[1st POV]
"Oh, what a beautiful thing you are," I heard the voice, but I didn't care.
I felt my body shrinking in size once more. This had never happened to me since I reached a certain threshold of power. That meant that whatever this dimension was, it was much stronger than me.
I was abiding by its superior will.
But I didn't care about that either, because I was completely mesmerised by the things I saw.
Where I was.
Where was I?
I was nowhere and everywhere.
I was falling, falling, falling and falling.
But the things around me were falling too.
Devils that were forced to imitate grotesque food items. A hamburger the size of a building, made from the bisected body of what I assumed was the Bun Devil. One side was rotting, like rotting meat that looked like cheese if you really looked at it.
The Bun Devil sandwiched the most glorious things. A paste that released different smells, but you couldn't tell what devils they were because they were so finely crushed.
Sausages that were made from skinning one devil and forcing four more devils into the same skin so they were plump.
Grapes that looked like wombs and there were babies inside, screaming in agony. When you bite into them, they release a clear red liquid that is like no other.
I ate and ate and ate the things that were falling along with me.
"Gluttony~" A sweet voice that I didn't care to acknowledge.
As I ate, more were served before me. Soon enough, everything that was falling in the dimension was heading towards me. I greedily gorged on everything.
It was weird. They were supposed to be weak devils that were not fit to be considered a snack. But upon being served like food, they tasted truly divine.
"Endless hunger~" the sweet voice echoed.
I continued to eat everything it gave me.
"Greed!~" it said, but by that point, it was no longer just a voice. The entity revealed itself before me and I stopped.
A scent that was not good but wasn't bad either filled my nose. The smell was addicting in its odd way. If I had to compare it, it smelled addictive like petrol or the paste on a shoe brush.
But more than the smell, the power I felt coming from the entity made me freeze. It was significantly more powerful than the Darkness Devil who descended into the human world. Much more powerful.
It didn't take long to realise who it was.
Falling Devil, one of the primal fears.
It also made sense why it was stronger than the Darkness Devil. Infants or blind people may not necessarily fear darkness, but falling was something every living being feared the moment they were born. Even newborn babies were born with a falling reflex because of the primal fear of falling.
And I met this Devil where it was fully manifested, in hell.
"Why did you stop? I have many more things to feed you," she said. I think it was a she. She had no end, and we were all falling into her.
"I have waited an eternity for you," she said and reached for me.
Her appearance was that of a very tall lady with black hair and crazy eyes. She was completely naked, baring her more than generous bosom and bust. She looked at me with such crazed obsession that a shiver ran through my pig's spine.
When she made contact with me, everything else shot towards the sky. No, it was us who were suddenly falling down even faster. A shudder echoed through the entire dimension and the pitch-black dimension gained every beautiful colour once more, as if to reflect her mood.
And we were falling from the sky together, except there was no ground below us. Not even if my stare could see light-years away would I see the ground.
Imagine the ugliest pig falling from the sky with a beautiful black-haired lady. Like we were Haku and Chihiro from Spirited Away. It was so different yet they shared many similarities.
"What are you?" I asked as she looked at me with the same intense eyes.
"I am your chef," she said with a smile that went beyond beauty and instead turned into straight horror. She smiled so widely that her lips reached her ears and the line curved so much that it touched her chin.
"What do you want?"
"I am here to serve for eternity," she said.
We were falling, falling and falling.
"And how are you going to do that?" I asked after a long time of waiting and nothing was happening. She gave me the feeling that she was more than happy to just stare at me for years.
"I am going to satiate that hunger of yours," she said.
"That's impossible, my hunger is endless," I said.
"Then let me try forever," she said without missing a beat.
I was endless and she was forever. The words we exchanged almost felt romantic for a moment. I was pulled in by her passion.
"It's a contract then," I said as I felt the budding of a binding vow.
"It's a contract," she affirmed.
And just like that, my days with the Falling Devil began.
...
...
///////////////
[3rd POV]
No historian agrees on the precise moment the age of peace ended.
Some point to the assassination of political leaders in the years that followed. Others cite the collapse of international cooperation or the re-emergence of the state-sponsored Devil Weapons Program caused by the hybrid called Jin Nakahara.
Most, however, agree on one thing.
The world before the Black Day was fundamentally different from the world that came after.
The Darkness Devil descended into the human world. It was active for less than 5 hours but that resulted in the deaths of more than a million Japanese citizens. It was the biggest death toll caused by a single devil, and it had surpassed even the Gun Devil incident that killed over a million all over the world.
But this incident was especially tragic because it happened to one country alone. But among the million deaths, most belonged to people who were abroad at the part of the globe which experienced night.
Maybe that was why, although it only happened to the Japanese people, the whole world felt the effect and was plunged into chaos.
When the whole world suffered, they could mourn together. But when only one group was being persecuted like this, things could not end in united peace.
It was the end of peace and the beginning of a world war.
...
The Japanese Government was in a precarious situation after the tragedy struck.
Words did no justice to the extent of their predicament. For comparison, the deaths of more than a million Japanese citizens, the destruction of Central Tokyo, and the fragmentation of the Public Safety Commission were not on their list of immediate priorities.
The Japanese Government knew that they were vulnerable. It was a state of emergency. They had lost the Control Devil, who had always acted as a deterrent for Japan. The existence of Makima was what made other countries think twice before crossing Japan.
But just the loss of the Control Devil would not lead to the current state they were in. What also caused such vulnerability was the loss of Jin Nakahara, the Pig Devil hybrid, including almost all the Devils under Japan. With so many of their imprisoned Devils dead against the Darkness Devil, most Devil Hunters with contracts lost their power.
This was also the reason why the Public Safety Commission was fragmented, just a hollow shell of its former power.
Coupled with the loss of these powers and the resources they would require to head towards restoration, it meant that Japan was not ready for the world war that would inevitably happen.
And this wouldn't be like the First World War. This war would surely include the use of devil powers. A Devil War, that was what Japan could not afford.
The Japanese government's reaction to this crisis was swift and not thoroughly thought out.
What they needed most was to secure national safety. And they did this by virtue signalling.
Just a few days after the Black Day, the Japanese revealed files regarding what had happened. Of course some minor details were twisted but it was close to the truth and only a few would be able to see holes in the summary.
The first major reveal was the existence of the Control Devil. They stated that the Control Devil was under the Japanese Government and had a contract with the Prime Minister. And due to the sensitive nature of this information and to avoid targeting, the Control Devil hid under the guise of Makima.
But they mentioned that the higher-ups of other countries and officials were aware of this. Makima was also very manipulative by nature so most people that knew her only had a good impression of her, so this reveal didn't really come across as something horrible. In fact, the Japanese people and those who knew Makima felt a sense of love for her.
The Control Devil, under the Prime Minister's contract, was faithful to the Japanese people. She had acted as a deterrent and a form of protection from outside interference. They also mentioned the fact that it was through the use of this power that Japan was able to deal with major calamities like the Accident Devil incident with minimal loss.
After information about the Control Devil was released, the Japanese government began to state details about the Black Night and what the aim of the operation was. They claimed that it was an attack on the nation of Japan as a whole.
The main goal was to kill the Control Devil and remove its protection of Japan, while at the same time dealing a heavy blow to the country. The enemy's aim was a success. The Japanese also claimed that this attack didn't come from a terrorist group but from other nations with ill intentions towards Japan.
They had proof to back it up too. Reze, the Bomb Devil from the Soviets, was under the Japanese government's custody, and she was a major player in the incident. The person known as Santa Claus from Germany was also proven to be the one to summon and form a contract with the Darkness Devil through surveillance cameras inside the Public Safety Commission headquarters.
Many notable Devil Hunters from China were also seen inside Japan's territory. The chaos that happened throughout Tokyo right before the Black Day could also be traced to a Devil's power, suspected to be the Gossip Devil from China.
And much other information, both truth and twisted truth, was disclosed by the Japanese Government. The whole event painted the Japanese people as pitiful victims.
Sure enough, the news took the whole world by storm. Many nations whose hands were clean reached out to aid Japan. The countries where many Japanese people had died had much sympathy. Japanese students who studied abroad, lovely couples who were having vacations in Europe, etc.
All these countries saw firsthand the corpses of the Japanese people. Some knew them as good people, some as close friends and even lovers. The citizens of such nations were fully pressuring their own governments to help Japan with all they could.
Brazil, India, the United Kingdom, and many other countries began sending aid towards Japan. They did all they could in sending the dead back to their home country as well.
But most importantly, the United States of America acted as the leader of this aid. They too had participated in the operation but since they never sent any major figures, their hands were clean.
There were many Japanese students studying in the United States as well, so the American citizens were eager to help and felt deeply for the victims. The government on the other hand eagerly sided with Japan because of one reason.
The Soviet Union and the Germans were painted horribly in light of this incident. Of course these accused countries denied all responsibility and claimed that these important figures from their countries were acting on their own. But the world didn't believe them one bit.
With the whole world and their own citizens pressuring them, these responsible countries had no choice but to save face. Out of all the countries that gave aid to Japan, they were the most generous with the amends.
China also gave the Control Devil, who had reincarnated back in China after she was killed, to the Japanese government in hopes of making amends.
But tension didn't disappear just like that. The United States was the most happy about the situation though, since they finally had a clear upper hand in their ongoing Cold War. The situation was so bad for the Soviet Union that it threatened its own fragmentation and civil war.
A few months after the Black Day, the world seemed to have been separated into two. One that sided with Japan and the others who stood accused of causing the disaster.
But even among all other countries, Germany held the most blame since Santa Claus was the one that summoned the Darkness Devil. In the Chainsaw Man universe, Pochita ate the World War II Devil and the Nazi Devil so they didn't exist.
But perhaps it was Germany's fate to always be painted as the villain.
But the Soviet Union and some other countries still stood with Germany. China and India, among the rising powers, were mostly neutral. China had done much to save its reputation by giving aid and gifting the Control Devil. And since there was no concrete proof against them, they remained neutral.
On Japan's side stood the United States of America, France, the United Kingdom and almost all of the rest of the world.
Tensions were slowly rising.
//////
On World's New's
...
The United States announces 2 Trillion Yen for the Tokyo Reconstraction Project : The American government approved emergency loans and grants to assist Japan's rebuilding efforts. The package includes funding for transportation networks, hospitals, and government facilities destroyed during Black Day.
...
South Korea construction giants signed Tokyo rebuilding contractas : Several major South Korean firms secured contracts to rebuild damaged districts of Tokyo. Industry experts described the deal as one of the largest reconstruction projects in modern history.
...
Dubai investment fund commits billions of yen to Japan's recovery : Dubai's sovereign wealth funds invested heavily in reconstruction bonds, citing confidence in Japan's long-term stability.
...
Reconstruction of Central Tokyo proejcted to employ 2.5 million workers : Government officials announced that rebuilding efforts would become the largest public works project in Japanese history.
...
Tokyo Stock Exchnage reopens : Trading resumed after emergency repars. The market surged as investors interpreted internation support as a sign of confidence
...
The Public Safety Commison opens foreign Devil Hunter exchange programme : Japan temporarily authorized qualified foreign Devil Hunters to operate within Japanese territory.
...
British Devil Hunters deploy to Tokyo under Joint Security Aggrement : The United Kingdom dispatched veteran Devil Hunters to assist Public Safety in securing unstable districts and hunting devils.
...
Soviet Union condemns Japanese allegations as state-sponsored propaganda : The Soviet government formally denied any involvement in Black Day and accused Japan of exploiting a national tragedy for political gain. The statement was met with outrage both within Japan and among many Western nations.
...
Germany demands independent investigation into Black Day : German officials called for a neutral international inquiry, arguing that the evidence presented by Japan was incomplete and politically motivated. Tokyo rejected the proposal, claiming the facts were already clear.
...
Polish Parliament questions Moscow's role in the incident : Several lawmakers publicly demanded clarification regarding Soviet ties to Reze and other individuals involved in Black Day. The statement caused significant diplomatic tension within the Soviet sphere.
...
Hungarian students hold candlelight vigil for Japanese victims : More than fifty thousand students attended memorial events across Hungary. Several speakers openly criticized Soviet foreign policy during the gatherings.
...
Romania refuses to sign joint Soviet statement regarding Japan : Romanian officials declined to support Moscow's position, instead expressing sympathy for Japan and calling for further investigation into the incident.
...
France announces formation of Devil Hunter Reserve Corps : Retired Devil Hunters were offered incentives to return to service as fears for Devil attacks rise.
...
German military budget reaches highest level in decades : Berlin insisted the increase was purely defensive. Several neighbouring countries expressed concern.
...
Soviet Union begins large-scale military exercises near western borders : Officials described the exercises as routine. Foreign observers disagreed.
...
United States and Japan sign Tokyo Security Initiative : The agreement expanded intelligence sharing and cooperation between Public Safety and American Devil Hunter organizations.
...
Three additional nations join Tokyo Security Initiative : Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom announced their participation within a week of the agreement's signing.
...
Rumours of Warsaw Pact fracture spread through Europe : Political analysts warned that Black Day was creating divisions not seen since the alliance's founding.
...
Global fear levels reach all-time high : Devil researchers feared for an unprecedented increases in fear-related manifestations across every inhabited continent. But contrary to expectation, Devil manifestation all around the globe begins to plummet.
...
United States Secretary of State calls Soviet explanation "an insult to the dead" : During a televised press conference, American officials openly criticized Moscow's claim that Reze acted independently. The statement marked the first direct accusation by a major power.
...
Washington demands full Soviet cooperation in Black Day investigation : The United States formally requested access to Soviet intelligence records concerning Reze and other known Devil Contractors. Moscow immediately rejected the demand.
...
Soviet Union accuses America of exploiting tragedy for political gain : Soviet officials claimed that the United States was using Black Day as a pretext to expand its influence in Asia and isolate rival nations.
...
China returns reincarnated Control Devil to Japanese custody : In a move that shocked much of the world, Beijing transferred the newly reincarnated Control Devil back to Japan. Chinese officials described the decision as a gesture of goodwill and respect towards the victims of Black Day.
...
American officials praise China's cooperation : Washington publicly welcomed China's decision to return the Control Devil and called the move an important contribution to regional stability.
...
Germany and Soviet Union sign Mutual Security Cooperation Agreement : Officials from both nations announced expanded intelligence sharing and security coordination. Critics argued the agreement was directed against the growing coalition surrounding Japan.
...
German and Soviet naval forces conduct first joint exercise in decades : The operation took place under heavy international scrutiny and triggered concern among neighbouring countries.
...
/////////
Everyone began fearing for the World War.
And basking in all this tension and fear was one devil.
The War Devil smiled.
...
...