Nursery Rhyme bounced aimlessly along the streets, pausing now and then to peer curiously at dolls in shop windows or admire flowers by the roadside. Every little movement perfectly displayed a child's innate energy and innocence.
Ever since the Monoliths were built, the Tokyo Area had enjoyed ten full years of peace. However, the scars left behind by Gastrea hadn't faded with time; they simply lay dormant in the city's shadows, seeping quietly into every corner. Abandoned buildings, passersby with hollow, lifeless eyes... A sickly silence hung in the air, as though coloring the whole city a dilapidated grey.
Only around Nursery Rhyme herself did a vibrant, dream-like halo of color exist, starkly at odds with her oppressive surroundings.
A suspicious-looking man had his gaze drawn to Nursery Rhyme. Believing himself unnoticed, he quietly shadowed her, inching gradually closer.
Seeing Nursery Rhyme vanish around a corner, panic flashed across his face. He quickened his pace nervously. Only when he hurriedly rounded the corner and saw "Nursery Rhyme" still ahead did he breathe a quiet sigh of relief, resuming his silent pursuit.
Throughout this pursuit, one of the man's hands stayed clenched tightly inside his pocket, as if gripping something he couldn't let others see.
When "Nursery Rhyme" passed by a secluded, empty alley, his breathing grew suddenly heavy and ragged, his expression turning ferocious. With a burst of speed, he lunged to her side, roughly grabbing her slender arm with a calloused hand like an iron clamp and dragging her forcefully into the dark depths of the alley.
The secluded alley reeked nauseatingly of decay, pungent as a garbage dump in midsummer. People who struggled daily merely to survive couldn't be bothered about maintaining city appearances. Countless people had carelessly tossed waste here over the years, letting accumulated filth ferment silently in the shadows, exuding a choking stench.
A small silver knife, icy and cruel, pressed tightly against "Nursery Rhyme"'s neck, its blade glinting dangerously even in the dim light.
"Don't move! Don't scream! I don't want to hurt you... don't force my hand!"
The man's face was deathly pale, like someone severely ill. His bloodshot eyes protruded grotesquely, as though they might pop from their sockets at any moment. Messy, unkempt hair covered most of his eyes, and his chin was dotted unevenly with stubble, giving him an air of decay and madness.
Due to the angle and surroundings, the man couldn't see "Nursery Rhyme"'s expression—he could only hear her voice.
"Uncle... are you in trouble? Do you need help?"
The man froze, bewildered. Why couldn't he detect even the slightest hint of panic in the little girl's voice, which was instead so eerily calm it made his blood run cold?
"...That's right. I—I need your help."
The hand gripping the knife trembled violently, his knuckles white from tension. One couldn't help but worry he might suddenly twitch and stab that tender, white neck the very next second.
"I can't... take it anymore..." he rasped, each word carrying pain and tears. "This world—this hellish place—I can't bear another second of it... My family, my lover... they turned into monsters right before my eyes... I was once so happy, but now I'm completely alone... I don't know... what meaning there is in staying alive..."
The shaking in his hand grew even worse; his breaths became labored, like an old, broken bellows.
"But… I don't dare die... I don't have the courage to end myself... I tried so many times, but I always back down at the last second, terrified... So I thought, maybe if someone could die with me... maybe then, I'd finally go through with it..."
His gaze grew unfocused, before suddenly snapping onto "Nursery Rhyme"'s face, pleading almost hysterically:
"So... please... die with me... You've had enough of this world too, haven't you? You're like me, aren't you—you've longed to escape this darkness and pain, right? Right? Right?"
"Yes, I've heard your plea. I'll help you, uncle."
"Nursery Rhyme"'s childishly innocent voice gently echoed in the gloomy alley, causing the man to feel strangely dazed for a moment.
After that daze, he suddenly noticed the little girl in front of him had a pair of extremely long ears atop her head.
Strange... had this girl's ears always been this long? Why hadn't he noticed earlier?
"Huh? What big ears you have!"
A voice filled with bewilderment abruptly sounded right next to him, asking precisely the question he'd just been thinking. He jolted violently, looking around wildly, but couldn't find the source of the voice anywhere.
"The better to hear you with, uncle," replied "Nursery Rhyme" softly to the sudden question.
"But… what big eyes you have!"
This time, the man located the source of the voice—it was his own mouth asking the question involuntarily!
At the same time, he clearly saw her eyes: glowing terrifyingly bright in the darkness, a ghostly green mingled with violent scarlet—a pair of wolf-like eyes.
"The better to see you with, uncle."
The shadowy figure responded once more.
He felt the figure before him rapidly expanding, growing larger. Although he hadn't moved, the knife previously pressed against her neck was now being forcefully pushed back, its blade unable to pierce the increasingly twisted, transforming skin.
His other hand desperately clutched her wrist, but as that body expanded madly, he soon found himself barely able to hold onto an arm now thick as a tree trunk.
Again, his mouth moved against his will: "What big hands you have!"
"The better to hold you with."
The enormous shape in the darkness stared down at him with its eerie green eyes. Slowly, it opened its massive mouth filled with razor-sharp fangs, and from its throat emerged not a low growl, but a childishly innocent answer.
The man stood rooted in place, utterly dazed, as his mouth helplessly asked the fourth and final question:
"What a terribly big mouth you have!"
That final question, like a command, triggered the enormous shadow in front of him into sudden, violent motion.
"The better to eat you with!"
The huge wolf spoke these words—and then it acted upon them.
Its monstrous jaws snapped open and, faster than the eye could follow, swallowed the man whole. He didn't even have time to scream.
This horrifying and tragic scene was witnessed clearly by a pair of Civil Security officers who'd hurriedly arrived just then. The shocking visual impact sent a cold chill instantly racing down their spines.
"A Gastrea? Why is a Gastrea here? How did it silently slip through the Monolith's magnetic field and enter the city?"
A giant wolf that walked upright, eyes glowing scarlet—it was understandable they'd mistake it for a Gastrea.
The male Promoter's heart filled with confusion, but the urgent situation before him allowed no time for careful thought.
His Initiator partner's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation she charged forward, her pupils gleaming a blood-red glow identical to Gastrea—a clear sign of the Gastrea Virus activation within a Cursed Child, indicating she'd fully entered combat mode.
The Promoter gritted his teeth, swiftly relaying a hurried message: "Gastrea sighted!" Then, forcing down his surging fear, he steadied his handgun, breathing slowly, ready to provide ranged fire support for his Initiator.
Most Civil Security pairs divided their duties similarly: the Initiator handled close combat, drawing enemy attention and dealing the main damage output, while the Promoter analyzed the situation and provided long-range support with Varanium weapons. If things went badly, the Promoter could abandon the Initiator and escape alone—issuing a final order of "cover the retreat."
Those like Satomi Rentaro, Tendō Kisara, or Hiruko Kagetane, whose combat capabilities exceeded their Initiators, were rare exceptions.
"A wolf-type Gastrea...? No other animal characteristics visible. Could it be a Stage I?"
Gastrea were classified from Stage I upward based on their regenerative abilities and the number of biological genetic factors. A Stage I contained genetic factors from just one species, making its original form easily recognizable. Stage II and above took on increasingly disturbing appearances capable of corrupting sanity.
The Initiator moved swiftly, her petite body pressing low, almost parallel to the ground. Her speed left only a blurry afterimage, less like running and more like a hurricane skimming close to the earth.
Yet her opponent—the massive wolf—didn't even glance at her. It casually swung its huge paw. She narrowly dodged, agilely slipping through the gap under the wolf's outstretched arm, simultaneously slashing viciously at its abdomen with her Varanium claws!
Clang—!
Varanium claws struck the wolf's tough fur, sending sparks flying violently—bright as red-hot iron under a blacksmith's hammer, illuminating the dark alley with blinding brilliance!
The Initiator froze on the spot.
Is this seriously just fur? How could it be this tough!?
That single strike should have sliced a normal Stage I Gastrea clean in two!
The wolf's mouth twisted into a chillingly human smirk. Its enormous paw sliced again through the air, aiming straight for the Initiator's head!
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and the wolf's deadly paw suddenly halted mid-swing. The creature, displaying shocking agility despite its huge frame, instantly leaped onto the wall, precisely dodging the Varanium bullet.
The Promoter's pupils shrank in disbelief—not only was he shocked by the wolf's incongruous speed, but even more by its exaggerated reaction.
His partner's full-force attack couldn't scratch its hide; logically, his handgun bullets shouldn't pose any threat either. He'd been certain it would simply ignore them—yet it had actually dodged?
The giant wolf clung tightly to the wall with sharp claws, casting a wary glance toward the handgun gripped in the Promoter's hands. After a brief pause, it leaped effortlessly onto the rooftop, vanishing from the Civil Security pair's sight in a blink.
"Dammit! It's escaping!"
Both the Promoter and Initiator's eyes filled with panic even greater than before.
What humans feared most about Gastrea wasn't their regenerative abilities or combat prowess—it was their ability to spread infection, to create more of their own kind.
Why had humanity suffered crushing defeat in the war against Gastrea? Partially because human weaponry couldn't completely eliminate Stage V Gastrea, but mostly because humans exterminated Gastrea far slower than they reproduced!
A single Gastrea infiltrating the city—who knows how many civilians it might infect and transform!
Before the Promoter could issue a reminder, his Initiator had already vaulted onto the rooftops, desperately trying to chase after the wolf.
But once she reached the rooftop, there was no trace of the giant wolf.
How is that possible? Such a massive body, and it vanished instantly?
Did it perhaps possess biological factors granting invisibility as well?
A wolf's form, with fur hardened to the strength of steel, and now even invisibility—just how many biological factors did this Gastrea carry?
A Gastrea at least at peak Stage I—likely even Stage II—had infiltrated the Tokyo Area undetected, its whereabouts unknown. Without question, the city's authorities and Civil Security officers were in for serious headaches.
...
Meanwhile, Nursery Rhyme stood quietly in a nearby bookstore, casually flipping through a picture book, seemingly unaware of anything that had happened outside. Yet at a certain moment, she suddenly lowered her gaze thoughtfully toward her own shadow beneath her feet. Slowly, a smile blossomed on her lips—pure and sweet as a camellia flower.
Softly closing the book in her hands, she didn't return it to the shelf. Instead, she walked directly toward the checkout counter, calling sweetly to the older girl behind it:
"Miss! Miss! I'd like to buy this book."
Seeing a cute, lively girl like Nursery Rhyme amid her otherwise boring shift, the store clerk behind the counter couldn't help but smile warmly, as if the area around her had instantly grown brighter.
"Of course... It's Little Red Riding Hood, right? Fairy tales like this were pretty popular ten years ago, though nowadays nobody really reads them."
"I really like this story," said Nursery Rhyme sweetly. Her small hands and head barely peeked over the counter due to her short height, as her bright pink eyes sparkled innocently at the clerk busy ringing up her book. She giggled lightly and continued, "Especially the ending. The hunter fires his gun, defeating the Big Bad Wolf and saving Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother—it's just like a hero's tale, right? An ending where nobody has to sacrifice anything—that's my absolute favorite."
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T/N: oooh thats why mr wolf dodged