Chapter 213: Role

Mulling over the demands made by the Death Devil and Fumiko, Denji concludes that women flinging themselves at him tends to signal a con. He also questions whether the pair are the two choices the Fire Devil once warned him about. A rock then strikes the nurse room window, and outside Denji spots Yoshida waving. Leaving the resting Death Devil and Famine Devil in the classroom, Denji goes down to the entrance and asks why Yoshida is loitering in the rain; Yoshida simply says he wanted a look at the school.

Yoshida explains that Public Safety planted him at Fourth East High to protect Denji, a posting he was hesitant about at first yet came to see as worthwhile. When Denji assumes Yoshida wants a favor like everybody else, Yoshida instead produces food for them to share. Indoors, Denji wolfs down the meal while Yoshida looks on, and when asked if he will eat too, Yoshida confesses he merely enjoys watching others eat. The remark stirs a memory in Denji of the days when a living Aki would watch as he and Power shared meals, and he quietly observes that some men are simply built that way.

Recalling a job the two pulled against a gang of delinquents, Yoshida says that although Denji is a handful to be around, their shared memories are worth treasuring. The sentiment makes Denji suspicious, and Yoshida admits he came to bid farewell, since they will never meet again. They clasp hands and thank one another for the good times. Then, unexpectedly, Yoshida apologizes and discloses that his job is to serve as a switch, just as a blast tears through the school building.

Suspecting manipulation, Denji is visited by Yoshida, who reveals Public Safety planted him at the school as Denji's bodyguard and brought food to share. Watching Denji eat reminds Denji of Aki and Power. After reminiscing and shaking hands in farewell, Yoshida apologizes and reveals his role is to be a switch, triggering an explosion that engulfs the building.

Set in Volume 23 under the title Yakuwari, the chapter closes on Yoshida's betrayal and a deadly blast. A trivia note flags that Denji's recollection misremembers the girls' pleas, dropping Death's scar and using Fumiko's nude photo. The cast features Denji, the Death Devil, Fumiko Mifune, Yoru, the Fire Devil, Hirofumi Yoshida, the Famine Devil, Aki Hayakawa, and Power.