On Top of the Food Chain

Kazuki found himself enveloped in a familiar darkness, the kind that pressed against his mind, suffocating him with its void. A cold, wet sensation crept over his feet, sending a chill through his body.

As he tried to move, the wetness seemed to evaporate, replaced by a thick, eerie white mist. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat louder than the last, echoing his rising fear. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to take a step forward, then another.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him started to tremble. Panic seized him as he began to sink, the earth swallowing him like quicksand. He thrashed, arms flailing desperately for something to hold onto, but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank.

Just when all hope seemed lost, a hand grasped his. He looked up and saw Aiko Tanaka, her face sad but familiar, her hair dancing softly in an unseen wind. A terror-filled relief washed over him, but it was short-lived. Her skin began to wither, peeling away, and in no more than a moment, she was nothing but a skeleton with hollow, dark eyes, looking at Kazuki with contempt.

Terrified, Kazuki let go, plunging into the quicksand, only to find himself suddenly lying on solid ground, surrounded by the thickening mist, unable to move.

His body felt heavy, as if an invisible force was pinning him down. Gradually, the mist began to clear, revealing a desolate car parking lot. It was eerily familiar—the same parking lot where he had been supposed to meet up with Rika and the others before being kidnapped.

As he struggled to comprehend his surroundings, two familiar hooded figures materialized before him. The female figure extended her hand toward him, a devious smile visible within the shadows of her hood. Kazuki's heart pounded in his chest. Despite the alarm bells ringing in his mind, he found himself unable to resist. He reached out and accepted her hand.

As their hands connected, the mist thickened once more, swirling around him with disorienting speed. And now he found himself standing somewhere else.

He walked forward, his heart racing, petrified of what lay ahead. As the fog thinned, he found himself in the alleyway where he had fought the Poacher while bloodlusted. This time, it was a scene from hell. Blood painted the walls and pooled on the ground, organs spilling from mutilated bodies. It was similar to the alley where he had seen a Ghoul and a Protector fight for the first time.

The sight made his stomach churn, a wave of nausea and fear washing over him. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. His throat constricted with terror.

Suddenly, Rika's voice pierced through the oppressive silence, a desperate scream echoing in the distance. Kazuki's feet moved on their own, driven by an instinct to reach her.

The mist thickened again as he ran, and pain-filled moans filled the air, growing louder with each step. He ran faster, pushing his body to its limits, yet no matter how far he went, he couldn't reach her. He kept running and running and running and…

Breathless, he stopped, panting heavily, his hands on his knees, his eyes looking at the grey floor. He looked ahead, and his eyes widened.

The mist cleared, revealing Rika lying on the ground, her tracksuit torn from places, scratches on her skin, and blood pooling around her. His eyes widened in horror, a scream caught in his throat.

He rushed towards her, but just as he was about to reach her, he felt a grip on his shoulders, followed by a sharp, searing pain in his torso. Looking down, he saw a red thorn protruding from his chest. A primal scream of agony tore from his lips as the pain consumed him, and everything went black.

***

Kazuki jolted awake, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his body drenched in sweat, and his mind dipped in fear. His heart pounded against his ribcage as he scanned his surroundings, trying to make sense of the small, dimly lit cell he found himself in. Reality seeped back in, and he remembered: he had been kidnapped and brought to Shoda's fighting ring.

The low, rhythmic chanting of the crowd echoed through the corridors, a constant reminder of the brutality that awaited. Kazuki forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths to steady his racing heart. The oppressive weight of his nightmare still lingered, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the here and now.

Before falling asleep last night, Kazuki had struggled to find any peace. His mind was a storm of uncertainty and unanswered questions. How had he ended up in the back of that van? The memory was hazy, like a puzzle with too many missing pieces. He couldn't stop thinking about Rika—was she safe? And Eiji... the last time he saw him, Eiji was in rough shape. The thought of it gnawed at him. What about Endo?

Then there was Junpei. Had he learned what happened? Would he step out of Nantan to come after him? The doubt crept in—would they even know he was trapped in this place? The questions swirled, refusing to settle, leaving Kazuki tangled in his own thoughts as sleep eluded him.

Just as he began to normalize, a figure appeared in front of his cell. Unlike the hooded figures he had encountered earlier, this man was dressed in an expensive suit, adorned with gold chains, and wearing ostentatious sunglasses despite the darkness.

He looked rich, and his appearance screamed wealth and arrogance. The man was short, old, and fat, with deep wrinkles etched into his face and a bald head that glistened faintly in the dim light.

"Ah, awake at last," the man said, his voice oily and condescending. He looked Kazuki up and down, a smirk playing on his lips. "Welcome to my fighting ring. I hope you enjoyed your rest. You'll need it."

"Shoda…" Kazuki muttered as he got up.

***

The Manager sat on the sofa in Shoda's room, the bright sunlight streaming in through a small window, casting long shadows that danced across the floor. He wore his usual dark clothes and the mystical white mask that concealed his face. The phone was pressed to his ear, his voice unusually soft and calmer.

"My liege, I can't do that," he murmured, the tension in his voice palpable. "What? Give me some time then, please." He paused, listening intently. "Thank you, my liege. I won't fail you. Yes, thank you, my liege."

Unlike his usual commanding demeanor, cold and authoritative, he now sounded respectful and frightened. The call ended, and in a sudden fit of rage, the Manager hurled the phone across the room, shattering it against the wall.

The door creaked open, and Emi stepped into the room, drawn by the sound of the breaking phone. "What happened?" she asked cautiously.

"Some bullshit happened. Now we'll have to do everything faster," he growled, his anger barely contained. His irritated face was hidden behind the mystical mask.

"Dàng fù, where are the Spikes?" he demanded.

"I haven't—" Emi began, but the Manager cut her off sharply.

"Don't be a fucking slut, and do what I have told you," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. A few cracks appeared on his mask as his lethal Marmic Pressure leaked from his body.

Feeling the oppressive pressure, Emi gulped and nodded quickly. "Sorry, I'll bring it right away," she stammered, then hurriedly left the room.

As the door closed behind her, the mask finally shattered, the fragments falling away to reveal the Manager's dark onyx eyes, glinting dangerously in the sunlight. His fury remained unchecked, a storm barely contained within his dark gaze.