Just as Amano Hiro stepped out from the backstage passage, he saw at the back entrance of the launch building a middle aged man in a plain suit pacing back and forth anxiously, occasionally wiping sweat from his forehead.
That was Shiono Shunji, Takatsuki Sen's responsible editor.
Ever since Eto debuted at the age of fourteen, he had been her editor. The two had worked together for many years.
By coincidence, he once discovered Eto's identity as a ghoul, but Eto did not silence him.
And he chose to remain silent as well, continuing his work as usual while keeping the secret buried deep in his heart.
In the original story, his ending was extremely tragic. After being arrested by the CCG, he was subjected to brutal torture.
In the end, his spirit collapsed and he revealed Eto's identity, yet he still could not escape death and even died without a complete body.
In the end, he was just an ordinary person who could not endure such inhuman torment.
But this time, that kind of thing would never happen again. In Amano Hiro's view, this editor who knew the truth yet still chose to stand by Eto's side could already be considered half one of their own.
The moment Shiono Shunji saw Amano Hiro, he immediately hurried over, his voice trembling with tension.
"Amano-san. Takatsuki Sen sensei, she-"
"It's fine," Amano Hiro calmly interrupted his panic. "There's no need to worry. In a few days, she will return safely."
Shiono Shunji opened his mouth as if he still wanted to ask something, but after meeting Amano Hiro's steady gaze,
he finally let out a heavy sigh of relief and the tension in his shoulders relaxed.
"That's good. That's good."
Amano Hiro patted his shoulder. "Hide for a while during this period. After some time passes, you can continue being her editor."
He then arranged a safe place for the editor to stay temporarily so he could hide for a period of time, in case the CCG came looking for him.
Though logically speaking, even if he did not hide there should be no problem. This time Eto revealed her identity voluntarily, so it had nothing to do with him.
But being cautious never hurt. Who knew whether those lunatics in the CCG might decide to cause trouble for him.
Now all that remained was to wait for Eto's message.
......
Pushing open the door, the atmosphere of home mixed with a faint aroma of food greeted him.
Amano Hiro loosened his collar while calling into the room. "I'm back."
"Welcome home, Hiro."
Rize's voice came from inside, accompanied by the light sound of slippers.
She walked to the entrance and naturally bent down, placing a pair of soft indoor slippers beside his feet.
"Did things go smoothly?" she asked, tilting her face up, violet eyes reflecting the light from the doorway.
"Yes, very smoothly." Amano Hiro handed her his coat. "Next, we just wait for news from Eto."
Rize carefully hung the coat on the rack and turned toward the kitchen.
After taking two steps she turned back again, a serious look in her eyes.
"Hiro, when Eto sends the message. I want to go too."
Amano Hiro looked at her serious expression and nodded. "Alright. When the time comes, I will definitely bring you."
————
Over the next two days, public opinion spread like wildfire, completely flooding the headlines of major media outlets and the trending lists of social networks.
The CCG publicity department was overwhelmed, constantly pressuring and negotiating with various media outlets, trying to forcibly suppress the storm.
However, with Takatsuki Sen's national level fame and the seemingly idealistic appeal of her public declaration, calming public opinion so easily was impossible.
Not to mention that behind the scenes there were also ghoul families hidden within human society and sympathizers secretly fueling the situation. The reality was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.
The CCG public hotline was almost completely overwhelmed. Even after learning that she was a ghoul,
Takatsuki Sen's enormous readership and loyal fanbase still raised a massive outcry.
Some were angry, some confused, and some openly supportive. Endless calls and letters poured in with a unified demand.
"Release Takatsuki Sen sensei."
...
Furuta Nimura put down the latest newspaper in his hand. The front page headline still showed a calm and beautiful close up photo of Takatsuki Sen.
He clicked his tongue lightly, smiling faintly. "She really played a clever move."
According to the preliminary interrogation record sent from Cochlea, Takatsuki Sen, or rather Eto, had not resisted much after being detained.
She had even rather calmly admitted another identity of hers.
She was one of the executives of Aogiri Tree and the SSS rated ghoul, the One Eyed Owl.
Furuta Nimura leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously.
He planned to personally go to Cochlea to meet this writer owl.
The analysis reports from headquarters always felt like there was a layer of paper between him and the truth.
Especially regarding Carnage's stance and whether it truly was the One Eyed King of this generation.
He needed to dig out more direct and genuine information from Eto's mouth. Some things could not be understood through intelligence analysis alone.
Deep inside Cochlea, in a specially reinforced prison cell.
Eto wore prison clothes but sat upright as if she were in her own study, with even a relaxed smile at the corner of her mouth.
Across the thick bulletproof glass, Washuu Furuta stood in a neat suit.
On his face was the familiar smile that made him impossible to read.
"Oh my." He deliberately stretched his tone, his voice coming through the communicator with its usual frivolous tone.
"You are still as beautiful as ever, Takatsuki Sen sensei."
Eto raised her eyes and sneered. "Shut up, clown."
Washuu Furuta's smile froze for a moment, then his eyes curved even deeper.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on the table while supporting his chin with his hands. "Heh. You really know everything."
Eto did not respond. She simply lowered her gaze and played with a small dark red sphere in her palm as if it were some interesting toy.
After a moment she looked up. "So. You came all this way just to say this nonsense?"
"The One Eyed King." Washuu Furuta dropped his joking expression, his eyes becoming sharp. "Is it you. Or Carnage?"
Eto met his gaze and suddenly revealed a brilliant smile. "Unfortunately, it's not me."
She leaned slightly forward, lowering her voice though it still carried clearly through the glass.
"But you will see it with your own eyes very soon."
Washuu Furuta's pupils shrank slightly. From Eto's answer, he believed it.
Carnage was the One Eyed King and the true leader of Aogiri Tree. He said nothing further and simply stood up.
Just as he turned to leave, Eto's voice rang out again with undisguised mockery.
"Hey, Washuu."
His footsteps stopped.
"How does it feel to face your biological father and still not be able to call him 'Dad'?"
Washuu Furuta's body suddenly froze in place as if nailed there by an invisible spike.
The next second he abruptly turned around and slammed both hands heavily against the bulletproof glass.
His entire face twisted into a dark expression.
"Die. Die. Die. Die."
He stared at Eto almost crazily, repeating the words again and again.
On the other side of the glass, Eto leaned back in her chair and covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a series of cheerful and malicious laughter.
"Oh my. How scary."
Her eyes curved like crescent moons, filled with the undisguised delight of a victor.