So this was why…

This was the reason why my instincts told me to only eat the organs.

Because, that way, there will be more guys like me.

No... It’s not 'like' me, but rather, guys 'working' for me.

As evidenced by the blind, eight-meter-long vulture that seems to be following my every command. It's pretty weird if you think about it, yet feels pretty normal in reality.

The army that's 'marching' down the mountainside only adds to the point.

But, I don't remember feeding on that many creatures, so, maybe... I swept my gaze on the vulture. There were bite marks on numerous places. Probably done by scavengers.

Which meant... these guys were infected, by eating infected meat.

Huh... but, that's still too inefficient. There was no way, that a few vagabonds nibbling on a corpse would add up to an army. Most likely, those who were infected were either; biting others, just like me - or - was 'killed', then fed upon by others.

This... this is why viruses are such a scary thing.

Well, I'm on the side that's infecting, so it's all good.

With half an arm, I went inside an outpost-like place.

It was a cement and steel structure. It was built like a three-story apartment building. With a flat roof that has a basketball court.

How do I know this? That's because I entered through the door that led to the roof.

Yes, I started at the top floor.

Going down some stairs, I reached the third floor. There were two doors, one on either side. The continuation of the stairs - to the lower floors - was to my left.

First, I went inside the door to my right. Inside, were multiple bunkbeds.

There were also some weapon racks. But all those were empty. Save for an M16 that seemed like no one, wanted.

I left the room empty-handed. I didn't take it, since I wasn't too familiar with the use of guns.

The other room was the same. Bunkbeds and weapon racks. But, the difference, was the presence of corpses and blood littering the room.

Three goblins, an orc and 2 women. Perhaps, this was the women's dorm? It’s a whole lot cleaner, even with the blood, then the other room.

I noticed this earlier, but it seems that getting hit on the head, would kill us. Now, I understand that people die if they are killed - such was the immortal words of a certain great hero... but, I was under the impression that we were invincible. For me at least, I'm not affected by stimuli. Pain, fatigue, actual 'hunger', etc. They were all inconsequential to me, maybe even to 'us'.

Even if we take a sword straight to the heart, we'd still go on like nothing happened. But, getting shot on the head...

Instant kill.

The orc had a bent rapier sticking out the back of his head, while the goblins had parts of their heads missing.

Was it the brain? Was the brain, the weakness?

But then - I looked out the window and stared at the giant vulture - what about that girl? She has no brain, I ate it. So, does that mean, she has no weakness?

I don't get it.

Either way... hm? Oh. It seems these women are still alive. Their chests are still heaving, though only slightly.

I approached them, they're pretty cute. Their faces are also almost identical. Are they twins? Oh, they're even holding hands... yuri?

This is yuri, isn't it?

Hm? Oh, so that's why. They were bitten. And on the same spot no less. Their palms that were held together, were dripping blood, collecting into a small puddle.

GG, goblin-san. You were able to give two yuri-girls their last happiness.

I put my palm on the forehead of one. She was heating up. If given a temperature reading, she'd be a solid 50°c, maybe even 55.

It was the kind of fever that doctors would deem a 'lost cause', much less, in this unsanitary place, so far away from the nearest hospital or clinic.

"Hn...?" It seems that my cold hand had spurned on the girl. She slowly opened her eyes, and wearily gazed at me. Her cheeks were flushed red and her breath was hot. If it were any other situation, then this would have made for a good prelude to an unavoidable H-scene. But, it wasn't. "...we're saved..." she muttered weakly, urging the other girl to wake up.

Is that the first thing you're supposed say when you see a half-decomposed monster? Wait... I currently look just like a human, right now, huh? I forgot. "...hey...we're saved..." she shook the other girl again. But, even if you shook her like a maraca, she still won't wake up. She won't ever wake up. Because, she just died.

So please, stop shaking her. It wouldn't take much longer for her to turn.

"Come on! Come on, Mari... wake up!"

Mari? Ohhh... such a cute name. *shaku* I plunged my right hand into 'Mari's abdomen. *squelch* I squeezed, then I pulled out her liver. *drip* *drip* went the warm blood.

"Mari, come on..." oh, she didn't notice, huh? I was hoping to break her - wait! Break... her...?

Why... why did I want to break her?

She's going to die soon, so why would I want to... *chomp* *chew* *chew* *chomp* almost deliberately, my thoughts were cut short by the flesh entering my mouth and the sounds of chewing.

After I was done, I went for the stomach, kidneys, intestines, lungs, then heart - there was no crystal - and lastly, the ovaries, which I removed carefully.

It didn't even take me ten minutes to down all of it, save for the last two, scrumptious viands.

See, I AM a fast eater! The vulture was just too big!

Still, as always, my hunger doesn't seem to be the least bit satiated.

It's almost enough to make me lose my appetite.

Well, no, not really.

"...raaaaaaaghhhh..."

"Mari!... We're saved...!"

She still didn't notice me 'eating up' her sister!? Do I need to 'eat her up' too!? I mean that literally, by the way. Nevertheless, it's amazing that she was able to discern her sister's voice, even when it was just an unintelligible growl. What if me and my siblings were that close, would things have been different?

...Meh.

Who cares about that kind of thing anyway? All I need to do, is eat, and eat, and eat. Nothing more, nothing else.

Yes, that's exactly what I should do. But... I'll ignore my instincts just this once. After all, it wouldn't be gentlemanly of me, to let a cute girl starve on her first day on the job.

'Go ahead, eat your fill', I tried telling her, but all that came out were - that's right - unintelligible growls.

I got up and resumed my scouting, leaving the two sisters to do their business.

Closing the door behind me, I went down the stairs. Once again, there were two doors, one on either side.

Like before, I opened the door to the right first.

Inside were guns. And not just run-of-the-mill guns, I mean, really, REALLY BIG guns. It's like they were preparing to be sieged by dragons, or a legion of heavily corrupted dark elves!

What were they thinking!? Concentrating so much firepower in such a small building!? There aren't even any perimeter walls around this place! There's only a couple of incomplete barbed wire fences!

Not only that, but the room next door, was the same!!

I'd really like to punch their commanding officer. If this place was captured, like now, what were they going to do!? How would they properly protect their other locations, with these guns stowed all the way out here!?

Wait... all of these guns... are here...?

That means... there might be almost no armaments in the city!!

It's easy pickings!

"IyaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! MARI! Please, don't-!!!!" The scream of a girl reached my ears.

Took her long enough to dig in.

I think I had a wry smile when I went down the stairs. Emphasis on 'I think'.

I didn't bother checking the rooms on the first floor and exited the building.

Then, as if waiting for that exact moment - *bang*, a very loud gunshot echoed throughout.

Obviously hearing that, 'everyone' raised their heads and 'stared' at the bright city in the distance.

Hoooboy... it's starting.

"Grahahaahargharhaghhargh!!" I really don't understand this 'instinct' inside me, but if it wants me to laugh, why not? I had to half-strain myself, since my vocal chords weren't exactly in their best shape. "Hraghharhaharhahahahagh!" So, what came out was a mix between laughter and growling, which must have seemed comical. But it was the best I could do at the moment.

Thus, I begin walking. Joining my 'subordinates'. Oh... how great it would be, to relish in the screams and chaos...

Without a doubt, I am changing. And, it probably wouldn't take much longer, before 'I' completely disappear.

But...

*gororororororoororororororororoororororororoororororororororoororororororororororororo* the rumbling stampede of a thousand creatures - goblins, orcs, ogres, humans, garmrs, wolves, vultures, a giant lizard and a certain eight-meter-long vulture - became the backdrop - a requiem for the residents of the city.

... I'll make the most of it and enjoy this new life.