Chapter 71

Bath (お風呂, Ofuru) is the 71st chapter of the Chainsaw Man manga series.

Summary
Denji awakes one morning in bed, with Power lying across his chest. He is greeted by Aki, who is making breakfast. Denji comments on Power's screaming throughout the night, before mentioning Aki's arm- one of which was able to be reattached after the attack by the Darkness Devil. Aki informs him that he was lucky, as Angel Devil lost both arms, whilst Beam and Violence Fiend both died and Kobeni resigned. As Aki mentions Power's newfound fear of the dark, she suddenly awakes with a start, crying and shouting.

Denji lies atop Power, restraining her as she attempt to claw into her own mouth. She asks Denji to look inside of her mouth, out of fear of the Darkness Devil hiding inside it. Clutching Denji, she begins to cry with fear of the Darkness Devil, as Denji suggests they get breakfast. A short while later, as Power begins to vomit up her vegetables, Aki comments on Makima deciding to continue her trip.

In a flashback, Makima and Denji are shown to have shared a meal, discussing the aftermath of the conflict. After briefly talking about Aki, Makima invited Denji on the trip with her, to which he reacted with intense excitement. However, he suddenly stops when he remembers Power, worrying about leaving her and Aki by themselves when they are both in such fragile states. Makima suggests leaving Power at a Public Safety Facility, as Denji grows flustered. Back in the present, Aki asks why he ultimately chose to say. Glancing at the two of them, Denji slowly responds that he isn't certain.

Throughout the day, Power interrupts Denji at awkward moments, constantly asking him to check for the Darkness Devil hiding in various locations. Later, she asks him to take a bath with her, in order to keep her safe. The two shower, as Power continuously sobs about being attacked from behind. As the two get in the bath and lay together, Denji is surprised that despite the intimacy of their act, it doesn't feel sexual in any manner. Later, as the trio prepare for bed, Aki suggests sleeping in shifts in order to look after Power. That night, Power wakes Denji, quietly begging him not to hate her for making him miss his trip. Asking instead for an apology for hitting him with a car, Power offers to let him drink her blood as repayment. Though Denji is initially uninterested, Power begins to shout and cry, resulting in him giving in. As he begins to drink blood from her neck, he thinks of Pochita, and how despite having a close-intimate relationship with Power, none of the actions they do feel romantic or sexual. Concluding that there are some things that one is better off not knowing or understanding, Denji thinks back to the door in his nightmares, resolving to keep it closed.

Characters

 * Denji
 * Makima (Flashback)
 * Power
 * Himeno (Cover)
 * Aki Hayakawa
 * Angel Devil (Cover)
 * Pochita (Cover)
 * Reze (Cover)
 * Hirofumi Yoshida (Cover)
 * Kobeni Higashiyama (Cover)
 * Meowy