Turning back time, back into the past....
"I'm Shinaoto Minami~. Just an ordinary office worker at a normal company~."
"If you're an office worker, you should go home and rest like a normal person. Why the hell are you joining some random dojo-crushing spree in the middle of the night?"
"I got carried away before I knew it~."
"Ghk...!"
Hitokawa was choking Koma out with a submission hold, trying to knock him unconscious after the drunken man had transformed into an overenthusiastic pro wrestler. It was a rough measure taken on the judgment that, if left alone, there would only be more victims.
The two of them strained against each other: Hitokawa trying to put Koma under, Koma thrashing to avoid it.
Watching from a crouch as if it were all great entertainment, Minami continued speaking.
"So~ I only just got hired, and I'm still a fresh-faced newbie, you know~. Since it was my first job, I decided to go in bright and energetic and make a good impression on everyone~. But when I was giving out my contact info, I messed up and wrote the wrong number by accident? .....And because of that, I was the only one who couldn't join the company drinking party, so I ended up wandering into some random place alone and just sipping alcohol by myself."
By the end, her voice was soaked in a darkness and gloom that were almost too painful to listen to.
As a new employee, getting the first button wrong was a serious problem, so Hitokawa couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
After the struggle ended, he finally hoisted the limp Koma onto his back and turned to Minami, who was wearing the hollow smile of someone who had tasted both the bitterness and sweetness of life.
"Where do you live? I'll walk you home."
"Huh? I'm fine, so could you take Koma-kun home first? Carrying an unconscious person is pretty hard, you know~."
"You got close enough to call each other by name in that short amount of time, huh, you two.... Anyway, just say it. I'm a Ghoul Investigator, after all. This much physical exertion is just morning exercise."
"Is that so~. But that's too bad. My place is five stops away from here, so it's not within walking distance~."
"What? At this hour, the buses and trains have all stopped running, haven't they? How are you getting home?"
"Obviously, I don't have one~. For the record, I spent all my money on drinking just now, so I'm currently a proudly! magnificently! utterly flawless broke person~!"
"Why are you saying that like it's something to brag about!?"
Maybe because she was drunk, or maybe she was just naturally like this, but Minami seemed to have a lot of screws loose.
"So I asked Koma-kun if, since I was his drinking buddy, I could stay at his place for one night today, and he gladly agreed~?"
"How can you ask a man you just met to let you stay at his house like that?"
"Well, he said he had a daughter too, and he seemed like a decent person, so I brought it up~. If he had suddenly gone wide-eyed and tried to jump me, I was planning to leave solid evidence and squeeze him for proper compensation~."
"...."
Hitokawa found Minami strangely frightening.
Setting Minami aside, would Koma really let a strange woman into his home so casually? The Koma Hitokawa knew was the kind of man who said Eto was very shy and therefore didn't want to bring outsiders home.
Even though he met Koma often outside, it was rare enough to count on one hand for Koma to invite him to his home personally.
It was enough to make him think there had to be some other reason, not just that Eto was shy.
"That Koma invited someone else home, even if he was drunk?"
It felt strange, but once the man himself had passed out, there was no way to confirm anything.
With a lingering sense of unease in his chest, Hitokawa had no choice but to head toward Koma's place.
It seemed suspicious, but he couldn't just leave his unconscious friend out in the cold.
"By the way, you're a Ghoul Investigator? Is that bag in your hand the weapon that hunts Ghouls? Isn't it heavy? Are you close with Koma-kun? Oh, have you been to that cafe over there? It's closed right now, but if you have time, you should come by~. The donuts and coffee they sell there are absolutely top-notch~!"
"Hey, sorry, but you're making my head spin. I'm not saying you have to shut up completely, but could you at least talk less...."
Whether she had died without being able to speak in a previous life or what, she kept chattering without taking a breath for even a minute, and Hitokawa was being put through a test of patience.
He was already exhausted from the massive workload today and the investigation into the source of the [Q Bullet]. Then his drunken friend had to start wrestling him, and now there was a nonstop chatterbox riding on his back. ...He felt like he was aging in real time.
As he walked on with a sigh, it happened.
"...!!"
Hitokawa stopped in his tracks.
A chill ran through him. It wasn't the cold wind.
The unpleasant sensation of something like a centipede crawling down his spine.
It had taken several brushes with death before he learned to recognize this as murderous intent mixed with greed.
"~? What's wrong~?"
"...I'm going to leave this one to you."
"Huh? Kyau~?!"
He practically threw Koma over to Minami, who had been following behind him.
Already a little unsteady from the alcohol, Minami lost her balance and fell over with Koma on top of her.
"Uu.... What are you doing~? ...Huh? Koma-kun?"
"Ugh...."
Koma, who should have been unconscious, was groaning in pain.
He wasn't hurt from the fall. Minami had definitely served as a cushion.
Right now, Koma looked like someone trapped in a nightmare.
He was rubbing at his left arm, as if the scar shaped like a bite mark on his right arm was hurting.
Koma had unconsciously sensed the same presence Hitokawa had felt.
Across the entire world, there was only one species that directed a madness-like greed toward humans.
Clack! Clack-clack!
Hitokawa's metal case flew open and rolled across the ground.
Something snapped together rapidly in the air, and in Hitokawa's hand appeared a weapon with a sinister dark-red glow.
『Quinque - Koukaku (B+) Iwawashi』
It was a greatsword that looked as if an eagle had spread its wings wide.
But instead of feathers, jagged stone was embedded in it, and between those stones a red light seeped through like blood vessels.
"If you've got business, come down here, you bastard."
Gripping the Quinque, Hitokawa raised his head.
On top of a dirty, stained utility pole that looked as though it had stood there for years.
There, something grotesque clung upside down, fingers and toes dug into the pole like an inverted silhouette.
Its limbs were thin and long, making it look like a spider with only four legs.
It wore a mask that covered its face except for the mouth and eyes, insect-like in shape.
Behind that mask, the [Kakugan] of a Ghoul gleamed with the same ominous light as the Quinque.
"Kehahahahaha...!!!"
Because it was hanging upside down, the thing was clearly above them, yet it looked down at Koma's group, grinning with drool spilling from its mouth.
Its [Kakugan] was hazy too, its focus slightly off.
This time, it really did seem like they had run into a Ghoul that wasn't in its right mind.
"...Oh. Is that Mr. Tomoru's guest~? Then I can sit this one out, right~?"
"...!! You idiot! Don't get away from me!!"
As soon as the words left its mouth, the insect-masked Ghoul kicked off the utility pole, leaving cracks in the wood as it leapt to the ground.
Like a fired projectile, the Ghoul shot forward, aiming for Minami's back as she tried to retreat while dragging Koma along.
Hitokawa cut in between them and swung his greatsword.
Kaaang!!
Metal rang out and sparks flew.
It hadn't even used a Kagune, just swung its arm, but the impact was tremendous. One of the feather-like parts of the Quinque was torn away.
The stone feather of the Quinque shot up into the air, then dropped onto the unconscious Koma's head with a dull thud.
Hitokawa clenched his teeth and kept hold of the blade even as his grip felt like it was being torn apart, refusing to let go of the sword as it vibrated from the impact.
Meanwhile, the Ghoul, knocked back by Hitokawa's attack, let out a saliva-laced groan and twisted its wrist.
Its overgrown fingernails snapped off, and its index and middle fingers bent in a grotesque direction.
The thing examined the broken fingers from side to side, then opened its mouth.
Crunch! Crunch!
And then it chewed them up and swallowed them.
Hitokawa frowned at the incomprehensible, grotesque act.
"This is bad.... That last strike, even if I hold back, is at least A-rank."
Ghoul Investigators classify a Ghoul's strength by calling it a rank when hunting them.
The lowest is C-rank, which is only a little stronger than an ordinary human; if Hitokawa didn't let his guard down and fought properly, it was the kind of opponent he could beat.
B-rank was the most average level of Ghoul. Fighting one alone was dangerous, but he could still be confident in his chances of winning.
But A-rank was different. From A-rank onward, the difficulty of subjugating a Ghoul rose sharply.
With Hitokawa's strength, as nothing more than a second-class investigator, he had no chance of winning.
"A head-on fight is suicide. And if Koma's unconscious, running isn't an option either. Then...."
Hitokawa moved only his eyes, scanning the surroundings.
A dark street with no human shadows. The only light to rely on was the glow of the streetlamps. There were no cars passing on the road, only a few parked without owners.
The shop doors were locked tight. The only way to survive here was....
"Khhhhh....!"
After chewing up the finger with relish, the insect-masked Ghoul spat out a bone fragment and curled its lips into a grin. Its hideous teeth, stained with blood, were exposed, nauseating to look at.
The thing lowered its stance as if preparing to charge.
Hitokawa bit his lip as if he had made up his mind, then swung.
Not at the Ghoul, but at his left side.
"Well, the job of a Ghoul Investigator is to protect civilians first and foremost.... So please forgive me for this much!!"
What Hitokawa swung the Quinque at was none other than an unknown vehicle parked in the middle of the street.
As the blade came down, the car door and window were ripped away and fell off.
Then the vehicle began blaring its security alarm like a scream.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep――――――――――!!!!!!!
"Illegal parking, welcome!"
Even as the alarm shrieked, Hitokawa smiled with a furrowed brow.
If the Ghoul had any sense at all, it would never have thought to attack near the CCG building, where Ghoul Investigator backup could arrive at any time.
The actions of a mad Ghoul were hastening its own death!
"Khhhhh...?"
If the thing had even a shred of common sense, it should have realized the situation by now and run. But instead it tilted its head in confusion, then turned.
When their gazes met, the startled Minami and the unconscious Koma came into its field of vision.
"!! You bastard!!"
Hitokawa charged at its flank with the Quinque raised.
But the thing ignored Hitokawa and lunged at the fallen Koma, baring its hideous teeth.
"No!!"
That was when Hitokawa screamed.
Thud!!!
"Khaaaagh!!!"
Blood sprayed as the Ghoul, which had been leaning toward Koma, shrieked and recoiled.
Stuck in its right eye was the stone feather that had broken off the Quinque a moment earlier.
"You damned Ghoul.... Last time you were doing a cop cosplay, and now you're doing insect cosplay? Touch Eto and you're dead. ...Hic!"
There, Koma, still not fully sober, had raised only his upper body and was glaring fiercely at the Ghoul.
He seemed to be mistaking the Ghoul in front of him for someone else, but that wasn't what caught Hitokawa's attention.
Koma, from a seated position, had extended only his left foot toward the Ghoul.
Had he really thrown the feather and kicked it deep into the eye when it lunged? For a civilian with no experience fighting Ghouls, that level of response was hard to believe.
"No, wait. There was that one time! When he was being chased by that police Ghoul!"
Could it have been experience from that time? The Ghoul, not expecting a counterattack, had probably been careless too.
Either way, this was an opportunity.
Thanks to Koma's counterattack, the thing's right side was restricted. Taking advantage of that opening, Hitokawa slipped into its reach and swung the greatsword with all his strength.
Puuuuush!!!
"Khaaaagh!!!"
The feather-like stone blade ground mercilessly into the Ghoul's side.
Its flank was shredded by the impact in a single blow, and the Ghoul lashed out with furious claws, but Hitokawa had already pulled back.
"Khaaaaaaa!!!"
The Ghoul roared at Hitokawa, but it no longer gave chase.
Even if it lacked common sense, it must have instinctively understood that staying here was dangerous, because it clutched its wounded side and right eye before leaping back up onto the utility pole.
From there, it fled by bounding across the poles.
Once he confirmed the thing had disappeared completely, Hitokawa lowered the greatsword and leaned on it like a cane.
"Hoo.... What the hell was that thing? I'd never seen that Ghoul before.... Hey, Koma. You okay?"
"Snrrk~."
He looked back at Koma, but he was already asleep.
He'd stolen a Ghoul's right eye and then calmly gone to sleep. Just where the hell did that nerve come from?
Scratching his head in disbelief, Hitokawa checked on Minami's condition next.
"Hey, miss. Are you okay?"
"...."
The noisy girl had gone silent, head bowed, as if the Ghoul's attack had shocked her too much to speak.
Well, of course. No matter how eccentric she was, she had almost been eaten by a Ghoul. There was no way she could be fine.
Hitokawa was about to comfort her before the CCG people arrived after hearing the commotion, but Minami's murmur stopped him.
"Cool...."
Correction. She wasn't bowing her head; she was staring at the sleeping Koma.
Ah, right. That earlier attack had probably looked like the Ghoul was targeting her while she was with Koma, and then Koma drove it off. Was that why....?
Hitokawa got a bad feeling and waved a hand in front of her face, but Minami only kept staring at Koma as if her soul had been stolen.
...It seemed his friend had run into yet another misfortune.