Chapter 17: Kill Denji

With Kobeni pinned down by Aki and Himeno, Aki tries calling on Kon the Fox Devil and fails, since the building has cut every tie to the outside. Himeno sends the Ghost Devil at the Eternity Devil, but the creature only swells with each blow and admits its vulnerable spot sits beyond the eighth floor, out of anyone's reach. Himeno then lays out the brutal math of devil contracts: a deal that goes unfulfilled kills the devil itself, so handing Denji over would spare everyone else.

Arai jumps at the idea and votes to surrender Denji, while Power gleefully agrees, but Aki shuts both down. He suspects the devil wants Denji dead for a hidden reason, and Himeno backs him; he also points out that Power, as a Fiend, sits outside any contract and could be slaughtered anyway. Power shrugs it off and pesters an irritated Denji for a round of sumo.

While the group huddles in the corridor worrying about starving to death, Aki proposes drawing on 'The Sword,' a measure Himeno flatly rejects. Arai heads back and finds that Power has devoured their entire food stash. A panicking Kobeni spirals into delusion, branding Power their captor and then accusing Arai of spying for the devil before lashing out at him.

Arai's terrified scream triggers a sudden surge in the Eternity Devil, which lunges for Denji. As the rooms begin to lurch and slant, the creature confirms that human fear is exactly what fuels its growth, and it advances on the group while demanding Denji's heart.