Ardent Hope: Chainsaw Man x Male Reader Insert.

11. Reflections.

One of the nights he fell asleep lulled by the cold night's breeze, (Y/N) found himself dreaming. He felt like space and time was distorted, and he was floating right in the middle of them, falling to the nothingness of the void. Little shimmers of light floated in between in abstract shapes, formless punctures in the void that seemed to enlighten the nothingness they reached. The stillness of the place may result unnerving to other people, yet it felt comfortable to him. As he fell, he noticed the presence of another being there, right in front of him. The golden flames flowed in gentle strokes upwards, and he recognized, in the glistening shine, the form to be that of the woman who had rescued him that rainy day of January.

"What is that you crave for?" The now familiar voice spoke.

"I want might." (Y/N) responded, the burning ambition remarked in his eyes. The devil in front of him frowned, and held a stern gaze.

"For what is that you want this power?"

"To protect."

The devil then moved, or rather, the flames that formed her body danced along the void, constantly changing her shape to be accord to what she wanted. The stillness of the space shattered at that moment, yet the time did not. The sight was now that of a birdless sky, far beyond the thunderous clouds that waved below them, and only the moon was present to see their doings.

"By the establishments of the contract, only my heart belongs to you." She said. "What you seek to shield, is neither what I desire nor want to protect."

"You told me to live, and to protect."

"And love." The devil finished for him. "These are all objectives you could perfectly strive for with your current strength." (Y/N) didn't know what to respond at that moment, and remained silent for a couple of seconds, so the devil continued. "What I desire to protect, and what you intend to, are not the same."

"Then why?" (Y/N) tried to walk towards her. "Why would you provide me with such powers, if I can't use them to protect those I love?"

"You had been reckless enough in your battle against the Leech Devil." The devil seemed to not hear him, yet he continued.

"You knew what I yearned for since I met them! I shared my heart's content with you!" He tried to get closer, only to fall to his knees on the invisible floor that held them. He could feel the strain put in every muscle of his body, the burning ache he was getting used to after he overused the powers of the hellfire.

"Your body is frail, and weak." The devil spat. "If I provided the power you want, the flames would only consume you." (Y/N) looked at her, the same burning ambition never left his eyes. "Be better. And I shall provide what you seek."

The space and time shattered at the same time, and (Y/N) found himself lying in his bed. Power was hugging his arm, and he could see the gentle sun slowly rising in the horizon by the window.

"Be better."

(Y/N) could feel the cold metal cutting through his skin and flesh, a downward movement that struck him right in his chest. He let out a shrill cry of pain, and made some distance between the two of them, shooting his remaining chain towards the Katana Devil.

Their strikes clashed. The burning chains slashed towards the Katana Devil's body, and hit him square in the chest leaving a searing shackle mark on his already tattered trench coat. The Katana Devil was promptly grabbed by the rolling chain that wrapped his arm, and yanked towards the searing touch of a burning punch in the head that made him sink into the floor of the decaying building, completely destroying it, and was laid down on the floor below.