Ch 10 : The Line Between Man And Monster (3)

Renji sat in the dim light of the safehouse, eyes locked onto the stolen data tablet. The weight of what he had just read settled like a stone in his gut.

The Organization wasn't just hunting down infected individuals.

They were creating them.

Refining the infection into something controllable. Something manufactured.

And that meant—

The abomination he fought on the transport wasn't an accident.

It was a prototype.

A low growl rumbled in Renji's throat. His fingers tightened around the device, claws threatening to crack the screen.

"How bad is it?" Hikaru's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Hikaru leaned against the opposite wall, arms crossed.

Renji exhaled sharply, tossing the tablet onto the table. "Bad enough."

Hikaru's gaze flicked over the data. The further he scrolled, the deeper his frown grew.

"…Mass production," Hikaru muttered. "They're treating this like a weaponized evolution."

Renji didn't answer.

His mind was still processing the bigger problem.

If they had perfected the infection—

Then what the hell did that make him?

---

Hikaru stopped scrolling, his eyes narrowing at something buried deeper in the files.

"…This isn't just about mass production," he muttered.

Renji leaned in, scanning the highlighted section. His stomach twisted.

The Organization wasn't only creating stable mutations.

They were also conducting selective extermination.

The moment an infected became uncontrollable, they were eliminated.

"Perfected Aberrants," Renji murmured, recalling the term from before.

Hikaru clenched his fists. "They're culling people like livestock. They decide who's worth keeping—who's worth perfecting."

Renji's jaw tightened.

This wasn't just about stopping dungeon disasters.

This was engineering a new species.

And the Organization wanted to control it.

---

Before either could say another word—

A knock came at the safehouse door.

Renji and Hikaru froze.

This place was off-grid. Only the two of them knew its location.

Renji silently drew his claws. Hikaru slipped a hand to his pistol.

The knock came again.

Then—

A voice.

"I know you're in there."

The voice was calm. Smooth, deliberate—yet filled with an undeniable weight.

Renji exchanged a look with Hikaru before stepping forward. He wrenched the door open, ready for a fight.

But instead of an enemy—

A lone man stood in the doorway.

He was tall, dressed in a simple dark coat, his hands buried in his pockets. His silver hair glowed faintly under the flickering streetlight.

And his eyes…

They were sharp—too sharp. Like he was looking through them.

Renji didn't lower his guard. "Who the hell are you?"

The man tilted his head slightly, then smiled.

"Shirogane Arata."

The name struck like a hammer.

Renji's blood ran cold.

Shirogane Arata.

The escaped hunter.

The man who fled the Organization.

The man recruiting infected people.

And now—

He was standing at Renji's doorstep.

---

Renji didn't move. Neither did Hikaru.

Shirogane smiled again. "Relax. If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be talking."

Renji's claws didn't lower.

Shirogane sighed. "Alright. Straight to business, then." He stepped forward, and for the first time, Renji felt it.

A pulse of something inhuman.

Not wild, not unstable—

But controlled.

Shirogane's eyes flickered. "You're not the only one who's evolved, Kuroya."

Renji's breath hitched.

Shirogane knew his name.

---

Hikaru spoke first. "What do you want?"

Shirogane chuckled. "You already know. The Organization's coming. It's only a matter of time before they send their next batch of experiments after you."

Renji's eyes narrowed. "And you're here to… what? Recruit me?"

Shirogane's smile sharpened. "No. I'm here to warn you."

Renji frowned.

Shirogane continued. "The Organization's losing control of its own creations. The 'Perfected Aberrants' aren't as stable as they claim."

Renji processed that. "Then why keep making them?"

Shirogane's gaze darkened. "Because they're desperate. Something's coming. Something big."

Renji's pulse quickened. "Explain."

Shirogane hesitated.

Then—

He turned, reaching into his coat.

Renji tensed—ready to strike.

But instead of a weapon—

Shirogane pulled out another tablet.

"This," he said, tossing it onto the table, "is proof."

Renji hesitated. Then he glanced at the screen—

And everything changed.

---

The files showed a dungeon.

But not just any dungeon.

A God-rank.

And the timestamp—

It hadn't appeared yet.

Renji's hands clenched. "Where is this?"

Shirogane met his gaze.

"Tokyo."

A dead silence filled the room.

Renji exchanged a look with Hikaru.

This wasn't a normal dungeon emergence.

The Organization already knew about it.

They had predicted it.

And that meant—

They were prepared.

Shirogane exhaled. "This isn't just another dungeon. It's different." His eyes flickered. "And when it opens… the Organization's real plan begins."

Renji's stomach twisted.

They weren't just experimenting on infected individuals.

They were preparing for something.

Something that required an army of controlled monsters.

Renji took a slow breath.

This changed everything.

Shirogane watched him carefully. "So. What will you do, Kuroya?"

Renji didn't answer.

Not yet.

But deep down—

He already knew.

The war between man and monster was about to begin.

And Renji…

Was standing right in the middle of it.

---

Renji stared at the data tablet.

The words burned into his mind.

A God-rank dungeon.

Not just appearing—but expected. The Organization had been watching, calculating, waiting.

And if Shirogane was right…

This was the real reason behind the creation of Perfected Aberrants.

They weren't just hunting infected.

They were arming themselves.

Renji's claws scraped against the table. His mutation surged beneath his skin, responding to his tension.

"…This isn't just about stopping a dungeon outbreak," Hikaru muttered, still reading. "This is something else."

Shirogane nodded. "They aren't just preparing to contain it. They're planning to control what comes out of it."

Renji's pulse quickened.

The Organization had already crossed the line.

But this—

This was something worse.

Hikaru turned to Shirogane. "And how do you know this?"

A brief silence.

Then, Shirogane smiled slightly. "Because I was supposed to be one of them."

---

Renji's gaze darkened. "Explain."

Shirogane leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "The Organization isn't just experimenting on dungeon-infected people. They've been testing direct dungeon energy infusion."

Renji froze.

Hikaru's eyes widened. "They're… injecting dungeon energy into normal people?"

Shirogane nodded. "Controlled doses. Select subjects. Most of them didn't survive." His voice was eerily calm. "But a few of us… adapted."

Renji felt his breath slow.

He had assumed that his infection—the one binding him to the Ancient Entity—was a rare occurrence. A curse.

But if the Organization had been creating similar mutations—

It meant Renji wasn't as unique as he thought.

Shirogane continued. "They called us Aberrant Prototypes. But they weren't satisfied. They wanted full control." His silver eyes flickered. "So, they kept refining the process… until they reached the Perfected Aberrants."

Renji clenched his fists.

And yet, Shirogane escaped.

"How?" Renji asked.

Shirogane's smile faded. "Because they underestimated me."

The room fell silent.

Then—

Hikaru exhaled. "So, you've been building your own faction ever since?"

Shirogane nodded. "I'm gathering people like us. People the Organization discarded." His eyes locked onto Renji. "People like you."

Renji didn't answer.

Because for the first time—

He wasn't sure where he stood.

---

Renji pushed away from the table. His mind raced.

The Organization was playing a dangerous game.

And if a God-rank dungeon was about to emerge—

He couldn't afford to sit on the sidelines.

But that didn't mean he trusted Shirogane.

"You're telling me all of this," Renji said slowly. "Because you want something."

Shirogane's smirk returned. "Of course."

Renji folded his arms. "Then say it."

Shirogane's gaze sharpened.

"I want you to join me."

Hikaru's head snapped toward him. "Renji isn't—"

But Renji held up a hand.

Because he wasn't surprised.

Shirogane smiled. "We both know you won't survive alone forever. The Organization is already tracking you. And once the God-rank dungeon opens, you'll be their number one target."

Renji didn't react.

Because deep down—he already knew.

Shirogane pushed forward. "You don't have to agree now. But when the time comes…" His eyes gleamed. "Choose wisely."

---

Shirogane left shortly after.

The air in the room was heavy.

Hikaru turned to Renji, expression unreadable. "You're not seriously considering this."

Renji exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I don't trust him. But I also don't trust the Organization."

Hikaru's jaw tightened. "That doesn't mean you should align with another threat."

Renji met his gaze. "I never said I would."

But that didn't ease Hikaru's expression.

Hikaru took a step forward. "We need to leave this city."

Renji frowned. "What?"

He motioned to the files. "If the Organization knows about the dungeon before it even appears, it means they control the information. And that means they already know we have it."

Renji's blood ran cold.

Hikaru was right.

If the Organization was monitoring this God-rank event—

Then they were already moving.

And that meant—

They weren't just coming for the dungeon.

They were coming for Renji.

---

They packed within minutes.

The safehouse was compromised. Staying was suicide.

Renji pulled his hood up, stepping into the cold city streets. Hikaru was close behind.

The moment they left the alley—

Renji felt it.

A shift in the air.

Hikaru tensed. "We're being watched."

Renji nodded slowly.

Then—

The attack began.

A blur of black and silver shot from the rooftops.

Renji barely had time to react before a clawed fist slammed into the pavement—sending concrete flying.

The force rattled his bones.

But the real shock came when he saw the attacker.

A Perfected Aberrant.

---

It wasn't a wild mutation.

It was refined.

The creature's skin gleamed with a metallic sheen, its eyes calculating. There was no hesitation in its movement—only precision.

Renji's pulse spiked.

This was not a normal Aberrant.

This was an assassin.

And it was here for him.

Hikaru fired first. Three rapid shots.

The bullets barely grazed its armor.

The Aberrant moved.

Renji had one second to react before it lunged at him.

He dodged—just barely.

A claw ripped through his coat, narrowly missing his ribs.

Renji twisted—his own claws slashing.

His attack connected.

The Aberrant staggered.

But then—

It grinned.

A pulse of dungeon energy erupted from its body.

Renji barely had time to shield himself before a shockwave sent him crashing into a parked car.

Pain exploded in his ribs.

But before he could recover—

The Aberrant was already moving again.

It was too fast.

Too strong.

Renji gritted his teeth.

This wasn't a normal fight.

This was a test.

The Organization wasn't just hunting him.

They were measuring him.

To see if he was still worth controlling.

---

A familiar voice echoed in Renji's mind.

You know what to do.

Renji's fingers curled. His vision darkened.

The Ancient Entity stirred.

The infection pulsed.

And in that moment—

Renji let go.

Dungeon energy rushed through his veins. His muscles twisted. His claws lengthened.

And when he looked up—

The Aberrant hesitated.

For the first time—

It felt fear.

Renji vanished.

And when he reappeared—

The fight was over.