Everything is Anime!

By using his cheat ability, not only could Hikaru improve through daily training, but battling enemies likewise increased his strength.

Because of this, he never shied away from unexpected incidents; in fact, if something were to happen, he'd be quite happy to dive right in.

Even though these thoughts raced through his mind, in reality, only about three seconds had passed.

Seeing Hikaru stand there without moving, the woman assumed he had been boasting earlier and was now paralyzed by fear, especially since she was showing no sign of backing down. With her prey unable to escape, she felt no need to rush and began thinking about where to start feasting.

She ran her tongue over her lips, eyeing the man's handsome face and impressive build.

Maybe... she ought to have a bit of fun with him before eating him?

Yes, that would be...

Ssch!

Under cover of darkness, a faint gleam flashed. A longsword, faintly glowing, suddenly appeared in the man's hand.

Its radiance was subtle, yet in the pitch-black night it stood out clearly.

Half the blade was exposed, seemingly sheathed in a thin barrier that kept the rain at bay.

From that sword, the woman sensed something unusual.

Or rather, any normal human mind would be spinning into overdrive after watching a sword appear out of nowhere.

"Who are you?"

Having no grasp of what was happening, the female ghoul felt panic rising in her chest.

What on earth is going on?!

But Hikaru clearly wasn't going to answer.

He had no intention of showing mercy to a man-eating monster. His earlier kindness—helping her up—had merely been a test.

Unfortunately, the woman had failed that test. Now, she would face only death.

Seeing that Hikaru didn't respond, the ghoul's gaze shifted as she launched a sneak attack.

From behind her, kagune tentacles—reminiscent of Doctor Octopus—shot forward like venomous barbs. They were as hard as steel and could easily pierce thin metal plating.

Yet Hikaru simply tilted sideways, dodging with casual grace. He didn't even move his feet; the umbrella in his left hand remained steady.

Had this been the Hikaru of his earliest days in this world, he would've been skewered outright. But after spending months studying at a magic society, successfully leaving it behind, and continually hunting cursed spirits and ghouls in this world, his abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds.

In his eyes, a ghoul's attack felt a hundred times slower, so slow even a grandma could dodge.

What's going on?!

She couldn't believe he had avoided her ambush without even seeming to try.

Without a word, Hikaru took a single step forward, not waiting for her next move. In a single stroke, he sliced off both her arms.

"Aaaaagh!"

Screaming in pain, the woman stared at him in horror.

Damn it!

How could this be happening? She was supposed to be the hunter, and he was merely a careless snack. But unexpectedly, he turned out to be such a terrifying opponent.

A hidden-exorcist? Or something else?

At any rate, the female ghoul now had only one thought: Run.

Her kagune braced against the ground, propelling her like a grasshopper seven or eight meters straight up to a nearby rooftop. She leapt again, fleeing madly into the distance.

She didn't care if anyone saw her—she just had to get away from this place.

After running for around four or five kilometers, she finally reached a wooded area far from the suburbs. Her face pale, she looked back and found no sign of pursuit—perhaps she'd shaken him off.

Utterly spent, she collapsed to the ground. Her arms had stopped bleeding, but even with a ghoul's regenerative power, they wouldn't heal anytime soon. And she was desperately low on energy; without sustenance, she couldn't hope to regenerate.

"That damned man! Damn him! Damn him!"

She felt only fear and hatred toward Hikaru. If not for him, she could have easily grabbed a random person off the street and feasted.

Now she hadn't eaten a thing—and worse, she'd lost both arms.

"You sure ran fast. But did you really think you could get away?"

A voice drifted out of the darkness.

Startled, the ghoul whipped around, only to see Hikaru, who had somehow arrived behind her. He strolled forward with unhurried calm.

Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows that shifted with each step he took.

Seeing this, her soul nearly flew from her body. She tried to bolt again, but all at once her vision seemed to rise skyward, then tumble around; in that instant, she caught a glimpse of a bleeding corpse.

Huh? That's—?

Only in her final moment did she realize: that's my body.

Her severed head rolled to the edge of a small pond.

Hikaru gazed at the woman's lifeless eyes with disgust.

In truth, ghouls in this fused world differ from their originals. Due to mixed elements, they can long since eat normal food just like humans. But some deviants still crave the thrill of cannibalism.

As far as Hikaru was concerned, such creatures all deserved eradication.

He raised his head in silence. With a casual slash, he cut off her kagune and shredded the sac that formed it. The body, which had still been twitching moments before, immediately went cold.