Wheeze. A breath through the filter in my gas mask. Wheeze. Another. I stalked down a dark alleyway, my smoke grenades and extra filters clicking on my belt. I was hunting a group of five gangsters. These humans were easy meat. They should really be more cautious. A splash and a wet feeling under my boots. "Shit." I cursed under my breath. "Puddles."
"What's that?" one said. I flattened myself against the wall, trusting my black hoodie to keep me concealed. "What?" another one questioned. "Oh, nevermind." I waited a few seconds, then breathed a sigh of relief. Now was my time to strike. My eyesight gained a reddish tint, and I could feel adrenaline pumping through me. Not from a fear of being killed, but more from excitement, for my meal that was to come. I stepped out into the open, the glare from the goggles on my mask concealing my true ghoul identity. "Hey! Who're you?!" one shouted. Before he had time to react, I had unleashed my blue Koukaku and I had it pointed directly at his throat, inches away. "Holy shit…" another mumbled. "He's a ghoul…" He started running. I lunged with my Kagune and stabbed him through the back. His blood oozed out and fell in drops onto the asphalt. "Don't run." I commanded, my voice distorted through my mask. "Next time, it'll be a more painful death. Now stay put, and no one gets hurt. Yet." I pulled my Kagune out of the thug's back, and he collapsed onto the ground, groaning. One of the guys rushed over. "Don't bother." I said, calmly. "Your mate's as good as dead."
"Freeze!" I heard yelled. I turned around. Two other gangsters were pointing pistols in my direction, and one had a knife. "Take off the mask, bitch." I didn't do anything. They didn't scare me the slightest. "You do know asking a ghoul to remove their mask is kind of insulting, right? And I don't take well to insults." I fingered a smoke grenade on my belt. Without the thugs noticing, I pulled the pin. A few seconds later, there was a crack, and smoke went everywhere. I heard the cries of the gangsters, trying to find out where I was. I grabbed a shoulder in the dark. "Mason, is that you?" I heard called from the person. "Nope." I plunged my Koukaku into his shoulder blade. I felt bones breaking, and a bloodcurdling scream arose through the smoke. As the smoke cleared, I saw two gangsters in fetal positions, one with a gaping wound in his shoulder, one dead, and one still holding a gun at me. I released my Bikaku Kagune. I'm a chimera ghoul, so I have two kagunes. But, that means I have to feed twice as often.
My three bright pink bikaku tails swirled around me. "Bring it on." I said, nonchalant, right before I eviscerated him.
I let the two uninjured ones go, but I killed the last one without remorse. I knelt down beside his corpse, and took off my mask, taking a fresh breath of air. I then proceeded to tear into his body with my teeth, chewing and swallowing. I relished in the sweet taste of his flesh, and the sense of power it gave me. I felt like I could take anything.
After I devoured the first corpse, I moved on to the next. Just as I was about to take a bite, I heard someone speak. "E-excuse me." I whirled around, my Koukaku extending, and I heard a gasp of fright. I saw a young girl who couldn't be more than seven years old. "What do you want?" I questioned her. I assumed she was a ghoul, otherwise she would be running away screaming. "C-can I have some? I haven't eaten any in at least a month." she asked. Yep, definitely a ghoul. "Sure." I couldn't refuse to a young girl. "What's your name?" I asked. "Where are your parents?"
"My name's Rei Setsumoto. My parents are dead. CCG raided our house, and I barely got away." She seemed close to tears. "I saw my mom die."
"I'm sorry." I said, retracting my Kagune. "I know how you feel. My name's Asuho Hakuraido, by the way." I looked over as she started eating the last corpse. I watched a bit, then resumed my meal.
After I finished, I glanced over at Rei. She had only half-finished with her corpse, and she was asleep on the pavement, with blood on her face. It seemed wrong to leave her out here, so I put my gas mask back on and picked her up. I carried her all the way back to my apartment, and I set her on the couch. I used a damp cloth to wipe the blood off her face, and I only had time to yank off my mask before I flopped into bed, and fell asleep with my Bikaku tails curled around me, and blood everywhere.
When I got up in the morning, I checked on the couch. Sure enough, Rei was still there, sleeping lightly. I then cleaned up the blood in my room, and threw my hoodie into the washing machine. I put some coffee on the stove, and sat down to watch the news. "Two unidentified male bodies were found stripped to the bone last night, with another partially eaten. This incident is being recorded as a ghoul crime, and witnesses report the ghoul having thrown a smoke grenade. This was probably the work of the S-rated ghoul Toxic. More news to follow."
"Hm." I grunted. I liked that name. Toxic. It sounded cool, and imposing. The funny thing was, I didn't have any actual gas grenades. I would have to get my hands on some. And if Rei was going to stick with me, a gas mask for her, too, and some filters. It's kind of a necessity.
"Where am I?" I heard Rei say. "You're at my house." I responded. "It seemed wrong to leave you asleep outside when you had blood on your face. Someone would notice. So, I brought you back here. I hope you don't mind."
"It's fine." she replied.
"Do you want to stay with me? I'm fine with you living here, because you don't have parents." I offered. Her face brightened. "Yes, please." she said happily. "I'd love to."
"I do have one condition though." I said. "You need to wear a gas mask when you come hunt with me. "Ok." Rei responded. "Sweet. Let's go get you one."