As Amano Hiro's sharp command echoed through the ruins, a faint coughing sound came from the dust-filled air, sounding unmistakably like a young girl.
Sure enough, as the smoke cleared slightly, three small, thin girls in tattered cloaks appeared.
They looked to be around ten years old, their faces dirt-streaked, but their eyes were unashamedly bright crimson Kakugan.
The girl at the front revealed herself, and a bone-white tail kagune shot out behind her. Baring her teeth, she assumed a ferocious stance, muttering a string of unintelligible words in an odd, archaic tone:
"Nimgen shishi senmin?!" (Who are you?!)
Eto's brows immediately furrowed. The pronunciation was strange, the grammar chaotic, she couldn't understand a word.
"Who are you? Why are you following us?" she demanded sharply. Her kagune flared, ready to strike if the answer was anything but satisfactory.
Amano Hiro stepped forward, gently patting Eto's shoulder to calm her.
"Relax. They mean no harm. If I'm right, they are the 'natives' of this underground world."
"'Natives'?" Eto blinked, staring in disbelief at the three wary girls. "There... are still living natives here?"
"Yes," Amano Hiro nodded, scanning the lifeless ruins.
"They are likely the descendants of humans who were buried here over a hundred years ago, when the first One-Eyed King 'Dragon' awakened and the entire city sank underground."
"Human descendants?" Eto's shock deepened. She pointed at their conspicuous Kakugan and tails. "But they're ghouls!"
"In a way, yes... and no," Amano Hiro explained. "They weren't born ghouls.
They were gradually corrupted and transformed by RC cell toxins, or rather, the radiation, unintentionally released by the Dragon.
The result is what you see now: 'acquired ghouls' with Kakugan and kagune."
"Dragon transformation... it has such horrifying side effects?" Eto shivered.
"I'll explain later," Amano Hiro said, indicating that there was more pressing business.
Meanwhile, the three girls exchanged glances, clearly seeing the two strangers as a serious threat.
A sharp shriek escaped them, and all three tails darted like venomous snakes toward Eto, the apparent leader.
For Eto, the attack was almost comical. She didn't even unleash her full power, simply swinging her kagune arms with precise force, sending all three girls sprawling to the ground.
"Ah! Ho tonga!" (Ah! That hurts!) the girls cried, tumbling in pain, then began shouting at Eto in rapid, incomprehensible words. But the anger and defiance in their voices were clear.
Truly, young and fearless.
Eto frowned. "What are they saying?"
Amano Hiro listened with keen interest. "It's probably a dialect of Japanese that evolved over a hundred years in an isolated underground environment. The pronunciation and grammar have changed drastically. But..." he smirked slightly, "I can understand it."
He had used the [Language Learning Scroll] before, and could even comprehend primitive languages of cannibal tribes, so a heavily accented dialect was trivial.
"I'll 'communicate' with them," Amano Hiro told Eto, then turned to the three girls.
By now, the girls had helped each other to stand.
They posed identically: arms crossed, faces tilted, rolling their deadpan eyes, attempting to mask inner panic with a tough exterior as they glared at Amano Hiro and Eto.
Amano Hiro's relaxed expression immediately vanished.
He focused his thoughts, and the Carnage form on his right arm writhed violently, instantly forming a massive, grotesque blade taller than any of the girls, its edges gleaming with cold light.
Without hesitation, he spat out two cold words in their strange dialect:
"Come here!"
The girls simultaneously snorted, stubbornly turning their heads aside, feet rooted to the ground.
Amano Hiro narrowed his eyes. The giant blade slowly lifted, dark red energy coursing along it, its threat unmistakable, poised to strike the ground next to them.
The three girls' bravado vanished instantly, their faces draining of color.
After exchanging glances, they finally surrendered to their fear, shuffling forward in tiny steps.
"Sit here," Amano Hiro commanded, tapping the ground with the tip of his blade.
The girls froze, reluctant, faces etched with defiance.
This time, Amano Hiro didn't bother speaking. He raised the massive blade again, the edge slicing faintly through the air.
The effect was immediate.
With a few soft thuds, the three girls obediently sat side by side, hands placed neatly on their knees, faces upturned, blinking innocently, a complete contrast to their earlier arrogance.
These girls had clearly grown wild in this harsh underground ruin, fiercely independent. No ordinary methods could have brought them into compliance.
Amano Hiro casually sat on the ground, calm eyes watching them. "How many others of your kind are here?"
Hearing this, the girls' alertness returned. The leader craned her neck. "Why should we tell you?"
"We mean no harm," Amano Hiro softened his tone. "We're here to help. Food... must be scarce here, right?"
The word "food" worked like magic. No sooner had he said it than their stomachs betrayed them with loud gurgles.
Instinctively, they pressed their hands to their hollow bellies, eyes betraying their hunger.
Amano Hiro noticed this. "Take us to your elders, the ones who make the decisions. We can get you out of this sunless place, to the world above where there's plenty of food."
The leader's eyes wavered slightly, but years of survival had made her cautious. "Why should we trust you? Hmph... unless... unless you give us food right now!" She lifted her chin, trying to gain the upper hand.
Amano Hiro raised a brow. Clever kid, negotiating already.
Where could he find food on the spot? With no system storage, he had to improvise. Suddenly, an idea struck.
Under the stunned gaze of Eto and the three girls, Amano Hiro grabbed his left arm with his right hand and yanked-
Shhhh!
He tore it off! Blood spurted instantly.
"Hiro! What are you doing?!" Eto shouted in shock.