Chereads / Player 10,000 Year Later (Chainsaw Man / The Boys) Multiverse later / Chapter 23 - Despaired World : In every age… the insects come crawling… out of the woodwork.

Chapter 23 - Despaired World : In every age… the insects come crawling… out of the woodwork.

Ten minutes before Homelander was hurled into the sky by the thousand red spears bundled to building size summoned by Kang Woo, The Seven had arrived on the streets of Tokyo, positioned a safe distance from the Tokyo Public Devil Hunter HQ. Their ranks included Homelander, The Deep, Black Noir, A-Train, Queen Maeve, Lamplighter, and Translucent—each in their 2012 versions.

From a concealed vantage point, Madelyn Stillwell observed the unfolding scene through binoculars. Stormfront (Klara Risinger) stood beside her, smirking. "What a good job you've done convincing Homelander to invade Japan."

Madelyn gave a sly smile, lowering the binoculars. "I keep a tight leash on him. I know how to play my cards—just had to plant the idea that he'd been humiliated by a Japanese enemy. When he found out the one who summoned that 'White Devil' in Sage Grove Center was speaking Japanese, he was itching for revenge on any Japanese he could find. And if I manage to secure Japan—and, by extension, the secrets to devil contracts—it will make Edgar consider me as his successor."

Stormfront glanced sideways, intrigued. "And Homelander... he's got a thing for Makima?"

Madelyn chuckled. "Once he saw her picture, he became fixated. He actually seemed excited at the thought of forcing Makima to become Vought's property."

On the bustling streets of Tokyo, Homelander scanned the area with narrowed eyes, his expression brimming with impatience. "Where's Swatto? I ordered him to bring Makima once she was weakened," he muttered, his voice edged with irritation.

In a blur of motion and a loud VROOOOM—the distinct sound of high-speed impact—A-Train skidded to a stop in front of him. "He'll be here soon," A-Train reported, his voice strained and breathless.

Around Homelander, the other members of The Seven stood in a tense circle, each carefully maintaining their distance. Despite having heard whispers that Homelander had been humiliated by a mysterious "White Devil," none of them dared to address it. The terrifying unpredictability of his temper and Vought's relentless funding of their fame and fortunes kept them tightly bound to his authority.

Just then, Swatto landed in front of Homelander, his body battered and bruised. "Homelander… Makima… she's gone. She escaped by some… unknown means," he stammered, still catching his breath.

Without warning, Homelander's fist shot out, smashing into Swatto's face, sending him stumbling backward. Swatto stammered, holding his nose, eyes wide with fear.

"Call me with sir you're not a member of The Seven, Swatto. You're just a washed-up relic from Team Payback. Only report back with good news," Homelander snapped, the fury in his voice unmistakable.

Swatto nodded shakily, wiping the blood from his face, terrified into silence.

Homelander threw back his head, letting out a scream of frustration. "Huuuarrrggggghhh ! I've been beaten by some nobody who summons Japanese devils, and now my target's slipped through my fingers!"

In a fit of rage, Homelander's eyes glowed crimson as he unleashed his laser vision, slicing through a nearby building. Civilians scattered in panic, screams filling the air as debris rained down onto the streets.

Maeve stepped forward, horror and anger mingling on her face. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled .

Homelander gave her a cold, dismissive look. "Getting the attention of these Asians," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Suddenly, a news reporter's voice cut through the chaos. "Breaking News: The Seven from Vought have just arrived in Japan. Moments ago, Homelander attacked an abandoned building in downtown Tokyo." Homelander smirked at the mention, turning toward the camera that quickly shifted to him, ready for his twisted message.

"Citizens of Japan," he began, his tone oozing condescension and menace. "For far too long, you've kept the secrets of these devil contracts all to yourselves, hoarding them, hiding them, never sharing them with the rest of the world. And look where that's gotten you—a 'White Devil' tearing through Sage Grove Center in Pennsylvania, leaving untold numbers dead."

He let the silence linger, his smirk widening. "Oh, we did our homework. One of you—you know who you are—chanted something like 'Furube yura yura,' didn't you?" He paused, relishing the unease he was creating. "And I've been generous, haven't I? So far, I've only targeted an abandoned building. But let's be clear—the next target won't be so lucky. So come on out, Control Devil. Face me. Let's settle this once and for all. Justice awaits."

The Seven watched him in horror, unable to disguise their shock at his recklessness. Homelander only shrugged, dismissing their alarm. "What? With this, our target can come closer, right?"

While people ran around in panic, desperate to escape the carnage, one figure stood still amid the chaos, unbothered. He appeared to be examining his arm with a calm, almost detached interest. It was Kang Woo—though neither The Seven nor Homelander had any clue who he was. To them, he was just another face in the crowd, one with an oddly indifferent demeanor given the mayhem surrounding him.

Homelander raised an eyebrow, amused. "Hey, you—Asian! Lead us to this called Public Safety Devil Hunter HQ!" he demanded, expecting instant compliance.

Kang Woo continued looking at his arm, ignoring Homelander completely, lost in his own thoughts. I've got a feeling about this, he mused to himself, even though I've killed that reporter and Swatto countless times, resurrected them just as many, and only managed to accumulate 300,000 points each for both Malevolent and Benevolent Points. This is getting tedious.

Irritated by the lack of response, Homelander's expression darkened. "Oyyy! Are you deaf, Asian?" he growled, his voice dripping with contempt.

In response, Kang Woo calmly reached down, gripping the skin of his arm. In one swift motion, he tore the flesh from his forearm, revealing a writhing, flesh-like parasite underneath that seemed to function as a scanner.

Kang Woo scowled, annoyed. Damn you, Gaia. I've broken free of your penalty , and yet you're still attempting to monitor how I use my mana? His irritation was clear as he flexed his now-exposed arm.

Homelander recoiled, shock twisting his features. "What the hell… are you insane?" he spat, taking a step back, momentarily thrown by the unexpected display.

 

But Kang Woo was unfazed by Homelander's reaction; his mind was piecing together the puzzle before him. This body… it wasn't originally mine. Even though my soul has altered it, it still retains traces of Peter January. He realized, Gaia's version of this world doesn't understand mana—it only knows negative energy. This twisted flesh… it's Gaia's attempt to replicate the way mana and magic work. But it can't touch my demonic energy, which exists beyond this world's grasp. It's as if Gaia is creating its own "hero" to counter me, a Demon King.

As Kang Woo processed this, Translucent, invisible and stealthy, crept forward to ambush him. But suddenly, the sky above Tokyo darkened, an unnatural shadow swallowing the light. The sun itself was eclipsed, casting an eerie gloom over the city. The air thickened, filled with a sense of dread, and then a chorus of tormented voices echoed from above:

"Please… help me… spare me…"

"Let me die, I'm sorry we lied! We don't want to interview Makima anymore!"

"The Americans—they lied! It's not Makima who's dangerous… it's the one standing beside her!"

And then, in a final, anguished shout, a single voice cried out, filled with despair and rage: "Homelander! Because of you, I was kicked out of The Seven! I curse you… curse you to suffer, to endure this cruel fate!"

Homelander's eyes widened in recognition, his fists clenching as he whispered, "Swatto… are you betraying me, you fucking fly?" His voice was filled with fury.

Suddenly, Swatto's eyes went lifeless, his gaze vacant and pale as he stood, looking like a dead man left standing. The sight was unnerving, his skin ashen and drained, as if his very soul had been snuffed out.

The Deep, a.k.a. Kevin Moskowitz, looked to Homelander, his voice trembling with fear. "Homelander, we need to get the fuck out of here now… I don't like this feeling."

Homelander was about to brush him off when the air grew impossibly dense, a stifling presence pressing down on everyone. The sky shifted, darkened, and from the depths of that oppressive blackness, a massive red eye opened, casting its ominous gaze across the land. Its presence was overwhelming, an unbearable weight on the soul of anyone who looked upon it. Then, a single command reverberated throughout Japan,

"Enchain."

Kang Woo's smile spread, his red pupils glowing with an eerie light as he turned his gaze directly onto Homelander. Homelander's instincts screamed danger, and without hesitation, he attempted to kill this man—this was the one behind it all, he thought. But before he could act, Kang Woo's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"100 grams of demonic energy, being use ."

In an instant, Swatto's body exploded, his form scattering into dark fragments, and from the remnants, thousands of blood-red demonic spears coalesced, forming into a structure that towered like a building before slamming into Homelander with brutal force, sending him hurtling skyward, battered and bruised.

The Seven could only watch in horror, the terror etched deeply in their faces. They stood frozen, unable to look away from Kang Woo, who calmly raised his right hand, brushing his hair back, while his left hand extended in a familiar, sinister gesture, reminiscent of Sukuna's triumph. His voice, calm yet dripping with menace, echoed around them. ( img here ) 

"In every world and level of hell… the insects come crawling... out of the woodwork."

Kang Woo's smile widened, and in an instant, he shot forward at Mach 3, a deafening BOOM splitting the air as he streaked through the thousand blood-red spears that towered like a building, his sheer speed and presence making the structure shudder as he passed. The Seven watched in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

A-Train, visibly shaken, muttered, "I only max out at Mach 1.3… This guy…"

Translucent, dropping his invisibility, smirked bitterly. "He's better at running than you, buddy," he muttered, unable to tear his gaze away.

As Homelander scrambled to recover mid-air, Kang Woo extended his hand, fingers curling in a sinister, spider-like gesture. "Kyodaigumo," he intoned with chilling calm. Out of the shadows, a colossal black spider, twice the weight of a presidential plane, materialized above Homelander. With a swift, merciless descent, the spider crashed into him, sending him hurtling into the ground below, leaving a massive crater in his wake.

Without a moment's pause, Kang Woo formed his fingers into a hand-catapult gesture. Suddenly, a towering twenty-six-fingered hand emerged from the ground, forming a staircase of fingers leading down into the crater. With each measured step, Kang Woo descended, his gaze fixed on the battered Homelander below, a gleam of satisfaction flickering in his eyes as he closed in on his prey.

At the exposed wall of the Public Safety Devil Hunter HQ, Princi, the Spider Devil, looked on with astonishment. "That's… not how my ability works," she murmured in disbelief.

The Hell Devil nodded, equally perplexed. "Nor mine… It seems the noble one has his own… unique approach."

From their position, only fifty meters away from the battleground, Makima and her allies watched with wide eyes, witnessing how Kang Woo wielded their borrowed powers with unmatched creativity and deadly precision.

In the crater, Homelander coughed, "Cough, cough" as he struggled to rise, his eyes blazing with fury. "There's no way a devil could damage me! How could an Asian, an inferior nobody from Japan, have the audacity to challenge me—a Supe, an American?!"

Kang Woo looked down at him with calm disdain. His voice steady, he commanded, "Fox Devil… KON!" A surge of power coursed through the air. "With Angel Devil's life force absorption… demonic energy: one thousand grams ."

A colossal fox head emerged, glowing with a menacing aura, a red missile clamped in its jaws. With a sudden, vicious snap, the fox launched the missile straight at Homelander. Homelander barely dodged, moving just in time, but the shockwave sent him staggering.

Snarling, he fired his laser eyes at full force, screaming, "Huuuaaahhh!" His beams blazed toward Kang Woo, intent on obliteration.

Kang Woo merely smirked, raising his hand. "Demonic energy: one hundred grams ." A shimmering red shield materialized, pushing forward against Homelander's lasers, deflecting the attack with ease.

Kang Woo then glanced at his exposed hand, noticing the flesh parasite writhing, looking sickly from the intense usage of demonic energy. From the opposite building, Makima and Angel Devil observed, a hint of concern crossing Makima's mind. Is that… some kind of curse or ill effect?

Kang Woo then pointed a single finger at Homelander. "Hell Devil, Fox Devil, Angel Devil, Spider Devil… combined demonic energy usage: Two Kilograms ," he announced, a dark smile playing on his lips.

As their names were called, the devils dropped to one knee, visibly weakened by the surge. Princi, the Spider Devil, was panting heavily. Angel Devil collapsed onto one knee, gasping, "I've… never felt so much negative energy flowing through me. It's… too much."

Makima's gaze grew more intense, her concern blending with silent admiration as she watched Kang Woo's display.

Above, the sky split open, revealing a thousand hellish doors, each holding a crimson spear aimed downward. Homelander's eyes widened, realizing the threat before him.

Kang Woo's voice cut through the chaos, cold and contemptuous. "Failed product. Still a failure, even now."

Homelander's instincts kicked in. He shot into the sky, desperate to escape.

With a single clap, Kang Woo declared, "Yosh!" Instantly, a thousand spears launched from the sky, each one honing in on Homelander's path. Homelander barely dodged, feeling one spear tear through his shoulder. Madelyn was right, he thought, anger and desperation flickering in his mind. Japan needs to be brought to submission.

But the assault was far from over. More hellish doors opened in the sky, each harboring a menacing red spear, ready to rain down with deadly intent. As Homelander twisted and turned to dodge, the unleashed barrage struck Tokyo relentlessly. Every missed spear slammed into buildings, tearing through steel and concrete with merciless precision.

 

Homelander darted below the towering structures of Tokyo at supersonic speeds, he quickly realized that the sky was not safe . Flying just a couple of meters above ground, he narrowly avoided the onslaught of colossal fox mouths that appeared from every building's surface, snapping and lunging to devour him as he zigzagged through the cityscape.

But before he could catch his breath, a thunderous snap echoed across Tokyo, shaking the entire city. In an instant, twenty-four massive spider legs, each extending in a 200-meter radius, burst from the ground, slamming together like a monstrous Venus flytrap. The force of the clash was immense, pushing aside buildings, snapping power lines, and flattening everything caught within their reach.

The devastation was staggering. Multiple blocks were left in ruins, buildings crumbling under the impact. Dust and debris filled the air, leaving the landscape a chaotic wasteland. Roads were shattered, vehicles lay crushed under fallen structures, and the surviving civilians scrambled to escape the fallout.

Homelander himself was caught in the aftermath, suffering deep gashes across his body. While his life wasn't yet in critical danger, his health had dropped by a considerable margin—down to roughly 30% of his full strength. Blood streaked down his suit, his breaths ragged as he hovered, barely keeping aloft amidst the destruction. For the first time, he looked truly shaken, realizing he was not facing a mere threat, but an unstoppable force.

From a safe distance, Madelyn watched the devastation unfold, her composure cracking as she yelled, "Klara, why the fuck is this happening again?" Panic tinged her voice as the chaos raged before her.

Stormfront remained silent, her expression hardening as she took in the scene. Then, with a surge of electrokinesis, she flew toward Homelander's location at high speed, her eyes fixed on homelander .

Homelander hovered shakily above the ground, his vision spinning as he struggled to regain control. Suddenly, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground, coughing and retching, his body unable to process the immense shock and blood loss he'd endured. Gurgling sounds punctuated the scene as he vomited onto the ground, his breaths labored and unsteady.

In the midst of the wreckage, a massive hellish door materialized with a deep, menacing creak, and from it, Kang Woo stepped forward, his form calm and composed. In his left hand, he wielded a sword infused with Angel Devil's life-absorption ability, its aura crackling with demonic energy as if charged by the very essence of hell.

Stormfront landed squarely between Kang Woo and Homelander, eyeing Kang Woo with defiance. "Wait a minute," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "You think it's fair to use four devils at once? That's cheating, isn't it… Asian?"

Kang Woo placed his hand on his chin, eyes narrowed with an air of quiet contemplation. "Alright, let's not waste time," he replied calmly. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

Stormfront's eyes lit up with smug satisfaction. "Simple," she sneered. "We'll make this a Tournament of Heroes. A real test of strength. After all, Japan lost to America in World War II, didn't it? Let's keep it fair—you bring seven of your people, no devil contracts allowed. We'll choose the terrain."

( NOTE : world war 2 devils is not devour yet by chainsaw devil )

Her smile grew wider. "And the stakes? Anything goes. The winner decides what the loser has to give up. Let's say… if Japan wins, they can erase every war penalty and debt that's weighed you down since WWII. But that's just one idea," she added, voice thick with superiority. "Anything is possible for the victor; the loser, meanwhile, has no right to refuse."

Inwardly, she thought, There's no way this man isn't loyal to Japan. After making those devil contracts, he's clearly willing to do whatever it takes to fight Homelander. He'll take the bait.

Kang Woo's gaze was inscrutable as he weighed her words. As I expected, he mused. This world has its own twisted version of wargames like Danmachi's or DXD's Rating Games. And, of course, Stormfront is manipulating the situation, pulling everyone along into her own mess.

Kang Woo's smile grew, a twisted, dangerous grin that sent a shiver through Stormfront's spine. "Alright," he said, his eyes glinting with madness. In that moment, the sword in his left hand, infused with Angel Devil's power, suddenly shattered into dust. Twenty minutes are up, huh? he thought. They severed their contracts as ordered. Good. And it seems this parasite is reacting poorly to demonic energy—probably tied to Peter January's body itself. Something about it is unsettling.

Seeing the momentary shift in his demeanor, Stormfront sensed an opportunity. She didn't hesitate; charging her electrokinesis, she split Kang Woo's body in half with a single, deadly strike. For a brief moment, she believed she'd won.

Homelander sneered, hovering over Kang Woo's lifeless form. "Serves you right, Asian," he scoffed, glancing at Stormfront. "Good work , Stormfront."

Stormfront, beaming with satisfaction, pulled out her phone, flipping open her camera to record her supposed victory. "Hi, guys!" she chirped into her phone, her voice brimming with arrogance. "I'm here with The Seven's very own Homelander, and hey—maybe I'll be the next member if one of them ever… retires."

She aimed the camera at Kang Woo's body, zooming in on the bloodied remains. "Look at this," she sneered. "This war criminal's the reason for all the chaos here, but don't worry! I'm bringing Japan to justice, with Homelander by my side, of course. And there's more—there's going to be a Tournament of Heroes between The Seven and Japan's champions! This match will finally reveal all the twisted secrets Japan's been hiding. Imagine that!"

Homelander smirked, clearly entertained by the prospect of humiliating the entire country. But his smile faltered as he noticed something strange about the body before him. One of Kang Woo's arms looked untouched.

"It's a fake!" he shouted, the realization dawning in his eyes.

Suddenly, a resounding BANG echoed as Stormfront staggered back, clutching her hip in shock, nearly dropping her phone. Her smirk vanished, replaced by confusion and pain as she looked down at the bleeding wound that had appeared without warning. The camera in her hand wobbled, catching the surprise on her face.

A portal opened nearby, swirling with dark energy, and from it stepped Kang Woo with Makima by his side. Both stood with an eerie calmness, their expressions unreadable yet deeply unsettling.

Kang Woo looked at Stormfront, a smirk dancing on his lips as he addressed her directly. "Shall I play my defense cards?" he asked.

Makima observed quietly, her eyes narrowing in realization. Now I understand, she thought. The reason he made those four contracts with the devils from this world—it was all part of a setup, carefully constructed through false information to make others believe he's reliant on multiple contracts. His true abilities remain hidden, unrevealed.

Though, knowing him, she mused, it's likely just an option he prepared, rather than a necessity.

Her gaze drifted to Kang Woo's exposed arm, where a strange parasite wriggled within the torn flesh. She could sense his irritation radiating more intensely at the sight of the parasite than at the farcical "tournament" Stormfront had proposed.

 

 

Stormfront gritted her teeth, struggling to maintain her composure. "The battle is over, Asian. We won. We'll settle this at the Tournament of Heroes."

Just then, Kang Woo's supposed corpse, lying nearby, suddenly morphed, the body dissolving into a silver , symbiote-like liquid. The liquid mass coalesced into an arm piece from Superior Iron Man's armor, wrist blade extended, which flew toward Stormfront, slicing cleanly through her ring and little fingers, making her drop her phone in shock. The severed fingers hit the ground as she gasped, clutching her bleeding hand.

The armor component then flew through the air, attaching seamlessly to Kang Woo's exposed right arm, partially encasing it in sleek, gleaming metal. He flexed his fingers, admiring the transformation. "Just like in the comics," he remarked with a sly grin. "The Endo-Sym Armor Mark 50 is… quite something."

As Kang Woo flexed his newly armored arm with a satisfied grin, the rest of The Seven finally converged on the scene. They stared in shock at Homelander's bruised, battered form and Stormfront, clutching her bleeding hand where two fingers had just been sliced off.

Stormfront, her voice shaking, shouted in a dazed fury, "What are you waiting for?! F-Fuck them… kiss them!"

A-Train, utterly baffled, muttered, "What the fuck did she just say?"

Makima chuckled, her voice lilting with amusement. "She's in shock, boys. She meant to say, kill Them ."

Just then, a massive, six-fingered hand materialized in the sky, casting a shadow over them. Before they could react, the hand descended, grasping them with a firm grip, and in an instant, they were teleported away, the scenery shifting abruptly around them.

When they blinked, they found themselves standing in the bustling, familiar streets of New York, surrounded by towering skyscrapers. Kang Woo watched in silence, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked to Makima, who seemed quietly pleased.

"Makima, is this part of your grand event?" Kang Woo asked, his tone laced with amusement.

Makima responded telepathically, through the connection forged by the Commandment Given by kang woo . Nope, not me, she replied calmly, though her gaze shifted to an open hellish door that had appeared beside kang woo and makima . Emerging from it was none other than Kishibe, the veteran devil hunter himself, his rugged presence exuding both experience and menace.

Makima's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Ah, the bad blood between our esteemed devil hunter and your dear Stormfront. This should be quite the spectacle."

Kang Woo's smile darkened, a glint of satisfaction . "The Control Devil wasn't enough I cause trouble in Tokyo," he murmured, his voice dripping with irony. "Now she's brought it to New York City… turning it into the New York Incident."

Then, Makima's voice slipped telepathically into Kang Woo's mind again, her curiosity laced with concern. "Why is there a parasite embedded in your right arm? I saw the results of you tear off your flesh just to examine it."

Kang Woo's thoughts turned sharp and calculated. "It's Gaia's doing. The world itself is trying to craft a hero who can wield mana-based abilities someone who could eventually use magic as I do and, by extension, you through the Commandment. Gaia's attempts to counter me are only becoming more… creative."

Makima thought over his response, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fall into place. Now I fully understand his action although a bit strange , she mused to herself. The reason he borrowed power from the devils in my world—Fox Devil, Angel Devil, Princi, and Hell Devil—and then severed the contracts immediately, wasn't just for the tournament the Supes proposed. It was part of a larger strategy, a plan designed to create this situation, hitting two birds with one stone, causing both Gaia and Vought to suffer .

The parasite embedded in his arm was an unfortunate revelation, though, something he'd only recently noticed and something that clearly irritated him.

Her gaze shifted to his right arm, where a sleek layer of liquid silver armor had formed, covering the parasite embedded in his flesh

Makima's thoughts continued, processing the implications of the parasite's response to Kang Woo's power. Using demonic energy so recklessly as he did before must have sickened the parasite. Gaia seems to have no real understanding of demonic energy—it's only focused on understanding and countering mana-based power. The malice and sheer malevolence of Kang Woo's demonic energy is seems to slow or decline gaia progress to craft a hero in this world .

The parasite, designed to analyze and potentially disrupt mana usage, faltered when faced with Kang Woo's dark and uniquely malevolent energy, causing it to lose its hold and struggle within him.

note : auxiliary stats of kang woo and his harem already posted