Kay began to walk slowly forward, his footsteps echoing in the cave. The little ghoul seemed to ignore him completely, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Ignoring me, are you?" Kay muttered, his voice full of provocation. He took a few more steps, reaching halfway through that area. "That's funny. Because this ghoul has been fearing me since the moment we entered here!" he stated, with an almost cruel smile on his lips.

At that moment, the ghoul, who had previously seemed indifferent, gave Kay a sideways glance. It was subtle, but enough to confirm his suspicion.

"You looked, didn't you?" Kay exclaimed, now behind the ghoul, his eyes shining with excitement.

The ghoul stepped back slightly, his surprise evident.

"You seem to be smarter than the others I've faced," Kay said, lowering himself to be on the same level as the little monster. "If you want to continue living... then submit. — he finished, while a murderous aura began to emanate from his body, dense and oppressive like a storm.

The little ghoul hesitated, his breathing quickened. The group, who were watching the scene, felt the weight of the atmosphere change drastically. The confrontation between Kay's deadly gaze and the ghoul's glowing eyes created a moment of tension that seemed to last an eternity.

Takemichi stepped forward, breaking the silence.

"That's enough, Kay," he said, his voice firm and authoritative.

Kay kept her gaze fixed on the ghoul for a few more seconds, until a smirk appeared on her face.

"Alright, captain. It seems that my intention to kill and the ghoul's have mixed up again, if I continue it will spread to the other rooms and that would be bad," Kay replied, standing up and retreating with slow steps.

The little ghoul remained still, as if assessing his position. Despite being injured and cornered, there was something in his eyes that showed that the battle was far from over.

“What an intense desire, Kay, I even got goosebumps!” Rem said, a look of surprise on her face.

“I was holding back!” Kay replied, with a smirk, visibly controlling her aura.

“Holding back!” Mira murmured, with an expression of surprise and discomfort.

“Hey, look at the ghoul!” Slayer exclaimed, pointing to the small monster.

The ghoul was in a submissive position, its eyes avoiding direct contact, and its body was bent as if awaiting an order.

“You scared the ghoul!” Rem said, laughing softly, but with a note of respect in her voice.

“I don’t sense hostility.” Kay spoke calmly, carefully observing the ghoul’s movements.

“What are we going to do with him?” — Mira exclaimed, still uncertain as to the true nature of the threat.

“Is he a threat?” Kay asked, not taking her eyes off the ghoul who was now bowing, seemingly helpless before them.

“He would give the others a hard time, but if they were close-range fighters, they could defeat him,” Takemichi said, his voice full of caution, assessing the small ghoul.

Kay pointed to the pile of bones of ghouls and humans scattered around the room, a macabre scene of death and destruction.

“Did you do that?” Kay exclaimed, his tone a mix of disbelief and anger. He was clearly disturbed by the scene before him.

The ghoul stared at the pile of bones, his expression blank, as if he were lost in his own thoughts. Then, he slowly sat down on the ground.

“If you want to submit, go out there and kill all the ghouls in here. Then, return alone.” Kay ordered, his voice cold and firm, as if there was no other option for the monster.

“Hey, what are you talking about?” Takemichi exclaimed, his tone restless, not understanding Kay’s intention.

The ghoul stood up suddenly, as if he was preparing to carry out the order.

“Just eat them to regenerate. If you eat more than necessary, or join them, I will kill you, and don’t make me have to go after you!” — Kay threatened, removing her helmet and attaching it to the ghoul with a quick and decisive movement.

The ghoul finally withdrew, moving quickly to the next room, as if obeying, but without showing any sign of trust.

— If he had ulterior motives, I would have stopped him. This ghoul's scent is stronger than the others. Even if he betrays us, I will know where he is! — Kay stated, with a dark smile on her lips, feeling in control of the situation.

— It was a rare species. If he runs away, you will take responsibility. — Takemichi said, with a warning look, watching the ghoul's movement through the cave.

— How are you, Fernanda? — Kay exclaimed, with an impatient tone.

— He's running around the cave! — Fernanda replied, still on the call, turning the screen of her cell phone to show the ghoul's movement.

— There are a lot of crystals here! — Joana said, her voice full of surprise as she analyzed the cell phone screen.

“You can defeat these ones!” Kay said, with renewed confidence, analyzing the situation.

Several ghouls were approaching through the entrance they had passed, their presence menacing and merciless.

“Where did they come from?” Dan exclaimed, his voice full of surprise and concern.

“There were other entrances there. We went to the one with the most ghouls, but the others weren’t empty.” Joana explained, still looking at the cell phone screen.

“I think they’re half our number!” Ryuji said, with a calculating expression.

“They all have tentacles! Are we going to separate them?” Yan exclaimed, with a slight tension in his voice.

“Captain, this is bad... very bad!” Fernanda said, visibly alarmed.

“What?” Joana said, startled, quickly looking at the screen.

“What’s the problem?” — exclaimed the leaders and captain, approaching her, worried.

— Don't be scared by these ghouls, you can kill them! Kratos, you stay here! — Kay ordered, with an authoritative tone, looking at her team firmly.

The recruits looked at the captain, their faces tense, but full of determination.

— If you want to go, you can go. — Takemichi said, with a deep and controlled voice.

The recruits moved away, drawing the attention of the ghouls in the room, directing them to themselves.

The leaders, Takemichi, Mira and Rem were staring intently at the cell phone.

A huge amount of ghouls were expanding inside a cave further back.

Kay watched the recruits and the ghouls with a focused gaze, muttering to himself:

"I can't take someone else's prey... I have to find ghouls to kill!"

"Kay, come see this!" Mira said, catching Kay's attention.

He quickly approached and looked at the cell phone.

"There are more than I thought..." Kay muttered, her expression serious as she watched the screen. "There are some feeding on others... I see, that's why that mini ghoul is so evolved. But don't be afraid, that little one will kill these ones!"

"Mini ghoul?" Mira exclaimed, confused.

"Because he's small!" — Kay replied, with an ironic tone, without taking her eyes off the screen.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

— Very original! — Kratos commented, with a low laugh, watching the scene with a subtle smile.

— Are you giving a nickname to a ghoul? You're getting weird, Kay! — Rem said, with an expression somewhere between skeptical and amused, watching the scene.

Meanwhile, the recruits were fighting fiercely against the ghouls in the background.

San and Dan faced a ghoul, with quick and accurate blows, trying to minimize the damage and provide cover for each other. Slayer took care of two, moving with precision, his blades cutting through the air with impressive agility. Raven, with devastating strength, faced two more, her imposing presence dominating the battle. Fiona fought another ghoul, her hand-to-hand combat prowess making the fight more exciting. Thais was bravely facing another ghoul, while Viviane and Sarah, strategically positioned, were ready to provide support at any moment, following the others' movements and keeping the ghouls at bay.

"After we left Yumi's mission, they became braver... They can handle this! Let's go back and go to the other entrances!" said Kay, with a determined look, already preparing for the next phase of the mission.

"He's moving!" warned Fernanda, her voice tense, watching the little ghoul closely.

The mini ghoul, with impressive speed, suddenly advanced towards the nearest ghoul. Before anyone could react, it used its sharp claws, cutting off the enemy's head with deadly precision. The ghoul's body fell to the ground, lifeless, while the mini ghoul immediately leaned over the corpse, starting to devour it to completely regenerate.

The other ghouls around, who had previously seemed ready to attack, just watched in silence, without making a move.

“Why aren’t they doing anything?” Lena exclaimed, perplexed by the scene.

“Instinct…” Rem said, her voice calm but full of understanding. “Just as the ghoul submitted, the others wouldn’t face a stronger ghoul. But if they are attacked, they must fight. That must be why the mini ghoul killed with such a quick attack!”

“Hey, Dad, he cut off a ghoul’s head with a single attack and you took the same blows!” Mira exclaimed, her eyes wide.

“I defended myself with the axes, he didn’t even hit me directly!” Takemichi replied, with a light laugh, trying to disguise his tension.

The mini ghoul, now fully regenerated, stopped eating and left the fallen ghoul's body behind. In one swift movement, he continued to advance, killing the other ghouls around him with impressive ferocity.

"Shall we kill the others? This ghoul here is starving!" Kay said, her gaze fixed on the other nearby ghouls.

"Absorb those over there!" Takemichi ordered, gesturing toward the fallen bodies.

The recruits had already killed the ghouls and were now returning to the bodies of the creatures left there.

"Aren't you going to absorb them?" Kay exclaimed, with an arched eyebrow, her tone joking, but with a slight hint of impatience.

"Your ghoul is finished, you can keep it for yourself!" Raven replied, with a sarcastic smile.

"Are you sure you don't want it?" Kay teased, looking around at everyone.

"You can keep it!" Thais said, shrugging.

"Okay, thanks!" — Kay replied, going to the dead ghouls, approaching with a determined look.

“There are seven here, how many are you going to absorb?” — Kay muttered, touching two dead ghouls.

The tentacles of her suit manifested, extending towards the corpses, touching them with precision and speed.

“You’re hungry, misery! Leave it to the others!” — Kay said, with an irritated tone, watching the suit absorb the energy from the bodies.

One of the tentacles moved towards the last corpse, while the other three retracted, returning to the suit. Kay interrupted the process, and the last tentacle returned to the suit, making it return to normal.

“Damn it, don’t complain if some of them devour your consciousness!” — Kay muttered, moving away from the bodies and returning to the group.

“What was that?” — Rem exclaimed, surprised.

— The ghoul in my suit absorbed the others to feed, but I didn't expect it to absorb all seven of them! — Kay said, looking at the group with an ironic smile.

— Okay, there are the most ghouls in this cave! — Takemichi commented, looking at the cave entrance with disdain.

The mini ghoul, still feeding, had killed all the ghouls around and continued to devour its prey.

— I told it not to eat for nothing! — Kay said, with a serious tone. — That was it. The rest are at the other entrances, but there aren't many!

— Let's split up. I want two groups to enter the other entrances. Fernanda, as soon as we're done, send the guards to find a way to come and get the ghouls! — Takemichi said, with a firm posture.

— The hole is very deep, I think the institute will have to get involved this time! — Fernanda warned over the call.

— Then let them know! — Takemichi ordered, turning to Kay. — And you're coming with me!

— Go on, greedy one, you're having trouble defeating the other consciousnesses! — Kay said, with her eyes closed, but a mischievous smile on her face.

— Are you sure you want this guy in your life? — Takemichi exclaimed, with a suspicious look.

— Stop it, Dad! — Mira said, trying to soften the situation.

Rem poked Kay's cheek, watching him with an amused expression.

— He's immersed in this! He doesn't even feel me touching him! — Rem said, laughing discreetly.

— That's what happens when you access the ghoul's consciousness! — Mira commented, with a worried expression.

— But it's strange... Kay didn't speak out loud when he did it! None of us do! — Raven said, frowning.

— Will you want help or will you end up being devoured? — Kay said with a sarcastic expression, but still with a tone of caution.

— That's weird... whoever looks from the outside will think he's crazy! — Rem said, observing with a mixture of confusion and concern.

— Not that he's not! — Takemichi said, with a nervous laugh, trying to stay focused.

“That’s right!” — Kay said, finally seeming to come back to reality.

A few seconds later, Kay opened her eyes, now with a more serious look.

“He almost got eaten!” — Kay muttered, looking at the mini ghoul, who was already moving away.

“Let’s go get that ghoul. The others will return and go to the other passages!” — Takemichi said, staring at Kay with determination.

“Okay!” — Kay replied, nodding.

“See if you two get along!” — Rem said, moving away with the other soldiers.

Takemichi and Kay followed behind the mini ghoul, while the rest of the group split up through the other two entrances. Rem and Mira followed Kay and Takemichi’s conversation through the call with Fernanda.

“Are you seriously not going to say anything?” — Mira said, irritated.

“They’re both too stubborn!” — Rem commented, shaking her head.

— What are they doing? They're not even paying attention to where they're going! — Joana muttered, looking at Mira and Rem.

— They're behind, so they're not in danger. We're the ones in front! — Lena said, with a defiant tone.

— Stop being a coward! You've already embarrassed yourself up there, if you do it again, the recruits will lose faith in you! — Joana said, with a mocking smile.

Lena was shocked, not knowing how to respond.

— Didn't you notice? You're so sloppy! You'd better take things more seriously! — Joana continued, with a scolding tone.

— I'll make them admire me! — Lena said, with determination, before running ahead.

— That idiot! — Joana said, irritated, but without losing control.

— Aren't you going after her? — Thais exclaimed, looking at Joana.

— She knows how to take care of herself! Let her clear the way for us! — Joana replied, with a mischievous smile.

— The scene you left in the castle... I'll have to call a meeting with the other captains and officers of the guard to decide what to do with you! — Takemichi said, in a serious voice.

— The first thing they'll say is, are you serious?! And after all, what trouble did Kay get himself into before coming here? — Rem exclaimed, indignant.

— I will accept my punishment, but if it means taking them away from me, I won't accept it! — Kay replied firmly.

— You're in no position to complain. The royal family may even try to soften your side, but what really matters will be the outcome of this meeting. — Takemichi spoke in a serious tone.

— Would you let someone get away with taking advantage of a little girl? We already have to deal with ghouls, and we still have to deal with humans! I wouldn't let them, especially if they're someone important to me! — Kay said, anger written all over her face.

— The princess? — Rem exclaimed, surprised.

— Yes! — Mira replied, with a serious look.

— Let's list the contributions you made to the army. At least that way your sentence won't be so heavy. — Takemichi said, trying to control the situation.

— I have something I've wanted to ask you for a long time! — Kay said, interrupting the conversation.

— What is it? — Takemichi turned around, curious.

— On the day our village was attacked, was it the army that eliminated the ghouls? Did the bodies of those ghouls become costumes? — Kay asked, with a tense look.

— Didn't they tell you? The one who killed the ghouls was Rem. We didn't have time to collect the bodies. When we arrived, they had already returned to dust! — Takemichi replied, with a sigh.

— I see, it's a shame... — Kay said, with regret.

— You really don't remember that night? — Takemichi asked, observing Kay with a serious expression.

— I remember the day, but I think I was sleeping during the attack. My parents tried to protect me, but they were caught by the ghouls... I remember standing in front of their bodies and the ghoul while I held the staff! — Kay replied, with a distant look.

— I see... I don't like you, but I can't deny that you've helped the army a lot. I'm still not totally in favor of you marrying my daughter, but... take the job seriously and make me change my mind about you guys! — Takemichi said, in a softer tone.

— This job won't end as long as we keep going slowly. Take the division to the next lost kingdom and we'll reclaim it! — Kay stated, with determination.

— Things aren't as simple as you think. To reclaim and maintain a lost kingdom, we need resources and manpower. Do you really think our division could take care of three lost kingdoms? — Takemichi questioned, skeptical.

— Throw this little guy to kill the ghouls! — Kay said, pointing at the mini ghoul.

— He evolved! — Takemichi observed, staring at the mini ghoul that now had tentacles.

— I see... So, before we got here, he was feeding to evolve. He just ate a few more ghouls to complete the evolution. — Kay explained, with a slight smile of satisfaction.

— Before, you were saying to throw him into Longtail. Do you think that will work? Everyone there is a stronger ghoul. Not even our helicopters could get close without being shot down by the ghouls! — Takemichi retorted, still suspicious.

— He would already be a problem for the soldiers. Now, with those tentacles, he must be at the level of a leader. Let's make him evolve further, and if he wants to betray us, then we will kill him! — Kay spoke coldly, observing the mini ghoul carefully.

— These crazy ideas you have... Anyway, let's take him while he's still asleep! — Takemichi concluded, heading towards the mini ghoul.

Kay manifested a tentacle from the suit and wrapped it around the mini ghoul's body, with surgical precision.

— It smells like our weapons here. — Kay observed, with attentive eyes.

— It must be that mask on your face. — Takemichi commented, curious.

— It's not. There's a sound of water here. Let's investigate. — Kay said, looking in the direction where the sound came from.

— What if he wakes up? — Takemichi asked, with a worried expression.

— The tentacles and him are trapped. If he tries to escape, just stop him! — Kay answered confidently.

— Where is the smell coming from? — Takemichi asked, approaching.

— It's close by, but it's kind of muffled! — Kay guided him, attentive to every step.

— The subject is not what I imagined, but they are talking a lot! — Rem commented, smiling discreetly as she observed the scene.

— Seriously, is his father going to find out that he is already my fiancé? Will he be angry? — Mira exclaimed, anxious.

— Fiancé? — Thais thought, surprised.

— Ara, ara! — Rem expressed, with a low laugh. — Do you like Kay too? — Rem whispered in Thais' ear, with a mischievous tone.