Chainsaw Man: Heart of Hell |Aki Hayakawa|

Chapter 23: Price of Survival

Mom, I'm still alive. But why? What for? What am I afraid of?

She thought her memories were like a thin thread. She trod on lightly and cautiously however if she wavered and became inconsistent the thread would break into two. She would fall and hang on to the both of threads to try to connect them back together. But a knot won't make the same connection. It was a thread with knots she made along the way. A futile attempt to put everything back together to the way it was. Yet, it was still tangled, strained, and severed. 

These were her memories. Love had tried to remember the parts and their connection but it was almost impossible. She knew going back would break them even further so she kept going forward not knowing where it would lead her. 

They were her reasons not to go back. That it was better that way. But looking back at it now it still mattered. This hell is the one she chose to live with. Even if her memories were filled with tragedy. There were good ones too and those are the ones she chose to have.

Then there were the two of them, Enmei and Sen.

Two teenage boys, Enmei and Sen brought together by their ill-fated lives. The world had worked against them, their young lives have been destroyed by devils. Even at the worst tragedy of their lives both of them survived. Yet they were there, sat by each other at the sidewalk of the streets of Kyoto waiting for devils. Enmei stared idly at the people crossing on the sidewalk. A screen of smoke obscured his view. Sen had his body leaned forward, his hand on his knees. His head was raised as a single cigarette set between his lips.

"You heard of what happened to this bar?" Enmei started. Sen turned his head as the short end of the cigarette fell out of his mouth. There was a moment of silence until Sen's face expressed one of realization.

"Shit, you mean that Black Sabbath party. Everyone has been talking about it. That shit was crazy. Feel bad for division 2, the newbies had to witness all that ripped up naked bodies on their first day." Sen shook his head as he stomped on his cigarette.

"Well, I don't think any devil hunter had a normal first day."

"You're right," Sen said leaning back on his hands as he stared at the sky reminiscing the past.

"What I heard is that they captured a devilman. And the love devil-"

"No way! You mean that crazy bitch!" Sen laughed interrupting Enmei.

"She was the one that killed all the devils." Enmei stayed composed and continued despite Sen's habit of interrupting people when he gets riled up. This was the result of being with him for a long time.

"Shit, I should have expected that. The higher-ups can't get enough of their tool, huh?"

"But I feel bad for her. She has no other choice than be a tool to the Bureau. Her life is wrapped around the higher-ups' hands."

Sen gave a questioning look at Enmei. "I get that she's beautiful. But really? I never expected you to have that type."

Enmei rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You know she saved many peoples' lives, including ours." Both boys glared at each other with a knowing look. Enmei wanted to overlook Sen's feigned ignorance. Sen rolled his eyes as he stood up dusting off his black suit.

"Break is over, the boss is gonna beat our asses if we don't get back." Sen exasperated as he slipped his hands in his pockets. His dyed blue hair swayed in the wind, his brown eyes set at a building from a distance with an unreadable gaze.

Enmei sighed and mimicked him. He tidied his suit buttoning it up and pushed back his long black hair in a low ponytail. His jet-black eyes took one glance at Sen. He was concerned.