On Top of the Food Chain

Both Kazuki and Rika stood next to each other, hands resting on the railing. Rika wiped her tears with the handkerchief Kazuki had given her. They silently looked out at the city from the ancient water tower, neither speaking.

It was surprising to both of them to find the other at this location.

“There was this girl I’ve known since I could remember,” Rika finally said, breaking the awkward silence. Her gaze remained fixed on the town. “She and I used to come here and eat mitarashi dango at night while looking at the city.”

“A week ago, she died here,” she added, her voice weak. “Why are you here?”

Kazuki was astonished to learn that someone Rika knew had died at this very spot.

“I’m also here because someone I now know committed suicide here,” he said, turning towards Rika. She continued looking at the town, but as soon as Kazuki’s words reached her, she looked at him with astonishment.

“Aiko Tanaka,” Kazuki said. “I’m here because of Aiko Tanaka.”

“How do you know her?” Rika asked, her voice loud yet weak, her expression serious.

Kazuki took a deep breath. “I’m sure you noticed I haven’t been attending college for a week.”

Rika nodded.

“Actually, I got into a car accident the very night Aiko committed suicide,” Kazuki explained, feeling the cold breeze on his face. “I had to get surgery. The doctors used Aiko’s internal organs for my operation since she had already died.”

Hearing this, Rika felt a mix of emotions—anger, violation, and humiliation. It didn’t feel right to her that Aiko’s organs had been used without her kin’s permission.

“I know you must feel anger towards me or the doctors, but I too feel this melancholic sensation. I feel like a huge debt has been placed on my shoulders, one I’ll never be able to repay,” Kazuki said solemnly. “I am very sorry for your loss.”

“It’s alright,” Rika replied after a moment of hesitation. “Why are you here then? Do you want to learn about her?”

“I don’t know. I came here for no reason. It’s not like I could ask Aiko why she did what she did. At first, I wanted to learn about her to do something she would have wanted, but now I want to learn about her for my own sanity,” Kazuki said.

“What do you mean?” Rika asked.

“A long time ago, I read a story where the protagonist becomes a man-eating monster after surgery. I know you won’t believe this, but ever since the operation, I’ve felt this infinite hunger and a weird lust for meat. But whenever I try to eat meat, just the sight of it makes my appetite disappear,” Kazuki said, a tear forming in his right eye. “So tell me, Rika, was Aiko a man-eating monster?” he asked, looking at her with an expressionless face.

Kazuki's confession overwhelmed Rika. With a look of surprise, she said, “Yes. She was a man-eating monster.”

"Oh, God," Kazuki muttered. "You are joking, right?"

"..." Rika kept quiet.

Soon the realization he wasn't accepting became his reality. His expression morphed from worry to panic to rage. "No!" he shouted. "You are lying," he said with a furious tone.

Looking at Kazuki’s current state of mind, Rika’s facial expression changed, exuding sheer coldness. She slowly walked over to him. “Calm down and face your reality.”

Suddenly, she pushed him over the railing.

“What are you—” Before Kazuki could finish his sentence, he found himself falling from the water tower. As he fell, he looked up at Rika’s indifferent, cold gaze.

Accepting his fate, Kazuki waited for his death. His life flashed before his eyes, and soon everything went black.

***

Subaru Shuichi, a man with a lean build and long silver hair, sat in the back seat of the car. His silver hair tied into a graceful bun, and the cold look in his grey eyes only added to his elegance.

His assistant, Naito, with short black hair, was seated in the front next to the driver. An older man sat beside Subaru, adding to the quiet tension within the vehicle.

They were traveling along a desolate stretch of the highway, bordered by a huge mountain on one side and a dense forest on the other.

Suddenly, the car came to a jerky halt. The driver informed them that someone had placed bricks and rocks as obstacles on the road.

Hearing this, Subaru calmly instructed Naito to clear the path. Naito stepped out of the car, a sword in a scabbard hanging on his back. He stood there for a moment, nonchalantly gazing at the forest.

His eyes caught a slight movement in the branches of a tree. In an instant, he dashed towards it, drawing his sword along with the scabbard. With a powerful vertical strike, he created a small crater and brought the tree crashing down.

Three figures leaped from the falling tree, quickly surrounding Naito. Their eyes glowed in different colors, and their sclera had turned black.

"Crap, it's a Poacher," one of them muttered.

"No worries, we can 3v1 him easily," another replied as his hands became enveloped in a weird, red translucent energy, forming a four-inch long thorn protruding from his knuckles.

The other two also manifested this strange energy on their bodies. One created boots that covered his legs up to his knees, while the other grew a large horn from his forehead.

Naito unsheathed his sword and took his stance. The battle was about to begin, and all hell was about to break loose.

Naito stood poised, sword in hand, as the three figures closed in. The forest around them grew eerily silent, the only sound being the rustle of leaves underfoot.

The first opponent, the one with the thorn-covered hands, lunged at Naito with surprising speed. Naito sidestepped gracefully, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he parried the attack. The clash of metal on energy resonated through the trees.

Before Naito could counter, the second opponent, the one with energy boots, rushed in with a powerful kick. Naito blocked with the scabbard of his sword, the force of the impact sending vibrations up his arm. He pivoted, using the momentum to strike back, his blade slicing through the air towards the third opponent, who was charging with the horn on his forehead.

The horned attacker ducked, avoiding the strike, and aimed a headbutt at Naito. Naito barely managed to evade, the horn grazing his shoulder. He felt a sharp pain but pushed it aside, focusing on the battle.

With a swift movement, Naito spun around and slashed at the thorn-handed opponent, his sword cutting through the energy shield and biting into flesh. The man let out a cry and staggered back, clutching his wounded arm.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the booted opponent launched another attack, aiming a series of rapid kicks at Naito. He dodged and blocked, his movements fluid and precise. He saw an opening and thrust his sword forward, piercing the man's chest. The opponent fell to the ground, his energy boots flickering out.

Now, it was two against one. The thorn-handed attacker, despite his injury, and the horned one, who was circling Naito, looking for an opportunity. Naito's breath came in measured intervals, his focus unbroken.

The thorn-handed man charged again, but this time, Naito was ready. He sidestepped and swung his sword in a wide arc, severing the man's other arm. The attacker screamed and fell to his knees. Naito finished him with a swift, merciful strike to the heart.

The horned opponent, seeing his comrades fall, hesitated. His eyes darted between Naito and the dense forest. Desperation etched on his face, he made a split-second decision and bolted towards the trees.

Naito didn't pursue. He stood there, breathing heavily, his sword stained with blood. The forest slowly came back to life around him, the sounds of nature resuming as if nothing had happened.

He wiped his blade clean and sheathed it, glancing at the bodies of his fallen opponents. Then, with a calm demeanor, he walked back to the car, where Subaru and the older man waited.

“You took care of them?” Subaru asked.

“Sir, I got rid of two, one escaped into the forest, but I also spotted more of them hiding.” Naito replied.

“Huh, even The Executioner’s personal executioner is this talented?” The old man made a comment.

Ignoring him, Subaru said, “Well then, I think it’s time for me to get some warm up done.”

He then stepped out of the car, “Protect Mr Togashi.” He told the driver before he and Naito calmly walked into the forest.

The poor Ghouls who had set up a trap for mundane humans didn’t know that they had enticed The Executioner, falling into their own trap, only the warmth of death awaited them now.