Chapter 65: Touka Kirishima's Shock
For a moment, the investigators stood frozen, stunned by what they were witnessing.
Then, snapping back to their senses, they moved quickly to confirm the identity of the body.
Upon closer inspection, they compared the charred corpse's facial features with the CCG's expulsion order for "Gecko."
Despite the extensive burns that had left little intact, Oomori's distinct facial structure, combined with the remnants of his kagune, left no doubt — this was indeed the notorious ghoul known as "Gecko."
"It's him... It's definitely 'Gecko.'"
After confirming his identity, several investigators instinctively exhaled in relief.
Just days earlier, following the failed mission involving Kureo Mado and Koutarou Amon, the CCG had revised Gecko's threat level from S-rated to S+.
It was clear now that Gecko's capabilities far exceeded those of a typical S-rated ghoul.
Mado was recognized as having near-Quinx-level combat skills, yet even he and Amon had failed to stop Gecko. That failure had forced the CCG to reassess Gecko's true threat.
The S+ rating wasn't quite on par with SS-level ghouls, but it was dangerously close — a category reserved for the deadliest threats just shy of the most powerful known ghouls.
Even though Gecko's kakuja had enhanced him significantly, the CCG never escalated his status to SS. For one, Gecko's brutality — as twisted as it was — had always been reserved for ghouls. He rarely attacked humans directly.
As a member of Aogiri Tree, Oomori rarely hunted for himself; instead, he entertained himself by torturing captured ghouls in his so-called "playroom."
If not for his violent escape from Cochlea, during which he gravely injured the torture officer Kazuo Tokage, Gecko's original threat level would have been classified as A-rated.
But now... Gecko was dead.
And a Second-Class Investigator had taken him down — without so much as a scratch.
The reality was hard for the gathered investigators to process.
The medical staff, prepared to treat what they assumed would be a badly injured investigator, were left standing awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
"Are you... really okay?" one of the medics asked Ryoma cautiously.
"If you're hurt, you should speak up. We're here to help you."
"I'm fine," Ryoma replied flatly.
"...Right."
With no injuries to treat, the medics could only pack their gear.
"Then I'll leave the cleanup to you guys," Ryoma said, turning to leave. "I've got other things to take care of."
He didn't intend to linger — the scene would take some time to secure, and there was no need for him to be involved any longer.
...
Meanwhile, Touka Kirishima had led Ryoko and Hinami Fueguchi back to Anteiku — the one place she believed they'd be safe.
"What happened? Why are you all so shaken?"
Renji Yomo's voice broke the tension as he noticed the worried expressions on their faces.
"We ran into a ghoul," Touka explained, still catching her breath. "He was strong… too strong. If some masked guy hadn't shown up when he did, we wouldn't have made it back."
"A masked man?" Yomo asked, frowning.
"I couldn't tell who he was," Touka admitted. "But Ryoko seemed to recognize him."
Ryoko hesitated before speaking.
"It was Gecko... from Aogiri Tree," she explained quietly. "My husband had been targeted by him, which is why we fled to the 20th Ward in the first place."
"Aogiri Tree..." Yomo's expression darkened.
"Why don't you stay in the 'safe zone' for now?" Yoshimura suggested calmly.
Yoshimura had taken in Ryoko and Hinami, offering them refuge. Although his protective nature kept him from openly showing it, the threat of Aogiri Tree's influence spreading into the 20th Ward had clearly unsettled him.
In the past, Yoshimura had been forced to make hard decisions for the safety of the café. While he once considered sending Hinami to the 24th Ward — a harsh and unforgiving place — it was only as a desperate measure.
Despite those past intentions, Yoshimura knew abandoning Hinami now would never sit right with Touka.
For Yoshimura, survival had always meant hard sacrifices — once his wife and daughter, now potentially Hinami. But this time, he silently resolved to protect her.
"...Sister Touka, that masked person... I think I know who he is."
Hinami's voice was soft yet certain.
"You mean the guy in the white mask?" Touka asked.
"Yes... I've seen the clothes he wore before. And his scent… it's familiar."
Hinami paused before adding, "I think… I think it's that big brother from Anteiku. Kanzaki Ryoma."
Touka's eyes widened.
"Ryoma?"
Hinami nodded firmly. "I'm sure. His clothes and his scent... They're too similar."
"But... that's impossible," Touka muttered, her disbelief clear.
To her, Ryoma was just an ordinary human — a college student with no signs of being a ghoul or a fighter. She had been near him several times, and his scent had never carried the distinct RC cell trace that all ghouls possessed.
The masked man, on the other hand, had unmistakably been a ghoul — or at least something close to one. His blood-red eyes and the twisted mask he wore marked him as anything but human.
"They can't be the same person," Touka insisted.
"But I really think it's him..." Hinami persisted.
Deep down, what troubled Hinami most was the scent. It wasn't just Ryoma's scent that lingered on the masked man — there was also a faint trace of her father's scent.
Was Ryoma connected to her father somehow?
"Okay..." Touka sighed. "Whether it's him or not, I need to go back. That person saved us, and I can't just ignore that."
Her expression hardened.
"And if it really is Ryoma… I need to know what the hell's going on."
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T/N: (no offense to touka fans) meh! Who the hell are you to know? Just stay like the bystander you were duh..