Attack Of Parasites

On his way to leave for home, Izumi spotted his friend Dekim with Satomi and others by the gate.

"Hey, what's going on? Aren't you guys leaving?" Izumi said as he stopped by the group.

"Homicides, torn meat." Satomi said.

"What do you mean by 'torn flesh'?" Izumi asked, puzzled.

"The murders you've heard about in Tokyo lately," Dekim replied.

"There have been incidents of people being torn to pieces happening in various locations around Tokyo," Satomi said.

"There are also some terrifying videos online," she added.

"What about the killer?!" Dekim asked, while Izumi remained silent, preferring not to dive deeper into the topic.

"They haven't caught him yet. It's hard to believe one person could tear multiple people apart at the same time and in different locations. The crimes are happening throughout Tokyo, and if this continues, it could spread to other prefectures in Japan," Satomi said.

"It's our responsibility to help the police and report anything unusual," one of the students said.

"I bet the number of killers isn't small. It could be an extremist cult or something similar," Satomi added.

"Wait a minute, your dad is a police detective, right Izumi?" one of the students asked.

"Tell us what you know," Satomi urged.

"Hold on, yes, my dad works in the police, but it seems you all know more about this than I do. He just tells me to stay cautious while this period passes, nothing more than that," Izumi replied.

"So that means the police and the government are doing what they need to take down these human monsters," one of the students said.

After hearing the term "human monsters" from one of the students describing the criminals, Dekim and Izumi felt a sense of discomfort, as if the words were directed at them.

At Izumi's house, specifically in his room, he was sitting by the computer with Migi, browsing through online newspapers. A common headline appeared across all these articles: "More Torn Flesh Crimes in Tokyo."

"So, are these more of your kind, Migi?" Izumi asked.

"Definitely," Migi replied, with one eye and the tip of his finger forming a mouth in the palm.

"I realized that while observing the animal the other day. Those who have animal hosts can usually only consume animals, and maybe a specific type of them. And those who have human hosts eat humans. This creates a specialization in meat consumption," Migi explained.

"But the animal we encountered that day was feeding on a delivery worker! That doesn't support what you're saying," Izumi argued.

"What we saw was an exception, and exceptions happen in cases of extreme hunger," Migi replied.

"What are you thinking?" Migi asked after noticing Izumi's silence.

"I'm wondering," Izumi said, resting his face on his left hand.

"Huh! About what?" Migi asked.

"Should we really keep this a secret?" Izumi asked.

"What do you mean?" Migi replied.

"We can't just leave them be; they're killing innocents," Izumi insisted.

"Who shouldn't we leave alone?" Migi questioned.

Izumi stood up, frustrated by Migi's questions. "Listen, don't pretend to be stupid! I know you understand what I mean."

"We're the only ones who know their true nature. More victims will fall if we do nothing, so we have to..." Izumi trailed off, looking away from Migi.

"What?" Migi pressed, following him.

"I'm telling the government about you and allowing them to examine you..." Izumi started.

Migi interrupted, saying, "What are you talking about? I don't understand your logic; we've already discussed this."

"My kind only eats," Izumi replied. "It's natural for living beings to eat. Does it bother you that your kind is being eaten?"

"Of course it does; they are innocent people," Izumi said, annoyed by Migi's casual attitude toward humans.

"What if they aren't innocent? Do you agree that they should be eaten?" Migi asked.

"Human life is precious, isn't it?" Izumi retorted.

"I only value my own life; I don't consider anyone else's life to be of value, so human life doesn't concern me," Migi stated.

Izumi was astonished by what he heard. "I'm sure of it; you're nothing but an animal, a pest, devoid of feelings."

"Is that your attempt to belittle me?" Migi said, his voice trembling with a hint of sadness.

"If you intend to do something that might harm me, I will use all my strength to prevent it," Migi said, his tone dripping with threat.

"Can you continue living if you oppose me?! You're just a parasite," Izumi continued to belittle Migi, trying to convey the message that he was in control and that Migi didn't exist without him.

"I will, of course, protect your life, but I am fully capable of silencing you," Migi formed two sharp parallel knives and moved them close to Izumi's face, causing him to back away and stumble onto the bed.

"I can also take away your senses of sight and hearing," Migi then formed four serrated knives, two near Izumi's eyes and two hovering around his ears.

"Wha...what?" Izumi stammered, unable to utter a word, terrified by the knives brushing against his ears.

Silence filled the room for a few moments, Migi's terrifying eyes gleaming close to Izumi's face, the knives swirling around his ears, eyes, and mouth.

"Do you want to say anything else? I think not. Just relax a bit," Migi concluded the conversation, revealing who was in control and who had the final word.

Izumi's life was hanging by a thread; for the first time, he felt that his life was not his own. Migi had revealed the darker side of his personality and his willingness to assert himself.

Izumi slept for a few hours while Migi, as usual, found his freedom in doing whatever he wanted. Most of his time was spent learning and discovering new things about the world he had become a part of.

"Izumi! Wake up," Migi said.

"What do you want?" Izumi replied in a defeated tone.

"You kept repeating the word 'demon' while you were asleep," Migi said.

"After researching the concept of demons, I found that humans are the closest living beings to that description. Humans kill each other in wars. You don't see human life as precious, as you said earlier. You might be right, depending on the person—who they are and their value in your society. You also feed on many living beings. If we compare you humans to my kind, we find that my kind feeds on only one or two types at most. We are much more economical compared to you," Migi explained while sitting at the computer.

"I don't want to hear your reasoning. People are being killed! I'm the only one who knows the truth about the killers. We've become nothing but minced meat," Izumi said, lying on his bed.

"You humans also turn animals into minced meat without a care," Migi countered.

"I think it's time to get rid of this computer and these books; you've become too chatty," Izumi replied.

"It's eight in the evening; it's time to meet Dekim. Get ready; I can't change my clothes with you like this," Izumi added.

"Where are we going?" Migi asked, returning his right hand to its normal state.

"To the cinema," Izumi said as Migi started changing his clothes.

Izumi stepped out of the house and made his way to the place where he would meet Dekim. The street was bustling with people, and as he leaned against a wall, he watched the passersby—families, children, young adults, and the elderly—wondering which of them might be living their last night.