Fighting you is like being in jail.

At this moment, the streetlights faintly illuminated the attacker, who wore a pink tracksuit, had long pink hair with moldy spots on it, and had circular gears floating behind him.

A resolute and angular face appeared, and the purple lip gloss gave it an eerie feel.

"I, Diablo, am the Emperor! You scum will never escape from me, Diablo!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she used both hands to tear apart the parasite.

puff!

Blood splattered all around, staining the surrounding area red.

Then he took out his phone and said coldly, "It's resolved. They're coming over to clean up the mess."

She hung up the phone and turned to leave. Not long after, a burly man in a black suit ran out from the side with a mop and bucket and began to clean in an orderly and vigorous manner.

The floor was cleaned in less than five minutes, and they quickly grabbed the buckets and ran away.

"..."

"..."

Shinichi, who was hiding behind the gate and saw this scene, gaped in horror, his face turning black and white, devoid of any other color.

He saw the whole process clearly, even the person who tore the parasite apart.

That's Goto Ichiri, whom we just exchanged today.

"That...that is—!!"

He opened his mouth wide, feeling terrified.

"Yes, it's definitely Goto Ichiri. That exchange student."

Mickey stated definitively, then, drawing on the previous information, added, "They weren't there to cause trouble, but to ask for help. Fortunately... they were dealt with before they even entered."

"..."

Shinichi desperately wanted to faint right then and there, but for some reason his heart was incredibly strong and he couldn't pass out.

Mickey cautiously shrank back and asked doubtfully, "Shinichi, are we going to school tomorrow?"

"I don't know!"

The terrified Shinichi didn't care about going to school anymore.

"..."

Mickey fell silent and began to think, while Shinichi walked aimlessly toward his room.

……

the next day.

Shinichi had no idea what he was supposed to do. He arrived at school in a daze, feeling fear, and sat on a chair with a blank mind.

Then a familiar voice rang out from the side.

It's Goto Ichiri.

"Hachiman, Hichiru! I, I, I feel so awful... Just thinking about that tentacle monster from last night, and how I even went up and crushed it! Ugh! So disgusting!"

Yukino looked at Goto Ichiri with a bewildered expression and asked, "What kind of inappropriate words are you saying?"

"Monster! Monster! What disgusting monster teeth!"

Goto Ichiri said in a terrified voice, feeling completely awed.

Hachiman looked at him speechlessly with dead fish eyes and said, "We're talking about work. Yesterday was really disgusting. Before I could even react, you grabbed me and squeezed me until I burst. Do you know how shocked I was watching from behind?"

"No, no, don't say it!"

Goto Ichiri became withdrawn and felt unwell.

Meanwhile, Shinichi and Mickey, who were eavesdropping nearby, were drenched in cold sweat and sat frozen in place, too afraid to move.

Is it really okay for you to discuss this issue so openly?

Shinichi felt despair. He hadn't expected the two to be so brazen. He was so frightened that he didn't dare to listen, but the sounds kept drilling into his ears.

"Shinichi, please ask for leave..."

Mickey couldn't help but quietly remind him.

"it is good……"

Shinichi doesn't dare stay a second longer, even without an excuse.

However, plans can't keep up with changes. Just as Shinichi was about to skip get out of class and find an excuse to attend class, things changed.

"I am a new teacher, my name is Tamiya Ryoko."

Ryoko Tamiya stood on the podium with a blank expression and introduced herself to the students below. Others might have just thought she was indifferent because of her expressionless appearance, but Shinichi and Mickey recognized her at a glance.

"It's a parasite..."

"It's a parasite."

"Spicy Balls..."

"Okay, that's it."

Shinichi and Mickey were both on the verge of losing their composure, with Shinichi even covering his face in despair.

Even Mickey, who has no emotions, is starting to feel overwhelmed by the current situation.

I really couldn't hold it in anymore.

They had to come at this exact moment, of all times. Neither Shinichi nor Mickey could hold back any longer, and they even started thinking about where to bury themselves.

Mickey never expected that the first emotion he would grasp would be so complex—an overwhelming sense of despair and helplessness.

Especially the trembling Goto Ichiri sitting next to her and the subtly scrutinizing Tamiya Ryoko.

Is there anything in the world more desperate than this?

No!

The next second, Tamiya Ryoko stared at Shinichi intently, scrutinizing him, before speaking:

"After class, Shinichi Izumi, come to my office."

Instantly, all the students in the class looked at Shinichi with curiosity, even Goto Ichiri and Hachiman looked over.

"..."

Okay, there are indeed things that are even more desperate.

Shinichi was so angry he wanted to sew Tamiya Ryoko's mouth shut; he'd never seen anyone so awful.

Destroy it already, I'm tired.

Now, not only Shinichi feels mentally exhausted, but Mickey does too.

……

After class, in the office.

Ryoko Tamiya looked at Shinichi standing in front of her and, without hiding anything, spoke directly:

"It seems you know who I am, and I know who you are. However, I'm quite interested in your situation, as this is the first time I've met you. So, after school, let's exchange information and discuss future plans."

"..."

Shinichi's lips twitched; he really wanted to yell "Fuck you, you idiot!"

Mickey, however, opened his mouth and said seriously, "Do you know that someone is hunting us?"

"No, how should I put it?"

Tamiya Ryoko paused for a moment, then asked blankly.

“A couple of days ago, one of our kind approached and then disappeared; I assumed it was dead. Last night, another one approached and was killed right in front of us. I suggest we keep our distance; this world is not simple. There are not only ghouls, but also unknown monsters.”

"We are not the only ones hiding among humans."

Mickey's voice was solemn, and there was no intention of deception.

Ryoko Tamiya, who was sitting at the table, paused for a moment. "I understand."

"Goto Ichiri and Hachiman in your class are unknown, so be careful."

Mickey added.

"Goto Ichiri, Hikigaya Hachiman... I understand. We'll continue with the details after school."

Tamiya Yoshiko answered.

……

After school, at the coffee shop.

Shinichi and Mickey sat in a booth early on, and soon after, Ryoko Amamiya walked in with a man.

The other person's identity was immediately confirmed, although they didn't seem very bright.

Mickey instantly entered battle mode, his right hand transforming into a blade, while the man's head split open and turned into tentacles.

Tamiya Yoshiko calmly said, "We have no need to fight."

"..."

"..."

After a moment of silence, both sides returned to normal.

After they were both seated, Ryoko Tamiya calmly said, "For research purposes, I mated with this Mr. A. I became pregnant, so guess what I'm carrying – is it human or a parasite?"

"..."

Shinichi's pupils contracted, and he grinned, revealing sadness and dissatisfaction.

"Human beings."

Mickey answered without hesitation.

"That's right, it's human."

Tamiya Ryoko said earnestly.

Then she continued, "So I've been thinking about a question. We parasites can't reproduce, and we kill each other, so what is the meaning of our existence?"

"..."

"..."

Shinichi and Mickey paused, feeling hesitant and confused about the question.

The instinct of living beings is to reproduce and pass on their genes.

But what is the purpose of parasites, which cannot reproduce and only hunt their own kind?

"I don't care about any of that."

Mr. A stammered, "I only know how to eat when I'm hungry, and I eliminate anything that gets in my way. There's absolutely no need for an outcast like you to exist."

"Should we make a move?"

Mickey immediately became alert.

"A waste of time!"

Mr. A stood up abruptly, walked out without looking back, and gave no time to react.

After he left, Tamiya Ryoko picked up a spoon and looked at Shinichi intently.

"So, let's get back to our previous topic. Do you have any leads on the guy who hunted us?"

Mickey pondered for a moment and said, "Not yet, but we've already taken control of the ghouls' strongholds. They're practically unavoidable locations; they have connections with the Hot Ogre Supermarket, the Hot Ogre Gang, and some people in the political arena."

Is there anything else?

Tamiya Ryoko paused for a moment, then understood what was going on.

"We only know this much about ghouls for now. As for other unknown beings, we don't know much about them. We've only just come into contact with them."

"I see."

"I hope you can keep my relationship with Shinichi a secret."