I quite enjoyed my little visit to Anteiku—it was surprisingly pleasant, actually. The warm atmosphere, the subtle clink of coffee cups, the quiet hum of conversation. It was even more entertaining when Shuu Tsukiyama walked in. I kept my cool, of course, but my curiosity sharpened the moment he stepped through the door.
After finishing my drink and paying my bill, I slipped out shortly after Tsukiyama did. I didn't need to hear everything to piece together the situation. From the way their eyes shifted and how the mood subtly changed, it was obvious—she must've informed him I was with the CCG. Probably slipped him a note when I wasn't looking. Smart girl. I'll be looking forward to our next encounter… no doubt it'll be one to remember.
But I couldn't afford to sit around anticipating future games. I had more pressing matters—more ghouls to hunt, more names to cross off. And with Mado gone... I needed a new partner.
Back at headquarters, I didn't have much time to relax. As I stepped through the doors, I was greeted by a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp features and a calm yet stern expression. He extended a hand toward me.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Juujii Isoyama," he said.
"Pleasure. I'm Urie Kuuki."
"I'll be your new partner. Let's take a walk. We've been assigned to the 18th Ward."
I followed alongside him, his tone serious as he briefed me.
"The 18th Ward is a mess right now. Ghouls are running rampant. Our main target is a ghoul known as Three Blades. But there's more—the Binge Eater used to be active in this area too. I hear you were on that case previously with Mado?"
I nodded, a pang of emotion hitting me at the mention of Mado. "Yeah, we were... before."
He gave me a slight nod, not pressing any further. "Since it's our first day, we don't have much intel yet. For now, all we can do is patrol."
We hopped into a grey sedan and made our way across the city. By the time we arrived in the 18th Ward, the sun had dipped below the horizon. It was around 5:30 PM, the perfect time for ghouls to emerge. The alleys were cloaked in shadows, and the air was thick with the city's grime.
Walking through alleyways at night was always a gamble. You could find a lead—or find yourself surrounded. Sure enough, just as I was thinking that, some low-ranking punk leapt from the shadows. But time slowed for me. Instinct took over.
"Sun Breathing, Fourth Form: Setting Sun Transformation."
In a fluid motion, I backflipped behind him and slashed horizontally across his torso. He collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. I kept my distance.
"Okay, worm. Where's Three Blades?" I asked calmly.
"Like I'd tell you, you shitty basta—"
I silenced him with a clean strike to the neck. His head dropped. Just another nameless ghoul.
My quinque—the Urie Special, forged from the kagune of that taxi driver ghoul—gleamed in the dim light. It was a katana with a segmented metal guard, gaps in the blade where spikes could emerge at the push of a button. A unique, custom-made weapon that suited me perfectly.
As I continued down the dimly lit alleyway, the only sounds were the quiet tap of my boots against the concrete and the distant hum of traffic beyond the buildings. It was unlikely I'd find any more ghouls tonight. Word spreads fast in the underworld, and after what happened earlier, most of them were probably hiding—or running.
Still, I kept going. Patrolling the alleyways at night wasn't just about hunting; it was about showing them that we were always watching. That there was nowhere safe for their kind.
After a few more hours of aimless wandering beneath flickering streetlights and rusted fire escapes, I finally caught a scent in the air—copper and rot.
Turning a corner, I froze.
There he was. A ghoul crouched low to the ground, hunched over a half-devoured corpse. His hands were soaked in blood, his mouth full of flesh. He hadn't noticed me yet.
Until he did.
He snapped his head around, eyes wide with surprise, kagune already beginning to emerge.
"Huh? An investigator?" he said, blood still dripping from his lips. He rose to his feet slowly, posture tense like a cornered animal. "You picked the wrong alley, pal."
I didn't respond right away. My hand calmly slid down to the handle of my quinque, ready to draw at a moment's notice. My voice, when it came, was cold and steady.
"Do you know where I can find Three Blades?"
The ghoul sneered. "Even if I did, why the hell would I tell you? GO TO HELL!"
He released an ukaku kagune, firing a flurry of shards in my direction. I activated my quinque, blocking each one with ease. He wasn't worth using Sun Breathing. I dashed forward, slicing off his arm. Before he could react, I flipped over him, landed behind him, and severed his kagune. He screamed in pain.
"You bastard!"
"If you tell me where she is, I'll let you go," I offered, kneeling slightly to his level.
He sneered, coughing up blood. "Like hell I'd believe that. You'll kill me anyway, or toss me in Cochlea."
"If I really wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already. Now talk."
He hesitated, then let out a bitter chuckle. "The Blades gang... they hang out at the abandoned theatre in the 18th Ward. Yokohama District."
I nodded. "Thanks."
He blinked, surprised. "Seriously? You're letting me live? I thought you were just screwing with me."
"Oh, I'll let you live," I said, a small smirk forming on my lips. "My partner, though? I don't know about him."
Just as the ghoul's eyes widened, a shadow stepped into view behind him.
CRACK.
The sound of a skull caving under a metal bat echoed through the alley.
"Sorry I took so long," Juuji said casually, resting his baseball bat-shaped quinque over his shoulder.
I shrugged. "No worries."
It was rare—extremely rare—to find a ghoul lead this quickly. Most investigators could spend weeks chasing a single target, combing through alleyways and witness reports, hoping to find just one thread to pull on. But tonight? We were walking straight into a nest.
"You know," I muttered, glancing at Juuji as we turned another corner, "normally this kind of luck is unheard of. Maybe we should call for backup. I mean, it's an entire gang we're talking about. Not exactly smart to take them on ourselves."
Juuji scoffed, not even bothering to slow his stride. "What? And let them get all the credit? Trust me, kid, I've been doing this a long time. We'll be fine."
I sighed internally. This guy is going to be the death of me.
Technically, he had a point—we could handle it. Maybe. But it still felt reckless. And I wasn't about to risk my life on someone else's overconfidence. Just to be safe, I slipped my phone out of my coat pocket and fired off a quick message to Amon.
Amon: Raiding old theatre in 18th Ward. Three Blades gang. Idiot partner doesn't want to call for backup. Sending location now.
If anything went south, at least someone would know where we were.
We arrived at the theatre just before sunset. The sky was tinged a deep orange, casting eerie shadows across the building's crumbling facade. Broken windows, boarded-up doors, graffiti-covered walls—it looked like the kind of place that hadn't been touched in years. A perfect place for ghouls to gather unnoticed.
The building groaned under its own weight as we approached the entrance. I stopped for a second, staring up at it.
"I'm telling you," I said, my voice low, "this isn't a good idea. We're walking into their home turf, with no support, no layout info, and no clue how many of them are inside. This is a serious disadvantage."
Juuji just grinned, tapping his quinque against his shoulder. "What are we waiting for? It's not like they're gonna come out and meet us. Let's get this over with."
The second he said that, I felt it. A chill ran down my spine as a presence emerged from the shadows just inside the theatre's broken entrance.
"Well, well," a voice drawled from the darkness. "What do we have here? Two lone investigators, wandering right into my base…"
Several figures stepped out of the building's entrance, silhouettes forming in the fading light. The one in front was short, lean, with a mask that looked like an old knight's helmet and glowing red eyes that pierced the dusk.
"Welcome to the theatre," she said with a mocking bow. "I hope you brought more than just those little toys of yours…"
They came out to meet us.