Back in the bounds of the New Shinkotsu, the celebration of all that today brought was in full swing.
And in a certain alleyway that reeked of urine and rot, echoing the muffled thrum of the celebration drifting in from the street, nothing moved.
Until-
-HURK.
A wall gagged with a wet, sucking hurk that echoed like a butchered animal.
A black tar-like maw erupted, spitting out a human shape like a hairball before-
-THUD.
Luger slammed into the wet filth, his limbs flailing in a desperate, uncoordinated scramble as he clawed at the stone to put distance between himself and the wall before curling into a tight fetal ball while white foam gathered at the corners of his trembling lips.
His eyes rolled back in their sockets, while high-pitched, broken whimpers tore from his throat.
And the next moment, the darkness within that maw moved.
