Late-night Tokyo glittered with neon lights, yet people carefully stuck to well-lit, crowded places—after all, who knew when a Ghoul might pop out of some dark corner? Taxi drivers rarely accepted fares after dark, unsure if the person sitting behind them was a human or a monster. But right now, the middle-aged driver in the front seat couldn't help his imagination wandering wildly, overhearing the suggestive conversation behind him.
"How do you feel now?"
"It hurts… It's like my body is being torn apart. But still, thank you. At least Hinami didn't have to…"
"I just fulfilled our agreement. But you'll have to live with me from now on."
"That's already the best possible outcome for me. But when will Hinami wake up?"
"She's different from you; she's still a child. It'll take some time after the injection before she wakes up."
"That's enough… But you promised you wouldn't do anything to my daughter…"
"Don't worry. I keep my promises."
...
The conversation ended there, yet the driver's imagination spiraled endlessly.
Who was this young man? A yakuza boss? The heir of some company? Or maybe even a loan shark?
From what that young woman said, the girl resting on her lap seemed to be her daughter. Another tragedy in the making… Maybe her husband had borrowed from loan sharks? No, they came from a hospital. Perhaps they'd borrowed money from this man for her husband's medical treatment…
Though deeply unsettled by the injustice he imagined, the taxi driver knew better than to speak up in Tokyo at night. Otherwise, he himself might disappear one day, mistaken as just another poor soul attacked by Ghouls.
But sitting in the backseat, Lancer had no clue about the wild drama unfolding inside the seemingly ordinary driver's mind. If he'd known, he would've been tempted to pry open the driver's skull to find out just how he managed to imagine such bizarre scenarios. But, alas, he remained ignorant.
The taxi arrived at Lancer's apartment building without incident—until they stepped out.
Fueguchi Ryouko might seem delicate, but as a Ghoul, she'd always had strength surpassing even strong men. Now, however, the RC suppressant injection had reduced her strength to that of an ordinary woman—no, even weaker. Despite Hinami being a small child, Ryouko couldn't even carry her daughter herself. Eventually, Lancer had to take Hinami from her arms.
"Stay close. Everyone living here is a CCG Investigator. You'll have to stay here tonight, and I'll rent another place tomorrow."
After saying that, Lancer stepped toward the apartment entrance. Ryouko, following close behind, cast a complicated look at his back.
She didn't know what he was planning. Yet she had no choice but to follow. Her options had long been exhausted.
With her Kakuhou removed and RC suppressants coursing through her body, she was weaker than even an ordinary human woman. Walking itself was exhausting, and both she and her daughter had tracking chips implanted by the CCG. Her escape routes had all been cut off completely.
Her only hope now was that this man would continue to honor their agreement in private as he had in public. As long as Hinami remained safe, she would sacrifice anything.
Even if…
...
Meanwhile, at the CCG's 20th Ward Branch—
Though CCG Investigators worked around the clock, they were ultimately still humans and needed rest.
Most single Investigators chose to rest at the dorms, while married ones returned home. Yet some exceptions existed—like Mado Kureo.
After losing his wife, he'd plunged headlong into his work, nearly to the point of hysteria. But even so, he never forgot about the daughter he shared with his late wife. Fortunately, his daughter was understanding and considerate of his dedication. Several years ago, she'd already entered the Ghoul Investigator Training Academy. The place he called "home," empty of family, had become nothing more than a building. Unless his daughter was visiting during holidays, he usually stayed overnight at the branch office—and tonight was no different.
The entire branch office was dark, except for his office, where lights shone brightly. Without rest, he tirelessly sifted through the latest intelligence gathered on "Jason," fully immersed in this task. As for the assignment he'd given Lancer earlier—it seemed he'd long forgotten about it entirely.
But just as he was buried in files, someone knocked at the door.
Knock knock—
"Come in."
"First-Class Investigator Mado."
A middle-aged Investigator approaching forty entered the office, bowing respectfully toward Mado.
"How did it go? The assignment I gave Lancer—did he complete it?"
"Second-Class Investigator Lancer completed his task successfully. Both Ghouls were captured alive. However…"
Mado, who had resumed flipping through documents, lifted his head curiously upon hearing his subordinate hesitate.
In his view, someone of Lancer's ability should have easily handled two ordinary Ghouls. So why did his subordinate sound hesitant? Had something unexpected happened during the mission?
"Just tell me what happened."
"Yes, sir! After their capture by Investigator Lancer, both Ghouls were sent to the hospital. He insisted on personally interrogating them, so the older Ghoul had her Kakuhou surgically removed. Both she and the younger one were injected with RC suppressants, and then Investigator Lancer took them both home. Moreover, following Investigator Lancer's request, all medical personnel involved were female doctors…"
His subordinate's explanation finally revealed the reason behind his hesitation.
When it came to killing Ghouls, every Investigator was highly capable—even the most ordinary Rank 3 Investigator wouldn't struggle with an average Ghoul. However, interrogation was another matter entirely. The wardens at Cochlea Prison in the 23rd Ward excelled at that, not field Investigators—most Investigators were essentially amateurs.
Thus, Lancer's claim that he intended to personally interrogate them had no credibility. Mado didn't believe someone as "outstanding" as Lancer wouldn't know this. Yet he'd brought them home anyway, even specifying female doctors for their procedures…
Sigh.
"Young people always have some peculiar ideas… Forget it. Let him be, as long as he doesn't violate CCG regulations."
With that, Mado lowered his head again, returning to the documents before him. But in the back of his mind, a new doubt surfaced:
Perhaps assigning Akira as his partner was premature, after all…?
---
T/N: IT SOUNDED LIKE HE OMG X_X YAY THEY DIDNT DIE
everyone is on vacation so no character notes this week
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