out!
She smirked at herself in the clear mirror, a far cry from how Asa would express herself, reflecting nothing else but her own excitement towards such an idea. Only through time with Nayuta could Yoru get the answers!
Sometimes... I stagger even myself with my genius.
And with that, Yoru was about to make her way back into the living room with Nayuta and the dogs, but then something caught her eye in the mirror. Or rather, Yoru caught herself and grew rather curious now that she had a bit of time to get a good look at herself. No big deal, it was Asa's body she was dealing with. Then again... Yoru traced her fingers over that signature scar of hers across her left cheek and nodded, it definitely went well with those eyes, then she slithered the hand down her chest before ending at her hips. Again, the War Devil merely nodded in content to how it all felt in combination with the dress she wore.
Until Yoru suddenly struck a pose with one hand against her hips and the other over her face, highlighting the scar and her eyes the most as her loose long hair swung from the motion. "Damn, Yoru. How do you look so good? If only Asa took some advice from you." She grinned.
Never will she speak of this to anyone, so why not appreciate her own good looks? The scar definitely made things more appealing.
When Yoru finally made her way back to Nayuta, the girl had just finished up eating whatever type of sandwich she constructed. As she set about washing the plate, a quiet meow caught her attention and sat near the edge of the counter was Meowy. Once again the cat graced Yoru with its presence.
"Yo. You need something?" Never had she interacted with a pet before but something saying 'yo' to a cat made Yoru cringe a little.
As if sensing her apprehension, Meowy inched closer and sat just next to her arm. Great, like that made things easier and no Yoru was not nervous about misreading a cat.
"Have you not pet a cat before?" Nayuta's voice jolted the devil out of her daze, she stood below her with her arms outstretched and Meowy took the chance to leap off the countertop and into them.
"Never been around them a lot..." Yoru reluctantly answered, inwardly cursing herself for feeling so flustered over a trivial thing.
Without a word, Nayuta sat down. "Here." She pat the space opposite her and Yoru crouched down to her level. Nayuta took her hand that slightly dwarfed her own, yet in spite of that the motion was filled with a confidence she was... oddly lacking, before slowly resting it atop Meowy's head. "He likes it best around the ears or his chin."
The fur was remarkably soft, and Nayuta guided the War Devil's fingers to scratch those specific spots. Yoru blinked when she felt a little vibration against them and quickly realised the cat was purring, eyes closed as it leaned into her hand for comfort. Her other hand was moved to his back, sinking a little into the fluffy fur as Yoru ran it over him and before she knew it Nayuta had let go of her to pet him freely.
Her ringed eyes shifted between the girl and the cat; once more that odd feeling was back and stronger than before.
"Oh, Meowy seems to like you already."
Amazing...
Hmph, of course this cat relaxes to my presence. It would be a fool not to.
Alas, such words never saw the light of day and instead Yoru asked a question. "Are you a cat person?" Yoru looked Nayuta in the eyes.
"They're nice to be around, even if this one gets up to mischief." For the first time since she got her, she heard a small chuckle escape her lips. Just then, one of the many dogs that swarmed her earlier made its way over to Nayuta. This one was black and white. "But I prefer doggies, like Oreo here." The cat suddenly jumped out of her arms as Nayuta rubbed Oreo's head after he licked her hand.
Brownie, Tiramisu, and now Oreo. Yoru amusingly sensed a pattern.
She still wouldn't forgive them for the combined sneak attack they did earlier though.
***
An hour later, Yoru was feeling a little peckish herself and decided to put Asa's culinary skills to the test to make a simple dish of chicken and rice. Truly, the scope of her host's knowledge on food knew no bounds. She sat down and watched as Nayuta began to draw something on a sheet of paper, though from the way she laid Yoru couldn't get a good look at what it was so instead she opted to see if anything was on TV.
No such luck. Typical humans, no entertainment at this time. Another dog, Custard, sat beneath her and earned a few pets for being so patient.
"Aunt Yoru... it's time."
Yoru doubted she'd ever get used to that title but something about the way the girl said it made the War Devil reconsider opposing it. Strange... But it was only when Yoru finished up eating did she finally notice what Nayuta was on about
Ah, now this... is a problem.
It was the dogs, all seven of them as Custard made her way over to the pack. They all sat next to the front door while looking at her, making the already tight hallway even more cramped and each one of their tails wagged excitedly.
"Shit." Yoru sighed, knowing her responsibilities as the resident babysitter were about to be tested as Nayuta tugged at her skirt. The girl outstretched her arms to her.
"Walkies."
One word, just one, single word regardless of how adorable it was from her, and it somehow set the dogs off into an enthusiastic mood as the huskies swarmed around Yoru's legs. She gasped as she struggled to find her footing, no way was she being toppled again! "Ah! Okay, okay, give me a-a chance to do something first!" Yoru scowled. "Nayuta, where are the leashes?"
Nayuta wordlessly pointed to a small drawer and Yoru, with more effort than necessary, stumbled through the sea of dogs to reach it. Inside were seven respective collars, all in an array of colours for each one and her ringed eyes widened at was now happening.
"No... I can't walk all of those mutts in my weakened state... I wouldn't have the strength to wrangle them all." Yoru muttered to herself, as much as she hated to admit it. Without Asa she would grow too tired to do a thing, ugh. Not only that, Nayuta was looking forward to it and Yoru didn't feel like disappointing... for some reason. "There has to be some way to..."
Her eyes caught sight of the outside, and she remembered a crucial detail. It was snowing, not heavily but the streets were icy and snow was more than abundant no matter where she looked. Of course, that would have made things worse!
Until a toothy grin formed across her lips from a remarkable idea as she spotted two perfectly sized pieces of wood in the corner, almost akin to the time Asa mentioned she would turn someone into a weapon to stop others being affected...
Which was a damn lie given her relationship with Chainsaw Man of all people!
No, now is not the time for lovesick teenagers, Yoru. Your brilliance has shone through once again!
Time for Yoru to work her magic, because who said devils couldn't ski drive?