“I saw you eyeing her all night…. Is that your type? Demi-humans?”

I chuckled nervously. “Heh, no. It’s nothing like that. She’s sitting at my table, and she’s been tugging me back and forth all night.”

“All I hear are excuses,” she whispered seductively. “I can be a demi-human for you, Michael.” She winked.

Crap, this wasn’t the time to be getting hit on! I was losing sight of Reina.

She wasn’t leaving with our target, but with no idea where she was headed, I started to panic. So I created a diversion as soon as a waitress walked by me, and I swung my large serving tray around, knocking the cream and sugar right on top of her white blouse.

I made it look like an honest accident, the waitress shocked and embarrassed. The tray clattered on the floor, the loud noise grabbing everyone’s attention. Carmen looked down at her once pristine blouse, now marred by a rapidly spreading wet stain and gasped.

“Oh crap, I’m so sorry!” I apologized, pretending to be flustered. I grabbed a handful of napkins from Keiko’s table and began dabbing at the bottom of her blouse, muttering apologies under my breath the entire time.

“Stop, you’re making it worse!” Carmen wailed, insisting she took care of it herself. I scrambled the rest of the cream and sugar on the floor and pardoned myself from table three, Keiko looking at me like she caught onto my setup.

Desperate times—I didn’t care if she knew, as long as I was out of there.

I’d volunteered to get Carmen a spare uniform in the back, which luckily for me, was in the same direction Reina had headed. I sprinted seeing as Reina and her chaperone had a head start, cutting a shortcut through the kitchen. I told myself I’d run back out there and clean up the mess soon after I figured out where she was headed, and thankfully, she was just being escorted to the bathroom.

“Shit, that was close,” I whispered to myself, turning my head away from the hallway and preoccupying myself with the butler’s waiting area. I placed my hand on the lever, and just as suddenly, I heard a voice.

“Michael?”

“Naomi?” I said super softly. “Where the hell were you?!”

“Scoping. I couldn’t talk.”

“I was worried you got into some trouble and left your post.”

“The coast is clear from the outside. That’s the only status update I have for now. But… I am concerned. The event is almost done and the target is still alive. Where is Reina?”

“In the lady’s room.”

“And he is still in the hall?”

“Yeah, from the last time I checked.”

“Going radio silent. I’ll be watching from the skylight.”

Well, at least now I had one less thing to worry about.

I breathed a sigh of relief knowing Naomi was okay, then I walked into the closet, and fetched Carmen a spare blouse. But when I closed the closet door, I jumped, noticing she was standing right behind me.

She snatched the blouse and huffed. “You’re lucky you’re nice, or I would have slapped you for touching me!”

I flustered up. “Sorry about that, I was panicking. Honestly, I should be apologizing twice. I used you as a diversion,” I admitted as humbly as I could. “You were the closest to me at that time.”

The fair redhead with freckles raised an eyebrow at me. “Let me guess? Trying to dodge Keiko?”

“Crap, was it that obvious?”

“No, but your acting could use a little work. And, I don’t blame you. I’ve been getting bad vibes from her all night.”

So, it wasn’t only me….

“But, enough chit chat. I need to head back to the floor. I cleaned up that mess you made back there.”

I smiled. “I appreciate that, Carmen. Thank you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky the puppy face is working for you. And the next time you get the idea of using me as a sorry sucker, please don’t.”

I gave her some privacy to change and then went back to the ballroom, where I noticed Keiko back on the stage again.

She was closing the night with one final speech, but this time, she talked about herself and not her Youthful Kids organization. I stopped in my tracks to listen, interested despite what I thought about her.

“I’m from a small town, having a far less-than-ideal childhood that made it difficult for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Adopted at a very young age, I had to learn how to accept the way things were. My parents weren’t the best, but they were all I had. Their flaws were immense, while their love was scarce…. There was no room for me, and absolutely no space for any of my dreams and ambitions. From a very young age, I had to deal with realities that few my age could comprehend. I was often lonely, yearning for something more, something beyond the confines of our dreary, run-down house,” she continued. Her gaze wandered around the room before landing on me. For a moment it seemed as if she were looking right past me, to someone or someplace else.

“Among my siblings, I felt like an outcast. They didn’t hide the fact that they saw me as a helpless mutt that needed to be put out of her misery. For so many years, I thought that there was something wrong with me, that maybe, I was to blame for my sad life. I couldn’t understand how two people who took an oath to nourish and provide for me treat me this way? What was the reason for taking me in? To abuse me? To neglect me? The despair was too much to take. And then finally, a stroke of salvation. One day, a visitor came to our town, an odd old man with stories of far-off lands and incredible adventures. He’d spin tales to small children with a voice low and soothing like a lullaby. Every day I’d see this man sitting on the park bench while a huddle of kids listened to his stories, until one day, there was only one child–me. My parents never knew I’d walk 25 minutes to town to hear his tales, seeing as they hardly bothered with my existence. So I continued listening to those stories, and he encouraged me to tell him some of mine. Determined to help me, he provided me with a blanket of security. Words are powerful, and a lost girl like me needed to hear that she could be saved. I remember him telling me that I didn’t have to suffer anymore. And for the first time in my life, I was hopeful.

My friends of Youthful Kids, I went through some really dark times, where I began questioning my worth and importance in this world,” she continued. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears but her voice held strong. “But one day, I decided to fight against it all. I decided to believe in myself because if I didn’t... who would?”

Her words dropped like a ton of weight over my shoulders. I sharpened my stare, not expecting such vulnerability from her. But this feeling that was growing from her felt like a bad omen. I didn’t sympathize, instead, I got ready to jump in and fight….

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“I was lost, confused, and without a compass, I was drowning for every second of my life that dragged by. I never felt like I belonged, But I realized that it wasn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning how to dance in the rain. I hope to help children who need a second chance. To find that place of nourishment and love in difficult times. My goal is to turn darkness into light. If I was able to do it, they can too, with our help. I’ve moved on and found recovery. I have my father to thank for supporting me, being the foundation that I needed in learning my true purpose in life!” she honored, gesturing her hand out to none other than Mr. Sushi Man himself.

Father?

But the file said that he didn’t have any kids?

It seemed that everyone in the hall was confused, the incoherent and slow clapping a hint of that. The look on their faces said that this revelation came to a surprise to them as well, which made me even more worried. Reina’s new friend stood up when Keiko mentioned his name, and bowed down feeling awfully good about himself.

“We thank you for supporting the cause. Your generous contributions will help stop the trafficking of our children! But there is another way you could help. All of you have been specifically chosen to join our celebration, as there is something special within every one of you. Unique in different ways, your DNA is the key! Your blood will strengthen the blood of our youth!”

The crowd looked at each other baffled.

“Your enthusiasm is much appreciated! And don’t worry, we promise to make the extraction process as painless as possible.”

“Naomi…” I whispered under my breath, and before I could signal her, Keiko initiated her attack.

“Sacrifice is necessary. Together, we will reshape a better tomorrow…”

I held my breath and jerked my head back to Katsuro who began hunching over, with the bones to his vertebrae popping out. He was growing and fast, his skin turning a sickly gray color as he underwent his monstrous transformation. The once pudgy man was now ripped from top to bottom, tearing through his fancy clothes and adopting a fish-like appearance. The veins along his bulging arms pulsed, the gills along his abs flapped, and the pupils in those huge fish eyes rolled to the back of his head, the white of them turning black.

It was like a wreck, I couldn’t look away, noticing that he wasn’t the only one changing right before my eyes.

Half of the gala was showing their true demonic faces. What we thought was one or two tables being infected with flesh eaters turned out to be over 10. All of the doors around the ballroom closed, the curtains covered, and the chandelier lights dimmed. It was a total shitshow!

“Matsumi…” Katsuro rumbled, snatching Reina from her waist and tossing her over his shoulder.

“Hey, you let go of me you smelly freak!”

“I decided not to kill you after all. Such a sweet and loving girl. I will make you mine….”

Reina gasped. “I beg your pardon?!”

“Daddy, you always had terrible taste in women,” Keiko tittered, and then began a transformation of her own—she was a straight up octopus girl…

A multi-chain sushi restaurant owner being a fish monster, also didn’t see that coming…

That beautiful bleach blond hair on Keiko’s head started to sprout limbs, big, slimy, purple tentacle limbs. Her skin turned the same glossy shade of violet, and her eyes widened unnaturally large and glassy, taking on an otherworldly look.

“Don’t be afraid, Michael,” she said, her voice reverberating strangely in her transformed state. “It’s not all as bad as they want you to believe. I can protect you. Also, I can shape shift. If you don’t like this body, I can adopt another. I told you, I can be your demi-girl. I can be anything you want….”

Strange tentacle girl with daddy issues hitting on me—what was that special genre of media that Reina didn’t know about again?

Beside the purple skin and the extra limbs, she still looked relatively human. Even so, she wasn’t my type. A girl that lured innocent people to their deaths was a huge turn off. The ballroom around me burst into mass hysteria as her victims tried to scramble themselves into corners, under tables, and under chairs. It looked like the daughter and father duo were the only ones who had the sea creature phenotype, the rest of their friends taking up other monstrous forms.

Meanwhile, Katsuro was toying with Reina, his clawed fingers running threateningly along the back of her thigh. “And you, pretty little thing,” he growled. “You will become a perfect addition to our family.”

“Get your hands off me, you pervert!”

I grinned. “I gotta hand it to you freaks, you really had everyone fooled. That pitch you gave about leaving no kids behind, truly, a masterpiece,” I said, realizing her monsters were waiting for her to signal the attack.

She frowned. “You think I was lying? I am hurt, Michael. I meant every bit of what I said. I don’t want all of those cute little faces to go through what I had to go through. I remember when I had no memory of my identity. I had washed up on the shoreline, my body battered and bruised up. Imagine a little girl, lost and confused. I was later rescued off the streets, put in a home of demons, and raised like an inconvenience to their lives. I’d never experienced love, only fear, sorrow, and misery. Until I met the man in the park, Katsuro. He was understanding and compassionate. He was different, and he cared for me. Not only that, he was someone just like me…. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I was something stronger. He showed me how much power I had, and how much strength I possessed! I abandoned that weak, fragile child’s body and took on a mature soul. I helped Katsuro build an empire, and he helped me fulfill my calling! Soon you’ll see that children all over Utoro will become just as strong as me! They’d never have to worry about cruelty, starvation, or abuse! They will become part of our—”

“Fish family?” I jested. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Well, sorry to break it to ya, but there’s no way in hell we’re letting you poison people for your amusement. And to taint sushi of all things—now, that’s just fucking low.”

She glared at me as she smashed the altar to step down the elevation, looking at me sus. “I never said anything about poisoned sushi…”

“How else were you going to get Compound 7 into their veins?” I summoned a flame ball in my right hand, squaring off to fight.

“Hunter!” she growled.

Katsuro choked.

“I knew there was something fishy going on with you. I’m glad I could still rely on my guts to steer me in the right direction.”

“Your guts are about to be smothered across the ballroom floor, you filthy hunter spy!”

Naomi finally made a shattering entrance, breaking through the skylight box and into the chaos of the ballroom. Amid the screaming guests, she worked her magic, using her telekinetic ability to slice through the crowd of monsters one by one. She made it look so easy, the ivory-haired pro hunter resourceful and precise. Heads flew off and bodies dropped as the monster population sank in the blink of an eye.

Her skill and accuracy never failed to impress me. I sprang into action, charging a flame burst straight for Keiko. I imagined a water type like her hated the heat, and I was right to assume that. She dodged my flame burst, having nothing to counter it with. At least, that was the impression she gave. When she used her elongated tentacle hair to leap out of the way, she immediately swung them at me. I had no time to move out of the way of her trajectory, getting wrangled like a gullible piece of ham. She slammed my back on the ground hard, making my wig slip off and my fake glasses break.

“And to think I had a thing for you!” she hissed. “I’d never date hunter scum!”

I chuckled. “Hey, no hard feelings! You aren’t exactly my type, either.”

“Eat gravel, bastard!” She swung me around, making me think back to the time I took that frog monster for a spin. I wasn’t planning on being her entertainment for long though, rotating my wrists to rope in more of her suckers around my arm. With enough grip, I began to heave before she could slam me on the floor again, Keiko not yet catching onto what I was about to do. Luckily she didn’t stretch her extremities further, or my next move wouldn’t have worked. With a firm grip and a strong tug, I used the momentum around me and snapped two tentacles off her noggin, and then broke the ones around my ankles on the inside with my fists.

She flailed, the pain distracting her from my right hook shot across her face. I sent her flying into the north wall, before I went to one of the chairs and broke its leg off.

“You despicable hunters!” Katsuro growled. “I’m going to snap off every last one of your—gah!” he cried, Katsuro’s throat bulging along his Adam’s Apple. There was something sharp and silver glistening under the dim chandelier light, and when Reina leaped off from his shoulder, I realized she’d stabbed him from the back of his neck.

Her feet landed on the floor, Reina assuming a fighter’s stance. “I got everything I needed from you!” Reina hissed. “For every ounce of tolerance you squeezed out from me, I will make you pay in gallons of blood!”

Katsuro stared at her utterly betrayed, the man unable to budge a muscle as he witnessed Reina forge a weapon in the palm of her hand. “N-n-no… not you too… my… my Matsumi…”

“My name is not Matsumi!” she retorted, fashioning a long blade between her hands. “It’s Reina, and don’t you forget it!”

Katsuro pulled the blade from his neck, those fish eyes eating away at Reina’s soul. He was so pissed he couldn’t form words, merely growling at Reina. After a few moments, he exploded with a deep roar, “TO HELL WITH HUNTER CORP!”

A decapitation was in Keiko’s near future, and the same could be said for the big fish man. But suddenly, I noticed that my vision began to dance, before I felt something trickling down the corner of my lips.

I drew my finger over my chin, and when I peeled it back, I saw black ink…

“Ah, I’ve seen you’ve taken my juices inside of your mouth? Naughty boy…” Keiko snickered.

“Have fun scraping up your brain from the floor, Airplane Angel.”