From the first chapter of Chainsaw Man Part 2, Asa's inner conflict was a major aspect of her character. After uniting with the War Devil, Yoru, that inner conflict increased exponentially, but throughout the course of the series she slowly became accustomed to life as the War Devil's host. Asa and Yoru's feelings have become increasingly interconnected, but Chapter 161, "Chainsaw Man Puzzle", introduces new developments that threaten whatever semblance of inner peace Asa might've had.
Asa and Fami's journey through the Tokyo Devil Detention Center has led them from one odd team up to another. First, it was the Devil Hunter Club. Then, in CSM's previous chapter, the group gained two more unlikely allies in Katana Man and the Nail Fiend. Chapter 160 left off with Katana defecting from Public Safety, and the nameless Hunter with an eye patch retreating in order to find someone who can kill them all. Whatever battles Yoru and Asa will have to fight against Public Safety are nothing compared to the inner turmoil that the discovery of Chainsaw Man's true identity is sure to cause in Asa.
Asa and Fami Finally Find Denji in Chapter 161
Asa and Fami Storm The Room and Save Denji
When Asa and Fami ran into the public safety Hunter with an eye patch in Chapter 159, "Attack on Samurai", it seemed apparent that they had arrived nearer than ever to Chainsaw Man's location. That fact proved true in Chapter 161, when the group stormed into the room where Denji was being held. Immediately greeting the group were three of the surgeons shown in Chapter 156, "Whoop Whoop Whoop Whoop Bzzz Split Split", who were dismembering Denji and putting his legs in bags.
As it turns out, they were cutting up far more than Denji's legs, as his entire body was now being kept in boxes placed in an orderly fashion throughout the room. This is something the Public Safety surgeons seem to be very proud of, as they even demand an apology from the intruders for messing up their hard work. In fact, the Public Safety surgeons are almost too calm, with one of them even deciding to make himself a cup of coffee in the midst of all the commotion. Interestingly, just before Asa's group kicked in the door, one of the surgeons made mention that they should let "Takagi" know that they're almost finished with their work. This seems to finally be confirming that the Devil Hunter with an eye patch from the last few chapters is named Takagi.
Asa Learns Denji is Chainsaw Man
Denji's Truth is Finally Revealed
After learning that Denji's body has been cut into pieces and organized in boxes, Yoru orders the Devil Hunter Club to begin reassembling Denji’s body. Interestingly, Fami is the only one of the Devils who joins the Devil Hunter Club in doing so. In fact, she was already going through the boxes long before Yoru said anything. Fami's main goal from the very start was to get her hands on Pochita and separate him from Denji, so Denji's body being cut up in this matter is quite convenient for her plan. Of course, she doesn’t make her scheme known as the others are putting Denji back together.
Fami's desires are clear when she looks on as Nobana removes Denji's "heart" from one of the boxes. From that point on in the rest of the chapter, neither Fami nor Chainsaw Man's heart are seen again, raising immediate red flags. Aside from his heart, another vital body part of Denji's the group finds is his head. Asa discovering Denji's identity as Chainsaw Man has always been an inevitability since she and Fami first ventured into the Tokyo Devil Detention Center to rescue him. Still, it's an emotional moment that forces Yoru to take the backseat as Asa regains control of her body only to don an expression of utter shock and awe.
Asa and Yoru's Mental Connection Could Break Down at Any Moment
Now That Asa Knows That Chainsaw Man is Denji, Her Split-brain Situation With Yoru Could Become Unsustainable -- Or Not
As soon as she sees Denji's head in the box, Asa's jaw drops and she is at a loss for words. One of the most interesting aspects of this reveal is how Yoru was mainly in control of Asa's body up until this point. As soon as she sees Denji's head, Yoru quickly turns back to Asa. This could imply the strong connection and emotional impact on Asa that brought her to the forefront, but it could also mean something else. Prior to this revelation, when the group was putting Denji's body back together, Samurai made a joke that they should put Denji's body back together out of order. In response, Yoru told him that she needed his body put together as it was supposed to be, because she needed him in perfect shape so that they can have a fair fight.
However, this notion of their fight being a fair one was never something that Yoru seemed to care much about before. It raises the question of whether she's simply making an excuse to rationalize the shared feelings for Chainsaw Man she has with Asa. When Asa first began to have feelings for Denji, Yoru even commented, "this feeling must be love" showing that she involuntarily shares Asa's feelings and emotions due to them sharing a brain. She even doubles down on how involuntary this emotion is when she says "I can't believe I'd feel any affection for this punk." Clearly, this is not something that Yoru has any control over: it’s simply a side effect of the nature of her and Asa's situation.
Because Asa has feelings for Chainsaw Man, Yoru is destined to feel those same feelings as well, no matter how much she wants to deny it. After being subject to Asa's love for Chainsaw Man for so long, it's likely the case that Yoru is inadvertently sharing Asa's love for Chainsaw Man as well. Her insistence that he be put together in one piece so that she can kill him is likely just her way of convincing herself that she doesn't care about him, while simultaneously making an excuse for the group to be gentle with him. Interestingly, this could also hint at the nature of Yoru and Asa's connection to a greater degree.
It's generally held by psychologists that the brain is "split" into two halves (or "hemispheres"), with one being the more emotional, creative half, while the other deals more with logic and language. If Asa retains control over the side of her brain tied most to emotion, then it could explain why all the emotions Asa feels are forced upon Yoru, but Yoru's own feelings of hatred toward Chainsaw Man weren't retained as much by Asa. If Yoru is truly beginning to care for Chainsaw Man as Asa is, then it may solve at least one potential internal conflict the two had. Unfortunately, they have very little time to work out their differences either way, as the door to the operating room gets blasted in just as Asa sees Denji's face.
Quanxi is Public Safety's Last Resort
Quanxi's Motivation For Following Public Safety's Orders May Become Clear Soon
In Chapter 160, the Devil Hunter with an eye patch (presumably named Takagi) declared to Asa and the others that he was going to get someone strong enough to kill them all. In chapter 161, that "someone" ended up being Quanxi. While Quanxi was the obvious choice, her reappearance in this particular instance has a number of implications. For one, Quanxi arriving to fight Asa's group shows how impartial she may be towards the orders she receives from Public Safety. After all, the last time she was shown was when she was saving Denji and Nayuta. Now that a group has appeared to save Denji, Quanxi has appeared to try to stop them.
Quanxi's lack of autonomy in her decisions could make her a heartless person, or it could hint at another aspect of her relationship to Public Safety. The other possibility as to why Quanxi is so quick to listen to Takagi may have something to do with Takagi's power itself. While he was never shown fighting anyone as if yet, he was very quick to order Katana and Nail around by holding their deepest desires hostage. This could mean that Tokagi's power could have something to do with a person's dreams or desires, giving him the power to influence others by holding those wishes over their heads. One thing's for certain, they'll likely have to put Denji together, and fast, if they have any hope of making out of the Tokyo Devil Detention Center alive.
It's unlikely that the group can take on Quanxi, even with the War Devil's increased power and Katana on their side. Quanxi aside, there is "Takagi" to consider as well, whose combat skills and contracts are still largely unknown. It's not outside the realm of possibility that he could be a hybrid himself or, at the very least, have a contract with a powerful Devil. Unfortunately, even if Asa and Yoru can come to terms with their feelings for Denji, Fami may have already stolen Chainsaw Man's heart.
