章 8: Low-Profile

"I think it would be disadvantageous for me if I kick you out. You might very well be my last line of defense if this place gets attacked." Kazuichi stated the obvious as he served the omelets and toast for breakfast. "What did the professor call it during the news interview? Something about a symbiotic relationship, right? Yeah,"

"You can stay here as much as you want. There's food, and there's a roof over your head. And when the situation calls for it, you lend me your assistance. That's about it... also, don't disturb me. I'm used to being alone." Kazuichi stated before eating a mouthful of toast.

Arisu silently bit on her toast as well before shoving a spoonful of the omelet in her mouth. She sniffled but she continued eating despite the tears that fell on the table.

"Eat up." Kazuichi tried to sound as emotionless as possible. He didn't want to show his soft side to Arisu, not for now at least. "Don't worry about it and just eat up."

.....

While Arisu and Kazuichi spent their time oblivious to the outside world, a drastic change was already molding nations— a calm before the upcoming storm. Governments were toppled, and most hybrids started getting drunk on their power, taking over the streets, and causing as much trouble as they please. The infected won't touch the hybrids as they were also infected by the same virus, and because of that, the hybrids felt their freedom in the changing world. It was an inevitable outcome, and no one could do anything about it.

"Strip."

"Excuse me?"

"Strip please," The man in a hazmat repeated, poking the muscular man with his bat as he ordered him to strip for a second time.

"Relax man, I'm going to strip, you don't have to force me twice." The man calmly reasoned out before removing his shirt. He then proceeded to strip his pants and his underwear.

At one glance, one would think that the man was overweight, but when he removed his clothes, he was actually built like a truck, his toned muscles and veins screaming out of his skin. He started whistling as he tried to calm his nerves down, but it was evident in his gaze that he was thinking of something far more sinister.

'I let my regenerative abilities go into overdrive. That bite on my neck should have healed slowly, but I rushed it and now it formed a nasty-looking scar. Then again, a scar on the neck looks cool.' The muscular man said to himself.

"Name please?"

"Fujima Jurou." The muscular man replied.

After listing his name, the man in the hazmat then looked at every inch of Jurou's body. There was only one thing he searched for— a bite. The man in the hazmat then looked at Jurou's scar which was on the left side of his neck.

"My dog bit me way back then. Pretty good scar, right?" Jurou commented.

The man in the hazmat gave Jurou a skeptical look before he waved him off, gesturing that he get dressed before he entered the shelter.

The shelter was a huge dome with an underground floor and two more upper floors— four floors in total. The food was distributed on the main floor, and the people could stay on any floor they want but they couldn't take up much space. Only one's sleeping space is accounted for, which makes the shelter a safe yet uncomfortable place. So far, there were no cases when an infected appeared in the midst of the shelter but that's because the global outbreak was still fresh. It's only a matter of time before such incidents happen.

"This is neat. Free food, free sleeping quarters." Jurou commented to himself. "This is the life."

Jurou took a look around before seeing a nice empty corner. He immediately walked up to it to secure his space in the shelter. Laying out his sleeping bag and his rucksack, he settled down, aiming to get some sleep before the next scheduled meal arrives.

"I'M PERFECTLY FINE! CAN'T YOU SEE?" A thin man with messy stubble and braided hair started raising his voice by the entrance of the shelter. He tried to step inside the place, but the men in the hazmat blocked his path. "LET ME IN!" The man screamed his lungs out.

"Sir, you were bitten, we can't—"

BAM!

Before the thin man could step food inside the shelter, a person in a police uniform extended his hand and shot the man by the shoulder. He didn't even bat an eye when he shot the man. "That's a warning shot, the next bullet's to your head. Hybrids are not welcome here." The policeman continued, wiping the gun's muzzle with a scarf he kept in his pocket.

"You..." The thin man muttered to himself before he got up on his feet and walked away. "You'll regret this." The thin man threatened before he walked away. "I am Sumida Masayuki, you'd best remember that name."

Upon saying that, Sumida Masayuki turned around, seemingly dropping his guard down as he made his way out of the shelter's vicinity. However, the policeman wasn't taking his chances. Even though Masayuki followed his instructions to the letter, the policeman still aimed his gun at him for the second time.

"He's a threat to this shelter. I have to get rid of him." The policeman called out, clicking the safety off from his gun and firing it directly at Masayuki's head. "Sorry, but you have to go."

As someone who had worked in the line of duty for more than five years now, the policeman was very confident with his aim. That's why he knew that Masayuki was as good as dead when he pressed the trigger.

At that moment, Masayuki's lips curved upward. He was expecting the policeman to shoot him but he didn't expect it to be so soon. "You're slow," Masayuki muttered to himself before he ducked, cleanly dodging the bullet that whizzed past above his head. And with an inhuman twist to his body, he turned around and jumped at the policeman, covering a couple of meters with a spring on his leg. A horrifying chuckle could be heard coming from Masayuki before he sank his teeth in the policeman's neck, ripping his throat out and killing him instantly.

"Now, who's next?"