The cadaver remains of an incomplete structure loomed around them, with rusting scaffolding and half-formed concrete pillars creating lengthy shadows in the weak shine of distant lamps.
The wind howled through the hollow structure, delivering a scent of dust and rot.
The creature stood at the edge of the damaged site, its body scarcely human, sewn together with flesh other than its own.
A sinuous giggle came from its lips, wet and thick, as if too many voices whispered beneath its words.
"A vampire and a ghoul… Quite the intriguing pair of sisters." It exhaled, tilting its head. "I wonder how you'll taste together."
He spectated as the girl inched closer towards his direction.
The thing's amusement faltered, twisting into a disappointed groan. "Such a letdown, I was hoping to see you drowning in despair… and was savoring the thrill of the hunt—only for you to ruin it."
Then its grin returned, splitting its face in an unnatural arc.
"I…suppose, the fun is over. Which means I'll have to kill you first, then enjoy my meal properly."
It moved.
Nyx exploded forward in response, boots scraping against the cracked concrete, her body a blur of crimson motion.
The augmented flesh plating on her arms gleamed in the dim light, and her heart raced in her chest—but her mind was serene.
Sera needs blood to survive.
Human blood at that.
To accomplish that.
Nyx had to finish this quickly.
The monster stood strangely still, its mismatched limbs quivering as if barely holding together.
Then, it convulsed.
A horrible wet rip reverberated across the area.
A jagged blade of bone and shredded skin sprang from its right forearm, almost as long as her torso.
Veins pumped throughout its hideous surface, and muscle moved as if it were still alive.
The smell of rotten blood hit her like a wall.
She hardly had time to respond before it swung.
She whirled abruptly, darting to the side as the big blade crashed down.
Nyx landed in a crouch, eyes locked onto the abomination.
Too fast.
That creature was much faster than its ugly appearance indicated. She had already experienced it firsthand.
It turned to face her, lips pulling back over jagged, uneven teeth. "you dodged that?"
He gazed at her eyes and chuckled, "....You are becoming anxious….Want to save your sister?"
The voice was strange, guttural and moist, as if too many throats were speaking at once.
"Shut up, scum." Nyx's tone was sharp, laced with disdain. "Not only have you broken the imposed law against cannibalism, but you've also succumbed to corruption."
After a brief pause the creature giggled eerily.
It was Low, wet and unnatural.
It swelled, bubbling into a full-blown, howling laughter.
"....Corruption? What corruption?" The abomination's voice slithered through the air, thick with mockery. "All I see is power, boundless power. The power to conquer, to crush weaklings like you who cower behind outdated rules."
It took a slow, deliberate step forward, its grotesque form twitching with manic energy.
"You allow humans to roam free? To consume us, to feast on our Kakuhou and grow stronger than us? Pathetic."
The creature's jagged mouth stretched into a grotesque grin.
"We are ghouls, the predators, the apex of the food chain…..Unlike those, Lycans, bloodsuckers or those frail little humans, we don't pretend to be something else....And yet, you would let yourselves be shackled by laws meant to cage us?"
It spat blood on the ground, eyes glinting with contempt.
"Laws? Rules? Those are for weaklings. Like you. Like your sister."
Its muscles tensed, veins pulsing with barely restrained hunger.
"Strength is the only truth that matters."
Nyx's expression didn't change.
Words wouldn't change anything.
Her weight shifted. Feet planted firmly on the cracked concrete.
The next strike would determine who controlled the fight's rhythm.
She had no intention of letting it set the pace.
Nyx lunged forward.
The abomination responded in kind, its massive, grotesque blade stabbing straight toward her throat.
The jagged edge gleamed dully under the dim light, inches away from ripping through her neck—
But she met it head-on.
Her flesh gauntlet-clad arm shot up, reinforced muscle and hardened flesh colliding with a deafening crack.
*Clang*
The sheer force sent a shockwave rippling through the air, the impact strong enough to deflect the fatal blow.
In the brief opening, she twisted her hips and launched a devastating kick at its head.
*Crunch*
A sickening crunch echoed as her heel smashed into the creature's skull, snapping its neck in the opposite direction.
But since her mother had taught her that hesitation meant death, she didn't stop to consider the outcome.
The flesh plating along her arm shifted and morphed.
Clawed extensions tore forth, jagged and barbed, a perfect weapon for tearing flesh apart.
Nyx struck upward.
There was little time for the monster to respond.
Her claw's sharp point ripped through its flesh and exploded into the opening.
The abomination's grotesque eyes went wide.
A sharp, wet sound filled the air.
Ribs cracked.
Lungs collapsed.
And then… the blood sac ruptured.
Its entire body trembled horribly. Muscles seized as its body weakened visibly, and the hideous weapon that protruded from its arm twitched wildly before retreating.
Its movements decreased and the once-intense greed for hunger in its eyes subsided without the blood sac sustaining its regeneration.
Nyx didn't think twice.
She tightened her clawed grip on its still-beating heart with sheer strength and crushed it brutally.
The beast let out a hideous gurgle.
Its body convulsed violently.
With a heavy thud, the abomination collapsed to its knees, its arms slack, the malformed blade now limp and useless.
Nyx exhaled, her breath ragged, her body tense with the remnants of battle-high.
It was over.
Silence prevailed throughout the abandoned construction site.
Now she has to hurry, to save Sera.
"......"
She attempted to pull her arm free,
But her arm did not come out.
It was stuck.
Suddenly, the flesh around the infected ghoul's chest began to writhe.
The wound did not bleed. It did not heal.
Instead—
It split apart.
A grotesque mass of gnashing, serrated mouths tore open along its flesh, a spiraling pit of teeth and hunger.
With a sickening crunch, the mouths bit down on her hardened tendrils, ripping through flesh and plating like they were devouring it alive.
Nyx's eyes widened in horror
She has surely crushed his blood sac along with his heart.
But this bastard was still alive!!
Before she could react, a wet, sickening squelch tore through the air.
Something ruptured from his stomach, a jagged mass of flesh and bone, dripping with viscera, and before she could move, it impaled her chest.
A searing, unbearable agony erupted from her sternum.
Her breath hitched. The world blurred.
Nyx staggered, body betraying her, the pain spreading like wildfire.
Her heart was… pierced.
Her lungs fought for air as blood erupted from her mouth, but every breath came shallow, trembling. Her fingers twitched, reaching toward the grotesque weapon that had burrowed through her body.
A rasping chuckle, broken and hoarse, left his throat.
"Got you."
His voice slithered past her ears, thick with triumph.
Its body twisted unnaturally, using the new mouths to wrench her off balance, before its other clawed limb came crashing down toward her gut.
She barely had a second to react.
*BOOMM!*
The impact was brutal.
A thunderous shockwave tore through her body as its clawed hand connected.
A sickening crack filled the air, her ribs fractured, then snapped.
She barely registered the pain before she was sent hurtling backward, blood spewing from her lips in a violent spray.
Her bloody body slammed against rusted scaffolding, the force collapsing the weakened metal as
she crashed through it, rolling over shattered concrete before skidding to a stop.
She gasped for air, but due to the blood, it came out in choking, breathless heaves.
Her chest burned.
She can not regenerate anymore. Her blood reserves were empty.
Every movement caused her cracked ribs to grind against each other, and every breath felt like a sharp blade piercing her insides. Her fingers twitch.
The dust settled.
And across from her, the creature stood tall, laughing and hungry.
It remained.
And now, now it was ready to devour her completely.
—--
A/N : Before you have any doubts, I have some things I wanted to make clear.
First of all, as you all know, I can't just casually drop, "Oh yeah, their bloody weapons are called Kagune, and the blood sacs are Kakuhou, their uses, definition and types." That would be like spoiling a murder mystery on page one—boring and lazy. The fun is in the slow burn, letting you piece things together like a detective (or a serial killer, no judgment).
Same goes for Nyx and Serah's names. Gotta let them breathe before slapping labels on them.
Now, the second point is research. Oh boy. I had to dive deep into ghoul biology, their anatomy, and, more importantly, all the ways they can die. (Because let's be honest, that part is important.) And since this is my world, I also get to play God and tweak the rules—adding new weaknesses, more abilities, and maybe even an existential crisis or two.
And lastly, expect more species, biological and relational changes as I see fit. If something feels weird, unnatural, or like it came from a fever dream, congratulations! That means you're paying attention. Enjoy the chaos.