Chapter 5 Arc 1 — "The Man Behind the Phone"

Sasaki had switched up the casualty of his tone as soon as he met gazes with the man standing by the entrance. Aggravated by his sly grin.

“Why are you here? ”

“Oh, don't be so rude, have you forgotten your manners? ”

“You're in Japan, your Filipino manners don't matter here.”

The Uncle was unfazed by Sasaki's response; he looked at their table, seeing them bonding as a family at the dinner table. He smiled out of inspiration.

The three have met this man before, most notably Sasaki and Momo. Momo had a bad experience with this man after what he did. Just seeing his face had brought back broken memories of the past.

Miyuki, unbeknownst to everything that was happening, cast a slight glance at Sasaki as she was chewing her food. Curious about his intentions.

“Wrhy's trhat gruy hwre?”

“Chew your food, Miyuki. You shouldn't be bothered with that man.”

“How cruel Sasaki… you've gone and hurt my feelings.”

The Uncle walked over to their table, wrapping his hands around Sasaki and Miyuki's shoulders. He leaned closer to Sasaki while eyeing Momo with a sly grin.

“Don't we talk all chummy on the phone all the time? ”

Momo's draw dropped slightly, as her hand froze while she was holding her spoon. She turned to Sasaki, looking like she'd been betrayed by someone close to her.

“Take your hands off Miyuki, or else—”

“Or else what? ”

His tone suddenly changed as his tone as he glanced at Sasaki with his sharp, thin eyes, rubbing Miyuki's cheek in a seductive manner like it was a soft ball,

“You can't do anything.”

Rubbing her face, before slithering his slim hands smoothly through her neck,

“I will touch your sister, however I want.”

Smoothly descending his fingers down through her chest and slowly through her waist, Miyuki felt uncomfortable.

She looked over to her brother, in hopes that he would do something, but-

“Even in this part.”

Then, as he was about to touch that part of her body. Sasaki's eyes glinted in bloodlust, grabbing him by his neck, shattering his favorite painting, which hung on the wall.

“I'll kill you, you son of a bitch! ”

“Sasaki! ”

Momo stood up in her chair in fright, looking around her as the people in her restaurant were now anxious about what's gonna happen next.

After all, who wouldn't be disgusted to eat their food as they watch someone being butchered in front of them?

“What the hell is happening? ”

“Is he going to kill him? ”

“Quick, call the cops! ”

Sasaki choked him harder, as his smile grew wider, he took his eye away from Sasaki's direction, shifting his view to the entrance.

“Sasaki, watch out! ”

“Shoot now! But don't kill him! ”

Sasaki turned over to the direction The Uncle was looking at, seeing three hoodlums in a disorderly fashion. Two of them pointing their guns at Sasaki and one of them with a large physique just standing behind them, wearing brass knuckles.

In a blitz, they shot their guns multiple times. The bullets drifted across the restaurant, one of them hitting a random customer, and one of them hitting Momo's abdomen while she tried to push Sasaki out of the way.

But it proved useless, after one of the two bullets had pierced Sasaki's hamstring and one had torn through his liver. In pain, he'd dropped The Uncle, as he gasped for air after a minute of being choked.

“Bro! Momo-chan! ”

Miyuki grits her teeth in a frenzy, getting off her chair, and grabbing the butter knife lying by the table. In an agile manner, she rushed to the two shooters like a monkey.

Dodging the tables blocking her way. She was about to close her distance to them. Miyuki jumped over one of the tables, drop kicking one of the shooters, breaking his nose in the process.

While she stood there alert, the large man swung his bat, yet she just ducked down smoothly, as she swept the other man holding the gun off his feet.

As the man tried to reach out for his gun as he was falling, she kicked up the gun while it was mid-air, and spun while holding the butter knife in a backhand grip, pressing the knife deeply into the large man in his neck, knocking him down with one powerful strike.

She pressed the knife too deeply, the blood didn't squirt out of the man's artery. She was conscious about staining her dress with bloodstains. First of all, they were white, and second, they were hard to wash off.

She took the gun and pointed it at the hoodlum at the same time she'd knocked over the large man, killing him in the process.

The Uncle applauded her, amused by her talent. Miyuki stared him down with the same lifeless eyes as Sasaki's.

He wasn't expecting her to do all that in a short period. It hadn't even reached a minute before she finished. But it only made his smile wider while she slowly approached Miyuki.

“Full Marks! I'm sorry for expecting less of your abilities, Miyuki-chan.”

Miyuki retched, sticking her tongue out while she continued pointing her gun at the hapless hoodlum lying on the ground, stepping on his genitals to restrain him.

“Don't call me that, you disgusting freak. Now tell me, what's your purpose, or I'll shoot your friend here.”

“Argh! Save me, boss, this child's a monster! ”

“Oh, I don't care about him, shoot him if you want.”

“Wha—”

Without a second thought, she emptied her magazine, shooting the hoodlum's face repeatedly, until his face was unrecognizable.

The Uncle stood there flabbergasted. He was merely bluffing, yet she actually did it. Figuring that psychological tricks won't work with this frenzied brute.

“Well, now you don't have bullets. What are you gonna do? ”

Miyuki threw the gun in, and the speed reached quick heights, doing this in an attempt to hit The Uncle's face.

“Ugh, try something new! ”

He caught the gun while simultaneously blocking the hook kick Miyuki attempted to throw at him; she'd foresaw this, pressing her heel in deeper until his hand was crushed.

Before he got fully injured, he ducked down in hopes of dodging her quick attack while still maintaining his hand in the air, as the pressure broke his arm off.

That broken arm would've been his head if he'd taken that hit directly.

He backed down, her hand shivering as he held onto his broken arm. He stared at Miyuki. She wasn't the soft little girl he'd met before.

—She was a demon! Well then, I didn't want to do this, but to fight a monster, you need a monster to back you up!

“Kiri! ”

“Understood.”

Hearing those words, Miyuki felt the hair on her arms raise. She felt that something was rushing towards her. Something fast… something-

“Cut her up! ”

Miyuki backed away as a seven-foot, red creature pried into the room, dicing up three of the customers Momo had talked to earlier.

—A covenant?!

“C-call the CAU! ”

The old man shook in fear as he fumbled to get his phone in his pocket.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.”

The tall Anomaly pointed its claws at the old man's head, slicing them into vertical bits as long chunks of his face fell on the ground.

Miyuki was irritated; she pointed to the red creature while staring down at The Uncle, who seemed to have quickly retracted his broken arm in a matter of seconds.

“That's cheating, you made a covenant, you coward! ”

“Heh, yeah, and? Are you still going to fight us? If I were you, I'd give up your brother over there, since he's the only one we need.”

Miyuki looked over to Sasaki's unconscious body, lying defenseless as a large chunk of rubble from the Anomaly's charge had shattered both of his legs.

“Why?! ”

The anomaly stared down Miyuki with its deformed eyes, as it shuffled its claws like it was pressing keys in a piano.

“Don't pry into the matters of our covenant girl, if you don't want them to know.”

Miyuki's heart dropped after hearing Anomaly's disoriented tone. Dropping down on her knees out of fear. Rather, it wasn't the tone that crushed her.

The Uncle looked at the anomaly in confusion at what it said. He was convinced that psychological tactics were useless to Miyuki, yet somehow, it managed to crush her morale with just that phrase.

“Eh? What's about this girl? She's just—”

“Shut up.”

“Y-yeah, I'm sorry.”

He stood up exasperated, shrugging off the dust on his expensive suit. He walked over to the kitchen to take a butcher's knife before heading to Sasaki's hapless body.

He kneels, chopping up both of his legs and cutting up his back. This time, he was sure he had paralyzed him. After all, he was the one who stabbed him in the back.

“Hey anomaly, help me carry this brat.”

“Ugh, can't you do anything on your own. Useless humans.”

“Tch.”

The anomaly approached the unconscious body, carrying it delicately with its blood-red claws. They were about to walk out of the room, but The Uncle paused for a small moment.

He grabbed a chunk of Sasaki's flesh on the ground, throwing it on Miyuki's face with a grin on his face, confident that she wouldn't be able to do anything.

Miyuki sat there, her hands shaking, her eyes watering up, as she held the remains of her brother.

Chapter 6 Arc 1 — "Itadakimasu"

The restaurant was in ruins. The rubble from the charge had piled the bodies of multiple customers. Some customers were struggling as they helped each other pull up the large chunks pressing onto their loved ones' corpses.

Some lucky ones still had their limbs intact or a slight hint of recognition, even if it was the slightest. But the unlucky ones…

“Momo-san! ”

Miyuki looked around, tightly gripping the chunk of Sasaki's flesh in her hand. Hoping Momo had at least survived the relentless charge earlier. She'd already lost a brother; she didn't want to lose another member of her family.

Soon later, she found Momo sitting down by the side, leaning towards a large chunk of rubble that almost hit her.

“Momo! ”

She ran over to her, scanning her body for injuries. Her stomach was bleeding from that bullet that pierced a hole in her apron. She tried to save Sasaki earlier, yet this was the price of her actions.

Momo turned to Miyuki, with her pale eyes, putting pressure on the wound in her stomach. She grits her teeth in pain, taking a deep breath to stay awake.

Dreadfully, Miyuki looked over her pale eyes. A faint, cocky smile was faintly emitting from her dry, gray lips. She pats Miyuki's shoulder reassuringly

“I'm fine. I called the doctor while you were fighting that man earlier. They said they're on their way here.”

She reassured her. Although there was another half that didn't show her the full picture, it was enough to boost Miyuki's morale, even if it was just a little.

“Your brother needs to explain everything to me when he comes home! ”

Miyuki's eyes dilated; her brother's remains were still in her hand, yet she didn't want to hide anything from Momo.

“Momo… about Sasaki—”

—It's cold… Where am I…

Faint heavy footsteps echoed louder with each step. Amidst the hollow place.

“Agh! ”

Sasaki jolted up, now awake from his momentary slumber. Feeling a boot pressing hard into his neck.

“Rise and shine, Stray! ”

Hearing that voice, Sasaki had already deduced what his current situation was. He glanced over at The Uncle with the corner of his eye, enduring the pain.

“You—”

“Yes, me! ”

He leaned closer to him. The sturdy leather from his shoe, still pressing against Sasaki's neck. Manically smiling while he watched Sasaki struggle to breathe from the pressure.

His throat was slowly tightening up, like the pressure on a gas range. He had a dim vision of his current surroundings.

A dark, abandoned warehouse. Casual pick for kidnappings and shady exchanges. It was too clear for a normal warehouse. Knowing him, he'd probably rented the place just for the occasion.

Although Sasaki expected something more convenient, like their own headquarters, if it was some kind of celebration. But being there would also mean increasing his chances of escaping.

Thus, picking a hollow warehouse with nothing but cobwebs and the murky taste of wet concrete was truly a perfect pick for such an occasion.

“Stop, don't kill the kid. I'll eat him myself.”

“Ugh, killjoy.”

The Uncle turned to the red creature with a dismayed look. He charged up his foot, breaking Sasaki's nose as the hard leather collided with his face.

He spat his blood, grinning proudly as he eyed the man above him.

“Heh, even my sister could hit harder.”

He looked over at Sasaki, accepting the facts about his statement. Keeping his composure instead of lashing out for a second time.

It wasn't like he couldn't. He could kick him anywhere and anytime; he was helpless after all. Though he won't, due to the respect he feels for fighting his sister.

Out of respect, he might as well give her brother an honorable death just for being such a challenging foe.

—If only you were as strong as your sister… I would have spared you.

He turned to the anomaly, yawning in boredom. Stretching his arms mid-air while he eyed the hapless boy over the corner of his eye.

“So, before you tear the kid's guts out, Mind telling me why you want him to be your final kill? Did he almost wipe out half your race or something? ”

“Well, he's a fresh young boy. He'd suit us greatly for our covenant. His soul is overflowing with determination, and that determination I want to have a taste of.”

The anomaly licked its lips with its snake-like tongue, eyeing Sasaki with its lifeless eyes. He retched in disgust.

He would rather drink some barf than get eaten by this one hell of an anomaly. Does it have some kind of obsession with him?

“Well, you heard the guy. No hard feelings, 'kay? ”

The anomaly softly slithered through the blisters of the concrete floor. Sasaki turned to the creature, sensing the hostility in its eyes, yet he noticed he couldn't move an inch.

—What the hell? Why can't I move my legs?!

He struggled to turn around and look, feeling a stinging pain in his back. The pain wasn't the same pain he'd usually feel when he'd been burnt out of his mind after a long job.

The pain felt like the sensation he felt the day he got stabbed after he failed to complete his job.

Knowing this, he'd already assumed his legs were gone and he was completely paralyzed in his lower body. Suddenly, a conclusion ran through his mind. An obvious conclusion.

—I'm going to die…

A blood-red creature stood in front of him, shuffling its claws back and forth. It flipped Sasaki over into a more open position to take a better view of his bloody face under the full moon.

The back of his head was laid back on the wet concrete floor. Seeing a clear view of the bright moonlight from a missing piece on the rooftop. Although the moonlight wasn't the only thing he saw clearly.

He turned to see his lower body, clearing his assumptions. Seeing that his legs were severed. It was very clear that there was nowhere for him to run. Even if he'd used his hands to run away, that thing would still catch up to him.

The only choice was for him to either embrace his death or become pitifully stubborn. Either way, he would die gruesomely.

—Isn't this a drag… I can't do shit. I'm always stuck in stupid situations like this. I just wanted to live in peace with my family. I never wanted to collect debts in the first place. I never wanted to kill anomalies. I never want any of that. So if the other side gives me a delusional world where all my wishes come true, I'll gladly die.

“Boy.”

“Get over it already.”

The anomaly stared down at Sasaki as he serenely gazed upon the full moon, shining below his pathetic face.

“Your determination is fading away.”

"What'd you expect? You gave me no options. I can't run since I don't have my legs anymore, and even if I ran away using my arms, you'd still be able to catch me. Isn't that stupid?"

“... Yes, it's fairly stupid.”

The anomaly had clawed his guts open with one swipe.

Sasaki didn't scream, but he did flinch a little. It was painful, but it was his last moment, so he'd better bear with the pain he's feeling.

A faint red line dropped by the edge of Sasaki's mouth. He smiled, licking his lips, tasting the salty scent of his blood.

“You know, you're lucky you'd be eating tonight. I didn't even get a bite off Momo's Gyudon.”

“Are you trying to flatter me so I may free you from your pain? ”

“No, I'm just saying how lucky you all are. I've been miserable here and there, and you damn bastards keep making my life miserable! ”

Sasaki turned over to The Uncle, enraged as he tried sitting himself up, despite his fatal wounds. But the rush had given him enough strength to drop face down on the floor.

He crawled over to the man as his guts painfully scraped over the tiny spikes from the unpolished concrete floor, leaving a trail of blood as he crawled over.

"You already took everything away from me! You killed Hanae-san, Momo is bleeding to death, and is probably dead! And Miyuki… What the hell did you do to her!? ”

Closing in the distance, he gripped the man's leg tightly with the last bit of strength he had, punching him in the groin.

“Agh! You bitch!”

The man stomped at his face, exasperated by his futile attempts to fight back. Although exasperated, his expression had a glimmer of respect hidden beneath.

“I suppose that's enough.”

The anomaly stabbed its back with its finger, raising him in the air, and stared at him as he was dangling with the support of the rough edges of its claws.

“Thank you for the meal.”

The creature's mouth opened wide, like the entrance of a tunnel. Its teeth were thin yet sharp, and its tongue was comparable to that of a snake.

Before he knew if he was already inside the creature's mouth, its pointy, thin teeth pierced holes through Sasaki's body. Slowly mashing him up into bits.

He didn't even have the chance to scream or think, as the chunks of his flesh had now descended onto the creature's stomach, dissolving his remains.

—Behold, the unattainable future. 

To Be Continued...