Days after the ramen shop attack, the atmosphere in Special Division 4 felt different. Aki Hayakawa, recovering from his stab wound, spent more time in silence, brooding. His feelings toward Tom Jacker were now a complicated knot. On one hand, he resented Tom's nonchalant attitude and absolute power, which felt like an insult to all the hard work and sacrifices of the Devil Hunters. On the other hand, he couldn't deny the fact that he and, more importantly, Himeno, were still alive thanks to Tom's bizarre intervention.
"He didn't even seem to care when he did it," Aki said to Himeno one afternoon, as Himeno helped him change his bandages.
Himeno, sitting on the edge of Aki's bed, smiled faintly. "Maybe that's the point, Aki-kun. He doesn't care about us. He only cares about his own rules. And his number one rule seems to be: 'Don't interrupt my mealtime'." There was a warmth in her voice when she said that, something that didn't escape Aki's notice.
Meanwhile, Tom found a new "project" to alleviate his boredom: "training" Denji and Power. Tom's training, of course, was highly unusual.
He took them to a deserted Public Safety training ground. "Alright, you two. I hear you want to get stronger, right?" Tom said.
"Yeah! I want to get stronger so I can get all the food in the world!" Power exclaimed. "I want to get stronger so I can... touch boobs," Denji added seriously.
Tom just sighed. "Noble goals." He snapped his fingers, and using his Created Entity Customization, several NPCs appeared. But these NPCs didn't look like soldiers or monsters. One was shaped like a giant walking broccoli, the other like a two-meter-tall rubber duck that could shoot water from its beak.
"Fight them," Tom commanded. "If you can defeat this Vegetable and Rubber Duck Army, I'll buy you ice cream."
The ensuing battle was pure comedy. Denji, in his Chainsaw Man form, struggled to saw through the rubbery broccoli, while Power kept slipping on the rubber duck's water sprays. Tom watched from the sidelines, laughing heartily. This was his new personal entertainment.
However, elsewhere, the mood was far from humorous.
In a dark warehouse, Katana Man stared at a newly conscious Akane Sawatari. "Explain again," he growled. "How could you and the others be defeated by one person?"
"He... he's not ordinary," Akane replied, her voice still weak. "His power is absurd. He stopped bullets, twisted guns, and threw me like a doll... all without moving. My contract with the Snake Devil couldn't even detect him as a threat until it was too late."
Katana Man slammed his fist against the wall. "Damn it! Whoever he is, he's ruined our plans!" He knew attacking directly again would be foolish. They needed a new plan. They needed bait. "We won't attack them when they're together. We'll separate them. We'll create chaos elsewhere, something big enough to draw Public Safety's attention. And while this new monster is busy, we'll finish the rest, one by one."
In her office, Makima placed a report on her desk. It contained a detailed (though mostly speculative) analysis of Tom Jacker. She knew Katana Man wouldn't give up. She also knew Tom was her biggest wild card.
She summoned Aki. "Aki-kun, I have a new mission for your team," she said with a soft smile. "There are reports of unusual devil activity in an abandoned office building in the next district. Intelligence suggests this might be related to Katana Man's group. I want you to check it out."
Aki frowned. "The whole team? Is that wise?"
"Of course," Makima replied. "I want all new members to get field experience. Including... Tom-kun." She intentionally mentioned Tom's name. "Tell him it's a very boring reconnaissance mission and there probably won't be any fighting at all. He'll surely be very 'enthusiastic' to join."
Aki understood Makima's intent. This was a trap. Makima was deliberately baiting the enemy by using them as bait, and she was using reverse psychology to ensure Tom participated. Aki resented Makima's manipulative methods, but he knew they were effective.
That night, in Special Division 4's briefing room, the mission was announced. As Makima expected, Tom immediately complained. "Reconnaissance? An empty building? How boring. I'm not going."
Himeno, who now seemingly understood Tom's ways, leaned in. "Oh, come on, Tom-kun," she said in a teasing tone. "If you come, I promise to treat you to the best ramen in town afterward. With extra egg."
Tom seemed to think for a moment. He glanced at Himeno, then at a tense Aki, and at Denji who was already excited at the word 'ramen'. He knew this was most likely a trap. And precisely because of that, it sounded interesting.
"Alright," he said finally. "Only for the ramen. But if this is truly boring, I'll leave halfway."
The Special Division 4 team prepared to depart. They stepped into the dark night, heading towards a building they knew was most likely a trap. But this time, they didn't feel as afraid as before. Because among them walked an anomaly who regarded all of this as merely a game for a bowl of ramen.
The abandoned office building loomed like a giant tombstone in the night. Thick dust covered the lobby, and the only sound was the rustling of wind seeping through broken windows. The atmosphere was eerie.
"Stay alert. We don't know what's waiting inside," Aki ordered, his voice low and tense. He moved in front, leading the team in their practiced formation. Himeno at his side, ready with her Ghost Devil. Denji and Power in the middle, and Tom walking at the very back, seemingly more interested in the graffiti on the walls than the potential danger.
They spread out, checking the ground floor. Everything seemed empty. Too empty.
"It's a trap," Himeno whispered to Aki.
Just as she said that, they heard it. A strange hissing sound, not from one source, but from the entire building. Suddenly, the walls around them began to shift. The previously straight corridor now bent into a labyrinth. Doors disappeared, and new doors appeared where they shouldn't be.
"Snake Devil!" Aki shouted. "Akane Sawatari is here! She's manipulating the building's interior! Stay together!"
But it was too late. The floor beneath their feet suddenly collapsed, separating them. Denji and Power fell into a dark basement. Aki and Himeno were separated in a corridor now closed off at both ends. And Tom... Tom was left alone in the main lobby, which had now transformed into a vast open arena.
From the shadows at the end of the arena, Katana Man stepped out, his face filled with hatred and determination. Above, on one of the newly formed balconies, Akane Sawatari smiled with satisfaction. Their plan had succeeded. They had isolated the main target.
"Now, Anomaly," Katana Man said, his hand resting on his sword hilt. "No more ramen can save you. There's only you and me."
Tom merely looked at him, then around the makeshift arena. "Wow, you really set up a special stage for me, didn't you? I'm flattered."
"Die!" Katana Man didn't wait any longer. With speed invisible to the naked eye, he drew his sword and lunged forward in an instant, his signature Iaijutsu technique. He aimed to decapitate Tom before Tom could even blink.
To anyone else, the attack was unavoidable. But to Tom, blessed with Solomon's Wisdom from his Shazam Template, Katana Man's movements seemed slow and predictable.
Just as the tip of Katana Man's sword was mere inches from his neck, Tom lazily raised his hand. He didn't try to parry or dodge. He used one of the simplest yet most effective Quirks from the AFO library: Compress.
CLICK!
Katana Man's prized katana sword, the weapon that was the source of his power and identity, suddenly vanished. In its place, a small, shimmering blue marble gently fell into Tom's palm.
Katana Man froze mid-motion, the victorious expression on his face turning into total shock and disbelief. He stared at his empty hand, then at Tom, who was casually examining the marble in his hand.
"Good sword," Tom commented. "A little too long for my taste, but the design is decent."
Overwhelming rage burned within Katana Man. He transformed, his head and arms becoming sharp sword blades. He roared and attacked again, this time with pure physical strikes.
Tom just sighed. "Still don't get it, huh?"
He snapped his fingers. Using Telekinesis, all the sword blades on Katana Man's body suddenly stopped, then were forcibly bent backward, tying his own body into a painful metal knot. Katana Man fell to the floor, unable to move, only able to growl in frustration.
"I told you, didn't I? A boring game," Tom said. He walked closer to the helpless Katana Man and touched his forehead.
[System Panel]
-Condition 'target defeated' has been met.
-System Notification: Ability 'Katana Transformation (Hybrid)' has been copied. Slots filled: 5/7.
-Description: Allows the user to transform body parts (head, arms) into extremely sharp and durable katana blades. Grants enhanced speed and close-quarters combat abilities.
"Another new toy," Tom mumbled, satisfied.
Above, Akane Sawatari watched in horror. Her plan was completely ruined. This monster before her had just disarmed and defeated Katana Man as if it were child's play. She summoned the Snake Devil; a giant snake mouth appeared from the wall behind Tom, ready to swallow him whole.
Tom didn't even turn his head. "Oh, a big snake," he said. Red wings from the Fierce Wings Quirk appeared on his back, then those wings ignited with Hellflame. With a single flap of fiery wings, an incredible wave of heat shot backward, incinerating the Snake Devil to ash before it could even reach Tom.
"I prefer roasted snake," Tom said.
He then teleported to the balcony where Akane stood. Akane shrieked in terror, but Tom merely looked at her with a bored expression. "Are you done playing with your building? I'm getting hungry."
He didn't kill her. He simply touched Akane's forehead, and using one of the Quirks from AFO, he knocked Akane unconscious instantly.
Tom looked around the building, which had now returned to normal after Akane was knocked out. He could hear the sounds of battle from other parts of the building, where Aki and Himeno, as well as Denji and Power, were facing the remaining threats.
"Alright, time to pick up the kids," he said, slipping the Katana Man's sword-marble into his pocket. "I really want ramen now."
The final battle had ended even before it truly began. And once again, Tom Jacker was the only one who didn't take it seriously.