Part Seven

Shimonoseki, Japan. Kyushu Defensive Line Headquarters…….

Saito Takanashi was always busy. Ordinarily, he’d spend three days of every week checking up on each encampment, then a day reporting to Director Walters and the other civil officials, and then spend the rest of the week doing miscellaneous tasks. However, the past two weeks had completely upended his schedule. It felt like a new crisis was popping up every other day.

Case-in-point, the report he was about to make was just the latest in a long, long, long line of bad news. It was almost enough to make him mimic his best friend's recent actions. Almost.

Saito was well aware that he was nothing but a figurehead for the Committee and the JSDF. Nothing but a glorified mascot. They were using him and his friends as a means to drive up recruitment numbers. By parading a group of young, talented fighters brimming with patriotism, they hoped to lure in more members of his generation. Saito didn’t begrudge them for this, but he sometimes wished he’d listened to Ouka when she said that they’d be shackled like this.

He wanted to fight. Not for the sake of fighting, or for some desire for fame and fortune, but because he thought it was the right thing to do. Every monster he killed was one less that could threaten the innocent. But alas, his current position rarely saw any combat.

“Takanashi, the Director will see you now.”

With Chris's secretary finally giving him the go-ahead, he hesitantly made his way into the Director's office. The last time he was here wasn’t, pleasant, to say the least. Thankfully, he doubted the secretary would’ve let him into the room if the Director was still in a meeting.

“Saito. Please tell me you have good news this time.”

“…Director, shouldn’t you know better by now?”

“Haaah, I should, but the hopeless optimist in me just won’t quit. At least I’ve gotten one nuisance out of my hair.”

“…Sir, that kind of sounded like you…. No, never mind. Does this mean something good happened?”

“Yes. As of this morning, I no longer have to deal with the walking pain-in-the-butt that is Ixan Isphael. And we’ll finally be able to get the support we’ve been asking for.”

“That’s, I want to say great, but the fact that we had to go to these lengths to get what should’ve been provided weeks ago is rather disturbing.”

“Tell me about it. The worst part about this whole sordid affair is that Ixan knows I know he’s up to something, but he’s hidden his tracks well enough that I can’t prove anything! And then there’s the fact that half of the Executive Board and at least three Directors are collaborating with him! That’s the only way this shit makes sense!”

Saito just decided to wait for Chris’s rant to end on its own. He’d gotten used to dealing with the man's outbursts over the time he’d known him, so he knew he wouldn’t wait long. It was probably better in the long run that Chris had the chance to vent anyway. God knew he faced enough stress on a day-to-day basis.

“Haah, haah. Phew, that’s better. Eherm. Well the good news is that it’s no longer my problem. The proposed compromise is already heading to the Diet, where it’ll most likely be ratified. After that, it’ll be the prime minister’s problem, not mine.”

“Well, okay. But I’m afraid you’re just exchanging one problem for another at this point.”

“That’s just how this year has been. Haah, and people were saying it was looking like a fine year back in March. Ha! Haaaaaah. Okay Saito, lay it on me. I know I’m not going to enjoy this one bit.”

“Hahaha, that may be an understatement, Sir. Encampments 1-B, 1-F and 1-K all reported Gluttonist attacks. And encampment 1-D was attacked by a Greater Gluttonist. Aside from a few lookouts, there were no casualties, but…. Morale is suffering. And we both know this isn’t the end of it.”

“Damn. I knew this was coming, but it feels far too soon……. There weren’t any confirmed breaches?”

“No Sir. Only the first line was attacked. At least we’ve confirmed that we won’t have to worry about anything sneaking through.”

“Thank god for small blessings. Okay. Spread word that reinforcements and additional supplies will be arriving within the next week. I’m going to see if I can find someone who hasn’t already been bought by Ixan to try and get some heavy weaponry shipped over. We need to keep these things contained.”

***

Somewhere deep in the Kyushu Disaster Zone……….

*Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack*

That sound was going to drive her fucking insane. For two days, all she’d heard was that incessant clacking! It was her own damn fault too. She’d gotten distracted, and allowed the horde to close in. If she hadn’t already discovered that Gluttonists were both blind and deaf, she probably would’ve been torn apart.

After observing them for more than a week, Ouka was convinced that the Gluttonists weren’t what they seemed. At first glance, they appeared to be Demi-Humans, just like Goblins or Minotaurs. However, they certainly didn’t act that way. Ouka’s preferred way of fighting was to wait until her prey was distracted, and then rush in for the kill. She was very much like an Assassin, though she was more than capable of fighting head-on.

So because of that, she’d spent a good deal of time just observing monsters. And she could say without an iota of doubt, that Gluttonists were not Demi-Humans. All the Demi-Humans she’d seen had rather human-like behaviors. They often slacked off or got distracted, and had to satisfy all the needs that humans had as well, something Gluttonists didn’t do. She’d once watched a Gluttonist stand and stare at a wall for an hour, clicking the whole time. They were basically like zombies at this point.

As for what they actually were, well, she hadn’t a clue. To be honest, they did resemble a type of monster she’d seen in a Dungeon once. The only issue is that those particular monsters were fragile as hell, and would burst apart with the slightest attacks. Oh, and they didn’t have the horrifying mouths either.

*Crack Crack Crack Crack!*

Suddenly, all the clicking stopped, only to be replaced with four loud snapping sounds. These had come from the massive beast at the center of the horde, and the creature that was likely responsible for the entire incident. The thing had been utterly still ever since she first saw it, but it now began to shift into motion.

At this time, Ouka had no way of knowing exactly what this meant. But she’d soon find out.

***

Pennsylvania, United States of America. Inside the B-Rank Trial: Slaughterhouse……

*Ka-tunk! Thud!*

“Braow! Grrrr!”

For the umpteenth time, the poor Weregoblin was spit out of the strange tube, and tumbled across the blood-smeared floor. She lay still for a time, seriously considering just sleeping here. But if the pattern followed every previous iteration, then it would be showing up.

“KYYYYYAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”

And there it was. One of the hidden vents in in wall opened up, and a hideous, screaming thing came rocketing out of it. She’d never seen anything like it, with its half-broken limbs, oval body and distorted face. She only ever managed to get the briefest glimpses of it, but she knew from experience that letting it catch her wouldn’t end well. She’d seen it rip one of the bull-men in half.

“&&$#@!#$&*$#[email protected]#%&*(>>[email protected]#$%&

An ear-piercing shriek echoed out from behind her, one that would’ve left her dizzy and with a splitting headache if she hadn’t already bolted from the room. Considering how a momentary lapse in focus had nearly cost her an arm two days prior, she was understandably wary of being anywhere near that thing.

“Grr, grrr!”

She ducked under, swerved around and jumped over the monsters responding to the sudden disturbance, figuring that they’d at least slow the thing down. And they did. For a single second each.

“KYYYYYAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

“Arrrrroooo.”

The sounds of flesh ripping and the screams of the other monsters followed her deeper into the maze, until even they were replaced with silence. She slipped into a small vent opening, knowing that the only way to escape the ungodly horror chasing her was to use the maze's strange features. It was simply too fast and too clever for her to escape by herself.

Once within the opening, the vent's cover slid into place, and she felt herself being sucked away by immense force. This unusual method of travel was how the monsters got around the maze, something she’d discovered after a Veal she’d bitten into had run into a vent. It hadn’t helped it get away then, but it had saved her more than once since.

A few seconds later, and she was repeating her earlier antics, rolling across the floor. However this time, she knew the thing wouldn’t be following her. It wouldn’t have found her earlier if she hadn’t accidentally set off that trap. The weird vacuum hose thing that dropped from the ceiling on occasion always guaranteed her a run-in with the screaming horror.

With her immediate safety assured, she thought about taking the chance to nap, but there was always a chance that something else would show up. Something less horrific, and more delicious. And of course, the thought of food caused her mouth to begin salivating. So she picked herself up, and set back off into the maze.

Of course, even this wasn’t simple anymore. The maze's complexity had gone through the roof, and there were now traps laid throughout it, as well as new monsters to hunt. Thankfully, she at least understood why this was happening. Every time she caught one of the cows she was to hunt, the difficulty of this place went up. Come to think of it, it was only after she’d caught the third cow that the screaming horror had appeared.

Upon catching a familiar tantalizing scent on the wind, she promptly put those unnecessary thoughts out of her mind. While she wasn’t sure exactly why she needed to be here, she knew she had to hunt those delicious little cows. So she’d do that, regardless of what that thing wanted to do to her.

Granted, if she'd remembered, or had even known about her Analyze Skill, she might’ve had an easier time of things. But I suppose that’s how things go. Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you.

Irrational Stalker

Rank: B

Archetype: Dungeon Boss

Description: A Fiend-type monster known for its erratic and over-the-top behavior. They are often shunned by even their creators, and as such, will become obsessed with any being that pays them even the slightest bit of attention. Conversely, they’ll often hide themselves away out of grief if completely ignored.

***

Somewhere in Western Australia…….

“….Fuck it. I’m lost.”

Leland had tried to not let this happen, but it had happened anyway. He’d gotten totally and completely lost. Granted, he wasn’t that lost. Just a little bit. Promise.

After leaving the town where he’d died and been subsequently been resurrected as a Revenant, he’d wandered around for a time, hunting monsters as he went. His first goal was to find a Dungeon to equip himself with, as he had limited ammunition, and using his bare hands to kill them was unappealing. But he of course ran into a roadblock pretty quick. He didn’t know where to find one.

From everything he’d heard, the placement of Dungeons was seemingly random. Which could mean that there was one right by him, or none in a twenty kilometer radius. Not knowing was driving him crazier than being an Undead.

That had prompted him to begin wandering aimlessly, just waiting until he stumbled across a Dungeon. Which led to his currently being lost.

“Okay, I need to make a better plan than this. It’s just not working. If only my phone still worked. I could really use the GPS right now.”

Unfortunately, his phone was broken when he died, so that was a bust. Though there was no telling whether the cell towers were even still working out here. And even if they did, there was a chance the strange interference caused by mana would have kept it from getting a proper signal.

“Hm, maybe I shouldn’t have tried this. I’m almost out of ammo, and I doubt I’ll be lucky enough to find some before I’m out. I probably would’ve had an easier time in Perth. Haah, guess I’ll just keep looking. Not much else I can do.”

Whether it was just resignation or optimism, Leland wasn’t likely to change tack any time soon. And in way, that was a good thing. Probably. Time would tell.