Touka throws me a hard look before speaking.
"You're a big idiot."
She says with a flat tone.
"Didn't you hear anything I just explained? We're ghouls! We're being hunted relentlessly by the CCG. I've seen people inspecting the surroundings of this area all day. During tonight they're probably even more alert looking for any suspicious activity."
"Ah, that's right. I also saw some men dressed in black on my way here."
I comment remembering those two guys I saw around.
"Although they weren't carrying briefcases so I'm not sure they're from the CCG."
She nods while crossing her arms over her chest.
"Even if some don't carry briefcases, that doesn't mean they're not from the CCG. There are those types of investigators too, the low-ranking ones who only inspect assigned places. If they see something suspicious they immediately report it to the higher-ranking investigators who have the weapons, which are called Quinques, by the way. They're like the CCG's eyes scattered throughout the city."
"Quinques..."
I'm feeling more curious about those things now. The last time I saw the briefcases I got hungry.
Then I smile widely.
"Then there's no problem! We can go out, right? We just have to avoid them."
—Bam!
Touka hits me on the head with her fist. It doesn't hurt much but the sound resonates in the room.
"No!"
She glares at me.
"It's dangerous and stupid. Ghouls aren't so easy to find walking around like nothing either. Most are cautious and hide well. So forget that ridiculous idea and pay attention to me if you really want to know more about the world of ghouls. After all, that was your original intention for coming here, right?"
I rub my head where she hit me while looking at her.
"Don't you get bored always being here alone? Besides, didn't you say yourself that I need to learn more about being a ghoul? Then the best way to learn it is with direct experience, isn't it? As for finding a ghoul, it's extremely easy for me. So let's go! We grab a stupid ghoul from out there, dismember it and study it so you can teach me!"
Touka looks at me with disdain in her eyes.
"You're completely insane. If you want to die so badly, then why don't you just let me kill you myself?"
I show a big smile full of white teeth.
"Thanks for the compliment!"
She sighs while bringing a hand to her forehead. Did I give her a headache? She stays like that for several seconds before speaking again.
"If we die out there, it'll be your fault, you hear, you big idiot?"
"Oh? Does that mean...?"
She gets up from the cushion where she was sitting and heads toward the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Give me a minute to change clothes. And you better really have a reliable method to find ghouls, or else I'll consider this a complete waste of time and I'll kill you a hundred times myself with my own hands."
Her tone is serious and threatening but I can detect curiosity in her emotional frequencies at the same time.
I'm surprised she actually agreed to go out with me. After all, I was sure she would remain firm in her refusal until I gave up and stopped bothering her.
'Is it possible she's really bored of always being locked up in this house?'
Well, living alone without her parents may have made her bored since most of the time she has no one to talk to.
By the way, does she attend school? I guess I can ask her later.
Moments later I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. Touka appears also dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt similar to mine. She looks more prepared for action now. She has her hands in her pockets and walks toward me.
Then she throws something at me.
I catch it and looking down, I see it's a black face mask.
"Put it on along with your hood."
She orders while putting on her own face mask covering the lower half of her face. Then she puts on her hood hiding her purple hair making only her eyes visible.
I put on the face mask she gave me and pull up my hood too, imitating her appearance.
"Even if we're seen by some CCG investigator, it's possible they won't discover our real identities if we use this. It's not foolproof but it's better than walking around with our faces exposed."
Shortly after we're both running through the dark alleys of the city.
"This is why I hate going out at night."
Touka mutters beside me while wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"It smells too disgusting here."
I can't deny that since it's definitely extremely smelly. I'm used to the smells of dead rats and rotting garbage because dark alleys are where I've been living since I was a baby.
It's also where some drunks come stumbling to urinate against the walls or to vomit their dinner after drinking too much. So the smell is really unpleasant even by my standards.
But it's also the perfect place for ghouls to hunt drunk and defenseless humans who are alone. No one hears the screams in dark alleys.
That's why, while using my Ghoul Vision all this time, I focus my gaze forward. The world is in black and white. I ignore all the red silhouettes of normal humans walking on the main streets.
Then I see a silhouette that has a shining purple object on its back.
Now I know that sack-shaped thing is called Kakuhou, the special organ where ghouls store RC cells.
As I vaguely point in that direction, I start saying.
"There's a ghoul over there. It seems to be watching someone and following them from behind. I suppose it's chosen its meal."
But I notice something strange about that silhouette as I observe it.
'I see... So it turns out to be like that.'
As I think that, Touka beside me directs a look at me from under her hood. She narrows her eyes and says in a skeptical tone.
"You're able to know where a ghoul is from this distance? Don't joke around."
"Follow me and you'll see for yourself."
She seems to hesitate. I can feel her uncertainty in her emotional frequencies. But she makes a decision and nods before starting to follow me as we run together.
We turn down many different alleys following the route my Ghoul Vision shows me.
Eventually we climb on top of the roof of a two-story house using our superhuman strength to jump. From there we have a view of the main street below.
We crouch on the edge of the roof to stay hidden while I point.
"That one over there is a ghoul. And he's following that man in a tie."
The ghoul is a muscular and tall man, probably measuring almost two meters. He moves behind his target maintaining a constant distance.
The man being followed looks like an exhausted office worker coming from his job. He's wearing a suit and tie. He has dark circles under his eyes.
Touka slightly moves her nose sniffing the air and then frowns.
"Yes, he's definitely a ghoul."
"Touka, do you also have methods to identify those of your own species?"
She nods while continuing to observe the muscular ghoul below.
"We ghouls can smell the concentration of RC cells. Because it's much more concentrated in ghouls' bodies than in normal humans, a ghoul can recognize another ghoul from this distance just by the smell they emit."
"I see... He certainly smells different from normal humans now that you mention it."
Although I can't distinguish that specific smell well because my nose is full of the general stench of all the humans and surrounding alleys. I still haven't managed to get my enhanced sense of smell under control.
Touka studies me for a few seconds and tilts her head.
"How can you detect them from so far away? We were several blocks away when you said there was a ghoul around here."
I point at my eyes with both index fingers.
"Because of this. I can see through things. You can call it X-ray vision if you want. Although personally I call it Ghoul Vision because it sounds cooler."
I always trust my Ghoul Vision more than my other senses. It's better because I can detect ghouls from very, very far away without having to get close to smell them like Touka did.
"Huh?"
Suddenly Touka quickly covers her chest with both crossed arms and directs an extremely dangerous look at me.
"Pervert!"
Um? Why is she reacting like that?
'Ah... It's possible she thinks I can see through her clothes with this ability.'
I laugh out loud with amusement at that misunderstanding.
"Wait! Don't hit me. Ahem! I can't see bodies that way. When I use this eye my vision becomes black and white. In that state I can see through walls and objects, but living beings are shown only as silhouettes of different colors depending on their species. I see you as a red silhouette exactly like humans, but inside your body I see that purple object which is the Kakuhou you talked about. I can't see specific physical details or anything like that."
So you can rest easy and stop looking at me like you want to kill me with your eyes.
Touka slowly stops hugging her chest. She seems relieved but at the same time looks at me confused.
"You're definitely not a normal ghoul. Weirdo-kun."
Hey, don't insult me in such a cruel way!
"Ah, more importantly. Touka, look, the muscular ghoul mister is moving away from here!"
The ghoul has started moving faster following his prey toward a less illuminated area of the street.
Touka redirects her attention there and we both follow him jumping from rooftop to rooftop keeping ourselves directly above him. We get ahead a bit so we can act at any moment and that's why we can see his face.
Touka looks at the muscular ghoul's face and is suddenly surprised.
"The ghoul's eyes are moving erratically from side to side in their sockets... Something's wrong with this one."
I sigh because I already knew that since I detected it with my Ghoul Vision.
"Yeah, I know. Since he's not a normal ghoul at all."
I pause and smile hugely.
"He's infected by a parasite."
×××
20 advanced chapters on Pa-treon.
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