Chapter 6: Anomaly Catching Anomaly

New Anomalous Entity, 163-19 (5)

In a place where darkness had deeply settled.

Normally, Site-17 would be so brightly lit that it was hard to tell night from day, with people bustling about everywhere.

But now, there were no researchers staring blankly at monitors, no security personnel reacting hypersensitively.

It looked as if it had been abandoned long ago, a ruin.

――Screeeech

A grating, unpleasant metallic sound, like scraping iron, echoed through the air.

Was this what it felt like to sharpen a sound?

Though nothing was moving, no matter how one looked around, and there wasn't even an object that could make such a sound, the sound was clear.

As if proving someone's existence.

It was filling this space with an eerie rhythm.

――Screeeeeech

The sound grew more intense.

It somehow sounded angry.

No, it was probably certain.

The invisible something scraping against the barrier was clearly angry at someone.

If this act was a means of expressing emotion, there could be no clearer interpretation.

――Screech, screech, screeeeeeeech

Then, what was this being so angry about?

If one were to list the reasons, it would probably go on endlessly.

Anger at the flesh that had trapped it here, anger at not catching the blood bags that had fled behind the barrier, anger at the meat chunks that would return.

Anger at the hunger that could not be satisfied, no matter how much it swallowed and swallowed.

It had sought and dreamed of a chance to escape from the maze of hateful light and go out into the world once more.

But in a brief moment, it had been trapped behind the shielding walls of this building, which had begun to self-shield so that no one could enter or leave.

And as always, countless humans would flock here, trapping it in the maze once more.

Like the cycle that had become familiar, always repeating.

However, it would one day go out into the world.

It would once again go out into the world and swallow everything that came within reach, as freely as it had then.

And when that time came, those who had imprisoned it would suffer the same fate.

…But now was not yet the time.

In its current state, there was no way to get beyond this barrier before the hateful blood bags and flesh chunks swarmed in.

It knew well that even if it might be possible someday, it was not now.

So, for now, it would thrash about as much as possible.

Even if it was just a tantrum, it would make some of those who had imprisoned it suffer eternally.

They had gone beyond this solid, joined wall and hidden where it could not reach, but their fear and trembling were still clearly conveyed beyond this wall.

Listen, flesh bags.

Tremble as you hear the screams of the blood bags who could not escape and were abandoned by you.

Despite the curses they hurl at you, some of you will look after your own safety and breathe a sigh of relief, but someday you too will meet an end no different from theirs.

With a cracking sound, a scream soared within the space.

It sounded like the cry of a beast, and it sounded like the cry of a baby.

A sound of pain, a sound cursing someone, a sound filled with malice, a hoarse voice shouting something.

Tangled and intertwined, the many sounds gathered together in one cry were like a shriek from the heart of hell.

Squeak, screech, screech, screeeeeech――――――

Along with that, the sharp metallic sound of scraping something began to intensify even more.

It had hunted down all the victims who had failed to cross the barrier, but it seemed that it was still not satisfied.

It was expressing emotions that were bursting out uncontrollably.

A scream is heard.

A metallic sound is heard.

A scream is heard.

A metallic sound is heard.

A scream is heard, and a metallic sound is heard. A scream is heard, and a metallic sound is heard. A scream is heard, and a metallic sound is heard. A scream is heard, and a metallic sound is heard.

The harmony of hell resounds, and music that steals the soul just by listening fills the space.

Then, just as it seemed about to burst the space with sound alone,

it gradually increased the sound even more―――

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

As if nothing had happened, it abruptly stopped the sound.

Something began to twitch.

In a space where not even a breeze blew, let alone anything living, movement that had never been seen before was visible.

It was a shadow.

Without form, without sound.

It slid across the floor, climbed the walls, and seeped into the ceiling.

Even though there was nothing to serve as a medium for the shadow, the flat thing that roamed freely through the space was clearly a shadow.

The shadow, moving alone without an owner, slightly raised its head.

It was not clear whether that part should be called a head, but there was no other way to express it.

The shadow, having raised its head, then shook its head up and down slightly, as if sniffing something, and soon began to writhe its body as if pleased.

There was.

Something still remained.

The many rooms in the hallway, like the ones that had imprisoned it.

Originally, it was a place that had nothing to attract its interest or suit its taste, mbut this time, there was a different smell.

Something familiar was emanating from one of those rooms.

Had a flesh bag, trembling in fear, hidden itself, or was it a blood bag of the same kind that they had captured again?

It didn't matter.

If there was something to swallow, it would just go and swallow it.

The shadow lowered its head and began to head towards the place where the smell was coming from, and soon disappeared into the deep darkness where its form was no longer visible.

Anomaly Report
Anomaly No. 871

Also known as, "Swallowing Shadow"

Hazard Level Classification: Level Ⅳ (Extremely Dangerous)

Anomaly No. 871 is a two-dimensional creature that does not possess a fixed form.

Normally, it has a squirming appearance, and it attaches to any shadow and changes its color to a shade similar to that shadow.

This Anomaly can freely cross the surfaces of objects and is more active in places where light is blocked.

Organic matter that comes into contact with the Anomaly is immediately sucked into the Anomaly and never returns.

The inorganic matter that the organic matter is equipped with is not sucked in, and for this reason, all experiments to find out the location or destination of the disappeared organic matter have failed.

The act of sucking in organic matter seems to be controllable by the Anomaly itself, and it prefers organic matter like animals rather than plants.

After sucking in a certain amount of organic matter, it slows down to some extent or stops for a certain period of time, so this act seems to be the "eating behavior" of Anomaly No. 871.

Because Anomaly No. 871 possesses some non-physical characteristics, it is not subject to normal physical interference, and attacks on the space where the Anomaly resides only cause damage to objects, and there is currently no reported method of harming the Anomaly itself.

Containment Chamber Sealing Procedure

Under no circumstances is direct contact with Anomaly No. 871 permitted.

This Anomaly must be confined in a completely sealed cubic space, and that space must be at an angle of exactly 90 degrees to the light source and the ground, and the illuminance must be at least 25,000 lx at all times.

In addition, a space with the same environment as above must be prepared on each opposite side of the room, and rooms surrounding each room must be prepared so that 26 spare rooms surround the central room where the Anomaly is confined, excluding the central room.

If Anomaly No. 871 escapes from the existing room, the existing room must be replaced and another spare room must be installed on the opposite side of the settled room.

A method to completely neutralize this Anomaly has not yet been found.

Notes
Recorder - ████ ███ Lead Researcher

Recently, attempts to escape by Anomaly No. 871 have shown a tendency to increase by 4.2 times compared to before.

It has been confirmed that it is acting much more intelligently than before, such as using its properties to cover the building and block radio waves to delay the news of its escape, and touching the security personnel who sound the alarm first.

It's like… it seems to be learning our countermeasures.

For this reason, if Anomaly No. 871 escapes from the base, an unpreventable large-scale disaster is expected to occur.

When we first discovered this Anomaly, it was like a wild beast, and even if physical attacks didn't work, there was a way to capture it.

If this guy even learned how to think while trapped here…

Then the next time he escapes this place, he won’t fall for the same trick twice.

Extra caution is required when handling its containment.

Requesting the risk level of Anomaly 871 be raised to Level Ⅴ.

Also, to prepare for unforeseen emergencies, I request that some of the communication and containment devices at Site 17 be converted to analog.

―Request approved

Some communication and containment devices at Site 17 have been reinstalled

―Risk level increase request denied

Reason: Simulation results indicate that the Anomaly is rejected during ██████_.

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