"I hope you really took that to heart."
Shinohara sighed after saying that. Some things only inspired regret once they were lost, and judging by Huiqi's attitude, he hadn't taken her seriously.
"Of course. I definitely took it to heart. I can hardly wait now."
With that, Huiqi picked up his briefcase and left the CCG for Ward 17.
"Ugh, this is tough... Anyway, what should we do about Binge Eater?"
Shinohara looked troubled as he spoke. The CCG was in a difficult position. There were still plenty of scattered ghouls they hadn't dealt with, and now they also had to face the ghoul organization Aogiri Tree. Its leader was reportedly the One-Eyed King.
"My instincts tell me Binge Eater will go to Ward 20... Why not let me observe the situation there? We might even find something unexpected..."
"Ward 20 hasn't had a ghoul attack on a human in a long time. I don't think headquarters would let you go."
"Soon... Very soon..."
Kureo Mado sounded utterly certain, his finger tapping repeatedly on the wanted files on the desk.
"Instincts? You and Huiqi really are the same sort."
"The same sort? He's nothing like me... The CCG's Executioner."
Executioner was the alias Huiqi had received when he was promoted to Special Class. Every Ghoul Investigator received an epithet upon reaching Special Class, including Kishou Arima, the White Reaper, and Shinohara, the Indomitable.
By then, Huiqi had reached his front door. At some point, his briefcase had transformed into a pair of silver-white gloves, their overall design possessing a mechanical beauty.
Click...
Huiqi slowly pushed open the door, eager to settle the score for everything that had happened lately. Before his promotion to Special Class Investigator, life had been downright miserable. The first thing he did every day upon returning home was clean up the wastepaper and assorted trash strewn across the floor.
The refrigerator was filled with Sen Takatsuki's food, leaving no room for human food at all. Huiqi had been forced to buy ingredients and cook them on the spot, while also taking responsibility for keeping the house clean.
Of course, that was a minor issue. The bigger problem was that Sen Takatsuki would occasionally do something to disgust him. A Ghoul Investigator's head or something else would turn up at the door every so often. Over time, the entire house had taken on a strange atmosphere, and Huiqi frequently had to dispose of severed heads and other inexplicable things.
"Huh? Where is she?"
Huiqi looked around the living room in confusion. There was no wastepaper littering the floor, and Sen Takatsuki wasn't at the computer. The entire room was tidy, with none of its previous mess.
"What's this?"
After sweeping his gaze around the room, he noticed a sheet of paper on the table, densely covered in writing.
Congratulations to Toy Number One on becoming a Special Class Investigator. I'll be leaving now, too. Looking back, I'm very sad that I won't have any more chances to mess with Toy Number One. I hope Toy Number One will miss me... The next time we meet, I'll consider slicing up your thighs and eating them... But before that, I have other things to take care of...
Huiqi's mouth twitched as he read the note. The style and handwriting were unmistakably Sen Takatsuki's. It seemed she had already left Ward 17, and judging by the latter half of the note, she was probably busy with a mission of her own.
"Next time, I'll cut out your kakuhou and make myself a Quinque."
He crumpled the paper in both hands and tossed it into the trash, then stepped outside and looked at the street. The passersby below wore smiles, seemingly immersed in their own happy lives.
Ring, ring, ring...
His phone rang. Huiqi frowned slightly at the caller's name.
"Akihiro Kano? Didn't he resign? Why is he still contacting me?"
"Hello? What is it?"
"Haha, how have you been lately? Nothing unusual has happened at the CCG, has it?"
"No. How have you been? I haven't seen you in half a year."
Huiqi exchanged pleasantries with Dr. Kanou. Dr. Kanou wouldn't have contacted him without a reason. Their last conversation had been a year ago, when Dr. Kanou had made another breakthrough in his research and invited Huiqi to come see it.
Akihiro Kano had obtained a living ghoul from somewhere and transplanted its kakuhou into a human. Although the transplant had succeeded, the human had become something neither human nor monster. According to Dr. Kanou, however, that was already a great success. All previous attempts had ended in immediate death from rejection.
"Not bad. This time, Mr. Huiqi, I'd like you to protect me in a private capacity..."
"Hm? Protect you? What happened?"
Huiqi frowned at Akihiro Kano's request. It seemed something had happened to him.
"Nothing much... It's just that the ghouls from Aogiri Tree have set their sights on me... Here's the address of my private hospital... I hope you can come by in a little while."
"Understood."
After agreeing to Dr. Kanou's request, Huiqi hung up, his expression grim. Everywhere he turned lately, he encountered the name Aogiri Tree. His current CCG assignment was to investigate them.
Aogiri Tree's emergence had been inexplicable, too. They had appeared suddenly at some unknown point and loudly proclaimed that their leader was the One-Eyed King, the strongest ghoul.
They had even attacked CCG branches in Ward 11 and other areas to demonstrate their strength and attract outside ghouls to their ranks. The CCG had suffered terribly during that period. Only after Huiqi took part in the related operations had they managed to curb Aogiri Tree's momentum.
Beep, beep. His phone sounded a message alert.
Huiqi picked up his phone again and read the message.
"They're putting me in charge of Ward 20? What's going on with the CCG? And Rank 1 Investigator Kureo Mado is coming with me?"
Huiqi stared at his phone in confusion. The CCG's latest assignments were displayed on the screen, and one stated that Special Class Investigator Huiqi and Rank 1 Investigator Kureo Mado would take charge of the Ward 20 branch.
Ring, ring, ring.
Before Huiqi could react, the phone in his hand rang again. The caller was Kureo Mado.
"What's going on? I mention that lunatic Kureo Mado, and he calls me right away?"
After a moment's thought, Huiqi answered.
"Special Class Huiqi, it's a pleasure to work with you. But before that, could you go to Ward 5? Please help my daughter."
"Your daughter, Akira Mado? Understood."
He didn't refuse. Although Kureo Mado was eccentric and occasionally said things that made no sense, he was a reliable partner when it came to dealing with ghouls.
On the other end of the call, Kureo Mado's eyes were filled with worry. He prayed that Huiqi could reach Ward 5 as quickly as possible. Only Ward 17, Ward 6, and Ward 7 bordered Ward 5, while he was in Ward 20. By the time he arrived, Akira Mado would probably be dead.
Drip, drip.
In a secluded neighborhood, a slender figure ran, her clothes disheveled as she stumbled through the shadows in a wretched state.
The screen of the phone in her hand still glowed faintly. It showed her contacts, with Kureo Mado's name giving off a weak light.
"Father, I... hah... hope you can... get here soon."
Akira Mado's voice was hoarse, broken by heavy gasps as she leaned weakly against a wall.
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