Under the dim glow of the streetlight, swirling dust particles danced in the air...
Perhaps due to the influence of alcohol, the two drunken men reacted sluggishly.
When they spotted the girl who had appeared out of nowhere, their eyes filled with excitement... but the lecherous gleam lasted only a moment before being replaced by endless agony.
A streak of crimson light flashed. Blood-red appendages sprouting from her shoulders pierced the chests of the two officers like a storm of blades.
The sickening sounds of flesh being sliced and bones being severed came in rapid succession. In just a few breaths, the two burly bodies were flung against the wall like ragged dolls, leaving streaks of blood behind.
The girl who had been docile and meek in the hot spring bathhouse now wore an innocent harmless smile.
The feather-red wings (Ukaku Kagune) formed from proliferated flesh on her shoulders suddenly expanded! Razor-sharp pinions impaled the two lifeless bodies and tore them apart!
Blood sprayed like a fountain across the alley walls and floor, resembling an exploded tomato. Human organs spilled from the torn-open torsos; twisted intestines, white bone fragments, and a still-beating half-heart... all displayed vividly and gruesomely before the girl's eyes.
She licked her lips...
The scent of blood was intoxicating, like a vintage wine aged for years in oak barrels. She took a step forward but immediately froze.
Her other eye, the one still holding human emotion, flashed with intense disgust. The crimson glow dimmed momentarily, and the ukaku began to disintegrate and retract.
"So disgusting." A soft murmur escaped her lips, though it was unclear whom she was referring to.
After casting a glance at the abstract splatter of gore, the girl sighed and turned to leave. But at that very moment, the dimmed crimson eye flared violently!
The retracted ukaku shot out like blades from her shoulders! What had seemed feather-light now struck with the force of a battering ram, only to collide with an invisible, immovable barrier...
The recoil sent a shockwave of pain through her body.
With a furious lunge, she launched herself like an arrow into the dark shadows where another presence lurked.
Almost simultaneously, the Ghoul was hurled back in a straight line, smashing through the alley's lone streetlight before crashing heavily to the ground.
"I much preferred you in the hot spring, Miss Yoshimura Izumi." A mocking voice carried on the night breeze as a tall figure stepped out of the shadows.
Sean stared down at the fallen girl...
'Super-soldier level physical prowess, versatile predatory limbs, human thoughts and emotions... Hydra has truly outdone themselves...'
These creatures they called 'Ghouls' were far more fascinating than mindless bioweapons. According to the data Sean had extracted from Hydra's labs, they were the first test subjects of the Progenitor Virus, also known as First-Gens.
Unlike zombies, First-Gens possessed RC cell concentrations in their blood far exceeding those of humans, forming specialized organ sacs to store these mutated cells.
When emotionally agitated or consciously triggered, Ghouls could release massive amounts of RC cells from these sacs, protruding through the skin to form unique predatory organs of varying types...
Wiping blood from her lips, the girl's crimson eye blazed with fury, "C-C-G?"
The air shrieked as her ukaku kagune erupted like bullets, raining down on Sean with enough force to turn a human body into swiss cheese.
The alley echoed with the sound of metal clashing.
An invisible dome-shaped barrier rose before Sean, effortlessly deflecting the relentless assault.
A flash of golden light sliced through the air like a hot knife through butter. Lush red blood blossomed as the girl's ukaku was severed at the shoulders.
A powerful hand clamped around her throat, lifting her petite frame into the air like a fragile flower trembling in the wind.
"Why didn't you eat those two?" Sean asked, intrigued, "Records show Ghouls typically hunt once or twice a month. Yet you and your two companions have racked up nearly forty cannibalistic incidents... proof you're desperate for energy replenishment."
The girl's crimson eye contracted to a pinprick. Her lips pressed tightly together as she stubbornly turned her head away.
"Stubborn little thing." Sean grinned before hurling her into the alley wall.
Bricks shattered as his foot came down on her meek face.
"You're man-made monsters. You retain human emotions, yet biological instincts force you to hunt humans and feed on flesh... It's agonizing, isn't it? The torment of conflicting morals, the self-loathing of crossing lines you never wanted to cross?"
Tears streamed silently from the girl's crimson eye as the Ghoul instincts within her receded...
According to Hydra's data, viral infection triggered violent immune responses... white blood cells attacking infected cells in kamikaze strikes, causing massive tissue necrosis.
To repair the damage and restore immune function, Ghouls required vast amounts of bio material and energy, hence their ravenous hunger.
But the crux was this... the virus had altered their dietary biology. Human food tasted revolting, like putrid decay to their palates and digestive systems.
For unknown reasons, Ghouls could only survive on human flesh. Their hunger was a constant gnawing torment.
"I'm sure creatures like you have tragic backstories. No one would willingly become this. After all, it's all Hydra's fault, right?" Sean lifted his foot, his smile genial.
Golden light flickered in his deep-set eyes, radiating overwhelming pressure.
"But if I pity you, who pities the innocent devoured as food? Like you said in the hot spring... failed nations must be punished. Wrongdoers can't erase their sins with remorse alone... Don't you agree?"
Perhaps sensing the aura of death, the girl's numb face twitched with fear, yet her human eye held only relief.
"But tonight is your lucky night. You're the first Ghoul I've found... a fine specimen. Wasting you would be a shame... Had you eaten those two, I might not be so conflicted."
Kneeling, Sean met her stunned gaze and said, "How about this? Be a good test subject, and I'll turn you back human. A fair trade. Deal?"
The petite body embedded in the pavement trembled.
Tears mixed with grime as she choked back a sob, "...Thank you."