"And then ...what the hell are we supposed to be?"
It was obvious Ryoko Tamura genuinely wanted to blend into human society. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten herself pregnant in the first place.
"How should I know?" Shinichi said, anger creeping into his voice. "You people have to eat other humans just to keep your hosts alive. It's basically your own kind killing itself. Why the hell do you do that?"
"It's simple," Ivan answered for Tamura. "Their food source is humans. Sure, they can swallow normal food, but only certain components in the human body actually satisfy their needs."
"Correct. We require nutrients, and those nutrients can only be obtained from humans." Tamura looked at Shinichi's right hand. "Didn't you ask your right hand about this?"
Migi answered instead.
"I get nutrients directly from Shinichi's blood, so I don't understand what 'food' is. I also don't understand what 'cannibalism' means."
"No wonder you reject us so strongly." Tamura folded her hands in front of her chest. Honestly, Ivan could feel that scholar-like air from her. Compared to Mr. A sitting there with that dead, vacant look on his face, she seemed much more like a researcher.
"For a long time now, I've been thinking about something. A species that cannot reproduce, and that is driven to kill its own kind… does such a lifeform even need to exist?"
That kind of question was way beyond what Shinichi could really process right now.
"All I know is, I don't think you're creatures from Earth. Maybe you came from outer space or some shit."
The conversation between the two finally made Mr. A lose patience. He stood up abruptly, face blank as ever.
"This is a waste of time. So what if you know what you are? It changes nothing."
Then his expression twisted.
"I only know this. If I'm hungry, I eat. If someone gets in my way, I kill them. That's all."
With that, he turned and left.
Right before walking off, he added, "He's dangerous. He should be killed."
"Madame Tamura, this Mr. A of yours doesn't exactly look gifted in the brains department," Ivan said lazily, leaning back in his chair and sipping his coffee. "Seems a bit fucking dim. Making him the father of your child… not the best idea, no?"
Faced with Ivan's mockery, Tamura actually frowned and seriously considered it.
"At the time, I only considered his physical condition. I hadn't thought about that. Tell me… in humans, does a baby's intelligence really get influenced by the parents after conception?"
Seeing Tamura actually take it seriously, Ivan quickly raised both hands.
"Relax, I was joking. Stuff like that… I'm sure you can find proper scientific answers online."
"Anyway, I've got what I needed. I'll head out first. Shinichi, if anything comes up, give me a call."
Before leaving, Ivan gave Shinichi a light pat on the shoulder and mimed holding a phone to his ear.
After walking out of the café, Ivan followed the address on the photocopy and grabbed a taxi to Ginza.
...
Ginza sat right in the center of Tokyo. From the backseat, Ivan looked out through the window.
Skyscrapers filled the skyline, and the streets were packed with well-dressed office workers. High-end luxury stores lined both sides, the kind you didn't see anywhere else.
"Should be around here."
Ivan glanced down at the map in his hand, then paid the driver and stepped out.
"You working in Ginza?" the driver asked as he took the yen Ivan handed over. "You should be careful. Stick to crowded areas. Heard there's some psycho killer running around here. Pretty dangerous."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, monsieur."
Ivan smiled and slipped the change into his pocket. His eyes landed on a well-decorated high-end Japanese restaurant nearby.
"I'll take the 13,000 yen tuna set. Thanks."
After ordering, Ivan picked a seat at random. While waiting for the food, he started going through the data he had just gotten.
Fuck, the service was slow.
He was almost done reading the whole file, and the dishes still weren't fully served.
"Very sorry for the wait."
A young, attractive waitress came over with a tray and placed the tuna platter in front of him. Perfect timing, since Ivan had just finished the documents.
Even though he felt like complaining, he put on a polite face.
"No problem. Good food is worth waiting for."
Once she left, Ivan pulled up his panel.
[Shapeshifting Ability Fusion in Progress: 51%]
Tamura's data was solid. It probably saved him half a month.
He tested it briefly and found he could now control about half of his body.
The downside?
The energy drain was insane.
Even parasites with enhanced bodies usually only transform a small section of their host. Large-scale transformations put insane strain on the body and split their focus, which makes them worse in a fight.
Unless every part of the body is controlled by a separate consciousness.
Like Gotou.
"Not bad for a 13,000 yen set. The fish is fresh as hell."
Ivan dabbed a bit of fresh wasabi onto a slice of tuna and popped it into his mouth.
"…Shit!"
The burn hit instantly, clearing out his sinuses like a punch to the face.
Ahh~ TASTY~!
Just as he was enjoying his meal in peace, something showed up outside.
A woman.
Dressed flashy as hell, covered head to toe in designer logos. But the way she dressed was off. It was autumn, yet she had layers piled on like she was trying to wear every luxury brand at once.
She stopped in front of a high-end boutique next to the restaurant and just stood there, staring at the items inside without saying a word.
Before long, a sales clerk inside noticed her.
"Excuse me, would you like to come in and take a look?"
"I want everything in there."
Her head split apart in an instant.
Like a man-eating flower, it swallowed the clerk's upper body whole. Countless thin tendrils burst out from her head, each one sprouting tiny eyeballs, writhing in every direction.
The scene was pure nightmare fuel.
Screams exploded across the street. Office workers who had been casually walking a moment ago now ran like their lives depended on it. Cars sped past without slowing down, drivers too terrified to even process what they were seeing.
Inside the restaurant, customers went pale. Some bolted immediately. Even the manager abandoned the place and ran.
"Jesus… no composure at all," Ivan muttered, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "Unlike me. Nervous as hell, but still keeping it together."
The woman outside had completely killed his appetite.
He turned his head and watched through the glass.
Parasites could sense each other.
That was why Tamura had included a map in the file, already marking the target's location.
All Ivan had to do now was show up and kill it.
___
[]~(￣▽￣)~*
Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69