Player 10,000 Year Later (Chainsaw Man / The Boys) Multiverse later

The atmosphere in Stan Edgar's office was heavy with tension. Seated at his desk, the CEO of Vought International leaned back in his chair, his steely gaze fixed on the skyline of New York City. Yet, his thoughts were far from the city's bustling streets. His mind was preoccupied with a single name: Kang Woo.

The man managed to steal Homelander's powers, Stan thought, his fingers steepled in front of him. Left him with nothing but super strength, using nothing more than a medallion. The scene replayed in his head—the chaos, the mockery. Homelander, stripped of his flight, laser vision, and near-godlike dominance, rendered a shadow of his former self.

And that wasn't the worst of it.

Most of The Seven were incapacitated, having been utterly humiliated in their encounters with Kang Woo and the enigmatic Makima. Edgar's analytical mind raced to piece together the fragments of information they had on her. The Control Devil. He had some understanding of her abilities, her manipulation of others through force of will. But Kang Woo... Kang Woo was a mystery.

"No one knows what he is," Edgar muttered under his breath. "No one knows what he can do." His jaw tightened as he recalled the reports. A man who summoned a chimera bird to taunt Homelander. Who created an army of T-800s—machines straight out of a fictional movie—out of nothing. If it weren't for Starlight's intervention, those machines would have razed New York to the ground.

A knock on the door broke his train of thought. Without waiting for a response, Madelyn Stillwell entered, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Her expression was controlled but edged with nervous energy.

"Sir," she began, "I need to clarify something. This entire situation with Kang Woo and Makima—it was Stormfront's suggestion. The Tournament of Heroes—that debacle was her doing. None of this has anything to do with me."

Stan Edgar's cold gaze shifted to her. "Stormfront is in no position to take responsibility for anything right now," he said, his tone icy. "She's heavily injured. A lightning bolt, summoned out of nowhere, struck her down during her fight with that Devil Hunter... Kishibe." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "And yet, here you are, trying to deflect blame. Playing with forces you clearly don't understand."

Madelyn bristled but maintained her composure. "I only wanted what's best for the company," she said, her voice steady. "The supes we've created have always been... subpar. If we could make devil contracts—"

"Enough." Edgar's voice cut through her explanation like a blade. "I know exactly what you want. You want to capture Makima. To dissect her. To understand more about devils. You think that's the key to closing the gap."

Madelyn took a step back, sensing the simmering anger beneath his calm exterior. Edgar stood, his imposing presence filling the room.

"But you didn't account for the man standing beside her," he continued. "Kang Woo—a man whose power we don't even have the tools to measure. A man who nearly turned New York City into Judgment Day." He gestured sharply toward the reports on his desk. "We are not dealing with something we can control, Madelyn. And if you can't see that, you're more of a liability than an asset."

Madelyn's face paled, but she quickly masked her unease. "I'll make sure this doesn't escalate further, sir," she said, her voice clipped.

"Funny," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "that's exactly what you said during the White Devil Incident. An event we know nothing about, except that it humiliated Homelander by easily dismantling him. What I care about isn't just that, though." His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk. "What I care about is the sudden disappearance of 20 tons of Compound V. And now, this problem. You've already racked up two monumental fuck-ups."

Madelyn's composure faltered, and she opened her mouth to respond, but Edgar raised a hand, silencing her. "You didn't tell me the White Devil just spawned behind Peter January," he continued. "I only recently found out he was at Sage Grove Center, medically dead, and somehow revived—at the top of a pile of corpses in the disposal room. Corpses your grunts tried to sweep under the rug."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "And then, of course, there's the truth about Peter January. Starlight's brother, publicly declared dead in a house fire. In reality? Secretly captured by you and your grunts."

Madelyn's heart pounded, and her mind raced. Please don't fire me. Fuckkkkkkk, she thought, the desperation clawing at her composure.

Edgar continued, his voice colder than ever. "What's happened has happened. Whether we win the Tournament of Heroes or not—and let me be very clear, I am extremely fucking sure we'll lose, no matter what supes we throw at Kang Woo—that doesn't change the damage. But this is your secret task now." He pointed a finger at her, his gaze sharp. "Control the media. At the very least, keep Vought's image clean."

Madelyn blinked, her breath catching. "Does that mean… I get a second chance?"

Edgar smirked faintly, leaning back once more. "I have my reasons for not firing you," he said coolly. "But yes, you can consider this your second chance. Now, leave me alone."

Madelyn's relief was palpable as she nodded and quickly left the office, her gratitude tempered by the weight of the task ahead. Once the door clicked shut, Stan Edgar sat in silence, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

He muttered to himself, his voice low and bitter. "Seven more years. Just seven more years, and I'll retire. I'll dump this entire mess on Madelyn."

A faint smirk played on his lips as he imagined the day, but it quickly faded. The storm surrounding Vought and the chaos Kang Woo had unleashed wasn't going away anytime soon. And Edgar knew better than anyone—control was fleeting when you didn't fully understand the forces at play.

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Meanwhile, on a snowy plane field deep in the woods of her territory, Santa Claus, the mysterious figure contracted with the Doll Devil, stood alongside her student Tolka. The frosty air was thick with tension as Santa held up a photograph, revealing the image of a man standing beside Makima.

"Our next job," Santa said, her voice cold and deliberate, "is not to hunt wild foxes like we usually do, nor devils. This time, it's to kill the man beside Makima." She pointed to the photo, her tone sharpening. "Kill him. Carve out his heart. That's our mission—live or die."

Tolka, usually obedient and stoic, furrowed his brows. For the first time, his voice broke the silence with something unexpected. "I refuse, Master."

Santa turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "Why, Tolka?" she asked, her tone tinged with both curiosity and irritation.

Tolka straightened his stance, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. "Master, you may not have heard this—or perhaps you've chosen to ignore it—but recently, all of Japan's citizens have been forbidden from harming Makima or the man beside her. His name is Kang Woo."

Santa's expression didn't waver, though her silence urged him to continue.

Tolka inhaled deeply, his tone firm. "Kang Woo is no ordinary man. I've heard whispers about him—rumors that he can speak directly to the Hell Devil, not as someone who requires massive sacrifices to strike a deal, but as though he's a boss commanding a subordinate."

Santa's eyes widened ever so slightly, her composure momentarily slipping. "You're certain of this?" she asked, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant.

"Yes, Master," Tolka replied, his voice steady. "Unlike us, who must offer so much for so little, Kang Woo doesn't need sacrifices. He commands. And the Hell Devil listens."

Tolka's gaze softened slightly, though his voice remained steady. "However, if you insist, Master, I will still help you. You've always been there for me, and... you only have half a year to live." He hesitated, his tone carrying an undercurrent of sadness. "But—"

Before he could finish, a dark word emerged on the table between them, its presence eerie and unnatural. The letters seemed to writhe as they formed, glowing faintly with a sinister energy. The message was clear:

"Change of deal. Do not try to kill the man beside Makima. Instead, convince him to come to a certain location. I need to speak with him. Whether you succeed or not, you will still receive part of my flesh as promised."

Santa's eyes narrowed as she studied the message, her thoughts racing. Huh... the Darkness Devil is changing the mission? Opting for an easier path and still keeping its promise? She tapped her finger against the table, her calculating nature kicking in. Why would it care so much about Kang Woo? Even primal fears rarely shift their terms.

Tolka broke the silence, his voice quieter but tinged with vindication. "Looks like I was right, Master. He's way out of our league... even for a primal fear like the Darkness Devil to change its conditions."

Santa didn't reply immediately, her mind working furiously. Her expression betrayed no emotion, but inside, a mix of annoyance and intrigue stirred. So, the task is to convince him instead? The Darkness Devil clearly sees him as more than just a nuisance. But how do I approach this without overstepping?

Finally, she spoke, her voice cold but focused. "Let me think. I'll need to devise a way to play my part in this... new arrangement." Her gaze flicked to Tolka. "We'll proceed carefully. If we fail to convince him, the Darkness Devil will still keep its word. But if we succeed, we might learn why this Kang Woo is so important."

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In Qingdao City, amidst the calm night in China, Quanxi lay in a state of peaceful sleep alongside her companions, the Fiends who loyally followed her. The stillness was suddenly broken as she stirred, woken by the sharp knock of an officer at her door.

"You've got a job, Quanxi," the officer said as she lazily sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Capture this man—the one always referred to as the 'man beside Makima.' Although, we've started dubbing him 'Makima's slave.'"

Quanxi yawned, stretching before replying, "What did I miss in the news this time? I've always believed ignorance is bliss, but something tells me I'll regret not hearing this."

The officer straightened, his voice steady. "Japan's Prime Minister Kentaro made an official announcement. No personnel, no civilians, no one, is allowed to harm him or Makima. Any harm toward him is considered a crime. And if this man tries to kill you, no Public Safety Devil Hunter nor police will assist you. They've made it clear: you're on your own."

Quanxi blinked, her expression briefly shifting from casual disinterest to mild curiosity. "And why's that?"

The officer hesitated but continued. "Makima has been hailed as a hero for supposedly defeating the King of Devils. Her identity as the Control Devil was leaked, but it didn't seem to matter. However, what caused an uproar was when she announced her resignation as Commander of the Public Safety Devil Hunters. During that announcement, she also accused Prime Minister Kentaro of selling Japan to Vought International."

Quanxi's brow furrowed as she leaned forward, her interest piqued. "She said that publicly?"

The officer nodded grimly. "Yes. It caused nationwide panic, but—strangely—the chaos subsided mysteriously within days."

Quanxi leaned back, crossing her arms. In her thoughts, she recalled the events of the past few days. Bullshit. 'Mysteriously subsided.' I saw the same thing everyone else did. That monster in the sky. It wasn't just in Japan—it covered the skies of China and the rest of the world. Anyone who looked at it was terrified. And the timing... it lines up perfectly. That wasn't a coincidence.

Her gaze sharpened as she addressed the officer. "What's the reward for this job?"

The officer's posture straightened further. "The general has authorized any request to the best of our ability, should you succeed."

Quanxi leaned back, crossing her arms. Her gaze lingered on the officer for a moment before she spoke. "Let me take a closer look at the picture."

The officer nodded, handing it to her. "Here."

Quanxi's sharp eyes scanned the image. Her brow furrowed slightly as she noted something curious: It's not the man following Makima—it's Makima following him. In her thoughts, the realization deepened. The Control Devil, whose identity and methods I've known long before her public exposure, is following this man willingly. A devil capable of eavesdropping through birds or rats... submitting to someone else's lead? That's no slave. This flips the dynamic completely.

She lowered the photo, her tone calm but firm. "How about this: I drop him off at a certain location in Japan, and you do the rest? From what I see, he's not her slave. It's Makima who's following him."

The officer shook his head, his expression unyielding. "No can do. You're one of our personnel. It's your job to do this, and your request will be granted once you've completed it."

Quanxi's irritation flickered briefly as she prepared to argue further, but before she could, one of her Fiends stirred from sleep. Cosmo, her ever-unpredictable companion, sat up and immediately began chanting her single word: "Halloween. Halloween. Halloooooweeen." The repetitive monotone echoed in the quiet room, breaking the tension slightly.

Another Fiend, Pingstsi, rubbed her eyes as she joined the conversation. "I want donuts for the reward," she declared plainly, as if that settled the matter.

Quanxi sighed, shaking her head with a faint smirk. "Alright," she said at last, looking back at the officer. "If I manage to capture this man, my condition is this: give my Fiends basic education and proper human rights. Deal?"

The officer hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I see what I can do. But be advised: if you want us—the government—to assist with an ambush or anything similar, you'll need to participate in an acceptable plan."

Quanxi tilted her head slightly, a faint grin tugging at her lips. " I'll think of something."

After a few hours, Quanxi and her Devil Fiends arrived in the bustling streets of Tokyo, Japan. Or rather, what should have been bustling. Despite it being noon, the capital city's streets seemed eerily empty. The usual lively crowds were replaced by a ghostly quiet, with only a few scattered people walking briskly, avoiding eye contact.

Quanxi's sharp gaze swept over the scene. Something felt off.

Before she could voice her thoughts, a familiar figure appeared further down the street. Kishibe, hands casually tucked into his coat pockets, strolled with his usual nonchalant air. As his eyes landed on Quanxi and her Fiends, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Huh," he muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Never thought I'd see you back here."

Before Quanxi could respond, Pingstsi stepped forward, her voice cutting through the quiet. "You have three Devil contracts," she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "But you're still just an ordinary guy. Let's gobble him up."

Quanxi's hand shot out, firmly grabbing Pingstsi by the shoulder. "We're here to gather information," she said, her tone calm but authoritative. "Not to cause an uproar."

Pingstsi huffed, crossing her arms but staying put, while Kishibe chuckled, his smirk widening. "Still the same, huh? Ever the pragmatist." His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he teased, "So... do I still have a chance?"

Quanxi rolled her eyes, her expression flat. "I'm still into girls, not men. I'm a lesbian, and you know it."

Kishibe shrugged, clearly unfazed. "Doesn't hurt to keep testing my chances."

Quanxi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Talking on the street like this makes us look like a bunch of idiots. Let's head to that café instead." She pointed to Futamichi Café, a modest establishment just across the street.

Kishibe nodded, the smirk never leaving his face. "Lead the way, then."

At Futamichi Café, Quanxi and her Fiends took their seats, while Kishibe sat across from them. The café was eerily empty—no waitstaff, no other patrons. The silence pressed down heavily, broken only by the faint hum of the lights overhead.

Quanxi leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes fixed on Kishibe. "How are you doing , old dog? Still chained with a collar?"

Kishibe smirked faintly, taking a cigarette from his pocket but not lighting it. "Got promoted. Went from captain to commander. Someone had to fill Makima's spot after she resigned."

Quanxi raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement crossing her face. "Not gonna pull out one of your notebooks to scribble down your cryptic thoughts?"

Kishibe shook his head. "Makima gave her word. Said there wouldn't be any more birds or rats spying on me—or on the people of Japan."

Quanxi's amused expression faded, replaced by a skeptical look. "What? And you believe that? Just like that? Someone like Makima doesn't care about promises like that. She doesn't give a shit about anything."

Kishibe took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly before replying. "Makima's already seen the contents of my notebooks. Not because I wanted her to, but because of the circumstances. When Lucifero—the one you might call the King of Devils—was nearby, I had no choice but to give her my notes. We needed to stay quiet, and makima needed to convey her thoughts by writing ."

He leaned back, a faint grimace crossing his face. "At first, I thought she'd toss them aside like trash, but she didn't. She kept the notebook read parts of it, and return it back to me . She even became aware of my plans to kill her." He chuckled dryly. "Probably joked about it , claiming she's always listening. here's the thing—Makima doesn't care about any of us anymore."

Quanxi nodded slowly, her sharp gaze softening slightly. "I've missed a lot of things."

Kishibe leaned forward, his smirk turning into a faint grimace. "You're probably gonna tell me ignorance is bliss," he said, his voice quieter but laced with a sharp edge. "But this time, you need to hear the news. Danger's not just lurking—it's everywhere."

He lit the cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his face before he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "And if you're after Kang Woo—the guy they're calling Makima's slave, which is a very fucking stupid title—let me warn you. That man is a hundred times more horrifying than Makima ever was."

Quanxi's sharp gaze didn't waver, but a flicker of tension crossed her expression. "I thought we were friends, Kishibe."

Kishibe sighed, leaning back in his chair, his tone softening slightly. "We are. That's why I'm trying to protect you. If you go after him, Quanxi, you won't make it out alive. I've seen enough to know that."

Quanxi glanced at her Fiends, who remained unusually silent, before returning her focus to Kishibe. "Protecting me from him, huh?" she muttered, her tone unreadable. After a moment, she added, "How much of a chance do I have if I plan everything out against Kang Woo? From the way you're talking, it sounds like you know him—like you're drinking buddies or something."

Kishibe chuckled dryly, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "It's more like a take-and-give relationship between him and me. Let me correct what I said earlier—you could still make it out alive if you tried something stupid. That's because Kang Woo and I made a deal. One of the terms was that you'd be spared, no matter how reckless or idiotic your attempts to fight him might be, but that's not applied to your fiends ."

He paused, his voice dropping to a more somber tone. " let me be clear: you've got a better chance of fighting and beating Makima than you do with Kang Woo."

Quanxi nodded slowly, her sharp gaze unwavering. "How many devil contracts does he have, then? And what is he? A Supe? A Hybrid Devil, like me?"

Kishibe shook his head, his smirk returning faintly. "He's none of those things. Not a Supe, not a Hybrid Devil. And as for devils, he commands them like they're his personal bodyguards. Hell Devil, for example—he ordered it to guard me."

At that, Pingtsi slammed her hand on the table, her voice rising in indignation. "Are you lying to Lady Quanxi, huh, old dog?!"

Quanxi raised a hand, her calm voice cutting through Pingtsi's outburst. "I believe him. But I'll need proof."

Kishibe sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, Hell Devil. Better show yourself."

From the shadows of the empty café, a grotesque, six-fingered arm materialized, its palm opening to reveal a mouth.

The Hell Devil emerged partially, its deep, guttural voice dripping with disdain. "What the fuck do you want, human named Kishibe?"

The room fell silent. Pingtsi stared wide-eyed, muttering under her breath, "Fucking hell…"

Cosmo, as usual, chimed in with her singular word, "Halloween. Halloween."

Long, less restrained, cursed under her breath. "Motherfucker…"

Kishibe, unfazed by the tension, waved a hand dismissively. "You can leave, Hell Devil."

The Hell Devil growled, its voice echoing unnervingly. "One of these days, I hope the Noble One will sever my status as your bodyguard. I'm tired of this."

With that, the Hell Devil disappeared, leaving the room in a suffocating silence.

Quanxi glanced at Kishibe, her expression unreadable. "That's… convincing."

Pingtsi, visibly unsettled, leaned forward, her voice laced with frustration. "I can't detect that! Why? I can see every contract you've ever made, and not one of them is with the Hell Devil."

Kishibe shrugged, his tone nonchalant. "That's because it wasn't a contract. It was a command—one given by Kang Woo. That's all."

Quanxi's brow furrowed slightly, but she leaned back, shifting the conversation. "Let's change the topic. I heard twenty tons of Compound V went missing from Vought, but I feel it has something to do with Kang Woo. He seems to be at the center of everything lately."

Kishibe chuckled dryly, exhaling a thin stream of smoke. "Didn't you always say ignorance is bliss?"

Quanxi smirked faintly. "I have my own sources. But Compound V... even just 500 ML of it is enough to buy a large piece of land in China."

Kishibe tapped his cigarette against the ashtray, his tone casual but carrying weight. "Kang Woo has fifteen tons of it. Don't ask me where he's keeping it—I wouldn't know. All I know is I only purchased one gallon of it."

Quanxi blinked, her calm demeanor briefly cracking as her eyes widened. "Huh? I'm sorry—what? You're telling me Kang Woo just waltzed into Sage Grove Center and stole their wares?"

Kishibe smirked again, leaning back in his chair. "Pretty much. He didn't just walk in; he heisted the entire place. Fifteen tons of Compound V, gone. And as far as I can tell, Vought has no clue how to even begin recovering it."

In her thoughts, Quanxi weighed her options carefully. Maybe I can find a peaceful resolution—and still get my reward if I manage to secure at least one ton of Compound V. Her expression hardened slightly as she spoke. "Where is Kang Woo now?"

Kishibe shook his head. "Don't know. He disappeared with Makima, took some devils with him, and—as usual—Aki and Himeno followed him. Wherever Kang Woo walks, they seem to trail behind."

Quanxi stayed silent, deep in thought, until the door to the café suddenly creaked open.

Aki and Himeno entered, carrying a suitcase between them. Himeno's cheerful voice broke the silence as she announced, "What did I tell you? Selling that gold gave us fifty million yen!"

Aki rolled his eyes but grinned. "Himeno-senpai, if I do become your husband, is this how I'll have to pay you back after you helped me with my revenge? Am I doomed to be a househusband?"

Himeno laughed, nudging him playfully. "Yep! Aki Hayakawa, you'll be my househusband while I lead as the head of the family."

Kishibe chuckled, shaking his head. "Funny how, whenever I want to search for something, it just walks through the door instead."

Himeno's gaze shifted to Kishibe, her face lighting up with recognition. "Ooh, sensei, you're here! What brings you to a place Kang Woo just bought?"

Quanxi's sharp eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced at Himeno. "Bought?"

Aki nodded, placing the suitcase on the table. "Kang Woo just bought Futamichi Café. Signed the papers yesterday, apparently."

Kishibe let out a dry laugh, glancing at Quanxi. "Speaking of Kang Woo and his purchases, I bought one gallon of Compound V from him for fifty-eight million yen."

Quanxi's expression shifted into disbelief. "That's a ridiculously cheap price for Compound V."

Kishibe shrugged, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Yeah, but that's how it went down."

His gaze turned to Himeno and Aki. "Before we go further, let me introduce you. This is Quanxi, my old partner. She's here to meet Kang Woo. Now, where is he?"

Himeno leaned casually against the counter, tilting her head. "He and Makima just left to save another universe from some guy who lost his lover."

Quanxi blinked, her tone tinged with frustration. "Does everyone here just casually lose their minds now?"

Aki sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What Himeno-senpai is trying to say is... Kang Woo and Makima aren't here. They're not even on this planet."

Quanxi's eyebrow twitched. "You mean to tell me they're in Hell now?"

Aki shook his head, his expression growing more exasperated. "Ah, it's a lot more complicated than that. They're not in Hell. They're... somewhere else, handling some mess. They'll show up when they're done, . Some bald-headed peeper gave them the job."

Quanxi leaned back, her arms crossed as she processed the absurdity of the situation. "This Kang Woo guy sounds more like a walking disaster than a man."

Kishibe chuckled. "That's an understatement."