While Lancer had just found a "lead," Kirishima Touka was sitting at school, staring blankly into the sky, expression shifting several times as unknown thoughts swirled within.
"Touka~!"
At that moment, a pair of hands suddenly covered her eyes from behind. The abrupt darkness startled her, causing an instinctive urge to break the wrists blocking her vision—but fortunately, she managed to calm herself at the last second.
"Yoriko? What's wrong? You scared me half to death!"
"Hehe~ You're such a scaredy-cat, Touka."
The girl in the sailor uniform had no idea that Kirishima Touka hadn't been scared by her prank, but rather by her own violent instinct. Touka had no intention of explaining either—there was no point. Yoriko cheerfully sat down across from her, resting her chin in her hands, eyes glittering with curiosity. Even Touka, normally aloof and distant, couldn't help feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Yoriko... Seriously, what's up?"
"Not what's up with me—what's up with you, Touka? You've been acting weird today~"
Her friend's words made Touka want to reflexively deny it, but although her lips parted, no sound emerged. She knew Yoriko was right. She couldn't lie to herself; her mind was a chaotic mess.
What happened to Hinami and Ryouko-san after they were taken by Lancer? Are they locked up in a CCG branch right now? If he kills them, should I kill him in return?
She had long known Lancer was a Dove hunting Ghouls, but her stance had always been one of indifference. Now, she regretted it. Why hadn't she killed Lancer earlier? If she had, perhaps the Fueguchi mother and daughter wouldn't have ended up like this.
Yet even as that thought crossed her mind, her face turned deathly pale. She had never killed a Dove before—in fact, she'd never killed anyone. Her father had raised her and Ayato when they were small, and later Yoshimura had taken her in. She'd always been an oddity among Ghouls…
"Touka? Maybe you should go home early today? I don't know what's on your mind, but you're always overthinking things. Instead of worrying, why not just try?"
Yoriko, an ordinary girl, clearly didn't know her friend was a Ghoul—much less one powerful enough for the CCG to issue a warrant for her arrest. But as Touka's closest friend, she understood her personality well enough to recognize when she was caught up in her own thoughts again.
"Try... Just try it... I get it! Yoriko! Thank you! Please tell the teacher I'm leaving early—I won't be attending afternoon classes!"
Watching Touka hurriedly grab her bag and rush out, Yoriko couldn't help but smile gently.
Still the same old Touka. Looks so smart but is really just a dummy…
Yoriko recalled their first meeting when they'd become desk-mates. Initially, seeing Touka's cold, distant face isolating her from the class, Yoriko thought she must be difficult to approach—until Touka had stepped in to protect her from upperclassmen bullies.
She'd thanked Touka repeatedly afterward, but Touka had brushed it off with an indifferent "It's nothing." Ironically, if Touka had simply accepted the thanks, Yoriko might not have become so interested. Instead, Touka's indifference piqued her curiosity.
Observing Touka closely, she'd discovered the truth behind the girl labeled by classmates as "hard to approach" and "cool": Touka was just an ordinary girl who disliked preparing lunch, dozed off in class, and forgot her gym clothes. Even her consistent refusals gradually softened over time. When exactly had they become friends? Yoriko herself couldn't recall clearly—by the time she noticed, they were already having lunch together.
Precisely because she'd watched Touka so closely, she knew her friend had secrets. But Yoriko didn't mind; even family members had their privacy. In fact, this so-called "secret" only made Touka more fascinating in her eyes.
Supporting her cheek with one hand, Yoriko gazed after Touka, who was sprinting toward the school gates, feeling a slight pang of loneliness.
Without Touka here, class is going to be boring…
Only after Touka had completely vanished from sight did Yoriko slump onto her desk, stifling a yawn.
...
Meanwhile, Touka hopped onto the bus, her gaze firming as she stared out the window.
If I can't figure out an answer, I'll just create one myself!
She first stopped by her apartment to grab her mask, then followed the address she'd received from Yoshimura that morning to Lancer's current residence.
"The building has more than twenty floors, and Lancer lives on the 20th floor. It's basically impossible to invade from outside, so…"
Confirming nobody was watching, she slipped into an air vent, emerging into an empty corridor before quietly entering the emergency stairwell.
To hide her identity, she'd put on a mask, and elevators were risky since surveillance footage could remain. Staircases were ideal; hardly anyone used them in buildings equipped with elevators, significantly reducing the risk of discovery. Truly a perfect choice!
Climbing stairs might exhaust a normal human, but for a Ghoul like her, it posed no challenge at all.
Yet once she reached the 20th floor, a new problem arose. There were six apartment doors—which one belonged to Lancer?
Due to Lancer's flamboyant style, he was considered "famous" among Ghouls, making his approximate location common knowledge. But clearly, nobody dared follow him home. Even knowing he lived on the 20th floor was merely deduced from elevator movements observed from afar.
Do I need to break in door by door? But that contradicts my goal of secretly gathering information…
Just as she agonized over whether or not to take action, the second door from the left suddenly rattled, a key turning in its lock.
Not good!
Reacting instantly, she summoned her Kagune behind her, poised to strike—but she quickly restrained herself, seeing clearly who emerged.
"Ryouko-san? What are you…? Forget it! Where's Hinami? Let's go!"
"Touka?"
Touka's shock was mirrored by Fueguchi Ryouko, who stood there holding a garbage bag, equally stunned. She'd just finished cleaning up, completely unprepared for Touka's sudden appearance. At the suggestion of leaving together, a brief longing flashed through her eyes, but then she shook her head slowly, pointing instead at the collar around her neck.
"What did that bastard do to you, Ryouko-san?!"
Clearly, Kirishima Touka had misunderstood terribly.
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T/N: im back, did a poll on my patreon on the new schedule and releases for webnovel so yeah
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