Chapter 18
"It seems he isn't a Dove after all—just a reckless driver."
"Is there anything we can help you with? My family runs a clinic. We can treat the wound on your head."
Fueguchi Ryoko's voice was gentle and kind.
"No, that's alright."
Minato reached up and wiped away the blood running down his forehead. A scratch like this would heal quickly enough.
"This little injury isn't a problem."
Even so, he remained cautious.
Whether they were good or bad, they were still ghouls.
And he was human.
Who knew what they might be thinking?
"I see."
The kind-hearted ghoul woman nodded and didn't insist.
Then—
"Mom, I'm hungry."
The little girl holding Ryoko's hand stared at the blood on Minato's forehead and spoke innocently.
The moment those words left her mouth, both Minato and Ryoko froze.
"Alright, sweetie. Mom will make dinner as soon as we get home."
Ryoko quickly grabbed Hinami's hand and hurried toward the clinic.
Minato remained where he stood, watching the mother and daughter leave.
"Should I... report them?"
He muttered to himself.
The reason he hadn't reported Anteiku yet was because he still wanted to observe what would happen between Rize Kamishiro and Kaneki Ken.
Once he gathered the information he needed, he wouldn't hesitate to expose the café and see what surfaced afterward.
Of course, before that happened, he needed to send Takatsuki Sen back to the 11th Ward.
As for the Fueguchi family...
He searched his memories.
There didn't seem to be any major secrets surrounding them.
Reporting them felt somewhat cruel.
But at the end of the day—
He was human.
They were ghouls.
Man-eating monsters.
Doing so wasn't wrong... was it?
Just as Minato was about to call Kureo Mado, the clinic door opened.
A large figure stepped outside.
Yamori.
The moment Yamori spotted him, he immediately began walking over.
"Damn it."
Minato's head started to ache.
"How did I get discovered again?"
At that moment, he desperately envied those slice-of-life protagonists with zero presence.
---
Chapter 22
Minato smiled as the giant stopped in front of him.
"Good afternoon."
Yamori stared at him.
This wasn't the first time he'd seen Minato.
Whether through Aogiri Tree or during their previous encounter at the bus station, he remembered him well.
Especially the fact that this human had beaten Rize Kamishiro into retreat.
That alone made him interesting.
"GOOD... AFTER... NOON."
Without warning, Yamori threw a massive punch.
He didn't care about any orders not to touch Minato.
To him, Minato was still human.
Which meant food.
At most, slightly tougher food.
"How rude."
Prepared for the attack, Minato easily sidestepped the punch and created distance.
Yamori missed.
But he didn't seem bothered.
The grin on his face slowly twisted into something grotesque.
"Playing hide-and-seek? Then let's play."
His kakugan appeared.
Yet he still didn't release his kagune.
Either he thought Minato wasn't worth using it against—
Or he simply wanted to crush him with his bare hands.
Leaning against a nearby car, Minato sighed.
"I'm really being underestimated. Not even using your kagune?"
"Then let's test something."
He slowly raised his hands.
"Wing Chun. Ip Man. Please teach me."
He said Wing Chun.
But the stance he assumed was clearly Tai Chi.
"HA!"
Yamori leapt into the air and came crashing down with overwhelming force.
Faced with the incoming attack, Minato calmly raised both hands.
Tai Chi emphasized borrowing force.
Guiding an opponent's strength away.
Using the minimum effort to achieve the maximum effect.
Though modern society mostly viewed it as an exercise for the elderly, Minato's talent had restored its true combat potential.
"Let his immense force strike me. I will deflect it with four ounces."
As Yamori's fist descended, Minato redirected the force.
The giant's power vanished into nothingness.
Then rebounded.
Yamori stumbled backward.
"Haven't used this in a while."
Minato clicked his tongue.
"A little rusty."
Yamori's eyes widened.
For a moment, it felt as if all his strength had simply disappeared.
The human before him was using some strange technique to neutralize his power.
Refusing to believe it, Yamori attacked again.
And again.
But every strike felt like punching cotton.
No matter how much force he used, none of it landed properly.
It was infuriating.
Minato suddenly leaned closer.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Are you angry?"
Yamori snarled.
"It's not over!"
"You're right."
The instant Minato said that, his movements changed.
Completely.
The style was different.
Yet somehow flowed seamlessly into the previous one.
His left hand seized Yamori's sleeve.
His right hand grabbed the front of his clothing.
Then he shifted Yamori's center of gravity.
One pull.
The giant body immediately lost balance.
Judo.
Uki Otoshi.
Yamori crashed toward the ground.
Meanwhile, Minato hadn't moved even a single step.
In his previous life, he hadn't limited himself to Chinese martial arts.
He had studied combat systems from all over the world.
By now, trying to categorize his fighting style was nearly impossible.
Because he had already integrated countless martial arts into one.
"Off you go."
Minato jumped.
His elbow descended like a hammer.
BOOM!
The strike slammed directly into Yamori's chest.
"AAARGH!"
Yamori felt something inside him shatter.
Pain exploded through his body.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
His face twisted in agony.
Meanwhile, Minato casually stood up and dusted off his hands.
Looking at the giant sprawled on the ground, he shook his head.
"That was quick."
Only a few moves.
And Yamori was already down.
A little disappointing.
---
Meanwhile, the Fueguchi family had emerged from the clinic.
Fueguchi Ryoko stared at the scene in shock.
"That man..."
Words failed her.
The person who had been speaking politely with them moments ago was beating Yamori barehanded.
Was he really not a Dove?
No.
Even if he were a CCG investigator, fighting someone like Yamori without a quinque was absurd.
"That uncle is amazing!"
Hinami's eyes sparkled.
Ryoko exchanged a glance with her husband.
They immediately understood each other's thoughts.
They could no longer stay here.
Whether their location had been exposed or not, Yamori's presence alone guaranteed that CCG investigators would soon flood the area.
They needed to leave immediately.
---
"AAAAAAH!"
Yamori roared.
His RC cells surged.
A powerful rinkaku burst from his back.
"Oh, come on."
Minato sighed.
"What are you yelling for?"
He stepped forward and kicked Yamori squarely in the chest.
BOOM!
The giant flew away like a cannonball.
A massive cloud of dust erupted in the distance.
Minato folded his arms.
"According to tradition..."
"The dust cloud means no damage, right?"
This wasn't a joke.
It was a lesson learned through experience.
Every time someone disappeared into a giant explosion or dust cloud—
They always came back.
Without exception.
And sure enough—
As the dust settled, Yamori's silhouette slowly emerged.
His rinkaku writhed menacingly behind him.
Minato sighed again.
"Can we have fewer clichés and a little more sincerity?"