One of the investigators, the one with scars, speaks while raising his quinque that has the form of a shield.
"We've been investigating the 20th Ward searching for that ghoul who killed our comrade. We assume it's an S Rank ghoul. But in the process we've found several ghouls hiding living among innocent humans."
He smiles coldly.
"You're one of them, monster. You should thank us for freeing you from this miserable existence."
"Shut up!"
Her eyes emit dangerous gleams while she rises into the air. Her wings are pushed backward, giving them the form of sharp feathers.
While her kagune concentrates on her back, she feels weak and her vision blurs a bit.
'A final concentrated attack. It must work.'
One of the investigators shouts.
"Shit... Defend yourselves!"
At that moment, she narrows her eyes and pushes her wings savagely downward.
—Fwoooosh! Shiiink! Shiik! Shaaash!
The projectiles split the air as if they were massive waves of blades falling from the sky.
"Die!!!"
She screams with fury while her kagune releases another torrent of sharp feathers.
—Shing!
But suddenly, the man with the shield places his quinque in front of himself, and the shield expands, forming what appears to be a hard barrier.
The other two agents run toward the shield to take cover.
—Crashhhh!!! —Thud! —Thud! —Thud!
Touka's projectiles crash forcefully against the barrier, but it doesn't break.
Some deflect to the sides or pass above and below the shield, hitting the walls and ceiling, but don't reach any of the investigators.
"No... How could it be?!"
Touka lands heavily on the ground, feeling the world spin around her.
Her kagune begins to fade and retreat inside her. Her body trembles violently.
She's terrified.
The terror of dying and the terror that everything ends, invades her.
And in that moment of fear, an image flickers in her mind.
It's not her father's face, it's not her brother's face, nor is it her mother's face.
It's the irritating face of an idiot boy with a silly smile.
"I'd be very sad if you died, Touka."
Those are the words he said a few months ago. She never thought she'd think of them again with such intensity at this moment.
'It would be bad if I died here then...'
She looks toward the investigator with scars, who reduced his shield's size, and reveals the other two men almost unharmed, except one who has his thigh destroyed. It seems a projectile reached him.
"I knew it. A B Rank ghoul girl can't destroy my defense quinque, the 'Lion's Shield', developed by the CCG research department."
"..."
'But seeing my current situation, there aren't many ways to get out of this alive.'
She's surrounded with many wounds on her body. Having used a large-scale attack, she ended up tiring herself without having managed to bring down even one of them completely.
She's a ghoul girl who hasn't been properly developed yet, since her body is small, her kagune is immature, and as for combat experience, it can be said it's quite limited.
Then she hears a new voice from the destroyed entrance.
"Are you seriously unable to handle a ghoul girl?"
It's a man's voice that sounds both mocking and relaxed.
The owner of the voice enters walking into the room casually. He's older than the others, probably thirty years old, with black hair combed back and cold eyes.
"Well, you're rookies so not much can be expected from you."
Even the presence he emits is different from the others, seeming like a calm pond, but extremely dangerous.
"Allow me to show you how it's done."
The briefcase the newcomer brings opens and from there emerges an enormous quinque that slides over his body, coating him in complete black and red armor.
It's not like the other investigator's shield. The quinque appears woven with the matter of a kakuja ghoul, forming interconnected armor plates that cover every inch of his body.
"Mr. Yamamoto..."
The investigator with the shield looks at him in surprise, before continuing.
"U-uhum... The ghoul girl is already tired and weakened. My subordinates and I can handle her without problems. There's no need for you to intervene."
Yamamoto looks down at his subordinate with contempt.
"You've taken too long to neutralize a B Rank target. Even one of you has been injured. If you'd faced an A Rank target, you'd all be dead already."
However, Yamamoto doesn't seem bothered by the delay. On the contrary, he seems excited.
"Tsk..."
Touka slowly retreats.
'How annoying. Another rat.'
"It's true it's a bit humiliating for me as a Special Class Investigator to have to finish your job. But... the rookies outside have to see their team leader's power."
Having said this, Yamamoto crouches down a bit and then...
—Fwooom!
He disappears from his position.
Touka, whose vision had already clouded from exhaustion, can barely react. Her eyes try to follow Yamamoto's movements, but her body doesn't manage it.
—Boom!
An armored fist crashes against her stomach.
All the air from Touka's lungs shoots out. Her eyes open enormously with shock while her body is thrown backward like a cannonball.
—Crash!
She goes through the wall, flies through the air and lands violently in the backyard garden. Where she landed, clouds of dust rise.
"Guh... cough, cough..."
Touka spits blood and struggles to stand. Her bones ache and her head spins. She can't concentrate to manifest her kagune.
'It seems like teleportation...'
But she knows that's not the case.
The armor he wears is incredibly powerful. It not only appears to be defensive, but also drastically increases his strength and speed.
Before Touka could even move, Yamamoto appears in front of her, having traveled that distance in an instant. The armor doesn't seem to have affected his mobility at all.
"Are you done already?"
He raises his armored hand, and from the fist emerges a quinque blade half a meter long.
The man attacks again without giving her time to recover.
—Fwoosh! Slash!
She manages to put strength in her arms and jump backward. Still, the blade cuts deeply into her left side.
"Agh!"
Touka screams in pain while blood spurts from the wound. She falls to her knees and breathes heavily.
'No... I can't...'
She tries to stand but her legs tremble.
She considers the option of fleeing, but she doesn't even have the necessary strength.
Meanwhile, Yamamoto watches her fall to her knees, and with a disdainful expression, crosses his arms and emits a bored sigh.
"How pathetic. Seriously, is this the best the 20th Ward has to offer? I haven't even warmed up."
He turns his head and looks toward the other investigators. There are about 15 of them who have gathered to observe the scene. There are those who look with fear, astonishment or excitement.
"Initiative is needed, boys. The job must be finished with decisiveness."
His eyes settle on a young man with a smiling appearance.
"You. With the dumb face. Come here."
The boy points to his own chest with a finger.
"Me, Mr. Yamamoto?"
"No, the other imbecile who looks like he pissed himself. Of course you, damn it! Come on, I don't have all day."
The man scratches the back of his neck and slowly walks toward him.
Yamamoto receives him with a slap on the shoulder that almost knocks him to the ground.
"Look, boy. I've reduced the prey to a pitiful state. Her bones are broken, her kagune can't materialize, and she has no energy to stand. She's like a ripe fruit waiting to be picked."
He gives him a small push forward, making him approach Touka.
"Consider this a welcome gift. Your first execution of a ghoul that can be considered a memory that will accompany you all your life. I still remember mine. That kid didn't like my fist in his face much."
The young investigator swallows while looking at Touka, who looks at him with burning eyes of hatred.
He shakes his head, shows a smile and says out loud.
"Don't worry, boss! This one's going to be my prey."
His briefcase transforms into a long sword.
Touka closes her eyes. She seems ready to receive the final blow.
A part of her wonders if the image of Arata that appeared in her mind was just a hallucination provoked by the fear of dying.
'Silly boy... at least you could have come to see me...'
"Heh! Die, demon!"
While releasing those words, his eyes open enormously.
His left hand, with which he was holding his quinque, suddenly explodes in a rain of blood and flesh.
"A-Aaaargh?!"
—Plashhhh!
His body falls heavily and violently to the ground, with blood splashing everywhere.
The other investigators, including Yamamoto, freeze. They look at the boy who screams painfully with completely open eyes.
"W-What was that?!"
There's no one else there but Touka. She's on the ground without having moved from her position.
That man's hand exploded by itself.
"What was that, boy? Did your hand squeeze so tight it exploded? What a coward! Come back here and fight!"
Yamamoto shouts, confused.
But then, the young investigator raises his head and points with his other arm.
"I-It wasn't... m-me..."
His eyes are full of panic.
Looking toward where the boy is pointing, everyone present sees a figure on top of the neighborhood roof.
A small figure, with dark hair waving in the breeze. Wearing a black scarf with gray decorations.
He's standing, with his hands in his pockets, with a cold expression on his face, and with an icy gaze that pierces them all.
While the sunlight hits him, it can be seen he has bright eyes of a crimson red color.
"W-Who is that?"
One of the investigators murmurs.
Meanwhile, Touka slowly looks up. Her vision is blurry, but she can see the figure anyway.
And her heart beats.
"A... Arata...?"
She whispers with disbelief.
Yamamoto narrows his eyes. He ignores the moans of the rookie who now lies in a pool of his own blood.
"That kid... He looks like an elementary school student. What is this? Ah, it must be some new ghoul tactic, right? How ridiculous. They send their children to die first."
In response, the boy from the roof jumps and lands softly between Touka and the investigators, in the center of the garden.
The boy stands upright. He has no fear whatsoever before the Special Class Investigator.
His red eyes slide toward the man with the shield, and then toward the other wounded investigators. Finally, his gaze settles on Touka, who lies battered on the ground.
A slight breeze lifts dust around his feet.
Then, with a serene but cutting voice that cuts through the air, he speaks.
"You have hurt someone who is mine."
Someone no one is allowed to touch.
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