The aftermath of the battle between Chainsaw Man and the Bomb Devil left deep scars on the city. Districts were devastated, and news of the clashing hybrid devils became a global headline. For Special Division 4, it was a time of recovery and introspection. Denji was gloomy and heartbroken. Aki grew even more withdrawn, and Himeno, though she survived, now carried the burden of knowledge about Tom's power that prevented her from seeing the world the same way again.
Tom Jacker, of course, was the only one enjoying this period of calm. He spent his time experimenting. One day, he'd use 'Bomb Transformation' to create small, controlled explosions in his palms, like personal firecrackers. Another day, he'd practice transforming his arm into a sharp blade with 'Katana Transformation,' using it to slice his sandwiches with unnecessary precision.
However, this tranquility didn't last long.
News of the Chainsaw Man's heart being in the hands of Japanese Public Safety spread like wildfire through the underground world of assassins and foreign governments. Various countries and organizations saw this as a golden opportunity. The President of the United States, in his panic over the devil threat, granted pardons to three "immortal" assassin brothers to hunt down Denji. From Russia, a master assassin named Tolka received his contract. And from China, the living legend, the "First True Devil Human," Quanxi, made her move.
Tom, who was casually "listening in" on global communication networks using one of AFO's surveillance Quirks, sensed the arrival of these new players. He didn't see it as a threat. He saw it as a party invitation.
"Looks like the party's getting out-of-town guests," Tom mumbled with a smile, as he felt several powerful auras entering Japanese airspace. "The more the merrier."
Quanxi and her Fiend "harem" Pingtsi, Long, Cosmo, and Tsugihagi, arrived in Japan with silent, deadly efficiency. Quanxi, with her eye patch and perpetually bored expression, had only one goal: finish this job as quickly as possible so she could return to enjoying her leisure time with her women. She didn't care about destruction or politics; this was just a job.
The first attack was launched by the Three Brothers from America. They ambushed Denji on his way home with Power. A brief and chaotic fight ensued.
Tom observed it all from a nearby rooftop, like watching an uninspired opening act. "Boring immortality trick," he commented as he watched one of the brothers revive after being slashed by Denji. "No elegance at all."
Just as Tom was about to intervene out of boredom, a flash streaked between the combatants.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
In a literal blink of an eye, the Three Brothers were sliced into several pieces, falling helplessly to the ground. Quanxi stood in their midst, her swords still slightly trembling, not a drop of blood staining her clothes. Her speed... it almost matched teleportation.
Denji and Power could only stare in horror at this deadly newcomer.
Quanxi glanced at Denji, her sharp eye behind the patch seemingly already locked onto her target. But then, she paused. She sensed something else. An extraordinarily powerful presence, merely observing from above with an unsettling calm.
She looked up, her gaze meeting Tom Jacker, who was casually sitting on the edge of the rooftop.
Tom smiled and gave a slow clap. "Good performance," he said, his voice clear even from a distance. "Your speed almost rivals how I move from place to place. Almost."
Quanxi didn't reply. She just stared at Tom. As a legendary fighter, she could sense power. And what she sensed from the man on the rooftop was not the power of a devil hunter or even a powerful hybrid devil. It was something else. Something absolute, observing them all as if they were ants under a magnifying glass. For the first time in a very long time, Quanxi felt a hint of hesitation.
Tom stood, stretching. "Alright, the opening act is over. I guess it's time for the main star to take the stage."
He leaped from the rooftop, not falling, but gently floating down using Telekinesis, landing between Quanxi and Denji.
"Hello, Miss Assassin," Tom greeted Quanxi, his smile widening. "I like your style. I like your speed. And I'm thinking... I'd like to 'collect' it."
Quanxi wasted no time responding with words. With deadly silence, she lunged forward. Her movements were so fast that she appeared as nothing more than a white blur, her swords ready to cut Tom into pieces before he could react.
To Denji, who could only watch in horror, Quanxi seemed to disappear and reappear from multiple angles simultaneously. But to Tom, whose perception was enhanced by Solomon's Wisdom and Mercury's Speed from his Shazam Template, Quanxi's movements seemed fast, but still followable.
"Excellent!" Tom exclaimed, easily leaning back, letting Quanxi's sword slash pass inches from his chest. "Good warm-up!"
He didn't retaliate with brute force. He decided to "play" in Quanxi's arena: speed. Tom used Spatial Teleportation in nearly imperceptible micro-jumps, always staying one step ahead of Quanxi. Every time Quanxi attacked, Tom was already gone, reappearing behind her with an amused smile.
"Your right is a bit too slow," Tom said as he dodged another slash. "Try using more of your hips when you pivot."
Quanxi growled in frustration. This wasn't a fight; it was humiliation. She felt like a hawk trying to catch the wind. She stopped, creating distance. "I'm not alone."
With a brief command, her four Fiends Pingtsi, Long, Cosmo, and Tsugihagi. attacked Tom from four different directions. Pingtsi fired arrows, Long spewed fire, Tsugihagi attacked with her tentacles, and Cosmo... Cosmo did something else.
"Halloween!" Cosmo shrieked, her swirling eyes fixed on Tom.
Instantly, Tom's mind was flooded with information. All the knowledge in the universe, the history of every star, the name of every insect, every book ever written, every thought ever conceived, attempted to enter his mind simultaneously, a mental assault designed to drive its target insane and able to think only "Halloween" until death.
Tom stopped moving. He closed his eyes for a moment. The Fiends and Quanxi thought the attack had succeeded.
But then, Tom opened his eyes again. He smiled. "Wow," he said. "Thanks for the quick summary. I just learned how to make a perfect pineapple tart and the deepest secrets of black holes. Very informative."
Solomon's Wisdom from Tom's Shazam Template, coupled with his nature as an interdimensional anomaly, made him completely immune to such mental attacks. He didn't just withstand it; he absorbed and disregarded it as if it were email spam.
Cosmo shrieked in horror and instantly passed out, overwhelmed that her most powerful attack had no effect whatsoever.
"Alright, enough playing around," Tom said. He raised one hand. Using the 'Compress' Quirk from AFO, he turned Long's fire breath and Pingtsi's arrows into tiny marbles in the air. Then, with Telekinesis, he entangled Tsugihagi with her own tentacles.
In three seconds, all of Quanxi's Fiends were incapacitated.
Quanxi stared at the scene, her usually calm face now showing a hint of shock. She knew she couldn't win. But she was a fighter. She wouldn't run. She lunged forward for one last desperate attack.
This time, Tom didn't dodge. He just stood there. Just as Quanxi's swords were about to strike him, he activated one of AFO's defensive Quirks. A transparent force field appeared, stopping Quanxi's attack dead. Then, with powerful Telekinesis, Tom disarmed all the swords from Quanxi's hands, making them float in the air before clattering to the asphalt.
Tom walked towards the now unarmed and panting Quanxi. She showed no fear, only a calm acknowledgment of defeat.
"You win," Quanxi said, her voice flat. She was a pragmatist who lived by the rules of power. And before her stood absolute power. "What do you want?"
Tom smiled, a smile that this time showed a hint of respect. "I like your attitude. No drama, no shouting. Just acknowledgment." He extended his hand and gently touched Quanxi's forehead.
[System Panel]
-Condition 'target defeated' has been met.
-System Notification: Ability 'Crossbow Transformation (Hybrid)' has been copied. Slots filled: 7/7.
-Description: Allows the user to transform into a Crossbow Devil Hybrid, granting enhanced speed, strength, and the ability to fire crossbow projectiles.
All of Tom's ability slots were now filled.
"I wanted this," Tom said, feeling the understanding of the new power flow into him. He then looked at Quanxi, who awaited her fate calmly.
"As the victor," Tom continued, "I am entitled to the spoils of war. And you, Miss Quanxi, along with your interesting collection of women, are the most valuable spoils of war tonight." He didn't say it as a threat, but as a statement of fact.
Quanxi stared at him intently, then she nodded slowly. This was a language she understood. The strong take what they want. It was the rule of their world.
"Alright," she replied curtly.
With a blink, Tom teleported, taking Quanxi and her four unconscious Fiends with him, vanishing from the wet Tokyo streets, leaving Denji and Power even more confused by the increasingly strange night. The private show of the legendary assassin was about to begin.