*Warning! This chapter is for 18+ only! *
PART III
In a hospital in Chiba, in a bright room, a woman lay on a stretcher bed with closed eyes, taking deep breaths. Her belly bulged, and she lay with legs apart. People in gowns moved around, bustling with various tools, occasionally casting glances at the woman.
*Whoosh*
Suddenly, a cool breeze swept through the room, unnoticed by everyone, even the woman on the bed. A man in a white robe with long white hair appeared, hovering in front of the woman. His skin was pale, his eyes were white, and his body emitted an ethereal glow, casting bright rays in the room, making him resemble a star. He looked at the woman and squinted.
"It's unlike him to make a mistake, but if I don't fix it, there will be disturbances in other places. I hope he comes and fixes it when he realizes."
He flew to the woman, placed his right hand on her belly, and spread his fingers.
"You two should conceal it, so I'll take the gamble."
White smoke emerged from his hands, flying into the woman's belly. The moment he floated away from her, she opened her eyes and began to groan and scream in pain.
"The fucking contractions."
Hideaki looked at the large pile of corpses in front of him, where entrails were torn, and many were missing body parts. He saw Yuki devouring a woman by the throat and looked around. Only three men had survived. He looked at his hands and furrowed his brow.
"Why are they so damn weak? I should have had a whole army by now."
He approached the corpse of a man with one eye, extended his right index finger to his forehead, and a small stream of blood floated from his fingertip, slowly entering the man's forehead.
"He warned me, but also mentioned that the effect would be stronger."
Suddenly, the man's eye moved, and his body twitched. He sat up, gazing at Hideaki. He opened his mouth, but instead of speaking, he began muttering inconsequential words. Hideaki furrowed his brow and looked at his hand.
"What did I do wrong?"
The man stood up and ran around like a confused madman, still muttering strange words.
"He's too weak." said Hideaki, walking to his men and instructing them to continue their hunt.
A few minutes before midnight, a loud baby's cry echoed in a room in the hospital.
"It's incredible how smoothly it went." commented a doctor, looking at the baby in the woman's arms.
The woman smiled, closing her eyes with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"She is beautiful." she remarked.
*Clang*
The sound of tools was lost, echoing in the room. Everyone looked around at each other and then at the woman but saw nothing strange.
"I'll check what the commotion is about." said a doctor, opening the door and stepping outside.
All listened in silence, and the baby had already fallen into a deep sleep. Another male doctor, losing patience, also went outside to check. He didn't return, prompting the others to follow suit. The woman on the bed looked at a nurse and furrowed her brow.
"What's happening outside?"
The nurse shook her head. "It's probably nothing, but I'll check."
She stuck her head out of the door and quickly pulled it back, looking suddenly panicked.
"There's a man acting strangely."
She quickly ran to the woman on the bed, attempting to help her stand.
"Can you walk?"
The woman nodded. "I feel no pain. What's wrong?"
"I feel uneasy about that man, but the others are trying to calm him down. I'm afraid it might wake the baby." the nurse replied with a worried voice.
They stealthily made their way outside and were met by a large group from the hospital trying to calm a man missing an eye.
"Bledoey bægreryyhbrhkl maletoyhdger." he loudly mumbled inconsequential words.
They sneaked past the group, and no one noticed them.
The man suddenly reached out for the arm of a female doctor, who startled and took a step back, but it was too late. Something dark began forming on her hand, spreading quickly to the rest of her body.
"Argh. What's happening to me?" she screamed in shock, trying to wipe it away with her gown, but it wouldn't come off.
The others quickly distanced themselves from her, putting on gloves and grabbing her shoulders.
"Ellen, calm down." a man said nervously.
Ellen gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow. "Calm down?"
She pointed at the man, giving him a sharp look. "He's the one who infected me."
The others furrowed their brows. "His skin isn't dark. Come with us, and we'll look into it."
Some quickly pulled her away as she resisted. "You're complete idiots. It happened right in front of you. How the hell did you get your jobs? The man is clearly sick."
The remaining people looked at the man, and one said, "Sorry, but can you also come with us? You're causing a disturbance with our patients."
"Mfåøltnndd." the man mumbled, looking around.
They quickly began pulling him away from the hallway into a room, and a nurse commented, "How on earth did he get in?"
The woman with the baby in her arms looked at the nurse. "What do you think was going on?"
"I don't know. I've seen as much as you have. How are you holding up?" she replied.
"I..."
*Clang*
*Crash*
There were several strange sounds from the room, followed by screams.
"Argh. Help. I'm turning black."
"It's contagious."
"Keep him away from me."
The women looked at each other, nodded, and sprinted away without looking back. They quickly reached the parking lot and hid behind some tall bushes near thick trees. They sat down, catching their breath while listening attentively. They glanced at each other and then at the baby, still sleeping peacefully.
The nurse gently stroked the baby's head. "Whatever happens, you must escape first. It's a life we must protect."
The woman nodded and tried to stand up cautiously and silently.
"Catch him, he's running away!" a man suddenly shouted.
Her body stiffened, and she quickly sat back down, leaning over the baby, and holding her breath.
The sound of countless footsteps came rushing out, followed by screams and shouts in the background. A moment later, it became completely silent.
"I think they're gone." whispered the nurse.
They quickly stood up, but suddenly, a deep voice spoke.
"Let me take care of that child."
From the darkness behind the woman, an older man suddenly walked towards her. He had long, light hair and was dressed in a white robe and dark eyes and a face full of wrinkles characterized him. He reached his hand towards the woman, gazing deep into her eyes. Automatically, she handed the baby to him.
"What are you doing?" asked the nurse, raising her eyes at the sight.
"I can't raise the child anyway." the woman revealed, feeling embarrassed.
The man took the baby with a gentle motion, covering it in his robe against his chest. With his right index finger, he pointed at the woman's belly.
"I promise to come back exactly one year from now."
He lightly tapped her stomach and added with a friendly face, "You'll be just fine."
He turned around and disappeared into the darkness, leaving complete silence.
The nurse looked at the woman and furrowed her brow.
"Why did you give your child to a stranger?"
The woman smiled, holding her stomach. "I don't know. My body reacted on its own. He didn't seem dangerous."
She looked at the nurse and revealed, looking at her hands, "I come from a spiritual family, and I could sense a good aura around him. I know it sounds strange."
The nurse shook her head and smiled gently. "There are many from spiritual families who live among us. It's not that strange. I believe you, but aren't you worried about your daughter's health?"
"I'm sure my daughter will have a good upbringing with him. After all, we're only talking about a year." The woman smiled and looked up, greeted by a red sky.
She furrowed her brows. "Why is it red?"
The nurse also looked up and furrowed her brows. "Is it some kind of lunar eclipse?"
The woman shook her head. "There is no moon tonight. That's why I came to the hospital. My grandfather once told me that I should give birth to my firstborn exactly today. It must be what he meant."
The nurse looked at the woman. "Okay, now I'm getting a little nervous. Your words make me believe that you really are from a spiritual family."
The woman smiled and extended her left hand towards her. "Come, let's get away from here. The hospital has enough to deal with the strange man."