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Irimi Kaya followed the scent trail, her senses sharp as a hound's, until she reached Kael's residence. The description was morbidly apt; she was currently wearing her signature Black Doberman mask. It had been years since she had donned this attire, and the sensation of the tight black leather coat—which perfectly showcased her slender but brutal physique—brought back a wave of cold nostalgia.
As an SS-Rank Ghoul, Irimi Kaya sat at the absolute apex of the regional food chain. Even the CCG's Special Class Investigators would think twice before initiating a subjugation mission against the leader of the Black Dobers.
She didn't act rashly. With the Manager missing, she knew she couldn't afford a tactical error. She circled the perimeter, checking for thermal traps or tripwires. Finding none, she silently vaulted onto the rooftop, her movements a whisper in the night.
"I say, you've been circling outside for so long, why haven't you come in yet? I'm almost out of patience."
A ghostly voice entered her ear, causing every hair on her body to stand on end. Instinct overrode logic. Her Ukaku instantly bloomed from her shoulders—two curved, obsidian blades designed for close-quarters lethality. She slashed backward with enough torque to cleave a car in half.
CLINK.
Her heart sank. Her blades had struck an immovable steel wall. She glanced sideways, her pupils trembling. Kael had blocked her full-power strike with a single, straight index finger.
"Don't be so nervous. Let's talk first," Kael said. He was dressed in thin silk pajamas, standing under the moonlight with the casual air of a man headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.
"Talk?" Irimi retreated, putting ten meters of space between them. "Where is the Manager?"
"The Manager is where he needs to be. Now, let's go see him."
Kael reached out. Although they were separated by a significant distance, space seemed to compress as his palm shot toward her neck.
So fast!! Irimi's Ukaku-enhanced reflexes barely allowed her to dodge the initial grab, but Kael's hand changed trajectory with fluid, clinical efficiency. He pressed down, gripping the back of her neck and lifting her off her feet like a disobedient puppy.
"You're quite good at running," Kael praised.
Irimi attempted a final resistance, her Kagune flaring, but Kael's fist drove into her abdomen. The impact scattered her Rc-cell manifestation instantly.
"Be a good little puppy," Kael said, stroking her long, fine hair.
"Who... what are you?" she gasped through the pain.
"I'm the protagonist, obviously," Kael replied, turning his head. Two more shadows materialized on the roof.
"Put her down," Koma Enji growled, his Devil Ape mask glinting.
"Did you capture Touka too?" Renji Yomo asked, his presence radiating an oppressive SS-Rank aura.
"Look at this. I really am the villain here, aren't I?" Kael tilted his head, pulling Irimi's face closer until she could see her own terrified reflection in his dark eyes.
Before Koma Enji could finish his next sentence, Kael's leg lashed out. The kick bent the Devil Ape into a 'U' shape, launching him a hundred meters across the skyline.
"As a villain, don't talk too much," Kael noted.
Renji Yomo's Ukaku shards erupted like a rain curtain, each one capable of shattering stone. Kael merely waved his arm, the shards clanging against his skin and shattering into dust. He closed the distance, his fist meeting Yomo's jaw with the weight of a freight train.
Kael hummed a harvest tune as he carried the three unconscious Ghouls into the basement laboratory.
"Uncle?!" Touka cried out, seeing the disfigured bump on Yomo's forehead. She glared at Kael.
"Don't look at me like that, Rabbit. It's his fault for using the roof instead of the front door," Kael replied self-righteously.
Three more SS-Rank subjects. His database was expanding at an exponential rate. Yoshimura, the Manager, watched from his bed with a calm, almost amused expression. He had come to realize that as long as they didn't try to kill Kael, they were safer here than in the Wards. He was even enjoying his new role as a "Research Consultant," provided Kael kept the coffee machine stocked.
"Wait... you have everyone now," Touka realized, her voice trembling. "What about Hinami?"
"Should I bring her? I have plenty of spare beds," Kael suggested. Touka sighed, realizing that leaving a defenseless child like Hinami in a Ward about to descend into a power vacuum was a death sentence.
The next morning, Kael arrived at Anteiku. A timid Hinami Fueguchi opened the door.
"Brother Ken sent me," Kael said, handing her a phone. Hearing Kaneki's voice settled her heart, and she took Kael's hand.
Inside the lab, Hinami froze. "Sister Touka?"
Touka was standing there in her lace-edged maid outfit and white stockings. "Hinami, stay away from this scoundrel," she hissed, though she didn't move away from Kael.
Kael put his hands on his hips. "What did you just call me, Touka?"
Touka's body trembled. She bit her lip, the humiliation reaching a boiling point. "Ma... Master."
Hinami covered her mouth, her eyes wide. Master? In Japanese, the term could also mean 'Husband.' She looked at the stockings, then at Kael's smug expression. Did they get married while I was at the shop? Should I call him Brother-in-law?
Hinami looked at the group—Kaneki with his book, the Manager with his coffee, and the others being treated for their injuries. For a Ghoul at the bottom of the food chain, this "cage" felt more like a home than the outside world ever had.
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