"Wait."
Eto, who had been about to charge toward the main entrance of the building where Koma was being held, scowled at the sound of Hitokawa's voice.
The closer they got to the derelict structure, the more the metallic scent of Koma's blood intensified in the air. He was bleeding—that much was certain. The moment Eto realized this, the heat in her brain rose to a level where she felt her gray matter might turn to magma. She wanted to tear everything apart, to vent this incinerating rage; Hitokawa's interference was the last thing she wanted.
"What is it now?"
"Look at the ground."
The abandoned building's entrance was thick with layers of sand, dirt, and dust accumulated over years of neglect. Hitokawa pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and swept it across the floor.
Faint but clear footprints emerged in the beam. They were fresh. As Hitokawa compared the sizes and patterns, his brow furrowed deeper.
"One, two, three, four... Dammit, there's too many. We're looking at at least four hostiles, maybe more."
The higher-than-expected headcount told Hitokawa that things were going south before they had even begun. Eto, however, made another move for the door, undeterred.
"It doesn't matter how many there are. I'll just slaughter them all."
"I know you're confident in your skills, but listen to me while I'm being nice: don't."
The sheer weight of Hitokawa's tone made Eto stop and look back. She could feel a grim sincerity in his voice that she hadn't heard before.
"Why?"
"That insect-masked ghoul... he's more dangerous than he looks."
Hitokawa ran his hand along the blade of his wing-shaped Quinque. There was a jagged, unnatural notch in the center of the metal where a feather-like piece was missing.
"When I blocked his attack last night, I felt the gap in our strength immediately. And look at those two investigators in the trash can. Both of them had more years on the force and more skill than I do. That monster killed them in a residential alley without a sound and then did that to them. His estimated rate is at least A+."
"Rate?"
"It's a difficulty rating assigned by investigators before a hunt. An A-rate ghoul usually requires a coordinated team led by at least a First Class Investigator to handle."
Hitokawa scratched his head irritably, his frustration mounting.
"I was originally planning on the two of us taking down the Insect Mask. But if he has reinforcements... we're going to be dead before we even see Koma's face. Dammit! To come all this way just to get bottlenecked here!"
As much as Eto's blood was boiling, she couldn't ignore the warning of a professional monster hunter. She suppressed the Kagune that was threatening to burst from her shoulder and forced herself to think.
Hitokawa's assessment was clear: the Insect Mask was formidable. Their plan relied on a two-on-one assault, but they were now outnumbered by unknown variables.
"Just for reference... what is my rate?"
Hitokawa recalled their brief clash.
"An Ukaku user's rate fluctuates wildly based on experience and technique, but... strictly based on output, you're pushing A-rate. Wait... that's actually insane. How does a seven-year-old have the output of an A-rate? That's massive overkill."
Considering that an average ghoul might never break B-rate in their entire life, Eto's power at such a young age was an anomaly—a terrifying over-performance. In his worry for Koma, he hadn't fully processed it until now, but it was profoundly strange.
Despite Hitokawa's suspicious gaze, Eto puffed out her chest with pride.
"𝘏𝘶𝘧𝘧! I am the crystallization of Dad's and my love!"
"Don't say things like that. If anyone else heard you, Koma would be arrested for a very different reason. You sound genuinely dangerous."
Hitokawa realized he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of her. He decided to file that mystery away for later and focus on the immediate hurdle.
"First, we—"
Eto raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Someone's coming out."
"...!"
Following Eto's gaze, Hitokawa caught the faint sound of movement coming from within the dark building.
"Hide."
𝘗𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘩!
Hitokawa pulled out a scent-neutralizing spray—designed specifically for use against ghouls with keen senses—and doused both of them before pulling Eto into the thick undergrowth. Moments later, two silhouettes emerged from the front entrance of the building.
"Dammit, the General Manager is actually entrusting this piece to that human girl? What is he thinking?"
"Don't complain so much, Team Leader. Minami is a member of the company, too."
"Do you really want to call that lunatic one of us, Senior Manager? A human who wants to be a ghoul... even as a ghoul myself, I think she's lost her damn mind. I have no idea where the President found a freak like that."
The two figures looked like ordinary salarymen in suits, but their conversation was purely from a ghoul's perspective. Hitokawa found the "company" roleplay bizarre, but he'd seen enough deranged ghouls in his time to know that monsters could be even more eccentric than humans.
The tall, horse-faced man was the 'Senior Manager,' and the short, scrawny one was the 'Team Leader.' Hitokawa judged that he could likely handle the Team Leader alone.
This was an opportunity. He leaned in and whispered to Eto.
"Eto, you're good at playing the innocent act, right?"
"Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"If they're bunched up, we don't have a chance. We have to divide and conquer. We need to lure those two away from the building. If we fight right here, their friends will swarm us. Act like a lost, innocent ghoul child and bait them away."
"...𝘔𝘮𝘮. I get the point, but will they really fall for it?"
"What's so hard? Just use that high-pitched, cutesy voice you use on your dad and they'll melt—"
"I would rather cut my tongue out. Acting cute for the people who kidnapped my dad makes my skin crawl."
"Your absolute refusal is almost making me pity them.... Fine. How about a 'lost child' act?"
"...I think I can manage that."
The two finalized their plan in the bushes and launched the operation.
"Where are you heading now, Senior Manager?"
"I have to source some new materials. There's a specific train line I use, and I found a perfect subject there. She's an office worker with beautiful legs; if I harvest them and display them correctly, I think I could create a truly remarkable piece."
"Oho, that sounds promising. Then I'll—"
The two ghouls were walking toward the station, chatting casually, when a high-pitched, sobbing cry echoed through the pre-dawn stillness of the city.
"𝘞𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘩! 𝘞𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘩!"
"Huh? What's that?"
Both ghouls turned toward the source of the noise. A small girl, appearing to be about seven years old, was walking toward them, weeping loudly. She looked up at them with huge, tear-filled eyes.
"𝘏𝘪𝘤! 𝘏𝘪𝘤! Mommy.... where's my mommy...?"
"Huh? Why are you asking us where your mom is? Get lost, brat!"
The Team Leader didn't hide his annoyance and tried to intimidate her. However, the Senior Manager held up a hand to stop him.
"Wait a second. It's faint, but this scent.... Are you a ghoul?"
𝘕𝘰𝘥!
The girl nodded, her face a mask of sorrow. She spoke between hiccuping sobs.
"𝘏𝘪𝘤! I came out with Mommy to find food... 𝘩𝘪𝘤! ...but she disappeared! P-Please help me find my mommy!"
"𝘛𝘤𝘩.... I can't just ignore this."
"Just leave it, Senior Manager. What's the point of ghouls helping ghouls?"
The Team Leader was right: after Ghoul Investigators, a ghoul's greatest enemy was often another ghoul. They fought over hunting grounds, competed for food, and often killed each other in the process. Stories of ghouls helping others only to be used as bait for investigators or stabbed in the back were common.
Despite this, the Senior Manager shook his head.
"If she were an adult, I wouldn't care. But she's a child. We can afford to be a little kind to one who hasn't been tainted by the world yet."
"Ugh. Fine."
"Listen, little one. Where did you last see your mother?"
The girl wiped her tears and pointed toward a dark side-street. Her small finger indicated a gloomy alleyway—a place a human would avoid, but a second home to a ghoul.
The girl led the way, and the two salaryman ghouls followed her, their figures vanishing into the deep shadows of the alley.