Chainsaw Man Chapter 122, The Prophecies Review: Getting Darker.

After a two week break, Chainsaw Man has returned with Chapter 122, “The Prophecies” and, boy, does it not disappoint.
“The Prophecies” is definitley the darkest chapter of Part Two so far and has a lot of implications for the future of the story.
Rather than begin with where the previous chapter left off, with Asa and Yoru encountering an unknown Devil, the chapter instead begins with Yoshida finally confronting Fami, an event that was foreshadowed all the way back when they had their stare down following the aquarium incident.
Much like he did with Denji, Yoshida attempts to interrogate Fami by buying her some food at a cafe.
This is not good for Yoshida’s wallet however because Fami orders enough to feed an entire class of students, all for herself.
Although, it does make quite a bit of sense for the Famine Devil to be so hungry.
Yoshida is suspicious of how little Fami is doing to hide her identity and uses this as a segue to question her about a prophecy from Nostradamus, a French man who actually lived in the 1500s and was supposedly a seer.
Yoshida recites a part of Nostradamus’ prophecy, stating, “In the seventh month of 1999, a great king of terror will descend.”
Since Chainsaw Man takes place in the 1990s, it is easy to assume that the time of this supposed prophecy is close.
Supporting this is the fact that Yoshida tells Fami that Public Saftey had 30 convicts make a contract with the Future Devil to see when they would die.
All but seven were said to die in July 1999.
Fami then correctly guesses the other seven were prophecised to die this week.
So does this mean that the events of the prophecy will happen in seven days?
The implications for the story become even graver when you know the rest of Nostradamus’ prophecy, which is actually not said in the chapter.
The rest of the prophecy states, “[Shall be] revived the great King of Angoulmois. Before and after, Mars [shall] reign as chance will have it.”
The King of Angoulmois is thought by many to be Genghis Khan, who was a conqueror so maybe this represents the Horseman of Conquest, meaning Nayuta.
However, although that Nayuta theory is a bit dubious, the mention of Mars is almost certainly key because Mars was the Roman God of War, so Fujimoto is most likely using this prophecy to foreshadow Yoru’s importance.
Getting back to Yoshida and Fami, the latter then reveals to Yoshida that forty seconds ago “The first of the Devils who will shepherd the world to the ultimate terror” appeared at an apartment block.
She explains that this Devil is a primal fear, making it at least as strong as the Darkness Devil, but the scene cuts before she can tell Yoshida its name.
We then get the most disturbing scene of the chapter, as we see a couple sitting in their apartment.
The man excitedly tells his partner that he might get a promotion next month, leading to a discussion about the possibility of buying a car, only for the man to suggest, completley out of the blue, that they should both die.
His partner instantly agrees and the two go outside and fling themselves from their apartment to their deaths, along with many other residents in the apartment block.
The full-page panel of these people committing suicide in front of Yoru is highly disturbing.
It also makes me wonder if Asa’s suicidal thoughts in the previous chapter could have been caused by the Devil making these people take their own lives.
Speaking of that Devil, it makes quite the entrance, forming from the corpses of its victims.
Despite having a ruler sword, Yoru realises this is not a fight she can win and runs for both her and Asa’s lives, as the Devil forms behind her in the form of a giant naked woman with multiple hands, bringing “The Prophecies” to a close.
As for what this Devil is, I think the most likely candidate is the Death Devil.
The Suicide Devil is a possibility but I can’t imagine suicide being a primal fear, like say darkness or death.
Plus, the Death Devil is the only member of the Four Horsemen who we have not seen yet.
If this is the Death Devil then Yoru definitley made the right call running away from it because death is definitley the thing humans fear the most so it would undoubtedly be the most powerful Devil.
I think even Denji would struggle against it.
Overall, “Prophecies” is a fantastic chapter for Chainsaw Man. 
It sets up a dark future with the inclusion of the Nostradamus’ prophecies and potentially introduces the Death Devil itself.

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