The Cadaver's Best Friend
It had been quite a long time since I started working as an Enforcer. Usually, grueling work comes with a commensurate reward. And finally, I received the compensation for my long ordeal: a so-called "new recruit's leave." It was a bit early, but I suppose the more dangerous the job, the faster the vacation comes. Besides, the last month had been exceptionally incident-filled.
Anyway, it was truly wonderful to escape the Enforcer sector, which was always filled with nothing but dreary, stuffy men. The only downside was that once I was actually out, I had nothing to do. The sun was shining brightly, and the breeze felt refreshing, which put me in a good mood. Petals fluttering in the wind caught my eye. Hmm... at this rate, my vacation is going to end before I know it. Still, I couldn't just spend the whole break staring blankly into space.
Just as I was about to move, a new friend from far away sent me a signal. Perfect timing! I should go pay them a visit~
The sewer I approached had more signals than I had expected. I thought there would be at most one or two, but the friends I could feel now numbered at least sixty. To think there were this many friends here—could it be that a surprise party was being held in this place? If it's a party, I certainly can't be left out.
I walked slowly into the depths of the sewer. There was nothing visible on the surface, but I could hear all sorts of trashy noises. Soon, I discovered a new friend. Its arms were grotesquely long compared to its body, and it was so thin that its skin was practically glued to its bones.
"Kee-ek?"
The friend tilted its head, looking at me as I suddenly appeared. I waved my hand at the confused, ugly friend.
"Kee-ek!"
Unfortunately, the ugly friend and I didn't share a language. But that’s okay! I immediately understood the friend's intentions. The guttural monster-cries flowing from its mouth. The limbs flailing about as if they were about to leap out. It was clear that the sewer friend was welcoming me.
I, too, waved the hand I had raised with great vigor. The sewer friend, who had been running toward me in joy, split in half.
-Splash.
The friend, now split in two, rode the sewer's rapids and drifted far away. The first ugly friend had failed to welcome me properly. But that’s okay! There were still plenty of friends waiting for me.
Our ugly friends seemed to be quite shy, as they were hiding in places that were hard to see. For instance, in small pipes where water flowed out, or under the surface of the water where the light couldn't reach. Honestly... they have the confidence to welcome me more than anyone once they actually find me!
But tell me, why would there be cadavers in a place like this? In truth, if anyone were to pull off something like this, it would only be the Doctor, but even so, this place is far away from the research lab. At first, I thought the one or two hiding here were just strays that had drifted in. But to have them gathered in such numbers? It makes one suspicious. Specifically, I can only think that there is some sort of purpose behind it.
Still, well... our friends aren't exactly that strong. It would be a miracle if they didn't get killed by the scary men, let alone manage to ambush anyone. But could they at least cause a small distraction? In fact, it's a loss just to have the scary men's attention drawn to this place. These ugly friends were so weak that, frankly speaking, they would have a fair fight against an adult woman. Should I call it excessive force? Well, it's fine to use excessive force to protect the safety of the sector, but the problem is that whenever these ugly friends move, the situation probably won't be that relaxed.
Alright. I've decided. As always, a Dark Knight is necessary in every era. Honestly, how did the people at the Defense Bureau plan to stop the Doctor if I wasn't around?
As I nodded to myself, the ugly friends hiding here and there began to welcome me, letting out "Kee-ek!" sounds. Their momentum was excellent, but since they had so little flesh on their bodies, their running gait was extremely precarious. If someone were to trip those fragile ankles, they would fall in a pathetic heap. Ugh, they're so pitiful.
With the Doctor's current skills, making these friends stronger should be a piece of cake. Seeing them approach while shedding blood and flesh, I felt like tears were about to pour out of my mouth. They probably wouldn't taste very good, but our ugly friends are excellent lumps of protein. I should dispose of them without leaving a trace.
I sprouted dozens of tentacles from my body for the friends rushing toward me. Each tentacle had a large mouth attached to it, and each one was big enough to swallow our friends in a single gulp. A friend with slightly short arms, a friend who was severely ugly, a friend with no legs flailing about—everyone, without exception, was swallowed by the tentacles.
-Crunch, crunch.
Inside the tentacles, the sound of sewer friends' bones and flesh being crushed rang out clearly. The sewer friends were neatly disassembled, dissolved by stomach acid until their forms were unrecognizable.
The surroundings were engulfed in silence. Since there were no friends left to welcome me, the excitement I had felt subsided a little. But that's okay. There are still countless friends left to welcome me!
How much had I chewed on the ugly friends? Eating in a daze, I realized there wasn't much of the sewer left to go. Huh? When did so much time pass? There were so many friends, but now there were only a few left. Furthermore, the friends who had been so actively welcoming me had already turned their backs on me.
Our friends are a bit immature. Just because they turn their backs doesn't mean I disappear. It seems they wanted a "visiting service." Yes, since the friends welcomed me until now, it's my turn.
I followed the signals I could feel straight away. I could hear "Kee-ek" sounds from all over, but since the sound echoed, it was difficult to pinpoint their exact locations. One ugly friend was in a small pipe where water was leaking. I carefully pulled it out and tossed it into the inside of a tentacle.
-Crunch, crunch!
Another ugly friend gave up on hiding and started running away quickly. Huh? That's outside, so it's a bit of a problem if you go out there? I extended a tentacle and swallowed the ugly friend in one gulp. Now that we have become one, the ugly friend's dream is fulfilled just by me going outside. Medetashi, medetashi.
The last remaining ugly friend was unexpectedly dignified. It just stared at me steadily. Its appearance was also a bit unique, or should I say, it looked relatively normal? Anyway, it was the closest to a human form. I gently wrapped the last friend with a tentacle.
-Crunch, crunch!
Now, the all-too-familiar sound of a creature's bones being miserably crushed echoed. I swallowed the properly disassembled friend through the tentacle. Ugh... I think I ate too much. I feel a bit bloated, you know? It's to the point where I wouldn't have a problem even if I starved for a week.
But... something... feels strange. Should I say that inspiration is suddenly popping into my head? Is it like the blueprint for creating cadaver friends—which I didn't know and which have now left my side—is being engraved into my brain in real-time? Could this be my new ability?
My heart began to pound. Personally, it looks completely useless, but still... since I've already obtained it, I can't just not use it, right? No one knows how this useless ability will develop in the future!
I sprouted several branches of tentacles from my body. The tentacles, which had sprouted randomly from my body, soon began to entangle in a complex way. They wove together like slugs and merged at the ends. The shape created first was just a round lump of flesh. It looked more like a meatball made by grinding up a corpse than a living creature. It was hard to believe that life could be born from this.
I sprouted even more tentacles. The tentacles I sprouted now were to manipulate the "friend-creation meatball" more efficiently. Since I had completed the basic base for creating an ugly friend, if I refined this well, a new friend would be born. In fact, one way or another, it's all a part of me, but I used tentacles because I felt like it would be unpleasant to touch it with my hands.
The round lump of flesh gradually took form. The parts where the face would be and where the limbs would emerge first began to become bumpy. As I continued to manipulate it, the body's form soon became as clear as a human's. No, it's a bit ambiguous to call it human. Because a bizarre friend, looking even more terrible and weak than the friends in the sewer, had been born. Well, the first time is always clumsy, right? Yes.
But forget human, it's questionable whether I should even call this a living thing. Perhaps "meat mannequin" would be a more appropriate expression. Still, is this my first child? If so, I have now become a mother!
As a mother, my impression was the same as the beginning. So, where do I use this?