Before the bound Yukiko, Sawatari Akane beside her, and the middle-aged man driving up front could react, the chainsaw had already swept in a circle, cutting a round opening in the van's roof.
Bang!
A fist slammed down hard. Through the opening, the three people inside saw a man and a dog on the roof.
The moment she saw Makoto, Yukiko's pupils contracted violently.
"Wh-Who are you?!"
Akane shrieked in terror.
Makoto looked at Yukiko inside the van, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "It really is you?"
He had thought the voice sounded familiar just now. There were very few players left in Japan… only two possibilities: Kudo Yukiko or Saionji Sekai.
He was a bit surprised not to see Yusaku and Shinichi father and son.
In his impression, these two kings of the Conan World were much more likely to attract trouble. How had Yukiko been the one caught?
"H-Help me!"
Yukiko, desperate, no longer cared about the enmity between Makoto and her husband and son. She immediately pleaded for help.
She was trapped with no other options.
Before Makoto could speak, Akane suddenly raised her index finger and shouted:
"Snake - Tail!"
In an instant, the fingernail on Akane's index finger shattered into powder, and blood spurted from her fingertip.
Boom—
The ground around the van exploded. A giant snake tail over two meters in diameter burst from the earth and whipped towards the man and dog on the roof.
"Pochita."
Makoto chuckled, calling out.
Pochita barked with a "Woof!" and jumped onto Makoto's shoulder.
The next moment, Makoto performed a sideways flip, easily evading the snake tail's sweep.
In half a second, Pochita had moved from his shoulder to his arm, positioning itself so Makoto could grip the handle on its back.
Makoto pulled the ring on Pochita's tail with his left hand—
The chainsaw on Pochita's forehead suddenly extended from less than half a meter to over a meter, spinning rapidly with a piercing 'vroom' sound.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
With a single stroke, the thick tail was cut into several sections.
"Roooar—!"
A roar of pain echoed around them, clearly from the Snake Devil.
Makoto landed back on the van's roof and curled his finger at Akane inside, a mocking tone in his voice:
"Summon it again~"
Akane didn't hesitate. She wrenched open the door.
"Retreat!"
Although the cost of summoning her Devil was low, she wasn't stupid enough to ignore the disparity in power.
Fighting now was pointless.
Worse, if she summoned the Snake Devil again and it was killed, the Devil might resent her and unilaterally break the contract.
The middle-aged driver also scrambled out of the van and jumped out.
With the driver gone, the van veered out of control, swerving and crashing into a nearby green belt.
"What a shame. I wanted to see more of how Devil Hunters fight."
Makoto shrugged. A giant gray-black skeleton appeared behind him, its left hand firmly gripping the out-of-control van, while its right hand reached for the middle-aged man who hadn't fled far.
"Don't, don't kill me! Don't kill me! I, I'm just a driver..."
Seeing the skeleton phantom around Makoto, even larger and more terrifying than Akane's Snake Devil, the middle-aged man trembled, unable to speak.
Squish—
The next moment, the Susanoo crushed him into a pulp, leaving only his head flying through the air.
Just before the head landed at Makoto's feet, he raised his leg and kicked it hard.
Bang!
The head shot across the road like a cannonball, flying straight towards Akane as she fled.
Akane sensed something coming fast from behind and instinctively turned her head—
She saw her accomplice's head, mouth wide open, face contorted.
Bang!
The next moment, the man's head hit Akane's like a billiard ball, snapping her head from her neck. Both heads were impaled together on a nearby tree trunk.
Makoto, with Pochita, walked over and untied the ropes around Yukiko's wrists.
"Th-Thank you... I'll be going now."
The moment she was free, Yukiko started to leave.
Although Makoto had saved her life, she knew about his conflict with her husband and son and didn't want to be involved with him.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Makoto's lazy voice came from behind.
Yukiko stopped dead, turning stiffly like a robot, forcing a smile uglier than tears.
"Th-Then what do you want...?"
Makoto sat in the back seat of the van, speaking casually:
"I'm curious. How did you end up targeted by a civilian Devil Hunter? How has your family survived these past two months? Is that 'genius detective' dead yet?"
Before, when they arrived in Naruto world, the Reincarnation System provided players with identities that allowed them to integrate.
But unlike the last time when Kayoko, Mrs. Yukinoshita, and the others came to the Naruto World, this time the system provided nothing beyond the identity.
Although emergency treatment had been given, Shinichi's injuries still required a hospital.
Without timely treatment, he would surely die.
And neither Yusaku nor Yukiko had any money.
That was why Makoto was curious—
Was Shinichi dead or not?
Seeing Makoto ask, Yukiko didn't dare not answer. She obediently told him how she had been using her disguise skills to steal to support the family over the past two months.
From Yukiko's account, Makoto learned that Shinichi was still alive, lying in a top-tier hospital in Tokyo, consuming exorbitant medical fees daily.
Because of this, Yukiko had been forced to steal, eventually stealing from the yakuza, leading to her current predicament.
"Oh, I forgot. You people from the Conan World are all masters of special skills."
Makoto couldn't help but laugh after hearing Yukiko's story.
He'd almost forgotten… people in the Conan World were far from ordinary.
The Grim Reaper elementary school student who could kick a meteorite with a soccer ball, Kyogoku Makouto who could catch bullets with his bare hands, the cross-dressing thief Kaito Kid, Amuro Toru and Akai Shuichi flirting on a Ferris wheel...
Each one more impressive than the last.
And Yukiko's disguise skills were no less than Kuroba Kaito's. Using this skill to make money was simple.
"Where's your husband? You've been making all the money. Does he just lie around at home?"
Makoto asked.
Yukiko quickly explained that Yusaku had tried writing novels but failed, and was currently applying to be a reasoning consultant for the Public Safety Bureau.
With the family in such turmoil, Yusaku couldn't focus on writing. His only option was to use his reasoning skills to get a job with Public Safety.
In his original world, he had assisted the police in investigations when he was younger.
But he was still on probation, and his meager consultant salary couldn't cover Shinichi's massive medical bills. They still relied on Yukiko to find a way.
"Well, are you going to keep stealing then?" Makoto spread his hands.
Hearing this, Yukiko fell silent.
Her disguise skills and her real appearance had been exposed in the underworld. Even if she could still disguise herself, countless eyes were watching her from the shadows.
Stealing was no longer an option.
Makoto spoke again, his tone light:
"It's a good thing you have your disguise skills. Otherwise, you'd have to work in a 'soap land' to earn your son's medical fees..."
Yukiko's face turned deathly pale. She was on the verge of tears.
It was true... if she couldn't use her disguise to steal anymore, and she needed money fast, that really seemed like the only option.
'Was that really the only way?'
"It's a shame that guy isn't dead. Still, I'd like to see what new tricks he comes up with."
Makoto jumped out of the van. "Let's go, Pochita."
Pochita nodded and obediently followed at Makoto's feet, ready to leave.
It didn't fully understand what Makoto had just said or his relationship with this woman, but since it had decided to stay with him forever, it wouldn't hesitate.
"Wait, please!"
Just then, Yukiko called out.
Seeing him look at her, Yukiko bit her lip, as if making a desperate decision.
"H-How much can you give?"
"Huh?" Makoto didn't understand.
Yukiko, on the verge of breaking down, cried out:
"I, I need money! H-How much can you give?!"