An Investigator protecting a Ghoul certainly seemed absurd. But now, to anyone unaware of the truth, it would appear as if an Investigator was bravely shielding an innocent girl from a savage Ghoul attack.
Yet Lancer felt overwhelmingly strange.
Had Kaneki Ken gone insane from his earlier torture?
No—logically, he should have become calmer than ever.
Then why—
Subconsciously glancing back at Kirishima Touka, who stared in equal astonishment, Lancer suddenly realized something. Was Kaneki actually trying to show me that Kirishima Touka is just an "ordinary girl"?
Kaneki's subsequent performance proved Lancer's suspicion correct.
As someone who inherited Kamishiro Rize's Kakuhou, Kaneki's Kagune and regenerative powers far exceeded those of typical Ghouls. Even conservatively, he ranked at least S+, and given time to adapt, he might easily reach SS-level. At peak condition, Lancer himself wouldn't be confident in defeating Kaneki—but right now?
Lancer felt Kaneki's attacks growing steadily weaker, clearly indicating he was deliberately "acting."
The power within his spear was reaching its limit. After deflecting another of Kaneki's Kagune strikes, Lancer finally voiced his true concern—
"Were you abandoned by your companions? That Ghoul just now was from Aogiri Tree, right? Are they planning to leave you behind?"
Of course, Lancer couldn't bluntly ask, "Are you planning to join Aogiri?" The question was far too abrupt. But his present question was an indirect probe—if Kaneki intended to join Aogiri, he'd likely acknowledge it now…
"…"
Unfortunately, Kaneki Ken didn't respond. He simply bit his lip, head lowered silently. Yet his Kagune, suddenly launching a fierce assault, revealed clearly how turbulent his emotions were.
Glancing at the ticking countdown, Lancer made a final decision. Using Kaneki's Kagune to vault backward, he landed behind Touka. In one swift motion, he planted his spear into the ground, then a second spear appeared suddenly in his left hand.
I'm counting on you.
His body shifted slightly sideways, muscles bulging unnaturally in his left arm. Lying nearby, Touka felt a terrible sense of dread rise up inside her.
To Touka, Lancer had always been a strange person. Rumors described him as utterly merciless towards Ghouls, yet for some unknown reason, he'd spared the Fueguchi mother and daughter without harming them. Until now, she'd never fully grasped his true power. Only when he'd single-handedly fought against Kaneki and Ayato had she witnessed how terrifying he was in battle—but even then, that was merely a fraction of his true strength. Yet now, she felt an instinctive fear rising from the core of her being.
And this strike wasn't even aimed at her…
Touka desperately wanted to help Kaneki, but badly injured as she was, could she even stop Lancer? And if she revealed herself now, her identity would be exposed. Not just her, but the entire Anteiku would be endangered.
Lancer had no idea of Touka's inner turmoil. Right now, his entire focus was locked firmly onto Kaneki Ken—
Taking in a deep, frightening breath, Lancer's left hand tightened sharply around his spear. Then—
"HYAAA!!"
With a thunderous roar, his sideways right foot pivoted sharply forward. His waist twisted powerfully, channeling all of his strength from bottom to top into his left hand. In one fluid motion, his bent left arm straightened, releasing the spear.
Whoosh—!!
The spear's piercing shriek, ripping through the air, made Touka wince in pain.
But Lancer's own expression also turned grim. Although heroes in movies always ran from explosions at the last moment, looking dramatic as they were thrown to safety by a shockwave, the truth was that if everything happened exactly that way, in reality they'd end up naked with severe burns. So right after unleashing his all-out strike, Lancer immediately turned to flee.
Yet even his retreat looked extremely awkward.
Though he'd forcibly suppressed the backlash from his Last-Resort Strike due to his spear's power, his current physical state was now less than half its normal strength. He glanced anxiously at the darkened exit behind him, then finally clenched his teeth and made a critical decision.
Ayato had been taken away, and logically, Aogiri should've already retreated. But from their earlier analysis, at least half the Ghouls here had been hastily recruited fodder. Aogiri would feel no guilt sacrificing these weaklings to eliminate Investigators. That meant many Ghouls might still lurk within the building.
Under normal circumstances, he'd gladly use those weaklings to replenish his spear's energy—but now he was out of time. Ayato had already withdrawn, which meant any moment now…
BOOM!!!
Holding Touka in both arms, Lancer's foot slipped, his body nearly collapsing forward.
"Dammit!"
No more hesitation!
He clamped his spear firmly under his armpit, hooking his right arm beneath it, gripping it tightly—
A leap of faith!
The spear pierced through the wall, sending sparks flying as he used it to rappel rapidly from rooftop down to ground level, clutching Touka tightly.
Lancer dearly wished he could have carried Touka more gracefully, like a movie hero cradling a heroine—but reality was cruel. In his current state, all he could manage was hoisting her roughly over his shoulder like a sandbag. Fortunately, Touka was a Ghoul with enhanced endurance; otherwise, any normal person would've been vomiting their guts out by now.
But the danger hadn't ended. Just as Lancer landed safely, the explosions behind him intensified. Massive chunks of concrete began crashing down from above.
If he abandoned Touka now, he could certainly escape—but he... didn't want to die!
Leaving aside Kaneki, how many bosses lurked within Anteiku? And what about Touka's uncle? Lancer suspected even hiding at CCG headquarters wouldn't guarantee his safety if he let Touka die. Besides, he wouldn't allow himself to do something like that.
Yes, Touka was a Ghoul—but she was the most "un-Ghoul-like Ghoul" Lancer had ever met. She had forced herself to eat human food alone, just to fulfill her friend's expectations. Her father had been killed by CCG Investigators, giving her every right to despise humanity—but instead, following her father's teachings, she chose to blend into human society.
In Lancer's eyes, Touka was simply a "special person"—much like the prince from the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. If someone had the body of a beast yet possessed the heart of a human, were they a human or a monster?
Everyone had their own answer. For Lancer, his answer was his choice:
"Hold onto me tightly!"
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