I'm Here to Help You

At the center of the cruise ship sat a massive arena.

Rows of spectator seats spiraled outward in a square formation, surrounding an Octagon Cage forged from reinforced steel.

The rusted, thick, and chaotically woven steel mesh exuded an incredibly wild aura.

The mottled bloodstains on the bars made it impossible to tell if the stench permeating the air came from the rust or from fresh blood.

Although it was already night outside, the cruise ship remained brilliantly illuminated.

The moment Chairman Sakamoto appeared with a microphone, the venue erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Welcome, distinguished guests, for traveling from afar to Heaven on Earth!"

Sakamoto's gaze swept across everyone present; these people were the elites of the Land of Rivers, the very foundation that allowed him, a businessman, to survive and thrive in this land!

Therefore, ensuring they could cast aside all their worries and experience ultimate pleasure here had become Sakamoto's most important task.

In a sense, it was even more important than defeating Gato.

"Next, we will hold an unprecedented beast-fighting performance!"

"I believe you have all grown tired of watching beasts tear each other apart, and tired of watching slaves slaughter one another."

"So, this time, we have brought you something you have never seen before: a duel between Mutants!"

"Please, look forward to it!"

As Sakamoto's voice faded, the lights in the spectator area dimmed rapidly, and spotlights hit the rugged Octagon Cage.

At the tunnel entrance.

Abu, the most trusted ninja, held a heavy iron chain in one hand.

At the other end of the chain, there were no beasts, but rather...

People.

They were the parents of Shiraishi Mori.

Shiraishi Ao and Yanagishima Keiko, who had just been turned into Ghouls.

Their clothes were tattered, and heavy shackles were locked around their ankles, wrists, and necks, clanking with a metallic friction as they walked.

Before they entered the arena, Abu said coldly, "Remember, you have one hour. Only one of you can survive; otherwise, your son will also be captured for experimentation."

Upon hearing the word "experimentation," the bodies of Shiraishi Ao and his wife trembled involuntarily.

Clearly, they still harbored lingering fears from the experiments they had just endured.

They dared not imagine what would happen if that extreme agony were inflicted upon their son.

"If you don't die, he will die."

A playful expression appeared on Abu's face as he released the chains and urged them forward.

Shiraishi Ao clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with resentment.

His dry, gray lips parted slowly: "I'm sorry, Keiko. It's all my fault..."

Beside him, Keiko shook her head gently, her withered hair swaying. She offered a poignant, beautiful smile and said, "This is not your fault."

"After an hour, just kill me."

Shiraishi Ao shook his head: "No, if anyone is to die, it should be me."

Keiko looked toward the spectator seats, at the nobles draped in gold and silver, and slowly closed her eyes as she said, "Ao, you are stronger than me. You have a better chance of surviving for our son."

She opened her eyes and stared intensely at Shiraishi Ao: "Living on is the most painful thing of all; don't make me endure that kind of suffering."

"Keiko."

Shiraishi Ao opened his mouth, but found he didn't know what to say.

In the time it took to exchange these few words, the surrounding audience had erupted into great dissatisfaction.

"Hurry up, what are you doing?"

"Didn't you say they were Mutants? Where is the mutation?"

Seeing this, Abu had no choice but to lower his voice and warn them: "The two of you, start now."

Keiko gritted her teeth. The next second, her pupils turned scarlet, and eight slender limbs shot out from her back, stabbing toward Shiraishi Ao like long, sharp swords.

Seeing this, Shiraishi Ao bit down hard, and a massive, dark purple centipede sprouted from his waist, firmly blocking the incoming limbs!

The collision between the two sparked, igniting the passion of the entire audience!

"My god, what are those things!"

"As expected of Chairman Sakamoto, he actually found real Mutants!"

"Are these things a type of ninjutsu? So cool!"

"Fight! Kill him!"

Amidst the surging excitement, waiters began moving through the spectator stands with trays, making it convenient for the noble lords to place bets on the outcome of the match.

As for the origins or the lives of the two people in the arena, no one cared at all.

These nobles care only for the pleasure of this fleeting moment!

Shiraishi Mori and Keiko continued to launch fierce attacks against each other under such agonizing circumstances.

It was not that they hadn't considered using their own strength to break through the defenses of the Sakamoto Trading Company to rescue their son and the other villagers.

However, although they had gained a certain amount of power, the two of them alone were simply no match for the Sakamoto Trading Company.

Coupled with the various torture devices restraining them, they feared that if their resistance failed, it would only drag their son toward destruction alongside them.

Therefore, the two, who had lived together for decades, could only continue to burn their own lives to please Jashin in exchange for a glimmer of hope for their son's survival.

Just as the arena was in full swing, Simu had already stepped into the dungeon.

At this moment, Shiraishi Mori was kneeling on the ground, his hands clutching his head powerlessly, his forehead buried deep into the floor, devoid of all hope.

"It seems you have already given up?"

Simu stood still in front of the cell, looking down at Shiraishi Mori from above.

Hearing the voice, Shiraishi Mori immediately raised his head.

"You are..."

"The person who ate at my house tonight?"

"That necklace, you must have left it behind on purpose, right? What was the goal? To lure me here?"

The young man stood up, firing off questions in succession, his eyes flashing with a furious light.

Faced with this interrogation, Simu calmly adjusted his glasses and said, "The necklace was indeed left behind by me on purpose. As for whether you came here or not, that was your choice."

Hearing this, the young man grabbed his hair in anger again, his tone filled with frustration, "If I hadn't come, perhaps Mom and Dad would have..."

Simu smiled.

"Regardless of whether you came or not, their outcome would not have changed in the slightest."

"Fortunately, they have both survived the experiments."

Shiraishi Mori's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but they were quickly cast back into the depths of despair by Simu's next sentence.

"However, in order for you to survive, they are currently killing each other to amuse the audience."

"Killing each other..."

Shiraishi Mori gripped the bars, his entire body trembling violently.

"Why..."

"Why would you do such a thing!"

He collapsed onto the ground, pounding desperately against the steel cage in front of him, but it was to no avail.

"There is no 'why.' To them, your parents are nothing more than two crickets that happen to look a bit special; they are merely toys for their amusement."

Simu's tone remained as calm as water, as if nothing in this world could cause his emotions to fluctuate.

Shiraishi Mori gripped the bars tightly; his palms turned pale from the sheer force.

After a few seconds, he said in a hoarse voice, "Then what about you?"

"Hmm?"

"What is your purpose in coming here? To watch me make a fool of myself?"

Hearing this question, Simu finally smiled with satisfaction.

"Me? I am here to help you."