After seeing Hitokawa off, we went back down to the living room.
I wanted to clear my head, but my room was a disaster after all that fighting, and I wasn't in the mood to spend time in there.
Minami was nowhere to be seen in the spot where we’d been talking a little while ago. Had she already left?
Before I could even wonder, I saw Eto bringing over the first-aid kit.
Once I sat down, Eto wordlessly opened the box and tore off a piece of gauze.
The gauze, soaked in disinfectant, touched the cut on my cheek. The bacteria around the wound were annihilated the instant they met the alcohol, and my nerves screamed in protest as if they refused to die alone. It stung, but I didn't let it show.
“...”
“...”
There was no conversation. Only an uncomfortable silence hung in the air.
Eto, tending to my wounds, tried to hide it, but it was obvious she was far more drained than usual.
She must be terrified. Just the fact that she’d been exposed as a Ghoul meant the life she’d been living—her entire world—was now on the verge of collapse.
Perhaps she wasn't voicing that fear because she knew I was feeling just as anxious.
“...Mm. No, this won’t do.”
I couldn't stand it. No matter what, seeing Eto this dark and withdrawn was unbearable.
“Let’s eat! We’ll eat first, then we'll think!”
“...Eh?”
Eto looked up at me, startled.
As her composure wavered, a sliver of the anxiety she’d been hiding flickered across her face. Get out of there, you bastard. Who gave you permission to hide our cute Eto’s beauty?
“And you’ve got school! Didn’t you say you have a recorder test today? To cheer you on, I’ll even sprinkle some of my blood over breakfast with a special sauce. I already drew a decent amount for that transfusion the other day!”
Forcing a bright tone, I threw a metaphorical uppercut straight at the heavy emotion Eto called “anxiety.” That thing muttered, “You’re weak. So weak,” and tried to hang on. What, you little punk?
Eto lowered her head, clearly knowing I was putting on a brave front, and spoke softly.
“But, Dad...”
“It’s fine.”
I cut her off before she could say what I already knew was coming and ruffled her hair vigorously.
Then, I told her in a voice brimming with confidence, “You might not remember, but we’ve survived crises much worse than this. Back then, they didn’t even try to talk—they just tried to kill us on sight. Now that was a real pain.”
As if seeking confirmation, I looked toward the household altar where my father’s memorial tablet was kept.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the photo of my father beside the tablet seemed to be facing away from me.
“Hitokawa said he’d come back tomorrow. That means he’s willing to talk. As long as we can communicate, there’s a chance.”
“But...”
“‘Human civilization began the moment people started throwing “words” instead of “stones” when they fought.’ That’s something a famous psychologist once said. If we're going to be civilized, we should know how to fight with words. ...Well, I did lose my temper and swing my fist first a moment ago. Let’s call that an exception. I'll clear my head now, and tomorrow, I'll settle things properly. I might be weak in a brawl, but I'm a pro at a war of words.”
I bent down to meet Eto at eye level, pinched her soft cheeks, and gave her a wide grin.
“So smile! Your dad is heading into a major battle, so you need to give me your best support, okay?”
When I let go, Eto rubbed her slightly stinging cheeks. Then, she let out a small giggle and smiled softly.
“Okay. Dad’s silver tongue is invincible!”
“I don't think 'silver tongue' is usually a compliment... but whatever! I'm going to win! Yay!”
“Yay!”
As I thrust my fist into the air, Eto followed suit, raising her own little fist.
I maintained a boisterous smile to brush away Eto’s anxiety, but inside, I wasn't smiling at all.
If every problem in this world could be solved through conversation, wars wouldn't exist. But the reality was different.
Conflicts erupt because people easily abandon dialogue over differences in interests, ideology, or religion.
And in this case, it was a difference of species—a matter of survival.
Worst case... I have to be prepared to cut ties with Hitokawa completely.
Could I actually do that?
I asked myself, but instead of an answer, the only thing that surfaced was the same anxiety that had been lingering in Eto’s eyes.
***
Shinaoto Minami looked up at the sky shortly after leaving Koma’s house.
White, cottony clouds drifted lazily by.
The bright sunlight stroked her skin with a gentle warmth, and a cool breeze brushed through her hair as if in harmony with the day.
It was lovely weather. If she were going on a picnic, it would be the absolute perfect day.
“Mmm~ The sky is clear♡. The sunlight is sparkling☆. And my commute is... what the fuck...!!!!”
Minami had been walking elegantly, savoring the season like a heroine from a shoujo manga, until the sudden realization that she had to go to work hit her. She let out a piercing shout.
If someone from the music industry heard that voice, they’d probably recruit her for a death metal band on the spot.
“Aah~ I hate work~. I finally found some interesting people~. I wanted to play with Koma-kun a little longer~.”
She recalled the intense look in Takaki Koma’s eyes from the previous night.
At the memory, Minami pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks like a girl in love.
Two shadows watched her as she bounced along the street like a rabbit.
“...Senpai. Is it just me, or is that woman a little crazy?”
“W-well... it's for the job, so it can't be helped.”
They were two Ghoul Investigators. A few of the agents monitoring Koma’s house had decided to tail Minami.
The reason was obvious: the Insect-Masked Ghoul.
Until the cause of last night’s attack was confirmed, they intended to keep a close eye on everyone in the vicinity.
Minami, however, had noticed them shortly after leaving the house.
Ugh, how annoying.
Minami reached the same conclusion as Koma almost instantly. She wasn't about to be happy about being used as bait to lure out a Ghoul.
So, she decided to have a little fun.
Minami muttered loudly to herself that she’d forgotten something, then looped back the way she had come.
The two investigators, trying to look like unrelated passersby, turned away and pretended to be busy with other things.
As Minami passed them, her eyes gleamed with mischief.
Thud!
“Kyahhh~!! Help! A pervert~!!”
““!?!?!!””
Minami threw herself onto the empty pavement and screamed at the top of her lungs.
The startled investigators whipped around, only to be further shocked to find her finger pointing directly at them. By the time they realized the surrounding crowd was glaring at them with murderous intent, they were in a state of pure panic.
“What? A molester in broad daylight?”
“And targeting a beauty like that!”
“Look at these scumbags!”
Whether driven by a sense of justice or a hidden desire to play the hero for a distressed woman, people swarmed in from all directions.
Judging by the fact that most of them were men, the latter seemed more likely.
“N-no! This is a misunderstanding!”
The investigators tried desperately to explain, but they were swallowed by the wall of people in an instant.
Meanwhile, Minami stuck out her tongue and slipped away into a nearby alley.
“Hehe~ Serves them right.”
Listening to the distant screams of the investigators, Minami stretched luxuriously and headed deeper into the alley.
And then...
BOOM!
A heavy vibration shook the ground.
A massive shadow dropped from the roof of a building. It would have looked like a giant human if not for the grotesque face.
A mask modeled after an insect. Saliva dripped from its gaping maw, trailing across the pavement.
Minami recognized this monster.
It was the Ghoul from last night’s attack.
“Kehehehe...!!”
With a sneering, repulsive laugh, the Ghoul turned its gaze toward Minami.
“...Eh?”
Recognizing the creature, Minami’s face went rigid.
***
“Gyaaah!! What do we do, Senpai!? We lost the target because we were accused of being perverts!”
“Just chase her! She couldn't have gone far!”
The two investigators, finally freed from the crowd, rushed into the alley after Minami.
It wasn't so much that she had shaken them off; rather, the men had lost their momentum and the crowd had eventually backed off once Minami vanished.
They hadn't lost her for long.
The junior investigator had caught a glimpse of her entering the alley, allowing them to track her.
Fortunately, this alley was a narrow path with nothing but a few turns.
If they ran hard enough, they could catch up. With that thought, the two of them rounded the corner where they expected to find her.
Instead, they were met with a scene straight out of a nightmare.
Crunch! Crack!
It was the Insect-Masked Ghoul.
Through the slits of the insect mask, the Ghoul's [Kakugan] flickered.
And in the Ghoul's mouth was a fresh, still-warm woman's arm, as if she had only just died.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound of bone and flesh being crushed together echoed through the alley.
As if not satisfied, the creature lifted its head and used the fingers of its long arm to shove the woman's limb deeper into its throat.
Like something sinking into a swamp, the arm slowly disappeared into the Ghoul's maw, and the creature snapped its jaws shut.
“Kehehehehe!!”
Then, it let out a mocking laugh.
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