After finishing her studies for the day, Eto left school and began her walk home.
Along the way, she saw students in the same uniforms gathered in small groups, chatting about where to hang out or exchanging the latest gossip.
They were just ordinary students, moving in packs.
Watching them, Eto thought back to the two Ghouls who had visited a week ago.
A pack, huh...
The two Ghouls hadn't said it outright, but she could smell others on them. Not just one or two, but many. They were clearly Ghouls who lived and operated in a group.
What would have happened if they hadn't come as guests? What if they had stormed the house as a collective, driven by clear malice?
No matter how exceptional Eto's combat talent was, she was still only one person. There was a limit to how long she could hold out against an endless tide of enemies.
Even if she could somehow find a way to escape and survive, Takaki Koma would certainly die.
She understood the principle well: individuals form groups to overcome their own limitations.
The CCG was the pinnacle of that principle. Their power and technology for hunting Ghouls were formidable, but above all, their numbers were the real problem. Kill one, and two more would appear—a cycle that repeated endlessly.
Numbers, in and of themselves, became a form of violence that could not be ignored.
I wish we had more allies. Allies who could protect me and Dad.
She thought of the Ghouls Koma Enji and Irimi Kaya.
Even without a group behind them, they possessed a strength that Eto felt she couldn't possibly overcome. They were on a completely different level compared to the Ghoul known as the Artist she had fought years ago.
Having sensed their power, Eto had been too tense to act like her usual self. On her own, she didn't even come close to the level of either one of them.
Due to this caution, she had left all interactions with them entirely to Koma, choosing only to observe their every move.
Fortunately, Koma seemed convinced that they weren't dangerous. Though, later on, Koma eventually lost his temper at their rudeness and kicked them out.
Still, seeing as they had retreated quietly without attempting to use force, they seemed less dangerous than she had initially feared. If they could be persuaded and a good relationship established, they would surely be an asset rather than a threat to Eto and Koma.
She was lost in these thoughts as she walked through the residential neighborhood.
She felt a presence rapidly approaching from behind, but Eto pretended not to notice.
She already knew who it was from the sound of the footsteps alone, and this was not a person she could afford to show her extraordinary perceptiveness around.
“E~to~!”
Whoosh!
Along with a playful female voice, slender arms shot out from behind and wrapped around Eto.
The woman hoisted Eto up in one motion and rubbed her cheek against Eto’s.
“Wow, it’s been so long! Has it been almost a month? And you’re in your school uniform! You’re just too cute!”
Rub rub!
“Second Class Investigator Hoshino. That’s enough. Let her go before you choke the kid.”
A familiar voice drifted from behind the woman. It was Hitokawa, Koma’s friend and a Ghoul Investigator.
Having recently been promoted to Associate Investigator, he now carried a certain seasoned air that hadn't been there before. He approached with a sigh.
Hitokawa cast a worried glance at his subordinate, who continued to shower Eto with suffocating affection.
Of course, he wasn't worried about Eto. He was worried about his subordinate, who had absolutely no idea what the child she was hugging actually was.
Hoshino Akamiya was a woman with a spirited, energetic impression.
Higher-ranking investigators were typically paired with juniors to provide training and pass on their know-how.
Hoshino was one such junior who had become Hitokawa’s subordinate. She had met Eto and her father six months ago, introduced as Hitokawa’s junior.
Though it was awkward at first, their relationship had grown to the point where Eto now felt a special fondness for her. Hoshino claimed she had always wanted a younger sister and felt that same bond with Eto. The only problem was that her affection was far too intense.
As a Ghoul Investigator whose life revolved around fighting Ghouls, Hoshino was naturally stronger than the average person.
However, she was currently using that strength—which she still struggled to control—to squeeze Eto. Anyone else would have been suffocating by now.
Eto glanced at Hitokawa with a suspicious look that seemed to ask, Is this some new method of identifying Ghouls—by seeing if they can survive being crushed? Hitokawa replied with a look that said, She’s just a strong idiot.
Among the Ghoul Investigators, Hitokawa was the only one who knew the secret that Eto was a Ghoul.
“Are you heading home? I happen to have some business with Koma, so let’s go together.”
“Is something wrong?”
Eto asked, finally escaping Hoshino’s embrace.
Hoshino pouted like a child who had just had her favorite teddy bear snatched away.
“Aah! Just a little longer, Eto!”
“Second Class Hoshino. Keep this up and Koma will beat you up again.”
“Eek... Sorry.”
The last time they met, Koma had reached his limit with Hoshino’s excessive affection and shouted, “Stop bullying Eto!” before delivering a German suplex. The memory had left a lasting impression on Hoshino, causing her to settle down immediately.
Once Hoshino had calmed down, Hitokawa answered Eto’s question.
“Nothing too special. It’s just that the activity in Ward 7 has been strange lately, and there's something I need to tell him.”
“Activity in Ward 7?”
“I found out a few days ago while taking down a Ghoul that two incredibly famous Ghouls from another district have drifted into this area. Maybe because they're spooked, other Ghouls who usually hide in the shadows are starting to surface, which has kept the investigators busy. We still haven't pinpointed the location of those two, though.”
Two Ghouls?
Immediately, the man and woman who had visited a week ago came to Eto’s mind.
Given their strength and the timing, it was obvious that Hitokawa was referring to them.
Hitokawa looked into Eto’s eyes, silently asking if she knew something.
Eto shook her head, pretending to be ignorant.
For the sake of her family's peace, her personal philosophy was to stay as far away as possible from the conflict between Ghouls and investigators.
Besides, those two had been thoroughly scolded and chased away by Koma.
If they wanted to return, they would first have to resolve their own internal conflict, which Eto figured would be impossible for at least a month or two. She decided it was best to keep playing dumb.
However, that was a judgment that vastly underestimated Enji and Kaya.
Eto realized this the moment she arrived at the house with Hitokawa and Hoshino.
This smell... this presence!?
A familiar presence was emanating from inside the house.
Enji and Kaya were there. And of all the times for them to visit, it had to be when she was accompanied by two Ghoul Investigators!
Realizing the danger, Eto froze just as she was about to open the front door.
“M-Mr. Hitokawa! How about coming back tomorrow instead of today?”
“Huh? Why the sudden change?”
“D-Dad said he was doing a deep clean of the house today! It’ll be a total mess!”
“What are you talking about... I’ve seen plenty of unsightly things at your place already.”
Ghouls cannot survive without human flesh. Since Eto was a Ghoul living there, traces of human corpses were inevitable.
Even if the bodies were those of suicide victims, the innate human revulsion toward corpses does not simply vanish.
Even for Koma, for whom preparing bodies had become a daily routine, it still occasionally triggered nightmares. Hitokawa was no different.
The day he had accidentally discovered a prepared slab of human meat in Eto’s house, the shock had been so great that he couldn't bring himself to eat meat for weeks.
Despite the revulsion, there was nothing he could do. Having accepted Eto's existence, he couldn't stop her from doing what was necessary to survive.
He had heard that in Cochlea, the Ghoul detention center, there were ways to provide just enough nutrition to keep a Ghoul alive without human flesh, but that method essentially kept them in a state of barely breathing, so it wasn't an option for Eto.
Thus, the bodies of suicide victims were the absolute limit of what Hitokawa could overlook.
If she ever laid a hand on a living person, Hitokawa would draw his blade, even if it meant his own total ruin.
But as time passed, hatred had turned into a form of affection, and he had built a trust that they would never do such a thing. Now, he only hoped that their relationship would never be exposed to the world.
Trust built over years of quiet observation is a fragile thing, and it was too risky to expect the world to be kind to it.
Regardless, it made no sense for Eto to block Hitokawa, a man who had already seen the worst of their living situation.
It wasn't as if Koma had finally listened to Hitokawa’s nagging—The kid is grown, maybe it's time you found a life of your own—and had started seeing someone, spending his time in some scandalous manner...
Then why is she doing this?
While Hitokawa was struggling with Eto's inexplicable behavior, the front door clicked open.
Having heard the commotion, Koma appeared. His expression hardened the moment he saw Hitokawa and Hoshino standing there with Eto.
Hitokawa greeted him cheerfully, but then he noticed two unfamiliar people standing behind Koma.
“Huh? Who are the people behind you?”
“...Haaah.”
Instead of answering, Koma let out a long, heavy sigh and looked up at the sky. He looked profoundly exhausted.
***
I'm screwed...
I am absolutely screwed.
On one side, my old friend, a Ghoul Investigator, and his junior subordinate.
On the other, guests sent by Mister Kuzen—Ghouls I can actually trust.
It was fine for us to meet Hitokawa. It was fine for us to meet Enji’s group. But Hitokawa’s group and Enji’s group could not meet. It would be like mixing two volatile chemicals that were never meant to touch; the resulting reaction would be catastrophic.
I had to stop it. I had to create a boundary, like oil and water, ensuring the two sides never mixed.
Eto seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she looked at me with sparkling eyes. We locked gazes and nodded in unison.
“Let me introduce you, Hitokawa! These are the ‘newlyweds’ who just moved in next door! This is Mr. Enji and Ms. Kaya!”
Flinch!
Enji and Kaya, the sudden targets of this bombshell announcement, jolted visibly.
They shot me looks of pure disbelief, their pupils narrowing as if to ask what kind of insane nonsense I was spouting. I could practically feel the heat of their glares burning into the back of my head.
...Honestly, I was already regretting the improvised lie.
Couldn't I have thought of something better? I should have at least lowered the stakes from 'newlyweds' to 'a couple.'
But there was no taking back words once they were spoken. Eto quickly jumped on board, refining the lie to make it sound more natural.
“Actually, they only moved in recently, so they said they were coming to ask Dad a few things today! I thought it wouldn’t be right to let in more guests when we already had some...”
Eto then trotted past me and stood before the two Ghouls, clasping her hands together.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Enji! Ms. Kaya! Mr. Hitokawa said he had something important to tell Dad, so I’m afraid you’ll have to head back for today.”
As she spoke, Eto gave a subtle wink from an angle Hitokawa couldn't see, signaling them to play along.
Good job, my daughter! You've given them a perfect excuse to leave!
I followed her lead and winked back, urging them to go with the lie.
A look of intense agony crossed Enji and Kaya’s faces.
They knew that drawing suspicion now would benefit no one. They understood that causing a scene would make things incredibly difficult for everyone involved.
The only problem was that the man standing right next to them was the very rival they spent every waking moment wanting to erase from existence!
Why was this trial being thrust upon them!
It would be far less stressful to storm the CCG headquarters bare-handed!
...I could hear their silent screams echoing clearly in my mind.
After a moment of deliberation that felt like an hour, they finally acted.
“W-Well, I suppose it can’t be helped! Let’s head back for today, ...h-honey~?”
I saw it.
I saw the blood pooling between Enji’s teeth as he maintained a wide, forced smile.
He was grinding his teeth so hard they were bleeding just to force the word “honey” out of his throat!
“A-ah, what a shame! But we can’t be a nuisance, so let’s go, ...d-darling~!”
And I saw it again.
I saw the bloodshot tint in Kaya’s eyes as she squeezed out a cutesy tone—like wringing a single drop of water from a barren desert—while clinging to Enji.
The mental stress was so immense that the capillaries in her eyes were bursting; she was on the verge of weeping blood!
Watching their iron will to achieve their goal despite their emotions, Eto and I suddenly felt the urge to give them a standing ovation. We couldn't, of course, because that would have been far too suspicious.
Anyway, after delivering the performance of their lives, the two of them laughed and chatted as they brushed past Hitokawa’s group.
If they could just get far enough away, we would be safe.
“Wait a second.”
...If only Hitokawa hadn't said those three words.
The two of them, nearly out the door, froze at the sound of Hitokawa’s voice. Eto and I froze right along with them.
“It’d be rude for the first guests to leave just because some uninvited visitors showed up without an appointment. Come in and have a cup of tea before you go.”
“Hey, Hitokawa. Hold on!”
The homeowner is right here, why are you deciding things on your own! Just let them go!
I tried to object, but Hitokawa patted my shoulder as if to say it was no big deal.
“This actually works out perfectly. I had some information to deliver to the residents in this area anyway. You said those two moved in next door, right? I might as well handle it all at once.”
At those words, I felt the crushing weight of failure once again.
If his goal was to visit every house in the neighborhood, he would be heading straight to the house next door the moment they left ours.
In other words, if they left now, it would be immediately obvious that the 'newlyweds next door' story was a lie!
The other side seemed to realize this as well, as their feet refused to move toward the exit.
If the lie were exposed, they would be questioned about the reason for it, and the situation would only spiral further.
“Wow, newlyweds, huh? I bet you two are all lovey-dovey. Make sure you close the windows tight so the neighbors can't hear you, Koma.”
“Eto~ let’s go inside with big sister~!”
Tossing out those jokes, Hitokawa gave me a light shove and walked inside.
Hoshino followed, scooping Eto up in her arms. As she was carried away, Eto looked around frantically, not knowing what to do.
And I... swallowed hard and turned toward the two frozen figures in front of me.
“Um...”
As if they had been waiting for me to speak, Enji and Kaya turned their heads simultaneously.
Contrary to my fears, they looked calm.
But I quickly realized that this calm came from the fact that they had completely abandoned the restraint that had been holding them back.
...Because their [Kakugan] were burning fiercely in their eyes.
“Waaaait!! Calm down!! He doesn’t mean any harm!! That idiot has just always been too nice to people!!”
“Just one hit! Let me hit that bastard just once!!”
“I won’t kill him! I’ll just turn him into a vegetable!!”
Without suppressing their murderous aura in the slightest, Enji and Kaya began to storm into the house.
I had to wrap my arms around both of their waists and desperately hold them back, like a man trying to restrain two enraged bulls.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register