"Let Yomo-san accompany you. It's not safe alone."
Yoshimura said with concern.
With Renji Yomo by her side, Touka would have nothing to fear from Yamori.
Yomo was SS-rated with lightning-attribute kagune like Hikari Kirishima. Even without being a half-kakuja, his strength surpassed Yamori's.
Even the SS-rated half-kakuja Uta could only fight Yomo to a draw.
Yomo, being Touka's uncle, accompanied her back to the alley where they'd encountered Yamori.
But when they arrived, a group of CCG "Doves" had already gathered.
The entrance was cordoned off with warning tape.
An investigator stopped them.
"Sorry, a dangerous incident just occurred here. Civilians please stay back."
"A dangerous incident? Was there a ghoul?"
Touka put on a frightened expression.
"Yes, a very dangerous one. But don't worry—he's already been eliminated by one of our investigators. We're just processing the scene now."
This investigator seemed happy enough to chat with a cute girl. This information wasn't confidential anyway.
"Really? Who was the investigator? How old? Is he handsome?"
Touka played the part of a starstruck fangirl perfectly.
Obviously, she was fishing for information.
Through her sense of smell, she could detect the lingering blood scent—including Yamori's distinct scent. The eliminated ghoul was almost certainly him.
But who had defeated—even killed—Yamori?
According to Ryouko, Yamori was an Aogiri Tree executive with terrifying strength. Touka had experienced this firsthand.
The one who helped them escape had clearly been a ghoul. So how had a CCG investigator suddenly eliminated Yamori?
Unless that investigator was a ghoul?
That should be impossible within the CCG.
Yet Hinami had insisted it was Byakuya who saved them.
Touka's thoughts grew increasingly tangled. She could only hope to get answers through conversation.
But however eager this investigator was to chat with a pretty girl, he wouldn't compromise on principles.
He smiled as he replied, "That's not something I can share. Privacy, you know. Anyway, if you need to pass through here, please take a detour."
"Alright..."
Touka feigned disappointment, then returned to Anteiku with Yomo to report what they'd found.
"So a CCG investigator eliminated Yamori? But that person earlier was clearly a ghoul like us, wasn't he?"
Ryouko was astonished.
"Maybe whoever helped us wounded Yamori first but got injured himself and left, then an investigator who heard the commotion finished him off."
Koma speculated.
"That's possible. But either way, I'm curious about who that masked man was..."
The more unclear things became, the more Touka wanted to know.
"W-when that young man comes by again, I'll just ask him directly."
Hinami spoke up.
She was pushing herself to be brave because she wanted to know about her father.
Before, she hadn't approached Byakuya because she knew nothing about him and was too shy.
Now that he'd saved them, she felt certain he wasn't a bad person—possibly her father's friend. That gave her courage to make contact.
"I suppose that's all we can do for now."
Touka nodded.
"With Yamori eliminated in Ward 20 by an investigator, Aogiri Tree might seek revenge. Ward 20 could become quite chaotic soon—possibly a battleground between Aogiri and the CCG. Everyone needs to be extra careful."
Irimi warned.
"Yeah..."
Touka's expression darkened.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
After all, everyone at Anteiku had worked for years to make Ward 20 the most peaceful district. Yamori's sudden arrival had shattered that peace and might trigger a cascade of terrible consequences...
Ryouko and Hinami felt guilty. If they hadn't come to Ward 20 seeking refuge, Yamori wouldn't have followed.
But truthfully, it wasn't their fault. Yamori's primary mission was capturing Rize. Hunting them down was merely incidental. He'd been marked for death regardless.
"Look at you all. What's done is done—no use dwelling on it. Besides, Aogiri won't necessarily go to war with the CCG. Let's just focus on what we need to do. Fueguchi-san and Hinami-chan joining us is a good thing—we've gained two more helping hands."
Koma had noticed the mother and daughter's guilt and moved to lighten the mood.
While they weren't willing to hunt humans, they could help around the café and collect human corpses. They'd definitely be useful.
Irimi smiled. "He's right. No need to be pessimistic."
Ryouko and Hinami felt somewhat better. They'd work hard to help Anteiku.
...
Meanwhile, Byakuya had returned home.
Normally, he should have gone to the CCG branch to claim credit, but it seemed unnecessary. He was technically on leave anyway. He could go to Main Office in Ward 1 once his break ended and pick up his S+-rated Quinque then.
"I'm home."
He'd gotten used to saying this—he wasn't living alone anymore.
"Welcome back, darling~ Would you like dinner first? A bath? Or perhaps... you'd like to enjoy me first~?"
Rize emerged from the living room.
Byakuya had grown accustomed to her random teasing, but something about that line seemed off...