Ghouls’ Bloody Battle

Tokyo, the skyscraper tower.

This towering structure, named "X-Seed 4000," was a concept proposed by Japan in 1995. The Tokyo Governor at the time planned to build a superstructure four thousand meters tall and eight hundred stories high, capable of housing five million people. According to the designer’s rough estimate, it would have cost an astronomical three hundred to nine hundred billion and taken ten years to complete.

The total cost would have exceeded even that of a manned mission to Mars. The astronomical investment became the main obstacle, and many believed that erecting such an enormous building in earthquake-prone Japan was nothing but a fool’s dream.

Thus, the grand blueprint that existed only in fantasy was shelved indefinitely after only its foundation had been laid, never to become reality. The Japanese had wanted to use immense manpower and funding to construct a superstructure that would make even Mount Fuji pale in comparison—a gigantic city within Tokyo—but too many external factors interrupted the project.

Sean stood atop the skyscraper tower’s foundation. Though no towering building had yet risen there, it was already much higher than ordinary buildings. Looking down over Tokyo beneath the night sky, he saw brilliant lights blooming like an eternal city of radiance.

A cold wind swept through with a frigid chill, tugging at the young man’s clothes. Yoshimura Eto, hooded, sat on a steel beam with her feet dangling in midair. Her scarlet eye, gleaming with bloody light, was especially striking.

"How did you know they would definitely come here?" the girl asked, tilting her head up.

She had recently been staying by Sean’s side and had discovered that he was far more mysterious and frightening than she had imagined. It was not merely his overwhelming strength, allowing him to defeat ghouls with ease, but other hidden powers as well.

The true face this young man had revealed was merely the tip of the iceberg. His far greater majesty and sharp edge remained concealed beneath the vast ocean.

"Your two little companions have nowhere left to hide. The special organization the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department set up, CCG, isn’t a bunch of useless fools. They’ve been constantly tightening their encirclement because they want to force the ghouls into a dead end."

Sean leaned against a steel beam. This was a high point with a broad view, and his eyesight was enough to take in every movement below.

"It’s basically a hunt. A large force forms an encirclement and gradually closes in. With nowhere to go, the prey can only keep retreating until it finally falls into the trap… Haven’t you noticed? Reports of cannibalistic killings have been increasing lately, almost beyond the average rate at which ghouls feed. That proves they’re beginning to lose their minds, venting their anger by hunting humans."

Wolverine Logan, whose regenerative ability had been suppressed, was staying at one of The Hand’s bases. Until the chaos in Tokyo ended, Sean did not intend to let him get involved. Given that guy’s violent temper, the first thing he would probably do after learning the truth would be to storm Yashida Mansion and cause a huge scene.

It was not really Logan’s fault. Anyone would probably do the same. Who could have imagined that the Japanese would think so strangely that their way of repaying a life-saving benefactor was to take away his regenerative ability, all while putting on that ugly expression of, "I’m doing this for your own good"?

No wonder even his granddaughter could not stand it in the end. Ichiro Yashida had been completely consumed by his fear of death, becoming a madman like a walking corpse.

"Kanoe Bo graduated from Tokyo Medical University years ago, then studied in Germany. He joined Hydra as a researcher and worked on genetic engineering projects… Japan really produces a lot of perverts and lunatics. That guy actually volunteered for a live experiment involving the Progenitor Virus. He stood out among three hundred test subjects and became one of the few mutated ghouls."

"Kamishiro Iori is also one of the few surviving mutated ghouls… Come to think of it, do ghouls even have a concept like their own kind?"

Yoshimura Eto fell silent for a moment, then shook her head.

When they had first escaped Hydra’s Yokohama laboratory, they had nearly slaughtered each other because of overwhelming hunger. Creatures as different from humans as ghouls had only one concept in their minds: food. Once they fell into a state of extreme hunger, any living thing visible to the naked eye could become a delicious meal to fill their stomachs.

That was also why ghouls divided territories and occupied different hunting grounds. They had to remain wary of humans, but they could not trust their own kind either.

"Then it looks like I won’t need to make a move tonight." Sean smiled faintly.

Within his sight, two figures were rapidly approaching. CCG helicopters cast bright searchlights as they tracked the fleeing ghouls. Behind them came a chain of police sirens. Fully armed special police officers and barking hunting dogs were like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, relentlessly locking onto their prey.

The figure to the southeast had grown armor-like layers of bone beneath his shoulder blades. Even under fierce gunfire, he remained unscathed. Compared to Yoshimura Eto’s blood-red wings, this ghoul was clearly more focused on defense.

The other figure had four scaled tentacles swaying behind him. Agile as an octopus, he crawled and darted between skyscrapers, trying to shake off the enemies pursuing him.

The wind howled. Kanoe Bo, around forty years old, had never felt such exhilaration. His mutated body felt completely renewed. He smashed through the glass window of a building, and the blood-red tentacles that resembled alien limbs, controlled by his will, wrapped around several large, cumbersome objects and hurled them at the helicopters overhead.

To escape CCG’s pursuit, he first had to block their line of sight. The Rc cells stored in the special sac-like organs within his body were rapidly being depleted, while his craving gnawed away at his sanity like a roaring beast.

Kanoe Bo knew he had to feed immediately. Otherwise, during this desperate escape, he would sooner or later fall behind and be retrieved and eliminated by the laboratory.

At the same time, the approaching Kamishiro Iori had the exact same thought. His situation was even more dangerous. The armor-like proliferating flesh beneath his shoulder blades gave him tremendous defense, but it also greatly reduced his mobility.

As the mutated cells in his body were exhausted, his genetically altered feeding organs let out a wail. Ordinary humans could no longer satisfy his ravenous hunger. He had to find a stronger creature.

"Cannibalizing their own kind… How brutal."

As a spectator, Sean’s lips curled into a pleased smile. The thrilling show about to unfold perfectly displayed the cruel instinct branded into every living creature.

The two beasts trapped in a desperate situation would not cooperate to break through the encirclement. Instead, they intended to make each other prey, devouring the flesh and blood of their own kind to gain another evolution.

"See that? This is your nature… No, actually, it should be the nature of every living creature."

Sean turned to look at Yoshimura Eto. The girl’s face was slightly pale. She knew what was about to happen. Ghouls were inherently such warped creatures.

Even though they possessed clear thoughts and emotions, at their core they were merely monsters wearing human skin. Once they fell into the dangerous state of extreme hunger, all reason vanished completely.

"Aren’t you going to ask me to save them? You know I can." Sean asked with great interest.

Yoshimura Eto shook her head. Creatures like ghouls should not exist in this world. They were born to stand opposed to humanity. If they were allowed to multiply freely, they would only shatter the hard-won peace and plunge everything into chaos.

"Haha, that’s why I made you into ‘material.’ Be a ghoul with proper values."

Sean rubbed the girl’s little head, paying no heed to her indignant glare.

Below the skyscraper tower, Kamishiro Iori rammed over a truck, blocking the path of the pursuing police cars. He crushed the car beneath his feet, then used the recoil to leap into the air before turning and charging into a building.

Kanoe Bo, meanwhile, controlled four blood-red tentacles and stood firmly on the outer wall of the building opposite, hunger-driven drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.

In an instant, two pairs of scarlet eyes met, overflowing with murderous intent.

Like savage beasts released from their cages, the two figures lunged at each other, crossing through the air as brilliant flowers of blood burst forth!

PS: As a part-time, amateur, third-rate, flop author, I’ve had quite a lot going on lately, so my update schedule has been rather unpredictable. Sorry (;′⌒`)

Book recommendation from a friend: "Swordsman of the Heavens." It’s currently recommended in the sixth channel. Esteemed readers who enjoy the all-heavens genre can give it a try.