The Ultimate Ending

It didn't take long to discern the situation.

The lower half body on a puddle of blood and a hanging arm by the pallet of the emergency case. The distance between the body parts was about 3-4 metres.

It couldn't possibly be done by a human but a calamity.

Kuina pulled in a gasp upon seeing the scene. A piece of the blue belt caught her sight. She recognized the body.

"I.. its.. him!"

Yulia glanced at her while Fein asked, "Do you know him?"

"Nnn.. no. I've seen him coming this way.. before i entered the deck!"

Startled Ludic, quickly turned his head. "Why was he coming this way?"

"I heard him talking with someone..." Replied Kuina.

"Who? Do you recognize the voice? Did you see their faces?"

Since Ludic proceeded to interrogate her, Fein trudged ahead in inspection of the murder.

"No. I couldn't get to see their faces." She lowered her head out of self humiliation. "I'm sorry. I couldn't be of much help. I'm ashamed that i was so busy with myself.."

Yulia took a step ahead and patted her head affectionately.

"You don't have to be sorry. I'm glad that you're alright." Her glances averted at Ludic whose nose was pinched upwards and brows frowned.

"Why does it matter whoever told him to come here? Do you suspect that they might be a calamity?"

"The fact that we still couldn't recognize the calamity could only mean how well it is at hiding."

One among the other two decided to put her opinion in the matter. "But calamities, especially beasts, are capable of using strategies if not others. It might be that hiding is a strategy."

(Fein, in the background, strode back and forth with his eyes fixed at his feet. He fetched the arm from the case and knelt near the body.)

Yulia disagreed with her. "Beasts are naturally stronger than humans. They don't find it necessary to hide themselves unless they are in greater threat."

"Then it must be an undead."

Ludic refuted. "No. They'd have already killed it if it was."

"How are we supposed to defend ourselves from this invisible threat?!"

The voice filled with paranoia of a blue belt member rebounded in the passageway. Responding to his desperate cry, Yulia commanded.

"There's still two more days until we reach the Watcher's island. Move in groups if need be. Otherwise lock yourselves in your cabins."

Fein, who had been inspecting the bodies all these times, uninterestedly glanced at them. "I don't think moving in groups would be very much helpful either."

Grabbing all of their attentions, he stood up, the amputated arm still hung in his hand. Deep red eyes as frigid as ever, glared at them from underneath his front hair fringe. "These are amputated parts of two humans."

Surprise shuddered on them like thunderbolts.

"How can you ascertain that?"

Naturally they didn't want to believe that someone's whole body might've been eaten by a calamity leaving only the arm behind.

It was just… too much cruel!

"The body proportionate are wrong. The arm is too slender compared to the legs not to mention two different skin shades."

"H.. how can.. that be?!"

He gently put the arm on the carpet and walked closer to the crowd. "It is a speculation but it might be a possibility." He explained. "At first a man entered this passage asked by a third party according to Kuina's statement. He was attacked by the calamity. The incident was witnessed by the owner of the arm. He quickly pressed the emergency siren and as quickly got dragged by the calamity." He sighed and spoke grimly. "If we searched around the ship properly, we might be able to find his bones."

Darkness clouded their eyes. It was a given that there was no escape this time.

If worst came to worst the ship along with the calamity and the passengers would be left stranded in the middle of the ocean.

With no rescue… no food supply.. no ammunition.

The ultimate death.

"Well before it comes to the worst possible situation.." Fein twisted his neck and looked at the back end of the passage. "..I'd like to have a word with this calamity. It seems to be residing in the engine room."

"What are we going to do then?!"

"I don't have any grand plan. So I'll just camp here until it shows up."

"But Fein-!"

Interrupting Kuina, Ludic spoke. "In that case I'll stay here to investigate as well."

A face of distrust slowly began to emerge on Fein, which he, however, hid within himself. He wished not to include Kuina in it, much less Ludic.

"I'll stay too!" Declared Kuina.

"It isn't some picnic. I hope you do know that."

"Why?" Yulia spoke with a smirk plastered on her face. "The more the better. I'll leave it upto you three then." Her tone turned deeper and humble. "Please protect everyone on this ship, okay?"

More than a request, it sounded like a threat.

Entwined with multiple mysteries, Fein found himself overwhelmed. His hand was already full with finding his sister. Then the abrupt summoning from a high up..

a beast aboard…

Unknown deaths..

Suddenly Fein found himself playing the role of a detective when the guarantee of his own life was in question.

Amid all these he had completely forgotten the mysteries with his own body.

How only he in the whole world can use foresight.

Why he found himself apt with wielding a dagger and fighting.

Or how he even ended up in this messed up world.

There was a lot on his plate. He couldn't just let everything overwhelm him. No matter how hard it got, Fein had to push forward and find Rene.

While most of the unknowns remained hidden behind a thick veil, Fein decided to go through them one at a time.

And the one he prioritized most at the moment was, finding the calamity.

In the darkness of a newly arriving dawn, at almost 4 in the morning, a dense shadowy figure wandered in the aphonic environment.

An 18 inches long stalk hung by his left waist, heavy shoes tapped on the metallic surface.

"It is only Kuina here?"

Even in the darkness, he could vividly see her dazzling sea blue eyes adorned with her long black lashes. Her hair had grown half as much as Fein's, still adhering to her cute stature. She was busy rechecking her reloaded Glock before Fein appeared.

"Yes. Mr Ludic has gone toward the engine room a little while ago."

"Is that so?" He raised his head and glanced at the passageway. "We should head that way as well."

"Yes." As they started to head towards their location, Kuina's scattering eyes caught sight of Alaister ll hanging by his waist. She softly smiled and muttered, "It is with you."

"Yes."

"Heek! You heard!"

"Yes. I've heard you had it repaired for me. Thanks."

"Oh.. ahh.. no. You don't need to thank me. Mr. Artemon said he could have our weapons repaired. And I simply asked him to do yours too. And.. I think I also might have told him to lengthen your dagger with iron too.. I'm sorry…"

"It is good. The weight seemed off balanced before with the Lead hilt. With the iron attached top from it seems more balanced now. You did a good job."

Kuina could feel her cheeks brighten up hearing that compliment from Fein. Satisfied with the compliment she couldn't continue their conversation.

The distance from the hall to the engine room was quite a while, not to mention they had to take the elevator too. The room was vertically divided into two sections. The upper floor was a thin pathway made of steel. The pathway connected the door with the stairs downward to the furnace. They climbed down from that upper section upon discovering Ludic Boseman glaring intently at the fire.

"Is there anything, Mr Boseman?"

Asked Kuina.

"Nothing. You were taking too long so I began to inspect the area myself."

Underneath Ludic's foot there were spots of blood marks. Due to the heat emitting from the burner it had turned charcoal black. Undoubtedly it belonged to the doctor who was found dead there.

The question arose in his head,

What was the doctor even doing here?

Why did he need to come here?

Following Ludic's glare, Fein stared at the burner for a while. The orangish sparks of fire reflected in his eyes as if hinting something.

"Alright. Let's go back up and camp there."

As directed by Ludic, all of them climbed the upper section of the room and sat leaning against the wall. Now all they had to do was wait for the calamity to show up.

They wouldn't have to go through such manoeuvres if only the ship contained more cameras and installed some in the engine room as well.

The calamity was intelligent enough to avoid appearing in camera footage.

That was very absurd work from a beast.