Player 10,000 Year Later (Chainsaw Man / The Boys) Multiverse later

Kobeni and Reze quietly slid into place beside Makima, settling on her right.

Kobeni, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, glanced between Kang Woo and the chaos surrounding the Prime Minister before muttering, "Kang Woo… why is it that every person who knows you is either creepy or too alien?"

Kang Woo smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "First off, I never met her face-to-face until now." His crimson pupil flickered in amusement. "And secondly, at least they're still humanoid, right?"

Reze shot him a teasing look. "Humanoid, sure… but a bald-headed man with glowing eyes calling himself The Watcher?" She rested her cheek on her hand, smirking. "Sounds pretty damn alien to me."

Himeno let out a laugh, stretching her arms behind her head. "Face it, Kang Woo, you're a magnet for trouble."

Across from them, Kishibe and Quanxi exchanged glances. The two seasoned hunters weren't used to being out of the loop, but this was new. Kishibe exhaled a long drag of smoke, then gave Aki a questioning look. "The hell are they talking about? Who's The Watcher?"

Aki sighed, already expecting this. "I'll explain later, Kishibe-sensei." He shook his head. "Kang Woo is pretty famous. Even other worlds recognize him."

Kishibe scoffed. "Great. So he's got interdimensional groupies now?" He clicked his tongue, rubbing his temple. "That's just what we needed."

Shifting the conversation, he turned back to Kang Woo. " Since you've got so much experience with world-hopping, tell us—how bad is it?" His expression darkened. "How far off are we from someone like that Witch of Envy?"

Kang Woo leaned back, exhaling through his nose, unimpressed. "Have you ever fought an average magic user?"

Kishibe raised an eyebrow. "No ."

"Exactly." Kang Woo tilted his head. "There aren't any in this world."

He gestured lazily toward Aki and Himeno. "And before you say it—I don't mean them. They're still noobs."

Himeno's jaw dropped. "Hey! Just because we're human doesn't mean we don't have the right to prove ourselves."

Aki, however, sighed in resignation. "Himeno-senpai, our enemies and Kang Woo's aren't even remotely the same." His voice was calm, but firm. "He fights demons regularly. Devours them. We haven't even encountered one—the closest thing we've ever seen is Kang Woo himself."

He rubbed his temples before glancing at Kang Woo. "At least lower your standards when it comes to us, will you?"

Kang Woo barely hesitated.

"Nope."

Before anyone could respond, an announcement blared across the tense air, cutting through the murmurs of the gathered crowd.

Tadashi Hasegawa, the Minister of Finance, suddenly spoke up, his voice firm yet calculated as he attempted to upstage Prime Minister Kentaro. "The enemy lies beyond that blue portal," he declared, standing from his wheelchair with an air of authority. "We, the Japanese government and the JSDF, will uphold justice against those who threaten our homeland from the other side!"

At his words, the JSDF soldiers immediately stiffened, awaiting orders, their grips tightening on their weapons.

Barem Bridge, ever the opportunist, seized the moment, stepping forward with a smug grin. "I'll personally see to it that additional personnel are deployed as reinforcements," he added, attempting to bolster his own image. "It's about time we restored order and respect to our name."

Silence.

Then—

Kang Woo threw his head back and laughed.

A deep, genuine, mocking laugh.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA—" He gripped his side as if the sheer absurdity was physically painful. "Oh, this is rich—are we seriously about to watch a bunch of sausages march straight to their deaths?" His grin stretched wider, crimson pupil glinting with cruel amusement. "Because that's exactly what's gonna happen if you walk into that portal."

Tadashi immediately shut his mouth. His hands trembled slightly, his knuckles whitening as he clenched them at his sides. If I say the wrong thing here, he thought, I might not leave this place alive.

But Barem?

Barem was too much of a bitchass to know when to shut up.

"We are the Public Safety Devil Hunters!" Barem shot back, his voice full of faux bravado. "It is our duty to uphold peace in this country. Outsider opinions are not needed."

The reporters, sensing the tension, scrambled to record everything. Pens flew across notebooks, cameras zoomed in on Kang Woo's face, and in mere seconds—

A new headline had already been drafted:

"A Man That Must Not Be Harmed: Kang Woo Versus the New Commander of the Public Safety Devil Hunters, Barem Bridge."

Kishibe, watching the disaster unfold, exhaled through his cigarette before taking a long drag. He didn't even look at Barem when he muttered—

"Yeah… I didn't like being a commander anyway."

After forty minutes, the scene had escalated far beyond anything rational. More personnel had arrived—Public Safety Devil Hunters from every division, freelancers from the private sector, and even devil-hunting students from Fourth East High School had been summoned. The military presence had doubled, with more JSDF tanks, jets, and helicopters stationed in front of the blue portal. The area was packed with weapons, soldiers, and hunters—all standing on edge, ready for whatever lay beyond.

Aki, watching from the sidelines, let out a long sigh. "Himeno-senpai… I think you might've been right," he muttered. "We're on the way to an all-out war."

Himeno, standing beside him with her arms crossed, exhaled through her nose. "At least it's not against Kang Woo," she pointed out. "Though, from the way he's smirking…" She glanced at him.

Kang Woo stood at a distance, watching the entire situation unfold like a spectator at a grand performance. His smirk was unreadable, but there was an unmistakable amusement in his eyes. It was the kind of smirk that suggested he was waiting—hoping—for them to make the mistake of targeting him instead.

Makima, standing beside Kang Woo, observed the chaotic preparation in silence before finally speaking. "Kang Woo."

He tilted his head slightly, acknowledging her but not taking his eyes off the unfolding mess.

"What do you even do in your free time at the Ninth Hell?" she asked, as if this was just casual conversation.

Kang Woo exhaled, a small grin creeping onto his face.

"…Make more enemies."

His gaze swept over the assembled Devil Hunters, private sector mercenaries, and military forces. Among them, three figures stood out to him—three from the United States. Vought spies? Or just people about to die? He couldn't decide. But the real intrigue lay elsewhere.

His eyes flickered to her. Santa. The Soviet Union's own Devil Hunter, already bound by contract to the Doll Devil. Standing beside her was her apprentice, Tolka, a fool who had bargained with the Darkness Devil itself, lured by the promise of a prize far beyond his understanding. And the target? Kang Woo smirked. Me.

His gaze shifted again.

Katana Man. And beside him, Akane Sawatari. Their intentions were just as obvious. Santa's mission might have been hidden behind layers of deception, but Katana Man? No, his grudge was personal. Kang Woo had humiliated his grandfather, crushed his pride, and left him to wallow in disgrace.

Kang Woo tapped his fingers together in thought. I could kill them all inside the blue portal… but that wouldn't be any fun. His smirk deepened. What should I do? What should I do?

His Authority of the Beholder flared, his awareness expanding in an instant, stretching through the gathered forces. Then, with a lazy step, he moved forward.

Makima followed at his side.

As Kang Woo approached, Katana Man instinctively created distance between them, his body tense. He knows his place. That was good. He still had the grudge, still had the anger—but he wasn't stupid enough to act on it.

Then—

Santa stepped forward, her expression carefully neutral, her voice smooth and composed.

"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Santa—"

Kang Woo didn't stop. He shoved her aside like an afterthought, his eyes not even meeting hers.

"Out of my way."

Santa barely staggered, but her composure wavered for a split second.

Kang Woo ignored her entirely. His attention had already moved elsewhere.

He had overheard a conversation.

Two girls.

Fourth East High School uniforms.

"Asa , you can still wear my shoes," the short-haired girl named Yuko offered, her voice filled with concern. "You forgot yours, right?"

"I'm fine, Yuko. I don't need help—" Asa Mitaka's words trailed off.

Silence.

The weight of an oppressive presence settled over them.

Kang Woo stood in front of them.

The man who had brought even the Prime Minister to his knees. The man whose name alone evoked fear.

Asa stiffened, gripping the hem of her uniform. Yuko didn't dare move.

Kang Woo tilted his head slightly, resting a hand on his chin as he studied Asa. Yoru isn't stuck to her yet, huh?

A voice broke the silence beside him.

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd be interested in high schoolers," Makima teased, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Kang Woo barely reacted, his tone dry. "I'd only be interested if Yoru was stuck to her ass right now."

Makima chuckled. "My sister, the War Devil, wouldn't stoop to something so low—though she is quite stupid." Then, her smirk faded as a thought crossed her mind.

"The Almighty really does make the impossible possible, huh?"

Kang Woo barely gave her a glance. "If you reach my level while I'm asleep."

Then, without another word, he bent down and picked up a few small stones from the ground. In an instant, space distorted around them, the air itself shifting unnaturally. The stones reshaped, twisted, compressed—until a pair of perfectly formed shoes rested in his hand.

He held them out to Asa.

"Try them. They might fit."

Asa blinked, confused. "Thank you, but… why?"

Kang Woo's smirk returned, his crimson pupil gleaming.

"Call it an investment."

Asa Mitaka hesitated, clutching the shoes Kang Woo had handed her. She glanced at Yuko, who gave her an encouraging nod, but her fingers tightened around the shoes nonetheless. No one had ever really helped her before—at least, not without expecting something in return. But Kang Woo… He didn't seem to care about anything beyond his own amusement.

She blushed slightly, unused to the attention, and quickly looked down.

Kang Woo, however, had already moved on. His gaze swept over the gathered forces, the mercenaries, the assassins, the opportunists. The usual taunts and whispers followed him, but he hardly acknowledged them. Instead, his voice rang out, smooth and cold.

"When we cross the blue portal, everyone here will have their own agenda," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "The Soviet Union, the Yakuza, the U.S. agents… Funny thing is, you all have one common objective—my head." He chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "Now, my question is… do you have any last words?"

Silence.

Santa's expression tensed, her fingers twitching slightly. She wasn't the only one affected—her apprentice, Tolka, felt something stir deep within him like a danger when in front of primal devil . 

Katana Man instinctively reached for his transformation, but before he could, Akane Sawatari grabbed his wrist. "Don't," she muttered under her breath. "If you make a scene now, you're on your own."

Meanwhile, the three Vought agents—covertly stationed among the freelancers—remained dead silent, their faces unreadable. But Kang Woo could feel it. The tension, the fear, the uncertainty. They were weighing their options, already calculating whether it was worth trying to take him down now or later.

Kang Woo's smirk deepened, his pupils shifting.

Then—he activated the Almighty.

His four pupils, each blazing crimson, rotated in his eyes, unlocking an overwhelming presence that sent a visible ripple through the air.

"We could do it right here and now," Kang Woo mused, his voice as calm as ever. "As the old soldiers say… better to be buried on your homeland rather than an unknown world."

The JSDF soldiers stiffened. Some tightened their grips on their weapons, but none dared to act. The tension grew unbearable, suffocating.

The reporters, still present, felt their hands tremble as they fumbled to turn off their cameras. Kang Woo's eyes—those horrifying, inhuman eyes—were beyond anything they had ever seen before. To capture his gaze on national broadcast could collapse entire governments.

The largest assembled force began moving toward the blue portal, a mix of Public Safety Devil Hunters, JSDF personnel, private sector freelancers, and foreign operatives. The sheer scale of the operation was massive, a force that would normally be enough to overthrow a small nation—and yet, against the unknown beyond the portal, it meant nothing.

At the podium, Whip Hybrid adjusted her suit, the synthetic fibers shifting slightly under the glare of the lights. Her whip-like tendrils swayed subtly as she took a deep breath.

"I am the Whip Hybrid," she announced, her voice strong, confident. "As for my name, you can just call me Whip. I have been assigned to lead this operation under Barem Bridge's authority."

She let her gaze sweep over the mixed crowd, pausing slightly when it reached Kang Woo's group.

"For those of you from the private sector or representing foreign interests," she continued, "you are welcome to join me. And in return…"

She smirked slightly.

"I will do my best to fulfill your requests once this mission is over."

Kang Woo grinned.

To most, her words sounded diplomatic, even accommodating.

But to him?

It was a declaration.

"Once we cross that blue portal… it's a free-for-all."

The moment they stepped through, the alliances would dissolve. The mercenaries, the foreign operatives, the devil hunters—they would all turn on each other. Betrayal was inevitable.

Makima, standing beside Kang Woo, smirked. She was already watching Whip Hybrid with mild amusement, but there was something else in her gaze.

She still holds a grudge.

Makima had long since killed her so-called "friend," Spear Hybrid. And she hadn't just killed him—she had erased him, burning his soul with Hellblaze.

A hybrid could normally regenerate, could normally resist death.

But Hellblaze?

It permanently erased existence.

And Whip Hybrid knew it.

Even as she spoke, her hatred toward Makima burned.

Makima merely smiled.

Then—Barem Bridge stepped forward, placing a hand on Whip Hybrid's shoulder.

"That's enough speeches," he muttered, voice firm. "Let's move on with the operation."

Whip Hybrid nodded, rolling her shoulders.

Then, she turned to the forces before her and shouted—

"Move out! Onward to the Blue Portal!"

With that, the largest group began marching forward.

The Public Safety Devil Hunters, the JSDF, the foreign operatives, the mercenaries, and every ambitious fool seeking glory moved toward the unknown, their backs straight, their weapons ready.

Even the freelancers, the ones who normally operated in the shadows, were swept into the march—all except for one group.

Kang Woo's group. They didn't move.

Instead, they remained exactly where they were—watching. Waiting.

Because unlike the rest of the fools who had just marched to their potential deaths, they still wanted to hear what Kang Woo had to say.

Kang Woo smirked, his crimson pupils flickering as he turned his gaze toward Quanxi. "You're late," he teased. "You should've gone with the biggest group. Some of them are from Soviet communism, right? You stick together under the red star."

Quanxi didn't flinch, her expression as unreadable as ever. "I'm not friends with Santa Claus from the Soviet Union," she said flatly. "And besides, that Almighty ability of yours, Kang Woo… it's the safest bet I'll ever take."

Aki sighed. "Quanxi, no one in this world has Almighty except him."

Himeno, resting her chin on her hand, groaned. "It's a cheat. The greatest cheat. The only thing that could beat him is a literal miracle."

Makima, standing beside Kang Woo, tilted her head slightly. "Kang Woo," she said smoothly, "what does your Almighty tell you about what happens when we cross that portal?"

Kang Woo stretched his neck, his smirk widening. "We meet more enemies," he said. "And most of them have mana inside their bodies."

Kishibe flicked the ash from his cigarette, raising a brow. "Mana? You mean magic, right? So most of them can wield magic?"

Kang Woo shook his head. "Not exactly. More like mana skin. Their bodies are layered with mana, making them ridiculously hard to penetrate. Normal attacks won't work."

Kishibe's frown deepened. "And let me guess…"

Kang Woo grinned. "The only way to counter mana skin is with magic," he confirmed. "Or with greater anti-magic."

A heavy silence settled over the group.

Aki exhaled sharply. "Which means…"

Kang Woo turned his gaze back toward the blue portal, his smirk never fading.

"It means that the largest group that just marched in," he said casually, "just got fucked."

He turned his attention toward Quanxi. "Are your devil fiends joining or not?"

Quanxi glanced at her devil fiends, her harem, and saw the clear answer in their eyes—they had no intention of separating from their mistress. Without hesitation, she replied, "They're in. We're all in for this crazy journey."

Kang Woo casually began listing off the group's lineup. "Me, Makima, and Kobeni will do the heavy lifting. Two newborn mages who don't even know their class yet—a burden."

Aki frowned. "Himeno-senpai and I aren't that useless, Kang Woo. I can wield blue fire called Azure Resolve, and Himeno-senpai has Lucky Drunkard magic—her element is water. Both of our abilities came from you, remember?"

Kang Woo scoffed. "Still useless. It's better if you fight an opponent later and see just how garbage-tier this world is."

Then, his gaze shifted toward Quanxi and Kishibe. "Two old-timers—burdens, even more useless than Himeno and Aki. But at least they'll keep the party lively."

Without hesitation, Quanxi and Kishibe raised their middle fingers at him in perfect unison.

Kang Woo's smirk widened as he turned his gaze to Quanxi's devil fiends. "And lastly, four illegal passengers on board. Did I miss anything?"

Reze raised her hand.

Kang Woo tilted his head. "No, you're our cute little mascot of Futamichi Café. If you're gone, I might just blow up the whole place. So, for the sake of your own sanity, you need to stay in this world."

Reze pouted. "I want to join the crazy journey."

Kang Woo shook his head. "Alright, let me rephrase my words in a way that's a little more reasonable—I'm going to kill gods again beyond that blue portal. Makima and Kobeni are easier to protect. The rest of you?" He gestured toward the others. "You have no problem dying in another world. No hard feelings, right?"

Aki, Himeno, Kishibe, and Quanxi all stared at him, their expressions torn between disbelief and irritation.

Kang Woo grinned. "Besides, if Quanxi dies, I can just steal her devil fiends."

Without hesitation, Quanxi's form shifted as she activated her hybrid transformation. In an instant, she unleashed thirty arrows toward Kang Woo.

He caught them effortlessly—plucking them from the air without so much as a scratch—before handing them back to her. "Not fast enough."

Reze, still standing beside him, suddenly spoke up, her voice filled with curiosity. "That book… Alice in Wonderland. When you mentioned it days ago, I read the whole thing."

Kang Woo raised a brow, interested. "Oh?"

Reze's violet eyes gleamed. "Yeah. And now I want to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes… and what kind of changes you'll bring, Kang Woo."

Kang Woo only smirked in silence, his crimson pupils flickering with amusement.

Kobeni grinned nervously. "I'm rooting for Reze. She'll make things way more lively, Kang Woo. Maybe even… restore what you lost."

Makima smirked beside him, her yellow-ringed eyes gleaming with mischief. "Starting to regret picking both of us as your wives, Kang Woo?"

"Nah," Kang Woo said lazily, stretching his arms. "It's the most enjoyable outcome for me."

Aki and Himeno exchanged glances before nodding in unison, both thinking the same thing—Kang Woo always has hidden feelings, even if he won't admit it.

Himeno leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Kang Woo… are you a tsundere?"

Kang Woo scoffed. "Fuck off, you one-eyed patch girl."

Quanxi, casually raised a hand. "You do know I'm also a one-eyed patch girl, right?"

Kang Woo paused, clicking his tongue. "Tch. Then fuck off, both of you."

Kishibe exhaled a slow puff of smoke. "Then it's official. Our group needs a name—something that actually represents every chaotic personality we've got… especially Kang Woo."

Aki, arms crossed, nodded. "Kang Woo, you name it. This group wouldn't exist without you."

Kang Woo raised a brow. "You sure? My names tend to be a bit gloomy, you know. Something along the lines of 'Godkiller,' 'Genocider of Worlds,' and—"

"Forget what my husband kouhai just said." Himeno cut him off, waving a hand. "Makima, you do the honors."

Makima tilted her head slightly, amusement flickering in her yellow-ringed eyes. "Shouldn't you hold a grudge against me, Himeno? I mean, before Aki moved on to you, he was in love with me." She smiled. "And that was only because I used a tiny bit of my control power."

Aki blinked. "Eh? You did, Ms. Makima?"

Makima sighed. "You really should've listened to more rumors about how dangerous I am, Aki-kun."

Himeno smirked. "Nah. Without you, Makima, Kang Woo probably would've gone full throttle on leaving this world already… or just detonated a nearby sun." She rested her chin on her palm. "From what I can see, he's been restoring his power way too quickly. A few days ago, he was powerful—but not this powerful. This is too much." She leaned back, glancing at Aki. "And lastly, because of Kang Woo—and by default, you, since he stuck around too long—Aki managed to accept me as his wife. So yeah, I don't hold a grudge against you anymore."

Makima chuckled. "How mature."

Kang Woo, listening to all this, simply sighed. "Still no group name, huh?"

Makima tapped her chin, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I'll use Reze's idea," she said finally. "Since she read Alice in Wonderland, and I enjoy watching movies—especially romance stories—how about Mad Tea Party? It fits. This group is a gathering place where members can come and go, add or leave whenever they want, and have their own objectives."

Aki raised a brow. "Mad, huh? Well, considering Kang Woo's chaotic nature, no one can predict his mood or what he's going to do most of the time. Seems fitting."

Himeno grinned, nudging Aki. "Yeah, I agree with my kouhai. Feels appropriate."

Kishibe didn't say anything at first, simply lighting another cigarette. But there was a smirk on his face, a quiet acknowledgment of the reality they had all been pulled into. Most of their lives had changed because of Kang Woo's presence—his chaos, his unpredictability—but in a strange way, it had led to something better.

Quanxi, leaning back, turned toward her devil fiends. "What do you think?"

Pingtsi, ever the observant one, tilted her head slightly. "I think it describes the group well. It's fitting."

Reze, sitting cross-legged beside Makima, chuckled. "It's just like the Mad Hatter's tea party. A gathering of absolute lunatics."

Kang Woo finally spoke, clicking his tongue. "A group of lunatics, huh? Fine. Mad Tea Party it is."

He tilted his head slightly. "Kobeni, you've been quiet. Do you want to change the name?"

Kobeni, who had been sitting stiffly, just shook her head quickly. "No… it's fine…" Then, after a brief hesitation, she glanced at him. "Kang Woo… are you enjoying this?"

Kang Woo barely stopped himself from sighing. Ah, shit. Too much time around them isn't good for my black heart. His crimson pupils flickered as he looked at her. Stop looking at me like that, Kobeni-chan. You might infect me with your kindness.

Instead of answering, he clicked his tongue and smoothly changed the subject. "Alright, enough of that. Everyone's prepared, right?"

The Mad Tea Party all nodded, some grinning, some stretching, others simply smirking in anticipation.

Kang Woo's lips curled into a grin.

"Our first day of cool has arrived."

A flash of red lightning crackled through the air as the Mad Tea Party stepped through the blue portal.

The moment they crossed, they found themselves inside what appeared to be a cave—dark, damp, and eerily silent.

Himeno crossed her arms. "Not as scary as you made it sound, Kang Woo."

Aki's eyes trailed toward the largest group—the JSDF, the freelancers, and the majority of the Public Safety Devil Hunters. They were all gathered together, seemingly unharmed. "No danger so far."

Makima, however, narrowed her yellow-ringed eyes. "Something's wrong."

Everyone turned toward her.

"There's no mana here," she continued, her tone calm but laced with unease. "But my instincts tell me… we shouldn't be here."

Suddenly, Kang Woo's eyes flickered.

The blue portal behind them sparked violently, red lightning lashing out like veins of raw power. In his mind, Almighty replayed the vision—this wasn't just any teleportation gate.

Ah… a Red Gate. Just like in the Solo Leveling verse, huh?

Which meant…

This cave was a bluff.

They weren't supposed to stay here. They were about to be moved.

Kang Woo's smirk disappeared as he turned sharply to the others. "Brace yourselves. We're about to be teleported."

Reze tilted her head. "Teleport? Where?"

But before an answer could come—

The world shifted.

A violent pull, like gravity had turned on its head, dragged them through an unseen force. Their vision blurred, space itself twisting, their bodies weightless for a moment before—

Cold.

Biting, bone-deep cold.

When their vision cleared, the Mad Tea Party found themselves standing in a vast, endless stretch of white.

Snow.

Thick, untouched snow, stretching for miles. Towering trees covered in ice loomed around them, their skeletal branches bending under the sheer weight of frost.

A gust of wind howled past them, sharp and unforgiving.

Aki exhaled, his breath visible in the freezing air. "…Where the hell are we?"