Tokyo: Magical Girl Shatters My Dream of Going Public

Kurokawa, along with Kanzaki's team and Chinatsu, descended the emergency staircase leading to the B2 level.

The elevator had long since stopped operating, and in the darkness, only the beams of tactical flashlights cut through the limited field of vision.

The stench of decay in the air grew stronger, and every step was taken on a sticky, unidentified substance.

The further Kurokawa went, the clearer the vague unease in his heart became.

His gaze swept across the wall.

wrong.

On the metal handrails of emergency staircases, at wall corners, and even on the edges of steps...

There were patches of dark red, seemingly still moist and glossy flesh.

Unlike the inactive tissues on the ground, they did not dry up and turn black quickly. Instead, they had a strange sense of "freshness," and the mucus on their surface even reflected light slightly when a flashlight beam swept across them.

That's absolutely impossible!

The "Flesh Man" has been contained.

Once its original consciousness and core energy source are severed, all its derivative substances should rapidly decay and lose their activity.

unless……

Kurokawa slowed his pace slightly, his brow furrowing.

Unless what is contained is not the complete core, or... there is something else here that is keeping these organizations active.

We finally arrived at the entrance to the passageway on level B2.

A heavy gray fire door blocked the way.

The inside of the observation window on the door was covered with a thick layer of grime, making it impossible to see what was inside.

Kanzaki stepped forward, signaling his team to be on alert, while he carefully aimed his flashlight beam at the bottom of the door crack.

The light spots fell on the ground—

It's not a cement floor.

It was a slightly undulating, scarlet fleshy surface that was slowly wriggling, filling the bottom of the door crack completely.

"Captain..." a team member said in a very low voice, filled with disbelief.

Kanzaki's expression also darkened.

He moved the flashlight away, and the beam moved upwards.

All the gaps around the door were completely sealed off by that scarlet, moist fleshy membrane.

It was as if the door led not to a floor, but to the internal organs of some giant creature.

An indescribable, eerie feeling, a mixture of physical disgust and deep unease, instantly gripped everyone present.

Chinatsu instinctively shrank behind Kurokawa, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of his suit jacket.

Even after the battle, the silent yet ubiquitous "erosion" before her eyes still sent chills down her spine.

Kurokawa stared silently at the door sealed by the flesh membrane, his eyes flashing rapidly.

Not right.

Something's definitely wrong!

The situation here is similar to that of an F-rank [Fleshman], but its scale, activity, and the intelligence of this "sealed door"... all exceed the scope of F-rank.

Moreover, that lingering sense of "novelty"...

"Step back."

Kurokawa gave a low shout.

Kanzaki immediately waved his hand, and the three members of the squad quickly retreated, forming a simple cover formation at the corner of the stairs, with their guns pointed at the door.

Chika also released her grip and retreated to Kurokawa's side and behind.

Kurokawa took two steps forward and stood in front of the door.

He shifted his body slightly to the side, took a half step back with his right foot, and used his waist and hips to generate power—

A powerful front kick slammed into the metal door panel at the fire door's latch!

Bang! ! !

The heavy fire door suddenly caved inward, and dust fell from the walls around the door frame.

The door was kicked open.

The beams of flashlights and the stark white light of the emergency stairwell rushed into the space behind the door.

Then, everyone froze.

As far as the eye can see, there is the main passageway on level B2.

No.

That can no longer be called a "channel".

Ceiling, floor, side walls...

Every surface within sight was completely covered and enveloped by thick, slowly writhing scarlet flesh.

The original lights had long been turned off, and only the flesh and blood tissue itself emitted a dim, unsettling dark red bioluminescence, barely illuminating the space that resembled a giant biological chamber.

The air was filled with a strong, nauseating stench of sweet fish and decay.

The surface of the fascia is not smooth, but is covered with veins of varying thickness and slightly pulsating ridges.

Deeper inside, one could vaguely see the outlines of some half-swallowed instruments, overturned carts, and... several humanoid remains that had almost merged with the surrounding flesh and blood, making them difficult to identify.

Everything before my eyes was silent, yet filled with a suffocating, raw malice.

This is not a trace left after a battle.

This is... a living, breathing, growing, and expanding realm.

In an instant, Kurokawa's pupils contracted sharply.

A chill instantly ran up my head.

Things... have far exceeded his expectations and control!

Kurokawa whirled around, his gaze piercing Kanzaki, his voice suppressing surging anger and chill:

"Tell me, there's only one E-rank and two F-rank here."

His gaze swept over the crimson flesh wall before him, which seemed to be alive, and every word he uttered was extremely heavy.

"Is this something an F-rank or E-rank could create?"

Kanzaki also forced himself to break free from the chilling scene, meeting Kurokawa's gaze and trying his best to remain calm.

"The information I've received, after repeated verification, is only this much! File records, risk assessments, containment lists... I've looked at them, and there are only those three!"

"Are you sure you haven't been used as a pawn?"

Kurokawa's voice was even colder, carrying a hint of sarcasm.

"This kind of erosion and transformation, which is almost a 'domain,' this level of activity and scale... even if it's not a true C-rank, it's incredibly close! You're telling me, can a [Fleshman] assessed as F-rank achieve this level?"

He took a half-step forward, and the invisible pressure made the two team members behind Kanzaki subconsciously raise their guns, but they were stopped by a stern look from Kanzaki.

"What else are you hiding?" Kurokawa stared into Kanzaki's eyes, brooking no escape. "What exactly is hidden in this facility?!"

Kanzaki's lips were pressed into a pale line, and his jawline was taut.

A few seconds of silence.

"...This is a mission secret." He finally squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, his eyes showing struggle, but more so a soldier's almost instinctive obedience to orders.

"Heh." Kurokawa let out a short, cold laugh.

He stopped looking at Kanzaki, turned to Chinatsu, and simply ordered, "Hina, let's go. Go back the way we came and leave this place."

"President?" Chika asked in surprise.

"Mission changed." Kurokawa's voice left no room for negotiation. "The intelligence is severely distorted, and the risk level is completely out of control. I will not entrust my back to a 'partner' who conceals crucial information and whom I cannot even trust in the most basic sense."

As he spoke, he strode resolutely up the stairs.

"Wait!" Kanzaki shouted urgently.

Kurokawa's steps did not stop.

"experiment!"

Kanzaki practically growled.

"They conducted some kind of experiment here! The specifics, purpose, and process... I lack the authority to know! My task is simply to retrieve the black box and the designated experimental data! To prevent them from falling into... the wrong hands!"

Kurokawa finally stopped, turned half his face to the side, and looked into a deep gaze.

Kanzaki took a breath, his eyes frank yet heavy: "That's all I know! If I had known it would be like this down here... I would never have brought my team down to their deaths!"

He looked at Kurokawa, then at the silent, writhing cavity of flesh radiating an ominous red light, and his voice lowered:

"But now... my mission is not yet complete."

Soon, only the suppressed breathing of the crowd and the faint friction of the fleshy walls slowly undulating in the stairwell remained.

Looking at the eerie and terrifying scene before her, and then at the two people silently facing each other, Qianxia couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"President... what... what do we do next?"

Kurokawa did not answer immediately.

His gaze returned to the crimson field of living beings ahead.

I weighed the pros and cons in my mind for a long time.

A few seconds later, he slowly exhaled.

"Let's delve deeper."

Kanzaki and Chinatsu looked at him at the same time.

"The 'domain' before us is strange, but it's not entirely insurmountable. Moreover..."

Kurokawa paused for a moment, then made a key judgment.

There is no such thing as 'peaceful coexistence' between vengeful spirits. The more powerful a domain is, the stronger its rejection and aggression towards other vengeful spirits that invade its 'territory'.

"This means that the F-rank geisha doll and that E-rank [High-Speed ​​Granny] are likely being seen as enemies or prey by the master of this 'domain.' Chaos is our opportunity."

...moreover

Kurokawa silently added in his mind.

According to the records of the previous life, the "Trillion-Dollar Maiko" was eventually successfully contained or dealt with by Yagi Heavy Industries, rather than being devoured by other more powerful vengeful spirits.

This at least proves that even in certain dangerous environments, that F-rank doll still has the ability to survive and even cope...

This is probably the only speculation that can be considered "good news" at the moment.

and.

The trillion-dollar geisha is just too important!

If we cannot obtain puppetry technology, the manpower shortage problem will become even more serious.

This is a technology that we have to take risks to obtain!

"Stay close to me and stay on high alert." Kurokawa said no more, turned back to face the crimson cavity, and took his first step.

The soles of the boots made an extremely uncomfortable "plop" sound as they stepped onto the soft, slippery, and warm fleshy ground.

Chika took a deep breath and followed closely behind.

Kanzaki glanced at Kurokawa's retreating figure with a complex expression, then said in a deep voice to the three team members behind him, "Maintain formation, keep up!"

Darkness and crimson silently swallowed them.

Enter the area.

Each step felt like walking through some kind of living swamp, the soles of my boots sinking slightly.

It's very uncomfortable to move around.

As far as the eye could see, there was only scarlet flesh and blood.

The original signs, doorplates, and intersection features have long been swallowed up.

Directions become difficult to discern here.

"Over here."

Kanzaki's low voice broke the deathly silence.

His brows furrowed, his gaze fixed on the seemingly identical fleshy wall in front of him, struggling to discern his location by forcibly recalling the structural diagram of layer B2 from his memory.

"There should be a crossroads ahead, turn left... then pass two more storage rooms, and we'll reach our target area." His voice was uncertain, but it was the only guide he had at the moment. "But it's quite a distance, deep inside."

At least, upon entering this living space, the anticipated overwhelming attack did not immediately materialize.

The only sound around me was the slow, undulating movement of the flesh walls.

This unusual calm only made one's heart sink deeper.

Suddenly, it seemed as if a dark shadow flashed past from behind.

Chika felt a slight chill on the back of her neck!

She instinctively turned her head, but in the faint red glow, she saw nothing.

"President." Chika was starting to feel scared. She whispered, "I just... I think I saw something flash past behind me."

Kurokawa did not stop walking, but his hands were already on the hilts of the twin swords at his waist.

"I sensed it too." His voice was calm, yet tinged with coldness. "Keep moving, don't stop. Chick, activate your combat suit, operate at minimum power, maintain basic sensory enhancements."

"Yes," Chika replied softly, pressing the switch with her thumb.

The familiar sensation of energy surging in returned, and the details of the world before my eyes suddenly became clear.

The team's alert level was raised to the extreme.

Kanzaki's three teammates also held their breath, their gun barrels scanning around them as they looked. Although they knew the bullets might not be very useful, they were their only source of security.

Just as the group slowly advanced to a relatively wide area, which seemed to be the intersection of the original corridors—

pat.

A drop of warm liquid landed precisely on the exposed neck of the outermost special forces soldier.

The team member froze, instinctively raising his hand to wipe it away.

The blood on my fingertips was not yet fully congealed.

He looked up sharply.

The beam of the tactical flashlight shone upwards—

On the ceiling, a twisted mass of flesh, whose outline could be vaguely discerned as human, was "embedded" in the thick fleshy walls!

It has no facial features, only constantly opening and closing, finely serrated cracks, and dark red tentacles extending from all parts of its body!

Just as the team member looked up and their eyes met, the tear in the fleshy mass suddenly expanded!

"above--!!!"

The team members' screams and gunshots rang out almost simultaneously!

Bang bang bang bang—!

The bullet whistled out and pierced into the mass of flesh, splattering up puffs of dark red fluid.

But it didn't work!

The wound caused by the bullet was quickly filled by the surrounding fleshy membrane. The fleshy mass trembled slightly, and several tentacles shot down at him, instantly wrapping around the gunman's arms and waist!

A tremendous force came, and the team member's feet left the ground. He was suddenly pulled upwards, straight towards the opening in the ceiling!

"No—!" Kanzaki's eyes widened in horror as he raised his gun and fired, but the bullet had little effect on the tentacle.

Just as the rift was about to swallow the team member's head—

Two cold, dark blue lights slashed across each other from bottom to top!

*Sizzle!*

With a piercing tearing sound, several tentacles that had been entangled with the team members snapped off!

Kurokawa's figure had appeared beside the team members at some point, holding two swords, the eerie blue energy aura on the blades not yet completely dissipated.

The team members, having lost their grip, fell heavily to the ground, still in shock. Their combat uniforms on their arms and waists were charred and corroded.

However, before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief—

Glug... glug glug...

The surrounding flesh walls, which had been slowly wriggling, suddenly swelled up violently as if boiling!

One, two, three... more and more, twisted lumps of flesh almost identical to the one on the ceiling.

They sprouted from the walls, the ground, and even the flesh-and-blood carpet beneath everyone's feet, vying to grow out!

They split open their silent mouthparts, waved their tentacles, and a dark red bioluminescence pulsed rapidly within their bodies.

Each one exudes a dangerous aura similar to the [Flesh People] that were previously captured!

This is not a vengeful spirit at all.

This is... a nest!

A living factory that is constantly gestating and splitting its own kind!

The crisis engulfed everyone in an instant!

"run!"

Kurokawa's low growl severed the frozen fear.

"Young bird! Lead the way! Kanzaki, take your people and follow her! Don't look back!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned around, his twin blades trailing a dark blue path as he faced the two newly formed lumps of flesh closest to him!

Chika gritted her teeth, and the last trace of hesitation in her eyes was replaced by determination.

She pushed her senses to the limit, locking onto the general direction Kanzaki had pointed in her memory, and then a burst of dark blue flames erupted beneath her feet!

"Over here!"

She charged forward first, like a blue arrow tearing through a sea of ​​scarlet flesh.

Kanzaki yanked his teammate to his feet and yelled hoarsely, "Keep up! Quickly!"

The three special forces soldiers didn't bother to aim properly and fired several bursts of bullets haphazardly at the approaching mass of flesh, barely slowing down the recent offensive. They then desperately tried to keep up with Qianxia's retreating figure.

Kurokawa took the lead, his twin swords dancing like a curtain of light, each strike precisely severing the tentacles reaching out or splitting open the core of the lunging flesh.

However, the number of flesh clumps was too large, and their regeneration rate was astonishingly fast.

As soon as one was cut open, two more immediately surged up from around it.

He fought and retreated simultaneously.

My gaze swept across the area behind me.

In that instant, he saw it—the monster lurking in the shadows…

That is—!