66

Chapter 66: Guilt

"Then let Yomo go with you. It's too dangerous otherwise," Yoshimura said with concern.

With Renji Yomo at her side, Touka Kirishima wouldn't need to worry about running into Gecko.

Yomo's danger rating reached SS, and his lightning-fast ukaku kagune made him one of the strongest ghouls in the 20th Ward. Even though he wasn't a kakuja user, his sheer combat prowess easily rivaled Gecko's.

Even Ayato Kirishima, who possessed a kakuja and was also rated SS, could only manage a draw against Yomo at best.

With that, Yomo accompanied Touka back to the area where they had previously encountered Gecko.

However, by the time they arrived, the site was swarming with CCG investigators — their signature white coats giving them the nickname "doves."

Yellow caution tape stretched across the entrance, marking the area off-limits to civilians.

A ghoul investigator stationed near the barricade raised a hand to stop them.

"Sorry, this area is closed off. A dangerous incident occurred here. Please take another route."

"A dangerous incident?" Touka asked, feigning alarm. "Was it... was it a ghoul?"

"Yeah," the investigator confirmed. "A powerful one too. But don't worry, an investigator already took him out. We're just cleaning up the aftermath."

The man seemed eager to chat — possibly because Touka was playing the role of an innocent, curious schoolgirl far too well.

"Really? Wow!" Touka widened her eyes, acting like a starstruck teenager. "Who was the investigator? Are they young? Handsome?"

The investigator chuckled. "Sorry, that's classified. I can't share details like that. Anyway, if you need to get through here, you'll have to take a detour."

"Aw... okay," Touka pouted, adding a hint of disappointment to her voice before turning away with Yomo.

Once they returned to Anteiku, Touka relayed what had happened.

"So... the CCG claims they're the ones who took out Gecko?" Ryoko Fueguchi asked, her tone filled with doubt.

"But that's impossible," Touka replied. "The person who saved us was definitely a ghoul."

"Maybe the ghoul who helped you fought Gecko first," Yomo offered. "Maybe they were injured, and a CCG investigator showed up later to finish the job."

"That's possible," Touka admitted. "But I still want to know who that masked man was…"

The more unclear the truth became, the more obsessed Touka grew with finding answers.

"Wait... when that big brother comes to Anteiku again, I'll ask him directly," Hinami spoke up.

She clenched her fists tightly, trying to muster her courage.

She didn't know Ryoma very well, and before, she had been too scared to approach him.

But now, after he had saved her family, she felt sure he wasn't a bad person. If Ryoma really was connected to her father, she had to know the truth.

"Alright... that's probably our best option for now," Touka agreed.

"This might not be over yet," Yomo warned. "Gecko was part of Aogiri Tree. They may retaliate — especially if they find out a CCG investigator killed one of their officers. Things could get chaotic in the 20th Ward soon."

His words cast a heavy silence over the room.

The 20th Ward had remained peaceful for so long, largely thanks to the efforts of Anteiku's ghouls. But now that peace had been shattered — and the threat of a conflict between the CCG and Aogiri Tree loomed on the horizon.

Ryoko and Hinami lowered their heads, guilt clear on their faces.

They knew that if they hadn't fled to the 20th Ward, Gecko wouldn't have chased them here.

But in truth, their presence wasn't the reason Gecko had arrived. His primary target had been Rize Kamishiro. Ryoko and Hinami were merely caught in the crossfire.

"Don't blame yourselves," Yomo said firmly, noticing their self-reproach. "This isn't your fault. And besides…"

He shot them a rare smile.

"Now that you're here, the café has two more sets of helping hands. We'll need all the support we can get."

"That's right," Irimi added with a grin. "We're all in this together. No need to dwell on what's already happened."

Hearing this, Ryoko and Hinami both felt a weight lift from their shoulders.

If they couldn't change what had happened, they would at least do their part to support Anteiku moving forward.

...

Meanwhile, Ryoma had already returned home.

Technically, he should have visited the 20th Ward's CCG branch to officially report his success.

But he decided to skip the formalities — he was still on vacation, and there was no rush. When he returned to work, he could simply head to the CCG's 1st Ward headquarters to claim his new S+-rated Quinque.

"I'm back," Ryoma muttered, stepping inside.

By now, he was used to someone greeting him the moment he walked through the door.

"Welcome home, dear~"

Rize Kamishiro stepped out from the living room, flashing him a playful smile.

"Do you want to eat first? Take a shower? Or…" Her grin widened mischievously. "Should I take a bite out of you first?"

Ryoma sighed. He'd grown accustomed to Rize's teasing by now — but this time, her tone seemed just a little too suggestive.

"...Wait a second," he muttered. "That didn't sound right."