"Can't help it. I work with all those big stars."
"So naturally, I know them."
Meng Fan spread his hands as he spoke.
"You work with big stars? Doing what?" Himeno immediately looked intrigued.
"That's a secret. I can't just tell anyone."
"Another secret," Aki Hayakawa muttered from a short distance away.
"Tch, another secret. When I get back, I'm definitely getting someone to investigate you."
"Hurry up and eat. We'll play cards afterward."
Meng Fan pulled four unopened decks of cards out of his pocket.
"Cards? We haven't even gotten out yet. Who has time for cards?" Himeno looked at the decks tossed on the floor, showing no interest in joining.
"Getting out is easy. If I wanted to, I could have you all out of here in no time."
"Then hurry up and let us out."
"What's the rush? We've finally escaped the shackles of work, so we should enjoy ourselves. Once we're out, we won't have the freedom we have now."
"Good point." Himeno rubbed her chin. "So, Meng Fan, what are we playing?"
"Anyone know how to play Gouji?"
"Gouji?"
Everyone exchanged bewildered looks.
Himeno had played plenty of card games.
But she'd never heard of Gouji.
"What's Gouji? If I don't know it, they definitely don't," Himeno said on everyone's behalf.
"Gouji isn't that simple. You'll have to learn opening, Burning, and shutting players out."
"Tell us about it." Himeno grew interested, though the others clearly didn't feel like playing.
Rather than play Gouji, they wanted to get outside and breathe some fresh air.
"I don't know how to play cards, but it sounds interesting."
"You want to learn? I'll teach you."
"Forget cards. Let us out first." Aki Hayakawa tossed the cigarette butt in his pocket onto the floor, clearly craving a smoke.
"Play cards with me, and I'll let you out." As he spoke, Meng Fan had already opened the card boxes.
He picked out the extra threes and fours.
Then he stacked the remaining cards together and shuffled them back and forth.
"Fine, then. I'll do anything as long as we can get out."
Arai was the first to sit down and help Meng Fan shuffle.
Kobeni sat beside Arai.
Kobeni was willing to do anything if it meant getting out.
"Come on, sit down. I'll teach you how to play."
Meng Fan explained as he taught them.
Himeno and Power sat on either side of Meng Fan.
Both women unconsciously leaned against him.
Once everyone had learned the rules, they sat on the floor, ready to try a few rounds.
"Oh, Denji, you don't need to sit down."
Denji had just crouched down when Meng Fan stopped him.
"Am I playing standing up?"
"Gouji only needs six players. While we play cards, you go kill the monster. I deliberately let the Eternity Devil escape so you could practice. You know, a successful boxer has to keep working hard to win the Golden Belt."
"He seems impossible to kill."
"An unkillable devil makes an even better punching bag for you. Besides, the Eternity Devil isn't strong. Once you turn into Chainsaw Man, he'll be no trouble at all."
As he listened to Meng Fan's endless analysis,
Denji nodded earnestly.
He looked like a rookie boxer receiving pointers from his coach.
After getting a pep talk,
Denji waved goodbye to everyone.
He walked out the door, pulled the cord on his chest, and chased after the Eternity Devil.
Gradually, the sound of chainsaws grew farther and farther from the room.
"Is it really okay to send him after the Eternity Devil alone?" Himeno asked worriedly.
"Just play your cards. I believe Denji can handle it. Pair of fives. Anyone?"
"Pair of sevens." Himeno pulled out two cards and tossed them onto the fives. "You really are a devil of a master, sending your student off to kill a devil while you play cards with everyone."
"Pair of low jokers." Power glanced at her hand, which had no other pairs besides the two low jokers.
"..."
"Power, are you sure you've learned the rules?"
As Power's teammate, Aki Hayakawa immediately felt a headache coming on.
"Of course I have! You don't get to teach me how to play cards."
Power's insistence on doing things her own way made Aki Hayakawa sigh helplessly.
"Six sixes. With this many sixes, I'm sure nobody can beat them, so I'll keep going."
As soon as she finished speaking, Power tossed down her next card.
"Wait, I haven't said anything yet." Sitting opposite her, Arai was ready to shut Power down at any moment.
Bzzzz...
Elsewhere, the chainsaws were hard at work.
After winning a round, Meng Fan made sure to spare some time to check on Denji's training.
The moment Meng Fan appeared, Denji seemed to receive a buff.
He swung his chainsaws even faster.
"How's it going? Figured out any moves yet?"
"No moves. I'm just hacking away."
"Hacking away works against rookies, but against elites, you'll just get your ass kicked."
"Then what should I do, Master?" Denji stopped and looked at Meng Fan.
"Let me give you a few pointers. When you fight, you pretty much rely entirely on the two chainsaws on your arms. You barely use the one on your head. If you coordinated all three, I think your fighting would flow much better."
Denji studied the three saw blades but couldn't think of anything, so Meng Fan continued, "Since you've only recently gotten used to your Chainsaw Man body, you aren't flexible enough with the chainsaws on your arms. That leaves you with a long recovery after each swing. If you attack with your head chainsaw while your arms are recovering, your combos will flow much more smoothly."
As Meng Fan explained, Denji followed his instructions.
Only the Eternity Devil looked utterly bewildered.
He felt like he'd come here to be Denji's sparring partner and punching bag.
"Master, it really works! But I lose my balance when I thrust my head forward."
"Quickly work in an arm movement after your head attack. That'll help you regain your balance."
"It really works!!!" Denji exclaimed in astonishment.
"Ah, that hurts! What are you doing?!"
"I'm teaching Denji combos. You'd better keep quiet."
"What?! You're beating me up! Why can't I talk?"
"Yeah, Master, why can't he talk?"
"Meng Fan, come back and play! Power got shut out!" Himeno called from the room.
"I'm going back to the cards. You two carry on."
With that, he darted back to the game without another glance.
Only Denji and the Eternity Devil remained.
"Did you remember what my master just told me?"
"Why would I remember what he said?"
"Yeah, fair enough. I'll just practice some more myself."
Bzzzz!!!
The chainsaws revved up again.
This time, Denji swung his saws using the moves Meng Fan had just taught him.
"Wait, that hurts too much! Stop!"
"No. If I stop, I'll let my master down."
"Wait, I'll offer up my heart! Just cut it, and you'll all be free!"
Although the Eternity Devil couldn't die, he could still feel pain.
Unrelenting torture like this was worse than death.
"Where's your heart?"
"Right here!!"
The Eternity Devil deliberately brought his heart a little closer.
He only hoped Denji would finish him off quickly.
But Denji looked reluctant. "Master said you're the best punching bag I've had so far. I can't kill you. Practice with me a little longer."
"Practice, my ass! I'm a devil, not a punching bag!!" the Eternity Devil roared furiously.
But Denji was so absorbed in practicing that he paid no attention to the Eternity Devil's shouting.
The three chainsaws kept slicing through the Eternity Devil's limbs.
Before you continue