The two young investigators standing behind Investigator Kishitani tightened their grip on their pistols.
Their gazes shifted nervously between Ren and Touka Kirishima.
Ren cursed inwardly.
Although Kishitani was only a Second-Class Investigator within the Commission of Counter Ghoul, the man was clearly experienced.
His eyes were sharp.
Too sharp.
Ren forced himself to breathe slowly.
"I… we live in the old neighborhood nearby."
His tone sounded slightly nervous.
"Sometimes we walk further out at night."
"Tonight I was distracted and…"
He hesitated deliberately before continuing.
"My girlfriend was frightened."
He glanced toward Touka.
"She's very introverted. When she gets scared she freezes and can't speak."
Touka cooperated perfectly.
She lowered her head slightly.
Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows across her face.
Her shoulders trembled subtly.
From the outside, she looked exactly like someone paralyzed with fear.
Kishitani's eyes moved between them repeatedly.
He was not convinced.
But at the moment—
He lacked evidence.
"Identification."
His voice left no room for argument.
Inside Ren's mind—
Carnage growled.
[Troublesome…]
Could Anteiku employees withstand official scrutiny?
Ren's mind raced.
He pretended to fumble inside his pocket before pulling out his wallet.
Inside was his citizen identification card.
"Yes, Investigator."
He handed it over.
At the same time he shifted slightly—
Blocking part of Kishitani's line of sight toward Touka.
Touka calmly removed her own identification card from her handbag.
Kishitani examined both cards carefully.
His sharp eyes compared the photographs to their faces.
Everything was flawless.
The documents were authentic.
Yet the investigator's brow remained furrowed.
Something still felt wrong.
But he couldn't identify what.
Finally—
He returned the cards.
"Thank you, Investigator."
Ren immediately smiled with visible relief.
"We'll be leaving now."
He gently supported Touka's arm as if helping her walk away.
But—
"Wait."
Kishitani's voice cut through the air.
He extended his arm and blocked their path.
"In times like these, when S-class ghouls are responsible for a series of murders…"
His gaze hardened.
"You will accompany us to the 20th Ward CCG branch for formal questioning."
"This is standard procedure."
"There will be no exceptions."
Ren's smile froze.
His grip on Touka's arm tightened slightly.
Inside his mind—
Carnage laughed.
[Someone… won't be leaving this alley alive…]
Ren took a slow breath.
He forced a pleading expression onto his face.
"Investigator… please look at her."
"She's terrified."
"She's really not well right now."
"Could she go home first while I accompany you?"
His voice sounded sincere.
His gaze toward Touka was full of concern.
"No."
Kishitani's answer was immediate.
Both of them.
"Now."
The alley fell silent.
The smell of blood.
The faint metallic scent from Kishitani's quinque.
The nervous breathing of the younger investigators.
Everything seemed to freeze.
Then—
Ren slowly raised his head.
The pleading expression disappeared.
Replaced by something cold.
Something empty.
"What a pity…"
His voice echoed softly through the alley.
"…you could have lived."
Kishitani's pupils shrank instantly.
Years of experience screamed danger.
"Fire!!"
But the command came too late.
Crimson liquid burst from Ren's body.
The symbiote spread across him in a violent surge.
His arms twisted—
Transforming into massive bladed limbs.
Several crimson tendrils erupted from his back and shoulders, whipping through the air like living weapons.
A monstrous roar exploded from his throat.
Not human.
Something far more savage.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The two younger investigators fired immediately.
Bullets slammed into the writhing crimson mass.
But instead of piercing flesh—
They sank into the viscous symbiote like stones falling into water.
The bullets disappeared.
Swallowed.
Ren didn't even look at them.
One tentacle shot forward.
Faster than the eye could follow.
Thud.
It pierced the chest of the investigator on the left.
The force launched the man backward.
His body slammed against the wall.
The young investigator stared down at the massive hole in his chest.
Blood poured out like a fountain.
He gasped once—
Then the light left his eyes.
At the same moment—
Two other tentacles struck the second investigator.
One wrapped around his gun arm.
The bone shattered instantly.
His pistol fell to the ground.
The other tentacle coiled tightly around his torso.
He barely managed to scream—
Before the tentacles pulled in opposite directions.
SPLIT.
The sound of tearing flesh echoed in the alley.
His body was ripped apart.
Blood and fragments sprayed through the air like grotesque fireworks.
Warm crimson rain splashed across Kishitani's face.
The smell of blood became overwhelming.
Kishitani understood instantly.
From the moment Ren transformed—
This encounter had become a death sentence.
Still—
He moved.
When he had shouted Fire, he had already begun retreating.
His hand reached for the emergency communicator on his belt.
But Carnage was too fast.
The deaths of his subordinates happened in seconds.
"Monster!!"
Kishitani roared.
Rage burned in his eyes.
He drew his quinque longsword.
Blue-white electrical arcs crackled along its blade.
Summoning every ounce of strength—
He lunged forward.
With a desperate strike—
The investigator swung his quinque directly toward Carnage's crimson head.