Hearing those words, Mori Shiraishi did not break into a happy smile. Instead, he furrowed his brows deeply and stared at Simu with suspicion.
"You want to help me? Why?"
Simu gently took off his glasses and exhaled on them, then pulled up his sleeve to wipe them slowly.
"There is no 'why.'"
"If I had to give a reason, perhaps it is because you are brave enough?"
Mori Shiraishi's frown deepened.
"Brave?"
What kind of reason was that? No matter which way Mori Shiraishi looked at it, Simu did not seem like the kind of good person who would lend a hand just because someone possessed a noble quality.
"To be more precise, your courage has made me feel a glimmer of anticipation for your future."
"Of course, the most important thing is that I am curious about what kind of changes would occur if you were implanted with a Kagune."
Simu slowly put his glasses back on. In the dim environment, the lenses reflected a cold, chilling light.
"Kagune?"
Mori Shiraishi had a guess in his heart, and Simu directly confirmed it.
"Correct. The same thing that was implanted into your parents' bodies."
Simu's nonchalant expression instantly caused Mori Shiraishi's anger to boil over. After all, that 'thing' he spoke of so lightly had likely caused his parents to suffer terrible agony!
Mori Shiraishi stared fixedly at Simu, suppressing his internal rage as he asked, "That monstrous thing... you were the one who brought it, weren't you?"
"A monstrous thing? That name isn't entirely wrong."
Simu smiled and nodded slightly, confirming the suspicion.
"You are too weak."
"Human strength is limited. Only by transcending humanity can one obtain truly great power."
Following this, he revealed a playful smile. He flipped his hand to produce a Kagune and asked, "So, do you need this..."
"Monstrous thing now?"
Looking at the crimson, insect-like egg in Simu's hand—a thing that made him feel disgusted and nauseated—the previously furious Mori Shiraishi calmed down rapidly.
Undoubtedly, Mori Shiraishi's heart resisted this object. The problem was that he now knew from Simu that his parents were currently fighting a life-and-death duel in the Octagon Cage to save his life. With his current strength, forget about saving his parents, he couldn't even save himself.
Therefore, the only path left to save his parents seemed to be this one.
"Transcending humanity?"
Even though Mori Shiraishi had no interest in such things and did not agree with Simu's philosophy, he displayed a decisiveness that exceeded Simu's expectations at this moment.
"I'll eat it."
He stood up and asked Simu coldly, "If I eat this, will I really gain enough power to save my parents?"
In the face of the question, Simu extended his index finger and shook it slightly.
"Nothing in this world is absolute. Even the greatest power requires a user with the appropriate capacity."
"So I cannot answer your question. If I must, I can only say..."
"Perhaps."
Faced with Simu's enigmatic remarks, Mori Shiraishi let out a cold "Tch."
Ignoring the boy's rudeness, Simu continued his introduction. "A friendly reminder: eating a Kagune carries a certain probability of immediate death, a certain probability of going berserk, and a certain probability of becoming a Ghoul who transcends humanity."
"Anything is possible. Think carefully before you decide."
"You're so annoying!"
Mori Shiraishi bypassed Simu's warnings, snatched the Kagune from his hand, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Simu smiled slightly and turned to leave the cell. On his way out, a burst of painful roars erupted behind him. Following that, dense, overlapping screams began to ring out continuously.
Dozens of terrifying auras erupted simultaneously as pairs of crimson eyes were lit in the darkness.
That's right. Simu hadn't just given a Kagune to Mori Shiraishi. He had given them to the other slaves in the dungeon as well.
Of course, not everyone was willing to accept Simu's "kindness." However, there were plenty of people who refused to submit to fate and wanted to burn their lives to display one last flash of brilliance.
After all, the brave take all, while the cowardly... eat dust.
The dungeon erupted into a riot.
Painful roars, shattering walls, and wandering wails surrounded Simu like a symphony. He happened to step out of the prison and reached up to slowly push his glasses.
"The hymn of humanity is the hymn of courage."
"I look forward to your performance."
The Octagon Cage Stadium was currently in an uproar.
The spectators were incredibly excited. Even though they were nobles, this was the first time they had seen such a unique performance. The two people in the ring were clearly a loving couple, yet they were forced to use those things called 'Kagune' to try and kill one another.
This dual impact—both spiritual and visual—gave the audience an indescribable sense of pleasure.
"You two, time is almost up."
The ninja Abu's voice rang out across the stage like a reaper.
The expressions on the faces of Shiro Shiraishi and Keiko froze, replaced by a deep bitterness. The end of the time limit meant one of them had to be sacrificed.
"Come, Shiro."
Keiko spoke without hesitation, charging directly at Shiro Shiraishi.
"Keiko..."
Shiro Shiraishi gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling. Keiko appeared to be attacking him, but she was actually leaving herself wide open. As long as he swung his Kagune, he could easily kill her.
That was the only way he and his son would have a hope of survival, and yet...
"Don't hesitate, do it now!"
Keiko urged him in a low voice.
"If the audience notices anything strange, all our efforts will be for nothing!"
Under this crushing mental pressure, Shiro Shiraishi finally swung his Kagune.
Just as the audience revealed expressions of anticipation, believing the performance was finally reaching its climax, a terrifying vibration brought everything to a halt.
"What is going on?!"
Chairman Sakamoto was naturally furious. Before he could understand the situation, the arena doors were violently blown open!
The twisted iron gates and shattered walls, mixed with several mangled human bodies, surged into the venue like a flood. The scene instantly fell into silence.
Within the swirling dust, a burly black shadow emerged. It was Mori Shiraishi, who had smashed his way from the prison all the way to the arena.
At this point, he no longer looked anything like his former self. His entire body was encased in a thick black exoskeleton. Thick blood dripped constantly from his person, emitting a terrifying, murderous aura.
Crimson light flickered in his eyes, making him look like a monster. He was like a fierce wolf king; as soon as he stepped into the venue, the surrounding crowds scattered like a flock of sheep encountering a predator.
Mori Shiraishi bypassed the crowd and walked step-by-step toward the Octagon Cage.
Then, under the watchful eyes of Shiro Shiraishi and Keiko, he grabbed the steel bars with both hands. The exoskeleton on his arms suddenly bulged, and he actually pulled the forearm-thick steel bars apart by sheer force!
Mori Shiraishi opened his mouth, and a breath of bloody mist escaped.
"Dad..."
"Mom..."
"I'm here!"