Tap...

Tap...

Tap...

A finger softly tapped on a wooden table. The rhythmic tapping brought solace to the aching mind of the male the finger belonged to. This finger's tired (E/c) eyes stared down into a bowl of ever-soggy growing noodles as his head pounded. He couldn't tell if it was the lingering headache he had come to process in the past days or the repercussions of drinking so much but he knew this wasn't natural. His gaze lifted from the bowl to his other hands barely clinging to a pair of chopsticks and then to those gathered around him. He sat at the end of the table while his associates sat eagerly eating their own bowls. Himeno... Aki... Denji and Power... A soft sigh escaped his nose as a pair of red eyes lifted and met his.

Power: Oi! If you're not eating give your bowl to me!

(Y/n): I am eating.

Himeno: Nooo you've been staring off into space~

Denji: If he's not eating the bowl I'll take it.

(Y/n): I'm going to eat it, ok?! I just... have a headache.

Aki: You've said the same thing since we left the hotel.

Another sigh escaped through your nose but it felt heated. Your frustrations with this headache and your attitude, in general, seemed to be bubbling under the surface and you were struggling to get a hold of them. The chopsticks escorted some noodles to your lips and you began slurping them down, enjoying the taste as your eyes met Power's once more. A smirk settled across her face as she slammed her chopsticks down.

Power: Attention!

Aki: Keep it down. It's rude to shout in a noodle shop.

Power: I have an announcement!

Denji: Eh?

Power opened her mouth to speak only to be caught off by a sudden noise in the distance. It was several pops over and over until the air was simply filled with silence once more. Your lips were pursed around a couple of noodles but you couldn't help but let them plop back down into the bowl as you straighten up in your seat, the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.

Denji: Wuzzat noise...?

Power: You don't know? What a fool... 'tis the sound of taiko drums.

Aki: A festival...?

The tension in the air was still there but it seemed to wash over like a wave. The headache in your skull only seemed to sear more vividly like heat was building in your head trying to explode out. 

Power: So did you two truly not copulate yesterday?

Himeno: Denji is actually quite the gentleman!

Your eyes twitched softly as you pinched more noodles between your chopsticks and began slurping them down once more. Now your dressing shoe cloud feet softly tapped at the floor as your left knee bounced up and down softly. You just... needed to get your mind anywhere else. Just to get some relief from the ache. 

Denji: So what's this announcement you got?

Himeno: Yeah now I'm curious!

Aki: It's probably just something gross...

Power: Denji may have an issue finishing in bed but Power does not! 

Power stood up quickly from her seat with a sharp toothy grin and pressed herself against your back with her chin resting on your right shoulder.

Power: (Y/n) is having my baby!

The entire table went silent as the three stared at you and Power. You had to remind yourself to thank Power later as this news did peel your mind away for a moment.

Himeno: Hah? N-No way... No way! You two... You copulated?! 

Denji pushed himself away from his seat and stomped over to you a look of rage and sorrow crossing his face as he gripped you by the collar of your dress shirt and began to push and pull you forward and back.

Denji: You horny devil! You traitor! How could you do it with Power?!

(Y/n): H-Hold on!

A dark cloud seemed to cross Aki's face as he simply continued to eat his noodles, his eyes blank but filled to the brim with rage as you worried about what was filtering through his mind.

Power: I don't see what's the issue! It's only natural that a beautiful and powerful devil such as I spread my DNA to bless the next generation! (Y/n) here is destined to be my deputy prime minister so it's only right we secure power with a child!

Himeno: A bloody mask devil?! A masked blood fiend?! T-There's so many questions!

Denji: When did you do it?! Was it at the hotel?! It was, wasn't it?!!!

(Y/n): We haven't done anything! Power talked about it on the way here! W-We haven't done anything like that yet, I swear!

Denji: Hmm... Wait, what do you mean yet?!

Denji began to pull at your collar once again while Power began to discuss names she considered "cool" Himeno was somewhere between excited and freaking out while Aki was somewhere between attempted murder and convicted felon and you weren't ready to find out which one he was closer to. Meanwhile, something managed to draw the attention of your entire table and it once again made your sense spark. Your whole body seemingly jumped into alert as the searing pain returned and rested just behind your eyes. You wanted to blink but it only seemed to grow worse as you were practically seeing red from the pain. Your finger idly tapped at the table again though much faster while Power detached herself from your back in favor to stand next to Denji as your group directed its attention at the man who spoke out of nowhere.

???: This day just goes from bad to worse. You two are talking about sex right here in public and it only makes these noodles taste worse... How can you eat the ramen here? Doesn't it taste terrible?

Himeno: ... Who's he?

Bad. He's bad. You know it. You can feel it. Every hair on your body is standing on end and this fucking headache won't go away because of it. It's only getting worse and worse just looking at his stupid scrunched-up face. Another sigh escaped through your nostrils and was even warmer than before as you pushed yourself out of your seat into a standing position as well. 

Denji: Taste's fine to me!

Power: Don't speak to me familiarly!

???: I see you can't judge the quality of flavors. You can't help it though. If you only eat the same flavors in childhood, your palate won't be as refined as an adult's.

You could feel your nails digging into your thigh as you tried to remain calm. Your skill felt like it was bubbling from the molten heat just underneath your flesh. Who cares about palates or plates or whatever? He needs to leave. Now. You slide out behind Aki only for Himeno to grip the cuff of your left sleeve, holding it in place and dulling the pain for a moment before the male's dark eyes settled onto you for a moment before settling back on Denji. 

Aki: Shall we leave?

???: My granddad-

He didn't even have to say another one. Not one more word. You were done. Your calm and serene emotions only seemed to burn in the fiery blaze that burned in your head. your chest ready to burst out and you pulled your hand free of Himeno before cracking your neck from side to side. In your head, you kept trying to reason with the invisible force that was pushing your emotions to the brink. You were not like this. This wasn't you. And as the man spoke you figured out what was truly going on...

???: The gun devil says it wants your heart.

It's because it wasn't you. It was HIM

And with that, a gash cracked across your face in an instant.

Your hand slapped the underneath of the table and pulled it upward, hurling it forward at the man as he pulled a gun from his coat and fired. The table managed to throw off his aim with one shot missing entirely while the other ricocheted off the wooden table. The man ducked out of the way to avoid the flying bowls of half-eaten noodles just in time for you to charge forward with a blinding fury in your... eye? Your face was falling to pieces before the man's eyes. Your dress shoes crunched pieces of your own flesh as if they were pieces of plaster while your lone eyes were a blistering red color. You threw a left and right punch at the man with deadly efficiency but your forward momentum sabotaged you. He easily ducked past your left and knocked your right hand with an easily timed bash with the back of his left hand into your wrist. It was in this moment of confusion in the blind rage that you realized your position and felt the feeling of cold steel pressed under your chin.

BANG

Your head was thrown back by the force of the blast, the pistol round entering in through your chin and passing through the darkness in your skull before flying out of the top of your skull. Staggering backward, it wasn't just your face but your whole head that seemed to collapse. Pieces of bloody flesh and plaster soared through the air smattering against walls and the floor of the ramen shop as a piece of brain landed into a discarded bowl of noodles. Your new backward moment resulted in your falling backward into the waiting arms of a violently pissed Power. Her sharp eyes stared down into what was left of your face and head as she yelled. 

Power: Top Knot!

Aki: Kon!

In a single moment, the side of the ramen shop was devoured by a large devil. It resembled a demonic-looking fox as it took out a large chunk of the shop while it took the man into its maw. Himeno pounced into action as she moved to rest out your side, her singular green eye as wide as it could seemingly be as she stared down at the bloody mess that was your head. It only thing that seemed to be intact was your lower jaw as your tongue flopped about weakly trying to form words. Power quickly tore her sharpened nails into her forearm and peeled enough to create bloody gashes that dripped sanguine droplets onto your waiting tongue. Aki and Denji quickly stepped over the debris you caused to check in on you but this wasn't nearly the end of this saga.

???: Aki Hayakawa... You put something monstrous in my mouth... It is not human or devi-

The sickening cutting sound filled the air as a katana sliced the forehead of the wolf and a devilman slashed his way out, standing on the guts of the fox devil. Aki gripped the scabbard of his sword as he glanced over to see Denji furiously pulling at the buttons of his shirt. Aki then extended his hand and rested it before Denji, stopping him as his finger curled around his cord.

Aki: Let me handle this. Others might arrive soon to try and finish the job. It would explain the pops earlier.

Denji: So you're saying-

Aki: Power... Get (Y/n) Back on his feet.

Silence...

No, it is more than silence. 

It's like floating in a space with no limit. You couldn't move and your senses seemed to fail you but you were there... It seemed you weren't dead but even you knew in your brief moment of logic before that trigger was pulled that you were beyond messed up. It was then a familiar sensation began to fill you but the one you least expected. You expected to feel a sense of peace but instead, the same fury from before filled you. What the fuck...? What the fuck?! That son of a bitch used a gun and blew your head off! You were going to do the same to him! No! No, you were going to do something worse! you were going to rip his spine out and use his still screaming head as a jump rope! You could feel the warmth of rage filling your unresponsive muscles and suddenly you could move them. Fiber by fiber until whole muscles were responding to your calls once more. Somewhere n the blackness, you could sense a presence, and then all at once, it made sense. A rush of memories... a chair... blood everywhere... flames of conquest and destruction in the wake of total war...the repression of much-needed emotion... Anger.

???: Yes! Yes! Rise you sack of worthless flesh! Take my face and use it to rip and tear that bastard to pieces! This world is ours to conquer! 

A familiar voice called out to you but with the molten emotion building up in your chest you knew it was time to get back into the fight. Not to spare someones feeling or even save your comrades but the satiate that nagging feeling in the base of your skull to scorch the very earth that fucker breaths until he can't but wish for a merciful death. One he won't get in your hands.

A was quiet in the ramen shop now. Debris and clutter filled the floor save for two bodies. Aki coughed out and watched his own blood dripping from his lips onto the floor, he was doing everything in his power to stay awake but was growing weak by the moment. He glanced over his shoulder to see you still out on the ground. Maybe you had... no... you were a devil man... You couldn't be dead from a simple gunshot. But looking down at the large vertical slash down his chest and stomach... Aki wasn't sure if he- 

Aki blinked in surprise as he heard something shuffling behind him. The pain was growing with each breath and the dark-haired male couldn't find the strength o look past his shoulder as he heard the sound of clothing shuffling... then swiping at cloth... then the sound of dress shoes clacking on the ramen shop floor before a hand resting on his shoulder. Aki's strength nearly gave out right then and there as he tried to look up and see... but knew you had this covered. 

Two figures sat outside in utter panic. Blood painted the sidewalk and nearby buildings around their van as blood-soaked piles of clothing littered the ground alongside discarded handguns. The larger familiar man was lugging around the torso of a familiar chainsaw devilman while the girl was looking around cautiously, her eyes set on someone walking up down the sidewalk. A skittish-looking black-haired girl. But this was a mistake.

???: That woman... Get him in the van.

The man nodded with a huff as he dragged along Denji and lifted up Denji to begin moving him closer to the van but also made a similar mistake the blonde made. They were both keeping their eyes on the skittish girl instead of you.

The blonde's eyes widened as she watched a long piece of metal soar in front of her into the side of her comrade. The man from the ramen shop dropped Denji and let out a hacking coup dripping with a blonde as he collapsed to the side awkwardly. He desperately lifted his head in time to see a stop sign. A stop sign had been ripped out of the nearby street corner and hurled with enough power to tear through his side and out the other, his guts on the verge of spilling out as he let out a strangled cry. The sound of clacking shoes filled the air as the blonde turned quickly to see you standing before her, head still devastated to no end. Your tongue hung loosely from your lower jaw as you cracked your neck from side to side.

???: How the hell are you still alive?!

All of a sudden you lifted and hand and pressed it to your right arm. Your fingers curled and with one effective yank you had not only torn your dress shirt but blood poured from the wound. but the usual crimson liquid didn't seem to flood out. Instead, it was a disgusting-looking reddish-black substance that quickly began to congeal and sharpen to a point, a grand serrated sword forming on your right arm as you lifted it and pointed it at the girl. Meanwhile, your lower jaw began to bubble up, seeming to boil as your neck twitched and something began to happen.  Something grew and simply ripped your tongue the rest of the way off and let it fall to the ground. The grown material that bubbled up from your mouth took the shape of a new head. The material congealed and formed a handsome-looking statue. Something akin to pictures of Rome or Italy, the head of a handsome statue took the place of your new head. The stone chin rested on your lower jaw as if it was a scarf and remained undisturbed for a few moments before the black eye holes were filled with fiery crimson eyes and the lips of the statue began to crack apart to form a semi-functioning mouth. With a deep proper breath... you spoke for the first time in this new form.

(Y/n): I'm going to skin you alive... and use your friend's spine there to forge my battle flag. I will plant it in your corpse as you pray for death.

The girl opened her lips to say something before they sealed again... Then she quickly raised a handgun and fired two shots into your chest. While she was distracted by you, Kobeni managed to rush forward. The girl turned and unleashed her own worm-looking devil but it held no effect as Kobeni rushed forward and slashed upward with a knife she procured and caught the blonde on her thumb, slicing clean through it. As the girl let out a grunt of pain, the man from the ramen shop managed to rip the sign out of his stomach and swung it at Kobeni. This wouldn't stand of course and you had already rushed forward and deflected the assault with your bladed arm. The man let out another bloody cough as he swung the sign against it and nearly caught your throat but you were focused on another prize. Your blade lowered and speared forward, catching the man in his soft stomach and you carved through the already nasty gaping wound and out through his back. The gurgling growl of pain was music to your ears as with a huff you lifted him over your head and could feel his disgusting blood raining down on your new face and skin.

(Y/n): Yes... Yes! This casualty of war! The first is forging my new empire!

Your voice boomed out with a laugh as in the excitement you didn't notice a pair of female hands, one of which was missing a thumb, raised behind you and gripped the wrists of the male resting on your blade and yanked. The poor man was cleaved in two as his lower half fell on the sidewalk while she hastily dragged his bleeding torso to the van. 

???: Die in the van!

She barked out before throwing him inside. Kobeni raised her knife over her head only for the blonde to pick up a bloody discarded handgun. She raised the pistol at the skittish girl but once more you internally declared this wouldn't do. You pounced in front of the girl and felt two blistering shots in your back before three clicks. She was out of ammo. No matter as she sadly got the distraction she wanted. The blonde hopped in the van and hastily sped off with the man, though Denji had been left behind.

(Y/n): Cowards... They won't escape me-

Kobeni: (Y-Y/n)? 

You paused for a moment as you turned to look at Kobeni who was in the process of a major panic attack. You wanted to try and say something but you were still fueled with bloodlust and you were soaked in that man's blood. As you took a step toward the girl you tried to rack what was left of your logical brain for something to say. But it was at this moment that the effects of uncontrolled blood loss, trauma, and gunshots caught up with you. Actual blood dribbled from your statue lips before your knees buckled and you fell forward onto the pavement.

Kobeni: (Y-Y/n)?! N-No please wake up! (Y/n)!

Kobeni's voice grew more distant as you tried to find the energy to stay away and answer her but soon you were flooded with internal questions that only lulled you further. Where was Power? Himeno? Even Makima? This was... this was so wrong. So fucking wrong. So much death and yet... You didn't get to finish your thought as you were finally claimed by your body's need to rest before you managed to never wake up again...