Round Two

That wasn't the sole reason why Kazuichi backed down though. Aside from the bear, there was another entity on top of it— a man, half-naked, eating the bear's raw flesh like a scavenging beast.

"Tasty. TASTY. TASTY! This is tasty!" The salivating man screamed at the top of his lungs while laughing maniacally. Blood dripped from his lips but before it could stream down his chin, he licked it in the most disgusting way possible. Even Arisu who was a fellow hybrid was disgusted by how he acted.

He continued to gorge on the raw meat of the bear, biting on it without a care for any repercussion that might affect his body. All he could think of was how hungry he was and that he needed to satiate his hunger as much as he could. The man didn't resemble a man at all, he was more like a beast that was reduced to his primal instincts. No human would resort to doing what he did to the bear— an unbelievable sight that even Kazuichi couldn't comprehend.

Sniff~

Sniff~

With a pause, the man put his head up and sniffed a couple of times. Amidst the fresh scent of fallen leaves and the musty smell of damp moss and the lakeside, the man smelled something sweet, a lingering whiff of pleasure that made him salivate even more.

It was the smell of an uninfected, a human devoid of the virus that plagued both the hybrids and the infected alike.

"Slurp~ that smell... it's very delicious." The man smiled from ear to ear, the rotting skin on his cheeks parting ways and showing the whole interior of his mouth. He resembled the slit-mouthed woman, except he was a man with long hair and an awful sense of hygiene.

The last thing that Arisu and Kazuichi expected after meeting the hybrid man a few minutes ago was... well, another hybrid man. There was no way they'd meet another hybrid man after just meeting one a moment prior. But there it was, crouching on top of a dead bear and bathing in its innards. It was a grotesque sight.

A nice faint glow of orange reflected in the eyes of Kazuichi as he stared at the hybrid man and the hybrid man stared back at him, his shadow extending towards Kazuichi's feet since the setting sun was right behind him. A faint cackle, and then a lick to the lips was the reaction Kazuichi received as the hybrid man eyed him with such a hypnotizing bloodthirsty gaze.

"Uninfected... you're a real one, aren't ya?" The hybrid man raised a brow as he flicked his wrists, spraying blood and bits of flesh toward the two as he continued talking. "You know that hybrids rule the area right? And yet... and yet you have the gal to come out with your girlfriend? HAHAHHA!"

The hybrid man slowly slithered out of the bear's body, walking on all fours as he carefully approached the two of them. Beads of sweat started appearing on Arisu's forehead as she nervously stole a glance at Kazuichi's side. Arisu's inner instincts warned her of the hybrid man. Compared to the one they met a moment ago, this one was far more stronger, wilder, and especially reliant on his instincts.

Compared to his reaction before, Kazuichi didn't back down nor choke on his own saliva. Mustering all his courage, he stepped forward, putting out his hand so Arisu would stay behind him. "I'll distract him. You go back to our mansion once he's onto me." Kazuichi whispered as he tried to even out his breathing. He could tell that the man was even more dangerous than the previous one so he didn't bother relying on Arisu.

In the first place, Arisu was the most useless hybrid Kazuichi had ever met, and that's speaking a lot since he had already met three of them in the past two days. Then again, Kazuichi didn't judge Arisu's capabilities. After all, she too had a hard time dealing with the sudden change that reformed the world.

Arisu quietly nodded, fully trusting Kazuichi's words. She already knew what happened last time so she didn't argue with Kazuichi.

"Go. Now." Kazuichi sharply commanded, prompting Arisu to turn around and make a beeline to the house. "WAIT FOR ME, ALL RIGHT?! I'LL DEFINITELY COME BACK!"

"Hoh, playing the hero, are we?" The man licked the bloodstains from his hand— another gross gesture that Kazuichi didn't sign up to see. "I'll kill you, and then kill the girl hehe~ I wonder how the two of you taste? The girl's probably tender... nah, she's a hybrid so her meat won't taste that good... you on the other hand hehe~"

Kazuichi's irises glinted as the last rays of the sunset reflected off of them. The faint rustling of the leaves and the coldness that started to linger on the grass became more evident as the night approached. He took a deep breath before getting the golf club from his back, balancing it on his hand as he got used to the sensation of swinging it. Right now, it almost felt as if the golf club had become an extension of his arm.

"You think a golf club could save you? Hehe~" The man pushed his body backward before he sprang towards Kazuichi, his arms, and legs sprawled in weird angles as he flew in the air. His jaw, which had been unhinged due to the loose and torn skin on his cheeks dangled in an unsatisfying manner.

Clenching his fists as he firmly gripped the golf club, Kazuichi bent down, planting his feet on the ground while tightening his core so he could get one good swing at the man.

Swish~

Kazuichi ready imagined the golf club hitting the man straight in the temple. He could already see it happening even though the hybrid man was one step behind Kazuichi's swing. But what he didn't expect was the man's insane reaction, which was leaps and bounds incomparable to the hybrid man they previously met.

In mid-air, the crazy man twisted his body in an unnatural manner, cleanly dodging the golf club as his momentum carried him forward. His jaws unhinged...

Aghk!

... and then he sank his teeth onto Kazuichi's shoulders, tearing through his skin and muscles as his jaw locked in place.