Part 2 of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man has already proven an exciting follow-up to the series' acclaimed first half. While the earlier portions of Part 2 were a slow-build, they introduced great characters who have become just as beloved as any from Part 1.
Chief among them are Nayuta, Asa (& Yoru) and Fami; all of whom happen to be members of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse alongside the Death Devil. In CSM Chapter 160, "That For Which the Heart Beats", Denji finds his fate left entirely in the hands of these new characters from Part 2, as well as a surprising classic villain from Part 1.
Recent chapters left Denji's fate uncertain, with him being trapped in Public Safety's Tokyo Devil Detention Center. On her mission to save him, Asa also finds herself in a terrible situation. At the end of Chapter 159, "Attack on Samurai", she comes face to face with Katana Man and the Nail Fiend.
To make matters worse for Asa, she's still missing an arm after her fight with Yoshida. Luckily, in Chapter 160, Asa's fast thinking leads to an unlikely team-up that helps turn the tables in her favor, though it may also lead to trouble down the line.
Katana Man Seems to Have a Thing For Asa
Katana Man Know More Than He's Letting On About Asa
Chapter 160 opens with Katana Man recognizing Asa from the newspapers as the face of the Chainsaw Man Church. That's not a particularly shocking revelation, especially considering how popular Asa was intentionally made to be by Fami as the Church's figurehead.
However, Katana's knowledge of Asa definitely goes farther than a simple passing awareness of her identity. He goes on to explain how her "poem collection she thought up during her classes goes on sale next month", leading the Nail Fiend to question whether Katana Man is a fan of Asa: an entirely valid question given the circumstances.
While Katana denies it, it's clear by how flustered he gets that he's simply embarrassed to admit his admiration for Asa. In any case, this opens the doors for his willingness to talk to Asa, something which may have very well been impossible for anyone else. Asa is eventually able to convince Katana that she's there to fight Chainsaw Man just like he is, leading him to have a change of heart.
Aside from his simply being a fan of Asa, another thing that pushes Katana to join forces with her is the fact that Public Safety wasn't honest with him from the get-go. Katana's hatred of Chainsaw Man has always been a motivating factor behind much of what he does.
So, the fact that Public Safety has him guarding the building where his mortal enemy is being held is simply unacceptable to him. This leads Katana to become disillusioned with Public Safety, making betraying them easier than ever.
Of course, this also means that, whenever they do find Chainsaw Man, Katana will almost certainly want to kill him -- a sentiment which Asa doesn't share, no matter what she tries to convince Katana.
Fans Learn More About the Nail Fiend
There is a Chance That the Nail Fiend is Not What They Seem
After Katana Man switches sides, the Public Safety Hunter with the eye patch tries to convince him and the Nail Fiend that defecting from Public Safety is the wrong decision. He reminds the Nail Fiend that they'll never be able to open the business they always wanted if they turn their back on Public Safety now.
This is an interesting piece of information about the Nail Fiend that shows that they probably just want to live a normal life like Denji does. However, the Nail Fiend turns down the Public Safety agent's offer, inspired by Samurai's newfound conviction.
Another interesting fact that's revealed about the Nail Fiend in chapter 160 is that they may be non-binary. Prior to this, the Nail Fiend's gender always seemed androgynous, especially because they wore their uniform similar to how most female Hunters do and have long hair covering their eyes.
This caused many fans to assume that Nail was female, even though they were drawn with a prominent adam's apple, as a male character might be. However, at one point in their banter, Katana calls the Nail Fiend "girly-boy", seeming to prove that the Nail Fiend is a biological male but may be non-binary, though how they personally identify has still not been concretely revealed.
The Devil Hunter With an Eye Patch Seeks Reinforcements
Katana and Nail Defy the Public Safety Hunter With the Eye-Patch
After Katana and Nail switch sides, the Public Safety Hunter with an eye patch has no choice but to retreat for the time being. As he makes his great escape, he leaves off with a rather ominous warning: "I'll go fetch someone who can kill you all!" It's not a threat that anyone in Asa's party takes remotely seriously at the time, but it's certain to come back to haunt them in the near future.
Public Safety is full of powerful Devil Hunters, Hybrids, Fiends, and Devils, so there's no telling what kind of powerful fighter the Public Safety agent may be going to enlist. There's a possibility that it could be anyone from Quanxi to Kishibe, especially since the latter hasn't been seen for quite some time.
As can always be expected of CSM fans, many have even suggested it could potentially be Reze, though whether she'd actually continue working for Public Safety after breaking free from the Control Devil's powers is uncertain. No matter who it is, Asa, Fami, Katana and Nail are sure to have a difficult fight on their hands.
CSM Chapter 160's Title May Hint at Denji's Fate in Chapter 161
What Happened to Denji Since Fans Last Saw Him in Chapter 156
With the Hunter with an eye patch essentially conceding that Asa's group can go see Denji themselves, it's likely they are right on the verge of doing just that. However, his concession also raises questions about what exactly the group will find when they do find Chainsaw Man as they've so desperately fought to reach him up until now.
The last anyone saw of Denji was in Chapter 156, when he was being dismembered by surgeons and having his legs placed into separate bags. The fact that the Devil Hunter with an eye patch is seemingly so unconcerned with them going to see Denji now may suggest that he's in no condition to walk out of the prison with his saviors.
Another interesting thing to consider is how this notion of dismemberment could tie into Chapter 160's title, "That For Which the Heart Beats." The whole reason Denji became Chainsaw Man is because Pochita has become Denji’s heart.
Chapter 160's title could very well be a foreshadowing to the fact that even when Asa and Fami finally reach Chainsaw Man, his heart -- aka Pochita -- might be in some way be affected by the experiments done on him by Public Safety. CSM has always been about a fight for the heart.
On one hand, it's a fight for Denji's heart as a young man who seeks love in all the wrong places. On the other hand, it's a fight for Chainsaw Man's heart, which all the most vile villains would love nothing more than to get their hands on. Asa and Yoru embody this conflict directly, as they both want either Chainsaw Man or Denji's heart, and it’s unclear who will win out in the end.
CSM Chapter 160 saw Asa and Fami doing very little in terms of traversing the Tokyo Devil Detention Center. Asa and the others are largely in the same spot they were since Chapter 159, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The appearance of the Devil Hunter with an eye patch who was tasked with keeping tabs on Denji was a good sign Asa may have finally reached her destination.
Additionally, while they haven't made any physical progress, they did make headway in staving off the threat of Public Safety itself. While Chapter 159 ends with Asa looking to have to fight all three members of Public Safety by herself, Chapter 160 sees her getting creative and turning her enemies into allies.
With Asa and Fami now joined by the Samurai Sword, Nail Fiend and the Devil Hunter Club, their odds of successfully reaching Denji -- even as soon as the next chapter -- just got much more likely. What will happen after they do find him, and what state he'll be in when they do, is far less certain.
