On Top of the Food Chain

Kazuki woke up in a hospital room, the sterile scent of antiseptic filling his senses. His chest felt heavy, and a dull ache pulsed through his heart. It was as if something had gone terribly wrong. Maybe it was just a bad nightmare, but he wasn’t sure. The unsettling feeling lingered, making him uneasy.

After a while, a doctor entered the room, clipboard in hand. "Good to see you're awake, Kazuki," he said with a kind smile. "How are you feeling?"

Kazuki tried to sit up, wincing at the pain in his side. "I feel... strange. My heart aches, and I can't shake off this feeling that something is wrong."

The doctor nodded sympathetically. "That's understandable. You've been through quite an ordeal. There was a lot of blood loss during the accident. We had to use a significant amount of blood and had to replace a few organs to save your life."

Kazuki's eyes widened in shock. "Organs? What organs?"

The doctor sighed, a somber look in his eyes. "There was a lot of internal bleeding and organ rupture, so we had to find someone compatible quickly, otherwise you were done. When you were brought to the hospital, at the same time, a young girl who committed suicide around the same time as your accident was also brought in, but unlike you, she had already died. It was because she died that you were able to live. Her organs were used in your surgery."

Kazuki felt a wave of emotions crash over him—sadness, relief, guilt. He couldn't quite describe the feeling. "What about her family?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"She was an orphan," the doctor replied gently. "There was no family to notify. Without any next of kin to consider, we made the decision to use her blood and organs to save you."

Kazuki's heart sank further. The thought that his life had been saved at the cost of someone else's death weighed heavily on him. He barely noticed when the doctor left the room, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

A few minutes later, Grace burst into the room, his face a mix of anger and concern. "You bastard! You just had to put yourself in danger, didn't you?" he scolded, his voice shaking.

Kazuki managed a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Grace."

Grace sighed, sitting down heavily beside the bed. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? You nearly died, Kazuki."

Kazuki's smile faded. "I know. I just... I couldn't stop…"

“You couldn’t stop being kind?” Grace said with frustration, “Why are you so kind? What did kindness get you? A visit to the hospital?”

“...” Kazuki kept quiet and didn’t make eye contact with Grace.

“You know, I checked the CCTV footage at the scene while the police while trying to find the perpetrator, I noticed that the girl you saved, her mother just took her and ran away from the scene, she didn’t even care to take a look at you,” Grace said as he looked at the white tiles of the hospital room. “There is no point in kindness, you get nothing in return.”

“That’s what kindness is about” Kazuki replied after a while.

Grace's expression softened. "Ugh. I can’t. I won’t argue further but you need to be more careful. By the way, your parents... I tried to reach them, but their phones were off. As your third emergency contact, I got the call from the hospital."

"Probably a stock market crash somewhere," Kazuki muttered, more to himself than to Grace. The realization that his parents hadn't contacted him during his hospital stay gnawed at him. He felt neglected.

Days passed, each one blending into the next. The hospital became a monotonous routine of check-ups and recovery. Finally, the day came when Kazuki was discharged.

***

As Kazuki stepped into his home, he was struck by a chilling sense of déjà vu. Everything was exactly as he had left it: the chairs around the dining table, the newspaper spread open, the plates and bowls with half-eaten food. In the kitchen, a pot of stew sat on the stove, untouched.

Kazuki's heart raced as he took in the scene. His parents were meticulous about staying in touch, even during their busiest times. For them to leave the house in such disarray was deeply unsettling.

He gulped, his mind racing. A police complaint seemed the logical step, but something felt off. His parents were experienced and cautious; they wouldn't just disappear without a trace. The house looked untouched, with no signs of a struggle or forced entry.

Just as he was about to reach for his phone, the doorbell rang, startling him. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead as he walked to the door, every step echoing in the silent house.

Kazuki felt cold sweat all over.

***

At the same time, in a small office somewhere in Kyoto, the pressure in the room was growing tremendously, as two men stared at each other..

One sat behind the expansive office desk, exuding an air of authority in his expensive formal attire. His blue checkered shirt complemented his strikingly combed-back black hair and chiseled cheeks, giving him the appearance of a high-ranking official in a corporate conglomerate. His face was longer than most, accentuating his handsome features, highlighted by fair skin and deep ocean-blue eyes that added a captivating contrast of colors.

The other person was quite intimidating, He wore dark oriental clothing, exuding elegance, and mystery. His long, black silk robe, adorned with intricate gold embroidery, flowed gracefully as he moved. A high-collared tunic peeked out from beneath, and a wide, ornate belt cinched his waist. The most creepy part was that he wore a completely white mask on his face, completely hiding it, there were no holes for eyes either.

“So, Mr Manager, what can we do to help you?” The person sitting on the chair asked with a smile on his face. “What has changed since the last time you came?”

“You see, Blackthrone, I have found a way to eliminate the biggest threat for your kind. But, for that to happen I’ll need your help.” The Manager said in a very amicable tone.

“You mean you are gonna kill The Exterminator?” Blackthrone asked with the same smile on his face.

The Manager nodded, “Indeed”

“How so?”

“We will trap him.”

“Do you think we have not tried to do that already?”

“This time I’m here.”

“...”

“...”

“That came out wrong, what I meant was that this time we will trap him in a way so that he won’t run away.”

“I am not getting you.”

“The Exterminator is currently on his way to Osaka from Tokyo. They have sent him there to get rid of this one, amicable person we know as Hotdog Lover.”

“They are sending him to deal with her? I didn’t know that she was making enough noise to get noticed by the big shots in Tokyo.” Blackthrone said as he scratched the top of his head.

“It’s not just that weird fetishist, no he will probably scout out our friends in Osaka, maybe even come here to Kyoto.”

Hearing this Blackthrone’s smiling expression changed a little bit, but slowly recovered, “Are you threatening me that we have to join your group to survive, otherwise the Exterminator will get us?”

“No nothing like that, I am just telling you to strike the hammer while it’s blazing hot.”

“...”

“I have already made a deal with the people at Osaka and made it so that they will help us ambush him. The plan is very simple, that little exhibitionist of ours will lead our target here, to Kyoto, this is where the Osaka guys and a few of your guys will ambush him. But, this won’t be our finale. Hotdog Lover will then make her way away from Kyoto to this little town called Nantan.”

“Another ambush in Nantan?”

“Yes but no, we won’t ambush him, instead just set up a meeting between two long-time enemies.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember Ryūsa no Orochi, I think he went by Nightmare of Tokyo as well for quite some time.”

“I remember that there was some powerful figure back in the day, but I am not sure, I was a little kid back then.”

“Orochi of the Dragon Chains is our final weapon to kill the Exterminator. That is how I have planned the death of the greatest Poacher.” The Manager said as he grabbed his robe and clenched it tightly. He was truly feeling ecstatic.

***

At the same time, somewhere in Nantan, a figure sat with her back against the wall reading a book. The sound of the shower running, the warmth of the familiar spot, and the feeling of not having to go to college tomorrow made the girl very comfortable, yet she looked saddened, her eyes were melancholic.

She was wearing a pair of shorts and a simple top. Dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and a cold gaze made her look like a Goddess among humans. Soon the sound of the running water stopped, and a figure emerged out of the mist.

Rika finally kept her book aside and got ready to take a bath.

“Dad, you took too long,” she said as she took out a towel from a drawer.

“I just felt a little chilly today,” Her dad said while he wiped his hair.

Just like Rika, her dad was a different kind of species. With a charismatic gaze, tall and wide structure, and toned muscles all over his body, he looked like some kind of Greek God.

He stood there, wearing only a towel, his upper body visible and glistening. A silver chain necklace adorned his neck, and from it hung a unique locket. The locket seemed to transform depending on the angle: at one moment, it resembled a leaf, then fire, a gust of wind, and a drop of water, all shifting seamlessly as he moved.

“Yeah, a storm is forming outside,” Rika said as she entered the bathroom.

After that, Rika’s dad, Junpei was left alone in the room.

Suddenly he sneezed.

After that, he sneezed again.

Then again,

Again, and again.

“Which bastard is thinking about me.” He muttered with fury in his eyes.

The he sneezed again.

Again.

Again.