Renji Kuroda gripped his laundry pole with both hands, adjusted the angle, turned the blade upward, and then thrust it sharply.
With a dull thud, a large gash split open across the Zombie Devil's grotesque body. Black blood and chunks of flesh splattered out in all directions.
Renji frowned.
That wasn't the outcome he had envisioned. When the blade cut in, he had distinctly felt a powerful resistance—it was like driving a knife into dense rubber. The blow left only a deep wound, not the decisive, cleaving strike he had intended.
His plan had been to bisect the creature in one clean blow.
"Not enough attack power. I definitely need to pick up something like Mana Burst soon."
The skill Kojiro's Insights was a tactical ability, not something that could enhance his raw damage. Right now, everything—all of Renji's offensive capability—depended solely on his physical strength and the sharpness of his makeshift weapon.
It was fine for slicing through basic zombies. But when it came to this massive, deformed devil, it was like trying to cut down a fortress with a kitchen knife.
"Still… that's fine. I can grind you down. If I keep scraping, it'll be like peeling flesh from bone."
He adjusted his stance again, locked onto the Zombie Devil's core, and drove the blade in.
The creature let out a piercing, guttural shriek. Its body spasmed wildly. Renji didn't stop. He slashed again and again, every stroke opening a new wound, spraying blood like a burst pipe.
In just a few moments, the monster's body had become a mass of ruin—its flesh shredded, bones exposed, grotesque innards spilling from cavernous gashes. It looked less like a devil now and more like a dying, mewling beast.
"Kill me! Kill me!! I'll give you my heart! Just kill me already!! Stop—please, no more!!!"
The Zombie Devil finally cracked.
Its howls were laced with pure agony and terror—it had completely lost the will to fight, to even live. Its bulbous eyes rolled back, and with a violent cough, it hacked up something from deep within: a crimson heart, still beating mid-air.
Renji exhaled quietly.
He was exhausted. With all his strength, he could only manage cuts a dozen centimeters deep—barely enough. If the creature hadn't given in, he might not have been able to finish it.
And when he didn't immediately respond, the Zombie Devil panicked.
It spat the pulsating heart out again, closer this time, desperation in every twitch of its disfigured face.
"It's real! I'm not lying! This is my heart! Just… end it!!"
Renji inhaled slowly, steadying his hands. And then, without hesitation—
Shink!
The blade of the laundry pole sank into the heart, cleaving it cleanly in half.
"I'm… finally free…"
The Zombie Devil's voice trailed off into silence, and its enormous, mutilated body slumped over for good.
"Renji, quick! This one's fading fast!"
Hayakawa Aki's voice cut through the air like a whip, urgent and sharp.
Renji's heart clenched. He turned and sprinted back without a word.
Denji lay on the ground, cradled by Aki. Her face had been gently cleaned, revealing pale skin as delicate as porcelain. She looked fragile, peaceful even—but each breath was shallow, ragged.
The chainsaws on her head and arms had retracted. Her wounds had sealed. Her fiend form was gone.
Renji quickly crouched beside her, examining her closely.
She was in visible pain. Her lips trembled. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks. Her breathing was weak, and her pulse was barely detectable. The suffering she felt seemed deeper than anything physical.
"I gave her my blood. She should've recovered. But her breathing's fading, and her heart… it's slowing down. I think her will to live is collapsing. She's different from us—fiends and Devils don't cling to life the same way humans do."
Aki's voice was low, tense.
Renji's eyes sharpened. He leaned in, eyes fixed on Denji's lips.
There—a faint movement.
He immediately bent down, bringing his ear close to her mouth, listening carefully.
Denji's voice was barely a whisper. Fragmented. Slipping through the cracks of her breath.
"Po…chi…ta… don't… leave me… don't…"
Renji's chest tightened. He understood everything in an instant.
In the original timeline, this was where Denji had been ambushed and butchered by the yakuza. In her final moment, she had made a contract with Pochita—her only friend, her only family. That bond, that love, had given her a reason to live. It was Pochita who became her heart and saved her.
But here, that moment had shifted. The trigger was incomplete.
And Denji was slipping away.
But in this alternate world, and with Denji being a woman, the plot has some subtle differences from the original. Although he doesn't know the specific situation or where things went wrong.
However, with Pochita's disappearance and the deaths of the yakuza and the Zombie Devil, Denji has now lost the will to live.
So what now? How can he save Denji, whose heart has died?
There isn't much time left.
Renji Kuroda brainstormed incessantly, recalling what Denji's obsessions were in the original work, what she dreamed of having.
Suddenly, Renji remembered.
Losing her virginity.
And in this alternate world, Denji is a woman, so the only person who can help her lose her virginity is...
With a "let's try it" mindset, Renji carefully brought his lips close to Denji's ear, then gently licked her earlobe, and slowly exhaled puffs of warm air that would make a woman hum, blowing them into her ear.
When Renji looked up at Denji again, just as he had expected, Denji's facial expression had undergone a subtle change.
Denji's expression became complex, her brows slightly furrowed, revealing an unspeakable pain and struggle, yet also seeming to contain a hint of imperceptible enjoyment.
At the same time, her face gradually flushed, as if ignited by some intense emotion, making her exude a unique charm and allure.
[Ding~ Detected Hayakawa Aki's jealous emotions. System rewards 20 points.]
Seeing that it was working, Renji ignored Hayakawa Aki and leaned in to Denji's ear, whispering softly, "Hey, Denji, I'm a man. If you don't seek death and live well, I'll let you touch me."
[Ding~ Detected Denji's excited emotions. System rewards 10 points.]
As soon as this sentence was uttered, Denji's heart instantly began to beat rapidly, and her breathing also became hurried and fervent.
Denji slowly opened her eyes, which were filled with uncontrollable excitement and exhilaration.
Her gaze fell on Renji, and as their eyes met, Denji's face instantly flushed a vibrant red.
Her eyes also began to dart around, not daring to meet Renji's gaze directly, yet she couldn't help but steal glances at him from time to time.
After a long while, Denji slowly spoke, her voice soft and hesitant, clearly suppressing her excitement: "That… that you… let me touch you."
After saying this, her face became even redder, and her head dropped even lower.
[Ding~ Detected Hayakawa Aki's jealous emotions. System rewards 20 points.]
.. p@ treon Rene _chan. I'm new guys , trying to create a community that enjoys my stories , if this is kind of your genre fanfic , then I have a lot in store for you , you won't be disappointed. Anyways go check it out, your can choose any of the three tiers to your liking, starting only at 3 dollars. I hope you enjoy my work and also as a being I would love to receive gifts from you guys. Good day, Love you guys :)