A dog at Makima's side

"Don't rush. Take your time thinking it over. Power still has three days, after all."

"Call me when you've made up your mind."

Natsume Fan Zhi climbed into the truck's cargo bed after speaking.

"Hey, come help me throw the Dog Devil's corpse out."

"Oh, sure." Meng Fan snapped out of his thoughts, climbed aboard, and threw the Dog Devil's corpse out of the truck.

"Take your time deciding. We've known each other for over a year. I wouldn't screw you over."

Smiling, Natsume Fan Zhi patted Meng Fan's shoulder to reassure him.

Then he jumped out of the cargo bed. "Hey, get down here. I need to drive back before my boss finds out I snuck out."

Meng Fan answered and jumped down.

He stood beside the Dog Devil's corpse.

"Remember to let me know soon, or I'll give this job to someone else."

As the truck pulled away, Natsume Fan Zhi stuck his head out to remind him.

Meng Fan traced a circle on the ground around the Dog Devil's corpse.

Before long, the spell took shape.

The Dog Devil's corpse gradually sank into the ground.

Meng Fan's hearing and sense of smell doubled in sensitivity.

"I'm back."

Meng Fan opened the door and entered.

The place was quiet and dreary. Aki Hayakawa sat in a chair, smoking.

The ashtray on the table was already full of cigarette butts.

"Where did you go?"

"To see a friend. Has Denji gone to bed?"

"Not yet. We're planning to visit Power tomorrow, though."

"Good idea. You'd better tell her she's going to die."

"That was the plan."

After exchanging suggestions, Meng Fan returned to his room.

The next morning, everyone got up early.

Meng Fan and the others brought Yuumi along to visit Power.

They had barely reached the entrance to the cells when they heard shouting from inside.

"Let me out!"

"I want out!!!"

"Please, just shut up."

"What business is it of yours if I talk?" Power glared fiercely at the prisoner who had spoken.

"You've been yelling all night! Are you going to let us sleep or not? We may be prisoners, but we still have human rights," another prisoner complained.

"Get them to let me out, and I'll stop yelling."

"If I had that kind of power, I'd get myself out first."

"Then don't try to stop me from talking if you can't do anything."

"Someone!! Let me out!!!"

Power ignored her fellow prisoners and kept shouting.

That continued until the door to the cellblock corridor opened and Meng Fan and the others walked in.

"Aki Hayakawa, you're doing this to torture us on purpose, aren't you?!"

"I only groped a woman's ass on the train. Do you really have to be this cruel?"

At the sight of Aki Hayakawa,

the prisoners all demanded an explanation.

"Just let me out. I'll confess to everything."

"I demand to be moved back to my old cell. I'd rather stay with my old gay buddy."

"Shut up, all of you. Power will be going back in a few days," Denji said.

"How many days until she leaves?" Everyone pricked up their ears, hoping that day would come soon.

"Just a day or two."

"Thank goodness. Get her out of here already."

"Hey, did you bring me anything to eat?" Power swayed as she called out.

"We brought roast chicken and your cat."

"Meow."

Meng Fan set the caged cat down not far from Power.

He hoped Yuumi's presence would help Power recover quickly.

"My Yuumi! It's been ages since I petted my kitty. Can you untie me?"

"Sure, but which do you want to eat, the apple or the roast chicken?"

Meng Fan held an apple in his left hand and a roast chicken in his right.

Power's eyes immediately locked onto the apple, and her previously calm expression changed in an instant. "Give me the apple! Hurry up and let me eat it!!"

"Well, that's it. A whole night, and she still hasn't recovered."

Meng Fan shook his head helplessly.

"What do we do now? Is killing the Poppy Devil the only way to get Power back to normal?"

Everyone's hopes were instantly dashed.

"Here's your roast chicken. We'll come see you another day."

Meng Fan tossed the roast chicken into the cell.

Power caught it in her mouth as it fell.

Two days passed.

Himeno had asked around extensively, but still hadn't found any news of the Poppy Devil.

With the final day upon them, everyone was getting restless.

"How's Power doing?" Himeno asked.

"She goes crazy whenever she sees an apple. There hasn't been any change these past few days."

"Then can't we just keep her from seeing apples?"

"But once she gets out, she'll go looking for them like crazy. She might even attack us."

"Then Power's as good as dead."

"We can't give up. Let's ask Miss Makima. Maybe she'll know something," Denji said.

"We already asked. Miss Makima doesn't know."

"Then what about begging Miss Makima for mercy? Asking her to wait a little longer instead of killing Power?"

"You can try," Aki Hayakawa said flatly.

At this point, apart from killing the Poppy Devil,

that was their only option.

Knock, knock, knock!!

"Come in."

Denji pushed the door open and walked in with a smile. "Miss Makima."

"Denji, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

"It's about Power." Blushing, Denji shyly approached Makima's desk.

"How is she?" Makima's expression remained the same throughout.

"She still hasn't recovered, but could you please not kill her, Miss Makima?"

Denji rubbed the back of his head, waiting hopefully for Makima's answer.

He hoped Makima would spare Power because they were all coworkers.

"You came here to ask me to spare Power?"

Makima slowly approached Denji, closing the distance between them.

Their bodies were almost touching.

"Y-yes." Denji blushed as he answered nervously.

But Makima lifted his chin with her middle finger and spoke slowly. "Have you forgotten what you are?"

"Huh? What I am?"

"Yes. A dog."

Denji jolted, the flush instantly draining from his face.

Makima's expression still hadn't changed.

Yet she radiated an overwhelming pressure that bore down on Denji.

It left him unable to argue.

"How can a dog ask its owner to do something? Shouldn't it obediently follow its owner's orders?"

"I..." Denji could barely breathe, let alone form a complete sentence.

"If Power still hasn't recovered tomorrow, you'll kill her for me, Denji. Otherwise, I'll kill you first, then her!!"

Denji involuntarily backed away.

His legs failed to hold him up.

He landed heavily on his backside.

He sat on the floor, his face filled with shock.

"All right, Denji. Go back now, and be ready to kill Power tomorrow."

"Ah!!"

Denji screamed and scrambled out of the office.

Watching him flee, Makima gave a faint smile.

Denji rushed into Himeno's office in a panic.

His sudden arrival startled everyone.

"Denji, what happened?"

The look on Denji's face worried Himeno.

Aki Hayakawa remained calm, as though he had known how it would end.

Only Meng Fan walked over to Denji without any hurry.

He had secretly listened to Denji and Makima's entire conversation.

Naturally, he knew why Denji had come running back screaming.

"Master, Miss Makima is terrifying."

"I understand. But don't be afraid. With your master here, nothing will happen to you."

"Miss Makima told me to kill Power tomorrow."

"What?!" Himeno abruptly rose from her seat.

Only Meng Fan spoke calmly. "I know everything. But I won't let Makima kill Power. If it really comes to that, I'll put Makima to sleep for good."