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 one's 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 fought 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's 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 felt fighting his sister.

Out of respect, he might as well give her own 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 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 similar pain he'd usually feel when he's burnt out of his mind after a long job.

The pain felt like the similar 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 his claws back and forth. It flipped over Sasaki 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 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 off. 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 with 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 down 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 up 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.