The first rays of dawn filtered through the window like a thin veil, casting a pale golden glow across the young man's face.
Ren's long eyelashes trembled slightly as he remained half-lost in the remnants of sleep.
Then—
Ring! Ring!
The sharp sound of his phone shattered the quiet morning.
He frowned slightly and reached for the device beside the bed.
"Hello…?"
"Is this Mr. Ren?"
A stern male voice sounded from the other end.
"Yes, this is him."
His voice was still slightly hoarse from sleep.
"This is the Commission of Counter Ghoul, 20th Ward branch office. Regarding the ghoul incident that occurred last night in Aoba Alley, we require your cooperation in the investigation."
The tone left little room for refusal.
"Please report to the branch office within one hour for questioning."
"Understood. I'll be there shortly."
He hung up the call.
For a moment, Ren sat quietly on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes.
Then he stood up.
The bathroom faucet began running.
Cold water flowed over his fingers as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Deep inside his black pupils—
For a fleeting moment—
A crimson shadow seemed to flicker.
On the dining table sat a glass of warm milk beside a half-eaten slice of toast.
He had little appetite.
Still, he forced himself to chew mechanically.
Suddenly—
His hand paused.
[…You… are nervous…?]
A thin stream of scarlet fluid seeped out from his sleeve.
It slowly gathered together, forming a grotesque and distorted face.
Carnage's voice sounded low and viscous, like a whisper dragged from the abyss.
Ren calmly set the toast down.
"It's just a routine inquiry."
"There's nothing to be nervous about."
[…But they… will suspect you…]
He shook his head gently.
"So what if they suspect me?"
"They won't find any evidence."
Carnage's crimson body twitched slightly.
As if thinking.
After a moment, it slowly retreated back into his sleeve.
Before disappearing, it whispered:
[…If they dare to touch you…]
[I'll eat them…]
"Stop causing trouble."
Ren spoke quietly.
"Now is not the time."
[…Tsk…]
[Boring…]
Carnage muttered with obvious dissatisfaction.
But it fell silent afterward.
Ren adjusted his collar and stood up.
Outside the window, distant police sirens faintly echoed through the morning air.
…
"Almost late…"
"The roads in Tokyo are really troublesome."
Forty minutes later, Ren stood before the CCG 20th Ward Branch Office.
The building was a square, gray-white structure with a severe, institutional appearance.
Two investigators stood guard at the entrance.
They wore black uniforms typical of CCG personnel.
Each carried a silver quinque case.
Their sharp eyes scanned every person entering and leaving the building.
The moment Ren stepped inside the lobby, a female investigator approached him.
"Mr. Ren?"
"Yes."
"Please follow me."
She led him down a narrow corridor before stopping in front of a closed interrogation room.
Inside—
She gestured toward a chair.
"Please sit."
Then she sat across from him and opened a file folder.
"I am Second-Class Investigator Kuroiwa Haruko."
"I will be conducting this inquiry."
Ren nodded calmly.
"First," she said, fixing her gaze on him,
"please describe in detail what happened last night in Aoba Alley."
Her voice remained calm.
But there was a clear pressure behind it.
Ren began speaking.
"Last night, while I was walking home, two ghouls suddenly attacked me in Aoba Alley."
His expression appeared shaken.
"They were incredibly strong… I thought I was going to die."
"But suddenly, for some reason, they began fighting each other."
"They were both seriously injured during the fight."
"I took the opportunity to escape and called the police."
Kuroiwa Haruko stared at him silently for several seconds.
Then she suddenly asked:
"You claim you were attacked."
"But you appear completely unharmed."
Ren replied calmly.
"They didn't get the chance to attack me directly."
"They started fighting before that."
"In the chaos, I was pushed to the ground."
"But I wasn't injured."
Kuroiwa Haruko clearly remained unconvinced.
However, she did not pursue that line of questioning.
Instead, she pushed a document across the table.
"This is the autopsy report for the two ghouls discovered at the scene."
She pointed to the data.
"Their kagune sacs were removed."
"The wounds indicate they were forcibly torn out."
"What explanation do you have for that?"
For a brief moment—
Ren's heart tightened.
But his expression remained calm.
"I don't understand."
"I was only trying to escape."
"I didn't see anything clearly."
Kuroiwa Haruko narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Are you truly just an ordinary college student?"
"Of course."
Ren met her gaze without hesitation.
Silence filled the room.
After a moment, Kuroiwa Haruko closed the file.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"We will now conduct an RC cell test."
"If the results are normal, you may leave."
Inside, Ren quietly exhaled.
His fabricated story contained numerous holes.
The investigator in front of him clearly suspected something.
But none of that mattered.
Once the RC cell test confirmed he was human—
The suspicion would collapse.
…
The testing process was surprisingly straightforward.
Kuroiwa Haruko escorted him to the infirmary.
He had expected additional questioning.
But the CCG's testing procedures were highly standardized.
Blood draw.
RC cell scan.
Then waiting for the results.
The process was mechanical and efficient.
Soon, a technician wearing a white coat adjusted their glasses and spoke.
"RC cell concentration within the normal human range."
"No ghoul characteristics detected."
They handed the report to Kuroiwa Haruko.
She scanned the results quickly.
For the briefest moment—
Her brow furrowed.
Then her expression returned to normal.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Kiryu."
"You may leave."
Ren stood and nodded politely.
"Will I need to assist with the investigation again?"
"If necessary, we will contact you."
Her voice remained neutral.
"But we advise you not to go out alone at night for the time being."
"The 20th Ward has been unstable recently."
"Understood."
"Thank you for the warning."
When he stepped outside the CCG building—
The sunlight was bright.
He squinted slightly as warmth touched his face.
[…How boring…]
Carnage muttered inside his mind.
[…I thought we might get some exercise…]
"There will be opportunities."
Ren replied quietly as he hailed a taxi.
After getting into the back seat, he gave the driver a familiar address.
He intended to visit Anteiku.
Partly because he had free time.
But mostly—
Because the coffee there really was excellent.
The scenery outside the window blurred past.
Leaning back in his seat, Ren replayed the investigation in his mind.
Although the RC cell test had cleared him—
Something still bothered him.
That subtle expression on Kuroiwa Haruko's face.
Her suspicion had not completely disappeared.
His gaze drifted toward the window.
Soon the taxi slowed to a stop.
The familiar street corner came into view.
Anteiku's wooden sign looked warm beneath the afternoon sunlight.
He pushed open the door.
The soft sound of wind chimes rang out.
The rich aroma of coffee filled the air.
"Welcome—"
Touka Kirishima looked up from behind the counter.
Her violet eyes met his.