My Gender Bend Harem: Starting from Chainsaw Man

"Because you are the only man in this world—you should be very clear about that, shouldn't you?"

Makima's words echoed in Renji Kuroda's mind.

"Just keep it that way. Hide your secret. Don't let anyone know your true identity."

"If you want to know anything, you can buy a world map from a store. You might find some surprises."

Tokyo's night remained lively; the streets buzzed with traffic and glowed with neon lights. Renji and Himeno stumbled through the crowd, supporting each other.

Himeno was already fairly out of it from the alcohol, letting out soft, muffled whimpers. Renji helped her down onto a marble bench by the roadside.

"Senior Himeno, wait here for a moment. I'll go grab something real quick."

"Eh…? Oh… mm… then be quick~"

Himeno yawned and nodded drowsily, and Renji turned and stepped into a nearby convenience store.

As he browsed the aisles, Renji kept clutching his stomach. His face showed obvious discomfort, and every so often, his gut let out unnatural growls.

Each time he burped, a foul stench rose from deep in his throat—clear signs of indigestion. More than once, he nearly threw up.

"Next time… I'd rather die than drink again," Renji swore to himself.

Inside the store, he picked up a world map to check out. Then, remembering Kobeni's words, he also grabbed a history textbook.

"Ding~ Detected Himeno's fear. System rewards: 20 points."

"Ding~ Detected Himeno's guilt. System rewards: 20 points."

"Ding~ Detected Himeno's fear. System rewards: 20 points."

Three consecutive emotional feedback prompts from the system rang out in his mind.

Renji froze. Without hesitating, he dropped the items and rushed out of the convenience store—something was wrong.

He spotted someone standing in front of Himeno. He hadn't seen when the person arrived, but now they stood there, furious and shrieking at her.

"It's all because of you! My child died because of you! She was so smart, even as a kid! If it weren't for your careless command, she'd still be alive!"

"Aren't you supposed to be a senior?! A squad veteran?! Then why is she dead—and you still alive?!"

"Why wasn't it you who died?! You should've been the one!"

As Renji drew closer, he could see and hear the commotion clearly.

An enraged old woman stood in front of Himeno, her voice raw with grief and rage. She grabbed Himeno's collar and screamed at her face, wishing her dead.

Himeno sat still on the cold marble, head lowered. She didn't resist—she let the woman vent.

Her dark hair fell like a curtain, masking her expression. Renji couldn't see her face, but the system's emotional indicators told him she was terrified, helpless.

Her body was trembling.

Himeno was scared.

Without a second thought, Renji rushed back into the store.

"Why… why must heaven torment me like this… why did I have to see you again…"

"Why was it my child who died… why not you…"

The old woman raised her hand to slap Himeno—but her hand was stopped mid-air, firmly caught.

"Renji, don't do this," Himeno murmured. She knew he had arrived.

"If you stop her from making a scene, this won't be a small issue. If Public Safety Demon Hunters clash with civilians, Makima will be held responsible."

"She's the foster mother who raised my late partner. She raised her for over twenty years. Her grief is... understandable."

Her voice was calm, low—like she was telling a story that had nothing to do with herself.

Public Safety Demon Hunters had the highest mortality rate of any job. It wasn't uncommon for the families of the dead to turn their grief into accusations.

When someone raises a person for two or three decades, even without blood ties, they become closer than family.

But powerless to take vengeance on devils, their sorrow turns toward the living—fellow Demon Hunters. Enduring this has become an unspoken part of the job.

The old woman turned to the figure gripping her wrist and shouted angrily, "Who the hell are you?! Some stray vagrant?! What are you doing here?! Let go or I'll call the police!"

She struggled to break free—but couldn't.

Himeno slowly lifted her head at the woman's shout. Her eyes widened in stunned disbelief.

She had assumed it was Renji who stopped the old woman.

But the person before her was dressed in filthy rags, with matted hair, and an unidentifiable white liquid smeared across his face. A strange odor radiated from him.

Moreover, this person's eyes were unnerving—one eyeball looked up while the other stared down. It was clear at a glance: this man wasn't mentally stable.

"R-Renji…? Who… is this…?"The old woman also noticed the problem with his eyes. Thinking she had encountered a deranged lunatic, her voice faltered, and fear crept into her expression.

The next moment, the madman opened his mouth.

"Bragging! Have you ever been a vagrant?! I'm the invincible, supreme king of vagrants! What's up, old hag! You don't get to look down on vagrants!"He jabbed a finger toward the sky and shouted, voice unhinged. "Bragging! You can only watch! Your Brother Renji is a vagrant! That's power! You get it?! KANA!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!"

"Mad—madman! He's insane! Let go of me!!!"

The old woman started to struggle violently, but her wrist was gripped tightly. She couldn't break free.

Her face twisted with panic and fury as she shouted, "You lunatic! Let go of me! Somebody help! Please!"

But the madman paid her no mind. He continued his bizarre monologue:

"Helloooo everyone~ I'm Be… Be…"

He never finished. A sudden rumble came from his stomach.

The madman's face flushed red, then turned green. He looked like he was on the verge of collapse. A second later, he burped—and a foul stench filled the air.

Watching the madman's erratic movements and incoherent rambling, the old woman began to tremble. For the first time, she felt true fear. Her screams rose to a shrill, panicked pitch as she called desperately for help from the crowd.

The madman suddenly yanked her to the side, away from Himeno.

"I…! I can't! I can't hold it in anymore! Ugh…! Ugh…! Ugh…!"

A geyser of yellow vomit spewed from the madman's mouth like a fountain, drenching the old woman. Her hair, face, and clothes were completely soaked.

The crowd nearby recoiled instinctively. Some people covered their mouths and noses; others turned away in revulsion.

Himeno leaned against a wall in a quiet alley. Before long, someone came jogging over, adjusting into a Public Safety uniform while holding a plastic convenience store bag.

It was the madman from earlier.

"Where are the police?" Himeno asked calmly, watching the alley behind him.

The man casually tidied his messy hair. "I lost them. How was I? Pretty amazing, right?"

Himeno didn't reply. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and began circling him, studying him carefully, examining his face, his posture—like she was trying to see through him.

The man began to fidget under her scrutiny, visibly uncomfortable.

"Why did you do that? To stand up for a fellow hunter? Or… was it to stand up for me, Renji Kuroda?" Himeno finally asked, her voice calm, but tinged with genuine curiosity—and something softer, more uncertain.

Renji pulled out a wet wipe from the bag and wiped his cheeks.

"Of course it was for you. You were about to be slapped—how could I just watch that happen? I mean, yeah, it was also for me—I was about to throw up anyway. But I wouldn't have done all that if it weren't for you."

As he spoke, Renji froze, his expression twisting in pain again.

"Nope, it's not over. I feel another burp coming. My stomach's still killing me. And this disgusting taste in my mouth… won't go away."

But Himeno didn't respond to his complaints. Instead, she burst out laughing—laughing so hard she doubled over, holding her stomach and pointing at him.

Her laughter grew louder, more carefree, almost childlike.

"Ahahahahahaha! You—! You played the madman so well! How did you even manage to look up with one eye and down with the other?! Hahahahahahahaha!!"

Ding~ Detected Himeno's happiness. System rewards: 20 points.Ding~ Detected Himeno's happiness. System rewards: 20 points.Ding~ Detected Himeno's happiness. System rewards: 20 points.

Himeno's laughter echoed brightly through the alley, piercing through Tokyo's silent, neon-drenched night. Though it was late and the air was cool, her laughter carried a kind of warmth—like sunlight in early spring, radiant and full of hope.