Inside the subway station.
Kotaro Amon stood quietly among the bustling crowd.
His expression remained stern.
A briefcase rested casually in his hand.
Inside the case—
A miniature RC cell detector glowed faintly.
The readings fluctuated within the normal range for humans.
No abnormalities.
Amon's sharp eyes followed Ren's figure as he exited through the side passage of the station.
Only after the young man disappeared into the alley outside did Amon shift his gaze.
"Amon."
A slightly hoarse voice sounded in his earpiece.
It was Kureo Mado.
"Target has exited through B3."
"He's heading toward the apartment complex."
"RC readings remain normal."
Mado's voice carried no emotion.
Immediately afterward, another voice joined the channel.
Calm.
Professional.
"Visual tracking confirmed."
The voice belonged to Haruko Kuroiwa.
"Target behavior matches the pattern of a civilian returning home after work."
"No suspicious contact."
"No abnormal movements."
"Physiological monitoring also shows no anomalies."
"Understood."
Amon replied steadily.
"Maintain distant observation until the target reaches his residence."
"If nothing unusual occurs—prepare to withdraw."
Although the evidence discovered in Aoba Alley strongly suggested ghoul involvement—
Their surveillance had produced nothing.
Ren behaved exactly like an ordinary citizen.
And the CCG required evidence.
They could not indefinitely monitor a civilian based only on suspicion.
[See…]
Carnage whispered triumphantly inside Ren's mind.
[…they are blind…]
[…deaf…]
[Perfect disguise…]
[We are the best actors…]
He ignored the symbiote's gloating.
Instead, he quietly sensed the surrounding atmosphere.
The cold pressure of surveillance—
The feeling like needles against his back—
Gradually began to fade as he approached the apartment building.
Mado's presence shifted farther away.
Likely relocating to a higher vantage point.
Amon and Kuroiwa remained nearby, but their attention had relaxed into routine observation.
The intensity of the surveillance was noticeably weaker.
He climbed the narrow staircase of the old apartment building.
The wooden steps creaked softly beneath his feet.
Soon he returned to his room.
Inside—
The moment the door closed behind him—
Carnage spoke again.
[…The smell of insects…]
[Someone has been here…]
His eyes narrowed.
Using the symbiote's enhanced senses, Ren carefully scanned the room.
Every corner.
Every surface.
Every possible hiding place.
He searched methodically.
But he found no surveillance devices.
Satisfied—
He moved silently toward the window.
His fingers gently parted the heavy curtain.
Outside—
Under the dim streetlights—
A black sedan sat parked at the corner.
Its windows were covered with reflective tint.
Watching.
Still observing.
But from a distance.
[…They're still watching…]
Carnage whispered.
[…but not closely…]
Ren wasted no time.
He quickly packed a backpack.
A few changes of clothes.
Basic toiletries.
And other personal necessities.
The thick stack of 10,000-yen bills given to him earlier by Yoshimura was carefully wrapped and hidden in an inner pocket.
After slinging the backpack over his shoulder, he checked the streets once more.
Then he opened the door.
Instead of walking toward the main staircase—
He moved quietly down the corridor.
At the far end stood a rusted iron door.
Behind it—
A narrow fire escape staircase.
The area was cluttered with discarded debris.
He pushed the door open slowly.
The metal creaked faintly.
Cold air brushed against his skin.
The staircase descended into darkness.
He vaulted over the railing and landed silently.
Then moved quickly down the rusted steps.
Soon—
His figure vanished into the maze of narrow alleys behind the building.
With Carnage's heightened senses guiding him—
He navigated the complex streets effortlessly.
Avoiding main intersections.
Avoiding surveillance cameras.
Avoiding brightly lit roads.
Instead, he moved through inconspicuous side streets.
By the time he reached the familiar alley behind Anteiku, night had deepened.
The café had already closed.
The first-floor windows were dark.
Only a faint orange glow shone from the manager's office upstairs.
The alley was silent.
Occasionally disturbed by distant traffic.
He approached the back entrance.
From his pocket, he took the key Yoshimura had given him earlier.
Click.
The lock turned softly.
He pushed the door open.
A familiar scent greeted him—
Coffee grounds.
Old wood.
Warm interiors.
He slipped inside quietly and closed the door behind him.
For the first time since leaving the apartment—
The invisible gaze of the CCG disappeared completely.
Leaning against the door, he slowly exhaled.
Then he walked upstairs.
The wooden staircase creaked faintly in the quiet shop.
Upstairs—
The hallway remained dim.
A thin line of warm light shone from beneath the manager's office door.
Following Yoshimura's earlier instructions, he located the staff room at the end of the corridor.
He opened the door.
The room was simple.
A single bed.
A desk.
A chair.
A small wardrobe.
Dust hung faintly in the air, suggesting it had not been used for some time.
But it was clean.
Electricity worked.
Water flowed.
At the very least—
It was cleaner than his old dormitory.
He dropped his backpack and sat on the edge of the bed.
His mind remained alert.
But physical fatigue was undeniable.
[…The trouble…]
Carnage whispered.
[…has only just begun…]
[Those white doves…]
[They will not give up easily…]
He did not argue.
Carnage was right.
Things were developing differently from what he had expected.
He had assumed the RC cell test would completely remove suspicion.
But clearly—
That was not the case.
Just then—
Soft footsteps sounded outside the room.
They stopped at the door.
He looked toward it calmly.
Knock.
Knock.
Two light taps.
He stood and opened the door.
Outside stood Touka Kirishima.
The dim corridor light made her violet eyes appear deeper.
She held a rolled quilt along with a clean set of sheets and pillowcases.
"The manager asked me to bring these."
Her tone remained flat.
She placed the bedding into his arms efficiently.
"They're new."
"It gets cold upstairs at night."
Her explanation was brief.
Her gaze quickly scanned his face and the empty room.
But she asked nothing.
Ren nodded.
"Thank you, Miss Kirishima."
Touka paused slightly.
Then spoke again.
"We're coworkers now."
"Just call me Touka."
He smiled.
"Thank you, Touka."
She nodded once.
For a moment—
Her gaze lingered on him.
Then she said simply:
"Get some rest."
Without another word—
She turned and walked away.
Her footsteps faded into the shadows of the corridor.
…
[She's lying…]
Carnage whispered mockingly.
Ren returned to the room and closed the door.
He laid the bedding across the mattress and made the bed.
After washing up—
He finally lay down.
The warm blankets wrapped around his exhausted body.
Carnage grumbled quietly.
[…coffee grounds…]
[…disinfectant…]
[…and the cold smell of that woman…]
[…disgusting…]
[…blood smells far better…]
He ignored the symbiote.
Outside the window—
Night in the 20th Ward remained deep and silent.