Rikuya leaped from building to building, searching for anything that might pique his interest. To be honest, he was bored—bored from having to protect the people working to dispose of that enormous monster nonstop. It was annoying. He needed a break from that—something that could get him excited again.

  Where are all the monsters? Don't those bastards roam around during the day and sleep at night?

  Rikuya landed on another rooftop and paused, pondering for a moment. Maybe the monsters had overslept today, which was why he could barely see any of them on the streets or anywhere in the district.

  Or those two hotties killed most of them in this area. I mean, just looking at the destruction that the monstrosity had caused, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case...

  Rikuya stood up and leaped toward another rooftop. Apart from crushed and overturned cars, he still couldn't find anything. He was about to give up and turn back when he spotted an eerie apartment building just a couple of blocks away.

  Slashes? A freakin fight was going on down there...yeah, that's exactly what it was...a fight...

  Rikuya smirked. He stretched a little, then leaped toward the apartment building. When he landed on the side of the building, he kicked the window, shattering it, and entered the third floor. He tensed a little as his monsterification reading went up slightly. Step by step, he snuck down the corridor. Room 303...Room 301...Room 209...Bingo. He felt it. It had to have been that room. He casually kicked down the door and entered, ready to destroy any monster he spotted. Nothing. His monsterification reading then went down a notch.

  "You've got to be kidding me." Rikuya said, frustrated. He grunted. No, he refused to simply give up now. By the time he got back, they might need his help with something. To him, it was better to scout this entire block then head back to that boring place.

  Rikuya took a step and felt rumbling. Something was causing it, but what could it have been? Could it be the ODM testing some of their new equipment on another mountain?

  I feel it's coming from underneath. So I was right. It's probably those damn monsters having a brawl in the sewers or something...if I were strong enough on my own, I would've run right through those bastards and annihilated every single one of them...but I'm not, and it pisses me off. Out of all the soldiers that trained and registered, I was one of the few who got to test its early access on the battlefield, but now, more soldiers from other units are becoming qualified and I'm seen as fucking disposable...

  The small quake was still occurring, but Rikuya was distracted. He leaned forward and demolished the room wall with a casual punch, causing parts of the ceiling to also be demolished. He was breathing heavily...not from fatigue, but from anger. Why does Delta of all people have to be Team Captain? Why does she have to be number one? Why did he have to be the weakest out of them?

  I can't fucking stand it anymore...

  Rikuya gulped. Out of rage, he sprinted towards the other wall and charged right through, falling towards the street. As he descended, he saw broken pieces of a manhole near the manhole opening. He raised his eyebrows. Landing swiftly on a car, he quickly made his way to the manhole and looked inside. He kneeled down and took a whiff. Not only did he smell piss and shit, but rotten flesh and vomit were there too. He gagged.

  Ugh...monster vomit...yup, it never gets old...

  Rikuya covered his nose. There was no one in this area, and from what he could make out, given the slashes on the first floor of the apartment building, whoever had been fighting here managed to escape into the sewers.

  "Monsters fighting each other? I'm not surprised. I see them as no different than cannibals. They must be vanquished..." Rikuya said to himself, smirking at what he thought was a pretty cool phrase. He clenched his fists.

  I'm not permitted to enter the underground alone...but...if I don't prove that I'm more important than those three, then...

  "You piece of expired meat—just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Chisaki said teasingly, smirking.

  Rikuya looked up. Chisaki and Suzune were standing on the rooftop of the building behind him. They were looking at him like he had done something wrong. He frowned as he watched them descend from the rooftop and land gracefully on the street.

  "Why are you goofballs here? I thought you were helping Delta with the watch," Rikuya said, turning his back to them. Chisaki and Suzune continued to approach.

  "Four-eyes is busy doing her own thing alongside watching...after all, she's the strongest. Anyway, we felt a small quake coming from this area and thought you were in trouble..." Chisaki said. She glanced at Suzune and smirked.

  "You think this is funny?" Rikuya asked.

  "I sure do. You're lucky Suze here is looking for a monster; otherwise, I wouldn't have given a crap if you were in trouble," Chisaki replied, almost giggling.

  Suzune didn't say anything. She was more focused on the mini quakes she felt coming from the underground. She knelt, deep in thought.

  "The General and his men are making their way to the disposal site, right? Like you said, they should be fine, and I have a feeling the monster I'm looking for went through this manhole..." Suzune replied.

  "Hey! I found the manhole first, so I'll be getting the last hit on whatever monster you're looking for..." Rikuya replied.

  When Suzune stood up in response, Chisaki leaned closer to her and said, "Are you going to let him talk to you like that?"

  Suzune shrugged and turned to Rikuya.

  "Do what you want. As long as the monster I have in mind is dead—I don't really care what happens after," Suzune replied.

  Chisaki pouted.

  "Ahh...such a boring response..." Chisaki said playfully.

  Chisaki descended the manhole first while Rikuya and Suzune followed.

  ...

  I'm naked—like, butt naked—again. And lost. In a wolf monster's lair. Great. Just great. This is the pinnacle of my life. If Kyoufu wakes up and sees me like this, I might as well just give up now. I'm a professional embarrassment.

  Harlow shuddered, pushing away the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him. He needed to focus on the present: finding clothes and, more importantly, the woman who had set him free. He paced around the lair.

  "Clothes...clothes...clothes..." He muttered, his gaze drawn to the chains hanging from the ceiling. His thoughts felt sluggish, his focus hazy compared to the clarity he'd experienced in Kyoufu's body.

  "Maybe the sudden switch is what's left my mind feeling like mush." He mumbled.

  "Uh...H-H-Harlow...are you n-n-naked?" Kyoufu's voice, hesitant and tinged with a blush, startled him.

  "HEY! DON'T LOOK!" Harlow shouted, his hands instinctively covering himself. Kyoufu immediately turned away, her face growing redder.

  "Where are we? Did you bring me to this...this...it smells horrible..." Kyoufu complained, her voice laced with a pout. Despite feeling weak, she managed to stand. The air felt damp and earthy, confirming her suspicion of being underground. A wave of heat washed over her back, and she turned to find a massive, slumbering wolf monster mere inches away.

  "AHHHHH!" Kyoufu exclaimed.

  The giant wolf stirred slightly at the noise but remained asleep. As Kyoufu tripped and fell, she noticed a door that was slightly open. Muffled voices drifted through the opening, growing louder as she strained to listen. A frown creased her brow.

  Harlow, still wandering aimlessly, felt lost and unsure.

  "Can you hear that?" Kyoufu asked.

  Harlow paused.

  "Um...oh, yeah, I guess I do..." Harlow replied.

  He took a hesitant step forward, resigned to navigating the sewers in his current state of undress. Kyoufu rose to her feet and glanced at the wolf.

  "It'll eat us if it wakes up, right...?"

  Harlow shrugged.

  "It tried to eat me. But then this strange woman appeared out of nowhere, calmed it down, and pulled me out of your body—that's why I'm naked..."

  Kyoufu rubbed her temple.

  "You were controlling my body this whole time...?" Kyoufu asked.

  Harlow stepped back, wary of her reaction.

  "Woah, no need to get angry about it. That was kind of your fault..."

  Before he could finish, Kyoufu lunged at him, pinning him to the ground.

  "YOU PSYCHO FREAK!! WHAT DID YOU DO IN MY BODY?!" Kyoufu demanded.

  Harlow lay there, offering no resistance.

  "NOTHING...stop making such a big deal out of it. AT LEAST YOU HAVE SOME CLOTHES! AND GET OFF ME, I GOT NO CLOTHES! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!"

  "NO BIG DEAL?! WHY YOU..." Kyoufu's voice rose, but a thunderous snore from the giant wolf cut her off, shaking the entire lair. Both Harlow and Kyoufu fell silent, their eyes drawn to the slumbering beast.

  "Get off me, weirdo..." Harlow muttered, casually shoving her aside. Kyoufu's face flushed.

  "If I start acting really weird...you might want to consider running for your life, jerk."

  Harlow rose to his feet, a wary expression crossing his face.

  "You can sit here and whine all you want, or you can come help me find some clothes," Harlow said.

  Something was whimpering. Neither Harlow nor Kyoufu knew what it was, but it had been coming from behind the sleeping giant wolf. Harlow and Kyoufu started backing up as they stared at the wolf. Eventually, they saw more glowing eyes appear in the back of the lair.

  More wolves?

  Harlow sighed. He wasn't sure whether those wolves could actually harm him or not, but given his recent encounter with Shadow—he didn't want to take any chances. He raised his fists.

  A moment later, the wolves emerged from the shadows, almost eager to approach Harlow and Kyoufu.

  "They're children?" Kyoufu asked, relaxing a bit. Kyoufu knelt in front of the wolves and petted them. Harlow was reluctant.

  "I think those were the same wolves that attacked me in the past..." Harlow said, remembering the incident on the road. He frowned. Kyoufu still continued to pet the wolves. There was a smile on her face, a smile that Harlow hadn't seen before.

  "Do you want to pet them?" Kyoufu asked.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "I'm...freaking...naked...uh—no, I don't want to," Harlow said, crossing his arms.

  "Why not? Are you afraid?" Kyoufu asked.

  Harlow shrugged.

  "I'm leaving this place to find some clothes...see ya..." Harlow said, breaking into a casual jog towards the slightly ajar door.

  Kyoufu leaned up, watching as Harlow jogged away. After glancing down at the wolves one last time, she stood up and followed Harlow. As she did, the wolves were following her too.

  ...

  "Was that a flare?" Shadow asked, looking up. He and Kregg had been strolling back to the village through the woods when they saw a red flare shoot up into the sky.

  The military is on the move. They're not thinking of taking over the entire district now, are they? Isn't it too soon? I doubt they have the firepower or equipment to take care of the monsters on the surface, including the tunnels...unless...

  Shadow stopped to think a bit. Kregg was shaking just from the thought of the military invading the entire district.

  "Boss, what should we do?" Kregg asked.

  Shadow turned around.

  "I want all other monsters to be my slaves, but I haven't even touched the ones underground. For all we know, they could be gathering their forces to fend off against the military, which is why I can't seem to find many above ground." Shadow said.

  Kregg nodded.

  "Ok. And that boy—are we going to just forget about him?" Kregg asked.

  Shadow raised his eyebrows.

  "Boy?" Shadow questioned.

  Kregg nodded in response.

  "He said it had to do with some psychic or spiritual mishap." Kregg replied, raising his eyebrows.

  "Interesting. And yes, for now we'll forget about him...but I still plan on using him if I ever get the chance." Shadow replied. They continued walking until they had eventually reached a cobblestone path that led to the village. As they were walking on this path, Shadow noticed the small tremors and quakes beneath his feet. Something—or some sort of beast—had awakened deep underground. Some sort of monster that had the size and strength of nothing that he had ever seen before.

  The military—they can't stop it. This is our new reality now, and they will soon learn to live with it. Evolution has it that everyone and everything will eventually become monsters—so why fight jt? What's the point?

  Shadow stopped walking, and Kregg did too shortly after. Shadow stared at the family minka not too far away. Even from here, he could feel the tension and fear that stirred within that place. Shadow slowly began walking again, and eventually, he approached the front door.

  After a couple of knocks, his father, Haruto, eventually opened the door. From what Shadow could tell, Haruto was still sick and extremely tired. Shadow frowned.

  "Father...what is the meaning of this? You're supposed to be in bed resting before the gathering. Where's Souta? Couldn't he have gotten the door...?" Shadow asked, stepping inside. Kregg followed.

  "He and Mio are busy trying to get the children to settle down. And I can walk fine," Haruto said, gesturing a bit.

  Shadow sighed.

  "Is that so?" Shadow replied.

  Haruto smirked. He then glanced back at Kregg and frowned.

  "The children...that thing can't be present in the room. It's too much for them," Haruto said.

  Shadow stopped.

  "It's better for the children to see what they will eventually become—if it does happen. While yes, I do agree that it might traumatize them, it won't be any more traumatizing than what they'll soon experience," Shadow replied.

  "And what is that? A war? They're children. I won't say it again—that thing is not permitted to be present in that room," Haruto said, gesturing to Kregg.

  "I understand—father," Shadow said. He turned to Kregg.

  "Go on—leave now. Check up on the monsters that I've put in cages in the south camp. I don't want any of them escaping. You don't want to be doing most of the labor around here, do you?" Shadow asked.

  Kregg shook his head.

  "Then go—move." Shadow demanded.

  Kregg left the family minka and headed toward the south camp. Shadow and Haruto walked down the corridor until they reached the tatami gathering room. Everything was laid out perfectly: the table, the food...

  Souta and Mio look oddly calm...

  Souta and Mio, the only two clan members close to Shadow's age, were kneeling on opposite ends of the table. The children tensed somewhat in Shadow's presence, which was expected. While Haruto kneeled at the head of the table, Shadow kneeled next to him on Souta's side. Shadow glanced at Mio a couple of times before they all began to pray. Once they were done praying, Haruto began to speak again.

  "It's a blessing that we've managed to survive the outbreak so far. Especially because of you, my dear son, Ma—" Haruto started, but Shadow interrupted him.

  "—Shadow, father. It's Shadow. This is not new."

  "Right...you've changed, but you're my son. I deserve to call you by your true name," Haruto said.

  "But I've gone through a transformation. My true name is and forever will be Shadow," Shadow said.

  Haruto was sweating a bit.

  "You hurt me, son, but nevertheless, if you prefer that, then I will say Shadow. Now that we've settled that, I'd like to address another matter: supplies, food. We're running low. Most of the wildlife is long gone. There are no crops left either, but maybe there's a possibility that the..." Haruto started, but he sensed that Mio wanted to say something.

  "What is it?" Haruto asked, looking at Mio.

  "I've checked every stash in this village, including the bodies. There's nothing left," Mio said.

  "Nothing? Really?" Haruto replied. Haruto and Mio turned to Shadow.

  "It's no surprise. I've kept track of the monster vomit within this village, and most of it has been near the stashes," Mio explained.

  Shadow nodded.

  "Only a few of the monsters within this village were sentient, which I now have as slaves..." Shadow said.

  Haruto looked infuriated.

  "Shadow...you would make your own kin into slaves? I thought you told me those monsters were outsiders..." Haruto replied.

  Shadow shrugged.

  "It was more convenient that way, father. I'm sure you can understand." Shadow replied.

  Haruto slammed his hands on the table, causing the kids to gasp.

  "NO! IT'S NOT. You LIED TO ME!" Haruto shot back. Shadow looked away, unable to meet his father's gaze. Haruto leaned back and coughed a little.

  "I want you to release those slaves..." Haruto demanded.

  Shadow frowned.

  "No, father. They have a purpose that I've kept them for. Releasing them would be a waste." Shadow replied.

  Haruto's face contorted in anger, and he stood up.

  "Do as I say this instant..." Haruto demanded.

  "No...I won't." Shadow replied, standing up too.

  "There's a powerful monster that I've encountered before I got here, and I've been looking to make that one my slave too, but it got away. I'm going to need all the sentient monsters I can get, to formulate a plan against the military..." Shadow explained.

  Souta stood up.

  "You can't be serious? You'd be putting the kids' lives at risk..." Souta replied.

  "No, not if the plan works, but in order for it to work, I'm going to need to enslave that monster I have in mind. You haven't been paying attention, but the quakes you're feeling underground aren't from the military—a giant beast is down there, waiting to be unleashed. If I could just—" Shadow began, but stopped talking, thinking it all over.

  "This was never about overthrowing the government...I thought everything you've done up to this point was to ensure the clan's survival, but it's clear to me now that your actions were nothing but rooted deeply in your own selfish ambitions. I won't allow you to put this clan in danger. If you want to overthrow the government, then you'll be banished from this clan..." Haruto stated. He slowly got back on his knees, catching his breath. Shadow did the same shortly after. No one said anything.

  ...

  District 3, Green Zone #2

  So I was right...the ODW is only a branch plan of the military—a plan that they've been having for decades...doesn't that mean they're going to be more soldiers wearing those battle suits? And they're telling me that they use monster waste to power them? That's disgusting...

  Yowaya contemplated again underneath a tent as rain poured throughout the entire camp. After the meeting with the other military personnel, it was clear to him that reuniting with Harlow was a slim chance. After all, everyone in the camp knows about Harlow and what he could do, thanks to Dr. Sunji. Now, they're just preparing for the worst that could happen, which includes releasing the chemical gas that they've been experimenting on monsters.

  All of this feels wrong. It's like they're so confident they can deal with it all in one swoop...or maybe I'm just paranoid because I really can't do anything but just watch.

  And of course—Fukui. For all he knew, she could be dead, but he needed to push those thoughts away for now.

  "What went on in there?" Reina asked, approaching the tent.

  Yowaya leaned up.

  "Two plans: Plan A and Plan B. The first plan is to...uh...release a chemical gas throughout all of the districts to eliminate the monster threat, and if that doesn't work, they're going to blow up the tunnels so the monsters will have no choice but to fight on the surface." Yowaya said, shivering a bit.

  Reina stepped inside the tent.

  "And if neither of those plans work?" Reina asked.

  "Well...I guess they would just have to eliminate them in an all out brawl. That would be the ODW and standard units combined."

  "Suzune..." Reina mumbled.

  Yowaya nodded.

  "I've thought about it too, but I'm just hoping that the gas will do the trick." Yowaya replied.

  Reina turned around.

  "Could you help me station some new survivors that have arrived? If I'm doing nothing, then all I'll be able to think about is...y'know..." Reina said.

  Yowaya stepped out of the tent.

  "Of course." Yowaya replied.