#barem

Wouldn't it be humane to protect humanity and demonic to protect the underworld? And what if... it was actually the other way around.

The interweaving of questions and answers is exactly what this chapter does.

While Yoru sordidly states that children are nothing more than the property of their parents, the one who can't speak, instead of devouring a human as he did with all those demons, decides to go to the blood drive.

Pochita understood what the sign meant. He knows how to talk. But he'd rather hold up that sign and roar than make any demands.

Worse still, he does not decide to give any orders.

It's not words that symbolise order, it's that raised index finger that already in Roman times expressed command.

In the United States, arms are a constitutional right (as recently reiterated by the Supreme Court, which does not admit of any restrictions), a fundamental freedom but also a means of preserving one's freedom, allowing organised militias to fight and protect the State.

You can see how it's all a construction, the weapons are a technological creation, the State is an administrative and political creation.

And that's where things get interesting. First of all, this chapter is highly symbolic and has a very strong political message (oh my god, political interpretation in a manga, impossible..........)

Yoru has sliced off the index fingers of those who support the right to bear arms in the United States. Or campaign for that freedom. But what Yoru is doing. In fact, it's taking it away from them. How can I shoot without this index finger? You can't do it.

It's by taking weapons away from men that they actually regain their freedom.

But it goes even further than that. Why does Yoru sacrifice these fingers? Because it reinforces the fear of weapons. Let's say I point a gun at you (sorry). You'd be less scared if you were as armed as I am. Especially when you're trained, know how to defend yourself and aren't afraid to shoot.

Yoru makes those who thought they were invincible with weapons vulnerable. She strengthens the Gun Devil's power. She contracts with them through her sacrificed child.

Weapons,

freedom,

deprivation of childhood,

of loved ones,

obsession with a mentor,

To think that a god created them.

Remind you of anyone?

Infanticide is what makes you immortal.

The sacrificed demons become weapons, lost between humanity and the demons. Not being human, nor demon, because they have no parents. Even artificial weapons like Reze and Katana display these characteristics. Isn't loneliness one of the ingredients?

Humanity sacrifices its children. As Fujimoto confirmed, they were prepared to do it for eternal youth.

And now you're going to say to me. NOOOO! Yoru too! Just as Makima wouldn't hesitate to do. The demons are also ready to do it.

Yes, because they are influenced by men.

Yoru speaks, uniting with humanity to say horrible things. Whereas Pochita doesn't speak. Worse still, he has chosen not to speak. Worst of the worst, even worse. He'd rather be a dog than a human. That's his choice.

Pochita fights for those he loves, he doesn't sacrifice them.

The demon of birth, it swallows but can spit out. Suspending existence, giving it new life, denying none of it.

Wasn't Makima devoured by Denji proof of this?

Nayuta is the symbol of this rebirth. A perpetual love that surpasses hate.

Pochita loves demons. He also loves those who mean something to him, like Denji. But he also knows that when we become too human, we can end up sacrificing ourselves out of vanity rather than love.

Pochita has sacrificed himself for love, without expecting anything in return as he waits permanently for Denji's dreams.

He is also Denji's lock, preventing him from fully adapting to men.

That's why killing Black CSM was Denji's wish come true. Because Pochita is preventing Denji from becoming normal.

Because he wants to protect him from humanity. Pochita has never been for humanity.

He is simply the guardian of the underworld, all those demons whose existence he guards, a supreme mother. Humanity must endure in order to continue to be afraid. But if humanity is prepared to overcome the ultimate fear of losing its child, then fear is scorned.

So Pochita tried to wipe out the weapons' existence, to devour them. But they still existed. Why? Because they are already the result of infanticide.

being devoured by the demon of birth, mother of the underworld, actually reinforces their existence.

Being devoured by their mother is the reason for their nature.

Whereas weapons are beings born because their mother has killed them.

Denji is the result of the death of the Supreme Mother.

It's not a weapon.

He's a wall.

Hero of the underworld.

A hero of the underworld who has been fighting from the start for the victory of love, sacrificing himself for those he loves and not sacrificing them. So he asks for blood.

And I'm sorry. If weapons really are born like that, they have to look human, and I think this is the last possessed human.

Her headslam lunch special.

Burning bridges with Barem's balls.

Why the fuck would they be sending up fodder like the Ear Devil up against Chainsaw Man? Who the hell is afraid of ears? Did they want people to lose their ears?

Probably, yes

I believe they served up those devils so that those specific associated concepts are erased, on purpose. In #170, Barem made it clear that his and Public Safety's goal with Denji was to get him to do just that.

So they got those guys chopped up,

And then hurt CSM to get him to start eating to recover.

It's like a fucked up version of the sushi conveyor belt Barem was talking about in #170. That ended with heads being served up, too.

Hey, wait! Maybe he's okay? Plenty of people have survived worse in this series so maybe there's a chance he can still-

Okay. Nevermind. Goodbye Yoshida.

Lol. Lmao even. Buddy boy disappears for ~45 chapters after getting his ass beat, only to show up and get erased from existence in the same minute.

Now this is getting me hyped. We've been getting hints of a return to hell ever since R!Fami's introduction:

(left: original Hell scene from part 1. Right: moment from R!Fami's introductory chapter)

But what makes this more compelling is that it seems to be hell coming to Earth, instead of the other way around.

I've seen some people say that this might be the Darkness Devil again, but personally, I don't think that Death Devil and R!Fami would be this worried over the Darkness Devil, considering they're two horsemen with Pochita on their side.

One theory I've seen thrown around which I like is that the Yoru dropped a Nuclear Bomb in Hell, and that it might be the Nuclear Bomb Devil, but this contradicts with the fact that the Nuclear Bomb Devil was already erased by Pochita.

I think my favorite thing about Barem, is that he’s not some grand evil villain in an anime. That’s what he WANTS to be. He wants to be this arch nemesis, with this great climactic battle. But he’s nobody. He’s a pawn like everybody else.

He tries so hard to endlessly aura farm, and Denji barely cares to play his games. Thats why Denji cutting to the chase this chapter is so satisfying for me.

And this isn’t something solely tied to Barem either. Every other weapon hybrid has this aura of self importance, this belief that they’re all part of something greater. Yet no matter how cool they try and seem, they get cut down by people with little to no interest in their ‘super cool secret motives.’

The only exception being Quanxi and Reze, who are the only other hybrids self aware enough to realize their place in the world. And you can feel the weight they carry with them of feeling like they’re on a doomed fated path, with little to no control.