The expected outcome never happened.
The blade of the quinque longsword sliced downward toward Carnage's head—
But it stopped.
The weapon barely penetrated a single inch into the viscous crimson surface before being seized by the living mass.
The blade trembled violently.
Electric arcs flickered across the metal.
For a brief moment the energy crackled against the writhing red symbiote.
Then—
The electricity died.
The attack had accomplished nothing.
Kishitani's hand split open instantly from the recoil.
Blood spilled from his palm.
The tremendous counterforce traveled up his arm, sending him stumbling backward.
His eyes widened in absolute horror.
Even a quinque—a weapon specifically designed by the Commission of Counter Ghoul to kill ghouls—
Was useless.
The shallow wound on Carnage's head already sealed itself.
The crimson liquid wriggled like living muscle.
Within seconds the damage vanished.
Two dark red lights—Carnage's eyes—locked onto Kishitani.
There was no anger in them.
Only mockery.
"…Toy…"
Carnage's voice rumbled inside Ren's consciousness.
Kishitani had just barely regained his balance—
When the counterattack arrived.
Crimson tentacles burst forward from multiple directions.
The first struck his sword wrist.
CRACK.
Bone shattered.
The quinque flew from his hand and spun through the air before embedding itself in a distant pile of trash.
The second tentacle wrapped around his ankle.
The constriction instantly crushed the joint.
The third and fourth tentacles were even thicker.
One wrapped tightly around his torso.
The other coiled around his neck.
"Ghk—!"
The scream never escaped his throat.
The tentacles lifted him off the ground.
His body hung helplessly in the air.
Pain exploded through every nerve in his body.
Kishitani struggled wildly.
But the strength of Carnage's tendrils was overwhelming.
Every tightening movement crushed bone and squeezed his organs.
His face turned purple.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
His eyes protruded grotesquely from their sockets.
Carnage's massive crimson form slowly approached.
The creature leaned down slightly.
Watching.
Observing.
Enjoying.
A low hiss escaped its throat.
Then—
CRACK.
SPLIT.
SPLATTER.
The tentacles tightened simultaneously.
Like several industrial presses closing at once.
Kishitani's body collapsed inward.
Bones shattered.
Internal organs burst under the pressure.
Blood exploded from his mouth, nose, and ears.
The investigator's eyes dimmed.
The last spark of life disappeared.
The tentacles released him.
His mangled corpse dropped heavily onto the ground.
The alley returned to silence.
Carnage stood in the middle of the blood-soaked street.
Its tentacles slowly retracted.
The writhing crimson mass shrank inward.
Gradually—
The monstrous form receded.
The liquid symbiote flowed back across Ren's body.
His human silhouette emerged again.
Blood—still warm—dripped from his clothes.
The investigators' blood.
Each drop splashed into the crimson pool beneath his feet.
He slowly turned around.
His expression was calm.
Indifferent.
As if killing three people had required no more effort than brushing dust from his sleeve.
His gaze landed on Touka Kirishima.
She stood frozen in place.
For several seconds—
Neither of them spoke.
The thick smell of blood filled the alley.
Touka kept her head lowered.
Her long eyelashes cast shadows across her face.
But the rise and fall of her chest betrayed the turmoil inside her.
The smell of blood stirred her ghoul instincts.
The scent was intoxicating.
But at the same time—
The brutal scene before her triggered another emotion.
Fear.
The cold, absolute indifference to life radiating from Ren made her instincts recoil.
Finally—
She spoke.
"…Kakuja…"
Her voice trembled faintly.
She raised her head slowly.
Her violet eyes fixed on him.
Shock.
Disbelief.
And a hint of caution.
All mixed together.
After a moment she asked:
"How many ghouls… have you killed?"
Ren shrugged lightly.
"Who knows?"
His voice sounded almost casual.
"Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"
Inside his mind—
Carnage suddenly answered.
[…Only two…]
"Shut up."
Ren replied irritably.
[…Fine…]
The symbiote muttered quietly before retreating into silence.
Touka continued staring at him.
A trace of unease remained in her eyes.
He paused.
Then asked quietly—
"Did I scare you?"
Touka tilted her head slightly.
She seemed to think about the question seriously.
"No."
Her voice was calm.
"I'm not afraid."
She paused.
Her gaze dropped briefly to the blood soaking his clothes.
"It was just…"
"…unexpected."
Her purple eyes sharpened slightly.
"I didn't expect you to be a kakuja-level ghoul."
She spoke slowly.
"Kakuja are extremely rare."
At that moment—
A distant sound shattered the silence.
"WOO—WOO—WOO—"
Sirens.
Loud.
Rapidly approaching.
Red and blue lights flashed at the entrance of the alley.
Engines roared.
Tires screeched against asphalt.
The CCG had arrived.