Chapter 04 (Beast Complex)

**The Kangaroo and the Black Panther** (カンガルーとクロヒョウ, *Kangarū to kurohyō*?) is the fourth chapter of *Beast Complex* and was released in Weekly Shōnen Champion 2016-17.

## Synopsis

A black panther dragging a large suitcase behind her walks through a marketplace in the town's suburbs. At the same time a kangaroo running a hotel nearby is reading a magazine and a dog who owns a shop nearby visits him and mentions how the crime rate has lowered his rates. He then mentions the upcoming fireworks show and how it should bring in more tourists to the town.

As the dog leaves the kangaroo sees news about a recent devouring incident that once again has taken place in the town. The black panther then comes inside and asks for the most inconspicuous room in the hotel. He takes her to a small room on the second floor, and she agrees to stay in it. The kangaroo gives her a cider to make up for the missing cooler and leaves her to rest.

Later the kangaroo hears her humming a song from a popular movie which makes him believe that she must not be older than fifteen. The kangaroo goes to the marketplace nearby with the dog, and they share their opinions on the girl. As they're walking around the kangaroo mentions that they're nearing the Black Market and the two of them turn around. The kangaroo then tells the dog to buy him if he ever finds his body being sold in the Black Market.

The kangaroo enters the black panther's room to clean it and the two of them end up talking. She tells him that her name is Meg and lies about her age which the kangaroo realizes. She tells him that she fits perfectly into the town as she hates herself. Meg then asks about the officers outside the hotel, and he explains that there's a criminal organization called Blakkus that has been recently appearing in this part of the town and that everyone is trying to catch them as anyone who does is rewarded 500,000 yen. She asks what he would do with that amount of money, and he tells her that he'd remodel the hotel and save some money. He asks her the same question, and she answers that she'd buy a couple of the same ciders that he gave him. As the kangaroo goes back to cleaning he says he's going to move her suitcase, but she quickly stops him.

A few days later, the two of them are playing cards and Meg tells that she's going to leave the next day. He tells her that she's going to need to pay, but she asks if she could let it slide. On the TV there are news of the Blakkus, and it is told that they have all been captured, but the victim's corpse was given to a carnivore. Meg tells the kangaroo that she needs to go to the restroom, but he quickly grabs her and asks what her relationship with Blakkus is.

Meg runs upstairs and hides in the dark room. The kangaroo enters and points a gun at her even though he can only see her eyes glimmering in the darkness. A firework explodes outside and light's up the room. Meg turns to look at the explosion and the kangaroo lowers his gun. He tells Meg to leave with the warning that if he sees her again carrying bodies around, he will kill her. After she has left, he prays that next year she'll be happy and can continue admiring the beauty of fireworks.