After a few moments, Dekim arrived, and they headed toward the cinema to watch "Naruto: The Last."
"Dekim..." came a call from Hidari.
"There's someone close by!" Hidari added.
"One of my friends, he's among the viewers to your left," Migi said.
Izumi turned to his left and asked, "Which one?"
"It's hard for me to pinpoint him with so many people around," Migi replied.
"What about you, Hidari?" Dekim asked.
"I can't exactly identify who it is," Hidari said.
"We need to get out of here; we can't risk sitting here. One wrong move, and we might end up fighting to the death!" Migi warned.
"Dekim, let's leave," Izumi agreed with Migi. The hall was packed to the brim, and one mistake could lead to a bloodbath.
"Quick, he recognized us! He's following us!" Migi urged.
"Maybe he wants to invite us to join a cannibal cult!!!" Izumi said with a smile on his face.
Izumi appeared calm this time, walking confidently through the alleys and staying out of sight. Dekim walked beside him, clearly anxious. It was the first time he would meet a stranger who supported a parasite.
"Izumi, where do you think you're going?" Migi queried about Izumi's behavior.
"He's about 40 meters away, right behind you," Migi added.
"I want to face this killer head-on," Izumi said confidently.
"Don't act recklessly; you'll get yourself and your friend killed," Migi warned.
"Don't worry, it's two against one. You have to protect us," Izumi replied.
"I doubt he'll follow the same instincts as an animal," Migi said.
"What animal, Izumi?!" Dekim's worry intensified.
"No one will see us here, right?" Izumi asked.
They reached an empty square block and headed toward the underground garage. The lighting was dim, and it was a spacious area, perfect for waiting for the person who was following them. Migi and Hidari were on high alert.
"Understanding human logic is difficult. Last time you were about to wet yourself from fear, and now you want to confront it. Why?" said Miggy.
"Miggy, what happened last time?" asked Dekim.
"The same thing that is about to happen now—a fight to the death," Miggy replied.
"What!!! A fight to the death!!!" Dekim exclaimed, horrified.
"Many people have been killed..." Izumi said, his thoughts turning to his family and Murano.
"Are you saying we should stand by and watch them tear people apart? I will fight for humanity!" Izumi raised his right hand to eye level, speaking loudly.
"For humanity!!! I understand," said Miggy.
"And I need your help to do that, Miggy, and your help too, Hideri. Help us," Izumi pleaded.
"Five meters," Hideri said.
The sound of the final step was heard; someone in their forties had arrived, with a frightening scar on the left cheek, disheveled hair, dark circles under his eyes, wearing a gray suit and a tie, exhaustion clearly visible on his face.
"I see the brain has survived intact!" the strange man said in a rough voice. "He is indeed in danger," his eyes widened and his forehead wrinkled as he added.
"Shut up, you monster!" Izumi said fearfully.
"What?" The strange man took three steps forward as he noticed Izumi's fear.
In that moment, Miggy and Hideri moved in unison for two meters. Miggy wielded three curved knives formed from the ends of three fingers, with eyes and a mouth in the center of his palm. Hideri brandished four swords made from the ends of his fingers, of medium length and thin thickness, with a Dobby-like eye at the end of his thumb.
"Don't come any closer! I'll kill you if you make another move," Miggy warned.
"I understand your position, but you can teleport to me, right hand," the strange man said, halting his movements.
"Teleport!" Miggy replied, somewhat confused.
"It's no longer a viable option right now," he continued after a moment of contemplation.
"What? You still have much to learn," the strange man stepped forward and said, "Teleporting from a simplified structure like an arm to the brain is complex, if not impossible."
"But it would be easy from one arm to another. You are lucky—right hand and left hand—you won't fight over the teleportation," the strange man added.
The strange man's face split vertically in half, forming a massive Venus flytrap surrounded by a sharp, serrated iron band, with each tip of the flower's petals turning into a huge weapon.
Like someone preparing to take flight, the strange man opened his arms. In the blink of an eye, he simultaneously severed his right and left hands with his massive weapon, leaving the boys—including Miggy and Hideri—stunned. Dekim couldn't bear the sight of blood gushing from the arms that splattered across his face; he began to vomit. Izumi froze in place, paralyzed with fear at the horrific scene before his eyes.
The man discarded his hands in an instant, aiming to persuade Miggy and Hideri to teleport and form an unstoppable monster within one body.
"So? I've made space just for you two. Do you believe me now?" the strange man said. "Come now, both of you, take the place of my right and left hands. We will be stronger as one host." He leaned forward and added, "Get rid of these worthless beings and come. I'm losing valuable blood. If we unite in this body, we can live for over 200 years." The area was flooded with blood, the strange man continued.
"M-M-Miggy," Izumi stammered, fearful for his fate and life, his voice trembling.
"N-no," tears streamed down Dekim's face, as if he were certain it was the end, he said, surrendering.
Miggy and Hideri remained frozen, deep in thought, hesitating to make a decision. They wondered what would happen if one of them joined and the other did not—would it lead to a fight to the death against the one who refused to join?
"You are testing my patience!!! Why the hesitation!!! Let me offer you a service by cutting off these humans' heads," the strange man exclaimed, brandishing his weapon in preparation for an attack.
The strange man launched a rubbery attack with his weapons, swinging them towards Izumi and Dekim, who were just a few meters away. In a flash, the man's sword reached Izumi's and Dekim's necks!!!
Miggy and Hideri intervened in a microsecond, saving the boys from certain death. Izumi's right hand and Dekim's left hand successfully blocked the attack just in time. The clash of swords created a shower of sparks, temporarily blinding the boys. As soon as the rubbery hands defended, the attack was reversed. The strange man didn't have enough time to defend himself, and the result was the severing of his rubbery limbs, up to his head. Miggy separated the man's head from his body, while Hideri delivered a horizontal strike to the abdomen with his thin swords, effectively splitting the body in half.
Blood was everywhere, as if a cloud had passed overhead and rained blood. The upper half lay next to the lower half, completely severed from the body. Miggy plunged his knives into the face of the strange man, who was now lying on the ground after being detached from his body, transforming his face into a flat, two-dimensional shape.
"Are you... are you angry? How dare you!!!" the strange man said with difficulty.
"My... body!" was the last thing the strange man uttered before his limbs faded and lost their color.
Miggy returned to his normal right-hand form after adding the strange man to his list of victims, this time with the help of Hideri, who had formed a team alongside him.