3 CH 3: Pet?

After regaining consciousness and being tended to by the mysterious boy, who turned out to be Denji, accompanied by his loyal dog and friend Pochita, the Mysterious Man spent another 3 hours in bed. During this time, Denji fetched a pair of pants that could cover the man's lower body, as his previous clothes were insufficient for that purpose.

Upon Denji's return, he found the mysterious man sitting on the cold floor in an apparent meditative state, with a faint trickle of blood falling from his nose. The man wiped the blood away with his fingers before resuming his meditation.

"Hey, are you okay?".Denji asked after observing the man for about 3 minutes. His gaze then shifted to the man's lower body, which was covered by the tattered blanket that had been used earlier.

The man, seemingly responding to Denji's call, smiled and looked at him even with his eyes closed.

"I'm fine, just controlling my power," he said, a thin trickle of blood running from his nose.

Recalling the moment he had lost consciousness, the man realized that his current state allowed him to maintain an advanced level of perception.

**Flashback to the moment of losing consciousness:**

As I attempted to speak, a powerful surge of information inundated my mind. This intense burst of power brought information from my surroundings and beyond. It encompassed any movement, no matter how slight, and changes in energy. I felt that nothing could elude my awareness. My maximum range extended up to 1 km, a potential I could hardly wrap my head around.

I couldn't help but compare this newfound ability to Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes.

As this influx of information reached me, I felt like my brain might overload and burst. If it weren't for my body's inherent properties and its passive regeneration, which worked to mend the impact on my brain, the outcome would have been catastrophic.

**End of Flashback**

Upon hearing the man's response and seeing that his answer was somewhat weak, Denji smiled at him. His dog, Pochita, also approached and sat on an old seat next to his master, who had already seated himself after hearing the answer.

"And what is it?".Denji asked, looking at the man while placing a baggy pair of gray pants, black underwear, and gray flip-flops next to him.

"My vision gives me information about anything around me and allows me to perceive the energies in the environment, granting me 360-degree vision," I said with a smile as I wiped away another thin trickle of blood from my nose.

Denji smiled and nodded, somewhat surprised by the explanation.

"That's impressive". Does it mean you can see everything around you?" he asked with curiosity and a hint of disbelief at such a powerful ability.

"Yes,".I said, smiling at his enthusiastic reaction.

As incredible as it sounded, I knew I was still far from realizing my true potential. Furthermore, I had to maintain a state of concentration to sustain the flow of information I wanted to receive. While my regeneration helped me adapt to it, I was aware of the potential challenges due to the constant pain. The pain itself wasn't the problem; it was the discomfort during movement and combat. It seemed that my Vision was in sync with the world, reacting to even the slightest changes in location and environment.

Just imagining encountering a demon like the Darkness Demon, capable of dimension-shifting, or the Eternity Demon, the hotel demon, as I recalled—made me realize that my brain would explode inside my skull and my body wouldn't be able to endure it. So, I needed to exert as much control over this power as possible.

Upon hearing that statement, the boy smiled in amazement and dared to ask, "What else can you do?" He had the expression of a boy who had just discovered something incredibly cool.

"I can reverse physical attacks and redirect their energy," I said with a smile, my eyes still closed.

During my meditative state, I had discovered that my Physical and Energy Full Counter abilities could be actively employed. I could also control Dark Matter actively, although it had its limits. Meanwhile, my Assault Mode and other abilities remained in passive mode.

The boy, upon hearing about my other powers, was left stunned. "I see, it's incredible," he said. Even though he maintained a smile on the outside, internally he realized that attacking the man in front of him would be suicidal. A simple cut to the chest or head would be enough to end him.

I continued smiling at him, looking back at him.

"And what is your name?. he asked, his smile kind.

"Me? I'm Tanaka," I replied, still smiling with my eyes closed, making an effort to keep my powers restrained.

The boy returned my smile and looked at me.

"My name is Denji," he said, smiling. He then turned to his dog and friend. "And he is Pochita, my pet and best friend," he added, smiling with both goofiness and kindness.

"Or is that thing that looks like an orange penis with a chainsaw head a dog?" I said, teasingly smiling at him.

Denji, standing next to me, became upset and started speaking loudly.

"It's Pochita!!! Not a penis! He's my dog and best friend!!" he said, his tone a mix of anger and mock frustration.

"I see, I see," I said, smiling at him before continuing, "Could I ask you something?" I looked at him with one of my half-open eyes.

Denji, who was still somewhat angry, looked at me and sighed. "What is it?" he said, his expression a mixture of irritation and curiosity.

"Could I stay with you to live?" I asked, smiling kindly at him. It was something he rarely received.

Upon hearing my request, Denji hesitated before responding.

"Are you sure? It's not that I don't want to, but even though I have Pochita, I could use some human contact," he said, looking at me with a mix of uncertainty and worry. He continued with a more concerned tone, "You'd also have to work with me. My job is very dangerous, not to mention the state of the house," his words carried a tone of worry and distress.

"I'm sure. Also, with my powers, we can earn more money and improve the house," I said with a kind smile, trying to reassure him.

Denji looked at me with wide eyes, then at his pet Pochita, who wagged his strange tail and started barking excitedly. Denji sighed in response.

"Okay, get ready for some great danger," he said, smiling at me somewhat worriedly.

I returned his smile and nodded.

As time passed and I remained by Denji's side, our friendship grew stronger. Both my bond with Pochita and my relationship with Denji deepened. It's worth noting that all of this occurred within just 2 months since I had met Denji.

As events unfolded similarly to the original storyline, I took on the role of watching over Denji from the rooftop of a building. I was dressed in baggy gray pants, a black t-shirt, and gray flip-flops. A dark blue blindfold covered my eyes, a necessary measure to manage my extended range of vision, which could span up to 6 km. While this broader vision could overwhelm my mind, I discovered that I could limit its scope, making it easier to absorb information and energy without straining my brain.

When the killing spree ended, I observed from a distance as Makima arrived in her car, accompanied by her bodyguard.

"Did you do this?" she asked, her hair a shade of reddish-pink, her eyes rimmed with yellow, and her demeanor exuding confidence and authority, despite her kind tone.

Denji, teetering on the brink of exhaustion with the bodies of zombies behind him, managed to speak before collapsing:

"H-Hu.. hug me," he said, his chainsaw head disassembling as he fell backwards, revealing his fatigued face.

Makima immediately approached and hugged Denji without hesitation. However, the moment she embraced him, her arms flew off, and Denji's body was seized by a muscular, gray-haired young man with a dark blue blindfold covering his eyes.

Makima regarded the new individual with a mixture of surprise and indifference.

"Friend, you've shattered my dream," Denji weakly uttered in the arms of the unknown man.

The man who now held Denji looked at him with a mix of annoyance and concern. "How the heck did this happen to you, Denji?".he asked.

Makima maintained an indifferent demeanor, speaking with an icy coldness.

"Who are you?" Makima asked, her gaze fixed on the man with a mixture of indifference and some hidden lustful desire.

The man felt an unsettling chill emanating from the woman's voice.

"My name is Tanaka and I'm a friend of Denji's," the man replied, looking at the woman with his two-toned eyes.

The woman's hands regenerated and she smiled at him.

"Are you his friend?" .she asked herself neutrally.

The man looked at her and a palpable feeling of fear welled up within him, though she managed to keep it hidden from her outward appearance.

"I am," Tanaka replied, his tension evident in his voice.

Although Makima was powerful, she still had the power of the Control demon and other demons under her command. A single attack from her would annihilate me and even though I would regenerate, it would take too long. At that point, my regeneration hadn't gone very far and was still limited to those initial five minutes.

Denji looked at me and then back at Makima with a smile.

"Hey dude, you should have let her hold me," she said, her tone a mix of frustration and mockery.

"We don't know who she is, idiot," I replied with a blank expression.

Makima's gaze oscillated between Denji and me. Although her interest was evident, there was something else there, particularly a sense of cruelty directed at me that made me uneasy. Suddenly, her demeanor changed drastically and she looked at us with a mixture of kindness and a slight coldness, similar to how one treats a pet.

"I have a proposal for you," Makima's voice turned soft and charming, a kind smile gracing her features.

Both Denji and I exchanged confused looks, even though I already knew this was going to happen and had prepared myself for it.

"What is it?".Denji asked with a hint of suspicion, while I remained silent, giving Makima a suspicious look, trying to appear as wary as possible.

"I can kill them and do my duty as a Demon Hunter," She said with a blank look and a cold smile on his face.

Denji swallowed audibly at his icy demeanor and I raised an eyebrow, keeping my composure. Even if Denji managed to survive, I wouldn't, so he needed to stay calm and anticipate the inevitable.

"Or they can be my pets," She continued, emphasizing the word 'pets.' His voice had a softness mixed with a slight coldness.

Denji looked at her and asked a curious question.

"What do pets eat?" he asked himself, his voice full of curiosity. Meanwhile, I rolled my eyes at his naivety.

Makima smiled and turned her gaze to Denji. "Jelly and toast,".she replied before continuing in a soft and somewhat sultry way, "And other rewards too," she added, giving me a meaningful look. I bristled and shuddered slightly at his implications.

I turned my attention to Denji, who was smiling and sighing. "I accept," he said, his fascination and admiration for Makima being evident.

I, on the other hand, decided to go with the flow. "I accept," I said, letting out an annoyed sigh at being reduced to pet status.

Makima smiled, stood up, and held out her hand to Denji. He took it without hesitation, and with a quick movement, she hugged him and stroked his head. During this interaction, Denji gave me a strange smile, which made me feel somewhat uncomfortable and uneasy.

I rose from my crouched position, exposing my well-built physique and face. Makima's eyes couldn't help but linger on me as he took in my appearance: baggy gray pants, a black T-shirt that hinted at my chest and biceps, my blindfold, and my broken sword. Her gaze contained a mixture of lust and admiration, which made me feel a little uncomfortable.

"And now what?" I asked, my discomfort and restlessness palpable.

"Let's go to the Demon Slayer Office," Makima said, smiling at Denji and me. When she broke away from Denji's embrace, she moved her hips slightly, a gesture that nearly gave him a heart attack. Her reaction was something between shock and excitement.

Despite her attractiveness, the earlier look from her had given me a bad feeling. I resolved to stay away from her. With a sigh, I started to follow Denji, who was already moving behind Makima like an eager puppy.