Chapter 146

Chainsaw Man War (チェンソーマン戦争) is the 146th Chapter of the Chainsaw Man manga.

Summary
In Asa's apartment, Yoshida stands over Asa with his sword drawn. While Asa looks at her severed arm on the floor in horror, Yoshida apologizes for his actions despite her compliance and raises his katana as he prepares to strike her down.

Meanwhile, while Barem is being escorted by Denji, Fumiko, Nayuta, and multiple Public Safety agents, he begins to explain the church's previous actions. He explains that, while the Chainsaw Man Church lied about the devil's identity, the rest of their story was truthful. He explains that Fami's connections in the Devil world allowed her to contract the members with a particularly powerful Devil - one that can allow users to transform into any form that they desire - the Fire Devil. As he says this, a nearby building, presumably a Chainsaw Man Church building, catches on fire and begins billowing smoke out of a window. As onlookers watch and police officers guard the building, several members in the crowd begin sprouting chainsaws out of their heads and arms and begin attacking the police. It's revealed that this is a worldwide phenomenon with many people, presumably church members, turning into humanoid Chainsaw Devils. Members inside the church building, raided by Katana Man and the unnamed fiend, begin transforming as well, which prompts Katana Man to attack and shout out Chainsaw Man's name in rage.

Barem continues his explanation, explaining that the Fire Devil has another power. The more people contracted with the Fire Devil, the stronger their power becomes, but that "most of them lose control over themselves." Barem also explains that the previous forms of these contractors, such as Yuko and the old man, were much more "gruesome," so he’s happier that they now moreso resemble Chainsaw Man. As he says this, it's revealed that a crowd of these contractors have killed the agents escorting Barem, but left him, Nayuta, Denji, and Fumiko alive. Fumiko asks why the members didn't transform until now, and Barem reveals that at 5 o'clock that day, the church's Chinese and Canadian locations held mass weddings between members and entered them all (around 350,000 members) into contracts with the Fire Devil, and that the transformed members are no longer human but fully Devil.

Meanwhile, the top floor of a building in the distance explodes, shocking Denji and Fumiko. Barem continues, saying that in half a year, the prophetic "Great King of Terror" will descend onto Earth, and that his and Fami's goal is to kill them and save the human race. Denji lambasts him for his belief in the prophecy, calling it "stupid crap," but Nayuta interjects and confirms that the prophecy is indeed true and that she and Fami know because they're sisters. Nayuta explains that the King of Terror in the prophecy is, in fact, their eldest sister, the Death Devil. Devil Hunters begin engaging in combat with the now-transformed followers in the streets, and Nayuta states that she finally realizes Fami's plan to slay the Death Devil, which is to make everyone on Earth afraid of Chainsaw Man and war, causing their respective Devils to become much more powerful than the Death Devil and capable of killing her.

Characters

 * Asa Mitaka
 * Hirofumi Yoshida
 * Octopus Devil
 * Barem Bridge
 * Justice Devil
 * Fumiko Mifune
 * Denji
 * Fami
 * Katana Man
 * Nayuta
 * Fire Devil
 * Death Devil
 * Yoru

Trivia

 * Barem's statement about the prophecy coming to fruition "in half a year" confirms that this arc of the Academy Saga takes place in early 1999, with earlier chapters likely taking place in late 1998. This also confirms that Denji is eighteen years old in the Academy Saga.
 * This, however, would create a discrepancy between this information (which would suggest this chapter takes place around January 1999) and the table of farts in Denji and Nayuta's apartment in chapter 119, which said it's March (unless the table was not up to date or Barem was not being too specific).