Although Lancer appeared far worse off than the other Rank 2 Investigator, he recovered much more quickly. The other Investigator had two broken ribs—he'd need at least two or three months before resuming duty—but Lancer had basically regained his mobility after just a few bandage changes.
Even so, the doctor in charge still recommended Lancer stay hospitalized to recuperate, but Lancer insisted on being discharged. He had to verify the timing of certain critical events.
Kaneki Ken's transformation into a ghoul, Jason's first appearance, and most importantly, Mado Kureo's death.
That peculiar middle-aged man was his benefactor. Lancer absolutely couldn't let him die like that!
Perhaps because he was lost in thought, his aimless wandering led him inadvertently to a place he shouldn't have visited right now—Anteiku.
Looking at the "familiar" café, he hesitated, but ultimately decided to step in.
He had no Quinque with him, and his body still hadn't fully recovered. He carried only a handgun, which frankly meant nothing; his near-death experience at the hands of the Binge Eater had already made it crystal clear to him how wide the gulf was between himself and a S-rated Ghoul. If the people in the café truly wanted to harm him, he wouldn't even have a chance to draw his weapon.
Unexpectedly, as his hand touched the café door, it swung open from inside.
"Lancer…-san?"
Holding a cleaning cloth, Kirishima Touka stared at him in astonishment.
Lancer's sudden appearance indeed startled Touka. After all, he hadn't shown up at the café in over a week. She'd even assumed he'd never return. From her perspective, this Investigator had always been strange—often sitting alone, quietly drinking coffee and eating desserts, barely ever speaking to anyone except the one time she'd approached him herself.
Such an odd person, who previously visited almost daily, suddenly vanished. She'd privately wondered if he'd been killed in that rumored "major CCG operation" recently discussed among the local ghouls.
Yet today, Lancer stood before the café again, covered in injuries.
Still, after her initial shock, she quickly remembered her professionalism.
"Lancer-san, the usual?"
"The usual."
Stepping inside, Lancer automatically moved toward his usual seat, but paused abruptly.
"Something wrong, Lancer-san? Ah—sorry, that seat's taken today. Would you mind another spot?"
Usually, Lancer came when business was slowest. At dinner time, people usually visited restaurants, and after seven or eight at night, few came out at all, let alone to drink coffee. After dark, the seat by the window generally had nothing interesting to offer. Therefore, it was almost always empty when Lancer arrived—but today was different. A shy-looking youth nervously occupied his usual seat.
"It's fine. It's not like I had a reservation anyway."
Lancer's expression remained unreadable, but inwardly he was overwhelmed. That young man's presence at Anteiku could only mean another person would soon appear—Kamishiro Rize.
That woman who'd nearly killed him just a few nights ago!
His immediate impulse was to call Mado-san and request a strike team, but he quickly dismissed the thought. If the CCG stormed Anteiku, things would undoubtedly spiral out of control.
Even if the people here never harmed humans, they were still ghouls. While Lancer was willing to trust in the original "plot," others might not.
Could he really tell his fellow Investigators that these ghouls would eventually become key to peaceful coexistence with humans?
Forget whether anyone would believe him—he'd surely be labeled insane.
And even if the Anteiku staff disliked killing, once threatened by the CCG, they would defend themselves without mercy. Unnecessary casualties would result, all because of one careless phone call…
The immense pressure he already felt suddenly doubled.
Having foreknowledge might indeed grant huge advantages, but for him—someone who knew the story only vaguely, and who himself lacked significant strength—it became a tremendous burden. A burden so enormous he had no idea how to carry it.
Finally, Lancer decided to wait and see. He would tail them first—if Rize attempted to attack, he'd intervene. If she was destined to be crushed by those steel beams tonight, then even better. Having made up his mind, he ate quickly, finished several times faster than usual, paid, and left.
He swiftly returned to the CCG branch to retrieve his Quinque suitcase, changed into casual clothes, and discreetly hid himself in a small shop nearby. Of course, he disguised his Quinque carefully—getting discovered prematurely would spell disaster.
As time passed, Lancer had switched locations three times. Just as he began suspecting his earlier injury to Rize had derailed events, a purple-haired woman wearing a white dress and hat appeared at Anteiku's entrance.
She's here!
Even from a dozen meters away, Lancer could see Kaneki Ken's nervous anticipation melt into delighted surprise as Rize sat beside him. The two chatted quietly by the window. Just as Lancer was starting to believe everything would unfold according to the original plot, an unexpected twist occurred.
What's going on? Why are they leaving already?
Though the details had grown vague with time, Lancer distinctly remembered Kaneki and Rize leaving to stroll the streets only after finishing dinner. But seeing Rize's "excited" expression, he knew immediately that she was planning to strike early. After all, she'd worn a similar expression when attacking him.
What changed to prompt her attack now...? Was it me?!
Yes, even though Rize was the Binge Eater, she wouldn't normally feed every day. But now she'd suffered a serious injury from his desperate attack. She urgently needed food to recover yet couldn't risk drawing attention to herself. Her only choice was to accelerate her plans!
Damn it! With the plot changing this drastically, there's no way those steel beams will conveniently fall tonight. Kaneki might really become her prey…
Seizing the handle of his suitcase, Lancer immediately started tailing the pair, swiftly pulling out his phone at the same time.
"This is Rank 2 Investigator Lancer! I've spotted a woman on the streets who closely resembles the Binge Eater. I'm currently tailing her—track my GPS immediately!"
If Kaneki Ken died here, the storyline would inevitably collapse. Saving Kaneki alone was beyond him anyway, so since the "plot" was already in shambles, he'd just have to deal with it head-on!
No matter who Kaneki might become later, right now he was human, and Lancer, as a CCG Investigator, had a duty to protect him!