Monsters of Humanity

In the bathroom of Aoyama High School in Tokyo, Japan, a 17-year-old boy writhed in pain, clutching his stomach while lying on the ground. His uniform bore the name Murayama Kanai, and his face and black hair was drenched from being dunked into the toilet. Three other boys surrounded him. One of them, Fujii Hajime, exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke and seemed to be the ringleader of the trio.

Sunada Shichiro stepped forward and seized Kanai by the hair, lifting him with a grin. "You see, this whole mess is on your shoulders," Shichiro sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Next time, if you want to avoid this kind of trouble, you better bring that money."

Kanai struggled to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a resounding smack echoed through the bathroom, a hard slap across his face delivered by Shichiro. "I didn't give you permission to speak, did I?" Shichiro sneered before raising his hand once more. but before he could, Hajime seized his wrist.

"Enough," Hajime asserted, his voice laced with authority. He took another drag of his cigarette as Shichiro reluctantly let go of Kanai. "Murayama, tell me, why weren't you able to bring it today?" Hajime asked, his gaze fixed on Kanai.

Kanai responded, his words heavily laden with a stutter, "My... my family is going through some difficulties right now... but I'll have it for you by tomorrow."

The third boy, Murata Toshiyuki, chortled and sneered, "Everyone says their family's going through difficulties when they can't pay. You're not unique, Murayama." He leaned in close to Kanai's face, taunting him. Kanai held his tongue, well aware that speaking would only invite more severe punishment.

Hajime instructed, "Murayama, give me your hand," as he extended his own. Kanai's hand trembled as he reluctantly extended it. Hajime seized it and turned Kanai's palm to face him before extinguishing his cigarette on Kanai's trembling hand.

A searing pain shot through Kanai's palm, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but Hajime firmly held it in place. The cigarette was fully extinguished on his trembling hand, and Kanai bit back a cry of pain.

"Murayama, I didn't ask about your family troubles. I asked why you didn't bring the money today," Hajime stated before delivering a harsh kick to Kanai's chest. Kanai collapsed to the ground, coughing and clutching his chest.

Stepping closer, Hajime placed his foot on Kanai's chest, pinning him down. "You'll bring twice the amount tomorrow, won't you, Murayama?" Hajime demanded, increasing the pressure. Kanai, his voice barely above a whisper, replied, "I... I will."

"What's going on here?" a voice inquired from behind the trio. Kanai, hearing someone enter the bathroom, felt a surge of relief, hoping for a way out from these three, at least for today. The trio of delinquents turned around, and Shichiro had started to say, "Who the he-" before abruptly stopping in his tracks upon seeing who had arrived.

The newcomer prodded Shichiro, asking, "Why did you shut up? What were you going to say, Shichiro?" Kanai's last glimmer of hope for escape dimmed as he saw the person who had just entered the bathroom. The boy was noticeably taller than the others, had blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He confidently stepped into the bathroom, placing his hand around Shichiro. "What are you guys up to?" The boy, whose uniform bore the name Richard King, inquired. His foreign name matched his foreign appearance.

Hajime, upon Richard's unexpected appearance, lost his air of confidence and no longer appeared as the group's leader. Richard questioned the situation, his gaze settling on Kanai.

"Huh," Richard uttered, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Kanai. "What's going on with him?" Richard asked, and Toshiyuki quickly responded, "He was supposed to bring us 2000 yen today, but he didn't. Did you, Murayama?"

Richard shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Come on, guys, this isn't right, and you know it," he scolded. He then turned his attention to Hajime, saying, "Don't ever do this again, okay?"

Hajime, feeling a bit confused, replied, "Yeah, sure, I... I won't," his words carrying a touch of hesitation.

Richard bent down to help Kanai in getting up. Kanai, was confused by the unexpected act of kindness, he had heard rumors about Richard's behavior, and this gesture puzzled him. *Maybe they were wrong,* Kanai thought, beginning to say, "Thank yo-" but before he could finish, Richard suddenly delivered a powerful punch to Kanai's face, causing blood to spurt and a tooth to break. The force sent Kanai crashing into the bathroom stall door before he once again fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding mouth in agony.

"That's how you deliver proper punishment," Richard declared, unapologetic. He then grabbed Kanai by the hair, making sure to deliver a chilling message. "Remember to bring it tomorrow, or else for every 100 yen, I'll break a bone. Got that?" 

Kanai, still holding his bleeding mouth in pain, simply nodded as Richard callously threw him back to the ground.

After hurling Kanai to the ground, Richard turned to the others and declared, "Come on, Let's go, classes are over anyway." The trio cast a final, pitiless glance at Kanai, nodded in agreement with Richard, and made their exit from the bathroom.

Kanai was left alone in the bathroom, his face streaked with blood, clothes damp, and a missing tooth. Emotions swirled within him. His anger burned, directed not just at the delinquents and Richard but also at himself for failing to stand up to them. At the same time, he was filled with fear—fear of what they would do if he did fight back, and fear of the cruelty Richard might unleash if he saw him fighting back. If Hajime, Shichiro, and Toshiyuki were scum, Richard was a monster wearing human skin.

While Kanai was mired in misery, someone entered the bathroom. Kanai cautiously looked up, half-expecting one of the delinquents or Richard, but to his surprise, it was neither of them. The newcomer had raven-black hair tied into a small bun and gray-colored eyes. Without much warmth in his voice, he asked, "Are you okay?" and extended a hand to assist Kanai.

Kanai, however, declined the offered hand and managed to rise on his own. He took note of the boy's uniform, which identified him as Miamoto Sasaki. "Who did this to you?" Sasaki asked, rising and proceeding to wash his hands.

Kanai, with injuries still causing discomfort, attempted to clean himself up as best he could, using tissues to wipe the blood from his face. He knew he had to conceal his injuries well enough to prevent his parents from worrying about his school life, as they already had plenty to concern them. "Hajime, Shichiro, Toshiyuki, and... Richard," Kanai replied, his voice tinged with resentment.

Sasaki dried his hands and offered, "Richard, huh? If it's any consolation, he gave me a hard time today too." Kanai eyed Sasaki, scanning for any signs of injury but found none. "Sure, don't try to feed me that story; I can see you're perfectly fine," Kanai retorted, finally managing to wipe away most of the blood from his face.

"I'm not making it up. He did hassle me, though he didn't lay a hand on me," Sasaki explained. Kanai, still dubious, rolled his eyes and proceeded toward the exit. Deliberately, he bumped into Sasaki's shoulder, expecting a typical response. To his astonishment, it felt as though he'd collided with an immovable wall of solid steel. Sasaki gazed at Kanai with his head tilted, emanating a sense of bewilderment. Something about his look sent shivers down Kanai's spine. He hastened out of the bathroom unsettled.

Sasaki observed Kanai's departure and turned to the mirror above the sink, murmuring, "I attempted to socialize, but it didn't quite work out." His phone vibrated in his back pocket, and he retrieved it to find an alarm, a reminder of a task he had to do today.

"Two hours remaining; I should stick around the area," Sasaki reasoned with himself before leaving the bathroom.

**1 Hour and 30 minutes later**

Inside a karaoke room, a mix of students, including Richard, his girlfriend, and their classmates, had gathered. The room buzzed with the presence of the trio, Hajime, Shichiro, and Toshiyuki, along with other students who seemed to have stepped out of the pages of a manga, exuding a delinquent appearance. A few girls from Aoyama High School also joined in the gathering.

With glasses clinking, they all exclaimed, "Cheers!" The occasion for the celebration was straightforward: the imminent end of the school year, marking the close of their second year. However, Richard's girlfriend, the stunning Noda Izanami, her hair dyed a vibrant blond, sat beside him, her disinterest in the festivities evident.

Noticing Izanami's disinterest, Richard leaned in and whispered, "What's bothering you?" Izanami responded in an undertone, "You knew I didn't want to be here!" Richard's eyes rolled in exasperation, but he extended a drink toward her, insisting, "Come on, have a drink. You might enjoy yourself after a few sips."

Izanami's irritation simmered, but before she could voice her frustration, another girl sidled up to Richard, taking a seat beside him. "Hey, Richard, I watched your game last week. That homerun was amazing," she complimented. Richard, grinning, replied, "Thanks, but that game was a breeze; our opponents were complete garbage."

As they shared laughter and conversation, the girl boldly placed her hand on Richard's thigh and slowly went up, right before Izanami's eyes. Fed up, she declared, "That's it. I'm leaving!" She stood up and exited the room, leaving the rest of the group to turn their attention toward Richard.

The girl sitting next to Richard wore a triumphant smile as she watched Izanami leave. But her expression abruptly changed when she turned to Richard, about to say, "Now that she's..." Her sentence was cut short when she saw the rage in Richard's eyes.

"You just had to do that, didn't you?" Richard's voice was barely containing his anger. "Hey, hey, Richard, calm down, man," Hajime interjected, attempting to soothe him by patting his shoulder.

Richard took a deep breath, before rising from his seat and heading toward the exit. However, just before leaving, he turned back, locking eyes with the girl and delivering a threat. "If she breaks up with me, I'll make sure to break your face. Got that?" With those words, he exited the karaoke room.

Exiting the karaoke room in a hurry, Richard sprinted toward the exit, leaving an employee to call after him, "Hey, you can't run in here!" Paying no attention, he burst outside and spotted Izanami walking away. He swiftly reached out and grasped her wrist.

"Let go of me!" Izanami exclaimed, straining to free herself. "Come on, let's talk first," Richard urged. Izanami's response was firm, "There's nothing to talk about, Richard." She finally managed to pull her hand away, massaging her wrist.

"I didn't want to be here, and yet you insisted on bringing me. Then, you didn't even bother to stop that girl from flirting with you," she continued. Richard attempted to explain, saying, "I thought you'd enjoy yourself. I'm sorry for assuming you wouldn't be so stuck up!"

Izanami scoffed at Richard's words, exclaiming, "So now I'm considered stuck-up just for not wanting to party nearly every week!?" She didn't allow Richard to respond, swiftly raising her hand to halt him. "And you went way too far last week; you nearly killed someone. After that, how am I supposed to go out with you?"

Richard growled in frustration, retorting, "But you did go out with me for the past week, didn't you? So what's the problem now?"

Izanami replied  firmly, "I thought you wouldn't pull something like that again. Yet, today, you knocked out someone's tooth. I can't handle this anymore. Please, just stop following me." With that, she turned and began to walk away, leaving Richard alone and seething. He refrained from pursuing her but instead directed his anger at the wall, pounding it and cursing vehemently, "Fuck!"

Richard took a moment to think. *What should I do now?* He could return to the party and make good on his promise to to break that girl's face, or he could head back home pissed off. However, he decided on a different course of action, one that didn't involve either option. *Let's just fucking walk this off,* he thought to himself. And that's precisely what he did – he began walking in a random direction, with no particular destination in mind, simply letting himself roam.

After approximately ten minutes of walking, Richard's mood hadn't improved. *I need to relieve some stress,* He glanced around, finding himself in an area with relatively low foot traffic. Unaware of his precise location, he considered checking his phone. However, when he brought it up, he was met with the realization that it had run out of battery.

"For the love of!" Richard exclaimed in annoyance, his temper boiling over. In a fit of frustration, he threw the phone to the ground and stomped on it. The few passersby in the vicinity cast brief, concerned glances his way before quickly retreating. Realizing what he had done, Richard let out an exasperated sigh. "Shouldn't have done that," he muttered, bending down to inspect the damage. It was abundantly clear that his phone was now broken.

"What the hell is with today!?" Richard grumbled to himself, still seething with frustration. He pocketed his broken phone and was about to resume his aimless walk. However, his attention was suddenly drawn to someone nearby, and he recognized Sasaki heading somewhere.

*I think I've found a way to release some stress after all,* Richard thought. Earlier today at school, he had accidentally spilled his drink on Sasaki. Unlike most, Sasaki hadn't reacted strongly, nor had he shown any sign of fear when talkin to Richard. This made Sasaki a tempting target for Richard's bottled-up anger. Richard began to tail Sasaki, who remained oblivious to his presence.

Sasaki continued walking with an almost emotionless expression, while Richard shadowed him as discreetly as possible. Beating him up in public wasn't an option if Richard wanted to avoid getting into serious trouble. He needed to follow Sasaki to a place with even fewer people around. However, something about Sasaki's destination seemed odd to Richard.

*Where the hell is he even going?* Richard wondered to himself. Despite his lack of familiarity with the area, he was certain that whatever Sasaki's destination was, it wasn't a place a high school student would typically have any reason to visit. The industrial district was ahead, and Richard saw potential in this location. It would provide a relatively isolated setting for their encounter, especially during the night. Although the situation was odd, Richard continued tailing Sasaki.

As Richard continued to follow Sasaki into an unfamiliar area. He took in the surroundings and noted the potential of the location for an attack. They were on a road descending a gentle slope, flanked by walls on either side of the walkway, creating a relatively isolated corridor.

However, Richard decided to exercise restraint for the time being. His initial frustration gave way to a growing curiosity about Sasaki's destination, prompting him to maintain his distance and continue following him.

Richard continued to tail Sasaki for another three minutes until Sasaki reached what seemed to be his destination – a junkyard. *Why is he here?* Richard wondered. Sasaki entered the junkyard, and it appeared to be accessible without any restrictions. Richard knew that maintaining his concealment would become increasingly challenging, but his curiosity drove him to follow Sasaki inside.

He found cover behind a couple of broken cars and crouched down, allowing himself to observe the unfolding situation. Peering from his hidden vantage point, he saw Sasaki standing in the middle of the junkyard, but he wasn't alone. Standing across from him was a man who seemed to be in his thirties, with thinning hair, dressed in a salaryman's suit. The man was quite thin and underweight. *What's going on here?* Richard thought to himself.

The man raised his left hand to his face, appearing as though he were checking his watch. In the limited lighting, it was hard for Richard to discern the finer details. "You're five minutes late," the man remarked, prompting Sasaki to respond, "Oh, I thought I arrived exactly on time. Maybe my phone's clock is running a bit ahead." Both of them spoke with a remarkable lack of emotion in their voices, which struck Richard as odd. He had always considered Sasaki's demeanor to be a quirk, but now, observing this man's similar behavior, he couldn't help but find it even stranger.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. Are you ready?" the man asked, and Sasaki replied, "Yes, I am." With that, Sasaki removed his school jacket and let it fall to the ground. The man followed suit, discarding his suit jacket. Richard remained confused, his mind filled with questions. *What are they about to do?* he wondered, as Sasaki and the man began to approach each other.

Certainly, let's delve into the details of the encounter:

As soon as they reached each other, Sasaki and the man unleashed their right fists almost simultaneously, catching Richard off guard. Sasaki's punch connected first, striking the man's jaw with devastating force. The impact caused the man's head to snap to the side, his teeth clashing together violently. A sharp, audible crack echoed through the junkyard as the man's jaw absorbed the brunt of the blow.

Capitalizing on this moment, Sasaki executed a swift and precise left hook, targeting the man's cheek. The force of the punch sent a ripple through the man's facial muscles, bruising and reddening the area. The man's head twisted with the impact, his balance faltering.

Sasaki followed this up with another right fist, aimed just below the man's eye. The punch landed, causing the skin to redden and swell around the impact point. The man's eye began to water, and he struggled to maintain his footing.

Without giving the man a chance to recover, Sasaki launched a left hook, hitting him again, this time in the same area as the previous punch. The force of the blow intensified the damage, and the man's vision in that eye was momentarily obscured.

Sasaki continued his assault, landing a right straight directly to the man's nose. The punch connected with a crunch, drawing blood instantly. The man's nose, now fractured, released a flow of crimson. The force of the final blow sent the man crashing to the ground.

Watching Sasaki's remarkable display of power left Richard in astonishment. Now he understood why Sasaki had shown no fear when Richard had harassed him – his movements were unrefined but delivered a considerable amount of force. *How is this possible?* Richard pondered, as he couldn't recall Sasaki being particularly fit. Sasaki rarely participated in sports and never joined any teams. Moreover, Richard had observed Sasaki changing before and had failed to notice significant muscle definition.

Despite Sasaki's dominant performance, Richard was left dumbfounded when he witnessed the man starting to rise once more. Sasaki remained composed, and to Richard's bewilderment, the man's face showed no signs of injury. *What? didn't Sasaki just break his nose?* Richard thought. It was as if the man had instantly healed his injuries or had never been injured in the first place.

The man cracked his neck before casually remarking, "Not bad, but this isn't why we're here, right?" Sasaki wiped the blood from his right hand and responded, "Right, but I suggest you go first." The man gave a nonchalant shrug of agreement. Meanwhile, Richard's mind raced with confusion and wonder. *What the hell are they talking about?* However, he was about to receive an answer.

The man grabbed his clothes and, in a single swift motion, tore them apart. This left Richard flabbergasted, but what he observed next was beyond belief. The man's body began to grow before his very eyes, nearly reaching a height of four feet. His eyes emitted a green glow, his limbs elongated, and his head morphed into a more wolf-like shape, complete with a pronounced muzzle and sharp canine teeth. Despite these dramatic changes, the man retained his lanky and thin figure.

Richard stood frozen in shock, struggling to process what he had just witnessed. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. Sasaki, on the other hand, appeared unfazed, as if this transformation were entirely ordinary.

"That was dramatic," Sasaki calmly remarked, utterly unfazed. At first glance and from a distance, the man might appear to be a werewolf, but this assumption was far from the truth. Despite his wolf-like features, such as the head and extended claw-like fingers, he bore no resemblance to the traditional image of a werewolf from fiction. He lacked fur, and the typical lycanthropic leg structure. Rather, he seemed more like a grotesque monster attempting and failing to mimic the appearance of a werewolf.

The man opened his disturbingly misshapen mouth, and his words emerged in a choked and distorted manner. "WeLl, aRe YoU noT gOinG to ChAngE as wElL?"

Sasaki replied calmly, "I already have." He raised his right hand, which was a deep black color, its shifting and moving hues resembling an inky abyss. Richard's gaze remained fixed on the two figures, his anticipation growing with each passing moment as he wondered what would happen next.

The monstrous figure swayed from side to side before launching itself at Sasaki. Sasaki reacted swiftly, delivering a powerful right hook aimed at the creature's head. However, the creature twisted its neck narrowly avoiding Sasaki's blow and countered by swinging its left claw down toward Sasaki.

Sasaki quickly brought his right hand back to block as it underwent a swift transformation, morphing into a square-shaped shield-like structure. As the claw descended, sparks erupted from the friction between the razor-sharp claws and the shield. A screech echoed through the junkyard as the two clashed.

Sasaki maintained his composure and quickly retracted his left hand. It morphed into a jagged and serrated weapon. He swung it horizontally in an attempt to counter the creature's advance. However, the creature displayed an unnatural flexibility, contorting its upper body backward in a manner that would have snapped the spine of any ordinary human.

With blinding speed, the monster pulled its arms backward, slashing them down toward Sasaki. Sasaki quickly dodged backwards, but he couldn't avoid the attack entirely. The monster's right claw landed a vicious strike, leaving a deep, bleeding gash on Sasaki's shoulder.

The tension in the confrontation was palpable, and Richard watched in astonishment at the supernatural battle unfolding in front of him.

Sasaki applied pressure to his bleeding shoulder, doing his best to staunch the flow of blood. The monstrous creature taunted him, asking, "WhAt's wRoNg? Can'T kEEp up aNymOre?"

Sasaki calmly replied, "I can't transform as extensively as you can, so I'm at a disadvantage." He prepared for the next exchange, his right hand taking on the form of a sledgehammer, and his left retaining its jagged, serrated appearance.

The two charged at each other once more. Sasaki initiated the attack, his morphed right hand aiming for the monster's midsection. The creature raised its left hand to block the blow. A bone-crushing sound reverberated as the strike was deflected. Richard could clearly see the creature's broken bone protruding from its mangled left arm.

Despite the gruesome injury and pain, the creature pressed on. It swung its right claws toward Sasaki's neck, Sasaki, managed to duck under the slashing attack. With an abrupt motion, he retaliated, swinging his own morphed left hand, with its serrated, jagged edges, in an upward slash.

The monster's supernatural flexibility allowed it to evade Sasaki's retaliatory slash. It twisted its neck once more to avoid the jagged edge of the attack. Not stopping there, the creature further contorted its body and delivered a devastating, bone-shattering kick. The impact sent Sasaki hurtling through the air, and he crashed violently into a heap of discarded metal.

Sasaki grimaced in pain as he felt jagged, rusted metal digging into his back, causing him to struggle in his efforts to rise. The monstrous creature continued its slow approach, paying keen attention to its damaged left arm, which displayed no signs of healing. With an eerie calmness, it acknowledged, "YoU'Ve daMagEd it fAr too mUcH for me to rePaIr. ThAt's imPreSsiVe."

Sasaki attempted to free himself once more, but his struggles only reinforced the fact that he was stuck amidst the debris, his body entangled with something larger. Meanwhile, Richard, positioned behind various junkyard obstacles, couldn't fully see what was going on due to the obstructed view. He needed to see how this would end, he needed to know what they are, *I need to get closer.* His curiosity drove him to inch forward.

Being too focused on what was happening, Richard failed to notice as he gripped a loose, rusted piece of metal that ultimately slipped from his grasp, creating a loud clang upon impact with the ground. Realizing his mistake, he muttered "Shit," under his breath just as the monstrous creature abruptly redirected its attention towards him.

Richard could only watch as the monstrous creature turned its attention towards him. Its eyes bore into him, and he was torn between fleeing and staying frozen in place. The fight or flight response seemed to have abandoned him, leaving him paralyzed.

The monster commented, "SAme schOOl UniFOrm," while Sasaki quickly interjected, "I don't know why he's here, but he's human, so don't do anything to him."

But the monster wasn't swayed by Sasaki's words. It coldly stated, "hE saw us, mEaNing he has to dIe." In a heartbeat, the monster sprinted toward Richard, its claws poised to strike.

Sasaki continued to struggle, pulling with all his might. He felt his flesh tear as he desperately tried to free himself, but it was too late. The monstrous creature reached Richard and swiped at him cutting him and sending him tumbling ten feet away.

The monster turned back to face Sasaki. "NoW we cAn fiNIsh our fiGht," it hissed. Sasaki, still struggling to free himself, relentlessly tore at his own flesh to break free from the rusted metal that trapped him.

"This will be difficult to explain," Sasaki muttered to himself as he finally managed to get into his fighting stance, ready to fight once more. Both fighters were ready to resume their fight.

But just before they could clash again, they heard faint laughter from behind the monster. It turned around to see Richard slowly rising to his feet. "Alright, you piece of shit! You started this, let's do this! I'm ready to do this! Come on!" Richard's fear had transformed into rage. He picked up a long metal pipe and gripped it with both hands, ready to fight the monster. The creature tilted its head before wordlessly charging towards Richard.

Sasaki tried to intervene, but his injuries severely hampered his movement. As the creature reached Richard, it lunged forward, its jagged claws aimed at his throat. However, it was met with the metal pipe hitting his temple. Richard pre-swung the pipe to counter the creature's speed, and the monster's head jerked violently to the side, momentarily stunned by the force of the impact. Blood trickled from the temple wound as the creature's piercing green eyes registered the pain.

Collapsed on its back, the creature's movements were sluggish, struggling to regain its bearings. The pain from the fractured leg seemed to overwhelm the monster as it writhed in pain. The severed bone poked out from a jagged wound on the creature's limb.

With a cruel grin, Richard shifted his focus to the creature's midsection. With a devilish grin on his face, he cruelly stomped down on the monster's abdomen, the pipe still gripped firmly in his hands. The monster's form quivered from the impact, as it drove the air from its lungs, a guttural growl escaping its maw.

The creature attempted to counter, slashing its claws upward, but Richard smacked away its arm with the pipe. Laughing at its futile struggle, Richard mercilessly continued his assault, brutally stomping on the creature's ribs.

Sasaki just stood there watching the fight, unsure of what to do. In his mind, many possibilities raced through, but what he was witnessing was definitely not one of them. *What should I do?* he thought to himself, then decided to sit down on the ground. *I guess I'll just watch.*

Richard was laughing maniacally as he continued to strike the monster with the metal pipe. "How does that feel, huh!? You bastard! You started this, remember that!" he yelled with laughter. Originally, Richard was scared, but that changed as soon as the creature hit him. He swung the pipe toward the creature's head, striking it forcefully and shattering some of the creature's canines.

It howled in pain, desperate to escape the relentless assault, the monster began to crawl away, its movements marked by a mixture of pain and fear. But Richard was having none of it.  He shouted, "Like hell I'll let you crawl away!" and drove the pipe mercilessly into the wounded foot of the creature, ripping through flesh to expose raw, bleeding meat.

After stabbing the creature, Richard heaved heavy breaths, his exhalations visible in the cold air, with his body drenched in sweat. The monster groaned in agony, attempting to move but failing, as its left arm was completely broken, and its right leg was in ruins. Its body was too shattered to heal or repair. Exhausted, Richard fell backward, his laughter reduced to occasional, shallow chuckles.

Seeing that the fight seemed to be over, Sasaki rose to his feet and approached the creature. He morphed his right hand into a sledgehammer shape and, without hesitation, brought it down on the monster's head with a single, crushing smash. The impact caused a gruesome explosion of blood, gray matter, and bits of brain, marking the monster's final, lifeless state.

After killing the monster, Sasaki sat down beside Richard and remarked, "I assume you have questions?" Richard, still catching his breath, nodded and replied, "Yeah, course I do." Sasaki tilted his head, asking, "Are you going to ask them?" Richard raised his hand, saying, "Let me catch my breath."

Once he had recovered a bit, he asked, "What are you?" Sasaki looked up at the moon and began, "We go by many names, and we have existed for-" but was cut off by Richard, who insisted, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, skip all the dramatic shit and just tell me what you are." Sasaki stopped talking and nodded, replying, "We are called the Monsters of Humanity." Richard, upon hearing this, simply said, "That's cool," before falling unconscious.