Chapter 8 – Do I… Use My Mouth?
....
The moment Kihara passed the entrance of a dim alley, a sharp sound tore through the air from his right.
Instinctively, he glanced sideways—just in time to see a fist-sized, sticky white mass of spiderweb hurtling straight toward his head.
His heart skipped a beat.
Without thinking, he threw himself forward.
Splat!
The web missed him and struck a nearby utility pole instead. The area it touched immediately began to hiss and melt, releasing eerie green smoke.
This thing was clearly trying to kill him.
Kihara didn't hesitate. He pulled out the Faiz belt and transformation device.
"Henshin!"
"Complete!"
If the enemy was going all-out, he had no reason to hold back. Better to regret morally than end up dead, that was his rule.
Now transformed, he finally saw his attacker clearly a grotesque spider-like humanoid with multiple legs sprouting from its back.
After its ambush failed, the creature didn't charge again. Instead, it spat out large amounts of webbing, blocking off all direct paths, then turned and fled.
"Wait—are you seriously named Tang or something!?"
Kihara didn't expect it to just run.
He hesitated, should he chase straight through or circle around?
Then—
"Help!!!"
A familiar voice rang out.
"…Rikka!?"
His expression hardened.
"So you're targeting both me and my classmate? You've got a death wish."
He lowered his stance and burst forward.
The alley was filled with corrosive webbing. As he forced his way through, the strands scraped against his armor like razor blades, sparks flying.
He wasn't injured but the effort came at a cost.
His hunger surged violently.
The Faiz armor boosted his physical abilities, but it also consumed energy. And since he hadn't eaten properly, every movement drained him faster.
Finish this fast… then food.
Breaking through to the other side, he saw her.
Rikka.
She was running for her life, dodging webs with surprising agility, using street signs and lamp posts as cover.
But it wasn't enough.
Each time the web hit metal, it melted instantly.
Her options were running out.
Worse—the monster wasn't trying to kill her immediately.
It was playing with her.
Fear crept in, freezing her limbs.
Her thoughts slowed.
Her body refused to move.
She stood there, trembling, watching the monster approach.
Someone… please…
Her vision blurred with tears.
Am I… going to die here?
Mom… Namiko… Ren…
She slowly closed her eyes.
Then—
"Crimson Drill!"
A shout shattered the moment.
A piercing impact followed, then the sound of something disintegrating into dust.
Before she could even react, she was shoved backward.
Thud!
"Ow—!"
Rikka fell, hitting her head against the wall.
Rubbing the back of her head, she opened her eyes.
And froze.
A boy's face was buried directly in her thighs.
"Ki… Kihara!?"
The monster was gone.
Instead, the popular boy from class had tackled her like a total creep.
Her brain completely short-circuited.
"Hungry… so… hungry…"
He muttered weakly… then went limp.
Rikka blinked.
Then realization hit.
He… saved me?
His breathing was faint. His body was burning hot.
Something was clearly wrong.
Gritting her teeth, she pulled him off her lap and struggled to lift him, draping his arm over her shoulder.
"Rikka!? What's going on!?"
A red-haired woman holding groceries rushed over—it was her mother.
"Mom, don't just stand there—help!"
"Ah—right!"
Together, they carried Kihara into their shop, "JUNK SHOP", their family's second-hand store.
"Mom, get something cold for his forehead, I'll make food!"
"Got it."
This was the first time Rikka had ever been this panicked.
Watching her, her mother's expression turned thoughtful.
"…Don't tell me she likes this boy?"
She quickly brought an ice pack and placed it on his forehead.
Then she peeked into the kitchen.
"…Porridge?"
Her eye twitched.
"This silly girl… he sounds like he's starving to death and she's making something that takes half an hour!?"
She rushed in and pushed Rikka aside.
"Go grab milk and bread first! He needs food now!"
"Ah—!"
Flushing red, Rikka hurried to the fridge.
Moments later, she returned with milk and bread.
She gently touched his face, his temperature had gone down slightly.
Then—
"Grrr…"
His stomach growled loudly.
"Pfft—!"
She couldn't help but laugh.
Quickly, she opened the milk, inserted a straw…
…then froze.
He was unconscious.
How was she supposed to feed him?
Her mind blanked.
Then—
A dangerous thought appeared.
Do I… feed him… with my mouth?
Steam practically burst from her head.
Her face turned bright red.
....
Thank you for reading.