In a deserted alleyway near Anteiku, Lancer took out the Quinque made by Mado Kureo. He knew that, barring any unexpected changes, the Fueguchi mother and daughter would soon be drawn here. But even so, a question still nagged at his mind:
Why had the Fueguchi incident happened before Nishio Nishiki's?
But as he thought more, he suddenly chuckled bitterly at himself. He'd always tried to follow the "plot," yet the plot itself had already been shattered by him into fragments. Never mind the drastic decrease in the 20th Ward's Ghoul population because of his actions—just the events he was about to set in motion would utterly break the original narrative.
His knowledge of this world came purely from the anime episodes he'd watched. He had no idea about the later plot or many hidden details. But the one thing he was sure of was that, at least in the storyline he knew, there had never been a case of the Tsukiyama family being attacked by the CCG. Yet now, due to his decision, it seemed very likely to happen.
As a "destroyer," he should've prepared himself long ago. The moment he'd made that choice, he'd effectively thrown away the so-called advantage he once possessed.
"Papa~!"
Just as Lancer solidified his resolve, a small figure suddenly rushed into the alley.
Disbelief filled the girl's eyes, and right as Lancer turned around, a woman in a dress hurriedly followed her into the alleyway.
Unlike her innocent daughter, Fueguchi Ryouko had already sensed something was horribly wrong the moment her husband had urged them to leave. Deep in her heart, she'd known—that had probably been their last meeting.
And now, seeing the Dove standing before her in a suit, wielding a Quinque resembling her husband's Kagune, she knew her premonition had come true.
Her husband was already dead, his Kagune turned into a Quinque. The "papa's scent" her daughter sensed came from the weapon the Investigator now held. It was painfully clear why he'd done this: he was here to kill them both.
"Hinami! Get behind me!"
"Mama…?"
Hinami, still unaware of what exactly had happened, stared blankly at her mother's suddenly severe expression, unsure how to react. But while Hinami might hesitate, Ryouko would not. She instantly unleashed her Kagune, shielding herself and her daughter, then gently embraced Hinami for what might be the last time.
"Hinami, run to Touka-chan."
She then released her daughter, turning back resolutely to face the young Investigator.
She recognized him. According to Touka from Anteiku, this Dove seemed peculiar, coming to the café daily just for a cup of coffee and a dessert, but his strength was undeniable. He never showed mercy toward Ghouls—killing dozens in just two short months.
An elite Investigator like him wasn't someone a Ghoul like her, who'd rarely even used her Kagune, could stand against. But for her daughter's sake, even if this fight was hopeless, she wouldn't hesitate for a second.
Even if I die, I'll protect Hinami!
At that moment, Fueguchi Ryouko felt there was nothing left to fear.
Meanwhile, Hinami shook her head vehemently when she heard her mother's words. Though she didn't understand exactly what the scent of her father meant, she knew her mother was preparing to fight this frightening Dove. Clinging tightly to her mother's leg, she felt that if she let go now, she'd lose her mother forever.
"Hinami, listen to me—no…"
"Neither of you are going anywhere."
Before Ryouko could finish her sentence, a deep voice sounded from a distance, and immediately afterward, she felt a powerful blow crash against her Kagune protecting both her and Hinami. Fortunately, it didn't break through.
Lancer, whose spear attack had failed, frowned slightly at the Quinque in his hands.
This Quinque had been a gift from Mado Kureo. According to Mado, the material came from the Kagune of the Ghoul who'd once attacked him. From a certain perspective, it had sentimental value—but in terms of pure quality, it was only mediocre.
The only reason it had survived his previous fight against Kamishiro Rize was because he'd specifically requested Mado discard advanced features like extending or transformation, instead focusing entirely on reinforcing hardness. Otherwise, it would've shattered long ago.
Normally, he didn't mind—he rarely matched raw strength against Ghouls, preferring to use his superior speed to deliver decisive blows. After all, though Ghouls had incredible physical abilities, even they would die if their heart, throat, or head were pierced. But when it came to direct assault like this, the Quinque was severely lacking.
He was certain that Fueguchi Ryouko's Kagune, though perhaps not quite at the level of an S-rated Ghoul, was far stronger than any ordinary Ghoul's. If she remained purely defensive, the outcome would simply be that she'd eventually exhaust herself and die—or he could just call for backup and have other Investigators overwhelm her with Barrett rifles.
But clearly, that wasn't what he wanted. Even now, he hadn't fully decided to kill them. His goal was simply capturing them alive, yet this woman's defense was like a turtle shell—impenetrable.
However, Lancer's moment of hesitation appeared to send Fueguchi Ryouko the wrong signal.
"Hinami, run now!"
The Kagune shielding the mother and daughter protected them well, but it also prevented them from escaping. Seeing that Lancer wasn't immediately attacking, Ryouko quickly opened a small gap, urging Hinami to escape. With no combat experience at all, she had no idea this was exactly the opportunity Lancer had been waiting for.
Because of her Kagune, neither could see the other clearly. Taking advantage of that blindness, Lancer had quietly circled around behind them. The instant Ryouko opened her Kagune, hoping to let Hinami flee, a long spear thrust sharply in from the side.
Realizing her mistake, Ryouko hurriedly tried to close the gap—but it was already too late.
The spear plunged deeply into the ground before her, and suddenly, a figure dressed in a suit appeared, one hand pressing firmly on the spear shaft, the other holding a pistol pointed straight at Hinami's head.
"Checkmate."
Ryouko's face went deathly pale, never having expected things to turn out this way.
Without question, at this moment, Lancer could pull the trigger and kill her daughter instantly. She would likely succeed in killing him afterward—after all, the spear he was best at wielding was stuck in the ground. But for Fueguchi Ryouko, that meant nothing.
Her husband was already dead. If her daughter died too, what point was there in killing the enemy afterward?
"…"
This silent confrontation had ended the moment it began. Slowly, her Kagune retracted in defeat.
"I'll surrender quietly. Please, spare my daughter—I'll do anything you ask!"
At this moment, she wasn't a Ghoul with strength far surpassing humans—just a desperate mother trying to protect her daughter.
Hearing her words, a sudden gleam flashed in Lancer's eyes.
"Anything I ask…"
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T/N: please... Lancer... IM CLOSING MY EYES, LANCERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CHARISMATICCCCC