On Top of the Food Chain

As the car rolled along the highway, Kazuki couldn't help but notice the striking similarity in their outfits. He shifted in his seat, glancing at Rika and Endo before voicing his curiosity. "Why are our tracksuits so similar? And what's with the spider logo on them?"

Rika, dressed in a red tracksuit with black lines, turned her head slightly. "I'm not quite sure," she said thoughtfully. "My late uncle had a group of Ghouls, and this was their uniform, I think. My dad probably found them stored somewhere."

Kazuki nodded, his curiosity satisfied for the moment. He glanced down at his own black tracksuit with red lines, and then at Endo who also wore a purple-colored tracksuit with similar white lines. feeling a strange sense of unity. The quality and design of the tracksuits were identical, a subtle bond between them.

But another question nagged at him. "Will I really have to wear the bank robber mask?" He asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Rika and Endo exchanged a look but remained silent. Kazuki groaned. "Ugh, this is so stupid. You guys have cool masks."

"You'll get one once you get better," Rika reassured him.

Kazuki turned his gaze to the window, watching the white clouds drift lazily across the sky, illuminated by the sun. The skyscrapers reflected the light brilliantly, creating a stunning contrast with the blue sky.

The beauty of the scene stood in stark contrast to the terrifying roars he had heard and the image of the beautiful girl who had saved them. A thought crept into his mind: a human about to be eaten by a Ghoul would probably feel grateful to the Poachers in a similar way. Yet here he was, on his way to help murder someone.

The weight of the situation settled heavily on his shoulders.

"Rika, did you see that the clans are at each other's throats again?" Endo asked.

"Yeah, I did. The royalties can do whatever they want." Rika replied, her gaze set on her phone.

"What clans? What royalty?" Kazuki asked.

"The Awakened have their groups and clans, among them, the two most prominent clans are called royalty," Endo explained. "There are two major clans in Japan: Fuyukaze and Ikazuchi."

"We call both of them royalties." Rika said, "A video was uploaded on the Hidden Internet. In that video, a scion of Fuyukaze was having an argument with a princess from the Ikazuchi clan, and by the end of it the dude was battered badly by the princess."

"What's the Hidden Internet?" Kazuki asked.

"It's just a part of the internet only accessible to Awakened and by extension of that somehow Ghouls can also get access to it," Rika replied promptly.

Kazuki simply nodded and turned to gaze at the scenery outside, his mind mix of a lot of thoughts right now.

Soon, the sedan pulled up in front of a ragged, rundown building on the outskirts of Kyoto. The sight of the dilapidated structure brought him back to reality. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead.

The interior of the building was a stark contrast to its exterior. The marble floors gleamed under the light, spotless and well-maintained. It was clear that someone took great care of the place. The cleanliness and the unexpected luxury made Kazuki feel a bit more at ease.

As they walked through the hallway, the sound of a movie playing on a TV reached their ears. They followed the noise and entered a room where a man was lounging on the floor, engrossed in the film.

"We're here, Eiji," Endo announced.

The man named Eiji got up, stretching before he greeted them. He flashed a charming smile at Rika. "Well, if it isn't the most beautiful Ghoul in the world. What brings you to my humble abode, Rika?"

Rika rolled her eyes. "Not interested, Eiji. Save your charm for someone else."

Unperturbed, Eiji turned to Endo and exchanged a friendly high-five.

"How've you been, Endo?" Eiji asked.

"Good, good," Endo replied with a grin.

Eiji's gaze then fell on Kazuki, curiosity evident in his eyes. "And who might you be?"

Kazuki stepped forward, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Kazuki."

Eiji accepted the handshake, his grip firm. "Nice to meet you too, Kazuki. I'm Eiji."

As they all settled into the room, Eiji couldn't resist another attempt at Rika. "You know, Rika, if I had a yen for every time you ignored me, I'd be richer than the Black Market."

Rika smirked. "And if I had a yen for every lame line you used, I'd own the Black Market."

Endo chuckled, nudging Kazuki. "Don't mind him. Eiji here thinks he's a ladies' man."

Kazuki managed a nervous smile.

Eiji was Endo's buddy from the time when he was actively hunting in Kyoto a few years back. Endo had already informed him of who they were going to meet, so it was a little bit easier for him to settle down. Just like Endo, he had dyed his hair as well, but unlike Endo's blonde, his hair was silver.

***

"How are things with Shoda's fighting ring? Can we kill him tonight?" Rika asked, her tone all business.

"Umm, things are different from how they were supposed to be," Eiji said, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Rika asked, her brow furrowing.

"I had already told Endo about an influx of both Ghouls and Poachers in Kyoto, and I think it's related to the sudden rise of Shoda's ring," Eiji explained. "Just a few weeks ago, he was only using Ghouls and Awakened who had taken loans from him, or those who wanted to make some money. But now he's blatantly kidnapping Ghouls off the streets, blackmailing Awakened into fighting in his ring, and bringing in fighters from the Black Market. Once you go in, you probably won't come out."

Eiji continued, "Back when I told you Shoda would be a great target, he only had a single Awakened guard and was still building his ring. I had no clue he'd become this powerful so quickly. I had told Endo as well."

"You told me that Shoda got more security, so I thought it would have been a few more awakened guards," Endo said in his defense.

Rika sighed and thought for some time.

After a few moments of silence, Eiji said, "You guys should go for someone else. It's too dangerous now."

"Have you noticed anything different with Blackthrone's movement?" Rika asked, her voice low but firm.

Eiji nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Yeah, it looks like he's consolidating his forces. A few of my contacts in his group have even gone to Nantan."

Rika took out her phone and quickly dialed her dad's number. She relayed everything she had learned.

"What?" she shouted, her frustration palpable as the call abruptly ended. She turned and glared coldly at Kazuki. "He told me to at least give you some real fighting experience before we head back."

Kazuki, who had been relaxing with his back against the wall, sipping tea, felt his heart skip a beat at her words.

"Let me give you some real fighting experience," Rika said, putting a menacing emphasis on the word "real."

Kazuki watched in alarm as claws started to form on her hands. Just then, her phone rang again. With a sigh, she dissolved her claws and answered the call.

"What is it?" she snapped.

"I meant giving him real fighting experience. I didn't mean for you to play tag with him while you try to murder him with your claws," came the exasperated voice on the other end.

She ended the call while glaring at the innocent Kazuki.

"We'll go to hunt once the sun goes down." She announced before exiting the room.