Chapter 18

"A Yomigaeri problem? Are you sure about that, Kai?" Sato demanded, his eyes blazing.

"I'm not certain, but I do know that we're in more danger than we could have possibly imagined."

"Danger, I can handle," Sato growled, his gaze unflinching. "But we need to be smart about this. We can't let our fear cloud our judgement."

Sato took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. "Arumi, please double-check the autopsy again. Pay attention to the wound locations and see if you can spot any trends or indications that we overlooked. He turned to Kai. "As for you, I want you to search the entire hideout from top to bottom. Pay close attention to every aspect. We must think that our opponent is already inside and that we must smoke them out."

Kai nodded, resolve engraved in his features. "I won't let you down," he promised.

As they were about to disperse to carry out their objectives, a loud bang rang through the air, bouncing along the halls with ominous finality. It was shortly followed by chaotic screams from the other survivors.

Frozen in position for a single second, the realisation of the impending danger spurred them into action. They charged towards the source of the chaos, adrenaline running through their veins concealing their fear.

As they dashed towards the main entrance, the scene before them was nothing short of pandemonium. The doors were thrown wide open, and the passageways beyond were filled with panic, as if someone had stirred up a hornet's nest.

Just ahead of them, Kanoe stumbled into view, her face streaked with tears and blood, her eyes wild with terror. She screamed out a single word that sent a chill down their spines: "Yomigaeri!"

Before anyone could respond, the shadowy figure of a Yomigaeri emerged from the chaos, sprinting towards the survivors.

"Run!" Sato yelled, his voice a desperate cry amid the mayhem. Kai was the first to act, lunging at the beast with his knife as the others dispersed in all directions. His aim was spot on, plunging the blade deep into the Yomigaeri's abdomen, where the unmistakable glow of its vulnerability glowed like a beacon, its solar plexus.

The monster screamed, thrashed, and convulsed as if it were an injured animal before dissipating.

As Kai's heartbeat continued to pound in his ears, he winced in pain as he spotted the same telltale markings that had developed on Mai's arms now burning his own skin. The sight was unsettling, but there was little time to ponder its implications as the distinct sound of a swarm of Yomigaeri filled the air.

"They're coming," he exclaimed, his voice showing his terror. The gang turned to find a horde of the creatures racing at them, their frenzied movements betraying their inhuman nature.

"Aim for their solar plexus!" Kai bellowed, his words slicing through the chaos. "It's their weakness!"

Sato's eyes widened in understanding. "Everyone, aim for their upper abdomen, just below the sternum! That's where their weakness lies!"

The survivors wasted no time, adjusting their aim and launching an onslaught of attacks towards the approaching horde. Blades slashed and swung, finding their targets with deadly precision. The horde screeched in agony as the survivors' attacks began to take effect.

With each Yomigaeri falling to the ground, the survivors pressed forward, their fear slowly transforming into a grim determination. But the sheer number of the creatures was overwhelming, and despite their best efforts, the survivors began to be pushed back by the relentless horde. Some of the survivors began falling prey to the yomigaeri.

"We can't hold them off much longer!" Toshi shouted, his arm aching from the exertion.

"There's too many!" Arumi cried out, her voice strained with desperation. "We need to find a way out!"

Sato scanned the chaos, his mind racing for a solution. "Kai, lead everyone to the back exit," he ordered. "I'll hold them off here!"

"No way, Sato!" Kai protested. "We all go together, or none of us go at all."

"Listen to me!" Sato barked, his eyes fierce. "We don't have time for arguments. Go!"

Reluctantly, Kai nodded and began rallying the survivors. "Everyone, follow me! Stay close and don't look back!"

As the group started retreating, Sato turned back to face the Yomigaeri. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and prepared to buy his friends as much time as possible.

With a roar, Sato charged at the Yomigaeri, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. He aimed for their solar plexus, taking down one creature after another. But for every Yomigaeri he felled, two more seemed to take its place.

The survivors reached the back exit led by Kai, their hearts pounding with adrenaline and terror. But as they approached, the door creaked open, revealing a sight that chilled them to their very cores, the horror they faced was unlike anything they had ever encountered.

There, in the dim light, stood a Yomigaeri unlike any they had seen before.

The malevolent aura emanating from the Yomigaeri was enough to send chills down their spines, but the sight of Mai's lifeless body being dragged across the ground with an eerie lack of respect for her life, sent a wave of horror and revulsion rippling through the survivors.

The survivors' world shifted in that single moment, as the realization hit them like a tidal wave. This was no ordinary Yomigaeri - it was something more powerful, more evil than they had ever encountered.

Shiro dropped to her knees, her breath catching in her throat as she whispered a silent prayer for Mai's soul. Kai eyes burned with a fierce rage, his hands tightening around his blade as he stood, ready to fight.

The Yomigaeri seemed to relish in their terror, a sickly smirk playing across its lips as it hissed, "A hunter's plexus... mmm, so much more delicious than I thought it would be."

As the survivors face this new, unspeakable horror, a question hangs in the air: What chance do they have against a creature this powerful? And more importantly, why are they being hunted? Is there a deeper, darker purpose to this nightmare that has engulfed them?