Cultivation

"Mm."

Inside the Ward 20 branch, Misaki Aika was sweating from her busy workload. She made a cup of coffee, but when she brought it to Huiqi's office, she was surprised to discover that he was gone.

"Has Special Class Investigator Huiqi gone out on business again? I hope he comes back before the coffee gets cold... I've really been working on my coffee-making lately."

Misaki Aika carefully set the coffee on Huiqi's desk, her eyes falling on the pages of documents on it and the annotations on his computer.

"The Monkey Demon Organization, the Black Dog... Special Class Investigator Huiqi is still working so hard."

The corner of another sheet peeked out beneath the two pages, bearing a name and a photograph.

"Ken Kaneki? I've never heard of him."

"The Clowns?" Misaki Aika tilted her head in puzzlement as she looked at the information displayed on the computer.

That afternoon.

Huiqi returned to the Ward 20 branch and smiled at the coffee on his desk, which still gave off a faint wisp of steam. He sat down and drank it.

Staring at the Clowns' information on his computer screen, Huiqi pondered something.

Helter-skelter bar, Ward 14.

Renji Yomo, Uta, Itori, and Ken Kaneki sat on stools.

"Kaneki, I'm so glad you came." Itori looked at Ken Kaneki excitedly, her curious gaze roaming over him.

"Did you all know each other before?"

Seeing the mask maker Uta and Renji Yomo, who had brought him here, Ken Kaneki asked the question.

"Yes, we met in Ward 4. Back then, Ren and Uta really didn't get along. I had to carry them both back every time."

Itori explained their relationship.

"But we get along well now."

Uta raised his glass as he answered.

"Stop talking about the past. Itori, didn't you have something to discuss with him?" Renji Yomo interrupted them, trying to get to the point.

"Don't be so impatient, Ren~"

Itori got up, rummaged behind the bar for a bottle, and unscrewed the cap. She poured its red contents into a glass.

"Here, Kaneki. This is for you."

"No, no, no. I'm still underage." Ken Kaneki hurriedly waved his hands, declining the drink.

"How cute. Of course it isn't alcohol."

With that, Itori playfully tipped the glass toward Ken Kaneki, splashing him with the red liquid. An enticing scent rose from it as it spilled over him.

The scent made Kaneki's kakugan appear before he even realized it.

"Wow! Amazing! This is my first time seeing a One-Eyed Ghoul from so close!"

At Itori's words, Ken Kaneki instinctively lowered his head and covered his face with both hands, not wanting anyone to see him like this.

"Oh? Sorry, sorry! I'm really sorry. But don't worry, Kaneki. Everyone here is a ghoul."

As she spoke, Itori took out a towel and dried Ken Kaneki's hair, then set a fresh cup of coffee on the table.

Seeing how flustered Ken Kaneki was, Itori leaned closer and sniffed him carefully. An inexplicable fragrance immediately filled her senses, as enticing as fine wine.

"You smell so good... I wonder if that other One-Eyed Ghoul smells like this too?"

"That other one? Are there other One-Eyed Ghouls besides me?" Ken Kaneki asked eagerly when he heard her words.

"Of course. The world is so big, after all. Nothing should come as a surprise."

"Kaneki, what do you think would happen if a human and a ghoul fell in love and had a child?"

"What would happen?"

"It would die... There's no other outcome. The odds of a ghoul and a human conceiving are extremely low, and even if they do, the baby won't survive for long."

"If it's a human baby, the mother's body will instinctively identify it as nutrients and absorb it. If it's a ghoul baby, it won't receive any human flesh or blood, so it will weaken and die."

"In very rare cases, the child is born. These children are first-generation hybrids. They have one kakugan and tremendous strength, far beyond that of ordinary ghouls."

"Rumor has it there's one such One-Eyed Ghoul. She's incredibly powerful-the ruler of Ward 24's underground."

"Well~ It's only an urban legend, so don't take it too seriously."

Ken Kaneki stared at the coffee in his hands. His face was reflected on its surface, and even against the brown liquid, his scarlet kakugan stood out.

"Rise... Do you know where Rise is? My eyes became like this after I met her..."

"Rise?"

Itori propped her chin on her hands, an unreadable expression crossing her face.

Five minutes later, Ken Kaneki's mind was full of questions. According to Itori, someone was orchestrating all of this behind the scenes. What role did he play in it?

Before leaving, Ken Kaneki hesitated. There was still one question on his mind, but he wasn't sure whether he should ask it.

"Go ahead, Kaneki. I'll answer if I can." Itori blinked, looking at him with a faint, knowing smile.

"Could you tell me about the Executioner?"

Whenever he thought of what Hideyoshi Nagachika had told him, Ken Kaneki felt a little confused. That included the last time he had asked Huiqi about it at the coffee shop, when Touka and Ryoko had both stared at him so strangely.

"The Executioner... I didn't expect you to know his code name, Kaneki. To be honest, I don't know much about him either."

"Consider this information a free bonus. If you ever encounter him, do everything you can to escape. Remember, don't try to reason with him, challenge him head-on, or take hostages."

A trace of lingering fear entered Itori's voice. Clearly, she had recalled some unpleasant memories.

"That's right. Do whatever it takes to escape, by any means necessary. It's your only way out."

Uta, who had been silent for a long time, also offered a warning.

"Is he really that frightening...? But I think he's a pretty decent person."

"Hahaha, you're too cute, Kaneki. He's unquestionably a Ghoul Investigator, and he's also a ghoul's worst nightmare. So if you run into him, run for all you're worth... Don't try to fight back."

"O-okay."

Ken Kaneki left the bar with Renji Yomo and returned to Ward 20.

"The Gourmet? The Ghoul Restaurant?"

Huiqi frowned at the new case in his hands.

"People have been going missing in Ward 20 lately. This is the information a Rank 3 Investigator uncovered."

"Then have the Rank 3 Investigator look into it. I don't have time to study a new case right now," Huiqi replied, sounding displeased.

"Y-yes, sir."

The Ghoul Investigator beside him bowed and left the office.

"Ward 11, what the hell are you up to?!"

A message flashed on the computer screen. The sender was Kureo Mado.

Ghoul attacks on investigators in Ward 11 have become increasingly frequent lately, and the ghouls have formed an organization. Special Class Investigator Huiqi, please attend the meeting in three days.

"Meetings, meetings... Nothing but meetings."

Huiqi rubbed his face in frustration. He still had to monitor the condition of the test subject Ken Kaneki. If the rc cells inside Kaneki were stimulated and went out of control, he would have to wait for a successful test subject from the next batch.

Then he would have to revise his plan to investigate the source all over again. Although Akihiro Kano had already begun preparing the next batch of experiments, Huiqi placed more importance on what he could see right in front of him.

At this point in the timeline, Ken Kaneki was about to accept Shuu Tsukiyama's invitation to the restaurant.